Hey you. It has been far too long. Ya see, I moved into this new house, and then I sort of started living a new life: speaking a lot more Spanish in the house; waking up earlier and going to the park; working out; not driving my truck during the week; hanging out with my dogs at cafes, far more frequently; walking to dinner, ya know--stuff. In any event, I had almost plumb forgot about updating the happenings, so here is the skinny:
1. Moved into my new apartment with Ms. Marta Lia. An Italian national, currently residing in DF by way of Chiapas and the Yukatan, and formerly Brasil. Marta is a hippy, more or less. Marta works in the psychology wing at the social health care center. Our dogs, my two and her one, get along great. She cooks and I clean, and on Wednesdays, Emma comes and gives the whole place a rub down for $300 pesos.
2. Went to the woods on Sunday. Drove in 40 minutes of stop-n-go traffic, and my clutch, which is original and old, got too hot, and well it started to slip. I had to park it on a hill and leave it. The forest was amazing though, and we went exploring through valleys and trails, and trees and leaves. The dogs had a blast, and the Chileans en tow
were great. We came back to my truck, I hopped in, sans dogs, and 4 other people, and I fired The Whip up. I eased the clutch in, and it caught, and we made a hasty exit home--all down hill. I have been nervous to take my car to any of the local mechanics--although I admire Mexican ingenuity and craftsmanship, I am also aware of the often trial by fire, and haphazard nature of their work. That fact, coupled with my car not being a common car here, makes me nervous. Turns out, the Toyota dealership can order my part and do the work, all under the umbrella, of "Toyota Certified". I am waiting for a quote, but anticipate that it will be cheaper than work in the States, because the labor costs are far lower here. More expensive than going to the mechanic on the corner, but cheaper than the arm and a leg lifestyle of the States. I hope to get it in this weekend, and have it back by next week--before Shaun's arrival, which is going to be a little bit of a road trip.
3. Shaun's coming in a week. I am really excited to see a good friend, and to reconnect with a piece of my life from Santa Cruz. During my time in Santa Cruz, Shaun outfitted me with several articles of kick ass clothing: NB tennis shoes, North Face Fleece, several cool shirts, and a kick ass patagonia weatherproof parka. Well last night, on my way to a concert, I was engaged in a lengthy conversation with the taxista, and I hopped out and forgot my jacket. GODDAMNIT! I loved that thing. So it goes. Right now I am going through a phase of losing possessions: I misplaced my favorite beanie from Norway, I have packed my K belt in some unknown location, and now my jacket--super bummed, but learning not to obsess over material objects.
4. Curt's coming in April. My first trip into Latin America was with Curt and company back in 2005. Curt is always good for a hearty laugh, some sociological analysis, and an overall chill time.
5. Last night I went to a concert with Mauricio's cousin Fernando, a.k.a Feña. I met up with him and three other Chileños. I have really been getting into more situations of speaking just Spanish, and it is nerve wracking, exciting, and rewarding. We went and saw the Charles Gayle Trio. An amazing show. I found that with free jazz, I have to submit to the tangents of my mind. I spent most of the time, reflecting on my own life and the architecture of Teatro Ciudad--a beautifully crafted concert hall, which lead me to the question: Who the hell designs the ceilings of concert halls? They look like primitive calls to the universe. They are geometric and patterned and filled with symmetrical wonderment. But back to the music: I found that free jazz is music without a
message; it is a conversation. It is a musical conversation between individuals, and the audience member is not told what to think or what to believe--there is no message slapping you in the face, and hence, as a listener I realized that I needed to free myself to allow my brain to wonder, and that, for me, was the true beauty of the show. Two encores and a series of short speeches of praise from the group, made it a great night. It was awesome to hear individuals chuckle when unexpected changes in the improv occurred. Free jazz is the technique of a skilled adult player coupled with the whimsical lust of life, which we attribute to the unpretentiousness of childhood. (I do not know why this has formatted itself into a 1.5 spacing...free jazz?)6. I might go sleep in a tree hammock Saturday night--but my hermit tendencies, and the desire to get my truck fixed are putting thoughts of staying in DF into my mind. I will have to weigh
the options come tomorrow.7. My students just did these personal Hero's Journey projects, where they applied Joseph Campbell's monomyth archetype to their own lives, and created a creative representation. Some students wrote stories, others made powerpoints and films, some made comics, and others went to another realm--all and all I am tickled by their creativity and intellect.
8. My dirty laundry is in a closet, and it stinks--BAD!
9. I transfered $81,000 pesos ($6500) into my U.S. bank account. I was hoping to save $8,000 for the year, and I am damn close. I think with 4 months of work left, I will achieve my goal, if not pass it. It felt so good to send that money home!!! The peso is currently the strongest it has been since I got here: 12.5 pesos to 1 dollar. It is a great time!
10. I am embarking on poetry in the classroom. If this is going to be my swan song for English education, at least for a few years, well then I am going to get inspirational with these little mothers. They seem jazzed on the subject. I have outlined slam a little bit, we have watched some videos, and next class we are going to have a haiku off. Then I believe we are going to stage a few competitions, and I might have some 5th graders, or at least another class from the high school, come judge the students.
10.1 I realize that I feel such conviction at points, for different
possibilities in my ambiguous future. At certain moments I feel them so strongly, and last night, during Charles Gayle's freakery, I realized, just like the musings on his sax, what is true, or what is right, will change
in a moment's notice, and I must stay present to be there for the change--and if I am present, I will know just when and where to go to the next key.
10.2 Shimmy has been giving me reasons to draw of late--album covers and liner notes, from doodles to portraits, inspiration abounds.
Thanks.
