Hola! I'm Ariel and this is my first trip to Tijuana with the Esperanza group. I am a junior at the College of Wooster majoring in History. This week has been eventful-full of surprises and adventures. I spent the whole week at the same site and enjoyed getting to watch the house progress over the course of 5 days. I made quite a few friends this trip- both human and animal. Traveling in foreign countries presents a number of interesting contrasts to the United States; one of these is the presence and treatment of animals. I have always been an animal lover and seeing so many strays wandering the streets definitely tears at my heart a little. I'm aware of the number of diseases that stray animals can carry yet that rarely stops me from picking them up and giving them a little love. The animals were everywhere, including the worksites. One day, as I held one cat, another girl assured me that it had fleas and I sassily responded that it surely did not have fleas. It was too clean and happy looking to have fleas. Duh.
Two orange tabbies greeted me at the site on Monday. They were both were boys and had stubby tails, an uncommon practice in the U.S. They spent most of the day lying on the tops of the cinder blocks while I slaved away. No surprise- they came around during lunch and meowed and purred when I pet them and I (maybe) gave them a tiny piece of my food. Each day they appeared around the site as I worked and I was always comforted by their presence. Our last day at the site was full of emotions; we helped a family complete a house to live in, saw a very pregnant dog give birth to 10 puppies, and I said goodbye to my tabby cats. My memories in Tijuana will always be of the people we helped and the small bond I made with my furry little friends.
Showing posts with label Esperanza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Esperanza. Show all posts
Friday, March 15, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday End of day worksite- La Morita - Julie's house
Here is a short video after the third day - notice the walls are higher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk1r2tuipaw&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk1r2tuipaw&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
My first impressions, thus far
Hello everyone my name is Jackie O’Dell, this is my first
year on the trip, and I am a Senior at the College
of Wooster Tijuana
in that I took a separate flight which got changed multiple times causing me to
have to walk across the boarder.
Walking across the boarder was not what I expected. Caren, Jill ,
Jordan Tijuana .
They did not check my passport, look at me, or stamp my book. I was never so
thankful to see a familiar face (Rena) and she took me to the van which we took
to the posada.
First impression of the posada is simply beautiful! The
flowers, court yard, and bright colors, pictures do not do it justice. Over the
past few days I have many observations of which I will list.
- The poor plumbing means that you can not flush toilet paper and therefore you have to throw it away. Gross at first, but you get use to it.
- At the work site on Monday there were Esperanza people and male community members. These men seem very sexist. The women had to go bend wire while the men build the siding to the house. The next few days were better at the other work site where the community members that came to help were women.
- The juxtaposition between the landscape and the homes is gorgeous. I think this is the most beautiful place that I have ever visited!
- Traffic signs are more of a suggestion than a law. This became frightening yesterday on our way to the work cite. As we were looking at a giant statue of Jesus, a semi came within two inches of side-swiping us, causing us to scream “Jesus.” The moment was much funnier after we were safely on the highway.
- The people here are amazing. The care deeply for their community (which can be seen when they come over to help) and when we speak of why we are here to strangers, they thank us on behalf of their country.
- At the orphanage we made bracelets with the little girls. One in particular was less than two years old. She made me help her with her bracelet which had to be every other color (pink and purple). Then she taught me some words in Spanish. She was so smart!
- Final
thought/story. We went to the deportation house today. This is where those
sent out of the
Thanks for reading, I hope it wasn’t too long. ~Jackie
Why Mexico? Why Tijuana?
Hello everyone,
My name is Rena, this is my ninth trip down to Tijuana, with Esperanza. Last year I spent three months living here as a long term volunteer. Instead of talking about what we did today, I'd like to reflect on the trip as a whole...
For me, this year's trip has been different from all of my other trips, having lived here for so long last year, returning is a little strange. I missed Mexico so much while I was gone, and now being back I am slowly realizing how much this place, and this organization has changed me and helped me grow as a person. While I was down here last year I saw small changes, but mostly I was wrapped up in what was going on while I was here, and the work we were doing. When I returned home change was slow and I'm not sure if I ever fully took the time to reflect on my time here, but now having been back for about a week and a half now (I came down a week earlier than the group), I have really had time to examine everything that has changed in Tijuana, and in me in the last year, and over the past nine years.
