A noreaster just came through- robbing me of a nights sleep, and granting us all a "noreaster day"!
having a seasons worth of the show, grey´s anatomy, helped me get through the night of crazy, but did not help my sister´s car get out without some very ugly scratches
today instead of class we visited Matraca, a community organization that works with street kids and poverty in general--hoping to volunteer there very soon!
my house mom gave me permission to vent (give a yelling to) the next man on the street that acts inappropriately.... which has already passed 5 times over but, in time my frustration will give way to some words exchanged
the concert last weekend was fantastic! it stormed and we were able to get fairly close and jump and dance in the rain
a friend from my university was able to be a securty guard during the concert
we spent the night wandering the city in order to get the next bus home
I am extremely glad that I am staying for a year--my spanish needs a year, and the time flies so fast that one semester seems extremely insufficient
but very excited to see everyone over christmas!!!
currently i am reevaluating my career goals as well...
and going to spend a night camping on the beach! if another noreaster does not rock veracruz in the next few days
:)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The workload has increased, but its not excessive
I was able to go to a salsa club and watch a salsa competition as well!
Also went to the beach for a day with some friends from Mexico, got burnt, but had a wonderful day flying kytes and swimming
This coming weekend I am off to a concert in Veracruz of a Mexican band-Cafe Tacvba, apparently the best one from Mexico -according to my music friends
also traveled to nearby towns, Coatapec and Hico, and explored the waterfalls
havent been sleeping well, probably due to the millions of bugbites from the beach
but doing great here in Mexico
I was able to go to a salsa club and watch a salsa competition as well!
Also went to the beach for a day with some friends from Mexico, got burnt, but had a wonderful day flying kytes and swimming
This coming weekend I am off to a concert in Veracruz of a Mexican band-Cafe Tacvba, apparently the best one from Mexico -according to my music friends
also traveled to nearby towns, Coatapec and Hico, and explored the waterfalls
havent been sleeping well, probably due to the millions of bugbites from the beach
but doing great here in Mexico
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
link and more
If you would like to read current political commentary about Mexico, a friend here in Mexico has a page http://lifebeyondthewall.blogspot.com
I have been attempting to speak more Spanish with friends from the states and canada, although it is very tiring
have been talking with my host family about poverty and about conditions in Xalapa--they say that Xalapa has so much poverty because prices are high, yet jobs have low pay and there is not much industry
its great for students and for retirees, but rough on the working individual
I will get some facts to share about poverty and stratification in Mexico--the gap between the rich and the poor is very very significant
and the richest man in the world now is Carlos Slim, a Mexican who runs the phones and such here in Mexico
feel free to share any news from the US! I am currently oblivious
I have been attempting to speak more Spanish with friends from the states and canada, although it is very tiring
have been talking with my host family about poverty and about conditions in Xalapa--they say that Xalapa has so much poverty because prices are high, yet jobs have low pay and there is not much industry
its great for students and for retirees, but rough on the working individual
I will get some facts to share about poverty and stratification in Mexico--the gap between the rich and the poor is very very significant
and the richest man in the world now is Carlos Slim, a Mexican who runs the phones and such here in Mexico
feel free to share any news from the US! I am currently oblivious
Saturday, October 6, 2007
These last few weeks have been great. No homesickness, not too busy, great conversations in Spanish. I went to a friends´ concert violin performance and also rode on a mo-ped. These past nights have been filled with gatherings that included not only people from Mexico, but also from France, Slovenia, Canada and Denmark. I filled myself up with crepes and other french food last night at the home of several French students.
Recently I have been thinking about stereotypes and judgement
In my Mexico-US relations class a girl was talking about how her boyfriend has a strong dislike for the US as well as the people, the culture, the English language. It was uncomfortable to hear this even though I am quite aware that others dislike the US. I also thought about how although I have serious problems with the government of Mexico, I dont relate the government to the Mexican people. However, the government of Mexico and other nations often dont have an obvious affect in my daily life in the US or my culture. I feel that our nation is infringing upon the culture of Mexico, and of course the government and business ventures also have great affects on the economy here. Thus, I can see how hate could be directed towards all things US.
Also, last night I was at a gathering of people from France and there were many people from Mexico as well. I was the only American and I heard the term gringa, which doesnt bother me that much. Later I got to talking with the same guy. Before talking for more than a minute, he told me that I, along with other Americans, only like the discos in Mexico and do not care about the culture. He also said that Americans are just spring breakers. And to finish it off he said that all Americans are racists. I responded that first, I do enjoy dancing but that I am learning about Mexican culture and am living with a host family, traveling around the country, and would not be staying a year in Xalapa (as opposed to cancun) if I did not want to learn about Mexico, more than the beaches and discos. I agree that a lot of Americans come to Mexico for the beaches, but it was rough for him to tell ME that I was one of them without knowing me at all. I also told him that there is racism in US, but that in Mexico, Americans and lighter skinned persons get into clubs easier, and are treated blantantly different. Later, I became pretty angry when returning to my house.
