Dispatches from Mexico: Last week in Morelia

The 10 officers from our department who went to further their Spanish language skills in Mexico for five weeks have returned home! Here's a wrap-up of their last days there from guest blogger Sergeant Lionel Colon:

This week wraps up our immersion experience. A lot of time will be spent studying for finals and getting in the last minute shopping for souvenirs.

May 16

Sunday Free-day! We all met at the school shortly after noon for a visit to our professor Lucia's new home for some socializing and snacks. On her wall were group photos of previous Spanish classes. On the couch and dinner table were accents from Kansas City's Pier One.

We then took a 45-minute ride to the mountain restaurant El Rincon De Villa. Lucia's extended family met us there for some fine dining. We were held up for about an hour by and unexpected rainstorm. It started out quite refreshing but soon turned into a muddy mess surrounding the area. Thankfully, our bus was only stuck in the mud for a short time.

May 18
Happy Birthday Morelia! Again, class until early afternoon ... homework ... etc. The downtown was all in a buzz. The streets were shut down all day. Parades and other festivities filled the area.

May 19
After classes today, we met at C.C.L. for our last Spanish/English exchange with the students. This has been one of the most rewarding exchange experiences. Many of the students are preparing to study in exchanges in the USA.

May 20
Last call for questions for the teacher! We spent the day reviewing and preparing for Friday's final exams. Later that evening we met again with your professors to make up hours of study due to earlier scheduling conflicts.

May 21
Finals...what we have been prepairing for but now faced with the daunting task of completing the one year's worth of Spanish instruction that we tackled this month here in Morelia. Between exams, we found time to celebrate one of our birthdays with a tres leches con chocolate cake. Wow, did our taste buds sing!

After the last exam we all sighed relief and went home to prepare for our return home to the USA. Later in the evening we all met at the mountaintop to celerate our accomplishments and also the birthday.

May 22
Last day, last-minute events - time with our respective hosts families, the zoo, the market, the movies, the packing all squeezed in our last moments here. The clock is ticking until we meet at 0330 hours to load up the bus and head to the airport.

The 10 officers in Spanish immersion training.

Thank you to the KCPD, the KIIS staff and our host families for investing in our lives. Morelia, Michoacan, is a city rich in culture and warm people. We hope to return better equipped to serve our Department, our citizens and our families as this experience has had an impact in all areas of our lives.

Bidding farewell to Morelia at night

 Be Home In A Few!

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Dispatches from Mexico: Mother's Day, pizza and migrant assistance

Our 10 officers studying Spanish are coming up on their last week in the city of Morelia in Michoacan, Mexico. Last week, they got to experience a Mexican Mother's Day, futbol games and a migrant assistance center. Guest blogger Sergeant Lionel Colon describes their experiences and shares some of his photos:

May 9
Today, most of us spent time with our host families. Others found time to run much-needed errands as our weekdays are full of classes, cultural excursions and time spent in the community practicing our Spanish.

I attended a local church gathering of people who are friends with those I attend church with back home. I was received with warmth and kindness. The children present all read a prepared reading and offered impromptu speeches of thanks for their mommies. Afterward, I was invited to a children's birthday party. It was at Peter Pan Pizza, and it was absolutely delicious and would rival our most popular pizza establishments. Although, many of those present smothered their pizzas with ketchup. The event included the traditional piñatas.

We all ended our day preparing our homework for the next day.


May 10
Happy Mother's Day! Well, today it is celebrated here in Mexico. It’s a fixed holiday on May 10. We showered our host mothers with gifts bright and early as we began our week.

Classes resumed with the addition of yet another verb tense. Later, we completed the afternoon with conversation class with our professors out in the community.


May 12
Classes all morning. Homework in the afternoon. Then an evening at the Monarcas futbol game. The stadium was full of fans as the team continued through the playoffs. The fans were a bit more vocal this game when fans of the competing team appeared. We continued our Spanish at the game as fans continued to be eager to speak with the visiting Americans. It ended in a 3-3 tie.

