okay so on the off chance that the internet works with me long enough to do this...
A quick and inadequate of the chavos in San Pedro:
Alejandro. I just wrote about him in my last post.
Ramiro. Love from first night, and I will be squeezing him in my suitcase somehow. has a BA streak but he is adorable when he is jumping on me or saying goodnight.
Andres. we are warming up to each other quite quickly and he is easy to learn spanish from, because he will repeat it until I get it. I believe he is meeting his gf in the Zocolo tonight, although that could have been Luis Noe who told me that.
Luis Noe. hehehe I am pretty sure that he manuvers (sp) his hugs so that his head is in my chest, but he is still awesome and plays around me and I appreciate all his help all of the time, too.
Juan: not one of my favorites. makes fun of me. minimal love right now.
Urial: better than Juan, but not by much. Also mocks me. no thank you.
Samuel: BAHAHA I have a couple of videos of him on my camera and he is an absolute riot. love to play with him.
Jose: decievingly cute. he can be really disobidient (sp) and then just shyly grin and sometimes it works.
Alejandro: I think a lot is going on in that kiddos mind, because sometimes he sulks and is moody and I feel really bad for him, and other times he seems fine. maybe the epitome of an IPO chavo
Rey David. knows his name is David King in english hehe and he is probs one of the most grown up at 12 and is bullied lots on the walks to and from school but I feel like that kid has my back 24 7 and it is awesome
Alonso: aye ye ye that kiddo can get himself into trouble!! He has been at IPO for at least 2 years and takes everything personally and fights a lot, but he has a dimple that is quite like mine and he is cute...
shoot. who am I forgetting. sound of music part when she is God blessing the children and she forgets Kurt. but there is no Kurt here.
Adrian! how could I forget him! he is also freakin moody and sometimes loves me and sometimes ignores me. wow I am actually quite surprised he is the one I forgot. Sorry, Adrian! also, his name is hard to say with a spanish and not english accent.
and Sita and I are still working working working but it is so obvious to be that she is the Sita and San Pedro is the house for me!!
I am truly loving it more and more everyday and finally I am at the point where, although I am anxiously awaiting that August 13th flight, now I know it will be filled with sadness of leaving and not only happiness of coming/going home.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
third time is a charm
fail. just typed a quarter of a post and it dissappeared into internet land forever. oh well.
wait, no, I just found it in draft land! Yay!
I had started it out by stating how completely much I rock at life. why (no idea where the question mark is on this keyboard) well because I got myself to this internet cafe here in Atlixco all by my very self which involved hopping a bus and telling it where to stop and paying and following a hand drawn map. uh huh pretty much rock at life. also, my extremely large ego is only due to the large amounts of attention I am recieving. cant help it hehehe
on a failure note, thought, not on my part thank goodness, our aka my dear could have been San Fran volunteer friend was kicked out last night. why I am not 100% sure the first story I heard was that he scolded a kid using force after eating an apple with worms but I think the more reliable store from Val was that he paid a kid 5 pesos which is freakin 50 cents to eat a dead bird (they are all over the place because they fall from their nests) and I guess he was more of a hinderance than a help and at least I do whatever I can whenever I can regardless of if I understand it fully...but it really, really shocked me because it feels like everything is kinda light and whatever when it comes to volunteers in that some do all the bi ch work and others dont and it was just surprising how fast this escalated to being sent home. I was glad to hear that he really wasnt a good volunteer, because when I found out last night with that apple and worms story, I was really worrying about my position here, since I am not super volunteer doing all the laundry and understanding everything all the time. but I think that all shall be well and no way am I going to ever joke around with them in that way. so.
lets see...I always have so, so many thought swimming around in my head about what I want to write and then I get here and the computer fails or I dont want to write it anymore or...haha
so this weekend is so far going SO much better than last. last night I strolled around the highway and stopped at the gas station to get some liquid heaven (pina colada flavored something...non alcoholic and infintely better) and today I was awoken by the kiddos working away, and I took my time showering (did I mention the water is literally never ever warm in our house oh well I shall appreciate my first shower at home that much more)and then when Ramiro came in to go to the bathroom we messed around for a quick 5 min and seriously he is coming home with me adore him to death.
on an adoration note, I am really very curious if Val and Estonia volunteers get the same kinds of attention and affection that I do. like...I have thought a lot about why they literally cannot wait for the weekends or Estonia is taking a week vacation week after this and like...they always want to get away, while meanwhile I am figuring out how to confirm if its okay that I am actually staying there so much. theres tons of boys in other houses who will run up to me with a hug or who are always very excited if I am in their afternoon work group and this morning/afternoon I watched while the older boys played futbol which was fantastic and once again, I just felt this feeling of this is what I wanted and this is where I want to be. I dont know if in another month I will be the same and will be fleeing the casas at 7 on friday night...idk thats just something I am thinking about.
