During the first week of February, I went to Mexico City for our Fulbright ETA midterm reunion, which also included the ETAs from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. After hearing everyone's presentations about their experiences so far, I realized a couple of things: first, I am incredibly lucky to be in this amazing country! After hearing an ETA describe her life in the "Baghdad of the Western Hemisphere" (aka Caracas, Venezuela), I was about to ready to kiss the floor. Secondly, I am so grateful to be here with this year's group (pictured to the left), which is full of incredible people who have turned out to be great friends who love to live, laugh and eat - you simply can't do better than that!
Upon my return to Toluca, I was finally able to get my workshops off the ground and it was so nice to get back to my routine and see the students again. It really made me remember why I love to teach and how fun it is to have the opportunity to set aside the grammar books and teach English through things like hip hop songs, taboo, and idiomatic expressions. Not to mention the fact that my conversation workshops have included discussions on anything from the end of the world to the obesity epidemic in the US and Mexico. It's certainly never a dull day!
I also had a great time with my friend, Patricia, on Valentine's Day, when she took me to a Paté Fua concert in Mexico City and then introduced me to the band's lead singer (who immediately recognized her and gave her a big hug - I'm officially impressed). The following week, we decided to have some good old cultural exchange in the kitchen, when she came to my house and taught me to make a flan and I showed her how to make my mom's famous oatmeal cookies. I'd call that a giant Fulbright-friendly success ;)
The month ended with a trip to Mexico City for a reception at the home of the US Ambassador to Mexico. We ate mini bacon cheese burgers on napkins featuring the US national seal, drank a few too many cocktails and rubbed shoulders with diplomats. Throw in the mariachi at the end of the night and I can say I was thoroughly entertained by the experience. After the reception, I hopped in a cab and headed to the airport to pick up my Mom, which brings me to March!
For the past week, I've been in Mexico City, Guanajuato and then Toluca with my mom. We started our trip in DF, where we climbed the pyramids, visited all the major museums, rode a trajinera (boat) through the canals of Xochimilco, and saw the Ballet Folklórico (above). We had a great time and I made sure she tried each and every form of deliciousness that Mexico serves up. We then headed to Guanajuato, an old mining town NW of Mexico, which is known for its colorful landscape, narrow streets and overall beauty. Below is a shot of the aerial view of the city and to the right is the old theatre Juarez by night.
When we got back to Toluca, we spent a day walking around the city (and basically saw it all within the first hour), and then had a "bring mommy to work day" at the school. Absolutely NO ONE believed that she was my mother, including the taxi driver who drove us to the bus station this morning at 6:30 am and spent half the ride apologizing for making the mistake, but that he just couldn't see how it was humanly possible that she's my mother. After our photo shoot yesterday in the Cosmovitral (below), otherwise known as Toluca's claim to fame, we cooked up a big American dinner and enjoyed our last evening together. We had a great trip but it definitely sad to say goodbye! Love ya Mom ;)
Coming soon: Road trip to Oaxaca.Abrazos de México!
