El Día de la Bandera

Monday was the “el día de la bandera,” the day of the flag. In honor of Mexico, many businesses closed and there was no school. In the morning the whole town of Sayulita closed down to honor the flag in a celebratory parade.

Joel carrying the Mexican flag.

Even though we didn’t have school, students at CVIS participated in the parade. All of our hard work practicing marching and doing the wave paid off. Students showed up wearing either white, red, and green. As they marched around, they looked like the flag. It was beautiful. Along the parade route we would periodically stop to do the wave and chant “¡Viva Mexico!” ¡Viva Sayulita!” ¡Viva la bandera!” ¡Viva CVIS!” and more.

CVIS students dressed in red, white, and green 

to honor (and mimic) the Mexican flag.

The parade was a lot of fun. But it was probably the hottest of all the days I have been in Sayulita. We only marched around for about an hour, but that is a long time for a group of thirsty students. At the end of the parade there was a ceremony in the baseball field, but by that time most of the students had hit a wall. The sixth graders participated in the ceremony by marching around with the flag, which is something they also do at our bimonthly school flag ceremony. After that students started to disperse, even though the ceremony was not quite over. 

Cynhia and I with our matching Mexican flag

face paint. ¡Viva Mexico!

The Many Vendors of Sayulita

Shopping and selling are alive in Sayulita. This should come as no surprise since it is a community that hosts a large population of international residents as well as vacationers. During my time here I have done my fair share of shopping. However, because I am living here for a few months I have become acquainted with the many vendors of Sayulita in a way that I have never experienced before. I am amazed by all of their stories and would like to take the time to share a few.

The vendors of Sayulita come from all over the country and world. Some are residents who have immigrated here from other countries, others were born and raised in Sayulita, while some migrate from other parts of Mexico for part of the year.

Many of the vendors can be found walking up and down the beach from morning until afternoon, 7 days a week. The first vendor I purchased anything from was a lovely woman named Norma. She and her family come in from Bucerías everyday to sell sarongs and beach cover-ups. She always has the most beautiful clothing and fair prices. She is so sweet too. I always find her with a smile on her face, even at the end of the day. I have gotten to know her pretty well and was really excited to introduce her to my mom when she was visiting. Norma was so excited to meet my mom, and even took the time to introduce me to her mom and sister. Norma is such a hard-worker and it has been a pleasure for me to get to know her—plus she has the most beautiful sarongs in town!

Not all vendors sell on the beach. Many of them sell goods and crafts on the streets of Sayulita. Everyday on the way home from school Cynhia and I walk over the bridge, past a table where beautiful hand-painted carvings and sculptures are sold. They have everything from bowls and salsa dishes to animal figurines and calaveras. This particular vending post hosts three artists: Augustina, Mari Cruz, and Fausto. They are from San Pancho and work in Sayulita together painting and selling their beautiful crafts. I also introduced the three of them to my mom and Mary Jo during their visit. Because my mom is a seasoned shopper, she bought quite a few items from them, including a gorgeous bowl as it was being painted. We have unbelievable pictures of the bowl while it was being painted and after, along with pictures of the artists themselves. It turns out the Fausto loves the camera. He kept calling him and his business partners models!

Another vendor that stands out to me is a little girl named Abigail. She and her family migrate to Sayulita from Chiapas for a few months out of the year. She walks up and down the beach selling hand-woven friendship bracelets to tourists for 10 pesos each. I had a very memorable exchange with her. A few weeks ago she approached me on the beach and asked if I would like to buy a bracelet. Ever since I arrived in Sayulita I have been thinking about buying a bunch of bracelets as gifts for my friends and students back in the U.S. Seeing her made me think of all the children in my life, which inspired me to buy more bracelets than I will ever need. She was a fantastic salesperson. She gave me a deal—6 bracelets for 50 pesos. I happily agreed, and asked her to help me pick out 24. She and I had a lot of fun picking out bracelets suitable for boys, girls, and a few unisex. Picking the bracelets was difficult because they were all so beautiful. And once I picked out 24, Abigail ran back to her family to bring another bundle for me to look through. So I ended up buying another 6—30 in total! Before leaving Abigail gifted me a special bracelet, which she tied around my wrist. I promised not to take it off, and haven’t since. She walked away smiling, looking back at me every couple of steps. She must walk up and down the beach every day hoping to make a sale of a single bracelet, and in about 15 minutes she sold 30!

