PAVEing a Blog

Monday August 22, 2011

Just like Wierd Al, I thought, okay, it’s a Monday, it’s pouring rain, instead of climbing the Aztec-like stairs to ABC Hospital – I will make sure I try the ABC bus today. See bus, says ABC on it, I ask, “ABC Observato?” “Si” Awesome…a few minutes into the ride, I see Observatio boulevard disappearing in the rearview window…what the &#(*&#@(#&????? I ask to stop and I will walk back the way I needed to SHOW UP FOR WORK, a shake of the head indicating this is not possible. HELLO skyscrapers, Santa Fe, and BEYOND Observatio! 🙂 I exit the bus at the ABC Hospital in Santa FE – and I tell the driver what I needed, he snickered a bit (okay, well, it would be funny if I did not need to be at WORK!) – find a taxi and get across I need to return to OBSERVATORIO ABC after talking with someone on the phone in English. We are on our way! 🙂

I see this is going to cost more than 5o pesos, awesome, 3o pesos in possession, we pull in front of the AFS, I run in after saying “Un Memento por favor”, and guess what?! ATMS is down! 🙂 YEAH! I get back to the cab, ask to go around the corner to ABS Hospital, find the ATM, get money, ask the driver to go back to ASF – on the phone again to explain I just need to go back to where we just came from, :), I get there, pay 100 pesos giving the driver 30 pesos tip, he needed and deserved it and I needed a stiff drink) and ta da! I get to work at 8:30, all in a day’s work, woo hooo! 🙂

The rest of the day was a breeze, lol, afterwards Elaine (my boss) was kind enough to take us to Costo’s on her card to get items for the Vera Cruz trip this weekend, and I needed to pick up a dress shirt. On the way back. picked up a pot and dirt at the local market, get home, and I am out alseep! lol…

Now what did I take away from this? I am walking up the Montezuma stairs no matter what, because I know my luck! – second, the people here, when you are in distress think nothing of helping you, period. Amazing.

Overall, despite a unplanned and undesignated day, many lessons learned in one day! 🙂

I cannot wait until the rest of this week unfolds! 🙂

Meeting at Delirio’s was awesome. We had a group of 7 in a small corner, and the brunch tradition begins! YEAH! IT WAS A BLAST! Delirio’s was excellent. So I am lucky to have help start the Friday out restaurant experience with colleagues, and Elaine started Sunday’s time to explore, what a great group of people!

I left early to take pictures of Centro Mexico, please see my facebook page to check out these shots, 13 albums worth! A great day with alot of pictures making up for my not having one!

I was bummed to have shelled out 500 pesos for a 2006 Olympus fe, but, wow, impressed with what it turned out, so not bummed anymore, lol.

Music on the street tonight, LOUD, it is 11:09, I am going to check what it is, lol. Very nice and relaxing day with friends!

Revisit of Pad Thai – August – 10, 2012 – See description I found below:

http://goodfoodmexicocity.blogspot.mx/2009/06/thai-spice-authentic-flavors-from.html

