there are 7 other teachers who teach grade 2 with me. there are EIGHT classes at every grade in the school. it truly is gigantic. sometimes the size can be a blessing. for example, if you are wanting to feel anonymous and bury yourself in your classroom, it is definitely possible. however, there are many difficulties that can arise with SO many differing personalities, visions and communication styles.
i think no matter where you work, there will be drama. and difficulties and moments where you hate your life. the most important thing is whether that comes home with you at the end of the day AND whether it affects your ability to be a great teacher. don't get me wrong, i love my school, my colleagues and my job but it can be exhausting sometimes dealing with all the 'behind the scenes' stuff involved in teaching. we have weekly grade 2 team meetings, discuss all aspects of assessment, curriculum and our teaching. everyone always has the best of intentions, but sometimes i leave the meetings more stressed out then before! it is also hard, as a first year teacher, to know what you 'have' to do, and what you can use your judgement about. the school has set the bar so high for us, that i don't know if it is physically possible to get it all done! in a way, it is a juggling act... who can keep all the balls in the air, or at least drop a few without anyone noticing?
a few other quick thoughts before bed:
-we are doing levelled reading testing school-wide right now, and my kids are doing SO well! in only three months, many of them have moved up a level. it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to see them smile when i tell them they can pick their 'just right' books from a different basket.
-our school does everything BIG, it seems. last night was our staff halloween party. almost everyone came in pretty great costumes and the girls who hosted it had decked out their house in decorations, food, candy... everything. their house was like a small restaurant/bar/club! this week is going to be crazy with halloween at school. we even have a costume parade for parents. aii.
-i'm quickly learning the school jargon. in meetings, we always 'unpack' the curriculum, discuss the 'nuts and bolts' of issues, and 'build common eyes' as a team. its a different language!
-i spent a good chunk of the weekend marking writing at starbucks. report cards are coming up and i wanted to get some of the bulk of my marking done when i actually had free time. sitting at rooftop starbucks marking will simultaneously getting a tan is not the worst deal!
-friday i impulse bought... wait for it... a CELL phone! my friend amy and i were sitting in my classroom after school discussing how annoying it is that we couldn't meet up easily with friends later that night without setting concrete plans. all of a sudden, she said, "hey, you wanna run over to oxxo and buy cell phones?" it took me about 1 second to pack up my stuff and run out the door. cell phones are cheap here, and you just pay as you go. texting is only 1 peso! the greatest idea she's every had! i am a happy camper again. all i need is a car and my life will be back to normal again.
happy day of the dead week!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
a wee bit nippy.
i can't believe i am actually writing this. but, its true. i am cold in mexico.
let me clarify: it is not actually all that cold, but compared to the summer heat, the slight drop in temperature has hit me hard. PLUS, with the concrete floors, outdoor concept of the school and lack of insulation, you feel every degree drop. the switch happened in a second. i could barely believe that i was in the same place! all the teachers from last year kept warning them that i would be cold, but i didn't believe them. winter, in mexico? i thought. not possible! i walked to school in capris and a short-sleeved blouse yesterday morning, and even broke a sweat. however, by 8:30, when i walked out into the hallway, there had been a distinct drop in temperature. the kids were whining: "mizzz. i am soooooo cold." i told them it wasn't so bad, and shushed them. "it is only because you are from canada!", they said. now look at me. 24 hours later and i am bundled up under my duvet.
in other, less woe-is-me, news...
-things have been REALLY busy at school the past few weeks. i am over my hatred of teaching and am back feeling motivated and inspired. i get the feeling this is something i am going to have to get used to in this profession. we have started new units in all subjects this week, report cards are coming up in two weeks and i just finished up my first official assessment by my principal. i was at work until 10pm tonight, but that is still a rarity. i can't complain, because in how many jobs do you get to hear: "well, with this teacher i really learn things".
-people seem to be gradually getting out of their funks (including me!) and resurfacing back into the world of the living. i feel like i am making inroads on my spanish (finally) and my guitar has even been improving. i have discovered the physical pain of body combat at my gym and now the trainer knows my name, so i have no excuse not to pump it up.