However, it was a thought-provoking experience, because judgement for Mexicans in the US is a big problem. Sometimes I feel like people think that it is ok to judge and poke fun of Americans in Mexico because we are the US and we are the hegemony. However, I think it is wrong in all cases. But it was a wake-up type of experience.
BUT, all in all, the people here are VERY nice and this guy was an exception. I feel like many of these thoughts are common, but others try to approach these types of conversations in a different manner than a of pointed accusations and blanket statements. It was a very interesting experience and although it is a learning experience, it does not make me feel any less angry today.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts, opinions, questions
Off to eat the last meal of the day, la cena which is always scrumptious
Recently I have been thinking about stereotypes and judgement
In my Mexico-US relations class a girl was talking about how her boyfriend has a strong dislike for the US as well as the people, the culture, the English language. It was uncomfortable to hear this even though I am quite aware that others dislike the US. I also thought about how although I have serious problems with the government of Mexico, I dont relate the government to the Mexican people. However, the government of Mexico and other nations often dont have an obvious affect in my daily life in the US or my culture. I feel that our nation is infringing upon the culture of Mexico, and of course the government and business ventures also have great affects on the economy here. Thus, I can see how hate could be directed towards all things US.
Also, last night I was at a gathering of people from France and there were many people from Mexico as well. I was the only American and I heard the term gringa, which doesnt bother me that much. Later I got to talking with the same guy. Before talking for more than a minute, he told me that I, along with other Americans, only like the discos in Mexico and do not care about the culture. He also said that Americans are just spring breakers. And to finish it off he said that all Americans are racists. I responded that first, I do enjoy dancing but that I am learning about Mexican culture and am living with a host family, traveling around the country, and would not be staying a year in Xalapa (as opposed to cancun) if I did not want to learn about Mexico, more than the beaches and discos. I agree that a lot of Americans come to Mexico for the beaches, but it was rough for him to tell ME that I was one of them without knowing me at all. I also told him that there is racism in US, but that in Mexico, Americans and lighter skinned persons get into clubs easier, and are treated blantantly different. Later, I became pretty angry when returning to my house.
However, it was a thought-provoking experience, because judgement for Mexicans in the US is a big problem. Sometimes I feel like people think that it is ok to judge and poke fun of Americans in Mexico because we are the US and we are the hegemony. However, I think it is wrong in all cases. But it was a wake-up type of experience.
BUT, all in all, the people here are VERY nice and this guy was an exception. I feel like many of these thoughts are common, but others try to approach these types of conversations in a different manner than a of pointed accusations and blanket statements. It was a very interesting experience and although it is a learning experience, it does not make me feel any less angry today.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts, opinions, questions
Off to eat the last meal of the day, la cena which is always scrumptious
Monday, October 1, 2007
Weekend in Las Tuxtlas
Hi all!
This weekend our BCA group took a trip to the volcanic mountain range- las tuxlas. www.tuxlas.org We visited a rural community but our sleeping location was up in the jungle/forest run by a community organization in order to support the community by creating opportunities to share natures beauty. It was truly beautiful and we took many nature hikes: one to a lake in a crater (then the rain chased us back to our cabins) and the other to a gorgeous waterfall where we swam. We ate handmade tortillas and enjoyed our time. It was great to get out of the city and to experience the different parts of Mexico. The scenery from the busride was incredible. If any of you have seen the movie, Apocolypse(sp?) we were in the area where it was shot.
Soon I will post a few short videos both of Xalapa and of the trip!
hasta luego!
This weekend our BCA group took a trip to the volcanic mountain range- las tuxlas. www.tuxlas.org We visited a rural community but our sleeping location was up in the jungle/forest run by a community organization in order to support the community by creating opportunities to share natures beauty. It was truly beautiful and we took many nature hikes: one to a lake in a crater (then the rain chased us back to our cabins) and the other to a gorgeous waterfall where we swam. We ate handmade tortillas and enjoyed our time. It was great to get out of the city and to experience the different parts of Mexico. The scenery from the busride was incredible. If any of you have seen the movie, Apocolypse(sp?) we were in the area where it was shot.
Soon I will post a few short videos both of Xalapa and of the trip!
hasta luego!
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