So, I`ve been so mixed up with every type of emotion as the program has officially ended and already one of my friends has left Oaxaca today. I finished up my internships but am still struggling with finishing my assignments (Gotta get them done by tomorrow! Such a procrastinator!), and today I said goodbye to all the kids at Casa Hogar where I was doing part of my internship. Although I was only there for a month, and although I really was a little more distant knowing so, I still cried. No matter what, I always have my sensitive heart and I can`t help but share it with people whether I really know that I`m doing so or not. Also, as the days are running out, I`m still thinking about the family from Mixteca... they`re hospitality and how they opened up their home and hearts for us. I have their address and so I`m planning on printing out the picture of us to send to them as a post card. Wish I could`ve visited them again!
Overall, this has been an amazing trip for me. And really, Oaxaca has become my home and I am so sad to leave this wonderful place. There`s been both the bad and good, but I am seriously not ready to leave which tells me that maybe my time here isn`t over and I`ll return after graduating. I`ve thought about maybe teaching English here, volunteering at a physical therapy organization on the coast of Oaxaca, or maybe even just taking this opportunity I`ve had to improve my Spanish and using it in the United States while I work and try to save money. We´ll see what happens!
And as many of you know, I`ve actually found myself in a relationship here with a Oaxaqueño! :) Definitely something unexpected (as I had been imagining myself single for many years while traveling and working in other countries - was my plan at least), but it`s been absolutely a blessing to have met and developed such a wonderful friendship with Daniel. I don`t even want to imagine how that goodbye will go!
And something that might seem weird but I guess was a huge part of the purpose of coming here is that I absolutely love speaking in Spanish, and I am so sad that I have finished my minor! No more Spanish classes!!! So, I´m reeeally hoping that my friends in the group will continue speaking in Spanish once we`re back at PLU.
And something that I`m really looking forward to (don`t know if everyone has heard) is that my family is coming to visit! So although the program has ended, I still have ten more days to spend in Oaxaca. The fam is flying in on Monday and we`re going to spend Christmas here but coming back to Spokane for New Years. :) And I seriously don`t know how I`m going to survive in Spokane with all that snow! I`ve been cold here when, at nights, it`s in the 40s. I`m going to be a popsicle when I get back!
Well, since I started the trip with the blog "Things To Get Used To," I`m going to finish off with a few random things that I have now gotten used to....
-I am now pro at crossing the streets here! (although I still trip while walking on the sidewalks)
-Seeing a pack of dogs run by at 10:30 at night is completely normal
-Completely comfortable squeezing into the "colectivos" (which are taxis that have a route that they drive like the buses do. It`s only about 50 cents to take the colectivos but the thing is, they fill up until there`s no space meaning you don`t get the taxi to yourself but rather you share it with four other people. So, I am now used to sharing the passenger seat with a complete stranger while the taxi driver has to shift gears with me practically sitting on it! Yep....)
-Eating waaay to much ... although I still haven`t learned to pace myself
-Walking, walking, walking...
-Mezcal ;)
-Kissing when greeting people... to my friends from the group: you better still be kissing me every time we see each other at PLU!!!
-Spending about $2 for three tacos and a coca cola
-and the weather... I`ve turned Oaxaqueña I think as I shiver when it`s 50 degrees out...
It`s funny that when I first got here I remember thinking, "I can`t believe I`m actually doing this! I can`t believe that I`m going to be here for FOUR months! That`s such a long time!"
And now I`m thinking, I CANNOT believe it`s over. It went waaay to fast and I feel like it wasn`t enough time. But now, because of this Oaxaca adventure, new doors have opened up. And while I thought I had my life a little planned out, while I practically had a list of how things were going to turn out and all I had to do was check them off, I have been completely inspired by what I have experienced here and with the people I have gotten close to. I now see endless possibilities and I feel a certain force pushing me forward. I am so excited to see what life brings me and what I end up doing because of Oaxaca. From the time I went to Tijuana when I was 16 to when I suddenly went to Tonalà for a month two years ago ... and from then until now, when I had thought I was going to study abroad in Spain but suddenly changed to Oaxaca, I have felt drawn to Mèxico. I`m not exactly sure why, still, but I really do feel like I`m being pushed and pulled in different directions and I believe Mèxico happened for a reason. I`m so excited for the future (a little nervous at times too), but once again I`ve been reminded that sometimes you can`t plan the way your life is going to turn out but rather you have to truly listen to yourself, take some chances, and allow yourself to grow outside your comfort zone.
Thank you so much to everyone who has kept up with my blog. I know it`s hard during the year with our busy lives, but I`ve really appreciated the support and contact. Can`t wait to truly catch up with everyone! Take care, Merry Christmas, and we`ll see each other in the states!
Love,
Michele
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
the month of December....
.... is absolutely flying by. Ok, it just started but I'm already feeling the pressure of things to do with only two more weeks left of the program! For the past two weeks I've been a part of two different organizations to complete my internship part of the program. The first one is called Casa Hogar which is a home for children of all ages. They live here in this home just during the school year because their families cannot afford to take care of them the way they'd like to. So they stay here so that they can go to a nearby school, have the proper clothes and food and shelter. But they still have contact with their families which is the most important part. Since I'm getting credit for my pre-physical therapy major, my role in Casa Hogar is to work with the children who have physical disabilities. There was one little boy who had been carried on the back of his mom for all four years of his life. Because of this, he can't walk and his legs as of now are permanently crossed. He actually just left for vacations with his family, but for the past two weeks I gave him massages which he was always really excited about and then just spend time with him, playing and giving him attention. Also there are two women in wheelchairs who work there, and I've constructed some exercises to do with them to help with their upper body strength. So this is where I'm at Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am observing in this beautiful place called CRIT which is a rehabilitation place for children. There are so many resources here! There are a team of physical therapists as well as occupational therapists, psychologists, and other doctors. There's mecanical therapy, hydrotherapy, stimulation rooms for babies..... It's amazing and I'm going to be researching more about the place. I have been able to help to with different exercises and the other day I was incredibly impressed as I watched this little 5-year-old girl with perfectly braided pigtails and a little determined face practice standing and walking in her leg braces. She can't use them quite yet outside of the clinic but watching her work so hard inspired me. And although some patients were harder to work with than others, this opportunity has made me realize that I really do want to become a physical therapist.
Well, I can't talk for long today, but I will try send some more updates befoooore.... I leave! Can't believe how fast the time has flown by but yes, two more weeks and here comes the fam for Christmas and then we fly back on the 30th. I have very mixed feellings. I'm missing parts about home, but really I am absolutely in love with Mexico and I'm not ready to leave yet. I have made amazing friendships and relationships and four months just doesn't seem like enough time. But the nice thing is that there are things like email, facebook, and skype to stay in contact and I'm sure before I know it I'll be returning to Oaxaca for a visit here and there!
And I'm looking forward to seeing all of you when I get back! Or at least be able to know you're a phone call away! Hope all is well with everyone! And also that everyone had a great Thanksgiving a couple weeks back!!!
More to come....
~muchos abrazos~
Well, I can't talk for long today, but I will try send some more updates befoooore.... I leave! Can't believe how fast the time has flown by but yes, two more weeks and here comes the fam for Christmas and then we fly back on the 30th. I have very mixed feellings. I'm missing parts about home, but really I am absolutely in love with Mexico and I'm not ready to leave yet. I have made amazing friendships and relationships and four months just doesn't seem like enough time. But the nice thing is that there are things like email, facebook, and skype to stay in contact and I'm sure before I know it I'll be returning to Oaxaca for a visit here and there!
And I'm looking forward to seeing all of you when I get back! Or at least be able to know you're a phone call away! Hope all is well with everyone! And also that everyone had a great Thanksgiving a couple weeks back!!!
More to come....
