Driving in Mexico
The morning began with the arrangement of borrowing Moonie's friend's car. We went to Gin's house which is just down the road. Another beautiful house! She gave me her old Jeep Cheroke and told me all its quirks. Like, the alarm system doesn't work anymore. If you lock it, when you unlock it, the alarm system will sound and doesn't stop until you put the key in the ignition! So, anyone whose been in my own car with me, knows that my car is EXACTLY the same. Somehow there is laughter in all the experiences here!
I told Moonie and Gin I was cautiously nervous, but excited, and that I had never been in an accident. Then I made mom cross herself! ha!
I followed Moonie to the Community Centre in Chapala, about 15 minutes away. It was no problem. We tried to take note of all the landmarks on the way. It is really difficult to find street signs. There are few stop signs. Most streets downtown are a grid of one way streets. Not just east-west like downtown Charlottetown, PE, but also north-south. So, you go one way on one street, and you go the other way on the other street. BUT, the streets are labelled clearly. Moonie left us at the Centre and we were to navigate our way home on our own. Challenge accepted.
I thought I would use my trick of looking at the parked cars on the side of the road to see which way they are facing but once we started out I realized they park both ways on either side of the street even when it's a one way. Sooooo, I may have gone the wrong way down a street or two, but if I did, no driver or pedestrian cared! I made our way to the gas station to fill up. So...yeah, the gas attendants don't speak English but moving his thumbs up up, we were on the same wave length that I wanted the tank filled to the top. He showed me the pump instead of trying to say seven hundred and eleven en englais. So, that was easy!
Then we went to Seriana's Store to get some groceries. It really is a super-store and both Mexican and gringos shop there. It's just like a large Wal-Mart. No problem to find American brands and local brands. We just needed a few groceries for the next week. Canned fruit and veggies did NOT make it into the shopping cart. Once we learn how to shop the roadside stands and get the hang of the de nero, we'll be buying all our produce there, where it was just picked that morning!!At the grocery store, there was a group of school girls packing our groceries. We tipped them. I think they were fundraising, and if I thought I could ask to fin out, I would have. Getting back to Moonie's proved a little more difficult. I couldn't remember the landmark or the street name. I looked at the map and just did my usual, follow-your-nose-Gail, follow-your-nose. I knew I had to go west, so I took a left and followed my nose and took us right to Moonie's. No problemo! ha ha
Teaching the kids!
At the Centre was the day I was waiting for. To meet some of the kids and to teach them! There was a group of kids meeting for remedial help. There was a young women (maybe 20?) teaching them in a classroom setting. She took them outside half-way thru for an exercise/game break. She was soooo good with them. In the meantime mom and I set out to find the art supplies I needed for today. Dian gave us the go-ahead to organize her art supply shelves. I identified some of the supplies I can buy with the money donated by all of my wonderful peeps! I found some pretty colored paper and enough scissors to make today's activity happen. I wanted to start with something easy and fun. A paper dancer I found on Pinterest weeks ago.
When the kids were finished with remedial class, I had everything ready!
I asked their teacher to ask them if they wanted to make the paper dancer with me only to realize she spoke no English. My first challenge!! I used the translator on my phone to say "make one" while I held up my example and pointed to them. They looked hesitant but they all nodded yes. So, away we went! I had the steps written out in Spanish, by using my translator, and I drew some images next to the words. I wasn't sure how much they could read and there were some little bitty kids too...
Then I did a demonstration. I had two templates cut out, so they had to share and take turns. Some mom's showed up to pick up the young kids ad they helped me. Although they did not speak Spanish, they were quick to get the instructions and repeated them in Spanish to the kids. I used my translator to find a word and then would say it to a mom, and she would figure out what I wanted and correct me pronunciation. One of the older girls was also eager to help translate. And eager to help the other students too. I will have to figure out her name!! We were making the paper doll's skirt using a typical snowflake technique, but having no snow here, these kids would have never seen this before. The mom's became fascinated too! I had pre-folded the paper for the kids. When the first kid finished cutting out the snowflake, I had everyone watch him open it. Open- Abiertos, my little heper told me.
When he opened it, I held it up and then pretended to put my feet in the paper skirt. They all laughed!
Everyone made uno and then wanted to make dos. I said Si! Why not. I had to practice my Spanish and they could make the second one on their own while I helped the little ones more. Mom was a big help. She helped them all and I only realized half way through that I didn't tell them she was mom mom. "este es mi madre" while pointing to her. The mom's there seemed surprised and the kid's all liked knowing that.
When I took photos of the first kids, they stared at me blankly. I heard their mother say something to them. The child did not smile. I took a picture of another child. I heard the mother say something and the other kids say something. 'smile'. The child smiled. I realized they they did not know what a camera was, or, had never had their photo taken. I showed them the photo right away. They REALLY wanted to see it. They all smiled and giggled when they saw their image. I took LOTS of photos. I showed each one to them. Then...they got it and they wanted me to take a photo of each and everyone and they wanted to see them. I loved it. I loved giving this to them. Photos! I will print some before I leave and give them their own photo.
I played a traditional Mexican song on my phone (thank goodness for wi-fi!) and our paper dolls all danced around. The kid's added things to their dolls. They drew on faces and cut out strips of paper and glued them on for hair.
They all left with their paper dancers with "gracias, gracias, adios, gracias."
It was so fun. I was so thrilled I was beaming!
I did it! It is really happening!
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