Carpio

This morning, i went with 7 other new volunteers to my project. Each day we will be going to Carpio, which is a really poor slum area, and working with kids who live there...playing and teaching some English. Carpio is one of those places you see on TV where houses are packed together made out of scrap metal and scrap whatever, divided by dirt/rocky alleys with clouded water running down wherever, and garbage and stray dogs and people everywhere. We have to take 2 different busses to get there - one for about 5 minutes and then we walk for about 10 minuts. Then we take a 40 or so minute bus ride to our project where we are met and taken to the church building where they meet. And when I say church building, I mean a room about the size of my apartment living/dining space with metal roofing, concrete floors, and cheap woooded sides. Each day we will be there from about 10:00 or so until noon.

There were a bunch of kids there today. this week was the start of their 2 week vacation from school, so while it was cool that there were so many kids, there are also a lot who aren't really interested in "school" since it is their break, which i don't really blame them. So we are going to have to be extra creative and come up with some good games and activities that will keep them entertained while they learn. the only english they know is what they have been taught from volunteers, so i am getting to use my spanish a lot too. one kid was telling me that i have freckles (pecadillos, i think), and that they were "feo", which means ugly. Thanks, kid. haha...i didn't take it too personally. :)

tomorrow, and every wednesday, we will be helping out with a soup kitchen so we have to be there an hour early. because of how long it takes to get places, that makes for an early morning for me.

OK, that's all for now...I need to collect my thoughts before i start my spanish class.