As I have previously mentioned, we had our first staff meeting this morning. In my humble opinion, I thought it went quite well, but you would have to ask Betsy for certain. We were each given quaint little schedules and our daily responsibilities were made clear. Then when it was my turn, I made copies of my VBS lesson plans, craft ideas, etc. (which was nearly a hundred pages long, or so it felt) and passed them around, explaining my thoughts and asking for input. Everyone had questions and added commentary; both of which I found helpful. And Betsy, being the resourceful and ingenious person that she is, came up with tons of new and very creative ideas for crafts and games. We have decided that for the one day, we are going to find coconuts (which will not be at all difficult to do) and paint them to look like Puffer-Fish. How sweet is that?! The students will love them! I am delighted that she is a part of "my VBS team" and I am so blessed to have her as a friend/mentor. I greatly admire how she thinks outside of the box! I told her the other day that I came here so she could teach me how to use my head! And she is doing a wonderful job of it, too. I am quickly learning how to anticipate things before they happen and how to respond quickly when they do. I guess that's another life-skill I need to work on, huh? I have also learned in my six short days here, to expect the unexpected. Hmm, but think about that for a second: wouldn't expecting the unexpected, make the unexpected expected? Oh, I don't know...I am just learning to think on my feet!
We have assigned each person with a specific responsibility for the week of VBS. Each day, we will be responsible for teaching and overseeing our assigned duty. Betsy will be teaching the daily lessons and making up/telling stories, Laurie will be overseeing the games/activities, Rosa will be teaching the memory verses, Tess will be interpreting the songs, and I will be in charge of the crafts and snack time. And the other two staff members who will arrive later this week, will be filling in wherever they are needed. Although, I must say, I am quite impressed at how well we have everything covered. It has been such a great relief, to see that I have others who are so willing to help me plan and teach. And while there is still much planning, organizing and decorating to do yet--I am beyond excited for the students to arrive and for school to begin. (I know they are not nearly as thrilled as I am, but I am optimistic and hope they will enjoy it anyway!)
Also, tomorrow is Betsy's birthday and she has planned a special celebratory outing for us all in honor of her special day! The plans still seem slightly hazy to me, but at least I know to pack my swimsuit, sunblock, an extra change of clothes and a book. So by means of using my deductive reasoning, I have come to the conclusion that it somehow or another involves water. And while our destination is still rather unclear to me, I do know that we are leaving early in the morning and driving South for several hours until we reach a town that I seem to have forgotten the name of. (See, another prim example of my directional skills which are completely and totally nonexistent!) So boy am I glad that Betsy is driving and that she knows where she's going! Anyway, it should be fun and nothing short of an adventure! I am so excited! And I will let you know when we return, what all we did and where exactly we went!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
A Wonderful And Relaxing Day!
First of all, my mother did catch her flight last evening and arrived home safely and without incident! Praise God and thanks for the prayers!
Secondly; you have my sincerest apology! I have come to the realization that I have failed both as a journalist and as an informant. Amid all of my babbling about plans and my adventures here on the Island of Enchantment, I have neglected to explain my surroundings or accurately express the beauty of nature.
In an attempt to reconcile myself, I will begin by saying that it is very hot and humid. I mean, we are living in the rainforest so it does have a tendency to be sultry. And while it has rained at least once a day, the downpours last only for about ten minutes before the blistering sun comes back out. So much for a lasting respite from the sun. Today, it was in the mid nineties and with the humidity, it felt like at least a hundred degrees! I drink and sweat simultaneously...I teased Rosa yesterday saying, "I chug water and it sprays from my pores." That is about as accurate as I can put it! And today after church, I ate a cupcake in the kitchen (which is about the coolest place at the school) and my icing was melting off of my cupcake! Crazy, huh?! Rosa and I have discussed making eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning and cooking them on the sidewalk. It could honestly work!
So apart from the humid heat and the random rain showers, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous here. Everywhere you look, the landscape is covered in crab-grass and other green foliage and is dotted with palm trees. The flowers here are amazing and come in practically every shape and color imaginable. There are coconuts scattered absolutely everywhere and banana trees grow in forests behind the school, as well as lemon trees, avocado trees, mango trees, and star-fruit (which actually happen to be star-shaped...imagine that!)
