this is a journal of a sojourner...a soul journal...
i am a souljoiner...a soilder like sojorner...so i journal...
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
2011 (What happened?)
30. I am officially 30 years old. My saturn is returning, or has returned. Many things in motion, movement, and flux now. Somethings settling, and somethings can never settle.
Grad School. Started classes at UC Berkeley again, this time at the school of education, Principal Leadership Institute, working on my administrative degree and another masters. Took classes all summer, small groups, projects, papers and paper and papers. Read articles and articles and articles. Writing a paper about Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Curriculum. Met some cool people in the program. Who know's where I'll be and what I'll be doing in the future.
Traveling - Mexico, Yosemite, Nor Cal. Finally. I know. I should have been there a long time ago, but I felt it was too close. But I made it. Read my memoirs here. In brief, I visited the capitol including musuems, schools, ruin sites. I went to Teotihucan, ancient ruin. Traveled to the port city or Vera Cruz, traveled south to the land of the Olmecs, and the Catemaco lake. It was special to travel alone, practice spanish, and see places I have read about. Also made it to redding to see the sundial bridge, Mt. Shasta, and the redwoods to drive through a tree! Also went camping in yosemite with the Lowell fam to swim, hike, and burn things.
Español. Half way through my fourth year of teaching, and third year of teaching Spanish at Envision Academy of Arts and Technology. Teaching 2 courses and I am really starting to fall into my groove with teaching Spanish. Attended a great training on TPRStorytelling. Plan on using it. Incorporated ancient civilizations, ethnic studies, current events, college connections, career strands, and other relevant components into my class. Kids did a fashion show project as well as a community blockumentary. Continued member of the lead team, helping with professional development, coaching teachers, and school policies. Created a hip hop rapping elective on Fridays.
Physical Fitness. Kept somewhat in shape, working out at 24 hour fitness, playing basketball in the summer (sprained my ankle, sad face). Gained and lost weight. Trying to lose 15 pounds now. Bout to start juicing. Not steroids, just fruits and vegetables. Snowboarded near Tahoe, in the Kirkwood mountains. Trying to go relatively vegan in 2012 and stop drinking bottled water.
Hip Hop Music. Its been a very slow year. I think I recorded about 8 or 9 verses. Haven't really finished any songs, but Los and Danny has been doing his thing with Faded Green. I have a few songs in the works. Here's a new year's eve bonus for you. Oh yeah other people. Favorite albums of 2011. Kendrick Lamar, Section 80. Roots Undun. Common The Dreamer, The Believer. Phonte Charity Starts at Home. Bad Meets Evil Hell. Pharaoh Monch WAR. Zion I Atomic Clock. Tried to start learning the guitar, but not much of that has been happening. Its fun though.
Politics. Occupy Oakland was amazing. photos. Went to a few marches and demonstrations. Connected it to my class through Raza History, and the United Farm Workers Movement. There were so many people out. Made me proud to be a resident of the Town.
Love. Ups and down, but I am happy and feeling pretty lovely, loved, and loving. This album makes me think of love. And this one by Anthony Hamilton.
Poetry. I haven't really written anything. Super sad face. Still thinking about publishing my book.
So I have been thinking about hipsters and I realize a few things that upset me about them. Now this is a generalization and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. But here's the rule. A few short (details below) reasons, why I hate hipsters:
The short list:
You are not an individual, but a trend follower.
You are trying to look poor but you grew up rich.
You are trying to shake your white/middle class guilt.
You are stealing culture from those you see as less human.
Your counter culture is superficial and not making any counter dent.
You still vote along class lines, with middle class whites.
You are not cool.
You gentrify and displace poor people of color.
You are still white and not any more "down."
You are creating more hipsters
The long list.
You are not an individual. You look like all the other hipsters. Yeah you are in a group. You are not original, because that is a trend, and you are trendy. C'mon. You are not different from others, because you would have been a punk rocket, a grunge, a baggy pants wearing break dancer, or skater, when those were the trends. You are not a trend setter, but a trend follower.
