abuelito y otra cosas

Sundays are great. If you get up to early then when you get in the shower there won't be any hot water. Today I got lucky! I had a hot shower, and when I got out I busted out my curling iron from off the shelf and actually got cute! In the Burg and at home getting cute was a normal everyday routine, but in Puebla when you teach kids who don't care what you look like as long as you give them candy, you tend to be more lax on the whole " looking great daily" buisness. Aside from the fact that my daily uniform includes a blue wool sweater vest. Yes I wear a sweater vest. For example, I let my hair dry on it's own most the time. Everyone does here, I don't know of anyone who blow drys straightens or curls their hair. My host sisters occasionally ask to borrow Nicki or I's straightener for a stake dance or something, but that is about it. I also quit wearing nail polish, oooooh crazy right?

I think I witnessed some controversy in Relief Society today. There was some eye rolling and some slightly raised voices and a lady in a turquoise dress and shawl who stood up and gave a 10 minute speech and the teacher kept on looking for opportunities to cut her off but never really got a chance. I understood some of it, but everyone talks so fast. If they talked half as fast I could probably definitely understand most. Ladies of Relief Society in Mexico are basically just like those in the States. They love treats and also massive unflattering floral dresses.

At church I asked the Missionaries for a Libro de Mormon, so I can study it in Spanish alongside my English one. One of the Missionaries is from the States, Elder Benning, but I hate to try to speak Spanish in front of him because he is SO GOOD at it. Maybe it's the two years of experience and MTC intensive language training. Maybe.

Anyways there was a white guy in our Sacrament meeting. He talked to us after and was all, " What are you kids doing here?" So we told him that we are here teaching English. He is in Puebla on business. But that's what it is like when you see another white person here, you're first thought is what the heck are you doing here too? Puebla is definitely not a major tourist attraction, even if it should be because it is BEAUTIFUL and the battle of 1862 did happen on the very hill that I live on, yes Angie, I remember our lesson about the Battle of 1862, even if I couldn't for our Spanish tests.

After church Garrett, Steph, Moroni and I went over and sang hymns to our little broken Abuelito. Abuelito is Grandpa you Spanish slackers, and the reason he is all broken is because he fell out of bed last week because he is old and broke a bunch of bones, because that is what old people do for thrills, they leap out of bed... and stuff.. I don't know. Anyways we sang him some hymns in Spanish and also some in English, but he said that they sounded much better in Spanish. I just think they sounded better when Garret would sing instead of play the harmonica.

Yesterday was pretty chill. For me. The other teachers did random chores like climbing into the water tank that is on the roof and scrubbing it out with laundry detergent and bleach, or cleaning the brakes on the Durango that Moroni drives us to school in. I wasn't feeling so hot that day on account of it was the first time I had to bust out the Imodium if that means anything to you, so my contribution was taking a bus to Wal-Mart and getting frosting and brownie mix and cooking them in the stove for everyone. Which isn't as easy as it sounds because in order for the oven to work you have to turn on the boiler, and then light the pilot of the oven with a match. I hate matches. Anyways they turned out pretty delicious I won't lie.

Abrazos y Besos,
Kayla

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"..Take time to think over what you’re obsessed with. Then turn whatever it is into an endeavor."
-E. Jean, Elle Magazine

I took this picture standing on top of a giant ruin that they can't uncover because on top of it sits a giant yellow cathedral

The things that make your heart beat a little faster..... the times you close your eyes and say to yourself, "remember this forever"...

viernes ♥

Friday.

The day started off perfect. I woke up and did pilates in my little bedroom and took a hot shower for the first time this week! No, not as opposed to no showering, as opposed to a frigidly cold one. Our boiler has been out of commission this week. My experience was comparable to jumping in the lake at Glacier National Park. Key word there is Glacier. Take your breath away, body numbing cold.The crazy thing was by about day 4 of the icy blast I got used to it.

I had my moments of solitude listening to some tunes laying out on the roof. Leah and I are contemplating putting a kiddo pool up there and possibly one of those little grills. PARTY!! Of the wading in a kiddie pool, drinking rootbeer, cooking of some random carne sort.


