Week #19 - Naucalpan, Mexico

         Where do I begin to explain this crazy week? To start off, it has felt like a very long week, considering not even a week ago we were just getting on a plane to fly over the big pond. We were saying good-bye to Europe (where we had been for 2 months) and hello to Mexico. Two pretty contrasting cultures if you ask me, both climate and intercultural wise. Over the course of one week we did school presentations, a culture fair, community impact, very intense internal workshops and 4 shows in 2 different facilities. No wonder we were exhausted everyday, not to mention the jet lag, extreme altitude change and difference in the way people eat and act.

            Another thing to note is that here in Mexico we are “Viva La Gente” and no longer “Up With People.” Essentially it is the same thing, but that is how they know us and we are known. Let me tell you that we are famous movie stars here! I have signed hundreds of autographs in just one week and taken a ton of pictures. You are literally mobbed! This experience has been  super fun and very odd at the same time.

             We had a very long travel day on Monday after our cast sleepover. The door to door transit  time totaled over  24 hours. From bus to plane to bus it was quite the day. We enjoyed ourselves of course but were also extremely exhausted. Our host families were super excited to host us. We had over 90 host families so most of us were hosted alone, myself included. My host family is very sweet and pretty wealthy. I had the whole upstairs to myself and it was really nice to have some time to myself especially in such a tiring week. We went to the gym and took some great exercise classes on two of the nights. We went out to dinner and ate lots of delicious Mexican food. On host family day I learned a whole lot of crazy history about the Aztecs, Mexico City and how it is sinking every year. Mexico City was beautiful and dirty of course, but that is Mexico for you. They are very sweet people and we had some fun times together.

            Our sponsor this week was Maddox Academy, which meant all week our facility was at a school full of children very eager to meet international performing students. On Tuesday we did classroom presentations and I realized how we really do make an impact on young teens because they look up to us. Wednesday I had study abroad and then we had a very intense workshop called “the Hunger Banquet” which showed us how the world is fed and we literally were fed like the different classes that exist in our world today. It was very eye opening and the entire cast was full of crazy emotions and opinions. Thursday we had a very long day full of rehearsal and putting the Mexican medley and music together. It was tiring but we had a lot of time to laugh and just enjoy ourselves. Friday we had a double show day and strike so that was also extremely draining. We had a whole lot of technical issues and we pushed through and still put on two great shows. The shows were mainly for the kids from the school and so holy heck there was a lot of girly screams that pierced the auditorium and a whole lot of pictures and autographs! Saturday was host family day and then I was on Super Crew (which means a small group of people set up the stage) so that was fun. After that a few of us went with our host sisters to a birthday party. Although we were sort of the same age of the people at the party we felt extremely out of place and much older. I guess we have just been pushed to grow rapidly in UWP and thus the maturity level is so very different. Then on our final day here in Mexico City we had another double show day at a whole different facility. You got to love UWP and all its craziness!

            We are now down to only 3 weeks left and you can tell everyone is slowly starting to realize it’s coming to an end so very soon and so the feelings are flying and more and more memories continue to be created in each special moment. Tomorrow we head to the mountains and on the way we get to stop at the sun and moon pyramid! It’s going to be gorgeous especially with the sunny Mexican weather! Zippity do da, zippity yay! My oh my  what a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine heading my way... wonderful feeling, wonderful day! 

Pictures from Week #18 - Tielt, Belgium

The Gorgeous city of Brugge, Belgium! Look at that European architecture! 

Perfect photo op over the river :)

I believe I can fly!

Same type of picture but different people!

Lounging in the park :)

Healthy snacks on the bus! 

Last host family in Europe! 

Teaching African Dance at a girls juvenile detention facility!  (I am the one who is very small in blue and purple).

Performing a song for my cast mates with Molly during Expression Session! 

Last shows in Europe! From now on it is Viva la Gente not Up with People! 

Out for drinks with the host family!

Love those moments when you go out to a bar in a town where there are only two bars and of course you run into about 30 UWP people! Makes for a fun night of surprises!

Here is part of the group...

