Today is the first day of the big conference here at UNO. We are primarily registering people and getting them all their materials and information. Surprisingly, we have actually been able to help more than I thought, particularly for those from Belize who speak a different Maya language, but English as well!
Tomorrow at 8 AM, we will be going to Chichén Itzá for the opening ceremony. I don´t know what to expect, but it will certainly be cool to be at Chichén as part of this interesting group of people from all over the Maya world (and the U.S., too).
I am hoping that my huipil will be ready tomorrow because Friday is the day I am supposed to wear it to the Maya wedding we are going to attend in Xocén. Friday will be a super long day because we are first going to the Ceremony of Sacred Fire which will be happening here at UNO at 5 AM!
I will have lots more to share once the Encuentro is over and I will probably be too busy in the next couple days to give any updates, but I wanted to give a brief picture of what is going on here at UNO.
¡Saludos a todos!
miércoles, 28 de julio de 2010
viernes, 23 de julio de 2010
Obra de Teatro
The third cuatrimestre Tourism A students just presented a play about Mexican/Yucatecan cultural identity and it was amazing. They wrote, directed, and produced it themselves, and did all the technical and behind-the-scenes work as well.
In the play, a man rejects his Yucatecan roots, refusing to speak Maya and observe the cultural traditions, even though it hurts his family. Our students dressed in huipiles and danced the jarana. Some of the guys were acting like village drunks and really got their roles pegged! José, the main character, goes to the United States with his wife and child to try to make a better life for them, and starts working at a travel agency. His "American," English-speaking co-workers ask him in really bad Gringo-accented Spanish : ) about his roots and he doesn´t know what to say, and feels ashamed. He fights with his wife, Lupe, because she speaks Maya and is proud of her heritage. Then she leaves him and returns to their village in Yucatán. Finally, José realizes the error of his ways, and goes back to win her back and to rediscover his Maya/Yucatecan heritage. The play ends with all the students on stage dancing the jarana.
All the students were perfect in their roles and took the production seriously. The costumes and set were excellent. The play had dialogue in THREE LANGUAGES: Maya, Spanish, and English. I was so impressed with their hard work and I truly feel privileged to have been their English teacher for two of the three cuatris this year, and to have gotten to know them.
At UNO, we are gearing up for the 10th Mayan Encuentro being held here, in which a couple hundred people involved in the academic world of Maya studies, as well as other, spiritual figures in the community (i.e., shamans and teachers) will converge in Valladolid next Wednesday through Saturday. Betsy and I are having our huipiles made in Chemax and we are going to go for a fitting some time next week, once the embroidery is done. We will be working with students, too, who will be serving as hospitality assistants to the delegates, being available to help direct them to their hotels, transportation, etc. In particular, we will be in charge of helping the Belize delegates in case some of them don´t speak Spanish (although I predict that our role will be pretty insignificant). Nonetheless, I am super excited to be a part of this event!
Well, it is just about time to go home for the weekend, so I will say hasta luego!
In the play, a man rejects his Yucatecan roots, refusing to speak Maya and observe the cultural traditions, even though it hurts his family. Our students dressed in huipiles and danced the jarana. Some of the guys were acting like village drunks and really got their roles pegged! José, the main character, goes to the United States with his wife and child to try to make a better life for them, and starts working at a travel agency. His "American," English-speaking co-workers ask him in really bad Gringo-accented Spanish : ) about his roots and he doesn´t know what to say, and feels ashamed. He fights with his wife, Lupe, because she speaks Maya and is proud of her heritage. Then she leaves him and returns to their village in Yucatán. Finally, José realizes the error of his ways, and goes back to win her back and to rediscover his Maya/Yucatecan heritage. The play ends with all the students on stage dancing the jarana.
All the students were perfect in their roles and took the production seriously. The costumes and set were excellent. The play had dialogue in THREE LANGUAGES: Maya, Spanish, and English. I was so impressed with their hard work and I truly feel privileged to have been their English teacher for two of the three cuatris this year, and to have gotten to know them.
At UNO, we are gearing up for the 10th Mayan Encuentro being held here, in which a couple hundred people involved in the academic world of Maya studies, as well as other, spiritual figures in the community (i.e., shamans and teachers) will converge in Valladolid next Wednesday through Saturday. Betsy and I are having our huipiles made in Chemax and we are going to go for a fitting some time next week, once the embroidery is done. We will be working with students, too, who will be serving as hospitality assistants to the delegates, being available to help direct them to their hotels, transportation, etc. In particular, we will be in charge of helping the Belize delegates in case some of them don´t speak Spanish (although I predict that our role will be pretty insignificant). Nonetheless, I am super excited to be a part of this event!
Well, it is just about time to go home for the weekend, so I will say hasta luego!
martes, 20 de julio de 2010
"El que domina la mente, lo domina todo."
The above dicho (or expression) means "He who masters the mind, masters everything." It was told to me by the head security guard (and my friend) at UNO, Don Moises. He is an interesting man who has a middle school education but lots and lots of knowledge about the natural world. He is Maya and has done many things in his life. He is about 50 years old, I would guess. He´s from a small village near Chichén Itzá and worked on the excavation of archaeological site there years ago. I really enjoy our pláticas (chats) because I always learn something new about Maya culture.
This afternoon, when I arrived at UNO, I decided to take a quick walk on the Interpretive Nature Trail before it rained. I walked to the end of the path, where we had the ceremony of Sacred Fire a month ago. I could hear the thunder of the approaching storm in the distance, and of course the birds and bugs buzzing around me. On my way back, I found a pretty feather. It is half gray and half blue, and I am pretty sure it comes from a Yucatan Jay, which is featured in the photo below.
Well, I have some exams to grade and some other work to do before class this evening, so I´ll say ciao for now!
This afternoon, when I arrived at UNO, I decided to take a quick walk on the Interpretive Nature Trail before it rained. I walked to the end of the path, where we had the ceremony of Sacred Fire a month ago. I could hear the thunder of the approaching storm in the distance, and of course the birds and bugs buzzing around me. On my way back, I found a pretty feather. It is half gray and half blue, and I am pretty sure it comes from a Yucatan Jay, which is featured in the photo below.
Well, I have some exams to grade and some other work to do before class this evening, so I´ll say ciao for now!
lunes, 19 de julio de 2010
Jets´ Meek´ - The Mayan Baptism Ceremony
Today we watched several students perform the Mayan Jets´ Meek´ (hets mek)ritual. It was part of their final presentation for the cuatri. The girls dressed in their traditional huipiles and the boys wore their traditional cotton guayabera-style shirts and light colored pants. They even brought a real baby! Only this baby wasn´t officially being baptized. She was 2 years old. The real baptism happens at 3 months for girls, and at 4 months for boys.
There is significance to every aspect of the ceremony, and everything is related to the gender roles in Mayan culture. The ceremony itself is short, taking only about 10 to 15 minutes total. It consists of the baby being carried around a table a specific number of times by the godparents. The number of turns they take around the table depends on if it´s a boy or a girl. With each turn, or vuelta, the godparent picks up an item from the selection that has been placed on the table. There are foods, as well as items such as a pen and notebook (so the child will be a good student) and gender-role related things as well. As the child is carried on the hip of their godparent (so their legs will develop and be strong as they grow up), all the attendees of the baptism eat pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and throw the shells behind the person and the child as they walk. This is done to help the child keep moving forward in life, or something along those lines.
While this wasn´t a real ceremony, it was really neat to see the students performing it because many had written about it in their Language Journals a couple weeks ago. It was difficult for me to imagine it at the time, so seeing it done really brought the tradition to life for me.
Lately, there have been lots of opportunities lately for becoming acquainted with Mexican and Mayan cultures. On Saturday, I went to Chemax (Chey-MASH)to meet with one of my students´ families with the intention of buying a huipil, which is the traditional dress of Maya women. It is usually a white dress, about knee-length, with brightly-colored embroidery along the collar and the bottom. Underneath, the women wear something called a justan, which is a skirt-slip with either a lace or crocheted border. Both Betsy and I are having huipiles made by my student´s wife. She will hand-embroider them and it will take her about 2 weeks. I am really excited about the final product because I was able to select the design myself, as well as the colors she will use. It is going to be something very special to me, for sure.
When we arrived to Chemax by bus (about 30 minutes from Valladolid), my student picked us up on his triciclo, which is a very cool contraption. It has a bike seat and a rear tire, but the front is a metal frame with a platform where people can sit or you can put firewood or various things. I held their young son as he rode us to their house, where we met the family (wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law) After we looked at the huipiles and talked and saw family photos, they invited us to stay for lunch. It was a wonderful afternoon.
Then yesterday, I was in Cancun and I spent the afternoon in the tianguis (tee-ANG-eez), which is a bustling open-air market. They sell everything there from clothing to foods (grilled shrimp, pozol, tortas, aguas frescas, etc.) to live animals and cookware. It is basically a big flea market. Then, after spending the day in the sun, I went to the beach for a swim (even though by that time it was raining!). While I was there I got my fair share of lots of live music, primarily African drumming and salsa. I was also able to go to Wal-Mart again and pick up a few things.
In all it was a great weekend, but I´m pretty tired and looking forward to getting off work in a couple hours! I´m hopeful that this week is going to be a bit less hectic because all our testing is done and our Gastronomy students have gone off to do their 6 week-long Prácticas , or internships. Of course, there´s always lots to do, but it will be nice to have fewer classes to give.
More soon!
There is significance to every aspect of the ceremony, and everything is related to the gender roles in Mayan culture. The ceremony itself is short, taking only about 10 to 15 minutes total. It consists of the baby being carried around a table a specific number of times by the godparents. The number of turns they take around the table depends on if it´s a boy or a girl. With each turn, or vuelta, the godparent picks up an item from the selection that has been placed on the table. There are foods, as well as items such as a pen and notebook (so the child will be a good student) and gender-role related things as well. As the child is carried on the hip of their godparent (so their legs will develop and be strong as they grow up), all the attendees of the baptism eat pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and throw the shells behind the person and the child as they walk. This is done to help the child keep moving forward in life, or something along those lines.
While this wasn´t a real ceremony, it was really neat to see the students performing it because many had written about it in their Language Journals a couple weeks ago. It was difficult for me to imagine it at the time, so seeing it done really brought the tradition to life for me.
Lately, there have been lots of opportunities lately for becoming acquainted with Mexican and Mayan cultures. On Saturday, I went to Chemax (Chey-MASH)to meet with one of my students´ families with the intention of buying a huipil, which is the traditional dress of Maya women. It is usually a white dress, about knee-length, with brightly-colored embroidery along the collar and the bottom. Underneath, the women wear something called a justan, which is a skirt-slip with either a lace or crocheted border. Both Betsy and I are having huipiles made by my student´s wife. She will hand-embroider them and it will take her about 2 weeks. I am really excited about the final product because I was able to select the design myself, as well as the colors she will use. It is going to be something very special to me, for sure.
