Bridge Mexico Families,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Can you believe that the summer is almost over, and that the Bridge Mexico group will be home in just five short days? In the office we are amazed at how fast the time has gone, and how much the Bridge Mexico group has accomplished: from Orientation in Zacatecas, to relaxing at Media Luna, to service work and Friendship Camp in Agua Puerca, to the surreal mansion/cathedral in Xilitla, to their family homestays, this wonderful group of students has risen to every occasion and performed admirably. Bravo Bridge Mexico!
Right now the group is wrapping up the family homestay portion of the program in the small town of Los Cuates. In addition to living with their host families and getting an idea of what day-to-day life is like for a typical Mexican family, the group has continued with their community service work. Here is a direct report from leaders Darren and Becky about exactly what they have been up to:
"Our homestays are going well. Everyone is happy. Nicky, Rachel, and Elkema's family is awesome, they hosted us for the welcoming party, they are incredibly friendly, they keep them up past their bedtimes because they like talking to them. Zoe and Miriam are a great pair, her family is so awesome that we're helping build their house. Becky and I giggled with delight at pairing Youngsan with Maximo--we are sure he will get a lot out of the experience! Paige and Kaytie were surprised to find that their family likes watching TV just as much (or more) than many American families, while Julian and Gideon have a homestay father that is the embodiment of the 'strong silent type'. Emma and Rebecca have been getting along great with their family, singing, dancing, and making friendship bracelets.
Our service projects in Los Cuates have been:
1. Teaching English classes in two separate groups (teenagers and little kids). This has gone amazingly well, the kids really want to learn. Yesterday, it was time to leave, and the kids chanted ¨Que lo pongo¨ which means ¨put it up!¨ referring to a drawing that Emma had made of a woman to demonstrate the names of clothes in English. They actually whimpered when class was over because they didn’t want it to end, when have you ever seen that in your life?
2. Painting the secondary school in the state-mandated colors of red and beige
3. Today we started mixing concrete and making the floor for Miriam's new house, directed by her dad and assisted by her mom, her little brothers and cousins. Miriam has totally helped our group out in her time with us, so we are psyched to be helping out her family.
Student Notes:
Zoe - Is really enjoying her homestay with Miriam, the family loves her, and she even helped her host grandma make tortillas. She has also been working really hard on painting the school.
Emma - Has been doing an excellent job teaching English to the children of Los Cuates, by using her artistic skills to draw diagrams which the kids copy diligently into their notebooks. She also taught her host sisters how to make friendship bracelets.
Rachel - Has been learning new dances from her host family and is doing a great job teaching English.
Julian - Has been finding more cute animals to cuddle with and he's enjoying the culinary delights served up daily by his host mother.
Rebecca - Has also been making friendship bracelets with her host sisters and today she was given a rose picked fresh from the garden by a 3-foot tall admirer while she was working on the floor for Miriam's new house.
Youngsan - Has spoken more Spanish since arriving in Los Cuates than he has in his entire life. Rooming with our Mexican student Maximo has left him no choice but to use his long-neglected Spanish vocabulary. ¨Pasame la salsa picante por favor!¨ (Pass me the hot sauce please)
Elkema - Is trying to keep up with her host family, who insists on talking with her for hours after dinner. Between her host family and teaching English classes, she is learning a ton about Mexican culture and the Spanish language.
Gideon - Worked hard on painting the local high school in Los Cuates. He has also been using his brute strength to mix concrete for the floor of Miriam's new house.
Nicky - Finally solved the mystery of who her real host father is amidst the parade of friends and relatives who seem to call her home their own.
Kaytie - Did a great job teaching English to her group of high school students. It seems that her father's genes have expressed themselves quite nicely.
Paige - Is now famous in Los Cuates for her teaching skills. Even though they have trouble pronouncing the "G" in her name, numerous students ask for her by name upon entering the schoolyard."
