Interesting week. The cool thing is that we are finally painting. It's almost done. Purple, green, red, and a melon orange. The green is only for the kitchen, but it seems like there maybe left over everything, so the dining room might get painted, too. Yippee. Red for the one big wall. Purple for the shorter wall that has the recess in it, green for the wall with the arch....anyway I am so happy to be making this a home. It really brightened it up too. The whole house I mean- it's kinda small and I was worried that bright colors would make it seem smaller, but it doesn't. Now I gotta figure out where to put all the photos and pictures. Which also means it's time to get the glass fixed in my favorite picture- it's these 3 women riding bicycles. I paid $10 for it 26 years ago in a second hand store. I know it was 26 years ago, cause Drewy was 1 year old and she and I just moved to our own apartment and I went to the second hand store looking for things I could afford ha ha. Those ladies looked free, happy, ready to take on the world and it was exactly what I needed at the time. I had them ever since, its been up in every place I lived in. It was up in the living room in Playa Ventura, and then the glass got cracked on the way up here. I gave Drewy some of the artwork we had in Petaluma, and only saved a Peter Max lithograph which is in our bedroom, it's the only thing worth money....and a copy of a Monet I saw in the Impressionist museum in Paris- the one kinda next to the Louve. It is lilies and a bridge, I actually got choked up when I saw it in person.
It's funny, tomorrow we will be here 2 months, and I feel more at home than I did after 6 months in Playa Ventura. I kept trying to "make PV my home", you know? Make it. But you just can't force things to be what you want them to be....I've certainly tried that enough times in my life ha ha. And yeah the easy answer is that there are English speakers here, and consistent internet, consistent telephone, consistent tv, consistent electricity, oh and AA meetings... I feel safe driving, it's safe to go out at nite time, the stores always have dairy products like milk and you can always find eggs. HA HA is that the EASY answer? Well it does sum it up pretty good. And the fact is I'm not around all that much English, really only at AA, and I go to both English & Spanish meetings. But it is there, and I know I can find it. Well and the other thing is this community center. I'm getting pretty attached out there and I like it alot.
Oh, well I guess the director out there speaks English, and her main assistant (I guess that's what she is) is Mexican and speaks English. Teaching the kids is kinda like Playa Ventura- I mostly teach the same thing over and over cause I don't get the same kids 2 days in a row... A couple know a few words in English, but I can also see I need to get more creative- they like shouting out the colors with the flash cards, and are slowly learning the days of the week, but it's too much of just words on the paper. So I'm thinking next week to bring some fruits and maybe veges- like a banana, a red apple, a green apple, an orange, ....give one thing to each kid and say ok this is you. Banana. Get them to learn their fruit, then try to do the other kids....I don't know, but they wanted to color the other day and we all colored a picture of a dog, and the I'd ask what the color was in English. They all thought mine was so funny cause I used blue and red and green...The other thing that surprised me was, I was trying to teach them eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc, so I had a small white board and drew a face on it, with hair, and teeth, too. Someone asked if it was me so I said yes. Then they all thought that was hilarious and one had to write Teresa (they call me Teresa cause it's easier to say than Terry), and wanted to put earrings, and fix my eyes and stuff. I need a bigger whiteboard ha ha!!
Yeah a bigger whiteboard would be great- too bad I left it in Playa Ventura. But you know what? These kids just need attention. I mean yeah, it's good to learn English, and they are learning some words, but I am no teacher, and if I discipline them or "make them" do it, they simply won't come back, so I need to make it fun. And it seems to me, that what Karen has said, and now Anida (the assistant) say is true. Just spend time with them, give them attention. Anida, and I shouldn't say assistant cause this woman does everything, she makes the food they serve every day- or supervises it, she works on English with this women who are indigenous Mexicans- Indians I think- who don't speak Spanish- maybe Mayan or Aztec language (yeah I need to study Mexican history I know), she translates for everyone, coordinates activities, assigns jobs, etc. Anyway she told me I am helping her cause on top of everything else, the kids were constantly asking her for anything, everything. She said the parents don't pay attention to them, they just need to touch you, to hug, to hold your hand. This I can do. I know that some parents are trying to work, some have soooo many kids, some are struggling to survive and trying, but they are just so down trodden....I am not the judge of anyone and especially not these people. I don't believe any of them are simply selfish and ignoring their kids. This is a hard life for these people. In fact it is heartbreaking. I'm kinda overwhelmed by how hard their lives are. I drive out to this area, it's a neighborhood, and some houses (termed loosely) are cardboard and wood planks- like from a fence, some are random pieces of wood nailed together. Maybe a camper shell, a trailer here and there. Some are houses, and there are some of the gov't houses- which I saw inside when we first got here- small but efficient...there's an old man, in his 80's that lives in his old car.
