Reunited

From Mazatlan, we had another 14 hour travel day to Obregon.  We woke up at 8 am to the sound of the waves crashing against the sand.  Our stay in paradise was rather short because we ate a quick breakfast and headed on the road.  After a very long day and numerous stops at military checkpoints, we arrived in Obregon where I got to ride into the city on a firetruck.

This was a very special week because I got to live with a very dear family.  When my family lived in Tucson, AZ, my brother and I had a nanny-Conchita, who lived with us and who became our second mother.  Once we moved to Nebraska, when I was four, Conchita moved back to Mexico.  I have not seen Conchita for 18 years, but I was blessed with the special opportunity to live with Conchita in her house in Obregon with her husband Alfonso.  I had been waiting for this week for several months because Conchita is such a special part of our family.  

Once we arrived and had finished our meeting, I immediately ran outside to find Conchita.  I walked around looking for her, but I could not find her in the crowd.  Then, as if I was in a movie, I turned around and several host families parted and there she was, just as beautiful as she was when she held me in her arms and rocked me to sleep 18 years ago.  I ran to her and hugged her for the longest time.  I could not believe that I was with Conchita once more.  She then introduced me to her husband Alfonso and he hugged me as if he had known me my whole life and as if I was his own son.  I was roomed with Georgie, my first roommate in Lowell, and I explained to him how special this week was for me and my family.  

When we got to their house, there were pictures of our family on her living room table.  All around the house Conchita kept every picture she had of us and I felt like I was home.  It had been 18 years since I had seen her so I asked about her family and if she had any children.  She responded, "I only had two children-you and your brother."  I was so overwhelmed with emotions that it was hard to believe I was really with Conchita, but I knew every second with her would be a treasured moment.  

On Tuesday morning, we had a full-cast Community Impact day where we worked at a school for children with special needs.  We arrived and they welcomed us with a performance from some of the children dancing and singing for us all.  We divided into groups to tackle four different projects in less than two hours.  Within the two hours, our cast planted trees, repainted the lines on the basketball court, laid stones to outline the track, and leveled ground around the school.  It's amazing how much we can accomplish together when we are motivated and can serve the community together as a cast.  

That evening our cast was part of a parade in town.  We put on international costumes and some of the cast carried flags from around the world.  We walked down the street cheering and handing out fliers for our show during the week.  

Wednesday was our show day for the community.  When I arrived to our show facility, I immediately sensed panic in the air and I did not see the staff anywhere.  We all sat down for our morning meeting with worried looks on our faces.  Our Mexican Tour Manager, Armando, started off the meeting by telling us how important it would be for us to work hard during the day because our Vocal Instructor, John, our Production Manager, Paul, and our Show Manager, Leslie were all sick.  All of a sudden, all our staff came out on stage and surprised us by celebrating our cast with a cast appreciation day.  The entire day was devoted to appreciating all that we had done together as a cast.  It was a very memorable day and certainly a wonderful surprise for all of us.  To top off such a great day, we ended up performing for about 5000 screaming fans.  

Thursday was an internal day for the cast where we had several workshops.  In the afternoon, we talked about the stages of loss in regards to transitioning to our final weeks together as a cast.  When we were told we only had 27 days left, it was crazy to think about all that we had done in 5 months, but the reality set in that our time was quickly coming to an end.  We talked for several hours about how we are feeling about the semester coming to an end.  Some people were angry, some were in denial, some were bargaining by saying things like, "I' still have 3 weeks left," while others had accepted the idea that soon, some of us may never see each other again.  It was a nice time for all of us to think about what stage we were at and give us time to come to terms with our semester ending.  For me, I was at the acceptance stage because I knew that when I got home, I would start going through denial, anger, depression, and bargaining.  The tough stages had not hit me yet, but I knew that they would once I was away from what I found comfortable and safe.  

Friday was another full-cast Community Impact day where all 100 of us repainted an entire church.  Half of the cast worked on painting the outside of the church, while some painted the windows and others painted the inside.  In just four hours, the whole church had a new coat of paint and looked like it had just been built.  We later found out that after we had painted the church, the pastor told us that the following Sunday, the church was full for the first time in years.  Hearing comments like that reminded all of us just how much of an impact we can have in a community and how something as little as painting can make a difference in someone's life.  

