A quick getaway

Finally getting back into the groove of this blog thing, thank the Lord. After working and studying nonstop for six weeks, I got to take a break and go with Luis and his family to Acapulco. They normally go twice a year and stay in their timeshare apartment. Getting there, though, turned out to be a bigger problem than expected.

I knew after working both Saturdays and Sundays for six weeks that my boss would let me rest the first weekend after the end of the course. I talked to him a couple weeks ago asking if he would give me that Friday, too. He said that would be fine if I sold three more memberships. On Wednesday, I went to talk to him to make sure he was still going to give me Friday. He said, "I thought you were talking about last weekend! You have to come Friday for a sales workshop." I was so upset, because I had been waiting a long time for a break from work. I asked if I could skip it, and he said definitely not, but I'll give you Monday off and you can leave Friday after the workshop is over. I talked to Luis, and he said no, that we already made the plans and we can't change everything at the last minute, so just tell him we already bought the bus tickets. We were going by car, but sorry, I lied anyway. So my boss said, fine, just go on. The next part...trying to change schedules with my coworker on Thursday so that we could leave after work Thursday instead of waiting until early Friday morning.

When I asked my coworker if we could change schedules, he said no, I have things to do tonight. I was upset because we were going to miss at least half a day of the trip because of that. Then my other coworker brought something to mind. Now that we have four people in the sales department, I would be able to change my schedule and the area would be covered anyway. So I just asked my boss if I could come early, not have a lunch break, and leave early. He said, when you come back you better work like a crazy person, but have fun.

All day Thursday, I couldn't sit still because I was ready to hit the road and get out of there. At 5:00 on the dot, it started raining like crazy. The entire morning, it was fine. But no, at 5:00 it had to start raining. I mean hail and everything. Looked like a hurricane. So I called Luis and asked him what we were going to do. That TURD was sleeping! He went to work that morning and felt tired, so he went home to take a nap. Everyone was bothering him on the phone, so he just turned it off. When he finally turned it back on, I called and he hadn't even packed his bags yet (even though he told me he did, haha). It was raining so bad by that time that he had time to get everything ready anyway. Probably a good thing, really, because if we had started driving and that stuff hit, it could've been ugly. Always a blessing in disguise.

We got there Thursday night and headed straight to bed. Friday we woke up late and the maid lady made us breakfast. Then we went to the beach and decided to go to a different place than normal. Bad idea. People are all over the beach trying to sell you stuff in Acapulco, but this place was absolutely ridiculous. There were people literally stopping in front of the car to sell us stuff. We decided to get out of there as soon as possible and go to our normal place. There, we settled in with some piña coladas and thought about what to do for the rest of the day.

Last time we were there, Gaby (Luis' sister) went parasailing. It looked like a lot of fun, so Luis promised that the next time I could. So they strapped me in and told me what to do when I saw the yellow flag. I was thinking, poor people that don't speak Spanish. It sounded kinda complicated, haha. Really, though, I didn't need to do anything. I took like two steps and I was in the air. I didn't feel like I was that high, but everyone said I looked like a little dot in the sky. I thought I would be a little afraid, but it was so much fun. I felt like a bird. I didn't even have to do anything when I came down, either. Didn't even see a yellow flag. Just floated to the ground. When I got back to where we were sitting, Luis said, "Come on!" I was like, wait, what? What's going on? So I'm running with everyone and we get on the floating banana thing. Apparently we were going water skiing. I was mad because I didn't know so I didn't bring my camera. The skiing instructor was just like a fish, made for the water. He's been teaching people every day to ski for about 30 years. His name is even Marino, which means "sailor," or "seaman." I kinda wanted to just stay in the boat because every time I water ski, I don't like it much. But after everyone else had their turn, they kept insisting, so I tried it. I got up pretty easy and stayed up for a while. I ended up falling in the water on my face and the ski hit me in the knee, but it was still fun. Just wish I had gotten pictures.

