Dinner and Cuernavaca (5/30-6/5)

Tuesday night marked our second director's dinner since coming to Miacatlan.  These dinners were supposed to be happening every month, but due to schedule conflicts and vacation schedules, the directors put off returning the favor for a little while.  The party was well worth the wait though!  I think everyone had a good time and it was nice to unwind with those from the house we were used to being more professional with.  This house is staffed with some pretty great people and it's special to get the chance to know them outside of work.

Due to the late hour of our fiesta the night before, I slept in a little but made it up for sweep team at 7:45.  Wednesday afternoon was another break from normal as Teresa, Monika, and I in an effort to improve Edge (the middle school youth group program) had decided to go to the Cuernavaca house and participate in one of their youth group nights. We hitched a ride with Daniela and had a fun trip over.  Monika had a friend for most of the ride.

Monika with Duke, Daniela's dog.

We made it just in time for the night to start.  It was an unusual Life Teen night for the house.  The kids had been asked to dress up as certain characters from the Bible and narrate a bit about their chosen character's life.  We had King David, King Solomon, Noah, Mary, Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth, Eve, and many more.  Monika was a real champ and dressed up as Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, to represent the Miacatlan house.  The kids seemed to have a good time and a winner was picked at the end.  The Abraham and Sarah group won being the most elaborate and involving the most people.

All of the participants posing with Mario on the left.

Afterwards Mario, the Life Teen leader and a fellow volunteer, sat down with us to discuss how he runs his program and how we might use some of his resources.  It was a good chat and important for us to better understand what we should be doing with our own program.  We then all headed to tacos in town with the other Cuernavaca volunteers and were met not long after by the rest of our Miacatlan crew.  Since the Cuernavaca volunteers had travelled to Miacatlan for our last volunteer dinner, we decided to return the favor and come to Cuernavaca for the night.  It was a lot of fun with a lot of good food.

Whitney had just returned from a trip home to North Carolina and had generously brought back a present for me: a new laptop from my parents. I was thrilled to get it.  Back at the apartment, I killed about six more cockroaches (decreasing numbers a good sign) and Monika, Wesleigh, and I enjoyed some ice cream and chat time before heading to bed.  It was an early morning per usual except this time to catch the teachers' bus back to Miacatlan.  Beyond the morning, Thursday was pretty typical and I was excited to get to use my new computer to chat with Mom and Dad on Skype that night.

Friday marked the start of another descanso, this one without Monika as she was headed to Guatemala instead for her six month visa renewal.  Wesleigh and I took the teachers' bus to the Cuernavaca house, dropped off our stuff, and headed back to downtown to do a little shopping, groceries and souvenirs.  Saturday we slept late and then headed to the roof of Casa Nolan (the Cuernavaca volunteers' residence) to soak up a little sun.  Jeremy joined us and we watched a movie while up there.  After getting badly burned (stupid, tricky Mexican sun), Wesleigh and I took a coffee break at Starbucks and spent the night watching a couple movies.  Sunday was a little more shopping in a suburb of Cuernavaca known for its ceramics before heading back to Miacatlan.

Visitors, Lice, and Lots of Water (5/23-29)

Monday was pretty normal except for the fact that it was vacation for one of the encargadas in the section which left only the two of us in there and often only one during different parts of the day.  It merely felt a little strange to have her gone and I know it meant longer hours for the other year of service encargada.  The girls missed her a lot too and I think everyone was happy to have her back the following Sunday.

While I was gone on descanso, several old volunteers came to the house to visit.  One of these volunteers had been with many of my girls during her time here.  As a treat for the girls she cared for and on her last night in Miacatlan, she took them all to pizza in town and asked Wesleigh, Monika, and I to go too as girls were invited from all our sections. 

Fooling around before we left.

Getting ready at the doors.  A lot of girls to keep track of.

Stuffing our faces at the place.  The pizza was AMAZING!

It was fun to hang out in the pueblo for reasons other than mass and was the first time I had done so with the exception of my prueba week at the very beginning.  And the pizza was amazing!  We haven't made it back next, but it is a part of the near future.

