It's not uncommon for people to shout "güero" at me in the street. It's very common for them to stop, stare and whisper, as if i had sixteen eyes and a 3 foot nose. But on Friday, I seemed to be attracting more attention than usual. Normally I don't mind but this irritated me - I was tired and took offence - and I wanted to shout at them; "seriously, just because I'm the colour of paper and not coffee doesn't mean I'm weird". Actually, I have to admit I think they were thinking I was stealing things because I was carrying a fence which I made for Alheli (and sweating profusely because it's a 2 mile walk from Santa Cruz and it was quite heavy).
See what I did there? Taking a fence while people watch me in the street. Oh I am so witty. And yes, it did take me most of my arduous journey to Alheli to think it up. Sad, I know.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Monday, 11 February 2008
Newsletter 8: Doing things the Mexican way
Dear Friends,
I have found a few moments to tell you a little of my life in Mexico over the last few weeks. There is much to tell but it seems that a good description of my time so far in 2008 would be 'doing things the Mexican way'.
The time I spent in the UK was wonderful and I was encouraged by so many of you who enquired how I was and how the work was going. Thanks :) Being mentioned by Marvin twice in one service was quite amusing. I managed to avoid going back and forth between Cambridge and Norwich too much (like November) and also slept a lot better so I didn't get ill when I returned (unlike November). Combined with a new approach to the time difference and the 6am flight, all this meant I arrived refreshed and ready to go. This was just as well because since then I have been on a gruelling timetable!
When Saul and Pilar Cruz assessed how the last few months had gone in Alheli (the Mexico City students' residence), they decided that the guys weren't working nearly hard enough, nor did they take care of their time well enough, nor did they have the right attitude to life. I'm not sure I agree with this assessment but Armonía is the Cruzes' ministry and I've volunteered to be a part of it this year. Their response to this has been very Mexican (= direct, prescribed and paternalistic); Saul has instigated a hard schedule. For example, my Fridays start at 5am and finish at 9pm. In total, I'm up at 5 three mornings a week to cook breakfast for the students and clean the residence (the other mornings start at a leisurely 6am). By 8:30 most mornings, I'm at work having already cooked twice, cleaned, done personal Bible Study and 30 minutes of 'meditation time' (prayer, thinking, reflection)!
Technically, I'm meant to spend the mornings in the office but the Cruzes have been away visiting US supporters so I (thankfully) haven't had anything there. This has been just as well because the Armonia sites are undergoing some major refurbishments and I haven't stopped since I got here at the end of January. At Alheli, we've totally redecorated one of the rooms after the ceiling fell in when a pipe burst and we're redone the 3 bathrooms a nice shade of cream called 'crepa'. Consequently, my things are distributed between 2 bedrooms and the hallway whilst we complete the job. As an aside, I don't think I've lost anything (yet) and I managed to recover my memory stick and Sigg drinkbottle. Unfortunately the penknife appears to have gone to the pile in the sky (no comments please Bignell, Pike, Widgery or Fergusson). A penknife is always useful unless…
You have a Leatherman (thanks Mayland and Co.). All is not lost because it has now come into its own during my jobs at the Santa Cruz community centre, where I'm spending about 75% of my time. At SC (Santa Cruz, not Surrey Chapel), I have turned into something of a handyman. Well, 'workman' might be a better description until I can assess just how handy my work is! Once again, things are done the Mexican way. We hand-cleaned out the dustiest carpentry in the entire world, prompting the ladies at the centre to comment that when dirty I look much more Mexican. I have plumbed in two new roof downpipes, including cutting a 1.5m long trench through concrete. In the UK we would find a machine, here you apparently just hammer away at the concrete for hours with a blunt chisel. You know when you've hammered too much because your arm goes numb and you keep hitting yourself! Muchos bruises. We have emptied and inspected two cisterns. They weren't cracked nor dry but we did have to gravity-drain them. Thankfully I didn't get a mouth of dirty water. Similarly we have an underground water storage unit that regularly overflows. We wanted to see if it was blocked and so removed over 3000L water in buckets over the course of a day. My shoulders are pretty sore as a result but it has been suggested by someone that the exercise might be good for my muscles. Chiselled abs and bulging biceps here we come…?
On top of all this, we're strictly enforcing a Spanish-only zone in Alheli which means I end most days both physically and mentally drained. With this and the daily house bible study, I am really picking up my Spanish and being able to engage spiritually with both the guys I live with and the ladies at the centre. I really like being more able to help them with their Christian questions, which is an answer to prayer from the holidays.
So, all in all there's lots going on – I still have to build some fences, mend some tables, cut and install 4 windows, lay grass, repaint the entire centre and more. But don't worry, I'll be learning how to do things the Mexican way whilst serving the community here. :) I have to be honest that it's been hard adjusting to the new routine and remaining personable. I have found that some days I really lose my energy and go a bit sullen, or I just lose the plot with my Spanish. I think added into the difficulty is that I was at home a lot longer than I had intended and started to settle into life back in the UK (a man's way of saying I miss home). But hopefully with time I will be able to do the jobs assigned to me with joy and infectious enthusiasm.
