Summer scheme has ended for 2010. The final event on Friday was billed as an “evaluation session” for the leaders, which looked suspiciously like a water-volleyball match followed by a BBQ. I evaluate that as a worthy waste of a couple of hours, despite completely sunburning my face in the process.
So now I’m in limbo wondering what the rest of the year holds:
Quebracho Herrado is looking positive at least; a couple of the village stalwarts have suggested I should expect to be busy with requests for homework-club support.
Paid work wise, there is a possibility of English teaching; a couple of students came to see us for conversation practise the other day, one of whom reckons he can find us an opening either in the university where he teaches, or in the private institute where he studies. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it would be foolish not to pursue the opportunity if it exists. The work I’m really looking for would be special needs teaching in a mainstream school, which is a growing area here, a couple of people have said that they could probably find me an opening, but so far nothing has come to light.
Meanwhile, I’m rolling my sleeves up for battle to get our kid from the village into school, be it a special school in San Fran, or the village school in Quebracho. The local governor of Quebracho is the gate-keeper for useful resources, but as far as I can gather only does that which is politically expedient, so I’m hoping to recruit the social worker to my cause, which may or may not happen since hers is a political appointment, made by the aforementioned inanimate object alias the local governor. The system here has to be experienced to be believed.
Our next piece of punctuation is our mission’s conference in Peru coming up next week. We hope to survive it, and then to reward ourselves for not being sacked by taking a couple of days off to see something around the Lima area. I’ve only been to Peru once in 1994, and then we didn’t make it to Lima. Apparently there’s some nature reserves on the coast south out of the city which I’m hoping might be worth a visit. Macchu Picchu is a long way away, and expensive, and our kid is at an age where he’ll almost definitely appreciate a walrus over an inca ruin.
And finally: What would you buy at this hard-ware store? Pink handled drill… chiffron overalls…?
