I had a good day. I still LOVE it here and am happy. I didn't have a perfect day, though. It was bound to happen. Both first grades were a bit bonkers (though, as usual, I could get the second group more under control after a little come to Jesus). Fourth grade was great, though out of their comfort zones, as they were beginning to make rough drafts (that they'll finish tomorrow!) of the books to send to Spanish club at Lockeland.
In fifth grade, I started with my Jingle Bells powerpoint. Some key players to English class were missing (apparently there was another one of those PE team meets), but I got through teaching the lyrics (memorization), vocabulary (understanding), and musicality (impossible) of the chorus and half of the first verse. We will not attempt the second verse. We will attempt near-native perfection of the pronunciation since we have two weeks. That's right...in two weeks, my first semester (though more like a trimester since I have so much left in the new year) will be essentially over. Wow.
I mean, wow.
I got home from school and cleaned out my inbox and returned some facebook messages. I fixed my now-famous lemon pepper fish and salad concoction and it was delicious and oh-so-filling.
I graded some papers, recorded some grades, and got some things organized. I was tempted to go to the Oxxo and buy some chocolate, so I changed into my workout clothes and went for a walk/run. I'm really enjoying Kanye West right now. I think it's because he's one of the few hip hop (is that his appropriate genre?) artists that they know down here.
So I let him chant away on my iPod while I walked to the nearby bridge. It took about ten minutes to get there. The bridge is kind of a ramp-like area on a hill over the very gross water. I decided to attempt some "difficult" (for me) running. I am not in shape enough for longevity, so I decided today would be a hills day. The distance was very short, so it was completely doable.
I ran up the hill to the middle of the bridge and walked back down the other side where I turned around and did the same the other way. I did that for about 20 minutes and then headed back.
Mabel was just getting up from a nap (her first since Tucson) and asked me if I wanted to go to the super. I said sure and we decided to go at 7. I got a shower and made my mental list.
We went to Mega, the big chain and were sorely disappointed. They have great produce (I got some carrots and this is where I got the peppers and mushrooms last week), but not much else. We left disappointed and stopped in our old faithful: La Bodega. We got a bag of lettuce, my fish fillets, chicken patties for Mabel and Cosette, and soap and toothpaste.
As we were walking out, Mabel was talking about how there's so much change in the US. (Which is funny because I think they have more coinage here.) She showed me all the nickels and such in her wallet leftover from Tucson. "For my next trip," she said. I asked her when that would be and she said she didn't know.
I told her to start saving her pennies and if she didn't get the scholarship for next summer, that she could come stay in Nashville for a week or so.
"REALLY?!"
Or if she did get the scholarship, that she could stay an extra week and come visit. She got very excited. The scholarship is some other project Comexus has for Mexican English teachers to study in the US for 4 weeks. She will apply in January and won't find out until April.
When we got home, we started talking about Yuri. Had I heard from her?
I caught her up on all things Yuri that I knew and then told her that she had asked me if her mom could send some more stuff with me, including tortillas. That led us to a long discussion about all the things I needed to take home with me at Christmas to share. Tortillas and nutella (which you can get in the States, I know) was already on my list and Mabel agreed. She also suggested tamales (which I'm pumped she did) and buñuelos. Then she went on and on about how every Christmas they go to her Aunt Laura's house and make the tortillas by hand to make the buñuelos and how we'll have to do that this year. I can already see the pictures I'll get to take!
She was getting excited as was I.
Yesterday she filled me in on all our social engagements this week. Tomorrow is a birthday party for Cosette, followed by another on Friday. They don't call them birthday parties here. They're either birthdays or piñatas. Then on Saturday the U de O (the university where she teaches) is having their posada. I informed her that Alma had facebooked me and told me there was a party Saturday. She told me about it last Saturday, so I have reason to believe that this will actually happen. So we'll be busy little bees.
Next week gets even crazier, and I'm guessing we'll get more invitations as time goes on!
Next week I am going to go to a concert at La Lomita, the biggest Catholic Church in town (with apparently the best view of Culiacán), on Tuesday or Wednesday. On Thursday, the Consulate (is that his title?) is coming to my school. He will be in town and is stopping by to meet me and see the school. Their office in Guadalajara is where I sent my $500 in materials that Fulbright let me purchase, and they shipped them to me without charging me. That evening is the town Posada. I think that means we'll all walk to La Lomita, but I might be wrong. That night is the Posada for the school district. It is at Anabel's house and all the school officials will be there. December 12, Friday, is el dia de la virgin (The Day of the Virgin). I'm assuming we'll have school, but who knows. That afternoon is our teacher posada and it's also the posada for the privada (condos). Sunday is another posada with Maribel and her English teaching charges. Can you see that the posada celebration is a big one? I can't wait to see what it's all about!
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