SORRY

Ok ok....I'm back...I admit, I was stalling. There are just so many things to say, and some of them I can't even describe with words, so that's kind of difficult. This week as it goes on is going to be extremely difficult for me...Thursday and Friday I have to say goodbye to lots of students that I have known for the past 5 months. But the happy news is that I am ready to come home. I am missing my family alot, and even though I have a family here too, there's nothing like the family that I was born with. They know me inside out, and I love them so much. It still doesn't stop the hurt from leaving here though. This is life, though, eh?
Let me write about what happened last week, and then I will take a stab at talking about the DVBS...haha!
So, last week was the first week of school after vacations. Holidays for most students was 2 or 3 weeks, but some had 4 weeks. It just depends on what school they go to. Monday and Tuesday I was at the English school here in Taguatinga. It was alot of fun. We asked the students where they went on their holidays, but most of them said that they just stayed home and played computer, video games, watched T.V., and slept. How boring!!! One girl went to the Pantanal, a really tourist spot in the next state over. It is really swampy, so they have alligators, beautiful birds, and stuff like that. All of the classes on Monday and Tuesday just played a review game that was so awesome. They made a grid on the board using squares of paper and then marked the top of the grid with letters, and then down the sides with numbers. In this way, the students would pick a paper square using a letter and a number. On the other side of the squares, there could be 1 of 3 things: a star(which meant a free point), a bomb(which meant you lose all of your points), or a number(the students would have to answer a question regarding English). I really liked the game, so I made up a set of paper squares all marked differently to take to Vôo Livre with me for my English classes on Wednesday and Friday. I also made up a review for my classes, totally forgetting that I was starting the Introductory English classes. I was upset that I wouldn't have my old students(because I love them so much), but I actually did have one class after lunch that was my class from last semester, so I was happy about that. So, yes, Wednesday we started a new semester of um monte de coisas(many things) at Vôo Livre, including: Guitar, English, Computer, and Reenforcement classes(not really sure what this is, I think it has something to do with kids who aren't really understanding some things in school, I guess sort of like a tutoring class) plus the normal sports things that go on there all the time.
The thing was, Sadie told me she wasn't going to come, so I had to start a new semester all by my lonesome! It went well though. The morning class was packed with people I had never met, all who came to learn English, most of them for the first time. So I taught them the alphabet and the numbers from 1-10, and got to know them a little bit. It was a a bit overwhelming though, because there were about 24 people!!! Also, two of the boys in the back kept talking to each other. Finally I couldn't take it anymore, so I told one of them to come sit at the front. He was ok with it... he's a good kid! The class after lunch was my regular class from last semester, so we just worked on the review I did, and played the grid game. Then....then....if I thought the class before lunch was packed, ya...my third class had about 30 people!!!! Talk about nerve racking!
I just did the same stuff with them that I did in the morning. So, that was an interesting day, but it went well. On Thursday, I told Joyce she could make me do anything she needed me for. Soooooo....saying that.....yes, she got me to go over their inventory for Vôo Livre. There was so much stuff that I had to look for. There were tables, all the computers, chairs, sports equipment, and more. It was basically just to make sure we had everything that was on the inventory. It took me all day to finish it, and it was very tiring! But hey, if it helped Joyce out, I'm glad I could do it. At 4 o'clock, I went to Luziana's house(she's the teacher for reenforcement). She lives on the same street as Joyce, and she always rides her bike to Vôo Livre. So, it was a new experience...she has a little thing on the back of her bike for holding books and stuff, and she was able to sit on that while I drove the bike! Here in Brazil it's very common to have more than one person ride a bike, but of course I'm not used to it(the north american rules of helmets, seatbelts, and other things like this drilled into my head!!!) It's more difficult than you may think, because you have to balance the weight on the back. Craziness!!!
But I had a good visit at her house(she was a little stressed because it was messy, but it didn't matter to me) She is from Bahia, and music from there is called "Axé". She was teaching me how to dance to Axé, and the way they dance, it's more like one of those classes you go to, like dance aerobics. Talk about a workout!!! My goodness, it felt so good to excerise and have fun at the same time. I had a really good time!
Then just as I was going to see if Joyce had come home yet, she was looking for me(to go to church). So, sweaty as I was, I hurried into the house, changed my clothes, and got in the car to go to church. It was good to see the pastor and his wife(they had been on holidays too).
Friday was the same thing, just review of the alphabet, numbers, and review. However, word had spread, and I had more students. The afternoon introductory class now has 35 people!!! Crazy times!
Well, unfortunately have to wait again for the DVBS...time for dinner!!!
Love to everyone, looking forward to seeing my friends and family again soon!
Love, Ashleigh