-things in mexico seem like they will be really difficult until you finally just try... usually it ends up being much more accessible then you intially thought. in that spirit, we tried a ton of new things this weekend. on friday, my friend ally and i sought out a driving range in the dried up river bed and actually discovered we could rent clubs and hit a ball of buckets for about ten bucks! some good practice for south padre island in two weeks. we also really uncovered the wonders of the international culture FORUM which is in monterrey for a full three months. artists, dialogues, exhibits, music... anything you can imagine, from all over the world... has taken over a large park downtown. it is incredible! the city has done a ton to shape up for the exposure, and there are a ton of free things to do. i think i was there every day this weekend seeing shows, listening to dj's, wandering, visiting bookfairs and artisan fairs, and soaking up a world of culture. we will miss it when it is gone, but take advantage of it while its all here.
-our little drama club of fourth and fifth graders has been a great change of pace. tash and i don't kill ourselves to plan for it, we just go with the flow and have fun with the kids. i am really enjoying the older kids... they are slightly wild, but the work for it doesn't feel like a burden. AND, i generally just get to laugh for an hour!
-saturday evening three of the girls who work at the high school hosted the most stellar party. bollywood themed: their place was decked out! they had rented furniture for their rooftop patio, had a live dj, cooked unlimited indian food, played bollywood films on the wall and encouraged people to dress up. loads of people were invited and brought mexican friends, so it was nice to mingle with some non-teachers. (not that i don't love them!) it was a late night, but ginny and i made only good choices. we even joined the late-nate crowd at the local taco stand before crashing, which was the best, most delicious decision of all!
-and the greatest, most hilarious news of late is certainly.... the avril lavigne concert i attended on sunday! i would never, in a million years attend an avril show back home in canada, but when we discovered she was visiting monterrey, we felt we needed to represent! we sat in the back row but brought huge canadian flags and made our presence known. mexicans were actually taking pictures of us! (ha. the closest i'll ever feel to a rockstar) the most unbelievable part was that i actually knew the words to a ton of her songs, and actually really enjoyed the show. she's done quite well for herself to have a ton of mexicans singing along to her hits. yaH little old canada.
now, off to bed. cross your fingers for the return of heat to my life.
let me clarify: it is not actually all that cold, but compared to the summer heat, the slight drop in temperature has hit me hard. PLUS, with the concrete floors, outdoor concept of the school and lack of insulation, you feel every degree drop. the switch happened in a second. i could barely believe that i was in the same place! all the teachers from last year kept warning them that i would be cold, but i didn't believe them. winter, in mexico? i thought. not possible! i walked to school in capris and a short-sleeved blouse yesterday morning, and even broke a sweat. however, by 8:30, when i walked out into the hallway, there had been a distinct drop in temperature. the kids were whining: "mizzz. i am soooooo cold." i told them it wasn't so bad, and shushed them. "it is only because you are from canada!", they said. now look at me. 24 hours later and i am bundled up under my duvet.
in other, less woe-is-me, news...
-things have been REALLY busy at school the past few weeks. i am over my hatred of teaching and am back feeling motivated and inspired. i get the feeling this is something i am going to have to get used to in this profession. we have started new units in all subjects this week, report cards are coming up in two weeks and i just finished up my first official assessment by my principal. i was at work until 10pm tonight, but that is still a rarity. i can't complain, because in how many jobs do you get to hear: "well, with this teacher i really learn things".
-people seem to be gradually getting out of their funks (including me!) and resurfacing back into the world of the living. i feel like i am making inroads on my spanish (finally) and my guitar has even been improving. i have discovered the physical pain of body combat at my gym and now the trainer knows my name, so i have no excuse not to pump it up.
