Guatetine's Day

I experienced my first Valentine's Day as a teacher yesterday and I've decided if February 14th were wiped off the calendar for the rest of all time, I would be 100% content with my job. Five hundred elementary school students + two tons of candy = every teacher's worst nightmare. I was seriously shocked at how CRAZY the day was yesterday; kids crying over spilled cupcakes, parents (who rarely come to school) coming to class with flower shaped ham and cheese sandwiches, and endless questions of "can I eat this now?!" After everything had been passed out, it looked like Valentine's Day was a large being that had vomited packaged goods all over my classroom. I actually received more gifts from my students on this day than I had before winter break and all other holidays. Though the gestures were adorable, we now have WAY to much candy in our apartment for two people, or for the entire country for that matter.

Lots of love

I don't think I mentioned that Aubrey's friend Akanksha came to visit this weekend and just left today. She and Aubrey met while studying abroad in Chile in high school and have stayed in touch ever since. Krunchy (her awesome nickname), is from Australia and spent the last three months doing a rotation in Xela, Guatemala for her medical school program back home. Alls I have to say is: She is awesome. We had such a blast this weekend and the last two days with her and we both questioned her motives for leaving us in the first place. We loved her so much that we wanted her to become our third roommate and be a teacher at our school (which, ps, she had so much fun at Inter that she said she wished she could be a teacher too!). But, alas, she has many travels to attend to such as a trip to Chile and India, of course, so we let her go. But I am confident that one say Aubrey, Charles and I will take a little trip to Australia to see Krunchy and we will laugh about offensive Guatemaltecos while eating Vegemite sandwiches.

Our third roomie, Akanksha!

Tonight I am going to a students' house for dinner. Yes, you heard right. Something that could be considered grounds for firing a teacher in the U.S. is common practice in Central America. My students' mother invited myself and Elisa and Graeme over for dinner this evening because her brother and his wife (from Ohio, random) are visiting Guatemala. This student has asked me everyday for about a week now if I was going to eat dinner with her at her house and has hugged me every time I excitedly said, "Yes!"

Well I better prepare myself for this dinner by chugging tea in hopes it will mask the cold I have recently developed. Blast those germy children I find myself surrounded by day in and day out!