http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/CrystalP/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from CrystalP en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:56:00 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:56:00 +0000 Alright friends and family I have created a new blog with the help of a fellow volunteer. The address is httpcrystal.nphdojang.com and it's still in the design phase but I have updated it. I'll be putting all of you on automatic email updates once again so you won't have to worry about checking it yourselves. I also have a new online photo album that I put some pictures up on. You'll find http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-352853.html Monday was yet another reason for Mexcians not to go to work. It was Revolution Day. Actually Thursday was the real holiday but everyone celebrates on Monday. Basically itrsquos a big sports day similar to the US field day and no one works or goes to school. Donrsquot ask me why because I have no idea. Basically what we did was split the whole house into 12 different teams that each had http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-348204.html Well well well I could throw out a million excuses and reasons for not updating this. Letrsquos just say it was a combo of many things. Things have been really busy and exciting around here. Irsquove been doing some traveling and diving into the culture. This past weekend we had Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos and Dia de los Santos. Obviously Mexicans donrsquot celebrate Halloween bu http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-344793.html Sooo the great Ryan Hyland rolled into town on Wednesday as he will about 6 times a year. Just to explain you can all blame him for me being here. He was a CORE member in my LifeTeen program and then came down here to volunteer. He was here for about 4 years and he is such a Mexican only in his heart as he is such a gringo on the outside that he's lived in Mexico ever since. He was the one http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-325993.html So todayyesterday iswas the big celebreation of Mexican Independence Day. I'm not going to give you a history lesson but basically Mexico gained independence from Spain and Hidalgo yelled at midnight the morning of Sept 16 Viva Mexico So last night we started a program at 8pm where all of the sections prepared a dance or sketch and then there was a big dance that went till 2am or so. At m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-324374.html Preface to this blog there is something wrong with the photo uploading mechanism of this blog so I'm having issues. I was only able to 18 up and I have probably 50 more. I'll get them up when I can. Well I'm alive and by some kind of miracle the internet company actually came out here and fixed everything so we have permanent internet...so they say. So far so good. Lots of things have been h http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-323178.html So school has now been in session for about a week. We are settling into a routine and I think I really like it. I'm going to start teaching English to the Preschool 1 and 2 classes tomorrow and I'll be doing that 2 days a week and a week from Friday I'm going to start teaching english to a group of year of service kids kids who have graduated from the high school and are now working here so th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-316638.html Well yesterday school started and my schedule is all sorts of different. The school year is going to be more work for sure but at the same time a little less time with the kids. Herersquos what it looks like700 Arrive in the SectionMilpias Kids arrive800 Kids Eat First Breakfast this is when I eat815 Take the kids to school8301030 Hacer Aseos Do Chores this pretty much consists o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-313998.html Alright well I sound like a broken record but the internet in Miacatlan has been a pain but right now Irsquom in Cuernavaca for my descanso weekend break and itrsquos all the internet I could possibly want so I plan on calling people this weekend and putting up more pictures. Moving along from the constant internet issue today was a sad day for NPH as our fearless leader and resident ldqu http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-312517.html Well the internet problems are continuing on but as Irsquom pretty sure Irsquove said before is that Irsquom just happy we have it all because when I signed up for this gig I wasnrsquot expecting internet to be here in the house. Irsquom getting by pretty well though I just hope none of your feel too neglected. Itrsquos now been about 6 weeks that Irsquove been here so Irsquom r http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-310200.html Well we have officially lost internet in the house so I'm sorry if you're all feeling neglected. I'm not able to be on here long so I'll put up some pictures from the last week so you can have some visual stimulation. They include pictures from the anniversary party here at the orphange and of course my kids and of the 5th Birthday party me and another encargara threw for Chave. Sorry for the d http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-308033.html Man oh man the days are long. I've actually resorted to drinking some coffee in the morning to help me get going which is sad but seems necessary. All of the other volunteers rely heavily on a cup of joe in the mornings. Last you all heard from me I was sick and luckily it seemed to only be a 24 hour bug. Not bad at all. I finished up the descanso last weekend strong with some shopping I fi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-304489.html This is just a quick update for all of you. Yesterday was Day 18 of my time here and yesterday I finally got sick. It was a sad and defeated time for me spent mostly in the bathroom throwing up. I can't quite peg what it was that caused this sickness but I do know that it was food or possibly water inside the house at Miacatlan as I hadn't eaten out in awhile. It's all good though I appear to http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-301992.html So today we went to this waterpark in Texmico with the kids who didn't get visitors on visitors day. There were only 44 kids which means an amazing amount of people had visitors. It's in an old haceinda grounds which is of course like an old plantation in the south. Basically we played volleyball frisbee football laid in the lazy river swam and played in the pools and slides where a bunch http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-300791.html That's Reporting Live from the Volunteers Living Room for those nonspanish speakers. The move went really well. We all got here and were told to work it out amongst ourselves as to which room more like fort that we wanted. I got a pretty nice sized one with a desk in it which was really quite a score. We basically are in a large room seperated from eachother by lockers and sheets. Don't http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/blog-300292.html So last night the other new volunteers and myself with the expception of yesterdays new arrival Michelle who was jet lagged headed off to the very popular Thursday night spot Mambo Cafe. The line to get in was ridiculous. I mean seriously. We did get in and managed to get a table and some free drink coupons so we were happy about that we know how to work it. I was able to do my first tequil http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-298551.html Well where do I start I have over a week worth of the experiences and stories to tell so settle in for a little bit of reading don't worry I won't share EVERYTHING today and just hit the highlights and basics. I arrived in Mexico City on July 1st after a long day of traveling. Seriously. I caught the shuttle to the airport in Philly at 5am and arrived at 400pm. I then hopped in a van along http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-298133.html