Teacher's Strike

So, Aaron started in his new school, Vittorio Monteverdi (a private Catholic school) a couple of weeks ago, and he loves it. Benjamin, on the other hand, has been to class, once. He attends the local, public kindergarten. His teachers are on strike.

As a couple of his teachers live in our neighborhood, we were, at first, empathetic to their cause. We were told that they were fighting the Government to limit class size, which sounded as good a reason to fight, as any. Well, as time goes by, I start to learn the real causes of the strike.

It appears that the Teacher's Union cut a deal with the Government (with some backscratching, I am sure) to make some changes in the educational system. At present, children attend classes in two shifts. The younger kids study in the morning and early afternoon. The older kids go in the early afternoon and stay until after dark. The classes average around 6 hours a day. The SEP (Secretaria Educacion Publica) decided that they want to extend the school day and drop the afternoon classes. The teachers are not happy with this extra 2 hours of school day, and lost oppotunities for working double shifts. That is one issue.

Another problem stems from the sale or transfer of "plazas". This one baffles me. It seems that a teacher must pay for his/her right to teach. Of course, they have to be certified as a teacher, first. Then, they buy a "plaza" from either the Government or an individual who owns one. Some of these are passed to family members, while others are sold when the teacher decides to call it quits. Each "plaza" guarantees a certain amount of classes. Think of it as a taxi permit for teachers. The Government wants to do away with these, in order to ensure quality teachers. Makes sense, right? Well, not to those who own one. They are gold, and teachers aren't willing to part with them without some compensation.

The strike is a result of the union making a deal with the Government without asking for the teacher's input. Now, the teacher's are striking against both their union leaders (who they accuse of corruption) and the Government (whose policies they say will hurt education in Mexico).

I see valid points, on both sides of the debate. Bottom line, however, I don't care. I want my son in class, and soon. I am not alone, either. Lots of parents are getting angry and it could get ugly, soon. The teachers marched in Cancun's Hotel Zone, the other day. 14,000 of them. Blocked traffic and made a lot of noise. Some parents counterprotested. The tide is starting to turn, and they are losing any empathy parents may have felt. I hope it ends, soon. We don't need a Oaxaca type situation in Quntano Roo. I doubt it will come to that, as the state government has more support than the one had in Oaxaca. Still, as each day goes by, Benjamin loses his "groove." Graciela is homeschooling, for now. Of course, he learns more at home than in a class of 30 kids but he misses the social aspects of the school day.

Indiana - Part 3

The next day, we were off to Logansport, where my mom's mom lives. The plan was to visit her and then hit the mall, where JC Penney was having a 75% - off sale. 75% off of already marked down summer wear has our family name written all over it.

The drive to Logansport is about 45 minutes, but we became a little disoriented when we reached one intersection.



We weighed the options. Mexico, we are already familiar with. Peru was enticing, but JC Penney's won out. Straight we went.

We spent a little bit of time with my grandmother. She is in an assisted living home, and spends a lot of time sleeping, so the visit was a short one. I am glad the kids got a chance to meet her, though.

We hit the mall, and cleaned the place out. $5 shorts, $5 shirts, shoes, pants, you name it. It was day 3 and we were almost tapped. Amazing how you can tear through so many greenbacks at $5 a pop. Anyway, the kids are clothed for the next couple of years.

Afterwards, we headed off to the park. The idea was to ride the carosuel, but it was closed. We were able to grab a picture through the glass, though.
We headed over to the jungle gym, which was huge. The boys really enjoyed it, as did the rest of us.




The park started filling up, a little after five, and we noticed something. Spanish. It was coming from all directions. The kids even mentioned it. Graciela struck up a conversation with a woman from Michocan. As I mentioned before, Logansport has become a mini-melting pot. Lots of Mexicans and Guatemalans now call it home.

At a little before 6, we noticed some action over at the mini golf. It looked as if they were getting ready to open. Sure enough, they were. I paid for Graciela, my dad, Aaron, Benji and myself and the total came to a whopping $3.25. Little did we know that this was going to become a mission. A mission to find as many Putt Putt and mini-golf courses, as possible, in the next 3 days. The boys had played on computer, but this was their first taste of real mini-golf. They were hooked, as soon as Benji blindly shot a hole in one. Graciela looked to perfect her stroke, while dad and I went head to head, neither wanting to lose.

