Elecciones

Sorry I haven't written in so long but I've just been so busy going to the Campamento Tortuguero and to the university to work on my research project about the trash that is on the beach of the area where the camp is. Something that has been pretty crazy and that has definitely caught my attention lately is the fact that elections are coming up very soon (I think July 1st), therefore all the people running for something are campaigning like crazy. In Mexico, elections for president, mayor, senators, etc are all on the same day so all of them are campaigning at the same time. In addition, there are more than two political parties here, so there are several candidates for each one of the many positions. It's insane! I don't think that I've ever seen political campaigns like I've seen here. First of all, they have posters with their name and picture everywhere, literally, everywhere. They're on cars, walls, buses, restaurants, stores..... Also, they have t-shirts that they hand out to people. So you see people wearing campaign t-shirts around. They also give out all sorts of merchandising: a piece of cloth to cover tortillas with the name of the political party on it, balloons, hats...and I even got an orange with stickers on it promoting the political party. They also go around giving out free food and drinks! Turns out, from what I heard, that the different political parties aren't even that different from each other anyway and it seems like a lot of people end up voting for whoever gave them more "free stuff." At the end of the day, what has happened in the past, no matter who wins, they all just steal the money from the country and not do anything but show up when they're supposed to with their designer outfits. Politicians have the highest income here, which is the reason why they all want to run for a position. One of the posters that I've seen is of a woman who is running for mayor of the city, I think, and who has huge lips that look fake, like she definitely had surgery. Seriously, I don't think I would ever vote for someone who had plastic surgery so that her lips look bigger. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that doesn't look serious and professional to me at all. She looks like she was taken from a Telenovela or a typical gossiping TV show that is on the afternoons.

What's very common here is the fact that you have to know someone and be liked by them in order to get a job for the government, or even at most other places. If you don't know someone in a company already, it is very unlikely that you will get a job there even if you are the most qualified person for it. This could be why working isn't taken that seriously by many people. A lot of them feel like they don't have to try hard because they're friends with the boss so they will never get fired, while other people get discouraged because they feel that even if they work hard they could never get a job because they don't have contacts in companies where they do what he/she studied for. If you work for the government, you get paid pretty well but if after the following election, the political party changes, then they get to pick the people who they want working for them, therefore if they don't like you they can just fire you for no reason. This is very likely because if one works for the government when political party A is in power, even if it's just as a secretary in the office of tourism, for example, they see you as a member of that one political party. The system is so complex to me, it's kind of hard to understand, but I've been hearing a lot of things that just sound so unfair. 


While working in the tourism office, I got to see some politicians such as the governor of the state of Campeche and his wife, the mayor of the city, and some mayors of other cities of Mexico. First of all, something that just gets on my nerves is the way they dress. The streets in Campeche, for example, are falling apart; cars get ruined really badly because there are holes everywhere but the government doesn't do anything about it. In the meantime, they are all wearing designer outfits, a different one for each event they attend, EVEN IF THEY ARE ON THE SAME DAY. The mayor of the city has a personal assistant, to whom he treats as a slave. For example, on one event she was on the stage, several "important people" were sitting on tables on the stage giving speeches. She calls him to the stage and asks him for something, then he goes back with a tissue so that she could clean up the little sweat she had on her chin. But that wasn't the only time he called him over of course. I hate how people in power like that take advantage of it in the worst way. I wish one of them would realize that there are places in their own town that are falling apart and that they could survive without a personal assistant and all those expensive commodities. I also learned that everything in politics here is about pleasing other politicians, making a show, competing to see which city is the best host for those important people. There was an assembly of world patrimony cities of Mexico so they had to host mayors and other important people from these other cities. They took them to the best hotels in Campeche and organized several events payed with the State's money, which is basically formed by the taxes that the citizens pay (which are really expensive for them). These events included a fancy breakfast, coffee breaks with exaggerated amounts of snacks and beverages, a fancy lunch, and a trip to Calakmul (of which I was lucky to be a part of). They also provided transportation for them in a van (for which they had to get gas). And they got them several gifts that are typical of the area, most of these are very expensive. So they used an incredible amount of the state's money for luxuries for the visitors to show that they are good hosts. It's funny that they try to act like they have a lot of money when the streets and some houses are all destroyed. Maybe they could use some of that money to make their town better. Or they could use some of the outrageous amount of money used for campaigning to feed people, or to help people live in better conditions. 


