Deh-Effeh (Mexico City, Distrito Federal)-Part 1

The uninhabited land between Cuernavaca and Mexico City reminds me of some of the land in Oregon.(pic)  It took us about 1 1/4 hours to get from one to the other (with a movie playing, of course) on the bus.  We arrived at Terminal Sur at the south end of the city and took the Metro towards the middle of the city to the Comexus Office (i.e. Fulbright Office in Mexico) so that Reed could get a box that she had sent herself.  On the Metro, at almost every stop (12 in all for us), someone would get on selling something--mostly CD's but also Chiclets, candy, and DVD's.  The people selling CD's had CD players and discs in their hands and wore backpacks equipped with small but incredibly loud speakers.  They would yell, over the top of the music, who the artist was, play several songs, announce the price (10 pesos), then exit at the next stop.  It was entertaining, to say the least!  After getting off the Metro, we stopped and had lunch at a small restaurant (teriyaki--go figure!) on a major street.  I think that we saw at least 1 million people, of the 23 million people who live here, walk by!  The major streets are amazingly packed (but the flow never stops) with pedestrians and cars.  We walked to our hotel (pic), got settled and then ventured out to see what was in the area.  As we were walking to the Paseo de la Reforma (the 'grand avenue' of D.F.--10 lanes) rain began to fall in buckets!  We headed into the Zona Rosa and found a cafe/bar to have a beer and wait it out.  This is the first time we have been a little chilly here.

The next morning, we walked to the Bosque de Chapultepec (pic -

by the way, the 'fog' that you see is not my camera,  it's the smog 

in the city!) which is a huge (1600 acres) park in the city.  The castle, (pic) located in the park stands 7,628 feet above sea level and has served as a military academy, imperial residence, presidential home, observatory and currently, as a museum.  It is the only castle in North America that was ever used as a residence by a ruling European sovereign (Maximillian and Carlota).  The museum was amazing and told of the turbulent history of Mexico City and the surrounding area.  I am beginning to understand why there is so much distrust (except towards family) in this culture!

Later in the afternoon, we headed south to the University District to visit Reed's Fulbright colleague.

Coming soon:  D.F.--part 2

Solo adventure, Chac Mool and food

On Tuesday, I ventured out by myself for the first time!  It really wasn't that big of a deal, I had taken the bus many times with Reed so I knew what to do and where to get off.  I was just a little nervous--a solo adventure!  I rode to the institute that I am starting classes at on Monday, Sept. 1st.  It's called Instituto Chac Mool and has an approach to teaching spanish using Stephen Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition and the Seven Intelligences which Reed says are good.  I will be tested on the first day and placed with 4-5 adults in a class at the same level of ability.  We start at 8:50am and go until 2:35pm.  The time includes: Spanish structure and practice, conversation workshop and 20 minutes of your choice of a private tutor, lecture/guest speaker/songs/games or Taller Bilingue (grammatical explanation).  Sounds fun!  I hear from a teacher-friend of mine who has taken classes there that they play soccer sometimes!  YAY!  :o)

On the way home, I decided to walk up the street for awhile instead of catching the bus. Unfortunately, what seemed like a good workout ended up with me feeling sick from breathing in the fumes from the cars, buses and trucks.  I caught the bus.  

Pictures of food: 1.  Take out from the restaurant on the corner.  The plastic bags are filled with horchata (a milk-like liquid made from almonds, cinnamon, rice, lime and sugar).  2.  Tamale from a street vendor. (L)  3.  Chicken. (R) 4.  A torta!  (bottom, my favorite)

Coming soon:  A trip to Mexico City!

Taxco, Plaza Cortes

On Saturday, we rode the bus (similar to a Greyhound) to Taxco.  The driver showed a movie both there and back but I was more interested in the scenery.  I definitely saw a different side of Mexico.  Among the rolling green hills (pic) were tin-roofed shacks, some without walls and all with earthen floors.  Families were lined up along the two-lane highway, each member with something different to sell in their hands.  Some of the families had roadside stands with cold beverages and an assortment of other things to sell.  The bus driver stopped twice to let someone on who tried to sell cookies and lotion to the bus riders.

