Going to School in Banos

We have been in Banos now for over a week, living happily with the Perez family. They are lovely and with three boys around Eva´s age there is plenty of activity in the house and company for Eva. The father Patricio is the pastor at a Christian Church here in Banos so the living is clean, they play plenty of uplifting Christian music and there are always prayers before meals! ...somewhat of a novelty for Eva and I.

The classes at Mayra´s Spanish School were good. Much better than those in Otavalo, they actually had a program and worksheets. Eva has learnt a lot of vocabulary now but we still struggle with conversation. I can get my point across though and conjugate some verbs correctly! Eva however, has been told three times now by different Ecuadorianos that she speaks very well and without an accent so she was stoked with that. And of course is now correcting my pronunciation.

Mayra (Eva's teacher), Liliana (my teacher) Eva and I on our last day of classes.

Eva the brave, is now going to real school with the boys. She is in a year 4 class with about 40 other kids, so its pretty crowded and noisy! Although I think that 40 is a good class size here in Ecuador.

School starts here at 7:30am which is a bit of a challenge getting ready in time, but they finish at 1pm which definitely makes up for the early morning!

Getting ready on the first day. Obed lent Eva his uniform for the day

Having breakfast with the boys: Mateo, Obed and Joel, before school on the first day

Confidently walking into school with Mateo on the second day.

Lining up for morning assembly.

 









The experience of going to school here is incredible for Eva, it is so very different to home! Things are much more rustic, rules are very different, there is a lot more singing and There is definitely no interactive whiteboard! They also have to do practice drills each week in case the Volcano - Tungurahua erupts. All of the kids have to take a hat, glasses and a mask to school each day, just in case! They had a practice drill for it yesterday afternoon which was something to see.

Eva has been fascinated by the fact that the kids are allowed to climb treees, build cubbies, roll down hills and run amok in general in the playground and its all cool. Eva keeps saying that you aren't even allowed to pick up a stick in the playground at home! Here its like she can do anything!

The girls in the class have also been wonderful - adopting Eva into the group like she has always been there! Despite the fact that they don't really understand each other much. They even invited Eva to come and play after school on the first day.

Eva and the girls hanging out after school in the school playground - check out all the trees!

I just hope that things continue to go as well as they have started for Eva at school and this will definintely be a week to remember for her.

As for me, I'm supposed to be studying and getting Uni work done. At least the room that I am in has a beautiful view of a waterfall cascading down the side of a gorgeous green mountain shrouded in white clouds.