SHAKIRA SHAKIRA

I don't like to think of it as "annoying," I'd rather think of it as "persistent." I don't know just how many times I emailed Fenix Production company, but I am so, so grateful that they were able to offer us such a generous donation. Maybe it helped that I sat in the foyer of their office for a couple of hours waiting to talk to someone? Needless to say, with as busy as they were putting on this huge show, they found the time and resources to give us four tickets -- and in la platea (in seats right in front of the stage). To say that my girls had a fun time would be an embarrassingly enormous understatement. I only hope that our thank you card to Fenix will convey some of our excitement at being able to offer this opportunity to some of our girls-- maybe we can get more tickets in the future???


I received the email with the news last Friday after my director had already left. IThe whole weekend I wondered how we would decide who would go, and how we would avoid hurt or angry feelings of those not chosen. Monday morning my director decided she would discuss with one of our social workers and psychologists which girls had earned the attendances, as they would be treated as more of a prize for good behavior. Wednesday, one hour before before departing the hogar, she pulled the three girls aside, instructed them to chenge their clothes, and told them they would be leaving after dinner with me for a surprise-- and she left it at that. I stood outside the dining room and beckoned to the tia to send the girls out when it was time to leave. Tia D (my favorite tia, and also a big afan of Shakira) called the girls into a huddle and told them they were to stay with me the entire time, that we should go to the bathroom together and be careful in the crowds. The last thing she said, as she kissed us each on the cheek, was to make sure we screamed for her too. If the girls were confused up until this point, they seemed to have some idea of the type of event we were going to after that comment. As we walked to the front door of the hogar to leave, I heard them whispering to each other, "But do you think we're going? No.... it can't be... but, to Shakira???" Finally when we were out on the street I turned to them and asked them if they knew where we were going. They really didn't want to say it, as if it wouldn't be true if they did. One girl asked "to Shakira??" I said yes, and they started screaming.

The concert was perfect-- I couldn't believe our seats, we didn't have to watch the giatn television screens because we could see the real Shakira, which was just about all the girls could handle. Only one danced and screamed with me; the other two just stood there with their eyes and mouths wide open. We had a ton of fun, and the bandanas we bought for them-- with Shakira written in glitter --have found prominence in their wardrobe.