My experience in Mexico has been excellent, I have been able to learn, work, travel and become even more independent, among other productive things. The three months went by extremely fast but I am very fortunate to have learned so much during this lapse of time. At placement, I was able to study and learn more about the type of work I like. The experience I had with the youth at El Caracol was amazing as I learned a lot from them, their situations and conditions.
On many occasions during my time here in Mexico I realized how I take many things for granted back in T.O. which has led me to reflect about my reality vs. others' reality and contemplate how I can contribute in numerous aspects.
I sincerely did not have any negative moments in Mexico - everything was cool, nice, positive, enjoyable but most importantly very memorable.
jueves, 27 de agosto de 2009
martes, 4 de agosto de 2009
Blog Cuatro
Am I a tourist?
For some reason, I never thought of myself as a tourist in Mexico. However, now that the question was asked, I think that I am somewhat of a tourist. Every weekend, I feel like visiting a new place even if it is outside Mexico City. I have also learned to take more pictures - before this trip I was not into taking a lot of pictures. So far, I have taken about 2000 pics because with all the places you see here – you need to!
I do not know if this is pertinent to the topic but language has to be mentioned because it is huge. In my case I feel like at home sometimes because I dominate the language but in the case of some other people who struggle with the official language it can become a very frustrating experience.
In my case, I do not feel much of a tourist during the week days because I work at my placement like any other Mexican citizen and I also try to immerse in the culture, use some of their words –slang, eat their food. However, during the weekend when I go to visit new places, I do feel somewhat of a tourist but I see myself mostly as someone living and working in Mexico visiting a new place not a tourist coming from another country to discover a particular attraction.
For some reason, I never thought of myself as a tourist in Mexico. However, now that the question was asked, I think that I am somewhat of a tourist. Every weekend, I feel like visiting a new place even if it is outside Mexico City. I have also learned to take more pictures - before this trip I was not into taking a lot of pictures. So far, I have taken about 2000 pics because with all the places you see here – you need to!
I do not know if this is pertinent to the topic but language has to be mentioned because it is huge. In my case I feel like at home sometimes because I dominate the language but in the case of some other people who struggle with the official language it can become a very frustrating experience.
In my case, I do not feel much of a tourist during the week days because I work at my placement like any other Mexican citizen and I also try to immerse in the culture, use some of their words –slang, eat their food. However, during the weekend when I go to visit new places, I do feel somewhat of a tourist but I see myself mostly as someone living and working in Mexico visiting a new place not a tourist coming from another country to discover a particular attraction.
Blog Tres
I am writing this blog in one of the biggest libraries of Latin America – Biblioteca Jose Vasconcelos. It has an innovative form of architecture and its home to 550.000 books, I wanna stay here for the entire day!
How have I changed?
I do not think that I have drastically changed the way I behave and talk here in Mexico, however certain things such as greeting people are different from "Canadian culture". Kissing a girl on the cheek is expected most of the time, at least with the girls I’ve met. This is normal for me as in Colombia and most Latin American countries a kiss on the cheek is the equivalent of shaking hands in Canada. With regards to food, tortillas are very popular here, people tend to fill the tortilla and wrap it, I have seen some other foreigners use forks and knives when eating this which is just comic to me. Some people try to be full of formalisms but in the end they just look uncultured when doing things like this.
Moving into bargaining, I think I am good at it as most of the time I get the price I want, but I’ve noticed that bargaining is not as common here as I have seen in other places. I also thought that my Colombian accent was going to give them the chance to increase the price but it does not seem to affect – Fortunately, I have not been ripped off - yet. However, I see that sometimes these street vendors get very little profit out of their products so I only used it a few times because it would not be fair for them if I can actually afford the regular item price.
Something that I was impressed by here in Mexico City is that wearing shorts could signify that you are a tourist or you are disrespectful to certain spaces. For instance, in La Salle University, shorts are not allowed on campus. It is very rare to see someone wearing shorts in the city which I though it was weird at first. My reason for this might be that it is usual for capital cities to attempt to behave more “formal” and conservative, but I still do not fully comprehend how in a city so hot (for me) people choose not to wear something more comfortable.
Another aspect I have slightly changed is how I communicate with others. In Spanish you can use both Usted and Tu – which both mean you. Usted is formal and Tu is more informal. I use more usted when speaking to others but here people tell me that it sounds weird because it does show respect but it feels, as if I have not generated a rapport with them yet. So I am using tu more often. I have tried to adapt to various things in the culture, but overall I think I haven’t made any major changes and it might be because this culture is not very distinct from what I am accostumed to.
How have I changed?
I do not think that I have drastically changed the way I behave and talk here in Mexico, however certain things such as greeting people are different from "Canadian culture". Kissing a girl on the cheek is expected most of the time, at least with the girls I’ve met. This is normal for me as in Colombia and most Latin American countries a kiss on the cheek is the equivalent of shaking hands in Canada. With regards to food, tortillas are very popular here, people tend to fill the tortilla and wrap it, I have seen some other foreigners use forks and knives when eating this which is just comic to me. Some people try to be full of formalisms but in the end they just look uncultured when doing things like this.
