Carretera 175

This past weekend I finally made it to the beach. Two of the former English teachers here (who I only got to work with for 2 weeks!) celebrated their wedding in San Agustinillo, one of the many beautiful beach towns on the Pacific Oaxacan coast.

Highway 175 connects Oaxaca City with a town called Pochutla, which is linked with all the beach towns. 175 goes right thru Miahuatlán, so I live in a great location for getting out of town. The best way to get to either Oaxaca or the coast is to take a "suburban," which is really a 15-passenger van. (The "15" part is more of a minimum than a maximum.) There are 3 companies that offer these services, so you can always be assured of transportation. Apparently there are good and not-so-good van-driver combos, it's pretty much hit or miss. It takes about 2 hrs to get to Oaxaca, and between 3 and 4 hours to get to Pochutla (depending on the driver, weather, and if there are any unplanned stops).

The drive to Oaxaca is not very far in distance, but it takes 2 hours because there are so many speed bumps (called topes, reductores, or vibradores). I believe someone told me there are 186 speed bumps in the less than 100 kilometers (so 60 miles) between Miahuatlán and Oaxaca city. And these are no ordinary speed bumps, they are the kind that will easily blow a tire, or take a chunk out of the undercarriage of your vehicle... So the vans go from full throttle to 0 in order to inch over the bumps, then speed up as much as they can before the next one. It's an interesting process. That with the curves makes it pretty impossible to sleep. At least without your head lobbing back and forth and whacking the people next to you...

The journey to the coast is around 120 kilometers (75 miles) but takes an unbelievable amount of time! Speed bumps are definitely playing a part in the 3-4 hour ride. But the main reason is that Highway 175 takes you on a crazy windy path that goes up and over the Sierra Sur. I don't know why they bothered with so many road signs warning of S curves ahead, they were repeated every mile or so... I had read warnings that this trip was not for anyone even remotely prone to motion-sickness. Which I'm not, thank goodness!

In order to get to the coast in time to enjoy most of the day on the beach, I woke up at 4am to catch the 5am van to Pochutla. I had bought my ticket the night before, which assured me a good seat (front passenger seat, where I can actually put on a seatbelt!). Everyone loaded in, and we were on our way. The first hour and a half was in darkness as we went up the mountains, with everyone attempting to sleep. But it's seriously impossible for more than 30 seconds at a time, with the speed bumps and the precarious turns and the bold passing of other vehicles...

Right when glimpses of the sun were starting to peak thru the pines, and I was getting excited for the amazing mountain views I had been promised, an old man in the row of seats behind me asked the driver if he could stop. I couldn't catch why... So after a few more hairpin turns taken at higher-than-necessary speeds, the driver found a safe place to pull over. And the little old man got out and proceeded to be sick for a long time. It was pretty gross, particularly when he got back in the van and proceeded to alternate between weird hiccup/burps, ragged breathing, and urgent requests to pull over again... I was relieved to be in the front seat, close to the window. I have to admit that I was also somewhat pleased that it wasn't the only gringa on the van to get sick. In fact, I felt quite good (besides a few times when the smells from the poor old man were less than pleasant)...

Needless to say, this trip took quite a bit longer than it should have, and I was extremely happy when we finally got close to Pochutla, with the warm sun and fresh coastal air flowing thru the van...

Despite the discomforts of this particular ride, I won't hesitate to do it again. The views going up and over the mountains really are breathtaking, and the foliage that you pass is so markedly different as you pass thru the high coniferous forests and then dip down the other side en route to the coast, with tropical flowers and beautiful birds and butterflies increasing with every mile... And of course the beach...

Thanks for all the comments!!

I was originally planning to respond to each comment that people left with a follow-up comment... But I am a bit lazy (does that surprise anyone??) and also the comments have taken on a life of their own... So I just wanted to take a few moments and a little bit of space from the blogsphere and say THANK YOU to everyone who is reading my posts.

There was about a week when I was sure it was just Mom reading my blog, but then I started getting e-mails that referred to my blog posts, and more people started leaving comments. For me it's the closest method I have for being "social," which you know I love to do... When I'm writing the posts it's almost as if I am with you guys, telling stories, talking in long run-on sentences that occasionally make sense. And when I know that you've come and visited and read about this little slice of the world that is mine right now, it makes me feel good. A little bit closer to you all, listened to, supported, and a bit more understood.

So thanks. And even thanks for those of you who are using the "Comments" section to send messages (that have nothing to do with me or Mexico) to other blog-readers... And you know who you are (Mom, Claudia!!!) : )

Die Punishment

I thought a title like that would catch some eyes!!

