"Sorry there are a bunch of ants on my bed"
"Wait....I just lost the lizard on my ceiling"
"...and then we put RAID on our legs to avoid the mosquitoes...."
All this and more is about to be explained. These are just a few examples of the ambiguous phrases I have been using in my personal emails. I think it is time for me to give some more details about the "pest" situation here. I don`t want anything on this blog to seem negative...so if I start to get too cynical, just picture me with a big smile: "It`s not bad....just different" ...(face twitch)...
MOSQUOS
I have already stated that it is hot and humid here. Starting about 4 weeks ago, it also rains. Every. Day. What little animal are we familiar with that thrives on hot wetness? Bingo. The mosquitoes here are vicious! They are smaller than the ones in the U.S., they are almost impossible to see in the air. But when they BITE you can actually feel it...it hurts! The WI mosquitoes I`m familiar with don`t hurt when they bite, and they leave behind an itchy little bump. Tabasco mosquitoes sting when they bite, and leave behind a BIG bump with a red dot in the center. Also, I`m told that mosquitoes here carry dengue, so people are REALLY careful.
What does "careful" mean? Bug spray. LOTS. Deet? Awesome. Comes in an aerosol can? More powerful. Supposed to be sprayed around a yard? I guess we could do that as well as our legs. After Conserve, my friends back home would frequently hear me say things like: "Hey-Don`t spray that near me! I don`t want those chemicals on my body! Have I told you about Deet?..." And so it began. But here...I tend to scrinch my eyes up really tight and hope nothing gets in my mouth. After all, I have a whole lifetime to be self righteous about bug spray, and I REALLY don`t want dengue.
Lagartos
This is perhaps the most exotic sounding house pest I am experiencing. Little lizards darting around the house? Doesn´t it just sound like something out of the Jungle Book? Surprisingly....it still kind of feels like that to me too. I don´t really have anything bad to say about the lizards. They creep me out a little bit, but I don´t feel squirmy around them. I mean really: They have four legs (not scary), they are smaller than my hand (not scary), and they can´t cause you any physical harm unless you eat two of them in their entirety (It´s a little scary that they know this).
So, the lizards are just sort of THERE, hanging out in behind my dresser. And on my wall. And sometimes on my ceiling....Ok, now I´m starting to psych myself out....
Hormigas
This is the one that gets me. Ants. Lots of them. There are two main types of ants here. The ones that are half red/half black and HURT. And the ones that are brown and small and are just gross. I don´t like either of them. Something about ants has always bothered me. I would rather deal with spiders than ants. Ants are the organized crime of the insect world, I am pretty sure they will take over the planet eventually. Rational? No, but there you go.
During my first few weeks here, I thought: "WOW, it´s incredible that there are so many ants outside, but none in the house! Tralalalala...." Then one day, I noticed that that corner where the wall connects to the floor...was MOVING. I looked closer. Yes. There was a steady STREAM of ants crawling along, being sneaky. I began to check other rooms. I looked along dark colored cracks on the walls....ANTS. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (<----that was my emotional breakdown)I was freaked out. They were on the table. On the wall. In my ROOM. How had I not noticed this?
But I was definitely over reacting. House ants are pretty satisfied with their secretive lifestlye. They are not interested in climbing on me. Unless I am holding a bread product and sit for a VERY long time without moving (this has happened). So, I´ve become a little bit obsessive about wiping crumbs off of EVERYTHING I see. I may come home with a weird lap-wiping-tick.
But really: I have now survived having ants: In my bed, on my plate, in my books, and on my HEAD, and I am still here to write about it. So they can´t be that bad, right?
(Ok. Actually, they still suck. I´m sorry, I haven´t come to terms with this yet. No positive note to end this segment.)
Other Animal Tidbits of Interest
-Racoons are adored here. They are the most popular zoo exhibit. At the fancy hotel I went to in Playa del Carmen, they proudly showed off their trained racoon. "Many people in the U.S. don´t like racoons????? But they are the most adorable animal of all!"
-I don´t think they have any animal rights laws. At all. At many supermarkets, you can find men selling puppies. Out of BOWLS. Yes- a big bowl full of puppies. At first this sound like the realization of every preschooler´s dream...but I get stuck thinking about the puppies on the bottom. Then I get that song from VeggieTales "Esther" stuck in my head (are you with me?). Then I think about the HUNDREDS of strays I´ve seen in this city. I am by no means an animal rights activist, but this just makes me want to.....Ok, I actually have no idea how to fix this problem. It keeps me thinking at least.
-Chihuauas. Are. Loud.
-I live for the moments when I come across big iguanas climbing trees. They remind me of dragons. Way cool.
This post was scattered. I will try to update with some pictures tomorrow. Because seriously, we all need to see the racoon exhibit in the zoo.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
More or Less
There aren’t tourists here. My city is equidistant from Mexico City and Cancun, so before I got here I thought that there would be a lot of traffic between the two. But honestly, how many people do you know who plan road trips across Southern Mexico? Exactly. So my life is devoid of white people with cameras, and I don´t hear much English.
I spent last weekend in Playa del Carmen. (It was awesome: I need another post for it) While I was there, I felt overwhelmed by the number of tourists I saw. Southern Accents! Sun block! Books in English! Children with Blonde hair! But what was weird was….I didn´t feel like I belonged in that group. It´s hard to explain….I KNOW that I am American, and there are times when I feel homesick, but I really felt more at home in my group exchange students, or with my Mexican family.
There was one moment when I was waiting in line to buy a bandana, and the lady behind me started talking. She was offering to give me her family´s extra sun block, because they were leaving. I thanked her, but said that I have enough and she should save it for their next trip. She sort of frowned, and repeated herself. I got concerned: I was just trying to be polite! So I repeated myself again. The second time I caught the problem: Spanish. I had no trouble understanding her English, but my mouth has been reprogrammed! This time I answered in English. She was relieved. The moment passed.
It has been a long time since I have spoken aloud in English. I have skyped with my family once since I got here, and I didn´t have problems communicating with them, but day to day: I only speak Spanish. But I WRITE in English (letters, emails, blogs, whatnot), and I´d say most of the time I still think in English. What results from this combo: A really weird accent.
