Well April was a busy one- recap, Los Angelos Azules concert/Puerto Escondido Festival (Famous Cumbia band last night/this morning), 2 African Dance nights (details later),  S.O.S closing party/Parents farewell night, 2 Nights eating at Cacti with family, my parents left back to Canada after spending a bit more than 3 months here,went out clubbing one night with some friends to know the nightlife, finished house projects to make a furnished kitchen and study space, bbq area, finally got my hands on some well loved- hand made soil from a community member, woman’s new moon circle (with mom), Finished Digestive 1 and 2 module- finished with my previous Teacher and started with a new teacher, taught 20 days of school including participating in the very beautiful Dia Del Niños- which was today, gave 7 massages, had a friend visit and leave, I started donating for a dog- and sometimes chilling with him. I was eating a lot of smoothies and started juicing this past week and I think that is going good- and I was kinda eating really boring… but today I cashed my cheque, went to the grocery store and bought spinach and many other delicious things I have been missing. I never ate a salade for A LONG TIME… seriously…  it’s weird, I go through phases, but I never made a salade once this year! WOAH. Crazy. 4 months… to long… I guess in place of salade I was eating cooked veggies in Kitchari or things like guacamole and salsa… but the Spinach was so good – especially with my home made dressing of tajini, sesame seed oil, olive oil, sea salt, chillies with cooked peanuts and some apple cider vinegar.

I really wanted to be kinda hanging with the people in my apartment since I got here and it just wasn’t happening- but as soon as my parents left I finally got my wish- and made friends with 3 French girls upstairs who are just chill and really nice…  just cool to know a bit the people you are neighbors with. I even finally made it to the free movie on the beach in Bacacho- however, I did arrive late because I got super lost and it ended early because it started raining- pero, ni modo- it was cool and it was on my list!

This month, economically, I was short of my original goal by 2,300 pesos… which is okay, but to be honest, I have dipped into my savings a little bit so that I could go to the african dance nights. Next month I am not going to dip into my savings… I need to make that decision… well actually, I probably need to- because I need to pay my friend still for sending all my stuff here and it was expensive- but thank goodness- that cost of storage and what not is no longer happening! So this next month I have to be really smart with my money.
Expenses:
3,500 Rent
100 Pesos WiFi
300 Telcel
590+ Dog
300 African Dance
Womans Cirlce (Mom Donated)
New Dresses from Adoquin (Mom bought)
750 Collectivo/Taxi to work
400 Pesos (Out for supper/drinks on Saturday night, Tuna, queso, mezcales, lemonades, coconuts)
450 Pesos (Afternoon and night out last night/ Ceviche, Guacamole, coconut, lemonade, Marg, Sushi, Taxi there)
400 Fresh Vegetables (at least- will try and keep more track of that this time)
500 miscelanos (toilet paper, drinks, coconuts, printing cost, tob)
320 Waxing/ haircut/T
Laundry 256 (Sheets, mildewy clothes from storage)
70-90 Cool hand made jewerly
Probably spent around $8,526- that’s like $584 Canadian. I never had a set budget but would rather stay below $500 dollars so I was over by around 1200 Mx Pesos…
and I made around $8,200

So as far as school went this month, it was the end of a term so I had a bit more work to do, and it just takes more time when you are a new teacher lesson planning your classes. So this month I had 40 hrs (Paid) +2hrs ( Free/Meeting)+5hrs(Special Day)+60 (Prep/Eval/Assess/Lesson Plans)= 107 hours at least dedicated to school, also personal printing cost and one time I took a personal taxi after printing outside of school and not be late… so another 100 pesos at least… yeah I am making around 30 pesos an hour or less when all said and done. As much as I enjoy being a teacher – and knowing amazing kids that teach me so much too… I think next year I need to take those 107 hours more a month towards my studying and trying to make make money to pay for my flights to the US at the end of the year for my courses…

It may seem weird that I am being so honest and open about what I am earnings and spending things on- but I want to document the truth of my living here in Oaxaca.
Reference point- I am not proud nor ashamed of my finances- they are what they are. I am happy and healthy and yeah- before I got paid today I had absolutely nothing- but I still had (some) food in the fridge… Money is just relative… and for me in a way to do things, energy exchange- I need it so I can study and travel and eat and then give it back to other people in other exchanges….

It’s crazy that there are so many truths and realities of living here in Oaxaca. There is such poverty, people living off 30 pesos a day or less- unable to save, eating the most basic food- going through garbage, no assistance from the Government or anybody else…
working 107 hours OR More… maybe 160 hours or more for 4000 pesos a month…
And on the other extreme- in 16-18 hours of work I can make 4000 pesos giving therapies- if there are people interested. That’s about 200 pesos an hour… which is about 13 CND dollars…  which is a bit over the minimum wage in Saskatchewan and almost half the amount an hour what I was earning at my last job in Canada.
And I am sure there are people who are earning a small fortune as well here… people with successful restaurants that cator to tourists or have BNBs, rentals… yeah they are doing well… but as soon as they want to take there money outside of Mexico- it will seem less… as the Pesos is just down so much in comparison to the dollar and euro.

Yes, I am not here in Oaxaca to be fancy, I am not hear to be flashy, or to be rich.
I like feeding the chickens next door, I like going to the beach at sunset, I like studying and working in a place where I don’t spend more than an hour a day in traffic/transit, where I know my neighbours and can afford to eat fresh coconuts, mangos and avocados everyday.

BUT May has promise, my goals for May:
Social: Curry Party, BBQ, 2 Ceremonies
Fitness: Yoga every day, begin working on handstand again. Go to 3 new Yoga classes, trying surfing at least twice.
School: Start and Finish Respiration Unit and read from Yellow Book- increase study time.
Work 1: Give at least 7 massages and earn at least 7-8000 pesos doing this.
Work 2: Earn my humble salary and enjoy teaching the kids- while not loosing my cool and having kids benefit and enjoy their learning experience.
Personal: Finish getting my ducks in a row- and apple for my Permanent Visa.
Have a few just hang out sessions with my girlfriends.
Receive a massage/ would be good an exchange to help financial situation.
Stoke my digestion and beat the heat.
Volunteer: Continue to Sponsor dog and walk him at least 3 times a week.

June:
Go to Chacagua (Surf), Go to the Mountains- Finish another Module and give at least 9 therapies, more time for volunteer work.

July:
Go Camping/Surf, Finish another Module and give at least 12 massages. Give an Ayurvedic talk. Teach a AyurYoga class for women/free.

Aug: Finish another module, Give at least 12 massages, volunteer, surf.
Give an Ayurvedic talk.