Moving into bargaining, I think I am good at it as most of the time I get the price I want, but I’ve noticed that bargaining is not as common here as I have seen in other places. I also thought that my Colombian accent was going to give them the chance to increase the price but it does not seem to affect – Fortunately, I have not been ripped off - yet. However, I see that sometimes these street vendors get very little profit out of their products so I only used it a few times because it would not be fair for them if I can actually afford the regular item price.
Something that I was impressed by here in Mexico City is that wearing shorts could signify that you are a tourist or you are disrespectful to certain spaces. For instance, in La Salle University, shorts are not allowed on campus. It is very rare to see someone wearing shorts in the city which I though it was weird at first. My reason for this might be that it is usual for capital cities to attempt to behave more “formal” and conservative, but I still do not fully comprehend how in a city so hot (for me) people choose not to wear something more comfortable.
Another aspect I have slightly changed is how I communicate with others. In Spanish you can use both Usted and Tu – which both mean you. Usted is formal and Tu is more informal. I use more usted when speaking to others but here people tell me that it sounds weird because it does show respect but it feels, as if I have not generated a rapport with them yet. So I am using tu more often. I have tried to adapt to various things in the culture, but overall I think I haven’t made any major changes and it might be because this culture is not very distinct from what I am accostumed to.
lunes, 6 de julio de 2009
Blog Dos
I believe it is time for me to talk about my experience during my first month in Mexico City. I want to begin by saying that for all who still think that dozens of people are dying daily due to the swine flu, I have to tell you that I have seen 5 people wearing facemasks in a one-month period in a city of approx. 25 million. No one talks about the influenza meaning that if I hadn’t being warned in Toronto before coming I would have thought that the swine flu never passed by this city.
Enough about the flu though, I have to say that Mexico city is the ideal place for individuals with a limited budget, every place you go seems to be free of charge: The Zoo, Museum of Anthropology, The Angel of Independence, El Palacio de Bellas Artes, Chapultepec Park. Also, bikes can be borrowed any day of the week which is a great strategy implemented by the government in the attempt to reduce the great pollution that beautiful Mexico City breathes. Fortunately, I have been able to visit many places in just one month; my favorite visited site so far was Las Piramides de Teotihuacán. This place is incredible, the pyramids are amazing but I was mostly impressed by the Aztec culture, its political and social organization as well as their particular use of mathematics, knowledge of science - mainly in astronomy and medicine.
I also like how the majority of Mexicans acknowledge their ancestors and understand where they come from, accepting it with great pride. It is interesting to see how many Mexican street names and monuments recognize the revolutionary aspect that deeply characterizes Mexico’s history. It is not rare to see Emiliano Zapata’s face numerous times a day on book covers, paintings and in other art forms. Also, a subway station is named after Zapata - other subway stations are called: Revolucion, Allende (from Salvador Allende), which I find very significant. Perhaps it is background and interest on social justice but I really enjoy this type of environment where it is common to see labour protests lobbying for worker’s rights and other demonstrations, which in my opinion contributes to the empowerment of the popular sector of society.
I always leave the best for last, which means my placement - El Caracol, which is where I am most of the time. El Caracol is an organization that has honestly impressed me. I had never seen an organization as holistic as El Caracol. El Caracol is an organization dedicated to provide support to children and youths living in the streets and to those at risk of joining the street population. El Caracol is divided through many areas but the major ones are: Calle (Street), Casa (House), Comunidad (Community), Each one assists a different group which is classified according to particular circumstances. For instance, (Calle-Street) provides assistance in the streets through street educators, once the youths accept to seek greater assistance in their lives, the educators take them to the transition house where they are able to take showers, change clothes, sleep and eat. Throughout the process, the youths do not use drugs, which is a period that positively assists their health while they are using the services of the transition house. The youths who decide to stay at El Caracol (Casa-House) are further analyzed in order to see if they really want to be part of the program. After they have been accepted, El Caracol assists them in developing labour skills through El Caracol’s owned bakery where these youths work and subsequently sell the products without saying they are “street kids” - which means people buy because of product quality not pity sentiments. Youths are also assisted and linked with toxicologists, medical specialists and psychologists to optimize their corporal and mental health. Many youths are also taken to government agencies to obtain identification documents that help them reintegrate into society without the stigma. El Caracol also provides assistance to the youth in the (Comunidad-Community) to reduce the risk of the youths turning to the streets.
