Mani/pedi

From the outside, this building may not look inviting, and, actually, the inside isn't anything fabulous either, but this is where I get my manicures and pedicures. Let's just say I am a regular customer. You would be, too, if the salon were located right across the street from where you work and if the technicians did a great job and if both services were done simultaneously and if the price for a manicure AND pedicure were only $15 USD. Yes, that is fifteen dollars for both. I am in and out and feeling pretty, oh so pretty, in about 45 minutes. Life is good.

An on-going project

In addition to the outdoor classroom pictured in yesterday's entry, we also use the library on the second floor of the house as a classroom. Unfortunately, this room has also become a dumping zone for used textbooks, files, research papers, boxes and who knows what else. The room smells of dampness and mold because of the heat and humidity. The shelves sag under too much weight. Starting today, my goal is to spend a minimum of one hour a day restoring order to this wonderful resource. I have located a recycling center that will pick up any materials in the "throw" pile. There is an English library here in Mérida that will take some books.
The other reality that I need to think about as I work is how the space and resources will be used. Most of the books are out of date for coursework such as what is required of my Contemporary Issues class. Other books, however, will stand the test of time such as literature and art books. Should be an interesting project. So I need to get to it.

Now that we know where I spend my time, the next logical question is: How do I spend my time?

Well, we already know I spend time getting my personal life in order, but my work time right now is spent getting ready for Fall 2008, Spring 2009 and Summer 2009. I am also working on a health-related conference to be held here January 3-10, 2009 and a conference to be held in Iowa in February of 2009 for a professional group I belong to.

Today I finished up a series of emails to the fall students about topics ranging from how to request absentee ballots to places to work out while on the program to an on-line language evaluation. I am now taking a short break before moving on to putting together power points for the course I am teaching this fall: Contemporary Issues in US/Mexico Relations. I taught the same course last spring literally by the seat of my pants. I am feeling more confident this time around. The issues we are looking at include immigration, trade, tourism and trafficking. The set up is seminar-style with lots of participation plus reaction papers to our primary reading on each topic and a research paper at the end. The building pictured here is our classroom which sits in the garden and is built to resemble a Mayan house complete with the thatched roof. A roof like this lasts about 10 years before needing to be replaced. Hurricane force winds blow right through it. The only downside is that the roof is home to all kinds of little creatures. It is a little disconcerting to be talking and have a gecko turd drop on your notes!

All for now...we are shutting down the computers and Internet for maintenance.

Gifted artisans

Unlike my sisters, niece and numerous friends and relatives, I do not have a Martha Stewart bone in my body. I cannot tie a bow, make a leaf plate, design a one-of-a kind bag, create a priceless scrapbook, or cook a gourmet meal, but I have a profound appreciation and respect for those who can and do. One of the advantages of living in Mexico is that I can find people to create things of beauty for me at incredibly reasonable prices. Here is how I spent my Saturday:

First stop was at the silversmith's shop. Miguel Peon has a long history with the college. Several students have interned with him; he is always willing to talk to students even if they are artists themselves or going to buy anything from him. The highlight of his talk is when he whips out a 10-kilo bar of solid silver. Miguel is also very patient with customers like yours truly who bring him pictures found in magazines and say, "Miguel, can you make me something like this only in silver?" He always agrees as he did this time. He promises to have the bracelet ready by Thanksgiving.



The next stop was the ironmaker's shop. In yet another magazine, Vivir en el Campo, published in Spain, I finally found the table and chairs I want for my patio. I love the curved legs. The patio set should be done by mid-September.


Finally, I made it to the dressmaker's shop. Because of the heat and humidity, my "uniform" in Mérida is linen: all linen, all the time. Eileen Fisher provides inspiration while Don Robert provides the skill. This time the fabric colors are turquoise, teal, goldish brown and navy blue. Yes, this from a woman whose true favorite color is really, secretly black, but black does not seem right here in the midst of the gorgeous vivid colors that surround me. (If there is any doubt about the amount of color in my life, you obviously have not taken a good look at the photos that are a part of this blog.) I want to fit in...not stand out. The dresses should be ready by next Saturday.

Where I spend my time - Part 3

Now it is time to climb that staircase to where I really spend all of my time: my office. Here you can see from the doorway that I have wonderful windows.

This is the view from my desk. The green chairs were were at find at Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal.Mart.

The painting here and others throughout the house are by Gabriel Ramirez, George Ann's compañero. We are his gallery/warehouse. I love the juxtaposition of the modern art with traditional artesanía and the architecture of the house.

Duh...

I worry about myself sometimes. I cannot believe how easy it was to figure this out. Plus I hope you have noticed I added music! (Thanks, Naphtali, for bringing my tastes into the 21st Century.)

This is the formal entrance to the house and one of three terraces.

If students slide down the bannister, they do it when I am not around.

This photo shows only a portion of the living room. The doughnuts/innertubes are usually not part of the decor; they belong to the student group that is using the house this week.

Where I spend my time - Part 2

This is the college house where I spend most of my time. The house is about 70 years old and is a mixture of styles including colonial, post colonial and modern. It is hard to get a good picture of the outside because of the size of the property, the wall surrounding it, and because of the fact the house is set in a "garden" that would be more accurately described as a tropical jungle. The banyan tree that dominates the street entrance is estimated to be about 100 years old.

I have more photos of the outside and of the inside of the house, but I am going to need a tutorial on how to post more than one photo. Just from my initial efforts, I can tell I will need more time to figure out how to do that, and break time is over. I should probably do something to earn my daily bread!