Conversation Club

During our first week in Mexico, Fulbright introduced us to a great resource here in the city: The Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin. The library was originally established in 1942 to promote friendship and understanding between Mexico and the United States by providing access to information on the relationship between the two countries. It is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, and it serves all people living in the Mexico City area.

A few months back, my friend Cammie and I approached the library about doing some sort of volunteer work in addition to our teaching at the Politécnico. Benjamín Medina and Claudia Mendiola, two wonderful and talented individuals who work for the library, came up with the idea of an English conversation club. In order to publicize the opportunity, they contacted people using e-mail, Facebook, and word-of-mouth. The response was overwhelming and more than 100 people showed up to be interviewed for the class. Although we would have liked to accept all of the students, we had to limit the class size to about 20 individuals per class.

The course took place over a period of 7 weeks, and in that time I got to meet some incredibly kind and gifted individuals. My students were truly dedicated to not only improving their language skills, but also learning more about my culture. It was so rewarding to watch them grow as English speakers, and I cannot thank them enough for opening their minds and sharing their knowledge and opinions with me and the rest of the group. In addition, I am very appreciative that they taught me about their culture, too.

Last night, the library had a ceremony to congratulate all of the individuals who took part in the two conversation clubs. David Connell, the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, gave a short talk on the benefits of the club and future aspirations for it. He then presented Cammie and me with certificates of recognition for our work. Afterwards, I got to chat with all of the students while snacking on some cookies and juice. I am so grateful to have been a part of this wonderful experience, and I look forward to continuing to help the library with this great activity.

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Abrazos, Nicole
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My Little Sanctuary

If you asked me if I were country girl, I would probably tell you no. I don’t wear cowboy boots; I don’t live on a farm, and I don’t have a country accent. (I know...all stereotypes.) But, I will tell you that I definitely grew up among nature and the outdoors. I like taking walks through the woods; I love walking through the creek on summer days, and I enjoy observing the various animals that visit our backyard.

But for as much as I love the outdoors, I often find myself living in the city. During college, I lived in clean and wonderful Oakland, PA (please note the sarcasm.) And now, I am living in the monstrous and smoggy Mexico City. Don’t get me wrong…the city can be lots of fun. There is always something to do. But, I am very appreciative when I find little green oases that I can escape to every now and then. In Oakland, these getaway spots were Phipps Conservatory and Schenley Park, and in DF my favorite little place to slip away to is Parque México.

Parque México is about 15 minutes from where I live, and when you stroll through the park it is almost hard to believe that you are in one of the largest cities in North America. There are trees, fountains, flowers, and dirt walking trails. It is so calm, and I always feel like my mind and body can really breathe there.

So the other day when I was venturing by Parque México, I saw something that completely made my day and made me appreciate this place so much more. The park’s gardeners planted hundreds and hundreds of poinsettias (flores de noche buena) throughout the park. I don’t think I have ever seen that many poinsettias in my entire life. It is simply breathtaking! I have been back to the park several times this week just to meander through the splashes of color that now adorn the park. It is wonderful! Although it may not be a white Christmas for me this year, it is certainly beginning to feel very festive around here.

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Abrazos, Nicole
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Our Mexican Thanksgiving

I know Thanksgiving happened last week, but I really wanted to share how we celebrated the holiday here in Mexico. On Thursday, my friend and fellow ETA, Andy, was kind enough to invite myself and some other ETAs to his school in Ciudad Neza. Each of us brought along a dish and Andy’s students also contributed some delicious food to the feast. Before eating, Will gave a great presentation on the history of Thanksgiving. Afterwards, we dug in. It was very fun eating a combination of classic American dishes and Mexican food.

Andy’s students were so nice and one of them, Alejandra, brought along her adorable daughter. Little Gabi’s eyes were so big and beautiful, and I couldn’t help but take lots of pictures of her.

On Thursday night, Roberto took me out to a very nice yummy dinner. Even though we ate Mexican food, we did it in the spirit of a U.S. Thanksgiving…we ate lots and were very full by the end.