It was time to head back to Wabash. Mom and dad went on ahead, because we needed to stop at the drugstore. Well, before the drugstore, I couldn't pass up


A couple of chili dogs, a large mug of root beer, and a bunch of napkins, later, and we were off.

When we arrived back in Wabash, I discovered that Penney's had overcharged us on one item and that the nail polish Graciela had bought, did not have an applicator brush. We decided we would have to go back, in a couple of days.

My Phair Lady

It has been 15 years since Liz Phair released the album, Exile in Guyville, and it has been recently remastered and rereleased, which has led me to listen to it, non-stop, for the last week.




I remember when I first heard this album. It was love at first listen. The lyrics were like I had never heard, and the guitar work, while basic, was powerfully moving. It was rock and roll, angst and hope mixed in a blender and then delivered by the girl next door. My first impression was that these words could not possibly be coming out this angel's mouth.

6' 1"

I bet you fall in bed too easily
With the beautiful girls who are shyly brave
And you sell yourself as a man to save
But all the money in the world is not enough

I bet you've long since passed understanding
What it takes to be satisfied
You're like a vine that keeps climbing higher
But all the money in the world is not enough
And all the bridges blown away keep floating up

Its cold
And rough
And I kept standing 6'1"
Instead of 5'2"
And I loved my life
And I hated you

Its cold, out there
And rough
And I kept standing 6'1"
Instead of 5'2"
And I loved my life
And I hated you

or

Divorce Song

And when I asked for a separate room
It was late at night
And we'd been driving since noon
But if I'd known
How that would sound to you
I would have stayed in your bed
For the rest of my life
Just to prove I was right
That it's harder to be friends than lovers
And you shouldn't try to mix the two
Cause if you do it and you're still unhappy
Then you know that the problem is you

And it's true that I stole your lighter
And it's also true that I lost the map
But when you said that I wasn't worth talking to
I had to take your word on that
But if you'd known
How that would sound to me
You would have taken it back
And boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Boxed it up and buried it in the ground
Burned it up and thrown it away

You put in my hands a loaded gun
And then told me not to fire it
When you did the things you said were up to me
And then accused me of trying to fuck it up
But you've never been a waste of my time
It's never been a drag
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
And maybe you'll be alright

And the license said
You had to stick around until I was dead
But if you're tired of looking at my face I guess I already am
But you've never been a waste of my time
It's never been a drag
So take a deep breath and count back from ten
And maybe you'll be alright

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2akK4tYSwY&feature=related


The album stayed on heavy rotation in my house, for a year, only to be replaced by Whipsmart, which didn't provide the sophmore slump experienced by many whose first album was declared a masterpiece.

Supernova

I have looked all over the place,
But you have got my favorite face.
Your eyelashes sparkle like gilded grass
and your lips are sweet and slippery
Like a cherub's bare wet ass ...

'Cause you're a human supernova,
A solar superman.
You're an angel with wings of fire,
A flying, giant friction blast.

You walk in clouds of glitter
and the sun reflects your eyes.
And every time the wind blows,
I can smell you in the sky.
Your kisses are as wicked as an F-16
And you fuck like a volcano
and you're everything to me...

'Cause you're a human supernova,
A solar superman
You're an angel with wings of fire,
A flying, giant friction blast
You're a giant, flying friction blast

'Cause you're a human supernova,
A solar superman,
You're an angel with wings of fire,
A flying, giant friction blast ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTv_zkPVcEM&feature=related

During these couple of years, I had the chance to see her live, a few times. I do believe that these were probably some of the few concerts where I actually tried to make my way up front, and stood there like a 12 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers's show, singing along with every word.

Then, she vanished.

But, she came back. Married, if I am not mistaken. Had a baby, as well. It changed her. Some claimed it made her soft but, to me, she just grew up. Her music was still good and relevant to me. She released Whitechococlatespaceegg, in 1998.

Polyester Bride

I was talking, not two days ago
To a certain bartender I' lucky to know
And I asked Henry, my bartending friend
If I should bother dating unfamous men

And Henry said, "You're lucky to even know me.
You're lucky to be alive. You're lucky to be drinking here for free cause I'm a
Sucker for your lucky, pretty eyes."