Teaching was the usual. But the usual is.. good. It's nice. I love walking into the school and seeing the faces of my little toddlers light up. I love their hugs and smiles and the feeling of being needed when they reach up and just want you to hold them. Today little Oscar was dressed up like a bee for some reason, little wings, antennas and all. So adorable. He right out crashed on the desk while I was reading the story, and when class was over I just picked the little wild guy up and he just put his arms around my neck and he slept there. I have cleaned snot off many a little nose and even cleaned pee off my floor, but I am so happy I get to teach them despite all that. This sounds super cheesy and cliche but whatever this is my blog, I can't wait to have a little toddler of my own, snotty faces and all.

Due to the Hair Color Disasters of 2010 I would like to say, " If you have got something good going on, don't screw it up." I don't know who said that but it is a simple statement loaded with truth. It was a week of hair dye chaos starting with me. Hair dye that is on sale at the Gran Bodega should be a definite no, the on sale part alone a GIANT red flag that says, "don't put me on your hair". Anyways for a night I had bright red roots. I ran ( literally though) to Wal-Mart the next morning and got a brown to die over it, it's fine now. Nicki had a similar adventure at the salon with the red... I don't know if it was because of a English to Spanish issue or completely different perspectives on what is "bonita" and what is... the same color as our red curtains. Hmmm..

In our evening classes we were cleaning up and I was holding my water bottle talking with that Gareoso. I don't know what came over me but he turned around and I just squirted his pants with it. Kind of a lot. And I have no idea what I was thinking and I just kind of stared at it and apologized a lot. Spending too much time with kids maybe? Starting to act like one occasionally, you should see all us teachers play a game of Down by the Banks or leg wrestling things get pretty intense I won't lie.

Besos y Abrazos,
Kayla

estoy feliz : )

Roofs in Mexico are perfect for soaking up the sun. That is, if you can figure out how to climb up the ladder without slipping to your death.

I am laying on the roof in my tankini under a cloudless sky. My pink ipod is charged and John Mayer's melodic tunes are ringing through my ears. I sit up and can see all of Puebla, the collage of colors and buildings is picturesque. The giant volcano stands snowy and beautiful in the background. This is perfection before a day of teaching my beloved hooligans. I love the children, but they are on occasion.. insane. The occasion being daily. The occasional neighbor gets on their roof to hang laundry and stares at me like a zoo animal. To them, I am a crazy white girl, they are wearing sweaters and jeans. It's 75 degrees. They are crazy. I have braved the icy winds of The Burg. I will soak up every ray of this sun possible.

major pain

It's like being in a Forever21 store. So much clothes. So many different colors, so many different styles to be attained and combination's to be made, so many different outcomes. So I stand, bewildered and overwhelmed. Do I like that top because it's 10 dollars or because it actually appeals to me? It gets to a point where I don't know what I like anymore. Not to mention I am chronically indecisive. I could mull over different hair conditioners for 20 minutes debating the pro's and cons before finally coming to a conclusion.

This inner battle is magnified by one hundred times when it comes to my major. It's not just what you'll be studying for the next 4 years, it's not the time spent or the textbooks that you will pour over. It's how much you will make, it's the lifestyle you choose.

I took a career aptitude test. I know that I have yet to find one area of life where I elude loads of natural talent, however I didn't expect this career aptitude test to tell me what it did. My pie graph of career aptitude was sliced into 4 or 5 categories of work, 4 or 5 slices that were exactly the same size. Well rounded? Or well on my way to having a panick attack over what major to choose.

Blood freaks me out. Remember that time last that I passed out in the movie theater during Cloverfield when that girl exploded? And how I proceeded to throw up 3 times in the snow on the way home? Sorry Dad, luv ya but I cannot be a nurse.

I am a passionate person. I need a creative outlet. I doubt people would be happy if I used their mouths as my creative outlet. Sorry Momma, I can't be a dental hygienist. Have I contemplated marrying a rich old man? Possibly. Too bad they don't have the major titled "Gold Digger" at BYU-I, ha ha.

