Hugs, High Fives, Happy Children and a Really Cute Puppy

 It’s been an exciting second week in
San Marcos. So many outrageously talented circus kiddies to teach and
play with! They’re always super excited when we get to the finca’s in
the mornings. Hugs and high-fives are the usual greeting (also the
boys have a puppy which is usually part of the morning hello’s) and
we get to laugh at each other being called names that are kind of
like our names but not quite right and way funnier… George, Brian,
Pappy and Paddice. Today we heard my personal favourite so far,
Orlando. Oihana quite liked that on one though.. Karen and Bea get
away with it most of the time although we all get muddled up a lot.
We’re getting there with the kids names, there’s just so many!    We
got to perform at some of the schools in San Marcos this week too. It
felt like a while since our last show and it was great to get back
into them. Yay dusty, windy stages! It’s heart warming seeing how all
the Los Quinchos kid’s are a proper little family who look out for
each other, Some of them were eager to show show us around. A boy
called Christian brought me to his classroom and introduced me to his
teacher at one school.

Monday we had a ‘day off’, after a
massive weekend of teaching. No such thing here, days off consist of
8 am breakfast followed by meetings, rehearsals and team building.
After planning the week in our team meeting, Karen and Oihana, (with
the help of Graham and his stellar moves) started to choreograph the
new act for our show, a Salsa vs. Swing dance battle. Bea and Josh
skilfully planned the curriculum for the week and Paddy helped me
make my Ball routine even more floaty and arts-y.

Tuesday was unsurprisingly the first
day that the keys got locked in someone’s room, nice work Josh! (it
was bound to happen eventually) Luckily the nice lady from next door
picked the lock with a hair clip and a credit card. So after teaching
in the morning, we eventually retrieved the mini rigs and other
necessary show equipment and set off for our first show of the day at
the pre-school/ special education school. Despite some technical
musical difficulties which meant everyone singing parts of the songs,
the teeny tiny children really liked our show and it was home time so
lots of their mummy’s and daddy’s got to see it too which was great.
Quick photo shoot after the show with some pretty shy but very cute

kids and we set off home. Whole team, show kit and all in one Motito.

After some yummy lunch made the
wonderful Marlene, (lunch time’s my favourite we don’t have beans for
lunch… too many beans! ) Josh and I went back to the boy’s finca
for a quick circus session with the younger boys. We got picked up in
an extremely overpriced Motito which had a surprise Paddy in it and
we went to meet the rest of the team for our second show. This one
was in one of the secondary schools on the other side of town.
Miguel, one of the older boys from Los Quinchos, came with us too as
it was at the school he graduated from last year. I like doing shows
in the evenings when the sun is lower in the sky, it was a nice one,
we nailed our club passing despite sun in our eyes. Highlighted by
the Josh fan club which accumulated at the end of it.. Teenage girls
just cant help themselves! It’s definitely the unicycle face that
does it. It felt a bit like the pied piper leaving, we were followed
by what seemed to be the entire population of the school as we walked
back into town.

Wednesday morning during the teaching sessions, we had all the rest of the kids asking when our next show was and ‘ when will it be at my school?’ I think it makes them feel a bit special having us at school which is nice, I cant imagine being an Orphan but it must be quite difficult around other kids at times.
Luckily they are very loved and well cared for at Los Quinchos.

The afternoon show was at Mario Roux, a primary school beside the church, just round the corner from the cultural centre where we sleep. All
the students brought their chairs outside and sat on them which was
such a good idea! They were comfortable and could all see us. It also meant they stayed put and weren’t closing in on us as the show
progressed which quite often happens in school yards. They were a
fantastic audience, we really enjoyed ourselves. Good all round
really, Init!
On Thursday we did our dusty and dirtiest show yet and a secondary
school outside town, watching Karen, Josh and Paddy do their acro
routine was hilarious, dust and sweat makes for some pretty grubby
circus monkeys (This still didnt stop the girls wanting photos with
Josh). This was also the day of our first official autograph signing
session! That was quite a funny experience.

Friday was another team building day,
We practised lots of handstands, cartwheels and backbends while the
boys practised their dive rolls. In the evening we were joined by the
Esteli circus group ‘El Nido’. Lester, Enrique and Levi who will be
coming to teach at Los Quinchos throughout the year when we aren’t
here. We spent the evening sharing skills and practising our Espanol,
which is coming along slowly but surely.

Saturday morning was an exciting one,
I love the weekends as we get all the girls and boys together for
practise and we get to play lots of games. The guys from Esteli ran
the warm-up and then they ran clowning sessions with a few different
groups inside while we had our usually circus party outside. So many
of the kids are getting insanely good at stuff. Axel was skipping on
a unicycle! A few other boys have been trying this as well,
crazy-ness. Carlotta has really improved at unicycle this week too,
she can ride all the way around the “cancha” (playground) now.
There are a few who really stand out: Belen one of the older girls is
just amazing at everything, acro, juggling, poi, hoop, EVERYTHING!
Juanbeltista(?) I’m not entirely sure how to spell his name, has
learned all the diabolo tricks, along with Miguel and Lazaro who
introduced himself as ‘Big Boss’. Geraldine and Rosa have been
practising lots of acro. Strong super women just like Karen..Then
there are the ones who never give up, a girl called Maria, every hoop
session without fail lies on the floor and practises leg hooping, She
is going to nail it eventually. Like the Barrilete Kids they’re
tough, If they fall off the unicycle they get right back on it and go
again, no fear these ones. I also just love seeing how all the older/
more advanced kids will share and teach the others what they know.
They’re all just too awesome!

In the afternoon we were joined by Aileen who was on last years tour,
and Cesar the missing piece of team Estelli. After Darling casually
showed us her dog bite!, we all had a treat, the ‘El Nido’ show! A
contemporary clown show with a narrative. Their show has a story line
and they must problem solve! it’s all about them trying to open a big
brown suitcase. They try lots of stuff, like their cardboard saw or
some juggling clubs. The way they improvise and bounce off each other
is really incredible to see. Eventually they blow the suitcase open
with a juggling club rocket launcher and out comes a cardboard fish
skeleton. This is then fought over for a while before they decide to
share it out.What a lovely ending. The kids enjoyed it and it’s great
for them to see local Nicaraguans perform.

That evening we did duo lingo clowning activities back at the cultural
centre, this was interesting to say the least, we shared games and
had lots of giggles.Then we went dancing and karaoke-ing at the
Osteria, fun fun fun.

On Sunday after what Aileen reassured us was a typical PWB breakfast
(fruit and oats and cereal) we had to wave goodbye to our wonderful
clown friends, but not forever! We will see then again in Grenada in
a few weeks. Teaching would have seemed lonely somehow without ‘El
Nido’, Except it was time to get the kids excited about their
Espectaculo de Circo which is less than 2 weeks away now! We brought
a big poster with all the things and they got to choose their
favourite 2/3 that they will focus on and make routines for the show.
We’re also already pretty excited, Its going to be MASSIVE!

Time is properly flying by here, we’re
already halfway through the project. I feel like they’ve already
learned so much. Bring on the rest of it! This week’s going to be
just as busy and exciting, we’re going to Managua!

That’s all folks,

Poppy X