March 14, 2006
The Greatest Day EVER
posted by Sharon
Some people have the ability to have a “normal” lifestyle, to carry on throughout a
complete day with their “normal” routines, and be pretty great with it all. But if
by some odd chance something out of the ordinary should happen, this “normal” person
might just not be “pretty great with it all” –This type of person should NOT hang
around me! Ha ha!
Recently, I started taking ballet classes in Cd. Victoria, a city about
45 minutes away. Now, normally my mom drives me; through the ejidos,
over the Sierra Madres, into the city, 3 days a week. But, because of
the crazy amounts of gas and time it takes up, we decided to mix this
normality up a little bit.
A few weeks ago, my sister Marla, Mackenzi Price, and I decided to be
brave and go to Victoria and come back again using only busses, taxis,
no phones, and our oh-so-perfect-Spanish skills. Wonderful, yeah? So
onto the bus the three white girls went.
The ride from Jaumave was uneventful, but when we got to Victoria and it
was time to hail a taxi….it went downhill from there. We walked outside
the bus station and a man asked us if we needed a taxi so, we all
crammed in the back seat, which was only for two people, and tried to
explain the address. Well, that wasn’t working out too well, so I just
told him the name of the street and he went in a round-about way to get
there. In any case, we made it to the school after about 5 minutes. (It
is only a 1 minute drive from the bus station) Normally, the charge for
the trip would be about 20 pesos. We were charged 40! The driver told us that
since his brother worked the next shift, he would have him come and pick us up
at 8:15 and that there was no need to call.
After my class, we waited outside ….until 9:00! And still, no brother!
So, we called another taxi. This driver took us straight to the bus
station and charged us 50 pesos! We were too tired and not fluent enough
to argue with him so we just gave him the money and left.
By the time we made it to the bus station the earlier busses had all
left, so we had to wait for the 9:45 bus, which actually comes at 10:00.
While waiting for the bus, we were all starving so we bought some
delicious looking nachos. I say looking for a reason. When the bus came
we hopped on, happy that our troubles were over, but, no, no, this was
not the end. During the ride home the man who I sat by snored, the
whole, the entire, and the complete way to Jaumave. Ha ha! Anyway, by
the time we drove up, it was about 11:15 P.M. and we were very tired.
We started walking to my house from the bus station (nobody was there to
pick us up) and as we were walking, some acquaintances of ours drove up
behind us and asked if we wanted a ride. How could we refuse? We looked
in the back of their car and their two little girls were sleeping so we
said no, but they woke them up anyways and the 5 of us were all packed
in.
At 11:30 we FINALLY arrived at home all safe and sound. From taking this
lovely trip, we concluded that we are white, we do not speak Spanish,
busses and taxis are just not for us, and that we do not lead the
“normal” lifestyle. The next day we got a good laugh from it all and
thought it would make for a GREAT blog entry!
January 20, 2006
The Shop Over These Months
posted by David
It's interesting to see how things have changed around the office over the past six months. When I first arrived, in the heat of summer, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed. The four Mexican men we had at the time would come in early, but would take regular breaks at the local taqueria for "second breakfast," make a big spread in the back for lunch, and then maybe make another trip around the corner later for an afternoon snack. Errands, business or personal, were always being run, and there was a lot of fun to be had hanging out between the initial projects they received. In the office, we were pushing quite a bit harder but we'd still take off at 3 on an occasional afternoon to visit one of the local swimming holes or just to grab a Coke and talk.
As projects began to take on more form, we brought on Mere (pronounced meh'-day) as our Mexican supervisor and head carpenter. He had always held that position in our minds, but had asked to continue his own carpentry business until the big projects started coming in. His experienced wisdom and generous spirit immediately added a maturity to our team that has continued to bear fruit, enabling us to make big transitions easily—like shifting our focus to the solid wood door business in the last several months.
More structure is in place now than ever, and as we move increasingly into a production mindset we've seen the strengths of the guys rise to the occasion. We as emigrants have seen more similarities between ourselves and the guys in this time, but we've continued to see the basic differences in our mindsets and approaches as well. One major blessing for us in this area has been the addition of Erika and Edna, our office manager and translator, respectively. Erika brings to us Mexican corporate experience and an unusual mind for details (and a wonderful intensity). Edna, besides the obvious ability to communicate clearly, also shares with us insight into the Mexican psyche, which is significant as a highly educated and thoughtful Mexican woman who grew up in the Big City (Tampico) but who has always maintained the connection with her small-town roots, which is how she ended up with us in the first place.
