What have I let myself in for??!!!!

I am sorry I haven't blogged for so long - life has been hectic, yet again. So....I will try to fill you in and keep you up to date with everything. Firstly - the repulsive, dirty, spider ridden kitchen. There was so much cleaning to do that we actually hired a cleaner!! She works from 8am - 4pm on Wednesdays for £2.50 - which is an average wage. I am soo grateful to her as she cleaned all the cupboards and swept out huge amounts of dirt and soil - I was too scared to put my hands in there. The cockroaches have made their way back into the cupboards but the house is just so much cleaner now it's great. I am much happier in it. She speaks no English and so we have lots of sign language! She sweeeps and mops for us, which is vital in the dust. We are very lucky! Not to mention we divide the cost of paying for her!

I went to visit a Children's Home last week. It is a permanent home for these children, who have come from horrific backgrounds. One child was found in a bin in the streets, others left malnourished and infested with mites, bites etc. They were very sweet children. I am looking forward to going to the bigger Orphanage soon, especially as I have some from there in my class.

The weather has been very hot but cloudy, so no great pictures of school or town - I haven't forgotten!! We have had lots of rain too, was torrential last night, I haven't seen it fall that heavy before, in fact Amanda's bedroom celing started leaking!

School started this week which I shall come to shortly, but before that we had 2 weeks of meetings which were translated for us - mostly. They were generally productive althogh there is still so much I don't quite understand! There was one rule they came up with which drove me insane, we were trying to work out a whole school discipline procedure. They decided that if a child did something wrong you would ' Call them to attention', if they misbehaved again they would be given a yellow card which had to be taken home and signed by their parents. If they got 3 yellow cards they would have a red card and get a detention, which was just missing 20 mins of lunch ( a Chesswood QR). IF they had 2 red cards we had to call the parents in. BUT....if they were good you gave them a green card (which had to be signed) and if they got 3 green cards you gave them a blue card. If they got 3 blue cards in a term they got a party!! Have you ever heard of anything so crazy, confusing or just work inducing?? I went to Silvia in the end as it was driving me crazy and she agreed it was mad. AND stopped it!!! Since then we now have a set of vaguely sensible rules for Kinder/Prepa, ELementary and High School. SO there is at least consistency. A mad time.

On Friday night there was a big meeting for all the parents so they could meet us, hear about our teaching methods, how we will grade them (everything has to be graded, given a pecentage etc - I dont strictly get it!). Anyway, I was dreading it a bit as I ave been brought in to change teaching methods, revamp the English programme in the Elementary School. I had Sue there to translate for me - the parents don't speak English. They were all really lovely and Sue was great! My 'Boss' Silvia came in and told the parents the school has a new dream for the English department to make it truly bilingual and that I was the answer to her prayers! No pressure there then Silvia!! I just wish I could speak Spanish so I can talk to the parents. Generally things went well and they didn't ask me too many difficult questions.

This weekend I stayed at Sue's house with her youngest son Theo (6 years old). Sue went to San Pedro Sula for the weekend as she had to pick up her husband Ken from the airport. Josh and Hannah went with her to buy school shoes, but Theo is a nightmare shopping so I stayed at the house with him and the dogs. We got the house decorated to welcome home his Daddy! I did my Mary Poppins impression and we did baking, painting, all sorts. I get called Mary Poppins here on account of being British and teaching Grade 1! It was lovely to get away from the school for a while, although exhausting as he never stops and I was cleaning the house a bit for Sue too.

Then school started yesterday. Oh my goodness....what have I let myself in for??? Can you imagine anything worse than sat in a class of 25 6 and 7 year old children who speak NO English what-so-ever???? I struggle to pronounce their names!! I have an Itzel and an Axel which sound just the same when they say it!! The Grade 2's understand minimal English and Grade 1's understand NOTHING!! I speak to them in English and they reply in Spanish. I am learning Spanish quickly now!! Yesterday was hideous, they didn't have a clue. Today was slightly better, I think I had got over this shock slightly. It is going to be a very tough year!! Though at one point my Grade one's were sitting quietly working when I heard a tapping noise. I looked under my desk and their was Josue sat crossed leg bouncing a ball he had found!! Is a shock to the system! A class of Kane is almost preferable! THey are incredibly cute though - most of them. Amanda and Noel teach High School and so have various lessons off - not a privilege of ELementary - I am stuck with them all day. I have Grade 2 in the mornings and Grade 1 in the afternoon!! Is just really tiring as school starts at 7.30am but the children in my class who come from the Orphanage arrive at 6.45am. Hmmmmm - they are cute though!!

I will let you know how it goes - it can't physically get any harder! Stuk in a classroom all day with 25 children who don't understand you and only speak in Spanish when they talk to you!!! Oh I nearly forgot. The weirdest thing is that at lunch time a lot of the parents come in to feed their children and bring them their lunch. Is bizarre, they all hover about my classroom and then go and sit in a corner outside somewhere feeding their child. After lunch they go home again!!

I really have to go now, am sat on porch writing this and it is raining and so all the mozzies, and other creatures, are all around me eating me!!

Keep in touch, am not sure this made sense as I am very tired!!! I have tried uploading the photos of the orphanage, but the internet connection is too slow today and I keep timing out. I'll have to try another day!!