~muchos abrazos~
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
CHIAPAS
Written during the trip in my notebook:
Here I am in Chiapas, writing in my notebook so you all can get the experience firsthand and my feelings up front. I'll tell it from the beginning.... First we came to the touristy city of San Cristóbal de las Casas in which was absolutely beautiful and cute and with TONS of street markets. We had a variety of meetings in Chiapas with different organizations to hear and learn more about what has happened in the past politically within the state of Chiapas, as well as learning about the Zapatist movement, other peaceful organizationas, and human rights issues. But right now, I'm in a small community. We left on Sunday the 16th and we're staying until Tuesday. So, we came to this small community called Tzajalchen which is surrounded by beautiful mountains.. It's only a few hours from San Cristóbal, and the ride was fine until the last hour which was all dirt roads. We were bouncing up and down, and there were tons of curves. I had tried dremamine once before and hated the feeling of it so I decided not to take it this time, and when I started to get carsick (which usually doesn't happen to me!), one of the Witness for Peace (WFP) leaders gave me her pressure bracelets as well as a lime to suck on that are supposed to help with the nausea . Surprising, after about 15 minutes, I felt almost 100% better. The only thing is that after sucking on a lime for almost the entire time, my mouth and lips were completely raw, and part of my lip was swollen! Haha ... great look to have while meeting new people. Immediately, once we reached the community, I felt completely comfortable and while we are staying in a school building with cement floors and dirt that never seems to be able to be swept up, I feel at peace. The community is surrounded with amazing and beautiful vegetation; I feel so connected with the nature even though I can't name a single plant. The mountains are incredible and the valleys so deep. Also, immediately when we pulled up, there were all these curious faces peeking around corners, through windows and doors, and simply looking from the front yard with their bare feet in the mud.... These tiny faces = the children = so full of life, full of smiles, and full of games. The boys are so rambunctious while the girls are timid, sometimes just watching from afar with their little sisters or brothers on their backs in a shawl. Most of the children could speak Spanish but some (as well as the women in the community) only speak their native tongue, tzotzil. Oh! And the first morning ... we woke up to all those tiny faces peeking in through the windows of the school building, waiting to play!!! :)
(I wrote this once we had returned to San Cristóbal): The second day we were there, we decided to go to the fields of corn and coffee beans. The man that we went with told us that it would take about an hour to get there, and two hours to return since we would be doing a loop. Well, after two hours all up and down (mostly down) in the mud, we finally reached his property where we were able to eat mandarins and oranges off the trees. At one point, right before we had reached the fields, I heard Amanda up ahead scream "Las hormigas pican! Corren!!!" [The ants bite! Run!!!] So once we saw millions of ants swarming our feet, we began sprinting which happened to be up this steep and muddy hill! It's a miracle that I never fell at any point during this hike. Also, we were thinking ... ok, if it takes us two hours to hike what takes these men one hour, what's the return trip going to look like??? Yep. ALL uphill in the mud. I LOVE it, but it was a slow hike and I don't really enjoy hiking in jeans. Although when I was breathing hard (altitude is 2300 meters), I was motivated by the two little boys that accompanied us who were each carrying half their weight of firewood on their backs ... or rather by a strap that was on their foreheads (yeah, check out the pics! I'll have them up soon!) ... and they were smiling the entire time, shouting "foto, foto!" I was completely exhausted afterwards but sooo happy ... you know me and hiking. I couldn't be happier than being in the nature with my heart pounding. And I think it would've taken us four hours to get back if we didn't catch a ride once we got to the main road leading to the community.
Well, the reason we went to this community in the first place was because they are members of this organization called Los Abejas (the Bees). They are a pacifist group that is trying to work together to keep an autonomous community and who are fighting for the human rights of the indigenous people. The told us that they chose the name Los Abejas because as they watch the bees, they can see how they are always working hard and how they are all equal with the exception of the queen bee. And it's true that these people work SO hard. I mean, we were all completely exhausted by our hike that is an easy, everyday stoll for these men. And the women as well are up at 5am making food every morning and working on weaving shirts to sell. They work harder physically and emotionally than anyone I've ever met. After visiting Tzajalchen, we went to a neighboring community called Acteal who are also a part of Los Abejas (which by the way was founded in 1992). And we heard this story.... On December 22, 1997, in Acteal, soldiers from the government entered, planning to kill everyone. The community had heard ahead of time that they were coming but just in time to know that they were already surrounded. They started to cry while Alfonso, a man in the community, encouraged them by saying that God would protect them. That even if the soldiers killed them, their souls would not die. So this peaceful group of people began praying in their small church. When they heard the shots they began running and tried to hide. With no physical armor but the prayers from their lips, 45 innocent people were killed. Five men, 25 women (five of which were pregnant), eight children between the ages of 5 and 10, two toddlers, and five babies under the age of one. Listening to this makes me sick and it makes me realize how much injustice there is in this world. I'll post some links as well for anyone who'd like to read more. There are so many indigenous communities who continuously have their rights violated and who continue to live in poverty while they work so hard to harvest and make a living. Many times, during the off seasons, the men travel to the bigger cities to find jobs which are usually low-paying. the national minimum wage in Mexico is $5 per DAY. And sometimes these days consist of 9-10 hours of work.
In one of the reflection meetings with WFP, I started talking about how I'm so frustrated because right now my role is to just listen to these stories as a witness without being able to do anything, and I honestly have little hope about doing something later. Too many times I return from a heart-breaking trip like this just to return to my "normal" life. I'm so afraid to go back to the US, to find myself faced with all my bio classes, internship, ad senior thesis, and to forget about the other lives that I have seen. And what can I do? How can I help? We talked about how we can be the voice for them ... but I feel like I can tell these stories I've heard, I can touch hearts, but I'm afraid that my words will stay in the hearts and minds of my family and friends without motivating any action. I hope not. I was thinking about our country as well ... Obama's speach consisted of the words, "Yes we can." And yes ... we CAN, but will we? We need to motivate ourselves to actually work hard to make some changes within our own country, our own communities. We can't just sit back and see how Obama will change things but rather, what can we do? I began crying after I expressed my frustrations with the group and couldn't really stop sniffling the whole rest of the time, and after the meeting, I realized I had told a littler 13-year-old girl that I would buy a necklace from her. And there she was patiently waiting for me. Trying to blink back the still-threatening-tears, I sat down and invited her to sit with me to show me her necklaces, and along with her, I was surrounded by all these little girls. One little four- or five-year-old, who couldn't speak Spanish, kept rubbing my back while smiling at me. I was incredibly touched by their shy but warming love. It was very remedial.
And so the point? I just keep thinking about how much poverty exists in the world and how much injustice still occurs everyday even within our own communities. I keep looking at my future, thinking "What can I do?" Some may think we just need to let life unfold and let the pieces fall where they may, but I encourage you to look and see what you can do, whether it be near or far in the world. We can all do something; it's just whether we take the initiative or not. We've only got one life to live and we don't know how long this one life will last.... Something I said during the meeting is that I don't want to just listen, I want to do something NOW. So let's try to do something now ... not tomorrow, not something within the next year ... let's start planning, getting involved, and helping today, in this moment that we live.
Here I am in Chiapas, writing in my notebook so you all can get the experience firsthand and my feelings up front. I'll tell it from the beginning.... First we came to the touristy city of San Cristóbal de las Casas in which was absolutely beautiful and cute and with TONS of street markets. We had a variety of meetings in Chiapas with different organizations to hear and learn more about what has happened in the past politically within the state of Chiapas, as well as learning about the Zapatist movement, other peaceful organizationas, and human rights issues. But right now, I'm in a small community. We left on Sunday the 16th and we're staying until Tuesday. So, we came to this small community called Tzajalchen which is surrounded by beautiful mountains.. It's only a few hours from San Cristóbal, and the ride was fine until the last hour which was all dirt roads. We were bouncing up and down, and there were tons of curves. I had tried dremamine once before and hated the feeling of it so I decided not to take it this time, and when I started to get carsick (which usually doesn't happen to me!), one of the Witness for Peace (WFP) leaders gave me her pressure bracelets as well as a lime to suck on that are supposed to help with the nausea . Surprising, after about 15 minutes, I felt almost 100% better. The only thing is that after sucking on a lime for almost the entire time, my mouth and lips were completely raw, and part of my lip was swollen! Haha ... great look to have while meeting new people. Immediately, once we reached the community, I felt completely comfortable and while we are staying in a school building with cement floors and dirt that never seems to be able to be swept up, I feel at peace. The community is surrounded with amazing and beautiful vegetation; I feel so connected with the nature even though I can't name a single plant. The mountains are incredible and the valleys so deep. Also, immediately when we pulled up, there were all these curious faces peeking around corners, through windows and doors, and simply looking from the front yard with their bare feet in the mud.... These tiny faces = the children = so full of life, full of smiles, and full of games. The boys are so rambunctious while the girls are timid, sometimes just watching from afar with their little sisters or brothers on their backs in a shawl. Most of the children could speak Spanish but some (as well as the women in the community) only speak their native tongue, tzotzil. Oh! And the first morning ... we woke up to all those tiny faces peeking in through the windows of the school building, waiting to play!!! :)
(I wrote this once we had returned to San Cristóbal): The second day we were there, we decided to go to the fields of corn and coffee beans. The man that we went with told us that it would take about an hour to get there, and two hours to return since we would be doing a loop. Well, after two hours all up and down (mostly down) in the mud, we finally reached his property where we were able to eat mandarins and oranges off the trees. At one point, right before we had reached the fields, I heard Amanda up ahead scream "Las hormigas pican! Corren!!!" [The ants bite! Run!!!] So once we saw millions of ants swarming our feet, we began sprinting which happened to be up this steep and muddy hill! It's a miracle that I never fell at any point during this hike. Also, we were thinking ... ok, if it takes us two hours to hike what takes these men one hour, what's the return trip going to look like??? Yep. ALL uphill in the mud. I LOVE it, but it was a slow hike and I don't really enjoy hiking in jeans. Although when I was breathing hard (altitude is 2300 meters), I was motivated by the two little boys that accompanied us who were each carrying half their weight of firewood on their backs ... or rather by a strap that was on their foreheads (yeah, check out the pics! I'll have them up soon!) ... and they were smiling the entire time, shouting "foto, foto!" I was completely exhausted afterwards but sooo happy ... you know me and hiking. I couldn't be happier than being in the nature with my heart pounding. And I think it would've taken us four hours to get back if we didn't catch a ride once we got to the main road leading to the community.
