My Last Week in Oaxaca

My time in Oaxaca has quickly come to a sudden end. I feel like this past week went by so fast, but I suppose when you’re preoccupied you’re less aware of the passage of time. I don’t think five weeks is honestly enough time to truly experience all this city has to offer, and I feel like there is so much I didn’t do. But at the same time I feel like I’ve gained so much and have had so many life –altering experiences
in such a short amount of time. It’s an odd feeling.

So how did I spend my last week in Oaxaca? Well I followed my usual routine, with the exception of all the bittersweet good-byes. On the one hand I was pretty excited to see my friends and family in the U.S, but I also knew I was going to miss my new friends and family in Oaxaca.

            On Friday after our last medical anthropology seminar, SURCO the nonprofit organization we worked with during our time in Oaxaca, hosted a farewell party for us complete with food, live traditional music, and a piñata. Everyone in my class invited their homestay families, and even the people they worked with at their community placements to the party, so it was a lot of fun. The band, Raíces¹, a traditional family music group played jaracho for us. Jarcho is a type of music and dance that originated from the Veracruz region of Msxico. It’s kind of hard to explain what the music sounds like, but Oaxaca Arts² states “Using traditional instruments such as the jarana (similar to the ukulele), the marimbol (marimba) and the requinto (a type of small guitar), Raíces’ upbeat, acoustic instrumentals intertwine with their strong, clear voices in an original combination of tradition and creativity. With their music, they incorporate folkloric dance that adds percussion with its rhythmic stomps.” Due to an unfortunate phone incident I no longer have the recordings in my possession, but if you’re interested in a sample of the style of music I have included a link to a group that sounds similar to Raíces here.

Aforementioned their dancing consists of a lot of rhythmic stomping, and they were nice enough to teach us, which only added to the fun of the party. After dancing and good food, we said our final goodbyes and truly parted ways with SURCO.

The next day, Saturday, was my last full day in Oaxaca and it was pretty uneventful compared to Friday’s farewell party. I did some last minute shopping for gifts, and then had dinner with one of the teachers from CORAL I befriended. And on Sunday I left the place I called home for five weeks and flew back to the states.

The saying goes “You can take the girl out of Oaxaca but you can’t take Oaxaca out of the girl.” As corny as it is, it holds validity. Even back in the U.S. I still carry my memories and my experiences of Oaxaca in my heart because it has forever changed me.

SURCO, the nonprofit organiztion that hosted our class during our time in Oaxaca.
They not only provided us with a classroom, but also a little place in we could feel at home.

¹ Raíces literally translates to Roots. Every member of the band belongs to one family

² Oaxaca Arts is a project conducted by the University of Michigan’s Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates (GIEU) program.  In June 2015, a group of GIEU students interacted with various local artists in Oaxaca for about three weeks. Simultaneously, they began a project to build here portfolios of and promote the artists’ work.

Oaxaca DO's and DON'Ts

DO put lime juice on everything, just trust me.

DON’T make the mistake of thinking buses in Oaxaca have designated stops. It’s a free for all. Just get up and stand near the door when you’re ready to get off.

DO try all seven moles (Negro, Rojo, Verde , Coloradito, Amarillo, Chichilo, and Manchamantel).

DON’T be closed minded about different perspectives

DO Say Hola! or Buenas Dias! to random people on the street. People in Oaxaca are very friendly and many enjoy striking up a conversation with a stranger

DON’T join protests.

DO visit Hierve el Agua.

DON’t take a mezcal shot, sip it if you want to live.

DO visit the art museums.

DON’T refuse food or drink, it’s considered rude.

DO try to speak as much Spanish as you possibly can. I’ve learned more in five weeks, than I have in five years of learning Spanish simply through conversing with people.

DON’T put toilet paper in the toilet!!! There is a basket next to the toilet in most cases. Oaxacan plumbing is very sensitive.

DON’T always assume no one speaks English.

DO realize mosquitos in Oaxaca are DEET resistant. You will get eaten alive, accept it.

DON’T be creeped out by the lack of personal space you will get, it’s a cultural thing.

DO visit the Zocalo.

DON’T be afraid of weird sounding foods like Chapulinas (cricket salsa). Most things end up being delicious.

DO go to Candela on a Thursday night.

DO bring Benadryl because of the previous DO.

DO try Tlyaduas. They will become your favorite thing ever!

DO bring a wide brimmed hat, and actually wear it even if you think it looks dumb.

DO the bike ride to El Tule (Be ware it is 12 miles though)

DO challenge yourself.

DON’T brush your teeth with tap water (always have bottled water nearby).

DO be aware if you’re black, people will stare unabashedly at you, but understand its curiosity not animosity.

DON’T pet the dogs on the street. Although they may be cute, they can be feral.

DO try lychee!

DON’T go to El Central by yourself, ever.

DO make lasting memories and international friendships to last a lifetime.

