Getting comfortable

Twelve of my 14 students and I went hammock shopping yesterday. I am sorry to report that I did not have my camera with me because I missed some real photo opportunities. All 12 purchased hammocks and slept in them last night. This morning's reports confirmed what people who live in the tropics have known for years: sleeping in a hammock is the best way to beat the heat. These 12 are converts! We also stopped for a snack at a Lebanese restaurant in the same area as the hammock place. (Yucatán has a large Lebanese community with a fascinating history. I am looking for someone to come in to talk to the students about the hows and whys of their immigration and will report on this subject again in a later post.) Most of the students had never tried any type of Middle Eastern food at all. I know you foodies out there are in shock. I started them slowly with tabule, humus, cucumbers in yogurt, plain yogurt, and pita bread (or "pan arabe" as it is called here.) Reactions were mixed, but I am pleased to report that everyone sampled every plate which gives me great hope for the semester. Based on my limited experience, a willingness to try new foods has a high correlation with an openess to new cultural experiences of all kinds. Here's hoping this is true.....

Orientation -- Fall 2008

Everyone arrived safely by late Sunday night. The past two days have passed in a minute as I do my tour guide/academic advising/problem solving song and and dance. Some students are ready to take off on their own while others are afraid of their own shadows. But everyone is paying attention and already working hard as you can see in this photo. We meet tomorrow with the US Consulate here in Mérida to emphasize what our role is as visitors in a foreign country. I have already had to submit the names of the students for security screening; we all have to bring our passports. Maybe they will get a feeling of how it feels to be the outsider. Stay tuned for more adventures from Fall, 2008.

The Library Reveal Part 2

Drum roll, please !

I could not figure out how to set the photos side by side to do a before/after look....yet another detail to learn. Be sure to scroll back to the original post to get the full impact. The table does not have the exact look I was going for, but that look would have taken too long and cost about twice as much. I still lust for new chairs, but the old tired ones do not look as bad as I anticipated.
The room no longer smells of mold and mildew, and while there are still lots of books to sort through and organize, there is now room to work.

The Library Reveal Part 1

First the workers moved the table through the main door, up the stairs and then through the library door.

It takes a village....

It does take a village to operate this program. The 9 people pictured here run the house. They do everything from gardening to cooking to cleaning to money management to security. Yes, we have a nightwatchman who knows more about certain aspects of student life than any of the rest of us. Everyone is working hard today to put the finishing touches on the house in anticipation of the arrival of the students on Sunday. We also employ 6 instructors who will be teaching this semester's courses that include five different Spanish classes, Art & Architecture of Yucatán, Salsa Dancing, and Mexican Civilization. They have been finalizing syllabi this week, getting copies made, and scheduling local excursions. We have a week of orientation activities before classes begin on September 1. As for me, I am awaiting delivery of the new library table.

Tamales wrapped in banana leaves

Today's treat (for breakfast no less) was tamales wrapped in banana leaves. The tamales were stuffed with a mixture of black beans and pumpkin seeds. A delicious red sauce/salsa was served on the side. Once again, my photos were awful. Thank goodness for Google Images.

Life is good.

Potage

When there are no students in the house, the cooks let loose and cook the foods they enjoy eating. Doña Lupita, the head cook, called today's meal a "potage." It was absolutely delicious and included small red beans, all kinds of vegetables, stewed beef and several plantains. Yes, plantains. I hope there will be leftovers for tomorrow!

Needless to say, we do not have a set of Le Crueset(sp) cooking pans, but the photo I took of the potage in our cooking pots was disgusting. So here is an image of the closest type of potage I could find that most looks like Doña Lupita's.