Lunch was ready when we got back. The maid had made us fish and shrimp. It was great, but I ate way too much way too fast. I didn't feel so good, so I went to take a nap. After a couple of hours, Luis woke me up and asked what I wanted to do that night. I told him whatever everyone else wanted to do was fine with me. So he said ok, let me go ask. I went back to sleep and woke up hours later and everyone was in the living room watching a movie. I think it was about nine at night, and by that time there wasn't enough time for everyone to take a shower, get ready, and go somewhere. I was like, why didn't you guys wake me up? Well, we didn't want to bother you. So I went looking for Luis, who had fallen asleep just when he said he was going to ask everyone what they wanted to do. I was kinda upset that we wasted a night just sleeping, but oh well. I guess we needed the rest.

The next day, we got up and ate a light breakfast and went out to a marina. We saw lots of yachts of rich and famous people. Some of them were really huge and nice. It was interesting. Anyway, we got on a boat to go scuba diving. I was a little nervous because I don't like the feeling of having to breath through my mouth into a tank. But I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. First, we practiced breathing through our mouths by snorkeling. I had a lot of trouble using the flippers, but I finally got the hang of it. Then, we put on our tanks to go scuba diving. We had to put big weights on around our waists to keep from floating, which kinda freaked me out. The instructor taught us all the signs we needed to know when our ears were hurting, if we wanted to get out, etc. When I first got into the water, I felt really claustrophobic. I panicked a bit, but the instructor helped me calm down and pop my ears so they didn't hurt so much. We saw lots of beautiful fish and even a snake (ew). The instructor then gave us the signal to put air in our vests and float back to the surface. Luis and Gaby's boyfriend, Arturo, apparently did not see the sign and just stayed at the bottom. I was pretty glad to be able to breath out of my mouth again. When Luis and Arturo came back up, they were gasping for air. We were like, what happened? He said they were looking at some fish and all of a sudden, they didn't have any more air in their tanks. They just looked at each other and got out of there as soon as they could. The instructor was like, did you not see the sign to get out? They said, no, but that was scary. Poor guys that were waiting their turn in the boat looked nervous after our stories. Scuba diving was a good experience, but I'm not sure I would do it again, haha.

For lunch that day, we grilled hamburgers and ate too many fries. We took a nap again, but decided to go out for a few drinks later. We didn't stay long and went home pretty early.

Sunday we went to the beach for a while and I bought a starfish to tell everyone I found it when I went scuba diving, haha. We ate shrimp again for lunch and got on the road to be able to get back to Puebla before really late. Just thought I would tell you about another adventure of mine in Mexico.

Río San Francisco Totimehuacán

Ok, another funny story for you. A couple Sundays ago, I went with José Luis to the towel factory to check out a new machine he wanted me to see. We weren't there for long, and when we opened the door to leave, a river started gushing into the factory. Because it's the rainy season, almost every afternoon, it starts raining like crazy. I mean, it seems like the bottom falls out of the sky for about half an hour or so. Anyway, JL and the guy that watches the door went outside and started looking for big rocks and things that would stop the water from coming in. It didn't work too well, though, because after a few minutes, the water was up over our feet and had made it to the warehouse. Of course, JL was more concerned about his products being on the floor than being near the machines. So all the workers that were still there and I started looking for brooms, old towels, buckets, squeegies, and everything we could possibly find to keep it from getting any farther into the factory. We even had someone shoveling water into a drain hole, lol. After about an hour, the river was reduced to a small puddle. JL was soaking wet from being outside, but I think he actually enjoyed it, to be honest. He loves to have problems he has to fix, haha. Anyway, that was definitely an interesting day.

Another step in life

Every time I write in my blog, it seems to always start out with, "I know I haven't written on here in a while, but..." Well, I guess that's how it's going to start this time, too. I've been extra busy lately, because I decided to take a teachers training course at a language institute called Angloamericano. It was a six-week, superintensive course that just finished this Friday. Six hours every morning, Monday through Friday. Thankfully, my boss at the gym allowed me to work in the afternoons, although I had to work every Saturday and Sunday as well. It was long, tiring, and most times it was pretty boring, to be honest. But, I met a new friend named Paola Diaz, which I think probably made taking the course worth it. I love when something in life comes along and you think you won't make it through, but you end up seeing that it was just a short time and what you gained from it will last forever. Another flower in my garden, as my mother would say.

We only have the final presentation to go. Luckily, we have two weeks to plan for that and are going to have three revisions with the class instructor. Now, I will have more opportunities to teach English in the city. We'll see what God has in store.