-things in mexico seem like they will be really difficult until you finally just try... usually it ends up being much more accessible then you intially thought. in that spirit, we tried a ton of new things this weekend. on friday, my friend ally and i sought out a driving range in the dried up river bed and actually discovered we could rent clubs and hit a ball of buckets for about ten bucks! some good practice for south padre island in two weeks. we also really uncovered the wonders of the international culture FORUM which is in monterrey for a full three months. artists, dialogues, exhibits, music... anything you can imagine, from all over the world... has taken over a large park downtown. it is incredible! the city has done a ton to shape up for the exposure, and there are a ton of free things to do. i think i was there every day this weekend seeing shows, listening to dj's, wandering, visiting bookfairs and artisan fairs, and soaking up a world of culture. we will miss it when it is gone, but take advantage of it while its all here.
-our little drama club of fourth and fifth graders has been a great change of pace. tash and i don't kill ourselves to plan for it, we just go with the flow and have fun with the kids. i am really enjoying the older kids... they are slightly wild, but the work for it doesn't feel like a burden. AND, i generally just get to laugh for an hour!
-saturday evening three of the girls who work at the high school hosted the most stellar party. bollywood themed: their place was decked out! they had rented furniture for their rooftop patio, had a live dj, cooked unlimited indian food, played bollywood films on the wall and encouraged people to dress up. loads of people were invited and brought mexican friends, so it was nice to mingle with some non-teachers. (not that i don't love them!) it was a late night, but ginny and i made only good choices. we even joined the late-nate crowd at the local taco stand before crashing, which was the best, most delicious decision of all!
-and the greatest, most hilarious news of late is certainly.... the avril lavigne concert i attended on sunday! i would never, in a million years attend an avril show back home in canada, but when we discovered she was visiting monterrey, we felt we needed to represent! we sat in the back row but brought huge canadian flags and made our presence known. mexicans were actually taking pictures of us! (ha. the closest i'll ever feel to a rockstar) the most unbelievable part was that i actually knew the words to a ton of her songs, and actually really enjoyed the show. she's done quite well for herself to have a ton of mexicans singing along to her hits. yaH little old canada.
now, off to bed. cross your fingers for the return of heat to my life.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
bbq, eh?
today we went on an adventure.
i had had a rough week. combined with being exhausted, my kidlets being little terrors, getting sick and having to take friday off and generally resenting my job, i was really ready for a weekend. and a quiet one.
last night i slept, ordered pizza and fell asleep watching a movie. this morning i slept in (after sleeping ALL day yesterday), did my nails and caught up on some blogging. this evening i am lying on the sofa, yawning, thinking about all the things i could do... but may just settle on reading on my own. this is NOT like me, but something i think even i need to remember to do every once and awhile.
this afternoon, though, we went on the great canadian adventure. i had received e-mails about the canadians in monterrey social club, and ginny and i decided it was time we checked it out. for all we knew, our future husbands could have been hanging out, and we were missing them! (sidenote: uh, no.)
we were told that this event was top secret, and you had to be registered to attend. as well, they told us that we needed our canadian passports to even get in! as you can imagine, we had HIGH expectations. when we arrived (after one wrong turn and a tour of greater monterrey), to three people sitting underneath a palapa and a few mexican kids playing soccer, you can imagine what we thought. did we get the directions wrong? is there another large factory that we are unaware of? ginny, amy and ally all creeped behind, designating me as the official spokesperson. i walk up slowly, tentatively asking, "where are all the canadian people?" an eager middle-aged man responds, "right here!" oh jeepers. are you sure they aren't somewhere else?
so here we are, in the middle of bf nowhere, sitting awkwardly at a picnic table. i had been expecting security, frisking, future husbands: instead, this? we cracked a beer, hoping this would ease the awkwardness ever so slightly. now, i am being slightly unfair. the people that we met were very lovely and as the afternoon progressed, more people did actually begin to show up. i would say we actually left when the party was getting started! but, in case you were wondering, i don't think i am going to find my future husband at the canadians in monterrey social club. first problem being: i think there were actually more mexicans then canadians??! but it was a great adventure into northern monterrey, and gave us all a good laugh.
and i got to eat a maple cookie. awesome, eh?
i had had a rough week. combined with being exhausted, my kidlets being little terrors, getting sick and having to take friday off and generally resenting my job, i was really ready for a weekend. and a quiet one.
