Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
"El Maraton" - 3 Kings Day
Some churches in the U.S., catholic and protestant, celebrate Epiphany. When I was small, we always went to church on Jan. 6, even if it was a weeknight evening. Honestly, as a kid, it was a let-down holiday, bc we were already back at school and there weren't many traditions to make the holiday interesting.
In Mexico, on the other hand, January 6 is a kids' day. The kids normally have vacation from Dec. 12 (guadalupe day) until Jan. 6 (kings' day) which provides a really long time off of school.
Also, Kings' day is when kids get presents. They don't put stockings on fireplaces (well, some people do now, bc they have seen it in U.S. images, but normally they don't have fireplaces as much as open fire pits or wooden cooking stoves, which isn't as charming). Instead, kids put their shoes outside their doors with grass or hay in them. Then, the "camels" that carry the 3 kings to visit Jesus will stop by and eat the grass or hay. In exchange for helping their camels, the rich kings will leave candy or small gifts in the shoes for the kids.
This has morphed into a huge gift-giving holiday for kids, when they get lots of presents from their parents and grandparents.
Adults are not left out of the fun. Although adults rarely exchange presents (sometimes with their spouse or significant other, in richer families, but most families have enough trouble finding enough money for fancy dinner and kids' presents), they have a "rosca de los reyes" dessert tradition. The adults share a huge sweet bread shaped in a circle and decorated with red and green dried fruit strips - it's supposed to look like a Christmas wreath. Inside of this cake is at least one small plastic baby Jesus.
I do not joke.
Whomever gets the baby Jesus in his or her portion has to host a party on "candlemas day" otherwise known as Tamale Day. I'll write more about that in February, but if you're dying to know, check out http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/year/february.htm.
I'd love to do the rosca tradition in the U.S. but Dave pointed out that if only one American chokes on the Jesus, the situation would be very negative PR for both Christianity and Mexico. Not to mention that we'd be sued by someone.
In Mexico, on the other hand, January 6 is a kids' day. The kids normally have vacation from Dec. 12 (guadalupe day) until Jan. 6 (kings' day) which provides a really long time off of school.
Also, Kings' day is when kids get presents. They don't put stockings on fireplaces (well, some people do now, bc they have seen it in U.S. images, but normally they don't have fireplaces as much as open fire pits or wooden cooking stoves, which isn't as charming). Instead, kids put their shoes outside their doors with grass or hay in them. Then, the "camels" that carry the 3 kings to visit Jesus will stop by and eat the grass or hay. In exchange for helping their camels, the rich kings will leave candy or small gifts in the shoes for the kids.
This has morphed into a huge gift-giving holiday for kids, when they get lots of presents from their parents and grandparents.
Adults are not left out of the fun. Although adults rarely exchange presents (sometimes with their spouse or significant other, in richer families, but most families have enough trouble finding enough money for fancy dinner and kids' presents), they have a "rosca de los reyes" dessert tradition. The adults share a huge sweet bread shaped in a circle and decorated with red and green dried fruit strips - it's supposed to look like a Christmas wreath. Inside of this cake is at least one small plastic baby Jesus.
I do not joke.
Whomever gets the baby Jesus in his or her portion has to host a party on "candlemas day" otherwise known as Tamale Day. I'll write more about that in February, but if you're dying to know, check out http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/year/february.htm.
I'd love to do the rosca tradition in the U.S. but Dave pointed out that if only one American chokes on the Jesus, the situation would be very negative PR for both Christianity and Mexico. Not to mention that we'd be sued by someone.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
"El Maraton" - New Year's
Like everywhere else on earth, Mexican's celebrate at 12am Jan. 1 with huge party. Since Mexico is normally warm enough to celebrate outside (even in central mexico, where it is kind of chilly) most towns celebrate in the town square. Unlike our giant electric ball in Time's Square, Mexicans ring their church bell or the clocktower bell in the central plaza at midnight. For each of the chimes of the bell (rather than a 10-second countdown), Mexicans eat a grape and make a wish. Any of the 12 grapes swallowed by the end of the bell's ringing will signal a wish that will come true in the new year.
Also, wearing red underwear at midnight will lead to good luck in your love life in the following year and wearing yellow underwear at midnight will lead to good luck in your financial life in the following year.
Packing a suitcase and walking to the corner will mean that you will have good travels in the year to come.
Since Mexicans party all night long throughout the year, they have no problem starting the party at midnight and continuing until dawn!!!
*note* I asked where to get the "lucky underwear pack" and was told that no one in Mexico had thought to sell special red and yellow underwear just for the new year. Sounds like a business opportunity to me!!!
Also, wearing red underwear at midnight will lead to good luck in your love life in the following year and wearing yellow underwear at midnight will lead to good luck in your financial life in the following year.
Packing a suitcase and walking to the corner will mean that you will have good travels in the year to come.
Since Mexicans party all night long throughout the year, they have no problem starting the party at midnight and continuing until dawn!!!
*note* I asked where to get the "lucky underwear pack" and was told that no one in Mexico had thought to sell special red and yellow underwear just for the new year. Sounds like a business opportunity to me!!!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
"El Maraton" - Navidad
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are celebrated a little bit different in every culture. These are just a few of the uniquely "mexican" things that we've been told about.
- Most Mexicans celebrate at midnight Christmas Eve. The kids only get a few presents, but almost no presents on the 24th or the 25th. Instead, they will go to "midnight" mass and then have a large meal and family celebration in the middle of the night. Like American families, they often have multiple family celebrations on different days.
- Ponche is a punch of hot sugar water and dried fruit. It's sort of like Mexican cider, I suppose, and is popular to drink at holiday parties. Fruit and cheese and sweet breads are common snack foods. They don't eat cookies.
- Like in the U.S., companies and social groups often have Christmas parties in the weeks before the holiday. These parties involve dinner at 9pm, dancing and drinks until midnight, and then a mariachi band with more dancing until 3am.
- Christmas trees are a new tradition here, that they have incorporated from images of Christmas movies and TV shows and such from the States. Nativity manger scenes, on the other hand, are very popular, and are at lots of places (stores, libraries, government offices, schools) where they are not in the U.S. Sometimes the mary is really huge and out of proportion, and sometimes the baby Jesus is, too.
- Most Mexicans celebrate at midnight Christmas Eve. The kids only get a few presents, but almost no presents on the 24th or the 25th. Instead, they will go to "midnight" mass and then have a large meal and family celebration in the middle of the night. Like American families, they often have multiple family celebrations on different days.
- Ponche is a punch of hot sugar water and dried fruit. It's sort of like Mexican cider, I suppose, and is popular to drink at holiday parties. Fruit and cheese and sweet breads are common snack foods. They don't eat cookies.
- Like in the U.S., companies and social groups often have Christmas parties in the weeks before the holiday. These parties involve dinner at 9pm, dancing and drinks until midnight, and then a mariachi band with more dancing until 3am.
- Christmas trees are a new tradition here, that they have incorporated from images of Christmas movies and TV shows and such from the States. Nativity manger scenes, on the other hand, are very popular, and are at lots of places (stores, libraries, government offices, schools) where they are not in the U.S. Sometimes the mary is really huge and out of proportion, and sometimes the baby Jesus is, too.
Monday, December 14, 2009
"El Maraton" - Dia del Virgen de Guadalupe
Dec. 12 is Virgin of Guadalupe Day. On this day, thousands of people visit the Basilica del Virgin de Guadalupe, north of Mexico City. It is the 2nd most popular Catholic visit site in the world, behind only the Vatican. For Millions of Mexicans who can't visit the Basilica, they will go to church with their families.
The very first chapel built at the site of the original image of the Virgin:
There is a very nice garden area by this small chapel on the hill:
They started building her "basilica" in 1531 but it wasn't finished until 1709. It became a pilgrimage site in the early 1800s.
While the basilica is very large, it quickly became too small to hold all of the pilgrims, so they built a new one in the 1970s. Now it's very very large with an even larger courtyard to hold everyone else. We want to go on the day of the festival, but I'm kind of afraid of the crowds.
The Virgin of Guadalupe is not a person, per se, but rather an image of the Virgin Mary. This is the story:
When the Catholics came to Mexico, they tried to convert the natives, with limited success. One of the natives, Juan Diego, was working for a priest when in December 1531 saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen to sixteen, surrounded by light. Speaking in the local language of Nahuatl, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor. He shared the story with his Priest employer, who suggested he return to the site and demand a sign. The Virgin then asked Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, even though it was winter when no flowers bloomed. He gathered them, and the Virgin herself re-arranged them in his peasant cloak. When Juan Diego presented the roses to the priest, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appeared imprinted on the cloth. This image appeared on Dec. 12.
Mexicans say that this is how they knew that Mary (who spoke Nahuatl and was dark-skinned) wanted Mexicans to be Catholic.
Historians say that this account couldn't possibly be accurate, but most Mexicans don't care. Juan Diego was canonized (became a saint) in the 1990s.
The image became the symbol of Mexico during the fight for independence in 1810-1820 bc the leaders of the independence movement (who sparked the war) were Priests who used the dark-skinned Mary to rally the natives behind their cause.
The very first chapel built at the site of the original image of the Virgin:
There is a very nice garden area by this small chapel on the hill:
They started building her "basilica" in 1531 but it wasn't finished until 1709. It became a pilgrimage site in the early 1800s.
While the basilica is very large, it quickly became too small to hold all of the pilgrims, so they built a new one in the 1970s. Now it's very very large with an even larger courtyard to hold everyone else. We want to go on the day of the festival, but I'm kind of afraid of the crowds.
The Virgin of Guadalupe is not a person, per se, but rather an image of the Virgin Mary. This is the story:
When the Catholics came to Mexico, they tried to convert the natives, with limited success. One of the natives, Juan Diego, was working for a priest when in December 1531 saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen to sixteen, surrounded by light. Speaking in the local language of Nahuatl, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor. He shared the story with his Priest employer, who suggested he return to the site and demand a sign. The Virgin then asked Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, even though it was winter when no flowers bloomed. He gathered them, and the Virgin herself re-arranged them in his peasant cloak. When Juan Diego presented the roses to the priest, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appeared imprinted on the cloth. This image appeared on Dec. 12.
Mexicans say that this is how they knew that Mary (who spoke Nahuatl and was dark-skinned) wanted Mexicans to be Catholic.
Historians say that this account couldn't possibly be accurate, but most Mexicans don't care. Juan Diego was canonized (became a saint) in the 1990s.
The image became the symbol of Mexico during the fight for independence in 1810-1820 bc the leaders of the independence movement (who sparked the war) were Priests who used the dark-skinned Mary to rally the natives behind their cause.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
"The Marathon" Mexican Holiday Traditions
Mexicans call the holiday season "el maraton" or the marathon because they have 4 large holidays in one month: Dia del Virgen del Guadalupe Dec. 12, Navidad Dec. 24 & 25, Ano Nuevo Dec. 31 & Jan 1, and Dia de los Reyes Magos Jan. 6 Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the patron Saint of Mexico), Christmas, New Year, and 3 Kings Day. So, this week, I'll explain some of the holiday traditions that Mexicans have. Unfortunately, we won't be here for much of the holidays bc we go home but we've seen and heard about some of the traditions.
Remember the Jerry Lewis Telethon that used to be on TV labor day weekend? Mexicans do a similar thing the first weekend in December. There are a lot of children in Mexico who suffer from birth trauma and disabilities, more so than in the U.S. The teleton is on TV, but people donate in person to volunteers throughout the country on street corners and donation receptacles in small businesses.
Mexicans also have specific rules about dispensas or holiday bonuses. Companies are required by law to provide a holiday Christmas bonus equal to one month of the employee's salary. Official employees are also required to be paid for some of their holiday vacation time. Because half of Mexican workers are "under the table" these rules can't be enforced, but they are still normally followed. For example, we will pay our housekeeper a month salary bonus, plus 3 weeks of paid vacation and maybe also buy her a small gift. If we don't, the government doesn't care, but she may not come back in January, and we'll get a reputation for being stingy.
Dave doesn't qualify for dispensas, bc of his unique international employment status, and my school buys us a plane ticket to go home for Christmas as a "gift". (We have to go back at Christmas in order to keep our tourist visa legal)
Tomorrow - Dia del Virgin de guadalupe!
Remember the Jerry Lewis Telethon that used to be on TV labor day weekend? Mexicans do a similar thing the first weekend in December. There are a lot of children in Mexico who suffer from birth trauma and disabilities, more so than in the U.S. The teleton is on TV, but people donate in person to volunteers throughout the country on street corners and donation receptacles in small businesses.