Me trying not to have a double chin in the picture... of course it looks like I am making the choking symbol... John looks great behind me and he is in perfect position to give me the hiemlich! So all is good in the hood :)

And another part of the group :)

We match! 

I could not take my nose out of the lilacs... they reminded me of my yard at home!

Eating balls of flour and oil with chocolate on top! You got to love Europe!

My lovely roommate Simone from Denmark! 

Week #18 - Tielt, Belgium

        This week we experienced many “last times” so to speak. It was our last week in Belgium, last time we would perform in Europe, last time performing with 2 of our wonderful cast mates and best friends because they will not be coming to Mexico with us, last time we would sing the Up with People theme song as Cast A 2013 because it will be Viva la Gente from now on. Needless to say there were tears and emotions flying around and a whole lot of passion was put into it. The energy was very high and it was a memorable evening to say the least. All week I just did my best to enjoy myself and my last days in Europe, just soaking it all in and never just sitting around, but instead living every moment to it’s fullest!

            Monday we had a travel day, which was only about a 3-hour drive, but we made a really long pit stop in the gorgeous city of Brugge and had a day to explore, see the beautiful sights and take in the wonderful European architecture one last time. It was a bright sunny day and we enjoyed Brugge and indulged on Belgium fries and waffles J then we made it to Tielt and went with our host families. I was hosted with Simone from Denmark. We are very similar so we have been waiting to get hosted together and it finally happened so we knew the week would be good. Tielt is a very small town and  all week we traveled via bicycles and it was wonderful.  The town basically consisted of a cute little center square with a few pubs and a beautiful church. My host family was a very sweet  couple in their 40’s with two teenagers. They all spoke pretty good English so I was good to go.  We had a good week with lots of delicious meals for our last week in Europe. They took us out on Sunday to the North Sea and we walked on the board walk, tried some new foods and saw a crazy awesome kite festival J They are not wealthy enough to travel or fly out of their country so they were very grateful to bring the culture into their home so it was hard to say goodbye.

            Tuesday we had a CI day and I was sent to a juvenile detention center for girls.  I taught African dance in a World Dance class along with interacting with the girls. Over all I felt it was a pretty impactful day for me. Wednesday I had Study Abroad as usual and we had an education workshop where we talked about the price of peace in our world. Thursday I was on set up crew and I continued to learn a lot in my internship throughout the day. We also had a super fun thing called “Expression Session” where we all got to share things we loved to do like sing and perform etc. There were a lot of tears and laughter and we all left feeling very happy and joyful because we realized the amazing people we are surrounded by.

            Friday and Saturday we had two wonderful show days. Because they were our last shows in Europe,  they were full of great energy and many sentimental moments. Things are moving very fast and it is crazy to realize that we only have 4 weeks left and that will fly by so fast! This experience is so amazing and I just want to savor my time with the cast as much as possible. We all know you cannot stop time so the ending is coming soon and so we are making the best of every second we have together.

            Sunday we had a cast sleepover where we had a lot of fun and laughter.  We also had to say some goodbyes to two of our cast mates who will not be in Mexico with us so there were also tears. We have a huge travel day tomorrow driving to Frankfurt at wee hours of the morning and then a long flight to Mexico so we need to stay healthy and pace ourselves because next week is even crazier with a ton of school presentations and kids who want to learn all about Up with People. So off we go back over the big pond to Mexico! Here’s to us Cast A 2013!

Pictures from Week #17 - Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium

Making Belgian fries with the family!

Trying the famous Kriek Beer of Belgium!

Out bowling with host family!

Show night!

STRIKE! The mini strike team!

Out in Brussels for the evening with host family!

Regional Learning at the Brewery!

Cheers-Proost-Salud-Sante! (Its bad luck to not look each other in the eyes when clinking glasses!)

Soaking up the sun and the gorgeous Belgian landscapes!

"We are happy, we are joyful, only good things come our way! HAHAHAHAHA!"

John and his scary mustache... never again! 

Hometeam Olympics - We were the bad@$$ gangstas and we were unstoppable! We were like a pack of wolves and we worked like one too!

Amilee and I with chocolate pudding beards! Chocolate Addiction! Yikes!

