Fiestas patrias

I love 'merica, I really do. But "patriotic" is one of the last words I would ever use to describe myself. I can't remember the last time I actively observed the 4th of July. (Actually, that's a lie. It was the 2012 Blacknall mission trip to Philadelphia, and I was mostly invested in the free Joe Jonas concert). So, yeah, I feel a little guilty that I've been so gung-ho for all of the Mexican Independence Day festivities. But can you really blame me?! Let me tell you, they go ALL OUT for this holiday.

Cabalgata

It all began on Wednesday night, when everyone flocked to the zócalo to watch the procession of horses and family-made parade floats. Let's just say I now grasp the significance of the saying "don't rain on my parade," because it was seriously pouring and the celebration was both literally and figuratively dampened. Also all of my attempts at pictures turned out like this:

If you squint you can maybe make out a guy riding a horse.

El Grito

On what I like to refer to as "Independence Day Eve" (the 15th), people gather in the center of their respective cities to relive the famous moment when Miguel Hidalgo cried out to his countrymen and urged them to revolt against Spanish rule. And what better way to honor this historical occasion than by eating street food, yelling ¡Viva México!, and watching a fireworks show?  

Eating esquite preparado-- corn off the cob mixed with mayo, salsa, cheese, and some mystery (to me) ingredients.

You kinda had to be there?

16 de septiembre

I skipped the post-El Grito dance party to get to bed and rest up for the next day's activities, which included marching in the desfile with a local primary school. I showed up early decked out in my traditional playera-- picked out specially for me by a very flattering father-son sales team in the artisan's market the day before. While waiting for my tutor to arrive, I started feeling very sick (was it the corn? surely not the churro?!). So I watched the first ten minutes of the parade then peaced out to spend the rest of the day in bed. 

My "I woke up early and got dressed up for this I need photographic evidence" solo shot

El Tepozteco

I'm usually eager to use any form of sickness as an excuse to abstain from all physical activity, but for some strange reason I decided to go through with my plans to visit Tepoztlán and hike the (in)famous cerro on Saturday. Hikers' blogs and TripAdvisor reviews had warned us that trek was "moderate to difficult," but I was not prepared for the grueling/slippery/altogether exhausting experience that was the journey up and down the mountain. I'm not sure if it made me feel better or worse about myself to see children, elderly people, and mothers carrying infants all along the route, but I do know the struggle was well worth it when we arrived at the pyramid ruins and were surrounded by incredible views.

My kind of road trip: fresh tamales for the drive

Do you see the gorilla face?

Halfway to the top

We made it!!

Way up I feel blessed

#views

Thought these creepy coatís were only at Iguazú but nope

Post-hike noms

Chiles en nogada

This local delicacy is only available this time of year, and its red, green, and white color scheme corresponds to the patriotic season. I was dreading unsure about trying the dish-- a poblano chile stuffed with meat and dried fruits, topped with egg, a creamy walnut sauce, and pomegranate seeds-- but I was pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of the odd combination. I documented my progress because yolo:

Fun fact: At this point the restaurant's pet squirrel was terrorizing me

Not bad, gordita, not bad

As you can probably tell by the frequent posts, I have a bit too much free time on my hands... It's been raining most evenings and I can't bring myself to brave the elements to wander aimlessly just for the sake of getting out and about. Here's to hoping that this next week brings positive developments for my housing and hobbies searches!

"Don't Happy, Be Worry"

Of all the comically nonsensical English graphic tees I've seen while traveling the world, this one might take the cake. I'm really hoping that whoever mixed up this classic lyric did so intentionally, although I am almost positive that the wearer of said t-shirt was unaware of the error.

Regardless of how this hilarious piece of apparel came to be, it actually prompted some valuable reflection on my part. This last week brought its fair share of wonderfully weird and (now) laughably awful moments, and believe it or not this silly shirt reminded me to step back and marvel at how lucky I am to be here, because too often I indeed "be worry" more than I "do happy."

I was forced into this photo op

For your reading pleasure, I present a review de la semana pasada:

Friday: Mariposa social

I spend so much time on my own here that any social interaction is a personal victory. Needless to say, a day with several consecutive plans is *Donald Trump voice* h u g e. 

I was waiting in the university library on Friday morning, regretting that I had woken up early on my day off to provide a tutoring session when it appeared that no one was going to attend. One student eventually came in to suggest that I use a classroom for the session instead. Turns out the whole class wanted to participate! The result: a chaotic game of Apples to Apples in which the students were either extremely creative or horribly confused (e.g. pairings like bitter + unicorn or president + painful). 

Next I met my tutor in the centro to look at apartments and visit the primary school where I'm going to volunteer. I chatted with some very enthusiastic teachers who told me many things I didn't quite understand, but I think it's going to be fun? Plus I got to meet my tutor's adorable daughter (who soon afterward took me by the hand to cross the street, oh my heart!).

Later in the day the librarian from the university took me to see a place her niece is renting. It's unfurnished and far away from everything but yay for nice people who want to help me! The search continues...

After that I met my former housemate and friend (!!) in the zócalo to drink chocolate and listen to live music. Since I don't venture out much after dark, I had yet to see downtown come alive at night:

I returned to the house, which was totally quiet. Thinking everyone had retired for the night, I put on my pajamas and settled in for a night of Gilmore Girls (don't worry, I now watch with Spanish subtitles so it's a slightly educational experience). The family returned and insisted I join them outside for dinner and s'mores, so I shuffled out in my sleepwear to hang out with la familia and-- much to my surprise-- a small group of neighbors... 