Abigail with one of her many 

bundles of bracelets!

Abigail and I posing with the bracelets I 

purchased from her. I think we were both 

ecstatic about the sale!

But this experience wasn’t only special for Abigail. It was also special for me. My exchange with her made me think about the different lifestyles of children around the world, along with the importance of education. As a teacher I worry about Abigail’s future and education. While she is learning about business and mathematics in an authentic way, there are many things she might be missing out on. This includes skills such as reading and writing, and educational opportunities that could expand her future and potentially turn her bracelet sales into a store, chain of stores, or company. I do not know whether Abigail goes to school or not. But I do know that there are many children in Mexico and all over the world who do not. Seeing her made me think about what I view as the purpose of education: for students to learn skills that will help them be successful in their lives and future careers, and to provide them with opportunities. 

Shortly after Abigail left this woman

came trying to sell me more bracelets.

She walks around on the beach all day

with her child strapped to her back. 

The Mexican Carnival

The carnival is in town! For the past two weeks my students have been chattering non-stop about it. My roommates and I finally decided to see what all of the commotion was about over the weekend and ventured out to the soccer field, which is where the carnival has set-up camp.

The Mexican fair is a blend of traditional and

contemporary cultures. Seeing this man with his caballo

seemed odd to be considering the SpongeBob 

blow-up ride in the background.

The Mexican carnival is similar to carnivals and fairs we have in the United States. Food, music, fun houses, and rides. But it differs in that there are little to no regulations. This means the rides are pretty unsafe. I am amazed parents let their children go on any of them! I watched as some of my students rushed to the front of the rollercoaster ride, which to my surprise didn’t even have seatbelts! Cynhia and I agreed to go on one ride. We chose “Amor Express” which is the ride all of the boys throw-up on in The Sandlot. After going on the ride myself, I totally understand how they must have felt. It was the longest ride I have ever been on—I seriously think it lasted 10-15 minutes. I sat on the inside, but the force of the spinning motion caused me to gravitate to the outer edge of the car, leaving Cynhia and me uncomfortably close. No wonder they call it “Amor Express!” Once the ride was going so fast we thought we were going to spin off the tracks, the ride slowed down. But only so that it could begin going in the opposite direction! We stumbled home that night, nearly kissing the ground because we were so happy to have survived!

The ride Cynhia and I endured. 

It looks innocent enough but it's a killer!

One of the main attractions, namely for the adults, is the bottle breaking game. You literally are given rocks to throw at beer bottles. For 30 pesos you get three shots. If you hit one bottle you get one beer, two bottles: two beers, and three bottles: a six-pack. One of my student’s parents joked to me that people go there and pretend they are throwing a rock at their ex-boyfriend or girlfriend. We all tried it and won. And I have to admit, it does give you kind of a rush. But when I thought about it more it really isn’t that great of a deal. You could potentially not win any beer, and be out 30 pesos!

The favorite bottle breaking game!

Cynhia and I ready to break some bottles!

Another favorite game is a dart game. 

The grand prize? 

A bottle of liquor, what else!?

Although the carnival was really fun, parts of it were really hard for me. One aspect that was especially difficult was watching the animals. At this particular fair there is a real-life carousel in which donkeys walk around in a circle as children ride them. What a sad life for them. But then again, I feel the same way about most zoos back in the U.S.

The sad donkeys...

Cynhia and I also ventured into a fun-house type, freak-show. It only cost 10 pesos, so we figured, why not? But as soon as we entered we regretted it. The first thing we saw was the ticket man’s dog. I thought it was just his pet, but then he showed us the dog’s paws, which were deformed. I felt bad for the little pup on display like that. He seemed afraid of all the people and loud music. Just because he has strange paws he will live his life in a freak show. Once we entered the building we were in a long hallway full of horned roosters, and jars filled with liquid containing different deformed animals. Cynhia and I snapped some photos and ran right out. The only non-frightening, comical part was the main attraction: a woman-lizard. A woman literally sat behind a screen with her head showing. Her head was supposed to be attached to a lizard’s body, but it was obvious that the lizard was a stuffed animal. Oh well, it only cost 10 pesos…

The scared dog sitting at the entry of the

freak house. Below him is one of the

freak show's many horned roosters.