Taxco (pic) is a beautiful town (pueblo) with it's colonial ambiance still intact due to a law requiring that any old building be restored that way and any new building be built in the same fashion.  Even the Oxxo (our 7-11) looked colonial!  It is the silver mecca of Mexico and one of the oldest silver mining sites in the Americas.  We walked the narrow streets for hours and passed many of the 50+ stores selling incredible amounts of silver, much of them had the same items but each had a little something different as well.  After awhile my head was spinning and I didn't even know what I was looking for or wanted!  In the end I bought a hammock chair (in a silver mecca!) for our front porch, go figure!   Apparently, Don Jose de la Borda (Sound familiar? He was the man who built the Jardin Borda that I mentioned in my previous blog.) discovered the silver when his horse stumbled on a rock.  When he became over extended and left his mines, many churches were built by other successful miners. We saw some of those beautiful churches (there are 12 in all in this small town), the most fantastic was the Santa Prisca Catherdral (pics).  WOW!  We had another great meal at a restaurant, approached constantly by street vendors selling everything from paintings to belts.  We arrived back at our house at 10pm--long day! 

The next day we went into centro Cuernavaca to the Plaza Cortes, built in the 1530's.  Now it is a museum with displays of the history of the Cuernavaca area.  Lucky for

 me, they had most of the events translated into English so I was able to really      enjoy it.  (On a side note:  Something that I am struggling with is missing out on things because I don't understand what is being said or what I am reading.  Reed helps a lot but I feel bad asking her all the time.  It has been an interesting and huge part of this whole adventure!  I know it will get better with time but it's a little frustrating now, at times.)  Continuing...as with most history, death of the people and destruction of buildings come at the hands of the 

people with wealth, power and/ or religion.  So it goes with the struggle in Mexico.  One of the most impressive things at this museum is a HUGE mural (pic) painted on three walls by Diego Rivera that was a chronological depiction of the struggles in this region.

Coming soon:

Regina goes into centro by herself!  :o)

Regina starts Spanish classes at the Chac Mool Institute!  :o)

South Cuerna, march, Jardin Borda

For the second time, Reed and I were unlucky with our plans to find a museum.  The first one was closed early (Muros Museum), the second (Museum of Traditional Medicine/Botanical Gardens next door) wasn't where our map said it was suppose to be. However, we had a great walking tour of the south part of town which seems to be one of the wealthier sections of Cuernavaca. There were beautiful haciendas hidden behind very ornate gates and huge walls (pic).  We had another wonderful meal at a restaurant we just "happened by".  So far, all of the food we have eaten (a meal a day) has been reasonable and very tasty--even the fateful bowl of soup!  :o)

The next day, we went to the Fotografia Museum which was a Castillito (little castle-2 stories/4 rooms--pic) that had photos of the history of Cuernavaca.  It was amazing to see the rolling hills without houses on them.  Cuernavaca has grown immensely in just the past 10 years!  

While we were at the museum, a march by striking teachers went by.  Of course, this being near and dear to my heart, I rushed outside to take video and pictures.  The primaria and secondaria (elementary and middle school) teachers are on strike.  They were having 3 different marches that day in Cuernavaca and the amount of people that went by in just this area was impressive. Obviously they had parents and others in the community marching in support beside them because the march was huge!  They have been congregating in the center of the city since Monday so there has been no traffic allowed on the three major streets going into that area.  This has been an inconvenience for some--major delays in traffic--but most people just "go with the flow".  Reed says that protests and strikes are very common in Latin America.

Later, we walked to the Jardin Borda (est. 1783--pic) which are beautiful gardens designed similar to Versailles.  During their brief reign (1864-1867), the Emperor Maximilian and his wife Carlota used it for garden parties.  The next picture is of the ornamental lake that was made to water the botanic gardens.  You can rent a boat and tour the lake but unfortunately, it started raining right before we arrived at that part of the gardens!