I have all of the English in my head. I know the grammar. I know the vocab. But my mouth does NOT know how to say it. I think it started when I first introduced myself as Elena ON-dare-sone from Wee-SCOH-seen. The “soft” vowel sounds don´t really exist in Spanish, and so it´s REALLY awkward to slip in nasally English words, like say, Wisconsin. So instead I´m just lazy and say all of my English words like they do. Sometimes I feel guilty for contributing to their accents, but not guilty enough to change. I may not ever look Mexican, but I will sound like one or die trying .
Anyway, back to the playa. I was at the pool talking to this college kid from Oregon at one point. We had been talking for a solid ½ hour when it came up that I was from Wisconsin. He thought I was kidding. “You don´t sound American”. Ok….so what DO I sound like? I guess right now, my English is a weird combination of European accents, as that´s pretty much what I´ve been hearing from my fellow exchangers. I am an auditory learner, which right now means that I am a copy cat.
By the end of the weekend, I think I was pretty much “Back to normal”. There was A LOT of English that went on….but now I´m back at school, I´m back at home, I´m back in Spanish. No more English for me.
As far as my Spanish is coming….I´m getting there. I am still frustrated a lot, because there are so many things I WANT to say, but can´t. I end up making a lot of blunt declarations that would have made me cringe with embarrassment two months ago. Elaine in Mexico is not witty or sarcastic. Sometimes, I will sit with my friends for 10 minutes, listening to their conversation about last weekend before I remember that is socially acceptable to CONTRIBUTE to discussion.
In school, I found out that I received 56% on my first Bio Exam. While in the U.S. this would have crushed me….I actually don´t feel too bad about it here: If one month= 56%....just think how I´ll be doing by the end of the year! In other news, I made a big accomplishment last week, when I contributed to discussion WITHOUT being asked a question directly. The class was learning in Law that: “In the U.S. they have the death penalty for all of the crimes. If you do anything serious, you get the lethal injection. There are more second chances here in Mexico…….” Sometime you just have to raise your hand and be an ambassador, right?
SO now when people ask me if I speak Spanish, I have moved myself past the “I speak one little bit” phase. I now say “More or Less”. This is a perfect answer. I will probably be using it for the next nine months, although I hope to be securely on the “More” side when I return stateside. My return trip feels like it is an eternity away. I´m sure I have plenty of time left to thoroughly confuse myself before next July.
I spent last weekend in Playa del Carmen. (It was awesome: I need another post for it) While I was there, I felt overwhelmed by the number of tourists I saw. Southern Accents! Sun block! Books in English! Children with Blonde hair! But what was weird was….I didn´t feel like I belonged in that group. It´s hard to explain….I KNOW that I am American, and there are times when I feel homesick, but I really felt more at home in my group exchange students, or with my Mexican family.
There was one moment when I was waiting in line to buy a bandana, and the lady behind me started talking. She was offering to give me her family´s extra sun block, because they were leaving. I thanked her, but said that I have enough and she should save it for their next trip. She sort of frowned, and repeated herself. I got concerned: I was just trying to be polite! So I repeated myself again. The second time I caught the problem: Spanish. I had no trouble understanding her English, but my mouth has been reprogrammed! This time I answered in English. She was relieved. The moment passed.
It has been a long time since I have spoken aloud in English. I have skyped with my family once since I got here, and I didn´t have problems communicating with them, but day to day: I only speak Spanish. But I WRITE in English (letters, emails, blogs, whatnot), and I´d say most of the time I still think in English. What results from this combo: A really weird accent.
I have all of the English in my head. I know the grammar. I know the vocab. But my mouth does NOT know how to say it. I think it started when I first introduced myself as Elena ON-dare-sone from Wee-SCOH-seen. The “soft” vowel sounds don´t really exist in Spanish, and so it´s REALLY awkward to slip in nasally English words, like say, Wisconsin. So instead I´m just lazy and say all of my English words like they do. Sometimes I feel guilty for contributing to their accents, but not guilty enough to change. I may not ever look Mexican, but I will sound like one or die trying .
Anyway, back to the playa. I was at the pool talking to this college kid from Oregon at one point. We had been talking for a solid ½ hour when it came up that I was from Wisconsin. He thought I was kidding. “You don´t sound American”. Ok….so what DO I sound like? I guess right now, my English is a weird combination of European accents, as that´s pretty much what I´ve been hearing from my fellow exchangers. I am an auditory learner, which right now means that I am a copy cat.
By the end of the weekend, I think I was pretty much “Back to normal”. There was A LOT of English that went on….but now I´m back at school, I´m back at home, I´m back in Spanish. No more English for me.
As far as my Spanish is coming….I´m getting there. I am still frustrated a lot, because there are so many things I WANT to say, but can´t. I end up making a lot of blunt declarations that would have made me cringe with embarrassment two months ago. Elaine in Mexico is not witty or sarcastic. Sometimes, I will sit with my friends for 10 minutes, listening to their conversation about last weekend before I remember that is socially acceptable to CONTRIBUTE to discussion.
In school, I found out that I received 56% on my first Bio Exam. While in the U.S. this would have crushed me….I actually don´t feel too bad about it here: If one month= 56%....just think how I´ll be doing by the end of the year! In other news, I made a big accomplishment last week, when I contributed to discussion WITHOUT being asked a question directly. The class was learning in Law that: “In the U.S. they have the death penalty for all of the crimes. If you do anything serious, you get the lethal injection. There are more second chances here in Mexico…….” Sometime you just have to raise your hand and be an ambassador, right?
SO now when people ask me if I speak Spanish, I have moved myself past the “I speak one little bit” phase. I now say “More or Less”. This is a perfect answer. I will probably be using it for the next nine months, although I hope to be securely on the “More” side when I return stateside. My return trip feels like it is an eternity away. I´m sure I have plenty of time left to thoroughly confuse myself before next July.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hey guys, it really works!
Well, it´s good to know that the Mexican Postal Phantom is reading my blog at least.
Taht´s right people. SIX LETTERS, ONE DAY. Thank you to my lovely correspondants:
Trena Wells Anderson
Emma Grace Anderson
Diana Wells
Elyssa Wells Anderson
Stephanie Groth
Christina Schempf
Ana Komar
You guys rock my socks. En Serio.
