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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
nerves
I learned a new appreciation for teachers today. On my first day here in Monterrey, Samuel suggested that I teach an English class while I'm here to get some practice and some experience. I was a little hesitant because I can be pretty socially awkward if I'm nervous and teaching a class to a bunch of people I've never met makes me nervous. So, yesterday, we planned out a lesson for me to do -- saludos (greetings), questions like where are you from, etc., and body parts (for which Samuel created the body of man, that looked more like a monkey with dagger arms, on Microsoft Word). Today, I stood in front of about 25 students and taught the class. And it was actually pretty fun! I wanted to throw up beforehand, but as soon as I started talking, I became more comfortable. I just realized when I was up there how hard it must be for teachers, especially substitute teachers, to try to gain the approval of the class, while also teaching them something valuable.
5 days until I'm headed home to North Carolina! I think this may be the first (perhaps, only) time that I've ever been excited about going home from Mexico. Not that I want to leave necessarily, but I think my "travel time" for this year is running out, and I'm ready to be settled and catch up with my friends and family.
5 days until I'm headed home to North Carolina! I think this may be the first (perhaps, only) time that I've ever been excited about going home from Mexico. Not that I want to leave necessarily, but I think my "travel time" for this year is running out, and I'm ready to be settled and catch up with my friends and family.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
méxico, méxico
What a crazy week it's been! Jake and I continued our community-visiting last week and headed to El Gusano on Tuesday. It was fun to meet slash re-acquaint myself with everyone there, including our friend Kari, who is from DF and is working for the Fundación this summer. We also got to meet the kids that are there this year from UNC-CH and (try to) give them some advice and encouragement.
We stayed there until Thursday afternoon, when we took a bus over to Guanajuato City, also known as my favorite city in Mexico. Because we've both been to the city more than once, we skipped the typical tourist-y things and spent a lot of time on the rooftop balcony of our hostel, enjoying the view and fresh fruit. All the kids from UNC came on Friday, so we hung out with them at night. Also on Friday, we went to see the movie Thor (still on the fence about whether I recommend that or not). Saturday, we walked around the city a bit and met some super cool girls from Canada at our hostel. We ended up cooking a delicious dinner with them that night, and they came out dancing with us and the UNC group.
Sunday, we headed back to Mexico City and hung out with Walter for the night. Jake headed down to Oaxaca on a midnight bus, and I left Monday on a flight up to Monterrey.
Now, I'm hanging out at the Berea Bible Institute, where my friend Samuel lives and teaches. I met Samuel during the summer of 2008 when we were both working for Ministerio de Fe in Miguel Alemán, and when I worked in Reynosa in 2009, we came for a weekend to Monterrey. Although we've kept in really good touch, I hadn't seen him since them...until yesterday! I'm staying in the girls' dorms, and it's been great meeting the girls that study here. It's also been great spending time with Samuel and meeting his friends.
I leave here on Friday, and on Sunday, I am heading back to North Carolina! As truly amazing as this past semester and this trip to Mexico have been, I am ready to be settled back in Chapel Hill.
We stayed there until Thursday afternoon, when we took a bus over to Guanajuato City, also known as my favorite city in Mexico. Because we've both been to the city more than once, we skipped the typical tourist-y things and spent a lot of time on the rooftop balcony of our hostel, enjoying the view and fresh fruit. All the kids from UNC came on Friday, so we hung out with them at night. Also on Friday, we went to see the movie Thor (still on the fence about whether I recommend that or not). Saturday, we walked around the city a bit and met some super cool girls from Canada at our hostel. We ended up cooking a delicious dinner with them that night, and they came out dancing with us and the UNC group.
Sunday, we headed back to Mexico City and hung out with Walter for the night. Jake headed down to Oaxaca on a midnight bus, and I left Monday on a flight up to Monterrey.
Now, I'm hanging out at the Berea Bible Institute, where my friend Samuel lives and teaches. I met Samuel during the summer of 2008 when we were both working for Ministerio de Fe in Miguel Alemán, and when I worked in Reynosa in 2009, we came for a weekend to Monterrey. Although we've kept in really good touch, I hadn't seen him since them...until yesterday! I'm staying in the girls' dorms, and it's been great meeting the girls that study here. It's also been great spending time with Samuel and meeting his friends.
I leave here on Friday, and on Sunday, I am heading back to North Carolina! As truly amazing as this past semester and this trip to Mexico have been, I am ready to be settled back in Chapel Hill.
Monday, May 23, 2011
que milagro!
What a miracle!
These are the words I was greeted with today as I walked around Tamaula, the 200-person community where I lived last summer. Given that it's a community so small, on top of a mountain, with limited access to running water and Internet, it was difficult to stay in touch with the friends I made last year. But as promised, I went back to visit them, and what a good decision that was. It was a perfect day in Tamaula.