That's it for this update, folks!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Update # 4: The Medical Brigade and Tamul
Bridge Mexico Families and Friends,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
When we last heard from the Bridge Mexico group, they were having fun and working hard in Agua Puerca. Their service project was divided into two parts--the infrastructure work in the morning consisted of digging gardens, planting potatoes, and clearing an area to lay the foundation for a new home for one of the residents of the village, while the Friendship Camp in the afternoon consisted of Arts and Crafts, teaching English, and playing volleyball and wildly popular games of soccer with all the village kids. But they didn't stop there! The foundation of Tirsa's home became the focus of the infrastructure work, and the group made a big final push to get all the work done. Darren and Becky tell us that everyone pulled together and the effort was impressive. A job well done for the Bridge Mexico group.
At the end of the week, the group took part in the annual Medical Brigade organized by our partner in Agua Puerca, Tools for Development. Families from all over the Las Palmas region come to Agua Puerca for basic medical care administered by volunteer doctors and nurses. This year our group acted as the 'front office staff' and 'hosts' for the temporary clinic, interviewing the visitors as they arrived, making sure they saw the proper doctor, dentist, or nurse, as well as making sure everyone had food and water while they waited for care. And that is not all! Our group finished off the service component of Bridge Mexico by taking part in a smaller Humanitarian Brigade in a nearby village (also organized by TFD), where they handed out basic necessities like food, water, blankets, and clothing. These two experiences combined to give our students a close-up view of the survival issues facing the indigenous Pame people on a daily basis, and reinforced our reasons for being there in the first place: our work has an immediate and positive impact on the daily lives of the people we meet.
Then the weather changed! Forecasts of heavy rain threatened to close the road out of Agua Puerca, so our group left a day early, had an MMT in Ciudad Valles, and spent a wonderful evening relaxing in the swimming pool at the Hotel Taninul. Taninul is amazing--a former European Hacienda, the house and grounds were taken over by the people of Mexico during the Revolution and transformed into a spa-hotel, complete with natural sulphur hot springs, well known throughout the region for their many healing properties. But the rain did not stop falling, so our trip to the Tamul Waterfall was cancelled--too much water made the boat trip too dangerous, and instead our group headed south to the town of Xilitla, which has turned out to be fantastic. Darren and Becky found a nice campground for the group, and spent yesterday exploring the town, which happens to be quite the cultural center, complete with a surrealist cathedral/mansion created by renowned experimental local artist Edward Castillo. I have to admit that I cannot tell you exactly what a surrealist cathedral/mansion actually is, but Darren and Becky report that it was totally amazing and the group had a great time there.
What I can tell you is what each individual student identified as their personal "High Point" for the last two weeks:
Emma loved the Medical Brigade. She sat right at the front desk and spoke tons of Spanish and made friends with many of the TFD volunteers.
Paige was moved by the Humanitarian Brigade in Posas Guapes. Handing out the necessities of life to people who had walked miles and miles for them had quite an impact on her.
Gideon loved the mountain sunrises and sunsets in Agua Puerca, and was particularly happy to swim in the pool and then take a shower when the group arrived at the Hotel Taninul.
Youngsan's high point was the goodbye celebration in Agua Puerca--the residents of the village were all there to say goodbye, and he loved the pinata.
Katie had to admit that swimming in the pool at Taninul was hard to beat.
Rachel really enjoyed working with the doctors and nurses during the Medical Brigade, and her efforts in Spanish were instrumental in ensuring that all the visiting families got the proper care.
Elkema was blown away by how beautiful the Sierra Madre mountains are. Her high points were the amazing colors of the clouds at sunset, and watching distant storms in the evening.
Julian loved the Medical Brigade. He held a baby, and it was magical.
Nicky had an awesome time during the group lunch MMT in Ciudad Valles. She loved seeing all the people, buying food in the market, and completing all the tasks for the MMT.
Zoe is very happy that her Spanish is improving, and had a moving experience passing out food to a family during the Medical Brigade--a man asked her for five tortillas, and when she found out that he had a family of six, she gave him twenty!
Rebecca enjoyed all the service work in Agua Puerca, swimming in the pool at Taninul, and the MMT in Ciudad Valles. She couldn't settle on one high point!
Tomorrow the group is headed to an festival in the town of Aquismon, where they will attend a local rodeo. Our Mexican leader Osiris grew up on a ranch and used to be a competitive bull-rider, so he will be a great resource for this experience--I'm jealous! After Aquismon the group will head to the town of Los Cuates to begin the homestay segment of Bridge Mexico. This is going to be a great opportunity for all of our students to spend a week with a Mexican family, practicing Spanish, and learning what day-to-day life is like in a typical Mexican town. In the office we are excited for them--homestays can be very rewarding, even life-changing experiences.
