a ha hush that fuss...

Outkast anyone?

There's so mcuh to tell you about today.

But I must begin with this.  Since I bought my mac, I have been excited about the video chat.  Before I bought it, I was prepared to rig a webcam to my Dell.  Tracy had suggested yahoo chats via video since she does them with her sister in England.

Anyhow, Patrick was on Facebook, so we were chatting and we decided to try out the video chat.

IT WORKED!  Sometimes it's a bit delayed, but that's probably because I have a low (borrowed) signal.  SO- anyone with an AIM screen name and video capability, let's chat!

Back to me....

I checked today, and the numbers before my phone number should be right now.  Good luck with that!

So back to Outkast.  Today was an "everybody move to the back of the bus" day!  Let's see...

After Mabel dropped Cosette off at school, she came back here for me.  We had some breakfast (apple and pan tostado-pre-toasted bread).

We went to one of her schools for some meeting- she just had to talk to the director or something. Then we went to the bank.  I cashed a check that Comexus (Fulbright stationed in Mexico) gave us for whatever we want, and changed half of my cash.  I feel LOADED since the exchange rate is ten to one.  But it's much better having pesos; it just makes life much easier. 

After that, we had to return home so Mabel could take a psychological exam (best I can tell is it's like a background check) for an interview for a job this afternoon.  It was online and took two hours!!!!

It also had things like math, situational ethics.  Weird.  Okay, not weird, different. :)  That's what I tell my students.  And I believe it.  But this test.  Seemed weird. :)

So after that, we were going to try to practice my bus route.  Good news: it only takes one bus to get me to the school.  More good news: the bus is air-conditioned.  More: The last stop is mine.  Why is this good news you ask?  Because, since the ride is almost 45 minutes, I get on early both times ensuring a seat!

So I got on my bus; it's called canal tres because it passes a tv station (channel 3).  It costs me 6 pesos (60 cents for you mathematicians paying attention earlier) both ways.  It's a bumpy ride.

That leads me to the explanation of my title.  We got on, and it was semi-empty.  Mabel took us to the very back of the bus.  I figured she had her reasons.  So I followed.  Well, turns out these drivers are serious about getting places.  There are major and I mean major potholes in the roads.  So we're flying through town and hitting speed bumps.  You can imagine what happens in the back of a bus.  We were flying everywhere, but by this time it was filling up.  So we stayed!  I may not be able to walk after a week of riding the bus!

We were watching our watches because we only had about an hour before Mabel's interview (note: Mabel is pronounced Mah-BELL and can sound like My Bell when spoken in the Barren County accent as noted by PK and Mer and Amanda on our three-way chat tonight).  We got to the school and the bus turned around.  One time I got on a bus in Spain going the wrong way and at the last stop I had to physically get off, and get on again and pay.  Not so in Mexico!  We just stayed put.  By now it's raining a bit (it is the rainy season, not the hot, which is good), and we have to change buses instead of going back tot he house for the car because we're running late!  So we wait in the rain (lucky for us I had my handy dandy new purple umbrella) and have to jump in front of the bus to catch it.  I told you they go places fast.  Mabel told me that they have supervisors at certain stops to make sure they're running on time (contrary to what I'd been taught about Mexicans and their value of time), so they don't go out of their way to see you at the stop.  You have to let them know!  So Mabel threw herself in front of the bus (camion for a littel Spanish lesson) and we got on.  There wasn't exactly room, so we stuffed ourselves at the top of hte stairs, holding onto anything we could.  Since we were flying, this other man tried to get on adn succeeded, but where do you think he was going to go?  He was what you picture in your head when you think of a Mexican man.  He had the hat, the jeans, and he was old.  I was thankful for him, though.  At one point, we lurched and I totally would've fallen if he hadn't been there to save me.  Thank you, 70 year old man!

I'm tellin' ya, they get you there on time.  If you're still alive when you get off the bus, 

that's a bonus!  I should now say the part about how they don't wear seatbelts.  I've already tried to break the habit.  It's TOTALLY habitual.  I don't even notice I'm the only on in the car with mine on until we get somewhere and I undo it!

So we get off the bus, thankfully alive, and run literally to the building where her interview 

is because we're 15 minutes late already.  It's a ten minute run in new flip flops.  They're Borns, so they felt decent, but totally not meant for running!

So I go sit in teh library outside the room where she's on some official woman's computer doing a video interview with someone in another part of the state.