May 14
Classes, two exams and more Spanish to work on. After classes, we visited the Center for Migrant Assistance. This team of workers facilitates so many things to assist people born within this state, Michoacan. They organize groups to provide family assistance like our victim compensation fund. They assist in foreign police investigations. They organize Michoacanians in other countries to give back to their foreign communities and also back to their place of birth. They coordinate medical care exchanges with doctors from other countries. The list goes on and on. As we left, they provided us with a gift bag and most interesting of all, a publication of migrant stories (both Spanish and in English). They were anxious to learn more about our CAN Center and hope to assist our Department in any way they can.

May 15
This was our first Saturday without an excursion planned. Some stayed at home and participated in family events. Others returned to nearby Patzcuaro for the day. The weather was amazing. It was the perfect day to relax and continue our immersion experience.

We spent the afternoon at a local restaurant, San Panho's, watching the Monarcas away futbol game. The restaurant ran out of ketchup, ran out of change and the Monarcas didn't even come close to winning. So as the game ended, we went our separate ways. Some visited the Cathedral Lighting Ceremony. The area streets were closed to vehicle traffic, and the crowds gathered for the celebration.

Mariachi band.

Local artisan.

A bridal party circling the Plaza

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Dispatches from Mexico: 911, drunk drivers and volcanoes

Our 10 KCPD officers learning Spanish in Kansas City's sister city of Morelia, Mexico, right now are half-way through their five-week stay. They just took midterm exams and checked out several police and cultural sites. Here's guest blogger Sergeant Lionel Colon's take on their recent activities and classes:

May 1
Today in class there was the introduction of yet another verb conjugation. Of course, it wasn't any easier than the previous ones.

Afterward, the class visited the C-4 Dispatch Center. Their radio technology is made by the French. They seem to have similar problems with their handhelds as we do. They have a network of traffic cameras distributed about the city that they monitor in a viewing room. Like all other law enforcement, they enjoy playing versions of traffic intersections' greatest hits. We gathered around the big screens to watch accidents and street fights caught on tape. As we left, they gave us hats with their version of the 9-1-1 logo.

Tonight we continue converstion class out of the classroom and in the community.

May 6
This evening's CCL class was interesting. One student was late (Jenny). When she arrived, she was wearing a neck brace. She had been the victim of a DUI accident when her car was struck by fans leaving the futbol game on May 1. As she described the details, her eyes swelled with tears. An unfortunate circumstance she is dealing with, but we assured her in our line of work it could have been much worse.


May 7
Hurray for Midterm exams, followed by a disturbing bilingual move called "Trade "

Our classes continued later that evening at the Santibanez household to try our hand at a menu of dishes to include agua de jamaica, crema de cilantro, tacos dorados, guacamole, and flan. After watching and assisting in the demonstrations, we ate everything for good measure.

May 8
Excursion Day. We drove several hours to reach the volcanic ruins of Paricutin. In the early 1940's, several volcanoes erupted destroying neighboring towns. A local church survived. It's amazing how the front of the church towers over the lava rock and yet near the back of the submerged church revealed the original altar. The journey to get there consisted of an almost-perfect ride on horseback.

After leaving the church, we headed to nearby Urupan and its national park. The plush forest and amazing display of waterfalls was so relaxing after the previous journey. The fresh water followed our every step even to the minute details of small gutters that were built into the walkways we traversed. Near the end of the tour, some of us could resist no longer and dunked our feet in pools of the refreshing water.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is a much needed free-day. Well, not completely free as we have ample homework and review to complete for the coming week.

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Dispatches from Mexico: Star Wars, Academia de Policia and grocery shopping

Our ten officers continuing their Spanish immersion training in the city of Morelia, Mexico, are learning more language and culture every day. Guest blogger Sergeant Lionel Colon recaps some of their experiences last week and shares some of his photos:

May 3

Monday we were back in class. First order of business was a test. It was of particular difficulty because the piece we were using to translate using the preterit and imperfect tense verb was from the beginning script of Star Wars. Needless to say, it was quite a challenge.

As the morning progressed, we soon found ourselves reflecting on what previous students had advised us. We knew we had "hit the wall" as they had described. Although there are times of leisure here, this program is extremely challenging to say the least. Frustrated and confused, we were glad to get the test over with.


