ALTARS FOR VIERNES DE DOLORES

Today is the holiday commemorating the seven sorrows of the Virgin. This holiday is held one week before Good Friday. Many homes have decorated altars and several of the fountains in San Miguel are also decorated by the neighbors.  These two photos were taken in our neighborhood this afternoon.

FEED THE HUNGRY FUNDRAISER, SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

The most important fund raiser in San Miguel took place Friday night. It was the annual fundraiser for Feed the Hungry and the bicentennial celebration of the birth of Mexico as we know it. Feed the Hungry is a non-profit organization that has 34 kitchens in the San Miguel area which provide nutritious meals to over 4000 school children each day.

We have been involved with Feed the Hungry for three years. The school where we teach English, Los Ricos de Abajo, is part of the Feed the Hungry program. Friday night as part of the entertainment, 30 of the school children (about 50% of the student population) performed for the enthusiastic crowd. Prior to the performance we spoke with Lucha, the school principal. She told us the children were very excited and nervous. Many of them didn't sleep well the night before. The children performed three different dances: The Jarabe Tapatio, Los Machetes, and La Danza de Los Viejitos. They were marvelous. We are publishing only a few of the pictures of the children’s performance now because all the Los Ricos volunteer teachers will be given the gift of a private party and dance performance this Wednesday. We hope to have many good pictures to share from that private performance.

There was other entertainment as well including a terrific folkloric dance ensemble. We hope you enjoy the very special private pictures Bob was able to get of this group.

We both volunteered to work at the event. We greeted guests, thanked them for supporting Feed the Hungry, and handed out programs. Bob was the best. He had never participated in this manner before and he really enjoyed himself. He even wore a "sash" with the colors of the Mexican flag!

Our good friend, Dianne, has worked tirelessly for this event. She is a Board member of Feed the Hungry and is an amazing woman. Dianne and her husband, Tom, are wonderful people. We are very fortunate to have them as friends and to be involved with Feed the Hungry. We have made many good friends from our involvement and are proud of our volunteer service and fundraising.

The evening was enjoyable and a great time was had by all.

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE CELEBRATES THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING!

Today was the annual Spring Parade in San Miguel de Allende. Children ages 3 to 5 become butterflies, rabbits, lions, princesses, turtles, etc. They parade around the downtown streets ending at the jardin. After the parade the children play in the jardin and enjoy their favorite treats. Even General Allende took some time to enjoy the beautiful day.

Please join us in celebrating spring’s arrival.

OUR SIMPLE LIFE IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

Our friends and family are always asking how we spend our days in San Miguel. It is very hard to explain unless you have been here. But, we will try.


Our day begins with the crow of the rooster telling us it’s time to rise and shine and by the beautiful sound of the morning church bells. Of course, there is also the barking of the dogs and the music of the song birds. We turn over a few times and finally Sam gets up. Bob is hoping for a few more winks.

Leaving our bedroom you must step outside and then enter an internal staircase to the living area below. Sam makes this venture each morning. She then turns on the computer and gets the day going by reading the morning emails, the Detroit News, etc. A while later, Bob comes down, greets Sam and puts on the coffee. By 10:00 a.m., it’s time for exercise, a shower and then breakfast. One certainly does not want to rush the day.

By 11:00 a.m., Sol, our five-day-a-week housekeeper, has arrived. Usually at this time we are ready to leave the house with our list of errands. Today was one of these typical days. We walked up Canal Street to the Jardin in Centro; this is the town square and about a 20 minute walk from our home. We get to the Jardin and walk around to see if any of our friends are “hanging out”. If so, we spend some time chatting with them. If not, we may sit and relax and observe the general surroundings and people watch. We also purchase our weekly newspaper, Atencion.

Now, we are off to do some shopping at our favorite stores. First stop, the meat market on Masones. Then Bonanza Market…they have a variety of “gringo” products. Two doors down is our produce market. Then off to our favorite wine store, La Europea. Of course, there are many other places we shop for flowers, baked goods, etc. Very close to the house is Mercado de San Juan de Dios. Across the street from San Juan de Dios is another market where we can buy fresh flowers.  We also buy as many fresh eggs as we need, fresh squeezed orange juice, and anything else we may desire or want.