I'll be putting things up on the blog from time to time but the new schedule has meant that not much amusing has happened beyond me hitting myself with hammers or getting covered in muddy gunk cleaning out the cistern. And I haven't had much time for reflectioning either. I apologise to those of you who clearly don't have much better to do in your evenings than read my blog ;)
God bless and take care,
Chris
I have found a few moments to tell you a little of my life in Mexico over the last few weeks. There is much to tell but it seems that a good description of my time so far in 2008 would be 'doing things the Mexican way'.
The time I spent in the UK was wonderful and I was encouraged by so many of you who enquired how I was and how the work was going. Thanks :) Being mentioned by Marvin twice in one service was quite amusing. I managed to avoid going back and forth between Cambridge and Norwich too much (like November) and also slept a lot better so I didn't get ill when I returned (unlike November). Combined with a new approach to the time difference and the 6am flight, all this meant I arrived refreshed and ready to go. This was just as well because since then I have been on a gruelling timetable!
When Saul and Pilar Cruz assessed how the last few months had gone in Alheli (the Mexico City students' residence), they decided that the guys weren't working nearly hard enough, nor did they take care of their time well enough, nor did they have the right attitude to life. I'm not sure I agree with this assessment but Armonía is the Cruzes' ministry and I've volunteered to be a part of it this year. Their response to this has been very Mexican (= direct, prescribed and paternalistic); Saul has instigated a hard schedule. For example, my Fridays start at 5am and finish at 9pm. In total, I'm up at 5 three mornings a week to cook breakfast for the students and clean the residence (the other mornings start at a leisurely 6am). By 8:30 most mornings, I'm at work having already cooked twice, cleaned, done personal Bible Study and 30 minutes of 'meditation time' (prayer, thinking, reflection)!
Technically, I'm meant to spend the mornings in the office but the Cruzes have been away visiting US supporters so I (thankfully) haven't had anything there. This has been just as well because the Armonia sites are undergoing some major refurbishments and I haven't stopped since I got here at the end of January. At Alheli, we've totally redecorated one of the rooms after the ceiling fell in when a pipe burst and we're redone the 3 bathrooms a nice shade of cream called 'crepa'. Consequently, my things are distributed between 2 bedrooms and the hallway whilst we complete the job. As an aside, I don't think I've lost anything (yet) and I managed to recover my memory stick and Sigg drinkbottle. Unfortunately the penknife appears to have gone to the pile in the sky (no comments please Bignell, Pike, Widgery or Fergusson). A penknife is always useful unless…
You have a Leatherman (thanks Mayland and Co.). All is not lost because it has now come into its own during my jobs at the Santa Cruz community centre, where I'm spending about 75% of my time. At SC (Santa Cruz, not Surrey Chapel), I have turned into something of a handyman. Well, 'workman' might be a better description until I can assess just how handy my work is! Once again, things are done the Mexican way. We hand-cleaned out the dustiest carpentry in the entire world, prompting the ladies at the centre to comment that when dirty I look much more Mexican. I have plumbed in two new roof downpipes, including cutting a 1.5m long trench through concrete. In the UK we would find a machine, here you apparently just hammer away at the concrete for hours with a blunt chisel. You know when you've hammered too much because your arm goes numb and you keep hitting yourself! Muchos bruises. We have emptied and inspected two cisterns. They weren't cracked nor dry but we did have to gravity-drain them. Thankfully I didn't get a mouth of dirty water. Similarly we have an underground water storage unit that regularly overflows. We wanted to see if it was blocked and so removed over 3000L water in buckets over the course of a day. My shoulders are pretty sore as a result but it has been suggested by someone that the exercise might be good for my muscles. Chiselled abs and bulging biceps here we come…?
On top of all this, we're strictly enforcing a Spanish-only zone in Alheli which means I end most days both physically and mentally drained. With this and the daily house bible study, I am really picking up my Spanish and being able to engage spiritually with both the guys I live with and the ladies at the centre. I really like being more able to help them with their Christian questions, which is an answer to prayer from the holidays.
So, all in all there's lots going on – I still have to build some fences, mend some tables, cut and install 4 windows, lay grass, repaint the entire centre and more. But don't worry, I'll be learning how to do things the Mexican way whilst serving the community here. :) I have to be honest that it's been hard adjusting to the new routine and remaining personable. I have found that some days I really lose my energy and go a bit sullen, or I just lose the plot with my Spanish. I think added into the difficulty is that I was at home a lot longer than I had intended and started to settle into life back in the UK (a man's way of saying I miss home). But hopefully with time I will be able to do the jobs assigned to me with joy and infectious enthusiasm.
I'll be putting things up on the blog from time to time but the new schedule has meant that not much amusing has happened beyond me hitting myself with hammers or getting covered in muddy gunk cleaning out the cistern. And I haven't had much time for reflectioning either. I apologise to those of you who clearly don't have much better to do in your evenings than read my blog ;)
God bless and take care,
Chris
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