A Connection

Some of you may remember the elderly lady, Teresa that lives immediately adjacent to our apartment (the one who brought Caleb the sugary treats for “el dia del niño”). This past weekend our family received an unexpected invitation from some of her visiting family members. Gabby (her niece), her husband and their four-year old son knocked on our door with a request to join them for afternoon refreshments. As Caleb was napping when they dropped by we struggled with our fledgling Spanish to tell them that we would love to visit within the next 30 minutes.

Immediately after accepting the invitation Amy and I were filled with an odd mixture of excitement (at the prospect of meeting some new folks) and fear (at the likelihood that our visit may involve a lot of staring and very little talking). After Caleb awoke we prayed that this would be more than a chance to embarrass ourselves and we walked next door.

What followed was an extremely enjoyable afternoon. Soon after arriving, “Eduardo” (how’s that for a name that’s easy to remember?) and I took our two sons outside where they played something that slightly resembled soccer. After quickly tiring of this they turned a couple of sticks into swords and enjoyed being pirates for the next hour. While the two kids eliminated the language barrier in a matter of minutes Eduardo had a lot of questions for me. He was very curious as to why a young family from the states would want to sell a house, quit a good job in the pharmaceutical industry and move to Mexico City. I attempted to explain how I felt that God wanted us to be here. He continued to listen as I explained that our first priority was to learn Spanish which would better enable us to later work with some of the local churches in helping the children of the city realize how much God loves them. (It really surprised me how much of this “I” was able to effectively communicate ;o) After my introduction, Eduardo told me that he and his wife had just celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary. He also told me that Gabby had endured some fairly severe complications with her pregnancy and that having another child was strongly discouraged by their physicians. This was initially a saddening revelation for both Eduardo and Gabby but as soon as he said this he then commented gratefully at how much joy his healthy four-year old has brought to his life.

I can’t adequately express how encouraging it was to have a conversation with someone that surpassed the initial pleasantries of “hi” and “how are you?”. After the kids were close to exhaustion we went back upstairs where I learned that Amy and Gabby had enjoyed an equally pleasant evening. Amy and I went home that night genuinely thankful that we had the opportunity to MEET someone in this city of 20 million, (a task that’s proving more difficult that I would have thought). Furthermore, we were given a unique occasion to share the genuine reason we are living here.

Since Amy, Caleb and I began this journey back in 2006 we have repeatedly been told that learning Spanish IS our active ministry for this first phase of living in Mexico. Still, even while knowing this it’s often hard to feel like we are fulfilling our purpose simply by attending classes and completing homework assignments. We are praying that our initial meeting with the family that periodically visits apartment #11 will, perhaps provide the basis for further interactions. We also are hopeful that similar relationships will be built the longer that we are granted the opportunity to live in Mexico.

Class In Session

The 16th of each month is when our rent is due. Our landlord, Hector comes by around this date not only to collect the payment but to see if anything in our apartment needs his attention. For the months of May and June the primary object that has required (perhaps demanded?) his full concentration has been… Caleb.

Caleb, while at times reluctant to recite his Spanish flashcards to Amy or I has been ever eager to impress Hector with his newfound knowledge. And Hector, for his part continues to fervently enjoy his role of expert linguistic instructor.

Amy and I have our final exams coming up in less than two weeks… judging from Hector’s approval, Caleb may already be proving himself to be better prepared than either of us.

Traffic

Traffic here in Mexico City is “different” than in central NC. On the one hand there’s a lot more of it and traveling a distance of five – ten miles could take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour, depending on the time of day. On the other hand most individuals who live here constantly expect to be delayed by traffic. So if you happen to arrive at an appointment (or a morning Spanish class) a little later than anticipated it’s rarely viewed as an interruption.

Since moving to Mexico, we have joined the ranks of millions that do not (yet?) own a car. Each day we rely on public transportation to navigate the city. Since being here for nearly two months we have learned the names of the buses that will get us to, or close to the university and the ones that will return us to our apartment. We have almost learned the routes to and from our church and (we’re getting better with every Sunday attempt :o) If you get on a bus during rush hour you can count on not having a seat. The up side to this is that you’ll get in a week’s worth of arm workouts clinging to the metal poles that keep you from landing in the lap of some unsuspecting commuter. Most of the bus drivers that we have encountered are incredibly skilled at weaving their large, hulking buses amid cars, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians. The other day we encountered a driver whose skill surpassed the rest. It wasn’t that his driving was noticeably different but upon exiting the bus we noticed that he only had one eye. Perhaps it easier to stay calm among the rush of Mexico City with only one eye to view the other vehicles that are usually only centimeters away?

Here are a couple of shots of a few of the many bridges and overpasses that are close to our apartment. The civil engineering projects that have been constructed on an earthquake prone, dry lake bed are quite impressive!

Bragadocious Food Post #1

Back in the United States much of the news pertaining to Mexico is often reported with a very thinly-veiled layer of cynicism, pessimism and a flood of other negative "-isms". While some of these reports may be rooted in the truth, I'll use this medium to add another level of fairness and balance when warranted. One thing that Mexico certainly has going for it is the food! (Since God created me with a special appreciation for all things edible, food will most certainly be a recurring theme. Other foodies please check back regularly.)

For starters, take the humble pineapple that can be tough, green, scrawny and expensive back home. Down here this succulent delicacy can be found in the supermarkets for a mere 7 pesos per kilo (~ $0.27 per pound). Since arriving Amy and I have learned that to pick out a ripe pineapple you check if one of the top leaves will break off easily. Then, when you get it home it's best to place it in the fridge, upside down for 30 minutes to let the sugars redistribute throughout the fruit. (I wish I could claim that some wise senora at the local market passed on this sentimental knowledge to the newly transplanted gringos but actually, we learned this from YouTube.) Breakfast, lunch, dinner or just before bed there's never been a better way to ward off scurvy and enjoy a food that's healthy to boot!

No English Allowed!

Well... not so much that it's forbidden but not nearly as common as I expected. Here is my temporary residence in Mexico for five mornings out of the week in my endeavor to learn a second language. I anticipated that English would rarely, if ever be spoken by our instructor but I was confident that I could tap my neighbor for help in class when needed (hey, it worked at NC State). I did however, neglect to consider that a large majority of this student population may not know English either. In my class of 14 students the countries of Brazil, Ireland, France, Germany, Congo, Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan and America are represented. It is said that complete immersion in a new language is the best way to learn it... we're certainly putting this theory to the test.