After I graduated university, I decided I'd better do something with a degree that majored in Spanish! I found a job teaching English at a private school in México and stayed there for 2 years. It was a wild & crazy time & I learned so much, travelled all over the country and got close to a few families there.
George & I on the last day before Christmas vacation 1994
In my second year, there was one little boy that I just could NOT keep his name straight (Andrés). After the first week, I still wanted to call him Jorge all the time and although I'd pretty much learned all the other names, I was stuck on this one and couldn't figure it out. Then one day, he looked up at me, peeking through a little tuft of bangs on his forehead and it came to me. This cute little guy reminded me of Curious George!!! I gave up trying to use his real name & sat him down & told him he reminded me of one of my favourite story books when I was a little girl and for the rest of the year, he was "George". He learned to write "George" in his books & on all his tests & papers he took home. Then I realized I would now have to explain to some mother that I thought her kid looked like a monkey!!!!!! I'd found an old Curious George storybook & showed it to her one day and when his own mother laughed & agreed there was a resemblance, I knew we'd get along fine!
George & I at the year end party 1995
He was a sweet little boy & I loved to pick him up & get his hugs & kisses everyday. I had a lot of fun with that class & they were all affectionate & cute but there was just something about George that I just adored.
Before I left, I visited him and gave him a few trinkets that I'd had with me while I lived there. Then a year after I'd moved home, I ended up going back down to visit another family who'd semi-adopted me. I only had a little time in that city before the Campos family & I left on a trip elsewhere.
When I phoned Susana to tell her I was in town for the day, George found out & insisted that she bring him right over for a visit. He came through the door & I scooped him up so fast, his head probably spun. I got as many squeezes in as I could & gave him one of my old Curious George books that I'd brought from home. He loved it & I think he was as happy to see me as I was to see him! I last saw him in 1996, he was almost 6 years old then. I sent him a card & letter every year at Christmas and he wrote me back once when he was 10. He told me he was in 4th grade & I was still his favourite teacher : ))) (see? pretty darn cute huh?) but that was the last I heard from him. I knew he was just a little boy and figured he'd gotten older and forgotten or lost interest in his old preschool teacher.He sent me an email this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That little stinker reads this blog & never got around to sending me a message til now. I was soooooooo excited to hear from him & know he still loves me afterall : ))))) He's turning 19 in a few weeks and is still so adorable I could eat him up with a spoon!
he loves his mom !
and says his little sister is "is an essential part for me to live, I love her"
and anybody who loves their dog has to be a good guy! Dogs as pets aren't common in México, they mostly live on the streets, unowned. This was the only family I knew that had one as a pet. He adopted this dog off the street.
He kept all the little things I gave him & I don't want to embarrass the poor guy but I have to put this in: Also my ex-girlfriend as a gift give me another 3 books of Curious George when she know that I like him because of you, and the special meaning it has to me!
Ok, that's it, I've got to find a girl to marry him off to up here!!!! How cute is he??!?!?!??!??? What 19 yr old could be bothered to write to his old preschool teacher? or even remember her enough to know if he ever even liked her in the first place???? I wish I could still scoop him up and get another of those sweet hugs. Maybe someday!
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