The Kindness of Strangers

My friend was kind enough to give us her couch as she is inheriting one herself. We took the couch because a) we need another one and b) we don't really like the couch we have now. My female roommate and I have two male roommates- who somehow always tend to be gone or asleep whenever we need help carrying heavy things and so we're left to fend for ourselves.

After parking the beast of the van we had, we carried the couch from the basement parking lot of her building, to our van parked around the corner, and into the beast. Then we had to park again in front of our house. Needless to say we were having a difficult time parallel parking this 9+ foot animal. Our street is only wide enough to allow one car pass at a time so we were most definitely blocking traffic. A garbage truck was trying to to the other direction but they waited patiently as my roommate backed up, pulled forward, backed up, forward, back... And then the waste management personnel (i.e. trash men) hopped off the back of their ride and offered, with a big smile, to help us park the van. And they did so in seconds.

All I could think of in the meantime, while the man parked our van, was that my wallet lay in the middle console for anyone to take. I was actually nervous about this man stealing my wallet while I watched him park.

And then we took the couch out and lugged it out of the van and up the first few stairs to our door. Then we hit another few stairs and I pretty much gave up. My arms were tired, I was tired, and it was starting to sprinkle. And here comes kind stranger number two, a young Oaxaqueno man who offered to help us carry it in. With his help we were able to get our new sofa in the door in no time at all.

Then he came inside, had a class of water and chatted with us and all I thought was, hmmm... maybe he's staking out our place to see what he can steal.

I finally stopped, paused, and took a moment outside of my accusatory thoughts and realized how distrusting I've become. I automatically thought the worse in these strangers when really, they were showing their best. I felt momentarily ashamed that I'd been so judgemental. I'm not saying I should let my guard down, DC is a city with problems after all, but I think I learned my lesson. Sometimes a kind gesture is nothing more than that...

No More Tequila's.

I read a status update on Facebook yesterday that said she was desperately craving social activities that didn't surround alcohol. I could feel her frustration and definitely sympathize because I've been there on more than one occasion. It seems as though at our age everything we do surrounds drinking. Dinner... and wine. Sports.... and beer. Dancing... and shots. Movies.... and whiskey. I realize that last one might just be me but in general, you get the point.

My friends in DC can attest to two things- one that I am now a lightweight and two, that I hardly go out anymore. The reason being that as a lightweight, I can't handle crazy nights of drinking that make me useless the next day when I have so much to do/study. And 80 to 90% of what my friends do surrounds crazy nights of drinking.

Don't get me wrong- I still love a crazy night out. Bottles of champagne, whiskey filled drinks, and shots of Jagger still warm my heart (and my stomach and my head...).

But I'm always looking for something else. I found a few things that don't require drinking- like marathons and salsa dancing, but they're few and far between.

So for Lent, I'm toying with the idea of giving up alcohol. No, not just hard liquor like last time (that conveniently left me a loop hole that allowed me to drink beer), but all of it. I keep telling my bf it might be kind of hard- Lent falls during my first visit to the bay (and therefore my first visit to my friends- which usually involves copious amounts of drinks and bottles of wine), my spring break (which will be spent on the beautiful beaches of Oaxaca with my boyfriend and a rowdy bunch of spring breakers), and the occasional bday and dinner party.

Even more reason I should challenge myself and give up Jose, Jack, and John for Lent. It will be hard and I'm still not sure I can (or will) do it, but I think it might be more important for me to try and fail (or succeed!) than to not even give it a shot- the failure might lie in not trying at all. I have until Feb. 6th to decide and in the meantime, I'll think about it while I celebrate my last day of work over margaritas and nachos.

Pubs- or so I thought

As you may or may not know, I am on a quest to find a job in the microfinance industry. Or so I think today. Needless to say, that search led me to a great organization that I wanted to share with all of you. Kiva.org is a microlending institution that takes lending out of the hands of banks and into the hands of everyday common people like us. Now, I know what you are thinking, what IS microlending?

Microfinance institutions operate under the idea that most of the worlds poor people- if given the opportunity- could alleviate their own poverty through their entrepreneurial skills. These organizations, therefore, lend money to various groups of people all over the world- sometimes $50, sometimes $500- to populations that wouldn't otherwise have access to capital. Studies have found that the repayment rate for these types of loans is about 98%, far higher than the repayment rate of the average person (that would be you and I).

Back to Kiva. They allow you to pick a person or a group in any region and loan them money directly (well, through their website, you're not going to fly out to Zaire to give anyone money). I decided to loan $25 to this particular group of five women in Uganda. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=32644

I did that because their main activity read "Pub" and I thought it was awesome that they were opening a pub. Upon closer inspection, I don't actually think that's what they are doing but nonetheless, with a few clicks, I just donated $25 to five women in Uganda. I quickly and easily became a part of microfinance industry that works solely to alleviate poverty in the world. I have to admit, helping five women in Uganda run a business from my warm chair in DC is pretty amazing. Having just quit my job I'm not one to throw around money, but $25 is such a small effort on my part that I had to do it. I hope you find this as exciting as I do and lend out a bit of cash and become part of the microfinance movement that strives to end poverty.

On Being Mexican, Part II

My first trip to Mexico came and went and now, I'm sitting in front of my computer in 40 degree weather as though I never left for a vacation. The only visible sign of my trip is the tan I gained while climbing pyramids and sitting in zocolo's for hours on end. But of course, this trip was much more than just a vacation for me. Sure, I enjoyed lazy afternoons with cold beers, sleeping in curled up, and lots of great food, but to me, going to Mexico was about going home, rekindling old familial relationships, and figuring out where I came from.



My bf asked me if I was having some sort of huge epiphany and eye opening experiences while I was there. At first I thought I was. I thought I was realizing that I am indeed Mexican and that I "found myself" (whatever that means). But once I got home and thought about it some more, I realized that I'd been found this entire time. I was right to think I had lost my Mexican side. I did. I am American. Perhaps not born. But definitely raised. I have American values, American perspectives, and I love living in the States. What I was looking for- some sort of cultural identity- was in front of me my entire life and I just didn't see it.

But now everything seems clear to me. I am an American raised woman. What I did learn, however, is that there is no reason that I have to be this particular identity for the rest of my life. I thought the world of cultural identity was exclusive- you have to be one or the other. Yes, I am American but now I can start learning more about my culture, the people and traditions of Mexico, and the delicious food that makes up their culinary world. (I couldn't write a blog without mentioning Mexican food).

I promise myself to return to Mexico very soon. I will never lose sight of the fact that I am American but perhaps slowly I can learn what it means to be Mexican and learn to compliment my American self with the great values and traditions of the Mexican culture. There is no reason I have to be one or the other and I know that now.