Tuesday 26 June 2012

I have been in Mexico 11 days now! I came here for a challenge and an adventure and so far it has been just that! It was very hard for me to say farewell to many special people and I am missing everyone very much. Sometimes I feel homesick and lonely but mostly I am excited and full of adventure!

I first spent five lovely days in California with my good friend, we went bushwalking, biking riding and spent a day in Lake Tahoe and a night in Reno, a mini version of vegas. California is very beautiful!

Playa del Carmen (my new home) is very beautiful! The beaches are picturesque and calm, the water is sooo warm and the beach stretches for what seems like forever! The jungle is also amazing in its wildness. When I first arrived the heat and humidity was a real shock. I thought 'this is definitly the second hottest place I've ever been! (central australia in January being the hottest) but now I'm more accustomed to it I now think it's only the third hottest.

I've spent a week at the school, it is incredibly beauitful, the setting is so natural and it is really in the jungle! There is a great garden with so many foods I've never seen growing or even heard of before. And the teachers and families are very nice and friendly. Last week it was very strange for me to attend the school's midsummer festival!! My collegue brings her baby with her, she is 6 months and is sooo cute and always happy, it's so lovely for everyone to have a baby with us.

The school has only solar power. There is an office with a computer, internet and printer but the administrator told me sometimes the power only works for 10 minutes a day! Last week it rained for a few days and the sky was so dark we could hardly see inside without the lights, which work less than half the time. I really liked it, it was excited to experience the weather so strongly all day. When it rains the playground filled up very quickly with enormous puddles and the groundskeeper uses a crowbar to dig holes so all the water seeps underground. The primary school boys love helping!!

The classrooms are very simple, with a lot of natural materials and a few handmade toys. They have probably a quarter of the toys then we had at Glenaeon Preschool and a 10th of any traditional child care setting but I wouldn't add many more if I could, the children play so well and creatively with what they have.

I have one more week at the school, then 2 weeks of holidays! I look forward to hearing news from home!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Saffron - I loved reading your first blogg post - it sounds so rich and wondrous where you are working, and the simplicity seems so healthy! - I am so glad you have taken up this challenge (the school is lucky to have you!) - wishing you lots of strength through the lonely moments - Susan Perrow

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  2. Wow Saffron that all sounds wonderful! Keep this blog going whenever you have the chance please!

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