I am going to be a Mariachi star. Yesterday, my friend Profesor Armando Vasquez, a fellow teacher, invited me to visit his dance/music studio in a barrio a few blocks from my apartment. I arrived last night to find him and his troupe of folk dancers rehearsing for a week-long Mariachi festival here in Durango. It was a fortunate opportunity to see great dancers practicing their craft late into the night. At one point Armando handed me a me a Mariachi-guitar. I started plucking one of the only songs I know, "Froggy Goes a Courtn´". After a lot of laughter, the dancers suggested that Armando teach me Mariachi guitar, and I could teach the dancers English. We commited to Monday nights. With any luck, one day Pepino Suave will play at the National Theatre in Mexico City, and the Durango Baile Folklorico dance troupe will be fully bilingual. I have a vision of myself on the grand ol´stage, spotlight reflecting off my forhead, flanked by Armando´s dancers. We break into Mariachi-style "Froggy Goes a Courtn´", and then segue-way into a blue grass version of "Guantanamera". Olé.
This morning I walked to Talea´s school. It was a pleasure to see Ingrid and Talea on their mourning routine. Man, Talea´s backpack weighs a ton. Talea fans, I took 5,204,982.009 pictures of Talea in uniform, with her teacher, with her classmates, entering the school, entering the courtyard, entering her classroom, looking up, looking down, looking all around, and then a few more. I will try to get them on the blogsite soon. Promise.
Ingrid started teaching English with the upper-elementary English teacher this morning. Go to her website this weekend to see how it went: www. inkyfournier.blogspot.com
This afternoon some of my teacher friends are coming over for choir practice while Talea and Ingrid go to my school to see an exhibit of indegenous arts, crafts, and culture. Tomorrow morning we teach an English class to fellow teachers and family. Sunday we are going to watch the Mariachi parade, and at night we´re going to the Palacio to see the annual Mariachi concert. We received complimentary tickets from my friend and mariachi guitar teacher Aramando, the producer of the concert and parade.
Mariachi rocks,
PS
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