Me standing at the top of Hierve el Agua

Pueblo Magico

Our last weekend excursion was to Capulalpam, which is known as “Pueblo Magico” or Magic Town.  In the medical anthropology seminar I'm taking, we have been discussing medical practices of the indigenous groups of Oaxaca. Many people here have been using herbal remedies as opposed to prescribed pharmaceuticals for years. Not only are herbal remedies cheaper than pharmaceuticals, but also the people tend to view going to a doctor as a last resort. Everyone either knows or knows someone who knows an herbal remedy for most maladies; for those who don’t it is not uncommon walking down the street to see vendors selling the latest herbal cure.

Capulalpam is famous for its traditional medicine clinic which is why Capulalpam is sometimes called Pueblo Magico, and my class was lucky enough to get to visit. The traditional medicine clinic has everything from medicinal plant therapy to massages to the infamous temazcal. The temazcal is basically like a sweat lodge that “gives physical and spiritual purification using the four elements of fire, air, water and earth to give relief from the stresses of daily life”.  We had the opportunity to undergo a group temazcal, however I chose to skip the experience, so I can’t tell you personally what it’s like, but after talking to some of my friends who participated it seems like it is a very purifying experience that forces you to face a lot of stress that could contribute to physical sickness.

After our visit to the traditional medicine clinic we endured another somewhat, less-grueling hike to the site where they are currently building a new and updated traditional medicine. The new clinic is supposed to better serve the community, since the one my class visited is barely used by anyone anymore, with the exception of tourists. The contractor on site believes the building will be ready for use by December, and hopefully it will be beneficial to Oaxacans who come in need of treatment.

Before visiting Oaxaca, I kind of thought herbal medicine was a joke. I wondered why anyone would supplement something they could get from a licensed pharmacist, but people have been using herbal remedies for years. In fact in every ancient civilization people have had to learn what would heal them with whatever resources they had available to them. This information was then passed down to the next generation, so obviously there is some validity in folk medicine. 

This visit was just yet another wake-up call, in addition to the several I’ve received during this trip that I need to get rid of my bias towards things that are different than what I’ve always known. I need to be more open and aware of the ideas of other cultures because I can stand to learn so much!

My class and I visiting the site of the new traditional medicine clinic in Capulalpam

CORAL Routine

I realized I’ve been focusing most of my blog on the weekend excursions and what I’ve been learning outside the classroom and I haven’t really mentioned much of what I’ve learned in my community placement, so in this post I’m going to discuss CORAL.

Below is a general outline of a typical day at CORAL:

     9:00-9:10   Welcome Song

9:10-9:35   Dance Time

9:35-10:00 Work Time

10:00-10:30 Comida/Lunch

10:30-11:00 More Work (with the exception of designated therapy days)

11:45-12:00 Closing Song

After the kids arrange their chairs in a semicircle facing the teachers, the welcome song commences. The welcome song is sung and signed simultaneously by the teachers. The song is as follows: “Que bueno que vinieron aqui a CORAL! Que bueno que vinieron escuchar y jugar!” Which translates to: “I’m glad you came here to CORAL! I'm glad you came to hear and play!”

Immediately following the welcome, the kids head into the auxiliary gym room and dance for about thirty minutes. During dance time, the kids are supposed to follow a routine with their partner, but often times they just run around playing with each other. The teachers try to emphasize the importance of following along in the dance, but I think the kids get really bored with it. I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of the morning dance is, and haven't asked as to not offend anyone. Perhaps it's like a way to wake up a little before the kids have to actively learn? As I have said multiple times I know nothing about special education, anything i say is just speculation. 

            In an earlier post I mentioned that I work with the five and six year olds. This includes only three kids, but they’re incredibly difficult and require a lot of one on one attention. Instead of sitting back and observing the teachers have had me help out quite a bit in the classroom. I learned the alphabet, numbers, and useful phrases in LSM¹ very quickly so they’ve had me teach basic math to the kids when they’re predisposed.

One of the key things I noticed right away at CORAL is that the parents have to stay they whole time. The idea is that their presence is reassuring to the kids when they have to undergo therapy. Even when the kids aren't actively undergoing therapy, the parents' constant presence  forces the parents to be more invested and involved in their child’s education. The truth to what I’m saying is clear in the actions of the parents who rush to talk to the teacher’s and therapists at the end to learn if their child is improving and who want to stay updated on what they’re children are learning. 

I’m just very taken aback by how much the kids do. I often have to remind myself, this is a preschool, yet the kids learn so much. I think the attitude in America towards preschool is that it is glorified daycare that starts to integrate children into society,  but real education starts in kindergarten. However at CORAL the kids are constantly learning not just basic social skills, but two languages (LSM and Spanish) as well as reading, writing, and math.

From left to right: Emily, Me, and Heidi
(one of the teachers at CORAL)

^***1 LSM is Lengua de señas mexicana