Estoy cansado

I think Buenos Aires is the busiest city I have even been to.  Everyone walks quickly (which I like) and is in a hurry to get from one place to another.  The calmest times are at the table.  Either for lunch or tea (coffee), it slows down and you get to savor every moment.
*Just a moment of clarity for myself*

On Wedneday June , I visited Colegio Belgrano Uno. Margarita and I took the subte to meet Dr. Fernando Arnesto.  He and I walked to his school.  There I learned how the school is structured.  Each classroom has approximately 25 students with only one class per grade (here they call it "form".)  There are only 450 - 500 students in the whole school.  The students have English classes three times a week (MWF) in the afternoon.  On Tuesday and Thursday, the afternoon consists of Art/Drama or Sports.  Art/Drama is the only optional course allowed.  Currently, the 5th and 6th grade is re-making the film "The Karate Kid" (it was interesting when a teacher in a karate gi handed a lap top to me when I arrived). Students are constantly in preparation for various English exams.  The 5th and 6th grade students prepare for Springboard or Quickmarch exams.  These exams are developed by the University of London.  7th grade students take the Preliminary English Test (P.E.T.) and secondary students in levels 4 and 5 (14 - 15yrs old) take exams developed by Cambridge Univestity; FCE - First Certificate in English or CAE -Certificate of Advanced English.  I was able to speak to three different levels.  The oldest students seemed the least enthusiastic....teenagers :P  The second group told me I was very pretty and looked like one of the Kardashian sisters.  And the third group (the youngest - 11yrs old) was the most formal.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time!

After my time at Colegio Belgrano Uno I, once again, visited Gabriel and his (other) level 4 adult English class.  They meet two days a week and it was interesting to learn that there is a placement test for the program.  Students do not automatically start at level one.  It was a busy day!

23/6/2011
I returned to Children's School to observe the English Teacher with the K5 (5yr olds) students.  Miss Carolina made me miss my own students!! She sang songs that I am familiar with and used discipline techniques and teaching strategies that I use in my own classroom.  These children were much more enthusiastic than the previous Kinder classes.  It's funny how much difference one or two years can make.

After a delicious lunch, I went to see my new friend Cecilia's classroom.  First she teaches one classroom once a week.  In this unit they were studying the United States (social studies).  I felt very useful in this subject!  They reviewed timezones and moved towards a unit about weather maps.  In this unit they learned the formula for converting Celsius into Fahrenheit.  The students were not the only ones learning on this day.  Now, I know the formula too!!  Her next class is "her" class.  They are currently reading " The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konisburg.  Today the students were to bring a picture of a painting; any painting.  Their assignment was to write a description of the painting.  Of course, this is all in English.  I can only imagine the hard work these students are putting into their work in a foreign language.  After their work and break, the students (once again) began to ask me questions about the United States and, of course, my personal life.

24/6/2011
On this morning, I was supposed to visit another private school but it was a religious holiday.  Instead, I took a "personal day" and watched movies and slept longer.  In the afternoon, Margarita and I took the most terrible bus ride (VERY LONG and CROWDED) to the school where she is  former headmistress.  The "Language School" teacher 4 languages: English, French, Italian, and Portuguese).  On this night, there was a presentation about Brazilian music.  It was nice to see the many parents and students who were present for the presentation.  Although I did not understand most of the presentation, I was able to learn some of the differences in Brazilian music (i.e. tempo) and watch and listen to some examples.

After the presentation at the Language School, Margarita and I traveled to my host's (Cristina M.) daughters' (Mechi) school.  She attends an Italian school and her class is traveling to Italy next week.  For their trip, they presented a fashion show!  It was a lot of fun to see the different clothing teenagers were here in Buenos Aires.  I also learned that the late-night culture also extends into the schools!  We were at the school until midnight!! Can you imagine a school in Frisco/Plano/DFW hosting an event for parents and students going until midnight?!  Well, I was very tired when Cristina and I returned home.  We ate, chatted, and then it was time to sleep!

25/6/2011
It's tourist day!  I was very honored to meet Nylia Monte and her sister!  Together, the three of us took "the yellow bus" around the city of Buenos Aires.  This is a double-decker bus the allows people a chance to see the city and to hear important facts about the history of the city and its landmarks.  Nylia, her sister, and I nearly froze to death but it was worth every moment.  I saw so much history and everything....I felt like a child all day!  I was so excited on the bus and during our stops!!

The same night, I went to a Rotaract meeting in another city (almost 1hr away by taxi). I went with my new friends,  Gabi and Giselle, to witness the exchange of authority from one president to the new president.  I was very happy to be a part of this ceremony.  It's very different for me to see young people (18-30yrs old) involved in Rotary.

27/6/2011 (this is a long entry huh?!)
Today was very relaxed.  Gabi came to get me around noon and we went (by taxi) to a fair to meet Carlos.  We also met with two Americans, Justin and Katie.  Justin is currently living in Buenos Aires attending a local university.  Katie is his girlfriend and is here to visit for one month.  Guess what? They both speak Spanish.  Ugh.  We went to more and more fairs in the area, ate a huge lunch, and walked to Puerto Madero.  (The oldest area but the newest development.  It also is the only area with streets named after women).

Gabi, by the way, is a WONDERFUL tour guide!  After walking around Puerto Madero, we returned home where I napped and Gabi returned later for dinner.  I would have never imagined the pizza in Argentina would be better than American pizza.....WAY BETTER.