Saturday: Road trip or progressive meal?

When my host family invited me on their weekend trip, I decided to take them up on the offer because a) it might be a cultural adventure and b) what else would I do? So we all set off for Chiautla on Saturday morning (hours later than planned, it appears the McSwains aren't the only manada de tortugas). Squeezed into the backseat with two squirming boys who kept asking ¿cuánto falta? and riding down dirt highways riddled with ditches and boulders could have been straight up miserable, but between the naps and food stops mis hermanitos and I were kept full and content.

Instead of exits full of fast food options, the comida rápida here consists of pulling up next to a roadside stand that sells whatever you're craving. Our first indulgence was elote (think NC State Fair corn on the cob plus chili powder), followed by raspados:

Shaved ice & canned peaches? Weirdly delicious.

Not until halfway through the fruity snow cone did I stop to wonder if the ice was made from purified water. I settled in for the rest of the trip hoping my body didn't reject the refreshing dessert...

Our destination (some relative's home?) was a gorgeous limón farm out in the country. Soon more relatives arrived and I proceeded to sit quietly and smile along to the 5-hour-long conversation, while helping to prepare and devour lunch:

Meet the delicious pambazo. Kinda like a sloppy joe? Also my latest frenemy because it may or may not have made me ill. 

At one point we had some downtime, and I continued reading Quiet on my Kindle (an ironic yet excellent way to avoid small talk-- go Susan Cain and go introverts!).

Playing the photo obsessed tourist is another convenient way to escape awkward group dynamics

On the car ride back we added two young cousins to our five-person car, but I managed to sleep despite the extra elbows. 

We spent the night in Izúcar de Matamoros with some friends of the family, but not before grabbing some tacos at a local joint (dun dun dun).

Sunday: Literalmente no puedo

Long story short (i.e. edited for gross content), I became very sick on Sunday morning. The jury's out as to whether my "overindulgence" in the *gasp* two pambazos was to blame, or maybe the cilantro on my taco wasn't washed properly, or maybe the ice wasn't safe... Who knows. After an awful few hours of illness in a new acquaintance's home, I took some meds and got ready for our day trip to the Ex-Hacienda de Chautla. Though I was obviously not feeling my best, I can't deny the beauty of the castillo and surrounding park.

This photo is brought to you by Pepto Bismol

Can you spot the gringa? Doubt it.

Fountain made from calavera

School week:

To keep from rambling too much (more), here are some pictures to sum up my time at the university this past week.

Gotta love that walk from the house to the combi stop

Early morning combi rides= 5 pesos. Window views of Popo= priceless! 

BUAP-Atlixco, my host institution

Maestra in action

Quote by my idol Freire on the classroom wall!!

Field trip to a partner campus! As you'll see, my co-chaperone loves taking photos...

She directed this photo shoot

Mali and a mermaid

When they put you in charge but you don't know what's going on lol

Felicidades if you made it this far! Don't worry, (be happy!) a holiday-themed post is close behind I'm just too lazy to keep writing. ¡Hasta pronto!

Capitalizing

Last weekend I felt a twinge of jealousy when I realized that everyone in los Estados Unidos (except for those in the land of ceaseless rigor that is Davidson College, of course) would be getting Monday off for Labor Day. I suppose that reaction is slightly unreasonable given that I technically have a 3-day weekend every week (but FOMO has no logic amirite?!). I've already been roped into some Friday-morning tutoring and volunteering commitments, but for the most part I'll be using that time to explore locally and travel around the country.

The need to file some paperwork at the migration office made the choice of where to spend my first free weekend an easy one. I boarded a bus to Puebla on Friday morning, fully prepared for my residencia request to be denied based on any number of pointless bureaucratic policies. Miraculously, the process went off without a hitch (I even managed to make a new friend!), and I set off to tour the capital city. 

According to my iPhone pedometer, I ended up walking more than 10 miles that day (hashtag fitness goals). This is either impressive or embarrassing when you take into account that I only covered a teeny area surrounding the zócalo. I always abide by the number one rule of touristing: walk with purpose, even if you have no idea where you are. In this case, I essentially "walked with purpose" in circles for 5ish consecutive hours... But my solo wandering was thoroughly enjoyable, since I found amazing architecture, adorable craft markets, and other ~*cultural*~ delights around every corner. 

Capilla del Rosario

"Testimonios de Fe," an amazing exhibit of retablos in Museo Amparo

Being in the city also allowed me to reconnect with other Fulbrighters in my region (aka commiserate about the hard transition and grant each other permission to give into our pizza cravings). My mentor, a second-year ETA, let me stay with her in the nearby hipster town of Cholula, home to the world's largest pyramid, which is now covered over by a church-topped hill.

Started from the bottom of the cerro now we here

I felt súper accomplished going into my first real week in Atlixco with two cool destinations already under my belt, and my self-esteem has only increased this week as I am now referred to as miss or maestra by students, coworkers, and strangers alike. I'm definitely starting to find a ritmo, especially when it comes to my role at the university (more on that some other time).  

To close, I'll say that the whole "give your teacher an apple" thing is much, uh, spicier here in México. [Disclaimer: I purchased this manzana con chamoy from a student, but the sentiment is the same, right?]