So I wrote a big old entry last night... pressed publish... went to bed... and now it has disappeared into the abyss of the internet. But I guess that will just add to the suspense about what my last week of camp was like. But I am home safe and sound :)

Camp

So I've spent my last day here in Mexico City. I'm leaving for camp which is in Cuernavaca. I'll be internet free for the next week. I get back to the city here at midnight on Sunday and then I have to leave for the airport at around 8 Monday morning. So, the next time I write I'll probably be in the States.

Thanks so much for all your support!!!!

Another Funny Story

So as I was talking to my mom on Skype this morning, I realize that I'd never written about this little occurrence that happened last week.

As you know if you've been reading my blog, I've been working in the kitchen with a blind ex chef, Memo. He has pretty much no fear despite his disability. He's worked in a kitchen all his life and the whole phrase "I could do it with my eyes shut" is how he lives every day.

This being said, it was my first day in the kitchen with Memo. We work with gas stove tops at La Raza. I personally had only used one once before coming to Mexico. One of the ranges lights itself, but the other range you have to light with a lighter. Well, all of the first set of burners were filled this particular morning. I was cutting up something on one side of the kitchen not paying much attention to what Memo was doing. I thought he was stirring something. All of the sudden I hear a FFWOOOSHFF. I look over and the flame is so big that it is swallowing the pan in tongues of orange and yellow. Memo is standing there about to catch on fire and is feeling for the pan, looks back in my direction, and asks, "Did it light yet?" I run over there to turn it down telling Memo, "Yes! Yes! Back up! Wait a second! You're not going to have any eyebrows." All the time Memo is just standing there with his little smile on his face. And that is how our work together began. It's been an adventure. From then on, I always stepped in to light the burners.

I Almost Forgot

I was attacked by some kind of crazy bug or something. I woke up this morning and my lip was numb and swollen. Right now there's no more swelling, but it's still numb. It's crazy what some little animal can do to you. I have just looked all around my room including in my bed for the culprit and I didn't find anything abnormal. It looks like this one will remain a mystery.

Last Day at La Raza

The past week's been super busy. All kinds of meetings and goodbyes. I got to go to their mini Olympics for street kids. There were probably 200/ 300 people there. It was crazy. But I knew like 40 of them so it was kind of fun. We caught up with a bunch of them that hadn't been to the Center in a long time. The next day, we had 25 people show up at La Raza. We can only take in 16, but it just goes to show how many people are in need and find a place in our center.

Today was my last day and Paty and Alex made me Pazole which is a super traditional Mexican dish. It's basically giant corn soup with shredded beef. They eat it with tortilla chips and sour cream. So good! Mexican food in the states is nothing like what I've eaten here. Tortillas are the same... Rice also... but everything else is completely inaccurate. It's way better the legitimate Mexican way.

Here's some pictures from this past week.

This was today after my goodbye meal.


And these are from my last few days with the Chavos.

Cooking Catastrophe

Okay, so it wasn't really a catastrophe, but I have three burnt fingers as a result. Let's just say frying things isn't my talent in the kitchen.
I was on quesadilla duty (making about 60 of them filled with some kind of zucchini filling- so good). And here, they fry them... so that means I was putting them in the pan, flipping them over, and then putting them away. As you may know, oil jumps at you when there's water in it (I never knew the cause until this week). So, since there is water in zucchini, the oil was going crazy. But I pressed on in the kitchen. Memo (the blind chef I'm working with) obviously cannot do this part. I mean, I'm down three fingers and I can see perfectly fine. Anyways, as I was placing one of the quesadillas in the oil, it splashed up at me, attacking my fingers.
End of Story

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be my last day with all of the guys there. I cannot believe that it's almost over. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I feel like I'm finally getting to the point where I can joke around with them and now I'm leaving. But at the same time I'm ready to get home, so you just can't make me happy :).

Not Mexico Related

Okay so random side note... I've been reading a ton while I've been here.. I'm on my 3rd series and 9th book. But right now I'm reading this series by Lynn Austin called the Chronicles of the Kings. Its the whole story of Hezekiah (from the Bible). I'm on the second book and they're so good. They put all of the passages together and then illustrate it with what they know with history. The whole story has come alive for me and I'd highly suggest it. I've gone back and have been reading some of the Old Testament passages to read what's actually there. Anyways, I was just sitting here thinking if you need anything to read... that would be my suggestion. :)

2 weeks from tonight I'll be back in Indy. Can't wait to see you all!