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.
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