¡Feliz Navidad!

Many happy wishes to you and yours this Christmas Eve.

God Bless Costco!

Despite my best efforts to find out, I have no idea why yellow lemons are not grown in Mexico. Everyone here claims the little green "limones" have the same taste as yellow lemons. I have learned to just smile and nod because they simply do not. There is nothing like a wonderful fresh true lemon lemon. I have to admit I let out a little scream when I found bags and bags and bags of lemons at Costco last night. Three have already been consumed...one in the form of lemon ice cubes, one with last night's salmon and another this morning in a cup of hot water. I am in heaven!

My office compañero

Without students, the Central house is very, very quiet, but I am not alone. This little gecko appeared early this morning and seems quite content to watch as I file, toss, make notes, send emails, answer the phone and just generally go about my business.

According to geckocare.net (seriously), there are 800 different species of geckos. I have no idea what his/her species is nor do I plan on finding out just as I do not plan to fing out gender, sexual orientation, age, or religion. But I do hope he/she stays around for awhile to give me someone to talk to.

¡Buen Viaje!

The semester is over! The taxis pulled up at 4:45, students piled in, the taxis pulled away, and it was over...just like that!

Based on the evaluations, grades, good bye notes I found on my desk, and tears shed (their's and mine), the semester was a success.

Now it is time to clean my desk, organize files, post the photos of the spring semester faces to start putting names and faces together, and take care of a million other little details for the January health care conference. But for right now, I am headed home and back to bed.

Student reflections as the semester slips away....

Excerpts from an end-of-semester survey given as a part of my re-entry seminar:

1. What did you miss most about the US?
Friends and family was the overwhelming winner. Driving came in a close second, and alone time/privacy was next.

2. What will you miss most about Mérida?
Local friends won hands down followed by dancing, sun, and food.

3. What will you miss least about Mérida?
Traffic was tops on almost every one's list. My favorite was, "Lame pick up lines."

4. What would you have done differently?
I was gratified to see that "spent less time on the computer with the aforementioned friends and family" topped most lists. Next was "chosen to live with host family rather than in the Central House." "Budgeted better and earlier" got a laugh.

5. Advice to the next group?
Every student listed some variation of "Get involved!" "Get out into the community" "Make local friends" "Be in the present." (This last one came from the class brown noser as this was my mantra...Be Here Now.

Next time I will add another question: What did you miss least about the US?

Only piñata of the semester

Jill, the last birthday girl of the semester, and her piñata.

No matter what your age, diving into the candy once the piñata breaks is a competitive sport.

The confetti, a requirement for all piñatas, is the most fun. Luckily, it is easy to clean up afterwards because of tile floors.