Mexican Citizenship part II

Its on people, we have my letter from D.F. saying I have no federal offenses. Monday we will get the one from state and write our letters and fill out the application. The plan is to go to the SRE (http://www.sre.gob.mx/) on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm not sure yet if I will be given my history test and interview then or if they will set up an appointment. I am studying pretty hard just in case. One problem is that I can not find any examples of the interview online except saying that it is up to the interviewer. So I'm praying that I get someone who is maybe in a hurry or just a really good mood and who likes Americans becoming citizens. I think Ill do OK if they drill me but it will make me nervous. And when I get nervous my mouth doesn't like to speak in Spanish.  I already wrote the list of paperwork needed on a different blog so I wont do that again but really the amount of paperwork needed for this wasn't all that bad.  The link I posted above is where you go to find your list. Each person is pretty specific as far as how you get the citizenship. After this craziness is over I hope to do some more posts on things like day care, work, and culture so please stay tuned even though I haven't been much of a sturdy blogger recently. ;9

Habits

Today I am hoping to get a few posts out that I started a long time ago and never finished. Thankfully when I have good ideas I write a little in a draft so I can come back to it later. This post comes because I suppose I thought after three years of living here I would be a much different person.

But in reality some habbits never die or die hard so they say.

For example when we moved here we didn't have a land line and only just recently goten one.  Due to our phone being through our cable company it always has to sit near the computer. Nine months is how long we have had it and I still walk into my kitchen when Im looking for it. I guess my subconscious feels the phone should be in the dinning room or kitchen. This is so weird to me every time I do it.

My eating times have started to cure slightly to the late times of the Mexicans now that I am working but my body doesn't like it. As of a month ago I still ate breakfast (something small) at 7am with the girls, maybe a light snack at tenish and a light lunch around noon. Then I would be ready for a full hearty dinner around six. Now that we work till 530 or 6 we eat dinner around 6 or 630 which kind of throws the rest of your meals off. Also the girls get a snack at school around 5 so they don't eat a big dinner like we were use to. Still my body tells me this isn't the way one is suppose to eat. The funny thing is its much healthier eating a small meal in the evening and the larger meal at lunch.

One thing that hasn't changed and Im pretty sure will not is that I love not wearing shoes at home. I have to admit that I do put them on a little more often but its because I don't have as much time to keep my floors clean. And of course my Mexican family thinks I'm insane but I'm sure this isn't the only reason so no need in changing it now. lol

And last but certainly not least is the seat-belts we finally were able to get a third seat-belt but in the back of the Jimmy for Alana. I was a nervous wreck every time we left the house and she wasn't in a seat-belt. I'm happy to say all my children are safely and appropriately belted in every time we are in the truck.

I feel like this was a pretty boring post and I appoligise. Post like these are more for me to document this kind of stuff for my later reading. These are things that when I moved here I just knew would never change and Im happy that they haven't. ;)

Things that have changed are good things like being more patient and calm and not stressing out as badly over anything and everything.

Spider Web

The one thing I have found absolutely amazing is how thoughtfull all of you are. I have been connected with so many people at just the right time through most of my readers. I imagine a spider web where people who I would never know end up knowing me through someone else thoughtful enough to join us together.  Usually this happens without me even looking for it, for example the auther of  Southenr Living is the reason Im now living happily and much better off in Guadalajara as compared to the small town of Tepatitlan (which I still love and adore by the way). She and I knew each other through blogging and as she read through some job adds she thought of me. Thanks again girl!
This time Im going to request for each of you to send the word out amongst the web of contacts and help me out. I may have a great job opportunity for a fellow English speaking nurse preferably native to an English speaking country. This most likely will need to be someone already living in Mexico or who is planning to move here already. I specify this because the pay will be good for here but not comparable to nursing wages in the states. Heres hoping I can help someone the way I was helped and of course I gain my nurse at the same time. ;)

One last thing, when I post from work the spellchecker refuses to check in English, so I am so sorry for how bad the spelling prob is on this post and any other I have posted from work. And if any of you have ideas on how that can be fixed please share.

Thanks all

Mixed Emotions

I have so much to catch up about my life recently but today Im going to write about the crazyness going on in my head and heart regarding the holiday today.

Let me tell you for about five years this was a very bad day for me. My husband had to leave me (his 8mo prego wife) on July 3rd. Obviously that year I was quite bitter about hearing our Anthom and Pledge. The following year he was still waiting for his appointment and I moved to Mexico the end of June the follwoing year. My first 4th of July in Mexico needless to say I was still quite upset about the idea. I still sang the Antem and recited the Pledge to my daughter who was now 2 yrs old and living in Mexico. My second year here I still had the bitterness but it was weakened a bit by homesickness. I still hadnt been able to visit my family at that point and the holiday reminded me of times we would get together. Last year there was little bitterness and a lot of homesickness. I again as I do every year did crafts with my girls and Im pretty sure we ate hotdogs. Well here we are again five years later.

This year I am missing the fair, the fireworks, the greesed pigs, mud vollyball (yes Im from MO), concerts, and my family. For the last week or so I was surprised at how unangry I was. And how I didnt want to laugh at every comment put on face book about our great nation. I really thought that all the bitterness was gone until this morning. I sat in my kitchen reciting the Pledge to my girls, and it just felt wrong. I felt like I was lying to them, like I was out right telling them a bold faced lie. As I repeated UNDER GOD or JUSTICE FOR ALL I keept thinking about the false ideas so many Mexicans have of the US. These notions are one huge pet peve of mine and Im am so worried my girls will end up with them. I dont want them to have this AMERICAN DREAM that everything there is better, and that anything can be done there. Its not true and so many people here are raised with it. And then here I am feeding it to them myself just because its Independance Day in a country Im not even living.

Of course I will still have them practice the Pledge again and make a flag when we get home tonight. And I will smile and act like Im happy about it. But to be honest it feels yucky! Why will I do it anyway...  Im not sure. I think mainly so when they do go visit the states they still feel slightly at home, that they fit in, that they dont get stared down or looked at badly for no knowing it when they go to a baseball game.

Some patriatism ehh, only so my kids will fit in later in life.

So... this is more than three years after the initial verdict. Im sure it will get better in a few more years but as for now,  Im not quite there yet.