San Miguel de Alende

What Are You Thankful For....

I AM THANKFUL FOR...


I AM THANKFUL FOR MY FAMILY.

My new cunada (fiance of my brother- Masha) for her sweetness and love for my brother.
My lil eleven year old brother- for being adorable, charming, and curious.
My Dad- who supports me unconditionally.
My stepmom MJ who is such a great skyper and keeps me up to date on everything!
My older brother who loves me so much.
My grandma who is so worried for me and my future.
My step grandmother Mary Ellen who is visiting me in Mexico!

I AM THANKFUL FOR MEXICO.
Traveling makes me so happy, learning new things and being in a new culture and country.
Practicing my Spanish is so challenging and great.
Latino men. That is all I need to say.
Food- enchiladas, huaraches, tortas, flautas, burritos, tacos, tostadas, tlacoyos...

I AM THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS.
Friends from grad school, studying abroad, college, mexico, SF and past jobs! Their support, encouragement, and strength has been amazing.

I AM THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING I AM LEARNING.
This one encompasses all the previous ones, but also I am so happy to be in DF with friends from my program celebrating Thanksgiving and giving thanks for what I have and remembering how lucky I am in this life.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mexico City Nov. 18-20

REDIM (The Red para Derechos de la Infancia en Mexico / Network for Rights of Children in Mexico) had their annual children rights conference and a closing of the work we started in August- giving workshops to our children in CODENI about their rights of expression and identity in regards to the media. So colleagues from 8 or so states in Mexico brought three kids each to the conference and we had participatory conversations about what we want changed in Mexican society and how we can use our voices to makes changes. I felt so welcomed by the Mexican community and loved interacting with the kids (our kids from Codeni were: Lorena, Cristian, and Duilio).

I am staying with my friend Elizabeth who is in my masters program in Boston and we are up to a bunch of adventures...then we will be cooking for Thanksgiving on Thursday here in her apartment in San Miguel Chapultepec.

Pictures from Susy's Bday and Lake Chapala

Julieta Venegas concert with Carolina, Yadi, Susy, and Elizabeth! Then Chapala with Susy's fam!

Sunday at el Tianguis

Today was great, I slept in had a little breakfast and got dressed for the day. I met my best friend Susy and her brother (one of five- who I am actually subconsciously in love with!) who picked me up under the arches of Zapopan in his little Chevy. It was nice to get a ride since they live super far, about an hour on the bus from where I live but still in GDL. So As I was in the back of the car, we caught up and were laughing with the windows down and my hair blowing everywhere- I love it because the its about 80 here during the day and like eternal summer. We headed to the market/tianguis where they sell EVERYTHING from socks to mascara to garlic and pears. We did fruit and veggie shopping for the family after eating a little (gorditas de queso y churros), we ran into some friends of Carlos', tried little pancakes filled with cajeta which are typical in the markets, got bumped into and grabbed more than a several times (it happens in close quarters and especially wearing a dress), looked at some illegally burned and made DVDs, then Carlos bought me some cough medicine at the pharmacy (as I have had this throat thing for about a week now), and ended up with a small car full of every fruit and veggies imaginable that will last for a week for five people in the Almaraz family. Carlos paid for everything, even my cough medicine- you can see why I am in love with him huh?! Then he opens the door for me and his sister- tan caballeroso (gentlemanlike- what can I say, it's a little different here in Mexico). Oh, then they send me home with a bag of two of each fruit and veggie- it's nice to be taken care of here by my Mexican family! A good start to the week...

5to. Foro Nacional Poblaciones Callejeras Noviembre 4, 2011

This will be my friday:

:: 5to. Foro Nacional Poblaciones Callejeras. 4 Noviembre 2011 ::



Por el Derecho a la Ciudad de las Poblaciones Callejeras



El 5to. Foro Nacional de las Poblaciones Callejeras, organizado por la Alianza Mexicana de Poblaciones Callejeras, se erige como punto de encuentro para funcionarios, académicos, representantes de la sociedad civil y organismos públicos y privados que han seguido y/o buscan acercarse a este complejo fenómeno social. Para este año, el foro se ha propuesto analizar y exponer la temática de la criminalización de las personas que sobreviven en el espacio público expresada en operativos de limpieza social en distintas entidades de la República mexicana, desde la perspectiva de los Derechos humanos y el enfoque de Género, proponemos analizar las acciones que seis entidades de nuestro país han venido implementando para retirar de la vía pública a las poblaciones callejeras.



Durante el Foro Nacional se llevará a cabo una Conferencia Magistral guía que permita dar el encuadre temático al evento, paneles de análisis temático y una mesa de diálogo sobre el derecho a la ciudad y prácticas de limpieza social.



El 5to. Foro tendrá como sede la ciudad de Guadalajara, Jalisco.



Les invitamos a inscribirse enviando un email a info@codeni.org.mx o info@mama.org.mx



¡APARTA TU LUGAR, 4 de Noviembre del 2011!

Bdays, Seafood, Friends and Concerts

From Friday to Sunday, this weekend was amazing! First of all my good friend Elizabeth Stephens, who is in my Master's program at Brandeis is working at Centro de Derechos de Migrantes in Mexico City and came to visit for Susy's Bday! Last time I saw here was for my and her Bday the weekend of the 20th of September. She came all the way overnight on bus- 7 hours!

So Friday we slept in since she got in at 5am and then went to the local market for breakfast- eggs Mexican style, beans and chilaquiles. After doing some fruit shopping for the potluck at work, we headed over to CODENI and made a bunch of food- carne asada tacos and veggies with our new director.

After showing Elizabeth around the organization and eating a bunch, we headed over to the Fiestas de Octubre auditorium of Benito Juarez just north of Periferico Norte to see Julieta Venegas! We got there super early for good seats and had a blast. We met up with Susy, and her two friends Carolina and Yadi. We loveed singing a long and drinking our tecates! After the concert we took the tren ligero to eat at my fav corner place by my house near the center of town- we had yummy flautas and tacos. Then headed to a reggae bar that actually had sand for the floor!


Saturday we slept in a little bit and had breakfast at the same place...same yummy cheap food- about 90 pesos for two huge plates of food (6.5 dollars) which is better than stacks or Ihop! Then we got ready and headed to Susy's house in the north of the city, two buses and 45 minutes later we got there and Theresa, Susy's mom had prepared carne de soya- as E and I are vegetarians (even though it was Susy's bday). So we ate, opened presents, had cake and got ready to go out to Susy's party in Zapopan at a bar. There were about 15-20 friends, brothers and significant others and we had a great time talking and dancing! After that E and I headed to my roommates' halloween party next door- apparently the hospital civil they all work at have a party every year.

The best traditions of halloween are taken into practice here. There were some great costumes here, including my house mate Polo as the mad hatter. Then when the music finally turned off at 5am- we got to sleep!

Sunday, Susy and I took Elizabeth to the bus station for a seven hour ride back to DF. Then Ramon and Theresa, Susy's parents picked us up for a final Bday outing to Lake Chapala. It was really beautiful and we had the MOST amazing seafood tacos and ice cream in Jocotepec. I also got to see Ajicic where a lot of American expats live on the drive home.


Loving Mexico this weekend now back to work...

PS I am three months in- just about halfway done with my field work!

CODENI (Children's Rights Collective) Blogs

Check out my organization blogs- they are sponsored by an US Foundation named AHALA in Virginia.

English: http://www.ahala2.blogspot.com/

Spanish: http://codeni2.blogspot.com/