It Begins

In approximately 15 minutes, the World Cup will begin.  As I write this post from my classroom, I can hear the faint sound of a WC horn being blowed.  Rumor round the blogs are it is my headmaster. 

In approximately 15, the entire EAB staff, families and friends will descend upon the school auditorium to watch the first match.  South Africa vs Mexico.  Horn blowing more frequently and getting closer...

In 15 minutes, this match will be shown on the lcd projector and while watching we are able to sip on 900 liters of beer.  There are approximately 200 people in attendance who are able to comsume said beverage. If you do a little World Cup math, there are several possible answers, all of which result in a school full of sloshy teachers and staff members.

In 15 minutes, everyone not in the lower school will see that I'm sporting my new Brasil WC t-shirt today.  On the front there are 5 stars filled in with white.  One star is open.  It's waiting to be filled after Brasil wins this Cup.  Talk about confidence!   The back of the t-shirt has a picture of Africa along with several countries' flags. 

Are or were any of your final school days set this way?  Procedural check-out in the morning, followed by a World Cup game and bbq in the afternoon?  Only in Brasil, where if Brasil happened to be playing today, we wouldn't have worked because all banks and businesses close when Brasil plays. 

In 15 minutes, I'm ready to root for the host country.  Let the Cup begin!

Catch-up...Field Trip to NEX

A week ago Erica and I took our 43 third graders to NEX Conservation Cat Refuge.  Click on the link to learn more.  They've just added dual-language to their website which is great!  We had a  phenomenal time albeit the day that my plauge began.

This field trip was like no one I'd ever been on with my class before.  Here are the top 10 reasons this trip could only happen when you teach at the American School of Brasilia:

1.  Vans

We took 5 little vans to the refuge because the final 30 minutes of our ride we off-roaded, well, more like country roads but in Brasil this means that the road was too rough to take a bus.  Needless to say I wasn't feeling so hot (gotta love my carsickness) but fun to ride with just a few kids and a dad in a van rather than all 43 together.

2.  Waterfalls

We would never do this in the states and it's definitely one reason why I do like teaching here.  We hiked to a waterfall and the kids went swimming in it.  It was safe.  They had a great time and it really helped to meet the needs of all of the kids because from the cats to the waterfall, there was something for everyone.

3.  Swimwear

 We all wore swimsuits on the trip since we went to the waterfall.  Sungas and bikinis were worn by all.  I do love Brasil for that too.  It's helped me to be more comfortable in my own skin a lot since everybody else is here.  Yes people, I even wore my swimsuit in front of my students and their families.

4.  Synthesis

 

Taking a group of 3rd graders to a cat refuge, cats that they've been learning about in their International Social Studies and Brazilian Social Studies classes and hearing them synthesizing the information the caretakers share is pretty amazing.  They were putting it all together.  Learning about the cats' awful stories, hearing how a jaguar had been declawed and kept on a chain for photos by a "vet" and hearing one child say, "But I thought vets were supposed to help animals,"  is pretty powerful.  It provided learning that could only happen on a field trip like this.

5.  Food

So we ate delicious food of course, but when have you gotten the opportunity to see a jaguar being fed?  This particular male was quite loud (so much he scared a couple of the kids) about his lunch.

6.  Joy

Hearing the kids sing songs on the van ride back.  Watching them splash around in the water.  Seeing them cuddle with their parents.  This trip gave us the education piece we needed but also the right amount of fun as well.  It's just not as uptight as other trips.  Something that's hard for a person like me to get used to but something I'm learning to appreciate more.

7.  Cause

Our trip was a fairly expensive one.  R$85 per child.  That's roughly $45 each.  R$25 went for each child's lunch and visit (aprox. $12.50) and the remainder for transportation.  It cost R$50 for each adult's visit.  The lunch was just a few reals of this amount and majority went toward supporting the cats' at the refuge.  Going to a non-for-profit organization, especially with a group of students who have so much in life, taught lessons for them about what's important, especially when it comes to their pocketbooks.  A trip like this, especially with the US economy would not be possible.

8.  Nature

When can you go on a field trip and see wild macaws?  There were four of them just sitting in a tree by one of the jaguars' cages.  The bird life here is pretty amazing.  As I write this the wonderful (but yet so annoying at 6 am) parakeets are back.  Being dry season the food they like must be back in my neighborhood.  Sigh.











9.  Opportunity

 

At EAB, we have a scholarship program.  This program provides a free education for our employee's children.  With that there's good, like for the two students in my class this year who otherwise  would not have the opportunity to English education, field trips and access to materials that they do.  There's frustrating...this small number of students have difficulty being accepted by their peers since they don't have the same socioeconomic class status of their classmates.  Some of them arrive with their parents at school at 7 am and don't go home until 6 pm.  Can you imagine?  Also, it's one child per family.  How do they choose?  I wrestle with it on a daily basis but what I do know is that field trips like this gave those children something they otherwise would not have had.  They wore this experience on their faces that day.  The joy, the learning and appreciation of it all. 

10.  Interaction

When we heard the awful stories about these cats and saw how the cats interacted with their caretakers, it was pretty amazing.  Some of the cats seem to know that without this place they would still be in those horrific conditions and situations.  It's remarkable.  It was mutual caring and respect. 

We're headed back next year.  A great way to celebrate our learning, swim a little and just enjoy being together. 

6 Days...

Figurinhas.  An obsession.

If you are a child of any age from 5 - 18, you are currently obsessed with completing your official Panini FIFA 2010 World Cup sticker album.    The video link shows someone completing the album.  Don't love the music but it gives you an idea.

