the start of week 2

It’s Tuesday and I’ve just come back home after a beer in town with Lucia. I’d been in all day and needed to get out. Eva has moved into her new flat (she had come here as a volunteer for 6 months expecting to be able to stay in this house, but it wasn’t the case). The rent on the flat is £70 pm, but that’s a fair amount if you’re volunteering for nada. I went to see it with her over the weekend and it’s nice, as was the landlady – old with bright red lips –probably a bit of a stunner in her day.

My Lloyds bank card won’t give me any money and there’s not much I can do about it unless I want to ring the call centre in India. I have a second bank card but am none too chuffed.

Emily was my second in the art class at casa Juconi yesterday. The boys worked really well most of the time and are patient with my Spanish. One was a bit iffy and stubborn early on, refusing to do the work, but then, all of a sudden decided he would, and did it well. There were a couple of minor spats, one of which I completely missed as I don’t know Spanish swear words – this is why I need someone in with me overseeing the class. The boys work with care and have produced some nice work.

I got back about 1pm and went to the launderette to pick up my laundry: not sure if she told me off for not coming in the morning (as I said I would, but they weren’t open at 9am) or was apologising, anyway suddenly she showed me the book she was reading (the biography of Howard Hughes), told me she loves biographies, then told me (again) that her son was painting a mural in Mexico City and had been too talented for the priests at the school he’d gone to. I came back and started writing out lesson plans. In Spanish. Takes a while.

I don’t see any kids on Tuesday – it is the designated day for lesson plan writing (I am ahead of myself). I photographed the boys’ portraits and cleaned them up in Photoshop for Gelos to print out and us to iron on to T-shirts on Thursday. Four boys have finished. One wasn’t there this week as he has run away, not for the first time. His parents died in a car crash quite a few years ago, and he’d been cared for my sisters until they couldn’t afford to any longer and he came to Juconi. With day of the dead (dia del muerte) coming up it’s a difficult time for him. Very bright lad who doesn’t want to be at the house. I like him. In fact, I like all of them. Another one of the boys is there as his mother couldn’t care for him – she has been described by one of the workers as a bitch, so I expect it was worse than her not being able to cope. His father ( a drunk) was found dead on the streets and when the mum heard news of it, sent her kids out to get the body. Another boy was disowned by his family as they considered his skin too white (probably papa thought he wasn’t his). He is one fo the few who don’t have any contact with their families – Juconi is very strong on keeping families involved with the children, and if possible, reintegrating one with the other.

Saw 2 clowns get off a bus.

I’ve had a really nice day including chats with Bob and Mum (happy birthday for tomorrow!), and feel happy. Everybody thinks it's cold (have to say it was the night before last) – the temperature has dropped, but it's hotter than your average UK summer's day.