When we arrived to Chemax by bus (about 30 minutes from Valladolid), my student picked us up on his triciclo, which is a very cool contraption. It has a bike seat and a rear tire, but the front is a metal frame with a platform where people can sit or you can put firewood or various things. I held their young son as he rode us to their house, where we met the family (wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law) After we looked at the huipiles and talked and saw family photos, they invited us to stay for lunch. It was a wonderful afternoon.
Then yesterday, I was in Cancun and I spent the afternoon in the tianguis (tee-ANG-eez), which is a bustling open-air market. They sell everything there from clothing to foods (grilled shrimp, pozol, tortas, aguas frescas, etc.) to live animals and cookware. It is basically a big flea market. Then, after spending the day in the sun, I went to the beach for a swim (even though by that time it was raining!). While I was there I got my fair share of lots of live music, primarily African drumming and salsa. I was also able to go to Wal-Mart again and pick up a few things.
In all it was a great weekend, but I´m pretty tired and looking forward to getting off work in a couple hours! I´m hopeful that this week is going to be a bit less hectic because all our testing is done and our Gastronomy students have gone off to do their 6 week-long Prácticas , or internships. Of course, there´s always lots to do, but it will be nice to have fewer classes to give.
More soon!
martes, 6 de julio de 2010
4 de julio, Estilo Cancun
I had my own little 4th of July here in Mexico. I celebrated Independence Day in Cancun, the most American city in Mexico, by eating dragonfruit (pitahaya) and potato chips on the beach. I also went to several malls to engage in some good, old-fashioned, American shopping. More importantly, and certainly the highlight of my festivities, were my trips to BOTH WalMart AND Starbucks. As soon as I set foot in the WalMart, I suddenly felt so much love for America! However, I think my reaction was more a product of living in tiny Valladolid than actually missing the United States...What I did miss was the family time and, of course, the American barbecue picnic...Oh how I long for a veggie burger and some sweet corn on the cob! But Cancun was a really nice change of scenery and I definitely came home with some color. :)
We have been getting some pretty heavy rains here, but it has been keeping things cool, which is great. I am interested to see how the hurricane season turns out...hopefully it won't live up to the predictions!
Well, it's getting late here so I must go...Buenas noches a todos!
lunes, 28 de junio de 2010
I finished my last class of my longest day of the week about an hour ago, and right now I´m taking advantage of this opportunity to update the blog.
We are currently getting some pretty strong storms: thunder, lightning, lots and lots of rain...Although I haven´t looked at the weather and people aren´t really talking about it, I am guessing it is still Tropical Storm Alex passing over the Yucatán Peninsula. We have been getting a fair amount of rain off and on throughout the weekend, but nothing crazy. It´s been very warm and muggy here - just life in the tropics! I am definitely concerned, though, about what the storm will do when it hits the Gulf of Mexico and disrupts the oil spill, and I´m sure many others in the region are fearful that the effects will be devastating.
In other important Mexican news, the Mexican soccer team is officially out of the World Cup. They lost pretty badly (3-1) to Argentina yesterday. I watched the game (or most of it) and people were pretty subdued all day.
We´re keeping very busy in the English Department. This week we will be having oral presentations with all our classes and we´re working through the last unit of our course packet. It´s hard to believe there are only 3 more weeks left of classes this cuatri and July is around the corner!
Well, I should get back to work. I´ve got lots of Language Journals to give feedback on. More to come soon!
We are currently getting some pretty strong storms: thunder, lightning, lots and lots of rain...Although I haven´t looked at the weather and people aren´t really talking about it, I am guessing it is still Tropical Storm Alex passing over the Yucatán Peninsula. We have been getting a fair amount of rain off and on throughout the weekend, but nothing crazy. It´s been very warm and muggy here - just life in the tropics! I am definitely concerned, though, about what the storm will do when it hits the Gulf of Mexico and disrupts the oil spill, and I´m sure many others in the region are fearful that the effects will be devastating.
In other important Mexican news, the Mexican soccer team is officially out of the World Cup. They lost pretty badly (3-1) to Argentina yesterday. I watched the game (or most of it) and people were pretty subdued all day.
We´re keeping very busy in the English Department. This week we will be having oral presentations with all our classes and we´re working through the last unit of our course packet. It´s hard to believe there are only 3 more weeks left of classes this cuatri and July is around the corner!
Well, I should get back to work. I´ve got lots of Language Journals to give feedback on. More to come soon!
jueves, 24 de junio de 2010
Waving Flag
In the excitement of the World Cup (which may be ending sooner rather than later for Mexico, since they will be fighting an uphill battle against Argentina), Betsy and I have tried to channel the existing energy into our classes. We found one of the theme songs of the World Cup, called "Waving Flag" by an artist named K´naan, and we got the lyrics for it. It is a super-uplifting and catchy song and we have sung it with all our classes now. It has been really cool to hear the students walking around the classroom building singing it on their own!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
lunes, 21 de junio de 2010
Summer Solstice
Today, on the summer solstice, there was a very special ceremony taking place on the UNO grounds. At the end of the school´s interpretive nature trail, there is an open clearing that only recently has been recognized as a space where sacred ceremonies were conducted long ago. After they cleared the brush away, they realized that this spot had already been used for sacred purposes. They even found the foundation of some very old stone structures, although not much at all is known yet about the findings.
Today, the professors of Mayan Linguistics at UNO, other archaeologists, and shamans from the Maya community held a ceremony for the New Fire, to plant "seeds" and usher in a new time of discovery and understanding. As teachers, we were able to be present for this special ceremony, and participate as well. We also had our students attend, and we gave them an assignment to write a report of what they saw, heard, felt, etc. during the experience.
While I did not understand what was said, and much of what was done was also foreign to me, I can say that there was much respect, focus, and intention within the circle of participants. The h´mem [Maya for shaman] who conducted the ceremony spoke in Maya and seemed to be addressing the heavens, the earth, the ancestors, etc. for their blessing of the space. To start, there was a hole dug in the earth, with rocks placed around it. The h´mem said some prayer, and each person in the circle was given a pumpkin seed which we all placed in the hole. Then he placed a big rock over the top of the hole and covered it all over with gravel. Next, he built a fire, very deliberately, step-by-step, all the while, speaking in Maya. He said a lot of things facing each of the cardinal directions, and he drew lines in the rocks around the fire. He was assisted by several other men, one of whom kept the incense burning in the copalero. Another man´s job was to blow on the conch shell at the appropriate times. Another man was helping with the special corn drink they made, which was splashed on people and on the fire.
At the end, he explained to us that this space is now sacred, and everyone must respect and be cautious with the space. In fact, women cannot cross the line of rocks that encircle the main fire area. And anyone who walks in the clearing should take off their shoes to be gentle with the earth. Couples cannot kiss in the sacred space. Then we were all given a small cup of a special drink made of honey and water, and gourds were passed around with the special Maya drink made of corn. Then we all said a Maya version of "Cheers" and we drank together. I couldn´t write the word that we said, but I can tell you that it means "You are my brother and I am your brother, and we are the same." Or something along those lines.
It was a great thing to be able to be a part of this ceremony, and I am looking forward to reading my students´ accounts of what occured, because many of them could understand what was being said in Maya.
This picture is something I just discovered online. It says a lot, though, about Mayan culture and history...
Today, the professors of Mayan Linguistics at UNO, other archaeologists, and shamans from the Maya community held a ceremony for the New Fire, to plant "seeds" and usher in a new time of discovery and understanding. As teachers, we were able to be present for this special ceremony, and participate as well. We also had our students attend, and we gave them an assignment to write a report of what they saw, heard, felt, etc. during the experience.
While I did not understand what was said, and much of what was done was also foreign to me, I can say that there was much respect, focus, and intention within the circle of participants. The h´mem [Maya for shaman] who conducted the ceremony spoke in Maya and seemed to be addressing the heavens, the earth, the ancestors, etc. for their blessing of the space. To start, there was a hole dug in the earth, with rocks placed around it. The h´mem said some prayer, and each person in the circle was given a pumpkin seed which we all placed in the hole. Then he placed a big rock over the top of the hole and covered it all over with gravel. Next, he built a fire, very deliberately, step-by-step, all the while, speaking in Maya. He said a lot of things facing each of the cardinal directions, and he drew lines in the rocks around the fire. He was assisted by several other men, one of whom kept the incense burning in the copalero. Another man´s job was to blow on the conch shell at the appropriate times. Another man was helping with the special corn drink they made, which was splashed on people and on the fire.
At the end, he explained to us that this space is now sacred, and everyone must respect and be cautious with the space. In fact, women cannot cross the line of rocks that encircle the main fire area. And anyone who walks in the clearing should take off their shoes to be gentle with the earth. Couples cannot kiss in the sacred space. Then we were all given a small cup of a special drink made of honey and water, and gourds were passed around with the special Maya drink made of corn. Then we all said a Maya version of "Cheers" and we drank together. I couldn´t write the word that we said, but I can tell you that it means "You are my brother and I am your brother, and we are the same." Or something along those lines.
It was a great thing to be able to be a part of this ceremony, and I am looking forward to reading my students´ accounts of what occured, because many of them could understand what was being said in Maya.
This picture is something I just discovered online. It says a lot, though, about Mayan culture and history...
miércoles, 16 de junio de 2010
Holbox!
Last weekend I went on a trip to Isla Holbox (EE-sla HOLE-boshe), a tiny and remote island on the northeastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the Gulf of Mexico meets up with the Caribbean Sea. For no reason that is obvious to me, the university offered to organize and pay for transportation to and from the island, and anyone who wanted to go could do so, provided they pay for their room and board. This was a great opportunity for me to see Holbox because, taking regular transportation, you'd have to catch a 3 AM bus from Valladolid to Chiquila, where you then take the ferry to Holbox. Taking a charter bus with a bunch of my Mexican colleagues made the trip a lot easier - not to mention more fun!
We left at 7 AM and got to Chiquila by about 10:00 AM. Then the ferry ride lasted about half an hour. Arriving on Holbox, my first impression was of the sandy streets and golf cart taxis.
The island is known for its fresh seafood, green-blue tranquil waters, and super relaxed vibe.
Later in the day on Saturday, I was able to go on a boat excursion with my UNO colleagues. We were able to stop on a couple of very tiny islands where we saw lots of sea-birds (pelicans, egrets, and flamingos, among others).
We also went to see the ojo de agua, which is a fresh water swimming hole right alongside the marshy wetland seacoast. The water was chilly but refreshing!
The other very cool thing about Holbox is that, unlike the east-facing Riviera Maya, you can see the sunset.
While I still prefer the crystal-clear, turquoise waters and slightly bigger surf of the Riviera Maya, it was so nice to visit a new place. I had a lovely island weekend, and my American coworker, Betsy, and I really enjoyed the intimate glimpse we got into Mexican culture as a result of the time we spent with everyone on the bus and during our boat trip.
We left at 7 AM and got to Chiquila by about 10:00 AM. Then the ferry ride lasted about half an hour. Arriving on Holbox, my first impression was of the sandy streets and golf cart taxis.
