Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Pacífico




So I wasn't really happy in my previous school, Santa María, so I was working with my Rotary counselor to change. My family here didn't know how much they could do and suggested that I work with Rotary to change, so I just took matters into my own hands. I talked with my counselor, and she has a son-in-law who is the son of the Commander (like the principal) of a school called Unidad de Educación Integral Bilingüe del Pacífico (UNEIN del Pacífico). I had talked with various people here, like Rotarians and the Morochos about good schools here, and they all said Pacífico was a good school. Also, next year Johnny's sister and brother are going to go to Pacífico!

One Friday, when my Santa María class went to Pacífico to vote for something, I snuck off to talk to the Commander about changing to his school. He said it'd be fine, so I was overjoyed. I talked with my counselor over the weekend, and I went with her the next Monday to Pacífico to buy my uniform and talk with the Commander. We got most everything worked out, and I was set to start Tuesday.

Later on Monday, I told my uncle that I was going to change schools. That was pretty difficult because he told me how Santa María was good enough for his kids and such. So I didn't have a way to go to or get home from school. Also on Monday, my brother Juan José came from Canada (he's married to a Canadian who had her exchange here in Machala years ago and has two kids) to stay with us for a few months. He asked me if I wanted to go see 2012 at the mall with him. I asked my parents, and even though it was late, I went! So we went at like 9 and it finished around midnight! Yikes. We got home, and I talked to my mother about how I'd get to school. Juan José offered to take me the next morning - how nice!

I got him up at like 6 and we left at around 6:30. Formation (when we stand outside in order and listen to the principal) at Pacífico starts at 6:50. I was a little late so I had to stand in the very front in a line with all the late people, facing the rest of the students. On my first day! Normally they take names but they excused me because I'm a foreign exchange student/it was my first day.

So now I've been in Pacífico for a while, and I like it! It's good because I'm in the highest grade (sexto) and in "Sociales" which studies philosophy, democracy, rights, history, etc. I ride a bus which is a crazy and fun experience but it comes to my house at 6 am! Also, school goes until 2:30 pm. It is a long day, but it seems to go faster because I'm in a fun class. There is another exchange student in my class, too. Her name is Kelsey and she is from New York, the state.

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