sleeptalking...

My roomie sleep talks on a regular basis. I can have conversations with her. Here is my favorite one....
Carly Tai: "Where is it?....The Bathroom?
Me: "No...The boys came over tonight"
Carly Tai: "No they didn't"
Me: "Yes, they did. You kissed Moroni."
Carly Tai: "No, I didn't!"
Me: "Yes, you did. I have a picture. I'll show you in the morning."
Carly Tai: "It's probably crappy."

"I think that we should be the Pilgrams and they should be the Indians..."

For Thanksgiving, the other teachers and I had a great day filled of mashed potatoes and fun. We started off the day by having dance lessons with Moroni. After failing to learn bonda, we tried to teach him some American dance moves. That failed too. So then we had a good old American dance party. Then we departed for a Thanksgiving feast at the private school we teach at. It was fun. All the kids where dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians. We had "turkey" AKA chicken, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry juice. The pumpkin pie was rockin'. Totally made my day. We had to crave the "turkey" with a plastic The kids where so excited to have us there, and the Spanish teachers where so gracious to us. It was the prefect mix of Mexico and home. I also got to talk to my whole family at Thanksgiving. Jake mooned me. Lovely. Then we gave ourselves pedicures. Great day.

angels we have heard on high

Last night all the teacher, my mexican family and I went to our little sisters music concert. It was incrediable. Three of our students from Galilei where in it to. It was held at a beautiful cathedral in the center of Puebla. They all looked like angels. Six and seven years olds singing the hallelujah chorus and the Messiah. Amazing.

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving.

do and donts

Here is my do and dont list for Puebla. Hope that it is helpful

Dont

1. Bring more then one pair of shorts. No one wears them. You look stupid, even when it is hot. They are fine for traveling in and hanging out, but not for teaching or walking around town.

2. Eat anything you dont want to. You will be miserable.

3. Eat off the streets. You will get ambias. I had to spend the night at the hospital. Another girl spent three days.

4. Drink the water.

5. Hang out with Gibran. He may speak English. He may speak English, but he is trouble.

6. Bring your computer to school. Mine got stolen.

7. Bring paper or glue.

8. Bring white shirts. They turn grey.

9. Trust the police

10. Bring bathroom supplies...you can find everything and every brand at Walmart.

11. Get a pedicure from Monicas friend

12. Buy bus tickets online or with a credit card. Go to the bus station and use cash.

13. be afraid to speak spanish

14. be afraid to get a blessing in spanish

Do

1. Bring a hymn and Book of Mormon in Spanish

2. Put your cell phone on lock

3.Bring lots of peanut butter

4.Bring Drama stuff

5.Bring lots of pens

6.Bring your favorite laundry soap

7.Go to Taxco. Its a magical city

8. Bring CTR rings to five to the street kids

9. Eat at Alex Burgers

10. Go to the YSA Dances

11. Go to volleyball on Friday

12. Make native friends, but be careful with the boys

13.Introduce all your friends to your host family

14.Communicate with your roomie what you consider family time

15.take time for yourself

16.Travel with toliet paper

17. Eat tacos el pastor everytime you get the chance

18. Bring lots of nice jeans. They are perfect to teach in.

19. Bring flip flops. They are fine to teach in and you always have to wear shoes

20.Eat everything with chile y limon

21.bring your favorite candy. its the best pick me up. you can find snicker, milky ways and m&m down here. not much less.

22. try manzanita lift and coke

23.bring lots of cold weather stuff. bring my northface was the best decision ever.

24.have american food night with all the teachers once a week

25.bring materials to read during church. three hours is a long time

26. Have a mexican boyfriend. Emiliano (he is three) and the family bird are mine.

27.Bring lots of undies and bras

28.write in your planner everyday what you did.

29.go to the luchas. sit in the middle section.

30.go to a futbol game with mexicans.

31. barter

32. love every minute of it.

bedazzled bum and happenings...

So this past weekend was a three day weekend. We spent the weekend relaxing and playing in Puebla. We headed off to some cool muesums. And I bought jeans. They are Mexican. They are bedazzled. So now I sport a Mexican bum...bedazzled and all. We have a new Wednesday activity...VOLLEYBALL! I love it. I started to cry because I was so happy. It was full of cute boys and fun times. We learned so sweet Mexican chants. We won! It was a big deal. It was Tournament. We have a game on Friday too! On Saturday, we went to another soccer game with our Mexican friends. It was intense. Cruz Azul vs Puebla: Semi Finals. It ended in a tie game. Getting into the game was crazy. Our friend paid off the police to let us cut in line. It was something from a movie. If you are ever in Mexico, I suggest going to a futbol game with a Mexican. So much fun. I dyed my hair yesterday. Its black with red undertones. love it!

My computer got stolen from the school on Friday. The robbers sure made off with a steal...a three year old laptop that doesnt stay charged, missing the space bar and the x key. Hope they are happy. Lucky I had just back up everything on my harddrive.

fancy footwork

This past weekend I got the opportunity to patake in the favorite Mexican past time...futbol. AMAZING! I got to support my team...Puebla! The statium was packed with over 30,000 crazy fans. We sat in the cheap seats with all of the true fans. It was one big party. We ended up losing 0-2...which I was grateful for because I did not want to see how they celebrated a win.

