Why I'm a teacher.

I bet by the title you think this is going to be a real deep and meaningful post about the joys of educating the future world leaders. Nope. Sorry. (Though, I know most of you are probably relieved since you don't want to read a serious blog post.)

Think back to the days of Barbie to that fateful day when you, and you know you all did, decided that barbie needed a haircut. Same idea.

I cut Ana Victoria's hair.

AV was growing a little Mexi-Mullet. Party in the back and on top with a nice little bald patch around the middle. If you know my dad, think opposite of Walter. So, since Ramon and I both cut our hair yesterday, we decided it was time for AV to join us. Little snip here, little snip there. Then I snipped some more. I'm no Gene Juarez, but if you like crookedy bangs, I'm your gal. Don't look close while the hair is wet. Just look at the overall style. (Most haircuts look better styled anyway. Whoever believes in wash and wear, just likes boring hair....ie... me...lots of dots...) Let's just say I'm not going to quit my day job yet.

Feeling cool.

I saw this today and all of a sudden felt real cool.

Who do I know in Latvia, Germany, Netherlands and China?

PS The height of people reading my blog was July. You've been slacking. I've been slacking. Let's fix that.

Pageviews by Countries United States 872 Mexico 129 Canada 8 China 5 Russia 5 Australia 3 Latvia 3 Germany 2 Netherlands 2 Peru 2

Adventures in Public Transportation

I've only really used public transportation in a few countries, but I am taking the liberty of generalizing that public transportation, along with its users, has some serious quirks that, if you catch the rider on a good day, can really be quite enjoyable. My, that was a long sentence.

If you didn't read my last post, shame on you, you may have missed the part about how I crashed. The car is still in the shop, not because the problem is that serious, but more because the car is really only Ramon and my priority. Not the insurance, not the shop, nobody. Sucks to be us? Yes, a little bit.

Any way, I've become a bus rider again. I thank my lucky little stars that this will be a relatively short lived period of my life, since I'll only be able to find humor in it for so long.

There is no such thing as a bus schedule. Three might pass at the same time, racing each other, of course, and then it can really honestly seriously be twenty minutes until the next one comes by.

Black lights are cool. They're especially cool if they make Jesus on the cross glow.

Speaking of Jesus on the cross, He is on every bus. Not in the spiritual kind of way where Jesus is always with us. No, he's there. Usually in giant crucifix or life-size window cling form. He is usually accompanied by Mary, Our Lady of Juquilita, and/or some pin-up model in a bikini.

There is no such thing as a full bus. Friday I got on one that was obviously overfilled when I got on. Think enough seats for 30, already had close to 50 when I got on. My silly little naive self thought, "Oh good, he probably won't stop much more, now." Wrong. Think sardines. Smelly, sweaty, unshowered, Friday afternoon sardines. I think I just threw up a little.

Here's my wondering. I'll chalk it up to life's big questions. Isn't it in the bus drivers best interest to get people safely and comfortably from one destination to the next? Isn't that good for business? Isn't it probably a good idea to stop the bus completely while people get on and off? Isn't it probably wise to pick up passengers, especially when your bus is empty?

Call me loca... Here's to hoping the car is ready soon.

Gone, but not forgotten

Have you missed me?

So much has happened in the last month, good and bad. I'll try to do a quick summary for you.

1. Went back to work. The first day of school is always amazing. There so much wondering going on, just what oh what, incredible, invaluable, can't believe I lived so long without knowing this, information will they present to us?? Last year it was a mathematician who talked for, no joke, two full hours about doctorate level math problems with the sole purpose of showing us that with all that math that only about .2% of the population understands, you can, in fact, make a graph that is a pretty little flower. So, you can only imagine the level of excitement I had anticipating the first day. I was pleasantly surprised to have a visit from Apple, Latin America who told us all about the amazing things you can do with Apple products. Do you think I can do that with my Apple 2E (just kidding, I have a little fancier technology, a little)? Nope. But the second speaker blew me away. Did you know that you can get old without aging? I didn't. I still don't get it. I'm also still trying to figure out what that has to do with elementary school...

2. Computer stopped working. It turns on, and by on I mean the little blue lights on the top turn on. The screen? Not so much. That's fun. It will be around 200 bucks to get it fixed, which I have to do because my entire Master's degree and all of my pictures are saved on it and I'm not quite willing to live without those.

3. AV started eating food. She loves pears. She makes faces at the first bite of apples. She is an eating monster. She can roll over front to back and back to front. She laughs. She sleeps 11 hours. I love her. She's amazing.

