Not too much new going on here. The past week or so has been a little bit interesting and a bit of a struggle. The weather has started turning cold and the rain has come back to visit. I think a mixture of weather change and some difficult news from the U.S. for a few, has caused all of us to be a little on edge. Things are still going well and we are enjoying each others company but it seems most of us have struggled at some point in the last week or so to stay in a good mood. I not-so-regretfully have fallen back into my ridiculously long naps after work. Yesterday my nap was about 3 and a half hours long... which should tell me to stop staying up so late hanging out with friends.
Today and tomorrow I am teaching class solo, because Ariana is getting married tomorrow! Its very exciting for her, but being in the class alone with 13 4-year olds speaking only Spanish is exhausting! Although today we were able to decorate some cute skulls for Dia de los Muertos. Which leads me to my next excitement, Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos. I am super excited to be learning about Dia de Los Muertos and for the party we are going to have for Halloween. Honestly I would like to sit down and have an information session about Dia de Los Muertos, but its good to pick up bit by bit this really unique holiday. I am super intrigued by the idea of putting out an offering on this specific day in order to invite the dead to come back and visit you on earth. Obviously my Mom has constantly been in my thoughts for this day, and I am trying to figure out a unique way that I could make an offering of food or pictures or something in honor of her. I can't wait to learn more about this and tell you all what I've learned.
While I feel like sometimes I may talk too much about my mom, I must mention this one thing that happened this week. During our quiet time before recess on monday, Isaac, one of our students turned to me and asked "Do you miss your mom?" This took me by surprise and while I could honestly answer "yes." I was curious why he was asking me this... especially since I have never mentioned my mom's passing to the 4-year olds (I don't think they would understand and it might scare them about their own family). Isaac continues by asking me, "why?" and I decide a vague but honest response of, "because she's not here." Then after a period of time he asks me, "how did your mom die?" Which took me by complete surprise, and I say, "she was sick." Then he gets distracted by something and that was the end of the conversation. But I have absolutely no idea how he knew that my mom had passed away, it is very possible that he over heard me discussing the grieving process with Ariana. Or my only other thought is him hearing me mention giving an offering for my mom for Dia de Los Muertos. But it was a very surprising thing, to have a 4-year old be so intelligent and ask me such sincere questions. Either way, it is nice to take a second to acknowledge my Mom every once and a while... Interesting how she seems to be showing up in so many ways here in Mexico.
But in order to leave us on a good and somewhat comical note. I was asked by one of my favorite students Paco whether girls have a peine (sp?), after a few seconds of confusion trying to decide if he was talking about combing hair, I realized what peine stands for (penis). I look over at Ariana and we both BURST out laughing... I tell him no and he is asking me why, and I tell him because they are different. Obviously the conversation wasn't going to end there, and he asks, "what do they have?" Hahha. So I was able to use the good old response of, "you should go ask your mom that question." Kids- they can bring you soo much frustration, a moment of honesty and then promptly after a moment of laughter.
Well I hope you all are doing well. I will try to think of things to keep writing about. Sorry for the delays in between. I love you all. Be Kind. Have a fun Halloween! (im going to be a cat-Meow.)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Things that are different in Mexico:
- During rush hour, the trains have cars that are for women only. While I find this somewhat disturbing because this means women get harrassed to badly to be with men, I also don't hate it. A bother free zone.
- There is Graffiti EVERYWHERE. Literally everywhere you look. Sometimes you even see people sign their name on their graffiti. Yes, there is graffiti in Chicago, but Daley tries to paint over all of it as much as possible. It doesn't get painted over here and just builds up and up.
- Most of you probably know this, but the proper greeting here involves a kiss on the cheek. You are supposed to give everyone you know a kiss and shake the hand of those you do not know. And when you leave you should go around and kiss everyone again. I've never been a touchy person, so this has taken some getting used to.
- If you are walking with a male companion, in order to be a gentleman the man will walk on the street side of the sidewalk in order to protect the woman from any dangers that may fly from the street.
