Projects Abroad, Newsletters from Mexico

The other day I was taking a trip down memory lane, back to my childhood days. I'm definitely an 80fs kid and proud of it, yes, things were simpler and beautiful back then; I grew up in the Nintendo era. Goonies, Star Wars and Indiana Jones were tv heroes and Pinatas were shaped as Superman or He--]Man.

I signed up almost a year ago for a teaching placement on what seemed to me to be the other side of the world, in a town even my Spanish friends couldn't get me to pronounce the name correctly. At that time, I was spending a year abroad in England, and needed to make sure I wasn't just going back to my sweet yet boring Switzerland and that my adventures abroad would continue.

I came to Mexico from England after deciding to became a midwife. The placement that Projects Abroad offered seemed perfect as I wanted to travel before starting my BSc and to get some experience in the field by volunteering. I started my placement two days after arriving in Mexico and it quickly exceeded all my expectations.

This last month of the year flew by really fast. It is by this time that the Leatherback Turtles start to arrive ashore to lay their precios eggs in our beach. This magnificent animal is the largest Sea Turtle on earth, their length reaches the 7 feet and they can weigh around 2000 pounds!

The birth of Jesus is a very important scene in catholic religion in most homes, churches, public buildings or public spaces during Christmas time and Mexico celebrates this by portraying an elaborate small nativity scene made of clay, wood, metal, fabric and beaded figures depicting the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Upon landing in Guadalajara Airport I could not help wondering what I was doing all alone on the other side of the world. After an 11 hour flight it was easy for my mind to be completely irrational. These fears soon dissappeared as I was met by a friendly face holding a Projects Abroad sign and welcomed me warmly into a nice family, including another fellow volunteer.

The decision to take a « time out » to work abroad as a volunteer, was the best I’ve ever made! Exploring a new country, learning about its whole culture, being involved in social working, getting in touch with people… this is a life experience!

4 words I am starting with: Best time in Mexico!!
Normally it is at the end of a story or report I know, but give me a chance. After 2 Projects in GDL I was talking with Marco from the office about what I plan to do next. We talked and the short decision was a project in Guzman, 2 hours away in a bus from GDL.

Over 130 Mexican artisans from all over the country exhibit their artistic wares at these handicrafts fair near Guadalajara. Jewelry, furniture, candles, ceramics, pewter, wood accessories and blown glass are among the products showcased.

This time I want to share with you a great story covered by Veronika Sund. A great journalist from Norway! She completed her placement in Ciudad Guzman working along with Mr. Francisco Farias, an experimented journalist in the south of the state of Jalisco.

The traditions and pastimes of Mexico’s artistic city of Tlaquepaque, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, are celebrated at this annual event, taking place at the Expo Ganadera. Children can enjoy a variety of games and activities, while adults enjoy art and mariachi, while savoring some authentic Mexican cuisine.

When parents send children to summer camp for a week they will usually tell them, “You’re scared to leave now, but you won’t want to come back when it’s over!” This was certainly the case for me. Leaving Vancouver, Canada, for 6 weeks, to me, seemed terrifying. Within the first day however, I fell in love with Guadalajara and knew it would be heartbreaking to return home.

Born in the heart of Mexico, Aguascalientes prepares, year after year, to celebrate its San Marcos’ National Fair, which, over 175 years, has become the most important of the country. Its happiness, colours, food, fighting roosters, bullfights, traditional suits but overcoat its people’s hospitality made this fair, the “fair of Mexico”.

Benito Juárez was a Mexican statesman and four­‐time president of Mexico. After resisting takeover by European powers, Juárez installed numerous social changes that would improve the lives of the Mexican people.

Looking back on Mexico now, I can’t quite believe that a spur of the moment thing could have been quite so life changing! I mean I knew that I wanted to experience another culture and do something worthwhile with my summer other than mindlessly working.

Due to circumstances I was placed for 2 weeks in the animal centre, as a temporary replacement for my project of choice: the childcare project. At that moment I had no idea what kind of impact that would have had on my further stay in Mexico. The work was really nice (going from cleaning the birdcages and crocodile basin to feeding the baby deer by hand with a milk bottle and handling the snakes), the people were even nicer.

Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inns") is a nine-day celebration with origins in Spain beginning December 16 and ending December 24. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials, which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born, based on the passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke.

Throughout its history Mexico has had many revolutions. The most famous perhaps is the Mexican Revolution from 1910-1920. The people of Mexico were getting tired of the dictator rule of President Porfirio Diaz. People of all classes were fighting in the revolution. The middle and upper classes were dissatisfied with the President’s ways. The lower and working class people had many factors such as poor working conditions, inflation, inferior housing, low wages and deficient social services.

Was kann einem Schöneres passieren, als die Arbeitsstelle nach 8,5 Jahren zu kündigen und sich auf eine 4 monatige Reise zu begeben? Ja, mein Abenteuer startete völlig unkonventionell, unvorbereitet und erwartungslos Anfang Oktober 2010. Mit gemischten Gefühlen und dem Trennungsschmerz der Familie und der Arbeitsstelle wurde ich in Guadalajara am Flughafen durch Projects Abroad abgeholt und zu meiner Gastfamilie gebracht, bei welcher ich 1 Monat lang während meines Einsatzes im Waisenheim wohnen durfte.

As you may already have noticed, September is really important due to the celebration of our Independence, 200 years since this war started. Mistakenly referred to as ‘200 years of freedom’ because in fact, Mexico wasn’t free from the Spanish monarchy until 1821. There are still 11 years to go to say ‘Happy 200 years of ‘freedom’’. Here is the story!

There are those that say the very spirit of Mexico's rich culture runs hot in the veins of her Mariachis, those musical icons that serenade the boulevards, public squares and sidewalks of a nation with a brand and style of music that is both unique and legendary.

There are not enough words able to express how grateful we are regarding the visits we have been having from the volunteers in the 2 Weeks Special program. The boost to the project is amazing, and the camp is improving dramatically. Sometimes it is quite hard for our visitors to see true change in the project while they are with us, as they are in camp only for a couple of weeks but I definitely assure you that the amount of help they provide has a great impact in the whole project.

Do you remember Alberto who wrote some notes to introduce himself in the April Bulletin of Projects Abroad? He said he would come to Mexico to take part in the Journalism project in Ciudad Guzman for the months of April and May. He lied to you because he got to stay for three months! He added a month more in order to have a more complete experience!

Dagmar Otter, a former volunteer from Holland, has been collaborating in a very special school. Nunutzie ­‐ Kie is a school for mentally and physically disabled children. Rehabilitation through pedagogy is the main objective of this school. Nearly 220 kids in special circumstances go every day to receive treatment and education.

Je suis arrivé le 1er avril 2010 à Guadalajara. J´ai éprouvé le décalage de 7 heures en pleine tête, mais j'ai été accueilli par Denisse qui m´a tout de suite mis en confiance. Le jour où ils m'ont amené au bureau de Projects Abroad, Rocío m´a aussi mis en confiance.

I’m Alberto Carniel and I‘ll come to Mexico at the beginning of April 2010 to spend my time with Projects Abroad in Ciudad Guzman, where I will get a placement in Journalism for a period of 2 months.

February is the month when we celebrate the foundation of Guadalajara, exactly on the same day as Valentine´s, February the 14th. Here you have a bit of history about Guadalajara.The word Guadalajara comes from the Arab word "Wad‐al hidjara", which means "River that runs between rocks".

Located downtown, ‘El Parián’, which was built in 1878, is a block square that offers snacks, meals and traditional drinks. There are some shops also, but the main attraction (late afternoon & evenings) are the strolling Mariachis. El Parián is a good place to rest, after a long day of shopping, and to enjoy some local charm.

Without a doubt, one of the most traditional festivities in Mexico is the Day of the Dead. Mexico has a different way of seeing death. For us, death is the beginning and not the end, therefore we celebrate and we remember the ones who departed before us. Here is a little bit of the history of this celebration!