4. Crashed Ramon's car. Insert your favorite expletive here and you might come close to the colorful language implemented by me last Thursday morning. Ramon's hierarchy? Ana, Car, Me. I think I might have dropped a few spots now, too. The good news? He's now speaking to me again. The bad news? I crashed his car. The good news? The baby wasn't with me and nobody was hurt. The bad news? I crashed his car. The good news? I learned how to call the insurance company and deal with transit police. The bad news? I crashed Ramon's car, had to deal with slimy corrupt policeman who took my money and then hit on me. Aaah, the joys of life.

So, that's me. Once I get the computer up and running again, I promise to make my absence up to you all. Please, don't go jumping off any cliffs. I still love you. I still think of you often. We will be together again.

4 months, what?

My baby girl is a world-traveling, laughing, rolling, sleeping through the night (almost), machine.

I love her with everything that I am. Even when she's being a turd.

Here she is all dolled up in a dress that was hand-made for her by one of Ramon's family members in Veracruz. So sweet!

Traveling with AV

Getting on an airplane with a baby is a serious walk of shame.

I see your scornful looks. I hear your silent prayer, "Please, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT let that baby be sitting by me." I feel your dread. Your attempts to hide are feeble. Don't fake smile at my baby, she sees right through you.

I laugh now, ha ha ha, because you are kicking yourself and feeling guilty for underestimating the amazing, super-hero-esque, lovable little girl that I call my child.

Ana Victoria was a FABULOUS little traveler. Scream it from the hilltops. AV has redeemed the name of traveling babies for once and for all. (We will accept your congratulations and thank you's through monetary donations...no limit)

This little one loves adventure, I guess.

In 18 days we did all of the following plus some. We rode the bus to Mexico City, flew to Houston, stood in line with 20 other flight's worth of passengers, missed our connection, ate a ridiculously overpriced salad, flew to Seattle, visited, shopped, played, swam, met people, hung out with cousins, went to church, ate too many Cheez-its, flew to San Francisco, drove to San Jose, met great-grandparents, picked oranges, drove to San Luis Obispo, partied with the Hickey's, got up at 5 am, drove back to San Fran, spent 15 bucks on a bagel and fruit, flew to Mexico City, waited for a stroller that never arrived, reunited with Ramon, rode the bus back to Puebla, stopped for tacos and went home!

I guess that just means we'll have to travel more. I'll make that sacrifice for you, AV. Who loves ya?

Mexico Q & A

I live in Mexico. Surprisingly, this brings on lots more questions then, say, living in Bellevue does. They are all, usually, good natured, honest questions that people really just want to know the answer. So, to the inquiring minds that need their fix of useless information, I'd like to just set the record straight.

Question 1. You live in Mexico, so why don't you have a tan?
To me this is like asking, you live in Seattle, why aren't you wet? Yes, may come as a shocker, but there is inside in Mexico, too. And, another shocker here, I have a day job. And to just keep the shock effect going, I don't live in Cancun, wish I did, but I don't. So, the answer to this question is the following: My life consists of going to work, coming home, taking care of a baby, cleaning (sometimes), etc. It doesn't leave to much time for basking in the rays. Plus, where would I bask? The parking lot in front of my house just seems like maybe not the best place.

Question 2. When are you moving back to the USA?
This one is a kick in the guts every time I hear it. I love Washington. I love the trees, the fresh air, the Cheez-its, the Targets, the Old Navys, ok, getting off track. Point, I love where I am from. But there comes a time in every young woman's life, (please imagine me with grey hair in a rocking chair while I share) when she needs to make the decision that's best for her family. My family unit consists of Ramon, me and AV right now. Here's the short answer, I don't know. We will be wherever it is best for us to be for as long as it is best for us to be there. That means anywhere in the whole wide world. For now, it means Puebla. If you know how to convince my husband that Washington is the best place for us, by all means, share away.

Question 3. Will AV speak English?
Short answer, She'd better. Long answer, I speak 100% English to her and around her. I blab on and on about anything and everything so that she is inundated with English. The rest of her world operates in Spanish. I can't control that. She'll speak all right, she might prefer Spanish, but she'll be a native English speaker.

Question 4. What's it like where you live?
I get the feeling that people have two very general understandings of Mexico- tiny little towns where everyone wears sombreros and beach paradises where only tourists where sombreros. I don't fall into either of those categories. (I know I'm like totally shattering some people's worlds right now, sorry) Puebla is the 5th largest city in Mexico. Approximately 2 million people. Yeah, so it's big. It was one of the stops along the way for Hernan Cortes as he travelled and claimed Mexico for Spain from the port of Veracruz to what we now call Mexico City. Puebla is known as the city of angels. And, now I sound like a tour guide. Long story, short. It's a huge metropolis.

Those are the main questions that I commonly hear, but if you'd like to hear my witty, intelligent, and oh-so-interesting answers to any other questions, feel free to share.