- People in general would rather agree to come with you some where and then not show up, than to tell you they can not make it. Sometimes you may be left waiting for no one to come.
- Being a vegetarian means that you don't eat red meat. You will be offered chicken as a vegetarian option frequently.
- It is very common that while you are riding the Metro (subway) a person will be walking around with speakers blaring a mixed cd that he/she has made and that is for sale for $1.
- Being Catholic is not something that people resentfully admit. Catholicism is a part of the Mexican people's culture. Mass is used to celebrate all important parts of life and people genuinely like going. (I've already been to Mass twice this week to celebrate friend's achievements. And I did not resent going.)
- There is a big square/patio area in front of the church where many people just gather for hours before or after church to be together. Kids play with their bikes or balls here and quite frequently teenage couples are seen making out here.. haha. Either way it definitely inspires community within the Church.
- The sewer system is not exactly functional, therefore you can not flush down your toilet paper. So there are always garbage cans in the bathrooms where you throw your toilet paper. (While at first this disgusted me, you get used to it pretty quickly.)
- Most people and businesses do not have heat or air conditioning. We have purchased a space heater for our bedroom, but I have a feeling Im going to be wearing my winter jacket 24/7.
- There is Graffiti EVERYWHERE. Literally everywhere you look. Sometimes you even see people sign their name on their graffiti. Yes, there is graffiti in Chicago, but Daley tries to paint over all of it as much as possible. It doesn't get painted over here and just builds up and up.
- Most of you probably know this, but the proper greeting here involves a kiss on the cheek. You are supposed to give everyone you know a kiss and shake the hand of those you do not know. And when you leave you should go around and kiss everyone again. I've never been a touchy person, so this has taken some getting used to.
- If you are walking with a male companion, in order to be a gentleman the man will walk on the street side of the sidewalk in order to protect the woman from any dangers that may fly from the street.
- People in general would rather agree to come with you some where and then not show up, than to tell you they can not make it. Sometimes you may be left waiting for no one to come.
- Being a vegetarian means that you don't eat red meat. You will be offered chicken as a vegetarian option frequently.
- Speed bumps are very popular here. Just about every stop light has a speed bump. And by speed bump they are like speed mountains. The bottom of most cars gets scraped while going across them. Since people don't really follow traffic laws this is an attempted way at slowing drivers down.
- Laws are more of recommendations than rules here. Most drivers (including bus drivers) will drive through a red light if there is no on coming traffic.
- The Bus and the Metro are between 30 and 50 cents. YES, it is amazing.
- The Buses her are not automatic. With the combination of stick shift driving and the huge speed bumps in the road I almost always get motion sick. I usually try to take dramamine if I am going to be on the bus more than 10 minutes...- It is very common that while you are riding the Metro (subway) a person will be walking around with speakers blaring a mixed cd that he/she has made and that is for sale for $1.
- Being Catholic is not something that people resentfully admit. Catholicism is a part of the Mexican people's culture. Mass is used to celebrate all important parts of life and people genuinely like going. (I've already been to Mass twice this week to celebrate friend's achievements. And I did not resent going.)
- There is a big square/patio area in front of the church where many people just gather for hours before or after church to be together. Kids play with their bikes or balls here and quite frequently teenage couples are seen making out here.. haha. Either way it definitely inspires community within the Church.
- The sewer system is not exactly functional, therefore you can not flush down your toilet paper. So there are always garbage cans in the bathrooms where you throw your toilet paper. (While at first this disgusted me, you get used to it pretty quickly.)
- Most people and businesses do not have heat or air conditioning. We have purchased a space heater for our bedroom, but I have a feeling Im going to be wearing my winter jacket 24/7.
- Water does cost money here. You can not drink the water out of your faucet. Therefore you must go and purchase jugs of water (ex: Hinkley jugs) to drink. Therefore when you go to a restaurant or a bar you are always charged for the water because it is bottled. Also make sure to request water simple or else you will get mineral water (yuck).
- Tortillas are offered at pretty much every meal. They are a very essential part of the diet and most meals have them.