Conchita and Alfonso run several rehabilitation centers for men and women wishing to end their addiction to drugs.  Alfonso had gotten involved with drugs when he was just eight years old.  Once someone helped him with his addiction, he decided to devote his life to helping other people and Conchita, being the kind and caring woman that she is, joined Alfonso.  Saturday, Conchita took me and Georgie to the office to meet the women and men that they help.  It was so incredible to see how Conchita and Alfonso have dedicated their life to serving others and helping them make a new life for themselves.  After visiting the offices, Conchita and Alfonso took Georgie and I shopping at the mall.  They insisted on buying us shoes, so I now have a special pair of shoes that will always remind me of Conchita and Alfonso when I wear them.  

After the mall, we enjoyed one last meal together at a Chinese buffet and then headed home to start packing.  Before going to bed, Conchita called me over to the computer and sat me down next to her.  She wanted to tell me something, but she wanted to use google translate so she could express herself in a way that would be easier for me to understand.  She began typing a very long message explaining how special this week has been for her and how thankful she is that she had the chance to see me once again.  I was almost in tears at the end of her message, but then I wrote her back.  I told her how much I enjoyed the week with her and how blessed I am that God brought me back to her.  I also explained to her how inspirational she is for the way the she truly cares for others and how much I admire for the love that she gives.  We both hugged each other with tears running down our faces.  It was a moment that I will forever treasure.  

On Sunday, Conchita dropped us off and we said our goodbyes, but I promised her it would not be the last time.  It was very difficult to say goodbye after such an incredible week, but I took comfort in knowing that I would see her again.

We were surprised to find that before leaving for the next city, we were having a Home Team Olympic Games.  We were put into home teams during staging and it is a group that would periodically get together to hang out and get to know one another.  Our home team is very close and we love spending time with one another because we are always laughing and having fun.  When we heard we were having a home team competition, it was time to put our game faces on.

After four games, we had only won two of them, so it was time to step it up for our final game, which was a 12-legged race.  Surprisingly, we were tied for first place with another team, which meant we got to start closer to the finish line.  As we tied our shoes together, we came up with a game plan as to how we would work together to get to the end of the huge field.  The race began and we began to pace ourselves.  We continued our pace and we in the lead.  We were about ten feet from the finish line when all of a sudden, I saw Mie, from Japan go down.  The next thing I know, I was laying face down on the ground along with my five teammates-we had fallen five feet from the finish line.  However, even though fell, we could not help but laugh.  We ended up brushing the dirt off our faces, linking, and walking together across the line to finish the race.

After such an eventful day, we packed up and loaded the busses to head to our next city-Hermosillo

Into the Mountains

From Mexico City we headed to the pyramids in Teotihuacan, which are the second largest in the world.  We spent the afternoon exploring the area and climbing the endless stairs to the top.  We got back in the busses and drove to Toluca, which is the highest city in Mexico.  In case you were wondering, some places (i.e. in the mountains) its freezing!  I had no idea that it would be so cold in Mexico, so I walk off the bus with every layer I could put on.

I was hosted with Lorna, who is a PR from Ireland, and we stayed with Jahzeel, a cousin of one of my cast mates.  You know you are in Mexico when your host mom gives you two shots tequila at 11:30 at night.  I knew I was going to have a great week in Toluca. 

Tuesday morning we had to up early because we headed to another city called Nocalpan to work in the schools.  We spent the day working with the students in the classrooms and doing workshops.  We facilitated a workshop that would get the students to think about ways to make a different in the world and think more globally.  

The next day we returned to the school in Nocalpan for a show for the community and the students.  It's amazing how popular Up with People (Viva la Gente) is in Mexico.  It's like we are superstars and everyone wants our pictures and autographs.  After the show, we had to have a backstage exit because we couldn't get through the crowd to the busses.  Furthermore, we had to have people stand guard as we exited because people kept following us.  

The next day we headed to a high school in Toluca, where I facilitated a three-hour workshop about global leadership with Vera from The Netherlands.  I was actually so amazed at how engaged the students were and how deep our conversations became after only a short time in the classroom.  We talked about global values, the importance of decision making, how to communicate across cultures, and what it means to be a global citizen.  After working with the students, I realized my much I really enjoy facilitating and teaching students.  

That evening, Lorna, Jahzeel, and I rented a movie and ordered pizza.  We ended up laying in Jahzee's bed for hour laughing and making jokes all night.  I do not remember laughing so hard in such a long time.  It was a nice relief to just be lazy and have fun.  

