AS it goes in the US as well, December has flown by. Christmas came and went and I hardly had time to recognize the holiday in order to miss all of you. Now that I have my vacation time off work (woo! 2 Weeks!) It has given me the time to think of all that I missed at Christmas.
December like November, was hard on me health-wise. It seemed just when I started to get better something else hit me. From Stomach flu, to bad colds to even a kidney infection! I just can't seem to stay healthy. I'm eating healthier than I've ever probably eaten before. Taking VItamins and getting more rest than I'd like to admit. Hopefully it will all pass. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good health from now on.
Dec. at the Guraderia: THe kids got to go on a field trip to a forest to learn about the environment and Lisa and I found out about it the day before. THe kids had fun but most of the time Lisa and I spent keeping the kids under control and watching them. Then one day some highschoolers came and handed out presents to all the kids at the Guarderia. This would have been an okay thing but right after the students left, all of the presents were recolected and kept until Jan 6th when they will be passed out on three kings day "Reyes Magos." It didn't seem very fair to hand out presents to the kids and then take them away for another month. But Santa did come to visit the kids on the last day before break. The kids seemed really excited. Most of them were able to say what present they wanted for Christmas. They also recieved bags of candy from Snata. It was simple but I think the kids really enjoyed the day. I wish I had knew S.C was coming though so I would have brought my Camera! boo. We were all supposed to come the following Monday to see the kids sing and perform for their Parents but when Lisa and I arrived no kids were there. It had been cancelled and pushed back because No kids showed up. Bummer. But we had a nice meal and celbration with SOr. MAria Luisa and all the teachers.
My Christmas was really nice. It was simple but it was fun. Wile I love the Parish and everyone tries to inlude us as family, I knew spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day thee would have made me sad and missing Christmas with my family. Lucky for me Josue had invited me for Christmas Eve with his family. It was a lot of fun. We arrived at his aunt' s house after one turn around to get something left at the house (nice to know my family isn't the only one who forgets things). THen by 9ish most of the family shoed up. WE went half of us outisde and half inside to sing Posada. Posada is a tradition of call and response singing re-enactiong Mary and Joseph seeking Shelter the night Jesus was born. Then at the end the doors are opened and the peole are allowed in the house. It is a cute tradition that I enjoyed. Another different tradition was the rocking of baby jesus statues from each family members house. 4 of us held out a blanket and slowly rocked the blanket back and forth with the baby jesus statues inside and everyone sang songs. Then the family read the gospel together and prayed and we went to eat. After a very untraditional, but delicious christmas dinner, we had a big group toast. Everyone went around the room and had their turn to talk and give thanks for the dinner and to god for everything they had. It was a nice way of allowing everyone to share and be a part of the night. Then as always, the night ended with a little exciting salsa dancing!
Christmas day we spent in the parish helping serve a dinner to the community. Unfortunately not as many showed up as we would have liked but it was nice to do something for the community on Christmas. Then we spent time at the house opening our presents for one another. My favorite present was from Caro, who I share a bedroom with. She gave me a dream catcher. I had woken her up the week before talking 2 different nights while I was sleeping. Ha. It was a funny present.
Ok, well that is my update for now. I will try to write more about New Years this weekend. Happy New Year EVERYONE! I love you and Miss you dearly.
p.s. 2010 creeeeepy.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Just when you start to feel sorry for yourself....
Today I was walking to the dollar store and thinking about how I have no friends here. And its starting to get to me. I don't have any friends to just call up when I want something to do.... I have my roomates and I have Josue, and lets face it, you can't talk girl talk with your boyfriend. If I don't take a nap in the afternoons after work, then I am literally sitting around searching for things to do. I unfortunately don't know my way around this humongous city and can't get myself out of santa fe without the help of someone and the one and only coffee shop in our neighborhood is NEVER OPEN (literally I have attempted going like 5 times and its always closed). Believe it or not cleaning tends to take up much of my time here because it turns out there is always some part of our house that is dirty. (I know Katie and Mary must totally hate me right now or you don't believe me, but really Im pretty clean here. weird.) Anyway, after sitting for 2 hours wondering if Josue was actually going to come over and debating starting my second book in the last week... I decided it was time to go run some errands.
