I can't think........

Today is my last day in Oaxaca......

I refuse to put a happy or sad face on that statement.

Love you all! Excited to see you!

Kabobs on the BBQ, 2Baked Potatoes and........wait.....What is that?

I decided about a month ago that I wanted to cook "la comida" one day for my family. And I wanted to do it on a Saturday cause that's when elderly Tia Lupita and Marta and her husband Chuchin come over. Thus....after much planning I decided on today, my last Saturday. And I decided to make BBQ chicken kabobs with twice baked potatoes and veggies. For dessert, at the request of Homerito....fudge. Thus the day began....

• "Oh gosh I have to go SHOPPING!"
• "Sweet!!!! WAY more easy!" (in response to the 4 dusty jars of BBQ sauce my host mom brought out from students....goood thing I didn't bring that....although I wonder what they did with my jam?)
• "What do you mean there's no car?" (In response to the fact the car broke down and I had to walk 12 blocks to the grocery store and back with 5 bags of veggies and cream and heavy stuff)

But later on things got better. I cooked it ALL by myself...Patty had to leave this morning. I'm so proud. Here are some photos to prove that I actually did it. After some debate I decided to also include the mistake phottos.......

I cooked the kabobs on a REAL (albeit ghetto) grill. Charcoal and all. Take THAT Dad.

The final layout. My host fam said I needed proof lol. Then after tasting it they loved it and said I was ready to be married. Hahaha. I said first I need to learn to cook a meal in less than 4 hours. 6 hours if you include the shopping.

Then dessert.....WHAT ISSSSS THAT?????? I know. It looks like dog poop. But everyone still ate it. Maybe just to be nice lol. But I swear it tasted delicious! And fudge is hard to make right? Especially when I had to hammer Carlos V candy bars instead of finding chocolate chips. Hahaha.

Plus....it's like glue!!!!! Never falls!

TLAYUDA!!!!

I did not inform you my friends, but last Sunday in the market of Alabastos I sat down for lunch and had the MOST AMAZING MEAL EVER!!!! I think (think being the key word) that Tlayudas may be my favorite Oaxacan dish. They are distinctive to Oaxaca and can also be known as Oaxacan Pizza. It consists of a super huge toasted homemade tortilla, spread with beans and lettuce and tomato and avocado. Normally people put on a slab of meat as well ( like in the picture below) , but I opted out of that. Sometimes people fold them to eat. Sometimes they break off pieces. Basically they are a mound of gooey and crunchy and deliciousy deliciousness!!!!! I plan to eat as many as I can before I leave (=

PS....I used um....like 10 napkins while eating this. whahaha.

YAYARGHHHWHEWWWW

Yes. I don't know what that means either. (my title that is)

What I do know is that I have 9 days left in Mexico.

I will see my family and boyfriend in 10 days and hopefully my friends soon after.

I am SO excited to see my family and Nate and friends and have Christmas at home and smell the Christmas tree and play my piano and sleep in my bed.

I am leaving my host family. Whom I love so so much. And although I know I'm coming back, I don't know when.

I am leaving beautiful Oaxaca.

I am REALLY nervous about my flight being messed up because of weather and Christmas or whatever happened last time.

I am going to FREEZE to DEATH.

Basically....I'm in denial. I don't know what to think. I am overwhelmed. I don't know what to do. So I'm sitting here. Having just finished my journal for my internship this week. I'm going to climb the stairs to the observatory where the Galegetza (spelled that wrong) to see the sunset this afternoon. And I don't know what to think. Agh.

Much love. Via Facebook I heard it;s snowing. Sorry. But I hope that stops!

PHOTO UPDATE

Here are some pictures from this past week......

Physiology

INTRODUCTION TO COURSE:

This week, the third week of my internship, is different than the others. There is a group here from Seattle, WA...woot woot! They're a construction team from Medical Teams Int. (which funds Manos de Vida) who've come to build 18 concrete floors in homes in Yagay. I am young. They are less young. Thus....I have been shoveling a TON of gravel for the past two days. 4 floors yesterday, 6 today, 4 tomorrow, and 4 thursday. I've also been spending ALL my time with the team and Manos de Vida....aka I don't have a social life this week. BUT....I've been having a lot of fun. They are really neat people. The team leader has been to Oax 16 times on work trips and is friends with Sharon and Jerry Benson...my preschool teachers! There are two couples (all 4 work for Microsoft) with sons my age. AND....the third couple is Mike Holmgren and his wife, Cathy. If you don't recognize the name (I didn't whoops)....Mike Holmgren is the former SEAHAWKS coach. He's a really nice guy. 6 foot 5! Brady.....I'm going to get you his autograph......whahahaha.

