Today was supposed to be my first day of work here at the University (people call it "la UNSIS", pronounced "oon-sis"). Through a serious of fortunate events, I actually got put on the books starting July 18th, which was really great because it was the last day of work before 2 weeks of vacation! So I am going to be paid for the 2 weeks of traveling I just did! And it also means that this initial 6-month contract ends January 18th, and my year anniversary will be July 18th, rather than August 4th...
La UNSIS has lots of rules and regulations that all staff have to follow, and apparently it can be very cumbersome and frustrating at times. Earlier today a woman who just left the University introduced herself, and then continued to complain about all the things wrong with the system here... But the bottom line is that there has been a lot of "corruption" and abuse in other university systems in Mexico, and to counter and avoid that, la UNSIS has resorted to over-regulation. So that explains some of what I´m experiencing here...
My working hours are 9am-2pm, and 4pm-7pm. Most people leave campus during the 2 hour break, to eat lunch at their homes (I´ve found that if I eat something quick I have time for a short siesta!). The time clock system is run by fingerprint, so I scan my right index finger when I come in and when I leave. It´s IMPERATIVE that we clock in before 9am, and that we clock out not a minute before 2pm. As in there is a line of people (all staff, not just the English teachers) waiting for the time clock to click to 2.00 so that they can leave for lunch). Same deal for the last part of the day, I MUST clock in before 4pm, and clock out not a second before 7.00.
It reminds me a little bit of when I was working at Ford, my hours were SO fixed that I remember we would just be staring at the clock waiting for it to be 4pm so that we could leave... Hopefully that will be the only thing these jobs have in common!!
More description to come later...
04 August 2008
Quick Question
Here´s a question for all of you loyal blog-readers... Are the colors on the blog okay? I have been using so many different computers to update my blog, and sometimes when I log in the colors hurt my eyes a bit, whereas other times they look really dark...
Any input you have would be great! I don´t want people´s eyes to be hurting when they´re reading my blog...
Gracias
Any input you have would be great! I don´t want people´s eyes to be hurting when they´re reading my blog...
Gracias
Le Club (and other snippets from Guatemala)
My 5 days in Guatemala flew by. Of course I had known that 5 days isn´t nearly long enough to "do" a country like Guatemala, but I figured that something was better than nothing, and certainly I wasn´t going to pass up the chance to visit Josie and her parents outside of the States...
Josie´s dad was presenting a paper he wrote on Miguel Asturias (a Guatemalan writer) at the 5th Feria del Libro (a book festival for the whole country). He spoke on the first day that I was there, and the rest of that day was full of books. There were hundreds of vendors and organizations with book tents set up, I´ve never seen so many books! We also heard some other presenters talk about some really interesting books and poems, I took notes so I have some ideas for what books to read next.
We also went on some organized tours to Antigua, Chichicastenango, and Panajachel (on Lake Atitlan). These places were all amazing and deserved much more time than I was able to spend there. Overall I feel like this trip to Guatemala served as a teaser, to make sure that I go back for a longer time at some point... (ah, the travel "to do" list just continues to grow...)
So here´s the title story. Josie and I were determined to go out dancing, and we were getting thwarted left and right. I got in on Sunday, and the whole city felt like it was shut down (never mind that we were all tired from travels). We soon discovered that our hotel wasn´t really in a "going out" district, but that it had a bar and a separate "disco club" that were open Weds thru Saturday. On Wednesday night we went to the downstairs night club to participate in free dance lessons (salsa), which were supposed to be followed by just open dancing, but everyone went home directly after the classes ended.
Feeling a bit defeated, we made our way down the hallway to our room on the 10th floor. We heard loud music and looked out the window, to a bright pink neon sign advertising "Le Club." It was very encouraging, having this dance club right around the corner from our hotel! So we rallied ourselves, got all gussied up, convinced Josie´s mom that we would be careful, and we ventured out.
We made it to the door, and at the entrance a surly bouncer says that we couldn´t go in, we needed a caballero (gentleman) in order to go inside. I was very surprised and frustrated that machismo was going to keep us from finally dancing, and I asked (a bit peeved), if he seriously meant that we couldn´t go in unless we had a guy with us?! And it was repeated, that was the rule. So we started to walk away, feeling thwarted again, and that´s when we started to notice a few other details... The full marquis (underneath Le Club said "show internacional", and there were only men going in, many coming out of shiny black cars with tinted windows. On the other side of the bouncer, there was a "security guard" holding a large gun (I´m no gun expert, but it was definitely NOT something legal in the US!!)... So we made our way back to the hotel, sorry we couldn´t go out dancing, but sure that Le Club wasn´t exactly where we wanted to be dancing... (someone at the hotel confirmed that Le Club is a strip club!)