Thursday a memorial service was held at the house for a Pequeno who had died a year ago that day.  It was a rather surreal and sad experience.  The kids left school briefly and then returned directly after.  The girl was in the Cuernavaca house when it happened and so I think it was more removed from our kids.  A memorial was also held that morning in Cuernavaca.  I'm glad they did it though and overall it was good for everyone.

That night I made the mistake of telling my girls they could put their water bottles in the volunteer freezer to have cold water for their extended PE class the next day.  This turned into me squeezing about twenty bottles of varying sizes into our little freezer and then hauling them out the next morning at 6:30am so the girls could have them for school.  Bad idea.  There were so many that quite a few didn't even freeze a little bit to the shock of the girls.  I had to apologize profusely for the inconvenience it caused the volunteers when they tried to get into the freezer.  I should have put a warning sign.

Over the course of the weekend a group from Penn State ran several workshops with the kids on the topic of peppers.  I felt pretty bad for the group in their attempts to control the kids.  Friday we had an introductory workshop with most of the primary school kids.  I'm not sure what the group expected, but there were only about four of them and they didn't seem to have much experience working with kids.  Plus the kids at the house are pretty unruly when they don't care that much about what they're supposed to be doing.  The workshop culminated in each grade planting their own seed and I was the only encargada there to help on Sunday.  Big disaster.  But we survived unscathed even if the group went home a little disappointed in the reception of their project.  The purpose was to teach the kids about peppers and plant their own to be placed in the greenhouse and eventually on the farm.  I'm not sure how much they learned or how much time they will ever put into those peppers, but it's the thought that counts sometimes.

Saturday one of my girls discovered a louse in my hair and I had Wesleigh check.  Yes, I finally caught the lice bug and am trying to get rid of it.  I feel rather detached from it though; it's so normal here and doesn't bother me at all.  Plus I'm not sure how to determine if I've actually eradicated it or not.  Oh well.  It will go away eventually.  :-D

Overall, the weekend was pretty chill.  A lot of just hanging out in the section watching TV or movies (or for me, reading).  Saturday night the whole house went to the late mass which was a lot cooler temperature-wise, but even less space than at Sunday's normal mass.  Saturday night, Grandes A boys and girls had their own special convivencia in the school.  This means a kind of party with extra and different food, music, dancing, and games.  Everyone seemed to have a good time.  The party broke up when a huge storm rolled in forcing us and our electronics into safe shelter.  Sunday was broken up by the final Penn State workshop and water games around the house.

Awww!  They love each other!  Pool game.

The object of this game was to retrieve the gum ball dropped into the water using only your mouth. I was pretty impressed with the skill.

My fellow encargada in the white ball cap and our girls posing with her at her station.

One of my girls helping teach the new boy how to swim.  He had never been swimming prior to coming to the house and so everyone was chipping in to help make him water proof in no time.

Wesleigh with her new god-brother.  Her parents are sponsoring a couple kids in the house now after their visit a couple months ago.

Me sneaking some time in with kinder.  I have one of the new girls on my back and one of her sisters is below.  Aren't they too cute?!?

That night a freak storm hit.  Everything got really cold, there was tons of rain, and Wesleigh experienced her first true hail storm.  This hail was the size of marbles, no exaggeration, and it was just so freakish given all the hot weather. 

Yes, that's my laundry out there and yes, I had to wash it all over again the next day.  The rainy episodes take getting used to.  And that's Wesleigh in the back.

Those white spots in the air and on the ground are actual balls of ice.  They really hurt when they hit you too!

Wesleigh and Monika danced around in it quite a bit tracking cold water puddles everywhere.  I had fun laughing at them and taking pictures.  We all celebrated a bit hoping this storm would signal the end of the hot season and the start of the cooler rainy.  It didn't.

Changes (5/16-22)

Monday a party was held for the teachers of the school in honor of el Dia del Maestro or Teacher's Day, a Mexican holiday.  A special lunch was prepared served to the teachers by the house staff, the kids put on a performance, and several silly games followed for entertainment.

