"how long a minute is, depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on."
time has been driving me crazy these days. there is never enough. but WHY? the only reason there is never enough is that we have over-programmed our lives and heightened our expectations, forcing us to constantly feel behind.
there isn't enough time to finish my marking, to write my blogs, to read the book that i want to read. when people say they are bored i am always in complete and utter shock -- what i wouldn't give for a week off to do all the things i always wish i had time to do.
i am at school ALL day, yet i am complaining that there isn't enough time to fully teach the curriculum. but i don't want more time at work, i want less! the whole thing is absurd.
the problem is not time: it is me, or more broadly, my life.
BUT please tell me how i am supposed to be completely unaffected by the world around me? how i am supposed to ignore the administration at my school that constantly wants more more more from me? how am i supposed to ignore my body telling me it wants more time to sleep? how am i supposed to balance the little free time i get between cooking, reading, working out... essentially ALL of the things that i love?
if you have an answer, please send it my way.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
educating kathryn.
i got my first visitor in mexico!
my lovely, wonderful, amazing friend katie hutchinson came and joined me in mexico for a vacation over new years. we have been friends since the end of the grade 8, so not having her regularly in my life has been tough this year. SO many people have told me that they will come and visit me in mexico, but i knew katie actually would. the thing is, katie and i have actually never travelled together. we have, however, done a lot together. we have cried over boys, gotten drunk for the first time, and watched each other grow up. she understands me because she has been there through it all. i have always known we would travel well together because her preparation and caution would nicely counteract with my spontaneous wanderings.
a little of this...
in a lot of ways, our trip was reminiscent of a quiet trip appropriate for 80 year olds. and that suited us BOTH just fine.
*one night, we went to bed at 8 o'clock and slept right through until morning!
*we found divine pleasure in wandering around in the garden outside of our hotel in playa del carmen.
*each night before going to bed we read out loud to each other from a little question and answer book that i got for christmas.
*playing scrabble at the bar WHILE drinking margaritas. perfection.
*enjoying new years eve dinner in french with a lovely couple from paris. they were accidently served our guacamole, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
*getting massages ON the beach!
*the most exciting part of each day was deciding where we wanted to eat for dinner! a culinary extravaganza. homemade italian pasta, a religious experience with nut crusted pork at john gray's place in playa and generally fabulous food. yum.
and a little of that...
in many other ways, we lived life on the edge, braving the treacherous mexican highways and still emerging in one piece.
*after visiting grand cenote, a huge underground pool, we were unable to find a cab to bring us back to town. SO, we had to brave a five km walk on a highway, almost being swiped by passing cars and buses. a young man cycling by offered us a spot in this little metal pushcart buggy, but we passed the transportation over to a young family who needed it more then we did. so humble and kind, don't you think? we felt pretty good about ourselves!
*there was no room left on the 1st class bus, so we had to settle for being packed in to a 2nd class bus all the way from playa to tulum. katie compared it to being squished into a bus in india, all that was missing was the chickens. i sat on the floor of the aisle, thinking "katie is going to kill me for this"! luckily she thought it was quite the adventure.
*because it was only a 2nd class bus, the stops only lasted for a few seconds. BUT, we had to get our luggage from off the bottom of the bus in those two seconds. first, the bus driver would NOT open the other side of the luggage compartment, so we had to literally climb into the bottom of the bus to get our suitcases. i could hear him revving the engine and i could just picture him driving away with us stuck in there. we yanked the suitcases off of the bus and at that exact moment he drove away. phew. i laugh in the face of danger now!
*our hotel on the beach in tulum were little palapa huts with only a lightbulb for electricity for a few hours a day, and a bare-bones twig bed. it was all very romantic until it dipped into the single digits at night and we had to go into town to buy blankets so we wouldn't freeze!
*living in little jungle huts come with some risks. little cucarachas were found in our clothes, shoes and suitcases! one even joined katie for a trip all the way back to canada. lucky guy.
*we had been waiting all week to eat at a delicious thai restaurant that was recommended in lonely planet. unfortunately, when we got there, they said they had no room for us because we had not made renovations! we begged and pleaded and they ended up setting us up on the ground, on pillows, on the windiest patio in the world. in the end, we felt more genuine, sitting on the floor, enjoying our scrumptious food (even though we were almost blown away). que rico!
*we had a few days of bad weather (cloudy and windy), so the beach was becoming out of the question. we decided to make the most of the situation by taking a day trip to chichen itza, one of the most famous mayan ruins that i had wanted to see for years. we had more then 2 hours in the car in each direction, but it was worth every minute. on the way home, the bus stopped at a huge famous cenote (a freshwater sinkhole) and gave us 30 minutes to explore. just as on the amazing race, we decided we had enough time to go swimming, even though it was freezing and crowded! i felt a soundtrack start of fast-paced music in my head as we quickly changed, ran down the stairs and jumped off quite a high cliff, without enough time to think about what we were doing! good thing we moved quickly, because the cliff was actually quite high. a few minutes later we were changed again and back in the van. another day, another adventure!
*while we were staying in tulum, we decided renting bikes during a windstorm might be a good idea. we were trying to have a leisurely bide ride along the coast but ended up essentially standing still as we fought a wall of wind. we always have the best ideas! the wind also affected our sun-tanning mission. we were being attacked by a sandstorm so we set up a barricade by turning a kayak and using it to shield us. only slightly successful, but very ingenious!
and a lot of...
*amazing friend catch-up time, bonding and memories.
gracias mi amor!
my lovely, wonderful, amazing friend katie hutchinson came and joined me in mexico for a vacation over new years. we have been friends since the end of the grade 8, so not having her regularly in my life has been tough this year. SO many people have told me that they will come and visit me in mexico, but i knew katie actually would. the thing is, katie and i have actually never travelled together. we have, however, done a lot together. we have cried over boys, gotten drunk for the first time, and watched each other grow up. she understands me because she has been there through it all. i have always known we would travel well together because her preparation and caution would nicely counteract with my spontaneous wanderings.
a little of this...
in a lot of ways, our trip was reminiscent of a quiet trip appropriate for 80 year olds. and that suited us BOTH just fine.
*one night, we went to bed at 8 o'clock and slept right through until morning!
*we found divine pleasure in wandering around in the garden outside of our hotel in playa del carmen.
*each night before going to bed we read out loud to each other from a little question and answer book that i got for christmas.
*playing scrabble at the bar WHILE drinking margaritas. perfection.
*enjoying new years eve dinner in french with a lovely couple from paris. they were accidently served our guacamole, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
*getting massages ON the beach!
*the most exciting part of each day was deciding where we wanted to eat for dinner! a culinary extravaganza. homemade italian pasta, a religious experience with nut crusted pork at john gray's place in playa and generally fabulous food. yum.
and a little of that...
in many other ways, we lived life on the edge, braving the treacherous mexican highways and still emerging in one piece.
*after visiting grand cenote, a huge underground pool, we were unable to find a cab to bring us back to town. SO, we had to brave a five km walk on a highway, almost being swiped by passing cars and buses. a young man cycling by offered us a spot in this little metal pushcart buggy, but we passed the transportation over to a young family who needed it more then we did. so humble and kind, don't you think? we felt pretty good about ourselves!
*there was no room left on the 1st class bus, so we had to settle for being packed in to a 2nd class bus all the way from playa to tulum. katie compared it to being squished into a bus in india, all that was missing was the chickens. i sat on the floor of the aisle, thinking "katie is going to kill me for this"! luckily she thought it was quite the adventure.
*because it was only a 2nd class bus, the stops only lasted for a few seconds. BUT, we had to get our luggage from off the bottom of the bus in those two seconds. first, the bus driver would NOT open the other side of the luggage compartment, so we had to literally climb into the bottom of the bus to get our suitcases. i could hear him revving the engine and i could just picture him driving away with us stuck in there. we yanked the suitcases off of the bus and at that exact moment he drove away. phew. i laugh in the face of danger now!
*our hotel on the beach in tulum were little palapa huts with only a lightbulb for electricity for a few hours a day, and a bare-bones twig bed. it was all very romantic until it dipped into the single digits at night and we had to go into town to buy blankets so we wouldn't freeze!
*living in little jungle huts come with some risks. little cucarachas were found in our clothes, shoes and suitcases! one even joined katie for a trip all the way back to canada. lucky guy.