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
When we last heard from the Bridge Mexico group, they were having fun and working hard in Agua Puerca. Their service project was divided into two parts--the infrastructure work in the morning consisted of digging gardens, planting potatoes, and clearing an area to lay the foundation for a new home for one of the residents of the village, while the Friendship Camp in the afternoon consisted of Arts and Crafts, teaching English, and playing volleyball and wildly popular games of soccer with all the village kids. But they didn't stop there! The foundation of Tirsa's home became the focus of the infrastructure work, and the group made a big final push to get all the work done. Darren and Becky tell us that everyone pulled together and the effort was impressive. A job well done for the Bridge Mexico group.
At the end of the week, the group took part in the annual Medical Brigade organized by our partner in Agua Puerca, Tools for Development. Families from all over the Las Palmas region come to Agua Puerca for basic medical care administered by volunteer doctors and nurses. This year our group acted as the 'front office staff' and 'hosts' for the temporary clinic, interviewing the visitors as they arrived, making sure they saw the proper doctor, dentist, or nurse, as well as making sure everyone had food and water while they waited for care. And that is not all! Our group finished off the service component of Bridge Mexico by taking part in a smaller Humanitarian Brigade in a nearby village (also organized by TFD), where they handed out basic necessities like food, water, blankets, and clothing. These two experiences combined to give our students a close-up view of the survival issues facing the indigenous Pame people on a daily basis, and reinforced our reasons for being there in the first place: our work has an immediate and positive impact on the daily lives of the people we meet.
Then the weather changed! Forecasts of heavy rain threatened to close the road out of Agua Puerca, so our group left a day early, had an MMT in Ciudad Valles, and spent a wonderful evening relaxing in the swimming pool at the Hotel Taninul. Taninul is amazing--a former European Hacienda, the house and grounds were taken over by the people of Mexico during the Revolution and transformed into a spa-hotel, complete with natural sulphur hot springs, well known throughout the region for their many healing properties. But the rain did not stop falling, so our trip to the Tamul Waterfall was cancelled--too much water made the boat trip too dangerous, and instead our group headed south to the town of Xilitla, which has turned out to be fantastic. Darren and Becky found a nice campground for the group, and spent yesterday exploring the town, which happens to be quite the cultural center, complete with a surrealist cathedral/mansion created by renowned experimental local artist Edward Castillo. I have to admit that I cannot tell you exactly what a surrealist cathedral/mansion actually is, but Darren and Becky report that it was totally amazing and the group had a great time there.
What I can tell you is what each individual student identified as their personal "High Point" for the last two weeks:
Emma loved the Medical Brigade. She sat right at the front desk and spoke tons of Spanish and made friends with many of the TFD volunteers.
Paige was moved by the Humanitarian Brigade in Posas Guapes. Handing out the necessities of life to people who had walked miles and miles for them had quite an impact on her.
Gideon loved the mountain sunrises and sunsets in Agua Puerca, and was particularly happy to swim in the pool and then take a shower when the group arrived at the Hotel Taninul.
Youngsan's high point was the goodbye celebration in Agua Puerca--the residents of the village were all there to say goodbye, and he loved the pinata.
Katie had to admit that swimming in the pool at Taninul was hard to beat.
Rachel really enjoyed working with the doctors and nurses during the Medical Brigade, and her efforts in Spanish were instrumental in ensuring that all the visiting families got the proper care.
Elkema was blown away by how beautiful the Sierra Madre mountains are. Her high points were the amazing colors of the clouds at sunset, and watching distant storms in the evening.
Julian loved the Medical Brigade. He held a baby, and it was magical.
Nicky had an awesome time during the group lunch MMT in Ciudad Valles. She loved seeing all the people, buying food in the market, and completing all the tasks for the MMT.
Zoe is very happy that her Spanish is improving, and had a moving experience passing out food to a family during the Medical Brigade--a man asked her for five tortillas, and when she found out that he had a family of six, she gave him twenty!
