Dispedidas :'(

Dispedidas Day and last day in Alta Gracia. Monday, June 18 (Day 26)

Saddest day ever! Or at least the first day of many tears.

At 11:45am we had our second dispedida of the trip at Misercordia. This one was hard for me because this was the school I was placed with. I am going to really miss the students and the teachers. Especially Analia, she was so nice and really helped me learn so much by sitting in her classes. I also grew to love the students in 6th year Naturales class, the class that Analia taught. I am glad I got some pictures with the girls that I have met. I didn't get to see the guys in the class. I think they hid in their classroom. :( I wish I had a picture with them but oh well. I still have the awesome memories of all our conversations. The dispedida started with all of us meeting with the principal and the head nun to present our gift to the school. At the end I gave my gift to Analia. She first thought it was from everyone but Jana had to clarify that it was just from me. Everyone else either found their teacher during the big assembly or gave it to Analia to give to the certain teachers later. I kind of missed most of the big assembly because I was trying to get Cupid Shuffle on a flash-drive so that we could do it for the school. It didn't work. That's okay. I heard it wasn't much. It was just the 'sports' dance group performed and some sort of speech. I was there to receive the gift from the school, its a magnet. Then there was a lot of picture taking. I didn't cry but I feel like it will come soon. I am being strong now but one day I will think back and be really sad and cry.


Me and some of the 6th year Naturales and one other student from Misericordia.














Me and some more 6th year Naturales students.











Me and Analia.










The classroom I spent many hours in.












The Magnet I received.



Lunch at Cafe De Los Viejos Tiempos for one last time. I shared a lomito simple and a torta de chocolate with Callie. It was sooooo good. I basically inhaled it. I will miss that cafe and the food there.


At 1:30pm we had our third dispedida at San Martin. There was so much crying and students not letting us go. The 6th graders literally wouldn't let us leave. They kept chanting "no se van, los chicos no se van." which means, "do not leave, the people do not leave." They even blocked the door before the assistant principal made them go outside and made us a tunnel of people (two lines of students on both sides) to walk through to leave the school. It took forever to leave the school. The students are really attached to the people who were placed there.

 Lexus surrounded by her students.

Paola's students wouldn't let her go.
The students all lined up as Bret walks through.

After that we had a long break, well everyone except the people who were placed at El Anglo. Those people had to go to the dispedida at El Anglo. Apparently no one else was allowed to go. I think that is how all of them should have gone but then again I am glad I witnessed what happened at San Martin. I did my closing interview with one of the doctoral students, Natasha. It was just an interview of what we learned and how we can influence our teaching back in the states. It was very eye-opening to what I have actually learned. I can't wait to bring everything I learned back into the states and start applying it back to my own classroom one day.


 The hotel gave all of us a Starbucks cup filled with cookies and some chocolates. I think it is so sweet. I am definitely going to miss the hotel staff. We had a dispedida with the hotel at 8pm that night. It was short and brief. We gave them a card and a photo frame with the group photo and we all signed the frame. It was cute. We also took a group picture with the hotel staff. I am really going to miss them. They are like a second family. They made Hotel Hispania a home away from home.

  


I ate my last meal at Pizzaron. It was really good. I ate a Chicken Sandwich. After that a bunch of us went to someone house to say good-bye (a mini dispedida) to all the guys we have met that are our age. We had a great time. I think everyone is really going to miss everyone but thanks to facebook we can keep in touch. :)