Josie´s dad was presenting a paper he wrote on Miguel Asturias (a Guatemalan writer) at the 5th Feria del Libro (a book festival for the whole country). He spoke on the first day that I was there, and the rest of that day was full of books. There were hundreds of vendors and organizations with book tents set up, I´ve never seen so many books! We also heard some other presenters talk about some really interesting books and poems, I took notes so I have some ideas for what books to read next.
We also went on some organized tours to Antigua, Chichicastenango, and Panajachel (on Lake Atitlan). These places were all amazing and deserved much more time than I was able to spend there. Overall I feel like this trip to Guatemala served as a teaser, to make sure that I go back for a longer time at some point... (ah, the travel "to do" list just continues to grow...)
So here´s the title story. Josie and I were determined to go out dancing, and we were getting thwarted left and right. I got in on Sunday, and the whole city felt like it was shut down (never mind that we were all tired from travels). We soon discovered that our hotel wasn´t really in a "going out" district, but that it had a bar and a separate "disco club" that were open Weds thru Saturday. On Wednesday night we went to the downstairs night club to participate in free dance lessons (salsa), which were supposed to be followed by just open dancing, but everyone went home directly after the classes ended.
Feeling a bit defeated, we made our way down the hallway to our room on the 10th floor. We heard loud music and looked out the window, to a bright pink neon sign advertising "Le Club." It was very encouraging, having this dance club right around the corner from our hotel! So we rallied ourselves, got all gussied up, convinced Josie´s mom that we would be careful, and we ventured out.
We made it to the door, and at the entrance a surly bouncer says that we couldn´t go in, we needed a caballero (gentleman) in order to go inside. I was very surprised and frustrated that machismo was going to keep us from finally dancing, and I asked (a bit peeved), if he seriously meant that we couldn´t go in unless we had a guy with us?! And it was repeated, that was the rule. So we started to walk away, feeling thwarted again, and that´s when we started to notice a few other details... The full marquis (underneath Le Club said "show internacional", and there were only men going in, many coming out of shiny black cars with tinted windows. On the other side of the bouncer, there was a "security guard" holding a large gun (I´m no gun expert, but it was definitely NOT something legal in the US!!)... So we made our way back to the hotel, sorry we couldn´t go out dancing, but sure that Le Club wasn´t exactly where we wanted to be dancing... (someone at the hotel confirmed that Le Club is a strip club!)
29 July 2008
From Guatemala: Quick update
I have been on the move for the past week, and keep hoping to have a long amount of time (along with the necessary internet connection and cords) to be able to upload fotos and all sorts of tales of adventure... But so far I haven´t had all the right ingredients, so rather than continue to procrastinate a massive and chronologically accurate update, I will just take the few minutes I have now to get a current update out there...
Right now I am in Guatemala City, my first time in Guatemala. The best part about this short trip (5 days total) is that I am with one of my closest college friends (Josie) and her parents here. The first 2 weeks of my journey were rough for me, because of all the adjustments (food, customs, language), homesickness and recovering from the horribly cliche "turista" stomach illness... So it is so wonderful right now to be with an old friend, and her parents that are like family to me.
I got here on Sunday, after 2 days in Mexico City, and I´ll be heading back to Mexico on Friday. It´s a short but sweet trip. So far we haven´t been doing very traditionally "touristy" things, we although we did lay out by the pool today for a couple of hours. : ) Josie`s dad presented at a "Feria del Libro" yesterday, and so we were listening to authors speak and looking at amazing quantities of books all day...We`ll be visiting Antigua and the historic center of Guatemala City in the next couple of days, so I´m sure I´ll have some good fotos to add (eventually)...
I miss you all, thanks for your patience as I struggle with my connectivity challenges.
To be continued when I´m back in Mexico...
Right now I am in Guatemala City, my first time in Guatemala. The best part about this short trip (5 days total) is that I am with one of my closest college friends (Josie) and her parents here. The first 2 weeks of my journey were rough for me, because of all the adjustments (food, customs, language), homesickness and recovering from the horribly cliche "turista" stomach illness... So it is so wonderful right now to be with an old friend, and her parents that are like family to me.
