Life in Mexico

So not much has happened yet, we're still spending our time going from office to office to get id cards, classrooms, placements test, and figure out when. where, what, and who we're teaching. Not much to report on that front, so I thought I would give you an overview of a typical day here thus far.

We get up in the morning andgo upstairs for breakfast (desayuno). The father of the house (Alfredo*) prepares breakfast. We always have fresh squeezed juice (orange, guyaba, etc), fruit (platanos, papaya, pina etc) and then eggs or quesadillas or toast and jam. Alfredo also roasts his own coffee. He sits with us and we talk about various things. Often he'll tell us historical stories or legends or teach us something. All of this is in Spanish, although Alfredo speaks English and will translate a word if we just don't get it.

After breakfast, we'll typically go to the Tec (our university). It's a short bus ride away which is always an adventure. J and I will take spanish classes from 9-1 M-F (I placed into Intermediate 2). We'll teach English and lead a language exchange after that (exact times and days to be determined... hopefully soon!). Then we can either head home for comida, the big meal of the day, or eat out. Much like in Italy, Mexicans eat a big lunch with several courses. A siesta is also typical after that (lunch break is typically from 2-4). Dinner, if any, is a light snack around 8. J and I are still adjusting to the sun and the altitude. It's about 5400 feet here, and any amount of walking is surprisingly tiring.

Cristinana* is the mother of the house and she prepares comida and dinner and sits and talks with us. She speaks less English, but is an animated storyteller. She adds lots of sound effects a gestures to help clarify her stories. She tells us about the history of the house, the town, and her family. Thus far, it's a great place to stay and really feel involved. I doubt it'd be possible to feel isolated here.

I'm looking forward to sharing more stories with you. Today wil be busy again, trying to figure things out. But tomorrow our real schedule begins. I'm not sure I've ever audited a class before, and though I need to do the homework, I'm looking forward to being motivated solely for learning, rather than for a grade or transcript. The American kids seem pretty young, so it'll be interesting to see if I'm the 'old' lady. Most are around 20... which is more than a decade difference.

My love to you all. Let me know if there's something particular you're interested in learning about.

(*Note that as always, all names have been changed)