Well, the reason we went to this community in the first place was because they are members of this organization called Los Abejas (the Bees). They are a pacifist group that is trying to work together to keep an autonomous community and who are fighting for the human rights of the indigenous people. The told us that they chose the name Los Abejas because as they watch the bees, they can see how they are always working hard and how they are all equal with the exception of the queen bee. And it's true that these people work SO hard. I mean, we were all completely exhausted by our hike that is an easy, everyday stoll for these men. And the women as well are up at 5am making food every morning and working on weaving shirts to sell. They work harder physically and emotionally than anyone I've ever met. After visiting Tzajalchen, we went to a neighboring community called Acteal who are also a part of Los Abejas (which by the way was founded in 1992). And we heard this story.... On December 22, 1997, in Acteal, soldiers from the government entered, planning to kill everyone. The community had heard ahead of time that they were coming but just in time to know that they were already surrounded. They started to cry while Alfonso, a man in the community, encouraged them by saying that God would protect them. That even if the soldiers killed them, their souls would not die. So this peaceful group of people began praying in their small church. When they heard the shots they began running and tried to hide. With no physical armor but the prayers from their lips, 45 innocent people were killed. Five men, 25 women (five of which were pregnant), eight children between the ages of 5 and 10, two toddlers, and five babies under the age of one. Listening to this makes me sick and it makes me realize how much injustice there is in this world. I'll post some links as well for anyone who'd like to read more. There are so many indigenous communities who continuously have their rights violated and who continue to live in poverty while they work so hard to harvest and make a living. Many times, during the off seasons, the men travel to the bigger cities to find jobs which are usually low-paying. the national minimum wage in Mexico is $5 per DAY. And sometimes these days consist of 9-10 hours of work.
In one of the reflection meetings with WFP, I started talking about how I'm so frustrated because right now my role is to just listen to these stories as a witness without being able to do anything, and I honestly have little hope about doing something later. Too many times I return from a heart-breaking trip like this just to return to my "normal" life. I'm so afraid to go back to the US, to find myself faced with all my bio classes, internship, ad senior thesis, and to forget about the other lives that I have seen. And what can I do? How can I help? We talked about how we can be the voice for them ... but I feel like I can tell these stories I've heard, I can touch hearts, but I'm afraid that my words will stay in the hearts and minds of my family and friends without motivating any action. I hope not. I was thinking about our country as well ... Obama's speach consisted of the words, "Yes we can." And yes ... we CAN, but will we? We need to motivate ourselves to actually work hard to make some changes within our own country, our own communities. We can't just sit back and see how Obama will change things but rather, what can we do? I began crying after I expressed my frustrations with the group and couldn't really stop sniffling the whole rest of the time, and after the meeting, I realized I had told a littler 13-year-old girl that I would buy a necklace from her. And there she was patiently waiting for me. Trying to blink back the still-threatening-tears, I sat down and invited her to sit with me to show me her necklaces, and along with her, I was surrounded by all these little girls. One little four- or five-year-old, who couldn't speak Spanish, kept rubbing my back while smiling at me. I was incredibly touched by their shy but warming love. It was very remedial.
And so the point? I just keep thinking about how much poverty exists in the world and how much injustice still occurs everyday even within our own communities. I keep looking at my future, thinking "What can I do?" Some may think we just need to let life unfold and let the pieces fall where they may, but I encourage you to look and see what you can do, whether it be near or far in the world. We can all do something; it's just whether we take the initiative or not. We've only got one life to live and we don't know how long this one life will last.... Something I said during the meeting is that I don't want to just listen, I want to do something NOW. So let's try to do something now ... not tomorrow, not something within the next year ... let's start planning, getting involved, and helping today, in this moment that we live.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
checking in : Day of the Dead!
Hey everyone... so I´m WAY behind in letting you all know what`s been going on. So I`m going to start off with Day of the Dead although it was almost a month ago.... Day of the Dead was amazing. On Friday night (October 31st) my classmates and I went to two different cemetaries in which were surrounded by what seemed like a fair. There were tons and tons of marigolds everywhere, people dressed up as "the dead", stands to buy whatever type of food you wanted (including hot cakes with nutella and caramel!), and tons of festivities. First, something that every family does is build an altar in their house. It`s completely filled with bread, food, coka cola, mezcal, marigolds, as well as other flowers, and the pictures of the loved ones who have passed away. It`s very beautiful, and on the 1st of November while I was reading in my room, old music and the smell of incense floated upstairs. So, I decided to see what was going on and my host mom had opal burning at the altar and was looking through photographs while listening to her parents` favorite music. She started showing me all the different photos from when her mother was young as well as her extended family. It was really cool for me to be a part of this time of remembering because usually the family is pretty private. When we went to the cemetaries the night before, there were tons of sand murals in which depicted a variety a images such as Jesus, the Virgen Mary, images of death, simple designs, and more. Also, the cemetaries where completely filled with candles and flowers. It was beautiful. It made me start thinking of my grandparents. I had never really understood how beautiful and meaningful Day of the Dead really is... it`s a time of remembrance, getting together with family, and celebrating that our loved ones are in a better place. I wish in the US we had a day to really remember and appreciate those who have passed on. We have Memorial Day, but sill ... it seems to go by forgotten. I was just thinking how many years have gone by since I`ve visited my grandparents` graves, and while although I remember them and will think of them from time to time, it`s always a fleeting thought in my busy day. So, I really truly enjoyed Day of the Dead. On Saturday evening, I went with Daniel and his mom to a little town where their family came from. We stayed at Daniel`s uncle`s house, and that first night felt like Thanksgiving to me. The smells, eating with lots of people, eating lots of food, and there was just a cozy feeling that reminded me of one of my uncle and aunt`s house. The only difference is that later that night, I got to listen to all types of scary stories! (And really! By the end, I was a little shocked!) Oh, and the food.... Ok, where to start? So, before I left for San Pedro Añañe (the town), I ate what`s called "mole negro" which is a sauce made from chiles and served with chicken. Very delicious! That night at the uncle`s house ... mole negro with chicken again ... the next morning, we woke up, ate lots of bread with hot chocolate and then went to visit friends in the town. While although I was full from the bread and hot chocolate, when we arrived at the friend`s house, we had MORE mole negro with chicken. At this point, I seriously thought I was going to puke and be completely ashamed in front of all of Daniel`s mom and family friends.... I mean, every second I was telling myself,"Don`t puke, don`t puke, dont puke!" So you`re probably asking, how did I reach this limit in which my stomach was literally almost overflowing? Well, the first night I refused a second serving by saying, "Oh it`s delicious but I`m already full. Thanks so much!" And Daniel looked at me with this smile and said, "Mom, tell Michele about how to have good manners in the towns." Well, found out that it`s considered bad manners to refuse food in the smaller, traditional communities. You`re always supposed to accept whatever they present to you and what you can`t eat, you take home with you. Oh no... my problem is that 1) I eat too fast and therefore am receiving my second serving right away, and 2) I have a small stomach. Bad combination! Well, the good news is that I didn`t puke! (But I definitely should start running again!) That evening, after visiting other friends` houses (and receiving more refreshments and mezcal) we were looking for someone, who had gone out into the cornfields, to say goodbye before we left. We ended up spending much time walking in the country side and when we finally found them, they insisted that we eat with them. So, while sitting amidst the cornfields, we ate roasted corn (I ate about 4...), with rice, chicken, tortillas, and AMAZING salsa. Again, I was SO full but completely satisfied. And it was such a beautiful sight; I love the country. We were all sitting, eating, and talking (with my shyness, I listened more thatn spoke), and as the sun was starting to set, the cornstalks had kind of a goldish glow. I felt completely happy and at peace and so comfortable sitting there, absorbing everything around me. Hopefully I`ll get to return one more time before leaving Oaxaca! Oh, and the pics are really cool! I`ll be posting them later this week, so check them out!
Love and miss you all, especially during this week of Thanksgiving. Take care of yourselves, and I really can`t wait to see you!!!
Love and miss you all, especially during this week of Thanksgiving. Take care of yourselves, and I really can`t wait to see you!!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
statistics
So, I guess since I haven’t written in a month, I’m going to write two blogs two days straight… (aaaand, I might be sort of, kind of, maaaybe procrastinating with finishing a paper!) But I thought, although I’m more than two months into the semester, that I’d talk a little bit more about Oaxaca so that you guys can have a better picture of where I’m at. So, first of all, the city of Oaxaca is a little bigger than Spokane with the population of about 258,000 people. It has been a perfect size for me because there are still many parts of Oaxaca that I don’t know about, but then I feel really comfortable with the whole downtown area and there are a bunch of different places to hang out, go dancing, there are parks, loooove the food here, and there are a few libraries and cafes that I’ve gotten to know in order to study and use the internet. As far as the state of Oaxaca, it’s one of the poorest states in all of México but ironically the richest states in terms of the culture, history, and nature. There are 16 different indigenous races just within the state of Oaxaca in which all have the own specific language if not more than one dialect within each language. Also, one of the things that Oaxaca is known for is an event called the Guelaguetza which is a huge celebration where many groups of people all come together to sell, or more importantly exchange their products, and there’s also a really cool traditional dance (look it up on youtube!). Unfortunately it’s in July, so I’ve already missed it, but hopefully can see it sometime. Also, more than half of Mexico's native plants, flowers, reptiles, and amphibians is from the state of Oaxaca. I heard someone once say that if you're on one side of the street out in the country, the soil could be completely different than the soil on the other side. Also, it has tons of mountain sides but than also a beautiful coast. The poverty I've learned about here in the state is another topic I'll have to write about later ... sad, tragic, and absolutely horrible.... you don't really see it that much in the city, but it's also here.
