Pintar sin miedo

Pintar sin miedo. Rire sin miedo. Trabajar sin miedo. Se divertir sin miedo. Vivir sin miedo...


I forget how many wonderful things happen on Global Voice exchanges. Among them so far in only three days:

• a beautiful welcoming ceremony-assembly at the middle school where we are working, including an arrangment for vocals, guitar and keyboards of ''Imagine'' that made me bawl my eyes out. There's something about that song that is so universally hopeful and powerful, and for a band of Mexican middle school students to perform it in honor of our 'intercambio' was just so emotionally supercharging that I was overflowing with emotion. I think they thought that something was really wrong with me because I probably looked like my favorite puppy just died of some horrible disease.
• relationships among kids who don't speak the same language, and the realization that verbal communication is a tiny part of how we understand each other
• gaining confidence in my horribly broken but nevertheless optimistic and tenacious Spanish
• time to read books. New concept.
• teaching a French class with a Canadian in Mexico. 'Nough said
• beautiful sunsets with palm trees silhouetted in black against yellow, orange and pink
• new ideas
• an appreciation for home and everything there, most of all what I have spent the last six months doing with my life. This is the first time in all my travels that I have a deep-rooted longing for home. It's actually a little painful. I miss my girls and my coaches and my cat. For the first time, I feel like I've done something right and am doing what I want to do with my life!

More to come, hasta pronto!

Hola de Téacapan

Global Voice 2010 came right up on me. I was not ready for it at all. Not mentally, not emotionally, not career-ly. I feel a bit guilty about that, but all my fears and reservations and hesitations have been completely extinguished in the 24 hours or so since we've arrived in Sinaloa.


After a long travel day (4:30 a.m. at the airport, layover in Phoenix, bumpy flights, etc.) we met with Ricardo Topete at the airport in Mazatlan. Another wonderful man from a wonderful family connection of the Griffins, he is the principal at the middle school where we've chosen to spend the two weeks of our exchange.


After renting a van and driving about an hour to Escuinapa, home of the Topetes, we were met with his family: wife Marta, and three daughters who are all as different as can be. Arim, 28, lived in Reno for 5 years and is in international finance. She flies from place to place analyzing market risk for investor. Spain. Puerto Rico. Pakistan. Turkey.


Lucky girl.


Marien is almost 24, a quiet and petite girl who lived with the Griffins on exchange during 2005. Marta, the youngest, is a gregarious, bubble and emotive girl of 20. She studies at Luzanne, in Switzerland. Another lucky girl.


Marta Sr.'s family comes from Puebla, and the family made an absurdly delicious and beautiful meal from the region. Poblanos with bananas and chicken. Molé. Beans. Tortillas. Salsa fresca. So so good.


We ate in the beautiful garden of their large home. I am always amazed at the architecture and style in Mexico. Every building has a tiny and unassuming street-side face. When you open the gate to go in though, it´s like a huge world opens up. Trees. Flowers. Foliage. Gorgeous.


We met most of the familia de Topete including César, a 17-yeaer-old high school student who will return with us to start school in Virginia City as an exchange student for the semester. He´s used to small towns. So it will all work out.


After a trip to the grocery store for food for the week and a stop at the ATM, we jumped back in the cars to head to Téacapan, a small fishing village set right up against the coast. Literally 30-seconds from nuestra casita is the Pacific. It was a beautiful drive in, with the sun setting against the palm trees and hills in the distance. This part of the country is much greener and more lush in comparison with the Sea of Cortez side (Loreto is one of my favorite places).


After a quick settle-in, very quick group discussion, and some snacking we headed to bed in the large Topete family home. It´s beautful, with tile floors, two levels and two bungalows in the enormous and lush front yard. All together the place sleeps 16 very comfortably. It has been awhile since its been used though so we do have some adventures in front of us regarding bugs, plumbing, etc. I suppose the experience wouldn´t be what it is without these small humps to accept.


We slept quickly because we were all so tired from the day´s travelling. I slept easily from 10 p.m. to 8:30 this morning, uninterrupted save for a brief moment at God know´s what time when I put my ear plugs in to rescue me from the buzzing of a nearby mosquito.


Speaking of mosquitos, I don´t think I've been in an area where there are so many mosquitos since Ghana. At least I haven't thought about it before. It's appropriate since this week marks my four year anniversary of my departure to Ghana. This is completely mind-blowing to me as I often feel like it was just yesterday that I was there. Anyway, I´m wondering if I could have a malaria flare up? In my more paranoid moments I wonder if a mosquito bites me if it's possible for them to get infected. I would really hate to cause any malaria outbreaks throughout the entire country of Mexico. Hrmmmm...ideas? 


Will add more at a later time. Right now I must get back to the casita from the internet cafe. I think tamales await. Love to all!

Hello 2010!

What a pleasant experience to wake up on Jan. 1 and not have a splitting headache, dry mouth, and the all-consuming urge to stick my finger down my throat to get the vodka/crans-redbull/vodkas-ridiculously sweet hot pink fruity drinks out of my system! (And people say I can't handle my alcohol...huh...)

Last night ended up being a fantastic New Year's celebration. Original plans to head to a concert with my 18-year-old-cousin E were derailed when other fam members thought we should stay home to play games and not be insulting. Hm. We obliged, though I thought it was going to be a bit tiresome (maybe even annoying) to play Wii and Disney's SceneIt with a two, three and seven year old for the second night in three days. 

It's all about attitude though (and a little Amaretto didn't hurt either). It ended up being a total blast. A, E and L are so stinking cute. See? It is a physical and mental impossibility to be at all morose around those three.

I was starting to lose steam around 11 p.m. when my aunt C suggested we brave the crazies to watch the fireworks downtown. In typical Alix fashion the grumps started to set in as I was settling deeper and deeper into the couch. I've never been much for New Year's because I don't like hoards of people unless I'm very very drunk and don't know any better. 

Anyway, I dragged myself up off the couch and E and I jumped in my car, followed by C, J and cuz Esh in hers. We separated quickly; finding two spots together would have been impossible. I parked in a little alley between the hookah bar and the church on 1st and Arlington, fully giving it up to the gods of parking fate as to whether or not we would come back to a car with an intact windshield (or any car at all).  

We met up with B for a quick chai on a nameless rooftop near Java Jungle, then headed to 2nd and Virginia to join the masses in front of Harrah's for the fireworks. It was a beautiful and lengthy display, and definitely lit up the sky well enough to accomplish some amazing people watching on the street level. I could watch people forever, just wondering about who they are and where they're going and where they've come from. It was exceptional though, since many of them were high and/or drunk and/or dressed like maniacs. Fun for E and J to see, too. We shared an (albeit judgmental) smile or two. 

E and A New Year's Eve

We returned to the car shortly after making our way through the crowds after the Works. We took C back to her car and then E, J, S and I walked around a bit more through the casinos. More people watching and scantily-clad-girls-with-boobs-hanging-out avoidance (Seth to Jonah, "Don't look at that, don't look at that, and definitely DON'T look at THAT!"). 

Dropped everyone off and made it to bed before 2:30 a.m.  Not too shabby, and much more relaxed than I'd envisioned. 

Happy 2010! Hope you have a wonderful first couple weeks to the new year!