Peace Corps-16 at Hacienda Castillo in Querétaro, México for the Peace Corps retreat, March 2014
Arriving to Mexico about two months ago, I have engaged in
many aspects of the Mexican culture and opened my eyes to the real México, one
with much more than our own perceptions and others lead us to believe. Throughout
my service in the Peace Corps I will blog about my experience in México. I
invite you to follow and enjoy my blog about the México I see, the México off
the beaten path.
Peace Corps is an international service organization based
out of the United States sponsored by the federal government, promoting peace
and friendship through sustainable, community oriented and grassroots focused
development, etc. For more information about Peace Corps see the following link:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/about/
Host Family
My experience in Querétaro, Querétaro to this point has been
quite “chido” (awesome). I have been living with a host family in a two-story
house 15 minutes from “el centro” (downtown) and a 30 minute walk from the Peace Corps office. Generally my host mom stays here
during the week while my host dad travels to
“Ciudad de México” (México City) to work during the week. My host
family’s children are older and already have children. Their “hijos” (children)
come over to eat and hangout every weekend, usually involving a big ole
barbeque. Family here is very important and it seems, at least in this family,
that life in México is often focused on when one will see the family next and
when they can celebrate something in life and have a “pachanga” (party). I
would think about a fiesta in terms of the family celebrating each other,
someone, or holiday with strategic meal planning, which does not need decorations
such as a piñata [unless for a “cumpleaños” (birthday) for a younger “nino” (child)].
I really enjoy my “familia” (family) and will be sad to leave them when I head
out to my site that is outside of Querétaro.
Two of my host nieces! :)
With some of my host family en el centro Querétaro
My host mom and I being silly with a bull in Tequis
The first day I moved to my home in Querétaro, my host
family greeted me with a fiesta, celebrating my arrival and one of my host
sister’s birthdays. They sang the traditional Mexican birthday song “Mañanitas,”
had taquitos (ones with potatoes and the others with meat), cake, flan, Mexican
beer and tequila. The Mañanitas song was
much longer than our traditional song in the U.S. The next Birthday party I
attend I’ll have to record my host family singing and share it in a blog, because it is quite fun :). I didn’t
understand everything that was said at the party even though I’ve a lot of
experience studying Spanish. My Spanish is decent (I studied abroad in Chile
for 6 months, traveled in Peru, Guatemala, Belize, and Argentina, and worked at
a Head Start program as a family outreach worker making goals with Spanish and
English speaking families). Even so, understanding or speaking Spanish can be
challenging at times, but I find that challenge to be a fun adventure! When I
first arrived to México, before I went to my host family’s home, we went to a
training at the Haciendo Castillo, which was mostly in English. Once I went to
my host family’s home, I had to adapt to the sudden language change, because it
was entirely in Spanish. Nonetheless, the fiesta helped dip me into Mexican
culture and begin my Spanish journey.
Los arcos (aqueduct) in Querétaro and graffiti art...take note of the details and creativity on the dragon
View of the city Querétaro, México at night, April 2014
Food and Drinks
As for food, the intense spices were at first very difficult
for me: “muy picante” (very spicy). I am slowly working my way up to handling
the spicy food ;). Street food here has been super tasty, but you eat it with
the risk of becoming sick. I found a few places that I now enjoy stopping by
for a taco called a ‘gringa.’ One day during lunchtime, I found an empanada
place near the Peace Corps (PC) office where I purchased one for 15 pesos
(about $1 US) …I was quite excited as empanadas were super big in Chile when I
studied there! As for sweets, some sweets here are more common than others. For
example, I noticed that flan and jello are very big here in Mexico and pies not
as common. Working on enjoying the flan and jello, but sometimes it was hard
for me-strange texture. I also found a fabulous cupcake shop on my way home
from the office right before Querétaro’s famous “Arcos” (aqueduct in the middle
of the city). The owner has made me cupcakes with a “panda” (panda), “penguino"
(penguin) and “jirafa” (giraffe) [you can have any animal you want] with
frosting on top and filled up with some cream and topped off with sprinkles. So
fantastic… and less than $1.00 US for a little one that is just the right
size…aka “delicioso” (delicious)! Good thing I walk 1 hour everyday “ida y
vuelta” (there and back) so I burn off some of those cupcakes. =p
Panda cupcake!
