A sunny winter's day

Today, 24th May, San Lucas school celebrated with a ceremony at school in the courtyard.

Monica and I arrived at 7.30am to help set up the chairs etc. It was absolutely freezing and still is (1.30pm) out of the sun. The children arrived with parents about 8.30. Many students were dressed as negroes, spanish dignitaries, etc, it made for a very colourful sight. The most junior students of course stole the show! The ceremony started with the arrival of the flags of Argentina and Missiones and singing the National Anthem. Whoever wrote it was not thinking of the future when ordinary people would be singing it!! (enough said)

Then each grade performed an item to do with the journey to Independance for Argentina. More celebrations are held on about the 9th of June (or July, can't remember) and other celebrations are held then.

After the items, everyone had hot chocolate and chirizos (?) which was very welcome considering everyone was about frozen solid by then.

It seems to me that people here are more patriotic than we are in NZ. More like the States in fact, where each day starts with a ceremony raising the flag etc.



Yesterday I saw a most interesting truck. It was loaded with fresh pineapples, but had no bonnet, no driver's door, rust for Africa, and looked as though it came from the deep south in America many, many years ago. No one seems to think it strange for vehicles to be falling to bits and the police don't appear to worry about them. I guess they have more important things on their plate.



Yesterday it was big news that the staff and some students from a Uni in Buenos Aires were involved in dubious practices, in order for the students to gain better grades. The revealing photos were all over the news last night, and not only once. For all that it was seen to be a horror, it didn't stop the news channels from showing the photos over and over and over again.



Well folks, that's my lot for today. A day off school tomorrow for more celebrations and then off to San Ignacio on Saturday bright and early.

Catch you soon

Hasta pronto

Viv