Authentic Asian food is hard to find in Mexico. There seems to be a new “fusion” joint opening every day– a little of this and a little of that add up to a big nothing. Worse, I have seen the word “Thai” bandied about as a euphemism for the word Asian. A “Thai” style salad at one place had a yogurt dressing! (dairy products are almost non-existent in South east Asia). Another bogus Condesa joint offers Thai dishes featuring soy sauce – anybody who has been to Thailand knows that soy sauce is minimally used there, and only in dishes of Chinese origin.
But something’s different at an unpretentious restaurant called Pad Thai. Bangkok born and trained chef Suphanee Somthaisong (familiarly, and more easily known as Bo) presides over her kitchen. All the dishes on her small menu are authentic Thai recipes carefully prepared using the proper ingredients. The chef, who is married to an American businessman stationed in Mexico, first worked at another Asian restaurant here before opening her own. “My goal is to show Mexico what real Thai cooking can be, using fresh local, as well as the correct imported ingredients”, the chef told me. Although she can find almost everything she needs here, several herbs have to be imported in their dry versions. The chef has plans to grow her own herbs: “I would like to buy some land and grow kaffir lime, galangal, lemongrass and other things that really should be fresh – this would be ideal”. But meanwhile, the food here is as good as it gets. I’ve traveled extensively in Thailand and can report that the chef has achieved her goal. Start with a couple of satays, succulent skewered chicken served with a mildly spicy peanut sauce. Fresh spring rolls, a soft rice crepe containing rice noodles, lettuce, mint, basil and shrimp are light and nicely complimented by their sweet and sour dipping sauce.
Moving on there are two classic soups to choose from: Tom Yum Goong, the spicy/tart shrimp soup in a clear broth, and Tom Kha Gai, made with coconut milk and chicken. Both are perfumed with lemongrass and galangal, a ginger-like root that has its own peculiar flavor and is essential in many Thai soups and curries. The quality of the pad thai (which means, simply, Thai noodles) is a test for any Thai restaurant and here it is correct – the balance of sweet, tart, spicy and salty are synced to perfection.
But best of all are the coconut curries, green and red. I haven’t tasted Thai curries as good since my last trip to Bangkok; subtle and fresh, they are prepared carefully and knowledgeably – no canned paste here.
Order steamed jasmine rice and lemongrass tea, the house specialty and you won’t be disappointed. One caveat: I recommend you request a little more chili if you really want authentic Thai food – ironically, as we are in Mexico, land of chili, the dishes tend to be toned down to accomodate foreign palettes. The chef, who wisely keeps her menu limited, has a much larger repertoire of dishes and will gladly prepare them for large groups. One of my favorite salads, made with shredded green papaya, is not on the menu – the main ingredient is hard to find here in the city. But it, along with such Thai standards as larb (chopped meat salad), and whole fish with lemongrass can be special ordered. Décor is minimal/modern and prices are reasonable – a full meal will be around $150 per person. There is no liquor license as of yet so BYOB. Staff is friendly, but obviously new at the game and so can be a little frazzled when the going gets rough.
Pad Thai is a welcome addition to the restaurant scene and will make aficionados of the real thing happy.

(This is the initial visit to Pad Thai we made on 2011)

FRIDAY! WHEW! it is here! So what plans did we have at our disposal for Friday! Thai FOOD! YEAH! Thanks to a top from Elaine, we headed to Pad Thai, and were not disappointed YUM! Pad Thai located at

Sonora no. 49, near Durango
Tel. 5256-4518
Open daily 1-10 or 11PM

WAS DELICIOUS! Soups, salads, original dishes ranging from 80 pesos to 130, the servings are delicious. Quaint and not a large space, maybe seating 30 max, it is a good idea to cal ahead. The rice is to die for, as well as the rice desserts! A total of 11 people made the night awesome and fun. The food choice was delicious and varied. Also, ask about the fish sauce they have for sale that is rare to find and adds that Thai taste to dishes. Try this link:
http://goodfoodmexicocity.blogspot.com/2009/06/thai-spice-authentic-flavors-from.html

After a long dinner, a few of us headed to a small cantina called La Clandestina (try here: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/now-drinking-beyond-tequila-in-mexico-city/)

thanks to the guiding of our colleague! Awesome! The name portrays the lack of signage, and you can let rip/roar there too. Do not forget the electric shock game that we actually participated in. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6aBbtSJ_c&feature=share

(Might reorder some of my nonsense inside. 🙂 On the way home, we ate at a late mini taco stand, delicious and HOT! As I ate the I said, “Mother of GOD HOT!” and the customer beside me stated laughing at my comment, “This is real mexican food!” Both travels this evening added to a super Mexican Friday, and as soon as I can figure out how to add pictures to my pages in this blog page, (hint, anyone?) then we will.

Interesting discoveries, introduced to a Blue Healer canine, never came across them before! Awesome pets, wow. I loved her at first sight! It was great that we could have her come into the cantina with us, very cool.

