South American Homesick Blues

OK, so I'm not really homesick. And I don't have the blues. I was trying to be a bit clever with the title there... and I am now starting to really look forward to going home, and I had a blues incident earlier on, so it seemed apt. Read on.

Bowling was shut last night for refurbishment, apparently, so we ended up back in good old Mentecato. This will probably be my last time there, as we seem to be going to Cristobal (workplace of the nefarious Sergio. Hmm!) tonight and to Pan y Manteca on Thursday, as we haven't been there yet and supposedly it's good.

I rotted my teeth with my last Caipirinha and a Licuado, then we all bailed out. It was still too hot to think at midnight. Damn the tropics!

We were in Arcoiris early again this morning, having figured out the buses at long last. We started off with a treat for them - we started the first part of a magnet-making set, putting the plaster into moulds. The kids really enjoyed it and managed not to make too much mess - after my P7 last year and all their art antics, I could hardly beleive how little there was to clear up afterwards. Just as we were finishing, Rosi, a lady who has been in to visit before, came in with her guitar. She sang some nursery rhymes and Singing Kettle-style stuff to the kids, and it was lovely watching them sing along. They all had a go of the guitar, which they loved. Rosi passed me the guitar as I had said I played, and she asked me to sing for them. I was really nervous, but sang "Ye Banks and Braes" as I thought the more traditional Scottish, the better! They didn't have the first clue what I was saying (I'm not sure if Sile or Jenny did either!) but they all listened all the way through and gave me a round of applause, which was more than my class did on Burn's Day last year! It made me feel just the tiniest bit homesick. After that, Rosi played a sad traditional Argentine song, and it was blues all round!

It was lunch in the park again today and as early a start as we could manage at Refugio. We are doing loads better now with the games that we bought, and there was a moment today when about 10 of the kids were gainfully engaged in one or other of the things that we brought with us. Even Sara and Itatí, who normally spend all their time cooking up spiteful ploys to annoy us (yesterday we are sure they pinched a whole load of the jigsaw pieces, but today Itatí had miraculously and conveniently found them in the kitchen) joined in and were really sweet all afternoon. We were so impressed that we went into town afterwards to get a few more jigsaws and things for them. It can be a leaving present from Sile and me too as, after tomorrow, I doubt we will ever see those kids again.

We are going out for a meal tonight with the gang, so I'm off to get ready. I'm sad that after tomorrow I won't be able to see the kids again or be able to help them anymore, but I have worn myself out and I'm glad that I am passing on the torch to someone else. I think I deserve a break!

Mañana...