La Virgen de Guadalupe

     The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. Her story and the celebrations that surround her are worth telling, whether or not they be true. She forms a very important part in the culture of Mexico, especially within the catholic church. While most people here are catholic, even those who are not still recognize the celebrations around el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe.
     The story begins in 1531 in a village in Mexico called Tolpetlac. Juan Diego was walking to the neighboring town to attend mass, just as he had faithfully attended each Saturday and Sunday since he had been converted to catholicism by the spaniards. He walked alone, passing by the old pyramids of the Aztecs who were now only memories for him. Suddenly, he heard beautiful music, like songbirds singing. Looking around confused, he caught a glimpse of a bright light on top of Tepeyac hill. He followed it, and realized that the light was a bright white cloud and a beautiful rainbow. He heard a voice calling to him, "Juanito, Juan Diegito." She spoke to him in his native Nahuatl language - a language that had more deep meaning to him than the Spanish that he had been forced to learn. He climbed to the top of the hill to see who was calling his name. He called her, "a most beautiful lady." She told him that she wanted a church raised in that spot, and in return she would show her compassion for the natives. It would be a place where she could console all of her suffering children. Juan Diego set off to go tell the Bishop what he had seen, but he was not believed. He returned to the hill and told the Virgin that the Bishop did not believe him. She sent with the Indian a bouquet of flowers which he carried in his cloak. Left on his cloak was a full length colored portrait of herself, just as Juan Diego had seen her. The cloak was proof of the Virgin's appearance to Juan Diego. It can still be seen today in Mexico City.

    The Celebration for the Virgin of Guadalupe is held on the 12th of December. Between the 1st and 12th of December, peregrinaciones are held in her honor. Groups from all around town, either churches, neighborhoods, or companies prepare a peregrinacion and walk together on the peregrinacion route. The peregrinacion begins with a large picture of the Virgin, either carried or displayed on top of a car. Next, there are the dancers. The dances originated from the Aztec traditions. After the spaniards had come to Mexico, the natives were stripped of their identities. Their belief systems, traditions, and language had all been taken away from them. Juan Diego presented them with a new sort of hope from the Virgin of Guadalupe, who would be like their mother figure in their new lives. And they thought, "What can we offer to her?" They had nothing left, but they had their dances. They offered them to her as a thank you for her compassion. Today, there are two types of dances. The first is the danza azteca. The dancers wear bright costumes with huge head pieces. There is a drummer that wheels the drums on a cart behind the dancers to keep the beat. The second is the danza are called the danzas matlachines. The costumes for these are either red, green, or blue. The drum is carried in the back and the dance is made of up complicated steps. The dancers also carry a maraca and a bow, which at the end is pointed in the four cardinal directions. Finally, at the end of the peregrinacion is a group of people walking, carrying candles and sometimes praying the rosary. 

These two pictures are pictures of the Azteca danzas during processions through downtown Torreón.

These are some of the Matlachine dancers during the processions downtown. The youngest dancers was no older than six!

During the peregrinacion for Colegio Inglés, one girl student is selected to represent the Virgin de Guadalupe, and one boy student is selected to represent Juan Diego. They ride on the back of a truck through the entire procession, and stand in front of the church during the mass that follows.

These are the dancers from the school that danced Matlachine during our peregrinacion. Girls from preprimaria through secundaria danced, and some of their mothers came too. During mass, the dancers sat up front and lined the isles. After the sermon, they danced around the entire church. They were the last to enter the church and the first to proceed out. It was quite impressive. 

This is the poster of the Virgin that our class made together for the peregrinacion!

We walked behind the dancers through the procession. The procession ended at a church where we had a special mass for the Virgin of Guadalupe. The procession had to be held inside a closed neighborhood for the safety of the kids. 

The flag of Mexico is carried by a selected group of girls. They practice for months and compete in flag salute competitions. 

The flag is held during the entire mass. Throughout mass, the girls switch places in a specific way that they practice. They must be standing perfectly still the entire time. 

