Major updates

Ok, so here I am, updating this blog once again. It had been a very long time (more than a year), but I will summarize it in a few pictures. From my time working in Montemorelos, I don't have any pictures (maybe because it was all the same routine!).


First of all, a little bit of my second trip to Brazil, this time to the state of Sao Paulo for a month.

I went back to Brazil in January 2010. This was a short visit to UNASP.

With my TESL trainers from England/Australia.

One of the lectures at the Music Festival @ UNASP.

And I had a chance to visit the Jewish-Adventist church in Campinas, SP.
Great church!

And I could not miss it, the Livraria Cultura in Sao Paulo.
I wanted to stay there the whole day!!

Back in Mexico, I retook my French lessons, this time at the Alianza Francesa Monterrey. I had great lessons and great teachers. And I also got the chance to pass the first DELF test. I still have a long way to go in French, but I'm happy I'm on the right track!

I went to a lecture given by Jack C. Richards, from Cambridge University Press. I even got him to sign a book for me!

5 years old

My blog is 5 years old!

I started this blog when I was a freshman in Montemorelos. The title was Back to Normal, because it was during my frustration months in MM after Thailand. For three years, the title remained the same. In the summer of 2009 I changed it to My Adventures because I had a great summer! and was heading back to Thailand (Yeys!). Enough reasons to be more positive. Then in October 2010 I changed the title again to Brazil Mission and More... 

Back in October 2006, little I knew I was going to be in Thailand again in 2009, and then in Brazil in 2010. Looking at previous posts makes me want to say thank you LORD over and over again. His blessings in my life have been great! as well as the challenges and teachings from Him.

What's next? I do not know, but of what I am sure is that life is an adventure and it is greater if we live it with Christ!

Old posts

I was wondering around my blog and came across this post with random things about me. I read the #16 and thought,... "WOW, two year ago I was bilingual, now I'm [technically] trilingual!!"

This reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:1

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Thank you Lord for this opportunity! and please help me to love others. I pray that I may use these languages to bring more people closer to you.

The Second Month – November

The Challenge

*Sorry for posting this entry super late, I had been procrastinating :( But it is finally here (the report for December will be posted soon).

After all the excitement of having a new English teacher at the Union headquarters passed, the students started to miss classes. My basic class started with 10 or 12 students and after a month I regularly had 3. The intermediate class is a little more regular with 4 students.

At the church things were tough as well. I missed orchestra practice and music classes for several Sabbaths because I had some invitations to play for other events in the city. Then an orchestra performance at a camporee was cancelled because most of the kids said they were not able to go. Two Sabbaths in a row, the orchestra played at church with only eight instruments. Things were looking not that great. However, I was still hoping things could improve, especially because of the church anniversary appointment we had. In the end, the kids got motivated enough to go to class on Sundays and not miss the practices.

The church anniversary program (blog entry) was a blessing, and even though it was tiring for the kids because it was three evenings in a row, they performed well. Now all we got for this year is the Christmas program, and it is finally ready! Oh, and we have a new instrument: a Xylophone.

Nov. 7th, 2010 (Violin lessons - It was a productive day, from 9am to 5pm with 1 hr lunch break.)

There are other ways of enjoying the water. We don’t necessarily need the beach!

Major updates

I just realized that my last post is from mid June, and I kind of feel bad that I haven't updated this blog like in ages. Sometimes I feel like I want to write something, but then laziness comes to me and I keep on sayingtomorrow... tomorrow. But finally I'm writing again and this time it will be about new adventures. I realized/decided that life does not really have to be that normal and monotonous. That's like looking at things with a negative perspective. Instead of doing that, all I do and all that happens to me will be an adventure, even the most simple things.

The beginning of my adventures date from July 2009. I found myself heading to Memphis on July 3rd knowing just a bit of what it was going to be all about. After a couple of weeks of babysitting I found out that there was going to be an unusual adventure. Some friends tried to discourage me saying that I was being exploited, but somehow God had prepared me to see the good side of any situation and that helped me not to give up. On the last week of July I found myself in northern Florida enjoying the beach and playing with a 4 year-old boy that was scared of the waves. Finally,August came and my USA/TN adventure ended. I was glad that it was over because I was ready for whatever was coming next, but at the same time I felt like I needed to stay longer to fully enjoy what TN could offer to me.