On another note, here are some quick fun, random facts about Mexico in general that’s normal here but kind of odd for me. ;) First of all… something I’ve probably already mentioned are the dogs on roofs. Something that still just seems so weird! Second… ok, if you ever want to drive in Mexico, you have to realize that a stop light more or less means to slow down, not necessarily to stop. One of the first things I noticed here were the cross-walk lights. You know, in the US (or at least in WA) our cross-walk lights are just a little green guy in the position of “walking”… well, here, the little green guy is actually moving and so (to me) it appears like it’s running. This is totally true… you don’t really walk across busy roads because even though you might have the green light, a car still might be coming at you! So, I don’t really call them walking signs but rather “running” signs. (Luckily Paty, my intercambio, thinks I’m funny!) Oh! And then the other day, I was walking to school and saw the mailman… which was a man on a motorcycle swerving down the sidewalk! Yeah, it’s actually not uncommon to look up and see a motorcycle coming at you. :) But luckily, I’d like to say that I became pretty accustomed to crossing the streets here, although Daniel still thinks that us Americans are crazy when we’re running like maniacs across the road. Hmm, what else … oh hot chocolate here??? AMAZING … soo much better than hot cocoa in the US. One night, when I was in Puebla, we were eating at this taco place and I asked for hot chocolate. When I got it, it was just like the hot cocoa packets we have in the US and I was soo disappointed. (Haha… you know me and food!) Speaking of food.... have I told you about chapulinas? Since I'm too lazy to reread what I've already written (and you all know I'm known to repeat my stories anyway hehe!), I tell you anyway.... Well, it is said that if you eat chapulinas here, that means you're going to return to Oaxaca. Finally, I took the oportunity to try them. I ate some plain and then I had some in a quesadilla... can you guess what they are??? GRASSHOPPERS! Mmm... actually not too bad. :) It's said that at one point in history there was a bad season of grasshoppers that were eating all of the crops... so the people here just decided to eat the grasshoppers to keep from going hungry. Since then, they've continued to hunt them as a traditional dish!
Well, that’s all I can pull off at the top of my head and I should probably go back to writing (sigh)… one more day until Day of the Dead! Excited!!!
Hasta luego!!!
Love you all!
On another note, here are some quick fun, random facts about Mexico in general that’s normal here but kind of odd for me. ;) First of all… something I’ve probably already mentioned are the dogs on roofs. Something that still just seems so weird! Second… ok, if you ever want to drive in Mexico, you have to realize that a stop light more or less means to slow down, not necessarily to stop. One of the first things I noticed here were the cross-walk lights. You know, in the US (or at least in WA) our cross-walk lights are just a little green guy in the position of “walking”… well, here, the little green guy is actually moving and so (to me) it appears like it’s running. This is totally true… you don’t really walk across busy roads because even though you might have the green light, a car still might be coming at you! So, I don’t really call them walking signs but rather “running” signs. (Luckily Paty, my intercambio, thinks I’m funny!) Oh! And then the other day, I was walking to school and saw the mailman… which was a man on a motorcycle swerving down the sidewalk! Yeah, it’s actually not uncommon to look up and see a motorcycle coming at you. :) But luckily, I’d like to say that I became pretty accustomed to crossing the streets here, although Daniel still thinks that us Americans are crazy when we’re running like maniacs across the road. Hmm, what else … oh hot chocolate here??? AMAZING … soo much better than hot cocoa in the US. One night, when I was in Puebla, we were eating at this taco place and I asked for hot chocolate. When I got it, it was just like the hot cocoa packets we have in the US and I was soo disappointed. (Haha… you know me and food!) Speaking of food.... have I told you about chapulinas? Since I'm too lazy to reread what I've already written (and you all know I'm known to repeat my stories anyway hehe!), I tell you anyway.... Well, it is said that if you eat chapulinas here, that means you're going to return to Oaxaca. Finally, I took the oportunity to try them. I ate some plain and then I had some in a quesadilla... can you guess what they are??? GRASSHOPPERS! Mmm... actually not too bad. :) It's said that at one point in history there was a bad season of grasshoppers that were eating all of the crops... so the people here just decided to eat the grasshoppers to keep from going hungry. Since then, they've continued to hunt them as a traditional dish!
Well, that’s all I can pull off at the top of my head and I should probably go back to writing (sigh)… one more day until Day of the Dead! Excited!!!
Hasta luego!!!
Love you all!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I'm back!
Sheesh! Sorry I haven’t been talking for so long. The last couple of weeks have absolutely flown by. Well, where should I begin…. Ok, so first of all, a little more than two weeks ago, I went to Puebla and Mexico City (2 days in Puebla and 4 in Mexico) with an organization called Witness for Peace. It’s been such a great opportunity to work with them. It’s been a chance to see different areas of Mexico (first Mixteca, then this past trip to Puebla and Mexico, and then we’re going to Chiapas in about 2 weeks), but it’s also been a way to learn about the economy, human rights issues, the Mexican government, labor unions, and more. We also had the opportunity to take what we learned and then go to the US Embassy in Mexico City where we got to ask questions to different US representatives. I really enjoyed this part of the trip although it was so weird speaking in English! How we learned about the parts about economy, human rights issues, etc. was by going to different meetings with different organizations in Puebla and Mexico…. They were all interesting but sooooo long! At one meeting (we had been on the go all day and I was completely exhausted), I could barely keep my eyes open. Seriously, I was using every muscle and the very last of my strength just to hold up my eyelids. Sounds funny? It’s torture! Everything was shutting down and going into sleep-mode, and I had to fight against it. So, some of the meetings didn’t go very well, but somehow I was still able to get a lot out of the trip as a whole.
Also, during this trip, I suddenly became very homesick for Oaxaca, believe it or not. The first thing that made me miss Oaxaca was the change in the attention from guys. At first it wasn’t too bad but just a little annoying. For example, during the one and only night that we had free in Puebla, two girlfriends and I decided to try and find a place to have some drinks and just try and see more of the city before we left the next day. We found a street which was apparently the happening place. All of a sudden, it was as if we were boy-magnets. Every bar or club has someone working out in the street for them, and their job is to advertise the place and convince people to go to their bar/club. So before we knew it, there was this circle of guys around us, each of them telling us over and over why we should go to their place and not the others. I was so overwhelmed and so annoyed, and finally my friend Liz said, “Is there a place where people won’t come and bother us?” All the guys went completely silent. Haha! Then, the very first night in Mexico City, we took the metro and went to the “Zócalo” which is the downtown area. There were so many more yells of “güera!” and guys whistling at us that I felt, once again, really overwhelmed and annoyed. My favorite line from this trip was when Clare and I were walking behind the rest of the group and this really old, hippy-looking man walked past and suddenly yelled in our faces in English, “OH MY GOD!” Startled, Clare and I stopped and looked at him. “WOOOOOOW!!!!” he yelled in is raspy voice, as he then continued to just stare at us. Yeah, just a little bit creepy in the moment, but soon we were laughing about it. Sooo random!
The second part that was just a little bit weird about Mexico City is that we didn’t stay in a hotel but rather in a house of Quakers. Yes, you heard me right. :) Usually I’m really open to all different ideas and religions but for some reason, this house was so quiet and I felt really uncomfortable the first two days there. Plus, we were all staying in one giant room together with bunk beds and I had this feeling of claustrophobia and kept thinking, “Oh my gosh, I just want my own bed and my own space!” Our trip to Chiapas will be interesting because it’s going to be over a week together within a really poor community; completely different than Mexico City. And although Mexico City was seriously giant with SOO many people (especially in the metro), there were parts that I actually really enjoyed: a beautiful neighborhood called Coyohacan, various parks, this one area that I forget the name but it had a giant wooded area … and I loved how easy it was to take the metro. One try and I had it. So overall, the experience was a good one, although at times a rollercoaster of emotions.
Then, this past weekend was the weekend I had been planning on traveling to Guadalajara to visit my friends. I had been planning from the very beginning but it turned out that the flight there was just way too expensive for just a weekend and the bus ride there would be too long and not worth it. I was really depressed about this, but instead, Daniel and I decided to go to the beach as well as 4 other students. It was only $13 to get there by van (about a 6 hour ride) and we found a Bungalow that was $10 per night. And the beach was absolutely AMAZING! Exactly what I needed … a sort of remedy from the busyness of the city. And hey, I actually got a tan! I wish I could still be there right now; I absolutely loved it. I want to describe it more, but I should really get back to reading a writing. I have an essay due Friday that I still have to start and a whole novel to read…. Sheesh! Oh but another thing is that this weekend it Day of the Dead! So I’m really excited to see what it’s all about.
More later, and sorry I’ve been really bad at keeping in contact recently!!! Hope all is well!!!!
