Ciudad de Ángeles

Tomorrow at 5:30, Yuri's parents will be picking me up to go to the airport.  I will have my laptop and such with me, but I doubt I will have much time to be on, if I have an internet connection.  All that to say, send your thoughts and prayers south of the border please, and I'll catch up with ya on Tuesday!

Cancel that!

So in the middle of my first blog, I heard Yuri's mom downstairs.  Mabel had told me yesterday that she had called and wanted to send a few things with me for Yuri and would be stopping by.  I hate being interrupted in a blog because I almost never go back and finish it!  But I did.

I went downstairs and she was there with Tia Carmen.  They were chatting with Mabel and on the counter were five books, a bag of tortillas, a grocery bag full of food, and a mini-cooler. 

I was a bit overwhelmed.  Honestly, after looking at it all, I was annoyed.  But I listened.  We chatted.  They chatted.

We ate some of the tortillas (her mom had MADE them this afternoon, and let me tell you there is a difference!!!).  Then she told me she wanted to go with me since there was so much food and in case there were extra fees, etc.  Up to this point I had been thinking about reversed roles.  If I had been going to the States with a group of Mexicans and meeting up with Yuri somewhere, I would certainly want her to bring me whatever I felt I needed from Nashville.  

It will inconvenience me a bit, but only in that I had a plan for what I wanted to pack where and now that changes a bit.  It just takes some shifting.  Of clothing, and of mindset.

Taxi!

Last week when I went to yoga but Umberto and Cecy didn't, I took a taxi and the driver creeped me out a bit at the beginning.  I think he had a speech impediment, so it was hard to understand him anyway, but he kept talking about the DIF (which I think is sort of like social services).  He seemed to be trying to prove his validity.  That made me nervous.  A- was he really scamming me, and B- are the other taxis that don't show me their validity unsafe?!

The more he talked the more I felt at ease.  I read the paper and it just explained their company.  All is well.  He gave me his card with his cell on it (smooth move) and I told him I might be calling him for an airport trip, since I knew my Cozumel flight left at 7am and Mabel wouldn't want to be up at 5!

I called him this afternoon and set up the reservation.  I was proud.  He seemed clearer on the phone.

Was he?  Or am I just better...  

He was clearer.

My Security Guard

Mexicans are serious about their car protection.   More likely, nowhere is safe to leave your valuables.  Every parking lot has a security guard.  I walk less than 500 steps to my bus stop in the mornings and I pass two parking lot guards.  We have two men at the entrance to our privada (condo) who are guards and monitor who comes in and out.  There's one man on my route to work that I literally have to pass by.  I can cross the street early and avoid him, but that means I have to walk a bit on the street.  Drivers in Mexico are generally crazy, so I don't often choose that route!

I always try to say something, but I usually mumble it so I'm not a blatant gringa.  About two weeks ago, as I was coming home one day, he asked me if I were here studying.  I stopped and we talked for a bit.  I explained that I was teaching, that Yuri was in my school, where Tennessee was, etc.  I went on my merry way feeling better that we now at least had spoken to each other.  He always gave a friendly smile.  Today, I went to the Oxxo (obviously not a natural Spanish word with that double x!) to get a green tea (the chilled Lipton kind, light) and he stopped me again.  Someone had given him a bag of candy and goodies and he was showing it to me.  He told me to choose something.  I munched on my strawberry sandwich cookies all the way to the Oxxo, smiling.  It's funny because those are the things I'll remember.  There has already been more than one occasion where Mom reminds me of a story I've already told her or brings something up and I don't remember it.  But little insignificant things, like a man I pass by every day, will be the things most engrained in my brain when I leave (I sound like that date is a few weeks away...ha!).

El gallitto

Language alert (but not the whole entry, so keep reading commoners):  there are only two double consonant letters in the natural Spanish language- ll and rr.  I say in the natural Spanish language because there is the zz in pizza, which isn't a Spanish word, and I'm sure there are others from borrowed words.  A gallo is a rooster, with the -ito ending in the diminutive form, for those of you out there paying attention!

So, I met Maribel at school this morning at 8:50 to retrieve my boxes from Guadalajara that had been sent to her office.  We opened them and went through their contents.  It all arrived.  It was a bit battered and beaten, but it was all there.  I am sooooo excited to have some things that make sense to me.  Maybe I will begin to feel like I know how to teach again!

After we unloaded the boxes, and Maribel oohed and ahhed, we went on our way to have breakfast.  The restaurant was called El Gallitto.  

The inside was very cute.  It felt like a restaurant Amanda would take me to.  We sat and looked over the menu.  Maribel had never been there but had heard it was just delicious.  It took awhile to figure out what we wanted.  We ordered our juice (must've been squeezed while we waited with huge chunks of pulp-my fave!) and kept browsing.  I settled upon El Gallitto D'Leonor.  The apostrophe is also non-existent in natural Spanish.  My plate would come with a corn tamal (think corn bread, and realize that this trip was the first time I realized the singular of tamales is tamal and not tamale), a quesadilla, this chips and salsa type thing (different from what you're thinking), and beans and cheese.  At the table, we were served tortillas that were crispy-not my fave.

We ate and chatted.  It was fun and filling.  Maribel taught at Moorehead State for a year.  While there, she lived with a couple in their 50s who had no children, so they treated her like one.  They took her all over the place.  She went back to visit every year for Christmas, Spring Break and summer (she had a honey)- and I think they paid for it- for nine years.  She and her daughters are planning on going to Disney World (or were planning until the dollar became unaffordable) and will stay in a house owned by this family.  She said every time she goes to visit, she orders a Papa John's pizza and reheats it all week.  She also must go to Rafferty's and have ribs.  Those are the two things she misses.  My food list will be much longer when I leave here.

She asked me questions about my family and we also discussed some of the cultural things.  She told me that whenever she thinks about me, she worries that I'm not being well enough taken care of since she's been there.  She also lived in Seattle for a bit as a student and had a terrible  experience with the family there.  She just wants the best for me, which is good.

I know that right now I couldn't find the restaurant again, but I could find the general vicinity.  To those of you planning trips here, if you're interested in an eight-dollar breakfast that will fill you all day, remind me of El Gallitto.  With two t's.

Beatriz

You may remember this name from DC.  Beatriz is the oldest of the three from Culiacán.  Shania calls her la Señora Beatriz out of respect.  She is in Delphi, Indiana on a one-way exchange (remember that her counterpart and Shania's both backed out at the last minute) at an elementary school.  Her two nieces are with her.  She spent the weekend in Nashville.  On Friday, she visited Lockeland and was interviewed by some fourth graders (thanks Mrs. Keys!) and helped Yuri with her Halloween lesson.  Then they (Beatriz and nieces, Yuri and her husband) went to Memphis on Saturday.  Sunday, they enjoyed church, Opryland Hotel and tacos on Nolensville Road.

I looked at her photos on facebook and commented on some of them.  I was surprised when I received a skype phone call from her as I was about to turn my computer off for the night.  We chatted for about 45 minutes and it was so good to hear from her.  She has 23 groups!  But she only sees them once a week.  She has an amazing principal who is very supportive of the program and of cultural learning.  She has done lots of traveling.

We spoke in Spanish the whole time, which felt good.  I know for sure my listening is getting better.  She complimented my spoken Spanish since I was super-rusty in DC.

I'm so happy she's happy.  I also told her that if they make their way down south again to give my family a shout and you might meet up with her.  I had told her in DC that Mammoth Cave was on the way to Nashville, so she could pop in (when the weather's better!).  It was so good to talk to her.  I think the stinkiest part of this AMAZING experience is that we get to know the people that will be in our places pretty well and then have to leave them!  I wish Beatriz and Shania and Yuri could be here now with me.  And I wish I could go be in Nashville and have all three of them there.

I'm all giddy now from a successful Spanish conversation and from knowing she's happy.

Buenas Noches to all and to all a good night.

Breakfast or yoga?