May 4
After classes, we paid a visit to the Regional Police Academy. We were provided a tour of the facility. Some of us participated in their Virtra five-panel simulator. Afterward, we found ourselves at the range and fired some of their weapons. Their Cardinal Rules were a bit different than ours but we were able to follow their instructions. After shooting a few rounds, they provided us a lunch consisting of fruit and club sandwiches.

That evening, our class split up and spent the evening in conversational class with professors at area shopping districts.

May 5
Cinco de Mayo isn't really celebrated here as in the States. Sorry, no big festivals to describe.

Another day, another test. This one consisted of another paragraph of translation, another full page of vocabulary and finally we had to write an entire dialogue consisting of a traffic stop with tickets issued.

Hours later, we visited an area court and spent a few hours with a judge. The topics ranged from the judicial process to American football (a judge favorite). Most of their documentation is still completely conducted by hand. There is change coming as within the next few years they plan to complete a structural and administrative overhaul.

Meeting with the judge.

May 6
Wow, a day without a test! On the other hand, our previous tests were returned. As is often the case, most of the errors were minor but still a disappointment for many of us. All things considered, we are doing well considering the task at hand and time spent learning another language.

Our homework consisted of a visit to an area market to converse with vendors and learn about the culture of shopping at open-air markets. The stands had vegatables, fruits, meats, household items and clothing. The metric system is a bit confusing, but we managed to figure out standard pricing to kilo.

After a small break to eat with our host families, we return to CCL at 6 p.m. to spend a couple hours of sharing conversation with those struggling to learn English. We find a common bond as we often struggle to communicate with them in Spanish on a deeper level than just the introductory phrases.

And then we returned to our homes to end the day studying for tomorrow's exam.

Dispatches from Mexico: Tests and Dia de los Ninos

Ten KCPD officers continue their Spanish immersion classes in Morelia, Mexico, and Sergeant Lionel Colon keeps us updated on what they're learning in the classroom and culturally around town:

April 28 and 29

Wednesday was our first round of tests to include both grammar and vocabulary. It was another reminder that in spite of all we have learned to this point, there is much more we have yet to absorb.

Testing.

Wednesday afternoon was two-for-one at the Plaza de Las Americas! After class, we were able to try out half-price movies. Many of us met at Cinopolis to watch "Green Zone" and others at Plaza Morelia for "Alice in Wonderland." Green Zone had Spanish subtitles while Alice in Wonderland was completely in Spanish (since mostly children attend and couldn't read, we were told) and no English subtitles. We didn't spend but a few minutes after the movies looking through the mall shops as we found they were actually more expensive than our local malls. We then returned to our respective homes for dinner and homework.


April 30

TGIF! Many of us remained after classes today to get a head start on the homework given to us to "enjoy" over the weekend. Some returned to our respective homes for lunch. Some went with their host families to family events. Others found some cozy spots to eat and people watch. I headed to El Centro to see what festivities were being held in honor of "Dia de Los Ninos."

While there, I witnessed a plaza full of family activities, the most interesting of which was the traditional Danza de los Viejitos. The ornate costumes combined with the amazing dance steps to provide a great show.


The Danza de los Viejitos (dance of the old men) is a dance in Michoacan (the state in which Morelia is located). It is a humorous dance in which the dancers wear masks of old people along with their typical campesino (peasant) clothing. The dance starts out with aching and hunched over old men, with minimal movements. These movements turn into vigorous dancing combined with trembling and coughing and falling over by the "old men." The dance has lost its original meaning, and has now come to represent the richness of life expressed in a dance, as a gift to Baby Jesus, since they could not afford to give him anything else. The dance is done several times a year, during religious holidays.

Danza de los Viejitos (Dance of the Old Men)

Sergeant Colon and a viejito

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Dispatches from Mexico: First week in Morelia

Ten KCPD officers continuing their Spanish immersion in Mexico are now in the city of Morelia, where they will spend the rest of their time taking classes, staying with host families and learning the culture. Here are the latest updates from Sergeant Lionel Colon:

April 22
"We met at the school for a walking tour of Morelia Central. Didn't think Lucia (our professor) could actually walk that fast, only to find out she is fast out of the gate but soon wears out. We passed through the famous water aqueducts, the local cathedral and then to the main cathedral. We also stopped by the partner English Immersion school. The architecture is amazing. We then stopped in the plaza park next to the main cathedral for a rest. After some people-watching, we paid a visit to a nearby hotel top floor to get a bird's-eye view of the center. What a peaceful and relaxing experience. Lucia then flagged taxis for a ride back to the school. Our taxi driver wasn't at all interested in conversing with us in that he refused to respond to any of our salutations. Later we met up again with our host families for a welcome banquet. It was a pleasant time with the host families and other special guests.

