Time flies... when you are busy

So this week is not even close to being over as we still have two more days of classes and I am giving my first solo class at the Instituto today, but I thought i might as well give an update since there has been so much going on this week. First think I learned this week is that it is very unlikely I will get Malaria. Woo hoo! and that I can use a Deet product every day and not worry too much, although I am using the natural repellent i brought with me at least 1 day a week.

So I wrote the above part earlier today, let me fill you in on the class I taught and the youth group meetings we had today. Well I am glad to say that I have gotten over my fears of teaching in Spanish in front of 55 Nicaraguan teens. And I also now understand why teachers are always so tough the first couple of classes. I went in and laid it all out for them, the class rules, my credentials and where the door was in case they didn´t want to participate. And amazingly, and our counterpart told us after that the kids acting up was what she was most worried about, the kids were great. I just hope that they can get something out of the class. I would love to see at least one of them start his or her own business. Did I mention that in my third week of training I SOLO taught a class? Amazing. Talk about an ego boost. Sure I let them walk off with their homework, but I was just happy to still be standing and speaking by the end of it all.

Also I got my cell phone yesterday. I will be able to send and receive texts from abroad in both SMS and MMS forms! Woo Hoo its the most advanced cell phone I have had in a gew years and it was still really cheap. I mean it has a 1.3 mega pixel camara that is soooo grainy that a picture looks more like a bunch of pixels than anything else, but still its a step up.

Oh and our youth group meeting went awesome. We were even observed today by Peace Corps staff and we were given top reviews. What a difference I feel from week one to week three. Granted this is not the typical PC training experience, most trainees stay in Spanish classes until the end, but since I am in the Native speakers group (sigh of relief) I am off and running on projects, teaching classes to fellow trainees, and hopefully can get into some research while still in training. We will be given special activities I am told. Wonder what they will be.

Well, I will update more this weekend, we have a class on food preservation (I´m hoping to make some pickles hahaha) and Sunday is the Hipica here. From what I understand its a big festival with cowboys and horses and stuff like that. I wonder if I will feel like I´m in Texas or something. I´ll write more when I have experienced it. Love to you all, and keep making the best choices possible.