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! :)