Puerto Escondido

I have spent this last week in Puerto Escondido and havent been very good about updating my blog.

The first word of this town, Puerto, signifies that this is a port town. It is located on the Southern Pacific coast of Mexico. Escondido mean "hidden" in Spanish. Which is a joke now. Puerto Escondido used to be hidden, years ago, but in recent years, as surfers realized this place has unique and grande waves, it has been developed. Sadly.

My guide book says that Puerto Escondido is a great example of unsustainable development. I don t really quite feel like I am in Mexico here, except that I am hot most of the time and sweating profusely. There are three main beaches. The one only for surfers, where it is too dangerous to swim, is full of tourists, Eurpean, Mexican and American. There is another beach where there are more Mexicans than Europeans or Americans. (it is an unspoken rule where about what beach you should be on).

During my week here I have quite enjoyed the view of the ocean and this view is this picture that I will take with me.. I had a great view of the magnificent crashing waves from the high point of a language school. I decided to attended Spanish school four hours a day. I suffered through a review of the grammar and worked on increasing my vocabulary in order to be more prepared for the next part of my journey as a volunteer at a mediation center. I had great teachers and learned more about Mexico's complicated history and identity. One of my teachers gave me great resources to look up later about human rights issues in Mexico.

The first part of the week I felt lonely. I spent all week thinking that I dont  fit in with the surfing culture. I also had permanent a headache from trying to cram as much Spanish in my head as possible. For a few days I felt very energized, optimistic and happy, but then I had an issue with an ATM not giving me money, while my bank account registered that I did take money out. What a stress! 

I was able to call my bank and fax the necessary paperwork. I also went to the bank that owned this ATM to see if they could do anything. They told me that it was the fault of my bank and there was nothing they could do. So keep your fingers crossed for me that somehow this all works out, because I cant afford to have money vanish.

I learned though, that most Mexicans do not keep their money in banks here because the banks "rob" the people. It was really comforting to hear. (not). 

I have been staying in a private room owned by a family here. I was eating meals in their house but without the rest of the family. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I also could not figure out when they actually ate! I learned last night when I went to chat with them they they eat at least one of their meals, at 10 pm. I watched Family Guy with the kids ...which, in my opinion, is a stupid show in both English and Spanish.

Tomorrow I am traveling 5 more hours down the coast to Salina Cruz to volunteer at a mediation center there. I am nervous because I dont know what to expect. One of the people that works there, that agreed to let me do this is going to meet me at the bus station. Wish me luck!

Puerto Escondido

I have been having trouble keeping up with this blog due to limited access to internet and time constraints.

Right now I am in Puerto Escondido, a very touristy location and very appealing for surfers. I haven´t stopped sweating since I got here and have a million mosquito bites (I might be exaggerating).

the first night here I tried to find somewhere to dance, but failed. I think it may have been because I left at midnight, and apparently that is when the party starts. So I am gonna try again tonight.

Please keep me in your thoughts as I am feeling kind of lonely here, especially after last week when I was super busy and always with amigos.

thanks.

Reading and Film Suggestions

Here is a list gathered from the people with me on the WFP delegation, along with a couple of suggestions from a Spanish teacher here in Puerto Escondido if you are interested in Mexico-US relations, immigration, food security and more...

Films and Documentaries

Food Inc
Which Way Home
pinkyshow.org
Maquilaopis
Un pòquito de tanta verdad
Farmingville
Fresh
Home (you tube)
Maquila: A tale of two Mexicos
Posada
Papers
9500 Liberty
The Least of These
Señorita exravida by Lourdes Portillo
The Garden of Eden
Crossing Arizona
The End of Poverty?
Life and Debt (SAP in Jamaica)
Goodbye Lenin
Sleep Dealers
The business of Being Born
De Nadie
Sin Nombre
The Visitor
La Misma Luna
Traffic
Prety Dirty Things
El Norte

