Months IV and V

~Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo~

Person 1: You wanna hear a joke about sodium? 

Person 2: Na.

Person 1: Alright then, how'd ya like to hear one about potassium?

Person 2: K!

Candice and I at the Robert Brady Museum.

 Holy Guacamole, it's 2013!!! How did this happen?!? Time really does seem to fly, especially when you're having fun. And speaking of fun, it was a blast having Candice in Mexico with me :-) We had some adventures which included such things as: eating two types of insects - LIVE stink bugs in the market (they have a spicy, minty crunch and are often used as an ingredient in salsa) and the infamous quesadilla de chapulines, seeing a French film with Spanish subtitles at the Cine Morleos, Christmas shopping in Tepoztlan, going to Natalia LaFourcade's concert in the Centro, and being whip-lashed on the ruta. All fun things, minus the whip-lash.       

The Mexican version of The Last Supper. Complete with watermelon, tortillas, and you know that has to be tequila in those goblets ... 

               

 

The last days of school before break were a bit hectic. There was a lot of test-taking for my students, organization, cleaning, and packing but everything got done and the time I've had off was much needed. 

Candice and I flew back to Florida on December 18th, sang for both Christmas Eve and Christmas morning Mass, and got really sick for a few days after. Bummer! As yuck as I felt, I will admit that it was somewhat relieving to have been sick while at home so I could lounge on the couch with Tank and watch The Food Network for way too long. Just a few of the many comforts of home!  I think I'll be ready to get back to work by the time I get to Mexico on Tuesday. Being home has been relaxing, full of cooking joy and wonderful family. It has made me more grateful than ever before for things like functioning furniture, a means of transportation that isn't a bus, and a stocked pantry.

 

I've decided that my New Year's Resolution is to not have one. I'm dropping the whole "New Year, New You" philosophy because, frankly, I like this me! And, more importantly, I like this life. And so should you. It's all pretty great. I hope that the New Year brings you all good things - delicious food, wagging  dog tails, time with the ones you love, and internal peace.

“Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you're worthy of the trip.”    - Glen Beck

Mexico Month III

LONG TIME NO SEEEE!!

Q: What do you call an alligator wearing a vest??

A: An inVESTigator. 

Mi amigos, Aly & Leo on the pyramid ruins at Xochicalco.

Que onda, amigos??!! Just as I though might happen, the business of life has taken priority over blogging, but I'm updating by popular demand! I'm using the term popular demand because it makes me happy to think that more than five people might actually be reading this. It's been over a month, and I'm sure much more has happened then I even realize, but I'll do my best to fill you in on the highlights. Also, I thought I would take this time to beg your pardon on any grammatical errors throughout this blog (as I'm sure there are many). Yes, I'm an English teacher and, technically, I should know these things. However, I realize more and more every day that English is really difficult and kinda screwed-up so, like my students, I'll continue to do my best and hope that that's enough ;-)

Here are some pictures of Jardin Borda. Originally, this was a house bought by Jose de la Borda, a famous and wealthy miner from Taxco. Later, his botany-loving son transformed the grounds of the house into gardens filled with flower and fruit trees. It's quite nice! It's also open all day and you can get in free with a student ID. I go here occasionally to sit outside and read. 

There have been lots of holidays since my last update! I think I told you about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). As you can see in the pictures above, the kid's classes all prepared an offrenda together. The bright orange carnations were so beautiful and were being sold by vendors all over the city. The table was also laid out with bread, a bowl of cooked rice, fruit, candy, and candles. A+ for class participation, kiddies! 

Mmmmwwwaahahaaaaa!!!

Halloween also happened. I assisted another teacher in a pumpkin carving workshop which was really fun!! Pumpkin carving is not a tradition in Mexico, but all my students were naturals. The jack-o-lanterns turned out great and the pumpkin seeds that I took home and roasted were yum. I dressed up as a scary, living-dead zombie and made myself a t-shirt with a skull face cut-out design that turned out pretty nifty! But I was a camera slacker the night of the party and didn't get one photo of myself. I did get one of my good friends (above). From the left is Danio, Carlie (my roommates), Aly, and her boyfriend, Leo. We had a really great time that night! I even got crazy and danced a little ... That image might be funnier than my opening joke.    

Inside the cathedral at Tepoztlan. 

