Simple Love.

Throwback Thursday.

Alright, let’s throw it back to the first week of February. My first week in Mexico, on one of those first days we went to Paseo San Quintin, a community about 40 minutes away from where we live here in Mexico. We have been teaching English at a school there every Thursday. That first week we had a massive soccer game. Girls vs. boys of course. It was such a great way to start off the Mexican experience. The only thing that suffered that day was my dignity from falling on my butt… more than once trying to get the ball from an elementary student. The amount of fun I had that day was a good look into how I was going to feel for the next four months to come.

This experience has been absolutely perfect. So much has been accomplished in such a small amount of time when you think of it on a bigger scale. Our first month here we started right into a schedule that consisted of Social Justice and Spanish classes. Volunteering at an old folks home every Monday and Tuesday, and teaching English at two different schools on Wednesday and Thursday. We also had lots of time to experience the culture and different activities people do for fun around here. We have a weekly Taco Night trying out some of the different taco stands in the area. We went crab hunting with one of our favourite Mexican families and their friends. We drove down the coast to go whale watching… we all know how that went. We’ve had mornings and afternoons spent at the beach, a chance to reflect and watch the sunset from the community water tower, and bike rides to explore the community we live in. Also numerous trips to the fruit stand, bakery, and grocery store, an opportunity to camp in the mountains, and a trip to the big city. And then of course, the month of Hero Holidays was the best thing ever. We made so many more Canadian friends as well as meeting new friends and families in Mexico. We've been so blessed to have so many different experiences.

 The relationships that have been built over these last four months will never be forgotten. Even though we are moving back to Canada on Sunday, that doesn't change the love I have received from this place or the amount of love I am leaving here. Love can be shared in the most simple of ways, like it should be. Real love is loving something and expecting nothing back in return. There are many examples of experiencing real, raw love over the last few months. Having that “one person” you looked forward to see every week. That person for me was Nalleli, who I've written about before. I said goodbye to her yesterday without knowing the next time I will be saying hi to her. She’s so young and doesn't realize I won’t be coming back to teach English next week. But our last day together was great. Before we teach English, we play with the kids. It was also lunch time for them so I sat in one of the classrooms with her, one of her friends, and her brother. She and her brother were sharing a very small lunch and I just wanted to give them more food. Yet, they were offering me some of their lunch. It was just nice to watch them interact with each other and for them to let me be part of it. I don’t know what it is about this little girl that I just adore. Maybe it’s the fact that she has remembered my name from the beginning, or that we always find each other in the sea of the other children. She gives the best little hugs and has the biggest smile, even when she’s sad. I think it’s the fact that she’s so simply happy and loving, it’s the simplicity in this child that I love and admire so much. She’s a perfect example of what I’ve learned over the last few months. She’s my reminder to live simply, to appreciate what I do have, because she appreciates what she has too. Not only just appreciate what I have, but to just live a life filled with more conscience decisions. From turning the water off as I shower, to not buying things just because they are on sale. My goals for this semester were to focus more on people and to just simply being simplistic and enjoying my time for what it was worth. I have a new appreciation for the little things. Like being blessed to watch the sun come up over the mountains every day, and set over the ocean. I’ve learned a new appreciation for love, to love because I can, because I want to, and have the ability to. I’ve been given love in so many forms these last four months that I am forever grateful for, whether it’s in the form of three year old kisses, a family giving us snacks, or just for the company of others. It’s been a life changing experience and I don’t care how cheesy that sounds. My eyes have been opened wide to the beautiful way we can all live. We just have to work together, love each other, and share the love as much as we can, so that someday every one can experience the amount of love I have been blessed to have.

Remember how I was talking about that soccer game? Today is the third to last full day in Mexico, and guess what I did? I played soccer at that school, and loved every second of it. As I stood there catching my breathe from running all over the “field” ( dusty playground) I was watching the kids smiling and my fellow LDA’s… it was a simple moment of happiness... no one cared that we don’t speak the same language, or have different soccer abilities. We were all having the time of our lives, because there was love in the air. It really is one of the simplest needs in life, which we all have the ability to share. So tell someone how much you love them today, they may need to be reminded and I’m sure they’ll say it right back… xo see you soon Canada. 