Sunday planning on trying out Delirios on Sunday near Alvaro Obregon, Monterrey 116 (corner Alvaro Obregón),
Sunday Brunch, all you can eat! 180 pesos
Colonia Roma
Tel. 5584 0870
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9AM-9PM, Sunday until 7; closed Monday http://goodfoodmexicocity.blogspot.com/2010/02/delightful-delicious-delirio.html#uds-search-results

Next Friday, August 27th, will be Italian, Lombardi’s!
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=67414

(Thanks Naomi!) the following week September 02, a vegetarian restaurant,

Pan Comido Vegetariano
Tonala – there isn’t a street number, but if there were, it would be 91 or 93
Between Alvaro Obregon and Chihuahua
Col. Roma Norte
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 10am to 9pm; Sun-Mon 10am to 5pm
Telephone: 4398 4366

Metrobus: Alvaro Obregon Metro: Insurgentes (pink line)

(Thanks Tracy and Elisa!) and the week after? We will need to start to schedule out the ideas we have been given, looks like we will fill until October!

I am going to cook my own dinner this evening, and I think I am starting to get the reality of the phrase, Buenos noches!

You might want to sit down for this one, every so often I am able to rip off a story that no one would believe, and would put them into stitches, today is your lucky day. Never say I never bared the embarrassing moments of my life…

First day of school, YES! 🙂 Early, out the door, all started somewhat great! Except the night of sleep, for some reason, I have woken up with bites, insect bites all over! I realized last night where it came from. mosquitos, yuck. I woke up in the night hearing the buzzing, I thought I was dreaming at first, literally hearing the buzzing in my bedroom and hearing them whiz past my head, but this had not occurred the first few days of being in the apt, but even though I thought I was dreaming, I walked out of the bedroom, into the living room, buzzing gone, into bedroom, buzzing back. LOUD, and when I covered myself up completely with the sheets, even my head, I could hear the buzzing outside of the covers waiting for me. Turn light on, no trace of ’em anywhere? I thought I was going MAD! (Sounds like the telltale heart here), but I somehow managed to get out without any majorly new bites, contemplating how I was going to rid these buggers so I could get a good night’s rest Wednesday night.

Experiencing this, again, has reenacted a two day week wrapped in one, but has made me ever more tired……can you believe it? As I look back, I laugh at the blood I had on my pants in leaving the day today, but realized I navigated alot of events in a short time! The blood came out in the wash, and I was able to reflect on the merry go round known as …

Another day in Mexico….:) Geez, the blood made me look tough on the metro…..

The one cool thing. despite the bite-a-rama Tuesday night, was I was able to find NPR in Mexico City and tune in, loud and clear. This reminded me of being in Delaware since I was able to get it on the eastern shore, so I left out the door in an awesome mood despite the obvious…

Early in, checked in movies from the previous day that had been returned, caught up with things all way before the day started for the first day! 🙂 8:00 orientation for the whole upper school, very nervous, but walked over with Afra, the new technology teacher and we just the students in – they were from everywhere! Funny to see students brought to school by drivers, with security cars in front and behind them as well, a full red carpet entrance! What a difference! Orientation begun, I found out I was to help hand out 10th grade schedules, moved over to the table, readied the schedules, intros began… Believe it or not, this was the best part of my day, lol….oh yes, wait and see….

As the students sensed the end of the speech, a rush, as someone said “like the running of the bulls” occurred and our table was completely submerged in students, all speaking in accents and voices at the same time, somehow we managed to get all but 6 their schedules, I hurried out and hung out on the blacktop monitoring the clumps of students during brunch time. Bell ring, corralling students into the school as they have 5 minutes to their 1a class, (they experience all classes today and this is a block schedule)…I make my way into the library and begin catching up. This is the part you will want to remember for a long time….:)…

I make my way up to the top floor of the library, shelving the DVD’s and I notice there is a security metal strip hanging out a little too far of the DVD case, I try to slide it back in, so it is hidden, moving it moving it, (these are made of metal remember), ding! “What? Where is all this blood coming from? What the heck? Gabby! (Our awesome reference librarian), Do you have an extra kleenex?!” Blood is everywhere, knowing I sliced into my finger, and it of course being the fleshy part, lots of scenery for a horror film going….I make my way downstairs quickly explaining to Elaine on my way out, trying to hide my bloody hand, I will take care of this at the nurse…:) I did a good job of hiding the results of my hand, and as soon as I enter, we clean it, yep, looks like stitches…:( I am not happy of course but you know when you have a cut, and you know it is deeper than you thought…I knew. Period. I knew the nurse was right, if I kept a band aid on it,it would keep bleeding, opening up, etc so yep.

