09.24.06
Posted in Travel
at 8:50 pm
I was invited today to go to a place where there is a great tree. This was a treat because there are not many great trees or trees around here. As we drove throughout the countryside I saw lots of little shrubs, small growths wanting to be trees but in this place was a great tree called Sabino de la Huerta. Sabino is the name of the type of tree. The tree is more than 40 feet in diameter and is around 100 feet tall and about 500 years old. This is impressive, not by the great trees of California, the giant redwoods but by Mexico standards, at least this part of Mexico it is impressive.
We arrived to see a group of women sitting around the tree. They seemed to be having a gathering, a reunion. There was something about them, all women, sitting and talking and laughing, a feeling of wise ones guarding a treasure.
I have been working on a project while here for the past few weeks as I enjoy an apartment near the city and sit and listen to the children play in the late afternoon. The place is perfect for me, the views great as they tend to be here. The project which is called at this point , “The greening of San Miguel” can be seen in part here, a short video of what I’ve done so far and some thoughts to come about what I want to do. Now I’m in the stages of interviewing people to get material that I can use later on as the project progresses. I’m aware of the power of trees, what they do to a place,. how they change the environment. The people here are not aware, not really interested it seems or have very little education about plants or trees. So I have put myself into a place of trying to see what I can do to help with this. To create a project for myself that may have an effect on a small group of people is exciting to me. I think often of what contribution we all make to others, but mostly I think of what my own contribution is in the places I live or visit. I have felt my contribution at the library where I spend time talking with people in English and Spanish. That has been a joy daily.
Yesterday was La Pamplonada, the running of the bulls in San Miguel. I did not attend it but many thousands of people did. I could not walk through the hoards of people already drunk and loud. They swarmed from all over, filling the sidewalks and roads all going to watch a bunch of other drunk yahoos run into and away from bulls that were let loose in the jardin to attempt to gorge them and toss them into the air and hurt a few. I haven’t heard the reports yet but generally a few die. Today I saw the remains of the event. I have never been in a war zone but I’m sure from what I’ve seen in photographs this was close.
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09.05.06
Posted in Travel
at 1:42 am
Sunday in the Jardin. I was struck by the youngest member of this group.
Nothing more to say really.
I came across a funeral on Sunday at a church. The people waited outside for the other church goers to exit so they could have their service.
The balloon vendors wait at the church to sell their wares, funerals, weddings, all are fair game.
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09.02.06
Posted in Travel
at 11:37 am
One of my friends from the daily visits to the library made a surprise visit and return a few days ago. She had been coming to the library to bring her five year old to play on the computers with other children and one day came to my table to ask questions about english words she and her nephew were trying to read in an english/spanish workbook. We then began our lessons daily and as she had no english it was a little in english and a lot in spanish. Over the space of a month she improved in her english amazingly and even though its difficult to make sentences and to remember words she tries laughing the whole time and still with great charm and glee moves on. Her husband speaks english and as he said to me he doesn’t have to patience to talk with her so she comes to the library. The library is an amazing place, a sub culture of people looking to learn things. Mexicans come in and look around to see if there is someone who will help them and on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s the place is packed with Americans and Mexicans sitting around tables wanting to speak and learn. Some come with specific questions like the plumber who wanted to learn how to ask for work and what to say about what he was able to offer clients. Or Patricia who comes daily and wants to work on reading things from the newspaper. Or Lupita who wants to translate things from the newspaper articles and come out weekly. Each person is doing something different. I am trying to speak and understand the various accents that I hear all the time and there is a lot of laughter and playfulness daily and each day is different.
Julietta started working at her school and was working in the evenings so her time ended for us. It was sad because she was doing so well and was just a fun person to be around. She came daily and so did her aunt or mother and they took care of the 7 month old while she sat with me and talked. She walked into the courtyard of the library with a smile and joy that she was able to change her schedule to be there daily again. At one point she said that she had written a story. I had given an assignment for people to write something about their lives occasionally and she said that she had written a story for me to read. After many corrections and praises for her work it was clear that she felt that coming to the library was important because she wanted to take advantage of my time here so she could learn more english. Also she loved the stories of Thierry who is no longer here but came to the library daily with me and loved learning my stories. I had translated two stories into spanish, rather two folktales and one of my own stories and she learned both folktales and told them to her coworkers. Mr Wiggley and Mr Piggley are now in spanish and her five year old after watching her tell it began doing it and won’t stop.
Having been here for two months now I feel more and more at home and the thought of returning to Boston or anywhere is difficult to imagine. San Miguel has become more of a home, friends are being made, I see people on the street and we know each other enough to call out “hola, como estas?” and everyone smiles and connects in some way that is warm and generous.
September is a big month here with lots of celebrations and events. I’ll post photos soon of things as they come up throughout the month.
Other photos.
A drum corp in the park practicing as we walked back from dinner last night.
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