All Good Adventures Must End.

Our Mexican adventure is now over. Thankfully, we had an amazing time and we will keep visiting Mexico as much as possible. The places we visited, the things we learned, and the people we met will all be a part of our memories. Thank you for following my blog!

While this adventure is over, we have another one we're planning. Another blog will follow. Keep in touch!

I am sad.

Mexico, my second home, my home-away-from-home, my go-to vacation spot, and our next-door neighbor is hurting.
The drug war is not really working. Mexico is trying to fight the drugs, because their President knows that Mexico cannot and will not get much U.S. support until this is under control. Unfortunately, until the U.S. can get immigration under control, and stop fighting wars on the other side of the world, there is no public support in the U.S. for helping Mexico to de-corrupt their government.

As The Drug War Rages On, Will Mexico Surrender
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129009629

In my summer office job, I helped to coordinate mission trips to Latin America (and a few other Eurasian and African countries.) Part of my job is to moderate the security warnings from Mexico.

Unfortunately, we won't be sending mission trips to Mexico anytime soon. These are the articles that have come to my inbox in the last 2 weeks:

Mexico drug cartels thrive despite Calderon's offensive http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-cartels-20100808,0,5731725,full.story

Mexico: Cartels Pay Corrupt Cops $100 Million a Month http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14091&ArticleId=362206

Former Mexican president Vicente Fox has called for the legalisation of drugs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10921975

Violence paralyzes Mexico border areas http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38685423/

members of a drug cartel blocked off at least 13 major roads in Monterrey on Saturday http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10977501

Under threat from Mexican drug cartels, reporters go silent http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-narco-censorship-20100816,0,4152944.story

Drug hitmen kidnap Mexican mayor near U.S. border http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100816/ts_nm/us_mexico_drugs

Gunmen Dressed as Cops Kidnapped Mexican Mayor http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14091&ArticleId=363478

A surge of drug violence in Mexico's business capital and richest city has prompted an outcry from business leaders who on Wednesday took out full-page ads asking President Felipe Calderón to send in more soldiers to stem the violence. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704557704575437762646209270.html

As Drug War Turns Into Quagmire, Fear Rules Mexico http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128804488

English is a crazy language

Unfortunately, I do not have more news or commentary about living in Mexico. Moving 'back' to the US has been personally and professionally challenging. Our next adventure is still in the future, it seems, so right now we're just trying to stay connected with our friends and experiences of Mexico. Dave is lucky bc he is meeting with some of our Mexican friends in Tokyo this week - they're all there on a business trip.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a funny story I just read about the English language. There's a joke in Mexico that goes, "Why is it every Mexican speaks 75% English?" The truth is, most Mexicans can barely say 10 words in English. And that's because English is hard:

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. We take English for Granted.
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So.. one moose, 2 meese?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. What other reason could there be for saying that people recite at a play and play at a recital? Or, ship cargo by truck and send cargo by ship? Or, have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course, isn't a race at all.)

trust me, every language has it's weird parts. And knowing those idiosyncrasies is what proves we're 'good' at it. I'll never learn all of those for Spanish, at least I don't think so, but it's still fun to try.

This is my Song

We went to church today. As one of Dave's favorite blogs stated, on holidays at church, anything goes. http://stuffchristianslike.net/ (see blog #251, July 3)
I was prepared for all the regal patriotic splendor of an independence day service - God Bless America, honoring veterans, a sermon about how all the founding fathers were Christians, etc.
While I do pray that God continues to bless America, and I do pray for and honor our veterans, after living abroad, I feel differently today than I used to. This is a great country, and it has been blessed by God, and I am proud to be an American, but I know better than to think that this is the 'best' country in the world, or a 'Christian country' or the only 'land of the free and home of the brave'. Lots of countries have dedicated veterans and honored heroes who fight for freedom and showcased bravery. Every country deserves freedom and democracy and peace.
So, I felt blessed to sing this song for the first time:

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a prayer that peace transcends in every place;
and yet I pray for my beloved country --
the reassurance of continued grace:
Lord, help us find our one-ness in the Savior,
in spite of differences of age and race.

May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.

This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up 'til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee -- let thy will be done.

I am a proud citizen of the earth, and an even prouder citizen of America. The continent, not just the country.

