Adios Amigos

Well, we're on the move again.  We had 9 wonderful months in Hermosillo and really loved the people and felt like we had begun to put down roots.  But in the last 3 or 4 months, security and the ever growing drug violence made us question if we were wise to stay.  Up until then, we had been assured that the violence was directed at those involved in the drug cartels or the brave people trying to stop them.  But with increasing frequency we were hearing first hand very real, and very serious incidents -- especially in the areas where Roger was traveling to looking for potential projects.

The Mexicans we met were warm, hard working, and welcomed us with open arms.  It is sad to see what is happening to their country.

But as the saying goes, "one door closes and another opens".  Roger was offered a job as a General Manager  for a drilling company in Bogota, Colombia.  And before you gasp and say, "What are you thinking?!", he spent a few days there and is confident the country has changed since the 80s and 90s when we all read the newspaper headlines describing a country out of control.  I've also been doing a lot of research, and have read that the current drug violence in Mexico makes Colombia's past drug wars pale in comparison.  An upside of moving to Colombia is we don't have to learn another language and that our Spanish teacher will continue teaching us over the internet.  I don't think my 53 year old brain could handle learning another language as I'm finally getting the hang of Spanish!

Leaving our friends, Roger's staff, and the special children at Ciudad de los Ninos was difficult for us. 

Above:  On my last day at Ciudad de los Ninos, I donated a bunch of sporting goods to keep the kids busy, and gave a goodbye speech telling the children how they had touched my heart -- that I would never forget them - that they were very special, and I hoped they would work hard in school.  After I was finished, Rey, (the boy beside me in the above picture) took my notes and I could see him read them.  I assumed he was just trying to figure out what I had said!  But a few minutes later, I saw him quietly fold up the paper and put it in his pocket.

Awhile later, Rey came and gave me a picture and note that he had made for me.  His note said I was a nice person, he loved me and would never forget me.  The other boys gave him a hard time for doing it, but I was so touched by his note.  It's not easy for 12 year old boys to show affection --- let alone those in a macho culture --- so it meant even more to me.What a wonderful experience I had volunteering there, and I will definitely be looking for more opportunities in Bogota.

Our whirlwind series of farewells included taking our staff out for dinner to a great place that had a mariachi band......

 ....then we also took the group that befriended us early on out for dinner..Perla, Roberto, Javier, Sandra, Julia and Edwin all took us under their wings and treated us like family...

....then the following night Roberto and Perla hosted a final BBQ complete with karaoke -- I don't know if it's the water or not, but before living in Mexico we never would have grabbed a microphone and started singing!

...and I had breakfast with some of the wonderful ladies in the English Speakers in Action group.  They were a constant source of information and I called them my personal Wikipedia. I will, in particular, miss my friend Tracey and I hope our paths cross again.

Looking like the Clampetts, we packed up and left Mexico at the end of May and headed to Idaho where Roger got the Kinley flotilla ready for the summer.

Along the way we drove through Zion National Park in Utah.  It was jaw dropping beautiful and definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the area.

Roger needs to renew his passport when we go to Calgary this week and then he'll fly to Bogota around June 12th.  He is really excited about his new job, and I know he I will put everything in to making it a success.  I will return to Idaho for the summer and hope to volunteer again at the Soup Kitchen.  When our last visitor leaves, I'll join Roger in late August or early September.  With any luck, he'll make it to Idaho for a short holiday in August.

Do we wish we could have stayed in Mexico like we had planned?  Absolutely.  But what we've learned over the last three years is we are adaptable and each new adventure has provided a raft of great experiences for us.  I'm sure Colombia will be no different.

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.'                          Dr. Seuss

Dia del Ninos

April 30th is Dia del Ninos, Day of the Children, in Mexico and it is really a day of fun and celebration. 

My friend Tracey and I joined Sylvia and Allyson from the English Speakers in Action group that I am a part of, and helped to sponsor a party for about 70 children at a special needs school.  The wonderful teachers dressed up as children, and a university theatre group presented a play while wearing stilts!

  

And while I admit to not understanding all of the play's dialogue, I asked a Spanish speaking friend for clarification because the theme seemed to be a little "adult" for these kids aged 5 - 15.  

 

Sure enough, I gathered that the character dressed in black represented death and the other characters wondered which one was about to die.  One of the funnier characters believed his days were numbered, so said he may as well get drunk and party if he was going to die anyways...and at one point suggested "Death" should take off her shirt so he could see the stars!!  Anyway, the kids loved it and the actors did a great job of getting around on stilts.