Friday we went to another high school and I facilitated the same workshop with Kelli, our education coordinator.  We had a fantastic group of students and I really learned a lot about my own views and leadership just by listening to their discussions.  Half way through the class the students had but us Mexican snacks to try and wanted to take us out for lunch with them. We unfortunately had to rehearse, but Kelli and I grew very fond of our class and were excited for them to come to the show.
We had rehearsal as normal, which consists of running through a majority of the show including our major dance numbers like our medleys.  We generally run through the entire song without stopping unless we have a significant problem with blocking, sound, or lighting.  We ate a quick dinner and then performed our show for another enthusiastic crowd that cheered the entire show.  

Saturday was host family day and Lorna and I slept in and rested well.  Once we lazily got ready for the day we went shopping at the mall.  Lorna and I wandered around the mall looking through all the stores and I ended up finding a new #2 shirt and a nice jacket.  In UWP we use a number system to know what our dress code is for the day.  A #1 is our nicest attire with a jacket, button up shirt, and tie-which we rarely get to wear.  Our #2 is what we wear every travel day when we meet our new host families, which consists of a collared shirt.  Our #3 is more casual, but still presentable and appropriate in public settings.  We where our #4 during rehearsals-I wish I had more #4 attire, since I sweat so much during a show day.  And finally our #5 consist on anything that we are comfortable with getting ripped and covered in paint.  I can no longer process appropriate attire unless its by our number system.  When I am walking around a store I now see clothes as numbers-shopping will never be the same.  It's even gotten to the point that when I see a colorful, bright dress shirt, I think to myself, "Wow that would be a great show costume."

After shopping we headed to a Mexican party at a ranch.  Jahzeel took us to her cousins party who was also hosting a bunch up UWP students.  The first thing we were served were huge pitchers of tequila. After enjoying a drink and talking with cast mates a mariachi band started playing so we all began to dance, and I had a blast dancing with my host mom  who taught me proper Mexican dancing technique, which consisted of a lot of hip action.  Then, a black stallion came out from the barn and we all took turns riding the horse and taking pictures.  We all had such a fantastic evening together dancing, singing, eating, drinking, and soaking in the Mexican culture. 

After the party, Lorna, Jahzeel, and I went to a wedding reception to help Jahzeel work.  She is a wedding planner and also rents a photo booth at receptions.  Lorna and I helped Jahzeel set up the booth and then spent some time trying on all the different hats and accessories and taking pictures.  We laughed while we set up the booth and took silly pictures together.  

I will always remember my week with Jahzeel because of all the laughs we shared together and her unending generosity.  My week with Jahzeel reminded me of the importances of being able to relax and laugh-sometimes for no reason.  I am usually more quiet when I first meet a new host family, but the first night I met Jahzeel, we were already laughing and I had felt like I had known her for years.  I very much look forward to keeping in touch her Jahzeel and I am blessed to know have her in my life.

Sunday morning we began our 36-hour trek to the northern part of Mexico to Ciudad Obregon.  On day one we spent 15 hours in the bus stopping only three times for breaks.  We arrived at our hotel in Mazatlan, right on the beach, at 11:30 pm where we then sat down to have dinner.

Viva la Gente

Our long travel day began at 5am as we headed to the airport for our flight.  From the Philippines we flew back to Taiwan where we walked off the plane and we were greeted with that familiar Taiwanese scent, which brought back all the memories from our time in Taiwan.  We then had a very long 12-hour flight back to L.A. and, once we arrived, we were divided into three different groups for our flight to Mexico.  I was on the first flight that arrived into Mexico City at midnight because a small group of us had a mini show the following day.  That night we slept at a nice hostel to try and catch up on sleep for our busy week ahead.

The following day, we traveled to our site for the mini show and did community service by cleaning up the park we were performing in that afternoon.  We only had 20 people with us for the show, so we spent a lot of time rehearsing new dance positions and solos, since our normal mini shows consist of about 40 students.  That evening we returned to the hostel to meet the rest of the cast who had flown during the night and slept at the hostel during the day.  It is crazy how much we miss each other when we are only apart for a day, but when we see one another every day all day long, it is hard for us when we are not together.

This week was very special because my mother, father, and brother came to spend the week with me and the cast.  I had the chance to quickly see them during host pick-up before I met my host family for the week.  It was so great to see them after being away from home for so long and I could not wait for them to meet my family on-the-road.

