Well, the time has come. I am down to my final week living in Mexico City and it has been quite the adventure. I have learned a lot about myself, my life, my career and what I want to do to improve and change all of the above.
When I first got to Mexico in June, I imagined what my experience would be like. Although I cannot say I have exactly followed that image to the t, I have definitely enjoyed every minute of my time here--for better or for worse--and learned to grow with each new experience. I also imagined writing in my blog much more frequently, but I think my patience got the best of me, not to mention, power and internet connections were not exactly dependable. In the end, I traveled to new places, tried new foods and learned new things. A wise friend once told me, "when you travel, you get to know people from all over the world...and most importantly you get to know yourself." In the case of my summer, that couldn´t be more true.
So here´s to the rainy afternoons, the tortas, greeting people with a hugs and kisses on the cheek, walking through colorful neighborhoods with cobble-stoned streets and hoping that I will always remember the wonderful experiences I had. DF--te voy a extrañar.
September 02, 2008
August 14, 2008
Sigue la vida mexicana...
*DISCLAIMER: My English is terrible....too much Spanish.
So, I´ve decided that I´m pretty terrible at the whole blogging thing. I tried to update everyone at least once per week, but it has been more than three weeks now that I´ve gone without a single update. I have just been so swamped that I haven´t had a second to sit down and reflect on my time here. Now, the time has come...
So, since I last wrote (nearly a month ago), I have been traveling around quite a bit. Since I spend all week in the office, I like to try to take advantage of the weekends to get out and see the country. A few weeks ago, I went to the city of Taxco with my roommate, Melodie. Taxco was once the silver capital of Mexico--it´s where Hernan Cortes used to send his men to mine tin for his artillery when he was conquering New Spain. The city is so beautiful and set in a hillside in the state of Guerrero. It is filled with winding cobble stone streets and all the buildings are white-washed with red tile roofs. Apparently, the city government established a law that the city has to maintain its colonial-like appearance. Even the gas stations look beautiful. We mostly walked around, went shopping in all the jewelry stores and just took in the sights. It is always nice to get out of the huge metropolis that is Mexico City, as it really is easy to feel alone and lost in a city so large.
The next weekend, I took a long weekend trip to the states of Jalisco and Nayarit to spend time with my family (minus my dad). Since my brother recently graduated from high school and I was conveniently going to be in Mexico all summer, my parents decided that his graduation present was a trip to Mexico. Lucky for me, that meant I got to go to the beach! We stayed in a really nice resort in Nuevo Vallarta (close to Puerto Vallarta). As nice as it was to have a clean, comfy bed to sleep in and a hot shower every morning, I realized how much I dislike resorts. I definitely prefer to travel backpacker-style. Everything is all centralized in one place, so you are forced to spend all your money at the hotel---and they are definitely not lenient on the prices of things. It was a bit ridiculous. But, it was nice to spend time with my mom and brother (and his two high school buddies who came along). We went swimming, went to the beach and went out each night to the local karaoke bar. We also ate lots of fresh seafood, which I was definitely happy about--finally, some protein!
That Sunday, my mom flew back to DF with me to spend the week there. Since she is former resident of Mexico, she had been to the city quite a few times. However, she couldn´t stop talking about how much the capital has changed since her last visit. We toured all the popular historical sites, went to the zócalo (main plaza), ate lots of Mexican food and even toured to the Aztec ruins of Teotihuacan. I learned that the pyramids are the 3rd largest in the world (behind the Great Pyramids at Giza and the ruins in Cholula--in Puebla, Mexico), so I felt proud to have climbed to the top!
As well, the whole week my mom was here, the International AIDS conference was going on in Mexico City. Lucky for me, I am living here and my organization does HIV/AIDS work, so I got to go. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I felt so privileged to attend so many sessions with amazing speakers and researchers. In fact, I created one of the oral abstract presentations that my coworker presented, so that´s one cool thing to check off my scope of work. I also saw Bill Clinton speak during one of the plenary sessions. It was amazing and he spoke about universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. He really is inspirational and knows how to get a crowd going. I also met the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who I have admired for many years. She is a huge human rights activist and advocate for international peace. The most exciting person I met, however, was the chief of the public health/HIV division of the United Nations Commission on Refugees. The conference really stimulated me and made me think about what my real passions are within the huge field of public health and I finally decided that I am going to focus on researching the reproductive health needs/services of vulnerable/refugee populations in conflict and post-conflict settings. A friend and I are even thinking of submitting a research proposal to a funder soon to do our own project in Latin America. We´ll see if it works out!
This weekend I am going to Acapulco! It is apparently the number one spring break destination in the world, but thankfully it´s not spring break time...I would not do well in that environment. I will be traveling there with some friends I´ve met here who are French, Mexican, Chilean and Argentine, so it should be a good time.
Until next time (which hopefully won´t be too far from now)...I will be attempting to watch as much of the Olympics as possible and rooting for Michael Phelps! Oh, I also really like watching the synchronized diving events...especially the Colombian duo!
So, I´ve decided that I´m pretty terrible at the whole blogging thing. I tried to update everyone at least once per week, but it has been more than three weeks now that I´ve gone without a single update. I have just been so swamped that I haven´t had a second to sit down and reflect on my time here. Now, the time has come...
So, since I last wrote (nearly a month ago), I have been traveling around quite a bit. Since I spend all week in the office, I like to try to take advantage of the weekends to get out and see the country. A few weeks ago, I went to the city of Taxco with my roommate, Melodie. Taxco was once the silver capital of Mexico--it´s where Hernan Cortes used to send his men to mine tin for his artillery when he was conquering New Spain. The city is so beautiful and set in a hillside in the state of Guerrero. It is filled with winding cobble stone streets and all the buildings are white-washed with red tile roofs. Apparently, the city government established a law that the city has to maintain its colonial-like appearance. Even the gas stations look beautiful. We mostly walked around, went shopping in all the jewelry stores and just took in the sights. It is always nice to get out of the huge metropolis that is Mexico City, as it really is easy to feel alone and lost in a city so large.
The next weekend, I took a long weekend trip to the states of Jalisco and Nayarit to spend time with my family (minus my dad). Since my brother recently graduated from high school and I was conveniently going to be in Mexico all summer, my parents decided that his graduation present was a trip to Mexico. Lucky for me, that meant I got to go to the beach! We stayed in a really nice resort in Nuevo Vallarta (close to Puerto Vallarta). As nice as it was to have a clean, comfy bed to sleep in and a hot shower every morning, I realized how much I dislike resorts. I definitely prefer to travel backpacker-style. Everything is all centralized in one place, so you are forced to spend all your money at the hotel---and they are definitely not lenient on the prices of things. It was a bit ridiculous. But, it was nice to spend time with my mom and brother (and his two high school buddies who came along). We went swimming, went to the beach and went out each night to the local karaoke bar. We also ate lots of fresh seafood, which I was definitely happy about--finally, some protein!
That Sunday, my mom flew back to DF with me to spend the week there. Since she is former resident of Mexico, she had been to the city quite a few times. However, she couldn´t stop talking about how much the capital has changed since her last visit. We toured all the popular historical sites, went to the zócalo (main plaza), ate lots of Mexican food and even toured to the Aztec ruins of Teotihuacan. I learned that the pyramids are the 3rd largest in the world (behind the Great Pyramids at Giza and the ruins in Cholula--in Puebla, Mexico), so I felt proud to have climbed to the top!