Maribel's primary purpose for calling me on Monday was actually not the Open Class.  She was letting me know that my boxes from Guadalajara had arrived at the office.  This is GREAT!  The fact that she'd be bringing them to me was convenient for an Open Class.

However, with the Open Class cancellation, she called today to see when I wanted to get my boxes: tomorrow or after my trip.  I told her whatever was best for her and she said after my trip since I wouldn't be going to school tomorrow.

I got my mind ready to go to yoga for the third day in a row tomorrow morning (even though the morning isn't my favorite) and she called again.  She asked if we could meet at school, drop off the boxes, and then go get breakfast.  She's wanted to do breakfast since I got here and this would be a perfect time.  I feel like there might be something extra that needs to be talked about, but we'll see.  So- no yoga in the morning.  

Open Class

Last week, Maribel and I discussed when to have my "open class" which is basically the marketing ploy to get parents to buy their kids an English book conveniently disguised as a chance for them to see what goes on in English class.  With the combination of her work schedule and my travel schedule, it wasn't possible.  It was supposed to be done before the 24th, but we were going to try for this week.  No could do.

Yesterday, while I was in the shower and then while cooking lunch/breakfast, she called three or four times.  Messages are rare here; you just keep calling the person until they answer.  Leaving a message is passing the buck (literally) to them since they'll have to pay to make the return call back to you.

When I finished eating, I saw that she had called, but knew she would call again, so I carried my phone with me everywhere I went (including the bathroom!).  She called again.  When I answered, she said "I'm going to look for something else."  I had heard from Sandra sometime last week that the schedule change was looking less likely since there were some teachers who were not on board (teachers from other schools who would come to Rafael Buelna to give afternoon classes), so I didn't think this could be about the schedule change, yet my gut said "she wants to give you a new school."  

I said, "mande."  Always play dumb. ;)

She said, "I'm going to look for something else because it's bound to be easier to find that you!"  I have explained that the phone calls are short here since they're expensive.  Since they're short, it's acceptable to answer your phone wherever.  In my first church experience, I saw a woman answer her phone in the middle of a song (oddly enough that wasn't the weirdest thing I saw that day).  At the next church, I saw signs with pictures of cell phones on them that said, "God will call you today, but not on your cell phone.  Please turn it to silent."  I loved it.

Teachers answer phones in class.  Waiters answer their phones in restaurants.  We leave our phones outside the yoga room, but that is a rare thing.  I have yet to really absorb this cultural thing.  I always forget unless I'm thinking about it when I arrive at school.  I'll get there.  I was doing really well for awhile.  I don't know what happened.

Maribel then went on to tell me that we needed to plan an open class.  I was confused since not five days earlier she had told me it was impossible, but that we didn't have to tell anyone that.  Our little secret.

She asked me when I'd be leaving for Cozumel, and I told her Thursday.  She said, "Wednesday it is.  Can you do that?"  Insert smile; agree accordingly.

I prepared my Tuesday list.  Tuesday is my long day with 5 classes instead of four.  Third grade would need its retest that I needed to print and copy since we hadn't met on Friday (English training) or Monday (no school).  I also had a test for 6th grade.  And I needed to finish my signs for each classroom announcing the final day for purchasing books (Nov 4 in anticipation of late orders through the 15th).  Usually, I could plan on getting to school a little after 8 and getting my stuff done before my first group at 8:50.  Not so on Tuesdays since I start at 8 (more or less).  Add to that, that my first group's room was locked and the PE teacher had taken the key on Friday (and only comes on MWF, so we had no key!).  We decided to have English in the Computer room.  Awesome.  One long table, barely enough chairs, and too many things to distract.  After we got settled and I had been teaching for about 10 minutes, they came to let me know the room was unlocked.  Since leaving would cause more harm than good (and since the computer room is a/c), I made the executive decision to stay there.  At the end of class, I prepared them for the open class tomorrow, but let them know I would be coming back at the end of the day to give them the notes to take home.  I already had the notes printed, copied, and cut, but you can't give a first grader something at 8am and expect him to remember to tell his parents at 12:30 after recreo and snack!

I moved to the second group of first graders and did the same lesson (mostly a review plus preparation for what to do tomorrow so I didn't look like a fool!).

I gave my third graders their test.  Big surprise that the students who needed the second test to average with their first were ill prepared again...  I suppose the cards were stacked against them since we hadn't been together since last Tuesday.  But the low students are rarely going to study for the second test if they didn't for the first.  

Oh, well.  I did what I felt I had to do in order to justify myself to the parents.

During recreo, I heard lots of talk about the tests the next day.  I had heard this mentioned last week- reference to when the tests would be coming- but I had no idea what effect it would have on me.

I decided to ask Sandra (ever my aide) if the tests were school-wide and all day.  She said yes.  So there went my open class.  To be sure, I asked Dir. Roberto.  I was right.  No English classes.

I sent Maribel a quick email telling her the open class couldn't be tomorrow because of the exams.

I went to give 6th grade their test and then gathered up my teachers' manuals.  I forgot this weekend (and would've had more than ample time to complete it!) that I needed to turn in my lesson plans by Saturday.  Ugh.  After I got everything I needed, I went back by the office to reaffirm that I didn't need to be there tomorrow or Thursday and to remind that I would be gone Friday and Monday.  Dir. Roberto sat me down and told me that Gris (the English teacher before me) had done a "muestra" or show more or less (presentation) for the parents last year in April or May.  I remember Yuri talking about all the work she was putting in around June, so this was no surprise to me.  The kicker was...

He wants me to do it in November.  That it will be a challenge is a fierce understatement considering I'll be out of the city five days in November and school's out (officially) at least one day.  The good news is I can do a cultural production about Thanksgiving.  It'll be for the parents and for him as well as for Maribel if she wants to come, and it'll only be one group.   Obviously I'll be choosing 6th.  Wish me luck!

Monday Night Football...and the rest of Monday.

Let's start off right...

HOW BOUT MY TITANS?!  I wish I could've seen in on tv...  I was so excited the past three or four weeks to see Monday Night Football on my TV.  I have six channels, mind you.  They're all in Spanish, which is fine, but knowing I would have the chance to see the Titans play the Colts was very exciting.  

Let me start off the day right.

I woke up to my alarm at 7:45 (8:45 body clock time) and put on my yoga clothes.  I made it out to my bus, transferred downtown, and arrived early as usual.  I plopped down on the sidewalk to wait until the man opened up the garage door.  As I'm people watching the work traffic, I hear my name.  It's Cristina arriving.  

She asks me if my school schedule has already changed, but I let her know that there was just a meeting for our principal (or something) and there were no classes.  The morning class is just as good as the night class, but there are definitely differences.  Even in Nashville, I prefer afternoon classes because I've had a chance to eat during the day (in the morning classes, I'd have to be up and at 'em three hours before class to eat since it's not advised to eat up to 2 hours before class), so I have some energy in my body, and also I've been moving, so my joints and muscles have loosened up and are already ready to go.  The same was true here.

Another difference is that this was all women.  I felt like I was in Brentwood and the moms were in yoga class while the dads were at work (though in Brentwood, I would've been in their houses babysitting while the moms were working out!).  It was a very competitive feeling class.  It felt like everyone was watching everyone.  Maybe I was having an insecure day and only thought it was that way.

I left yoga and went home for my shower.  I had lunch and went to Forum to exchange a jacket I bought, but they didn't have them anymore.  I kept the one I had.

I came home and emailed, facebooked, and chatted until Monday Night Football time.  I couldn't find it anywhere!  I guess the World Series takes precedence over a losing Colts team and a Titans team that few outside of the great state of Tennessee care about.

I squinted at my screen on nfl.com and actually kept up!  I still don't get it all, but I do get that we WON!  Though they had me scared for awhile.  I'm so excited for them!  Too bad I'm here and not in the States...

