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I was going to sleep in this morning, since we're going to the art museum today and I'm just going to walk there from the house and not go to school with Nancy. But, the mosquito(s) in my room had other plans. But I slept peacefully at least until 7 o'clock, which wasn't bad. Maybe I can kill the mosquito before tonight.
After Nancy left, I passed the morning catching up in my journal. I talked to my madre a little about the trip. The problem is that, because my vocabulary is still somehwat limited, and I'm not as comfortable talking to her as Nancy, it's hard to say a whole lot about the trip. 'Yes, I had fun. We visited ruins and churches. They were very beautiful/interesting. Everyone was tired, but we had a good time." And that's about it for the conversation.
My stomach was feeling not so good this morning. I don't know if it was the mole poblano I had on Saturday or what, but that seems likely. I'm feeling better now, but I guess my stomach isn't made of steel, after all.
At 10 am I walked the 5 or 6 blocks to the art museum, then waited a good 40 or 45 minutes before the group from the school showed up. But I didn't really mind. It wasn't like I expected them to be on time, really.
The museum used to be a convent for the adjacent church, whose name I forget, and then a hospital. It suffered some major damage in an earthquake during the 70's, I think, but part of it has been restored. There were quite a few pictures in the museum, some of them very beautiful, and the entire building itself was beautiful, too. We spent a good hour and a half in the museum, before walking back to the school (a somewhat hot walk, considering it was just a little after noon).
Today, a different professor took over the culture class from Mauricio. He didn't even have a clue she was taking it over until she walked into our class room, just before Mauricio started teaching. So we were just as surprised as he was. I don't totally understand what happened, but it seems like she's making up the exam we have to take this Thursday. This of course brings numerous questions to mind. If she was making up the exam, why wasn't she teaching from the beginning? Or why doesn't Mauricio just make up the exam? And if she was making up the exam, and Mauricio was teaching, why didn't the two of them colaborate so that we learned about subjects that were going to be covered on the exam? It all started in the museum, where one of the teachers told someone that we had to know 5 names of Mexican painters for the exam. Before I knew what had happened, Nik had a list of things we had to know...5 Mexican states, 3 important cities, 3 mountains, 3 rivers, volcanos, 3 Mexican artists, etc. I don't mind learning that stuff if that's what they think is important, but if that's what they wanted us to know, why have we been studying Mayas and Aztecs in class?! We were told that we hadn't learned about these things because we hadn't asked. But, honestly, if any one of us had raised their hand in class and asked to learn about the rivers of Mexico, we would have looked at him or her as if they had 5 heads! That's not the topic that pops into your head when you think "things I'd like to know about Mexico." We weren't interested in memorizing rivers, states and capitals, so we didn't ask. We (wrongly) assumed that we ought to ask about things that were of interest to us (like, culture, maybe, considering it was supposed to be a culture class)! Few if any of us really knew enough about Mexico, when we came, to even ask questions. And "learning about the states of Mexico" consisted of our new professor copying down their names and capitals out of an encyclopedia. I'm not against learning (memorizing) some of the names of the states, but she could have handed us a photocopy of names and capitals and we could have memorized 5 or however many she wanted. Then we could have actually talked a little more about each state, or learned about something else. I know that I'm getting credit for these classes and I didn't expect to come here and do no work at all, but it just seems like this culture class is very random and disorganized. One day Mauricio started giving us facts about Mexico (government type, etc) but we never finished that list. He told us to bring in questions and we did on one occaision. We spent several days just talking about the schedule and the plans for the weekend, trying to iron out problems, making changes to our schedules, and watching Mauricio try to make all of us happy. And someone said that this class is "cultura contemporáneo," but we've spent 1 day actually talking about contemporary culture. It's not that I'd mind talking about history, but we haven't talked about anything besides Aztecs, etc. This is the kind of information I'm most familiar with, as far as Mexico goes. I think i would have rather learned a little more about colonial times, the revolution, what happened after the revolution, or even better, what's going on politically (both internationally and within the country) today. I guess I probably should have asked some of these questions, but at the beginning of the class, I knew so little about Mexico (or about what we were going to cover in the class) that I didn't know what to ask. When I signed up for this program, I realized that I'd be taking classes, for credits, just like college courses at Juniata. I know that not all facts are interesting to everybody, but that doesn't mean they're not valuable. I don't think any of us mind learning what the professors here think is important, but we just want to know what they think is important; that there's some purpose in what we're learning, that these facts are at least somewhat organized and that what we're learning and talking about in class is indeed what we'll be tested on. I know the knowledge is important, whether or not it shows up on a test, but I think most students need that extra motivation. At the very least, they don't like to find out at the last minute that the test is on material that hasn't been covered. It doesn't help us to memorize all this information the last week and cram for the exam.
Anyway, after class I walked home with
Rebecca, which was nice because I feel bad when my sister has to wait for me.
When I got home, my sister was hungry, so the 2 of us sat down to eat. My tía
didn't come home until later, so maybe that's why we didn't eat as a family.
