Hi Mom & Daddio,
It's been awhile, no? Sorry for the great time lapse between my letters. Once I made it over the peak of the hill things seemed to move incredibly fast...and now look where we are: I'm coming home Friday and I can't believe it!
In these past weeks I've survived a kidney infection, turned 19, got my internationally accredited certificate to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), said goodbye to friends, met new awesome people, cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people from 6 different countries, finally ate pizza, finished books on top of books, learned to dance in heels, and even had time to make it to the beach.
For the past two weeks or so I've made sure to let my friends know how many days I have left here in Antigua. It wasn't until this past Friday when I was able to say, "Hey ________, I only have a week left here!" that I realized for the first time that I actually am leaving. That moment was one of disbelief (I still cant get over how fast time flies) and the beginning of much bittersweet emotion.
I've done so many cool things here in Antigua and it feels like I've learned more in these past four months than in the past four years. Growing up is a strange thing and I'm so thankful that I was able to spend part of it here in this gorgeous place. I'm going to miss the hell out of a lot of people and things here that I've grown so accustomed to; however, I'm crazy excited to come home. I only had one moment of homesickness (that was when I got Olivia's first email) and while I still don't feel homesick, I find myself feeling quite ready to be back in the 630 with you guys.
While it's a bummer to wrap life up here, I've already made plans to have friends come visit Chicago and plans to continue travelling with others. Before coming here, I didn't have any idea of what to expect and I was most excited to feel totally comfortable living in a new place; now I'm leaving knowing Antigua like the back of my hand, having had the best cultural experience of my life, having taught the most amazing kids, knowing people and having friends from every corner of the world, more knowledgeable about every aspect of this crazy life we live, and feeling totally grown up. I couldn't have imagined a better experience. So orale Antigua y gracias por todo.
Can't wait for what's to come next!
Hasta viernes,
Rach
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Time? What's time?
Hi Mom & Dad,
So does it feel like I've been gone for seven weeks? Can you believe I'm at my halfway point? I feel like I haven't been home in a long time so to call this "halfway" seems like I have so much longer to go here. But what's weird is while I feel like I haven't been home in forever- and while I'm as comfortable strolling along the streets of Antigua as I was in Batavia, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was agonizing over trying to fit four months worth of clothes into one suitcase with all of my closet on my bedroom floor. Oh how time flies.
I've learned in these past 18 years of mine (soon to be 19- hope you haven't forgotten that I'm turning 20 next year) that the second half of things usually seems to pass by much quicker than the first. In this case I'm not really sure how I feel about that. While I'm craving fall and all of it's colors, going to miss pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, and can't wait to be back for winter all cozied up on the couch during the Christmas season...I can't imagine come December I'll be saying, "Hokay Antigua. We had a good run. Catch ya on the flip side." I mean, who would be ready to say goodbye to this? The only thing I have to complain about here (yes, here I go again) is that I've been sick with more things in these past seven weeks than I have in my past seven years at home. Loco, yo se. But don't worry, my host family takes care of me like we share blood. Today when the water pressure in the
See you before you know ishower was reduced to one pitiful stream, Sylvia & Noami (the girl who helps around the house here) helped me wash my hair in the sink haha.
The ranking of who I miss the most in the Greco household is constantly changing, but right now Liv is #1.
t,
Rachael
So does it feel like I've been gone for seven weeks? Can you believe I'm at my halfway point? I feel like I haven't been home in a long time so to call this "halfway" seems like I have so much longer to go here. But what's weird is while I feel like I haven't been home in forever- and while I'm as comfortable strolling along the streets of Antigua as I was in Batavia, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was agonizing over trying to fit four months worth of clothes into one suitcase with all of my closet on my bedroom floor. Oh how time flies.
I've learned in these past 18 years of mine (soon to be 19- hope you haven't forgotten that I'm turning 20 next year) that the second half of things usually seems to pass by much quicker than the first. In this case I'm not really sure how I feel about that. While I'm craving fall and all of it's colors, going to miss pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, and can't wait to be back for winter all cozied up on the couch during the Christmas season...I can't imagine come December I'll be saying, "Hokay Antigua. We had a good run. Catch ya on the flip side." I mean, who would be ready to say goodbye to this? The only thing I have to complain about here (yes, here I go again) is that I've been sick with more things in these past seven weeks than I have in my past seven years at home. Loco, yo se. But don't worry, my host family takes care of me like we share blood. Today when the water pressure in the
See you before you know ishower was reduced to one pitiful stream, Sylvia & Noami (the girl who helps around the house here) helped me wash my hair in the sink haha.
