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| San Agustin through the gate, Jan 6, 2023 |
Since I last left you, dear reader, Jon and I had the fun of seeing what Three Kings Day is all about in Tepatepec as it swirled about us. In the U.S., we generally don't make that big of a deal out of January 6, unless, of course, we're storming a capital. Thankfully, in Tepa we were spared the drama of that anniversary, and instead found ourselves bombarded by the sight and smell of Rosca de Reyes being sold everywhere we looked. What is Rosca de Reyes? Why, Three Kings Day Cake, of course!
Within the cake, 5 or 6 little plastic dolls are hidden, and the person who finds one has to perform a pre-determined task - usually something silly. Essentially, Three Kings Day is a day for the children. Also known as Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, it is the day when the three wise men supposedly reached Bethlehem with their gifts for the baby Jesus. Wandering around the town on that day, we found a fair, complete with free rides set up for the kids, as well as stand after stand of toys for sale. There were also multitudes of tables selling Rosca to the point that we thought, "how will they ever sell it all?" Well, apparently, they do because people buy it and eat it for days after. My friend Maria makes her own version, and her husband Frederico was selling it at our landlord's cafe where it flew off the shelves as long as it was available. In fact, that night, a lady rang our doorbell, wanting to know if my neighbor, who is also a baker, had any for sale. I told her that the neighbor wasn't there, but directed her down the street to the cafe where I knew she could get the best Rosca available. She was very grateful, and I felt like a real local.
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| La Paz |
Three days later, I was on the plane bound for La Paz, Baja California Sur, for the midterm reunion of Fulbright/Comexus. Sadly, I arrived there with a slightly off stomach and so did not participate in the first day activity, which was a boat trip to Espiritu Santo island, about 40 minutes across the water from La Paz. When the organizers mentioned that it would an all day excursion, on the beach, including swimming with seals, with a lunch of ceviche tostadas, and only one bathroom on the boat, I asked if I could bow out. Not only was my stomach not up to it but I had not yet received the full-lenght-sun-protection wet suit I'd ordered, and I felt like it was going to be way too much exposure for a redhead. The trip was planned, I think, more with the younger crowd in mind, and from the stories and pics they shared, it seemed like they had a great time. However, some complained that the boat was cold and the beach was hot and the lunch wasn't great; that the water was chilly and snorkeling with the seals a little scary, making me feel like I had made the right decision. Sure, I experienced a bit of regret at missing out, but what I did instead that day was take two lovely walks along the waterfront (with LOTS of sunscreen slathered on), stopped in at an adorable cafe for brunch, and holed up in my hotel room, catching up on The White Lotus. It was kind of the rest I needed.
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| Sunset in La Paz with some of the group |
The next two days were taken up with non-stop meetings, during the majority of which attendees shared presentations about their time thus far in Mexico, whether about classes, community, friends, food, projects, or any other relevant information that could be squeezed into five minutes. My presentation was called Mujeres Extraordinarias (Extraordinary Women) and it focused on the women I've met in Tepatepec who have impacted and inspired me in some way. It was hard to confine it to five minutes that's for sure, because everywhere I go I meet extraordinary women who seem to run this community with the utmost love, kindness, and ingenuity. Many have become my good friends and I anticipate gettting to know more in the four months we have left here.
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| The café where I ate in La Paz |
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| My yummy brunch |
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| Me and one of my cohorts, the amazing Ashlyn Anderson |
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| A smattering of Fulbrighters |
Returning to school after that was satisfying, in that it was great to get back into the routine, and I found myself experiencing an even greater sense of belonging. Everywhere I go on campus, the staff and students know me and greet me, and going into the classrooms and seeing the familiar faces smiling enthusiastically at me makes me really happy. My writing project continues to move forward and I feel like I'm in the groove.
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| A colorful classroom |
My goals for these next four months are to spend as much time as possible with our friends here, travel more widely in Mexico, teach as effectively as possible, support those in my writing group to bring their projects to fruition, and to enjoy every single aspect of being here - even the inconvenient ones. This is the opportunity of a lifetime; I plan to live it to the fullest.
Photo credit San Agustin Through the Gate to Jon Ellis
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