Settled into Oaxaca for a few months

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  Oaxaca, Mexico
Monday, February 4, 2008

Since my last post things are dwindling down a bit and I like that.  My birthday weekend finished off on Sunday with my visit in the early afternoon to the "chocolate district" of town where they mix all of the fabulous chocolates this city is so famous for.  I didnīt spend too much time as I was only there to pick up a quick gift and go, but will fill you in when I actually understand the whole process.  Itīs pretty amazing how they blend the chocolate the way you want right in front of you while you wait.   I did, however, have the most amazing cup of hot chocolate while I was there.  Liquid gold my friends.

The night was interesting and I easily waked 5 miles following parades and celebrations.  I headed to the Zocalo for dinner and while I was paying my bill after the meal, a parade of people where coming around the perimeters of the square.  Turns out my new friends Lacey and Ed who were in from the states for a wedding that day, were participants in the parade.  Pretty cool.  A nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn, NY marries a lovely gal with strong ties to Oaxaca and the result is a sort of Mexican brass band parade thatīs playing Klezemer music.  There was a big paper mache bride and groom that dominated the parade along with luminarias in the shape of the Star of David.  What could be better.  The entire wedding party followed to the destination of the reception and danced outside for a while.  Great fun.

Then, I headed up the hill further towards where I wanted to look for an apartment.  I heard about a religous festival that was taking place and wanted to find it.  I did.  It was the festival of the "black Jesus".  No lie.  He wasnīt brown, he was black and sporting a lovely champagne colored satin skirt as he hung from the cross.  They LOVE to dress all their dieties down here.  There was a solemn but beautiful procession from the church around the neighborhood, and back to the church.  It really was beautiful.  About a 100 banners that were blue and red velvet highly ornamented with the local tin work they have here, as well as framed photos of varies dieties.  The group chanted the entire time it paraded.  Most carried flowers and candles.   Quite peaceful and lovely. 

The next day, I took to the streets and walked for about 5 hours looking around town at different neighborhoods trying to decide where I wanted to settle for a bit.  After getting a feel for things, I headed to Casa Oaxaca (the hotel where Gail and Joe stayed) and approached my new friend, Augustine there.  I asked him if he or someone he knew who spoke good English, was interested in earning a few bucks working with me for a few hours making calls and setting up appointments for me to look at apartments.  With my current limited language skills, I knew I needed help.  No way around it.  His wife Gaby ended up helping me out and by Friday, I was in an apartment.

The place is great and exactly where I wanted to be.  A little language emersion without actually having to live in the same house as a family.  It is a bakery and house combined with my apartment upstairs.  It  is set back a bit from the street and opens up to a courtyard area.  The storefront is at the street.  They are a lovely family -- grandmother Estella, Rosie and Fernando (parents) and two teenage sons....Juan 15 next week, and Gabrielle who is 12.  They occupy the courtyard and downstairs area.  I have a spacious two room apartment with a huge porch upstairs.  They could not be nicer if they tried.  The bakery and wood fired oven are also off the courtyard.  They bake only sweet treats.  Can I tell you how amazing the place smells.  I go down in the morning and get myself a fresh baked sweet roll to have with my breakfast.  Could be dangerous long term for my waistline. 

Rosie has been really nice, sending up special aguas (waters) with the boys and letting me taste some of her special moles.  She promises some cooking demonstrations for me in my future.  I suspect once my Spanish picks up a bit, our friendship will develop more.  La Doņa, Estella, is quite old and quite small.  She still works out front at night and I think she goes off somewhere in the morning with goods from the bakery as well--a vending location of some sort.  She smiles alot.  The boys are typical teenagers but very respectful.  Iīm a bit of a curiosity, but we get along just fine.  They are not intrusive at all.  I feel very safe here.  Not much chance of a break in or hassle in this house.  I feel very fortunate.  I have committed to stay for the month of February and March.  I might just stay one more month.  Itīs cheap, and nice and I feel like resting a bit and boning up on the language before I hit the road hard.  Whatīs my rush? 

The weather is perfect every day.  Itīs the dry season, so no rain for a few more months.  Every single morning when I get up it is about 80-85 degrees, sunny and dry.  At night it cools off quite a bit (we are at an altitude of about 5000 feet), but cold is not a word I would use to describe it.  Pleasant for sleeping.

I have found an English lending library and have been tearing though books at the rate of one about every day and a half.  I  decided to take one more week off before starting school next Monday.  Iīm going to venture outside of town tomorrow for the first time and hope to hit a few villages this week while Iīm still out of school.  So much to see here itīs amazing, and exciting.  But for now, Iīm giving myself permission to rest and adjust.  My cupboard is stocked and I have books on the night stand.  My life could be worse. 

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Juan and Fernando in the bakery	Kitchen & living area in my place	Living area	My HUGE porch
Shopping bag for going to the market	View from my old hotel rooftop towards my new nbhd	Wedding parade   Comments!	Wood burning bakery oven

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