The ranking of who I miss the most in the Greco household is constantly changing, but right now Liv is #1.
t,
Rachael
Friday, October 5, 2012
Not the Guy with the Buttcrack
Heyyyy Mom & Dad,
So as I may have mentioned once or twice, the chicken bus is always an adventure.
I left the house without an umbrella because the one I bought when I got here broke and I keep forgetting to buy one when I go to the store...which is almost never. I was waiting for my bus, contemplating the ominous clouds that promise only one thing when I realized it would not be a bad idea to walk back across the street to my house so I can grab my rain jacket. It was almost as if this sudden moment of clarity was exactly what my bus needed before it would come pick me up, leaving me doomed to face the weather that was only but sure to come. I climbed aboard wishing the rain away until after I got to the school, absent-mindedly scanning the seats for the one that would also take me. If I've learned anything from taking the bus for the past six weeks, it's that sharing your seat with two other people is inevitable and the best way to do it is to find the kids wearing school uniforms. They're smaller and willing to squeeze so I can always fit my whole body onto the seat without having to brace myself with an arm on the seat across from me. Bingo, found it. I sat down next to them, attention turned back to the weather. We stopped a few more times and before long the aisle behind me was taken up with standing passengers. I knew that the next person to get on was going to be stuck between me and the girl across the aisle falling off her seat because she was unluckily sitting with two grown people.
The bus stopped. He was the first one to get on.
Oh no. No please no, I thought. His arms holding onto the rails above him, unable to grab onto his slipping pants, he was on his way to join the mass of standing passengers behind me.
Please stop please stop please please please! I was pleading inside my head. A small child, a lean mother. But pleaaase, not the guy with the buttcrack turned in my direction.
Lord have mercy.
He stopped where my hands were holding onto the seat in front of me. Of all days, I couldn't help but think, why choose today not to wear a belt or underwear? I removed my hands. There was no other place to look than down into my lap now with my view tainted.
The bus stopped again. More people got on. Buttcrack man moved even closer and I was forced to sit on the edge of my seat to avoid contact with his Livvy crack- oops! I mean plumber's crack for the rest of the ride. By the time my stop came I quickly scrambled off and started towards the school. Then the rain came. Mercilessly, may I add. And today was the day I decided to wear white.
Only me, I thought. I laughed all the way into the office. 6'8" Tom was nice enough to give me his tentlike jacket to wear the rest of the day. Ohh Guatemala.
Love love love you,
Rachael
So as I may have mentioned once or twice, the chicken bus is always an adventure.
I left the house without an umbrella because the one I bought when I got here broke and I keep forgetting to buy one when I go to the store...which is almost never. I was waiting for my bus, contemplating the ominous clouds that promise only one thing when I realized it would not be a bad idea to walk back across the street to my house so I can grab my rain jacket. It was almost as if this sudden moment of clarity was exactly what my bus needed before it would come pick me up, leaving me doomed to face the weather that was only but sure to come. I climbed aboard wishing the rain away until after I got to the school, absent-mindedly scanning the seats for the one that would also take me. If I've learned anything from taking the bus for the past six weeks, it's that sharing your seat with two other people is inevitable and the best way to do it is to find the kids wearing school uniforms. They're smaller and willing to squeeze so I can always fit my whole body onto the seat without having to brace myself with an arm on the seat across from me. Bingo, found it. I sat down next to them, attention turned back to the weather. We stopped a few more times and before long the aisle behind me was taken up with standing passengers. I knew that the next person to get on was going to be stuck between me and the girl across the aisle falling off her seat because she was unluckily sitting with two grown people.
The bus stopped. He was the first one to get on.
Oh no. No please no, I thought. His arms holding onto the rails above him, unable to grab onto his slipping pants, he was on his way to join the mass of standing passengers behind me.
Please stop please stop please please please! I was pleading inside my head. A small child, a lean mother. But pleaaase, not the guy with the buttcrack turned in my direction.
Lord have mercy.
He stopped where my hands were holding onto the seat in front of me. Of all days, I couldn't help but think, why choose today not to wear a belt or underwear? I removed my hands. There was no other place to look than down into my lap now with my view tainted.
