New Friends

The work group from Michigan whom were here left today. Towards the end both Zoe and I got especially close to them. They were so nice, and put little cards on our pillows before they left. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had English classes that went relatively well. We've been going over what people are wearing, what the kids like or dislike and how to order in a restaurant. Some parts are better than others but it works. Donna, one of the women from Michigan, brought one of those giant parachutes that kids love and we played with that. On Tuesday Donna, Zoe and I went up to Geny's and brought the parachute and played with all the little ones. We brought up lunch, made sandwiches, went up to the top where there is a gorgeous view and then headed down to put our feet in the river waiting for Cristy to pick us up. It was really nice. Right after that, we went back to the Hogar, did an art project, grabbed some dinner and then spent the night moving from one house to another. It was a very busy day.

Yesterday after classes was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hogar de Amor. They are officially starting on the building that will become home to these kids; the first block was laid at the ceremony. We had a piñata, fresco, and then played a game of futbol on the gravel in our flip flops. It was girls vs boys, and unfortunately we lost but what can you do. David dropped us off at the new house, we showered with our cold showers (no hot water in this house :( ) and then went to the movies with the kids. It's been pretty bad lately. Only nine kids were able to go out of 22, because all of the others were being punished for some offense or other.

Today was much the same story, and the stakes were higher. The circus was in town so David was planning on taking a trip. Unfortunately, the same group of people as the night before were only able to go, plus maybe one or two more. I was kind of feeling up and down the entire day because of a few things that had happened. I've just been thinking so much about raising kids, and what is or isn't the right way to punish them/ reward them. Where is the middle line? It's so difficult, especially with the entire group of 22. There are different family dynamics, different back grounds etc. I guess I wanted so much for all of the kids to have the chance to go, but they really didn't, because they didn't know that they were going to the circus until that day. So they were already punished with no chance to redeem themselves, but I mean, what can you do? You have to keep order some how. We took the few kids who weren't punished to the river in the afternoon. That was really nice. The water was so refreshing and I had fun floating down with the current. We picked some of the jungle school  kids up on the way to go with us.

The circus started at 7 so we had some time to go home for a short bit before. I personally did not particularly  enjoy it. I kind of suspected what I might be getting myself into and I was correct. The poor animals. That was the main problem. The poor things. What must there lives be like? You just know that once they've outgrown there usefulness they are simply cast aside. The were 5 lions kept in line with a huge whip. I wonder how many times they've been hit with it. They were not happy looking either, and looked like they would prefer to eat the trainer. The elephants had the saddest look in their eye, as people lined up to take a picture on their back. It was as if all the life and will had gone out of them. There were kids working the circus also. They were in a trampoline act, and I just wondered how they were being treated. There was also an act with a woman who basically had on a bedazzled thong and was doing a contortionist act, but it seemed more as if she was bending in every possible way so that she could show her bedazzled crotch off to the world. I mean, it definitely highlighted the best part of human nature. But it was an experience. If anything, I was happy that the kids for the most part picked up on the sadness of the animals. Down here, it's definitely not the states.