I hope you enjoyed reading about my complains. I will write a positive entry very soon :)
SP.

elote

Con sal, limón, y chile.

Chenkan

I just got back from one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Since I wasn't learning that much at the tourism office, I got switched to the Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, to work in an Environment and Sustainability program they call there, called Yum Xaan. The first day I was there they gave me my first project which was creating a brochure about saving water. So I was super happy. That was a good sign meaning that it was a good switch. Designing a brochure about an Environmental issue in order to educate people about is exactly what I like doing! So it was perfect. On Friday, they took me to a Campamento Tortuguero called Chenkan. It is a camp in which they are monitoring and taking care of a sea turtle that is an endangered species called "Carey." I was there Friday until today, Tuesday. They want me to go every weekend that's left. What I will be doing is helping them with the conservation of the turtle while I'm there and also I will be writing a research paper about the trash that's on the beach and how it affects the turtles. I will also be looking at the impact that the houses and the restaurant on the beach have on the turtles. Once I am farther into the project, I will be able to describe it better.

Chenkan is the definition of tranquility and peace. Even though it is right next to a highway and there are lots of cars and trucks driving by continuously, when you're on the beach, next to the sea, you cannot hear all that noise; all you can hear is the sound of the waves crashing. The only things that are on the beach are a few houses and a restaurant. The houses are amazing and I can't even imagine living there, right next to the water; how incredible would that be?! BUT those houses have a huge impact on the habitat of the turtles because they are located where they used to make their beds and nests. Even though there are those few constructions, it still looks very natural. I don't think I've ever been to a beach that pretty that doesn't have big all inclusive hotel and resorts.

The main part of the job happens at night time. Four people go out at night, at around 10 pm, on quads, to check if there are any turtles laying eggs or making their "bed" or nest for the eggs. Two people go to one side of the beach and the other two go to the other side. If a turtle is found, they take down all the information (date, time, location, mark number which is in a little metal attached to its fin) and they measure its length. Also, they wait until the turtle starts laying the eggs, and they start taking them. They count them and then they either leave them there and mark the spot of the nest (so that they can monitor them later on) or then take the eggs to a sort of corral so that they are more protected. These turtles, on average, lay about 150 eggs but only a few end up surviving because or other predators in the sea and because not all of them actually come out of the egg. The main reasons why it is an endangered species are that the eggs are often stolen because some people actually eat them! and they are actually very expensive. I learned that some people eat them raw with a little salt and lemon. Also the turtles are used to make jewelry that is also sold at very high prices. But since now it is a protected species, it is illegal to own a Carey sea turtle. Monitoring the nests and taking care of the eggs lowers the amount of eggs that are stolen. Some people that are responsible for the camp, have been doing this for years which really impressed me. It is amazing how some people can just dedicate their lives to help other living creatures. Of course, they get paid for it but they have to live in very basic conditions with very few commodities like the ones that at least I, a middle class person living in a first world country, am used to.