Funny Moments

We asked the GPS yesterday to give us directions to "go home" and were wondering why it had a map to show us, but no arrival time.
The GPS gave us directions to our "home" in Metepec, Mexico. :)
No one knows our next arrival time there.

We had a garage sale on Saturday and at least 3 hispanic groups came to shop. We wrote "se habla espanol" on our sign (spanish spoken) and so some took us up on our offer! We even met a family - from Toluca!

I will sometimes come home and look at a sink and a counter full of dirty dishes and think, "ummmm.... how did this get here?" and then, "did I think a fairy would clean my kitchen?" Oh, yes, that's right, I did think a fairy would come. Her name is Carmen, and she really did try to crawl in our suitcases...

I took a taxi and forgot to put on my seatbelt. Also forgot to check if the meter was on - that was a HUGE mistake!

Whenever I go to Chipotle and order carnitas or barbacoa or salsa verde, I will slip into Spanish and then try to do my entire order in Spanish. Sometimes, the worker is Hispanic, and doesn't mind. That is much less embarrassing than the weird look from the white teenager.

We went to a new Mexican restaurant bc we had heard they served 'authentic' Mexican food. When we ordered a "torta milanesa" the waitress had no idea what we meant. We repeated it 3 times, and I finally pointed at the menu. "Oh," she says, "You want the chicken sandwich." Um... nope. we could get a chicken sandwich anywhere. What we really want is a torta milanesa.

At work, a Spanish-speaking Latino pastor called and talked with my co-worker, who was struggling to keep up with the conversation. Finally, in desperation, I hear him croak out "Pooh-way-das hab-lahr cone me ahm-ee-go Kelly?" (can you talk to my friend, kelly in the worst accent I've heard in a long time). So... then I continue to talk with the guy for about 15 minutes. *sigh*

A little less American

I walked out of the house yesterday. With nothing but my purse. And just started walking.

In Mexico, it was normal to walk around places. We would go out for dinner - and walk. We would go shopping - and walk. We would leave for the airport - and walk. We would walk just to walk! Some of our favorite excursions being the "mountain" near our house that was a climbing challenge while getting ready to go to Europe. The last 2 months, while I lived in the apartments, I walked to work, I walked to do my laundry, I walked to go visit friends.

But in the states, I get funny looks when I'm walking. In fact, I feel a little funny walking. Leaving my house through the front door - not the garage - is awkward. Walking jauntily past my garage door and driveway with no keys in my hand feels strange.

But for a few weeks now, I have been relying on my feet, and my new bike, and the local bus system for transportation. (and on my DH's car. I can't be too mexican!)

So, maybe I did manage to keep a little part of Mexico with me. If I can only speak Spanish and pretend that I'm fighting with mangy dogs and unruly taxi drivers for space, then I'd feel right at home!

What can I say?

A lot of people - new coworkers, acquaintances, old friends, even some family members - have tried to start conversation by asking "what's it like to be back home?" or the very similar, "are you getting used to life in the states?"

Until very recently, I winced at the question.

What did people want me to say? I heard the very strong implication that I was supposed to say "It's so good to be home" implying that MI/USA alone is my home, that I disliked my time away, that it was easy to re-adjust, etc. I know most people are just making conversation, and really wanted a one or two word answer (kind of like when people ask, "how are you doing?" when they really don't care, they just need something to say after "hello").

But I don't have an easy answer. At least, not one that most people want to hear.

I wanted to scream and shout and rail against the U.S. ethnocentrism that made it difficult for Americans to understand anyone or anyplace else. I wanted to explain how I had left behind some of my very best friends. I wanted to complain about the hassle of moving with suitcases and trucks. I wanted to wax poetic about the culture of Mexico.
I wanted to do a lot of things, but I normally mumbled something like "oh, it's ok" and desperately tried not to cry.

Now, with some wise counsel, I'm ready to own my answer.

"Even though it was time to leave, I wasn't ready. We loved Mexico, and it will always be a part of our hearts. I hope you get a chance to enjoy it someday like we did."
I might cry the first thousand times I repeat it, but I can do it. I can tell people. I can accept if they nod and walk away, but I'm hoping that person after person after person will ask why I loved Mexico so much, and where they should visit, and what part will be the hardest to leave behind.

