route to Xalizintla

Before coming to Mexico my plan was to see as much of the country as possible. I wanted to understand better not only its geographic complexity but more importantly I wanted to get to know its diverse people better. My research has facilitated this. In addition to crunching numbers, reading, and writing in a cubicle here in the city, at the Instituto Nacional para la Evaluacion de la Educacion, I am able to visit three primary schools on a regular basis--one in the state of Puebla, one in Morelos, and the other here in Mexico City. During these visits I collect information about various features that contribute to the literacy development of third-grade students. So far I have observed in classrooms, talked with children, followed them throughout their school day, and I've interviewed parents, principals, and teachers. Because the schools and socioeconomic conditions between them are so different, children's learning opportunities are as well. The point of the research is to highlight important differences/similarities in learning outcomes and opportunities between school types in Mexico--private, morning public, and afternoon public schools.

The morning public school is in a small town called Xalizintla. The first time I went there I was accompanied by a friend of a friend who works at the secondary school there, but lives in Puebla (City), the state capital. He introduced me to the principal, teachers, and some of the children at the elementary school in Xalizintla. They were curious about what would bring a gringo all this way to their town, but were also very cordial and accommodating. After explaining my project to them, they committed their support to me throughout the rest of the school year to carry out my project.

There are very obvious differences between small towns like these and urban sectors, like the one I live in. The first thing I noticed was the tranquility, and the beautiful cathedral in the center of town. On my first visit, a fair celebrating the life of a famous saint (I believe it was San Miguel) had been held only a few days prior, and hundreds of colorful flags streaming from the top of the cathedral all the way to the ground were an inviting welcome.

I am trying to get to know the town and its history a bit better. From what I have been told Xalizintla has experienced a great deal of outward migration over the past 15 years or so. I haven't seen many men in the streets as with other areas. Many of those I do see are older, and many are drunk. I guess alcoholism has been a problem. Many women take care of the children and grandchildren while the fathers, grandfathers, or other family members live as migrant workers in urban areas of Mexico or in the United States. Often they send home remittances to provide for their families. This money is also used to build local infrastructure.

Xalizintla's "exodus" is apparent in the elementary school. The school grounds are relatively large (compared to others I've seen), but there are now classrooms unused, and the afternoon school shift (or turno vespertino, where children attend school on the same grounds from 2-7 pm instead of the morning) had to close 8-9 years ago because there weren't enough children to meet enrollment demands. To date, the average class size in Xalizintla is 25 children or so while the norm in urban public schools is 40-45, and often more.

Many of the children at this school live in very difficult economic circumstances. It is made obvious by the condition of their clothes. Yet they are happy, and alive in every sense of the word. Historical trends suggest that less than half will finish secondary school, and a vast majority won't complete high school--la preparatoria. Some won't complete all six years of elementary school. Yet by their general mood and the way they openly engage me in discussion I don't sense them to be cynical or discouraged. The appear very happy and comfortable at school. They love life and are quite engaging. I am excited to learn more about their daily lives during this school year, and how schooling and learning are (and can be) linked with a broader array of life opportunities for them and their posterity.

During my first visit to Xalizintla, the community president, between his tequila sipping, told me about an alternative route from Mexico City. Instead of driving through Puebla City, I could cut between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl (two well-known volcanoes, also known as Gregorio and Rosita, respectively) using a dirt road. This is now my preferred route. I leave my Mexico City apartment around 6 am and drive through Chalco, Amecameca, and then on a windy, paved road to the peak between the volcanoes, called Paso de Cortés. From there it is all dirt road--or terracería--until arriving to Xalizintla. My first time through I got a little lost and came upon a quaint vacation spot in the mountains--a beautiful place in the forest called Buena Vista. I've been to Xalizintla three times now and have taken some pics during the drive. Here are some of them...

Between Amecameca and Paso de Cortés

Views of Popocatépetl
(in my opinion the more photogenic of the two volcanoes)

Fields of Puebla
(these flowers are very popular during the Day of the Dead celebration)

Iztaccíhuatl

Overlooking Mexico City following a recent trip to Morelos

la mordida

So, I now have less than a year before I reach my 30s--depressing, I know. I had my 29th birthday a few Saturdays ago, on October 6th. Thanks to those who called and/or sent emails. I didn't really do much to celebrate--didn't tell too many people here in Mexico it was my birthday. But some friends from Church found out and decided we'd celebrate with some cake.