I felt sort of weird, waiting while my madre was still cooking and while no
one else but Nancy and Caro were eating, but it didn't seem to be a big deal.
After lunch, I got to use the computer and wrote to my mom and some friends
from home. It was really nice to use the computer(as always) and read and write
letters, even though the computer was a little slow.
This evening, at 7, I went to Calufe (the
café we visited our first day here with the tourism group) to hang out
and talk to people. And I got there all by myself! I was so proud of myself!
In reality, it wasn't a big deal, but it sort of felt like it was, to me. By
the time I walked up to the doorway of Calufe, I think I must have had a silly
grin on my face, from ear to ear. A small triumph, but an important one. So
after the adventure of finding Calufe, I got a malteada mocha (mocha milkshake)
and pastel alemám (German chocolate cake). Both were extremely delicious!
Still tired today. I don't seem to be able to catch up on sleep. No mosquitos in the room last night, but Nancy was snoring very, very loudly at 3 AM. Eventually I went back to sleep, until my abuela woke us up at 7. I got up, but Nancy told me she didn't have to go in until 10. I couldn't go back to sleep, and I decided not to take the bus in by myself, so I wrote in my journals until it was time for us to go.
When I got to school, people were talking about going to Veracruz early (Saturday) and staying in the house of a friend of Nadir until Monday, when we'd meet up with whoever came with the bus (as scheduled). It really doesn't sound extremely appealing to me. Veracruz was so hot, all I wanted to do was sit in an air-conditioned room. I can't see myself spending a whole weekend there. Besides, that would mean that I'd say good-bye to my family and to Orizaba on Friday. I feel like I really should spend my last weekend here with them, even if we don't do anything really special.
Nothing remarkable happened in Spanish class. We read newspaper articles and our jounals, reviewed new words and then learned names for virtually all the parts of the body, including some of the bones. In between Spanish class and culture class, a photographer from El Sol (a newspaper in Orizaba) came and took our pictures. He said they'd be in the paper on Thursday, and I certainlly hope so. Culture class was more of the same, except slightly more disorganized. The professor started going over the important cities in a number of the states of Mexico, then switched to important facts about states, then typical food, then back to facts, and finally food again. She kept spouting out random facts or writing names on the board and I couldn't write fast enough to keep up. I really don't think the exam will be that hard, because exams and classes in general don't seem to be as challenging at IDEA as at Juniata, and she did give us a list of facts we needed to know. I think it's just going to be a pain to study. But it'll be over soon.
So after our culture class, Erin and I sat down outside the class room and finally wrote postcards. When we were finished, we got directions to the post office and walked there from the school. The lady at the post office was very friendly and helpful and was asking us where we were from and whether we were studying here. I hope we weren't too hard to understand. Sometimes I think my pronunciation is so bad it's a wonder people don't have to ask me to repeat things. Oh, and I almost forgot an embarrassing story for the day. I was talking with Nancy and her friends, and one of them, who I don't remember meeting before, asked me how to say "braid" in English, because I had just asked him what the Spanish word was. He talked pretty rapidly and his voice was unfamiliar, so all I caught was some form of the verb, "llamar." In order not to appear stupid, I quickly jumped to the conlusion that he was asking for my name. So I told him, "me llamo Amara." At which point, everyone laughed and I felt foolish and stupid. I know they were laughing in good humor, and not trying to be mean (how many times have I laughed at one of them trying to say something in English, never meaning anything bad), but I was still embarrassed. Actually, I was having lots of problems with my Spanish skills today. I even had trouble keeping up with José Miguel and Andrés and kept getting confused. Sometimes I don't know how much my Spanish has really improved, here. Sure, I know some new words, but sometimes when I talk to my family, I'm just not sure that I've gotten any better. I'd like to think so, but then there are days like today.
After the post office, Erin and I walked down to the main street and went into a funny market where I got off the bus yesterday for Calufe, as well as a few other stores. I was pretty tired and worn out by the time Erin got on the bus and I walked the last few blocks to my house.
When I got in, Nancy, my madre, my hermanita and my tía weren't there. But my padre fixed me lunch. I felt bad, but Nancy had assured me it wasn't a problem if I got home late. The food was delicius, as usual...soup, tortitas with chicken, potatos and cheese, and the carrots and green beans wrapped in chicken that we had yesterday. My padre seems to do a lot of the cooking around here. I think he understood how bad I felt and how I didn't want to be a bother by having him heat up food for me, and he assured me it was ok. He also sat down with me when I was eating, and attempted a conversation (he asked me if I felt the earthquake we apparently had yesterday - I didn't). He must be at least as shy of me as I am of him.
Nancy came home while I was eating and said I could use the computer when her aunt had either made or received a phone call. In the meantime, I wrote in my journals, did some homework and read the US News and World Report I brought with me. Neither Nancy, nor the rest of the family speak any English, so I doubt they could read it.
