My last ten days with my girls in Grandes A began with Natascha following me around for the day and spending time with my girls. Because she was early and gradually assuming responsibility in the clinic, she took advantage of her extra time by getting to know the house in general and the other volunteer responsibilities specifically a little better. It was fun. Natascha was even able to join us for a little soccer after dinner that night. Thankfully for her, she too is a big soccer fan and enjoyed playing.
My last ten days also signaled the beginning of the house’s electricity and water cutting. Because of a slight financial crisis in the house budget, from that time until today the house has been cutting power in most parts of the house during normal business hours and some days the water. This change has made us very creative with our break time and Internet use, amenities we basically went without for the kids’ school vacation time. Anyway, back to my week…
Wednesday I was there for my last Edge before my trip home and the start of summer vacation. We took the cheap route and watched a movie. Popcorn included of course! The girls loved it so I consider it a success. Unfortunately it rained rather hard that night confining the section to the dorm. This did not deter the girls from a mini soccer tournament in the room. The bathroom door was one goal and the main entrance the other. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt. We did get yelled at for making too much noise. :-D
Natascha hard at work with our somewhat inadequate broom. She's over six feet and that broom handle was no more than two.
Thursday found Natascha and I hard at work rearranging our room in order to fit a fourth nook (I’m not sure how else to call them). We did some heavy duty cleaning, trash collecting, and dumping. That night was the June birthday fiesta and I came back to the section to find the girls busy cleaning out the excess lockers. It was interesting seeing the sort of things which had collected over the course of the year: Christmas wrapping paper, random pottery, incomplete board games, extra uniforms…just to name a few. Most was redistributed or thrown away.
One of my girls with me at her birthday party. The presents are made from whatever extra donations the house has and are usually pretty practical. The encargadas put them together earlier in the week.
A few of my girls sitting in the middle of the randomness that came from those extra lockers. They were a little late to bed that night.
Some fun in the dorm that same night.
Friday I accidentally overslept missing all my pre-descanso responsibilities. That was a little disorienting. Natascha and I took the teacher’s bus to Cuernavaca after a little down time in volunteers (and my computer battery running out). After some Mega shopping we went to our favorite taco place for dinner and Monika joined us back at the apartment. Saturday was spent sleeping, getting the apartment ready for the new volunteers, and hanging out with friends at a bar that night. Sunday, more sleeping and a movie with Monika. We even were able to briefly meet a few of the new volunteers and when I say briefly, I mean briefly. They walked up with their luggage, we said hi, Marinay started to steer them towards the house, and we said bye to head back. The whole exchange took less than ten minutes. I was glad to put some faces to names though.
The gang old and new hanging out at one of Marinay's favorite bars and Natascha's first night out on the town in Mexico.
A visitor group had arrived while I was on descanso and I got my first up close encounter with them on Tuesday when they decided to “help” us clean the comedor after almuerzo. We had twice as many people as normal cleaning, but somehow managed to take just as much time. I pretty much had side splitting laughter the whole time watching the encargadas reaction to the “help.” It was sweet of them to try though. That night was their despidida from the house and we had a feast of hamburgers that were oh-so-delicious. The visitors were also challenged to a game of soccer which they promptly won much to the chagrin of the house. I ended up giving the thank you speech at the end of the night. Teresa was supposed to do it, but she came down with a case of the throw-ups so I stepped up. No big deal really, but my whole public speaking fear made it a little more complicated than necessary.
Wednesday was my final day with all my girls in Grandes A and with the two encargadas I had spent the past six months working with. I was to leave to fly home the next day and while I would be gone a lot of changes would be taking place, namely the encargadas leaving the house and moving to Monterrey where they would start university. As it was my last night with them, the girls and I planned a surprise of pizza and cake for dinner as well as a gift for the encaragadas. I had made each of them a photo album with letters of thanks from the girls and gave them to them that night. Photos are a precious commodity in the home and I used the photos I had been taking since I got to the house. I think they appreciated it.
Ana and a few of the girls at the going away party.
Ochoa and some more in the section that night.
It was a bittersweet end and hard going to bed that night. Over the course of my time at home (ten days) the majority of my girls would be graduating from elementary school, participating in Visitor’s Day (only of two days a year families are allowed to visit), and moving up to secundaria. These changes also signaled a change for the year of service: some would be leaving to head to university while the newest bachillerito graduating class would be moving into the home and taking their place. As I packed that night I was anxious about all I would be missing, but excited to see my families and friends as well. But the outcome of all that I’ll just have to leave for my next blog post…