*we had been waiting all week to eat at a delicious thai restaurant that was recommended in lonely planet. unfortunately, when we got there, they said they had no room for us because we had not made renovations! we begged and pleaded and they ended up setting us up on the ground, on pillows, on the windiest patio in the world. in the end, we felt more genuine, sitting on the floor, enjoying our scrumptious food (even though we were almost blown away). que rico!
*we had a few days of bad weather (cloudy and windy), so the beach was becoming out of the question. we decided to make the most of the situation by taking a day trip to chichen itza, one of the most famous mayan ruins that i had wanted to see for years. we had more then 2 hours in the car in each direction, but it was worth every minute. on the way home, the bus stopped at a huge famous cenote (a freshwater sinkhole) and gave us 30 minutes to explore. just as on the amazing race, we decided we had enough time to go swimming, even though it was freezing and crowded! i felt a soundtrack start of fast-paced music in my head as we quickly changed, ran down the stairs and jumped off quite a high cliff, without enough time to think about what we were doing! good thing we moved quickly, because the cliff was actually quite high. a few minutes later we were changed again and back in the van. another day, another adventure!
*while we were staying in tulum, we decided renting bikes during a windstorm might be a good idea. we were trying to have a leisurely bide ride along the coast but ended up essentially standing still as we fought a wall of wind. we always have the best ideas! the wind also affected our sun-tanning mission. we were being attacked by a sandstorm so we set up a barricade by turning a kayak and using it to shield us. only slightly successful, but very ingenious!
and a lot of...
*amazing friend catch-up time, bonding and memories.
gracias mi amor!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
fly away home.
i almost didn't go home for christmas. for the most part, i have been very happy here, and felt that part of growing up was potentially having to miss my traditional canadian christmas. but, when the school offered me the trip home (on them!) i realized that even adults have to admit that they could benefit from a little taste of home.
it was a jam-packed week full of family, catching up with old friends, new random encounters and good old canadian comforts. and here, with no further delay, are the best parts of going home for a fleming canadian christmas:
1. travel, with an edge: i booked a flight with a so-called illegal connection in houston that is known for being an impossible flight to make. but the secret to life is to truly believe, and you will succeed. ha. and with a little luck thrown in, a long sprint through the airport and some good research done beforehand (by a friend, not even myself!), i did manage to make the three flights and get home for my mum's official bday. nothing like a little adrenaline to prepare for holidays with the parentals.
2. santa claus: no guitar hero 3 video game for me, but santa clause is still definitely alive and well at our house. he is getting better and better at following requests, and even still wraps his 'big' gift under a blanket on the couch. and mrs. clause must have been helping because i managed to acquire a hot diesel purse!
3. trippy traditions: christmas wouldn't be christmas without dad's eclectic creche covered in fake snow, opening stockings on my parents bed, eating croissants for brunch and wrapping presents while watching old movies from circa 1990.
4. a little bit of canada: in order to expose me to as much canada in one week as possible, i was served beavertails, walked around downtown to see the christmas lights, ate mini wheats for breakfast (i can't get them here), got to see a few snowfalls and had to slip back into my winter boots.
5. everything is eclectic: christmas dinner was totally random and turned out splendidly. the spiess family joined us, which always leads do some good laughs, but this year we also had some interesting additions. a young family who recently moved from africa came with their one-year old bundle of joy simba. along with other friends, we had about 15 people over! to me, it fully encompassed the christmas spirit of sharing joy and spreading love. my mom ended up on the floor when the table fell over, simba kept trying to be DJ and we played an out of control game of outburst - in other words, it was perfect.
6. foooooood: my mom certainly knows how to make home attractive for us. she went on a cooking spree and made ALL of our favorite meals in one week. i got my favourite comfort food (lasagna), my all time favourite side dish (broccoli casserole) and even a beautiful sky-high yorkshire pudding! she certainly makes it hard to stay away.
7. friends: while i did not see everyone that i wanted to see while i was home, i did get some quality time with many of my friends. since i only had time to visit ottawa, there were lots of people that i missed. i felt so regenerated to have had some quality time with people who have known me for more then six months. i introduced kristin to the famous 'works' burgers (try the sweet ride), met erin for brunch and a visit to lululemon, had a quick catch-up with elena on the run, and went and saw the kite runner with my brother.
i can't believe i almost did not go home.
i hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing and rejuvenating holiday season. feliz navidad!
it was a jam-packed week full of family, catching up with old friends, new random encounters and good old canadian comforts. and here, with no further delay, are the best parts of going home for a fleming canadian christmas:
1. travel, with an edge: i booked a flight with a so-called illegal connection in houston that is known for being an impossible flight to make. but the secret to life is to truly believe, and you will succeed. ha. and with a little luck thrown in, a long sprint through the airport and some good research done beforehand (by a friend, not even myself!), i did manage to make the three flights and get home for my mum's official bday. nothing like a little adrenaline to prepare for holidays with the parentals.
2. santa claus: no guitar hero 3 video game for me, but santa clause is still definitely alive and well at our house. he is getting better and better at following requests, and even still wraps his 'big' gift under a blanket on the couch. and mrs. clause must have been helping because i managed to acquire a hot diesel purse!
3. trippy traditions: christmas wouldn't be christmas without dad's eclectic creche covered in fake snow, opening stockings on my parents bed, eating croissants for brunch and wrapping presents while watching old movies from circa 1990.
4. a little bit of canada: in order to expose me to as much canada in one week as possible, i was served beavertails, walked around downtown to see the christmas lights, ate mini wheats for breakfast (i can't get them here), got to see a few snowfalls and had to slip back into my winter boots.
5. everything is eclectic: christmas dinner was totally random and turned out splendidly. the spiess family joined us, which always leads do some good laughs, but this year we also had some interesting additions. a young family who recently moved from africa came with their one-year old bundle of joy simba. along with other friends, we had about 15 people over! to me, it fully encompassed the christmas spirit of sharing joy and spreading love. my mom ended up on the floor when the table fell over, simba kept trying to be DJ and we played an out of control game of outburst - in other words, it was perfect.
6. foooooood: my mom certainly knows how to make home attractive for us. she went on a cooking spree and made ALL of our favorite meals in one week. i got my favourite comfort food (lasagna), my all time favourite side dish (broccoli casserole) and even a beautiful sky-high yorkshire pudding! she certainly makes it hard to stay away.
7. friends: while i did not see everyone that i wanted to see while i was home, i did get some quality time with many of my friends. since i only had time to visit ottawa, there were lots of people that i missed. i felt so regenerated to have had some quality time with people who have known me for more then six months. i introduced kristin to the famous 'works' burgers (try the sweet ride), met erin for brunch and a visit to lululemon, had a quick catch-up with elena on the run, and went and saw the kite runner with my brother.
i can't believe i almost did not go home.
i hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing and rejuvenating holiday season. feliz navidad!
Monday, December 17, 2007
the cure.
so i finally kicked the cold of the century. i have spent the last two weeks sniffling, sneezing, and coughing all over everything and everyone, and generally feeling pretty sorry for myself. the worst part was that i wasn't as good of a teacher, because i felt that i was being less patient and was slightly more irritable. no fun. i finally caved and visited the mexican doctor to be loaded up on drugs. i know they are known for over-medicating, but i figured if it got me better for christmas, it was worth it!
and if you weren't convinced that monterrey could be a destination for medical tourism, then you will be when you read this. on friday, ginny had laser eye surgery. and saturday morning, she woke up with 20/20 vision. whoa! it was absolutely perfect, flawless and easy. she was in no pain, was barely disoriented, and she didn't have to miss a day of work. and, because the doctor is a parent at the school, the price is right! i think this will be my new savings goal. oh, to wake up and see the alarm clock! i can't imagine.
i leave for canada in four days. i only have to teach for 3.5 days. before i go, i have to pack up my classroom for construction (they are lowering the ceilings), i have to enter progress report grades and do a significant amount of marking, i have to finish building a grade 2 economics unit AND i have to find time to pack and get myself organized. my plane leaves 2.5 hours after my kids walk out of the building on friday, so i won't have a second to lose. this week is absolute insanity! but being busy is certainly making the time go fast, and i am all of a sudden REALLY excited to be going home for christmas.
