Yay for blogging more! Well, I was just thinking about something I mentioned in my last blog...keeping my mind open. Too many people only believe what they see about people and therefore stereotypes are formed. What kinds of Mexicans do we see in the States? Yeah, those little short guys with cowboy hats and huge mustaches doing labor work. We walk by them and try not to make eye contact, afraid of the "illegals." First of all, in NO WAY am I promoting illegal immigration. I'm just trying to get everyone to focus a little more on the person and not their label. The majority of Mexicans that go to the States can't find a suitable job here to pay to feed their families. They go to the States because they can do all the jobs other Americans won't do for half the price. Right now a dollar is worth about 13 pesos, which can go a long way here. So why don't they just sign up for a visa? First of all, getting an American work visa is like trying climb Mount Everest in high heels...almost impossible. You have to be working with a specific company that can prove that they need you to work for them instead of an American. And don't think visas are cheap either. Do you think an average Mexican has $2,000 lying around? A family could live off of that for a good while. Plus paying for transportation to go to a consolate would be ridiculous since you have to go back a thousand times. And government offices are normally open from around 9 am to 1 pm. What normal person has time to take off work in the morning to get papers fixed? And people wonder why Mexicans will swim a river or hide themselves under car seats to get to the Land of the Free. Family to Mexicans is EVERYTHING. They will do whatever it takes so their kids can eat or their mom can go see the doctor. This is the reason I believe we should treat them with a little more respect, because they are humans, not trash that crosses the border.
But if you come to Mexico, you will see men in suits, women driving to the spa in their BMW or Porsche with a chauffer up front. The majority of people I know here have maids in their houses that help out with the cooking, cleaning, and watching kids. So don't be as stupid to think that all of us down here are in our adobe houses eating tortillas and beans, because that is just plain ignorant. Just because a place or people or food is different from what you're used to, that doesn't mean your ways are better. I can think of a pretty long list of things that this third-world country has that is better than the States. The USA will always be my home and always be the best place in the world in my opinion, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to step outside of my box and see that the world is a big place and filled with a lot of things I don't understand. But that's the beauty of it. We can spend our whole lives exploring and learning new things about new people and places every day. I hope I helped fullfil that a little with this entry.
miércoles, 10 de noviembre de 2010
lunes, 8 de noviembre de 2010
Adventure becomes reality
I was thinking the other day about how my blog is pretty much just me telling stories about the things that happen to me here in Mexico. However, I'd like to start to dig beneath the surface a bit so that I can shed some light on the truth about Mexico and it's people so that the rest of the world (mainly, the US) can put aside its prejudices and see this country for what it really is...a beautiful place full of beautiful people.
When I decided to study here, I didn't really know what to expect. I kept my mind open and decided that I wasn't going to assume all Mexicans are construction workers or work on a farm. Although Mexico is a third-world country, it has its riches and beauty just like any other place. I'm thankful to be experiencing that.
I knew studying here was a part of God's plan for me, but I didn't know how big of a part. In the first of the five weeks that I was here, I decided that the country and its people had given so much to me that I wanted to come here to live and give something back. I didn't know what that something was (I still don't know exactly, to be honest), but I knew it was what God wanted. And I was going to follow His instruction, no matter the cost.
I quickly fell in love with this city, with its perfect temperatures all year round, palm trees, sun, mountains, volcanoes, cathedrals built in the 15th and 16th centuries, streets of brick, little family-owned stores, fresh and cheap fruits and vegetables, tacos, cemitas, etc. But what I fell in love with the most was its people. One of the first things I noticed about Mexicans is that they NEVER get in a hurry. Sometimes when you are at the store and are late for something, it's pretty annoying. But when you're just walking down the street, you can see that they walk a little slower, they stop and look in the stores or buy an ice cream, and enjoy the time they spend with their family and friends. One day, I noticed all of us that went there to study were walking about ten times faster than everyone else. At first I was like, why is everyone so slow? But then I realized...I have no where to go, but I'm still walking somewhere as if my life depended on it. I think Americans are so used to being in a hurry that when they aren't in a hurry, they feel like they need to be in one. Mexico has shown me to stop a while, be still, and enjoy the beautiful world around me.
They've also taught me how to just laugh things off. Mexicans are loud and happy. And probably the most-used phrase here is "no pasa nada," which means "no big deal," or "don't worry about it." Sometimes I see small things that happen as a crisis, but when I look around me and see that I have it better than most people, I'm able to be thankful and say "no pasa nada."
I have also come to realize that Mexicans are the most generous people you'll ever meet. They are full of love and are ready to give you the shirt off their back. A lot of the holidays here include making a bunch of food and opening up your house to everyone so they can come eat. Generosity really isn't measured by the amount you give, but by the proportion of what you give to what you have. Mexicans will literally go broke, break their backs, or go hungry to help out a friend in need. They remind me a lot of the woman who gave her two coins to the church. Although to the rich it looked like nothing, to her, it was everything. What she gave meant much more than their bags of gold. I think this is probably the reason Mexicans are such a happy people.
This is just a small bit of what I've learned here. I hope to continue to share my experiences and give you guys a little taste of what I'm living...the adventure that became my reality.
When I decided to study here, I didn't really know what to expect. I kept my mind open and decided that I wasn't going to assume all Mexicans are construction workers or work on a farm. Although Mexico is a third-world country, it has its riches and beauty just like any other place. I'm thankful to be experiencing that.
I knew studying here was a part of God's plan for me, but I didn't know how big of a part. In the first of the five weeks that I was here, I decided that the country and its people had given so much to me that I wanted to come here to live and give something back. I didn't know what that something was (I still don't know exactly, to be honest), but I knew it was what God wanted. And I was going to follow His instruction, no matter the cost.
I quickly fell in love with this city, with its perfect temperatures all year round, palm trees, sun, mountains, volcanoes, cathedrals built in the 15th and 16th centuries, streets of brick, little family-owned stores, fresh and cheap fruits and vegetables, tacos, cemitas, etc. But what I fell in love with the most was its people. One of the first things I noticed about Mexicans is that they NEVER get in a hurry. Sometimes when you are at the store and are late for something, it's pretty annoying. But when you're just walking down the street, you can see that they walk a little slower, they stop and look in the stores or buy an ice cream, and enjoy the time they spend with their family and friends. One day, I noticed all of us that went there to study were walking about ten times faster than everyone else. At first I was like, why is everyone so slow? But then I realized...I have no where to go, but I'm still walking somewhere as if my life depended on it. I think Americans are so used to being in a hurry that when they aren't in a hurry, they feel like they need to be in one. Mexico has shown me to stop a while, be still, and enjoy the beautiful world around me.
They've also taught me how to just laugh things off. Mexicans are loud and happy. And probably the most-used phrase here is "no pasa nada," which means "no big deal," or "don't worry about it." Sometimes I see small things that happen as a crisis, but when I look around me and see that I have it better than most people, I'm able to be thankful and say "no pasa nada."
I have also come to realize that Mexicans are the most generous people you'll ever meet. They are full of love and are ready to give you the shirt off their back. A lot of the holidays here include making a bunch of food and opening up your house to everyone so they can come eat. Generosity really isn't measured by the amount you give, but by the proportion of what you give to what you have. Mexicans will literally go broke, break their backs, or go hungry to help out a friend in need. They remind me a lot of the woman who gave her two coins to the church. Although to the rich it looked like nothing, to her, it was everything. What she gave meant much more than their bags of gold. I think this is probably the reason Mexicans are such a happy people.
This is just a small bit of what I've learned here. I hope to continue to share my experiences and give you guys a little taste of what I'm living...the adventure that became my reality.
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