Even though I have talked a lot about the negative parts of the carnival, I also had a lot of fun. It was great to see students and staff in a non-academic setting. I ran into a lot of my students at the fair as they played games and went on rides. I even watched one of my students maneuver herself on top of a pool of water while inside of a giant plastic hamster ball. Now if that is not fun, I don’t know what is!

The ultimate experience! 

A human-sized hamster exercise ball on water. 

People really struggled to stand up, let alone walk around!

Another blend of cultures. Prizes at the 

fair consist of the traditional religious virgin

statue, as well as stuffed animals of Mike 

from Pixar's Monsters Inc.

Yummy snacks!

Seafood micheladas. Complete with 

shrimp and octupus. Yum!

For whatever reason a favorite Mexican pizza 

topping is chopped up hot dog...

El Playa de los Muertos

Pretty much every street in Sayulita will eventually lead you to the beach. After all, it is a beach community! Ever since I got here I have spent at least one day every weekend at the beach, and even a few days after school if I think to pack my swimsuit and don’t have a lot of lesson planning.

The four of us have been going to the main beach, which the streets around the plaza lead to. After hearing a lot about other beaches we decided to try one out. We settled on “El playa de los muertos,” which translates to “beach of the dead.” Although it sounds scary, it’s not. The beach is called that because to get to it you have to walk through the local cemetery. Despite its name, the beach is not spooky and absolutely breath taking. It is smaller and more secluded than the main beach. For this reason, it is rare to see vendors at this beach. There are also fewer people that travel to it, which makes it feel like a private beach. The water is also supposed to be cleaner, because the rocks that separate it from the main beach prevent the town’s run-off from penetrating it. For these reasons, playa de los muertos is the perfect beach for escape and relaxation. 

To get to el playa de los muertos you have to

walk through a cemetery! 

El playa de los muertos is secluded and private, 

perfect for relaxation!

My friend Jack and me exploring the rocks that

protect el playa de los muertos from the main beach.

Another view of el playa de los muertos!

Fostering a Love of Reading

Last week I had the pleasure of having my mom and wonderful family friend, Mary Jo, in Sayulita. Our week was filled with delicious meals, unbelievable shopping, and relaxing afternoons and evenings at the beach. But the highlight of their trip was by far the day they visited CVIS.

Before coming my mom and Mary Jo contacted me about bringing items to donate to the school. There are so many things the school can use—anything from folders and paper to magnets and dry-erase markers. But one of the things the school needs the most are books in Spanish.

The school library is pretty small and an overwhelming majority of the books are in English. Most classics, series, and current popular books can be found in English at the library. But there is only a small shelf of Spanish books. So, I put together a list of Spanish book series I thought the library could use. While there are so many amazing books I could have chosen, I finally decided on the entire Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. The kids are always reading these books in English so I figured the books would not only interest them, but would also be relatively easy for students learning Spanish to read because they are already familiar with the story lines.

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and 

Diary of Wimpy Kid--all in SPANISH!

When my mom and Mary Jo came to CVIS last Thursday to donate the books Joel and I held a special book donation ceremony. In the morning pushed all of the tables in the classroom together so it was more conducive to conversation. Then, we created a ribbon out of paper strung together for Betty and Mary Jo to cut in front of the students, signaling the books officially belonging to CVIS.

Betty and Mary Jo cutting the ribbon to signify

the books officially belonging to CVIS!

Joel even scrounged up some cookies and juice

for a toast following the ceremony!

The ceremony was a fantastic idea because it really got the students excited about reading. Betty and Mary Jo spoke to the 5^th and 6^th grade during separate ceremonies. In both ceremonies they spoke to the students about the importance of reading, strategies to use when reading a different language, and answered questions the students had.

Deep in thought as we discuss reading, language,

and more with the 6th graders.

By the end of both ceremonies the students could hardly wait to begin reading. Because the books still had to be catalogued in the library, students had to wait until after school to borrow the books. I was amazed at how many students were in the library at the end of the day. They raced from their classrooms in hopes of being the first to check out a book. And at the end of the day, there wasn’t a single Spanish book in the library because they were all being borrowed. Ever since that day I have seen students reading during recess, which is something I never saw them do before. I’ve also overheard students talking about finishing up their books so they can read more and give others a chance to read the book they are currently reading.

This experience showed me the importance of fostering a love of literacy. When I came to Sayulita I also brought a haul of books in English and Spanish. But the students were not nearly as excited about reading them because I didn’t do anything to make the books special to them. I simply donated them to the library and that was it. To get students to love reading it is important to present reading as something important and fun.