i don't know whether it was feeling better, or making plans, or just getting more immersed in the christmas spirit, but i am SO excited! originally, i hadn't even intended on heading home for christmas. i have always considered myself to be very independent, and i knew that at some point moving away would mean missing my traditional christmas. BUT, the transition has definitely been harder on my parents, and i did have a free flight that the school gives me for the year... so i decided to book a crazy route home to have a week with my family for the holidays. and i really am glad i did. i am even kind of looking forward to jumping in the snow! but mostly, i am excited for traditions that i recognize, for comfort food and for a little quality time with the fleming's.
even though it was 5 degrees today, yesterday it was 20 degrees. so here is a picture of us at the christmas parade... in tank tops:
ginny and lindsay smelling christmas trees at the market! feels just like home:
and if you weren't convinced that monterrey could be a destination for medical tourism, then you will be when you read this. on friday, ginny had laser eye surgery. and saturday morning, she woke up with 20/20 vision. whoa! it was absolutely perfect, flawless and easy. she was in no pain, was barely disoriented, and she didn't have to miss a day of work. and, because the doctor is a parent at the school, the price is right! i think this will be my new savings goal. oh, to wake up and see the alarm clock! i can't imagine.
i leave for canada in four days. i only have to teach for 3.5 days. before i go, i have to pack up my classroom for construction (they are lowering the ceilings), i have to enter progress report grades and do a significant amount of marking, i have to finish building a grade 2 economics unit AND i have to find time to pack and get myself organized. my plane leaves 2.5 hours after my kids walk out of the building on friday, so i won't have a second to lose. this week is absolute insanity! but being busy is certainly making the time go fast, and i am all of a sudden REALLY excited to be going home for christmas.
i don't know whether it was feeling better, or making plans, or just getting more immersed in the christmas spirit, but i am SO excited! originally, i hadn't even intended on heading home for christmas. i have always considered myself to be very independent, and i knew that at some point moving away would mean missing my traditional christmas. BUT, the transition has definitely been harder on my parents, and i did have a free flight that the school gives me for the year... so i decided to book a crazy route home to have a week with my family for the holidays. and i really am glad i did. i am even kind of looking forward to jumping in the snow! but mostly, i am excited for traditions that i recognize, for comfort food and for a little quality time with the fleming's.
even though it was 5 degrees today, yesterday it was 20 degrees. so here is a picture of us at the christmas parade... in tank tops:
ginny and lindsay smelling christmas trees at the market! feels just like home:
Sunday, December 16, 2007
so this is christmas?
contrary to popular belief, christmas does actually exist in countries without snow. i don't know what i thought, but i guess i didn't expect many of the traditions to be the same. or maybe that christmas was bypassed in favour of a holiday where we celebrated palm trees.
instead, christmas is here in full force. these people sure know how to celebrate - tacky, religious but also with enough spirit to bring out the kid in me.
i started the season at school by pulling out all my holiday books. as if i don't love reading enough to them already, now i can't stop! titles such as "how santa really works" and "how santa got his job" are captivating me more then the kiddies! in case you were wondering, santa is actually a skinny dude wearing a fat suit, and he takes off the suit to get down the chimney.
christmas here in san pedro, is a season. it begins with the massive san pedro parade the first weekend in december. every dance troupe, every school, every single child in the city seems to walk in the parade. we gathered our hot chocolate (spiked with bailey's, of course) and set up along the calzada to soak up the spirit. rollerblading clubs, choreographed routines and multiple santas marched past us, and the ending was timed perfectly with a HUGE firework display.
after this parade, my kids became out of control, and in many ways, the whole month has been a write off. particularly in this community, these kids are very affluent and i struggle watching their sense of entitlement when they write their letters to santa. when i was 8, i was asking for toys, and these kids are asking for cell phones and ipods. one really cool thing, though, is that they all believe. when one child brought up the possibility that they had heard a rumor about christmas, and the kids refused to believe it. santa comes. no questions asked.
on the same note, the kids were shocked when they heard that not everyone celebrates christmas. they asked me, "mizz, do you not go to church because you don't understand spanish?" i have tried my very best to expose them to other realities without being judgemental or critical of what they understand as their reality. one of my friends here is jewish, so i had her come in and talk to the kids to talk about hanukkah. i was really proud my little ones when they asked thoughtful questions such as:
"what does it feel like to be jewish?"
"why did they all fight?"
i don't know if they will remember my efforts ten years from now. but if even one kid remembers this, then all this work is not pointless.
a traditional christmas celebration in mexico is called a posada. these parties traditionally happen in the 8 days leading up to christmas and represent the difficult journey that mary and joseph took to find an inn. in spanish, posada simply means shelter, but it has evolved into a huge festive celebration commemorating the journey. half of the people at the party stand on one side of a door, and the other half stand on the other side. a traditional call and response song is sung (the song with NO tune, as we like to call it), followed by the kids hitting a pinata in the shape of the star, again representing the star that mary and joseph followed to bethlehem. we had a class posada at one of my student's houses (errr, mansion) AND we had a full staff posada at the huesteca campus last wednesday after work. it was interesting watching the children interact with each other outside of school, and to observe the lack of rules/structure they are given by their parents. but it was nice not to be in charge. our full-staff posada was also an eye-opening experience, but for a different reason. ALL of the staff were there: the security guards, the teachers, the cleaners, the custodians and the office workers. when you fill up a gym filled with all of us, international teachers are a SIGNIFICANT minority. i don't notice it on a typical day because i am always surrounded by the teachers. we were all served delicious tamales, we had karaoke (which the mexicans took with a storm) and they had a HUGE draw for gifts. every person's name was put in the draw for everything from microwaves to heaters to cleaning supplies. very cool. i didn't win, but i was SO content watching everyone else walking away smiling.
as i walk around san pedro, both on the way to school and in the evening, there are almost more decorations here then at home. or maybe they are just more prominent: blow up nativity scenes, huge santa scenes, flashing lights in multiple colours. talk about over stimulation!
presents started pouring in over a week ago, one of my kids has already left for a cruise and i am counting down the minutes until my last class this week. christmas is still christmas, even without snow. i am being won over by different traditions: visiting christmas markets with tacky decorations, eating hot churros and learning to re-gift the piles of christmas chocolates i am given by my students.
christmas is all around.
instead, christmas is here in full force. these people sure know how to celebrate - tacky, religious but also with enough spirit to bring out the kid in me.
i started the season at school by pulling out all my holiday books. as if i don't love reading enough to them already, now i can't stop! titles such as "how santa really works" and "how santa got his job" are captivating me more then the kiddies! in case you were wondering, santa is actually a skinny dude wearing a fat suit, and he takes off the suit to get down the chimney.
christmas here in san pedro, is a season. it begins with the massive san pedro parade the first weekend in december. every dance troupe, every school, every single child in the city seems to walk in the parade. we gathered our hot chocolate (spiked with bailey's, of course) and set up along the calzada to soak up the spirit. rollerblading clubs, choreographed routines and multiple santas marched past us, and the ending was timed perfectly with a HUGE firework display.
after this parade, my kids became out of control, and in many ways, the whole month has been a write off. particularly in this community, these kids are very affluent and i struggle watching their sense of entitlement when they write their letters to santa. when i was 8, i was asking for toys, and these kids are asking for cell phones and ipods. one really cool thing, though, is that they all believe. when one child brought up the possibility that they had heard a rumor about christmas, and the kids refused to believe it. santa comes. no questions asked.
on the same note, the kids were shocked when they heard that not everyone celebrates christmas. they asked me, "mizz, do you not go to church because you don't understand spanish?" i have tried my very best to expose them to other realities without being judgemental or critical of what they understand as their reality. one of my friends here is jewish, so i had her come in and talk to the kids to talk about hanukkah. i was really proud my little ones when they asked thoughtful questions such as:
"what does it feel like to be jewish?"