Mexicans also have specific rules about dispensas or holiday bonuses. Companies are required by law to provide a holiday Christmas bonus equal to one month of the employee's salary. Official employees are also required to be paid for some of their holiday vacation time. Because half of Mexican workers are "under the table" these rules can't be enforced, but they are still normally followed. For example, we will pay our housekeeper a month salary bonus, plus 3 weeks of paid vacation and maybe also buy her a small gift. If we don't, the government doesn't care, but she may not come back in January, and we'll get a reputation for being stingy.
Dave doesn't qualify for dispensas, bc of his unique international employment status, and my school buys us a plane ticket to go home for Christmas as a "gift". (We have to go back at Christmas in order to keep our tourist visa legal)
Tomorrow - Dia del Virgin de guadalupe!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Where's the Jesus?
This past weekend, Dave & I went shopping for a "nacimiento" or a "birthing" scene (otherwise known as a Nativity scene or a Creche scene in the U.S.). We specifically wanted one made locally and one whose members looked Mexican.
We thought it would be easy. We thought wrong.
Dave and I walked confidently to the downtown shopping district near our house (most of our guests have shopped there for cheap locally made handicrafts). Our first shocker - how many of the nacimientos were really ugly. One had pink faces! I asked someone why, and they said that Mexicans wanted a "light skinned" nativity scene to look like what North Americans would have in their house. (Right, bc Jesus looked like me.)
Second shocker - there was no Jesus!!! I thought that the small Jesus was hidden safely away from small hands, but when I asked, I was told over and over again that the set didn't come with a Jesus bc most families already had a Jesus. Really?? If they have a Jesus, why don't they have the rest of the pieces?
So, we walked from store to store, asking "Tiene un juego con el Nino?" do you have set with Jesus? No, we were told, over and over, as we went from store to store. I sort of felt like we were on our own "posada" or traveling, like Mary & Joseph, from one place to another, until we found room for the Christ Child.
Finally, we did find a store with only Jesuses (no joke). All shapes and sizes. And nothing that looked anything like the Nativity sets we had seen. We found out that because of the candlemas celebration in February (stay tuned, I'll explain later) most families have a Nativity set with a HUGE Jesus and that Jesus gets passed down from generation to generation. Also, many families put out the nativity set without the Jesus at first and then add the Jesus on Dec. 25. (we do that in my family, too)
seriously, look at this Jesus! He's bigger than the sheep! We did NOT buy this one.
We finally did find a complete set, with a Jesus the right size, and everyone looking Mexican.
Third Shocker - there are no sheep in the set. The set has an Angel, Mary, Joseph, 3 kings, two shepherds, and 2 donkeys (sometimes also a Jesus). There are no donkey keepers, but there are two donkeys, and there are no sheep, but two shepherds. Also, the shepherds don't look like shepherds. One is a woman carrying a large water jar and the other is a man carrying a bundle of sticks. I wondered aloud what they were doing and Dave suggested that the woman was bringing water to help with the baby and that the man was bringing sticks to light a fire to boil the water. Boiling water almost always happens in old-time movies with birthing at home, right??
I asked the woman who made our set what the woman with the jar of water was called, and she said she didn't know, but everyone called them the shepherds. I told her that we didn't have female shepherds in our sets in the U.S. and she patted my hand and gave me a sad look that seemed to say, "I know that you pagans/ athiests don't understand about Jesus, but that's not really my fault".
*sigh* sometimes I wish I spoke less Spanish!
We thought it would be easy. We thought wrong.
Dave and I walked confidently to the downtown shopping district near our house (most of our guests have shopped there for cheap locally made handicrafts). Our first shocker - how many of the nacimientos were really ugly. One had pink faces! I asked someone why, and they said that Mexicans wanted a "light skinned" nativity scene to look like what North Americans would have in their house. (Right, bc Jesus looked like me.)
Second shocker - there was no Jesus!!! I thought that the small Jesus was hidden safely away from small hands, but when I asked, I was told over and over again that the set didn't come with a Jesus bc most families already had a Jesus. Really?? If they have a Jesus, why don't they have the rest of the pieces?
So, we walked from store to store, asking "Tiene un juego con el Nino?" do you have set with Jesus? No, we were told, over and over, as we went from store to store. I sort of felt like we were on our own "posada" or traveling, like Mary & Joseph, from one place to another, until we found room for the Christ Child.
Finally, we did find a store with only Jesuses (no joke). All shapes and sizes. And nothing that looked anything like the Nativity sets we had seen. We found out that because of the candlemas celebration in February (stay tuned, I'll explain later) most families have a Nativity set with a HUGE Jesus and that Jesus gets passed down from generation to generation. Also, many families put out the nativity set without the Jesus at first and then add the Jesus on Dec. 25. (we do that in my family, too)
seriously, look at this Jesus! He's bigger than the sheep! We did NOT buy this one.
We finally did find a complete set, with a Jesus the right size, and everyone looking Mexican.
Third Shocker - there are no sheep in the set. The set has an Angel, Mary, Joseph, 3 kings, two shepherds, and 2 donkeys (sometimes also a Jesus). There are no donkey keepers, but there are two donkeys, and there are no sheep, but two shepherds. Also, the shepherds don't look like shepherds. One is a woman carrying a large water jar and the other is a man carrying a bundle of sticks. I wondered aloud what they were doing and Dave suggested that the woman was bringing water to help with the baby and that the man was bringing sticks to light a fire to boil the water. Boiling water almost always happens in old-time movies with birthing at home, right??
I asked the woman who made our set what the woman with the jar of water was called, and she said she didn't know, but everyone called them the shepherds. I told her that we didn't have female shepherds in our sets in the U.S. and she patted my hand and gave me a sad look that seemed to say, "I know that you pagans/ athiests don't understand about Jesus, but that's not really my fault".
*sigh* sometimes I wish I spoke less Spanish!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Jicama Salad
Dave's sister introduced us to Jicama a while ago, but we really never ate it until coming to Mexico. They love it here! Mainly, Mexicans eat the jicama in small peeled strips that look kind of like white carrot sticks. I had seen the sticks for sale in the grocery store, but had no idea how ugly the natural jicama is!
Normally, Mexicans sprinkle the jicama sticks with lime juice and chili pepper and eat it raw. I still haven't figured out if it's a fruit or a vegetable, but it's good! But we recently found a recipe for Jicama salad, which sounded like a delicious side dish (I was supposed to bring a vegetable salad to a holiday potluck and was out of good ideas that would travel well). http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/jicama_salad/
It was absolutely delicious! Check out the link for the full recipe.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Informal Economy
This is from "The News" the English-language newspaper in Mexico City. For the full article, see http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=2074
More than 1.05 million people in the capital city make their living by selling goods and services from their house, door-to-door, on the streets, outside formal businesses and even from their cars, according to Benito Mirón Lince.
A recent report from the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico showed that nine out of 10 Mexicans buy pirated goods, causing more than 964.69 billion pesos of losses to the economy.
Last month, the Center for Economic Studies on the Private Sector (CEESP) released a report highlighting that the informal market employs about 28 percent of the country.
The report criticized policies and laws passed in Mexico, saying they unwittingly fuel the informal economy. Higher taxes create an obstacle for many people and businesses, making illegal sales a lucrative and cheap alternative, the CEESP said, and an easier way to avoid paying taxes.
The CEESP estimated that the informal market represents 12.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
In Mexico, it is illegal to create pirated goods or to sell them, but it is NOT illegal to buy them. Which means that most people are willing to buy anything they can get for cheap. And many Mexicans feel a duty to support their family, friends, or neighbors who work in the informal economy (in the U.S. we call it "working under the table" so that they can feed their kids. Less than 40% of Mexicans pay income taxes; most try to work "unreported" so that they can avoid the very very high taxes. This becomes a circular issue - when less people pay income and sales taxes, the government charges higher taxes on those who do, and bc the gov't charges such high taxes, no one wants to pay them, and bc so few Mexicans pay taxes, they can't provide the kinds of services - like unemployment or health care or education or fixing roads or arresting drug dealers - that they would like to do.
More than 1.05 million people in the capital city make their living by selling goods and services from their house, door-to-door, on the streets, outside formal businesses and even from their cars, according to Benito Mirón Lince.
A recent report from the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico showed that nine out of 10 Mexicans buy pirated goods, causing more than 964.69 billion pesos of losses to the economy.
Last month, the Center for Economic Studies on the Private Sector (CEESP) released a report highlighting that the informal market employs about 28 percent of the country.
The report criticized policies and laws passed in Mexico, saying they unwittingly fuel the informal economy. Higher taxes create an obstacle for many people and businesses, making illegal sales a lucrative and cheap alternative, the CEESP said, and an easier way to avoid paying taxes.
The CEESP estimated that the informal market represents 12.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
In Mexico, it is illegal to create pirated goods or to sell them, but it is NOT illegal to buy them. Which means that most people are willing to buy anything they can get for cheap. And many Mexicans feel a duty to support their family, friends, or neighbors who work in the informal economy (in the U.S. we call it "working under the table" so that they can feed their kids. Less than 40% of Mexicans pay income taxes; most try to work "unreported" so that they can avoid the very very high taxes. This becomes a circular issue - when less people pay income and sales taxes, the government charges higher taxes on those who do, and bc the gov't charges such high taxes, no one wants to pay them, and bc so few Mexicans pay taxes, they can't provide the kinds of services - like unemployment or health care or education or fixing roads or arresting drug dealers - that they would like to do.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Who Am I?
The American stereotype is that we all identify ourselves by our profession, rather than by any inherent qualities or our family relationships (introducing ourselves as "I'm a teacher" rather than "I'm friendly" or "I'm a daughter"). I don't know how much of this is true and how much of it is societal convention. As adults we spend a lot of time comparing our jobs, but that's likely bc we spend so much time doing those jobs. In countries like Mexico, where so many are regularly unemployed or underemployed, it sounds more polite to emphasize something more achievable, such as marital or parental status.
Either way, it still bothers me that I'm making only $7,000/ year and that I'm working illegally. Without a work visa, the money I'm making is not reported to either country, and no one is paying my income taxes. *sigh* When I go through immigration, i have to lie and say that I'm a "desperate housewife" who just visits my husband and spends my days drinking margaritas. How anyone thinks I managed to learn this much Spanish by staying home is still a mystery I haven't understood.
This weekend I began investigating job opportunities for when we return to the US in a few months, and I realized just how much of my self-worth has been wrapped up in my profession. I am proud to be a teacher, but I'm not proud to be so embarassingly underpaid, nor to lie to officials about my income. I was also mentally preparing myself to be unemployed when we return - in this economy, no jobs are guaranteed. The mere thought of having my own paycheck, a regular schedule, and a legal contribution to the workforce was hugely satisfying.
Didn't realize this until, in the few minutes of half-wakefullness before I get out of bed I started thinking about all the things I wanted to do when we got back to the states - go to the chiropractor, buy some new clothes, switch to all organic food shopping - and realized that there is now a chance I may have a paycheck and actually be able to do those things?
So, who am I? Not sure. Today, I'm still "Ms. Kelly" and for today, that's good enough.
Either way, it still bothers me that I'm making only $7,000/ year and that I'm working illegally. Without a work visa, the money I'm making is not reported to either country, and no one is paying my income taxes. *sigh* When I go through immigration, i have to lie and say that I'm a "desperate housewife" who just visits my husband and spends my days drinking margaritas. How anyone thinks I managed to learn this much Spanish by staying home is still a mystery I haven't understood.
This weekend I began investigating job opportunities for when we return to the US in a few months, and I realized just how much of my self-worth has been wrapped up in my profession. I am proud to be a teacher, but I'm not proud to be so embarassingly underpaid, nor to lie to officials about my income. I was also mentally preparing myself to be unemployed when we return - in this economy, no jobs are guaranteed. The mere thought of having my own paycheck, a regular schedule, and a legal contribution to the workforce was hugely satisfying.
Didn't realize this until, in the few minutes of half-wakefullness before I get out of bed I started thinking about all the things I wanted to do when we got back to the states - go to the chiropractor, buy some new clothes, switch to all organic food shopping - and realized that there is now a chance I may have a paycheck and actually be able to do those things?
