Mexico 2010

I know, I know...

there's nothing here yet. But, there will be. I'll be spending a little over a month in Mexico, some of it by myself and some of it with my husband. First I'll study Spanish in Puebla, and then we'll teach English in Queretaro before spending a few days touring the Mexico City area. Meanwhile, the house sitter will be watering the plants, shoveling snow, chopping ice, and shivering in the MN winter. I will not feel guilty!

Yo sé que hay un blog acá pero casi nada que leer.  Pero habrá mucho. Voy a pasar más de un mes en México, dos semanas sola y dos semanas con mi marido. El viaje comenzará en Puebla, donde voy a estudiar español. Entonces, Leonardo y yo iremos a Queretaro con un grupo de voluntarios que se llama "Global Volunteers". Allá enseñaremos el inglés antes de pasar unos días en la Ciudad de México. Entre tanto, la mujer que cuida de nuestra casa estará regando las plantas, paleando la nieve, cortando el hielo, y congelandose en el frio invierno de Minnesota. ¡No voy a sentirme culpable!

in Puebla

Well, I'm here but yesterday I was wondering where I was going to end up. The flights were fine, I arrived in Mexico City on time, and was able to find the bus to Puebla without problems. Then things got interesting.

First, this old woman took the seat next to me. I helped her with  her packages, helped her adjust the curtain, and pulled down the shade to protect her from the sun. After we talked a while, she started asking me questions... how many kids I had, how old I was, etc. Turns out we´re the same age. Hijole!

Then I became aware that we were not on the highway, and that the woman across the aisle was spending a lot of time talking to the driver. In fact, she seemed to be telling him where to turn, which road to take, and so forth. I asked a couple of questions and found out that there was significant flooding in the Mexico City area, and that the bridges were down. As a result we coudn't take the regular highway to Puebla and that the driver wasn't sure of the alternate route. Fortunately, the passengers knew and directed him to Puebla. In the process, they and I talked a lot... again the personal questions from, my questions about Spanish and many other topics. They even called the school for me so that I would be met at the bus terminal. I now have their phones numbers and I'm to call them later in the week so we can have dinner.

I finally got to "my" house, and had dinner... spinach salad and vegetarian lasagna. This is Mexico? The woman is a widow who lives alone. I think it´s going to be great... we´re planning a visit to the park this weekend.

Then the school... lots of tests to determine my level (4) and then conversation about the history of some sayings, and some words, followed by lunch, and an introduction to my afternoon "guide." We can spend a couple of hours doing whatever, visiting museums, having coffee, or simply walking around the city.

Soon the woman with whom I´m staying (I´ve forgotten her name) will come and get me for dinner. Thanks goodness... I´m exhausted!!

estoy cansada

He llegado a Puebla, después de muchas aventuras. Los vuelos fueron muy fáciles y yo pude encontrar sin problemas el lugar donde se venden los boletos del autobús a Puebla.

Al lado de mí en el autobús se sentó una mujer que me pareció un poco débil. La ayudé son sus bolsas, arreglé la cortina para ella y bajé la pantalla para protegerle del sol. Pensaba que ella tenia más años que yo. Imagínate mi sorpresa cuando supe que elle tenia 64 años... ¡como yo!

Después de unos minutos de viaje, me di cuenta que no estábamos en un carretera sino en una calle con mucho trafico. Además unos pasajeros estaban dirigiendo al chofer. Afortunadamente esas mujeres conocían muy bien las rutas porque la ruta normal había sido cerrado por las inundaciones en las afueras de la Ciudad de Méjico y el chofer no conocía las otras rutas alternativas.

Hablé mucho con éstas dos mujeres... ellas eran muy agradables y a veces graciosas (es decir que ellas rieron mucho de mis bromas en español). Viven en Puebla y me ofrecen sus celulares para llamar a la escuela. Me invitaron a llamarles y cenar con ellas. Por cierto, voy a hacer eso.

Después de llegar a la Terminal, conocí a la mujer de la casa donde voy a quedarme por dos semanas. Se llama Mari y es muy amable... y buena cocinera también. Esta mañana ella me acompañó en autobus a a escuela, donde soporté muchas pruebas (que no son pruebas, según mi maestra). Hay cinco niveles de español y estoy en nivel cuatro.

Pasé casi dos horas en la clase antes de ir al lonch. Hay dos restaurantes cerca de la escuela donde los estudiantes pueden comer como una parte del programa. Uno es mejicano (por supuesto) y el otro es vegetariano.

En la tarde, los estudiantes pueden vagabundear alrededor de la ciudad con unos guías. Podemos charlar o tomar café o visitar los museos o cualquiera cosa que queramos.

Ahora he terminada la cena y estoy estudiando... y tratando de quedarme despierta. Estoy muy cansada y mañana necesito repetir todo de hoy. Las semanas van a pasar muy rápido, pienso yo.

