Apprendare - To Learn

We are just beginning...

We haven't even been here a week, but have already settled in. Okay - so we only had to unpack the car and buy enough groceries to fill up the refridgerator only slightly larger than the one I had in college... but we had to do it in MEXICO. It was just the littlest things that puzzled us, like:

1. Every one of doors and windows inside and outside of our home has a different kind of latch, lock, and opening mechanism

2. The microwave is all in Spanish, and the quick set buttons are "popcorn, tacos, tortillas..." (not in that order)

3. When driving behind another vehicle, a left turn blinker can mean either "go ahead and pass me on the left, it's clear", or the usual, "I'm turning left." Not a good idea to misinterperet that one on a 2 lane highway.

4. Teaching your kids that they need to tell you if there is a bathroom attendant so you can give them some pesos so they will get toilet paper.

5. 9-1-1 is now 0-6-6 (having drilled that one into my little ones' heads since birth, we are switchin it up on 'em)

6. Fireworks every morning between 5-6 am. Something about a combination of old Indian superstitions combined with religious beliefs that bad things or evil spirits or souls or death or something like that needs to be scared away before dawn in order for the day to be good. We'll figure that out.

7. Big bugs (I will not be afraid, I will not be afraid, I will not be afraid)

8. The grocery store: bacon is sliced and sold at the deli counter, eggs are in produce, the FDA nutrutional information chart is not a requirement, they have green stamps (remember those -- you could get silverware and stuff??)

9. Websites automatically load in Spanish. "Not really" you say --- but if I type in "www.google.com" -- I get "www.google.com.mx/" -- I'm sure there is a fix... we'll get to it manana

10. They have a different word for EVERYTHING (a la Steve Martin) (well.. except for pizza, hot dog and no)

Beyond the obvious changes above, our time together as a family has been an adventure for us. At various times this week each of us has felt sad to leave, nervous about going, excited, and hopeful. We've had some other emotions thrown in for grins (some car scuffles, some exhaustion) -- but I have watched our family grow a little bit this week as we have spent this time together.

Adios!! Mary