Exhaustion

Ahhh, Saturday morning and finally a bit of piece in our lives! It seems that since January has begun, we are both running around like crazy, working long hours and basically just falling asleep as soon as dinner is done, just to get up and do it again the next day. I can honestly say that I have forgotten that I live in paradise these past few weeks, but at the same time, it brings a sense of normalcy that has been lacking since we arrived.
My job is going amazingly well. I am both inspired and awed by the children that I teach. I have never seen or experienced teaching quite like this before. I have 16 special ed kids in my class, and 0 hours of aid time. The kids are loving and warm and respectful to me, but they are also fiery and hot headed and loud. It is an interesting combination to be sure. Despite the long days with no breaks (I have to arrange their hot lunches and supervise them during their lunch too) and oddities of the school (no phones in rooms and no announcement system, which means communication, everything is cancelled last minute, you can only photocopy/do any office work from 8:00-4:00 because the secretaries lock the office and we don't have keys) I am loving it. I have learned that I knew nothing about the culture of this island before this job. Everyday I learn something new, both good and bad. One of my students has a father in prison for 18 years because he was the leader of a cocaine ring, another's father "takes wires and cables that don't belong to him"(a.k.a steals) and sells them to the dump. One poor boy allegedly had his father throw kerosene on his mother and light a match. These stories horrify me and bring me to tears, but they also ignite a fuel in my heart to keep my classroom a safe zone. Honestly I have failed a few times, like on Thursday when a girl turned around and punched a boy in his eye, or yesterday when I caught a child wringing another's neck, but for the most part it seems safer than their homes and the street. Aside from the Caymanian quick tempers, bouts of violence and constant loud chatter, I do feel like I am having some successes in the class. Several students start and end the day with a hug. They like to spend their free time asking me questions about my life, and sharing their stories as well. Whenever I am on supervision in the field I have a gaggle of girls following me, touching my pale skin and hair and rubbing my clothes. On a whole I feel quite loved... but absolutely exhausted.

Anyways, enough about teaching. In other news we have managed to sell our car, for more than we purchased it for!!! We were thrilled, but it turns out the joke is still on us, because our "new" car burnt through a radiator yesterday and cost us $450- but Marvin came to our rescue. Oh Karma.

The weather here has been sporadic at best. We are having a nor' easterly and the winds are kicking up, but we aren't complaining about our weather. We have seen what is happening in the rest of the world. However, I am so impatient to get out diving. This has been a record break for us, nearly 2 months of being land locked!

Well, as it is Saturday morning we have to rush out and get our chores done, and then it is back to work for both of us. We were out on the Jolly Roger pirate ship for drinks last night, thus leaving work early. Tomorrow is Westin Beach Brunch, so I will have to be certain to start pacing myself today as well! Ah, there are still so many perks to living here in paradise.

Pictured above: Yesterday was Junior Police day at school. Some of our students with the RCIPS officers