The bus stopped again. More people got on. Buttcrack man moved even closer and I was forced to sit on the edge of my seat to avoid contact with his Livvy crack- oops! I mean plumber's crack for the rest of the ride. By the time my stop came I quickly scrambled off and started towards the school. Then the rain came. Mercilessly, may I add. And today was the day I decided to wear white.
Only me, I thought. I laughed all the way into the office. 6'8" Tom was nice enough to give me his tentlike jacket to wear the rest of the day. Ohh Guatemala.
Love love love you,
Rachael
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Today is a Good Day
Dearest Mom & Dad,
Sorry I haven't written for a while. It's just that sometimes I feel like I don't have enough to share. It's strange though, because in reality I actually feel overwhelmed by all that I want to share. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem possible for me to melt the beauty and excitement of my experiences into words so that you guys can enjoy my time here as much as I am.
I don't know if it's because I'm young, because I'm travelling, because I'm carefree, because I'm lucky, because I'm blessed, because I made the right decision, because I'm loved, because I'm supported, or because of some other reason, but my days here are always happy days. Let me attempt to explain:
I wake up to a busy downstairs, greeted every single day with smiles and people asking how I slept. I walk to the gym where I share friendly "hellos" to people I don't know. I get on buses so crowded you wouldn't believe, each one painted like the Magic School Bus, each one proudly displaying the name of some unknown woman, blaring music nothing short of obnoxiously, front window decorated with innumerable quotes about God, and always stopping to pick up MORE people that I can't help but enjoy my adventurous ten minute ride to school. I arrive at the school, smiling back at the other teachers there who never fail to ask how I'm doing. My heart is warmed as my students come bolting down the hallway and into the classroom in an effort to win their favorite seat at their favorite desk. I glow when I see the progress they've made this unit and bask in their squeals of delight when they earn a measly point for answering the question right- a point that brings nothing more than bragging rights. I laugh when Henry tries to say "cabinet" and out comes something like "gravuk." When Pablo goes to the board to write "floor" and proudly shows me that he's written "foon." Or when Marcos can't control his excitement because he thinks he knows the answer and screams "WOLF!" so loudly that the other ten year olds are silent...only to be met by my outright laughter and teasing response, "Nope! Sorry Marcos! The answer is squirrel! No punto para ti!" Ohh how we laugh in English class. Even shy Jennifer, the only girl, covers her mouth in fits of giggles. I leave the school after saying bye to the teachers who have quickly become my friends and to the kids playing soccer after class, "Adios Raquel!" I get on the bus and am thanked with a smile by the old lady who I've shared my seat with or the mom who swaddles her baby. I walk to the park with a book in hand and a smile as I remember what part I left off at the day before, determined to put the last hour of daylight to good use. I meet my friends at night who are never shy to yell from almost embarrassing distances, "Hola mi amiga! Raquelita como estas!?" We depart with kisses on the cheek, como siempre, and as soon as my tired body and mind meet the comfort of my bed I've already surrendered to sleep.
I believe with my whole heart that these are how days should be spent. I hope your days at home are even better.
Always yours,
Rachael
Sorry I haven't written for a while. It's just that sometimes I feel like I don't have enough to share. It's strange though, because in reality I actually feel overwhelmed by all that I want to share. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem possible for me to melt the beauty and excitement of my experiences into words so that you guys can enjoy my time here as much as I am.
