BajaBlanca - 2-1-2014 at 03:16 PM
FOR EVERY CLEAN UP, I WILL DO AN UPDATE WHICH WILL OBVIOUSLY APPEAR AFTER THE PREVIOUS WEEKS EVENT...SCROLL DOWN, IF YOU WOULD.
I thought I would take you on a little adventure today: some of my 7th graders came to clean up, with the bait of getting chocolate cake afterwards
(is bribing a bad thing ???? I AM GUILTY!!!!)
The Blanca BajaMobile ready for action:
Kids in Action:
Here we are, under the palapa in the back yard of the B&B, enjoying a rich double fudge chocolate cake. One girl ate 5 pieces! I sure hope she
does not get a stomachache....
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So, after we eat we talk a bit. Todays conversation focused on two topics.
1. what did we mostly pick up ? and they answered plastic bags. So, I told them that the cooperative is considering banning plastic bags and having
people bring their recycled cloth bags from home. New idea to them but it would literally do away with 80% of the trash we collect.
2. what do you want to study in college? answers varied from clothes designer, architect/interior designer to scientist. My goal is just to get them
thinking about it.
Clean up =one hour
Party =one hour
Lessons = hopefully a lifetime
We had 2 more kids than last week! Pretty impressive for a Saturday morning with 7th graders. I am not sure if my very own sons would have
participated at this age.
Have a great weekend all!
[Edited on 2-24-2014 by BajaBlanca]
[Edited on 4-30-2014 by BajaBlanca]
DJL - 2-1-2014 at 03:57 PM
Great job !! I LOVE seeing civic pride in Kids !!
D.~
ligui - 2-2-2014 at 08:13 AM
Good things do happen .... . Made me smile .
I need to change places , looks like a great day .
Thanks for sharing , Ligui
Ateo - 2-2-2014 at 08:33 AM
You are a good educator.
shari - 2-2-2014 at 08:36 AM
way to go Blanca...once you get kids picking up garbage, they will always think twice about throwing it away and will also scold their family and
friends for littering...this is a huge shift in consciousness you are helping attain!
BajaBlanca - 2-10-2014 at 12:22 PM
This past Saturday Feb. 8th,2014 brought out about 15 kids and we did a huge clean up!
This is the whole gang and I had two adult helpers this week as I had a feeling there would be more kids.
Yours truly at work:
Here they are at the party with two cakes: one chocolate and one pineapple. Next week they have been promised 3 cakes and brownies, If anyone is
coming south, PLEASE bring me some betty crocker fudge brownie mix!
the boys:
the girls, I guess they sit separately because of boy coodies?
and here is a picture of what a difference one hour can make:
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This week we talked about the importance of going to school and trying for the best grades. Some of them have a C average and I told them to go for
the Gold. I also told them the Les story (my husband for those who do not know us) since he is a self-made man and very inspirational for the kids.
Helps them to realize that we can all achieve our dreams with hard work.
And this week again, we took a tour of the B&B so they could see the things we have brought from all over the world. It was very satisfying
because those kids who had come the previous week were able to tell the others where different objects came from: there are salt and pepper shakers
from England, there is a Welsh flag, there is a Russian military cap, there are arts and crafts from almost every state in Mexico, there is a mask
from Venice, there is a golden straw bag from the Amazon ..... these 7th graders are traveling the world from a little village in Mexico!
micah202 - 2-10-2014 at 12:26 PM
.
..NOICE!!!
...a bright new Baja,,,,one corner at a time!
jimgrms - 2-10-2014 at 12:30 PM
Little by little changes are made
luv2fish - 2-10-2014 at 01:14 PM
Hi Blanca, first of all thank you for what you are doing with these kids. And secondly I have a question, having been born and raised in Los Angeles
where positive roll models are in short supply, do you find these kids wanting to "lean the other way"
if you would as far as taking what they think is the easy way out and maybe joining up with cartels or selling drugs on the corner there. Ive never
been that far south but I understand that the family unit is much stronger and the cloth of obedience and respect not just for one self but for ones
peers, is something that has not been dismantled as it has up north.
Whale-ista - 2-10-2014 at 01:19 PM
Inspiring! Thanks for posting photos and discussion. Looks like a very successful event on all levels.
Pls remind me: For those of us driving on Hwy 1, can we still drop off supplies (brownie mix etc) at the restaurant at the turnoff?
