Thursday, March 12, 2015
Thursday's Work
Tara Here,
So this is my third time on the Esperanza trip. This week, we have been working on laying the foundation for another room in a lady named Claudia's house. Claudia's adorable three-year old son, Ryan, has been been assisting us by passing us empty buckets. After several bucket lines and an insane amount of digging, we are almost finished!
Earlier in the week, we visited the same girl's orphanage that we always do. Though this was my third visit, it was the first time that I noticed something about the girls that really touched my heart- the way that the older girls would just pick up the younger girls and take care of them as if they were their mother. And then it hit me- the older girls WERE the younger girls' mothers in a sense- since they had no family. It then hit me that once the girls hit their teenage years, they no longer had mothers. I thought about how in the United States, people (even adults) are much more hesitant to pick up a child who is not related to them, and our culture of paranoia of "stranger danger." These girls, on the other hand, are each other's family.
Another new thing on this trip was our visit to Casa del Migrante. Though this was my third time going there (like the orphanage) it was the first time that I had heard one of the men who stayed there give a speech about why he was there. He explained that he had been involved in drugs and crime. This made me wonder what society can do to give people in places like tijuana other options (instead of drugs and crime).
Overall, I am very glad that I have come for a third time.
Tara Abhasakun
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Quick Wednesday post and pictures
Tonight we went to the tijuana xolos pro soccer game downtown> It was a lot of fun - they lost 0-2. Today we poured 5 bags of cement and dug the foundation a lot more. It is late and we have to be going early tomorrow - so we will post more tomorrow night.
Phil Starr
Click for Wednesday pictures
Click for Wednesday pictures
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Around 6 Feet Deep
Hola todos!
My name is Hannah, I am a sophomore at the College of Wooster and this is my second trip with Esperanza! Tijuana is an amazing city, with amazing people and that's why I decided to come back. Today was our second day of work and while we finished the top of a house yesterday, today we started at the base of a house digging a foundation. Many precautions were taken in the process of many people swinging pick axes in a very small space, I promise. Digging in Tijuana is a strenuous task, since most of the ground is clay. Needless to say, most of us were extremely tired by an hour of digging and pick axing, but it was all worth it when we were rewarded with a traditional Mexican lunch made by the woman of the neighborhood we were working in. After eating an amazing lunch, some people which included intestine soup (cow or pig maybe?), we got back to work digging a 68'' trench for the foundation of our home owners new home. It might be hard work, and sometimes a bit dangerous, but it is all worth it to know you are playing a part in giving a family a new home to make many memories in. As a group we are all blessed to meet these amazing families that we work with.
Adios Amigos!
-Hannah
My name is Hannah, I am a sophomore at the College of Wooster and this is my second trip with Esperanza! Tijuana is an amazing city, with amazing people and that's why I decided to come back. Today was our second day of work and while we finished the top of a house yesterday, today we started at the base of a house digging a foundation. Many precautions were taken in the process of many people swinging pick axes in a very small space, I promise. Digging in Tijuana is a strenuous task, since most of the ground is clay. Needless to say, most of us were extremely tired by an hour of digging and pick axing, but it was all worth it when we were rewarded with a traditional Mexican lunch made by the woman of the neighborhood we were working in. After eating an amazing lunch, some people which included intestine soup (cow or pig maybe?), we got back to work digging a 68'' trench for the foundation of our home owners new home. It might be hard work, and sometimes a bit dangerous, but it is all worth it to know you are playing a part in giving a family a new home to make many memories in. As a group we are all blessed to meet these amazing families that we work with.
Adios Amigos!
-Hannah
Esperanza Part II
Tijuana is a wonderful place. Period. Over my past two trips with Esperanza, it has not taken much for me to learn this. My name is Chelsea Amis and I am a senior at The College of Wooster. I went on this trip last year and did not second guess my decision to come again.With it being my senior year at Wooster, I completed my own Independent Study that is due at the end of Spring Break. I used Tijuana as my motivator to get I.S. done before I embarked on this journey, which I succeeded in doing, #39 in my class!
From last year to this year, I feel that not much has change: the landscape, the people, and my opinions of Mexico. I still think that Tijuana is beautiful in its own way, the people have big hearts, and that the ways in which the media portray this area are false. What I have been able to do this year is look even deeper into the culture of Mexico and think more critically about this place. This week that has mostly been focused on infrastructure. When driving around, I can't help but think about the inner workings of mail, maps, addresses, and how individuals get what they need. My partners on the trip can contest that I have questioned how the mail works in Mexico about three times a day. With the rollings hills, lack of house numbers, and lack of street names, I just cannot understand how people get mail! According to Alex, the long term volunteer, mail is just not really a thing here. But then I ask, how do people get their bills? Or pay them? Most everyone would atleast have an electric and water bill. What I can guess is that possibly there is a central location where people go to pay these kinds of bills. I can imagine that the little bit of social services that Mexico may try to implement is more easily lost in the shuffle because of this lack of infrastructure. Ugh, I just get exhausted thinking about it! We utilize these services on a daily basis at home and it is not something that we easily question. As the week goes by, I hope to continue to ask myself these critical questions and think about how the basic services that exist in the United States are not so easily transferred, or are not actually necessary, to all individuals around the world.
From last year to this year, I feel that not much has change: the landscape, the people, and my opinions of Mexico. I still think that Tijuana is beautiful in its own way, the people have big hearts, and that the ways in which the media portray this area are false. What I have been able to do this year is look even deeper into the culture of Mexico and think more critically about this place. This week that has mostly been focused on infrastructure. When driving around, I can't help but think about the inner workings of mail, maps, addresses, and how individuals get what they need. My partners on the trip can contest that I have questioned how the mail works in Mexico about three times a day. With the rollings hills, lack of house numbers, and lack of street names, I just cannot understand how people get mail! According to Alex, the long term volunteer, mail is just not really a thing here. But then I ask, how do people get their bills? Or pay them? Most everyone would atleast have an electric and water bill. What I can guess is that possibly there is a central location where people go to pay these kinds of bills. I can imagine that the little bit of social services that Mexico may try to implement is more easily lost in the shuffle because of this lack of infrastructure. Ugh, I just get exhausted thinking about it! We utilize these services on a daily basis at home and it is not something that we easily question. As the week goes by, I hope to continue to ask myself these critical questions and think about how the basic services that exist in the United States are not so easily transferred, or are not actually necessary, to all individuals around the world.
Holes the Sequel
Today we we left the posada at about 9:30 and headed to our new work site for the rest of the week. After about 40 minutes of driving we got to the top of a large hill, where the house we are working on is at a pretty good slant. For the rest of the week we are helping to dig out the foundation to set the house. Each side and corner had to be 68 inches deep, which is pretty difficult. We spent many hours with pickaxes and shovels working to level out the holes. We are making a lot of process so far and by the end of the week we hope to be ready to pour the floor of the house. It is tough work, but it feel great to see the progress and the happiness we are giving the family!
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