--Thursday we had "class" in the hot springs up in the mountains. It was the epitome of awkwardness to be with our teachers who weren't swimming while we and the Grad group were, but it still beat sitting in class talking about conjugations! The waters were weird. They were VERY hot, which makes since because they are bubbling out from the core of the earth. That was a new thing for me to see. But it was also very hot outside, so it was a little uncomfortable to be in the water. The mountain area was beautiful though, so we're all glad that we went!
--On Friday morning the three of us went back up to the Kindergarten to help out the teachers. It was Sam and Sarah's last day (I will continue to go next week) and we had been hearing that the "Reina de los flores" (Queen of flowers) was happening at the kindergarten Friday afternoon. No one had really explained what that was, but we knew it was going to happen. What we didn't know, was that school was canceled to prepare for it. So when we got there, there where a handful of little girls hanging around but the place was a ghost town compared to the usual 120 kindergartners (no exaggeration). Instead of teaching the teachers had us help with decorations. I pulled out my DI skills and expertly covered a gigantic cardboard crown thing with foil while playing 20 questions with the teacher in Spanish.
Have the students been practicing a lot? No (accompanied with a weird look)
Is the program a story? No, it's an event.
Is the event a song? No, it's an event.
Are all the kids in it? No, just three.
That's where I gave up. She listed the three for me, they were all girls. I later found out that each class (there are 4 kindergartens) had a few girls participating to make a total of 14.
Later, outside, we decorated a stage with flowers and such (mushrooms?) and then a dress rehearsal began. One of the teachers hopped up on stage and began to model walk across it. There was another girl standing next to me watching, so I finished my game of twenty questions with her, "is this a competition between the girls?" "sî".
So...we were at a beauty pageant. Held at a public school. For Five-year-olds. It was a quality cultural experience.
There were 2 rounds, sportswear (like, a sport. i.e. jockey, tennis player, etc.) and evening wear. There was a panel of community judges and a cheesy MC to tell us what color the dresses were. There were sashes and prizes and an excess of makeup and hoop skirts. There was 90s english club music (including, but not limited to "if you think I'm sexy and you want my body, come on baby let me know") There was a crowd seated in lawn chairs in knee high grass. It was straight off a TLC special.
Each little girl got a chance to speak into a microphone. They each said, with very slight variations, "Muy buenas tardes qerrido público Me llamo _____ y yo tengo cinco añitos. Yo pudeo bailar y cantar. Estoy muy emocionada para estar en este evento. Muchas gracias." (Good afternoon dear public. My name is (first name, middle name, second middle name, last name) and I am five little years old. I can sing and dance. I am very excited to be in this event. Thank you.) Now read that back to your self in a little girl voice yelling into a microphone a various speeds trying to be heard over the club music. It was crazy crazy crazy.
--Okay, moving on. Today the three of us went to Guatemala with a guide from the school (if I told you that I was going to be on the border of Nicaragua, I was wrong. This should not surprise you. We're on the border of Guatemala.) The guide's name was Tito and he was also the Host Father to Lochie and Meredith, the married couple of the Grad Student group (they left this morning...it was a bummer). EVERYone LOVES Tito. Apparently, he's going to run for Mayor next election. He also knows everyone and is very well respected. Unfortunately, we found that we did not really enjoy Tito's company so much. That made things in Guatemala a little awkward, but it was still interesting to go and see a different country. We walked through a market and went to Mass at a famous Catholic church (the church with the Cristo Negro--black Christ--if you happen to know what that is. It's just a famous iconic statue) We also at some chicken at a KFC equivalent that Tito loves and drove around various other parts of Guatemala. At one point, we ended up a some kind of a mall, which was random but kind of nice. They had a cajun restaurant there. Bizarre. I'll try to post a picture bellow.... Their sign said, in Spanish, "cooking the real flavors of Louisiana in Guatemala" Ha.
--Tomorrow we are off to the bird park in the morning and hopefully church tomorrow night. Then we have a final week of classes/working in the kindergarten for me before we head back! It's gone really fast, but I think we are all a little ready to be back home.
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