On Friday, fellow ETAs Renee, Alexis, and Will (Alexis’ boyfriend) joined Cammie, Andy, Will and me in DF for a Thanksgiving feast at Andy’s place. Andy and Will cooked the turkey and did an amazing job. (Pat yourselves on the backs, guys.) Cammie brought along a delicious pecan pie and some bread. Renee catered to our sweet tooth and came bearing banana bread and apple crisp. Alexis and Will brought along the cranberry sauce, and I contributed to the spread with some pumpkin bars. We certainly chowed down on all the delicious food, and it was so wonderful to have everyone together for this celebration.

Even though I was far away from home for this Thanksgiving, I am very thankful that I still got to celebrate the day with some awesome people. Thank you to everyone who made it special!

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Abrazos, Nicole
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I am thankful for…

…my loving and wonderful family. They listen to my ups and downs. They are there through my crying and laughing. I love you all!


…cards I get in the mail and comments I receive on my blog. They let me know that people are still thinking about me even though I might be far away.

…my fantastic Fulbright friends (and Nico). They are always there supporting me, making me smile, and providing solid words of advice. Thanks guys!

…my new computer. It makes life a lot easier, especially since it has a built-in camera that I can Skype with.

…my wonderful boyfriend, Roberto. He is incredibly patient with my Spanish, he always listens to my complaints about Señora Nena, and he makes me laugh every day.

…my camera. It helps me capture the beauty and adventure that surrounds me.

…my mom’s yummy apple pie recipe. It was a big hit with the students at our Thanksgiving feast today.

…the great people I have met here in Mexico. They have invited me to be a part of their lives and have shared their beautiful country with me.

…all you lovely people out there that still read my blog. I hope you are having a very happy Thanksgiving and enjoying the company of family and friends.

Abrazos, Nicole

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A Long Weekend in Veracruz

Don’t you love holiday weekends? I certainly do. This past weekend was an extended one for us here in Mexico. November 20th is el Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day), and it was observed on Monday, November 16. I was invited by my novio Roberto to spend the weekend in his hometown of Poza Rica, Veracruz. With much appreciation and gratitude, I accepted this invitation and we headed out late Friday night. We boarded the bus in the nick of time, and after a 4 ½ hour ride west to the coast of Mexico, we arrived.

On Saturday morning, I was introduced to Roberto’s wonderful family—his mom, his dad, and his two younger sisters, Arlette and Frida. They were incredibly friendly, and they made me feel right at home (something I really appreciated.) His mom made us a delicious breakfast of chilaquiles, eggs, steak, and yummy frijolitos. After breakfast, Roberto and I took a quick ride over to visit his grandparents, who also live in Poza Rica. They were really nice, and it was great just to sit around and chat for a bit. I also got to meet Roberto’s older cousin, Edwin, who was visiting from Villahermosa, Tabasco.

Roberto’s grandparents were nice enough to loan us their pickup truck for a trip to the beach, and we invited Edwin to come along with us. I thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous tropical scenery during our 40-minute ride to the coast. Can you imagine living that close to the beach?! So awesome!

We visited the Playa Cazones, which is a tiny fisherman-like village tucked away along the shore. I liked the fact that it was a quiet, cozy location with few tourists. The beach was very similar to the Atlantic beaches in the U.S. Roberto and I, of course brought along our swim gear to catch some waves. I would have loved to have had a boogie board as the waves were perfect for this, but oh well. Unfortunately, the lifeguard kept calling us in to where the waves were breaking. I couldn’t understand why, but he later explained that the ocean floor drops off significantly where we were at.

After a bit, we came in and walked along the shore in search of pretty shells. Mother-of-pearl is always my favorite seashell find, and I found plenty of it. We enjoyed a lovely lunch-dinner on the beach of stuffed fish, shrimp, and seafood stew. I loved breathing in the refreshing salty beach air as I watched the sun dip over the hill.

