Community Service Project

I have been communicating with a local expat who, Inspired by the call from President-elect Barack Obama for Americans to do service in their communities, spearheaded a project here in our community of Merida, Yucatan, MEXICO

I was trying to get her permission to blog about their service project.

Well, I just got an email feed and Ellen of Yucatan Living beat me to the punch - her story is of course well written so rather than re-hash in a different voice, I am just going to link you right to her story on the project.

Congratulations and Well Done to all involved.

Sometimes change isn't all that easy

I get quite a few email inquiries from people who read my blog and are thinking about moving here.

They frequently ask about retirement, especially about retirement in Mexico;

What is the cost of living there?

Where is a good area to buy a house?

Can I get Velveeta Cheese there?

Do I really need to speak Spanish?

What do you do all day?

The cost of living is so dependent upon your needs, desires, and ability to adjust and adapt.

What I can live on may be completely different from what you can live on, and isn't it all subjective based on what your cost of living was where you came from...

And don't we all adjust to the amount of income we have...

Why do you ask me where is a good place to buy a house? Again, my needs, desires, likes, dislikes, etc are going to be so different from yours. I always tell people - plan to rent for a year before you decide; First to see if you still want to live here, and Second so you can get a feel for the community and decide for yourself if and where you want to settle in.

Velveeta Cheese - Is really just asking about familiar food things; sure there are a lot of familiar food items available here. But isn't part of the adventure of moving to a foreign country to breathe in the change, to become more than you were...You can probably get Velveeta here, but whay would you want to ... You can find quite a variety of USofA familiar products, but not quite so many convenience type things, premade things. So learn to make your own bisquick and pie crust mix. Drink Te Negro instead of Lipton, cut up your own carrot sticks, etc. You can buy chicken or porks chops on styrofoam trays, not all meat is sold hanging in open air markets, but that is where you get the freshest stuff!

Yes, you really need to speak spanish. Sure there are a lot of expats here that don't speak spanish. They manage. They have mostly other expat friends, and maybe a few mexican friends that have english. They can't have a conversation at the grocery store or park, they can't order their own gas for delivery, they can't call the phone company to complain that their service isn't working, they can't ...

What do we do all day? Depends on the day - Depends on your energy level - Depends on your interests - Depends on your ability to speak the language - Depends on your daring - Depends on you!

I love being here. Tom struggles sometimes. I'm more adaptable. He's a stickler for the way things should be. I had some spanish coming in, it's better now, but still not excellent. He had none, although he is now taking a class. I enjoy and for the most part appreciate the differences. He has a hard time sometimes with the logic of some of the differences. We struggle sometimes with the 24/7 togetherness. Tom had been retired a few years before we moved, I was still working. Now, we're together alot. In my opinion Couples really need outside interests with independent things to do.

It's a huge endeavor to move anywhere, but especially to a foreign country. It's a liberating experience. It's interesting to get a perspective on the USofA from other than inside the USofA.

Here in Merida we hear stories frequently of how the USofA is looked upon with great favor and appreciation. It has a lot more to do with the actions and kindness of individuals than through the actions of our government. A lot of USofA citizens come down to offer aid, support, assistance, and to provide opportunities. It's wonderful and heartwarming to hear the stories from elders in the small villages of how some group of USofA'ers came and built a school, or offered up medical care, or taught some agriculture, or did something that was received, appreciated, and remembered for many years...

OK, I'm starting to ramble, time to climb down and get to work - I am redesigning and rebuilding a garden that has been trampled and trodden by puppy and chickens.

And Now - Time for gratuitous puppy pictures

Techie on Sept 28, 2008

Techie on Jan 9, 2009

Yep, it is the same basket. And No, I could not get her inside to sit down!

Rain, and an update on animals!

Rain, Beautiful Rain

It's been so dry and now we've had rain 2 of the past 3 days. It's marvelous!

Some bloggers have mentioned they don't like seeing pictures of or hearing about others bloggers animals, Back out now if you want! Cuz what's coming are gratuitous pet pics!