The animals here are really neat as well. There is a great population of cats and dogs, which sadly, most are left to roam the streets in search of food because their owners cannot afford to feed them. There are cattle and horses here as well. I know this because, for one, I have seen several cows, and two, there is a stupid cow who has, for the past three days, bawled every night for hours! I had initially thought perhaps she was in labor because she sounded like she might be dying, but after the second night of incessant bawling, I have come to the conclusion that it is mentally unsound and should be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps she needs to be hospitalized until her levels return to normal? So if anyone has information on a ward for Psycho Bovines, I would be much obliged. I seriously have my music blaring and I can still hear her....Now I am convinced she needs professional help. But anyway, back to the horses that inhabit the island. They are all beautiful and I am fascinated by them, although I find the means of transportation for the equines, quite interesting. It is not at all unusual to see a pickup truck zooming down the road with several horses standing in the bed. Or see a horse tethered to a stake or an electric pole, grazing alongside the highway. The birds are also intriguing. They are black and their tails are vertical instead of being held horizontal to the ground as usual. I was thrilled, too when I saw several pelicans while at the water front. There are also the toads that randomly appear at night and some are as large as my fist! Then there's the matter of the cockroaches--which freak the crap out of me--especially because they are two-inches long! But there are the lizards which I find neat and don't mind! There are millions of them skittering around everywhere. They range in size from two-inch little yellow ones to eight-inch blue ones! Wherever I go, I can hear them rustling in the leaves or see them darting through the grass. The other day, there was one in my bedroom...apparently he was living in my dresser! But just so long as he doesn't run across my face while I'm trying to sleep, I really don't care about him. And finally, after searching continually, I saw an Iguana--which made my day! He was about a foot long and his gray, green and blue body was covered in sharp, gray spikes. There are also some huge, black, scary-looking bees, which I have fortunately not coming into contact with. Although my red-splotched legs are evidence of the prevalent existence of mosquitos.
So all in all, I hope this gives you a glimpse into my little corner of paradise.
And bright and early tomorrow morning, we have our first staff meeting. We will be discussing plans and I will be sharing my VBS ideas with the ladies--wish me luck. Stay tuned as I will give you an update on our decision.
Secondly; you have my sincerest apology! I have come to the realization that I have failed both as a journalist and as an informant. Amid all of my babbling about plans and my adventures here on the Island of Enchantment, I have neglected to explain my surroundings or accurately express the beauty of nature.
In an attempt to reconcile myself, I will begin by saying that it is very hot and humid. I mean, we are living in the rainforest so it does have a tendency to be sultry. And while it has rained at least once a day, the downpours last only for about ten minutes before the blistering sun comes back out. So much for a lasting respite from the sun. Today, it was in the mid nineties and with the humidity, it felt like at least a hundred degrees! I drink and sweat simultaneously...I teased Rosa yesterday saying, "I chug water and it sprays from my pores." That is about as accurate as I can put it! And today after church, I ate a cupcake in the kitchen (which is about the coolest place at the school) and my icing was melting off of my cupcake! Crazy, huh?! Rosa and I have discussed making eggs for breakfast tomorrow morning and cooking them on the sidewalk. It could honestly work!
So apart from the humid heat and the random rain showers, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous here. Everywhere you look, the landscape is covered in crab-grass and other green foliage and is dotted with palm trees. The flowers here are amazing and come in practically every shape and color imaginable. There are coconuts scattered absolutely everywhere and banana trees grow in forests behind the school, as well as lemon trees, avocado trees, mango trees, and star-fruit (which actually happen to be star-shaped...imagine that!)
The animals here are really neat as well. There is a great population of cats and dogs, which sadly, most are left to roam the streets in search of food because their owners cannot afford to feed them. There are cattle and horses here as well. I know this because, for one, I have seen several cows, and two, there is a stupid cow who has, for the past three days, bawled every night for hours! I had initially thought perhaps she was in labor because she sounded like she might be dying, but after the second night of incessant bawling, I have come to the conclusion that it is mentally unsound and should be dealt with accordingly. Perhaps she needs to be hospitalized until her levels return to normal? So if anyone has information on a ward for Psycho Bovines, I would be much obliged. I seriously have my music blaring and I can still hear her....Now I am convinced she needs professional help. But anyway, back to the horses that inhabit the island. They are all beautiful and I am fascinated by them, although I find the means of transportation for the equines, quite interesting. It is not at all unusual to see a pickup truck zooming down the road with several horses standing in the bed. Or see a horse tethered to a stake or an electric pole, grazing alongside the highway. The birds are also intriguing. They are black and their tails are vertical instead of being held horizontal to the ground as usual. I was thrilled, too when I saw several pelicans while at the water front. There are also the toads that randomly appear at night and some are as large as my fist! Then there's the matter of the cockroaches--which freak the crap out of me--especially because they are two-inches long! But there are the lizards which I find neat and don't mind! There are millions of them skittering around everywhere. They range in size from two-inch little yellow ones to eight-inch blue ones! Wherever I go, I can hear them rustling in the leaves or see them darting through the grass. The other day, there was one in my bedroom...apparently he was living in my dresser! But just so long as he doesn't run across my face while I'm trying to sleep, I really don't care about him. And finally, after searching continually, I saw an Iguana--which made my day! He was about a foot long and his gray, green and blue body was covered in sharp, gray spikes. There are also some huge, black, scary-looking bees, which I have fortunately not coming into contact with. Although my red-splotched legs are evidence of the prevalent existence of mosquitos.
