Well, my short month in Mexico has come to an end although I have to say, looking at it now, it doesn't seem so short. So yes, perhaps my microcredit research went about as good as can be expected when there actually is no microcredit program to look at but I did learn a lot in general, about myself, about living in a foreign environment, and most of all, about how to survive a tropical environment in the summertime.
I guess I would say tops on my list is that I discovered I can be independent and survive on my own. Honestly, this is something that's quite a revelation for someone who still avoids phone conversations whenever possible and while I do have previous experience abroad, my hand was always held. In the end, people are generally as curious about you as you are about them and I don't care how tough you are, but a smile and a polite hello can get you a hell of a lot further than a few pesos.
Perhaps what I will remember most about Mexico is that while things may not always (or mostly) go as planned in life, they have a weird way of working out in the end, especially if you're open to those new experiences. For all of the worrying I'm apparently genetically pre-destined to do, I get just as far relaxing and going with the flow of things.
Finally, every place seems so exotic and fresh and a completely different world from the one you know until you actually get there. People have been going through the same day-to-day life patterns the world over and once you're actually in a foreign place, people are just trying their best to live and enjoy themselves. As cool as it is to travel and to find differences and unique traditions, it's the similarities that draw you in every time.
Well with that, I give a big gracias to Mexico and say andale, pues, hasta la vista!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
El Desarrollo
Due to my lack of continuity with this blog, I've decided to reward you, dear readers, with not one, but two posts in two days. Extraordinary, I know.
This post is much more about Mexico itself. I realize that I'm always talking about the food, the places I go, the people etc., but what about the entity that is Mexico? What is it like? Honestly, Mexico looks and feels so much like Ecuador sometimes it's kind of eerie. Like I went back in time two years. It has the same dishevelled and eclectic character, the kind where you don't know what you will see around the next corner, or even what to expect. I think this is a quality that most developing countries have to a certain extent (Morocco as well) and something we just take for granted. We are so used to order, neatness and control that anything which appears to the contrary jolts us out of our comfort zone.
For instance, on a normal bus ride from Bucerias to Puerto Vallarta, I will see cowboys with sombreros on horseback riding along the highway. And no, they are not a tourist attraction, but the real thing, off for a day's work. On the same stretch of highway, a brand-new 2010 Porsche can go screaming down the road at high speeds, passing the trucks where people ride in the beds on their way to the fields while police officers drive by, either with apathy or ignoring what's not in their jurisdiction. From the outside, what to my norteamericano eye may appear to be a run-down, shabby building turns out to be a respectable world-renowned banking office. Children run around the streets, playing with the many skinny street dogs wandering around and both are perfectly content with this arrangement (contrary to popular belief, most of the dogs here I've met are like the people -- despite what may seem a hard exterior, warm, extremely curious and friendly).
So where does this leave the "development" that is the catchword of foreign governments and nonprofits alike? Well, this too is complicated. In all aspects of consuming, Mexico is fastly approaching the United States. I mean, there's a Walmart, Costco, billboards advertising nightclubs, electronic's stores, the works. A person may seem to be working a low-paying menial labour job but if they're young, they will still yank out a Blackberry that I could only wish I had the income for and text furiously to their friends. At the same time, most toilets can't handle toilet paper and many of the roads in the area are still as yet unpaved. Those that are fortunate enough to be paved often seem in bad need of repair. Some children spend their days trolling the beaches and selling knick-knacks to sympathetic tourists instead of attending school. Meanwhile, Mexico remains the biggest market in the world for Coca-Cola products and is the number 2 most obese nation in the world. As in the United States, there is fabulous wealth here as there is incredible poverty, but the extremes are more pronounced and the struggles much more visible.
Confused yet? I know I am. It feels like what has happened in Mexico is that the quickest, easiest, most superficial "development" has taken over at full speed and been hugely successful. But the much more significant and profound development that needs to take place is stalled. Bribing is still common here and the informal economy makes up a massive share of the overall national income. It wasn't always this way. At one point, a US dollar was equivalent to a peso. But because history labeled Mexico a subordinate, it continues. Yes Mexico is not the poorest of the poor and thinking about it as a developing country seems rather strange at first. It's in the comparison with what I know that I find compelling. This is not my first time in a developing country, nor will it be my last, but because of the nature of my visit, everything is much more real and much more heightened. So, with that complicated and colorful description, I'm off to do something substantial. Like take a dip in the pool.