COURSE:

"MUSCLES USED WHEN SHOVELING GRAVEL 6 HOURS PER DAY"

• Shoulders....aka Nate I need a massage!
• Arms....aka those things that are shaking as I try to press these computer keys.
• Legs....aka covered in bruises from bracing the shovel to make up for my lack of upper body strength.
• Core....aka abs and back from who the heck knows!
• Blisters....aka those aren't really muscles.
• AND FACE ....AKA.....SMILING

Smiling after seeing the completed floors and the people, who are all helping as well, cry because they are so thankful. Just for the chance to improve the hygiene of their homes and the health of their children. For the food baskets we shopped for yesterday for each family as well. For something that someone has done for then....one of the first things that someone has done for them. Smiling after their generosity....giving oranges or Coke (agh coke and mexico!) to us. Shaking hands and answering questions for the group.

I don't know. It's just wonderful (=

(even though my body does ache like no other)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Today I went with my friend Erin to el Mercado de Abastos (the big market) to do some Christmas shopping. (it was a success hehehe) Here are the highlights:

• I know I've been here for like 4 months, but I haven't had my first TLAYUDA until today. Oh my golly gee heaven on earth. NOT an exaggeration. Giant toasted tortilla with beans, lechuga, quesillo, avocado y tomate. And folded. Meat is also an option. It was just.....ahhhhh. Follwed my nieve (ice) flavored as rosepetals. Which is strangely delicious (=.
• I bartered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be proud!!!!!!!!!!!!
• On the way back we walked through the Zocolo. Weirdest mix of sensations: a) it's 85 degrees and we're sweating.
• b) we stop to get raspas which are basically like snow cones c) there is a giant tree-ish gold sequiened Christmas tree structure in the square accompanied by a giant blow-up Santa
• d) the plants have all been taken out and replaced with poinsettas. there's even a tower of them in the center! thousands of red poinsettas!

That was a bullet mess lol. Anyway, I have a secret about this week that I can't tell you yet but will soon..... whahaha.

I love you guys. I'm so excited to see everyone again.

Random Stories to Tell

1. The director of Manos de Vida, Adam, is from Portland, Oregon. I just found out that his brother is Joel Moore who is an actor! He's the skinny, nerdy guy in Dodgeball that makes out with the uni-browed German woman. He's also been in other movies and has a main role in the big Avatar movie that's coming out in a couple weeks. Crazy!
2. Another girl in my group is doing a practica with an alternative medicines organization. She had a consult to experience how they are, and they recommended (among other things) for her to drink a cup of her own urine every morning to cleanse her body. Yesterday she tried it!
3. Yesterday my host mom and I were talking about cereal, and she told me that a life with just Special K (that's usually what I have in the mornings) is boring. I told her about this kind in the US that's my favorite (Honey Bunches of Oats anyone?). Today I came home and there was a huge box of Honey Bunches of Oats sitting on the table. She's SO nice. I love her (=. I'm making my homemade cinnamen rolls (SHOUTOUT TO DORIE DELANDS RECIPE HEHE) for them this weekend. They've never had them.
4. Today I had the MOST unfortunately ugly animal I have EVER seen in my life. The poor thing. It was a Aztec dog. They're apparently very expensive because of the tradition and history behind the breed...the Aztecs used to sacrifice and eat them....but they are "BIEN FEOS!" They have no hair and seem like part pig and part turkey.
5. I am preparing and researching (aka asking people who've been here) my chapulin smuggling process to get them across the border. I will bring grasshoppers home for you all to eat if it's the LAST THING I DO!!!! (does anyone know the fee for undeclared animals? dead ones? hehe)

Manos de Vida

Hello! I am finally writing about my internship! I've completed one week, three to go..... it's hard to describe. It's going to be hard work...I'm going to be tired and not have free time during the week, etc....but it's also going to be really rewarding. I'm excited.

So the organization is called Manos de Vida. Their offices are located in Southern Oaxaca (it takes me 45 minutes to walk there lol). My "boss" is the nurse whose name is Liz and pronounced Leez. The organization works in 6 communities in the outskirts of Oaxaca that are basically like slums where people have come down from their pueblos in the mountains to find work. They live in haphazard tin or wood one-room houses with dirt floors. Almost all of them speak different dialects apart from their espanol and cannot read or write. The situations are dire, especially at a first glance, but the people are amazing. They're so kind. And their kids are so fun.