"why did they all fight?"
i don't know if they will remember my efforts ten years from now. but if even one kid remembers this, then all this work is not pointless.
a traditional christmas celebration in mexico is called a posada. these parties traditionally happen in the 8 days leading up to christmas and represent the difficult journey that mary and joseph took to find an inn. in spanish, posada simply means shelter, but it has evolved into a huge festive celebration commemorating the journey. half of the people at the party stand on one side of a door, and the other half stand on the other side. a traditional call and response song is sung (the song with NO tune, as we like to call it), followed by the kids hitting a pinata in the shape of the star, again representing the star that mary and joseph followed to bethlehem. we had a class posada at one of my student's houses (errr, mansion) AND we had a full staff posada at the huesteca campus last wednesday after work. it was interesting watching the children interact with each other outside of school, and to observe the lack of rules/structure they are given by their parents. but it was nice not to be in charge. our full-staff posada was also an eye-opening experience, but for a different reason. ALL of the staff were there: the security guards, the teachers, the cleaners, the custodians and the office workers. when you fill up a gym filled with all of us, international teachers are a SIGNIFICANT minority. i don't notice it on a typical day because i am always surrounded by the teachers. we were all served delicious tamales, we had karaoke (which the mexicans took with a storm) and they had a HUGE draw for gifts. every person's name was put in the draw for everything from microwaves to heaters to cleaning supplies. very cool. i didn't win, but i was SO content watching everyone else walking away smiling.
as i walk around san pedro, both on the way to school and in the evening, there are almost more decorations here then at home. or maybe they are just more prominent: blow up nativity scenes, huge santa scenes, flashing lights in multiple colours. talk about over stimulation!
presents started pouring in over a week ago, one of my kids has already left for a cruise and i am counting down the minutes until my last class this week. christmas is still christmas, even without snow. i am being won over by different traditions: visiting christmas markets with tacky decorations, eating hot churros and learning to re-gift the piles of christmas chocolates i am given by my students.
christmas is all around.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
little vacation BIG fun.
day 5: its hard to get over. he was my first australian friend.
on wednesday, haley and i got some advice from one of the ladies at our language course. she told us that the nicest beach, devoid of vendors and annoying tourists, was called playa bruja, about 14 kilometres south of where we were staying. we jumped on of the cab golf carts (of course, we picked the one that was probably the slowest in the city), and found ouf little piece of deserted beach. the two biggest problems we had that afternoon were figuring out how to open our beers without an opener, and trying to understand the 'bilingual' horses that were advertised. it was an area of beach that was just north of some of the big resorts, so at the end of the day we walked down the beach to try and see if we could actually find the resort where we knew other asfm teachers were staying. i love walking in my barefeet on the beach. it feels like a massage as the sand gets stuck between my toes. we had no trouble finding the hotel, sneaking in, AND finding our friends lying by the pool. perfect timing! because i got to play with the babies AND the whole group of us went out for dinner together. it was great -- thirteen of us, or more, all enjoying seafood by the beach, two for one drinks (dangerous) and i had a baby in my lap the whole time. little quinn has not had a lot of experience with busty women in his life, so let's just say he got mighty comfortable. my mom did always tell me that someone would really appreciate them one day.
day 6: haley, stop pulling the baby's hair.
language school was pretty hard today. i was tired from a late night of dancing and two for one margaritas. we were not overly ambitious in the afternoon either, parking ourselves down on the beach and snoozing all afternoon. we met up again in a big group for a shrimply delicious dinner, and i was in baby heaven once again. good thing there weren't serving two for one drinks, only some spanish homework paired with an early night.
day 7: little people big world.
i got a little starstruck on friday. i knew that one of the guys in my language class was a tv producer, but i didn't know the specifics. it turns out that he used to produce the dr. phil show and now produces the tlc show 'little people big world'. and when i walked in to my prononciation class early friday morning, amy, one of the parents on the show was sitting there! i'll tell you, she wouldn't have been at the top of my celebrities to meet list, but it was pretty fun. i guess one of her kids is failing spanish and they were thinking of doing a show where they bring the kid down for some extra spanish classes. we found out that her and her husband matt were staying at the hotel right next door to our condo (sans cameras... too bad, because we think it would have made a great episode: elementary teachers take little people parents out for a wild night on the big town!). we did actually end up meeting up with them several times, and they even took us out for lunch!
day 8: is cam on a boat to australia?
it is always easier to leave a place when the weather stinks. it was cloudy all day, so the beach was really out of the question. instead: silver shopping! (which for me, really does rank almost up there with lying on a beach) i spent too much money, and but i got a lot of my christmas shopping done. by the afternoon, however, the weather had gone from bad to worst. it was now so windy and rainy that we couldn't keep the balcony doors from breaking open. i think it was as close as i have ever been to living through a hurricane. on second thought. that might be a slight exaggeration. but it was pretty crazy. tonight we went dancing again with the full group (minus the babies this time!) and had a pretty ridiculous night of which the details (to save face) will be mainly left out of this entry. i will only say this: there was some serious grooving and maybe some late-night ocean swims!
day 9: life lesson #368: don't come on vacation with five ladies and expect to get the ocean view flower-print room.
i woke up earlier then everyone, which was a perfect way to end my week. i am rarely a morning person, but perhaps i should become one. wandering the quiet streets and sitting at a cafe in the early morning was quite relaxing... although so is sleeping. hmm. tough choice. maybe it was only a one-time thing. unfortunately, the trip did actually end on a bit of a sour note. because i really enjoy planning things, i was the one who had found the condo and put the trip together. i make the mistake of trusting too easily and i have now learned that not everyone is as laid-back about travel as i am. i don't know how someone could have found trouble in our paradise, but i guess not everyone is so easily pleased. so, with drama to settle, we returned to monterrey... with bags loaded with silver, a tan to beat, a few new laugh lines and a brand new appreciation for all things vacation.
on wednesday, haley and i got some advice from one of the ladies at our language course. she told us that the nicest beach, devoid of vendors and annoying tourists, was called playa bruja, about 14 kilometres south of where we were staying. we jumped on of the cab golf carts (of course, we picked the one that was probably the slowest in the city), and found ouf little piece of deserted beach. the two biggest problems we had that afternoon were figuring out how to open our beers without an opener, and trying to understand the 'bilingual' horses that were advertised. it was an area of beach that was just north of some of the big resorts, so at the end of the day we walked down the beach to try and see if we could actually find the resort where we knew other asfm teachers were staying. i love walking in my barefeet on the beach. it feels like a massage as the sand gets stuck between my toes. we had no trouble finding the hotel, sneaking in, AND finding our friends lying by the pool. perfect timing! because i got to play with the babies AND the whole group of us went out for dinner together. it was great -- thirteen of us, or more, all enjoying seafood by the beach, two for one drinks (dangerous) and i had a baby in my lap the whole time. little quinn has not had a lot of experience with busty women in his life, so let's just say he got mighty comfortable. my mom did always tell me that someone would really appreciate them one day.
day 6: haley, stop pulling the baby's hair.
language school was pretty hard today. i was tired from a late night of dancing and two for one margaritas. we were not overly ambitious in the afternoon either, parking ourselves down on the beach and snoozing all afternoon. we met up again in a big group for a shrimply delicious dinner, and i was in baby heaven once again. good thing there weren't serving two for one drinks, only some spanish homework paired with an early night.
day 7: little people big world.
i got a little starstruck on friday. i knew that one of the guys in my language class was a tv producer, but i didn't know the specifics. it turns out that he used to produce the dr. phil show and now produces the tlc show 'little people big world'. and when i walked in to my prononciation class early friday morning, amy, one of the parents on the show was sitting there! i'll tell you, she wouldn't have been at the top of my celebrities to meet list, but it was pretty fun. i guess one of her kids is failing spanish and they were thinking of doing a show where they bring the kid down for some extra spanish classes. we found out that her and her husband matt were staying at the hotel right next door to our condo (sans cameras... too bad, because we think it would have made a great episode: elementary teachers take little people parents out for a wild night on the big town!). we did actually end up meeting up with them several times, and they even took us out for lunch!
day 8: is cam on a boat to australia?
it is always easier to leave a place when the weather stinks. it was cloudy all day, so the beach was really out of the question. instead: silver shopping! (which for me, really does rank almost up there with lying on a beach) i spent too much money, and but i got a lot of my christmas shopping done. by the afternoon, however, the weather had gone from bad to worst. it was now so windy and rainy that we couldn't keep the balcony doors from breaking open. i think it was as close as i have ever been to living through a hurricane. on second thought. that might be a slight exaggeration. but it was pretty crazy. tonight we went dancing again with the full group (minus the babies this time!) and had a pretty ridiculous night of which the details (to save face) will be mainly left out of this entry. i will only say this: there was some serious grooving and maybe some late-night ocean swims!
day 9: life lesson #368: don't come on vacation with five ladies and expect to get the ocean view flower-print room.