The island is known for its fresh seafood, green-blue tranquil waters, and super relaxed vibe.
Later in the day on Saturday, I was able to go on a boat excursion with my UNO colleagues. We were able to stop on a couple of very tiny islands where we saw lots of sea-birds (pelicans, egrets, and flamingos, among others).
We also went to see the ojo de agua, which is a fresh water swimming hole right alongside the marshy wetland seacoast. The water was chilly but refreshing!
The other very cool thing about Holbox is that, unlike the east-facing Riviera Maya, you can see the sunset.
While I still prefer the crystal-clear, turquoise waters and slightly bigger surf of the Riviera Maya, it was so nice to visit a new place. I had a lovely island weekend, and my American coworker, Betsy, and I really enjoyed the intimate glimpse we got into Mexican culture as a result of the time we spent with everyone on the bus and during our boat trip.
jueves, 10 de junio de 2010
otra leyenda maya
I want to preserve as many of the amazing stories as possible! Here is another one, authentic errors included.
"Nicté-Há"
In the Mayab jungle had a realm wonderful. The prince of this realm his name is Chacdziedzib and was in love of Nicté-Há. He wanted and venerated for his town because been brave warrior.
Before dawn, the prince searched his girlfriend in the sacred cenote when first light of dawn breaked the sky with its rays.
His father sended a the best warrior for kill Nicté-Há. The prince ran to avoid Nicté-Há and arrived at the sacred cenote when she was, but arrow shot direct for Nicté-Há, she falled on one´s back at sacred cenote. Their love prohibited, she turned in flower (Nicté-Há) and he turned in cardinal bird.
One of the more common stories that I have heard has been the story of "The X-Tabay," a spirit who comes up from the the ceiba tree and seduces drunk men at night. Then she kills them and they are never heard from again. Also, there is the story of the "Way-Chivo," a dangerous wolf-creature, as well as the traditional stories about the aluxes, enanos, and duendes (little people) of the region.
It has been fascinating and very rewarding to work with the students on this topic. I am learning so much about their culture through their English writing!
Well, I am still buried under a pile of Observation Reports and Mid-Term Exams that I have to grade, and I´ve got class in an hour, so I´d better get back to work!
"Nicté-Há"
In the Mayab jungle had a realm wonderful. The prince of this realm his name is Chacdziedzib and was in love of Nicté-Há. He wanted and venerated for his town because been brave warrior.
Before dawn, the prince searched his girlfriend in the sacred cenote when first light of dawn breaked the sky with its rays.
His father sended a the best warrior for kill Nicté-Há. The prince ran to avoid Nicté-Há and arrived at the sacred cenote when she was, but arrow shot direct for Nicté-Há, she falled on one´s back at sacred cenote. Their love prohibited, she turned in flower (Nicté-Há) and he turned in cardinal bird.
One of the more common stories that I have heard has been the story of "The X-Tabay," a spirit who comes up from the the ceiba tree and seduces drunk men at night. Then she kills them and they are never heard from again. Also, there is the story of the "Way-Chivo," a dangerous wolf-creature, as well as the traditional stories about the aluxes, enanos, and duendes (little people) of the region.
It has been fascinating and very rewarding to work with the students on this topic. I am learning so much about their culture through their English writing!
Well, I am still buried under a pile of Observation Reports and Mid-Term Exams that I have to grade, and I´ve got class in an hour, so I´d better get back to work!
miércoles, 9 de junio de 2010
historias y leyendas
The following stories are told in the words of my students. I have chosen to preserve the authenticity of their learning by leaving their original errors in the text. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
"The Sad of the Maya"
One day the animal approached a Maya and said to him:
"We don´t want to see you sad, ask us what you want and you will have it." The Maya said that he would want to be happy. The owl answered, "The one who does know what is the happiness? Ask us for more human things." And the man added that he would want good sight. The zopilote [see bird below] said to him, "I will give you the mine."
Next the man said, "I want to be strong" and the jaguar said to him: "You will be strong as me." The man said, "I want to walk without getting tired." The deer said to him, "I will give you my legs." The man said, "I want to guess the arrival of the rains." And the nightingale said to him, I will warn you with my singing." The man said again, "I want to be crafty." And the fox said to him, "I will teach you to be." The man said, "I want to climb the trees." And the squirrel said to him,"I will give you my nails." The man said, "I want to know the medicinal plants." The serpent said to him, "Ah, this is my thing, because I know all the plants! I will mark them for you in the field." And on having heard the above mentioned, the Maya moved away. Then the owl said to the animals, "The man now knows more things and can do more things, but always he will be sad." And the chachalaca [a bird native to Yucatán, see image below] began to sing...
"Los Aluxes"
When I was a child my grandfather used to tell me stories about the aluxes. I loved when my grandfather told me this story. My grandfather told me that the aluxes are little people similar to all the people. The aluxes are smaller than the normal people.
[insert precious pencil drawing here, depicting a man labeled "normal people" that is 1.60 meters tall, and a smaller, spiky-haired being that is .80 meters tall, labeled "aluxes"]
My grandfather told me that when he was a child saw an aluxes in the jungle. In these moment my grandfather was scary because he didn´t understand who was this little man, but now he loved to the aluxes because are part of the Mayan culture. My grandfather told me that the alux that he could see at the middle night live in cave in his ranch. The aluxes are good little people. Many people said that the aluxes are bad but this is a mistake because the aluxes care the crop.
[insert other precious pencil drawing here, of slightly sloping land with several levels and trees above. On the lower side of the hill, there is an underground cave drawn with tiny stalagtites and stalagmites inside. An arrow labeled "Alux´s cave" is pointing to it. On the middle, flat section of the land, there are plants drawn with an arrow pointing to them, saying "grandfather´s crop"]
"The Sad of the Maya"
One day the animal approached a Maya and said to him:
"We don´t want to see you sad, ask us what you want and you will have it." The Maya said that he would want to be happy. The owl answered, "The one who does know what is the happiness? Ask us for more human things." And the man added that he would want good sight. The zopilote [see bird below] said to him, "I will give you the mine."
Next the man said, "I want to be strong" and the jaguar said to him: "You will be strong as me." The man said, "I want to walk without getting tired." The deer said to him, "I will give you my legs." The man said, "I want to guess the arrival of the rains." And the nightingale said to him, I will warn you with my singing." The man said again, "I want to be crafty." And the fox said to him, "I will teach you to be." The man said, "I want to climb the trees." And the squirrel said to him,"I will give you my nails." The man said, "I want to know the medicinal plants." The serpent said to him, "Ah, this is my thing, because I know all the plants! I will mark them for you in the field." And on having heard the above mentioned, the Maya moved away. Then the owl said to the animals, "The man now knows more things and can do more things, but always he will be sad." And the chachalaca [a bird native to Yucatán, see image below] began to sing...
"Los Aluxes"
When I was a child my grandfather used to tell me stories about the aluxes. I loved when my grandfather told me this story. My grandfather told me that the aluxes are little people similar to all the people. The aluxes are smaller than the normal people.
[insert precious pencil drawing here, depicting a man labeled "normal people" that is 1.60 meters tall, and a smaller, spiky-haired being that is .80 meters tall, labeled "aluxes"]
My grandfather told me that when he was a child saw an aluxes in the jungle. In these moment my grandfather was scary because he didn´t understand who was this little man, but now he loved to the aluxes because are part of the Mayan culture. My grandfather told me that the alux that he could see at the middle night live in cave in his ranch. The aluxes are good little people. Many people said that the aluxes are bad but this is a mistake because the aluxes care the crop.
[insert other precious pencil drawing here, of slightly sloping land with several levels and trees above. On the lower side of the hill, there is an underground cave drawn with tiny stalagtites and stalagmites inside. An arrow labeled "Alux´s cave" is pointing to it. On the middle, flat section of the land, there are plants drawn with an arrow pointing to them, saying "grandfather´s crop"]
viernes, 4 de junio de 2010
la chispa - "the spark"
Things are very exciting here in Valladolid these days, culturally speaking. On this day in 1910, Valladolid was the site of the "First Spark of the Mexican Revolution." This year is the 100th Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, and of la primera chispa, so it´s a big deal. Last night there were fireworks and the Governor spoke from the top floor of the Palacio Municipal. Everyone was out and about and there was lots of activity in the park downtown: vendors selling marquesitas, elotes, paletas...(aka crispy rolled-up crepes with grated cheese or nutella inside, boiled corn, & popsicles)
This morning I took Greer to Cenote Zací and to the market, showing her around the town a bit. Then we came upon a long parade, consisting mostly of the students from all the schools in Valladolid. They were dressed in costumes of the famed revolutionaries, in Yucatecan huipiles, and even in evening gowns and suits. It is a great time for her to be visiting!
It´s Friday, and I am so glad the week is almost over. I have worked super hard and I´m really looking forward to a couple days at the beach. Tonight we´re going to get dinner at Casa Italia and then tomorrow it´s off to Tulum!
Well, I´ve got some quizzes to grade and I´d better get to it. ¡SALUDOS!
This morning I took Greer to Cenote Zací and to the market, showing her around the town a bit. Then we came upon a long parade, consisting mostly of the students from all the schools in Valladolid. They were dressed in costumes of the famed revolutionaries, in Yucatecan huipiles, and even in evening gowns and suits. It is a great time for her to be visiting!
It´s Friday, and I am so glad the week is almost over. I have worked super hard and I´m really looking forward to a couple days at the beach. Tonight we´re going to get dinner at Casa Italia and then tomorrow it´s off to Tulum!
Well, I´ve got some quizzes to grade and I´d better get to it. ¡SALUDOS!
miércoles, 2 de junio de 2010
spent.
Completely and totally spent. It is exhausting being in charge of not only my students, but also the students of my co-teacher who is away on vacation! In the past I have never tried to take on someone else´s classes for this long a period of time, but because Betsy and I have been trying to accomplish so much, it seemed like the thing to do. I am tired though. Not only do I have about 40 kids in each class instead of 20, I have also been spending inordinate amounts of my office hours and free time writing detailed feedback on the rough drafts of my students´ "Kitchen" or "Tourist" Observation reports. Two pages of generally painful-to-read, beginner English times 54 students equals a lot of red ink and blurred vision by the end of the day.
All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl.
To all of you who got that allusion to "The Shining," I´m just kidding... But I´m very seriously excited about getting out of work in about 30 minutes. I´ll be heading back into town to meet up with my friend, Greer, at the bus terminal. She should be rolling into town at about 9:30 pm if all goes well. I am looking forward to getting a nice dinner and then getting some rest tonight.
I imagine tomorrow we´ll go out to breakfast and I´ll show her around Valladolid until I have to go to work.
The good thing is, I am now done with the Observation report drafts. Next up: grading quizzes and Language Journals. At least I only have one hour of actual teaching tomorrow, and on Thursday I´ll be showing the movie, "Super-Size Me" for all of my groups. So maybe the worst is over this week!