Taht´s right people. SIX LETTERS, ONE DAY. Thank you to my lovely correspondants:
Trena Wells Anderson
Emma Grace Anderson
Diana Wells
Elyssa Wells Anderson
Stephanie Groth
Christina Schempf
Ana Komar
You guys rock my socks. En Serio.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Lick it and Stick it
Every now and then, you meet a really good friend. Someone you connect with. If you are lucky, you may get to have this person as a suitemate for four months of boarding school. Very rarely, this person shares your love of snail mail and will faithfully write you letters all summer long. But how often do you meet someone who will, in your first month out of the country, send you a package with David Sedaris´ latest book- braving the customs shenanigans of international mail? People, I give you Cecilia Hinsley: Thanks Ceci! :)
Now, before all of you who aren´t....um.....Ceci, lose interest, this post DOES have two purposes. You see, I feel that Ceci´s package is an excellent opportunity to discuss MAIL. First I need to get you caught with my relationship with mail.
I LOVE letters. I have since I was a very little girl. Honestly, who doesnt? I always had one of those "Send-a-dollar-and-your-address" pen-pal programs going, and I was part of "Mailbox Club", which is like AWANA from a distance. About 3 years ago, I became a sponsor through Compassion Inernational, and right now I am writing to six children who live in developing countries. After leaving my home in the Northwoods, I started writing to my friends; our relationships were joltingly made long distance. I mailed a letter almost every day this summer. Yes, I go through stamps like a crazy person. But I´ve learned that in order to get letters, you must send letters. Some people draw or crochet napkins. I write.
Ok, now we´re caught up.
There is a mailbox here in Mexican house. I´m told that someone puts mail in it. I have never seen this person, as mail here does not come on a schedule. Rather, when "enough mail" has been collected by the fraccionamiento, there is supposedly a person who delivers said mail. I have no idea what constitues "enough". I am one day short of five weeks here. The mail has come twice.
I´m going to say that again, in case you missed it. The MAIL has come twice. Not "I have recieved mail twice". This myserious postal phantom has granted us two visits. I check the mailbox every day after school. Because those days when it DID come were awesome, but a lot of time, ít´s just dissapointing. From what I can tell, there´s no real rhyme or reason to what does and does not arrive. For example, the first letter my Grandma sent me seems to be lost forever, but Ceci was able to ship me a brand new hardcover book. Sometimes, I have a pretty chill "accidents happen" attitude. But on my more conspiracy-prone days, I am SURE my letters will show up in a government sponsored "Cartas en Ingles" book. But what can I do?
When I got Ceci´s package, it wasn´t delivered to the box, this was:
I then took this to the post office and received this:
I felt like this:
Ok. Enough of that....Mailing Letters:
When I want to actually SEND something, I have to go to the post office. The nearest one is a little over 20 minutes away, but my host family is gracious and drives me on Saturday mornings. At the post office, I talk with an official who always seems to be annoyed at me: "TWO letters....two INTERNATIONAL letters.....Two international letters with SECURITY?" But I really don´t care. The price of these two international letters with security varies drastically from week to week. One time, it was 54 pesos and I spent about 5 minutes glueing stamps to the back of the envelope. One time it was 25 pesos and scanned into the computer. One time, I paid, but didn´t see ANYTHING put onto my envelope. And I have said exactly the same thing every time. I guess it fluctuates based on the mood of the official. Anyway, I always receive one of these:
If you´ll notice, there are four different styles represented there. Only the purple one has arrived. Hmmmmm.
So, next time you are sitting with your friends discussing the economic crisis, or health problems, or education problems, or whatever issue seems to be the BIG one that day, make sure to keep a frame of mind. The U.S. might have a lot of problems right now, but there is at least one thing it has going for it. Because when you stick that little picture of a liberty bell in the corner of your envelope, you can be sure it will arrive. And that is something to be grateful for.
Now, before all of you who aren´t....um.....Ceci, lose interest, this post DOES have two purposes. You see, I feel that Ceci´s package is an excellent opportunity to discuss MAIL. First I need to get you caught with my relationship with mail.
I LOVE letters. I have since I was a very little girl. Honestly, who doesnt? I always had one of those "Send-a-dollar-and-your-address" pen-pal programs going, and I was part of "Mailbox Club", which is like AWANA from a distance. About 3 years ago, I became a sponsor through Compassion Inernational, and right now I am writing to six children who live in developing countries. After leaving my home in the Northwoods, I started writing to my friends; our relationships were joltingly made long distance. I mailed a letter almost every day this summer. Yes, I go through stamps like a crazy person. But I´ve learned that in order to get letters, you must send letters. Some people draw or crochet napkins. I write.
Ok, now we´re caught up.
There is a mailbox here in Mexican house. I´m told that someone puts mail in it. I have never seen this person, as mail here does not come on a schedule. Rather, when "enough mail" has been collected by the fraccionamiento, there is supposedly a person who delivers said mail. I have no idea what constitues "enough". I am one day short of five weeks here. The mail has come twice.
I´m going to say that again, in case you missed it. The MAIL has come twice. Not "I have recieved mail twice". This myserious postal phantom has granted us two visits. I check the mailbox every day after school. Because those days when it DID come were awesome, but a lot of time, ít´s just dissapointing. From what I can tell, there´s no real rhyme or reason to what does and does not arrive. For example, the first letter my Grandma sent me seems to be lost forever, but Ceci was able to ship me a brand new hardcover book. Sometimes, I have a pretty chill "accidents happen" attitude. But on my more conspiracy-prone days, I am SURE my letters will show up in a government sponsored "Cartas en Ingles" book. But what can I do?
When I got Ceci´s package, it wasn´t delivered to the box, this was:
I then took this to the post office and received this:
I felt like this:
Ok. Enough of that....Mailing Letters:
When I want to actually SEND something, I have to go to the post office. The nearest one is a little over 20 minutes away, but my host family is gracious and drives me on Saturday mornings. At the post office, I talk with an official who always seems to be annoyed at me: "TWO letters....two INTERNATIONAL letters.....Two international letters with SECURITY?" But I really don´t care. The price of these two international letters with security varies drastically from week to week. One time, it was 54 pesos and I spent about 5 minutes glueing stamps to the back of the envelope. One time it was 25 pesos and scanned into the computer. One time, I paid, but didn´t see ANYTHING put onto my envelope. And I have said exactly the same thing every time. I guess it fluctuates based on the mood of the official. Anyway, I always receive one of these:
If you´ll notice, there are four different styles represented there. Only the purple one has arrived. Hmmmmm.
