What's up, March?

Hola a todos!

Marzo is here... wait? what? Marzo is half-way through? Alright. :)

March for Peru means school starts again! But here, as I found out as a youth volunteer, there is no such thing as a first day of school... or a first day as we know it. With the nervous jitters and the new crayons in the box and the first day of school activities... finding your nametag on your desk, playing get to know you games. Nope. Here the students come to school, not knowing what's up.. there's no horario (schedule) planned yet and the teachers are just getting their stuff together and the kids then usually just stand around outside or go home.. or not show up until the following week when things are a little more organized. So I have spent my first weeks of March not teaching yet.. instead planning, and hopefully things will start to get underway in April! If I'm lucky. :)

So. I'm planning a recycling program... actually, recently I spent a dia at the dump with one of the elementary school teacher and three kids to go see where the people of the city of Carhuaz (down the hill from Shilla) put their trash. They actually have a recycling and compost system and that is our goal for Shilla in the next couple of years. In conjunction with this we are planning to make a Medio Ambiente Club (Environmental club) at the primary school and then we can teach them fun things like compost and recycling art projects, etc. :) It should be fun. I think we'll be having a contest in May: make a person out of recycled things! Most creative gets a prize.

Umm.. let's see.. also I will hope to start the library and book project soon.. first step: find the Rotary Club in Huaraz. And, apart from that some autoestima classes here... some vocational orientation classes there... and we'll see what unfolds! More bracelet teaching probably... (kids seem to love that!)

In other noticias: My pig had little chanchitos! I went on a hike by myself this week without meaning to and found another volunteer's site :), I'm learning how to rock climb and boulder, and my Quechua is comin' along. Allim, no?

Abrazos Fuertisimos!

Em