Friday, September 20, 2013 - Our Sleepover Party

Today, the school was turned into a giant sleepover party.  Even the high school students came to school dressed in their pjs.  Now, between the rain and the thirty degree weather outside, that made for quite a sweaty mess.  But we had a great time.  All week, our students worked hard on writing stories about their biggest dreams.  And today, they shared them with the class, and then we made dreamcatchers for the students to hang at home.

We really had a great time!

It is quite amazing how no matter what the weather is like outside, the students are happy to come to school, to learn and to play.

I know I talk about the weather alot here, but it is really hard to convey to you the amount of water that falls from the sky.  It is relentless.  2 - 4 inches every single day!  Remember in July when Toronto was completely shut down after 24 hours of rain? imagine four straight weeks.  The electricity has never gone out and neither has my television.  I actually still do not have internet at home right now because my cable had been cut when they were cutting down trees and it is very dangerous for the workers to try to come to repair it in this insane weather.  So, for those of you expecting me to answer always on facebook, or your emails immediately, it is very difficult.  I do have internet on my phone, but it is different than in canada.  You see, here, when you run out of time, your phone just stops working completely and then it costs a fortune to reload it until your account resets at the first of the month.  It doesn't just start charging you more like in Toronto.

It looks like the sun has just made a nice debut for the afternoon by the way.....

My health... so, I lasted six full weeks without getting sick here at all. Which, for me, is a huge record.  usually I get sick within four days of leaving the GTA.  But yes, now, I am sick.  I have been sick for ten days.  Because of my asthma, every time I get a cold or a flu, it goes directly into my lungs, and lo and behold, after the four weeks of relentless bad weather, and wading through lakes every morning just to get to work, I got sick.  I rested.  I drank tea. I did everything.  But I finally gave in and went to the doctor.

Doctors here are actually pretty awesome.  I went to the local Ahorro, which is the largest chain of pharmacies, and they have a free doctor on call all the time.  She was lovely and extremely knowledgable and understanding.  She listened well, and has a lot of experience with asthmatic patients such as myself who suffer from the humidity and the weather when they get here.  She prescribed me cortisone shots as well as antibiotics.  But here is the big difference.  Here in Mexico, you don't go to the doctor or the nurse for shots, they just give you the needles, you take them home and give them to yourself.  In your butt! Thank god there is a school nurse, and thank god for my friend Adriana!

It is Friday afternoon, TGIF. I am so looking forward to spending an entire weekend asleep.


More news:
I started my conditioning class here at the school for the staff.  The first class only had two athletes.  But the second had six, and next week is threatening to have more. So my dream of 'Blast Tepeyac' is becoming a reality.

I started my Judo program here as well. Just only one class so far, so we shall see what happens.  The students really seemed to like it and my local friend transplanted from Villahermosa, Alberto, came and is learning how to teach Judo classes from me.

Life is different here.
More busy, yet not busy at all.
I sleep every night at 9 and wake up at 6.
I no longer am napping every day after work.
I can continue with my days without being concerned about when I can nap.
My skin has cleared up.

It looks like I might be back in about a month or so for a visit. So, I hope to see everyone!

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH. I do miss everyone!
Love,
Tami