here are some fotos from the last few weeks (which have been amazing, minus the whole shennanigan below).
be back in the states 2 weeks from today! crazy...
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
"the great escape" or "trapped in the office (part 1)" or "how to catch a white girl in your backyard"
note: the following story is true and happened to me yesterday.
it had actually been a pretty good day. i had a lot of things to get done, and i was relatively productive in getting them done. and my friends dany and lalo, who normally have to go work in the community, needed to do office work as well. so, i even had company during the day. my boss was out of town for a couple days, so i was excited to make good progress on some projects to show her when she returned.
in the afternoon, as everyone was starting to pack up and head out, i decided to finish a little early and head to the back of the house (the office where i work is in the house where i live), where there’s a little gym, to run on the treadmill. it’s the time of day when i get to expend all the energy that’s built up by sitting in front of the computer for 8ish hours, and i tend to look forward to it quite a bit.
after a good workout, i started to head in, through the backyard towards the house, planning to take a quick shower before getting a cup of coffee with a friend. but, as i walked back through the outdoor patio, i realized that door to the laundry room, the door i would enter, the door with a deadbolt on the other side, was closed.
shit.
seriously, shit. whoever was still in the office when i went back to the gym didn’t realize i was there and closed and locked the door.
well, one of the offices has a door to the back patio, so maybe that would be open. but alas, it wasn’t. deadbolted as well.
shit.
this couldn’t really be happening, right? everyone was definitely gone by this point. my boss (and the owner of the house) wouldn’t be back until the following day. i was in the backyard, in my gym clothes, with the two dogs. no phone. no people nearby. and even if i could somehow yell to someone to help, i would need to get someone with a key to open the front door of the house to come in and let me out. and then the clouds starting to form for the afternoon rain. shit.
the door to the back office was at least somewhat cracked, even though it had a deadbolt. there had to be some way to get it open. i was never in girl scouts, but i’ve seen a lot of movies. i figured i had to figure out a way to get open. plus, i mean…i am a grad student afterall…
i found this big knife/tool thing in the back yard and began scraping it against the deadbolt and amazingly enough it moved! after a few minutes of scraping and prying, i got it open! i couldn’t believe it. for a while there, i honestly thought i would just have to sleep in the backyard for the night. but no. my exact thoughts were, “i totally just ‘man vs wild’-ed that shit!” i was really impressed with myself.
so i entered the office, laughing at the almost-catastrophe, and walked through until i reached the other door. the OTHER damn door that only opens from the inside. you’ve got to be kidding me. and this one, an older, wooden door, has this weird-ass metal lock on the outside that involves twisting this spiral piece through another piece, etc, etc. ridiculous.
but, i got the first lock, right? so i figured i could get the other one without having to tell anyone i was trapped in my own house. plus, i had at least reached a place with shelter, a bathroom, and water, not to mention a phone and computers.
at first, i thought maybe i could just knock it loose, but after a couple strong shoulders to the door, i heard a few cracks and realized that that was probably the worst idea. but, above the door was open, with a row of wooden poles. i figured that if i could just find something with a reflection to see it and some type of pole, i might be able to get it. i went into the back closet and found a broom, from which i untwisted the pole, and a spatula. damn straight.
but, after about 10 minutes and one terrifying second where i thought my arm was stuck, i realized that wasn’t going to work. (i was increasingly impressed throughout the whole ordeal to learn how many Spanish curse words i’ve picked up, though…)
but i was in an office! i had a phone, computers, etc. this couldn’t be that difficult, i would just have to swallow my pride and let someone know what happened. but i quickly realized that i didn’t know anyone’s numbers. they were all in my cell phone, in my room, about 50 feet away. computer. in the first, no internet. good lord, you’ve got to be kidding me. the second worked and i immediately signed on to email and facebook (thank you mark zuckerburg!) after a quick email to my brother jake explaining why i couldn’t currently talk to him on skype (which, i found out later, he told my nephew oliver that “aunt kait is trapped in a room in her house,” and he promptly began to cry. we had to skype today so he could see i was okay), i signed on to facebook and sent a message to my 4 best friends who live in this city to ask for help. “ayudame—en serio, or ‘help me, seriously” was the subject line. i sent a few emails, again realizing that i had to reach one of about 3 people that have a key to the house, while trying to tell as few people as possible what was going on. and then, with no phone numbers and no responses, i started imagining how funny it was going to be when the people showed up for work in the morning and i was balled up under their desks sleeping on the floor.