So, who am I? Not sure. Today, I'm still "Ms. Kelly" and for today, that's good enough.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Taking Life for Granted
The following was an editorial I read on CNN by a reporter who had just watched the movie, "The Blind Side" and really liked it. For the full article, click http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/04/navarrette.blindside.inspiration/index.html
Simply put, there's a lot that any one of us can do to improve the life of our fellow man. And the fact that we do it is its own reward.
"He had a much greater impact on our lives than we did on his life," Leigh Anne said in a recent interview. "You have this child, and you bring him in, and you realize how fortunate you are, how you're blessed to have family, you're blessed to have your health. So much in life you take for granted."
There's the message: So much in life you take for granted. We've forgotten how lucky we are, because we're busy cursing fate. We've stopped being grateful for what we have, because we somehow find it more satisfying to complain about what we don't. Until we meet someone who has much less than we do.
So much in life you take for granted.
As Americans, we've become victims of our own success. We've strayed so far from the example of our immigrant parents and grandparents that we bear no resemblance to that model.
Weighed down by own bloated sense of entitlement and self-importance, we've lost our appetite for competition and we prefer to talk instead about what we think we "deserve." At the first sign of adversity, we play the victim, give up, or fall apart. With all the blessings that come with living in the world's most remarkable country, still we complain. We retreat. We whine.
Simply put, there's a lot that any one of us can do to improve the life of our fellow man. And the fact that we do it is its own reward.
"He had a much greater impact on our lives than we did on his life," Leigh Anne said in a recent interview. "You have this child, and you bring him in, and you realize how fortunate you are, how you're blessed to have family, you're blessed to have your health. So much in life you take for granted."
There's the message: So much in life you take for granted. We've forgotten how lucky we are, because we're busy cursing fate. We've stopped being grateful for what we have, because we somehow find it more satisfying to complain about what we don't. Until we meet someone who has much less than we do.
So much in life you take for granted.
As Americans, we've become victims of our own success. We've strayed so far from the example of our immigrant parents and grandparents that we bear no resemblance to that model.
Weighed down by own bloated sense of entitlement and self-importance, we've lost our appetite for competition and we prefer to talk instead about what we think we "deserve." At the first sign of adversity, we play the victim, give up, or fall apart. With all the blessings that come with living in the world's most remarkable country, still we complain. We retreat. We whine.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Family Planning
"Miss, what are you talking about?" Ji-Ho asks Ms. Flor, the school secretary, at lunch. She is sitting with me and 2 other teachers. 3 of us are married; none of us have kids.
"babies" she calmly replies.
"NOT OURS!!!" I practically scream at the unsuspecting student before he can ask another question.
The other teachers look at me strangely.
I alone seem to see what would otherwise have happened next - over the weekend the news that the 3 married childless teachers were talking about babies would become a huge story about how we're all pregnant with quintuplets and we're all due at the same time and so none of us are coming back to teach next year.
We were talking about our nieces and nephews. And our sisters' and sisters-in-law's pregnancies, deliveries, and babies.
Also, about when was the right time to have babies, as none of us have yet felt that the right time has yet happened for us.
This brought up a nice comparison of Mexican vs. American family values:
In mexico, most women have their babies between the ages of 20-25, whether they're married or not. If they are married, and stay married to the same guy, they'll finish having babies then. If they are poor, they will likely live with a series of men during their 20s and 30s, often getting pregnant by each of them.
So, the Mexican ladies shared, as soon as they're about 16, their family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, church acquaintances, etc. start asking when they will have a boyfriend (as if the timing was completely arbitrary and merely required picking one out of a catalog), once they have a boyfriend, or if they're over 21, they will routinely be asked when they will have a husband (again, as if the timing was predictable) and as soon as they're married, they'll be asked whether they are pregnant and if not when they are planning to start having babies.
Being my age - 28 - and being married for as long as I have been - 5 years - makes me a prime candidate for the pregnancy question.
"When are you having a baby?" This question has relatively little to do with whether or not someone thinks I look pregnant. Mexico does not have a Spanish version of "when are you due?" Just, "when are you giving birth?" The subtle difference means that the question can be asked whether I'm currently pregnant-looking or not. It's actually a compliment here.
The Mexican women were confused, and then shocked, to hear that it is very VERY rude in the U.S. to ask a woman if she's pregnant. Claire, a fellow teacher and a North American, tried to explain that asking a non-pregnant woman if she was pregnant made her feel fat. The Mexican women didn't understand why asking a married woman if she was pregnant could feel intrusive.
They also think that asking someone how much money they make is water-cooler small talk, so clearly the U.S. & Mexico have some different opinions on what is "private" information.
"babies" she calmly replies.
"NOT OURS!!!" I practically scream at the unsuspecting student before he can ask another question.
The other teachers look at me strangely.
I alone seem to see what would otherwise have happened next - over the weekend the news that the 3 married childless teachers were talking about babies would become a huge story about how we're all pregnant with quintuplets and we're all due at the same time and so none of us are coming back to teach next year.
We were talking about our nieces and nephews. And our sisters' and sisters-in-law's pregnancies, deliveries, and babies.
Also, about when was the right time to have babies, as none of us have yet felt that the right time has yet happened for us.
This brought up a nice comparison of Mexican vs. American family values:
In mexico, most women have their babies between the ages of 20-25, whether they're married or not. If they are married, and stay married to the same guy, they'll finish having babies then. If they are poor, they will likely live with a series of men during their 20s and 30s, often getting pregnant by each of them.
So, the Mexican ladies shared, as soon as they're about 16, their family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, church acquaintances, etc. start asking when they will have a boyfriend (as if the timing was completely arbitrary and merely required picking one out of a catalog), once they have a boyfriend, or if they're over 21, they will routinely be asked when they will have a husband (again, as if the timing was predictable) and as soon as they're married, they'll be asked whether they are pregnant and if not when they are planning to start having babies.
Being my age - 28 - and being married for as long as I have been - 5 years - makes me a prime candidate for the pregnancy question.
"When are you having a baby?" This question has relatively little to do with whether or not someone thinks I look pregnant. Mexico does not have a Spanish version of "when are you due?" Just, "when are you giving birth?" The subtle difference means that the question can be asked whether I'm currently pregnant-looking or not. It's actually a compliment here.
The Mexican women were confused, and then shocked, to hear that it is very VERY rude in the U.S. to ask a woman if she's pregnant. Claire, a fellow teacher and a North American, tried to explain that asking a non-pregnant woman if she was pregnant made her feel fat. The Mexican women didn't understand why asking a married woman if she was pregnant could feel intrusive.
They also think that asking someone how much money they make is water-cooler small talk, so clearly the U.S. & Mexico have some different opinions on what is "private" information.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Out of our comfort zone
One of my new friends in Mexico, a fellow teacher/missionary, also writes a blog about her experiences, bc she has so many friends and supporters in the states. After a week at a youth conference in Mexico (all in Spanish!!!) she wrote about how hard it is to not be able to talk:
http://www.rachelsadventure.com/1/post/2009/11/i-just-wanted-to-hide.html
And I feel the same way. Not being able to talk is really humbling. I'm loud by nature (i'm sure you've noticed) and so there is NO WHERE in the U.S. where I can go that I would feel uncomfortable speaking up. (ok, maybe a truck stop or an AA meeting, but you know what I mean). When I'm not completely frustrated, I can see one of the reasons God brought me here: to teach me empathy. I never really understood what it's like to feel uncomfortable expressing myself. I never really understood what it's like to be stared at, to be pointed at, to be talked about as if I can't hear or understand those comments. Average-looking midwestern girls, especially confident ones, just don't ever have an opportunity to feel uncomfortable. Two years of uncomfortable gives me a different outlook.
Also, I am now super offended/angered/annoyed by bilingual mexicans (normally service employees) who take one look at me and assume I'd prefer for them to speak to me in English. I would prefer to speak in Spanish, actually, so that I can practice. I'm less annoyed by the hispanics who have a spanish conversation right next to me with a false sense of privacy. I do that in English in Mexico, even though I know some people may understand me. But I"m proud of my ability to secretly eavesdrop. :)
http://www.rachelsadventure.com/1/post/2009/11/i-just-wanted-to-hide.html
And I feel the same way. Not being able to talk is really humbling. I'm loud by nature (i'm sure you've noticed) and so there is NO WHERE in the U.S. where I can go that I would feel uncomfortable speaking up. (ok, maybe a truck stop or an AA meeting, but you know what I mean). When I'm not completely frustrated, I can see one of the reasons God brought me here: to teach me empathy. I never really understood what it's like to feel uncomfortable expressing myself. I never really understood what it's like to be stared at, to be pointed at, to be talked about as if I can't hear or understand those comments. Average-looking midwestern girls, especially confident ones, just don't ever have an opportunity to feel uncomfortable. Two years of uncomfortable gives me a different outlook.
Also, I am now super offended/angered/annoyed by bilingual mexicans (normally service employees) who take one look at me and assume I'd prefer for them to speak to me in English. I would prefer to speak in Spanish, actually, so that I can practice. I'm less annoyed by the hispanics who have a spanish conversation right next to me with a false sense of privacy. I do that in English in Mexico, even though I know some people may understand me. But I"m proud of my ability to secretly eavesdrop. :)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
In 2008, Mexican immi- grants living in the United States paid $53 billion in taxes, directly and indi- rectly, which is double the amount of remittances - about $26 billion- they sent home during the same period.
For the entire article, see http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=2074
Many many "Americans" (U.S. people) do not like Mexicans coming into the U.S. illegally and some don't even like legal immigration. I thought this quote explained something we have learned about the Mexican people - those who choose to immigrate to North America do so with a great deal of respect for our country (or countries, in the case of immigrants through the U.S. to Canada). Most Mexicans would like to stay in Mexico, but sometimes they would like the opportunities of the U.S. even more. and they're willing, like European and Asian immigrants before them, to work hard and follow the rules and pay their taxes.
I hope that we can honor their contributions beyond the financial ones.
For the entire article, see http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=2074
Many many "Americans" (U.S. people) do not like Mexicans coming into the U.S. illegally and some don't even like legal immigration. I thought this quote explained something we have learned about the Mexican people - those who choose to immigrate to North America do so with a great deal of respect for our country (or countries, in the case of immigrants through the U.S. to Canada). Most Mexicans would like to stay in Mexico, but sometimes they would like the opportunities of the U.S. even more. and they're willing, like European and Asian immigrants before them, to work hard and follow the rules and pay their taxes.
I hope that we can honor their contributions beyond the financial ones.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Following was in The News, the English-language paper in Mexico City today. http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnArticulo.asp?cve_cont=390335
My family has always celebrated Thanksgiving, we really love it. I think it's the greatest holiday, it can't get any easier than this. Family, good food and thank God... NO GIFTS!
But it's not always as easy as it sounds. As time passes by, life eventually catches up with us; times change, people change, grandparents get older, we get older, children become teenagers; divorce, sickness, quarrels, etc., take their toll
This past Thursday I couldn't be with my family, I missed them so much, but at the same time I felt grateful for all of them, for all the memories of past Thanksgivings; "the good old days" when everything was or seemed normal.
Are the normal days gone forever? By normal I mean "the good old days," the good times, the simpler times. Can we ever get them back? I guess we could if we didn't forget how incredibly peaceful and joyful a normal life can be.
I've always said "normal is the new perfect." Who wants perfection anyway? Its impossible to obtain and even hard- er to keep up. So this year I give thanks for my wonderful and happy and healthy, full of love, "normal" life.
And you?
My family has always celebrated Thanksgiving, we really love it. I think it's the greatest holiday, it can't get any easier than this. Family, good food and thank God... NO GIFTS!
But it's not always as easy as it sounds. As time passes by, life eventually catches up with us; times change, people change, grandparents get older, we get older, children become teenagers; divorce, sickness, quarrels, etc., take their toll
This past Thursday I couldn't be with my family, I missed them so much, but at the same time I felt grateful for all of them, for all the memories of past Thanksgivings; "the good old days" when everything was or seemed normal.
Are the normal days gone forever? By normal I mean "the good old days," the good times, the simpler times. Can we ever get them back? I guess we could if we didn't forget how incredibly peaceful and joyful a normal life can be.
I've always said "normal is the new perfect." Who wants perfection anyway? Its impossible to obtain and even hard- er to keep up. So this year I give thanks for my wonderful and happy and healthy, full of love, "normal" life.