People watching.

April 23
"Today, Friday, was our first official day of class. We all walked with our heavy backpacks (and some with the added weight of laundry). We did 2 hours of workbook, 2 hours of converstation, 1 hour of a special speaker from law enforcement. The breaks were scarce, the homework ample, and many of us had to run back to the cell phone store due to complications. So the 2:30 to 3 p.m. lunches were much needed and welcomed. Tonight, we are all undecided on what to do. The concensus is something peaceful at a locale to people watch.

April 24
"Saturday, the team went to Santa Clara, known for its copper artisans. We watched as the elder artisan prepared a block of copper into the first stages of a plate. We also observed a vase in mid-prep. Afterward, we shopped in his store and found some amazing and ornate pieces. Then we spent a little time in the nearby plaza. It was beautiful and relaxing as we mingled among the people.

Watching the copper artisan at work.

Soon thereafter the team set off to Patzcuaro. It was a bit larger and there were many vendors and townspeople about. This area was known for its ice cream. and of course we had our fair shares. Again, as with the former excursions, the architecture was amazing. What was most appreciated in these smaller towns was the peaceful ambiance. Many of us felt the culmination of the lack of rest from travel and found ourselves resting in the plazas and people watching.

Saturday evening we met at the school with Lucia's niece, Sandra, for a taste of World League futbol. The stadium was packed, and the energy was electric. One section bounced and sang to the beat of huge drums for most of the two-hour event. The riot police were in full view, but I didn't see one scuffle. In fact, I witnessed opposing fans talking in a friendly manner and even exchange pleasantries. One thing i did find in common, they know how to tailgate. We made friends in the stands. We stood out and many went out of their way to welcome us and ensure us not to worry because they liked Americans and that the media magnifies negative reports. We practiced our spanish and they their English. that in itself was quite a game, as well.

At the futbol game.

April 25
"The last couple of days were pretty normal. On Sunday, some attended church with their families. Others spent the day relaxing. A few made it to the shopping malls and Wal-Mart to stock up on a few things for the month. All of us at some point completed our tarea - homework, whic consisted of vocabulary exercises and composition.

April 26-27
"Classes on monday and tuesday were action-packed with the introduction of numerous new words, expressions and dialogs. Tuesday afternoon/evening was spent with the Conversation CCL class. The first portion of class was spent rotating with numerous students in their native Spanish language. The second portion was spent speaking English with the students to afford them the same benefit we had with them in the previous conversations. It was time well-spent because there was a wide range of topics discussed. There was a peace in the communication because both their students and ourselves were in the same boat in regard to learning of a second language."

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Dispatches from Mexico 2.0

Last year about this time, I told you about a group of six officers who graduated from our 10-week Spanish Immersion program who went on to continue their studies for another five weeks in Mexico. Our latest Spanish Immersion graduation took place April 9, 2010, and this time we were able to send 10 officers to Mexico. They'll be staying with Mexican families there and attending another two college semesters' worth of Spanish courses (they already completed four semesters) in Morelia - Kansas City's sister city in central Mexico. They'll also spend some time with the police there to get a feel for how they operate.

With a growing population of Spanish speakers in Kansas City, it's vital that our officers be able to communicate with them. I've said before that bilingual officers are not a luxury, they're a necessity. Cultural fluency is a must, as well. That's why we do the Spanish immersion program.

