Ice cream, fruit, candy, nuts, chicken, you name it, it can be purchased covered in ground chili peppers. The people of Puebla love their chilis! This morning we took a bus to campus earlier than usual to try a coffee shop there and do some work before Kristina’s 10 am class. While we were paying, I picked up a small candy out of curiosity, and the man working there gave us each one to try, free of charge. They turned out to be dried strawberries covered in ground chilis and sugar. Maybe it’s an acquired taste, because the two of us both thought it was quite strange, bordering on disgusting. I’m glad I tried it though, just for the experience!

Instead of using the office, Kristina and I spent much of the day working in the sun at a picnic table. I think sometimes we almost blend in, but then we give ourselves away by putting on sunscreen and speaking in English. At lunchtime, we took turns going to buy lunch so that the other person could watch our things. While I waited for my food to be prepared (fresh fruit smoothie and a salad), I struck up a conversation with a young man standing nearby. He was, as with everyone we’ve encountered here, extremely friendly, and we spent several minutes chatting even after our food was ready. When we said goodbye, he caught me off-guard with a big smack on the cheek. Of course, this is standard custom here, but it is usually more of a cheek-to-cheek contact with a fake kiss sound, whereas this was a genuine lip-to-cheek kiss. I think I was blushing for the next fifteen minutes, but I’m sure he thought nothing of it. It’s an interesting cultural difference.

In the afternoon, we observed a chemistry class taught in Spanish. It was the first class we observed rather than taught, and it was quite interesting. On the plus side, the students seemed to like the teacher, and vice versa. The teacher was also very organized and seemed to know the material well. Further, at the end of the class, he played an engaging video clip for the students. However, besides the video, the entire class was teacher-centered, and there was no portion of the class during which students were engaged in discussion or in writing anything besides notes. I found this somewhat surprising, especially for a well-reputed teacher in a well-reputed school, but it also helps me see more clearly why the teachers we are working with are eager to hear our ideas. I think that they realize there is something lacking in their current approach to teaching, and they are, like all good teachers, open to improving their practice.

In my own class, I taught about the structure of macronutrient molecules. I gave the students plasticine and had them make primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary proteins. When I handed out the plasticine, the students thought it was a gift for Children’s Day, which happens to be today. I hadn’t realized how well my planned activity suited the occasion, but I’m happy with the way it turned out (and I did let them keep the plasticine as a gift). Some students refused the gift, claiming they are not children but adults. When I explained that they had to take one anyways, because we were going to use it to learn, they were thoroughly surprised. I don’t think they are accustomed to kinesthetic learning activities. However, when I asked some students at the end of the class whether they felt they had learned the topic well using the plasticine, they all said they had. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the class.

In the evening, we went on the biggest Ferris wheel in North America – the Star of Puebla. It’s a 30-minute ride in a spacious cabin in which they play Spanish elevator music. You have a wonderful view of the city. Afterward we wandered through the mall for a bit and ended up seeing Hombre-Arana 2 (in English with Spanish subtitles). During the movie we enjoyed some popcorn, coated in – you guessed it – ground chilis!