all festival-ed out

So the countdown is officially on it's last leg, four days until I go home for Christmas, and I officially cannot wait!!

The past few weeks have been completely nuts and jam packed with all sorts of holiday celebrations. First was the Kermasse, which is a huge fair put on by the school for all the students and their families. I was told that it was kind of a big deal but was pretty shocked when I got there and saw tons of vendors, including a pet shop and a hair salon (actually giving haircuts), a zip line stretching across the soccer field, two stilt walkers, and very elaborate talent show.

Another one of our holiday celebrations was the Winter Festival. This is the one where each class performs a song and dance for their parents and family members. I think I already mentioned that I took on the job of directing both numbers which turned out to be 70% stressful and 30% fun. But when it came time for the big show, I don't think I have ever felt like such a proud mother. I had a huge smile on face throughout both performances and was so impressed by how well they did. It was also great to talk to some parents afterward and hear how much they enjoyed each of the numbers and how proud they were seeing there children on stage. It felt like quite a success and all of the hard work definitely paid off.
Here are some pics of me and my kids from the festival:








Well, I am heading home on Thursday and will be there until January 15th so peace out blog readers, see you in about 3 weeks!!

nothing like hotdogs and sushi on thanksgiving!

As it is Thanksgiving, I feel it is an appropriate excuse for another Blog Post.

Today was quite a big day at school. We had the kids for about an hour in the morning and then brought them down to the theatre for a Thanksgiving show, put on by the American teachers (how appropriate). We split up in to small groups and each group did a little ditty for a different region of the United States. Katy and I recited and acted out one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems because, in case you weren't aware, he is from the Midwest (like most brilliant and talented people are). I was also in a number for the northeast in which we did a rousing rendition of New York (originally performed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys). It was complete with rapping and intricate choreography so needless to say the students and teachers were pretty blown away.

After the show the students were dismissed and the entire staff participated in our own Thanksgiving celebration. Which first consisted of a game of football- yes, I did participate, and although I only touched the ball once, i like to think that I was a valuable asset to my team. After the game we all engaged in the traditional Thanksgiving feast. However the menu of this feast was slightly less traditional due to the fact that most of the dishes were prepared by Mexicans who have an interesting take on American food. While I did enjoy some delightful turkey and bread pudding, I was more than confused by the multiple dishes containing sliced hot dogs, california rolls, and the mashed potatoes covered with corn. After eating way too much the event ended with a repeat performance of New York, at the request of the Mexican staff (who were thoroughly impressed by our dancing and rapping abilities, who knew the American teachers could actually entertain so well...big shocker!)

Because Thanksgiving is a celebration of the most delicious of food, I have decided to post a few pics of my latest culinary delights. Ready, set, mouths water!

Cinnamon Raison bread...






Tomato Basil Soup


Banana Bread

noteworthy events from the last month

OK, it has officially been over a month since my last post and that is crazy talk!
I guess time is going by quicker these days because it definitely doesn't feel like it's been that long. Things at school are super busy but my kids are awesome so that makes all the hard work, frustration, and exhaustion sort of worth it. So many things have happened in the last month so in order to save myself from being too wordy and to save you from reading paragraphs of me babbling I am going to try to be as concise as possible.
Here is a list of noteworthy things that have happened since my last post:

1. Celebrated my friend Sarah's bachelorette party. Sarah is a kindergarten teacher at American School who I have really enjoyed getting to know and who is getting married in about 1 week. She is wonderful and I was so excited to be invited to her wedding as well as bachelorette party. We first gathered at another friend's house and all brought delicious food. I of course made the famous Bramley bri bomb and fruit salsa (both of which were hits). After eating, drinking, and playing a few games we headed out to a respectable Tuxtla nightclub by the name of Penthouse. It was sort of like going out at home but way louder music, more smoking, and guys that actually know how to dance. At around 4 am (an average time to leave the bars) we decided to call it a night. It was definitely a successful celebration and fun was surely had by all!