August 11th, I was on my way back home, excited because I was going to see Sara again. She did not know what I had planned and that was even better. Our Houston-Monterrey flight was the same, so while waiting for my connection flight in Houston, I decided to go look for her on the other side of the airport. She was surprised to see me and I was so happy to see her! After that we had 6 great days together to do some cooking, paperwork, meeting friends, eating out, shopping, etc.

On August 16th the big adventure started. This time it involved 3 more friends, so it makes it even more interesting. Somehow I was sad to leave because I wanted to be with Sara, but I was excited as well because I was going to see some of my friends again. After long hours of waiting, running at the DFW airport, sleeping and walking around planes, we got to our final destination, AIU (formerly MC). This big adventure will end in January, but I'm sure there will be more to come, small or big but there's always new adventures to enjoy.

Thank God my adventures ended up being great ;)

InfluenzaBreak

I found my hideout when boredom attacks during this 'InlfuenzaBreak' ► My room! and all I need is:

- My confi bed
- My huge laptop (Dell Inspiron 9400 15'')
- Wireless connection (very important! Needless to say facebook and MSN lol)
- My cellphone (just in case... but I haven't used it that much actually)
- Movies
- My homework (yes, I still have to do homework).

Time flies!

April is almost gone and then it comes May along with final projects, final exams, and at the end of the month my bro and my mom’s graduation (Vico finishes his Bachelor’s Degree and my mom her PhD). Then it comes the summer with intensive courses and lots of preparation ;) I think I will teach one or two English classes at the language school or take some intensive courses. After summer… OMG! Sara’s is going to be here!!! (hope I get to see her in August). Then it comes my time to go abroad (if I would have written this a week ago, it would have been a completely different story which included Thailand, but God has amazing ways of changing plans).

*I will talk about this later, when everything is clear enough to say it out loud. CAN'T WAIT!!!

Ok… getting back to the fact that we are still not in summer break and that school hasn’t finished yet. We had Moody Awards at the beginning of April (I blogged about this earlier) and that was basically the last activity of the Student Council. I feel relieved but at the same time I kind of miss all the meetings we had and all the stress hehe.

Almost all the members of the Student Council.

On my "spring break" (more like a long weekend) I went to a Master Guide Camporee. I had lots of fun and learned quiet a lot because this time I was part of the staff.

I started teaching English at the High School and it’s been a learning experience. I don’t have a big classroom (started with 10 students but 2 of them were expelled 2 weeks ago), and having a small classroom helps a lot when it comes to discipline. There are still other things to take in consideration, like the fact that I’m supposed to be teaching an “advance” class but most of my students can’t even understand when I give them instructions in English (however, I won’t lower the school work, which is not that much anyway).
Teaching there gives me more reasons why I want to work in a language school and not in a secondary or high school. It’s not that I don’t like it, but I do enjoy a lot more teaching at the language school. However, it looks like I will take a break from teaching English for a little while and do something I did not expect but which I think I will enjoy and will be a completely different but great experience.

My English students at the language school.

Sewing classes

Today I started sewing classes. As part of the uni curriculum (don't ask me why) we need to take a class for a year (once a week). Girls can choose sweing classes, somethinig with haircuting or whatever that is hehe, or handicrafts; and guys can choose mechanics, plumbing and dunno what else hehe. 

Today we were supposed to make a baby skirt, but since we are like soooo slow (don't laugh, we are learning!) most of us only finish like half of it.

I'm gonna try to take my camera next Wednesday to take and upload some pics of my attempt of making a skirt LOL.

A bit of everything

Today I opened Google Reader and found that I had 59 unread posts. OMG!!! I hadn't had time to read blogs.... but I guess am just taking a bit of that time to update mine and read some blogs.

Last week there was an IT Symposium, or something l ike that LOL, organized by the senior students (including my brother) from the Engineering department. You may wonder why am I writing about this if I'm not part of that department anymore... Well, among the special guests/speakers, they invited Michael A. Comberiate (aka NASA Mike), who is a scientist that works at NASA.

with Mike, Vico and Cecy

And here are some pics taken during the past 2 weeks.