American/British Hospital here I come, I trudge back over the the library in defeat letting Elaine know I am the first casualty of ASF School by security tab in the library and have to get stitches, (I don’t want to know her thoughts at that time because I could see mine…:) ) The nurse knows I am a lowly ignorant of Spanish as of yet and goes to the hospital with me, we check in, the receptionist is awesome, the school nurse is able to catch up on the latest since it has been awhile, :), go in and the doctor is truly great despite the circumstances. You know the worst part, right? You have to numb the finger, and to do that, well, there is going to be a needle involved here, I am not going to imagine that part, but imagine going down a slide on a razor blade, yeah, it felt like that for about 30 seconds, then my finger just felt like a blob of something, lol. The doctor was great, only three stitches! I walked back with the nurse with the white wrapping and holding my finger up, knowing, it would be a matter of time before the thumping set in.

Continue the day, looking Einstein ready to say something brilliant with my thumb up the air, :), monitored lunch, witnessed a student dropping water from the second floor balcony trying to bomb someone and managed to give that, “Want me to hurt you with a library security tape dude?!”, he ran.

Worked through the day, stepped out for lunch to grab a hamburgesa and hot dog with good old chilis, onions, the works….it seemed fitting and deserving…:)

Worked in the fiction room, putting texts in order, organizing details to help a teacher with The Holocaust, my finger reminding me of the antics earlier more and more…Bell! Last bell! Worked until four, used my finger as a signal to get me home, (it seemed like it was like a weathervane or something…:) , got home, grabbed my clothes, ran to the laundromat up two streets, and forced myself to figure it out whether I knew spanish or not….

They still appeared open, I motioned to the machines, the lady started the machines, even thought there were slots for the machines, apparently I did not try to make any of my coins as she interrupted me and shook her finger side to side meaning no. She stated something to the younger manager as she took clothes out of the washer that seemed to be there awhile, which seemed to be the topic of her conversation. The younger manager smiled, I did too imagining the wrangling the older proprietor was saying….my turn of novelty would come next! 🙂 She started the machines for me, I added the soap, put my crate on the machines, and took off back to the apartment. On coming back, someone’s car was not starting, he was attempting to push the car, I slid behind and helped him push it to the corner, Gracias, I said it back…got to the apartment, and typed in to SpanishDict how to say “How much for two loads of clothing” and also “I can dry these at my house” – one is “Me puede secar en casa” and the other is Cuanto por dos cargas de ropa?” – I will let you figure it out because darnit, I had to! – I made it back to the launrdomat, it looked closed, I am thinking, “You have GOT to be kidding me!”, They still had an opening, I slid in, retrieved my clothes, asked How much it was for two loads of clothes, (I must have done it perfectly because she instantly responded, “Sesenta”, I tried to ask, “Manana”, and pointed to the clock, (wanting to know time they were open tomorrow), I am still not sure on the response on that one, but I could tell from the look on their faces I was the entertaining one now…:) Agj, Gracias!, I head back to the apartment,
…hang the clothes up on the line, make my way, after after checking email quick, to the market Mark the awesome connected masseuse to everything in the area to a market that sold pots. I figured out during the day, the clippings of plants, in WATER must have attracted mosquitos last night! Ah ha! I speed walked 10 blocks to this indoor market, and after some careful looking, found a vendor with pots, looked arond, found 5 plastic trays and one earthen ware style pot. Heading around the corner, asking the man selling flowers if they have any dirt handy….no go, e states manana! I know I cannot cope with another night of mosquitos and the dirt has to be! I head out on some random streets, make it to a couple in the middle street gardens , not being beneath me to scoop down and filling a pot full of dirt to take home, see a couple other parks remaining, run into a colleague of ASF! Found a part of the garden further down, much softer! I looked both ways, down, scoop, scoop scoop, done! In this fashion I obtained a tote full of dirt, and made my way as fast as possible back to the apartment!