The camp consists of three little cabins. Two of them belong to the university and the other one is for another organization that works in the camp, called CONAMP. One of the cabins is a kitchen with two little "rooms." There are holes in between the wood boards that make the walls and there is obviously no air conditioning or vents. The variety of insects in the area is incredible. There are constantly insects bothering, especially flies. I got bit like 1000 times everywhere in my body. Even though I was constantly spraying insect repellent on me. The cabin is also shared with other species, like mice, which of course I absolutely LOVE .... There is little electricity that comes from three solar panels that are next to the cabin. There is no fridge but there is a small stove in which we cooked. The bathroom consists of an actual WC and a space for a shower but there is no water, therefore when one wants to go to the bathroom he/she has to go get water in a bucket from a will and go back. There is no shower, so to bath we use a bucket of water and a cup to throw the water on our body. The first time was kind of hard, but then one gets used to it. Of course, I couldn't manage to wash my hair the right way with such a limited amount of water. Sleeping in hammocks is something very common in this area. So they made me take a hammock with me to sleep in it at night. I could sleep in one of the beds the first two nights, until the girl who usually sleeps there got there, but then I had to manage to sleep in the hammock. It was so hard to find the right position in which I was comfortable enough to sleep without falling, but the second night was much easier than the first. I actually really like hammocks now! But I still prefer to sleep on a traditional bed. 

Being in a place like that, even if it's just for a few days, makes one realize of how lucky we are to have little things that we just take for granted. Such as a shower, a toilet that we can just flush, unlimited electricity, a fridge, air conditioning, etc. I had such a good time there, seeing the turtles, walking on the beach, swimming, scuba diving and seeing all sorts of fish, meeting new really cool people, relaxing, being made fun of for being Argentinean... and being asked thousands of questions about my decision to be a vegetarian, etc... It is just such an amazing experience that I didn't care that I was dirty almost all day, that flies kept biting me, that I was sweating all the time, and that my hair was all messy (...okay..maybe I never really care about that one anyways haha...). Next time I write I will describe the area better and the people that I've met. Also, hopefully I will have some progress on my investigation project. I am so glad that I got changed to this because it is one of the best experiences in my life. Thanks for reading!
SP

ki'ichpanil

Last week, I went to an ancient Mayan city that is about an hour away from the city of Campehce called Edzná. And on Saturday, I went on a trip to Calakmul, an ancient Mayan city in the southeast of the state of Campeche. My boss in the office of tourism took me with her and a group of people that were here for an assembly of Mexican cities that are World Cultural Heritages. I got back amazed after seeing all the Mayan constructions and hearing about their culture from a guy whose name is Yam Yam which means "si hay si hay" or "if there is if there is;" he is Mayan and he works in the National Institute of Archeology and History. So he knows a whole lot about this topic. We visited several Mayan cities: Becán, Chicanná, Xpuhil, Balamku, and Calakmul. Each and every one of them had amazing constructions and legends. Calakmul is probably the most shocking one. I really liked it not only because of the amazing pyramids, but also because it is biosphere reservoir; it's a huge jungle with many different kinds of flora and fauna.

(Chicanná)

I am truly amazed by the Mayan culture. First of all, their architecture. It is hard to believe that they could build such amazing structures with much less technology than what we have today. The pyramids are complex structures made with heavy materials. Despite popular belief, the Mayans were not helped by aliens--they built everything themselves. Not only they were smart enough to build all those pyramids back then, but they also studied astronomy and figured out how the universe worked. They would predict when eclipses were, and when other events affected by the alignment of planets would happen. They are highly spiritual people. They believe in several Gods of different things (corn, sun, ...). They value death as much as they value life. At least back then, it was an honor for them to go to their next stage (death). They have 7 cardinal points instead of 4: North, South, East, West, underworld, Supra world, Center. All their architecture was based on the cardinal points. Buildings are perfectly aligned so that the sun at a certain point is at the center of a building and reflects on another one. For example, this was used so that they could see the agriculture calendar (when was the time to cultivate, to let the land rest, to collect...).
Something that amazes me is their language and how they figured to create such a complex language (as far as the symbols go). The symbolism is formed of drawings and it looks so complex to me. Back then, about 1,200 years ago, they played a game of ball. Our guide told us something that surprised me. They didn't play to see who scored more; whoever dropped the ball was "the loser." The captain of the losing team, would be sacrificed. But in reality, both captains are winners because the one who wins gets to stay and be the governor of the town, and the one who "loses" gets to pass to the next stage, which is the underworld.