The volunteer librarian, Gretchen, and I have been talking about what more we can do to make reading fun and exciting for students. We’re putting together a list of books we should add to the library, organizing a buddy reading system between students in the secundaria and primaria, and toying with the idea of book shares. Book shares might include a “Staff/student pick” poster in the library, which will give students ideas about what they can read, or book talk presentations. I am so excited about the outcome of this book donation and cannot wait to see where else it leads us!

WIDA Assessment: Testing English Language Proficiency

CVIS is an amazing school. I am so lucky that I am able to do part of my student teaching here. And I would love to eventually come back here to teach for a year or two. This is truly an amazing place with amazing people. I cannot believe how fast the time is going by. Although I am excited to return to Madison to see my friends, family, and begin working with another great group of students, it is going to be really hard for me to leave CVIS and Sayulita.

I’ve said it before and I am going to say it again. I am amazed by how accepting the students are at CVIS. They comprise a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and linguistic and academic backgrounds. In spite of all of the differences and ranges, the students are so accepting of one another. I think that’s really special. I think one thing that makes that possible is that there is not one group of people that are at a huge advantage. All of the students are learning a second language at school, whether they are learning English or Spanish. This kind of evens the playing field at school because they are all “experts” in one language and they can all help one another in some way. So it is more of an exchange.

Over the past few weeks we have been working on assessing students’ language skills. A group of people in Madison developed the WIDA Test, which stands for World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. It is a series of tests schools can use to assess their English Language Learners’ (ELLs) English proficiency in all four language domains: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. CVIS purchased the test this year and decided to administer it a few weeks ago. At this point the test only exists for ELL students, so we could only administer it to students at the school whose first language is Spanish. Kathy, the director of the school, says that a version of the test is being developed for Spanish Language Learners. CVIS might actually be able to be a “guinea pig” school that gets to try out the test before they begin officially selling it. But I have no idea when that will happen. Probably not for at least another year.

I had the opportunity to administer all parts of the WIDA test to my 6^th grade students. There are only 11 6^th graders. But 10 are ELL students. Administering the reading and writing portion of the exam was fairly easy. I could give the exam to all of my students at one time. I did this over the course of two days. The reading test is leveled, so students take a short screening test and then get placed to a reading test at an appropriate level for them. Some of the questions were really difficult, as it tested their academic reading skills. This part of the test was easy to grade because it was multiple choice. The writing test was easier to administer because all students wrote about the same writing prompts. However, this part of the test is harder to grade because it is so subjective. We are still grading the writing portion!

We administered the speaking and listening the following week. I had to give the speaking and listening portions to each individual student separately, so it took a lot longer to administer. This took two days to complete, but all of my students did really well. Language learners typically develop speaking and listening skills faster than reading and writing. And all of the 6^th graders began learning English in Kindergarten or 1^st grade so they are all amazing at speaking and listening. I was so impressed with all of my students. Some of the questions on the speaking portion of the test were really easy because there was a “right” answer (example: pointing to a pencil I would ask, “what is this?”). Other questions were more abstract and hard to answer on the spot (example: “Who is your hero and why?”). However, all of my students did a great job. I was surprised that administering the test helped me get to know my students better as individuals in both an academic and non-academic way. I learned that one of my students heroes are famous scientists and engineers like Nicolas Tesla and Albert Einstein because he dreams of being an engineer and inventor one day. Another student of mine idolizes Lady Gaga because he dreams of being a performer and admires her creativity. Many of my students also see their parents and teachers as heroes because they encourage them to be the best they can be and work hard. I didn’t expect to learn such intimate details about my students when administering this test, so it was a pleasant surprise.

There are so many more things I could say about the WIDA test. There were a few things I didn’t like, but that is the case with any standardized test. There are also some limitations. Overall, it seemed like a fair test and I look forward to analyzing the results once we finish grading the writing portion.

The Natural Beauty and Wildlife of Mexico

Mexico is absolutely breath taking. From the moment I arrived here I was blown away by the beautiful views of the Sierra Madre Mountains and the jungle on my drive in from the airport. Wildlife is also everywhere—from the scorpion I found in my house, to the roosters I hear at all hours of the night and I see crossing the street on my way to school.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying the beauty and wildlife of Mexico even more by going on a whale-watching excursion with my friend Jack. We decided to go through a travel group called “Chica Loca.” Our goal was to see some whales, but in addition to that we also got food, fun, snorkeling, and a visit to the Marieta Islands.