Next:  Taxco--The former colonial silver-mining center in the northern part of the Mexican state of Guerrero. 

Cortez Plaza

Tidbits: 

*No one wears shorts here and from what I understand, most of Mexico. Long shorts (at or over the knee), Capris, dresses, skirts or pants (no sweats) are worn.

*Honking horns is VERY common here.  A driver can't even be nice to someone by letting them cross the street, a horn WILL sound! :o)

Never a dull moment!

In a previous blog I mentioned some of the action that happens in the neighborhood (pic) during the day.  What I didn't realize is how MANY things go on, most of them having to do with sound.

•  The military base (specializing in artillery), located between our house and Centro (downtown), starts exploding things at 6:30am until 8:00am (the big show) and then a few times during the day.

*  The gas trucks begin roaming the neighborhoods at 7:00am with their intermittent sirens going off constantly.

*  The commotion sets off the dogs in the neighborhoods which start barking at many of the sounds during the day AND each other.

*  The garbage truck comes on 3 different days twice a day.  The man riding on the back hits the side of the metal truck with a metal rod to announce their arrival.

*  The water truck (with drinkable water) drives down the street twice a day, the driver whistles out the window.

*  People selling tamales walk down the streets singing "Tamales, hot tamales!" at all hours of the day and evening--as early at 8:00am and as late as 9:30pm.

*  The men wanting to buy scrap metal, computers, appliances, etc. drive slowly down the street shouting their mantra through speakers on the top of their truck.

*  One of the local radio stations advertises by blaring music through huge speakers from the top of a car decorated with their logos.

*  The man that sharpens things rides his bike down the street ringing a bell.

*  Drivers and taxis picking up people honk their horns to announce their arrival.

*  People come by and clang on the gates of the houses to sell sandwiches and light bulbs.

*  Fireworks are a popular way to celebrate special occasions and go off sporadically.  (I can't wait for Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16th, I imagine it'll be LOUD!) 

*  Amongst and in between all of the above, the thunder and pouring rain fill in the gaps.  We haven't had rain or a sprinkle yet just HUGE downpours! Also, we have heard thunder every day since our arrival!

The other day I was in the kitchen and felt a little strange.  It took a moment before I realized it was silent...completely silent.  I stood there enjoying it for a good 30 seconds before an old, creaky, squeaky car rolled down the street which started the dogs barking...  

Montezuma, Reed's classroom, Centro de Ciudad

So...I've been sidelined for a couple of days with a slight case of Montezuma's Revenge.  I won't go into details but some advice:  even though the soup is cooked, boiled for over 10 minutes, don't eat it!  :o)

On Saturday, we took the bus up to Reed's classroom in Huitzilac (Altitude 11,000 ft., pop. 4,000) so she could finish some things before class starting on Monday.  The buses here are about 1/2 the size of Tri-met buses and the drivers drive them like sports cars!  This guy was passing trucks and cars sometimes on blind curves which were many!  It was a bit scary!  

Huitzilac was cold and damp compared to Cuernavaca.  We walked through town, stopped at an overgrown cemetery then to the school. Reed's classroom is rather primitive compared to U.S. standards (pic).  It has a bare concrete floor, a small bookshelf, one small white board, no electronic equipment and desks from the '70's!  

After another eventful bus ride down the hill to Cuernavaca, we ate lunch and then decided to walk to the center of town.  The main streets are similar to those in the U.S., lots of traffic, shops, strip malls and of course Starbucks, KFC, Office Depot, and WalMart (3 stores in town!).  I figure that if I get homesick I can just go and stare at those stores to make me feel better.  :o) 

We toured 'centro' (along with the million inhabitants of Cuernavaca--this must be the day to go out!) then walked back toward our section of town.  We were looking for a place to buy groceries and found the 3 WalMarts, which we both refuse to shop in, so we decided to call it a day and try on Sunday.