As well, the whole week my mom was here, the International AIDS conference was going on in Mexico City. Lucky for me, I am living here and my organization does HIV/AIDS work, so I got to go. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I felt so privileged to attend so many sessions with amazing speakers and researchers. In fact, I created one of the oral abstract presentations that my coworker presented, so that´s one cool thing to check off my scope of work. I also saw Bill Clinton speak during one of the plenary sessions. It was amazing and he spoke about universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. He really is inspirational and knows how to get a crowd going. I also met the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who I have admired for many years. She is a huge human rights activist and advocate for international peace. The most exciting person I met, however, was the chief of the public health/HIV division of the United Nations Commission on Refugees. The conference really stimulated me and made me think about what my real passions are within the huge field of public health and I finally decided that I am going to focus on researching the reproductive health needs/services of vulnerable/refugee populations in conflict and post-conflict settings. A friend and I are even thinking of submitting a research proposal to a funder soon to do our own project in Latin America. We´ll see if it works out!
This weekend I am going to Acapulco! It is apparently the number one spring break destination in the world, but thankfully it´s not spring break time...I would not do well in that environment. I will be traveling there with some friends I´ve met here who are French, Mexican, Chilean and Argentine, so it should be a good time.
Until next time (which hopefully won´t be too far from now)...I will be attempting to watch as much of the Olympics as possible and rooting for Michael Phelps! Oh, I also really like watching the synchronized diving events...especially the Colombian duo!
July 23, 2008
An escape from day-effe...
Well, I am now a one month resident of DF and it feels fan-freaking-tastic. Actually, time has really flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was freaking out about living with a crazy señora in a prostitute-filled colonia. But alas, I have a little less than two months left now, so I hope things continue to sail semi-smoothly and that I can fully capitalize (get it?) on this opportunity.
This past weekend, I got out of the pollution-filled, dirty, yet uber-charming capital for a trip to the south. I went to the land of mole (moh-leh)--Oaxaca! Now, for those of you who don`t know, Oaxaca is also the land of chapulines (grasshoppers). I am all about taking an anthropological approach and integrating myself into the culture and community, but there is no way in el diablo that I would ever enjoy eating insects. I always say try things twice, but chapulines are an exception. I have had them before (encrusted in an empanada-like shell) and they were nothing to write home about. As such...no chapulines for me, gracias. Anyway, I flew down to Oaxaca on Friday night after work on Mexico`s version of Ryan Air (Click Mexicana) and proceeded to go to the hotel, where I met up with Melodie and her two French friends. (Yes, this Mexican summer I`m having is very much looking like a French one...but, c`est la vie.) We spent an hour or so lounging by the pool and enjoying the rain-free atmosphere, then went to dinner and explored a little of the city. We went to sleep fairly early because Saturday was going to be fun-filled. And that it was. We woke up at the crack of dawn, fueled our bodies with energy in the form of coffee, fruit, yogurt and granola and set off to the beach!
In Oaxaca, there has been a lot of uproar in recent years, as the teacher`s union went on strike for higher wages and called for the resignation of (corrupt) Governor Ruiz. Many civilians soon supported the strike efforts (including the abundant indigenous population in the state) and the peaceful protests soon turned into violent attacks, as then-president, Vicente Fox (amigos with Bush), ordered the federal police to occupy the area. Then, the EZLN (Zapata-minded revolutionary group from Chiapas, one state to the south) got involved and uproar ensued. Thus, the state has been a bit unstable the past two years. Things are better now, but since the government has literally tried to sweep the Oaxacan issues under the rug, political unrest will most likely plague the region for years to come.
So, on a lighter note...the beach. We went to the area called Bahias de Huatulco (Huatulco Bay), which is an up-and-coming tourist destination for Mexicans and perhaps eventually Americans and Europeans. It is located between the Pacific coast and Sierra Madre mountains, so the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We rented a boat and driver for the day to take us around all nine of the bays of the area. We set off for the furthest away (San Augustin) and worked our way back from there. At some of the bays, we actually got off the boat to swim and go snorkeling, but the water wasn`t that clear in most of the area because there have been some really bad rains and subsequent floods this past month and all the aftermath is running down from the rivers into the ocean. Nonetheless, I saw my fair share of tropical fish and got some sun, so I was a happy camper. It was one of the girl`s birthday, so that night we went out for a really nice dinner at one of the coolest hotels in town. We were pretty much the only people there (since it`s low tourist season) except for one quasi-American couple. Well, the girl was American, but I couldn`t place the guy`s accent...the important thing to note was that he was a big jerk to the wait staff AND looked like Mr. Clean. Imaginate. The next day, the Frenchies went on a jungle tour, but I couldn`t go because my flight home was later that afternoon. So instead, I went exploring in La Crucecita (a small town near where we were staying), ate some delicious mole negro and chile relleno and did some shopping in the mercado central.
Now, I am back at work in rainy DF. The majority of my time here is spent sitting at a desk and computer doing research or research-related work, so I am trying to come up with things to do in my spare time. Today, I met with an intercambio-of-sorts. We basically just speak Spanish (and a bit of English) with each other over coffee. Today we talked about the genocide in Darfur and how difficult it is to read the novel, Ulysses. Even the cafe owner joined in the conversation--apparently he studied English literature at university. I started taking a drawing/painting class at the local community center, but after two sessions, I decided to drop out. It just wasn`t really a good use of my time and the maestra didn`t really know what she was talking about. Instead, I am going to take my sketchbook and draw on my own. There are some great little corners of Coyoacan that I`d love to spend a few hours in for some artistic therapy.
In terms of work, things are just fantastic. I have been working frantically the past few days preparing materials for the International AIDS conference that will take place in two weeks. I have created information handouts and media materials on the work Population Council does in Mexico, as well as the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. As well, I am preparing an oral presentation that will be presented at the conference! Of course, I don`t get to present it, but poco a poco...an academic has to start somewhere. The presentation is on a study Pop Council conducted in various states in Mexico among women living with HIV. The main investigation was to understand the reproductive health status and services available among the women; their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward HIV; and if they have experienced violence or discrimination as a result of their HIV diagnosis. Some of the analysis I am doing is providing pretty disturbing results...I won`t go into detail, but it`s horrifying to learn what some of these women are experiencing. I can`t even imagine and am more and more thankful everyday for the life I live.
This weekend, plans are a bit undefined, but I think I will go to Xochimilco, a delegation of Mexico similar to Venice, Italy where everyone uses little boats to travel around. This is so because Mesoamerican agriculturalists used the fertile area to grow crops and the streets are more or less canals. I also may travel to Taxco, the former silver capital of Mexico with Melodie. Until then, I`ll be figuring out a way I can watch the Olympics that start in a couple weeks, enjoy the all-too-frequent power-outages and make sure to post some pictures of Oaxaca. Oh...and a shout out to SoReal Cru...I have been keeping up with my favorite TV show (America`s Best Dance Crew) thanks to YouTube and they are AMAZING. Yay-uh!
This past weekend, I got out of the pollution-filled, dirty, yet uber-charming capital for a trip to the south. I went to the land of mole (moh-leh)--Oaxaca! Now, for those of you who don`t know, Oaxaca is also the land of chapulines (grasshoppers). I am all about taking an anthropological approach and integrating myself into the culture and community, but there is no way in el diablo that I would ever enjoy eating insects. I always say try things twice, but chapulines are an exception. I have had them before (encrusted in an empanada-like shell) and they were nothing to write home about. As such...no chapulines for me, gracias. Anyway, I flew down to Oaxaca on Friday night after work on Mexico`s version of Ryan Air (Click Mexicana) and proceeded to go to the hotel, where I met up with Melodie and her two French friends. (Yes, this Mexican summer I`m having is very much looking like a French one...but, c`est la vie.) We spent an hour or so lounging by the pool and enjoying the rain-free atmosphere, then went to dinner and explored a little of the city. We went to sleep fairly early because Saturday was going to be fun-filled. And that it was. We woke up at the crack of dawn, fueled our bodies with energy in the form of coffee, fruit, yogurt and granola and set off to the beach!
