The Many Faces of Angeles and Fernando

Day 60 in Mexico

I thought this might be a good time to talk a bit more about my host family. Who are Angeles and Fernando? After all, these people have invited me into their family and home for a year, it would seem fair that I should get to know a little bit about them. And so I have, mainly through our after dinner conversations, which can easily stretch an hour or more. There’s no two ways about it – they are a couple of characters, and their lives have been far crazier than I could have ever imagined when I originally got a description of them, or even when I first met them. I’ve already said a little bit about them, and for those of you who don’t remember, here’s a refresher – Fernando is a taxi driver. Angeles takes care of the house. They have three grown children, all of whom live in the same neighborhood and have families of their own. They have their family over for a late breakfast on Saturdays. They are very involved in their church, and often have meetings in the evenings regarding church events. However, this isn’t the half of it. When I mentioned that they’ve dedicated their lives to social justice, I didn’t realize exactly how literal that statement was. Let’s start with Fernando…

Fernando – taxi driver, father, life risking social activist, Zapatista, lucha libre fighter. I don’t know exactly how we got started on the topic (I don’t know how we start talking about half of the stuff we talk about) but one night Fernando proceeds to tell me about the time he went to Nicaragua. During their civil war. Apparently, during the war between the Contras and the Sandanistas in Nicaragua, Fernando went with a group from Mexico to cut the coffee plants during their harvest season in Nicaragua. He didn’t exactly explain why he went to do this; I think it was a way in which to assist the poor people of Nicaragua, who during the time of violence didn’t have time to attend to their crops. This was no small trip; he told me that it was so dangerous to go there during the war, he went figuring he had a 50-50 chance of coming back. His daughter got married a couple days before he left, just in case. Their priest called Angeles the “almost-widow.” As he was describing his trip, he told me how he was always armed with a gun and grenades while he was there, how they heard gunfire all around them, how one time he got lost and separated from his group and was wandering around by himself, trying to find them. He stayed there for a month and a half, until the coffee harvest was done. Just as I was thinking that how crazy he was for risking his life like that, Fernando launches into his next social justice story. He went down to Chiapas in 1994, right after the appearance of the ELZN (Zapatista National Liberation Army). For those of who don’t know, the Zapatistas are a guerrilla army that primarily fight for social justice and land rights for the indigenous people of Chiapas (Chiapas is one of the states in Mexico with the greatest indigenous population). This army is often at odds with the Mexican government and army, which have never been known to cater to the poor, indigenous populations, and Chiapas has experienced some turbulent and violent times because of this. The Zapatista leader is Subcomandante Marcos, whom Fernando (surprise, surprise) has been in meetings with. He went to Chiapas to help support the ELZN movement, to bring the people living in the mountains there supplies, and aid Subcomandante Marcos and the army in their (he said he was usually appointed as one of the watchmen, to make sure no one attacked Marcos or his men). So, there you have it. My host dad is a Zapatista.

His story doesn’t end there. He was also a lucha libre fighter in his spare time! Lucha libre is Mexican wrestling, where men in masks and costumes with crazy names wrestle in arenas. It’s more show that actual wrestling however, much like the WWE. Apparently this is what Fernando did on weekends for 20+ years, and Angeles would take the kids down to the arena to watch him. I thought it was interesting that there was a significant amount of lucha libre apparel and memorabilia in our house (like his mask, shown here), but just thought they were fans of the sport. Never would I have guessed Fernando was actually the one doing the wrestling. As Angeles put it for me, “He fought inside the ring, and fought outside of it for justice.” Which brings me to Angeles…

Angeles – mother, devout Catholic, tireless and fearless fighter for social justice. Though she didn’t accompany Fernando on his trip to war torn Nicaragua, she did go with him to Chiapas to help bring aid to the people in the mountains. This little woman has stood face to face with Subcomandante Marcos (she was describing how he was actually a pretty attractive guy, even though he always wears a black mask covering half his face) and has trekked through the mountains of Chiapas, sleeping on the ground and giving her clothes away as she went to lighten her load. She also told me that during the civil war in El Salvador, she and Fernando helped El Salvadorians fleeing their country to come to Mexico. They helped arrange places to stay for these refugees, but had to speak in code over the phone, in case the phone lines were tapped. And of course, she and Fernando both have marched and protested in many different demonstrations here in Mexico. There was recently a protest about the power company here, Luz y Fuerza. Angeles told me that it was going to happen, but that she doesn’t participate as much as she used to now that she’s older. The next day, the protest was shown on the news, and Fernando turned to Angeles and said, “We really should have been there.” She just nodded in agreement. Apparently age hasn’t slowed them down much. It should also be mentioned that they decided to tell me all these stories on the same night, back to back. All I could say is, “You guys are crazy.”

