Sunday, March 21, 2010

Pi Day y Mas

Well Pi Day was a hit...literally. All 6 teachers got pied! We started with a contest to see who knew the most digits of Pi. Then we moved onto a Pie Eating Contest. This was hilarious! We gave the boys 7 pieces of pie. It was whoever finished all 7 or finished the most in 5 minutes. Approximately 3 minutes into it, a boy had already finished! I could not believe how much pie he shoved down and how quickly he did it! The second place boy had only gotten to piece 3! After the contest, we revealed how much money we raised: 276.000 colones! (about $500) The money goes to help underprivileged kids attend school. Well, since we hit our goal, all the volunteering teachers got pied...including yours truly. I smelled like sour milk for 2 days! It was worth it though.

This past weekend I embarked upon a journey. 30 some 6th grade band students, 5 high school band students, an overly devoted band teacher, and another teacher and myself. This overnighter was supposed to be only a 5 hour drive...8 hours later, we arrived. While getting room assignments, the girls are saying things like, "Ms. K, I'm sticky." "I thought we'd be staying somewhere with at least 2 stars" "I would have rather slept with the cows we passed."

The hotel turned out to be fine. No AC, but there was a pool, thankfully. So we got there, the kids had to quickly change, they played a concert, and then we all went swimming. The next morning we went on a beach walk which was beautiful. After that, I was ready to go home. The kids had an intercambio with another music school. Long story short, it took an hour and a half and at the end, they played one song. I sat and sweated.  By 11pm that night, I was finally home in my bed. Montezuma was beautiful, my circumstances were not.

Today Molly y yo went to the MultiPlaza, the mall. I bought Harry Potter en Espanol!!! Case in point that I need to practice mi espanol: I was checking out and she asked me if I have their card, I said no. Then she put my book in the bag and asked me something else. I didn't understand so I was 'processing.' She looks at me and goes, "Si?" So I respond, "Si." I'm thinking she asked if I wanted the receipt in the bag. She then removes my book. Hmmm, she must not have asked about a receipt...Next thing I know some man takes my book and starts wrapping it! She assumed, because my book was in Spanish, that it was a gift! How rude!!! Molly comes strolling over and gets a weird look. I give her a second to realize what happened and she burst out laughing, "You answered the wrong question, huh?!" The man then asks, "Is this for a man or woman?" To which I reply, a woman. Molly is practically gasping for air and I'm unsuccessfully trying not to laugh as well. So now, on my bed, lays a beautifully wrapped Harry Potter book just waiting for me to open!

Kid saying of the week: "Ms. K, you look really nice today. Do you have a date?" "You know, it is hump day."

Monday, March 8, 2010

Mi Cumple y Mas

I have just past my second birthday in a foreign country...the first being my 18th in Brazil. It was quite nice to be able to hang out in my swimsuit in March!!!  The Friday before my bday we went to a wonderful Brazilian restaurant, Fogo del Gaucho. They didn't have my most favoritest food, pao de queso, but they made it especially for me! The next day, to celebrate my 26 years on this lovely earth, a friend and I decided to hold the First Annual Beer Olympics! Events included: beer pong, flip cup, fondo blanco (chugging,) beers be (spelling?), Drinko, beer bong, and relay races in the pool! Imagine the surprise to the guests when everyone was eventually thrown into the pool. Honestly though, who didn't see that one coming? It was quite fun showing all the Ticos how Gringos spent their college years!

My students have recently discovered the wonders of my skin. If you poke my arm, it stays white for a few seconds before turning back to its beautiful golden hue. This will amuse a 6th grader for at least 3 minutes. This will annoy a teacher in at least 3 seconds.

I think it is time to have a "boundaries" talk with the kiddos. Reasoning: "Hi Ms. K! Will you be my girlfriend?" "Umm, NO." New boy: "Will you be my girlfriend?"

I have enjoyed how my girls are realizing just how gross and immature the boys are at this age. (There is such a developmental difference around 6th grade.) We do Mad Libs in my Advisory sometimes. When I ask the boys for words I get farting, licking, smelly, butt...

I have a class called Just For Boys where we play different sports each week. Well, last week I told them if they didn't put all the baseball equipment away, we wouldn't be playing baseball on Thursday. The equipment didn't get put away, SHOCKING. So, Thursday rolls around and I told them they had to think of a game to play that didn't involve ANY equipment. "What, like tag?" one 8th grader sarcastically asks. "PERFECT! Tag it is!" So I made the boys play tag. It was quite comical! The next day the boys were talking about a kid who is really quite in my Boys class, but really loud in Math. "Yeah, he has two personalities, like you. Normally you're fun Ms. K, but yesterday you were mean Ms. K. We want fun Ms. K back!"

Next week we are celebrating Pi Day at school...the teacher with the most money in his/her jar gets pied...