Los Ninos =]

My service learning has finally started! It definitely has been quite the experience . . . Dr. Seals told us to expect something different from American schools, but I never expected this. I am working in Pronoei, a government funded kindergarten program which holds students ages 2-5. Yesterday morning, about 12 other students and I rode the bus to Santa Rosa, which is about a 20 minute bus ride. The whole living in a big city thing is crazy for me, but riding the bus was definitely a new experience. There are no real safety laws here so we were packed in like sardines. I had to stand and hold onto the pole, and I'm glad that the other students around me were from Alma so I wasn't knocking into a complete stranger (although I did run into someone on the street the other day and got quite a nasty look from the police officer nearby, even though I said sorry . . . as Elisabeth tells me, I need a leash :P). After getting off the bus, it's a short walk to the Proneoi school that Elisabeth and I are working at. We were warmly welcomed right away by Sra. Vargas, the teacher of the school. The program runs from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and shortly after we arrived the students started arriving. Since then, it has definitely been an adventure! The teacher and students speak no English, so there has been a lot of facial expressions and miming to communicate. I guess what surprised me the most was the complete lack of scheduling. As a detailed, well-organized person I have been programmed into the American way of life--plan things weeks in advance and stay on schedule as much as possible! That's how the kindergarten classrooms in Alma worked, but definitely not here. Students are allowed to do whatever they want to do, a concept that is foreign to me. The door to a small outside area which is enclosed by a fence is open, and students run in and out whenever they choose. There is no designated snack time; students eat and play whenever they want. Discipline is basically nonexistent. In fact, there is only one lesson a day, and often it is only done by a few students at a time. With such a large age range, it is hard to plan lessons and make sure that everyone is on the same page. Yesterday, our teacher got a new curriculum textbook which led to chaos in the classroom as we tried to help students write their names. Today, we taught the students the different parts of the body. I help as much as I can, especially with organizing the textbooks and trying to make sure the lessons run smoothly. My favorite part of the day is playing with the students or helping them finish puzzles. Today, a student was crying because her mother left, and I set out an animal book and quizzed her on the different animals and told her the names of the animals in English to keep her distracted and she stopped crying (classic EDC Psych moment!). I was so proud of myself. The hardest part for me is not being able to settle disputes between students. When a child comes up to me crying and I can't understand what they're saying I just try to comfort them and hug them, but it doesn't feel like enough! One student cried for over one hour yesterday and the classroom teacher simply ignored him, and so that is what Elisabeth and I assumed we should do. After working with young students in America and constantly being the mediator, it's hard to just stand by and watch the students work things out for themselves. However, it's wonderful to be able to work with the students because you can tell that they love having someone to play with, and they quiz me in Spanish all of the time. In fact, they are often adamant that English is nonexistent and there can't possibly be two words for one thing. :P I love holding the younger students on my lap and watching them scribble or try to figure out puzzles. I also like knowing that I am helping Sra. Vargas as much as I can. She is truly appreciative of all that we do. Tomorrow, I'm bringing in some containers and paper to make vases for her pencils and scissors. I plan on getting some of the students to help me. Elisabeth has helped a lot as well, especially with playing with the students. She built a clay city yesterday with all of the animals that students asked her for, which is perfect for an art education major. She has also helped with lessons and discipline! To me, the whole feel of the school is almost a daycare, but I'm enjoying working with the students, improving my Spanish, and learning to roll with a new culture on a daily basis. Today after class, the students crowded around the doors and yelled goodbye to us. We could hear them from about three blocks away. It was absolutely priceless. :)

Our afternoons now consist of our Spanish lessons. I have progressed to learning how to use grammar to have a conversation and tell stories, something that is very difficult for me. Having classes in the afternoon is definitely bad for my concentration, but I am doing the best that I can and I know that I am improving which is a good feeling! Even if I can't communicate very well in Spanish, my miming and drawing skills have definitely improved and those that listen to me can usually piece together what I mean. After class last night, Elisabeth, Adam, and I went to Romana's, a local pizzeria. We had a four cheese pizza and I swear it is the best pizza I have ever had in my entire life. They don't use sauce and the grease covering it was olive oil and basil . . .absolutely delicious! I have been eating such healthy stuff here that I didn't even feel too guilty about it. After that, Elisabeth and I headed home.  I also finally had a chance to call home and talk for about an hour, which was amazing . . . it's weird to not be able to call home everyday. Megan, if you're reading this, I had a dream about HP last night that we simply must discuss after your finals week. :) Today after class, my host father, Dr. Seals, and about ten other students headed to the silver factory. Rafael, our host father, organized the whole trip because he is friends with the owner and it was a great experience! I was able to see raw silver and also all of the work that goes into creating such beautiful pieces. Most of them are handmade and take days or weeks to complete, especially if they have intricate designs. I heard from quite a few people that I have the best host father/family ever, and I couldn't agree more. It will be sad to leave them on Monday! After we came home, Rafael and I talked about constellations and the stars for quite a while. He has a really nice telescope set up in his living room and he's agreed to take me stargazing on Friday! Unfortunately, that will be the last time that I see him because he is organizing a trip for some doctors from the US to come to Peru and help people with cleft lips and cleft palettes. Their plane arrives on Saturday, and he will be gone for a week.

It is very much past my bedtime (I usually go to bed about 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. here), so I think I'm going to say goodnight. Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you have been blessed by an amazing day. Know that I love you and that I am thinking of you. Thanks for reading.

Love always,
Chels <3