Will you be MIME?

I have received some of the best, direct, and often hard to answer questions from students. Some of the best have been posed outside of the classroom, and have to do with my personal life. Samples include and are not limited to:

- Why do you think you're still not married?

- What is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?

- Do you think everyone is supposed to have a best friend?

- What do white girls want to be tan and Mexicans want to be white?

- What was the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you in Mexico?

The last question was asked on a bus ride by my student Santiago, and it took me a moment to think of the perfect answer. He will often ask questions that have a story involved (mostly when he's trying to distract me from a lesson about scientific notation), and at that moment I couldn't retrieve one specific shining moment of weirdness.

This weekend? Santi's question was answered once and for all!

It all started in Guanajuato, a tranquil, picturesque and culture filled city that a group of us decided to descend upon this past weekend. The town is filled with brightly painted homes, balconies, squares with fountains and cafes, theaters, bakeries and romantic restaurants. This is my second time traveling there and I fall deeper in love with the place the longer I spend there. I traveled there this time with nine others, including fellow teachers and friends. We spent our days enjoying the varied offerings of Guanajuato and would often meet up for dinner together in the evening. Saturday night we decided to meet on the steps of the Teatro in the center of the town before venturing off to dinner. One unique and

charming part of Guanajuato is the impromptu performances that often happen on the steps of the teatro or the cathedral next to it.

This evening, while we waited, a mime entertained the growing audience with funny antics like pretending to ring the cathedral bells with his own rope as well as miming that he was walking the stray dog that pranced past the crowd. While we were sitting in the crowd he started pulling people up to be a part of the show. After choosing two young girls and parading them in front of the audience to be applauded, he started scanning the audience once more. For those of you who know me, I cannot stand mimes. They are funny from afar, but hands down frightening up close. As he started to walk closer to the area of the steps where we were sitting, I purposely started looking for something in my purse. When I looked up to see where he had gone and who he had chosen, I looked up into the expectant eyes of my worst nightmare. He put out his hand and I shook my head and did the classic Mexican finger shake signaling 'No way, Jose!'. He appealed to the audience and once again offered his hand. With the encouragement of the nine around me, I was lead to the front. For perhaps ten minutes I was lead through silly, harmless hijinks including pretending to ride a motorcycle and ballroom dancing. Then, when I was convinced we would be dismissed off the 'stage', the weirdest part of all occurred.

The two guys who the mime had called up were asked to turn around, so that their backs were towards us. The two girls who standing up with me (who were younger than I was by far) and I were then motioned to pretend that we were undressing. The motions the mine gave were quite suggestive and embarrassing. When he motioned to me, I once again did the 'No' finger shake. I had the encouragement of those sitting on the steps behind me who screamed, 'Don't do it Kelli!'. Eventually I felt so strongly that I was about to turn around and sit down, even though it would mean doing so in front of a huge group of people. At that moment, it started to rain and the mime put his hat out on the ground for any tips he might gain. I realized that I had gained my weirdest moment in Mexico, and quite possibly ever!

Little House in the Big Woods (of Las Fuentes?)

Our house is small. Like, itsy bitsy, teensy weeny, yellow polka dot bikini small. There is plenty of room for Allyson and I, but little else. We share a bedroom, have a large-ish room in the middle of the house for our gorgeous, handmade, wooden, eight person kitchen table. Our kitchen is spacious...if one person is cooking it. Despite our mini me habitation, a dream of mine was granted on Monday night.

After graduating from college, starting a job, buying a car...I had visions of 'my place' where I could invite people over; have dinners, parties, movie nights. Also a place that people just stopped by on their way somewhere, because they knew where I lived and knew that my home would be welcoming. Since moving into the 'Casa Calma' (the name for our casita, since our street is La Calma), all of that has come true. The pinnacle of this dream though, came true on Monday. A group of Mexicans, teachers from Lincoln and various others gather on Monday nights for a dinner made by rotating chefs and in various locations. I have always wanted to host and cook for one of these events in my own home, which has been impossible until this year. This Monday, our house held upwards of 15 people and I was as happy as a clam in my mini kitchen stirring soup, flipping quesadillas and hearing the chatter of guests. Later that night we enjoyed the cool of the Guadalajara evening to sit outside and worship our Creator under the stars.

Have you ever read the Little House series by Laura Ingals Wilder? I read all of them by third grade, and loved them so much that I started calling my mom and dad, Ma and Pa! My favorite is Little House in the Big Woods and my favorite scene is when the whole family is together for Christmas. There isn't enough room to sit down, people sleep on the floor and in the barn, but good food is to be had. Laughter is heard long into the night. Pa plays his fiddle, everyone sings. Family, whether blood or found is cherished.

Togetherness.

Community.

Hospitality.

This is what I have longed for, and have finally found.