Toto, I don't think we're in Upstate NY anymore

4th of July, San Mateo style

Well, we didn’t rent out the California bus (which is painted like the American flag) and drive around town blaring patriotic music as we had previously planned, but Chat and I did teach the cuarto students to sing This Land is Your Land in honor of our nation’s birthday.  It ended up sounding like a big jarbled stream of Swedish rather than an ode to the beauty of the American terrain, but they had fun anyways.  The cuarto students are super sweet but they have the worst accents I’ve ever heard- it’s like they’re not even hearing what’s coming out of my mouth.
Me: Repeat after me- January, February, March.
Cuarto: Hanooaywoo, Ferereray, Mah.
Me: No, listen- Ja-nu-ary
Cuarto:  Han-woo-woo-wee?
I think my favorite teaching experience with them was when they asked me how to say “fast” and I spent the next ten minutes listening to them say flaaaaast, flahst?……flaaahhhhst.  Oh those kids.

I decked myself out in red, white and blue for segundo english class and gave extra points to kids who were wearing the colors of the flag as well.  As I proudly marched into class with the strains of Sousa flowing through my head, it became disturbingly clear that I am very rapidly turning into a middle-aged middle-school teacher in the body of a 23-year-old girl.  Next thing you know I’ll be wearing sparkly holiday sweaters and knitting matching ones for all my cats to wear.   Anyways…..we had a thrilling 4th of July trivia competition between teams representing England and the Colonies.  In one horrifying moment it seemed that team England might actually be victorious, but to my great relief the Colonies pulled through and triumphed in the end, and everything was as it should be according to history.

We spent independence day evening barbequing chicken and setting off firecrackers.  Oh sweet revenge- take that San Mateans who rouse us from early morning slumber with your jubilant explosions!  Who’s blowing things up now?  We even roasted some marshmallows and made s’mores, much to the delight of Chat, who I think ate approximately 17 of them.

So although, I still have a little catch-up to do from my months of blog-neglect, I thought this more recent update might balance out the ancient news I have doling out.