Oaxacan Adventure: Family Affairs

While cultures like the Zapotecs and Mixtecs are no long thriving, there are aspects of their heritage that remain in modern-day Mexican culture, as well as a few new advances. Many of the craft products here are hand-made, and the ways to make them are passed down generation after generation within families. We visited different fabricas or "factories" of various types of crafts, but they were far from being the factories we think of. They were all within homes of families who are masters at their selected trades, utilizing primarily natural processes. It was incredible to see how talented these people are, and how they create such beautiful pieces with so little.

At the Fabrica de Tapetes, or tapestries, all the dyes were natural and everything was spun and loomed by hand.

They let us try our hand at doing what they do, but it was a LOT harder than it looked! I struggled to work the wool with the brushes, and it took a bit of time for my classmate, Rihanna, to get the hang of the spool.

We also visited a Fabrica de Alebrijes! It was essentially within a family's farm, and it was a lot of fun to see the different animals roaming around. But it was really neat to see the process of making Alebrijes, or incredibly intricate animal sculptures carved (using only 3 different kinds of tools) out of a native wood.

Say cheese!

The last craft fabrica we visited was for Barro Negro, or black clay. The family we visited was related to the woman who invented the process of getting the black, smooth shine of barro negro pottery!! Her great-grandson gave us a demonstration! Again, he used only the simplest of tools to craft something beautiful. It was phenomenal to watch.

Oaxacan Adventure: Giant Trees and Old Places

We also managed to visit the Arbol del Tule, a MASSIVE 2,000-year-old tree that is even wider than the sequoias in the US. It was incredible! Thousands of birds were flying around and nesting inside its leaves, and the bark had amazing patterns.

Mitla was another archaeological site, a place where Zapotecans lived after leaving Monte Alban. Miztec influences also were here, and you could still see detailed designs carved by the people. This one is a Zapotec stairway, symbolizing the journey of life. You start at the bottom, travel upwards as you age, and when you die, you continue on in the afterlife.

Oaxacan Adventure: Monte Alban

The Oaxacan Break-Down

So, I don't really feel like putting this all in one post. Oaxaca was too wonderful to cramp into one space, so I’m going to spread all the info and photos out! Enjoy!

First, before anything, let's learn some pronunciation! Hoorah! Oaxaca is pronounced "Oh-hah-kuh." It's a state to the south of Puebla, and it took us about 4 hours to get there. The bus ride was EXCELLENT though, because when I wasn't sound asleep (it's actually pretty comfy), I got to look out the window at the crazy beautiful mountain range! This is not a very good pic, but you can pretty much get the idea of what it was like:

However, our first real stop was Monte Alban, the famous archaeological site located in the mountains above the city. It was REALLY hot there, so a lot of us purchased hats to ward of the sun (although that sadly did not keep me from turning into a lobster).

Monte Alban used to be the central hub for the Zapotec tribe back in the day. It was AMAZING. These photos can't do it justice.

View from the top of one of the pyramid-like structures they constructed.

Two friends, Dominique and Jessica, and myself-- inside an underground tomb! How cheery :)

The Zaptotecs had a curiositiy for the human anatomy and did many etchings of people and processes in these stones. To us, however, it looked like they were engaging in some pretty cool dance moves.

Back then, athleticism required true sacrifice... Aka, the losing team was "gifted" to the gods. Eek.

The group at the top of one of the pyramid structures! <3

Puebla Pics

 Just a few pics from my time around here in Puebla!

El Catedral de Puebla

Downtown Puebla

A Mejica (sp?) dance in a park

Dominique, myself, and Jessica on the rooftop of Hotel Colonial

La Bandera!

Iberoamericana de Puebla campus: Beware of Ducks :)

Benny!!

Estamos en Puebla!

Welcome to Puebla!

Yes, this is ALMOST the same as my Geoblog post just abouts. But it's not EXACTLY the same, and I’m too lazy right now to care! I will update this post soon with lots of pretty pictures, though, I promise!

Wow. So, my first weekend+ has come and gone in Puebla, and I feel like I’ve been here forever! Thursday’s travels went smoothly, but to get from Bethlehem to Puebla seemed to take AGES. At this point, I don’t even know where to begin, so I’m just going to roll with a quick overview of a few of the most notable/ my favorite things so far.