So all in all, I hope this gives you a glimpse into my little corner of paradise.
And bright and early tomorrow morning, we have our first staff meeting. We will be discussing plans and I will be sharing my VBS ideas with the ladies--wish me luck. Stay tuned as I will give you an update on our decision.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Who's the Mother?
Today was long and hot, but many things, wonderful and sad, happened during its duration. We bundled up the few things my mother had dragged across the ocean with her, and we set off on an adventure to San Juan with her bags in tow. Although somewhere along way, Betsy had an epiphany and decided that she can teach me how to get to the San Juan airport from the school. Who thought this was a good idea? Seriously, I am lucky I can get myself from my house to the grocery store, okay? My directional skills are ranked right alongside my math skills...both of which are virtually nonexistent. But, she "reassured" me, I wouldn't be going as a driver, just as a guide. Oh, because that makes it so much better! Perhaps it's a little less responsibility? I have no idea. I had to shake my head and think to myself, what was in her tea this morning? She should know better than to send me gallivanting around the countryside, giving directions to random people who need to reach the airport. And the only information I seem to have retained from our intense study of road-signs (all of which were in Spanish,) are the numbers, 3, 26, and 66 which I think might be route numbers. But they don't do me much good if I do not know where I am going!
So anyway, luckily for me and everyone present, Betsy was both our driver and our guide, so we reached San Juan quickly and safely. From there, we split up, with Mom and I visiting the Old Fort and Laurie and Betsy shopping. We met up several hours later, after getting lost twenty times trying to navigate around the city on foot (yet another great example of my directional skills and my inability to navigate.) And it did not help that everyone we asked for directions to the store, told us to walk a different way. Seriously, there are only four directions, so one of them has to be correct. We sought the insight of a Police officer who spoke English and we followed his advice; which happened to be correct. I mean honestly, who knew a Starbuck's could be so difficult to find? But once we finally arrived at our destination, we rewarded ourselves with a Caramel Frappuccino for our perseverance and teambuilding skills. You know, believe it or not, I think teamwork might actually be a skill I possess...how about that? Now only to convince Betsy that I can handle teamwork. But with my luck, she would put me on a "direction and navigation team" where I would have to defer to my partner before giving out driving instructions. Okay, maybe it's just best if I don't say anything about it. I do not want to encourage her.
So hours later we finally arrived at the airport, directions momentarily forgotten as we had more pressing matter at hand...such as getting my mom to her plane before it departed without her. Which is a much harder task than one would think! Especially when the people checking her bags forgot to give her the gate number (which in my opinion is slightly important) and when the line for security was five miles long. For real? But again, thanks to my one and only talent, (that being teamwork skills) we persevered and managed to make it to security in time for her to board her flight...well, at least I hope she boarded. I am still awaiting a text from her confirming she has arrived home safely. But I will let you know the verdict.
So after we stood waiting in the security-check line for what seemed like hours, we finally said our farewells. I turned towards her, put her bags on the floor and embraced her. I surprised myself at how quickly I transformed into the mother-figure. And for the several minutes that followed, I felt like the mother who squeezed her child close and whispered in her ear, "It'll be okay! You'll be fine. I will be back...I promise to call you." It left me wondering for a moment, "Wait, which one of us is the mother, here?" But I must admit, she did remarkably well!
And I should point out also, that I have so enjoyed having her stay with me in Puerto Rico! It was wonderful to show her around and let her experience first-hand, the place that captivated my heart and let her meet the people I have come to love dearly! It was quite a bonding experience and I know I will remember this for the rest of my life!
