... dia numero uno

I´m not sure what to put down here given that it has to be short & sweet, but I´d still like it to give you some insight into what I´m experiencing here. I´ll start with the kids; the reason I came in the first place!

They are amazing in many ways....
1. Adorable -- today all us new volunteers were warned about which ones were so cute that they´d garnered themselves an overflow of attention that is now stunting their development. I got this warning only after unknowingly doting on one of the culprits for the entire morning... they certainly are hard to resist.
2. Happy -- they really are happy kids that enjoy their life here. They don´t seem to feel sorry for themselves in the least, and yet they have so little compared to others.
3. Easily contented -- I mean in comparison to kids in the US who need constant stimulation & entertainment. These kids can play outside, with eachother, for hours without complaining that they´re bored.
4. Smart -- They are bright, and really understand how things work. They know how to use new volunteers to their best advantage, which can certainly be frustrating...

Weekends at the orphanage there are no classes, only 'actividades,' so this meant that I spent most of the day playing in a park with the Ninas Pequenas. Mid morning we took a break to watch a series of Reggeaton videos (I didn´t feel so good about this, despite the fact that the kids really seemed to enjoy it and were mezmerized by the tv), mid-day we had a simple but tasty lunch of rice, green beans, and a tortilla. Mid-afternoon we broke for a papaya snack followed by a swim in the river, and then it was time to hop on the motorboat and come back to the hostel.

Before departing at the end of the day, I donated the gently used clothes that my coworkers generously brought to me. It was nicely received, and I got to see the inside of the 'bodega' as a result. This is where they store everything that has been donated until it´s needed. They had a pretty good storehouse of shoes, clothes, games, etc.

Now it´s time for dinner at the hostel (pictured below) with my roommates. 'Raquel, la Otra' is a nice girl from upstate New York. She is blond as well and the kids ask if we´re sisters. She has the suffix ´'la Otra' (the other) because there is a Nina Pequena named Raquel, and the girls differentiate her this way. Rocio is another nice girl from Madrid. She´s made me realize that I´ve missed Spainairds!