In Oaxaca, there has been a lot of uproar in recent years, as the teacher`s union went on strike for higher wages and called for the resignation of (corrupt) Governor Ruiz. Many civilians soon supported the strike efforts (including the abundant indigenous population in the state) and the peaceful protests soon turned into violent attacks, as then-president, Vicente Fox (amigos with Bush), ordered the federal police to occupy the area. Then, the EZLN (Zapata-minded revolutionary group from Chiapas, one state to the south) got involved and uproar ensued. Thus, the state has been a bit unstable the past two years. Things are better now, but since the government has literally tried to sweep the Oaxacan issues under the rug, political unrest will most likely plague the region for years to come.
So, on a lighter note...the beach. We went to the area called Bahias de Huatulco (Huatulco Bay), which is an up-and-coming tourist destination for Mexicans and perhaps eventually Americans and Europeans. It is located between the Pacific coast and Sierra Madre mountains, so the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We rented a boat and driver for the day to take us around all nine of the bays of the area. We set off for the furthest away (San Augustin) and worked our way back from there. At some of the bays, we actually got off the boat to swim and go snorkeling, but the water wasn`t that clear in most of the area because there have been some really bad rains and subsequent floods this past month and all the aftermath is running down from the rivers into the ocean. Nonetheless, I saw my fair share of tropical fish and got some sun, so I was a happy camper. It was one of the girl`s birthday, so that night we went out for a really nice dinner at one of the coolest hotels in town. We were pretty much the only people there (since it`s low tourist season) except for one quasi-American couple. Well, the girl was American, but I couldn`t place the guy`s accent...the important thing to note was that he was a big jerk to the wait staff AND looked like Mr. Clean. Imaginate. The next day, the Frenchies went on a jungle tour, but I couldn`t go because my flight home was later that afternoon. So instead, I went exploring in La Crucecita (a small town near where we were staying), ate some delicious mole negro and chile relleno and did some shopping in the mercado central.
Now, I am back at work in rainy DF. The majority of my time here is spent sitting at a desk and computer doing research or research-related work, so I am trying to come up with things to do in my spare time. Today, I met with an intercambio-of-sorts. We basically just speak Spanish (and a bit of English) with each other over coffee. Today we talked about the genocide in Darfur and how difficult it is to read the novel, Ulysses. Even the cafe owner joined in the conversation--apparently he studied English literature at university. I started taking a drawing/painting class at the local community center, but after two sessions, I decided to drop out. It just wasn`t really a good use of my time and the maestra didn`t really know what she was talking about. Instead, I am going to take my sketchbook and draw on my own. There are some great little corners of Coyoacan that I`d love to spend a few hours in for some artistic therapy.
In terms of work, things are just fantastic. I have been working frantically the past few days preparing materials for the International AIDS conference that will take place in two weeks. I have created information handouts and media materials on the work Population Council does in Mexico, as well as the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. As well, I am preparing an oral presentation that will be presented at the conference! Of course, I don`t get to present it, but poco a poco...an academic has to start somewhere. The presentation is on a study Pop Council conducted in various states in Mexico among women living with HIV. The main investigation was to understand the reproductive health status and services available among the women; their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward HIV; and if they have experienced violence or discrimination as a result of their HIV diagnosis. Some of the analysis I am doing is providing pretty disturbing results...I won`t go into detail, but it`s horrifying to learn what some of these women are experiencing. I can`t even imagine and am more and more thankful everyday for the life I live.
This weekend, plans are a bit undefined, but I think I will go to Xochimilco, a delegation of Mexico similar to Venice, Italy where everyone uses little boats to travel around. This is so because Mesoamerican agriculturalists used the fertile area to grow crops and the streets are more or less canals. I also may travel to Taxco, the former silver capital of Mexico with Melodie. Until then, I`ll be figuring out a way I can watch the Olympics that start in a couple weeks, enjoy the all-too-frequent power-outages and make sure to post some pictures of Oaxaca. Oh...and a shout out to SoReal Cru...I have been keeping up with my favorite TV show (America`s Best Dance Crew) thanks to YouTube and they are AMAZING. Yay-uh!
July 14, 2008
Language-learning and sight-seeing...
Where to start, where to start. Well, I am officially 100% recovered and feeling MUCH, I repeat, MUCH better than I was when I got sick. It wasn't quite Moctezuma's revenge, but I think the Aztec gods had their fair share of poking fun at me and welcoming me to their land. Haha. No, really, enough talk about being sick. I'm better in all forms of my being: mind, body and spirit.
On Thursday, I started my first French lesson! In fact, my roommate, Melodie, is teaching me. It works out perfectly, actually, because one of our Mexican friends, Elena, and Fernando's girlfriend slash our sixth roommate, Mirna, both want to learn French, too, so Melodie is holding a class for us once per week! We went to the Mexican version of Barnes & Noble Bookstore, called Gandhi's (they even have a huge picture of Mahatma himself on one of the walls in the store) and bought a text book, work book and CD that we will all share. The only minor problem is that neither Elena nor Mirna have ever learned a lick of French before, so I am quite advanced compared to them. We went over the very basics during our first lesson, so I was a bit bored, but we talked about it after and she is going to provide me with some extra workbook exercises, etc. so I can go at my own level and not have to wait for the others to catch up. In fact, I was even surprised by myself, as I have quite the extensive French vocabulary. The issue is that I have no clue as to how to conjugate a verb or properly form a sentence. I know lots of little phrases that I picked up from living with my other French roommate in college (salut, Edith!) as well as when I was in West Africa (a girl has to survive somehow), but in conversation, I can barely get past salutations when I start speaking Spanish back to the person. It's just more natural I guess. Anyway, I will keep you all updated on this French business.
Speaking of business, work is moving along quite well. Last week I started working on a research paper for my preceptor. Right now I am still in the background and literature review sections because my preceptor, along with another coworker in the office, have given Lorena and I a BUNCH of other projects to work on....and those seem to pop up all time time whenever they are most urgent. For example, Friday afternoon they received 80 research abstracts for a conference they are putting on in October and asked us to review and grade them all by Tuesday. It's not too terrible of a task, but somehow took all of today to do. Surprisingly, some of the abstracts were very poorly written and some research methodologies poorly designed. My preceptor warned us, however, that we would come across some things that our own work would put to shame....so that's good to know! I am also working on reviewing some of our own literature and updating it for the International AIDS conference in August, which I will get to attend! The director of the program announced at lunch today that staff from almost all Population Council offices around the world will be coming to the conference, too, so we will be hosting a social event that week to welcome them all to Mexico. It will be a great opportunity to meet and network with the rest of the organization. Oh, and if you feel like finding out more about the wonder that is Population Council, check us out: www.popcouncil.org
On Friday, Lorena and I decided to go sight-seeing after work. We took the metro to the zocalo, also called Plaza de la Constitucion, which is the main plaza in the city and one of the largest (if not the largest) in the world. It wasn't as crowded as I remember it being, but maybe the rain had something to do with that. The plaza is located in the delegation of Centro Historico, which was built on Lake Texcoco in the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. As such, many of the buildings around are sunken into the ground and you can see ruins of the Templo Mayor right off the zocalo. It's really quite amazing. We also went into the Catedral Metropolitana, which is a baroque structure that was constructed by the Spanish conquistadors and is the largest cathedral in the western hemisphere. We then decided to get a drink and something to eat, so what better way to do so than with a beautiful view of the zocalo below. We went into a hotel off one of the sides of the plaza and sat 9 stories high eating sopas and enjoying the political chanting in the background. I took some amazing pictures of the entire plaza, the cathedral and the Palacio Nacional, which is where the president and almost all branches of the government are located.