Nancy took a nap, and I never did get a chance to use the computer, but it was ok. We spent a lot of time talking. She asked me what some English songs were about and I did the best I could to translate and explain the songs. I also found a map in US News and World Report of the USA and I showed Nancy where Rhode Island and Pennsylvania are. She seemed genuinely interested. Then we talked about the penal systems (código penal) here in Mexico and in the US. (Nancy is studying law at IDEA.) That was really interesting. Apparently, in Mexico, they don't have the death penalty and the maximum sentance is about 40 years. Penalties aren't cumulative. You only have to do time for the the crime that carries the highest penalty. She said there's a lot of corruption in the prisons and that many people are asking for the death penalty, for kidnappers, especially. I guess that's a pretty big problem in Mexico. I really enjoy talking to her, especially when we can find something about the US or Mexico that is different or that one or the other of us (or both) has questions about.
By the time we went to bed, Nancy wasn't feeling too well, and I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't go to school tomorrow.
Nancy wasn't feeling at all well this morning. She had a sore throat and a fever. So I got up by myself at quarter of 8, got ready, and went to school. I got to use the computer a little at school and then attended my last classes. We played Scrabble in my Spanish class, after going over some "refranes," or sayings. In culture class, we learned the last couple of facts for the exam. I hope I got everything down that I need to know, but I'm just afraid there'll be some surprise on the exam.
After classes, I walked down to the store on the corner and bought water and chips. I ate one of Erin's 5 sandwhiches that her family had packed her, and we went to an ice cream shop afterwards. Homemade pinapple and coconut ice cream is absolutely delicious!
We didn't leave for the cervecería (beer factory) quite as punctually as Mauricio wanted to, but everything seemed to work out ok. The cervecería was huge, and the guide showed us where they package the beer to be exported. I had no idea that one could buy Sol beer in the US. I'll have to get some in another 2+ years, when I turn 21, just for old times' sake.
After a tour of the factory, they took us into the bar and we got free beers (or refrescos). I tried a sip of Erin's beer (Dos X) and I think she ended up giving most of it to someone else, because she didn't like it. I guess I just haven't developed a taste for beer, even here in Mexico. The Coke was good, though. I was exhausted by the time we got back to IDEA, but Erin and I had a good talk about what we've learned in Mexico. There were lots of roses at the fábrica de cerveza, and they made me think of home. I bet they're blooming there.
Liz's sister brought me home in her car, which was nice because it was raining and I didn't really want to take the bus (and I would have had to walk a little ways through the rain, anyhow, even if I had taken the bus). I think my family had been worrying about me, at least my grandmother. I told Nancy I'd be home late because we were going to the cervecería. Maybe she never told the rest of her family. I can't remember if I told my abuela or not. Probably not. But everything seemed ok.
Everyone seemed to know that I had exams tomorrow, so it was easy to go upstairs and study. I studied for about 2 hours and I memorized all those lists of mountains, volcanos, rivers, actors, painters, singers, cities, foods, etc. It wasn't really that hard. I didn't know what to study for my Spanish class, so I just read over my journals and all of my Spanish notebook. A ton of words! Sometime after I get back I should try to organize them. I also looked over the stuff about syllables and accents. And then I was done.
I went downstairs to at least be with the family while I wrote in my journal. They gave me coffee milk with pan (which was nice, because I was a little hungry). Then I ended up sitting down with my tía while she cut out shapes to use in making little boxes (cajitas) as party favors for the students in Caro's class (it's her birthday tomorrow). While she cut out shapes, she quizzed me on what I needed to know for my culture exam tomorrow. Then she asked what the names of the family were. I knew Nancy, Caro and my tía, Betty, but no one else. The names of everyone in the family except Caro's father (Armando) were on the card they gave me, but I honestly don't know if they ever formally introduced themselves to me. I had to figure out on my own who Betty even was. The first night I met her, I thought she was my madre. I guess my grandmother's name is Rosaura, but she doesn't like it, so they call her something else, but I can't remember the name. Later, when a friend of my tía came over, she had to go upstairs, so I stayed downstairs and cut out shapes with my abuela. The whole thing was a little sad. I feel like these are the kinds of things I should have done and talked about with the family the first week or two I was here, not 5 days before I leave. I don't want to blame the family, I know I was shy, too. And I don't know how much of it had to do with me being out pretty much every evening the first week. Maybe it would be better to have students spend more time at home the first week. Although I know that would be hard. I remember how wonderful it was, that first week, when I got to see other Americans outside of school, and how alone I sometimes felt at home in my house or when I was out with only Mexican students. Maybe it's just me. I'm too shy, maybe, and not well suited for homestay. It was very hard for me to feel comfortable in their house, to communicate with them, and to let them become my surrogate family. But that's the way I am. I can't open up to people that quickly. Like my mom told me, I've always been pretty independent. It's hard to have to need other peole for the most basic things, like food, laundry and transportation. At college, I'm responsible for all those things. Anyway, at least I spent a pleasant evening with the family, even if I am opening up too late.
