This past week of language school has been insightful and fulfilling. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see my students use their Spanish in ways I could never simulate in the classroom. I’m not taking credit, but they have some mad Spanish skills! Wednesday morning Marty woke up at 5 a.m. to…

I am not sure if it is because the sun rises at 5 a.m., or if it is because I am back in school and having to use my brain, but I am pooped. Sitting at the dining room table this evening helping three kids with Spanish homework, I found myself ready for bed at…

Sitting on the curb of a deserted street at 5:45 this morning, I had no idea what the day had in store for us. I hired a shuttle to take us to climb Pacaya Volcano, but I had done little research in preparation. The only thing I read on-line was that if someone offered to…

When I rolled out of bed this morning I did not anticipate that my daily adventure would entail a very long, many mile search for money. It all seemed simple enough… we would head to the Zocalo to get cash, go by the school to pay for our classes next week, and then go to…

Bienvenidos a Guatemala. We have been here for roughly 24 hours and it is amazing to me how I already feel at home. Perhaps it is because heading south for extended periods of time has become my June norm, or maybe this is just the part of the world that I feel more at home…

As you may have seen in the news, the state of Oaxaca is encased in a bit of turmoil. The teachers are protesting reforms, and many others are joining in the fight against what they are calling a corrupt government. Daily protests are the norm and as of Sunday there have been upwards of twelve…

When I was in my early 20’s, I lived in Israel for several months. I recall one day my mother calling me with a frantic tone in her voice. Watching CNN, she had seen scud missiles being dropped on that tiny country and wanted to know if I was O.K. Earlier that day, I had…

My students and I generally watch this movie every year called Pulling Strings. It’s about an American woman working at an embassy in Mexico City. It is basically a rom-com, but I like it because the movie is equally in English and Spanish (It’s on Netflix). In one scene, the woman is asking a Mariachi…

The girls started language classes Monday at the Instituto Cultural de Oaxaca. They were apprehensive at first, because rather than letting them take the children’s’ classes, I signed them up for the adult classes. I figured that if they were here to learn, they might as well jump right in. When we arrived, they had…

When it comes to material objects, I think most people have certain items that they covet more than others. As for myself, I have a slight issue with scarves and bags. When my aunt and I came to Oaxaca when I was 19, I bought a woven bag from some Oaxacan village and although that…