Me with my Maya Chocolate Brownie
Tim and I at Labna
Tim and I chilling in the pool.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tim´s Arrival
June 17th, 2009
Class seemed to drag on forever today, especially considering that there are only three days until Tim’s arrival. After class we went as a group to a local pizzeria where we had Hawaiian pizza while literally baking ourselves in the small restaurant with the heat of the oven only a few feet away and the humidity of Merida pouring in the open café. Since we had a mandatory lecture at five o’clock many of us decided to stay in el centro to do some shopping, hammocks being at the top of the list. Mark and I discovered the Popol Nah, a small shop specializing in cotton and nylon hammocks where the shopkeeper, Ruben, opened various options in many hues and hung them across the small store. The selection of matrimonial sized hammocks was considerably smaller, but I settled on a cornflower blue interwoven with a midnight blue for the price of about one hundred US dollars, slightly less than the going rate since Mark and I were both purchasing one.
Afterward Ruben took us across the street to show me the filigree jewelry that I fell in love with last year at the Hacienda Ochil. He seemed eager to make another sale and quoted one hundred dollars for a lovely cuff bracelet that was probably worth more than two hundred. I think it would be exactly what Megan was looking for, and will probably purchase it after I consult with her via email.
The evening lecture was delivered in English with a heavy Australian accent and proved to be as boring as expected since it discussed historical linguistics. When she began the second topic out of four I knew we were in for a long night thanks to her longwinded explanations. All I could think about was the exam to follow tomorrow morning. As soon as the lecture concluded Connie proceeded to ask multiple questions, which only solicited longer responses from our lecturer. It was with much pleasure that Allison, Mark, and I bolted afterward, racing to the bus for our return home and sleep.
June 18th, 2009
Breakfast brought another one of my favorite dishes prepared by my host, a ham a cheese sandwich. It may seem quite simple, but the manner in which she toasts the sandwich over the stove in a double sided pan with handles seems to create an entire pocket of warm melted cheese and ham in a lightly toasted bun. Upon my arrival at class I was extremely disappointed to learn that we were taking two exams instead of one. However, I was quite excited when Ismael passed out the translation exam with questions in Maya concerning a text in Maya, especially considering that I am excellent at translating. I was even more pleased to discover that the second exam was based on vocabulary and that even though it was a verbal exam I managed to score one hundred percent.
After the exam we spent the rest of the class playing hangman in Maya, one team calling themselves the baalams, meaning jaguars, and Mark naming the other team nojoch baalams, meaning large jaguars, which only sent Allison into a fit of giggles. Since the Maya alphabet is quite a bit larger including all vowel variants for short tone, high tone, long tone, and glottalized, no one managed to guess the various words. With only three days left in Merida, Mark and I split immediately after class for the bus station near the zocalo for a final trip to Progreso.
Upon our arrival I enjoyed one last dish of garlic shrimp before renting a beach chair from the restaurant, a luxury I did not enjoy on my previous visits, but worth the extra pesos since the afternoon is so windy that lying on the ground is like being sandblasted. At lunch Mark’s straw blew out of his glass so fast that it actually appeared to disappear in thin air, followed shortly by his napkin blowing away so fast that it was at the other end of the beach in mere seconds. What was even more entertaining was watching his brain literally think that the napkin would be at his feet as he bent to pick it up, only to realize in slow motion that logically it was impossible.
About an hour after stretching out on my beach chair, the sky darkened and a storm seemed imminent. Just as we were packing up thunder roared across the sky and we left for the bus to Merida. Since I had no homework, the rest of the evening was spent relaxing for once and trying to catch up on some much needed sleep.
June 19th, 2009
Since there are only two days remaining before my departure to the Hotel San Juan I was desperately hoping for Blanca’s amazing cinnamon pancakes, but was equally as pleased with the scrambled eggs generously sprinkled with onions and bacon. Of course breakfast would not be complete without a banana and an apple wrapped in plastic for my break during class. Our very last day of instruction with Ismael was spent competing as two teams in a Maya crossword puzzle. Allison, Chris, Pablo and I proved quite a team and won the competition with flying colors. Each row or column was presented as clue in Maya to a verb or vocabulary term we have learned in the past three weeks. Afterward, we played a Maya spin the bottle game with the empty plastic water bottle only pointing at me twice. My first question asked where I really wanted to go before I died, obviously a very loaded question for a Semester at Sea alum who has no idea how to say, “How about another semester at sea,” in Maya. My second question asked the name of my first boyfriend, which of course is Tim, so it really threw everyone off.
After class Allison and I finally enjoyed a luxury we have waited three long weeks to have dance over our taste buds. Hint: think Maya chocolate. Only one block away from our class at the UNAM we sat in the shaded chocolate café enjoying a warm, fudgy, chocolate brownie with pecans and dripping in chocolate sauce. Allison had a chocolate espresso, while I sipped a warm cup of bright pink hibiscus tea. She wanted to go to the mall to shop at a popular Latin American clothing store, and so I decided to tag along since shopping is a very girly activity and the mall was heavily air conditioned. Before we left the café I mentioned a small Mexican boutique that had caught my eye in the Gran Hotel near the main square, so she decided to check it out with me since shopping was the main activity on our afternoon agenda.
