We just ended a two week period of unusually warm weather here in Toronto. About 15 to 20 celcius above seasonal average... so it's as if we skipped spring and got straight into summer. The warmest day was last Thursday with a beautiful 26 c.
Tree buds have popped, magnolias and cherry trees are in flower, crocuses and tulips are in full bloom, and I even saw a dandelion! Very bizarre.
The trip is still developing and we are now collecting the balance payments for accommodation and transportation from all our travelling companions. Exciting!!!
I have confirmed my teaching in the little Diego Rivera Preschool in Telchac Puerto - they are very happy to have me back, it feels good. And the school has grown to 3 Kindergarten groups (there were 2 last year). They are sweet kids, it will be fun.
I have also arranged to have lunch with Judy, a fantastic person who inspires me very much. She is the founder of Yucatan Today, and when she retired from the magazine she founded Telchac Education - financing the education of about 70 children of Telchac Puerto. Wonderful initiative which changes the outlook of the village. The power of one!
Judy has friends who own and operate a small music school in Merida, and I will explore the possibility of offering teacher training sessions there. I did try to arrange it for this next trip, but it's not realistic to pull it together without having met them in person. I would also like to sponsor one of the owners to teach a series of classes in Telchac. He has done it on a volunteer basis in the past, and I think that there is a way to finance a simple program for that community. The Yucatan - as all of Mexico - has a very rich musical culture and such a program would help in perpetuating the traditional music of the region. Iam not rich, far from it, but a little money goes a long way in rural Yucatan.
Departure in 5 weeks!!!
Somewhere between Izamal and Sudzal, Yucatan.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Traveling in Yucatan - Transportation
And still fine tuning the next trip... now about 6 weeks to departure. Woo Hoo!!!!
The transportation seems pretty good, and I have received the adjusted pricing for the various transfers for our group of 11 travellers (we were initially 15 people).
The reduced group number has translated into fair savings on transportation, mainly because the trip from Puerto Morelos to Telchac Puerto now requires only one 14 passenger van instead of two smaller vehicles. That leg of the trip is costing $700us per van (with driver), so this is good news!
I have also arranged two shuttles from the Cancun airport to Puerto Morelos for $50 per van, so those who can catch the ride will pay about $15 per person instead of the regular $25.
And on the last day for most of our traveling friends, there is also a shuttle taking them from their hotel in downtown Mérida to the Cancun airport. That will be a total of $540 shared between 8 passengers - also very good and convenient.
It's all booked with the same company (www.entertainment-plus.net)... I only hope that they are good - I never tried them before. I think that making it worth their while by handeling all our needs will establish a good relationship. If they are bad however - as in not showing-up for example - there are always plenty of competitors to take our business. So we will be fine.
The car rentals are confirmed for our stay in Telchac Puerto, and there will be a car waiting in front of each one of the beach houses upon our arrival. Sweet! This was all arranged via Kab Yucatan (www.kab-yucatan.com), fabulous accommodations on the Yucatan coast, and much more. The average rental cost of a spacious 3 bedroom beach house is $750 per week (with private pool) in early May (low season), and each car is $35 per day. We have dealt with Kab Yucatan n the past - and they are highly recommended.
And back to work... busy busy busy me!
The transportation seems pretty good, and I have received the adjusted pricing for the various transfers for our group of 11 travellers (we were initially 15 people).
The reduced group number has translated into fair savings on transportation, mainly because the trip from Puerto Morelos to Telchac Puerto now requires only one 14 passenger van instead of two smaller vehicles. That leg of the trip is costing $700us per van (with driver), so this is good news!
I have also arranged two shuttles from the Cancun airport to Puerto Morelos for $50 per van, so those who can catch the ride will pay about $15 per person instead of the regular $25.
And on the last day for most of our traveling friends, there is also a shuttle taking them from their hotel in downtown Mérida to the Cancun airport. That will be a total of $540 shared between 8 passengers - also very good and convenient.
