.... 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~
Saturday, December 6, 2008
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. ;)
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