After singing me las mañanitas, they all chanted, mordida! mordida! mordida!, in unison. They wanted me to take a bite from the cake. Not a bite from a slice of the cake, but a bite from a top corner of it. I suppose it's a tradition. Showing my willingness to concede to their insistent demands, I walked toward the cake to take my mordida. As I approached it, however, I quickly became hesitant noticing several in the group subtly approaching me. Then I remembered something about people getting their face stuffed in the cake on their birthday. I knew they were planning to do the same to me. Pero ni modo, I took my bite anticipating someone would shove the back of my head into the cake. And so it was. Nothing like reliving your first birthday getting cake all over your face. I felt a little better about the ordeal when I saw a video of my nephew Elias and his birthday cake the following day. He seems to have enjoyed it more than I did :-) Below is a shot of me and my cake after the mordida, and after I cleaned my face a bit.

las fiestas patrias

Yesterday was Mexico's Independence day. Instead of celebrating on just one day, las fiestas last the entire week prior to the actual holiday. So needless to say it was a very entertaining week. On Thursday night I attended a noche mexicana at the LDS Institute of Religion building near the UNAM campus. That was fun. I was able to participate in a skit. In addition to our silly act, there were several traditional dance performances, each one from different areas of the country. After the performances we ate tacos al pastor and then started dancing. I was hesitant at first to join in the dancing because my salsa moves are quite poor, and everyone on the dance floor to me looked like professionals. But after an hour or so I built up the courage and caved into others' demands to join in. I felt like I learned a few things--like I got the basic steps down. I felt sorry for the poor girls who had to dance with me though. I stepped on their toes, lost my footing several times, and often reverted to my goofy dance moves which have very little relevance to traditional Mexican baile.

Friday night the fiestas continued. My landlord's wife (Mari) is a principal at a private elementary school in Coyoacán, a nice area of Southern Mexico City. It just so happens that the father of one of her students is the director of Mexico's Naval Orchestra, which has some 200 members or so. He had asked her if she would like tickets to the event so she could attend with some of her family and friends. I was lucky enough to be one of the invitees. This was an exclusive event--not open to the public. From what I understand, you couldn't buy tickets if you wanted to. When we arrived Mari and I went backstage, met the director, and got our tickets. We then enjoyed over two hours of beautiful symphony music by the Naval and Defense orchestras, combined with plenty of confetti, mariachis, a choir, and some video presentations of Mexico's landscape, people, and architecture. Presidente Felipe Calderón was one the 8,000 or so in attendance at the National Auditorium. Most of the others appeared to military or family of the military. I may have been the only American there.

Saturday night I experienced the pinnacle of las fiestas patrias--the shout (or el grito) in the main zócalo in downtown Mexico city. At 11:00 pm President Calderón stands on the balcony of the National Palace, says a few words commemorating those considered national heroes and then shouts, "Viva México!" several times. After each grito over a million people respond shouting "Viva!". Then all sing the national anthem accompanied by a large orchestra and choir.

After this followed an impressive fireworks display around the national cathedral which also surrounds the zócalo. I attended the event with 8 others, one other American, a Haitian, and 6 Mexicans. Below is a picture of us minutes before the grito and fireworks (excluding Abraham who snapped the shot).




During the fireworks show there was a family next to us wearing sombreros (which were for sale along with fake mustaches all around the zócalo--both have obviously become icons of Mexicanism). I couldn't help but snap a few shots of the family with their sombreros in the foreground and the fireworks in the background. Below are a few of the shots I took.








I was forewarned by several people before going downtown for this event that things tend to get pretty crazy around the zócalo--that people throw huevos de harina (flour-filled eggs) at you along with other things. They were right. About 15 blocks outside of the zócalo, on our way to the event, some kid nailed me with squirt foam from a can. As we continued walking I saw this was very common--people squirting strangers passing by. So I bought a few cans of my own, distributed them to my friends, and went at it--¡al ataque! Mostly we squirted each other. It was a ton of fun. Here are some pics. By the end of the night, I had foam residue, flour, and confetti on me, as well as a (real) egg on my jeans. It was a blast. ¡Viva!

