Time to update again! My updates are getting fewer and farther between! Things are really routine and I pretty much just go to work, hang out with friends and then sleep. Things are starting to get a little hectic between the two schools now that the semester is beginning to wind down. In the tech, we have tests every 2 chapters so there are 4 grading periods in a semester. A little frustrating that my boss gave me the program on the computer and the final class lists today to do my grades! It’s November! So I have some catching up to do as far as plugging in grades. The high school does grading 3 times each semester but I have already handed in 2 periods so I’m caught up there. The high school has things a little more organized; it’s a private (Catholic of course) school so the parents expect quality for what they are paying for.
I haven’t really had any problems with any of the students so far; there are a few that talk during class or do things where I have to lecture them or kick them out of the classroom and send them to the office but for the most part they are pretty well behaved. It makes me laugh a little now to be on the other side of things. I suppose this is a glimpse of what being a parent will be like. I look at the students and when I have to yell at them or remove them from class I think of all my teachers in high school. I was one of the students who was always talking or always doing homework in the classes. To have to yell at 15 year old girls for being the same way I was is ironic. Karma, I suppose!
On November 2nd, Mexico celebrated Day of the Dead. I was excited to be here as I’ve studied and done presentations on it before but never experienced it. Here, there is no Halloween. October 31st is just another day on the calendar to them. It’s starting to become more popular with children in bigger cities such as Guadalajara or Morelia but here in Los Reyes I didn’t get any kids with costumes walking around. I made my friends carve pumpkins with me however, I was a little homesick as I always am on holidays and a few friends came over and carved pumpkins with me. It was fun to teach them how; they had never done it before in their lives!
On November 2nd, the Mexicans celebrate and honor the lives of people who have passed away. They build altars with the pictures of the dead and decorate them with flowers, candies, favorite foods of the dead, books, toys etc. They also go clean up the gravesites the night of the 1st and many spend the entire night in the cemetery with their loved ones who have passed away. It is strange to us as once a person is buried; their grave is rarely visited after some time. The cemeteries I saw were full of people; there were vendors selling tacos and food all night, people were with their families drinking and eating and chatting with neighbors. It was almost a big party. There was no work on the 2nd either as it is a federal holiday.
In the schools as well they build memorials to the dead, often decorating imitation gravesites and altars. They use colored sand and sawdust to create patterns and designs on the floor. They bring in dirt for the gravesite and marigolds are the flowers of choice for the Day of the Dead here. In the Instituto (the high school) the students built a really nice memorial to the priest who was the director of the school up until last year. He was killed by someone in his home last year and the students are still really shaken up about it. There is no obvious reason nor do they have any idea who shot him.
On a happier note, I bought my ticket home for the holiday season! I will be home from December 20th-January 12th and I hope I have the chance to see everybody while I am there. I won’t be able to come home for Thanksgiving but the gringos here are getting together so I’ll at least get turkey!
Miss everyone back home, see you all soon!
