some photos:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=827525&k=621XZ3W2Q56M5111QD2UWP
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
saying goodbye
My trip is finally over. I am sitting in Guadalajara, printing my boarding pass for tomorrow and uploading the most recent photos I have taken here. I am trying to reflect on my trip so I can produce some profound words to describe my experience, but I´m falling short. Instead, I will write a few things I have been thinking lately:
1. Mexico is everything I thought it would be and nothing like I thought it would be.
2. As influential as the US is on this country, particularly in terms of immigration and mass media, it is remarkable how little day to day life seems affected by my country. I think I had imagined a place where immigration was always discussed, or where being American was a novelty, but it was nothing like that. People didn´t care much that I was American and just treated me like everyone else, just someone with a messed up accent.
3. First impressions are wrong. They are so wrong it is laughable. The people I thought I would hate became my best friends, the people I adored eventually wore on me. My perception of people changed and their perceptions of me changed, and I am so glad we gave each other the opportunity to recreate ourselves in each other´s eyes.
4. Once you live on your own, is it insanely difficult to live with someone again. In New York I have lived without my family for three years, and suddenly, I was living with a family that wasn´t even my own. It was an integral part of my experience, and I´m glad I got to live it, but I am also glad it´s over. At a certain point, being told you shouldn´t drink cold water or eat mangos when you have a sore throat begins to wear on you.
5. It´s impossible to judge anything without the passage of time. My first two months in Guanajuato weren´t horrible, but they also weren´t great. I was lonely and afraid my Spanish wasn´t approving. Two months after that, I was dreading the thought of going home, speaking Spanish consistently throughout the day, and feeling 50% Mexican.
6. I am so glad Latin American studies in my major. I love Mexico, I love Latin America, I feel like I just tasted a tiny bit of what this amazing region has to offer. It´s corny and cliche, but I feel unsatisfied, unfulfilled leaving here, knowing how much more there is to explore.
1. Mexico is everything I thought it would be and nothing like I thought it would be.
2. As influential as the US is on this country, particularly in terms of immigration and mass media, it is remarkable how little day to day life seems affected by my country. I think I had imagined a place where immigration was always discussed, or where being American was a novelty, but it was nothing like that. People didn´t care much that I was American and just treated me like everyone else, just someone with a messed up accent.
3. First impressions are wrong. They are so wrong it is laughable. The people I thought I would hate became my best friends, the people I adored eventually wore on me. My perception of people changed and their perceptions of me changed, and I am so glad we gave each other the opportunity to recreate ourselves in each other´s eyes.
4. Once you live on your own, is it insanely difficult to live with someone again. In New York I have lived without my family for three years, and suddenly, I was living with a family that wasn´t even my own. It was an integral part of my experience, and I´m glad I got to live it, but I am also glad it´s over. At a certain point, being told you shouldn´t drink cold water or eat mangos when you have a sore throat begins to wear on you.
5. It´s impossible to judge anything without the passage of time. My first two months in Guanajuato weren´t horrible, but they also weren´t great. I was lonely and afraid my Spanish wasn´t approving. Two months after that, I was dreading the thought of going home, speaking Spanish consistently throughout the day, and feeling 50% Mexican.
6. I am so glad Latin American studies in my major. I love Mexico, I love Latin America, I feel like I just tasted a tiny bit of what this amazing region has to offer. It´s corny and cliche, but I feel unsatisfied, unfulfilled leaving here, knowing how much more there is to explore.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
more travels
On Friday night, I left Guanajuato. I went out for a last meal with my program friends, which ended up being a noisy meal because there was a huge festival going on. After dinner, we went and sat on the theater steps for the last time together, as I tried not to cry and enjoy my last moments with these amazing people.
At 10, Andres and I left to catch our bus to Sayulita, a beach town in the state of Nayarit. The bus was around 10 hours, but we picked a nice company so it was probably as comfortable as a bus can be. I took my car sick medicine which helped me to pass out, though it didn´t help with the cramp in my neck when I woke up. From the bus station in Puerto Vallerta, we took a 30 minute cab to Sayulita, a funky little beach town that is known for surfing. Because we arrived really early and didn´t have hotel reservations (nobody responded to my emails requesting reservations), we didn´t have many options and had to settle on a hotel that was out of our budget range ($40). It was a really nice hotel, but our nights didn´t go too well there.
Hardly anywhere in Mexico has air conditioning, and this hotel wasn´t an exception. However, it also didn´t have screens on the windows and the bathroom had a little opening to the outside. So the first night we were absolutely eat alive by mosquitoes. We woke up several times throughout the night, basically hysterical, covered in bites and sweat. So the next morning we talked to the owner and go switched to another room. This room at least had glass on all the windows, so we closed them all and just left the fans on and slept wonderfully. The next night, we weren´t so lucky. Around 9 pm, the entire town lost electricity and remained off until the next day. So that meant we had no screens and no fans. First we tried to sleep with the windows closed, but of course it was sweltering, so we then switched to open windows, which left us at the mercy of those damn bugs.
Aside from our dramatic nights, we had a nice time at the beach. It wasn´t very good weather, so the ocean wasn´t exactly picturesque, but it was still relaxing. We ate a lot, including when Andres accidentally bought a huge drink filled with fruit and alcohol served inside a pineapple which he thought was 80 cents until he realized he had misunderstood and it was really 8 dollars. Still very good, but rum at 10 am has never really been my thing.
On Monday, we rented a motorcycle and drove it to some other beaches we had heard about. Being on the motorcycle, driving through this beautiful tropical area, was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. But it was fantastic. And as silly as it is, I have to admit I couldn´t help but gleefully feel a little connection to Che (or Gael Garcia Bernal) in The Motorcycle Diaries. The first beach we reached we arrived at by mistake. There were no signs anywhere, so we pulled off of the first dirt road that looked a little more traveled on than the rest we had seen. We ended up on massive beach, completely empty. The sand was endless and gorgeous and white, the ocean reaching out forever. There was no life in sight except for houses, from which we saw no people. I have to say, as stunning as this beach was, I felt a little uneasy there. Not one restaurant, no bathroom, no human life. Swimming in that ocean would feel like swimming in the absolute unknown.
After that beach, we headed up towards Punta Mita. It was a somewhat built up beach, though strangely the beach itself wasn´t what one would expect for a little Mexican resort town. The beach was very rocky with limited amounts of sand to hang out on. The water was also much colder and the whole area reminded me more of Maine than Mexico. After drinking a beer and taking some pictures, we left Punta Mita. Despite traveling down the wrong roads too many times and asking a million people for directions, we finally arrived in Punta Negra. This beach was much like the first one we went to, though we did see about 5 people way down the beach. We stayed at this beach for a few hours, just hanging out, sleeping, swimming, and getting a little sunburned. Eventually we left because it was getting dark and we could hear our stomachs rumbling.
That night, we ate burritos at a cute little restaurant that had live music. We originally chose the restaurant because Andres thought they were playing Venezuelan music, and although it turned out they weren´t, it was still a really nice dinner. And then the electricity went out!
So fast forward to the next morning. We decided that it was time to leave the beach and get back on the road. We took a bus to Guadalajara, where we now are. We are staying with my sister´s friend from college and her husband, who live here in a nice house with INTERNET! I am actually using the internet right now not worrying if I have enough pesos to cover my time, and I have to say it´s fantastic. Definitely something I won´t miss about Mexico.
So my trip really is almost over now. I fly out early Friday morning and will meet my parents in the airport, as they are also returning from a trip at the same time. Writing this now makes me very excited to come home, as I know I have been missing a lot of things for a long time now. But there will be so much I am leaving behind that I am not ready to face yet. It still has not hit me that I may never seen my Guanajuato friends ever again. One more post before I leave. See you all soon!
At 10, Andres and I left to catch our bus to Sayulita, a beach town in the state of Nayarit. The bus was around 10 hours, but we picked a nice company so it was probably as comfortable as a bus can be. I took my car sick medicine which helped me to pass out, though it didn´t help with the cramp in my neck when I woke up. From the bus station in Puerto Vallerta, we took a 30 minute cab to Sayulita, a funky little beach town that is known for surfing. Because we arrived really early and didn´t have hotel reservations (nobody responded to my emails requesting reservations), we didn´t have many options and had to settle on a hotel that was out of our budget range ($40). It was a really nice hotel, but our nights didn´t go too well there.
Hardly anywhere in Mexico has air conditioning, and this hotel wasn´t an exception. However, it also didn´t have screens on the windows and the bathroom had a little opening to the outside. So the first night we were absolutely eat alive by mosquitoes. We woke up several times throughout the night, basically hysterical, covered in bites and sweat. So the next morning we talked to the owner and go switched to another room. This room at least had glass on all the windows, so we closed them all and just left the fans on and slept wonderfully. The next night, we weren´t so lucky. Around 9 pm, the entire town lost electricity and remained off until the next day. So that meant we had no screens and no fans. First we tried to sleep with the windows closed, but of course it was sweltering, so we then switched to open windows, which left us at the mercy of those damn bugs.
Aside from our dramatic nights, we had a nice time at the beach. It wasn´t very good weather, so the ocean wasn´t exactly picturesque, but it was still relaxing. We ate a lot, including when Andres accidentally bought a huge drink filled with fruit and alcohol served inside a pineapple which he thought was 80 cents until he realized he had misunderstood and it was really 8 dollars. Still very good, but rum at 10 am has never really been my thing.
On Monday, we rented a motorcycle and drove it to some other beaches we had heard about. Being on the motorcycle, driving through this beautiful tropical area, was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. But it was fantastic. And as silly as it is, I have to admit I couldn´t help but gleefully feel a little connection to Che (or Gael Garcia Bernal) in The Motorcycle Diaries. The first beach we reached we arrived at by mistake. There were no signs anywhere, so we pulled off of the first dirt road that looked a little more traveled on than the rest we had seen. We ended up on massive beach, completely empty. The sand was endless and gorgeous and white, the ocean reaching out forever. There was no life in sight except for houses, from which we saw no people. I have to say, as stunning as this beach was, I felt a little uneasy there. Not one restaurant, no bathroom, no human life. Swimming in that ocean would feel like swimming in the absolute unknown.
After that beach, we headed up towards Punta Mita. It was a somewhat built up beach, though strangely the beach itself wasn´t what one would expect for a little Mexican resort town. The beach was very rocky with limited amounts of sand to hang out on. The water was also much colder and the whole area reminded me more of Maine than Mexico. After drinking a beer and taking some pictures, we left Punta Mita. Despite traveling down the wrong roads too many times and asking a million people for directions, we finally arrived in Punta Negra. This beach was much like the first one we went to, though we did see about 5 people way down the beach. We stayed at this beach for a few hours, just hanging out, sleeping, swimming, and getting a little sunburned. Eventually we left because it was getting dark and we could hear our stomachs rumbling.
That night, we ate burritos at a cute little restaurant that had live music. We originally chose the restaurant because Andres thought they were playing Venezuelan music, and although it turned out they weren´t, it was still a really nice dinner. And then the electricity went out!
So fast forward to the next morning. We decided that it was time to leave the beach and get back on the road. We took a bus to Guadalajara, where we now are. We are staying with my sister´s friend from college and her husband, who live here in a nice house with INTERNET! I am actually using the internet right now not worrying if I have enough pesos to cover my time, and I have to say it´s fantastic. Definitely something I won´t miss about Mexico.
So my trip really is almost over now. I fly out early Friday morning and will meet my parents in the airport, as they are also returning from a trip at the same time. Writing this now makes me very excited to come home, as I know I have been missing a lot of things for a long time now. But there will be so much I am leaving behind that I am not ready to face yet. It still has not hit me that I may never seen my Guanajuato friends ever again. One more post before I leave. See you all soon!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
photos
pictures from the last few days, including the party:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=827525&k=6ZB4XVU5W6WM5111QD2UWP
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=827525&k=6ZB4XVU5W6WM5111QD2UWP
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
sex education
As I mentioned, I turned in my research paper about sex education in Guanajuato the other day. I just wanted to reflect a little on the situation and thought that it might interest some of you.