Update

     The last month has been absolutely crazy here. I can't believe it is already almost December! My classroom has started the shift from Thanksgiving to Christmas. As the turkeys and pilgrims come down, the snowflakes and Christmas trees go up. Thanksgiving was great here. All of the American teachers worked together to host a big Thanksgiving dinner for our closest Mexican friends. We all cooked traditional foods in insane quantities, and they all brought extra dishes and drinks to share. It was a great way to spend the evening, even though we had to get up early for work the next day. All of my friends at home were so surprised that I had to go to work on Thanksgiving - I think they forgot that it is an american holiday... and Mexico is not the United States.
     It is crazy that I have been down here for over three months. The time has gone by very fast. I am coming home in less than a month for Christmas! Thankfully, I will get a taste of the holidays here before I leave. I have been invited to a few posadas and we will be hosting a gringa posada at our house. Looking back on the last three months, I am very satisfied with my experience here. I have some good friends, my Spanish has improved, and I love my class. It is amazing how fast 5 year olds can learn a language. I am so jealous of them! Most of what they have learned is just from listening to me speak. I refuse to speak to them in Spanish. They think I don't know how to speak Spanish at all. One of my little boys told his mom that he wanted to come with her to parent-teacher conferences. He said, "But Mom, you won't understand her. She doesn't speak Spanish. I will go and translate for you!" Every now and then they hear me speaking Spanish with the Mexican teachers. I have convinced them that I'm not really speaking Spanish - it is a special teacher language. They are just so adorable, and they have learned so much! Even my kids who are new to the school and had never spoken English before already understand everything I say and can respond in very good spanglish. Some of my kids can have entire conversations in English with no problems. I am very happy working with them every day.
     The violence here doesn't make me nervous anymore. I (sadly) have become used to the militares and federales standing guard with their guns. I have gotten used to hearing gunshots outside. It is hard to say if things are getting better or worse, but there are still a lot of issues in the city. On Saturday, the new president will be taking office. A lot of people think he is a complete idiot. They were very unhappy when he got elected. No one is really sure how is presidency will change things, but hopefully it is for the better.
     There are a lot of fun things going on in December, so I will try and post some pictures and keep things updated!

Día de los Muertos

     I had been looking forward to spending Día de los muertos in México since the day I took the job here. When I heard that there are no celebrations in Torreón for Día de los muertos, I was extremely disappointed. However, I ended up having a great time over the weekend and seeing a lot of what Day of the Dead is all about.

     The school acknowledged the day on Thursday, the 1st of November. The 2nd of November was a day off for teachers. On Thursday, every teacher in secundaria had their students make an altar in the gymnasium, and prizes were given out for the best altars. They were very elaborate with flowers, papel picado, candles, pictures, sand, food, and other little trinkets to remember the person to whom the altar was dedicated. In kinder, we also made an altar. Each class was in charge of contributing something different. My kids made papel picado and brought pan de muerto. The kids from maternal sang a song about the day, and the teacher talked about the celebration with the kids. Our altar was for Walt Disney. After the presentation, all of the kids ate pan de muerto and orange juice.

     Other than the altars at the schools, there was very little mention of día de los muertos around the town. A few places built altars, but there were no parties, parades, or festivals of any sort and no one went to the cemeteries because it is way too dangerous. On the other hand, Halloween was a huge event. Kids were screaming at the door all night long, "Queremos Halloween! Queremos Halloween!" There was a Halloween party at the mall and several of the kids at school had parties at their homes as well. It was much more celebrated than Day of the Dead.

     On Friday (the actual celebration of Día de los muertos) I went to Zacatecas with two of my friends. Zacatecas is a much older city and it is located father south of Torreón. As soon as we got off the bus, it was obvious what day it was. There were people walking around the streets with their faces painted like skeletons, papel picado covered the streets, and their were altars everywhere around town. After we checked into our hotel, which was located right downtown, we went shopping. We found lots of beautiful calaveras and Catrina figurines. While we were walking, kids were going into shops chanting something about día de los muertos asking for candy - similar to Halloween. That night, there was a huge parade. The floats were beautiful, each dedicated to something different. It was fascinating! After the parade, their was street entertainment and contests for calaveras, altars, and costumes. Late into the night there were people in the streets partying and celebrating. The newspaper in the morning showed pictures of music and celebrations in the cemetery that were going on all day long. There was also a special bullfight for the day.

One of the floats in the parade - death!

Another one of the floats - she was followed by a group of girls in black singing about her death

This was one of the simpler floats with beautiful papel picado

They were dressed up for the celebration and let us take a picture with them - so cool!

     The rest of our trip in Zacatecas was a lot of fun. We were all out tourists and went sight seeing, shopping for souvenirs and Christmas gifts, visited a mine, and took a ride up the teleférico to see the city from a high hillside. At night, we went to a discoteca deep in the mine, which was a great experience. Overall, it was the most fun weekend I have had since I've been here. Even though I spent my entire paycheck, it was worth every peso.