Rooted the plants, dumped the water, ( no mosquitos!) and filled in with my newly acquired dirt…as I sat here laughing at the whirlwind day, lightning starts, rain and my door buzzer goes off ( it has never worked since I moved in!) and all of a sudden, it comes on but does not turn off! I head back down in the rain, flip the bell button in attempt to listen for a short, nada. I come back up, ready to cut/splice the wires, however, I moved it and it goes off! Silence, at the house, whew, it comes wonderfully!
A day like this should be in the record books…:) or not….:)

Harry

Today, I am not sure how to explain this, and I am not sure I will be able to, so I will just lay the events out and the cards will fall where they may.

I couldn’t sleep last night for anything, tossing, turning, agh. One of those nights. As I woke to grab the first thing I could lay hands on, I realized walking to the metro I was wearing my coaches jersey, and today was the first day of Cross Country practice! Whether they knew it or not, I missed them deeply and was connecting with them unconsciously, I was glad I had chose that shirt today in silent support of them miles and miles away! I hope the first day will set the tone for XC in the first days of school in Seaford.

In coming to the school early, there is always that sense of peacefulness and solitude being one the first in the building, it always calms me. As I walked past the library I stopped in my tracks. I focused on a picture of an ASF colleague that had passed away suddenly. This hit me so hard as I had received an email over the weekend alerting staff of this, however, I was sure that the email was concerning a distant relative of someone in the school, not someone directly that I had met. Then I realized that I had met this colleague in the orientation group set up for us in the first days of school.

We were sanctioned off at 8:00 AM to grapple with two phrases that represented the mission/theme of the new school year, ours happened to be caring and trust. Only we had to do it to song. I remember thinking, are you kidding? Me, sing? Scoff….but I am sure everyone in our group was thinking this as well. I distinctly remember this colleague coming over and introducing herself amid the groans of this group with a smile, and energized in the fact that she had a great idea! We could do the song to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, I was laughing hysterically, but I do remember her smile and excitement of the possibilities that existed for this activity. We laughed, and she had the group already in a fix of optimism. She turned the attitude of everyone around at such an early hour. On top of that, her child-like excitement turned everything into something that it was not originally. She offered, well, maybe not offered, but did perform a solo about AFS after we decided an easier chorus to the words trust and caring that we, (speaking for myself), the less vocally inept, could manage! Larry the chorus director was able to take the ideas and turn out a chorus we could easily do! During the “rehearsal” there was an opportunity to sing in a solo, and sure enough this very colleague did and it was the final touch that out everyone over the top and laughing, enjoying this event, all from the right attitude and enthusiasm.

All this came back at me in waves and made me realize how lucky I was to have someone as this individual approach me in the very beginning of orientation, who I never had met, and made me feel so welcome and able to laugh at so early in the morning. Her child-like enthusiasm was contagious, and I was lucky enough to see in a short period what everyone around me knew as veterans at ASF, that she was dynamic for these reasons and so many more I never knew about. I was lucky to be the recipient of these qualities for this orientation, ad I thought what a welcoming gift as some new to ASF!

I felt bad and wearisome as I entered the library kicking myself for not realizing her name from the earlier email, and shocked that we had this wonderful experience only days before. Then I realized what the ASF faculty must be going through as they had a lifetime of these same experiences with her.

As a faculty meeting was held to approach this awful loss, information was clear that a bus was made available for the memorial service this very afternoon. I began to walk this line of uncomfortable decisions, I felt I needed to show some respect to the same people at ASF that have welcomed me in and showed me such a level of friendliness and respect, the same that this very colleague showed me and did not have to; yet I did not want to seem as if I was disrespecting anyone but being at her memorial and not being able to share the many experiences those around me had. In my heart, I wanted to thank her for her generosity, as well as those around me, for I began to see her loving spirit was in each and every one of those faculty members that had welcomed me to ASF, in so many ways. What a wonderful gift she had left for them and what a wonderful gift each of the ASF faculty continued to represent in Pass forward her generosity and youthful enthusiasm. I wanted to show thanks and respect in the best way I knew how, and the only way I knew was to attend this lovely ladies’ memorial, despite reservations of anyone thinking, “You didn’t even know her?” – the first 2 days I was lucky enough to meet this colleague she went out of her circle of “comfortablness” to make me feel welcome, which still had me beside myself.