So, next time you are sitting with your friends discussing the economic crisis, or health problems, or education problems, or whatever issue seems to be the BIG one that day, make sure to keep a frame of mind. The U.S. might have a lot of problems right now, but there is at least one thing it has going for it. Because when you stick that little picture of a liberty bell in the corner of your envelope, you can be sure it will arrive. And that is something to be grateful for.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Questions of School: Part Last
Ok, I was starting to bore myself with these repetitive posts about school. I realize I did a horrible job this week with “daily” blog posts. It was a hard week, but nothing especially blog-worthy. So not an excuse. I still have some more questions from Gramma, but I think after this post, I´m gonna save them for later. There are so many things flying through my head to talk about, and this way we can spread out the fun, right? :)
Q4: Where is school in relation to your house?
As an estimate, I´d say it´s about 1.5 kms. REALLY close. My two brothers attend a different school, which is a little farther away. In the morning, Papá drives us all, I get dropped off first. After school, I wait in OXXO for Papá to pick me up. This wait seems pretty irregular to me. Sometimes, my Dad is waiting for me. Sometimes, I wait for almost an hour. It really varies.
After one of the LONGER waits, I had this fit of independence: “Why am I waiting for this long? I can walk home in less than 15 mins”. So I asked Papá if I could walk. He said yes, as long as I had my phone. So I set off. Sure enough, I was home in less than 15 mins. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the padlock system on the door. I had forgotten the keys. And I had forgotten the sun and mosquitoes. Now, instead of waiting in an air-conditioned convenience store, I was sitting in the street staring at my house, surrounded by a cloud of winged insects, getting laughed at by the UV rays. For company I had the construction workers across the street, and the circling man on a bicycle who asked me if I was lost about 20 times.
Hmmmmm. I called Papá who said he would be there really soon (read: ½ hour) and in the end, I decided that my parents had the right idea in the first place (shocker). No more fits of independence for me. Now I bring a water bottle and a book, and enjoy the AC in OXXO.
Q5: What reaction do you get from other students?
On my first day, I was assigned the wrong classroom: Economics. I KNEW I didn´t want to be in that class and I really wanted the Humanities Group, so I went to the office and changed my schedule after three hours. Given my Spanish abilities on day FIVE of my time here, this was an accomplishment. So, I gave myself a pat on the back, and schedule changed, headed to my new classroom. I ended up making quite the dramatic entrance: The teacher was just reviewing a syllabus and in marches this tall blonde girl who looks WAY too excited for having found the classroom. Now that I know how this class works better, I can also see that my sitting in the front row (“Tralala, ooooh open desks in the front!”) made me stand out more, if it was possible at that point. I was never formally introduced to the class or anything. I was just sort of there. But I was so obviously an exchange student that throughout that day and the following days, I met pretty much everyone in the class. There was never much fanfare, I was just there, and little by little joined in on the action.
After four weeks of school, I really feel like I can function in this group of students. I greet my friends with a kiss in the morning. I bring a breakfast to eat during recess. I participate in the scramble of homework finishing that takes place in the 5 minutes before each class. I can pretty much contribute to conversations now, and I don´t feel as though I´m inflicting my company on people anymore. In my 5th semester class, I am part of the community.
But if you recall, not all of my classes are in 5th semester. One hour a day I am banished to the lower level Semester 3 class for Mexican History. Here, I have not yet lost my celebrity status.
On my first day, I was brought to the front of the room to introduce myself. The class erupted into cheers after every third word, sometimes shouting things out at me. I think they were encouraging things, although I also picked up: “Do you like the tequila?” Every day, when I enter the room, the students applaud. I am not making this up. Students ask me to take pictures with them. Even the teacher repeatedly singles me out in class to answer questions from the U.S.´s point of view. Sometimes after class I get the privilege of trying to “share my understanding of the U.S.´s debt problems” and other similarly simple issues with him. You know, ones with clear, concise, answers that are easy to explain in a second language. Yesterday´s topic was: “How does the United States feel about the border of México?” Really? One of these days he´ll ask me to explain to flag, or sing the national anthem, or list Presidents, or do something with an ANSWER….right?
Anyway, my third semester class is fun for one hour of the day. It´s good for me to be answering tough questions, and the students´ enthusiasm is pretty contagious. Regardless of how badly I embarrass myself, I always leave smiling. This is partially due to the fact that I have lost the ability to detect awkward situations. I´m sure other exchange students have experienced this: if you spend enough time not knowing what to say, when to say it, or whom to say it to, there isn´t very much that can phase you. I entered my school for the first time not having met a single person. It´s easy to get overwhelmed by a sea of unfamiliar faces, but I´m learning that you really can choose how to respond. You just have to jump in: Exchange students don´t get to be introverts. And so I´ve learned that if you smile enough, it´s possible to make friends anywhere.
In the end, I am really content with my class. I love feeling like I have a place that I fit. I love having friends to hang out with in AND after school. I love learning new information in a new language! It is absolutely thrilling, as every day I “get” more of it. As much trouble as I still have answering, it´s good to give myself perspective and remember that for my first week of classes, I couldn´t even understand the questions. My next post is going to be an update on the whole language situation, because if I get started…..
Q4: Where is school in relation to your house?
As an estimate, I´d say it´s about 1.5 kms. REALLY close. My two brothers attend a different school, which is a little farther away. In the morning, Papá drives us all, I get dropped off first. After school, I wait in OXXO for Papá to pick me up. This wait seems pretty irregular to me. Sometimes, my Dad is waiting for me. Sometimes, I wait for almost an hour. It really varies.
After one of the LONGER waits, I had this fit of independence: “Why am I waiting for this long? I can walk home in less than 15 mins”. So I asked Papá if I could walk. He said yes, as long as I had my phone. So I set off. Sure enough, I was home in less than 15 mins. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the padlock system on the door. I had forgotten the keys. And I had forgotten the sun and mosquitoes. Now, instead of waiting in an air-conditioned convenience store, I was sitting in the street staring at my house, surrounded by a cloud of winged insects, getting laughed at by the UV rays. For company I had the construction workers across the street, and the circling man on a bicycle who asked me if I was lost about 20 times.