You're "style" is about trying to be dirty, grimy, or natural. Miss matched or "off." Although you may believe that you are expressing your individual style, you are expressing a style that makes you look dirty and poor. Here's the problem. You are not poor and did not grow up poor, so don't act like it to make you feel better, or make your white/middle class guilt go away. As a person who grew up poor, around people who were more poor than me, I am deeply offended that you want to "act" poor. The other problem is that you won't be poor and can go back to having money when you want. So to act poor for a day, a few months, your years of college, or until you make up with mommy and daddy warbucks, is pretentious and ridiculous. You are still guilty and connected to the wealth that you inherited, that was taken from poor people. You are still the proverbial man that you so desperately want to separate yourself from. And spending some time walking around barefoot or living on the street with a dog does not take away your privilege. Because you can go back. And you spend more money to look like you have less money. Faded jeans (jeans fade when you have to wear them many times and wash them without woolite) Holey Jeans (that happens when you have to keep wearing them, not when you cut them into your new jeans) Vintage bikes (doesn't it cost more money to make it look old) So you are spending more money to look like people who don't spend a lot of money, but spending more and wasting more so can separate yourself, at least superficially, from those who have, but wasting they money that keeps you connected to the haves. How does that make sense?
And the dreadlocks and mohawk, is called culture appropriation. Its called stealing. Its called using a people. A people that you really don't want to be because you know they get treated wrongly. You don't really want to understand people of color. You just want to pretend to be them, like its Halloween, but its not, and you are not a child. You are an adult, one that is educated enough to know better. The other problem, is that people of color are forced to be more like white, and poor people are forced to be more like the wealthy, if they want to have any navigation and relative power in their society. You choose to act like people color, but you don't have to, which further illustrates the power you have. Your ability to appropriate their culture also shows the cartoon, caricature, and dehumanized status that you see them to have. Your look is their existence, but all you see is they look.
You are not a rebel. Your clothing and activities are not counter culture. If culture is a way of life and about actions, then you are forgetting the whole "way of life" part. Your clothing is not enough to make you a rebel. You have to do something about it. Have a conversation with your family about their money, investments, and how they earned/stole it. While you are critiquing the system, and everybody else, and talking about how you are better and more enlightened, you are missing out on time when you can be actually carrying out action on a system, that created the problems, that you kinda see, but are too fearful to actively and directly confront, the problems, that birthed your "style". If you want to rebel, change your life style. Stop believing that art alone will change the world. Now if all you have is art, then use it. But if you have money, time, and privilege, use that. Talk to people. Donate. Volunteer. Debate. Argue. Petition. Protest. Fight. Do stuff. Change your job.
You claim to be liberal and progressive and at times radical, but you usually vote moderate and democratic, conservative democrats at best. Here's the problem. If you really were so counter culture, and against excess and wealth, and trying to connect yourself with the poor, you would vote for the poor. Vote for tax increases. Vote for social services. Vote for a green economy. Vote for school funding. Vote for people that make this happen. Obama's not making this happen. It's up to you. You are anarchist, and "so outside this system" but you use you cultural capital, privilege, education, language, degrees, and connections to get what you want and need. You can claim to be anarchist, but you still participate and benefit from a political system benefits you and your family.
Hipster is not a culture. Neither is white. If you are looking for some culture, you should look to your ethnicity, and learn why it is so inaccessible and why so many whites assimilated. You cannot substitute a lack of culture for being dirty and miss matched. Dirty is not a culture either. Its a characteristic of being poor, which remember, you are not. And if you boil a culture down to its appearance, you are more superficial than the people critique as being so shallow.
Hipsters are not hip. That would imply that they are cool. And, by cool that means cooler than others. That would imply that they are better, which is an adjective that they criticize middle class, and upper class people for believing they are.
Oh, I forgot about gentrification. Yo move into neighborhoods of color, that used to be of color, that were white before that and off limits to people of color. You move in, buy up things with your big money, raise the property value and force people of color to move out. You economically ostracize the people of color that you kinda, I cautiously say kinda, want to be like. You move them out, and then take over it and other hipsters, call your neighborhood a cultural center. You start playing some guitar songs, and reading some poetry, and stencil painting, and people call it culture. Culture, let me remind you that was created and popularized by oppressed people, that is now called culture. But you can have a street fair, or a block party, and its not shut down by the cops.