We're continuing to adjust and strive to find healthy rhythms for ourselves and our guys, defining boundaries, learning the language, delegating responsibilities, especially as business is picking up on several fronts. There is still, and hopefully always will be, a lot fun to be had, a lot of warmth and a continually growing sense of community, for which we are all grateful. It could be a challenge to maintain the sense of family that's developed as we grow, but from what I can see now I think that the foundation that's been laid will serve us all well as we bring others into the most enjoyable place I've ever worked.
January 03, 2006
Rossy
posted by Susan
When I came to Mexico, I was looking forward to my life slowing down even though we would be experiencing a big change. However, when I pictured "slow", I was envisioning a more relaxed lifestyle not that everything would take longer.
Along with my normal responsibilities of home schooling six, mothering seven, supporting & loving my husband, and managing our household (to name a few), Mexico was a whole new experience. For example, trying to improve my very basic Spanish skills and helping our children learn a whole new language was a job all in itself. Then there were the unique cultural differences of a small town in Mexico. I could no longer give someone a quick call to ask a simple question because most of our friends did not have phones. It was necessary to go to their home and then, of course, graciously be invited in, sit down to visit, and finally get around to the simple question - all of this in my broken Spanish and with my comprehension impairment. To say the least my days quickly filled and my slower paced life was only a mirage.
Then came Rossy - our blessing from God. Rossy is the wonderful lady who takes a load (no pun intended) off of us and makes life more manageable in this foreign culture. Not only does she help us to cook, to clean our home, and to do laundry, but she loves our family. Rossy is in her early forties, a mother of one adult daughter, a grandmother to her 18 month old "nieta", speaks only Spanish, and a diligent worker. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.
With Rossy's patience and sense of humor (a must considering our large family and our limited Spanish), she quickly became a part of our family. Being widowed at age 25 and living alone now, she enjoys the noise, constant talking, playing and even arguing at our house when compared to her quiet home. She loves the attention from Olivia (four years old) who always wants Rossy to play when she is working and continually calls "Ven! Ven! Rossy!" (Come! Come!) We're trying to train Olivia to ask, not tell and encourage Rossy to say no more often. :)
Not only have we enjoyed Rossy's company, but we have also been the happy recipients of her delicious cooking-mmmm! Something always smells good when Rossy is in the kitchen. Our favorites are her homemade tamales, Spanish rice, pico de gallo, salsa and frijoles charros! She has also enjoyed learning to make some of our dishes including lasagna which seems to be many of the Mexicans' favorite of our "American" dishes.
Besides her wonderful culinary skills, Rossy’s patience when speaking Spanish with us is so appreciated. She gently corrects our Spanish and patiently waits for me to get my thoughts into words (and you thought it took me a long time to get my English thoughts out.) She also purposefully speaks very slowly and thinks of alternative and simple ways to express and describe ideas. Because of the large amount of time she spends with us, she has been known to slip into this strange way of speaking even with other Mexicans. Recently, Rossy was with her adult daughter at a store, and after Rossy asked a clerk something, her daughter looked very puzzled. "Why are you speaking like that?" she inquired when Rossy had spoken very slowly with very simple words as she does with us. When Rossy relayed the story to me, she had a really good laugh. She is definitely turning into one of us. :)
Although living in Mexico can definitely have its challenges, Rossy has made our transition into a new culture so much easier. Her friendship and great contribution in assisting us with our Spanish and in helping run our home is a blessing that I don't take for granted. And yes, our lives have become a little slower paced but even more so we thank God for the privilege of having Rossy in our lives.
December 27, 2005
My Class
posted by Anne Marie
Hi! My name is Anne Marie Price. I am 10 years old. I live in the small town of Jaumave, Mexico. In September 2005, my dad put me in public school for 1 hour a day so I could learn Spanish and make new friends.