By the time we get home, we have been gone about 3 hours. Remember, this is all on foot, carrying a backpack and shopping bags, up and down the hills of San Miguel. When we get home, it is time to clean all the fruits and vegetables. A quick lunch and it is definitely time for a siesta.

This afternoon we heard the familiar, ding, ding, ding, of the garbage man’s bell signally the arrival of the garage truck. Everybody hears it and brings their garbage to the truck. It is quite a social event with all the neighbors bring their garbage, bags, pails, buckets, etc. We all wait our turn then hand our container to the garbage guy who tosses it up to two other guys high above on the truck. It’s a good chance to chat with neighbors and spend a few moments together. If it wasn’t for the trash guys we wouldn’t know the day of the week.

Form our very small balcony overlooking the street we say hello to the neighbor kids and their mothers as the play in the street. We even get to know the neighbor’s dog. Tonight we met, Tino, an eight year-old dog that lives next door.

Before dinner we may go to the large rooftop with a glass of wine to take in the beautiful views of the city. We may have dinner in, at some friends, or at a local restaurant. It all depends how we feel at the moment. After dinner we may go to the large rooftop again with a glass of wine to take in the beautiful views of the city.

This lifestyle is totally different from Michigan. Here it is simple, relaxing but tiring, very rewarding, and we love it. Remember, this can only be done on a day that we are not teaching at Los Ricos, which means about six days each week.

How was your day today?

CONTINUING PROJECT AT LOS RICOS

Last Wednesday we went to Los Ricos. We had many tasks to accomplish. First, Bob personally replaced the fuses at the point where electrical power enters the school property from the Federal power commission. He would have preferred not to have done this but he didn't want to delegate this dangerous task to anybody else. We still expect to replace the fuse box with a circuit breaker box before we return to Michigan. Funding seems to be in place and we just need the final sign-off from the school principal.

Eli, who is 75+ years old, replaced the electrical switch in the 5th/6th grade classroom and for the first time we had some lights working on both sides of the room. However, we now need a light bulb in one of the fixtures so that's a new project. You probably think that's going to be easy.



We need a power line for a computer in the 3rd/4th grade. Maybe some day we'll get one. So, in the meantime, we rigged up an extension cord as a temporary fix. This extension cord will also be fed through a broken window to power the stereo system used by the kids to practice dancing. They will be featured dancers at an upcoming fund raiser for Feed the Hungry and they will dance for us later this month.

Next, Bob had to test the refurbished computer he installed last week in the 5th/6th grade classroom. Thankfully it worked well.

Back to the 3rd/4th grade class. Why? The teacher told Bob the keyboard (teclado) was not working. He checked it out and found that the PS/2 plug was missing half of the prongs needed to plug it in. Bob ordered a new keyboard from Computadoras Pro Jovenes which should be delivered to the school by Feed the Hungry's food driver on Tuesday and working this Wednesday. Bob is now officially the liaison between Computadoars Pro Jovenes and the Los Rico school.

Back over to the 5th/6th grade class to get Rosetta Stone working on the Federal computer so Sam can use the Smart Board. Prior to installing Rosetta Stone on the Federal computer the kids literally used flyswatters to select their answer to a Rosetta Stone question and Bob controlled a mouse and clicked on the picture they hit with the flyswatter. The Smart Board acts as a touch screen and the kids just have to touch the picture they select and the Smart Board registers their answer. This is only available in the 5th/6th grade class.

And so it went, room-by-room and back-and-forth so as not to disturb Sam and the other teachers.