It's all booked with the same company (www.entertainment-plus.net)... I only hope that they are good - I never tried them before. I think that making it worth their while by handeling all our needs will establish a good relationship. If they are bad however - as in not showing-up for example - there are always plenty of competitors to take our business. So we will be fine.
The car rentals are confirmed for our stay in Telchac Puerto, and there will be a car waiting in front of each one of the beach houses upon our arrival. Sweet! This was all arranged via Kab Yucatan (www.kab-yucatan.com), fabulous accommodations on the Yucatan coast, and much more. The average rental cost of a spacious 3 bedroom beach house is $750 per week (with private pool) in early May (low season), and each car is $35 per day. We have dealt with Kab Yucatan n the past - and they are highly recommended.
And back to work... busy busy busy me!
Monday, March 5, 2012
A Strong Team
Hard work and vision are the base of a solid start-up business but as it grows, finding the right people is key. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful team of teachers working for me, and I am grateful. Managing people is not always obvious, and it's probably the most challenging part of any career - weather it's your employee, you boss, colleague or your client. It's a complex ongoing dance made of old moved and surprising novelties. So far so good, it all seems to work nicely.
I have introduced my service contract successfully to two of my teachers - they are the pillars in the growth plan and they are both on board for an exciting ride. It's now time to move on to my two other teachers, newer in the team but also very important players. My team is currently composed of very talented, mature and dedicated music teachers - and having them on board for the long run is essential. Yes, so far so good!
The telemarketing sweep will resume by the end of this week, and then I will get into sales mode to follow-up all the leads. I am fully booked until the end of the school year now, and that includes teaching music in elementary schools, and plenty of time for sales and marketing. Spring is always the time to position my business for the following school year - and there is still a lot of work on that front. My market share is the French community here in Toronto, and with this growing demographic we have three new French schools opening in September 2012 - and two of these schools will also have a daycare. Nice!
The schedules are out for approval by my clients for the period from April to June, and it includes some minor tweeking. I will take over one daycare client myself (I usually work in schools) and train on of my junior teachers who already had some training in the past couple of months. If all goes well she sill be able to teach on her own by the time I leave for my Yucatan trip.
Hey... I'm leaving is 8 weeks!!! Woo hooo!
I have introduced my service contract successfully to two of my teachers - they are the pillars in the growth plan and they are both on board for an exciting ride. It's now time to move on to my two other teachers, newer in the team but also very important players. My team is currently composed of very talented, mature and dedicated music teachers - and having them on board for the long run is essential. Yes, so far so good!
The telemarketing sweep will resume by the end of this week, and then I will get into sales mode to follow-up all the leads. I am fully booked until the end of the school year now, and that includes teaching music in elementary schools, and plenty of time for sales and marketing. Spring is always the time to position my business for the following school year - and there is still a lot of work on that front. My market share is the French community here in Toronto, and with this growing demographic we have three new French schools opening in September 2012 - and two of these schools will also have a daycare. Nice!
The schedules are out for approval by my clients for the period from April to June, and it includes some minor tweeking. I will take over one daycare client myself (I usually work in schools) and train on of my junior teachers who already had some training in the past couple of months. If all goes well she sill be able to teach on her own by the time I leave for my Yucatan trip.
Hey... I'm leaving is 8 weeks!!! Woo hooo!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Next trip to Yucatan - The Itinerary
I just booked my return flight, and the plans have developed - like a little creature slowly revealing its features.
My sister will meet me here in Toronto (from Québec City) and we are both flying together to Cancun. From there I have to finalise the transfers arrangements for everyone (I make all transportation arrangements for this trip), there will be two airport shuttles to our hotel on that day. Our meeting point is in Puerto Morelos, all our traveling companions should be there by dinner time. It's a one night pit stop.
On the morning of day 2, we have two shuttles taking us to our beach houses located on the tranquil coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in Telchac Puerto, Yucatan. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive, so will will stop for lunch and for groceries in the lovely colonial town of Izamal. My favorite Mexican town so far - quaint and very pretty, not too big and not too small.