Halloween and Día de los Muertos

     One of the most exciting and interesting holidays in Mexico is Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead. Ever since I began studying Spanish, I have been fascinated with Día de los Muertos. For those of you who do not know what it is, it is a holiday in which people remember their loved ones who have died. They make elaborate altars in their homes, decorated with papel picado, candles, photos, skeleton figurines, calaveras, food, marigolds, and anything else that the deceased was interested in. In some places, the cemeteries are decorated with skeletons, flowers, and candles and people spend the night there celebrating with their families. The people believe that on this day, the souls of their loved ones come back to visit them. Interesting, right? I was so excited to be in Mexico during Día de los Muertos, but here in Torreón, it is not celebrated like in other places in Mexico. Some people will put altars in their homes, and some schools will have a presentation for the kids. The cemeteries are far to dangerous to visit. Essentially, there is nothing in the city that celebrates the holiday.
     Halloween, on the other hand, is NOT a holiday that is celebrated in Mexico. However, here in northern Mexico, it is a bigger celebration than Día de los Muertos. There are Halloween parties for children at the malls, several Halloween stores open throughout the city, and costume parties at peoples' houses. The kids even go trick-or-treating, saying "Queremos Halloween! Queremos Halloween!" My students are far more excited about Halloween than Día de los Muertos.
     During Día de los Muertos, I am headed for Zacatecas, which is further South than Torreón. I hope I will get to see some of the traditions that I have been learning about for so long!

Keeping in Touch

     If you ever decide to move to another country, whether that be for school, fun, or work, you have to think about how you will stay in touch with your friends and family at home. For some people, being away from home can be the biggest challenge of working or studying in a foreign country. I have seen cases of homesickness that have almost sent people back home. In fact, homesickness is such a big deal, it was part of my interview for my job here. They asked me about adjusting to new places, about trying new foods, and about being away from home. Luckily, it isn't a big challenge for me. Being able to talk to people at home can be a good thing or a bad thing in some cases. One of my close friends here has a really hard time talking to her friends because it makes her miss them too much. I have spent enough time away from the US that homesickness isn't an issue for me anymore. I spend too much time thinking about where I want to go next.
     Anyways, staying in touch with people is something to think about. The first complication is actually finding a way to talk. Nowadays as long as there is internet, there is a way to call home. Skype is free and reliable. If there isn't internet where you live, chances are there is an internet cafe close by. In the states, there are not as many internet cafes as there are in other countries. Everywhere I have been in Europe had them on every street. In Costa Rica, it was the same. They are cheap and convenient options. Phones are a last resort for me. Some people take their American phones and have an international plan. Not only is that ridiculously expensive, but it is also too easy to sit and talk to your friends at home all the time. If you are going to go to another country for an extended period of time, why not take advantage of the time you have and meet people and make new friends? Don't get me wrong; of course you will want to stay in touch with your friends at home, but they can become a crutch that makes it easy to not make friends in the place where you are. I bought a very inexpensive phone that I can put tiempo aire on as I need it. I use that to talk to my friends here, and I use Facebook and Skype to talk to my friends at home. It is a good balance for me and I know it works for a lot of other people here as well.
     The second complication is finding things to talk about. Everyone always wants to know how you are doing and what your experiences are. It can be really frustrating trying to communicate what it is like. The reality is, if they haven't been abroad for a long period of time, they can't understand what it is like. Plus, things that are really exciting for me are not interesting to other people. For example, one of my students raised their hand in class the other day and said, "Miss Jenna, Mario is molesting me!" I almost cried laughing when I told some of my friends about it, but they didn't get it ('Molestar' means 'to bother' in Spanish - mistranslation of a 5 year old). The other thing I cannot stand is when people ask (and they always ask), "How is Mexico?!" That is an impossible question to answer. Most of the time, I just say "good" and thats that. I know that "good" is not a real answer, because there is so much going on and there is so much that I am learning. I am falling in love with all sorts of things, and getting annoyed with other things. I am meeting people, finding out new things about myself, and seeing the world from a different view. How can that possibly be explained to anyone who has not experienced it? It can't. So, if you are going to move to a different country, be prepared for the task of communicating with people at home. It can be a challenge, but you want to share your experiences and you want to keep up with what your friends are doing at home as well. Or, just start a blog :)

To Do List

     I can't believe that September is over. This month flew by. It seems like the time here goes by so much faster than it did in the states. I'm worried that the time is going to go by so fast that I won't be able to do everything that I want to do - which happens to be a lot.