The next day, Lorena and I got up really early to go to her friend, Armando's football game (soccer, to those of you in the states). We met at the Estadio Azteca, which is a huge stadium that is home to Club America, a Mexican national team. However, the game was just for Armando's team from work, so he was not playing there. Instead, he picked us up and we drove south of the city into the mountains of the State of Mexico. It was beautiful and the air was so crisp and fresh. I tried to take pictures of the city below, but all the pollution made that a bit difficult. I did get some great photos of the mountains though...and the gopher that kept popping his head out of the field where Armando was playing. Not only was it fun to watch his team and cheer them on, but hearing the Spanish vulgarities was like music to my ears. It reminded me of being back in Spain and going to Real Madrid games...the fans (and players) may have dirty mouths, but they sure make the experience that much more enjoyable. After the game, Armando's parents invited us over for lunch, so we went to their house (also south of the city in one of the more colorful barrios) and ate delicious pozole verde--my favorite kind!
The next day, Melodie invited me to go with her and friends to some Aztec pyramids in the state of Morelos...of course, I could not refuse! We got up early Sunday morning and drove out to the pyramids. The drive was very pleasant and we arrived without any problems. The pyramid site is called Xochicalco (sho-chi-cal-co) and is located about half an hour from Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos. Even today, some of the workers at the site's museum and surrounding town speak Nahuatl (native language of the Aztec) and the site is very well maintained. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and smiles. We then drove into Cuernavaca for the rest of the afternoon. The city is very vibrant and all the buildings have colonial-style architecture. We ate lunch at a great Italian restaurant and after did a little souvenir shopping. It was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and just take a relaxing break...not to mention, the mini road trip wasn't so bad either.
This week will be very busy at work and I also hope to explore my neighborhood a bit more. I found a community center very close to work, so I am signing up for a painting/drawing class and maybe a salsa/rueda de casino (Cuban type of salsa) class. Hopefully I will have some prints and moves to show for them! The most exciting part about this week starts on Friday, as I am going to Oaxaca! It is a state in Southern Mexico and I am going to celebrate a friend's birthday and enjoy some sunshine (crosses fingers)...until then, I will embrace the rainy nature of DF in the summer. Ugh.
On Thursday, I started my first French lesson! In fact, my roommate, Melodie, is teaching me. It works out perfectly, actually, because one of our Mexican friends, Elena, and Fernando's girlfriend slash our sixth roommate, Mirna, both want to learn French, too, so Melodie is holding a class for us once per week! We went to the Mexican version of Barnes & Noble Bookstore, called Gandhi's (they even have a huge picture of Mahatma himself on one of the walls in the store) and bought a text book, work book and CD that we will all share. The only minor problem is that neither Elena nor Mirna have ever learned a lick of French before, so I am quite advanced compared to them. We went over the very basics during our first lesson, so I was a bit bored, but we talked about it after and she is going to provide me with some extra workbook exercises, etc. so I can go at my own level and not have to wait for the others to catch up. In fact, I was even surprised by myself, as I have quite the extensive French vocabulary. The issue is that I have no clue as to how to conjugate a verb or properly form a sentence. I know lots of little phrases that I picked up from living with my other French roommate in college (salut, Edith!) as well as when I was in West Africa (a girl has to survive somehow), but in conversation, I can barely get past salutations when I start speaking Spanish back to the person. It's just more natural I guess. Anyway, I will keep you all updated on this French business.
Speaking of business, work is moving along quite well. Last week I started working on a research paper for my preceptor. Right now I am still in the background and literature review sections because my preceptor, along with another coworker in the office, have given Lorena and I a BUNCH of other projects to work on....and those seem to pop up all time time whenever they are most urgent. For example, Friday afternoon they received 80 research abstracts for a conference they are putting on in October and asked us to review and grade them all by Tuesday. It's not too terrible of a task, but somehow took all of today to do. Surprisingly, some of the abstracts were very poorly written and some research methodologies poorly designed. My preceptor warned us, however, that we would come across some things that our own work would put to shame....so that's good to know! I am also working on reviewing some of our own literature and updating it for the International AIDS conference in August, which I will get to attend! The director of the program announced at lunch today that staff from almost all Population Council offices around the world will be coming to the conference, too, so we will be hosting a social event that week to welcome them all to Mexico. It will be a great opportunity to meet and network with the rest of the organization. Oh, and if you feel like finding out more about the wonder that is Population Council, check us out: www.popcouncil.org
On Friday, Lorena and I decided to go sight-seeing after work. We took the metro to the zocalo, also called Plaza de la Constitucion, which is the main plaza in the city and one of the largest (if not the largest) in the world. It wasn't as crowded as I remember it being, but maybe the rain had something to do with that. The plaza is located in the delegation of Centro Historico, which was built on Lake Texcoco in the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. As such, many of the buildings around are sunken into the ground and you can see ruins of the Templo Mayor right off the zocalo. It's really quite amazing. We also went into the Catedral Metropolitana, which is a baroque structure that was constructed by the Spanish conquistadors and is the largest cathedral in the western hemisphere. We then decided to get a drink and something to eat, so what better way to do so than with a beautiful view of the zocalo below. We went into a hotel off one of the sides of the plaza and sat 9 stories high eating sopas and enjoying the political chanting in the background. I took some amazing pictures of the entire plaza, the cathedral and the Palacio Nacional, which is where the president and almost all branches of the government are located.
The next day, Lorena and I got up really early to go to her friend, Armando's football game (soccer, to those of you in the states). We met at the Estadio Azteca, which is a huge stadium that is home to Club America, a Mexican national team. However, the game was just for Armando's team from work, so he was not playing there. Instead, he picked us up and we drove south of the city into the mountains of the State of Mexico. It was beautiful and the air was so crisp and fresh. I tried to take pictures of the city below, but all the pollution made that a bit difficult. I did get some great photos of the mountains though...and the gopher that kept popping his head out of the field where Armando was playing. Not only was it fun to watch his team and cheer them on, but hearing the Spanish vulgarities was like music to my ears. It reminded me of being back in Spain and going to Real Madrid games...the fans (and players) may have dirty mouths, but they sure make the experience that much more enjoyable. After the game, Armando's parents invited us over for lunch, so we went to their house (also south of the city in one of the more colorful barrios) and ate delicious pozole verde--my favorite kind!
The next day, Melodie invited me to go with her and friends to some Aztec pyramids in the state of Morelos...of course, I could not refuse! We got up early Sunday morning and drove out to the pyramids. The drive was very pleasant and we arrived without any problems. The pyramid site is called Xochicalco (sho-chi-cal-co) and is located about half an hour from Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos. Even today, some of the workers at the site's museum and surrounding town speak Nahuatl (native language of the Aztec) and the site is very well maintained. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and smiles. We then drove into Cuernavaca for the rest of the afternoon. The city is very vibrant and all the buildings have colonial-style architecture. We ate lunch at a great Italian restaurant and after did a little souvenir shopping. It was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and just take a relaxing break...not to mention, the mini road trip wasn't so bad either.
This week will be very busy at work and I also hope to explore my neighborhood a bit more. I found a community center very close to work, so I am signing up for a painting/drawing class and maybe a salsa/rueda de casino (Cuban type of salsa) class. Hopefully I will have some prints and moves to show for them! The most exciting part about this week starts on Friday, as I am going to Oaxaca! It is a state in Southern Mexico and I am going to celebrate a friend's birthday and enjoy some sunshine (crosses fingers)...until then, I will embrace the rainy nature of DF in the summer. Ugh.