I don't know if it's because I'm young, because I'm travelling, because I'm carefree, because I'm lucky, because I'm blessed, because I made the right decision, because I'm loved, because I'm supported, or because of some other reason, but my days here are always happy days. Let me attempt to explain:
I wake up to a busy downstairs, greeted every single day with smiles and people asking how I slept. I walk to the gym where I share friendly "hellos" to people I don't know. I get on buses so crowded you wouldn't believe, each one painted like the Magic School Bus, each one proudly displaying the name of some unknown woman, blaring music nothing short of obnoxiously, front window decorated with innumerable quotes about God, and always stopping to pick up MORE people that I can't help but enjoy my adventurous ten minute ride to school. I arrive at the school, smiling back at the other teachers there who never fail to ask how I'm doing. My heart is warmed as my students come bolting down the hallway and into the classroom in an effort to win their favorite seat at their favorite desk. I glow when I see the progress they've made this unit and bask in their squeals of delight when they earn a measly point for answering the question right- a point that brings nothing more than bragging rights. I laugh when Henry tries to say "cabinet" and out comes something like "gravuk." When Pablo goes to the board to write "floor" and proudly shows me that he's written "foon." Or when Marcos can't control his excitement because he thinks he knows the answer and screams "WOLF!" so loudly that the other ten year olds are silent...only to be met by my outright laughter and teasing response, "Nope! Sorry Marcos! The answer is squirrel! No punto para ti!" Ohh how we laugh in English class. Even shy Jennifer, the only girl, covers her mouth in fits of giggles. I leave the school after saying bye to the teachers who have quickly become my friends and to the kids playing soccer after class, "Adios Raquel!" I get on the bus and am thanked with a smile by the old lady who I've shared my seat with or the mom who swaddles her baby. I walk to the park with a book in hand and a smile as I remember what part I left off at the day before, determined to put the last hour of daylight to good use. I meet my friends at night who are never shy to yell from almost embarrassing distances, "Hola mi amiga! Raquelita como estas!?" We depart with kisses on the cheek, como siempre, and as soon as my tired body and mind meet the comfort of my bed I've already surrendered to sleep.
I believe with my whole heart that these are how days should be spent. I hope your days at home are even better.
Always yours,
Rachael
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Not Sure What's Happened to My Immune System
Hi Mom & Dad,
Still not feeling top notch but I'm not complaining. Bizarre, no? That I, the kid who never gets sick, have been sick at least four times in the past four weeks here. Right now I'm recovering from a cold that's been quite successful in draining me of energy. But between you and me, I enjoy having an excuse to lock myself in my room and read for hours on top of hours. Not that I need an excuse to read or anything. I have a book with me almost always. If I'm not reading in my room, I'm reading while I eat. If it's light out and the weather permits it, I'm reading at the park. My family here calls my leisurely reading "studying" and with the help of hand gestures, they show me that my brain is going to get "thiiiiis big" because I "study" so much haha.
Was with an English speaking friend yesterday but since Spanish is his first language, our conversations are always a healthy mix of los dos idiomas. He's not shy to correct me and I'm always asking a lot of grammar questions...so maybe that's why when I was sharing a long story (yes, in Spanish) without needing him to interject or stopping for assistance, his first response was a laugh before he added, "You're Spanish is way better than I thought." Cha ching! Don't worry, I gave myself a healthy pat on the back after that. It's funny though- how much slipping between languages my friends and I do here. Enough that I have a hard time believing that Spanglish isn't actually a real language. Even when I write to you guys or my friends back home I'm constantly deleting Spanish words I accidentally substituted for their English equivalent.
And it's stupid, actually, how much bad English I hear that it's began rubbing off on me. I don't have anyone here to correct me when I say things like, "I go to the store after" or "I see you there" and my favorite "Where do you take dinner tonight?"
Welp, it's a Wednesday night and I skipped going out to nurse my cold with mom's favorite- that's quickly making it's way to my sacred list of good reads- The Red Tent.
Love you guys,
Rach
Still not feeling top notch but I'm not complaining. Bizarre, no? That I, the kid who never gets sick, have been sick at least four times in the past four weeks here. Right now I'm recovering from a cold that's been quite successful in draining me of energy. But between you and me, I enjoy having an excuse to lock myself in my room and read for hours on top of hours. Not that I need an excuse to read or anything. I have a book with me almost always. If I'm not reading in my room, I'm reading while I eat. If it's light out and the weather permits it, I'm reading at the park. My family here calls my leisurely reading "studying" and with the help of hand gestures, they show me that my brain is going to get "thiiiiis big" because I "study" so much haha.
Was with an English speaking friend yesterday but since Spanish is his first language, our conversations are always a healthy mix of los dos idiomas. He's not shy to correct me and I'm always asking a lot of grammar questions...so maybe that's why when I was sharing a long story (yes, in Spanish) without needing him to interject or stopping for assistance, his first response was a laugh before he added, "You're Spanish is way better than I thought." Cha ching! Don't worry, I gave myself a healthy pat on the back after that. It's funny though- how much slipping between languages my friends and I do here. Enough that I have a hard time believing that Spanglish isn't actually a real language. Even when I write to you guys or my friends back home I'm constantly deleting Spanish words I accidentally substituted for their English equivalent.