Hmmmmm. I called Papá who said he would be there really soon (read: ½ hour) and in the end, I decided that my parents had the right idea in the first place (shocker). No more fits of independence for me. Now I bring a water bottle and a book, and enjoy the AC in OXXO.
Q5: What reaction do you get from other students?
On my first day, I was assigned the wrong classroom: Economics. I KNEW I didn´t want to be in that class and I really wanted the Humanities Group, so I went to the office and changed my schedule after three hours. Given my Spanish abilities on day FIVE of my time here, this was an accomplishment. So, I gave myself a pat on the back, and schedule changed, headed to my new classroom. I ended up making quite the dramatic entrance: The teacher was just reviewing a syllabus and in marches this tall blonde girl who looks WAY too excited for having found the classroom. Now that I know how this class works better, I can also see that my sitting in the front row (“Tralala, ooooh open desks in the front!”) made me stand out more, if it was possible at that point. I was never formally introduced to the class or anything. I was just sort of there. But I was so obviously an exchange student that throughout that day and the following days, I met pretty much everyone in the class. There was never much fanfare, I was just there, and little by little joined in on the action.
After four weeks of school, I really feel like I can function in this group of students. I greet my friends with a kiss in the morning. I bring a breakfast to eat during recess. I participate in the scramble of homework finishing that takes place in the 5 minutes before each class. I can pretty much contribute to conversations now, and I don´t feel as though I´m inflicting my company on people anymore. In my 5th semester class, I am part of the community.
But if you recall, not all of my classes are in 5th semester. One hour a day I am banished to the lower level Semester 3 class for Mexican History. Here, I have not yet lost my celebrity status.
On my first day, I was brought to the front of the room to introduce myself. The class erupted into cheers after every third word, sometimes shouting things out at me. I think they were encouraging things, although I also picked up: “Do you like the tequila?” Every day, when I enter the room, the students applaud. I am not making this up. Students ask me to take pictures with them. Even the teacher repeatedly singles me out in class to answer questions from the U.S.´s point of view. Sometimes after class I get the privilege of trying to “share my understanding of the U.S.´s debt problems” and other similarly simple issues with him. You know, ones with clear, concise, answers that are easy to explain in a second language. Yesterday´s topic was: “How does the United States feel about the border of México?” Really? One of these days he´ll ask me to explain to flag, or sing the national anthem, or list Presidents, or do something with an ANSWER….right?
Anyway, my third semester class is fun for one hour of the day. It´s good for me to be answering tough questions, and the students´ enthusiasm is pretty contagious. Regardless of how badly I embarrass myself, I always leave smiling. This is partially due to the fact that I have lost the ability to detect awkward situations. I´m sure other exchange students have experienced this: if you spend enough time not knowing what to say, when to say it, or whom to say it to, there isn´t very much that can phase you. I entered my school for the first time not having met a single person. It´s easy to get overwhelmed by a sea of unfamiliar faces, but I´m learning that you really can choose how to respond. You just have to jump in: Exchange students don´t get to be introverts. And so I´ve learned that if you smile enough, it´s possible to make friends anywhere.
In the end, I am really content with my class. I love feeling like I have a place that I fit. I love having friends to hang out with in AND after school. I love learning new information in a new language! It is absolutely thrilling, as every day I “get” more of it. As much trouble as I still have answering, it´s good to give myself perspective and remember that for my first week of classes, I couldn´t even understand the questions. My next post is going to be an update on the whole language situation, because if I get started…..
Monday, September 5, 2011
Questions of School: Part Three
Q3: What is your schedule?
Monday: 7:00-13:00, Sociology, Prob/Stats, Health Sciences, Artistic DEVELOPMENT, Biology, Mexican History
Tuesday: 7:00-14:00, Sociology, Law, Psychology, Abilities DEVELOPMENT, Biology (Lab), Mexican History, World History
Wednesday: 7:00-14:00, Law, Prob/Stats, Tech Ed, Humanity DEVELOPMENT, Biology, Mexican History, Psychology
Thursday: 7:00-14:00, Sociology, Prob/Stats, Tech Ed, Physical Motor Skills DEVELOPMENT, Mexican History, Health Sciences
Friday: 7:00-12:00, Law, Health Sciences, Tech Ed, Biology, World History
There is a break for breakfast after “Third” hour every day. We are allowed to walk anywhere we want to on campus for FIFTY minutes! Because this is a university campus, there are many varieties of ¨cafeterias” to choose from, and all the buildings stand alone with cute little paths between. It´s fun to walk. I guess that´s how you get to build a school when you don´t have to worry about snow….
I don´t expect anyone outside of my immediate family to be especially interested by my schedule, but I´m going to elaborate a bit on each of the classes:
Biology: Thanks to a year of Hon Bio, and a semester of assorted Conserve science classes, I am able to track in this class. It is almost entirely (Read: completely) composed of lectures and individual work. If I go slowly enough, I can understand the text. I really enjoy it. Also, on lab days we get to wear legit white lab coats. I feel like a mad scientist.
World History: So far we have covered: The Industrial Revolution, The French Revolution, The Russian Revolution …oh and WWI. This is week four. I grew up in a house of interesting Home school History Curriculum, and the pace of this is kind of killing me. We skip a LOT. My teacher described Rasputin like this: “He was a religious man, but still exuded large amounts of sexuality.” That was it, new subject. I am really glad I have run into this material before….
Prob/Stats: Math has always been my academic weak point. But here, I am able to track. We are learning how to turn information into bar graphs. It has taken us two weeks to get to the point of actually drawing the graphs. Ok, so maybe my ability to track isn´t THAT impressive… :)
Sociology: I have a hard time with this class. It is entirely lecture based, but not the kind with notes on the board. When I can´t see the words, It´s harder for me to “get” them. I think with time I will get more and more out of this one
Law: I honestly have a hard time distinguishing this class from Sociology. The teaching styles are identical, and I´m not with it enough to see how the material differs. It´s a good thing there are different teachers…..