Practicing with the Brass Ensemble and the Chamber Choir (church)

Playing with the String Quintet (auditorium)

L-R: Erika, Rosy, Sendy, Mrs. Kelda, Yaniris and Rosalba (English Education major, junior year)

We like drinking "coffee" when it gets really cold ;)

In Room 110 you find the vegie coffee lovers

Just being silly... and that's our new uniform ;) so much better than the ugly green one.

books, classes, rushing, etc.

Today I started school again (Junior year!) and with that, the waking-up-early part > General assembly at 7:15 am!!! But oh well, that's life here I guess hehe *all about waking up early.

Things happening this semester (appart from the normal things):
- Taking a class with my mom as the teacher (psychology) *I've taken classes with my dad but first time with mom hehe
- Playing in the orchestra again!!! *After 3 semesters of not playing at all!
- Sad 'cause I couldn't make it to Thailand this year :(

But you know what:

HAKUNA MATATA!!!!

A summer of CONTRASTS

This summer started just great, but then in July it became HECTIC!

June, oh it was great!! Cancun the first week!! so it helped me to go through the whole month. And I was teaching only 4 hours a day so it wasn't that bad. But then, it came July = teaching English 8 hours a day and taking one summer class. At the end of every day, I just needed to sleep and do nothing else. But I finished my summer course (with an A+!!!) and tomorrow I will finish my summer job! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

here are some pics of my not-so-busy times, weekends basically:

saturday afternoon with my cousin

Basketball game in Monterrey. It was great!

Before the game, with some cousins and my aunt and uncle.



with my English students - surprised bday party for me ;)

It feels GREAT not to have exams or classes anymore!! finally I'm on BREAK again.
Summer is here and so it is the terrible heat that I don't like :( not at all!!!

not feeling like posting anything else in here
next week will be in Cancun, that's all I wanna say for now lol

my brain is just not working properly. Need to get some sleep now!

few more weeks!

yeah!! school is almost over!!! and that makes me HAPPY! 20 more days and I will be out of school for this year!!!
Actually that's good and bad... cause I've been procrastinating a lot (like most of the college students around the world lol) and so now I'm so stressed out with all the assignments that I need to finish. Adding to that, the English classes I'm teaching (thank God everything is going great with those classes).

Talking about other things that are not school.... last weekend was great!!! I went to Houston with my family to visit an uncle. It was sooooo relaxing and it was like the mid semester vacation I was looking for and couldn't see coming at all. I have some pictures but they are kinda bad cause we don't have a camera, so we took it with my brother's phone.
And this next weekend... I'm going camping!!

ok that's it for today... now pics from the day we went to the NASA-->

my dad and Vico at the back, then my mom (pink), me and claudia (my uncle's gf)

Back from the mission trip

Hey beautiful people, I'm back. Well, I actually came on sunday evening, but couldn't find the time to get online.

Well, the whole mission trip thing was great. It was really short though (friday to sunday) but we could really see a difference in the school (it was an adventist elementary school) after we finished on sunday. We painted the whole school, fixed/cleaned the classrooms, did some gardenin and collected some clothes and things for the people in southern Mexico that are struggling for the flood.

I enjoyed it a lot because I didn't know a lot of people in the MG club before going to the trip, but it helped me to get to know more people and find out that there are great people I didn't know before.

The bad part of it... I got sick (cold) because I didn't sleep enough. Well that's what I think, but who knows... maybe I'm just weak and so that's why I get sick really easy. But what I really know is that I hate having a cold. Specially when I need to go and teach, my voice is just terribly bad. But oh well... will get better soon. And I guess the water will help a lot cause I'm trying to drink more than 3 lts per day.

ok, I don't have the pics yet, but when I get them will upload them ok... cause I know there are tons of them.

WTH!!!! it's been a while since I last opened my gmail account (maybe like a week or so....) and today that I finally got online and opened it..... 38 new e-mails!!!! so lazy to check them all!! of course, lots of them are like news or updates or things like that from other websites.
These weeks haven been so terrible for me... no time lah!! no time for internet :(

ok... updates:

