The dry erase board and markers have been set up in my livingroom for months. My frist class with Gorqui began last September in my house with friends from Grace. Gorqui filled the board with fun Spanish words, not so fun Spanish words, conjugations I still don't get and drawings that describe the words when words don't work.
Estela was my first teacher in Mexico. She appeared the first day of school in the classroom with her tin box of flash cards. She used these cards with me to teach me the difference between the two verbs in Spanish "to be." Estela is a very proud teacher and Mexican woman. That first day I "choked" on my entrance exam and she knew exactly how to begin to teach me. Estela wasted no time.
Andrea was my teacher for two weeks. Her teaching style was organic. At times she would get up at break and motion for me to follow her (she even taught me the gentle
way Mexicans motion to follow - hand at the side all fingers making a backward scoop like motion, rather than the "come hither" finger motion we use.) We would wander around the neighborhood where she would ask me questions and wait patiently while I scanned my brain to find the words to string together for an answer. I felt a kinship with Andrea because my niece's name is Andrea and because Andrea is the same age as my youngest sister - within a few days!
Janet was a very young teacher. Intellegent and beautiful, Janet had just finished a week one-on-one with a very young man from Texas who was forced to take two months of language immersion in order to graduate from college. As the weeks wore on, he wanted to be in class less and less. I don't know how teachers function when the student doesn't want to be there. Janet was my teacher the week after she taught this young man. I learned the word "cumplianos" that week because Janet turned 26.
Javier was my last teacher in the school IDEAL. He also makes a living taking photos for weddings, baptisms, quinceanos, first communions, etc. Javier had wonderful stories for us. I invited him to visit John and me in the United States because he has a brother in San Diego. He told of how he travels to the United States even though it is very difficult for Mexicans to visit the United States. He says he can get a very cheap flight from Mexico City to Tiajuana. Then he carries his lunch with him and walks across the border to San Diego. He says it's much easier to walk that to fly.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning from Yuri last week. Her father is a painter and teaches painting in Mexico City. We enjoyed talking about art, literature and movies. She knew exactly what I was interested in and used my interests for teaching. I've decided to arrange for one more week of Spanish instruction next week before John comes for a few days. I hope to have Yuri again.
This week I am learning from Alejandro. His passion is history and so is mine. We talk a lot about our families. His daughter is six years old and is already drawing flowers and making pretty jewelry. I think she is an artist! Today Alejandro taught the class how to make a pinata. He had the large clay pot hanging from a string from the awning on the patio. We decorated it with traditional paper and symbols. Pinatas were originally Chinese and were brought to Mexico by the Franciscans to be used as a devise for teaching Christianity. (I took good notes and would love to try to make one with our children when I get back.)
There are so many others whom I call teachers: Evelia and her daughters, Bishop Delgado, Rodolfo, Beti, the priests I've met here in the diocese, the patient taxi and bus drivers, the waitress at VIPS the local diner, the vendors in the market places and the students. Last night after evening prayer we sang hymns from the new Spanish language hymnal while Jaimie played the guitar. We sang so much that I almost lost my voice. Jaimie has planted an Hispanic parish in Austin, Texas. I'm learning from Jaimie, too.
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