Hello! So although it has been a long time since Mexican Independence day and my birthday I will still give a quick little overview. Independence day here is September 16th. It celebrates Mexico’s independence from Spain that was the result of a war that began September 16th 1810. This upcoming year is Mexico’s bicentennial of their revolution of independence and centennial of the second Mexican revolution against Porfirio Díaz that was started on November 20th 1910.
But anyway, I really enjoyed Independence Day. We had the traditional meal of pozole which is a type of corn in a chicken broth, then you add in the fixings’ according to your liking, they have chicken, pork, lettuce, radishes, onions, cilantro, and of course you got to through some salsa in there. On the side of that you have a tostada with some sour cream spread with some fresh cheese sprinkled on top. The creamy tostada compliments the spicy starchy pozole very nicely. We also had some pigs’ feet. I did not really enjoy the pigs’ feet but I did eat a whole one, I have decided that I should take a few bites of everything new down here and give these new interesting flavors a chance. There was a ton of other Mexican dishes too but pozole is the one essential Independence Day dish. After that there was dancing and tequila pouring into the late night. At midnight they have El Grito de Independencia (The Yell of Independence) where everyone screams “¡Viva México! ¡Aye aye ayyyyyyyyyeeeee!” (Mexico lives! Aye aye ayyyyyyyyyeeeee!) They sing the national anthem and salute the flag and stuff. It was a great party and I really felt like I bonded with the people here.
The thing that really impressed me was how much I was welcomed into the celebrations. I didn’t feel like a foreigner observing but that I was welcomed and encouraged to be Mexican for that day with everyone. It was just one more experience of hospitality that I will remember from my time here. If I can generally describe the people that I have met in Mexico, it is that they are amazing hosts.
It was not easy being away from family and friends during my birthday but my community here made it a lot easier. We had some breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, and carrots. They make amazing mashed potatoes here. To top it off we had a chocolate cake as well. The tradition here with the cake is pretty much the same as in the US, they sing happy birthday and you blow out the candles. But then everyone chants “Muerda! Muerda! Muerda!” (Bite! Bite! Bite!) and you bite like one corner of the cake and the people who have eagerly jostled to be in the position behind you smash your face in the cake while you are biting it. Ha ha ha it was great especially because my beard is kind of long right now so I smelled chocolate for the whole night! So all in all it is a great time here with the many fiestas.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Reflection for the Associate Misionaries of the Assumption Newsletter
This is a reflection that I wrote for the newsletter that my program sends out every month. I thought I would put it up here so you could see some of the things I am thinking and journaling about.
¿Por qué estoy aqui?
Mexico, home to some of the lowest labor standards in Latin America, jails full of people whose only real crime is being poor, transnational corporations that dominate natural resources and workers' lives, is also home to one of the world’s richest men (Carlos Slim), and the 12th largest national economy in the world. Thus, it is easy to see the inequality, injustice, and violence that is the cornerstone of our global economic system. It is also humbling to realize how privileged I am in this very system that I condemn. I have benefited greatly as a middle class American while the vast majority of the world has suffered to support my lifestyle. And because of this, even as I am here in DF attempting to live in solidarity with the people that have been forgotten and left behind by “economic development” and “progress,” there is a gap between them and me that I cannot cross just by being here.
In a lot of ways, I see the distance between myself and the people I am working with when they ask me why I am here. It is a common question from the people at the albergue because people don’t really know why I would come here to work, while most people that they know are trying to cross the border in the opposite direction. The people from Mexico who are crossing to the United States don't share the privilege of choice that I have. They usually cross for economic or political reasons, arenas of life of which they have no say in determining. I am realizing the irony that it is my choice to come here to work with people who lack the ability to choose the direction for their own lives. I think that the word to describe what I feel from these interactions is responsibility, not guilt for the violent system that denies dignity and choice to some while others are guaranteed rights and luxuries, but responsibility to do something about what I am seeing.