Sunday, we went to the local open-air market.  The market was about 5 blocks long and most venders sold clothes and pirated CD's.  We found a great place to buy fruits and veggies and also bought some potted plants to spruce up our yard.  After the market, we again ventured toward the center of the city in search of a supermarket.  Finally, we found Soriana's which is similar to our Fred Meyer.  We shopped, returned to our house and then went to a little restaurant for soup.  And now... you know the rest of the story....  :o(

Tormenta!

We had the most incredible thunderstorm last night!  On three occasions, the lightening was so close to the house that we saw the flash as we heard the thunder!  The sound was so loud that it hurt both of our ears.  We could actually hear the crackle of the lightening bolt!

I took some videos with my camera but they wouldn't download to the blog--I'll work on it.  They are pretty funny because on both occasions, the thunder scared me so bad that the camera shakes in the middle of the video!  

Continuing from where I left off on my last blog...

Yesterday was my first full day by myself in Cuernavaca.  I walked with Reed to the bus stop and then went running up the hill that Evi and I had walked the day before.  So....I knew I was out of shape BUT not THAT out of shape!  I didn't make it very far before I had to stop and walk.  My excuse is that Cuernavaca is 4,856 ft. elevation and Portland is only 50 ft. AND I was running up hill!  Still, I have much work to do in the "getting in shape" department!  :o)  

After my run and a shower, I walked to the store about a 1/2 mile from the house.  We needed toilet paper and none of the little stores seem to have it!  The store was called Oxxo which is similar to a 7-11 in the US.  The major difference is that they sell hard alcohol.  Most things here are much cheaper than in the US.  For example, Evi and I went to a restaurant the other day to buy a 'take out' lunch.  For soup, 2 enchiladas, rice, beans, horchata (a sweet milk that was packaged in plastic bags with a straw), 10 corn tortillas and a small dessert it cost 35 pesos (roughly $3.50).  At Oxxo, 4 rolls of TP, a 6 pack of beer, a pint of milk and a pint of vodka cost 92 pesos ($9.20).  Of course, people are not paid much either!  Monica (Reed's exchange partner), after teaching 5 years, made $500 dollars a month teaching 1/2 time last year.  Plus, she worked her whole first year for free!

Some interesting facts and tidbits so far:

*  The city of Cuernavaca covers 58.38 square miles and has a population of 1 million people 

    (Portland covers 145.4 square miles and has a population of 568, 380) 

*  Whenever I turn on the "tele" there is a soccer game on one of the channels--I am in            heaven! :o)

*  Many people have dogs and most people have more than one.  Some of the dogs that live near us are 'barkers'.  Also, there are many dogs running around loose, they are interesting to watch because they are very 'street savvy'.

*  Fireworks are common for any celebration and we hear them all hours of the day and night.

*  Toilet paper doesn't go in the toilet, it goes in a basket next to the toilet.  The septic system can't handle it.

*  The gas trucks drive around the city daily and advertise with a siren on their truck.  If you need gas (for stove and water heater), you run out and flag them down.  The two men in the back of the truck hop out with a ladder, carry the metal container up on your roof and fill you up!

*  Buying water (to drink) is the same as gas.  The truck drives around and you flag it down.  They sell 5 gallon plastic jugs of drinkable water.  (you can also buy these jugs at most stores)

*  Another truck drives around to gather scrap metal.  The driver yells out the window in a very sing-song voice to announce that he is near.

*  A man rides his bicycle down the street and advertises by ringing a bell.  If you need something sharpened, he turns his bike upside down and uses the pedals and wheel to run the grindstone connected to his bike to sharpen it.

Okay, enough for now....

The house and shopping trip

Here are some pictures of our house!  It is really beautiful.  It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and living room.

Our trip towards the center of the city was very interesting!  Evi (Monica's mom), Sandra (Monica's sister), Reed and I caught a taxi about 2 blocks from our house on the main street called Avenue Universidad.  The way people drive around here is amazing!  The people driving cars pass each other and busses by going into oncoming traffic, cut in front of other cars (no one stops for cars coming out of side streets unless that car forces its way in), park on the road to shop and don't stay in the lines (if it's a two lane road).  The taxi driver amazed me with his ability to navigate with all that was going on!