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.

ending the first week

thanks everyone for your comments and interest in this blog. I hope you continue to visit often, and I will do my best to make regular and interesting posts. I will also do my best to respond to your queries :-)

Here I sit in an Internet Cafè in Zona Rosa in Mexico City. Sadly my laptop is having problems so I had to take it in for repair. I don`t have my camera with me, but will take and upload some pics asap as many of you have requested this. I will try to take pictures of various areas around and outside (as I make trips) the city so you can see how incredibly diverse this place is. I remember my first few trips to mexico I took a ton of pictures--snapping images left and right. Realizing I will be here nearly a year, I find myself much less inclined to take so many pictures. But I will try to spend some time (more likely on the weekends) to dedicate some time to picture taking.

This week was pretty busy with the Fulbright orientation. Over 70 scholars and students from the US met over a four day period with Mexican scholars and folks from the US Embassy. It was fun talking with the other grantees to hear about the activities they would be involved in during their stay. Some will study history and others will work with Mexican businesses. Some are artists (I met a classical guitarist, a photographer, and a few painters), some historians, political scientists, anthropologists, and a few archaeologists.

The Fulbright organizers really crammed this week with stuff. Several presentations were made on Mexican history, Mexico-US relations, and administrative stuff for the program. They also took us on a few tours through the city. They took is to the main zócalo, which is a huge square surrounded by federal government offices, a gigantic colonial cathedral, and the main temple of what used to be the well-known Aztec civilization Tenochtitlán. Perhaps some of you recently heard in the international news about an Aztec royalty found in Mexico city using radar technology. Well, that what in the zócalo area. There is so much history here, it is difficult to internalize it all. The clash of the indigenous and European traditions is obviously an essential theme. Moreover, it continues to be a very important focus in contemporary political and social sciences, throughout the country and in several other areas of Latin America.

In addition to the zócalo, we also visited a large art museum which houses several paintings done from the 17th to the 19th century. Most were of Christian icons, and were medieval (a la El Greco) style. I assume they were commissioned by wealthy Spanish, and were hung as status emblems. The musuem used to be offices for the Spanish elite. They were painted before "Mexico" came to be -- when it was Nueva España. Mexico officially became independent from Spain in 1821. It was interesting to see that these paintings contained virtually nothing to indicate they were painted in mexico -- no representations of the immediate surroundings here -- e.g., indigenous people, native foods, native traditions, etc.

The Fulbright folks also wined and dined us plenty. Or in my case, juiced and dined. We had some really tasty food, and visited restaurants I probably won`t be able to afford during the rest of my stay. There was also a cocktail party/social hour held at a home of one of the Embassy dignitaries. Regretfully, I was late to the hotel and missed the bus so I wasnt able to attend :( But I was happy to have some time to just chill for a while.

Hope everyone is well. I am on my way to the Mexico City Temple right now, and hope I don`t get lost on the Metro (subway) on the way.

drive to méxico

i know i have been promising for a while now to get this blog up and running. now that i am beginning to settle down and get accustomed to my new surroundings here in méxico city, i am going to try to make regular posts, and hope this blog will help me stay in touch with you dear family and friends. i hope you are able to visit and post comments often.

currently i am sitting in my modest apartment which is atop a pizzeria/italian restaurant and the home of a friend of a friend. the apartment is in colonia (or "colony", used to refer to areas or neighborhoods in cities throughout méxico) nápoles. it is a gorgeous area of the city. my apartment is across the street from a beautiful park (where live jazz/opera [Andrea Bocelli type music] was played today to a crowd of some 200 people) and only a few blocks from méxico's World Trade Center. i need to explore more around this area, and i think i'll start with some of the fantastic eateries i've seen. perhaps i should start with the pizzeria below -- i smell it every day :-)

a few of you have asked me about the drive here. for those who perhaps weren't aware, i made the decisions months ago, after finding out i'd be staying here for some 10-11 months to write/work on my dissertation, that i wouldn't fly to méxico city, but would drive (from az) instead. i knew that all the books and resources i would need to do my work would far exceed the airline's weight limit for baggage. moreover, i knew a car would come in handy if i wanted to get off the beaten path while in méxico.

