Guarderia

The school we help is called Guarderia [although it means nursery school in English, it is a little bit different from the actual meaning], and as I mentioned before, I went to Guarderia every afternoon from Monday to Friday. The children are around from three years old to 15 years old, so we divide into two classes: one is for younger kids, and the other is for older kids. Because some of the older kids go to elementary/junior high schools, they bring their homework; otherwise we prepare something to study. We do different things each day; for instance, Mondays are Math, Tuesdays are English, Wednesdays are Art, and so on, and we play around every day after the study.

I was usually with younger kids. I was nervous at the beginning because I didn't know Spanish enough to communicate, and they kept asking questions to me; however, what I noticed was that they didn't care if I spoke Spanish or not: they just wanted to be with me and have fun. They called my name again and again, "Momoko! Mokoko! Momomoko!". They liked the sounds. hahaha I usually helped their study and played with them. They were never tired and enjoying anything they did. One kid said that he was very happy because he could study and play everyday. They were very pleased that they could study, play, and be with friends.

One day, I taught origami to the children, and they loved it. They made houses and painted them. Their houses were colorful and filled with happiness. We displayed those houses after painting, and it was very nice.

Through this experience in Guarderia, I learned how I'm happy. I can do what I want to; for example, I can study abroad, travel, go anywhere I want, buy anything, and so on. I didn't consider it was thankful: it is normal for me to do whatever I want. I sometimes need effort a bit, but I can do them anyway. There are many people who cannot do whatever they want; however, they inspired me to do everything with gratefulness.