Have you ever tried to open a coconut to drink the pipa (coconut water)? Did you know that a piece of paper can pop and make a loud noise if you fold it a certain way? Have you ever heard of the game ninja? Remember the days when you had not a care in the world other than which team you would be on for the upcoming soccer game?
This past week started off just like any other but quickly turned into a very memorable week in San Miguel. Normally, there is not much interaction with our students other than the classroom and other Kalu Yala activities, but this week was different. After soccer practices and art workshops, Alida (Outreach/Education Intern) and I decided to stay and interact a little more with our students. It’s important that they recognize that we are not just their teachers but their friends as well. This will definitely help build a stronger relationship with the students and create a better sense of respect and trust.
It started with playing soccer with some of the older kids and escalated to cracking coconuts on the floor and then to playing ninja! These kids will find any way to make a dull evening entertaining and that is exactly what I love about them. No matter how stressful my day was, I forgot about it when I was at La Cancha with the kids. They reminded me that there is no problem too big that can’t be overlooked with a simple game of ninja or tag!