Guanajuato is one of the most conservative and religious states in Mexico, with around 98% of the population identifying themselves as Catholic. PAN (the ruling party, National Action Party, and the most conservative) dominates Guanajuato politically and is deeply tied to the church.
Although abortion is illegal in Mexico, each state has the power to decide if abortion is allowed under certain circumstances, such as health risks to the mother. While many states legislatively provide for as many as six conditions where abortion is permitted, GTO is one of two states that allows only for the most restrictive of conditions - when the mother has been raped. However, in reality, a legal abortion has never been performed in GTO. One of the organizations I gathered information from defended a mentally ill woman who was raped and impregnated while working as a maid. When her mother found out what had happened and went to the authorities, attempting to seek an abortion, they were repeatedly pushed away and told not to pursue the matter. By the time they obtained authorization for the daughter to obtain the abortion, it was too late. In addition, large rates of human rights abuses have been documented, particularly against women. Hundreds of women have been killed within the home in the last five years in GTO.
Formal sex education is almost non existent in Guanajuato. When a law was passed two years ago that would provide all Mexican students with a book about sex education, Guanajuato fought forcefully against its implementation. There is one location where citizens can obtain free HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection tests and condoms (the hospital) but many do not go for fear of being seen by friends/family (remember, GTO is tiny), being interrogated, etc. A large majority learn sex education on the streets, were numerous and potentially dangerous myths are passed along, such as the myth that contraction of an STI will lead to death.
Guanajuato as a state has the third highest rates of pregnancy among adolescents in all of Mexico. I know countless youth who are already parents or have children on the way. It is not at all uncommon for 18 year olds to be married with children, and everyday I pass young mothers on the street, who truly look like children themselves. My guy friend told me the other day that although he and his girlfriend normally use condoms , they don't while she is on her period (Of course, this is a completely unreliable method of birth control).
To make matters worse, government officials have openly denounced condom usage, saying it is not safe, and have called campaigns spreading knowledge about HIV/AIDS as "promoting homosexuality." The government does not release accurate information about infection rates, making it nearly impossible to make the reality of the situation clear to citizens. Last year, government publications identified only 30 people in the entire state of GTO as having contracted HIV. It is no surprise that many people here think they cannot be affected and that they will never contract anything. Aside from this type of mentality, which of course exists to a degree in the U.S., one cannot expect a population of youth to perceive a threat if they are being told it does not exist.
This goes on and on and on. Absolutely terrifying and the possibility of any improvement seems bleak. I think at this point what would improve the situation most would be these developments:
1. The church and the government genuinely untie themselves from one another.
2. I would say vote a liberal party into office, but this is much more complicated than we can ever imagine, given that the liberal party that was previously in office and more or less held the perfect dictatorship for more than 70 years (so let's not even count this as number 2)
3. Mexican people and the international community demand the fulfilment of the protection of their health promised by their government and constitution.
4. Mexican people and the international community work independently of the government to promote sex education and the protection of civil rights.
Guanajuato is one of the most conservative and religious states in Mexico, with around 98% of the population identifying themselves as Catholic. PAN (the ruling party, National Action Party, and the most conservative) dominates Guanajuato politically and is deeply tied to the church.
Although abortion is illegal in Mexico, each state has the power to decide if abortion is allowed under certain circumstances, such as health risks to the mother. While many states legislatively provide for as many as six conditions where abortion is permitted, GTO is one of two states that allows only for the most restrictive of conditions - when the mother has been raped. However, in reality, a legal abortion has never been performed in GTO. One of the organizations I gathered information from defended a mentally ill woman who was raped and impregnated while working as a maid. When her mother found out what had happened and went to the authorities, attempting to seek an abortion, they were repeatedly pushed away and told not to pursue the matter. By the time they obtained authorization for the daughter to obtain the abortion, it was too late. In addition, large rates of human rights abuses have been documented, particularly against women. Hundreds of women have been killed within the home in the last five years in GTO.
Formal sex education is almost non existent in Guanajuato. When a law was passed two years ago that would provide all Mexican students with a book about sex education, Guanajuato fought forcefully against its implementation. There is one location where citizens can obtain free HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection tests and condoms (the hospital) but many do not go for fear of being seen by friends/family (remember, GTO is tiny), being interrogated, etc. A large majority learn sex education on the streets, were numerous and potentially dangerous myths are passed along, such as the myth that contraction of an STI will lead to death.
Guanajuato as a state has the third highest rates of pregnancy among adolescents in all of Mexico. I know countless youth who are already parents or have children on the way. It is not at all uncommon for 18 year olds to be married with children, and everyday I pass young mothers on the street, who truly look like children themselves. My guy friend told me the other day that although he and his girlfriend normally use condoms , they don't while she is on her period (Of course, this is a completely unreliable method of birth control).
To make matters worse, government officials have openly denounced condom usage, saying it is not safe, and have called campaigns spreading knowledge about HIV/AIDS as "promoting homosexuality." The government does not release accurate information about infection rates, making it nearly impossible to make the reality of the situation clear to citizens. Last year, government publications identified only 30 people in the entire state of GTO as having contracted HIV. It is no surprise that many people here think they cannot be affected and that they will never contract anything. Aside from this type of mentality, which of course exists to a degree in the U.S., one cannot expect a population of youth to perceive a threat if they are being told it does not exist.
This goes on and on and on. Absolutely terrifying and the possibility of any improvement seems bleak. I think at this point what would improve the situation most would be these developments:
1. The church and the government genuinely untie themselves from one another.
2. I would say vote a liberal party into office, but this is much more complicated than we can ever imagine, given that the liberal party that was previously in office and more or less held the perfect dictatorship for more than 70 years (so let's not even count this as number 2)
3. Mexican people and the international community demand the fulfilment of the protection of their health promised by their government and constitution.
4. Mexican people and the international community work independently of the government to promote sex education and the protection of civil rights.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
party
Piñatas should be a requirement of every party. Yesterday I threw a get together on the roof of Jose’s hotel. I spent the whole day on his motorcycle going to buy food and drinks at the cheapest places, which was definitely worth the time because I saved a lot of money. His house is right downtown so it has a beautiful view, and we were first graced with a gorgeous sky around six, and later an amazing nighttime look of GTO. A lot of my friends were there from my program, plus Andres, plus Jose and his sister and her friends. It was a good time, topped off by the piñata which was named Lil Jeannie (it was originally bought for my friend Jeannie’s party and looks like her), which we all took turns at while accidently hitting each other instead. We also played the Adverb game, which has become a favorite of our group. We try to play it in Spanish but sometimes English is the only thing that comes out when you are laughing so hard you can’t stand up. Here is Jeannie’s description of the game from her blog: One person has to leave the room while the others decide on an adverb. Then the person who left comes back and decides on a scene (A lawyer arguing with a judge, a couple cleaning the house before the in-laws come, at a rooster fight– which the actors took to mean that they were the roosters, etc) and picks the actors to act the scene out. The actors have to act out the scene in a way that describes the adverb that was previously selected, and then the person has to guess what the adverb is by watching the actors. Needless to say, it was a good time. I took a lot of pictures which I will try and post soon.
I turned in my 20 page paper yesterday, which was a relief although I must admit it was never too stressful. I think returning to NYU is going to be a pretty big shock, since I haven’t been there since December 15 and a whole semester of work in GTO is comparable to maybe a week at NYU.
Very few days left, so I should begin packing soon. I’m going to spend some time today with Andres just buying things I want to bring back, including presents, and taking pictures (If anyone wants anything in particular, let me know). Friday night we leave for the beach on an overnight bus. We should arrive early Saturday morning and will stay there for a few days before we go to Guadalajara, where we will stay with my sister’s friends. And then May 30th, I’ll be back in Atlanta for a hot, lazy, nice summer. I’m off, will update soon.
I turned in my 20 page paper yesterday, which was a relief although I must admit it was never too stressful. I think returning to NYU is going to be a pretty big shock, since I haven’t been there since December 15 and a whole semester of work in GTO is comparable to maybe a week at NYU.
Very few days left, so I should begin packing soon. I’m going to spend some time today with Andres just buying things I want to bring back, including presents, and taking pictures (If anyone wants anything in particular, let me know). Friday night we leave for the beach on an overnight bus. We should arrive early Saturday morning and will stay there for a few days before we go to Guadalajara, where we will stay with my sister’s friends. And then May 30th, I’ll be back in Atlanta for a hot, lazy, nice summer. I’m off, will update soon.
Friday, May 16, 2008
things
Yesterday was an amazing day... At 12:30, I got picked up outside Teatro Principal by my two friends Amanda (they have the same name so they´re called Amancita and Amandota), Johnny (Mexican, really really nice), Katie, and Johnny´s two brothers. We were all stuffed into Johnny´s car, with heads bumping the roof and limbs sticking out the windows. It was an important soccer match for Johnny, who used to be semi-pro, so we were going to cheer him on. The game was a lot of fun and Johnny´s team won and he scored three goals. Afterwards, we went with some of his teammates to this store where they sell huge Micheladas, which is beer with chili, lime, and salt. They are a Mexican drink and at this store, they served them with shrimp. Delicious. We hung out in the shade for a while, drinking beer and talking, which was really nice and relaxing. Later, after dropping off people and picking up others, we got dropped off. That night, I hung out with some people and went out to dinner where I ate an amazing meal full of cheese and vegetables and tortillas (not corn, thankfully, which I am so sick of). And then after that, we went to a bar and people watched and just talked. Granted, I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got into bed.
On Wednesday night, we all said our goodbyes to John. It was pretty upsetting and I think we were all somewhat surprised by how much it shook us. By the time we hugged him goodbye, it was 1 am and everyone had probably drank too much and so we sat in the bar shedding tears and hugging each other. I think it was about John, and the end of this experience, but also the realization that this time is going to be over and we have no control over its finality. We are all leaving and are aware, be it consciously or not, that we will never be able to get this time back. We will go back to the U.S. and we will return to our lives and soon this will just be a study abroad program we did for a few months, but right now it feels like a lot more than that. The reality is most of us have made real friends here, both Mexican and American, friends that could last a lifetime if we weren´t separated by state and country lines. It´s upsetting and it reminds me of camp when I was thirteen and we all stood there on the last day sobbing and hugging each other, knowing that no matter how many times we said we would visit, we knew we never would. I hope that maybe now, now that we have some of our own money and are older and have all the fancy technology, that we can change that camp history and actually stay in touch, actually see each other again, but it over Skype or even in person, maybe even in Mexico.
On Wednesday night, we all said our goodbyes to John. It was pretty upsetting and I think we were all somewhat surprised by how much it shook us. By the time we hugged him goodbye, it was 1 am and everyone had probably drank too much and so we sat in the bar shedding tears and hugging each other. I think it was about John, and the end of this experience, but also the realization that this time is going to be over and we have no control over its finality. We are all leaving and are aware, be it consciously or not, that we will never be able to get this time back. We will go back to the U.S. and we will return to our lives and soon this will just be a study abroad program we did for a few months, but right now it feels like a lot more than that. The reality is most of us have made real friends here, both Mexican and American, friends that could last a lifetime if we weren´t separated by state and country lines. It´s upsetting and it reminds me of camp when I was thirteen and we all stood there on the last day sobbing and hugging each other, knowing that no matter how many times we said we would visit, we knew we never would. I hope that maybe now, now that we have some of our own money and are older and have all the fancy technology, that we can change that camp history and actually stay in touch, actually see each other again, but it over Skype or even in person, maybe even in Mexico.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
may
A little less than two weeks left. I am sitting in the language center at the university, waiting for another thirty minutes before I meet a boy who I am going to help with his English. We have tried to meet three times with no success, so hopefully this time we actually make it happen.