but, i hadn’t yet given up. i went back in to the really full storage closet of stuff and looked for other things to try to work on the lock. i taped a pen to the pole for more precision. i taped the spatula to another pole. i took a long, heavy mirror from the back of a cabinet and prayed that i didn’t drop on the other side of the door. but after at least another hour trying to open and randomly checking the computer, making it about 2 hours in total now, i officially gave up on the door. i wasn’t going to be able to “man vs wild” that shit. so, i went back to facebook.
and praise the lord, my best friend here, Dany, answered my facebook message.
dany: “katy, que te pasa???? hablas en serio? o es chiste?”—“kait, what’s going on? are you serious? or is this a joke?”
me: “i know you would think it’s a joke, but i’m serious. please please please help me.”
dany: “ok, how do i get in to the house?”
me: “well…that’s the thing. we have to find someone with a key. or else you can’t get into the house.”
dany: “okay, what are their phone numbers?”
me: “well, that’s the other thing. i don’t have any of them.”
suddenly, my other friend who lives at the same place came on:
lalo: “kait, it’s lalo. i don’t believe you. you’re joking.”
me: “lalo, i’m going to kill you. i’m not joking. you have to figure out how to get me out of here.”
after another 30 minutes of them calling anyone they could think of to get the numbers of more people to call to find someone with a key, ensuring that everyone in the state found out what was happening (except my boss, of course, because she refuses to use a cell phone), they got the address of someone nearby who would have the number of my boss’s brother, who has a key.
dany: “we’re heading out right now for the house. we’ll call you in the office to update you. i’ll leave facebook on in case you need anything. do you think you’ll make it?”
me: “at least i have water…but hurry.”
as it was coming close to 830, making it about 3 hours in the damn room, the phone rang. dany told me that they got a hold of the brother and he would be there as soon as he could, in about an hour.
so, after disassembling and putting away my various tools, i sat in the office, talked on facebook, and watched ‘daily show’ clips while i waited--just like the pioneers probably did when they were trapped in the wilderness…
about 40 minutes later, he showed up, and freed me.
mmm…i breathed in deep and kissed the ground. like a new lease on life…
and then my boss’s brother explained that when i go out the first door, that i originally went out for the gym, i have to put out the deadbolt because otherwise the wind will blow it shut like that.
you’ve got to be shitting me. the only thing that made me feel a little bit less like an idiot was the thought that someone unintentionally locked me out. but no. the wind closed the door that i had left open.
as i was about to get into the shower, (i was filthy from digging through the storage closets), dany and lalo ran up to the house.
“no! he already let you out!? we wanted to take pictures of us coming in to save you!!!”
“shut up.” i said. “but thank you so much. i would have been completely screwed without you two.”
and thus, i am officially the ‘gringa that got locked in the back of the house.’ today, around the office, the maid and one of the other employees mentioned a couple other times that it had happened to various people in the past couple years, but i’m not sure if it was true or they were just trying to make me feel better.
the next time i hear someone say, “ay, katy” (as in, “ay ay ay” and “kah-tee” because they can’t say kait), with a mixture of pity, annoyance, and laughter, i’m going to go crazy.
it had actually been a pretty good day. i had a lot of things to get done, and i was relatively productive in getting them done. and my friends dany and lalo, who normally have to go work in the community, needed to do office work as well. so, i even had company during the day. my boss was out of town for a couple days, so i was excited to make good progress on some projects to show her when she returned.
in the afternoon, as everyone was starting to pack up and head out, i decided to finish a little early and head to the back of the house (the office where i work is in the house where i live), where there’s a little gym, to run on the treadmill. it’s the time of day when i get to expend all the energy that’s built up by sitting in front of the computer for 8ish hours, and i tend to look forward to it quite a bit.
after a good workout, i started to head in, through the backyard towards the house, planning to take a quick shower before getting a cup of coffee with a friend. but, as i walked back through the outdoor patio, i realized that door to the laundry room, the door i would enter, the door with a deadbolt on the other side, was closed.
