A while

It's been awhile since I've written. Mostly because my life is much less interesting than it was in Mexico...well at least to other people. I have been working at the Y as a lifeguard/deck supervisor. I enjoy it most of the time. I've also been trying to hang out with friends as much as possible. It keeps me sane, and helps me feel like I will still be able to reconnect with people no matter how many times I leave the country, or for how long.
I emailed with Nadine about their situation in Mexico. They have left the country because of the risk of closing borders between France and Mexico. Right now they are in France with her family and plan to be there until mid-June. She says that the hospitals in Mexico are not equipped to deal with a pandemic should it really become bad. Emilia, the housekeeper, is staying in their house in Cuernavaca in order to avoid Mexico City.
I look back on my time in Mexico a lot. I know I complained a lot in the posts on this site. It was not an easy experience, but I am very glad to have had it. I have many fond memories and although I will not forget the difficult times, as with most experiences, they fade faster. I miss the children and I am glad to have Nadine to email with. It was also great to get to know another country and to have something that pushed me to learn more about myself. At times I think it would have gotten better had I stayed a little longer. I was just learning to really speak Spanish and to really get along with the family when I left. I will never regret going, even though it was very rough at times.
I miss being able to practice Spanish so easily. I found out today that the cleaning lady really does not speak a word of English so I was forced to speak Spanish with her. I still do not know what the correct protocol is for that. I never approach someone with Spanish because I find it rude since it is not the language of our country. Knowing Spanish I would never have approached anyone in Spain or Mexico in English first, so it only feels natural to have the same courtesy here. But it actually did come in handy today. I get to practice a little with Mary, our cleaning lady, and with a woman at work. I will try to speak with this woman at work, although I still feel self-conscious about it. It might make her feel more comfortable there though. I just never know.

As for the future, I am starting my application process to World Teach. I am applying to teach for a year in Namibia, with the option of helping with the HIV/AIDs programs in the country. I find this an ideal program for the price and the amount of involvement you get to have with the people. It is not simply a 2 week mission project, it is real international experience, something I need for any jobs I would be interested in. It scares me to really think about it, and I think that I will avoid really thinking about it until I am accepted. What scares me is not that it's Africa or that I might be able to do it, but that it will be a year in another country where I am really an outsider. I was an outsider in Mexico, but I had some idea of the culture before going. This is something I cannot fathom and will throw me completely out of my comfort zone, but the program seems very supportive and helpful. And I will not stop myself from doing it just because I have a healthy fear of the unknown. It is what I have always said I wanted to do, and how will I ever know that it is or is not without trying. A year is a big commitment, but I can't think of anything else.

Jenn

Ya Me Voy...

I'm coming home in less than 24 hours, so last post before I leave. I thought I'd catch you up on last weekend. Saturday I thought I was going to go shopping, but it ended up that Juan Carlos's brother came to visit. It was nice to meet some of his family. They had three kids who were a bit older. The oldest girl, 16, wanted to practice her English with me. It was sweet. We had a nice day together, but by night I was exhausted.
Sunday we got up and went to breakfast at a old palace that a Japanese princess had built a long time ago. They had a fabulous brunch with lots of great foods to eat. And after this they dropped me off in the center of town so I could do a bit of shopping. After I went through the market I headed toward the Zocalo because I heard some music playing there. Apparently the pasteleria, El Globo, was putting on a summer concert thing. One of the bands, the one I saw, is pretty big. They are named Motel. The music was pretty good.
This guy at the concert started talking to me. He fixes computers and I think he was trying to get some business because I told him I lived in Cuernavaca. He was nice, but strange people always make me nervous, especially older men, however it was nice to practice my spanish a bit. I went to the super and bought some things for the kids and then went home.
The week went well, except I think I had lost my patience just itching to go home. I can't wait, I'm so excited.
Talk to you all on the other side!
Jenn

