A day of food, shopping and children....

We started the day on shopping trip to buy paint and supplies to paint a mural at Casa Hogar next to this basketball court.  By the end of the day we had mixed our own custom shade of azul (blue) and painted the background of what will become a city to forest mural the kids designed.  Tomorrow, we will complete the mural after another shopping trip to buy even more paint brushes.

Wall before the mural....more to come

Then it was off to Spanish classes were we mastered yet more vocab and tenses and explaining all Watkinson´s classes and electives (especial the History of Japan (timely) and 1968).  Our instructor Alberto was amazed at the offerings the students had available to them.

With an extra hour before lunch, we shopped in a local market buying gifts for our friend´s, families and ourselves.  Most importantly, Carmen and I went on a shopping spree buying everything we could find like jewelry and kitchenware to sell back at school to continue supporting the poeple of Oaxaca who have stolen our hearts with their generosity, patience and welcoming nature.  Look for great items to be sold back at Watkinson this Spring!!!

Then it was off the Los Danzantes, one of the nicest restaurants in Oaxaca that is named after the dancers seen in the carvings at Monte Alban.  But we now know thanks to our guide Eugene that the dancers are actually medical carvings used to explain ailments, childbirth and physical characteristics.  In the museum at Monte Alban, I kept quizzing the kids on various bones of the body and such...they knew them all!!

Back to the food.  Here are some photos of the great meal we all shared..

The bread basket

The tostada appetizer and the guava and papaya water

Chili stuffed with fish, pineapple salsa and rice

Then it was off to the pool for another day of swimming lessons with the chilren from Casa Hogar who are now swimming like experts with only three days in a pool!!  Then we took a bus to Casa Hogar for playtime and painting.  The reality that we only have one more day there was beginning to hit the kids.  It just seems like we have not have had enough time there. We played baseball, ran a "beauty shop", blew millions of bubbles and played an intense game of Memory with the 2 year olds.  Right as we were leaving, the little girl I have bonded with (and is a master Memory player) ran out clutching each of us by the legs as if to say that she could not let us go -until tomorrow. It was a sweet, yet heartbreaking moment.  But  at least we have tomorrow.

Toppings for the tacos

Carving the al pastor



We are becoming experts in guacamole



Nick and the many, many ice cream options

Another bus then took us back to the Zocolo to watch the Wednesday night Danzon or dance with an band for anyone who wanted to take part in the traditional dances.  We had a great dinner at Taco Inn  which much more authentic than it sounds.  Tacos al pastor for all and then another round of nieves (ice cream).  I tried the mango with chili which was....ok?  Without thinking I threw it out.  We have been encouraging the kids to save their leftovers and get a doggy bags for some of the endless homeless people we encounter-so throwing out a perfectly good ice cream cone was a huge mistake.  A little while later when I was sitting in the square, a little 5 yr old girl came up to us and asked us for ice cream.  Here it was-my opportunity to pay back the universe!! So I took her over to the shop and asked her what flavor she wanted.  Of the dozens and dozens of flavors available, she asked for mango with chili.  It was like fate brought her to me.  Needless to say, I bought her the biggest cone dipped in chocolate and sprinkles I could.  With a smile, she simply "Gracias".

The lovely lady who sold us many of the pieces of jewelry you can buy this Spring