This post is much more about Mexico itself. I realize that I'm always talking about the food, the places I go, the people etc., but what about the entity that is Mexico? What is it like? Honestly, Mexico looks and feels so much like Ecuador sometimes it's kind of eerie. Like I went back in time two years. It has the same dishevelled and eclectic character, the kind where you don't know what you will see around the next corner, or even what to expect. I think this is a quality that most developing countries have to a certain extent (Morocco as well) and something we just take for granted. We are so used to order, neatness and control that anything which appears to the contrary jolts us out of our comfort zone.
For instance, on a normal bus ride from Bucerias to Puerto Vallarta, I will see cowboys with sombreros on horseback riding along the highway. And no, they are not a tourist attraction, but the real thing, off for a day's work. On the same stretch of highway, a brand-new 2010 Porsche can go screaming down the road at high speeds, passing the trucks where people ride in the beds on their way to the fields while police officers drive by, either with apathy or ignoring what's not in their jurisdiction. From the outside, what to my norteamericano eye may appear to be a run-down, shabby building turns out to be a respectable world-renowned banking office. Children run around the streets, playing with the many skinny street dogs wandering around and both are perfectly content with this arrangement (contrary to popular belief, most of the dogs here I've met are like the people -- despite what may seem a hard exterior, warm, extremely curious and friendly).
So where does this leave the "development" that is the catchword of foreign governments and nonprofits alike? Well, this too is complicated. In all aspects of consuming, Mexico is fastly approaching the United States. I mean, there's a Walmart, Costco, billboards advertising nightclubs, electronic's stores, the works. A person may seem to be working a low-paying menial labour job but if they're young, they will still yank out a Blackberry that I could only wish I had the income for and text furiously to their friends. At the same time, most toilets can't handle toilet paper and many of the roads in the area are still as yet unpaved. Those that are fortunate enough to be paved often seem in bad need of repair. Some children spend their days trolling the beaches and selling knick-knacks to sympathetic tourists instead of attending school. Meanwhile, Mexico remains the biggest market in the world for Coca-Cola products and is the number 2 most obese nation in the world. As in the United States, there is fabulous wealth here as there is incredible poverty, but the extremes are more pronounced and the struggles much more visible.
Confused yet? I know I am. It feels like what has happened in Mexico is that the quickest, easiest, most superficial "development" has taken over at full speed and been hugely successful. But the much more significant and profound development that needs to take place is stalled. Bribing is still common here and the informal economy makes up a massive share of the overall national income. It wasn't always this way. At one point, a US dollar was equivalent to a peso. But because history labeled Mexico a subordinate, it continues. Yes Mexico is not the poorest of the poor and thinking about it as a developing country seems rather strange at first. It's in the comparison with what I know that I find compelling. This is not my first time in a developing country, nor will it be my last, but because of the nature of my visit, everything is much more real and much more heightened. So, with that complicated and colorful description, I'm off to do something substantial. Like take a dip in the pool.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Perdona el Retraso
Okay so I know it's been a rather long time since I've written anything of import. Well I guess a long time since I've written anything at all. Well I do have an excuse -- there were several afternoon storms here consisting of torrential rain, lightening and thunder galore, and wind that managed to knock out my wireless connection. Luckily I brought plenty of movies with me to keep me company (5 hour long BBC Pride and Prejudice, anyone?). Before you worry too much though, I am back with internet at home now and ready to get some things done!
So, what happened these last ten odd days? Umm well not too terribly much. I did some volunteering with the animal clinic in Puerto Vallarta where I got to teach other new volunteers how to take care of the animals post-op. I also spent a good deal of time surfing the internet and researching a variety of things for PEACE. For instance, I compiled an excel sheet of government agencies and their various functions and contact info; I also looked into fair trade regulations and the certification process for PEACE's Manos Unidas. And I hung out in the pool. A lot!
Oh yeah, and perhaps the coolest thing was I went up to explore the old mountain mining town of San Sebastian in the much cooler Sierra Madres. I had my hand at tequila tasting (the almond flavor was by the far the best) and coffee sampling before eating the best pollo con mole I have ever had the pleasure of trying. The town of San Sebastian itself is tiny and quiet with few more than 600 residents calling it home. At one time it was a bastion of silver mining and boosted of a population close to 30,000. But then during the Mexican Revolution, the famed Pancho Villa and Emilio Zapata came to the conservative town and blew up all the mines as a show of their power against the rich Spanish owners of the mines. Ever since then, because of the lack of roads or will or what have you, they have not attempted to start the mining anew. Go figure.