We got out at Plaza Cuernavaca (a small mall) to get Reed a cell phone (Sandra went on in the taxi to catch the bus back to Mexico City).  At the entrance to the mall there was a hired guard who had a very large rifle slung over his shoulder.  This is very typical around here, I have noticed many medium or large stores with heavily armed guards in front of them.

After the mall, we headed to Office Depot (yes, and they have a Wal Mart too, imagine that! :o.) on the bus which only costs 45 cents per person.  Instead of having a few big busses like Trimet, they have many little busses that all go to the same place, hence the traffic and the need for cars to dart around them.  There are a few marked bus stops but if someone flags down the driver, he will stop anywhere.  On our trip on the bus from Office Depot to home, a man selling scented spray hopped on and tried to sell the driver a can (he actually sprayed some on the drivers arm while he was driving) then quickly hopped off again when the driver said "no".  Later, two clowns got on the bus to entertain the passengers and after about 5 minutes got off.  No one on the bus seemed to pay too much attention.

The next day, Evi and I walked with Reed to the bus stop so that she could catch the bus for her first day at school.  Then, we walked up the road and back.  Evi showed me the many shops and universities along the street and explained them to me.  Of course, she speaks only Spanish so I did my best to understand and ask questions.  There are many separate little shops where people sell food (restaurants or family stands), vegetables and fruit, coffee, household items, meat, pharmaceutical items, parts for cars and sundries.  Really, anything we need is within walking distance!

After returning to the house, I did laundry in the basins on the back patio.  There is a medium sized sink next to a sink with a built in washboard.  Doing laundry this way was a first!  Evi came out and showed me how to REALLY squeeze the water out and hang the clothes up for the shortest drying time.  They have a clothesline made of yellow rope tied criss-cross from wall to wall and instead of using clothespins, they spread the twines of the rope apart and put a corner of the clothing in between.  It works great!

More later...

We have arrived!

Hi all!

We left from

 Portland yesterday morning at 6:55am and arrived in Mexico City (pop. 23 million) at 4pm.  Monica's (Reed's exchange partner) parents and sister picked us up at the airport and drove us to Cuernavaca.  It took about an hour and a half with some rush hour traffic in Mexico City.  The drive was very beautiful after we got outside the city, very green and hilly with lots of trees and farms.  We stopped on the side of the road in Cuernavaca and Monica's mother went in to a little market to buy food for us.  Monica's parents and sister are very nice!

After we helped them pack up Monica's clothes, her father left to go back to Mexico City.

Monica's mother showed us around the house (she doesn't speak English so I had to listen carefully and try to understand what she was saying), we ate some gelatina (milky jell-o with fruity jell-o in clumps in it) and fruta (fruit) then Reed and I went to unpack.  We kept saying that we brought too much stuff!  Only time will tell, I guess.

Today, Monica's mother and sister (Sandra) are taking us around town to buy some things. Sandy will be taking the bus back to Mexico City but the mother (we can't remember her name) will be staying another day.  So, tomorrow when Reed goes to school, I will be here with Monica's mother trying to communicate!  Ah, my first taste of what the rest of the year will be like!  :o)

Hasta luego!

The Fulbright Pre-departure Orientation

Hi all,

Reed and I just returned from a 6-day Fulbright Orientation in Alexandria, Virginia!

Reed finally got to meet and talk with her exchange partner face-to-face as well as attend informational workshops about teaching and living abroad.  

I was able to have some time to explore Alexandria as well as talk to other spouses and learn about living with a Fulbrighter abroad.  The workshops and informational sessions that I attended were beneficial and helped quell the worries and anxieties about living in another country. 

So, here we are with three days left in the USA and many small details to "sew up" before departure!  It seems like just yesterday when I was thinking that I had two months to go and could get everything squared away!