So anyway, luckily for me and everyone present, Betsy was both our driver and our guide, so we reached San Juan quickly and safely. From there, we split up, with Mom and I visiting the Old Fort and Laurie and Betsy shopping. We met up several hours later, after getting lost twenty times trying to navigate around the city on foot (yet another great example of my directional skills and my inability to navigate.) And it did not help that everyone we asked for directions to the store, told us to walk a different way. Seriously, there are only four directions, so one of them has to be correct. We sought the insight of a Police officer who spoke English and we followed his advice; which happened to be correct. I mean honestly, who knew a Starbuck's could be so difficult to find? But once we finally arrived at our destination, we rewarded ourselves with a Caramel Frappuccino for our perseverance and teambuilding skills. You know, believe it or not, I think teamwork might actually be a skill I possess...how about that? Now only to convince Betsy that I can handle teamwork. But with my luck, she would put me on a "direction and navigation team" where I would have to defer to my partner before giving out driving instructions. Okay, maybe it's just best if I don't say anything about it. I do not want to encourage her.
So hours later we finally arrived at the airport, directions momentarily forgotten as we had more pressing matter at hand...such as getting my mom to her plane before it departed without her. Which is a much harder task than one would think! Especially when the people checking her bags forgot to give her the gate number (which in my opinion is slightly important) and when the line for security was five miles long. For real? But again, thanks to my one and only talent, (that being teamwork skills) we persevered and managed to make it to security in time for her to board her flight...well, at least I hope she boarded. I am still awaiting a text from her confirming she has arrived home safely. But I will let you know the verdict.
So after we stood waiting in the security-check line for what seemed like hours, we finally said our farewells. I turned towards her, put her bags on the floor and embraced her. I surprised myself at how quickly I transformed into the mother-figure. And for the several minutes that followed, I felt like the mother who squeezed her child close and whispered in her ear, "It'll be okay! You'll be fine. I will be back...I promise to call you." It left me wondering for a moment, "Wait, which one of us is the mother, here?" But I must admit, she did remarkably well!
And I should point out also, that I have so enjoyed having her stay with me in Puerto Rico! It was wonderful to show her around and let her experience first-hand, the place that captivated my heart and let her meet the people I have come to love dearly! It was quite a bonding experience and I know I will remember this for the rest of my life!
Friday, July 26, 2013
His Grace Is Sufficient!
"Relaxing" was the theme for today. But as you know, not everything proceeds by the intended script.
It pained me greatly to part with my bed, but at 8 am, I had no choice but to tear myself from it, get up and begin my day. I stumbled groggily to the kitchen where I had left my jar of Peanut Butter the night before and with it I found renewed energy to face the new day.
I soon discovered how grateful I was for that energy because with the words, "we need to reorganize our bedrooms and carry away beds and dressers..," I think my eye may have twitched.
I ate a quick breakfast and joined Mom and Rosa in our rooms to begin the treacherous process of reorganizing which continued for the next several hours. Bags and boxes, tables and chairs, lamps and fans, clothes and bedding, dressers, desks and beds all had to be moved from room to room and adjusted so as to fit. Ha-ha, funny. And once all of the furniture was resituated, then came the dreaded time of unpacking. Which I can honestly say...is not my favorite pastime. But I managed to put all of my things in their places and if it didn't have a place...well, I found a place and stuffed it somewhere. End of story. And we were actually finished with our renovations just in time for a couple to come inspect the building. When I say just in time, I mean within the three minutes before they walked through the door. Yeah, nothing like cutting it close.
Oh, and guess what!? I just got some of the most exciting news! Not only will the students be returning in only 10 days, but a new deaf girl will be attending the school and...are you ready? She is going to be my roommate for the next 4 weeks! How awesome is that? So not only will I be completely immersed in Sign during school, rooming with her will now enable me to sign ALL day long! I am so excited to meet her and get a glimpse of what it's like to be deaf on a day-to-day basis. God is so good! (Her parents were the ones coming to visit the school today and see the newly organized bedrooms.)