Let's Play a Lovegame, Play a Lovegame

Had another YSA dance on Friday night. I'm telling you they are the best thing ever. Everyone dance and really dances. I love Latin dancing. Cumbia and this one that you pop your hips are my favorites. Embarrassing story...I was wearing a new dress and I didn't realize how much it spun up when I turned. A guy I was dancing with told me to be careful because I had been showing off my turquoise undies off to everyone in the room. Half way through they played "Lovegame" by Lady Gaga. Never have been so happy to hear a song in English. It was funny, literally everyone stopped dancing and formed a circle around the six white girls dancing. Speaking of a Love game...My roommate and I got serenaded at one in the morning for her birthday on Saturday night. They showed up and started singing. We didn't know what to do. I just started laughing. Soon realizing that they were going to wake our sleeping Mexican family, we told them to leave. Not to mention, our Papa is really protective of us and was sure not to be happy in the morning when he realized that four boys where singing to his "daughters." Best part was that Gibran's car didn't start and they had to push start it. The next morning we were awaken with an hour lecture about what serenades mean and the boys inappropriate song choice. In Mexican cultures, serenades are used to express extreme love for a person of the opposite sex. Papa was very concerned that the boys sang us that song. Turns out it was the only song they knew how to sing.

mexican love

My heart belongs to three Mexicans...Omner, Benjamin and Emiliano (He is three). The End.

dias de los muertos

November 1st and 2nd, the Catholic Mexicans celebrate Dias de los Muertos. Day of the Dead. They believe that their loved ones come and visit them for 24 hours. They are greeted by olferenda (alters) with there favorite foods and pastimes. Trails of marigold peddles lead the way for the dead. A family spends up to $5,000 on the alters to honor the dead. They invite you in their homes to celebrate their love ones lives. We didn't have school, so Carly, Ameila and I headed off to Huaquechula to see the alters with their family. It was really differant then I thought that it would be. I was expecting

a big party, but it was a hoilday of mourning. They people that this is the only connection that they have with dead. I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Christ and the knowledge that I will see my loved ones again. After seeing all of the alters, we went and got mole. The gross kind. Then I ate a grasshopper. Dead. Tasted like sheep stomach. People love them here. They are a special treat. Afterwards we went to Metapec, a vacation resort. We spent the afternoon swimming, playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. It was great to get back into a pool.

Day of the Dead Bread. It tastes like Swedish Christmas Bread.

A small portion of an alter

Twinners. Didn't even plan it.

You have got to be kidding me...

Over our last three day weekend, Carly, Amelia and I stayed in Puebla to celebrate their Papa's birthday. We started Saturday with a trip to our favorite place to see Americans...Walmart. After our friend Moroni invited us over to his house for a Mexican baraque. He tried to make all the food by himself, but failed. His Mom stepped in and saved the day. I love her. She kept on yelling at him in Spanish to get the fire started because we were hungry. I just love her. We gourged ourselves with barbaqued beef, chorizo (a bright orange susage) and day of the dead bread. Yummy!

After that we straight to the party of my Tio. I am using a Spanish keyboard so it is easier not to use contrations and to structure my sentence the Spanish way. They do not have apostrophes on the keyboard. There we ate more food and yummy cake. I love Mexican parties. They know how to do it up real big. Every party includes dancing. We taught them the Cha Cha Slide. We headed to bed around 11 and the party was just starting. Tio had just busted our the taquila. At about three in the morning, I was woken up by a mariachi band. I sat up and yelled "You have got to be kidding me!" They partied till I got for church at six. Seriously, they know how to party. When we got home from church, they were still partying. They then moved the party to ranch of my abuelo. I ate sheep stomach. For the first and last time. Gross! It was a serious twenty four hours of partying.

tamera's birthday

One of our students at Galilei invited all of the teachers to her birthday party. It was so fun to see all of our kids in their "natural" habit. Pizza, pop and play. Life could not be any better for a five year old. We got to learn the pinata song.

Pirate Week

This week was Pirate week in my drama class. So fun. We had sword fights and treasure hunts. In the words of my Dad "..wait till word gets out in the simple country village of Puebla that Tall Skinny Gringo Girl teaching the village kids to be thieves and murderers. That will go over well." My kids are so cute. I love them.

Templo de Ciudad de Mexico

Last weekend, my roommate Carly and I went to the Mexico City Temple for baptisms. It was wonderful. I love going to the temple here in Mexico. Its the same everywhere. Its such a feeling of being at home. After we went through the Visitor Center and walked around the Temple ground. We ran into our friend, Iberfranz and his sister. Their older sister was getting married, so we got to see her come out of the temple. We also ran into Emanuel and Julia. We wondered off the temple grounds and bought some amazing coco ice cream. Funny story...our Papa doesn't like our Mexican friends. So after he tried to introduce us to some boys he found acceptable. It was awkward for all parties involved because we all realized what he was doing.

San Francisco...the mall

For culture class we went to this awesome mall. It was use to be a monastery. They converted half into a mall and the other half into gardens. It was beautiful. Defiantly a place where you "chupa la pina." And we got Krispy Kream Donuts. Somethings never change, even in Mexico.

I got a package!

My parents love me..they sent me a package. I literally screamed because I was sooo happy! I got Salt n' Vinegar Chips, gum, Swedish Fish, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Family Pictures. Life is good here in Mexico!