I got to the dollar store and was walking around when I was tapped on the leg by one of the girls that goes to the Guarderia. As she looked up and smiled at me with her teary eyes and runny nose, I instantly remembered being told that her mom works at that dollar store. I asked her where her mom was and she pointed a couple aisles over to where she was stacking shelves. I remembered that she didn't show up that day and she nodded in confirmation that she was sick. As she lingered around me not talking as I was in line, I remembered her story. That she was living with a single mom who just moved into the city from the country, and how her and her mom just moved out of a family members house where the little girl was abused and neglected by being locked in her room all day long and not being let out to eat or use the washroom. She barely talks and has trouble controlling her bladder frequently. Apparently when she is not in school she sits and plays in the aisles of the dollar store where her mom works. Just as I was feeling sorry for myself not having any friends, I was reminded of how unfortunate this world really is. I was reminded why I am here and that my problems are nothing compared to the ones that many suffer.
Many people in my neighborhood have been without water from anywhere from 3 weeks to over 2 months. They were not notified before the water went out and had to protest in the streets and stop traffic in order to be told why the water was not on. -Apparently a water pipe is being fixed.- For some with money, this is an inconvience, but in my neighborhood it is rare that people have extra money to spend on a necessity of life. I can't help but think how something like that would never happen without a huge fuss in the U.S. and how if it did happen it probably wouldn't be off for more than a day or two. Although who knows, it may be happening in underprivleged neighborhoods there too and being kept quiet.
Another thing that has been bothering me is the education system. I cannot claim that I am well educated about the Mexican education system. I support everything that the Guarderia does and think it is a great school. However, many of the public high schools, just as many inner city high schools in the U.S., are failing to give the students and opportunity to succeed. A huge strike was held by high school teachers that has lasted a good period of time, (maybe a month or two?), and I just found out that after the teachers were given what they wanted they still did not return to school. What they are doing, I am not sure. And students have been out of school for months, just waiting to go back, whenever the school officials feel like having that happen.
These are the types of injustices that constantly wake me up. Make me call for change. Not only in Mexico but in the United States too. These are the types of stories that show me how lucky I was to have a good family and great opportunities, and to fight for everyone to have them too.
Anyway, here are my thoughts for the day that I thought I would share. Still searching for my place in all of this.
All my Love.
I got to the dollar store and was walking around when I was tapped on the leg by one of the girls that goes to the Guarderia. As she looked up and smiled at me with her teary eyes and runny nose, I instantly remembered being told that her mom works at that dollar store. I asked her where her mom was and she pointed a couple aisles over to where she was stacking shelves. I remembered that she didn't show up that day and she nodded in confirmation that she was sick. As she lingered around me not talking as I was in line, I remembered her story. That she was living with a single mom who just moved into the city from the country, and how her and her mom just moved out of a family members house where the little girl was abused and neglected by being locked in her room all day long and not being let out to eat or use the washroom. She barely talks and has trouble controlling her bladder frequently. Apparently when she is not in school she sits and plays in the aisles of the dollar store where her mom works. Just as I was feeling sorry for myself not having any friends, I was reminded of how unfortunate this world really is. I was reminded why I am here and that my problems are nothing compared to the ones that many suffer.
Many people in my neighborhood have been without water from anywhere from 3 weeks to over 2 months. They were not notified before the water went out and had to protest in the streets and stop traffic in order to be told why the water was not on. -Apparently a water pipe is being fixed.- For some with money, this is an inconvience, but in my neighborhood it is rare that people have extra money to spend on a necessity of life. I can't help but think how something like that would never happen without a huge fuss in the U.S. and how if it did happen it probably wouldn't be off for more than a day or two. Although who knows, it may be happening in underprivleged neighborhoods there too and being kept quiet.
Another thing that has been bothering me is the education system. I cannot claim that I am well educated about the Mexican education system. I support everything that the Guarderia does and think it is a great school. However, many of the public high schools, just as many inner city high schools in the U.S., are failing to give the students and opportunity to succeed. A huge strike was held by high school teachers that has lasted a good period of time, (maybe a month or two?), and I just found out that after the teachers were given what they wanted they still did not return to school. What they are doing, I am not sure. And students have been out of school for months, just waiting to go back, whenever the school officials feel like having that happen.
These are the types of injustices that constantly wake me up. Make me call for change. Not only in Mexico but in the United States too. These are the types of stories that show me how lucky I was to have a good family and great opportunities, and to fight for everyone to have them too.
Anyway, here are my thoughts for the day that I thought I would share. Still searching for my place in all of this.
All my Love.
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