When we came back on Saturday night, we traveled to this lookout location and observed the nighttime landscape of Poza Rica. It reminded me very much of Pittsburgh at night minus the three rivers. There was a mini concert going on, and this little kid in a cowboy hat riding a tricycle was very entertaining and funny to watch.

On Sunday morning, Roberto, Arlette, Frida, and I ventured to Papantla for breakfast. We ate a classic dish native to this area called zacahuil—a giant tamale cooked in a banana leaf. It was so scrumptious and definitely better than the average tamale. Afterwards, we headed to Tajín the Totonaco pyramid site that is about 10 minutes from Roberto’s house. Before entering the pyramid site, we got to observe the famous Voladores de Papantla (Flyers of Papantla). This dance is traditionally performed by the Totonaco Indians. First, five men climb to the top of a very tall pole. Then, one stays at the top and plays the flute while the other four descend by flying in circles on a rope tied to one foot. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year. It was quite amazing, and I was so impressed by how relaxed these guys were flying round and round in the air.

After the fantastic show, we headed into Tajín to check out the pyramids. Tajín means “City of Thunder” in the Totonaco language, and it was a very important town in Veracruz from 600-900 AD. On our journey among the pyramids, we refreshed ourselves with a delicious snack of oranges slices with chile and fresh sugarcane. Yum-o!

It was very striking to see the beautifully constructed stone pyramids surrounded by lush green jungle. Tajín’s most emblematic structure is the Pyramid of the Niches. It is believed that there were originally 365 niches, suggesting that the building may have been used as a kind of calendar.

The Totonaco Indians were known for human sacrifice connected with the classic ball game. We had our own reenactment of a Totonaco sacrifice and Roberto’s brave sister, Arlette, served as our victim. What a good sport. Thanks, Arlette! :-)

On Sunday afternoon, Roberto’s mom made a wonderful dinner and invited the whole family over (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents) to enjoy it. I really loved meeting everyone, and it was so great to sit around and appreciate good company. There was lots of laughing (something I am always grateful for) and it was nice to spend time with family. Roberto took me for a quick trip to downtown Coatzintla (the town in which he officially lives.) There were some fantastic stone murals adorning the municipal building. They tell the story of Coatzintla from ancient times to present day, and I was very impressed by the amount of detail and thought that was put into each one.

On Monday morning, the house was abuzz with people. Roberto’s family owns a company that supplies characters, balloons, and entertainment for parties in the area, and everyone was gathered together to take some pictures. There were luchadores (wrestlers), Disney characters—Tinker Bell and Jasmine, Spiderman, Doki, and many other characters. It was fun seeing everyone in their costumes, and I was glad to help out with some of the photography. The weekend came to an end too fast, but every moment was certainly enjoyed. Roberto’s family accompanied us to the bus station, and we headed back to DF.

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Abrazos, Nicole
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A Mexican Wedding

This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding here in Mexico. Teo, one of my advanced conversation students, invited Cammie and I to attend his younger brother’s wedding. The event took place in a little pueblo called Santa Cruz Valle del Chalco located in the Estado de México.

Teo was nice enough to pick Cammie and I up and drive us to his house where the reception was held. Once we arrived, we were welcomed by many members of Teo’s family. Then we headed over to the church which was only a few minutes from the house. While we were waiting for the novia (bride) to arrive, we entertained ourselves with various activities such as holding a beautiful newborn baby, talking with Daniel (another student) and his family, and admiring the adorable little flower girls.

When the very young, but gorgeous novia finally arrived, the wedding ceremony commenced. The setup and process was somewhat different from what we are used to in the United States. There were no bridesmaids and no groomsmen. In addition, there were tons of kids running around everywhere during the entire ceremony, a very accepted situation that I found kind of humorous.

The ceremony was quite beautiful, and I enjoyed listening to the prayers and songs in Spanish. It is always neat to hear something you know so well (like “Our Father”) recited in a different language. The church glowed with bright light from the warm rays of the afternoon sun.

