Playing With the Big Boys

We did go bowling... and the rest. I have had very little sleep but have still managed to do a whole day's productive work. Feeling smug! Actually, I feel better today than I have for a while. Maybe it's because it wasn't as cold today and the sun was shining, or maybe it's because the kids in Arcoiris were relatively calm this morning and didn't clamber all over me as soon as I got there.

But one thing at a time. All 6 of us went bowling in town, I was dead chuffed as I got 2 strikes... a record by my standard and I didn't lose (for once). Ok, I didn't win either... However, it seemed that this was way too tame and adolescent for Sile and Jonny, who suggested going back to Tauro, the place where we saw the Tango dancers last week. When we got there it was virtually deserted, but that made it all the more easy to get a pool table. I was relunctantly drafted in as Jonny's "copiloto", and I did warn him about my laughable pool ability. I think I potted one ball in that game. Anyway, things improved as I got warmed up (a few cans of Speed helped sharpen my reactions too. Calm down, it's only Red Bull!) and I ended up just losing to Tim by the black and wondering if I was getting away with pretending that I knew what I was doing and that when the ball went in by pure fluke, it had been exactly what I had meant to happen.

Jonny and Tim were lucky enough to be approached by a couple of men who were keen to be more than just friends! Score! They invited all of us to a barbecue tonight, but I suspect nothing will come of it. Probably for the best!

I managed to make it into work by half 10 this morning, not for lack of trying to be in early. I left the house at half 9. I think I may finally have cracked the irritating bus conundrum, although it took 45 minutes of waiting for the right bus to come. I was so pleased with myself that I actually found my way to Arcoiris withough the aid of a taxi.

Sile was not to be moved this morning, and there was no sign of Jenny, so I worked the morning shift alone. Luckly it was very quiet and I had some nice moments with the kids. In the ongoing saga of trying to get photos online, Lorena suggested I take her CD to the locutorio around the corner from the home, with the 2 older girls, Analia and Rocio, to accompany me. It was a wasted by lovely trip - the CD still didn't work (I have given it back to Lorena and given up all hope of seeing my photos on here) but I had a really good chat with the girls on the way there. They are really sweet but mature and intelligent too, and I felt like their big sister taking them out. They took an arm each and we had a nice little stroll in the sunshine. I had a bit of lunch with the kids again and it's always a really nice family experience. They always eat with spoons and have started calling me "Sara Cuchara" (Sarah Spoon) and take great amusement in saying "I've got your sister (etc) here" and waving their spoon at me.

I didn't have as much luck with the buses on the way to Refugio; Veronica had told me the other day that we could get a bus from the crossroads by our flat, but I couldn't remember where the bus stop was (they generally are only marked by a shelter here, and if there's no shelter you're guessing) and managed to go to the wrong place, duly watching the bus sail by. I ended up in a taxi that I'm sure tok me the longest route possible.

When I first got in, I was very pleased to be invited by one of the older-ish boys to play marbles. I have never seen them played by anyone of my generation or younger, and in fact didn't even know how to win. It didn't take me long to learn though and pretty soon I had my own cache of stolen marbles. This really touched me as the last time I think I heard of anyone playign marbles would have been in the Beano or an Enid Blyton book.

Jenny came along to Refugio after a bit, but we were both quite content to lie in the sun for as long as possible whilst minding the kids playing with the blocks that we bought them. Dominoes retained its popularity - probably becuase rather than being the traditional spotted type, they are each printedwith a number and an equivalent simple football strip, while zero is a big football. Three of the strips are like the River, Boca and Argentina strips. 6 is the Boca strip and everyone gets very excited about having the double 6 ("doble Boca") as they call it. The game was really popular with a lot of the kids who moved in and out of the playing group as they felt like it. From the youngest to the oldest kids, it rally grabbed their attention and the the same could be said of the lego. I was going domino crazy by the end of the afternoon, though! It's funny how something so small and cheap can make such a huge difference to them - they were all rapt so I can only imagine that they don't often get to do something like that. They don't need expensive or complicated toys, and they can amuse themselves, but clearly a few toys can make a huge difference.

We'll see how it pans out tomorrow. Thankfully it's Friday! Tonight there is supposed to be a big parade, but I suspect I am currently missing it. I hope it's still going on by the time I finish my tea. Speaking of which, I better run. Not across the road, though... it's scary enough as it is!

Stick with me...