It's easy to come down here for a week each year, and to have an amazing time, meet kind and caring people. It's hard to return home and continue living out the lessons learned while here. We get sucked up in the fast pace of our lives and work and forget this wonderful place. Being back here the last two weeks has been completely refreshing. People talk about how selfless volunteering is, and how amazing it is for people to come here, to somewhere perceived as very dangerous and give their time. It's hard for me to see this trip that way, I almost feel selfish coming here, because of how much I get out of this trip, and how much I love it here. I have never been somewhere that I felt more welcomed and loved. The people we meet open their homes and hearts to us daily. They would give us the shirt off their back if we asked. Even though for many of us there is a language barrier we still find a way to communicate, we find a way to work side by side with people from the communities to accomplish something.
I'm often asked why I come here when we're only building one part of one house. There are so many problems in Mexico, we can't possibly solve them all so why should we try and help. The world is full or problems, on all sides of the border, why should we try and fix anything when we can't possibly fix everything? For the one family we are helping we are making a huge difference. We've helped to create a strong house where a family can grow and their children can feel safe. We've helped them put down roots, and feel at home in a place they love. We have no idea the ripple effect we are creating. In the nine years I have been coming to Tijuana, I have seen so much change and growth. When we first came the trash disposal system was simply dumping it over a hill. Now there are waste management services, and recycling, people are taking pride in their land and their country.
Many Americans have this notion that all Mexican people want to cross the border, they all want to come to America. I have had many people comment "why would you go help them when they are ruining our country." First of all I don't like gross generalizations, saying they and them like you can lump a few million people together and assume they are all the same. There are certainly people that have crossed the border into the states, because they felt it was their only option for a better future. Many of the men and women that have crossed find that the grass certainly isn't greener on the other side. Mexico is a beautiful country full of beautiful landscapes, strong communities (both good and bad, but strong nonetheless), and in many cases the families they left behind, for what they had expected to be a free and welcoming country full of prosperity. They often find that jobs are scarce and in many places they face harsh discrimination. Border crossings are drastically lower now than in past years. And to those we ask why would we help here when people are crossing my answer is always this, the people who we are helping want to put down roots here, they want to stay and improve their country. We are helping them to do so, but also learning about their culture, and getting a chance to take a step outside of our little boxes, and our lives at home, and see what is really going on in another part of the world.
In conclusion, I think for many of us that keep coming back here this week is one of the best weeks out of our year. We keep coming back because we love it here, and it's an amazing experience. Each year seeing new people come here for the first time gives us a new perspective on the trip and this country, and it's refreshing to see something you love through someone else's eyes. I hope you can all come and experience this wonderful place, or find somewhere else that you find equally fulfilling and inspiring.
Vaya con Dios,
Rena
p.s. Tonight we visited Las Ninas orphanage, before we leave each year they sing, to us this year they sang a moving rendition "Imagine" by The Beatles.
My name is Rena, this is my ninth trip down to Tijuana, with Esperanza. Last year I spent three months living here as a long term volunteer. Instead of talking about what we did today, I'd like to reflect on the trip as a whole...
For me, this year's trip has been different from all of my other trips, having lived here for so long last year, returning is a little strange. I missed Mexico so much while I was gone, and now being back I am slowly realizing how much this place, and this organization has changed me and helped me grow as a person. While I was down here last year I saw small changes, but mostly I was wrapped up in what was going on while I was here, and the work we were doing. When I returned home change was slow and I'm not sure if I ever fully took the time to reflect on my time here, but now having been back for about a week and a half now (I came down a week earlier than the group), I have really had time to examine everything that has changed in Tijuana, and in me in the last year, and over the past nine years.
It's easy to come down here for a week each year, and to have an amazing time, meet kind and caring people. It's hard to return home and continue living out the lessons learned while here. We get sucked up in the fast pace of our lives and work and forget this wonderful place. Being back here the last two weeks has been completely refreshing. People talk about how selfless volunteering is, and how amazing it is for people to come here, to somewhere perceived as very dangerous and give their time. It's hard for me to see this trip that way, I almost feel selfish coming here, because of how much I get out of this trip, and how much I love it here. I have never been somewhere that I felt more welcomed and loved. The people we meet open their homes and hearts to us daily. They would give us the shirt off their back if we asked. Even though for many of us there is a language barrier we still find a way to communicate, we find a way to work side by side with people from the communities to accomplish something.