Anyway, it was a charming town with little to do besides just passing the day sitting in the plaza or taking tons of picture of all of the white-waled, red roofed houses, but it was great getting out of the humidity of the coast and to see a tranquil place where everyone actually said hello to each other when they passed and where you had to go to someone's house to buy meat.
So having only seen a small bit of Mexico, I have to say I much rather enjoy the San Sebastian side. The heat and energy of the tropical coast can be a bit much at times, especially when I'm used to mild Oregon summers. The thing about Mexico is it's impossible to figure out. On the one hand you have a modern, developing country which has one of the largest economies in Latin America, but then you have the traditional side where roads don't even tread and where the internet is just becoming accessible to most. More on this contrast later -- see I'm going to save my best for last.
This week will bring some more online research, although it will be research that actually has to do with microcredit lending, and probably plenty of more pool action. And even though Mexico may have lost the game to Uruguay this morning, there's still plenty more to come from the Mexican front. Stay tuned!
So, what happened these last ten odd days? Umm well not too terribly much. I did some volunteering with the animal clinic in Puerto Vallarta where I got to teach other new volunteers how to take care of the animals post-op. I also spent a good deal of time surfing the internet and researching a variety of things for PEACE. For instance, I compiled an excel sheet of government agencies and their various functions and contact info; I also looked into fair trade regulations and the certification process for PEACE's Manos Unidas. And I hung out in the pool. A lot!
Oh yeah, and perhaps the coolest thing was I went up to explore the old mountain mining town of San Sebastian in the much cooler Sierra Madres. I had my hand at tequila tasting (the almond flavor was by the far the best) and coffee sampling before eating the best pollo con mole I have ever had the pleasure of trying. The town of San Sebastian itself is tiny and quiet with few more than 600 residents calling it home. At one time it was a bastion of silver mining and boosted of a population close to 30,000. But then during the Mexican Revolution, the famed Pancho Villa and Emilio Zapata came to the conservative town and blew up all the mines as a show of their power against the rich Spanish owners of the mines. Ever since then, because of the lack of roads or will or what have you, they have not attempted to start the mining anew. Go figure.
Anyway, it was a charming town with little to do besides just passing the day sitting in the plaza or taking tons of picture of all of the white-waled, red roofed houses, but it was great getting out of the humidity of the coast and to see a tranquil place where everyone actually said hello to each other when they passed and where you had to go to someone's house to buy meat.
So having only seen a small bit of Mexico, I have to say I much rather enjoy the San Sebastian side. The heat and energy of the tropical coast can be a bit much at times, especially when I'm used to mild Oregon summers. The thing about Mexico is it's impossible to figure out. On the one hand you have a modern, developing country which has one of the largest economies in Latin America, but then you have the traditional side where roads don't even tread and where the internet is just becoming accessible to most. More on this contrast later -- see I'm going to save my best for last.
This week will bring some more online research, although it will be research that actually has to do with microcredit lending, and probably plenty of more pool action. And even though Mexico may have lost the game to Uruguay this morning, there's still plenty more to come from the Mexican front. Stay tuned!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Fotos
PS- If any of you 3 avid followers want to see some pictures of all these adventures, the link is:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214555&id=649546912&l=095716df71
Let me know if for some reason that doesn't work...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214555&id=649546912&l=095716df71
Let me know if for some reason that doesn't work...
Vallarta
I finally bit the bullet today and took off to Puerto Vallarta to escape the monotony (but still nice and relaxing monotony) of Bucerias. By the end of my 40 minute bus ride, it was raining outside which surprised me and had me a bit concerned seeing as I was wearing shorts and a tank top, but no worries, it was still about 85 degrees out! At the Walmart (yes there's a Walmart), I hopped onto a city bus, hoping it would take me somewhere where I could go exploring although honestly, I wasn't quite sure where. We drove down bumpy cobblestoned streets, next to hundreds of tourist shops, restaurants and other local businesses. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a cathedral with a familiar top (ever seen the crown on Corona bottles? Well it comes from the tower above the church in Puerto Vallarta) and decided it was as good a place as any to commence my exploring. I have to admit quite sadly that I went to Starbucks to start my day off with some caffeine. It's funny because wherever I am in the world, I can always count on Starbucks to have my iced latte available (see Spain, Morocco, Ireland, Ecuador etc). Then I just started walking along the ocean.