I am pretty tired but still happy. Like I mentioned earlier, I´ve had to actually start doing homework lately (that is, homework that takes more than thirty minutes) so that hasn´t been the most fun. But through my major project about sex education, I´ve held some really fascinating interviews that further deepen my interest in this topic.
I´m still hanging out with Jose a lot - or more so, his family. They are unbelievably kind and down to earth. His mother is very young and hip and fun to be around. It will be sad to leave them.
Tomorrow one of my closest friends leaves because he wants to get back for his graduation. However, he lives in South Carolina so we´ve already made lots of plans to see each other before he leaves for Germany for his fulbright...
In general, I have been doing a lot of winding down activities. Monday we had a group lunch with our directors. Tonight we´re having a party at my Spanish teacher´s house. And Saturday I am throwing a party at my house. I´m going to attempt to make Sangria and some other good food/drinks.
The news of the earthquake is China was pretty upsetting. I´ve been looking at the pictures online and reading the news, and it is just truly horrifying. It´s interesting how much attention is being focused on the school and the 900 children trapped underneath. We feel so much more when a child is hurt, I suppose because they are innocent, but in this case every single person is innocent... and yet. And then next to the headline about the earthquake is something about a new Nissan model.
That´s all for now. I´ll try to get more pictures up as soon as I can find a fast connection.
I am pretty tired but still happy. Like I mentioned earlier, I´ve had to actually start doing homework lately (that is, homework that takes more than thirty minutes) so that hasn´t been the most fun. But through my major project about sex education, I´ve held some really fascinating interviews that further deepen my interest in this topic.
I´m still hanging out with Jose a lot - or more so, his family. They are unbelievably kind and down to earth. His mother is very young and hip and fun to be around. It will be sad to leave them.
Tomorrow one of my closest friends leaves because he wants to get back for his graduation. However, he lives in South Carolina so we´ve already made lots of plans to see each other before he leaves for Germany for his fulbright...
In general, I have been doing a lot of winding down activities. Monday we had a group lunch with our directors. Tonight we´re having a party at my Spanish teacher´s house. And Saturday I am throwing a party at my house. I´m going to attempt to make Sangria and some other good food/drinks.
The news of the earthquake is China was pretty upsetting. I´ve been looking at the pictures online and reading the news, and it is just truly horrifying. It´s interesting how much attention is being focused on the school and the 900 children trapped underneath. We feel so much more when a child is hurt, I suppose because they are innocent, but in this case every single person is innocent... and yet. And then next to the headline about the earthquake is something about a new Nissan model.
That´s all for now. I´ll try to get more pictures up as soon as I can find a fast connection.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
...
Mary just left and we had a wonderful time together. It was nice to see a familiar face, especially such a well traveled, fun one. We met up everyday except for one, often to just drink a beer in the plaza or walk around. One day I ate with her family which was really nice, as I got to speak with new people and practice my formal tenses (usted), which I don't get to use very much, since I mostly talk with friends and my family. Luckily, it cooled off a tiny bit before Mary arrived, so the city wasn't quite so steaming during the day. We took some cool pictures together and I know she is going to make a neat photo album of her trip, which will be nice to see when I get back. I keep telling myself I could also make a photo album, but I know that might get pushed back to a summer day at home.
Days keep passing by quickly and I watch myself try to squeeze in every possible activity into the span of a day. I am more than exhausted but feel like I should go out as opposed to sleep. I can tell it's catching up to me today, as I felt overly emotional and cranky.
Homework is also catching up to me and I am trying to start working more. It seems it was all given at the very end of our time here, so I really need to get to work. My main project is a big research paper in which I am looking at the stigmas surrounding sexual education and STD testing in Mexico. I had an interview on Wednesday which was fascinating but also really upsetting, as I learned that the Mexican government releases completely incorrect statistics and no one knows the reality of the situation.
More to come later, off to do some work.
Days keep passing by quickly and I watch myself try to squeeze in every possible activity into the span of a day. I am more than exhausted but feel like I should go out as opposed to sleep. I can tell it's catching up to me today, as I felt overly emotional and cranky.
Homework is also catching up to me and I am trying to start working more. It seems it was all given at the very end of our time here, so I really need to get to work. My main project is a big research paper in which I am looking at the stigmas surrounding sexual education and STD testing in Mexico. I had an interview on Wednesday which was fascinating but also really upsetting, as I learned that the Mexican government releases completely incorrect statistics and no one knows the reality of the situation.
More to come later, off to do some work.
photos
Here are two links that will lead you to a lot of my pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=827525&k=Z4ETYZR3WXYM5111QD2UWP
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=827525&k=ZVMTPVU4W5YM5111QD2UWP
http://www.facebook.com/p.php
http://www.facebook.com/p.php
Sunday, April 27, 2008
not enough time
I have become really pathetic about writing, but like I mentioned in my last post, it's because I've been pretty busy. I am loving Guanajuato more and more everyday, which is upsetting in many ways because I have less than four weeks here. I know this happens with almost every study abroad experience, but it's very sad to finally be finding your place somewhere right when you have to pack up and leave.
I have been making a lot more Mexican friends and deepening the already existing friendships. This last week I have hung out with my friend Jose non-stop, which is great because not only do I like his company but he has introduced me to so much here. His family consists of a lot of business men/women and politicians, so he has connections everywhere, which enables a lot of inexpensive adventures. For instance, we can go to museums for free, or go swimming at a hotel (which his best friend's family owns)... But best of all, he has a motorcycle. We have had three excursions this week where he took me all over the city, often to places I had never been. The motorcycle provides for a lot of freedom that is impossible to obtain with my two feet. Yesterday I went to a party at his house with his family that lasted from 3 pm to 12 am. Jose lives in a hotel/apartment building which his family owns, so the party was in the lobby. It was great to be around so many Mexicans of all different ages, eating and drinking for hours and just having a lot of fun.
Another amazing day was Wednesday, when I went to this thermal spa type place up an alley way in Guanajuato. I went with the other students in my program and we sat in this circular room which was insanely hot, full of steaming rocks and oils and water. It is somewhat of a spiritual experience, made to recreate the sensations of the womb. It was wonderful and I stayed for four hours, exfoliating my body with salts and laughing with my friends.
Right now, I am sitting at the internet cafe with Mary (my dad's ex wife), who studied in Guanajuato for a few months in 2001. So she is back to visit and see the country and just vacation, while I enjoy her company. We met up for the first time today and later we will meet in the plaza for a beer (or two).
So that's all for now. Hope everyone is well... I will try to update more often from now on.
I have been making a lot more Mexican friends and deepening the already existing friendships. This last week I have hung out with my friend Jose non-stop, which is great because not only do I like his company but he has introduced me to so much here. His family consists of a lot of business men/women and politicians, so he has connections everywhere, which enables a lot of inexpensive adventures. For instance, we can go to museums for free, or go swimming at a hotel (which his best friend's family owns)... But best of all, he has a motorcycle. We have had three excursions this week where he took me all over the city, often to places I had never been. The motorcycle provides for a lot of freedom that is impossible to obtain with my two feet. Yesterday I went to a party at his house with his family that lasted from 3 pm to 12 am. Jose lives in a hotel/apartment building which his family owns, so the party was in the lobby. It was great to be around so many Mexicans of all different ages, eating and drinking for hours and just having a lot of fun.
Another amazing day was Wednesday, when I went to this thermal spa type place up an alley way in Guanajuato. I went with the other students in my program and we sat in this circular room which was insanely hot, full of steaming rocks and oils and water. It is somewhat of a spiritual experience, made to recreate the sensations of the womb. It was wonderful and I stayed for four hours, exfoliating my body with salts and laughing with my friends.
Right now, I am sitting at the internet cafe with Mary (my dad's ex wife), who studied in Guanajuato for a few months in 2001. So she is back to visit and see the country and just vacation, while I enjoy her company. We met up for the first time today and later we will meet in the plaza for a beer (or two).
So that's all for now. Hope everyone is well... I will try to update more often from now on.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
the past two weeks
If I don´t write today, my dad will most positively kill me. He is convinced that because I have not updated about my parents´ visit, I am ashamed of them. The only reason I have not been writing is because I have been super busy and having a great time, which I think always goes before blog writing. But for a quick update:
I had a fabulous time with my parents. It was so exciting and relieving to see them, especially at a moment when I felt that I was in somewhat of a slump here in Mexico. We spent several days in Guanajuato, hanging out and walking around. They loved Guanajuato and I enjoyed seeing this city through new eyes. It made me really proud and happy that I am living somewhere that they liked so immensely. I was also proud to show off my growing Spanish skills, which definitely improved in the short time they were here, since I had to translate everything, and we all know how many questions my parents ask.
I had made reservations at a very nice hotel for them and it turned out to be a perfect fit. I was nervous about the noise levels, since everything is so loud here, but I got them a room in the back of the hotel, and they were protected from the street rumblings. They hotel has a great breakfast which I met them for everyday before we started off on our expeditions.
On Saturday we went to Michoacan, another Mexican state. Michoacan has a strong indigenous culture, much more so than in Guanajuato, which I was thrilled to see. It reminded me much more of Oaxaca… We traveled through several different cities and towns, all of which were quite different from each other but of course carried lots of similar characteristics of the region. Our final destination was Pátzcuaro, which borders a lake that is slowly disappearing. We stayed at a really beautiful eco hotel perched high up on a mountain/hill that had a marvelous view. We also stayed in one room together, with two big beds and a nice little kitchen area. It was like a big slumber party, with mom editing some work of mine for an essay contest while dad sat in bed yelling out possible title names, all ridiculous, of course.
We ate on the street a lot, which was fun because I don´t do it much in Guanajuato. Everyone in GTO is emphatic about not eating off the street because of the water quality, and although I usually ignore these warnings, most of the students in the program don´t, which means I never have a companion to eat with, which is the majority of the fun. While traveling from stand to stand, we met a wonderful couple that joined us the next night for dinner. They were energetic and hilarious and reminded me of the highlights of traveling, in that you meet so many new people, not just from the country you are in but also fellow travelers.
I was pretty upset to see my parents go, because I felt that I had a long stretch in front of me with no real relief. But as it turns out, immediately after they left things got better. I went one night to this fantastic wine bar (the only one in GTO) and ended up staying until four a.m. As 12 pm rolled around, I was still sitting at the table with two friends with no intention of leaving. Our waiter, who turned out to be the owner, invited us inside and so we sat for the next four hours, inside the closed restaurant, hanging out with him and another waiter. We drank and ate crackers and olives and just talked and talked and talked. It was so enjoyable and I was intensely happy, fully aware of what a unique moment I was experiencing.
Later that week, I started hanging out with a friend I had made a few months ago but who had left to go to Cancun with his family. He was supposed to be gone for two months, but as it turns out he never left, although I had been waiting these last months for him to return. So we´ve been hanging out a lot and I´ve introduced him to my friends (and he has has introduced me to his friends), and it has just been a fun time. I am so glad to be speaking more Spanish. Although I am tired a lot, I try to go out as much as possible at night because I know it is good for me on many levels.