But still there is the question of why I am really here. On the surface my job is to clean, cook, and help the guests of the albergue. When I started I was frustrated with the work I was doing because I felt like I was not contributing in a meaningful way to alleviating the root causes of the suffering and inequality that I was experiencing. My attitude was kind of like, “Yea, it is nice to help people at this place but I just graduated and I am ready to save the world.”
What I have started to realize is that the reason I am here is not only to do the physical work of the albergue (although that is important), but also to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with the people through this work. What I am really here for is to experience friendship, hospitality, and community. In the society based on power and inequality in which we live, to value personal relationships with people and truly be a part of a community is revolutionary. It is revolutionary in a non-traditional sense; it isn’t going to change the world but rather this idea creates a new world. If we can actually imagine and create a world where hospitality and friendship are the primary principles by which we interact, then the powers and inequalities of today just won’t be relevant tomorrow.
In some ways I am overwhelmed by the state of the world today with wars, corporate greed, environmental degradation, etc. I am also frustrated with my own place in all of this injustice and destruction. But I can’t help but have hope when I go to the albergue or spend time with the guys at Casa Manuel who have now become my friends. When the world of our hopes and dreams does emerge, it will be because we treat each other as friends and build communities based on hospitality rather than on competition.
¿Por qué estoy aqui?
Mexico, home to some of the lowest labor standards in Latin America, jails full of people whose only real crime is being poor, transnational corporations that dominate natural resources and workers' lives, is also home to one of the world’s richest men (Carlos Slim), and the 12th largest national economy in the world. Thus, it is easy to see the inequality, injustice, and violence that is the cornerstone of our global economic system. It is also humbling to realize how privileged I am in this very system that I condemn. I have benefited greatly as a middle class American while the vast majority of the world has suffered to support my lifestyle. And because of this, even as I am here in DF attempting to live in solidarity with the people that have been forgotten and left behind by “economic development” and “progress,” there is a gap between them and me that I cannot cross just by being here.
In a lot of ways, I see the distance between myself and the people I am working with when they ask me why I am here. It is a common question from the people at the albergue because people don’t really know why I would come here to work, while most people that they know are trying to cross the border in the opposite direction. The people from Mexico who are crossing to the United States don't share the privilege of choice that I have. They usually cross for economic or political reasons, arenas of life of which they have no say in determining. I am realizing the irony that it is my choice to come here to work with people who lack the ability to choose the direction for their own lives. I think that the word to describe what I feel from these interactions is responsibility, not guilt for the violent system that denies dignity and choice to some while others are guaranteed rights and luxuries, but responsibility to do something about what I am seeing.
But still there is the question of why I am really here. On the surface my job is to clean, cook, and help the guests of the albergue. When I started I was frustrated with the work I was doing because I felt like I was not contributing in a meaningful way to alleviating the root causes of the suffering and inequality that I was experiencing. My attitude was kind of like, “Yea, it is nice to help people at this place but I just graduated and I am ready to save the world.”
What I have started to realize is that the reason I am here is not only to do the physical work of the albergue (although that is important), but also to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with the people through this work. What I am really here for is to experience friendship, hospitality, and community. In the society based on power and inequality in which we live, to value personal relationships with people and truly be a part of a community is revolutionary. It is revolutionary in a non-traditional sense; it isn’t going to change the world but rather this idea creates a new world. If we can actually imagine and create a world where hospitality and friendship are the primary principles by which we interact, then the powers and inequalities of today just won’t be relevant tomorrow.
In some ways I am overwhelmed by the state of the world today with wars, corporate greed, environmental degradation, etc. I am also frustrated with my own place in all of this injustice and destruction. But I can’t help but have hope when I go to the albergue or spend time with the guys at Casa Manuel who have now become my friends. When the world of our hopes and dreams does emerge, it will be because we treat each other as friends and build communities based on hospitality rather than on competition.
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