Vallarta is divided into three distinct areas -- the hotel zone, the downtown centro, and the "zona romantica" or old town. I wanted to see old town the most for a taste of the real Vallarta. The streets are filled with a lot more locals as are the shops (although there are definitely plenty of gringos and gringo-catering businesses around). I just kept walking, stumbling upon a farmer's market up a steep narrow cobble-stoned street and getting to enjoy the misty hillside flowers. Then I decided to continue my exploring and headed back downhill to the Isla Rio Cuale open air market to buy a few (and cheap) souvenirs and where I surprised vendors by being able to talk in Spanish and best there many "hey, girl, come look, very cheap". After that I went on a hunt for the one place I really wanted to see -- Elizabeth Taylor's and Richard Burton's old homes from when they lived here. My guidebook said Elizabeth Taylor's house had been converted into a museum and B&B but unfortunately when I went there, aside from the pink covered bridge over the street connecting the two homes, everything else seemed to be falling down and only empty cement construction.
By then I was hungry so I meandered back down to the entertaining Malecon on the waterfront to scout out overpriced restaurants. Choosing a restaurant to eat here is a task in itself because every time I try to sidle up quietly to a menu and pursue it, without fail some waiter or host descends, telling me all the great things about the restaurant and offering me two for one margaritas and the like. Today though, my mission was to find a place where I could watch the US vs. England soccer game and finally, I ended up in a nice Mexican restaurant (no I refuse to eat Italian or go to Hard Rock Cafe while I'm here) where I got to watch the surprise tie game.
By late afternoon, I was full of good food and thought, well hey, I bet walking back to Walmart from here isn't that far. Okay well I was wrong. The sun had finally come out and my feet were getting a bit sore so I gave in and took the hot and crowded city bus back and luckily I did since it was still a good 15 minutes to where I wanted to go. But all in all, I had a really fun Saturday made even better by the nice pool awaiting me back home. Now time to rest my weary feet.
Vallarta is divided into three distinct areas -- the hotel zone, the downtown centro, and the "zona romantica" or old town. I wanted to see old town the most for a taste of the real Vallarta. The streets are filled with a lot more locals as are the shops (although there are definitely plenty of gringos and gringo-catering businesses around). I just kept walking, stumbling upon a farmer's market up a steep narrow cobble-stoned street and getting to enjoy the misty hillside flowers. Then I decided to continue my exploring and headed back downhill to the Isla Rio Cuale open air market to buy a few (and cheap) souvenirs and where I surprised vendors by being able to talk in Spanish and best there many "hey, girl, come look, very cheap". After that I went on a hunt for the one place I really wanted to see -- Elizabeth Taylor's and Richard Burton's old homes from when they lived here. My guidebook said Elizabeth Taylor's house had been converted into a museum and B&B but unfortunately when I went there, aside from the pink covered bridge over the street connecting the two homes, everything else seemed to be falling down and only empty cement construction.
By then I was hungry so I meandered back down to the entertaining Malecon on the waterfront to scout out overpriced restaurants. Choosing a restaurant to eat here is a task in itself because every time I try to sidle up quietly to a menu and pursue it, without fail some waiter or host descends, telling me all the great things about the restaurant and offering me two for one margaritas and the like. Today though, my mission was to find a place where I could watch the US vs. England soccer game and finally, I ended up in a nice Mexican restaurant (no I refuse to eat Italian or go to Hard Rock Cafe while I'm here) where I got to watch the surprise tie game.
By late afternoon, I was full of good food and thought, well hey, I bet walking back to Walmart from here isn't that far. Okay well I was wrong. The sun had finally come out and my feet were getting a bit sore so I gave in and took the hot and crowded city bus back and luckily I did since it was still a good 15 minutes to where I wanted to go. But all in all, I had a really fun Saturday made even better by the nice pool awaiting me back home. Now time to rest my weary feet.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Un Empate
After a week and a half of happily eating food off the street and ordering whatever I felt hungry for, something finally caught up to me. Today, instead of going along with the founder of PEACE to listen to what the lawyers have to say about starting a microcredit business, I am hanging out on my bed, popping pepto and drinking lots of water. Awesome.