Oh, by the way… finally got skype now that the semester is half-way over. So those of you who want to find me, my username is michele.hegg … original, I know. ;)
Also, during this trip, I suddenly became very homesick for Oaxaca, believe it or not. The first thing that made me miss Oaxaca was the change in the attention from guys. At first it wasn’t too bad but just a little annoying. For example, during the one and only night that we had free in Puebla, two girlfriends and I decided to try and find a place to have some drinks and just try and see more of the city before we left the next day. We found a street which was apparently the happening place. All of a sudden, it was as if we were boy-magnets. Every bar or club has someone working out in the street for them, and their job is to advertise the place and convince people to go to their bar/club. So before we knew it, there was this circle of guys around us, each of them telling us over and over why we should go to their place and not the others. I was so overwhelmed and so annoyed, and finally my friend Liz said, “Is there a place where people won’t come and bother us?” All the guys went completely silent. Haha! Then, the very first night in Mexico City, we took the metro and went to the “Zócalo” which is the downtown area. There were so many more yells of “güera!” and guys whistling at us that I felt, once again, really overwhelmed and annoyed. My favorite line from this trip was when Clare and I were walking behind the rest of the group and this really old, hippy-looking man walked past and suddenly yelled in our faces in English, “OH MY GOD!” Startled, Clare and I stopped and looked at him. “WOOOOOOW!!!!” he yelled in is raspy voice, as he then continued to just stare at us. Yeah, just a little bit creepy in the moment, but soon we were laughing about it. Sooo random!
The second part that was just a little bit weird about Mexico City is that we didn’t stay in a hotel but rather in a house of Quakers. Yes, you heard me right. :) Usually I’m really open to all different ideas and religions but for some reason, this house was so quiet and I felt really uncomfortable the first two days there. Plus, we were all staying in one giant room together with bunk beds and I had this feeling of claustrophobia and kept thinking, “Oh my gosh, I just want my own bed and my own space!” Our trip to Chiapas will be interesting because it’s going to be over a week together within a really poor community; completely different than Mexico City. And although Mexico City was seriously giant with SOO many people (especially in the metro), there were parts that I actually really enjoyed: a beautiful neighborhood called Coyohacan, various parks, this one area that I forget the name but it had a giant wooded area … and I loved how easy it was to take the metro. One try and I had it. So overall, the experience was a good one, although at times a rollercoaster of emotions.
Then, this past weekend was the weekend I had been planning on traveling to Guadalajara to visit my friends. I had been planning from the very beginning but it turned out that the flight there was just way too expensive for just a weekend and the bus ride there would be too long and not worth it. I was really depressed about this, but instead, Daniel and I decided to go to the beach as well as 4 other students. It was only $13 to get there by van (about a 6 hour ride) and we found a Bungalow that was $10 per night. And the beach was absolutely AMAZING! Exactly what I needed … a sort of remedy from the busyness of the city. And hey, I actually got a tan! I wish I could still be there right now; I absolutely loved it. I want to describe it more, but I should really get back to reading a writing. I have an essay due Friday that I still have to start and a whole novel to read…. Sheesh! Oh but another thing is that this weekend it Day of the Dead! So I’m really excited to see what it’s all about.
More later, and sorry I’ve been really bad at keeping in contact recently!!! Hope all is well!!!!
Oh, by the way… finally got skype now that the semester is half-way over. So those of you who want to find me, my username is michele.hegg … original, I know. ;)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
HAPPY!
Finally after more than a week of constant cloudiness and rain, there is an absolutely beautiful day! I’m sitting outside on my balcony right now and thinking about how I’m absolutely in love with Mexico (the good and the bad)… In my little private place here outside my room, I can hear the sounds of my neighbors working away on their traditional tapestry and although it’s Saturday that I’m writing this, I can hear the sounds of the bells from the church up the street. Someone is sweeping their entryway a couple doors up and I can hear the annoying toot of a horn from a vendor that’s walking through the streets selling this certain type of candy made from bananas. And although sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the noises here in the city: [the truck that sells gas (a super annoying song that for some reason includes a cow-like sound and ends with “EL GAAAAS!”); the water man that yells at 7:30 in the morning (“AGUAAAA!”); the constant ringing of our doorbell with someone selling pan dulce or tortillas or some sort of food; the sounds of people laying on their horns during traffic-jams on the highway two blocks away; or the silly subtle sounds of “CH-CH! CH-CH!” from some of the boys when I walk by] … I’m comforted and lifted up by the giggles of the kids playing in the streets; the daily greeting from the little two-year-old girl in my house who has learned “Good mooorning!”; the kissing-sounds of the cuijas (little lizards that visit me in my room and eat those annoying mosquitoes); the songs of the birds that sit in the tree right next to my balcony; and the now-oh-so-familiar sound of playful laughter as my Oaxacan friends tease and pick on me (I need to start working on my witty comebacks in Spanish!). Yes, today I’m in love with Mexico. And it’s funny because for some reason as I’m sitting here enjoying the sun and the slight breeze… there’s a feeling of home in the air. “Home” as in I feel comfortable here in this city but also “home” as in I’m reminded of Spokane. There’s a smell in the wind that whispers of autumn in Spokane. I can't really explain it but it’s so comforting and I feel happy. (Autumn in Spokane is my absolute favorite season!) You know when you smell something like a certain perfume or the smell of bread baking in the oven or some other sort of scent that suddenly opens up this dusty door in your head and a long-forgotten memory rushes in and greets you? It’s kind of like that for me right now… a swirled feeling of my new life here and my childhood memories of autumns in Spokane. :) Mmm … happy.
On a different note, I’m finally starting to feel a connection with my host family. It’s kind of hard because I had this stereotypical idea that families in Mexico were completely open and immediately accept you as one of the children… in reality, most families here, while having close relationships with each other, are actually closed off to other people and it’s hard to become a part of the family. Finally last Saturday, I went to coffee with Ana (my host sister) and it was really great to finally have some time to chat and get to know one another. The next day, for the first time, I had lunch with the whole family. It was so nice! (Although because I wasn’t used to it, I felt a little shy.) Afterwards I watched TV with Ana and Luis (her husband) while Camila (their daughter) played with bubbles. It was so nice and relaxing. It seemed to start the week off in a different light and I’ve felt this change, although subtle, in my relationship with the family. (Although Bruno, the little white fluff-ball of a dog who usually seems to adore me decided to pee in my room not once, but three times the other day … and my door was only open for maybe 5 minutes! Grrr.)
Quick story of my other new “pet” … whenever it’s raining (and remember it was raining all week this week), I have a little (well actually an inch-and-a-half long) friend that comes to visit me, traveling through the drain of my shower. Yep, my cucaracha. The first time he visited me, I was a little uncomfortable but thought, “Ok, whatever … I can get used to him.” The second time, he definitely passed the line of our friendship by surprising me late one night… I was holding my toothpaste about ready to take off the lid when I realized there were antennas come out from behind. Sleepily confused, I flipped the toothpaste over and there, practically in my hand, was Mr. Cockroach. Good thing I’m not a screamer (since everyone else in the house was sleeping) but Mr. Cockroach along with my toothpaste went flying across the bathroom. Tsk, tsk. Not ok with me. So now, although I’ve kind of gotten used to my new friend, I’m always a little apprehensive to go to the bathroom on those rainy nights, especially when I’m approaching the bathroom in the dark. (Always wear shoes in the houses here!) …. (Lauren… which would you rather have… our friendly squirrels who, while uninvited, made themselves at home with us ? Or nightly cockroaches?! Haha!)
So obviously I feel like talking, talking, talking today. But what’s with this one-way conversation??? I don’t want you forgetting about me ;-) EMAIL ME!!! please? I miss you guys! What’s going on in your lives? Tell me all the little details! Any funny stories or awkward moments in life you’d like to share? Well … I truly hope that all is well with each and every one of you, and I hope every once in a while something reminds you of me because it’s seems like every night I have a dream of someone different in the United States … so know that you are in my thoughts from time to time. Take care! And I REALLY hope to hear from you soon!
Much love all around!
Chao!
On a different note, I’m finally starting to feel a connection with my host family. It’s kind of hard because I had this stereotypical idea that families in Mexico were completely open and immediately accept you as one of the children… in reality, most families here, while having close relationships with each other, are actually closed off to other people and it’s hard to become a part of the family. Finally last Saturday, I went to coffee with Ana (my host sister) and it was really great to finally have some time to chat and get to know one another. The next day, for the first time, I had lunch with the whole family. It was so nice! (Although because I wasn’t used to it, I felt a little shy.) Afterwards I watched TV with Ana and Luis (her husband) while Camila (their daughter) played with bubbles. It was so nice and relaxing. It seemed to start the week off in a different light and I’ve felt this change, although subtle, in my relationship with the family. (Although Bruno, the little white fluff-ball of a dog who usually seems to adore me decided to pee in my room not once, but three times the other day … and my door was only open for maybe 5 minutes! Grrr.)
Quick story of my other new “pet” … whenever it’s raining (and remember it was raining all week this week), I have a little (well actually an inch-and-a-half long) friend that comes to visit me, traveling through the drain of my shower. Yep, my cucaracha. The first time he visited me, I was a little uncomfortable but thought, “Ok, whatever … I can get used to him.” The second time, he definitely passed the line of our friendship by surprising me late one night… I was holding my toothpaste about ready to take off the lid when I realized there were antennas come out from behind. Sleepily confused, I flipped the toothpaste over and there, practically in my hand, was Mr. Cockroach. Good thing I’m not a screamer (since everyone else in the house was sleeping) but Mr. Cockroach along with my toothpaste went flying across the bathroom. Tsk, tsk. Not ok with me. So now, although I’ve kind of gotten used to my new friend, I’m always a little apprehensive to go to the bathroom on those rainy nights, especially when I’m approaching the bathroom in the dark. (Always wear shoes in the houses here!) …. (Lauren… which would you rather have… our friendly squirrels who, while uninvited, made themselves at home with us ? Or nightly cockroaches?! Haha!)
