Travel to Teach: Mexico Volunteer Story

Elin

El lugar del Nopal

Stuck in my home country for two years studying I was getting restless. I needed to go somewhere and I needed to go soon. I thought about going somewhere not too far from my country. Maybe to Nice to improve my French, or to Barcelona to learn Spanish. I opted for the latter, but as I was searching the web for info on Barcelona, a little notice of a small volunteer organisation starting up in Tijuana, Mexico popped up. I was immediately intrigued, it just seemed so exciting. After doing some calculating I realised that even though Tijuana was further away, it probably wouldn´t cost me more (rather less) than a trip within Europe. After investigating other volunteer organisations in the area I found T2T to be the most inexpensive, flexible and interesting alternative. I promptly signed up for the program....a month and a half later I found myself in the streets of Tijuana, eating the most delicious Mexican taco!

Only having been in contact with T2T over the internet, and not having any ex-volunteers to consult (me being the first proper volunteer), I had been a bit worried about what I was getting myself into, but those thoughts quickly disappeared. I got a very personal welcome from Adriana, the program coordinator. On the first weekend we had a "launching party" at her house and I was also invited to her fathers ranch, a drive outside of Tijuana.

I stayed in a little house in a place called "El lugar del Nopal". El Nopal is a really nice restaurant/café/cultural center, with lots of good music, delicious food and interesting people. My living quarters were very comfortable I must say. My own little kitchen, bathroom with shower a little "living room" and a bed recess. Wish I was living that comfortably in Sweden!

There´s a lot of evening activities at el Nopal. If you get bored you can just join a painting class, guitar class (I did), salsa class or whatever else is being offered at the moment. The salsa class is included in the program fee, as is spanish class (twice a week) and mexican cooking class (every other week).

And then there was teaching. Never having taught much of anything before, this department was worrying me a bit. But with support form Adriana and Tessa (a "semivolunteer") it went fine and I soon started to really enjoy it. I was looking forward to class everyday (ok, after a late night at the Hacienda, maybe not as much:). Teaching people at a drug and alcoholics rehab center did seem a bit frightening at first, but one day in class was enought to change my mind. The students were really sweet and since the class was as voluntary for them as it was for me they were all very keen to learn. We taught an adult group five times a week and a youth group twice a week.

The classes at the youth rehab center was tougher, more challenging. With teenagers you really have to try and make the lessons interesting to them. Sometimes I doubted whether I was doing anything good in there, but in the end it just have to do with believing in the students. If you give up on them, they´ll give up on you. When I left I really understood that even if they hadn´t learned that much english, they had appreciated my presence there and I so wish that I couldh´ve stayed longer, to get to know them better. I will miss them!

Thinking back of my time in Tijuana it is difficult to say what I miss the most. My students, the teaching, live music at el Nopal, Leo´s delicious tacos at "la sexta", sunday nights at "Latitud 32" by the beach, cleaning the same beach on friday mornings (with some good music in your headphones and nice company it´s fun!) or cheap VIP cinema at Plaza Rio. I even miss being crammed up with 9 other people in a route taxi on my way to school. And the people! Mexican people are really warm and welcoming, and quickly make you feel at home. I only stayed in TJ for a month and a half, but I met tons of interesting people, many of whom I am proud to call my friends. I really wish I could've stayed longer. But hey…maybe I'll be back next summer!!

Elin Holstensson

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