Sunday

Since I wasn't sure of our plans, I didn't go to church.  At 12, when we still hadn't done anything, I got dressed.  Daylight savings ended on Saturday night in Mexico.  Although I think there are several places in Mexico who don't participate (the state north of me, Sonora, stays on regular time year-round, like bordering state Arizona and Cozumel doesn't acknowledge Daylight Savings, either).  Around one I was starving since it was lunchtime on my body clock (2pm).  But I figured we would eat on our way to wherever we were going.  Ha!  Around 3, Mabel came knocking on my door.  Was I hungry?  Had I eaten?  Did I want to cook or go out?  The answers: YES.  No.  We have no groceries, so we can't cook.  

We debated what we wanted to eat.  Cosette wanted sushi.  She could eat it every meal I'm convinced.  We decided on salads and drove toward Papá's side of town.  The salads came with dressing already on, which I didn't love, and Mexican lettuce is limp.  But it was a good salad.  It had good toppings and the dressing was not heavy.  I got a combo, which included a half salad and a baguette.  The baguette was Mexican processed turkey, but still it was good: good sauce, good cheese, etc.

Then we went to get Mabel's clothes from Papá's.  Then we went home.  Nothing more until the light show at 7.  I have NO idea what happened to our afternoon plans.  I should've asked.  But I didn't.

The lights show was decent.  It was a scaled down version of what you see in the fountains outside a Vegas hotel (think Ocean's Eleven) at night with coordinated music.  It lasted about thirty minutes.  Cosette whined appropriately because it didn't entertain her enough.  

We were parked at a grocery store, so we went in to grab a few things we lacked.  Mabel needed shampoo, lotion and toothpaste, which I ended up splitting with her cost-wise.  I was annoyed, but then I realized that my dollar is going up and hers is going down, and there will be another week when I need something that she doesn't and she'll split that with me.

When life is this cheap, and the dollar is earning more pesos, it's hard to justify worrying about a few bucks.

Saturday

Since plans with Maricela fell through on Friday, I planned on hearing from Alma on Saturday.  Shad told me it would be tranquilo, but I didn't realize that meant non-existent.  Saturday was a day like all previous Saturdays.  We went to the house to do laundry.  From there we went to the mall to eat lunch before popping into TelCel for a visit.  We all had sushi and it was so good, as usual.

Our purpose at TelCel was two-fold.  First, I needed to clear up what my actual rate for calling the US was.  They didn't even have my phone registered.  Mabel had called the week we got it to register it, but apparently someone dropped the ball.  So they couldn't track the call I had made, therefor, I couldn't receive payback.  Oh, well.  The second reason was that Mabel had gone with Cosette to Splash Club on Friday.  I have yet to figure if this was a school, class, grade or city function.  At some point, Mabel needed Cosette's attention and started walking to call for her and wasn't looking where she was going.  She fell into the water- clothes, purse and all!

Her phone now doesn't ring, so she wanted to check out the warranty.  Surprisingly, there's little hassle here.  You don't have to provide anything.  Since they have you registered in the database, they just replace it on the spot.  However, Mabel's phone was over a year old.  Tough luck.

While walking through the mall to head to the car, we saw several booths set up with tourist information about sites in and around Culiacán.  There were about ten and we were interested in three or four of them.  The plan was to go to some farm Sunday during the day and then see the "dancing fountains light show" on Sunday night.

We headed back home and did a whole lotta nothin'.  I again caught up on my political gossip.

Apologies to my fans

I'm not sure I have any fans left after putting your eyes out with too many words for so long and then suddenly disappearing...

But alas I apologize.  I had a great post on Friday about our night and half of it erased when I tried to publish it.  It annoyed me, so I showed it!

I had a very boring weekend, which made me want to blog even less, but I'll do what I can to let you in on it.

Check back for a post before this one called La Maricela.  I'm going to attempt to finish the one I started on Friday, and though it will be posted after this one, it will still show up before.

How much English does a gal from TN know?

I got to the Club de Leones (Lions' Club) right on time this morning.  Maribel and Mabel had each given me slightly different directions on how to get there from my bus, but I managed.  Maribel was waiting outside as the greeter/direction-giver.  There were two rooms for the presentations; one was for the teachers who use one book called Jump, and the other was for those of us who use Bounce.  I stayed out there with Maribel until Mayra (second-in-command in the system and coordinator of scholarships) arrived.  She was the one who should know what I needed to do.  She was also the one that Jessica talked to last week to secure my non-work at Casa Achoy.

Several people showed up that I already knew.  (Every English teacher in Mexico has to pass the TKT with a certain score.  They provide this training for new teachers free of charge.  The test is in January, but there are 20 hours of training before the test.)

Among those I knew were Alfredo, Alma, and Ana Luisa.  Ana Luisa flitted about and got things done while I waited with Mayra and Maribel.  Maribel was like a broken record: "Good morning.  Do you work with Jump?  This way.  Good morning.  Do you work with Bounce?  The door on your right.  Good morning."  Etc.

Mayra asked me if I would be taking the test.  Maribel had told me in September that obviously I wouldn't since I already know English and will not be here next year.  Then on Wednesday she told me I would be taking the test.  Who knows?!  I answered Mayra by saying that I didn't see any need to take it since I wouldn't be here next year and since I'm a native speaker.  She asked me if I didn't want to be certified.  I explained that I already am certified, but in Spanish.  If they want to certify me in English, fine, but on their dollar, because it will be of little use to me!

Mayra told me that we would be speaking at the break- around 10:30- since they had already started...  Awesome.  It was 9:00.

Maribel whispered to me in English while Mayra continued talking to those around us that I could leave if I wanted- that Ana Luisa had said it was okay.  I felt like I couldn't leave since I had just agreed to the 10:30 presentation time with Mayra.

Maribel and I went on our way to the Bounce room.  We munched on some cookies and helped with registration.

Mayra came in and joined up.  It became apparent that I would, in fact be hanging around until break to present.

Time actually went pretty quickly as Maribel and I goofed off.  We listened to some of the training.  The TKT is given by Cambridge, so the correct vocabulary and more importantly pronunciation is British!  I'm actually not so sure I can help their average with this one!  It also seems to be a lot of useless information like definitions of a clause, morpheme and word.  I think it's a ridiculous test, but what do I know?

It was almost break time, so Mayra and I presented.  She introduced me, I told them about how much I loved the exchange and had already learned so much (but conveniently left out the part where they'll work all day and night in the States and have ridiculous amounts of paperwork and rules with very few random days off), and we passed out pamphlets.

Done.

We went up to the Jump room and were prepared to do the same spiel, but they were in the heat of the presentation and then went to break without time for us to squeeze in.  We waited the 15 minutes for break to be over.  Rinse.  Repeat.

While in that room, I saw Alma, Diana (the singer, Ana Luisa's daughter), and several others that I've met but don't remember their names.

They invited me to a Halloween party, but I'll be in Cozumel.

I think I'll be hearing from Alma this weekend since it's been a few weeks since we hung out.  We'll see.

I left at 11:15, while the other teachers had to finish training and the other enlaces had to finish supervising!  I went to eat tacos and churros downtown as well as withdraw some November money since I won't be here at the beginning of November.  I wanted to have cash on hand for the airport and ferry from Cancún to Cozumel.  I should be getting a check in Mexico City for my plane reimbursement which will cover me for the rest of the month.

When I got home, I had an email from Hernán (custodian) that we wouldn't be having classes on Monday.  I don't know why, but I've stopped asking questions.  I'll be hitting up the 9am yoga to see what it's like.

I'm guessing my Honey will not be there.

Hot Yoga Honey

Well, I've found me another honey and he's a fellow yogi!  And he's not gay, and least he seems to not be the way he was talking about Kenny Chesney.

He has some feminine sounding name, though that of course I've forgotten.  I'll pay better attention next week.

He spent ten years in Tucson, so we spoke in English for a bit (Cecy wasn't there to chat my ear off) and his accent is really good.

In other news, Cristina was super chatty Cathy tonight and over-explained every pose at the beginning.  It was getting under my skin and she was trying to dictate every second of every posture.  Luckily, that eased up because I had one of my best classes.  She complimented and corrected me left and right, which you know I love.

