Mis amigos...

Today we made some new friends! One friend is from Bulgaria (Spanish will be her third language but I think she might speak some others too..), another from Britain, another two from Holland (and they learned many languages in school... I cannot even keep track), one from Colorado, one from California, and then of course, there is the Texas contingent. Such a rich and varied group of folks all journeying from around the world to study spanish in this lovely town of Guanajuato. We took a little tour of the town today and saw many beautiful and historic plazas. And there are many lovely shops, panederias, statues, architecture. I cannot wait to explore more. But now, I must run to do my homework... mas mañana!

AY!!

Today I started language classes at la Escuela Mexicana. ¡Estan muy divertido pero tambien dificil! I am finding that I understand much of what is said, (the classes are taught solely in Spanish and most teachers -- I have 3 different teachers for my 4 classes -- will not speak any English so that you are forced to really concentrate and learn) but at the end I am soooooo tired. I have always respected and marvelled at my students who speak 2 languages, but with more experiences of my own I understand even better the tenacity they have to soak up a different way of organizing and structuring language. I think if I could stay here about 6 months I would be much, much better. But for now, two weeks will have to do. And I'm meeting many new friends from around the globe.

This evening we were going to take a tour of the city, but it is raining cats and dogs so we have postponed the tour until tomorrow. It´s probably best because I really need to practice and do homework. Hasta manana...

Estamos Aqui!

Estamos aqui! Y esta muy bonita aqui!

We arrived in Guanajuato at about 12:15, after an uneventful flight and easy journey via taxi. We have been practicing our Spanish already and are trying to get used to converting money.
The buildings are colorful, the streets are cobbled and narrow, and there are many, many families walking around enjoying the perfect weather this Sunday afternoon. Above are two pictures taken just behind our hostel -- the first is Jim (or Santiago en espanol) just in front of the Cervantes statue, and the second is taken from behind the statue so you can see the hillside crowded with houses. We walked to the jardin, did a little people watching and then were able to check in to our hostel. After this short blog post we are going to venture out looking for food and fun. As i sit typing in the lobby of a different hostel i can hear someone practicing guitar upstairs and singing, families laughing and walking by outside, roosters crowing, and buses navigating the narrow streets. Me encanta!! I wish you were all here with me.

Until tomorrow. Hasta manana!

Travelling

We watched a video this evening, of music and 11 short films created to represent the music in some way.  I liked the songs already, but something about the art that accompanied the music -- this time in the medium of film -- enhanced the songs and transported me for a moment to another place.  When each little short film was over I was glad there was a bit of blank screen before the next one because I needed that time to breathe.  I needed that time before the next musical journey began.

It is interesting to me how we can travel through music and art -- to a forgotten memory, an old feeling, or even newly dreamed futures.  And books can help us travel a bit, outside of ourselves to other feelings, other experiences, other lives.  We can see ourselves playing out those other lives or at least trying to understand them.  And I always enjoy travelling in that way.  But nothing seems to shake me out of my comfort zone like physically travelling to another place.  Something about being away from familiar patterns, routes, routines . . . it seems to wake me up a little.  Like Annie Dillard notes, it's as if I surface for a while and get out of the watery fogginess that sometimes day by day existence can evoke.  

I like travelling.  It helps me remember to connect with my life, both away from home and in it.  Guanajuato, may you bring many new, awakening experiences! :) 

Salsa!

Mmmmmm, salsa. Green/red, hot/mild, heated/chilled -- I loves the salsa and chips. On a desert island if I had to choose only one food forEVER it would be chips and salsa. I can not ever eat enough and cannot keep it in my house without ravenously devouring a whole jar at one time. (Seriously, this is a contest I could win... where is the "who can eat the most pica (spicy) salsa" contest?? My SKILLS are not being used to their fullest potential!)

But I digress. The kind of salsa to be discussed here, in this post, is the other kind that involves thumping music, high-heels, and a bit of sass.

Now I do "got sass". And I likes to shake my as--pirin bottles. (What?? This is a family show..) But while I'm a salsa-TASTING expert, am I a salsa-DANCING expert? Hmmmm.

In a "let's-go-to-austin-and-have-fun" girls weekend with some of my coworkers, last night we went to Copa, a great salsa-dancing place. (Thanks for the rec, Tiff!). Let's set the scene:

We walk into the club and wiggle our way close to the edge of the dance floor. Music is pumping, skirts flying, hips grooving -- it is un corazon of people beating with fire. After a few minutes of looking in longingly, I shout to my friend Yang, "Will you teach us?" And she kindly shouts her agreement. So we weave through sweaty, happy, twisting people over toward the mirror. (Mistake number one because when I catch a glimpse of my sad, jerky, decidedly un-twisty hips I think to myself, "What on earth am I doing next to a flippin' mirror?!?") Yang shows us some steps and then we practice. And sweat. And practice. And sweat. And people come over and say, "Do you want to dance?" And I shout, "I don't know how but she does!" And away flies Yang. Then away fly Aurora and Sarah. And in comes a 50-something, kind-faced gentleman who has no idea what he is in for...

