HOLA!!!!
So right now there is this guy walking by our home like he does everyday around five and it sounds like he's saying "yargainyup". It's taken me 3 weeks, but I finally realize he's saying "Yerba, atun" - which means "herbs, cactus". It's common for people to just walk the streets selling their goods. Yesterday a truck drove by with a fridge, bike, bed frame, fruits and veggies and various other odds & ends in the back. The driver used a loud speaker to advertize these goods as he drove around the neighborhood. A few people came out of their houses to look over the items. I needed 2 aguacates (avocados) so I even bought something from him.

Again, wish you all could just be here! Lots to tell you this week. Matt and I have been having a great time working at the orphanage this last week. The kids there really want to communicate with all of you when I return. Their names are Uriel, Ari, Sergio, Esly, Alison, Reina, Ryan, y Daniel. They are awesome, funny kids just like you guys. They play soccer way better than any of us though! The girls are part of a prehispanic instruments class where they play instruments such as conchas (seashells - which they taught me how to play), turtle shells, gourds, animal shaped whistles, maracas and tambores (drums).
** See photos**

This week is Carnival! It a big fiesta before the Catholic custom of Lent starts. (When Jesus went for 40 days and nights into the desert). It's the same idea as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but on a much smaller scale. Here, people run around and break cascarones (hollowed out & dyed eggs filled with confetti) This custom of cascarones comes from years ago when people picked flowers and threw them at each other in the plaza to celebrate Carnival. As industrialization occurred, flowers were hard to find, so they made paper flowers with hollow eggs as the center of the flower. Someone at some point put confetti into the eggs on the flowers. Then, they got rid of the flowers all together and just kept the confetti/glitter filled eggs. So for 5 days before lent, kids and adults buy cascarones (30 eggs=$1.00) and they run around the plaza and break them on each others heads. It's crazy and you do it to whomever you want. Needless to say, we came home Sunday covered in confetti and glitter!

I traditionally make these with all of you before Easter, so you'll get a first hand experience of the tradition the week after springbreak! ***See photos***


On Friday night we finally took advantage of the local circus. For three weeks we have seen these cars driving around town shouting through a microphone..."solamente diez, diez, diez pesos por una noche de talento y animales de todo tipos" (ten, ten, ten Pesos for a night of extreme talent and animals from all over the world). We finally paid the 10 pesos to see what a Mexican Circus would be like. (10 pesos=80 cents). Well, it was worth the price and my kids are still talking about it. To us, it would be a little hokey, but for kids it was awesome. They got to go up and feed the zebra, ride on a pony, be entertained by the clowns and the highlight, for my boys, was that the elefante pooped while performing his stunts!

words of the week:
changa/o: monkey
papalote: kite
totopos:tortilla chips


This is our last week in San Miguel. I can't believe it's already been a month! Can you? We are all half way until our lives return to normal. How are the studies going?



For those of you who wrote on the comments, here are you answers. The rest of you only have to read this if you want to:

PERIODO UNO: Hablan todo el tiempo en espanol con Sr. Lehman? Favor de dar un abrazo a Sr. Sharr y Sra. Nelson para mi!

Eva - will see if I can find Vaselina - should be quite entertaining!

Rosalia - libros - Si!!! But they are in espanol. But the one I am reading right now is also in English - Like Water for Chocolate. Have you read it? If not, it's a great book to give some persepective on the relationship hispanics have with food and family.

Enrique - I've got your recipes!!!

Reina - the kids your age also love Basketball here. But there is NO sign of futbol americano expect from my family as we go out and toss the football in the street. I think it bewilders the people!

Viviana - I do indeed have a regular toilet - but note to all.... In almost all of Latin America you NEVER throw the toilet paper in the toilet. You put it in the garbage can next to the toilet. The septic systems can't handle the paper!!!

PERIODO DOS:

Julio - There are drugs here as there are in all parts of the world. Here, the worst abused substance is alcohol as it's cheaper than drugs and easily accessable. In fact this morning as I walked the boys to school, the police were physically holding up/supporting a man as he couldn't stand, nor walk he was so intoxicated. I am not sure what they did for him, but it's not unusual to see a very poor, intoxicated and obviously homeless person. These people, in particular will use what little money they have to drink, rather than to eat.

Jorge - Do I still pay the american price? In some places si, in others, no! Now that they know me in the market near our home, I get the local price, but in other big markets, they give me the American price (which is still very fair by our standards!).

