I still have these very saturnine days here. I have days where I feel the enormity of the problems here, in the US and around the world. A few days ago, one of my third graders came by my room. Dirty, scratched up, and mosquito bitten, Alba came by the other day looking for shoes that she could wear during the Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday. Her teacher told her that the shoes she had were not satisfactory to march in the parade. Though she has big feet for a third grader (size six), I have even bigger feet and was unable to help.
Last week, Alba came to my room selling oranges at 4 cents a piece. She was alone, carrying a gigantic bag of oranges- and not gigantic by a third grader’s standards-just a lot of oranges in a huge bag. She was alone then. She then proceeded to tell me how the Catholics lie, how she had never heard of tea, how most of her relatives hate her, and that she has family in North Carolina who wanted to bring her across the border to the USA. She’s another face in the sea of faces, and not even her own family takes an interest in her or her education.

On a less gloomy note, it was Independence Day on Tuesday, September 15th, with a really wonderful display of pride in country. I have a slightly more selfish reason for being so happy that Independence Day has passed. Everyday, for the past month, the kids have been practicing their instruments. It is one of those realizations that I came to-why did my parents never encourage me to take up the trumpet, or drums, or trombone? Because they would’ve gone absolutely insane, that’s why. The kids practiced everyday, RIGHT OUTSIDE MY CLASSROOM, while I was trying to give my classes.
As well, they only learned one song, so it wasn’t like I could be impressed with their repertoire. At least that is over. All in all though, it was a nice parade, good ceremony, and good fun.

Attached are photos of Alba and the parade. Also, they make the smallest kids dress up as "professionals" -doctors, nurses, policemen, etc. Very gender discriminatory (boys doctors police, girls-nurses and secretaries), but funny.