Yesterday was my second full day in Mexico City - I already feel like I've been here a week. At the same time I feel like I want to stay for a month. My body is starting to adapt to the variations in the food and the water (in spit of many warnings and my bet efforts I have consumed small amounts of impurities water - I can feel my stomach trying to decide what it thinks about this, so far so good).
Yesterday I went to the Frieda Calo museum with my French speaking friend and another friend who's couch surfing at the same house as me. She's an architecture student from La Paz Bolivia and, oddly enough also speaks French fluently. So between the three of us we switched in and out of our three languages regularly throughout the day.
We also went to Trotsky's house and the Diego Rivera museum. On our way there we met a Malasian woman and a South African man doing the same circuit and hung out together for the rest of the day.
For lunch we ate at a market. I had never seen one like this, in the open air with food stalls but organized more like a food court at a US mall, with a big block of tables and chairs in the middle. Waiters from the stalls took our orders and brought three courses of soup (cream of pumpkin flower) rice or spaghetti and a choice of entrees - I bad chilles rellenos, a big roasted stuffed chile with sauce and meat.
The subways are often incredibly crowded and women and children have a section for them only; folks here are mostly pretty annoyed by how...
Okay my iPod just deleted a paragraph in a different way than yesterday. I think I'll sign out for now.
- Posted withe big thumbs on the tiny keyboard of my iPod
Friday, July 30
Thursday, July 29
Oops...
I just wrote a whole post and deleted it with a few accidental touches of the iPod. I'll have to be more careful next time...
Location:Mexico City
Wednesday, July 28
Haya Llegado (I Have Arrived)
...in Mexico! The truth is I have no idea weather or not Haya Llegado is correct spanish. But I sure am trying! Whew, what a day.
After a good nights sleep (I can{t find the apostrophe on this Mexican keyboard! That button only makes parenthasis!) I scrambled to get my things together (hrm, no semicolon either...my blogging style will have to adapt and change...i{ll have to use lots of dot dot dots...) - anyway, all my stuff fits in a small backpack.
Pack List
shaving razor and associated artifacts
toothbrush etc
small video camera and digital camera
blank notebook for songwriting and Spanish learning
spanish grammar book (old but looks like quality)
iPod touch (to blog on...although I cant seem to connect to the internet with it and now Im using a computer for 15 pesos an hour (12 pesos to the dollar)
headlamp (seemed like a good idea)
bandanas for blowing my nose and covering my eyes on the bus
two t shirts
three pairs of underwear (one of which is from REI and is supposed to take a while to get funky)
one regualr shorts, one running shorts
one button down shirt
a poly pro long underwear top and bottom
small pack towel
one pair of socks
new vibram 5 fingers shoes
I decided to only bring one pair of footwear - the vibram 5 fingers. They look like toe socks and are in direct violation of my main objective here in mexico city: (I found the semicolon!): To blend in. Well, that and not to look like I´m lost (heeey, I found the apostrophe too.) It´s actually been kind of fun, I´ve gotten a lot of smiles (I think they´re smiling AT me, not WITH me but oh well) and made one friend because of my amusing and futuristic shoes. First thing tomorrow, I will begin my search for a nice looking pair of locally made sandals.
Anyhow, when I got to the airport they had overbooked the plain and they offered a $500 voucher to anyone willing to wait (get this) an hour and a half for the next plane. Umm...so yeah, I took that. And I almost took their offer on the next flight for another $400 voucher to wait for the plane that got in at 7PM...but you know, first time in Mexico City, no plans, I know no one...I figured I should get in while there´s still daylight.
Then I landed, went through customs (for the first time in about 12 years! It was thrilling), changed my dollars to pesos and made my way to the subway. Now, my spanish is pretty terrible and I was fully expecting to bumble my way through taking a train to...well I wasn´t exactly sure where but I had some ideas. At least I knew a station that I knew was near a hostle. I was clearly eminating the statement "I´m lost, please help me!" and within about 10 seconds a really nice woman (who it turns out was a waitress at an airport restaurant) told me to follow her, as she led me to where I needed to be. As I was walking with that lady, a young woman overheard me speaking spanish and interrupted us to ask if I was French. Yes, that´s how bad my Spanish is. Well as some of you know, I speak fluent French so I guess it makes sense that my Spanish is Fracified. Anyhow, nice lady #1 then passed me off to nice French speaking young woman #2 (a college student who had done a semester in France) and she proceeded to give me a 4 hour tour of downtown Mexico City which was pretty damn cool. I ate some chicken with roasted poblano peppers and grilled cactus, then washed it down with a drink made from hybiscus flowers (called Jamaica). Then we went to a cathedral that was litterally built on top of a myan pyramid, the ruins of which were still visible in one part (incredible).