The buildings/ the city itself. Yeah. I’m a bit of a history nerd, so, while I don’t know too much about the history of Puebla yet (and my Spanish and memory capacity aren’t too grand either), I absolutely LOVE the buildings. The old, the new, the colors, the styles. This city reminds me aesthetically of Spain, but it has a whole different feel to it. It’s got a distinct atmostphere; laid-back but with some spunk. This is not the palm-lined, beachy Mexico of the movies or tourist trade; it’s not the violent, gritty Mexico that the news so loves. It’s just a real place with real personality, and I love a city with a good personality.

My family/ house. I feel so spoiled here. I’ve got my own room, a bathroom to myself, and there’s Wi-Fi! I’ve gotten to spend a LOT of time with them, and this weekend they took me to see a lot of the sights of Puebla! My family’s a bit conservative and very tight-knit, which has been good because I really feel like I’m getting the full Mexican family experience. They’ve been so welcoming!

My Mom is so doting and caring; she’s constantly trying to feed me delicious food, which can be a catch-22 because the more I eat, the fuller I feel, and therefore the less I can eat. My Dad is very funny. He’s always trying to sneak English into the conversation (even though he’s not supposed to) so he can practice, too, and he’s intent on educating me on Mexican history, which I’ve been quite enjoying. My brother and sister, Paco and Cuca, are both great—they’re both very witty, but also both very friendly and patient. Oh- and Benny the Chihuahua? Absolutely adorable!

I also love the fact that I am terrible at conversing in Spanish, but it’s okay! Most of the time I just sit and listen to my family as they talk to one another, and I feel like I have a general idea of what’s going on. But then, of course, they’ll ask me something, and I’ll sit there like a complete idiot, trying to stammer out something- anything- that makes sense. I have the vocabulary of a four-year-old right now. There is about a 90% any sentence out of my mouth will contain one of the following phrases/words: “Me gusta,” “… es muy bonito,” “gracias,” “um…” (And I’ve been called out for that), and/ or “Sí! *awkward smile*”.

Most of the time, I listen rather than try to say anything, which is probably bad, but I enjoy just listening. There’s a small market store, Los Wuachos, right down the road that we visit every night, and the awesome two guys who work there have called me out on THAT already, but my Mom told them that I’m just a bit quiet. Which is true. Mostly. I think. Don’t get me wrong. I feel like things are starting to register a lot more quickly even after just 4 days. I’m sure it will improve, but I wish it would improve faster. It is my goal to be able to go to Los Wuachos and talk confidently about anything by the end of these six weeks!

Today, we had Orientation at La Universidad Iberoamericana de Puebla, too; it’s a lovely campus! A LOT smaller than Penn State, but it has plenty of lovely places to relax or study and lots to offer. I’ll be sure to take some photos and talk about it more soon; even though we had homework tonight, classes officially start tomorrow. I keep forgetting that I actually have to do work, but I’m sure with my lineup of classes, it will be interesting to keep up with!

To Mexico TOMORROW!!!

Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man.

Tomorrow morning, I will be waking up bright and early at 3:30 AM (GROSS) to start my day and journey to Puebla! I cannot believe that it is finally here. I suppose it didn’t help that I put off packing until today, either. But it's (mostly) done! I can just hear John Denver singing in the background…

I have successfully managed to fill my suitcase and carry-on to zip-able levels, but I leave behind in my wake a masterful disaster of clothes, books, and other belongings that sadly did not make the cut. I feel like I should be hosting my own reality tv show: “I’m so sorry, beloved sweatshirt, but unfortunately, the suitcase is closed to you.”

I would be lying if I wrote that I wasn’t nervous at the moment. The cool and calm thoughts of last week have currently flown the coop. I’ve got that swirling breeze of butterflies in my stomach and throat. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel enough times that it’s not the flights or airports or buses that’s doing it, but it’s rather just the big idea that I am going out there. More on my own than I’ve ever been. I mean, I am looking forward to so many things, but I can’t kick these jitters. To summarize and quote Zefron, I suppose I am nervous but excited. How eloquent…

I’ve been reading a few books in Spanish (tending to stick with a few familiars, like Harry Potter y La Piedra Filosofal!!! Love it!) and I might review my vocab yet (maybe), so hopefully I’ll be able to speak it well enough to converse and get by.

Well. Here goes!

PS: I am glad that I WILL have cell phone use there, though!! Hoorah!!!

My worry priorities = ridiculous...

Okay. So I realized that there is one thing that I’m getting really, really nervous about.

Internet.

