I have finally gained access to an actual computer so today I will do a special little (maybe long) post on the characters that I deal with everyday.
Vini (Program Manager): Vini is the guy that is here at the home base every day and has arranged everyone's placements and knows each placement very well and personally. He's 36, very funny, like most people here, and is super helpful with everything- placements, ideas of what to do during the day, suggesetions of where to go in the evening, etc. I think he's great and have the slightest crush on him.
Ivan (pronounced, E-vahn, Driver): This guy is my buddy. Or at least I think he is, he may just think I'm annoying. He drives me and several others to our placements every morning in Alogadros and drives us around on our tours, picked us up from/takes us to the airport, and any other driving involved jobs. His English is pretty decent, and he learned it only from speaking with CCS volunteers. He has only worked here for 2 years. I'm impressed. He too is funny, but like I said before, this is not abnormal for these people.
Lulu (House Maid): This woman is crazy and I love her. She's a short chunky woman with a booming voice. Every evening when dinner is ready she screams up the stairs "JANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!" ("Dinner" in Portuguese) in a very obnoxious and loud voice. You sure learn to love it. She is very loving and caring and dotes on all the volunteers. She speaks no English, but communicates instead in hugs and kisses and funny little noises. Obviously, I have grown very fond of her. We don't say much to each other than "Oi. Oi oi. Oioioioioioioioi." ("Hi. Hi hi. Hihihihihihihihi.") and then we hug. She cleans, changes our sheets, washes our towels, helps with lunch and dinner, and other random things around the house.
Lindalva (Teacher): I have mentioned Lindalva before, but I thought I would again because she's just the best. She is the woman I help at Frutos de Maes. She speaks maybe a total of 20 words of English (words I've heard her say: blue, ugly, house, fat), but she communicates phenomenally in eye rolls, shoulder shrugs, and hand motions. She is really good with the kids, discipline-wise. She can really get them to behave and is strict, but you can tell they love her. They will randomly come up and hug her or hold her hand. Although, sadly, I have a theory that when certain kids are really bad and will not quit acting out, she will threaten to send them home. The kids freak out at this and will begin crying uncontrollably. But because I can't understand what she says to them I'm not really sure what she threatens them with, it may just be to send them to the director or something else. Either way it really gets them to behave.
A couple students that deserve some attention:
David (Pronounced Day-vid-jee)- I have mentioned this kid before but I have another story about him today so I thought I'd share. David is by far the most misbehaved out of all the students in my class. He is violent and aggressive, disobedient and defiant, unaffectionate, and just all around bad. Today he was bad as usual, running around like a mad man, randomly hitting kids at his convenience, and not listening to Lindalva when she tried to stop him. She took him and another disobedient boy out of the classroom and, I presume, to the director's office where she left them. A few minutes later, we all went to the room where lunch is served and the students ate their meals. After a short while I see David wandering around looking a little confused and lost and I asked him if he had eaten. He looked up at me and shook his head. I informed Lindalva and she is surprised and contrite and exlaims "Oh my God!" (a couple more English words I've heard her say), and ran to get him and the other kid food. As I handed them over their bowls of rice and beans with a dollop of some conglomeration of vegetables and mush with what I believe was liver, I really looked at David and simply saw a 4 year old who didn't get his lunch. It hit me then that behind this crazy, rascal, mean, violent kid is just a little boy who has a tough life and not enough to eat at home. I felt really guilty for being angry and fed up with him all the time. The director came up to me and told me that either he or the other one (I only understood so much) eats a lot because he doesn't have any food at his home. This was the first time the whole picture really became clear to me, and it hit me hard.
Ricalme (Pronounced Heh-cay-all-me)- By far the cutest one in the class, I love this kid. He's not necessarily very well behaved, but he is so darn cute and randomly affectionate that I forgive him his occasional acting out. I will often find him roaming the hall by himself when all the other students are in the classroom. He's generally not really doing anything, just kind of in his own little world.
This post is too long. I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to use my friend's computer more often so I can spit out some posts faster and more frequently so they're not so long. We're going to a Samba club tonight, so I should have some good stories soon!
