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.