Rebecca enjoyed all the service work in Agua Puerca, swimming in the pool at Taninul, and the MMT in Ciudad Valles. She couldn't settle on one high point!
Tomorrow the group is headed to an festival in the town of Aquismon, where they will attend a local rodeo. Our Mexican leader Osiris grew up on a ranch and used to be a competitive bull-rider, so he will be a great resource for this experience--I'm jealous! After Aquismon the group will head to the town of Los Cuates to begin the homestay segment of Bridge Mexico. This is going to be a great opportunity for all of our students to spend a week with a Mexican family, practicing Spanish, and learning what day-to-day life is like in a typical Mexican town. In the office we are excited for them--homestays can be very rewarding, even life-changing experiences.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Bridge Mexico Update #3: Service projects and Soccer Camp!
Bridge Mexico Families, and Friends,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
The service component of Bridge Mexico 2008 is in full swing. After a busy orientation in Zacatecas, the group spent a day recharging their batteries at the Media Luna Regional Nature Park, swimming, playing soccer, and eating a delicious barbecue lunch. Now they are working hard and having fun in the village of Agua Puerca, located between Rio Verde and Ciudad Valles in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. Agua Puerca is one of several villages in an area known as Las Palmas, populated by the indigenous Pame people. The Pame are a sub-group of the Chichimec people, and have the reputation of being the most peaceful of all the indigenous groups of Northeastern Mexico. During the Spanish Colonial period, the Pame treated with the King of Spain and became a proud and prosperous independent nation. When Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810, however, the new Mexican government did not recognize the treaty the Pame had made with Spain, and the Pame were forced out of their native lands and resettled in the high desert plateau of the Sierra Madres. Less than one hundred miles away from their lush and green ancestral home, which is filled with waterfalls, swimming holes, and sugar cane fields, the resettlement village of Agua Puerca is dry and arid. The climate makes it extremely difficult to grow anything nutritious. Prior to this season, it had not rained in Agua Puerca since December of 2007. But enough of this history lesson already! Suffice it to say that the Bridge Mexico Group is serving a community in real need, and their efforts have an immediate and positive effect on the lives of the people in that community.
We hear they have been teaching English and planting potatoes. They have also started a foundation for Tirsa’s home, one of the women in the town, and have been painting the school. They are currently preparing for the Medical Brigade that is coming through next week.
Friendship camp has also been going very well. They have been playing lots of soccer and volleyball as well as conducting art sessions with drawing and watercolor. Evidently the soccer portion is a big hit with the kids of Agua Puerca and they call it “Soccer Camp!” (with lots of enthusiasm).
Aside from what they have been physically up to, our leaders report that team dynamics are good. They have been hosting two Mexican students, Maximo & Miriam, and our leaders have been very proud of the way our students have welcomed them and integrated them into the group. All the kids seem to be opening up and sharing more at evening meetings. They are getting along great with one another and have begun functioning independently so that the leaders have started giving them more and more responsibility. Overall, Darren and Becky describe the group as compassionate and conscientious.
And now, here are some brief notes on each student (a bit shorter than last week--this was a satellite phone check-in):
Rachel J. – did a fantastic job teaching English for three days. She really took on a leadership role in the classes and is working very hard on her Spanish skills. In the service projects she got involved with painting the school, and we have noticed she is a very hard worker.
Gideon – really enjoys the afternoon soccer. And, he has been getting into building the house foundation. He really loves all the building and even built a beautiful and creative woven structure with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crop.
Emma - took lead in brainstorming ideas for teaching English, she had loads of games and songs and took our classes to the next level. She also keeps us all laughing with her great sense of humor
Nicole “Niki” – has been the leader in integrating our Mexican students into the group and simultaneously practicing her Spanish. She has also been teaching karate to some of the girls in our group. HI YAH!
Kaytie C. – has been a rockstar at painting the school. She plays soccer with all heart every afternoon, and knows how to make us all laugh.
Julian – has been working very hard on all projects, and is very proud of the creative fence he made with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crops. He is having a great time, and doing a great job with the potato planting and composting.
Zoe – is really hard worker and a stellar member of the group. Recently she gave everyone hemp string and bead and taught them all how to make bracelets. She has also been sharing some of her belly dancing moves with us.
