In every culture

There seems to have been a movement in many countries in last century of people who act like they are supporting the common good and uplifting the disadvantaged, but it has been a thin cover for Mao"s Little Red Book and in retrospect sometimes seen as abusive. We went to a museum of The Peruvian version of this movement - late 80-mid 90s. Atrocities in the rural areas against the very people they were trying to redeem, but when the locals did not join they were shot. The movement only briefly made it to the city when it ended.

I toured the museum with my new friend who lived in Vietnam until 8 years ago which made it even more interesting.

The lessons were numerous! Good ideas carried out by peoples with other agendas. No interest in the real needs of the disadvantaged. Lack of understanding of the value of education that gives people choices how to think.  Above all the superiority that says "unless you do it our way, you will be shot."

The Other Sunday Morning activity

Yes - I am in Starbucks. Just waiting for a quorum. Then I'll yell "in nombre de Deo y de....." Or I may just finish my coffee and enjoy the WiFi. To work on next Sundays sermon!

New influx of volunteers  - 11 more bringing the house total to 20. They are all nice, of course, because CCS people are by definition nice or they are vacationing elsewhere.  Should we tell them all the little tricks about hot water we have learned in 2 weeks? Naw - discovery is character building.

Last week of teaching - the time has gone fast. Starting to think of next year.....

THE mall

Mira Flores is the highest class neighborhood and we went to their mall today. It is build at the top of a cliff, but not on top - instead it is built into the cliff with spectacular views of the ocean from every table in the countless restaurants. All high end stores - think North Michigan Avenue in a mall. We had paid 12'S from our house to be mall, but trying to get a cab at the mall no one would take us back for less than 30s! We finally walked 4 blocks down there street and hid the shopping bags - that got us a 12 S ride. Charge what the traffic will allow.

And it's the weekend!

Just like home

They may not know the names of the cadidates but they have all the tattling, finger pointing, blaming,  finding issues where they are none, name calling, and loud denials of guilt down pat.

Or maybe the politicians are acting like 4 year olds.....

Criss cross cultural

One of the team is from Vietnam originally and spotted the ONLY Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant in Lima. So we went. The usual numbered menu and the usual spot for fried rice so I ate well. On the boarding TV was a Michael Jackson imitator singing Beat It with the back up group of Smurfs. Can't even make this stuff up. Check it out on YouTube......

This followed a visit to the museum of contemporary art which was mind stretching for my brain that likes stuff to look like things. This took a little too much imagination engagement - given that all the notes were in Spanish.

They did have a cool display of stuff dug up from a junk yard that was not going to disintegrate. So it is what will remain of our civilization. I have been thinking about this recently as I looked at all the buried artifacts that tell us about ancient times. What will remain of the 21st century if we are all cremated? One word: plastics. Bottles, lids, doll arms.

Pause to ponder.....and if I get a sermon out of it the trip is tax deductible. I am pretty sure.

A lesson I have never taught....

Today was sex Ed for the 4 years olds.

At first that startled me but they just showed a short film about  how two cells come together either in an egg or in the mothers body. No one giggled. No one was embarrassed. It was just a fact. Then we looked a pictures of various animals who either have eggs or are born alive. To round it out we saw the birth ding scene from The Good Dinosaur  where the eggs hatch and then did a work sheet on egg, baby hatching, adult. Hung it by the counting and coloring pages and went to lunch.

Fads of Fours

Since I have been here several fads have gone around the age 4 classroom: putting a scarf over your face to be a bandit, jumping off tree stumps that have been in the play yard the whole time but someone just noticed. Digging sand like dogs, looking at the underside of the table each time the  teacher looks away. Today it was holding fingers to make a gun a shooting the 3 year olds after breakfast. it seemed so spontaneous but universal which makes me suspect they are unionized. Or a flash mob.