shit.
seriously, shit. whoever was still in the office when i went back to the gym didn’t realize i was there and closed and locked the door.
well, one of the offices has a door to the back patio, so maybe that would be open. but alas, it wasn’t. deadbolted as well.
shit.
this couldn’t really be happening, right? everyone was definitely gone by this point. my boss (and the owner of the house) wouldn’t be back until the following day. i was in the backyard, in my gym clothes, with the two dogs. no phone. no people nearby. and even if i could somehow yell to someone to help, i would need to get someone with a key to open the front door of the house to come in and let me out. and then the clouds starting to form for the afternoon rain. shit.
the door to the back office was at least somewhat cracked, even though it had a deadbolt. there had to be some way to get it open. i was never in girl scouts, but i’ve seen a lot of movies. i figured i had to figure out a way to get open. plus, i mean…i am a grad student afterall…
i found this big knife/tool thing in the back yard and began scraping it against the deadbolt and amazingly enough it moved! after a few minutes of scraping and prying, i got it open! i couldn’t believe it. for a while there, i honestly thought i would just have to sleep in the backyard for the night. but no. my exact thoughts were, “i totally just ‘man vs wild’-ed that shit!” i was really impressed with myself.
so i entered the office, laughing at the almost-catastrophe, and walked through until i reached the other door. the OTHER damn door that only opens from the inside. you’ve got to be kidding me. and this one, an older, wooden door, has this weird-ass metal lock on the outside that involves twisting this spiral piece through another piece, etc, etc. ridiculous.
but, i got the first lock, right? so i figured i could get the other one without having to tell anyone i was trapped in my own house. plus, i had at least reached a place with shelter, a bathroom, and water, not to mention a phone and computers.
at first, i thought maybe i could just knock it loose, but after a couple strong shoulders to the door, i heard a few cracks and realized that that was probably the worst idea. but, above the door was open, with a row of wooden poles. i figured that if i could just find something with a reflection to see it and some type of pole, i might be able to get it. i went into the back closet and found a broom, from which i untwisted the pole, and a spatula. damn straight.
but, after about 10 minutes and one terrifying second where i thought my arm was stuck, i realized that wasn’t going to work. (i was increasingly impressed throughout the whole ordeal to learn how many Spanish curse words i’ve picked up, though…)
but i was in an office! i had a phone, computers, etc. this couldn’t be that difficult, i would just have to swallow my pride and let someone know what happened. but i quickly realized that i didn’t know anyone’s numbers. they were all in my cell phone, in my room, about 50 feet away. computer. in the first, no internet. good lord, you’ve got to be kidding me. the second worked and i immediately signed on to email and facebook (thank you mark zuckerburg!) after a quick email to my brother jake explaining why i couldn’t currently talk to him on skype (which, i found out later, he told my nephew oliver that “aunt kait is trapped in a room in her house,” and he promptly began to cry. we had to skype today so he could see i was okay), i signed on to facebook and sent a message to my 4 best friends who live in this city to ask for help. “ayudame—en serio, or ‘help me, seriously” was the subject line. i sent a few emails, again realizing that i had to reach one of about 3 people that have a key to the house, while trying to tell as few people as possible what was going on. and then, with no phone numbers and no responses, i started imagining how funny it was going to be when the people showed up for work in the morning and i was balled up under their desks sleeping on the floor.
but, i hadn’t yet given up. i went back in to the really full storage closet of stuff and looked for other things to try to work on the lock. i taped a pen to the pole for more precision. i taped the spatula to another pole. i took a long, heavy mirror from the back of a cabinet and prayed that i didn’t drop on the other side of the door. but after at least another hour trying to open and randomly checking the computer, making it about 2 hours in total now, i officially gave up on the door. i wasn’t going to be able to “man vs wild” that shit. so, i went back to facebook.
and praise the lord, my best friend here, Dany, answered my facebook message.
dany: “katy, que te pasa???? hablas en serio? o es chiste?”—“kait, what’s going on? are you serious? or is this a joke?”
me: “i know you would think it’s a joke, but i’m serious. please please please help me.”
dany: “ok, how do i get in to the house?”