And don't think because you are a hipster, you are somehow closer to people of color and poor people and you get a pass. Don't call me bro or say girlfriend. You are still white and grew up with money. Let's keep it real. It's not enough to have messy hair, ride a bike with a milk crate, dress odly, drink pabst blue ribbon, grow a beard, die your hair, and play the guitar. If you want to be about something, do something.
Your actions lead to more hipsters. People see you, and think you are cool, and copy you.
Hipsters. You are a part of the problem that you see but do little to solve.
I made it to Mexico City nice and safely. Quiet in the city this morning. People still out from partying. Carried on all my bags. Quick flight. 4 hours. Crying babies arent too bad when u have earplugs.Slept a lot. Easy to get a taxi. 15 bucks. Hotel is huge and nice. Good start. I got in at 5 am and they let me check in early. Awesome. Nicer than Chillin in the lobby and changing inthe bathroom. Lol. Saw a billboard for thong chuck Taylor sandals and another for fanta. Lol. Gonna nap and head to the museums. Party tonight? Discotec it up?
Today. Slept in to catch up on missed sleep. It was pretty busy outside when woke up. Had breakfast of beans and chiliquiles which are like enchiladas with no meat. Good. Then I set out in food to the museum of anthropology. Basically all their ancient civilizations in one place. And buy do these mess Americans have slot of ancient history. The place was filled with models, pottery, reproduction of temple decoration, an Olmec head and statues. And this was the best. They have the original Aztec sun stone often referred to as the Aztec calendar. I knew about it but it is 10 feet tall and ten feet across. Huge! The most accurate calendar in all of history.
Then I had some street fruit and chips in the park of Chapultepec. There were all kinds of people there all locals. There was a lake with people paddle boating a clown street performer and snacks etc.
Then I hopped in a local bus to the next spot. That was an experience. I try to take as much public transept as possible. Cheaper and more down to earth. I Was a little tall for the bus but I fit. I stopped and went to the Diego Rivera museum where one if his huge murals are housed. A. Mazing. He put history in one huge picture that also communicates a critique of our existence. Crazy.
Ok. Then I walked through the alameda park and stopped at a free blues band performance. Harmonica was going. Then I found the palace of fine arts. Murals galore! Rivera. Orozco. Sizqueros. Oh my! Seeing something you have only see in pictures live and in persons both humbling and accomplishing. These artists really were dope. Influencing animation, comic books, graffiti, and multimedia. To see where they came to paint was breathtaking.
Then I walked back to the hotel had some snacks and passed through a mall on the way. Rested.
Hit up two club/bars. Realized it's a little hard to roll solo dolo to a place when everybody knows someone. But it was cool to see how people party here. Interesting. Everyone was fitted and withit. Ready to turn someone's head. My new balances werent standing up too tall. Lol. But I could run away from as high jacker. Lol. Went home. Chilled. On to the next one.
Day 2 – College, Canal Cruising, and Quesadillas
Slept in a bit. I was up too late not partying. Took the metro on my own and it was cool. Nothin but locals. Got off at the university of Mexico. Started walkin around and ran I to this random old guy. 63 years old. He befriended me and tried to guide me around the school. The only problem was that he went to the school 35 years ago. Lol. He was there during the student protests. I tried to get stories out of him but he was hard to understand. We walked and walked and found the 1958 Olympic stadium where Tommy Smith and John Carlos protested the oppression and racism in the US. Dope. The we went into the main plaza and met some more people. An older couple salmon their dogs. Vegetarians and get this pee drinkers. I know hats random but I had to ask. Why? He said you get a special hormone in the mornings urine that cures cancer and all kinds of stuff. Lol. They been doin it for 10 years. Ran. Dom. Lol. Saw some more murals and then the old guy Mario helped me get a taxi to my next destination. Xochimilco. The floating gardens. Pretty cool. You rent a boat or board a collective boat. I got in the $1.50. Lol. Fun. Mariachi players. Corn. Beer if you like that. Souvenirs. Ice cream. Plants. All for sale from boats! Hour long boat ride. There were tons of boats. People celebrating and just kickin it. The boats were pushed by a huge pole, gadola style. Real interesting. Got off and weaved my way through a bustling market of produce and meat. Btw. They eat un monton(hella) meat here. I can barely find any food without meat. Did find some quesadillas. Yum. With the central American cheese. If you ain't had it. Ask alguien. Went to a movie at the mall. Cool. Tomorrow, the pyramids!