Gosh, I am such a spoiled American. But I have this blog to maintain, my GeoBlog to participate in, people to Skype with, emails to send, and (admittedly) episodes of Glee and The Office that I’ll surely NEED to catch up in spare time.

Having access to wi-fi or internet all the time is something I so take for granted. I mean, it’s going to be rough not having a cell phone (hooray for calling cards!), but to not have a constant internet connection? I am (sadly) really quite panicky.

In my half-awake moments in the morning, I haven’t been tumbling about with worries of drug lords (super unrealistic) or getting sick from the water (slightly more believable), but of being isolated in my internet-less world. Which is ridiculous. Because I know for a fact that Iberoamericana de Puebla has wi-fi (at least that’s what we were told), as well as many of the hotels we’ll be at, and my host family must have some form of internet, otherwise my sister would have a far more difficult time accessing Facebook.

But, bringing my laptop in tow, it will be strange not to have easy access. (That is, if I don’t. For all I know, I could have easy wi-fi finds). Maybe this is a sign that I am far more internet-dependent than is healthy. Maybe having less access will be a good thing?

La Introducción

Hola! This is my obligatory introductory post. :) I’m Kelsey, and I cannot believe that in less than one week I will be heading off to Puebla, Mexico!!!! It is so surreal. I mean, I’ve been intending on studying abroad during college since high school, and I obviously went through the whole application/ orientation process. But it still hasn’t really sunken in yet.

Things I’m really looking forward to:

Meeting my Mexican family! My host sister contacted me on Facebook a little while back, and she seems really, really sweet! I have host parents, my host sister and her older brother, and even a host dog, a Chihuahua named Benny. I cannot wait to meet them!

Getting good at Spanish. Right now, no soy la mejora when it comes to Spanish conversation, but I’m hoping to majorly improve while down there! And not just because it would make all my future Spanish classes a lot easier (which will be, admittedly, a major perk); it just seems like a super ability to have.

Mexican culture and history. Yeah, I am totally a history nerd, so I’m really looking forward to all the sites we’ll get to visit! And THE FOOD. Ahh. You have no idea how superbly excited I am for authentic Mexican cuisine. I am ecstatic. I totally want to improve my ability to eat spicy food, too; I mean, I can handle a pretty decent spice as of now, but to master the Mexican spiciness? Yeah. It’s a goal.

Things I’m nervous/ maybe should be nervous about:

Homesickness. I mean, it’s only for seven weeks (I’m too much of a baby/ schedule worrier to go abroad for a whole semester), but still. That’s a significant amount of time to be out there. Sort of on your own. In an entirely different country. When you aren’t very great at speaking the language. I’ll miss my family and friends from home so much, which leads right into the next issue...

A social network. There are about 15 of us going on this trip, and from what I can tell from Facebook/ orientations, they all seem like awesome people! I just hope I can a) force myself to not be shy (which is hard to do) and b) force myself to not be too awkward (which is really hard to do, haha). Hopefully mild nerdiness will be endearing and not ostracizing? And I hope I can get to know my Mexican sister fairly well, too; she’s just a year younger than I am, so that would also be great!

It’s funny. When most people hear I’m studying abroad for Spanish, they get really excited, and then they hear that I’m going to Mexico. The smiles on their faces stick but seem a little forced as they say, “Ohhh- Mexico! Nice,” which they then follow up with, “Just be really, really, really careful, okay?” The thing is that I’m not feeling the slightest bit worried about being kidnapped or getting lost or forced to traffic drugs or anything like that (the crazy drivers and nearby volcano are another story, though—ughhhh). I’ve been told multiple times that Puebla is a safe and beautiful place, and I truly trust that. Plus, I figure most of that stuff can happen down the road even here in PA, anyhow, so I’d really like to believe that if none of that has befallen me yet, it won’t be a part of God’s great, master plan for me while I’m studying down there, south of the border.

So, that’s about it for now. I promise my posts won’t usually be this long and obnoxious; it’s just for starters. Hopefully I’ll be able to frequently update about my travels and experiences! It’s going to be an amazing journey for sure, out there in foreign places.

-Kelsey

PS: Of course I would get selected to be a Penn State GeoBlogger right after I decided to go ahead with this one. I’ll probably be updating them both simultaneously/ with VERY similar posts (only this one may be slightly more frequent/ a little more in-depth, since I don’t share this blog with a billion other people). Link to GeoBlog.