I'm often asked why I come here when we're only building one part of one house. There are so many problems in Mexico, we can't possibly solve them all so why should we try and help. The world is full or problems, on all sides of the border, why should we try and fix anything when we can't possibly fix everything? For the one family we are helping we are making a huge difference. We've helped to create a strong house where a family can grow and their children can feel safe. We've helped them put down roots, and feel at home in a place they love. We have no idea the ripple effect we are creating. In the nine years I have been coming to Tijuana, I have seen so much change and growth. When we first came the trash disposal system was simply dumping it over a hill. Now there are waste management services, and recycling, people are taking pride in their land and their country.
Many Americans have this notion that all Mexican people want to cross the border, they all want to come to America. I have had many people comment "why would you go help them when they are ruining our country." First of all I don't like gross generalizations, saying they and them like you can lump a few million people together and assume they are all the same. There are certainly people that have crossed the border into the states, because they felt it was their only option for a better future. Many of the men and women that have crossed find that the grass certainly isn't greener on the other side. Mexico is a beautiful country full of beautiful landscapes, strong communities (both good and bad, but strong nonetheless), and in many cases the families they left behind, for what they had expected to be a free and welcoming country full of prosperity. They often find that jobs are scarce and in many places they face harsh discrimination. Border crossings are drastically lower now than in past years. And to those we ask why would we help here when people are crossing my answer is always this, the people who we are helping want to put down roots here, they want to stay and improve their country. We are helping them to do so, but also learning about their culture, and getting a chance to take a step outside of our little boxes, and our lives at home, and see what is really going on in another part of the world.
In conclusion, I think for many of us that keep coming back here this week is one of the best weeks out of our year. We keep coming back because we love it here, and it's an amazing experience. Each year seeing new people come here for the first time gives us a new perspective on the trip and this country, and it's refreshing to see something you love through someone else's eyes. I hope you can all come and experience this wonderful place, or find somewhere else that you find equally fulfilling and inspiring.
Vaya con Dios,
Rena
p.s. Tonight we visited Las Ninas orphanage, before we leave each year they sing, to us this year they sang a moving rendition "Imagine" by The Beatles.
Fun at the Orphanage
Tuesday evening the group went to the girls orphanage to play. We are posting 3 videos:
Play video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D4ZTBlSBHE&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=2
First Music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gss8VntwUWQ&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
Second Music video
Play video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D4ZTBlSBHE&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=2
First Music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gss8VntwUWQ&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
Second Music video
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Silver Teeth, Cement Burn, and Too Many Tortas
The day opens on a turtle-green hillside, slightly littered with old tires and Tecate cans, as a small group of Americans begin to stir in the egg yolk-yellow walls of the barbed-wire rimmed sanctuary they now call home.
Now that the scene is set- day two of the work week is coming to a close. My group worked primarily on pouring concrete into the walls, which is no easy task. All hands were on deck, volunteers and community members alike, taking sand and stone and turning it into a home. The concrete is made in a mixer loaded with buckets of sand, gravel, cement, and water which is then scooped out of a trough and passed down our line in buckets, lifted to a very dedicated, strong member of the team on scaffolding. It's then poured down into the cement bricks which make up the wall. This process took about two hours and a lot of sweat. In all honesty, of the four other times I've been here, today was the hardest I've worked myself- handing buckets up to Rick to pour into the walls and scooping out the cement from the trough. Major muscle work out. Today was also one of the most rewarding days of work. I also got to pet the family's cat. Which is a big deal if you know how much I like cats and the fact that Tijuana is run not by government, but the enormous amount of stray dogs.
We called it quits after the walls were all poured and came back to the posada to get ready to go play with the girls of a local orphanage. These girls are amazing. Ages 5-18, the kids are orphans or are placed there by parents who cannot support them. They are all totally excited to see us and get down to some serious playtime. Jump rope, soccer, friendship bracelets, balloons, piggy-back rides- not many of of can speak Spanish, but no one really cares. That's the great thing about kids, they just want someone's hair to braid, conversation is not a major concern. I've always gravitated to the kids we meet at the work sites because I feel more at ease with not being able to string together a proper Spanish sentence. They seem to like me too, but that may be because I'm usually carrying a few kilos of candy on me.