last night i slept, ordered pizza and fell asleep watching a movie. this morning i slept in (after sleeping ALL day yesterday), did my nails and caught up on some blogging. this evening i am lying on the sofa, yawning, thinking about all the things i could do... but may just settle on reading on my own. this is NOT like me, but something i think even i need to remember to do every once and awhile.
this afternoon, though, we went on the great canadian adventure. i had received e-mails about the canadians in monterrey social club, and ginny and i decided it was time we checked it out. for all we knew, our future husbands could have been hanging out, and we were missing them! (sidenote: uh, no.)
we were told that this event was top secret, and you had to be registered to attend. as well, they told us that we needed our canadian passports to even get in! as you can imagine, we had HIGH expectations. when we arrived (after one wrong turn and a tour of greater monterrey), to three people sitting underneath a palapa and a few mexican kids playing soccer, you can imagine what we thought. did we get the directions wrong? is there another large factory that we are unaware of? ginny, amy and ally all creeped behind, designating me as the official spokesperson. i walk up slowly, tentatively asking, "where are all the canadian people?" an eager middle-aged man responds, "right here!" oh jeepers. are you sure they aren't somewhere else?
so here we are, in the middle of bf nowhere, sitting awkwardly at a picnic table. i had been expecting security, frisking, future husbands: instead, this? we cracked a beer, hoping this would ease the awkwardness ever so slightly. now, i am being slightly unfair. the people that we met were very lovely and as the afternoon progressed, more people did actually begin to show up. i would say we actually left when the party was getting started! but, in case you were wondering, i don't think i am going to find my future husband at the canadians in monterrey social club. first problem being: i think there were actually more mexicans then canadians??! but it was a great adventure into northern monterrey, and gave us all a good laugh.
and i got to eat a maple cookie. awesome, eh?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
patience is a virtue.
i always said i wouldn't be the kind of teacher who gets up not wanting to go to work.
i guess this week will have to be an exception.
all week, i have not wanted to get out of bed. i haven't wanted to work, and i have been much more impatient with my class. it doesn't help that they have been SO BAD this week! i can't imagine having 20 kids to myself all day and then having to go home to them too. i don't think i would survive. you would think by now, that routines would be established, that they would have good judgement and that they wouldn't talk while i'm talking. ummm, yah.
instead, here are some things my kiddies have done this week:
spent 25 minutes in the bathroom thinking i wouldn't notice.
done a cartwheel on the carpet.
written a 'small moment' story with a different colour pen in every sentence.
stolen a prize from the prize box.
said he was going to the bathroom, but snuck to the nurse.
picked his nose. repeatedly.
three boys came back to class 10 minutes late, saying they were all going number 2 in the bathroom. uh, right. i found out they were making bubbles in the sink.
fought during our 'fort party' reward. made 'no girls allowed' posters for their fort.
asked me the same question four times in a row. literally.
i have sent one girl out of class, had four kids cry, had two anger outbursts, given three detentions and had four parent meetings.
are the kids getting comfortable or am i being too lenient? i don't think i am, because i feel like i am reasonably strict and i get angry when i need to. i think the kids respect me, and although chatty, i think i have a good rapport with them. then why are they pushing the limits and pushing me to the brink of my sanity? i have never had more respect for teachers who love their jobs more then i do this week. thank god tomorrow is friday.
i guess this week will have to be an exception.
all week, i have not wanted to get out of bed. i haven't wanted to work, and i have been much more impatient with my class. it doesn't help that they have been SO BAD this week! i can't imagine having 20 kids to myself all day and then having to go home to them too. i don't think i would survive. you would think by now, that routines would be established, that they would have good judgement and that they wouldn't talk while i'm talking. ummm, yah.
instead, here are some things my kiddies have done this week:
spent 25 minutes in the bathroom thinking i wouldn't notice.
done a cartwheel on the carpet.
written a 'small moment' story with a different colour pen in every sentence.
stolen a prize from the prize box.
