Down at the Ranch

Good evening all,

Again I must apologize for the infrequency of our latest entries; being an English teacher is a lot more work than the Robin Williams made it seem! Last weekend was a real thrill as we were invited to birthday party at the ranch of a friend of a friend. In any case, one of Caroline's colleague's and her boyfriend drove us out to what they called a ranch; ahh the loss in translation continues. What we arrived at was what I would best describe as a bit of a chateau on the prairie so to speak. A very nice cottage with a large yard, pool, and patio. Moreover, by "small get together", our friends meant a party that would swell to what I would estimate at about 70 people. The beer, meat, and conversation flew communally as we were afforded the opportunity of some informal Spanish lessons, and I observed the delicate blend of Caroline's outgoing army niceties with some truly genuine Mexican hospitality. An excellent time was had by all, and Caroline's home made cookies were a big hit (the bag was empty in minutes).
Caroline and I couldn't help but notice how "dolled" up the female guests were, and how precariously uncomfortable they looked all evening. It seems that three inch heels and spandex jeans are the unofficial uniform of the twenty-something well to do Mexican debutante. The men, on the other hand, were quite care-free, and the scene around the soccer game on TV was just like a Canadian sports bar around the NHL playoffs. We retired in the early hours of the morning, and worked like mad the rest of the weekend to be prepared for Monday.
The rainy season has begun here in Northern Mexico, and a few times a week we are entertained by a truly stunning thunder storm that leaves the streets flooded. Aside from watching the rain outside my window, my weekday evening are usually spent toiling at lessons and marking. Nevertheless, I enjoy the work, and am still glad we left Canada for a spell. Both Caroline and I have entered the full swing of our U.N. club duties, but with very disparate challenges. My club is group of highly motivated, high achieving students with the prospect of competitive private high school life looming above them. They generally plan many of their own activities, and their idea of the club is somewhat of an extension to their already taxing academic studies. Caroline has more of a creative challenge of how to introduce and engage about 50 ten-year-olds into the complex world of the United Nations. It makes the days long, and occasionally rewarding.
Hopefully this weekend, we'll have some new adventures to write about, until then, I must hearken to the Siren call of my lesson planning book.