Sergeant Lionel Colon will be providing these Dispatches from Mexico updates. He is assigned to our Special Victims Unit. The group flew into Mexico City last Monday, the 19th. They started their visit by taking in some sights around Mexico City with their professor, Lucia:

"Landed safely and have begun our journey. After filling the shuttle with more than enough luggage, we set off to the heart of mexico city to check in to our hotel. After figuring out how to activate the electricity in our rooms, we gathered in the lobby to begin our walking tour. First on the agenda was to sample food at the House of Tiles. The name pretty much says it all - a several-hundred-year-old tile structure with dining and shops. After tantalizing our taste buds, we set off to enjoy the sights and sounds within the downtown district. Probably the most impressive structure was the Cathedral. A reverent place, it was filled with ornate decorations and a solemn atmosphere. We returned for a much needed two-hour siesta before dinner. Or maybe it was just Lucia needing a break from being a transit cop watching our steps while crossing streets..."

Arriving in Mexico City.

Exploring downtown.

The officers at the Pyramid of the Sun.

Then last Tuesday, the 20th, Sgt. Colon sent this update:

"Just spent the day at the Basilica de la Virgin de Guadelupe. that was impressive after having it as a topic in our Spanish class. Then we went through grid-lock traffic to the pyramids. Our guide was a friend of our teacher, and he is the guide to the stars and other VIPs. Afterward, we went to his house to eat. Wow, it was better than the restaurants. After a few demonstrations at the house (the family is that of Indio tribal leaders) we headed back to the hotel. We are beat and ready for rest. Tomorrow I believe we go to the presidential palace, then to a high-level law enforcement academy, then on the 3-hour ride to Morelia."

Basilica de la Virgin de Guadalupe

Officers participating in an Indio ceremony at their guide's home.

Look for more Dispatches from Mexico and photos this week!

Dispatches from Mexico: Taking a Break

Our officers in the department’s Spanish Immersion program in Mexico spend six days a week in class studying advanced college-level Spanish, cramming two courses – Spanish 301 and 302 – into five weeks. They don’t get very many breaks, but they use their infrequent time off to take in the local tourist attractions. Here, Sergeant Tamara Pronske describes their recent experience enjoying the high life that the city of Morelia has to offer:

"Hola hola! Only 6 days left! We had a busy weekend. On Saturday, Randy, Steve and I went to Tres Marias, an exclusive, private golf club. But this was no ordinary golf club ... this place looked like a high-end resort you would find in Cancun or Cozumel. The only thing missing was the beach. We arrived and ate lunch. We then took a swim in the pool, which included a swim-up bar. After a dip in the hot tub, we met with the manager of the resort. He then took us on a tour of the property. La Ciudad Tres Marias (it is in Morelia, but calls itself a city) occupies 25 percent of the land in Morelia. There are houses, condos, a high school, college, and many businesses within Ciudad Tres Marias. It is a gated community, which also includes a 27-hole golf course, an equestrian center, 14 tennis courts, a club house, and many more amenities. We decided to play nine holes of golf. How can you pass up the opportunity to play golf at a resort which just hosted an LPGA tournament three weeks ago?!

The three of us got our caddies and rented our clubs. None of us had ever had caddies before, so this was all a new experience. Steve was the first to go and on his first swing, he lost grip of his club and it went flying. I think it actually went farther than his ball did! We lost many golf balls in the water hazards, ditches, and gullies. Our caddies were great at finding our golf balls. In fact, most times they found more than they went looking for! We finished golfing with our dignities still intact (sorta) and then hung out at the beautiful resort. That night we went to a great steak house and had the best meal so far on the trip. I think we all went to bed that night with grins on our faces!

Sunday night we headed to Il Centro (downtown) to watch the celebrations as Morelia celebrated her 468th Birthday! There was a parade and fireworks in front of the cathedrals. It was beautiful and amazing to see such a spectacular show for the 468th Birthday. We can only imagine what the 500th Birthday celebration will be like!

We are now into our last week of instruction, and we are all ready to come home and get back to work."

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Dispatches from Mexico: Volcanoes and dispatch centers

Our officers in Morelia, Mexico, (which is located in the state of Michoacan), are about 1.5 weeks away from coming home. Their latest site-seeing experiences include a volcano, national park and Morelia’s C-4 Dispatch Center (of course they had to see police stuff while they were there!). Here’s Sergeant Tamara Pronske describing their recent adventures:

On Saturday, we took our last big excursion to the volcano Paricutin. This was about a 1.5 hour drive from Morelia. The volcano Paricutin first erupted in 1943, and for the next 10 years erupted lava and boulders across the surrounding terrain. We drove to a village near the volcano and rode horses to the area where a small village was buried under 40 feet of molten rock. The only building that withstood the wave of lava was the church, whose steeples can still be seen jutting some 70 feet above the lava rock (the photo’s above).