so I am in Atlixco now and am planning, when I finish up here, on walking around some more, at some point getting dinner, and then eventually I will go and sit somewhere in the town square and people watch. Might do so in the Italian Coffee Company, which are huge here, or might just sit. TBD but I am excited to do a weekend my way. Val is actually sitting 4 computers down from me, and is planning on spending the night in Puebla and then going to visit the volcanos tomorrow...but I want this weekend for me and maybe next I shall play tag along once again. also, the famous and fabulous volunteer frankie, who EVERYONE talks about, is supposed to come within the next couple of days, and I guess he really can pull volunteers together for fun outings, so my fingers are crossed.
posting this baby now so I can retrive an old one from draft land! thanks, as always, for reading!
wait, no, I just found it in draft land! Yay!
I had started it out by stating how completely much I rock at life. why (no idea where the question mark is on this keyboard) well because I got myself to this internet cafe here in Atlixco all by my very self which involved hopping a bus and telling it where to stop and paying and following a hand drawn map. uh huh pretty much rock at life. also, my extremely large ego is only due to the large amounts of attention I am recieving. cant help it hehehe
on a failure note, thought, not on my part thank goodness, our aka my dear could have been San Fran volunteer friend was kicked out last night. why I am not 100% sure the first story I heard was that he scolded a kid using force after eating an apple with worms but I think the more reliable store from Val was that he paid a kid 5 pesos which is freakin 50 cents to eat a dead bird (they are all over the place because they fall from their nests) and I guess he was more of a hinderance than a help and at least I do whatever I can whenever I can regardless of if I understand it fully...but it really, really shocked me because it feels like everything is kinda light and whatever when it comes to volunteers in that some do all the bi ch work and others dont and it was just surprising how fast this escalated to being sent home. I was glad to hear that he really wasnt a good volunteer, because when I found out last night with that apple and worms story, I was really worrying about my position here, since I am not super volunteer doing all the laundry and understanding everything all the time. but I think that all shall be well and no way am I going to ever joke around with them in that way. so.
lets see...I always have so, so many thought swimming around in my head about what I want to write and then I get here and the computer fails or I dont want to write it anymore or...haha
so this weekend is so far going SO much better than last. last night I strolled around the highway and stopped at the gas station to get some liquid heaven (pina colada flavored something...non alcoholic and infintely better) and today I was awoken by the kiddos working away, and I took my time showering (did I mention the water is literally never ever warm in our house oh well I shall appreciate my first shower at home that much more)and then when Ramiro came in to go to the bathroom we messed around for a quick 5 min and seriously he is coming home with me adore him to death.
on an adoration note, I am really very curious if Val and Estonia volunteers get the same kinds of attention and affection that I do. like...I have thought a lot about why they literally cannot wait for the weekends or Estonia is taking a week vacation week after this and like...they always want to get away, while meanwhile I am figuring out how to confirm if its okay that I am actually staying there so much. theres tons of boys in other houses who will run up to me with a hug or who are always very excited if I am in their afternoon work group and this morning/afternoon I watched while the older boys played futbol which was fantastic and once again, I just felt this feeling of this is what I wanted and this is where I want to be. I dont know if in another month I will be the same and will be fleeing the casas at 7 on friday night...idk thats just something I am thinking about.
so I am in Atlixco now and am planning, when I finish up here, on walking around some more, at some point getting dinner, and then eventually I will go and sit somewhere in the town square and people watch. Might do so in the Italian Coffee Company, which are huge here, or might just sit. TBD but I am excited to do a weekend my way. Val is actually sitting 4 computers down from me, and is planning on spending the night in Puebla and then going to visit the volcanos tomorrow...but I want this weekend for me and maybe next I shall play tag along once again. also, the famous and fabulous volunteer frankie, who EVERYONE talks about, is supposed to come within the next couple of days, and I guess he really can pull volunteers together for fun outings, so my fingers are crossed.
posting this baby now so I can retrive an old one from draft land! thanks, as always, for reading!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Random (as always?)
this was typed on Friday, at IPO, and their entire office electricity kept going out. fail
Other random things:
Mom, this is going to be a shocker, but as of now,I do not want spaghetti when I come home. in fact, that Atkins thing sounds quite appealing after noodle soup and rice every.single.day. accompanied by who knows what else-sometimes veggie soup-sometimes eggs in green something...huh. but we have a cantelope sitting around I am extremly exited for whenever that is served.
it was actually served on friday...or maybe thursday...and it was heaven.
got my first sunburn of the season...whoops. But it is not completely horrible, so I shall simply tan beautifully :)
more of the boys are warming up to be, and we will tell chistes (jokes) or Luis Noe loves hugs all the time.