Back in November I reported my acquisition of two peeps -

Well it's been two months and my how the chicks have grown.

They have become quite friendly, and not the least bit concerned about people, in fact we, people, mean food, and oh how they like to eat. Now the dog fears for her food source as the chicks will gang up and force her away from her bowl. It's definitly time to build that coop.

America is not a country - America is a whole continent, er, hemisphere

I recently joined Facebook, to be able to view photos friends were posting. It's crazy how many different ways have been devised to keep in touch with people: We use Yahoo Chat to keep up with quite a few of our Colorado friends, and we have to have AOL IM for one (yes Jim, that's you), we have Windows Live Messenger, and now I also am registered with Facebook. And there are so many of these Facebook type applications, LinkedIn etc... It's a world gone crazy.



Anyway, while on Facebook this morning I came across this and thought I'd put it out as 'Food for Thought'

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"AMERICA" is not U.S.A. - AMERICA is the name for a whole continent.

America is not a country - America is a whole continent - Since when did US citizens start using the word "America" to refer to their country? It is an outrage and a mistake. America is a full continent divided into 3: North America (Canada, USA and Mexico), Central America (Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, etc.) and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, etc.). Imagine the Germans saying that they make the best cars in their country "Europe" are making the best cars? ...

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I have in the past been guilty of this innaccuracy; Especially when asked Nationality, I always say "I'm an American", with full pride in all that stands for. Well, in full fairness Canadians are American, and Mexicans are Americans as well.

So in the effort of promoting International Understanding I am posting this little tidbit as 'Food for Thought'

Sustainability prospects for Santa Elena familes

I have been pondering and feeling quite guilty about blogging lately. Having gone over a month without the camera sort of changed me. I am less obsessed with having it with me, and taking every opportunity to photo document things.

I was on a road trip the other day to a pueblo near Uxmal called Santa Elena. I was with friends visiting a man, Abel and his family. They have a pretty amazing family compound - Abel and his immediate family have the largest house as you enter the compound, then there is a common kitchen house where they still cook over a fire using the traditional 3 stones to hold pots, comal, etc. There is a name for this and I really must find out what is is, and then each family member has their own separate house. Abels house has 2 large rooms, the other houses were all one large room. Furniture was minimal, but hammocks hung all around. The family has electricity to power refrigerators and tv's. There were several pens for turkeys, and chickens, there were 5 pigs tethered to trees or sticks. There were dogs and puppies, and hens and chicks everywhere.

I should have been taking more pictures

This extended family unit is quite self sufficient as far as their food needs are concerned. The houses were all in the traditional Maya style, called nah. They are constructed of long straight trees stuck in the ground then coated with a mixture of mud, straw, and whatever else is required that makes it rock hard and solid. The high peaked thatched roofs, and two doors across from each other provide excellent ventilation and a cool comfortable interior. Hard packed dirt floors were being swept as we arrived.

This is one of the few pictures I took, and will need to print it

to take to Abel and family when we next visit.

It's always amazing to me how the maya women can keep their huipiles so spotlessly clean and brilliant white working all day as they do around that rich red soil.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when we arrived and came to participate or watch as we talked with Abel and wife. Friend Joanna (in the green shirt) is trying to help this family set up a self-sustainable source of income for themselves and others within the community. The women do beautiful embroidery, but need help with the finishing details; and with marketing and sales. The men have access to an incredibly diverse outdoor arena; ruins abound, the old sac'be's or maya roads are still in evidence.

Hiking, biking trails, and eco-tourism is a very real possibility. One of our projects was to walk/hike a few of the trails with an eye towards potential and possibility. Biking, hiking, and birding were our focus today. Another excellent option will be plant identification and historic or traditional plant uses.

The trails we took show excellent potential; interesting topography, varying in difficulty but not so well groomed or manicured as to provide no interest. They do need some work as the forest tends to creep in. Especially if a more European market is tapped as the Mayans that tend to use these trails are a bit shorter than we extranjeros.

an old water storage with top laid to the left

It will be interesting to watch this project and see how it progresses.