I thought that this list would help provide you with some understanding of lifestyle differences here. Im good. I had a pretty normal week. I hope you are all well.
All my Love.
Just wanted to let you all know...
I miss you all a lot today.
Lisa recieved some hard news from home that a family member was Ill. I also spent the day giving presentations about being a missionary at the High School and didn't have the usual joyful hugs and smiles of the kids. But I was thinking about all of the wonderful people I have in my life back in the U.S. and I just wanted you all to know that I would love to give you each a hug and have an enjoyable time together.
All my love always.
Lisa recieved some hard news from home that a family member was Ill. I also spent the day giving presentations about being a missionary at the High School and didn't have the usual joyful hugs and smiles of the kids. But I was thinking about all of the wonderful people I have in my life back in the U.S. and I just wanted you all to know that I would love to give you each a hug and have an enjoyable time together.
All my love always.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Starting to feel at Home
Hey Everyone- Sorry I haven't written in a while, things are starting fall into a routine here. My days just seem to keep passing by and by...
Things are going really well. I'm finally starting to feel like my cold is gone (knock on wood). We've made some enjoyable friends here and see them most days. A whole group of us: Isaac, Lisa, Juan Carlos, Claudia, Cristobal, Jess, Marcos, Caro and I all went to a water park in Ixtapan this past Saturday. It was about a 2 hour drive and we left at 6 am--eeek. While I was somewhat hesitant about going to the water park out of swimsuit season (so many tortillas), it turned out to be an amazing day. The Water park was beautiful. I've never seen a water park like this in the U.S. It was huge and so spread out, it took like 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other... But it was in between these beautiful hill/mountains. With tons of trees and lakes. The view was just amazing. And of course the wave pool, wave river, and all the slides were so fun. Also there were pools of hot springs that you could sit and swim around in. After I got over the fact that they weren't crystal clear I really enjoyed them. After I got over the fact that people were staring at the only white people in the water park we had an amazing time. While I sometimes struggle to decide if its fair that I should be doing these things as a missionary, I also realize how completely important these fun days are. It was nice to be present to the moment and just feel laugh and play like a kid again.
The Guarderia is going really well. Ariana and I have been spending part of everyday just talking about our lives. She recently went through a difficult time and it has been nice to share in the joys and difficulties of our lives. I think we are starting to become good friends and I couldn't be happier. Also, I love the kids. They bring me so much joy, and I love all of our students. Even the bad ones who act up all the time and hit, will come up and giggle about the smallest things and give me a hug for no reason at all. I am greeted most days with running hugs and meliiiiiissaaa greetings. What a fantastic way to start your day... I brought my camera in today to take some pictures for a presentation we have to give tomorrow at a high school about being a missionary, and the kids were sooo excited about the camera. They all wanted to pose and then promptly see themselves. I am going to post some of those pics up on here to show you hopefully later this week.
Also, Ive had some exciting firsts in the last few weeks that I have neglected to share.
1) With some help from Lisa I cut my own hair for the first time ever. It really needed it and I think it turned out well. I am going to work on cutting layers into my own hair. They are very chill this time. But still..woo for saving money and being a little B.A.
2) Lisa and I went to the Market all by ourselves!!! This may not seem like a big deal but imagine like 30 stands smashed into one block crowded with people and people yelling in Spanish at you. My first time I went there I was like whoaa this is a bit much, and I remember thinking, its going to be a while before I will be able to go and buy things by myself. I had to have Jess and Caro help me with some of the Spanish names for things but I did it! and I felt so excited and proud.
3) Yesterday I made salsa roja all by myself!!! It isn't a super difficult process but you have to cook the tomatoes and peppers in a pan before mixing it all. It was just a very exciting Mexican thing that I am now able to make!! YAY. And it tastes delicious. A little spicy but I am getting used to EVERYTHING being spicy. Literally. Even candy. (Yuck.)
That's all I have for today. As Im getting into a routine its getting a little more difficult to make posts but I will try and work on capturing my weeks and write each week. It may end up being a little less frequent but I will really try and keep it going. All my Love.