One of the boys who used to live in San Pedro, my house, has retrned after running away. He has a super sweet face but can fight as well as the rest of them. his face can melt...helado, though! hehe and he helps me out and yesterday we sneakily ate some eggs and ham that were given to our house.
also, on a Gaga shout out, his name is also Alajandro.
random dinner memory: so rice and beans are served every single day and Sita knows I hate beans (if Amanda could do it in the DR, I can live without them here!) and I have been stuck eating them twice accidentaly, I think, but wow. so it is a punishment for the boys to eat only beans for a meal, and one night thats what they all had to do, and Jose made some comment in passing about how he has to get used to beans because his family didnt have enough money to afford them. wow. owned, Laura. owned.
happy birthday to Carter, and happy graduation. I dont think anyone here has the same birthday, but a guy I was working with yesterday turned 16. close hehe.
Other random things:
Mom, this is going to be a shocker, but as of now,I do not want spaghetti when I come home. in fact, that Atkins thing sounds quite appealing after noodle soup and rice every.single.day. accompanied by who knows what else-sometimes veggie soup-sometimes eggs in green something...huh. but we have a cantelope sitting around I am extremly exited for whenever that is served.
it was actually served on friday...or maybe thursday...and it was heaven.
got my first sunburn of the season...whoops. But it is not completely horrible, so I shall simply tan beautifully :)
more of the boys are warming up to be, and we will tell chistes (jokes) or Luis Noe loves hugs all the time.
One of the boys who used to live in San Pedro, my house, has retrned after running away. He has a super sweet face but can fight as well as the rest of them. his face can melt...helado, though! hehe and he helps me out and yesterday we sneakily ate some eggs and ham that were given to our house.
also, on a Gaga shout out, his name is also Alajandro.
random dinner memory: so rice and beans are served every single day and Sita knows I hate beans (if Amanda could do it in the DR, I can live without them here!) and I have been stuck eating them twice accidentaly, I think, but wow. so it is a punishment for the boys to eat only beans for a meal, and one night thats what they all had to do, and Jose made some comment in passing about how he has to get used to beans because his family didnt have enough money to afford them. wow. owned, Laura. owned.
happy birthday to Carter, and happy graduation. I dont think anyone here has the same birthday, but a guy I was working with yesterday turned 16. close hehe.
¿como se dice hazing in espanol?
this might be a keyboard fail I am pounding on these keys to get them to work...BUT I need to say hey since I havent for quite some time!!
so this weekI have been in charge of walking a group of 15 kids to school at 7:30, waiting with them fr their teacher till 8:10ish, and then going back at 1. last week, I walked with Valerie to find out where it was, andwith the 2 of us it was easy enough. LIES. when there is one voluteer, they fight and steal food and dont listen tome and on mon they threw rocks (word ofthe day ysterday = piedras) at the bees and juan-who is not my favsie anyways-got stung and it was freakin loco.
best part hands down is gettin to stare at the volcano, which seriosly I adore, the entire way back.
this morning, I was bracing myself,and it wasnt going that bad. yeah-kiddos were fighting and being bullied but no one was crying. oh wait-until one started crying. but then YAY Laura y Miguelito to the rescue! and we sat with him and miguel (cutest and youngest = smallest boy here) offered him his water and finally when the teacher came, I told Miguel muchas gracias and he ran back to me to give me a huge hug and a kiss. YAY!
so again-I called it-things are crazy and suck and I wonder why I am babysitting everyone and them BAM something like that happens and all is well again. for at least the next hour or two :)
so this weekI have been in charge of walking a group of 15 kids to school at 7:30, waiting with them fr their teacher till 8:10ish, and then going back at 1. last week, I walked with Valerie to find out where it was, andwith the 2 of us it was easy enough. LIES. when there is one voluteer, they fight and steal food and dont listen tome and on mon they threw rocks (word ofthe day ysterday = piedras) at the bees and juan-who is not my favsie anyways-got stung and it was freakin loco.
best part hands down is gettin to stare at the volcano, which seriosly I adore, the entire way back.
this morning, I was bracing myself,and it wasnt going that bad. yeah-kiddos were fighting and being bullied but no one was crying. oh wait-until one started crying. but then YAY Laura y Miguelito to the rescue! and we sat with him and miguel (cutest and youngest = smallest boy here) offered him his water and finally when the teacher came, I told Miguel muchas gracias and he ran back to me to give me a huge hug and a kiss. YAY!
so again-I called it-things are crazy and suck and I wonder why I am babysitting everyone and them BAM something like that happens and all is well again. for at least the next hour or two :)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
part 2
so yep...I am just figuring out where I want to be here...
