GRADUATION!!

As of yesterday I am officially done with my TEFL class and am now a certified ESL teacher!! The class was a lot of work, but overall it was actually really fun. We taught three 20 minute mini lessons (one per week) to actual ESL students from the organization and then our last week we were given one one hour class to teach. I took one for the team and took the 7am class, which means I was at school every day by 6:30, leaving my house around 6:15. My classmates felt bad for me, but come Friday, when I was done with everything at 8am they were wishing they hadn't chosen an evening class :) The students were a lot of fun...I usually had two students for the first twenty minutes...and then the other six would wander in sometime before 7:30...Peruvian time :) It was a great experience and I loved working with them because they're always eager to learn and very grateful. Tonight we have a little ceremony where I'll receive my certificate and be completely done (which all the staff are making food for in my house right now...it smells and looks amaaaazing).

As of today I have been here exactly THREE MONTHS and have exactly THREE WEEKS left! Monday I start back at the daycare, which I'm really excited about, and I'll also be back taking some Spanish classes. I can't wait--since I've been learning how to teach English in my class, I haven't had much opportunity to speak Spanish lately. We only have three days of placement and classes next week because Thursday and Friday are holiday.

Friday I'm going to Ecuador to visit a couple friends who had been in Peru with me since I got here but left in late March to do the last month of their volunteering in Ecuador! I get back on Tuesday and will then finish up the last week and a half at the daycare :)

Illness update: we had a rough couple weeks in the house where the doctor was literally coming more than once a day. One morning I woke up and he was eating eggs at the dining room table. Most everyone is starting to feel better but the couple people who survived the epidemic.....are sick now. It even hit my class pretty hard. The week before we did practical teaching we had several out sick, including my teacher.

I haven't taken too many pictures since I've been in class all day every day but I'll try posting a couple from a biking trip I did a couple weeks ago..it was beautiful! And exhausting.

THEY HAVE KRAFT MACARONI AND CHEESE HERE!!!
It tastes pretty much the same....amazing.