" We started with a simple hello and ended with a complicated goodbye."
This was my last week in the school and the last week with my host family. This past week I barely taught actually, since there was testing, an acto cívico, and an intense school-wide class election.
On Tuesday, they celebrated "El Día del Agricultor" where the youngest members of the school dressed as various fruits and vegetables, and some of them even farmers! They showed and identified fruits and vegetables to the entire school and even sang and danced to a song about fruit. It was even cuter than it sounds I promise you. At the end of their performance, and after they received a roaring applause from the audience, they called me up to the front and gave me a gift to thank me for student teaching there. Yet, I'm the one who should be thanking them! I have learned so much at this school, from both the teachers and students. Each second grader thanked me on the microphone and gave me a huge hug! Each class I worked with even made me a little book with a note from each student and pictures! My two teachers, Julie and Maricela, even gave me some amazing gifts I never could have imagined receiving! I definitely held back tears.
This week was the week I taught the least amount, because of their big election they had. Two groups (one called PES that stood for "Partido Estudiantil Social" or "Social Student Party" in English and the other called COCO, like from the movie) had representatives in each grade running for the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian, and some others that I didn't quite catch since they said them in Spanish. At the end of the acto cívico, both groups gave speeches in front of the entire school, making promises for class pets, more recess, and less homework (the usual!). Students were going mad and screaming with joy when the teams said they wanted more sport options in gym and wanted to extend their recess.
The rest of the week was FILLED and I mean FILLED with propaganda from each team. They brought in piñatas, games, hosts, candy, and decorated the ENTIRE school with posters, decorations, signs, and more! Meanwhile, when I ran for Vice President in school I made a poster...these kids really took this seriously! Instead of a lot of their classes this week, students would participate in games and dances all while chanting their favorite group: "COCO! COCO! COCO!" "PES! PES! PES!" CRAZINESS!
Friday was their election, and like I had anticipated, COCO was the team that one. They had music, games, and a lot of interaction with the students. I even got my face painted by the lady who was running the games! I have to say, I think I rocked the look!
Besides it being my last week in the school, it was my last week in the community. I went over to my teacher's house, Maricela, with her daughter and she taught me how to make empanadas with cheese and beans (no meat, THANK GOD). Maricela even gave me a parting gift of the empanada maker she had! HOW NICE IS THAT!? I got to meet her parents, sister, and her beautiful baby son! He is so curious about the world around him and was so well behaved. You could tell he really loves his big sister, too- he was all smiles and giggles when she was around!
I also learned how to play Fortnight from Luis. I was extremely bad, but he was really patient with me! [edit: little would I know years later how truly popular this game is...and no...I have never played it again...sorry Luis.]
Last night, on Friday, the principal at Colina Azul took me out to dinner with several other teachers. It was really good (I had a vegetarian quesadilla and a mojito!) but SO exhausting. I had had such a long day and trying to listen to Spanish super fast made me even more tired! I had gotten up early yesterday for a phone interview for a job [edit: for a job in Sweden that I took instantly], so that didn't help with my exhaustion either.
Although it is sad that I am saying goodbye to the family and to Atenas, I hope to come back again and visit with this incredible family and community. Luckily, I am not saying goodbye to Costa Rica just yet, as one of my best friends, Adam, is coming to visit me! We are going to travel all over the northern part of Costa Rica for the next week. I am not bringing my laptop with me on my journey, so the stories of our adventures will have to wait!
como siempre, pura vida