October is here and this is quite a special month for us because 'Fiestas de Octubre', a cultural and recreational festival which is considered to be one of the most important festivities of the year. Since 1965 this festival has been a very important event in the life of the people who live in Guadalajara due to the shows and activities that happen during this festival.

The night of the 15th of September is by far the most important night of the country. Patriotism is everything you can smell in the streets of Guadalajara as well as the rest of the country! Everyone gathers in the city centre for a massive party!

This month we decided to go to a folkloric ballet show and I must say it was a good choice, it was a fine and beautiful spectacle to watch, rich in all kinds of ways, it included classic dances from different states in México like Tepic, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Mexico city and Jalisco, most of the dances being some sort of a tap dance with a Mexican touch, there were even a few ones I hadn´t seen myself before and I have lived here in the country my whole life!

The first few weeks I spent with two pediatricians in internal medicine at Centro Medico, a large and well-supplied private hospital. I then transferred to a dramatically different environment and began work at the Cruz Verde, one of the city’s public emergency hospitals. Both places have afforded me numerous learning experiences. I have done and seen things that I could never have anticipated...

The children at the school are a handful, but at the same time they are very well behaved. They love to play educational games in class where they learn lots of new words. They are very friendly and almost always want to learn more about the volunteers and where we come from.

Throughout the fluctuating and intermittent course of life, destiny always seems to lay a broad range of teachers on different subjects in front us, from our parents and friends to our school professors. But what is exactly the role of a teacher?

Another big celebration during April is the Children´s Day Celebration on the 30^th of April. Lots of parties for the children are held all around the city. The government also arranges a wide list of activities for them in museums, parks and even restaurants.

During the month of March, we celebrate the birthday of one of the most important characters of the Mexican history. Benito Juarez Garcia is categorized as one of the best Mexican presidents ever. The celebration day is held on the 21st of March; exactly the same day spring starts in Mexico.

Legends, myths, sagas, ancient stories, folktales, call them whatever you want, but we all have heard stories like King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, Richard The Lion heart or Odin’s search for wisdom, and I can go on and on naming more stories like these.

Legends, myths, sagas, ancient stories, folktales, call them whatever you want, but we all have heard stories like King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, Richard The Lion heart or Odin’s search for wisdom, and I can go on and on naming more stories like these.

Piñata, funny word, and it’s got that funny “n” hard to pronounce, I bet you must have heard the wordbefore in a movie or a song or read it in a book about Mexican culture. When you think about a truly Mexican birthday party, many things come to mind, like the usual but deliciously addictive sweets, sodas, cake, in my case going a bit back in time it would be my mom chasing me around and yelling at me to return the birthday presents because they are not mine, oh the golden years of childish skullduggery!...where was I?? Oh yeah right! And of course the always traditional and very Mexican piñata!

Between the most important Day of the Dead icons are the famous engravings of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a great illustrator from the Mexican Revolution time. His skeletons are very well-known worldwide already. His long career began in 1871 with a job as the political cartoonist for a local newspaper in Aguascalientes.

Many countries in the "New World" and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas and Columbia, as Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day) and National Day in Spain, and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of IndigenousResistance) in Venezuela.

For the past couple of weeks I have been working in an orphanage for young boys located in Guadalajara, Mexico. Everyday the other volunteers and I are attacked at the door with hugs, kisses, laughs and practical jokes. Working at the Casa Juan Diaz Orphanage has been one of the most valuable experiences of my life.

Picture yourself on the beach looking out at a warm sunset standing amidst a multitude of baby turtles on route to their ocean home knowing that they emerged from a group of nests that you collected and kept safe for this day. The first time I brought hatchlings to the ocean I realized that I was part of a process that was small yet vast. I am no longer learning 'about' biology, I am experiencing it. I am living with the earth rather than upon it.