So yeah, let's backtrack a bit. On Wednesday, I went into Punta Mita to help out with the animal clinic although unfortunately, there really weren't that many animals to deal with. So, I decided to wander down to the main "restaurant row" of Mita and check out the PEACE boutique store. It is there that the women who work with Manos Unidas sell their wares, including all sorts of jewelry made from recycled newspaper, bottle caps etc., and household decorations. I snapped a few pictures and decided to buy a necklace with beads made of recycled paper to take home. Mita is an interesting town, with a very small population and an even smaller main thoroughfare and you can definitely tell it's very reliant on the tourist trade due to the number of restaurant workers and surf instructors standing in the street and asking any passersby for their business. Anyway, I didn't spend that much time in Mita but enough to see the contrasts between fenced in luxury villas and small, crumbling homes. This is a bit of theme around this area.
Wednesday night I had the best tacos of my life. A 15 minute drive from Bucerias is a town called La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and there is a restaurant, known as "Tacos on the Street" that has amazing meat tacos and quesadillas. The menu's super simple -- basically you can have tacos and quesadillas with meat or without meat -- but something about the way the meat is cooked gives it a smoky, juicy flavor that is out of this world. And the corn tortillas, handmade, are awesome.
With a good meal under my belt, I was ready to face Thursday which just basically entailed sitting in on a director's meeting at PEACE and then watching the Manos Unidas women at work, making their handicrafts. They were beading sunglass lanyards and were very nice and entertaining to sit with although I have to admit I did get lost several times in their rapid fire Spanish. My attempt to help them bead were rather pathetic so I just resigned myself to watching. The women make a small amount of money from their wares which the PEACE boutique pays them for by the piece, although right now, since there are fewer tourists around, there is less for the women to do. Most of the women are housewives or stay-at-home moms while a few run restaurants or clean homes on the side. It was great to see them at work and to hear them say how much Manos Unidas has helped them earn a sort of economic independence.
Finally, on Thursday night it was off to the PEACE party which was low-key. I got to see all 30 some-odd employees and workers together in one place and chat with them a bit. I didn't stay too long though -- just long enough to watch the little kids attempt to dance to the mariachi music playing off the radio.
And that brings me to this morning. I felt great and the day felt full of opportunity. So, I decided to go downtown before meeting with the lawyers to watch the opening game of the World Cup -- Mexico vs. South Africa. It was a good/ intense game that ended in a tie 1-1 but it was fun to watch with Mexican(and 2 South African)fans while eating breakfast...I only had a croissant and some fresh fruit (peeled) and a cup of coffee but as soon as I walked home, my stomach was not agreeing with me. This being the case, don't expect me to have much interesting stuff to write about for today then. It looks like a long, lazy day spent resting. Stupid Montezuma's Revenge....
So yeah, let's backtrack a bit. On Wednesday, I went into Punta Mita to help out with the animal clinic although unfortunately, there really weren't that many animals to deal with. So, I decided to wander down to the main "restaurant row" of Mita and check out the PEACE boutique store. It is there that the women who work with Manos Unidas sell their wares, including all sorts of jewelry made from recycled newspaper, bottle caps etc., and household decorations. I snapped a few pictures and decided to buy a necklace with beads made of recycled paper to take home. Mita is an interesting town, with a very small population and an even smaller main thoroughfare and you can definitely tell it's very reliant on the tourist trade due to the number of restaurant workers and surf instructors standing in the street and asking any passersby for their business. Anyway, I didn't spend that much time in Mita but enough to see the contrasts between fenced in luxury villas and small, crumbling homes. This is a bit of theme around this area.
Wednesday night I had the best tacos of my life. A 15 minute drive from Bucerias is a town called La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and there is a restaurant, known as "Tacos on the Street" that has amazing meat tacos and quesadillas. The menu's super simple -- basically you can have tacos and quesadillas with meat or without meat -- but something about the way the meat is cooked gives it a smoky, juicy flavor that is out of this world. And the corn tortillas, handmade, are awesome.
With a good meal under my belt, I was ready to face Thursday which just basically entailed sitting in on a director's meeting at PEACE and then watching the Manos Unidas women at work, making their handicrafts. They were beading sunglass lanyards and were very nice and entertaining to sit with although I have to admit I did get lost several times in their rapid fire Spanish. My attempt to help them bead were rather pathetic so I just resigned myself to watching. The women make a small amount of money from their wares which the PEACE boutique pays them for by the piece, although right now, since there are fewer tourists around, there is less for the women to do. Most of the women are housewives or stay-at-home moms while a few run restaurants or clean homes on the side. It was great to see them at work and to hear them say how much Manos Unidas has helped them earn a sort of economic independence.