Health Sciences: This actually feels more like an Anatomy/Biology class. We study the human body and physical illnesses that affect it. None of that wishy washy “Emotional Health”, “Stress Management” or “Healthy Living” junk we tackled at WHS...Once again, It´s good to see a different way of looking at the material, but I´m glad I´ve encountered it before
Mexican History: This was originally an English class for me, but once it was established that “YES” I have sufficient English vocab, I was swapped. I now go down to a lower level of the school to study History with the 3rd Semester kids. This experience will pop up in my blog later this week, so for now I´m just going to say: “There is a different style of classroom management” Yes, that sounds nice.
Tech Ed: During this class, my teacher writes a series of “codigos” on the board. We then copy them into a “Bloc de Notas”, save it as an html, and ooh and aah at the pretty web pages. I quite enjoy this class. It is literally just copying, and the web pages ARE pretty.
Psychology: Again, this class occupies the same shelf in my brain as Sociology and Law. Tuesday mornings feel like one LOOONNNNGGGG class. I look forward to being able to differentiate
…..DEVELOPMENT…..
Artistic: This is more of a culture appreciation class. Right now, we are making a cultural guide to Tabasco. Because of this, I spent last Wednesday with my friends in a Children´s Museum, painting pictures and interviewing people in funny costumes. I wish we had more homework for this class. Or met more often. I think every exchange student should have to make a culture guide for their new state.
Abilities: I THINK that this is a math/logic class, but I really have no idea. I don´t know what is going on at ALL during this. On the first day, we were told to define a “Problem”. I used all of my artsy/creative skills in Spanish to come up with a detailed response about interpersonal conflict, resolution, and frustration. The example answer next class period was: “A problem most often appears in math books and worksheets. Problems must be completed clearly, with work shown, to receive full credit.” Let´s hope my name wasn´t on that paper.
Humanity: In this class we come up with plans. To improve the world. We then take said plans, place them in a folder, and forget about them. Because of this, I will always think of last week´s “Culturization of Children” Plan as part of a dark yogurt making scheme. On a scale of “one” to “Practical” This gets a “Nice try, Ron”.
Physical Motor Skills: Sorry, too much to say about this one. Another day.
So, that´s my day! I actually enjoy these classes quite a bit; it is pretty easy to stay engaged now that I understand more and more of what the teachers are saying. I can´t wait to jump into discussion. When I am not trying to pay attention, I am steadily plowing my way through “Harry Potter 3” in Spanish. Sometimes I write letters.
I can do most of my homework now. It´s almost all what I used to consider “busy work”. At one point in time, I thought such assignments were below me, but now I find myself gratefully copying paragraphs verbatim from the textbooks. There´s still a big part of me that wants to measure my “progress” with something tangible, like grades. But I´ve had to adjust my standards a lot. I know it may be a long time before I bring home any shiny “A”s, so for now I proudly accept a “Good Effort” and move on with my life.
Monday: 7:00-13:00, Sociology, Prob/Stats, Health Sciences, Artistic DEVELOPMENT, Biology, Mexican History
Tuesday: 7:00-14:00, Sociology, Law, Psychology, Abilities DEVELOPMENT, Biology (Lab), Mexican History, World History
Wednesday: 7:00-14:00, Law, Prob/Stats, Tech Ed, Humanity DEVELOPMENT, Biology, Mexican History, Psychology
Thursday: 7:00-14:00, Sociology, Prob/Stats, Tech Ed, Physical Motor Skills DEVELOPMENT, Mexican History, Health Sciences
Friday: 7:00-12:00, Law, Health Sciences, Tech Ed, Biology, World History
There is a break for breakfast after “Third” hour every day. We are allowed to walk anywhere we want to on campus for FIFTY minutes! Because this is a university campus, there are many varieties of ¨cafeterias” to choose from, and all the buildings stand alone with cute little paths between. It´s fun to walk. I guess that´s how you get to build a school when you don´t have to worry about snow….
I don´t expect anyone outside of my immediate family to be especially interested by my schedule, but I´m going to elaborate a bit on each of the classes:
Biology: Thanks to a year of Hon Bio, and a semester of assorted Conserve science classes, I am able to track in this class. It is almost entirely (Read: completely) composed of lectures and individual work. If I go slowly enough, I can understand the text. I really enjoy it. Also, on lab days we get to wear legit white lab coats. I feel like a mad scientist.
World History: So far we have covered: The Industrial Revolution, The French Revolution, The Russian Revolution …oh and WWI. This is week four. I grew up in a house of interesting Home school History Curriculum, and the pace of this is kind of killing me. We skip a LOT. My teacher described Rasputin like this: “He was a religious man, but still exuded large amounts of sexuality.” That was it, new subject. I am really glad I have run into this material before….
Prob/Stats: Math has always been my academic weak point. But here, I am able to track. We are learning how to turn information into bar graphs. It has taken us two weeks to get to the point of actually drawing the graphs. Ok, so maybe my ability to track isn´t THAT impressive… :)
Sociology: I have a hard time with this class. It is entirely lecture based, but not the kind with notes on the board. When I can´t see the words, It´s harder for me to “get” them. I think with time I will get more and more out of this one
Law: I honestly have a hard time distinguishing this class from Sociology. The teaching styles are identical, and I´m not with it enough to see how the material differs. It´s a good thing there are different teachers…..
Health Sciences: This actually feels more like an Anatomy/Biology class. We study the human body and physical illnesses that affect it. None of that wishy washy “Emotional Health”, “Stress Management” or “Healthy Living” junk we tackled at WHS...Once again, It´s good to see a different way of looking at the material, but I´m glad I´ve encountered it before
Mexican History: This was originally an English class for me, but once it was established that “YES” I have sufficient English vocab, I was swapped. I now go down to a lower level of the school to study History with the 3rd Semester kids. This experience will pop up in my blog later this week, so for now I´m just going to say: “There is a different style of classroom management” Yes, that sounds nice.
Tech Ed: During this class, my teacher writes a series of “codigos” on the board. We then copy them into a “Bloc de Notas”, save it as an html, and ooh and aah at the pretty web pages. I quite enjoy this class. It is literally just copying, and the web pages ARE pretty.
Psychology: Again, this class occupies the same shelf in my brain as Sociology and Law. Tuesday mornings feel like one LOOONNNNGGGG class. I look forward to being able to differentiate
…..DEVELOPMENT…..