And you?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
An abundance of Thanks
We had a lovely Thanksgiving trip to IL this weekend, seeing Dave's whole family from grandma to babies. I had been hoping to make it in time for a Thanksgiving Eve service, but we knew time might be too tight. Rather than worry, I finally offered up the situation to God: "Jesus, if you want us to make it to church, you're going to have to make it happen!!!" We managed to make it through the immigration line, the car rental line, the backed-up traffic, and the rain to get to church with 2 minutes to spare!!!
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us, For the truths that still confound us
Most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us, For the truths that still confound us
Most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thankful
The U.S. is one of the only countries with a day set aside for giving thanks. Then, we fill it up with stressful travel, family pressure, new recipes, and too much shopping. Even so, the holiday is purely "united-states-ian" and I love it. I love eating too much, shopping too much, and getting too many hugs from relatives - wait, I can never have too many hugs.
So if you're reading this over the Thanksgiving holiday - STOP!! I'd rather talk with you in person, and so would the rest of the people who know you. So call, email, text, or facebook me today. I'd love to tell you how thankful I am that you are in my life.
And if you don't get a chance, I'll tell you now. Thank you.
So if you're reading this over the Thanksgiving holiday - STOP!! I'd rather talk with you in person, and so would the rest of the people who know you. So call, email, text, or facebook me today. I'd love to tell you how thankful I am that you are in my life.
And if you don't get a chance, I'll tell you now. Thank you.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Health Care Debate
This is a quote from The News, the English-language newspaper in Mexico City. For the full article, see http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=2075
"The president also promised that by the end of his term in 2012, Mexico will have universal healthcare.Even with obstacles, the goal is still achievable, Calderón said; not a single Mexican will lack access to a doctor, medicine and hospital care, if necessary."
Our Spanish tutor is very well read, and also quite political. She'd be in the green party or something if she was from the U.S. Anyway, she hates the current Mexican president, but has a bit of a man-crush on Obama. He had her from January, when he promised that he and his cabinet would take a pay cut. (salaries of mexican governemnt workers are really really high, as I mentioned in a previous posting.)
Anyway, Sara wants to support Obama, but doesn't understand the current healthcare 'crisis' in the U.S. We tried to explain to her about insurance, which they don't have in Mexico, or about the spiraling cost of health care for everyone, which they don't have in mexico, or highly paid doctors, which they don't have in mexico. Finally, we explained that in the States, anyone (citizen, resident, tourist, criminal) can get help to keep them from dying. As long as they have a baby coming out or are in the process of a heart attack or were just in a car accident or something, they can get enough care to keep them from dying. But that we don't have pre-natal care or heart disease treatment or cancer treatment or anything to prevent these people from showing up in the hospital.
Turns out, in Mexico, they don't even have that kind of basic help. You have to pay for an ambulance to pick you up. If you don't have money, you can call the red cross, and they will come when they can, which might be after you're dead. If you're not immediately dying (like car accident or childbirth) you're going to walk/take a bus/ride the metro/beg your friend for a ride in their really unreliable car.
If you go in for surgery, and you need blood, they will not perform the surgery until your family has donated enough blood to restock their supply. (it does not have to be the same blood type.) If they cannot do that, and you cannot pay for the blood you're going to use, they will not perform the surgery.
If you are in labor, and there are complications, they will only perform a c-section if you can pay for it. If you cannot pay, it doesn't matter if the baby's or the mother's life is in danger, they will not perform the surgery.
There are exceptions, of course. The Red Cross provides charity clinics, ambulances, and hospitals. There are 2 "welfare" hospitals in Mexico City for the very very poor and very very old who qualify for mexico's version of Medicaid. But those poor people have to get to that hospital in order to get treatment. Sometimes teen mothers walk to Mexico city from hundreds of kilometers away bc the midwife in their town won't help them deliver (since they're unmarried) and the only charity hospitals are in D.F.
So, in Sara's opinion, we already have free health care in the U.S. Dying people get care. Everyone gets an ambulance ride. Poor communities have free clinics. Employed people and retired people get doctor's appointments and immunizations and medications and treatments and tests.
When you look at it that way, you can start to see why immigrants will walk hundreds of miles to have a baby in one of our hospitals. I'd do the same if the situation were reversed.
"The president also promised that by the end of his term in 2012, Mexico will have universal healthcare.Even with obstacles, the goal is still achievable, Calderón said; not a single Mexican will lack access to a doctor, medicine and hospital care, if necessary."
Our Spanish tutor is very well read, and also quite political. She'd be in the green party or something if she was from the U.S. Anyway, she hates the current Mexican president, but has a bit of a man-crush on Obama. He had her from January, when he promised that he and his cabinet would take a pay cut. (salaries of mexican governemnt workers are really really high, as I mentioned in a previous posting.)
Anyway, Sara wants to support Obama, but doesn't understand the current healthcare 'crisis' in the U.S. We tried to explain to her about insurance, which they don't have in Mexico, or about the spiraling cost of health care for everyone, which they don't have in mexico, or highly paid doctors, which they don't have in mexico. Finally, we explained that in the States, anyone (citizen, resident, tourist, criminal) can get help to keep them from dying. As long as they have a baby coming out or are in the process of a heart attack or were just in a car accident or something, they can get enough care to keep them from dying. But that we don't have pre-natal care or heart disease treatment or cancer treatment or anything to prevent these people from showing up in the hospital.
Turns out, in Mexico, they don't even have that kind of basic help. You have to pay for an ambulance to pick you up. If you don't have money, you can call the red cross, and they will come when they can, which might be after you're dead. If you're not immediately dying (like car accident or childbirth) you're going to walk/take a bus/ride the metro/beg your friend for a ride in their really unreliable car.
If you go in for surgery, and you need blood, they will not perform the surgery until your family has donated enough blood to restock their supply. (it does not have to be the same blood type.) If they cannot do that, and you cannot pay for the blood you're going to use, they will not perform the surgery.
If you are in labor, and there are complications, they will only perform a c-section if you can pay for it. If you cannot pay, it doesn't matter if the baby's or the mother's life is in danger, they will not perform the surgery.
There are exceptions, of course. The Red Cross provides charity clinics, ambulances, and hospitals. There are 2 "welfare" hospitals in Mexico City for the very very poor and very very old who qualify for mexico's version of Medicaid. But those poor people have to get to that hospital in order to get treatment. Sometimes teen mothers walk to Mexico city from hundreds of kilometers away bc the midwife in their town won't help them deliver (since they're unmarried) and the only charity hospitals are in D.F.
So, in Sara's opinion, we already have free health care in the U.S. Dying people get care. Everyone gets an ambulance ride. Poor communities have free clinics. Employed people and retired people get doctor's appointments and immunizations and medications and treatments and tests.
When you look at it that way, you can start to see why immigrants will walk hundreds of miles to have a baby in one of our hospitals. I'd do the same if the situation were reversed.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Pain Of Global Downturn Persists In Mexico
This is from an article on NPR. My comments are in italics To see the complete article, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114321374
This is a picture from the Central de Abasto - a huge market near the Mexico City airport. It covers more than 750 acres, making it about eight times bigger than the Mall of America outside Minneapolis. We have had to drive through this on our way home from the airport, which makes for a long and confusing ride.
As the U.S. appears to be pulling out of recession, Mexico's economy is shrinking at its fastest pace since the Great Depression. The effects of the downturn are being felt across the nation, in all sectors of society and in most industries.
An herb vendor nearby says he started breaking up the thick bunches of parsley and cilantro into halves and quarters to make them more affordable. He says he never had to do that in the past.
And shoppers also say they're buying only the basics.
Lugging a canvas bag stuffed with vegetables, 67-year-old shopper Candelaria Gonzalez says she is no longer buying fish or beef.
"The price of beef has gone up to 80 pesos [$6] a kilo, and the minimum wage is only 50 pesos a day. Imagine," she says. "All you can get for the minimum wage is beans and tortillas."
The Mexican minimum wage is 55 pesos, or slightly more than $4 a day.
We've actually been told that Mexico has 2 minimum wages - one for manual labor or unskilled jobs and one for skilled jobs or those requiring a certain level of schooling. The manual labor minimum wage is $4 per day, the other one is possibly $300 per month. The number of hours worked is not a factor in the wage, leading many unskilled laborers to work 10-12 hour days and many skilled workers to put in less than 6 hours. The average Mexican makes about $10 per day. To put that in perspective, the average American makes about $100 per day.
In a country where nearly half the population already lived below the poverty line, the global economic downturn has slashed all of Mexico's largest sources of revenue. Oil profits are in a free fall. Automotive exports declined 40 percent this year. Swine flu and Mexico's warring drug cartels have battered tourism. And cash sent home from Mexicans working in the United States is dropping at an unprecedented pace.
Alejandro Villagomez is a professor of macroeconomics at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, one of the country's top private universities. He predicts that Mexico's economy will contract 7 to 8 percent in 2009.
40% of Mexicans live in Poverty, nearly 60% pay no taxes - normally bc they are "self-employed" "underemployed" or paid "under the table" The avg. annual salary for a family in Mexico is $4000 USD, the average in Mexico City is $12,000 USD - not bc there is less poverty, but bc there is more wealth.
This is a picture from the Central de Abasto - a huge market near the Mexico City airport. It covers more than 750 acres, making it about eight times bigger than the Mall of America outside Minneapolis. We have had to drive through this on our way home from the airport, which makes for a long and confusing ride.
As the U.S. appears to be pulling out of recession, Mexico's economy is shrinking at its fastest pace since the Great Depression. The effects of the downturn are being felt across the nation, in all sectors of society and in most industries.
An herb vendor nearby says he started breaking up the thick bunches of parsley and cilantro into halves and quarters to make them more affordable. He says he never had to do that in the past.
And shoppers also say they're buying only the basics.
Lugging a canvas bag stuffed with vegetables, 67-year-old shopper Candelaria Gonzalez says she is no longer buying fish or beef.
"The price of beef has gone up to 80 pesos [$6] a kilo, and the minimum wage is only 50 pesos a day. Imagine," she says. "All you can get for the minimum wage is beans and tortillas."
The Mexican minimum wage is 55 pesos, or slightly more than $4 a day.
We've actually been told that Mexico has 2 minimum wages - one for manual labor or unskilled jobs and one for skilled jobs or those requiring a certain level of schooling. The manual labor minimum wage is $4 per day, the other one is possibly $300 per month. The number of hours worked is not a factor in the wage, leading many unskilled laborers to work 10-12 hour days and many skilled workers to put in less than 6 hours. The average Mexican makes about $10 per day. To put that in perspective, the average American makes about $100 per day.
In a country where nearly half the population already lived below the poverty line, the global economic downturn has slashed all of Mexico's largest sources of revenue. Oil profits are in a free fall. Automotive exports declined 40 percent this year. Swine flu and Mexico's warring drug cartels have battered tourism. And cash sent home from Mexicans working in the United States is dropping at an unprecedented pace.
Alejandro Villagomez is a professor of macroeconomics at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, one of the country's top private universities. He predicts that Mexico's economy will contract 7 to 8 percent in 2009.
40% of Mexicans live in Poverty, nearly 60% pay no taxes - normally bc they are "self-employed" "underemployed" or paid "under the table" The avg. annual salary for a family in Mexico is $4000 USD, the average in Mexico City is $12,000 USD - not bc there is less poverty, but bc there is more wealth.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Puzzles
Before we moved to Mexico, I ordered a special puzzle of our house in AA. The puzzle is a map with our house as the center piece and the 3 mile radius of our house, including major streets, schools, parks, shopping centers, rivers, etc. I thought it would be a fun thing to do if we got homesick. Also, I knew that we would not have TV or internet at our house for the first few weeks after we arrived.
We just put the puzzle together this weekend.
The puzzle didn't arrive in time to go on the moving truck. Then, it didn't arrive on time for our summer '08 visit. Then, it didn't fit in our suitcases after our Christmas '08 visit. Finally, the poor puzzle did make it to Mexico June '09 - nearly 5 months ago. Now that we have satellite TV & internet at home, as well as friends in the area and lots of travel plans, we haven't had a lot of weekends to stay home and do puzzles.
This weekend, Dave was sick, so we did stay home. And it turns out that once he starts on a puzzle, he won't stop until he's done! It must be his engineering talents.
While I'm worried about all the pieces of my life that I'll have to put back together when we move home next year, Dave can calmly wait until after we move back. Then, he can calmly evaluate all of the options and decide (calmly again) on what step he wants to take.
I look at all of the pieces and get pretty desperate and overwhelmed by the options in front of me.
Somehow I think that I need to pray a little more and worry a little less. Maybe trust that the puzzle really will come together, even if it's a little later than I'd planned and a little more work that I wanted.