We will arrive at our Telchac Puerto destination in mid-afternoon, with a catered snack waiting for us. We have three beach houses booked for our party of 11 travellers. I have booked three cars too, which will be conveniently parked at each house and ready to go. I booked one for my sister and I, I will be teaching at least one music class in the village, and generally I want to be free to come and go without compromising someone else's plans. The beach house accommodations, catering and car rentals are all coordinated by Susan and her team at K'ab Yucatan - in my opinion (and for having tried others), they are the very best - highly recommended - www.kab-yucatan.com
We will be in Telchac for 5 nights, relaxing and exploring the vicinity. Interesting day excursions include the sea turtle sanctuary in Chelem, the archeological site of Xcambo, the pink flamingoes in Sisal, and Progreso with it's public market and waterfront strip and restaurants. Progreso is also home to a fair size grocery store, and pretty much all the commodities of a small city. It's a 25 minute drive from our beach houses, just perfect!
At the end of the week we all leave the coast and make our way to Mérida, the white city. It's the capital of the state of Yucatan, a vibrant and festive city, rich in history and architecture, museums, theatre, music, cuisine and so much more. I am very much looking forward to that.
The group is spending the night in a nice little hotel in the historic centre of town, and a shuttle will be taking them back to the Cancun airport in the morning.
My sister and I will be in a little apartment in a nearby hotel, and we will be staying four nights. I will see a few friends, connect with the French community, and try to leave plenty of time to enjoy the city. Very much looking forward to that.
Then my sister and I will fly to Cancun to catch our respective flight back home - hers to Québec, mine to Toronto.
I will reveal al the details as we go during the trip, with frequent updates and lots of info and shared tips - so dear travellers, stay tuned around the end of April ! Weepee Yay!
My sister will meet me here in Toronto (from Québec City) and we are both flying together to Cancun. From there I have to finalise the transfers arrangements for everyone (I make all transportation arrangements for this trip), there will be two airport shuttles to our hotel on that day. Our meeting point is in Puerto Morelos, all our traveling companions should be there by dinner time. It's a one night pit stop.
On the morning of day 2, we have two shuttles taking us to our beach houses located on the tranquil coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in Telchac Puerto, Yucatan. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive, so will will stop for lunch and for groceries in the lovely colonial town of Izamal. My favorite Mexican town so far - quaint and very pretty, not too big and not too small.
We will arrive at our Telchac Puerto destination in mid-afternoon, with a catered snack waiting for us. We have three beach houses booked for our party of 11 travellers. I have booked three cars too, which will be conveniently parked at each house and ready to go. I booked one for my sister and I, I will be teaching at least one music class in the village, and generally I want to be free to come and go without compromising someone else's plans. The beach house accommodations, catering and car rentals are all coordinated by Susan and her team at K'ab Yucatan - in my opinion (and for having tried others), they are the very best - highly recommended - www.kab-yucatan.com
We will be in Telchac for 5 nights, relaxing and exploring the vicinity. Interesting day excursions include the sea turtle sanctuary in Chelem, the archeological site of Xcambo, the pink flamingoes in Sisal, and Progreso with it's public market and waterfront strip and restaurants. Progreso is also home to a fair size grocery store, and pretty much all the commodities of a small city. It's a 25 minute drive from our beach houses, just perfect!
At the end of the week we all leave the coast and make our way to Mérida, the white city. It's the capital of the state of Yucatan, a vibrant and festive city, rich in history and architecture, museums, theatre, music, cuisine and so much more. I am very much looking forward to that.
The group is spending the night in a nice little hotel in the historic centre of town, and a shuttle will be taking them back to the Cancun airport in the morning.
My sister and I will be in a little apartment in a nearby hotel, and we will be staying four nights. I will see a few friends, connect with the French community, and try to leave plenty of time to enjoy the city. Very much looking forward to that.