After I finished cutting shapes, I took a shower. When I came back downstairs, I helped Nancy fill the boxes with candy, then sat down to try to catch up on my journal, while Nancy watched Big Brother Mexico. The show's very popular here and they were kicking someone out last night. It still wasn't over at 12:15, but I had to go to bed. I was exhausted.
Exam Day, and Caro's birthday, too. I got to school around 8:30. Nancy didn't have class until 10 (and as it turned out, she didn't end up going anyway) but I wanted to use the computers. The computers weren't working very well, but I did manage to get an email sent to mom and one other friend. Then I went to watch the cars full of soccer fans driving past the school. Mexico only tied with Italy in this morning's game, but I guess it meant that they got to advance to the finals, or the next level, or something. I'd never seen the spectacle before, but it was quite interesting. Someone told me that if America wins tomorrow, they might play Mexico on the 17th. We'll be in Veracruz, then, or on our way, there. I can't wait for Monday. Mom mentioned senior trip in her email, and all I could think of was that I bet graduation at my old high school is tomorrow, and I'm going to miss it. It's not really that big of a deal, but I still would have liked to have been there. And I keep thinking that if we left the 13th, like the people here thought we were supposed to, I'd make it home in time, and I could go. Nothing I can do about it now, though.
Exams began with an oral exam for my Spanish class. I was second to last, so I had to wait while everyone else went. It wasn't bad. By the time my turn came, everyone had assured me that it wasn't hard. Gabriel just asked us a bunch of questions. What did we like about Mexico, what didn't we like, did we like our families, would we ever come back to Mexico to visit, etc. For him, it was an evaluation of the program and a way to measure our speaking skills. Then, we had our written exam. We read an article about superheros and comic book characters and we had to summarize and comment on it. It wasn't that hard, but I'm not really sure what he expected. Then we had to do some exercises with syllables and accents, and finally some dictation. Not really hard, but the whole thing took all 3 hours of class, and the other 2 groups didn't take nearly as long.
So then it was on to the culture exam. Before that, though, Mauricio told us that the trip some students were planning to the Pico de Orizaba was only going to be Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday. So I think I'll go, just because there really won't be anything else to do on Saturday, and I ought to see it while I'm here. The culture exam wasn't bad either. Just the memorized lists like she told us, and 4 or so opinion questions about what we liked and didn't like about the culture, the food and the program. I was done in maybe 15 minutes, and I talked a little bit, then walked home with Rebecca and Liz.
When I got home, I gave Caro the birthday card I got her, but she didn't seem too thrilled. She's only 4, what can I expect, but I still feel a little bad, because I don't know if a card was the wrong thing to get, if I should have gotten her something else, too, or what.
I saw the goal Mexico scored on TV just before we sat down to eat lunch. We had rice, salad, bean tomales (wrapped in corn husks) and chicken legs. It was good, but I was exhausted. I didn't have the energy to follow the dinner conversation, and after lunch, I came upstairs to write. I just wanted to sprawl out somewhere and catch up on my journal. Maybe a little anti-social, but I don't know. I was just so tired. And Nancy was asleep and everyone else was still talking at the table. I wrote for a while, and then decided it might be a good idea to start packing. After that, I did some reading and came downstairs, because I wanted to be at least a little sociable. My madre invited me to Caro's birthday party on Saturday. At first, I thought I'd stay home and not go to the Pico de Orizaba, but my madre assured me that if I wanted to go, I should, and it wouldn't be a problem if I got in an hour or so late. So tomorrow I'm going to talk to Mauricio and double check times, but I feel like I should go. I won't have a chance to see it again, let alone climb part of it. She was really nice about it, and assured me that I should go and see the Pico if I wanted to. Then she sat down and we actually talked for a while. It was very cool, but, again, I can't help but wish it had happened a little earlier. I told her aobut the university a little bit, the dorms, how everything is so close and how Erin and I are going to be roommates next year. She told me about her family that lives in California (Los Angeles). She said it's hard living so far from family, and that they call every Sunday. And she told me about another woman she knows (I can't remember if it's a relaive or not), who lives in Los Angeles and has lived in the US for more than 10 years, so she should be able to become a citizen. But no one will take care of th papers for her because she can't speak English. And she said her other relatives have to carry their passports and papers with them at all times because they're Latino and the police can stop them any time and ask to see their papers. If that was the case with us, here, it would be very unsettling. And I complain that people stare at me because I look different! I really have it so easy. Another eye-opening conversation. I just feel bad because I couldn't say much more than "sí" and "no." I understood most of what she was saying, minus a few rough spots, but I have a feeling my sentances were pretty garbled when I tried to talk. I hope I wasn't too hard to understand.
My little hermanita, Caro, gave me a kiss goodnight before she left! Ironic how I'm just starting to fit in when I have to leave. Doesn't quite make me want to stay, but it makes leaving just a little bit harder.