The windows of the Mexicanismo boutique were filled with gorgeous dresses in organic, natural fabrics with the most beautiful embroidery I have ever seen, one dress in particular catching my eye. When we entered the air conditioned store we were told that all dresses were one size and altered to fit. Thankfully Allison’s excellent Chilean/Cuban Spanish proved quite useful as the two dresses I wanted to try were on the mannequins.
As soon as I put on the second dress, came out of the fitting room and had it pinned to fit I couldn’t stop smiling. The white linen hugged my body in all the right places and made me feel every bit like a princess. As I turned in the lighting the small silver and gold threads caught the light and I could imagine a beautiful beach with the sun shining on the iridescent threads. It was absolutely perfect. Allison was so excited and conveyed to the shopkeeper that I wanted to purchase the dress. He promised to have the alterations complete by six o’clock and whisked the gown upstairs for its immediate transformation. As we left the boutique and stood waiting on the corner for the bus, Allison was so excited that she gave me a giant hug. I think we both had huge grins plastered to our faces for the remainder of the day. I couldn’t believe that I had found the dress, without even looking. It only took one walk past the boutique earlier that week and I couldn’t shake the silhouette from my mind. In my heart I know if I had not gone, that dress would have been exactly what I would have looked for in every dress I tried on afterwards.
Our trip to the mall was equally successful, Allison purchasing a few tops, and I eyeing the ice cream kiosk each time we passed. Somehow brownies and ice cream didn’t seem like the most nutritional lunch, but they looked so delicious in the glass front freezer pre-scooped into perfectly shaped bowlfuls. After a glass of refreshing jamaica Allison and I returned to the main square in the rain where I purchased the silver filigree bracelet for Megan and made a final exchange of US dollars into Mexican pesos. Still raining we entered the boutique for my fitting. It looked stunning, not me of course since I was covered in sweat with frizzy curly hair, but the dress was amazing and more than I could have imagined. With my wedding gown carefully wrapped we walked a few feet to the Gran Hotel restaurant for a glass of wine while listening to live wooden flute music in the waning storm.
Barely twenty minutes after returning to my host house Mark and Connie arrived for our farewell dinner at Roberto’s restaurant called La Calle. Connie’s host mom, Anna Rosa, and dad, Roberto, had sent a charming note with her to class inviting Connie and I for dinner and music that evening before our departure to Santa Elena. While the free quesadilla and fishbowl sized glass of jamaica were delicious and the entertainment provided by Roberto’s guitar playing and Anna Rosa’s singing were well received the night seemed to drag on and I simply wanted to sleep. The warm air and nearby smokers were enough to bring my early departure, but not before saying goodbye to our hosts and signing the wall of the restaurant in Maya.
June 20th, 2009
Since I actually managed to sleep in for once during this trip, Blanca served me a bowl of honey corn flakes and a banana for breakfast while she made the final touches to homemade lasagna for lunch. After I finished packing Blanca fed me my last meal consisting of a very delicious dish of lasagna, with seconds, and fresh bread. Finally my bags were packed and in the car, I said my goodbyes to Xavier and was on my way to the hotel with Blanca.
Check-in went smoothly, and as I made my way to my air conditioned room past the glistening surface of the pool I recognized John, the Level II professor for the remainder of the course. I decided to make a final walk to the main zocalo to purchase a book from Dantes, take pictures of the main square, and cathedral, and of course the boutique where I bought my dress the previous day, before finding a cute little shop selling gourmet soap made of natural ingredients, some of my personal favorites being the coconut, lime, chocolate, and xtabentun. I only purchased a few bars and have decided to return to acquire a few more at a later date.
Upon my return I laid by the pool for a few hours enjoying the intermittent clouds for a brief respite from the sun. It was deserted in the interior courtyard and I was extremely glad to have such a beautiful pool to myself, completely undisturbed for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time I returned to my room it felt quite like an ice box, but it felt absolutely amazing. I turned on the American Network, which was airing Laura Croft: Tomb Raider, and took a very long, hot shower for the first time since my arrival. Afterwards, I leisurely got dressed while preparing a final blog before my departure to Santa Elena and the void of wireless.
Soon it was dark outside and I asked the hotel to call a taxi for my trip to the airport. When I arrived there was a mass of Mexicans already waiting at the international gate, and I felt quite conspicuous as the only foreigner waiting for their special someone to arrive. Once, I thought I saw Tim turn the corner into the baggage claim, but minutes ticked on and more and more passengers completed their visit with Customs, but no Tim. My view continued to be blocked, and before I knew it a very familiar face was standing right in front of me. It seemed so crowded and yet at the same time it felt as if no one else were there but us. Minutes later we were riding in the taxi back to the hotel and the start of an amazing nine, very hot, days.
Class seemed to drag on forever today, especially considering that there are only three days until Tim’s arrival. After class we went as a group to a local pizzeria where we had Hawaiian pizza while literally baking ourselves in the small restaurant with the heat of the oven only a few feet away and the humidity of Merida pouring in the open café. Since we had a mandatory lecture at five o’clock many of us decided to stay in el centro to do some shopping, hammocks being at the top of the list. Mark and I discovered the Popol Nah, a small shop specializing in cotton and nylon hammocks where the shopkeeper, Ruben, opened various options in many hues and hung them across the small store. The selection of matrimonial sized hammocks was considerably smaller, but I settled on a cornflower blue interwoven with a midnight blue for the price of about one hundred US dollars, slightly less than the going rate since Mark and I were both purchasing one.
