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!