Night time graffiti photo... translation in the comments.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
5/28/10: Lazy days
No photo this time, since I really haven't been doing much the past few days. It's been lovely. I wake up to a breakfast of fresh fruit, bread, and cheese, go to spanish class for a few hours, then wander among parks and cafes looking for a new place to sit and read for a couple of hours.
Earlier in the week I was chastising myself a bit for a) tearing through my books too quickly and b) not spending my afternoons in museums, churches, etc. I'm over it. I found an English bookstore to restock on reading material and have also reminded myself that I'm on vacation and can do whatever I want, including spending a huge chunk of time reading for pleasure. Anyway, this seems to be the Oaxacan way. I'm certainly not the only one leisurely passing the hours with a book in a park or cafe.
The only downside to this routine (besides being a little overcaffeinated at the moment) is that I get interrupted a lot as a young woman reading, writing, or drawing alone. These encounters have been pretty benign and surprisingly interesting, though. I don't find the men here to be particularly aggressive or less than polite. In fact, I've had some really interesting conversations about Mexican labor unions, US immigration policy, and must see beaches in Oaxaca. Ultimately I make up some excuse about meeting a friend so I can politely decline an invitation to continue the conversation at a bar somewhere, but I haven't felt at all threatened since I've been here.
A, a friend from the language school who has lived in Oaxaca for a few months now, pointed out that these encounters match the Oaxacan lifestyle more generally --- not too aggressive, just kind of meandering.
So now I've embraced my laziness, partially using assimilation to Oaxacan culture as an excuse. But for me, this trip really is about slowing down, not rushing off to my next appointment, and unwinding. So far I'm doing pretty well with that. I've even stopped subconsciously reaching for the smart phone I no longer have.
Earlier in the week I was chastising myself a bit for a) tearing through my books too quickly and b) not spending my afternoons in museums, churches, etc. I'm over it. I found an English bookstore to restock on reading material and have also reminded myself that I'm on vacation and can do whatever I want, including spending a huge chunk of time reading for pleasure. Anyway, this seems to be the Oaxacan way. I'm certainly not the only one leisurely passing the hours with a book in a park or cafe.
The only downside to this routine (besides being a little overcaffeinated at the moment) is that I get interrupted a lot as a young woman reading, writing, or drawing alone. These encounters have been pretty benign and surprisingly interesting, though. I don't find the men here to be particularly aggressive or less than polite. In fact, I've had some really interesting conversations about Mexican labor unions, US immigration policy, and must see beaches in Oaxaca. Ultimately I make up some excuse about meeting a friend so I can politely decline an invitation to continue the conversation at a bar somewhere, but I haven't felt at all threatened since I've been here.
A, a friend from the language school who has lived in Oaxaca for a few months now, pointed out that these encounters match the Oaxacan lifestyle more generally --- not too aggressive, just kind of meandering.
So now I've embraced my laziness, partially using assimilation to Oaxacan culture as an excuse. But for me, this trip really is about slowing down, not rushing off to my next appointment, and unwinding. So far I'm doing pretty well with that. I've even stopped subconsciously reaching for the smart phone I no longer have.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tech problems!
Um, do these photos look all squishy to you guys? I can't tell if it's the monitor I'm using or if I just somehow squished up all my pictures.
Monday, May 24, 2010
5/24/10: Back to school
I forgot how much I love Spanish class! Something about solving grammatical puzzles and adding to my vocabulary really feeds the geek in me. For the next two weeks, I'll be taking four hours of Spanish a day -- two of grammar (with homework! woohoo!) and two of conversation. I like the instructors a lot, and there are only two or three other people in each class.
I'll also be spending the next two weeks with a host family who have put me up in a nice room with my own bathroom. Definitely a step up from the hostel I've been staying at, and I really couldn't ask for a more convenient location. I'm having fun with their kids, too, who very generously helped me with my homework. I now have bunnies and boats drawn all over my Spanish worksheets. Here's me, humoring a super-cute five-year-old who wants to playwith my camera.
Here's me, 15 minutes later, after said five-year-old rapidly shed her cuteness by running around, refusing to hand over the camera.
Fortunately, five-year-olds are easily distracted, and the camera is now locked away in my room.