Roberto - Bullfight? We are hoping to go to one before we leave. Unfortunately there were none scheduled in this town while we were here. I am still wondering if I'll have the stomach for it!

A5/6: Catalina y Esmeralda...FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!! Tried a new helado today... Guayanabana....Delicioso! Not exactly sure what it is...Maybe guava?

A7/8: Lolita...Was Mexico awesome? Where were you exactly. We are just 10 hours from the Pacific Coast, why didn't you come see us?! :)

Carmen and Margarita....FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!! Ahora son muy viejas!

Hasta luego...Les extrano mucho....Sra. Koch

Estudiantes - I love getting your comments - again I answered all the questions in the comments section.

Also - as I am sitting here writing - just wanted you to know one other reality -
I am smelling the mix of fresh bread and burning plastic right next door. We have been buying our bread everyday fresh from our neighbors. Today I realized that when they run out of propane, they burn plastic bottles as fuel!! Do you realize the toxic fumes that I am breathing right now? If I come home with "dain bramage" you'll know why! Do you think I should still eat the bread?

adios...Sra. Koch

Hola!
Espero que todos tuvieran un buen fin de semana! Hope you all had a great three day weekend!
Como estan? Estoy muy feliz, pero les extrano mucho!

Lo siento...I haven't written for about a week. Last week we really dove into our lives here. We have finally made a connection with the orphanage, JonPaul has found an animal shelter where he walks the dogs 2 days a week, Ammann started taking an art class and Matt has started a playing soccer with the kids at the orphanage and in our neighborhood. Since we have to walk or take a bus everywhere, just going to school in the morning and working a little in the afternoon along with all the walking, takes up most of our day. We are all very exhausted by the end of the day since our brains are taking in a second language and culture.

Here are some of the highlights of the week! We tried shrimp, avocado and papaya ice cream. (not all three mixed together!) The shrimp was actually the best one. Its sweet and tart at the same time. Not sure I would make it at home, but it was fun to try here.

We also made a trek to the local botantical gardens. It is the home of some 250 cactus species and has a huge resevoir for birds. They told us that most of the birds here are ones that come from the Pacific Northwest. So, basically we were seeing the same birds we see in Montana in the summer time. Unlike the U.S. where we are super worried about danger, the botanical garden had built a 30 foot and then a 40 foot ladder into a rock wall so that if you were crazy enough you could climb down into a beautiful gorge below. (Note: they did post signs above the ladders that said "peligro/danger", but it didn't mean that you couldn't go, it just meant climb at your own risk!) This would be completely forbidden at home because we'd be too worried about lawsuits from someone falling. Now, you all know that I love to hike and climb in Glacier - but I wasn't too excited to climb down a ladder cemented into the rocks! But, the three boys in my family were already half way down by the time I felt brave enough to go for it! It was spectacular, but my heart was beating like a drum by the time I reached the bottom! (photos on the right!)

OK - on to the orphanage!!! I took 1/2 of the money that you all donated to an orphange called Casa Ayuda. (the other half I am taking to a school in a small island town called Yelapa in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Puerto Vallarta - this town just got electricity 2 years ago and has only one phone for the whole town! When we go there in March, I'll give you more details)
Anyway, the orphanage here was thrilled!!! They said that they were going to use it to buy some new shirts, pants and shoes for the young boys who were growing like weeds! The orphanage only has 9 kids who live there full time. Their philosophy is that they want to help keep families together, so they try and support families financially and educationally without removing the kids from the home and then if there is no other option, they invite the kids to live at the orphanage. They have it set up just like a home with a nice living room, kitchen and 2 big bedrooms. One for the boys and one for the girls.
Aside from the actual orphanage, Casa Ayuda also provides nutritional foods and programs to the neighborhood children and a preschool-Kindergarten program for 90 kids! This orphanage is a 10 minute walk from our home and in a poorer area of San Miguel. (check photos) My job has been to teach them English. They are very excited about this opportunity so I've been teaching them the reverse of what I teach you.

Last weekend the orphanage had a fund-raiser/community open house. It was set up as a Valentine fiesta. Part of the the fiesta was the performance of the musical "Vaselina". Can you guess what it is in English? (**See below for answer). It was quite fun to hear songs that we knew by heart in English sung and acted out in Spanish. The other part of the fundraiser was purchasing foods such as licuados (milk & fruit shakes), malteados (chocolate malt drinks) and naranjadas (fresh squeezed orange juice with mineral water). - Todos son muy deliciosos!!