We just put the puzzle together this weekend.
The puzzle didn't arrive in time to go on the moving truck. Then, it didn't arrive on time for our summer '08 visit. Then, it didn't fit in our suitcases after our Christmas '08 visit. Finally, the poor puzzle did make it to Mexico June '09 - nearly 5 months ago. Now that we have satellite TV & internet at home, as well as friends in the area and lots of travel plans, we haven't had a lot of weekends to stay home and do puzzles.
This weekend, Dave was sick, so we did stay home. And it turns out that once he starts on a puzzle, he won't stop until he's done! It must be his engineering talents.
While I'm worried about all the pieces of my life that I'll have to put back together when we move home next year, Dave can calmly wait until after we move back. Then, he can calmly evaluate all of the options and decide (calmly again) on what step he wants to take.
I look at all of the pieces and get pretty desperate and overwhelmed by the options in front of me.
Somehow I think that I need to pray a little more and worry a little less. Maybe trust that the puzzle really will come together, even if it's a little later than I'd planned and a little more work that I wanted.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I almost...
We went home this past weekend for a "pre-thanksgiving" family get-together. It was AWESOME. Mainly really amazing that as soon as I step off the plane, I feel as if I have never left. I smell the air and hear the words and see the places and then walk into the comfort of familiar arms that have been waiting for a hug and I am home. It really doesn't matter how long I've been gone or where I went, home is a psychological space that I can always find with those warm hugs.
Still, this was the longest time I've gone in-between trips home (basically in forever)and also the longest time I've considered somewhere other than Michigan home. So I was surprised at all the things I "almost" did, without thinking about where I am:
I almost -
sped past a police cruiser on the freeway
ran through a red light when no one was there
drove 80 mph on a 45 road
tipped the cashier at the grocery store
asked someone for the "basura" before squeaking out the word "trashcan"
forgot the word for dustbin (that plastic thingy used with a broom?)
couldn't order in English at Chipotle (a carnitas burrito with tomatillo salsa just sort of lends itself to a fully spanish conversation!!!)
added 3 blankets to my niece before she went outside
kissed male non-relatives on the cheeks
shook everyone's hand upon entering and leaving a room
turned on "univision" for the real news of the day
So... whenever I do move "back" home, I'll be taking a lot of my new home with me. Especially an annoyance with LOUD English conversations. Seriously, we don't all need to know what you're saying, people.
Still, this was the longest time I've gone in-between trips home (basically in forever)and also the longest time I've considered somewhere other than Michigan home. So I was surprised at all the things I "almost" did, without thinking about where I am:
I almost -
sped past a police cruiser on the freeway
ran through a red light when no one was there
drove 80 mph on a 45 road
tipped the cashier at the grocery store
asked someone for the "basura" before squeaking out the word "trashcan"
forgot the word for dustbin (that plastic thingy used with a broom?)
couldn't order in English at Chipotle (a carnitas burrito with tomatillo salsa just sort of lends itself to a fully spanish conversation!!!)
added 3 blankets to my niece before she went outside
kissed male non-relatives on the cheeks
shook everyone's hand upon entering and leaving a room
turned on "univision" for the real news of the day
So... whenever I do move "back" home, I'll be taking a lot of my new home with me. Especially an annoyance with LOUD English conversations. Seriously, we don't all need to know what you're saying, people.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
What is "caucasian"?
The journal topic for the day in Geography was, "What is Caucasian?"
My students normally come in, write down the topic, and then write for 5 minutes. It takes this small group of ESL and LD 7th & 8th graders about 5-6 minutes to write the question and 3 complete sentences in response.
This day, they wrote down the question, then -
"Miss, what is 'cow-cass-ee-an'?" "what mean this word?" "I think it is someone from caucasia-land!" "how you say this?" "Caucasian not in my dictionary!" (by that, Ji-Won meant that her electronic dictionary could not provide a Korean equivalent for the word)
The point was to show that there really is a group of countries called the "Caucas" countries, and it is between Russia, Turkey, and Iraq, and so "caucasian" really does not mean what most North Americans think it means.
Unfortunately, my kids had no idea what it means, so my genius idea to have students write about what they assumed the word meant backfired.
*sigh*
Teaching is all about thinking on my feet. Even if my kids don't know what that word means, either.
I offered to give them a hint. They love hints. "Drew, Brianna, and I are all Caucasian," I said, pointing out the two missionary kids whose parents are from the U.S. and including myself in the group so that they wouldn't feel picked on. "Monica might be Caucasian, but there's still debate on that" I was afraid Monica, the only fully ethnic Mexican in the class, would dislike being pointed out, but she beamed proudly. She liked being a little mysterious, it seemed.
"Yellow-hair!" one korean shouted out. I reminded them that drew & I are both brunettes, and that there was no debate about Monica's decidedly non-yellow hair.
"yellow hair & blue eyes - what is the word for that?"
A furious korean conversation - with enough English and Spanish words sprinkled in for me to get the gist of the conversation - followed, and they decided that 'blonde' was not what caucasian meant or they would have heard of it before.
Sandy, the one who had looked up 'caucasian' in her dictionary, started demanding a translation for a korean word. No one knew what that word would be in English, so they thought it could mean caucasian, except that since cuacasian wasn't in her dictionary, it may not have a direct Korean translation anyway.
"westerner!" she shouted, proud of her quick work at the electronic dictionary.
"American!" shouted another student with even less grasp of the English language but also without a fancy electronic dictionary.
I smiled to myself as they started to understand the concept, but I still wanted them to write. I told them to write down their best guesses and then we'd talk about it.
When I explained that "caucasian" was a word used in the U.S. to talk about someone with European heritage, they looked confused. Drew was especially confused bc his family was from Tennessee, not Europe. (no joke) Finally, I said it was a polite way of saying "white people" kind of like "african american" is a nice way of saying "black people".
They wanted to know what is the nice way of saying "asian people". I said "asian people" was a nice way of saying it. But they weren't buying it - why didn't they get a special word like caucasian? Especially since caucasia-land is an actual place, and I wasn't from there but I still got to check off the caucasian box on my census form?
My students normally come in, write down the topic, and then write for 5 minutes. It takes this small group of ESL and LD 7th & 8th graders about 5-6 minutes to write the question and 3 complete sentences in response.
This day, they wrote down the question, then -
"Miss, what is 'cow-cass-ee-an'?" "what mean this word?" "I think it is someone from caucasia-land!" "how you say this?" "Caucasian not in my dictionary!" (by that, Ji-Won meant that her electronic dictionary could not provide a Korean equivalent for the word)
The point was to show that there really is a group of countries called the "Caucas" countries, and it is between Russia, Turkey, and Iraq, and so "caucasian" really does not mean what most North Americans think it means.
Unfortunately, my kids had no idea what it means, so my genius idea to have students write about what they assumed the word meant backfired.
*sigh*
Teaching is all about thinking on my feet. Even if my kids don't know what that word means, either.
I offered to give them a hint. They love hints. "Drew, Brianna, and I are all Caucasian," I said, pointing out the two missionary kids whose parents are from the U.S. and including myself in the group so that they wouldn't feel picked on. "Monica might be Caucasian, but there's still debate on that" I was afraid Monica, the only fully ethnic Mexican in the class, would dislike being pointed out, but she beamed proudly. She liked being a little mysterious, it seemed.
"Yellow-hair!" one korean shouted out. I reminded them that drew & I are both brunettes, and that there was no debate about Monica's decidedly non-yellow hair.
"yellow hair & blue eyes - what is the word for that?"
A furious korean conversation - with enough English and Spanish words sprinkled in for me to get the gist of the conversation - followed, and they decided that 'blonde' was not what caucasian meant or they would have heard of it before.
Sandy, the one who had looked up 'caucasian' in her dictionary, started demanding a translation for a korean word. No one knew what that word would be in English, so they thought it could mean caucasian, except that since cuacasian wasn't in her dictionary, it may not have a direct Korean translation anyway.
"westerner!" she shouted, proud of her quick work at the electronic dictionary.
"American!" shouted another student with even less grasp of the English language but also without a fancy electronic dictionary.
I smiled to myself as they started to understand the concept, but I still wanted them to write. I told them to write down their best guesses and then we'd talk about it.
When I explained that "caucasian" was a word used in the U.S. to talk about someone with European heritage, they looked confused. Drew was especially confused bc his family was from Tennessee, not Europe. (no joke) Finally, I said it was a polite way of saying "white people" kind of like "african american" is a nice way of saying "black people".
They wanted to know what is the nice way of saying "asian people". I said "asian people" was a nice way of saying it. But they weren't buying it - why didn't they get a special word like caucasian? Especially since caucasia-land is an actual place, and I wasn't from there but I still got to check off the caucasian box on my census form?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Education is the key
This is another article from THE NEWS, the English-language newspaper here in Mexico City. for the full article, go to http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnArticulo.asp?cve_cont=389721
Education is the key
In Mexico, social development is more important than investment risk ratings, according to JosAc Narro Robles, rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The problem is structural and of the future, he stressed, not situational or of the moment. The most important thing, he said, is not just to create wealth, but to distribute it adequately. For that reason, he said it's necessary to subordinate private interests in favor of the interests of the nation, to define priorities and devote more resources to higher education, science and culture.
He said that education is fundamental for progress.
Guanajuato Governor Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez said that for the 200 years of Mexico's independence, academics have been committed to the construction of a better, more just and humane, country.
Mexico has a good school system, and it's a 'public' system, in that it's free for citizens. But, it's not available for all citizens. All children are entitled to 5 years of free elementary school. Much like in the U.S., poor neighborhoods tend to have lower-quality schools. The difference is that 40%-60% of Mexico's citizens live in poor neighborhoods. Students must pass a test to enter middle school, and there is only enough space for half of the mexican children. After middle school, the children take another test and again only half of them progress to prep school, or high school that is required for college entry. From this small group, less than half will qualify for college. For those who are able to pass the tests, elementary, middle school, high schoolo, and even college is basically free. Unfortunately, it is mainly the students from the rich neighborhoods, with the better public school teachers, who are able to pass the tests and continue in the public system - despite the fact that their parents are most able to afford a private school alternative. This leads to a cycle of poverty and divided classes that cannot be easily broken. Education would quickly move Mexico into the realm of developed countries, as an educated voting public would no longer accept as much government corruption and mismanagement. I think.
Education is the key
In Mexico, social development is more important than investment risk ratings, according to JosAc Narro Robles, rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The problem is structural and of the future, he stressed, not situational or of the moment. The most important thing, he said, is not just to create wealth, but to distribute it adequately. For that reason, he said it's necessary to subordinate private interests in favor of the interests of the nation, to define priorities and devote more resources to higher education, science and culture.
He said that education is fundamental for progress.
Guanajuato Governor Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez said that for the 200 years of Mexico's independence, academics have been committed to the construction of a better, more just and humane, country.
Mexico has a good school system, and it's a 'public' system, in that it's free for citizens. But, it's not available for all citizens. All children are entitled to 5 years of free elementary school. Much like in the U.S., poor neighborhoods tend to have lower-quality schools. The difference is that 40%-60% of Mexico's citizens live in poor neighborhoods. Students must pass a test to enter middle school, and there is only enough space for half of the mexican children. After middle school, the children take another test and again only half of them progress to prep school, or high school that is required for college entry. From this small group, less than half will qualify for college. For those who are able to pass the tests, elementary, middle school, high schoolo, and even college is basically free. Unfortunately, it is mainly the students from the rich neighborhoods, with the better public school teachers, who are able to pass the tests and continue in the public system - despite the fact that their parents are most able to afford a private school alternative. This leads to a cycle of poverty and divided classes that cannot be easily broken. Education would quickly move Mexico into the realm of developed countries, as an educated voting public would no longer accept as much government corruption and mismanagement. I think.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Raramuri
This is my last copper canyon post, I promise!!
Our stop in Creel gave us a chance to see some of the local indiginous peoples called "raramuri".
Originally inhabitants of much of the state of Chihuahua, the Rarámuri retreated to the Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre Occidental on the arrival of Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. After discovering that the Copper Canyon did not, in fact, have any copper, the Spanish abandoned that idea but did find silver locally, and enslaved the local natives to work in their silver mines. Many many natives died from the working conditions in the mines or the diseases brought by the Spanish people and their animals. Those who hid from the Spanish in the mountains survived.