Afterward Ruben took us across the street to show me the filigree jewelry that I fell in love with last year at the Hacienda Ochil. He seemed eager to make another sale and quoted one hundred dollars for a lovely cuff bracelet that was probably worth more than two hundred. I think it would be exactly what Megan was looking for, and will probably purchase it after I consult with her via email.
The evening lecture was delivered in English with a heavy Australian accent and proved to be as boring as expected since it discussed historical linguistics. When she began the second topic out of four I knew we were in for a long night thanks to her longwinded explanations. All I could think about was the exam to follow tomorrow morning. As soon as the lecture concluded Connie proceeded to ask multiple questions, which only solicited longer responses from our lecturer. It was with much pleasure that Allison, Mark, and I bolted afterward, racing to the bus for our return home and sleep.
June 18th, 2009
Breakfast brought another one of my favorite dishes prepared by my host, a ham a cheese sandwich. It may seem quite simple, but the manner in which she toasts the sandwich over the stove in a double sided pan with handles seems to create an entire pocket of warm melted cheese and ham in a lightly toasted bun. Upon my arrival at class I was extremely disappointed to learn that we were taking two exams instead of one. However, I was quite excited when Ismael passed out the translation exam with questions in Maya concerning a text in Maya, especially considering that I am excellent at translating. I was even more pleased to discover that the second exam was based on vocabulary and that even though it was a verbal exam I managed to score one hundred percent.
After the exam we spent the rest of the class playing hangman in Maya, one team calling themselves the baalams, meaning jaguars, and Mark naming the other team nojoch baalams, meaning large jaguars, which only sent Allison into a fit of giggles. Since the Maya alphabet is quite a bit larger including all vowel variants for short tone, high tone, long tone, and glottalized, no one managed to guess the various words. With only three days left in Merida, Mark and I split immediately after class for the bus station near the zocalo for a final trip to Progreso.
Upon our arrival I enjoyed one last dish of garlic shrimp before renting a beach chair from the restaurant, a luxury I did not enjoy on my previous visits, but worth the extra pesos since the afternoon is so windy that lying on the ground is like being sandblasted. At lunch Mark’s straw blew out of his glass so fast that it actually appeared to disappear in thin air, followed shortly by his napkin blowing away so fast that it was at the other end of the beach in mere seconds. What was even more entertaining was watching his brain literally think that the napkin would be at his feet as he bent to pick it up, only to realize in slow motion that logically it was impossible.
About an hour after stretching out on my beach chair, the sky darkened and a storm seemed imminent. Just as we were packing up thunder roared across the sky and we left for the bus to Merida. Since I had no homework, the rest of the evening was spent relaxing for once and trying to catch up on some much needed sleep.
June 19th, 2009
Since there are only two days remaining before my departure to the Hotel San Juan I was desperately hoping for Blanca’s amazing cinnamon pancakes, but was equally as pleased with the scrambled eggs generously sprinkled with onions and bacon. Of course breakfast would not be complete without a banana and an apple wrapped in plastic for my break during class. Our very last day of instruction with Ismael was spent competing as two teams in a Maya crossword puzzle. Allison, Chris, Pablo and I proved quite a team and won the competition with flying colors. Each row or column was presented as clue in Maya to a verb or vocabulary term we have learned in the past three weeks. Afterward, we played a Maya spin the bottle game with the empty plastic water bottle only pointing at me twice. My first question asked where I really wanted to go before I died, obviously a very loaded question for a Semester at Sea alum who has no idea how to say, “How about another semester at sea,” in Maya. My second question asked the name of my first boyfriend, which of course is Tim, so it really threw everyone off.
After class Allison and I finally enjoyed a luxury we have waited three long weeks to have dance over our taste buds. Hint: think Maya chocolate. Only one block away from our class at the UNAM we sat in the shaded chocolate café enjoying a warm, fudgy, chocolate brownie with pecans and dripping in chocolate sauce. Allison had a chocolate espresso, while I sipped a warm cup of bright pink hibiscus tea. She wanted to go to the mall to shop at a popular Latin American clothing store, and so I decided to tag along since shopping is a very girly activity and the mall was heavily air conditioned. Before we left the café I mentioned a small Mexican boutique that had caught my eye in the Gran Hotel near the main square, so she decided to check it out with me since shopping was the main activity on our afternoon agenda.
The windows of the Mexicanismo boutique were filled with gorgeous dresses in organic, natural fabrics with the most beautiful embroidery I have ever seen, one dress in particular catching my eye. When we entered the air conditioned store we were told that all dresses were one size and altered to fit. Thankfully Allison’s excellent Chilean/Cuban Spanish proved quite useful as the two dresses I wanted to try were on the mannequins.
As soon as I put on the second dress, came out of the fitting room and had it pinned to fit I couldn’t stop smiling. The white linen hugged my body in all the right places and made me feel every bit like a princess. As I turned in the lighting the small silver and gold threads caught the light and I could imagine a beautiful beach with the sun shining on the iridescent threads. It was absolutely perfect. Allison was so excited and conveyed to the shopkeeper that I wanted to purchase the dress. He promised to have the alterations complete by six o’clock and whisked the gown upstairs for its immediate transformation. As we left the boutique and stood waiting on the corner for the bus, Allison was so excited that she gave me a giant hug. I think we both had huge grins plastered to our faces for the remainder of the day. I couldn’t believe that I had found the dress, without even looking. It only took one walk past the boutique earlier that week and I couldn’t shake the silhouette from my mind. In my heart I know if I had not gone, that dress would have been exactly what I would have looked for in every dress I tried on afterwards.