Then Mom and I went with Betsy this evening to an awesome little restaurant in Luquillo for dinner. We chatted and had the most amazing food ever. She is most certainly, one of the 'funnest' and greatest people I have ever met! As she talked, I laughed so hard I could scarcely breathe as she shared hilarious stories, and other times I fought tears as I saw how God uses her to mend the broken-hearted and show the love of God to those who have yet to know Him. I grew to know Betsy even better, learned how she came to work at the school 30ish years ago and saw what an amazing impact she has had on the school and on her students (not to mention how much she has taught me and encouraged me in my walk with Christ.) As she shared, my respect for her skyrocketed as I realized to yet another extent, how selflessly she pours herself, heart and soul, into her school and her students. She is simply amazing! Wow, what a role model. She certainly challenges me in my faith, encouraging me to release my fear and step out my comfort zone. And dares me to seek and run after the things God has for me, instead of contenting myself and becoming complacent.
Tomorrow morning, Betsy, Mom and I leave at 9 am for San Juan to spend the afternoon together before Mom's flight leaves at 4 pm and she returns home. It has been so great having her here with me and I have so enjoyed telling her the many stories I have about this place. I have greatly enjoyed sharing with her all I have been involved in and letting her finally experience the place that makes me feel so wonderful--and the heavenly peace that evades your heart as you set foot on the campus. And while I am no doubt going to miss her, I know that God's grace is sufficient and that I'm in the palm of His hand. I am experiencing no anxiety whatsoever--only disappointment that her time is over. These past couple days have been absolutely amazing and God has truly blessed our time together. And hey, there's always next year, right?
It pained me greatly to part with my bed, but at 8 am, I had no choice but to tear myself from it, get up and begin my day. I stumbled groggily to the kitchen where I had left my jar of Peanut Butter the night before and with it I found renewed energy to face the new day.
I soon discovered how grateful I was for that energy because with the words, "we need to reorganize our bedrooms and carry away beds and dressers..," I think my eye may have twitched.
I ate a quick breakfast and joined Mom and Rosa in our rooms to begin the treacherous process of reorganizing which continued for the next several hours. Bags and boxes, tables and chairs, lamps and fans, clothes and bedding, dressers, desks and beds all had to be moved from room to room and adjusted so as to fit. Ha-ha, funny. And once all of the furniture was resituated, then came the dreaded time of unpacking. Which I can honestly say...is not my favorite pastime. But I managed to put all of my things in their places and if it didn't have a place...well, I found a place and stuffed it somewhere. End of story. And we were actually finished with our renovations just in time for a couple to come inspect the building. When I say just in time, I mean within the three minutes before they walked through the door. Yeah, nothing like cutting it close.
Oh, and guess what!? I just got some of the most exciting news! Not only will the students be returning in only 10 days, but a new deaf girl will be attending the school and...are you ready? She is going to be my roommate for the next 4 weeks! How awesome is that? So not only will I be completely immersed in Sign during school, rooming with her will now enable me to sign ALL day long! I am so excited to meet her and get a glimpse of what it's like to be deaf on a day-to-day basis. God is so good! (Her parents were the ones coming to visit the school today and see the newly organized bedrooms.)
Then Mom and I went with Betsy this evening to an awesome little restaurant in Luquillo for dinner. We chatted and had the most amazing food ever. She is most certainly, one of the 'funnest' and greatest people I have ever met! As she talked, I laughed so hard I could scarcely breathe as she shared hilarious stories, and other times I fought tears as I saw how God uses her to mend the broken-hearted and show the love of God to those who have yet to know Him. I grew to know Betsy even better, learned how she came to work at the school 30ish years ago and saw what an amazing impact she has had on the school and on her students (not to mention how much she has taught me and encouraged me in my walk with Christ.) As she shared, my respect for her skyrocketed as I realized to yet another extent, how selflessly she pours herself, heart and soul, into her school and her students. She is simply amazing! Wow, what a role model. She certainly challenges me in my faith, encouraging me to release my fear and step out my comfort zone. And dares me to seek and run after the things God has for me, instead of contenting myself and becoming complacent.
Tomorrow morning, Betsy, Mom and I leave at 9 am for San Juan to spend the afternoon together before Mom's flight leaves at 4 pm and she returns home. It has been so great having her here with me and I have so enjoyed telling her the many stories I have about this place. I have greatly enjoyed sharing with her all I have been involved in and letting her finally experience the place that makes me feel so wonderful--and the heavenly peace that evades your heart as you set foot on the campus. And while I am no doubt going to miss her, I know that God's grace is sufficient and that I'm in the palm of His hand. I am experiencing no anxiety whatsoever--only disappointment that her time is over. These past couple days have been absolutely amazing and God has truly blessed our time together. And hey, there's always next year, right?
Thursday, July 25, 2013
A Beautiful Day In Paradise!