Because I want to shout loud and clear that I love Mexico, I love the people, I love the culture, I love the food. I think everyone should try to understand immigration before they make a judgment call. I think everyone should eat real tacos. I think everyone should visit Mexico - if even once in their lives - without visiting a beach or going on a mission trip. Just enjoy it like you would enjoy Paris or Cairo or Tokyo or New York City. And then come home and tell someone else.

Dazed and confused

My eyes glazed over as I looked at the options. It was just too overwhelming.

Hundreds of cuts of meat were wrapped in sterile plastic, arranged neatly on spotless white shelves, illuminated by bright lights. There were so many options, and all of them looked so disconnected from each other. There was so much space and so much cleanliness that the meat locker at Meijer reminded me of a morgue or a museum.

It was all too much.

Now, I have to admit, I have never really liked meat shopping. And, while in Mexico, I never did work up the courage to buy my meat from the butcher at the outdoor market who would cut a chunk off of a dangling carcas and wrap it in plain paper. Still, the shock of grocery shopping finally caught up with me.

I miss Mexico.

I miss walking to the outdoor market, carrying my cloth bags and a pocket full of coins. I miss the smell of fresh tortillas and tamales and roasted corn and tacos al pastor while we're shopping. I miss driving to the supermarket and hiding my reusable bags in my purse bc I wasn't allowed to bring them in. I miss tipping the bagger and buying water and getting really excited at the pick-your-own pastries counter.

Here at Meijer, I had to buy a cake for 20. And it probably wasn't made in the bakery right there. The tortillas were full of preservatives in the refrigerated section. The salsa was so pathetic, I didn't even look, lest I get more depressed.

In my Mexican History class, we read an article exerpt from the 18th century explaining how Mexico City was the place for upper-class Europeans to visit. The colors were so unlike anything in drab Europe: the food, the dishes, the clothing, the flowers, the sunshine, the buildings, everything is bright with colors. And during the dry season, when it seems God has turned the world to gray, Mexican mujeres will still wear bright red scarfs and the men will paint their houses yellow, as if by coloring their world they can bring the rain sooner.

Now that I'm surrounded by green forests, and clean rain, and quiet nights, I'm still missing the colors and sound and feel of Mexico.
Maybe I will for a long time to come.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

At the final faculty party, the teachers who were leaving received presents from the board. (It is kind of telling that in a staff of 8, it's normal for 3 teachers to leave each year)

These are handcrafted pewter frames from a town near where we lived. Thankfully I had room in my tight suitcases for a 5-pound picture frame!

My last day was a week before the end of school. (I just couldn't stay for such an emotional week. it was too much.) I tried to get a picture with every kid, but
2 left before I got the camera out.

7th & 8th graders (missing D)


9th & 10th graders (with everyone!)


11th & 12th graders (missing B)


After school, my best teacher friends - the ones at the apartments who hosted me for 5 weeks over my last 2 months in Mexico - took Dave & I out to dinner. This was a delicious restaurant and a bittersweet time together.


This restaurant was full of witty quotes. They're all in Spanish, of course, so I won't share all of my pictures. (Dave says that one in the men's bathroom, above the urinal, said "the future of Mexico is in your hands" which I honestly thought was hilarious)


Much money, little work, cheap tequila - long live Mexico!t

Culture Shock

There are officially 5 stages of culture shock: anticipation, excitement, negotiation, adjustment, and mastery. Unfortunately, 60% of expats never master the new culture. 10% of expats master the new culture so well that they choose to stay, basically forever.
"Some people manage to adapt the aspects of the host culture they see as positive, while keeping some of their own and creating their unique blend. They have no major problems returning home or relocating elsewhere. Approximately 30% of expatriates are these so-called Cosmopolitans." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock)

I guess we're 'cosmopolitan'.

So, of the 90% of expats who return home, most of us go through something called 'reverse culture shock'. Basically, getting used to our old country is nearly as unsettling as getting used to the new country. Most Americans are unsettled by this. People think that we're not very American if we don't immediately re-adjust to our 'old' life or our 'real' life here.

Truthfully, culture is all-encompassing fact of life. We have to get used to dozens of lifestyle changes here:
air conditioning
rain then sun then clouds then drizzle then half sun
cruise control
early morning sunrises and late night sunsets
hockey (not soccer) all over the news
mowing the lawn
expensive restaurants
daily mail
and new jobs, just to name a few.