Then I made my way to the hostle I had heard about which I found with no trouble and paid 150 pesos ($12) for a bunk in the dorm. I have one dorm mate, his name is Louis and he´s a great f#%&ing guy. We just talked for about an hour, each in our respective broken spanglish and I took pages and pages of notes. He sounded out every letter of the Spanish alphabet for me and I wrote the letters down phoenetically. (It is just occuring to me that this computer is not able to check my spelling and I have no idea how to spell "phonetically". Maybe I´ll just spell it...nevermind.)
The way you say W in spanish is "double-eh-oooo" and for some reason this evokes uproarious laughter from somewhere deep inside me. I wanted to make sure Louis didn´t think I was laughing at him or his beautiful (s´frickin´ beautiful) language...it´s just so fun to say and it really makes me laugh. One of those "learning a new language" things. Anyhow, he had to turn in at 10PM because he´s a motorcycle courier and has to be at work at 2AM. I wish I could forge a stronger friendship with him, I like him already. But tomorrow I´ll be staying with a friend of a friend, which is cheeper and I´m sure I´ll like that person too.
Okay, I´m exhausted and still sick. Time for bed. Goodnight frineds, it was good to be in touch with so many of you before I left. For those of you I didn´t get to say googbye to, I´ll be in Latin America for several months and you can only reach me through gmail (nimasamimiATgmail.com - I can´t find the AT button) and I would love to hear from you.
Sending you warmth from luminous and expansive Mexico City. 6 Minutes left til the computer kicks me off...
After a good nights sleep (I can{t find the apostrophe on this Mexican keyboard! That button only makes parenthasis!) I scrambled to get my things together (hrm, no semicolon either...my blogging style will have to adapt and change...i{ll have to use lots of dot dot dots...) - anyway, all my stuff fits in a small backpack.
Pack List
shaving razor and associated artifacts
toothbrush etc
small video camera and digital camera
blank notebook for songwriting and Spanish learning
spanish grammar book (old but looks like quality)
iPod touch (to blog on...although I cant seem to connect to the internet with it and now Im using a computer for 15 pesos an hour (12 pesos to the dollar)
headlamp (seemed like a good idea)
bandanas for blowing my nose and covering my eyes on the bus
two t shirts
three pairs of underwear (one of which is from REI and is supposed to take a while to get funky)
one regualr shorts, one running shorts
one button down shirt
a poly pro long underwear top and bottom
small pack towel
one pair of socks
new vibram 5 fingers shoes
I decided to only bring one pair of footwear - the vibram 5 fingers. They look like toe socks and are in direct violation of my main objective here in mexico city: (I found the semicolon!): To blend in. Well, that and not to look like I´m lost (heeey, I found the apostrophe too.) It´s actually been kind of fun, I´ve gotten a lot of smiles (I think they´re smiling AT me, not WITH me but oh well) and made one friend because of my amusing and futuristic shoes. First thing tomorrow, I will begin my search for a nice looking pair of locally made sandals.
Anyhow, when I got to the airport they had overbooked the plain and they offered a $500 voucher to anyone willing to wait (get this) an hour and a half for the next plane. Umm...so yeah, I took that. And I almost took their offer on the next flight for another $400 voucher to wait for the plane that got in at 7PM...but you know, first time in Mexico City, no plans, I know no one...I figured I should get in while there´s still daylight.
Then I landed, went through customs (for the first time in about 12 years! It was thrilling), changed my dollars to pesos and made my way to the subway. Now, my spanish is pretty terrible and I was fully expecting to bumble my way through taking a train to...well I wasn´t exactly sure where but I had some ideas. At least I knew a station that I knew was near a hostle. I was clearly eminating the statement "I´m lost, please help me!" and within about 10 seconds a really nice woman (who it turns out was a waitress at an airport restaurant) told me to follow her, as she led me to where I needed to be. As I was walking with that lady, a young woman overheard me speaking spanish and interrupted us to ask if I was French. Yes, that´s how bad my Spanish is. Well as some of you know, I speak fluent French so I guess it makes sense that my Spanish is Fracified. Anyhow, nice lady #1 then passed me off to nice French speaking young woman #2 (a college student who had done a semester in France) and she proceeded to give me a 4 hour tour of downtown Mexico City which was pretty damn cool. I ate some chicken with roasted poblano peppers and grilled cactus, then washed it down with a drink made from hybiscus flowers (called Jamaica). Then we went to a cathedral that was litterally built on top of a myan pyramid, the ruins of which were still visible in one part (incredible).