Finally, on Thursday night it was off to the PEACE party which was low-key. I got to see all 30 some-odd employees and workers together in one place and chat with them a bit. I didn't stay too long though -- just long enough to watch the little kids attempt to dance to the mariachi music playing off the radio.
And that brings me to this morning. I felt great and the day felt full of opportunity. So, I decided to go downtown before meeting with the lawyers to watch the opening game of the World Cup -- Mexico vs. South Africa. It was a good/ intense game that ended in a tie 1-1 but it was fun to watch with Mexican(and 2 South African)fans while eating breakfast...I only had a croissant and some fresh fruit (peeled) and a cup of coffee but as soon as I walked home, my stomach was not agreeing with me. This being the case, don't expect me to have much interesting stuff to write about for today then. It looks like a long, lazy day spent resting. Stupid Montezuma's Revenge....
Monday, June 7, 2010
Atinale El Precio
Well so what can I have to write about in two days, one of which I spent about 5 hours on the beach? Actually, quite a bit. I had a rather fitful night sleeping on Saturday night since I was on my own -- every little sound made me jump -- and so on Sunday I really had to motivate myself to go do something. Once again, I walked down into Bucerias and one of the first things I decided to do was find some food. I ended up at an overpriced restaurant, but on the bright side, I got to sit under a palapa, feet from the beach, eating ceviche (shrimp and octupus on a tostado mixed with tomato and cucumber) and sipping a corona. Not bad at all, right? The rest of the day I spent just sitting on the beach, reading and people watching, and then I moved to the plaza in the shade to do some more people watching. After that, I made it back up the hot, sweaty hill and relaxed some more. Actually I probably spent about 3 hours facebook chatting with my friend who is going through the same thing I am only in Ecuador. It was with that chat and a lot of soul- searching that I gave in and moved my flight up to June 28th. That still gives me a good solid 3 weeks of research and will also save me money in the long run. Plus maybe I can actually find a way to make money this summer instead of spend it...hmm, novel idea.
So, hmmm, what about today? Oh yeah, well I took the bus up to Punta Mita again to spend some time at the office. Plus, I was supposed to meet with one of the directors of the artisan store/ microcredit program to get a quick overview. Unfortunately, 1 o'clock rolled around without Ana... then 2... and finally at 3, I just walked down the street for lunch and took the bus home. I guess that's one of the problems. Everyone here is so busy now that I kind of feel more like a burdern. But on the plus side, lunch was incredible: enchiladas verdes with a strawberry milkshake (see Mom, I told you I would keep my calcium intake up)and I got like 4 hours of reading on microcredit done.
My bus ride back home was an adventure. For some reason, my bus driver felt like scaring me. He would accelerate around sharp turns, pass every car on the road and when people would try to flag him down, he'd speed up even though there were plenty of empty seats left on the bus. Just when I was having images of him taking all of us hostage on his crazy suicidal drive, he stopped. Right outside of a furniture store name IQEA. It's funny how some things just pop up and surprise you, like the Walmart and Costco nearby or the Mexican version of "The Price is Right" playing on the TV with 3500 pesos (less than $350) up for grabs.
I'm hoping to get going on my actual interviews this week, so we'll see how that ends up... I'll keep ya posted. Hasta entonces!
So, hmmm, what about today? Oh yeah, well I took the bus up to Punta Mita again to spend some time at the office. Plus, I was supposed to meet with one of the directors of the artisan store/ microcredit program to get a quick overview. Unfortunately, 1 o'clock rolled around without Ana... then 2... and finally at 3, I just walked down the street for lunch and took the bus home. I guess that's one of the problems. Everyone here is so busy now that I kind of feel more like a burdern. But on the plus side, lunch was incredible: enchiladas verdes with a strawberry milkshake (see Mom, I told you I would keep my calcium intake up)and I got like 4 hours of reading on microcredit done.
My bus ride back home was an adventure. For some reason, my bus driver felt like scaring me. He would accelerate around sharp turns, pass every car on the road and when people would try to flag him down, he'd speed up even though there were plenty of empty seats left on the bus. Just when I was having images of him taking all of us hostage on his crazy suicidal drive, he stopped. Right outside of a furniture store name IQEA. It's funny how some things just pop up and surprise you, like the Walmart and Costco nearby or the Mexican version of "The Price is Right" playing on the TV with 3500 pesos (less than $350) up for grabs.
I'm hoping to get going on my actual interviews this week, so we'll see how that ends up... I'll keep ya posted. Hasta entonces!
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