The first day, I went in and everybody stared. The teacher say me in the front row so everyone would turn around and look at me. When it was time to leave, I was scared and nervous about what I should do when I left the classroom. Then my mom and my brother, Grant, were there. I was relieved. The next day, before class, while I was writing on my paper, everybody surrounded me to see what I was writing. There were so many children around me that I could not see anything but the ceiling. They were definitely curious. About a week later, some children in my class started giving me candy, pencils, pens, stickers, etc. One would give me a shell and then another would give me a bigger shell. I think they wanted me to be their best friend. Some times, the boys in my class say "I love you" to me. So they won't say it any more, I pretend to not understand them or just ignore them. Finally, one day, the teacher told them to stop bothering my. And it worked. :)
These are some of my interesting experiences of being in public school for the first time. It has been weird. I prefer not to be in public school but God knows what He's doing.
December 20, 2005
Things that I enjoy about Mexico
posted by Grant M. Price
There are many things in Mexico that I enjoy. Most of the stuff that I like to purchase is very inexpensive. For example you could buy 6 donuts for less than $1! And you could get one bottle of coke, a snack size bag of cheetos, 3 suckers, 3 packs of gum, and "KoolAid" for $1.85! Cheap huh?
Another thing that I like about Mexico is the view. Pretty much anywhere you go, you can see beautiful mountains from right outside your front door to driving through them on your way to Victoria City. I know a lot of Americans think that Mexico is just a desert wasteland but it isn't. Sure, it's hot alright, but it isn't just plain and ugly. It's really pretty (and we don't just eat beans all of the time). Another thing I like about Mexico is learning Spanish and translating. Now I'm not bilingual but Hunter, my brother, and I speak the most Spanish in our family besides my dad. And the last but most important reason I like Mexico is because it is God's will for us to be here.
December 13, 2005
The Fair
posted by Grant M. Price
Recently I went to the fair in Jaumave.
I enjoyed my time. First I got on a roller coaster called “The Dragon”. It was pretty cool. Next I went on a rope climbing/bounce house thingy. Over the next 15 minutes I pretty much just walked around and waited on my friend James to finish looking at some snakes that he paid a dollar for. After that I went to see what the people had for sale, and I bought a majority of my family’s Christmas gifts. I enjoyed the fair of Jaumave.
November 02, 2005
Peace in Mexico
posted by Madeleine
When David, Jesse and I visited Mexico in April, I was culture-shocked for days. Traveling I'd done before, contact I'd had with Mexicans or Mexican Americans, what little Spanish I'd learned—none of it insulated me from the "otherness" I felt. It seemed I was in another atmosphere, air I didn't know how to breathe. I did not understand the lives of those who lived here, let alone their language.
We've been here four months. I still don't know the language; I still have a hard time entering into and understanding the lives of the Mexicans in this small town, so different from any life I have ever lived. But I am loving being here.
We wake in our little house and open the doors to the courtyard; the tangerines are heavy on the tree, and turning orange. I strap Jesse into his baby-backpack and we walk into town to buy groceries; women touch his cheek and smile, tell me how handsome ('guapo') he is. With Jesse strapped on, we make a white-skinned two-headed unit that disconcerts the children and dogs. Even the adults stare, but (usually) quickly respond to my smile. "Buenos dias." "Buenos dias." Parrots wheel and screech overhead. Our white clothes on the line are being bleached by the strong Mexican sun, but the nights are cool and the crickets sing. Opposite our house through the trees we barely glimpse pale gold pastures, and the blue Sierra Madres.
On Wednesdays, Rosie comes to help me in the house and cook a few meals—she's in her early forties, has lived in the tiny neighboring town of Palmillas all her life. My kitchen fills with delicious smells. I often start sentences I can't finish but she's quick to understand my attempts, quick to clarify that she sauteés the onions and garlic before she puts them in with the tomatillos, that she adds a few peppercorns to the ground beef for sabor. We falter our way through conversations about her granddaughter—who at eleven months is bigger than my seventeen-month-old son. She talks to Jesse and chuckles at his attempt at her name—it's clear that my intention he call her "Doña Rosie" has failed and "Woshie" it is. I put music on and she agrees that it's different than Mexican music, but adds that she likes it, that it's easy to work to.
Some of the Price kids wander over to play with Jesse, pattering in and out of the house. "Can I have a glass of water?" "Jesse just said 'Nank you'!" Jesse and I walk down into the valley, to the riverbed where the water runs clear. Foraging cows look sideways at us. After nine the taco stand on the corner opens and David and I buy the best tacos in the world: corn tortillas, grilled beef and onions, cilantro, tangy green tomatillo salsa.
