Settling In

Having been here for a few weeks now, we're starting to get the hang of navigating in and around Oaxaca.  Being sent on field trips in small groups forced us to learn about the available forms of transportation, and so we've begun making even more trips outside of the city on the weekends.  Some of us have done cycling tours to the surrounding areas, and explored Hierve del Agua - a natural pool on a mountain with a great view.  

Classes are now going full throttle and it's about that time to accept that we are students, and our main purpose here is to study - not just to enjoy the change in scenery (though it is tempting to spend all of our time eating grasshoppers and enjoying the warm weather.)  The main theme of our classes at SURCO has not been to cram and regurgitate information; Jonathan and Oliver are teaching us to change the way we think about things by bringing to light our biases, especially those that encourage a skewed world view.  

Since our spanish classes are condensed into six weeks (and therefore fairly intensive), they help a great deal for getting used to hearing the language.  For those of us who had difficulties ordering food or asking for directions at the start of the program - these tasks are now second nature.  Sometimes our professors take us out to a market during class (and expect us not to speak english) to put our memorization of verb conjugations and vocabulary to use.  What I believe that has been most educational (and perhaps a little fun) has been meeting Oaxacans and other students or travelers at cafes, restaurants, and going out at night.  If there's one thing about which Anthony Bourdain is spot on, it's the fact that food, drink, and good conversation are the best ways of learning about foreign culture.  

 

On Thursday, January 23, we had a double field-trip to two pueblos outside the city. The first was to a mountain in San Andreas Huyapam, where a project is underway to restore the watershed and soil. The mountainside was previously destroyed through old agricultural techniques and clear cutting. Some of the steps they are taking to recreate the mountainside are: re-channeling rain water, building dams along streams, replanting trees on the mountain, and producing compost to replenish the soil. One of the most amazing aspects of their project is the usage of composting toilets. Instead of the matter going into a sewage tank, it is collected and over time turned into compost. 

The site is also completely off the grid, so no outside power is needed. They accomplish this through the usage of solar panels and bike pumps to move water. From this environment rebuilding site, you can see the thick cloud of smog that covers Oaxaca City, so it is a refreshing relief to see people coming together to reverse the environmental damage that has been done.

 The second pueblo we went to was Etla. Here we went to a natural healer to discuss more about the environment and the importance of many herbal plants. We split into two groups, and while one discussed traditional healing techniques, the other group made seed bombs. Seed bombs are multiple types of seeds, in this case medicinal plants, rolled together in soil. When the soil dries, the seed bombs can be thrown and the soil protects the seeds from animals. Once it rains, the soil becomes a cradle for the seeds to grow in. This concept was created by a Japanese farmer, who sold off everything he owned to buy land and reforest it. Using this technique, within a couple of seasons he had one of the most productive farms in the world.

Both of these locations helped restore hope that the environment can still be fixed, even if it has to be done dramatically and very soon.

Primeros dias de escuela!

Just completed our first week of classes! Yeah! It is very exciting but also very overwhelming to get back into school mode. We have Spanish classes at Solexico (the name of the school) 4 days a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays for about 3 hours each day. Students are seperated into beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes depending on their level of spanish.  After Spanish, the whole group comes together for an hour long introduction supplemental kind of class. In this class we talk about Oaxacan culture and practice using our Spanish. At about 1pm we all head back to our homestays for comida. We have about a 3 hour break to do what we please before we head to our afternoon class at SURCO.

Our afternoon class, "Maximizing the Oaxcan Experience" takes place from 4:30pm-6:30pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, this past monday we were all given an assignment or challenge to practice our Spanish and find our way around Oaxaca City. We were all paired up in groups and told to go to go to one of the many markets of Oaxaca and find certain items. This was a great exercise because again it made us practice our spanish and also helped us familiarize ourselves with the city and where we can find what. The markets are super awesome and filled with thousands of things. You can find almost anything you need at these markets. There are art markets and food markets and markets with a mix of everything. In almost every market there are famous Oaxacan products such as chocolate, chapulines (grasshoppers), Handmade bags, Alebrijes, Pottery and more! Again, these markets have just about anything you need from a gold fish to a pair of shoes to some fresh fruits and vegetables. They're great, inexpensive and close by!

On Thursday, the group was divided into smaller groups of three, each containing a beginner Spanish speaker, an intermediate Spanish speaker, and an advanced Spanish speaker. Similar to the previous exercise, each group was assigned a location that they had to find without a map, gps, or looking up directions beforehand. Except this time, the locations were outside of the city of Oaxaca. Locations included San Bartolo Coyotepec, Cuilapa, Arizola, Aztompa, Tlacachuaya, and Teotitlan. Each group was given a set of questions about their specific location to ask whoever they encountered on their excursion. We also were tasked with asking people what common idioms in Oaxaca mean. Here's a brief list:

"mi mero mole" - I like it very much; it's my favorite
"guey" - dude, guy
"chilanga" - a typical person from Mexico City
"chido" - cool, neat
"no manches" - no way!

We all came back together at the end of the day to share a meal and stories. Many people were nervous before their excursions but came back all smiles! It seemed that everywhere people went, there was always someone who was willing to point you in the right direction or give you advice. Such has been the overwhelming majority of our experiences in Oaxaca: warm (literally!), welcoming, and hospitable. Many groups came back with goodies such as mezcal, black pottery, alebrijes (carved wooden animals), and photos. It was an amazing opportunity for practicing breaking the ice with Oaxacans, conversing in Spanish, navigating around Oaxaca, and engaging in the local culture.

P.S. Happy 21st Birthday Analiz!

Bienvenido a México!

            We’re finally here! Flights were delayed across the board and students were coming in from Monday through Friday, but we’re all here safe and sound. Most of us gathered at Casa Arnel on Monday night, then left for our retreat the next day. The orientation took place at El Encuentro, a beautiful retreat center outside of Oaxaca city. Our days here were spent getting introduced to each other, to the program, and to super delicious food. We also began our class with Oliver – Networks and Communities of Oaxaca. We heard from Kiado Cruz, a guest speaker who spoke to us about the values of indigenous communities in Oaxaca and Simon Sedillo who gave us a heavy yet inspirational recount about the issues Mexico faces with drugs, war, slavery, and human rights and activism.

            On Friday we left El Encuentro. We took a city tour from the bus to familiarize ourselves with the area that will be our home for the next three months. Afterward we stopped at the SURCO offices for a snack and a debrief of the retreat and city tour. From there we headed to Casa Arnel to pick up our luggage and meet our host families! They are all very nice. Everyone went downtown to the Zócalo to explore the city and eat dinner after settling into their homes. We all have wonderful feelings about the semester to come!

            Settling in with our home stay families was wicked exciting and helped us grasp that Oaxaca will be our home for the next three months. We have spent our first couple days in the city exploring and trying everything the city has to offer. The markets are amazing, the colors vibrant, the food incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the people extremely friendly. Also, the weather could not be better. Every day has been clear blue skies, sun, 80 degrees, with no humidity and a slight breeze. 

            

         We took our first field trip to Monte Albán on Saturday, where we explored Zapotec ruins and learned so much about the culture. It was hard to imagine that the ruins, which are really well preserved, were constructed around 500 BC. We returned to Oaxaca in time for Comida (a large lunch we have with our families around 3), a siesta (nap!), and more time explore Oaxaca by night. We can't wait to continue adventuring and learning!