Kids Work Hard

 

 The children here work hard. Like very hard!
I have never seen kids so aware of their adult surroundings. Once, mom and I were about to lock the storage door where the art supplies are kept, and the 2 girls who were helping us stopped us immediately and frantically reminding us that our purses were inside.
You can't carry anything. Kids carry everything for their moms. Even their little siblings! If they see you carrying something, they will insist to take it from you and carry it for you. This took time to get used to. Especially if I was carrying something very heavy. I'd have to insist on carrying it myself, much to their disappointment.
Last Saturday we ended art class with juice and popcorn. I gathered empty dishes up and put them in the kitchen. Mom went in to the kitchen to wash the dishes and they were all cleaned. We were puzzled for a moment until a little girl told us she had washed them all. What? Wow!
I learned just how hard they work when I was repairing a few other tiles on the floor. I had to chisel off the old cement and mortar. Jonathan's mom, Alma, cleans the Centre so he was hanging around. He's not really interested in my art classes. He saw me gathering up the tools. I asked him if he wanted to help me. He quickly took the tools from me and prepared the surface.

Then we went outside and broke some tiles. Each time he smashed a piece he exclaimed, "Perfecto!"
I showed him where the cement adhesive was and he prepared it by himself without hesitation. I was just watching to make sure it he did it right and while I stood there in awe, his mom walked by and told me he helps his dad all the time. Oh! But still! He's just a kid...
 

Then he helped do the mosaic tile.
Perfecto!

Gotta Love Collage

 Thanks to a donation of magazines from Sandy and Bud, I was able to do a Collage with todays group. I asked them to start with a simple shape. A star, a house, a flower. I used a star for my demonstration and started with 5 triangles of color, azur, roho, blanco, verde and negro. A great way to practice my colors in Spanish! Then I added images. A strawberry for the middle, giant lips and teeth eating the star. That's all I neede to do and thier little minds understood. They dove in and the results were amazing. They were at it most of the morning and most kids made more then one. So much happiness on thier faces!

Everyone seems to be completely engaged!

 Fatima and Ramses and Fatima again, showing off their collages. I'm pretty impressed with both of these kiddos!

Mom/Grandma/Mella/Meya is always a big help. After I got the kids started, she took over while I left to do a repair in the Centre. With no Spanish, she just speaks in English. I am sure they have no idea what she is saying, but they love her. She always gets more hugs!

Chuya REALLY, REALLY enjoyed this project. She is a little unconfident when drawing, but this one brought out such pride in her. Makes me happy!

 

Sonrisa! (Smile!)

 

Learning the word smile was muy necesito! Muy necesito isn't perfect Spanish, but if I say 'very necessary' to most Spanish people, they would understand.
Sonrisa por favor! as I am talking a photo. Most kids are not used to having their photo taken. I always show them the photos. They all giggle and want to see themselves.
These kids were all at the breakfast program, and I taught a little art project on mosaico. On the board I drew a spiral, but my demonstration was the letter G para Gail. I tryed to explain that they can do anything design they want. Tu decide! You decide. A few kids started to draw the letter G. I caught them and one-on-one they understood. But one guy, I didn't catch him... His was the letter G. When I told him, we both laughed. J para Jose!

Replenished, Organized and Ready

You can't make art without art supplies.
I designated $300.00 canadian dollars of my donated funds towards supplies.
Finding the right stores, figuring out what supplies were needed, deciding how to organize everything was a challenge.
                  
But with Bud's help, with my mom's help and some help from two sisters; Chuya and Bete, we got everything finished. Dian, the creative director came back from her trip to the US and I got to show her what we did. That was a lot of fun! These supplies should keep them going for quite some time.


BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

 

Dian and I discussed some options for a 2 day Art Camp, or a paper-mache mask making workshops for the upcoming Mardi Gras Parade or an art exhibition. She'd like to learn tie-dying before I leave.
Today I also found the perfect paint store where I bought the supplies to get started on the painting of the mural with the teens.

