So, let's talk about Friday. We got up early to take Cosette to school and then go to my meeting with my enlace, Maribel. Think of her as my supervisor. The bos I have directly above me. She has a boss, Ana Luisa (who happens to be my mentor), and she has a boss Mayra Cota. Mayra's boss is the big boss.
Okay, this is where you're lucky because I just went back and re-read. But I do think the chain of command (and names) is important. So you got all that form last blog including the fact that Mayra would be coming at 6.
Six comes and passes. Mabel had gone at 5 to meet with someone about something (minor details) and she had left Cosette in my care. No worries; I'm not some unpaid babysitter. in my care meant that I didn't even see her. She was outside playing with her friend. Where we live is called a privada which clearly means private. What the entails however, is that it's basically condos with a gate and a guard at the gate. I don't think he has a gun (like the guards everywhere else in most of Latin America), but he only lets in people who he knows or who have tags or I don't know. He wouldn't even let people in the other day who wanted to pass out ads. Mabel is the Homeowners Association Treasurer (they don't call it HOA, but I'm giving you the picture), so the guard asked her if they could come in and she gave them permission.
Anyhow, Cosette was playing outside while I waited oh so patiently to hear from Mayra. She came running in, "MaMA!" I told her she wasn't here and asked if I could help. She said that her dad was here; could she go with him? I was about to call her on my cell when I realized he was downstairs and was already on the phone with her. And off they went for the weekend. Interesting visitation agreement. I'm still working on the full story.
Mabel came home close to 7 and said she'd gotten a text from Mayra saying she would be here at 7:15. At 7:30, she walked in the door. We met, she welcomed me, all was well. She told me Jessica had called her. Jessica is with Comexus (I know I'm repeating myself, but I also know there are a lot of names and no faces) in Mexico City. She asked me what the problem was (in a very nice way, not an ugly "what's your problem?") and we discussed it. It came out basically that they had yes changed me from Yuri's school because her school is so far and "basica" meaning it doesn't have much in the way of supplies, air conditioning, level of education of the parents, etc. The school I saw looked to be much the same, but you can't judge a book, right?
So I told her that sounded good to me. She also asked if I could help with the afternoon English reading program. It's from 4-6 everyday and the theme is Octavio Paz for this year. It's basically one week of lessons and the kids change each week. There will be another teacher with me. Should be fun and interesting. So far it's a volunteer position, but they might pay me the difference in hours of what the Fulbright contact says I'll work and how many I'll actually be working. I think she told me it would come out to about 100 a month. Dollars, not pesos. That's good in my book. Not minimum wage, but more than I was making, and enough to pay my part of the bills.
She also asked who was coming with me to school on Monday (remember, no labor Day here), my enlace (Maribel) or my mentor (Ana Luisa), and the answer was neither.
She said she would go with me and come pick me up. She also said there was no reason to be early (read: on time) the first day because all I would be doing is getting my schedule, meeting the teachers, and meeting the children. I'm getting excited writing about it! I was nervous when talking to her, but now I'm ready and excited!
In the middle of this conversation, three women showed up at the door and came in to join us at the kitchen table. They were Yuri's mom, sister, and aunt (Carmen who will take me to church tomorrow-gonna be a long day!). They found out I wasn't going to be at Yuri's school and kind of wowed their eyebrows at where I would be. It's a great area and has a great private school. But like any great area, there are all types. The public school with by the poor kids, but I'm ready for it! Also, I got the impression that the building was air conditioned and that the parents were supportive, etc. Yuri's mom said, "Te pusieron en una escuela mas nice." That made me laugh (they put you in a nicer school, using the English word nice). She also said that Yuri had seen the pictures of Lockeland and had heard all my stories and was so worried about my being in her school. Also, that after she got to Nashville and everyone was so great to her that she got more nervous, at which point Mayra interjected that Yuri had emailed her a few weeks ago saying to take really good care of me because everyone in Nashville had been so great to them. Yay, Nashville!
When everyone left, Mabel told me that a few of her friends were coming over and wanted to meet me and couldn't join us tonight because of a sister's birthday party. No big deal. So I got on my computer, watched the Obama speech from the convention and then went downstairs to wait with her.