We got there fairly early, and we hung out and ate breakfast with Doña Mago (my host mom), Lady, and Susana. We went walking around the community with two of Mago's granddaughters, Monserrat and Carolina, and ended up at the tienda where Clay and I consistently bought out their stock of Pinguinos. There, we met up with María Santos, the host sister with whom I spent the most time and got the closest last summer. We hung out for a little bit before she had to go back to class. I walked back with her and saw my students from last summer (minus Junior, who moved to Chihuahua).
Don Reyes, Goyo, Ana Maria, Yesenia, and one of Doña Mago's sisters arrived back from Irapuato in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the porch of their house, chatting about everything from my time in Ecuador to how to raise chickens to my search for a Latino boyfriend (I was instructed to invite all of them to my wedding, which of course I will do, but not before I bring my future husband to Tamaula for their approval). Because my Spanish has improved tremendously since I was there last, it was great to be able to hang out and have conversations for hours without feeling anxious or nervous. It was also great seeing all the kids that I loved, even though it took some of them a little bit of time to warm back up to me. Esme, one of Goyo's daughters, didn't remember me, but she was only a year old when I was there last.
I ended the day in Tamaula walking around town with María Santos and talking about her love life, then playing fútbol with her, Lady, and Yesenia on the soccer field. The perfect end to a perfect day.
I think one of the things I loved so much was that Tamaula was exactly the same as when I left it. Save for a few people (including Don Candido) that left for the United States, everyone was there that I expected to be there. The kids look older, and Lucas (the chick that Clay adopted as his pet) has grown into an adult gallo, but other than that, everything is the same. And it was good to be back.
These are the words I was greeted with today as I walked around Tamaula, the 200-person community where I lived last summer. Given that it's a community so small, on top of a mountain, with limited access to running water and Internet, it was difficult to stay in touch with the friends I made last year. But as promised, I went back to visit them, and what a good decision that was. It was a perfect day in Tamaula.
We got there fairly early, and we hung out and ate breakfast with Doña Mago (my host mom), Lady, and Susana. We went walking around the community with two of Mago's granddaughters, Monserrat and Carolina, and ended up at the tienda where Clay and I consistently bought out their stock of Pinguinos. There, we met up with María Santos, the host sister with whom I spent the most time and got the closest last summer. We hung out for a little bit before she had to go back to class. I walked back with her and saw my students from last summer (minus Junior, who moved to Chihuahua).
Don Reyes, Goyo, Ana Maria, Yesenia, and one of Doña Mago's sisters arrived back from Irapuato in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the porch of their house, chatting about everything from my time in Ecuador to how to raise chickens to my search for a Latino boyfriend (I was instructed to invite all of them to my wedding, which of course I will do, but not before I bring my future husband to Tamaula for their approval). Because my Spanish has improved tremendously since I was there last, it was great to be able to hang out and have conversations for hours without feeling anxious or nervous. It was also great seeing all the kids that I loved, even though it took some of them a little bit of time to warm back up to me. Esme, one of Goyo's daughters, didn't remember me, but she was only a year old when I was there last.
I ended the day in Tamaula walking around town with María Santos and talking about her love life, then playing fútbol with her, Lady, and Yesenia on the soccer field. The perfect end to a perfect day.
I think one of the things I loved so much was that Tamaula was exactly the same as when I left it. Save for a few people (including Don Candido) that left for the United States, everyone was there that I expected to be there. The kids look older, and Lucas (the chick that Clay adopted as his pet) has grown into an adult gallo, but other than that, everything is the same. And it was good to be back.
 |
| My family in Tamaula: Lady, Susana, me, María Santos, Doña Mago, Goyo, Don Reyes, & Jesús |
Saturday, May 21, 2011
new adventures
Well, it's been almost a week since I left Quito, and I sure am missing it a lot. But I'm determined to have a fabulous summer, regardless of how much I miss Ecuador. So, on to new adventures!
I'm currently writing from Mexico City, where I'm visiting my good friend Walter. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going with my friend Jake to the communities where we spent time last summer. I'm excited to see my host family in Tamaula and hopefully ride horses with Maria Santos! Next weekend, we are meeting back up with Walter to spend a few days in Guanajuato City, one of my favorite cities in the world. Then, I'm heading up to Monterrey to seé my good friend Samuel, who I haven't seen in 2 years!
Back home on June 5. Back to Chapel Hill on June 6. Let the summer begin!
I'm currently writing from Mexico City, where I'm visiting my good friend Walter. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going with my friend Jake to the communities where we spent time last summer. I'm excited to see my host family in Tamaula and hopefully ride horses with Maria Santos! Next weekend, we are meeting back up with Walter to spend a few days in Guanajuato City, one of my favorite cities in the world. Then, I'm heading up to Monterrey to seé my good friend Samuel, who I haven't seen in 2 years!
Back home on June 5. Back to Chapel Hill on June 6. Let the summer begin!
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