I got here on Sunday, after 2 days in Mexico City, and I´ll be heading back to Mexico on Friday. It´s a short but sweet trip. So far we haven´t been doing very traditionally "touristy" things, we although we did lay out by the pool today for a couple of hours. : ) Josie`s dad presented at a "Feria del Libro" yesterday, and so we were listening to authors speak and looking at amazing quantities of books all day...We`ll be visiting Antigua and the historic center of Guatemala City in the next couple of days, so I´m sure I´ll have some good fotos to add (eventually)...
I miss you all, thanks for your patience as I struggle with my connectivity challenges.
To be continued when I´m back in Mexico...
21 July 2008
20 July 2008
Oaxacan days...
It has been difficult to stay in contact this past week, I've had internet access but not 100% reliable, and usually I wasn't able to plug anything into the computers I was using, so I couldn't load fotos or anything...
To continue my first weekend in Oaxaca... I befriended a motley crew of fellow hostel-stayers, including a woman from Ireland and a guy from Amsterdam, and we set out to explore together. We went to the town of Tlacolula, to experience the massive market held there every Sunday. The pictures don't show how overwhelmingly huge the market was, there were 3 streets that were totally closed down to hold all the vendors, that come from all over to sell their goods.
The market sells ALL sorts of things, from hardware items to basic cooking staples to clothes. Although some tourists make it to the market, that's not the focus.
We passed a few vendors selling what we thought were special spices, but they were actually massive piles of chapulines (grasshoppers) in different sizes (see the top-right picture). And no, we did NOT eat any. I did my touristic duty back in 2001, when I ate a single chapulin (I think that's how the singular is written!!), and I don't plan on going there again.
I didn't buy anything (since I was on my way to my new home in Miahuatlan, and I couldn't fit a single additional item in my bags!!), but I was tempted, as always, by the hammocks.
Every town has their special "market day" when vendors come down from the surrounding mountains to sell their wares. Miahuatlan's is on Mondays. And you can be sure that when I come home for Christmas, gifts are likely to be the local handicrafts... (although I will attempt to take into account my sisters' carefully lists of "do's" and "don'ts", based on their experiences with gifts from prior travels!) : )
12 July 2008
First Day in Oaxaca
I have been to Oaxaca before, back in 2001. However, I was really sick when I arrived in the city of Oaxaca, so I have very little memory of it (besides stomach illness and delirious fever!)
I spent most of the day walking around. I walked to the church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, which has a pretty impressive museum attached. It has rooms that detail the history of Oaxaca, beginning with pre-history and working thru the present time. The highlight for me was an amazing display of artefacts from Monte Albán, the Zapotec indian site that I plan to visit soon.
There were also beautiful vistas of the city from various windows and balconies on the 2nd floor of the museum. A botanical garden directly outside of the building, then colonial buildings and bustling streets, with lush green hills serving as the backdrop on all sides. I wish that photos could accompany this description, but I had forgotten to bring my camera : (
Then I walked to the zocalo (central plaza), alive with a mix of tourists and locals. You could feel in the air that it was Friday afternoon... As I turned a corner to follow the perimeter of the square, I felt a sudden wave of remembrance in every pore of my body - I stopped and let it wash over me, reliving moments in that exact spot over 6 years ago...
Then I sat down at an outside cafe, drinking strong Oaxacan coffee and listening to musical performers alternating on my side of the zocalo (marimba, guitar, Andean flute), saying "no, gracias" every 15 seconds to women and children selling every handicraft imaginable, and wrote down these musings on a blank page torn from my Oaxaca guidebook...
So I learned 2 important lessons:
I spent most of the day walking around. I walked to the church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, which has a pretty impressive museum attached. It has rooms that detail the history of Oaxaca, beginning with pre-history and working thru the present time. The highlight for me was an amazing display of artefacts from Monte Albán, the Zapotec indian site that I plan to visit soon.
There were also beautiful vistas of the city from various windows and balconies on the 2nd floor of the museum. A botanical garden directly outside of the building, then colonial buildings and bustling streets, with lush green hills serving as the backdrop on all sides. I wish that photos could accompany this description, but I had forgotten to bring my camera : (
Then I walked to the zocalo (central plaza), alive with a mix of tourists and locals. You could feel in the air that it was Friday afternoon... As I turned a corner to follow the perimeter of the square, I felt a sudden wave of remembrance in every pore of my body - I stopped and let it wash over me, reliving moments in that exact spot over 6 years ago...