(Calakmul)

Today, there are Mayans who live in here and still embrace their culture. Some of them don't embrace it anymore. Most of the population of Campeche are "mestizos" which means that they are the product of the union of a Spaniard and an indigenous person. I was told that they have recently imposed a rule that says that indigenous people here have the right to speak their own language when they go to court, which surprised me and made me happy at the same time. Although Spanish is the language that is mostly spoken in Mexico, there are many other languages spoken in this country that are those of the different indigenous communities of the country (the biggest two are Maya and Aztecs). Campeche is land of Yucatec Mayans. I will never forget how I felt being in the Mayan cities. Over there it was quiet and calm but I could feel the energy coming from the vegetation and the ancient constructions. It's a feeling that is hard to explain. I truly recommend to anyone, even if you're not into archeology and anthropology, to visit an ancient Maya city once in your lifetime.

Thanks for reading!
SP

imágenes

Formalities in an Informal Society

Something that I have noticed recently about the local culture is the fact that it has many aspects that are informal. A lot of it has to do with what I was talking about a couple blog entries ago, the time perspective. In general, meetings don't start when they are supposed to and sometimes people say they will be somewhere but they never show up. Vulgar and vague diction is fairly common in everyday conversations, even in a work/serious context, which to me is a characteristic proper from an informal society.

Something that is very interesting to me is that at the same time, they are very formal in other ways. For example, the use of the "usted" form to refer to someone with more respect is something that is very common or I would even say that everyone uses it. It is used by anyone to talk to any person who is older than them. In Spain, where the culture I would say is considered formal, the use of the "usted" form is surprisingly not that common. It has been very hard to get used to talking to people in that form, and it is also difficult to determine whom I should talk to in that form or not. I feel that it might be offensive to do so with someone who doesn't want to feel older than you, but it is also offensive to someone who is clearly older because it seems like you are not respecting them. A lot of times I talk to older people in an informal way, and nobody has said anything about it, but I think that they understand because I am not from here. At least I hope that I haven't offended anyone. Also, individuals who have a degree in something have a title. For example, if they studied engineering, everyone calls them "Ingeniero/a Rodriguez," if they are teachers they are called "Maestra/o Pérez," if they have a degree in something that doesn't have a title like that, they are called "Licenciado/a Rosado" (licenciado means graduate). So no matter what one studies, even if it is just undergraduate, they have a title before their name. Even their friends will call them like that sometimes. This is very interesting to me because it seems very formal and it is something that I am not used to either. It's been difficult to get used to calling my boss Licenciada and talking to her in the usted form. Especially because she is fairly young. Lastly, people here tend to dress very formally to work and to any event. Before coming, I thought that since it was a small town, people here would not be focused on looks and that they would be very informal in the way they dress. But they care a lot about their appearance. In the social context, if they are going out, even if it's just to dinner, they get dressed up. Women always wear heels. I didn't even bring heels and I think that some of them have seen me and thought it was strange that I would wear sandals even to go out to a bar. At work, I was asked to go to cocktails and my boss specifically asked me to dress up and look nice. We had a conversation about what I was going to wear because she wanted to make sure I looked good enough because she said I am part of her image. That day I probably spent about half an hour to 45 minutes figuring out what I was going to wear (with help from my host mother, and her son's girlfriend). Towards the end I was stressed and I made comment about not liking to spend that much time picking out clothes, which was strange to the two other women. I also had to do my hair and make up which added even MORE TIME.

