So, I leave for Georgia tomorrow night!!! I'm soooo excited!!! First of all, I can't wait to experience all this cold weather everyone is talking about!!! It'll be a nice change from having to shower twice a day because of all the sweat here! It's soo sticky and gross! I also won't mind having a few good hair days for a change!
But, obviously, I'm most excited about family, friends, and food! With my family, I plan to go to the Fox, finally meet my new neice, celebrate Christmas in February, watch movies with my little brother, spend the night with my grandmother, go shopping with my mom and my sister-in-law, and get Saturday morning doughnuts with my older brother and nephew. With friends, I have a baby shower to attend, 3 newly engaged girls to visit, a girls' night full of banana clips and fun, a bathtub to use (only showers down here!), gossip to catch up on, a cheerleader sleepover with my girls to watch their State video!, and lots more! And, oh the food!!!! Chick-fil-a, Zaxby's, Mexican (lots and lots of cheese dip!!!), large Dr. Peppers/Mr. Pibbs with ICE, and of course, salmon patties, mashed potatoes, and English peas!!! Yummmm!!! :o)
Of course, I do feel a little bittersweet about my visit. Wilson will not be able to come with me because he has classes. So, I will be away from him for 6 WEEKS!!!! That's such a long time! The longest we've been apart is 2 weeks and that was torture for me! And, especially now that we are so used to being together all the time, just us, I know it will be even harder. But, if I did stay here, I'd go crazy. Wilson has classes 5 hours a day, 6 days a week, plus study time, and about 1 surgery a day. Sooo...my friends and family have assured me that they will keep me very busy, very happy, and very well-fed! :o) I can't wait!!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Graduation 2010
Colegio Americano has 2 teachers serve as master of ceremony each year at their graduation ceremony--one Spanish speaker and one English speaker. This year, I was asked to be the English speaker. When I was first asked about it, I immediately said yes. I would get to wear a full length ball gown, get dolled up, and be on a stage! :o) I couldn't wait. Although all the students are fluent in English, many of their parents are not. Therefore, speaking the English parts of the ceremony wouldn't be that big of a deal.However, at the first graduation meeting, I was informed that I would also be calling out the names of half of the students. Oh no!!!! Each student has 4 names: two first names, their paternal last name, and their maternal last name. Yikes! And my pronunciation of Spanish names is still sub-par!!! Not to mention the large number of Chinese students we have at the school. But, Wilson and I practiced all the names several times, and I think I did a pretty good job.
As for the dress, the school said they'd pay for me to rent one, so Wilson and I went to see about finding a dress. However, the majority of the ones I tried on were way too short. Ha! I just don't have the body of an Ecuadorian woman. :o) But, for some strange reason, I had brought a couple of my own dresses with me and decided on a bridesmaids dress I wore at a friend's wedding a few years ago. (It's amazing the random things I thought necessary to bring here to Ecuador, but surprisingly I've used most of them!) It felt great being a princess all night!
And the ceremony was really nice. A few speeches, a student band, and even a group of mothers who sang a song to their children. I was pretty nervous in the beginning and was shak
ing pretty bad (literally), but I relaxed as it went on. They kept making changes to our script throughout the night, and I was having to say various officials and board members names that I had not practiced. I ruined a few, but oh well. What did they expect from the girl with a Georgia accent?! :o) Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful experience!
ing pretty bad (literally), but I relaxed as it went on. They kept making changes to our script throughout the night, and I was having to say various officials and board members names that I had not practiced. I ruined a few, but oh well. What did they expect from the girl with a Georgia accent?! :o) Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful experience!(The first photo is of me and Geovanny, the other master of ceremonies; the second photo is of me and two of the English teachers at the school.)
A Second Chance (and a 3rd and a 4th, etc.)
Well, I survived my first school year here in Ecuador. Okay, so I sort of cheated by coming in halfway through the year but still. Actually, I had just gotten the hang of it around the time it was ending. So, hopefully that will make me more prepared and ready for next year. Although there are several educational issues here that irk me, the main one is the suplitorio.
Ecuadorian education law states that students receive a chance to pass their classes even if they don't technically pass. If they fail for the year (passing grade is 68 here), they can take a test called the suplitorio. That grade is then averaged in somehow with their yearly average. For example, if a student has a 67 for the year, they can make a 73 on the suplitorio and still pass and get credit for the class. I think this can be a good thing in some ways. They do not take the suplitorio until the beginning of the next school year, so many of them really do spend their summer studying and getting tutored. Therefore, they learn the material better before moving on. It also gives students a second chance who may have had some kind of issues during the school year that kept them from doing their best.
