We had a good day of work at the office in Projects Abroad Mexico. The first part of the Care & Teaching workshop took place last Friday! 

Prof. Consuelo Velasco held the workshop and gave some useful tips to care and teaching volunteers. A continuation of it will happen some time really soon. Any tip given by a professional of education is really helpful! 

Thank you to all the volunteers who attended and thank you to Consuelo! 

See you in the next one! 

Teachers' day in Mexico is a national festivity. It is celebrated on the 15th of May. Projects Abroad Mexico wants to say Congratulations to all of the teachers in their day. 

Many thanks to all of the teachers that had been part of our team and that will be working alongside the volunteers either in our teaching placements or in the Spanish Classes! 

Special thanks to: 

Fernada Romero

Consuelo Velazquez

Mayte and Cecilia (at Secundaria 35)

Elizabeth and Paty (at Secundaria 50)

Javier Torres

Many thanks for your great collaboration and your great dedication to the education! 

It is always such a great feeling to know that our work in the different placement creates a good lasting impact. 

Projects Abroad Mexico received a recognition from 'Puente de los Ninos'. They were saying 'thank you' to Projects Abroad Mexico staff due to the arrangement of the Day of the Children with the kids from this orphanage. As you might have read before, volunteers and staff made this happen last week.

Of course this recognition goes to all the volunteers that helped this event to take place, we all made this possible. 

For us is such a great thing to receive as it is amazing to know we are creating a good impact.

A big Thank you to the volunteers involved and also to Puente de los Ninos for letting us have this great experience. 

My two month placement at Cuidad Guzman has flown by and it seems like only yesterday that Candy and Francisco were welcoming me - as they have many previous Projects Abroad volunteers - and helping me to feel at home.

From the start Francisco took me with him as he covered various events in his capacity as journalist and photographer. Mostly I had no idea where I was going and only the vaguest notion of what was going on but I got to meet lots of people who overwhelmed me with their hospitality. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a lecture on the role of women in Mexican society, a policy speech at the University, a sculpture exhibition and a women's breakfast for International Women's Day.

Initially I was asked to take two one hour Conversation Club sessions but I felt that I would like to do more. My supervisor accepted my offer and I was able to assist her and one of the other teachers in their English classes as well.

The Conversation Club was more relaxed as it was an option and not at all compulsory with no credits accrued for attendance. The students came from different courses - Tourism, Psychology, International and Agri Business and Medicine. The number of attendees varied according to the pressures of assignments and exams but there was a steady core who would be there three or four times a week. The genuine openness and friendliness of the students made my task an easy one.

I mainly used the similarities and differences between life in Australia and Mexico as a focus. After giving the Australian perspective of some topic I then had the students tell me, in English, how it was for them in Mexico. Some of the topics covered were Family and Celebrations, Fashion, Sport, Vacations and Heroes. One of the liveliest discussions was having them tell me, again in English, about traditional Mexican dishes. Working out the names of the ingredients and how to describe the process for making these dishes was quite hilarious with many side tracks to Translators and Dictionaries. Added to that was the fact that the students came from different places and had their own variations for each dish.

Each student also presented a talk on any subject they were interested in. The size of the group made it more comfortable for the more shy ones to speak. It also gave me the opportunity to note any possible errors in pronunciation or grammar that could be informally incorporated into a following session. The topics ranged from Japanese anima to Mariachi music, to modern inventions, a family industry and of course, one on what a great city Guadalajara is.

Being in Cuidad Guzman has given me the opportunity to visit other places such as Barra de Navidad, Colima, Tapalpa and Guanajuato. Mexico is truly an exciting country. I have been able to experience some of the indigenous culture by attending events in Tuxpan. Perhaps the highlight of all that I have experienced would have to be being able to see first hand the devotion of the people during Semana Santa, Holy Week, and to take part in the Via Crucis.

I have some wonderful memories of the places and people of Cuidad Guzman, Jalisco and Mexico. They will alway remain a part of me. 

Gracias y Viva Mexico!

The famous 5 de Mayo has arrived and many celebrations occur around this date but the truth is many of those celebrations have been occurring for the wrong reasons. 

In some places it is said that 5 de Mayo is the Independence day in Mexico. But it is not true. Actually it is a national day due to the victory of the army of General Zaragoza over the French Army in the so called 'Batalla de Puebla' in 1862. 

Mexican communities in various countries celebrate this under the name of 'Mexican Pride Day'.

Mexican independence is celebrated on the night of the 15th of September. The most important national party in Mexico. 

If you are around Mexico during September, do not miss out the 'Grito de Independencia' on the 15th of September in the city centre of the town/city you are visiting! 

Feliz 5 de Mayo! 

We had an amazing day at the orphanage 'El Puente de los Ninos', one of our placements based in Guadalajara, Mexico. The volunteers and staff were happily contributing to the improvement of the areas where the children play! 

A big big thanks to all volunteers that joined us today, it was a great day and for sure you have left your foot print in this amazing space designed to of

fer a better life to children! 

Please check the pictures at: http://tinyurl.com/cz52n4v 

Another year has come and with it, another edition of one of the biggest and more interesting culture festivals, the May Cultural Festival in Guadalajara.  

This year, France is the guest country and will be welcome for over three weeks in the surroundings of Guadalajara. If you are around do not miss this opportunity to see amazing cultural events. Photography, music, film, among others will be present in this festival. 

The rendezvous begins on the 9th of May and ends on the 25th.

For more information and the entire program please visit: www.festivaldemayo.org

Enjoy!