I have been tutoring a student who has one semester left here at UNSIS, but has finished English Level 7, which is apparently the highest level we offer. Most students enter Level 1 their first semester here (having ZERO English exposure), and then progress thru the levels, with no English their final semester. This guy was one of the few who tested out of the 1st Level. So he started with Level 2, and quickly became one of the top English students thru all the levels (despite not doing homework). He purposely failed the final for Level 6 so that he could continue studying English an extra semester. Now that he's finally finished the last official course we offer, he came to our office to see if anyone had time to help him work on conversation and writing skills. Little did he know just how much time I have!! So I've been tutoring him every day this week for an hour, and we'll continue until I start teaching classes.

He's a really smart guy, and is quite motivated. He's even doing homework for me! I gave him a writing topic the first day as homework (write a letter to a friend from another country telling them about Miahuatlán), and then we went over it the next day. He told me he wanted to write another assignment for me as homework, but he said he didn't need a topic. So today he came in with his essay titled "Die Punishment." You know, where people die as punishment for their crimes. He was very surprised to learn that this is called the death penalty, even though it's a literal translation from Spanish...

One of the joys of teaching English is the (sometimes smile-worthy) mistakes that students make, not surprising considering what a crazy language English is!!

(Like my dear friend Ruby who told me the story of working at McDonald's and ordering the "Big & Nasty" for weeks before a co-worker told her it was called the "Big & Tasty"!!)

I'm sure this is just a small slice of many more student quips in the coming months...

Guatemala Pictures (courtesy of Josie)

My camera went MIA while I was in Guatemala a few weeks ago. In all likelihood I left it on the tour bus back from Antigua, or in the restaurant bathroom where we had dinner. Luckily, Josie was taking beautiful fotos, and has shared them with me!! It was my plan to carefully pick thru the fotos, and only upload a few from each place, but it's just too difficult to decide!! So here's the address for Josie's Photobucket album:

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd99/josita76/

I hope it works!! (looks like you have to copy and paste it into a new window).

When you open it (if it works), you'll see 4 albums listed on the left:

• Antigua - the old "antigua" capital of Guatemala, you'll see fotos of colonial buildings, the remains of a cathedral destroyed by earthquakes (and some of us emerging from its underground catacombs), and other good stuff
  
• Chichi & Atitlan - Chichicastenango is a very famous market town, and is where the Popul Vuh was discovered. Lago Atitlan is an amazing site, surrounded by volcanoes. I've heard many people talk about the energy of this area, it's definitely a place that deserves much more than a few hours!! The pictures show the market, a coffee enterprise that we visited (and taste-tested!!), and lots of pictures with the lake in the background. FYI - some of the stars of the lake fotos are little parrot friends, we each got one (thanks Silvia!!)
  
• Guate - these are fotos from Guatemala City, lots of eating going on! There are some fotos from a special dinner that was at the Palacio de Cultura, to honor the participants in the 5th annual "Feria del Libro," so we got to go because Josie's dad was a presenter. It was a beautiful dinner, very fancy, and entertainment was the "official" women's marimba group of Guatemala. There were usually 6 people playing a giant marimba at a time, it was incredible to watch...
  
• Tikal - I was back in Mexico for this part of the trip. But it looks amazing, and I'll have to get there one day... (jungle and ruins, who could resist??)
  

Animal tales

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

There are some snippets about my life here that involve animals in one way or another, which I've been meaning to post. Mostly anecdotal, to help paint the picture of my experience here in Miahuatlàn... But I'm going to go ahead and get the bad (and most recent) story out of the way first.

Yesterday I arrived home to my apartment for my "lunch hour," (which is technically a break from 2-4pm, but works about to be a full hour at home when transport and waiting for buses is taken into consideration). It was sunny and warm outside, so I went straight to the door of my balcony to open the door and get some air flowing. I also wanted to check on my yoga mat, which had gotten soaked over the weekend when excessive rain caused water to come in under the balcony door into my living room. As I was repositioning the yoga mat to allow it to get the sun's rays, I suddenly saw that there was a little black bird lying in the far corner. It was definitely dead.

My first thought was, "who can I call to help me get rid of this??" But there was no Dad and no Fritz anywhere close enough to realistically call. : ) I briefly considered the punky teenage boy who lives across the hall, but immediately discarded that option (he's usually too hung over to do much of anything, anyway!) I eventually mustered up the courage/stomach to get it into a little cardboard box, which I closed and wrapped in a bunch of plastic bags, and put it in the garbage. I then proceeded to wash my hands excessively. Thankfully this morning they pick up the garbage (I bring it down to the end of the driveway), I have never been so happy for a garbage day!!

