Day 14: Back

I'm back to San Francisco! The last day was traveling but nevertheless had interesting stories. The problem? No Internet at home yet, but as soon as civilization is back I'll definitely post an account of the last day.

In the meantime,  my next adventure is: how to fit many stuff in a tiny SF apartment?

** The Real Day 14: Adventure at the last minute!

I cheated a little bit: day 14 in Mexico wasn't a 24 hour, it was 5, and early in the morning, when there was no traffic in Mexico city - a rarity. Nevertheless I experienced a memorable time change -Daylight Saving happened in Mexico a week earlier than in the US - saw what happened to United 3 hours before the flight, chilled out at a house party, and had some taxi story to tell ya'all!

My flight was at 5 in the morning, and the day before, my random taxi driver told me that he would pick me up at 2 to drop me off at the airport. The problem? He didn't have a phone and neither did I. So how did we communicate? Basically on faith. Somehow I thought that he was really going to pick me up, and I didn't book any other thing in preparation. At 1:50 am, I looked out the window, there was nothing. At 1:59 am: still nothing, I was a little nervous, but decided to take a quick 1 minute mediation nap. 2:10 am: there was a car outside! It was a taxi! Faith restored! I came down. Now here's the interesting part - the taxi driver was sleeping with a towel across his face. I wanted to check if he was Hector, my dear taxi driver, but there was no way to know. The towel covered his face. The taxi didn't have any name tag. Stupid me didn't save the taxi number, but it didn't look like what I remembered, either. I felt bad - what if he was Hector, and was waiting for me? The street was empty. There was no other taxi around. Apparently, no other cars parked around that spot, either. At the same time, if he was here to pick me up, shouldn't he be up or at least have some kind of signals?

After 20 minutes walking around the car, inspecting its elements from the outside, I decided to leave the taxi driver sleeping. It felt cruel to wake up someone at 2 am. I went upstairs and called Uber instead. Yes, Uber is in Mexico City, and cool kids call it something like U-bear-rr. I got a black car, which arrived in just 7 minutes. Yet, the taxi driver at 2 am remained my concern and puzzle. I didn't know what happened and to this day still don't. That is my little Mexican mystery.

I arrived safe and sound in San Francisco. My friends saved a delicious portion of "bun bo xao" for me at home. Then off we went to my new San Francisco apartment, where I'm staying till today, and just got Internet this morning. 

I imagined some epic entry to end this blog, but the fact is, I'm not writing this live like every other day - this is a "microwaved" entry :) The heat is hard to reconstruct, but the taste - still the same, as you can probably tell, I love my Mexico trip. I came back refreshed, and to an extreme, reborn. All the previous hatred, frustration, disappointment, and heartache suddenly seemed so distant. They were part of another chapter of my life, a past that is ready to be shelved away. Mexico gave me the fresh start that I needed. I'm ready for San Francisco and my new life here. 

Thank you for reading my lengthy travel rants, commenting, and checking up on me, my dear family and friends! I feel special and cherished. I'd love to update you all about my SF life, too, but I probably won't be able to write every day. Occasional crazy stories about my tiny space? Totally feasible, say hello to http://326sf.blogspot.com/ :)

Day 13: Penultimatum

The traveler's moment: have you ever read a travel book and wondered: can it really happen? How can she meet these amazing people?

Well the traveler's moment just happened to me today. While wandering aimlessly in a small museum in a hidden corner of downtown, I met one of the world's most passionate docents. My face must have screamed I don't know anything and why I'm here - which was true: my fabulous plan to get up at 8am fell spectacularly and I instead played it by ears. Then I was going to the Chipulpetec park but stopped at the Almeda first because it was so nice and bright. I'm telling you, Mexico City has everything, if you want European building you have European building. If you want French park, you have French part. History? Check. Dance? Yep. Street food? Mystery? Aha. It literally has everything, a world within a world. This square in particular is clean, big, and full of shades. It also has wifi. And I enjoyed it too much that my plan to go to the park didn't work anymore because of timing and distance. Instead I went to the little known Diego Rivera mural museum because it was the first "nearby attraction" that showed up on my phone. Admission was only 19 pesos and since I lost wifi after that, I actually didn't know what I was going to look at.