said he was going to the bathroom, but snuck to the nurse.
picked his nose. repeatedly.
three boys came back to class 10 minutes late, saying they were all going number 2 in the bathroom. uh, right. i found out they were making bubbles in the sink.
fought during our 'fort party' reward. made 'no girls allowed' posters for their fort.
asked me the same question four times in a row. literally.
i have sent one girl out of class, had four kids cry, had two anger outbursts, given three detentions and had four parent meetings.
are the kids getting comfortable or am i being too lenient? i don't think i am, because i feel like i am reasonably strict and i get angry when i need to. i think the kids respect me, and although chatty, i think i have a good rapport with them. then why are they pushing the limits and pushing me to the brink of my sanity? i have never had more respect for teachers who love their jobs more then i do this week. thank god tomorrow is friday.
Monday, October 08, 2007
me gusta guanajuato.
another long weekend, another trip!
you may think that we had a long weekend in honour of canadian thanksgiving, but i was fooled. really it was for colombus day? or some similar US holiday. no turkey for me this weekend.
INSTEAD, though, i had the loveliest, most fun (and funny!) long weekend yet. things keep getting better and better. just when i think i have found the most beautiful place in mexico, i am amazed once again. or maybe everything really is wonderful.
we did not leave until saturday morning, which gave me the evening to myself on friday. my good friend raymundo (aka my english speaking taxi driver) came and picked us up at 7 in the morning. it is great having a personal taxi driver who you can call at any time of day! our viva aerobus flight was slightly less sketchy, and thankfully, there were no emergency stops on the runway this time. driving in to guanajuato was a really interesting experience, because the roads entering the city are all subterranean. when traffic became a problem a long time ago on their narrow roads, they dammed up an old river and turned the riverbeds into subterranean roads. strange, but effective.
we couldn't drive up to our hotel, because it was actually located in an alleyway on a hill. when we got dropped of and vaguely directed, i thought we would never find it! luckily, casa bertha was on the ball, and hand-painted signs directed us through the maze of alleys. good thing i hadn't brought a lot of luggage, because after walking up the hill, our hotel room was on the top floor of the hotel! casa bertha was a potpourri melange of twists and turns, strange staircases, but when we reached the top floor and looked out at the view of the city, i fell in love. our room literally looked out onto a HUGE patio which overlooked the entire city. we definitely scored one of the most beautiful views. we could see all the roofs, the coloured houses, and the mountains beyond. it took ALL of our breaths away.
after drooling for quite sometime, damon decided our first mission should be for food. a friendly local directed us to a hole in the wall mexican restaurant, where the food was surprisingly delicious! we ordered beer before noon (for real) and gave her quite the laugh. next, we explored the main square (called jardin principal), the beautiful main theatre (teatro juarez) and wandered down some adorable pedestrianized streets. luckily, our visit coincided with the cervantes festival, a huge arts and cultural festival that takes over the city. street performers, mimes, musicians were abundant throughout the city on both days. we found the most AMAZING silver shop (which to my disappointed was closed when we returned to make our purchases!!), stumbled upon dozens of little squares and even found a wall of lips. a very unique city!
guanajuato has a distinctly european feel, and i often had to blink twice to remember that i wasn't in spain. we meandered along the streets, stopping in shops, to sample street food and to take in some performances. even though we didn't understand very much, there was a great vibe in the city. we eventually made it to our goal, which was the childhood home of mexican artist diego rivera. the city had initial scorned his communist ways and rejected him, but they have now turned his house into a museum with a collection of his artwork. most famous for his murals, his work was actually very varied and diverse.
the day seemed to last forever! we had (too many) margaritas at a little outdoor patio while being 'harassed' by the street vendors. once you buy something, you're toast. plus, with a little bit of tequila in us, no one could say no to the beautiful peacock scarves and woolen carpets! (i was good and didn't buy a thing!!!) i imagine they were talking about the crazy gringas at table 2, and sending their buddies over to sell us more unnecessary goodies. hilarious.
