agape

welp, i got a tattoo.
it was quite an experience.

I was accompanied on my adventure to Dermafilia in my favorite neighborhood in Mexico City - Coyoacan, by my lovely aunt cynthia and uncle bob who happened to be in town this past weekend. In the midst of visiting all the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo places there are to see between the neighborhoods of San Angel and Coyoacan, we made a stop off at a little tattoo parlor that, don't worry, had been highly recommended to me. After some arguments with the tattoo dudes, and a few rolls of the eyes (on their part) i agreed to finally check off another thing from my "TO DO" list - get a tattoo!

I would like to take this space to officially thank both my aunt and uncle for the support they gave me - on several levels! Thanks Cynthia, for encouraging me to do it (even if your sister disowns you!), and for lending me your hands for my squeezing necessities during the pain! Thank you Bob, for asking the important questions prior to the tattoo, making sure i was sure i wanted to do it, and for being the official photographer of the event :) Les agradezco mucho!

Throughout this past year, a certain Bible verse has continually made itself known to me in various ways. And I realized that it was this verse that I wanted to permanently etch into my skin...
from Colossians 3:
¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

So, many months ago I realized I wanted to somehow turn this idea of "over all these virtues put on love" into a tattoo. However, I hate the english language for several reasons - one of which is that the word "love" is used to refer to SO many different ways of loving (sibling love, sensual love, friendship love, etc. etc.). But the kind of love that I believe this verse is talking about is best defined by the Greek word "agape." Agape is, en pocas palabras, God's love. Check out this link for a more in-depth description of agape. Jes Buller gave me the great idea of somehow using the word agape to draw a person...so the idea of my tattoo is this: it looks like a person, that is made out of the word agape. So the essence is, the person is dressed in, or more-so made of, agape.

I love it :)

Making TAMALES

My "TO DO this year in Mexico" list includes a myriad of goals, one of which is learning how to cook Mexican food. Throughout my year, my host family has been teaching me how to cook classic Mexican dishes. As I scribble furiously on a pad of paper and take picture after picture "documenting the moments" of each recipe, I feel that in learning the tricks of the trade of this delicious cuisine, I am learning so much about the culture and people of Mexico. In the past ten months I have collected TONS of recipes, which I have been compiling into a cookbook/recipe book. As I am nearing the end of my time here in Cuernavaca, I realized recently I was lacking one very important and traditional dish in my cookbook: tamales.

So, I told my family I needed to learn, and they talked to someone talked who talked to someone who knew someone who talked to someone....and we found someone who makes tamales for a living to teach me to how to make them.

It was quite an endeavor. The overall process was pretty simple, but as I watched this old Mexican woman kneading the dough for what seemed like an eternity, claiming that this was the most crucial part of the whole process, I wondered if I would have the patience and/or arm strength to get the job done! I also wondered, after watching her dump a pound of manteca(lard) into the dough, if I really wanted to eat these things.

It was a disappointment to hear that I wasn't allowed to touch the dough...apparently if anyone besides the person who started working it touches it, the tamales won't turn out. (Also, if you're pregnant you'd better not even be in the HOUSE when someone's making tamales, or bread for that matter. Apparently yeast doesn't like to work when pregnant women are around.) So instead of a "hands-on" learning experience, it was more of a "sit and watch and feel terrible you aren't helping this nice little lady who is doing you such a great favor" experience.

We made tamales verdes, or tamales with green salsa and shredded chicken. Wrapping themasa (dough) and the salsa/chicken mixture into wet corn husks was a time consuming process. Then, as the 20 minutes she claimed they would take to cook turned into 2 hours, and it was then 10:00 at night, I was starting to get hungry! But when they finally came out, I enjoyed a delicious (though very late) dinner of tamales and atole de ciruela (a hot, corn-starchy beverage that is always served with tamales). Buen provecho!

wonder hands working the masa

the ingredients: corn husks, masa, and salsa/chicken mixture

the tamal ready to be wrapped up and put in the steamer

the only tamal i got to make (since i didn´t want to contaminate the batch)

the giant pot `o tamales

finished products: tamales and atole

enjoying the deliciousness

Festival de Nopales

I hate nopales.

My first night in this country, August 15, 2009, we went to a taqueria where I had the best and the worst things that I was to eat during my time here in Mexico. The best - tacos al pastor (just ask my dad). The worst - slimy green cactus nastiness called nopales.

The "nopal" is the green "pad" part of the cactus plant, and its flavor and nutritional/medicinal value is truly enjoyed by Mexicans. I am enthralled watching the little old Mexican women remove the prickly spines from these pads in order to sell them to the masses. Mexicans love nopales. I, on the other hand, do not. But despite my loathing of this extremely common Mexican food, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the "Nopales Festival" in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

The first ever "Festival de Nopales" was held at El Charco del Ingenio, the botanical garden in San Miguel. Along with live entertainment, I found nopales prepared in every way possible: various guisados (stews), pie, salad, cake, shampoo, soap, chips, earrings, salsas, liquor, face cream, juice, tortillas, jelly (just to name a few) ALL made out of nopales. It was quite entertaining to see all the ways nopales could be used. And I DID find something I like - "Pay de nopal" (nopal pie) is very tasty stuff! It doesn't taste a bit like the slimy gross vegetable I had my first night in Mexico.

