I'm Back!

8/8/2011 @ 1:15 | Wow... that title is misleading... I'm not "back" as in back in Madison. I'm "back" as in "I haven't posted in a while so here it is!" I guess I've just been very busy. Every day I wake up early, about 9:00 AM (haha... early), and eat breakfast in the cafeteria-like room. Then I practice my violin for about 20 minutes, sometimes helping others with either their orchestra music or their separate pieces, and head then head to orchestra at around 10:00. Orchestra is more difficult than I had expected it to be. Because I am considered a teacher in many cases, I'm only in the orchestra to enhance the sound and possibly help the other violinists, who are in middle school. All 4 pieces that we are playing in orchestra have their difficult sections to them and that threw me off at first because I had no idea it was about to be difficult! :P haha...
Anyway, next is sectionals. The violins go with Raquel Paraiso. Raquel is the reason I am here. She is my teacher back in Madison but originally from Spain. We have sectionals together and then practice with all the strings. By this time it is about 11:30 and everyone's fingers are beginning to wear. Then all of the students have choir and all the "teachers" have chamber practice. Luckily, I get to practice with the teachers! YAY!!! :) I absolutely LOVE chamber music!!! :)))))))))))))))))
After that, I usually help Elisabeth (yes, with an "s") practice her part of our duet. We are playing a duet version of Bach's famous Minuet in G. It is quite fun and she is really getting the hang of it! Good job, Elisabeth!!! :)
After that we have lunch at around 2:30 and then a siesta (where you get to do whatever you want for about 2.5 hours). During that time you can take lessons on how to play the pan flute (here we call it sikus) and I've been helping/learning with that. After the siesta you have taeres which are various activities that the teachers host and the students participate in like making a bird house, making a music video, making maracas, making sikus, and carving stone. I made my maraca and now I need to paint it but I have no amount of patience with painting and drawing so I do know... haha! Apart from that, I've been helping Raquel and Pancho teach the sikus class. I've not been teaching, per say, but I've been assisting. Today I fixed an entire set of sikus... twice... well, the first time I messed up and then the second time I got it right! :) my hands hurt a lot from that because you need to pull the string very tight to keep the pipes together and the string cuts your hands.So, entonces, my fingers hurt... a lot! Between playing all day and sikus making all afternoon, me duele mucho! :)
After taeres we have snack, 30 minute services to the camp, dinner, and veladas (a conclusion). Veladas is the last thing we do every day. The teachers end up making fools of themselves by wearing silly clothing and acting like crazies. :P I've recently become a part of this and have a lot of fun with it! Today we made a music video and it was HILARIOUS! The kids will be able to see it tomorrow night :)

Anyway, I'll try to write more later but it is after 1:00 here and I'm well ready for sleep!

*my parents also say that I should go to sleep about now! :P

With that, good night, and good luck (with the challenges and adventures to come!)

maya