And finally, neither Umberto nor Cecy was there, so I took a cab again.  But with the improving dollar to peso rate, I didn't mind.

Namaste y'all.

Nothin' more than pictures

I took pictures today of three of my four classes.  I ran out of time and battery in sixth grade, so I only got shots of 2nd, 4th and 5th.  I added the slideshow to my blog and you should see it upper right.  First is fourth grade.  They are my quiet trouble.  Or talkative trouble.  Depending on how you think about it.

They are my smallest class, at 19, and they have a decent English base being in their fourth year.  They love to be off-task, but since there are so few of them, it doesn't seem as disruptive as when the 39 third graders are off-task.

Not much happened today.  I just did some computer stuff to get my pictures out there and ready for my presentation in Mexico City in two weeks.  That's about it.  I'm headed to yoga tonight and excited since I missed it Tuesday due to feeling rotten!

Tomorrow is the big TKT day.  We'll see if I have to take the test or not.  Also, I'll give my two minute spiel on the exchange program.

Keep your eyes peeled for a change in the slideshow.

Laura's Language Lessons

Love the 'literation.

It's that time again.  Time for you language people to learn something and you non-language folks to skip on to the next blog!

Cállensen.  You Spanish students think on that one a minute.

Mull it over.

When I started my Spanish career (well, really started, in college), Mrs. Lindsay made sure we knew what the rude words were so as to be careful not to use them.  You learn quickly that "Qué" is what.  But as I said early on in this blog, here they say "mande" instead of "qué" though Mrs. Lindsay taught us to say "Cómo" whose literal meaning is "how."  Confused?  Good.

When I learned "qué," Mrs. Lindsay made a point to tell us it was rude to say "Qué" alone.  It was only meant to be what when it was put with other words.  "What did you do today?  What color is it?"  In Honduras, we used "Cómo" when we needed something repeated.

I went one summer to study in Spain.  I heard "qué" everywhere.  The kids in my house said it.  The teachers said it.  I began to say it.  Much of my spoken fluency (though I would never call it fluency and mean fluency) comes from those two summers in Spain.  Spanish that I don't have to think about is based there.  The first few weeks here, I had a hard time saying "mande" because I was so used to responding with "qué."  My mind knew to say "mande" but my Spanish habit took over and I said "qué."  "Qué" is rude.  Mrs. Lindsay made that point, and Mabel and I discussed it one night.  It kind of gives off the "what do you want?!" vibe.

Okay, next on the list was callarse- to shut up.  If you want to command someone to do that, it's cállate for someone familiar, cállese for someone formal (who would you tell formally to shut up?!) and cállense for more than one person who needs to cease talking.  This is rude, she would say.  You should never say it.  Instead, say "close your mouth" - "cierra la boca."  Here it's "guarda silencio" in a classroom setting.

At any rate, I have again, heard plenty cállates and cállenses etc.  I was wondering, so I went to my source, Mabel.  I told her I had been taught that it was rude, but that I heard my students saying it when I was trying to get them quiet (as if students' saying it made it un-rude) and I had heard Cosette and Mabel and Alma (the sister, not Shania's friend) saying it among themselves.  What gives?  Apparently when there's a high level of trust, like within a family or a close group of friends, it's acceptable.

Hm.

She said she and I wouldn't say it because we're not close (that was in Mazatlán weeks ago.  We're still not close enough, but I think the day will come), but that she would say it without thinking twice to her sisters.

Interesting.

Then I started hearing and noticing "cállenseN" with an n on the end.  The reflexive pronoun "se" never carries an n on the end.  But I have noticed kids and my generation adding an n on commands that carry the se.  Just an interesting tidbit.  Probably interesting to no one but me!

Socialite Shania

Shania's legacy lives on in Culiacán even if she's in Michigan.  Bless her heart, she's freezing, and worse, she's in a small town.  Shania is a life-of-the-party type as well as on a honey-search.  I think she's over-worked professionally and bored socially.

However, she is always up to the task of making sure I'm enjoying her city-and country.

You'll recall that she gave out my number to several folks when I got here.  Alma being the key player.  When we were in DC, she also made me a cheat sheet of important folks here and their numbers.  People within the SEP (Board of Ed more or less), Inglés en Primaria, her friends, her family.

Within that list was a cousin who lives in Mexico City.  They have a house in a pueblo on the outskirts of Mexico City.  My goal was to see the pueblos around Mexico City on the weekend, and to see all of DF (Mexico City) on a tour bus on Wednesday since our meeting doesn't start until dinner Wednesday night (8pm).

I'm pumped about the site-seeing and thankful to have met Shania who insists on making sure I'm happy.

Maribel

Our meeting was not short, but it was sweet, thank goodness.  After our last few phone calls where she was demanding my day of the week at Achoy, and after I had gone to the higher ups behind her back (that's what I was supposed to do, but it felt somewhat scummy), I was afraid she would be mad/upset/annoyed.  She was none of the above.  She's a peppy soul, which I really like.  So we discussed the book situation.  I gave her my new money and my new count.  Then she told me that on November 15, they will stop taking orders.  YIKES!  Half of my students are still bookless!  ARGH!

So I need to send home something to tell the parents of the upcoming deadline.  I will tell them that November 4 is the last day since the word deadline doesn't exist in Spanish.

Next, I will not be teaching on Friday.  I will be presenting something about Comexus.  Apparently it's application time for teachers here and since I'm the lone representative, I am the presenter!  Should be in English, so that's at least comforting.

I'll be presenting for only a few minutes (and Maribel is unsure whether there will be a computer) at the TKT preparation and exam (Teacher Knowledge Test for English teachers). I'm also supposed to take this expensive test, but Maribel thinks they'll pay for it.  I wonder how I'll do with my own language?!

Finally, we discussed my "open classes" which were supposed to be before this Friday.  Obviously they can't be before this Friday (by the way, this is the first I've heard of this with the explanation of what it actually is), so we try to plan them.  Maribel is crazy busy, and I'm headed to Cozumel next week.  We decide to can it.  If anyone asks, we did it.

The open class is basically an invitation for parents to come see English class for 20 minutes.  The underlying point is that they see that the students need their books.  It's basically a PR move on the English Teachers' behalves to get students buying the books.

Hopefully my note home will do the trick.  And thankfully I will not be exposed to that many parents at a time!

We like school; Look at our schoolbags; Aren't they cool?

This title will benefit no one besides me. It's the lyrics to a song for first grade. It's a catchy little tune. It's jazzy and starts with snaps and nothing else. Then suddenly the verse starts.

Note: the thing I love about these books is that they come with catchy songs. The songs I have in Nashville are great, but they're very long and take several days of teaching to get to a point where there students can learn from it. Here, the song lasts less than a minute and by the end of class, they're singing it!

I digress.

This song is jazzy. The first time I played it for 1B (Martha's group, pronounced Marta since the "th" doesn't exists in Spanish, the ones that started out the worst and are now the more easily managed) was the first time I'd heard it. It surprised me with its beat and struck me as pretty funny, so I started dancing. It was very cheesy. In case you haven't been to first grade in awhile, cheesy is in. They ATE. IT. UP. I mean, they loved it! They were begging me to play it again. Every time I have returned to this group, they have begged for it. It was a hit!

Today was no different.

But let's get back to the beginning of the day.

The bus ride was in the pimpest bus I've seen since I've been here. Many have tinted windows (I'm tellin' ya, it's HOT), some have curtains, but all have something special to the driver. I've seen women's names on the rearview mirror or bumper stickers on the windows. The most extreme case was stuffed animals. That's right. This 40 year old bus driver had decorated every available space in his bus with stuffed animals. Tough, dude.

My pimp bus this morning had blue silk curtains. I don't mean the kind that decorate the windows, I mean the kind that completely cover the windows. I had a great opportunity to get sick since we were in motion with no road in sight, but I was fine.

