Cultural Education & Study Abroad Readiness

We have a break in the late morning which Myzel and Michael are spending
in the internet cafe with me (Michelle), while Shaquan, Maya, Pachan,
Nyesha, Aaron, Teneisha and a CCIDD helper named Leslie are taking a short
shopping trip to the "Mega" (the big block store not far from the center).
Later this afternoon there will be some more shopping in the main plaza in
town as well as a chance to see the inside of the Cortez Palace which we
pass everyday (it is only a few blocks from CCIDD) but we have not been
inside yet! Before that though, we will all have a cooking lesson in the
kitchen today and we will learn how to prepare some Mexican speciality
which we will then eat for our lunch! (The students have mostly liked the
food here a lot, plenty of new tastes and not all of them have been
favorites, but they have been willing to try almost everything and have
really liked much of what we have tried)..

Today marks the half-way point in the trip. Teneisha and I wanted to check
in today to let those of you following our adventures on the blog have a
sense of how things are going from the co-directors perspectives...

Overall, we are both very pleased with how things are going. The students
have been real troopers, meeting challenges well (i.e, all made it up and
down the mountain though all doubted they could when we were standing at
the bottom looking up !) As is to be expected there have been some moments
of homesickness, but they usually don´t last too long and then the
students are able to move forward into a new activity that is interesting
for them and puts there mind and body back in Mexico... :) If parents and
friends wanted to add their thoughts on the blog "comments" (there is a
space to do this after each blog entry) I think the students would really
like knowing that people are following their experiences and paying
attention to the details of what they are doing.

Each student will write at least one summary/reflection on the blog. So
far Michael and Shaquan have taken their turns and I think Nyesha and Maya
are planning on helping with this the next two days. (Tomorrow we are
painting a mural at a school and Maya is eager to report on that, Nyesha
will share about our trip to the palace!)

From a director´s perspective I would like to share a few of my favorite
moments with all of you (in no particular order):

1) I love to watch the boys high five "Hector" the guard/doorman and greet
him with the appropriate greeting when we meet him at various times of the
day (Buenos Dios, Buenos Tardes, Buenos Noche, etc). I think it is fair to
say he became their first amigo here and I love to watch the interaction
between them... :)

2) When we served food at the kindergarten in the squatter community
yesterday there were many great times I observed: 1)the girls teaching
clapping games to staff and to some girls at the center 2) the kids
tentatively practicing Spanish as they befriended many little people who
had come in for breakast (we served 66 meals) 3) the students asking
questions and interacting with the mothers and children in three different
homes we visited

3)Watching Aaron develop relationships with the students and find was to
record their experiences and help them reflect on the blog. He has warmed
up well with his roomies (the boys) and is slowly finding opportunities to
connect with the girls too... He is in an interesting sort of "big
brother" role which is nice to see and he is great to have as part of our
support team

4)When we saw the Mariachi Mass on Sunday night Shaquan was posing with
the guitar player when the program was done and then a local Mexican
family came up to have their photo taken with the guitar player and the
man wanted Shaquan to stay in that photo too.. the family was smiling from
ear to ear and so glad to have an extra new friend in thier picture ! :)

5)When we got to the top of the mountain seeing the tired looks of
accomplishment on each of their faces, and then the looks of glee when the
box of assorted cookies came out for dessert!

6) I loved introducing the kids to papayas at breakfast the first day and
then yesterday I was able to show them what papayas look like growing on a
tree in the yard of one of the families we visited. (We saw bananas
growing on the hiking day as well and those who saw those were impressed
with just how many bananas grow on one bunch on a tree!)

7) As a teacher (and also a mom) I enjoy very much the formal sessions we
have to "debrief" the learning/experiences that we have both in and
outside CCIDD. It has been a joy to watch the students draw, talk, act
out, and listen as we explore some really tough questions about why our
world is the way it is... these are an amazing group of young people and I
feel privileged to be spending this time with them helping them understand
what they are seeing here in Mexico and to help them connect the
experience here back to their life at home in Milwaukee.

As a closing thought, I would like to say that the CCIDD staff has been
very kind to us and have been both very accamodating and very kind in
working with our group. These people include CCIDD director, Sister Kathy
(originally from Appleton WI), Mark and his wife Linley from North
Carolina, volunteers, April (from Chihuahua MX) and Paulina (from
Argentina), and also volunteers Luke and Leslie from the US... The local
staff have also been very friendly and welcoming to us, including
especially Hector the guard/doorman, Patti (who helped with our visit to
the kindergarten and the home visits afterward),Hugo (our driver and
co-hiker), Herlinda the housekeeper (who helps chase any bugs out of our
rooms), and Maru in the kitchen. We also have met Manual who talked to us
about recycling and composting and a few others who help with various
aspects of maintaining the CCIDD compound and programs.

So, these are my thoughts at the mid-point in this program...

Adios-
Michelle (and Teneisha)
Program Co-directors
CESAR Mexico Program