Below:  These two little guys below, are my favorites.  Whenever I see them, they are stuck together like two peas in a pod and are always happy. Before we served lunch to everyone, a group from a college came and organized games and dancing for the kids.

Unfortunately mentally and physically handicapped children are often shunned in Mexico, but thanks to the amazing staff, these kids have a place where they are cared for and are taught skills to help them as they go through life.

The celebration for Dia del Ninos continued when we arrived home.  

Below:  We were invited to a neighbour's "first art exposition"complete with ribbon cutting!  At 8 years old, and just starting art classes, XJimena is extremely talented and was thrilled when Roger bought one of her paintings.

Our community was also hosting a block party to celebrate the day, and had karaoke, an inflatable playground and pinatas for the children.  As you can see, the neighbours (including us) were bundled up in jackets to ward off the chilly evening as the temperature dipped to the low 20s!  I know.  As Brad said, he's lost us forever to warm climates...

It's always fun watching kids whack a pinata and hearing them sing the little jingle that is sung while the next child is waiting for their turn.  Roger hadn't experienced it before and got a kick out of seeing the baseball-like swings many of the kids used and the ensuing mad scramble as the kids dive onto the candy when it falls out of the pinata.

Below:  Hot dog carts are popular late night snack stops throughout the city.  The vendor that catered the block party served up delicious hot dogs with fried onions, jalapenos and the works!

While nothing can top the years of amazing block parties on Sunhaven Road in Calgary - it was a great experience getting to know more of our neighbours.

Dia del Ninos was a wonderful celebration and I was glad I could see children having happy memories being made that will last their lifetime.

We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.                                                                                       Ralph Waldo Emerson 

A great week to remember....

I celebrated my 53rd birthday last week, and had another memorable one.  New theatres opened near Roger's office, and we heard the VIP section was definitely worth checking out.  We invited Roger's foreman, Miguel Zentano (who is from Chile and worked for Roger in Spain) to join us for a movie and dinner which started several enjoyable hours of communicating in English, Spanish and the ever important language of charades.

We bought tickets for El Juego Perfecto, The Perfect Game, which is an account of the 1957 little league team from Monterrey, Mexico who went on to be the first non-American team to win the Little League World Series.  I cringed when seeing how poorly they were treated, but it was an inspirational movie and had Spanish subtitles so Miguel could also enjoy it.  But as usual in many things we discover, the movie was only part of the experience.

Below:  When we entered the VIP theatres, we were greeted by a waiter who took our order.

We then went into the theatre and our jaws dropped.  Leather lazy boy chairs, and tables with lamps made the room seem more like a private screening room than a regular movie theatre.

A few moments later, the waiter arrived with our drinks (food - including sushi - was also available!).  Each chair had a button that would summon the waiter to return and Roger and Miguel couldn't believe their beer came in frosted glasses.

Salud!

Wondering what it cost?  Tickets for 3 of us, plus two rounds of drinks came to less than $50.  I'm spoiled forever!

My friend Tracey returned to the States for Easter, so I was wondering how I would manage at Ciudad de los Ninos on my own -- especially since the kids were still off school so I knew I would be greatly outnumbered.  Roger suggested I get them to make paper airplanes and it turned out to be a perfect activity.

We had a ball.  Our friends, Carol and Terry, had donated lots of construction paper and other supplies and they all came in handy.  The kids made their airplanes, then decorated them before we started flying them from the gazebo.

I separated the kids in age groups and gave winners Canadian flag pencils which they were thrilled to get.  Everyone got stickers which they had fun choosing and put them on their faces and clothes. 

Although there were moments when I was totally stumped by what they were trying to tell me, overall, my Spanish seemed to kick in and the morning literally "flew" by. I get very excited if I can put more than 5 words together into a sentence, and even more excited when I understand what is said to me.

Above:  Victor is the most gregarious, cute, cuddly 4 year old you'll ever meet.  I told him he has my heart as I totally melt when he's around.  He just has to bat those big beautiful eyes, and smile with his deep dimples....
Below:  Big sister Denise is an incredibly loyal and protective big sister to Diana.  They are relatively new to Ciudad de los Ninos, and I've seen little Diana go from not saying a word, to laughing and kissing me goodbye.

Below:  Miguel made me a beautiful origami bird -- when I thanked him I told him it was a special birthday gift.  He wished me a very happy birthday and hoped I had many more -- then gave me a big hug.  I felt that was a pretty wonderful display of affection for a 12 year old boy.

