first a coup, then the flu...

so, we knew that something was going to go down when they showed up wearing lab gloves and face masks.

yesterday an entourage of WHO and Ministry of Health officials descended upon our campus. we weren't too surprised because we knew that there had been a confirmed case of swine flu somewhere in the school (here they call it 'la gripe porcine'). rumors were flying, of course, and we did not take it as a good sign that the door to the principal's office stayed closed for 2 hours with the entourage on the other side. at the end of the day, it was announced that we were shutting down for ten days and, as we had a regularly scheduled long weekend coming up anyway, we wouldn't be back in school for 2 weeks.

as a concerned teacher, i am slightly distressed. how am i going to get my seniors prepared for their IB exams? when are we going to make this up? are we going to be in school until next July?

but as a concerned human being, i am borderline ecstatic. we have 2 weeks of vacation! so Elisa and I are hopping on a coachline tomorrow morning with a couple of our world-traveling Canadian buddies and heading to beautiful Nicaragua (and beyond?). 

apparently Nicaragua has volcanic lakes and black sand beaches and fresh-water tiger sharks and other exotic things of that nature. i'm sure it will be a highly edifying experience. perhaps, we'll amble on to Costa Rica. who knows?

so, this might be our last post for a week or so. no doubt we will have many beautiful pictures and madcap tales to share with you when we return...

three cheers for swine flu!