At one point in the ceremony, I was reminded of a Greek wedding tradition—the bride and groom wear crowns that are connected by a ribbon that symbolizes the union of the couple. Rather than using crowns, Oscar (novio) and Yadira (novia) were joined together by a glass necklace that was draped over their shoulders. In addition, Yadira’s veil was wrapped around Oscar’s shoulder. I enjoyed seeing this variation of the representation of union in matrimony.

When the ceremony ended, the novia and novio exited the church, and we showered them with rice, flower petals, and confetti.

Then we headed back to the house to get the reception started. The bash was kicked off with a mariachi band playing classic Mexican music as we ate dinner.

At dinner, I happened to sit with two of the sweetest little girls I have ever met. Daniel’s daughters, Isa (7) and Paula (5), were incredibly fun to hang out with and I enjoyed showing Paula how to use my camera.

There was lots of good solid dancing to be had, and we were treated to some great live music thanks to a mother-daughter singing team. Although we did not stay long enough for cake, I really admired the fact that this wedding was such a community event. No one was excluded from the reception and there was even a “Moon Bounce” to entertain all of the little kids. I was told by Teo that the dancing continued into the wee hours of the morning. It was such a treat to be part of this special day.

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Abrazos, Nicole
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Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)

First of all, let me apologize for my absence. I really haven’t been meaning to neglect all of you faithful readers. Really, I haven’t. In fact, I have been working on this blog post for almost an entire week!!! My computer is on its last leg, and it is making it nearly impossible for me to do anything technology-related. So, so sorry! But, don’t worry. I might have a new computer on the way. Wow! That would be incredible. Alright, enough of that. Let’s talk about this awesome experience that went down last weekend.

So, my friend Clau invited me, Cammie, and Renee on a trip to Michoacán with her family. Michoacán is a state located in the west of Mexico and is known for its artesanías (crafts) and its Día de Muertos celebrations, which is why we were headed there. On Friday afternoon before our departure, Clau took us to CU (Ciudad Universitaria or UNAM’s main campus) to check out the ofrendas (offerings).

As I explained in the previous post, el Día de Muertos is celebrated on November 1 and 2. It is a time to remember and prepare special foods in honor of those that have died. In order to celebrate, families make altars and decorate them with objects like pan de muerto (bread of the dead), calaveras (candy sugar skulls), candles, cempazúchiles (marigolds), a photo of the deceased person, and other items the person liked. Papel picado (cut tissue paper) decorates the streets, and death is, in a sense laughed at.

The ofrendas at CU were created by students and faculty, and each ofrenda represented a different branch of the university. Every year a specific deceased person is chosen to be honored, and this year’s individual was Edgar Allan Poe. Some ofrendas were more elaborate than others, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the variety and creativity involved.

On Friday afternoon, Clau’s mom, dad, and little brother Jorge arrived in DF from Puebla. They came by way of the camioneta (van), which would be better known as the cohete (spaceship). Check that thing out! It was fully stocked with camping gear (our original plan was to camp in Michoacán), and it had enough room inside to fit a small circus. We met at Diego’s apartment (Clau’s brother) and the eight of us departed from there. After a 5-hour journey, we arrived in Morelia, the capital of Michoacán. Morelia happens to be a beautiful colonial city with lots Spanish architecture, and no end to the amount of mariachis to be found. Although the air was brisk, it was fun to walk around the city and see the quaint buildings glowing in the night.

On Saturday morning, we stopped by the town of Quiroga on our way to Pátzcuaro. In Quiroga, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of corundas, square-like tamales with red salsa and crema that are local chow there, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. We got a chance to explore the small town and nearby market, and later on we met up with some of Clau’s relatives.

