Working hard to make Mexico into home sweet home

Noted on February 10, 2009 by Natanya in

I threw up a giant meal of hamburger, ice cream and brownie then laid in bed all the next day. This happened on the night that all of the college-aged volunteers packed up and went back to the states, with the exception of Amanda. As I recovered I packed up to move into a different apartment that Amanda and I are renting together. With groups of short-term older volunteers moving in to the volunteer house we had to find someplace else to live.

Battling a cold, I took a crowded bus to the Tuesday market to find cheap house ware for the new apartment. There it seemed the entire contents of a target jumbled itself into individual booths along with barrels of fish, chicks painted pink, and tacos… lots of tacos. I diligently shopped around until I found three brothers selling pots, pans, plates, cups etc… all at great prices. The three loaded me up for 225 pesos ($16). Then onto the crowded bus, made more so by guitar players who sometimes ride along with buses and sing for pesos.

A short stop at Mega, the Mexican Wal-Mart, so far only one of my new plates had broken. I bought a new pillow and towel and then spotted a container of Parmesan cheese. At that moment my reserve unraveled into buying Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, pasta sauce, bacon, olive oil and white wine vinegar. Everything that I would buy at the store back home but didn’t make sense here, where an armload of fruit and vegetables costs a couple of dollars.

After a quick stop at the new apartment to put away my items and foods, I walk over to the daycare. Finally I would get to see all of the kids that I love so much. I helped push Rosi on a little bike and chased the boys around with a giant oversized toothbrush. Time spent with the kids is great; each of them has a wonderful personality and is so joyful. I’m able to unwind after my stressful trip to the market by blowing noses, playing games and reading books to the kids.

That day I had scheduled my first interview with a mother. My job at the daycare is to interview moms and create a profile of the whole daycare with a picture of each family and the facts of their life. The interview went well, I had talked to this mother before and she really likes to express how much she loves her beautiful little daughter. As I finished I asked if she would like to add anything to the information I had gathered. “Yes,” she added, “my life is very sad.” She went onto explain how her partner had died crossing the border five months before their daughter was born. Struck by this I had to I had to chase the boys around with a giant toothbrush some more after the interview.

My day was over, I returned home and created a profile based upon the interview as a podcast echoed through my empty apartment. I don’t have many friends here in Mexico, mainly really nice acquaintances. My confidence and fluency increases by the day. I really love Mexico and can’t imagine a better place to be. Upon returning I plan to stuff many of the kids into my suitcase to take home with me and figure out scholarships for the rest of them so that they can all go to middle school. Still, though, I buy chunky monkey, miss my friends terribly and wish that my language would come a little easier. Everything about this internship is better than I could have imagined, but it’s still tough to be away.