Hasta Luego!

Well, it's time to say "adios" to San Miguel. It has gone impossibly fast, this last month. Isn't that aways the way it is when you are having fun? I have learned a lot, and not just about the Spanish language. Mexico is a country amazingly rich in culture and history. They also have muchas problemos with corruption and poverty. The so-called "middle class' of Mexico has a house, and a car, and food, but no extra money for medical needs and upper education. There are no government programs for the elderly. And in the campo (the country) children go hungry. In many families they have to chose which person eats that day. In spite of all that, the people of Mexico are warm, friendly,and loving.

I am including some pictures from Delores Hidalgo, a small town close to San Miguel where the revolution for independence began on Sept. 16th, 1910. Father Hidalgo led the people in a dangerous uprising, and the cathedral in these pictures is where it began.

And so today dawns much like the day we arrived...with roosters crowing, dogs barking and the hot air balloon rising from our "backyard".

We aren't starving.

Last night Denise and I decided to reward all our hard studying with a dinner out on the town. Mind you, Lisi is eating like a Queen at her homestay with Chef Marina! Marina is the mom of the house, and she teaches the cooking classes we have at the school on Fridays. After our first cooking class with Marina I stopped worrying about how Lisi was doing at their house. At times I am even jealous!

Our normal schedule gets us out of school at 1pm, at which point we normally eat a large lunch out, shop around town, then home to study and eat a light dinner. Yesterday we came home after school, then went to a place called The Restaurant for dinner. It was expensive by San Miguel standards, but a fantastic meal. I am including pictures of the appetizer of crab cakes, served on beds of guacamole. For the main course Denise had snapper in a thai coconut broth, while I had the chipotle meatloaf, served with cheddar mashed potatoes and corn relish. Yum. For dessert we had an ice cream sample. Double yum.

It is so difficult to believe our month here is nearing an end. Today was a huge turn-around point for me in class. I felt as though I understood what we were doing...a BIG plus. We are conjugating irregular verbs and then using them in sentances. Along with that are 2 hours of conversation. For those who know me I hear you laughing!! 4 hours is a long time for me to focus, but currently one of my classmates, Anita, has returned to New York, so there are now only 2 of us in class. That means no slacking off!!

This experience continues to challenge me. It's a good thing.

Film Festival

Yesterday was a fantastic day. It began with a group of us taking a tour of Queretaro. It is a large city located about 1 hour away, and it is historically fascinating. Tons of churches and statues, and an all-around interesting adventure. But I must admit, the highlight of the day was the film festival. All the films are free and, as I mentioned before, there is a huge screen in the Jardin, as well as the screenings in the local Teatros. We saw about 6 or 7 short films, some funny, some dark. Our favorite was a German film that was very poignant. As we were leaving we saw our classmate from London, Ezimna, who introduced us to the Director of that film! Very cool! Then on to the Jardin where there was an East Indian dance exhibit going on. I have included the video of that in this blog. If you are patient (not just with the video, but also with my bouncy filming) you can see the Jardin filled with people, as well as the Parroquia, and the statue of Allende.
Today we are studying our Spanish and then attending more films. Tough life, huh?

July 18

Last night we decide to walk into town for a drink and to check out the opening of the International Film Festival. There are free screenings going on all over town, but the one we are most interested in is in the Jardin, where they have set up the largest screen I’ve ever seen (sorry, Marty). As we walk down the narrow streets the big, fat drops of warning begin. Uh oh…but NO PROBLEMO, we have our umbrellas! What we forget is that in the deluges that happen here an umbrella is a laugh! The streets flood with up to 6 inches of water (goodbye shoes) and we end up soaked from our feet to our waists. We pop into a place that serves tasty Margaritas only to find it packed to the rafters. But surprise surprise, we are shoulder to shoulder with the stars and dignitaries that are part of the film festival. As we drip on their lovely clothes the paparazzi shot pictures of them. I am relatively certain my breasts are in many shots. Famous as I always knew they would be. We finally settle at Harry’s restaurant and tank down our margaritas with a couple of burgers, then set off to check out the Jardin. It is packed with people watching a documentary on Tongolele, a dancing diva from the past who is known for her seductive hips. I recognize the hips, as they had brushed past mine on the way out the door earlier. The festival is here all week, with films and workshops a plenty, so I am sure you will have many more updates.
The afore mentioned band on our Thursday adventure was awesome, and they willingly allowed me to tape them. Unfortunately the establishment dimmed the lights, and I am only using a digital camera, so even the sound quality turned out bad. We look forward to next Thursday’s performance. I am including a pic of Lisi and her new BFs.

Today we are off on another adventure to Queretaro. More to follow.

A day in the life...

We have fallen into the rhythm of Mexico. Up at about 7am, a light breakfast, then off to school, where we study until break. They put out teapots of hot water, as well as tea bags, (instant, blech) coffee and little biscuits. At 1pm we are "released" from school and we go for our big meal of the day. Usually Denise and I will stay in town and find a nice place to eat. There are many, many good restaurants in this town. Then we go home to study Spanish, then watch a movie or soccer, or we go back to town to attend some function. Last Tuesday we went to the Bibliotecca to attend a lecture on the ruins of Pozos, an old mining town near here. Then margaritas (2 for 1, now you're talking) and on to the Teatro to attend a concert. There is always something to do. Tonight we are going to see a band at the wine bar in the area we live in. We are meeting most of the students in our school there. I'll try to get a video clip of the band to download for tomorrow. Meanwhile you'll just have to amuse yourself with the food pictures I took recently. I have included one for all my friends who love hot sauce!

