An Old Epiphany

I run, I teach, I travel, and I make the Social Section of the local newspaper...yes, it's all true!

1) This Sunday I ran a 10K here in Queretaro (the State capital). It was an excellent event w/over 1000 participants (my guess). It was in honor of the continueing bicentenial celebration. I was so inspired by the runners; these weren't your average American event racers (eg avid cross country runners), rather they were regular people (the fit and not-so-fit) who were running and doing great. As a side note, this was the first time I wore shorts in public here in Mexico b/c women rarely wear shorts. Those who know me know that running has become one of my passions, and I'm so happy I've been able to keep it up (so far). I do a LOT of walking though, and I really enjoy it. BTW, 10K/6.2mi in 58 minutes...not bad for only running once a week.

2) Six weeks into the 12 week PC Training I had the opportunity to move out of my Spanish class and work at an NGO (non-gov org), where I can use my Spanish in a more practical setting. Last week I started teaching an Intro to English class at a local NGO. At first I was a little apprehensive, because I get stage-fright and what do I know about teaching?? Well, like all things in life, you do some reading, you ask knowledgeable people for advice and words of inspiration, and you let yourself be inspired by other people's confidence. So my first day was awesome! I spent three hours on the ABC's, and have been making impressive progress thereafter. My students are women who never finished high school, and are taking courses outside of school (like a GED). My introductory class will help them in their English I class as they progress through their coursework. Their positive attitude and enthusiasm inspire me so much!

3) I traveled to San Miguel de Allende this weekend. I was amazed at the architecture of this colonial city. Truly beautiful (pictures to follow). We visited the neighboring thermal hot springs. The open pool there lead into a circular cave connected by a tunnel. I went, I saw, I bathed.

4) The week before last my host family invited me to go with them to their granddaughter's Christening/Baptismal Fiesta. The grand daughter is four months old, and this little girl had a badass party, but it's too bad she'll never remember it! They was a cover band, we were continually served drinks, a three course meal, and dancing. One of the God-parents is a Mexican Soap Opera star. The local newspaper came and was doing interviews and taking pictures. Since I was sitting at the important table, I got my name and picture in the Social Section of the newspaper (in color)!

On a separate note, I was reflecting on an old epiphany I had about the concept of 'paradise.' Essentially we think of paradise as a place (in heaven or possibly earth), but my idea is that 'paradise is now.' Thinking of paradise as a time in my life gives me a great sense of appreciation for the events in my past, the necessary stages and pivotal people I've met on my life journey. The amazing way doors keep opening makes me think that life is more than just funny, it is beautiful.

A very personal Thank You to all my family and friends who keep me in their thoughts and prayers. You have no idea how much that means to me;)

How did I let my heart harden?

I've been in Mexico about a month & I've seen so many beautiful places, events, colors, foods etc that I still feel like a tourist. It's all still shiney and new and I've been determined to take in every second hoping my memories will serve me like photographs...determined to live my life.
I currently live in a beautiful city in an upper middle class neighborhood where it's easy to forget that beyond my little world encompassed by my home, the university (where we receive training), and the tourist spots, there are people who struggle to make a living.

Somewhere along the line I started tuning out these people, their faces, and even the goods they work so hard to sell. I went for a wonderful five-mile run this morning, all through the city's 'centro' clear to the otherside of town, running along the 18th Century Aquiduct and back up through the centro; as I crested the hill there I saw a 'Maria' (term given to poor women in indigeonous clothing selling craftwork) selling little butterfly windmills.

The first thought that went through my head was 'no, i don't want to buy a useless windmill.' I crossed the street to see some monuments for a break, and noticed two 3-4 year olds playing around and in a tree. Near them was some craftwork laying on a cloth. I sat down for a few minutes and thought how they reminded me of my brother's kids. Then it occured to me that these kids must be the children of the Maria selling the windmills across the street. Just then two young girls will a bag of torillas walked by me and took them to the kids; they all sat down and distributed these tortillas...their breakfast.

I felt ashamed at the sentiment in my heart. I drop an obscene amount of pesos on frivolas things, and my giving nature gives to those who need it the least. Meanwhile, I won't let myself be bothered by eager faces struggling to make an honest living. I asked myself how I became so miserly. I couldn't remember the last time I gave radomly, unexpectedly, a hand out or otherwise. I felt moved today to change the way I view my money.

As I ran home, I thought about the types of giving: thanks-giving (part of your daily life b/c you are happy to share), grudge-giving (giving you are guilted into), sacrificial-giving (this one is kind of hard to define, but I think of it as giving much more than your left-overs). While I do make very little money relative to the American life I lead, I want for nothing and make more than enough to be wasteful.

My spritual ephipahny was confirmed by today's church service that spoke on the adminstration of our worldly goods. The parting thoughts were to use your money to bless others/make friends, because it's not good for anything else.

Quick thoughts on hand outs: I think my intent is what matters...after all it's likely only $1 peso MEX, (equal to 1 cent US). I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. Yes, food would be more useful to give away, but it's been a while since i handed out food on the street.

