Profe Daniel's Reflection

Mexico Reflection

One thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was to learn about the famous Robert Brady who resided in Cuernavaca. I was inspired by his audacity, particularly that he let the community know he was gay and was still highly respected. This has a personal connection to me since I consider myself a “latino zebra with gringo stripes” and want to believe that a “good Latino” can go against the machismo (sexist) and homophobic stereotypes that are often associated with Hispanic culture.

One highlight of the trip for me was to spend time with my host family. They treated me as a member of the family. My host mom fed me so much delicious food that I gained a few pounds.

Another highlight was to witness my girls’ motivation to learn Spanish increase. I don’t know how much it was due to the attractive Mexican boys whistling and shouting out poetry to them or all the other factors. At any rate, motivation is one of the key factors in learning anything, so I hope to take advantage of the momentum.

I was also thrilled to see our girls take on the monumental task of culturally assimilating to Hispanic culture. It definitely had moments of culture shock, but I believe that culture shock is one of the best teachers, essential for the role of future world leaders that our girls will inherit.

I felt very much at home in every aspect of the Mexico visit. It is striking to me how many similarities there are between Mexico and the rest of Latin America, particularly my second home in Ecuador. Among the similarities are the tightness of the families. This is something that seems to sustain them and give them strength to continually struggle against the economic forces that oppress them. Forgive my political slant here in mentioning that the US is regarded as one of the economic oppressors in Latin America, from Mexico all the way to Patagonia (refer to “The Open Veins of Latin America” if you have any doubt about this.) In spite of this non-reciprocal relationship between our countries, I personally felt safe and respected at all times in Cuernavaca.

My favorite excursion on our trip was the visit to the mostly indigenous (or Native American) town of Tepoztlan. The town is truly enchanting. The practically vertical hike to the pyramid dedicated to the “bunny god” (I forget the diety’s local name) was hard on the legs and lungs, but worth the effort. The view from the top of the pyramid is spectacular, overlooking the town and farmland below as well as the unique rock formations of the surrounding mountains. The people of Tepoztlan still make a pilgrimage to the pyramid every September 7th and spend the night celebrating and playing their traditional percussion instruments which a somewhat similar to the marimba. It’s interesting to see that much of Mexico has converted to Catholicism but have sustained their pre-Colombian beliefs and rituals as well. Additionally, I’m impressed by the stubbornness of the people of Tepoztlan who have refused to let outside giants such as McDonald’s come in to their town. They’ve also chosen to leave their streets the traditional cobblestone instead of allowing the Mexican government come in and put in pavement. They claim that their town is for pedestrians, not vehicles.

Another excursion that was very moving was our visit to a Cuernavacan school of limited resources, “Secundaria Técnica 23”. Of course there was the thrill of the Cuernavacan kids to get to meet our exotic US girls and vice a versa. They presented us with a traditional dance from Veracruz. One girl recited a very moving poem which addressed the economic problems some of the Mexican youth confront, in this case leading to dropping out of school. We presented some supplies for their library. Their principal, Berenice expressed her hope of having a few of her students be able to visit SGS one day, something that would require funds that they lack, but hopefully could be found through some grant or foundation.

It was truly a privilege to experience Mexico with our students, one that I hope will have permanently transformed us.

Finally, I must mention that Encuentros Language School did an outstanding job of coordinating everything to meet all of our needs, even our most capricious needs. The owners of the school, Jeannie and Rudolfo, have established a great network of teachers, tour guides, chauffeurs and host families to receive us professionally and with open arms.

Daniel