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Last day at school

Had my last days in the schools this week. Was very sad to say goodbye...but everyone was so nice. Lots of the children came up to me and then end when I said it was my last day and said thank you for teaching them and that I shouldn't leave and two classes sung this song for me, something about having a million friends:

 

Yo quiero tener un millon de amigos

And then I said do you want to have a photo with me, and they all screamed 'SIIIII!!!' So here are some pics of me and my classes:

4th Grade Juan Diego

5th Grade Juan Diego

6th Grade Juan Diego

And then we got to see all these four/five year old children graduating from pre-school. They made them all put the gown and the funny hat on and stand on a chair for a photo:

But not before they'd had their hair brushed, and purple eyeshadow and mascara put on!

They did look beautiful:

But they are only four..ha! Will be me next week!

So today is my last day in Granada. Going to buy some rum and pack my bags ready for the bus to Costa Rica at 7am tomorrow... very sad to leave so I must have had an amazing time!

See you all Tuesday morning!!!!!

Fiesta fiesta fiesta!!

Had a very long 5 day weekend...it rained Wednesday morning so there was no school, and then it was cancelled Thursday due to a 'rain alert' from the Ministry of Education. It didn't rain Thursday.

This meant time for lots of fiestaaaaaa!

Started Wednesday night with some 2x1 mojitos in La Calzada and then we went to the karoake bar 'Be':

too many Germans!

Thursday night we went to a Jazz Concert, which was part of the Jazz Festival this weekend:

It was in the Hotel Granada and it was very dark and very silent, with this Glockenspeil thing being played. I thought jazz was a bit louder and more exciting...?! Then it finished and we went to 'Conchis' salsa bar:

Salsaaaa

Friday night we started in 'Kellys' bar with some rum and coke:

and then went to 'Be' (again!)

Lots of reggaeton my favourite :) Granada's favourite song at the moment!

 

Danza Kuduro

Maybe we had a bit too much rum and reggaeton Friday night, as Saturday we found ourselves in 'Nectar' with a nice diet coke. Then of course more salsaaaa in 'Conchis' :)

Thinking the weekend was over...no, no, no! Everyone wanted to go out Sunday toooo! Went for dinner in the bar with the 2x1 mojitos (y) and then to 'Conchis' for live reggae music!!!

That was very fun...lots of hippies tho but I fitted right in as I had my beautiful Barcelona trousers on!

And then Monday morning back to school:

Last week :'(

Decided to teach the time this week as they are always looking at the clock I have round my neck asking what the time is. However more children can't tell the time (even in Spanish!) than I thought... Our worksheets we made with empty clocks for them to draw the hands on was perhaps a bit too adventurous! For most of them I was teaching how to tell the time with my clock made from a paper plate and two hands. 'So the small hand is on the 4 and the big hand is on the 12 it's four o'clock..' etc. Most of them actually had no clue and last week most of them couldn't tell me what 12 - 3 was, so have no idea what they are being taught in these schools if they can't do basic maths or tell the time!

Lunch in the park

More old ladies in frilly aprons! Was going to go to the nicer cafe on the corner but they were looking so desperately at me!

El lago de Granada

Pouring with rain again this morning so no school, and we got emailed that the Ministry of Education says there's no school tomorrow either because of rain! Is there anywhere in Central America I can go where it's sunny?!!

This is the lake btw. Went down there just now for a walk, was nice!

Venta de ropa

Instead of giving away donated clothes and shoes, La Esperanza takes them to each school for a sale twice a year. They put the prices really cheap and the money raised goes to the school. Today was my turn to help. We drove to the school with the clothes. Put them all out on four tables before all the women waiting rushed in to grab the nicer things, while most of the men watched through the window...
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Nicaragua

I like this pic. Typical street in Granada and an old lady with one of these frilly aprons they all wear and a basket I want for Liz but dno where you get them! Will have to ask an old lady sometime.

Just finished another week of school. Only two to go... My new favourite game is giving my children wordsearches to do! They are soooo quiet and it takes them ages ha.

Rain, rain go away!

So apparently if it's raining all the schools shut. I got a taxi to school this morning coz of the rain, and also coz my team was 2 men down. However my taxi got to a big puddle on the bad roads and he refused to go any further. I then had to cross streams of water and walk past some bulls to get back on the road to school. Luckily a horse and cart (yes my new fave transport!) was about to cross the river of water which was blocking the road, so they let me climb on and took me the rest of the way to the school. Arrived at school. No people, gates locked. Lovely! Got the bus home.

I don't know if you can see but the man in the photo is riding a bike, has his child perched on the front, his shopping tied to the back and on both handle bars, whilst holding a massive brolly. This is quite normal in Nicaragua!

Politics!

Nicaragua has it's elections for the new president at the start of November. Probably a good thing I will be home by then as there could be some problems (like a war!) depending on who is chosen.  Was on my way to the pool this morning, and found this long line of horse and carts painted red campaigning for Fabio Gardea:

Of course I then find myself on the back of one too:

Haha it was fun! Went on a little ride round town, then went and had some lunch!

Nicaraguan fast food...

...comes on two leaves! Spoze its good for the environment!

Walking to school

Always seem to see strange things on the way to school, once we get out of Granada into the villages and the  countryside.  This is part of the walk and my team; Nicky and Steve:

Steve is very American and likes to wave at everyone and shout 'bueños días' and 'muchas gracias' at most of the people we walk past!

Massive bull outside the school:

 Horse being taken for a walk with a bike like a dog:

Ox-cart!

And this one is normal but cuteeee :-)

Then one day we came out of the school and I thought it was some dogs barking, but we look up and there were three monkeys in the trees:

Very exciting!

Clases de inglés

Nicky's husband came in at the end of our class and took some pictures, so this is us teaching!!

We did object prepositions in the first two classes but they were so bored, 'the ball is ON/UNDER the table' etc so in the last class we started body parts. Got them to all stand up and we pointed at different parts 'head' 'arm' 'ears' etc. Then went through all the words and did 'I have one head' 'I have 10 fingers'. Then I drew an alien and did how many heads does he have?! They didn't seem to remember the verb 'to have' so went through it again at the end.

Then at 4pm I had my first class with my new students. I didn't say before on here, but I now have extra classes. One is a group of 3 guys from Nicaragua who work for this Dutch lady. She asked the woman running the volunteering organisation I work for if anyone was interested in some paid teaching. Obviously I said yes :) haha! And then she also said I could live in this very hugeee house for free!! I just moved in and it's amazing!! Will put on some pics tomorrow. So today we had our first class. One guy I think is a bit older and is the accountant and he knew a tiny bit of English already but picked up new things very quickly. The other two work as maintenance and are a bit slower, although one picked it up very quickly, the other had a bit of a strop coz the others laughed at him..oh dear! Turns out he's only really had primary school education so is going to be much slower, so now we decided that he will have classes on his own as there is a bit of a gap. The other two apparently want classes everyday! So I must have done something right!

Shoe repairs!

Got my sandals repaired at one of the places in the street. I think he thought I was strange wanting a photo but he said yes anyway!

Charged me 20 cordobas - that's 60p! Would have been 6 pounds and a weeks wait in Manz haha.

Also this is the ice cream van:

A big cold box on wheels, with bells on the handles!