God´s provision

So it´s been a while since I´ve written anything, I know. I´ve just been feeling a little lost in the world...this world, I mean. Lately, I´ve been wondering whether or not I can ever fit in here, if I´ll ever find my place or honestly start a real life. Teaching English at YES didn´t turn out to be what I thought it would. There was nothing wrong with the place, people, or teaching English, but something just wasn´t right. I wasn´t getting paid enough and I was working really weird hours. I am thankful, however, that they helped me get my FM3 visa to be able to work in the country. Obviously, God has His reasons for everything. Anyway, I started looking for another job, but most English schools or language institutes won´t hire me because technically I´m not certified to teach. I had no idea where to start looking for a job because I knew that all I had to offer this place was the fact that I can speak two languages. And here, that´s pretty much like saying, "big whoop." Then, an idea came to mind. Find a job that will let me work part time in the afternoon and take a super intensive course in the summer in the mornings to become certified. I figured the best I can find as far as part time jobs go right now is in a restaurant or as a receptionist. I mentioned my situation to my friend, Carlos, at my gym called Exersite. He works in sales there and was actually the one to sign me up. He told me to bring in my resume and he would try to help me find a job there. He worked in New York for two years and said that the American people were really nice to him and always gave him a hand while he was living and working there. He said he´s always been grateful to my country and that giving back to me would make him feel as if he were giving back to all those people that helped him once. We talked to the manager and he said there would be no problem with me working reception full time up until my course starts, then I can work part time in the afternoons. Although I didn´t really want to work in reception, I knew this would be a great option because the gym is close to my house, I would have my monthly fee waived, and, probably one of the best parts...I would get to work in jogging pants and a polo. I thought about it, and I decided I needed to take a step of faith and tell the manager that I would rather work in sales (which gets good base pay plus commissions). I waited to talk to him for almost a full week because he had a busy schedule. When I finally got to talk to him, it was the last day of April. We sat down, and he said, "I don´t think we need you in reception." I was about to open my mouth to convince him to give me a job in sales, but before I did, he said, "But we could use you in sales." I was so excited and thankful that even though me mentioning the whole sales thing was a baby step of faith, God still recognized it and showed me that He was behind this the whole time.

I´ve heard the saying, "God helps those that help themselves." I´ve also heard mostly negative criticism of that saying. Although I don´t agree with it 100%, it does have a certain truth to it. I spent so much time being sad and wondering why God wouldn´t give me a job, why He wouldn´t help poor little me start my life here. After a while, though, I heard His voice telling me, "Why would I give strength and guidance to someone that is going to sit in her house crying and not use the resources I give them?" Oh yeah, God´s not going to carry me around in a handbasket. Although it´s Him that gives us life, happiness, and all the things I need to thrive in this world, we must put our own effort into this life and make our own decisions. God isn´t an old man up in the sky controlling a bunch of robots on the Earth. He gave us free will because of His great love for us. He´s not going to force us to do anything. Even though I learned this lesson the hard way, it was much-needed.

Getting the job was perfect timing because I got to start the first week of May. I love love love it here so far. I love enjoying my work day and not dreading getting up to go there every morning. I´m making more friends and finding more confidence in myself. Makes me not want to go back to teaching. I should probably take the course though, just in case. We´ll see. Yet another reason to believe God is taking care of me and making my life into a great adventure.

An actual job

I know I haven't written in a while, but things here have been kinda confusing lately. Once I got back from the Halloween trip to the States, I called the COINTSA office several times to see what I needed to do to start my job training. They kept telling me to call back because they weren't completely ready for me to start yet. After hearing the same thing over and over again, they finally told me they weren't even sure if they had been chosen yet to be the contact center for the company in the States. Therefore, if they don't get the job, I don't. Why they didn't tell me that before, I don't know. I can't stand it when people give others false hopes. Especially someone that really needs it. Maybe they got tired of dealing with my visa papers, hired somebody else, then lied to me. I don't know, and I was really upset when I found out, but now I see more than ever that God always has the best plan in mind.