Current estimates put the population of the Rarámuri in 2006 at between 50,000 and 70,000 people. Most still practice a traditional lifestyle, inhabiting natural shelters such as caves or cliff overhangs, as well as small cabins of wood or stone. Staple crops are corn and beans; however, many of the Rarámuri still practice transhumance, raising cattle, sheep, and goats. Almost all Rarámuri migrate in some form or another in the course of the year.
There was a store in Creel that sells locally made handicrafts to raise money for a Christian mission hospital and school. The goal of these missions are to provide health care and education for free to the local Raramuri people.
Many of the women and girls we saw were wearing "traditional" outfits, even though they looked more like 19th century prairie dresses than indigenous clothing. I wondered why the men all wore jeans and sweatshirts, and then Dave found a picture of traditional Raramuri men, and decided that once jeans were available, none would voluntarily wear loincloths very often.
This mural was painted on the wall in our hotel room:
Our stop in Creel gave us a chance to see some of the local indiginous peoples called "raramuri".
Originally inhabitants of much of the state of Chihuahua, the Rarámuri retreated to the Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre Occidental on the arrival of Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. After discovering that the Copper Canyon did not, in fact, have any copper, the Spanish abandoned that idea but did find silver locally, and enslaved the local natives to work in their silver mines. Many many natives died from the working conditions in the mines or the diseases brought by the Spanish people and their animals. Those who hid from the Spanish in the mountains survived.
Current estimates put the population of the Rarámuri in 2006 at between 50,000 and 70,000 people. Most still practice a traditional lifestyle, inhabiting natural shelters such as caves or cliff overhangs, as well as small cabins of wood or stone. Staple crops are corn and beans; however, many of the Rarámuri still practice transhumance, raising cattle, sheep, and goats. Almost all Rarámuri migrate in some form or another in the course of the year.
There was a store in Creel that sells locally made handicrafts to raise money for a Christian mission hospital and school. The goal of these missions are to provide health care and education for free to the local Raramuri people.
Many of the women and girls we saw were wearing "traditional" outfits, even though they looked more like 19th century prairie dresses than indigenous clothing. I wondered why the men all wore jeans and sweatshirts, and then Dave found a picture of traditional Raramuri men, and decided that once jeans were available, none would voluntarily wear loincloths very often.
This mural was painted on the wall in our hotel room:
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Creel:
We flew into Chihuahua late Friday night, after working all day, and then had to be up at 4:30 am to buy tickets and get on the only train leaving that day at 6am. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we got on the train. Thankfully, we weren't going far that first day. About 5 hours after getting on the train (and after a delicious breakfast, a long nap, and some delightful podcasts), we stopped in Creel. This is a delightful small town, and a great place for a rest. We spent most of the rest of Saturday sleeping and relaxing (and trying to stay warm! we weren't prepared for northern mountainous weather) but Sunday morning we woke up ready for our vacation day with about 3 hours to kill.
Dave got the great idea to walk around and "see the town". Well, it was a small town, with not much to see, but I wanted to walk before 9 hours stuck on a train. Thankfully, we did find an amazing rocky hill behind our hotel. Dave then got the great idea to climb it. I watched.
Since Dave did not die ("no death, no jail" is my travel mantra) and he offered to help me up, I climbed up, too.
From up on that rock, we were able to truly see the town of Creel, and not just the 2-block tourist center.
Definitely worth the climb.
Dave got the great idea to walk around and "see the town". Well, it was a small town, with not much to see, but I wanted to walk before 9 hours stuck on a train. Thankfully, we did find an amazing rocky hill behind our hotel. Dave then got the great idea to climb it. I watched.
Since Dave did not die ("no death, no jail" is my travel mantra) and he offered to help me up, I climbed up, too.
From up on that rock, we were able to truly see the town of Creel, and not just the 2-block tourist center.
Definitely worth the climb.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
El Chepe/ El Ferrocarril
In order to truly see the Copper Canyon, one has to ride on a train through the mountain range. There is one train, run by the Mexican Government: The Chihuahua Pacific Railway. (By combining "ch" and "p", they had the abbreviation "CHP" which in Spanish is pronounced "chay-pay", so over time the official brand name of the train company was changed to "Chepe" rather than try to use the letters as an abreviation.)
The train runs 673 km (418 mi), passing over 37 bridges and through 86 tunnels, rising as high as 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above sea level near Divisadero (the continental divide), a popular lookout spot over the canyons. Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours.
Bridge:
Us on the bridge:
16 hours is a long time to be on the train. We did 5 hours the first day, and saw not much of anything ;) The second day, we rode about 10+ hours, and the last 4 hours were dark. the train goes really slowly, likely due to old tracks and even older rail cars. So even on the flat, boring part, we were only going about 40km/25mi per hour. Unfortunately, there are only airports at the beginning and the end of the rail system, so we had to ride 9 hours of not much interesting to see the 7 hours of really great stuff. We were smart enough to take naps, eat in the dining car, watch movies, listen to podcasts, and read books during the 'boring' parts. I enjoyed the relaxation of the train nearly as much as the amazing scenery in the middle.
We could see great stuff from our window seats, and thanks to our friend Claire, who loaned us her camera, we also got great pictures through the windows. But since Mexico isn't one to really care about safety regulations, it was common for groups to congregate near the open windows of the space between the train cars and get amazing pictures. I hope that some safety department somewhere doesn't stop this practice. It was one of the better aspects of the ride.
The train runs 673 km (418 mi), passing over 37 bridges and through 86 tunnels, rising as high as 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above sea level near Divisadero (the continental divide), a popular lookout spot over the canyons. Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours.
Bridge:
Us on the bridge:
16 hours is a long time to be on the train. We did 5 hours the first day, and saw not much of anything ;) The second day, we rode about 10+ hours, and the last 4 hours were dark. the train goes really slowly, likely due to old tracks and even older rail cars. So even on the flat, boring part, we were only going about 40km/25mi per hour. Unfortunately, there are only airports at the beginning and the end of the rail system, so we had to ride 9 hours of not much interesting to see the 7 hours of really great stuff. We were smart enough to take naps, eat in the dining car, watch movies, listen to podcasts, and read books during the 'boring' parts. I enjoyed the relaxation of the train nearly as much as the amazing scenery in the middle.
We could see great stuff from our window seats, and thanks to our friend Claire, who loaned us her camera, we also got great pictures through the windows. But since Mexico isn't one to really care about safety regulations, it was common for groups to congregate near the open windows of the space between the train cars and get amazing pictures. I hope that some safety department somewhere doesn't stop this practice. It was one of the better aspects of the ride.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Copper Canyon
400 years ago, Spanish warriors invaded Central and Southern American in search of gold and other precious metals. After fighting off a few natives, and finding no gold or diamonds or fountain of youth, you can imagine their surprise at finding this:
This is a rock from what's now called the "barranca del cobre" or copper canyon. The Spanish conquistadores saw the green and orange moss on the rocks, lots of rocks, mainly from far away (because, honestly, getting up close and personal was a little difficult using only their feet and a donkey). They assumed that the rocks throughout the canyon were holding hidden reserves of copper. Not gold, not even silver, but copper. So they were pretty excited.
Today, thanks to engineers who made it easier to travel to and through the canyon, and to geologists who researched the area, we know much more about the "copper" canyon. It is really a series of 6 canyons, formed by 6 different rivers, hidden within the Western Tarahumara/ Raramuri mountain range. The overall system is at least 4 times larger than the "Grand" canyon in Arizona, and is definitely deeper than the Grand Canyon in multiple areas.
This is us standing in front of a large canyon. It is absolutely beautiful, and pictures do not do it justice.
for more copper canyon pics, check out our picture site at www.dropshots.com/DavidAnderson
This is a rock from what's now called the "barranca del cobre" or copper canyon. The Spanish conquistadores saw the green and orange moss on the rocks, lots of rocks, mainly from far away (because, honestly, getting up close and personal was a little difficult using only their feet and a donkey). They assumed that the rocks throughout the canyon were holding hidden reserves of copper. Not gold, not even silver, but copper. So they were pretty excited.
Today, thanks to engineers who made it easier to travel to and through the canyon, and to geologists who researched the area, we know much more about the "copper" canyon. It is really a series of 6 canyons, formed by 6 different rivers, hidden within the Western Tarahumara/ Raramuri mountain range. The overall system is at least 4 times larger than the "Grand" canyon in Arizona, and is definitely deeper than the Grand Canyon in multiple areas.
This is us standing in front of a large canyon. It is absolutely beautiful, and pictures do not do it justice.
for more copper canyon pics, check out our picture site at www.dropshots.com/DavidAnderson
Monday, November 9, 2009
Best Place to Retire?
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills/RetireInStyle/the-worlds-best-places-to-retire.aspx
Mexico is the second best place to retire (in the world) as ranked by International Living. The U.S. is ranked 22nd. Mexico gets a 78% (the highest score on the list was 79% - no where is perfect) and the U.S. gets a 62%. The climate in Mexico is amazing, of course, but so is the culture, the low cost of health care, the comfortable houses, and the relative safety of the country.
It is rare to retire at 28, but if we could become overnight millionaires, I don't think Dave & I would mind retiring here!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Mexico can handle a new H1N1 outbreak
This is also an article from THE NEWS, the English-language paper in Mexico City. for the entire article, go to http://www.thenews.com.mx/home/tnhome.asp?cve_home=2071
Mexico can handle a new H1N1 outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that it believes Mexico will be capable of controlling a second wave of the H1N1 human influenza virus. They also commended the Mexican authorities and the population's ability to handle the surge of the pandemic.
To date, the national Secretariat of Health (SSA) has confirmed 50,234 cases of the H1N1 virus in Mexico, 328 of which have been fatal.
The H1N1 human influenza virus has caused the deaths of at least 5,000 people and has infected over 414,945 people worldwide.
Unfortunately, this likely means no surprise swine-flu vacation. Shucks.
Mexico can handle a new H1N1 outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that it believes Mexico will be capable of controlling a second wave of the H1N1 human influenza virus. They also commended the Mexican authorities and the population's ability to handle the surge of the pandemic.
To date, the national Secretariat of Health (SSA) has confirmed 50,234 cases of the H1N1 virus in Mexico, 328 of which have been fatal.
The H1N1 human influenza virus has caused the deaths of at least 5,000 people and has infected over 414,945 people worldwide.
Unfortunately, this likely means no surprise swine-flu vacation. Shucks.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Yummy Mexican Food!
This is an excerpt from an article on NPR about some delicious mexican food. for some amazing recipes, and the full article, check out http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120062592
Day of the Dead is one of Mexico's most meaningful celebrations, and Michoacan is a spectacular place to experience it, partly because of its beauty and cuisine, but also because of the richness and depth of its centuries-old traditions.
The Purepechas, also called Tarascos, who remain the predominant indigenous group of the region, believed since pre-Hispanic times that the dead return once a year to visit those they miss. Centuries of intermarriage between Purepecha, Spanish and Catholic Church traditions and ingredients resulted in an eclectic mix of rituals and exquisite foods.
Former political analyst Patricia Jinich left her job in a research policy institute to pursue her passion: Mexican food. She is the official chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., where she heads Mexican Table, a culinary program with workshops, cooking demonstrations and tasting dinners. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three young sons. Read more at her blog, Pati's Mexican Table. http://www.patismexicantable.com/
Day of the Dead is one of Mexico's most meaningful celebrations, and Michoacan is a spectacular place to experience it, partly because of its beauty and cuisine, but also because of the richness and depth of its centuries-old traditions.
The Purepechas, also called Tarascos, who remain the predominant indigenous group of the region, believed since pre-Hispanic times that the dead return once a year to visit those they miss. Centuries of intermarriage between Purepecha, Spanish and Catholic Church traditions and ingredients resulted in an eclectic mix of rituals and exquisite foods.
Former political analyst Patricia Jinich left her job in a research policy institute to pursue her passion: Mexican food. She is the official chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., where she heads Mexican Table, a culinary program with workshops, cooking demonstrations and tasting dinners. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three young sons. Read more at her blog, Pati's Mexican Table. http://www.patismexicantable.com/
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Christian Character Day
The Christian school where I currently teach is very very conservative. It is an interdenominational international school, so the administration has decided to take the most conservative route possible. So, we don't have halloween in case any of our families are opposed to it. But, to placate the kids need for costume parade, we have 'Christian Character Day' and the kids can dress up as any Bible character or historical Christian figure. We have an assembly where the kids stand in front of the school and we guess who they're supposed to be; the kids get prizes for their creativity.
