Take a class. Hire a tutor. Use a computer program. Or, you could teach an anti-violence class to groups of Peruvian boys in a small town where no one speaks English.
Starting next Saturday I will be doing just that. Domestic violence and general aggression are common here. Being a male with experience working with kids makes me a candidate for taking on this endeavor. It´s thrilling. There´s a good bit of truth in the adage, ¨Neccesity is the mother of invention.¨ It looks like I´m going to have to invent a way to learn Spanish in a little over a week.
A hearty breakfast is a must when confronting such a challenge. Good thing there´s Maria.
Maria is in charge of feeding the 200 or so kids that come to this ¨comedor¨ every weekday. She raised 9 kids of her own, is in her late fifties, stands about 2 feet shorter than I do, and has undisputed authority. Today at breakfast, she made a mixture of oatmeal, quinoa, other grains and spices. After she fed the kids, I went to get mine. Instead of the little cups she used for the children, she grabbed a serving pitcher, poured in over a liter of this hot cereal, and handed it to me with a smile. Not knowing enough Spanish to politely refuse, I took it, sat with the children, and ate to the verge of nausea.
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