Note From Muriel
Oaxaca is so nice. I loved the Day of the Dead, it was so fun. I am having a very good time here with my family. I am meeting lots of people and I love going to school. My school is a Montessori school called "Casa de los Ninos". I like writing and drawing pictures. And I have an English class, which helps, because I hardly speak any Spanish so far. Some of my friends are named Carolina, Ena-Daniela, Daniel, Daniela, Juanjo, Jorge, Adara, Maria, Mireya, and many more.

I thought I was going to be really shy when I first got to school, and I didn't feel at home right away, but now I feel quite at home. At every school students have to wear uniforms. Same with Leland and me.

It is really hard to speak Spanish with my friends at school, because they ask me so many questions so quickly and I don't know what to say. But papa tells me I am learning a lot of Spanish. He thinks I know a lot of new words.

I was born in Oakland, California and moved to Ithaca, New York to have my brother, Leland. My name is Muriel.

Muriel Richardson (7 years old)