This past weekend, I went to Zacatecas, another Mexican state, with my program. The city looks a lot like Guanajuato and the trip was much less overwhelming than our trip to Mexico City, for which I was very thankful. One of the best things we did was go to the Modelo Group factory, which produces thirteen different types of beers, including Corona and Pacifico. The company only has factories in Mexico, and the one we went to is their biggest one, and the second biggest beer factory in the world. It was enormous! We were in a big group of people touring, including other students from Guanajuato. At the end of the tour, we went out to this park next to a lake where they served us endless beer and tons of food, with waiters dressed in tuxes. Apparently, the tour doesn´t cost anything, which is shocking. To put it straight, this company is the most fascinating thing I have ever heard of or seen. Their land consists of a factory, a park, a lake, a full soccer field, a volleyball court, a zoo, and a plant nursery. It was insane! It seems that they have great working policies and actually try to take care of the land they are on instead of destroying it. Our tour guide was fantastic and told me that regular workers there, with no college degree who just operate machines, make about 1,200 dollars a month, which is a good salary in Mexico.
We also went to Mina Eden, a mine much different than the one I visited in Guanajuato… First, we took a train inside the mine, which was very cool. Inside, we walked around a lot and it was absolutely beautiful. And the next day, I went to a club inside that very mine! I have to tell the story because it´s hilarious:
After we went to the Corona Factory, we went to a bunch of other places. When we returned to our hostal that night, the tour guide was there with some friends with a huge cooler of beers. So we sat with them and about every other random person in the hostal drinking and hanging out. We eventually moved to a bar where we realized there were people from six different countries and probably about ten different languages spoken. It was hilarious and so fun. Later, some of us went to the club inside the mine. It´s the only club inside a mine in the world, so I felt like I needed to see it, even though clubs are not my thing at all. It ended up being pretty fun, though the next day I was incredibly tired and not up for any activity except the one that consists of me lying in bed. We also went to La Quemada, a site of ruins from Mesoamerican times. They were stunning and completely different than the ruins we visited in Mexico City.
I´m about to try and post as many pictures as possible on my photo page, but it´s never clear how long the internet will take to upload things. I may have to upload in segments over a few days. I am getting to the end of my program, which is over in a little more than four weeks. I have mixed emotions about leaving because, of course, things are finally picking up once it is time to go. But I miss my family, my friends, and my home, and know that will all be great to return to. Hope everyone is well – if you have interest in seeing more pictures, write a comment and let me know and I can send you a link to a bunch more.
I had a fabulous time with my parents. It was so exciting and relieving to see them, especially at a moment when I felt that I was in somewhat of a slump here in Mexico. We spent several days in Guanajuato, hanging out and walking around. They loved Guanajuato and I enjoyed seeing this city through new eyes. It made me really proud and happy that I am living somewhere that they liked so immensely. I was also proud to show off my growing Spanish skills, which definitely improved in the short time they were here, since I had to translate everything, and we all know how many questions my parents ask.
I had made reservations at a very nice hotel for them and it turned out to be a perfect fit. I was nervous about the noise levels, since everything is so loud here, but I got them a room in the back of the hotel, and they were protected from the street rumblings. They hotel has a great breakfast which I met them for everyday before we started off on our expeditions.
On Saturday we went to Michoacan, another Mexican state. Michoacan has a strong indigenous culture, much more so than in Guanajuato, which I was thrilled to see. It reminded me much more of Oaxaca… We traveled through several different cities and towns, all of which were quite different from each other but of course carried lots of similar characteristics of the region. Our final destination was Pátzcuaro, which borders a lake that is slowly disappearing. We stayed at a really beautiful eco hotel perched high up on a mountain/hill that had a marvelous view. We also stayed in one room together, with two big beds and a nice little kitchen area. It was like a big slumber party, with mom editing some work of mine for an essay contest while dad sat in bed yelling out possible title names, all ridiculous, of course.
We ate on the street a lot, which was fun because I don´t do it much in Guanajuato. Everyone in GTO is emphatic about not eating off the street because of the water quality, and although I usually ignore these warnings, most of the students in the program don´t, which means I never have a companion to eat with, which is the majority of the fun. While traveling from stand to stand, we met a wonderful couple that joined us the next night for dinner. They were energetic and hilarious and reminded me of the highlights of traveling, in that you meet so many new people, not just from the country you are in but also fellow travelers.
I was pretty upset to see my parents go, because I felt that I had a long stretch in front of me with no real relief. But as it turns out, immediately after they left things got better. I went one night to this fantastic wine bar (the only one in GTO) and ended up staying until four a.m. As 12 pm rolled around, I was still sitting at the table with two friends with no intention of leaving. Our waiter, who turned out to be the owner, invited us inside and so we sat for the next four hours, inside the closed restaurant, hanging out with him and another waiter. We drank and ate crackers and olives and just talked and talked and talked. It was so enjoyable and I was intensely happy, fully aware of what a unique moment I was experiencing.
Later that week, I started hanging out with a friend I had made a few months ago but who had left to go to Cancun with his family. He was supposed to be gone for two months, but as it turns out he never left, although I had been waiting these last months for him to return. So we´ve been hanging out a lot and I´ve introduced him to my friends (and he has has introduced me to his friends), and it has just been a fun time. I am so glad to be speaking more Spanish. Although I am tired a lot, I try to go out as much as possible at night because I know it is good for me on many levels.
This past weekend, I went to Zacatecas, another Mexican state, with my program. The city looks a lot like Guanajuato and the trip was much less overwhelming than our trip to Mexico City, for which I was very thankful. One of the best things we did was go to the Modelo Group factory, which produces thirteen different types of beers, including Corona and Pacifico. The company only has factories in Mexico, and the one we went to is their biggest one, and the second biggest beer factory in the world. It was enormous! We were in a big group of people touring, including other students from Guanajuato. At the end of the tour, we went out to this park next to a lake where they served us endless beer and tons of food, with waiters dressed in tuxes. Apparently, the tour doesn´t cost anything, which is shocking. To put it straight, this company is the most fascinating thing I have ever heard of or seen. Their land consists of a factory, a park, a lake, a full soccer field, a volleyball court, a zoo, and a plant nursery. It was insane! It seems that they have great working policies and actually try to take care of the land they are on instead of destroying it. Our tour guide was fantastic and told me that regular workers there, with no college degree who just operate machines, make about 1,200 dollars a month, which is a good salary in Mexico.
We also went to Mina Eden, a mine much different than the one I visited in Guanajuato… First, we took a train inside the mine, which was very cool. Inside, we walked around a lot and it was absolutely beautiful. And the next day, I went to a club inside that very mine! I have to tell the story because it´s hilarious:
After we went to the Corona Factory, we went to a bunch of other places. When we returned to our hostal that night, the tour guide was there with some friends with a huge cooler of beers. So we sat with them and about every other random person in the hostal drinking and hanging out. We eventually moved to a bar where we realized there were people from six different countries and probably about ten different languages spoken. It was hilarious and so fun. Later, some of us went to the club inside the mine. It´s the only club inside a mine in the world, so I felt like I needed to see it, even though clubs are not my thing at all. It ended up being pretty fun, though the next day I was incredibly tired and not up for any activity except the one that consists of me lying in bed. We also went to La Quemada, a site of ruins from Mesoamerican times. They were stunning and completely different than the ruins we visited in Mexico City.
I´m about to try and post as many pictures as possible on my photo page, but it´s never clear how long the internet will take to upload things. I may have to upload in segments over a few days. I am getting to the end of my program, which is over in a little more than four weeks. I have mixed emotions about leaving because, of course, things are finally picking up once it is time to go. But I miss my family, my friends, and my home, and know that will all be great to return to. Hope everyone is well – if you have interest in seeing more pictures, write a comment and let me know and I can send you a link to a bunch more.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Semana Santa
Last Friday was Dia de los Flores, which is a holiday celebrated only in Guanajuato. Because it is the beginning of Semana Santa, a massive holiday week, Thursday night is spent celebrating the upcoming vacations and festivities. Although Guanajuato has a relatively early night life early, Thursday night was definitely an exception. I was told by everyone, including my host mother, that I should expect to be out all night and not to return until morning.
Around 9, I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends. From there, we went to several bars. Sometime around 3 a.m., we decided to watch the sunrise from El Pipila. Between bars, we wandered the streets, which were completely full with young people. Each inch of the sidewalks was lined with people selling different things, from very tacky plastic animals to beautiful flowers made out of corn. I’ve decided that so many things in Mexico border upon tacky and beautiful and it’s never exactly clear which one it is. I’ve had to ask a friend several times if something I’m about to buy is really as cool as I think, or just horrendous. By dawn, the vendors had made makeshift beds on the sidewalks, covering themselves from the cold until morning came. Around 5 a.m., as we became colder and colder, we realized the sun wouldn’t be rising for a while and decided to call it a night. I couldn’t find a cab, so I walked home, which was somewhat frightening. It’s interesting how in the midst of fear, you act by instinct and ignore your reason. For example, I knew it would probably be a lot safer to walk calmly home, but instead I chose to run every time I thought no one was around me. I must have looked hilarious.
At home, I slept and hour and half before I returned downtown around 8 a.m. Things were going strong and the streets were covered with people and flowers everywhere. I think most of the young people hadn’t returned home for the nights because they were all dressed in going out clothes and looked exhausted. The tradition is to stay up all night and then eat breakfast in the Jardin. It was a beautiful day and a great glimpse of Mexican festivities, but by eleven I was spent and returned home to sleep for a long, long time.
On Sunday morning, I boarded a bus with seven friends to Barra de Navidad. We took a first class bus, because it was only $5 more than the others. Turned out to be a great decision because we were on the bus for around nine hours. We first went to Guadalajara, where we had a 2-hour layover until our next bus to Barra de Navidad.
Because I arranged our trip, I picked Barra de Navidad because it is a small town with minimal tourists. Although it was Semana Santa, the busiest time for a beach, most of the tourists were Mexican so it didn’t feel as if we were somewhere like Cancun. Our hotel/hostal turned out to be a hellhole, with eight of us sleeping in one room. This would have been fine if it weren’t for the bathroom without a door (only a curtain) and the blankets on the bed that were thinner than sheets. I wish it had been nicer, but we made do and tried to spend as much time as possible away from the hotel.
The first two days at the beach were very windy, but that didn’t prevent me from getting a burn. On the second day, a friend and I rode bikes (the one thing included in the hotel) to a neighboring beach town. It ended up being much less windy and more beautiful, so the next day the entire group took a bus there. It was unquestionably the best day we had at the beach, topped off by a banana boat ride in which we were pulled far out from land and flew off our float twice to roughly smack the cold water. Definitely worth the $4 ride.
We spent every dinner eating out, which one is actually able to do here because the food is so cheap. We discovered a wonderful restaurant with enormous burritos for $3.50 and probably ate there five times.
It was a great trip in all, although by the end we were all somewhat sick of each other and ready to have our own rooms with private bathrooms. Although I have mixed feelings about being back, I’m glad for my house’s comfort and some much needed solitude. And best of all, my parents are coming this Thursday!
I have posted a lot of pictures of my picture site, so check them out.
Around 9, I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends. From there, we went to several bars. Sometime around 3 a.m., we decided to watch the sunrise from El Pipila. Between bars, we wandered the streets, which were completely full with young people. Each inch of the sidewalks was lined with people selling different things, from very tacky plastic animals to beautiful flowers made out of corn. I’ve decided that so many things in Mexico border upon tacky and beautiful and it’s never exactly clear which one it is. I’ve had to ask a friend several times if something I’m about to buy is really as cool as I think, or just horrendous. By dawn, the vendors had made makeshift beds on the sidewalks, covering themselves from the cold until morning came. Around 5 a.m., as we became colder and colder, we realized the sun wouldn’t be rising for a while and decided to call it a night. I couldn’t find a cab, so I walked home, which was somewhat frightening. It’s interesting how in the midst of fear, you act by instinct and ignore your reason. For example, I knew it would probably be a lot safer to walk calmly home, but instead I chose to run every time I thought no one was around me. I must have looked hilarious.