i woke up earlier then everyone, which was a perfect way to end my week. i am rarely a morning person, but perhaps i should become one. wandering the quiet streets and sitting at a cafe in the early morning was quite relaxing... although so is sleeping. hmm. tough choice. maybe it was only a one-time thing. unfortunately, the trip did actually end on a bit of a sour note. because i really enjoy planning things, i was the one who had found the condo and put the trip together. i make the mistake of trusting too easily and i have now learned that not everyone is as laid-back about travel as i am. i don't know how someone could have found trouble in our paradise, but i guess not everyone is so easily pleased. so, with drama to settle, we returned to monterrey... with bags loaded with silver, a tan to beat, a few new laugh lines and a brand new appreciation for all things vacation.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
treis noches con camarone.
where to start?
its been awhile. and i'm sorry about that. but i have a good excuse. i've been off gallivanting around for a whole week off! its true, i have been back for a full week already, but it has been a rough one. coming back to work was like hitting a brick wall at full speed. at times, i felt i was a bit of a waste of space! but now, with my vacation over, and back into the swing of things at work, i finally have the time (and energy) to update you all on my adventures.
in celebration of american thanksgiving AND mexican revolution, the school gave us a week off. and the timing couldn't have been better. after three months of solid teaching, we were all feeling a bit burnt out. we had just finished report cards, and two days full of parent-teacher conferences. anyone who knows me knows that i LOVE to plan trips. in fact, one day, i could see myself making a career out of it! well, it seems that i have become the unofficial trip planner here as well. my friend (sarah tambien) and i decided we wanted to go somewhere and stay in a condo for a week. on the mexican low-cost airline viva aerobus, mazatlan (on the coast, just north of puerto vallarta) was the cheapest destination. and with a few searches, i stumbled upon a magical mansion condominium in the old town. so, we booked the flight, booked the mansion, found a few friends, and off we went.
day 1: you see, the problem is...
i packed faster then i have ever packed before. friday night i was lazy and had gone out for dinner instead, so i was running around my apartment saturday morning like a madwoman. in truth, it didn't really matter what i brought, as long as it included a bathing suit and sun glasses. we had no trouble getting to the airport on time and our flight was comfortable and easy. however, tim (this. is. mexico.) definitely shone through when we had to have our baggage completely searched by HAND because they don't have the equipment to do it electronically. but getting off the airplane into the fresh warm air, smelling the ocean literally made my life complete. we did, however, have trouble figuring out transportation into town because the inexpensive buses had one small problem: "you see, the problem is, we don't know where it stops". you have an airport shuttle and you don't know where it stops?? apparently the driver just stops wherever he pleases. so we settled on taking a cab. BUT we also had trouble finding our condo because as our cabbie explained, "you see, the problem is, they changed the name of the street"... we did eventually make it to our condo, and managed to lug our massive bags up three flight of stairs. and with one look, all our problems disappeared.
day 2: this one time, i rented a mansion and i danced.
i wish i could take you all to see this mansion for yourself. i have never seen a place so huge in my life. it was a penthouse apartment, large enough to play a professional basketball game in the living room, open a night club in the loft and start a restaurant in the kitchen. my jaw dropped as i walked from room to room. our view was spectacular, our block-long balcony overlooking the ocean and the beach below. the rooms were differing in size and amenities, but the common areas were exquisit. today we decided to take a 'ferry' (slash small motor boat) to an island for escape artists lined with palapa restaurants, cute mexican kids burying themselves in sand and the most gorgeous sunset i have ever seen. but wait! how could i forget the best part! the night before, eating fresh seafood at the world renowned 'shrimp bucket', we had met the highlight of our trip: australian cam. not only was his name cameron (which in spanish literally means shrimp), but he was the loveliest, friendliest most delightful person i have met in a long time. we basically adopted him. i mean, c'mon, we had enough room in our mansion for at LEAST one extra friend. there was something about cam that just made the days better and more hilarious. i have never laughed so hard in my life! he even participated in our ridiculousness: we had a dance party, a photo shoot in a blow-up boat and drank some massive margaritas. and every night we would stay up late talking on the balcony and the moon would turn red, shrink and then disappear. seriously. i'm telling you, there was something cool about this guy that made the world wake up and notice.
day 3: language school dropout, go back to monterrey, your spanish didn't get any better, anyway.
haley and i woke up bright and early monday morning and tried to go to language school. cam even woke up to send us off to school. however, our plan was foiled when we arrived and language school appeared to be closed. there was a sign (albeit in spanish) that pointed to the door and it was locked. (inset: we learned the next day that, in fact, language school had not been closed, but that the sign was telling us to go up the stairs. too bad we hadn't learned that in spanish yet). instead, we parked our butts on the beach in front of a restaurant where a lovely waiter served us margaritas all afternoon. and what a great day it was! i played in the waves, played with an adorable puppy named milo and read my national geographic magazine all while getting a TAN! life couldn't have been better. AND we got to have seafood for dinner!
day 4: enchiladas para camarone!
a sad day. this was the day that cam had to leave us for his great love, baja california. little did he know, life would not be the same without us! haley and i had our first day of language school and met the slightly insane woman who runs it. this lady was quite the piece of work. a total nutjob. but that is another story. afterwards, we had our last meal with cam, but the cafe was quite slow, and he had to leave for the ferry before his food arrived. we all shed a few tears about the loss of our new friend. until we had a fabulous idea: we should bring his enchiladas to him at the ferry terminal! like a scene from the amazing race, we raced down the street, jumped into a cab and vamanosed to the ferry waiting terminal. we even burst through the gates thinking we were going to get stopped by the guards (which would have ruined the whole motion picture aspect of it all) but we got there in time. hopefully cam will remember us thoughtfully, running towards him with cold enchiladas... the rest of the day was a contemplative one, filled with traffic jams, grocery shopping and lots of sleep. i think i fell asleep at 6 for a nap, and woke up the next morning.
and part two will continue tomorrow of my mazatlan adventures will have to continue tomorrow. it is way past my bedtime and i am no longer on vacation!
its been awhile. and i'm sorry about that. but i have a good excuse. i've been off gallivanting around for a whole week off! its true, i have been back for a full week already, but it has been a rough one. coming back to work was like hitting a brick wall at full speed. at times, i felt i was a bit of a waste of space! but now, with my vacation over, and back into the swing of things at work, i finally have the time (and energy) to update you all on my adventures.
in celebration of american thanksgiving AND mexican revolution, the school gave us a week off. and the timing couldn't have been better. after three months of solid teaching, we were all feeling a bit burnt out. we had just finished report cards, and two days full of parent-teacher conferences. anyone who knows me knows that i LOVE to plan trips. in fact, one day, i could see myself making a career out of it! well, it seems that i have become the unofficial trip planner here as well. my friend (sarah tambien) and i decided we wanted to go somewhere and stay in a condo for a week. on the mexican low-cost airline viva aerobus, mazatlan (on the coast, just north of puerto vallarta) was the cheapest destination. and with a few searches, i stumbled upon a magical mansion condominium in the old town. so, we booked the flight, booked the mansion, found a few friends, and off we went.
day 1: you see, the problem is...
i packed faster then i have ever packed before. friday night i was lazy and had gone out for dinner instead, so i was running around my apartment saturday morning like a madwoman. in truth, it didn't really matter what i brought, as long as it included a bathing suit and sun glasses. we had no trouble getting to the airport on time and our flight was comfortable and easy. however, tim (this. is. mexico.) definitely shone through when we had to have our baggage completely searched by HAND because they don't have the equipment to do it electronically. but getting off the airplane into the fresh warm air, smelling the ocean literally made my life complete. we did, however, have trouble figuring out transportation into town because the inexpensive buses had one small problem: "you see, the problem is, we don't know where it stops". you have an airport shuttle and you don't know where it stops?? apparently the driver just stops wherever he pleases. so we settled on taking a cab. BUT we also had trouble finding our condo because as our cabbie explained, "you see, the problem is, they changed the name of the street"... we did eventually make it to our condo, and managed to lug our massive bags up three flight of stairs. and with one look, all our problems disappeared.
day 2: this one time, i rented a mansion and i danced.