Artistic: This is more of a culture appreciation class. Right now, we are making a cultural guide to Tabasco. Because of this, I spent last Wednesday with my friends in a Children´s Museum, painting pictures and interviewing people in funny costumes. I wish we had more homework for this class. Or met more often. I think every exchange student should have to make a culture guide for their new state.
Abilities: I THINK that this is a math/logic class, but I really have no idea. I don´t know what is going on at ALL during this. On the first day, we were told to define a “Problem”. I used all of my artsy/creative skills in Spanish to come up with a detailed response about interpersonal conflict, resolution, and frustration. The example answer next class period was: “A problem most often appears in math books and worksheets. Problems must be completed clearly, with work shown, to receive full credit.” Let´s hope my name wasn´t on that paper.
Humanity: In this class we come up with plans. To improve the world. We then take said plans, place them in a folder, and forget about them. Because of this, I will always think of last week´s “Culturization of Children” Plan as part of a dark yogurt making scheme. On a scale of “one” to “Practical” This gets a “Nice try, Ron”.
Physical Motor Skills: Sorry, too much to say about this one. Another day.
So, that´s my day! I actually enjoy these classes quite a bit; it is pretty easy to stay engaged now that I understand more and more of what the teachers are saying. I can´t wait to jump into discussion. When I am not trying to pay attention, I am steadily plowing my way through “Harry Potter 3” in Spanish. Sometimes I write letters.
I can do most of my homework now. It´s almost all what I used to consider “busy work”. At one point in time, I thought such assignments were below me, but now I find myself gratefully copying paragraphs verbatim from the textbooks. There´s still a big part of me that wants to measure my “progress” with something tangible, like grades. But I´ve had to adjust my standards a lot. I know it may be a long time before I bring home any shiny “A”s, so for now I proudly accept a “Good Effort” and move on with my life.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Questions of School: Part Two
Q2: What is the make-up of the student body?
16-18 and Mexican. Oh, and there are also these eight kids wandering around in a state of mild confusion. They´re not Mexican (yet).
I´m not really sure exactly what constitues the "make-up" of a group of people, to be honest. Every individual is unique, and once you get past the uniforms, and nearly uniform hair/skin tones, this school is just as full of individuals as any other place with....well, people.
There aren´t any clubs or sports directly associated with the school, so except for my closest friends here...I don´t really know what people do after school. It´s a lot harder to smack a label on people this way. :)
But there are definitely some things I would consider to be "universal interests" Namely: Shakira, Dancing, Fútbol, and Spicy foods. I am learning every day, as not one of these would have made my "Top Ten" list in the U.S.! But like I said before, this student body is just as diverse as any other I´ve been a part of....There are also guitar players and hemp-jewlery-makers, and girls who spent lunchtime in the bathroom fixing their make-up. There are kids who listen to their ipods during lectures and kids who copy the teachers words verbatim. There are scholars, athletes, musicians, and artists; and somewhere in there I´m going to find a place.
One thing that I find intruiging is the way my age SHOCKS people. They spend every hour with the same class, and have since kindergarten. There aren´t any "underclassmen" that ever mix with the older kids, because you don´t get to choose your schedule....
"Wait....you´re sixteen??? But I´m eighteen. How are you in this class?"
At a public high school in WI, it´s no biggy for 14-year-olds to be in classes with 18-years-olds, and at Conserve, we were all in the same "grade" with no regard to age. I still don´t really see why this is a big deal for the kids in this school, but I guess the´re just not used to it. I´m assuming the novelty will wear off.
But for now, I just need to calmly accept the attention that comes with being not only the blondest, tallest, and foreig-est, but also the youngest.
16-18 and Mexican. Oh, and there are also these eight kids wandering around in a state of mild confusion. They´re not Mexican (yet).
I´m not really sure exactly what constitues the "make-up" of a group of people, to be honest. Every individual is unique, and once you get past the uniforms, and nearly uniform hair/skin tones, this school is just as full of individuals as any other place with....well, people.
There aren´t any clubs or sports directly associated with the school, so except for my closest friends here...I don´t really know what people do after school. It´s a lot harder to smack a label on people this way. :)
But there are definitely some things I would consider to be "universal interests" Namely: Shakira, Dancing, Fútbol, and Spicy foods. I am learning every day, as not one of these would have made my "Top Ten" list in the U.S.! But like I said before, this student body is just as diverse as any other I´ve been a part of....There are also guitar players and hemp-jewlery-makers, and girls who spent lunchtime in the bathroom fixing their make-up. There are kids who listen to their ipods during lectures and kids who copy the teachers words verbatim. There are scholars, athletes, musicians, and artists; and somewhere in there I´m going to find a place.
One thing that I find intruiging is the way my age SHOCKS people. They spend every hour with the same class, and have since kindergarten. There aren´t any "underclassmen" that ever mix with the older kids, because you don´t get to choose your schedule....
"Wait....you´re sixteen??? But I´m eighteen. How are you in this class?"
At a public high school in WI, it´s no biggy for 14-year-olds to be in classes with 18-years-olds, and at Conserve, we were all in the same "grade" with no regard to age. I still don´t really see why this is a big deal for the kids in this school, but I guess the´re just not used to it. I´m assuming the novelty will wear off.
But for now, I just need to calmly accept the attention that comes with being not only the blondest, tallest, and foreig-est, but also the youngest.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Questions of School: Part One
A few days ago, I recieved mail. Two letters from my family, to be exact. This may not sound signifigant, but trust me when I say that it was WONDERFUL. If you knew about the postal system here (don´t worry, we´ll get there) you would REALLY apprecaite how exciting this was....But this post is not about mail. Rather it´s about what was INSIDE the mail.
Ok, not completely. In the letters from my Mom and Grandma were a lot of warm fuzzy things about my family that made me feel warm and fuzzy. I have read them several times. I love them. But that´s not really an interesting post.
In her letter, my Grandma sent me a whole slew of school related questions. I plan to answer them, one a day, until I have worked through them all.I definitely have a lot more to say about school, and this seems like a pefect way to update more, respond to my Grandma´s letter, AND try out a new style of post (smaller and more frequent). Ready?
Q1: What are the teacher/student relationships like?
