Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
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Homecoming Queen, Mexican Style
This year, my daughter, who attends a public school here in La Paz and is in her second year of secundaria (the eighth grade in the U.S.) was
nominated for what would be the equivalent of Homecoming Queen. Naturally, that has involved me a little more than usual in the annual affair.
My daughter is of Filipino-American extraction and is considered pretty by some, but she hasn't a chance of winning. But I thought I'd use the
opportunity to inform my fellow Nomads on how such things work down here.
Unlike U.S. Homecoming Queens, who--if I remember from my HS days (it's been a while)--are selected by a student vote, here in Mexico the winner is
determined by how many kilos of aluminum cans she and her classmates turn in. In early February each class nominated a candidate to represent them and
then are given about three months to collect aluminum for the school.
The collection period begins just before Carnaval starts--which is a big help in getting things started since it is one of the few times during the
year when open containers are legally allowed in the city's streets while enjoying the Carnaval. Of the six days, our family collected on two ocasions
(picture a gringo racing little Oaxaquito children for cans among the crowd--not a good sight!). At other times, the family has gone off to beaches
and other places to gather aluminum.
Some parents take these contests really seriously, even going so far as buying cans at local recycle centers to turn in at school.
As you may have gathered, the primary purpose of the contest is as a fundraiser to pay for other celebrations held at the school in which prizes or
candy are given to attendees, such as Dia del Niņo, Dia de las Madres, etc.
While the cans gathered by the various contestants at the Carnaval (as far as I know, most, if not all, of the schools in the area hold their contests
at the same time) would have been gathered anyway, I'm sure some of the cans gathered at this time of year would otherwise have littered the landscape
for some time to come--to judge from the fade on some of the cans collected so far.
Given the reality of the contest, I've always considered the winner as Queen of the Beercans. In case anyone is curious, there is a Homecoming King,
but he seems to be little more than a placemarker next to the queen and isn't expected to make too much effort at can collection.
Although we are collecting aluminum on our various outings and have made special trips for the purpose, it is only to keep from looking disinterested
in our support of the school. No way can we compete with some of the zealousness I see in my fellow parents.
Fortunately, they also hand out a few other, lesser, sashes (if I'm not mistaken, winners have to provide their own crowns), such as Miss Talent and
Miss Congeniality, so my daughter isn't totally guaranteed to come away empty-handed, she just won't be bringing home any Queen of the Beercan titles
this year.
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krafty
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Is there city wide recycling in La Paz-? Fantastic-no such animal in Rosarito-when we tried to take our recyclables over to Cali we were told it was
not permitted-kills me to throw glass and aluminum out-
Good Luck to your Daughter!
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Marc
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Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Tripper, I do hope your daughter wins.
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DENNIS
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Location: Punta Banda
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You're busted, Steve. Now we all know where Bill's boat trailer went.
How about if your daughter uses one of the wheels for a crown????
Jes kiddin', of course, but I hope your little girl wins it all.
I remember how the Rose Parade Queen looked all too often, being purely a political beauty pageant. A few of the winners couldn't get humped in a dog
pound.
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Bajatripper
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Thank you all for your well-wishing. My daughter and I appreciate it. I'm touched in a most pleasant way.
Now, please send me all of your beer cans between now and April
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Bajalerita
Newbie
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Thank you for all the support. It means a lot 
This should probably be the time to introduce myself; I am Bajatripper's daughter and Bajalera's granddaughter, also known as "The One Who Will Not be
Queen of the Beercans" 
I've got some pretty large footsteps to fill in these forums, so I hope I do a pretty good job of doing so and not have people dismiss me as being
just a girl who had nothing better to do with her time 
Again, thanks  
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
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Welcome Bajalerita!
Kudos to you for continuing to collect cans regardless of your chances to win the coveted title of Q.O.T.B.Cs.
It's nice to have a young person's input on the Nomad board again!
Good luck to you. I'd love to see photos of the Homecoming event when the time comes.
Paulina>*)))>{
[Edited on 19-3-2011 by Paulina]
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
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Location: Pescadero BCS
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Just go to the recycle place and buy a truck load of cans.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13052
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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welcome Bajalerita....wow, it is sooooooo fanastic that you are posting here. My daughter Sirenita started writing stuff here when she was in high
school too. I imagine you are bilingual then? Is it a mexican school?
We would LOVE to hear more from you about your life and how things are for you there....it is so interesting! My daughter was princess once...not
queen and she had alot of fun and got to buy a nice dress! So have fun and we hope to see a photo of you at the contest!
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
Now, now....that'd be counter to the spirit of things now, wouldn't it?
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Nothing raises one's spirits like winning.
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Bajalerita
Newbie
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Registered: 1-9-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
My wife and I are very interested in educational opportunities in your beautiful city when we move down there with our gemelos.
