It's an election year in Mexico. Not a presidential election, but nearly everyone else, from national to state to local officials. This means that posters are everywhere! I'm sure there is also a lot of TV and radio coverage, but we rarely watch/listen Mexican news bc they talk so fast about so many things that we can't keep up. (We do read some newspapers in Spanish, but sort of skim over the topics that aren't interesting to us.) The signs give us a great opportunity to learn spanish, bc they are very repetitive. As in, there are about 5 or 6 different political parties and hundreds of representatives running, but the same sign is reprinted and hung in dozens of locations. So we can pass the same slogan over and over until we understand!
Last weekend, we went walking through the southern part of Mexico City, an area we don't normally visit. *we were looking for the coffee shop that sells my sister-in-law's handmade items, but couldn't find it.* So, we saw lots of new signs. Including someone running on the slogan of "Agua & Paz" or "Water and Peace". Not even a complete sentence, just water & peace. no verbs, either, so I'm not sure what he's going to do with the water and peace. We can only assume that he was promising more of both.
It seemed silly, too simple really, to only offer water and peace. Then again, fresh water and lasting peace seem like the same thing that Jesus offered 2000 years ago, and it's still out of reach of so many peoples.
Mexican Government lesson of the day: the mexican president serves only 1 6 year term, and other national officials serve 3 year terms and can be re-elected (but I don't know how many times). Most state and local officials are elected on a 3-year cycle also, merely because the turnout is so much higher.
I'm surprised by the number of women running for office. It is possible that Mexican law requires that a certain number of seats be held by women; this is common in other countries, but not in the us. (In fact, the US made Iraq write into their constitution 30% female representation, but we don't have that.)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
God's Ears
Living in Mexico has taught me how to lower my expectations. Harsh, I know, but true. Mainly, living here has helped me to rely on modern technology less and my own creative inventions more. Secondly, working at a small school full of ESL students has helped me to focus on what the kids can do, rather than on what they can't do.
After 2 weeks of swine flu break, we were finally back at school. The kids were so bored that they were actually happy to come back to school. I'm not kidding. Since we're very close to the end of the school year, they likely would have "checked-out" mentally, but we spent nearly 10 hours this week on musical practice.
In my previous experience, Musicals meant: a 10-piece band, 30 singers/actors each with at least 3 costume changes, 15 backstage persons, a pile of props, 20 lights, 10 personal microphone packs, curtains, 2 set changes, 2-way radios, tickets, and an ulcer. This musical meant hand-written posterboards, 5 microphones on stands, a CD with music, silk-screen tee shirts, a tarp, and a final performance on a basketball court, praying for the rain to hold off another few minutes.
Every day, I had to lower my expectations of what this musical would entail. I am used to working with experienced young adults who want to do drama, and who want to have a good production. This musical involved children who did not want to do this, did not care if we had a good production, had never seen a live show of any quality, and did not speak English as their primary language. I am used to running lights, sound, and set changes to maximize the audience experience. I am not used to the wind blowing over our hand-made posterboards.
After a lot of work (well, let's be honest: not nearly as much work as I'm used to), a lot of prayers, and 5 days, we managed a somewhat successful 45-minute musical that impressed the parents.
Lower expectations - achieved.
The funniest part, though, was listening to the kids' songs. Elementary kids are notorious for not pronouncing their words very well when singing. Imagine 30 kids who speak English as a second language singing English songs!
Along with the normal "duh" instead of "the" and "dings" rather than "things" we also had a lot of trouble with "lord" - asians had a hard time with that, so it quickly became "oar".
My favorites:
"hum-boh yorselves be-foe de Oar"
"Lee-mee, oar"
"God's Ears"
Any idea what these songs are supposed to be?
"Humble yourselves before the Lord"
"lead me, Lord"
"God is near"/ "God is here"
After 2 weeks of swine flu break, we were finally back at school. The kids were so bored that they were actually happy to come back to school. I'm not kidding. Since we're very close to the end of the school year, they likely would have "checked-out" mentally, but we spent nearly 10 hours this week on musical practice.
In my previous experience, Musicals meant: a 10-piece band, 30 singers/actors each with at least 3 costume changes, 15 backstage persons, a pile of props, 20 lights, 10 personal microphone packs, curtains, 2 set changes, 2-way radios, tickets, and an ulcer. This musical meant hand-written posterboards, 5 microphones on stands, a CD with music, silk-screen tee shirts, a tarp, and a final performance on a basketball court, praying for the rain to hold off another few minutes.