2. Took a wonderful trip to San Cristobal for Dia de los Muertos Break. Katy and I decided we needed a little vacation a few weeks ago so we left on Saturday and spent saturday evening in San Cristobal. We intended on meeting up with some other teacher friends to go out to the bars but after a delicious meal and a delicious bottle of wine and a delicious nutella calzone, somehow the thought of our cozy hotel room just sounded way more enticing. So we went home and by some miraculous miracle one of our favorite movies of all time was playing on TV when we got back and it was actually in English with Spanish subtitiles (quite rare). So we enjoyed a night in with full bellies and full hearts as we were sung to sleep by a one, August Rush.

3. Attended one of my student's First Communions which is a pretty big deal here in Mexico. Everyone has them because everyone here is Catholic and it is not just an elaborate church service with a fancy white dress but it also included a lovely post First-Communion reception. So I had a lovely time mingling with my students parents and even playing with my students on the playground. They thought it was pretty great to see Miss. Kat swinging on swings and jumping on the big moon-bounce thing, ahhhh the life of a teacher.

4. Went to the beach. The closest beach to us is in Puerto Aurista which is about a 2 hour bus ride, 45 minute combi ride (taxi/van jam packed with mexicans) and then a 15 minute boat road to a tiny little island called Boca del Cielo- which does not even have a main road or cars. We arrived late last Saturday night and checked in to our little cabana on the beach. There were five of us so we got a place with two beds and three hammocks which led to me having my first night's sleep in a hammock...surprisingly pleasant. The next day we spent lounging on the beach and playing in the Ocean, definitely my idea of paradise. After a long day of complete relaxation we indulged in a little vino, a little phase 10 (my favorite card game) and a little late night skinny dip. Perfect end to a perfect mini-vacation.

5. Started preparing for the Christmas Festival at school. This celebration is unlike anything I have ever experienced in the states. Each class performs one song and dance, the school hires someone to come in and choreograph them, and the moms pay a seamstress to make costumes for each child. The school also just purchased an old night club in town which they are renovating in to a theatre where the festival will be held (pretty nuts). Soooooo because of my experience in the arts they asked me if I would be willing to take charge of both of my classes performances and while I already have so much on my plate I couldn't pass up the opportunity to create a song and dance number, especially when the theme is broadway!!! So I just chose the songs, one class is doing a song from Seussical the Musical and the other is doing Telephone Hour from Bye Bye Birdie (which they initially mistook for Telephone by Lady Gaga, which led to a bit of a disappointing moment). Anyways, I am feeling both excited and overwhelmed by this responsibility but am sure it will be tons of fun!

6. Coming home in a month and three days!!! Although it is a bummer to not be home for Thanksgiving, I am feeling like I am in the homestretch for Christmas which is pretty great. I have a feeling these last four weeks are going to fly by with Sarah's wedding, hosting Thanksgiving for all the teachers and the wonderful Christmas festival so really I will be home before you know it. Also I have already started listening to Christmas music around the clock, too soon? I think not!

Sending Thanksgiving and Christmas cheer to everyone as these delightful holidays are almost upon us :)

a corner has been turned

Over the past few weeks Katy and I have been saying the phrase "I just feel like we've turned a corner" very frequently. Allow me to explain...within our first two months of life here in Mexico we had a few minor disasters that were causing some serious stress. I will now elaborate on these disasters, not as a form of re-living the stress but in the hopes that sharing my frustration with the world will help you to better understand life here in Mexico and me to appreciate the journey and gain some closure (sarcastic undertone intended)

Disaster #1: At some point last month we randomly lost our internet capabilities, as in it just decided to stop working one day. This would normally not be too much of a travesty however it seems to be a worldwide trend that cable and internet companies have the all time worst customer service possible (ie:comcast). So we went to the actual building of megacable (our provider) and they said, "sure no problem, we'll have someone there within a few days". Well to make a long story short almost a month later after repeated visits to megacable, countless phone calls, and maybe a few tears we finally got our internet back. I know that sometimes we rely too much on it but living in a foreign country and not having any way to communicate with your homeland was pretty tough.