One of the most difficult moments was seeing my new ASF family hurting so badly, and realizing that they were dealing with such a loss that contributed so much to their lives in and out of school. Their welcoming spirit had been evident since the day I stepped on campus, and I can only imagine how proud and gracious of a spirit had been passed on through them from their loss. I was able to see how incredibly beautiful the ceremony was with falling water behind the whole memorial and seeing how endearing the ASF family was along with the colleague’s immediate family dealing with this sudden loss. I felt at an utter loss wanting to be respectful, thankful and supporting of all that the ASF family had given me since my arrival.

Learning a language is only part of truly integrating with a new environment. Wanting to take in all that represents a new group of people, as well as paying attention to the little things is the difference between someone that impacts others, and someone that is there for the wrong reasons. I learned this today, and realized that schedules, timeframes, and agendas are just that without the heart behind them. There are rings of interaction that pass us by because we have too many things on our plate, we make ourselves too busy, or we just do not pay attention to the little things that count opposed to the things that dominate our lives that matter little (bills, things to buy, unnecessary events). I am grateful to have received such a wonderful gift as ASF as well as the people that make ASF a moving experience, and my heart is with each and every one of them as I was lucky enough to see a small window of what they were able to see for years.

Whew…So much has occurred since a week of arriving here! I have been through the upper, lower, and middle schools, as well as learned my around checking in books, checking out books, applying to be a coordinator of 21st Literary School Improvement teams in the 21st Century through NCTE, accepted a possible trip to Chicago Illinois for a presentation on that topic, am exploring uploading the sign out sheets for the labs, library, and computer carts in the Upper School Library, and am trying to justify the Media Center/Librarian position to make Elaine’s (my awesome boss) job easier!

So what about Mexico? Everyone keeps asking! 🙂 I found an open market of all items (watches, clothing, dog beds, fabulous art, furniture, a sports bazaar having Steeler and NFL items! – everything you could imagine there! 🙂 I found a laundromat 2 blocks away, another open market selling fresh fruit, and tons of items 2 blocks away, walked into a totally different neighborhood and found my landlord’s apartment, so that made me feel good I found it so easily not knowing the colonia Del valle!

School is great, I found a fridge at a second hand store, which is great as i can now go shop and store food and this works out well! 🙂 I know the route to and from school via metro – I am beginning to rely less on the use of cabs…

Thanks to Mark Bazzell, the awesome masseuse here, I figured out a place to buy the material to make curtains in place of buying curtains outright, much easier, at a store called JUNCO. I keep adding important things to know on the tab here marked for bits of info in Mexico!

I might be returning to Chicago in November for the NCTE Conference as a co presenter, and this might give me a chance to have some things sent to me in Chicago to take back with me in Mexico! 🙂

I love the weather, chilly at night, I did my own clothes washing this weekend so that was a sense of independence! 🙂 I am nervous about school starting Wednesday here, and I am not in the physical classroom this year, but want to do as crucial a job as possible supporting the teachers with their planning and lessons as I know what a help that was in Seaford with Mr. Moore’s help!

I found many plants that I took clippings of and have put them in aqua, so if they take, I can fill the roof with plants instead of buying everyone!

Mrs. Salisbury was heading to the Aquarium today and I miss the trainers so much! 🙂

I ate at this awesome Indian restaurant Friday as the start of a Weekly Friday dining out, initiated with the idea from Elaine, it was an AWESOME restaurant and we had a great time to unwind and just breathe about our experiences so far. Next step for me is to actually cook some meals and so I am off to find meats tonight to cook for dinner…:) It should be exciting 🙂

Kudos to Monse, Danielle, and mrs Vaughn as they are helping keep peace of mind with things back home, that always makes me nervous with so many things going on and trying to tie up loose ends there.