July 09, 2008
Parasite-mania...
Well, I thought I could avoid the unavoidable, but alas...I got sick. Really sick. Like, hugging-the-toilet-over-night sick (graphic, I know). But literally, my stomach wanted to reject everything I had eaten and wouldn't have it any other way.
It all started on Saturday night. I had a wonderful day spending time with my coworker Lorena, my Mexican friend Val and some of her friends. We went to Val's house in the morning, which is in this really cool colonia in DF called Alta Vista...and it reflects exactly that. From Val's backyard you can see a beautiful view of the city (well, through all the smog). We then went to an area of DF called Santa Fe (Val has a car...sweet!). Santa Fe is more or less the financial district of the city, but it is sort of removed from the city limits (imagine it like Paris' La Defense). We went there because it houses a huge shopping mall and we had the urge to ir de shopping. Actually, I had to buy some things for my new casa (sheets, pillows, towels, etc.)...but lucky for me, July is the month of rebajas (sales), so I found my way into some cute shoe stores and took advantage of the discounts. We had lunch at a great little spot called Cafe Gironale...except now, I will never go to that place again. I don't know if that's the point-source of my personal outbreak (like that, epi kids? haha.), but just a few hours after that, I was hurtin'. We saw the movie Wall-E, which was actually better than I had anticipated, although, I'm not sure I really knew what it was about to begin with...and then Val dropped me off at my new casa.
It was my first night in the new house. I arrived and two of my roommates, Jose Luis (Peruvian) and Melodie (French) were watching Star Wars 2 on the couch. I was greeted with big hugs and smiles as they were just as excited as I was to move in. Fernando (Mexican) and Herald (Dutch) weren't home at the time, but I could sense their positive vibes from miles away. After all the grins and glory, I settled into my room, unpacked some of my things, made my bed...and it hit me. The rest of the night, I was in so much pain and thought my intestines were literally going to crawl out of my throat. Again, I know, graphic...but believe you me...it's worth describing in detail, just so you NEVER go to Cafe Gironale should you have the chance. Haha. No, in all honesty, it could have been anything. After some personal research, as well as advice and diagnosis from med-student and resident friends (thanks, guys!), I came to the conclusion that it was either my good friend Giardia or e.coli that came to visit for the weekend. Since I don't eat meat, I'm pretty sure it came from the salad I ate that was most likely washed in tap water--a major no-no in Mexico. It is not safe to drink the tap water and even if restaurants look clean, it doesn't mean they wash their veggies with purified water. Now, I am pretty much steering clear of any Mexican restaurant that doesn't include the words "cocina de Courtney" in the title. But I'm sure I'll come around...maybe tomorrow.
All of this sickness led to some pretty depressing emotions. Not to mention, the stress of moving out of my old place, trying to settle into my new house, finding meaning in my time here and the crappy, crappy, CRAPPY weather....I was a bit unlike my normal, happy self. Don't worry, I didn't contemplate coming home at all, but I was pretty sad and in need of rejuvenation. And rejuvenation was what I got...all in decent night's sleep.
Since my recovery, I have fully enjoyed spending time with my roommates. Melodie works for a French pharmaceutical company and always invites me to do things with her friends, which is really refreshing. Jose Luis works for a Mexican engineering firm and we were both on exchange in Madrid, so it's been fun to reminisce about Espana with him. Plus, he was nice enough to buy my some Sprite when my tummy was aching...muy amable. Herald is a geography teacher at a local primary school. He has been living in the house for about a year, so he really has some interesting stories to tell about previous roommates. Fernando is an engineer at the same firm as Jose Luis, but his girlfriend, Mirna, is always around, so I haven't spoken to him too much one-on-one. He does have family in LA though, so he wants to come visit again sometime soon. I also chatted with his mom on the phone the other day and she was very friendly. Mirna, who I think just sits around the house all day, is sweet and played me some of her favorite songs from the 70s and 80s (a new CD she bought in the metro) today when I got home from work. And you bet I knew the words to every last one! As well, she gave me a Spanish copy of the Motorcycle Diaries (fantastic travels of Che Guevara), which I have only read in English and seen the movie before, so I'm excited to start that.
Work is becoming more promising, too. I have started the background section of a research manuscript on a study of reproductive health opinion in DF. I have also begun some data analysis on maternal mortality in Mexico and have been helping my preceptor with a proposal for a program on improving the violence against women situation in Guatemala. Basically, I sit at my desk reading and writing all day (and talking to family and friends on g-chat, of course), but I love it! I really like everyone at my job and am looking forward to seeing things progress.
Although I may sound busy, don't let my words fool you. I actually have a lot of free time in the afternoons, so I have made a list of things I would like to pursue:
-Enroll in French lessons at the local community center (find local community center)
-Get an intercambio (student I speak Spanish and English with) from UNAM (largest university in Mexico)
-Tutor rich Mexican kids in English (and make money while doing so)
-Take Salsa and Merengue dance classes
-Explore my delegacion and take lots of photos
-Volunteer at a homeless or women's shelter
Who knows how much of this I'll actually accomplish!?
Alright, it looks like Latin American Idol is about to start, so it's the perfect time to wrap this entry up! I can't wait to see who the Simon Cowell of Argentina is! More to come...andale!
It all started on Saturday night. I had a wonderful day spending time with my coworker Lorena, my Mexican friend Val and some of her friends. We went to Val's house in the morning, which is in this really cool colonia in DF called Alta Vista...and it reflects exactly that. From Val's backyard you can see a beautiful view of the city (well, through all the smog). We then went to an area of DF called Santa Fe (Val has a car...sweet!). Santa Fe is more or less the financial district of the city, but it is sort of removed from the city limits (imagine it like Paris' La Defense). We went there because it houses a huge shopping mall and we had the urge to ir de shopping. Actually, I had to buy some things for my new casa (sheets, pillows, towels, etc.)...but lucky for me, July is the month of rebajas (sales), so I found my way into some cute shoe stores and took advantage of the discounts. We had lunch at a great little spot called Cafe Gironale...except now, I will never go to that place again. I don't know if that's the point-source of my personal outbreak (like that, epi kids? haha.), but just a few hours after that, I was hurtin'. We saw the movie Wall-E, which was actually better than I had anticipated, although, I'm not sure I really knew what it was about to begin with...and then Val dropped me off at my new casa.
It was my first night in the new house. I arrived and two of my roommates, Jose Luis (Peruvian) and Melodie (French) were watching Star Wars 2 on the couch. I was greeted with big hugs and smiles as they were just as excited as I was to move in. Fernando (Mexican) and Herald (Dutch) weren't home at the time, but I could sense their positive vibes from miles away. After all the grins and glory, I settled into my room, unpacked some of my things, made my bed...and it hit me. The rest of the night, I was in so much pain and thought my intestines were literally going to crawl out of my throat. Again, I know, graphic...but believe you me...it's worth describing in detail, just so you NEVER go to Cafe Gironale should you have the chance. Haha. No, in all honesty, it could have been anything. After some personal research, as well as advice and diagnosis from med-student and resident friends (thanks, guys!), I came to the conclusion that it was either my good friend Giardia or e.coli that came to visit for the weekend. Since I don't eat meat, I'm pretty sure it came from the salad I ate that was most likely washed in tap water--a major no-no in Mexico. It is not safe to drink the tap water and even if restaurants look clean, it doesn't mean they wash their veggies with purified water. Now, I am pretty much steering clear of any Mexican restaurant that doesn't include the words "cocina de Courtney" in the title. But I'm sure I'll come around...maybe tomorrow.