Disaster #2: So here in the lovely city of Tuxtla it is a luxury to have hot water in your household. We are lucky enough to have a hot water heater but when our old housemate moved out she took with her the tube that connects the gas tank to the hot water heater somehow damaging the tank which resulted in us losing the luxuries of the use of hot water as well as a stove or oven. We first tried to take matters in to our own hands and went to the hardware store where we explained to the men our problem and they came up with a solution however when we went home the solution was not quite successful. So after a few more days of cold showers and eating only food that did not require cooking, we got some of the maintenance men from school to come and have a look at things. They were able to fix the gas to the stove and oven but we needed another part for the hot water. So we waited a few weeks for them to get the part and find a time to come to our house (if you haven't gotten the theme yet, nothing happens quickly here in Mexico) and then finally were able to experience the tri-fecta of mexican luxuries: an oven, a stove, and hot water. Needless to say I am more appreciative than ever of my "comfortable" life now.

Disaster #3: Before I left the United States I realized there were a few items that I just wouldn't be able to fit in my bag, no matter how hard I tried. So I entrusted my mother to send them in a package to me in Mexico. I wish I could go through all of the details of the journey of this package but I fear it would result in pages and pages of meaningless rage at UPS and DHL so I will try to summarize with as neutral a tone as possible. After the first attempt via UPS the package was stopped in Mexico City and due to a bottle of Tums I had to pay $100 to have it sent back to chicago. Then on attempt numero dos after removing the contraband my mother sent it via DHL (as the postal service instructed) and it was once again stopped in Mexico City. However this time it was due to a suspicious dust (like what does that even mean). Also they requested that I provide medical statements to prove that the cardboard puzzles and games for my classroom were safe for children to play with because they were made in china....are you kidding me?!? But because this is Mexico and there is no such thing as honesty or accountability in the system they said if I paid $150 all of this would be waived. So after two months of waiting I desperately handed over my cash and finally got my package.
But wait, here's the real kicker: I later found our that these customs has a sort of random stoplight system for packages when they enter the country. And both times my package just happened to be lucky enough to get the red light which is why they both got such rigurous inspections...lucky me.
Moral of the story: If you want to send me a package don't be afraid just send it through the regular postal service and get a tracking number. This way it is much less likely to be opened and handled by greedy corrupt private shipping companies.
I have been promised by other teachers that the regular postal service is definitely the way to go and they have received numerous packages in just a few weeks so it should be safe.

If you are willing to take this risk, I would be so appreciative and thankful to receive any packages or letters you would be so kind as to send my way!
My address is:

Kat Bramley
American School Foundation of Chiapas
Blvd Belisario Dominguez
#5580- F Col. Teran
29057 Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
Mexico

Sooooooooo all this to say, I have definitely turned a corner and it is amazing to have these loose ends tied up. Life is feeling more manageable these days and the weeks are not dragging by. School is still very challenging and I am working harder than I have in my entire life but I am learning tons and definitely becoming a better teacher everyday. Also I have been spending most of my free time (which isn't much with all the teaching, planning or tutoring) in the kitchen and am thinking about adding a new dimension to my blogging activity about my culinary endeavors...just something to look forward to!

Much overdue travel log

Well I am back in Tuxtla, safe and sound after an amazing week of traveling and relaxing.
Katy and I began our journey on Monday evening when we boarded a 10 hour night bus to Oaxaca city. A few days earlier when we went to buy our tickets we decided to splurge on the platinum bus which was a little bit pricier but definitely worth every peso. Upon our initial arrival we were given complementary beverages and eye masks to make for sleeping ease. As I sat down in my seat all my nerves about being on a bus for that long were wiped away in the cloud-like feeling of these super reclining chair/beds. As soon as the bus took off we were swept away in to the darkness and comfort of one of the most delightful traveling experiences I have ever known. (note: there may be a slight tone of exaggeration in this description but just know this journey far surpassed any of my expectations of a 10 hour mexican bus ride).