After finding out about the COINTSA thing, I was completely confused. I just sat in my room most of the time wondering why God would put such a great opportunity in my life then just rip it out of my hands. I cried, complained, and just felt completely lost. José Luis was really supportive and understood what I was going through, but eventually, he pretty much forced me to get out of my house and get back up on my feet. He said, if you want a job, you have to go out and find it. It may not be exactly what you want, but if you are spoiled about it, you may not ever find one. He told me I could start out somewhere as a receptionist or something of the sort and continue to look for other opportunities. So I started sending emails like crazy and leaving my resume everywhere, even car dealerships. I saw an ad on a job vacancy site for English teachers with great pay. I know I was really against teaching English at first, but I had to give it a try. I sent in my resume and they called me for a interview the next day.

I looked up the address on Google Maps and it looked like a horrible neighborhood. But I figured I needed to check it out anyway, so I went. I must have typed in the wrong address or something, because it wasn't in a bad neighborhood at all. When I walked into the office, I was really amazed at how great it looked. Everything was brand new, from the floors to the technology system. They guy that gave me the interview, Enrique, was very nice and spoke English perfectly. He said he lived all throughout the States for years, especially in the South. That really gave us a connection and we joked about accents and rednecks. He said he and his friend, José Luis, have been friends since high school and both studied engineering. But then they had the idea for a new way of teaching English as a foreign language, and Enrique decided it was time to come home and settle down in Mexico. The concept of the company, YES Your English Source, is that it is not an "English school" but an "English training center." We only accept people over the age of 18 and want them to feel as if they are being treated professionally, and not like they're 13 again having to make sentences out of cardboard words. The tables and chairs are set up like a conference room, no desks. The coolest thing about the place, though, is the technology. We are currently the only company in Mexico that has this kind of system. Our whiteboards are touchscreens that come with an electronic pen. So instead of being behind a computer the whole class or trying to write on a dry erase board, the computer is on the screen and I can interact with it in front of the class. We don't make up our own system of teaching English, but use a book by Pearson and Longman called Top Notch. I'm sure you've heard of those authors before, and that's kinda the point. We want people to know we are using material that has been used for years and has won awards. I can pull up the book on the screen, listen to audio, fill in the blanks, play movies, play games on the CD Rom, and a lot more. I fell in love with the system and the atmosphere so much that I sent an email to Enrique just thanking him for the interview because it gave me hope to believe that I really can feel like I belong, even when I'm far away from home.

I called so excited and nervous the next day to see if I had gotten the job, and Enrique told me they wanted to offer me a full time position and that he was also appreciative of my email. He said he knows what it feels like to be far away from home and needing a place to belong. Although I didn't have teaching experience, they felt that I would learn fast and be a great addition to the company. I think I about peed my pants, I was so excited. He said I could come in that day to start playing around with the system. On Monday, I started my training and met the lawyer. He has been so helpful in getting together my visa papers. Just yesterday we turned in all the paperwork so they could start the procedure. The only bad thing is that I'm going out of the country for Christmas and I need my tourist form to be able to leave. So I had to buy a leave and return permission form and they can't start the procedure until I get back. It's a mess, but a small price to pay to be so happy with my work.

Like I said, with the pay + commissions for getting people to sign up, I won't have a money issue (thank the Lord). Also, since this is a new company that just opened, we aren't starting classes until January 11. That means I get to go home for three weeks for Christmas and New Year's! Enrique told me that they are expecting a boom of growth, once people see how great the system is. That means I have options for the future of doing things other than teaching. Like becoming a coordinator or help run another branch in the city. Pretty cool.

The only bad things about working there that I've seen so far are that I have to start classes at 7 am, which means I have to get up around 5:15 to get there on time. However, I have a break between 11 and 4, which means I can go to the gym and even eat lunch at my house. Then classes again from 4 to 8. Another thing is that we have to wear uniforms. I don't like the idea, but at least I don't have to stand in front of my closet every day for an hour trying to figure out what to wear.

I really feel now that I have found a place to belong in Mexico, a company where I feel like an important part of the team. They even asked me to be in some pictures for a magazine ad and do a commercial for one of the local TV stations. I feel completely comfortable and I know it won't take me long to become great friends with all my coworkers. Who ever thought I would become an English "instructor?" I guess I couldn't get out of it. It runs in the family.