So, there you have it. I feel like I’m living with living Mexican history; they haven’t let Latin America’s turbulent times pass them by quietly, they have been involved the whole way, fighting to make their country a better and more just place. For those of you who would like some more background information about the social movements I mentioned above, here are some helpful links (they’re Wikipedia, but they’ll do):

Nicaraguan civil war: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras

Zapatista movement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation

Lucha libre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucha_libre

Why Are All My Birthdays in Latin America?

Day 50 in Mexico

Good news this week – the creepy crawly critters have not shown themselves in my room, the bathroom, or the stairs. Either the second fumigation really did do them in (I think the first fumigation attempt just riled them up), or they’re in hiding, regrouping and planning their counter attack. I’m really, really hoping it’s not the latter.

The time since I last wrote did indeed prove to be eventful, most notably with my birthday on Sunday. It’s never ideal to spend your birthday away from your friends and family, but my fellow volunteers came through in fine style for me. Like I mentioned, we had a mini celebration at our monthly meeting last weekend, but we got in a good deal of celebration this weekend as well. We all decided to meet in the downtown on Saturday night, after the Tlamacazapa girls got back into Cuernavaca. When I arrived there, I got out of my taxi to an absolute madhouse:

people everywhere, many in Mexico jerseys with painted faces, yelling and cheering, dancers, drummers, people waving Mexican flags, and a group of crazies running out in the street to jump en masse on the bumpers of passing cars and buses, jiggling them up and down. At first I was like, what Mexican holiday is it that I don’t know about it? Turns out it was even more important than a national holiday; Mexico’s football (read: soccer) team beat El Salvador, qualifying them for the World Cup. I don’t even know if I can describe how important or prevalent soccer is here; I guess there’s obsession, and then there’s Mexican soccer. Anyway, as I was busy snapping some photos of the revelry, Peter and Sara arrived, and we went out for a few birthday beers at a café while we waited for the other girls to join us. Not only did I get a free beer, I also got sung to by my fellow volunteers (Katie and Sarah too, once they arrived) and a surprise birthday treat (it was kind of like a fancy ho-ho) brought to me by the waiters; they even wrote “Happy B-day” on it in English. I was impressed.

Afterwards, we wandered down to La Plazuela, a popular bar lined street that features everything from small watering holes with live guitar music to full-on discotheques. We opted for a livelier spot with dancing. It was the first time we had been actually “out” in Cuernavaca, and we all had a lot of fun. Of course, when we left it was pouring rain and none of us had any sort of umbrella or jacket, but luckily we all got taxis quickly and headed home. On Sunday, my actual birthday, we met up again at the same retreat center we were at for orientation for relaxing and swimming. I also took advantage of the phone and Internet to make some birthday phone/Skype calls. The pool turned out to be a bit chilly; only Katie and I were brave enough to get in. Still, it was a very enjoyable afternoon, and I left feeling refreshed. Sara even brought me a scarf that she knit herself as a present; every time I see her she has a new craft that she learned at her work sites. It’s a legit scarf too (like you would actually pay money for it); once it actually gets chilly enough to wear scarves (if it ever does) it won’t leave my neck. My birthday present to myself (besides blowing almost a third of my month’s allowance in one night, haha) was having a Mass-free weekend. As much as I like that Angeles and Fernando include me, their weekends are so full of activities (almost always church activities) that I sometimes feel like I don’t get a weekend when I go along. It was very nice to have a couple days all to myself to do as I pleased. I may try to cut my Mass count down to one a week, try a different church once in awhile, and have an occasional church-free weekend.

Work has also been busy for the last few days. As I mentioned, I had a visitor from EdgewoodCollege come to watch me work in the kindergarten on Friday morning. She’s doing half a semester of student teaching here in Cuernavaca at an elementary school, and then returning toMadison to finish her student teaching there. I really enjoyed hearing about her experiences as a teacher here, and sharing some of my own. It was also very nice to have an extra pair of hands to help with the day’s project. She and another girl working in Cuernavaca participated in a mini-immersion program over the weekend, part of which was visiting the community in which I work. After I finished with work, my fellow volunteers and I met with the girls at the retreat center to talk about our experiences living here, working here, and being Americans in a foreign place. Again, it was nice to share and hear some of the experiences of other foreigners, where our experiences overlap and where they differ.

