We spent our first day at the Benjamin Franklin Library in Mexico City. The library is part of the U.S. Embassy and offers many English language services and counseling opportunities for those that wants to study in the U.S.
After the first day in Mexico City, we moved to a charming little city in the smallest state in the republic, Tlaxcala.
The week was long and full, everyone presented in groups of three about their experiences working in their respective schools.
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| The Teacher's Lounge, featuring Angela, Meredith, and Mariah |
It was fascinating to see how different the teaching situations are between each country and to compare similarities and differences between each country. Venezuela stood out in it's cultural and political differences. Venezuela is going through a significant shift since Hugo Chavez's death. The exchange rate is volatile and the imports are unstable, causing shortages of basic goods like toilet paper and chicken. Dara, one of the Venezuela ETAs, showed me a photo of her local grocery store in which all of the shelves were empty, except for one that had bottles of bleach. Bolivares (the Venezuelan currency) aren't sold outside of the country because of the constantly shifting exchange rate due to the constantly growing inflation, so they are paid in U.S. dollars to their American bank accounts and then have to figure out for themselves how to get Bolivares. Although they face constant instability, both ETAs are enjoying their year. They love their schools and social communities, they like their work, and they know they are living in Venezuela during an incredibly important moment in history. They must follow the news every day because an announcement made on Monday will directly effect daily life on Tuesday. They watch both the state controlled news and follow Twitter, often the most honest source of news in many countries (including Mexico). Unfortunately, in recent weeks, protests against the government have erupted all over the country and the situation has become increasingly unstable. Basic goods are even harder to find, road blocks are sprouting up throughout cities and towns making it impossible to move around, and spouts of violence have killed over a dozen people. Dara wrote on her blog about trying to decide if she should stay or if it's time to go.
We listened to talks by a state department diplomat and a Fulbright Distinguished Teacher grantee, went to trainings given by English Language Fellows (ELFs), and exchanged stories. We spent the majority of the each day in conference rooms but our coordinator Tim also arranged for us to explore the city and surrounding area.
We went on a tour of a government building full of murals that tell the history of Mexico and Tlaxcala:
We took a trolley tour:
We went to an hacienda were we watched how agua miel (honey water) is sucked out of the maguey cactus and then fermented into pulque, a traditional beverage full of amino acids and probiotics. It's one of my favorite drinks here, but definitely an acquired taste:
One of the best parts about being a Fulbright grantee is meeting other Fulbright grantees. Each person in this group has a wide-range of interests and inspiring experiences. They are kind, ambitious, and really positive representatives of the U.S. They are proactive, passionate about education and building international relationships, and using their own education to positively impact the world around them. I really believe in every one of them and look forward to see what they go on to do after this year. I was so thankful to get to spend the week with them and only wish we would have the opportunity to all gather together again before we go our different ways.
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