But they do have journalism. I love to write. I love words, I love to express myself. I have some research to do, but you only live once. I have to do what I love... I can't wake up everyday and dread the hours to follow. That is no way to live. I need variety!

This whole major business is entirely hypothetical anyway. What do I really want to do? Be a stay at home mom. Maybe teach yoga a few mornings a week and design wedding dresses or something. Then the words of women throughout time echo through my head. " What if you husband dies!?" "What if your husband leaves you?!" You know, what if he doesn't?

Are we supposed to live our lives based on these negative what if factors, or are we supposed to chase our dreams and think what if I have what it takes...

Still pondering praying and thinking about all this when I'm not teaching the hooligans...

Luvs,
Kayla

Tehuacan and the Adventures Thereof

Friday night we went to one of our students birthday parties. They had an incredible house, it was beautiful, and also incredible food. We ate sloppy jose's ( I named them that..) and some realllly good cake. I think that when people imagine kids our age from the states they don't exactly picture... us. Neat Mormon kids. I mean I spent my days with little to no makeup and my hair back in a ponytail, people usually think I'm about 16. And then they are all "Ohhh! You're a teacher?" Yeah I don't believe it either.

Then we were off on another adventure. We gathered up our backpacks and rushed to the main street to catch a bus to Capu, the bus station. I associate Capu with anxiety. We are always running down the halls of this bus station catching our buses seconds before they drive off. This always happens, no mattter what prior planning. And Moroni is always looking back counting us teachers like a momma duck looking for her ducklings. Ha ha we may give him a heart attack before he's 25.

Tehuacan was so much fun! We got there at about midnight and slept in the school where 2 head teachers live. We through down 3 mattresses for the 4 of us girls and just kind of slept wherever.

Moroni texts Nicki and I's phone at about midnight and asked if in the morning we'd like to see a real Mexican Market. And then again at 2 AM saying " TAKE IT EASY!!" Which is completely irrelevant but you should here him say it with his adorable accent. Anyways I guess real Mexican Markets are markets of carnage. I had to move to the side in the door way to get out of the way of 2 guys carrying a giant cow. Dead. And skinned. EW. There were pig heads and chickens lying around everywhere I almost puked.

After that we went to the Zoo. Every group of ILP Teachers who goes to this zoo gets invited into the owners house, or gets to hold some cool exotic baby animal. This guy is a millionaire. A lonely millionaire. With all this amazing stuff and no one to show it off to. So he told us that a baby jaguar would be there in about 45 min so we waited and looked at the animals. Then this old beetle bug pulls up and this guy pulls a small cat carrier out of his backseat and in it is the baby jaguar!


The owner man told the guy to put it in his garden. So we all go to his garden. It has a giant pool, tropical plants, flamingos wandering around... amazing. Not to mention his beautiful house. He gets us coke and juice and he gave us a tour and we got to play with the baby jaguar! It possibly went poo a little on my jeans. But possibly I wasn't too upset because it was the poo of a jaguar and not some lame kind of poo. I mean who gets pooed on by a jaguar! A few girls including Nicki almost got peed on by a Lion. That was almost really hilarious. Anyways the guy was all telling us about these fossils he has and this dinosaur egg and his private jet and to come over anytime, but we were LATE. Of course. For our ILP barbecue.

We had the most amazinggg food and horchata, and had a soccer tourni and cumbia danced for HOURS. I feel like I really improved : ) It is so much fun to just get into it and be twirled around to the music.

That night we went and got ice cream and went to the center of town to a cathedral that had the whole history of Tehuacan painted on the ceiling. We laid down on the ground and looked at it and ate ice cream. Then we went back to the school and sat and talked on the roof and star gazed. I love it here. I love Mexico so much.

I need to be more diligent in my Spanish studying though!! My new thing is if I know a phrase in Spanish to always say it instead of English, no matter who I'm with. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Abrazos y Besos,
Kayla