Elkema – once again we are blown away by how wonderful and compassionate she is. She is working very hard on her Spanish and is continuing to impress us with her progress (she started from zero).
Paige – is another blessed and compassionate group member. She chipped in with teaching English for the three days. She also gained significant popularity for teaching the Mexican kids a dance to a Soulja Boy song, they loved it!
Youngson – is obsessed with eating as much hot sauce as he can get his hands on. Needless to say he made himself a little sick and so is now banned from the hot sauce. So now we’ve got him focused on service projects, he is a hard worker and we’re very proud.
Rebecca – was originally a little quiet, but has now been opening up a lot and is become very well integrated into the group. She is working hard and practicing her Spanish, and did a great job on the school painting crew.
That's all for now, folks! If everything goes according to plan, all Bridge students will phone home Thursday, July 24th, in the afternoon and our next email update will be on July 25th.
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
The service component of Bridge Mexico 2008 is in full swing. After a busy orientation in Zacatecas, the group spent a day recharging their batteries at the Media Luna Regional Nature Park, swimming, playing soccer, and eating a delicious barbecue lunch. Now they are working hard and having fun in the village of Agua Puerca, located between Rio Verde and Ciudad Valles in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. Agua Puerca is one of several villages in an area known as Las Palmas, populated by the indigenous Pame people. The Pame are a sub-group of the Chichimec people, and have the reputation of being the most peaceful of all the indigenous groups of Northeastern Mexico. During the Spanish Colonial period, the Pame treated with the King of Spain and became a proud and prosperous independent nation. When Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810, however, the new Mexican government did not recognize the treaty the Pame had made with Spain, and the Pame were forced out of their native lands and resettled in the high desert plateau of the Sierra Madres. Less than one hundred miles away from their lush and green ancestral home, which is filled with waterfalls, swimming holes, and sugar cane fields, the resettlement village of Agua Puerca is dry and arid. The climate makes it extremely difficult to grow anything nutritious. Prior to this season, it had not rained in Agua Puerca since December of 2007. But enough of this history lesson already! Suffice it to say that the Bridge Mexico Group is serving a community in real need, and their efforts have an immediate and positive effect on the lives of the people in that community.
We hear they have been teaching English and planting potatoes. They have also started a foundation for Tirsa’s home, one of the women in the town, and have been painting the school. They are currently preparing for the Medical Brigade that is coming through next week.
Friendship camp has also been going very well. They have been playing lots of soccer and volleyball as well as conducting art sessions with drawing and watercolor. Evidently the soccer portion is a big hit with the kids of Agua Puerca and they call it “Soccer Camp!” (with lots of enthusiasm).
Aside from what they have been physically up to, our leaders report that team dynamics are good. They have been hosting two Mexican students, Maximo & Miriam, and our leaders have been very proud of the way our students have welcomed them and integrated them into the group. All the kids seem to be opening up and sharing more at evening meetings. They are getting along great with one another and have begun functioning independently so that the leaders have started giving them more and more responsibility. Overall, Darren and Becky describe the group as compassionate and conscientious.
And now, here are some brief notes on each student (a bit shorter than last week--this was a satellite phone check-in):
Rachel J. – did a fantastic job teaching English for three days. She really took on a leadership role in the classes and is working very hard on her Spanish skills. In the service projects she got involved with painting the school, and we have noticed she is a very hard worker.
Gideon – really enjoys the afternoon soccer. And, he has been getting into building the house foundation. He really loves all the building and even built a beautiful and creative woven structure with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crop.
Emma - took lead in brainstorming ideas for teaching English, she had loads of games and songs and took our classes to the next level. She also keeps us all laughing with her great sense of humor
Nicole “Niki” – has been the leader in integrating our Mexican students into the group and simultaneously practicing her Spanish. She has also been teaching karate to some of the girls in our group. HI YAH!
Kaytie C. – has been a rockstar at painting the school. She plays soccer with all heart every afternoon, and knows how to make us all laugh.
Julian – has been working very hard on all projects, and is very proud of the creative fence he made with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crops. He is having a great time, and doing a great job with the potato planting and composting.
