AC: After Corn

7 January 2011, 9:03 a.m.

Toward the end of our corn shucking time yesterday the children came asking for my signature.  They were doing a scavenger hunt and one of the things they needed was my signature!  Well, a volunteer's signature, anyway.  I gave it to them and when the corn was done we went and looked at them eating chocolate.  It was the prize for finishing the scavenger hunt.

Pedro and Stefanie talked and they were going to Tuxtla to get her luggage since AeroMexico wanted her to pay to have it sent and he thought that was ridiculous.  After they went to Tuxtla I played keeper as two little boys took shots on goal.  After a bit they forbade me from speaking English and said lots of words that I had almost no time to process.  I tried to tell them to follow up after their shots in case I deflected they could shoot again, but they didn't understand...and I didn't know how to say it right.

When it was too dark for soccer I led them back to the rest of the group, and I was swarmed with children! They wanted to know lots of words in English.  They kept asking the Spanish words for goal, head, horse, pinky, mouse, and thumb.  Not sure why they liked those so much, but they did.  There is a set of triplets here, and they were all around me asking things all at once.  I feel like some of the things they wanted me to tell them were swear words, but they couldn't communicate it some other way (like acting out), so I didn't know.  Acting out is fun, though; getting the words for left and right reqired first learning the word for step so that I could take a step in one direction or the other.

I got on my computer for a bit yesterday evening; did some texting via Google voice and some chatting on gChat.  We ate dinner and then I went to my room off and on for a bit.  Just before dinner some of them started Happy Feet.  Dori, the priest who is here, asked us to bring children's movies with Spanish audio, so we did.  That was one of them.  Dinner was Cups of Noodles for everyone.  Dori said that most volunteers don't like the food, but we've enjoyed it.  It's been flavorful and good.  Some things show up regularly, but that happens.  :)

After dinner I did some Harry Potter reading until the popcorn and Coke were ready; they watch movies here every night it seems, which I totally get.  I'm re-reading Deathly Hallows and doing it more slowly this time around.  I'll have it finished before the second part of the movie comes out.  I didn't get any writing done as a result, but that was fine; I made a point of getting up a little earlier to do some writing....and now I'm up to speed.

Something we're going to try to figure out the next few days is what level we need to be doing.  Yesterday at lunch Dori said that Pedro had said we're real go-getters and had been working in the corn. Stefanie said that we wanted to help.  Dori's matter-of-fact reply was, "You will, but pace yourselves."  So I'm taking this time to write right now (although breakfast hasn't been served yet).  I think my eyes just finally really woke up.  Today is a glasses day.

I hear children waiting for food.  :)  Stefanie found her key, and has asked out loud why she didn't bring her glitter glue.  The chair I'm sitting in somewhat resembles a throne.  There will be pictures.