Thursday, June 28, 2012

Reflections on Mexico

Hola! I just celebrated my first anniversary in the Peace Corps. One year down and one to go. I thought I would share some reflections of my time here so far. But first, a brief wrap up of current events:

The Mexican presidential election is this Sunday, July 1. There are four candidates on the ticket, but the likely winner is just another pretty face. He's married to a soap opera star and promises to bring more soap operas to Mexico if he's elected. When asked by a reporter about his favorite books or what he's read lately, he was dumbstruck. Everyone is hoping whoever is elected will bring an end to the violence in Mexico.

I just returned from Mexico City where I volunteered at Robocup, an international competition for high school and college students. The goal is to hold a soccer match between humans and robots by 2050. I met bright young scientists and engineers from around the world, and looked up several American teams to say hi and wish them well. I helped during one competition by interacting with a life-sized robot -- lots of fun.

I had a very gratifying moment at work recently. We held the first meeting of a communication advisory council, which brings together department heads and areas that, until now, have been obstacles to effective communication. Now they are part of the process an have ownership in the outcome. That committee will do much to help create a collaborative atmosphere and change the culture here. I gave myself an "attagirl."

Reflections on Mexico

The other side
This blog fulfills one of the Peace Corps goals of helping Americans understand the people and cultures of other countries. But there are two sides to every story, and I have witnessed some heartbreaking ones of illegal immigrants who were deported back to Mexico, leaving their loved ones behind. There was the young woman waiting for her husband at the Mexico City Airport who told me they were able to see each other once or twice a year. A man on the bus told me in English he was deported last week, leaving his American wife and two young daughters behind after 13 years in the U.S. He said he was afraid to go back because if he was caught again he would spend time in jail. Then he said, “I used to earn $1,000 a week in the U.S. Now I earn $1,000, but it’s in pesos.” (about $75 U.S.) Obama’s “Dreamers” bill allowing young Mexicans living in the U.S. to apply for work permits and eventually earn citizenship was the right thing to do. But we could do more for these people, whose only crime is trying to make a better life for their families. If you haven’t seen the movie, “A better life,” add it to your list.

Buildings
I have often wondered why buildings are constructed with beautiful fire-red brick and then covered with concrete. The current theory is the bricks are weak and the concrete is reinforcement. It’s a shame, since the bricks are so much more aesthetically pleasing. The concrete is soon covered in graffiti, and over time cracks and disintegrates. That plus razor wire and jagged glass imbedded along the rooflines makes quiet neighborhoods look like war zones.

As I walk down the streets of Cholula I sometimes pass foreboding wooden doors and metal gates and wonder what’s inside. It could as easily be a farmyard with chickens and cows as a gated community with manicured lawns and expensive vehicles parked next to the houses. Occasionally straw, manure and barnyard sounds spill out onto the sidewalk, leaving no doubt about what’s inside. Or a gate might swing open, allowing a glimpse of potted flowers, pruned shrubs and a BMW or Mercedes. This diversity exists side by side and is a microcosm of the “two Mexicos” we learned about in training.
Mexico is one of the most seismically active regions in the world, so it’s good to know what to do in case of an earthquake. The subject came up recently during Peace Corps training. One of the volunteers, who has experience with construction, pointed out that, although FEMA suggests staying inside during an earthquake and holding onto something sturdy, most buildings in Mexico aren’t reinforced. His advice, if we’re inside during an earthquake, was to get the hell out as fast as we can. Building construction is just one more thing we take for granted in the U.S.

Dogs
I became a pack animal recently. As I was walking to my center I noticed seven neighborhood dogs forming a pack. My first thought was, “This is not good.” My second thought was, “It's OK. I was vaccinated against rabies during training.” My third thought was, “Join the people on the other side of the street and make our own pack.” I took some comfort in being in a pack of bigger, smarter animals. But I.Q. doesn’t matter much when you have a dog clamped to your ankle. At least now I can scream in two languages. I could just imagine what the dogs were saying: “Look at that stupid pack of humans. And check out the Gringo in the back. She looks kind of pasty, but I heard they taste like chicken.”

There’s a cute but scruffy little dog that hangs around the center, probably looking for food. She has walked up to me on several occasions, licking her chops. I’m not sure if she is anticipating a handout or imagining sinking her teeth into my nice, juicy calf. In either case, I don’t pet her. I haven’t been vaccinated against mange or heartworm and discovered recently I am allergic to fleas (I’ll spare you the details).

Toilets
Most public toilets don’t have seats; toilet paper is a luxury, and some bathrooms don’t even have water. If you buy a toilet for your home, the seat is optional. Why is beyond me. My guess is the seats are stolen, as are garbage dumpsters, forcing people to put their garbage on the sidewalk and their “junk” on the porcelain.
Toilet paper probably goes the way of the toilet seats and dumpsters. If you’re lucky, you will find one enormous roll of paper mounted on the wall at the bathroom entrance. The trick is to remember to get the paper before you go to a stall. Sometimes the attendant will offer you a nicely folded piece of paper in exchange for 4 or 5 pesos (roughly 30 cents). I don’t poop roses but I don’t want my toilet paper handled by someone who just mopped up an overflowing toilet – or anyone, for that matter – so I carry and roll my own.   
Soap? What’s that?

Food
I don’t bother asking anymore if a dish is “pica,” or picante (spicy). “Un poco” (just a little bit) means it will cause my stomach lining to shed and give me cramps rivaling childbirth. If the food is red, I don’t eat it. My favorite Mexican dish is chocolate tamales drizzled with buttery chocolate sauce. My second favorite dish is spaghetti with bolognese sauce. What? It’s not Mexican, you say? Exactamente! That’s one dish I know will be thoroughly cooked – bacteria and all -- and the red sauce won’t cause flames to shoot from my nostrils. Calabasa flower soup is not my friend. (See “toilets.”)

That’s all for now. I hope this entry helped you appreciate the little things that make life sweet, as well as the big, life-changing things we take for granted.

Hasta luego,
Donna