Thursday my International Relations professor asked us exchange students about our preconceived notions of Mexico: what did we expect to see here?
I thought really hard. I studied the history of Mexico a bit at Smith, and I read La Jornada and the Huffington Post for news of Mexico for months before I got here, so of course I must have had some expectations. But I really can't think of very many. I guess I expected Mexico City to look more like New York, in terms of skyscrapers and subways, and then I discovered that Mexico City looks like the end of the world. Yet mostly I was surprised by things I never considered, like children on the street with no parents in sight, and the men and boys who will wash your windshield for a few pesos. I continue to be surprised by the rampant poverty. My IR professor told us that almost half the population of Mexico has a yearly income below the official poverty level. I also discounted the importance of colonialism in shaping the nation, which is a very silly thing for a history major to do. I guess I've always been interested in the history of indigenous peoples, and how Mexico's indigenous past shaped the country's present. But now I think that Mexico today was shaped just as much by New Spain as it was by the Maya and Aztecs, etc. I think one reason I continue to be surprised by Mexico is my lack of preconceived notions. Mostly I just expected Mexico to be different from the United States. Different how? I didn't know. When I imagine other countries, I end up with similar results. I read the news, read books, and so on, but when I try to imagine what it must be like to live in another country, I draw a blank. Sometimes I think this means I suffer from lack of a vivid imagination, and sometimes I think it's a good thing. I show up in a new country (which for me is any country outside of America del Norte), and I am a blank page, waiting for the story.
On another topic, yesterday I went to see a pop/rock concert with a chica from PMCSP. I can't for the life of me remember the group's name, but they played, "Somebody to Love" by Queen and it reminded me of a Luna lover I miss sooooooo much. Después del concierto, we went to eat churros. They're kind of like fried dough, only better. She had a churro with maple honey, clearly a good choice. I opted for chocolate. When in doubt, always opt for chocolate. Next weekend me and aforementioned chica are going to Tlaxcala, the capital of the smallest state in Mexico. I'm excited!
Classes are going well. I have a lot less academic stress here. That's one thing I do not miss about Smith: the academic panic that happens at least twice a week and a lot more before finals. My Temática de Colonia class will be taking a lot of field trips in September and October. Expect pictures! I don't think I ever went of a field trip with a Smith class, except for hiking in geology labs.
Word of the Day: colchón. It means mattress. My host mom had to buy a new colchón for a woman who rents a room here because the old one finally died.
It goes without saying that I miss all of you, too too much. Also, I am forgetting how to spell simple English words. For instance, I just spent about 2 minutes considering the word, "Goes." You mean it isn't spelled "Gos?"
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