Sunday Market in Chapala

 

 The Centre and the stores are all closed on Sunday. The Community is very catholic. Families spend their mornings in church and their afternoons with their families.
Mom and I ventured down to the outdoor market in Chapala, just a 10 minute drive for us. It takes place at the water front on Lake Chapala. There is about a mile of vendors in two, almost three rows. It was predominantly Mexican families. All seemed like tourists just like us, visiting from a different part of Mexico with their kids and grandparents. All taking in the sights and posing in front of fountains and statues, just like us. At the market, there was everything you can imagine. Some booths had more "American" products with brand names we'd all recognize, but most had local handmade crafts and clothing. And food vendors of course! They sell roasted corn on the cob, in the same abundance that you'd find a hotdog/sausage stand at our outdoor events.


There is also ice cream and smoothies stands and there were beer stands, not just beer, but any liquor you wanted. ha ha
We shopped a little, but we were warned to take it all in first before buying. There are other markets with other prices. And, you can barter here. Once I get the hang of asking some questions in Spanish, I'll be better prepared to shop. There are also street musicians with lots of music.
It was a gorgeous day. We found a fountain feature with bronze boys and a bronze statue of The Lady of the Lake. I'll have to research more about the folklore here. But even guys in Harley t-shirts were getting their photos taken with the fountain. Huh...
We ducked into a restaurant and asked if it was ok just to have a beer and take advantage of the bathroom and wi-fi. Two essentials I can't go without for too long-ha! On that note, a lot of people live on their phones here too...yes, it's true!
Other sights and sounds included the lake; families were taking boat tours and some venders who were serving bbq fresh fish were throwing buckets full of fish heads and fish guts into a large (hmmm...Loudon, what is the word for a group of Pelican's?) ______ of Pelicans. They let the kids throw it too, much to their delight. The pelicans drew a huge fascinated crowd. It made us much more comfortable with our own fascination!


There were people walking around selling flowers, and balloons but I was most attracted to this man with his face and arms stained red, he was presenting his heritage of the Native Mexicans, the people who lived here first, before the Spanish.

I gave him some coin and asked to take his photo. What happened next, I wasn't prepared for, but I wanted all of it to happen! ha He put the bandana on me and then put the feather in it. And then we posed for a selfie. I thanked him a lot. I will find him next week. Perhaps I will draw him!


We had supper at a restaurant that Moonie suggested with a dish served in a volcanic bowl. It was served steaming hot and stayed piping hot through our meal. It had chicken, shrimp and beef with peppers and onions and we realized the bottom was all cheese!! We ate it on corn tortillas as we watched families gathering for meals.

Mariachies wondered in and out and would serenade you at your table if so desired. We might take them up on it next time!
Mom and I talked about our experiences so far. We've only been here a few days. There is so much stimulus and color and sounds.
It truly is amazing!
We highly recommend it!

First Visit to the Centre

Today, we went into the Tepehua Centro Communitario with Moonie. She gave us the grand tour. It is a very bright and large space. It was already full of hustle and bustle with the gals preparing rice and bean burritos and juice for the breakfast program. The kids were happily hanging out playing with toys, waiting. The kitchen was fully equipped with 2 beautiful stoves and a fume hood. It was expanded and built by a Rotary Club. Soooo many Rotary Clubs from all over North America have helped expand the building and it's resources.



There is a plaque for each rotary club who has helped make the Tepehua Centre what it is today.

 

Other rooms included a pantry, and a more private eating area for the moms. An outdoor play yard separates the dental clinic and women's health clinic. The Dental clinic was in full swing. The Intern was there and there were a few nurses too. The facility is new and very professional. The women's clinic was quiet. A new expansion is being built now which will concentrate on maternity care.
Upstairs there was a storage area, the sewing room and a computer room.
I identified some small repairs and fixes and organizing I could help out with.
Moonie was meeting someone to discuss new solar panels being installed so I met Dian. She is the Education Coordinator. When we walked through the Centre and the kids all vied for her attention and waves, she had my envy. I knew that she and I had a lot to talk about! And we did! I feel like I've known her for forever!


She is leaving for Texas for a week, so I will run some of her programming until she returns. And it will all begin tomorrow.
I better decide on a craft project and learn some related Spanish words!


This is Fatima. Someone stuck the sticker from her sucker on her head, ha ha. She let mom take her photo and then gave mom a big hug. Of course, I had to get one too. Her brother then seemed obliged to give us a hug too. Adorable!