So... I miss Mexico. 2 years ago, I thought I'd be so happy to see this day, and I am in a way. When we came home for our 6 month visit, I was trying to fill my days with US things and my Spanish was all but forgotten. Last summer, we were in the US and England for over a month, and I forgot some Spanish and didn't miss tacos. 6 months ago, I had a hard time NOT eating avocados with Christmas dinner. Now, I miss my friends, and my beautiful rented house, and the delicious food, and the warm sunshine, and the challenge of speaking another language. I'm sad from leaving my kids and saying good bye to my friends; I'm exhausted from unpacking and cleaning our house while starting a new job.
I'm hopeful that we can bring our Mexican personalities and habits and - can I claim it - culture will come with us to the U.S.

Done

Our time in Mexico is officially "done".

We packed up our beautiful house, and returned our "fancy" car. I ate all the Mexican food and gave away my used clothes. I cleaned out my classroom and sold my Mexico phone.

I completed an exit interview and took pictures with my kids and hugged my friends and got on a plane and flew away.

After months of answering, "so when are you really coming home?" and weeks of living out of suitcases, and days of waking up and wondering where I am, the truth has finally come.

We live here now. We're not going back (anytime soon)

This is our house. My books are on the shelf and my shoes are in the closet and my water bottle is on the bedside table. Dave installed the flooring and I painted the walls and the only thing on our shelves that we didn't pick out ourselves is a kerosene lamp left by the last owner which I can't throw away because of some sort of sentimental value.

Our suitcases are stored in a closet somewhere.
Our passports are in the safe.

My calendar is filling up with "Michigan things" like birthday parties and the farmer's market and bike rides. There aren't any "Mexican things" like spanish class or hotel reservations.

I'm not going back. (well, not anytime soon.)

And it's just not that easy to walk away from a perfectly good life.

Controversial Herb

Like politics and religion, cilantro elicits strong opinions. People love it or hate it. For some, it's an acquired taste, thus attracting its share of proselytizing converts, such as myself. Even the name of the plant can be controversial. In the U.S., the leaves are called cilantro, while the seeds are called coriander. In Europe, the leaves are called coriander, while the seeds are also called coriander. To confuse matters further, cilantro leaves are also known as Chinese parsley.

We LOVE cilantro, and it's very popular in Mexico. For recipes and a full article about this delicious herb, check out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127092887

Immigration

I'm an illegal immigrant.

Yep. I'm a white-skinned, red-blooded, Protestant Christian, college educated, born-in-the-USA, tax paying, hard working American citizen. But I'm also an illegal immigrant in Mexico.

"WAIT!" I hear you shouting. you can't be illegal - you're working!

Of course I'm working. I'm working for a Christian school who refuses to get me legal paperwork and instead pays me under the table. So every time I cross security at the airport, I can't be a Christian witness and tell them "I'm teaching at a Missionary school in Mexico City". I have to lie. I am visiting my husband; I'm staying with a friend; I'm learning Spanish; I'm avoiding the cold northern winters. Basically, I have to pretend that I'm spending every day tanning and drinking margaritas when I'm working a full-time schedule and putting up with kids who don't do their homework and parents who don't speak English and board members who don't know how to run a school.

None of this makes me legal. A little piece of paper makes me legal, and I don't have it.

To Clarify: I am NOT sneaking across the border. I'm crossing into Mexico legally. I'm returning legally. I have a valid passport and a 'tourist visa' which gives me permission to stay in Mexico for up to 180 days at a time as long as I do not commit a crime or ask for government resources.

So, I feel that the following facts about U.S. immigration should be shared:

1. 40% of illegal immigrants in the U.S. arrive with legal documentation, only they overstay their visas. (I can see how easy this is! Once I'm in, no one calls to remind me to leave, or anything.) Once someone has overstayed his or her visa, that person officially has an 'illegal' status and his or her application for legal residency or citizenship will likely be denied.
Myths about illegal immigration: http://www.urban.org/publications/900898.html
how to become a legal resident: http://www.ehow.com/how_2083009_become-legal-us-resident.html
how to become a citizen: http://www.visaus.com/citizen.html

2. Most U.S. citizens are ok with letting current illegal immigrants (about 12 million of them) become legal residents or citizens as long as they learn English, keep a job, and stay out of prison. In otherwords, as long as they act like us. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/opinion/02fri3.html