Our trip to the mall was equally successful, Allison purchasing a few tops, and I eyeing the ice cream kiosk each time we passed. Somehow brownies and ice cream didn’t seem like the most nutritional lunch, but they looked so delicious in the glass front freezer pre-scooped into perfectly shaped bowlfuls. After a glass of refreshing jamaica Allison and I returned to the main square in the rain where I purchased the silver filigree bracelet for Megan and made a final exchange of US dollars into Mexican pesos. Still raining we entered the boutique for my fitting. It looked stunning, not me of course since I was covered in sweat with frizzy curly hair, but the dress was amazing and more than I could have imagined. With my wedding gown carefully wrapped we walked a few feet to the Gran Hotel restaurant for a glass of wine while listening to live wooden flute music in the waning storm.
Barely twenty minutes after returning to my host house Mark and Connie arrived for our farewell dinner at Roberto’s restaurant called La Calle. Connie’s host mom, Anna Rosa, and dad, Roberto, had sent a charming note with her to class inviting Connie and I for dinner and music that evening before our departure to Santa Elena. While the free quesadilla and fishbowl sized glass of jamaica were delicious and the entertainment provided by Roberto’s guitar playing and Anna Rosa’s singing were well received the night seemed to drag on and I simply wanted to sleep. The warm air and nearby smokers were enough to bring my early departure, but not before saying goodbye to our hosts and signing the wall of the restaurant in Maya.
June 20th, 2009
Since I actually managed to sleep in for once during this trip, Blanca served me a bowl of honey corn flakes and a banana for breakfast while she made the final touches to homemade lasagna for lunch. After I finished packing Blanca fed me my last meal consisting of a very delicious dish of lasagna, with seconds, and fresh bread. Finally my bags were packed and in the car, I said my goodbyes to Xavier and was on my way to the hotel with Blanca.
Check-in went smoothly, and as I made my way to my air conditioned room past the glistening surface of the pool I recognized John, the Level II professor for the remainder of the course. I decided to make a final walk to the main zocalo to purchase a book from Dantes, take pictures of the main square, and cathedral, and of course the boutique where I bought my dress the previous day, before finding a cute little shop selling gourmet soap made of natural ingredients, some of my personal favorites being the coconut, lime, chocolate, and xtabentun. I only purchased a few bars and have decided to return to acquire a few more at a later date.
Upon my return I laid by the pool for a few hours enjoying the intermittent clouds for a brief respite from the sun. It was deserted in the interior courtyard and I was extremely glad to have such a beautiful pool to myself, completely undisturbed for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time I returned to my room it felt quite like an ice box, but it felt absolutely amazing. I turned on the American Network, which was airing Laura Croft: Tomb Raider, and took a very long, hot shower for the first time since my arrival. Afterwards, I leisurely got dressed while preparing a final blog before my departure to Santa Elena and the void of wireless.
Soon it was dark outside and I asked the hotel to call a taxi for my trip to the airport. When I arrived there was a mass of Mexicans already waiting at the international gate, and I felt quite conspicuous as the only foreigner waiting for their special someone to arrive. Once, I thought I saw Tim turn the corner into the baggage claim, but minutes ticked on and more and more passengers completed their visit with Customs, but no Tim. My view continued to be blocked, and before I knew it a very familiar face was standing right in front of me. It seemed so crowded and yet at the same time it felt as if no one else were there but us. Minutes later we were riding in the taxi back to the hotel and the start of an amazing nine, very hot, days.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Dzibilchaltun
June 15th, 2009
After class Allison and I went in search of the Indemaya organization to purchase some Maya materials that we have used in class, including a very cute Memory game in Maya. Upon our arrival they graciously presented us with the game for free, and showed us a selection of other materials, including a book of poems and a compilation of Maya songs, which we both purchased.
When I returned home to my host’s on Calle 19 I was pleasantly surprised with a clean set of blue floral sheets on the bed and a blue bath towel hanging over my hammock.
June 16th, 2009
We walked around the now wet site, Connie asking for a picture of Allison, Chris and I standing in front of a large puddle. Again, Chris was there for comic relief as he stood feet away from Allison and I and loudly exclaimed, “I don’t do together.” I don’t think one attempt at that picture actually had all three of us not laughing.
Since we were already soaked we decided it was worth swimming in the cenote and so as we approached the small sinkhole Connie lectured us on swimming in water with bacteria and complaining that it appeared slimy and rancid. “We can’t really swim in that?” she asked, as Allison and I plunged right in. It was quite funny after several minutes when Allison let out a yelp, realizing that cenotes do indeed have fish. We were the last tourists to leave the site, and Connie walked so slowly taking pictures of cows, trees, clouds, and flowers, while the poor overseer stood at the gate to lock it behind us.
Blanca made a wonderful omelet this morning with Mexican cheese, onions, and bacon. After two weeks it is routine for her to re-fill my water bottle, wrap a fresh apple in a plastic bag, and place a banana next to my plate for breakfast. At least I have not had the unfortunate occurrence of choosing between fruit or juice these last few days.
Class was unusually routine, much of our time spent reading to improve our pronunciation. There is a running joke that I do not know the verb for, to read, since it seems as if every time Ismael goes on a long tangent in Spanish he returns to Maya by asking me to read the next portion of text, of which I usually have no idea what he is saying since I successfully zoned out after ten minutes of Spanish. At least the next time I get asked anything I will simply assume that I am supposed to read. “Tin xokik xJeder…earth to xJeder.” Oh well.