Travelling with my Mom

This is going to be fun at customs in Mexico!

A Video of the Tepehua Community Centre

This is a short video about a new project that the Tepehua Community Centre took on recently in December 2015. 
It's a good peek at the Centre and where mom and I will be volunteering.
Click this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx5_V1VA7Z0

The Drawings, The Thank You's

These are some the drawings I did as Thank You's to all the people who supported my artsy journey.
It was a entire feeling of giving and giving back. What a great way to begin!

A Description of My Adventure to Mexico

This describes my project. This is how my GoFundMe campaign (gofundme.com/gailhodder) reads:

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to teach art to thousands of children in Prince Edward Island, Canada and it's time to pass on the Joy of Art to a group of less fortunate children. 
Plans are in motion to fulfill a journey to the Tepehua community of Chapala, one of the poorest in Jalisco, Mexico.
I am ready to give back to a very poor community and will volunteer for one month to teach art to children. In Chapala some parents cannot afford to send their children to school.  While parents try to provide the basics of living, children are often left on the streets. Luckily, the Tepehua Community Centre , is providing assistance through education of all facets and they would greatly benefit from having me volunteer there to teach visual art and craft. Studies have shown that arts education improves reading, writing and math skills, improves social skills and is motivational, especially to those in poor communities. But, perhaps more than this, being creative and making art and crafts brings great joy to children. While we Canadians may consider drawing and coloring a natural occurrence in our children’s growth and development, for some children in the Chapala region, having a piece of paper and a pencil, and an opportunity and place in which to create and have fun makes a huge difference to their day. My plan is to teach a group of older children a technique first, and then have them teach the younger children the same technique. We will explore many aspects of making art and creating but concentrate on the motifs, colour palate and images from their culture.
Part of my time with the Tepehua Community Centre will also be spent teaching the organizers some art skills, so that they can feel confident teaching and passing on these skills. The Community Centre will provide me with free accommodations. Yay!
Here's a short video of me discussing my profession: Gail Hodder - Visual Arts Educator
To show my appreciation, each contributor to my GoFundMe campaign will receive an original charcoal drawing from me! 
Funds raised will be used towards my transportation to Mexico, art supplies for the children and my meals.
I will be starting a Facebook Page/Blog to promote my Fundraising Journey and to post lots and lots of videos and images of my time in Mexico with the kids!
Let's do this together!!!!! Be a part of this journey with me!
Thank you,

What inspired me?

People inspire me.
Tammy, a woman in my community who adopted 2 children from China and raised countless dollars for other families wanting to to adopt.
Emily, age 19, from Prince Edward Island, who did the El Camino, not once, but twice!
Trudy G, a fellow jeweller from New Brunswick who has been going to the Chapala region for several years to teach the adult women new jewellery making techniques.
My kids! Loudon and Brennus are age 12 and 10. I want to teach them that there is a whole wide world out there. They are so fascinated by my venture and with the ease of technology, they can follow ever step.
My children's uncle inspired me when he and a group of other doctors went to Africa to provide free health care to a village. One year, he took his two oldest children with him, who were just tweens at the time.

I lived in Canada's Arctic for 5 years. Living in another culture inspired me.

Other people's stories and adventures inspire me. Stories of Inuit being lost on the tundra and surviving. Modern day adventurers like Don Starkle, Paddle to the Arctic and Victoria Jason, Kabloona in a Yellow Kayak who paddled through the Arctic. I read both of their books while living in Repulse Bay, NU. While living in Inuvik, NT, I recall many stories of people travelling the famous MacKenzie River by any means, even rafts.
I was once on the Dempster Highway with friends having a picnic and out of nowhere comes an elderly man on a bike. Coming from the south meant that he would have had to travel over 700 km on a gravel highway. He told us it was a personal journey.
When in Inuvik, there was a film screening about a husband and wife team who followed the Canadian herd of Caribou on foot. Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison documented this powerful adventure; Being Caribou.
Adventures by actor Ewen McGregor and friend Charley Boorman when they traveled by motorcycle all around the world going through many countries and therefore encountering many cultures. Both adventures were filmed; Long Way Round and Long Way Down are a must watch.
Movies inspire me: Into the Wild, The Wild, Tracks, The Way...