Guilt vs. Gratitude

To be completely honest this has been the hardest blog to write yet. Most likely because this has been the most influential thing that has happened since being in Mexico and I have a feeling it will be the most influential thing for the rest of Mexico, months to come and maybe even a lifetime. The week I just experienced is the well known within the Live Different world called “shack week” which is now called A week in the life experience, and what a week it was. We started bright and early, brighter and earlier than any morning we had on tour last semester. We woke up in our nice, big, warm, cozy house and had to take our garbage bag full of our belongings across the road to our new home for the week, our “la casita” which means, little house. After we dropped our belongings off it was time to walk to the Pemex, which is one of the many gas stations of its kind on the Baja. The closest to us, depending on how fast you walk, some days we were fast, others took a lot longer, was 15 minutes away. This is where the “bus” picked us up for work every morning. As this was a simulation of how locals live and we did numerous different jobs that would've been different types of transportation our Live Different van would pick us up and we would pay for transportation.

            Our first day of work was rock picking. Many people have already asked me the purpose of this from the pictures that have been posted. Those little perfect black rocks you buy at Home Depot or Canadian Tire to add to your landscape? Yeah, we picked those!!! It was 5 pesos for a bucket of rocks. They are very little rocks so it was a very time consuming job. 5 pesos is roughly 40 cents at home. It was 40 cents for that entire bucket, where in Canada you’d be buying just a fraction of those rocks for double the price. Its crazy how it’s such a time enduring job but the amount of money you actually make is nothing. Most people who rock pick must own their own vehicle or know someone to be able to transport the rocks from the beach into town. It’s such a tedious job, by lunch time on our first day all the rocks were starting to look the same in my eyes. As the salt makes the rocks appear lighter than their actual colour we would spit on the rocks, or dip them in a bucket of water, or in some cases we’d just lick them when we got too lazy. I remember on this first day how frustrated I felt. Not because I just became completely immersed into a culture of work I was beyond not use to, but because it’s obvious how hard people have to work here and make so little. It’s even harder to me because some jobs in Canada people make way more money than they may deserve, so I just have a hard time comprehending the differences between these countries in instances like this. After each day of work, we get paid, have to pay our rent, child care, transportation, and any accidental fees that could happen at any time without notice. Our first night after work we made a supper consisting of Mr. noodles which we made over our fire with the pot we were allowed to bring and with the fire wood we walked around the neighborhood to collect. We were exhausted by supper time. I always wondered what people did in the evening around here when they don’t have power. But I started to realize, they wake up so early, and work hard so day that the only thing to do is go to bed. All six of us were usually in bed around 7, and asleep by 8.

            Day two was field day. The day I was most nervous and excited for. Would we be picking raspberries, strawberries, or tomatoes? Do I want to pick the easier one or have a challenge? Will I get in trouble for not doing as well as a Mexican? I had so many thoughts racing through my head as I woke up at 4am. We got to the field, and Santi told us to pick up string and tie it around our waist. At this point, I still had no idea what we were about to do. Which is a reality most mornings for field workers, they do not know the type of job they will be doing until they get to the field. Also some days, people get paid by the day or by the bucket. Depending on how hard of a job it is and how fast of a worker you are, it made a huge difference in how you got paid. We ended up picking raspberries. The string was for attaching two buckets to our waists. One for Primeras, and one for Segundos. Primeras means “Firsts” They are the lighter coloured berries which are almost ripe. These are the berries you will see in your grocery store. They are not that colour when they get to you, that’s why they are picked early so they are ready when they make it to the US and Canada. Segundos are the berries that are already ripe and past ripe. These go in the other bucket and are used for jams, juices, etc. Primera buckets are worth more peso than the Primeras, but everyone picks everything. Some workers try and just pick Primeras, for the obvious reason, but if your row gets checked, and this is the case, you can get into trouble. You’re supposed to pick both kinds even though one is worth less. I really did enjoy picking. You got satisfaction at the end of each row knowing you picked those berries. When your buckets are full you take them to this stand where they punch your punch card that keeps track of your buckets of berries and gives you a chance to clean your buckets if the berries were messy. As it was the first day we hadn't quite got the hand of which berries to put in which buckets, this is when we found out one of the men working at the stand spoke English. So it was neat getting to tell him about why we were there and also he told us a little bit about him as well as how to pick the most efficiently. We were so hungry by lunch time, we had packed beans and corn tortillas… two things I really dislike eating, but that’s not what this week is about. We bought them because they are cheap and semi filling. So I ate them, our new friend from the field also brought us tacos. I was so thankful as I was so hungry, but at the same time as I was feeling my hunger pains I was feel some guilt as well. This was only our second day of hard work on emptier bellies than normal. These other people we were working alongside most likely their stomachs were just as empty and even more. They were more deserving of the food and I felt bad. In this same time as me feeling bad about food, some of the field workers commented on how they thought Santi was working us too hard, which he wasn't. We were doing the same job as them. I wanted to be seen as an equal in their eyes, and they saw us differently. They thought we shouldn't have to work here, and I think the same thing everyday when I drive past a field. How hard working they are, how appreciative of everything, and how they deserve so much more. We did two field days in a row, it was very rewarding. I loved working there. As each day went on, my appreciation went up every time. They we’re all so happy when they were working! I can see how it’s a tedious job and can get old. But they were happy and talking and picking way more berries than any of us. So whenever you buy Driscolls again, think of the people who picked them, think of how much hard work is behind those berries.

