First day at work

12th Monday
My first day at work did not start well. Gelos seemed a bit pissed off because I hadn’t got ready the materials she had told me to. I hadn’t understood that she told me to. She told me I should have told her if I hadn’t understood. I told her that I thought I had understood. We now both understand my limitations.

Not sure right now if the plan (that I come over to Puebla annually to do arts projects with the kids) is going to be a go-er. Emily told me that she had a month here taking it all in before she started work, and that her ear adjusted in Spanish a lot during that time: of course, I’m only here for a month. I can see that in this respect the artist-jets-in approach has disadvantages over the artist-volunteers-for-6-months approach.

I’m a bit down on myself today – I hope they’re not too disappointed in me. Gelos said that she though my Spanish was pretty good because of the emails I sent her before I came – I can read and write Spanish OK, but I’m finding listening to and speaking it bloody difficult. Emily has counselled me and told me not to be too hard on myself / that I’m out of my comfort zone (she’s right there!). It is early days, but there again I’m only here for another 23!

The session with the kids went OK, but it wasn’t really enough for them. I think I scored Brownie points by telling them I’d watched the Mexico v El Salvador game and naming one for the goal-scorers (the nice looking one I metioned before!). When everything falls a bit flat I just can’t banter to get things going. Today I got the boys to draw information about themselves – I showed them some drawings that I’d done (pictures at a later date once I”ve got hold of a card reader!). Anyway, they all love football. I took in some cola cubes so they could try dulces ingleses. I showed them my photos from England, not much of a response, probably half because my commentary was lacking but also because they are very low-key as a group. One of them – Miguel Angel – gave me a paper flower he’d made (though he should have been drawing!!), it’s quite fab.

Spent the afternoon searching for ‘diversion activities’ to do with the kids to break up the 2 hour sessions, and translating English brain-teasers into Spanish (I’ve sent them to Gelos to correct!).
She’s also asked me to write out lesson plans for her to use after I’ve gone (perhaps she thinks I won’t be coming back!).

Had a nice chat with Bob, who will be acting as my PA tomorrow! He counselled me well about not worring about my Spanish. I keep breaking out into German!

Tonight a girl called Eva arrived to stay in the house. She’s a Mexican student who’s studying international business and will be volunteering here for 6 months. She seems really nice but has gone to bed early after a long journey from Sonora which is much further north. She’s staying in the room adjoining mine which means I have to walk through her room to get to mine.

It’s chucking it down outside and the mosquitos are out in force.