So on to happier tales...

Our apartment building has a pet, a German Shepherd named Madonna (I'm pretty sure as in the mother of Jesus, and not the world-famous pop star). She looks scary and barks a bit when people arrive, so she's a pretty good watch dog. But she's actually a big baby (as many dogs are), and loves for you to throw rocks for her to fetch. Her home base is on the landing between the 1st and 2nd floor of our building, so when I come down the stairs she is usually waiting there, with a few of her favorite rocks around her. I say "Buenos dìas, Madonna" and then she jumps up and runs out into the driveway, hoping I'll toss a rock for her to chase...This reminds me of Heidi, our German Shepherd in Florida, who would carry around a coffee mug like a doofus. They're not the smartest breed, eh?

Some of our neighbors have more interesting pets. My first few nights I heard so many strange noises, and I couldn't figure out what was making some of them. Directly next door, our neighbors have a huge stone wall, but from my balcony I can see over the top, and I was finally able to answer some of my questions. They have all sorts of fowl: chickens (including a few roosters, a sound that I know only too well!); a gaggle or so of turkeys; and some other types of (presumably edible) birds that I don't recognize. Maybe some sort of Mexican pheasants or partridges? It's impossible to describe the cacophony that results when all these birds get riled up (which usually gets Madonna and the other neighborhood dogs all excited)...

Things that are hard to get used to...

I know my last post was positive and emphasizing the ways that I am feeling comfortable and settled in... But I have to be fair and honest, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must share the following list of things that are really hard to get used to:

• The water situation - clearly this is one of the main things that all visitors to Mexico have a problem with. You certainly can't drink water from the tap, so you buy bottled water. I have a stand and dispenser for 5-gallon bottles of water, which I buy from the little store at the end of my driveway. Costs $10 pesos ($1 USD). The main issue is it's pretty heavy, and carrying it up the 2 flights of stairs is NOT fun. But the same tap water that you know is full of bacteria, this very same water is what you take showers in, what you wash dishes with, and what most people are using to wash vegetables and fruit... So there are all sorts of survival tricks you have to do to avoid ingesting the bad water. Keeping your mouth closed in the shower, letting washed dishes air dry (which apparently kills any bacteria from the water), being careful brushing your teeth, using anti-bacterial drops and clean water to wash fruits and veggies... The list goes on and on...
• Hot water - to get hot water, I have to light a flame under my water tank (using ridiculously short matches!), and once it finally catches on it takes about 30 minutes for the water to be ready. When the tank is empty (which I have no way of preparing for, it will just suddenly be gone) I have to call the gas man to have him deliver another one. I haven't had to do it yet, but I'm hoping he will bring it up the stairs to my apartment, disconnect the empty tank and connect the new one for me. So I don't blow anything up... : )
  
• Plumbing issues - you can't flush toilet paper, because the plumbing systems aren't made for this, and the paper will clog the pipes and cause major problems (this was true in Peru and Costa Rica, as well). So you put the used toilet paper in the garbage bin. Which is really hard to get used to, and pretty disgusting, particularly when you're having major stomach issues. (luckily I am over this phase, maybe that's why I'm finally ready to write about it!)
• Grocery stores - they're just totally different here in Miahuatlàn. I went to a big store in Oaxaca, and it was pretty similar to a US store. But in Miahuatlàn the stores are small, and they are mostly selling staples (rice, flour, beans, religious votive candles), and so it is particularly hard for someone who is cooking-impaired. Although, for the record, I am starting to cook some stuff, and I have some big plans...
• Insect alert - You have to constantly keep an eye open for scorpions. My former co-workers said that they've seen maybe 5 or 6 during a whole year, and usually pretty small ones. I shake out my clothes before I put them on, and definitely check my shoes. And I make sure there's nothing in my bed before I get in it! (this part is not so new, when we lived in Florida I had to be on the lookout, too). I have been thinking of this blog post for a while, kind of crafting it in my head as things occur, and this was originally going to be titled "scorpion alert." But I was surprised by a cockroach that came running out of my bathroom sink yesterday, after my weekend in Oaxaca. It scared the crap out of me! I just wasn't expecting it. I don't have the stomach or the heart to squash them anymore, so I trapped it in an empty yogurt container and closed the lid. It went out with the garbage...
• Feeling like an outsider, with good reason - I don't know if this feeling will ever totally go away. This morning as I was walking into the market, 2 little boys were pointing and laughing at me, and it was not in a nice way at all. I try to greet everyone with a smile and a "Buenos dìas," expecting the best even though I get burned about 30-50% of the time. Sometimes it feels so unjust, but I am trying to be aware of all the ways that "my people" have (mis-) treated Mexico and Mexicans, and particularly these largely indigenous groups, who have had their land stolen and their customs stifled by people with light skin for over 500 years. And here I waltz in, expecting to be welcomed with open arms... I'm trying to be more understanding of how that must feel for them, and what I must represent to some people. So I am trying to redeem myself, one person at a time.
  