me: “well…that’s the thing. we have to find someone with a key. or else you can’t get into the house.”
dany: “okay, what are their phone numbers?”
me: “well, that’s the other thing. i don’t have any of them.”
suddenly, my other friend who lives at the same place came on:
lalo: “kait, it’s lalo. i don’t believe you. you’re joking.”
me: “lalo, i’m going to kill you. i’m not joking. you have to figure out how to get me out of here.”
after another 30 minutes of them calling anyone they could think of to get the numbers of more people to call to find someone with a key, ensuring that everyone in the state found out what was happening (except my boss, of course, because she refuses to use a cell phone), they got the address of someone nearby who would have the number of my boss’s brother, who has a key.
dany: “we’re heading out right now for the house. we’ll call you in the office to update you. i’ll leave facebook on in case you need anything. do you think you’ll make it?”
me: “at least i have water…but hurry.”
as it was coming close to 830, making it about 3 hours in the damn room, the phone rang. dany told me that they got a hold of the brother and he would be there as soon as he could, in about an hour.
so, after disassembling and putting away my various tools, i sat in the office, talked on facebook, and watched ‘daily show’ clips while i waited--just like the pioneers probably did when they were trapped in the wilderness…
about 40 minutes later, he showed up, and freed me.
mmm…i breathed in deep and kissed the ground. like a new lease on life…
and then my boss’s brother explained that when i go out the first door, that i originally went out for the gym, i have to put out the deadbolt because otherwise the wind will blow it shut like that.
you’ve got to be shitting me. the only thing that made me feel a little bit less like an idiot was the thought that someone unintentionally locked me out. but no. the wind closed the door that i had left open.
as i was about to get into the shower, (i was filthy from digging through the storage closets), dany and lalo ran up to the house.
“no! he already let you out!? we wanted to take pictures of us coming in to save you!!!”
“shut up.” i said. “but thank you so much. i would have been completely screwed without you two.”
and thus, i am officially the ‘gringa that got locked in the back of the house.’ today, around the office, the maid and one of the other employees mentioned a couple other times that it had happened to various people in the past couple years, but i’m not sure if it was true or they were just trying to make me feel better.
the next time i hear someone say, “ay, katy” (as in, “ay ay ay” and “kah-tee” because they can’t say kait), with a mixture of pity, annoyance, and laughter, i’m going to go crazy.
Monday, July 20, 2009
estas en tu casa
this phrase, which means "you're in your home" is one i have seriously heard so many times while traveling. as in, when we visit people and/or stay the night in their homes, and they're saying, 'make yourself at home.' and usually, the visit ends with them saying, 'tienes tu casa' or 'you have your home', as in, if you ever come back to this area, you are welcome to stay here.
i mention this because i am continually reminded of the incredible hospitality that i have experienced in latin america. it really is unlike anything i've ever experienced in the states. for instance, this weekend, when i went to guadalajara with some friends (which was fantastic, more pictures and stories to follow), we stayed with the friend of a friend and her brother. but also, her parents were visiting. so, the first night, there were 8 of us in their tiny 2 bedroom apartment. the parents slept in one full-size bed, the brother and sister slept on the futon in the living room, and the rest of us slept a couple of twin beds in the other bedroom. when we woke up in the morning (pretty late, i'll admit) the mom cooked us all eggs for breakfast, with fresh vegetables, even when we insisted that she didn't. and she doesn't even live there, nor know us! and as we left, they assured us that we were welcome any time, and it really is sincere. to the point that if i went by myself or with other friends, i would feel comfortable calling them up.
also, last week we had dinner with one of the board members of the foundation whom i've met a couple times. it was a really great dinner in her amazing house--overlooking the whole city. and she assured that i was welcome anytime i wanted to stop in and INSISTED that i bring my dad there when he comes to visit in a few weeks--which we will totally do.
and one final example that is always the best for me of 'latin american hospitality' is when i was traveling in chile. we stayed with my host dad's brother and his family for a couple nights, and the entire family of 4 slept in the parents' tiny bedroom so that we 4 girls could have the sons' rooms to sleep in. and they of course fed us and drove us around. and again, i feel like if i'm ever back in that city, i wouldn't hesitate to call them.