Places I want to travel to:

1. Mazatlán: Mazatlán is a city on the Pacific coast. It is a tourist destination for many Mexicans as well as Americans. It is supposed to be absolutely beautiful and it is the closest resort to Torreón. Also, there is a hotel there which is called el Cid that has a Spanish theme! (I still love Spain more than anywhere else)

2. Guanajuato: Guanajuato is in central Mexico just north of Mexico City. There is a lot of history there and many things to see. The bus ride is about 10 hours from Torreón, but it is not very expensive. It is supposed to be a very pretty city with many plazas.

3. Mexico City: D.F. is the capital of Mexico and it is located in center of Mexico. There are a lot of museums, monuments, and shopping. I also want to see the Templo Mayor which was the spiritual temple of the Aztecs.

4. Zacatecas: Zacatecas is in the state directly south of Coahuila (where I am). It is another close place to visit. There is a historic downtown area where you can buy artesanias and also a mountain and cathedral in the city center which is supposed to be very interesting.

5. Yucatan: The peninsula has beautiful beaches and many historic cities that go back to ancient Mexico. Merida is one city in the Yucatan that I especially want to visit.

Things I want to do:

1. Go to a Santos game

2. See a rodeo

3. Go to a bullfight

4. Go to a concert (Ricardo Arjona is coming in November!)

5. Learn to cook Mexican food

6. Learn to dance

7. Speak SPANISH!!

Getting Around

     A lot of people have been asking me how I get around the city. I am very lucky because, for the most part, I can walk everywhere. My house is about a block away from the school. There is a gas station right across the street where I can buy phone minutes, water, and little snacks. There is a grocery store about a ten minute walk from home. The pool I go to is maybe 15 minutes away. There is a gym that is about 15 minutes away as well. There is even a mall that is only 5 minutes from the house which has some stores, a bar, places to eat, and a movie theater. There are many little restaurants around everywhere we go, so food is never a problem. The only downside to walking is the heat. The heat is not so bad when you are in the shade, but walking down the street feels so much hotter! Also, we have to be careful not to get hit by cars. Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way and cars won't stop for you to cross.

     Anywhere else that I go in Torreón is just a cheap taxi ride away. There is a larger mall that costs about 35 pesos to get to, the soccer stadium which is about 50 pesos, Walmart is about 15 pesos (way more expensive than the local shops though, so I don't go there), and several fun bars that cost around 20 pesos to get to. Taxis can be a little tricky. They drive down the street and honk their horns if they are available. It is never difficult to find a taxi. However, a lot of the "taxis" are old cars with people who are not official taxi drivers or painted cars to look like taxis. These people aren't necessarily dangerous, but they will try to charge you an outrageous amount because they don't have meters in their cars. It is a good idea to know about how much it will cost to get places before you take a cab. I have had a couple of drivers try and rip me off. Once I tell them that their price is not a fair price, they will accept a better offer.

     I have not taken the city buses anywhere. Most people I have talked to have said they are a hassle and very confusing. One day I will try to take the bus, just to see what it is like. The best and most convenient way to get around is, of course, make friends with Mexicans who have cars. Most of the friends I have made will drive us anywhere we need to go as long as they have time. They will take us out at night, drive us to the bus station, or help us find where we need to go. It is nice to be friends with the locals because they have our backs and make sure we don't go anywhere dangerous. Plus, it is the best way to practice Spanish!

Mexican or Not

Piñatas - yes, they actually do have piñatas at parties!

Tacos - not (at least not the tacos we eat)
             Mexican tacos = corn tortilla, some sort of meat, and sometimes cheese or pico + hot sauce

Sombreros - not, cowboy hats, yes

Corona - YES

Machismo - yes

Short dresses & High heels - yes

Dirt cheap prices on everything - no (clothes and school supplies are way more expensive!!)

Dark skinned - no, a lot of Mexicans are fair skinned.

Güey - yes, every other word is güey

Mariachi - yes, there are mariachi bands for hire all over and they do come to restaurants

Not everything you think about when you think of Mexico is true. I came here with no expectations, and I have been pleasantly surprised. After almost a month here, I have yet to miss Minnesota and I have yet to be bored. I love learning new words and meeting new people. So far, so good!

What a Life

Typical weekday in Torreón...