It is impossible to leave Ciudad de los Ninos without feeling touched by these children.  They are not there by choice but show a resilience and generosity of spirit that continually inspires me and makes me look forward to Mondays.

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

Unknown

Expat 101

We welcomed our first visitors this week when friends Carol and Terry arrived from Calgary.  (I became friends with Carol when we both worked at Jayman.)  They are both newly retired and seeking new experiences and adventures and thought spending time with us would help them see life from an expat's perspective and answer some of their questions.  We laughed when they told us that the idea of living in another country started after they visited us in Idaho a couple of years ago and heard our stories.

In typical warm Mexican hospitality, an invitation to attend a baptism fiesta was extended to include our Canadian guests.  It was held in an beautiful outdoor event center, and we all enjoyed the taco buffet and music.  They were welcomed by our Mexican friends and experienced the challenges of trying to visit with a limited vocabulary.

  On Sunday we drove to San Carlos and were surprised to see it sunny, but blustery.

When we returned to Hermosillo, we drove up Cerro de la Campana to give them a bird's eye view of the city.

On Monday, I brought them to Ciudad de los Ninos and they experienced organized mayhem as we celebrated Easter with egg decorating, games and an Easter egg hunt.

My friend Tracey and her daughter were also there so we had lots of people to help which was great since all the kids were off school so there were around 50 children aged 1 to 15.  I brought about 60 boiled eggs -- some of which became projectiles before the morning was over.

Below:  It's impossible not to fall in love with the children, and despite language barriers, Carol and Terry connected with them in a special way.

In response to my "wish list" for the kids, they generously brought arts and craft supplies as well as a game of Twister that I thought the older ones would enjoy -- and they did!

Tracey provided 200 candy stuffed Easter eggs for the hunt which turned out to be a huge success.

Roger and I really haven't done many touristy things in Hermosillo, so I asked friends where I should take our guests and sure enough - we had a great day exploring the city.  My trusty taxi driver, Jose, doubled as tour guide and shared his knowledge.

Above: Catedral de la Asuncion, built in 1877 is a city icon, and is located in the Zaragoza Plaza.

Below:  The Government Palace is also located in the Plaza and is home to breathtaking murals that depict an often violent history of the State.

Below:  The Palace's inner courtyard had a beautiful garden and statues.

Below:
One of the saddest places in Hermosillo is a shrine set up in the Plaza.  In June 2009 a fire in a government-run daycare would eventually claim the lives of 47 children under 4 years of age.  An inquiry recently found the fire was caused by an electrical short --- but in reality it was a tragedy waiting to happen as there were more than 150 infants and toddlers who were cared for by 6 caregivers --- with no working smoke alarms and only 1 working exit.  Another exit was chained shut. 

After leaving the Plaza, we checked out the Municipal Mercado.  There, butchers cut up and sell every part of cows and other animals and are openly displayed.  I can't imagine what it would smell like in the summer when the temperatures can reach 55C. It was interesting to see, but I'll stick to shopping at Sorianos!

Below:
When a Mexican girl turns 15, she is often given an incredible party called La Quinceanera that would rival any Sweet 16 party.  Big, frilly dresses are worn, and can be found in dress shops around the city.  We checked out one of the specialty stores and even found tiaras! 

Below:  Our last stop was Museum de Sonora which is housed in the city's jail that closed in 1979.  Right on cue, we saw a young girl having a photo shoot for her Quinceanera.

Below:  It's hard to believe the jail only stopped operating 30 years ago -- all I can say is I'm pretty sure all the reports of draconian Mexican jails is probably all true.

Below:  I had no sooner finished telling Carol and Terry that we missed the Donut Man who used to come around in the evening selling treats in a funky mobile bakery case --- that I heard the theme song to the Pink Panther and he came scooting through the gates!  We wildly waved our arms and he came to the house -- obviously happy that we remembered him!

While Roger was working, we drove out to Kino Bay for lunch and enjoyed a walk on the beach.

Our last dinner out was supposed to include mariachi music -- only to find (despite advertisements to the contrary) that the band was having a night off!  We still had a great evening of good food and conversation.  Carol and Terry said they learned a lot from their visit including getting a better understanding of doing business here as they followed Roger's daily updates of a project that kept getting delayed despite assurances from the client it would all be resolved "manana".

We bid Carol and Terry farewell and will look forward to hearing about their adventures.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, former Prime Minister of India