Things Ive Noticed

I know I´ve been lazy. I know that I should write better, longer, more eloquent and frequent blogs. But I honestly don´t remember what I´ve been doing or why I have not felt like writing. Anyway, I now promise to right now write the most incredible blog of all times, possibly.

So, now I´ve been living here in Tuxtla over a month and it seems weird to me that I´ve only been here that long. I´ve pretty much settled into a pattern of life, where I have started to think the things around me are ordinary. Its for this reason that I want to write this blog telling the interesting, non-ordinary things I have been noticing and learning here, partly to entertain you, partly to educate you, but mostly just to celebrate all the neat things I have already learned and experienced living here.

That, my friends, was a thesis statement. Every good essay should have one, right? Yes, I´ve been teaching writing to my advanced class. Forgive me.

I´ll start with my walk to class each morning. Each morning at 8:30 I walk down my hot pink stairwell and have to unlock a gate to get out. I say ´buenos dias´ to the receptionist here at the apartment building (shes only here like 1 hour per day). On my way I pass ´La Cocina de Anita´(Anita´s kitchen), filled with greasy smells, yummy foods and ladies baking cakes and stews dressed in white with hairnets. Shortly after I pass The Orange Cantina, filled with shamefully still-drunk men tucked into a little corner listening to ranchera music. Strangely, on the other side of the street is an office of Alcoholics Anonymous. On my right is ´The Happy Taco´, a restaurant specializing in, well, tacos and pozol (a cocoa and cornmeal beverage that was even sacred to the Mayans).

Continuing on my way, I say hello to the flour tortilla lady, cross the street, and soon come upon a bright purple gnostic teaching center. That is, a purple inspired by the same people who brought you the easter bunny and all of his respective pastel candies. There is a sign that says you can go in free and learn about Aztec Mysticism, Meditation, Yoga, and a plethora of much stranger classes but, being curious, I have stopped by many times and the doors are always closed the windows always shut. The lights on on. Curious, no?

I pass other things as well, a blue and orange doctors office, and pet store with at least 10 beautiful parrots in the front window, a photo shop displaying possibilities of the sacred heart of Jesus and (insert your daughter here) having her first communion. I pass ´work at home´ businesses: tamal makers, orange juice squeezers, and people with their front doors open, simply selling whatever they´ve got; past items have included a stereo system, glittering childrens belts, and abercrombie Tshirts. Then I finally arrive to the lovely Canadian Center, where I continue to teach.

One thing I started to do this week was go to salsa classes. My teacher is huge. I mean, not to be mean, but he is a very large man, well over 300 pounds, and he is teaching the classes. I am mystified that his little feet can move him around with such speed and grace, and I will continue to go if not to only continue seeing this man in action. There are also very nice people there, and I think they will be my friends. My gym friends.

I have other ´friends´as well here. For example, I have the lady who makes tortillas. There is a blue eyed man who owns a shop near by where I go by this and that and yesterday he picked out two avocados, especially ripe, just for me. He is precious. I have a teenage boy who is my friend at the fruit and veggie shop, the boy who takes my card at the gym, and the waiters at several cafes. Of course, these are not real friends. But they make me feel that I am known and familiar nonetheless, and they continuously make my day less lonely and make me feel less foreign.

Speaking of being foreign, I have noticed quite a few cultural differences lately between myself and the mexicans around me. One of these is the concept of personal boundaries and sharing. If you don´t know, Mexicans customarily green each other with a kiss on the cheek, sometimes a hug. This would be for people you know casually. But this concept of personal space spills into more areas than just physical contact. People here seem to have a different idea of sharing, and idea that I like in some ways and in other ways am annoyed by. People here share money, houses, cars and food, among other things. There is always an excuse to celebrate something here, and eat food. If one person does not have money, that is no problem, people will share their food. When you go to peoples houses they often offer you food or at least something to drink. In my class the other day we had a party and the students were like ´´eat teacher! eat more! you only had two pieces! dont be ashamed!! do you want more!????´ although I didnt even pay. Edwin is constantly stealing my food, and I am so annoyed by it. I just thought he was rude for the longest time. Then, one day I started to steal his food and drink his drinks, just to see if he would get mad. He didn´t. It was like it was the most obviously normal thing to do. He has very little concept of mine and yours. ´´If we eat it all, we´ll just order some more!´ I tried to explain to him that in the US you wait until someone is done eating to ´finish off the rest´, or you at least have to be invited to taste. If you ARE luckily invited to taste, you should NEVER ever eat more than one or two bites! You wait until the person says ´´eat more, no really! Really, i mean it!!´ Is this not true?

This also applies to NOISE. I can´t tell you how many people are blasting music around me at all times, and there is no idea that one person´s music might be bothering another. Nope. All space is shared, including hearing space.

Okay, I am tired of writing.....................lalalala. bye!