Arrival

My first impression of Mexico City?

HUGE!

… This place seems so vast, especially after having spent the last year on a small island. (The entire population of Cape Verde is only 2% of DF’s 20 million.) Upon our descent, the sprawling city appeared to go on forever. Just one thought went racing through my head: “This might take some getting used to.”

Luckily, having come from Denver, the altitude here (7500 ft.) hasn’t affected me one bit. But I have never seen traffic so bad in my life (except maybe in Bangkok). My saving grace is that I live in a very central location (a block from the main boulevard – Avenida Reforma – and the US Embassy, and only a 15-minute walk to work). At first, the city was somewhat overwhelming, but now that I’ve been here for a few weeks, I actually think I will enjoy living in Mexico’s capital! There are so many great parks, restaurants, neighborhoods, and an endless amount of fascinating things to do & see. I imagine that I will only be able to scratch the surface over the next 10 months.

My apartment is another saving grace. It is fully furnished (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining room) with cable TV, Internet, and a washer/dryer. A well-stocked supermarket is nearby. The best part, though, is the spacious red-tiled terrace lined with rose bushes and a small fountain. This will no doubt be my sanctuary when I grow tired of the urban scene.

My colleagues at the Benjamin Franklin Library (the Cultural Center run by the US Embassy) have welcomed me with open arms. I have my own office in what is unfortunately a window-less building. It seems that I won’t be spending much time there anyway, however, since my travel schedule is already quite full. My first trip is to Guadalajara at the end of the month, and more workshop requests are pouring in every day. (Between now and December, I will be going to: Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo, Cancun, San Luis Potosi, Mazatlan, Puebla, Aguascalientes, Villahermosa, Tlaxcala, and Chiapas.)

As for the topics I am expected to cover, Mexico recently passed a new law mandating the instruction of English in all primary schools, so much of my work will focus on Young Learners. In order to meet the demands the new reforms require, the Ministry of Education is also interested in providing its teachers with training and guidance in the following areas: Syllabus Design, Material/Curriculum Development, Evaluation & Assessment, Classroom Management, Critical Thinking, Experiential Education, Competency-Based Learning and Using Rubrics. I definitely have my work cut out for me, no?

I am determined to strike a balance between the professional and personal, though. (How many times have I said THAT before?) I really want to take advantage of all this amazing country has to offer. Already, I’ve been to visit the Templo Mayor and Zocalo (immense main plaza in the historic center of town). I’ve eaten chile rellenos while listening to a mariachi band. Took a yoga class and drank a lot of fresh fruit juice & maragaritas. I’ve even been to a Rosh Hoshana party in the middle of Polanco, the large Jewish community in DF. And last Sunday, I took a walk through Chapultepec Park to see the famous “voladores” and check out one of many public art exhibits (see photos below).

My timing couldn’t have been more perfect. This week, Mexico is gearing up to celebrate it’s 200th year of Independence. The city has outdone itself with bicentennial decorations and fiestas. The national colors (red/green/white) are everywhere you look. The next 3 days promise to be filled with much revelry, fireworks, music, parades, and pride! But since the festivities are about to begin, I will leave that for another entry…

So far, SO good!!