Today was supposed to be my day to sleep in, but I woke up before 7 and really couldn't get back to sleep. At about 7:30, I tried coming downstairs to watch at least part of the game between the US and Italy, but it wasn't on channel 10, and I didn't know where else to look. Besides, the members of my family who were still in the house were asleep, and I didn't want to wake them up. So I lay in bed for a while, trying to sleep or something, but without success. I read for a while and finally got up to take a shower. Afterwards, I wrote for a little while, then watched TV with Nancy until it was time to leave and go meet Erin. We walked into town together, went to the bank and stopped at a couple of shops. On our way to the good-bye lunch we were all having at la Casa de Recuerdos, Erin and I stopped to buy ice cream one last time at that ice cream store.
Lunch was good, although some of it was a little spicy. Probably the best part was the Mariachi band that came in. They played a bunch of songs, most of which I didn't know the words to, but our brothers and sisters did, and it was fun to watch them sing, even if I couldn't. Finally, we left, and I walked home with Rebecca and her sister, Caro. Nancy had been feeling better, but she wasn't when I got home. She even went to the hospital and got 2 shots. She's had a temperature, her throat hurts and she looks and sounds pretty awful. I feel bad for her. But she didn't have a problem with me going to Nadir's house for a party this evening. I sort of felt like I should stay at home with my family, but I did want to go see everyone one last time, so I went.
We met at the school at 6:30 (at least I and the other Americans who were going without their siblings were there at 6:30). We left the school a little after 8 and Nadir got to his house between 9 and 9:30. Noé and his car load of people didn't arrive until about 10, I think. I had a good time, but I had to be at school the next morning at 8:30, so I didn't want to stay too late (and my tía was waiting up for me to let me in). It wouldn't have been a big deal at home, but things are harder here, where I don't have a car, or a key to the house. Nancy assured me that Noé or Iván would give me a ride home, whenever I was tired or bored. But I just can't be forceful, and they do so much driving for us that I always feel bad about asking more favors. Besides, Noé was drunk when he got there at 10, and much drunker by 11 when Liz and I were looking for rides home. (She wanted to leave early, too.) It doesn't matter how good of a driver Noé may be, Liz and I weren't about to drive with him. Iván kept saying he was going home at 4 AM, and we couldn't tell if he was serious or not. So Liz and I were going to take a taxi. We couldn't flag one down, so Carmina (Nadir's very nice, very patient girlfriend) was going to send someone down to the corner with a phone card to use the pay phone. Of course, the Mexican guys were horrified (or at least surprised) that Liz and I were going to take a taxi by ourselves, and first José Miguel, then Christian informed us that they were coming with us. Just about at this point, while we were insisting that we didn't need an escort, Ernie pulled in, and it was determined that he could drive us home. I felt bad, a little, but I was very grateful. He had got to the party late, then was dancing a lot, and then drove somebody somewhere, so I don't think he was drinking at all. José Miguel still came with us, and I don't know why. I think he was going home, or something. Overall, I was glad I went, in spite of all the confusion with trying to find a ride home.
I admit that Orizaba is a city, unlike Huntingdon or the town where I grew up, and our brothers and sisters do know best about safety. But some of them seem ridiculously cautious. About 7 of us were going to walk 2 blocks to a hamburger place. Sarah's sister and another girl insisted on coming with us. José Miguel and Lalo ended up coming too, but if they hadn't, what were 2 Mexican girls going to do if the 7 of us gringas got into trouble and needed help? I know they're trying to look out for us, but it's getting a little frustrating and stifling, especially when we're already so dependent on our families for everything. And the whole taxi thing, too. Another borderline case, where I can't tell if their caution was warrented or not. Maybe it is dangerous for 2 girls to take a taxi, alone, at night, but I'm pretty sure Nancy and I have done it before. Is it because we're gringas? Does that put us at a greater risk? Or do they think we'll get lost, won't remember our addresses or won't be able to communicate with the taxi driver? I would love to know how much of this perceived helplessness is due to the fact that we're women and how much is due to the fact that we're foreigners, and don't speak Spanish natively. And how much is due to real danger, and how much is due to our perceived weakness? I think it's sweet and all when guys hold doors, let you go first, are concerned for your safety and are good "caballeros." But I'm frankly getting a little sick of it, and I certainly don't want it to be because they think I'm weak and incapable. Here in Mexico, I've been overwhelmed by a desire to prove that I am competent and capable, both in my spoken Spanish, and as a person (and a woman). I'm not fragile, especially after this trip. But I feel like many of the Mexican girls encourage this behaviour, and these opinions. Who knows, maybe I'm just perceiving this all wrong.
I got up this morning, packed the giant white coat my family lent me, and had some breakfast before I took a bus to the school. All I had was a 50 peso bill, and I felt bad asking the bus driver for change, so I walked up the street a couple of blocks, to the bus stop across from Chedraui, looking for a convenience store where I could buy water and get change. But the stores I saw were closed, so I ended up just getting on the bus, and, thankfully, the driver had change. I got to the school 15 minutes early, but, unfortunatelly, one of our guides had class until 9 AM (which none of us knew). So why did we have to get to the school at 8:30? I'll never know. He got out of class and we walked a few blocks to the mountain climbing/travel agency, where we filled out forms about health, and absolving the agency from responsability if we got hurt. The one guy seemed to be a little concerned about my asthma, but I assured him it would be ok and that I had my inhaler. Pretty interesing filling out medical forms in Spanish.
