Even the swans in Mexico eat tortillas!
Trip Start
Aug 05, 2007
1
14
17
Trip End
Aug 05, 2008
Mexico City,
Mexico
Sunday, December 30, 2007
I hope you are all well! I know it has been awhile since I have written, things at work have been really busy! Happy Christmas to everyone!! in Spanish... Feliz Navidad!! I really do not know where to start it has been so long since I have written a blogg so be prepared for a long one.
Work has been really good over the past month, we have about 10 boys attending the center regularly and they are lovely! well most of the time! They have adjusted to the routines in the center really well and they are starting to do their chores i.e. bringing their washing in without being asked. As you can imagine this is an achievement as now all the volunteers work together so they know they can not get away with anything. Even though I know little Spanish I am managing to get my point across!
As you can imagine Christmas is a hard time for the boys as they have no family. Pro Ninos recognize this so all through the month of December they go on day trips and get lots of treats. Hence me working longer hours as many of the day trips were far away out of the city. We took them to the pyramids which was the best trip for me, more about them later! We also took them on boats, ice skating, swimming, to museums and to the cinema. They also saw father Christmas.
The boys are now on a camp, they left before Christmas and will return after new year. Before they went on the camp they had a Christmas party (a pasada, I will explain more about these later), broke a pinata and went to the cinema with all the staff and volunteers. It was such a nice atmosphere in the center and the children were very excited as you can imagine. One of the boys has been on the streets since he was 4 years old. He does not know who his mother is and witnessed his father being shot. So yeah his circumstances are pretty bad and when we took him swimming it took him awhile to get into the water because he was scared after while we persuaded him to get in and he loved it in fact we had difficulty getting him out of the water because he was having such a good time! It was so nice to see the smile on his face!
Ice skating was so much fun, the boys were helping me to skate as many of you know skating is not my strongest point. At one stage I had a boy on either side of me escorting me around the ring and I made it without falling over, yeah! It was so nice for them to help me as usually it is the other way around.
Now I will tell you more about how Mexicans celebrate Christmas! You all know the story of the nights leading up Jesus being born. Mary and Joseph were trying to find a place to stay, well the 9 days leading up to Christmas there are big celebrations called pesadas. A pasada is a celebration when Mary and Joesph are finding a place to stay. The locals carry figures of Mary and Joseph down the street and knock on the nominated house in the village. They ask if they can enter with Mary and Joseph. There are people stood outside on the street with the figures and candles. They sing hymes to the people who are stood in the house. When Mary and Joseph are accepted into the house they say prayers and put Mary and Joseph in a little Nativity scene that is set up in the house. After this they have a party which involves Mexican food (Moley, which is chicken mixed with chili and chocolate, sounds gross but it does not taste too bad although I would choose a McDonald's over Moley!). They then dance and break a pinata, which is such good fun, this is one of the traditions that I will be bringing back to England as I know my niece will love it!
As I said people all over Mexico have pasadas and everyone gets involved, it is kind on like a street party, everyone is welcome. I went to two pesadas and did lots of dancing, well I was being taught. It is so hard, a girl who was six years old was teaching me and she could not believe that I could not dance! She was amazing and only 6 years old! The second pesada I went to was on Christmas eve which of course is the 9th one. So on this one after the prayers and hymes a model of baby Jesus was placed in the cribb. So yeah as you imagine Christmas is a big celebration here with the main day on 24th on the 9th pesada.
On the 25th we celebrated Christmas the English, Swedish and Japanese way. All the volunteers came to our house for dinner. We had chicken, veg and Swedish meatballs. We sung carols and hymes (in different languages), has a few drinks and broke a pinata, it has to be done as we are in Mexico. Even though I had fun it was not the same as being at home and I miss everyone so much, it has hit me quiet hard the past couple of days, but I have managed to speak to my family which has been great!
I start back to work on the 2nd January so am going to chill out for a bit as I am so tired.
I went to the pyramids the other day, it was absolutely amazing, my favorite place in Mexico so far! It was so peaceful and the view from the top was amazing, I have lots of photos!!! The tallest pyramid was 60 m in height so I am still feeling it in my legs. I recommend it to anyone who comes here, mum and dad we must go when you come! don`t worry you can rest inbetween the levels so you can give your legs a rest!
Not sure what my plans are for new year, will probably have some of the volunteers over for dinner. The rest of my house mates have gone away traveling with their family so the house is very quiet, nice!! I have forgotten what it is like to have my own space. Although at present we have not had water for three days which is proving to be a challenge. The past couple of days I have had a bath with a bucket of cold water just like in the old days! as you can imagine I am not impressed! I keep complaining to the landlady so hopefully it should be sorted soon.
What else is there to report............... my living situation has changed. I am living in the same house but I am now living with Emma, Patrick and Tobi. We get on alot better as living with the two other girls before got very difficult. I now have my own room in the hall way, it only has three walls but I love it as it my own room and I have recognized that I need my own space. I now have a wardrobe and a bed, yeah!!! these are luxuries!
Right must go, I am going to treat myself to a starbucks! it is Christmas after all!! happy new year to everyone!!!
take care
Gemma x