Yesterday, I took some of the books that the 8th graders had made to the orphanage. I wanted desperately to take a picture, but felt awkward doing so at that moment, so I'll try and explain how happy the kids were. The older girls thought the art work was awesome and the younger boys giggled and giggled and giggled! (Zelda - imparticularly they laughed at the orange cat!)
When I told them that they could keep the books, you would have thought that I had given them each a piece of gold! They were so proud to own something and couldn't believe that people who didn't even know them would make something for them and allow them to keep it. These nine kids have VERY little if anything of their own. So MUCHAS GRACIAS 8th graders for your last minute hard work and for pushing yourselves to finish those books! The older girls at the orphanage really want our email and want us to write to them when I return home. Sounds like a great way for you all to connect, no?

One more custom I keep meaning to tell you about is the dress code. Have I mentioned it yet? I knew before we left what the customs were, but not sure if I shared them with you. Imagine that the temperature here ranges from 30 degrees to 85 degrees. A sweater is often needed in the mornings and evenings. However, in the middle of the day I want to put on shorts and a tank top, but women here don't wear shorts, short skirts, capri pants or tank tops. I don't know how they do it without dying of heat! Kids and men don't wear shorts either. So, Matt and I walk around in our pants, but we have been letting the boys wear shorts after school. (We still make them wear pants to school).

I've found some unusual candies for you all, some interesting type milk jello and I continue to search out more items that will be fun for you.
I think about you when I see a bowl full of chicken feet for sale, a Tortilleria, all the garbage in the rivers and streets, the amazing colors of all the buildings and wish you all could see it too and experience the sights, sounds and smells first hand! (That sounded funny - I think of you when I see all the garbage, because it's so sad and so different from how we protect our water resources - I'd like you all to see what it looks like when water's not taken care of!)

Tengan un buen semana... Hasta luego....

(** Vaselina = the movie Grease!)

Estudiantes....

I figured out how to reply to your comments without having to post to the main blogsite. So, go find your comments and below them, you'll see my responses!

Hola!!

Heard you all had a dia de nieve! Hope you enjoyed it and spent the whole day studying Espanol! I have been studying quite hard this week and my brain is exhausted. However I am learning some really cool phrases and able to communicate with anyone about just about anything at this point. Next week, my family will continue to study, but I will be voluneering at an home for the elderly called, "La Alma".
This week we were supppose to go to the orphanage and make arrangements to start volunteering there. However, as things go in Mexico, there is construction in front of the orphanage area so when we got in a taxi on Friday to go, we sat in it for a 1/2 an hour and only moved about mile. We decided to try again this week.

However, we have decided to use some of the money you all donated to help some others too. We have been picking a person a day in which to give a few of the pesos. There are so many people in need that we decided to share the wealth. Each day, we pick one person and give them $5-10 pesos. We have asked around and learned who is most in need. It turns out one of the greatest needs in this town is the elderly. All children have the ability to a free education that comes with a free breakfast, so at least during the week, they are mostly cared for. However, there is no system in place for the elderly. They don't have a very good retirement system here. Elderly women have nothing if they lose their husbands. So there are all these old women in the streets who sit in the entries of a doorway (to a store or business) for 10 hours a day. They are all hunched over, heads bent down, sometimes sleeping, clothes quite dirty sit with a hand extended out asking for help. So, when you think that the small change you donated might not do much, it is providing a meal for someone who otherwise might not have one that day. Gracias!!! You are so awesome!

Today I also want to tell you about life of a dog here! You know how we have "pets"? Well, dogs here are considered more like house mascots. Every family seems to have one, but they probably have no idea where their dog is most of the day. The dogs here run wild around town, in the streets, fields, alleys, etc. They run in gangs or by themselves and not one we've run into has been agressive. Instead, most will completely ignore you as you walk by. However, around 7 in the evening they all seem to head home and then about 2 a.m. they all start a chorus of barking across the city! I am pretty sure the loudest one is next door to us! I even sleep with earplugs because of it!