We arrived in Oaxaca City and quickly caught a cab to our hostel. We were a little nervous when the cab driver took us far up in to the hills of the Oaxaca but were very pleased when we arrived at our hillside hide-away. The whole set up was so peaceful and lovely, nestled in the hills surrounding the city, filled with hammocks, lush trees, a pool, and even a trampoline.









We took a quick rest and then headed out to explore the city. Our first stop was for food, we found a delightful little french bakery/restaurant where I had ginger-pear pancakes which were mouth watering, to say the least.

Then we continued on our venture and saw many lovely churches, historic buildings, a nice little center and also did some serious shopping. Some of my best purchases included a hammock and lots of little artisan trinkets, definitely money well spent. After we burned big enough holes in our pockets we ate a delicious authentic Oaxacan dinner and then went home to relax. The next day we got up and did a bit more exploring before we caught a bus at 2:00 for Puerto Escondido.

It would be the understatement of the century to say that this bus ride was nothing like our first bus experience. This bus ride was a few hours shorter however the bus was significantly smaller and the roads were hilly, windy, and filed with potholes. The whole trip was supposed to take 8 hours but because of the condition of the roads (due to all the rain) it ended up taking almost ten hours. While many of the views were spectacular (being that we were so high up in the mountains) many of the views were also quite depressing (being that we were in one of the poorest and most rural parts of Mexico. Overall it was quite a journey and we were extremely relieved to make it to our destination- the quaint oceanside surfer town of Puerto Escondido.
Our time in Puerto was mainly spent lounging on the beach, paying in the ocean and eating delicious food. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this little town. It felt like the kind of place you would go to on vacation in your twenties and end up falling in love and raising little surfer babies and staying trapped in this paradise for the rest of your life (I say trapped like its a bad thing). Anyways, it was a beautiful town and an overall amazing vacation!
Here are some more pics from Puerto:

My first Quinceañera and Mexican style hot chocolate

ahhh yes it's time for another post and I am just brimming with things to say about this crazy Mexican culture I am living in...

I went to my first Quinceañera last weekend (for those of you who don't know this is, it is a Mexican celebration for a girls fifteenth birthday which according to them means they have come of age) and what a Quinceañera it was. Katy tutors the children of the mayor of Tuxtla and this was for one of his children so to say that it was posh would be the understatement of the century. We were told the festivities began at 8:30 and were running pretty late so we didn't end up getting there until a little after 9:30. In America this might be considered rude and unacceptable to show up to a party over an hour late but in Mexico we were right on time and one of the first party guests to arrive. The venue was located at the highest point in Tuxtla so it was quite a beautiful view of all the city lights and the inside was decorated to the nines, resembling a celebrity wedding straight from the pages of us weekly. It was quite a sight to watch the hoards of Tuxtla's finest fifteen year-olds parade through in there fanciest attire. We frequently found ourselves saying things like "I cant believe there mother let them out of the house in that!" and trust me you would too, lets just say I have never seen dresses so short and heels so high. Katy and I sat and took it all in for a bit and it wasn't until 11:00 that the guest of honor even arrived. At this point we joined the adults for some delicious food and beverages. Luckily there was a table open so we didn't have to do any spanish hob nob-ing but got to just enjoy each others company at our fanciest Mexican adventure yet, so fun!

I have also recently started tutoring for one of the families at my school. There are three girls and they are all really sweet so it is a very easy job. Last night I was over at there house for our bi-weekly session and it was a particularly hot evening here in Tuxtla. Were just going along reading a book when the families "muchacha" (the mexican hybrid of a cleaning lady, cook, and nanny, most semi-wealthy families have them) came in the kitchen. She started making something on the stove that suspiciously resembled Hot Chocolate but I couldn't believe my eyes considering the 90 degree weather. A las it was true and she cooked up some gourmet hot chocolate for two girls and one melting american. I took a sip of the hot beverage and somehow was able to overlook the extreme temperature confusion because of the incredible taste. it was a crazy experience that would definitely only happen here in Mexico.