And I guess the "missions" people do help, cause I gave a ride home to a guy the other day; he had done 200 hours of service at (I think) the community center, or somewhere out there- he lived in a camper shell, and they built him a house. He proudly showed it to my friend Anda and I; it was 2 rooms, just like the ones that my daughter Halla and built in Rosarita when we came down with a friend's church group a few years ago. He was very proud cause he had a real bed. This guy is probly in his 60's, maybe younger but just made old by his environment, but he was happy. I had to not choke up when we were there. Sometimes I have to detach...ok lots of the time I have to detach; I know I cannot fix everything and/or everyone. I think I said here before that the frst time I went to Thailand I was so upset when I got home. There is just so much poverty in this world. So many have nots. I am a have. We need to share. So I will stick with this community center. You know it's so hard sometimes- I mean the US give billions to other countries every freaking year. Why do they not want to help their neighbor- Mexico? Help Mexico build up their infrastructure, create a sustainable economy? Create jobs? If Mexicans had jobs, had some kind of way to feed their families, get an education, do you think so many would come to the states? I KNOW the answer to this folks. I lived all my life in California, where we have lots and lots of Mexican, legally and not so much. The Mexican people I talk to tell me- of course they would rather live in their country, but what would you do to feed your kids? Young people tell me they want education, to make some money. That the opportunities in the states are so much better. They have hope. So why don't we help them to help themselves? Well I guess it's the fucked up politics of both nations. I believe the US govt is happy with the drug trade, and both sides make money. I know it's much more than that, but whatever it is, it is about money power and greed for the few, and screw the many.
There's a lady here who is part of the solution, she works with Karen (the lady at the center), and she was complaining about the attitude of some of the people she's trying to help. Now as far as I know she was just grumbling, cause her life is this thing- helping, and spending her own money to provide resources and time. They are trying to help these women find ways to be productive, make things that they sell, teach some business training classes so they cam make their own business. Provide things to help people start up a business, like hot dog carts, or washing machines. So she is very dedicated, and I'm sure she was just tired and frustrated. But there are so many factors. These are people who have lived in poverty all their lives, maybe generations. People who have nothing and if these crazy American women want to give them things- they will take them. She can't understand why if they have a dollar today, they spend it today- well hell maybe they won't have it tomorrow. I think a few will be able to understand the business concepts, a few will care, some will continue to simply survive. There are so many pieces of it that I can't define, some that I don't understand or am even aware of. Life here is soooo different. And yet I feel like I belong here. For now. I am also lucky cause I'm married to a Mexican who can see things maybe we cannot, at least at first. So I'm gonna stick with these women for now, see how/where I can contribute.
Oh- the new neighbor didn't show up until tonite so I have no report. I guess they had a tough time finding their way here.....welcome to Mexico...where everything is possible AND everything is hard.
It's funny, tomorrow we will be here 2 months, and I feel more at home than I did after 6 months in Playa Ventura. I kept trying to "make PV my home", you know? Make it. But you just can't force things to be what you want them to be....I've certainly tried that enough times in my life ha ha. And yeah the easy answer is that there are English speakers here, and consistent internet, consistent telephone, consistent tv, consistent electricity, oh and AA meetings... I feel safe driving, it's safe to go out at nite time, the stores always have dairy products like milk and you can always find eggs. HA HA is that the EASY answer? Well it does sum it up pretty good. And the fact is I'm not around all that much English, really only at AA, and I go to both English & Spanish meetings. But it is there, and I know I can find it. Well and the other thing is this community center. I'm getting pretty attached out there and I like it alot.
Oh, well I guess the director out there speaks English, and her main assistant (I guess that's what she is) is Mexican and speaks English. Teaching the kids is kinda like Playa Ventura- I mostly teach the same thing over and over cause I don't get the same kids 2 days in a row... A couple know a few words in English, but I can also see I need to get more creative- they like shouting out the colors with the flash cards, and are slowly learning the days of the week, but it's too much of just words on the paper. So I'm thinking next week to bring some fruits and maybe veges- like a banana, a red apple, a green apple, an orange, ....give one thing to each kid and say ok this is you. Banana. Get them to learn their fruit, then try to do the other kids....I don't know, but they wanted to color the other day and we all colored a picture of a dog, and the I'd ask what the color was in English. They all thought mine was so funny cause I used blue and red and green...The other thing that surprised me was, I was trying to teach them eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc, so I had a small white board and drew a face on it, with hair, and teeth, too. Someone asked if it was me so I said yes. Then they all thought that was hilarious and one had to write Teresa (they call me Teresa cause it's easier to say than Terry), and wanted to put earrings, and fix my eyes and stuff. I need a bigger whiteboard ha ha!!