Settling in

Yesterday marked a full month since I arrived in Mexico. And almost like magic, this past weekend Oaxaca started to feel like mine, or like I was a real part of Oaxaca. I've had some rough weeks, struggling with homesickness and "la turista" stomach illness, feeling lonely and alienated... But the past few days have been really great.

I got an approved day off (after only a small mountain of paperwork and 4 signatures) on Friday to go into Oaxaca city and pick up my completed FM3 work visa. This makes me officially NOT a tourist (no matter how many pictures I take!) and allows me to work legally. I navigated the immigration office sola, and then went to the US consular agent to get a document notarized. This guy is my country's representative in Oaxaca, and I am not afraid to say that he was surly (definitely NOT burly) and not at all friendly. I was rather disappointed, but I got the task done.

Friday night I went out with my friend Katharina and an assortment of other people (including some Mexican professors), for her friend's going away dinner. Saturday I met with a friend from Great Barrington (Humberto!) who was visiting his family in Oaxaca. It was SO great, and rather strange, to sit and talk with a friend from GB, in such a different environment. While I was waiting for Humberto in the zocalo, a co-worker from my University came up and introduced himself. Seeing as I am so very visible on campus (being the new gringa in town), he recognized me, and we had a nice conversation.

Later in the day my landlord picked me up for ice cream (and for me to pay the rent). At all of the ice cream places they have "helados" which are traditional ice cream made from milk, and "nieves" which are made from (hopefully purified) water. I have given up on avoiding dairy, since EVERYTHING is served with cheese inside and out here, but I'm still trying to keep it to a minimum, so I order nieves. My favorite flavors so far are pineapple, lemon, and mango... Yum!!

Then I went with Katharina and 2 of her students to a cine-cafe, where they have 2 small rooms and you can have the movie of your choice projected on a big screen while you eat... And later that night we went out dancing, which I was really needing! I got picked up by one of the professors I had met the night before, and it ended up being a large group of us dancing for hours... And did I mention the special on mojitos??

Sunday I made my way back to Miahuatlàn, and stopped in at the internet service provider that I have been trying to work out scheduling with. He said he could do it right then, so we drove to my apartment (which was great because it was POURING), and he hooked up internet in my apartment!! Right now it's not very fast, I'm going in this evening to work out a deal on fast internet. So hopefully I'll be able to Skype from home.

And this morning I woke up early to walk the 10 minutes into the center of town to buy fruits and veggies at the Monday market. Every Monday is market day, and the streets are full of vendors selling everything from fresh produce to hardware supplies and clothes. I spent about $50 pesos ($5 USD) and came home with about 8 bananas, 10 tomatoes, a bag of little potatoes, 5 avocados, 3 little zucchinis and 6 mangoes. And I think I got charged too much for the avocados. It's amazing the variety of produce that was available, I don't even know what 25% of it was.

Now I'm in my new office, moving things around and getting settled. I'd been holding off on choosing which office I wanted as mine because Friday was the last day for 4 of the teachers, and I didn't want to crowd anyone out of their space early. So this morning I came in and checked them all out at my leisure, and now I'm in my real office.

So all in all, things are feeling a bit more settled. I'm getting the hang of how to do things in this corner of the world, and slowly but surely, I'm making friends. I might just survive here after all...

Guelaguetza

Guelaguetza is a celebration of the different regions and customs of Oaxaca.  It's a very diverse state, with 17 (I think) distinct languages that are spoken, besides Spanish.  This festival is the biggest event in Oaxaca, and people come from all over to watch the performances.

Top foto shows me waiting in the crowds for the gate to open.  There were 2 sections that were free for those willing to get there very early and wait standing up for a long time...  We were those people!!  What the foto doesn't show is the creepy old lady who was using my love handles to support her full body weight (and her husband who was behind her pushing to try to get ahead in line)...  Or the guy who ended up right behind me (once I finally broke free of the little old lady, who ended up way ahead of us in line), and was definitely getting more enjoyment out of the situation than I was...  

