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MEMORIES OF A YEAR IN MEXICO Sian Hunter Dodsworth
Food, music, travel, teaching, crafts and Swine Flu! As my final week in Mexico City draws to a close, I find myself reflecting upon a wonderful year whilst (it has to be said!) simultaneously trying to remember what it is that I'm returning to England for... Teaching English has been an incredibly rewarding experience but is has not been without its hard work! Lacking as I do in experience and teaching qualifications the first few days in September at UAM were daunting and occasionally nerve-wracking. These were sensations that quickly passed however when I discovered that not only did students want to learn but they were also extremely patient with me and not to mention, encouraging too. Often a conversation class was more like collaborative cultural exchange and I'm certain that without the detailed explanations by students I wouldn't have had the first idea about the complex traditions surrounding celebrations like that of the “Day of the Dead” or even “posada”, both of which are sadly lacking from British culture. I would like to thank all those students who attended my Conversation Classes for their enthusiasm and motivation and I would like to wish them the best of luck with their English! I would like to share with you a few thoughts and sentiments from the last 10 months...
Food I thought I knew what Mexican food was after years of fairly regular visits to Mexican chain restaurants in the UK-however, I was soon to discover that the burritos and "beef-filled tortillas" that I'd have happily scoffed 12 months ago were nothing more than tasteless imitations of the real thing. A few days after arriving in Mexico City I'd tried and loved: tamales, tacos al pastor, tacos dorados, pozole, barbacoa, huazontle, agua de jamaica and atole....And then tried and was (it's best to say) intrigued by...Mole. It was a pleasure to travel Mexico knowing that in every state a new and invariably delicious delicacy was waiting to be tasted. In fact, I truly believe that in Mexico it's near impossible to go hungry as even in the most desolate of places you will stumble across an amiable “puesto” owner busy dishing out steaming bowls of homecooked food. Indeed, if ever thoughts of a refreshing “jugo” or juicy “elote” have so much as crossed your mind, stalls and sellers seem to magically appear and all at the ready to serve you. It truly is a miracle that I still fit into my clothes from last year! The food is, and always will be, one of the things I will dream about when home in England. Suffice to say, that “Nando's”, the reputable Mexican Restaurant chain in Britain, will never be the same again.
Travel Being lucky with fairly long university holidays and with a little bit of help from Swine Flu outbreak, I have spent the last ten months exploring and savouring Mexico's rich and diverse culture. When my family came to visit at Christmas, we went to the states of Michoacán and Oaxaca, where I clambered over the lava fields of Paricutín, relaxed in the zócalo of pretty Pátzcuaro and fell in love with the ruins of Monte Alban. In January, I headed north to Baja California where I was blown away by the beautiful coastline and incredible star-filled skies. A true highlight was a boat trip I took in the lagoon of San Ignacio where I watched enormous mother grey whales exercising their babies in preparation for their great trek north to Canada. This awesome natural phenomena was nearly matched by a visit to see the entire population of Monarch Butterflies resting in the forests of Michoacán-seeing a field blanketed in butterflies is a sight that I doubt will ever be beaten. The friendly city of Guadalajara, the beautiful churches of Puebla and the unique towns within the State of Mexico have each provided me with unforgettable experiences of Mexico. I can truly say that I can't think of anywhere that I have visited here in Mexico which I wouldn't visit again in an instant.
Crafts and Pyramids As a former student of History of Art, I have a particular interest in arts and crafts traditions and Mexico I have discovered is a place that is torturously full of both. I say torturous as it has been near impossible to resist filling my small Mexican bedroom with textiles, ceramics, paintings, leather bags, carved and painted crosses, gourds and embroidered blouses. The pain is not in the collecting but in the uncertainty of whether I will ever be able to get them home..! Clothes and essential items may have to be jettisoned in order to find luggage space for my real treasured belongings.
Music This year has also been a wonderful one for learning more about Mexican music, whose variety again may come as a surprise to the stereotypical image of the “sombrero” and “sarape” wearing Mariachi band. That is not to dismiss Mariachi music in any way-truth be told, some of my favourite memories that I'll take with me from this year are listening to the heart-felt renditions of Bésame mucho from a Mariachi boat on Xochimilco and as well being serenaded by the house band at Cafe Tacuba. However, it has been the “salsa”, “banda” and “norteño” tunes, blasted from the enormous “pesero” stereo systems, which will remain embedded in my head forever...! Annoying as they may be, they have been essential to my Mexican experience along with the noisy metro vendors and street hawkers. England will seem in comparison, a very quiet and tranquil place indeed. Of course, I’d be mad if I said I'd chose to live in Mexico city for it's tranquillity and in fact I have realised that peace and quiet have not been so sorely missed. Life in one of the world’s biggest and at time craziest cities has given me a great deal-hundreds of fascinating museums, bustling parks, first-class restaurants, excellent theatres, incredible football games, immense markets and most importantly for one year it has absolutely felt like home. Finally, I couldn't miss Mexico (the place) in the same way if it were not for the people, and I have been touched by the general overwhelming kindness and openness of Mexicans I have met in the city and on my travels.
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