Buenas noches family and friends,
Reporting live from the one and only, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Week 3's topics will be getting into the routine of class, culture, and carpets. Your hosts, Cara & Shana!
 |
| View from our first official group dinner |
After having been here for a couple weeks, our Oaxacan routine has started to settle in. We started our second week of Spanish class on Monday, and have been improving spectacularly! We've gained confidence in speaking and are more comfortable in making conversation with locals. By the way-if you ever wanted to say that you were good at something- you'd say "es mi mole" like "that's my jam!" In spanish class, we've had the opportunity to visit a Chocolateria and the Benito Juarez market, which has helped us practice speaking in a real life setting-while getting a taste of Oaxacan exceptional delicacies. Also, a number of us have continued our "inter-cambios", which have become friends outside of the classroom.
Getting around is no longer as nerve-racking and our home-stays are starting to feel like home. We are all enjoying our time spent with our home-stay families and are always looking forward to "comida" and conversation at the family table.
On Sunday, we had our official first group dinner together. Six of us, including Shana and I, Madeline, Caroline, Rose, Amalia, and Kristina, explored Sanchez Pasqua market for ingredients for "make your own tostada" dinner. Our whole group came together at Claire and Cynthia's house for a roof-top "cena" with a breath taking view of the mountains at dusk. We enjoyed a wonderful fruit salad and "Alegria" (a delicious chocolate treat made from Mexico's popular grain, amaranth). The night continued with laughter, conversation, and communal clean up by all members of the group. It was quite the success, and we cannot wait until our next dinner!
 |
| Pastora the color expert |
The week proceeded with a task assigned by Oliver, for our class on Communities & Networks. On Wednesday, we were broken into small groups to interview various social activist organizations in Oaxaca city. The organizations ranged from topics of indigenous rights, environmental conservation, to gender equality. It was an incredible experience to hear first hand what kind of social progress is being made in the city and surrounding pueblos.
 |
| Weaving demonstration by Pastora |
On Thursday, we had the great pleasure of visiting Teotitlan, a pueblo about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca that is famous for hand crafted rugs and other textiles. We visited a women's weaving cooperative, Vida Nueva (New Life), that focuses on the art of textile creation while also contributing to local social efforts. Pastora, one of the kind women from the cooperative, gave us a presentation and demo on how the natural dies are made from indigo, nuts, bark, and cochineal bugs. It felt like watching a science experiement; we were absolutely amazed by how things so easily found in nature can produce such vivid and potent colors! Next, we watched Pastora demonstrate the weaving technique on a loom designed and only made by the Teotitlan pueblo. We were then treated by an incredible authentic comida featuring a noodle soup and a main course of arroz, frijoles, and yellow mole mixed- and not to mention everyone's favorite salsa verde, quesillo, and queso fresco. Feeling full and recharged for our next demonstration, we proceeded indoors to watch Johnathan recieve a shortened version of a "limpia"-a traditional mexican cleansing using herbs and an egg to draw out negative energy. Everyone was intrigued by the practice, which ended with a group cleansing of copal incense. With newly purchased rugs and a connection to the women who produced them, we left feeling inspired and more culturally aware of this art's profound signficance to the people of Oaxaca.
Like last week's field trip, it was nice to get out of the city and explore the outer regions of our new home! We are looking forward to the adventures to come and to further deepen our knowledge of this culture-rich state.
 |
| Happy students! |
Adios for now,
Cara and Shana
