I've been spending more time at the church lately, where the internet connection is better and I can get prepared for swimming. We start classes this weekend! Thirty kids are signed up for Saturday and 15 adults are going Sundays. I am really psyched!
Yesterday was my first day back in the classroom in ages. Our group is back to being small again since all of the teams from North America have come and gone. I only had 6 in preschool yesterday. But I guess it is more relaxed that way.
We are teaching about "Semana Santa" as they call it here. When asked on Monday why we celebrate Holy Week the kids said "to rest", "to go to the beach" and one of my preschoolers said "to fix your glasses". Some of you can guess - that was Samuel. But not one of them in the whole Breakfast Program could talk about Easter. I was shocked! They will know by the end of this week.
I am noticing a sad and strange phenomenon. In order for the kids to swim, we would like to have a 10 minute meeting with the parents to go over the rules and have them sign a permission slip. But very few of the parents will come. They are all too busy, they say. Even the homes with 2 unemployed parents say they don't have time to come and sign their kids up. It frustrates me because I have to imagine they are the same with their children's education - can't be bothered to go to the school. I also don't understand why these parents can't set aside 10 minutes of their time (I have said I am available 7 days/week at any hour) for such a special gift for their child. The church pays for everything - the lessons, the bussing, the swim caps, the professional coaches, even the sun block! Yet the parents can't be bothered to walk across the street and sign a paper.
Yesterday as I left the church I noticed I had a missed call from my landlord. I called him back right as I noticed he had left me a text. It is fire season here. Everything is on fire and the smoke fills the city. Yesterday a lady who works on the property noticed a fire down at the front gate. She called my landlord and his brother, who also lives on the property. They rushed home from work and together with the house cleaner they worked hard and finally put out the fire. It started, as it did last year, across the street. It came up the side of our driveway and around my landlord's brother's house, and up the mountain. Apparently it burned a lot up there. I haven't seen it yet in daylight.
My landlord's brother was very, very sad. Plus he fell while climbing the hill to fight the fire and got hurt. It wasn't a good day for him. After they got the fire controlled on that side of the property it spread toward my house. It didn't make it as close as it did last year yet. I say yet because last year we had several fires. Carlos said it was a big fire. As soon as they finally got in under control, 12 firemen came. They went and walked around the property, then left because it had spread over to our neighbors properties.
Last year the fires really upset and scared me. This year I felt more calm. I saw last year that the fire can burn right up to my house and the only thing that happens is the odor of smoke lingers for days and I have to wash everything to get the smell out. My house is cement with a wide sidewalkish thing around it and a tin roof, so the structure is likely to be safe. My landlord's house is brick, so they are pretty safe too.
Right as I pulled up the driveway last night, raindrops fell on my windshield. We had a good rain but heavy winds. It hasn't rained in weeks. I was happy for the rain, hoping it will take some of the dust off the roads and some of the smoke out of the air.
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