And it's stupid, actually, how much bad English I hear that it's began rubbing off on me. I don't have anyone here to correct me when I say things like, "I go to the store after" or "I see you there" and my favorite "Where do you take dinner tonight?"
Welp, it's a Wednesday night and I skipped going out to nurse my cold with mom's favorite- that's quickly making it's way to my sacred list of good reads- The Red Tent.
Love you guys,
Rach
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Flying Solo
Hi Mom & Dad,
Yanina left yesterday morning. Her flight was around 7 AM so she left the house around 4. It's really hard to say goodbye when you can't be certain of when you'll see each other again. Feels so weird to come upstairs and not pop in her room or not to be waiting for her to come home from Spanish lessons when I eat dinner. Heads up: if she doesn't come to Chicago sometime soon I'm going to Germany.
Started my Friday night off with Francisco and we went to Zoola, the nearby Israeli hostel/restaurant. There we met up with one person he knew and ended up meeting everyone there. With Francisco, that's usually how things go. It's dimly lit there and we sit on pillows and eat on tables low enough that sometimes it's a struggle to fit your legs underneath. There were so many of us we ended up needing an extra table ha it was really nice. Everyone just chatting chatting chatting about all kinds of things. I've learned so much about Israel from going to Zoola. For example, everyone in Israel has to do service in the army from two-three years. Afterwards, most people take time to travel and most of them go to Central or South America where they bump around for a few months. One of the girls there just got here from Nicaragua and was robbed of her toiletries so I'm taking her to the store to get more today. Francisco & I ended up leaving with two new girl friends from Zoola and told them we'd show them around.
But I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of the sites that Francisco holds near and dear. He goes for the more touristy spots while I prefer the more authentic ones. Usually Yanina and I would go to them together but I no longer have her as a wingman...wahh. Intent on not throwing out my Friday night at a place I didn't want to be, I ended up meeting some of my friends and going to a salsa spot. Although I'm not the hugest fan of salsa, I felt much more at home there than anywhere else I'd been that night.
It's Guatemala's independence day so the streets are packed and there's constantly music, drums, and packs of kids running around with whistles- just like there has been all week. Think I'm going to the park today with a friend to check it out.
Happy Saturday!
Xo, Rach
Yanina left yesterday morning. Her flight was around 7 AM so she left the house around 4. It's really hard to say goodbye when you can't be certain of when you'll see each other again. Feels so weird to come upstairs and not pop in her room or not to be waiting for her to come home from Spanish lessons when I eat dinner. Heads up: if she doesn't come to Chicago sometime soon I'm going to Germany.
Started my Friday night off with Francisco and we went to Zoola, the nearby Israeli hostel/restaurant. There we met up with one person he knew and ended up meeting everyone there. With Francisco, that's usually how things go. It's dimly lit there and we sit on pillows and eat on tables low enough that sometimes it's a struggle to fit your legs underneath. There were so many of us we ended up needing an extra table ha it was really nice. Everyone just chatting chatting chatting about all kinds of things. I've learned so much about Israel from going to Zoola. For example, everyone in Israel has to do service in the army from two-three years. Afterwards, most people take time to travel and most of them go to Central or South America where they bump around for a few months. One of the girls there just got here from Nicaragua and was robbed of her toiletries so I'm taking her to the store to get more today. Francisco & I ended up leaving with two new girl friends from Zoola and told them we'd show them around.
But I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of the sites that Francisco holds near and dear. He goes for the more touristy spots while I prefer the more authentic ones. Usually Yanina and I would go to them together but I no longer have her as a wingman...wahh. Intent on not throwing out my Friday night at a place I didn't want to be, I ended up meeting some of my friends and going to a salsa spot. Although I'm not the hugest fan of salsa, I felt much more at home there than anywhere else I'd been that night.
It's Guatemala's independence day so the streets are packed and there's constantly music, drums, and packs of kids running around with whistles- just like there has been all week. Think I'm going to the park today with a friend to check it out.
Happy Saturday!