At home, I slept and hour and half before I returned downtown around 8 a.m. Things were going strong and the streets were covered with people and flowers everywhere. I think most of the young people hadn’t returned home for the nights because they were all dressed in going out clothes and looked exhausted. The tradition is to stay up all night and then eat breakfast in the Jardin. It was a beautiful day and a great glimpse of Mexican festivities, but by eleven I was spent and returned home to sleep for a long, long time.
On Sunday morning, I boarded a bus with seven friends to Barra de Navidad. We took a first class bus, because it was only $5 more than the others. Turned out to be a great decision because we were on the bus for around nine hours. We first went to Guadalajara, where we had a 2-hour layover until our next bus to Barra de Navidad.
Because I arranged our trip, I picked Barra de Navidad because it is a small town with minimal tourists. Although it was Semana Santa, the busiest time for a beach, most of the tourists were Mexican so it didn’t feel as if we were somewhere like Cancun. Our hotel/hostal turned out to be a hellhole, with eight of us sleeping in one room. This would have been fine if it weren’t for the bathroom without a door (only a curtain) and the blankets on the bed that were thinner than sheets. I wish it had been nicer, but we made do and tried to spend as much time as possible away from the hotel.
The first two days at the beach were very windy, but that didn’t prevent me from getting a burn. On the second day, a friend and I rode bikes (the one thing included in the hotel) to a neighboring beach town. It ended up being much less windy and more beautiful, so the next day the entire group took a bus there. It was unquestionably the best day we had at the beach, topped off by a banana boat ride in which we were pulled far out from land and flew off our float twice to roughly smack the cold water. Definitely worth the $4 ride.
We spent every dinner eating out, which one is actually able to do here because the food is so cheap. We discovered a wonderful restaurant with enormous burritos for $3.50 and probably ate there five times.
It was a great trip in all, although by the end we were all somewhat sick of each other and ready to have our own rooms with private bathrooms. Although I have mixed feelings about being back, I’m glad for my house’s comfort and some much needed solitude. And best of all, my parents are coming this Thursday!
I have posted a lot of pictures of my picture site, so check them out.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
small bits
I haven’t posted for little bit because I have been sick and out of it... A lot of people in my program have also come down with something, so I’m sure our very close contact allows for the easy transfer of germs. It seems just to be a common cold, so I’m hoping it will get better fast.
Tomorrow is my last day of class before a two-week long vacation. Next week is Semana Santa, and the following week is a continuation, to a lesser degree, of the festivities. This Sunday, I am going to the beach with a few friends. It’s called Barra de Navidad and it is supposed to be a relatively quiet, untouristy beach. I have made it my mission to make sure I go to the beach, so that meant having to make all the reservations and bus tickets, which has ended up taking hours upon hours. I’m sure it will pay off though and will be a nice respite from Guanajuato. When I get back, I will stick around the city for a few days and see all the Semana Santa happenings, and then the next week I will go out into the country to volunteer in a small pueblo with children. And then that Thursday, my parents are coming! I am very very excited.
There is a lot to post about what’s being going on here, but I have to go study for a test tomorrow. But I will leave you with two things.
One, religion has been surrounding me lately, in every crevice of life. In one day there was a mass outside my house, a lunch discussion about abortion and God, a movie about the end of the world and needing to believe, preparation for Semana Santa, and a sign on a door that said – “Catholics live here. Propaganda from any other religion will not be accepted.”
Second thing: two days ago right before I arrived at my house, I walked by a man holding a gigantic cow’s head on his shoulders.
Will post again soon, hope everyone is well.
Tomorrow is my last day of class before a two-week long vacation. Next week is Semana Santa, and the following week is a continuation, to a lesser degree, of the festivities. This Sunday, I am going to the beach with a few friends. It’s called Barra de Navidad and it is supposed to be a relatively quiet, untouristy beach. I have made it my mission to make sure I go to the beach, so that meant having to make all the reservations and bus tickets, which has ended up taking hours upon hours. I’m sure it will pay off though and will be a nice respite from Guanajuato. When I get back, I will stick around the city for a few days and see all the Semana Santa happenings, and then the next week I will go out into the country to volunteer in a small pueblo with children. And then that Thursday, my parents are coming! I am very very excited.
There is a lot to post about what’s being going on here, but I have to go study for a test tomorrow. But I will leave you with two things.
One, religion has been surrounding me lately, in every crevice of life. In one day there was a mass outside my house, a lunch discussion about abortion and God, a movie about the end of the world and needing to believe, preparation for Semana Santa, and a sign on a door that said – “Catholics live here. Propaganda from any other religion will not be accepted.”
Second thing: two days ago right before I arrived at my house, I walked by a man holding a gigantic cow’s head on his shoulders.
Will post again soon, hope everyone is well.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
car racing
On Thursday I went to rally for a car racing competition in Guanajuato. The rally was held at the Alhondiga, the building I have mentioned before (and recently posted a picture of on my photo page). The Alhondiga is the building in which the Spaniards grouped as Hidalgo led the march to Guanajuato to begin the war of independence. El Pipila burned down the door to the building and most of the Spaniards inside were killed, however four of the main leaders of the revolution, including Hidaldo, were beheaded. Their heads were hung outside of the Alhondiga for ten years to serve as a warning to future revolutionary movements.
The Alhondiga has a huge set of steps that lead to a square at the bottom, which during the day is occupied by playing school kids and Guanajuato residents. However, for the rally every inch of the steps, the streets, and any building and flat surface was covered by people craning their necks to see the cars. I think half of Guanajuato must have been there. In the square there were two sets of bleachers for press and a massive stage set up for the display of the cars. The night was filled with interviews with the drivers (who came from across the world), fireworks, and admiration of the cars (which I could barely see). It was an interesting experience, albeit a strange one. The rally was sponsord by Corona and Coke, so advertisements were everywhere. It´s amazing how different capitalism (or just general consumerism) looks from the outside. If this event had been held in the states, I probably would have been horrified at the amount of brand promotion (and everything it implies), but from my foreign position, it was just plain fascinating. When I was able to get to higher ground to get a good view, I took and few pictures and a video that I will have to upload sometime this week.
On another exciting note, my parents are coming in a month. I am extremely excited, as I´ve gotten a little homesick lately and am craving some family comfort.
The Alhondiga has a huge set of steps that lead to a square at the bottom, which during the day is occupied by playing school kids and Guanajuato residents. However, for the rally every inch of the steps, the streets, and any building and flat surface was covered by people craning their necks to see the cars. I think half of Guanajuato must have been there. In the square there were two sets of bleachers for press and a massive stage set up for the display of the cars. The night was filled with interviews with the drivers (who came from across the world), fireworks, and admiration of the cars (which I could barely see). It was an interesting experience, albeit a strange one. The rally was sponsord by Corona and Coke, so advertisements were everywhere. It´s amazing how different capitalism (or just general consumerism) looks from the outside. If this event had been held in the states, I probably would have been horrified at the amount of brand promotion (and everything it implies), but from my foreign position, it was just plain fascinating. When I was able to get to higher ground to get a good view, I took and few pictures and a video that I will have to upload sometime this week.
On another exciting note, my parents are coming in a month. I am extremely excited, as I´ve gotten a little homesick lately and am craving some family comfort.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Frida
In my last post, I mentioned my visit to Frida Kahlo´s house. While reading the nytimes today, I noticed this story. The beginning refers to her house, Casa Azul, but the whole piece gives a great insight into what I saw.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/arts/design/29kahl.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/arts/design/29kahl.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
¨Basically, she felt what we all feel, only hugely, terribly... That’s the way Kahlo enters your system, fast, with a jolt, an effect as unnerving, and even repellent, as it is pleasurable.¨
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Mexico City
* The link to my photo page is now on the right side of this page. I also added four pictures of my house/family here.*
I should never have waited more than an hour to start writing about my trip to Mexico City, because just two days later, it is slowly evaporating from my memory. But I will try my hardest to recount as much as possible about three of the longest days of my life.
On Friday, we left at 8 am for DF (everyone here calls Mexico City just plain Mexico of DF, as in Distrito Federal) in a small bus that fit all of us incredibly snugly, in a bad way. It was really too tight of a fit for a five hour drive, but we made do and tried to sleep as much as possible. Since I can´t describe everything we did, here are a few highlights:
Friday – We visited the Zocola, the plaza where all of the important government buildings are located in DF. We visited a building that held dozens of Diego Rivera´s murals (I posted numerous pictures on my photo page). In contrast to his experience in New York, Rivera was allowed to paint whatever he desired, so it comes as no surprise that the murals are filled with socialist and communist iconography. The largest mural traces Mexico´s history from pre-conquest to the period in which Rivera was working. I will provide more detail on the murals on my photo page, so check it out.
Speaking of Rivera, we also went on Friday to Rivera´s beautiful house, called Casa Azul. It was filled with Rivera and Frida's art, letters addressed to them, clothing, and even the notorious bed Frida learned to paint in.
Afterwards we went to the Metropolitan Cathedral built in 1573. Because Mexico City was built upon a lake, it is slowly sinking. Within the church, there is a pointed object (no idea what they are called) hanging from the ceiling. It originally pointed to the center of the church, but now, years and years later, the tip has moved substantially because of the change in the level of the church. It was quite amazing and definitely something my dad would have spent more time looking at than the church itself.
On Saturday, we visited several sites, one of which was the plaza where the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre occurred. This event took place 10 days before the summer Olympics, held in Mexico, which students protested as an absurd expenditure of money when there were endless social problems that desperately needed funding instead. As the students protested in the square, military helicopters flew overhead, opening fire on the students. Although the government denied the numbers, it is largely believed hundreds upon hundreds were killed and disappeared. The night of the massacre, the plaza was cleaned and the next day, no evidence was left, except the countless indentations on the ground present to this day, caused by bullets hitting the ground.
Later, we visited the Teotihuacán pyramids. These pyramids were built 2,000 years ago and remain in remarkably good condition today. The Aztecs later incorporated the pyramids into their own civilization, and the now stand as evidence of the advanced culture and technology of the time, as they include irrigation, art, and obviously extraordinary architecture.
We also went to the Basilica de Guadalupe, the church that the Virgin of Guadalupe told Juan Diego to build. Within the church, the canvas (in which she proved her existence) hangs to be seen by all. There are four moving sidewalks below the canvas to allow visitors to pass by. As many of you know, the Virgin is hugely important in Mexico and her image is seen everywhere. There is nothing you can´t buy without her image. I have never seen anything else that even comes close to what she signifies for Mexican identity. On the Day of Guadalupe, five million people visited the church in three days. Her story is fascinating and incredibly important in understanding Mexican culture and identity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe
On the way to all of these places, I was consistently able to see extensive stretches of DF up the mountainsides. Houses are built right on top of each other, and it seems as if there is not an inch between each building. They go impossibly high up the mountains until they are stopped by a wall built to prevent any future construction. Viewing this from the street conjured many images from things I have learned and read in classes about Latin America, particularly the favelas in Brazil -where the conditions of completely condensed space and lack of privacy dominate.
I really am finding myself too exhausted to write, so either I´ll update more later or will just have to tell you all about my trip in person. I have put up a ton of pictures, so check them out, they give a much better description of my travels.
I should never have waited more than an hour to start writing about my trip to Mexico City, because just two days later, it is slowly evaporating from my memory. But I will try my hardest to recount as much as possible about three of the longest days of my life.
On Friday, we left at 8 am for DF (everyone here calls Mexico City just plain Mexico of DF, as in Distrito Federal) in a small bus that fit all of us incredibly snugly, in a bad way. It was really too tight of a fit for a five hour drive, but we made do and tried to sleep as much as possible. Since I can´t describe everything we did, here are a few highlights:
Friday – We visited the Zocola, the plaza where all of the important government buildings are located in DF. We visited a building that held dozens of Diego Rivera´s murals (I posted numerous pictures on my photo page). In contrast to his experience in New York, Rivera was allowed to paint whatever he desired, so it comes as no surprise that the murals are filled with socialist and communist iconography. The largest mural traces Mexico´s history from pre-conquest to the period in which Rivera was working. I will provide more detail on the murals on my photo page, so check it out.
