Sunday, No Rest for the Weary - Cuernavaca Day 8

Fruit from the nanche tree found all over Cuerna

I woke up at the late hour of 7am with a slight headache.  I knew I wouldn't go three weeks without one, so I came prepared.  I raided my medicine bag, took some meds and started my day.  After watching some great World Jump Rope competition heats online (yeah Kevin!), I headed to breakfast. For a change today we had fruit (no mango unfortunately) with yogurt and fresh honey.  It was a great way to start the day!  I left the house around 9:45 to walk to the cathedral for mass.  It's a 2.2 mile walk mostly uphill!

I arrived in plenty of time for the 10:30am mass.  On my way, I passed many homes where women were setting up to sell their homemade concoctions of fruit, tortillas, meat, cheese and other miscellaneous street treats.  There are probably five places selling food on each block. I'm not usually one to get sick from strange food or drink, so I'm pretty sure I will be buying some of these deliciously smelling items this week.  I didn't want to do anything crazy the first week, but now that I'm acclimated to things, I am going to take the risk.  And yes, I do crazy things like drink water in restaurants and brush my teeth with tap water.  Most restaurants use filtered water and I don't swallow much when brushing.  I'm not making light of the stomach problems many visitors face. We have several students at our school who are very ill right now.  I just don't typically suffer from those sorts of digestive issues.  I don't know how much longer I can walk by fresh mango without getting some. Fingers are crossed that I won't regret it!

I don't think I can pass this up much longer!

At mass, there were many families celebrating First Communions.  It was interesting that there were food stands set up inside the courtyard selling pastries, tacos and fruit ices to parishioners as they left mass.  It was a bustling place.  The 10:30am mass was beautiful even though a loud echo in the sanctuary made it difficult for me to hear very well.  I love that the Catholic church celebrates mass the same way around the world.  There is such universality in knowing that my husband and children were listening to the same scriptures back home as I did here in Mexico.  It was lovely!

After mass, I met up with my HM and did some major gift shopping at the town plaza.  I am getting pretty good at bartering even though it makes me really uncomfortable.  I purchased several gifts, some beautiful hand-crocheted napkins for my dining room and some jewelry made by a local artisan out of seeds from native crop plants.  My "corn kernal" earrings are stunning.  Seriously.


My HM and I found a quaint restaurant for lunch called Iguana Greens.  We were the only gringas eating there so of course, we stood out like a sore thumb.  Our Spanish is really good so we didn't feel uncomfortable though.  For $7.00USD, we got a cold beer (Tecate Light) along with a huge bowl of chicken posole, two taquitos and all the garnishments.  It was fabulous!  And that $7.00 included tax, tip and a musical serenade by a local band.  When we left, there was a line of people waiting outside the restaurant to get in for their main meal of the day.  What a great find! I just wish there were time to go back before we leave!

                                                                   This was our centerpiece! Simply stunning!

 Today's specials

A mural at the restaurant

My posole with sides.  So amazing!

We met up with another student and did a little more shopping before heading back toward our home.  We stopped at the Mega which is a large grocery store.  At stores here in Cuerna, you have to check all bags at the customer service desk before you can shop. There are armed guards throughout the store.  At Office Depot, there were three armed guards.  It's so different!  I purchased lots of snacks to bring back to the states to share with my students.  Many of our US brands offer products here that are flavored differently than what we see on our shelves. For example, Lays potato chips are called Sabritos here.  They come in lime or adobo flavor.  I also got gourmet Lays chips flavored with red wine and chile pepper.  Ironically, I usually dislike grocery shopping, but I find the big stores here to be fascinating.  I can't even begin to describe the bakery or the self-serve mole station.  Here are some photos of products I found today.

  What a great flavor this is!

I love jicama!

 Lots of chiles!

Yes please!

 In Mexico, the tomate is called jitomate.  It's tomate everywhere else in the Spanish-speaking world.

A special Pringles label in honor of the Mexican love of soccer.

I'm home with my "family" watching the Women's World Cup finals.  Go U.S.A!  It's bittersweet to be here on both the 4th of July and as our national team plays for the championship.  I have so much left here that I want to do and can't believe 8 days are already gone!

Back to school, zumba and lots of walking tomorrow!  Have a great week!

To Market, To Market - Cuernavaca Day 5

Today was a great day!  I slept really well for the first time since I arrived.  I even slept a little later than usual before I ventured downstairs for breakfast.  Breakfast was the usual fruit, toast and eggs.  Not bad, but I'm ready for something new!

In school today, we spent a lot of time discussing some very detailed grammar questions.  I enjoyed hearing the answers that our teacher gave us because they forced me to rethink a lot of what I thought I knew about some very fine points in Spanish.  We left class a little early today because we were granted permission to observe at a public elementary school, also known as a Primaria.  We arrived at the school during lunch time and were able to observe the students having their lunches outside in a large courtyard.  We were then able to go into a classroom (mine was 3rd grade) to observe a teacher and students in action.  Here are ten things that I learned during my visit today to the public primary school in Cuernavaca.  Keep in mind that this was a public school in a large urban area so not all Mexican schools will resemble this.

1. Public school children in Mexico wear uniforms, many of which were torn or dirty.

2. School in Mexico is divided into Primaria (grades 1-6), Secundaria (7-9) and Preparatoria (10-12)

3. Students do not eat in a cafeteria, but rather sit outside on the concrete and have their lunch.

4. Classrooms don't use overhead lighting, but rely on sunlight to provide visibility in the classroom.

5. 3rd grade students are mastering their multiplication facts

6. There were no computers or other visible technology in the classrooms.

7. Students jump up and down when they want to answer a question (just like the US)

8. Students speak without waiting to be called upon (just like the US)

9. Mexican teachers think they work too hard and no one appreciates them (just like the US)

10. Kids love visitors and line up to hug them when they leave (just like the US????)

It was a great visit.  I wish I could have taken photos, but we weren't permitted to do so. I did snag this photo of the lunch/playground rules.  It means "I don't shout. I don't run. I don't push."  Amen.