- Week of prayer last week. It was great!!! the title was "Jesus is the difference".
- TKT module II. Last friday I went to town with a classmate to be in some sort of training course for English Teachers. Actually we didn't know exactly what was all about, but we saw the invitation paper at our teacher's desk and so we decided to go. In the end we just loved it so much, and I wish I could have had the money to get some books they had there. Specially the ones that prepares you for the Cambridge First Certificate Exam (which I want to pass by the time I'm done with college). But anyway, can get them later lah.
- Next weekend I'm going for a short mission trip with the Master Guide club to a city that is 4 hours from here (that's what I was told, hope it doesn't take longer lol). Don't have a camera but will try to borrow one lol, or whatever, but for sure pics will be up in here next week.
- Yesterday was Sondang's birthday (Oct 29) and I'm such a bad friend lol cause I didn't send her anything yesterday (no e-mail, no comments on hi5, or friendster). Sondang, if you happen to read this, Happy Birthday!!!! Remembere, there's power on 29!!!!!!
- 5 more weeks and this semester is gone!!! oh yeah!!!!! I need a break!!!!

Last weekend

I had a "great" weekend that could have been even better but an unexpected stomachache tried to ruin everything.
Last weekend was for spiritual retreats at the university, so on Saturday I went with the engineering department (as expected). It was all going great during the morning until a stupid stomachache came to me. First I thought it was because I was hungry, but then after I ate, I started to feel even worse. So I decided to ask my mom to take me back home so I could rest.
O Yeah!!!!!!!!
I slept the whole afternoon!!!
and it was great (though I missed half of the activities at the retreat). But oh well, when I woke up my stomachache was gone -maybe I ate something that shouldn't be eaten by me that morning-
Then that night I decided to stay @ home (just in case the stomachache wanted to come back again) and miss Vico's basketball game, but it was nice 'casue I got to 'skype' with Aaron. I wish he would had a better connection though, cause it was cutting a lot. But anyway, at least I got to talk to him and I laughed a lot!
Then, on saturday..... well, I can summarize that day in one word: homework.

@ the library

Updates

Hello beautiful people!

It's been a while and school has started already on this side. It's the second week -I think- and already feeling like it's been sooooo long!! 'cause I have so many things to do. Also want to tell you that I got a new job (I know I've been saying this to some of you) as an English teacher. I have two classes per day -Basic English-. In one I have five students around the 12 years old, and in the other one I have 7 students, all adults. So there is a biiiiiiiiiig difference in both classes, cause the "kids" take all my energy and with the adults, they just pay attention and is sooooo easy to give the class. The only bad thing about teaching this semester is that I can't take French classes 'cause one of my classes and the French class are at the same time :(

Changing the topic, I still can't upload the pics we took when Sara came, cause she hasn't sent them to me!!!!! :( so will have to wait. Or maybe you can check her blog to see if there's any updates on her side.

hola hola!!! me again hehe

It's been a while huh... but no, I haven't forgoten about this blog ok

well... what has happened... school...school...school...school... hehe...basically my life now is school... Oh and yeah... I got a new job. For those who don't know, right now I'm working at the Online department. I do some designing thingy... what i basically do is this: I get simple text (boring) and information that the teacher wants to upload on the website for the students, and I do the designing part, so it looks interesting and better lol... I really like it! And I also get to try Macromedia! (Fireworks and Dreamweaver) and I like it!!

what else what else.... oh yeah... I've been exercising for almost a month now... and you know what... it feels so good!!! Of course at the end of the day I'm just totally tired but I still like it. Hope I can keep exercising the whole semester and so it becomes like a habit.... will tell you what's the end of this story lol

ok... for now that's it...gotta go... bed time!

byebye

Aujourd'hui Je commençai mon classe de français. J'aime beaucoup mon class parce que mon professeur ne parle pas espagnol dans la classe.

ok... this is all I can do for now in French lol.....
Mabe I will try again later hehe

Today, after all was a good day. Started my job and it's great! I'm going to be designing some online courses to put them on the school website. My classes... well... nothing much until now.

bye ;)

New Year Resolutions

A new year has arrived and everybody has new year resolutions. Well, I've decided not to have any. I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but that's what I've decided. Now... my reasons... Well, maybe the only one... we all make our resolutions and then, after a month or so...we completely forget about them. And then, after 2 or 3 months, we are back into our 'normal life'...why to say months, sometimes even weeks and we forget anyway.
A new year is a good time to begin with 'new' projects or new things we wanna try or wanna do, and that's ok.... but as long as you keep them for a reasonable period of time, then that's good. So what I'm gonna do.... just keep thanking God about another year in my life and for the many blessings he has given to me.

So...whether you have your resolutions or not... try to be a better person, not just this year, but always ;)