Enjoy the photos of various "nopal" products and happenings at the festival:

The nopales in their natural setting.

several guisados we all tried: sadly, i was only a fan of one.

my aunt cynthia checking out some nopal jams and such

my uncle bob, myself, and my aunt cynthia at the entrance to the festivities (don't ask about the giant paper dolls)

Bob and Cynthia learning all about the prickly suckers

nopales roasting on an open comal....searing heat grilling at your nose...

These nopales had to have been at least 3 feet in length, and were filled with cheese and goodies and sewn shut to be cooked atop a fire.

The Bible

I read it.
From Genesis through Revelation.
One of my goals for this year was to get through the entire Bible, something I had yet to accomplish in my life. And it felt good to cross that off the list I have posted next to my door of all the things I hope to accomplish before leaving Mexico in 2 months!

So, the Bible is interesting.
I suppose my blog is not somewhere to go too in depth into such concepts, that's more a "talking" type of conversation to be had. Let's just say, I learned a lot. And I have even more questions than before! Ah, such is life right?

The version of the Bible that I read is called "The Inclusive Bible." The back of my Bible explains itself as follows:

"Although this new Bible is certainly an inclusive-language translation, it is also much more: It is a re-imagining of the Scriptures and our relationship to them. Not merely replacing male pronouns, the translators have rethought what kind of language has built barriers between the text and its readers. Seeking to be faithful to the original languages, they have sought new and nonsexist ways to express the same ancient truths..."

Reading this version of the Bible was, simply put, refreshing. I so easily get caught up in language use when reading the Bible that I fail to grasp the message that is trying to get across. Being able to read the scripture without the stumbling blocks of male-dominated language (neither for God, nor for people), really gave me the chance to focus on and grasp the real message. I encourage you all to look into this version of the Bible.



Colossians 3:
¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as Abba God forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Baptism!

7:15 am. I am dressed and ready to go! I was told we were leaving for the church at 7:20, so in classic form, I'm ready 5 minutes ahead of time.
7:45 am. I hear the shower turn on, as every other of my family members start to shower.
8:15 am. the parents and the kids leave for the church. Misa started at 8. Maru is still in the shower, so I stay back to wait for her.
8:30 am. Maru and I finally leave the house. Good thing the church is only about 5 blocks away!

Somehow, despite all the time I've now spent in Latin America, this whole time and showing up late thing still continues to drive me up a wall. It is definitely one of my biggest cultural challenges!

Anyways, church was, interesting. It was more like mass chaos with a bunch of people running around and lots of crying little kids dressed in white. I don't think a single person listened to anything the priest was actually saying. There were about 10 children being baptized today, so there was a lot of lines and waiting. Not exactly the kind of baptisms I have witnessed in the past!

Pues, it was an interesting time. All the kids were super cute, and a bunch of family came over to the house afterwards to share in some delicious chilaquiles and atole.

finally! a semi-decent picture of the whole family! (minus smiles...)

the cherubs all cute for the big day

Feliz Dia del Maestro

To all the teachers out there - Happy (Mexican) Teachers' Day!

"To learn and never be filled, is wisdom; to teach and never be weary, is love.

In celebration of the holiday (today), we canceled classes yesterday at La Buena Tierra. Instead of a grueling day in the heat battling tattle-taling, runny-nosed, completely distracted, booger-eating 4 year olds, I spent it relaxing by the pool, laughing with my coworkers, and eating some great food.

It's always a delight to spend time with the other teachers outside of the school setting. It's refreshing and always entertaining. Yesterday provided us with a much needed boost of energy to get through these last few dragging weeks of school when no one (teachers and students alike) really want to be stuffed into a sweat-filled smelly classroom!

To the rest of you teachers out there - you can do it! We're so close! (and you all in the U.S. are much closer than me....for some reason Mexico has school until July 9! ridiculous!) Just remember, soon it will be SUMMER. Hang in there!

"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism." - Colleen Wilcox

i was so close....

MCC Mexico Reunion in Olinalá

Pues, last Thursday night I hopped on a bus in Mexico City with 8 other MCCers for an overnight trip to Olinala, Guerrero. A family of 5 on our team lives and works in Zacango, a small town outside of Olinala, and MCC has been involved in that area for many a year. Anyways, I got on the bus, ready for the big trip ahead of me. Little did i know the truth of all the horror stories I had heard. The first half of the trip was great. Then we got off the highway and into the land of mountains. And curvier roads than words can describe. Needless to say, with about 3 hours left in the trip, i felt pretty darn awful. I ended up sitting on the stairs next to the driver so that i would be able to see out the front. I spent the last few hours there, with the result of bruises on my legs from bracing for the curves. I held it in for so long, and i was so close to making it the whole way, but about 10 minutes away from the bus' end point in Olinala, i was grateful for the plastic bag another MCCer had loaned me...fun times. we got to the hotel soon after 5 am, and crashed. am i ever thankful i live only 1 hour away from Mexico City, and not a horrish 8 hours away!

the next two days of the reunion were a delight. we spent time hanging out, shopping for classic olinala artisan work, eating good food, singing, having devotions, etc. Following are some of the highlights of the times:

The essence of Olinala: scorpions, the infamous boxes and gourds, and paletas!

Sunday: devotions, yummy lunch, celebrating birthdays (including mine), and making the baby blanket for the new member of MCC Mexico who will be joining the team soon!

Friday night bonfire in Zacango, including roasting marshmallows and belting out songs with Elizabeth and Jaime

Donkey rides, dry latrines, paletas, and eating rabbit along side a baby bunny

PIZZA!