Lo Normal

I realized the other day that I beyond the big events that I tell you about I´ve left out some of the day to day stuff. So to start, I don´t think I told you we wash our clothes in our patio. I just came home from school today, got out our buckets and filled them up in our two-sided sink. We´ve got a little patio strung with 4 clothes lines and we buy powder detergent and clothes softener and clean some of our own clothes. We dont clean allll of them by any means, just shirts and stuff that dont get real dirty. The other things we take every week in a bag down a couple blocks to a lavanderia where they wash and fold them nice and put them back in a bag smelling lovely and we can pick them up the next day. It usually costs about 6 bucks. So that´s why we try to wash some of our clothes.
What else...oh, I dont think I mentioned that I´ve been taking dance classes! Its something I do 2 or 3 times a week with my friend Rodney who really wanted to learn Salsa and other latin dances too. Turns out we do ALL kinds of dances, which is okay, and half the class is really stretching, abs, etc. So its actually a real workout. We have a lot of fun with it, we´d prefer if it were more dancing though, so we might look somewhere else. I walk to the studio, 30 minutes, and then I take a cab back.
Something real fun we´re all into is the Friday afternoon soccer games, all the other English speaking friends we´ve made are in on this well-organized unofficial league of four teams of ASP teachers and students and every week 3 teams play, one is off, and we play soccer on the fast field, an enclosed turf field with high nets and walls around it. Its so much fun. Its fun to play soccer again. I´m on the red team, and I just bought a great fake red España jersey at the market downtwon this weekend to wear when I play. My teacher teammates are Rob, Jamie, and Salvador. I dont know the students names yet but I do know that Orlando scored 3 of our 5 goals last weekend. The kids are good! of course.
Jenny and I found a panaderia that we like. Its a little bakery owned by a family and we ring a bell and they unlock the door and let us pick what we want and put it on a a tray and bring it to the counter. Its nice.
We go to the supermarket once every weekend. Mexico´s version of WalMart is Aurrera Bodega and its got all we need. We bring home our room temp milk in cartons and stock up on flan and tortillas and salsa. We buy our veggies there or at a market near where we live... just about everything we make has onions, garlic, and peppers in it. There is this fake juice that is a popular brand down here called BOING and we think its funny and we like it and it tastes like Tang.
I eat cereal or eggs or Jenny´s delicious breakfast burritos every morning; yogurt, a Special K bar, and a sandwich for lunch at 10.30 with the kids and then later Jenny and I come home starved everyday and eat anything we can or just make dinnner at 4:30.
Anyway, life is good in Pachuca, if I think of anything else I will let you know, if youve got any burning questions, pass em along.
Thanks for posting on my blog!

Día de Independencia

Happy Sept. 16th! Mexicans looove this holiday more than any other. Friday was a big day at school, unfortunately I forgot to charge my camera, but I still caught a couple pictures of my kids all dressed up Veracruz-style for their Bamba dance. All the kids were dressed up soooo cute, I absolutely loved the little boys decked out in full embroidered charro, Mexican cowboy, costumes. They cost like at least 100 bucks for just the mini costume, but they are amazing. So the kids were super cute and we did a parade for the parents so they could take a million pictures of their preciosos and videotape their every move. Then we made our way to the auditorium where they did their dances, so entertaining, my kids did real well, and then we all ate in the auditorium, which I must say, was utter chaos. An auditorium full of 3-5 year olds eating is just crazy. They spilled drinks, threw food, and decided to get up and play around when they were done and bored. Good times. Haha. It really wasnt that bad, just a little nuts, also there werent enough plates to go around and somehow the parents forgot to bring forks or napkins. Anyway, then the kids enjoyed a puppet show and played on the playground till their parents arrived at 1230. Tiring day but I wish the kids would dress up like that once a week. They are so adorable.
Yesterday we went to the Pachuca soccer game, Jenny, Stuart, and I and our Pachuca friend Christian and his 2 amigos. It was a good time and after the game we headed downtown for the big Grito. So the history of the Grito (Shout or Cry in English) is that Father Hidalgo, a national hero, gave his Grito de Dolores from a balcony on this night to call Mexicans to arms against the Spaniards. So in remembrance, the night before every Sept. 16 they reenact this cry and the governor, president, mayor of every major and minor town goes out on a balcony and shouts ¡Viva Mexico! (Long live Mexico!) and everyone in the crowd cries ¡Viva! So anyway we were making our way to the main plaza and quickly realized this would be very difficult. There were SOOO many people downtown we could barely move at times. It was crazy. There were amusement rides set up everywhere with no gates around them and if you weren´t careful you could just get wacked by a spinning teacup. Also, for the games of chance they were giving away as prizes little chicks dyed all different colors, quite shocking. So we finally made our way to the main plaza, got chocolate churros on the way, and got in the middle where we could see the balcony. We got there just in time for the flag ceremony and the pledge of allegiance and then Pachuca´s governor came out and in a great voice yelled ¨¡Mexicanos! ¡Viva Mexico! Viva Pachuca!! Viva los Niños Héroes! Viva Pachuca! Viva Mexico!¨ It was really exciting. Then the air filled with shaving cream that people were spraying. I wanted to laugh but had to keep my mouth closed in fear of getting a mouthful of foam. We all ducked. Then the fireworks and music began. They were all around us, it was pretty crazy. Then this huge theater near us lit up with fireworks and it was like a shower of fire, so dangerous. Then this huge structure to our left lit up, the fire spread from the bottom light until the whole thing was in flames and spelled ¨Hidalgo¨, our state, and then the state´s motto. But it was so dangerous and flaming flecks from the fireworks looked like they were coming right at us. Everyone started to run which was also dangerous because we were so packed in. This lasted like 2 minutes though and then the flames flickered out and we were all fine. But we couldn´t believe how unsafe it all was really. We had been warned before though and Christian told us afterwards that he used to go when he was little and he was always scared of it all. Anyway, what an experience, wouldn´t have missed it for the world, it was really exciting and we had a great time. Then we slowly made our way out again and ate some tacos before going home. Good times. Happy Independence Day!