Every day, I had to lower my expectations of what this musical would entail. I am used to working with experienced young adults who want to do drama, and who want to have a good production. This musical involved children who did not want to do this, did not care if we had a good production, had never seen a live show of any quality, and did not speak English as their primary language. I am used to running lights, sound, and set changes to maximize the audience experience. I am not used to the wind blowing over our hand-made posterboards.
After a lot of work (well, let's be honest: not nearly as much work as I'm used to), a lot of prayers, and 5 days, we managed a somewhat successful 45-minute musical that impressed the parents.
Lower expectations - achieved.
The funniest part, though, was listening to the kids' songs. Elementary kids are notorious for not pronouncing their words very well when singing. Imagine 30 kids who speak English as a second language singing English songs!
Along with the normal "duh" instead of "the" and "dings" rather than "things" we also had a lot of trouble with "lord" - asians had a hard time with that, so it quickly became "oar".
My favorites:
"hum-boh yorselves be-foe de Oar"
"Lee-mee, oar"
"God's Ears"
Any idea what these songs are supposed to be?
"Humble yourselves before the Lord"
"lead me, Lord"
"God is near"/ "God is here"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Earth Day
Despite the very long drive and gallons of gasoline used to get there & get home, we really appreciated the beauty of God's earth this weekend. Of course, PV is all about the beach. There weren't many people there, due to flu, which was bad for the town, but good for us.
The tourists were all baking in the sun and burning their feet on the sand and fighting the big waves. But the locals were all swimming in a freshwater pool under a bridge with lots of shade and calmer water. So we did, too!
A beach vacation is all about swimming on the beach, but we aren't all about the sunburn ;) so we also went to the PV botanical gardens, which employs local mexicans in preserving the environment and protecting endangered species (rather than subsistence farming, which destroys the ecosystem).
On our last full day Dave took me horseback riding. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but renting a horse for an afternoon is time-intensive and also kind of an expensive date. But I figured riding a horse would be like riding a bike - you never forget. Even though I've forgotten how to ride a bike, I was still convinced I could ride a horse. Which I could. Unfortunately, my butt did not remember the saddle being so hard, nor did my back remember the ride being so jostling. Hmmm.
As we rode our horses up a narrow, winding, rocky mountain path, the sound of their hooves sliding on the rocks, the feeling of falling headfirst under the horse, and the sight of the very steep mountain made me fear for my life.
I had to remind myself of two things:
1. These horses had done this dozens, maybe hundreds of times, and they weren't scared.
2. It was really hot & dusty, and I was thankful that I was riding and not walking up the mountain.
Then, as we left the super expensive condos full of North Americans and Canadians, surrounded by Ice Cream shops and delis and seafood restaurants, we rode the horses through the small town of "real" PV on the mountain: chickens and puppies running through the street, tin roofs and sheets for doors and windows, children wearing only diapers waving at the horses, narrow roads with motorbikes and horses and people crowded on it. I started thinking about how our money could have been "better" spent during our week. But by the end of the tour, I had asuaged myself of guilt. We could have spread our few hundred dollars to the members of that small town, but even then, they would still be living in abject poverty. Or, we could choose to come to a tourist city and spend our money in local restaurants and local hotels and local shops on a weekend when almost no one else was doing that.
There's always more than can be done. For the earth, and the people who live on it.
The tourists were all baking in the sun and burning their feet on the sand and fighting the big waves. But the locals were all swimming in a freshwater pool under a bridge with lots of shade and calmer water. So we did, too!
A beach vacation is all about swimming on the beach, but we aren't all about the sunburn ;) so we also went to the PV botanical gardens, which employs local mexicans in preserving the environment and protecting endangered species (rather than subsistence farming, which destroys the ecosystem).
On our last full day Dave took me horseback riding. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but renting a horse for an afternoon is time-intensive and also kind of an expensive date. But I figured riding a horse would be like riding a bike - you never forget. Even though I've forgotten how to ride a bike, I was still convinced I could ride a horse. Which I could. Unfortunately, my butt did not remember the saddle being so hard, nor did my back remember the ride being so jostling. Hmmm.
As we rode our horses up a narrow, winding, rocky mountain path, the sound of their hooves sliding on the rocks, the feeling of falling headfirst under the horse, and the sight of the very steep mountain made me fear for my life.