School is going pretty well, although everyday is exhausting in a brand new way there are always silver linings to get me through the day. I have a little chuckle whenever I look back at the time when I interviewed and they told me that my minimal spanish skills would be no problem. While it is not the end of the world it definitely makes things much more challenging considering that the majority of the staff at the school speaks only super speedy spanish and not a lick of english. So whenever someone comes to my classroom to deliver a message or get a student or something it usually turns in to a pretty funny guessing game where my first guess is usually lice checks (we have those ones a week). This happened last week where someone came in my room and asked to tell the students something so they came in and were rambling on to the students about something I couldn't understand which then caused the students to start messing with their hair so I assumed it was the weekly lice check but then as he took the kids out of the classroom and we started walking across the school I realized maybe this was something different. To my surprise it was picture day and the students were fixing there hair for there pictures, it's moments like these when I wish i could fast forward my brain and become fluent tomorrow, we'll see about that. Until then I will just keep pretending I know what's going on in this crazy country.

Speaking of this country, Mexican Independence Day is next week and we have tuesday, wednesday, thursday, and friday off of school because it is the bi-centenial celebration. Katy and I are planning a trip to Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido so I am so so so excited about, should be pretty amazing!

on the eighth day God created the nutella calzone...or something like that

As you can guess from my lack of blog posts, the past two weeks have been completely nuts!!
I cant believe that we are already two weeks in to school and I officially know all of my 37 students names (a task that seemed impossible on the first day). I mean it's hard enough learning student's names ever but learning students names in Mexico is three times as heard because every student's name is about three times as long. Anyways, it feels like quite an accomplishment to finally have them down, not to mention it makes classroom management that much easier. Overall school is going pretty well. I am sure I am not the first person to say this, but I had no idea how exhausting being a full time teacher could be.

I was talking to some veteran teachers about how by the end of the day lately I have just been feeling like I want to sit at my desk in complete silence and stare at nothing for approximately two hours. They said this is completely normal and if you can make it at our school, apparently you can make it anywhere. There just something about teaching a full english curriculum to two different groups of students who all speak limited english with very few breaks that simply sucks the life out of you. Let's just say it is going to be a very challenging first year of teaching. However some of the kids are pretty great and I am already starting to see that they are what makes all the stress and exhaustion worth it.

In other news, I had the wonderful opportunity to take a little trip this past weekend with Katy and our other friend Nikki up to San Cristobal, which is a little city up in the mountains, about an hour away. We were all feeling quite exhausted after our first week of teaching and decided we needed a little time away. So we left Saturday around noon and after an hour long bus ride where I was only mildly fearful for my life we ended up in one of the most beautiful little cities I have ever been in. It was crazy that it was only an hour away because it felt like we were in a different country. San Cristobal is much more picturesque then our city, Tuxtla and is filled with historic buildings and European-esque pedestrian streets. The restaurants are incredible and there are a few amazing french bakeries. It is very touristy and has many more white people so it was nice to not feel like the minority for a little while. The shopping is amazing and I definitely know where I will be buying all of my christmas presents. It also was sort of crawling with hippies (Especially American ones) and seems to be where you would venture to if you wanted to spend your life walking barefoot with dreads and speaking spanish. We spent all day saturday just strolling around and then ate a delightful little Italian restaurant where I indulged in a pizza, wine and (get this) a nutella calzone...basically top five best meals of my life! Overall it was a wonderful little getaway and I am already looking forward to going back.

That's about all the blog-worthy things that have been going on over the past two weeks. Sorry it took so long and I am going to try to be more regular with my posts. Also I am still trying to figure out a way to post my pictures that doesn't take an hour so until then I will be just put them on the facebook, hope thats not too inconvenient.
Hasta Luego!