Day 3 – The Pyramid
Did the tourist thing today. All day tour with a few travelers, from Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Peru. Took a van to the plaza de tres culturas. Aztec ruins, colonial church and modern day government buildings. So much history in 1 place. It was a sacred place for the Aztec, then the euros came and tore down temples and force the people to build a church. In the same spot. How bout that. Then in 1968 during the student movement in Mexico hundreds of protesters were gunned down by the government military in the same plaza during a rally. It was a set up reminiscent of civil rights movements in the US. The next morning Mexico had the 1968 Olympics with no reports if it. People were scared to speak if it until about 30 years later. Crazy
Then I went to the basilica de Guadalupe. The place where Juan Diego presented his image if the virgin de Guadalupe to the priest. Story is that he was traveling and saw the virgin and saw her again and brought proof of the miracle in the form of flowers that inky grow in Spain. Then a smoke a appeared and an image of the vigil appeared. They built a church ing her honor and now it is in display in the church, the most holy place in Latin America. The image can be viewed. According to legend/faith it is the same one that miraculously appeared 500 years ago, not deteriorated at all. Almost converted me! Impressionante nonetheless.
Next up. Teotihuacan! Ancient Aztec sight. But quick stop At a rare stone shop. I like how they combine "tours" with tourist trap shopping. Not so quick stop. Whatever. Jade. Mother of pearl. 3 kinds of obsidian. Pretty nice!
Ok. Teotihuacan! Are you kidding me? This place is huge. HUGE! Pyramids. Temples. Structures. Avenues. Homes. Tumbs. All impeccably designed. It was built and then abandoned and covered up with vegetation only to be discovered. They said there were 1500 building there and it homes some 150,000 people. They built a pyramid for the moon or goddess of water and another for the sun or god of storm. The biggest pyramid has a base the size of the great pyramid of Giza but inky half the height. We climbed it. The steps were too high for me to climb carefully so ask yourself this. How did the Aztecs climb them. Don't know. But I did. All the way to el punto alto. The view, amazing. My perspective, altered. My energy, lifted yet grounded.
This is why I came to Mexico. Lo indigena. Que viva!
Day 4 – Vera Cruz
Que hay? Starting to feel somewhat at home aqui en Mexico. My spanish is improving and people keep being surprised at my fluency.
Said goodbye to Mexico city today and went to the bus station. I have to say. The bus system is organized, clean, and on time. The station, one of four was hella big. Bought my ticket and looked to see if u could spot any foreigners. Found some. 2 white women. Cool I can share this traveling with someone. Oh no. Thy are hella loud, annoying, and ignorant. Damn. Now Im Stuck. Everyone is staring at us. Did she just get a beer at 11am? Now everyone is really staring at us. So they're from sacramento. What a coincidence. Happy I didn't sit next to them in the bus.
Back to Mexico. The ride to Vera Cruz, a costa state of Mexico on the Caribbean Sea was nice. 5 hours flew by as the scenery gave me a great view as we drive through the country. Fields, hills, rivers mountains, and towns. Took me back to Honduras for a second. Funny how rural looks so similar everywhere.
Arrived in Vera Cruz. And upon getting off the bus the ocean breeze overtook me. Similar to other beach towns the calmness calmed me. Muy tranquilo. Found a hotel and had dinner with the Americans. That was interesting. But I'll skip to the good part. Heard that there were just 10 people killed in acapulco. I was actually thinking about going there. Dodged one there! Dinner. Had a whole fried fish and fried platanos maduros. Que Rico! Dropped off the gringas and went exploring.