this is something i think a lot about and really want to bring back to my life in the states. because, really, it's not just about being willing to let people stay in your home, to crash on your couch. people here willingly sacrifice quite a lot for their guests, often times people they don't even know! in fact, i have never been offered a couch, always the bed. and like i've mentioned before, anytime we go to any of the small, poor communities where we work, we are ALWAYS offered food. and NEVER rushed out the door. which, is probably the thing i'll most have trouble with in the states. even if i welcome people in unexpectedly, i'm always looking at the clock, waiting to get back to my day and all the things i had planned.
just one of the many things i'm learning and hoping to take back with me.
i mention this because i am continually reminded of the incredible hospitality that i have experienced in latin america. it really is unlike anything i've ever experienced in the states. for instance, this weekend, when i went to guadalajara with some friends (which was fantastic, more pictures and stories to follow), we stayed with the friend of a friend and her brother. but also, her parents were visiting. so, the first night, there were 8 of us in their tiny 2 bedroom apartment. the parents slept in one full-size bed, the brother and sister slept on the futon in the living room, and the rest of us slept a couple of twin beds in the other bedroom. when we woke up in the morning (pretty late, i'll admit) the mom cooked us all eggs for breakfast, with fresh vegetables, even when we insisted that she didn't. and she doesn't even live there, nor know us! and as we left, they assured us that we were welcome any time, and it really is sincere. to the point that if i went by myself or with other friends, i would feel comfortable calling them up.
also, last week we had dinner with one of the board members of the foundation whom i've met a couple times. it was a really great dinner in her amazing house--overlooking the whole city. and she assured that i was welcome anytime i wanted to stop in and INSISTED that i bring my dad there when he comes to visit in a few weeks--which we will totally do.
and one final example that is always the best for me of 'latin american hospitality' is when i was traveling in chile. we stayed with my host dad's brother and his family for a couple nights, and the entire family of 4 slept in the parents' tiny bedroom so that we 4 girls could have the sons' rooms to sleep in. and they of course fed us and drove us around. and again, i feel like if i'm ever back in that city, i wouldn't hesitate to call them.
this is something i think a lot about and really want to bring back to my life in the states. because, really, it's not just about being willing to let people stay in your home, to crash on your couch. people here willingly sacrifice quite a lot for their guests, often times people they don't even know! in fact, i have never been offered a couch, always the bed. and like i've mentioned before, anytime we go to any of the small, poor communities where we work, we are ALWAYS offered food. and NEVER rushed out the door. which, is probably the thing i'll most have trouble with in the states. even if i welcome people in unexpectedly, i'm always looking at the clock, waiting to get back to my day and all the things i had planned.
just one of the many things i'm learning and hoping to take back with me.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
my soundtrack
since i'm at a computer for a large part of most days, and not necessarily always with things to do, i try to be productive with my time. i've been writing a lot more. but also, i've been searching for and listening to a lot of new music. so, i thought i'd share with you all the music i've been learning and loving and living during my time here this summer. most of it's not in english. but, who actually knows the words to the music they listen to? so don't write it off just because it's in a different language.
1. ximena sarinana--album "mediocre"
this album came out last year, and i'd heard her before coming here (in fact, one of her songs is my favorite to play/sing on guitar, called 'las huellas'). she has a really unique, jazzy, soulful voice. this album is a kind of satirical criticism of a "woman's role" of mediocrity.
sample: mediocre
2. 'dark was the night' by various
this is a compilation album put together by 2 brothers from the band 'the national', one of my favorites. they have their own label and for this, they also worked with an organization that does aids relief work. it's a double album, 31 songs, half of which was their attempt at capturing some of the best blues today. the other half (it's all kind of mixed, actually) is their attempt at capturing the best independent music today. it has all the highlights. you can hear each song on youtube, but here are a couple links to my favorites. of course i have to put the sufjan on there, because he is my favorite artist.
sample: 'train song' by feist and ben gibbard
'you are the blood' by sufjan stevens
3. 'youth novels' by lykke li
this is a great, unique album. she has a very unique sound, with a mix of electronic and hip hop beats, with her light, young voice on top. some songs lyrically emotional, others just fun to dance to.