3. Children who immigrate illegally while minors are still held responsible for their crime. In other words, if a person came to the U.S. illegally as a minor, s/he can be deported with his or her parents if under 18, and once that immigrant graduates from U.S. high school (passing government class, in English) - a feat that up to 25% of U.S. citizen children are not able to accomplish on time - s/he still cannot apply for legal residency or citizenship. Ever. That is why this recent story on CNN really got me angry: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/14/georgia.student.immigration/index.html
and also why I support this guy from my hometown: http://www.annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-man-faces-deportation-following-arrest-in-arizona/

4. While a legal path to citizenship has not yet been proposed (as I mentioned above, most U.S. citizens are ok with this), the DREAM act has been. http://dreamact.info/students This would help law-abiding young people who were brought here illegally by their parents to apply for citizenship, basically forgiving them for living with their parents when they crossed the border.

5. Most illegal immigrants pay taxes: sales taxes & gasoline taxes, of course, but also 2/3 of illegal immigrants pay payroll taxes: income taxes, social security, and medicaid taxes even though they will never receive federal or state benefits. http://reason.org/news/show/122411.html
The only services illegal immigrants can receive are K-12 education (less than 5% of school children are either illegal or children of illegals) and emergency room care.

In short, the US needs a more humane and logical immigration system. Christians need to support immigrants, no matter where they came from or how they got here, because those are our brothers and sisters in Christ. http://faithandimmigration.org/content/about-ccir

Baby Drama

As my avid readers know, I'm currently staying with friends in a small apartment building about 1/2 block from the school in Mexico City where I teach. This is giving me a closer look into the lives of my neighbors than I had when I lived in the condo complex in Metepec. (although, in metepec, I did notice that the men dressed up in suits and smoked by their cars at 10am, watching the portero wash their cars, and then their wives would get all dressed up in athletic gear and walk back and forth on the small road in front of our condos at 11am. This, apparently, was how upper-middle-class Mexicans assert their economic status - they dress well, and mainly separate themselves from the working class Mexicans who wash their cars and their kitchens.)

The apartment building where I am right now is mainly other teachers from my school, but there are 2 apartments with Mexicans - one apartment with 2 single women and one apartment with a Mexican family.

The apartment with 2 single women is only occupied occasionally. The women likely live in a small town near DF, but work or go to school in the city. So they share a cheap apartment to sleep in when they're in town. This is common in Mexico City. It has the most jobs of anywhere in Mexico, but it's crowded and dirty, so people try to work here but live somewhere else.

The apartment with the family is kind of crowded. A 20-something man with his dad, his pregnant wife, and his preschool-aged son are living in an apartment that we consider to be for 1 person (maybe a married couple). They do not have a car. This family seemed nice, and pleasant, and relatively happy, if crowded.
This weekend a huge family drama played out. I speak enough Spanish to get the gist. The wife had her second baby, her family came to visit, and then she left with them. She did not take her children. There was lots of confusion. What exactly happened is basically speculation on our part (we do have some biased details) but through this, I did learn a lot of facts about Mexican society:

1. The local police can be called on in domestic disputes. While they may or may not show up, when they do, they will do basically what U.S. cops do - take down some names, make sure no one is dead, and dispel the situation. Then leave. They will not talk with the children or ask about their welfare.
2. Mothers in Mexico have complete custody of their children. (We had to consult our Mexican co-workers to get this info.) Whether or not they married the mother of their children, fathers are generally not consulted in custody disputes.
3. A mother has to have physically left her child for at least 2 months before she can be considered absent. Children are only considered abused or malnourished if they are routinely hospitalized. Children are only considered neglected if they lack basic food (1 tortilla with beans every 3 days is considered basic nutrition), shelter (anything with a roof counts, even if there is no electricity or running water), and clothing (1 complete outfit with any kind of footwear - even flip-flop sandals - counts).

Some things I already knew about the child welfare system:
4. Once DIF takes the child into custody, any family member without a criminal record can claim custody of the child. As less than 1% of all crimes in Mexico are ever punished, very few "criminals" have a record. Once that person has claimed custody of that child, DIF rarely follows up to be sure that s/he is still caring for the child. (keep in mind that "caring" is a minimal requirement)
5. Less than 100 children from Mexico are adopted outside of the country every year, mainly by Mexicans living abroad and/or married to U.S. citizens who claim responsibility for their distant relatives. Mexico does not want to admit that they have trouble caring for their own children.

