I am very glad that I studied adult education. I am teaching at a primary school here and it is full on. Not that adult ed doesn’t have its challenges, of course it does but they are the kind of challenges I enjoy. The challenges of primary education are mostly discipline challenges and I do not really enjoy them. The kids in the classes I am teaching are pretty wild. They seem to love hitting each other, kicking each other and pulling each others hair. They spend most of my class not in their seats and doing anything else but listening to what I am saying. I come with games and songs but either they are not interested at all or get so excited that it is impossible to get it actually happening. I have tried pair work and group work but then have spent literally half the lesson just trying to get them into pairs or groups.

I think one of the biggest problems is they are used to one way of discipline, yelling and threats. As I do not wish to do either of these things I tend to have a completely out of control class. I have tried waiting it out til they settle but they don’t so I end up losing the whole lesson. I have tired musical instruments to get their attention which worked the first few times but after they heard a couple of times they became oblivious to it. When I have regrettably resorted to one of these methods out of sheer desperation it has worked but I don’t like myself much after. The other thing they seem to do well is copy off the board. Again not a teaching method I think is very productive but one they are used to and sometimes the only way to break up a fight.

Anyway, despite this there does seem to be a little bit of learning happening from some students. The last fortnight they have had tests. I didn’t really wish to test them but it is the system that we are part of and the teacher’s were pressuring for it. I was also keen to see if anything was getting through at all. I did an oral exam which was nice as I got some one on one time with all the students. I used the time to try to fill in any gaps. There were a lot of gaps and I didn’t have time to address all of them for very student but some at least. And it was satisfying to see a few students do really well. Especially the students who had been trying or who I wasn’t really expecting it from.

Anyway, I am trying to savour these nice moments for this year that we are here and I am praying it will teach me lots of things, most of all patience, but I am glad I am not looking at a lifetime of it.

I am sure that you are all dying to know but the goggles arrived. Yay!! Today I went to the pool again and it felt awesome. Although didn’t quite make my usual amount. I guess I’ll have to build up again.

I have any empty to do list. Feels so nice. No classes to plan, no emails to write, no women to visit, no cleaning or washing to do. Well at least not for the next day or two. And right Nina is asleep so maybe I can have a siesta. That’s what half of Chulucanas is doing right now.

Last night I put Nina to bed. As usual we said a prayer, I told her I loved her and then I walked out. She is able to fall asleep on her own these days which is a very exciting development. Sometimes I hear her talking to her doll or her bear for a little while but usually fairly quickly she’s quiet. Anyway, last night a wonderfult thing happened. As I walked out she yelled out, “I love you”. I don’t know if she fully understands what this means yet but hearing your daughter tell you I love you is very lovely. Little tears welled in my eyes and I went back in to tell her I love her again. And I do. So, so much.

One of my fave things about living here in Chulu is the beautiful 30m pool.  Three or four mornings a week I do the ten minute run to the pool, swim 30 laps and then do some stretches.  However about three weeks back I lost my goggles and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in Chulu or Piura I can buy them so I haven’t been able to go.  I am really missing swimming and I have a very stiff neck and back.  Whenever I don’t do my exercises regularly this happens.  Anyway, mum sent me a pair two weeks back so I am hoping they will be here in the next two although i haven’t had much luck with the post.  In the meantime I think I am going to just have to go and do my best without goggles as I am really sore.

A list of Nina’s current favourite things.

Her books.  Nina has 11 books that she adores which I am very happy about.  She also has a routine around book reading that must be followed.  Firstly, she gets them off the shelf, she has to get them I can’t, and it has to be all 11 of them.  One by one she gets them down from the shelf and makes a neat pile of them on the bed and then she sits down for me to read them.  I am not allowed to hold them though, or turn the pages, that is also her job.  Once she has read a book it goes on another pile of the read books.  She knows some of the words which she loves to say and we have some actions and sounds that go with many of them that she also really likes.  And we cannot stop until they are all read.  This is all very cute and mostly fun but we have been having a few dramas of late if we don’t follow this routine precisely.  For example, if I touch a book or don’t make the right sound or don’t read all 11 of them she gets very, very frustrated.  And reading all 11 every time can get very exhausting as we she wants me to read them to her all the time.  When she wakes up she says books, as soon as she gets home from anywhere she goes to the room to get the books, before her nap and bedtime she wants books.

Food.  Nina loves to eat.  Her fave foods are grapes, followed by any fruit, boiled eggs, rice and popcorn.  It certainly takes the pressure off having her eat so well especially here in Peru where people love babies to eat a lot.  At the moment, she wants to feed herself.  No one can do it for it.  She sits down at the table and when her food is served she says, “chau” to Martin and I and makes us sit far away.  This is a good thing but very very messy.  I feel like I am constantly cleaning clothes, floors, tables etc.  Of late she has decided she doesn’t like it when food drops on her clothes so each time it happens, which is pretty much every mouthful she gets all upset and we have to clean it up straight away.  It can makes meal times a bit of a drama.

Other babies and children Nina is fascinated by other kids especially babies.  Everytime we see one she says “bebe” “bebe”.  She tries really hard to be gentle with the babies but I am not sure gentle is really possible for a almost two year old so.

Going to the river.  She continues to love been outside in general.  She is constatntly saying to us “vamos” which means let’s go.  The river is her favourite place at the moment.  She loves to run around on the sand and kick her legs in the water.  I love it there too so we are there a lot.

Dressing up like a clown  She has this clown nose and hat that she loves us to put on her and Martin talks like a clown.  She thinks it is hillarious and it is.  Here is a picture of her.  She still totally cutes me out.