I had to remind myself of two things:
1. These horses had done this dozens, maybe hundreds of times, and they weren't scared.
2. It was really hot & dusty, and I was thankful that I was riding and not walking up the mountain.
Then, as we left the super expensive condos full of North Americans and Canadians, surrounded by Ice Cream shops and delis and seafood restaurants, we rode the horses through the small town of "real" PV on the mountain: chickens and puppies running through the street, tin roofs and sheets for doors and windows, children wearing only diapers waving at the horses, narrow roads with motorbikes and horses and people crowded on it. I started thinking about how our money could have been "better" spent during our week. But by the end of the tour, I had asuaged myself of guilt. We could have spread our few hundred dollars to the members of that small town, but even then, they would still be living in abject poverty. Or, we could choose to come to a tourist city and spend our money in local restaurants and local hotels and local shops on a weekend when almost no one else was doing that.
There's always more than can be done. For the earth, and the people who live on it.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Too bored to be worried...
Swine Flu Update:
Mexico City is basically shut down. Schools, restaurants, gyms, libraries, museums, churches, and government offices are all closed. Supermarkets are running out of food. There are no more masks. We are not supposed to take the subway or the buses. Toluca is not sick, so Dave has work, and we've been able to eat at restaurants. But, this is a holiday weekend in Mexico - today is "kid's day" (like mother's day in reverse!) and tomorrow is labor day. So we're going to the beach!
We'll drive in our own car, pack a lunch, and drive hours to the western coast near the beach of Puerto Vallarta. We're staying in a small B&B run by Canadians about 30miles from the hotel center, so we'll still be in self-isolation, only we'll be stuck in a beautiful beach house rather than our own!
Unfortunately, Americans are taking this opportunity to let their Mexican hatred come out. I actually heard someone say that the kids who vacationed in Mexico got what was coming to them bc they chose to visit a dirty country where they couldn't even drink the water. WHAT???!!! Flu doesn't come through the water. Cancun is a very clean place. And Americans are getting sick, too.
Many Americans are also calling for the border to be closed. At first I thought it was a small group of Americans who would latch onto any reason to keep mexicans out. But now it's obvious that discrimination has spread throughout the country. Even if they're only biased against sick people, it's still an issue.
If Americans really want to help the situation, rather than closing the border, they can send flu medicines, food, and money to Mexico City officials so that they can focus on getting people well. Right now, the city cannot afford to shut businesses and the transportation system, bc the average Mexican won't eat if they won't work. And they definitely won't go to the doctor, bc they can't afford it.
Mexico City is basically shut down. Schools, restaurants, gyms, libraries, museums, churches, and government offices are all closed. Supermarkets are running out of food. There are no more masks. We are not supposed to take the subway or the buses. Toluca is not sick, so Dave has work, and we've been able to eat at restaurants. But, this is a holiday weekend in Mexico - today is "kid's day" (like mother's day in reverse!) and tomorrow is labor day. So we're going to the beach!
We'll drive in our own car, pack a lunch, and drive hours to the western coast near the beach of Puerto Vallarta. We're staying in a small B&B run by Canadians about 30miles from the hotel center, so we'll still be in self-isolation, only we'll be stuck in a beautiful beach house rather than our own!
Unfortunately, Americans are taking this opportunity to let their Mexican hatred come out. I actually heard someone say that the kids who vacationed in Mexico got what was coming to them bc they chose to visit a dirty country where they couldn't even drink the water. WHAT???!!! Flu doesn't come through the water. Cancun is a very clean place. And Americans are getting sick, too.
Many Americans are also calling for the border to be closed. At first I thought it was a small group of Americans who would latch onto any reason to keep mexicans out. But now it's obvious that discrimination has spread throughout the country. Even if they're only biased against sick people, it's still an issue.
If Americans really want to help the situation, rather than closing the border, they can send flu medicines, food, and money to Mexico City officials so that they can focus on getting people well. Right now, the city cannot afford to shut businesses and the transportation system, bc the average Mexican won't eat if they won't work. And they definitely won't go to the doctor, bc they can't afford it.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Grown-up party!
Many of my co-workers, mainly the young single female ones, have come over to my house for a slumber party. Sometimes when Dave is out of town, but mainly for a weekend getaway. They all live with other co-workers or missionaries which makes the "fishbowl" experience of working for the church even worse than it already was.
Everyone loves our house. It's very "mexican" with lots of wood architecture and furniture, and also stained glass windows and a manicured garden and skylights and bright decor colors, like orange, which are very common here.