Wednesday the volunteer community was shaken by the news that Ignacio was leaving, being fired more specifically, and needed to leave immediately.  I think we were all running around like chickens with our heads cut off for a while trying to stay on top of our responsibilities while being there for him as well.  He stayed as long as possible saying his goodbyes and we all walked him out.  It was hard to see him go and we were in an uproar about it.  The next day, Daniela was better able to explain exactly what had happened and why he had to go which helped us understand better, but it's still strange not to have him around.  I also made the decision to switch descanso, for many reasons but with Igancio gone, the volunteers were pretty uneven schedule-wise.

This decision meant I had two descansos in a row and now have descanso with Wesleigh, Monika, and Jeremy.  Friday was the usual desayuno, sweep team, Grupo D, exercise kind of a morning that I'm now used to. After exercise, we packed up and headed out on the Pullman to Cuernavaca once more.  Grocery run, dinner, and a movie made a nice start to our weekend.  I also killed nine more cockroaches which brought my complete count up to nineteen (just in case your keeping score).  Saturday was a blissful consumer-driven day of sleeping and the mall where we enjoyed the American atmosphere of Starbucks, shopping, and the movies.  Sunday was a little more rushed.  We headed back relatively early to Miacatlan with the intention of doing more back in town, but our plans devolved to TV after we were reintroduced to the constant heat of town.

Which I should probably expand on more.  The past couple of months are considered the hot season here in Mexico which means a temperature of about 108 degrees most days and often more.  It's the kind of heat where it's actually better to be moving because the small breeze you create when you move is better than the disgusting sweatiness of just sitting still.  I have never felt this kind of heat before.  No, it did not kill us and we came to somewhat take if for granted as being just how things were, but an escape to Cuernavaca (which is in the mountains and therefore much cooler) always reminded us of how un-normal that weather really is.  I'm talking you can barely sleep at night because your sweating in your bed even with the fan on full force.  Ewww is the correct response. :-D

Newbies (5/9-15)

This week marked a lot of new things in my NPH life.  Tuesday night the male staff of the house hosted a party for Mother's Day.  All encargadas were invited including the volunteers.  I was pleasantly surprised to be considered and impressed in their treatment of the day.  While I had not thought of myself as a mother, our role essentially is that within the house.  So I guess I've officially celebrated my first Mother's Day for me!  I'm still getting used to the idea.  It was a very nice celebration.  We were greeted at the entrance with a pipe cleaner flower, were served our food by the guys, each given a present through a drawing, and were serenaded by one of the chicos boys with a traditional Mexican song.  It was very cute and special.

My present for Mother's Day was a washcloth and a pair of socks.  The washcloth is actually very welcome, but the socks are waaaaaaaaaay too small. One of my girls also gave me a rose and the pipe cleaner flower is what we were greeted with at the door.

Wednesday, the Cuernavaca volunteers travelled to Miacatlan to have our first volunteer reunion.  We all went to dinner in a neighboring pueblo.  It was a lot of fun to see them and was the first time we were able to spend time together as a complete group.  We swapped stories and chowed down instead of our traditional Wednesday night volunteer meeting.

Friday was my second day helping Monika with her Grupo D activities.  Wesleigh, Monika, and I tried to keep the kids somewhat in line as we painted a wall in one of the employee's offices. 

We managed to paint the wall, but the kids also managed to paint each other pretty well too.  While in their school uniforms.  That they wear almost every day.  Yes, those paint stains are still clearly evident and make me smile every time I see them.  The rest of the day was quiet as it was my descanso.  Because I had no computer anymore, I decided to wait until Saturday to go to Cuernavaca.

Mainly I went for frozen vegetables and because I hadn't actually left Miacatlan for quite a while.  I was greeted in the apartment by quite a few cockroaches.  In my absence it appeared as though they had taken over the bathroom and begun to try for the bedroom.  Over the course of the night I literally killed ten (yes, I kept count).  Besides the store run, I did nothing but read, eat, and listen to music.  At one point the power went out plunging the apartment into darkness due to a violent storm outside.  Thankfully, I had last minute decided to bring my flashlight and so could continue reading.  I kept swinging the light over the sala though, paranoid at the thought of cockroaches sneaking up on me while the light was in their favor.  It didn't happen and I survived the night.  Sunday I slept in and headed back to Miacatlan.  Some exercising, chores, and chatting later I was ready to face a new week.