All of this sickness led to some pretty depressing emotions. Not to mention, the stress of moving out of my old place, trying to settle into my new house, finding meaning in my time here and the crappy, crappy, CRAPPY weather....I was a bit unlike my normal, happy self. Don't worry, I didn't contemplate coming home at all, but I was pretty sad and in need of rejuvenation. And rejuvenation was what I got...all in decent night's sleep.
Since my recovery, I have fully enjoyed spending time with my roommates. Melodie works for a French pharmaceutical company and always invites me to do things with her friends, which is really refreshing. Jose Luis works for a Mexican engineering firm and we were both on exchange in Madrid, so it's been fun to reminisce about Espana with him. Plus, he was nice enough to buy my some Sprite when my tummy was aching...muy amable. Herald is a geography teacher at a local primary school. He has been living in the house for about a year, so he really has some interesting stories to tell about previous roommates. Fernando is an engineer at the same firm as Jose Luis, but his girlfriend, Mirna, is always around, so I haven't spoken to him too much one-on-one. He does have family in LA though, so he wants to come visit again sometime soon. I also chatted with his mom on the phone the other day and she was very friendly. Mirna, who I think just sits around the house all day, is sweet and played me some of her favorite songs from the 70s and 80s (a new CD she bought in the metro) today when I got home from work. And you bet I knew the words to every last one! As well, she gave me a Spanish copy of the Motorcycle Diaries (fantastic travels of Che Guevara), which I have only read in English and seen the movie before, so I'm excited to start that.
Work is becoming more promising, too. I have started the background section of a research manuscript on a study of reproductive health opinion in DF. I have also begun some data analysis on maternal mortality in Mexico and have been helping my preceptor with a proposal for a program on improving the violence against women situation in Guatemala. Basically, I sit at my desk reading and writing all day (and talking to family and friends on g-chat, of course), but I love it! I really like everyone at my job and am looking forward to seeing things progress.
Although I may sound busy, don't let my words fool you. I actually have a lot of free time in the afternoons, so I have made a list of things I would like to pursue:
-Enroll in French lessons at the local community center (find local community center)
-Get an intercambio (student I speak Spanish and English with) from UNAM (largest university in Mexico)
-Tutor rich Mexican kids in English (and make money while doing so)
-Take Salsa and Merengue dance classes
-Explore my delegacion and take lots of photos
-Volunteer at a homeless or women's shelter
Who knows how much of this I'll actually accomplish!?
Alright, it looks like Latin American Idol is about to start, so it's the perfect time to wrap this entry up! I can't wait to see who the Simon Cowell of Argentina is! More to come...andale!
July 04, 2008
Things are looking up...
Since I last wrote, I was in quite the depressed state, as my housing situation was not at all what I expected and really put a damper on my first week here. Living in an isolated shack in the biggest city in the world (18 million people, 25 million in the greater metro area), can definitely make a person feel lonely. But, not to worry...I found a new place to live (thank you, craigslist!) and I couldn´t be happier!
On Wednesday, we had one of the scariest thunder and lightening storms I have ever been in. Lightening would strike every 2 or 3 seconds (which means it was close to me, right?) and when the thunder would roll, it was so loud all the car alarms on the street where my office is located would go off. Then, the power completely shut down. It was 3 o´clock in the afternoon and we had no internet, phone line or electricity. So, we all got to go home early. I thought it was pretty funny. I don´t know what would happen in the states if the power went out, but I´m fairly certain that thanks to the American over-productive mindset and efficiency-driven society, people would still be required to stay at work until 5pm (at least, verdad?). However, I was not about to complain. I had plenty to do on my own and having the rest of the afternoon off allowed me to go apartment hunting. So, I set off to explore the neighborhood and luckily found an internet cafe that still had power. In no time, I found a listing for a house a few blocks away. I called the number on the posting (thank goodness my phone was working) and sure enough, they wanted me to come by and see the place as soon as possible! Yay! I met one of the roommates and fell in love with the casa (está super padre--it´s really cool), but she wanted me to come back the next day to meet everyone else.
As such, I went over for dinner last night and met the rest of the roommates--and they liked me, so I´m in! I will be moving in on Saturday and am so excited. I will be living with four other roommates: a French girl, a Peruvian guy, a Mexican guy and a Dutch guy. This is the kind of set up I had been wishing for, so that I can fully capitalize on my experience in the capital. The house is located in the heart of Coyoacán, the same colonia as my office, so I can walk to work in a matter of minutes (much better and greener than taking a bus, taxi or the metro!). The neighborhood is lined with cobblestone streets, lush vegetation and colorful buildings. In el centro de Coyoacán, there are a lot of little shops and restaurants (our nextdoor neighbor is an Italian Pizzeria). What I like most about my colonia, aside from the close proximity to Pop Council, is that everyday I feel like I will find something new...a part of life that I truly enjoy. There are so many little side streets and cafes to discover, it´s definitely going to be a great way to pass time after work. The main street in the neighborhood, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, is lined with food vendors and artisans and has a plaza in the middle with park benches and gardens, so it really reflects a lively, colorful and culturally rich atmostphere. I am especially looking forward to exploring new corners of the city with my new roommates of the world.
Overall, the past few days have been much better than the first few. I moved out of my old casa yesterday--good riddance, Señora Rebeca--and am staying with my preceptor until I can move into the new place. One great little fact I found out about my old barrio, is that it was not actually in Condesa...it was on the border of Condesa and Zona Rosa. Now, that all sounds just fine and dandy, but the best part of this story is that the Zona Rosa is basically the red light district of DF. Translation: the streets are lined with prostitutes. I didn´t even notice until I was in the taxi on my way home to pack up and leave, when I looked out the window. I was all wide-eyed and excited to familiarize myself with the streets I was on, when I saw a very peculiar looking chica (or chico) standing on the corner. At first I thought she was just waiting to cross the street (yes, I am that naive sometimes) until I noticed her scantily clad dress and the lightbulb flashed on above my head! "Ohhhhhh my word," I muttered to myself. Sure, I´ve seen prostitutes in LA, Madrid and Buenos Aires, but the fact that I was living on the same street as their work made me feel a little uncomfortable. However, the public health nerd in me definitely came out, as one of the first things I thought was, "Do they have affordable access to reproductive health services? Are they being tested for STIs on a regular basis? How can I empower these women (or men) to protect their health and seek other, less risky job opportunities?" And then I thought, what programs are going on in DF to help these sex workers? Maybe Pop Council can design and implement one! Needless to say, I made it home safely, packed all my things and headed to my preceptor´s house in Colonia Roma.
This morning I woke up in a great mood and am looking forward to the weekend. Once I arrived to the office, Lorena and I went to get coffee at this cute little cafe down the street called "La ruta de seda." The owner is a very friendly Cuban lady and they have all sorts of really interesting items on the menu like Indian lassi, green tea muffins and soy lattes--which you generally would not find in Mexico (for a decent price, anyway). It´s so refreshing to know I can get my vegan-friendly caffeine fix for just $1.40 every morning--and it tastes delicious! This afternoon Lorena, my preceptor and another co-worker (who is from Amsterdam...strange Dutch trend in DF?) went to lunch at a place called The Green Corner. They serve all organic food and have some nice vegetarian meals, so that will be a nice dining option. I have also taken to cooking my lunch at the office. As mentioned before, we have a fully functioning cocina. Since there is a super mega (grocery store) right down the street, I can easily shop and store things here for the week. I think I will eat an avocado everyday!