Speaking of Rivera, we also went on Friday to Rivera´s beautiful house, called Casa Azul. It was filled with Rivera and Frida's art, letters addressed to them, clothing, and even the notorious bed Frida learned to paint in.
Afterwards we went to the Metropolitan Cathedral built in 1573. Because Mexico City was built upon a lake, it is slowly sinking. Within the church, there is a pointed object (no idea what they are called) hanging from the ceiling. It originally pointed to the center of the church, but now, years and years later, the tip has moved substantially because of the change in the level of the church. It was quite amazing and definitely something my dad would have spent more time looking at than the church itself.
On Saturday, we visited several sites, one of which was the plaza where the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre occurred. This event took place 10 days before the summer Olympics, held in Mexico, which students protested as an absurd expenditure of money when there were endless social problems that desperately needed funding instead. As the students protested in the square, military helicopters flew overhead, opening fire on the students. Although the government denied the numbers, it is largely believed hundreds upon hundreds were killed and disappeared. The night of the massacre, the plaza was cleaned and the next day, no evidence was left, except the countless indentations on the ground present to this day, caused by bullets hitting the ground.
Later, we visited the Teotihuacán pyramids. These pyramids were built 2,000 years ago and remain in remarkably good condition today. The Aztecs later incorporated the pyramids into their own civilization, and the now stand as evidence of the advanced culture and technology of the time, as they include irrigation, art, and obviously extraordinary architecture.
We also went to the Basilica de Guadalupe, the church that the Virgin of Guadalupe told Juan Diego to build. Within the church, the canvas (in which she proved her existence) hangs to be seen by all. There are four moving sidewalks below the canvas to allow visitors to pass by. As many of you know, the Virgin is hugely important in Mexico and her image is seen everywhere. There is nothing you can´t buy without her image. I have never seen anything else that even comes close to what she signifies for Mexican identity. On the Day of Guadalupe, five million people visited the church in three days. Her story is fascinating and incredibly important in understanding Mexican culture and identity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe
On the way to all of these places, I was consistently able to see extensive stretches of DF up the mountainsides. Houses are built right on top of each other, and it seems as if there is not an inch between each building. They go impossibly high up the mountains until they are stopped by a wall built to prevent any future construction. Viewing this from the street conjured many images from things I have learned and read in classes about Latin America, particularly the favelas in Brazil -where the conditions of completely condensed space and lack of privacy dominate.
I really am finding myself too exhausted to write, so either I´ll update more later or will just have to tell you all about my trip in person. I have put up a ton of pictures, so check them out, they give a much better description of my travels.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Cervantes, outdoor theaters
After my first genuine low point since I´ve been here two days ago, I decided I had to get out of the house after class yesterday. At 6:30, a bunch of my friends met in this plaza, outside of a church. One of the girl´s host fathers was on a board in teachers and intellectuals who were introducing some recently written book. The panel started late, of course, but it was only until the speakers began did a man bring them bottled water and then cups. My friend joked that she wouldn´t be surprised if a waiter soon brought out a plate of steaming tacos. Maybe it´s a humor that only comes after experiencing Mexican culture, but it was truly hilarious.
After their talk, there was a play of a part of Don Quixote. The play took place in the plaza outside of an incredibly old church, while the audience sat on a set of bleachers. The play must have had at least sixty people, dressed in full costume, including tons of children, horses, and donkeys. The only indication that we were living in 2008 was the audience, but otherwise it truly seemed like another era. It was very dark outside when the play started and torches were lit along with a light that followed the main characters around the plaza. Though sometimes the actors spoke themselves, it was often a narrator talking through a loud speaker that eerily filled the night. Right as the play began, the moon rose above the buildings and I was able to see the lunar eclispe. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, and as I sat in the bleachers a shiver went through me.
Afterwards, I finally was able to find an internet cafe where skype worked, which was a big relief and quite exciting. I got to see and hear my parents, which is an indescribable relief after seeing solely new faces for two weeks straight. Speaking of, it´s my two week mark here today. Seems like I have been here forever and not at all. Tomorrow I am going with the other kids on my program to Mexico City for three days, which I think will be great. In much the same way I enjoy learning at NYU and then living in the places where what I learned occurred, learning about Mexican history and then seeing its evidence is thrilling.
In regards to learning, today was a much better day at school. Some days I feel as if I´m being taught as if I were a 10 year old, but at other times it´s much better. I particularly enjoy the history portions of my classes, which take up a fair amount of time because they are so relevant to understanding anything about Mexico. It would be a huge mistake to try and live in Mexico without knowing some of its history. Although I already know a lot of what we´ve been learning, it´s still fascinating and can always be learned in greater detail. I´m trying to refrain from describing all the great things I learned today, but I may get on it later.
I´ve been talking with the guy that works at the internet cafe I´m at, because he was watching the movie "Friday" in English. We talked a lot about music and he just showed me all his English movies. He lent me "Booty Call," which will be hilarous to try and watch without my host parents seeing and asking me what the hell ít is.
Anyway, I´m off, but I will post lots of pictures when I get back from Mexico City.
After their talk, there was a play of a part of Don Quixote. The play took place in the plaza outside of an incredibly old church, while the audience sat on a set of bleachers. The play must have had at least sixty people, dressed in full costume, including tons of children, horses, and donkeys. The only indication that we were living in 2008 was the audience, but otherwise it truly seemed like another era. It was very dark outside when the play started and torches were lit along with a light that followed the main characters around the plaza. Though sometimes the actors spoke themselves, it was often a narrator talking through a loud speaker that eerily filled the night. Right as the play began, the moon rose above the buildings and I was able to see the lunar eclispe. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, and as I sat in the bleachers a shiver went through me.
Afterwards, I finally was able to find an internet cafe where skype worked, which was a big relief and quite exciting. I got to see and hear my parents, which is an indescribable relief after seeing solely new faces for two weeks straight. Speaking of, it´s my two week mark here today. Seems like I have been here forever and not at all. Tomorrow I am going with the other kids on my program to Mexico City for three days, which I think will be great. In much the same way I enjoy learning at NYU and then living in the places where what I learned occurred, learning about Mexican history and then seeing its evidence is thrilling.
In regards to learning, today was a much better day at school. Some days I feel as if I´m being taught as if I were a 10 year old, but at other times it´s much better. I particularly enjoy the history portions of my classes, which take up a fair amount of time because they are so relevant to understanding anything about Mexico. It would be a huge mistake to try and live in Mexico without knowing some of its history. Although I already know a lot of what we´ve been learning, it´s still fascinating and can always be learned in greater detail. I´m trying to refrain from describing all the great things I learned today, but I may get on it later.
I´ve been talking with the guy that works at the internet cafe I´m at, because he was watching the movie "Friday" in English. We talked a lot about music and he just showed me all his English movies. He lent me "Booty Call," which will be hilarous to try and watch without my host parents seeing and asking me what the hell ít is.
Anyway, I´m off, but I will post lots of pictures when I get back from Mexico City.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Dolores Hidalgo and alleyway masses
Yesterday was one of the best days so far. My family and I went for a day trip, around the perimeter of Guanajuato and up into Dolores Hidalgo. Not only did I see a lot of amazing things, but I also felt I made some sort of leap in my connection with my family. Firstly, I found out that my sister isn´t 20 but 24. This explains a lot of the reasons why she doesn´t seem to set on making friends with me and also works non stop. However, we talked a lot more, which was particularly enjoyable because she´s one of the only Mexican youths I have talked to extensively.
Dolores Hidalgo and the surrounding towns have incredible art work, and are filled with streets upon streets of stores selling beautiful crucifixes, ceramics, and plants. Although some things here are not so cheap (I´ve paid $5 for a mixed drink), the art work was incredibly inexpensive. I bought numerous hand painted ceramic boxes, upon other things, that cost in all $7. One of the downsides of traveling with a native family is that they have seen everything a million times and don´t always linger in places as long as I´d like. Luckily, because this is such a relatively small city, I can more or less return to every place I´ve been on my own.
In Dolores Hidalgo, we also visited the church were Miguel Hidalgo preached of uprising and independence, and from where the people marched to Guanajuato to fight the Mexican War of Independence. On a funny note, Dolores Hidalgo is known for these insane snacks of ice. They have them all around the world, including in New York, where the ice is flavored, typically coconut, chocolate, etc. But in Dolores Hidalgo they have ice flavored with tequila, rum, elotes (corn dish), nuts, cheese, avocado, and a million more. I personally tried to cheese and avocade and it was delicious.
On the way to Dolores Hidalgo and back, my mother read a passage from the bible, which I´ve never seen before. Religious practices are so different here than in Argentina. Before I left I was told that Mexicans have tons of their own celebrations and rituals, and it really does appear to be the case. Of the Latin American countries I´ve been to, Mexico has much more religious iconography, and as many of you know seem much more attached to the Virgin of Guadalupe. In a taste of this unique religious fervor, when we returned from our trip there was a mass being held on our callejon. There is no equivalent for the word callejon in English, but the closest it gets is alleyway. There are a million callejons all over Guanajuato, and they are what you take from the main streets to get to your house. They are winding twisting passageways that lead up the sides of the mountains. Sometimes they become very narrow, and other times much wider, to the size of a one way street. My house is at the part of the callejon where it becomes too narrow for cars to pass. So, as we pulled in front of our house yesterday, my mom explained to me that every Sunday there is a mass on the street in which the priest comes along with people from surrounding neighborhoods. Everyone brings their own little stools or just sits on the sidewalk or ground, and so the ceremony begins. The street is lit by a string of lights and everyone is dressed in their everyday clothes, coming and going as they see fit. The priest was very friendly and interacted with everyone, often making jokes and consistently smiling. The mass was a little more than 30 minutes and at the end, a donation basket was passed around as we all gathered around the priest in a circle to say a final prayer.
It was a beautiful experience and I attempted to take a few pictures from my room after we left while the crowd still remained. I will have to upload those as soon as I get the chance. Pictures really will add so much texture to everything I´ve written and continue to write, but unfortunately it is also where I reencounter the problem with the lack of internet...
Dolores Hidalgo and the surrounding towns have incredible art work, and are filled with streets upon streets of stores selling beautiful crucifixes, ceramics, and plants. Although some things here are not so cheap (I´ve paid $5 for a mixed drink), the art work was incredibly inexpensive. I bought numerous hand painted ceramic boxes, upon other things, that cost in all $7. One of the downsides of traveling with a native family is that they have seen everything a million times and don´t always linger in places as long as I´d like. Luckily, because this is such a relatively small city, I can more or less return to every place I´ve been on my own.
In Dolores Hidalgo, we also visited the church were Miguel Hidalgo preached of uprising and independence, and from where the people marched to Guanajuato to fight the Mexican War of Independence. On a funny note, Dolores Hidalgo is known for these insane snacks of ice. They have them all around the world, including in New York, where the ice is flavored, typically coconut, chocolate, etc. But in Dolores Hidalgo they have ice flavored with tequila, rum, elotes (corn dish), nuts, cheese, avocado, and a million more. I personally tried to cheese and avocade and it was delicious.
