Le sigh...

So in the past few months this happened.

As well as...

Walking to the grocery store I came across a group of boys probably 13 years old and as they caught a glimpse of me me the usual phrases came out "hostia", "madre mia" then... "ahi va Moby Dick. Proceed to try to ignore along same road come across another group of boys a familiar routine essentially since middle school "oh there goes your girlfriend" "ugh hell no" Finally make it to the grocery store and then another probably about 10 years old is following me trying to sneakily take pictures from afar. When I finally notice that's what he's doing I stop look him in the eyes with a "what are you doing/what do you want" look and he goes away.

On my way to another grocery store trip I pass a group of kids that say "ahi va la gorda de ingles" (there goes the fat English teacher) and while waiting in line to pay for my groceries an elderly woman whispers to her husband "look she's actually eating salad"

 Let's not leave all of the fat shaming to the small town Spaniards...  While standing in front of a restaurant in London (shout out to the English speakers!) deciding if my friend and I should have dinner there, a complete stranger passing by said "Stop eating!!" While looking at some clothes in a store in Rome, the old lady that worked there made a point to come up and tell me "Those are one size only!!" (y que?!)

Walking home behind a group teenage boys...when rounding the corner one catches a glimpse of me and mumbles something to his friends. Then like dominoes they each turn around to take a look at me as I turn left and they carry on I hear the word 'enorme'

Walking home from the grocery store two little girls roughly 8 or 9 years old at the first glimpse of me burst into hysterical laughter (cackling that could be heard all along the empty streets of the main road during lunch time) pulling out there phones to take pictures, when I stopped and said "que pasa" they just looked at me like I'm far too busy being out of breath from continuing to laugh and snap pictures of you face.

Walking home about a block from my house a little boy is walking this dog with his mom just a few steps ahead of me. the boy gets a glimpse of me and tells his mom nervously "There's a monster following us" The only thing the mom says to the boy is "Don't worry, just keep walking"

I am not going to say that I have been unaffected by this because that would be a lie. After all of these incidences I still can't gain the understanding of how people can be like that. My child wasn't even that cruel and I had the nickname Caty-Faty (oh gotta love family) And some people might say well Cathy if you lost some weight then you could avoid unpleasant encounters such as the ones you are telling us about. But that is besides the point. I'm never going to be "supermodel" skinny and even then I'm sure mean people will find other things to be mean about. So being bullied into losing weight is not really my style.

I am not blind to the fact that I'm overweight, but I am totally mostly sometimes comfortable in my own skin, but however i decide to go about that is no one's concern much less their entertainment. There are definite days where i feel like I'm a circus animal, not cause of me but cause of them. It's me versus them . They started a game but on most days I feel like it's one where everybody loses. :-/

Student Comments {5} and Other Random Musings

Hey hey all,

Nothing like laying in bed with a cold to catch up on blogging lol. Here are some more random musings.

1.

 I was helping one of the teachers grade some history science exams and this is what I read:
Question: What is was the Industrial Revolution?

Answer: It was a rebolution. It was violent.


2. During lunch time at school the auxiliares and I give an English Workshop called Lunch Bunch, where we essentially play games and try to get the kids practicing english... not always an easy task when they have to do that instead of be outside playing whatever they want.

My coworker Makhala and I started the session off with a name game icebreaker. We were all in a circle and you had to say your name and an adjective that describes you as well as remember everyone's name and adjective that came before you. "Cathy is Cool, Makhala is Funny, Sara is happy... etc.

About half way though the circle one of the kids goes "Cathy is Cool, Makhala is..." So trying to give the kid a clue I make the f sound.. (F)... (F).. Makhala is (F)....at, Fat! Horrified, I said, "You mean funny, Makhala is Funny!? Quickly changing the topic and moving on the next person in the circle >.< Makhala was really great and nonchalant about it... unlike me...

2a. Along with doing the Lunch Bunch activities the auxilares also help in the Cafeteria with a mock restaurant where the kids get to eat with us once a week and speak English, as we serve them and show them table manners and the like. At the end of one of the sessions one of the first graders innocently comes up to me and asks..."Teacher are you..em-bara-said?" |Again horrified, I said, "Pregnant? No, I'm not pregnant... it's not embarasaid... that's a false friend" as I hurried her off to get back into the line.

Pregnant? No. Embarrassed? Yes.

3. With my fifth graders in English we are doing group skits. One of my groups are doing a skit about being circus people and the lion tamer brings in her sick lion. They wanted the girl who was playing the lion tamer to also act out the part of the lion, and as I gave an example (during the week that I was pretty much without a voice it came out more like this:

4. This year conversation in the staff room is pretty segregated among teachers and the language assistants... the end of one we did catch was bits and pieces of remote control vibrators at parties and other creams that give sensations... comical and awkward at the same time

5. Reviewing things a previous topics with students:
Me: Can you tell me what marks the beginning and end of the Prehistory period?
Student: P and Y... with a big grin on his face.


6. Any auxiliar can attest to this, if you ask a student "how are you?" 99.9% of the time they are going to say,
"I'm fine thank you, and you?" I've had several classes say this all in unison. Now I tell my students that there are many different ways they can answer this question (i.e... I'm fantastic, I'm sleepy, I'm okay...etc) and there is where it went terribly wrong with my 3rd graders..

Me:  I'm tired, how are you?
Student 1: I'm angry.
Me: Why?
Student 2: He's angry because he (makes heart shapes with hands) a girl.
Student 1: And she (makes heart shapes with hands) another boy.
Student 2: What? No.
Student 1: Yes, she told me at lunch to my face.
Me: Oh no, I'm sorry
Student 1: I just want to punch and kill them both, then revive the girl and (makes kissy face then quickly does a thrusting action)
Me: Stop that!
Student 2: What?
Student 1: You don't know what (thrust thrust) is?
Me: Ok, there are three uses for the word can Permission, Request, and Ability...

Until next time!
@CathyArely

What do you think?

At what age should a girl stop wearing pig tails?

Random thought...

In light of all of the craziness that has been going on... I just have one random thought to share with you all, and I´m sure other auxiliares can attest to this...

Spanish keyboards get on my nerves!! 

lol It took me like 10 minutes to find the @ sign when I needed it -_-

That is all...

Much love & thanks for the love,

Cat