Zoe – is really hard worker and a stellar member of the group. Recently she gave everyone hemp string and bead and taught them all how to make bracelets. She has also been sharing some of her belly dancing moves with us.
Elkema – once again we are blown away by how wonderful and compassionate she is. She is working very hard on her Spanish and is continuing to impress us with her progress (she started from zero).
Paige – is another blessed and compassionate group member. She chipped in with teaching English for the three days. She also gained significant popularity for teaching the Mexican kids a dance to a Soulja Boy song, they loved it!
Youngson – is obsessed with eating as much hot sauce as he can get his hands on. Needless to say he made himself a little sick and so is now banned from the hot sauce. So now we’ve got him focused on service projects, he is a hard worker and we’re very proud.
Rebecca – was originally a little quiet, but has now been opening up a lot and is become very well integrated into the group. She is working hard and practicing her Spanish, and did a great job on the school painting crew.
That's all for now, folks! If everything goes according to plan, all Bridge students will phone home Thursday, July 24th, in the afternoon and our next email update will be on July 25th.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Update # 1: Exploring Zacatecas
Bridge Mexico Families and Friends,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Bridge Mexico 2008 has been an adventure right from the beginning, so much so, that I think Windsor Mountain Student Travel should adopt a new creed, which reads:
"Neither snow nor rain nor [midtown traffic] nor [baggage transfer glitches] nor [three day baggage delays] will stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Seriously, though, the trip is off to a great start! The families that met at JFK on Tuesday can attest that the group began forming the moment they met--they sat in a circle and started talking, waiting patiently while the adults collected the last of the students and then sent the whole group through security, down to the gate, and off to Monterrey. After a smooth flight, the JFK group met up with the final four-- students Rachel and Kaytie, and leaders Rebecca Carberg and Darren Ovitsky. But alas! Two pieces of luggage never made it to Monterrey. True to our new creed, though, the group came up with a plan, and kept moving: they got settled in at the Los Reyes Inn, went out for a nice dinner in Monterrey, then got a good night's sleep before an early start the next morning.
The 7 hour van ride across high desert plateau of Mexico the next day went off without a hitch, and then the group got down to the business at hand--serious fun and learning in the beautiful city of Zacatecas. Founded in the 1550's by the Spanish as a mining town, Zacatecas is an historical treasure. The silver mine in Zacatecas, Mina El Eden, was active until the 20th century (over 400 years!) and during the revolution of 1914, "Pancho" Villa made a famous stand at Cero de la Bufa, a strategic high point overlooking the city. Just this afternoon, the Windsor group walked up La Bufa, where they staged there own stand-off: Leader Darren and student Youngsan rented caballero costumes and performed a mock-duel, to the total delight of the while group. Then everyone got dressed up, took pictures in front of General Villa's statue, and rode a gondola over to Mina El Eden. The view was spectacular! The whole town was laid out before them, and they could even see the rooftop of their hostal. The group then took the tour of the mine, descending several levels and taking a short train ride to the lower exit of the mine--right in the middle of Zacatecas! Our leaders tried to distract the students from the fact that part of the mine has been converted into a high class late-night dance club, but the tour guide ruined everything and told them!
The group is now enjoying their last night in Zacatecas, and tomorrow they will be in transition. Orientation is done, and now they are now getting focused on the upcoming service project in Agua Puerca. But enough of this report! Here are some specific notes on what each student has been up to:
Paige is up for everything and is super-helpful to the group at all times. She volunteered to head up the cooking crew the first night at the Hostal Villa Colonial in Zacatecas, and made a tasty meal of beans, rice, chicken, and salad!
Kaytie has totally impressed our leaders with her willingness to learn Spanish. According to Darren, she really "puts herself out there". She partnered with our Mexican leader, Osiris, on a couple of Orientation activities, and spoke Spanish the entire time.
Zoe wowed the group with her dancing skills last night at a live outdoor music performance in a public square around the corner from the Hostal. She and Osiris tore up the cobbles as the group played traditional Mexican music for the enthusiastic crowd.
Emma was a bit timid about the gondola ride high across the city of Zacatecas, but she soldiered on, and loved it!
Rachel is great about sharing her views and opinions during group meetings and discussions. Darren and Becky say she gets along well with everyone in the group, and everyone really likes her.
