Our first host family were very nice folks with a very nice house. In my opinion, the home stay was more geared toward older adults and not young students with small children. In any case, they were, for the most part, very hospitable and were nice. We stayed in a room on the first floor with a double bed, lots of furniture and our own bathroom. On our second full day, we spent most of it in the home, getting aquainted with the family and playing with our new, authentic to Mexico, toys. The head of household was a woman in her 70's I'd guess. She had 10 children, most of which still lived in the Zacatecas area. I know of at least one that lives in Alaska, another just a few doors down, and another in the home with her. Her husband had passed away just in April of this year. She was hosting two students who attend the University of Zacatecas, and at the time we were there, she was also hosting a girl from Ireland who works for the British Embassy in Mexico City.
I have no idea what the name of this toy really is but, when you twist it left and right, the little beads on the ends of the string on either side swing back and forth to hit each sides of the drum. Pretty cute!
The host mother's son, Memo, who was trying to teach Andre how to play his little guitar!
The above photos are all taken from their 3rd floor patio area. If I didn't have a child who was/is curious about everything, I'd have been able to really enjoy this space better. I was a little disappointed at how and where families in Mexico keep their big dogs. This is where the big dog, pictured above, lives. Actually, his area is fenced off from the main patio area. I never saw the big dog hanging out around the home. He spent all his time on the patio except when he was occasionally taken out for a walk. Also, if an animal gets sick, the owners just let it go. Basically, kick it out of the home and onto the streets to fend for itself. They don't have the same laws, protections, and attachments to animals in Mexico, as they do here. One could often hear the stray dogs fighting, yelping, or howling from the school while in class. It's sad really.
1 comment:
the small drum he's playing with was never called more than a simple hand drum in the various origins they were found in. They vary in size and material, and are most often associated with traditional asian and Indian music.
Post a Comment