So this post might end up being a long one, but if you're interested in what life is like for me here in Oaxaca, I thought this might give you a taste of it. So, here was my day today - a day off, by the way...
5:00 My alarm goes off. Wishful thinking...
6:00 I finally pull myself out of bed. I have to be up and ready to take out the trash by 7. After getting ready, I gather the bags together and go outside to wait for the sound of the trash truck's bell. I am house sitting for
JoEllen, so while I wait, I sweep the leaves and flowers from the street in front of her house.
7:00 The sun is just lighting up
the sky when I hear the trash bell. I walk to the street where the truck is and put my bag in it, along with others who have come out to meet the truck. I then return to water the flowers and new grass in the yard.
8:30 The cleaning woman arrives. I'd say just in time too, because going from the house to my apartment to work to my apartment and to the house every day does not help me keep things real tidy. I spend the next several hours out of her way in the office. It is a breezy morning and clouds begin to move in, cooling things off.
JoEllen's cat joins me, he sleeps on the bookshelf the entire time.
12:30 As the cleaning woman finishes, I begin to seriously
consider staying in the house all day. It would be so nice to just relax, read, sleep... but wait! no! That attitude seems an
awful lot like withdrawal symptoms associated with culture shock (according to the
Survival Kit for Overseas Living). So, I decide that I must get out. I've been meaning to figure out how to take the bus to Oaxaca Christian School, so that sounds like a good option.
1:00 I close up shop and head over to my apartment to get ready for my adventure. As I walk past my landlords' store, I stop to talk. The older son asks me if I've paid my phone bill yet. H
mm, better get on that. He also gives me a letter that has arrived for me,
yay! I'm tempted to sit down and read it, but I decide I better wait and use it as a 'reward' for getting out of the house. When I get up to my apartment, I do a little cleaning. I hear a knock on the door and open it up to find the mother, who has come to return the
tupperware I used to share rice pudding with them couple weeks ago. Only now it has cake in it, yum :-).
2:00 I put on a sturdy pair of shoes and a rain jacket - always good things to have when exploring - and I'm off. As I walk down the sidewalk, I notice a few drops of rain. But, I won't let that stop me. I walk past a man selling flowers from the back of his truck. A mother is asking her young son to choose which kind he would like. I see a young man selling DVDs that have been carefully laid out on the walkway (they are obviously pirated). There is also a young woman selling fruit cups and jewelry from her stand.
I walk on and pass women selling food to workers at the back door of the grocery store. I navigate my way through grocery carts that have been left out between the store and the few parking places on this side. I cross the busy street to wait for my bus. The third bus to go by looks like the one I need.
When I get on the bus, there are no seats left, so I stand and keep an eye on where we are going, so I can make sure I am on the right bus. Pretty soon someone gets off and I take their spot. I notice a sign that asks riders to please be patient because it was a handicap accessible bus. This is the first one I've seen in Mexico, so it's nice to know they really are around.
Ok, back to paying attention.
The old man beside me falls asleep, I notice he has a wedding ring - something that doesn't seem real common here in Oaxaca. Most of the women on the bus are better dressed than me, as usual. The couple across the aisle are definitely not afraid of public displays of affection - also not uncommon to see among young couples on buses. The older couple in front of me look more indigenous - the woman has her hair in long braids with a beautiful ribbon weaved throughout them, and she is wearing her apron over a nice dress. The man has on a classic white cowboy hat. Ok, back to paying attention to where we're going.
At a long stop, a young man gets on, selling something. He gives a long speech about how he used to be homeless, abused, and violent, but he changed his life, and buying candy bars from him will help him and others to make better lives. When he is finished, a couple ladies buy candy bars, and I follow suit. As he gets off, I once again remind myself to pay attention to the streets outside.
2:30 After a while, I begin to recognize things, so I get off. Oops, looks like it was too soon. But, a little walking shouldn't hurt. Turns out I have to walk 15 minutes before I finally arrive at my destination, but at least I have been able to take a closer look at what is around. I cross the street and catch a bus back to my apartment. This bus is bigger and newer than the last one, but the driver quickly proves that that doesn't mean you'll have a smoother ride. After almost an hour of riding buses, I'm beginning to be thankful that the buses on my long trip to the orphanage have more comfortable seats than these city ones.
3:00 I arrive at my apartment, the clouds are still threatening rain. I stop to play with the landlord's puppy who has followed me up my stairs. I take out one of the pieces of cake, pour myself a glass of milk, and read my nice, long letter from a friend.
6:00 I finally head back over to the house. I instant message my sister online and begin this post.
8:00 When I try to wash some dishes, I discover there is no water. So, I go outside and turn the pump on. It is now raining a little. As I finish my post, I am growing tired. Tomorrow is another long day at the orphanage, so I better get to bed soon, so I'll have abundant energy for the kids ;-).
If you read all of that, thanks for sticking with me :-). I hope it helped you picture life here a little better. Now, I must say so long and farewell. Buenas noches.