in the evening, we decided to have a romantic group dinner in a quiet plaza and then find some classic salsa bars. i have been in mexico for almost three months, and still had not had a proper dance! we followed the music and ended up in this local haunt where men ask you to dance and have no expectation of ANYTHING other then a dance. very refreshing. we made some new friends who directed us to an even better dance bar called 'cuba mia', where we could really get a sense of the guanajuato salsa scene. and ohh boy. when we entered that bar, we were forever out of my league. i felt soo awkward stepping on people's toes, not knowing which direction to turn. it was also the most fun i've had in ages! the music was live, the dancers were almost professionals (at least in my eyes) and i actually got better as the evening went on! now i just need to get a permanent instructor. ha.
on sunday we slept in, wandered the streets some more, bought extremely inexpensive pottery, ate muy delicioso crepes for desayuno and hiked all the way out to the infamous mummy museum. now this may have been the most disgusting theme for a museum, but accurately reflects mexico's strange infatuation with death. it was literally the world's largest collection of dead people, mummified. these included (i'll leave the gorry details out): a pregnant mummy, the world's smallest mummy, the world's first mummy and other lovely additions. sunday we also managed to fit in a trip to the local university, some shopping, a visit to the covered market and a trip up to the highest point of the city.
sunday night, when the four of us lay in our beds and chatted until 1 in the morning, i literally felt like was at camp. everything about the weekend had been perfect. we truly bonded, couldn't stop laughing and discovered one of the most charming cities in mexico.
what more could we ever ask for?
you may think that we had a long weekend in honour of canadian thanksgiving, but i was fooled. really it was for colombus day? or some similar US holiday. no turkey for me this weekend.
INSTEAD, though, i had the loveliest, most fun (and funny!) long weekend yet. things keep getting better and better. just when i think i have found the most beautiful place in mexico, i am amazed once again. or maybe everything really is wonderful.
we did not leave until saturday morning, which gave me the evening to myself on friday. my good friend raymundo (aka my english speaking taxi driver) came and picked us up at 7 in the morning. it is great having a personal taxi driver who you can call at any time of day! our viva aerobus flight was slightly less sketchy, and thankfully, there were no emergency stops on the runway this time. driving in to guanajuato was a really interesting experience, because the roads entering the city are all subterranean. when traffic became a problem a long time ago on their narrow roads, they dammed up an old river and turned the riverbeds into subterranean roads. strange, but effective.
we couldn't drive up to our hotel, because it was actually located in an alleyway on a hill. when we got dropped of and vaguely directed, i thought we would never find it! luckily, casa bertha was on the ball, and hand-painted signs directed us through the maze of alleys. good thing i hadn't brought a lot of luggage, because after walking up the hill, our hotel room was on the top floor of the hotel! casa bertha was a potpourri melange of twists and turns, strange staircases, but when we reached the top floor and looked out at the view of the city, i fell in love. our room literally looked out onto a HUGE patio which overlooked the entire city. we definitely scored one of the most beautiful views. we could see all the roofs, the coloured houses, and the mountains beyond. it took ALL of our breaths away.
after drooling for quite sometime, damon decided our first mission should be for food. a friendly local directed us to a hole in the wall mexican restaurant, where the food was surprisingly delicious! we ordered beer before noon (for real) and gave her quite the laugh. next, we explored the main square (called jardin principal), the beautiful main theatre (teatro juarez) and wandered down some adorable pedestrianized streets. luckily, our visit coincided with the cervantes festival, a huge arts and cultural festival that takes over the city. street performers, mimes, musicians were abundant throughout the city on both days. we found the most AMAZING silver shop (which to my disappointed was closed when we returned to make our purchases!!), stumbled upon dozens of little squares and even found a wall of lips. a very unique city!
guanajuato has a distinctly european feel, and i often had to blink twice to remember that i wasn't in spain. we meandered along the streets, stopping in shops, to sample street food and to take in some performances. even though we didn't understand very much, there was a great vibe in the city. we eventually made it to our goal, which was the childhood home of mexican artist diego rivera. the city had initial scorned his communist ways and rejected him, but they have now turned his house into a museum with a collection of his artwork. most famous for his murals, his work was actually very varied and diverse.