in LauraLand, I would be with the boys all of the days playing outside and they would not need to be punished and also there would be no bugs. probs would be slightly closer to august...this 12 more weeks to go is still freaking me out.
and in reality...I still don´t know. Valerie has asked me if I want to see more of Mexico...and you know, if I felt like I could work my way around Atlixco, maybe I would want to visit places near here, like Chiapas or...whatever else is around here. But it´s weird because I came totally totally thinking that for the most part, once I arrived at IPO I would be staying at IPO and now it turns out maybe not...and obviously I´m just not entirely comfortable with that.
also-a side note, Pat just told be via fb chat-for any of you who were waiting patiently for skype, it´s not installed on this comp and I can´t install it, either-that he thought/observed that the adults at IPO are kinda hard on the kiddos and yep they are but I think they might know what they are doing because on thurs, mi casa went around in a circle and each kiddo said how they arrived at IPO and the majority of them said that they had ran away from home...and in order to be at IPO, they have to have been in another program previously, because IPO will not take them straight off the streets. Also, they choose to be here, and wake up and 5 and do chores and eat rice and beans todos los dias...so obviously their lives before really were´t all that great? When I had to say why I was there, I said to learn. Andres asked if it was to learn spanish, and I answered si, pero tambien de todo (but also to learn everything).
so, in conclusion-ish...I simply adore the children in my house and there are others in otras casas who come and specifically find me and they are adorable and everyone at IPO is wonderful. how I fit into that equation, especially working things out with Sita, is yet to be determined. But I will keep trying and hopefully Valerie finds me a half-way decent companion and I can ask her to show me how this transportation thing works at least another one to two more times...and hopefully I will not always fear the weekends as a ´yikes how can I get out of their way?´ but instead more of a ¨I can go out tonight if I want to, but I certainly don´t need to¨ type thing.
haha lots of confusion on this end, but lots of laughing and smiling and half-way figuring spanish out and...
I hope that everything is going wonderfully in your life and I am positive that if you are reading this, I miss you incredibly large amounts :)
te amo
in LauraLand, I would be with the boys all of the days playing outside and they would not need to be punished and also there would be no bugs. probs would be slightly closer to august...this 12 more weeks to go is still freaking me out.
and in reality...I still don´t know. Valerie has asked me if I want to see more of Mexico...and you know, if I felt like I could work my way around Atlixco, maybe I would want to visit places near here, like Chiapas or...whatever else is around here. But it´s weird because I came totally totally thinking that for the most part, once I arrived at IPO I would be staying at IPO and now it turns out maybe not...and obviously I´m just not entirely comfortable with that.
also-a side note, Pat just told be via fb chat-for any of you who were waiting patiently for skype, it´s not installed on this comp and I can´t install it, either-that he thought/observed that the adults at IPO are kinda hard on the kiddos and yep they are but I think they might know what they are doing because on thurs, mi casa went around in a circle and each kiddo said how they arrived at IPO and the majority of them said that they had ran away from home...and in order to be at IPO, they have to have been in another program previously, because IPO will not take them straight off the streets. Also, they choose to be here, and wake up and 5 and do chores and eat rice and beans todos los dias...so obviously their lives before really were´t all that great? When I had to say why I was there, I said to learn. Andres asked if it was to learn spanish, and I answered si, pero tambien de todo (but also to learn everything).
so, in conclusion-ish...I simply adore the children in my house and there are others in otras casas who come and specifically find me and they are adorable and everyone at IPO is wonderful. how I fit into that equation, especially working things out with Sita, is yet to be determined. But I will keep trying and hopefully Valerie finds me a half-way decent companion and I can ask her to show me how this transportation thing works at least another one to two more times...and hopefully I will not always fear the weekends as a ´yikes how can I get out of their way?´ but instead more of a ¨I can go out tonight if I want to, but I certainly don´t need to¨ type thing.
haha lots of confusion on this end, but lots of laughing and smiling and half-way figuring spanish out and...
I hope that everything is going wonderfully in your life and I am positive that if you are reading this, I miss you incredibly large amounts :)
te amo
Part 1
saludos from an internet cafe in Puebla!
I have no idea what I just ate for lunch (okay-actually I had a potato and saussage and chile sandwhich and some sort of soft taco creation with HORCHATA yay!)
definitely have no idea how I got here...except I got here with Valerie and she certainly seems to know what she is doing!!
so...my poor little head is spinning. there is so much to process. it´s like once I get the routine down during the week, and I think to myself, hey-it is a possibility that I can do this-ohhhhh wait! here comes the weekend.
speaking of, I have done everything I was told not to.
friday night, went to a bar in atlixco and drank a pina colada. complete fail, because a) I barely know this girl Valerie, who is the German volunteer, and drinking with strangers in a karaoke bar is truly no fun at all.
