«Good Morning Teacher» was positively shouted at me as I went into the 4yr olds’ classroom this week. They cannot write yet, but their teacher practises every day with them whatever it is that we have been doing. So we can sing the «good morning» song with gusto, we can do it in plasticine and we are getting used to shaking hands and greeting our friends……….this is the most difficult thing for children here. They are not used to interacting in the classroom in any way. So getting them to do pair work, or play a game without cheating, or all rushing around like a cattle stampede (were you in my last lesson? no? but this description would give you a fairly good idea of why I abandoned the idea rapidly in favour of another week’s practice!). Then on my way home, waiting for the bus in the sand, were three little girls playing on the bench by a drink stall. They loved having their photo taken and their dad came out to thank me!
Everyone is getting ready for the Asia-Pacific summit taking place here in a week’s time. We have all been given the 2 days off, since some bright spark decided that all the road works suddenly appearing with the gov’t influx of money, should be put in motion, AT THE SAME TIME. Hence the normal rush hour bottlenecks, now last all day, as so many roads are closed that the rest are simply jammed…and I do mean completely! Nothing moves, but the police continue to wave their fluorescent batons (they also wear fluorescent gloves!!) and whistle at full volume, but to no avail. A policeman using a loud hailer frightened the life out of us all on the bus this week, by bawling at our bus driver «why are you so stupid as to stop in the middle of the crossroads so that no one can pass» -I’d been asking myself that one! Unfortunately, because of the crush, no one could move, least of all the policeman, to give the driver a ticket…but the world leaders will be spared this. Some of them are staying in Miraflores where we live…you never know Look out for me – I probably won’t be doing «bunny ears» behind George Bush though!