Not forgetting...

...places way worse than our disadvantaged neighbourhood, we keep Palestine in our hearts, so as supporters of the BDS (Boycott Divest Sanction) campaign we're happy to answer the call to share this video.

Home alone, then a new, small, move

Between the end of May and the beginning of June, three volunteers abandoned the ship, going back to their countries: Anya to Finland (but with plans to work in the States in a few months), Maria to Spain, Meriem to flooded Paris. This way the roof is now all ours: a strange feeling, though the main difference is only in the evenings and weekends, as during work-days the other English teachers come here before school and stay around a bit afterwards, so we still have company. 

The main change then is the very recent move: after a good deal of very necessary cleaning, last Sunday, to celebrate our 12th family birthday (wedding anniversary) we moved once again, but this time it doesn't really count as another of our family moves, as we only took our belongings to the other side of the roof, from the large room to two smaller ones now left free; they're next to each other, with bunk beds, one for the boys, one for mummy and daddy. The space is now definitely better organised and despite the charm of the family room it feels more normal for all of us, so we're happy with the change. Moreover, this is going to be our place for the rest of our stay here, so we can arrange and decorate it more freely.

New teacher

Sam has a new English teacher, his third in three months (though the English he and Michele get here is not really useful, so they just follow the lesson for the sake of it, when they don't get something different to do). She's Hannah, from the States, and is replacing Fernanda in first and fourth grade, so Mattia, after a week of transition, since last Monday has been enjoying some more time to prepare classes or relax from the ever growing stress.

May pictures

To conclude this second month of blogging in an alternative way, instead of writing other accounts we'd like to direct you to the gallery page to check some various things happened in May, plus our now traditional monthly trip to the Parque Jocotenango (the one with the playground!) through the Paseo de la Sexta, a nice visit to the Museo del Ferrocarril (railway) and a new album collecting views of the volcanoes, which we were lucky to see clearly during our first days here and then appeared only rarely (due to the heat-related haze), though sometimes in charming evenings.

New teachers for Sam, making it fair in the family...

With Fernanda gone since the beginning of May (see post of week 5 further down), her classes of 4th and 1st had to be covered somehow, until another teacher magically shows up, so teacherMaddy and teacherMattia stepped up and offered to add 45 minutes each morning to their schedule, to teach 1st, while coordinatorCarlin is back to class (as she was before Mattia arrived) to cover 4th in the afternoon.

Why is all this interesting for you? Not only to see how good teachers are, but mostly to realise that this way, even though only for 45 minutes and as an interim solution, DaddyMattia is now teaching Sam too! The boy is happy to be like Michele, Mattia likes first class and Sam's presence as well, so everything's fine, apart from a busier day for Mattia... (at the moment, 33 hrs and 15 minutes with students (!), plus several hours of preparation&co, and at least half an hour of teachers' meeting, per week).