People complained that there were no pics of me, so here you go...

This kid really wants to learn English, so he's pretty helpful for my Spanish. It's fun to hear, "Profete! Que es (whatever) in Ingles?"

 This was the first week I was here. On the far right is the other Rebekka, who left to go home to Iceland the following day. Also in the pic, Luke from England who teaches at Luz y Vida, and Fabian, who lives at the 127 (the house where I live). Dios Bendiga la Queen.

El Otro Camino

The Other Way: I spent 4 days here for orientation. It's called learning by experience! But I'm very excited about being a 4 and 5 yr. old teacher as my primary placement until Christmas

As you can see in the background, there are still street people here. 

Notice also, the hard work, looking to the future, pleasing Papito Dios, and joy!!!

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Luz y Vida

The young man on the left became my loyal friend after I took his yo-yo away. That does not mean he was  an angel, but - hey. As for the other two, these are pretty typical expressions and positions.

All told, I now have spent 5 days in Luz y Vida (the Light and Life school). It's a fun place to be, definitely a challenge for my limited language schools. The food is amazing, though. As you can tell, the reactions of the kids to school are very diverse!

We all had a day with few plans, so we went to the fruit and vegetable store - I bought a coconut, a pineapple, a bag of kiwis, a bell pepper, and two random fruits for $13,000 pesos - about $7. 

Gracia (far right in the store pic) does most of the housekeeping at the 127. She helps a lot with my Spanish - she's actually from the Dominican Republic. Kori (middle) is a university student from Tahiti who's staying here for a while. Ben (left) is one of the few fellow Americans here.

I think we were rather an odd-looking quartet on the walk home. We stopped at the park to play for a little while.

Hopefully on Monday I'll be able to get some pics of the important parts of life. :-)

My bed. Notice the beautiful New Mexico quilt. I was asked "Do you like beep-beep?" I tried to explain about the state bird... I often have to explain that New Mexico is a state not a nation, for everyone says "You don't look like you're from New Mexico. Why don't you know Spanish?" 

Other things to note on the bed: clothes hanging at the end. If you can't get them in the sunshine for a while (it's risky to leave them outside because it might rain), you have to wait about 3 days.

Also, note the bunks. There are 6 of us in the room right now.

OK, the good clear pictures of a doorway is the doorway of "The 127," the house where I'm staying for now. Formando Vidas actually owns it and the house on the left of it (the reddish brick) - guys' and girls' dorms and the house where "The Oasis" used to be. Long story there. The other picture is just down the street. Behind the blue fence on the right is a little white booth where a private security guard sits 24/7. There are armed guards on almost every block, be they private, military, or police. Near the malls, they carry machine guns. Actually, it makes me feel very safe.

These were taken the day of the "asada," the barbecue. The playground is awesome and includes a zipline. The kids were fascinated by the cows which graze nearby. Can you see the clouds in the bottom picture? They played with water balloons despite the fact that by lunchtime it was about 50 degrees, very misty, and sprinkling lightly on and off.

This is a view of the valley where the "farm," really just the homes for the long-term care, is located. Isn't it beautiful?

This blog may not have much info 'cause it's easier for me to write emails, but maybe you can enjoy the pictures!