So obviously I feel like talking, talking, talking today. But what’s with this one-way conversation??? I don’t want you forgetting about me ;-) EMAIL ME!!! please? I miss you guys! What’s going on in your lives? Tell me all the little details! Any funny stories or awkward moments in life you’d like to share? Well … I truly hope that all is well with each and every one of you, and I hope every once in a while something reminds you of me because it’s seems like every night I have a dream of someone different in the United States … so know that you are in my thoughts from time to time. Take care! And I REALLY hope to hear from you soon!
Much love all around!
Chao!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Mixteca
Ok. Wow. Every time I'm on the internet I feel so overwhelmed because everything is continuously happening so fast and there's such a variety to everything that's happening. So the most recent.....
This past weekend (left on Saturday and just got back yesterday) my group and I went to Mixteca. It's a huge region in the state of Oaxaca. We are working with the organization Witness for Peace and therefore we're going on three trips during this semester; the first Mizteca. We were split into two groups and each group with to a different "pueblo" in the country. Very small towns, and significantly poor. My group went to a town called San Andres Dinicuiti; a town of artisans who make different art out of palms. There were nine of us and we were split into three groups to stay with three families. The family I stayed with was absolutely amazing! There was Lupe and his wife Oraida as well as Lupe's mother who lived in a small brick house with floors of cement and an outside oven made of stone. Almost all the food they eat they grow in their backyard and they make all their tortillas by hand with corn and the flower from pumpkins. They were so wonderful, immediately welcoming us into their home and it was as if we were long lost friends. The first night we were already deep in conversations about immigration and how it's really hard to manage during the dry times of the years. Because of the huracanes, there has been sufficient water this year, but other years, they can't produce enough corn. The stories Lupe shared were incredibly personal, but he told us with such ease and confidence. Lupe and Oraida gave up their bed for another lady and me although we tried to resist. And never in my life have I eaten so much in one weekend! Oraida was continuously making us eat! The last night there, after having eaten three huge meals that day, we were all in bed getting ready to fall asleep when she rushed in and said, "Oh no! We didn't eat the pitayas! We have a lot of fruit to eat tomorrow!" Haha! (And by the way, pitayas are amazing!) But yes, the next day in deed we ate so much food. We were all meeting in another house to eat breakfast as a group, but Oraida insisted that we eat a little (actually a whole) papaya, atole (a special milky drink ... don't really know exactly what's in it) with bread, as well as elotes (corn on the cob basically). THEN, we went and had breakfast with the group. I was so full that I couldn't sit comfortably and I joked with my professor that I was afraid to return to the family in fear that they would make me eat more. Well, in fact, when we arrived she insisted that we eat some "small" mamelitas before we go as well as try her salsa and then she packed us five tortillas each, four pieces of pitaya, and two more elotes. OH MY GOSH!!!!! I wasn't hungry for the whole rest of the day and I'm definitely going to start running in the mornings. It was like yoga for my stomach ... an incredible task to learn how to stretch the stomach!
The point: this family, although they didn't have much in the eyes of society, welcomed us with open arms and honestly gave us EVERYTHING that they had. All the food they could provide, their beds, their time to discuss personal topics, and their hearts by immediately developing an amazing friendship. Only two days with them, and I was incredibly touched. Incredibly incredibly touched. And this family, a family who has had to immigrate to the US not because they wanted to (because they love their country home) but because they had to .... how would they be accepted in the United States? Would anyone one of us Americans welcome them in with such love and selflessness? Would we give everything we had to this family who we barely knew or would we simply give up the necesities? And would it be with an open heart, or annoyance because we have other important things to to? And would we offer our friendship or feel uncomfortable as strangers slept in our homes? I can't even express how loving this family was. And after all this hospitality, when we were leaving the grandmother started giving us their baskets made of palms ... what they do as a living and one of the only ways to make money ... as gifts. I tried to give them money for them, but they defiantly refused. We all gathered for a picture and when we said goodbye, Oraida began to cry as she hugged me and of course I burst into tears. The grandmother as well held onto my face and told me how precious I was. I was sincerly touched. Lupe gave me his number and told me to come back to visit whenever I wanted to, that his house was always open. And what can I do in return? I was able to gather myself for the rest of the goodbyes, but immediately when I stepped onto the street to walk back to our vans, I was beside myself. How could they be so incredibly caring and loving when they barely knew me? I felt more of a connection with them in two days than I have yet to feel with my family in Oaxaca who have so much more to offer. Ted, the other student who stayed in the same house, also recieved a gift of this special, traditional type of bowl to make salsa ... the grandmother refused money but said that she's in need of new shoes. So I think Ted and I are going to try and return with shoes for the grandmother.
This is a lot to read, I know ... but this has seriously been the most touching experience I have ever had. And I hope I can always remember how to be like them ... always sincerely welcoming and loving others as if they were family. I believe that we all must learn how to live not only with open minds but truly with open hearts.
I have one picture of the family that I haven't uploaded onto my computer, but I will post it soon! LOVE YOU ALL and MISS you all! Take care!!!!!
This past weekend (left on Saturday and just got back yesterday) my group and I went to Mixteca. It's a huge region in the state of Oaxaca. We are working with the organization Witness for Peace and therefore we're going on three trips during this semester; the first Mizteca. We were split into two groups and each group with to a different "pueblo" in the country. Very small towns, and significantly poor. My group went to a town called San Andres Dinicuiti; a town of artisans who make different art out of palms. There were nine of us and we were split into three groups to stay with three families. The family I stayed with was absolutely amazing! There was Lupe and his wife Oraida as well as Lupe's mother who lived in a small brick house with floors of cement and an outside oven made of stone. Almost all the food they eat they grow in their backyard and they make all their tortillas by hand with corn and the flower from pumpkins. They were so wonderful, immediately welcoming us into their home and it was as if we were long lost friends. The first night we were already deep in conversations about immigration and how it's really hard to manage during the dry times of the years. Because of the huracanes, there has been sufficient water this year, but other years, they can't produce enough corn. The stories Lupe shared were incredibly personal, but he told us with such ease and confidence. Lupe and Oraida gave up their bed for another lady and me although we tried to resist. And never in my life have I eaten so much in one weekend! Oraida was continuously making us eat! The last night there, after having eaten three huge meals that day, we were all in bed getting ready to fall asleep when she rushed in and said, "Oh no! We didn't eat the pitayas! We have a lot of fruit to eat tomorrow!" Haha! (And by the way, pitayas are amazing!) But yes, the next day in deed we ate so much food. We were all meeting in another house to eat breakfast as a group, but Oraida insisted that we eat a little (actually a whole) papaya, atole (a special milky drink ... don't really know exactly what's in it) with bread, as well as elotes (corn on the cob basically). THEN, we went and had breakfast with the group. I was so full that I couldn't sit comfortably and I joked with my professor that I was afraid to return to the family in fear that they would make me eat more. Well, in fact, when we arrived she insisted that we eat some "small" mamelitas before we go as well as try her salsa and then she packed us five tortillas each, four pieces of pitaya, and two more elotes. OH MY GOSH!!!!! I wasn't hungry for the whole rest of the day and I'm definitely going to start running in the mornings. It was like yoga for my stomach ... an incredible task to learn how to stretch the stomach!
The point: this family, although they didn't have much in the eyes of society, welcomed us with open arms and honestly gave us EVERYTHING that they had. All the food they could provide, their beds, their time to discuss personal topics, and their hearts by immediately developing an amazing friendship. Only two days with them, and I was incredibly touched. Incredibly incredibly touched. And this family, a family who has had to immigrate to the US not because they wanted to (because they love their country home) but because they had to .... how would they be accepted in the United States? Would anyone one of us Americans welcome them in with such love and selflessness? Would we give everything we had to this family who we barely knew or would we simply give up the necesities? And would it be with an open heart, or annoyance because we have other important things to to? And would we offer our friendship or feel uncomfortable as strangers slept in our homes? I can't even express how loving this family was. And after all this hospitality, when we were leaving the grandmother started giving us their baskets made of palms ... what they do as a living and one of the only ways to make money ... as gifts. I tried to give them money for them, but they defiantly refused. We all gathered for a picture and when we said goodbye, Oraida began to cry as she hugged me and of course I burst into tears. The grandmother as well held onto my face and told me how precious I was. I was sincerly touched. Lupe gave me his number and told me to come back to visit whenever I wanted to, that his house was always open. And what can I do in return? I was able to gather myself for the rest of the goodbyes, but immediately when I stepped onto the street to walk back to our vans, I was beside myself. How could they be so incredibly caring and loving when they barely knew me? I felt more of a connection with them in two days than I have yet to feel with my family in Oaxaca who have so much more to offer. Ted, the other student who stayed in the same house, also recieved a gift of this special, traditional type of bowl to make salsa ... the grandmother refused money but said that she's in need of new shoes. So I think Ted and I are going to try and return with shoes for the grandmother.