sample: 'little bit'
4. 'vid og vid' by olof arnalds
i know. it's crazy. this is an icelandic artist that i actually learned about by listening to an npr podcast with bjork, another icelandic artist. she mentioned arnalds as one of her favorite new artists and they played one of her songs and i really loved it. she has almost a similar voice to bjork (maybe it's the crazy language too) but much more of a folksy sound. it's been very peaceful for me the last month or so.
sample: 'i nyju husi'
5. 'the spirit of apollo' by N.A.S.A.
nasa stands for 'north america south america' and they aim to capture the best sounds of both continents on this debut album. and i can't say i know the best sounds on both continents, but they definitely have a great mix. with a stellar list of cameos--david byrne, chuck d, method man, rza, krs-one, karen o from the yeah yeah yeas, odb, tom waits(!), kanye west, santogold, lykke li, george clinton, mia, the cool kids, etc. the first song below is one of my favorites from the album--talks a lot about the history of hip hop. the second is probably the most famous from the album, with kanye, santogold, and lykke li, all faves of mine.
samples: 'hip hop'
'gifted'
6. 'hu hu hu' by natalia lafourcade
this is another brand new one that i just got a few days ago, and just came out about a month ago. i reallllly love it. i actually started listening to her in high school, thanks to my amazing spanish teacher, barb lipnick. she has a very similar style to ximena, very similar to what i like to play/sing/write. in fact, i thought they were the same people for a while...it's a really great album that i'm still discovering, and listening to constantly.
sample: 'hu hu hu'
ok. i could go on, i'm sure. but for now, those are the highlights. i hope you enjoy them and give them a chance! they might just change your life...
1. ximena sarinana--album "mediocre"
this album came out last year, and i'd heard her before coming here (in fact, one of her songs is my favorite to play/sing on guitar, called 'las huellas'). she has a really unique, jazzy, soulful voice. this album is a kind of satirical criticism of a "woman's role" of mediocrity.
sample: mediocre
2. 'dark was the night' by various
this is a compilation album put together by 2 brothers from the band 'the national', one of my favorites. they have their own label and for this, they also worked with an organization that does aids relief work. it's a double album, 31 songs, half of which was their attempt at capturing some of the best blues today. the other half (it's all kind of mixed, actually) is their attempt at capturing the best independent music today. it has all the highlights. you can hear each song on youtube, but here are a couple links to my favorites. of course i have to put the sufjan on there, because he is my favorite artist.
sample: 'train song' by feist and ben gibbard
'you are the blood' by sufjan stevens
3. 'youth novels' by lykke li
this is a great, unique album. she has a very unique sound, with a mix of electronic and hip hop beats, with her light, young voice on top. some songs lyrically emotional, others just fun to dance to.
sample: 'little bit'
4. 'vid og vid' by olof arnalds
i know. it's crazy. this is an icelandic artist that i actually learned about by listening to an npr podcast with bjork, another icelandic artist. she mentioned arnalds as one of her favorite new artists and they played one of her songs and i really loved it. she has almost a similar voice to bjork (maybe it's the crazy language too) but much more of a folksy sound. it's been very peaceful for me the last month or so.
sample: 'i nyju husi'
5. 'the spirit of apollo' by N.A.S.A.
nasa stands for 'north america south america' and they aim to capture the best sounds of both continents on this debut album. and i can't say i know the best sounds on both continents, but they definitely have a great mix. with a stellar list of cameos--david byrne, chuck d, method man, rza, krs-one, karen o from the yeah yeah yeas, odb, tom waits(!), kanye west, santogold, lykke li, george clinton, mia, the cool kids, etc. the first song below is one of my favorites from the album--talks a lot about the history of hip hop. the second is probably the most famous from the album, with kanye, santogold, and lykke li, all faves of mine.
samples: 'hip hop'
'gifted'
6. 'hu hu hu' by natalia lafourcade
this is another brand new one that i just got a few days ago, and just came out about a month ago. i reallllly love it. i actually started listening to her in high school, thanks to my amazing spanish teacher, barb lipnick. she has a very similar style to ximena, very similar to what i like to play/sing/write. in fact, i thought they were the same people for a while...it's a really great album that i'm still discovering, and listening to constantly.
