Finished The School Year

This may have been one of the saddeThis may have been one of the saddest blogs ever. I wrote less than 15 entries in 11 months! One reason for this is because a lot of our time was spent working very hard teaching, planning, and grading. There is SO much we both have learned during our time here. You can see some specific things we learned about Mexican culture on our entry titled “Tapatio Observations/Commentary and Some Pictures.” This was our first year teaching full time with our own classes. So we of course learned oodles about teaching. It is exciting to look back at the school year and think how much we did and the best projects. I think great teachers keep a record of what worked really well and adjusts that material to use in the following years.

Concerning, Guadalajara culture again, it might be interesting for you to know that Guadalajara/Zapopan area is one of the most “fresa” in Mexico. “Fresa” literally means strawberry, but when used to describe people it means something like preppy or stylish hipster. Naya told me about a time a few months ago when she was speaking with an Urber driver and he asked if Guadalajara was what she expected it to be. She replied with something like “Yes in some ways, but I honestly thought it was going to be little more…hmmm…cholo.” The driver laughed hysterically. Guadalajara is anything but “cholo.” And Naya is not silly for expecting a more choloish environment. I honestly thought it would be like that too, and I think many Americans have the same assumptions. However, I think that is one major reason people travel and live in different countries: to change/adjust their preconceived notions. This process can sometimes be challenging depending on how much personal ethical weight you place on certain cultural phenomenon. For example‒this is something I’ve shared a bit about before‒here in Guadalajara waiting in lines is much different than in the States. If you are at a market or small store you may feel it’s totally acceptable to cut in line if you’re buying less things than the people in front of you. And because other people expect this no one gets angry when it happens. If you are a typical American then you probably feel that no matter what, and unless permitted, you never jump in front of someone in line.

There are other cultural differences, such as the role of drivers and pedestrians (driver’s usually have right-of-way) and giving directions. For giving directions, Tapatios will rarely say, “Hmmm…I dunno, ask someone else.” No, instead they will sound 100% that they know what they’re talking about, even if they don’t. This can drive an American crazy after they’ve walked or driven to 3 different places! I’m just naming frustrating things, but of course, there are positive and comforting changes too. In our neighborhood it sometimes feels like we are living in a small southern town where everyone knows each other and looks out for one another. We know the names of the shop owners, security people, some of our neighbors, and most people are simply very friendly.

There is not much else to report on; EXCEPT that Naya and I just bought a Nintendo N64 from a great place in downtown Guadalajara called Friki Plaza. If anyone in the States wants to find old-school gaming systems or games, come and check out this place! They also have newer things such as PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones. We will blog AT LEAST one more time before heading back to the motherland.

Grace and Peace to all from south of the boarder,

Adam and Naya

Ps. Sorry there are not many photos in this entry :( One picture is of a bright yellow tree that are common down here. Another is a teacher day that we had a few weeks ago.