(side note, now I am confused because I might be back online again at 3 in Atlixco...huh. Tagging along sucks but is absolutely 100% necessary at this point)
b) HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE THAT PINA COLADAS ARE NOT EVERYTHING I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE?!?!
c)I got all cute and ready and...after a sketch bus ride there and a really nice taxi driver back...I really don´t know if I want to go out every weekend, but I feel like IPO hasn´t necessarily accounted for me staying every weekend?
so Saturday I woke up LATE yay and it was freakin´ adorable because when the boys were done working, they came inside and they hadn´t seen me in like, what, 12 hours but they all had little smiles and I got a few hugs and I felt like an awesome Mexican mother!! (no literal meaning there, mom.) And a little later on I had a blastey blast playing around with Ramiro y Luis Noe in the kitchen...but gah! Here´s the thing-and I have run into this problem before...they are 10 years old and what I´m used to with a 10 year old is lots of play time...tiny attention spans...and even on the weekends, their schedule includes a lot of work and a lot of cleaning, and not a lot of playing with Laura time. so then I feel bad and confused when their older-chavo-babysitters (because the house educators get the weekend entirely off, too, and mine left altogether) punish them or yell at them or whatever and it´s probably because I was playing with them a little more than I was telling them to work. also-it sucks that I can´t remember all the time how to use commands in spanish. darn. like take for example, last night, when the boys got back from Atlixco--the older boys go from 4-8 and the younger boys from 6-8 and they are given enough money from IPO to buy dinner or whatever else they want in the zoloco, or town square--and I guess two of the boys from my house were lost-ish for a while so they were sent directly to bed. I went up to Alejandro to see if I had put the right clothes on the right bed, and then saw he was crying, and tried to give him a hug and back-rub and what-not. 30 min later, the babysitter older guy, Jaime, asked me (although he needed to say it 3 times) to not like...take care of the kiddos who are being punished. which makes complete sense-it just sucks because I felt really bad after the fact but when I don´t understand what´s going on...I don´t know what I am suppossed to do!
but regression to more of things I was specifically warned not to do: I went for a walk alone yesterday after the boys left for Atlixco and while I was rather dissappointed at only an average of one whistle or horn honk every 2 minutes, I did ADORE the walk. the mountains here are nothing but gorgeous and it was absolutely authentic with vendors or little restraunts along the side of the highway. I went to the gas station to buy something, and was torn between a sol ceverza simply to get the cap which would match my sol keychain (for all of you who didn´t know this side of me before, I offer my sincerest apologies, but would prefer not to censor this hehe honesty is the best policy...?) anyways between a ceverza and an ice cream bar when this CREEPER came and asked me where I was from and attempted spanish and guess what?! I rocked it and carried on the full convo in spanish and explained to him that I didn´t remember my address (false. 25 cat fed) and I only had 10 min until I needed to return and well...like I said rocked it. so in entirety, I rocked my 2 hours alone. and I did not need go ride a sketch bus into Atlixco or go to a pathetic bar and...yeah. so that´s one of those confusing things.
the final thing I did which everyone told me not to: drank the water! and am still alive and typing and in no need of a constant bano cerca de mi and so yay for working that all out! I´ll still try to ease my way in to a full nalgene of it...but that day is coming and I think I shall survive! yay!
I have no idea what I just ate for lunch (okay-actually I had a potato and saussage and chile sandwhich and some sort of soft taco creation with HORCHATA yay!)
definitely have no idea how I got here...except I got here with Valerie and she certainly seems to know what she is doing!!
so...my poor little head is spinning. there is so much to process. it´s like once I get the routine down during the week, and I think to myself, hey-it is a possibility that I can do this-ohhhhh wait! here comes the weekend.
speaking of, I have done everything I was told not to.
friday night, went to a bar in atlixco and drank a pina colada. complete fail, because a) I barely know this girl Valerie, who is the German volunteer, and drinking with strangers in a karaoke bar is truly no fun at all.
(side note, now I am confused because I might be back online again at 3 in Atlixco...huh. Tagging along sucks but is absolutely 100% necessary at this point)
b) HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE THAT PINA COLADAS ARE NOT EVERYTHING I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE?!?!
c)I got all cute and ready and...after a sketch bus ride there and a really nice taxi driver back...I really don´t know if I want to go out every weekend, but I feel like IPO hasn´t necessarily accounted for me staying every weekend?
