gradually getting accustomed

I have been in Mexico City for some 3 weeks now, and feel like I am gradually getting accustomed to my new life here. I have been asked several times by people here and elsewhere what I have liked the most so far about Mexico. Hands down I would have to say the people, and the food. Mexico City, in particular, has a huge variety (national and international dishes) of very tasty foods, and quite affordable. I think I am actually gaining weight, mostly in the tummy. I have been told this isn't suppossed to happen until marriage :)

Several of you requested I post some pics. With this in mind, I made some time last weekend to take a few. Here you go!

The first two are of a park right across the street from my apartment. This park is great. It's clean, very lush, and has a playground, basketball courts, and a small cement soccer field. I think I mentioned in a previous post that my neighborhood attracts a lot of international people. I have seen people from all over the world in this park walking their pure bred pups, shooting hoops, jogging, etc. There are also plenty of Mexicans, too, of course. Every Thursday a portable market sets up shop around the perimeter of the park. These markets are referred to as tianguis, which is derived from the Náhuatl (an Aztec language, and the most common Indigenous language in Mexico) word "tianquiztli" meaning market. Any of you who have spent time in Mexico know that merchandise is ubiquitous. Well, you should see these tianguis. It's like an instant flea market. Practically all of your domestic needs (fresh produce, tons of prepared food, clothes, brooms, furniture, and much much more) are met at these outdoor markets. And it is right across the street from my house! I have told people over and over I couldn't have found a better place to live in Mexico City :) Any of you thinking to visit, try to be here on a Thursday so we can hit the tianguis together. There are plenty of other markets we can visit too. :)

This next shot I took from my rooftop. This (and the park just to the left) is the view I wake up to every morning. The noise around here is non-stop. Always cars (with plenty of honking) and people around. Needless to say I have learned to sleep among noise, especially because I leave the windows open to keep me cool. Lately it has been raining quite a bit. The water has been brought in from all the hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico. But by the time the storms reach Mexico City the winds are tame. We only get the water.


Last Sunday I decided I would explore the city a bit in my truck. After studying a large map of the city (which I have stuck on my wall in my apartment), I decided to visit a large forest in the middle of the city--el Bosque de Aragón. I selected my route and wrote down the streets I would take to get there. I was pretty proud of myself that I could navigate the roads and arrive without mishap. I walked around the forest a bit, took some pics of the trees, water, and ducks, and decided to head back as the sun was setting. I was confident I could make it back home by simply following the route I took to get there. Well, I was wrong. Most of the city's streets are one-way. I knew this before leaving home but for some reason thought I could get back without a problem. Let's just say it took me over an hour and a half to get home, when it was only a 30 minute drive to arrive to the forest. And no, there was no traffic :)



This last pic I took a week and a half ago or so during the Fulbright orientation. It is taken from a restaurant downtown. The building in the distance to the left (with the two flags) is the Palacio Nacional. This weekend (Sept. 16) Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain. The celebration will start at 11 pm on the 15th when President Calderón gives the famous grito, or shout for independence. The tradition is for the president to give this "shout" from the balcony (just under the highest waving flag you see) and I suppose the crowd (which is supposed to be a million people or so) shouts back, "vive México!" or something like that. I plan to go to this event this weekend so I will write more about it later.

In closing, I had to mention an experience I had last Friday. My host institution (el Instituto Nacional para la Evaluación de la Educación) celebrated its fifth anniversary at a huge restaurant in Southern Mexico City called "El Arroyo". Before eating and being entertained with live music, we were invited to sit around the corral for some entertainment. After inviting those interested to enter the rink for a friendly game of soccer, I was shocked to see a baby bull enter, who immeditately starting chasing those below. I was told later it was but a calf. I am still not sure, though. This thing had horns. It nailed a few people, but no one was hurt (too bad). All the while the rest of us in the audience were busting up. After soccer, they played a game of over-sized dominoes while trying to evade the wrath of the vicious "calf". Needless to say a few co-workers arrived Monday with sore traseros (i.e., rear-ends). Check out pics from our pachanga.