So I found a free Zumba class, 5 nites a week, down at the ovalo where I walk and Everardo jogs. I hadn't been in about 2 weeks cause I hurt the arch of my left foot, trying to protect the heel that I had jammed...duh, instead of stopping I limped in a weird way, and hurt my foot in another spot. Like I said- duh. I went back to walk last nite and on the first go round I saw what turned out to be a zumba class going on behind the track on the back side. I heard the music first and then saw the ladies exercising/dancing so I walked over. One of them waved me in, and I rubbed my fingers together to ask if it cost money and she shook her head no, so I jumped in. But it was the cool down; they were done. It's from 6:30-7:30 and we usually don't go down there until after 7 cause it's too hot, and after 7 the sun starts to go down. So...tonite was my first nite and now I am a little dead. My feet are throbbing and I'm weak (ok read old!), but it was fun and I plan to go every nite if I can, it's more fun then walking...and maybe once I build up some wind I can walk a few laps afterwards. The steps were really simple & easy to follow, and it was a really comfortable environment; outdoors, the music blasting, and nobody dressed in skimpy too tight outfits...a couple of women maybe my age, a couple younger, and a school down the street got out while we were working out and 4 or 5 girls who must have been about 12 jumped in. They of course had audience of 12 year old boys who hooted and took pictures. Lat nite I think there were about 20 people, tonite only about 10 not counting the school girls. Like I said the moves, the steps were pretty easy to follow, and I'm sure once I get them down, and be able to breathe I can have some fun with it.
Of course maybe they have a different routine on different nites; I'll find out tomorrow nite. And I was also the only American woman, but I'm able to chit chat..or at least make tongue hanging out expressions to show I'm tired and say see you tomorrow nite. Everardo says he's seen one other English speaker (white lady) on the track but I haven't seen her. I'm good though, just makes me have to use the language. Ha ha on the other side of town there's a gym where you can pay for Zumba, $4 or $5 per class and they speak English, but I like my side of town just fine.
Karen & I had our first Spanish class with a guy who works out atthe center; the idea was for us to have a conversation and he could correct us, and also answer questions for us. The class didn't go that great, we couldn't seem to get on the same wavelength with him and I think he was pretty nervous as well, and probly wishing he had never agreed to help us. I got home and told Everardo about one of the problems we were having and he immediately answered the question ! ha ha I called Karen to tell her and we had a good laugh. We really had a few blunders that made us laugh, be embarrassed and laugh some more. Poppi has offered to help us out, and altho' at first I didn't want to have him teach us, it might not be such a bad idea after all. We decided to have Richard again tomorrow and see if it goes any better, then we can make a different decision (again!) if we need to. One REALLY cool thing is that Karen has a copy of the Rosetta Stone for Spanish! And actually I brought it home with me tonite but I am just too tired to even open it up, but she gave me the key so I can download it on my laptop! It's sooo expensive; about $500, altho I just googled it and it's on sale from $499 down to $350 I think...still just way too expensive. So she and I are talking about doing the Rosetta Stone on day a week, together, as well. I like that she is so committed to this. I also dug up a "learn Spanish" cd I may lay in the hammock and listen to, because I keep telling people I can speak much better than I can understand, that I need conversation. Well I'm getting conversation all over the place, but maybe actually sitting down and listening to a cd is also a good idea- another duh! Not sure why I didn't think of that before...ok ok I'm thinking of it now.
Everardo started working out at the center last week, and is already "upping" his time out there. I think he likes and respects Karen, which is nice cause I really like her. Her and I really connect on a really basic level. Anyway she told me today she likes him; and it's good cause he has a vehicle, that he talks to people, he gets involved. And he has a good head on his shoulders. Unfortunately for her she has a few people working out there who maybe have a little less integrity, their interest is only money or whatever they can get. Not alot of people, but a few. Poppi is also good with the animals. So he is an official part of the pet ministry. He's able to do both; work on the beach and do this, cause the beach is really Friday afternoon, Sat, & Sun, and the pet ministry is Tue, Wed, Thur, and sometimes Friday in the morning- for example this Friday the city is going out to the center to hold a free spay/neuter clinic and he's going to help out. He does get paid a little. And of course they pay for his gas to pick up dogs and take them to the vet, bring them back, etc. Oh and it's also for cats. I'm glad he wants to be a part of the center; I love that I'm part of it. We do different things, and mine is strictly volunteer, but I see him out there sometimes now, oh and I think he's also going to work for the other part of the center, helping Mark (Karen's husband), going down to pay bills or pick up things for the garden projects, to help Mark to be able to stay focused and Everardo do the running around.
I heard a statistic a couple of days ago that 200 puppies are born every day here in Puerto Penasco. 200! And even if half don't make it, that's still 100 puppies every single day. The city is trying, the center is really trying. I mean Everardo and a few other guys have these business cards; they hand them to people who can take their pet to the vet's office and get them spayed or neutered for free. Then the vet gives the card to the center, and they pay him for the work. The city does at least one free clinic a month. They're trying, we're trying, but it's an epidemic. In all of Mexico. The culture has to change the way they look at this. So here are some facts about the dog problems in Mexico that I googled.
Of course maybe they have a different routine on different nites; I'll find out tomorrow nite. And I was also the only American woman, but I'm able to chit chat..or at least make tongue hanging out expressions to show I'm tired and say see you tomorrow nite. Everardo says he's seen one other English speaker (white lady) on the track but I haven't seen her. I'm good though, just makes me have to use the language. Ha ha on the other side of town there's a gym where you can pay for Zumba, $4 or $5 per class and they speak English, but I like my side of town just fine.