This is a lot to read, I know ... but this has seriously been the most touching experience I have ever had. And I hope I can always remember how to be like them ... always sincerely welcoming and loving others as if they were family. I believe that we all must learn how to live not only with open minds but truly with open hearts.
I have one picture of the family that I haven't uploaded onto my computer, but I will post it soon! LOVE YOU ALL and MISS you all! Take care!!!!!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Two weeks in...
Hello hello, everyone! Well so many things have been happening and I haven’t had enough time to put it all on the blog so I hope I can remember all the details I have been wanting to tell you!
One thing that has been very interesting here in Oaxaca are all the marches. There are different groups who want to display their ideas and desires to improve the life of Mexico and so they display them by marching through the streets of Oaxaca with signs and whatnot. The first time I saw a march was a week and a half ago on Wednesday. I was heading to the library and when I turned the corner, there was a march coming towards me for a group called “Mujeres de hoy” (Women of today). The march was a silent march as women (and men as well) walked by with signs and handouts. Their goal is to improve the lives of the women here and to diminish discrimination as well as looking to improve the life of Oaxaca in general and improve those situations of poverty in the surrounding area. In this march there was maybe 100 people.
This past Monday however, there was a march that passed our school where 5,000 people participated. It was crazy! We stopped class to go watch a little while our professors explained what was going on. They were walking down the street “Niños de Héroes” which is a super busy street that eventually turns into a highway. It would be like 5,000 people walking down Division in Spokane or Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. All the traffic was stopped, people were honking like crazy because obviously some people we really angry that they had to wait for 5,000 people to pass. These people were protesting on Monday because the president was going to give a speech later that day, and they were protesting against the law “Instituto de serguridad social de los sindicatos de trabajadores del estado” or ISSSTE which is a law that was supposed to support a lot of the schools, hospitals, and other work places. But I guess nothing has happened since that law was made. For instance, the government would say that so many new schools were going to be built but yet not one school has appeared; or that the hospitals were going to receive more funds yet they haven’t received one peso… things like that. And this is why there were 5,000 people … teachers, students, doctors, nurses, and many other types of workers. They had microphones where they would explain what they were marching for and the march ended up in Zócalo which is the downtown area where they held a meeting. It was very interesting to watch and hear about it. Another big thing that has angered people here is the law IMSS – “Instituto mexicano seguridad social” which, I believe, is what Mexico depends on for the safety of their cities … what funds the police I’m guessing. But, people are complaining that the police aren’t doing enough. For instance, as of now, Mexico is number one for what they call “secuestradores” or what is literally translated as kidnappers … ahead of Colombia even. But *IMPORTANT NOTE* it is in a different manner than in Colombia. It’s not directed towards foreigners whatsoever but rather towards the really REALLY rich people in Mexico and mainly in Mexico City, I believe. (So, Mom, Dad, family and others … no worries about me, ok? I’m completely safe!)
Anyway, so that’s what I have been learning about in a more political sense. Hopefully I haven’t bored you because for me, it was a real eye-opener.
Oh and yesterday, I went to Monte Albán … which is another Zapotec ruin. It was huge! And really interesting to hear all about the anthropology of the area, which I’ll do my best to retell with my pictures! :)
I have also been meeting some more Oaxacan friends! I have an “intercambio” every day who goes to a different university in Oaxaca. We talk for a half an hour in Spanish and half an hour in English. It’s been really great getting to know her. Her name is Patricia or Paty and while at first I was kind of shy, we are already starting to tease and laugh and I might possibly go with her one weekend to visit her family who lives in a little town outside of Oaxaca. Most of the time I don’t have too much trouble understanding anyone … the trouble is with me when I have so many thoughts in my head and can’t seem to spit them out in a grammatically correct manner! Although I believe my Spanish has really improved after listening to one friend, an intercambio of another person in the group, who talks inCREDibly fast. I thought maybe it was just his Spanish and was kind of feeling bad that I couldn’t understand him very well but then we had a conversation in English the other day and he speaks just as fast in English! I was thinking, woah! I don’t even think my girlfriends and I speak that fast when we’re all excited about something that’s happened or whatever it may be.
One final thing, on Thursday night my salsa class as well as the teacher went to La Candela to dance salsa. It was a BLAST! I am absolutely in love with dancing! And it was cool that our teacher joined us (since he's usually really busy with his jobs and family) and by the end of the night, he had taught me a little bit of a Dominican Republic dance. :) Fun fun fun.
Ok, well, I think I’ve caught all you up on this past week (can’t believe it’s only been two weeks!), and hopefully it hasn’t been too much to read. I really do love it here and the second week has definitely been easier than the first and I’m already feeling at home here in Oaxaca.
Hope all is well back in the states … or for some people France, and other countries! Love and miss you all!!!
Chao!
One thing that has been very interesting here in Oaxaca are all the marches. There are different groups who want to display their ideas and desires to improve the life of Mexico and so they display them by marching through the streets of Oaxaca with signs and whatnot. The first time I saw a march was a week and a half ago on Wednesday. I was heading to the library and when I turned the corner, there was a march coming towards me for a group called “Mujeres de hoy” (Women of today). The march was a silent march as women (and men as well) walked by with signs and handouts. Their goal is to improve the lives of the women here and to diminish discrimination as well as looking to improve the life of Oaxaca in general and improve those situations of poverty in the surrounding area. In this march there was maybe 100 people.
This past Monday however, there was a march that passed our school where 5,000 people participated. It was crazy! We stopped class to go watch a little while our professors explained what was going on. They were walking down the street “Niños de Héroes” which is a super busy street that eventually turns into a highway. It would be like 5,000 people walking down Division in Spokane or Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. All the traffic was stopped, people were honking like crazy because obviously some people we really angry that they had to wait for 5,000 people to pass. These people were protesting on Monday because the president was going to give a speech later that day, and they were protesting against the law “Instituto de serguridad social de los sindicatos de trabajadores del estado” or ISSSTE which is a law that was supposed to support a lot of the schools, hospitals, and other work places. But I guess nothing has happened since that law was made. For instance, the government would say that so many new schools were going to be built but yet not one school has appeared; or that the hospitals were going to receive more funds yet they haven’t received one peso… things like that. And this is why there were 5,000 people … teachers, students, doctors, nurses, and many other types of workers. They had microphones where they would explain what they were marching for and the march ended up in Zócalo which is the downtown area where they held a meeting. It was very interesting to watch and hear about it. Another big thing that has angered people here is the law IMSS – “Instituto mexicano seguridad social” which, I believe, is what Mexico depends on for the safety of their cities … what funds the police I’m guessing. But, people are complaining that the police aren’t doing enough. For instance, as of now, Mexico is number one for what they call “secuestradores” or what is literally translated as kidnappers … ahead of Colombia even. But *IMPORTANT NOTE* it is in a different manner than in Colombia. It’s not directed towards foreigners whatsoever but rather towards the really REALLY rich people in Mexico and mainly in Mexico City, I believe. (So, Mom, Dad, family and others … no worries about me, ok? I’m completely safe!)
Anyway, so that’s what I have been learning about in a more political sense. Hopefully I haven’t bored you because for me, it was a real eye-opener.
Oh and yesterday, I went to Monte Albán … which is another Zapotec ruin. It was huge! And really interesting to hear all about the anthropology of the area, which I’ll do my best to retell with my pictures! :)
I have also been meeting some more Oaxacan friends! I have an “intercambio” every day who goes to a different university in Oaxaca. We talk for a half an hour in Spanish and half an hour in English. It’s been really great getting to know her. Her name is Patricia or Paty and while at first I was kind of shy, we are already starting to tease and laugh and I might possibly go with her one weekend to visit her family who lives in a little town outside of Oaxaca. Most of the time I don’t have too much trouble understanding anyone … the trouble is with me when I have so many thoughts in my head and can’t seem to spit them out in a grammatically correct manner! Although I believe my Spanish has really improved after listening to one friend, an intercambio of another person in the group, who talks inCREDibly fast. I thought maybe it was just his Spanish and was kind of feeling bad that I couldn’t understand him very well but then we had a conversation in English the other day and he speaks just as fast in English! I was thinking, woah! I don’t even think my girlfriends and I speak that fast when we’re all excited about something that’s happened or whatever it may be.
One final thing, on Thursday night my salsa class as well as the teacher went to La Candela to dance salsa. It was a BLAST! I am absolutely in love with dancing! And it was cool that our teacher joined us (since he's usually really busy with his jobs and family) and by the end of the night, he had taught me a little bit of a Dominican Republic dance. :) Fun fun fun.
Ok, well, I think I’ve caught all you up on this past week (can’t believe it’s only been two weeks!), and hopefully it hasn’t been too much to read. I really do love it here and the second week has definitely been easier than the first and I’m already feeling at home here in Oaxaca.
Hope all is well back in the states … or for some people France, and other countries! Love and miss you all!!!
Chao!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Oh the nausea!