So in conclusion, I am very confused as far as how formal or informal this culture is. It clearly has formal and informal characteristics. In my opinion, they have many formalities that are traditions that they inherited from the Spaniards of hundreds of years ago. But their culture became an informal culture due to the caribbean atmosphere that I think made them calm and therefore have a more holistic view of time. What made me write about this today was that because of my job, I went to a press conference in which the mayor of the town was. Every time she is in public, she looks stunning. Every time she is wearing a different dress that looks very expensive, her hair is perfect, her make up looks nice, she wears a Michael Kors or a Coach purse, she has a personal assistant, etc. She looks very formal, but during the press conference she talked in a very informal way. She used vocabulary that doesn't exist in Spanish, such as "ahorita." It surprised me that such a formal person who is so important  talks in such an informal way; not only informal, but also incorrectly. I could go on talking about things that surprised me about the mayor and how I can't believe how she got her job, but I could go on for a long time. So I'm just going to leave it there for today and hopefully write again on Monday. Tomorrow I am leaving to go to Calakmul, a beautiful place with Mayan architecture, and I am coming back Sunday.

Thanks for reading!

SP

sintitulo

Hi!
I'm glad you're interested in reading what I'm writing!
In this entry I will just explain the purpose of the trip and what my jobs are about.

This trip to Campeche is basically an exchange program that is done every year between Stetson University and the Instituto Campechano. Every year one person from each place goes to the other for about 4-6 weeks to learn from a new culture, do an internship or take classes, and for some, learn a new language. At first, when I heard about the program, I wasn't too interested because I didn't think I wanted to go to a small town in Mexico for the summer, but after I was convinced to apply and I realized that I wanted to do something productive during the summer, I decided to apply without any hope. I wrote an essay and fortunately I was the one student selected to come to Campeche.

I didn't know what I was going to be doing and where I was staying until I got to the airport in Campeche. The teacher here that organizes the exchange program picked me up and took me to the family's house. He placed me in the "Secretaria de Turismo Municipal" which is the branch of the government that takes care of tourism in the city of Campeche. The director of the office wanted me as her personal assistant. So basically I call her doctor, her nanny, her husband, etc... I keep her agenda updated, carry her phone at events when she needs me to...etc.. it's interesting...reminds me of Devil wears Prada. But she is taking me with her to Calakmul, a beautiful city in the state of Campeche in which there are several Mayan constructions and there is also a lot of vegetation and wildlife (tigers, panthers,....)... or at least that's what I heard. So I'm very excited about that. But I don't feel like I'm learning anything with this job so I decided to ask if I could work somewhere related to the Environment. So I will be working in the department of Environmental Science in the University of Campeche, starting Monday, after I go to Calakmul. I'm excited to learn more about environmental science and I think working there will be beneficial to my career since it's more related.

Twice a week I have to give English classes. I thought I was going to help in a class but I am tutoring one guy who is the son of the director of the Instituto Campechano. He isn't taking any English classes so I have to make up a class. Today we had the first one and since I didn't know what to expect, I didn't have anything prepared and I've never given a class by myself before. So hopefully next time I'm more prepared and I can teach him something. Funny thing is that he was told that I was an English teacher, so when he saw me he treated me as an older lady (using the "usted" form, a formal way in Spanish in which people talk to elders to show respect). When he found out I was only a year older that him, he said he thought I was 30 years old!!!! ugh.....

Okay that's all I'm writing today because I'm too tired so I'm going to sleep. Good night! I will keep writing as much as I can. :)

SP

"Ahorita"

Hello! I can finally sit down and write my first blog entry. I've been in Campeche since May 18th, but little after I got here, the puppy ate my computer charger, therefore I wasn't able to use my computer. I just got my new charger in the mail so I decided to start blogging right away! I will be writing in English so that more people can understand. :)

My first days in Campeche have been really nice; I've learned a lot from the culture and I've visited several interesting sites. Campeche is a state in the south east of Mexico. It is located in the Yucatan Peninsula. I am in the city of Campeche, which is absolutely beautiful. I've never been anywhere like this before. In the "centro historico" the houses are all painted in different colors and they all have a colonial look. It's a very nice area to take some nice, colorful photographs. Campeche is very calm and quiet overall, especially in "downtown." Everything we hear about Mexico from other countries about the lack of security and the high rates of violence and kidnapping is not true here. Fortunately, it is a very safe and calm area where people can walk around at night without being scared for their lives. I would even say that it is safer than any city in Argentina. I've been able to walk around by myself with my Nikon, looking like an obvious foreigner, without a problem. 