Another photo of the ruins at Xochicalco.

If you're reading this from the USA (as most of you are), you know that Thanks-

giving was on November 22. I must tell you that I tried not to think about all the delish food I was missing out on that day by taking a loooooonnnngg walk into town and keeping myself busy. I missed everyone so much!! I will give credit to a “Thanksgiving in July” celebration that we hosted at our house over the summer for enabling me to hold off on eating-my-heart out on holiday food until I fly home for Christmas. The mother of one of the students in my kid’s class brought all the teachers a big pumpkin pie from CostCo. I almost kissed her. And I’ve gotta tell ya (and this is probably circumstantial) – it was THE BEST pumpkin pie I’ve ever eaten!!! Anyway, not being able to celebrate a traditional Turkey Day made me grateful in new and different ways, which is the true meaning of the holiday in the first place.

A beautiful sunset over the mountains

 My most recent adventure occurred yesterday. I went to Xochicalco (pronounced: Zow-chee-kal-kow), an archaeological site founded in about 650 AD by a group of Mayan traders. The city-state had a population of about 10,000 and was an important center of craft-production and trade. The security guard at the entrance wasn't going to let us in because it was after 5 pm and the site closes at 6, but with a little convincing and a 100 peso bill, he changed his mind ;-) That's Mexico. 

I'm typically not the one to get all sappy and romantical, but I felt that this was worth sharing ... Yes, world, after 23 years of "singleness", I've landed myself a man!! Whoop, whoop!! Who da thunk that all I had to do this whole time was move to Mexico?! Duh. Anyway, his name is Obed and he's happy and adorable and awesome and has crazy curly hair (see photo). It was worth the wait :p


"Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality" - Earl Nightingale  

Mexico Month II

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES PART II

Q: What did one toilet say to the other toilet?

A: You look flushed!

Yep, I took my camera in the bathroom with me. 

This joke also has to do with a cultural difference here in Mexico. Many less developed countries do not have adequate septic systems, therefore TP must not be flushed but thrown away. I am constantly forgetting this!! So they can blame the gringa if and when the toilet malfunctions ;)  

Other news ... Two weeks ago, we went on yet another epic hiking trip in Tepoztlan where we jumped from a waterfall and swung from vines hanging from the tress! True Tarzan-style. I got a really nice panoramic view of the mountains from a valley we were walking through on our way there (above). We lounged in the sun, had a fire, roasted some elote (corn), and breathed in the nature. For the few hours we spent there, I couldn't help but think that life doesn't get too much better than this. I'm a lucky lady! 

A very friendly butterfly drying her wings

Since this blog wouldn't be complete without me talking about food, another cultural difference is meal time(s). I feel like I might've already mentioned this, but Mexicans typically eat a light breakfast, a heavy lunch between 2 and 4 pm, siesta, and then have a light dinner around 9 or 10 pm. Some new friends of mine, Stephen and Brenden, are here from the States studying Spanish at Cuauhnahuac. They live close to the school with a senora who cooks them a delicious "comida" every day. Comida means food, but it's also the name of the middle-of-the-day meal. Sunday comida is especially importante! They had me over for homemade chile relleno last week. Roasted pablano pepper, stuffed with cheese, battered and fried, topped with tomato sauce ... yuuuummm!! I'm convinced that anything cooked by a Mom or Grandma is just better no matter what it is. 

What else can I talk to you about?? (Teaching has taught me to get really good at filling awkward breaks/silences) Oh! The school is hosting a Halloween/Day of the Dead party on November 2nd which I'm really excited about! I've decided to go all blood-and-gore and be a zombie. Photos of that soon to come! Here, Day of the Dead is more important than Halloween, although most people still celebrate both.   

Carlie showin' the guys how to build a fire. Das right!!

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember family and friends who have died. It takes place on November 1 in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints'/All Souls' Day. Often, families will prepare alters or the favorite foods of the loved ones who have died and may visit their graves. It's a really beautiful tradition and seems to add a reverent balance to the fun and recreation of Halloween.  

