Apathy and Poverty

First of all, I have to say, Slumdog is an amazing movie. You should go see it, right now. I saw it tonight with some friends and plan on seeing it again. I'm not going to lie, it's difficult to watch... my friend Kate described it like this "...it's like the movie carved up my heart.. and then gave it a hug" No, but honestly and in all seriousness, I feel like this movie is the kind of thing that breaks your heart and makes you feel uncomfortable, because we want to believe that we live in a good, somewhat fair, and happy world; however sometimes we need (or at least I need) to be slapped in the face with the reality of what the world is like... especially in developing countries. It's just too easy to be apathetic about and, as a result, forget. And I'm really ashamed to admit it, but I've been doing a lot of that lately. Here I am, spending 4 months in a "third world" country, and I'm largely oblivious and indifferent to the poverty and corruption around me.
So, that's what I want to write about tonight... Because I want you guys to understand what my experience has been of Mexico, in terms of social class and such, but also because I need to sort of confess my growing apathy. So, basically... the school I'm going to while I'm here (UDLAP) is supposedly one of the best in Mexico, which means that the kids I go to school with are some of the most privileged. That means that I am surrounded by designer labels, nice cars, and well-traveled (something that I particularly envy) people every day. On the other hand, I see the evidences of poverty around me every day, too... when I go to the school I teach at and see how few resources they have, when I see people begging or doing humiliating things like dressing up as clowns and juggling in the middle of stopped traffic for the few pesos that people pass them out of their car windows... etc.
So, basically it's like I'm in two worlds at once... only I spend most of my time on campus or with students, so that's the part that affects me most. And because most of the Mexican people I've met are significantly well off, it's easy to forget that the majority of people here do live in poverty. So, even though I'm in an environment where there's a lot of poverty, I've actually been getting more caught up in materialistic things since I've been here.
Which brings me to tonight.. and Slumdog. I won't give away details for anyone reading who hasn't seen it, but basically the main character is a poor kid in India who experiences a lot of injustice and trauma. While I was watching the movie, I noticed a few things that made me uncomfortable. And not just because bad things were happening, but because they made me realize how much I've changed and how apathetic I've become to poverty. For example, in one part, there were kids begging for money because they were forced to.. and while I was watching, I suddenly had the thought, "Wait, I see kids begging (or selling whatever they can just to make a few pesos) pretty regularly. When was the last time I payed all that much attention?" Seeing those types of things used to make me want to go out and change the world. But as I've gotten older and begun to realize just how complicated problems like poverty are, entrenched in history and corruption, at some point I became disillusioned, which led to increasing apathy. But since when has it been ok to sit back and accept things like poverty, exploitation, and corruption? To act like it's only an option, rather than a responsibility, to do something about it?
This movie made me wake up. I need to stop being passive and consumeristic, because I'm already getting sick of it. Instead, I intend to find out how God wants to use me here. I don't know what that will mean, and don't worry, Mom, I'm not delusional; I'm not taking it upon myself to single handedly eradicate Mexican poverty or anything like that. But I'm here, and I don't have a good reason why I shouldn't be doing something constructive. Maybe that means investing more time into my teaching or doing something special for the kids at the school.. maybe it means something else. But I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes more open, because when it comes down to it, having a new Coach purse or taking a trip to Cancun is not going to make me feel any more fulfilled than I am right now.
Sorry if this came across as being really cliche... but I am willing to run that risk ; )

Update: This is why you should be proud of me...

So, I still maintain that you should be proud of me for being brave and trying new foods. However, as I spent all of Sunday night/Monday morning in the bathroom, I do not recommend that you follow my example of bravery. Thankfully, I am now doing much better, thanks to UDLA´s clinic and mexican style shots. However, I had to laugh when the doctor prescribed me a few meds and then proceeded to explain that while I am on the meds I should avoid any spicy foods, anything fatty (which I´m asssuming includes cheese), and anything citrusy (everything here is generally doused in lime juice). So, I´m not sure what is left to eat... all I can say is I´m going to really appreciate eating whatever I want when this is all over. However, I can´t complain, because apart from a bit of mild sickness my first weekend, this is the first time I´ve been sick here. And let me tell you, I think everyone here has been sick lately, Mexicans and gringos alike.

This is why you should be proud of me...