The entire group on the trimaran. 

The boat tour was absolutely amazing—I highly recommend it. Upon leaving the marina we spotted a swarm of blue-footed boobies. The long-winged seabirds were studied extensively by Charles Darwin. After seeing them, it is no surprise to me because they are fascinating creatures. They are easy to recognize because of their bright blue feet, which are a sexually selected trait. The mating ritual requires the males to display their feet by lifting their feet up and down while strutting before a female. Although I wasn’t able to see this in action, I was able to watch them feed. They were attracted to the part of the ocean we were sailing on because there was a bunch of fish near and around our boat. The blue-footed boobies soared through the sky and once they spotted a fish they wanted they would free-fall into the water and snatch their prey.

Blue-footed boobies soaring through the sky.

Blue-footed boobies free-falling 

into the water to catch some fish!

As if watching these amazing birds in action wasn’t enough, we soon began spotting Humpback whales. They are amazingly large creatures and can get up to 60 feet in length, which was the size of the trimaran we were traveling on. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and told us that there are different patterns in which the whales travel: individually, with a mate, as mother and child, and as mother and child accompanied by a male escort, or possible multiple male escorts. We had two sightings of solo whales. They are such beautiful creatures, and waved to us with their fins.

Waving to us with a fin!

Our boats destination was the Marieta Islands, a group of small, uninhabited islands. The islands host abundant marine life populations because the Mexican governments has declared the islands a National Park, which means it is protected from fishing, hunting, and other human activity. Once we anchored our boat there were a few options: relax, kayak, paddleboard, swim, or snorkel. Jack and I decided to snorkel to the Marieta Islands. Geared up with flippers, snorkel masks, and life jackets we swam, or rather, floated our way to the islands. At first everything was dark because we were in deep waters. But as it became shallower we could see the ocean floor, including beautiful rocks and reefs, along with tropical fish I have only seen in captivity at the zoo or my dentist’s office. Some fish were dull in color, while others had beautiful stripes and spots with neon colors. Even though we were floating past them, they lived their lives as if we were not there.

A view of Marieta Islands.

Being able to explore part of the Marieta Islands was also a special experience. The islands were formed thousands of years ago by volcanic activity. The history of the island is fascinating. In the early 1900s the Mexican government used them to conduct military testing since they were uninhabited. Many bombings and large explosions took place, which caused amazing caves and rock formations to be created. However, in the 1960s the islands became a national park. We went to a part of the island that used to be a cave. For some reason the cave sunk in and now there is a small beach with little cave-like trails surrounding it. There are two theories for why the cave sunk in: 1) The result of some sort of bomb, or 2) For natural reasons. Whatever the reason, the beach was gorgeous and a pleasure to explore.

A view of the beach at Marieta Islands, which

has been nicknamed "Playa del Amor."

On each side of the beach were different cave-like trails. Jack and I went through the first trail with no problem. It was a bit dark and we had to feel around to get through it, but it was not too difficult. The other trail, which our tour guides called the “G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane Trail” was a completely different story. Parts of it were pitch black, and the whole trail was really narrow. During certain parts I was submerged in water, which made me panic because the guides told us not to swim at all on the trails. The darkness also made me worry that I would step on some sort of sea-creature like a crab without realizing it. At the end of the trail there was this small circular rock formation that we had to pull ourselves through. The lady in front of me joked about not being able to fit through it—which would have been terrible because so many people were following behind us that there is no back-tracking. The only way out is completing the trail!

Jack looking for whales!

Jack and I ecstatic about our wonderful day trip.

Our trip boat trip back from the Marietta Islands was spectacular. We experienced multiple whale sightings. It was amazing to see a mother whale with her baby, and we even saw a male escort! At one point are boat was only about 20-30 feet away from the whales. I can’t believe the whales let us get so close to them. We didn’t frighten them, in fact, I think they were showing off for us. They kept waving at us with their fins, and breached numerous times. Breaching is when whales leap out of the water. Because Humpback whales are so large I don’t think they can actually completely leap out of the water, but they get about 40% of their bodies out. I’m not sure why whales breach but they are more likely to do so in groups, which suggests social reasons such as asserting dominance, sending a message of danger, or play. The loud “smacking” sound they produce when re-entering the water also makes breaching a way to scare prey. It might also allow the whale to breathe in air that is not close to the surface, which helps them breathe when travelling in rough seas. Or it could also be a way to get rid of parasites in their skin. 

