Puerto Rico, March, 1982

I've come back to the spanish school for a second day. The boys still stare at me, the girls also, but the ones I was friendly with aren't as friendly today as they wer ethe first day. There is one girl in my class, well two, who I am very fond of. Diana an d Roxana. They both were consistently nice to me. The other were also, but I know one can't expect people to always give their time to help others. I don';t myself buyt these two like me and I do like them very much. I really do. I think they life me also, It should really be difficult to be one's self in another land. I really didn't thnink it would be. I've been places, seen things, experience things, but it is different her. The school is so big! And I am such an attraction. Everyone know English,m but everyone speaks Spanish naturally, IU think I have come to a harsh realizatio that everydy does not like me.. If I were in a large puclic school in New Jersey I could be myself, although more difficult than in Vaile=Deane but I would be (maybe) acdepted better than here,, although I am accepted here for different reasons because I look adnact different. I am a foreigner in more ways than if I were an American in a differnt American school. But I still don't know what an American is. I will write the essay though before Monday. I can't wait to be home, but I like it here. I have gotten used to my surroudnings and maybe my father can accept what I say about not being a talkative perons, whi I am not and I won't have to worry about hurting his feelings. I am here for two reasons (in this chool), to be away form my father and to taste m,ore of the tlives of these young people like myself. They are also so dark! And I am white! It is really a shame I am so old. I will never get to visit high schools in other countries (Although this isn'e even a coutnry) byt the time I graduate. I am enjoying being here, altough I hear that it is not such a good school. But Mother Rosa is very nice and I don't want to think bad things,. We really really should have fone to a school in Greece. Why didn't we? (That was really dumb!) So what that no one knew Greek!! I have, I honestly really reuly feel beomce so so enlightened! by my visit to a Puerto Rican school. And it was my own idea too! I do wish I could take Sheila here also., I want to show the nice people here, something that I am proud of. All of my wonderful friends are great people who get along really well with others. So am I, but I would love to see a friend of mine become a big hit with the people here. I would stand by and watch all the kids, my frind with all of those other people having a good time togehter, But I do wonder if that would happen. I know my firends are great! and I wonder if thse peoplwouild like them too, as my friend are really great. Will IO ever know? I guess never, at least, through nothing that I will ever be responsible for arranging. I would really love to see Mrs. Chasan teach the English here. The students would absolutely adore her! REeally! They all hate the Enlgish teacher here. And Mrs. Chasan speaks Spanish excellently so every oowould understand her , although I don't honestly know how welkl the students respond to very nice people. I don't know if theya reused to it. As it kind of always seems to me, the people in large public schools never seem to be an entirely large group oif extremely nice people like Vail-Deane, although very very tiney, is in acutaality one very large group of very very nice peopolle, students and teachers alike.

The students have siad that the French teacher is very nice and that is trie, most certainly. I like her myself, very much. But she and I don't mean to desgrade her in any way at all, lets all her students do as they please. Everyone loves, loves Mrs. Ambrose ye he hols a very astute attentive class.

My first class at the Spanish Catholic School is Geometry. The room is green. There are 35 people in my class including me. The teacher is young and pretty. The class is in Spanish and the books are in English. The first few minutes everyuody stands while the Mother Rosa talks over the loudspeaker to each of the classes througyht the school. Everyone makes crosses over their chests and they they soing something. The teacher has not yet started class, she is reading a program for tomorrow. There is a cross with Jesus over the board and to the left is a Popleposter and to the right is a picture painting of Mary and Jesyus. I was just introduced to the class in Spanish. I wish I knw what she said the girl who is taking me around - her name is Judy. I stodd up in fron of the class and siad "IT's nice to meet everybody," in English.

I hear Spanish numbers which I understand and I hear "cuanto" also.

The students all wear uniforms. Boys also. The teachers clothes are American, shoes too.

Two boys walked in and asked the teacher if they could make and announcement. One boy spoke to the class while the other spoke to the teacher. There is a proble,. The class bea,e uproarious. Mostly boys. The teacher is now hearing the students problems. I really want to learn spanish now! Mariner say I look American to these people. Judy just told me that the boy who spoke to the classis the president and that the professor saw someone from this class take 3 cases of coke last Thursday on field day. The class says they didn't do it, but the Mother Rosa want the $48.00 for it.