It's been a little while that I have given an update on what is going on here. Not too much has been happening in the home since Easter. The kids are chugging along with school and getting excited for the summer, which is unfortunately still two months away. A few things worth mentioning that has been happening in the house/life in Mexico. - A few weeks ago was my birthday, for those who know me know that I am really big on birthdays. I didn't know what to expect with mine since I was working the entire day, but the kids definitely made my day wonderful. I received so many wishes, hugs and kisses. One of the girls played a Mexican birthday song on her violin and I was wished a happy birthday by another kid the night before because they wanted to be the first to wish me a happy birthday. Needless to say it was one for the books.
- A few weeks ago was Visitor's Day, a day where families of the kids come and spend the day with them. Everyone goes to the Miaca home and the day was filled with many emotions. Some kids literally sit by the door all day waiting for their families who may or may not even come. It was pretty heartbreaking to see the kids whose families never showed. But it was so great to see the kids visiting with their families and see how happy they were. It may be the only day of the year that they are able to see their family. One of my boys asked me to be his visitor which I gladly accepted and we have become great pals ever since.
- Mother's day here was cute. There is a kid here whose mom works in the kitchen and so the day before he asked me if I would go with him to get flowers for her, obviously my heart melted as a result of his gesture for his mom. It was so nice seeing him so excited as he told the florist what flower he wanted in the bouquet. A few of the girls also made gifts for the encargadas (care givers) who are like their mothers.
- A few weekends ago was Día de Padrinos (Godparent's Day) in the home, a day for the godparents aka the people all over the world who sponsor our children. They had games and dances that were specifically from each country that we have sponsors in. Our kids practiced every day for this dance, so basically I have memorized three of the songs since they were played on repeat for hours a day. One of the groups of boys about age 6-8 did a dance from Germany and they sang the German national anthem. It was pretty adorable.
- I have travelled a little bit lately. A few weeks after Easter I climbed an inactive volcano in Toluca that had two lakes in the crater. It was absolutely stunning. I also went to a beautiful puebla called Taxco, I went there my first weekend here for a day but it was good to return for a longer period of time to see more of the town. My fellow volunteer and I went to a place close by with three natural springs with waterfalls that you can swim it. It was breathtaking, not just because it was beautiful but because the water was so freaking cold. We also explored a cave and zip lined. Finally this past weekend we went to Puebla/Cholula. Cholula became my favorite town I have visited. It is rich with culture, history, and the world's biggest pyramid. We explore the tunnels of the pyramid and the outside of it, walked around the adorable city square (which kind of reminded me of a Mexican version of my home town) and soaked in the culture.
- Finally, the biggest thing I have noticed with my Spanish (which is constantly improving, thank God) is that I have started to struggle with English. It's a weird feeling to struggle with something that I have been doing since I was a toddler, but it is also really cool because it shows my brain is still processing Spanish even when I am not speaking Spanish. For example, the other day one of the kids asked me how to say "what are you afraid of." I knew exactly what he was talking about when he asked me in Spanish, but it took me longer than I would have liked to answer in English. In response to my delay he said, "what, don't you know English either?" That gave me quite the chuckle. Also, in Spanish you said "hacer ejercicio," which literally means "to make exercise." The other day I said to my roommate, "yeah and I made exercise today with one of the kids, I mean I exercised today with one of the kids." Like what the heck? I asked my roommate and my aunt when they were learning Spanish (they were submersed in the language too with little to no Spanish) if they experienced the same thing and they said yes and that it's a great sign.
That's all folks. Till next time,
Katie
