A normal week in Monteverde...

I see beautiful plants like the Ave de Paraíso, Strangler Figs and many others whose names I don´t yet know

Birds of Paradise

I see lots of animals including birds (motmots, hummingbirds...) mammals (sloth, coati, my students) and lots of bugs, but mostly dragonflies, mosquitos and spiders.

A wolf spider on our kitchen cabinet

5th and 6th grade building and hummingbird garden

On a typical school week...Monday thru Thursday are normal school days for us, so we wake up around 6, get ready for school and hike up the hill to La Creativa by 730.  Classes start at 8 and the monkey children go home around 3 o´clock on the bus.  On Monday´s the beginners English and Spanish classes meet after school for teachers.  On Tuesday´s it´s the upper level class.  So Tuesday afternoon I convert back into a student!  Wednesday afternoon we have staff meetings and on Thursdays I teach a Sign Language class to my colleagues.  Fridays are an interesting day for us because the students go home at 1230 every Friday and usually we put celebrations on Friday.  We´ve already celebrated Family Day and Día del Niño y Joven.  But even on a normal Friday the students schedule is different.  We have a school sing presentation from one of the primary classes every Friday morning.  Then my students and I do a brief activity outside or for community building.  Then the kids have snack and PE with the 6th grade teacher and me.  PE so far this year has been the students´ choice between a hike with a teacher and ultimate frisbee.  Then the kids go to Spanish class and finally we do a community building activity with our 3-5 year old friends in the Kinder classroom.

5th and 6th grade building

One night a week is quickly becoming a staff yoga lessons at Rio Shanti, where 2 of my co-workers give massages.  On the weekends we have been hosting pot lucks a lot with my co-workers and a couple of the students.  

Saturdays though, are my favourite days of the week.  I sleep in and wake up around 7am.  Then when my roommates are awake we walk downtown to the Feria (Farmer´s market) and we buy most of our groceries.  After the farmers market we check out the 2 grocery stores for anything we´re missing and return home.  There is a yoga class at ten on Saturdays, but I have not been yet. And shortly after noon we go to play frisbee at the Friends School with people from the community.

Sundays are usually our days for hikes, relaxing, movies and planning the next week´s lesson plans.

Saturday Hike with my Creativa Familia