I'll also be spending the next two weeks with a host family who have put me up in a nice room with my own bathroom. Definitely a step up from the hostel I've been staying at, and I really couldn't ask for a more convenient location. I'm having fun with their kids, too, who very generously helped me with my homework. I now have bunnies and boats drawn all over my Spanish worksheets. Here's me, humoring a super-cute five-year-old who wants to playwith my camera.
Here's me, 15 minutes later, after said five-year-old rapidly shed her cuteness by running around, refusing to hand over the camera.
Fortunately, five-year-olds are easily distracted, and the camera is now locked away in my room.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
5/21/10 - 5/23/10: Skipping town
This weekend I've been out exploring the Oaxaca Valley with H and A, a German and English couple I met at the hostel who very generously invited me to join them for a couple of days.
We left Friday morning to rent a car, then made our way out of the city, first visiting a giant 2,000 year old tree, then an even older archaeological site. Many thanks to H and A for driving and navigating, as we found plenty of closed roads, detours, and dirt 'highways' on our way to Hierve el Agua, a natural spring and local resort area. We had a really lovely evening swim in the mineral pool, then caught the last vendor for some quesadillas just before she closed up for the night. See that beautiful natural pool?
Yeah, I swam in that.
We spent Friday night in a shady cabaña. 'Shady' as in 'probably not cleaned for two years,' not as in 'providing relief from the sun'. The place was deserted, so we just decided to ignore the grime and pretend that we were camping as we shared a few beers on the porch of the cabaña to celebrate A's birthday.
The next morning, we dodged dogs, donkeys, and children on our way out of Hierve el Agua and toward the Sierra Norte. We arrived in Cuajilmoloyas, a Zapotec village of about 1,000 people around midday, then set set off for a three hour "walk".
Walk, my ass. It started off nice and easy, with a stop to pet some goats, listening as our guide identified some medicinal plants.
Then our "walk" got serius. The trail got narrow, then steep, then disappeared completely. We scrambled up narrow paths to explore the coyote caves, and ultimately found ourselves on top of tall rocks overlooking the valley. Really breathtaking, and not just because I harbor a slight fear of heights. You´ll notice that I'm kind of slouching and holding on in this photo, trying to keep my center of gravity as low as possible. 
That evening was probably the highlight of the weekend for me. We went to one of the two or three "restaurants" in town, none of which actually have anything resembling a menu. You get whatever is cooking over the open flame at the other end of the room. You want a cerveza or something else to drink? No problem, they'll pop over to the store to buy it for you. I don't actually think they had a refrigerator. It felt much more like eating in someone's living room than anything else. In any case, it was delicious, and probably exactly what the nurse from the travel health clinic was warning me about.
I'm so grateful to H and A for inviting me along this past weekend. That trip outside the city was not something I would have done on my own (especially renting the car), and I'm so glad we were able to deal directly with the people of Cuajilmoloyas, rather than visit on a package tour arranged through a Oaxaca based travel agency. Most importantly, this trip gave me the confidence to show up, smile, and ask the locals for directions.
We left Friday morning to rent a car, then made our way out of the city, first visiting a giant 2,000 year old tree, then an even older archaeological site. Many thanks to H and A for driving and navigating, as we found plenty of closed roads, detours, and dirt 'highways' on our way to Hierve el Agua, a natural spring and local resort area. We had a really lovely evening swim in the mineral pool, then caught the last vendor for some quesadillas just before she closed up for the night. See that beautiful natural pool?
Yeah, I swam in that. We spent Friday night in a shady cabaña. 'Shady' as in 'probably not cleaned for two years,' not as in 'providing relief from the sun'. The place was deserted, so we just decided to ignore the grime and pretend that we were camping as we shared a few beers on the porch of the cabaña to celebrate A's birthday.
The next morning, we dodged dogs, donkeys, and children on our way out of Hierve el Agua and toward the Sierra Norte. We arrived in Cuajilmoloyas, a Zapotec village of about 1,000 people around midday, then set set off for a three hour "walk".
Walk, my ass. It started off nice and easy, with a stop to pet some goats, listening as our guide identified some medicinal plants.
