things have finally settled down here in mexico city and i feel like i am settling into a routine. everything here is the same as it was last summer. most of the children in casa hovde, where i am staying, are the same as they were last summer, and the tias and i have picked up where we left off. i suppose the only main change is that i am working in centro de matlapa, which is in coyocan, about a half hour from hovde. the program here is quite different from the rest of programa ninos de la calle but i think its better. right now there are three groups of children each day. they are in primary and secondary school. each group is here for about two hours to eat and study, as they have just a few weeks left of school. i like the environment here a lot, but im not yet sure how to explain it. the tias want me to teach english this week and next week, while the children are still in school, so i will do that and then start photography as part of the center´s summer program. my spanish has come back so quickly, and i am learning more each day. i feel like i am where i was about one week before i left last summer, in terms of the language. right now my thoughts are about 60% spanish, 40% english, so writing this blog is quite difficult!

there are so many things here i had forgotten about, but as i said before, i feel like my "other life" here is exactly the same as it was before. the weather, with sun in the day and huge storms at night, the constant noise, the language and slang, the food, etc. and especially the children. like i said, it is difficult to explain.

if you are the praying type, i suppose you could pray that i would not be tired. fatigue has been a big problem for me in the past month or two. and also that i would continue to feel helpful. i know that is not my purpose here, but im sure you understand how that helps everything along. i now have access to internet during the week at matlapa (where i am now) because we have a break in the middle of the day, so you can easily contact me here or by email if you wish. thanks for all of your support.