How many children do you have?

It's generally not the first question or the second, but it always pops up. Usually it follows less personal questions, like where I'm from, have I been to Mexico before, why I'm here, and so forth. It's accompanied by other personal questions, primarily how old I am. (No one asks if I'm married, which I find interesting... maybe it's the ring). Last night, Mari and her daughters-in-law were at the house when I got there and they had quite a discussion about my hair (is it natural?), my skin (it's so soft and unwrinkled), my weight, and my ability in Spanish. The husband of one of the dil arrived and, when he found out I'm a vegetarian, started asking about my lipids and my blood pressure (he's a physician).

I can't say that I find this bothersome.... actually, it feels quite friendly. But, it is startling. And I find myself asking questions in Spanish that I would never, never ask in English. I gesture more, too.

But back to the important question... they ask about kids (never if but always how many), and I say that I don't have any. There is a moment of incredulity, they look horrified. Quickly, before they can ask about problems with infertility or whatever they are inclined to ask, I say that I have 4 grandchildren and, often, whip out pictures. They relax, smile, and ask about their ages, characteristics, etc.

La pregunta…

Lo que pasa siempre es que después de dos minutos (más o menos) de charla (llena de preguntas como, ¿De donde es?) llega LA PREGUNTA… “¿Cuántos niños tiene?”. No es, “¿Tiene hijos?” sino “¿Cuántos?”. Cuando digo, “No tengo ningún hijo” hay un silencio sepulcral. Antes de que el inquisidor me pregunte más sobre la posibilidad de infertilidad o algo así, digo, “Pero tengo cuatros nietos”. Inmediatamente todo el mundo está más cómodo y podemos hablar sobre nuestras familias sin problemas. Un aspecto que me interesa mucho es que no hay preguntas sobre mi marido… tal vez él no es tan importante.

Anteanoche las nueras de Mari estaban en casa cuando llegué. Después de un ratito, llagaron las preguntas… ¿Cuántos años, niños, etc.? Además, ellas tuvieron una platica sobre me pelo (muy bonito, ¿es natural?), mi piel (muy suave, ¿no usa maquillaje?), mi dieta (¿tiene problemas con sus lípidos?) y mucho más. ¡Qué vergüenza!

Supongo que todo eso es un poco intruso pero me parece más como interés o amistad o algo así. Por eso no me molesta (en inglés, si, pero en español, no). No me molesta tampoco la pregunta, “Cuánto años tiene?” De hecho, prefiero estas preguntas a la pregunta más común es los EEUU… “Dónde trabaja?” o “¿Qué hace?” Es como si una persona fuera definida solo por trabajo cuando, en realidad, hay aspectos mucho más importante.

Yesterday

there was a school excursion to Tlaxcala, a smallish town near Puebla with a strong indigenous presence. To get there, we drove past the volcano Popocatépetal and his wife-volcano, whose name I don't remember. It's rather startling to see snow in Mexico, but they are pretty high... and quite beautiful. Also active, which I prefer not to think about.

Tlaxcala is interesting. We went to a museum about the indigenous life, including the weaving and the manufacturing of pulque. The weaving was quite amazing... very, very complex, like a huge rug with an incredibly detailed pattern on one side and a different but equally detailed patter on the other side. We also went to a government building which has many of the interior walls covered with murals depicting the history of Mexico. The colors are brilliant and the depictions quite detailed.

The last event was a stop to sample pulque. I can think of things I'd rather drink, however.

Today's adventure with my guide, Fatima, was as interesting as usual. We did a little sightseeing as required (a couple of churches, the market, and so forth) before having coffee and getting down to the important stuff... our philosophies of life, the strengths & weaknesses of various countries, politics, racism, sexism, etc., etc. All in Spanish (rather tortured in my case) and great fun.

The Spanish Insitute of Puebla

The school here is my 3rd, and is by far the best. They are well-organized, very friendly, and the host families are great (at least mine is). The standard program is a month, with classes in the morning, a couple of hours with a guide in the afternoon, 2 meals a day with the host family, and lunch (included in the price) at one of 2 nearby restaurants. Plus, there is an arrangement with a laundry to pick dirty clothes and return them clean that afternoon (which reminds me... I forgot the bag of dirty clothes this morning). Plus, there are regular Wednesday excursions, and optional weekend excursions.

But, it's all very flexible. I'm here for only 2 weeks, so my classes are private rather than in a small group. The process of determining the appropriate level includes a brief written test, and a more extensive oral exam. In addition, there are tests (which aren't really tests) to determine gaps in one's information. 

I met a couple of students who are only taking classes in the morning, one who takes classes in the morning and one who is staying in an efficient apartment (arranged by the school)... and I'm sure that there are other possibilities.