Youngsan defeated Darren in the duel atop La Bufa mentioned above. Pistols at twenty paces have earned him the respect of the entire group, not to mention giving them a great laugh and a memorable story to tell.
Rebecca was a little shy at first, but is coming out of her shell, and starting to try out her Spanish and make meaningful connections with the other students on the trip.
Elkema has been a leader from the start. Darren has two words for her: SO AWESOME!! She volunteers first for everything, and has shown maturity and grace in the face of adversity--her bag was one that was delayed, and she has not let it bother her one bit.
Julian has likewise been a super-trooper despite missing baggage. The leaders say he has been "nothing but happy", throwing himself fully into everything and having a great time.
Gideon is a quiet guy who steps up when the group most needs it. Darren and Becky are impressed with his initiative and his ability to recognize when and where his effort can be most effective.
Nicole is really going for it with her Spanish. She took a leadership role during the group MMT on Thursday in Zacatecas, stepping out of her comfort zone to practice her practical language skills with native speakers. Everyone in her group said she rocked it!
One thing most of you might be asking yourself is " What is an MMT?" An MMT is Windsor Mountain tradition: the leaders split the group into smaller groups of no less than three, give them very firm parameters, and send them off on missions. Last year the group MMT was a Zacatecas map-making competition (judged by the owner of the Hostal), and this year the group the MMT was a fun cultural scavenger hunt.
All Bridge Mexico students will call home this Sunday, July 13th before noon (eastern time), and everyone at home should look for another email update next Thursday, July 18th.
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Bridge Mexico 2008 has been an adventure right from the beginning, so much so, that I think Windsor Mountain Student Travel should adopt a new creed, which reads:
"Neither snow nor rain nor [midtown traffic] nor [baggage transfer glitches] nor [three day baggage delays] will stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Seriously, though, the trip is off to a great start! The families that met at JFK on Tuesday can attest that the group began forming the moment they met--they sat in a circle and started talking, waiting patiently while the adults collected the last of the students and then sent the whole group through security, down to the gate, and off to Monterrey. After a smooth flight, the JFK group met up with the final four-- students Rachel and Kaytie, and leaders Rebecca Carberg and Darren Ovitsky. But alas! Two pieces of luggage never made it to Monterrey. True to our new creed, though, the group came up with a plan, and kept moving: they got settled in at the Los Reyes Inn, went out for a nice dinner in Monterrey, then got a good night's sleep before an early start the next morning.
The 7 hour van ride across high desert plateau of Mexico the next day went off without a hitch, and then the group got down to the business at hand--serious fun and learning in the beautiful city of Zacatecas. Founded in the 1550's by the Spanish as a mining town, Zacatecas is an historical treasure. The silver mine in Zacatecas, Mina El Eden, was active until the 20th century (over 400 years!) and during the revolution of 1914, "Pancho" Villa made a famous stand at Cero de la Bufa, a strategic high point overlooking the city. Just this afternoon, the Windsor group walked up La Bufa, where they staged there own stand-off: Leader Darren and student Youngsan rented caballero costumes and performed a mock-duel, to the total delight of the while group. Then everyone got dressed up, took pictures in front of General Villa's statue, and rode a gondola over to Mina El Eden. The view was spectacular! The whole town was laid out before them, and they could even see the rooftop of their hostal. The group then took the tour of the mine, descending several levels and taking a short train ride to the lower exit of the mine--right in the middle of Zacatecas! Our leaders tried to distract the students from the fact that part of the mine has been converted into a high class late-night dance club, but the tour guide ruined everything and told them!
The group is now enjoying their last night in Zacatecas, and tomorrow they will be in transition. Orientation is done, and now they are now getting focused on the upcoming service project in Agua Puerca. But enough of this report! Here are some specific notes on what each student has been up to:
Paige is up for everything and is super-helpful to the group at all times. She volunteered to head up the cooking crew the first night at the Hostal Villa Colonial in Zacatecas, and made a tasty meal of beans, rice, chicken, and salad!
Kaytie has totally impressed our leaders with her willingness to learn Spanish. According to Darren, she really "puts herself out there". She partnered with our Mexican leader, Osiris, on a couple of Orientation activities, and spoke Spanish the entire time.