Then, just yesterday, we had perhaps one of the biggest events of the year at the community center in La Estación – a visit from their sponsors. As I may or may not have mentioned, children in the La Estación community project can be sponsored by families in the US and Canada, who send money for things like food, school supplies, and clothing. In return, the children’s mothers must participate in the center, the children must write letters and send pictures to their sponsors, and they also must attend the workshops that the community center provides. Five of the sponsors came to visit the center, as well as the staff of the organization that coordinates the sponsorship program, and everyone in the community went all out for it. The center was cleaned like I’ve never seen it cleaned and decorated with paper chains and flowers. The kids and I made cards for them in one of our workshops. Tons of kids packed into the center to welcome the guests, so many that there wasn’t space or chairs for all of them. There were readings, gifts (embroidered pillowcases that the women made), a traditional Mexican dance performance, two home visits… it was definitely the busiest and one of the most wonderful mornings I’ve had to date. It was wonderful to see both the outpouring of gratitude that this community has for those who help them ensure that their kids are properly prepared to receive the education they deserve, as well as the delight of the foreign sponsors at the warm welcome they received.

I did, however, have two regrets about the event, the first being that I forgot my camera! It would have been the perfect opportunity to take pictures. The second is that it didn’t last longer; the sponsors only stayed for about an hour and a half, which seemed very short. Even when they visited the homes of the mothers, they only stayed about twenty minutes. Logistically I understand why they couldn’t stay longer, but at the same time I wish they could have stayed a while, talking to the families and learning their stories. Their conversations couldn’t get much beyond asking how many children the women had, their ages, their names, how long they had lived in the community, etc. However, one of the women they visited, Lulu, was asked about what dreams she had for her five children, and she started to cry. She said, “I have such enormous dreams for my children. I want them all to become successful professionals, so that they don’t have to live like this, so that they can leave this life of poverty.” It was such a touching moment; more than anything, I wanted these strangers to be able to stay, to talk to her and her daughters, who, I have learned from them coming to workshops, are incredibly bright, talented, social, and driven, to show them really how much they deserve every opportunity in the world and how vital their sponsorship is in making sure these girls receive those opportunities. At the same time, all the sponsorship in the world doesn’t change the fact that these girls, because of where they live, because of their socioeconomic status and lack of resources, are going to be fighting an uphill battle the entire way. In that moment, the reason I am here became much clearer; I am here for them. I cannot provide monetary support, but I can give them knowledge and encouragement, learn their stories, and share their lives more than any immersion group or day visitor ever could. Unfortunately, that won’t put food on their table or books in their backpacks, but nonetheless I choose to believe that my presence here can make a difference in their lives and the lives of those in the community. Sorry if that sounds soap-boxy or sappy, but it’s moments like those that keep me going here – moments where I feel useful and part of a community. I almost started crying along with Lulu! But, luckily, I restrained myself.

That’s all for now; this week looks to be a quieter one, but here you just never know what will happen next.

The Good, the Bad, and the Creepy Crawly

Day 43 in Mexico

Happy October to all! September has come and gone, and now we’re into one of my favorite months – the month of Halloween, my birthday, and cooler temperatures in Tucson. However, this October will surely be different than those back home, for obvious reasons. As for my favorite highlights of the month, I do think they celebrate Halloween, though it’s not nearly as big a deal as Dia de los Muertos, which I am looking forward to. My birthday is only days away, and I’m not too freaked out about celebrating it away from home, since I turned 21 while studying abroad in Argentina; I’m more worried about being 23. I seem to be getting older very, very quickly. Everyone in my group is a good six months to a year and six months younger than me, so that doesn’t help much. And as for the weather, it seems to be getting warmer instead of cooler now that the rainy season is coming to a close. I guess I’ll have to modify my ideas about the month.

