Tlahuac

I am finally getting around to posting my pictures. It's been a rough few weeks. Ok,.. not that rough because I am in Mexico. I will rephrase. I have had a lot of work the last two weeks. But as of 12pm today, I am done!!! I presented my research proposal yesterday and turned in my essay today. Classes ended on Friday and I don't have anything obligations until Sunday--which is when I leave for Chiapas. My housing is all arranged. I am going to live with a friend of my mentor in San Cristobal. I am anxious to start the "next part" of my life in Mexico, but it is really scary. I have gotten comfortable here in Mexico City. I like all the people in the EAP program. But they are all going staying here and going to UNAM. I am going far away, by myself to research indigenous women's health in the poorest state in Mexico. And then I have to write a thesis paper in a different language...What was I thinking?! These are just my pre-departure nerves. I have been more emotional than normal lately. Two days ago, I went to a cafe to write my paper. I don't like being in the house all the time so I do most of my homework at cafes. I always bring my computer and there is never any problems. Except two days ago. I was working away and then the lady comes up to me and tells me that I will have to pay to use the electricity. Ok, no problem. I have never had to do that before but I wasn't too worried about the 10 pesos an hour that she cuoted me. So I'm working, working, working. I was the only one in the place. The workers weren't very friendly but I didn't care. I wasn't there to chat. Then, I get up to leave and I tell the guy that I need to pay for my drink and the electricity. He tells me 60 pesos. What? 60 pesos? I told him that I had not been there for 6 hours. He gave me a really mean look and said that I was. Feeling really defeated, I paid him the 60 pesos and left. It was not that big of a deal but for some reason, as I was walking home I started crying. Ugly cry, as Oprah would say. Tears and all! I knew it was stupid but I couldn't stop. When I got back home, of course all the family was at the table eating lunch. I had stopped crying by that point but of course, they could tell something was wrong. I told them the jist of what happened and that it was not a big deal...But the dad was all fired up and he made me walk with him to the cafe and talk with the guy. I wanted to die! I avoid that street at all costs now.

Tlahuac. The reason for the post. Our history teacher took us on a field trip to her friends farm. Mexico City is unique in that it has an agriculture area within the metropolitan. This is the way that the entire city used to look. I might have mentioned it before, but the city was essentially built on a lake. The aztecs scooped the ground from the bottom of the lakes and built mounds, called chinampas. They built and planted on top of the chinampas. It was actually a very efficient farming method because the ground from the bottom of the lakes has a lot of minerals and is therefore very fertile. People think that the abunance of food that this farming method created is what made the aztecs able to rise to power and sustain their armies. Our guide, Don Tomas, still uses this method to farm his land. He's pretty new age though. He grows fancy lettuce and sells is to Wal-Mart. He picked us up from the center of the city on his really awesomely decorated boat and then took us to his Chinampa. And his wife made us quesadillas with all different types of fillings--squash flower, fungus that grows on corn, fermented cheese...all really weird sounding, but amazingly delicious. In the picture with the food you can see how he maneuvered the boat.

And I included a posed picture of people--it's me and my roomate Megan and our friend that lives down the street, Aileen. They all started school today but I am free!