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.