so Saturday I woke up LATE yay and it was freakin´ adorable because when the boys were done working, they came inside and they hadn´t seen me in like, what, 12 hours but they all had little smiles and I got a few hugs and I felt like an awesome Mexican mother!! (no literal meaning there, mom.) And a little later on I had a blastey blast playing around with Ramiro y Luis Noe in the kitchen...but gah! Here´s the thing-and I have run into this problem before...they are 10 years old and what I´m used to with a 10 year old is lots of play time...tiny attention spans...and even on the weekends, their schedule includes a lot of work and a lot of cleaning, and not a lot of playing with Laura time. so then I feel bad and confused when their older-chavo-babysitters (because the house educators get the weekend entirely off, too, and mine left altogether) punish them or yell at them or whatever and it´s probably because I was playing with them a little more than I was telling them to work. also-it sucks that I can´t remember all the time how to use commands in spanish. darn. like take for example, last night, when the boys got back from Atlixco--the older boys go from 4-8 and the younger boys from 6-8 and they are given enough money from IPO to buy dinner or whatever else they want in the zoloco, or town square--and I guess two of the boys from my house were lost-ish for a while so they were sent directly to bed. I went up to Alejandro to see if I had put the right clothes on the right bed, and then saw he was crying, and tried to give him a hug and back-rub and what-not. 30 min later, the babysitter older guy, Jaime, asked me (although he needed to say it 3 times) to not like...take care of the kiddos who are being punished. which makes complete sense-it just sucks because I felt really bad after the fact but when I don´t understand what´s going on...I don´t know what I am suppossed to do!
but regression to more of things I was specifically warned not to do: I went for a walk alone yesterday after the boys left for Atlixco and while I was rather dissappointed at only an average of one whistle or horn honk every 2 minutes, I did ADORE the walk. the mountains here are nothing but gorgeous and it was absolutely authentic with vendors or little restraunts along the side of the highway. I went to the gas station to buy something, and was torn between a sol ceverza simply to get the cap which would match my sol keychain (for all of you who didn´t know this side of me before, I offer my sincerest apologies, but would prefer not to censor this hehe honesty is the best policy...?) anyways between a ceverza and an ice cream bar when this CREEPER came and asked me where I was from and attempted spanish and guess what?! I rocked it and carried on the full convo in spanish and explained to him that I didn´t remember my address (false. 25 cat fed) and I only had 10 min until I needed to return and well...like I said rocked it. so in entirety, I rocked my 2 hours alone. and I did not need go ride a sketch bus into Atlixco or go to a pathetic bar and...yeah. so that´s one of those confusing things.
the final thing I did which everyone told me not to: drank the water! and am still alive and typing and in no need of a constant bano cerca de mi and so yay for working that all out! I´ll still try to ease my way in to a full nalgene of it...but that day is coming and I think I shall survive! yay!
Friday, May 21, 2010
written 21 de mayo
Okay so I really needed to post that last one because it absolutely was how I was feeling and absolutely how I still occasionally feel...but I can tell you things have gotten significantly better.
I live in la casa San Pedro, with 11 chavos who are between the ages of 9 (Ramiro) and 12. we wake up and 5 and go to bed between 9 and 10. They are in school from 7/7:30 to 2, which is when lunch is. and oh-by the way-I found water to keep me ALIVE while I get used to the water here. then chores and showers and homework and clothes washing and playing before dinner, which is around 7. nope-this is crazy-I am not eating between my meals. which include beans every single day-and besides yesterday when I did eat refried on bread with cheese, I have avoided them all together! after dinner, chores, playtime, and bed.
haha well that was the rough outline...while I am thinking about it, Katelyn & company, Ivan is still here! He is 19 and obviously didnt remember me-he asked if my hair was the same color as last time?? but he did remember "las gimelos" the twins--Claire and Jane!
last night was fantastico because los chavos de San Pedro went out to the "old" soccer field to play-it is by the goats and p.s. the soccer field we put down does look great and green! but they went and then 5 older boys came too and ohh gosh it was so great to watch. I will also play-but not with the teenagers since los chiquitos aqui could beat me any day. and as I have been explaining to people, it is connections like these that are seriously keeping me going. connections like sitting on our patio/step area and seeing who comes by to talk...or gah-I am already suffering hard from loving los chavos mucho mucho mucho and yep I have a favorite and he is a trouble maker-when I place myself in fantasy world-sometimes necessary because this is insane-I am a mix between Mary Poppins and Sound of Music.
Sound of Music is obvious to me-I was fearful and if I had my luggage I am sure I could have used it for singing props and I arrived at a house with a bunch of children who people think misbehave-okay they do-and I am trying to navigate working with the house educator who the chavos call Sita, because she needs a balance of tough love and all I want to do is let them play and sleep past 5 and such. also-I think that the boys understand my gringa accent 1000x better than she does, which complicates things, but we are working at it! also-Marry Poppins comes from my new pastime of sweeping and mopping...those floors are sweeped and mopped about 5 times a day. wow. so I look for those spoonfulls of sugar wherever I can.