Greer and I will be heading to Tulum for the weekend so I am very excited to relax on the beach and catch up with my friend! Maybe I won´t come back next week...Betsy won´t mind - it´s only exam week! ; )
All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl. All work and no play makes Sylvia a very tired girl.
To all of you who got that allusion to "The Shining," I´m just kidding... But I´m very seriously excited about getting out of work in about 30 minutes. I´ll be heading back into town to meet up with my friend, Greer, at the bus terminal. She should be rolling into town at about 9:30 pm if all goes well. I am looking forward to getting a nice dinner and then getting some rest tonight.
I imagine tomorrow we´ll go out to breakfast and I´ll show her around Valladolid until I have to go to work.
The good thing is, I am now done with the Observation report drafts. Next up: grading quizzes and Language Journals. At least I only have one hour of actual teaching tomorrow, and on Thursday I´ll be showing the movie, "Super-Size Me" for all of my groups. So maybe the worst is over this week!
Greer and I will be heading to Tulum for the weekend so I am very excited to relax on the beach and catch up with my friend! Maybe I won´t come back next week...Betsy won´t mind - it´s only exam week! ; )
sábado, 29 de mayo de 2010
sueños
Today the clouds over Yucatan were spectacular. Huge mountains of clouds. Right now they are bathed in golden and pink sunlight as the day begins to slip away. I took a picture of the bar across the street (the pizza shop is, unfortunately, defunct), and despite the web of electric lines, you can still get a sense of the view.
I also took a couple photos this afternoon while I was out for a walk. There are so many crazy old cars here and, of course, motos are very popular. I've seen people carry a whole family on one! In one of my dream scenarios, I am able to buy an old VW Beetle here and drive it through Mexico...a romantic thought, isn't it?
I also took a couple photos this afternoon while I was out for a walk. There are so many crazy old cars here and, of course, motos are very popular. I've seen people carry a whole family on one! In one of my dream scenarios, I am able to buy an old VW Beetle here and drive it through Mexico...a romantic thought, isn't it?
miércoles, 26 de mayo de 2010
sipping rose tea, writing this blog
I am relaxing this evening after a long couple of days. Yesterday was crazy at work because I was sick on Monday, and Betsy and I are trying to get our plans together because she's going to Oregon all next week to see her family. Plus there always seems to be some sort of extra chaos going on anyway. Just a bonus, I guess.
Today I gave my presentation/workshop on Teaching English Phonetics at the Universidad de Valladolid Yucatan (UVY). I was still preparing for it all morning, reviewing my notes, tweaking the Powerpoint, going over the logistics of the activities, etc., but I am very happy with the way it turned out (and I'm also very happy it's done now)! I had an audience of about 20 university students in the Language Program at UVY. Most of them have very good English comprehension so I could give the presentation entirely in English. Since I was discussing phonetics, I incorporated several interactive activities that focus on the segmental and suprasegmental properties of the phonetic system. I was really pleased with their participation and attention and I felt very well-prepared. Of course, if I present this workshop again, I will improve upon it, but I think the activities and research I have compiled will serve as a good base for future presentations.
On another note, something I recently found out about is a university-organized weekend trip to Isla Holbox, which is a tiny island on the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. They will pay for and set up our transportation, which is great because it is a pretty difficult-to-reach destination. This island is known for being a bit wild and off-the-beaten path, as well as for the huge population of whale-sharks that come to feed during the summers. As it stands, the trip will take place in a couple weeks, and it is something I feel lucky to have the opportunity to do.
Tomorrow is already Thursday! I have tons of grading and organizing to do at UNO before the weekend...Buenas noches y hasta el proximo blog...
Today I gave my presentation/workshop on Teaching English Phonetics at the Universidad de Valladolid Yucatan (UVY). I was still preparing for it all morning, reviewing my notes, tweaking the Powerpoint, going over the logistics of the activities, etc., but I am very happy with the way it turned out (and I'm also very happy it's done now)! I had an audience of about 20 university students in the Language Program at UVY. Most of them have very good English comprehension so I could give the presentation entirely in English. Since I was discussing phonetics, I incorporated several interactive activities that focus on the segmental and suprasegmental properties of the phonetic system. I was really pleased with their participation and attention and I felt very well-prepared. Of course, if I present this workshop again, I will improve upon it, but I think the activities and research I have compiled will serve as a good base for future presentations.
On another note, something I recently found out about is a university-organized weekend trip to Isla Holbox, which is a tiny island on the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. They will pay for and set up our transportation, which is great because it is a pretty difficult-to-reach destination. This island is known for being a bit wild and off-the-beaten path, as well as for the huge population of whale-sharks that come to feed during the summers. As it stands, the trip will take place in a couple weeks, and it is something I feel lucky to have the opportunity to do.
Tomorrow is already Thursday! I have tons of grading and organizing to do at UNO before the weekend...Buenas noches y hasta el proximo blog...
lunes, 24 de mayo de 2010
Mi Vida Loca en La Ciudad Heroica
Hello, all. I had a brief bout with gastroenteritis today and yesterday, but I'm feeling a lot better now. I guess it was something I ate!
Anyway, things are pretty busy down here. I was invited to give a presentation at another local university on Teaching English Phonetics and I have been preparing for the past week or so. I will be giving the talk on Wednesday and it will be nice to add some Professional Development to the old Curriculum Vitae. I've got my Powerpoint and several activities planned. I'm a little nervous, but I'm also looking forward to sharing the information I have gathered. Plus, it will only be a small audience of about 20 people. The last (and only) time I gave a professional presentation was at CATESOL in Pasadena last year. In fact, it was a joint presentation with my friend Greer, who will be coming to visit next week! I will be fun to have another visitor and to show her around.
In other news, some of you may have heard (from a source who shall remain nameless) that I am considering staying in Mexico until December. This is true; however, it is not any more definite than when I said in a recent blog post that I'd be leaving Mexico in August. It's just hard to know these things even a couple months in advance. I would say I am a person who has a high tolerance for ambiguity, living in a world where people like definitive answers. It ain't easy, folks. I still really enjoy my job and the multifaceted experience of living in Valladolid. Here I have been exposed to Mayan cosmology and I have access to healers and spiritual counselors in a way that I never imagined.
I am coming up on the 10 year anniversary of the first time I visited Valladolid with my Baba, back in 2000 when she took me on a trip to Cancun. Believe it or not, when I was 18, I truly did become enchanted with this little colonial city. We stopped in Valladolid in the central square on a day trip to Chichen Itza, and, in the 45 minutes I had to explore the plaza and old streets, I recall wondering what it would be like to live here. After the trip, I thought about Valladolid, La Ciudad Heroica, many times, but I didn't think I'd be back to visit, let alone to live here. So there is definitely something special that has brought me here to Yucatan, and I guess out of respect for it, and out of a general belief that life calls me to be where I need to be as long as I am connected to the Source, I am leaving the door open to stay and learn here a bit longer...
Of course, I do long for drinkable water, Trader Joe's almond butter, and countless other luxuries of the American lifestyle. And I miss my family and friends! But I am going to make the most of this unique experience so that when the time comes for me to teach somewhere else, I will be ready. There is still lots to do!
Anyway, things are pretty busy down here. I was invited to give a presentation at another local university on Teaching English Phonetics and I have been preparing for the past week or so. I will be giving the talk on Wednesday and it will be nice to add some Professional Development to the old Curriculum Vitae. I've got my Powerpoint and several activities planned. I'm a little nervous, but I'm also looking forward to sharing the information I have gathered. Plus, it will only be a small audience of about 20 people. The last (and only) time I gave a professional presentation was at CATESOL in Pasadena last year. In fact, it was a joint presentation with my friend Greer, who will be coming to visit next week! I will be fun to have another visitor and to show her around.
In other news, some of you may have heard (from a source who shall remain nameless) that I am considering staying in Mexico until December. This is true; however, it is not any more definite than when I said in a recent blog post that I'd be leaving Mexico in August. It's just hard to know these things even a couple months in advance. I would say I am a person who has a high tolerance for ambiguity, living in a world where people like definitive answers. It ain't easy, folks. I still really enjoy my job and the multifaceted experience of living in Valladolid. Here I have been exposed to Mayan cosmology and I have access to healers and spiritual counselors in a way that I never imagined.
I am coming up on the 10 year anniversary of the first time I visited Valladolid with my Baba, back in 2000 when she took me on a trip to Cancun. Believe it or not, when I was 18, I truly did become enchanted with this little colonial city. We stopped in Valladolid in the central square on a day trip to Chichen Itza, and, in the 45 minutes I had to explore the plaza and old streets, I recall wondering what it would be like to live here. After the trip, I thought about Valladolid, La Ciudad Heroica, many times, but I didn't think I'd be back to visit, let alone to live here. So there is definitely something special that has brought me here to Yucatan, and I guess out of respect for it, and out of a general belief that life calls me to be where I need to be as long as I am connected to the Source, I am leaving the door open to stay and learn here a bit longer...
Of course, I do long for drinkable water, Trader Joe's almond butter, and countless other luxuries of the American lifestyle. And I miss my family and friends! But I am going to make the most of this unique experience so that when the time comes for me to teach somewhere else, I will be ready. There is still lots to do!
viernes, 14 de mayo de 2010
Let there be light!
We are finishing the second week of the third cuatri and the time has passed quickly so far. Betsy and I are forging ahead with the packet we made and the projects we developed during our planning week, and it has been going well.
We will probably start the community courses in a couple weeks, and when we do, Mondays will be rough because we will be teaching from 2:30 to 9:00 pm with a 30 minute break. I am not looking forward to that, but it will only be for about 8 weeks in total.
As the weather is getting hot, I am finding myself wishing I could be at the beach more and more. This past weekend, the power suddenly stopped working in my apartment. I wasn´t sure why, but I had heard that sometimes the bills are not delivered and then when you don´t pay on time (because you never received a bill) the power company cuts you off. I assumed this was what had happened, and since Monday was a holiday, I knew they´d be closed until Tuesday, so I joined Betsy for a weekend in Tulum. Then on Monday, I opted to go straight from Tulum to Yokdzonot to see Erica and Jorge until Tuesday morning.
When I got to the electric company on Tuesday, I found out my power had not been cut off and my bill was not yet delivered. So I paid the balance ahead of time and the lady told me she had no idea what could be wrong, and that they´d send someone to figure out the problem. But when I got home that night at 9 pm, there was no power. No fan. No A/C. No lights. Nada. And it was hot. So I went outside to look for a fuse box or something. When I looked at my meter, I noticed that it was the only one that was turned OFF. I flipped the switch back on and when I got upstairs, there was power! It´s a crazy thing to go through, but in the end, I was glad the problem was so easy to fix, and I was glad that I had had such a beautiful weekend in Tulum and Yokdzonot. ¡Y así es mi vida loca!
