El cientifico Pedro que habló con mis octavos por telefono hoy.
El artista Marco.
Hi everyone,
I figured I would just write in English the rest of the time since most of my students won’t be able to check over the weekend anyway. This morning was dominated by us teachers taking turns making calls to our classes with the satellite phone. It was very exciting to hear our students’ voices. I got one of the scientists down here, a grad student named Pedro (see picture), to get on the phone with my eighth graders as well to answer their questions. I thought it would be nice for some of them to hear from someone closer to their age, who is making a career out of doing this kind of field work. The call eventually got cut off but I will finish explaining things to them when I get back.
Bill P. were you in there for my call with the seventh graders? I didn’t hear you. To answer your question, I come back late Sunday night, so you’ll see me Monday.
Unfortunately we weren’t able to go on a hike in the tropical dry forest with the others (non-teachers) today because the satellite phone doesn’t pick up much of a signal in the forest. Actually, Wendy was able to go and she saw a viper!
Yessica: Sí es divertido nadar “sobre los objetos”. Me siento como los peces me están permitiendo unirme con ellos. La señal sobre el coral es para que nadie lo haga daño. Nos vemos pronto, y me puedes preguntar más.
This afternoon we helped paint a mural in the town center that shows the biodiversity of La Manzanilla. I thought it was going to be at the school but it was next to the clinic where the Humane Society has come down to spay/neuter animals. I had been missing interaction with members of the local community, but today I am totally inspired by Marco, the artist who designed the mural. I learned a lot about teaching from him. When we got there, he had already outlined his design. As he showed us what to do, we were terrified to put our brushes to the wall for fear of ruining the work of this talented artist. He just kept saying that “Sí puedes!” (Yes you can) and that his technique is easy, he has taught all ages. He never criticized, and if we made a mistake he let us figure it out for ourselves. He answered all of our questions but he said not to be nervous, anything was easily fixable. When I noticed a little girl watching us, I offered her the brush. It didn’t matter to me that her branch looked different than the rest, because Marco’s encouragement was contagious. I told her that she could help us, but the next thing I knew she went running away.
When Marco found out I teach math and science, he said that he wouldn’t know what to do in a math classroom, he would probably cry. He was a big joker. He says he is from a planet where there are 8 suns, 8 moons, 8 seas. One for each of the colors. I later found out this “planet” is the town of La Huerta. He says there is no fighting, no pollution, no internal combustion engines, horses the whole width of the street, half-horse/half chickens, and many other fantastical things. He painted the moon like a watermelon.
I became more and more comfortable painting. In the background I recognized someone playing a Ricardo Arjona album that I also have “…..las barras y las estrellas se aduenan de mi bandera” (the stars and stripes own my flag, a song about imperialism called “If the North were the South”) and “Me enseñaste de todo excepto olvidarte” (you taught me everything except how to forget you”. Check out the pictures, even though the mural’s still not completely finished. I told Marco his work reminds me of Marc Chagall and he said that Chagall spent time in the Caribbean. Marco also makes fascinating sculptures out of trash, he showed us pictures but the artwork is back on his “planet” of La Huerta. It’s nice to meet someone who loves their hometown so much that it is a paradise to them. I hope I take an ounce of the patience and encouragement of Marco back to Framingham.
Tonight we are going to the beach campsite where the college kids from California are staying (did I explain about them yet?) to eat dinner and hear presentations from a group from the University of Guadalajara. Tomorrow I think I am supposed to go interview the men from the fishing cooperative. I’ll explain more later. I miss you all (I’m bursting to hold my nephew Jackson) and I hope things are well in Mass.
Lisa
Bill P. were you in there for my call with the seventh graders? I didn’t hear you. To answer your question, I come back late Sunday night, so you’ll see me Monday.
Unfortunately we weren’t able to go on a hike in the tropical dry forest with the others (non-teachers) today because the satellite phone doesn’t pick up much of a signal in the forest. Actually, Wendy was able to go and she saw a viper!
Yessica: Sí es divertido nadar “sobre los objetos”. Me siento como los peces me están permitiendo unirme con ellos. La señal sobre el coral es para que nadie lo haga daño. Nos vemos pronto, y me puedes preguntar más.
This afternoon we helped paint a mural in the town center that shows the biodiversity of La Manzanilla. I thought it was going to be at the school but it was next to the clinic where the Humane Society has come down to spay/neuter animals. I had been missing interaction with members of the local community, but today I am totally inspired by Marco, the artist who designed the mural. I learned a lot about teaching from him. When we got there, he had already outlined his design. As he showed us what to do, we were terrified to put our brushes to the wall for fear of ruining the work of this talented artist. He just kept saying that “Sí puedes!” (Yes you can) and that his technique is easy, he has taught all ages. He never criticized, and if we made a mistake he let us figure it out for ourselves. He answered all of our questions but he said not to be nervous, anything was easily fixable. When I noticed a little girl watching us, I offered her the brush. It didn’t matter to me that her branch looked different than the rest, because Marco’s encouragement was contagious. I told her that she could help us, but the next thing I knew she went running away.
When Marco found out I teach math and science, he said that he wouldn’t know what to do in a math classroom, he would probably cry. He was a big joker. He says he is from a planet where there are 8 suns, 8 moons, 8 seas. One for each of the colors. I later found out this “planet” is the town of La Huerta. He says there is no fighting, no pollution, no internal combustion engines, horses the whole width of the street, half-horse/half chickens, and many other fantastical things. He painted the moon like a watermelon.
I became more and more comfortable painting. In the background I recognized someone playing a Ricardo Arjona album that I also have “…..las barras y las estrellas se aduenan de mi bandera” (the stars and stripes own my flag, a song about imperialism called “If the North were the South”) and “Me enseñaste de todo excepto olvidarte” (you taught me everything except how to forget you”. Check out the pictures, even though the mural’s still not completely finished. I told Marco his work reminds me of Marc Chagall and he said that Chagall spent time in the Caribbean. Marco also makes fascinating sculptures out of trash, he showed us pictures but the artwork is back on his “planet” of La Huerta. It’s nice to meet someone who loves their hometown so much that it is a paradise to them. I hope I take an ounce of the patience and encouragement of Marco back to Framingham.
Tonight we are going to the beach campsite where the college kids from California are staying (did I explain about them yet?) to eat dinner and hear presentations from a group from the University of Guadalajara. Tomorrow I think I am supposed to go interview the men from the fishing cooperative. I’ll explain more later. I miss you all (I’m bursting to hold my nephew Jackson) and I hope things are well in Mass.
Lisa
2 comments:
IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR HAVING FUN. HAVE YOU BEEN TO MANZANILLO BEACH?
hola mis como esta es divertido ir A LOS MANGLARES DE MEXICO
ATTT YESSICA NOS VEMOSY EL LUNES SUERTE EN SU VIAJE
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