Once we arrived to the edge of the lava rock, we hiked to the church. The church is approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, so it was hard work trying to hike over the lava rock, which is very rough terrain, and trying to catch our breath. We climbed through the lava rock and ash to arrive at the church. For miles around there is only rock, and then there is a steeple and part of the church sticking out. In the background, several miles away, you can see the volcano itself. After exploring and hiking, we had our lunch next to the church while sitting on the lava rock. When we finished, we rode the horses back to the stables. Most of us had not been on a horse in quite some time, so it looked like a scene straight from the movie “City Slickers.” It was a good thing the horses knew the route, because we were laughing so hard, there is no way we could have ever found the stables on our own.

After we returned, we then drove to the Parque Barranca del Cupatitzio in Uruapan, one of the national parks in Michoacan. The park was full of waterfalls and lush tropical gardens. In the middle of the park are cliff divers, who will dive into shallow pools. The park was beautiful and very serene. After a long day of hiking and being a little saddle sore, a long siesta was in store for all of us!

On Monday, we toured the dispatch center for Morelia. When someone has an emergency, they dial 066 and are routed to the C-4 dispatch center. From there, the calls are fielded to the appropriate agency: Police, Red Cross, Fire Department, or an on-site psychologist, for those feeling suicidal. The C-4 also monitors over 30 cameras mounted in the city, much like our Emergency Operations Center. We were told that even with all the crazy drivers, there are only approximately seven accidents reported a day. Since Morelia has a population of about 1 million residents, the C-4 can receive 3,000 calls on a given day. Since the Swine Flu seems to be descending on Morelia now, we were informed that we had to wear surgical masks when we were in the C-4. (shown above) This is the first time we have had to wear the masks, and it was quite amusing to be sitting in a meeting, wearing the masks and trying to ask questions in Spanish without laughing.

Our time is beginning to wrap up now. We have only 8 days of class left and 11 more days in Mexico. Seems like it was just yesterday when we all arrived in Mexico City bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to master the language. We have thus far survived Swine Flu, an earthquake, stomach issues, and several trips to the hospital, but it has been a lot of fun. We have studied a lot and our skills of speaking Spanish have increased ten-fold. As much as we all love the country and the people we have met, we are also excited to get home to our friends and families.

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Dispatches from Mexico: Janitzio

Here's the lastest from Sergeant Tamara Pronske in Morelia, Mexico. She took the above photos, which depict Janitzio - an island in a lake on top of a mountain; the six officers now in Mexico learning Spanish; and the way the swine flu scare has impacted everything - even statues!:

Buenos Dias de Morelia!!! We had a great day on Saturday on another excursion. We loaded up and (professor) Lucia and (bus-driver) Pepe took us to the island of Janitzio, which is about 30 minutes away by bus. The island of Janitzio means “where it rains” and is at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, making it one of the highest lakes in the world. The island can only be reached by boats, which regularly ferry people back and forth from the Patzcuaro pier. On the island, there are approximately 700 residences, with about 2,000 residents, and only indigenous people can live on the island. The island is known for the famous butterfly fisherman, who are skilled at lowering their butterfly-shaped nets in the water to catch the local famous cuisine, “pescado blanco.” These fish look like tiny little sardines. On the top of the island is a monumental statue of Father Jose Maria Morelos, for whom the city of Morelia was named. The statue is approximately 135 feet tall, and you can climb all the way to the top. What I have failed to mention, is that you have to climb approximately another 150 steps just to get to the top of the island before you can even begin the climb to the top of the statue. Once you get to the top, you are actually in the fist of the statue, and the view is amazing. You can see the entire island and the surrounding mountains. Once we got to the top, it was a tight squeeze, but we all managed to make it.

Before I arrived in Morelia, I was under the impression that it was going to be all flat and desert-like. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Morelia is actually in the valley of a lot of mountains, and once you get a little ways out, the views are amazing. You really begin to notice how high up you are in elevation when you try to walk up a few hundred steps and you have to stop many times to catch your breath. At times, we are at the same elevation as Denver.