Last year, I chose my costume to keep my boss guessing about my political persuasion!
This year, I almost didn't go to the assembly. I didn't have a very good costume, and I had lots of things to do. But thankfully I stopped by, bc two of our students had really great costumes!
Sara, in 8th grade, wore a scarf much like to my co-teacher's favorite accessory. Her hints: "I am the youngest sibling, I like texas, I drink a lot of coffee, and I pray every 50 minutes!" We all knew she was Ms. Claire!!!
Then, Soo, one of our very talented 11th graders, stood in the front of the assembly, saying nothing, but twirling her hair. I started laughing, but most of the students were still confused. So Soo helped them out: "I yell. A LOT! and I fight with my husband sometimes, but I always lose." And then she let out a HUGE laugh! By then, everyone was rolling with laughter.
I don't know if i'm a 'Christian Character' but if Soo's impression is acurate, I guess I am a bit of a character!
Last year, I chose my costume to keep my boss guessing about my political persuasion!
This year, I almost didn't go to the assembly. I didn't have a very good costume, and I had lots of things to do. But thankfully I stopped by, bc two of our students had really great costumes!
Sara, in 8th grade, wore a scarf much like to my co-teacher's favorite accessory. Her hints: "I am the youngest sibling, I like texas, I drink a lot of coffee, and I pray every 50 minutes!" We all knew she was Ms. Claire!!!
Then, Soo, one of our very talented 11th graders, stood in the front of the assembly, saying nothing, but twirling her hair. I started laughing, but most of the students were still confused. So Soo helped them out: "I yell. A LOT! and I fight with my husband sometimes, but I always lose." And then she let out a HUGE laugh! By then, everyone was rolling with laughter.
I don't know if i'm a 'Christian Character' but if Soo's impression is acurate, I guess I am a bit of a character!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
This is the "callejon de besos" or the "alley of kisses". This picture was actually taken the last time we were in Guanajuato; the alley was too crowded for a picture this last weekend.
I think I wrote the story before, but just in case, here it is again:
Guanajuato was an old mining town. Spanish men owned silver mines and local natives worked the mines like slaves. One of the Spanish owners had a daughter, who was very beautiful. She fell in love with a miner (or a miner's son, depending on the version of the legend). When her dad found out, he was furious - it would be like a southern debutante falling for a cotton-picking illiterate black slave. He moved her from their beautiful house near the mine to a small apartment in the city of Guanajuato nearby. When the poor miner discovered this, he was crestfallen. But, he quickly discovered where she was staying and managed to rent the apartment directly across the alley from her place. Their balconies practically touched, the alley was so narrow.
The rich spanish daughter had chaperones and she was not allowed to leave the apartment unescorted. But, she could be alone on the second-story balcony. So, the rich girl and the poor boy secretly met on their balconies and exchanged kisses there.
Well, her dad finally heard a rumor that they were meeting, and went to confront his daughter. But she refused to leave the apartment and refused to stop seeing her lover. In a fit of rage, he murdered his daughter in her room. Her poor miner boyfriend saw the entire thing from his balcony and was so distraught that he killed himself.
So today, the city of Guanajuato has a lot of visitors who come to kiss in the alley, which is supposed to be romantic or good luck, depending on your point of view.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Mummy Museum
One of the popular tourist attractions in Guanajuato is the Mummy Museum. One of the churches in that town buried people in catacombs rather than in graves, mainly due to the hilly-ness of the area. After about a century, they were running out of catacomb space. So, they started removing people from older catacombs, mainly people who had no family in the area to complain. They quickly noticed that the bodies were not as decomposed as they had thought they would be after so much time. Basically, the unique method of burial had mummified the bodies. The church started a back-door tourism industry charging visitors to see the creepy mummies. Over time, the town just embraced the unique mummies and created an official museum to preserve the mummified bodies and allow people to see them.
These are 3 examples of mummies. The woman on the left has her hands in a weird position, which leads us to believe that she was thought to be dead when she was buried but not really dead. She fought to escape once she woke up buried in a catacomb, but eventually died from lack of oxygen.
This woman was 8 months pregnant when she died, and at that time there was no way to safely remove the baby, so the baby died too.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Mexican Money
It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but we are standing in front of the University of Guanajuato holding the Mexican $1,000 peso bill, which has a picture of the University of Guanajuato on it.
This is from last spring when we went to Puebla. We're holding the Mexican $500 peso bill, which has a picture of the Catedral in Pueba on it.
This is from last spring when we went to Puebla. We're holding the Mexican $500 peso bill, which has a picture of the Catedral in Pueba on it.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Shopping in Leon
We visited Guanajuato and Zacatecas in March, but spent most of our time in Zacatecas and only a few hours in Guanajuato. Guanajuato has a very colonial ambiance, and we wanted to go back and spend some more time there.
Also, we had heard that the small town of Leon had great leather shopping.
So, this last weekend, we took 3 teachers from my school - all North Americans - and drove up to Guanajuato and Leon.
We had a wonderful time.
After a little bit of teasing, we decided that Dave must be either a very patient or very lucky man to spend hours shopping with 4 women.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
My kind of Heroin
Today, one of my better students, a senior, asked me if I ever regretted teaching high school students. I said, "no of course not. I love it." which is true. But in the context of the day, it sounded rather strange:
I arrived at school homesick and frustrated with my boss and overall quite ready to hop on the next plane home.
When my 4th hour government class comes in, they are more wild and crazy than usual.
Christian threw Lucas' journal out the window, Ben put Christian's journal behind a bookshelf, Ji-Ho is sleeping, David has the swine flu, they are dancing to silent rap music in their heads, the computers won't turn on, the other computers will work with pink screens and a very loud constant "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep", so lucas takes off his shoes, rissa throws them, ji-ho passes out, soo is asking about the boston tea party, Ginny is doing bible homework, Rissa pushes Kevin in a wheeled desk chair across the library into a stack of books, Ben throws a dart from about 10 feet away, Christian is downloading pictures of "hot" girls to his facebook rather than do his homework, Lucas is lying on a pile of beanbag chairs and then Christian jumps on top of him...
Ben: "Ms. Kelly, do you ever regret teaching teenagers?"
Me: "No, Ben, I really like it - hey, Christian, get off of facebook! - teaching is like being a drug addict - Rissa, put down lucas' shoes! - every day I think that this cannot be healthy for me - Kevin, get off of that chair! - but then I wake up the next morning and think - Ji-ho, are you dead? - naw, I think I'll do it again today."
Ben: "ok." goes back to playing video games on his ipod.
Soo: "Ji-ho is not dead, miss. he's just sleepy."
Me: typing quietly and trying to ignore the sleeping, shoe-throwing, chair spinning, dancing, and otherwise chaotic behavior of my class that is a normal day "ok, well, as long as he's not dead, I think we're having a good day."
I arrived at school homesick and frustrated with my boss and overall quite ready to hop on the next plane home.
When my 4th hour government class comes in, they are more wild and crazy than usual.
Christian threw Lucas' journal out the window, Ben put Christian's journal behind a bookshelf, Ji-Ho is sleeping, David has the swine flu, they are dancing to silent rap music in their heads, the computers won't turn on, the other computers will work with pink screens and a very loud constant "beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep", so lucas takes off his shoes, rissa throws them, ji-ho passes out, soo is asking about the boston tea party, Ginny is doing bible homework, Rissa pushes Kevin in a wheeled desk chair across the library into a stack of books, Ben throws a dart from about 10 feet away, Christian is downloading pictures of "hot" girls to his facebook rather than do his homework, Lucas is lying on a pile of beanbag chairs and then Christian jumps on top of him...
Ben: "Ms. Kelly, do you ever regret teaching teenagers?"
Me: "No, Ben, I really like it - hey, Christian, get off of facebook! - teaching is like being a drug addict - Rissa, put down lucas' shoes! - every day I think that this cannot be healthy for me - Kevin, get off of that chair! - but then I wake up the next morning and think - Ji-ho, are you dead? - naw, I think I'll do it again today."
Ben: "ok." goes back to playing video games on his ipod.
Soo: "Ji-ho is not dead, miss. he's just sleepy."
Me: typing quietly and trying to ignore the sleeping, shoe-throwing, chair spinning, dancing, and otherwise chaotic behavior of my class that is a normal day "ok, well, as long as he's not dead, I think we're having a good day."
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Content
This was a daily email devotion sent to me by my Pastor in Ann Arbor Monday morning. After a week-long pity party and a relaxing weekend, this devotion helped me to focus my attention as I returned to school. I shouldn't be happy when things are going well and frustrated when they're not. I should be joyful all of the time, regardless of circumstances. But I'm still working on that.
Philippians 4:12-13 (The Message)
I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
For 13 years I have gone camping in a wilderness area in the Upper Peninsula with three Christian friends. We have a ritual. When we arrive in Munising at 7am we go to a local restaurant for our last "civilized" meal for a week. Every year, the same waitress is there pouring our coffee, laughing and always radiating a happiness and contentment that most people never seem to find. Several years ago, as I sat at the table I had been feeling rather sorry for myself. You know the in your head drill: "I work too much".... "I am not appreciated the way I should be".... "I am tired of the same routines".... and on and on. My challenging circumstances were all the more highlighted by the simple contentment and joy of our waitress. I thought, "I wish I could just have a simple and uncomplicated life like her." As she walked away from our table, laughing, I noticed a slight limp. I looked down and to my surprise saw that she had a prosthetic leg. I was humbled by her attitude. Here I was feeling sorry for myself and envying what I thought was an uncomplicated life, when all the while what I was witnessing was an outlook and attitude that transcended life's complications, pains and losses.
St. Paul reminds us that contentedness and joy are not dependent upon our circumstances but upon our awareness of God's powerful love for us and presence in our daily life. Today, leave behind self-pity and lay hold of the joy of God's nearness
Philippians 4:12-13 (The Message)
I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
For 13 years I have gone camping in a wilderness area in the Upper Peninsula with three Christian friends. We have a ritual. When we arrive in Munising at 7am we go to a local restaurant for our last "civilized" meal for a week. Every year, the same waitress is there pouring our coffee, laughing and always radiating a happiness and contentment that most people never seem to find. Several years ago, as I sat at the table I had been feeling rather sorry for myself. You know the in your head drill: "I work too much".... "I am not appreciated the way I should be".... "I am tired of the same routines".... and on and on. My challenging circumstances were all the more highlighted by the simple contentment and joy of our waitress. I thought, "I wish I could just have a simple and uncomplicated life like her." As she walked away from our table, laughing, I noticed a slight limp. I looked down and to my surprise saw that she had a prosthetic leg. I was humbled by her attitude. Here I was feeling sorry for myself and envying what I thought was an uncomplicated life, when all the while what I was witnessing was an outlook and attitude that transcended life's complications, pains and losses.
St. Paul reminds us that contentedness and joy are not dependent upon our circumstances but upon our awareness of God's powerful love for us and presence in our daily life. Today, leave behind self-pity and lay hold of the joy of God's nearness
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sugar Skull Market
In downtown Metepec last weekend we happened across the local "sugar skulls" market. Mexicans don't trick or treat. They set up ofrendas for Day of the Dead. These 'offering tables' are covered with flowers, food, drinks, pictures, and candy.
Mexicans make candy coffins and skulls to celebrate the holiday. No candy pumpkins or candy corn, though, and no leaves.
Dia de los Muertos is a popular Mexican holiday. Americans think that it's "Mexican Halloween" and in some ways, that's true. Both Halloween and Day of the Dead were the result of European Christian Saint's Day celebrations on November 1st. Like everything American (continent, not country) the result looked nothing like the original. The difference is that the U.S. has a mixed international immigrant heritage and that Mexico has an indigenous heritage; that difference is reflected in their holidays.
Mexicans make candy coffins and skulls to celebrate the holiday. No candy pumpkins or candy corn, though, and no leaves.
Dia de los Muertos is a popular Mexican holiday. Americans think that it's "Mexican Halloween" and in some ways, that's true. Both Halloween and Day of the Dead were the result of European Christian Saint's Day celebrations on November 1st. Like everything American (continent, not country) the result looked nothing like the original. The difference is that the U.S. has a mixed international immigrant heritage and that Mexico has an indigenous heritage; that difference is reflected in their holidays.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Mexican Economy
Last year, when the housing crisis and banking crisis and unemployment converged to create the worst recession since the great depression, many U.S. citizens asked me how that was affecting Mexico.
It really wasn't.