Quick thoughts on haggling: I know myself to be cheap and I get a high on haggling someone down a few dollars or pesos...but I feel less inclined to do it these days. I pick and chose when I do it especially if I know they are raising the price b/c I'm American...

In the end, I hope to be known as generous because that is what life is about.

Viva Mexico 2010

A few highlights to cover since my last blog post.
1) My field trip to Ciudad Guzman in Jalisco Mexico:

I had a great time there & one of my best days so far was the feeling of getting to the top of a dormant volcanoe & hearing the sister volcanoe rumble (ok, it could have been thunder too)--breathing at 11,000ft/4,000m really is hard! Basically, they made the top of the dormant volcanoe a National Park (Nevado de Colima); they are working to implement methods to prevent errossion. caused because the area was logged in the 80's (before it became a national park), so while logging is no longer permitted they still have cattle from the surrounding areas whose owners allow them to roam the National Park--illegal cattle grazing. The owners get fined only after the damage is done (cattle are very destructive)...so the answer is never easy, but this national park does make a good effort to educate the visiting public.

2) The Mexican Bicentenial:

Someone told me this was the event of the century in Mexico, but another person told me this is the way Independence day is celebrated every year. Either way, it was an event of epic proportions. It's difficult to explain in words b/c there was so much going on, but I will attemp.

Mexicans celebrate their indepence on Sept 15th by gathering in their town's main Plaza & at 11pm, when the mayor or govornor leads the crowd in shouting "Viva Mexico" and the crowd shouts back "Viva!" (actual indp day is sept 16th)

We knew the Plaza de Armas in Queretaro would be get so crowded that walking would be impossibe, so we staked out out spots in front of the main fountain, where we sat for 6 hours. We witnessed the lighting of the torch that was to be carried by runners to our sister city 65km away. Then, we had live orchestra music until the main event @ around 10:30. At 9ish I decided I had to use the bathroom, which turned out to be one of the worst mistakes I had made in a long while. By the time I got back, the plaza was so packed that walking through it was impossible. It took me nearly an hour and a half to make it back to my group...but I almost didn't make it. People were snearing at me and I'm really lucky I didn't get hurt. Anyway, I was so happy to make it back I hugged the first person I saw (Dan Evans, the Peace Corps Country Director). So I reclaimed my seat on the fountain, and then the festivities started. The crowd, the snycronous responsive shouting, the music, the AMAZING fireworks display snyced to the music, and being around all my friends (b/c all our group ended up finding us & we had the best spot to congregate around)---now picture all of this for a full 20 minutes.

That sets the scene, here's a video from one of my fellow Peace Corps Trainees John Dye:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqLBmeS3Q_s

Then I came home, and my family was celebrating w/ awesome food & music, and best of all my 65 year old host-mom out danced me & out lasted me that night. I went to bed at 2:30am.

I'm not used to having this much fun!

3) I visit La Catrina!

Ok, not really,...but really.

First let me explain that Mexicans give the manisfestation of death 100+ names and it is represented as a female figure and the most common name is 'La Catrina.' The names range from gods of the prehispanic cultural eras to common names of modern day culture. The names and characterizations are female because in the indigeonous cultures, it was thought life started nine months in the womb and that death was the return to womb/mother earth (i think there were nine levels to death too). So death was not feared, rather it was the natural course of life and the continuation of life...so Mexico's Day of the Dead is a celebration of the lifecycle of those who have died (not as macabre as I had thought before it was explained to me).

My host family happens to live two houses down from an actor who gets hired every year to dress up as La Catrina. He's been doing this for about 11 years and has made a business combining his passion for graphic design and his passion for acting, seeded in Mex culture and folklore, by opening a store that sells shirts/mugs/jewlry/bingo/decks of cards/magets etc all of which have his interpretation Las Catrinas. Meeting him was a real treat, and we ran into him on the street this afternoon...so I know a celebrity. Check out his website at: http://www.calakitas.com.mx/

4) Bernal, Blue corn gorditas & Bubblee:
I returned to el Pen~on de Bernal to hike up to the 3rd largest monolith in the world...I thought to myself, I'm pretty outdoorsy for a girl who is not outdoorsy. Then afterward we visited a champaign winery (even though they call it bubbly wine b/c only bubbly from France can bee called champaign). We took a tour of the caves where the wines & champaigns are fermented. Mariachi's, a bottle of Brut & Rose`, & friends--it was nice.

Field Trip

First let me say, I love this!

Secondly, I realize I can't change the entire world in two years.

I was debriefing my host family on my field trip this week; we were debating the effectiveness of our work in the grand shceme of things. In the end I expressed that the world is relative & if I can reach one person, then it was worth it.

