Away
from Home
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005
Bon Pasa
a Curacao. It is early Saturday morning here and 80
degrees already. Michelle and I stayed up until
almost 11 (gasp). We had dinner at the Floris
Suite Hotel -- beautiful hotel -- mediocre food -- a
common problem on the island. Today is a school
party at Bleuwbaai (Blue Bay) Beach Resort of course
with dancing afterwards so I’ll need to WD-40 my hips.
The
first full week of school went exceptionally well.
The whole return is so very different -- a 1000% easier.
My classes are 2/3 little girls and what a difference
that makes! Also I have 16 total, which fits
snugly into my classroom. Last year it was 25,
with 15 boys. I actually have to work a little to
get the girls to loosen up. The spitting contest
helped although they really struggled. (For the Roundup
Rhymes -- they had to act like cowboys -- er, cowgirls).
Yesterday one of the girls got hit in the face by a ball
at recess. She came in with an ice pack from the
office and sat there for about an hour working.
After it was room temperature and had sat on her desk
for another hour I suggested she might want to take it
back to the office. She snatched it up and clamped
it to her face saying, “I need it Mr. B!”
Compassionate as always I replied, “I’d really like to
help you out Lizzie, but aren’t you holding it to the
wrong side of your face?” To her credit she
laughed and scampered off to the office.
Yes it
is hot (regularly in the 90’s) right now, but we manage
it better and are used to it. I still swim every
night as soon as we get home from school and then again
right before bedtime.
Our
house is so much more open and safer feeling. We
know our neighbors -- all Dutch -- and several student
families live in our complex. Our patio is on the
2nd floor facing the wind. To the left it looks
out over a middle class area called Koraal Sprecht which
has many roosters, dogs and the sun rises over it.
Right in front is a low hill (50 meters) of scrub trees
and cactus that blocks our view of the prison (Bon
Futura -- good fortune) and has many birds, parrots,
parakeets, trupials etc. To the right we see an
airplane that is being turned into a restaurant, Breezes
Casino and hotel, and the ocean. It is about a 100
meter walk to the nearest beach.
We are
all excited for the visit of Jessie Jewett next week.
We hope have her dive certified while we are in school
and on the weekends to head out and see the island -- or
under it. I hear Keyla and Anna whispering so I
think there are more plans than I may now know.
One
constant is that we still miss all of you, our friends
and family very much.
Ciao,
Keith
T