sample: 'hu hu hu'
ok. i could go on, i'm sure. but for now, those are the highlights. i hope you enjoy them and give them a chance! they might just change your life...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
mexico does a blues fest and a circus
this past weekend was a GREAT one. i went, along with 4 of the Mexican students i work with and one of the other gringos to the town called Pozos that the fundacion works in for a blues festival. it was soooo much fun. the Mexican students that are living/working there in pozos are some of my favorite people too, so it was great to see them. plus, it was a blues festival. sitting there, at the festival, really filled me with a strong sense of peace and nostalgia. anyone reading this knows how much i love music, especially live. and outdoor festivals? beautiful. plus, the scenery there was incredible. the pictures show that pretty well.
here's a couple of the venue:
it did start raining after a while, which was freezing, and caused us to huddle under the 3 tents they had for about a half hour, but after it passed, we put on jackets and went back out and listened to music and danced for about 4 hours. it was really great. and the music was good as well. i mean, being from Chicago, i was somewhat skeptical. but it really was good. i mentioned to ian, the other gringo, that i kind of wished they wouldn’t sing in English at all, because that did detract a bit. my favorite? “i’m gonna bang all the pretty womens.” ha. plus, it was free and a liter of beer was about $2.50. you can't find that in chicago.
here some "pretty womens" all bundled up from the rain--
and two of my FAVORITE mexicans, dany and mario:
and then, last night, those of us in irapuato decided to go to the circus! it was pretty fun. the barley circus—the biggest in the country. they did have lots of animals, but it kind of depressed me a bit. some were clearly not happy. but, it was fun to look around at the kids faces that were watching. we weren’t supposed to take pictures, so i only have a few, but they give the general idea.
here are a couple of the circus:
this weekend is Guadalajara with my friend Daniela. i’m realllllly excited.
here's a picture of us!
here's a couple of the venue:
it did start raining after a while, which was freezing, and caused us to huddle under the 3 tents they had for about a half hour, but after it passed, we put on jackets and went back out and listened to music and danced for about 4 hours. it was really great. and the music was good as well. i mean, being from Chicago, i was somewhat skeptical. but it really was good. i mentioned to ian, the other gringo, that i kind of wished they wouldn’t sing in English at all, because that did detract a bit. my favorite? “i’m gonna bang all the pretty womens.” ha. plus, it was free and a liter of beer was about $2.50. you can't find that in chicago.
here some "pretty womens" all bundled up from the rain--
and two of my FAVORITE mexicans, dany and mario:
and then, last night, those of us in irapuato decided to go to the circus! it was pretty fun. the barley circus—the biggest in the country. they did have lots of animals, but it kind of depressed me a bit. some were clearly not happy. but, it was fun to look around at the kids faces that were watching. we weren’t supposed to take pictures, so i only have a few, but they give the general idea.
here are a couple of the circus:
this weekend is Guadalajara with my friend Daniela. i’m realllllly excited.
here's a picture of us!
Monday, July 13, 2009
mas fotos
first--some clarification--in the picture from the last post, i'm not about to hit that guy in the head with a sledgehammer. there were 4 of us hitting the same piece of copper, and he was right before me. he chose to wear the kick-ass spartan-style helmet while we "worked."
and then, here are a couple more pictures. (i think everyone that reads this is pretty much on facebook, so you've probably seen them, but just in case...)
the first is a group of my good friends here. these are all the people that live in the same city as me and work in the community called tamaula that's nearby. and the second one i just think is hilarious. it was one day that we were working in tamaula. the "mexico" version of me. jajaja.
and then, here are a couple more pictures. (i think everyone that reads this is pretty much on facebook, so you've probably seen them, but just in case...)
the first is a group of my good friends here. these are all the people that live in the same city as me and work in the community called tamaula that's nearby. and the second one i just think is hilarious. it was one day that we were working in tamaula. the "mexico" version of me. jajaja.
