Last night’s roof’s noise can best be described as a medium-sized animal that had a different gait than a dog or cat. It was more off-beat like two long legs, two short legs, like a monkey. I continue to be impressed with the variety of my night noises. Just when I think I’ve heard it all, a new and bizarre sound happens.
Cali brought a note home from school in English, no more babelfish. My Spanish lessons are going well. We’ll see how quickly I can absorb.
Madi worked for an hour and a half before school to finish her Literature project on Cry Thy Beloved Country. They had to find 20 quotes, 10 of them related to apartheid. Then they had to expand on what the quote meant. I read her work, she did a great job. She’s insightful with texts.
After Spanish class I went down for a coffee at the Apex place. I saw another woman I know, they are doing English classes, I may volunteer there. We caught up a bit what has happened over the last three years with her family. They run the equivalent to a little community center. There is a small restaurant, they have live music on the weekends, movie nights, bilingual church services on Sunday. If Madi’s class doesn’t go to the city to watch Avatar on Sunday, we will check out the service.
I priced beds in a couple of places, and decided to buy one. The guy knocked 300Q off the price. I guess not everyone wants a Strawberry Shortcake mattress set. Lucky for me my family is pink-friendly, so I’ll take that discount, thank you very much. I got the guy to throw in free delivery. He got on the phone and kept calling until he got someone to make the delivery. Within 3 minutes, a pickup pulled up with two kids who looked like they were Madi’s age (12). They were sooo young. The seatbelt didn’t work, so I was totally at the mercy of a couple of prepubescent boys. No worries, Strawberry and I made it home safely.
Madi said to me, “Today (a boy in her class) said to me, I guess we have more in common than being hot. Was that his Player way of giving me a compliment or was that him feeding his own ego? Because I really couldn’t tell.” Madi often has me laughing out loud. Something about the dry way she delivers insightful comments.
Under transporation marvels you can file another one we saw today. A man was riding his bike, and his very very small child, more like baby, was balancing on the bar with his tennis shoes. Really, he looked like a baby. You have to remember that these roads are not smooth, they are incredibly bumpy and uneven. All three of us just stood there with our mouths gaping, Madi and I said simultaneously, “Did you see that?” I’m still shocked the Cirque-du-Soleil talent scouts weren’t running behind the bike with a contract and pen.
Cali and I washed some clothes when she got home. Madi called after her audition and we walked up to get her. By the time we got home it was dark and time for Cali to go to bed.
She likes drinking water from a bag.
Cali’s Frog Blog: This morning I had an English muffin with peanut butter. Today the dad didn’t pick me up in the tuk tuk, the teenage boy Jonathan did. I think the dad doesn’t like getting up so early. I understand that. Ever since that first day when mom put me in a different tuk tuk because she didn’t think they were coming, the tuk tuk comes right when the minute hand is on the three. He is never even one second too late. When I got to school I went through the right gate this time. It’s the bamboo gate. The important gate is for the teachers. At the end of the day Jonathan was waiting for me and was even standing outsides his tuk tuk. We had storytime today. I don’t understand all of it, but it has something to do with a school. At recess we tried to balance on the log. After recess we had art. Mom is going to take a picture of what I did. My picture says, “Hi, I’m Cali. There is peace in this world. I love peace. Who loves peace or is it just me. From Cali.” Then we had English class. The teacher was trying to teach the class how to say “you,” but she kept saying “jew.” She couldn’t say it right and needed help. I didn’t want my whole class going out into the world and calling all the “yous” “jews”, so I helped her say that right. She was ok that I helped her with that, I think. I felt kinda funny that I was a little person helping a big person, but I didn’t get into trouble.
Madi’s blog: I finished my project for Lit and turned it in. Today in Spanish Josette’s dog followed her to work, so she was in our class, too. After school there were auditions for the play. One girl was rude. People showed up for auditions 30 minutes late–can you imagine that? The girl that wants Satine is very good. By the time we got home it was dark. I made some rice, watched Grey’s Anatomy and went to bed. It was a very full day.