Successful "Fun English" Workshop

Following on from the success of my workshop erm, two years ago (!) I once again offered my wisdom and experience to any and all teachers who were interested in teaching young children English in a creative and fun way.

We'd done the publicity for the workshop, and asked people to sign up if they were interested, so that we knew how many people to expect. By yesterday evening, we had a grand total of 9 teachers signed up. It wasn't a huge number, but I didn't mind - I figured if God wanted just a small number to come then that was his prerogative and I would give it my best for those few. By the time the workshop started this morning, there were 14 teachers, and four more appeared over the next half hour or so... In the end, I had twice the number of people I was expecting. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm! Most of the participants also bought my book and the CDs of songs and resources. Hooray!

I had a great time once again - I love helping others become more creative in their teaching and it's a wonderful privilege to be able to pass on what I've learnt to people who are keen to do the best they can. Oh, and I love the whole "performance" aspect of teaching anyway, and with such a willing group, it was a joy to encourage them to sing and play games with the eagerness of children!

Here's a wee look at what I do:





And you'll find some photos here:

Fun English Workshop 2009

© Fiona L Cooper 2009

Flying visit to Iguazú

This weekend just gone I went with 3 colleagues to Iguazú Falls on the Brazil/Argentina border, to the East of Paraguay. It was great fun and the weather was beautiful. The rivers were high so there was a lot of water coming over the falls and it was awe-inspiring to experience all that stunning scenery. We saw some beautiful butterflies, interesting birds and even a group of monkeys who were navigating the trees above our heads.

Have a look at the monkeys:



And some of my better photos:

Iguazu Falls Feb 09

© Fiona L Cooper 2009

Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza

The BBC has refused to air the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for aid for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The broadcasters say it will compromise their impartiality. A respected politician, Tony Benn, says the BBC is bowing to pressure from the Israeli government. I think that the appeal for help has nothing to do with politics. The fact is, there are people dying, people without homes, without food, without water. Is that not enough on its own, regardless of the debate about why this is the case, to ask people who have money to donate some of it to help their fellow human beings in need?

Read the BBC's reasons here
Watch Tony Benn's response here
Find an article criticising the BBC's decision here

In an effort to counteract the effect of the BBC's refusal to air the appeal, here it is:



© Fiona L Cooper 2009

Transition Blues

I went home for Christmas. I only told a very few people because I knew I wouldn't have time to see anyone else. I was in the UK for a month. I spent Christmas with my family in Newcastle, had a couple of wonderful days in the Lakes with a friend for Hogmanay and briefly saw other friends on my way down south to Heathrow and the journey back to Paraguay.

Now I'm back in Paraguay, where I belong for this time in my life and I'm feeling rather emotionally vulnerable. Which is unusual for me, being more of a logical than emotional personality type. And because of its unusualness, it's a rather uncomfortable place to be.

It's called Transition, this time between cultures, when you don't quite feel as though you fit anywhere. And it's what I'm going through. And I hate it. I've gone through it so many times in my life and recently, it's been every year. Yet it doesn't get any easier.

I think there are a number of factors which can make it easier or harder to cope with, such as how much I've enjoyed my time in the first culture, how much I miss friends and family, how settled I feel in the second culture, how much rest I've had recently, etc.

This time at home, I spent very good times with friends and family and I'm finding it quite hard that I can't spend more time with them, or see them more regularly. My friends have growing families - let me tell you about the 12 people I know who are pregnant at the moment!! - and I would love to be more a part of their lives, I particularly miss getting to know the children while they are young.

I've come back to what is very likely (though not definitely) my last year here in Paraguay. That means I'm inevitably thinking about the future beyond 2009 - where will I go? What will I do? This in turn makes me feel a bit restless about being here at all. I'm trying hard to focus on the here and now, but part of me is constantly evaluating what's going on, in an effort to discern which direction I should go in next.

I've returned to a job which, to all intents and purposes, is likely to be very similar in roles and responsibilities as it was last year. Last year was very hard and I'm expecting it to be a similar challenge this year. That doesn't exactly fill me with joy! Although the fact that I am convinced I'm in the right place for this time in my life does give me a certain functional contentment. However, being a details person means I often find it hard to notice the big picture and remember the reason I came when my mind is occupied with the nitty gritty of getting through the problem in front of me at the time.

So I'm generally a bit fed up and unmotivated at the moment. I'm also tired and the heat is affecting me more than usual because of that. I need to remember that this is a phase that will pass. I need to focus on the positives about being here and take time to enjoy them. I need to make sure I get enough rest, while being aware that sleeping too much is also a sign of stress. And I need to be able to talk about how I'm feeling. So thank you, because that's what this post has really been about - being able to articulate how I'm feeling in an effort to manage this horrid Transition process a bit better.

See more photos from my time in the UK:

Christmas break 08-09

© Fiona L Cooper 2009

God in the unknown

I recently got an email from a dear friend, about searching for God's will. I wanted to share her beautiful and encouraging words:

"Who wants what God does not? I don't. Only His perfect will will do!! Right? So, back to the beautiful place of waiting in wonder for that very will to unfold."

"God makes all things beautiful in His own time. God's ways are perfect and if you sit with an unknown future blinking back at you, just rest and He will make the empty nothingness beautiful. But for today, for this moment just enjoy Him and trust Him... even though the future is not spelled out. This is our faith and this is what will please Him."

Amen!



© Fiona L Cooper 2009