In came an engaged couple and we chatted on the back patio for a bit. Later came Mabel's sister, Maricela (they all seem to begin with Ma, huh? Mabel, Maricela, Mabel, Mayra), whom I had just met the day before. She's 22 and studying to be a dentist. She'll be finished in one year I think.
We're sitting on the patio, which is brick-ish in the plastic outside chairs that are oh-so-popular in Mexico. I had a Mark Jent moment. Yep, the legs of the chairs bent on me. They didn't snap which is good. But apparently those chairs can't handle the combination of pressure from the hard floor and pressure from above! That made me really want to start a running plan!
At this point there were five of us, and calls were being made telling us more were coming, so we moved the party out front into the driveway. The driveway looks like two concrete strips to park on, and grass between. It is the length of exactly one car. The car was blocking the driveway in the street (driveway of the privada), so we had the whole "yard." We munched on chips and raw hotdogs (this is what salchicha is), and they drank beer. They all said that people who don't drink beer, but live in Culiacan, drink beer. We shall see. Literally every time someone got up for more anything, they would ask me if I wanted a beer.
Several times my eyes were closing, because at this time it was 11 (12 my time) and I had had a long, full, busy, hot half-week. I got wrapped up in a conversation with a Spaniard who is here volunteering for three months before she travels the world after having just graduated college.
By one, I could see that the party was just going to go on forever, so I had to turn in. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and armed myself with my mask while the music below me blared on and the rain outside kept falling (it started to sprinkle around 11, but we all stayed out there. It cooled off a LOT and they all joked that it was special weather for me because they were all freezing and ready to go get their sweaters. Ha! Yeah right! By 12:30 it was pouring and we all poured into the house and onto the back covered patio). I had no trouble sleeping through all this.
Around 4, I awoke to Mabel standing in my room. And looking at herself in my full length wall mirror. I was thinking maybe she just missed her old room when I realized this is Cosette's old room, not hers... Upon second glance (mind you 4am), I realized it was my balloons from Ana Luisa in the airport! That made me feel better. :) The ceiling fan makes them move and they make a little noise.
Mabel had to go to her new school this morning at 9. She poked her head in and told me she was leaving. I had my mask on and was dead asleep so when she got back and I was showered, etc, she asked me if I felt bad. No, Mabel, this is just what tired Laura looks like! You keep making my social calendar and you'll see a lot of her!
While she was gone, one of Shania's friends called me to tell me that she wanted to invite me sometime, was I busy today. I knew I had night plans, but I wasn't sure of the day plans. She was busy, but would be calling me.
Mabel and I made a grocery list and went to the super. We got some vegetables, thank goodness! :) Spinach and broccoli. We got plenty of fruit. That with my peanut butter ought to make a happy gringa for a week or so. When we got back, Mabel told me of our plans for the day: to her dad's house for laundry and lunch, coffee with a friend of hers that I had met at the textbook training, and the birthday party of the friend's sister from last night.
Her dad is a retired, yet still practicing ob/gyn. His wife died about 4 years ago. He was a very nice man who tried hard to make me comfortable. His house was bigger than Mabel's, but not by a ton. He kept telling me how small her house was. He had fans going everywhere, and even though it was miserably hot outside, it was comfortable inside. Maricela was there with her boyfriend. We chilled while Mabel did some of her laundry. Maricela was still in her clothes from the party last night, so she had to shower and such. When she was ready, we went in her boyfriend's mini-van so we could all fit to the restaurant. It was called Panama I think. It's beside the mall where we ate yesterday. Geographically between his house and ours.
Lunch was GREAT! I had three shrimp tacos. I shouldn't've finished them, but I did. They were that good. Leaving food on your plate or taking leftovers doesn't seem to be a big thing here.
After lunch, we went to pick up the laundry from Dad's house and Mabel was too tired to drive. She asked me if I wanted to practice. HA! In her 5-speed Sentra. I asked her if she wanted to arrive alive.
I did it. Luckily the traffic was super-minimal and I handled it without choking once! Hard to believe I know.
We got back here and I chatted with Mom and was preparing for my nap while Mabel napped, but then Amanda and I figured out skype for the video call and I talked to her and Turner for a bit. LOVE this video camera!!!!
Tonight is more fun. Will let you know!
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