After class we had the opportunity to spend some time with two of our sixth graders, Ailyn and Gerardo.  The Morrin/Zimmerman Fund will be their financial sponsor for the 7th, 8th and 9th grades.  Ailyn and Gerardo are two of eleven brothers and sisters.  Ailyn is number eight and Gerardo is number seven.  The photos shows Ailyn, Gerardo and two of their siblings who are also students at Los Ricos.  Both are in the sixth grade because Gerardo was held back one year becasue he had been working in the fields and missed a lot of school time. 

We also have a fifth grader in our class this year, Estrella.  She is a bright student and the Morrin/Zimmerman Fund is considering sponsoring her as well.  Next year she will be in the 6th grade and we will make our final decsion at that time.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Morrin/Zimmerman Fund. 

Lots more work available for anybody who wants it. We need a janitor/maintenance man. Some Spanish would be good. Definitely must have a car or SUV with high clearance and with good flotation ability. By the way, the pay is bad, you don't get any, and you must personally pay for any and all supplies and equipment you use.

ANOTHER ADVENTURE TO LOS RICOS

Last Tuesday we gathered up some computer equipment from an organization called, “Computadores Pro Jovens” (computers for the young) which were to replace a computer in the 5th/6th grade classroom and to replace miscellaneous other equipment for the 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th grade classrooms.

Wednesday we began our journey to teach English at Los Ricos de Abajo with the usual gathering of all the volunteer teachers and visitors at Dianne and Tom’s home to co-ordinate transportation. There were six SUV’s that caravanned to Los Ricos. When we got to the Rio Laja, we fully expected to be able to finally cross the river in the SUV’s without any problems. Welcome to our first challenge of the day. Do we cross the river or not? The water was high. Some of the SUV’s had higher clearance than others. All but two of the SUV’s ventured across. Those two vehicles parked at the Monastario and the volunteers walked.

When we arrived at the school there was a lot to get accomplished in a short period of time. Bob quickly assisted in moving teaching supplies to all of the classrooms. He also worked to install Rosetta Stone on the Federal computer in the 5th/6th grade classroom so the students could use the Smart Board. He also set up the new computer that we brought with us along with making sure the other computers were working in the 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th grade classrooms.

Each week, half way through Sam’s class time and after the planned lesson planned of the week is finished, she gathers the students from their mini groups and they all come together to learn English as a group using Rosetta Stone. This week, for the first time, we used the Smart Board. With the Smart Board, a student can touch the Board to record their answer instead of having to use a mouse. It’s more fun for the students and easier for the operator (i.e.Bob).

Dianne and some of the other volunteers were invited into the classroom to see how well the Smart Board was working. Everyone was quite pleased. All of a sudden the Smart Board went blank. Bob thought maybe the program timed out and it needed to be re-booted. Well, the problem was more serious. The power actually went out. Bob, Javier (the school’s normal 5th/6th grade teacher), and several other volunteers went out to the area where the electricity enters the school at the pole. Javier told Bob that the fuses had blown a few days earlier. They didn’t have any new fuses so the teacher and a student removed the contents of the dead fuse and replaced it with bare copper wire then re-installed the rigged fuse. This method allows current to flow but removes all protection normally provided by a fuse. Even having fuses is not good. They are old fashioned, subject to burning out and need replacement frequently. Circuit breakers are much better and safer. They also cost more. Bob will be replacing the burned out fuses this week and is actively working on a project to replace the fuse box with a circuit breaker box.

After this week’s regular English class, some of the volunteer teachers agreed to stay an extra hour and tutor the former Los Ricos students that are now in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades with their English. This is a pilot program to see if we can help and encourage these students. The students were also given the opportunity to checkout a book from the library. Next week, the students are to bring their English school workbooks to use with the tutors.

It was a long and intense day. Once again, we crossed the river going home. We were all anxious about crossing safely and thankfully everyone crossed without incident. Believe us, if it were our vehicles we would have walked. It is truly amazing what the volunteers will do to help the children of Los Ricos.

We will continue to help the children of Los Ricos. In order for them to be fed properly and an education augmented by the benefits of computers, we need to fix the electrical issues. We are working on this project and will report our progress later in the week.

