Glass has one of the highest recycled rates of all recyclable material in the US but still only about 1/4th of those wine bottles were actually retrieved to be recycled in 2009.

A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to decompose, longer if it’s in a landfill.

This project is not original or new. Using something for a new purpose has been done for a very long time, these days it’s called “Upcycling”

Upcycle- Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

The bottles I use come from local restaurants, friends and neighbors in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I hand cut and frost the bottles and turn them into hanging and free-standing lamps.

But these aren’t just lamps. They represent a new way of thinking about the world’s resources and remind us of the needed change that is finally happening. This project helps to lower the carbon footprint of each bottle created and in a small way make a global impact.

On another note…

Last Friday I was invited to participate in the Marina Art Festival. This is a weekly event that takes place at the Marina here in Puerto Vallarta every Friday. I will be there again this coming Friday along with many other artists so come visit and check out all the beautiful art on display and maybe even make a purchase!

Every year for a very long time, humpback whales have been migrating to Banderas Bay to give birth. These gorgeous and enormous mammals can be found between December and March here in Puerto Vallarta. Many companies provide boat tours on the bay each day to get a closeup, personal perspective. I was lucky enough to join a tour recently and capture some awesome photos.

Right now I have a class of about 10 students but am expecting for that to double by next week. This is the largest class I have ever taught but I’m really enjoying it. It’s just a few blocks from my apartment, so that makes it very convenient.

I’m leaving in December to explore some new places in Mexico and then will be in the states for Christmas and New Year. I’ll return to Puerto Vallarta in mid January and plan to be here at least until the summer.

I’m really happy about where things are going in my life!

So most people know Dia de los Muertos is a very important day in Mexico. It’s a day that people celebrate the memory and passing of their deceased friends and family members. Many families go to their loved ones gravesides and leave flowers, wreathes and sometimes alcohol and food.

I went to the cemetery in Puerto Vallarta yesterday to see the festivities and take some photos. The first thing I noticed as I walked up to the gates was all the vendors selling flowers, paper wreathes, snacks and a special bread made for this day called Pan de Los Muertos.

After walking through the front gate there were a few cops carrying m-16s hanging out. This is not an uncommon site here in PV. Usually they’re standing outside a bank and not the cemetery, either way I’ve never seen any cop use it and since I’m not breaking any laws down here it just makes me feel safer.

Some families brought a whole picnic along including tables and chairs. They sat around their families’ graves and it almost seemed to be a kind of family reunion. Some families hired mariachi bands to serenade their dead relatives.

Also, I have two couchsurfers visiting right now from Zacatecas. They are two french students who have been living and studying here in Mexico for a few months. They participated in the madness and helped hand out some candy before we went to the Cheeky Monkey for some drinks.

As the night progressed, a few parades passed by along the main street that borders the boardwalk and finally it got so crowded that they had to close off the street. Some people were throwing candy from their balconies into the sea of monsters, witches, dragons and princesses. It felt like Mardi Gras in New Orleans or the DC metro on Obama’s Inauguration. Shoulder to shoulder, everyone was clamoring to collect as many free treats they could get their hands on.

Tomorrow is November 2nd, while everyone in the states will be following the election, here in Mexico many families will be visiting their deceased relatives’ to leave gifts of cigarettes, alcohol and food. Some will even bring a band along to play grandma and grandpa’s favorites.

Food in mexico is incredible. Especially the food you get late at night out on the street. Walking through old town you can find a mom and pop food cart every couple of blocks. They all sell essentially the same things, tacos and quesadillas with a variety of ingredients including sausage, beef, sometimes chicken and of the essential onion, cilantro, cucumber, radish and salsas. But everyone has a favorite spot they prefer to eat at no matter how many others they pass along the way.

The subtle difference is what makes each stand unique. The Hormiga Feliz makes their flour tortillas on the spot, across the street, they use corn tortillas. Some stands specialize in Taco al Pastor, which is my favorite. It’s meat that has been marinated overnight and then stacked on a skewer and slowly roasted as it rotates. The best is served with pineapple.

Typically a taco or quesadilla costs 10 to 20 pesos each, and you can get a glass of Jamaica juice or horchata for another 10 pesos.

Cities I've visited

I had quite a dramatic exit from the absolute best job I ever had with the Got Milk Tour. But I was able to spend a month traveling with my cousin Kellsey. We had never had an opportunity to spend that much time together so it was well worth it and I’m so glad I had that chance to get to know her better and travel across the entire country with her. I few out of PHL on August 3rd committed to living and working in Mexico for a year before I start grad school in the fall of 2011, hopefully!

Got Milk 2010

Driving cross country with Kellsey and Corbin the dog

So now I’m living and working in Puerto Vallarta Mexico as an English teacher. I’m having a great time and have made some awesome friends down here. My apartment is two blocks from the beach and right in the middle of all the action in PV.

bedroom

kitchen

patio

The boardwalk is 2 blocks from my apartment

I’m teaching privately right now, I have a few students including my landlord. She is an old Mestizo woman who was born here in Puerto Vallarta and thinks the world works for her. It’s interesting though, when she is speaking English all of her offensive and unlikable characteristics disappear.

When I moved here most of my friends and family weren’t surprised but they still didn’t understand why I would want to live in a place like Mexico. It’s true that there are some very dangerous places in this country. Everyday people get murdered, raped, kidnapped and robbed. Parts of this country are run by the drug-lords and the corrupt police and government officials allow it to perpetuate. But this is also very true in almost every country throughout the world including the great USA! The media consistently overloads us with images and stories of horrible things that happen in Mexico. But the truth is that this country is absolutely beautiful and full of wonderful people.

I will be using this blog to show the wonderful places and people that makeup Mexico. I will be posting stories, photos and videos of my everyday life here in Puerto Vallarta and the experiences I have in hopes to show that this country is not a place to be scared of or a place that needs walls built around it. In fact I hope to encourage you to come and visit me and get a first hand experience and then you can really makeup your opinion about this country.

 

 

Tacos al Pastor at the Carboncito

 

 

Church in Talpa de Allenede

 

 

Puerto Vallarta Mexico