I couldn't have asked for it to go better.
It was the perfect storm of planned chaos.
I planned like crazy. Knowing that my plan would fall to shambles at one point or another.
We had:
(at least) 4 people throw up (*all counselors)
One back injury
One twisted ankle
One child need medical attention (just some scrapes)
One girl back out of the showcase due to stage fright
One belly-flop competition into a kiddie pool in my back yard
One epic game of softball (yeah my team won. Thanks to Resul's awesome pitching)
One stage-combat brawl in Heydar Park (the kids started it, I swear I didn't prompt that one)
Friday and Saturday, Jake, Bailey and I did a ton of running around to buy materials, prep the space, prep for registration, and thanks to Loki's help, screen print 64 t-shirts to be tie-dyed on Monday. Sunday was a pre-camp training for our Azeri counterparts, just to get them in the right state of mind.
Monday: Writing and Dance. Dance was a big hit as Clarissa and Lori decided to teach LMFAO's Party Rock Shuffle. Summer. Anthem. 2011. Writing was great, day one just had the kids decorating their notebooks and talking about story writing. Break time saw us tie-dying t-shirts...and no one could wait to unwravel their shirts and see what the creation looked like!
Tuesday: Writing and Dance. Dance was a continuation of the day before, and saw the addition of salsa. In writing the kids began to write their own dramas. Tuesday night, volunteers went to the park for an awesome dinner and a ride on the dragon! Tuesday's break time was more arts and crafts and sports. Friendship bracelets are (as expected) the big hit, but the fortune-telling cootie catchers are also a real winner!
Wednesday: Music and Photography. Trey led the kids on a walk around Balaken after teaching the basics of photography. Matt took over Music and did a Music Around the World lesson, exposing the kids to different styles of music, limbo, and even having them make their own instruments. Today's break was more arts and crafts, and blowing stuff up. Try putting a couple mentos into a 1L bottle of diet coke. Just try it...
Thursday: Music and Photography. Trey took the kids out again and had them do some slightly more advanced photo-taking (not just pictures of themselves), and Matt taught the kids some American and Azeri favorites, like Five Little Ducks, and Running Scared. Today was our last day of arts and crafts at break, and there was still plenty to do!
Friday: Visual Art and Drama. Mike and Erika helped the kids make salt dough and did some stop motion animation with them, while I led Drama. We played some basic drama games, and then with the little kids we made paper bag puppets, and then to the older kids I taught some basic stage combat (hair/ear pull, slap, punch, throw/fall). Today was the epic Balaken Arts Camp Olympics, where three teams competed in approximately 6 different competitions to bring home the Championship. The Yellow Team of Trinidad and Tobago took it home after the final competition - the Egg Drop. (This is also where yours truly twisted her ankle by falling into a hidden 10-inch hole in the lawn. My team won though, so it was worth it!) AFter camp the counselors came back to my house for a picnic, and that's where the kiddie pool and some creative kitchen/bar skills came out. We met all the kids in the park after, and played games, rode rides, and ate ice cream!
Saturday: Visual Art and Drama. Today in Visual they made picture frames and did other arts and crafts, and in Drama we worked on preparing skits for that night's showcase. At 6pm we invited parents, teachers, neighbors, siblings, and even one of the heads of the ministry to see what we had worked on all week. The reception was amazing, and everyone was thrilled!
Again, I cant begin to explain how thrilled I was that this camp went so well. Some people have had criticisms for it being too structured, but all I can say is that for a camp this size, with this specific of goals, it just had to be. I think of myself as lucky that in my site, I can do something this big, this expansive, and expect this much out of my kids and fellow PCVs. I want to thank all the kids for their enthusiasm and their effort, all the PCVs for their dedication and energy, and all the people in America who sent us materials and money. It wouldn't have worked without every piece of the puzzle. Thanks!!
Next stop: America!