Xo, Rach
Thursday, September 13, 2012
You'll Never Guess
Hey Mom & Dad,
So I know you guys know that I teach a cooking class- ironic, I know. I'm not sure though if you're entirely aware of its purpose. This cooking class isn't just any cooking class...it's part of a bigger project called KIDS Restaurant. Tessa, the Dutch lady who started T.E.S.S. Unlimited (the program I volunteer at), utilized her degree in hospitality to give kids an opportunity to work in a restaurant. So KIDS Restaurant is run by these kids who take the cooking classes offered by her program. It's a privilege though, so only the older & well-behaved students can participate. Every other Friday there are reservations that have ranged from 8 to a little more than 60 people. Everyone is assigned a job; the guests are greeted & seated, introduced to the menu, and are served all by kid hosts, servers, and chefs. Not only that, the kids have to speak English in the dining room. The role that the teachers and other volunteers play is very minor- think of us as safety nets. Essentially, by the time these kids are done at T.E.S.S., they'll have gained real experience working in a restaurant and a good relationship with an organization that can personally recommend them to future employers. This gives them a huge leg up on their competition and since they're all so excited about the idea of possibly OWNING a restaurant, they work hard. All of the money made from the restaurant is taken as donation to another center for kids that T.E.S.S. is currently working on opening up. Click here for the link to KIDS Restaurant!
This isn't all that T.E.S.S. does though, but more on that later. Here's their link in the meantime: www.tessunlimited.nl.
So today, you'll never guess what I did at school. It was my day in the kitchen.
Today we had the chef & owner of Ubi's Sushi (a sushi restaurant here in Antigua) come teach the kids how to make sushi and other dishes for their restaurant next Friday! It was awesome. The kids (and I) learned how to make a beautiful spinach salad with oranges, avocados, & tomatoes; sushi; teriyaki chicken; and banana tempura. We learned a bunch of tips that I'll be glad to show off when I come home. It wasn't until the end of the lesson that we realized none of the kids had ever tasted sushi. It was a California roll, but surprisingly six of the seven ended up asking for more! At the end I couldn't resist the Asian in me and taught the kids how to snack on rice by pinching it between a piece of the extra seaweed wrappers we had haha. It was the only thing I was able to contribute. But anyways it was so cool to see these 13 year olds just be able to take the extra supplies and whip up teriyaki chicken for themselves.
I'll take pictures at next Friday's restaurant!
Love you,
Rach
So I know you guys know that I teach a cooking class- ironic, I know. I'm not sure though if you're entirely aware of its purpose. This cooking class isn't just any cooking class...it's part of a bigger project called KIDS Restaurant. Tessa, the Dutch lady who started T.E.S.S. Unlimited (the program I volunteer at), utilized her degree in hospitality to give kids an opportunity to work in a restaurant. So KIDS Restaurant is run by these kids who take the cooking classes offered by her program. It's a privilege though, so only the older & well-behaved students can participate. Every other Friday there are reservations that have ranged from 8 to a little more than 60 people. Everyone is assigned a job; the guests are greeted & seated, introduced to the menu, and are served all by kid hosts, servers, and chefs. Not only that, the kids have to speak English in the dining room. The role that the teachers and other volunteers play is very minor- think of us as safety nets. Essentially, by the time these kids are done at T.E.S.S., they'll have gained real experience working in a restaurant and a good relationship with an organization that can personally recommend them to future employers. This gives them a huge leg up on their competition and since they're all so excited about the idea of possibly OWNING a restaurant, they work hard. All of the money made from the restaurant is taken as donation to another center for kids that T.E.S.S. is currently working on opening up. Click here for the link to KIDS Restaurant!
This isn't all that T.E.S.S. does though, but more on that later. Here's their link in the meantime: www.tessunlimited.nl.
So today, you'll never guess what I did at school. It was my day in the kitchen.
Today we had the chef & owner of Ubi's Sushi (a sushi restaurant here in Antigua) come teach the kids how to make sushi and other dishes for their restaurant next Friday! It was awesome. The kids (and I) learned how to make a beautiful spinach salad with oranges, avocados, & tomatoes; sushi; teriyaki chicken; and banana tempura. We learned a bunch of tips that I'll be glad to show off when I come home. It wasn't until the end of the lesson that we realized none of the kids had ever tasted sushi. It was a California roll, but surprisingly six of the seven ended up asking for more! At the end I couldn't resist the Asian in me and taught the kids how to snack on rice by pinching it between a piece of the extra seaweed wrappers we had haha. It was the only thing I was able to contribute. But anyways it was so cool to see these 13 year olds just be able to take the extra supplies and whip up teriyaki chicken for themselves.
I'll take pictures at next Friday's restaurant!
Love you,
Rach
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)