Estress

Have you ever been somewhere and someone walks in the room and suddenly you can just feel all positive energy leave? That's what it was like 10 minutes ago when Nadine walked in the house from her three day business trip. It makes me feel sick to just hear that tone of voice for 10 minutes straight. I can't imagine how these children are supposed to grow up without heart problems. They are scared of moving for their parents yelling at them, although they are never punished. Which may be worse that they are threatened but nothing is ever followed through on.
I need to leave this place. I'm not a stressed person but it's hard not to let Nadine's stress saturate my emotions. AHHHHH! The poor children have been waiting and waiting for their mom to come home and she is sitting in the kitchen talking Juan Carlos's ear off about something that is wrong in the world of fruit. Leave it alone for 10 minutes and hug your kids. It pisses me off. It also pisses me off that I had two great days with the kdis and now tomorrow we're all going to feel the stress again because we can't talk or move without being told to shush.
I worry for the children and that's the one thing making it hard to leave. I can't wait to go home and see everyone and be out of this environment, but I was just getting the kids to learn things and now I have to go. And who knows what the new au pair will be like. Apparently they have a lot of applications. One was a 30 year old woman, who I think the kids could probably benefit from, but Nadine thinks there must be something wrong with someone who doesn't want to do real work. However, she thinks there is something wrong with most people. I like positive people, even if I'm not really one of them, I'd like to be.
And apparently now there's nothing to eat. But there's plenty. There's always plenty. She just wants to eat the same thing every day. If she got a little creative she could actually use her food. I hate that I've been criticized for not cooking new things, when really she would eat the same thing every single day if I wasn't here.

Playa Del Carmen Part 2

Ok, so I got a little mixed up. Holbox actually happened on Thursday. So what really happened on Wednesday was that we woke up and said goodbye to Louise's sister who had to go home to England. I can't really remember what we did for the morning, maybe the beach or something. In the afternoon we went to Aktun Chen. It was a place in the jungle that had some animals to look at as well as a cave you can go in and see the cenote. It was a beautiful cave. Many of the stalagtites and stalagmites were pure white. And it was a lot cooler inside the cave than outside which made for a nice relief from the heat. I have a lot of wonderful pictures from inside the cave, as well as of the snakes and tigrillos (I have no clue what they are called in English. They are like little leopards and look just like a house-cat however the guide said that they are 10 times as aggressive.)
After the cave we went to a small beach to swim in the ocean. It's amazing how warm the water is, and although it's nice not to have to have that shock when you enter the water, it is a feeling I kind of miss. I also miss the depth of the Atlantic and the waves that take you up so high you can't stand. I plan on going down the shore on Tuesday of my week at home and I look forward to that.
On Thursday was Holbox (see Playa Part 1).
Friday Juan Carlos left early in the morning. On Friday afternoon Amelia, Nadine, the kids and I walked the Quinta, the famous shopping street with no car traffic. We looked in a lot of store but no one bought anything. Then when we reached the Cozumel Ferry we took a dip in the ocean. The kids were soaking wet and we didn't have a change of clothes so we went to the store and bought some cute little outfits. It was good because someone had forgotten to pack more than one pair of shorts for Louis (this someone was not me).
Saturday we went to Crococun. It's a park in the Jungle with crocodiles and other animals. They teach you about the animals and let you hold them. I held a crocodile and a snake. I also fed some deer. The kids loved the deer and I said they should come to my house in the winter because they are all over the yard. Nadine said if O'Bama wins they will come to America to visit. So everyone better vote O'Bama so that Louis and Clemence can come visit me! After the crocodile park I took some time to go shopping. It was a nice little break from the kids and Nadine. I also got some free tequila. Dad would have been proud, I tried everything they gave me, although I don't really remember what they were. I also got offered like 2 dates and a plane ticket back to the Caribbean. At least it all made me smile before I had to go back, or maybe it was the tequila.
Sunday we went to Tulum, a pyramid. It was very beautiful but I found it hard to look at with the kids to worry about. We went down some stairs to the ocean, which I don't understand because Louis doesn't especially like the water and the waves were big and there were a lot of people. But I'm going to stop complaining now before I bore everyone.
Monday we did absolutely nothing all day and by 5 I was aobut to tear my hair out. I wanted to go for a walk and I thought that Nadine wascoming so I said something to the ids. Apparently she wasn't planning on it, but we all went out and it was good to get some fresh air, although it rained. I guess I should have mentioned the hurricane was coming in and it rained all day keeping us inside. But we made it through the storm and I'm glad that that was our last, not first day there.
Tuesday we woke up at 4 in the morning and went to the airport. I thought that after having to take all our bags on the plane on the ride there because we were to late to check in that we would have tried to be a little earlier, but no. So we left at like 5 something and got to the car rental place, but no one was there. I am suspicious that maybe they had been there but we were 40 minutes after she had told them and they left. So, we went to the airport and left the car there. We got through the line ,got our tickets and everything was ok. I'm just hoping that if they decide they want to take me to the airport Saturday they don't hold me up, or I'm taxing it.