Friday, July 10, 2009
one more
this is me getting to hit hot copper with a sledgehammer. i love it, and couldn't resist putting it up.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
a couple pics
these are a few pictures taken by one of the other girls here. she's a photography student and she's really talented. i liked these and thought you might as well. they are all from our trip to michoacan a few weeks ago. enjoy!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
i've been doing a lot of traveling, and it's been fantastic. since i last wrote, i've traveled to guanajuato city (again), mineral de pozos (again), and mexico city.
in guanajuato city, we did a few more touristy things that we missed the first time, like going to the mummy museum, and the pipila monument. i have descriptions of both of these along with pictures here on facebook. we also hung out with some of the volunteers from mexico city, who i'm now pretty good friends with. it was a really fun weekend.
the trip to mineral de pozos was the beginning of a "tour" with a professor from the university in mexico city where the volunteers are from, who has to come see the projects they're doing. it is a FEDERAL LAW in mexico that all university students must do a semester or summer-long social service before graduating. the interesting thing is that, although i feel that the average college student in the states may be naturally more willing to do this kind of service, i can NEVER imagine it being made into a law. it really is fascinating because i've learned a lot and had a number of discussions on the problem of philanthropy in mexico (no tax-deductible laws, high levels of religiosity/giving to the church, low levels of money to feed one's family, etc), and yet they have a program like this. it's really been interesting to discuss.
and mexico city. incredible. huge. unfathomable, really. the first day we went downtown to see the zocalo (main plaza), the catedral, the templo mayor, and the immense amount of life there. it was incredible. the second day we went to the pyramids outside the city, where i got significantly sunburnt. but, i was standing on the temple of the sun, so it's only fitting right? and both nights...lots of dancing. it was really a great trip, that i'm still recovering from. pictures from that and a birthday party for one of the men in one of the communities can be found here on facebook.
the tour, starting in pozos and going through all the communities was both good and bad for me. it was good because i got to see and be in the communities with the people, which is always fantastic. it was bad because 1)it made me wish again that i was living in the communities instead of the city, so i could really know the people. and 2)it made me be aware of some of the incredibly difficult realities of the communities, like depression, alcoholism, and crazy high rates of dropout (from really shitty schools to begin with). pero, sigo aprendiendo. i keep learning.
this weekend i'm traveling briefly to a town called queretaro, then next week quickly to guadalajara, the next weekend back to pozos, and the next weekend to guadalajara to really see the city. i know, it's a rough life i lead.
thanks for checking in!
in guanajuato city, we did a few more touristy things that we missed the first time, like going to the mummy museum, and the pipila monument. i have descriptions of both of these along with pictures here on facebook. we also hung out with some of the volunteers from mexico city, who i'm now pretty good friends with. it was a really fun weekend.
the trip to mineral de pozos was the beginning of a "tour" with a professor from the university in mexico city where the volunteers are from, who has to come see the projects they're doing. it is a FEDERAL LAW in mexico that all university students must do a semester or summer-long social service before graduating. the interesting thing is that, although i feel that the average college student in the states may be naturally more willing to do this kind of service, i can NEVER imagine it being made into a law. it really is fascinating because i've learned a lot and had a number of discussions on the problem of philanthropy in mexico (no tax-deductible laws, high levels of religiosity/giving to the church, low levels of money to feed one's family, etc), and yet they have a program like this. it's really been interesting to discuss.
and mexico city. incredible. huge. unfathomable, really. the first day we went downtown to see the zocalo (main plaza), the catedral, the templo mayor, and the immense amount of life there. it was incredible. the second day we went to the pyramids outside the city, where i got significantly sunburnt. but, i was standing on the temple of the sun, so it's only fitting right? and both nights...lots of dancing. it was really a great trip, that i'm still recovering from. pictures from that and a birthday party for one of the men in one of the communities can be found here on facebook.
the tour, starting in pozos and going through all the communities was both good and bad for me. it was good because i got to see and be in the communities with the people, which is always fantastic. it was bad because 1)it made me wish again that i was living in the communities instead of the city, so i could really know the people. and 2)it made me be aware of some of the incredibly difficult realities of the communities, like depression, alcoholism, and crazy high rates of dropout (from really shitty schools to begin with). pero, sigo aprendiendo. i keep learning.
this weekend i'm traveling briefly to a town called queretaro, then next week quickly to guadalajara, the next weekend back to pozos, and the next weekend to guadalajara to really see the city. i know, it's a rough life i lead.
thanks for checking in!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)