Mexico is complex, yet it is simple. People live simple lives in a complex system marred by historical events which have had long standing consequences (embedded in the culture & in the way the govt is run). We visited many projects where we saw the struggle of people to exist & prosper on of lands that where declared National Protected Areas (and rightfully so). On top of that, Mexico has a semi-socialist system of 'ejidos' (eh-hi-dos), where hacienda lands were redistributed after the revolution (100 years ago) to the workers; while the land still belongs to the govt, ejido stakeholders have a deathgrip on the land, its use & funding the govt sends... so in a way, the decendants of the peasants have become the proprietors their ansestors revolted against---meanwhile families grow bigger & lands mass remains the same, so naturally there exists a struggle with overuse of natural resources.

Bueno, bueno...enough of things that can't be changed--i'd rather focus on people...b/c people do change...and slowly so do cultural more`s (i hope i'm using that word in context).

Right now, all i have is 'the jist of it'...so as i know more, i will share. But I hope you get that the 'jist of it' is to share ideas & life & to mutually make each other's lives better.

This is a LONG one--but read on.

I realized today that this is my one year aniversary from having submitted my application to the Peace Corps. I think my intent for applying was more to see what would happen, because I wasn't sure how serious I was about changing careers or how realistic joining the Peace Corps would be.

One year later, I'm in Queretaro for our three-month language, cultural, and technical training. After only being here for about a week, I can say that I'm enchanted (common word in Spanish) with the rich Mexican culture. The people are incredibly friendly, with an unmistakable sense of patriotism and cultural pride/identity. I think Mexico would be considered a 'developing country' not a 3rd world country. 75% if Mexicans acutally live in urban areas, and live quite similar to us in America...at least in this city.

September 16th is the country's Indepence bicentenial and Revolutionary centential (exactly 100 years apart--i think they planned the Revolution that way!)... decorations have probably been up for months & I'm sure more to follow on that later.

During our language training, we're learning how to introduce ourselves in Spanish and how to explain briefly about the Peace Corps and our roles. Most Mexican have no idea what the Peace Corps is (and might I add...neither do many Americans). So......the US Peace Corps is a govt organization that works with other countries on social and ecoonomic development Projects. In Mexico, the projects include Tech Transfer, Small Business Development, Sustainable Livelihood, and Environmental Education (allow me to go on). I have been assigned to the Environmental Education project in Gogorron National Park in the state of San Luis Potosi`. I'll be working the equivelent of the National Park Service, and will be working with the surrounding communities (focusing on Gogorron).

So, after I finish my three-month training, I get sworn in as a volunteer, and that's where I'll go!

First item on the Agenda will be to meet my running-mate/agency-counterpart, and get to know people in the communities in which I will live and be working. This will involve some traveling of course. After a few months, I'll have a better idea what the community needs are and specifics on what the National Park Service's (actually called National Council of Natioanl Protected Areas, CONANP) needs are too.

Today, we had a lecture from a University Professor of Cultural antropology dept. There are many underlying issues in Mexico, chief among them is the great divide between the poverty stricken and the rich. As an example, Mexico has more poor people than the entire population of Central America, while having mega-rich people eg Carlos Slim...the richest man in the world.

So government inefficiencies seem to favor the rich, and it would seem to penalize the poor. As a result, goverment involvement will likely be seen as mute & assosiciated action being perceived as jumping through hoops.

Essentially, he suggested that any projects/goals we might work on be small and attainable within short spans of time. I think it follows the Japanese ideaology to make changes incrementally...in a way that is almost unnoticable; and when possible, instead of implenting entirely foreign ideas/technologies, use more holistic approaches....ei ones that were likely used by ancestors. Also that the sustainability of the change should be considered, and that the communities should have buy-in of the change, so that the change persists after Peace Corps Volunteers are gone.

In the end, our jobs as Peace Corps Volunteers is to--promote, empower, and facilitate change. Not bad, huh?

BTW, Obama wants to increase Volunteers world-wide from 7,000 to 10,000 in 2011... seems like a good time to apply!

Hacienda 'el Castillo'

These are a few pictures that are one week overdue--finally some decent bandwidth with which to upload them! These pics are an example of my recent obsession with clouds.

We spent our first few days in mexico having an informational retreat at Hacienda el Castillo, with attached Rancho el Castillo, where they have an organic dairy farm and chicken farm...yum.

More pics later this week from my weekend trip to Bernal (3 largest monolith in the world).

I view that this as an opportunity to reinvent myself. Following that theme, I’m now going by the name “Betty” instead of “Liz”.

I’m very impressed with the PC Mex Program here (well developed and organized). I feel privileged to be among so many talented Trainees; along with that, I feel intimidated too because these people are experts with specialized education. I am more of a generalist, but I hope to fill the role Peace Corps assigned to me.

***I've been assigned to a post inside of a National Park of the Mexican State of San Luis Potosi! I found this out today.

I haven't had enough time to do the proper research on the state of San Luis Potosi etc, because we moved in with our Sponsor families.

My host mom (very sweet older woman) greeted me with a bouquet of flowers, she took me home, then had a tour of the house (it's big). I have my own room & the house has internet! She has two other American exchange students who are here for a while, and there is no lack of family members here. They took me to the downtown area and we walked around; downtown Queretaro is gorgeous and happening!!! Once i know my way around, I'm def going back with some of my friends!