Transportation, The "tremblor", and TEACHING!

So yes, finally I will tell you about my teaching here in Peru... for those of you who are mistakenly thinking that I'm just hanging out and enjoying the sites! But first...
Combi's are my main mode of transportation here... they're basically mini buses, sometimes mini vans, carrying tons of people in which ever direction they may be headed. To say that their signage and direction of travel and which one makes which stop, is confusing is an understatement! Yesterday I found myself on my way to work crammed between about 10 people standing room only... not even a space to hang onto the handrail... just swaying back and forth body smushed up against body... basically praying that the young guy who has the job of maning the door and collecting money would also make it his job to make sure we all didn't go piling out the open door like dominoes! Comfortable isn't quite the point though - cheap is... my roundtrip into the center of the city each day costs me one sol, or the equivilant of 30 cents! Taxis are another VERY common way to get around... slightly more pricey, but nothing like in the states... for example it would cost me the equivilant of 1.75 USD or so for the same roundtrip. However as well as being more expensive, taxis also lack the character and experience of the combis... reminds me ever so slightly of Ukraine, Trina! OH, AND last night on my way home our combi or carro got into a crash with a taxi! No one was injured and it was more comical than anything to watch the drivers go at it and then with an additional policeman... about 15 min. later everyone piled off and loaded onto another such vehicle, leaving the drivers to it!
Now, as for the "tremblor" or tremor or something... basically (according to answers.com) "a shaking of the earth" happened the day before yesterday!!! I have never in my life felt anything like that... it was so weird I was sitting in my room (on break during teaching) at my desk writing when I felt things start to shake, I remember thinking oh it's just a passing truck or something huge construction wise going on in the road right outside my school... then thinking wait a minute it's not passing, is this a .... no it can't be.... don't be crazy... wait I think it might be an earthquake of some small magnitude. And then it was over... I just looked around my room... found myself focused on the sign that says this is a safe room for "sismos" (earthquakes)... then looking at all the windows etc, hmmmm.... After returning to teaching, one of the teachers asked me IF I felt the tremblor... DUH! I continued to tell her that never had I experienced that before and she was shocked... says it's fairly normal around these parts. Weird!
FINALLY teaching and what I'm actually doing everyday...
Well for those of you who think I've just been hanging out, babysitting, and seeing the sights... you're right and oh so very wrong all at the same time! My third day here I started teaching a full day at the Colegio or elementary school where I live/volunteer/work. Basically I teach there 8am-2pm (one 40 min break... no lunch) Mon and Tues of every week. It's going really well. There are only five teachers and about 60 or so students. It's a private school, but the children who attend are not by any means wealthy. They are however VERY attached to their Mz. Kate! The other day I was walking in the neighborhood after picking up dinner from an oven in someone's store (Yes, we made a pasta dish, then carried it about 15 min. down the street to a store that lets people use their oven for a fee) when all the sudden I heard "Mz. Kate" from seemingly a thousand little voices over and over and over again. Upon looking in that direction I see all these little heads and arms protruding from the school bus (much more like a mini van as well) and their poor driver trying to navigate the road! I waved and it continued... nothing more, just "Mz. Kate, Mz. Kate, Mz. Kate" and waving... it was like a scene from a movie where I was the most adored, most saughtafter movie star! What an ego booster, right?! It was pretty funny when all the construction workers etc. where staring at me trying to figure out who is this "Mz. Kate?"
I'm struggling with the little ones... especially the "incial" class... it's twelve 2-5 year olds in a little room with not much to work with... plus they don't give a flying fart about English... and why should they! So far we've gotten "Amarillo, Yellow" "Rojo, Red" But getting them to just repeat yellow or red is impossible - it's always Spanish and English and they don't seem to retain ANYTHING from one class to the next! As you would assume, 5th and 6th grades are my favorites. They're so anxious to learn and to ask a million questions especially about Micheal Jackson, if I met him, what his songs mean... I can't tell you how many times I've been asked, "What does "Beat it" mean?" Yeah, try explaining that one! Too funny! I'm teaching all grades, inicial through sixth. First grade has a very troubled little boy that I haven't figured out what to do about yet... he's cried every class with me... emotionally distirbed I think... even his regular teacher doesn't do anything and tells me it's not unusual and not to feel bad. Hmmmm......
As of this week I also started actually working, yes for money... not much of course (equivalant of maybe $3 an hour). I'm teaching English at an Institute in the city center three in a half hours every night Mon-Fri. It's good cause I need to have my own life, I love coming to the center, and I can make enough for transport and food (which is all I wanted). It's not so good cause some of my students are not very motivated, they have never had a teacher with a native accent, most of them are my age, and the books absolutely uniequivically SUCK. But, I'm happy to have the job, the students are fun and nice, and it's a slightly more challenging gig than working with the elementary kids. For example one of my students (a 30 year old engineer) LOVES to question me about the rules of English, why something is one way, why we use one word more than others... I know he's just waiting for the time he can stump me!
And as for any other time I might have that's not occupied by helping Aracely or babysitting Joaquin, or purchasing a cell phone (took over 5 hours today... don't ask)... I have applied to volunteer at least one day a week (before work) at a local orphanage. I'm hoping to go find their office tomorrow and set up my schedule etc. but for now life is GOOD and busy and FUN!

I'm sure this is a little disjointed, it's the end of a long day and I'm about to meet up with Aracely and a few of her friends... hope this update finds you all well and that God's blessing your life as much as he is mine!
Kate