¡Viva Mexico!

Day 27 in Cuernavaca

Another week gone, and another begins. I’ve started teaching English in the kindergarten at La Estación, which was a little nerve wracking for someone with absolutely no teaching experience. I did work in a tutoring center, but I don’t think doing the crossword puzzle while making sure no one messed up the computer log-in system qualifies as experience. Thankfully, it is going pretty well (though I’ve only had two classes, so I guess we will still have to wait and see). I have to teach five different classrooms English, half an hour each, three mornings a week. When each class averages about 30 kids, it’s not an easy task. The kids, however, seem to like me okay. I’ve now become “Maestra Katy” or “Meesss Katy,” which they started calling me before I had even taught them anything; they see me walking by on the street and call out “Maestra! Maestra!” (Teacher! Teacher!). We’ve started with colors; next I’m thinking numbers. In addition to teaching, I’m spending time in the community center, primarily helping out with serving breakfast, cleanup, and whatever other odd jobs they find for me to do; basically, my job description is ESL teacher/dishwasher/inept babysitter. I’ve also begun eating lunch, or comida, in the homes of the women who come to the community center. It’s really remarkable to me how much work these women squeeze in a day, though they don’t work outside their homes. Many of them have upwards of five children, who only go to school for half the day (either morning or afternoon), so they have to do all the cooking and cleaning for a family of seven or more by themselves, plus pick up and take care of their kids when they get off of school, plus do all the shopping, and still find time to spend at the community center, making breakfast for 120 people. I ate today with a mother of five, who was also in charge of the community center breakfast today. She was apologetic that she didn’t have much time to fix me a good meal – she made me chicken in mole sauce, Mexican rice, and tortillas. It was fantastic.

I had a shorter week last week, because of the Mexican Independence Holiday. That was an interesting experience for sure. They block off the downtown and there were tons of people in the zócalo (the central plaza) for the Grito, the cry that kicked off the Mexican War for Independence that they reenact every year at 11 p.m.; at the end they all shout the names of the heroes in the war and “Viva Mexico!” several times. There was mariachi music, street vendors, lots of food, dancing, etc. etc. Before going, I heard all sorts of advice and opinions on the celebration, ranging from “everyone’s drunk and crazy and it’s really really dangerous” to “it’s not dangerous at all, everyone takes their kids.”

Our YAGM group (at left) decided that we couldn’t miss out on the experience, so we decided to go to the Grito but leave fairly early before things got too crazy (though I’m pretty sure Peter thought we were going to get shot). We had absolutely no trouble at all, which was great, and there were a lot of families there. We were going to eat at the house of one of Sara’s teacher friends, but that didn’t exactly work out. She wasn’t there when we arrived, and her family had no idea we were coming; just another cultural mix-up. By that time it was getting closer to the Grito, and also pouring rain, so we went back to the center and camped out in a tarp-covered outdoor restaurant to munch on quesadillas. Then we grabbed a spot standing on some park benches to watch the festivities from a bit of a distance. The crowd went crazy for the mariachi music, though to me it really all sounded the same. Every song that they played, however, got a big cheer from the plaza. They had big screens set up too, so everyone could watch the governor of Morelos as he came out onto the balcony and delivered the Grito, waving the Mexican flag. It was pretty cool to see everyone get whipped into such a patriotic frenzy. Immediately after the Grito, they had a huge fireworks show right overhead; it was so close that I’m pretty sure they shot them off from the other end of the plaza.We did book it out of there fairly shortly thereafter, though, for safety reasons and because of the rain and because two members of our group didn’t have a day off the next day (poor girls!) The rest of us, however, got to sleep in on Wednesday, because there was no work or school. It was very nice to have a mid-week break, though I think that’s the last holiday that we’ll have in awhile, perhaps until Dia de los Muertos in November. Here are some pictures of the festivities, the rain-soaked crowd, and me and Peter (also rain-soaked) all courtesy of Sara's camera/Facebook album that I decided to steal. Gracias!

Other than that, things are going pretty well; I’m just starting to settle into a routine, which apparently involves two masses a week – one on Saturday at the jail, and one on Sunday (and I’m not even Catholic!) The weather has improved, thankfully, and although it still rains quite a bit it’s interspersed with some warm, sunny days. I’m starting to catch on to some of the Mexican customs; I’ve recently discovered how difficult it is to say “no” to an invitation, especially since it’s considered rude here to say “no” outright. At the same time, even if you do manage to say “no” in an indirect way, that somehow translates into “yes, of course.” It’s just easier to accept and go along. Thing is definitely a learn as you go experience; it’ll be interesting to see what I learn next.