I'm gettin too old for this

Dear heavens. So, I don't want to characterize my trip as a frivolous, tequila-drenched free-for-all, but I've got to say, the partying here is pretty fantastic. Being underaged in the states, I am definitely taking advantage of my lovely new adult status. However, as fun as it is, I'm an old woman at heart. I'm slowin down. Mexico city is a party 24-7. Even if you're not drinking or staying out, there's just way too much to do. There's always another museum or park or trip to take. There's no staying in and relaxing, it's a fast-paced city and you don't want to miss out. I, however, am not so fast-paced. A lot of the people on the program are from Santa Barbara, which means they're used to this. I'm not. In Berkeley, I go out on weekends, but alot of my time is spent at home writing papers (by which I mean watching crappy reality television). This city's a lot more excitement. Bars made of ice, gay bars, salsa clubs, fancy places, ghetto places, house parties. And then the next day it's climbing pyramids or going to museums. It's great, but exhausting. And now, on top of it all, I'm starting school.

UNAM, my university, is one of the biggest and best schools in the Americas. My section, or facultad, is called Filosofia y Letras. It's FULL of hippies. We're talkin' dreadlock, name-changing, incredibly opinionated, anarchist hippies. They're seriously liberal and seriously intimidating. Their studies aren't as flexible as ours, so the students stay on one track and become very well-versed in their chosen fields. They're also all older than me. Oh, and did I mention Spanish isn't my first language? Because when you put all of these things together, it equals Melanie looking and sounding like a stupid, uneducated American in front of a lot of frighteningly intelligent students who already hate the U.S., with good reason. I've already made a complete ass of myself in one class. We were talking about racism in Mexico and I, being over-confident and wanting to contribute, thought it would be a fantastic idea to chime in. So, I go on and on about how racist everyone is and how I received so much privilege here and how Mexicans don't value their indigenous heritage like Mexican-Americans do blablabla. For some reason I didn't realize that all of this, coming from a foreigner, was highly offensive and insulting. Oh, and I also meant to say that in Latin America, a culture has developed in the shadow of imperialism. A culture of both living with and struggling against external forces and foreign powers. Smart right? Not really, because it apparently sounded like I was talking about the U.S., and saying that our culture is defined by fighting foreign influences. In other words, according to a guy I talked to afterwards, they basically thought I was saying that I didn't like Mexicans in my country. I don't think I will be very popular in that class. I also think I should never talk again, for my own safety. Maybe a valuable and wholly applicable life lesson that I can take back to the states. Awesome.

Besides that little bump in the road, school is really fun. The professors are awesome and really care about your input. They actually ask all of the students what they study on the first day, and then tailor the class to fit people's interests. Like, in Historia de la Cultura de America Latina, someone might be interested in gender inequality in rural Argentina. The teacher might change the lectures to talk about gender in indigenous communities, or assign a book on human rights movements in the Argentine pampas. It's pretty cool. The students also seem pretty cool. A lot of them have known each other since high school, so it can be a little clicky. However, a lot of people have studied abroad and are down with foreigners. Also, I keep meeting people in the area that go to the school, like a guy I talked to at Wal-Mart the other day. I'm hoping I'm making friends, and not just creeping on people. Social interactions are a bit different here. For instance, I gave a guy my number and he was really shocked. He said that only happens in the movies, and it was really cliche that I just met him in class and then gave him my phone number. So, I might be coming off as a giant slut or something. I don't really know how to deal with that.

Other good news, people still like me as a brunette. It's definitely helped with the whole, people staring at my like I'm a naked alien thing. Less whistling, less honking, less kids pointing and yelling "MIRA, MIRA" whenever they pass me. I definitely feel like I belong a little more now. I can kind of pass for a light-skinned Mexican, which is nice when I go to a sketch-balls place like Tepito. Tepito, by the way, is the most awesome market full of illegal goodies like my new, rip-off Nikes I got for 13 buckaroos. But, I would never go there alone, and I wouldn't go there blonde. Not being automatically recognized as a foreigner gives me alot more confidence in those situations. I also feel a bit prettier now, because when people think I'm cute it's not just because of my exotic hair color. The only time you see blondes here is in porn, so we're highly objectified. Now I feel like I can flirt and stuff, and it's not just a creepy, sharks descending on the prey kind of hyper-sexualized thing. It can just be nice and kind of innocent. Okay, you're right, it's me. So not that innocent. But you catch my drift.

Very long story short, things are still fun. I'm tired, but it's well worth it. Oh, and I miss you all.

Puebla

If you ever come to Mexico, go. So Puebla is one of the only cities in Mexico that was not a conquered, paved over, indigenous area. It was built entirely by the Spanish, specifically for churches and missions. When we got to the town center, or zocalo, I honestly felt giddy. It was one of the most beautiful places I think I’ve seen. There’s a park with fountains and street vendors, where all you can see are palm trees, gothic churches, and brightly painted colonial architecture. Kids run around cobblestone streets with balloons while their parents sip coffee under umbrellas at Parisian-style cafes. Puebla was also the birthplace of one of my favorite foods: mole. Chicken or turkey in an intensely flavorful slow-cooked chocolate chili sauce. It’s delicious, and comes highly recommended by this food-obsessed white girl. Next up, candy street. (Cue angelic choir) Mexican candy is the greatest thing to happen to my taste buds, and the worst thing to happen to my ass. Worth it. Chili and tamarind, pineapple and coconut, dulce de leche. These people know flavor and texture. They’re not screwing around. If it looks gross and weird, try it, because you’re wrong. Candy is not just for kids here, it’s kind of a way of life. Candy street was filled to the brim with exotic and colorful flavors, from candy skulls to sweet potato treats. It’s a must. Then, after a quick stop at the site of the 5 de Mayo battle, it was off to the world’s smallest volcano. It popped up one day in the middle of a park, and started spewing lava. Now, this outing was both good and bad. Appearing to be a large but unassuming mound of…well…dung, the volcano is actually pretty cool. You get to go inside and look around, which is almost worth the impending mugging and death that I feared an hour later. We had trouble finding a bus or cab back, and were walking around a pretty empty neighborhood, that did not have many open spaces or happy vibes (Sorry Mom). After about a month here, this is the only time I’ve felt a little panicky. Like everywhere else, the people were helpful and nice, but we were very out of place. A bunch of white kids with backpacks clearly didn’t belong, and I would almost definitely rob us. I’m kind of considering dying my hair, too. Just as a safety precaution. While it gets me into clubs first and occasionally some free drinks, it’s impossible to blend in with a crowd. I stick out like a sore, albino thumb, and sometimes you’re not looking to draw attention to yourself. Anyway, besides that little misstep, Puebla was amazing. It was like Disneyland. Artwork, architecture, pottery, sweets. The whole experience was like walking inside of a rainbow, if rainbows were filled with nice people and delicious food. (When you go, make sure to spend your night in Cholula, just a bus ride away. Also an amazing place with great food, Churches, the world’s widest pyramid, and some pretty awesome night life.)
P.S. I saw the Harry Potter Fan Club of Puebla meeting. They had been sorted into houses by the sorting hat, and were putting their names into the Goblet of Fire. Which made me think, why the HELL am I not in a Harry Potter Fan Club?