Monday, April 23

Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. What happened to spring? It was really chilly this morning...enough so that I needed to wear several layers to stay warm.

The water in the pool was chilly but not awful, and I enjoyed my swim and aerobics. Our regular leader was back on board. She seems to be doing well now following cataract surgery.

Back home, while I was enjoying a couple of cups of coffee to thaw out, Mother and Sis came over. They went to work right away on the jigsaw puzzle, which they finished later this afternoon.

I didn't do much for the rest of the morning. We enjoyed a variety of things for lunch...Sis and I had the rest of the Dragon Soup with pimento cheese sandwiches; Mother had Ramen Noodle soup with pimento cheese on crackers; Hubbie had leftover hot dogs and potato salad. For dessert, we had a choice of strawberries with whipped topping, and the brownies, cookies, and biscuit/cake from yesterday's concert reception.

After lunch, I spent time reviewing today's ESL lesson, and writing a few paragraphs about my experience with the Literacy Council program. The council director plans to use narratives from tutors and students as part of a grant request.

At 2:30, I met with my student. The first thing she did was show me a very nice award she received from the college, recognizing her as the outstanding ESL student for 2011-2012. She was excited, and I was excited for her, though I already knew about the award, because the council director had alerted me by e-mail last night. I'm glad, because it gave me the opportunity to locate a congratulations card in my card stash.

Before we began today's lesson, I asked the student to write a few paragraphs about her experiences with our ESL class. She, of course, expressed gratitude for the opportunity of having a private tutor. In conversation, she remarked that there is no such program in Venezuela.

Today's lesson included learning the present perfect tense with "best," and "worst." "This is the best sandwich I have ever eaten." "This is the worst music I have ever listened to."

The lesson also included vocabulary about repair bills...parts, labor, sales tax. In discussing sales tax, she commented that in Venezula, the sales tax is 16.5%. She said the country imports 75% of its goods, and that food is scarce.

It's not possible to buy all the items one wants in a single store. Folks have to travel miles between places to buy things...eggs here, milk there, etc. And cooking oil is nearly impossible to obtain. Also, vendors know they can gouge customers for goods, so that a bottle of cooking oil can cost seven or eight dollars.

There is such a food shortage, she said, that if you are fortunate enough to obtain, for instance, a quart of milk, you'd better protect it, because if you turn your back, someone will steal it right out of your shopping cart. Folks even come to blows over food items.

The student lays the food shortage problem squarely at the feet of the country's president, Hugo Chavez, and his socialist-inspired government, which imposes strict price controls that serve only to create hardship for rich and poor alike.

The student noted, though, that her son, who still resides in Venezuela, lives on a farm, where he has cattle and chickens and raises his own food, so his family does not go for want, fortunately.

We finished the session with listening comprehension, where I read a paragraph to her, and she repeats it back to me as best she can. She also read a story from her workbook and answered the questions related to it.

Back home, Sis had prepared supper for us...leftover barbecue pork chops, the remainder of the new potatoes, and squash heated in the oven, along with a pan of boiled potatoes, and coleslaw.

Not long after supper, Sis headed back to her hometown. Then I accompanied Mother to her house, where I helped her take a shower, and then put a load of laundry in the washer.

At home, Hubbie and I watched TV, including a subtitled Italian movie called, "I'm Not Scared." A country boy discovers a child chained and starving in a hole in the ground. He helps the boy by bringing him food and water. Later, he learns that his father, along with several other men, have kidnapped the boy, and are holding him for ransom. When he overhears the men talking about killing the boy, he knows he has to do something.

We ended the evening watching this week's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."