This week I was hosted with Danny from Mexico City, so I got to stay at his home with his real family.  I was hosted with seven other students- Miguel, our dance captain, Max from Germany, Bonnie from Colorado, Nozomi from Japan, Will from Washington, and Emanuel from Mexico.  It was a house-full, but it was going to be a great week and a perfect introduction into the outgoing and fun Mexican culture.

Wednesday, we had another mini show in a different part of the city.  Our stage was in the middle of the street and as we rehearsed, crowds gathered around to watch.  If funny how foreigners who sing and dance attract crowds.  

Thursday was our Community Impact day and my parents and brother joined us for the day.  I was with a group that had the opportunity to build altars for a holiday called "Dia de Muertos" - Day of the Dead.  It's a significant holiday where families celebrate and remember their loved ones who have passed away.  To celebrate the holiday, families usually construct altars in their homes.  Our altars were for a Catholic Church and were much more elaborate and detailed.  We were divided into two groups and given the freedom to create our own designs for the altars.  We used colored sawdust to create patterns on these large platforms and then we put papier-mache skeletons on top of the design.

It was so great to have my parents spend the day with some of my cast mates and really get to experience what we do on a daily basis.

That evening we had another mini show that my parents were able to watch.  I am no longer surprised by where we perform.  At the beginning of the semester I would have assumed that one of our mini shows would be in an auditorium.  However, I have learned that assumptions get me nowhere because we could be performing in an outdoor amphitheater, in the middle of a street on a makeshift, somewhat questionable stage, or next to an office building in front of a tent.  I have learned that it is not about the location of our shows, but rather, it is about the impact that we have for the people who attend the show whether its performing for several hundred or 30 people. 

Friday was our host family day, so I took the day off and spent it with my family.  I met Breton at the hotel and he and I walked around exploring the area to find lunch.  After lunch we continued exploring the city and talking.  It was really nice to spend time hanging out with my brother.  Once we returned to the hotel, mom, dad, Breton, and I headed back out to walk around the hotel and look at all the fancy shops around the area.  That evening mom and dad took me out to dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe where we enjoyed a nice American meal.

Saturday we spent the entire afternoon preparing for our special show the following day.  We had the opportunity to perform in the Zocolo, which is the world's third largest public square and can hold up to 200,000 people.  Because we were expecting such a large crowd we needed to rehearse our Mexican medley and continue fine tuning our show.

Saturday I had the most embarrassing moment that I have ever had in my life and I will happily share it with you.  For some reason, while I was rehearsing, John our vocal instructor, called me over and told me I was going to be singing a solo in the Mexican medley.  I about gagged when he told me I was going to sing because it was a song I had never learned.  But he pulled me aside and we quickly started learning the song for about 20 minutes until we were ready to rehearse with the whole cast.  While the rest of the cast was rehearsing, I stood aside to continue practicing, while my heart was racing and I was about to have a panic attack.  As I was rehearsing with a microphone in my hand, and by this point, I was really getting into the song, all of the sudden I heard silence and then someone said "Collin."  I turned my head only to find 100 people staring at me with huge smiles on their faces.  I had been singing into the microphone while it was on.  I immediately turned bright red, and if that wasn't enough, since I wasn't paying attention, I thought they called my name because they were ready for my song, so I walked over and stood in the center ready to go.  Then, someone said, "Collin, what are you doing?  It's not time yet."  All I could do was laugh at myself.  Thankfully, I was replaced for the solo, and I realized that I am happier being a dancer.

Finally the day came for our big show.  Our stage was set up in one corner of the plaza facing a beautiful cathedral with the second largest flag in the country waving in the breeze.

We started rehearsal after lunch and as we were warming up on the stage, thousands of people walked by and some stopped to watch us.  We couldn't rehearse many songs during the afternoon because we did not want to give away our show.  It began to rain, but that didn't stop people from coming to watch us rehearse.

We ended up performing for about 7,000 people in the Zocolo and I will never forget standing on the stage and looking out into a sea of people with the lights of the cathedral illuminating the most beautiful flag silently waving in the night sky.  After every song, the crowd went wild and all we could hear was the deafening sound of the audience.

It was very special to spend the week with my family and for them to spend time getting to know my other Mexican host family.  It was also great to show my parents how I have grown this semester and what I have learned about the world and myself.