El Caracol is supported by theories and methodologies that are focused on the social phenomenon of street populations, therefore as a worker, it is necessary to read and read to understand the issue and to work with these populations more effectively. El Caracol is characterized by its excellent work paradigms, which are employed in similar organizations around the world. My placement is multifaceted, which means that I will not be able to describe it in only one blog assignment which is why I intend to gradually expose the different areas of El Caracol to all those reading this blog.
martes, 9 de junio de 2009
Blog Uno
The trip to Mexico City went well except for the part where I had to go through U.S. Immigration and was asked innumerable questions based on my nationality. Fortunately, I have learned to disregard the discriminatory treatment that we Colombians are put through when traveling internationally. Now... what is culture? This is a deceiving question; it seems easy, yet it is tough to answer. When I hear the word culture, what first comes to my mind is how culture tends to be constituted through common traditions, customs, practices, attitudes, goals and values shared by a group. However, I recognize the complexity of culture and understand that my definition of culture is just one of the countless possible definitions. In my particular case, I consider myself a very patriotic Colombian, as it is the country where I was born and raised until I was 14. I say that I am very patriotic, as I always seem to emphasize my nationality even without noticing. I also tend to argue with individuals who stereotypically refer to Colombians only as drug dealers and terrorists, which is why I always encourage individuals to read and get to know the culture before drawing conclusions.
It is interesting to see that I consider myself a very patriotic Colombian because when I travel back home my cousins tell me that some of my actions indicate that I do have a North American influence. In Colombia, I am a minority in terms of religion as more than 90% of the population is Roman Catholic while I am not. When people see that I refuse to go to church on Sundays and disagree with Catholic Church doctrines, I am perceived as strange. Even though, I consider my self 100% Colombian, many could argue that I am not, therefore it is very hard for me to define Colombian culture as even within Colombia there is great differences between regions. For instance, individuals from the Caribbean coast of Colombia where Cartagena and Barranquilla are located; tend to dress and talk different, they are also more laid back than individuals from the capital who are often characterized as conservative and “well dressed”. In addition, Colombia has a diverse population ranging from Afro-Colombians, Indigenous groups, Europeans, Middle Easterners, Asians and other Latin Americans. Luckily, I was able to live in various cities within Colombia and experience many of the differences among regions. Nevertheless, I do have to say that overall Colombia is a nation that is highly marked by class. There is major wealth inequality, which creates great division not only in financial terms but also in the way Colombians perceive one another. This is often based on social strata, professional status and family names to the extreme that in some cities your surname indicates how you are perceived by the rest. This type of inequality bothers me greatly as individuals are more concerned about what neighbourhood you live in, what car you drive and what school you go to; instead of destroying the “label” and getting to know the individual.
Transition to Canada
My family moved to the United States where my father had lived for several years. After a lot of thought, my parents decided to move to Canada, as their intended purpose was to find opportunities of progress for my older sister, younger brother and I. Once we arrived in Canada, we all witnessed the variety of cultures that were present, predominantly in Toronto. I personally perceived that this type of multiculturalism was very positive, as I would have the possibility of discovering new cultures. I love the diversity of cultures existent in Toronto as I have been able to develop a more open mind throughout the years while enjoying the magnificence of Canada. However, I will never forget about my roots, as I believe that in order to achieve a true identity one has to recognize and value where one comes from.
For all those who want to take a look at the real Colombia, please watch this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyFXVslYYzI&feature=related
It is interesting to see that I consider myself a very patriotic Colombian because when I travel back home my cousins tell me that some of my actions indicate that I do have a North American influence. In Colombia, I am a minority in terms of religion as more than 90% of the population is Roman Catholic while I am not. When people see that I refuse to go to church on Sundays and disagree with Catholic Church doctrines, I am perceived as strange. Even though, I consider my self 100% Colombian, many could argue that I am not, therefore it is very hard for me to define Colombian culture as even within Colombia there is great differences between regions. For instance, individuals from the Caribbean coast of Colombia where Cartagena and Barranquilla are located; tend to dress and talk different, they are also more laid back than individuals from the capital who are often characterized as conservative and “well dressed”. In addition, Colombia has a diverse population ranging from Afro-Colombians, Indigenous groups, Europeans, Middle Easterners, Asians and other Latin Americans. Luckily, I was able to live in various cities within Colombia and experience many of the differences among regions. Nevertheless, I do have to say that overall Colombia is a nation that is highly marked by class. There is major wealth inequality, which creates great division not only in financial terms but also in the way Colombians perceive one another. This is often based on social strata, professional status and family names to the extreme that in some cities your surname indicates how you are perceived by the rest. This type of inequality bothers me greatly as individuals are more concerned about what neighbourhood you live in, what car you drive and what school you go to; instead of destroying the “label” and getting to know the individual.
Transition to Canada
My family moved to the United States where my father had lived for several years. After a lot of thought, my parents decided to move to Canada, as their intended purpose was to find opportunities of progress for my older sister, younger brother and I. Once we arrived in Canada, we all witnessed the variety of cultures that were present, predominantly in Toronto. I personally perceived that this type of multiculturalism was very positive, as I would have the possibility of discovering new cultures. I love the diversity of cultures existent in Toronto as I have been able to develop a more open mind throughout the years while enjoying the magnificence of Canada. However, I will never forget about my roots, as I believe that in order to achieve a true identity one has to recognize and value where one comes from.
For all those who want to take a look at the real Colombia, please watch this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyFXVslYYzI&feature=related
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