After class Allison and I went in search of the Indemaya organization to purchase some Maya materials that we have used in class, including a very cute Memory game in Maya. Upon our arrival they graciously presented us with the game for free, and showed us a selection of other materials, including a book of poems and a compilation of Maya songs, which we both purchased.
When I returned home to my host’s on Calle 19 I was pleasantly surprised with a clean set of blue floral sheets on the bed and a blue bath towel hanging over my hammock.
Lunch was a very interesting Mexican rice dish with thick slices of hot dog mixed. I must have been craving something familiar though since it was actually a nice change from the refried beans, black bean soup, tortillas, and rice. After lunch Blanca sat a dish of Napoleon ice cream before me, which was still a pleasant surprise even if I don’t enjoy strawberry ice cream. My nighttime routine has become a bit uncomfortable as I lay in bed each night until midnight before waking again at two or three o’clock for several hours. All in all I suppose that I get approximately four hours of sleep each night. Allison and Mark seem to be afflicted with the same strange sleeping habits and so we have decided to initiate an insomnia club.
June 16th, 2009
Once again Blanca prepared a wonderful plate of French toast with syrup in addition to my daily banana and cold glass of pineapple juice. As I was eating breakfast she was scurrying around the kitchen and seemed to be preparing quite a feast. Before long I realized the chicken and onion sandwich, slices of pineapple, wrapped apple, second banana, can of peach juice, and pack of chocolate chip cookies were my lunch for the day since I would not be returning after class. It was so cute and thoughtful the way she wrapped each item individually and presented it to me at the door in a plastic bag tied in a bow. I was so thrilled with the can of peach juice since it has become one of my favorites. To my misfortunate Connie discovered my bulging bag and packed lunch and so soon we were backtracking to her house for her to grab a lunch, bathing suit, and towel for Dzibilchaltun.
The only event of note during class was the return of our exams which were void of a marked grade and so I am content just to know what mistakes I made instead of stressing over a certain letter. Sadly, many of my errors were quite careless, missing a specific tense or pronoun. It was also strange to be missing both Christa and Mark during class, though Mark had sent me a message earlier that morning that he was feeling under the weather. After class Allison, Connie, Chris, and I ventured to Dzibilchaltun. Even though I received an excellent tour of Dzibilchaltun last year with Ruben, one of Dr. Miller’s friends and also the archaeologist at the site, I decided to keep each day as full as possible and to do that by integrating myself into the group as much as possible as opposed to completely alone.
Our drive to the site was wrought with Chris complaining incessantly about paying fifteen pesos for the direct bus versus five pesos for the bus that drops its passengers off seven kilometers from the site. Yikes!! As we walked up the path leading to the main sacbe Chris exclaimed, “That’s a really interesting stone cactus,” followed by Allison saying, “Chris, it’s not stone, it’s real.” Of course we all nearly laughed so hard that we were rolling on the ground. As we climbed the first temple, the sky suddenly darkened and as if in slow motion we could see the rain blanketing the site in the distance before it reached us as well at the very top of the platform. Since I was familiar with the site I led my companions into a lower chamber where we took refuge from the downpour while sharing amusing stories. Soon the cramped quarters accumulated several inches of water on the ground as it came pouring in from above and we were forced to move as high as we could in the semi-darkness. Connie pressed again the walls while clutching her found wooden walking stick, emerging to discover that her white blouse was covered in green and brown sludgy earth.
We walked around the now wet site, Connie asking for a picture of Allison, Chris and I standing in front of a large puddle. Again, Chris was there for comic relief as he stood feet away from Allison and I and loudly exclaimed, “I don’t do together.” I don’t think one attempt at that picture actually had all three of us not laughing.
Since we were already soaked we decided it was worth swimming in the cenote and so as we approached the small sinkhole Connie lectured us on swimming in water with bacteria and complaining that it appeared slimy and rancid. “We can’t really swim in that?” she asked, as Allison and I plunged right in. It was quite funny after several minutes when Allison let out a yelp, realizing that cenotes do indeed have fish. We were the last tourists to leave the site, and Connie walked so slowly taking pictures of cows, trees, clouds, and flowers, while the poor overseer stood at the gate to lock it behind us.
We waited ten minutes for the bus, only to have Connie complain that it seemed to be going in the wrong direction and was not the same bus we had arrived on. Of course not! I don’t think it occurred to her that there are multiple ways to return to Merida. All in all it was a very long day and I was pleased to return home, though the hour was late and after a quick shower I was ready for my nightly routine passing the hours before finally drifting off to sleep. I was very happy to routine to the site and learned that even though you have already done something the experience will always be different. Unfortunately, I am convinced that any time I go to a site it will definitely rain.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Aantenex'e tin Luubul ti' K'aan
June 14th, 2009
Unlike my previous trips to the beach this morning began with a leisurely breakfast of cereal, toast, and fruit while waiting for Blanca’s daughter, son-in-law, and grandson to arrive. During breakfast Xavier told me to walk over to Connie’s house to invite her along on our excursion and soon we were all piled into the back of their van on the way to the beach. At first the drive was entirely familiar from my many trips to the beach, though eventually we veered to the left, away from Progreso and towards the pueblo known as Chelem. I had no idea that we were going to a different beach, but was so excited to get a less touristy perspective. The drive was peppered with pastel colored homes behind fancy wrought iron gates and crumbling stucco walls labeled with the name of each residence. As with any beach town the names reflected a sense of whimsy and humor, some of which included the Crazy Mosquito, Villa Margarita, Butterfly, Angelfish, and Coco Loco.