We had a great time, and after we left the island, we ate in the van. On days that we have excursions, our host families pack us a sack lunch. We have determined that ham and cheese must be the “official lunch” of the American, since everyone one of us had a ham and cheese sandwich. Although they were all the same, there were a few variations. One person had carrots added to their sandwich and another had avocados. Both said they tasted good.

Saturday night we went to one of the host family’s houses to watch the soccer game. This week, the government urged people to stay home and not go to public places, in an effort to allow the flu to run its course and go away. So far, there have been NO cases of Swine Flu in Morelia. The soccer game was still played in Morelia, but to an empty stadium, since they do not want people out in public places. So my first and only Mexican soccer was seen on TV and not in the stadium, as originally planned. Although the Morelia Monarchs won, it wasn’t the same :(. Sunday was the big day at Wal-Mart, and then to another host family's house for pizza. We tried to tell the taxi driver we wanted to go to Wal-Mart, but to no avail. He just did not understand where we wanted to go. We quickly found that they do not call Wal-Mart by its name. They call it "Tienda Mart" which translates to "Store Mart." Nothing is easy here!

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Dispatches from Mexico: Cooking class

Our six officers learning Spanish in Mexico continue to avoid the swine flu, and we’re really happy about that. We’re also happy that they’re learning so much about the culture. Below is the latest update from Sergeant Tamara Pronske in Morelia:

Well, yesterday class was good. We are really getting into our routines and getting used to life here. Last night, Lucia (our professor) took us to a cooking class. We went to a senora's house, and she showed us how to make a full Mexicano meal: agua de jamaica (juice from the flower jamaica), sopa crema de cilantro (cream of cilantro soup), tacos, and flan for dessert. They were all very easy to make and very good to eat!!! The agua de jamiaca is very popular here. It is a deep purple flower that you boil in water for about 5 minutes, then put through a strainer and add water and sugar. The crema de cilantro is a bunch of cilantro with Philly cream cheese, garlic, onion, condensed milk, cornstarch and butter. It’s mixed in a blender and then heated on the stove. The tacos here are different than what we are used to. Tacos here are more of a taquito or flauta, where there is a tortilla with chicken or meat rolled up and fried in oil. Not the "U" shape we know. The flan was great and made just like in the US. All the guys were having fun watching and helping the Senora cook. Today (Friday), we took two tests and then had a presentation in class. Tomorrow we are going on another excursion, and I will have more details afterwards.

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Dispatches from Mexico: Swine flu & earthquakes

With the Swine Flu outbreak growing seemingly larger every day, we’ve been worried about the six officers we have learning Spanish down in Morelia, Mexico (a map of where that’s located is posted above). Here’s the latest update from Sergeant Tami Pronske:

Hola, everyone. Just want to send an update on a few things. A lot of our families and friends are worried about us with the Swine Flu going around. We are OK, and it’s not affecting us. There have been no reports of it in Morelia, so far. More and more people here are wearing the surgical masks, but even that isn't going to do much for them. My host family says that people are over-reacting, and I agree. We are being careful and washing our hands all the time and making sure not to kiss. In Mexico, it is proper to kiss someone on the cheek when you meet them.

Also, while in class today, (professor) Lucia came in and told us we had to go outside. Of course, we don't ever question Lucia, and when we got outside, she said there had been an earthquake. We are on the third floor of a building, and the floors below us are always vibrating or rumbling from gym equipment downstairs, so we thought nothing of it. Apparently, the center of the quake was near the coast, and we are nowhere near that. We got a good laugh and went back in to finish our class. First Swine Flu, then earthquakes. But nothing keeps us down, and it’s business as usual!

We have been busy in class and studying in our time after class. The best place for us is the local Starbucks since we can get internet there. We sit outside and enjoy some postres and cafe and work on tarea (homework).

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Dispatches from Mexico - 1st installment

Nineteen department members graduated from the third annual session of our Spanish Immersion program on April 10. The program condenses four semesters of collegiate Spanish coursework into 10 weeks and is taught by a professor from Mexico. Participants not only learn the language, they learn the culture. At the end of the course, the top six students were selected to continue their studies through immersion in Kansas City’s sister city of Morelia, Mexico.