Books

Borderlands/ La Frontera
The Maya of Morgontown
Enriques Journey
The of Food
Slow Food Nation
In Defense of Food
Fair Trade for All
Guest Workers or Colonized Labor
Illegal People and other books by David Bacon
The Militarization of the Border
Homo Sacer
The Three US- Mexico Border Wars; Drugs, Immigration and Homeland Security
First World Ha Ha Ha!
Tha Fatal Harvest
The Annexation of Mexico
Expect Resistance
Doris Zine
Harvest of Empire
Opein Veubs of Latin America
Los de Abajo (the Underdogs)
Memory of Fire trilogy (especially century of the wind)ç
They take our jobs (and ten other myths about immigration)
Las Venas Abiertos de America Latin - Eduardo Galeano

Website
Google --- revolucianemosoaxaca
Online News
La Jornada

Support

Thank you to all my friends who responded to my blog. You have no idea how much it meant to me. I will write more about the past few days soon, but I have to share the computer now.

Globalization

The Context

The world today is more interconnected than it has been at any point in the past. Advancements in communication and travel technology have helped transfer ideas and people across international boundaries at unprecedented rates. As a result, a person from the United States can go shopping in Switzerland without leaving their computer chair.

Nothing, however, weaves the international community more tightly than economic policy. This connection is recently exemplified in the current world-wide recession. When the U.S. economy suffered a lack of financial growth the majority of the world was adversely affected too. In some cases the economies of other countries suffered more compared to the U.S. This fact exemplifies another characteristic of the relationship between nations: it is not an equal one. Capitalism functions through competition and risk. This ideology, when embraced internationally, translates to competition between developed, underdeveloped and developing countries. Thus, the global-capitalist economic system will inevitably produce “winners” and “losers.”

Human lives have been bettered through a global system. For example, the ability of people around the world to quickly mobilize and aid the victims in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake is due in part to globalization. However, cultural genocide, human-rights abuses and vast economic disparity are also attributed to this global system. Consequently, push-back against globalization is observed in both violent and peaceful responses around the world. With the context of globalization in mind I ventured to Mexico to explore free trade from a social-justice perspective.

** This was written this last winer (2010). I changed the last line though**

Update

I have so much to say. Too much to say for the time I have right now. Tomorrow we are leaving for the campo to stay two days in a region in which there are hardly any young people left because they have immigrated.

I have been getting around 5 hours of sleep every night for a week. This is due to constant traffic noise, uncomfortable beds, yelling french kids and two drunk guests that broke the door trying to get into the hostal last night.

Two little sleep mixed with an emotional journey learning about economic hardships, blatant discrimination and political violence that give rise to conditions of immigration in Mexico and central american countries ...mixed with that fact that I just learned that Rusty, our beloved dog and Tilly´s best friend is no longer with us, mixed with thinking about the too short life that Kerry led...when he could have done so much to help the people I am meeting with...yes, today has been an especially tear-filled day.

We have had a full week meeting with people who are telling us their stories. Some inspiring -- like the illiterate farmer with a fourth grade education who engineered wells in order to retain water in a region that would be waterless if he hadn´t. He could be rich if he were in the U.S. Some heartbreaking -- Too bad the big corporation building a mine in this farmer´s land will probably be taking this water...

Or like the age 17- 25? El Salvadorian who is on a great journey for the second time to the U.S, facing conditions I could never in my life imagine. If he doesn´t make it this time he said, he will just go back to his family and probably starve to death with them. The situation in El Salvador he said is dire and the U.S. who has purchased El Salvador has done nothing for the people. He hates Obama because it is even harder now to cross the border thanks to him.

Please keep me in your thoughts. I need the strength of others who also believe that all people deserve to be treated in a just and humane manner. With all of our technological advancements it is so easy to be lost in our own world. Don´t forget that we live in this world with others and that our lives are all connected in one way or another.

Me and my roommate