Fiesta de Pizza!

I have to tell you, this English class has been my favorite project here. My students are there because they really want to learn. They show up every Saturday, do their homework and really study for the quizzes and tests. Not only do I have a working relationship with this group of people, but we are truly friends too. Here are the dipolma earners on the last day of the first English class. I am like a proud mama.

Speaking of mamas, here is Iris accepting her diploma. Her daughter Isabel and son in law Oscar are also in the class. One day the class had an assignment to interview a classmate. Iris interviewed Isabel`s best friend, Alicia. Not only was her English terrific, but the way she talked about her daughter`s best friend brought me to tears. She said how she feels like Alicia is her very own daughter and how she has been special to her since she was a little girl and how watching her grow up with Isabel has been a joy. I thought of all of my best friends and how close I am to so many of their moms. I am so lucky to have so many people in life to love, and the list just keeps getting longer.
Ok, so this one is kind of random and off topic, but this is Alicia`s little boy Angel. I usually hold him and play while everyone is working on independent assignments or tests. I call him my little boyfriend and the class gets a kick out of it. The other cool thing about it is he is almost exactly the same age as my best friend`s son, who I have yet to meet since I had left for the Peace Corps before he was born. I try to imagine sometimes that it`s him I am hugging and snuggling. Can`t wait to meet you Pax!

9 of my students earned a diploma, obtaining a 70 percent or better. From the beginning of the class I had promised that the top 3 from each class would earn a trip to Pizza Hut. At the last minute, since there were only 3 more than I had planned, Susan told me to invite everyone. Well, it couldn`t have been better timing, it was a perfect time to remove ourselves from the earthquakes, H1N1 flu and political goings on for an afternoon of some serious pizza eating.

Here`s Idalia (one of only 2 kids from the basic class who earned a diploma) and Karen, one of the better students in the more advanced class. Both of them had the best attendance only missing one class each. Idalia lives in a community which is about a 45 minute walk to the place where English class is held. Through rain, earthquakes and 100 degree heat she has shown up. Remember when I talked about the good advice I received regarding focusing on "one"? If Idaliah is the only person to get something out of my being here, it will have been worth it.

Special thanks to Susan and my friend Mary from home for making this awesome outing possible.

.