That's not completely true, of course, the recession was worldwide, but in many ways thousands of Mexicans were already living in abject poverty. The average Mexican makes $4,000 per year. Many do not have regular jobs or income, they are perpetually undernourished and oversugared (soda is a major source of food energy bc it's cheap) and health care means having babies at home and taking asprin.
A convergence of issues has hit Mexico really hard this past year:
- tourism is down, bc of swine flu scares and bc Europeans and North Americans can't afford to travel
- remittances are down, bc fewer Mexicans are making extra money in the U.S. and canada, legally or otherwise
- the U.S. is deporting more Mexicans, often abandoning young women and children on the streets of Tijuana in the middle of the night
- the U.S. is pushing Mexico to fight the drug cartels, despite the fact that U.S. criminals are providing the ammunition to the cartels
All of this means that Mexico is poorer with greater needs than ever before.
I'm not supporting illegal immigration. But I also know that it is impossible to get a legal working visa for many of the types of jobs that Mexicans and other immigrants want to do - dish washing, maintenance, child care, landscaping, etc. bc the current immigration code is written with the understanding that young and/or poor U.S. citizens will perpetually fill those posts. But they won't. How many americans do you know that are willing to pick pumpkins or clean toilets or watch someone else's children for the price that we're willing to pay them?
fully ONE THIRD of mexicans have lived or worked for some time in the U.S. Nearly every middle class mexican I know knows someone in their immediate family that has studied or worked or traveled on business to the U.S.
Would we be so upset if British were infiltrating the U.S. in large numbers? Or Irish? or Germans? or Italians? Wait... they already did. Now we just call them Americans.
It really wasn't.
That's not completely true, of course, the recession was worldwide, but in many ways thousands of Mexicans were already living in abject poverty. The average Mexican makes $4,000 per year. Many do not have regular jobs or income, they are perpetually undernourished and oversugared (soda is a major source of food energy bc it's cheap) and health care means having babies at home and taking asprin.
A convergence of issues has hit Mexico really hard this past year:
- tourism is down, bc of swine flu scares and bc Europeans and North Americans can't afford to travel
- remittances are down, bc fewer Mexicans are making extra money in the U.S. and canada, legally or otherwise
- the U.S. is deporting more Mexicans, often abandoning young women and children on the streets of Tijuana in the middle of the night
- the U.S. is pushing Mexico to fight the drug cartels, despite the fact that U.S. criminals are providing the ammunition to the cartels
All of this means that Mexico is poorer with greater needs than ever before.
I'm not supporting illegal immigration. But I also know that it is impossible to get a legal working visa for many of the types of jobs that Mexicans and other immigrants want to do - dish washing, maintenance, child care, landscaping, etc. bc the current immigration code is written with the understanding that young and/or poor U.S. citizens will perpetually fill those posts. But they won't. How many americans do you know that are willing to pick pumpkins or clean toilets or watch someone else's children for the price that we're willing to pay them?
fully ONE THIRD of mexicans have lived or worked for some time in the U.S. Nearly every middle class mexican I know knows someone in their immediate family that has studied or worked or traveled on business to the U.S.
Would we be so upset if British were infiltrating the U.S. in large numbers? Or Irish? or Germans? or Italians? Wait... they already did. Now we just call them Americans.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
NOTE: this is an article I read on "The News" the only English Language only newspaper published in Mexico City. It is specifically designed for English Speaking North Americans and Europeans to get an English-language viewpoint of Mexican news. They often cover issues affecting multiple countries. I'll have more discussion tomorrow's post.
Mexicans stay put in the US despite crisis
REUTERS
Mexican workers in the United States have lost jobs and faced a crackdown on illegal immigration but are not heading home in droves despite the worst recession in decades, officials and researchers say.
There is no record of those leaving the United States by land but anecdotal reports suggest some families have packed their belongings into trucks and crossed back into Mexico as construction, food and as farm jobs have evaporated.
A record 12.7 million Mexican immigrants lived and worked in the United States in 2008, more than half of them illegally, according to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center.
The vast majority have chosen to stay and weather the crisis.
Rights groups say Washington needs to pass an overhaul of immigration policies because Mexicans are not going home.
"There is no evidence of a massive return," said Adriana Valdes at the Mexican consulate in Denver. "People may move because of the crisis, but they are not moving to Mexico where the situation is no better."
Mexico has also suffered its worst recession since the 1930s and illegal Mexican workers living and working in the shadows say they can still earn more in the United States.
"If things are bad here, they're worse in our country," said Christian Dominguez, 21, who has worked in Phoenix since crossing illegally to Arizona 15 months ago from Mexico.
Dominguez earns just $80 in a bad week, shares an apartment with seven other migrants and relies on food donations from local church groups to get by. But he says it is still better than in his home state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
"There I didn't even have money for books or anything else," he said outside a Wal-Mart in Phoenix looking for work.
Some proponents for tougher U.S. immigration policies point to anecdotal stories of Mexicans leaving and a recent census report to argue that illegal immigrants in the United States are going home, lessening the need for immigration reform.
Critics of undocumented workers say they depress wages, drain resources and take jobs away from Americans. Latino advocacy groups say they do the jobs Americans don't want.
The foreign born population in the United States dipped by around 100,000 people to 37.9 million last year, the first decline in more than a generation, the U.S. Census Bureau said.
écording to a study by Pew Hispanic Center, the number of people heading back into Mexico every year has been steady since 2006 at around 450,000.
"There is a strong seasonal pattern to the migration data but no matter how you look at it, there is no upward trend in out-migration," said Jeffrey Passel, a demographer at Pew.
TOUGH REFORM
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to seek support among Democratic and Republican lawmakers to overhaul the flawed U.S. immigration system.
He is currently battling to push through healthcare reforms, though activists are hopeful he will tackle immigration next year.
Former President George W. Bush tried to push immigration reform through Congress in 2007 but the bill was killed by Republicans and the Bush administration took a get-tough approach focusing on workplace enforcement raids.
Obama supports offering illegal immigrants in good standing the chance to pay a fine and become citizens, as well as reducing immigration raids but still hardening security.
The U.S. government hired thousands more Border Patrol agents in 2007 to help deport immigrants who entered illegally or outstayed their visas, carry out workplace raids, and push police to enforce immigration laws.
Immigration experts say ramped up surveillance along the porous Mexican border has actually increased the illegal immigrant population in the United States because it is so tough to beat security that once in, people decide to stay.
For decades, immigrants crossed the border into the United States for seasonal work and returned home to Mexico when contracts ended, or at Easter and Christmas.
Now many prefer to move around the United States to look for work, moving away from border states like Arizona and Texas where immigration controls are the toughest.
"I'm thinking of going to Florida," said Hector Gallardo, 50, from Cuernavaca, near Mexico City, who has been living illegally in Arizona for 12 years working as a builder. "I don't think of going back to Mexico. But a lot of people are going to other states because of the crisis.
Mexicans stay put in the US despite crisis
REUTERS
Mexican workers in the United States have lost jobs and faced a crackdown on illegal immigration but are not heading home in droves despite the worst recession in decades, officials and researchers say.
There is no record of those leaving the United States by land but anecdotal reports suggest some families have packed their belongings into trucks and crossed back into Mexico as construction, food and as farm jobs have evaporated.
A record 12.7 million Mexican immigrants lived and worked in the United States in 2008, more than half of them illegally, according to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center.
The vast majority have chosen to stay and weather the crisis.
Rights groups say Washington needs to pass an overhaul of immigration policies because Mexicans are not going home.
"There is no evidence of a massive return," said Adriana Valdes at the Mexican consulate in Denver. "People may move because of the crisis, but they are not moving to Mexico where the situation is no better."
Mexico has also suffered its worst recession since the 1930s and illegal Mexican workers living and working in the shadows say they can still earn more in the United States.
"If things are bad here, they're worse in our country," said Christian Dominguez, 21, who has worked in Phoenix since crossing illegally to Arizona 15 months ago from Mexico.
Dominguez earns just $80 in a bad week, shares an apartment with seven other migrants and relies on food donations from local church groups to get by. But he says it is still better than in his home state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
"There I didn't even have money for books or anything else," he said outside a Wal-Mart in Phoenix looking for work.
Some proponents for tougher U.S. immigration policies point to anecdotal stories of Mexicans leaving and a recent census report to argue that illegal immigrants in the United States are going home, lessening the need for immigration reform.
Critics of undocumented workers say they depress wages, drain resources and take jobs away from Americans. Latino advocacy groups say they do the jobs Americans don't want.
The foreign born population in the United States dipped by around 100,000 people to 37.9 million last year, the first decline in more than a generation, the U.S. Census Bureau said.
écording to a study by Pew Hispanic Center, the number of people heading back into Mexico every year has been steady since 2006 at around 450,000.
"There is a strong seasonal pattern to the migration data but no matter how you look at it, there is no upward trend in out-migration," said Jeffrey Passel, a demographer at Pew.
TOUGH REFORM
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to seek support among Democratic and Republican lawmakers to overhaul the flawed U.S. immigration system.
He is currently battling to push through healthcare reforms, though activists are hopeful he will tackle immigration next year.
Former President George W. Bush tried to push immigration reform through Congress in 2007 but the bill was killed by Republicans and the Bush administration took a get-tough approach focusing on workplace enforcement raids.
Obama supports offering illegal immigrants in good standing the chance to pay a fine and become citizens, as well as reducing immigration raids but still hardening security.
The U.S. government hired thousands more Border Patrol agents in 2007 to help deport immigrants who entered illegally or outstayed their visas, carry out workplace raids, and push police to enforce immigration laws.
Immigration experts say ramped up surveillance along the porous Mexican border has actually increased the illegal immigrant population in the United States because it is so tough to beat security that once in, people decide to stay.
For decades, immigrants crossed the border into the United States for seasonal work and returned home to Mexico when contracts ended, or at Easter and Christmas.
Now many prefer to move around the United States to look for work, moving away from border states like Arizona and Texas where immigration controls are the toughest.
"I'm thinking of going to Florida," said Hector Gallardo, 50, from Cuernavaca, near Mexico City, who has been living illegally in Arizona for 12 years working as a builder. "I don't think of going back to Mexico. But a lot of people are going to other states because of the crisis.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Personal Venting
I almost didn't make it to Spanish class tonight.
Sitting in my car, lost, with tears streaming down my face, already late, I knew I was in no shape to face anyone. It seemed easier to send an impersonal text message to cancel class and then return home to sulk and eat too much ice cream.
For some reason, I pulled myself together and went to class anyway.
I'm glad I did.
16 months ago, 6 months ago, an intense Spanish class with past-perfect-subjunctive verb tenses would have only been an additional frustration on top of my day.
For some reason, successfully conjugating, conversing, and completing verbs and sentences in my adopted foreign language was just what I needed to remind me why I'm here.
Why I put up with all of the other little frustrations in the every day.
For some reason, today's frustrations - which were really no different than any other day's frustrations - lazy and demanding students, incompetent boss, backed-up-traffic, no electricity, switching cars, difficult homework, etc., were then compounded by some unusual events - david being out of town, grades due tomorrow, the police nearly pulling me over, a rude clerk, and getting lost - until I could no longer handle another crisis, no matter how minor. I did not think I could speak in Spanish.
How strange it was to find that my mind thought of Spanish as comforting, rather than confusing. It was like sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate and churros at the end of a long day.
Sitting in my car, lost, with tears streaming down my face, already late, I knew I was in no shape to face anyone. It seemed easier to send an impersonal text message to cancel class and then return home to sulk and eat too much ice cream.
For some reason, I pulled myself together and went to class anyway.
I'm glad I did.
16 months ago, 6 months ago, an intense Spanish class with past-perfect-subjunctive verb tenses would have only been an additional frustration on top of my day.
For some reason, successfully conjugating, conversing, and completing verbs and sentences in my adopted foreign language was just what I needed to remind me why I'm here.
Why I put up with all of the other little frustrations in the every day.
For some reason, today's frustrations - which were really no different than any other day's frustrations - lazy and demanding students, incompetent boss, backed-up-traffic, no electricity, switching cars, difficult homework, etc., were then compounded by some unusual events - david being out of town, grades due tomorrow, the police nearly pulling me over, a rude clerk, and getting lost - until I could no longer handle another crisis, no matter how minor. I did not think I could speak in Spanish.
How strange it was to find that my mind thought of Spanish as comforting, rather than confusing. It was like sitting down with a cup of hot chocolate and churros at the end of a long day.
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