We will probably start the community courses in a couple weeks, and when we do, Mondays will be rough because we will be teaching from 2:30 to 9:00 pm with a 30 minute break. I am not looking forward to that, but it will only be for about 8 weeks in total.
As the weather is getting hot, I am finding myself wishing I could be at the beach more and more. This past weekend, the power suddenly stopped working in my apartment. I wasn´t sure why, but I had heard that sometimes the bills are not delivered and then when you don´t pay on time (because you never received a bill) the power company cuts you off. I assumed this was what had happened, and since Monday was a holiday, I knew they´d be closed until Tuesday, so I joined Betsy for a weekend in Tulum. Then on Monday, I opted to go straight from Tulum to Yokdzonot to see Erica and Jorge until Tuesday morning.
When I got to the electric company on Tuesday, I found out my power had not been cut off and my bill was not yet delivered. So I paid the balance ahead of time and the lady told me she had no idea what could be wrong, and that they´d send someone to figure out the problem. But when I got home that night at 9 pm, there was no power. No fan. No A/C. No lights. Nada. And it was hot. So I went outside to look for a fuse box or something. When I looked at my meter, I noticed that it was the only one that was turned OFF. I flipped the switch back on and when I got upstairs, there was power! It´s a crazy thing to go through, but in the end, I was glad the problem was so easy to fix, and I was glad that I had had such a beautiful weekend in Tulum and Yokdzonot. ¡Y así es mi vida loca!
viernes, 7 de mayo de 2010
baby tarantula
Last night was really nice. I went to meditation and afterwards, I went to a small birthday dinner for a woman named Tania who splits her time between Valladolid, Tulum, and San Cristobal. She´s is very respected and loved by all the people I consider my circle of friends here, though I just recently met her myself. The rest of the group was made up of a couple people from Spain, as well as three of the people I have come to enjoy most in Valladolid: Betsy, Javier, and his wife, Katia. There was good food and cheap wine and lots of laughs. We had a great time and it felt really good to be so comfortably a part of things. At the end of the night, we were saying goodbye and we noticed a baby tarantula crawling towards my foot! I guess it´s that time of year again...
This weekend I´ll be spending some time in Yokdzonot with my friends Erica and Jorge, and I´m looking forward to that!
¡Saludos a todos!
This weekend I´ll be spending some time in Yokdzonot with my friends Erica and Jorge, and I´m looking forward to that!
¡Saludos a todos!
jueves, 6 de mayo de 2010
deja vu...plus some things new
Well, this cuatri I was given the choice of working with the same students I worked with during my first cuatri at UNO, or working with the other half of each group. I chose to work with the same students because, to me, it seems an opportunity to further develop the existing relationships I have with them. (And I don't have to learn new names or discover who needs extra help the hard way.) My schedule is the opposite of what it was last cuatri. I work from about 12 or 1 pm to 8 or 9 pm every day. It's a bit of deja vu to leave class with the same students, at the same time I used to leave class during my first couple months in Mexico...Of course, some things are different. I am going home to a different apartment that I really enjoy (see above photos), I am working closely with Betsy and we are really loving everything we've put together so far, and I feel I have more social options in my free time now that I've been living here for over eight months. All good things...
But I do realize that this cuatri is going to fly by, and I have decided I am not going to renew my contract at UNO. I will have to find a job where I am earning American dollars and able to start paying down my loans - a daunting task. So, I am definitely going to try to make the most of the time that remains, and it looks like I will be wrapping things up here at the end of July - early August.
No real ideas yet on where I'll go or what I'll do...but I have a feeling things will work out just fine.
jueves, 29 de abril de 2010
acuarelas/watercolors
Sometimes, when I walk in Valladolid, the city becomes a watercolor painting...
snapshots of Valladolid and UNO
Top image: my apartment building. Mine is the door on the lower right, just above the big "garage"
Next two images: blouses and huipiles and the Mayan woman who sell them
Bottom two images: students from my Gastronomy 5 B class on our last day of the cuatri last week (We had a party!)
viernes, 23 de abril de 2010
Santana at sunrise
This morning, on my way to work at 6:45 am, my taxi driver was blasting Santana as we made our way towards UNO and the rising sun was just starting to burn through the thick layer of low-lying clouds that were hovering over us here on the peninsular plain of Yucatán. It made me want to go out and get all the live Santana albums immediately. I´ve got an iTunes gift card just waiting for me to get home and use it! Good to know that Mexicans still love their Jalisco-born guitar hero.
I have another very busy day ahead of me - grading and writing more exams. Then, next week, the students won´t be here, but faculty have to come to plan for next cuatri and complete the end-of-cuatri administrative paperwork. On the plus side, it´s almost the weekend and I really need some down time! Still trying to figure out how to spend it wisely...
jueves, 22 de abril de 2010
a little feedback...finally
You make me feel in USA. In other courses I felt my English teachers teching English in Mexico. Do you understand me?
This was a comment written by one of my students taking the online Moodle course I have been teaching. I utilized the SurveyMonkey website to digitize the evaluation that I made for my face-to-face classes and I sent my Moodle students the link. So far I have 5 of 15 responses, and it is a boost to read comments like that. To me, it is a wonderful compliment.
Things are fairly crazy right now, with grading and exams and final projects. I am not looking forward to creating several exams tomorrow for any students who are forced to take the extraordinario exam due to failing the course (either for not attending or for having less than a 70%). I already know I will have several students from one class taking it because they have too many unjustified absences, but from my three other classes, there are no students who have to take it, so it is just a formality. I´m not happy about having to create exams for no reason, but that bureaucracy is part of academia, I guess.
While talking with my dear friend, Sara, last night on Skype, I was doing some reflection on the progress my students have made over the past several months. She mentioned something that got me thinking even more about the effects of being here and working with so many different students, connecting with them as a teacher and as a representative of the different facets of my identity, namely: the ripple effect. What effect will my teaching have on these individuals? How can I continue to make the most of the time we have together to help them not only to learn English, but also to develop life skills?
I leave you with a picture that I included in the Modal Auxiliaries section on the Final Exam for my 2nd cuatri students from the site, Icanhascheezburger.com:
This was a comment written by one of my students taking the online Moodle course I have been teaching. I utilized the SurveyMonkey website to digitize the evaluation that I made for my face-to-face classes and I sent my Moodle students the link. So far I have 5 of 15 responses, and it is a boost to read comments like that. To me, it is a wonderful compliment.
Things are fairly crazy right now, with grading and exams and final projects. I am not looking forward to creating several exams tomorrow for any students who are forced to take the extraordinario exam due to failing the course (either for not attending or for having less than a 70%). I already know I will have several students from one class taking it because they have too many unjustified absences, but from my three other classes, there are no students who have to take it, so it is just a formality. I´m not happy about having to create exams for no reason, but that bureaucracy is part of academia, I guess.
While talking with my dear friend, Sara, last night on Skype, I was doing some reflection on the progress my students have made over the past several months. She mentioned something that got me thinking even more about the effects of being here and working with so many different students, connecting with them as a teacher and as a representative of the different facets of my identity, namely: the ripple effect. What effect will my teaching have on these individuals? How can I continue to make the most of the time we have together to help them not only to learn English, but also to develop life skills?
I leave you with a picture that I included in the Modal Auxiliaries section on the Final Exam for my 2nd cuatri students from the site, Icanhascheezburger.com:
martes, 20 de abril de 2010
musings
Lately I have been thinking about the coping skills, strategies, and mechanisms that people utilize when learning a new language in order to not offend (or even to avoid interaction with) their target language counterparts.
As a language learner myself, I think there are many things that we do that effectively change our behavior, causing us to behave very differently than we do in our own culture and speaking in our native language. We might say things that aren't exactly true to keep our communications simple. We often pretend we understand, though we don't. We might even plan things in our day around the interactions we want to have (or those we wish to avoid). These observations are valuable in that they inform my teaching practice now.
Ultimately, learning a language is an extremely humbling experience. When I first began to learn Spanish, I had very little concept of the long, rewarding, transformative process that lay before me, and I knew nothing about Second Language Acquisition. My conceptions of what "bilingual" or "fluent" meant were vague, and I was ignorant about the depth of language - I mean, what does it really mean to know a language?
What is clear to me now about the work I did in my Master's program at MIIS is that it was extremely focused specifically on the connection between the practices of teaching and learning and the theory and science of language acquisition.
It is one thing to study pedagogy and methodology, and another to study language and understand its innerworkings. But it is yet another thing entirely to navigate the area where these two fields merge, and I believe to have credibility and to truly be able to sense your students' needs, it is necessary to have a background in foreign language learning or bilingualism.
My musings here are really just a reiteration of the things I thought, wrote, and read about during my two years in grad school, but now I am living them.
As a language learner myself, I think there are many things that we do that effectively change our behavior, causing us to behave very differently than we do in our own culture and speaking in our native language. We might say things that aren't exactly true to keep our communications simple. We often pretend we understand, though we don't. We might even plan things in our day around the interactions we want to have (or those we wish to avoid). These observations are valuable in that they inform my teaching practice now.
Ultimately, learning a language is an extremely humbling experience. When I first began to learn Spanish, I had very little concept of the long, rewarding, transformative process that lay before me, and I knew nothing about Second Language Acquisition. My conceptions of what "bilingual" or "fluent" meant were vague, and I was ignorant about the depth of language - I mean, what does it really mean to know a language?
What is clear to me now about the work I did in my Master's program at MIIS is that it was extremely focused specifically on the connection between the practices of teaching and learning and the theory and science of language acquisition.
It is one thing to study pedagogy and methodology, and another to study language and understand its innerworkings. But it is yet another thing entirely to navigate the area where these two fields merge, and I believe to have credibility and to truly be able to sense your students' needs, it is necessary to have a background in foreign language learning or bilingualism.
My musings here are really just a reiteration of the things I thought, wrote, and read about during my two years in grad school, but now I am living them.
lunes, 19 de abril de 2010
wrong turns and piñatas
This morning on my way to the lavandería near my new apartment, I took the wrong street at a fork in the road. Because that part of Valladolid, near the Convento de San Bernadino, is so old, the streets don´t follow the same grid pattern as they do in the center of town, and as I kept walking with my two bags of dirty laundry, I began to realize I was getting farther and farther from my destination. I saw burning garbage and hungry dogs laying on the street, and the sun was starting to get hot. Luckily, before too long I saw a taxi and had him take me back to where I wanted to go! Valladolid is a small town, but carrying two bags of dirty clothes and sheets through an unfamiliar neighborhood, it can feel deceptively big.
We are in our last week of classes for this cuatri which is always a busy time. I have definitely learned a lot from doing grades several times now (mid-terms twice and finals once), so I think I´m getting smarter about logistics and time management and all that fun stuff.
As I write this, my GASTRO 5A group is filling out a course evaluation that I created because I was so disappointed with the way things turned out after last cuatri. We were told we were going to be given feedback, but what we received was meaningless - a percentage "score" without any basis. Not only that, but the jargon-filled and complex "evaluation" was also someone´s Master´s degree project - it wasn´t even a proven evaluation instrument! Ugh! I was livid.