And then he said, "Do you want to be a Polyester Bride?
Or do you want to hang your head and die?
Do you want to find alligator cowboy booths they just put on sale?
Do you want to flap your wings and fly away from here?"

I was sitting, not two days ago
Feeling lonely 'cause I'm just feeling low
And I asked Henry, my bartending friend
Why it is that there are those kind of men

"Princess, do you
Really want to flap your wings and fly...
Because you've got time."
He keeps telling me, "You've got time."
But I don't believe him
"You've got time."
I keep on pushing harder...
I keep on pushing farther away
But he keeps telling me, "Baby, baby, do you want to be a polyester bride?"
"Do you want to flap your wings and fly away from here?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z36Z0Fo-7zQ&feature=related


Her latest releases have been panned by many longtime fans as being "sell outs". I would venture to say that a "sold out" Liz Phair is better than 99% of anything else out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xG3KH8syKg&feature=related


As I said, I have been listening to a lot of Liz Phair, these days. I believe that music can play an important part in our lives. It plays a bigger part in mine than it does with the majority of the world. Liz Phair has taught me a lot about women and how they think and feel. I am grateful for that and thought I would share. Hope she finds a new fan, somewhere out there.

Indiana - Part 2

Indiana - Part 2

Anyway, after a good night's sleep, we awoke to some rather chilly (for us Mexicanos) temps. That didn't deter the kids from watching one of their new movies (I think it was Teen Titans) before breakfast.



Today, we were off to visit my grandmother. At 96, she rocks. She is an inspiration and I told her so. She has raised some good kids who in turn raised good kids (well, my sister at least. ;)) who are now doing their best to raise good kids. What better legacy is there?



After some time with Grandma, we took off back to Wabash. As I had spotted a Dairy Queen on the way into town, it was time to reward the boys for behaving so well (or was it me that behaved well? I can't rememember). As it seems customary to do so, I include a menu in my trip report.



We had Waffle Bowl Sundaes, which are pictured at the bottom left. Spectacular, and just the start of a week of good stuff not available to us, in Playa.

The rest of the day was spent shopping at WalMart and The Big R, where we found lots of summer clothes for next to nothing. Of course, you buy enough at next to nothing, and it turns into next to something, which is where we ended up.

The next day, we decided to tour around Wabash. Here are some shots. My sons love Abraham Lincoln (thanks to his appearances in The Fairy Godparents TV series), and were pleased to see a statue of him. Like most boys, they also like anything to do with firepower, so the war museum was of special interest, as well.



This concludes Part 2.

Indiana - Part 1

Indiana - Part 1

Won't bore anyone with the transportation details but, suffice it to say that, we ran into the normal delays and airline excuses coming and going. Led to some unplanned running on the way there and some hours of boring delays, on the way back.

After our day of travel, we arrived in Wabash and settled in for the night. We had plans to visit my aunt and uncle at their lake home, on Sunday.

Took these photos on our last day, but will start with them. This is where we stayed, which is where my grandmother lived before moving into assisted living. Very quiet, and lots of room for the kids to play.







The field rotates, on a yearly basis, between corn and soy beans. This year, it was soy. Indiana sweet corn is the best, and we saw miles and miles of it.

The next morning, we woke up and headed to Lake Maxinkuckee, where my aunt and uncle spend their US time. They also have a house in Isla Mujeres. We could have spent the whole week, here.


They have a wonderful home surrounded by beautiful flowers. I couldn't do it justice with my camera.




The lake is very big, and we decided to go out on it and check out what the neighbors were up to.


These neighbors were probably out looking for someone to clean all those windows.




Benji drove for a bit, until he wanted to go "super rapido" and discovered the throttle.

Along the way, we cruised by Culver Military Academy, which is a private school (obviously). My aunt told me that 40% of the students are foreign, and many of them are latinos.





On our way back, we had to gas up and Benji decided it was a good time to pose with his new sunglasses.



We made it back to land, where our private transport was awaiting.



We made it about 30 feet when the kids saw the tree swing.



My uncle cooked up some NY strips, my aunt made some side dishes and we spent the rest of the day vegging in front of the TV, watching the Olympics and catching up. A great day.

And, a great dog. This is Sam (Samantha). You won't find a sweeter canine.