But again-things are hard and I miss home and by the way I have yet to enter the bathroom when the boys are awake and in the house since there is no toilet paper, the doors do not lock, and the showers are dirty because...well I guess because they are 10 year old former street children? this is roughing it. for sure. but seriously-I do get excited when I have a conversation with ANYONE in spanish-although it can turn to a series of ¨´lo siento, no entiendo¨¨ very quickly, and I know all the boys names and half of them give me hugs and my favsie gave me a hug from night one and I think there is some chance that I am going to survive this and keep on learning freakin spanish and...who knows?
today estoy nerviosa porque volunteers-which include me, a 20 yr old girl from Estonia (ummmm where in the world is that?) a 20 year old girl from Germany who has been here for a year and a half, and gracias a Dios, a 18 year old from San Fran got here on wednesday and even though he speaks perfect spanish, the kid also speaks english. but anyways I am nervous because volunteers get weekends off and I guess the norm is to leave here and go out to Atlixco or Puebla and meanwhile I am thinking that I can barely communicate here and I am supposed to throw myself into the city? YIKES! but german volunteer said I could go with her and I may or may not this weekend work up the courage to ask San Fran (p.s. his name is Andres-only friends for us!) what he is up to and Estonia has found friends in Atlixco...whatever that means! But I am scared and we shall see what happens-although as soon as I decide to step it up, fabulous and exicting words such as discoteco y cerveza y cena sin frijoles have been mentioned!!
what else...small details like there is an Alejandro in my house...I knew his name in like 3 hrs and rock at pronouncing it thanks to Gaga...IPO looks different but not like, overwhelmingly different...duh everyone stares at me and I feel like I am working the system a little too much when I shower and wear my hair down hehe and yep...
also-time here is weird and I really have a very limited idea of what day it is but a) Carter are you graduating today? fail sister, I know...fail fail fail. If so, CONGRATS! FELITACIONES! not spelled right...I love you and am so proud!!
and if not...I know when your birthday is!!
b) three months is a long time, for those of you who actually processed that one through seriously, so send those text messages just to keep me company because a smile is worth so much more than 5 cents. I will let you know when I am done requiring support!
finally, ápologies now and forever for grammar and spelling on this baby. no idea how to use a Mexican keyboard. nope.
I love you and miss you all and please please let me know what is going on in your fabulous and fantastic life!! In the meantime, tengo que irme, y hasta luego!
I live in la casa San Pedro, with 11 chavos who are between the ages of 9 (Ramiro) and 12. we wake up and 5 and go to bed between 9 and 10. They are in school from 7/7:30 to 2, which is when lunch is. and oh-by the way-I found water to keep me ALIVE while I get used to the water here. then chores and showers and homework and clothes washing and playing before dinner, which is around 7. nope-this is crazy-I am not eating between my meals. which include beans every single day-and besides yesterday when I did eat refried on bread with cheese, I have avoided them all together! after dinner, chores, playtime, and bed.
haha well that was the rough outline...while I am thinking about it, Katelyn & company, Ivan is still here! He is 19 and obviously didnt remember me-he asked if my hair was the same color as last time?? but he did remember "las gimelos" the twins--Claire and Jane!
last night was fantastico because los chavos de San Pedro went out to the "old" soccer field to play-it is by the goats and p.s. the soccer field we put down does look great and green! but they went and then 5 older boys came too and ohh gosh it was so great to watch. I will also play-but not with the teenagers since los chiquitos aqui could beat me any day. and as I have been explaining to people, it is connections like these that are seriously keeping me going. connections like sitting on our patio/step area and seeing who comes by to talk...or gah-I am already suffering hard from loving los chavos mucho mucho mucho and yep I have a favorite and he is a trouble maker-when I place myself in fantasy world-sometimes necessary because this is insane-I am a mix between Mary Poppins and Sound of Music.
Sound of Music is obvious to me-I was fearful and if I had my luggage I am sure I could have used it for singing props and I arrived at a house with a bunch of children who people think misbehave-okay they do-and I am trying to navigate working with the house educator who the chavos call Sita, because she needs a balance of tough love and all I want to do is let them play and sleep past 5 and such. also-I think that the boys understand my gringa accent 1000x better than she does, which complicates things, but we are working at it! also-Marry Poppins comes from my new pastime of sweeping and mopping...those floors are sweeped and mopped about 5 times a day. wow. so I look for those spoonfulls of sugar wherever I can.