The sunrise on the beach was lovely! Although, I must admit, it was all I could do to drag my body out of bed at such an ungodly hour. And I struggled to remain conscious after getting only three hours of sleep last night. But as the orange sun peeked over the horizon and sparkled brilliantly on the clear, blue waves, I found it much easier to stay awake as the wildlife sprang to life all around me. The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me as I watched the sun rise, the gulls swooping and diving in search of their breakfast, and the waves gently lapping the shore. Simply perfect. But the serenity remained for only a little while, as there is an enormous celebration happening today in Luquillo. I am not entirely certain what all the hype is about, but I do know the town is going crazy. Caution tape restricts areas all over and tents cover the "square" of the town. It must be some festival to deserve so much to-do. Even to the extent that people arrived at the beach before we did this morning, just to claim their spot on the beach--and it was still pitch black outside! With everyone going somewhere to celebrate, we maneuvered around road-blocks and swerved around policemen. When we arrived home at the school--we came to stay. We have not ventured even so far as the mailbox. And we are now holed up in our dorm, avoiding the square of Luquillo at all costs!
I did however, take advantage of the time after we returned and took a quick nap before our work day began. Betsy, Laurie (a friend of ESD's who's staying for two weeks), Rosa (my friend who will be staying to teach for the next year), Tess (a college student who stays at ESD), my mom and I all joined forces and tackled the task of reorganizing and redecorating the recently painted chapel building. It took us hours to sweep the floors, rearrange furniture, stack tables, put away random school items, and set things up for chapel services--all while blasting worship music. Yeah, my kind of cleaning (it never seems like a chore when I rock out to worship music!) We then put our heads together and managed to come up with some neat ideas on how to redecorate the room and added some surprises for when the students return in a week and a half.
Several of my assigned duties were to go outside and hose the paint off of paintbrushes and to scrub down a shower curtain. No problem, I could do that. So I took advantage of my "aloneness" and not only scrubbed down the brushes and curtain, but I sprayed myself as well, relishing the feel of the some-what cool water on my legs and arms; which served as a nice reprieve from the blazing sun. (I didn't care that my shirt got slightly wet, it would dry within seconds in the heat!) And it made me feel like a child again as memories of my brother and I running around the yard spraying one another with the hose in the heat of summer, slipped into my mind.
But eventually the brushes and the curtain were clean, so I was forced to quit "playing" in the water and return inside to be of some use. So while we were on a roll and feeling overly ambitious, we took our over-active imaginations to the library and put ourselves to work, reorganizing and rearranging the room. And when I say, "rearranging the room," I mean moving practically every desk, bookshelf, cabinet and drawer in the room. It took a majority of our afternoon, but I thought it fun, and enjoyed joking and talking with the other ladies as we worked side-by-side. Hopefully the students will be surprised and will like the way we remodeled their classroom.
And tomorrow is supposedly a relaxing day...although we have to reorganize our bedrooms and prepare for an onslaught of visitors who will arrive tomorrow evening; a Deaf Church group that will be coming to stay until Sunday, bringing with them, twenty-some people. I am excited to meet some new Deaf people and will be looking forward to the church service that they will be conducting in our chapel on Sunday morning!
I did however, take advantage of the time after we returned and took a quick nap before our work day began. Betsy, Laurie (a friend of ESD's who's staying for two weeks), Rosa (my friend who will be staying to teach for the next year), Tess (a college student who stays at ESD), my mom and I all joined forces and tackled the task of reorganizing and redecorating the recently painted chapel building. It took us hours to sweep the floors, rearrange furniture, stack tables, put away random school items, and set things up for chapel services--all while blasting worship music. Yeah, my kind of cleaning (it never seems like a chore when I rock out to worship music!) We then put our heads together and managed to come up with some neat ideas on how to redecorate the room and added some surprises for when the students return in a week and a half.
Several of my assigned duties were to go outside and hose the paint off of paintbrushes and to scrub down a shower curtain. No problem, I could do that. So I took advantage of my "aloneness" and not only scrubbed down the brushes and curtain, but I sprayed myself as well, relishing the feel of the some-what cool water on my legs and arms; which served as a nice reprieve from the blazing sun. (I didn't care that my shirt got slightly wet, it would dry within seconds in the heat!) And it made me feel like a child again as memories of my brother and I running around the yard spraying one another with the hose in the heat of summer, slipped into my mind.
