As another full week comes to a close, I realize that time here goes by so quickly here. This marks the end of a week 2. This week with the help of the faculty and staff I had an opportunity to feel fully welcomed as I helped with the first full week of classes.

As classes continued I had the opportunity to take an active role in the classroom alongside my coordinating teacher. I got to draft my own hands-on activity in which I discussed the culture clash between early explorers and native populations. The students are normally very active and lively, to say the least. I also had the opportunity to sit in on various school meeting and feel fully immersed in the school atmosphere at Colegio Menor. I think it is good to remember the balance that happens when exploring and teaching while in a foreign country. I was particularly excited to be invited to the schools Juego and tournos which is similar to a field day in the United States. This was where students from upper school (grades 7-12) competed in a series of tournament style games playing sports such as volleyball, basketball, and futbol. Although it fell on a Saturday, the students were still very energetic and enthusiastic to play with each other

Being a shorter weekend, we decided to stay closer to Cumbaya and explore what the town had to offer.  The Escala mall in near the center offered a wide variety of food and banking options in which were useful to most people in our group. They offered almost every type of food from Italian food to sushi that people can enjoy.  I feel a good strategy wherever you end up is explore the routes within walking distance from yourself as to get a good idea of the options around you. I know that around Cumbaya main upper park near the school, it also offered several cool places to enjoy the nightlife. Places like St. Andrews offered a comfortable environment with helpful employees that make students feel at home.

As a whole, the second week brings everything back into perspective in terms of classroom obligations and cultural immersion. I think it is important to realize that this is a special opportunity and that adjustments to the different culture take time.