Things are going really well. I'm finally starting to feel like my cold is gone (knock on wood). We've made some enjoyable friends here and see them most days. A whole group of us: Isaac, Lisa, Juan Carlos, Claudia, Cristobal, Jess, Marcos, Caro and I all went to a water park in Ixtapan this past Saturday. It was about a 2 hour drive and we left at 6 am--eeek. While I was somewhat hesitant about going to the water park out of swimsuit season (so many tortillas), it turned out to be an amazing day. The Water park was beautiful. I've never seen a water park like this in the U.S. It was huge and so spread out, it took like 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other... But it was in between these beautiful hill/mountains. With tons of trees and lakes. The view was just amazing. And of course the wave pool, wave river, and all the slides were so fun. Also there were pools of hot springs that you could sit and swim around in. After I got over the fact that they weren't crystal clear I really enjoyed them. After I got over the fact that people were staring at the only white people in the water park we had an amazing time. While I sometimes struggle to decide if its fair that I should be doing these things as a missionary, I also realize how completely important these fun days are. It was nice to be present to the moment and just feel laugh and play like a kid again.
The Guarderia is going really well. Ariana and I have been spending part of everyday just talking about our lives. She recently went through a difficult time and it has been nice to share in the joys and difficulties of our lives. I think we are starting to become good friends and I couldn't be happier. Also, I love the kids. They bring me so much joy, and I love all of our students. Even the bad ones who act up all the time and hit, will come up and giggle about the smallest things and give me a hug for no reason at all. I am greeted most days with running hugs and meliiiiiissaaa greetings. What a fantastic way to start your day... I brought my camera in today to take some pictures for a presentation we have to give tomorrow at a high school about being a missionary, and the kids were sooo excited about the camera. They all wanted to pose and then promptly see themselves. I am going to post some of those pics up on here to show you hopefully later this week.
Also, Ive had some exciting firsts in the last few weeks that I have neglected to share.
1) With some help from Lisa I cut my own hair for the first time ever. It really needed it and I think it turned out well. I am going to work on cutting layers into my own hair. They are very chill this time. But still..woo for saving money and being a little B.A.
2) Lisa and I went to the Market all by ourselves!!! This may not seem like a big deal but imagine like 30 stands smashed into one block crowded with people and people yelling in Spanish at you. My first time I went there I was like whoaa this is a bit much, and I remember thinking, its going to be a while before I will be able to go and buy things by myself. I had to have Jess and Caro help me with some of the Spanish names for things but I did it! and I felt so excited and proud.
3) Yesterday I made salsa roja all by myself!!! It isn't a super difficult process but you have to cook the tomatoes and peppers in a pan before mixing it all. It was just a very exciting Mexican thing that I am now able to make!! YAY. And it tastes delicious. A little spicy but I am getting used to EVERYTHING being spicy. Literally. Even candy. (Yuck.)
That's all I have for today. As Im getting into a routine its getting a little more difficult to make posts but I will try and work on capturing my weeks and write each week. It may end up being a little less frequent but I will really try and keep it going. All my Love.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Picture this...
On the Road from Monterrey to D.F.
Bienvenidos! Our Front Door!
The Incarnate Word Symbol that Padre painted on our house to protect us from robbers or disturbances. This may be why people regularly ask us if we are nuns (monjas).
Lisa and Me right before our Welcome Party.
Note: the welcome sign and American flags put up for our arrival...ha.
Our Kitchen with Lisa.
Blurry Pic of Living Room
The Office/Craft Area
The Chapel in the front of our house, I know, I know, I never thought Id have a chapel in my house either. But here it is. I wish you could see how gorey jesus is...
Caro and My Bedroom. I promise this was before I put up pictures of all of you on my wall! Also, Yes my bed is made.
This is the view outside my bedroom door. I just wanted to show you our rod-iron (or is it rot?) floor and stairs going downstairs and up to the roof. Its much different than a U.S. home.
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