Day 3: Escuela Normal Superior Simon Bolivar

Dated March 16, 2009:

What an incredible day. We spent all day at the Normal School visiting various classrooms for elementary, English and language classes. I practically cried in one class when all of the little kids gave me hugs and kisses and many "gracias!". We also ate like five meals in the cafeteria talking with professors, students and the principals.



We saw some Project Citizen projects and had to ask all kinds of academic questions in Spanish. If only my Spanish teachers could see me now...



At the end of the day, we watch a program by the students in the English and Social Science colleges. We heard some great music (even a song by the Eagles), and Brian and I had to give a one hour presentation in Spanish. I tried to teach the students how to dance to the "Cotton Eyed Joe" song and they somewhat got the hang of it. Then we had to answer a ton of questions. Then we had to dance for like 30 minutes, which was crazy but fun.



Later that night we went with our student hosts, Gabriela, Jhovana, Mariel, Ingrid and Franz to El Prado (main street in La Paz), and we visited the only public university in La Paz. Then we had another small meal with Ariel and his family (we also went to a super market, which had tons of U.S. brands).

Overall, an absolutely wonderful and life-changing day. I am so grateful I've had the blessing to come here. I have to admit that I was kind of nervous to come to Bolivia, but now I love this culture and these people.

One last note, I forgot toilet paper today. The school was really dirty, especially the bathrooms, and TP doesn't exist. I had to steal a lot of napkins from the cafeteria and made it work. Tomorrow I will be bringing toliet paper with me.