On the way to Dolores Hidalgo and back, my mother read a passage from the bible, which I´ve never seen before. Religious practices are so different here than in Argentina. Before I left I was told that Mexicans have tons of their own celebrations and rituals, and it really does appear to be the case. Of the Latin American countries I´ve been to, Mexico has much more religious iconography, and as many of you know seem much more attached to the Virgin of Guadalupe. In a taste of this unique religious fervor, when we returned from our trip there was a mass being held on our callejon. There is no equivalent for the word callejon in English, but the closest it gets is alleyway. There are a million callejons all over Guanajuato, and they are what you take from the main streets to get to your house. They are winding twisting passageways that lead up the sides of the mountains. Sometimes they become very narrow, and other times much wider, to the size of a one way street. My house is at the part of the callejon where it becomes too narrow for cars to pass. So, as we pulled in front of our house yesterday, my mom explained to me that every Sunday there is a mass on the street in which the priest comes along with people from surrounding neighborhoods. Everyone brings their own little stools or just sits on the sidewalk or ground, and so the ceremony begins. The street is lit by a string of lights and everyone is dressed in their everyday clothes, coming and going as they see fit. The priest was very friendly and interacted with everyone, often making jokes and consistently smiling. The mass was a little more than 30 minutes and at the end, a donation basket was passed around as we all gathered around the priest in a circle to say a final prayer.
It was a beautiful experience and I attempted to take a few pictures from my room after we left while the crowd still remained. I will have to upload those as soon as I get the chance. Pictures really will add so much texture to everything I´ve written and continue to write, but unfortunately it is also where I reencounter the problem with the lack of internet...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
internet cafes
Right now I am sitting in an internet cafe, the closest one I have been able to find to my house. Despite its relative proximity, I still have to trek back up the monstrous winding hill/alleyway to my house. Unfortunately, my house here doesn't have internet, as many houses don't. Electronics here are very expensive and unlike in the U.S., where many people have computers regardless of economic class, it's not that way here. Although many don't have them, that doesn't mean there isn't a desire for them. So you can imagine how many internet cafes there are. On my way to school, I probably pass 6 or so. Though I would prefer to use my own computer, I don't feel particularly safe hauling it around the city, especially while walking home at night. So I'm gradually getting the hang of the keyboards here, though right now I'm copying and pasting apostrophes from an old email because I have no idea how to make them. Also, I have no idea how to make indents on blogspot, so forgive that too.
Because electronics are so expensive, if people have papers they go to a Circut City type of store right on the border to buy things. There, it's much cheaper than anywhere inside of Mexico. One of my teachers told me that over Christmas time, you see cars driving back from the border filled to the top with things they bought from the U.S. She says that people often take requests from friends or town members, and therefore bring back things for everyone. Sometimes, there are cars carrying ten bikes and more.
On another note, last night we had a group dinner at the director's (Karen) house. I would feel confident in saying it was one of the top five most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Definitely deserved to be in one of those home style magazine. They bought the house with all the furniture included, so there are some hilarious stories of particular objects. For instance, there is a huge crucifix, one deserving of a church. This crucifix is definitely longer than two normal sized cars. She is religious, but felt the crucifix was a little too much, and attempted to get it down several times when they first bought the house, but repeatedly failed and eventually gave up.
For dinner, we sat at long wood tables, very close to the ground. She had hired two people to make the most amazing quesadillas and tacos, with meat cut straight from one of those huge turning pieces of meat. I don't know what they are called, but they're all over New York. It was definitely the best meal I've had here so far and many of us felt sick afterwards from eating so much.
Tonight is the birthday of one of the boys of the program, so some of us will be going out to celebrate. Gradually, every person in the program is growing on me and I am beginning to enjoy them for each of their differences. We all come from across the country and are enormously different, but I think our group has good chemistry and has learned to laugh a lot together, which is great. I have also met a few other students outside of my program, but I would really like to meet more. I'm just trying to give it time and not rush things. I have plenty of time here, and I'm sure things will work themselves out.
I also got a cellphone, but I have no idea how it works and how much it costs to make calls. It's prepaid, so I've already had to refill it twice. Here, it appears to be cheaper to send texts, as I know it is in many places across the world.
I never have any idea how to end these posts, so until next time..
Because electronics are so expensive, if people have papers they go to a Circut City type of store right on the border to buy things. There, it's much cheaper than anywhere inside of Mexico. One of my teachers told me that over Christmas time, you see cars driving back from the border filled to the top with things they bought from the U.S. She says that people often take requests from friends or town members, and therefore bring back things for everyone. Sometimes, there are cars carrying ten bikes and more.
On another note, last night we had a group dinner at the director's (Karen) house. I would feel confident in saying it was one of the top five most beautiful houses I have ever seen. Definitely deserved to be in one of those home style magazine. They bought the house with all the furniture included, so there are some hilarious stories of particular objects. For instance, there is a huge crucifix, one deserving of a church. This crucifix is definitely longer than two normal sized cars. She is religious, but felt the crucifix was a little too much, and attempted to get it down several times when they first bought the house, but repeatedly failed and eventually gave up.
For dinner, we sat at long wood tables, very close to the ground. She had hired two people to make the most amazing quesadillas and tacos, with meat cut straight from one of those huge turning pieces of meat. I don't know what they are called, but they're all over New York. It was definitely the best meal I've had here so far and many of us felt sick afterwards from eating so much.
Tonight is the birthday of one of the boys of the program, so some of us will be going out to celebrate. Gradually, every person in the program is growing on me and I am beginning to enjoy them for each of their differences. We all come from across the country and are enormously different, but I think our group has good chemistry and has learned to laugh a lot together, which is great. I have also met a few other students outside of my program, but I would really like to meet more. I'm just trying to give it time and not rush things. I have plenty of time here, and I'm sure things will work themselves out.
I also got a cellphone, but I have no idea how it works and how much it costs to make calls. It's prepaid, so I've already had to refill it twice. Here, it appears to be cheaper to send texts, as I know it is in many places across the world.
I never have any idea how to end these posts, so until next time..
Thursday, February 14, 2008
classes
So far, my first week of class has gone really well, and seems to be a perfect fit for my major. I am taking two spanish classes, Intellectual History and Cultural Representation, Mexican Revolution and the Novel, and Mexican History and the Construction of a Nation. Although I have two hours of spanish class five days a week, which is a lot considering that I´m basically in spanish class 24 hours a day, I´m actually really excited for what I will be learning. My teacher, Carolina, seems to be fantastic and understanding, and is great at explaining things. My classes are an advanced level of spanish, so we get to learn and review things other than verb tenses. Today in one of my classes we even went over the origins of Mexican Spanish and a lot of slang, including curse words. Here, curse words actually have a historical context, going back to colonization. I´m sure a lot of you already know the story of la Malinche, but for those of you who don´t: la Malinche was an indigenous Mexican woman who was the mistress and translator of Hernan Cortes. Their son is considered the first Mestizo. Although she is increasingly seen in conflicting lights, she is traditionally considered a traitor, someone who greatly assisted the conquest of ¨New World.¨ In Mexico, and throughout many Spanish speaking places, there are about three million variations of the word la chinga, which means the violated one (as in la Malinche). In a few cases, it can mean something good, but for the majority of the time it is a pejorative term. Something that is really interesting (to think about in a colonial context) that Octavio Paz wrote about was that in Spain, people say ¨hijo de puta,¨ while in Mexico, peope say "hijo de la chingada.¨ Hijo de puta means son of a bitch, or whore, and suggests someone who gave themsleves voluntarily. In contrast, hijo de la chingada means someone who is forced.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
"Loss, mourning, the longing for memory, the desire to enter into the world around you and having no idea how to do it, the fear of observing too coldly or too distractedly or too raggedly, the rage of cowardice, the insight that is always arriving late, as defiant hindsight, a sense of the utter uselessness of writing anything and yet the burning desire to write something, are the stopping places along the way. At the end of the voyage, if you are lucky, you catch a glimpse of a lighthouse, and you are grateful. Life, after all, is bountiful."
- Ruth Behar, The Vulnerable Observer
- Ruth Behar, The Vulnerable Observer
Monday, February 11, 2008
beginnings
I am finally sitting down to write, after four days and three nights in Guanajuato. I don’t have internet in my house, so right now I am writing this on microsoft word and will try to find a internet café that has wireless so I can post this on the blog. It has been four days of endless activity, and in many ways it already feels like home. I’ll run through what’s happened so far:
After a lot of nerves and panic, I arrived with ease at the airport in Leon, a city about thirty minutes from Guanajuato. The airport was tiny and it was very easy to find the man waiting for me and three other students. His name is Eduardo, but everyone calls him Lalo, and he is the husband of the director of the program, Karen. Lalo came to get all thirteen of the students on the program (three boys, ten girls) in different spurts, so when I saw him I was the first of the afternoon pickup. This worked out really nicely because I was able to practice my Spanish with him for about twenty minutes before the others arrived. Once they came, we took a taxi to a hotel in Guanajuato. Some of the other students were already there, so we walked around a little. Later that night we had dinner and met Karen, which was nice but everyone was so exhausted we could barely converse. We all ended up ordering the exact same dish, enchiladas Guanajuato style, which I’m sure amused the waiter. The next day, the group went to Las Palomas, a gorgeous nature preserve high up above the city. We had orientation there and two amazing meals cooked by the men who work there.
Later that day, the group had dinner with our new families. My mom was the only one who came for me, which was very nice because I didn’t get too overwhelmed and our conversation was nice, informative, and intimate. Her name is Veneranda but everyone calls her Gorda. Her husband’s name is Heriberto, but he’s called Heri or Viejo. They have been married around thirty-five years and seem quite happy, working alongside each other in their stores. They own three stores in Guanajuato, two jewelry and watch stores and one with knick knacks (I haven’t been there yet so I’m not positive) and such. They have two daughters, one also named Veneranda and the other, Erica. Veneranda’s nick name is vieja (meaning old woman). Erica has one son and is pregnant with a girl, who she will have while I’m here. Good thing I got lots of practice in with Indie before I left. La Gorda and Heri also had a son, but he was killed in an accident around six or seven years ago. My mother has spoken about his death many times, including shedding a few tears at our first meal together. They have pictures of him all over the house and in the store. It’s difficult because she hasn’t given me many details and I don’t want to pry into a history she isn’t prepared to tell. As expected, it is clear his death has been intensely difficult and painful for their family.
My house here is really nice and big. I have my own room, a small room but as much as I need. I have a beautiful view of the city from a window that covers the entire wall next to my bed. Best of all, there are two bathrooms. They even have TV with more channels then I’ve got at home. Right now I’m watching Dirty Dancing 2 in Spanish.
Yesterday, I went with my group on a seven hour tour/trip around Guanajuato and the areas surrounding it. The tour was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t resist taking tons of photos. I’m going to create a second blog with a link to all my photos, so definitely check them out. The first place we went on the tour was this gorgeous garden type place. It was built alongside a river a long long time ago and various rooms are built in different styles, from English to French. The gardens were so peaceful and the tour guide reminded me that I can come whenever I want and spend the whole day there just sitting in the sun. I’m sure I’ll take him up on the offer. It’s important to remember that during the days, it’s about 70 degrees and perfectly sunny here, so all the greatness is amplified times a million. After that, we went to El Pipila (read about him here). The statue looks out over the entire city of Guanajuato, and is where most of the pictures (including the ones I posted before I left) of the city are taken.
After this, we went to La Valenciana, a town which used to be a huge silver producer. At a certain point, they produced 30% of the world’s silver. The money they made from these mines funded all the construction of the beautiful Guanajuato buildings. And of course, they built a church to thank God for the silver and to remain on his good side. We actually got to go inside a mine, wearing hard hats and all. It was absolutely amazing. When the African slaves worked inside the mine, they would swallow the small rocks of silver that they found, to excrete later. However, once the Spaniards realized this, they forced the slaves to swallow some type of chemical to make them have diarrhea (in front of their masters) once they ended their work, and the Spaniards would collect whatever had been taken. In addition, if one of the slaves got sick, the Spaniards would burn all of the slaves, for fear of the illness catching. On the lighter side, the guide told us a lot about silver itself. First, before silver is cut, it looks black. Secondly, if you rub real silver against a piece of cloth of your hard, it should turn a blackish color. He took my big turquoise ring and demonstrated this in front of all of us, declaring that if it wasn’t silver, we would all find out soon enough. After several hard rubs, he had a visible dark line down his palm.