In this entry, I wanted to talk about something I learned from the local culture that is a little hard to get used to. Like I said, the lifestyle in Campeche is very calm. I have noticed a huge difference in terms of their perspective towards time. Coming from the US, I was used to a culture that sees time as a very valuable matter. In the US, "time is money." While in Campeche, they see time in a more holistic way. They like to take their time to do things and enjoy what they're doing without worrying about "running out of time." Of course, one can argue that this is a great lifestyle because they enjoy life more and they aren't always in a hurry. But experiencing it has actually been hard to me. I usually get used to new cultures easily, since I am used to moving and experiencing different societies with varying world views and lifestyles.  But since this trip is not only about visiting and fun, but it is more so to get working experience and learn new useful things for my career, it has been hard to get used to the calmness of the place. They perspective on time affects them in several ways. Some of them tend to be very unpunctual, which is what has been the hardest to get used to. They have something called "el tiempo campechano," which makes reference to the fact that when someone says they are going to be somewhere at a certain time, they will most likely get there at least a half an hour late. I guess that since this is something that happens often here, everyone is used to it so they go somewhere knowing that the meeting time is not really the actual time it is going to start. The first week, I was told to be places at specific times, and they had me waiting for a long time, up to even two hours. I had a lot of time sitting down waiting during the first week.

Another way in which their perception of time affects them is in their work ethic. They are, in general, calm at work. They generally don't get too stressed about their jobs. At the place where I'm working I see that my co-workers have a few specific moments at which they get fed up with something and they act like they are stressed but during the majority of time they remain calm and making jokes. They take several breaks. The common working hours in the office for most employees is 8am-3pm, but many of them get there later than 8 every day. Some of them don't get there until 10. The director of the office usually gets there at 11am. Also, once they get there, they leave for a moment to buy their breakfast. Throughout the morning they take breaks to go buy snacks. Of course, when they have a lot of work, some employees are very serious about it and you don't see them taking breaks or talking to anyone. But I have seen a lot of employees getting on Facebook or online chatting at work.

Something that is very common here is the word "ahorita," which is literally means "small now." What they mean when they say ahorita is "in a short period of time." So a lot of times when I was waiting for someone, I was told "ahorita viene" (he's coming soon). Everything is "ahorita" but I haven't yet managed to figure out how much time is a short period of time for them. When I am told that something is going to happen "ahorita" or that I should go somewhere "ahorita," it is hard to determine how long I should wait. At work, of which I will talk about later, I've made phone calls and I was told to call back "ahorita" or sometimes they tell me 15 minutes. But it is also hard to know what they really mean by "quince minutitos." Before coming here I didn't think I would experience a culture shock at all because I am latin American and I speak Spanish, but I was surprised by the many cultural differences between this culture and the ones I'm used to (US American, Argentine, Spaniard, Jewish, etc.). The time perspective has definitely been the hardest one to get used to. And although it might not seem as bad when you're reading this, it has been a challenge for me. But after approximately 10 days of being here, I think I've gotten used to it. I want to make sure it's clear that I am not complaining or criticizing the culture. I just see it very different to what I'm used to and I wanted to describe my challenge. Also, I am obviously over-generalizing a little. My judgement is based on the little bit that I have experienced in Campeche, which is my host family and the place where I'm doing my internship (the "secretaria de turismo municipal").

I hope you enjoyed reading this! I will keep writing as much as I can. I will tell you more about my job, the places I've been to, the host family, etc. Thanks for reading!

SP

bienvenidos

Welcome to my blog! I will be writing about my experience in a town called Campeche, located in the yucatan peninsula, in Mexico. I will be describing everything I learn from the local culture and the place.