Anyway, I designed this evaluation and I have arranged for my students to fill them out anonymously. My colleague will then hold onto them until after grades are submitted for all of my classes. I am looking forward to getting some real feedback from my students.
To wrap things up for the cuatri, two of my classes are having parties this week. I am going to bring a piñata to one of them! For my other group, I am going to eat a chapulín, aka a crispy-fried grasshopper, because one of my students brought me back a little baggy filled with them from Oaxaca. And, yes, this is my Gastronomy group! So I think this week is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting...
We have been having lots and lots of rainshowers and a few thunderstorms here in Valladolid, but yesterday turned out to be a very beautiful day which was perfect because I spent it in Tulum at the beach. I needed to take a day for some relaxation and it did the trick. Now I am recharged and ready for the mountain of grading that is in front of me...
¡Hasta luego y saludos a todos!
lunes, 12 de abril de 2010
Fake Break
I don´t exactly feel like I had a real Spring Break, but after a difficult trip home in which I had to both do my taxes AND say goodbye to my sweet dog, Mira, it´s already back to work at UNO. We have just two more weeks until the end of the cuatri which means lots to accomplish in a short period of time.
We found out this morning that the Governor of Yucatán, Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, is coming to UNO this evening for some sort of special dedication event. Should be interesting...Unfortunately it also means I have to stay at work extra long!
On the plus side, it was so nice to have my apartment to come home to. I had a very relaxing weekend, allowing myself lots of time to adjust to being back in Mexico and to rest after a few very difficult days in PA.
Before I go, I want to post a picture of Mira, a beautiful creature loved by everyone who knew her....
I´ll miss you, Poochie.
We found out this morning that the Governor of Yucatán, Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, is coming to UNO this evening for some sort of special dedication event. Should be interesting...Unfortunately it also means I have to stay at work extra long!
On the plus side, it was so nice to have my apartment to come home to. I had a very relaxing weekend, allowing myself lots of time to adjust to being back in Mexico and to rest after a few very difficult days in PA.
Before I go, I want to post a picture of Mira, a beautiful creature loved by everyone who knew her....
I´ll miss you, Poochie.
miércoles, 31 de marzo de 2010
¡Ya me voy!
Things have been slow at UNO all week. Students have been dragging and the office has been quiet. In fact, no one came for my last class of the day at all! I am just watching the clock tick by at this point. I have an hour and a half left of my last day of work before Spring Break officially begins. Admittedly, I´m feeling pretty restless and unfocused...Soooo, I thought I would take a few minutes to round out my blog posts to an even 50 before I come home tomorrow!
I´ve still got some packing to do this evening, but luckily for me, my empty fridge won´t keep me from eating tonight. The Guelaguetza people have come from Oaxaca to sell food, clothing, and various regional products. (They came in the fall as well, but because I was still new in town, I couldn´t take advantage of the festivities.) Tonight I´m looking forward to stopping by the festival in the park for some tlayuda for dinner. Tlayuda is like a big quesadilla, but the tortilla is crispier and the cheese is quesillo, which is traditional Oaxacan stringy cheese. The other night, I ate some mole oaxaqueño which was delicious, and they have amazing hot chocolate as well. I´m continually impressed by the fact that Mexican gastronomy is so multifaceted and that there are so many regional and cultural variations on the traditional cuisine.
Valladolid has been blessed with absolutely beautiful weather the past few days, but I noticed that the forecast for Bethlehem looks very promising for the coming week: low to mid-70s and sunny! I´m looking forward to my time in PA and being able to celebrate my Dad´s birthday (just a couple days late).
¡Saludos a todos! ¡Ya me voy!
I´ve still got some packing to do this evening, but luckily for me, my empty fridge won´t keep me from eating tonight. The Guelaguetza people have come from Oaxaca to sell food, clothing, and various regional products. (They came in the fall as well, but because I was still new in town, I couldn´t take advantage of the festivities.) Tonight I´m looking forward to stopping by the festival in the park for some tlayuda for dinner. Tlayuda is like a big quesadilla, but the tortilla is crispier and the cheese is quesillo, which is traditional Oaxacan stringy cheese. The other night, I ate some mole oaxaqueño which was delicious, and they have amazing hot chocolate as well. I´m continually impressed by the fact that Mexican gastronomy is so multifaceted and that there are so many regional and cultural variations on the traditional cuisine.
Valladolid has been blessed with absolutely beautiful weather the past few days, but I noticed that the forecast for Bethlehem looks very promising for the coming week: low to mid-70s and sunny! I´m looking forward to my time in PA and being able to celebrate my Dad´s birthday (just a couple days late).
¡Saludos a todos! ¡Ya me voy!
lunes, 29 de marzo de 2010
Weekend bliss
Because my friends were visiting, I had the opportunity to do some of the things that Valladolid has to offer that I hadn´t yet taken advantage of in my 7 months of living here. Saturday during the day, Ashley and Jad and I rented bikes and rode to Cenote Dzitnup, which is about 3.5 miles from Valladolid along a bike path that is mostly used by iguanas sunning themselves and the occasional villager on their bicycle commute to or from town. It was a hot day, so taking a swim in the crystal blue water from within the cave was refreshing.
Then, Saturday night we went to a concert of the Symphony Orchestra of Yucatán, which was held in the cathedral in the center of town. The orchestra played an eclectic mix of music, including traditional Mexican Danzón, the Conga, a piece from Tchaikovsky´s "The Nutcracker", and music from Leonard Bernstein´s "West Side Story." It was wonderful to see this orchestra, composed of many amazing musicians from all over the world, yet playing in the most iconic place in Valladolid. And the acoustics were excellent!
On Sunday, we all drove with my friend Hans to Tulum for a spectacular beach day. Today it´s back to work for me, but only till Wednesday! So far, it seems as though things are going to be fairly quiet this week...I´m keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.
Then, Saturday night we went to a concert of the Symphony Orchestra of Yucatán, which was held in the cathedral in the center of town. The orchestra played an eclectic mix of music, including traditional Mexican Danzón, the Conga, a piece from Tchaikovsky´s "The Nutcracker", and music from Leonard Bernstein´s "West Side Story." It was wonderful to see this orchestra, composed of many amazing musicians from all over the world, yet playing in the most iconic place in Valladolid. And the acoustics were excellent!
On Sunday, we all drove with my friend Hans to Tulum for a spectacular beach day. Today it´s back to work for me, but only till Wednesday! So far, it seems as though things are going to be fairly quiet this week...I´m keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way.
jueves, 25 de marzo de 2010
One week from now...
I´ll be home! I might be the only person who is LEAVING Mexico to go to Pennsylvania for Spring Break, but así es...I was thinking about it and realized that it has been 3 years since I´ve seen an East coast spring! I am not counting on it being a true vacation/Spring Break trip, though. I´ve got to do my taxes for 2009, and most of all, I´ve got to attend to an aging dog...la Mira. Can´t wait to see her, and the rest of the family, of course! Just a few of the things I´m looking forward to are: feta cheese, sushi, & croissants, movies & TV, and New York City.
The next week is going to fly by, I´m sure. I doubt many students will be here next Monday-Wednesday for classes, so I tried to be proactive and I gave them their Final Project instructions yesterday. It is super awkward how this cuatrimestre was scheduled, with Spring Break falling just two weeks before the end of the term. I´m afraid that my students will come back in mid-April having forgotten all their English! It is especially troublesome with my 1st year students, because they´ll be having an actual Final Exam the last week of classes covering all the material from the entire course. It really puts the pressure on to review all the concepts in the second-to-last-week, but I´m planning on having my students do oral presentations, with each group presenting one of the topics we´ve covered.
Today, another friend will be stopping through Valladolid on a tour of Mexico. She´s from Monterey, CA and we met at MIIS. I´m looking forward to seeing her and her boyfriend, and showing them around this little city.
¡Saludos a todos y nos vemos prontísimo!
The next week is going to fly by, I´m sure. I doubt many students will be here next Monday-Wednesday for classes, so I tried to be proactive and I gave them their Final Project instructions yesterday. It is super awkward how this cuatrimestre was scheduled, with Spring Break falling just two weeks before the end of the term. I´m afraid that my students will come back in mid-April having forgotten all their English! It is especially troublesome with my 1st year students, because they´ll be having an actual Final Exam the last week of classes covering all the material from the entire course. It really puts the pressure on to review all the concepts in the second-to-last-week, but I´m planning on having my students do oral presentations, with each group presenting one of the topics we´ve covered.
Today, another friend will be stopping through Valladolid on a tour of Mexico. She´s from Monterey, CA and we met at MIIS. I´m looking forward to seeing her and her boyfriend, and showing them around this little city.
¡Saludos a todos y nos vemos prontísimo!
sábado, 20 de marzo de 2010
Vernal Equinox @ Chichen Itza - 03/20/10
I was lucky enough to celebrate the Vernal Equinox at one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World: Chichen Itza. I went with a few friends and we watched as the sun's movement cast a shadow which, as it grew, began to form a serpent of light. The serpent really started to take shape at about 3:15 pm and the peak of the phenomenon was at about 4:30 pm. The ancient Maya believed it was the spirit of Kukulkan descending to earth. It is anyone's guess, really, how the ancient Maya celebrated this special day, but one thing is for sure: We were all in awe of the masterful architects who built this ancient city many centuries ago.
viernes, 19 de marzo de 2010
The triumph of silence
When people here (and by people, I mostly mean taxi drivers) ask me how I like living in Valladolid, I say I like it very much. They invariably respond, "Es muy tranquilo, ¿verdad?" In other words, "It´s really tranquil here, don´t you think?" The tranquility of Valladolid, I think, largely comes from the quiet that takes over this corner of the world.
Something I have noticed after living here for several months now is that there are no airplanes flying overhead...I have never seen or heard one flying above Valladolid. I realized today, too, how quiet it is to teach at UNO. We are surrounded by lowland jungle (and, a bit further off, Mayan ruins) on nearly all sides. It is a wonderful thing to give a test and have the loudest thing you hear be a sprinkler watering the plants outside the window...
From my new apartment, in the afternoons, the bar across the street plays traditional Mexican music at a very reasonble volume. In the mornings, I don´t even hear roosters crow (a rarity in Valladolid). And at night, I have the luxury of total silence. The only sounds I hear are the ones I want to have in my environment.
So, today I am thankful for the triumph of silence in my daily life...I realize it helps me make room for other things.
Something I have noticed after living here for several months now is that there are no airplanes flying overhead...I have never seen or heard one flying above Valladolid. I realized today, too, how quiet it is to teach at UNO. We are surrounded by lowland jungle (and, a bit further off, Mayan ruins) on nearly all sides. It is a wonderful thing to give a test and have the loudest thing you hear be a sprinkler watering the plants outside the window...
