and transporting them to the basement and then brining in the party rental equipment. We had to take the entire center apart by taking away filing cabinets, chairs, desks, computers, boards, etc. Friday (the eve of the event) was the most stressing (both physically and mentally) day. Between phone calls and poster making, Francisco always had a job for me to do. There are the regular intern duties (filing, data input, arranging, pencil sharpening, etc.) but in the days between the end of the 7th grade trip and this past Saturday (5/12) I've been helping Francisco (my supervisor) with the planning and preparation for an event that was held last this past weekend- The International Evening, the biggest fundraiser for the center. I spend most of my time as a volunteer English teacher in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program but I've done a couple other job here and there. The center offers many services to new immigrants in the Baltimore metropolitan area. For my project I am interning at the Esperanza Center in downtown Baltimore. At the moment, I'm on my senior project (a 6-week 'project' between the end of classes and graduation). I'm currently a high school senior but classes ended 25 days ago. After the trip, I had to return to reality. But it allowed us to evade any dangers presented by the storms.Īlthough I participate in the 7th grade trip as a chaperone, I took it as mini three day vacation. During the daytime the sunshine mercilessly (I got a tan). Although the lingering thunderstorms threatened to impede our fun, we managed to enjoy the three days wonderfully.

I wrote my last posts whilst chaperoning the 7th grade trip. I'd like to offer my apologies to each and every one of you three for leaving this blog unattended.Īllow me to bring you up to date. To all three of you out there still paying attention to this newly commenced blog of mine, I am sorry. What more can one ask for?Īs is the case with many of my projects, I get super excited when I begin them and then the excitement diminishes almost as quickly as it began. To give you an idea of what else goes on during our down time, check out this video of me and my amiga dancing to some French Tecktonik (I know, we're so international and cultured).Īs you can see, I've been enjoying my time at the center. Between the dancing in the car to Latin music and the delicious crêpes, I couldn't have asked for a better Friday lunch- perfect kick off to the weekend. Needless to say, lunch with colleagues was a success. Well, long story short, I promised her that I would visit her restaurant and (as a man of my word) I did. We hit it off pretty well- she was surprised to find a Latino that spoke French and I was excited to meet someone from Burkina Faso. I exclaimed 'Mmm, j'aime les crêpes!' at the sight of the magnificently made crêpes- little did I know she spoke French!(She's from Burkina Faso.) The rest is history. I first met Mina (owner) at the International Evening (the center's biggest fundraising event). They're most famous for their crêpes (delicious!). For example, last week I went out to lunch with a couple people from the center to Mina's Delights- an international restaurant specializing in African and European cuisine. In the little down time that we have, we always find ways to enjoy each other. Of course working at the center is quite demanding but despite the hard work one must put in, we enjoy our fair shares of laughs and giggles.

This creates a charming and pleasant environment. Every one that works at the center is devoted and truly enjoys being there- no sour apples here. Between the three different floors at the center, I'm surrounded by wonderful people. In addition to the marvelously mixed group of people that come to the center, there's also a delightful group of employees and volunteers at the center. (Who knew 'ma' meant like five different things in Thai?) In the two hours I have to teach English, I often take a mini-break and take the opportunity to learn a couple words and phrases in other languages. I enjoy meeting and teaching such a diverse group of people. In my short time at the center I've worked with people from Japan, Morocco, Lithuania, Thailand, China, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and from Burma just to name a few. Contrary to common belief, the center aids people from all over the world (not just people from Central/South America and the Caribbean). What do I enjoy about the center? Well, as an English teacher, I'm constantly meeting new people- people from all over the world. Working at the Esperanza Center is oddly enjoyable- to the point where I actually look forward to going to the center.

I'm starting to wonder if I've spent the past four weeks working hard or hardly working.

You know my name not my story