Then my sister and I will fly to Cancun to catch our respective flight back home - hers to Québec, mine to Toronto.
I will reveal al the details as we go during the trip, with frequent updates and lots of info and shared tips - so dear travellers, stay tuned around the end of April ! Weepee Yay!
Monday, February 27, 2012
My Good Fortune
I have been with my life partner Tim for 17 years. He is my good fortune and my bright star.
Over the years we have been through many hurdles, and moments of pure happiness, like many other couples. We were not an obvious match in terms of life style, and I have learned a great deal from him. I have learned to not sweat the small stuff so much, to do my best in any given situation and accept the outcome, and I have learned to pick my battles and control my temper. And I'm not done learning from him... he is wise and kind. We have two beautiful sons, and I could not have chosen a better father for my children.
I have not always been able to recognise what Tim is bringing to my life, like many other partners in a long time relationship. At certain times I had serious doubts about our relationship and contemplated a separation. Finances have been a source of stress... mostly for me. The fact that he is not so good at sorting priorities when it comes to house chores... not handy and a bit clumsy... and I felt that it was all on my shoulders. It often all made me irritable and far from charming of course. But for the most part, it was my own expectations that were making it difficult. Slowly but surely, Tim showed me bring all that to my own comfort level and not be so concerned about what others may think.
There will still be days ahead when I might read this and wonder how I could see all that. But thank God, I know better and I can acknowledge that it's just my state of mind on a bad day. Tim is the same wonderful guy all along, and I love him to bits.
Over the years we have been through many hurdles, and moments of pure happiness, like many other couples. We were not an obvious match in terms of life style, and I have learned a great deal from him. I have learned to not sweat the small stuff so much, to do my best in any given situation and accept the outcome, and I have learned to pick my battles and control my temper. And I'm not done learning from him... he is wise and kind. We have two beautiful sons, and I could not have chosen a better father for my children.
I have not always been able to recognise what Tim is bringing to my life, like many other partners in a long time relationship. At certain times I had serious doubts about our relationship and contemplated a separation. Finances have been a source of stress... mostly for me. The fact that he is not so good at sorting priorities when it comes to house chores... not handy and a bit clumsy... and I felt that it was all on my shoulders. It often all made me irritable and far from charming of course. But for the most part, it was my own expectations that were making it difficult. Slowly but surely, Tim showed me bring all that to my own comfort level and not be so concerned about what others may think.
There will still be days ahead when I might read this and wonder how I could see all that. But thank God, I know better and I can acknowledge that it's just my state of mind on a bad day. Tim is the same wonderful guy all along, and I love him to bits.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sweet Escapade
Work is challenging these days, a lot to do on all fronts and waring all the hats. I met our new accountant, and got one year of income tax pretty much out of the way. I have two years to file (woops), so one more to go. One of the things I have to include is an assessment of the business portion of my Family Escapade to Mexico. It turns out that I can claim some of it as research and development expenses, and I have to figure out the fair amount - with receipts to support the claim. Good!
The Yucatan trip is about 8 weeks away now, and with all the work I have until then weeks will go by in a jiffy. I still have to get my passport renewed, can't let that fall between the cracks! I'm thinking about all the things I want to do in my 10 days there, such a short time after our three month escapade of last year... but I also have to keep myself from over planning. Keeping it simple will make it all manageable, and that means more relaxing.
I miss the ranch (Kalax-Wayak ranch, Sudzal, Yucatan). That's the part of our escapade that I enjoyed the most. I always thought that the sea was a serene environment, until we spent one month in a Caribbean beach house and 3 weeks in a Gulf of Mexico beach house. The sea is a very temperamental companion to live with, and for all the sweet, quiet and tranquil days, there are many loud windy and stormy outbursts. The wind is king by the sea, and we have experienced many nights where pretty much everything around us was merrily whistling.