the day seemed to last forever! we had (too many) margaritas at a little outdoor patio while being 'harassed' by the street vendors. once you buy something, you're toast. plus, with a little bit of tequila in us, no one could say no to the beautiful peacock scarves and woolen carpets! (i was good and didn't buy a thing!!!) i imagine they were talking about the crazy gringas at table 2, and sending their buddies over to sell us more unnecessary goodies. hilarious.
in the evening, we decided to have a romantic group dinner in a quiet plaza and then find some classic salsa bars. i have been in mexico for almost three months, and still had not had a proper dance! we followed the music and ended up in this local haunt where men ask you to dance and have no expectation of ANYTHING other then a dance. very refreshing. we made some new friends who directed us to an even better dance bar called 'cuba mia', where we could really get a sense of the guanajuato salsa scene. and ohh boy. when we entered that bar, we were forever out of my league. i felt soo awkward stepping on people's toes, not knowing which direction to turn. it was also the most fun i've had in ages! the music was live, the dancers were almost professionals (at least in my eyes) and i actually got better as the evening went on! now i just need to get a permanent instructor. ha.
on sunday we slept in, wandered the streets some more, bought extremely inexpensive pottery, ate muy delicioso crepes for desayuno and hiked all the way out to the infamous mummy museum. now this may have been the most disgusting theme for a museum, but accurately reflects mexico's strange infatuation with death. it was literally the world's largest collection of dead people, mummified. these included (i'll leave the gorry details out): a pregnant mummy, the world's smallest mummy, the world's first mummy and other lovely additions. sunday we also managed to fit in a trip to the local university, some shopping, a visit to the covered market and a trip up to the highest point of the city.
sunday night, when the four of us lay in our beds and chatted until 1 in the morning, i literally felt like was at camp. everything about the weekend had been perfect. we truly bonded, couldn't stop laughing and discovered one of the most charming cities in mexico.
what more could we ever ask for?
Friday, October 05, 2007
firsts.
this week i had my first mexican birthday. i turned 25, which is makes me one of the youngest teachers at the school. i didn't actually feel that much older, since i had been stretching the truth and saying i was 25 for about, um, ten months already. birthdays are great, especially now that facebook was invented... because you get a million wallposts! being far away, that feels really nice.
on my birthday, i got my first teacher gifts, my first parent made cakes (not one, but TWO) and my first balloon tree delivery. (from erin, katie q and carolynn!) my kids thought this was possibly the greatest thing in the WORLD. i had a group of twenty children sing me happy birthday for the first time... "are you 1? no. are you 2? no. are you 3? no. are you 4? no... how long does this go on?" i got my first matching miss sarah necklace, bracelet and ring. lucky me!
my parents used their first phone card to call me and i got my first birthday card from a prinipal. the package did not come from my parents yet, because no one had gone to mcallen... but this only means that my first mexican birthday will be extended for a week! i also had my first late night phone call with my mom. i was tired the next day, but it was worth it!
in the evening, ginny and i hosted our first cocktail party. we had a table FULL of food, ginny made her first ice cream pie for me and i made my first sangria. it was a perfect birthday evening.
this week, i also missed my first major event back home. my dad's surprise 60th birthday party. if you would like to read what was read on my behalf, scroll down!
but firstly, thanks for the birthday wishes everyone. it just wasn't the same without you!
__________
Hi dad! Sorry, you may expect me to walk in the door, but unfortunately, a day in the hot Mexican sun really was too good to pass up… even in honour of your 60th. Instead, I hope this message will bring a smile to your face.
I know I have grown up and moved away, but I wanted to let you and all our friends and family know all the things you have sent me out into the world with.
Ahem. Here goes.
Everything (or at least some) of what I need to know, I didn’t learn in Kindergarten – but I really did learn from my father…
10. That VCRs weren’t really meant for taping anyway. Maybe Dad is the only one who gets it right – technology changes so fast that there is NO point in ever learning how to use it!