Suddenly the van steered off the road and into a sandy lot, parking closely under the shade of a palm. We emerged from the car and crossed the sandy street to a local ceviche restaurant, which was also accompanied by an in-ground pool. Blanca told me we were having refreshments and in minutes we were served ceviche made with fish and octopus, fresh tortillas, and bean dip, along with a large bottle of Sol and glasses of lime juice with salt on the rim. It was my first chelada of the trip, but truly worth the wait. Blanca kept refilling my glass eventually replacing the lime and beer with just straight beer, which at that point I had already licked all the salt off the rim. Two other stops brought us to a fruit stand where they purchased bananas and oranges, and a convenience store where Coca Cola was added to the many snacks now packed for the beach.
We stayed on the main road out of Chelem and soon took a sharp right onto a sandy path edged by beach grass and houses in various stages of construction. The van stopped suddenly outside of a beautifully crafted set of wooden doors, which Blanca’s son-in-law unlocked to reveal an orange house with a huge sparkling pool in the front yard. Now I knew what she meant by eating lunch at the house. I had originally assumed that Xavier was simply joking at breakfast when he said we were going to a private beach, which meant clothing was optional. Still, I was quite glad to have my suit.
They unlocked the house to reveal a simple, but large interior which opened onto a back veranda with a large stone staircase onto the very beach itself, which was indeed completely void of inhabitants except for the gulls. We began our afternoon by relaxing in the gentle waves, Blanca even sporting her own bathing suit, hat, and foam noodle to float along in the turquoise waters. After our swim, Connie and I walked along the beach collecting shells ranging from small conchs to pretty purplish angel wings. Blanca prepared chicken tacos for lunch with pickled onions and tomato, which was followed by an afternoon siesta. Her daughter retired to one of the bedrooms with her young son, while Blanca hung hammocks in the living room with the double doors open overlooking the ocean and the refreshing breeze drifting constantly through the open windows and doors.
As I crawled into my hammock something felt terribly wrong and mere moments later, as if in slow motion, it careened to the floor. Since I was only a few inches above the ground I went unharmed, just disappointed that I missed my one and only opportunity to use the phrase, “Aantenex’e tin lúubul ti’ k’áan,” or “Help me I am falling out of my hammock.” We had discussed in class the uselessness of the dialogues that we learn as students of Yucatec Maya, mainly because the phrases seem quite inadequate in our present situation, though at last one line may have proven itself useful today. Upon our return home I could no longer remember my purpose in Yucatan and felt like I had had a miniature vacation for my mind and soul. Tomorrow is the start of week three and only five days until Tim arrives.
How to Play Memory in Maya
June 12th, 2009
This morning was spent entirely in anticipation for today’s exam. After reviewing my notes and eating breakfast I arrived at class for the two hour long assessment of aspect makers, reflexive verbs, and imperatives. Allison quickly translated the Spanish phrases into English, a task that proved quite necessary for any amount of success. As each student completed the exam, Ismael reviewed their handiwork, adding a “Jach ma’alob” after glancing over my own. Soon only Connie was left with an exam, her voice echoing through the room as she realized she had forgotten page two, which left us waiting for her to complete the remainder at her own pace. As she handed her paper to Ismael, she threw her hands up in the hair and said, “I give up,” in a huff completely unbecoming for a women of her advanced age. It truly felt as if a three year old were in our midst.
After the exam Ismael set up a memory card game in Maya and we took turns flipping over the cards to complete a match. In fact, Mark never actually completed a match himself but let everyone else tell him which cards to turn over instead. Laughing quite a bit, the stress from our tedious morning melted away with each match. In addition, there was a bit of friendly cheating to encourage our classmates, but in the end I had a seven set matching streak emptying the board and winning the game. I don’t think this pleased Christa at all, but we all do know my uncanny ability to win.
My favorite part about today was an impromptu call to Cherylie and Joe. As soon as her cute little voice recognized mine I couldn’t help but break down into tears. Of course I didn’t realize that I was on speaker phone until I heard Joe chuckling in the background to my list of strange ailments and complaints after the last two weeks. When I got off the phone I could already feel a shift in my mood for the better. It certainly was exactly what the doctor ordered. The remainder of the afternoon was spent at Ana Rosa’s pool, an excursion that always leaves me feeling completely refreshed, if only for a few short hours.
Our evening plans brought us to Buenas Aires City, a rather fancy restaurant a few blocks from the general region of everyone’s current living arrangements. I am sure that our bunch stuck out like a sore thumb dressed as grimy tourists as opposed to sophisticated diners. A few of us enjoyed a glass of wine, my pinot grigio being the most expensive item on the menu at one hundred and eleven pesos, about ten dollars for the glass. I ordered a ham and cheese empanada, which was absolutely delicious and well worth the energy to go out as a group. It was refreshing to talk outside the classroom for once about our travels, education, and significant others. Tomorrow Mark and I will venture to the beach to escape the heat of Merida.