A big mural, it turned out, with hundreds of characters and allegories in them. The museum helpfully had some directions in Spanish. While I tentatively studied it, this elderly gentleman stepped in and asked if I understand everything. Then he pointed me to the next big board and said that's in English. Although it wasn't true, I told him I speak Spanish and can understand everything. A delightful smile he gave me - he went on to explain every important character on the mural - why they were there and what they presented. He also explained that there are five Important Diego Rivera murals, one in San Fran actually! Another one is close by not in this museum but of walking distance. He asked if I wanted to see it and I said yes!

Ar first, I was very anxious I was worried that he was trying to sell something to me or maybe this is a scam of some sort. But he is some kind of museum connoisseur: he walks in and out free. He walked me to the Palacios de Bella artes, and the next twenty minutes or so was devoted to Diego Rivera's political mural. It was originally commissioned by Rockefeller but erased because Lenin was featured prominently. The Mexican government adopted instead. My docent explained to me everything from the timing, context, to characters and hidden meanings. Then, just as I was so excited about this new knowledge, he decided to go. I was going to invite him for a coffee or somethinmig but he said good bye as fast as he showed up in the first place. I even forgot to ask for his name! I only remembered he wore a green vest, used to work for the finance department, is retired and loves arts. I'm so deeply grateful for his spontaneous generosity to a stranger!

Lina had a traveler's moment today too. Guess who was in the same elevator as her? Limp Bitzkit and Korn! What did I say? Anything can happen in Mexico City!

As for the park, it wasn't totally lost. I biked there instead using one of Mexico progressive bike shares. Great bike lane and bike traffic lights! I had a blast! Afterwards I went to a mariachi restaurant, but that's the story for anther day. I need to take a nap before my super early flight tomorrow. Adios!

PS: Taxi here is so expensive, it costs as much as a bus trip from Cuernavaca to the city. Lesson learned: public transportation!

Day 12: Goodbye and Hello Mexico

Although today is not my last day in Mexico, it's my last day at the school. I've learned so much, I've had so much fun, it's hard to say goodbye! All of my teachers gave me great hugs and told me to come back. My fellow students too! So sweet!

In about an hour, I'm taking the bus to Mexico City, and will continue my journey there.

*** A la ciudad de Mexico!

I got my first "independent" bus trip and it wasn't bad at all. First of all, it was super fast, mi mama mexicana dropped me off at the airport, and in just a few minutes, I was ready to board on the bus. Then the bus was leaving in 5 minutes! Que perfecto!

The bus has assigned seat, and the one next to me was empty: I was occupying two - yihaaa! The seat also has a recliner, you can have it back down all the way, just like in a car, and much more comfortable than an airplane. They played Elysum on the bus, in dubbed Spanish. It was great for me to shoulder-pat myself every time I picked up a word or two! I was like, great, I can now watch movies (yeah, if they are made up of 2 word dialogues)!

But of course, I dozed off soon after, a very pleasant nap. When I woke up, the bus was already close to the city, but traffic was terrible - we were hardly moving at all. Since it was my first bus trip, I don't have any reference point and was just enjoying the view. Several people were complaining on the phone (I eavesdropped).

The bus arrived at a crazily crowded station. Following advice from my teachers and friends, I went straight to the prepaid taxi counter, where you tell them the address, and pay the fare in advance. Then they assign you a number and you can find your taxi right away. Mine was really expensive (150 pesos) but not knowing any better, I was just silent and went to my taxi. Now, here's the interesting part. My taxi driver had no idea where my hotel was. Umm, I booked the Hampton Inn & Suites, and was thinking that at least Hampton has some kind of brand name in Mexico? Nada. He was also long sighted, and had the hardest time reading the address. He told me the street that I gave him was very long, it could be anywhere! In my broken Spanish, I told him to take me to the Central Square and we can figure out from there. It was a success. He told me to the Zocalo, from there, we asked a pedi-cab and was able to get to the hotel.

Not only that, I also made friends with him, and was given his email for my trip to the airport later. He left his cell phone at home, so he told me, email or facebook! I somehow managed to explain my complicated living situation: I'll stay in the hotel for one night, then to another apartment near by. I need a taxi at 2 am in the morning. He said, yes, he will pick me up at 2 am in the morning, and he also promised to send email. In the meantime, he also mentioned a bunch of hotels where the rates are much better than mine :|

At the hotel, I checked in in Spanish, obviously struggling, so the receptionist asked if I wanted to switch to English. Here's what the stubborn Tam said: Spanish only, so that I can practice! She was very patient, although she had to answer everything two or three times to my duck-pooping (ngong i) face :| But I was able to check in no problema.