By day four my asthmatic lungs did not like sleeping on a dirt floor every night. No one deserves to have to sleep on a dirt floor; it’s a sad reality here. This was a hard day as we always seemed to have lots of time to think, today I thought about how there is enough food in the world for everyone, yet not even close to everyone gets some. Everyone I met this week makes me want to be the absolute best person I can be, as a citizen, for myself and for others.

“You don’t know what you got til its gone” has never held more truth for me than this week. I have really bad chapped lips, so going a week without lip chap was very hard. I’m still recovering from them being chapped. But it happens here, its an expense that wouldn't get a second thought because there is so many more important things that must be bought.

The one thing we did not want to happen this week happened, it rained. 4 am I woke to the sound of sprinkling on the roof. Thinking it was Andrew or Heather, as we were told to expect that. As part of this week it’s a good reality to experience the rain. However, I got out of the shack, and it was not Andrew, it was actually raining. Meagan and I got up, covered our fire wood with a tarp, and moved everything else into our shack. We went back to sleep until 6am, when it really started to rain! We were lucky enough to have an extra bano (outhouse) on the property, so we put all of our bags in there, we moved our floor out, which was all cardboard so it wouldn't get soaked, as our roof was leaking in numerous spots, and then we started using our three bowls to scoop water off the roof. After it settled and we had to wait for things to dry, the six of us sat on the ground in our shack, cold but with a huge reality check in our hearts. This is the ultimate reality here, this happened to someone just down the road from us. It happens every time it rains. I’m happy it rained only so we got to experience what it means to really live here. That afternoon as I walked around collecting firewood I was more aware of the homes than I've ever been. Noticing how they were made and seeing how everyone survived the rain.

We did a night of clamming which was an adventure! We went to work with some locals, and got 3 dozen between the 6 of us. It was very cold, but an experience I’m glad I got to have. We also did a day of general labour, which involved sweeping the driveway here, which may not seem that big of a job, but when the country you’re living in is completely made of dirt, it’s a big job. We did another day of rocking picking as well. We also had a day off, so we got to experience what its like when you have to budget for days off. People hate having days off here; it means no money which means a lot of things they may have to go without on these days. Every work day is a precious day to families.

It’s crazy how you see everything in a different light after this week a twig in the street I never would've given a second thought, now its precious fire wood. When the wind blows, I think of those feeble roofs that could cave any second. When it rains, my heart hurts for everyone who is feeling it, literally through their roof. This week I experienced so many things and learnt a lot about myself as well. It’s only been a few days but I’m very aware of my decisions when it comes to buying food, how much and the price, etc.

This week I learnt about the fine line between guilt and gratitude. I don’t have to feel guilty about having more than these families. But I also have to be aware of the fact that because I have the resources that I need to use them to the best I can, to make living easier for others by my actions. There’s a quote that was in my mind all week, “Live Simply so others can simply live” This has never felt truer. I know now to be aware of my decisions, to be thankful, and to not feel guilty. This week was a life changer, I’m still wrapping my head around all the emotions that came with this week and the ones I’m still feeling and trying to figure out. But this is it in a nutshell, and I apologize if my thoughts are unclear but I wanted to give everyone an update!

: ) xo