By Janet Ramirez
Waking up hearing roosters crowing and seeing my family laughing, enjoying each other’s company in the kitchen, is a special memory I got to experience every morning while I was in Mexico during a recent vacation. It is one of the moments I would love to experience more often.
I enjoyed spending most of my time with family because I don't see them often. One of our favorite things to do was go out to places like the Jardin Municipal. The Jardin Municipal is like a plaza, and there's a tradition every Sunday where people gather listening to music everywhere. I loved hearing the sounds of the trumpets, the tuba, and different songs being played in the Jardin from mariachi groups.
I enjoyed spending most of my time with family because I don't see them often. One of our favorite things to do was go out to places like the Jardin Municipal. The Jardin Municipal is like a plaza, and there's a tradition every Sunday where people gather listening to music everywhere. I loved hearing the sounds of the trumpets, the tuba, and different songs being played in the Jardin from mariachi groups.
When I was in Mexico, I noticed some things that are different compared to the US. One thing that is different in Mexico is the education system. When I was on vacation, my cousins who live in Mexico were also on vacation, but they had two months off while I only had two weeks off.
When I was younger, I lived in Mexico. During my time living there and going to school, the teachers were really strict, but I was learning a lot. One of my teachers would make us do a math problem over and over until we got it and sometimes they would hit us with rulers so they could get us to pay attention. I would get a lot of time off from school because teachers would often not show up. It's not the best thing for young people because a lot of students stop going to school and then drop out. Many do this because they think it’s a waste of time and feel the need to work instead.
This is a big issue because there’s no law in Mexico about having to go to school. It’s different in towns and cities in California, which requires you by law to go to school and not drop out until the age of 18.
My sister, Ale, said, “The people [in Mexico] are different and being there is stress-free.” She believes that the people from Mexico will talk to you like they've known you forever, they greet you with kindness and just treat you like family.
“I was pretty stressed before leaving to Mexico because I had school, work, and then I would have to take care of my daughter. It's a hard thing to do. The first week I was in Mexico, I completely forgot about everything I was stressing about. I feel relaxed being with my family and friends, we’re always exploring places or going out all the time and it's honestly stress-free,” Ale says.
Another difference in Mexico is the kind of jobs they have and the work they do. My aunts have a ranch in which they work on raising animals such as, cows, goats, chickens, etc. When I visit, I usually help them with some of the animals by taking them out.
I usually get most excited to see the baby animals because I learn how to feed them. The animals grow up healthy, so they get sold. The smell of the ranch is pretty foul, but I got used to the smell of animal manure. They also grow crops and later on they end up selling them or using them for goods. Some of my other aunts are owners of clothing stores and liquor stores, while for others, the husband brings everything and the wife stays home to clean or take care of the children.
Going to Mexico is just so enjoyable and overall feels good. Spending time with your family you haven't seen, having fun meeting new people, and just being away for a while is good to do once in a while.
When I was younger, I lived in Mexico. During my time living there and going to school, the teachers were really strict, but I was learning a lot. One of my teachers would make us do a math problem over and over until we got it and sometimes they would hit us with rulers so they could get us to pay attention. I would get a lot of time off from school because teachers would often not show up. It's not the best thing for young people because a lot of students stop going to school and then drop out. Many do this because they think it’s a waste of time and feel the need to work instead.
This is a big issue because there’s no law in Mexico about having to go to school. It’s different in towns and cities in California, which requires you by law to go to school and not drop out until the age of 18.
My sister, Ale, said, “The people [in Mexico] are different and being there is stress-free.” She believes that the people from Mexico will talk to you like they've known you forever, they greet you with kindness and just treat you like family.
“I was pretty stressed before leaving to Mexico because I had school, work, and then I would have to take care of my daughter. It's a hard thing to do. The first week I was in Mexico, I completely forgot about everything I was stressing about. I feel relaxed being with my family and friends, we’re always exploring places or going out all the time and it's honestly stress-free,” Ale says.
Another difference in Mexico is the kind of jobs they have and the work they do. My aunts have a ranch in which they work on raising animals such as, cows, goats, chickens, etc. When I visit, I usually help them with some of the animals by taking them out.
I usually get most excited to see the baby animals because I learn how to feed them. The animals grow up healthy, so they get sold. The smell of the ranch is pretty foul, but I got used to the smell of animal manure. They also grow crops and later on they end up selling them or using them for goods. Some of my other aunts are owners of clothing stores and liquor stores, while for others, the husband brings everything and the wife stays home to clean or take care of the children.
Going to Mexico is just so enjoyable and overall feels good. Spending time with your family you haven't seen, having fun meeting new people, and just being away for a while is good to do once in a while.