i wish i could take you all to see this mansion for yourself. i have never seen a place so huge in my life. it was a penthouse apartment, large enough to play a professional basketball game in the living room, open a night club in the loft and start a restaurant in the kitchen. my jaw dropped as i walked from room to room. our view was spectacular, our block-long balcony overlooking the ocean and the beach below. the rooms were differing in size and amenities, but the common areas were exquisit. today we decided to take a 'ferry' (slash small motor boat) to an island for escape artists lined with palapa restaurants, cute mexican kids burying themselves in sand and the most gorgeous sunset i have ever seen. but wait! how could i forget the best part! the night before, eating fresh seafood at the world renowned 'shrimp bucket', we had met the highlight of our trip: australian cam. not only was his name cameron (which in spanish literally means shrimp), but he was the loveliest, friendliest most delightful person i have met in a long time. we basically adopted him. i mean, c'mon, we had enough room in our mansion for at LEAST one extra friend. there was something about cam that just made the days better and more hilarious. i have never laughed so hard in my life! he even participated in our ridiculousness: we had a dance party, a photo shoot in a blow-up boat and drank some massive margaritas. and every night we would stay up late talking on the balcony and the moon would turn red, shrink and then disappear. seriously. i'm telling you, there was something cool about this guy that made the world wake up and notice.
day 3: language school dropout, go back to monterrey, your spanish didn't get any better, anyway.
haley and i woke up bright and early monday morning and tried to go to language school. cam even woke up to send us off to school. however, our plan was foiled when we arrived and language school appeared to be closed. there was a sign (albeit in spanish) that pointed to the door and it was locked. (inset: we learned the next day that, in fact, language school had not been closed, but that the sign was telling us to go up the stairs. too bad we hadn't learned that in spanish yet). instead, we parked our butts on the beach in front of a restaurant where a lovely waiter served us margaritas all afternoon. and what a great day it was! i played in the waves, played with an adorable puppy named milo and read my national geographic magazine all while getting a TAN! life couldn't have been better. AND we got to have seafood for dinner!
day 4: enchiladas para camarone!
a sad day. this was the day that cam had to leave us for his great love, baja california. little did he know, life would not be the same without us! haley and i had our first day of language school and met the slightly insane woman who runs it. this lady was quite the piece of work. a total nutjob. but that is another story. afterwards, we had our last meal with cam, but the cafe was quite slow, and he had to leave for the ferry before his food arrived. we all shed a few tears about the loss of our new friend. until we had a fabulous idea: we should bring his enchiladas to him at the ferry terminal! like a scene from the amazing race, we raced down the street, jumped into a cab and vamanosed to the ferry waiting terminal. we even burst through the gates thinking we were going to get stopped by the guards (which would have ruined the whole motion picture aspect of it all) but we got there in time. hopefully cam will remember us thoughtfully, running towards him with cold enchiladas... the rest of the day was a contemplative one, filled with traffic jams, grocery shopping and lots of sleep. i think i fell asleep at 6 for a nap, and woke up the next morning.
and part two will continue tomorrow of my mazatlan adventures will have to continue tomorrow. it is way past my bedtime and i am no longer on vacation!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
grade a.
report card marks were due this past week.
it was a particularly hard week for me, having just returned from south padre island, struggling with the monday blues and having to be a marking machine to get all my marks in on time. i am not a last-minute lisa, but i am definitely NOT someone who has my marks entered weeks in advance. i would say, for my first go around, it wasn't an entirely awful experience.
i find that marks can be a really difficult thing. often, you just have a gut feeling, and with those children it is not difficult to decide whether they are at grade level or not. but with many of my students i am facing a myriad of factors that influence my grading. everything from how they behaved that week to my personal feelings toward their work. i find assessment to be the area i am least secure in, particularly as a first year teacher. what if i am being harder on my kids then the other second grade teachers? what if i am being easier? do i give out 'exceeds expectations' in trimester one, or do i remain stingy with them and save them for later in the year? how low do i have to go to scare parents into understanding the reality for their children? and lastly, how much do all these marks really matter to an eight year old in the grand scheme of life? some of my kids are actually being told that getting an 'approaching grade level' is bad. at 8 years old, they are already dead-set on straight m's. i don't want marks to be the focus of my classroom, but i also need something to use as leverage for good performance!
we gave each child over 30 marks. and that was just from their homeroom teacher.
i tell my kids that giving their best effort is the most important step in school. but what do i do when their best effort is still underachieving? and then they go home and get criticized? these are issues i struggle with every day.
this week we have two afternoons off for parent-teacher conferences. i am looking forward to them, because i feel that i can better articulate their child's progress in words then with letters on a page. but as a busy weekend draws to a close, i am realizing i have a lot of work to do to get myself ready for two very intense afternoons. many of these parents consider teachers experts on all aspects of child development, so i want to make sure that i am prepared and can make well-informed comments. there's always more work to be done.
except, hanging on the horizon is our week-long november break for american thanksgiving. five more days of school and then i am off to mazatlan for a week of language school, beaching and not thinking about school.
countdown begins.
it was a particularly hard week for me, having just returned from south padre island, struggling with the monday blues and having to be a marking machine to get all my marks in on time. i am not a last-minute lisa, but i am definitely NOT someone who has my marks entered weeks in advance. i would say, for my first go around, it wasn't an entirely awful experience.
i find that marks can be a really difficult thing. often, you just have a gut feeling, and with those children it is not difficult to decide whether they are at grade level or not. but with many of my students i am facing a myriad of factors that influence my grading. everything from how they behaved that week to my personal feelings toward their work. i find assessment to be the area i am least secure in, particularly as a first year teacher. what if i am being harder on my kids then the other second grade teachers? what if i am being easier? do i give out 'exceeds expectations' in trimester one, or do i remain stingy with them and save them for later in the year? how low do i have to go to scare parents into understanding the reality for their children? and lastly, how much do all these marks really matter to an eight year old in the grand scheme of life? some of my kids are actually being told that getting an 'approaching grade level' is bad. at 8 years old, they are already dead-set on straight m's. i don't want marks to be the focus of my classroom, but i also need something to use as leverage for good performance!
we gave each child over 30 marks. and that was just from their homeroom teacher.
i tell my kids that giving their best effort is the most important step in school. but what do i do when their best effort is still underachieving? and then they go home and get criticized? these are issues i struggle with every day.
this week we have two afternoons off for parent-teacher conferences. i am looking forward to them, because i feel that i can better articulate their child's progress in words then with letters on a page. but as a busy weekend draws to a close, i am realizing i have a lot of work to do to get myself ready for two very intense afternoons. many of these parents consider teachers experts on all aspects of child development, so i want to make sure that i am prepared and can make well-informed comments. there's always more work to be done.
except, hanging on the horizon is our week-long november break for american thanksgiving. five more days of school and then i am off to mazatlan for a week of language school, beaching and not thinking about school.
countdown begins.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
in case you've forgotten...
i definitely DO live in mexico:
-there are very large bugs that live in my room.
-when kids go trick or treating, they don't have snowsuits under their costumes. they chant "halloween, halloween!" and get candy launched at them.
-swarms of ants attack any little crum of food that is left out.
-when we crossed back into mexico on saturday i accidentally showed the wrong passport and no one noticed.
-the temperature drops a few degrees and all the kids come to school in parkas.
i definitely am a new teacher:
-report card marks were due this evening and i was still marking math work at 4 this afternoon.
-i have read math lessons WHILE teaching them.
-lunch break? what lunch break?
-i'm not yet bitter and jaded.
-i started telling my friends to "make a good choice" when reaching for another beer at a party.
i definitely DO live a crazy life.
-i went to south padre island for the weekend to go golfing and sunning. i was in the lonestar state. for only the WEEKEND.
-it is still t-shirt and capri weather. i still can't believe this one.
-i have stopped noticing or caring that i don't understand a single word my aerobics instructor says.
-to celebrate the end of trimester one, the adminstration served snacks, drinks, gave us personalized cards AND made a slide show with all our celebrations from the first third of the year. can you imagine? just for surviving three months.
-i am not (yet) a regular golfer but once i learned to make contact with the ball, i almost won the 'longest drive' competition!
sometimes i have to shake myself to remember that this all this crazy new mexican teacher thing is real.
quote of the day:
i am reading a book about communities. we are dicussing transportation.
miss sarah: "did you know we have a subway here in monterrey? who can tell me what a subway is?"
kid: "subway? isn't a subway a torta? [torta is spanish for sandwich]"
-there are very large bugs that live in my room.
-when kids go trick or treating, they don't have snowsuits under their costumes. they chant "halloween, halloween!" and get candy launched at them.
-swarms of ants attack any little crum of food that is left out.