6:15 - alarm goes off (snooze...snooze...snooze...)
6:30 - wake up and get ready for the day
7:00 - make breakfast (huevoooossss güey!)
7:15 - walk to school (say hello to the gatekeeper Alberto)
7:30 - kids arrive and go play
7:55 - lines and prayers to start the day
...school...school...school...school...
2:30 - kids leave school
2:40 - teachers leave school
3:00 - lunch time!
3:30 - SIESTA
4:00 - go get a tan at the pool or continue nap time
6:00 - hang out with friends (pretending to do work)
7:30 - supper time
8:30 - more chilling out (maybe do a little work)
10:30 - bedtime

Typical weekend in Torreón...

9:00 - wake up
9:30 - breakfast
10:00 - shopping
11:00 - pool time (tan time)
1:00 - nap time
3:00 - lunch
4:00 - afternoon hang out with friends (clean and do laundry if really necessary)
6:00 - get ready for the night
7:30 - supper
8:30 - find some people to party with
...fun...fun...fun...fun...fun...fun
5:30 am the next day - bedtime

I think I can handle this schedule :)

First Week of School

    I have officially survived my first week of school as a kindergarten teacher. I have 17 kids and they are the most adorable kids I have ever seen. One of them is from London and does not speak Spanish, which is hard because he is a lot farther along than the other kids and he is new to the school and can't talk with most of the kids because their English isn't good enough yet. I have another student who is Chinese and doesn't speak English or Spanish. I have four kids who are new to the school, so they do not have any experience with English. The rest were students here during Kinder 1 and 2. They can say some words in English and they know their numbers, colors, and shapes very well. They speak very good Spanglish! I don't speak Spanish to them, and they usually understand me.
     To be completely honest, I don't love being a kindergarten teacher. I love the kids. They are cute and they love to give hugs. It takes a lot of patience to handle 17 kids who like to talk to each other and hang on each other all day long. I miss my high schoolers, but I am sure I will get used to 6 year olds.

Colegio Inglés - Educacción es Libertad

This is the outside of the building. There is a gatekeeper 24 hours a day and the walls are topped with broken glass for security. 

This is the play area of my classroom! All of the toys and blocks were provided, all I had to do was set it up and make the bulletin board. "Welcome to Miss Jenna's Class!" Tomorrow the kids will make all-about-me posters that we will hang on the board. 

This is what the pre-escholar classes look like. There are classes on each side and a courtyard and playground in the middle. 

This is the courtyard in the main plaza of the school. The students line up at the beginning of each day to do prayers and a flag salute. They are graded on patriotism during the salute! 

This is my assistant Karen and me in our classroom. She is absolutely great to work with and her family is cooking me an authentic Mexican meal after our first day of school tomorrow! I am so lucky to have her as my assistant! 

Latino Time

     One thing that I have learned a lot about in my experiences with Spanish speaking countries is that time is completely different than in the United States. 1:00 actually means 1:45 (or later), today means tomorrow, and a couple of days means a week or two. Thankfully, I am used to this, or I would be freaking out right now! Tomorrow is the first day of school at Colegio Inglés. I got my class, which I was supposed to have last Thursday, this morning. The elementary and high school teachers don't have their class lists yet. I know we have to do duties during/after school, but we don't know what we have to do yet. There is not a schedule for the special classes (religion, Spanish, gym, computers, and music), so I am assuming we all have our kids the entire day all week, but that could change. Our requisitions for the week haven't been purchased, so we don't have supplies. There are still teachers who have no arrived to Mexico yet, so their students are teacher-less. The ninth graders have not chosen their classes yet. I am very glad that I can handle being flexible and doing things last minute!
     I am really excited for the first day of school. When the kids get there, I will help them find their hooks, their seats, and their book shelves. We will sing some songs and get to know each other a little and then go over the rules and the rewards/consequences. We are taking a tour of the school and doing a classroom scavenger hunt and then playing some games so I can see what they are able to do with English. The first three days of school are about having fun and assessing where the kids are at so I can start curriculum next week. It is a lot of work, but it is going to be a lot of fun!!