Then I sat down at an outside cafe, drinking strong Oaxacan coffee and listening to musical performers alternating on my side of the zocalo (marimba, guitar, Andean flute), saying "no, gracias" every 15 seconds to women and children selling every handicraft imaginable, and wrote down these musings on a blank page torn from my Oaxaca guidebook...
So I learned 2 important lessons:
- Bring a journal at all times!
- Bring my camera!!
Arriving in Mexico
I'm finally here! After so many months of planning, it's somewhat surreal to be here in Oaxaca...
My journey took quite a bit longer than expected, which is crazy because it was already supposed to take me an entire day, with 3 separate flights (Hartford to Atlanta to Mexico City to Oaxaca). My flight from Atlanta left so late that I knew in advance that I was going to miss my flight to Oaxaca, and that I would have to spend the night in Mexico City. It was an unpleasant surprise, because I knew I would have to take all of my luggage with me (and I have quite a bit!). I was trying hard not to be discouraged, telling myself that there must be a silver lining (as cheesy as that is).
Flying into Mexico City at night was an experience I will never forget, and I would have missed it if my flight had arrived earlier. The vastness of the city was breathtaking, I was amazed by the lights that spread without limits in every direction. There was a palpable sense of life and energy... In the daytime the pollution and overcrowdedness are the visible characteristics, and I was happy to have this experience.
I also met a woman from Oaxaca that was in the same situation (Olivia), and we shared a hotel room. It was nice to have a partner in dealing with this travel glitch (and all my bags!), and I also received great advice about Oaxaca and Miahuatlan. Olivia lives in Guadalajara with her husband and 2 young children, but her mom still lives in Oaxaca, and apparently loves to have guests. When we finally arrived in Oaxaca, Olivia and her mother drove me to my hostel, after making me promise that I would call them if I need anything, and giving me an open invite to family dinners on any Sunday. So I made 2 great contacts, and I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.
So that was my arrival to Oaxaca...
My journey took quite a bit longer than expected, which is crazy because it was already supposed to take me an entire day, with 3 separate flights (Hartford to Atlanta to Mexico City to Oaxaca). My flight from Atlanta left so late that I knew in advance that I was going to miss my flight to Oaxaca, and that I would have to spend the night in Mexico City. It was an unpleasant surprise, because I knew I would have to take all of my luggage with me (and I have quite a bit!). I was trying hard not to be discouraged, telling myself that there must be a silver lining (as cheesy as that is).
Flying into Mexico City at night was an experience I will never forget, and I would have missed it if my flight had arrived earlier. The vastness of the city was breathtaking, I was amazed by the lights that spread without limits in every direction. There was a palpable sense of life and energy... In the daytime the pollution and overcrowdedness are the visible characteristics, and I was happy to have this experience.
I also met a woman from Oaxaca that was in the same situation (Olivia), and we shared a hotel room. It was nice to have a partner in dealing with this travel glitch (and all my bags!), and I also received great advice about Oaxaca and Miahuatlan. Olivia lives in Guadalajara with her husband and 2 young children, but her mom still lives in Oaxaca, and apparently loves to have guests. When we finally arrived in Oaxaca, Olivia and her mother drove me to my hostel, after making me promise that I would call them if I need anything, and giving me an open invite to family dinners on any Sunday. So I made 2 great contacts, and I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.
So that was my arrival to Oaxaca...
22 June 2008
Addresses
A few weeks ago I asked my contact at the University about receiving mail. I was wondering if it was more reliable to use the University address or my apartment address. In response I received a Word document with way more options and info than I had anticipated, but here's the summary...
Best mailing address to use:
Erica Mielke
Universidad de la Sierra Sur (Centro de Idiomas)
Calle Cielo No. 7
Col. Lomas del Creston
Oaxaca CP 68040
MEXICO
Letters take between 1.5 weeks and 2 months to arrive! On the off chance that anyone is planning to send a package, it's a good idea to track the package, but DON'T use registered mail. Apparently anything that requires a signature will be held in a post office that's really hard to access...
My physical address in Miahuatlán:
416 Benito Juarez Apt 5
Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz
Oaxaca, CP 70800
Once I get settled in I am planning to have a cell phone, but I'm not sure about international calling yet. You can expect a future post with phone info...
