Friday Aug 24, 2012

Friday August 24/12 update

Where does the time go?  I get on the computer at 9, and before I know it it is already 12:30 and I have to panic shower and shave to catch the bus to our meeting at Amigos School at 2.   I needn’t have hurried, Chris#2 and Pamela showed up but nobody else did until 2:15.    We all came, except Victoria who begged off sick.

We gathered up tables and chairs and stools, plus the small BBQ grill and the kids all came early, and started piling themselves in orderly fashion in the box of the truck as well.  We were only going about 3 blocks away, as the crow flies, to a park on the Tomebamba for a picnic.   The kids were having a blast.

http://youtu.be/NHJ21g_7oVY

Tom and Linda had made some scoops out of 2-litre bottles and added some tennis balls for the kids to toss and catch with.   They were a hit!   Chris and Bettye supplied snacks to accompany the hotdogs and juice.  Balloons helped occupy the younger ones for a bit too.  We had a 3-legged race that many kids participated in.  The park itself had the usual swings and slides and climbing apparatus so the kids always had something to do.   A couple of the older kids were enjoying the features of my Ectaco translator.

Tom led the hotdog cooking while everyone pitched in for distribution and cleanup.  Several parents and some older teens joined in to help.  It really was a satisfying cooperative effort.   The community people were all in attendance and even one city official stopped by for a while.

Linda found two tomatoes somewhere and stuffed them in the pockets of my hoodie.  Of Course I forgot about them until I stuck my hand in there later and mush…  It colored my sweat pants and everything, and I couldn’t do anything until I got home.

I keep asking myself why I keep doing this, but all it takes is the one smile or hug from that once shy youngster to make it all worthwhile.

When we got the whole crew back to the school, the community President, Patricio, explained to all the kids about the two weeks off while they start regular school again.  The kids seemed disappointed at that but gave us a huge applause of Thank You.  In turn, we thanked the kids for being so well behaved and helpful.

Leaving by Feria Libre again I noted all the child shoeshine boys hanging around today.  Some of them didn’t even look school age yet.

The bus ride home was an adventure.  The bus took all manner of crazy detours to avoid a soccer game happening tonight.  Our fan club failed to notify us so now we have missed yet another one.

That was today’s excitement.   Please see all photos at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com.  Hugs to all.