Time for School

    School starts on Wednesday and I couldn't be more excited. So far, my experience at the school has been wonderful. Colegio Inglés is a private school that offers a bilingual education with native English speakers. This sort of education is highly sought after here. There is another private school in Torreón with a similar program called Colegio Americano. The difference between private and public schools in Mexico is huge. The public schools don't have the physical resources to provide students with an outstanding education. Private schools are very expensive, but they truly provide a great education, and many offer bilingual programs. I have been asking other Mexicans about the schools here, and they said that many students can't even afford the dues at public schools, so they don't go at all.
     The program at Colegio Inglés is great. The three levels of the school are preprimaria (preschool), primaria (elementary), and secundaria (high school). There is a program for babies starting at 2 years old, and they are with a Mexican teacher who speaks to them all in English. That way, they get familiar with the language but it is not completely foreign to them. At 3-4 years old, the kids go to Kinder 1, and then at 4-5 years old they go to Kinder 2. Both of the Kinders are similar. They spend half of their day with a Mexican teacher who teaches them how to read and write in Spanish, and then they spend the other half of the day with a native English speaker who does reading, math, and phonics in English. The next grade is pre-escolar (me!). The have a native English speaking teacher who teaches them reading, math, science, and phonics. They leave the class for 1/2 hour every day to go learn reading and writing in Spanish with a Mexican teacher, and also have phy ed, computer, religion, and library classes throughout the week. After this level, they have completed the preprimaria part of the school. Next, they move into primaria, which is grades 1-6. During premaria, the students spend almost their entire day with their English teacher. The curriculum is pretty intense. They must complete workbooks for math and English and they have exams starting in 1st grade every month, which makes up 50% of their final grade. The last part of school is secundaria. In secundaria, they go to their English classes with native speakers, and also to history, art, science, and math with native English speakers. They finish the school in 9th grade. After 9th grade, many students go to the United States to finish high school, or they go to another private high school.
     I have talked with a lot of the kids at the school and even at the 3rd grade level, they are speaking very good English. I have been instructed to only speak English to the students. They should not even know that I can speak Spanish. The parents get very upset if they hear that their student's teacher spoke Spanish to them because they are spending a lot of money to have their kids learn from a native speaker. I am a little nervous about not speaking Spanish because it is so much easier. I had a hard time sticking to English when I was teaching in Costa Rica. I am going to try my best though!

Its Getting Hot in Here!

     I finally made it to Torreón and have access to internet again - yay! My experience getting here just made me even more sure that my decision to come was a good one. While I was in the Houston airport waiting to board the plane, I had two great encounters. One woman came up to me and asked if I was going to Torreón and if I was going to be teaching at the Colegio Inglés. I told her that I was, and she proceeded to tell me that she was the principal's mother and that if I needed anything that I could come ask her for help. It was so nice to hear someone knew I was on the plane and would be there to help me if I needed it when I landed. Next, a younger girl came up and asked me if I was a teacher and we had a great conversation about our teaching experiences and Torreón (her home town). She was going to start her student teaching in Houston this fall and then return to Torreón. She gave me her email address and told me that I could email her if I needed anything at all. This openness and helpfulness is something that I LOVE about the latino culture. I feel very comfortable here knowing that I have people ready and willing to help me when I need it.

     On Monday, I got to explore the city a little bit. Walking around the city, we did see a lot of police and a lot of men riding around with guns. I don't feel unsafe, but I wouldn't want to be out alone at night for sure. I had to stock up on groceries and, much to my dismay, Walmart was the place to go. It was a fun shopping trip though. Instead of going to the grocery store and having one isle with Mexican food, there was one isle with very American food. The prices were about the same as they are in the United States - maybe just a little bit cheaper. Other than groceries, I won't need to buy much. The house that I am staying in is stocked with pretty much everything. The main floor has two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room with a nice TV, and a kitchen with everything we could need. The upstairs has three more bedrooms, three more bathrooms, and a washing machine. The rooms are really comfortable and the closet is huge, which is good because I brought a LOT of stuff with me. 

    It is super hot here. We don't have actual air conditioning, but we do have an air cooling system in the house that runs off of water. It works pretty well to keep the house from being hot, but it doesn't get cool. Last night, the water pipes got plugged somehow and we had no water - and no air. It was SO hot. I woke up in a pool of sweat. So hopefully that doesn't happen too often...

     Tomorrow I start orientation at the school! I'm excited to hear about what I will be doing this year. All of the teachers that I have met are young, nice, and fun to be around. I think we will all get along pretty well. I will hopefully post some pictures up soon! 

     

Ready and Waiting

      In just six days I will be boarding a plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota and flying to Torreón, México.

     Torreón is a city of 608,000 people in the state of Coahuila. It is a big city with many things to see and do, but because of drug problems in the country, safety is a big concern. I will be teaching at a private catholic school called Colegio Inglés. The school has preschool, elementary, and junior high programs that are all bilingual. I will be a kindergarten teacher! I don't have much experience with kindergarteners, so I am a little nervous about teaching, but I know I will catch on quickly. I will be teaching math, language, reading/phonics, and science. I am so excited to get packed and get on that plane to start my first Mexican adventure!