Today wasn't the best of days, but there have been worse ones. For example, today I bought myself a nice "new" sweatshirt for 25 cents. It says "Animal" on it, but the letters are very stylized, and it's warm and without holes. I also got a torn plastic shower curtain for free (with purchase of other stuff) which I'm going to use to line the litterbox. A holey sheet (yes, you read that right; although I suppose it is technically a blanket) for another 25 cents which I hope to give to the kittens to curl up on...once they get the litter box down pat. And I bought a nice red and pink long-sleeve shirt for 12.5 cents. Should be good for Valentine's day, I hope.
Speaking of Valentine's day, I am planning on extending my time here beyond the minimum 3 months. While I do have tough days (and I'll tell you about the tough part of today in a bit), I really feel like I am helping change lives. This is not to say that I can't change lives in the United States, but it's simply more difficult as the US has a lot more regulations and, amusingly, I'm not qualified to help people out in most places in the US. That being said, I am planning on booking my flight in the next week or so. I've notified Orphan's Hope to send the money for the plane ticket to my account. I'm looking at March 9 to March 23. (Those are Wednesdays two weeks apart for those who don't want to pull out their calendars.) The round trip will be costing me $337.46. This is actually 2 round trips. If I were to book a flight from Guatemala to Detroit (which would have a stop in Ft. Lauderdale), it would cost me $446.76. Believe me, I can find something better to blow $111.30 on.
Anyway, today wasn't so hot because I had kids who didn't want to learn English. Now, our classes have a very regular schedule. If their "teachers" want to change when English class is because it isn't convenient for the boys, I'm very flexible. Currently, the Peques have English from 10-10:15 am; the Medianos, in two groups, have class from 2-2:30 and 2:30-3; and the Grandes, also in two groups, have class from 4-4:30 and 4:30-5. The Medianos are almost always late (so I rarely have that hour gap between the two), and the Grandes, at least yesterday, tend to be timely. Today, the first group of Medianos didn't show up until it was nearly time for the second group. The second group of Medianos left just as the first Grandes lesson was supposed to begin. However, NEITHER GROUP of Grandes showed up at all. So, at 4:25, I went out and asked Gloria (the older bilingual woman who is usually here on Tuesdays) why it is important to know English in Guatemala. Good news is that she told me nothing new. So, I went and played computer games in the classroom until 4:50 when I started packing up. The boys know when English class is; there is a sign in their dorm telling them when it is, and it has been at that time for a week. I'm a little annoyed, but it is ultimately their lives and their futures, and I really can't force them to learn a skill (speaking and understanding English) which can get them better jobs here in Guatemala.
In other news, Mia and Bella--my two kittens (I have a third, but I'm looking for someone who wants a kitten)--made their debut into society today. They did pretty good; I was proud of them. Bella even got loose (jumped down from my shirt) and didn't run away completely.
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