As an end-of-the-year get-together, and a birthday party for me, we invied everyone over. All the teachers, the secretary, the director, the board, and their spouses and kids. We ended up with nearly 15 people for lunch yesterday. 3 came over Friday after work for a "pre-party" and also to help me clean and cook for the big group.
It was really fun! Dave got to see what it's like for me to work with this eclectic group of people every day, we got to chat about how to not die from pig flu, i got to blow out a candle on my birthday cake, and overall we enjoyed each other's company.
Everyone loves our house. It's very "mexican" with lots of wood architecture and furniture, and also stained glass windows and a manicured garden and skylights and bright decor colors, like orange, which are very common here.
As an end-of-the-year get-together, and a birthday party for me, we invied everyone over. All the teachers, the secretary, the director, the board, and their spouses and kids. We ended up with nearly 15 people for lunch yesterday. 3 came over Friday after work for a "pre-party" and also to help me clean and cook for the big group.
It was really fun! Dave got to see what it's like for me to work with this eclectic group of people every day, we got to chat about how to not die from pig flu, i got to blow out a candle on my birthday cake, and overall we enjoyed each other's company.
Friday, April 24, 2009
When Pigs Fly...
Living internationally provides us lots of new opportunities.
Like living through a worldwide flu pandemic.
At 7:20 this morning, while I was on the way to school early, I got the call that there were no classes today. Dave is working from home today. (the fact that I had to pay $200 pesos and spend 2.5 hours in the car for a teacher meeting that could have been rescheduled to Monday morning while my husband slept in would have really made me angry except that I was also picking up 4 friends to come over to my house for the weekend)
Here's what we know:
a unique strain of the influenza virus is spreading like wildfire throughout Mexico City. This particular virus may be treated with common anti-virals and may have been included in the flu vaccine, but so far 16 young healthy people have died from it, and at least 60 others in Mexico are sick. Schools were closed today, and might be all next week, churches are encouraged to cancel services this weekend, gov't buildings may close, and offices may close, too. Persons are encouraged to avoid crowds, to stay home if they're sick, to wear masks at hospitals, and to go to the doctor if they have flu or respitory infeciton symptoms.
This is all to prevent a disease that could be prevented by a combination of a cheap vaccine, some anti-viral meds, and hand-washing.
But mexicans do a lot of hand-shaking, cheek kissing, metro riding, street eating, self-medicating, and non-handwashing. Changing a culture overnight is difficult; keeping people at home is easier.
Like living through a worldwide flu pandemic.
At 7:20 this morning, while I was on the way to school early, I got the call that there were no classes today. Dave is working from home today. (the fact that I had to pay $200 pesos and spend 2.5 hours in the car for a teacher meeting that could have been rescheduled to Monday morning while my husband slept in would have really made me angry except that I was also picking up 4 friends to come over to my house for the weekend)
Here's what we know:
a unique strain of the influenza virus is spreading like wildfire throughout Mexico City. This particular virus may be treated with common anti-virals and may have been included in the flu vaccine, but so far 16 young healthy people have died from it, and at least 60 others in Mexico are sick. Schools were closed today, and might be all next week, churches are encouraged to cancel services this weekend, gov't buildings may close, and offices may close, too. Persons are encouraged to avoid crowds, to stay home if they're sick, to wear masks at hospitals, and to go to the doctor if they have flu or respitory infeciton symptoms.
This is all to prevent a disease that could be prevented by a combination of a cheap vaccine, some anti-viral meds, and hand-washing.
But mexicans do a lot of hand-shaking, cheek kissing, metro riding, street eating, self-medicating, and non-handwashing. Changing a culture overnight is difficult; keeping people at home is easier.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Crazy Weather!
El nino was so named bc it normally hit latin America at Christmas time every few years or so; "el nino" means the boy child, and is spanish slang, during Christmas, for the Christ child.
We have been having some crazy weather during "semana santa" or holy week, also. I'm not sure if that would be "el senor" (the Lord) or what. It was beautiful in MI while I was there & everyone was asking if I brought the warm weather with me. I must have left it up north, though, bc it hailed and snowed in Mexico City yesterday. It's crisp and cool outside today and the storms destruction is all around.
I'm starting to feel like a barometer.
We have been having some crazy weather during "semana santa" or holy week, also. I'm not sure if that would be "el senor" (the Lord) or what. It was beautiful in MI while I was there & everyone was asking if I brought the warm weather with me. I must have left it up north, though, bc it hailed and snowed in Mexico City yesterday. It's crisp and cool outside today and the storms destruction is all around.
I'm starting to feel like a barometer.
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