We finally headed out, 19 of us, with our backpacks, packed into the back of a large pick-up truck . It wasn't a bad ride, though. Once we got off the highway, we could stand up and look at the scenery, and some people sat on top of the cab. It was a long bumpy ride up the mountain. We stopped to look at an old hacienda, built around 1904 and a couple more times to adjust to the altitude. It was a strange feeling, having to walk uphill very slowly, and not being able to talk much because you would get out of breath. At one of the stops, the truck overheated and Eli and the other guys had to add a lot of ice water to cool it down. I think it was because of all the people and luggage, and going uphill.
an old hacienda on the way to el Pico de Orizaba
We finally got to the top around 3:30 or 4 PM, then hiked about 40 minutes or so up to a little orange house. It was really hard. By this time, we were more than 4,000 meters "sobre el nivel del mar," or over 12,000 feet above sea level! I had to stop to rest every so often, maybe 4 or 5 times on the way up, but it was all worth it. When the clouds cleared away, the Pico was gorgeous, snow capped and beautiful against the blue sky, and such a feeling of achievement! We sat up there for a while and then Jamie and I headed back down. It was cold, especially when the sun started to set. We didn't leave until 6:30 or 7 PM, and I knew I'd be late getting home, but I never imagined how late I'd be. The truck was pretty cramped on the way down, and Sarah and Carla felt a little sick to their stomachs. I ended up standing most of the way back down, which I didn't mind. I got to see a lot. I don't think I'll ever forget the sight of the Pico, snow covered and shining against the blue sky as the sun was starting to go down.
We finally got onto a paved road, and just when I thought we were home free, I heard an unnerving hissing noise from the front of the truck. We had a flat tire. So we all got out while they jacked up the truck and started changing the tire. Meanwhile, I tried to learn the Spanish word(s) for "flat tire" so that I could explain to my family why I was so late. At this point, we first noticed the lightning, and were desperately hoping that it was only heat lightning, and wouldn't rain on the way back. The truck was open and there was no tarp. But it didn't rain. Just before we got on the highway and had to all sit down, at least 5 people who came with us (from some hiking club, I think) got out. They were going to camp and spend the night. That gave us a little more room, and the truck wasn't too uncomfortable on the last leg of our journey. We finally pulled up in front of IDEA at 10:30 PM, exactly 4 hours late. Jamie and I walked to the corner where I usually catch the bus, and flagged down taxis. Wouldn't the muchachos have been horrified! but I didn't have any problems, and I rang the doorbell right about 11 PM. I think I woke my madre up, but there was nothing I could do. I aplogized and explained to her why I was so late, and she didn't seem upset. She said they had called the school to see if they knew where we were, but my family didn't seem excessively worried, which I was glad about. I'm very blessed to have been assigned to such a caring, yet relaxed family.
Here's something interesting I've been thinking about... On the way down to the truck, after our hike, the guide was talking to Jamie and me. Before we climbed down, about half a dozen Mexican guys had taken pictures with us. I didn't really mind. The guide was explaining to us that the guys weren't trying to be disrespectful, just that they don't see a whole lot of gringas. He said they'll probably show the pictures to all their friends and will make them all jealous. And, of course, he explained to us once again about Cancún and TV and about all the stereotypes these form. But he also said that these girls come and act crazy, in ways that are inappropriate or not accepted in Mexican culture. The Mexicans think that that's all part of our culture, so they try to be accepting of it. Something I hadn't really considered before, that we come and sometimes behave contrary to Mexican cultural norms, even as we belly-ache that their culture is so different from ours and we can't figure it out. Their response is understandable surprise and curiosity in a culture that doesn't seem to frown on certain behaviors that they consider inappropriate. But I hate it that these people think that just because one gringa acts in a certain way, that means that her bevaior is acceptable to everyone in the US, because that's not true. In some cases, I think Americans are a little crazier down here precisely because they can get away with it, or at least think they can. They feel free of cultural "rules." They're in Mexico, so whatever cultural/moral restrictions do exist in the US no longer apply to them. They're out of the country and on vacation, and they can leave their craziness and the memories of it behind, in Mexico, if they choose. No one has to be the wiser in the US. But it doesn't work that way. Actions have consequences, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter whether or not you will see these people again. And actions will affect not only you. They will affect the people you were with, as well as people you may never meet. Everywhere you go, you will leave an impression, especially when you go abroad to another country. You will leave people with ideas and stereotypes about your race, your nationality, your culture, your religion, your political persuasions, etc. and the next time those people meet someone who looks like you, lives in the same country you do, or claims the same faith you do, that person will have to bear the consequences of the impression you left, whether that is good or bad. Something very sobering to think about as I return to Juniata and as I consider going abroad again in a little while. I too have left an impression on the people here, and I hope it has been a good one. I'll probably never know.