Manos de Vida travels to each community at least 2 a week. They are really focused on helping the people by building relationships, which I really like. They have "Club" once a week that consists of bible school for the kids and classes for the moms about things like dental hygiene and how to cook soy or amaranto (look into it!) and the importance of cleanliness and bathing and things like that. Then they visit to check up on the kids....weigh the ones who are malnourished...visit their homes, etc. They also have big projects with groups of retired people who come from the US. One group was here the week before I started and built chicken coups (gallineros) and there's a group coming from Seattle not this week but the next that's going to help with 18 concrete floors in houses. They also build ecological bathrooms. It's like...Manos de Vida teaches the people about basic health and builds relationships, and they teach these people to teach the other people who "don't get it." So it's teaching them to help themselves. Which I think is the best way to work.

Anyway...my jobs this week were both in and out of the office....making copies, drawing chickens for a book about how to care for your chicken coup, giving surveys in the communities, playing with kids, hiking a mountain with them, participating in dental health classes, learning how to cook soya, etc.... Basically, I was REAL tired but had LOTS of fun and learned SO MUCH. IN ONLY ONE WEEK!

The pictures below are from Wednesday where we were in Yagay from 10 am until 7 pm, and I hiked the cactus infested mountain in shorts (bad idea), with some of the kids.

It's not as serene as it seems this giant mountain!

Yagay...the community from afar.

I got these stuck in my hand on the final ascent....they call them "jumping cacti". Ow. NOT FRIENDLY!!!

My friend Eliza. She's hard core. We had success and exito and reached the top!

Good Intentions

Hello all (=

I had the BEST INTENTIONS to spend time right now writing about this past week (week 1 of my internship) and I have LOTS to tell you, but I'm going to postpone that blog until tomorrow because of THANKSGIVING!!!!!

I just had a Thanksgiving dinner I will never forget lol. It's a few days late, but it was worth it. Thursday was kind of lonely...I was definitely homesick and missing my family, even though my host mom was SO sweet and made this chicken dish thing that had a sauce like gravy (=. It's just not the same when you eat it with rice and tortilla lol.

But today our group...all American students and various Oaxacan friends/boyfriends....had a Thanksgiving "comida." SO FUN!!!!

Here are some things our menu consisted of:

• 10 rotisserie chickens .... I HELPED CARVE!!!
• 16 pies .... pumpkin, apple, pie de queso, chocolate, cinnamen roll delight (?)
• 4, 4L bottles of wine ... seriously.
• our homemade (close as can be) versions of stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit salad, APPLESAUCE (that was almost like mom's!!!!), green bean casserole, gravy, etc.
• cookies with nutella lol, fudge

Needless to say....I am drunk on food, even though I didn't have any of the wine. There was lots of laughter and love, especially since we've all been off doing our own things this week and haven't seen one another.

For sure a Thanksgiving I won't forget. And as for homesickness....yes....it's true. But 3.5 weeks and I'll be home for Christmas. I can't wait for the hugging!!!

Chiapas Parte Tres....el Dia Turistico (Aguasazules y Palenque)

Here's my last Chiapas update! These pictures are from our second to last day in Chiapas....our "tourist" day. Yay! We went to Palenque, which was 5 hours away from San Cristobal. Palenque is different ruins. Mayan ruins. These ones were really neat and different then Monte Alban and Teohuatican...which may have been more impressive at first glance, but these were just as awe-inspiring. The pyramids were different.....more shapes and structures. Some of them seemed even like greek towers or castles. It was cool (= We were there for sunset too! AFTER my camera died.....lame lol.

Don't mess with the Mayans lol. Look at that skull!

These pictures are from Aguasazules, which are waterfalls in the jungle in Chiapas. We went on our way to Palenque and could even swim. THey were beautiful. And cool fact: we heard howler monkeys in the background the whole time we were there! Chido!

Chiapas Parte Dos....Tzaljechen y que Aprendimos

Here's the serious part of my Chiapas trip....

Besides being beautiful and fun, Chiapas was by far the most incredible and inspiring Witness for Peace trip in terms of what we learned. We spoke with the organizations SiPaz, Ceipac...etc...all human rights organizations in San Cristobal de las Casas, the city where we stayed. We learned about the militarization and paramilitarization of this state in particular. We learned about protests and fights by the Zapatista movement for Indigenous and human rights. We saw manisfestations and campouts in the city Zocolo to protest violent arrests by the government of campesinos and indigenous people, under the excuse of la guerra on narcrotrafficing. We learned about the specifics of what constitutes a "low instensity war," and how unjust this style of warfare is. AND we spent three days in a pueblo in the rainforest called Tzaljechen....birthplace of Las Abejas.