I got to school just in time and got my books in order. Maribel had called me yesterday to tell me she'd be coming to deliver books and to pick up any other orders. It's always kind of a headache if I haven't looked through it first to see how many books I need to order for kids who have paid me everything and how many have paid half and on and on!

I got my affairs in order and headed to 1A (Anabel, started off great, then her strict teaching manner created a stressful environment leading to challenging behavior, not to mention a new student...). I saw on their seats that she had taped papers with their names on them. This is a good sign. I think consistency is the thing that's most obviously missing down here. The seating is just one example. Kids come in in the morning and sit wherever they want. Immediately, the control is taken from the teacher and given completely to the students. This only begins the problematic day.

I was glad to see the names on the seats because I think that means there will be some stability at this point.

I began with more Spanish today to make sure my new friend did not feel alienated. The last thing I wanted was another 30 minute hand holding contest!

Amazingly, they listened. I think Anabel threatened to beat them! At an rate, they listened; they repeated; they even remembered some things I had taught them! Success!

About halfway through class, the kids near the door are not interested in English anymore. They're paying attention to something outside and saying, "They want to see you."

I dismiss it. Kids stop by first grade all the time since it's next to the bathroom. They peak in the windows and doors without even attempting to be somewhat hidden.

I don't mind because I'm the freak here. I'm the different one, and they just want to see what's going on in the other kids' English class. I can't be mad at them for being interested, right?

I keep on teaching and in walks Maribel. We discuss the plan for a few minutes (I'll cut the class short so we can talk books and other things) and then the kids show off what they know.

I send Sebastián to go find Anabel. This is the other problem I see here. When I leave class, or send a student to find the teacher, often the student comes back and says she's on her way, but it takes 5-10 minutes which cuts into my next class. There is lots of unsupervised time, again taking power from the teacher and handing it over to the students in a silver platter.

Anabel came in and I was playing the song for them, though not dancing as much as I tend to do with Martha's ("Marta's") class.

I left and went to talk to Maribel (more about that in the next post).

I entered Martha's class at 10:05 instead of 9:40 because of my meeting with Maribel. We began with a review of flashcards. I literally started tearing up. Now, I wasn't that emotional. I have an overactive tear duct. I cry more than I should, and my eyes water all the time. My eyes water when it's cold, or hot or sunny, or I smile too much. You get the point. The bottom line is that I was smiling so much with how much they knew and how much enthusiasm they had to answer my questions (What is it?) and how even the struggling students (Victor) answered, that my eyes were watering. I told them that they made my heart warm.

Then I rewarded them with the song. I goofed it up BIG TIME and they ate it up equally BIG TIME. It was so fun. It made me realize that that's the beauty of teaching (and especially of the little ones); every day is a clean slate. Every day is an opportunity to enjoy, to learn, to teach, to have fun, to reiterate classroom policies. I loved today.

While we were singing, Anabel's class was unsupervised, so ALL of them were crowded around our door and window. I tried to get them to move along, since they were being a distraction, but then I gave up. They were repeating along with the CD during the vocabulary part and they were singing along while we sang. When we finished, I started packing up my things (CD player, file of teacher book, handouts, etc) and Martha's class started whining, "Teacher, don´t go. Please don´t go."

I loved today.

4 pesos please

Last week I decided I needed to watch my spending at school.  I must really feel at home if Ive started budgeting!  But really, I was spending 9 pesos on Coca Lights (from Victor-in-first-grade's Mom's store across the street), 5 pesos on popsicles (daily instead of on occasion), and sometimes 8-10 on the dish of the day (a shrimp taco or a chimichanga which is not what you think it is).  A peso here, a peso there; even at 12.5, I was spending more (and eating more) than I should.

After I realized my new eat-too-much/spend-too-much lifestyle, I cut myself off!  I took only 12 pesos with me to school.  6 to get there; 6 to get home; no stops at Forum; no food.

That worked for about three days.  Long enough to learn my lesson.  But yesterday, when I didn't feel so good and had to borrow from the students' book fund to buy a diet coke to cure my headache, I decided I should always have some cash on hand.

I have found a cheaper, more fulfilling (yet worse for me) snack.  I'll just have to hope for a quick change in schedule to get myself in more yoga!

The women who set up the stand at recreo sell all kinds of things.  There are suckers, tacos, chimichangas, nachos, cokes (but not light), juice boxes, donuts, popcicles in a bag (think flav-o-freeze.

I discovered one day, as I was asking about Coca Light in hopes of a better price than the 9 pesos (it's only 7.5 at Oxxo, but there's no Oxxo near my school!), I saw a student get an ice cream.  Again, this came in a bag.  I've noticed in Honduras how they drink cokes from a straw in a plastic bag.  I guess it's just easier and cheaper to produce that way.  Well, these ice creams were in plastic bags.  I got a chocolate one and it was yummy delicious.  I think it might be made with an horchata base, which would explain why I love it!  The best part?  4 pesos!

1st grade battle yesterday

Yesterday was the day I didn't feel so hot (ironically, no not ironically, coincidentally?  I don't know! probably from the heat), so I should've listened to my gut.  I should've played that conversation in my head over and over again until I had the guts to say to my principal that I needed to go home.  I should've known.

I gathered my CD player, Teacher's Book and courage and headed to Anabel's room.  On Monday, the principal had popped in to see how many students there were in each first grade so he could know where to put the new student.  Oh, how I miss my magnet school where we don't take new students after the third day of school!

I see the new student but start teaching as usual.  It's first grade, and it's the eighth week of school.  Basically he's missed procedures, family and greetings.  No biggie, right?

Ha!

I teach for about 15 minutes.  Then I notice he's being a distraction, so I ask him to turn around and stop talking to the person (Baltazar, big shocker) behind him.

He turns around, sticks his tongue out and puts his fingers in his ears.

Very long story very short: he and I ended up in a battle of the strongest (obviously me) and most stubborn (ding!).  I held his hands (and often his whole body in my lap with my right leg keeping his from kicking me) the rest of class.  That's right, 30 minutes.  Thankfully, my other students have learned what I consider acceptable and unacceptable and they just sat there taking it in.  This kid wouldn't tell me his name, wouldn't listen, etc.  I was afraid he would spit in my face which might have unleashed the beast (though he might have already thought he was seeing the beast!).  Luckily, he just tried to pinch, hit and kick.  And luckily, I'm bigger!

Bus Driver

I thought yesterday might have been the end of my days in Mexico.

After my treacherous ride to school yesterday and a long day of not feeling good and teaching anyway, I was anxious to get home, get some water/gatorade, and get some sleep!  The bus drivers here have some serious intuition and love to play games with their customers!  He must've known I was feeling awful.

We got to the downtown stop and the bus filled to the brim.  As we were continuing our journey, there was some sort of back-up.  Our driver took it upon himself to take a different route, repeatedly checking his schedule to see if we could get back on track.  I think he got us back on track!   We jumped several curbs, went the wrong way on a one-way street, and popped a u-turn in the middle of an intersection when our light was red!

I survived, thankfully.

Borns

I don't think I posted on this already, but in case I did, I'll be brief.  In a last minute shopping spree before I left (I shopped all summer, blaming all my expenses on Mexico), I searched high and low for a reduced-price laptop case.  None could be found.  However, while scouring TJ Maxx, Born shoes could be found.  All teachers are aware of Borns (or should be).  They're comfortable and mildly stylish at times.  Some are certainly "teacher shoes," but many are pretty cute!

I went a bit crazy at TJs, because I didn't need shoes (I never need shoes, yet always "need" shoes).  There were two pairs of Borns, each for $40.  I went ahead and got both.  There's a brown wedge and a black patent flip flop.  I left the wedge at home for next summer, figuring I wouldn't wear heels much.  I have worn out my black flip flops.  I am so glad I got them!  I wear them almost every day.

Yesterday, however, in that wretched trip to Wal-mart (that caused me to feel bad, etc), I walked too far in them and now have a minor blister to show for it.  Today was a day for the Sauconys.