BULL FIGHT (Corrida de Toros)

We have been traveling to Mexico for over 25 years. While in Mexico and from time-to-time we watch the Sunday bull fights on TV. Usually the bull fights are broadcast live from Mexico City where the matadors are very talented and entertaining. The most talented and skilled matadors will be awarded one or two of the bull’s ears as a trophy. If they are really good the judge will also award the bull’s tail. After receiving this prize from the judge the matador will prance around the ring holding his newly awarded trophies high.

In 2008, we were watching the bull fights on a Sunday afternoon. One of the matadors was called a rejoneador. We didn’t know what that word meant. As we watched, we learned that a rejoneador is a horse riding matador that performs the entire bull fight on horseback. It was truly amazing to watch. We were both in awe.

In 2009, we were again watching the bull fights. To our surprise, we again saw this same guy performing the bull fight on horseback. We finally got his name, Pablo Hermoso Mendoza. Sam went on the Internet and found some information regarding Pablo. A few days later, we were eating lunch at a restaurant called, Ole! Ole!. Inside this restaurant there is a lot of memorabilia regarding bull fights. On one wall is a poster advertising Pablo Hermoso Mendoza from a few years back. Pablo is from Spain, is the finest rejoneador in the world, and is considered a “hero” by many.

This year Sam was surfing the Internet and checking out the local, “Civil List”. She found a posting advertising that Pablo Hermoso Mendoza was coming to San Miguel. He would be here on Friday, February 26th. Sam was all excited; Bob was also excited but didn’t nearly show the enthusiasm Sam did. None of our American friends wanted to attend the fight. However, one Sunday afternoon, we were at some friend’s home for a party. Their house manager, Javier, was there with his wife, Silvia. We started talking about the upcoming bull fight and they mentioned they were going. In fact, they already had their tickets. They said they purchased general admission seats because the bull ring isn’t that big. We asked if we could join them and they said, “Absolutely”. We think they were happy to have some “gringo’s” interested in bull fighting. Silvia told us she wouldn’t miss it for the world because Pablo is “muy guapo”…”very handsome”.

The next day we went to Centro and bought our tickets. We were both really looking forward to this adventure. The first bull fight was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. It is unfortunate that it started so late because it was very difficult to take pictures.

We met up with Javier at 7:00 p.m., the night of the event. We wanted to get there early so we could get good seats since we had general admission tickets. We needed to reserve a total of 8 seats for Javier’s family and friends. A “seat” is a portion of the cement bleachers. To be comfortable, we all bought seat cushions with Pablo’s image on them before entering the ring.

The opening bull fight was not very good. The matador was “muy joven” …”very young”. In Bob’s opinion, the bull was no bigger than a large dog. Nevertheless, it weighed in at about 250 kilos, or about 550 pounds. The normal weight of the bull for an experienced matador is 400 to 500 kilos or about 1,000 pounds. The second matador was more experienced but nothing grand. During the event you can buy beer, snacks, cigars, etc. After a few beers the crowd is really boisterous and the excitement builds.

Now it was time for Pablo Hermoso Mendoza. His horses are beautiful. Pablo has great command of the horses. Their footwork is amazing. Pablo uses three horses for the three stages of the bull fight, also known as the tercios. It was too dark to get good pictures but if you are interested in seeing some footage of Pablo, please go to the following link:

http://tonygt19.smugmug.com/Animals/Equitation-1/3117739_EHQk8#238356738_XmNrDhttp://tonygt19.smugmug.com/Animals/Equitation-1/3117739_EHQk8#238356738_XmNrD

The video footage on the link only shows a series of banderillos or the insertion of a small colorful harpoon-like object into the bull. The actions of the picador and matador are not shown. You will not see the killing of the bull. Keep your eyes on the horse! And for you ladies; keep your eyes off of Pablo!

It was a good thing that we brought along our binoculars. The entire time Pablo was in the ring, it was difficult to get the binoculars peeled away from Silvia’s eyes so we too could enjoy a close up view of Pablo’s expertise.

Ole!