So the big excitement for helping with vaccinations was a let down all over the place. We got there early and it seemed everything would be good. The director came and said hi, and said that both Michi and I would be leaving shortly to go help out. I wasn't feeling the greatest (nearly puked that morning and was running a fever...very congested). After about 10 minutes he came back out and suddenly decided that one of us would be staying back to work on a project and the other would go. At that point I was fine with staying as I didn't feel the greatest and thought it wouldn't be a great idea to be around kids. Little did I know that my awesome Smith Motors filing experience would ruin my day... I had to two hole punch 2 stacks of about 170 prescription receipts and put them together. Then I had to separate out another stack and punch those. It seriously took maybe 30 minutes....leaving about another two hours at the clinic. I asked if there was anything else... nope. So while Michi was off handing bottles of vaccine to the kids I was sitting, reading Harry Potter...which wasn't all bad, but I could have been doing it in my own bed, or better yet I could have been sleeping... There were hardly even any patients to keep me amused. Needless to say that was our last day at the clinic and we've requested to change locations. It sounds like we're headed to an orphange tomorrow. It is their busy season so we know there will be work and if nothing else, we'll be able to play with the kids.
While at the clinic on Thursday I discovered something very interesting... a lady came in and it was obvious that she was very obsessed with beauty...the minute she sat down she started powdering her face. Her son was too tall for the short nurse to measure his height so I had to come and move the little thinger. As I sat down, I noticed that she was...wait for it... curling her eyelashes. with. a. SPOON. I don't know if it worked or not, as her lashes seemed curled before she did it...but I was amazed nonetheless.
In Mexico, people don't really understand the concept of cleaning up after your dogs. As in, there is dog poo all over the sidewalks. I've never understood exactly how imperative it is until now. These are the things you think about and realize when you must walk an hour up a mountain and avoid dog poo for a large portion of your trek.
I guess it doesn't help either that there are a lot of stray dogs.
Speaking of dogs...
My lunch yesterday was filled with disgust and wonder if my being too gullible was obvious to my family. My family was discussing how their two dogs would go out during the day and come back at night. One night, they just didn't return. My senora's nephew said that they were probably stolen. We then got onto the topic that there are certain Taqueria's here that advertise carne asada, but it's really dog meat. My senora and the mom both said that it is muy rico. They then proceeded to ask if i had eaten from any of the street vendors yet, which I hadn't. They laughed and one of the guys at the table said they were joking, and to stop scaring me. But then they went back to it and were discussing in all seriousness. My little sister even asked if she was with when they ate them. Two of the girls said that their conversation professor also said the same, though they thought she was joking. I'm not sure if I should believe it or not. It wouldn't surprise me. There are so many stray dogs and from what I've heard dog robberies are fairly common.
Friday we had to move a class up earlier in the day as our professor was going to be in a play. Between this and our museum tour that day we didn't have time to return to our homes for lunch. We went to a place that has become famous with Madison groups over the last few years... Super Tortas Gigantes. It was quite the feat to finish the entire thing...but it was sooo delish and I've been craving one ever since. I had the hawaiano. It was ham dipped in pineapple juice...grilled, with cheese and pineapple. On top was avocado, jalapenos, and tomato. A little bit of hot sauce. A torta is just a sandwich but it's on a crusty roll. I can't wait to eat another one.
Friday night after class we decided to finally go out. We first went to the Zocalo to try and find some food. We came across a cafeteria that had crepes. I had a bananas foster one, which was awesome, and Kathleen had the vegetarian one, which was surprisingly also awesome. Currently the Zocalo is full of many random things, which I will get to later. I introduced the girls to Palomas...I had forgotten how awesome they were (it's tequila and squirt with salt on the rim... you can't even taste the tequila). We then went to a bar called Los Danzantes. There was a DJ and it sounded pretty cool from outside. The inside was beautiful. We got a table next to the DJ and were just chilling out. It was so weird because although there was obvious dance music playing, no one was dancing. People did eventually start dancing but it was very awkward so we didn't. Also, the peanuts they give you with your drinks were amazing, with the pieces of garlic still in the mix. I was apparently the only one who could speak understandable Spanish so I was given the task of ordering for everyone, though I think our initial waiter was retarded because he could still hardly understand me. The next time he came by he had to have a different waiter take our order. This waiter quickly started hitting on me. By the end of the night he was asking why I wasn't dancing and told me that we should return the next night because he was off and he wanted to dance with me.... needless to say I now have a Oaxacan boyfriend... at my first bar here. We didn't go back on Saturday, but still. It was really cool because having connections and all got us moved to a window table...which was literally in a private balcony over La calle Macedonio Alcala which is a pedestrian street a lot like State Street, only it's all cobblestone.
Saturday we went shopping. We had all decided we wanted traditional shirts and dresses. As I stated earlier the Zocalo is a pretty busy place right now and has it's own market there. We all got a ton of super adorable stuff for really cheap. After about an hour there we were walking back and stopped by another little market by the Santo Domingo. All in all I paid less than $1 for a bracelet, less than $5 for a shirt, less than $10 for a skirt, and less than $15 for a dress. It was a successful day. I plan to hit up the one by Santo Domingo at least one other time for jewelry... soo much turquoise, you don't even know what to do with yourself.
Saturday we also decided to be creeps and went to the play that our professor was in. It was called "El Codex Romanoff" and was about some nuns who were trying to get a hold of Leonardo Da Vinci's secret recipe book that was banned. It was very weird and semi difficult to follow, though I did a good job until the end. I now feel very cultured... I have attended the theater not only in a different country, but in a different language.
Oaxaca has a history of political problems, specifically those involving teachers salaries and benefits, and not just the city, this applies to the whole state. My sister hasn't had school the last two Fridays so that the teachers could attend marches and protests. There is something big happening this weekend, with a march, and therefore no school again, on Monday. If things are not resolved on the 14, the schools will close indefinitely until things are worked out. What does this have to do with anything? Teachers from other towns have come to the city to protest. They have taken up residence in El Zocalo and the different villages rotate their presence a few days at a time. 3/4 of the plaza is covered in tents. There are vendors and beggars everywhere. The other part of the plaza is a market right now, because these people from the indigenous villages have come...it only makes sense that they sell some stuff and try to make some money as well. There are also a ton of food vendors, since the people obviously need to eat.
It is so difficult to be down there right now, not only because there are tarps and strings everywhere but because there are so many beggars. And not only adults, most of them are children, especially at night. And they are adorable. And persistent. I've gotten to the point that I just look at what they're trying to sell me and say no right away before I can look at the person selling and see that it's an adorable kid. And the kids are of course all geniuses and know to hit up the soft looking Americans...making us prime targets. Saying no to the "old" people is a lot easier... though it may have made me have some voodoo curse set upon me. Saturday I was rushing to meet up with the girls and said no to a very old lady...she starting shouting at me in something other than Spanish...
I think my senora cleaned my room today/looked for the large bug. I'm exhausted but currently still too afraid of my bed. Here's too hoping I can gain some courage and that it doesn't happen again or it's going to be a loooonnnngggg month and a half!
Bug update: Before she went to bed she brought me a towel to put under my door so that no bugs can get in here at night! :)
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