I'm here. I live here.

I've felt "at home" a lot here in Culiacán.  And I think every day I'm going to feel more and more that way.  But yesterday (in combination with this weekend), I really felt like I was living here.  I was self-sufficient in that I went to Wal-mart walking without needing Mabel to drive me (she was gone and in hindsight, I should've waited until she was home).  I went to church alone on a different bus having only been there once, 5 weeks before.  I did not much over the weekend, which felt good.  I didn't feel obligated to sit outside with the neighbors while Mabel chatted with some of them.  I feel like I'm here.

I think my "being sick" today confirmed that.  There are days in Nashville I just don't want to go to school.  I let myself think I'm sicker than I am, or give myself a mental health day.  I'm truly not well.  I had an enorme headache today and think the heat had truly gotten to me.  But I also think I let myself "feel" sicker since I wanted a reason to take a break.  After a supermarket run, Mabel fixed chicken nuggets (straight from the package, not the birthday kind) and I ate plenty and felt better.  

The biggest confirmation that I'm at home, though, is the disaster that is my room.  Saturday I cleaned in preparation for the cleaning lady who never showed.  I used to get all bent out of shape that we had to clean for the cleaning lady, but I did it anyway.  She's had a habit of reorganizing my things.  Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of that!

It is now Tuesday and my room has been in a state of Laura's high school years for two days I'm certain and possibly three.  Brad used to visit and comment that every piece of furniture that had a drawer, had an open drawer.  And every open drawer had things (mostly clothes) hanging from it.  She was right.  I was a super-slob.  In m maturity and adulthood, I have grown out of that.  Mostly.  I'm relatively clean and definitely organized.

But I let myself go this week.

Welcome home, Laura.

12.5

After walking in the beating-down 2:00 sun yesterday, I changed 60 bucks.  My rate was 12.5!  And I thought I was in clover when I got 10.79.

All I got to say is, economic crisis, keep on keepin' on.  It makes my dollar work big time in Mexico.  I take that back.  I would prefer to not have a crisis.  But since it's inevitable at the moment, I'll take the extra pesos to the dollar.

sympathy pains

I'm not sick.  But I do not feel well.  I woke up this morning to my 6:45 alarm (it's my early day- Nashville's daily ritual of 6am is going to be a rude awakening-pun intended!) and didn't want to go to school, but mostly just because I wanted to be asleep.

I crawled out of bed, fixed my yogurt/granola breakfast and ate.  I came back upstairs and found something suitable to wear.  I did not put on make-up.  This is the first work day I have gone au natural.

So, I get to the bus stop and wait.  Luckily there is a seat and luckily this is a 6 peso bus (a/c).  I sit; I start to get nauseated.  The a/c isn't really working, so I open the window a bit (earning a scowl from the girl next to me who is obviously not nauseated!).  That makes me feel a bit less claustrophobic, but not better.  The driver seems to realize the issue and think it's a game, so he starts slamming brakes and accelerating rapidly.  I will need to purchase a neck brace when I'm home for Christmas.

My mind plays games with me about how I'm sick.  About how I need to go back to bed to sleep it off.  I get more nauseated and imagine myself throwing up as I get to school.  I play the conversation with my principal in my head (Vomité.  Regreso a casa.).  I can't do it.  I picture my wild 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders and encourage the desire to be in bed....

I gather up my things and head to first grade.

After my three morning classes (remember I usually have two), I am beat!  I grab an ice cream (homemade by the recreo-selling-ladies and delicioso)- chocolate- and wander off for a diet coke.  The ice cream makes me feel better mentally, but I'm still blah.  I realize I have a tension headache.  Everyone is mildly concerned.  I don't seem myself, yada yada.  (I am thankful for these people that already know me well and care enough to be concerned)  I soldier on to 3rd grade which to my surprise went very well.  Minus the issue of the heat.  We had to turn the fans off for a bit because they were making flashcards (a completely new concept to them, yet a staple in foreign language learning) and the fans made the cards fly everywhere.

I was drenched at this point.

Time for sixth grade.  God bless 6th grade.  It's like walking in the garage door and plopping down on the couch.  I walked in, started class a bit differently (by writing something on the board for them to copy), and seemed to have more participation.

We reviewed for their test that will be next Monday.  Yesterday in 6th grade and last week in 5th grade, I got very sidetracked explaining some cultural things to them.  This curriculum has zero culture, which is fine since their goal is speaking, but culture is at least half of the goal in the States (or at least in Nashville).  Since I'm here and can give authentic cultural info, why not?!  I have declared Thursdays in 6th grade culture days.  Now, in the US, a day set aside for culture is a big no-no.  They call it culture Fridays because it's an easy throw away day and often in the native language as opposed to the new one.  However, I think these students will actually benefit from the consistency of a set-day.  I also know that there's not a good way to "fit in" culture contextually in 6th grade.  Their questions that led to a cultural discussion were not on-topic with what we were studying; they were just curious.  Now, they can be curious on Thursdays.

My previous discussions with them has been about school, so Thursday, I'll show them my yearbook and we'll make a Venn Diagram to see the similarities and differences.  We'll also listen to some classic country.  Yikes!  If I'm really on the ball, I'll have the words typed out for them and they can sing along.

As I finish this blog, I realize I never got around to my title.  I feel I'm not sick, just worn down.  I walked to Walmart yesterday to buy treats for students who made a 10 on their tests.  It was 2:00 and the sun was beating down.  I probably got overheated and a bit dehydrated.  We are out of water and haven't bought any, so my intake is based on when I buy it at the Oxxo.  I probably had gotten behind, but just behind for me, not the average water consumer.  I wasn't dehydrated and ready to pass out.  Just feeling blah (probably-this is a self-diagnosis) from heat yesterday meets earlier rise time than desired.  

I have since taken some advil to relieve the headache and have napped some.  I doubt I'll go to yoga tonight.  Instead I'll just take it easy.  My sympathy pains are with those of you suffering allergy fits due to the change in season.  No change here.  Just hot, hot, hot.  Maybe my body is just used to feeling a bit blah with the fall, and though it misses fall, it hasn't missed the blah...

iPod, iTunes, top 10

Yesterday, since we had no big plans, I got in a lot of tv time.  Every channel was having a top ten countdown in music videos, but they all had different songs!  I only have 8 stations, but still, even MTV/VH1 or GAC/CMT has some commonalities....

When I heard a song I liked and recognized, I wrote down as much info as I could (they only flash up the name of the artist and song for about three seconds).  Last night, when I saw I had internet again, I bought 4 songs and an album on iTunes.  For one, it will come in handy when we go out.  It's tricky trying to dance and be fun when you don't know any of the songs!  But more importantly, I want to have enough Spanish music to saturate myself when possible.  When I ride to or from school, I occasionally turn on my iPod, but it's usually to something in English (it has been a lot of the Chicks lately).  I also listen on my way to yoga since there's usually some downtime between buses.  The English music is fine.  However, in the morning on the way to school, it'll be nice to get my mind going in Spanish, even if my mouth stays quiet (we all know I need my twenty minutes of no talking, please!).  I have begun to notice less thinking on my part about language.  It's more fluent and less intent lately, which is good.  But I think if I keep pushing English words into my brain when I have an opportunity to be thinking in Spanish, I'll slow my progress.  It wouldn't be detrimental since I'll be here eight more months (Can you believe I've been here two?!), but I think it will help to have access to Spanish when I want it.

The Red is Back!

Over the past week, I have found touch-and-go internet service when sitting in the exact position necessary on one of the steps leading up to my bedroom.  This afternoon, after having sweated an hour or so away on the steps, I went back into my room and was working in Word or some other non-internet capacity.  I see my wireless icon picking up a signal!  It is not my old signal, but it seems to be working for now.

At Mom's suggestion, I have blogged some in Word and will cut and paste from school on Monday (I have to email them to myself and do it from that computer.  For some reason my computer won't let me cut and paste into blogger.  I did it on my old computer, but this one is picky.  So far, that's my only complaint about it!), so you will possibly get many things out of order in the coming days.