One other cool thing that happened last week that made me think of you all. I know the J.H. kids know this story, but not sure about you highschoolers. Remember on Jan. 6th when the 3 Kings come to deliver presents to the kids? Well, part of the tradition of that day is to also eat Rosca de Reyes, a circular shaped fruit bread. In the bread there is a plastic "Jesus" figurine. If you get the piece with the figurine, you are responsible for hosting the "Spring is coming" fiesta called Calendaria on Feb. 2nd. Well, we happened to be here for Calendaria! All the schools and businesses were closed. People gathered at the parks and celebrated with re-inactments of traditional Aztec dances (very similar to the ceremonial dancers of the Indians tribes in Montana!). There was also a HUGE display of flowers for purchase in the local park. Venders were there with "elote" - grilled corn, smothered in mayonise and parmesan cheese! Muy delicioso!
Anyway, thought you'd like the connection to our studies of El Dia de Los Reyes Magos.

Como estan? Are you all well? les extrano mucho.....
Se disfrutan la nieve!

Phrases of the week:
"Estoy mango" - meaning I am so good, like I couldn't be any better!
Cabeza huerca - airhead
chafa - cheesy (like in.. that's soooo cheesy)

Sra. Koch

One quick note for Sol...
No I didn't get your email. Not sure why it didn't work, but for all of you if you need to connect it's kochford@live.com

Hola!

Estoy en San Miguel de Allende! Es un pueblo muy lindo y llena de mucha cultura. Vivimos en una casa muy bonita y ahora estoy en escuela todos los dias exactamente como ustedes!

Now that I am in school too, I am not as frequent in writing to all of you. After all the new sites, smells, sounds and movement of the day, I am going to bed quite early. (which most of you know is unusual for me!)

First of all, we live in an area of San Miguel that is not extremely wealthy or extremely poor. It is a mix. There are two nice houses next to us, but then there is a home that is really run down, has a tin roof and still uses wood for cooking and heating next to those.
Unfortunately everywhere in our neighborhood, the people still accept littering as a part of life. For many, many years there were no garbage cans or people to pick up garbage, so people would just throw it where ever they wanted. Now, San Miguel has a semi-decent garbage program, but old habits are hard to break. Therefore when we walk the paths to town, they are scattered
with litter. JonPaul and Ammann who have been trained to to pick up garbage when ever they
see it and will be imprisoned by their parents if caught littering are having a hard time with it.

The interesting thing about garbage pick-up... You know they are coming to get your garbage when a young man comes walking down your street ringing a bell really loud. This sound means the garbage truck is not far behind. You never know what day or what time this will happen, so you just hope you are home when it does!!

Another interesting thing is our drinking water. About every 3 days someone comes driving down the street yelling "agua, agua, agua" and if you need purified water that comes in those 20 liter containers then you go out to the street and purchase one. No need to go to a store!

We are learning quickly that there is a price for the "gringos" and a price for the "locals". It seems that we are usually given a price double of the locals and I find myself having to argue for everything. This is the part I don't like. Today we went to the market - a huge Tuesday Mercado - where everything is sold from toothbrushes to food to hand-me-down American clothes! I would listen to the prices they gave the locals and then ask for the same price and they wouldn't give it to me until I started to walk away. It was frustrating, but I know it's a way they are able to make money too. Our big purchase for the day was JonPaul's DVD "Tom and Jerry". They sell pirated copies of all the DVD's you can imagine for $15 - $20 pesos (about $2 US dollars). They color copy the cover of the DVD,, tape it onto a blank case, then put the copied CD inside and sell them really cheap! Anyone want to put in an order for a movie?


Today in the market I bought my first "nopal" - cactus! - to cook and eat! It actually was quite "ricisimo" (delicious) - but then anything here tastes wonderful when you put lime and salt on it! In fact lime, salt and very spicy salsas seem to be put on everything - including pasta!
The other fun food we have is from a Tortilleria. (A tortilla shop). Everyday on our walk home (about 25 minutes) we stop and eat fresh tortillas from the Tortilleria. The tortillas are fresh off the press, made with corn flour instead of white flour and cost $1 peso for 5 tortillas (about a dime). We sprinkle green spicy salsa and salt on the tortillas and find that we then have the energy to make it up the last big hill to get to our home!
Well, today's theme seemed to be about "alimentos/comida". Tomorrow - who knows.
Miss you all and see things everyday that I wish you could be here to experience as well.

Who ever is going up Big Mountain this week (Julio, Paco, Domingo, Santi, who else???) take a run for me!
Hasta Pronto!
Sra. Koch

New words of the day.... Swimming pool - alberca, tomate=green tomato and jitomate=red tomato, a straw = popote and Chicken Noodle Soup = sopa de fideo