Next we went to Cristo Rey, a huge huge statue of Christ. The statue is located exactly in the middle of Mexico, and people embarking on their trips north often trek to Cristo Rey to pray for luck and safety in their passing. This was the last leg of our trip, and we finally made it back to the center of town around five. I went out with the group for a beer and then walked a block away to one of my parents’ stores. I’m so glad they own these stores because it provides me with an entirely unique experience. I walked around town and hung out in the store for several hours with my mom, talking about things and meeting new people, including the priest. Guanajuato is truly gorgeous. The streets twist and turn, and it’s never clear exactly where you are going. Everyone says - if you’re lost, just walk down. You will always end up in the center of town, because everything is built upwards on the mountains, surrounding the center. Everything is so colorful, and most houses are painted in at least two bright colors. There are no traffic lights in town and it is never clear if cars can actually make it through the narrow alleyways. There are many places that have marks on the walls where buses have hit the corners of buildings. There are cafés everywhere, people selling food on the street, flowers for sale, many things you see throughout Latin America. But of all the places I’ve been, there is something special about Guanajuato. Everything is so full of life, and yet so old and with such a great history. Because Guanajuato was more or less the starting place of the Mexican Revolution (when the priest Miguel Hidalgo marched to Guanajuato) it is not surprising that people here have tremendous pride and love their history.
Yesterday (Sunday, I am finally at a café) was a more relaxed day with my family. We woke up and had lunch together and hung out around the house a little. Then, we went to the cemetery to bring flowers to the grave of Heri’s mother, grandmother, and the daughter of my parent’s son who died while still in the womb. It was very sad and brought forth a lot of thoughts about all the deaths my group of friends have experienced in the last few years. After that, we went to the house of my older sister and hung out with a lot of people and just ate ate ate. One of the most difficult things so far for me has been the timing of my meals. It seems as though whenever I am hungry there is no food around and whenever I am full, there’s too much. For example, after I got home from the bar the other night, I thought I was going to throw up I was so hungry. The next morning I waited waited waited for my family to eat. Later, we went to the mall and bought some Chinese food. But instead of eating it, we put it in the car and went to my sister’s for the barbeque. I ate a ton there, and right when we left, my mom said, ok now you can eat your Chinese. She was shocked when I told her there was no way I could fit more in my stomach. I think slowly I will get the hang out it and learn that I really have to eat a lot more at meals because there won’t be snacks to get me through the day.
Today was my first day of class, but was really more of an introduction to everything. All of my classes will be in Spanish except for one. So far everything seems great. I have my first class at 9 and get out at 1:45. I am in the liberal arts program, which I think is the more advanced program, based on my Spanish level. Everyday my family eats lunch together at 3:30. So I will have time after class to stay in the center of town and explore or use the internet before making the long trek uphill to my house.
I’m sure there is a lot more to say, but right now I’ve lost all thoughts except the emotion of excitement. It looks as this is going to be an amazing semester and the perfect place for me at this point in my life.
Here's one photo, but for lots more, click here:
After a lot of nerves and panic, I arrived with ease at the airport in Leon, a city about thirty minutes from Guanajuato. The airport was tiny and it was very easy to find the man waiting for me and three other students. His name is Eduardo, but everyone calls him Lalo, and he is the husband of the director of the program, Karen. Lalo came to get all thirteen of the students on the program (three boys, ten girls) in different spurts, so when I saw him I was the first of the afternoon pickup. This worked out really nicely because I was able to practice my Spanish with him for about twenty minutes before the others arrived. Once they came, we took a taxi to a hotel in Guanajuato. Some of the other students were already there, so we walked around a little. Later that night we had dinner and met Karen, which was nice but everyone was so exhausted we could barely converse. We all ended up ordering the exact same dish, enchiladas Guanajuato style, which I’m sure amused the waiter. The next day, the group went to Las Palomas, a gorgeous nature preserve high up above the city. We had orientation there and two amazing meals cooked by the men who work there.
Later that day, the group had dinner with our new families. My mom was the only one who came for me, which was very nice because I didn’t get too overwhelmed and our conversation was nice, informative, and intimate. Her name is Veneranda but everyone calls her Gorda. Her husband’s name is Heriberto, but he’s called Heri or Viejo. They have been married around thirty-five years and seem quite happy, working alongside each other in their stores. They own three stores in Guanajuato, two jewelry and watch stores and one with knick knacks (I haven’t been there yet so I’m not positive) and such. They have two daughters, one also named Veneranda and the other, Erica. Veneranda’s nick name is vieja (meaning old woman). Erica has one son and is pregnant with a girl, who she will have while I’m here. Good thing I got lots of practice in with Indie before I left. La Gorda and Heri also had a son, but he was killed in an accident around six or seven years ago. My mother has spoken about his death many times, including shedding a few tears at our first meal together. They have pictures of him all over the house and in the store. It’s difficult because she hasn’t given me many details and I don’t want to pry into a history she isn’t prepared to tell. As expected, it is clear his death has been intensely difficult and painful for their family.
My house here is really nice and big. I have my own room, a small room but as much as I need. I have a beautiful view of the city from a window that covers the entire wall next to my bed. Best of all, there are two bathrooms. They even have TV with more channels then I’ve got at home. Right now I’m watching Dirty Dancing 2 in Spanish.
Yesterday, I went with my group on a seven hour tour/trip around Guanajuato and the areas surrounding it. The tour was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t resist taking tons of photos. I’m going to create a second blog with a link to all my photos, so definitely check them out. The first place we went on the tour was this gorgeous garden type place. It was built alongside a river a long long time ago and various rooms are built in different styles, from English to French. The gardens were so peaceful and the tour guide reminded me that I can come whenever I want and spend the whole day there just sitting in the sun. I’m sure I’ll take him up on the offer. It’s important to remember that during the days, it’s about 70 degrees and perfectly sunny here, so all the greatness is amplified times a million. After that, we went to El Pipila (read about him here). The statue looks out over the entire city of Guanajuato, and is where most of the pictures (including the ones I posted before I left) of the city are taken.
After this, we went to La Valenciana, a town which used to be a huge silver producer. At a certain point, they produced 30% of the world’s silver. The money they made from these mines funded all the construction of the beautiful Guanajuato buildings. And of course, they built a church to thank God for the silver and to remain on his good side. We actually got to go inside a mine, wearing hard hats and all. It was absolutely amazing. When the African slaves worked inside the mine, they would swallow the small rocks of silver that they found, to excrete later. However, once the Spaniards realized this, they forced the slaves to swallow some type of chemical to make them have diarrhea (in front of their masters) once they ended their work, and the Spaniards would collect whatever had been taken. In addition, if one of the slaves got sick, the Spaniards would burn all of the slaves, for fear of the illness catching. On the lighter side, the guide told us a lot about silver itself. First, before silver is cut, it looks black. Secondly, if you rub real silver against a piece of cloth of your hard, it should turn a blackish color. He took my big turquoise ring and demonstrated this in front of all of us, declaring that if it wasn’t silver, we would all find out soon enough. After several hard rubs, he had a visible dark line down his palm.
Next we went to Cristo Rey, a huge huge statue of Christ. The statue is located exactly in the middle of Mexico, and people embarking on their trips north often trek to Cristo Rey to pray for luck and safety in their passing. This was the last leg of our trip, and we finally made it back to the center of town around five. I went out with the group for a beer and then walked a block away to one of my parents’ stores. I’m so glad they own these stores because it provides me with an entirely unique experience. I walked around town and hung out in the store for several hours with my mom, talking about things and meeting new people, including the priest. Guanajuato is truly gorgeous. The streets twist and turn, and it’s never clear exactly where you are going. Everyone says - if you’re lost, just walk down. You will always end up in the center of town, because everything is built upwards on the mountains, surrounding the center. Everything is so colorful, and most houses are painted in at least two bright colors. There are no traffic lights in town and it is never clear if cars can actually make it through the narrow alleyways. There are many places that have marks on the walls where buses have hit the corners of buildings. There are cafés everywhere, people selling food on the street, flowers for sale, many things you see throughout Latin America. But of all the places I’ve been, there is something special about Guanajuato. Everything is so full of life, and yet so old and with such a great history. Because Guanajuato was more or less the starting place of the Mexican Revolution (when the priest Miguel Hidalgo marched to Guanajuato) it is not surprising that people here have tremendous pride and love their history.
Yesterday (Sunday, I am finally at a café) was a more relaxed day with my family. We woke up and had lunch together and hung out around the house a little. Then, we went to the cemetery to bring flowers to the grave of Heri’s mother, grandmother, and the daughter of my parent’s son who died while still in the womb. It was very sad and brought forth a lot of thoughts about all the deaths my group of friends have experienced in the last few years. After that, we went to the house of my older sister and hung out with a lot of people and just ate ate ate. One of the most difficult things so far for me has been the timing of my meals. It seems as though whenever I am hungry there is no food around and whenever I am full, there’s too much. For example, after I got home from the bar the other night, I thought I was going to throw up I was so hungry. The next morning I waited waited waited for my family to eat. Later, we went to the mall and bought some Chinese food. But instead of eating it, we put it in the car and went to my sister’s for the barbeque. I ate a ton there, and right when we left, my mom said, ok now you can eat your Chinese. She was shocked when I told her there was no way I could fit more in my stomach. I think slowly I will get the hang out it and learn that I really have to eat a lot more at meals because there won’t be snacks to get me through the day.
Today was my first day of class, but was really more of an introduction to everything. All of my classes will be in Spanish except for one. So far everything seems great. I have my first class at 9 and get out at 1:45. I am in the liberal arts program, which I think is the more advanced program, based on my Spanish level. Everyday my family eats lunch together at 3:30. So I will have time after class to stay in the center of town and explore or use the internet before making the long trek uphill to my house.
I’m sure there is a lot more to say, but right now I’ve lost all thoughts except the emotion of excitement. It looks as this is going to be an amazing semester and the perfect place for me at this point in my life.
Here's one photo, but for lots more, click here:
Saturday, February 2, 2008
guanajuato, mexico
Clara Green
Bajada de Gavilanes #22
Col. El Carrizo 36000
Guanajuato, GTO
36020 MEXICO
Phone #: (from U.S.) 011-(52) (473) and then my house #, 732-1779
From what I know so far, my host mother is Sra. Veneranda Váldes, my father Sr. Heriberto Mata, and my sister Veneranda (in her early 20s).
Our program director sent this description of them:
"Veneranda (who goes by “Gorda” – even though she’s really not!) and Heriberto (Heri) own watch/jewelry stores around the downtown area. Their youngest daughter, who goes by “Vene” lives at home, and Erika, another daughter lives in town and works at one of the family stores. In the house, all three have a great sense of humor and joke around a lot. They are really caring people."
I will be leaving on February 7th and will update the blog as soon as possible. Here are a few pictures of the place I will be:
Bajada de Gavilanes #22
Col. El Carrizo 36000
Guanajuato, GTO
36020 MEXICO
Phone #: (from U.S.) 011-(52) (473) and then my house #, 732-1779
From what I know so far, my host mother is Sra. Veneranda Váldes, my father Sr. Heriberto Mata, and my sister Veneranda (in her early 20s).
Our program director sent this description of them:
"Veneranda (who goes by “Gorda” – even though she’s really not!) and Heriberto (Heri) own watch/jewelry stores around the downtown area. Their youngest daughter, who goes by “Vene” lives at home, and Erika, another daughter lives in town and works at one of the family stores. In the house, all three have a great sense of humor and joke around a lot. They are really caring people."
I will be leaving on February 7th and will update the blog as soon as possible. Here are a few pictures of the place I will be:
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