A Day In The Life

"We are sorry your fries took to long to come out of the kitchen. Here have some free Mezcal. OK amigo, do you want another?" And with that my first week of teaching ended and my first real weekend began.

The final English lesson of the week was under wraps and the lights of  La Choperia Tehuacán called out to us like the safety of a lighthouse beacon during an approaching storm. With a cold beer in hand and the warm blanket feeling of the weekend was quickly enveloping me so I reflected on the week that was. Suddenly and without warning Boom goes the dynamite!. My personal paradise and internal monologue were shattered back to reality by the my arch nemesis. The evilness that goes by the demon name Karaoke reared its ugly first notes.

Karaoke and I do not mix. We collide with such a force of hatred that that new weather patterns have been know to form, however I was with new friends who were friendly and funny and now was not the time. The Mezcal helped as did the Mexican Victoria which is close to being the best beer I have had while in Latin America. Her cousin Nicaragua Victoria does come a close second so with a little luck I may have to us all together for a threesome one weekend.  With Dos Esquis, Tecate and and a wide assortment of good beer to discover while I am here the threesome just might turn into a good old fashion 60s orgy. Being the light weight I am where it comes to drinking I will have to keep away from the Mezcal and Tequila regardless of the circumstances. Check that. When I find myself at a Lucha Libre match in Mexico City one Friday night anything goes.



Travel time is over and work time has begun. Here is my weekly schedule that runs through August 13th.Then its that big bird back to Canada for a few weeks to devour as many chicken wings as humanly possible. There will be odd days off, an upcoming 5 day long weekend in July (hello big and scary Mexico City) plus an assortment of tests, exams and surprise activities.

Its not sexy but it gets me to work.

Its not exciting but its a routine that I can manage. I may just have to fit in a gym membership ($20 a month) and drag my butt in there daily for an hour or so. I lost some much needed weight while working for Quetzel Trekker but was kept strong by hiking and eating well. Food poisoning took its toll on me but I gained that weight back quickly while devouring everything in sight the last couple of weeks including to much junkie type foods. No big deal, it was needed.

6:30 - Wake up and do morning stuff
7:45 - 10 minute walk to get my Combi ride to school (small van). 5.5 pesos or .40  each.
8:30 - 10:15 Teach 13 students in grades 8 and 9 at Discovery Middle School
10:15 - 11:15 Break
11:15 to 12:45 Teach 8 students in grade 7 at Discovery Middle School
12:45 - 6:00. Eat, lesson planning, studying and nap time.
6:00 - 7:00 Teach a fluency class of 12 students at Heslington Language Institute
7:00 - 8:00 Teach a fluency class of 8 students at Heslington Language Institute
8:00:01 - Run Home!

The one drawback of living in Tehuacan is that we are a bit isolated. Oaxaca is 3 hours away, Puebla an hour, Mexico City 4 and the Pacific Beaches are about 7. The Sunday 45 minute chicken bus ride to the Nicaraguan beaches of Poneloya and Las Peñitas or access to 7 very different active volcanoes are a distant memory. No worries, that is why I am living this life. Different countries, different towns and different experiences.

Volcan Popocatépetl Iztaccihuatl and Pico de Orizaba and the ruins of Teotehuacan near Mexico City are on my radar and all three of the are beasts. They rank numbers 3,5 and 8 of the highest peaks in North America, (*GULP*) and require some basic mountaineering technical skills.

Challenge accepted.

Pico de Orizaba