A group of 3 whales swimming past us--

mom, baby, and male escort.

An amazing view of the whale breaching!

Doing a turn while breaching.

The entire whale watching adventure lasted 8 hours. Even though it was long and I was exhausted afterwards, I went home feeling so invigorated. I know all about wildlife from science classes, reading, and watching TV programs. But actually being able to see the wildlife for yourself in their natural habitat is absolutely amazing and surreal.

Waving goodbye with a tail!

Another "Almost" Dog

Dogs of all types are everywhere in Sayulita. Big. Small. Wearing a collar. Strays. Playing with other dogs on the beach. Laying on the street. Almost getting hit by cars. You name it, I’ve probably seen it here.

Even though they’re everywhere, one still managed to creep up on me. The four of us were walking home from school last Thursday. We passed a few dogs and I didn’t think anything of it. But after a few blocks, it became apparent that we picked up a new friend—an older German Shepherd. He followed us along the cobblestone paths through town, up the giant mud hill, along Punta de Mita Highway, and finally to outside of our house.

Erin and Alyssa being followed 

home by a new friend.

Cynhia and I were giddy with excitement. After the Princess fiasco we had kind of given up on finding a dog. For those of you who don’t remember, we had gone out of our way to take a dog in, only to find out that she already had an owner. But now, a dog actually followed us home. He chose us!

I guess he's here to stay!

Erin and Alyssa were not thrilled, went inside, and slammed the door on poor Charlie’s face. He just looked up at Cynhia and I with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and won our hearts over. We ran inside and scrounged up a bowl of water and any human food we thought dogs could eat. When he rejected our tortillas, Cynhia tried feeding him the remains of an old block of cheese, which he LOVED. We later found out that dogs are not supposed to eat cheese. Oops! At least he enjoyed it in the moment…

The new dog enjoying water and

posing with his not-so-favorite tortillas.

He sure liked cheese...He sure 

would fit into Wisconsin!

After dinner Cynhia and I checked outside and he was STILL there. So we told Erin and Alyssa we were “taking “a walk into town,” but I think it was obvious that we really just wanted to play with our new dog.

The walk was perfect. We brainstormed names for him and finally settled on the perfect one: Juan Pablo Max Piper Charlie, AKA Carlos! He didn’t respond to it, but followed us nevertheless. During our walk we discovered that people LOVE Charlie. An American man started speaking to him in Spanish, saying things like “hola viejito” (hello oldie). When we stopped at Wa Ki Ka for ice cream a father and son started whistling at Charlie, trying to get his attention. Once they lured him over and started petting him the father asked Cynhia “Is this your dog.” The look on his face was priceess when she said no, and then he proceeded to look for a bathroom to wash his hands.

Charlie followed us to the beach, where we watched the sunset. Because he was being such a good companion, we stopped at the grocery store on our way home to pick up some dog food. He waited patiently outside for us, and walked home with us with his tail wagging. Along the way we kept stopping to try to teach him how to sit, and then would reward him with a handful of dog food.

Charlie enjoying the sunset in the sand.

Cynhia attempting to teach Charlie how to sit...

The next morning Cynhia and I were overjoyed to find that Charlie had stayed outside of our door all night long. Finally! We have a dog! He walked us to school, and we left him outside. We thought he would wait for us until the end of the day, since he had already done so the night before. But at the end of the school day, Charlie was nowhere to be found. So even though Charlie was more promising than Princesa, he ended up being another dog that didn’t quite pan out as a pet.

Over the next couple of days we thought every dog we saw was Charlie. Over the weekend though, Cynhia actually did see him. The way she talked about the interaction made it sound like she ran into an ex-boyfriend. “He wouldn’t even acknowledge me” and “I think there’s somebody else” were phrases she used to describe the Charlie sighting. We now know that Charlie does in fact have other “owners,” or rather, people that feed him. One man feeds him consistently and is seriously considering taking him back to the States.

So I guess Charlie is just another dog that wasn’t meant to be ours. But there is still hope! Two of my students have a dog that just had 4 puppies over the weekend…