(Above are pictures of Sergeant Tamara Pronske in Mexico City and downtown Morelia from a hotel rooftop at night. Click on them to see larger versions.)

The point of the program is to make as many KCPD members conversant in Spanish as possible. Kansas City has the largest Hispanic population of any city in the state, with more than 50,000 people in Jackson County alone claiming Latino heritage, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007. Those numbers are on the rise, and many of these people speak only Spanish. Our officers must be able to police these communities effectively for the safety of the entire city, so teaching them Spanish is a necessity, not a luxury.

The six officers left for Mexico a little over a week ago. When they got to Morelia, they moved in with host families and are continuing their Spanish studies at the local university. Sergeant Tamara Pronske is keeping us up to date with what the officers are doing down there, and I’ll be posting some of her updates on here weekly. In addition, we’re all praying they avoid the latest swine flu outbreak, though it sounds like some are already battling illness.

April 19:
Today we flew into Mexico City. The city is huge - 23 million people. The traffic is crazy scary and I would NEVER drive in it. We met Lucia (our professor) and drove to the hotel. We had our first meal in Mexico, and it was yummy! Lucia then walked us to the downtown area where the federal buildings are. At 6 p.m., a ton of Military Police and the Military band come out of the building where the president works, and they take down this huge flag. It is so big, it cannot be folded - they roll it. All the while, the band is playing and everyone is just in awe. They then take it into the building where the president works. This happens everyday at 6 p.m. So much national pride here. We walked through some cathedrals and watched mass. Once again the architecture was amazing.

April 23:
We are in Morelia and it is everything Lucia said it was - beautiful and the weather is perfecto. I got sick the first night here but got medicine and am starting to feel better. Another officer has a respiratory infection, and the other guys are starting to get worried :).

April 26:
Well, it has been a few days since my last update and I have been very busy. On Day 5, I started to really feel better. After class, Randy took me all around downtown (centro) to get a better grasp of the city since I missed the group tour the day before due to the fact I was sick. The centro is very nice, with a lot of great cathedrals and churches. The architecture is amazing. It was a very low-key day.

On Day 6, we had class, and then the whole group went back to the centro to walk around and eat dinner at a very Mexican restaurant called Burger King. Yes, after a while, even I get tired of Mexican food. It was kinda’ nice to have some food that’s familiar.

Day 7 was great. We started out at KIIS (our school is called the Kentucky Institute for International Studies) and our bus driver, Pepe, drove us to Santa Clara Del Cobre, about an hour outside of Morelia. Pepe is our driver everywhere we go. He’s great and can maneuver a bus through anything.

Santa Clara is a village (and I mean very small village) that is known for its copper (cobre) smiths, and their work is world famous. While there, we watched cobre smiths take big chunks of copper out of a fire and 3-4 men would hit it with large hammers until the copper chunk got cold. By hitting it, they are flattening it out until it becomes thin and pliable to make into pots, vases, or whatever they are making. It takes one week to make a medium-sized pot and they must put the cobre back into the fire and take it out to bang on it 400 times before it is of the size needed to make into their ware. It was amazing to see 4 men hitting this 6” wide and ½” thick piece of copper in perfect unison without missing a beat. The banging created a lot of noise, and I am sure they are all deaf by now.

After Santa Clara, we moved to another small town called Patzcuaro. This town has a lot of churches and artisans. When we first got there, we went into a huge cathedral and went in while a quinceanera was going on. This is when a Mexican girl turns 15, and she is now considered a woman, so it’s kinda’ like our Sweet 16, except a lot more elaborate. She wears a wedding-type dress, sometimes white, other times colored, and has what looks like bridesmaids with her. She then has escorts with her in tuxes, and there is a church service and then a reception. Very cool.

I then went and did some shopping. Yeah!! Bought some copper wares and some jewelry. After a long day shopping and site seeing, we headed back to Morelia. After I got settled, the group met up for dinner and then headed to the centro. On Saturday nights, they have a huge fireworks show. We went to a bar on the roof of a hotel and had some drinks and watched the show.

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