before leaving, i was a little concerned that my truck (which at the time had traveled nearly 214,000 miles) might not make the journey. so i did all i could to make sure it would survive. i got a tune-up, replaced tires, flushed the radiator, and a friend of mine helped me fix the A/C (so I would survive).

i set out on my journey last friday, august 10th. and i had my route marked. i'd go through el paso and then austin where i would take a few days to see the city and visit a friend of mine, Wayne Holtzman (a school psychologist in Phoenix) who happened to be visiting family and friends in austin during my move. After Austin I would cross the border at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo...

can i just say now how proud i am of my little truck. it made the over 2,000 mile trip without incident, and it got 28-31 miles per gallon most of the way (yes, i calculated each time i filled the tank). all this with about 450 lbs. of cargo (including myself). so, can i get a shout out for my lil' toyota pickup (i think i hear a yap yap!).

anyway, friday night i arrived to el paso around 8 pm. i had been to this city last november for a conference and new that the university (UT El Paso) looked over the I-10 and Ciudad Juarez. i drove to the highest hill at UT El Paso, parked, and studied the night lights across the border and the Rio Grande (or Rio Bravo). For those of you who haven't been, this metropolitan border community is worth checking out. I think it is the largest international border community in the world, and is the most bilingual/bicultural place i've been too (and yes i have been to Quebec). while passing through i flipped through the radio stations. i think some were broadcasted from Juárez -- a huge variety of music, half or so were in Spanish, and some bilingual broadcasts. after dining at Chico's Tacos I crashed at the Motel 6 just off the Interstate.

Saturday morning, after eating (I shamefully admit) an egg and cheese biscuit, hash brown, and OJ from McDonalds, I was on the road for Austin. The drive from Phoenix to El Paso took around 7 hours, and I knew the way to Austin would be a few hours longer. A few hours out of El Paso, the scenery became gradually greener. After veering from the I-10 and getting on the 290, I passed through several small towns founded by German settlers. Quaint little towns. Frederiksberg was the largest among them, and had a really cool downtown. The 290 also passed through a number of large peach orchards, and the hometown of President L B Johnson -- Johnson City. I guess their ranch is now a museum. If I had more time, I would have liked to visit.

The last few miles into Austin, after counting 3 or 4 dead armadillos and seeing a number of other animals pummeled along the highway, the vegetation quickly got greener and greener. Being the from the valley of the sun, i am always in awe at lush vegetation. Upon arrival, i drove to my friend's parents' home, which is in a beautiful area 10 miles or so from downtown and UT Austin campus. these neighborhoods were really pretty. I found out later that Lance Armstrong lived around the corner, and that several celebrities call Austin (the live music capital) home.

The stay in Austin was great. It was nice to relax, walk around the campus, visit the UT Latin American studies library (which had an incredible amount of resources -- perhaps more than any Latin American library on Latin America), visit the LBJ museum and library, meet some of Wayne's friends, and dine at some tasty little restaurants near campus. while in austin i was also able to see a few the (man-made) lakes which are simply damned water along the Colorado River. A fun coincidence in Austin was running into an acquaintance from Mesa (Rosa). She was in town just visiting friends as well. We ran into each other at the single's ward, and since neither of us had plans, we hung out and ate together after church. That was fun :-)

On Tuesday morning it was time to head south. I was a little concerned at this point because my windshield wipers had stopped working and i saw on the news that a tropical storm was blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico, on its way across northern Mexico, and would probably pass through Wednesday afternoon. But I didn't want to get my wipers fixed in the US because I knew it would be cheaper in Mexico (yes, I am cheap). So I zoomed to the border through San Antonio and Laredo hoping the rain wouldn't fall. For those of you frequent border crossers, you know that getting into Mexico is much easier and takes much less time than coming back into the US. In fact, there was virtually no line to get in to Mexico. I showed the Mexican border office my Visa and Passport, crossed the Rio Bravo, and that was it -- pretty seamless. Within 45 seconds of entering Mexico, a young man and his friend yelled something at me, and one decided to jump into the back of my truck. I couldn't really make out what he was saying. But I stopped and asked him to bajarte (get down), and he quickly complied.