I think a lot about student teacher relationships can really be derived from what the students CALL their teachers.
In my public high school, it was "Mr." and "Mrs." There were some teachers you were close with, others that you weren´t. Teachers were there to help if needed, but personal lives were mostly shrouded in mystery. Teachers were not really friends, but it was possible to develope an "in school" relationship by being attentive in class.
At Conserve, I called my teachers by their first names. They were there for us in ways far beyond just academics. We were invited to their houses. We spent time together on the weekends. If I began to fall behind at all, my teachers would immediately notice and be there to help. They welcomed us into their lives for a semester, and this is not something I will ever forget.
In México, we call our teachers "maestro" or "maestra": "Teacher". That is what the teacher is there for: teach the class, then leave. The teachers come to us, so we don´t see any personal belongings on their desks. We don´t even use their last names. No teacher has offered to help beyond class. They are just there. Lecturing, or maybe collecting homework, but seemingly uninterested in what is going on for the students personally. I think this is part of the reason that my brain has such a hard time comprehending that both Conserve AND Mexican school are in the same category of activity. And if I REALLY want to confuse myself, I can try to remember WHS too....wait...That was less than one year ago, WHAT? I digress:
Some of teachers here have obviously received private lessons from Professor Snape. You have to ask permission to enter a class if you are even a second late (er than the teacher. They are sometimes early), and I have seen teachers legitimately refuse to let a student enter. "No Ricardo, I don´t want you today". The sad student will sit in the hall for the remainder of class. They also don´t have to use too much of a verbal filter: "Ricardo (poor Ricardo) your homework from last night was a peice of S###, do you have the brain of a baboon?" <-- That is a direct quote. The students, not unexpectedly, don´t like these teachers, and are very naughty, making the teachers more mean, which makes the students more naughty, and so on and so on. This is the worst case scenario.
There are other teachers who are LOVED. They refers to us all as "hijo" or "hijita". They ask questions in class, and let students give opinions. Because relationships between students and teachers are very distant here, something as small as "You did a nice job" makes students say WONDERFUL things about that teacher. These classes are much more efficient.
As an exchange student, I receive a huge range of differet treatments. Some teachers don´t make eye-contact with me when they lecture. They put my homework on a "special" pile, and I don´t get comments. Other teachers made me introduce myself on the first day, and have consistently used me as a classroom resource: "What would the American have to say about that?" Some teachers have treated me kindly, and say my Spanish is coming along well. One teacher told me I don´t have to come to class if I don´t want to. Another teacher told me it was ok for me to do my homework in German if I need to. At least I´ve got that releif....
I´m really impatient to be good enough at Spanish that I can legitmately contribute to class time. Right now, it´s frustrating to feel so stupid. I know what I want to say, but just can´t. I think that I have the¨"brain of a baboon."
Anyway,thus far none of the teachers have forced me to sit in the hallway during class, and I hope to keep it that way.
Ok, not completely. In the letters from my Mom and Grandma were a lot of warm fuzzy things about my family that made me feel warm and fuzzy. I have read them several times. I love them. But that´s not really an interesting post.
In her letter, my Grandma sent me a whole slew of school related questions. I plan to answer them, one a day, until I have worked through them all.I definitely have a lot more to say about school, and this seems like a pefect way to update more, respond to my Grandma´s letter, AND try out a new style of post (smaller and more frequent). Ready?
Q1: What are the teacher/student relationships like?
I think a lot about student teacher relationships can really be derived from what the students CALL their teachers.
In my public high school, it was "Mr." and "Mrs." There were some teachers you were close with, others that you weren´t. Teachers were there to help if needed, but personal lives were mostly shrouded in mystery. Teachers were not really friends, but it was possible to develope an "in school" relationship by being attentive in class.
At Conserve, I called my teachers by their first names. They were there for us in ways far beyond just academics. We were invited to their houses. We spent time together on the weekends. If I began to fall behind at all, my teachers would immediately notice and be there to help. They welcomed us into their lives for a semester, and this is not something I will ever forget.
In México, we call our teachers "maestro" or "maestra": "Teacher". That is what the teacher is there for: teach the class, then leave. The teachers come to us, so we don´t see any personal belongings on their desks. We don´t even use their last names. No teacher has offered to help beyond class. They are just there. Lecturing, or maybe collecting homework, but seemingly uninterested in what is going on for the students personally. I think this is part of the reason that my brain has such a hard time comprehending that both Conserve AND Mexican school are in the same category of activity. And if I REALLY want to confuse myself, I can try to remember WHS too....wait...That was less than one year ago, WHAT? I digress:
Some of teachers here have obviously received private lessons from Professor Snape. You have to ask permission to enter a class if you are even a second late (er than the teacher. They are sometimes early), and I have seen teachers legitimately refuse to let a student enter. "No Ricardo, I don´t want you today". The sad student will sit in the hall for the remainder of class. They also don´t have to use too much of a verbal filter: "Ricardo (poor Ricardo) your homework from last night was a peice of S###, do you have the brain of a baboon?" <-- That is a direct quote. The students, not unexpectedly, don´t like these teachers, and are very naughty, making the teachers more mean, which makes the students more naughty, and so on and so on. This is the worst case scenario.
There are other teachers who are LOVED. They refers to us all as "hijo" or "hijita". They ask questions in class, and let students give opinions. Because relationships between students and teachers are very distant here, something as small as "You did a nice job" makes students say WONDERFUL things about that teacher. These classes are much more efficient.
As an exchange student, I receive a huge range of differet treatments. Some teachers don´t make eye-contact with me when they lecture. They put my homework on a "special" pile, and I don´t get comments. Other teachers made me introduce myself on the first day, and have consistently used me as a classroom resource: "What would the American have to say about that?" Some teachers have treated me kindly, and say my Spanish is coming along well. One teacher told me I don´t have to come to class if I don´t want to. Another teacher told me it was ok for me to do my homework in German if I need to. At least I´ve got that releif....
I´m really impatient to be good enough at Spanish that I can legitmately contribute to class time. Right now, it´s frustrating to feel so stupid. I know what I want to say, but just can´t. I think that I have the¨"brain of a baboon."
Anyway,thus far none of the teachers have forced me to sit in the hallway during class, and I hope to keep it that way.
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