But inland, far into farm land, it's as quiet as quiet can be. Well, there are some noises from time to time of course... but some dogs barking or the roosters are good sounds to me. The cows, the sheep, it's all good. I discovered that the country side is my cup of tea, and I want more of it. I will go back to Sudzal some day, maybe a quick visit this time around if it seems to work - but some day I will go back for a nice long stay.
I'm meeting with Jeanne-Marie on Friday night, we will put the final touch to the plans - car rentals and such. It will be a nice change from my enormous work load!
The Yucatan trip is about 8 weeks away now, and with all the work I have until then weeks will go by in a jiffy. I still have to get my passport renewed, can't let that fall between the cracks! I'm thinking about all the things I want to do in my 10 days there, such a short time after our three month escapade of last year... but I also have to keep myself from over planning. Keeping it simple will make it all manageable, and that means more relaxing.
I miss the ranch (Kalax-Wayak ranch, Sudzal, Yucatan). That's the part of our escapade that I enjoyed the most. I always thought that the sea was a serene environment, until we spent one month in a Caribbean beach house and 3 weeks in a Gulf of Mexico beach house. The sea is a very temperamental companion to live with, and for all the sweet, quiet and tranquil days, there are many loud windy and stormy outbursts. The wind is king by the sea, and we have experienced many nights where pretty much everything around us was merrily whistling.
But inland, far into farm land, it's as quiet as quiet can be. Well, there are some noises from time to time of course... but some dogs barking or the roosters are good sounds to me. The cows, the sheep, it's all good. I discovered that the country side is my cup of tea, and I want more of it. I will go back to Sudzal some day, maybe a quick visit this time around if it seems to work - but some day I will go back for a nice long stay.
I'm meeting with Jeanne-Marie on Friday night, we will put the final touch to the plans - car rentals and such. It will be a nice change from my enormous work load!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
On a roll
Had a very busy week, replaced one of my teachers who was not well and gave 7 classes on Wednesday. I had 9 on my schedule but decided to postpone the last two... a wise move. I did a nice little Orff orchestration with a couple of Grade 4 classes on that day, and they were brilliant. I love to see them pulling together and make music, it's pure joy for all of us.
My schedule is filled solid until my departure on April 28, so the trip will be a refreshing hiatus from work. It's good to have that candy dangling ahead of me. Keeps me focused, with just the right dose of day dreaming. It will be a 12 day journey, and that's the most difficult part for me. It will be hard to do everything I would like to do... that means difficult choices. I'm not the type of traveler to rush from one place to another, I like to drop the anchor and settle in as much as possible. Fill the dresser and put my empty suitcase in the storage room. But it won't be that kind of trip this time around. Still... it will be deeply soothing to be in Yucatan, as usual.
This weekend will be all about income tax. I have an appointment with my new accountant on Tuesday, and it has to be all sorted and ready. Oddly, I am very much looking forward to it - not the sorting part... but the meeting. It will hopefully clarify a few things and help me settle the plans for the next few years. It's easier to have fun when you know you're on solid grounds!
In the meantime spring is growing stronger here in Toronto, and I like it!
My schedule is filled solid until my departure on April 28, so the trip will be a refreshing hiatus from work. It's good to have that candy dangling ahead of me. Keeps me focused, with just the right dose of day dreaming. It will be a 12 day journey, and that's the most difficult part for me. It will be hard to do everything I would like to do... that means difficult choices. I'm not the type of traveler to rush from one place to another, I like to drop the anchor and settle in as much as possible. Fill the dresser and put my empty suitcase in the storage room. But it won't be that kind of trip this time around. Still... it will be deeply soothing to be in Yucatan, as usual.
This weekend will be all about income tax. I have an appointment with my new accountant on Tuesday, and it has to be all sorted and ready. Oddly, I am very much looking forward to it - not the sorting part... but the meeting. It will hopefully clarify a few things and help me settle the plans for the next few years. It's easier to have fun when you know you're on solid grounds!
In the meantime spring is growing stronger here in Toronto, and I like it!
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