Fútbol: I went to my first soccer game, Chivas! means lady goat. It was fun and the crowd was pretty rowdy, especially the die-hard fans behind the goal. We had cheaper seats and therefore the crowd was a little more relaxed. I was really tired through all of it, so perhaps I'll have to go again to really soak up that ambience. To be honest, I suppose I was expecting something a little crazier, but it was the first game of the season and there were a lot of empty seats--I'm sure the intensity will be rising.
Music: A cool thing is that there is so much music in Spanish around this world that I don't hear English music so frequently in bars or clubs (and if so, it's Sexy Bitch, which is ok by me), the majority of English being attributed to Pitbull. I'm trying to gather up these songs, but I always forget how they go the next morning-oh well. Another English song getting a lot of play is something that goes like this: SEX, SEX, SEX ON THE BEACH for 5 minutes--shout out to inglés! Otherwise, I am picking up some banda and salsa favorites. On my birthday, I went to another birthday party of a friend whose birthday was also that day. They had rented a karaoke song so I learned many many banda and other traditional Mexican songs, along with some reggaeton favorites. So many songs! Some of us stayed until 5.30 am singing so I got quite the education. I feel like a lot of music I heard out in Germany was English, so I'm glad I'm picking up lots of new hits here.
Speaking of Germany, it is interesting thinking about arriving in Germany (referencing my year spent there 2006-2007) and arriving in Mexico. I often find myself thinking back to those first weeks in Germany. Most significantly, life here is so, so, so much easier, due to the fact I can already somewhat communicate in Spanish. I can communicate any idea I want-it's amazing! I spent a lot of time in Germany at the beginning zoning out while other people talked around me and desperately trying to understand things through body language-what a difference some language study makes! I have to say my German experience has definitely helped me here. For instance, I had to give a short speech in my business class today--while I'm sure I butchered it, it seemed relatively easy after my forced speech to a German class at the beginning of my time there, which consisted mostly of "um..ich..like.." Also, I am very very practiced at faking it if I don't know the details. If, for instance, I don't quite understand what I'm supposed to do for a project or where I should be going, I've learned that usually makes itself clear, with no need to stress about it...just copying others around you does a lot of good (when you're just trying to keep up--not a life lesson). This is of course eased by the kindness and willingness to help of students at my school (making this situation a little easier than at my school in Germany). For instance, my class is meeting at this institution this Saturday morning. Everyone drives except for me, so several people offered to come pick me up, without even having talked to me. So nice! Less likely in Germany, so maybe I am getting spoiled, but I love them both of course!
A hot topic that I'm sure everyone is dying to know about: Leah making her way as a vegetarian in Mexico. Summary: very easy! I am lucky, I'm sure, that I'm living with a host family that is willing to accommodate me and is not trying to sneakily put meat in my food (has totally happened elsewhere!). I also don't spend any time at restaurants. However, so much of the food here can be made with meat, but it doesn't have to be. For instance, one of my favorite dishes, chilaquiles, basically comes with a sauce, corn chips, cotija cheese, salsa and beans. Most people pay a little more to get chicken, but not me. Also, frijoles are all over the place. This is kind of a "substitute" for meat for me, in that I can take a dish with just frijoles. Other cuisines around the world don't have a popular easy substitute for meat, so I've really lucked out. I love love love the food here--muy rica!! For example, our simple Sunday family barbeque: Agua fresca, grilled onions and quesadillas with frijoles, pico de gallo and guacamole. I don't even know where people have room for meat! Sure, I am "missing out" on meat dishes, i.e. mole and torta ahogada, but since I don't like meat anyways, I wouldn't enjoy them..just as I am "missing out" on steak and burgers back home. I've read that very few Mexicans are vegetarians, but my host family knows several people who are. Just yesterday, I spoke with two separate guys. Interestingly, both made a remark such as "I'm such a carnivore! I love meat" and then it came up I was a vegetarian. One could guess they would be amazed/weirded out/try to convince me to try meat, but in fact, both got very excited and proceeded to tell me all about the great choices of Mexican dishes without meat. Never happened to me in the U.S.!
In regards to "things I have read about Mexico," I read, before my departure, in a book called "Culture Shock!: Mexico" that Mexico, in some ways, is very much a caste system. This book was written by a British guy who had lived in Mexico for 20 years. After 2.5 weeks here, I'm definitely not passing judgement on this, but I just wanted to share a couple things people have said to me that I found interesting. A friend of mine told me the other day, "There is no racism in Mexico. There is just class prejudice. If you have money, it doesn't matter who you are--money is all that matters." Clearly, these two ideas are connected and as he was drinking when he said this, I'm not sharing this as a fact, but rather as an opinion. Speaking of racism, I passed a restaurant today called "El Negro" with a very, very stereotypical "darkface" image. I would definitely call that racism, but perhaps that doesn't have the same connotations here-still, it was strange. Furthermore, on the class aspect, someone, talking about their maid, said, "she is no one, she doesn't matter." Although I don't know anyone in the U.S. with a maid, this statement seems rather extreme to me. I wonder why she is "no one"
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