Another "newbie" thing that happened this week was the arrival of a new family to the house, one boy and five girls ranging in age from eight to two years old.  The boy, who was also the oldest in the family, was placed in chicos while all the girls were put in kinder.  And so the house has a new baby of two years old!  They are all so cute and sweet and look very similar with very rosy cheeks and a dark complexion.  I love sneaking off to kinder to get to play with them and they seem to have settled into house life very well.

Sickness and Soccer (5/2-8)

This week started off pretty poorly.  I was very sick Sunday night and therefore decided to take Monday off to recover.  It was a pretty lazy day.  Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty standard weekdays: sweep team, meals, homework assistance, and English classes.  Both days after dinner the section also played soccer in the multi-canchas.  Wednesday our volunteer meeting included cake as an part of the extended birthday marathon from the previous weekend.

Thursday was a late night.  Yes, it was Cinco de Mayo and in celebration the kids were given Friday off from school.  Because of no school the next day, several games were held for the house at the multi-canchas.  I was asked to play in one, encargadas versus secundaria girls.  It was fun and I was happy for the chance to play.  Friday with no school felt more like Saturday.  We did some of our typical weekend activities: lice removal, fruit hunting, and TV.  Saturday, same thing, with the addition of chores, soccer, and reading.

Father Philip was out of town again which meant the house attended mass in the pueblo.  Primaria took the trek on Sunday for noon mass. 

Walking to mass.  There are so many kids, we basically take over the streets on our way over.  I kept trying to accurately capture the effect, but never could quite get it.  These photos will have to serve.

The rest of the day was more soccer.  I was also able to call home and Skype with Mom and Dad for Mother's Day and Mom opened her present with me over the call.  It felt strange to be so far away, but nice to be able to participate in at least some small way.

Laptop Crashes and Birthday Celebrations (4/29-5/1)

The weekend proved to be an eventful descanso full of crashing computers, my first quinceanera, and Monika’s 22^nd birthday.  That Friday was Liberty Day, or our family's annual trip to the Liberty Antique Festival.  A few of my cousins come every year to join in the shopping frenzy.  Since I couldn't be there they Skyped me in that night.  During the call, my dad mentioned the royal wedding that took place that morning and so I decided to try and find photos of the dress.  I clicked on one and suddenly my computer was being downloaded with something bad and next thing I know it's caput.  No more laptop for Sarah!  Great.

The next day I slept forever to drown my sorrows and got up just in time to eat and shower before a special mass that weekend in honor of a quinceañera celebration.  One of the director couples' daughters was celebrating her fifteenth birthday and all the volunteers were invited to attend.  First, was a mass at the house in the chapel and afterwards a huge party.  I was excited to attend my first quinceañera.  And let me tell you, it was elaborate!  Definitely on par or nicer than most people's weddings.  The chapel was decorated in the birthday girl's signature color, pink, and the mass included a grand entrance of her entourage, a special seat for her in front of everyone, an extra ceremony during the mass when different presents were presented to represent different aspects of adulthood, and a royal exit.  Afterwards I hitched a ride with Marinay to the wedding.  Teresa, Monika, Wesleigh, and I all piled into Marinay's car.  None of us really knew where we were going and we lost the car train when we stopped for ice cream, but eventually we made it.  The reception hall was also decorated in pink: pink tables, pink chairs, pink balloons, pink table decorations, etc.

An open bar, lots of good food, and a dance floor completed the party atmosphere.  The biggest difference I could find between a wedding and a quinceañera was the many choreographed dances between the birthday girl and various other parties. 

She had a retinue of six guys, friends, family, and boyfriend, who escorted her everywhere and ate at the head table with her.  They were her main back-up dancers (there were even costume changes), but a dance of older male family and friends also happened.  We had a great time and left very impressed.

