Vida Sin Computadora

Living in Ecuador without a computer has proven to be both awareness building and frustrating. I was not aware of how often I use my computer each day, nor of the haphazard way I was using it; in other words, I would use my computer at whim with no real organization to my time or searches. Without my computer I find myself making lists of everything I need or want to do on the internet, and also when specifically I will be able to do so.  I prioratize and I try not to waste time on my usual time suckers (Facebook, Pinterest, NPR.org, or Google Images).  Before my computer was stolen, I wouldn´t have thought about this at all.  Now it has become so much  a part of my day here that I have chosen to blog about it.  For the MW´s that read this, all I have to say is: Simple Living Challenge (but really mandate) at its finest.

March is proving to be the month during which every Gringo gets robbed.  There were two cell phones stolen (though later returned) at my school exactly a week after my computer went missing, my friend´s bag, containing her passport, credit card, and journal, was stolen, and another friend was mugged on the street as he walked home from a bar.  I have thought a lot about my own safety this month, and have made a more concerted effort to be aware of my surroundings.  Still, my computer was stolen at school-- from the teacher´s lounge.  Increased awareness would´ve done little good to me there, except that I would not have left my computer in the teacher´s lounge.

 My school continues to show no accountability whatsoever, and I have recieved nothing but "that´s too bad" comments from my administration. This is the most frustrating part of the entire debackle. Things get stolen everywhere in the world. But when it happens in a locked facility (meaning it had to be a teacher or student) and that same facility does nothing to assist with that loss or to prevent future losses, the credibility of the entire institution starts to falter.  The international teachers have had to be very independant (though the school was honest about this during initial interviews) from day one, but now I go to work knowing that I will find no real support, should I need it.

Despite my frustration with my administration, my classes at school have been going well.  My students are reading The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Goosebumps Horrorland, and books they have chosen to read for pleasure. They are all completely engaged. They now rush to my classroom and beg me to read every day. I have felt very blessed to be able to choose books my students actually want to read, instead of trying to get them to see the value of a story we are mandated to read. Their confidence has also increased because they are aware that they are successfully reading stories that native English speakers also read.

Stolen Computer

My computer was stolen at school this week. I am more devastated about this than I would care to admit.

The thing is, it was stolen at school, so it was either a student or a fellow teacher. And that just plain sucks.  I am buying a new computer, which will be somewhat financially stressful, but there are not many computers at my school, and I need it to work.

I don´t know when my next blog post will be, but hopefully it will contain much happier content.