Soo, (Mr. Dan Fry I hope you're reading this because you were definitely right!) while I have not experienced "diarrhea days" like some people do when traveling to other countries, I have already experienced my "puking days." Ironically, right after writing the last blog where I proudly declared having not gotten sick yet, immediately after leaving the internet place my stomach began to feel ... different. It didn't hurt but it was definitely doing some sort of somersault. So I got home and started to complete my readings when my stomach slowly but surely started hurting SO bad! It was the weirdest pain I've ever felt, like someone had reached their hands inside me and was literally squeezing me stomach as hard as they could. So, with a little less than half of my reading left, I decided to go to bed early because the pain was too distracting to read. No more than an hour later I woke up in even more pain not realizing it could be possible. I didn't feel any nausea and I continued to try sleeping in a fetal position hoping this piercing dagger would go away. Finally, with no hope of sleeping I thought, well maybe I should try going to the bathroom. No nausea still. But then, right when I stood up out of bed, it was most definitely apparent. I ran to the bathroom and to summarize the rest, I was puking every hour on the dot the whole night long until I was dry-heaving in the early morning hours. Oh. my. gosh. Fortunately, I was able to keep down tea and a little papaya for breakfast, and after taking some good ol' pepto bismol, I haven't puked since (although the nausea was incredibly intense for the rest of the day and I didn't feel completely normal until two days later). Don't know what exactly I ate or drank and perhaps it was the climate change but man! Hopefully that's all I have to endure for the rest of my time here, and I was lucky enough to have a somewhat immediate recovery.
Besides that, I've been really enjoying my time here so far. Yesterday my classmates and I went to three places, two of which were ruins called Mitla and Yagul, and the third was a town called Teotitlan in which we were able to see how a family of Zapotecos (an indigenous group here) makes their traditional tapestry. It was very cool, and I will definitely be trying to post those pictures up soon with more descriptions!
Also, as I think I've mentioned before, I'm taking a salsa dancing class Monday through Thursday for two hours. It's been sooo fun! The teacher is absolutely hilarious. He only knows Spanish and he's this short, really BUFF man with a teeny, little waist. And he definitely loves dancing with all of us girls (which is good practice for us!) but really funny/awkward we he does "EL FINAL!" and whips us around with much force to the final pose where he then looks deeply into our eyes. Haha! Unfortunately there's no word in Spanish for "awkward" when there most definitely should be one!
And as of right now I'm enjoying myself in a cafe that looks out at this beautiful cathedral called Santo Domingo. My computer's wireless is finally working, and after buying some coffee, I'm able to use the wireless network here. Aaand, I'm supposed to be doing my homework, so I better get on it! Hope everyone is doing well!
Muchos besos y abrazos!
Besides that, I've been really enjoying my time here so far. Yesterday my classmates and I went to three places, two of which were ruins called Mitla and Yagul, and the third was a town called Teotitlan in which we were able to see how a family of Zapotecos (an indigenous group here) makes their traditional tapestry. It was very cool, and I will definitely be trying to post those pictures up soon with more descriptions!
Also, as I think I've mentioned before, I'm taking a salsa dancing class Monday through Thursday for two hours. It's been sooo fun! The teacher is absolutely hilarious. He only knows Spanish and he's this short, really BUFF man with a teeny, little waist. And he definitely loves dancing with all of us girls (which is good practice for us!) but really funny/awkward we he does "EL FINAL!" and whips us around with much force to the final pose where he then looks deeply into our eyes. Haha! Unfortunately there's no word in Spanish for "awkward" when there most definitely should be one!
And as of right now I'm enjoying myself in a cafe that looks out at this beautiful cathedral called Santo Domingo. My computer's wireless is finally working, and after buying some coffee, I'm able to use the wireless network here. Aaand, I'm supposed to be doing my homework, so I better get on it! Hope everyone is doing well!
Muchos besos y abrazos!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Things to get used to!
¡Hola a todos! Well, I made it! And I´m loving Oaxaca! After getting here at 10:30 Saturday night, I was surprised at how fast my Spanish came back to me. Exhausted as I was, I was actually able to carry a full on conversation with my new host sister. But ahhh ... the third day has arrived and today I my head was soo jumbled with spanish words to remember and verbs to conjugate, but nonetheless I still very excited. For some reason, I feel so comfortable here in Mexico. So where to begin, where to begin? I guess first I´ll describe the things I need to become more accustomed to. THE SUN! It is so hot here! I walk 10 minutes from my house to my school and I am just sweating like crazy! I´ve heard that a stereotype for Americans is that they sweat a lot... welp, I´m definitely confirming that one. So I´m hoping that after a few weeks that maybe it´ll get better. Second is the altitude ... it´s about 5,000 feet here. I haven´t gotten sick just yet but quite tired and I think I´ll wait a week before I attempt to go running here. Then of course my family. I live with a mother (Guelilia), a sister (Ana who is 31 years old), her husband (Luis), and then their two year old daughter, Camila (who is absolutely adorable ... but is going through a tantrum phase apparently). They are all very very nice, but as I was coming to Oaxaca I had this view that I´d be accepted into the family, help with the cooking and chores, and be considered an equal. So far that has shown not true ... I am completely treated as a guest. There´s a cleaning lady that comes to the house to clean, and Guelilia does all the cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. Also, since I am to have breakfast and lunch at the house, I am always eating alone. Guelilia serves me (never can I help no matter how much I insist) and then she sits and watches me eat! It´s kinda odd for me but my professors say it´s a custom here. I´m not even really allowed in the kitchen. She has to retrieve everything for me. But she is reeeally really nice and I definitely enjoy our conversations (not to mention the food!!) that we have during those times. And I´m really looking forward to getting to know Ana because she is so easy to talk with. Well, one last thing to talk about so I don´t write a novel... I met my "intercambio" today. It´s another student from a Oaxacan University who is learning English. She is really nice although I felt a little shy. We will get together every day for an hour and talk a half an hour in Spanish and a half an hour in English. It was actually really weird because as much as I have been struggling with speaking correct grammar and remembering Spanish words, I realized that I truly have only been speaking in Spanish since I´ve gotten here. It was so weird to speak in English!
Ok ok... so I think I´ll write more later. While I have free wireless on campus, my computer is apparently too old me and wireless card doesn´t work. Luckily internet is really cheap here ($1 per hour) but I´m not sure how I´m going to upload my pics, but I´ll try to get some up soon. oh and sorry for any mispellings or weird signs ... this keyboard is a little different. Hope everyone´s well, and I will write more interesting things next time!
P.S. We have to take a test on the very first day of class.... good news? I almost got a hundred percent! bad news (although I suppose goods news as well)? my class is soooooo hard! I´m learning about Chomsky´s theories about linguistics in Spanish and while I love my professor, I don´t think I´ve ever had someone speak so fast!!! Wish me luck!
Ok ok... so I think I´ll write more later. While I have free wireless on campus, my computer is apparently too old me and wireless card doesn´t work. Luckily internet is really cheap here ($1 per hour) but I´m not sure how I´m going to upload my pics, but I´ll try to get some up soon. oh and sorry for any mispellings or weird signs ... this keyboard is a little different. Hope everyone´s well, and I will write more interesting things next time!
P.S. We have to take a test on the very first day of class.... good news? I almost got a hundred percent! bad news (although I suppose goods news as well)? my class is soooooo hard! I´m learning about Chomsky´s theories about linguistics in Spanish and while I love my professor, I don´t think I´ve ever had someone speak so fast!!! Wish me luck!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Testing...
So, I'm testing out this blog business... I have about a week before I leave and already I'm incredibly nervous but also SO excited! I'm nervous because, wow, I haven't really spoken Spanish in three months, all I know of my host family is their name and address, and (oh man) have not even started to pack yet. But as an experienced procrastinator, I'm sure everything will work out. :)
Ok, for those of you who don't really know what I'm doing or why I'm going to Mexico. Well, basically and obviously, I wanted to study abroad for a whole semester in order to become somewhat closer to being fluent in Spanish. While at first I was all planned and ready to travel to Spain, I spoke to my professor and director and had a change of heart. So, I'm going to Oaxaca, Mexico for four months! I leave the 23rd of August and will be starting an intensive grammar class that following Monday. (I'm also taking two hrs of salsa dancing every day!) Then, about three weeks later, I will start two other classes: a literature class and (I think) a sociology class of some sort. And for the final month I'm there, I'm hoping to be working at an internship. I applied but won't know if I got it until I'm there.
Overall, I will be finishing up my Spanish minor as well as experiencing the culture of Mexico; traveling to Mexico City, Chiapas, and other places; and learning about the economy and so much more. But what I'm excited about most are the friendships I will be making. One thing that makes me happiest in life is meeting different hearts and different faces.
Wish me luck! :)
Ok, for those of you who don't really know what I'm doing or why I'm going to Mexico. Well, basically and obviously, I wanted to study abroad for a whole semester in order to become somewhat closer to being fluent in Spanish. While at first I was all planned and ready to travel to Spain, I spoke to my professor and director and had a change of heart. So, I'm going to Oaxaca, Mexico for four months! I leave the 23rd of August and will be starting an intensive grammar class that following Monday. (I'm also taking two hrs of salsa dancing every day!) Then, about three weeks later, I will start two other classes: a literature class and (I think) a sociology class of some sort. And for the final month I'm there, I'm hoping to be working at an internship. I applied but won't know if I got it until I'm there.
Overall, I will be finishing up my Spanish minor as well as experiencing the culture of Mexico; traveling to Mexico City, Chiapas, and other places; and learning about the economy and so much more. But what I'm excited about most are the friendships I will be making. One thing that makes me happiest in life is meeting different hearts and different faces.
Wish me luck! :)
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