-when we crossed back into mexico on saturday i accidentally showed the wrong passport and no one noticed.
-the temperature drops a few degrees and all the kids come to school in parkas.
i definitely am a new teacher:
-report card marks were due this evening and i was still marking math work at 4 this afternoon.
-i have read math lessons WHILE teaching them.
-lunch break? what lunch break?
-i'm not yet bitter and jaded.
-i started telling my friends to "make a good choice" when reaching for another beer at a party.
i definitely DO live a crazy life.
-i went to south padre island for the weekend to go golfing and sunning. i was in the lonestar state. for only the WEEKEND.
-it is still t-shirt and capri weather. i still can't believe this one.
-i have stopped noticing or caring that i don't understand a single word my aerobics instructor says.
-to celebrate the end of trimester one, the adminstration served snacks, drinks, gave us personalized cards AND made a slide show with all our celebrations from the first third of the year. can you imagine? just for surviving three months.
-i am not (yet) a regular golfer but once i learned to make contact with the ball, i almost won the 'longest drive' competition!
sometimes i have to shake myself to remember that this all this crazy new mexican teacher thing is real.
quote of the day:
i am reading a book about communities. we are dicussing transportation.
miss sarah: "did you know we have a subway here in monterrey? who can tell me what a subway is?"
kid: "subway? isn't a subway a torta? [torta is spanish for sandwich]"
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
se necesita un poco de gracia.
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!
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!
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.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
play fair.
i am at work on a saturday. i am almost in shock myself, so i don't blame your mouth just dropped open.
i haven't actually gotten that much done, but it has been nice to get some e-mails written and catch up on my 'keeping in touch', which has been slightly low over the past few weeks. it is really really hard, when you get so involved in life, to maintain all the connections that i want to.
yesterday was the annual 'PTA Welcome Back Party' at the huesteca campus after school. here i am thinking that it would be a few games and some cotton candy.... well, not EXACTLY. it was more like a large-scale circus was dropped off outside the school, with food booths, live music, a ticket system, and absolutely everything organized by parents. it was UNREAL. you know in movies when they have high school fairs? it was like that. except there were a lot of maids hanging out with kids while the parents socialized. roller coasters, parent-teacher basketball games, prizes, lights, haunted houses, everything you could imagine. i can't believe that i work at a school that can afford to put this type of activity on... without asking the teacher's to do it.
for me, the fair highlights were...
-the girls from my class all chasing after me to hang out. and the boys running away.
-choosing between churros, papas on a stick (literally chips made by twirling a potato on a stick), pizza, green lime ice cream, enchilados, tacitos, bebidas....
-seeing family maids stick out, because they ALL wear nurses outfits. very strange and odd. why don't they just get to wear normal clothes?
-the teacher's beating the students in a VERY close basketball game. and watching the students try to get rough with the teachers. i couldn't believe a few of the low blows.
-realizing that a LARGE portion of the teaching staff at huesteca looks younger then the students. we have a lot of teachers between the ages of 26 and 36.
-watching kids of all ages PAY to get fake married in a wedding chapel. btw, they didn't allow same sex marriages.
-the cake walk. there were hundreds of cakes to win.
-the professional gym that was there teaching 8 year olds to box and weigh lift. oh geez.
-a dunk tank that was lacking just a little water. kinda/slighly dangerous? not in mexico.
i wish you could have seen this fair. the only thing that was missing was a beer tent.
this is truly another world.
i haven't actually gotten that much done, but it has been nice to get some e-mails written and catch up on my 'keeping in touch', which has been slightly low over the past few weeks. it is really really hard, when you get so involved in life, to maintain all the connections that i want to.
yesterday was the annual 'PTA Welcome Back Party' at the huesteca campus after school. here i am thinking that it would be a few games and some cotton candy.... well, not EXACTLY. it was more like a large-scale circus was dropped off outside the school, with food booths, live music, a ticket system, and absolutely everything organized by parents. it was UNREAL. you know in movies when they have high school fairs? it was like that. except there were a lot of maids hanging out with kids while the parents socialized. roller coasters, parent-teacher basketball games, prizes, lights, haunted houses, everything you could imagine. i can't believe that i work at a school that can afford to put this type of activity on... without asking the teacher's to do it.
for me, the fair highlights were...
-the girls from my class all chasing after me to hang out. and the boys running away.
-choosing between churros, papas on a stick (literally chips made by twirling a potato on a stick), pizza, green lime ice cream, enchilados, tacitos, bebidas....
-seeing family maids stick out, because they ALL wear nurses outfits. very strange and odd. why don't they just get to wear normal clothes?
-the teacher's beating the students in a VERY close basketball game. and watching the students try to get rough with the teachers. i couldn't believe a few of the low blows.
-realizing that a LARGE portion of the teaching staff at huesteca looks younger then the students. we have a lot of teachers between the ages of 26 and 36.
-watching kids of all ages PAY to get fake married in a wedding chapel. btw, they didn't allow same sex marriages.
-the cake walk. there were hundreds of cakes to win.
-the professional gym that was there teaching 8 year olds to box and weigh lift. oh geez.
-a dunk tank that was lacking just a little water. kinda/slighly dangerous? not in mexico.
i wish you could have seen this fair. the only thing that was missing was a beer tent.
this is truly another world.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
george loves izzy.
ginny and i do not have tv in mexico. we have, at the most, four channels that play cheezy spanish music videos or local news. i think i have turned it on a total of ONE time.
BUT. grey's anatomy premiered tonight. and, even though i was losing interest in the show last year, i wanted a little piece of good old comfort evening soaps. luckily, amy and ally have purchased the most brilliant cable plan of all time, and we have a fiesta of american tv shows.
in case you missed it, george loves izzy. meredith and derek are back together. and burke is gone for good.
in other news, my kids FINALLY finished their science units today, which culminated in making s'mores in a solar oven. the longest 30 minutes of my life. as soon as they were finished, i sent them home with the hope that i will never have to look at 20 solar ovens again! and then, the PTA was nice enough to sponsor a "bake sale" of chocolate bars, candy and full bags of popcorn. kids were jumping off the walls all afternoon. and it was only thursday!
BUT. grey's anatomy premiered tonight. and, even though i was losing interest in the show last year, i wanted a little piece of good old comfort evening soaps. luckily, amy and ally have purchased the most brilliant cable plan of all time, and we have a fiesta of american tv shows.
in case you missed it, george loves izzy. meredith and derek are back together. and burke is gone for good.
in other news, my kids FINALLY finished their science units today, which culminated in making s'mores in a solar oven. the longest 30 minutes of my life. as soon as they were finished, i sent them home with the hope that i will never have to look at 20 solar ovens again! and then, the PTA was nice enough to sponsor a "bake sale" of chocolate bars, candy and full bags of popcorn. kids were jumping off the walls all afternoon. and it was only thursday!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
sleepless on colorado.
can't sleep.
i could have done something productive, but i did not know i would not be able to not sleep for SO long.
instead, i have:
listened to trains (did not know there were trains in monterrey)
memorized the tone of the annoying cricket outside my window (they must be deaf)
heard dogs talking to each other
heard people walking around in the apartment above me (why aren't they sleeping?)
surfed three celebrity blogging sites
watched previews of upcoming movies on comingsoon.net (very excited for a movie called bella AND the kite runner)
caught up on all of my friends' blogs (never started my own blogging about my queretero trip, because i did not think i'd be awake this long)
booked a flight to the yucatan peninsula
found a hotel for my trip next weekend
stared at my clock
reorganized my pillows
read my lonely planet
checked the globe and mail, the citizen AND the national websites
written an e-mail to dad (it is now three hours into his 60th birthday!)
thought about how tired i am going to be tomorrow
browsed on facebook
and watched grey's anatomy season 4 previews
all very useful things. i am glad my life has been enriched so much over these last four hours.
i could have done something productive, but i did not know i would not be able to not sleep for SO long.
instead, i have:
listened to trains (did not know there were trains in monterrey)
memorized the tone of the annoying cricket outside my window (they must be deaf)
heard dogs talking to each other
heard people walking around in the apartment above me (why aren't they sleeping?)
surfed three celebrity blogging sites
watched previews of upcoming movies on comingsoon.net (very excited for a movie called bella AND the kite runner)
caught up on all of my friends' blogs (never started my own blogging about my queretero trip, because i did not think i'd be awake this long)
booked a flight to the yucatan peninsula
found a hotel for my trip next weekend
stared at my clock
reorganized my pillows
read my lonely planet
checked the globe and mail, the citizen AND the national websites
written an e-mail to dad (it is now three hours into his 60th birthday!)
