and we’re back… year two in Mexico started in Oaxaca…

August for teachers is like January for regular people – a new year, a fresh start, and lots of resolutions. Number one for me is to actually keep this blog updated regularly. Do me a favor and leave a comment if you look at it – that will help me keep my motivation up!

After a wonderful visit back in Colorado, Alex and I kept busy during our summer weeks here in Mexico, finally taking real steps to improve our Spanish. At the beginning of August we took an overnight bus to Oaxaca City in the state of Oaxaca (pronounced wah-ha-ka) – a six to eight hour ride south-east of Mexico City. We had visited Oaxaca before, last February, but this time we were enrolled in the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca where we would spend a week living with a local family and taking daily Spanish language courses.

It was a fabulous week. Oaxaca City is beautiful – full of native and colonial culture, with cobblestone streets lined with great restaurants, cafes, art galleries and bustling markets. Oaxacan food is famous in Mexico for its varieties and incorporation of traditional ingredients like chocolate with cinnamon, tamales wrapped in giant banana leaves,  or salty, crunchy chapulines (grasshoppers).   There were also several festivals taking place while we there. One was called the guelaguetza and is a centuries-old celebration of traditional dance and dress from the many ethnic groups who have lived in the area for hundreds of years. Fireworks went off every night, and during the weekend there was a sound and light show at the main cathedral where images of typical Oaxacan art were projected onto the face of the building while a symphony accompanied narration of local legends. Very beautiful.

The other was a mezcal fair – mezcal is sort of tequila’s little brother, an alcohol derived from the same type of plant but prepared slightly differently. Like tequila, some mezcals are great, others might kill you, and this fair gave out samples of all kinds. Very dangerous.

We also visited several archaeological sites, including Alex’s current favorite, Monte Alban. Like the pyramids of the sun and moon near Mexico City (Teotihuacan), Monte Alban is a huge complex with numerous temples, pyramids, and even a ball court or two. What makes this place even more beautiful, however, is the fact that it is built entirely on the top of a mountain, commanding an incredible view of the surrounding valleys and mountain ranges. It is one of those places that is hard to comprehend, particularly after being told that it was constructed without the use of machines, wheels, or even metal. Crazy.

Alex exploring the tomb

Plus, we also visited two sites we had never before seen, Yagul and Mitla. The great thing about ruins in Mexico is that you are allowed to climb all over the place with very few restrictions, so that you can get up close and personal with most buildings. We were especially excited to be able to go into several tombs at the other sites, making us of course feel very much like Indiana Jones and therefore very happy.

Of course, all that sightseeing and food-eating was really just a side perk. Our main intention was to learn Spanish, speaking and listening and reading and writing as much as possible. And we did! The institute was excellent – not perfect, but very organized and well-thought out, pushing its students to immerse themselves in the language most of the day. I finally really understand the difference between ser and estar, Alex has an improved grasp on the subjunctive, and we can make our own chilequiles or quesadillas con flor de calabaza. Our homestay family was very kind and hospitable, and very insistent that we speak puro español in their house. We learned a lot, but best of all we realized that our year here truly has improved our comprehension of this language and that we are beginning to be able to communicate more than just very basic requests.

So, now on to year two, with new goals, a new apartment, and hopefully more frequent and consistent blog posts!