But again-things are hard and I miss home and by the way I have yet to enter the bathroom when the boys are awake and in the house since there is no toilet paper, the doors do not lock, and the showers are dirty because...well I guess because they are 10 year old former street children? this is roughing it. for sure. but seriously-I do get excited when I have a conversation with ANYONE in spanish-although it can turn to a series of ¨´lo siento, no entiendo¨¨ very quickly, and I know all the boys names and half of them give me hugs and my favsie gave me a hug from night one and I think there is some chance that I am going to survive this and keep on learning freakin spanish and...who knows?
today estoy nerviosa porque volunteers-which include me, a 20 yr old girl from Estonia (ummmm where in the world is that?) a 20 year old girl from Germany who has been here for a year and a half, and gracias a Dios, a 18 year old from San Fran got here on wednesday and even though he speaks perfect spanish, the kid also speaks english. but anyways I am nervous because volunteers get weekends off and I guess the norm is to leave here and go out to Atlixco or Puebla and meanwhile I am thinking that I can barely communicate here and I am supposed to throw myself into the city? YIKES! but german volunteer said I could go with her and I may or may not this weekend work up the courage to ask San Fran (p.s. his name is Andres-only friends for us!) what he is up to and Estonia has found friends in Atlixco...whatever that means! But I am scared and we shall see what happens-although as soon as I decide to step it up, fabulous and exicting words such as discoteco y cerveza y cena sin frijoles have been mentioned!!
what else...small details like there is an Alejandro in my house...I knew his name in like 3 hrs and rock at pronouncing it thanks to Gaga...IPO looks different but not like, overwhelmingly different...duh everyone stares at me and I feel like I am working the system a little too much when I shower and wear my hair down hehe and yep...
also-time here is weird and I really have a very limited idea of what day it is but a) Carter are you graduating today? fail sister, I know...fail fail fail. If so, CONGRATS! FELITACIONES! not spelled right...I love you and am so proud!!
and if not...I know when your birthday is!!
b) three months is a long time, for those of you who actually processed that one through seriously, so send those text messages just to keep me company because a smile is worth so much more than 5 cents. I will let you know when I am done requiring support!
finally, ápologies now and forever for grammar and spelling on this baby. no idea how to use a Mexican keyboard. nope.
I love you and miss you all and please please let me know what is going on in your fabulous and fantastic life!! In the meantime, tengo que irme, y hasta luego!
Getting Schooled
[written 18 de mayo]
pues, despues de meses y meses de esperanza, emocionada, y crecienda que todo voy a perfecto...
reality hit.
bad sign that i spent half of my 6 hr layover in LAX determining that i was not at all where i was supposed to be -thanks to those who kept me company via phone!-
Had no clue what was going on in Guadalajara with no boarding pass, y por supuesto, when I Reached puebla, mis maletas (I can never remember that word when I need it) did not arrive which would have been frustrating and I would have left in a timely fashion except that we did not cut the price tags off the 40 jerseys SoccerStop (plug?) donated, and so I had to pay 16% of what they were worth-which is dumb for a charity donation.
Also: hours went without showering = [ended up being] 72. consumed water = none-mexican or otherwise. bug bites, which I really should refer to as...bug rapes? idk. but at least 15 and counting.
So its probably no surprise that I used who knows how much $ to call my mommy this morning while eating a stolen-ish orange--the closest thing I could find to water-while crying. All along, I kept telling people that hahahano. I was not doing this for the kids. I was doing it for myself!
otra vez. reality check. this is the farthest thing from all about me. ever. so...shoot?
and these are the thoughts that plague me when i am alone, which is actually not all that often, or when
But as I have been reminded by various friends-no reminder any less important or with less meaning than another-uncomfortable is somehow...good. or at least its how
pues, despues de meses y meses de esperanza, emocionada, y crecienda que todo voy a perfecto...
reality hit.
bad sign that i spent half of my 6 hr layover in LAX determining that i was not at all where i was supposed to be -thanks to those who kept me company via phone!-
Had no clue what was going on in Guadalajara with no boarding pass, y por supuesto, when I Reached puebla, mis maletas (I can never remember that word when I need it) did not arrive which would have been frustrating and I would have left in a timely fashion except that we did not cut the price tags off the 40 jerseys SoccerStop (plug?) donated, and so I had to pay 16% of what they were worth-which is dumb for a charity donation.
Also: hours went without showering = [ended up being] 72. consumed water = none-mexican or otherwise. bug bites, which I really should refer to as...bug rapes? idk. but at least 15 and counting.
So its probably no surprise that I used who knows how much $ to call my mommy this morning while eating a stolen-ish orange--the closest thing I could find to water-while crying. All along, I kept telling people that hahahano. I was not doing this for the kids. I was doing it for myself!
otra vez. reality check. this is the farthest thing from all about me. ever. so...shoot?
and these are the thoughts that plague me when i am alone, which is actually not all that often, or when
But as I have been reminded by various friends-no reminder any less important or with less meaning than another-uncomfortable is somehow...good. or at least its how
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