Buena suerte! |
Thank you!
Well, one of the main differences in schools in the U.S. and schools here in Mexico is that many, if not all, require the use of uniforms. The male
students use black shoes, slacks and white, button-down short sleeved shirts, while the female students use black shoes with jumper-styled dresses, a
vest and a skirt, or just a skirt, all according to the specific school's colors and the same kind of white button-down as the guys. From my
experience, it seems that the jumpers are for kindergarten and elementary schoolers, the vests and skirts for the middle schoolers, and the sole skirt
with the button-down for the high schoolers.
They also have P.E. uniforms, which are normally a polo shirt with some sweatpants and white tennis shoes for both genders.
Schools are also very conservative. They have VERY specific dress codes; overly short skirts, piercings, dyed hair, makeup, casual
clothes, different colored shoe laces, and brightly colored jackets are all no-no's at my middle school. Guys can't have very long hair, either. All
of these rules are enforced by the school authorities, and suspension is a widely used option for the rebelious types.
Elementary and middle schools use different class systems. In elementary, you usually use one classroom for all your classes, with the exception of
the computation and P.E.
In middle school, things are a bit more complicated; you have all the same classmates throughout the day, but you have different schedules fo each
day, and much like in the U.S., you switch from classroom to classroom, so it's easier for the young hooligans to skip classes. That's what the school
prefects are for.
Those are only a few of some of the main differences... Hope this was helpful
Last night I layed on my bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself; where the heck is the ceiling?
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13052
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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are your classes in spanish?
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Woooosh
Banned
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Location: Rosarito Beach
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Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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At least after a Mexican Homecoming celebration, you don't have to beat the HS Football Captain with a bat to get him away from your daughter if she
should win.  Good luck!
What happened to voting with pesos and putting coins in the can next to the photo of your selection? Although in this economy where every peso
counts- I like the idea of collecting the cans...
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajatripper
Thank you all for your well-wishing. My daughter and I appreciate it. I'm touched in a most pleasant way.
Now, please send me all of your beer cans between now and April
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Do formal hand-off arrangements need to be made....or since I know which wall to lob them over....? And
most importantly, since we truly are in Cerveza Country, would soda cans be automatically eliminated by virtue of their former unworthy contents?
Bajalerita, now that there's plastic bottle recycling collection in La Paz, maybe you could encourage the schools to expand on the country clean-up
& recycling effort by branching out into plastic as well as aluminum?? Hmmmmm....opens up a world of possibilities....plastic or aluminum crown?
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Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3152
Registered: 3-20-2010
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| Quote: | | often felt hindered by school policies that wouldn't let her just boot a disruptive force out of class for an hour/day/year
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When I attended public schools in La Paz, the rule of the ruler was still in use (as in "put your fingers on top of the desk and let me smash this
meter-stick across them"). Those days are well behind us now, to the lament of some. The schools, in some cases, seem to have swung to the other
extreme as some of the classes I've seen have been just short of having kids hanging from the rafters and the teacher nowhere to be found. Even so, I
wouldn't change the experiences my daughter has had for anything. She is a better human being because of her stay here, which is coming to an end
after this school year.
[Edited on 3-27-2011 by Bajatripper]
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Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3152
Registered: 3-20-2010
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
Do formal hand-off arrangements need to be made....or since I know which wall to lob them over....? And most importantly, since we truly are in
Cerveza Country, would soda cans be automatically eliminated by virtue of their former unworthy contents?
Bajalerita, now that there's plastic bottle recycling collection in La Paz, maybe you could encourage the schools to expand on the country clean-up
& recycling effort by branching out into plastic as well as aluminum?? Hmmmmm....opens up a world of possibilities....plastic or aluminum crown?
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No, Legs, of course a formal handoff need not take place--this isn't a relay race, you know. So, the next time you're out "maleconiando" (repeatedly
driving up and down the malecon) on a Saturday night, drinking beer (we'll call them sodas and it'll be our little secret) and throwing the empties in
the back seat, just stop by the house and toss them over on your way back home
And, please, don't mention your plastic recycling idea too loud in this neighborhood, aluminum cans are quite enough, thank you (I hate it when people
[me] don't rinse the milk out, especially on hot days)
And as for the "honor" and "spirit of the competition" someone mentioned above--I'm way beyond that. As I initially stated, my efforts are only aimed
at not looking like I don't support the school. If I could reach an agreement with school officials to "donate" the average that parents raise in
cans, I'd gladly do it (I have no interest in buying my daughter a title). I am told that many parents buy loads of cans from others to try to win it
all, so that would appear to be the real spirit of the competition. And besides, that approach brings greater benefit to the school.
My wife tells me that when she was a kid in Guadalajara, these competitions were more direct--the winner was the little girl who turned in the most
money. Now, at least, we have to launder it through aluminum cans so we don't look so crass.
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