Sunday, the 16th, my last day in the house and my last day here in Orizaba. The day I thought would never come, when I first walked in the door, very, very early on a Friday morning, over a month ago. And here it is. I survived. Possibly the greatest accomplishment in my life, thus far. Much harder than anything I've done before. I remember how frightened I was getting off that plane, knowing it would be more than a month before I got back on. I remember trying to be brave, trying to push my fear away by admiring the new, differnt flowers at the airport, anything to take my mind off all the new, scary experiences ahead of me. And here I am, looking back on the "scary experiences." I don't regret coming. I think I always knew that I wouldn't. What surprised me was how ready I am to leave, now, or the fact that I didn't always have an "amazing time," like in Washington, D.C. or Tenessee. Not to say that it wasn't worthwile, but clearly the value of an experience isn't necessarily measured by how much fun you had. Hard things can still be good for you.
I got up this morning and took a shower, after packing a few more clothes in my suitcase. Then I wrote for quite a while in my journal. My tía started making lunch, and I helped a little. Wish I could have done more. I just chopped up carrots. My tía seemed happy, though. I wrote for a while longer, then helped Caro build an elephant with her new set of legos. While Caro and I were trying to construct something else, some friends/relatives of the family came over to have dinner with us. Dinner was good and they seemed impressed with my knowledge of Spanish, which made me feel good. I did a decent job of following the dinner conversation, and it really felt like a big, family meal, like when I get together with my extended family at home. Aferwards, I talked a lot with the 2 girls who were here. One was named Nora, but I don't know the name of the other. They were about my age. They asked me all kinds of questions about the US, which I was happy to answer. (That's the easiest way to keep up a conversation, answer lots of questions!) And they seemed genuinelly curious. They weren't just trying to be polite and entertain me. In the middle of our conversation, my mom called. It was really nice to hear her voice, and I got to talk to my brother, Ed, too! I haven't talked to him since I left. It's weird how much you get to appreciate and miss your family when you're this far away from them.
It was nice to talk to my real family, but somehow either they reminded me, or it just hit me that I'm going to miss my family here, at least a little bit, although in a different way. It's not quite the same as I'm missing my real family, but there's somthing sad about the thought of my last day in Orizaba. Maybe it's just the sadness of good-byes.
I thought I wouldn't cry (and I haven't yet). I thought I wouldn't get attached to my family. I thought I couldn't get attached that quickly. But somehow I can, and although it was never quite my house, they were so kind and welcoming. And so helpful, so bending, so accomodating with my strange ways. I kept trying to tell myself that I wouldn't miss these people, but somehow, I will. I've got a lump in my throat, and if I was alone, I'd let myself cry, but I can't. I don't understand, but somehow these people and this town got under my skin and into my heart. My abuela with her questions and hard face, my padre who I hardly ever talked to, but who came to pick me up from Libby's house the day Nancy couldn't, my madre, who always smiled, even if she didn't talk a lot, my tía who helped me break into the family, who would sit and talk to me and who let me help her cook, Caro, with her winning smile who was always pacient with my comprehension problems, and, of course, Nancy. She took care of me in and out of the house, she stayed up late talking to me and occaisionally frustrated me, like any sister would. I will definitely keep in touch with my family. I may not come back to visit them, but I'll never forget them. I did feel bad though, when my madre asked me when I was coming back. I said I didn't know, but I was thinking "probably never." More good-byes, though, more separations; the more it makes me wish for a time when I won't have to say "hasta luego" anymore.
Last night was really cool. After I finished writing in my journal, I gave my gifts to the family and they seemed very pleased and touched. I read for a while, then a photograper came over and took my picture with my madre, padre and tía. Caro was asleep, Nancy was sick and I don't know where my abuela was. So it wasn't everybody, but it was still really nice. Then they made me a drink from coconut and a vegetable whose name I can't remember, but that was very good and sweet, cooked and eaten like acorn squash. They also brought out bolsitos de pan, with cheese, beens and ham. It was something little, but really sweet, especially since my family usually doesn't eat dinner. And we sat around the living room and watched the Big Brother finale. Again, simple but nice. They asked to see pictures of my family, and I got to see more pictures of thier family. I didn't go to bed until about 12, but it was worth it. Things we should have done the first weekend I was there, I guess.
This morning, my alarm went off at 6 AM, and it was a little sad, finally packing up the last of my things, and saying good-bye to my room and house. I had an apple and my last glass of chocolate milk for breakfast and Lorenzo came to pick my aunt up for work. My madre and padre came with me, and they dropped me (and them) off at IDEA. My parents gave me a basket of typical sweets from Orizaba, and promised to mail me some more when they come in season.