After schools, we took a taxi to the public market in Cuernavaca.  Wow! What a crowded, dirty, busy, crazy place!  When I was here in 1991, I remember going to the market and more specifically, I remember the beautiful flowers.  Today, I saw the flowers again, but I also saw the produce, the herbs, the clothes, the shoes, the candies and the meat.  Oh dear Lord, the meat! I think I saw every internal organ of a cow and of a pig today.  I know that I saw intestines, livers, brains and even some pig heads (see below).  It was really warm in the market and bugs were flying everyone. No one was wearing gloves or using refrigeration at all.  It's a wonder e. Coli isn't more rampant.  There was a time when I might have tried something, but I'm not that dangerous today!  The colors of the produce and the various stands of school supplies, candies and flowers were gorgeous. I have posted a few pictures below so that everyone can see how visually overwhelming the public market can be
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After the market, we took a taxi home for dinner.  Today, we had picadillo (ground beef with vegetables), jicama with tajin (a lime, salt and chili powder conconction), onion soup and rice. It was tasty, but after four days of red meat, I'm ready for some fish or chicken!

I walked alone to my friend Lora's neighborhood for another Zumba class.  It's amazing that so many nice homes have barbed wire to protect them.  This is a city that is in fear.  It's evident everywhere I go. I don't feel unsafe, but I sense the reluctance of people to live out in the open.  We take many things, like our personal safety, for granted.  In Cuernavaca, the wealthy live behind gates and walls. They drive in cars wherever they go.  The poor are on the streets, using public transportation and eating from street vendors.  There's no in between, no true middle class.  I was well aware of this before I came, but it's still difficult to comprehend.
 

One a lighter note, our Zumba instructor made me do some of the dances with handweights to challenge me.  It is so fun to hear exercise words in Spanish.  I'm going to try and go at least twice next week.  I took a long walk home and stopped at a convenience market for some yogurt and juice for my dinner.  I just don't want any more tortillas, cheese or salty foods today.  I hope my host mom didn't mind when I got home and my things were in her refrigerator.  We have very specific rules about what we are allowed to do in our homes.  We aren't supposed to enter the kitchen without permission.  She said it was fine so I'm going to believe her!

I handwashed some of my clothes tonight before settling down to eat my yogurt and write this blog.  Each day here has provided a wealth of experiences.  I am thoroughly enjoying myself in spite of some of the mishaps along the way.  Tomorrow, I have class until 1pm and then I'm going to a mezcal processing site to learn how this drink is made.  I also get to do a tasting.  Talk about an amazing happy hour!  

Finally, one of my personal goals during this trip is for someone to ask me if I'm a native speaker.  In my 20s, this was a common experience. Today, I was asked where I teach college Spanish in the states. When I explained that I teach 7th grade Spanish, this person couldn't believe I wasn't a college professor.  Not exactly the question I want, but I'm getting closer and that's proof that this trip is doing for me what I had hope it would do!

First day of school 2015 - Day 2 in Cuernavaca

My day began with early morning yoga on my private balcony.  I was able to get up before sunrise to practice for a few minutes.  It was incredibly peaceful to work through my poses while listening to new birds, watching the sunrise and swatting away mosquitos.  I hope to do this every morning as my exercise routine will be disrupted severely by my change in location!

Breakfast was at 8am. Again, a nice bowl of ripe fruit with toast and scrambled eggs. This morning, however, there was a sliced hot dog in the eggs.  It was tasty!  

I walked to school with my housemate. It's about a mile.  We arrived in plenty of time.  When we got there, we grabbed a complimentary cup of coffee, picked up our textbooks and headed to our class.  For two hours, we studied advanced Spanish grammar.  For the second two hours, we studied teaching ideas and materials.

After school ended for the day, we walked home to have lunch or "comida" as it's called.  The afternoon meal is the big meal of the day in most Spanish-speaking countries.  Today, we started with salad and carrot soup. It was delicious.  For our main dish, we had ham, rice, potato salad and beans. Served on the side were corn tortillas and salsa verde.  It was filling!

After a short rest to regain our energy, my housemate and I walked to the town center, known as the zócalo. It's about a 2.2 mile walk on cobbled streets.  We met the rest of the teachers who are here for two weeks at a happy hour.  The restaurant we visited is called Casa Hidalgo.  For drinks, we had clericot which is the Mexican word for sangria that has pieces of fruit in it. We also shared some botanas (appetizers).  Lots of guacamole, empanadas, queso and chips.  We sat outside overlooking the main plaza of Cuernavaca.

After dinner, my housemate and I walked around the plaza. We saw many vendors selling crafts and street food.  Most of the products appeared to be mass produced items like bracelets, painted skulls and jewelry.  Most of the vendors had the same items as the ones just before them.  I do want to bring back things for my family, my classroom and myself, but I also want to bring back things that are meaningful to me.  I don't usually buy my things until the last couple of days of a trip.

Tomorrow, I will be in class all morning again. Then, we are going on an tour of the Cuernavaca cathedral and Hernando Cortez's palace in Cuernavaca.  Following that, we are doing some tutoring with underprivileged school age kids.  I plan to walk a lot tomorrow so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no rain!

Buenas noches!