There are two nice areas in Guadalajara: Providencia and Zapopan. Zapopan is a really nice suburban area. Providencia is somewhere in between city-living and suburbia. It's mostly filled with apartment homes, duplexes, and condos. I can walk down the street to go to the grocery store (Super Gigante) or grab a cup of coffee at the Starbucks (yes, they're everywhere).
One thing I've noticed is the class distinction. For the most part, dark-skinned Mexicans are street vendors, can drivers, or maids while fair-skinned Mexicans have professional jobs or don't work at all. Most of the Mexicans here seem pretty complacent with this heirarchy. Actually, the fair-skinned Mexicans seem complacent while dark-skinned Mexicans seem to have a fatalistic view of their situation. Of course, I've gathered all this without having spoken to anyone, but I don't think my conclusions are too far off.
I've had some bloopers here. I was trying to run away from a vicious wasp in my apartment. I tripped, slid across the floor, and crashed into a closet. I'm glad I was the only one in the aparment. I also had to call someone to help me translate some of the words from the directions on a Jello box. I also said yes to whatever the employee at Starbucks was asking me. The fruits of my foolishness? A frappucino with an extra shot of espresso. Yuck.
Right now, I'm sitting in Starbucks with a correctly-ordered frappucino de cafe. I'm on cloud 9. I'll take what I can get with liguistic victories.
I hope to attend a church this upcoming Sunday. I'm nervous. It's been a while since I've walked into a church and I didn't know a single person. Couple that with a service that's only in Spanish (I'll probably understand about 0.5%).
5 comments:
My Mexorean, it is good to here wasps don't only attack me. You very well know that this story touches my heart. On a historical note, Mexico has always been infected by racial heirarchies dating back to the creation of New Spain. The totum pole looked something like this; Peninsuales (Spaniards fresh of the boat), Criollos (Spaniards born in New Spain), Mestizos, Natives and African slaves. That being said, your observation is quite accurate. Anyways, we are glad to hear from you and hope to continue to read of your adventures.
hola! i'm trying to imagine this closet thing...
I finally have internet at home. I still haven't figured out how to set it up as wireless....
I have a question about Mestizos...they are mixed, right? I read online that they were, so...would fair-skinned Mexicans be Mestizos since they clearly have Euro in them? But I've onlt heard people refer to dark-skinned Mexicans as Mextizos.
Hola, Edith...think about the closet thing when you're having a bad day.....
Whether light skinned Mexicans admit it or not, the majority of the population is mestizo: half breed. Even the natives may have some euro traces in their make-up. However, don't tell any fair-skinned Mex that he is equal to the poor indian on the corner.
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