June 13th, 2009
I actually managed to sleep in this morning before packing my bag and heading to the beach. Mark and I decided to take a taxi to the bus terminal in el centro and so after stopping for water and a strawberry granola bar at the nearest Oxxo, we were on our way. The bus ride was uneventful and upon arrival Mark realized that he had forgotten his swimsuit so he quickly purchased one on the way to the beach. Stepping onto the sandy beach we positioned ourselves under the shade of a vacant palm.
After some time spent soaking in the gentle waves I let the saltwater dry on my body as I collected some of the tiny shells speckling the beach like confetti before laying out my towel and bathing in the rays of the sun. The breeze was so refreshing and barely twenty minutes on each side before I relocated to the shade of the palm leaves while Mark enjoyed the beautiful soft waves of la playa.
Later that afternoon we choose a shaded table at Los Henequen’s on the Beach where I ordered a delicious plate of garlic shrimp sprinkled with tiny pieces of toasted coconut. The remainder of the afternoon was spent chatting with Mark under the thatched roof of Los Henequen’s until an orangish sun starting bouncing off the water, indicating that it was nearly seven o’clock. The pleasant breeze rolling off the ocean suddenly picked up, the sand stinging our legs like sandpaper and we knew it was time to return to the city. The entire trip was made easier by our choice to hire a taxi from the bus terminal instead of walking the many blocks to the San Lucas Express which would carry us home. After today I have a wonderful red glow and cannot wait for it to fade to brown tomorrow for my return trip to Progreso.
This morning was spent entirely in anticipation for today’s exam. After reviewing my notes and eating breakfast I arrived at class for the two hour long assessment of aspect makers, reflexive verbs, and imperatives. Allison quickly translated the Spanish phrases into English, a task that proved quite necessary for any amount of success. As each student completed the exam, Ismael reviewed their handiwork, adding a “Jach ma’alob” after glancing over my own. Soon only Connie was left with an exam, her voice echoing through the room as she realized she had forgotten page two, which left us waiting for her to complete the remainder at her own pace. As she handed her paper to Ismael, she threw her hands up in the hair and said, “I give up,” in a huff completely unbecoming for a women of her advanced age. It truly felt as if a three year old were in our midst.
After the exam Ismael set up a memory card game in Maya and we took turns flipping over the cards to complete a match. In fact, Mark never actually completed a match himself but let everyone else tell him which cards to turn over instead. Laughing quite a bit, the stress from our tedious morning melted away with each match. In addition, there was a bit of friendly cheating to encourage our classmates, but in the end I had a seven set matching streak emptying the board and winning the game. I don’t think this pleased Christa at all, but we all do know my uncanny ability to win.
My favorite part about today was an impromptu call to Cherylie and Joe. As soon as her cute little voice recognized mine I couldn’t help but break down into tears. Of course I didn’t realize that I was on speaker phone until I heard Joe chuckling in the background to my list of strange ailments and complaints after the last two weeks. When I got off the phone I could already feel a shift in my mood for the better. It certainly was exactly what the doctor ordered. The remainder of the afternoon was spent at Ana Rosa’s pool, an excursion that always leaves me feeling completely refreshed, if only for a few short hours.
Our evening plans brought us to Buenas Aires City, a rather fancy restaurant a few blocks from the general region of everyone’s current living arrangements. I am sure that our bunch stuck out like a sore thumb dressed as grimy tourists as opposed to sophisticated diners. A few of us enjoyed a glass of wine, my pinot grigio being the most expensive item on the menu at one hundred and eleven pesos, about ten dollars for the glass. I ordered a ham and cheese empanada, which was absolutely delicious and well worth the energy to go out as a group. It was refreshing to talk outside the classroom for once about our travels, education, and significant others. Tomorrow Mark and I will venture to the beach to escape the heat of Merida.
June 13th, 2009
I actually managed to sleep in this morning before packing my bag and heading to the beach. Mark and I decided to take a taxi to the bus terminal in el centro and so after stopping for water and a strawberry granola bar at the nearest Oxxo, we were on our way. The bus ride was uneventful and upon arrival Mark realized that he had forgotten his swimsuit so he quickly purchased one on the way to the beach. Stepping onto the sandy beach we positioned ourselves under the shade of a vacant palm.
After some time spent soaking in the gentle waves I let the saltwater dry on my body as I collected some of the tiny shells speckling the beach like confetti before laying out my towel and bathing in the rays of the sun. The breeze was so refreshing and barely twenty minutes on each side before I relocated to the shade of the palm leaves while Mark enjoyed the beautiful soft waves of la playa.
Later that afternoon we choose a shaded table at Los Henequen’s on the Beach where I ordered a delicious plate of garlic shrimp sprinkled with tiny pieces of toasted coconut. The remainder of the afternoon was spent chatting with Mark under the thatched roof of Los Henequen’s until an orangish sun starting bouncing off the water, indicating that it was nearly seven o’clock. The pleasant breeze rolling off the ocean suddenly picked up, the sand stinging our legs like sandpaper and we knew it was time to return to the city. The entire trip was made easier by our choice to hire a taxi from the bus terminal instead of walking the many blocks to the San Lucas Express which would carry us home. After today I have a wonderful red glow and cannot wait for it to fade to brown tomorrow for my return trip to Progreso.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Kuxan Sum
*** After a rather sleepless night tossing and turning I managed to finish another blog posting before attempting to sleep once again. The next two posts are new, so please put any comments on the most current one. ***
June 11th, 2009
Last night was probably the worst night I have had in the last two weeks. My nightly quota of restful sleep has decreased from about eight hours at the beginning of this adventure, to about six at the current date, last night being the exception since it was even less. I awoke on multiple occasions with cramps in both of my feet and was forced to jump out of bed as quickly as possible to relieve the spasm. It will be a very long day with another evening lecture and shortly after I awoke I could already feel my heavy eyelids laden with sleep.