However, many private schools take that a little too far. For example, my school actually offers a complementario for the 3rd bimester (we have 4 bimesters instead of 2 semesters) which actually REPLACES their entire 3rd bimester average. So, the lazy student who doesn't do any essays or projects or homework the entire time can make a 75 on the test and have a 75 average instead of a 40. Also, most private schools offer multiple suplitorios. So, if a student fails the suplitorio (which often happens because they just don't know the material which is why they failed the first time), the teacher is required to give another suplitorio and another suplitorio, etc. And, rumor has it that eventually they just tell you to pass the student. Errr...I'll see how that works out when I return to school in March.
I think that part of the problem is that they don't necessarily have a way to retake a course at my school. If you fail 10th grade Language Arts, they don't have a system that allows you to retake that class while taking all other 11th grade classes like we do in the States. Actually, I could never get anyone at the school to give me a solid answer about what happens if a student really does just fail. The only answer I ever got was that the student is just given a pass (given credit anyway) but told they have to go to another school. Hmmm...that doesn't sound too good either. But, since the school doesn't want to lose money on students leaving, I think they always just tell the teachers to pass them.
...Which may be why I have students in 10th grade, who have been at this bilingual school since pre-k, who still can't speak English to me. Social promotion is huge here, but with no other system in place for repeating classes, I'm not surprised. I have a feeling I'm going to get into some disagreements when I return in March. I just can't in good conscience pass a student to the next level when I know they will just fail again. But, we'll see...
Ecuadorian education law states that students receive a chance to pass their classes even if they don't technically pass. If they fail for the year (passing grade is 68 here), they can take a test called the suplitorio. That grade is then averaged in somehow with their yearly average. For example, if a student has a 67 for the year, they can make a 73 on the suplitorio and still pass and get credit for the class. I think this can be a good thing in some ways. They do not take the suplitorio until the beginning of the next school year, so many of them really do spend their summer studying and getting tutored. Therefore, they learn the material better before moving on. It also gives students a second chance who may have had some kind of issues during the school year that kept them from doing their best.
However, many private schools take that a little too far. For example, my school actually offers a complementario for the 3rd bimester (we have 4 bimesters instead of 2 semesters) which actually REPLACES their entire 3rd bimester average. So, the lazy student who doesn't do any essays or projects or homework the entire time can make a 75 on the test and have a 75 average instead of a 40. Also, most private schools offer multiple suplitorios. So, if a student fails the suplitorio (which often happens because they just don't know the material which is why they failed the first time), the teacher is required to give another suplitorio and another suplitorio, etc. And, rumor has it that eventually they just tell you to pass the student. Errr...I'll see how that works out when I return to school in March.
I think that part of the problem is that they don't necessarily have a way to retake a course at my school. If you fail 10th grade Language Arts, they don't have a system that allows you to retake that class while taking all other 11th grade classes like we do in the States. Actually, I could never get anyone at the school to give me a solid answer about what happens if a student really does just fail. The only answer I ever got was that the student is just given a pass (given credit anyway) but told they have to go to another school. Hmmm...that doesn't sound too good either. But, since the school doesn't want to lose money on students leaving, I think they always just tell the teachers to pass them.
...Which may be why I have students in 10th grade, who have been at this bilingual school since pre-k, who still can't speak English to me. Social promotion is huge here, but with no other system in place for repeating classes, I'm not surprised. I have a feeling I'm going to get into some disagreements when I return in March. I just can't in good conscience pass a student to the next level when I know they will just fail again. But, we'll see...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Here's to 2010!
So, Wilson and I decided to write down our New Year's goals this year. (Okay, so actually I decided it, but he was very nice to go along with it. Ha!) We've been so blessed in our lives so far, and we really look forward to what God will do in us and with us this next year. We had the usual stuff about being healthier and working harder at our jobs/school. But what I found most interesting was that both of us wrote down that we would like to be a better spouse in the next year. However, if you ask either one of us, we'll quickly tell you about how wonderful our spouse is already. And I guess that's why--we always want to keep trying to be better and make the other one a little happier. We have spent so much time together here that most couples never get to have. When we used to live in Georgia, we were both always so busy, and the time we spent together was few and far between. And, we're both aware that soon we'll be in that place again as Wilson will start school in February. But, I cannot begin to tell you how much fun we've had together, just the two of us. I was kind of down a few days ago and was even crying. Wilson's not one to just hug me and tell me everything will be alright. Instead, next thing I know, Wilson has turned on a music DVD of ours and is serenading me with the BeeGee's "How Deep is Your Love" and then with my favorite Wilson ballad, "Lady in Red." Ha! As we sat and just sang cheesy 80's love songs together, I looked at Wilson and realized how happy I am with him, no matter where we are living. It's so much fun to get to be married to your best friend and hang out with him all the time! So, I look forward to how much we will continue to grow in our relationship during this next year. (And, hopefully I'll stick to that "cut down on the Cokes" resolution, too! Ha!)Happy New Year!