One more thing I have to mention is about this Mexican bakery thing ... There is a panaderia right down the road from our apartment. I actually have a small crush on the baker (don't tell). Anyway, the baked goods look something like those in the picture to the left. Besides that giant pink thing, everything looks good, right? Key word: looks. Taste ... not so much. Please note, this is just my personal opinion. When I bite into a donut, I want it to be sweet (too sweet). I want it to be slightly flaky and maybe even a little greasy. And I want it fresh. I do NOT want it to be dry, baked, burned and sweetened with some kind of exotic fruit. Whyyy, Panaderia Man??!! We could've had something!! But alas, these are all things that one must get used to when living abroad. A Mexican donut is not an American donut (though churros are still delicious here!). So I can complain about it or I can eat my savory guayaba donut and be happy that at least I got to have a chat with the cutie behind the counter ;) 

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences ..." - Christopher McCandless          

Mexico Month II

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE ...

One liner: Are you a parking ticket? Because you have fine written all over you ;-)

Nadia and Edgar, the English department secretaries

If we were chatting over coffee, I'd be telling you how much I've missed you and how grateful I am to have you in my life. I'd tell you that at this very moment, I'm eating banana pancakes with nutella, peanut butter, AND maple syrup because I couldn't choose just one. I'd tell you that I was a total blogger slacker this week and hence, my weekly post is four days later than usual. I'll try to make up for it by being sentimental ... 

A scorpion in the teacher's lounge!!! 

If we were having coffee, we'd probably have some small talk. This week was busy and productive. Working six days a week is exhausting, but rewarding. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm learning English by teaching it. I've admittedly taught a few lessons incorrectly and have had to go back and re-teach them. I'm almost certain that it will be that corrected lesson on auxiliary verbs that will now be solidified in my brain forever.  

Volkswagons (the old school ones) are EVERYWHERE here!
I don't know about you, but I totally prefer the multi-toned
look.

If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I've stopped counting the weeks and now only know that it's October, month two of my journey in Mexico. I'm taking one day at a time and am learning more Spanish every day, though I'm not really comfortable speaking it yet. I would tell you that I'm happy, that my life is very full, and that I feel a completeness in how I'm living. I hope that everyone gets to feel something like this at least once in their life because it's pretty dang awesome!   

If we were having coffee, we would also be eating these: http://joythebaker.com/2012/10/chocolate-cream-filled-vanilla-sugar-doughnuts/#more-9814. I would be making them right now, but I think Mexicans might have an aversion to yeast. The pastries, pizza dough, and bread seem to all be made without yeast or baking soda which makes for a very dense (or very thin) bread experience. Not bad, just different. Anyway, I can't find yeast anywhere so I'll just have to wait until I'm home at Christmas so satisfy my homemade donut craving. The banana pancakes will do for now! 

The newest addition to the Petrucci/Cuchetti/Burns
household!! Our little conejo that Carlie bought
for $45 pesos last week. Love him!

If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that aside from the cool scorpion in the picture above, I also saw an iguana swimming across the river behind our apartment complex! Exciting stuff. I'd tell you that my tolerance for spicy food is slowly increasing and that Valentina hot sauce is the only way to go. If we were having coffee, I'd listen as you told me corny jokes, and all about your week. 

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and place because you'll never be this way ever again." - Unknown

    

Mexico Week IV

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES PART I

Q: What did the mayonnaise say when someone opened the refrigerator?

A: Close the door I am dressing!

In reference to the joke above, the first cultural difference I will mention is that ALL the mayonnaise in Mexico has lime flavor added to it. Whyyyyyy??? Also, the pictures today are completely random and really have nothing to do with what I'm writing about. Just so you know. 

My Verbs II kids class. (From left) Viviana, Jussi,
and Alan. They're super-smart and their smiles
are oh so deceiving. I'm glad the school only trusts me with three of them :) 

Perhaps more than anything else, the most interesting part about living away from "the home country" is getting used to cultural differences. Some of the differences, like the spoken language, are immediately obvious whereas others do not reveal themselves except through time and observation.  I’ve been keeping a list of these differences as I come across them and so far there are enough for at least two or three posts. Hence, Cultural Differences Part I. Enjoy! 

Jussi (yes, his name is JUICY) still needs work on the
present perfect tense, but the last sentence made
me smile! Aww, shucks. 