Karen & I had our first Spanish class with a guy who works out atthe center; the idea was for us to have a conversation and he could correct us, and also answer questions for us. The class didn't go that great, we couldn't seem to get on the same wavelength with him and I think he was pretty nervous as well, and probly wishing he had never agreed to help us. I got home and told Everardo about one of the problems we were having and he immediately answered the question ! ha ha I called Karen to tell her and we had a good laugh. We really had a few blunders that made us laugh, be embarrassed and laugh some more. Poppi has offered to help us out, and altho' at first I didn't want to have him teach us, it might not be such a bad idea after all. We decided to have Richard again tomorrow and see if it goes any better, then we can make a different decision (again!) if we need to. One REALLY cool thing is that Karen has a copy of the Rosetta Stone for Spanish! And actually I brought it home with me tonite but I am just too tired to even open it up, but she gave me the key so I can download it on my laptop! It's sooo expensive; about $500, altho I just googled it and it's on sale from $499 down to $350 I think...still just way too expensive. So she and I are talking about doing the Rosetta Stone on day a week, together, as well. I like that she is so committed to this. I also dug up a "learn Spanish" cd I may lay in the hammock and listen to, because I keep telling people I can speak much better than I can understand, that I need conversation. Well I'm getting conversation all over the place, but maybe actually sitting down and listening to a cd is also a good idea- another duh! Not sure why I didn't think of that before...ok ok I'm thinking of it now.
Everardo started working out at the center last week, and is already "upping" his time out there. I think he likes and respects Karen, which is nice cause I really like her. Her and I really connect on a really basic level. Anyway she told me today she likes him; and it's good cause he has a vehicle, that he talks to people, he gets involved. And he has a good head on his shoulders. Unfortunately for her she has a few people working out there who maybe have a little less integrity, their interest is only money or whatever they can get. Not alot of people, but a few. Poppi is also good with the animals. So he is an official part of the pet ministry. He's able to do both; work on the beach and do this, cause the beach is really Friday afternoon, Sat, & Sun, and the pet ministry is Tue, Wed, Thur, and sometimes Friday in the morning- for example this Friday the city is going out to the center to hold a free spay/neuter clinic and he's going to help out. He does get paid a little. And of course they pay for his gas to pick up dogs and take them to the vet, bring them back, etc. Oh and it's also for cats. I'm glad he wants to be a part of the center; I love that I'm part of it. We do different things, and mine is strictly volunteer, but I see him out there sometimes now, oh and I think he's also going to work for the other part of the center, helping Mark (Karen's husband), going down to pay bills or pick up things for the garden projects, to help Mark to be able to stay focused and Everardo do the running around.
I heard a statistic a couple of days ago that 200 puppies are born every day here in Puerto Penasco. 200! And even if half don't make it, that's still 100 puppies every single day. The city is trying, the center is really trying. I mean Everardo and a few other guys have these business cards; they hand them to people who can take their pet to the vet's office and get them spayed or neutered for free. Then the vet gives the card to the center, and they pay him for the work. The city does at least one free clinic a month. They're trying, we're trying, but it's an epidemic. In all of Mexico. The culture has to change the way they look at this. So here are some facts about the dog problems in Mexico that I googled.
Mexican Street Dogs
There are thousands of stray dogs living in the streets and on the
beaches of Mexico. Though there are no hard and fast stats for how
many dogs are eking out an existence in Mexico, Mexico City authorities
report that they capture and kill an estimated 20,000 dogs per month in
their city alone. In Manzanillo, a city in Colima, there are more than
16,000 dogs and cats living on the streets. With little food and
sustenance, searing heat and very little shelter, these dogs have few
friends and a lot of enemies. Because they lack basic care, they succumb
to diseases and serious problems such as claws growing into their feet
and coats matting, which pulls on the skin and creates a safe haven for
insect larvae. They are infested with fleas and ticks, and many suffer
from mange. But starvation, dehydration, sickness and exposure are not
their biggest challenges; tragically, their biggest challenges are
apathy and ignorance.
Mexican Attitudes
There are many stories all over the Internet of street dogs in
Mexico being tortured by kids, killed for sport and tossed overboard
when they sneak onto a fisherman's boat to look for scraps. Anti-cruelty
laws, if they exist at all, are ambiguous. Authorities don't prosecute
offenders. On top of that, spaying and neutering is not widely accepted.
The machismo attitude of the men in Mexico prevails. They don't believe
in neutering because they believe that by doing so will "make them
gay," as reported by Smithsonian Magazine and explored more fully in a
documentary about Mexican street dogs called "Companions to None." But
not all Mexicans are of the opinion that dogs are pests; in some
families they are beloved pets, just like in America. In these families,
dogs are walked on leashes and lovingly cared for.
There is hope. There are several rescue and spay/neuter programs in place around Mexico. I know that the center here will send dogs to a no kill shelter nearby and then those are transported up to Arizona to another no kill shelter. So we'll just keep plugging away...or as Nemo says..."just keep swimmin'...or wait that was Dorri.....
There is hope. There are several rescue and spay/neuter programs in place around Mexico. I know that the center here will send dogs to a no kill shelter nearby and then those are transported up to Arizona to another no kill shelter. So we'll just keep plugging away...or as Nemo says..."just keep swimmin'...or wait that was Dorri.....