Found the down town where there tons of people eating and drinking in the open air at the central plaza or zocalo. Music and singing. Souvenir stores and mucha gente. Walked around and bought an ice cream cone. Walked along the malecon, along the water and just enjoyed the ocean air and boats anchored in the port.
Chill day and a Nice night. Tomorrow I plan to find the Heartland of the Olmecs. Ojala que si.
Hasta
Day 5 - In Love with El Lago Catemaco
Where there is water there is life. I had to get further away from the city today and closer to the ancients of this area called aztlan. Boarded a bus headed for a town called Catemaco, about 2.5 hours south of Vera Cruz. This will be my hub for finding traces of the mighty Olmecs. Comi dos pastelitos, un de queso y el otro de guayabana. Diez peos como un dolar. The ride is beautiful again. Lagoons surrounded in lush vegetation. Canals lined with trees and cattle grazing. Oscillating hills that seem to mimic my resting heart beat. Los caballos encuentran paz un the sombra de un arbol. I find peace as I travel further from where I began. Where will I end up?
Arrival in Catemaco. The lake is beautiful. Had to haggle with a tour guide but I got lots of good informacion. Looks like I passed up the town to see the Olmec ruins but there is some cook stuff to see here. If Vera Cruz was a beach town thus is lake town. Boats everywhere, they call them lanchas. Found a cool hotel. I am finder cheaper and more "basico" places to stay. This one only 25 a night. Found a laundry finally. And met up with my guide. Got a private tour of the lake. It's beautiful. Calm but constant waves. Fisherman casting huge nets out and collecting fish. Hills, mountains, and a volcano surrounding us. The clima is warm but the lake breeze washes over me. We haws to see their patron saint's statue, and a stop at a medicinal shop/botanical garden. A woman explains how they get their minerals as she puts a facial mask in me. Kinda nice. I see why some pay for this. Then she takes me in a short trail, displaying plants that treat everything from sunburn, bruises, asthma, to an alternative to birth control pills. How bout that? She shows me a sweat lodge where indigenous people cleansed themselves from bad spirits and almost talks me into a $20 cleansing from a shaman. Almsost. Lol. I learned that they regar the Olmecs as their people, the first people. An interesting thing about the olmecas was that they regarded babies with deformities and down syndrome as blessed by the gods and praised them. They also gave then a lip piercing and earrings to set them apart. How interesting. I mean que interesante! After not buying anything at yet another tourist trap we set engine for las Islas de Los Monos. there is an island where monkeys from Thailand were brought. I fed banana to the fattest monkey i have seen. Gordisimo! Then we went to another isla where native spider monkeys crawled through a canopy of trees. Their colas or tails are just as good as arms. As we rode back to shire I wondered why I live traveling so much. Because I love new things? Because I am easily bored? Because being out of place makes me feel at home? Because the world is so large and I so small? Not sure but I Love it.
Dinner is fried fish, frijoles, and platanos. Can't ever go wrong with that! Hope I can catch the sunset in the lake. I think this why I became a teacher.
Wait there's more. Went out to the zocalo/plaza and there were a grip of people out there. All ages. Families, couples and kids. There was a group of dirty, earthy pollo ing people doing circus tricks and stuff. I asked two people who they were and they said hippies. Lol. Said they choose to live in the street and camp. Very similar to the bohemian/hippie/street people of the US. Interesting. Things end early here. Un dia interesante en el estado de Vera Cruz.
Hasta mañana.
Day 6 – Memelas, el Mar, y los Mariscos
What a day! Never know what you are going to get. I have noticed that as soon as I start getting comfortable in a new place it's time to go. Today was no exception to this rule. Started off at the taxi rural mixto terminal. I had the plan of going to the beach called montepio and spending the day swimming eating and reading. Had. Lol. Well I went to get some food and found out what a memela was. It is a huge tortilla filled with frijolitos and whatever else you want. I added queso and got a side of maduros/sweet plantains. Un desayuno catemaqueno.