thought about how tired i am going to be tomorrow
browsed on facebook
and watched grey's anatomy season 4 previews
all very useful things. i am glad my life has been enriched so much over these last four hours.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
you learn something new.
every day, time seems to move at a faster rate. or maybe it is just the weekends that fly by?
i have survived an action-packed independence weekend in queretaro, a colonial town in central mexico. but reality has hit hard in the form of progress reports, which are due at 4:15 tomorrow. needless to say, i was miles behind in my marking so i spent literally ALL afternoon and evening reading small moments, marking math and catching up from an assessment standpoint. despite having sat at a desk almost ALL day today, there are a few positives: there were no kids. PD did not come in the form of a 'play day' but in the form of a 'professional development inservice day'. bummer. PD DAY used to mean sleep in! BUT, thank goodness i had that time, or i may have been at school all night. assessment has definitely been the area that i have felt the inexperience the most. there is SO much benefit to having done all of this before, and having a comparative viewpoint. all i can do is follow the rubrics/benchmarks/standards and ultimately go with my gut. the kids leave at 1:45 tomorrow so it will be a race against time to get them done for 4:15... since it is not report cards, admin has told us it should take 5 minutes per kid. doubtful. but i'm still hopeful.
queretaro was an unforgetable weekend, but i am too tired to go into detail. pictures and stories will come tomorrow evening. instead, i will enlighten you on all the things i learned about mexico this weekend. you think you know a place - but really - you don't.
1. people in charge like to avoid problems. for example, when the airplane almost left us behind, NO ONE would help us. they kept saying they would be right back... and then leave forever.
2. their rules... are not set in stone. another example from the airport: when we first went through security our newly purchased margarita glasses were turned away. 40 minutes later after trying to fight our way back on the plane, they were suddently accepted. huh? clear as mud.
3. ALL mexican food is made up of beans, tortillas and carne (meat) and it is ALL essentially a taco under some other name. don't let the names fool you... still a taco.
4. time is not a reality in mexico. particularly after having some tequila.
5. it is impossible to pay with a 500 peso bill, yet that is all the bank machine gives out. waiters gasp with horror at the sight.
6. little flower pots are the new cups.
7. shaving cream is used liberally (like confetti) at celebrations... but pretty disgusto when it lands in your hair.
8. in parades, school kids carry shovels. still not clear why.
9. street vendors sell everything at the wrong time. when we were boiling they were trying to sell us shawls, but when we were frigidly cold, they were nowhere to be found.
10. it is impossible to ask for seperate bills at a restaurant. too complicated? apparently. the least they could do would be to stop gasping at the sight of a 500 pesos bill!
i have survived an action-packed independence weekend in queretaro, a colonial town in central mexico. but reality has hit hard in the form of progress reports, which are due at 4:15 tomorrow. needless to say, i was miles behind in my marking so i spent literally ALL afternoon and evening reading small moments, marking math and catching up from an assessment standpoint. despite having sat at a desk almost ALL day today, there are a few positives: there were no kids. PD did not come in the form of a 'play day' but in the form of a 'professional development inservice day'. bummer. PD DAY used to mean sleep in! BUT, thank goodness i had that time, or i may have been at school all night. assessment has definitely been the area that i have felt the inexperience the most. there is SO much benefit to having done all of this before, and having a comparative viewpoint. all i can do is follow the rubrics/benchmarks/standards and ultimately go with my gut. the kids leave at 1:45 tomorrow so it will be a race against time to get them done for 4:15... since it is not report cards, admin has told us it should take 5 minutes per kid. doubtful. but i'm still hopeful.
queretaro was an unforgetable weekend, but i am too tired to go into detail. pictures and stories will come tomorrow evening. instead, i will enlighten you on all the things i learned about mexico this weekend. you think you know a place - but really - you don't.
1. people in charge like to avoid problems. for example, when the airplane almost left us behind, NO ONE would help us. they kept saying they would be right back... and then leave forever.
2. their rules... are not set in stone. another example from the airport: when we first went through security our newly purchased margarita glasses were turned away. 40 minutes later after trying to fight our way back on the plane, they were suddently accepted. huh? clear as mud.
3. ALL mexican food is made up of beans, tortillas and carne (meat) and it is ALL essentially a taco under some other name. don't let the names fool you... still a taco.
4. time is not a reality in mexico. particularly after having some tequila.
5. it is impossible to pay with a 500 peso bill, yet that is all the bank machine gives out. waiters gasp with horror at the sight.
6. little flower pots are the new cups.
7. shaving cream is used liberally (like confetti) at celebrations... but pretty disgusto when it lands in your hair.
8. in parades, school kids carry shovels. still not clear why.
9. street vendors sell everything at the wrong time. when we were boiling they were trying to sell us shawls, but when we were frigidly cold, they were nowhere to be found.
10. it is impossible to ask for seperate bills at a restaurant. too complicated? apparently. the least they could do would be to stop gasping at the sight of a 500 pesos bill!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
busy bee.
it is already wednesday night again, and i am trying to figure out where all my time goes! i have been meaning to write a blog entry about my AMAZING weekend, but i haven't had more than a few minutes to sit down and actually get anything done. i remember when i was young, my mom made me write down all my life activities and the total time that i had alloted to them was more then the time i actually had in a week. i clearly haven't learned any lessons, because i think i have myself in a position like that again.
i am busy - but good busy. and everything i am doing are things i have always wanted to do, and things that i moved away to do. i leave school at a fairly reasonable time most days, and like to think i have established some sort of a balance between school and personal. i don't touch schoolwork on the weekends and i rarely bring it home on weeknights. i think about the kids all day, but i stop thinking about them at night. luckily, i often get my energy from social situations so the activities i am doing are also relaxing for me.
on mondays i help out with a little drama club, stay a bit later at school and then play ultimate frisbee.
on tuesdays i have spanish classes, sometimes go to yoga with jen and am FINALLY learning how to play guitar with a group of awesome guitarists from 9-11.
on wednesdays i stay a bit late at school, go to body pump at my local gym (can you believe i found a gym with body pump?) and try to fit in a social activity. tonight we are having dinner for one of the teacher's birthdays.
on thursdays i have spanish class again, go to the gym at the huesteca campus and definitely fit in a social activity. there is also a potential mexican cooking class that may begin soon!
on fridays i generally take off for some sorty of travel adventure OR get ready for a relaxing weekend of exploring monterrey and sleeping.
don't worry, i am not stretching myself too thin. the only challenge i am having is getting myself in bed at a reasonable hour... i just like reading and chatting with friends and surfing the internet too much, i think!
life in mexico sounds pretty similar to life at home, eh? sometimes i forget where i live. until i try to have a conversation, and then i am brutally reminded. these spanish classes better start kicking in.
i am busy - but good busy. and everything i am doing are things i have always wanted to do, and things that i moved away to do. i leave school at a fairly reasonable time most days, and like to think i have established some sort of a balance between school and personal. i don't touch schoolwork on the weekends and i rarely bring it home on weeknights. i think about the kids all day, but i stop thinking about them at night. luckily, i often get my energy from social situations so the activities i am doing are also relaxing for me.
on mondays i help out with a little drama club, stay a bit later at school and then play ultimate frisbee.
on tuesdays i have spanish classes, sometimes go to yoga with jen and am FINALLY learning how to play guitar with a group of awesome guitarists from 9-11.
on wednesdays i stay a bit late at school, go to body pump at my local gym (can you believe i found a gym with body pump?) and try to fit in a social activity. tonight we are having dinner for one of the teacher's birthdays.
on thursdays i have spanish class again, go to the gym at the huesteca campus and definitely fit in a social activity. there is also a potential mexican cooking class that may begin soon!
on fridays i generally take off for some sorty of travel adventure OR get ready for a relaxing weekend of exploring monterrey and sleeping.
don't worry, i am not stretching myself too thin. the only challenge i am having is getting myself in bed at a reasonable hour... i just like reading and chatting with friends and surfing the internet too much, i think!
life in mexico sounds pretty similar to life at home, eh? sometimes i forget where i live. until i try to have a conversation, and then i am brutally reminded. these spanish classes better start kicking in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)