From my new apartment, in the afternoons, the bar across the street plays traditional Mexican music at a very reasonble volume. In the mornings, I don´t even hear roosters crow (a rarity in Valladolid). And at night, I have the luxury of total silence. The only sounds I hear are the ones I want to have in my environment.
So, today I am thankful for the triumph of silence in my daily life...I realize it helps me make room for other things.
miércoles, 17 de marzo de 2010
Pan dulce on a rainy day
So far this rainy day in Yucatán has been very agreeable. I woke up, made my coffee (in a new mini-French press brought to me by my friend Kate all the way from PA), listened to NPR streaming live on the Web (a godsend), and got to work a little bit early. I am now more than halfway done with my teaching hours today and it´s only 10:30 am. The students in my lowest group actually worked hard today in class doing peer revisions on an assignment I had given them to observe other students cooking in the kitchen and write down what they see, noticing any safety hazards, interesting techniques, good teamwork, etc. Then another student brought me a pan dulce that she had made in Bakery class yesterday. Pan dulce is a traditional Mexican baked good - it´s bread that´s a little bit sweet with a subtle layer of cocoa (or vanilla) icing on top.
An hour later...
Just had another hour of class during which I did a fun activity with my 2nd year Gastronomy students. I gave them a budget of $40 US and, splitting them into groups of three, had them plan a day´s worth of meals for a family of 4 (two parents, two kids, and a dog). I gave each group a Weis supermarket circular (my friend Kate brought those too!) and had them plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner for $40 or less.
They seemed to really enjoy the activity and it was fun to watch them pore over the circulars. It was also a good opportunity to teach them certain symbols and phrases, for example: 2/$7 = "2 for 7 dollars" and "buy one get one free." Authentic materials, or realia, can certainly make a teacher´s job easier because they are so rich with information and language in context. Thanks, Kate, for the awesome materials!
viernes, 12 de marzo de 2010
SPRING BREAK 2010!
My friends Kate and Lauren are here in Mexico and they´ve been doing some sightseeing in and around Valladolid. They seem to really be enjoying the hot weather, Yucatecan food, and natural beauty of the area. Today we are heading to Playa del Carmen for some beach time before they have to head back to the States on Sunday. I am so excited to finally get to have some time with them when I´m not working! It´s been a long, exhausting week, but we´ve been having lots of fun, and I don´t have to work on Monday (for the birthday of Benito Juarez, I believe), so I will have a nice, long, three-day weekend to unwind.
My Spring Break at UNO is rapidly approaching; it begins April 1st! I´ll be flying to Pennsylvania for the week and I am very much looking forward to that.
Well, I have to do some work before I am ready to head to the Riviera Maya this afternoon, so I better get to it!
My Spring Break at UNO is rapidly approaching; it begins April 1st! I´ll be flying to Pennsylvania for the week and I am very much looking forward to that.
Well, I have to do some work before I am ready to head to the Riviera Maya this afternoon, so I better get to it!
Robot Battle
In my classes, I am fighting a continuous war against a robot. Google Translate is the enemy. Don´t get me wrong, it is an amazingly advanced tool for translation and has a lot of positive features, BUT it is by no means perfect. And it is all too frequently used by my students as a panacea for all their language woes.
It is nearly impossible to convince them, though, that this magic website is hurting them more than it is helping them. (And in the meantime, it´s driving me crazy trying to decipher and decode their oddly-worded, unnatural-sounding work.)
I was recently sent an article about Google Translate and its successes and they are many; it is an incredibly advanced tool. But due to all the problems I am having with it with my students, I wanted to find out if any other teachers of language were having this problem. I didn´t find much online about pedagogical implications, but I did find this interesting article about the weaknesses of the translation tool:
http://socyberty.com/languages/playing-with-google-translate/
I have tried to demonstrate to my online class the dangers of using this service without also doing the work on your own by using the service myself to translate English to Spanish, and now they seem to be doing their own work more than before. The worst offenders, though, are my 2nd year Gastronomy students. They are constantly trying to avoid doing the actual work of using English. It is bad enough when students depend so heavily on the dictionary that they try to translate Spanish to English word for word, but Google Translate takes away even the need to open a dictionary, look for a word, and physically write it down.
I have become an analog warrior in a digital war, and I am growing tired of repeating my battle cry: DO NOT USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE!
It is nearly impossible to convince them, though, that this magic website is hurting them more than it is helping them. (And in the meantime, it´s driving me crazy trying to decipher and decode their oddly-worded, unnatural-sounding work.)
I was recently sent an article about Google Translate and its successes and they are many; it is an incredibly advanced tool. But due to all the problems I am having with it with my students, I wanted to find out if any other teachers of language were having this problem. I didn´t find much online about pedagogical implications, but I did find this interesting article about the weaknesses of the translation tool:
http://socyberty.com/languages/playing-with-google-translate/
I have tried to demonstrate to my online class the dangers of using this service without also doing the work on your own by using the service myself to translate English to Spanish, and now they seem to be doing their own work more than before. The worst offenders, though, are my 2nd year Gastronomy students. They are constantly trying to avoid doing the actual work of using English. It is bad enough when students depend so heavily on the dictionary that they try to translate Spanish to English word for word, but Google Translate takes away even the need to open a dictionary, look for a word, and physically write it down.
I have become an analog warrior in a digital war, and I am growing tired of repeating my battle cry: DO NOT USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE!
lunes, 8 de marzo de 2010
Big Bigger Biggest...
...NEWS, that is. (We are working on comparative and superlative adjectives in my Public Administration English 2 class, so my brain is in Grammar Land...)
Let me start with the big news:
Which brings me to the biggest news: I am now officially living in my own apartment! After way too many weeks of bouncing from place to place, trying to find the right situation and never feeling settled, I am now moved into a pretty little studio very close to the center of town. I have wireless internet, high ceilings, a full kitchen, and lots of closet space. Best of all, I have it all to myself. I am looking forward to cooking dinner and doing some watercolor painting on my white tiled countertop. I will post pictures of the new place as soon as I can!
Things have been crazy but it seems like they may finally be mellowing out. I´ll be updating my blog more frequently now that I have a home of my own again.
AAAHHHH
Let me start with the big news:
The big news is that I am very much looking forward to making a trip home to PA for my Spring Break, the first week of April! It will be here before I know it!
Even bigger news is that I have two good friends coming to visit me this week. One is a former classmate from MIIS, Kate. She is arriving tomorrow evening. The other is a woman I met while I was the Coordinator of the Teacher Training program for Bilingual Educators from Madrid 2 summers ago in Vermont. Her name is Lauren and she arrives tonight. I am very much looking forward to seeing them both and to showing them around Valladolid. Then on Friday, we are all going to Playa del Carmen for a bit of Spring Break beach time! I have a three day weekend which will be wonderful, considering all the things that have been going on. Good times...
Things have been crazy but it seems like they may finally be mellowing out. I´ll be updating my blog more frequently now that I have a home of my own again.
AAAHHHH
viernes, 26 de febrero de 2010
mid terms
I am sighing a big sigh of relief because my colleague and I just submitted the mid-term grades for all of our classes. It is always a nice feeling to get that necessary and often troublesome part of teaching accomplished. Compared to last cuatri, I felt better prepared and more confident, and, this time around, I think I was more successful at managing my time with respect to giving and grading exams. And now I can get down to the business of planning for the second half of the cuatri, which ends on April 23. I have a feeling it´s going to fly by (especially because we have our Spring Break April 1-10)! Anyway, things have been busy lately with work and I´m hoping to move again in about a week because something I have come to understand about myself is that I just really need my own space right now. But I have been thinking about blogging! I´ve been thinking about all the friends and family I am far away from, too. Thank goodness for Skype and blogs and phones and all the modern things that help me stay connected.
We are having a bit of a cold spell here in Yucatán right now - temps went down to a frigid 50°F during the night. Laugh all you want, but it feels chilly when you´re used to 80°F weather.
viernes, 12 de febrero de 2010
lunes, 8 de febrero de 2010
¡Mi perfil profesional!
You can now see my professional profile up on the UNO website:
http://www.uno.edu.mx/contenido/personal_academico_detalles.php?depto=Idiomas#
(It´s only taken 5 months!)
More soon...I am busy getting things going on my new online Moodle course for 2nd year Public Administration students.
Saludos!
http://www.uno.edu.mx/contenido/personal_academico_detalles.php?depto=Idiomas#
(It´s only taken 5 months!)
More soon...I am busy getting things going on my new online Moodle course for 2nd year Public Administration students.
Saludos!
martes, 2 de febrero de 2010
My Address at UNO
This is my address at work, should anyone ever need to send me anything:
Maestra Sylvia Popichak
Depto. de Idiomas
Universidad de Oriente
Av. Chanyokdzonot Tablaje Catastral 10344-10345,
Valladolid, Yucatán, CP. 97780
MEXICO
I am posting this only because a number of people have asked me for my address here and I want to have it on record!
...And we´re back
The long weekend brought some respite and I was able to spend time with some really wonderful people. Saturday night I went to a Full Moon Party here in Valladolid. Then on Sunday, I went to Yokdzonot to the ecohotel run by my friends, Erica and Jorge. Check out their beautiful website! You might want to come visit! http://yucatanmayanretreat.webs.com/apps/photos/
I had a really nice visit with them and their two dogs, Luke and Lea. They had several guests staying there this weekend and everyone was super nice. We had some rainy weather Sunday afternoon, but on Monday the sun decided to shine on us and we just relaxed under the palapa the whole day.
Now it´s back to work, and I´m having my two Gastronomy classes do their first oral presentations in class this week. They have made Powerpoint presentations and, so far, they have been doing well. Today I learned that March 31 is National Taco Day in Mexico, that lemon juice can be used to heal wounds as well as for Lemon Meringue Pie, and that in Mayan culture, water is the symbol of the spirit.
February has begun and I won´t have another long weekend until mid-March, but right now I´m focused on resolving my living situation, and once I do, I´m sure staying close to home will feel kinda nice!
I had a really nice visit with them and their two dogs, Luke and Lea. They had several guests staying there this weekend and everyone was super nice. We had some rainy weather Sunday afternoon, but on Monday the sun decided to shine on us and we just relaxed under the palapa the whole day.
Now it´s back to work, and I´m having my two Gastronomy classes do their first oral presentations in class this week. They have made Powerpoint presentations and, so far, they have been doing well. Today I learned that March 31 is National Taco Day in Mexico, that lemon juice can be used to heal wounds as well as for Lemon Meringue Pie, and that in Mayan culture, water is the symbol of the spirit.
February has begun and I won´t have another long weekend until mid-March, but right now I´m focused on resolving my living situation, and once I do, I´m sure staying close to home will feel kinda nice!
viernes, 29 de enero de 2010
Do you like to draw bats?
Fridays are my favorite day of the week. I have a class at 7 am, and then I´m done for the day, so I have lots of time to plan and work on materials, and since I´m already up and running, I can be fairly productive, but today I want to take a minute to write this blog!