HOST DAMILY DAY in BRUSSELS!

Bubbles!

Jumping in front of the Kings Palace!

Outdoor Urinals... so interesting! haha

Picnic in the Kings Courtyard!

A small dip in the fountain :)

"Mannikin Pis" - what is it so special about him in Brussels? I just don't know... haha

Now this is what you see at a REAL BELGIAN STYLE WAFFLE stand!

Goodbye WAFFLE HOUSES of the USA - you have got some crazy competition!

The forks are so tiny - you can not avoid the chocolate everywhere!

Standing in the exact center of Europe! 

Just so many types of Beer at Delirium... (up to 2,000) that is a butt ton! Look at all those taps and brands not one is the same!

I mean had to have a toast to our last weeks in Europe and not only that but Belgium, the land of the Beer! So good and so fun!

Week #17 - Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium

          This week in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium has gone by unusually fast. We were in a small town (the hometown of one of our PR’s, which is extra special), just a 20-minute drive from Brussels. The week overall was wonderful, the shows, the CI sites and the regional learning were all great, which resulted in a fabulous week.

 Arriving on Monday we had a lot of internal time where we participated in an education workshop that the two education interns presented. It was about recognizing how we have grown, been challenged and  impacted by others. It was really good and really intense. It drew up a great deal of emotion considering we only have 5 weeks left together. We also had time to prepare for Expression Session, a time where we get to perform whatever we want for each other. I was an emotional mess before meeting the host families, but I managed to compose myself and they instantly connected with me as I did with them. I was the first American they had ever met in person and they just thought it was the coolest thing and I loved that I could bring the culture of America into their home just by being myself. Throughout the week I helped the kids with English, played with their rabbit Dribble, went bowling with them and had some friendly competition.  I ate home cooked meals that were delightful, went into Brussels and got a small tour of the gorgeous cities and “must sees” and of course they came to the show and loved it. I became a role model for the kids and a friend for the parents. It will definitely be hard to leave tomorrow, but I am sure they will come visit me in the US someday.

We had 2 show days, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. Both days we had to transform a large empty gymnasium type room into a beautiful stage, but we managed J We had two great shows full of passion and emotion. One of them in particular was very special because our vocal instructor performed the father/son song to his father and it made us fully understand the message of the song.

Tuesday I had Study Abroad and then on Thursday I was on striking the stage. I have already learned so much in my band internship, but I sure hope to start learning some music on the different instruments. On Friday we had regional learning and we got to go to a local Belgian Brewery and see how the beer gets made and yes we got to taste it as well. Simply the best J There is a reason Belgium is known for its chocolate, waffles and beer, they are something special. Also on Friday we had what we call “Home Team Olympics.” All fun and games but we take it seriously.  If you can imagine a large group  of competitive, passionate and enthusiastic young adults you may begin to understand what an afternoon we had. Let’s just say we all went home exhausted, some of us a little bruised… I re-strained my shoulder that had finally got back to normal after last hockey season. Nice work Misa! Haha

As usual, Sunday was host family day. Because my family had other plans, I went into Brussels with friends and their host families. I got to see the King’s Palace and Courtyard, Delirium (a famous pub in Belgium with over 2,000 types of beer), both of the “Pis” statues (Mannikin and Jannikin), very interesting indeed. We soaked up the sun, the gorgeous architecture of Europe and drank some Belgian beer in good company. In the evening I got to Skype my real family and see some surprise lovely faces of my extended family! Love you all Wade, Michele, Connor, Kirklan, Elise, Mike, Kathy, Jacie, Clayton and of course my real family (Paul, Paula, Justys and Perla).

It was a wonderful way to end the day and it made me realize how lucky I am to have people back home who love me and cannot wait to see me. I also have people who I am with right now who also love and support me and cannot wait to see me tomorrow morning, even though we have only been away for a day! How incredible!

Now we move on to our last week in Belgium and last week in Europe! A week from today we are headed to the wonderful and crazy Mexico! I am so pumped! Cherish every moment because we only have 5 weeks left. That’s my motto everyday… to enjoy every precious moment!