At this point, I had to turn in my Visa, exchange dollars for pesos, and buy car insurance. Conveniently, I was able to do all this at one location. However, it took me quite a while and the help of teenage boy (who I paid to come with me to orient myself) to find the place. It was kind of fun to do all the migration paperwork at this place. It began to settle in at this point that I am now the immigrant, and am able to count myself among the 3 percent of the world's population who currently lives outside their country of birth.

After Nuevo Laredo, I kept on moving through Monterrey (Mexico's 3rd largest city) and then Saltillo. My drive on Mexican highways was done part on toll roads (which I believe are privately owned) and part public roads. The quality of these roads varies along the way, but I would say that, on average, the toll roads are of better quality (i.e., less bumps, fewer potholes, smoother surfaces, and wider lanes). In total, I spent $40-50 on toll fees from the border to Mexico City -- less money than I had anticipated.

After spending Tuesday night at a chic motel (it was an "Auto Motel", meaning each room came with a garage) along the highway in Saltillo, I woke up asking the personnel where I could find a car electrician to fix my wipers. The worker pointed right next door -- how convenient! This mechanic was quick. He diagnosed and fixed the problem in about 30 minutes.

With my wipers working and the truck still running quite well, I was confident I could make it to Querétaro. This drive was quite pretty. I didn't know Joshua trees (interestingly enough were named by Mormon pioneers) could get so stinkin' tall. There must have been some that reached 40-50 feet in height. I included a pic i took along the highway of a small Joshua Tree forest.

Once in Querétaro, I decided I wanted to stay the night in their colonial downtown, where the streets are about 6 meters wide and the roads are made of brick and cobblestone. I found a great place right downtown. I was able to spend a few hours walking around the zócalo (main city plaza), see some of the cathedrals, get some food, and listen to some of the live music. I was surprised to see some many families with young children out and about hanging out downtown at 10 pm on a Wednesday night. Perhaps many of them were on vacation...

I knew the drive into Mexico City (often referred to as el DF, which stands for el Distrito Federal, or the Federal District) would be a challenge. I had been here twice previously (arriving by plane on both occasions) and knew traffic was unbelievably dense and the roads were nearly impossible. Most of the roads (excluding the avenues) are one-way and they curve. Coming from the Phoenix area where the streets are basically on a grid, I knew at some point I would get lost. What I didn't know is that it would happen within 15 minutes of entering the city. Soon after entering the city and paying the final toll, I was pulled over by a pair of federal cops. They were surprisingly (after the many stories I've heard about the corrupt Mexican police I think I expected them to bribe me or falsely accuse me for some invented infraction) kind and simply told me I couldn't drive on the main highway because I had a load in the back of my truck. So I had to take the side roads (ahhh!!!). Luckily, this main highway had a lateral roadway so I knew I was going along the main highway, which is the only way I knew to find la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM; México's federal university and the largest and supposedly the best university in Latin America). So I was fine until the lateral suddenly ended. Needless to say, I was completely lost. But at first I didn't mind so much. Driving in Mexico city, for me, is like playing a video game -- you have to be super aggressive, lanes are usually optional, you can't get too close to the cars around you, cutting in front of other seems to be expected, and the horn is used very frequently to communicate all sorts of things (I don't think I've learned the horn language yet -- and I'm sad to say that mine works only on occasions).

Anyway, after burning over 70 gallons of gas and driving through 3 US states and 8 Mexican states, I did finally make it UNAM to campus and made my appointment with Dr. Rolando Loving Díaz (my landlord and friend of Wayne's) just in time. the traffic frustrations didn't end there, however. After leaving the university I got extremely lost and it took me an hour and 40 minutes to drive some five miles. For those thinking of visiting me, don't worry -- I promise to only drive places where I am familiar with the routes. And the public transit here is quite good :-)

I am still settling in here in Col. Nápoles. Tomorrow morning I plan to paint and clean my apartment (which is on the corner of Pennsylvania and Georgia -- many of the streets in this neighborhood are named from US states). Then Tuesday through Saturday is the Fulbright orientation. That should be fun :-)

Sorry this entry is so long. I promise subsequent posts will be shorter...