The beginning of a term is an interesting time of year for a teacher. You are still getting a sense of where your students are in terms of their language and study skills, "who" they are, what the dynamics of the group are, etc. And as a new teacher, I am still working a lot of things out as I grow into this role. It is a constant process of trying things, modifying them, and considering how they can be improved upon. (As my best instructors always taught me.)
When I woke up (a little late) at 6 am today, I honestly wasn´t quite sure what I would do for my 7 am class. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how to make sure my teaching is truly reflective of my philosophy, despite the inevitable frustrations of a poorly designed syllabus and a course packet that does not provide much in the way of interactive or student-centered activites (making my job all the more difficult).
As a teacher, I aim for my students to be active participants in their own learning and I want them to generate their own language as much as possible. I also want them to be comfortable using English with each other and to learn from their errors. That said, the other day we did a "Find Someone Who..." activity which requires students to mingle and ask each other questions, writing down the names of people who fit certain descriptions (For example, Find someone who speaks Maya.) This exercise is fun, interactive, and requires students to use the language. It´s a classic. That day for their homework, I asked them to each write their own description. Today, I "recycled" a bit. I had them work in groups of 3 to correct their errors and use their descriptions to form questions. Then, as a class, we wrote down all the descriptions and questions, which brought up some important grammatical points that they need to review and allowed them to use and build on their collective knowledge, rather than just being recipients of information given by me. Their input also brought a level of fun to the class that, on my own, I can´t consistently produce. For instance, I would never have come up with the question: Do you like to draw bats?
For all the teachers out there, this is nothing revolutionary. It´s pretty basic. I am not an expert. I don´t consider myself a grammarian, and I still have lots to learn about teaching; however, I am creative. I am determined. And, most importantly, I received good training.
My next goal to incorporate more focused work on sounds and pronunciation in my classes. The students want it and need it, but I am not sure yet how I will present it...
I am looking forward to a three-day weekend. The past couple weeks have been rough, but I am almost fully recovered from my illness and subsequent allergic reaction. I´ve been eating healthily (I found swiss chard at the supermarket!) and sleeping adequately. This weekend I will have a chance to take it easy and to go see my friends in Yokdzonot.
I have heard something called "snow" has been falling in some places in the US, but I have to strain my imagination to remember what that is like. January is a beautiful time to be here in Yucatán...
The beginning of a term is an interesting time of year for a teacher. You are still getting a sense of where your students are in terms of their language and study skills, "who" they are, what the dynamics of the group are, etc. And as a new teacher, I am still working a lot of things out as I grow into this role. It is a constant process of trying things, modifying them, and considering how they can be improved upon. (As my best instructors always taught me.)
When I woke up (a little late) at 6 am today, I honestly wasn´t quite sure what I would do for my 7 am class. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how to make sure my teaching is truly reflective of my philosophy, despite the inevitable frustrations of a poorly designed syllabus and a course packet that does not provide much in the way of interactive or student-centered activites (making my job all the more difficult).
As a teacher, I aim for my students to be active participants in their own learning and I want them to generate their own language as much as possible. I also want them to be comfortable using English with each other and to learn from their errors. That said, the other day we did a "Find Someone Who..." activity which requires students to mingle and ask each other questions, writing down the names of people who fit certain descriptions (For example, Find someone who speaks Maya.) This exercise is fun, interactive, and requires students to use the language. It´s a classic. That day for their homework, I asked them to each write their own description. Today, I "recycled" a bit. I had them work in groups of 3 to correct their errors and use their descriptions to form questions. Then, as a class, we wrote down all the descriptions and questions, which brought up some important grammatical points that they need to review and allowed them to use and build on their collective knowledge, rather than just being recipients of information given by me. Their input also brought a level of fun to the class that, on my own, I can´t consistently produce. For instance, I would never have come up with the question: Do you like to draw bats?
For all the teachers out there, this is nothing revolutionary. It´s pretty basic. I am not an expert. I don´t consider myself a grammarian, and I still have lots to learn about teaching; however, I am creative. I am determined. And, most importantly, I received good training.
My next goal to incorporate more focused work on sounds and pronunciation in my classes. The students want it and need it, but I am not sure yet how I will present it...
I am looking forward to a three-day weekend. The past couple weeks have been rough, but I am almost fully recovered from my illness and subsequent allergic reaction. I´ve been eating healthily (I found swiss chard at the supermarket!) and sleeping adequately. This weekend I will have a chance to take it easy and to go see my friends in Yokdzonot.
I have heard something called "snow" has been falling in some places in the US, but I have to strain my imagination to remember what that is like. January is a beautiful time to be here in Yucatán...
jueves, 28 de enero de 2010
Nuestra Madre de Candelaria, La Virgen María (same bells, different day)
I´ve been staying in the apartment of a friend the past couple of weeks, situated right next to one of my favorite parks in Valladolid: Candelaria. This time of year, though, Candelaria is a busy place. There is a misa (mass) every night, extending for hours on Sundays. There are clanging bells at dawn and lots and lots of hymns in the evenings (some droning, some sweet). All of this to celebrate Nuestra Madre, La Virgen María. The attendees of these worship services participate in singing and call-and-response liturgies, and they have a large, child-sized doll which they dress up in a white gown and transport around town, occasionally returning her to the church at Candelaria. I heard she even went to the Feria (the fair) the other night. (I haven´t gone to the Feria yet!)
The doll, as a focal point, is a bit odd for me and the songs are getting old, but I am thankfully already awake when the bells begin to chime in the morning. This morning, though, I was struck by the sight of several older gentlemen out in the park, sweeping up the trash. There was a large tree that seemed to have blossomed overnight with pink blossoms. The colorful strings of flags they have decorated the park and church with were blowing in the hazy breeze. What can I say? The tranquility of this early morning scene just started the day off right for me.
Tonight I have meditation, which will hopefully bring me to an even more profound state of tranquility...
The doll, as a focal point, is a bit odd for me and the songs are getting old, but I am thankfully already awake when the bells begin to chime in the morning. This morning, though, I was struck by the sight of several older gentlemen out in the park, sweeping up the trash. There was a large tree that seemed to have blossomed overnight with pink blossoms. The colorful strings of flags they have decorated the park and church with were blowing in the hazy breeze. What can I say? The tranquility of this early morning scene just started the day off right for me.
Tonight I have meditation, which will hopefully bring me to an even more profound state of tranquility...
lunes, 25 de enero de 2010
Getting well
Today is my first day back at work after a four-day weekend...but it was not a mini-vacation by any means. When I initially went to the doctor a couple weeks ago, it was for a staph infection (yuk) and I was given some strong antibiotics. I took the antibiotics for about 9 days...and then my body began to react. Last Wed. night I went to the hospital with two co-workers because I had hives all over and I was feverish and itchy. Clearly something was not right! The doctor prescribed me an antihistimine which I bought that night and took immediately. I had her write me a note so I could miss work the next day if it hadn´t subsided, and good thing, too, because what she prescribed me with was a generic Claritin. Needless to say, you can´t treat a sulfa-drug reaction (which she correctly diagnosed) with hayfever medicine. When I realized this the next morning, I was glad I had a note to miss work, but I was feeling worse than ever. Later, I asked my friend Barbara to buy me some Benadryl at the pharmacy which she did. I knew it would at least take the edge off the itching. Just minutes after she arrived with it (Thank God) my friend and co-worker, Betsy, called to tell me she had just run into another group of the American doctors downtown and she told them about my case. Immediately, they bought me some meds. at the pharmacy (a cortico-steroid and some good, old-fashioned penicillin). They made a house-call, giving me explicit instructions on how to take the meds. and what to expect, and they even came back later that evening to check on me. It took about 18 hours, but the itchy hives finally subsided and my face stopped looking sunburned and swollen.
I stayed home on Friday, too, with a note from my American doctors, and the rest and recuperation were much needed. The itchiness was really starting to get to me, and I needed a lot of sleep. Never before had I had a problem with antibiotics, but from here on out I will have to be very careful not to take any other sulfa-drugs because next time the reaction could be faster and much worse. It was a scary thing to go through, and I just feel very lucky that I wasn´t alone. I have a few, really solid people here who I know I can count on.
Now I´m just trying to get back into the swing of things at work, and that´s taking a lot of energy. Lots to do! Planning, planning, planning! Because I´ve been sick basically the whole time (even though I didn´t necessarily know it), the first couple weeks of this cuatri have not gone quite as I expected; so I am trying to take things as they come now. My plan is to just take care of myself and not get too caught up in worrying about all the things that I think I should be doing. I am finding support for this approach through the wonderful book I am currently reading: Eat, Pray, Love. It´s perfect and it´s been bringing me lots of joy. I´m also getting acupuncture treatments and still going to meditation and Xi Gong classes. Soon, I´ll go check out the new yoga class across town...I´m setting my priorities straight!
On a school-related note, this week I am having my two Gastronomy V groups give oral presentations about foods they have selected from a timeline, tying the food in with the current unit, The History of Gastronomy. My Public Administration II students are going to get their next assignment: a Food Journal project. And I´ll be starting with my fourth group soon in my first fully online course for Public Administration V. But there I go again, thinking about what I´ve got to do.
On my road to wellness, I am also still trying to find a new place to live. But I am hopeful, because Valladolid is opening up in new ways to me day by day. The past five months here have not been easy, but I have a good feeling that the shifting energies are going to bring a new depth to my experience here.
I stayed home on Friday, too, with a note from my American doctors, and the rest and recuperation were much needed. The itchiness was really starting to get to me, and I needed a lot of sleep. Never before had I had a problem with antibiotics, but from here on out I will have to be very careful not to take any other sulfa-drugs because next time the reaction could be faster and much worse. It was a scary thing to go through, and I just feel very lucky that I wasn´t alone. I have a few, really solid people here who I know I can count on.
Now I´m just trying to get back into the swing of things at work, and that´s taking a lot of energy. Lots to do! Planning, planning, planning! Because I´ve been sick basically the whole time (even though I didn´t necessarily know it), the first couple weeks of this cuatri have not gone quite as I expected; so I am trying to take things as they come now. My plan is to just take care of myself and not get too caught up in worrying about all the things that I think I should be doing. I am finding support for this approach through the wonderful book I am currently reading: Eat, Pray, Love. It´s perfect and it´s been bringing me lots of joy. I´m also getting acupuncture treatments and still going to meditation and Xi Gong classes. Soon, I´ll go check out the new yoga class across town...I´m setting my priorities straight!
On a school-related note, this week I am having my two Gastronomy V groups give oral presentations about foods they have selected from a timeline, tying the food in with the current unit, The History of Gastronomy. My Public Administration II students are going to get their next assignment: a Food Journal project. And I´ll be starting with my fourth group soon in my first fully online course for Public Administration V. But there I go again, thinking about what I´ve got to do.
On my road to wellness, I am also still trying to find a new place to live. But I am hopeful, because Valladolid is opening up in new ways to me day by day. The past five months here have not been easy, but I have a good feeling that the shifting energies are going to bring a new depth to my experience here.
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