I love the way the storms roll in with such command here in SMA. One minute it is a blue, blue sky, with some puffy clouds on the horizon. A sweet, warm day full of promise. Next you notice in the distance a building of the clouds, like a bomb explosion, reaching high into the endless sky. Then a deep, booming crash hits, as though directed by the conductor’s baton! You can feel it in the soles of your feet. In the midst of your surprise the clouds open and dump a deluge of rain down. Buckets of rain. The storm crashes on, and the birds come out as the sky returns to blue.

It feels magical.

On a less romatic note, I have included, for my cooking friends, Gigi, Joan, DanDan and Sean Madden) a picture of a process we have to do here to eat certain foods. We take any fruits (that you don't peel) and veggies and put them in the blue bucket with an iodine mix that kills bacteria. We put a plate on them to submerge them and leave them for 1/2 hour. Once that is done they are safe to eat. You NEVER skip this step unless you want to spend an lot of time in the bano.

TWO blogs in one day!!

OK, I am loading a video for your pleasure. It is from the Jardin this afternoon. Everyone from town meets in the Jardin (after church)and they buy ice cream, fried pigskin with salsa, bags of nuts,etc. and stroll around in their Sunday best. In the center is a stage where a band plays while people dance. There are so many kids around, as well as very old people. A family affair.

Where is my camera?

I went out on my own this morning. This may not sound like a big deal, but I am usually with at least one Spanish speaker, and today, not so much so. I have had one week of class, and I feel no closer to understanding the language. I have been frustrated to the point of tears, and don't even START to talk to me about ser vs estar. So imagine my surprise when a car pulls over and asks me for directions in Spanish!!! And imagine my greater surprise when I answer IN SPANISH where they need to go! OMG. (or DM, if in Spanish). I bought a paper and when heading back home I walked behind a man with three burros that were carrying firewood. Then I turned the corner to home and right in front of me was an ancient old man herding an ewe and three baby lambs! So picturesque, but no camera.

Today's pictures are from yesterday's trip to Guanajuato. Such a beautiful town with so much history.

Oh, and the rooster lives in next door, although at 4am he sounds like he is sleeping (or not) in the bedroom.

And, yes, that last shot is my purse (bolsa). Handy, no?

Hola!

The first week of class is almost over!! It has flown by, and been painfully slow at times. The teachers are incredibly patient with my lack of knowledge. Verbs...who would think they would be SO importanto? Anyway, tomorrow after school we are taking a cooking class and tasting the results, then Saturday (Sabado...hahaha) we are taking a trip to Guanajuato, which is the town of Diego Rivera. For those who are not in-the-know, he was a famous artist AND married to Frida Kahlo. And if you don't know who she is, you are missing out. We actually went to a fantastic gallery of a recent discovery of a box of hers that held very secret love notes; some sweet, most very painful, and now not so secret.

Anyway, I am posting pictures of our school classroom, some of my fellow students, and one of a restaurant we went to last night (Nirvana is the name..a huge goblet of Malbec for $4, and a steak for $15!!)

Yo

So today was the first day of school for us. Ei yi yi!! My head hurts from so much thinking! The day began with an interview with one of the professors to determine which class we should be in...(let the laughter begin). You know the cartoon that shows what cats hear when people are talking to them? That was me. "Blah blah blah, hola, blah blah blah, gracias." They actually have a slang term for it in Mexico...something like "cara what?" meaning you get this blank look on your face that says "what they hey did you just say?" Anyway, I am in a class with three other people. One is Lisi's new roommate, as she moved onto her homestay today. Ella nombre es Ali. (I had to ask Denise how to say that...which clues you into which class I am in). Then there is a woman from Manhattan, and a woman from London. The gal from London is a professor of Moda (fashion...see how much you are learning from me?) at a university in London. She is of Nigerian ancestry, and is 6'2" and funny as all getout. She was the comic relief many times when I needed it. I have homework tonight, no kidding.
And for those new to the blog world, if you want to leave a comment you just click on anonymous and it should let you post. Sign your name in the post if you want me to know who you are. I could probably guess for the most part!
Also, I am attempting to add in a small video of our front entry during a rain storm. Not so interesting to watch, but it gives you a good idea of the sound here when it rains (minus the thunder!)
Hasta luego!

Apparently I am not the only one who turned 50 this year. The Biblioteca Publica (public library) of San Miguel celebrates its 50th this year. It is considered one of the best bilingual libraries in Mexico. But it is more than just a library. You enter from the busy street into a relatively unremarkable building, which opens into a beautiful courtyard with fountain. It is also host to a wonderful café, and the Teatro Santa Ana, where we pay the equivalent of $5 to watch the movie “Greenfingers”. The theatre is small, and Lisi points out the dead scorpion on the floor behind us. I must also point out that all those expats from the States and Canada are old. And when I say old, I mean older than me. By a long shot. So there is shuffling around while certain people get closer to the front (eyes) or away from the speakers (hearing aides). All in all I feel young, and that’s not a bad thing.
In spite of the large expat community there are no more fireworks than usual on this Independence Day, and when I go into the bank to exchange money I have to ask the date!

