No post for a while. Sorry 'bout that.

I think with the combination of half-yelling all day in order to be heard by classes of 35 eight-year-olds and the extreme differences in temperature between outside and A/C, I'm developing nodes on my vocal chords.

However, I AM enjoying teaching to the children. It's definitely a challenge, but but one that I embrace. After another four or so months (yes, I've been here almost a month now!!), I really hope to have made a difference. Everyone keep your fingers crossed...and I mean EVERYONE!

Oh. This means that I have to tell everyone that I'm using the A/C regularly these days. I turned it on one day, and it was sooooo nice that I decided I could no longer sustain my masochism. It's so heavenly. SO heavenly. What a luxury not to wake up drenched in sweat. It really is.

My birthday is tomorrow. Every child in school knows about this, somehow. All day today, they've been shaking my hand and saying, "At once, happy birthday!!" Apparently this means, "Congratulations, it's your birthday tomorrow!" Don't ask me how "at once" was derived, because I honestly have no idea.

An important thing about which you must know the difference. Let me educate you.

Cow=white, bony animal

Water buffalo= black, bony animals with horns

Don't mess it up, or you WILL be corrected. Every day, the cows and water buffalo are taken to pasture, and then in the evening, they return and are given a bath. Just like children. The buffalo might be more important than the children, actually.... I take a bus to the other children's home, Butterfly Hill, every Friday, and the bus is always held up by myriad herds of cows and buffalo. "Honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk," goes the bus. Does this affect the bovines at all? Of course not, except for perhaps slowing them down...