The other day Fabian came home late in the morning and recounted how a mob of 25 men tried to stone him and 2 other policemen to death for breaking up a fight between two groups. Luckily all of them were good at running and dodging the stones and broken bottles that were flying through the air, some of the size of a soccer ball. The only thing that got damaged was their police patrol truck. As they piled into the truck the windows were broken and the truck was dented quite badly by the impact of the mob's medieval weapons. Stories like these leave images in your head of a level of barbarianism that one can't imagine actually exists. Since these stories are much more dramatic than any positive story could ever be they discolor Mexico and leave us thinking that Mexico is only full of barbaric acts. There is another side to Mexico other than these dramatic acts of violence that stay vividly burned into our minds. The other side of Mexico, the good side, is hidden. You have to filter through a lot of visible corruption to find it but there in the middle of an English classroom on the second floor, I found it. I found the good side of Mexico when I found some of its best people. The stories of these pleasant people probably won't last in your minds quite as long as those of the evil ones but this blog will focus on them so the days that I am feeling discouraged with my love hate relationship with this country I can re-read these accounts and turn my disappointment into encouragement. These stories, unlike the other dramatically violent ones were a part of my daily life and were not just once a month happenings.
It was definitely destiny that brought me to this job since I arrived quite disillusioned with the whole teaching career thing and wasn't anxious to pursue a job in that area. Besides my disillusionment with teaching I had to struggle with all kinds of inner turmoil. This turmoil seems to come out of me every time I come to Mexico. It stems from homesickness, cultural differences, un-fulfilled dreams and vulnerability; a vulnerability that I don't feel in the U.S. My walls go up and I become a different person. My students however, were able to break down those walls possibly by the simple fact that they too were making themselves vulnerable by submitting themselves to the humbling process of learning a language.
All of my students were different. I had young students ranging from 9 years old to professionals with children in college. Some students were there because their parents wanted them to study English but most attended classes because they really wanted to learn. I can definitely say that motivated students make teaching fun! Our school environment was a unique one because the schedule was flexible and the atmosphere relaxed. My boss (Kari) and I hit it off quite well, not only because our personalities were similar in some ways but also because we share a love of animals. Kari might be a full time English school teacher and owner but she's also a part time street animal rescuer. There were many classes that were attended not only by our regular human students but also by our canine friends as they awaited being transferred to a foster home or a permanent adoptive home. My students weren't too surprised when one day a beautiful, healthy golden retriever (who very obviously had a loving home) decided to walk up the stairs and into our class just for a short visit and a few hugs. They thought he was a smart dog and simply knew where to go for a little extra loving.
Another fond dog memory was when an ornery street dog that I had rescued, just couldn't wait any longer for me to finish closing up the school to take her out so she walked out onto the canopy (remember we're on the 2nd floor) and relieved herself. The unfortunate part was that several of my students had decided to chat after class right under that canopy and one of them got sprinkled with Luneta's liquid waste. If something like this had happened in the U.S. I would have either been fired or sued, however, the victim of my puppy's pee and run incident took it all in stride and we've been able to get a lot of laughs out of that memory since then.
I imagine my students have gotten a few laughs out of simply watching me teach at times too. Hopefully they were able to tell how much I enjoyed their classes. I would frequently get so excited as I was teaching that I would wave my arms around, my marker would go flying out of my hands and land on the other side of the room. Suddenly I was reminded of a college professor of mine who knocked her glasses off of her face at least once in every class from sheer passion. I am thankful to my students for helping me to find that level of excitement in teaching again.
Last night my boss and my students put on a surprise going away party for me. They shared many kind words and gave me various gifts to remember them by. While I will miss them and I am ever grateful to all of them for helping to show me the good part of Mexico and for reviving my love for teaching, I know it's time to move on. I'm quite sure that for some of us, our paths will cross again. Peace to my Mexican family and friends!
Love and blessings,
Alicia
"The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert." -Deuteronomy 2:7a