I ended up getting in the back of a covered pick up truck, the cabina and I understood why it was a mixto, because it's mixed truck and bus. Lol. Well I sat and I noticed that the people on board were a little strange. A guy started talking to me and I was instantly a part of their little grupo. Turns out that three if then were from the Capitol doing a little sightseeing here too. What luck.
After about an hour of talking I the truck I Decided To join them in their trip. They said the beach wasn't that nice and they were headed to some beautiful cliff. So we get off and get in another truck and end up where we are suppose to. Backstory. Alfonso the funny guy is a drummer in the Mexican symphonic orchestra. His wife Lupita sells perfume and the other guy, Diego is a publicist. What luck that I run into 3 other cool travelers.
We walk to the water and find a pretty quiet beach. I swam in the gulf of Mexico and hijo, fue rico. It was nice. Not many waves. Warm water. All good. Todo sano. Ate a few empanadas de queso y camarron. We signed up for a boat ride for the four of us. It was awesome. Ride out past the waves and passed a hidden beach. Passed a 100 foot high cliff that had many kinda if geological formations. That was beautiful. Looked like something you find in Arizona or Yosemite but right next to the eater. 3 kinda of cacti and all kinds of plants grew in the cliff. People climb up it with the right gear. Then we saw a cave that you can kayak through. Next we passed the Islam of birds where you can come right up in about a hundred pelicans and seagulls. They circled above us and fish was fragrant in the air. Afterwards we returned to shore which was great because I needed some stable ground.
To return we rode in the back of a truck in the open air, making it easy to appreciate the beauty. We talked about Mexico, centro america, social issues in the us, immigration, capitalism, religion, everything. I learned just as much about them as they did about me. Speaking a language fluently makes a hell of a difference. Then we rode another bus and got back after sunset. Dinner fried fish, beans, rice, and horchatan de coco. Sabroso. We dropped off Diego at the bus and he invited me to hang out with before I leave. Think I'll take him up in that.
Tomorrow lupita and Alfonso want to join me in Santiago to see the Olmec heads and they invited back to Vera Cruz to see more of it, since that's where he's from. Seems like my final days are filling up fast. Que divertido. Me encanta a Mexico.
Day 7 - Las Olmecas y otras objetos que no voy a olvidarme
Time to leave the lake town. Met up with the chilangos (people from the capital city) and we grabbed a taxi to Santiago Tuxtla, in of the Olmec sights. Arrived at the central plaza where they have the largest Olmec head in the center as if it were regular decoration. As if. This is monument 1, the biggest if all the heads found, taller than me and almost as wide as my wingspan. Hugemongous. It's the head with it's eyes closed. Some say because it's unfinished. Im sorry but did I say it's really bug and weighs like 30 tons. One piece of volcanic basalt rock. Dios mios! Then we visited a local museum. Learned that Olmecs practiced a form of facial and skull deformation for beauty. The high class made the back of there heads flat and made their eyes cross. Why, not sure but strange and curious nonetheless. Oh yeah it's hit still. The curator also showed us a special mystical piece that upon touching it with your thumb and closing your eyes, you see strange things and become more peaceful. Should I touch it? So after I touched, you I touched it, I felt somewhat different. Didn't see the images but maybe I have t believe like pixie dust. But I felt a little strange. Then we went upstairs to a new exhibition where scientists studied the relationship between the a temple and movement of celestial bodies. This temple built by the otmati people is located in the state of Guanajuato. They made it so that the moon moved around the temple like clockwork like a year long clock. And the solstice and eclipse was positioned directly over the temple between two large structures. That's math, science, astrology, architecture. And they connected the positions with a calendar that corresponded to the seasons and harvests. 18 months of 20 days with 5 days of rest. More accurate than out calendar today. That's genius. Take that Galileo and newton and copurnicus. . that's ethnic studies. Think kids of color would benefit from that knowledge. Maybe even the white ones. Lol. Another story. But amazing nonetheless.
On a second class bus back to Vera Cruz. I don't quite fit in the seat but its all bueno. Todo sano. I can feel the greenery rejuvenating my soul as the leaves wave goodbye to me. AC is not so important when the country breeze blows through the windows and ruffles the curtains. As long as we are moving. That is what is important. Movement. Adelante! Siempre.