So, I really enjoyed bringing in the New Year here in Ecuador! First, we went with Wilson's friend Jose and his family to the Malecon (which is kind of like the riverwalk) to watch the fireworks off the water. It was so nice--the weather was breezy, the fireworks were great, and the company was delightful! Jose's little girl is about 4 years old, so it just kind of made it a little more exciting and fun! (That's Jose's family in the photo.)
Then, we went to Wilson's dad's house for the rest of the evening. (Yes, another night that did not end until 6 the next morning--oh my!) There was no real countdown at midnight. We just took all the anos viejos statues to the middle of the street, stuffed them full of fireworks, poured some gasoline on them, and then lit them on fire. Then, once they were burning pretty well, everyone turned to each other to say Feliz Ano and give hugs and all. I had a great time looking at all the different fires down the streets. The rest of the night, we ate, sang, danced, and talked. I had also made a video of photos of the family, and I think everyone really enjoyed watching it. The kids played with all kinds of fireworks--sparklers, bottle rockets, etc. And, we just had a really great time! So, here's to a fabulous 2010!!!
Anos Viejos
Ecuador has a really cool tradition for New Year's. They make or buy these paper mache statues and then burn them at midnight on New Year's Eve. Crazy, right?! But these statues are called anos viejos, which means "old years". The idea is that they burn the past or the old year and start fresh for the new year. I kind of like that. I mean, the thought of a lot of intoxicated Ecuadorians lighting stuff on fire at midnight makes me a little nervous, but the idea really is nice! Ha!
But what I really liked was looking at all of these statues all over the city. You can find almost any cartoon character you'd like in all different sizes. In fact, some people make these really huge ones and we got to ride around and take photos of them. Some were bigger than a 3 story building
! For example, my favorite was the King Kong one. They had arranged it so that you could climb a ladder into his hand. Then, the photo looks like King Kong is grabbing you! So cool! They also have some that are different politicians here in Ecuador, and we even saw a few Obama ones, too. Ha!
! For example, my favorite was the King Kong one. They had arranged it so that you could climb a ladder into his hand. Then, the photo looks like King Kong is grabbing you! So cool! They also have some that are different politicians here in Ecuador, and we even saw a few Obama ones, too. Ha! But, of course, the most popular one for this year was Michael Jackson. Ha! So, when Wilson asked me which one I wanted, I quickly deci
ded on Mikey. It certainly reminded me of Ecuador the most. So, we bought a small one. I didn't want to have to burn him, but Wilson said it's bad luck to buy one and then not burn it, and I certainly don't want bad luck, soooo...I guess Mikey will have to die twice in 2009.
ded on Mikey. It certainly reminded me of Ecuador the most. So, we bought a small one. I didn't want to have to burn him, but Wilson said it's bad luck to buy one and then not burn it, and I certainly don't want bad luck, soooo...I guess Mikey will have to die twice in 2009.
Christmas Gifts
Gifts are certainly an exciting part of Christmas, and I had some very special gifts this year that I would never have expected to be so wonderful. Wilson and I decided to just go together and buy gifts after Christmas when we both had some time off from work. We've never been into spending lots of money on each other for gifts anyway, so this year we definitely stuck with the more practical gifts. I bought Wilson another pillow (he misses having lots of pillows on the bed) and a new belt since his had broken. He bought me a watch to wear with nicer clothes and a shirt to wear for New Year's. Neither of us spent more than $15, but we were both as happy as if we'd spent $150. The fun part was that we just spent some quality time walking around together and picking stuff out. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
But I also got two exciting "gifts" in the mail. My parents sent me a small package as we were trying to see if the mail was actually secure and if we could actually receive the package with more ease than we had when we first moved here. So, I got some socks, some pencils, a book, and lots of Kool-aid!!! We've actually already used 3 of the Kool-aid packets this week! Then, as a big surprise, my friend Holly sent me a care package full of letters and pictures from my former co-workers and friends at Collins Hill. I was soooo excited to sit and read them all! Afterward, I called everyone I knew to tell them how wonderful all my friends were!!! I always knew I was very blessed to work at Collins Hill, but I was certainly reminded again of that this Christmas. Thank you so much, Holly!
And, thanks to my sweet mom, I'll get to do Christmas all over again in February! Yay!
But I also got two exciting "gifts" in the mail. My parents sent me a small package as we were trying to see if the mail was actually secure and if we could actually receive the package with more ease than we had when we first moved here. So, I got some socks, some pencils, a book, and lots of Kool-aid!!! We've actually already used 3 of the Kool-aid packets this week! Then, as a big surprise, my friend Holly sent me a care package full of letters and pictures from my former co-workers and friends at Collins Hill. I was soooo excited to sit and read them all! Afterward, I called everyone I knew to tell them how wonderful all my friends were!!! I always knew I was very blessed to work at Collins Hill, but I was certainly reminded again of that this Christmas. Thank you so much, Holly!
And, thanks to my sweet mom, I'll get to do Christmas all over again in February! Yay!
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