La Differencia

As our trip is winding down, we’ve had a chance to reflect on the past two months and ask ourselves what we really loved about Mexico, what we learned, and how different the Mexican ways of life that we saw and participated in were from our own.

Eric narrowly misses being bussed

 At first glance, Mexico shouldn’t “work” as a country at all.  The tap water isn’t typically drinkable. The air and noise pollution can be overwhelming. Many streets are paved with ankle-twisting cobblestone. Often, sidewalks are far too narrow and jammed with people trying to squeeze by each other while buses, cars, scooters whisk by just inches away… and on and on.

But Mexico does work. At least, that’s what we discovered, but we had to “bend” a little, duck and weave a little, learn to laugh at things that just seemed ridiculously crazy, to see how it all fits so beautifully together.

The linchpin, the thing that holds it all together, is the family, the pervasiveness of it, the fun of it, the comfort, safety and love that is there. From that strong base comes people who are kind, fun-loving, open, honest and curious.

The festival of the Virgin Dolores was a family affair, as was every other day in Mexico!

A little senorita shows off her pretty dress

Fathers snuggle with their kids after knocking confetti-filled eggs on each other's heads, Semana Santa tradition

 Of course, this is also the country of drug lords, corrupt politicians, criminal gangs, revolutionaries and petty thieves, so it’s not perfect by any means. But, as we found ourselves more immersed in the families that we met and lived with along the way, we could look past all the bad stuff and really enjoy the people. We really came to admire their resilience and patience, their willingness to meet us halfway if we made any kind of effort to use their language or crack a joke or join in the fun. They gave these little gifts, regalos, to us all of the time. 

Guadelupe, the Mercado's egg lady

Saying farewell to Guadelupe

Lynn gives flowers to an egg lady in the town Mercado, three gentlemen stop what they are doing to talk to us about the importance of certain holidays, they struggle with their English, we struggle with our Spanish and in the end, hearty handshakes and kisses on the cheek. A waitress poses for a picture and then gives us her email along with a goodbye hug. Cab drivers show us the beauty of whatever city we’ve arrived in. Everywhere, all the time, people greet you with a “buenos dias,” or  ‘tardes” or “noches”. Smiles, nods, interest, acceptance, humor.

And then the surprises. The sudden explosion of fireworks for no discernible reason, the eruption of music in the street, a clown performs on the steps of a building and then… Oh, look, a parade!

For what?  A saint, a special day, just because it seems like a good idea… any old reason at all. Flowers grace the feet of statues, or line church steps, or are carried by young men to be given to young women. Mariachi bands perform for patrons eating lunch, while still other bands wait their turn to play for tips (propinas).

Fruit, grains, flowers and all - a surprise for the festival of Dolores

The smell of delicious food circles around you.

Oaxaca Mercado

Always-smiling produce lady

In the historic districts the beautiful architecture stands out, the museums filled with old and new art. There are shops for every kind of trinket, blanket, painting, wood carving, t-shirt.

And more surprises and puzzles: In a crèche scene showing the birth of Jesus, not only are there the usual shepherds and wise men, but also figures of baseball players standing guard over the manger. Little offerings include full bottles of coke and bouquets of plastic flowers. What does it mean?

Baseball player creche

Hotel rooms with treacherous little steps in weird places. Clothing stores full of the tackiest American brands side by side with elegant clothing and native textiles.

Buses that are filled to groaning and yet with everyone managing to find room for huge bags of whatever while people hop on and off of the bus, sometimes while its still moving. Beautiful street art side by side with graffiti rendered by unknown hands. It sometimes feels a dreamy movie of some kind of post-apocalyptic yet heavenly cityscape.

And the people we met; our long suffering teacher and master cook Alfonso, our wonderful Oaxacan host family we mentioned in previous posts, Roberto and Blanca from Huatulco, Tom and Deb in San Cristobal, Karen and Ben in Oaxaca, and John and Marlee in Guanajuato, Mexicans and gringos, alike, who were in the swing of things and added much joy and laughter.

Marlee & John in Dolores Hidalgo