The work week has almost ended and it has been a pleasurable, interesting one indeed...I definitely am looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow morning, Lorena and I are going on a tour of the whole city por Turibus (a big red open-air bus). It´s actually pretty hilarious, because most people who go on those tours are total gringos and have no idea about Mexican life, history, etc. (ok, maybe that´s a blanket statement), but we are doing it to orient ourselves with the crazy street grid (or lack there of) of DF. Hopefully it won´t rain and I will be able to take some lovely pictures for you all to admire.
Que lo pases bien...and Happy Birthday, America--we are one week apart! :)
On Wednesday, we had one of the scariest thunder and lightening storms I have ever been in. Lightening would strike every 2 or 3 seconds (which means it was close to me, right?) and when the thunder would roll, it was so loud all the car alarms on the street where my office is located would go off. Then, the power completely shut down. It was 3 o´clock in the afternoon and we had no internet, phone line or electricity. So, we all got to go home early. I thought it was pretty funny. I don´t know what would happen in the states if the power went out, but I´m fairly certain that thanks to the American over-productive mindset and efficiency-driven society, people would still be required to stay at work until 5pm (at least, verdad?). However, I was not about to complain. I had plenty to do on my own and having the rest of the afternoon off allowed me to go apartment hunting. So, I set off to explore the neighborhood and luckily found an internet cafe that still had power. In no time, I found a listing for a house a few blocks away. I called the number on the posting (thank goodness my phone was working) and sure enough, they wanted me to come by and see the place as soon as possible! Yay! I met one of the roommates and fell in love with the casa (está super padre--it´s really cool), but she wanted me to come back the next day to meet everyone else.
As such, I went over for dinner last night and met the rest of the roommates--and they liked me, so I´m in! I will be moving in on Saturday and am so excited. I will be living with four other roommates: a French girl, a Peruvian guy, a Mexican guy and a Dutch guy. This is the kind of set up I had been wishing for, so that I can fully capitalize on my experience in the capital. The house is located in the heart of Coyoacán, the same colonia as my office, so I can walk to work in a matter of minutes (much better and greener than taking a bus, taxi or the metro!). The neighborhood is lined with cobblestone streets, lush vegetation and colorful buildings. In el centro de Coyoacán, there are a lot of little shops and restaurants (our nextdoor neighbor is an Italian Pizzeria). What I like most about my colonia, aside from the close proximity to Pop Council, is that everyday I feel like I will find something new...a part of life that I truly enjoy. There are so many little side streets and cafes to discover, it´s definitely going to be a great way to pass time after work. The main street in the neighborhood, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, is lined with food vendors and artisans and has a plaza in the middle with park benches and gardens, so it really reflects a lively, colorful and culturally rich atmostphere. I am especially looking forward to exploring new corners of the city with my new roommates of the world.
Overall, the past few days have been much better than the first few. I moved out of my old casa yesterday--good riddance, Señora Rebeca--and am staying with my preceptor until I can move into the new place. One great little fact I found out about my old barrio, is that it was not actually in Condesa...it was on the border of Condesa and Zona Rosa. Now, that all sounds just fine and dandy, but the best part of this story is that the Zona Rosa is basically the red light district of DF. Translation: the streets are lined with prostitutes. I didn´t even notice until I was in the taxi on my way home to pack up and leave, when I looked out the window. I was all wide-eyed and excited to familiarize myself with the streets I was on, when I saw a very peculiar looking chica (or chico) standing on the corner. At first I thought she was just waiting to cross the street (yes, I am that naive sometimes) until I noticed her scantily clad dress and the lightbulb flashed on above my head! "Ohhhhhh my word," I muttered to myself. Sure, I´ve seen prostitutes in LA, Madrid and Buenos Aires, but the fact that I was living on the same street as their work made me feel a little uncomfortable. However, the public health nerd in me definitely came out, as one of the first things I thought was, "Do they have affordable access to reproductive health services? Are they being tested for STIs on a regular basis? How can I empower these women (or men) to protect their health and seek other, less risky job opportunities?" And then I thought, what programs are going on in DF to help these sex workers? Maybe Pop Council can design and implement one! Needless to say, I made it home safely, packed all my things and headed to my preceptor´s house in Colonia Roma.
This morning I woke up in a great mood and am looking forward to the weekend. Once I arrived to the office, Lorena and I went to get coffee at this cute little cafe down the street called "La ruta de seda." The owner is a very friendly Cuban lady and they have all sorts of really interesting items on the menu like Indian lassi, green tea muffins and soy lattes--which you generally would not find in Mexico (for a decent price, anyway). It´s so refreshing to know I can get my vegan-friendly caffeine fix for just $1.40 every morning--and it tastes delicious! This afternoon Lorena, my preceptor and another co-worker (who is from Amsterdam...strange Dutch trend in DF?) went to lunch at a place called The Green Corner. They serve all organic food and have some nice vegetarian meals, so that will be a nice dining option. I have also taken to cooking my lunch at the office. As mentioned before, we have a fully functioning cocina. Since there is a super mega (grocery store) right down the street, I can easily shop and store things here for the week. I think I will eat an avocado everyday!
The work week has almost ended and it has been a pleasurable, interesting one indeed...I definitely am looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow morning, Lorena and I are going on a tour of the whole city por Turibus (a big red open-air bus). It´s actually pretty hilarious, because most people who go on those tours are total gringos and have no idea about Mexican life, history, etc. (ok, maybe that´s a blanket statement), but we are doing it to orient ourselves with the crazy street grid (or lack there of) of DF. Hopefully it won´t rain and I will be able to take some lovely pictures for you all to admire.
Que lo pases bien...and Happy Birthday, America--we are one week apart! :)
July 01, 2008
Casa drama...
The saying, "don`t judge a book by it`s cover," is definitely true when it comes to my housing situation. These past few days have been emotional, to say the least, but I am trying to keep everything in a positive light. I know I seemed all upbeat about things in my last post, but I attribute that to the DF honeymoon period....it didn´t last long.
First, let me just say the house itself is not that bad. The problem is, that I don`t live in it. I basically live in a shed in the "backyard" that is attached to another shed, which I have named the out-house. My room did look all cozy when I first arrived, but the señora must have just cleaned it, because within hours, there were tons of creepy crawlers and mud on the floor, plus water was leaking through the ceiling in six different places...and through the door, because it does not close and is held together by a padlock with a good three inches of the outdoors between the door and my wall. The shower in my outhouse did not work the first day, so I went upstairs to take one. I knocked on my señora´s door, and could hear her inside, but she did not answer. I kept knocking for nearly ten minutes and whispering to her through the door, but she ignored me. So, I just went into the bathroom and took a shower without formally asking. As soon as I got out, she was standing right outside and started scolding me, that I did not turn the knob in the out-house hard enough and that this bathroom is for "house tenants only"...um, excuse me...am I not a rent-paying tenant then? She then goes to teach me how to turn on the out-house shower and I expected her to pull a bucket out from behind her and tell me to go fill it up in the well...ok, maybe that was an over-exaggeration. Still, she attempts to turn the knob "con fuerte" and it still won`t turn on. HA. That`s right, señora. Then, after all that, I got dressed and was on my way to work....I saw her in the "kitchen" and started to ask her where the nearest grocery store was, so I could stop by after work. Before I could even mutter "donde", she yells that I can`t have any food here accept cereal and some fruit. Not even leche? What am I supposed to do with the cereal then? Not to mention, even if I wanted to buy a bunch of food to spite her, there is absolutely NO room in the refrigerator or pantry and all there is to cook with is a tiny hot plate that never gets cleaned....this is to say, it´s not so vegetarian friendly.