Leaving was so much harder than I imagined, between lots of hugs from my madre and attempts by my padre to talk about other things and take our minds off saying good-bye, they really got to me. They almost reminded me a little of my own mom and dad. Finally, we were on our way, pulling out of Orizaba. A very strange feeling. I waved to my padres, but I doubt they saw me. I think I really will miss them.
We watched Shrek in Spanish on the way to Veracruz. It was pretty good, and I spent a lot of time looking out the window. Quite possibly I'll never see this place again. We got to Veracruz and had breakfast at a restaurant in the center, across from where I saw the Jarocho dancers, the first time I went to Veracruz. I had a fruit salad and something like hot chocolate, but very thick and good. My family had packed me lunch, so I didn't want to eat too much. We met up with the rest of our group who had spent extra time in Veracruz, and then went to the hotel. As soon as we had checked in, pretty much everyone went out to the beach to swim. The water felt like a warm bath and the sand was incredibly fine, although very hot. It may not have been as beautiful a beach as Cancún, but I enjoyed it. It felt nice to be in the salt water agian. Melanie found a bunch of live sand dollars, which was really cool because I don't think I've seen live ones before. Afterwards, we went to the pool, which was also nice, although a little cooler. I burned my shoulders a little, and they were sore that afternoon. Erin couldn't get the water in the shower to turn off, so we had to call a repair man to come fix it for us.
We took the bus back into the center to get lunch, which consisted of a pretty shabby pizza place, but I didn't really mind. After eating, Erin and I walked around and visited the market, which had a lot of touristy stuff, and nothing really nice. Then Mauricio took us to "the Plaza," which we thought would be an outdoor plaza/market, but turned out to be a mall. I got some chocolate ice cream, so it was worth it.
When we got back to the hotel, Liz, Sarah, Erin, Nik and I went downstairs to the restaurant. Nik had an American-style hamburger, and the rest of us ordered drinks. My last (legal) chance for alcohol for about 2 years. I won't miss it. The piña colatta I had wasn't too bad, at first, but by the time I got to the bottom, it was disgusting! I think the waiter put too much alcohol in it. Anyway, it was still good to spend some time with the girls. Afterwards, we walked on the beach for a while. It was gorgeous, beyond words, either Spanish or English. The beach is relatively flat, so the waves break early and there's lots of them. The moon was half full and we could see nearly all the lights of Veracruz. It was a perfect ending to our trip.
Later, we went and hung out by the pool, although I didn't go swimming. After I came back upstairs, I wrote for a little while, and took a shower. This trip to Veracruz was a really good way to end our month in Mexico. Like Erin said, it would have been really hard to say good-bye to our Mexican families and hello to our American families all in one day. This way, we got to spend one final day, all together, relaxing. And the beach and pool were just so wonderful, even if Veracruz is unbearably hot.
The day I thought would never get here. Right now I'm on the plane, flying over the Gulf, on my way to Houston. Everyone was exhausted this morning, but there was an air of expectancy and excitement, too. Shawn played the good-bye song from Big Brother Mexico, for us ("Todo a Pulmon"). I'll have to find that song when I get home. Inspite of leaving the hotel late and having to have all our bags searched before we checked them, we were all ready to board the plane half an hour early. Unorthodox for international flights, but this is Mexico, and the rules are different here. Then, of course, we had to say good-bye to Katie and Eli, who are staying for 2 and 6 extra weeks, respectively. Through metal detectors and searches with wands for each passenger, then out onto the tarmac and up the steps into the airplane. We have another highly comical flight attendent, who appears to speak both English and Spanish fluently, which I find quite impressive. It's one thing to be able to get by in another language, it's quite another to really speak it well. Already I keep forgetting that I'm among English-speakers. I told the woman across the aisle that "estoy bien," and said something in Spanish to the flight attendent. That's pretty cool. I'm pretty proud of what I learned this month (in terms of the language, as well as other lessons) and I hope I don't lose it this summer. I wish there was some way I could practice. I'm definitley going to Mesa next year, even if I can't get a Spanish class.
I just finished filling out the declaration form for customs. I hope I did it right and didn't forget anything. But I think it'll be ok. I'm not trying to deceive anyone here, or bring in illegal goods. I just hope they don't give me a hard time about the basket of sweets my family gave me. I had to declare that I was bringing "food, meat, live animals, etc" into the country, becasue of the sweets and the coffee. I don't think that'll be a problem, once I explain what it is that I have.
I got through customs without trouble, and much quicker than I expected. The custom's officer did ask about the food I had, but when I assured her that I had no fresh fruit, it wasn't a problem. We had to pick up our bags and recheck them, but that didn't take long, either. Then more good-byes, or, more properly, "see you later's." Although, it'll be more than a year before I see Liz and Sarah again. I may never see Valerie. Hopefully Libby will come visit us at Juniata. I almost got a little teary-eyed after the first few hugs, but then I was ok. Those people have pretty much all become like brothers and sisters to me. Not that we always got along perfectly, not that we didn't have our occaisional problems, but, overall, they're a wonderful bunch of people.
But most importantly, I'm finally on my way home!
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