Today was low key with a classmate's birthday party for Cosette (which led to free pizza for Mabel and me) and then an insect parade.  Again, more details will come.  I was fascinated with my renewed internet and spent most of the rest of the evening on SNL and youtube and new york times catching up on my Palin gossip.

It's late, and since we have no plans tomorrow (first time in a long time, and it's a welcomed change!), I'm headed to the 10:00 church service.  Let's hope I can still find it!

NEVER MAKE PLANS. EVER.

I should know this by now.  Stupid American may never get it through her head, but I'm learning!

Yesterday, I found out that we would have a magic show at school today at 9.  Since I start at 8:50 and end at 10:30, I figured I would have no groups until after recreo.  AWESOME!  I could organize, update my blog at school, answer emails and not have to go to the mall...

Well, I arrive at school and the computer room is PACKED.  Full of people I've never seen before.  Apparently all the cleaning at school was for these people.  There was some computer meeting to do things, I don't know.  All I know is that the computers were unavailable all day long!  So much for updating!  On top of that, the magician wouldn't start until 9:30.  So now, instead of giving a test on Friday to 2nd grade, I had to come up with some new way to review since we had already reviewed the day before, but there wouldn't be enough time to take the test.

Aw, gees.

Luckily, I survived.

I'm cold

Not now, but it was a thought I had yesterday morning.  I awoke and was cuddled up under the covers and chilly.  It had been a mild day the day before and I had kept my a/c how I always had.  I woke up and noticed the difference.  Then I got to the bus stop and saw that it was un-air-conditioned.  I considered waiting, but didn't.  I was in jeans, but I was comfortable the whole ride.

At recreo, the 6th grade teacher (I have yet to figure out her name, I think it's difficult) shivered and said, "I'm cold."  I didn't dare admit I had had the thought earlier.  By recreo, cold had vanished from my vocabulary again.

La-La

Also at the game were La-La girls.  La La is the brand of milk here.  La La Leche.  :)  At halftime, well, between some innings, they came out into the crowd in their La La t-shirt, La La headbands, La La flags, and La La balloons.  I was DYING to have one of the above to give to Turner.  I still have hope.  I'm going to try to call the headquarters!

How cool will that be?  For Turner to have a La La flag?!

Mabel and Cosette especially thought it was funny that Turner called me La La.  I just think it's perfect.  Shocker.

The Lady-butts

Let me explain.  When I was little, I would dress in my U of L cheerleader uniform and go to Louisville basketball games (surely the butts were at basketball, right?) with my family.  I don't remember this era.  I was that young.  

During halftime, their dance team would dance.  They were called the Ladybirds.  I, however, likely misheard, or more likely began my career as a sarcastic soul and named them the Lady-butts.  Butt was NOT an appropriate word at my house.  It went in the same box as MTV, call waiting, Shut-up, and HBO.  It was appropriate, though, since it was accurate.  I don't remember getting in trouble for saying it.  Now that I think of it, I probably overheard one of my brothers saying it, but I'll claim the creativity for myself (at such a young age, no less!).

At the baseball game, there were some lady-butts of sorts.  They came out in silk, silk mind you, overalls.  I think they were white.  It looked like a tank top underneath.  I found out soon enough what was underneath because they dropped the overalls, and these, my friends, were the Mexican lady-butts.  I have never seen such enthusiasm (meaning a dance team) for baseball, but I certainly have never seen so much skin in all my life!

Coats

Last night, with no phone credit and nothing to do, I turned on the Mexico v. Canada soccer game in Mexico City.  I didn't pay attention (it's not the Titans and it's not Futbol Americano), but I did see that people had on COATS and SCARVES and looked cold.  It was night time, so that's part of it, but I'm thinking when I go to Mexico City in November, I'm going to be in shock!  It'll be a welcome shock.

Feliz Cumpleaños Abuelita!

Grandmother hates it when I call her Granny, but I just did in the title!

:)

The issue is that she is the ultimate "Grandmother."  So much so that when Turner was born, there was no way Mom could be Grandmother.  There is only one.  She's no Nana, Mimi, Granny, CiCi or Honey.  All those are great, but she's Grandmother.  End of story.

Grandmother's birthday was yesterday, so I decided to call.  I waited until 8:05 (her time), giving her time to get home from church.  I caught her right as she walked in the door.  We talked for 6 minutes and 17 seconds and then my phone cut us off.  Any other time I would just think, "Oh, I ran out of minutes!" but I had JUST checked and had $12 US in credit.  I just spent two dollars per minute and got cut off mid-sentence!

UGH!

Frustrated with TelCel.

Give my wishes and apologies to Grandmother, please.

Wet Food

I had eaten lunch already when Mabel got home yesterday (it was 4!) but she hadn't, so I sat with her.  She had dropped Cosette off at Jazz lessons and hadn't eaten since she left for teaching at the university at 11.  I sat down while she prepared her salad.  I laughed when I saw the Mil Islas dressing and thought of Jack, who never uses any other dressing!  Anyway, she piled her salad high with croutons, cheese dip (I mean what we think of as garlic dip) and dressing.  She then cooked some chicken patties that have been frozen prepared with Italian seasoning.  She ate it and we talked about the day.  She has been offered an extra afternoon teaching job in an elementary school just down the street from our house.  She'll do that in the afternoons when she doesn't teach at the university.  Within this conversation, she mentioned that she hadn't yet received a paycheck.  Um, we've been working six weeks.  She should've had two or three paychecks by now...

We continued our discussion and she asked me why I didn't eat the chicken she was eating.  We get it every week.  It seems so processed to me, which is how she eats most everything.  I didn't know how to explain that without sounding snobby.  She told me to try it and I did.  It's good.  But I would eat it on a bun once in a blue moon, not every week and not on a salad that has been ruined by millions of calories!

She asked me why I never put anything on my food.  The way she said it (the Spanish phrasing) was SOOOO funny.  I explained that I have a simple taste to begin with, and that since I don't smell very well, I probably don't taste very well either.  Maybe because of that I don't need much on my food.  Moreover, why add bad things to something to make it taste better if I like the taste to begin with?  Why learn to like something unhealthy, basically.  I tried to explain this, but it was NOT sufficient!

She talked about the chips from the baseball game and how I had liked them (I ate one and didn't gag which equates to loving them).  I didn't hate them, and actually liked them a little, but again, why ADD to unhealthy things?

I told her that everything in Mexico was wet: cakes, chips, bread, etc.  We laughed about that for awhile.  Friday she's going to take me to some restaurant where they serve you (I have pictured in my head) a chicken pot pie except with beef and Mexican insides (Mexican ingredients, not insides of Mexicans!  No Sweeney Todd for this chica!) and they serve a sauce to pour on top of it.  I don't like gravies, I don't like sauces, but she said it's optional and delicious.  I can eat wet food for a year.  Who knows, I may even come home with a palette for lemon juice and wet food!

I've got mail...again!

I got home from school yesterday and Mabel had put a letter on my bed.  REBEKAH S. MULLOY it said in the return address.  What a sweetie.  Rebekah is Emily's highly sarcastic, celebrity obsessed little sister who graduated from Rhodes in the spring and has moved to Nashville.  She's shamefully thinking of grad school in another state, foiling my plan to get all 6 Mulloys to Nashville.  At any rate, thank you, Rebekah.  She mailed it on September 29 (at least that's what the USPO stamp said) and I got it on October 15.  It's looking like 2.5 weeks for delivery, folks.  Just in case....

It is well... With my soul.... Or the Hallelujah Chorus, whichever you prefer.

Leaving school today, Wednesday, I realize that Maribel and Ana Luisa are not going to like the proposed schedule change.  I could already tell when they were at school.  But during recreo, I chatted some with Prof. Roberto (principal) and he asked what I thought about this (I thought it was great, by the way): I would teach four afternoons from 1:30-5 grades 2-6, and I would teach one morning a week to cover first grade, one hour per group.  I would basically have Mondays off, afternoons Tuesday through Friday, one full day (I would bargain for Thursday) and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings available for yoga!  Life is PERFECT, yet no way will it go down.