But we made it in, and it was phenomenal!!  The auditorium is high up on a hill that overlooks the city, so it was an amazing view.  Part of the tradition is to throw out free gifts ("obsequios")  to the crowd, and many many hats were thrown out.  I resisted and resisted, but the truth is that it was REALLY sunny, and I was starting to fry.  So I gave in and wore a hat, the bottom foto  documents this historic moment.  Katharina (who I met in Great Barrington when she was studying at Simon's Rock) and her boyfriend Ruben are also in the foto.

The rest of the fotos show some of the dances...

Phone situation

I have a cell phone here in Miahuatlán. I purchased the phone along with many other items from the woman whose apartment I took over, a former teacher here at the University. It's on a Movistar (woo-hoo, look at me!!) pre-pay plan, so I add pesos to the balance when it's getting low. Luckily I finally figured out how to check the balance, so that's a plus!

I can make calls to the States, 11.5 pesos for a 20-minute block (so it's the same for 3 minutes as it is for 20). That's like $1.15 USD (I'm sticking with an exchange rate of 10 pesos = $1 USD, even though it fluctuates from day to day, that is usually pretty darn close). So it's a good rate, and worth it for me to call home. I can also send and receive text messages, but I haven't figured out how much that costs.

Here's the catch - the woman I bought the phone from said that she never successfully received calls from the US, she just made outgoing calls. Apparently when her mom tried to call the phone number, she ended up reaching someone in Burma (aka Myanmar) and it ended up being a REALLY expensive and confusing phone call!! So her advice to me was to only use it for outgoing calls, and to receive calls made from within Mexico (which I have done with no problem).

I'm going to share the number, but my warning is "use at your own risk" and don't be surprised if someone answers speaking Burmese. Dialing from the States, the number is 011.52.951.15.442.99

I am hoping to eventually have internet in my apartment, and make Skype my main phone method. I'm all set up with a Skype account and username: ericalynnmielke so I really just need the hookup in my apartment to be ready to go.

In case of an emergency (or something serious or time-sensitive, doesn't have to be for life-and-death only situations!!), the number to reach the Centro de Idiomas here at the University is:
011.52.951.57.241.00 (apparently the University has the phone numbers ending in 00 thru 06, they will all send you to the same place). You'll get an automated system in Spanish, dial our extension 206. There is only one phone in our building, the secretary Flor is the only one who answers it. She speaks very little English, but if you ask for me (keeping it simple), she will figure it out. If I'm not available, one of the other teachers should be around to be able to take a message in English. Nobody is around from 2-4 Mexico (Central) time, FYI.

Slowly but surely I am posting all the things I've been wanting to get out there!!!

Know of any good correspondence courses??

It has come to my attention that even when classes are in full-swing, the teachers in the Centro de Idiomas have plenty of down-time. We have to be here 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, but the most that anyone teaches is usually 4 or 5 hours a day. There is a certain amount of time needed for meeting with co-workers teaching the same level, to coordinate the curriculum and develop exams, etc. But there is always time to go to the cafeteria for "breakfast," and apparently plenty of time for online activities... One of the teachers has been pursing his Master´s in Applied Linguistics online, and another has been taking Spanish courses.

That´s the scenario when classes are up and running. The semester officialy begins at the beginning of October, but usually there are preparatory classes that are held in August and September, for new students to get some basic English skills, and also to determine which level they should be in (there are 7 class levels overall).

Right now, however, the Centro de Idiomas is in an unusual position. The previous Director of the department left unexpectedly, and the woman they originally hired to take her place had to decline because of health problems.

(let the record show that as of the moment I am typing this update, I am receiving e-mails from the Director of Academics saying he wants to speak with me this afternoon, I am positive that he is going to offer me the job. And I am 90% sure I am going to decline, for many many reasons. To be continued...)

So we are now without a boss, and so it appears that the prep classes have been cancelled, at least for our department. So what that means is that I have 2 months of coming to work everyday, but no actual tasks to do. At least that´s what it looks like right now.

So one of my co-workers asked me this morning if I had considered looking into correspondence courses online... I laughed, thinking she was kidding... But now I see that she was not. Now I really am thinking about some sort of course or certification that I can do online. I had been thinking about becoming a certified court interpreter-translator, maybe now´s the time...

Any other suggestions??