Progress

The second month of teaching is coming to an end and it all seems to be going by really fast. I am learning more Spanish but not enough. I am learning how to be a better teacher but I still have very boring classes. I am making Peruvian friends but I am closer to the other American. I guess the best way to describe my time here right now is progress. But I guess that’s what life is, progress. This Friday we are having an American BBQ for our students. We, the interns, are cooking and have been cooking since Wednesday. We are making food for 120 people. That’s a lot of potato salad and chicken but I think it will be very good. I will put up some pictures up of the party this weekend.
Today I read Proverbs 21 and this verse really stuck with me so I thought I would share it.
A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an up right man gives thought to his ways
Proverbs 21:29

Dreaming

I think one of the best things about living in the U.S. is that we can dream big. We can dream of being anything. Well I guess anyone in any country can dreaming of being anything, however in the U.S. the odds of realizing that dream are much better. When I was a child I dreamt of becoming many things. When I was in high school and college I got to explore my talents and passions. When I graduated from college I knew what I wanted to do. I still know what I want to do, and I am confident that when I get back to the U.S. with a little more schooling I will be able to do exactly that. In Trujillo, Peru passions, talents, and dreams get stifled by a bad economy. Some of my students go to primary and secondary school work hard and get into a university and at the same time attend classes English at SALI. They do all of this so that maybe they can get a job on a cruise ship. I am not saying that working on a cruise ship is a bad job. It is a very respectable job but if your dream is to be a fashion designer that kind of job would kill your spirit. I know of a woman who has a degree in accounting but she cannot find a job in that field so she is hoping to find a job as a maid. Being a maid is a very respectable job but her dream is different. Maybe it’s not that big of a deal. Maybe people just adapt and learn to love or hate whatever their job is. Or maybe being able to dream big is important to a person, to a community, and to a country. I am not sure but I do know dreaming is a luxury that is available to everyone in the U.S. but it is often forgotten.

English and Spanish

here's a thought: Its hard to learn Spanish when you teach English all day.

Lima

Well I finished the first month of classes complete with final exams. I am glad to have the first cycle under my belt. I know my teaching will only improve. In between each cycle the teachers have some time off. The interns usually travel. Some of the interns and I went to Lima. We stayed in a very nice hotel. We took very hot showers and had a very nice breakfast. It was great. We also ate some American food and drank some Starbucks. I don’t have too many pictures or at least not any good ones.