DavidE - 2-10-2014 at 01:42 PM
I looked outside toward the south and saw a golden ray of KARMA BUENA shining down on La Bocana. Makes me smile amiga.
BajaBlanca - 2-10-2014 at 06:38 PM
Thanks all for the comments (((:
whale-ista-YOU BETCHA, they will forward anything dropped of to me. Please write Blanca - LA BOCANA on the box.
luv2fish - there are drugs here but I have not seen a problem at the schools....the family unit is really strong for one and secondly, 95% of the
people are employed by the local fishing cooperative, so they are wealthy and these kids have a nice life - quads etc.
The kids I work with are a part of the 5% that are not with the coop and are at risk .... they always stay after the cleanups and I do a little extra
one on one pep talks with them.
805gregg - 2-10-2014 at 06:58 PM
Did they learn that throwing out rubbish is bad or that more rubbish = choc cake
EngineerMike - 2-14-2014 at 02:25 PM
what do you want to study in college? answers varied from clothes designer, architect/interior designer to scientist. My goal is just to get them
thinking about it.
Brilliant.
Udo - 2-14-2014 at 03:58 PM
Great job, Blanca!
Everywhere I have been in Baja, I constantly see kids as well as adults throwing trash either out the window, or as they walk home from school.
I wish this example would be shown everywhere in Mexico.
The disrespect of the land with trashing everything, comes from the parents down.
Thanks for setting the example.
BajaBlanca - 2-14-2014 at 06:42 PM
Thanks Udo, for tomorow, 2 batches of brownies and 2 chocolate cakes! Check!
liknbaja127 - 2-14-2014 at 08:29 PM
Blanca, that's very cool, What you got going! We will be coming that way, for
the first time in that area! mid March. We would love to bring some cake mix!
Do you need frosting also? I will bring some large trash bags also.
We are also looking for a place to stay for 1 night. I will u-2-u, For the invo.
watizname - 2-16-2014 at 08:35 AM
Coodies???? Haven't heard that one in -----well, in a REALLY long time. You should be proud of what your doing. Gold stars around. 
Marc - 2-16-2014 at 06:34 PM
Great job!!
Years ago (1990?) I was camped at Agua Verde. I was stunned to see that the beach at the town shoreline was so filthy with litter one could not walk
on it. Mostly empty oil containers. pools of oil, and plastic bags. When I commented to my kayak guide I was told not to say anything because it was
not my business and it was culturally OK to litter that way. The towns folk would be very angry if I said anything about it. Someone got the message I
guess. Last year the beach looked clean.
I know first hand how Mexicans leave a campsite and it's not pretty.
When in SE Asia we would clear whatever filthy beach we landed on and build a huge bonfire. My pet peeve. I just don't get it how people can poop in
their own nest.
[Edited on 2-17-2014 by Marc]
Bubba - 2-17-2014 at 04:53 AM
It's nice to see the children getting pointed in the right direction, let's hope it sticks. Job well done young lady!
baconjr - 2-17-2014 at 09:56 AM
Kudos! Kids are great and with the proper exposure they can do great things.
We have a great surf spot and a locked gate. If you want to surf you must pickup a garbage back full of trash. It seems to work when the surf is up.
BajaBlanca - 2-18-2014 at 12:56 PM
I know Marc, Mexico is not alone in this mess ... I have cleaned beaches in Brazil as well.
Bubba - one of the little girls sounds just like me when she rants about the trash .... she is just hysterically funny .... I see myself in her
(((:
please come visit - all of you!
Here is a pic of us after cleaning last Feb.15
and here are the brownies !!!
My helper Anna Fischer - descendant of the famous Fischer guy who jumped ship way back when - made jello which the kids loved:
BajaBlanca - 2-24-2014 at 12:13 PM
baconjr -I love that you are doing the same thing I am - a bag of trash to surf is just fantastic!
here are the pics from Saturday 2/22! As usual, a one hour clean up. It was an amazing day and we made the sandy dunes near the beach really clean.
We started here at the top of the grassy area (showing it after we cleaned up )
and ended up by the old cooperative seafood packing plant - the white building with blue trim that is in the background.
Anna Fischer, the retired nurse, helping out again:
moi:
and the proof of the damage mitigation:
enjoying the party afterwards:
Isn't he just the cutest! Gotta love 12 year olds:
BajaBlanca - 2-24-2014 at 12:15 PM
BTW I reuse all the cups and silverware lest anyone think I am careless. There is no paper plate or cup option here in La Bocana.