Now, that's the big hoopla about a sticker album?  Well, when you live in Brasil and soccer is life then having these baseball card-like stickers for the Cup is a need, not a want.   The album has a 2 page spread for each team in the Cup.  There are also pages for South Africa's stadiums, special 2010 WC stickers and so on.  

You could purchase your sticker book and figurinhas at one of the little local bancos (think miniature convenience store) in your neighborhood.  A pack of figurinhas costs about R.$75 which is about 35 cents. 

A few randon pieces of information about figurinhas...

1.  I know of one child who has actually completed their entire book.  A 3rd grader.  A student in Erica's class whose family cheered when they completed it.

2.  Jamey said his hs math students had estimated the total cost to fill the book at R$300.  That's approximately $150USA.  Would make for a good math problem.

3.  I missed out.  I thought about buying a book and hesitated.  I should know better.  Now, all of the stores are out of stickers so your only way to complete your book is to trade.  No stickers, no trading.  Poor me.

4.  On the web I found out it takes an average of 6 hours to complete a book.  6 hours to peel and stick stickers into a book.  Wow!

5.  There's major trading going on at EAB.  During lunches, during birthday parties (like my photos) and recesses.  If you want to complete your album, I may be able to arrange for some good trades.  You let me know what you need and I can facilitiate the transaction.

A final unrelated but yet very related note.  I realized with this World Cup countdown that actually also is a countdown for how many days till school's officially out for the summer/winter.  I can do it, I can do it.  I may have to repeat that a few more times but it's within reach!

Countdown...7 days

Today's countdown celebration is by the Petrobras Gas Station on my way to/from school.

This evening, I was walking home with Hayes and we made a pit stop for some drinks at the gas station.  As we walked in, we were impressed by all of their special decorations for the WC.

A few of our favorites...

a Brazilian flag created from beer and pop cans,

a family's home, including matching TNT curtains, small tv, stereo and scary doll dressed in Brazilian colors eating a bucket of Coke.  At first I didn't understand the above display. I only saw the tiny tv and stereo.  Then I turned and saw the scary doll.  Then I noticed she was sitting atop a soda pop couch complete with Brasilian flag pillows.  Ah ha!  And there was another chair made out of cans and even curtains.  It's like a tiny Brazilian family room made out of pop cans.  They even have a coffee table.

The same gas station had a soccer stadium created out of liter bottles and other bottles and packages of pop dressed in Brazil's soccer jerseys.  Definitely give the a 10 for creativity and a 10 for, don't you have anything better to do besides entertain your gringa customers?

Countdown Till the Cup - 9 days

In Brasil, even McDonald's has special sandwiches for several of the countries in the World Cup.  Every day of the week you can experience a special country's flavor. 

They have a chicken parmesan sandwich for Italy.  A really bright red sausauge sandwich for Germany.

And on Fridays representing the good ole U.S. you can dine on (done without any help from a translator or dictionary): 

• a ball bun (look closely at the bun and you'll see it really does have a soccer ball pattern)
•  a cow hamburger,
• cheddar cheese (yeah right, not real anyway),
• round bacon,
• lettuce mix,
• pickle slices (yep, I know the word for slices),
• fresh onion and
• bbq sauce. 

Do you think they captured the a taste of America well?  Can't say I've had this sandwich, probably won't have it either but it does get me excited for a real bacon cheeseburger.  Maybe I can grill out and catch a game.  Ohhhh.  That sounds perfect!

Countdown to the Cup!

11 Days till the 2010 World Cup

Living in Brasil, I've found that Cup fever has struck.  I live in a country that truly everywhere is gearing up for the World Cup.  It's a big deal here because, well, it's Brasil and soccer is a part of life the way, well, I guess my closest comparison is to American football.  But it's not even a fair comparision. 

Here families and friends all go to the same restaurant on Sunday afternoons to watch the Brasilian teams play.  They all wear jerseys and shout and yell.  When a team scores, I know in my apartment because everyone's yelling and setting off fireworks.  I can't even imagine what it will be like when the entire country's rooting for one team.  The fireworks will definitely be heard then. 

I'll be making a post each day dedicated to this exciting world event.  Cuz I've been struck with Cup Fever too!

Many of the neighborhoods have decorated the commercial streets with handmade streamers.  The streamers, you can tell, were cut by hand and then tied to these strings.  More about Brasil's team this year soon.  Their first game is June 15th. 

Vai Brasil!

3rd Grade Plague

I discovered upon returning to EAB today that I had not been the only one attacked by a crazy 3rd grade virus.  My class is calling is the 3rd grade plague. 

Plague Update:
Me -Feeling ok.  Pretty gross still.  Don't think safe for most to be very close to me due to sneezing, coughing and other grossness.  At about 75%.  This thing is hanging on.   Wanted to work a half day but couldn't (see below).  Asleep on couch last night at 6 pm.  Woke up at 8 pm and back to sleep around 10.  Please let me wake up feeling at 80%.

Erica - Minor plague case.  Napped for a few hours on Sunday. 

Jake - Out of school on Monday.  No specifics. 

2 students in my class - out of school and parents emailed with similar gross symptoms

1 student during the day - looked in a similar state to me, worn down and tired, reported symptoms occuring on same day as I

3 students during the day - reported symptoms like fever and being tired, one of which I suspect is true the other two were just wanting attention from their teacher who couldn't give them the ususal number of hugs desired since she didn't want to share germs.

Need a bug bomb to destroy this thing.  My shot pushed it along but I'd like flu to be gone permanently.  I hate having toilet paper up my nose to prevent drippage and coughing.  Better to happen now than be that guy on the plane nobody wants to sit by.  Send some healthy thinking my way please.