The average of the students here now seems to be someplace in the 40s... there are a couple older than I, and one someplace in her high 70s, I think.

In contrast to my other schools, there is a real commitment among the students here to speak only Spanish. That's sometimes difficult when the student is just beginning but they generally try. 

Overall, I think it's going to be worth it, but it certainly is a lot of work! My tongue is very tired of Spanish.

The park

This morning, Mari and I went to the park. To me, that means grass, some trees, maybe swings for the kids, perhaps even a small lake with a walking path. Not in Puebla!

This park is enormous... I don't have any idea of the actual size, but it`s really huge. First, we came to some people practicing Falon Gong (or whatever the name is), and then a group doing yoga before we came to the 3 kilometer walking/running track, right along side of the biking/skating track. There's an aviary, rather nice bathrooms, a soccer field (maybe 2), tennis courts, volleyball courts, some places for basketball, and an open air theater. Plus, they offer classes in dance and some other stuff. It's all part of the government`s effort to get people moving. Oh, and there's also an area for stretching and doing some other exercise. And, of course, there are lakes, trees, grass, flowers, and all the normal parts of a park. Pretty cool.

This afternoon, I'm hoping to take the turibus around the city. Apparently, there are several options... up to see the fort where Mexico defeated the French (as in Cinco de Mayo), or maybe to the nearby ruins. I'm really looking forward to a day on my own.

El domingo

 

Tuve uno día muy divertido e interesante… en la mañana, Mari fue al la misa y y tuvé un ratito para tomar un cafecito y estudiar un poquito. Entonces, fuimos a Chalula, que es un pueblo cercano donde hay un pirámide.

 

Mari me contó que este pirámide es la más grande en las Ameritas pero no estoy segura. Supongo que la mayoría todavía está bajo la superficie por que podíamos ver solamente un poquito… unas escaleras, etc. Hay una iglesia muy hermosa encima de la pirámide. Como siempre, los cristianos (como otros grupos religiosos) necesitan construir sus monumentos sobre lo que los otros grupos han contruido, para probar su superioridad.

 

El sendero va alrededor de las ruinas y, después, va por arriba. Este camino es un poco inclinado y, a esta altura,  perdí el aliento un poquito. Pero al cabo de unos minutos de respiración muy fuerte, llegamos a la iglesia. Por cierto, vale la pena por la vista de los volcanes.

 

Hay un mirado en frente de la iglesia desde donde se puede ver el Iztaccíhuatl y el Popocatépetl cubiertos de nieve y muy bonitos. Hay también una vista del pueblo, los campos, y todo… tomé cientos de fotos.

 

Teníamos ganas de visitar el zócalo de Chalula pero había mucha gente y demasiado trafico, casi como si fuera la hora pico… tal vez por el Día de amor y amistad. Por eso, regresamos a Puebla pero nos desviamos a visitar a una amiga de Mari. Pasamos, no sé, tal vez dos horas allá porque hubo una fiesta para celebrar el día. Comemos un poquito (a pesar de mi falta de hambre), tomamos una cerveza, y hablamos mucho can la familia de la amiga de Mari.

 

Después de todo eso, Mari fue al concierto y me dejo en casa sola para estudiar más.

Well, I find it interesting, anyway

I tend to think of Mexico and Mexicans as more or less homogeneous... there are the indigenous people, the Hispanics, and the mixture of the two groups.

But I have recently been almost inundated with the fact that there is perhaps as much ethnic variation in Mexico as in the US. One source has been my teacher, who has had me reading stuff about various immigrant groups, like the Welsh who were brought in to reopen the mines after the Revolution or the Italians who came here after being flooded out of their houses in Italy and who now produce the best cheese in Mexico.

Another source has been the book Caramello, which I'm currently reading (in English, unfortunately). At one point, a guy in school says to Lala, "You don't look Mexican." She goes on at length, asking which type of Mexican she doesn't look like... the Jews who immigrated from Europe, the "left-over French," the green eyed Mexicans, the Mexicans whose grandparents came from Lebanon, the Mennonites, and so forth.

Plus, there are several restaurants which offer "tacos arabes," and other variations on the stereotypical food of Mexico. Another example is the "ensalada de trigo" in the vegetarian restaurant where I eat every noon. Actually, it's tabbouleh. Apparently, this is all the Lebanese influence, quite strong in this part of Mexico.

And, to back that up, there is Mari's daughter-in-law, whose ancestors came from Lebanon... I don´t know when or why. But, some of the family´s recipes clearly have been influenced by middle eastern flavors and traditions.

I guess much of our perspective on Mexico has been derived from he Golden Age of Mexican film, with its tapitio and women in indigenous costumes. That, plus the Cisco Kid and other movies which have portrayed Mexicans as men  with huge sombreros, bandoleers crossed over their chests, riding past huge cactus toward their women waiting in the cantina.