The Guelaguetza, or Los lunes del cerro (Mondays of the Hill) is an annual cultural celebration that takes place in the city of Oaxaca, capital of the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. The celebration dates back to pre- Columbian times and remains a defining characteristic of Oaxacan culture. Its origins come from celebrations related to the worship of corn. Communities from within the state of Oaxaca gather to present their regional culture in the form of music, costumes, dances, and food. It is the most famous event of its kind in Mexico.

Spending two months in Mexico has been one of the best, if not the best, experience of my life. I never expected to enjoy it so much. My Mexico trip started out as something I had to do for University and I was expecting to go to work, return to my host house and count the days to my return to the UK. By the time I was due to return, I didn’t want to leave and I tried to stay as long as I could.

Mother's Day is a day honoring mothers,celebrated on various days in many places around the world. In Mexico we celebrate this day on the 10^th of May. Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins.

Another big celebration during April is the Children's Day Celebration on the 30^th of April. Lots of parties for the kids all around the city are held. The government also arranges a wide list of activities for them in museums, parks and even restaurants. It is not just a day to celebrate but to think also a bit about the rights of our children and the way they should be treated in our society. Here I decided to give you a brief note about this interesting subject.

Benito Juarez is considered one of Mexico's greatest and most beloved leaders. During his political career he helped to institute a series of liberal reforms that were embodied into the new constitution of 1857. During the French occupation of Mexico, Juarez refused to accept the rule of the Monarchy or any other foreign nation, and helped to establish Mexico as a constitutional democracy. He also promoted equal rights for the Indian population, better access to health care and education, lessening the political and financial power of the Roman Catholic Church, and championed the raising of living standards for the rural poor.

On the 5^th of February 1917, the current constitution of Mexico was adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. This is another one of our celebrations during February. The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1917 is the present constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro by a Constitutional Convention during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917, with Venustiano Carranza serving as the first president under its terms.

When I landed in Guadalajara’s airport I was far from home, in a country I had never been before that spoke a different language than my own. I was also in a place where, for the first time, I looked like everybody else. Being from the central United States I was used to being the one that looked different. But when I came as a volunteer, a foreigner, my looks made me blend right in.

The piñata is a brightly-coloured paper container filled with sweets and/or toys. It is generally suspended on a rope from a tree branch or ceiling and is used during celebrations. A succession of blindfolded, stick-wielding children try to break the piñata in order to collect the sweets (traditionally fruit, such as sugarcane) and/or toys inside of it. It has been used for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas.

November is here and with this month comes two of the most representative celebrations of our identity as Mexicans: The Day of the Dead and the Celebration of the Revolution of 1920. In this newsletter, you will find a lot of interesting information to have a bit of an insight into these two events and hopefully you will want to find out more.

As some of you may know, during summer time we arrange English courses for kids and adults either in Guadalajara or Ciudad Guzman. One of the most important ones is our Summer Course at ICTC, the most important language centre in Ciudad Guzman. This was the third edition of this course and we are proud to say that it was a complete success. This success is shared between all the people at ICTC on charge of arrangments of the courses and the volunteers that put so much commitment for this.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Yucatan Peninsula via the invitation of a wonderful organization "El hombre sobre la Tierra" that has been working for 15 years with many poor indigenous communities in the area. I had the chance to spend a couple of days with one of these communities and had the chance to experience first hand the precarious situation they live in and the result of hundreds of years ofneglect from the government and society.

From most parts of the town you can't see the Volcan de Colima, just a magnificent white peak jutting up above everything else. This is called Nevado de Colima and being higher than the volcano it protects us in Guzmán from anything it might churn up. So in order to see it we would have to venture up and over the mountain into Colima Volcano National Park, not far from the edge of the town.

My time at the camp was so enjoyable. It was a relaxed atmosphere, but at the same time, a rewarding experience. During the night we would develop our techniques of how to track the turtles and then using our new skills to find the egg chamber where the soft gooey eggs were hidden. During the days at the camp there was still work to be done, from cleaning the turtle pools, feeding the turtles, planting the collected eggs from the previous patrol in the incubation area, learning about the biology of the turtles and their habits in the wild and of course burning some of that excess energy off on the volleyball and football pitch.