But eventually the brushes and the curtain were clean, so I was forced to quit "playing" in the water and return inside to be of some use. So while we were on a roll and feeling overly ambitious, we took our over-active imaginations to the library and put ourselves to work, reorganizing and rearranging the room. And when I say, "rearranging the room," I mean moving practically every desk, bookshelf, cabinet and drawer in the room. It took a majority of our afternoon, but I thought it fun, and enjoyed joking and talking with the other ladies as we worked side-by-side. Hopefully the students will be surprised and will like the way we remodeled their classroom.
And tomorrow is supposedly a relaxing day...although we have to reorganize our bedrooms and prepare for an onslaught of visitors who will arrive tomorrow evening; a Deaf Church group that will be coming to stay until Sunday, bringing with them, twenty-some people. I am excited to meet some new Deaf people and will be looking forward to the church service that they will be conducting in our chapel on Sunday morning!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Dia Numero Dos En Puerto Rico (Day Number Two In Puerto Rico!)
I have yet to truly master that procrastination problem of mine. Today, I just seemed to have been unable to find the time to unpack. Well, okay; let's be completely honest and say that sleep was shouting my name and my bed looked entirely too inviting, so suffice it to say, I complied without hesitation and took a much-needed nap. Then, there were other unforeseen temptations that arose as well...like, spending the morning at the beach! So my bags still sit by my bed, waiting to be emptied and organized.But back to the beach. Oh, I had forgotten just how heavenly it is! The Luquillo Beach is one of my favorite places on earth. Unlike the ocean-water back home, this neither reeks of fish nor is polluted with sand and debris that floats on the surface. The clear, white waves calmly and gently lap the beach without pounding the life out of you as the ones at home do. Notice also, how beautiful and perfectly clear the water is! And it is so warm and refreshing opposed to the frigid waters up North.
Later as we relaxed back at the school, one of ESD's deaf students came by for his violin lesson. And being that it's been 13 months since I have seen any of my Puerto Rican friends, I was thrilled to see one of the students again! We chatted and he played a game of Othello with my mom. And while I didn't play, it was still quite amusing to watch.
Then later in the evening, after an amazing dinner with the ladies, we drove through San Juan to a quaint little Starbucks where we joined a Puerto Rican Deaf Social! Being that it was an entirely new experience, I was content to sit with the ladies and "eyesdrop" from across the room; watching conversations through the reflections in the window. That is, until I was asked...no, scratch that. Until I was ordered by my mother to go talk with people...any people, just so long as I didn't continue sitting there like a bump on a log. "Nah, I'm good." Not only did I not know any of the deaf people, I was trying to stay awake, and really did not find the idea of approaching a random stranger and striking up a random conversation, comforting. Don't misunderstand; I had absolutely nothing against talking with anyone, but they were all in the middle of evidently deep conversations and I felt extremely rude, interrupting them.
So while I am considering returning to the Deaf Social next week, I am also excited to drive to the beach bright and early tomorrow morning to watch the sun rise over the ocean. Well, I am excited about the beach part, NOT the getting up early part...but hey, you only live once, right?
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
We Have Arrived!
(Disclaimer: Just a warning; my computer auto-corrected my software to Spanish, so until I manage to get it "de-Spanishified," I hope this works and you can read this in English. But hey, I guess I must learn Spanish somehow, right?)
Needless to say, I finally got packed. It's a miracle! Do I hear the hallelujah chorus?! Amid my mad scramble of rushing around and throwing things helter-skelter across my room, which now takes on the effect of a disaster area, I have come to the conclusion that the most difficult part of packing--is shutting the bag! But enough about my meticulous packing, no one cares....
So after dragging my limp carcass out of bed at 3 am this morning and stuffing the car full with enough bags to support a military camp, we set off on our nerve-wracking drive to Baltimore. Thankfully my mother was driving and was willing to brave the crazy traffic. I don't think I had any fingernails left by the time we parked at BWI...the traffic was terrifying me--and I wasn't even driving!
So after the bus driver attempted to end all of our lives as he too, tried his hand at being a reckless Baltimore driver, we finally arrived at the airport, where we sagged against our luggage in relief and thanked God for our lives spared. And, come to think of it, quite possibly the Security Guard who growled us before we boarded, had been forced onto public transportation and had to ride with that rebel of a bus driver...that could explain his cross demeanor and his bi-polar attitude.