Then our "walk" got serius. The trail got narrow, then steep, then disappeared completely. We scrambled up narrow paths to explore the coyote caves, and ultimately found ourselves on top of tall rocks overlooking the valley. Really breathtaking, and not just because I harbor a slight fear of heights. You´ll notice that I'm kind of slouching and holding on in this photo, trying to keep my center of gravity as low as possible. 
That evening was probably the highlight of the weekend for me. We went to one of the two or three "restaurants" in town, none of which actually have anything resembling a menu. You get whatever is cooking over the open flame at the other end of the room. You want a cerveza or something else to drink? No problem, they'll pop over to the store to buy it for you. I don't actually think they had a refrigerator. It felt much more like eating in someone's living room than anything else. In any case, it was delicious, and probably exactly what the nurse from the travel health clinic was warning me about.
I'm so grateful to H and A for inviting me along this past weekend. That trip outside the city was not something I would have done on my own (especially renting the car), and I'm so glad we were able to deal directly with the people of Cuajilmoloyas, rather than visit on a package tour arranged through a Oaxaca based travel agency. Most importantly, this trip gave me the confidence to show up, smile, and ask the locals for directions.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
5/22/10: Speaking of directions...
On our way to Cuajilmoloyas, we discovered that yet another road we had planned to take was mysteriously closed. We pulled over to ask directions, as we had done many times before, this time in a tiny town of just a few hundred families. H's Spanish is a bit better than mine, and between the two of us, we had been doing just fine. H asked a local man for directions in Spanish, but didn't get very far before he stopped her -- ¨You speak English?,¨he asked. ¨Yes! You speak English?¨ ¨F--- yeah, man!¨
Again, perfectly obvious, but sometimes I forget how many men and women around here have spent time living and working in the U.S.
Again, perfectly obvious, but sometimes I forget how many men and women around here have spent time living and working in the U.S.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
5/20/10: Day One in Oaxaca
I wandered aimlessly around Oaxaca today and learned a few things, most of which are perfectly obvious:
1) The default salsa here in Oaxaca is not what you get at Azteca. I'm not sure there's a word for 'mild' in Spanish.
2) No one here wears sunglasses! I tried to play it cool and keep my sunglasses in my bag for the first few hours. Then I realized how ridiculous I looked in the first place: alternately white and pink, sweating, clunky sports sandals strapped to my pink, sweaty feet. Squinting in the bright Oaxaca sun didn't actually go very far in repairing my image.
3) Cell phone sales guys really are the same everywhere you go. My Spanish has been incredibly useful so far, but I still have a long way to go to feel comfortable carrying on all types of conversations. Most of the time, though, folks in Oaxaca have been really patient with me, speaking slowly and clearly, and rephrasing bits I don't understand. Not so with surly teenage cell phone guy! I'm pretty sure I ended up with the phone I was looking for, but no thanks to Mr. Mumbly.
1) The default salsa here in Oaxaca is not what you get at Azteca. I'm not sure there's a word for 'mild' in Spanish.
2) No one here wears sunglasses! I tried to play it cool and keep my sunglasses in my bag for the first few hours. Then I realized how ridiculous I looked in the first place: alternately white and pink, sweating, clunky sports sandals strapped to my pink, sweaty feet. Squinting in the bright Oaxaca sun didn't actually go very far in repairing my image.
3) Cell phone sales guys really are the same everywhere you go. My Spanish has been incredibly useful so far, but I still have a long way to go to feel comfortable carrying on all types of conversations. Most of the time, though, folks in Oaxaca have been really patient with me, speaking slowly and clearly, and rephrasing bits I don't understand. Not so with surly teenage cell phone guy! I'm pretty sure I ended up with the phone I was looking for, but no thanks to Mr. Mumbly.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
5/19/10: Launch!
Ok, this blogger thing is new to me, and I'm having a hard time downloading my photos on to the computer at the hostel. That's a problem for me, since I really intended for this blog to be driven by photos.
So imagine there's a photo of a silly G.H.W. Bush statue right above the text. BWAHAHA, look how silly that statue is!
I did get a little bit lonely during my long layover in Houston, which was naturally concerning to me, since I was getting ready to be on my own for the next two months. Finally I realized that hanging out by myself beneath a waterfall or next to natural springs would probably be more interesting than hanging out by myself at the Houston airport. I think I'm right.
Update: silly photo!
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