Then I made my way to the hostle I had heard about which I found with no trouble and paid 150 pesos ($12) for a bunk in the dorm. I have one dorm mate, his name is Louis and he´s a great f#%&ing guy. We just talked for about an hour, each in our respective broken spanglish and I took pages and pages of notes. He sounded out every letter of the Spanish alphabet for me and I wrote the letters down phoenetically. (It is just occuring to me that this computer is not able to check my spelling and I have no idea how to spell "phonetically". Maybe I´ll just spell it...nevermind.)
The way you say W in spanish is "double-eh-oooo" and for some reason this evokes uproarious laughter from somewhere deep inside me. I wanted to make sure Louis didn´t think I was laughing at him or his beautiful (s´frickin´ beautiful) language...it´s just so fun to say and it really makes me laugh. One of those "learning a new language" things. Anyhow, he had to turn in at 10PM because he´s a motorcycle courier and has to be at work at 2AM. I wish I could forge a stronger friendship with him, I like him already. But tomorrow I´ll be staying with a friend of a friend, which is cheeper and I´m sure I´ll like that person too.
Okay, I´m exhausted and still sick. Time for bed. Goodnight frineds, it was good to be in touch with so many of you before I left. For those of you I didn´t get to say googbye to, I´ll be in Latin America for several months and you can only reach me through gmail (nimasamimiATgmail.com - I can´t find the AT button) and I would love to hear from you.
Sending you warmth from luminous and expansive Mexico City. 6 Minutes left til the computer kicks me off...
Saturday, July 24
Tuesday: Mexico City
I've just installed an ap on my iPod so I can blog on it - here goes! I bought a one way ticket (autocorrect suggests a one way rocket) to Mexico and I'm not bringing a computer; I know there will be Internet cafe's but it's too tempting to get to blog and email on my iPod. So this is my trial run. Dallas has been great, I just got back from a ranger's game that ended with an incredible fireworks display (I'm not being metaphorical, they turned off all the lights and set off fireworks in the stadium). Before that I was in Austin with my cousin Ian: swimming holes, ska bands and we played basketball every day. Now I'm gearing up for leaving the country - the first time in 12 years.
After Mexico city will be Oaxaca, then Guatemala city where I'll stay with the family of my Aunt Betty (ian's mom). Not sure when I'm coming back to Texas to pick up my truck...but when I do I will hopefully be heading right back out to Iran. Dear friends, family and fellow travelers; I'm glad to be on this journey with you.
PS - I've tried to be diligent about posting pictures with my posts. Sadly this will no longer be practical. I will eventually share pictures and videos, bear with me.
- Posted with big thumbs on the tiny keyboard of my mobile device
After Mexico city will be Oaxaca, then Guatemala city where I'll stay with the family of my Aunt Betty (ian's mom). Not sure when I'm coming back to Texas to pick up my truck...but when I do I will hopefully be heading right back out to Iran. Dear friends, family and fellow travelers; I'm glad to be on this journey with you.
PS - I've tried to be diligent about posting pictures with my posts. Sadly this will no longer be practical. I will eventually share pictures and videos, bear with me.
- Posted with big thumbs on the tiny keyboard of my mobile device
Location:Dallas TX
Sunday, July 11
Flight 2000
I've put a new post-tour song on my myspace page: a love song for my favorite pin-ball machine, Flight 2000. Recorded at Sunset House in Seattle, dedicated to the Martin in Olympia.
And here's Flight 2000, live on the Mailboat
leaving Great Spruce Head Island in Maine
July Update
Whew! So much has happened since my last post. Here's a recap:
After a great month in Seattle (living with friends, doing some interesting volunteer work) I spent a week in Denver with another dear friend. Then back to Boston to see people and handle some things. After that I drove to Great Spruce Head Island in Maine, where my old pal Barney and I cooked (with no electricity on only a wood stove) for an artist retreat for a week:
A lunchtime spread
Stove and oven
Making savory pastries
Me and Barn
Unfortunately I managed to get bit by a dear tick while home in Boston, which turned into Lyme disease while I was working on the island. And incredibly, Barney got bit too! We were both miserably sick, but we got through it together - and once we got antibiotics we were on the mend. This is one of the worst Lyme seasons on record so learn from me, freinds: check for ticks.
Then I flew back to Seattle, picked up my truck, bid my friends farewell and drove (with a guy I found on Craigslist) to Los Angeles, where I am now visiting another friend. Monday I'll start driving to Texas where I'll visit family, leaving my truck with them. Then on July 27th I fly to Mexico City where I'll stay for a week. From there I'll visit other parts of Mexico and Guatemala and maybe other Latin American countries. In some places I have contacts, family, friends of friends, in others I'll just show up.
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