Hello hello, well I have to start this entry by announcing, if you weren`t already aware, of the trouncing of Notre Dame by Penn State this past weekend. Jenny, who went to Notre Dame, and I checked when it would air on tv and that it would be on ESPN and despite all our efforts, didn`t get to see it. Apparently what they broadcast in the States isn`t the same in Mexico. Go figure, why wouldn`t all of Mexico want to see a college football game. So instead of course we watched the Pachucan futbol game and they won too so it was a happy ending. Also, I left my coat in a taxi accidentally last weekend and it`s been interesting trying to find a new one. I`d almost rather get one sent from home. We tried the mall here on Friday night and it`s really nice, we felt like we were back in the States. It`s rainy here for a little almost every day and it gets chilly. But apparently the winter doesn`t get that cold. But I really wish I`d brought my coats from home! I know they are just sitting in the closet waiting for me at Christmastime.
In other news....kids are doing great, I think I`ve found a better balance in using Spanish as little as possible and still being able to control my kiddos. We started learning the letter H this week. Its interesting that the program were using doesnt do the alphabet in order. Also, I just found out today that our class will be short 2 workbooks all year so that will be interesting. Tomorrow we will draw the number 1, hhaa, I love preschool.
Well, this weekend is going to be one to remember. Its Mexico`s Independence Day. On Friday All preschool grades will be putting on a show that they`ve prepared and our kids will dance La Bamba. Then the parents are putting together food for everyone to celebrate. On Saturday Jenny, Stuart, and I got invited by our friend Christian to spend the holiday with him. I think we`ll go to the soccer game and then out to eat downtown before the Grito at 11pm downtown and to celebrate with his family. Apparently this is a big family holiday, no much unlike July 4th. But the late Grito party kind of makes me think of New Year's. So we`ll see how it goes. I want to buy a Mexican flag and a red white and green scarf. Everything looks like Christmas because of the Mexican colors. We are very excited.
Okay thats all for now, I`ll write again early next week, thanks for writing Aunt Lynne! Good to hear from you and glad to know you found my blog.
Thanks for always writing, Seahorse :-)
Love to my fam.
Chau gueros.

Por fin!

Finally I got some pictures up! The real problem wasnt my connection but the size of my pictures. So I made friends with the technology guys at school and they were able to shrink all my pics so they were sendable and downloadable. These are just a select few of what Ive got but they should give you a good idea of what my life is like down here in Mexico. I still have yet to take pictures of the school and my cute cute kids! Anyway its hard to believe that today is Sunday and tomorrow we start another week. Our weekends fly by!! Friday Jenny and I entertained and made dinner for our neighbors, Heidi and Dave, a couple who teach at the school and that we went to school with everyday. They´re moving home for a month as they are about to be grandparents in the States. We will miss them so much, they were like our Mexican parents. Saturday I went with Stuart and Rodney to an outside concert that Rodney´s church was putting on. Then Stuart and I went to another Pachuca soccer game and we won 4-1. Later we met up with a bunch of other teachers from the school to go to a discoteca called La Esquina. Today Jenny, Stuart and I went with our Pachucan friend Christian to a little touristy town outside Pachuca called Real de Monte. We visited an old mine, this area was a prime mining district back in the day, and we even got to go 180 kilometres deep into the mine. We ate and walked around downtown, its not very big, but its cute and attracts lots of tourists from Mexico City. About to begin another week and all of Pachuca is dressed up and getting ready for Independence Day on Sept 16. We cant wait to see what the celebrations will be like!
How´s it going back home??

Mas de Guanajuato

...the beautiful Juarez Theatre in the center of Guanajuato...going up the incline for a view of the city - me, Rodney, Jenny, and Stuart -...the travelers posing above Guanajuato...some of the callejonadas dressed like jokers and there to entertain every night...the gorgeous old hacienda Barrera outside Guanajuato....

Guanajuato

Our trip to Guanajuato...the sketchy hostal we stayed in the first night...the main cathedral and plaza...pretty colonial streets and Rodney...the big market...me in Guanajuato...

Mas y mas

More fotos... of our night at the circus - Jenny, Me, and Stuart...Jenny walking down Avenida de Revolucion...our fantastic brunch in Hacienda San Miguel Regla...more of San Miguel Regla...Marcos, our taxista, Jenny, and I at our first Pachuca soccer game...

Mas Fotos

Pics of.... an inside look of the gate that is the entrance to our living complex....

... the cute green townhouses in our complex where Heidi and Dave lived...

.... ... the vista we see each day we leave our apartment...a sunny day in the main plaza by El Reloj...Jenny and I above Pachuca on our first day of orientation...

Fotos

Our apartment in Casas Privadas....