El Verde Mas Verde June 24, 2010
Another week gone by I feel my corneas infused with the green of this countryside. Last Saturday I had the pleasure and fortune of going horseback riding at the farm of a friend of Marginis. Afterwards I took the bus out to Caracol, a community about an hour north of Achuapa, just to see the landscape. And instead of taking pictures I decided to try and memorize the mountains, the pastures, the people. The cultural details such as how houses are built and how farms are laid out, visual details such as where clothes were put and how far apart the cows stood from the road. The time to stand with my nose stretched out of the window was both spiritual and calming and the only place I wanted to be in that moment. The pictures above are of a mural in Esteli and Achuapa in the early morning. I just returned from Esteli where I spent Monday to Wednesday buying art supplies. The trip was great to vent to Molly about all the goings on and I came back to Achuapa yesterday with a fresh mentality and in itch to get to doing artwork. So I began class with these little origami animal cards that we began making last week, but it got hectic because waaay too many kids wanted help. After having a box of markers stolen by a mysterday chiquiena number 46, I decided to call it quits for the day and establish some order! I have now broken the classes into 5 parts, each with approximately 8 kids, and fridays left for the reading competition. I was only disheartened about the markers for a second before I laughed when I realized that a band of girls had organized to hunt the girl down on their bicycles. Also it was more a reflection of my lack of organizational togetherness than anything about the kids. More than anything it was just upsetting that there were kids who wanted and needed my attention that weren´t getting it. So today is a new day and now some law will be laid in terms of the art supplies. Can´t wait to get started this afternoon! And tomorrow with the first weekly reading competition, will let you know how it goes! All I can say is there is so much more to say but my tummy is grumbling for some rice and beans and avocado! Love from the south.