Casa Verde

On Wednesday, I took the IST bus home from school with the other teachers. How fun! I think the bus ride next year will serve as a great time to debrief days and exchange funny stories from our classrooms.

The teachers live in groups of 3-6 teachers per house, and their homes are spread out between neighborhoods (colonias) 10-20 minutes from the school. Today, I got invited to spend the afternoon at my friend's house in Colonia Rio Grande.

We were dropped off at the corner of a dead-end street and climbed the steep hill to the teachers' mint-green colored house. No wonder it's called, "Casa Verde" (Green House). The street looked like typical colonias I had seen in Tegu. (maybe nicer): multicolored houses with gray/red roofs lined each side of the road, locked iron gates in front, and a few cars parked along the curb.

Casa Verde has two floors and is fairly spacious with each teacher getting their own room. Also, the house comes already furnished! I was able to talk a great deal with the teachers who lived there, and I'm grateful for their hospitality and for their willingness to let me take pictures of their "messy" rooms. ; )

The house also had: -washer, clothesline, a clean water dispenser, WiFi & cable TV, a pila (where emergency water is stored), and a beautiful view of the city from the rooftop.

A man comes down the street each week, yelling "Agua!", and the teachers buy clean water from him (otherwise you boil the water in order to use it). Another man rides around selling warm tortillas; the icecream man comes to your door, and a maid comes every Friday. I'm sure they get great business from the N. Americans.

My friend also led me on an amazing walking tour of the neighborhood. I did not carry any purse/valuables, and I felt pretty safe the whole time. It was encouraging to know that you can walk around the neighborhood safely, especially if you walk in a group. You just need to be aware and know where you're going. We walked down 3-4 blocks to the bridge over the main river, that although flooded just a week ago was quickly drying up.

We met the "Fruit Man," who sells the teachers discounted fruit from his cart. Because he has gotten to know them, he always makes sure they get the best deals. (tip #1: get to know the fruit guy)

We bought 3 huge mangos, 6 fresh bananas, and I even convinced my friend to purchase mamones (also known as ginnups-a strange, green fruit that you have to pop open to eat). We then walked over to the local pulperia (like a food convenience store) and bought orange juice and un medio Coca for the casa. I am thankful to see that the teachers share groceries, because it is sometimes a trek to get what you need.