Mexican towns are not still, but under the loud mariachi music, the braying of donkeys and yipping of dogs, peeping and crowing of chickens, I experience a deep quiet. I am away from the blare and sophisticated complication of United States life, and my ignorance of the language protects me from much knowledge of the blare of life in Mexico. That ignorance won't last, but I hope by the time it's gone the quiet I'm experiencing now will have sunk so deep that nothing can root it out. At night, I sit silent in the clear cold air and watch the stars—the stars that are so visible here in this little town.
October 01, 2005
Hi, my name is Grant Price.
posted by Grant M. Price
This school year is my first time ever to go to public school. I go to a Mexican school for one class a day learning Spanish.
The first day when I walked into my classroom I heard my name echoed from about 15 girls and 8 boys-at least, what they thought my name was. They pronounced it vrānt. The next day was the same and the third day on my way to school I asked God not to let them say it again but that I was totally willing for them to. When I got to the classroom I braced myself and then... silence in fact so quiet I laughed and thanked God.
Three weeks later about 5 boys tried to STEAL my bike! (Luckily I had it chained to a post.) They yanked on the chain but fortunately my sister (Anne Marie) saw them, stopped them and stayed by my bike until I got out of school. (Pretty loyal, huh?) I have had many adventures in my school. I have enjoyed my first few months of public school.
September 16, 2005
Living in Jaumave
posted by Heather
It is morning. The sun has risen, but it is still hidden behind the ring of mountains that surrounds Jaumave, Mexico. Roosters are crowing from nearly every back yard. Somewhere a dog is barking and a donkey is braying. The sound of a horse's hooves ring out from the cobblestone street leading down to the river behind the little house I’m staying in.
Slowly the people begin to wake up. Old, rusting trucks rattle up the streets toward the plaza. Boys on bicycles, a few men on horses, and people walking like myself pass me on the road, wave, and call out “Adios” in greeting. Women stand in their doorways wetting the dust that covers the road. A little boy runs barefoot down the sidewalk to his neighbor’s house. The tortilla shop next to the Projecto Del Carpintero office is crowded, now. People are standing in line waiting for their packages of still-hot tortillas. School girls walk in pairs through the plaza. The bells on the old church ring out the hour: eight o’clock. Four or five men are waiting in front of the office door for someone to bring the key; I wait with them.
The sun is hot in Mexico. By noon, when I look for lunch, the streets are nearly empty. Clusters of people sit in the shade of the huge trees in the plaza. An old man pushes a wheelbarrow down the street. Dogs lie under cars, tongues lolling out of their mouths. People come and go from the little cafés around the plaza, looking out the open door and brushing away buzzing flies. Every table holds a bowl of a green chili sauce. Red chilies go on everything – even fruit. A toddler at the table next to me stops eating and stares while I wait for my tostadas. I guess he's never seen blonde hair before.
It is in the evening that Jaumave truly comes to life. When the sun is setting, and a cool breeze blows through the dusty streets, then everyone comes out of their houses and gathers in the three plazas in the heart of town. Children laugh and shout as they play on the playground. Young people play basketball or soccer, or walk the perimeter of the plazas together. Some people sit in the backs of their trucks, talking over the loud music coming from their radios. Couples kiss on the benches under the trees, unaware of the world around them.
Taco stands begin to open when the sun sets, and hamburger stands too. Sitting in the dim yellow light at a plastic white table, I squeeze fresh lime over my tacos, spoon on the green chili sauce, and watch the people pass. I see a face I recognize; it’s hard not to in this little town. She calls out my name, and I wave. That’s what the plaza is all about, really. Meeting friends, and passing on, and meeting them again.
It is late now, and I’m tired. I walk slowly up the dark, cobble stoned street, and turn in at a dirt driveway. I’m almost past Pastor Pepe's house when a voice calls out to me from the darkness. They're sitting on their front porch, enjoying the night. I stop to chat a few minutes with them before moving on.
Outside my door, I pause to look around. The stars above seem so close, so numerous, that I hate to go inside. A dog is barking, but other than that all is still. The shadows of the mountains loom up on the horizon. The breeze is soft and cool. This has been a good day in Jaumave.