´Casa De Los Angeles´ – House of Angels

It was a bright morning in London when I walked to Borough tube station, acquiring strange looks as I squeezed through the barriers, struglling under the weight of a gigantic back pack.  I stepped onto the tube, knowing that the next time I was to be on English soil I would have experienced one amazing month in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. I hoped that I´d have a great tan and maybe improved Spanish skills, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the fulfillment I would have taken from volunteering at Casa De Los Angeles.

This wonderful place is a ´guardería´ – I like that Spanish word, it means daycare centre but insinuates the idea of ´guarding´ the children – because that´s exactly what Casa de Los ANgeles is, it´s a safe place for single mothers to bring their children to whilst they work. The centre relies on the hard work of its founder, Donna, and the hoardes of volunteers that have descended on the place since its opening.

I´m so delighted to be a part of this incredible project; not only are the children little angels (well, most of the time!) but being submerged in an environment where very few people speak English certainly is improving my Spanish and giving me a sense of the true Mexico. For the past week I´ve been working with the 13-18 month olds, which has required more nappy changing than I thought possible (I´m now an expert!) So it will be with a heavy heart that I leave the daycare centre next week, to embark on my intensive Spanish course. Oh, and if you want more information or perhaps would like to donate (they rely solely on donations so every little helps!) visit the website at http://casadelosangeles.org/

Now to San Miguel, the enigmatic and coulourful city that I have come to love. Not a day passes when there´s not some fiesta being celebrated. In the evenings, on wondering to El Jardín there will doubtless be a parade, traditional Mexican dancing or some other random event to amuse and leave you asking ´So what´s the celebration for?´. However, no one really knows – Mexicans hold fiestas because it brings together communities and it´s  a way of  celebrating nothing more than life.

So much has happened in the two weeks I´ve spent in Mexico, and sitting in a boiling hot internet cafe using a keyboard with exceptionally stiff keys makes it kind of hard to recite all of my adventures. However, when I´m at home, jobless and with pletny of time on my hands, I´ll tell them all, but for now, Adios….