On our way home we have taken to stopping at the local panaderia. I am including a picture of my new best friend!

One of the amazing things about San Miguel is the variety of sounds that define it. The rooster crow, the dog bark, the distinctive whistle of the scissor sharpener (legend say if you jiggle your pockets when you hear him whistle, money will come to you). The clanging bells of the garbage truck signaling one to bring out their garbage to throw on the truck. The chapel bells calling all to Mass, the trucks laboring to crawl up the hills, the whistle of young men. The birds. The thunder and the thunder of fireworks.
When it is quiet it is startling.

We decide to go to el Jardin Botanico, the natural reserve right over the hill from our Casa. It is 220 acres of plants and wildlife with hiking paths throughout. We are accompanied by Perro, who acts as though we own her. We spotted the “No Dogs” sign upon entry, but perhaps she did not. She left us after two hours of hiking.

This last photo is for my friend Dan Dan. Nuf said.

June 30

We set out to find a vegetarian restaurant that is known for the quality of its food. The Naturalismo has four tables, and ignorant of the street traffic, we choose one closest to the beaded doorway street side. So as we are feeding ourselves beautiful, nutritious food, we battle to hear each other speak over the loud buses rumbling past, and the overpowering smell of exhaust fumes. Then we hear the sounds of people singing. A hearse drives my on the narrow, cobble stone street, followed by a host of children and adults, walking slowly behind. The Mexican men with their straw cowboy hat use them to shield the sun, but will not lay them on their heads. It is a somber site.

Later this day we explore the edge of town with stairs that climb to hundreds of feet above the steeple of the Parroquia. It’s grueling, but the payoff is a spectacular view of the city. Legs aching we stumble down, down, down and join the less adventurous.

July 1

Today I fall in love. I am not sure what provokes such feeling…yes, I had coffee, but I hadn’t yet eaten! We are walking along to revisit the afore mentioned restaurant when I realized that I am loving this adventure! Maybe it is my rigidity loosening up. So what if we don’t have a set schedule. Relax.
Wow! OK then. We get to the restaurant to see the metal doors shut tightly and secured with a lock. Uh oh…the good feeling starts to fade. I rebound with a suggestion to go to that beautiful courtyard with a restaurant attached. Ah. Tranquility returns.
But it is a big day, and there is no time to just sit around. It is Tuesday and the Market is today!! We take a cab, and the driver drops us at the fringes of what is perhaps the biggest flea market/food market I have ever seen. There are blankets on the ground with old tools on them, tables piled high with underwear, the table next has chicken parts being picked over, and of course, the table stacked with deep-fried pig skin. But this is not those little chunks you see in packages… these are full sides of pig. The next area has t-shirts, one of which says “men are pigs, but we all love bacon." Ironic. The sites and smells of this market are overwhelming, but we manage to buy some bootleg DVDs and battle for a cab. We barely reach home before a huge thunderstorm sets right down on our casa. The power blinks on and off, and we stay clear of the windows as lightening strikes so close you can’t count between flash and thunder. It’s been two hours and the rain pours down like a river.

June 28, 2008

From a cozy bed I hear the explosive sounds of someone setting off loud fireworks. It is 6:00am, and the roosters have been crowing for hours. This is Mexico. Time to let go of my tight American standards and settle into the slower, less rigid Mexican style. I open the curtains and in the field off the deck is a huge hot air balloon readying itself for flight. I look at the fire puffing heat into the silky balloon and wonder who would take such risks. Then I watch it float over the city cathedrals with envy.

June 29

Slow down. The message of the day. From the hot water heating in the shower, to the child sleeping deep into this Sunday morning. It is the day for families to stroll the Jardin.
The local town square is a colorful place, full of vendors selling balloons, ice cream and candy. But today is really about the European Cup. It is Spain versus Germany, or Espana v Alemania. After wandering the streets looking for a place to watch, we settle at Mama Mia’s because they have a big screen TV. Needless to say, the child is patient, but this endeavor taxes her. She is not a big sports fan. We end up getting seats at the bar, and our timing is perfect! The place fills up, with people sitting on laps, passing babies from loving person to person. The windows open to the street and people hang over the ledge to peer in and watch the game from outside. We order beer and pizza and relax. Or, shall I say, try to breathe. Mexico has its fair share of smokers. They will tuck their cigarette off to the side when passed the baby, but they continue to smoke like it is an athletic event in itself. My eyes water, but the game goes in favor of Spain, and we rout them on with vigor. People pound on the bar and groan in dismay. They laugh at the players who fake their injuries, and protest the ref. Spain wins, we pay the bill and spend the walk back to the casa trying to get the smell of smoke out of our clothes and hair with little success. It begins raining in the early evening and at least the air is clean-smelling!