September

The month that we got our very own kitchen… complete with a kettle two mugs, a cup of sugar, a bottle of Gatorade with milk in it and 1 spoon! This, I feel is the epitome of a British Kitchen, this is all we need! 

This investment resulted in many Saturday morning’s watching films, drinking tea and eating biscuits in bed…aaah the simple things!

September was also the month of our epic adventure. It had began as nothing more than a harmless dog walk with Darwin, one of the twelfth graders, and ended with us covered in bites, cuts, scrapes and mud and an epic story to tell! Ever, Darwin’s brother joined us when he realised that we hadn’t taken any water. He also brought a machete, which we later used to hack through a green forest. After hacking through the dense forest we arrived at a cliff face about 10ft tall or so..we couldn’t go back so..Ever found some long vines to tie into ropes and lift us up the rock face.. Then came the real issue…the dog. This problem was solved using belts and the lead as a harness and brute strength to lift Spikey up. Safe to say the dog didn’t like us much by the end of this trip. We finally emerged from the forest and found ourselves at one of the highest points in La Union..it was an awesome view, but as per usual photos don’t do it justice! 

We also got to meet our Rep Vegas. He’s an awesome man whose lived in the country since 1987 so, parents, we’re definitely in safe hands if anything goes wrong..not that it will of course! We met him in Gracias and went to the hot springs and ate lots and lots of food! Vegas, if you’re reading this, thank you for the food, you have no idea how much it meant to us! On the way home he took us via Las Playas which is a river that you have to cross..we spent some times there chilling in the sun and gathering some petrified wood before returning home for another week of school

This is just a picture to prove that we still love each other 2 months in, and I have also held a dog! Go meee!

This for anyone complaining about their uni digs.. this is our 'shower' after it has rained a bit too much, we're not sure if that's Kate's tan line or a dirt line..

A Typical School day!

Wake up at 5:30. 

Maybe brave the cold shower after a real deliberation if our hair is acceptable or not. 

Make tea/coffee, get dressed and make yourself socially acceptable.

Walk up to Molly and Sharons, have breakfast; cereal using a bag of milk, and a few pieces of bread and tea (of course)

Leave the house at 6:30am (sometimes) and walk up to school

Get to school about 7:00am, say ‘Good Morning, how are you? And get the reply “Fine-thankyou-you?” from every single child.
Quickly check what level the internet is on. Stop using internet because it’s down to 12% already.
Go into the office and pray.

Teach some lessons

School day finishes at 2:40.

Walk home.

Crash and burn.

One of my monkeys from fourth grade...he may look cute, but don't stare into his eyes for too long.......!

A Typical School day!

Wake up at 5:30. 

Maybe brave the cold shower after a real deliberation if our hair is acceptable or not. 

Make tea/coffee, get dressed and make yourself socially acceptable.

Walk up to Molly and Sharons, have breakfast; cereal using a bag of milk, and a few pieces of bread and tea (of course)

Leave the house at 6:30am (sometimes) and walk up to school

Get to school about 7:00am, say ‘Good Morning, how are you? And get the reply “Fine-thankyou-you?” from every single child.
Quickly check what level the internet is on. Stop using internet because it’s down to 12% already.
Go into the office and pray.

Teach some lessons

School day finishes at 2:40.

Walk home.

Crash and burn.

One of my monkeys from fourth grade...he may look cute, but don't stare into his eyes for too long.......!

Long Overdue August

I apologise for how disorganised and delayed this post is…but, better late than never!

We arrived in La Union, our home for the next 10 months on the 10^th of August. We live alone (as in me and the wife, Kate) a minute's walk or so, depending on how quickly you run up the hill - from the other American teachers and our 'food home' which we share with Molly and Sharon. We have a hall and a room off the hall where we do the majority of our ‘living’. Separated from our bedroom by a curtain is our bathroom, complete with a 'shower' tap of cold water. The food situation is slightly inconvenient as both of us are hungry all of the time but it means we aren’t segregated from the rest of the group.

This month consisted a lot of worrying about the bats that we think have living in our hall…They are very noisy and Heather told us that they carry rabies so we try and avoid going in the hall in the dark.. Just another challenge of living here!

Our first week in La Union was spent decorating classrooms. Writing names on various decorations and getting very friendly with the glue gun! After a few days of using it be were pro’s!

Results day was a very very bad day. Both of us were really ill and not terribly happy with the grades that we got, but that is again, just another challenge for us this year. The UCAS application system was so much fun that I’ve decided to go through the whole process again! I didn’t get any healthier for a few days so Jake, our boss, and school director, took me to the local clinic. The doctor poked my stomach a few times, asked me questions, which then Jake had to translate and answer for me, before he diagnosed me with Gastritis, the inflammation of the lining of the stomach, which is just a wonderful illness. It was a lesson never ever to drink the water here! Luckily a huge water cooler bottle thing comes to a grand total of 75p so we’re okay! After a few days of colourful pills I was healthy again, just in time for school to start!