Las Abejas are a nonviolent organization who work to fight for indigenous rights, but are incredibly inspiring because of their solidarity and faith and commitment to non-violence. Tzaljechen is a coffee-growing community and, like many Zapatista communities, is autonomous. This means that they've chosen to cut themselves off from the government that is committing human rights violations. It also means that they receive no money, run their own schools, have their own system of government, etc. They are horribly poor but have an amazing dignity and perserverence for their cause. About ten years ago, in a nearby community called Acteal, where the Las Abejas organization is governed from, a group of paramilitaries entered a church of women and children and murdered them. They proceeded to even cut four fetuses out of their pregnant mothers and decapitate them. All because it was an autonomous, "abeja" community. We visited Acteal on our way back to San Cristobal. We spoke with the Board of Directors of Las Abejas and went into the church where the massacre took place. We visited the memorial for them and saw all the photos. It was horrible.

At the end/in all....Chiapas was very inspiring for me. As this is the third WFP trip, we've learned how leftist and one-sided they can be, so our group did a lot of our own research and talking......but to see the people and all we learned.....it was just an amazing trip.

PS....above are some photos from the 3 days we spent in the pueblos....

CHIAPAS Parte Uno....San Cristobal de las Casas

Last Wednesday night we set off on a bus, well drugged with Dramamine, with goals to arrive in San Cristobal de las Casas, in the more southern state of Chiapas, by the next morning. And behold....bleary eyed and with kinks in our necks we made it! San Cristobal is a really cool city. While Oaxacan tourists can be older and come to learn the language and culture and interact with the people, San Cristobal caters to the young and the adventure-seekers. Backpackers, outdoorsy-buffs, and politically leftist activists. The main city streets are smaller and quainter than in Oaxaca, and more colorful, but the city stretches beyond just the Zocolo and city center. The markets were colorful....I added photos of a fruit stand and bean stand....and lacking of the smell of chapulines! And the room I shared with Erin was cute and colorful. HOWEVER...it was COLD!!!!! Thus the blanket picture...(=

All in all it was a great trip. I'll add more later....we spend time in a pueblo called Tzaljechen and one called Acteal.....we learned bastante about las Zapatistas and their movement as well as a non-violent organization called Las Abejas (the bees)....then we talked about everything surrounding this conflict....the paramilitarization of Chiapas, etc., etc. etc. I'll put another post about that later. But it was a GREAT "vacation" EXCEPT I got sick. With a parasite. In the pueblo. That involved not being able to eat and fainting and throwing up and diarrhea in a toilet that I had to flush my hand and yep....it was great. But I survived (= I'm here to tell the tale. And I still came away with great memories and lots that I learned.

So more later....but love to all! I'm glad to be back.

ADIOS for 8 days...

Hello All....

This is going to be a short post because I'm late. I'm sorry.

I'm leaving for Chiapas in an hour. We are taking an 11 hour bus ride to arrive at San Cristobal, a city in Chiapas which is the Mexican state south of Oaxaca and the poorest state in Mexico.

I'm very excited....we will be hearing from leaders of many social justice organizations there, talking a lot about the Zapatista movement, exploring the beautiful city, spending another 2 nights in the middle of the week staying in a pueblo like the one I visited in October, and having free time to explore the rainforest, waterfalls, and Mayan ruins.

I'll check in if we have a computer in our hostel in San Cristobal. Otherwise, talk to you ain about 9 days. I love you!

A Weekend in Paradise

PUERTO ESCONDIDO:

Motocross Competition

International Surfing Competition...with Australians!

A few days in the sunshine swimming and relaxing at the beach....I made a turtle!

A cute and fun fisherman's warf....we saw someone with a 75 pound HUGE like needle pointy nosed thing.

A Weekend in Paradise (=

Side note: We had a great time, the only problems we ran into were on the way there...a van just 15 minutes ahead of us was stopped and robbed by people who had put big rocks across the road and had knives and a gun. So we rode much of the way with our money and ipods and phones and camaras in our bras. Thank God no one was hurt and our group didn't get stopped. We saw the rocks. The second danger we encountered was cool! The second day there were Manterays in the water! We had to get out like, 4 times, every time they got close because they were circling the cove. But I'd never seen one before! Steve Irwin!