Vini (Program Manager): Vini is the guy that is here at the home base every day and has arranged everyone's placements and knows each placement very well and personally. He's 36, very funny, like most people here, and is super helpful with everything- placements, ideas of what to do during the day, suggesetions of where to go in the evening, etc. I think he's great and have the slightest crush on him.
Ivan (pronounced, E-vahn, Driver): This guy is my buddy. Or at least I think he is, he may just think I'm annoying. He drives me and several others to our placements every morning in Alogadros and drives us around on our tours, picked us up from/takes us to the airport, and any other driving involved jobs. His English is pretty decent, and he learned it only from speaking with CCS volunteers. He has only worked here for 2 years. I'm impressed. He too is funny, but like I said before, this is not abnormal for these people.
Lulu (House Maid): This woman is crazy and I love her. She's a short chunky woman with a booming voice. Every evening when dinner is ready she screams up the stairs "JANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!" ("Dinner" in Portuguese) in a very obnoxious and loud voice. You sure learn to love it. She is very loving and caring and dotes on all the volunteers. She speaks no English, but communicates instead in hugs and kisses and funny little noises. Obviously, I have grown very fond of her. We don't say much to each other than "Oi. Oi oi. Oioioioioioioioi." ("Hi. Hi hi. Hihihihihihihihi.") and then we hug. She cleans, changes our sheets, washes our towels, helps with lunch and dinner, and other random things around the house.
Lindalva (Teacher): I have mentioned Lindalva before, but I thought I would again because she's just the best. She is the woman I help at Frutos de Maes. She speaks maybe a total of 20 words of English (words I've heard her say: blue, ugly, house, fat), but she communicates phenomenally in eye rolls, shoulder shrugs, and hand motions. She is really good with the kids, discipline-wise. She can really get them to behave and is strict, but you can tell they love her. They will randomly come up and hug her or hold her hand. Although, sadly, I have a theory that when certain kids are really bad and will not quit acting out, she will threaten to send them home. The kids freak out at this and will begin crying uncontrollably. But because I can't understand what she says to them I'm not really sure what she threatens them with, it may just be to send them to the director or something else. Either way it really gets them to behave.
A couple students that deserve some attention:
David (Pronounced Day-vid-jee)- I have mentioned this kid before but I have another story about him today so I thought I'd share. David is by far the most misbehaved out of all the students in my class. He is violent and aggressive, disobedient and defiant, unaffectionate, and just all around bad. Today he was bad as usual, running around like a mad man, randomly hitting kids at his convenience, and not listening to Lindalva when she tried to stop him. She took him and another disobedient boy out of the classroom and, I presume, to the director's office where she left them. A few minutes later, we all went to the room where lunch is served and the students ate their meals. After a short while I see David wandering around looking a little confused and lost and I asked him if he had eaten. He looked up at me and shook his head. I informed Lindalva and she is surprised and contrite and exlaims "Oh my God!" (a couple more English words I've heard her say), and ran to get him and the other kid food. As I handed them over their bowls of rice and beans with a dollop of some conglomeration of vegetables and mush with what I believe was liver, I really looked at David and simply saw a 4 year old who didn't get his lunch. It hit me then that behind this crazy, rascal, mean, violent kid is just a little boy who has a tough life and not enough to eat at home. I felt really guilty for being angry and fed up with him all the time. The director came up to me and told me that either he or the other one (I only understood so much) eats a lot because he doesn't have any food at his home. This was the first time the whole picture really became clear to me, and it hit me hard.
Ricalme (Pronounced Heh-cay-all-me)- By far the cutest one in the class, I love this kid. He's not necessarily very well behaved, but he is so darn cute and randomly affectionate that I forgive him his occasional acting out. I will often find him roaming the hall by himself when all the other students are in the classroom. He's generally not really doing anything, just kind of in his own little world.
This post is too long. I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to use my friend's computer more often so I can spit out some posts faster and more frequently so they're not so long. We're going to a Samba club tonight, so I should have some good stories soon!
Not too long. Really enjoying it - thanks!
ReplyDeleteNot long enough! Keep going.
ReplyDelete