 One of my favorite things about Mexican culture is the right-cheek-kiss greeting. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or saying hello/good bye to an old friend, the cheek kiss is the standard. As you might know, they do this kind of thing differently all over the world. For some places in Europe, it’s three cheek kisses. Hello, sexy Swiss men!! No, I don’t mind smooching your stubbly face, being close enough to smell your cologne, and getting to touch your bicep of steel. I personally think that the cheek-kiss greeting is a custom that Americans should adopt. It automatically makes you feel closer to the other person, regardless if you’re able to speak their language or not. Americans have the hand shake which (when you become used to a warmer greeting) seems distant, firm, and impersonal. No doubt, it is something to get used to, but I say the more besos the better :-)

Carlie and I with our co-teacher, Heather from Canada,
celebrating Mexico's Independence Day on the 15th.

Next, there is what I will refer to as “the water issue”. This is not so much a cultural difference as it is an environmental problem-o. You always hear people telling you not to drink the water in Mexico. Before coming here, I never knew if that was something you really shouldn’t do or if it was some kind of stereotype. But really, don’t drink the water here. Not the stuff that comes out of the tap at least. Bottled water is fine, and there is an ample supply wherever you go. All homes and businesses have water coolers. Being a big water drinker, the first time I heard that the water thing was real, I instantly envisioned myself crawling through the Sahara, tongue hanging out, withering like a prune. What was I going to do without my 64+ ounces/day??!!  Luckily, I have yet to die of dehydration and am pretty positive it’s not going to happen. I still drink my typical supply of water. It was just a matter of training myself to not get it from the tap which probably isn’t the best water to drink even in the States. 

Our tequila bottle, Juan. Because "Juan" shot
of tequila is never enough ...

Some wild creatures getting way too close to people
at the pyramid at Tepoztlan. 

Last cultural difference for Part I: LAVANDERIAS. Can you guess what it is??? Here are some hints - we have them in the States, you take your clothes there, you need more quarters than is reasonable to carry around in your pockets to use one, and sometimes there is a weird man watching you fold your undies down the way …. Yep, a laundry mat!!!  Here in Mexico, only very wealthy people have washers and dryers in their homes, so most people take their clothes to a lavanderia once every week or two. The difference is that Mexican laundry mats are magical.

Brenden (a Spanish student from GA) and Carlie in front
of the Lunar Temple/Pyramid at Tepoztlan.

Imagine this scene: You drop your big mesh bag with two weeks’ worth of sweaty, smelly clothes off to a smiling, long-eyelashed man behind the counter. There are blue bubbles painted on the wall. How delightful! He cheerfully weighs the load like he’s genuinely thrilled that he gets to wash your soiled clothing and charges you accordingly per kilogram. You tell him if there are any special requests for your clothing (no drying the dress, etc.) which makes him smile EVEN MORE!!! G-dang, he loves his job. Your laundry will be ready within 24 hours. When you pick it up, it will all be folded into the most perfectly symmetrical squares you’ll ever see. It will smell like how you imagine that creepy bear, Snuggle, would smell. And it will only cost you between $50-$80 pesos. Luxury. 

Quesadilla de Chapulin. AKA quesadilla de grasshoppers.
A unique and crunchy experience reminiscent of
soft-shell crab. I'd totally eat it again.  

"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something". - Wilson Mizner

Mexico Week III

MY SEXY MEXI APARTMENT

Person 1: Somebody said you sounded like an owl.

Person 2: Who?

Happy Hump Day , amigos y familia!! Here in Mexico, they have a term they use for Wednesday that is loosely translated as “Bellybutton Day”. Wednesday is the middle of the week much as a bellybutton is located in the middle of the human body. Makes sense!

We currently have no internet access in the apartment. I’ve been using the WiFi at the school, so until we get it set up at home, my posts will be a bit briefer. Since we’re on the subject of the apartment, I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some pictures of it! 

This here’s the dining room. No table yet, but we do have chairs! We discussed the idea of an Eastern inspired, Zen-like floor table with cushions rather than chairs. As of now, we’re still eating on the floor, just not at a Zen table. Not to worry, all will come together in due time … 

This is the living room and view from the front door. No furniture there yet, either. But we do have a bean bag chair!!  Gotta love the bean bags. Can you see the lovely red accent wall to the right? Classy. 

The rounded archway leads down the hallway to the bedrooms. It’s a three bedroom apartment, and is definitely a space meant for only three people. It’s pretty modern looking, eh? I’d love to fill it with equally modern-looking stuff from IKEA. But IKEA doesn’t exist here. Sad. 