This weekend, Diana, a girl I met from school, took me to her hometown in Iguala. It was an adventure in food.
I ate:
goat
pig feet
cow tongue
fish fillet
and...
octopus

Now, aren't you proud of me? I made a general rule here that I try whatever is offered to me. Now in all fairness, I didn't know what the cow tongue was until after I'd eaten it. However, I really liked it, and I kept eating it after I was told. And as for the fish and octopus... well basically everyone else wanted to eat seafood, and when Diana asked me if I eat seafood, I was kind of embarassed to admit I don't / I didn't want to ruin everyone else's meal. And in all fairness, the fish wasn't bad. Oh, and the reason as to why I ate pig feet and cow tongue...
Iguala had a fair this weekend celebrating the flag (it's the birthplace of the mexican flag and has either the highest flag in latin america or the biggest.. I forget which). Anyway, we went to the fair, and part of that experience was a free.. yes-free! dinner with samples of traditional dishes in that region. It was a pretty good deal. And it was kind of funny, because the person in charge of the dinner got up and was announcing all of the important people in attendance, like the municipal president, and then was like "Oh yeah, and Diana Cuevas brought friends from UDLA, Carly Freddy, and Natalia". It made me feel pretty important. But mostly silly and out of place. Anyway, it was a good weekend of relaxation and new experiences. I saw a dolphin show at the fair. Oh, and by the way, Iguala isn't on the coast, more like in the middle of the mountains (which were beautiful, by the way). Apparently they cart the poor things around with the rest of the fair. And I thought circuses were cruel! At least those animals don't have to be sedated to be kept in fish bowl sized tanks : ( I have to admit the show was entertaining, but I just kept thinking of Free Willy. But yeah, as for the food, oh man am I full. And let me tell you, people here can eat.. I stuffed myself at each meal, and I think Diana's mom was convinced that I didn't like her food, because she would be like "Are you done? You're not going to eat anymore?" You've never met a more hospitable woman in all your life... well, except for maybe my grandma : )

Sorry this post was kind of random, but I'm sure you're all missing my randomness about now ; )

Happy in Mexico

Everything here is great. I finished my first round of exams and papers last week, and it went pretty well all things considered. Yesterday night I watched the Mexico vs. U.S. soccer game, and unfortunately the U.S. won : ( Which means that I had to deal with a bit of harassment by some of my friends for being "American". (It was all in fun, no worries.) It was crazy, though, because it was such a huge deal. One of my friends went to his night class only to have 8 people show up and then have the class cancelled so they could go watch the game. Camino Real (the strip of restaurants and bars next to the university) was packed with traffic, and every bar was overflowing with people. Let me tell you, these people love their soccer. Which is why I was so surprised at how well everyone took the loss. Anyway...
I finally started teaching, and I really like it. The kids are sooo sweet. They are pretty well behaved for the most part, and the 6th graders already know quite a bit of English. Their teachers usually stay in the room while I'm there but turn the control over to me, and it's really nice having them there in case there is a big problem with student behavior. It's kind of wierd, because the teachers treat me like an equal. Which is nice, but a little wierd... sometimes I wish they would act more as mentors, giving me advice on what I could do better. Anyway, on Tuesday I'm there during their lunch/recess from 4-4:30 (school goes from 1:30 to 6!) and get to play with the kids for awhile. They are so adorable and happy. They all ask how to say their names in English, and when it's time for me to go, they all want to give me a kiss on the cheek. It was funny, because the other day when I was leaving, the entire class gathered around for their goodbye kiss. I was trying to keep track of who had already gone, because otherwise we'd be there all day. And apparently I wasn't paying very close attention, because after giving me his kiss goodbye, one little boy ran away happily screaming "I got two!!" It made me laugh. Anyway, I really do love being with the kids. I think I made the right decision, because when I'm there I feel a sort of peace and contentment, like I'm right where I need to be.

Mexico City

This week was crazy, so I never had a chance to write about my trip to the D.F., Mexico City. Last Monday we had a break from classes because of some holiday, so I went with four other international students for a couple of days. One of them lived there for a year in 2006 and has a boyfriend there, so it was really nice to have a couple of people around who knew the city. And I have to say, I loved it there! I know it doesn't have a very good reputation, but there are so many beautiful and cool things to see there. And since I am fascinated by Mexican culture and history, it was awesome to actually see some of the things in person that I've learned or heard about. We saw all of the touristy buildings.. the palacio nacional, catedral, palacio bellas artes.. walked around some parks, looked through some markets, and went to the Museo de Arte Moderno (I think that's what it was called).
Anyway, the art museum was really fun. I managed to get yelled at by a security guard, so I think that's a pretty good indicator that I had fun. One of the exhibits was so wierd.. there were a bunch of photographs of the artist dressed up as a cat, and doing all of these bizarre poses, as if the artist really thought he or she was an animal. There was another exhibit, though, that was amazing... let's just say that Remedios Varo is now one of my favorite painters. If you like surrealist art, you should check out her work.
On Sunday, we went Coyoacan for the market, good quesadillas, and a visit to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's house (now museum), which I must say, is painted the most vibrant color blue you have ever seen. That was really cool, as well, and as bizarre as this may sound what with all of the original artwork housed there, I think my favorite part was a series of photos taken of Diego making wierd faces at the camera. They were hilarious. And oh my gosh, the quesadillas we had that day were A-mazing and fried.
Before we left, we had to make a trip to Teotihuacan, which are basically the biggest ruins in Mexico. It was awesome walking up the pyramids, but I really wish we'd hired a guide. Things like that are so much cooler and interesting when you know the history behind it all. Maybe that's just me, though, since I am a bit of a history nerd.