More to come about this and last week, but this is the end of Playa Del Carmen.
Jenn

Playa Del Carmen Part 1

I'm still here. I'm sorry it's been so long but with both kids out of school I am very busy. I wake up early to try and get a little time for myself. Sometimes it works, but lately Louis has not been napping, meaning he goes to bed at like 7 o'clock and wakes up at 8 in the morning. This severely limits my time to myself, because by the end of the day I just want to go to my room and sleep (the end usually comes near 10). So here's what's been happening.
We went to Playa del Carmen. I had a great time, although sometimes it was difficult to be with them all ALL the time. However, over this trip I really started to leave behind my fear and laziness and try and speak Spanish more. It's paid off. I had some great conversations with Amelia about the family and the children. I was afraid to say something about the family in the beginning, of course, because she's been with them so long. But I'm glad someone else sees how lax they are with the children. I also met Louise, the old au pair, and she was lovely, as was her sister. It was nice to have someone my age around.
We flew in on Sunday and after picking up the car we arrived at the hotel, the Mayan Suites, which was huge. After this we headed to the beach but the mosquitos were really nasty so we returned to the room and went to bed. Monday we went to see Louise and her sister, Laura, and all of us went to Xcaret, a large park where they have animals to see and many things to do. Clemence and Louis swam with the dolphins. Well, Louis mostly cried with them until finally Nadine took him out of the water. He said that they were scary because they were ugly and very big. Then we walked around and looked at the various animal. The turtles were my favorite because they had little baby ones in some of the pools. We ate a lunch together on a rock and then we seperated so that Louis could nap and with Juan Carlos and the rest of us went to swim in the cenote. Clemence threw a fit and wouldn't go in the water, so Laura, Amelia and I went in. We had a nice relaxing swim and found out at the end that Clemence had calmed down and the rest of them had come in a few yards behind us. At night we went to the show they have which shows the history of Mexico and gives a taste of the cultures in different parts of Mexico now. It was very nice, although I always have reservations about these types of things and how they teach the general population as well as tourists, especially foreign tourists, about the culture. However, I feel it was well done and included a lot of the things I have found fascinating while learning about Mexico, such as how the churches were all placed in previous religious places of the indians, the Mayan ball game, etc.
Tuesday we drove to Merida early in the morning. Nadine met with a client while we all stayed in the car a little down the road and ate a little something. After the meeting we picked up Nadine and went to Merida center. We looked at some murals that were painted about the history of Mexico. It was interesting because it was a tourist attraction but was placed in the functioning offices of the state. We did a little window shopping and then found a place to eat. Nadine asked our horse cab driver to take us to a authentic Yucatan place to eat, but the place eh left us was horribly noisy and looked like a cafeteria, so we left and ate in a little Italian restaurant with great food. Amelia wanted a new dress, so we went in search of one and saw some very pretty but expensive things. We also went looking for a dress for Nadine for the wedding she is attending, and though she found nothing I bought a beautiful 100% cotton shirt.
We had a great day in Merida and were all tired so we headed to the car. WE got lost on our way out of town, and as we were coming to a place that we might not be lost in anymore we got in an accident. Besides the fact that it was an accident and we had to keep the kids quiet and in the car for 2 hours while the police and Juan Carlos and the driver of the other car tried to figure out things, it was very interesting. I say that because I got to learn a little about the Mexicans as well as about their police, who really are as corrupt as everyone thinks. We didn't get back until 3 o'clock in the morning, though, so Juan Carlos did not take his flight home that Wednesday and instead stayed until Friday morning.
Wednesday we went to Holbox. Holbox is the picture perfect Caribbean island. It has white sand beaches and little cabanas on the beach. The hotelitos are precious and the water is that perfect shade of Caribbean blue. We took a small boat to the island, stopping on the way to view an island where some birds nested. We were far enough away from the birds for me to enjoy the scene. Then we arrived on the island and took a taxi to the beach on the other side of the island. The taxis, and all transport there, are golf carts. It's cute. When we got ot the beach the taxi let us off and we walked to this little hotel, Casa de las Tortugas. WE sat on the porch and had guacamole and chips and a few beers. I really could get too used to that kind of thing. I think I might move tehre and open a hotel and never leave again. It's so beautiful and relaxed. It's such a small island it doesn't have a bank.
You'd think an island so small would not get so much tourism, and I'm sure compared to most places it doesn't have too much, but it is an attraction because it is a take off place to view the whale sharks. These are sharks with the shape and size of a whale. However, we did not get to see them, or swim with them, because they are far off shore and it takes 6 hours in a boat, something that could not be done or enjoyed with Louis and Clemence at this age. You also have to leave much earlier in the morning to beat the heat and the sun. I still had a great time. Clemence and I rode horses on the beach and we went to a beautiful spot. We returned to the hotel and took a dip in the ocean in front of their beach chairs. The hotel staff was nice enough to let us use their showers and bathrooms. Eventually, we got dressed, returned to the boat and left paradise.