Celebrating Jessi's Birthday with a giraffe cupcake... check out our giraffe ossicones hah
I also enjoyed some Mexican culture when I visited a local
pulqueria in Querétaro, México. A pulqueria is a place that sells tasty pulque
(traditional alcoholic drink made from fermented sap of a Maguey plant). During
this adventure I also heard a local singing his heart out to ranchero
songs. If you want to learn about pulque
see my political professor’s (Edgardo López Mañón) blog: http://lascronicasdelviejo.blogspot.mx/search/label/Pulque .
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Some of the Peace Corps crew at the Pulquería |
Drinking pulque the traditional style...out of a bowl
Lunar Eclipse
One of the most amazing experiences I’ve had so far was seeing
the “Eclipse Lunar” (lunar eclipse) at my host sister’s place. I saw the
transition of the moon from full white, to partially black to a redish color (the
blood moon) during the full eclipse. It was breathtaking. I was lucky enough
to see two “estrellas fugazes”(shooting stars) as well.
Photo Credit: Michael Helgesen
Peace Corps Project
Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMERNAT)
selected me to volunteer in Subdelegación de Planeación y Fomento Sectorial (state level planning department) as a
Natural Resource Management Volunteer in Puebla, Puebla. SEMERNAT is Mexico’s
equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency. Two weeks ago I attended a
contrapart workshop where we worked with our host agency to see what the
community wants in Puebla, discussed duties and roles and formed a plan for our
transition into my position as a volunteer in their agency. Surprisingly, my
agency, SEMERANT has a very focused plan for me. Prior to my arrival, I assumed
that my project would be vague and I would create most of it, as many Peace
Corps volunteer positions are structured yet broad. Clearly, my host agency
strategically thought out my presence and usefulness and hopefully I can
provide some aid in these realms.The projects SEMERANT would like me to work with are various
planning projects such as: 1) Corredor ecológico de la Sierra Madre Oriental (CESMO)
[environmental corridors focusing on cloud forests], 2) natural resource
management plans (such as Valsequillo a RAMSAR site just outside of Puebla), 3) evaluating land
use plans, 4) working on an initiative focused on reducing hunger and malnutrition with Cruzada Nacional Contra de la Hambre and 5) using/training a computer-mapping program Geographical
Informational Systems (GIS). These projects may evolve or change through my
time at SEMERNAT in Puebla, Puebla. The projects I actually do will depend on the needs and wants of my community and agency needs when I arrive at site. I am excited to work in the handful
communities SEMERNAT selected, along with identifying my community
in the city of Puebla along with other communities within the state of Puebla.
Below is some brief information about some of the projects I might work on. Feel free to look through the links and let me know if you have any questions.
Video de CESMO:
Previous Peace Corps Volunteer blog on the project:
Valsequillo won an award with the help form a former Peace Corps Volunteer:
http://www.planning.org/awards/2013/pdf/ValsequilloInitiative.pdf
Valsequillo (RAMSAR site), April 2014
World Wise School
Project
Another resource you can explore to see what I am doing here
in Mexico is checking out the website for my World Wise
School project. I will be working
with my sister Caitlin Smith in Deforest, Wisconsin with her elementary
school’s “clase de español” (Spanish class). We will be posting videos back and
forth between the “estados unidos” (United States) and México. :) My sister’s
website also has wonderful links and activities if you want to learn or improve
your Spanish.
More information on World Wise Schools:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/
My World Wise School website with Caitlin Smith:
Next Blogs
Urban exploring in Querétaro <3
Over my two year and 3 month experience as a Peace Corps
Volunteer/ Volunteer in training I plan to investigate the Mexican culture and
reflect on my own experiences as an American, Peace Corps Volunteer, and a young
woman traveler. I just completed 1½ months of training as an “aspirante”
(volunteer in training) in Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico and have less than 1
month left until I am sworn in as a “voluntario” (volunteer).
Keep tuned to my
blog, which I will update monthly (or more if time allows) with short stories,
pictures or/and an evaluation/comparison between the United States and México.
Feedback and suggestions on a topic to blog about is appreciated. :)
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