FOCUS

Make sure if you have an accent, you say that word correctly. Yesterday in 8th History, I told them to copy the ¨REading Focus¨questions from their book. One student had an especially hard time saying the word ¨Focus¨right and we couldn´t help but laugh because he kept saying it wrong.

I asked some teachers if they´d be willing to sign a letter if I wrote it to the Minister of Education (M.O.E.) about the problems we´ve all had this year in the school, but they won´t. Disappointing, but I´m not going to write one now anyways. I was thinking of pulling a ¨North Country¨one on the director, but I won´t.

Last Saturday I got up early and walked to the nearest mall to cash my check and pay some bills at the bank. I got there at 8.30 hoping it would open at 9 but it opens at 10. So luckily the internet cafe was open so I spent some time in there. At 9.30 I went back to the bank and was the first person in line. i waited there 30 minutes. When I got to the counter she told me they didn´t have any money and I had to wait another hour. Hello? What is this place called that I´m in? rrrrrrrrriiiight, a BANK! Banks have money right? Noooo, not until the other people in line pay their bills. hmmm...dumb concept if you ask me, but they didn´t ask, so I left, very frustrated. i wanted to say, but i´ve already waited over an hour! I had to leave to go to parent conferences about report cards.
Yesterday Beto and I ran (in a taxi) to the immigration office to take care of my VISA. It´s the three month mark but I got an extension for one month. From there we went to the bank where we stood in line over 45minutes to pay. When I got to the counter she said they only accepted VISA, not Master Card. I said, ¨I have to pay this today or they are going to make me leave the country and I can´t do that.¨ She says, snobbily, I might add, Lo siento pero no hay nada que puedo hacer para ayudarle.¨She didn´t even try to help! I said, ¨Can´t I just go to the ATM, take out money and come back?¨ ¨No¨, she said, ¨the guard can´t let you back in¨ ¨But I´ve already waited about an hour! It´s not impossible, I go, get money, and come back.¨ She starts to help someone else. I look at the guy next to her with ¨help me!¨eyes but he ignores me. Finally she says to go ask the guard. I cry to the guard and he tells me to go talk to the boss. The boss, an intelligent and reasonable man, said I could go take out cash and give it to the guard who can pass it to someone who can process it and I don´t have to enter. There, wasn´t that easy? So we got it done. But sometimes, this country...banks have unconvenient hours and rules! I guess now I know...I´m still learning. But you know there´s some things about culture that you´re not supposed to say are wrong or bad, just different. Well, not this. Banks are wrong and bad and I don´t like em here!
Happy banking everyone!