Hotel service also called and asked me something on the phone. They repeated it twice, but I still couldn't figure it out. I hope it wasn't something terrible.

Alright, this is the up-to-the-moment update. I have to enjoy hotel amenities, and then the Zocalo!

Day 11: Mercado

Today, Marie taught me 3 more verb tenses. In total, I have 12 verb tenses to manage by tomorrow. I'm now upgraded to past, present, and future. Technically, I'd be able to say anything and understand everything. Reality is slightly (or much) different. I definitely have been able to understand more. But speaking? Umm, that's still very hard.

Probably it's not helping that I'm hanging out with people who speak English. When we go out, we'd try a bit of Spanish at the beginning, but of course, the story always finds its way back to English :) But my group of people is very nice. Today we had a goodbye dinner, because everyone is either leaving tomorrow or during the weekend. The busy Miguel had to take a conference call during the dinner, but we enjoyed French cuisine in a little restaurant next to school, and talked about our future plans. We were so animated that I forgot to take pictures. Afterwards, I wandered around town, to the big market and the artisanal market. I also did a bit of homework with Lina at a trendy coffee shop. It has nice, cosy chairs, open air, and quite pleasant atmosphere. The only minus point is that their WiFi doesn't work.

Cool coffee shop

El mercado, the big market, never stops to amaze me with its size and variety. I was looking at some artsy DVDs when suddenly an avalanche of nude videos were surrounding me. It's kinda funny to see them in daylight, these shops look just like any regular shops, with kids running around and elderly grandmas yawning in boredom. They have discounts and feature displays, too. There are also very many of them, but unfortunately, I didn't take any pic or investigate very closely :)

I've booked the room for tomorrow, and will board on a first class bus to the exciting Mexico City. The adventure continues!

Cuernavaca in the evening

Day 10: New Friends

At times in Cuernavaca, I feel like I'm the protagonist of "Under the Tuscan Sun". I see romance budding, friendship forming, and so many, many good moments. Everyday I'm learning something new, be it the language, the way of life, or the people surrounding me.

Today, I got to know the new group of students a little bit better, as we took an excursion to Xochihuacan. I second-handedly learned that Melissa has done all of the followings: Air Force 1, medic, psychiatry, and saving lives in a hospital in Ghana. Laura is a diplomat and has been traveling everywhere, including Vietnam. Emily speaks very good Spanish, and actually grew up not too far from San Francisco. She has visited other pyramids in Mexico, and is my guide on the way home (She has been here just 3 days but already knows the way better than me :). There is a family from Colorado who is going to farm in Paraguay. They have a tunnel in their house, and many crazy farming stories, about the weather, the rain, the different cultures between North Americans and South Americans.

And of course, the trip itself is interesting. In true touristy form, I took way too many pictures. This time, we visited another pyramid, where the view, again, is spectacular. The original habitants are still a mystery to archaeologists but the site is restored beautifully. There is a temple, a steam bath, and even a sacred playground for ceremony. The best part is that the site was almost empty. We were the only people on the premise, roaming free, enjoying the view, climbing a pyramid, taking our time. It is also the first time when it actually didn't rain at all during a visit. The bright sun, the blue sky and white clouds over a city's ruins made me pause and start to appreciate the scenery even more than ever.

On the way back, we stopped by a historic hotel. This is where the 1st Spanish ruler, Hernan Cortes, built his residence and hosted guests. Now it is a commercial hotel, with few modifications from the original building, but anyone can rent for the night. Next to the residence is a sugar mill - now a restaurant, and the tunnel, where slaves and workers used to live, a high end bar. The building is packed with history. It also boasts a big swimming pool, a nice garden, and a big hall which used to be a stable for guest carriages. Other notable is a big stadium for mariachi bands during wedding celebration. If you stay here, you probably feel like you are walking on the set of the History channel.

