Party Party Party

Hi everyone! I am so happy to hear that people are actually reading my blog! I actually feel important :) Today was a great day! I woke up this morning to get on the internet but of course it was not working. So I ended up just relaxing for a while before school. Then we headed off to school for Beach day! Today the entire school went to the beach to celebrate Easter Break. I got to school and we played games with our students and finished their Easter baskets we have been working on. I was surprised when two students walked through the door who I had never seen before. One of the boys turned out to be a student's brother who decided to come to school with him and the other turned out to be in the class but had not come to school since I had been there.

After we all got settled and acquainted it was time to go to the beach. We all lined up and walked down the road as a school for about two minutes considering that we are right on the water. Then the students were set free to roam and play as they pleased. All of the interns wore their bathing suits and we had a great time playing with the students. We had snacks of chicken gizzards and lime juice (which I did not eat) and a wonderful lunch of home cooked rice, beans, chicken, and chips. We stayed at the beach from 10-2:00 when the students were picked up by their parents. Then the interns all got their curriculum materials to plan with over the break and we headed back to Pedro's.

SO.... I made it!! Week one of the schools is over with and I am now on Easter break. I am really starting to grow attached to these students. They all have their rough edges but they really are one of a kind. It is fascinating just to even hear them talk. The students switch from English, to Creole, to Spanish, and back. I can understand most everything they say in English and Spanish but Creole is another beast. Creole is really just a dialect. They speak in present tense and abbreviated words with a heavy Caribbean accent and a lot of slang. I am picking up on some of it but most of the time I have to get them to explain to me what they are saying. I find myself slipping into their accent when I am reading because it is almost as if they just have lazy tongues. It is a habit I will have to fight during my time here. I find that whenever you travel you pick up on some dialects a tiny bit, but living here for so long I think it will really become something I get accustomed to. But don't expect me to come back speaking with a thick accent. I simply just find it easier to speak with a lazy tongue at times because that is the custom.

It is also funny because here in San Pedro I see my students everywhere! On the streets, in the water, in stores, and they see me too. You can't slip up around here because someone is always watching. Everyday my students tell me they saw me the night before at so and so place and I had no earthly idea. It is like big brother is always watching you. The closeness of the people on the island is really a neat dynamic to experience. On the flip side there are also some dynamics that are more difficult to adjust to. The informality of the school is something we are all getting used to, but in a good way. Also the way we are addressed by men here is something that we are starting to grow accustomed to. It is normal for men to yell and whistle at women because that is just how the culture gives compliments so we are starting to get used to this in passing. There are many other things that are coming to us with time but the culture here is so rich that it is not something you can just pick up right away. Wish me luck with the rest of the weekend! Tomorrow is our first excursion!