I’ve had some interesting moments in the past week, both good and not so good. Work has still proven to be challenging in several respects. As much as I do enjoy teaching my English classes in the kinder, the kids are often a handful, and it’s hard to garner a lot of authority with five year olds when I don’t speak the language as well as a five year old. I’m still searching for the balance between having good activities that get them actively learning and activities that are calm enough that I can keep some semblance of control. My last blog was about the lessons that I’ve learned, but I think I forgot the most important one: Kids are hard work. At the same time, I get frustrated with myself when I feel I haven’t progressed as much as I should have; that I don’t know the women of the center like I should, the kids don’t know their colors as well as they should, I don’t feel as useful as I should. I get hung up easily on how things “should” be, which is a complete figment of my imagination, rather than how they are. However, I had a breakthrough moment this past week (I love those). A group of study abroad students from NAU (fellow Arizonans!) has started to come on Wednesday afternoons to give an English class in the community center. This last Wednesday was their first session, and it falls under my job to the facilitator for their sessions, observing, making sure they have all the materials they need, etc. When I welcomed them to the center, after introducing myself, I gave them a brief introduction to the community center. I shared about the center itself, who sponsors the project, a little about the community that it serves how the kids and their families come to be involved, and so on. When the kids came to the class, I knew their names from the kinder, I knew the moms that dropped them off, I knew how much English they could be expected to know, I knew which colors they would be able to correctly identify… I realized that I know a lot more about my job than I think I know. It took another group of outsiders to make me realize that I’m not as much of an outsider as I used to be. Slowly but surely (or, poco a poco, a phrase I use a lot here) I am becoming part of a community, and that realization was one of the most reassuring moments that I’ve had to date.

My time with my host family is still proving to be very enjoyable; however, I seem to be attracting the attention of some less favorable residents of the house: the bug population. After my first encounter with the whopper of a spider in my bathroom, word must have spread amongst them that I’m afraid, and they’ve decided to join together and take advantage of that fact. I’ve seen a couple in the past weeks on the stairs; I’m the only one who lives upstairs, so they must get a kick out of me being too scared to pass by them to get to my room. However, they’ve taken things to a new level. This past week, on my way to brush my teeth before bed, I flicked on the light in my bathroom and there was a centipede on the wall. If there is a bug that rivals a spider for the fearful reaction elicited from me, it’s the centipede. I yelped and called for Angeles and Fernando to come kill it. It wasn’t super huge, but it was a good couple inches long. It made me feel kind of jumpy as I headed to bed, but I didn’t see anything else. I got into bed, turned off the light, and was on my way to falling asleep when I heard a very faint scratching sound. I debated for a few seconds whether or not to turn on the light and find out what it was, figuring I might regret it if I did, or try to forget about it and fall asleep. Long story short, I turned on the light and there was a centipede, at least twice as big, on the ceiling above my bed. I flipped out, ran yelling for Angeles and Fernando to “Come! Come! Kill it! Kill it!” They came, and, because they didn’t want it to fall in my bed, scraped it into a jar to get rid of it. It took me a looong time to fall asleep after that dual encounter. The next morning, I wake up, and sure enough, there’s a big, black spider hanging on the wall over my bed. I told Angeles, so she could come kill it, and she said, “I don’t even believe you.” But it’s true. They know I’m afraid, they think it’s funny, and they’re stalking me. Today another spider was on the wall directly behind my pillow. The suckers are getting bolder. I wish they would figure out that it’s not worth the risk; they might get a good scare out of me, but it’s a suicide mission. They always end up on the bottom side of a shoe.

On the brighter side, we had our first monthly volunteer meeting. Every month, the five of us meet at our country coordinator’s house for an evening of food, conversation, and relaxing. It’s a very informal meeting, where we can just hang out or watch a movie or whatever. This Sunday, we all brought an appetizer and sat around the table talking a long time about our experiences so far. It’s really cool to hear how everyone else is doing, especially the two girls who don’t work in Cuernavaca, because we don’t get to see them as often. It’s also reassuring to hear that everyone has struggles; they might not be the same as mine, but it’s reassuring to hear that it’s common theme (it’s not just me!). I like that we have a good group where we can share those struggles, as well as our successes, and get support from each other. My country coordinator and her husband will actually be in Tucson over my birthday (lucky devils; I would stow away in their suitcases if I thought I could pull it off) so they had a mini celebration, made me spinach artichoke dip and delicious birthday cupcakes, and sang Happy Birthday to me (in English; the Mexican Happy Birthday song is called Las Mañanitas, which is actually a very complicated song with multiple verses that are not repetitive). It was very enjoyable. I think those monthly meetings will be some of the times I look forward to most; it’s not often that we all get to be together as a group.

I think that about sums up the big events of the week. This coming week may prove to be an eventful one as well: there’s another American volunteer (from Madison, go figure) coming to shadow me at work, my actual birthday, and a much anticipated visit at the community center from their sponsoring organization. Here’s hoping it all goes smoothly!