Marco´s, Amistad, etc.

So on Monday Heather was feeling ill so I went to Marco´s by myself. I stuck with the four year olds class because they´re awesome and have already become quite attached to me which is really cute. I dozed off a bit in the taxi so I went too far and had to walk back, but it was quite a nice walk. By the time I got there the kids were just about to do their special jumping song. In the morning once the bell goes, they sing a couple of songs, say a prayer and then they do this jumping song. I can never quite catch the words but it´s something along the lines of "saltar, saltar" etc., and it´s so cute, they all form lines, make little rabbit ears and jump into their classrooms. When I got into the classroom the kids immediately asked me where my sister was, I gave them a few blank looks until I realised they meant Heather, they think she´s my sister and, again, I thought it was too funny to correct them. In the morning they learnt about the vowel "o", and did some worksheets and stuff. I spent most of my time helping them out, trying to solve little disputes over whose rubber was whose etc. with my limited spanish, and cutting cartoon characters out of wrapping paper (I wasn´t really sure why at that point, I just did what I was told). Some of the girls really cling to me and its so cute, Valery always comes and sits on my knee and wants hugs, and Maria Jose and Xiomara (pronounced "Chomara") are awesome as well. Estefany told me very solemnly that I was a really nice English person today which cracked me up. Anyway, they had playtime and snacktime and stuff, then learnt a bit more (they kept getting distracted asking me what stuff was in English, like the names of cartoon characters). I took all of them to meet their parents at the gate then went back to Heather via the bakery for sandwiches.
In the afternoon we were a bit bored, so we decided to go for an early dinner down Gringo Alley, one of those 10soles set menu places, we went to the jewellery shop there as well which is incredible, jewellery on every wall, amazing. I went a bit crazy and bought four necklaces and five pairs of earrings (some are presents though), and the cost only came up to 75soles, which is 15pounds, awesome. We went to The Real McCoy and chatted to Helen for a bit, then came back and started to watch "Enchanted" with Laura from the hostel. It cut out and froze halfway through- gutted- so never got to see the end. Heather told me what happens though so I don´t feel so annoyed about it.
This morning we were up early again for Marco´s. Heather went with the three year olds, and I stayed with the four year olds. I felt really useful and busy all day which was awesome, I helped the kids loads with their worksheets and the teacher even left me in charge for a bit while she went off and did something. I did okay until Corey and Leo started playing power rangers and chasing each other round the table, I was trying to get them to sit down but the girls kept clinging to me and Pierro and Daniel wanted help with their worksheets and it was all just a bit overwhelming. Fortunately she came back then and helped me sort everyone out. I played with the kids outside after the worksheets were done (the number 5), and then at snacktime I peeled an orange for the first time (for Racquel) and broke a nail- which shows me why I don´t eat oranges. I spilt a bit of yoghurt over Christina when I opened it but luckily she didn´t seem to mind. After snacktime the kids just played while the teacher and I got their homework ready, using the cartoon characters I´d cut out yesterday and sticking them in the kids´books in groups of 1, 2, 3 and 4, then the teacher circled the groups and drew a box for the kids to write in how many cartoon characters were on the page. Me and Heather left a little early and went to lunch at a new place on our street, it was really good. Then we came back to the hostel to pick up our stuff to teach at the Amistad.
It took ages to get a cab to the Amistad because the drivers kept trying to rip us off. They tried to charge us 3soles more than it should cost, it´s not much but it´s the principle really. The problem is that they see me and Heather together and think a)rich and b)stupid. And then they get annoyed when we don´t pay them 5soles for a journey that should cost 2soles.
Anyway, we got to the Amistad and taught the kids about days, months and seasons, as well as the numbers up to 100. More numbers meant more bingo (they´re a bit obsessed with it). After that Heather had drawn a balloon with her name and birthday in it and we got all the kids to draw one with their names and birthdays too. Of course I drew one, and the same thing as last time happened- I put some hearts and flowers on mine and some swirly bits in the corner, and wrote my name in bubble writing, and I ended up doing exactly the same designs 8times over for all the other kids. Argh. After that we took some photos of them and their drawings, they hijacked mine and Heather´s cameras which was a bit worrying but they took some really funny photos, my favourite, Albert, is a proper little amateur photographer, he was telling us all how to position ourselves to catch the best light and stuff. So funny.
We got a cab back with Cecile and me and Heather are going to go for dinner later, probably somewhere close around San Blas. Then we´re going to see Helen and put some photos on her laptop from the Amistad and Chinchero and to write a bit about the placements and what we´ve done and stuff for the next group of volunteers.
Hope you´re all well, see you in a week, loads of love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx