The good news is...

I´ll be moving to a new place of residence tomorrow. After living in a furnished studio apartment for the past several months, I have decided to move into a house with a colleague from UNO. Funny enough, her name is also Sylvia! Another coincidence is that she is from Monterrey (Mexico, that is). She is a librarian but she is also studying to get her degree from UNO. She rents a two bedroom house a little bit outside of town, so there will be lots of room and there is a really pleasant patio in the back of the house. She and I get along well and I am happy with the change. There will be some trade-offs, of course: I´ll have to find a new lavandería to take my laundry to, I won´t have internet (at least initially), and I will have to get used to sharing a living space again, but the rent will be a lot cheaper - only $750 pesos, or approximately $60 USD. Yes, you read that right, sixty dollars a month. Además, it will be interesting to live in a different neighborhood. I´m sure I will discover some new restaurants and there is a juice bar on the corner that I am excited to try out. Living with a native Spanish speaker (who also speaks English well) will undoubtedly be a benefit to my language skills and I am sure I´ll learn un montón about Mexican culture, too. I´ll even be sleeping in a Yucatecan hammock, which is supposed to be amazingly comfortable and great for your back, but I have yet to try it. A new experience for a new year!
I will be packing up my things tonight and tomorrow, simultaneously preparing for my trip back to the States. At the moment, they are predicting snow for Saturday night, though the forecast looks much less dire for Newark, NJ than it does for Bethlehem, PA. Let´s hope the snow can hold off until my plane lands!
It sounds like next cuatri I will again be doing some teaching at the Mesón del Marques Hotel, this time teaching a course with the upper-level management, and it is likely that I´ll also be teaching an online Moodle course in Public Administration and Marketing. We are presently working out the schedule to figure out who´s teaching which classes - a process that is always fairly painstaking, particularly for my boss, Miguel. It doesn´t look like I will be teaching the same groups as last cuatri, which is sort of disappointing to me because I really enjoyed my 1st cuatri students, but that´s part of teaching and part of life, I suppose.

Tonight is the big UNO fiesta, which is going to be lots of great food, lots of music and dancing, and some giant piñatas filled with dulces. Everyone is ready to have a good time after working hard all semester-long.

Al final, this is probably my last blog entry of 2009! I have enjoyed writing about my experiences and sharing them with you in this forum, and it has been really nice to know that people are interested in what I´ve been up to and to feel like we´re connected, albeit virtually. Keeping in touch has been comforting to me as I adjust to life in Mexico. So, thank you for being part of my experience and please continue to do so in 2010!
¡Que el año nuevo les traiga mucha felicidad y prosperidad!

+ feedback

I am happy to share with you that after sending my students their grades via email, I received some very nice emails back from them. It really feels good to hear from them that they learned a lot in my class, they appreciated and enjoyed the course, and that they hope to have me as their teacher again next cuatri. We have yet to receive our formal student evaluations from administration, which I´m sure will bring a more balanced perspective, and I will be anxious to see what all the students have to say. But until then, I am glad to know that at least a few of them got something out of the class. That really is the reason I do what I do.
I was thinking today (since things are pretty quiet here at UNO) about when I lived in Spain, and about how I felt after several months of living abroad. I recall that just at the point that I left Spain, I was beginning to feel comfortable with my Spanish and with my understanding of Spanish culture and was just starting to really connect with the family I lived with and the people I met. I have looked back on that and wondered how things would have changed had I stayed longer. At this point, I´ve been in Mexico longer than my 3 months in Cercedilla, and I am beginning to feel that I´m actually in that more comfortable place, both linguistically and culturally.
For me, learning a second language has very much been a driving force in my life. The goal of improving my Spanish has led me to take a number of risks and make significant life changes, in the hopes that it will help me continue to grow and, in some way, provide me with more opportunities and greater security in the future. But these risks have not been without growing pains and, inevitably, they bring with them the feeling that I have plateaued in my language learning. On those days, one can feel discouraged, but when you´re in a foreign country, you have to just keep pushing and ride that discouragement out. Then, eventually, you arrive at another level, noticeably different than where you were before. For me, it can be as simple as using one phrase that has been eluding me in social interactions, a trivial interaction between me and a native speaker that goes more smoothly because I feel more prepared, or the triumphant realization that I´ve been able to express myself using my "true voice" in my second language.
As you can tell, the Spanish language is something that I have put much energy into and the study of second language acquisition was a large part of my MA program at MIIS, so I guess reflecting on my experience has become second nature to me. Living in Mexico (and particularly in Yucatán) is infinitely different than living in Spain, and one of my biggest challenges has been learning a very different lexicon. It seems that there is a different word for almost everything! People here have definitely noticed that my Spanish is different, pointing out that I have a subtle Spanish accent or that I use Spanish words. They are curious as to why that is, and it´s funny to me that after 5 years, I´ve retained an accent!
Of course, culturally, Mexico is a different ball game as well. Something that I think would be surprising to many Americans is that Mexico, our neighbor to the south, is very much it´s own country and Mexicans have a very strong cultural identity. With the exception of some of the border towns, perhaps, Mexico does not strive to be like America. Mexicans do not necessarily care to learn about American culture. In fact, there are hundreds of indigenous languages and cultures in the country, and in some ways Mexico is more progressive than the U.S. because all of the 400+ indigenous languages are recognized as national languages! How would the U.S. be different if it recognized Hopi and Cherokee and Abenaki as national languages?
I think I can say that after almost four months here, I have achieved a modest level of cultural competence. Having a foundation in two cultures and in two varieties of Spanish is something that I feel will serve me well in the future, and I am curious to see how much things will change during the next phase of my time here when I return from the States.

On another note, tomorrow is the LAST day of work in 2009! I will have a couple of weeks off, and I am very excited to get on the plane to the US this weekend! I´ve said it so much on this blog already, but I´ll say it again: I can´t wait to see everyone (including dog and cats)...and I cannot wait to eat some good, non-Mexican food. I´m even excited to put on my winter coat and hat!

TIJAAX (TeeHAASH) - a double-edged sword

Today one of the professors of Mayan Linguistics and culture, a very cool woman named Patricia, brought in a book about Mayan astrology and told me about my sign, Tijaax. It says that, from the front, Tijaax (El Kab'awil) represents the point of a knife made of flint or obsidian. From above, it represents a pyramid. Tijaax: a knife, liberation, obsidian. Obsidian, they say, acts as a mirror for the soul. Tijaax is a good day to ask for protection against enemies, temptations, and accidents. Natives of the sign of Tijaax can be doctors or healers, optimists, unaffected and peaceful, but they can also act with great force as a warrior.
Since I´m into the mystical aspects of Mayan culture, it´s all very interesting to me. Patricia also brought me some traditional incense used for rituals and blessings - it´s called copal and smells wonderful. It´s actually sap from a tree. Here is a little info I found online about the copal tree:
Similar to jade tree in appearance, copal wood sands to a smooth porcelain finish. Fresh pieces have an aromatic smell unlike copala which has little or no smell. They are two of sixty species of the Bursera tree found in Mexico. When dried this wood become light and flexibly strong. Characterized as a soft wood the tree thrives in higher elevations and is an aggressive grower. Copal branches can be very fragrant depending on the time of year they are pruned. Before wood carving became popular, copal tree resin was primarily used to make incense and it's berries were a common cure for acne. The incense was regarded as a seeing instrument for the Mayans and considered a form of protection against sorcery, illness, and misfortune. The incense still burns in many Mexican churches today for the purpose of making the body ritually clean. The dried resin, when burned, projects an odor similar to frankincense but with a lighter, citrus tone.

¡Y qué rico huele! (It smells so good!) Little by little, I´m learning more about Mayan culture. Hopefully next cuatri I will be able to learn more. Actually, today I was talking with some other UNO professors and they invited me to go visit a nearby Mayan village because they are doing research there. That should happen in January when we start up with school again. Also, Patricia has told me about some Mayan spiritual guides and healers who are located not too far away. (Hopefully I won´t be getting sick, though!) Needless to say, there is much to discover about another way of living here in Yucatán.
We have just two more work days and then a day to get packed up, because on Saturday night I will be flying home! It is going to be a great Christmas this year in Bethlehem. Tonight is our department work party at Casa Italia, a local (and deliciously authentic) Italian restaurant. It should be fun!

Another day closer

Today at work we talked about the new course packet we´re creating for next cuatrimestre. Oddly, it was really the first time we´ve all sat down and talked about our ideas about teaching and materials as a whole department. This past cuatri, it was always the intention of our coordinator to do it, but time was hard to find. Of course, it was interesting to hear where people are coming from and it was a productive meeting. Tomorrow we will continue to work on the sections we have been assigned (I am working with a colleague on modal auxiliaries), compiling traditional grammar explanations, practice activities, and content-specific applications of the material for the students´ course packet. It´s not my favorite part of teaching, but it´s gotta be done.
And one more day done means another day closer to Christmas in PA! It seems impossible that it´s the middle of December. Today was a beautiful day in Valladolid. Well, it´s time to go home and I´m going to start packing for my trip. I´ve got a lot of presents to squeeze into my luggage! ; )

Top 10

Last time, I promised you some Top 10 lists. You may not have known what I was talking about then, but today I'm going to share with you two lists: the Top 10 Things About Living In Mexico and the Top 10 Things I Miss About the U.S. Here we go!

Top 10 Things About Living In Yucatan, Mexico

10. Caribbean aquamarine waters and white=sand beaches are a $5 bus ride away

9. Old school VW beetles are the most common vehicle

8. Here in Yucatan, hammocks = beds

7. My own little apartment

6. My laundry and cleaning are done by someone else

5. Tropical fruits, exotic foliage, rainbows...and the clouds here are spectacular!

4. Learning about Mayan and Mexican cultures

3. Sunshine & 80 degrees = no winter coat

2. Speaking in Spanish every day

1. University teaching job with lots of opportunities!

Top 10 Things I Miss About the United States

10. "A hike in the woods" doesn't involve scorpions, tarantulas, copperheads, or jaguars

9. Yoga class

8. My comfort zone

7. Wegman's and Whole Foods...VARIETY!

6. Kale, arugula, hummus, goat cheese, and vegetarian options in general

5. Easy access to good, live music

4. Strict safety and health regulations

3. Drinking the water

2. "Blending in"

1. Family, friends, cats and dog!

I will be home in one week! I am so thankful for being able to come home for the holidays and I can't wait to see everyone. To me, cold is just a concept right now; I'll have to adapt real fast to the PA winter.

Christmas is coming so soon. It's a bit surreal to wander around Valladolid and see Virgin Mary decorations with red, green, and yellow lights blinking, and fake Christmas trees lit up in corners of thatched-roof houses, next to the hammocks. Today is actually the celebration of the Virgen de Guadalupe, and it's a big holy day here. For the past few days people have been gearing up, many of them making a pilgrimage to a famous church in Merida to commemorate the occurrence of a miracle. In the pilgrimages, one person runs with a torch and people follow behind, sometimes on bicycles, sometimes on buses or in cars. I saw one procession two days ago and it was very striking visually.

Just four more work days! Right now we're working on gathering materials and planning for next cuatri. And it turns out the Law Enforcement English course we had been scheduled to teach this week will be postponed until 2010 because it's a busy time of year for Valladolid's Tourist Police Force. We'll be having a department Christmas party for Departamento de Idiomas on Tuesday, and then a university Christmas party on Thursday which is supposed to be a real blow-out. Other than that, I am busy getting my Christmas shopping done and starting to prepare myself for the next round of international travel!

11 days and counting...

....until I´m back in Pennsylvania for the holidays! It´s starting to feel a bit like Christmas here in Valladolid, mostly because the days are getting shorter. It gets dark just before 6 pm here now. People have been putting up Christmas decorations and blinking lights all over town. At UNO, maintenance put up a bunch of lights in the conical shape of a tree and a manger scene at the entrance to the university, and in the office, we have a little, fake Christmas tree which adds a nice, festive touch. Next week we´re going to have an office dinner and we´ll do a Secret Santa gift exchange which should be fun.
Things sure are much quieter at UNO without the students. It´s been pretty easy to get work done, so that has been good. Other good news is that I submitted the grades for all three of my classes yesterday and today I finished making the extraordinarios - the exams that students who failed the course must take if they are to continue on in their studies without having to repeat it next year. A few of my students did fail - mostly the ones who missed class too much! Overall, though, my students did well and I am glad to be done with all that grading. Here´s an example of something I included on an exam to assess students´ knowledge of vocabulary for family members:Of course, there´s tons of end-of-semester stuff that keeps coming up: documents, files, emails, self-evaluations, etc. Not to mention, yesterday I e-mailed every single student their grade, and for some unknown reason, there was a completely horrendous computer glitch, causing all the emails to be returned to me!! I am frustrated because I told my students I would send them all their grades on Monday (and I DID, but fate stepped in and now I´ll have to do it all over again. Ugh, just when I felt like I was getting somewhere). We got notification today that we are still not able to use the university´s email system to mail externally and they are trying to fix it, and we should try to send them again later. Pero así es la vida...
Other news is that for three hours a day, for four days next week, my supervisor, Miguel, and I will be teaching basic English to a group of police officers from Valladolid. I guess the course could be called Law Enforcement English! It should be quite interesting (though I did not expect to be teaching during that last week, let alone doing something so different from what I normally do at UNO). It will be more work, for sure, but it will also be something very interesting and unique on the old resume.

The sun is starting to set now, so I´ll wrap it up here...stay tuned for my upcoming TOP 10 lists!

exams for 65

If you´ve ever designed both written and oral exams, administered them, and assigned grades for 65 students in one week, my hat is off to you. I am currently in the middle of that process and it is exhausting. Needless to say, I am getting anxious for a nice, long vacation for the holidays that is just a couple weeks away. I can smell the Christmas cookies baking...
It was pretty hot here in Valladolid today - probably about 90 degrees. It´s much cooler at night, though. Because of my upcoming visit back to PA, I have been having fantasies about sweaters and boots and I hope it´s not too much of a shock to go back to the cold, east coast winter.
Well, I am just sitting here at work waiting to catch a ride home with my colleague so I thought I´d write a few words. Buenas noches a tod@s y que les vayan bien!

She sells seashells by the seashore

For me, every day is different here in Mexico. Some days I am acutely aware of the poverty and dangers, as well as the distance I am from home; other days I find myself swept up in the more romantic, exotic aspects of this tropical existence. For example, yesterday I saw a huge, dead scorpion on the street and two people with severely debilitating health problems, and I felt far away from all my friends and family on Thanksgiving. (Of course, I was so thankful for having a great turkey dinner on Wednesday and for having the ability to talk with my family.) Then, today I bought a bag of fresh, peeled fruits for about 75 cents and my favorite sweet snack (cocada de limón) at the market on my way to work, and later I´ll go to meet up with some family friends, the Overks, who are vacationing in Tulum. It will be great to see them!
As for the job, we are nearing the end of the cuatrimestre here at UNO. I will give all my classes their final exam next week. It´s not going to be possible to cover all of the material due to missed classes because of the holiday last week and schedule changes due to sick colleagues, but I would prefer that my students learn fewer topics more in depth than the other way around. I may even have some of them next cuatri anyway!
One interesting thing that happened last week was that I was sharing a bunch of tongue twisters in English with my students, and I asked if there are any Mayan tongue twisters, and one of my students performed one. It was really amazing to hear it, and if I can, I will try to get it recorded somehow.
I´m really looking forward to coming home for the holidays in just about three weeks! Well, I´d better get back to working on this exam. Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto..."

We celebrated Thanksgiving a day early here in Valladolid at the Universidad de Oriente - and we went all out! The English department hosted a dinner for about about 30 university faculty and staff members and we cooked everything in the university's industrial kitchen, right alongside our students (chefs-in-training) who were taking a final exam. I was making the salad as they were busily whisking bechamels, pureeing vegetables, and simmering tomato sauces. I felt like I was making Thanksgiving on the set of Top Chef!
As for our meal, we made two large turkeys, and we had a huge pan of stuffing, a large pitcher of gravy, an enormous pot of mashed potatoes, and another of mashed sweet potatoes. We also had a big salad and some peas and carrots. For dessert, one of the UNO faculty members made three amazing pumpkin pies from scratch (the local pumpkins are very much in season) and we made our own as well: two huge pans of apple crisp. We had vanilla ice cream to go with both.
Cooking in the huge UNO kitchen was great (and a nice change from the little kitchenette in my apartment). It was interesting, as well, to get the chance to see my Gastronomy students in their element, wearing chefs' whites, cooking up a storm.
Everyone ate a lot and it was a big success, I would say, based on the empty plates and bowls. Overall, all of us in the English department put a lot of effort into it and it was a lot of work, but it felt great to be involved in something culturally familiar, and to have our Mexican colleagues here be so enthusiastic to share in the experience. And of course, I love a good turkey dinner!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

comments welcome!

Hey everyone,
I just changed my settings so if you've wanted to leave comments, but haven't been able to because you didn't know how to navigate the Spanish headings and subheadings to become a seguidor, your worries are over (or they should be anyway)! I would love to hear your comments and input about anything I've been writing about. Let me know if the comments (comentarios) thing works now, too.
I went through a couple busy weeks what with work and Josh's visit, but I'm glad to have a bit of time this weekend to catch up on the blog. I hope you hadn't given up on me!
Many of you are getting ready for Thanksgiving this week - I hope it's beautiful for you, wherever you are. Do me a favor and enjoy the best American holiday there is, and I'll let you know how ours goes too. We're cooking a feast for faculty as part of the English department's cultural contributions to the campus, and I'm excited to see if it turns out as authentic as we hope...

Mayan prophecies

Has anyone gone to see that movie, "2012" yet? I saw the trailer and it looks like a real blockbuster. I don't think they are showing it in Yucatan, but I could be wrong.

I was watching an interesting youtube video earlier about the Mayan calendar and the predictions and prophecies for the coming years. Just so you know, it is not all doom and gloom down here. From what I understand, people seem to believe that the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 is the beginning of a new age, a new conception of time, and a breaking away from the limits and parameters of our lives as we presently know them to be. They explain that our consciousness is evolving and things in the universe are happening and changing more rapidly. It might be pretty far out for some, but I think spiritual evolution is a good thing. I am hoping to get a chance to speak with some of the professors at UNO in the Mayan Linguistics and Culture department to pick their brains about the Mayan calendar some more.

BONUS:

Here's a cool link where you can find your Mayan Astrology sun sign! (The link is at the bottom of the page.)

www.mayanmajix.com/TZOLKIN/DT/DT.html

Viva la Revolucion!

Today is another major holiday - the celebration of the Mexican Revolution! The banks are closed and my students have been practicing all week for the big desfile (des FEEL ay), or parade, that is making its way through town as I write this blog. On the one hand, it's been nice to have a sort of relaxed week: no school Monday for the official holiday and no classes today (though I'll be at work anyway); and Tuesday through Thursday, it seemed that my students had to leave to practice their pyramid formations and marching orders just as class was supposed to begin. On the other hand, we are getting so close to the end of the cuatrimestre (2 weeks from today!) and I still have material get through. It is definitely a cultural learning experience, though. Holidays are really taken seriously here. I think another factor is that, since tourism is such a big part of UNO and because Yucatecan culture is a major tourist attraction, students are really encouraged to be involved in cultural events. But, suffice it to say, we did not have much class time this week. Next week will be very busy!
Today was the last day of my Hotel English course. I am happy with how it turned out and I really enjoyed working with my two groups at Meson del Marques. I don't know if we will repeat the course with another group next cuatrimestre or if we will expand it and take it to other hotels or what, but it's a possibility anyway. It was a great experience to develop the course and to have the opportunity to present it twice and tailor it as I went along. It was also a great thing to work with actual hotel employees, many of whom represent what my present UNO students will be doing in the future. It gave me a new perspective on what information is most relevant for my university students.
Well, more soon...BTW, Josh is back in the states and we had a great time here in Yucatan! So glad he could be my first visitor!

Celebracion de octavario

I wanted to write a blog about Hanal Pixan (pronounced ha-nahl pee-shan), the Mayan Day of the Dead (Nov. 1-2), but it's taken me a while to get around to it. It is a very sacred holiday here in Yucatan. The meaning of Hanal Pixan is "food for the souls" and I think more than just feeding the souls of the departed, the offerings of this holiday feed the souls of the living. I think it is a beautiful tradition that offers a healthy perspective on loss and mortality. To celebrate it, I decided to set up my own little altar at home, to pay respect to my ancestors and to the people who are no longer with us. Following tradition, I bought special sweets (including a coconut cake with candied lime zest that is out of this world!), fruits, and a gourd bowl at the farmers' market. I had special candles, incense, and flowers, as well as items with significance to the departed, and I set them up on my kitchen counter.

On the 8th day after Hanal Pixan, there is another celebration. Today, being the 8th day, we celebrated the octavario at UNO. The students and faculty all built altars around the open area you see when you first enter the campus. The altars are built of sticks and palms, and flowers, branches, banana leaves, and offerings are placed on them. Many people dressed in traditional Yucatecan clothing (women in huipiles and men in white guayaberas, white slacks, and light-colored straw hats). Offerings included peeled oranges and tangerines, gourd bowls filled with atole (a sweet drink made from corn), candles, tamales or chachacuas, sweet pumpkin seed candies, and other items that represent things that the ancestors loved. For example, some altars had bottles of liquor, photos of loved ones, tobacco, etc. Interestingly, several altars had printed pictures of Michael Jackson for their altars! Incense was lit, Mayan prayers were said, and once it was dark, candles were lit as well. It was really beautiful and the students were very into the entire process. (They also didn't have any academic classes today because of the activities!)
My brother, Josh, arrived in Valladolid yesterday and he timed it perfectly: He was able to see the campus in the midst of one of its most beautiful cultural traditions and Hurricane Ida had just barely gone on her way towards the Gulf, skirting the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Josh took some photos that I hope to share with you in the future so you can see the amazing effort that went into the altars and get a sense of the reverence for the preservation of Mayan culture that is found at UNO.
Tomorrow I will take him to the mercado in the morning for juice and breakfast, and then he will take in some of the sights and sounds of Valladolid, as well as a nearby cenote (a sacred sinkhole/natural well of the ancient Maya)!

English Classes @ Hotel El Mesón del Marqués

So my classes at the hotel have commenced and they have been going well. We finished our fourth class today. I am enjoying the change of scenery and, so far, there are a few real advantages. First of all, there is wireless internet. Second, we have a small class size of only 10 students. Third, the students are really motivated and excited because they are getting free English classes. A minor drawback is the fact that our "classroom" is actually a small hotel room that has been cleared out except for two long tables and enough chairs for everyone. so while we have air conditioning, there is no whiteboard and there is nowhere to hang big paper. The size of the room means that our group work options are limited as well. But yesterday, for example, there was no electricity in Valladolid because they were working on some city project, which meant we didn´t have internet. I was so glad that I had printed out the part of my lesson that involved the internet (Plan B saves the day!) so I was able to present the lesson without any interruption to the flow. It also meant that we had to use the executive meeting room, but it was neat to teach in a beautiful room with beautiful oil paintings and a big wooden table and french doors!
Today we covered a lot of new hotel vocabulary and did an information gap activity in which some students filled in a grid with information about their "guests´" needs and preferences and the other students pretended to be guests making a reservation. These students are very interested in improving their pronunciation but seem fairly unfamiliar with task-based language learning, as many of them have not done any formal language study. Tomorrow we will talk about giving information and small talk.
Next week, I will be working with a different group, and the following week I will meet again for a week with the first group. It will give me a chance to fine-tune my lessons and get to know more employees at the hotel.
Needless to say, I am staying busy here. I am looking forward to the celebration of Hanal Pixan (the Mayan Day of the Dead) on Monday because it is a day off from work!

R&R

I had a really nice weekend in Cancún. I was there with my friend, Jo, who I just met recently because she came to Valladolid for my friend Erica´s wedding. (Jo´s returning to Colombia today to continue her travels there. Have fun and safe travels, Jo!!)
We stayed at a nice, inexpensive hostel in Cancún City (a short bus ride from the Hotel Zone). Saturday was a good beach day, and then yesterday a storm threatened but it never really ended up raining, so we just walked along the beach and I had a chance to buy some things that I can´t find in Valladolid. (I even got a latte at Starbucks!) On Sunday, there were dark clouds and a few light showers and lots of wind most of the day, but then it cleared up by late afternoon.
It was the first time I had been back to Cancún since the trip I made with my grandmother almost 10 years ago, and it seems to me that a lot has changed. It seemed more modern, bigger, and better! It was interesting to see Cancún fairly deserted and the beaches were totally empty. Tourism is really at a low point right now. I´m sure I´ll want to stay away during Spring Break, but it´s pretty cool to be able to hop on a bus, and 2 hours and about $10 US later, arrive in Cancún!
The storm that skirted the coast must have moved a lot of cool air through the whole peninsula because last night was very COOL in Valladolid and today is absolutely gorgeous - breezy and about 70-75 degrees (at least for now).
Well, I´ve got to grade some exams and work on developing the Hotel English course now. Hasta pronto!

Hello, Bonjour!

Today I tried my Hello, Bonjour! activity on a group of students that are generally less proficient. There are also a couple in the class who are decidedly unmotivated...but today I had everyone sit in a circle, and we read through the lyrics of a song I had prepared to have blanks where the articles (a/an/the) should be. They were not familiar with the song at all but they did very well with predictions! Then we listened to the song, which has a fun, upbeat, reggae beat. They read along with the lyrics and asked to hear it again when it was over. : )

This lesson worked well, I think, because I first elicited from the students what they already knew about the grammar that we learned in the last class, then I raised their awareness to the importance of listening to the first sound of a word to determine the indefinite article, then we went through the lyrics bit by bit and talked about the reasons why we choose a instead of the, or vice versa. And the fact that the chorus says "Hola, Hola" helped too! But I am glad they liked it, and it actually got them asking other, more global questions. Like, one student asked me, "Teacher, why in the lyrics of songs they don´t follow the rules?"

That´s the kind of discovery that you hope for as a teacher!

Unas noticias...

1. Last night my friends, Erica & Jorge, got married in Valladolid. Erica teaches English and French at UNO, and she just started this fall as well, so as long as I´ve known her, she´s been planning this wedding! Her family came from Montreal and Jorge´s from Mexico City. Everything was beautiful and we had a great night. There were piña coladas, mariachis, and a beautiful and delicious cake made by some of the Gastronomy students at UNO. Erica looked gorgeous and Jorge sang to her backed by the mariachis. Congratulations, you two!!





2. I´ll be developing this Hospitality English course over the next week and then it will start on Monday Oct. 26. It´s going to be four weeks long with 90 minute classes everyday. Each week, I´ll meet with different groups of the hotel´s staff to work on basic communication skills and pragmatics in the hospitality industry. It is a really exciting challenge and I´m looking forward to the chance to gain experience in English for Specific Purposes and to teach in an non-traditional "classroom."




3. Yesterday I had to kill a scorpion that was on my bathroom ceiling and the other night, I avoided a confrontation with a tarantula as I was leaving campus. The scorpion is not featured in the photo below, but you can imagine.....

4. After a long, arduous week, I´m going to Cancun tomorrow for a bit of R & R!

My 13th blog on October 13th

Whether or not you are superstitious, I hope you will read on! I am just writing a short update because I found out today that for my fourth English class, I will be doing something different than originally planned - I will not be teaching TOEFL; instead, I will be teaching hospitality English at a hotel here in town!
My supervisor wants me to design the course and I am really looking forward to it. I have a lot of work to do, obviously, but it will be really cool to be working with the community and getting some experience in English for Specific Purposes. And yet again, my coursework at MIIS will come in handy - for one of my elective courses, I designed an online Moodle course with two classmates in Hotel English! (Thank you, Natalie Nussli!)
Also, I will be helping the program coordinator this afternoon with some hiring decisions. We will be testing the written and oral English proficiency of a small group of applicants for a computer lab assistant position here at UNO, and I am anxious to put to use the valuable training I have had in assessment.
Well, back to work...There are projects to grade, exams to write, lessons to plan, and so much more!
Have a great day!

Doing what I came here to do...

Welcome to UNO!

The Language Department Office (in Spanish and Maya)

The office

A classroom

The main classroom building

UNO´s architecture

The campus pet: Una! She´s a sweetheart!

I told you I would talk about teaching in this blog, so it´s about time I include something about what really brought me all the way to Mexico: my job! So far, working at UNO is wonderful. I have a lot of freedom in terms of the material I cover, the way that I teach it, and how I assess the students´ learning. In other words, this university´s language department is a very comfortable place for a person like me to work! Without a doubt, I can say that the Monterey Institute prepared me well for this. I know what I believe about learning and teaching, and it is so nice to be able to put my philosophy into action.

I am presently teaching three classes (because there are still not enough people signed up for the evening TOEFL course). All of my students are in their first cuatrimestre (freshmen) at the university, and we are covering very basic English language skills. Two of the groups are studying Tourism and the other group is studying Gastronomy. In all, I have about 65 students.

For me, the biggest challenges have been logistical so far. Let´s just say I´m not a linear thinker.

I´m not very methodical. And OK, I admit it, I´m organizationally challenged. I´ve had to develop a system (and modify it as I go) to keep track of materials, lesson plans, quizzes, projects, due dates, GRADES, homework, participation, and attendance. We´re about halfway through the cuatri now, and I´ve managed to keep it together, but it´s not easy! Also challenging is that the classes are mixed level, and within each group, there is a pretty big range of proficiency. Not only that, but of the three groups, one is significantly higher, one is much lower, and one is somewhere in-between, so a lot of modifications are necessary. For my lower groups, I have to use a significant amount of Spanish, for both course content and logistical/management issues. Sometimes it´s just a matter of providing clarification on an assignment or task, other times it´s because I feel like my words are being met with blank stares. I also use Spanish to make cross-linguistic comparisons (aka contrastive analysis, for all you linguists out there), which I have found to be very helpful, particularly with the students who really like language. Of course, not all of them do, and there are occasional classroom management issues...but that is also something I am prepared for (thanks, Vitalistic!), and for those moments, often body language alone will suffice!

With beginners, I have realized, it´s important to establish some very basic rules and expectations of communication. For example, "If you don´t understand, tell me." They are finally catching on! I try to be transparent with my students a lot of the time, explaining to them about the skills I am focusing on in a particular activity, explaining to them why I have had them work together, etc.

For the most part, the students are wonderful and I hope they are learning in English class. They are coming to class on time, turning in their assignments and doing their homework, and participating in class. They are smiling and asking questions, and I take that as a sign that they are enjoying the class.

For a recent lesson on Imperatives, I had students create a Top 10 list of Classroom Rules in groups of 2 or 3, and then as a whole group, we voted and ranked our Top 10. To provide them with even more practice, I was able to RECYCLE a lesson I made at MIIS using Dear Abby letters. I had students come up with simple imperatives to give their own Dear Abby advice (yay for authentic materials!).

I´ve also assigned a first project for all of my students: a Food Journal. They have to keep track of all of the food they eat for a total of three days: what it was, how much of it, what time it was, where they ate it, who they were with, what they were doing while they ate it, and how they felt. I´ve received, graded, and handed back the first part of this project: Day 1. This is where the logistics comes in: balancing how long it takes to grade the assignments for a class, when the class meets and when their next assignment is due, and how long it will take in class to go over the information they need to know as they work on the next step (Days 2 and 3). Not to mention, keeping track of who hasn´t turned in Day 1, recording grades for everyone else, and handing back the papers. (I know, I know: "Welcome to teaching." Don´t get me wrong - I know it´s all going to get easier in time, but for those of you who think teaching is an easy, breezy lifestyle of summers, weekends, and holidays off - think again!)

Today was a particularly good day, lessons-wise. I came into work feeling ready for the weekend, but I managed to put together a pretty successful 2-hour lesson on Determiners and Articles. I did some language awareness-raising, some straight-up deductive grammar, and I read from Sandra Cisneros´book, The House On Mango Street, and had them tally the number of times they heard me say a, an, or the. I also did some individual and group work with a previous jigsaw reading on traditional Yucatecan foods in which they had to identify indefinite and definite articles as well as plural nouns.

Something I would really like to do more frequently is incorporating technology into my lessons. I find that it´s not as easy for me to do here, because I have to plan at least 24 hours ahead if I´m going to reserve a computer cable or CD player, and I also have to bring my laptop to work, which is not always feasible. But, I hope that with time and experience, it will get easier and I will improve in my abilities to look ahead and build it in more often. I´m planning a lesson with the Michael Franti song "Hello, Bonjour" for next week, so I´ll let you know how it goes.

Well, I am definitely ready for the weekend! Hard to believe that October will be half over by next week...Time is flying!

Too funny!

I just recorded an audio commercial for the UNO English classes which begin next week and are open to community members. One of the ways they advertise here in Mexico, though, is via bullhorns attached to cars driving around town! Everyone in Valladolid will be hearing me in the streets saying "This is your chance to be more competitive in today´s market, and English is the key to your success!" LOL - How do I get myself into these things??

Aventuras y excursiones...

I´m still trying to figure out how to do a Picasa slideshow from my "limited administrative access" work computer! In the meantime, I will post a select few pictures from my most recent trip to Tulum this past weekend.

It was a pilgrimage of sorts - I had been dreaming of going to this place for a long time! So this past Saturday I took the bus from Valladolid and got there at about 11 AM. I checked into a youth hostel and took the free shuttle to the beach at noon. As we turned onto the road to la playa and I caught a first glimpse of the Caribbean, I admit, I got a little verklempt. It is an ultimate paradise...

And this is me...

because I was surrounded by this....

I can hear you all clicking away on your keyboards right now, looking up the next flight to Mexico! (As you should!)

I was able to go snorkeling there, and I saw beautiful fluorescent-colored fish, sea turtles, a bright green and black eel, and a 5 foot-long barracuda! And the barracuda was not too shy - It wanted a piece of me, my snorkel guide told me later, because I had on a shiny necklace that shimmered like a silver sardine. The last thing I need is a barracuda to the jugular - luckily, Isaí, the expert snorkeler and el capitan, shooed it away and had me tuck my necklace away.

From the boat, we were able to get a different perspective of the ruins at Tulum.

I didn´t get to visit the ruins this trip, but since it´s only an hour and a half away and about $6 US by bus, I will be going back soon....Wouldn´t you?

UNO Fiesta, Part 2

If for some reason you don´t believe that I sang karaoke at the Fiesta Mexicana, check out this link:

http://www.uno.edu.mx/contenido/mostrar.php?id=270

You´ll see a picture of me up on stage!

-S

EQUINOX AT CHICHÉN ITZÁ

Hey y´all,


You probably know that the Maya built their cities with great precision, aligning the structures with the calendar, the cosmos, and other cities in the Mayan empire. According to legend, on the equinox, Kukulkan (the feathered serpent god) descended to earth*, and the Maya represented this in their building of the pyramid. As you see, the serpent´s head is illuminated and the pyramid´s shadows create a serpent tail that is only visible twice a year: on the autumnal and spring equinoxes.


I happened to be right in the "neighborhood" of Chichén Itzá yesterday because I was staying in Yokdzonot (Yoke-zo-NOTE) for the weekend, but because I had to get to work back in Valladolid, I couldn´t stay for the event (which is supposedly quite crowded). I found an image on wikimedia that shows exactly what happens, though, for your enjoyment.









During the spring equinox on March 21, 2010, we will have a day off from UNO, so I´ll hope to see it then with my own eyes and take some photos of my own!


-Sylvia





NOTE:
*Please feel free to correct any historical innacuracies on my part. (DAD - You have a lot more knowledge than I do about the ancient Maya!)

UNO Fiesta!

So today was the big university fiesta for Mexican Independence Day! Everyone went all out - there were booths for games, contests, and prizes. They and set up a stage with lights and a huge sound system. Several of my students were the emcees and they were awesome! The gastronomy students prepared quesadilla, sopes, tostadas, empanadas, tortas, horchata, jamaica, tamarindo... There was even a mechanical bull ride (and NO, I did NOT ride the bull.) .... But.... I did sing karaoke : ) You know I can´t resist - and there was definitely a bit of peer pressure involved, as well, from both my students and my colleagues.
It was very hot and sunny today, but under the tents it was just hot. Then, right before my karaoke debut, the clouds started to roll in and the breeze kicked up, and I could see the storm approaching. When I got up on stage, the students cheered and people gathered all around because no other teachers sang. Some of my students were videotaping me and taking pictures, and though I didn´t know it at the time, the three students who were emcee-ing were dancing in formation behind me! Then, as I was singing, I looked up and there was a huge rainbow! Sometimes I need a little push, I guess, but overall, it was really fun and I´m sure my students were surprised to see me up on stage. In fact, I´ll probably be known as the karaoke teacher from now until eternity, but I suppose that is who I am... *Oh, and in case you´re wondering, I sang "Fever" by Peggy Lee : )
So tomorrow is Friday, and it looks like my colleagues and I will have to wait to go to Mérida until next weekend instead to finish up our immigration stuff. This weekend I have been invited to visit with my friend Erica and her fiancé, Jorge, at their property near Chichén Itzá. It will be cool to see their place and perhaps go to a cenote or some ruins on Saturday.
I will post some photos from the Independence Day celebration in Valladolid and some of the UNO fiesta when I get a chance.
¡Besos y abrazos desde Valladolid!

El Día de la Independencia de México

It´s Monday, and I´m recovering from a bit of a cold. Last week took a toll on me! So far, today has not been too stressful, though, which is nice. The big news in the office is that we´re all planning a party for tomorrow night for Mexican Independence Day! It will be fun to hang out with everyone outside of work and to see Valladolid really come alive. In the past few days I have seen people all over town put up decorations and begin to prepare for the big night. Every day I hear groups of boys practicing drums and trumpets in the central plaza and see dance troupes practicing in the community hall.
Apparently, at around 11:00 pm on September 15 (or midnight of September 16), all over Mexico you can hear the call (el grito): "Mexicanos, viva Mexico!" Then, everyone joins in singing the national anthem. It is going to be a big night here in Valladolid, though I would bet the enormous central plaza in D.F. (Mexico City) will be in the realm of Time´s Square on New Year´s Eve - probably even bigger. This holiday is much more important in Mexico than Cinco de Mayo, contrary to popular belief in the US. Wednesday, there are no classes at UNO and I imagine most of Valladolid will be sleeping off their hangovers - at least, that is what I have been told! Then Thursday we will have a campus-wide party to celebrate, so we will not be teaching then either. We will be working though, assisting with the set-up and stuff.
The weather is super hot and humid here in Yucatán. I am hoping to take a little trip to the beach this weekend, but I might have to go to Mérida for some visa stuff. Either way, it will be nice to see someplace new.

"Profa," "Teacher," or "Miss"

I can still hear the students´ voices saying "Teacher" from two, back-to-back, 2-hour Tourism classes. Today, one student called me "Profa" and, I must admit, it felt grand... Tomorrow is Friday - I am almost done with my first week! The lesson planning and delivery has been intense, but I am starting to feel comfortable with my role here. Next week, we will be celebrating Mexican Independence Day, so classes will not be held on September 16 or 17! (Love this country!)
The teaching part is starting to gel, I guess. It is a lot all at once to be faced with 65 new faces and names (Mayan names), and to have no idea what they already know, or how much of what I say is being absorbed and understood. (My fourth class - TOEFL for community members - begins in two weeks, adding a few more faces to the mix.) It´s also a challenge getting to know the students´linguistic comfort zone and establishing an mode of communication that feels balanced. I have to explain a lot of things in Spanish right now, which is humbling at times, but there is no better way to illustrate to my students that accuracy is not everything. Learning language is about making mistakes and communicating ideas, and there is no finish line where you can say "I´ve learned all there is to know." I think it also illustrates the value of learning a second language, because students can see that I use Spanish to clarify and reinforce what would otherwise be incomprehensible. OK, I´ll get off my soap-box now...
I am really pleased with my colleagues at UNO. Everyone is very good-natured, relaxed, and interested in being a good teacher. The immigration stuff is being processed in Mérida this weekend, so I will hopefully get my work visa soon. But I´m not holding my breath because you know how these things go...there are always happy, little surprises!
I hope to take some photos of the UNO campus soon to give an idea of what it´s like. Maybe my students can create a virtual campus tour...
Well, I´m off...exhausted...and it´s past time to get out of here!

EK BALAM

Ek Balam is a relatively new site of Mayan ruins. It was only excavated during the past 10 years. It is smaller in area, but very impressive nonetheless. It is also less crowded than Chichén Itzá. Plus, you can climb the pyramid, whereas in Chichén they have prohibited access to the pyramid. I learned that Ek Balam was primarily a city for trade, as opposed to purposes related to religious ceremonies. It is only a few kilometers away from Valladolid. There is a cenote there as well, so after getting some sun and some exercise, you can take a dip in the cool water!

VALLADOLID

This is la Catedral de San Servacio. It is in the center of town, and I believe it is about 150 years old. It is quite impressive, and very much a symbol of Valladolid.

The park in el centro is very traditional, and it is a lovely place to relax. There are always families hanging out, guys selling popsicles, and random dogs looking for a snack.

Student Orientation

Classes begin on Monday, and today is the last day of student orientation. All the new students have been put into groups and sent on a scavenger hunt of sorts. All the members of the group have to hold onto a long rope as they run around the campus to complete their "missions." This morning, they have been coming into the language department and giggling nervously when we tell them that they must answer some questions in English.
They are very cute and seem excited to be starting university. They are all about 18 years old, and many of them have grown up with Maya as their primary language. Most are bilingual in Maya and Spanish, and I am aware that their levels of English proficiency are generally quite low. I can tell this teaching opportunity will be full of interesting challenges...
We follow a cuatrimestre system here, so the new students will start at level 1 and be at level 3 by the end of the year. The returning students are all level 4 and will be in the same groups that they were in last year. I am teaching four classes this cuatri: Tourism 1A and 1B, Gastronomy 1B, and an Intermediate level TOEFL course that is for community members preparing to take the TOEFL exam. My classes are all in the afternoon and evening. TOEFL will not start up until the third week of September, which is nice. Since it is for community members, it is taught from 7-9 pm - kind of late, but I prefer it to 7 am!
Today I will continue planning for next week, and prepare a basic outline of my assignments through December. I am sure it will take some time to get into a routine, but I am looking forward to meeting my students and doing what I spent the past two years preparing for!

First day

I am taking advantage of the free time we´ve had today in the office to create this blog. It´s my first day, and I´ve already met my new colleagues in the departamento de idiomas and toured the modest, but very modern campus at my new place of work: Universidad de Oriente (UNO) . The campus is still in its beginning stages, and they hope to have begun construction of the library by next year. They have some really unique facilities already, though. There are three brand new computer labs, two large lecture halls, a radio and TV broadcasting studio, a model of a hotel front desk and guest bedroom (for tourism students), and a fully functioning industrial kitchen (for the gastronomy students)! Eat your heart out, Top Chef! I am definitely impressed, and I was relieved to find out that our office has powerful AC. There is a cafeteria with outdoor seating, and I ate empanadas for lunch. They cost about one dollar. I was joined by several colleagues, and the official dog of UNO - whose name is - appropriately -Una. There are also snakes and tarantulas on campus, and previous students in the Mayan Linguistics and Culture program have built a traditional Maya palapa (hut) which is a sort of sanctuary for anyone who wants to take a break.
We will find out our teaching schedules very soon. The earliest classes are taught at 7 am (!) and the last class is taught from 7-9 pm. The new students are on campus today for orientation, and they all applauded us when we were briefly introduced as the new English teachers. I do know that I will be teaching a TOEFL Prep course for students and community members who are interested in pursuing a Master´s degree. I don´t yet know about the other 3 courses I will be teaching, but I am inspired by the fact that there are some great materials to choose from and our program coordinator, Miguel, is getting his Master´s in Innovations in Education. He would like to use the Moodle in our courses. I never thought I´d say this, but luckily for me, I took an elective course in Moodling, so I am pretty familiar with the technology.
The weather is very hot and humid, and during the rainy season the bug, puffy, white clouds gather and turn dark every evening, sprinkling the ground with rain just a bit. Last night I took the bus from Cancun to Valladolid. We passed through many Maya villages and it gave me a chance to see their way of life. They live in huts made of palms and sticks with dirt floors. Many have no glass in their windows, but every property has hammocks inside and outside. I did see some TVs, though!
My colleagues seem really team-oriented and helpful. I get the feeling that we will be able to communicate well and everyone is laid back and motivated to teach, which makes me feel very comfortable in my new environment. The rest of the week will probably involve more talk about the syllabus, UNO policies and procedures, immigration stuff, lesson planning, etc.
I plan to explore Valladolid this evening and begin scouting for my apartment tonight or tomorrow. I hope to be able to maintain this blog fairly regularly, writing about my classroom experiences, cultural observations, and life in Yucatan in general.