To see all my pics from this trip click here.I haven’t been blogging much because there really hasn’t been a lot to talk about here in México. My weekday life is pretty much set at this point because I work and then there aren’t many options during the evening (that are safe for me). I get up around 7 am and go to the Parque de los viveros where there are people walking, running, and doing yoga. I don’t think my lungs have adjusted to the air here; I don’t want to assume that it’s the pollution, but that’s my initial thought. I can’t run as long or as fast here without being very out of breath. Anyway, I run and get ready for work. ProDesarrollo has 11 people in its office (which is actually an apartment that they’ve turned into an office). Like SEEP, everyone there is always busy but they’re all super nice. This week I spent a lot of time getting to know ProDesarrollo and how it functions internally; that means a lot of reading, researching, and asking questions. I feel like for that reason alone my Spanish has improved in the one week I’ve been here. So far I have yet to hold any conversations in English—I even just bought a book in Spanish so I’m hoping that helps too.
My favorite part of the work day is going to lunch with my co-workers. So far this week they have had me try a different kind of food every day. I’ve had tostados, comida corrida (this is like a cheap 5 course meal), chupas, and sushi (which is different here). All the food is good! But you know me and my sensitive stomach, so I have to be careful. So far, so good, but I’m very careful about what and where I eat. I’m wary of the people selling food on the street…but I’ve broken down twice already with that. I also love the fruit shakes and salads they sell near Viveros; I can buy fresh squeezed juice with my favorite fruit EVERY DAY for 10 pesos (roughly $1). Today was orange, mango, strawberry, and papaya =)
After work I walk home and watch “Querida Enemiga,” a new Mexican telenovela (soap opera). There are 2 more telenovelas that I sometimes watch, but I’m not really as in to them and quite frankly after 2 hours of bad acting and awful plots you just stop paying attention! It’s good for my Spanish though and I learn lots of little Mexican words/slang.
Not to say that my days here are boring…but they can get that way. That’s why I was so excited for this first weekend because I would finally get to do some sightseeing. Claudia (the girl I work with the most) helped me arrange a tour schedule; I went through my book and picked out things I wanted to see and she told me which ones I could visit alone and which ones she would accompany me to; she also planned a couple of trips to places that involve driving out of Mexico City like Acapulco and a trip to the Aztec Pyramids.
Friday I went to el museo Frida Kahlo, which is actually just her house and is right down the street from my office. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pictures of the inside of her house—only her garden area. But it was really neat to see the things I had learned about in my class. Her major paintings weren’t there, but I got to see the bed she laid in when she was in a body cast; a wooden bed frame with a mirror built into the canopy. Frida Kahlo was in a car accident as a young girl that caused her to have physical problems and chronic pain her entire life. During the accident a steel rod went though her abdomen and for a year she had to wear a body cast and lie in bed. Her father put the mirror above her and gave her drawing materials to occupy her time; this was the beginning of her numerous self-portraits. Anyway, she had an interesting life and it was so cool to be in her house.
Saturday I got up early and went to the Alameda, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and La Torre Latinoamericana. This involved using the México City metro system for the first time—it’s similar to DC’s metro but 5 times bigger and 10 times cheaper! I rode what would be the equivalent of going from Shady Grove to Dupont Circle, for 40 cents. Their metro is not quite as nice as ours though; for example there’s no AC, people are constantly trying to sell things to you, and it’s crowded all the time. But it’s cheap and it gets you everywhere.
I went to Bellas Artes as it was opening up and got to see the murals of the famous artists Diego Rivera (Frida’s husband), Jorge Gonzales Camerena, David Alfaro Siquieros and José Clemente Orozco. Their murals were amazing and most had to do with Mexican history, heritage, and their future as a culture. Most of the murals were so big I couldn’t fit the entire painting into the screen of my camera, but even just looking at the pieces of each mural is incredible.
After Bellas Artes I walked around the city a little bit and tried not to get lost. I visited the most elegant post office I’ve ever seen and then went to the 44th floor of the Torre Latinoamericana to see the view of Mexico City. I then took a stroll through the Alameda park and looked at all the merchandise and food being sold.
I finally stopped to eat at a taco place and consumed 4 small tacos (not anything like the ones you’re thinking of). On a random but related note, the men here creep me out. The guy who sat me at a table said “Eh bonita, ven aqui…” Every time someone wants my attention they call out “¡bonita!” o “¡reina!” It’s cute, but a little annoying. Anyway, I didn’t really want to eat there, but it was a larger kiosk with tables which made me hope it was a little cleaner and the food wouldn’t make me sick. The cooks took an immediate interest in me and wanted to shake my hand--weird. I obviously stand out here, but it’s annoying to be approached by people all the time or yelled at in bad English. I can usually ignore it but people here are not afraid to get in your face.