The kitchen minus a refrigerator. There’s a cooler down there somewhere that is working splendidly for the time being. The kitchen is usually always my favorite place in any home. It’s where the magic happens!  And this kitchen is no exception. Some pretty tasty meals have already come out of here  :-) 

My little space in the world! I bought that nearly-new Sealy Posturpedic bed frame from one of Danio’s friends for $150 pesos. That’s less than $15 USD!! I wonder how much it would cost to ship to FL … Because it’d totally be worth it. I must say, I really love my room. It’s simple, it’s cream colored, I have a lamp, a fan, a view of the pool below, a love note on the closet door, a night stand, and books. What else could one ask for?!

           

This is my bathroom “area”. It’s really weird – the sink and mirror are in the hallway separate from the toilet and shower. Obviously, this layout was rationalized by the designer because EVERYONE knows what a darn hassle it is to have to walk through a door to use the mirror or sink when you don’t need the toilet. Duh! Thank you, Mexico. So, for all those people whose dirty little secret it is to wash your hands every other time you use the bano, that will not fly here!! I WILL BE WATCHING!!  

"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth". - Benjamin Disraeli

Mexico Week II

LIFE AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE 

Q: What did the Buddhist monk say to the hot dog vendor??

A: Make me ONE with everything

That joke is for you, Art. Because I can definitely envision you actually saying that to a hot dog vendor, haha! ;)  

Buenos dias, amigos! For those of you keeping up with me, thank you very much. I am feeling quite self-conscious about it all, but I'll continue to keep you posted nonetheless! I told myself I would update at least once per week and will try my best to do so. 

I was told from a reliable source that the color of text is a bit difficult to read due to the background tone of the template I'm using. I'm going to mess around with the formatting and will attempt to correct that. Other suggestions for improvement are appreciated. Something else - I figured out how to adjust the exposure and color on the photos I take, so they should be much better quality from here on out. Did you hear that?? I figured this out BY MYSELF, CANDICE!! Candy is my go-to computer problem-solver. But alas, she is having her own adventure on the other side of the globe. Hence, self-taught life lesson numero uno. 

Week Two at Cuauhnahuac has been ... interesting. Long story short, four teachers (including the director of the English Department), abruptly packed their things and headed back to the US. This created a lot of confusion and hectic-ness within the department, but actually has turned out to be beneficial to me because I've picked up a good number of the classes that they were teaching. 


However, it also poses a challenge because I'm picking up classes after someone else has been teaching them for months. Life lesson numero dos: assess the situation and carry on. Worry not, students! We shall overcome. Anyone want to come to Mexico and teach?! I'll hook you up. For real.   

Alright, so about the pictures to the left and below ... Tacolgando la Guayaba is the name of Danio's (in red cap) and his friend, Mike's taco stand business. Bringing delicious tacos de barbacoa y cochinita to the streets of Cuernavaca daily! Barbacoa is beef covered in a pot with maguey leaves and slow-cooked until tender. Cochinita (my favorite) is a traditional slow-roast pork that involves marinating the meat in citrus juice and coloring it with annatto seed. Choose your meat, throw it on a few corn tortillas with a bit of chopped onion, fresh cilantro, and lime juice - delish!!

  

The best part? Each taco is $5 pesos. That's less than $0.40 USD. Eat your heart out, fellow foodies!

Mexico's Independence Day is this Saturday, September 15th!! Everywhere you go around the city, there is red, white and green. I've been informed that it's going to be a good time - music, food, and lots of other festivities. Looking forward to that ....

Other shanigans have included another epic hiking trip to Tepoztlan. This hike was not as much hiking as it was rock climbing. Life lesson tres: be prepared for anything. Or don't be prepared, but do it anyway. The overlook that we hiked up to was a rock wall covered in graffiti. Mexico has some of the most awesome graffiti you'll ever see. Who needs an art museum?? Just bust out your spray paint and go to town.  

The photo above is my "Intro to Sentences" workshop this morning. My students totally ROCKED in identifying parts of a sentence today!!  Exciting stuff. Te amo Mexico y te amo ingles <3

"What we think is less than what we know: What we know is less than what we love: What we love is so much less than what there is; and to this precise extent, we are much less than what we are." - R.D. Laing