Finally, after 3 hours, a bag of Jugo de guayabana, a bag of platano totones and a few dulces we arrived in the port city of Vera Cruz. Lupita and Alfonso chose to stay in my same hotel. We dined together and I had orchata, fish tacos with frijolitos, queso y platanos. On a pier we meet an austrian man who studied post colonial latin america and had a tatoo of quetzalcoatl on his leg Que mexicano. I told him i was a quarter austrian and he didnt believe it. Ha! Cool guy nonetheless. Walked along the malecon, had some mango and some ice cream. Yum. Flavors I never heard of because they are from fruit that dont exist in the US. El maracuya, nanche, and the mamey. Couldn't even try to tell u what they tasted like. Ademas, we looked at some souvenirs for the kids back home, and walked through the zocalo, cracking jokes the whole way. I must have done some good stuff in my past life to have found such easy going, kind, and inviting people while traveling. There was a performance of baile folklorico in the central stage and an audience member explained the dances to me as I ate my helado. Next we a little cafecito con leche y un poco de pan dulce. Que rica fue el cafe, hecha aqui en Vera Cruz.
We ended the night with a walk back along the boardwalk, where we passed street performers, vendors, a night city tour bus, couples, families, and kids. Such a nice night. Somehow the thick humidity didn't bother me much. Our conversations about reincarnation, kharma, shakras, spirituality, wisdom and experience was enough to stimulate my mind. I think I'm gonna miss this place called mexico. Lo voy a extranar mucho.
Day 8 - Mole Poblano para mi por favor
Hopped on the first thing fumando this morning headed back to the big city. My surrogate parents lupe y pancho came to send me off. How nice. Bus was cool. Ended up sitting next to a lady who worked in human resources at a gambling slot in the Capitol. Lol. Said that she works 10-8 with a 2 hour break. Interesting. Cool ride, half watched a few movies in Spanish and might I add, I am starting to understand them much easier and not just the cartoons. Lol. Made it through the traffic and checked I to my hotel. Very niiice. Went to the historic center called the, wait for it, zocalo! This is gigantic. The biggest public gathering space after Russia's and China's. On one side is the national palace, on the other the oldests cathedral, and on the other government buildings. Within the plaza there were tents and tents and shops and people and food and performers and people. Lots of people. On my way to the zocalo I passes what I would call down town. Felt like I was in new York or down town sf or la, no joke. Birds of people. Here there. Street vendors and performers. I saw batman, dude from pirates of the carribean, sponge bib, silver guy, serial killer man (wait was he acting?) clowns, break dancers, Aztec dancers, day of the dead woman, and more. A trip. How did I not come here first. At the zocalo I went to the temple mayor named appropriately because it is the oldest temple in Mexico (mesheeco) founded by the mesheecad (mexicas) on a lake. At the temple you can see the original stones and some structures as they were in 1325. They continue to find more artifacts as the dig and build in the area. This is near where they found the huge Aztec calendar. In the museum you can see bones, artifacts, huge monoliths, carvings and more. Amazing. Huge statues too. After that I walked around the zocalo, cruised and perused the shop avenues, and enjoyed the atmosphere. Watched people getting cleansed by azteclly dressed cleansers. Bought some souvenirs and took a long walk back. And here I am, ending my night with a plate of enchiladas de mole poblano. Un arroz con leche y un cafecito. Mexico lindo. Ordale.
My Eyes Failed the Test First of all, how bout I have never had an eye exam. I thought it was those DMV things where you read the letters while covering one eye. Um, its a lot more complicated. You strap your face into this matrix of the face machine and they look for glaucoma, check to see how hydrated your eyes are (btw mine are dry, i should blink more often when i look at the computer says the eye doctor), and they also check to see what kind of lenses you need. My question is, if this is such a good thing, how come I never did it before and my doctors have never said anything about it.