I returned to Coyoacan, took a short nap and then headed back out to explore my own neighborhood a bit. I managed to find the open market to buy fresh fruit as well as the center of town, but there wasn’t a lot to take pictures of.
My favorite part of the work day is going to lunch with my co-workers. So far this week they have had me try a different kind of food every day. I’ve had tostados, comida corrida (this is like a cheap 5 course meal), chupas, and sushi (which is different here). All the food is good! But you know me and my sensitive stomach, so I have to be careful. So far, so good, but I’m very careful about what and where I eat. I’m wary of the people selling food on the street…but I’ve broken down twice already with that. I also love the fruit shakes and salads they sell near Viveros; I can buy fresh squeezed juice with my favorite fruit EVERY DAY for 10 pesos (roughly $1). Today was orange, mango, strawberry, and papaya =)
After work I walk home and watch “Querida Enemiga,” a new Mexican telenovela (soap opera). There are 2 more telenovelas that I sometimes watch, but I’m not really as in to them and quite frankly after 2 hours of bad acting and awful plots you just stop paying attention! It’s good for my Spanish though and I learn lots of little Mexican words/slang.
Not to say that my days here are boring…but they can get that way. That’s why I was so excited for this first weekend because I would finally get to do some sightseeing. Claudia (the girl I work with the most) helped me arrange a tour schedule; I went through my book and picked out things I wanted to see and she told me which ones I could visit alone and which ones she would accompany me to; she also planned a couple of trips to places that involve driving out of Mexico City like Acapulco and a trip to the Aztec Pyramids.
Friday I went to el museo Frida Kahlo, which is actually just her house and is right down the street from my office. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pictures of the inside of her house—only her garden area. But it was really neat to see the things I had learned about in my class. Her major paintings weren’t there, but I got to see the bed she laid in when she was in a body cast; a wooden bed frame with a mirror built into the canopy. Frida Kahlo was in a car accident as a young girl that caused her to have physical problems and chronic pain her entire life. During the accident a steel rod went though her abdomen and for a year she had to wear a body cast and lie in bed. Her father put the mirror above her and gave her drawing materials to occupy her time; this was the beginning of her numerous self-portraits. Anyway, she had an interesting life and it was so cool to be in her house.
Saturday I got up early and went to the Alameda, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and La Torre Latinoamericana. This involved using the México City metro system for the first time—it’s similar to DC’s metro but 5 times bigger and 10 times cheaper! I rode what would be the equivalent of going from Shady Grove to Dupont Circle, for 40 cents. Their metro is not quite as nice as ours though; for example there’s no AC, people are constantly trying to sell things to you, and it’s crowded all the time. But it’s cheap and it gets you everywhere.
I went to Bellas Artes as it was opening up and got to see the murals of the famous artists Diego Rivera (Frida’s husband), Jorge Gonzales Camerena, David Alfaro Siquieros and José Clemente Orozco. Their murals were amazing and most had to do with Mexican history, heritage, and their future as a culture. Most of the murals were so big I couldn’t fit the entire painting into the screen of my camera, but even just looking at the pieces of each mural is incredible.
After Bellas Artes I walked around the city a little bit and tried not to get lost. I visited the most elegant post office I’ve ever seen and then went to the 44th floor of the Torre Latinoamericana to see the view of Mexico City. I then took a stroll through the Alameda park and looked at all the merchandise and food being sold.
I finally stopped to eat at a taco place and consumed 4 small tacos (not anything like the ones you’re thinking of). On a random but related note, the men here creep me out. The guy who sat me at a table said “Eh bonita, ven aqui…” Every time someone wants my attention they call out “¡bonita!” o “¡reina!” It’s cute, but a little annoying. Anyway, I didn’t really want to eat there, but it was a larger kiosk with tables which made me hope it was a little cleaner and the food wouldn’t make me sick. The cooks took an immediate interest in me and wanted to shake my hand--weird. I obviously stand out here, but it’s annoying to be approached by people all the time or yelled at in bad English. I can usually ignore it but people here are not afraid to get in your face.
I returned to Coyoacan, took a short nap and then headed back out to explore my own neighborhood a bit. I managed to find the open market to buy fresh fruit as well as the center of town, but there wasn’t a lot to take pictures of.
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