Love in the time of Cholula

Hi there fans, followers and all of my charming and lovely fanatics (Hi Mom!). It has been a while, and although the soul searching, self discovery and tripping the world has been fun I am in desperate need of a public creative outlet to indulge my narcissism, which brings me back to my old friend, my blog. After a 3 month hiatus from any form of responsibility, burden and boredom I am back in Cholula ready and rearing to go for another semester full of fun, excitement and a bit of study somewhere on the side. Of course, being back and no longer being the new bright eyed kid on the block definitely has its pros and cons, but of course with the gift of hindsight I begin semester 2 on the front foot. Although the past semester was amazing, beautiful friendships were formed and I have no regrets (except for lost cameras and horrid hangovers) there are a few lessons that I have learned over the past semester that I will take with me.

This is pretty much how I started out, with no idea about anything Mexican (believe it or not 2 years working at Cactus Jacks does little to prepare one for the full on culture explosion that is Mexico). But with the wisdom and experience under my belt and a comprehensive (read: very very basic) understanding of the inner workings of Mexican life, culture and civilisation (and drinking habits) there are certain things I will do diferently this FAWWLLLL semester.

1) Travel smarter

Last semester I really seized life and the exchange opportunity by the balls (okay... tried to) by travelling far and wide with almost every weekend I had. Although I had some amazing trips, met fantastic people and was lucky enough to see a lot of Mexico, there were obviously some limiting factors. Of course going away for a few days over the weekend means that one either has to a) travel locally to within a few hours by bus or b) spend big money and long hours on buses to see further. Having experienced the both, and having realised that attendance matters a lot less than the professors like to harp on, this leaves me with one logical option: travel for longer! So rather than taking off for a few days over the weekend why not travel for an entire week? 7 days is more than enough time to justify a 15 hour bus journey and it ensures that more time is spent travelling than waiting around in transit. Also, it allows for more weekends in Cholula which are super fun!

2) Study Less

I am still trying to see the logic in my attitude to study last semester which really just proved to be inefficient and un fun. While my schooling efforts are slack at best, they are still grossly excessive compared to what I really need to be doing. Taking into consideration the fact that a) as long as I pass my grades don't matter a bit, b) UDLA is very easy at the best of times, and are even more chilled out with exchange students and c) exchange is not SUPPOSED to be about studying hard, it seems like less is more. So forget doing the readings, non essential homework or going to class every single week! All nighters, minimal effort and a slap up job of all assignments is the name of the game. Anything more than a C- is just a waste, and wastefulness is inefficient and unintelligent, so smart studying is no studying!


3) Shove your piropo up your mother's concha

Sexual harassment in the streets. It's a fact of life for any white girl in Mexico and it can be as simple as a whistle or as creepy as a guy calling you 'Mamecita' whilst following you for 3 blocks. The most natural reaction for most girls who are used to the cold, compliment-less white boys is fear. "ZOMG they are going to rape me or tie me to a tree and touch me in inappropriate places," is a common fear. Of course, once one realises that doesn't actually happen, those feelings just turn to resentment, frustration, anger and a new found appreciation for Australian boys. But it doesn't have to be that way! Of course if some men just want to exert their manliness, be douchey or perhaps get laid they deserve to have it served back at them. So this semester instead of lowering my gaze and walking quickly past them, why not start strutting? Or serve them back an equally obnoxious comment to shut them down? It's not like they'll whip out the handgun for being called out on their rudeness. And if someone asks the dreaded boyfriend question why not just say outright "Nope!" It's not like they have a chance anyway (not the creepy dad types who are normally responsible for such piropos). If they want to give it then why don't we just torture them back? THAT is feminism.

4) Drink Less

Lol! Not going to happen. NEXT!

5) Be open to ALL experiences and people

So one problem I had at the beginning of last semester was my attitude towards other foreigners and in particular the other foreign students. While it is so important to embrace the local culture and befriend actual Mexican people in Mexico, it doesn't necessarily mean being a pretentious douche about it either. Even though I met some wonderful amazing Mexican friends, it wasn't until the later part of the semester that I began to realise just how interesting and unique some of the other exchange students were and finally get to know them. It is by no means a matter of clinging to one's own, or being too afraid or insecure to make local friends, but of just accepting and appreciating people for who they are, no matter where they're from. This semester I know I will no doubt meet a tonne of new friends, both Mexican and foreign, but those friends will be made based on who they are and not based on where they're from.

6) Just Chill the hell out!

Some things in Mexico (like anywhere) just don't work. Or they don't run on time or are late. And some people just don't get queue-ing etiquette. But worrying about it, being stressy and bitching don't make them any better! Deep breaths, relaxation and the realisation that you can't control the world around you are some of the hardest things to grasp and to really put into practice, but they definitely maketh a happy person. So if Don Julio gets the last ticket on the bus, who cares? Pull up, read a book and catch the next one! Mexico is one of the best places to test patience and will, and also one of the hardest