Oh, and remember how I said I was living in the SoHo of Mexico City? That was a LIE. I live NEAR the SoHo, but that part of town is much nicer and safer than my barrio. My señora told me not to go outside after 8pm (when it gets dark) because it´s very dangerous and a lot of crime happens in this neighborhood. However, this is a bit difficult because I don´t get off work until 6pm and since I have to go eat dinner somewhere or cook for myself at my office (they have a really nice, fully-equipped kitchen) because I can´t use the kitchen at the casa, I don´t usually leave Coyoacan until around 7pm or later. Plus, I have about an hour commute back home and seeing as how I have to walk alone in the dark and take the metro at night (also not safe), this whole living situation is becoming a more problematic than I could have ever imagined.
I ended up just taking a taxi home yesterday, but that was a huge event in itself. In DF, it is not recommended to take a taxi off the street, because they are not authorized by the government and that is actually where some of the most violent crimes happen in the city. Instead, you must use a sitio taxi, which you basically have to order by phone. You call the service, tell them your name and location, then they give you a number of the cab that will pick you up. When the cab comes, you cross-reference the number the operator gave you with the number on the car, PLUS you have to ask the driver who they are here to pick up and where they are supposed to take you. Seems simple enough, but not when you don´t have a phone. Well, I have a phone AND a Mexican sim card, but it just decided not to work yesterday. I honestly thought I was going to have to sleep on the street behind the restaurant where I ate dinner, but luckily I befriended the parking lot security guard who offered to make the call for me with his phone. Thirty minutes later, when it was already dark, the cab finally arrived. I was in a pretty terrible mood, but luckily the driver was "muy amable" and turned my frown upside down. We talked about Spain the whole time because he also works for a tour company that sent him there once to do a radio and television show about Aztecs in Mexico. He also gave me his card and offered to give me a discount whenever I need a ride or if I want to use his tour company services (for side trips to Teotihuacan or the like).
So, I am moving. I want to move closer to where I work because I like the neighborhood a lot and feel safer walking around (it´s scary in my barrio even during the day...I am not exaggerating). Good news is that a new amiga I met through a classmate at UCLA is helping me look for a new place. She told me about a website that is similar to craigslist, but for housing in DF. I signed up for it yesterday and already have some prospects. I will be going to look at them the rest of the week (my new amiga has a car!) and can hopefully move out of my shed by Sunday. I will be happy to be all settled into a new place, so I can finally get started with my life here. There is so much I want to do and see, but the shed next to Condesa is preventing all of that from happening.
Pues bueno, even with all this, I am doing fine. I have had a few ups and downs, but is mostly just frustration that I am not able to fully enjoy this experience yet. Work is going super bien though. Yesterday my coworkers set-up a nice lunch for the other new intern (Lorena) and me (¡tostadas y ceviche!) and everyone is very friendly and animated.
Okay, that´s enough ranting for now. I´ll write more when I have exciting news. Off I go to make lemonade out of some super sour lemons...or something of the sort.
First, let me just say the house itself is not that bad. The problem is, that I don`t live in it. I basically live in a shed in the "backyard" that is attached to another shed, which I have named the out-house. My room did look all cozy when I first arrived, but the señora must have just cleaned it, because within hours, there were tons of creepy crawlers and mud on the floor, plus water was leaking through the ceiling in six different places...and through the door, because it does not close and is held together by a padlock with a good three inches of the outdoors between the door and my wall. The shower in my outhouse did not work the first day, so I went upstairs to take one. I knocked on my señora´s door, and could hear her inside, but she did not answer. I kept knocking for nearly ten minutes and whispering to her through the door, but she ignored me. So, I just went into the bathroom and took a shower without formally asking. As soon as I got out, she was standing right outside and started scolding me, that I did not turn the knob in the out-house hard enough and that this bathroom is for "house tenants only"...um, excuse me...am I not a rent-paying tenant then? She then goes to teach me how to turn on the out-house shower and I expected her to pull a bucket out from behind her and tell me to go fill it up in the well...ok, maybe that was an over-exaggeration. Still, she attempts to turn the knob "con fuerte" and it still won`t turn on. HA. That`s right, señora. Then, after all that, I got dressed and was on my way to work....I saw her in the "kitchen" and started to ask her where the nearest grocery store was, so I could stop by after work. Before I could even mutter "donde", she yells that I can`t have any food here accept cereal and some fruit. Not even leche? What am I supposed to do with the cereal then? Not to mention, even if I wanted to buy a bunch of food to spite her, there is absolutely NO room in the refrigerator or pantry and all there is to cook with is a tiny hot plate that never gets cleaned....this is to say, it´s not so vegetarian friendly.
Oh, and remember how I said I was living in the SoHo of Mexico City? That was a LIE. I live NEAR the SoHo, but that part of town is much nicer and safer than my barrio. My señora told me not to go outside after 8pm (when it gets dark) because it´s very dangerous and a lot of crime happens in this neighborhood. However, this is a bit difficult because I don´t get off work until 6pm and since I have to go eat dinner somewhere or cook for myself at my office (they have a really nice, fully-equipped kitchen) because I can´t use the kitchen at the casa, I don´t usually leave Coyoacan until around 7pm or later. Plus, I have about an hour commute back home and seeing as how I have to walk alone in the dark and take the metro at night (also not safe), this whole living situation is becoming a more problematic than I could have ever imagined.
I ended up just taking a taxi home yesterday, but that was a huge event in itself. In DF, it is not recommended to take a taxi off the street, because they are not authorized by the government and that is actually where some of the most violent crimes happen in the city. Instead, you must use a sitio taxi, which you basically have to order by phone. You call the service, tell them your name and location, then they give you a number of the cab that will pick you up. When the cab comes, you cross-reference the number the operator gave you with the number on the car, PLUS you have to ask the driver who they are here to pick up and where they are supposed to take you. Seems simple enough, but not when you don´t have a phone. Well, I have a phone AND a Mexican sim card, but it just decided not to work yesterday. I honestly thought I was going to have to sleep on the street behind the restaurant where I ate dinner, but luckily I befriended the parking lot security guard who offered to make the call for me with his phone. Thirty minutes later, when it was already dark, the cab finally arrived. I was in a pretty terrible mood, but luckily the driver was "muy amable" and turned my frown upside down. We talked about Spain the whole time because he also works for a tour company that sent him there once to do a radio and television show about Aztecs in Mexico. He also gave me his card and offered to give me a discount whenever I need a ride or if I want to use his tour company services (for side trips to Teotihuacan or the like).
So, I am moving. I want to move closer to where I work because I like the neighborhood a lot and feel safer walking around (it´s scary in my barrio even during the day...I am not exaggerating). Good news is that a new amiga I met through a classmate at UCLA is helping me look for a new place. She told me about a website that is similar to craigslist, but for housing in DF. I signed up for it yesterday and already have some prospects. I will be going to look at them the rest of the week (my new amiga has a car!) and can hopefully move out of my shed by Sunday. I will be happy to be all settled into a new place, so I can finally get started with my life here. There is so much I want to do and see, but the shed next to Condesa is preventing all of that from happening.
Pues bueno, even with all this, I am doing fine. I have had a few ups and downs, but is mostly just frustration that I am not able to fully enjoy this experience yet. Work is going super bien though. Yesterday my coworkers set-up a nice lunch for the other new intern (Lorena) and me (¡tostadas y ceviche!) and everyone is very friendly and animated.
Okay, that´s enough ranting for now. I´ll write more when I have exciting news. Off I go to make lemonade out of some super sour lemons...or something of the sort.
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