Afterwards, we boarded our spaceship again and headed off to the archeological site of Tzitzuntzan (seen-soon-sahn), located on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro. The city of Tzitzuntzan was the Purépecha Indian Empire when Cortés arrived in 1522. Although the site was under construction when we went, it was neat to see some of the completed pyramids. Their round bases make them quite unique. In addition, the view from the plateau was wonderful—the surrounding lake sparkled in the early afternoon light. It was fun to sit in the grass, drink in the fresh air, feel the sun on your face, and appreciate nature’s creations.

After our archeological excursion, we went to Santa Clara del Cobre, a little city near Pátzcuaro that is well-known for its copper artisans. Much of the copper creations are made from recycled copper. It was fun to walk through the little shops on the main road and admire the beautifully-crafted copper objects. From bracelets, to kitchen sinks, to mirrors there was no limit to the variety of shiny creations. For lunch, we stopped at a little restaurant that overlooked Lake Pátzcuaro. We ate some local dishes, one of which was charales. Charales (pictured above) are breaded and fried minnows that are eaten in tacos with lime, tomato, and guacamole. In case you were wondering, you eat the entire minnow—eyeballs, tail, bones, and all. And yes, I did partake in the sampling of this crazy appetizer!

On Saturday night, we ventured back to Morelia to watch a fireworks and light show at the cathedral. The cathedral looked very elegant glowing in its red, green, and yellow lights, and the fireworks added some flare/flair. It was neat to look up into the night sky and see the almost-full moon glowing in the foggy air. Oooo, kind of spooky.

On Sunday morning, we went to Pátzcuaro’s zócalo to browse the crafts market and see the ofrendas. On our way there, we were held up by horse traffic on the side of the road. There were literally hundreds of men on horseback trotting along the side of the highway (some with beers in hand!) In addition, we were stopped by a group of young children asking for candy/money to put in their calaveritas (carved pumpkin). They held up a rope in the middle of the rope and shouted, “¡No hay paso, no hay paso!” (You can’t pass, you can’t pass!) so that they could get us to put something in their calaverita. I guess this is the Mexican version of trick-or-treat :-). In Pátzcuaro’s zócalo, we enjoyed a snack of nieves de pasta, a local type of ice cream.

Later on we got to observe the Baile de los Viejitos (Dance of the Old Ones) in the central plaza. All of the dancers were dressed in traditional embroidered clothing and wore masks that looked like the faces of old men. In addition, they wore flat sandals to make the distinct click-clacking sound and straw hats adorned with colorful ribbons. What made the dance so memorable was that this little boy from the audience dressed in a skeleton costume decided to join in. He got so into the dancing that the real bailadores incorporated him into to their show. He had the audience cracking up because he was so serious about his dance moves.

At about 7:00 on Sunday night, we headed over to the island of Janitzio where the big Día de Muertos celebration happens. We had to wait for almost an hour before we boarded a lancha (boat) that took us across the lake to the island. The lights on the island sparkled in the chilly November air, and once we docked, we began our ascent up the crowded but very festive island.

We stopped by the cemetery which was decorated with bunches of cempasúchiles (marigolds). Each grave was adorned with an ofrenda and the candlelight created an almost inviting (rather than spooky) atmosphere. It was neat to see different people at each grave remembering their loved ones who had passed away.

We stayed on the island late into the night, and the next day we returned to DF. I enjoyed being adopted by a Mexican family for a weekend. I can honestly say that Clau and her family were a bunch troopers throughout the entire weekend. What an adventure!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I attended a Mexican wedding yesterday, so there should be more on that soon!

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Abrazos, Nicole
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A Full Week

Yes, I’ve been MIA for a while, but I’m still here. It has been kind of busy around these parts, but I’m not complaining. That is certainly a good thing.

On Tuesday night, Cammie invited Andy and me over to celebrate her roommate, Elena’s birthday. There were about 15 or so people, and we were treated to a wonderful meal put together by all. We feasted on stuffed chicken in tomato broth, egg salad, fresh bread, garden salad, and tostadas. Later, we sang happy birthday in Spanish (Las Mañanitas) and English. We topped the night off by enjoying a beautiful chocolate cake decorated with fresh fruit.