After the orphanage, we reconvened at base camp and then took off for dinner at the glorious taco stand. Now everyone is dispersed around the posada, playing games, heading to bed, coloring (actually just Heidi is coloring), and catching up on homework. I'm looking forward to another day of hard work and Hibiscus water. Hasta luego.
Jill
Now that the scene is set- day two of the work week is coming to a close. My group worked primarily on pouring concrete into the walls, which is no easy task. All hands were on deck, volunteers and community members alike, taking sand and stone and turning it into a home. The concrete is made in a mixer loaded with buckets of sand, gravel, cement, and water which is then scooped out of a trough and passed down our line in buckets, lifted to a very dedicated, strong member of the team on scaffolding. It's then poured down into the cement bricks which make up the wall. This process took about two hours and a lot of sweat. In all honesty, of the four other times I've been here, today was the hardest I've worked myself- handing buckets up to Rick to pour into the walls and scooping out the cement from the trough. Major muscle work out. Today was also one of the most rewarding days of work. I also got to pet the family's cat. Which is a big deal if you know how much I like cats and the fact that Tijuana is run not by government, but the enormous amount of stray dogs.
We called it quits after the walls were all poured and came back to the posada to get ready to go play with the girls of a local orphanage. These girls are amazing. Ages 5-18, the kids are orphans or are placed there by parents who cannot support them. They are all totally excited to see us and get down to some serious playtime. Jump rope, soccer, friendship bracelets, balloons, piggy-back rides- not many of of can speak Spanish, but no one really cares. That's the great thing about kids, they just want someone's hair to braid, conversation is not a major concern. I've always gravitated to the kids we meet at the work sites because I feel more at ease with not being able to string together a proper Spanish sentence. They seem to like me too, but that may be because I'm usually carrying a few kilos of candy on me.
After the orphanage, we reconvened at base camp and then took off for dinner at the glorious taco stand. Now everyone is dispersed around the posada, playing games, heading to bed, coloring (actually just Heidi is coloring), and catching up on homework. I'm looking forward to another day of hard work and Hibiscus water. Hasta luego.
Jill
Day two - La Morita - Julie's house
Here is a short video for day two work site - after the walls were poured.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocq6J11i4Jc&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocq6J11i4Jc&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
Tuesday morning
Hi, this is Gail Klise, I am a first time volunteer. I was inspired to join the group on this trip because of my daughter Heidi and her friend Jill and some of the other folks at Trinity Church. The girls have each been here four or five times. The conversations after each trip was at first surprising to me... these high school girls at the time LIKED to dig in the piles of sand and haul buckets of cement. There is a secret in this experience that should be captured and even required for all young people. The phrase we have always heard: " it is better to give than to receive" is put into practice every day and every moment at Esperanza. Even the bonding between volunteers who have just met each other is very apparent, even on this morning of our fourth day. After hearing more and more stories of the very positive experiences every volunteer has had and their desire to come back, I finally decided it was time to try it out for myself. In fact I was becoming a bit envious of the people who have put themselves into this serving role. I am a retired mom looking for purpose.
Our first day was an easy step into 'how the worksite works'. Heidi is the current long term volunteer and I was fortunate to watch her in action. When she called out that there was a new task for two or three we would listen for instructions. The next generation is stepping into leadership roles, taking control and using their energy to help others. It really is a wonderful world.
The actual construction site is interesting -- in America we have Habitat for Humanity which I assume is similar. Everyone gets a wrench or a hammer or is asked to dig or haul buckets. Most all of the jobs are a first time experience and learning to do it correctly is more important than becoming dirty....... off to the worksite we go for more .
Our first day was an easy step into 'how the worksite works'. Heidi is the current long term volunteer and I was fortunate to watch her in action. When she called out that there was a new task for two or three we would listen for instructions. The next generation is stepping into leadership roles, taking control and using their energy to help others. It really is a wonderful world.
The actual construction site is interesting -- in America we have Habitat for Humanity which I assume is similar. Everyone gets a wrench or a hammer or is asked to dig or haul buckets. Most all of the jobs are a first time experience and learning to do it correctly is more important than becoming dirty....... off to the worksite we go for more .
