at long last...

yup, finally posting pictures of the re-done Kinder room, that I promised to deliver back in July.

Before

After. Thanks to the Tim Brooks group for all their help

And thanks to Savannah and Jeff for the great new play mat

Also, coming soon, pictures of my recent trip to la selva (the jungle)

Eagle turned Mother Hen - Day 7

My first week here has been pretty busy. It feels like it has been a lot more than just 7 days. I've been a bit confused about what my role would be here. So to clarify, I will be the Kindergarten teacher for the whole 6.5 months. (Note to Ange and Cowboy - little fingers!)
I spent most yesterday reading the Super Nanny website which is like a crash course on correct discipline for kids. Fingers crossed it works on the pinching and hitting problem I'm having. By that I mean the kids pinching and hitting each other - I had to sign a contract saying I wouldn't be violent with the children.

And these are mis niños...

José Luís - always smiling, independent and cheeky.

Jhon - very serious for a 3yr old, very intelligent, the leader of the group.

Alejandro (and Ashley) - pinches the other boys but is very affectionate with adults.  

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A church group from America is coming on Thursday and staying for a week. This is really exciting because groups do a lot of work at the orphanage in a short amount of time, spoil the kids silly and take the volunteers out for a few dinners. Can't wait! I'm worried that my accent may change because all the non-Peruvian people I meet are American. I've already caught myself thinking with an American accent (you know how you talk to yourself in your head? That voice.)

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We went to a Peruvian church this morning (and experienced public transport for the first time - not too shabby). Everything was in Spanish but I understood enough words in the sermon to piece together the message. It was about how members of the family all have responsibilities and that each of us need to respect and act on those responsibilities in order to build a strong family unit. Thinking about that and the kids at the orphanage bothered me. I hate being reminded of the past that the kids have had. They are all too young to have gone through even half of what they have. They come from families broken by poverty, crime and abuse.  But looking around here you wouldn't know it. They are all just like normal kids. They spend as much time as possible playing and having fun. It really feels so full of energy, joy and life here.

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So, in summary, its been a good week - even the dull moments weren't very dull. I already have some "wow that would never happen in Australia" stories but I'll collect them and pick the best ones to share  later in a special "That's so Peru!" post.

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p.s you can feed the fish if you like, its very therapeutic (click the water)