On my bus ride home, Maribel called to see which day I had decided on for Casa Achoy.  I still had not heard back from office in Mexico City, and I couldn't hear her well, so she said she would call me later.

I had sent an email to Lucas, the former Fulbright teacher from Mexico to the States who now teaches here and works with Comexus (and was in DC, etc) to ask him what I should do about contacting Maggie and Jess because they were out of town on business and I didn't want to interrupt, yet needed an answer.  His advice was to text them and let them know it was urgent and to tell me a time I could call.

I followed his advice once I got to Forum today (the mall).  About thirty minutes later, I got a call from Jess.  She's in Guanajuato with some other group with Comexus and can't do anything for me now, but she listened.  I explained.  And she offered the solution.

A) Since I don't want to do Casa Achoy, I don't have to.  If I had wanted to, they would make a way for that to work.  Since I don't, I'm not obligated.

B) If the schedule changes at my school, I will not be moved to another school.  I will stay with the same kids.  I will not have an extra job to make up the hours.

LIFE IS AS IT SHOULD BE.

C) I'm to give her Maribel's contact information so she can call, email, etc as soon as she gets in the office on Monday.  

All praises be....

If the change goes down, I'll have 3 day weekends every week.  I'll have yoga 4-5 times a week.  And I'll stay with my kids.

I'm a lucky gal.

I think this will be it on blogs for the week.  I will try to keep good notes so next week when I update, it will be creative, funny, and entertaining.

Thanks for reading!

HORMIGAS!

Word of the day.  Ants.

This morning, I got to school early because I wanted to take some pictures for my presentation in DC.  I arrived around 8:15 and went straight to the Computer room to drop off my things.  When I entered, however, there were already 4 other teachers.  They were preparing for our meeting.  Great. 

The principal was meeting with parents in classrooms to discuss the upcoming possible change in schedule (to full day, where PE, computers, and English are in afternoon only, 1:30-5) and feel out the parents.  Meanwhile, the teachers were in the computer room discussing worries, thoughts, etc with the authorities (of the zone, not the school system- this is an unofficial change done only on-site as a pilot trial basis) and the students, you guessed it, in their classrooms "working" on homework left by the teachers.

We were there for over an hour, but we got lots discussed.  Basically, we have to have more meetings with parents to get them on board.  It's complicated, but that's the basis.

What does any of this have to do with ants, you ask?

In the middle of the meeting, my arm is itching, so I scratch it.  It continues, so I look down.  I have an ant on me.  I kill it, and focus back on the mouth of the person talking.  Only to feel another.  And another.  I try to get them off and see that there are some on my shirt.

Yikes!

I excuse myself and head to the office for some privacy where I hop about like an idiot.  I finally see the HERD of them on the back of my jeans.  I don't know if I stepped in something, or what, but there were millions on the back of my jeans carrying little pieces of food.

UGH!

I swatted them off and they scattered.  Then I hopped about some more, took off my shoes and hit them together.  I finally got to a happy place and went back to the meeting.  As I went to sit down, I saw the pseudo-anthill at the base of my chair and chose a new seat.  I'm not one to judge who does their job and who doesn't, but my thought is this...

If the custodian's requirements were to clean each room more than once a week (this is his literal requirement), we might not have ants!  And if he spent more time in rooms cleaning instead of chatting with teachers and attending meetings about schedule changes...

I'm just sayin'.

Language people

This entry is for you.  No one else will care.  

I am fascinated by the differences in what I've been taught, and how language actually works here.

One of the things that I loooove is their use of -ito/-ita.  I was taught that it's to make things smaller, or cuter.  For example, grandmother is abuela, but Granny is abuelita.  Or a house is casa, but it's my cute house, casita.  I have found that EVERYTHING here uses the ito/ita ending.

Even words that are not nouns!

In yoga, Cristina tells us to keep our legs or arms or whichever body part derechito, straight.  I have never heard the ito on the end of an adjective.  Another teaching (or learning) moment.

Yoga conversation

When I got to yoga last night, Cecy and I caught up (love her!) and she told me that if Umberto didn't show, she and her husband would take me home.  Love these people!  Another man who had been there last week asked me how my students were doing, etc.  I explained that it was different, and hard, and involved lots of "loud talking" but that I loved teaching and loved children, so I was loving it!

He asked how I was doing with the weather.  I told him I was ready for the "cold."  Then I asked about the hottest month and they said September.  But, they said, this September had been very mild because of all the rain.  Great.  If this is mild, who knows what '09 brings!

The 14th

Yesterday was the 14th.  Why teachers got their paychecks on the 14th instead of the 15th, I don't know, but they did.

After recreo, I had a test to give to third grade.  They struggled but soldiered on.  The grades are pretty mediocre, but such is life in a new setting with a new teacher and lots of new English words.  That's not the point to this blog.  The test took longer than I had anticipated, so I didn't start walking to 6th grade until right at 12 instead of 11:45.  No biggie, we're in Mexico.  I get TO THE DOOR and the bell rings.

Great.  

Class lost.

On the bus ride home, I ask Geno what happened, and she said since it's payday we got out early.  All we need is a reason, people.  No, really, most teachers work the double shift.  They leave their morning school, grab a quick bite and start at their afternoon school.  Since it was payday, they needed time to go stand in line at the bank.  Makes sense to me, and since I have direct deposits in the ol' US of A, I just enjoyed my extra thirty minutes!

The World As We Know It....

may come to an end.  Hell may freeze over.  Etc.

Yesterday, Mabel and I HAD to go to the super to get groceries.  We didn't go on Sunday because we were beat from the trip to Celestino.  We had nothing, and I mean NOTHING in the house.

So we went to the super.  We stocked up and headed home.  Cosette, of course, did not stop talking from the moment we left the house until the moment we dropped her at the playground (and I'm sure she actually continued there!).

At some point, I interrupted her and said "Mira" which is look.  It's used the way we use it, to look at something, but also look, as in, I need to say something.  After I finished my sentence, Mabel PAID ME A COMPLIMENT!!!!!!

She said that my "R" had gotten a lot better.  That when I got here I had rolled it too much, and that now it sounded right.  Hooray!  

Here's the deal with the r.  Every American knows it's hard to do.  I remember when I finally did it after years of Spanish class.  I was in Honduras with Señora and suddenly it just happened.  The problem is, there are two different trills.  The single r is just a trip up of the tongue- still sounds rolled to us, but isn't really.  The double r and r's that start words are rolled a bit more than the others.  Americans who can roll the r, tend to overroll.  Or maybe that's just me.  But, poco a poco, I'm arriving!  And I think part of my dream last night had some Spanish in it.  Give me time.  I'm almost there (well, it's a journey that has no end, so I'm farther along, how's that?)...

Who knew?

Monday was Columbus Day.  Mexicans couldn't care less.  Work as usual.  I only remembered when I looked at my agenda (first time in weeks, honest) and saw the words there.  It made me laugh.  When I was in college, this girl in Pi Delta came in to the Student Center one day and said, "It's Columbus Day, who knew?" and in such a sorority girl way.  It was a very funny moment that Claire and I relive now 8 years later.  It's funny because I think every year since then, I've needed to go to the bank or Post Office on that day.  In Nashville, it's typically parent-teacher conferences, so students have the day off, but teachers work.  Since it's a different day, I usually take my lunch time to run errands.  And every year, I get to the bank or Post Office and realize it's closed...and why.  It's Columbus Day, who knew?  I think of Bogle every year and I laugh about that statement.

Even funnier, in chatting with Ashley that day, she said she had gone to the bank and it was closed, so she texted two people to ask why.  Neither knew.  She realized later that it was Columbus Day, so she texted them to let them know.  One of them responded, you guessed it, "Who knew?"