So basically, an infant and a toddler have been abandoned (perhaps only temporarily) by their mother in the apartment next to me. The mother has the right, at any time in the next two months, to retrieve the children and take them away from their father forever. In the meantime, it's unclear who will care for them. Even if the father does a great job in caring for these children, and loves them immensely, he doesn't have any right to the kids. If neither the father nor the mother want the children, it will be years - if ever - before permanent caring custodians can be found.

All of this while thousands upon thousands of caring individuals could and would take these children into their homes and care for them.

Today, I am praying for that family and thousands of others for whom the "system" has failed.

International city

I always knew that DF is a truly international city, but one dinner this weekend really drove the idea home. First, this is where our restaurant was located:


And this is what it looked like at the entrance:


So, yes, we went to a Japanese restaurant on a street named for an American state in Mexico's capital city.
Welcome multicultural evening!

When Public Transit Works

After living in Mexico City for nearly 2 years, I was pretty convinced that cities this large just can't work with modern technology. Then, I went to Tokyo - an even larger city - where not only did tens of millions of persons move around every day, but they did it effectively and effectively. If I wasn't already, Tokyo convinced me that public transportation is the way of the future.

Dave & I shared a car for 2 years in mexico, but right now we are both working and "living" here without a car. (and without a house or apartment of our own - officially we're just 'visiting' this time) Trying to get around this huge metropolis like a Mexican, without a car of our own, has been challenging but exciting.

This weekend, we took a suburban light-rail train car (pictured above) which was clean, on time, and very fast. Then, we took a metrobus, which was crowded, but also amazing. The past few weeks, my co-teachers and current hostesses have taught me to use taxis, buses, and "combis, a kind of mini-bus the size of a VW bug.

I'm starting to think Mexico really can handle their traffic problems. By doubling their light rail and metrobus routes, they can decrease traffic and increase on-time transit for residents.

In related news, I have also recently used the bus routes in my hometown in the U.S. I live in a city that sold all of it's street cars to Mexico City in the 1950s, and is the only major US city without a comprehensive rapid transit system. These buses are less effective than a light rail system would be, but still friendly and helpful and well-used.

this is talking about Americans: Mass transit is highly desired by the young, highly educated "creative class" who want to get around a metro area after relaxing downtown — without having to designate a driver.

Maybe mass transit is a way that Mexico can help the US develop?

Common Sense, part 1

http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/new-drug-policy-praised-10513

Most Mexicans are fed up with the "Drug War" started by Pres. Calderon when he took office 3 years ago (Mex. presidents serve 1 6-year term). Trying to fight all 3 major drug cartels at one time is incredibly ineffective. Mainly, the drug cartels are better armed and more prepared than the Mexican army, and although they hate each other, they will band together to fight this war. Attacking only one cartel at a time could work, bc the other cartels will basically help the army. Of course, not everyone likes that strategy... aligning itself with any cartel is generally a poor choice for governments. (Although, I have heard that each administration basically cuts a deal with a different cartel - this cartel basically gets federal immunity as long as they don't kill innocent civilians and also keep the other cartels in line. Sounds ridiculous, but it basically worked for 20 years.)

Anyway, the average Mexican - and I - think that the "drug war" is a problem that the U.S. can and should solve, but that the Mex. gov't is currently unable to solve.
problem #1: North Americans buy most of the drugs. If we stopped the demand, either by lowering our usage and/or making marijuana legal, then the prices would drop and fewer cartels would be profitable.
problem #2: All of the guns used by the drug cartels are legally purchased in Texas and then smuggled across the border by U.S. citizens, who are often allowed to cross back and forth without being searched. U.S. border patrol can't regulate firearms, bc that is a states' rights issue.
problem #3: Mexico does not have enough schools for children over 12. Less than half of all Mexicans attend jr. high, less than a quarter attend high school. These numbers are the worst in rural areas, where high unemployment makes the sacrifice of getting a high school education pretty worthless. This means that millions of Mexican young people have 2 options --> illegally cross into the U.S. to work or sign up with a drug cartel. The 'good guys' are the ones who cross into texas to wash dishes, bc at least their mama can go to bed without crying.
problem #4: The U.S. is training Mexican police - who are all corrupt - rather than investing in education or job training in Mexico or drug rehab programs in the U.S.

