For anyone interested, this style of travel really is interesting. Maybe I'm a little slow, but it only started to sink in last night that I am not really on a holiday - I am actually living in Mexico, with a schedule to keep, with work to do, fully immersed in the community, and hanging out with people from all over the world. Very cool.
So who comes to these programs? There are about 20 people at the institute, mostly from the US, but also from London, Poland, Australia, and one young guy who grew up in Seattle but has been traveling out of a suitcase most of the last 6 or 7 years. Along the way, he lived in Italy for a year studying international relations, helped to open a museum in Cambodia, and worked at an orphanage in India. And picked up amoebic dysentery which he got fixed up in Thailand. After a few months here, he'll head off to Guatemala and Honduras for some project that caught his interest. Many of the people are well into their 60's and are learning Spanish to work the markets better in search of masks, to read Spanish literature, to help in their travels....whatever. 20 different people, 20 different reasons.
People who travel have an entirely different way of looking at the world, which I like. On health insurance: "Well, I have catastrophic insurance for anything REALLY bad, but realistically if I need a filling I'll just catch a plane to Thailand - cheaper than the US including airfare, and I'll get a week on the beach." On safety and security (from a gay couple with an apartment in Acapulco): "True, there is crime, but we feel safer here than at home in Kansas City." Everyone agrees on the need to travel just to shake things up a bit.
So the people who come to places like this have a larger view of the world than just their back yard, city, and country. I hope I'm one of them.
The lessons this week were really interesting - our teacher has a background in linguistics, and studied English, French, Spanish as a second language, and translation, and along the way picked up a lot about the history and foundation of language - how language is derived from culture, and vice versa. Her example was how in Spanish there are 4 different verbs for different degrees of liking or loving something or someone, and how the incorrect use leads quickly to misunderstanding. A couple of years ago, the school had to intervene in a situation where a student, trying to express his appreciation to his host mom said, "Tu me gusta", or "You please me". Now, a person could easily be pleased by a good meal, or a work of art, or a really decent cup of coffee, but it wasn't the best choice of words to say to a mom in front of her 15 year old son. Um, what exactly was it that you found so pleasing, buddy? An easy mistake to make.
Tonight, I'm off with friends to celebrate a birthday, Aussie style. We have to behave, though, because we're on a bus at 8:00 am tomorrow for Mexico City - probably the most densely populated metropolis in the world, with an economy larger than many countries. Although Tokyo officially has the highest population, there is an argument here that nobody has ever come up with an accurate count for Mexico City. In any case, officially or unofficially, there's a whole lot of people there.
We will be taking on Teotihuacan and the Pyramid of the Sun, the National Palace (highly recommended by my guide instead of the cathedral), and the largest skating rink in the world at the Zocalo.
Hasta luego!