Dancing at the Fiesta Sunday
It was Rakel's birthday Sunday so we had a Fiesta for her. We had great food and music. A neighbor Cindy and her boyfriend Victor were fantastic! Watch for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxjqTEDU_-g&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxjqTEDU_-g&list=UU91HaoDuJbuEte300Fy1ShQ&index=1
Monday, March 11, 2013
Overview of the First day of Work
Hola from Tijuana!
My name is Alex Dereix and I am a junior at the College of Wooster originally from Centerville, Ohio. This is my first time on the Esperanza trip and as well as my first time to Mexico. Every moment we are here, I am amazed by the colorful sights and the festive sounds of this beautiful country. This morning we woke up bright and early and headed down to the street market to buy fruit and fetch freshly made tortillas before starting our work day. After having met Eduardo, the volunteer coordinator, we divided into groups and headed off to the various work sites. Our group went down to help build a house, and get the structure established before pouring the cement roof in on Friday. The sun was out, and after lathering in sunscreen multiple times, I still think that half of us got sunburned. This was surely different than the snowy Ohio we flew out of three days ago!
This experience has been eye-opening and has given me a different perspective. Something that I will really take away from my time in Tijuana is the appreciation everyone has of community and the trust instilled in our fellow neighbors. I hope to remember the importance of family connections when I get back to the States; knowing that the most important part of life are the people, rather than the things, we chose to surround ourselves with. Even though we are only three days into this experience, this is much needed to give me a chance to see another part of the world and learn to step back and re-evaluate how I approach situations on a day-to-day basis. I am so lucky to have the chance to work on this project; I hope everyone else can have a similar opportunity.
My name is Alex Dereix and I am a junior at the College of Wooster originally from Centerville, Ohio. This is my first time on the Esperanza trip and as well as my first time to Mexico. Every moment we are here, I am amazed by the colorful sights and the festive sounds of this beautiful country. This morning we woke up bright and early and headed down to the street market to buy fruit and fetch freshly made tortillas before starting our work day. After having met Eduardo, the volunteer coordinator, we divided into groups and headed off to the various work sites. Our group went down to help build a house, and get the structure established before pouring the cement roof in on Friday. The sun was out, and after lathering in sunscreen multiple times, I still think that half of us got sunburned. This was surely different than the snowy Ohio we flew out of three days ago!
This experience has been eye-opening and has given me a different perspective. Something that I will really take away from my time in Tijuana is the appreciation everyone has of community and the trust instilled in our fellow neighbors. I hope to remember the importance of family connections when I get back to the States; knowing that the most important part of life are the people, rather than the things, we chose to surround ourselves with. Even though we are only three days into this experience, this is much needed to give me a chance to see another part of the world and learn to step back and re-evaluate how I approach situations on a day-to-day basis. I am so lucky to have the chance to work on this project; I hope everyone else can have a similar opportunity.
A Great Community
Hola!
This is Sarah Laper and I am a junior at the College of Wooster and this is my first time in Mexico. So far it has been a great experience.
The first time I asked my mom if I could go to Tijuana, she said no way. Luckily, I finally convinced her to let me go, but she was still hesitant. Today we met Eduardo who works with Esperanza and was helping us at the work site. He said that the US news about Mexico makes him sad because he loves his country and US news makes it look so bad. Also, the news makes it look like everybody is trying to get to the border and into the US but that is not true, some people want to stay in Mexico, he is one of them. Eduardo's son can go to school in America but he doesn't want him to go because Eduardo can't go to America and also he has seen a lot in the news about people bringing guns into school in America. Just like my parents did not want me to go to Mexico, Eduardo does not want his son to go to America.
I have only been here a couple of days but I've noticed that there is a great sense of community here that is different than what we have in the States. Yesterday, we went to a birthday fiesta and everyone there acted like they were part of one big family. They were all so nice to us, they loved when we all sang and danced together. I felt very welcomed even though it was the first time I was meeting everyone. Today at the work site, a bunch of family members and neighbors came and helped us work. We were digging a drainage ditch for a retaining wall and both family members and our volunteers dug and passed buckets of dirt side by side. The daughter, Lucia, wanted to help and I thought the buckets would be too heavy for her but she insisted on wanting to be part of our bucket brigade. When someone shoveled dirt onto my pants, I didn't even notice, but she reached down and brushed them off for me. Even though I didn't speak the same language as Lucia or the other family members, a smile goes a long way and I had a lot of fun working today.