He kindly asks to dance and I shout, "I don't know how." And he says, "No, I saw you and your friends. You can do it." So I laugh and say, okay, and begin practicing my step 1,2,3,4 .. 5,6,7. 1,2,3,4 .. 5,6,7.

--"See you are doing fine."

(Holly trips immediately after compliment.)

--"It's okay you just need to loosen up a bit."
(Holly goes boneless. Chicken-y legs... is that an appropriate salsa move?)

--"Okay just try and take smaller steps"
(1,2,3,4.. 5,6,7... 1,2,3,4, step-on-toes)

--"..."
(Holly tries to add some hips. Mirror glance says, noooooooo, not the hips!!)

--"Okay we are going to spin, listo (ready)?"
(Holly, excited about spin starts spinning already)

--"No let's go back... small steps, just small steps."

(Holly sort of finds a beat again... sort of)

--"Here we go"
(Holly spins, back, side step-py things, spin, wheeeeeee!)

--"That's it!"
(Holly steps on toes again and says, "I think I can't get the beat. I'm a musician.")

-- " ummm. . . what kind? "
(Holly shouts, "singer". Other musicians would say that explains everything...)

--"Just stay loose. Don't think so much."
(Holly starts going boneless, chicken-y legs again.)

After a bit more uncoordinated writhing, the music comes to a close and we both laugh, (did I see him sigh with relief??). We move back to our own friends as the next song brings more dancers to the floor.

Later in the evening my "teacher" passes me and, definitely NOT asking me to dance again, says, "You really need to practice." (Chuckling.) Yep, he's right. My salsa dancing is hot. It's one big, hot, MESS!

Where are those chips again?...

¿Porqué Guanajuato?

Yo quiero ir al Guanajuato.  ¿Porqué?   Porque yo necesito a practicar español!!

I usually consider myself a pretty educated (of the go-to-school-a-lot-and-owe-lots-of-money sort… as opposed to the various and sundry other, possibly less expensive and more fun sorts of edumacation) but this year has been the year of the dunce for me.  I started working in a public pre-k and everyone speaks Spanish.   And I mean everyone.  Students, parents, teachers, TAs, office workers, delivery guys, crickets, ants… everyone but me and like, 6 other people.  So after a year I’ve learned very well how to tell someone to check out books, when to bring them back, how to take care of books, and how to find the Spanish and/or bilingual books in the library.  I feel quite proud of myself and think, “Mmmm, I speak Spanish.”

Then, I see one of my four-year-old students in the hallway… away from the library.   You see it coming, don’t you?  They start talking.  And I start listening.  And nodding.  And nodding some more.  And saying, “O, si??” And then they look at me funny.

Turns out I do not speak Spanish after all, only library.  Because I’m the library-er  (a moniker given to me by some of my students).  And shouldn’t a library-er be able to talk about lots of things besides where to look for that missing book? 

I think definitely so, and so Jim and I go to Guanajuato next week.  My neighbor Paola told me about it.  Via lots of handsigns and some terrible grammar on my part, I was yet able to learn enough to know that I can go there and learn some Spanish whilst being in the mountains and on a little va-cay.  (Is that what smart people or annoying people call vacation??  I forget.)

 So I think it will be an adventure on many parts.  Now if only I could figure out what book to read…

Why another blog?!?

As blogging goes my endeavors show signs of spinning top-dom.  Remember the "when I was yer age" ones made of wood, replete with stick and string?  You had to wind the string around carefully, and then yank like heck and watch it fall to the ground, spinning and bouncing eagerly until it ran out of momentum.  That's what my blogging is like.  I get all wound up with a great idea, pull the string and go, go, go. . . until I begin . . . to run . . . o  u  t  .   .   . o  f  .    .    .  

Yep. Spinny, spinny fun and then after a few last wonky jerks -- PLONK.  I had LondonRocks for my Maymester studies in London back in 2005.  Then there was the ever-popular (for 3 WHOLE MONTHS..woo-hoo!) Moore Marvel kindergarten blog.  Then several months ago I thought, "Hey, I should write something philosophical and transcendental... yeah. That would be sooo cool, man." Thus, Enoughness was born.  But sadly it only lived for 3 posts (maybe it will be the kitty-cat of blogs and regain another life in the future...).  So why the heck would I have another blog that I know -- we ALL know -- is destined to be short-lived?   

Well, because I just cannot blog about the same things all the time.  I like to blog about spinny fun happening now.   In my real life I job hop.  So it's no wonder that in my virtual life I blog hop.  Hoppity, hoppy, hop, hop.  And next week I'm going to Guanajuato, which actually means "place of frogs" so perhaps my boingy blogging will be just fine. Thus, the moniker of this blog -- Guanajuatorocks.  Spinny, hoppy fun.  Ribbit.