The night school

Yes, at long last the spring vacations came to an end. Thank goodness. No, I had an excellent vacation. And now that we're back, I finally got to visit some classes at liceo 62, right next door to number 9 but worlds apart. First because it is a very large school, and second because it is for the ciclo basico crowd, ie middle school. But I visited night groups with Karinna and Kristin, which made it even more different. The students tend to be more mature, many of them work during the day or otherwise have interesting life stories to tell.

 

Maybe I look tired to you, but like I always say, that's just the way my face looks.

They asked some more profound questions than I have been hearing usually, things about politics, September 11th, and Jethro Tull. The best is when they say, half-bemused, half-proud, that they understood what we were talking about in English.

Meet the American

On Wednesday, I visited one of Laura's groups at school 9 first thing in the afternoon. They had heard from Fernanda's class how I visited them the week before, and they got jealous. So justice was done. And now for some more photos from the Rural (I'm there right now as I post this, with Antel's stupendous free wi-fi).

Giant paella stirred with an oar. Yay for free food. And puppies!

Everyone always asks me if I miss my family, my friends. And I do of course. But mostly I miss my cats and dogs.

Prado visits

After many miscues, I finally met some groups at school 63 this week. Thursday and Friday I got up extra early to tell them all about my hometown and answer their many questions.

Alejandra's class today had a lot to say. And not only this side of the room (though Vittorio was especially loquacious).

Here's the other half. They combined two groups, representing Scientific and Humanities orientations . Thursday was a group from Biology. It's impressive to me that kids in Uruguay decide on their initial career orientation in what for us would be like 10th grade. At that age, I was still thinking it would be a good idea to design videogames, though I have a strong aversion actually learning how technology works. To me it's like the cartoon characters who run out into midair, over the edge of the cliff--they're fine, until they look down and realize there's nothing there. Anyway, after visiting them, I went to the famous Rural del Prado. Guess whose day it was?

And there I ran into an old friend--

Celebrity status

The students at high school 26 had everything ready for me bright and early on Friday. They had questions prepared, and then they used my answers to write a strikingly accurate report about me. Then there was coffee and snacks and time for conversation. Many thanks to Mariella and Rossina and, as always, to Fabiana for arranging everything. I was supposed to go to Florida that morning on a bus with IPA and CeRP Salto students, but I'm glad I went a little later and got to visit these guys instead.

There were many, many more photos that were taken that morning. Probably they are on facebook somewhere.

Update: more photos, courtesy of Mariella  --

What a wonderful world

His name is pronounced 'Louie' even though it is spelled with an 's'. The students were so quiet while that great, great song played. They read about the history of popular music like good sports, even though some of their favorite music is cumbia, and the English book's music history stops about the year they were born. Learning about Elvis' dance moves and how to say years in English. For example, nineteen sixty-nine, the year Woodstock changed the world, maybe just a little bit.

I still believe in peace and love and education. Particularly when I get to visit groups like Gabriela's first-year students at high school 18 in the morning.