But against all odds, we overcame the opposing forces and succeeded at arriving to our gate with plenty of time to spare...only to be informed that our flight was delayed an hour. Ugh, I should have just stayed in bed (where I could have gotten another hour of my precious beauty sleep.) But no such luck. So once we finally boarded, I forced myself into a light sleep and willed the time to pass quickly. Let me tell you, that was the longest four hours of my entire life! Wait, no, I take that back. The longest couple hours of my life are when I am forced to endure Science and Math classes. So never mind. But as previously stated, my goal was to sleep the time away...it sounded like a great plan, but apparently, the two little girls who were seated behind me, obviously pumped on caffeine, disagreed. My eyes slowly shut and my breathing became deep and heavy when one shouted, "Dad! Are we there yet?!" The other echoed her question and, to my great dismay, this continued for the next three and a half hours! Leaving me wishing even more that we "would be there yet!" And just in case you were wondering, there was not much sleeping going on. Sleep? What's that?
Finally, and I do mean finally, we landed! Now I know I heard the hallelujah chorus then! And being the kind, wonderful soul that she is, Betsy came and picked us up at the airport (Gosh, I have missed that lady!)--then she took us and another teacher out to lunch! Oh, I had forgotten how wonderful Puerto Rican food is! I don't believe I could ever again be satisfied with our tasteless American entrées. If you have ever wondered what heaven's food tastes like, visit an original Puerto Rican restaurant and believe me, you will know.
When we returned to the school and chose our rooms, we joined Betsy and several others for dinner! Oh, that was great! I had entirely too much fun and laughed so hard my abs ached in protest. Gosh, I love these people!
So now I am working on unpacking--well, entertaining the thought of unpacking anyway. But I think I'll leave that for tomorrow. And I will conquer this procrastination problem--just you wait!
Needless to say, I finally got packed. It's a miracle! Do I hear the hallelujah chorus?! Amid my mad scramble of rushing around and throwing things helter-skelter across my room, which now takes on the effect of a disaster area, I have come to the conclusion that the most difficult part of packing--is shutting the bag! But enough about my meticulous packing, no one cares....
So after dragging my limp carcass out of bed at 3 am this morning and stuffing the car full with enough bags to support a military camp, we set off on our nerve-wracking drive to Baltimore. Thankfully my mother was driving and was willing to brave the crazy traffic. I don't think I had any fingernails left by the time we parked at BWI...the traffic was terrifying me--and I wasn't even driving!
So after the bus driver attempted to end all of our lives as he too, tried his hand at being a reckless Baltimore driver, we finally arrived at the airport, where we sagged against our luggage in relief and thanked God for our lives spared. And, come to think of it, quite possibly the Security Guard who growled us before we boarded, had been forced onto public transportation and had to ride with that rebel of a bus driver...that could explain his cross demeanor and his bi-polar attitude.
But against all odds, we overcame the opposing forces and succeeded at arriving to our gate with plenty of time to spare...only to be informed that our flight was delayed an hour. Ugh, I should have just stayed in bed (where I could have gotten another hour of my precious beauty sleep.) But no such luck. So once we finally boarded, I forced myself into a light sleep and willed the time to pass quickly. Let me tell you, that was the longest four hours of my entire life! Wait, no, I take that back. The longest couple hours of my life are when I am forced to endure Science and Math classes. So never mind. But as previously stated, my goal was to sleep the time away...it sounded like a great plan, but apparently, the two little girls who were seated behind me, obviously pumped on caffeine, disagreed. My eyes slowly shut and my breathing became deep and heavy when one shouted, "Dad! Are we there yet?!" The other echoed her question and, to my great dismay, this continued for the next three and a half hours! Leaving me wishing even more that we "would be there yet!" And just in case you were wondering, there was not much sleeping going on. Sleep? What's that?
Finally, and I do mean finally, we landed! Now I know I heard the hallelujah chorus then! And being the kind, wonderful soul that she is, Betsy came and picked us up at the airport (Gosh, I have missed that lady!)--then she took us and another teacher out to lunch! Oh, I had forgotten how wonderful Puerto Rican food is! I don't believe I could ever again be satisfied with our tasteless American entrées. If you have ever wondered what heaven's food tastes like, visit an original Puerto Rican restaurant and believe me, you will know.
When we returned to the school and chose our rooms, we joined Betsy and several others for dinner! Oh, that was great! I had entirely too much fun and laughed so hard my abs ached in protest. Gosh, I love these people!
So now I am working on unpacking--well, entertaining the thought of unpacking anyway. But I think I'll leave that for tomorrow. And I will conquer this procrastination problem--just you wait!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)