¡Vivo Mexico!

My apologies for taking so long to post! Apparently it takes at least 3 appointments with the Internet company until they actually show up! AND to top it off I'm sitting in my fellow teachers apartment because they forgot to bring a wireless router... but all is good they may have one for us by FRIDAY! 


So here is a little info about the last week...

Monday 8 Aug

I cannot believe the day has come that I change my address from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Queretaro, Mexico! Got up at 3am this morning so I could shower and get to the airport by 4. Of course we didn’t get to the airport until 4:30 and there was a super long line to check-in; it was the first time in a while that I was nervous about getting my bags checked in on time. But as always I made it, by the time I got through security I only waited about 10 minutes and we boarded the plane that took me to Houston, Texas. Once I reached Houston I got an American hamburger and fries for the last time for a while. It amazed me how fast 3 ½ hours went; before I knew it I was making those last calls in the US to the fam. I finally slept for a little over an hour on the 2 ½ hour flight down here to Mexico. When I got to Mexico City I was very relieved to find my bags had made it with me! I went through customs with no trouble even though I was randomly selected to have my bags searched… I wasn’t worried J I had to take the train (aka tram/lightrail/whatever you want to call it) over to the other terminal. Once there I met up with the group of others that were waiting for my arrival. One girl had been there since 6am! They paid their restaurant bill and we headed towards the bus for a 3 hour drive (it takes longer on the bus, if you drive it’s more like 2 ½ hours). I spend some time talking to my fellow new teachers, but then took another hour long nap. Before long were made our first stop at an apartment and I was told it was where I would be living. Everyone helped me brings my bags up and I got the quick low down on how some things work and they were gone. This place continues to amaze me every turn I take. I live in a great two-bedroom apartment that is very spacious. I walked in to find all brand new furniture and dishes. My school even had a little care package made up for me that included things like a few food items, paper towels, and JFK goodies. I couldn’t of been more impressed with the living conditions. I did unpack everything tonight. Only one of my body oil’s leaked but it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

Once I figure out 

9 Aug 

Day two of being in my new ‘home’ and I LOVE it! One thing that is different for me is there is no air conditioning or heat. All you have is the windows. One of the other new teachers was telling me the walls are not insulated like they are back home so it helps keep the house cooler in the summer. The weather is perfect here so I can’t complain. I think it may get in the 80s during the day but at night it does cool off.  Even though it does cool off at night I am very thankful I brought a fan for by my bed.  The elevation here is like being in Denver so after walking around all day I was more tired than I thought. I did get up and read and then made my first dinner here in the apartment. (I even took a picture – hamburger and green pepper). picture to come later

Thoughts for the day:

• It cracks me up that everything in my house is so high – like my closet rung, the hooks on the back of the bathroom door, and the cabinets in the kitchen… Mexicans are short – how do they reach these things?  And I mean like they are high enough that sometimes I stand on my tippietoes to reach!  
• I wonder how many books I will read without a TV in my house? It is really hard to get used to so much quietness! 

10 Aug 
  Today was the first day at the school and WOW is all I can say. They really take president about getting their kids a good facility. It was so nice there! The high school kids have their own corner that only they can go into. They even have their own area where they can buy food AND they have a radio station that plays during recess… that’s right I said recess. There are 50 teachers in the high school and 16 classrooms that are in a square. 
I went for my first run here today… LOVE my new shoes! It takes me almost 27 minutes to run down the el parque de dos mil and back so that’s a good run. I have to get used to the altitude though, I was pretty out of breath on my way back. It was really nice to run and not have the humidity suffocating me. Tonight I organized a little trip to downtown Queretaro with Jordan (CO), Jo (Kansas), Mia (NY) and Kerri (CO). We went to dinner at this great Mexican place where I tried new food and it was great, I think it was called pancharos and tostos de pollo. We walked around the squares and to the shops. I might be in trouble because so far out of the couple shoe stores we went into they only go up to size 6 – it may be a blessing in disguise. After that we watched a soccer game at a pub and then came home.  

11 Aug
Today was a LONG day! We had to do all the formal things at the school like fill out paperwork. It’s really hard to do when most of it is in Spanish, even with the help of translations. Everything has to be singed in English and Spanish. I feel like a fool because I forgot my birth certificate. I also think I’m going to give up pop; its so expensive to buy it in cans down here. So, tonight I bought a 2L but I know it will go flat by the time I get through it, so I might as well save money and give it up for awhile. I did get my Mexican Bank account today. It so funny because I am also contributing to a Social Security type account down here, and when I’m 65 I can come down here and get the money I put in with interest. Maybe I’ll keep adding money to my account down here and retire here some day

12 Aug 

Friday was another long day at the school learning all the information; at least this time it was all about the high school. It’s pretty strict but I think that will be okay because I really like the black and white with respect and treating these kiddos like adults. I got my schedule; finally I know I will be teaching IB Business Management to 11^th and 12^th graders. The schedule is really funny, but it’s all new, right? Apparently I was left out of a few emails and I never go the IB outline and standards, needless to say I left the school feeling very VERY overwhelmed at what I need to teach this year. I did leave with and IB book and the standards. We’ll see how the year goes. Then we went to Mirtha’s for a late lunch, her house was beautiful. Patrick brought Jordan and I home. Once we got home I felt completely defeated so I took some time to look through my information about my class and than watched part of a movie and feel asleep at 9:30. Nice first Friday night in Queretaro!

 
13 Aug
Woke up early and went running. The elevation is hard on my lungs! I can barley make it back to the apartment before I get wheezy. Showered and headed downtown for our coffee and tour with the school peps. We went on a really nice trolley and walking tour and I learned a lot about the Independence Day we will be celebrating on September 15^th, I can’t wait. It is the day that some guy (because of some girl that was trapped) told everyone to gather their weapons or anything they had at home to fight with because today they were going to start their fight for their independence. So on Sept 15^th the mayor will right the bell and everyone will scream ¡Vivo Mexico! The war actually went on for 11 years. At the 100 year anniversary of the declare of Independence is the date they began the Revelation. I have pictures with the years to confirm. I had lunch with some of the teacher peps and than Jo, Mia, Kerri and I walked around for a bit. We finally got our maps of the city; it really helps to see how it’s all laid out. Then we decided to try and brave the bus system. It didn’t take us where we thought it would, but it worked out for me because I got off at the bottom of the parque de dos mil. Jo and Mia ended up coming with me to see the park and come see my apartment.  

Then I took a nap because Anai (Jordan’s girlfriend) and her friends were coming up and we were all going to go out. They and we went back downtown and walked around, the city is just as pretty at night. Then we went to Cantintina for some cervasas. It was fun; Fernando made me dance it was really embarrassing, but it was a good night. There was a live band so it was right up my alley. When the band would break they played music videos and it was really funny because one that they played was “Man I feel like a Woman”. 

As soon as I can figure out how to get the pics off my camera I'll add them on here! For now I have to get out of Jordan's apartment! XOXOXOX