So she came out at 2 and we had to be at my textbook meeting at 3, so we caught another bus.  What an adventurous day.  I though it would be a slow day...HA!  We had to wait a bit.  We got on the bus and went to the mercado downtown to grab a bite.  I had a taco and a vampiro.  Yep, a vampire.  It's a typical dish from here.  I was unimpressed.  The taco, however, blew me away.  And only 10 pesos!  What was strange, er different, was that there were cut cucumbers and radishes out with pepper.  Mabel just picked one up with her fingers, put pepper on it, and ate it.  She asked me if I wanted some, and I declined.  I did however, eat the salsa and guacamole (which is much more liquid here than ours) from the table.  It was probably brave of me to do this (and drink my coca light with ice!), but it was comfortable.  Comfortable is always when you get into trouble, so I'm going to have to pay closer attention.  We scarfed it (because by now it was 2:30 and I hadn't really learned form yesterday's breakfast and didn't eat enough!) and booked it to the hotel (walking).  We got there and there was a party!  Well, drinks and cookies, etc.  Mabel talked to Ana Luisa who is my mentor, yet is a coordinator of the program for the whole city, so I won't see her a ton.  She said she'd be back for me at 6.  I swear she lives in her car, which I suppose is what most would say about me...

My textbook training was very interesting because it was given by the author of the textbook who is British yet has lived in Mexico for 39 years!  She gave the presentation in English and was very animated, but it was stuff I already knew.  It was for brand new teachers.  I am new to the system, but not new to teaching, so I already knew the answers! :)  It went on for almost three hours with one 10 minute break in the middle.  At the end, Ana Luisa introduced me in front of everyone and made the joke that I would accept all invitations.  But it's true!  Here, it's a cultural thing that they prepared us for in DC.  If you invite someone to something, "Te invito" then you're paying, no matter what it is.  So if anyone invites me, you know I'm going!!!

Afterwards, many people came up to me, giving me their cards.  The girl who had sat beside me asked me if I were on facebook and we're already friends.  She lives on my street.  

What are the odds?!

Mabel came for me with Cosette.  Mabel had to talk to Ana Luisa for a bit because Ana Luisa thinks a public school will hire her.  She's meeting with them tomorrow.  Very interesting how these jobs change hands all the time.  Now she has three high school and/or university jobs.  This would be a part time elementary (which she doesn't like, but wants to do because it's in the mornings) in addition to one or two of the others.

Then Ana Luisa told me that the Secretary wants to talk to me still.  That he's been out of town since I've been here, but that he wanted to talk to me Monday.  Ana Luisa's boss, who is the highest boss in the SEP (the public education of public schools) was told by the secretary that she can't meet me and talk to me and welcome me.  That he wants to do it first!  Ha!

So I have chosen my outfit for MOnday to not sweat to much in school and then meet him. :)

After that, Mabel, Cosette and I stopped in the bread store-aka: pastry shop.  I love how 

they do it here.  It's all out.  You walk in and pick up what looks like a cookie sheet with lots of sugar on it.  You get tongs and pick out what you want. 

 You take it to the ladies to put in a paper bag and they write the price. You take it to the cashier and they wrap it in a plastic bag and take your money. 

 It looked delicious, but until I have a workout plan, I have to be careful!

On the way home, Cosette was chatty chatty chatty.  She does nothing if she doesn't tell me the entire plot of a movie I've never heard of or sing all the words to a high school musical song!

She's hilarious.  This picture is her in her uniform.  The following is her being silly (surprise she's a ham!)

 while Mabel is in the background getting her water.

It was 7:00 by the time we were home, so I tried the video conference and got PK.  Then Mer got home so she called me again. Then they got together with Amanda and we did a three way call.  Turner was asleep, but so very cool!  

Amanda took the computer into his room and showed him to us.  He's still adorable for those of you who were worried!

:) Tomorrow is a short day.  Well, the plans are short!  At 8 I have to be at my "training" with my enlace.  I don't know what that word actually means, but it's the person above me who checks my lesson plans, whom I go to when I need something, etc.  That's at 8.  Mabel will drop me off and then pick me back up.  We'll come home and the maid will be here.  

Mom had mentioned before that she had a friend from some Spanish speaking country who had moved to Glasgow.  

She was needing a maid to come every day and neither Mom nor I understood.  

In Guatemala, there was a daily maid.  It's just a cultural thing.  But in this case, it's only twice a week.  Get this: Friday and Saturday.  I would definitely want to spread that clean around.  But again, what do I know?!

I want to look for a gym and a Mailboxes, Etc, but I haven't seen one.  Mabel seems to think the mail is fine, but everyone with Fulbright has told me no.  When I can put my hands on my address again, I will post it.  You're welcome to try.  Letters should be fine via USPO, but if you wanted something bigger than that, they recommend FedEx.  That may just be FORM Mexico TO the US, but maybe not?

Here I am typing to you.  Emily looked at my pictures on Kodak today and we were chatting while Mabel took her test, and she asked me if I were in my room.  I told her yes and on my bed.  She said it made her feel better picturing it in her head....So here it is!

Love to all!  And get an AIM screen name!

:)