If you remember I had the Monday off when I wrote my last blog because I was feeling like death. On the Monday evening, Alex who helps me in my class came into the house (he was living in the same house as me at the time) and told me that all my kids were asking where I was. Apparently one little trouble maker called Sandra, who actually is really sweet but just messes around in lessons a lot, wasn't working at all and was being mischievous said to his face when he told her she had to work "If seño Joelle isn't here then I'm not going to do any work and you're not my teacher". I couldn't believe she said that the little madam! But it made me a little bit happier because it proves that even though she messes around a lot, she does at least work for me and wants me to be there. It took me 2 or 3 weeks to earn her respect and to get her to behave for me. When I walked into the school on the Tuesday morning, all the kids had massive smiles on there faces, the girls came and jumped on me and some of the boys almost tackled me to the ground haha. It made me feel loved. We have this week off school because of it being the week leading up to Easter, then I only have the following week with them, just 5 days, before I have to leave. I can't believe how fast the time has been flying past, and I am going to miss them all so so much. If they reacted like they did after only 1 day of me being away, how are they going to be when I leave for good? It just makes me really sad to think about leaving them. They have changed me so much for the better, and it breaks my heart to think that it is more than likely that I'll never see them again. I went for breakfast at the creperie on Sunday morning and my friend Laila showed me a picture of my favourite boy Pedro to cheer me up because I was in a bad mood, but it ended up making me cry because I'm so sad about leaving him!

Last week was very exciting for the majority of the English volunteers, because we found a new PUB that has been open for 3 weeks now which has been started by a guy from County Durham. It has beer on tap!!!!!!!! and a dart board!!! and it does PROPER fish and chips! not stupid french fries and bottles of lager! The only thing it lacks is a carpet and some copper things on the walls, but after only 3 weeks of being open I think we can forgive this. It was very exciting anyway, I really miss a good English pub! hahaha. The Americans didn't get why we were so excited. Idiots. Haha.

So anyway, the week leading up to Easter is called Semana Santa and there are processions every day through the town because Guatemala is quite a religious Catholic country. Men in purple robes carry big floats of Jesus carrying the cross etc through the town. It's quite interesting to watch, but I think by the end of the week I'll be sick of it! haha. They lead the procession with incense which makes it smell weird haha and it's really slow because it's just men walking carrying it on their shoulders, and then it's followed up by a brass band and after a short while that music makes you want to shoot someone! hahaha! Also, all the families along the streets where the procession goes make "carpets" out of sawdust, flowers, vegetables, fruits, whatever they want really, which the procession then walks over. It takes a long time to make them so it seems a bit of a shame that they all just get trampled on, but some of them are really stunning, I have uploaded a couple of photos of them on facebook.

Yesterday we went up to the school even thought there were no lessons, because in the morning we needed to paint some of the walls, then in the afternoon the kids were doing there own procession. We made our own alfombra (carpet) out of oranges and flowers and petals, and there were 3 mini floats for them to carry. We walked all through Itzapa for 4 hours, from 2.30pm til 6.30pm, but I didn't get bored because I was with my kids and they were so cute! I was really proud of them hehe loads of people came onto the streets to watch them and they seemed to really enjoy it. It was interesting for me to watch aswell because I met quite a few of the mothers and family of the children in my class so it was really nice to be able to talk with them. I was pretty tired by the time I got back to the school but everyone got given bread and coffee and we chatted for a while with the kids and the family. I'm really glad that I wasn't off travelling this week so I didn't miss the opportunity to go up to the school because it felt like a really unique community gathering type thing, loved it. I have to admit though that last night after we got home and had eaten, I was so tired that I got into bed and fell asleep by 8.20pm and didn't wake up until 9am this morning! haha.

I'm going back up to Earth Lodge in the mountains with my friends Sally, Sara and Laila this afternoon and we are staying overnight in one of their cabins which will be a fun chill out relaxing time. I'm looking forward to it. I don't know what else I'll be doing this week, guess I'll just take it as it comes!

As ever, lots of love,

Joelle

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