Zoe wowed the group with her dancing skills last night at a live outdoor music performance in a public square around the corner from the Hostal. She and Osiris tore up the cobbles as the group played traditional Mexican music for the enthusiastic crowd.
Emma was a bit timid about the gondola ride high across the city of Zacatecas, but she soldiered on, and loved it!
Rachel is great about sharing her views and opinions during group meetings and discussions. Darren and Becky say she gets along well with everyone in the group, and everyone really likes her.
Youngsan defeated Darren in the duel atop La Bufa mentioned above. Pistols at twenty paces have earned him the respect of the entire group, not to mention giving them a great laugh and a memorable story to tell.
Rebecca was a little shy at first, but is coming out of her shell, and starting to try out her Spanish and make meaningful connections with the other students on the trip.
Elkema has been a leader from the start. Darren has two words for her: SO AWESOME!! She volunteers first for everything, and has shown maturity and grace in the face of adversity--her bag was one that was delayed, and she has not let it bother her one bit.
Julian has likewise been a super-trooper despite missing baggage. The leaders say he has been "nothing but happy", throwing himself fully into everything and having a great time.
Gideon is a quiet guy who steps up when the group most needs it. Darren and Becky are impressed with his initiative and his ability to recognize when and where his effort can be most effective.
Nicole is really going for it with her Spanish. She took a leadership role during the group MMT on Thursday in Zacatecas, stepping out of her comfort zone to practice her practical language skills with native speakers. Everyone in her group said she rocked it!
One thing most of you might be asking yourself is " What is an MMT?" An MMT is Windsor Mountain tradition: the leaders split the group into smaller groups of no less than three, give them very firm parameters, and send them off on missions. Last year the group MMT was a Zacatecas map-making competition (judged by the owner of the Hostal), and this year the group the MMT was a fun cultural scavenger hunt.
All Bridge Mexico students will call home this Sunday, July 13th before noon (eastern time), and everyone at home should look for another email update next Thursday, July 18th.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
June Letter to all Bridge Mexico Families
Bridge Mexico Families,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Bridge Mexico is ready to go, and everyone at Windsor Mountain is excited that the summer season is here, and that all of our hard winter work is about to come to fruition. Most of our staff is already here at camp: ropes course training and lifeguard training are in full swing, and we can't wait to meet our kids! Everything is in place for Bridge Mexico 2008. Our service project with the Pame people in Agua Puerca is ready, our homestay families are expecting us, and fun and adventure await our group in Zacatecas, Media Luna, El Cielo, Monterrey, and the many points in between.
More trip news!
When reading the calendar, please note the days that the students will call home and the days all families should expect an email update from the Windsor Mountain Student Travel office. While they are here for staff training between June 16th and June 26th, Becky and Darren will call all Bridge Mexico Families. The purpose of this call is to say hi, get to know the students and parents, answer any last minute questions, and arrange a meeting time and place for the group at JFK on July 8th. Until then, please feel free to call the office with any questions or concerns.
Our itinerary couldn't be better--all we need now is you!
Best,
Angus, Lou, Marjorie, and the entire Windsor Mountain Team
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Bridge Mexico is ready to go, and everyone at Windsor Mountain is excited that the summer season is here, and that all of our hard winter work is about to come to fruition. Most of our staff is already here at camp: ropes course training and lifeguard training are in full swing, and we can't wait to meet our kids! Everything is in place for Bridge Mexico 2008. Our service project with the Pame people in Agua Puerca is ready, our homestay families are expecting us, and fun and adventure await our group in Zacatecas, Media Luna, El Cielo, Monterrey, and the many points in between.
More trip news!
When reading the calendar, please note the days that the students will call home and the days all families should expect an email update from the Windsor Mountain Student Travel office. While they are here for staff training between June 16th and June 26th, Becky and Darren will call all Bridge Mexico Families. The purpose of this call is to say hi, get to know the students and parents, answer any last minute questions, and arrange a meeting time and place for the group at JFK on July 8th. Until then, please feel free to call the office with any questions or concerns.
Our itinerary couldn't be better--all we need now is you!
Best,
Angus, Lou, Marjorie, and the entire Windsor Mountain Team
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