A new drug policy was announced today by Pres. Obama (see the link above). The new administration is going to make drug policy a public health issue, rather than a public safety issue. This should decrease drug use and drug demand in the U.S., which will help the drug war. This is common sense #1.

Until we get comprehensive immigration reform (common sense #2) and investment in Mexico's education system (common sense #3) the drug war will continue to rage.

BTW - just like on Law&Order, CSI, NCIS, and a dozen other U.S. shows, most everyone who is killed by drug violence is involved in illegal activity. A few innocent citizens can be caught in the crossfire, but this is less likely than dying in a car crash. I am perfectly safe in Mexico, and I encourage others to visit, especially central Mexico, where the drug cartels are a relatively small presence.

Tough to breathe

http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/air-quality-is-bad-for-half-of-the-year-10510

We all know that DF is dirty. Literally. First off, bc it doesn't rain for about half of the year, and 23 million people live there, soil quickly becomes a fine filmy dust that floats everywhere and sticks to anything - your hair, your car, your storefront - which gives the impression that Mexicans don't care about being clean. This is not true. Mexican women will water the dirt in their front yard to keep it from floating into their house.

Mainly, though, Mexico City is polluted. Millions of cars, buses, trains, and people every day in a mountain valley pump a LOT of pollution into the air.

If you live in the midwest US, you may know about ozone action days - those few hot days in the summer when we're encouraged to fill our gas tanks and mow our lawns after dark to avoid hurting the atmosphere? Well, Mexico has those days half of the year. Literally, half of the days of the year, children are encouraged not to run outside, bc it's bad for their lungs. Every other day of the week, people with asthma need to wear a mask if they leave their house.

We're used to it now, if that's possible, although my nose is runny most of the time.

The more things change...

"When are you moving back? Are you already moved in?"
So many well-meaning people are asking me that question, and I"m trying to remember that they haven't already asked it a million times so I should be nice in my answer.
"We are in the process of moving back. It will take a few trips."
When exactly are we moved back? When the truck leaves? When the truck arrives? When we step off the plane? When I don't have any more airline tickets planned? When the GPS is switched to calculate in miles rather than kilometers? Or is the moving day just a date on the calendar?

Two years ago, I was wrapping up my time at LHWL. I was sad about leaving my students, nervous about finding a new job, harried from preparing a complete curriculum for the next teacher, exhausted from running a my last show without David, and completely scared about what the future would hold. I didn't know what the future would hold, and I was scared of the unknown.

I'm feeling almost the same now as I did before. Even though I know where I will live and where I will work and what I will be doing (basically) this summer, I'm still feeling nostalgic. I had the opportunity to work in a high school this week: substitute in a Spanish classroom and help with a drama production. It brought back so many memories. I got a few days to relive my old life and reconsider my next stage.

Taking a year (or more) out of the classroom will feel very strange.

Addict

Hello, my name is Kelly, and I am addicted to the television.
Not the programs, so much. Just the noise. And the sound. And the news.

I thought everyone needed the TV on when they were working. I thought everyone watched the news at breakfast, and at dinner.

Ok, so I'm over-reacting a bit. according to http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/465910/4_signs_that_youre_suffering_from_television.html?cat=25 TV addicts schedule their lives around TV and overreact when they miss a program. That's not really me.

But after a week with no electricity, and then another week with no TV connection, and now 2 weeks with no cable, I'm starting to get used to the silence.

It's like being on vacation.

An earthquake happened in China, and I didn't know about it for a day or two. My students started talking about last night's episode of one of my favorite shows, and i had to admit I hadn't seen it. I can hear noises from the street during breakfast and I talk with my friend(s) during dinner bc there are no newscasters keeping me company.

This very helpful (sarcasm implied) website http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/tv-addiction-as-serious-as-drug-addiction-382100.html#axzz0lw8P5n9p
exercising, watching TV, playing board games, and actually leaving the apartment as the cure to my addiction.
So... extra novel from the library - check!
Twilight scene it board game played on a laptop with a battery - check!
Taking a 2 hour bus ride to the nearest starbucks for computer access and to read the novel mentioned above - check!
Yoga on the roof at sunset... well, i'm still hoping to try that one.

Seems like my addiction may soon be cured! Only side effect is watching "Glee" episodes a few days late... but that can be acceptable.