Yay for relaxation and good friends (=

Bbbbbbbrrrrrrr........

Ok. So since Muertos the weather has been COLD! not like, snowing or raining lots cold, but like....pants and goosebumps and windy and I'm wearing a sweatshirt with my hood on right now COLD!!!! I asked my host mom why and she said that the dead bring the "fresco" every year and that it's not going to be HOT anymore. WHAT? Why did no one tell me this? I brought one sweatshirt and one light jacket and NO long sleeved shirts and only ONE pair of long pants/jeans. I'm in Mexico for gosh sakes! I don't know what I'm going to do! The other problem with this realization is that I just checked the weather on my computer for Mexico and for Burlington (home). Burlington right now is at 44 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm sitting here, unable to get warm and guess what Oaxaca is at? 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Seriously. I'm going to DIE when I go back to Washington. Dear me. What has Mexico DONE to me? haha Next thing you know I'll be moving to Palm Desert or something.....just kidding (=

Also....for everyone's information, I will not be blogging for the next few days BECAUSE I'm GOING TO THE BEACH!!!! YAY!!!! This time we are going to Puerto Escondido and staying in a Hostel. There is an international surfing competition this weekend and it's our last 3 day weekend (our classes end next Wednesday and we leave for Chiapas that night). So thus, we must celebrate basking in the sun. Especially since it's cold here! I'm excited. And this time I won't be kind of like the hostess or have responsibilities to take care of my family's apartment, so I think I will be less stressed. The only thing I'm nervous about is that I'm trying to save as much money as possible, so we are taking camionetas (surburbans) instead of autobuses (giant buses with bathrooms). They are cheaper and much quicker but the drivers are CRAZY and I have like, 200 times more of a chance of getting carsick. I'll bring some bags....and OD on Dramamine lol. We are leaving tomorrow at 3 and can sleep off the van ride all night in the hostel and be roaring to go on Friday. Then I'll leave Escondido Saturday night so I only have to pay for 2 nights in the hostel. GRAND PLAN! I'm looking forward to lots of sun, relaxation, fun, and some surfing that's muy CHIDO!!!!

So hasta luego my loves. I miss you all. Take care.....stay warm!

Pensamientos

Like my new SHIRT?! I bought it to wear for Muertos....at least, that was my excuse for buying it (=

Things I've stopped counting:

• How many mosquito bites I've gotten. (I HATE mosquitos) I think it's reached millions....I'm NOT exaggerating.
• How many tortillas I've eaten. I don't even want to know. Mom and Dad...if I get off the plane and look pregnant....I swear it's just my tortilla belly!
• Ants that I've squished...I'm sorry Allie!
• Times that I've tripped or stumbled while walking in the street. 1) There's so much to look at! 2) The streets and sidewalks are uneven. Thus....it's not my fault!
• How many times I've ALMOST been hit by motorized vehicles. Haven't died yet (=
• How many times I've had to say "No Gracias" to the street venders selling everything from hammocks to combs to clothes to food to CHAPULINES! (I don't count those as food)
• How many protests/parades/marches/demonstrations/manisfestaciones/public celebraciones that I've witnessed. Communist rallys, marches for Indigenous rights, wedding parades, performances of the dance of the pineapple (really lol...at the end they give the pineapples to the crowd) ETC.

Muertos 4 ... Las Comparsas

The tradition of Comparsas is like what my school did last Friday. A parade through the streets with costumes and dancing and a band. However, the original idea of Comparsas is a public dance illustrating and making a game of the idea of Death. The characters in the dance traditionally include Death, the Devil, someone dying, a Doctor, Coffinbearers, etc. Now comparsas have evolved beyond this original story....however they still include elaborate homemade costumes as well as lots of music and dancing. I went on Sunday to Comparsas in the nearby pueblo of Etla with President Anderson and his wife and some of my other peers. It was a lot of fun....here are some pictures of the costumes and festivities.

Muertos 3 .... Los Planteones/GRAVEYARDS

Saturday night....the 31st...I had an interesting experience. We went to a cemetery in Oaxaca called San Miguel (less authentic) and one in a nearby pueblo called Xoxo (pronounced "HoHo" like Santa Klaus). It was a experience of juxtaposition. The celebrating that included food and Mezcal and carnival rides and music. And then the waiting and mourning and decorating of the graves. Especially in Xoxo, some of the older, Indigenous people had sat down to wait and it was obvious that they believe in the spirit of the Muertos. It's a beautiful tradition. I'm glad I got to witness it.