We spent almost all of class preparing for the exam, which I found quite frustrating since Ismael would dictate multiple sentences in Spanish for us to translate into Maya. On several occasions I only managed to dictate a single sentence, which left me confused and discouraged, owing largely to my increasingly irritable mood and an overwhelming feeling of defeat. Since I had given my notes to Christa to photocopy I have had no chance to study for the exam and find myself completely overwhelmed with the very few hours left to study after the evening lecture. It was with great relief on my part that Ismael agreed to let Allison translate my exam questions in English, making it much easier for me to study the remaining verbs and removing a huge burden from my shoulders.
After class, Mark, Allison, Connie and I walked to a small local restaurant called Trapiche, ordering a delicious ham and cheese sandwich along with a diet coke. We spent the remainder of our free time soaking in the chill of the UADY library while preparing for our exam. Connie was like a broken record at the small table asking a thousand and one questions as if she had never learned the language before, giving Mark, Allison, and I very little time to focus on our own studies. It was not until after the lecture that my wonderfully organized notes were returned to me two days later. Since I had gone out of my way to help replace her lost notes, I very strongly felt that she should have made a greater attempt at returning them sooner with the pending exam.
To my relief the lecture was presented in Maya by a Maya anthologist, Feliciano Sánchez Chan. It was amazing to hear a complete lecture in Maya and I found myself picking up on much of what was said. I was even more pleased to be able to relate key points from the lecture to some of my classmates, in return for their summary of Tuesday’s presentation since it was in Spanish. I was rather shocked that most of my classmates admitted to a mere ten percent of verbal comprehension. Perhaps the most exciting part of the lecture was Feliciano’s retelling of the kuxan sum, the primary source for my thesis which I have never heard in Maya. Luckily I had my Sony voice recorder and managed to create an entire sound clip of the kuxan sum as told in Yucatec Maya. It will be so much fun to listen to later and research thoroughly as part of my thesis, including a complete translation of the narrative. Afterwards, his small pile of Maya books were purchased in a flurry of grabbing and hoarding, I myself only purchasing two of the three texts I had been partial too during his presentation since Connie decided that she deserved eight books in all, while my classmates and I were left to divide the remainder in groups of two or three per person.
It was another late night as I prepared for the exam, and in addition I set my alarm earlier to review my notes one last time.
June 11th, 2009
Last night was probably the worst night I have had in the last two weeks. My nightly quota of restful sleep has decreased from about eight hours at the beginning of this adventure, to about six at the current date, last night being the exception since it was even less. I awoke on multiple occasions with cramps in both of my feet and was forced to jump out of bed as quickly as possible to relieve the spasm. It will be a very long day with another evening lecture and shortly after I awoke I could already feel my heavy eyelids laden with sleep.
We spent almost all of class preparing for the exam, which I found quite frustrating since Ismael would dictate multiple sentences in Spanish for us to translate into Maya. On several occasions I only managed to dictate a single sentence, which left me confused and discouraged, owing largely to my increasingly irritable mood and an overwhelming feeling of defeat. Since I had given my notes to Christa to photocopy I have had no chance to study for the exam and find myself completely overwhelmed with the very few hours left to study after the evening lecture. It was with great relief on my part that Ismael agreed to let Allison translate my exam questions in English, making it much easier for me to study the remaining verbs and removing a huge burden from my shoulders.
After class, Mark, Allison, Connie and I walked to a small local restaurant called Trapiche, ordering a delicious ham and cheese sandwich along with a diet coke. We spent the remainder of our free time soaking in the chill of the UADY library while preparing for our exam. Connie was like a broken record at the small table asking a thousand and one questions as if she had never learned the language before, giving Mark, Allison, and I very little time to focus on our own studies. It was not until after the lecture that my wonderfully organized notes were returned to me two days later. Since I had gone out of my way to help replace her lost notes, I very strongly felt that she should have made a greater attempt at returning them sooner with the pending exam.
To my relief the lecture was presented in Maya by a Maya anthologist, Feliciano Sánchez Chan. It was amazing to hear a complete lecture in Maya and I found myself picking up on much of what was said. I was even more pleased to be able to relate key points from the lecture to some of my classmates, in return for their summary of Tuesday’s presentation since it was in Spanish. I was rather shocked that most of my classmates admitted to a mere ten percent of verbal comprehension. Perhaps the most exciting part of the lecture was Feliciano’s retelling of the kuxan sum, the primary source for my thesis which I have never heard in Maya. Luckily I had my Sony voice recorder and managed to create an entire sound clip of the kuxan sum as told in Yucatec Maya. It will be so much fun to listen to later and research thoroughly as part of my thesis, including a complete translation of the narrative. Afterwards, his small pile of Maya books were purchased in a flurry of grabbing and hoarding, I myself only purchasing two of the three texts I had been partial too during his presentation since Connie decided that she deserved eight books in all, while my classmates and I were left to divide the remainder in groups of two or three per person.
It was another late night as I prepared for the exam, and in addition I set my alarm earlier to review my notes one last time.
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