Campeones

Last Thursday night, while conversing with my host mom and neighbor in the comfort of our little home, we were interrupted by a loud noise. There was a snare drum and there was shouting. My host mom went outside to investigate, and found her curso (she is a profesora jefe...like a home-room teacher or class sponsor) calling her name in excitement. They had just won the fútbol championship at the liceo (basically an equivalent to intramural soccer) and they decided that they needed nothing more than to run to our house to share the news with their beloved profe.

It was a moment filled with sheer joy and pride by all involved. Certainly the neighbors were irritated by all the commotion in the street at 9:30PM on a school night, but it did not matter. This class, containing significantly more males than females, may not be considered a particularly intellectual bunch, but they are fanatics of fútbol. Love is an understatement. They are passionate about fútbol and this was their night.

I took a photo to commemorate the occasion. The next morning at school, my host mom shared the photo with her students. They immediately hung it on the wall with decorations declaring their victory. I would bet anything in the world that these kids will not forget this night. And neither will we.

4ºC campeones de fútbol 2013

A letter to my parents

I refuse to say that I love my parents more and more with age, since my love for them has always existed. I do, however, have a growing appreciation for them, that I believe will continue to evolve the more I grow and the more I experience life's trials and triumphs.

This is a letter for them...


Dear Mom and Dad,

As I observe other parents around the world, I realize how blessed I am not only to have both of my parents alive and together, but to have been raised by such a strong team of individuals. Over the years, I've learned to appreciate different things about you. 

Mom, as a child I appreciated how affectionate you were. As a teenager I appreciated how you pushed me to do my best. In college I appreciated how you supported my decisions and I realized how fortunate I am to have a constant presence in my life. And now that I am a world away fulfilling my dreams, I appreciate your strength in letting me go...You are the butt of our jokes, our scapegoat when something goes wrong, and our doorman when we unload all of our frustrations. Never once have you lead us to believe that you didn't love being a mother and never once have you lead us to believe that you love one of us more than the others. Thank you for all that you do.

Dad, I appreciate you more than you will know. For encouraging me to be curious. For supporting me in pursuing my dreams. For teaching me to analyze my surroundings and to do my research before making decisions. For showing me the importance of education, both formal and informal. For demonstrating to me the values of honesty and hard work. For teaching me to help others. For taking a genuine interest in my life. And most importantly, for instilling in me and in all young women, the belief that we can and must become strong and independent and that we do not need the support of men to accomplish our goals. Thank you for dedicating your life your family. 

Mom and Dad, you both work so hard. In your careers and at home. And the only reward you receive is personal satisfaction, which I know you rarely feel, since you are always striving for improvement. When I tire of after long days, I look to you both and wonder how you do it after so many years. When I look at the family situations around me, I realize that the overwhelming majority of people I know do not have both of their birth parents in their lives, living and working together as a functional unit. I have always taken this granted. I appreciate how you always find a way to communicate and resolve conflicts, but I know that I will not truly understand the difficulty of this until I have a family of my own. 

Mom and Dad, I recognize that you are not perfect. No human is perfect. But I also recognize how fortunate I am to have parents who accept and support their children for all of their imperfections.

Mom and Dad, you are an inspiration to me. You work for your four children, but you have impacted so many more lives, directly and indirectly. Other parents look to you as an example and other children look to you for encouragement (many of my friends among them). Don't ever think that you aren't doing enough. You have done more than you know. Thank you for everything that you have done, are doing, and will do.

Gracias mis queridos padres. Os quiero mucho. 

Your Loving Daughter,

Holly          

Orgullo

I love all of my students. I honestly do. I care about each and every one of them. The ones who give me a beso every time they enter and exit the classroom. The ones who try to steal my stamps when I leave them unattended.  The ones who beg me to give them more vocabulary words. The ones who eat salt as a snack. The ones who subtly drop swear words in English, just to see if I react. The ones who correct my spelling. The ones who spill red dye all over their desks and then try to clean it with perfume. The ones who shout and wave at me from across the hall. The ones who come to class without pants on because they got soaking wet from the rain. The ones who cheer on their classmates when they do well. The ones who shove desks across the room out of rage. The ones who tell me I have beautiful eyes. The ones who refuse to participate unless a game is being played. The ones who fistfight during recreo over a girl they both like. The ones who I only know by face, as they look up at me cheerfully, hoping for a warm smile.

Everyone has his or her own story. Every action demonstrates something deeper. Good or bad. The more I learn about people, the more I realize how difficult it is to truly hate someone, as we are all products of our circumstances. That being said, I believe it is possible to overcome our obstacles, if we believe that we can. Those of us who are aware of our fortune have a moral duty, not to help others economically, but to offer support and advice. To provide others with a sense of hope that there is more to the world than what they know. Than what any of us know.

It is only logical that you become closer to the people you spend more time with.  In terms of students, this would be my debate team. Although I do not actually teach any of them in class, I meet with them to practice more often than I meet with any of my classes. And with 5 of them, as opposed to 40, we are able to get to know one another.  

This group is composed of some of the strongest students in the liceo. They began with a relatively high level of English. But the improvements they have made in the past month and a half are remarkable. Their pronunciations are outstanding and their presence radiates genuine interest.  They are not only hard working students, but they are incredible individuals. They all have the capability and talent to do great things. I truly wish the best for them all.

After their dedication in the first round, we advanced to Round 2. Our pronunciations were the best of any team, and judges, teachers, and other native-speaking volunteers were sure to let us know this! We scored third; however, the teams in front of us were both semi-private. The winning team selects their students and they begin teaching English in kindergarten (we begin in 5^th grade). The second place team is also one that has more resources and money.  Our liceo has some of the poorest students in the region. We accept any and everyone.  Watching my team compete was like being in a classic Disney film where the underdogs have to fight their way to the top and their passion is what drives them to succeed.  As I gave them my final words before they competed for the first time, they looked at me and said, “Don’t cry.” I did not cry, although I came close when they finished speaking. They did so well.

I am honestly so proud of these kids. For all that they’ve done and for what they overcome each day. As we prepare for the next round, and face yet more challenges, I have complete confidence that my team will put up an even stronger fight this time around.   

(the damas)

(the caballeros)

(the crazy coach)

(the serious coach)

(I love my boys)

(pensive)

(typical)

(a few opening remarks from the famous George Thomas)

(collaborating before the final speaker)

(a photo with George)

(I'm fun like the students. The other adults are serious. I'm cooler.)