Yes, this is a hotel

One sad thing for the day: Rosy, mi mama mexicana, has suffered a loss in her family: the mother-in-law of her brother passed away today. I wanted to say sorry, condolences, but my vocabulary is not that developed that. Best of luck to their family!

**PS: writing under influence of the fancy hotel's cocktail, Vista Hermosa:

Day 9: Irregular Verbs

I haven't learned a new language for so long, I forgot the difficulties of learning one. For example, how much you have to memorize just to survive and say simple things such as, What did you do yesterday? Not only do you have to know the verb "to do", you have to be able to put it in the right past tense. Then, you have to know how to say "yesterday", the pronoun, the question phrase "What". And when people answer, you, again, need to know the verbs and their tense, in order to understand anything. Et voila, c'est la vie!

In my 2nd week in this beautiful town, my very talented teacher wanted me to master 6 verb tenses in Spanish. I know, it isn't all tenses yet, but for me, it's more than enough. Not only there are many tenses, there are very many irregular verbs, too. My favorite word in the class, according to her, has been "difficil" - new verbs are difficult, new tenses are difficult, irregular verbs, also difficult. Is there anything easy for me?

At the same time, I appreciate the fact that I can understand more now thanks to expansive knowledge of verb tenses. Especially the verb "to be" and "to go", suddenly, it is so clear what everyone is asking about. (my answer to them is another story though)

There will only be a few days left until I come back to the States. It's a bitter-sweet feeling. I've enjoyed the time here so much, it's kinda sad to go. I want to squeeze in as much as possible. There are so many things to see, places to go, that it is hard to plan it all. As of now, my only plan is to go to Mexico City again this weekend, and try to hit all the touristy spots. This trip is heavy on the spontaneous side, I haven't even bought the bus ticket yet. I have booked a hotel, but it's likely going to change, too.

Today, I will go to the "black market" of Cuernavaca with Lina. For now, I need to take a nap after a very full meal of quesidilla. This is what homemade quesidilla looks like:

** Update after "black market" trip": I bought some socks and guavas (for a total of 10 pesos or less than $1!) We also saw a family of NINE people getting out of a regular cab. I was so tempted to be touristy and snapped a pic - but I did not. We went to a posh restaurant with red wallpaper and a dance floor - perfect for a date! - but ordered only lemonade, then left to gossip at a sidewalk cafe near the Cathedral :) A funny thing happened: we were talking about A and then I saw him playing on the street. I should have alerted my friend, but I really thought it was imagination as we were just chatting about him. I didn't even remember his face. But don't worry, a moment was not lost. A sent my friend a message to confirm. Fun time ensued. I'm thirty and I'm not supposed to get giddy anymore. But I can't help getting excited about the start of something, especially when I'm there to witness :)

(new newly purchased guavas!)

Day 8: Aftermath

Everybody said, you did so much this weekend,  and on this glorious Monday, it actually hit me. I was very sleepy. One of our classmates had to stay at home because he felt sick. I was not doing so much better.  During class, my professor saw my wanting-to-doze-off face and asked if I wanted a break. The critical (or most embarrassing) moment was when I suddenly felt so hungry (Why? Who knows?) that she dispatched me to the cafeteria to get food. I couldn't really function during these periods of low blood sugar. I looked over the window, at the orange tree in the school garden and wondered out loud if I could eat its fruits. My professor laughed and said, too sour, get something sweet.

Today we also get new students at the school, 7 more to be exact. There is an entire family traveling from Texas, with Mom, Dad and Son. We also get the great Roberto, at the firm age of 84. He is in great health. It is a shame to say - but it's true - his Spanish is better than mine. The people I've met here are so inspiring. Becky is 78 and learning. Roberto is at the peak of 84 and showing no sign of slowing down. Lina speaks probably more than 4 languages. Fernando from Brazil, too. Everyone has been traveling extensively, is appreciative of other cultures, aspires to learn, and is always so humble and nice. They inspire me to explore, enjoy, and appreciate life.

I had planned to walk to downtown today, but instead, I took a big nap - got up at 8 pm, aye! It is also raining outside. My professor gave me a bunch of flashcards to study irregular verbs - that probably is my entertainment tonight. And Manuel Mijares, my professor's favorite, or Enrique Iglesias, my new rediscovery.

PS: the breakfast picture makes a comeback today, because, guess what? I had papaya for breakfast!