Me, Wesleigh, Marinay, and Monika

Because the 30th was Monika's birthday, we celebrated Sunday night with pizza and wine.  The volunteer baby was finally 22!

Dia de los Ninos (4/28)

Thursday, April 28th was dedicated solely to the celebration of Dia de los Ninos or Children's Day, a national holiday in Mexico.  For the house, Children's Day is a big deal and all of primary school gets to participate.  Usually several groups come in to host different Children's Day activities and so the kids here get to celebrate Children's Day several times, not just once.  Apparently in the rest of Mexico it's not that big a deal, but here it's huge.  Anyway, Children's Day was officially scheduled for the 30th of April, but the house celebrated its version on Thursday.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.  It was a lot of pool, good food, and fun activities.

Games in the tables outside the pool.

Lunch outside.  These Medianas are enjoying a frozen juice as an appetizer.

One of my girls doodling on the sidewalk.  She was helping one of the other encargadas set up her activity station for the fair that afternoon.  We all had our own little booths with candy prizes (of course).

My station and one of the more bizarre activities.  Actually, I was substituted in to help.  Mostly I just watched, laughed, and took tons of photos.  The game: candies are spread out on a tray and then covered in flour.  The participant then has to search through the flour using only their face for tools.  The kids can search for up to 5 candies.  This game seems pretty common here and explains the white powdered faces from previous days.

Musical chairs with one of my girls holding up the line to pose for the camera.

On the left the little brother of one of my girls and on the right a Mediano.  They were playing around our activity area.

One of the more impressive flour faces.  He used his entire face to push the flour around instead of the more common mouth/chin method (push the floor a little with the chin, take a mouthful of flour, feel for the candy).

One of the other activities.  I didn't really understand this one.

Donut air fishing.  Always popular.

Me taking a boli break.  Boli's are God's gift to hot Mexico.  They're basically just frozen juice like popsicles except more delicious and they only cost 4 pesos, roughly 35 cents.  Guayaba, a popular flavor in Mexico from the fruit of the same name, is my favorite.

One of my girls and one of the secundaria boys.  I don't where the wigs came from, but suddenly everyone had them.  I especially like the skunk effect.

After the fair that afternoon, all the kids headed back to their sections to get ready for the special banquet and dance that night.  The encargados headed to the comedor to decorate.  We then raced to shower as well before greeting the kids as they entered.

The kinder kids waiting to enter. They were the first section to arrive.

A few of the encargadas posed at the door.  We were instructed to dress up like little kids.  The kids themselves were each given a lollipop as they entered with a number on it that was used later in the night to give out prizes.

The chicos and chicas sections came next.  All sections were paired off to enter.  In the older sections boys were actually required to ask the girls to the dance.  For these two sections, there are only about 8 chicas and 18 chicos so the girls entered in real style: a boy on each arm.  Quite the opposite from my cotillion days!

One of my girls and her date.  They really went all out dressing up and looked great!

One of my girls and her brother who escorted her to the fiesta.

Another of my girls and her date.  I was so proud as they all came in and played the embarressing mama roll to a tee making each pair stop and pose for me before they could enter.  I got a lot of "Saaaraaaahhhh!" but also a lot of good photos. :-D

Some of the pairs were a little different in size, but even cuter for it!

Wesley with one of her girls.  This just shows you some of the range of outfits.  There were a few quincineara dresses in the crowd.

The comedor set up for communal feasting.  This photo also shows one the secundaria sections performing for the kids.  There were several such performances over the course of the night.

Dan and Ignacio filled the roll of bouncers for the entrance to the dance floor.  When they walked in the girls went nuts screaming their heads off as the boys paraded to their station.  Dan even had an escort of Medianas to complete the look.

They boys holding things down and keeping the crowd under control.  Mainly they just stood there and looked cool.

The dance after dinner.

Me with one of my girls at the dance.  My wardrobe here is rather limited so instead of going for the little girl look I chose the little boy.  Ball cap, T-shirt, big basketball shorts, and Chucks with my hair tucked under the cap.  It should be noted that I was the only encargada to do so.  Oh well.  I was comfortable.  It was a great time, but I was very grateful to see my bed at the end of the day!