9. If you weren’t sure, it is actually possible to have a phone conversation that lasts 2.5 seconds. (Ex: Me: “Hi Dad! It is your long lost daughter stuck without water/food/transportation in the Sahara desert.” Dad: “Here’s your mother.”)
8. You really can lose your keys just about ANYWHERE. Kitchen counter? Yup. Garbage can? Yup. Your pocket? Yup. In your mind? Soon to come.
7. You can STILL go backpacking and climb mountains and sleep in bug-infested hotels in Morocco at 58.
6. It IS okay to let the woman drive. I thank you GREATLY for this lesson.
5. It IS okay to make the man to the laundry. I thank you EVEN MORE for this rich addition to my life.
4. Priests sill do like beer, watch hockey and have the occasional moment of road rage. Sorry if I ‘outed’ you there!
3. You can NEVER have too many CD’s or run too many errands or chew to loudly.
2. That bringing your spouse coffee and breakfast in bed every Saturday morning can do wonders for your relationship. I’m taking notes.
AND
1. That endless support, unfaltering encouragement and complete selflessness have made me the luckiest daughter in the world. Jokes aside, thanks. And Happy Birthday.
on my birthday, i got my first teacher gifts, my first parent made cakes (not one, but TWO) and my first balloon tree delivery. (from erin, katie q and carolynn!) my kids thought this was possibly the greatest thing in the WORLD. i had a group of twenty children sing me happy birthday for the first time... "are you 1? no. are you 2? no. are you 3? no. are you 4? no... how long does this go on?" i got my first matching miss sarah necklace, bracelet and ring. lucky me!
my parents used their first phone card to call me and i got my first birthday card from a prinipal. the package did not come from my parents yet, because no one had gone to mcallen... but this only means that my first mexican birthday will be extended for a week! i also had my first late night phone call with my mom. i was tired the next day, but it was worth it!
in the evening, ginny and i hosted our first cocktail party. we had a table FULL of food, ginny made her first ice cream pie for me and i made my first sangria. it was a perfect birthday evening.
this week, i also missed my first major event back home. my dad's surprise 60th birthday party. if you would like to read what was read on my behalf, scroll down!
but firstly, thanks for the birthday wishes everyone. it just wasn't the same without you!
__________
Hi dad! Sorry, you may expect me to walk in the door, but unfortunately, a day in the hot Mexican sun really was too good to pass up… even in honour of your 60th. Instead, I hope this message will bring a smile to your face.
I know I have grown up and moved away, but I wanted to let you and all our friends and family know all the things you have sent me out into the world with.
Ahem. Here goes.
Everything (or at least some) of what I need to know, I didn’t learn in Kindergarten – but I really did learn from my father…
10. That VCRs weren’t really meant for taping anyway. Maybe Dad is the only one who gets it right – technology changes so fast that there is NO point in ever learning how to use it!
9. If you weren’t sure, it is actually possible to have a phone conversation that lasts 2.5 seconds. (Ex: Me: “Hi Dad! It is your long lost daughter stuck without water/food/transportation in the Sahara desert.” Dad: “Here’s your mother.”)
8. You really can lose your keys just about ANYWHERE. Kitchen counter? Yup. Garbage can? Yup. Your pocket? Yup. In your mind? Soon to come.
7. You can STILL go backpacking and climb mountains and sleep in bug-infested hotels in Morocco at 58.
6. It IS okay to let the woman drive. I thank you GREATLY for this lesson.
5. It IS okay to make the man to the laundry. I thank you EVEN MORE for this rich addition to my life.
4. Priests sill do like beer, watch hockey and have the occasional moment of road rage. Sorry if I ‘outed’ you there!
3. You can NEVER have too many CD’s or run too many errands or chew to loudly.
2. That bringing your spouse coffee and breakfast in bed every Saturday morning can do wonders for your relationship. I’m taking notes.
AND
1. That endless support, unfaltering encouragement and complete selflessness have made me the luckiest daughter in the world. Jokes aside, thanks. And Happy Birthday.
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