On Friday, I strolled around Coyoacán and the zócalo. I bought some earrings (surprise, surprise) and several Spanish teaching books from the book fair. I also ventured into some fabric stores in the zócalo and purchased some beautiful Día de Muertos fabric to decorate my future Spanish classroom.

On Saturday morning, Clau, Javi, Ekaitz, Andy, and Cammie came over my place for a Mexican-American breakfast. We chowed down on French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh corn tortillas, frijolitos (refried beans), papaya, kiwi, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Mmmm. After breakfast, Clau, Javi, Ekaitz and I headed to the zócalo to watch the alebrije parade put on by the Museo de Arte Popular (MAP).

Alebrijes are brightly-colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. The term can be used to describe papier mache creatures, but it is more commonly used in reference to Oaxacan woodcarvings, like my blue lizard pictured at the top of my blog.

The parade was fantastic and the alebrijes were impressive in both size and color. In addition to the alebrijes, there was music in the form of marching bands and mariachi, dancers, performers on stilts, and a wide variety of other entertainers.

I enjoyed seeing the little kids at the parade, both the ones who observed and the ones who participated.

Afterwards, we decided to trek to the top of the Torre Latinoamericana. At 45 stories tall, it was Mexico City’s tallest building from 1956-1984. Today, Mexico’s World Trade Center holds the record for the tallest building in the city. The view from the top was incredible. I wish I could say that you could see for miles and miles, but unfortunately the smoggy atmosphere prevents this. Nonetheless you can see a fair distance across the monstruous city.

There were four photo displays on each side of the Torre (north, east, south, west) that identified the important landmarks that can be seen from the top of the Torre. It was fun to pick out the various places that I had visited such as the Palacio Nacional and the Parque Alameda.

After our high altitude journey, we came down and meandered through the zócalo. We saw this guy drawing a picture of the Mona Lisa on the sidewalk with chalk. For a temporary work of art, it was certainly a beautiful rendition.

We also stopped by the Palacio Nacional to scope out the Día de Muertos tianguis (market). Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. Family and friends gather to pray and remember loved ones who have passed away. Ofrendas (offerings) are set up in churches, homes, and public buildings to remember the deceased souls. There was a gorgeous ofrenda in the Palacio Nacional based on Diego Rivera’s Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.) Some of the people in the original mural were represented as muertos/calaveras (deceased/skeletons) in the ofrenda. Check out Frida and Diego for example!

The tianguis was small but nice, and we snacked on some pan de muerto (bread of the dead). I bought a pair of rockin’ calavera earrings and a very rad Día de Muertos T-shirt. It was such a beautiful day, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the wonderful company of my friends. By the way, our clocks changed for Daylight Savings on Saturday night…a week earlier than in the U.S…a cool little fact.

On Sunday morning, I got up early to meet two other fellow English professors at the university for breakfast. Daniel and Luis took me to the nearby San Cosme market for a breakfast of barbacoa. Barbacoa generally refers to sheep meat that has been slow-cooked in a hole dug in the ground and covered with maguey leaves. We feasted on consomé de barbacoa, tacos de barbacoa and pancita (stomach), and agua de mandarina. It was quite delicious. Afterwards we metroed (yes, I think this should be a verb) over to Pino Suárez to look for some T-shirts with Spanish phrases on them. This is something I have yet to find here in Mexico—clothing with Spanish writing on it. To our mala suerte (bad luck), many of the stores were closed due to the Sunday protests going on in the zócalo. In addition, any T-shirts that we did find were written in English. While our mission was unsuccessful, it was still fun to spend the morning-afternoon with Daniel and Luis.

A little preview for next time…I'm heading to Michoacán this weekend with Clau and her family to celebrate Día de los Muertos. I’m certainly looking forward to this, and I hope to have some jammin’ pictures for you guys when I get back :-).

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Abrazos, Nicole
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