So the last couple days have been really good for me. For some reason since deciding to stay home with the girls for the next year different opportunities have come my way. Basically if I'm going to stay home with them I want us to all get out of the house more. Over Easter I met a family who are from here in Tepa and they told us about the spring parade. I was so excited to hear about it because there is really no where to get this information except from people who have lived here all their lives. It was suppose to be last Sunday. Oh yes you see the catch I said suppose to be. So on Sunday we go and pick up a friend and her little girl and go downtown. We quickly notice that there are no streets rope doff so my husband asks an officer who is near by. Apparently the information was given out wrong, they even posted it in the paper wrong its next week. Well while we were downtown we decided to see if we could get more information about this months activities. April is the month of festivities for my town. We saw that for like 2 weeks the Casa de Cultura will be putting on a play every night for free but you have to get tickets. This weekend will be our 5th wedding anniversary and we thought this would be a great way to celebrate. And guess what Sunday night is Vasolina or as we know it Grease. I ran up the two flights of stairs to see if anyone was in and to ask what activities there might be for kids. Luckily I was catching the lady on her way out and she said that if I came back on Monday that she would be sure and save us two tickets. Ok finally getting to the good part.
Yesterday morning I take the girls out around nine and I drive around for about 30 min looking for "Se Renta" signs. Oh did I mention we are looking for a house or at least bigger apartment with gardin. This is how you find things here you have to drive around and look for them, unless your from here then you just know people who know people which we don't. Lucky me I found a phone number and an address. That is a big deal we drover for like 45 min the other day and only found one number. Then I went and parked in our usual lot downtown and we headed to the Casa de Cultura. Again I climbed the stairs and with both girls this time. The second floor has a biblioteca or library and as we passed it on our way up to the third floor I decided it would be a good idea to check it out. True to her word the lady had set aside tickets for us. She is a very animated lady and I had a good time chatting with her. She told me how this particular show was her acting group and that they have all been acting for at least a year. I told her that I love the story of Grease and she got all excited and started going on about the music. I love having normal conversations. Some of what she said I didn't catch but I was having such a good time I didn't ask. ;)
Then we headed back downstairs and ventured into the library. As soon as I stepped in a familiar face greeted me. She was the lady who does the kids church at our church (which we haven't been to in a few months). She showed me where the kids books were and told me they were going to have an activity in 30min in the plaza out front. So we waited and let Alana read and we went and got some food because of course 30min in Mexico is more like an hour. But the activity was fun and Alana loved it. She then told me that they were doing it again the next day and that all through the summer the library has stuff for the kids so we plan to go. Then later that evening I had an appointment with the doctor who heads up the volunteer program with the red cross. After walking clear across town to get him an extra copy of my lic and CPR card he told me he also needs a letter of request. Not sure why but I had expected to clear everything up and be helping out there next week after this appointment. Basically I get him this letter and when the other person who also directs the red cross gets back from his honey moon they will decide weather its ok for me to help then they will contact me. And then from what I understand I have to go through a course abut the Red cross and a first aid course. Anyway it sounds like some mumbo jumbo but at least its giving me something to get involved in.
Today we went again downtown for the story time and I took Joslin to get her one year immunizations and I got my tetanus booster. Next month we both and Alana all have to go to get the other half of different ones (the girls the polio drops and me the tetanus). But my trip to the Seguro was in and out and smooth as butter. I got there about 15 till noon and my book was the second in line. They started at 1215 and we were out of there by 1230. So Im slowly regaining that bit of myself who knew she could do anything. I am becoming the women I know I am. ;) Wow is that encouraging or what?!?!?
Fantastic!! Going out and doing things on your own, being able to ask questions, understanding the answer, having conversations, make phone calls -- oh, such essential things in life!
ReplyDeleteYou see, Amanda? I told you that once you learned the ropes at IMSS it would be one of the best things that ever happened to you and your girls. I went there myself today and was very pleased. I am going to tell you something else. It is going to get easier and easier at IMSS because once they get to know you, you will become a celebrity. I am the only Gringo that I know of that uses the local IMSS which services over a half million people. If you have patience and are always nice you will soon become a favorite. Life is good.
ReplyDeleteToo good! You're really doing well. Don't worry about having to jump through a few CR hoops, it's really a good thing and you'll do fine. I've seen some really badly run CRs, with bad reputations and chaos, so it sounds like you've got a good one there.
ReplyDeleteI want to send you an EMSpanish book because you're going to need it at CR, but I can't find your email. Can you send it to me, Amanda, so I can shoot you a book?
Send it to: spanish4ems@hotmail.com
I think you'll have all your confidence back very shortly.
Saludos.
Way to go!
ReplyDeleteI should def look for more cultural events in Cancun. I'm so bad about that!
Have you tried looking online for places to rent?
I just discovered your blog yesterday, and literally sat for like an hour, reading many of your older posts. I love you blog, because everything you write is so raw, authentic, and real, you don't try to sugar-coat everything, or make it sound miserable, you just tell it like it is!
ReplyDeleteI'm a teenage girl that has huge dreams of being a missionary in Mexico someday..I've learned soo much about the mexican culture through your blog! Like how you have a tienda in the same building as your apartment, and how 30 minutes Mexican time is about an hour. Thankfully, I've almost mastered the Spanish language, so I will have that advantage. But it seems like you're getting along really well, and learning a lot. You're having conversations in Spanish, reading and understanding signs, and seem to be getting better and better! You seem like such a dedicated, ambitious person, sometimes the things I read on your blog make my jaw drop, like moving to Mexico, and that one church that you blogged about with the filthy kids' room, you're inspiring! I know that if you, and American just like me, can do what you've done, than so can I!
Sorry this comment is soo long!
Blessings,
LocaChica