I enjoy the fact I have time to think these things out instead of taking so many things on, and I think that is the way to do things right….Regarding Mexico, the things I am most impressed with – the Bangladesh blankets the owner of Taj Mahal has, the beautiful scarves here, handmade items such as wallets and purses, the paintings and pottery are gorgeous, the food of course is so much a variety, and the ability to have the curtains made for the apartment, wow. Of course the Mexican rugs and indigenous items, from handmade toys to jewelry, there is so much to take in.

Crime is not what it is made out to be here, there is little but still as much danger as there is in new York with being careless. Travel is inexpensive and easy with the metrobus, underground metro, and the correct taxis. The colors of green, orange, yellow, and rust color are beautiful and all around. The open markets everywhere are excellent, and I do not feel confident enough to do any buying until I learn the language better. I am enrolled in Spanish classes starting the end of August. I can not wait.

Questions? I am possibly investing in a camera this week a member of the faculty has for sale, Olympus x920 which seems to be not a bad type, and reasonable compared to the prices that are wanted here in Mexico for ANYTHING electronic. I am off to see about buying that meat, and finding some empty pots for the clippings I retrieved…:) Funny how I can think of all the things I have at home I could use…:( Isn’t that life? I am all about consolidating, so if anyone back home is interested in two barbecue grills, for cheap, let me know…I have begun to think of the things I can do without, which is a good thing…)

Okay! Updates….:) Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 8:24am Wednesday –

Up and catching the hotel van to ASF, we were together as all a unit, lower, middle, and upper school teachers, as well as ECC (Early Childhood), there is a lot of us new hires from all over the country! 🙂 We did icebreakers, traditional tours of the school, went to see how close the nearest store was and bank in the neighborhood, then I was off to see more furniture. In the course of today and Thursday, I managed to arrange delivery of my furniture, 1st shipment Thursday, second Friday. They used ropes to pull up the furniture to the roof of the house, VERY cool.

Wednesday was awesome as we went to the President’s house from ASF for dinner. He had cooks and waiters and they cooked some of the best steak with bacon around it, as well as some of the best desserts and dishes for us to eat. He enjoyed two balconies in his apartment and wow, the mingling was great! I was able to meet alot of new teachers, from ECC to upper school to all over. Free food and drinks all night. It was great!
Thursday I did meet with my team of librarians and teachers, and they are hosting a huge technology conference in September, and we are encouraged to propose a workshop or cohort for the attending educators. Also, we talked about where the library will be in the future and it is exciting to see the opportunities to work with all the levels of the school. I plan to periodically pop in to the teachers, from ECC to elementary to middle to upper school to see what their needs are, som much potential it is exciting!
I found out that my hiring was what seems to be fate. At ASF they never hire anyone but local individuals for the position I had. Somehow my resume came across the hiring manager, and she glanced at it but set it aside. It came back up, was pitched to the principal, went away, then the resume come back again and on an unprecedented decision, I was hired! They thought it was time to inject the library with some energy to revamp the services, so it was by the skin of my teeth that I was considered as I am obviously locally born here. It was something to have the individual in charge of hiring coming up to me at the dinner to tell me my coming here was fate, made me feel just unreal…:)

Friday allowed me to have the rest of the furniture moved in and am waiting to get the wireless set up at the house. This will complete my needs and I can move into the apartment! 🙂 It is great to be the weekend! YEAH!

Saturday brought exciting trips! We travelled to the City of coyotes and saw some of the oldest convents, and churches from the 15th Century there! Additionally, we saw a HUGE marketplace of original art, all ate together as a group in one of the bes cantina, and saw a live mariachi (spelling?!) group singing and playing with the designated honorees walking in front. Amazing place. Coyoacan, what a place! We met an actor from soap opera they were filming right there! He came right up to us and was talking to us, it was great! The convent was beautiful and just what you would see in the films!

That evening I helped a fellow teacher from South Africa teaching stint, but her home is Los Angeles, moving her family up 5 flights of stairs, up, up, up, wow, I haven’t had that much exercise since, I don’t know?! LOL…
Today we are headed back to a free tour of the Mayan ruins and the Presidencia place we had visited earlier. The open courtyard was beautiful and it should be nice day. Hoping to move in to the apartment by Tuesday at the latest. Just need to get my mattress and refrigerator, and internet, and we are in! YEAH! 🙂 I need to get that blog created tonight…:)