Best mailing address to use:
Erica Mielke
Universidad de la Sierra Sur (Centro de Idiomas)
Calle Cielo No. 7
Col. Lomas del Creston
Oaxaca CP 68040
MEXICO
Letters take between 1.5 weeks and 2 months to arrive! On the off chance that anyone is planning to send a package, it's a good idea to track the package, but DON'T use registered mail. Apparently anything that requires a signature will be held in a post office that's really hard to access...
My physical address in Miahuatlán:
416 Benito Juarez Apt 5
Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz
Oaxaca, CP 70800
Once I get settled in I am planning to have a cell phone, but I'm not sure about international calling yet. You can expect a future post with phone info...
Transitions
It's been almost a month since my last post, and that month has seen a lot of preparation for my departure, which is now less than 3 weeks away. I've been on my "farewell" aka "hasta luego" tour, including a weekend in Chicago/South Bend for my 10-year college reunion, and a way-too-short weekend in Oregon to visit my cousin Claire.
One really difficult part of all of this prep for leaving is having to say goodbye so many times. The first time it really hit me how much I was leaving behind was the Recognition Night at the evening ESOL program that I work in. The depth of gratitude and sadness that students and coworkers expressed was very touching, although it didn't fully sink in until I was driving home after it ended. It was exactly one month before my departure date, and it hit me hard how much I would be missed, and what I would be saying goodbye to. I cried for a long time, and it was a really tough night for me, but I think it was necessary and kind of cleansing. It's like I got it out of my system on that night, and while the days since have definitely been emotional for me, I haven't felt that level of sadness.
I keep reminding myself of the transitions I have survived in the past, particularly when I moved to Spain in 2002. I had been there for about 3 weeks, long enough for the novelty to have worn off, but I hadn't really settled in or made friends yet. I felt really lonely and started wondering why I had made the move in the first place. Then I received an e-mail from an old friend (thanks Mandi!), asking me if I had reached the point where I'm wondering why I made the move... And I realized with relief that it was a natural part of transitioning, that it wasn't a sign I had made a huge mistake...
I've also been having discussions with another wise friend about transitions, and this Hall & Oates fan reminded me that the month before and after a major change occurs is always a time of intense transition, with all sorts of challenges. And this makes total sense to me, so I'm trying to be strong for this stage of things, and be prepared for what may be challenging weeks once I get to Mexico.
One exciting development is that I made plans for a short trip to Guatemala at the end of July, right before I start officially working. I will be meeting up with one of my very best college friends (yay Josie!) and her parents, and I already know what a wonderful feeling it will be to see familiar faces in such an unlikely place. Also, one of the travel goals that I had set for this coming year included visiting Guatemala, so now I'll be able to check that off my list! Another day, another passport stamp... : )
One really difficult part of all of this prep for leaving is having to say goodbye so many times. The first time it really hit me how much I was leaving behind was the Recognition Night at the evening ESOL program that I work in. The depth of gratitude and sadness that students and coworkers expressed was very touching, although it didn't fully sink in until I was driving home after it ended. It was exactly one month before my departure date, and it hit me hard how much I would be missed, and what I would be saying goodbye to. I cried for a long time, and it was a really tough night for me, but I think it was necessary and kind of cleansing. It's like I got it out of my system on that night, and while the days since have definitely been emotional for me, I haven't felt that level of sadness.
I keep reminding myself of the transitions I have survived in the past, particularly when I moved to Spain in 2002. I had been there for about 3 weeks, long enough for the novelty to have worn off, but I hadn't really settled in or made friends yet. I felt really lonely and started wondering why I had made the move in the first place. Then I received an e-mail from an old friend (thanks Mandi!), asking me if I had reached the point where I'm wondering why I made the move... And I realized with relief that it was a natural part of transitioning, that it wasn't a sign I had made a huge mistake...
I've also been having discussions with another wise friend about transitions, and this Hall & Oates fan reminded me that the month before and after a major change occurs is always a time of intense transition, with all sorts of challenges. And this makes total sense to me, so I'm trying to be strong for this stage of things, and be prepared for what may be challenging weeks once I get to Mexico.
One exciting development is that I made plans for a short trip to Guatemala at the end of July, right before I start officially working. I will be meeting up with one of my very best college friends (yay Josie!) and her parents, and I already know what a wonderful feeling it will be to see familiar faces in such an unlikely place. Also, one of the travel goals that I had set for this coming year included visiting Guatemala, so now I'll be able to check that off my list! Another day, another passport stamp... : )
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