This is Sarah Laper and I am a junior at the College of Wooster and this is my first time in Mexico. So far it has been a great experience.
The first time I asked my mom if I could go to Tijuana, she said no way. Luckily, I finally convinced her to let me go, but she was still hesitant. Today we met Eduardo who works with Esperanza and was helping us at the work site. He said that the US news about Mexico makes him sad because he loves his country and US news makes it look so bad. Also, the news makes it look like everybody is trying to get to the border and into the US but that is not true, some people want to stay in Mexico, he is one of them. Eduardo's son can go to school in America but he doesn't want him to go because Eduardo can't go to America and also he has seen a lot in the news about people bringing guns into school in America. Just like my parents did not want me to go to Mexico, Eduardo does not want his son to go to America.
I have only been here a couple of days but I've noticed that there is a great sense of community here that is different than what we have in the States. Yesterday, we went to a birthday fiesta and everyone there acted like they were part of one big family. They were all so nice to us, they loved when we all sang and danced together. I felt very welcomed even though it was the first time I was meeting everyone. Today at the work site, a bunch of family members and neighbors came and helped us work. We were digging a drainage ditch for a retaining wall and both family members and our volunteers dug and passed buckets of dirt side by side. The daughter, Lucia, wanted to help and I thought the buckets would be too heavy for her but she insisted on wanting to be part of our bucket brigade. When someone shoveled dirt onto my pants, I didn't even notice, but she reached down and brushed them off for me. Even though I didn't speak the same language as Lucia or the other family members, a smile goes a long way and I had a lot of fun working today.
Mexico Sweet Mexico
Hola!
My name is Rachel DeLuca and I am a Junior at The College of Wooster. This is my second year with Esperanza and this year I am the student leader for the trip. Last year I had a fantastic time so I felt that it was important to make sure that more Wooster students came on the trip this year. I love Mexico so much because it makes me very happy. The people here are so genuine and special. Volunteering is an important part of my life and the work we do in Tijuana is life changing for everyone involved. Today our group split up into 2 groups. One crew worked on digging a 5 cement block deep footer for a house foundation and then other group worked on preparing for a roof to be poured. On friday, our entire group will be at this second site helping with the roof. We think it'll take about 45 bags of cement!!! If you don't know construction lingo, this is a HUGE amount of cement, but we can do it! The rooves we usually pour here take about 10-12 bags of cement. I was at the site digging the footer and we had a great time listening to Mexican music and completing the job. The job site had a beautiful view of the ocean and rolling green hills. After a hard day of work, we all returned to the posada and had a quick warm shower. After relaxing a bit at the posada, we headed to our favorite taco stand for dinner. Muy delicioso! (Very delicious!) Now it's time to head to bed so we can be ready for another day of hard work tomorrow.
All the best from Tijuana,
Rachel =)
My name is Rachel DeLuca and I am a Junior at The College of Wooster. This is my second year with Esperanza and this year I am the student leader for the trip. Last year I had a fantastic time so I felt that it was important to make sure that more Wooster students came on the trip this year. I love Mexico so much because it makes me very happy. The people here are so genuine and special. Volunteering is an important part of my life and the work we do in Tijuana is life changing for everyone involved. Today our group split up into 2 groups. One crew worked on digging a 5 cement block deep footer for a house foundation and then other group worked on preparing for a roof to be poured. On friday, our entire group will be at this second site helping with the roof. We think it'll take about 45 bags of cement!!! If you don't know construction lingo, this is a HUGE amount of cement, but we can do it! The rooves we usually pour here take about 10-12 bags of cement. I was at the site digging the footer and we had a great time listening to Mexican music and completing the job. The job site had a beautiful view of the ocean and rolling green hills. After a hard day of work, we all returned to the posada and had a quick warm shower. After relaxing a bit at the posada, we headed to our favorite taco stand for dinner. Muy delicioso! (Very delicious!) Now it's time to head to bed so we can be ready for another day of hard work tomorrow.
All the best from Tijuana,
Rachel =)
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