Yeah a bigger whiteboard would be great- too bad I left it in Playa Ventura. But you know what? These kids just need attention. I mean yeah, it's good to learn English, and they are learning some words, but I am no teacher, and if I discipline them or "make them" do it, they simply won't come back, so I need to make it fun. And it seems to me, that what Karen has said, and now Anida (the assistant) say is true. Just spend time with them, give them attention. Anida, and I shouldn't say assistant cause this woman does everything, she makes the food they serve every day- or supervises it, she works on English with this women who are indigenous Mexicans- Indians I think- who don't speak Spanish- maybe Mayan or Aztec language (yeah I need to study Mexican history I know), she translates for everyone, coordinates activities, assigns jobs, etc. Anyway she told me I am helping her cause on top of everything else, the kids were constantly asking her for anything, everything. She said the parents don't pay attention to them, they just need to touch you, to hug, to hold your hand. This I can do. I know that some parents are trying to work, some have soooo many kids, some are struggling to survive and trying, but they are just so down trodden....I am not the judge of anyone and especially not these people. I don't believe any of them are simply selfish and ignoring their kids. This is a hard life for these people. In fact it is heartbreaking. I'm kinda overwhelmed by how hard their lives are. I drive out to this area, it's a neighborhood, and some houses (termed loosely) are cardboard and wood planks- like from a fence, some are random pieces of wood nailed together. Maybe a camper shell, a trailer here and there. Some are houses, and there are some of the gov't houses- which I saw inside when we first got here- small but efficient...there's an old man, in his 80's that lives in his old car.
And I guess the "missions" people do help, cause I gave a ride home to a guy the other day; he had done 200 hours of service at (I think) the community center, or somewhere out there- he lived in a camper shell, and they built him a house. He proudly showed it to my friend Anda and I; it was 2 rooms, just like the ones that my daughter Halla and built in Rosarita when we came down with a friend's church group a few years ago. He was very proud cause he had a real bed. This guy is probly in his 60's, maybe younger but just made old by his environment, but he was happy. I had to not choke up when we were there. Sometimes I have to detach...ok lots of the time I have to detach; I know I cannot fix everything and/or everyone. I think I said here before that the frst time I went to Thailand I was so upset when I got home. There is just so much poverty in this world. So many have nots. I am a have. We need to share. So I will stick with this community center. You know it's so hard sometimes- I mean the US give billions to other countries every freaking year. Why do they not want to help their neighbor- Mexico? Help Mexico build up their infrastructure, create a sustainable economy? Create jobs? If Mexicans had jobs, had some kind of way to feed their families, get an education, do you think so many would come to the states? I KNOW the answer to this folks. I lived all my life in California, where we have lots and lots of Mexican, legally and not so much. The Mexican people I talk to tell me- of course they would rather live in their country, but what would you do to feed your kids? Young people tell me they want education, to make some money. That the opportunities in the states are so much better. They have hope. So why don't we help them to help themselves? Well I guess it's the fucked up politics of both nations. I believe the US govt is happy with the drug trade, and both sides make money. I know it's much more than that, but whatever it is, it is about money power and greed for the few, and screw the many.
There's a lady here who is part of the solution, she works with Karen (the lady at the center), and she was complaining about the attitude of some of the people she's trying to help. Now as far as I know she was just grumbling, cause her life is this thing- helping, and spending her own money to provide resources and time. They are trying to help these women find ways to be productive, make things that they sell, teach some business training classes so they cam make their own business. Provide things to help people start up a business, like hot dog carts, or washing machines. So she is very dedicated, and I'm sure she was just tired and frustrated. But there are so many factors. These are people who have lived in poverty all their lives, maybe generations. People who have nothing and if these crazy American women want to give them things- they will take them. She can't understand why if they have a dollar today, they spend it today- well hell maybe they won't have it tomorrow. I think a few will be able to understand the business concepts, a few will care, some will continue to simply survive. There are so many pieces of it that I can't define, some that I don't understand or am even aware of. Life here is soooo different. And yet I feel like I belong here. For now. I am also lucky cause I'm married to a Mexican who can see things maybe we cannot, at least at first. So I'm gonna stick with these women for now, see how/where I can contribute.
Oh- the new neighbor didn't show up until tonite so I have no report. I guess they had a tough time finding their way here.....welcome to Mexico...where everything is possible AND everything is hard.
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