Not all Frames are Created Equal So I browsed the frames and no surprise. The cheap ones look funny and the cool looking ones are $400. Now I know designers make glasses frames too. My bad kharma made it so that the only ones I liked were Prada. I had a left lean towards the Malcolms of course so the wire frames looked a little too conservative for me. The glasses man wanted me to get the "trendy" frames. Apparently nerdy was in. As if, glasses weren't nerdy enough, the big boxy ones were "in." He forgot to mention that nerdy would be "out" later, sometime before my insurance would cover a new pair of glasses, and after I got tired of them. I narrowed it down to 2 options, a more sleek one and a more boxy heavy frame. The glasses man went on to tell me, pulled from some cosmo magazine that the sleek one made me look more friendly and approachable and the boxy one made me look more serious. I was like, hey, I'm a serious guy, and teaching is a serious profession, but i didn't like all the flashy bling on the side of the serious frame. I went with the sleek look.
Bells and Whistles Have you heard of the transition lenses? They change to sunglasses when you go into the sun. 2 for 1 times 2, for an additional 88 bucks. Whoever said convenience and dual function were cheap. Then you "have to have" UV protection, scratch guard, and polycarbonate something or other, that's another 20 bones. And if you want, you can get the glare reducer, thats 50 bills. But add all that up and minus the insurance coverage, and you get what I paid, too much, for some glasses, that I will now be dependent on and forever indebted to the glasses people.
But whatever, at least I can see better when I am driving at night, and i won't skwint so much any more.
She sleeps, and lets go, no more aching arches, no more tingling nerves, no more tight shoulders, the sleep soothes her, moves her forward, she loosens up, a metaphysical massage, her mind has found the mirage, where she can escape the barrage, she sleeps, with each exhale, there is a sigh of relief, a sign of belief, in her own abilities, in her grown capabilities, in her emotional agility, she has no humility, and knows no futility, anything is possible, when she sleeps.
She sleeps, She sleeps, and while she sleeps, there is release.
she sleeps, and puts down the boulder, at last, alas, she does not have to be atlas, she does not have to carry the burden, she does not have to be everything to everyone, she can be herself, for herself. she can simply, be.
while she sleeps, she is not her worst critic, but her best friend, her biggest fan, her personal paparatzi, she sees all that she is, she appreciates her successes, acknowledges her beauty, recognizes her intelligence, knows her power, pictures her potential, is sure she is far more than simple, she is in love with herself, while she sleeps.
her arms return to her body, 2 arms that are often pulled, in more than 2 directions, by more than 2 people, her arms are free to return, like a orchids leaves, constantly reaching for sunlight, her arms are free, to wrap themselves around her, embrace her, nurture her, console her,
when she sleeps, she can let her hair down, smile instead of frown, become deaf to the noises all around, the sirens, the screams, the cries, the lies, deaf to the sounds of the town,
while she sleeps, superwoman can finally take her cape off, she does not have to save the day, not tonight at least, she can brush her proverbial shoulders off, and she can relax, unwind the spools of her spirit, that were spun, as soon as the last day begun, spools of her soul, that make threads that keep the fabric whole, spools of her essence, that manifest her message, spools that are wound tighter than her clinched teeth, she can relax, when she sleeps, and breathe, she can breathe, breathe. she does not even need to dream, right now, she only is required to rest, focus on breath, the rising and falling of her chest, while she sleeps. there is no stress.
She sleeps, She sleeps, and while she sleeps, there is release. She sleeps, and when she sleeps, no one weeps.
she lays, and she levitates, floats, on clouds, she coasts, harmonizing, with heavenly bodies, hitting high notes, she has nothing, but high hopes, a lost angel, en los angeles, drifting home, after looking out for others, she can look out for herself look to the skies, she brushes the heavens, while she sleeps, and there is nothing, she cannot reach.
She sleeps, She sleeps, and while she sleeps, there is release. She sleeps, and when she sleeps, no one weeps, because while she sleeps, there is peace.
she sleeps, because there is always another day, another battle, another injustice, another war, another student, another need, another task, another challenge, there is always another day, and she needs to be ready, tomorrow she has to be ready, but for now, for tonight, she sleeps.
If you have ever road a bike, or you ride one regularly, you will love this song. Old school beat with a new lyrics by your favorite group cleanin' up Hip Hop, SOAP.
