It's been a few days since I got back from my time abroad and a family vacation down to Cancun. As I've been preparing to have Victoria over, I have been thinking more about what I want to share with her about Phoenix. My answer has not changed since I first turned in my application for this program. It is still the cultural diffusion and acceptance. I have grown up in many different communities at once and I think this is a unique experience that I would be proud to share with Victoria. Let's be honest, Phoenix is hot, and there aren't as many cultural activities as there might be in other cities, especially for teenagers. Thus, the most important thing that makes Phoenix feel like home are the people and the culture they bring with them.
Ultimately, I am really excited for all of the foreign students to come and I am looking forward to making lifelong connections around the world.
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Phoenix is less than 180 miles away from the US-Mexico border. The proximity has led to a lot of cultural diffusion, but it has also led to misunderstandings. In my opinion, the 2 worst misconceptions that Americans have are that Mexicans are lazy and that there is nothing but dusty, old towns in the middle of the desert.
Mexicans are some of the most hardworking people I have met. My host father spends long hours at the office and there are days where he leaves the house before I wake up and comes back after I fall asleep. He often works weekends as well. I can say the same about everyone I have met. No matter what their job is, Mexicans devote all of their energy to doing the best they can do with they have. Another misconception that bothers me is that people think there is nothing in Mexico but poor, rural towns. Those do exist, but almost everyone lives in the city. Even rural towns are hubs of business and ventures to increase economic productivity. Hermosillo is a rapidly expanding city with beautiful plazas, shopping centers, and government buildings. Mexico is growing at an exponential rate. Every generation of people here become more and more ambitious and always strive to achieve more, both for themselves and for their country. I have met many of our counterparts' friends and all of them have big plans for the future, aspiring to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and more. I know that this one blog post will not do much to change the opinions of those who think badly of Mexicans, but I hope that everything I have shared on this trip creates a better understanding of the beautiful culture and landscape of Mexico. Mexico is a gorgeous country, filled with beautiful landscapes from the desert to the beach., that need to be protected. The sustainability practices are basically the same as the United States, including recycling and reusing products. The one thing that is significantly different in how Mexicans interact with the environment is commercialization of natural landmarks. Over my time here, I visited both San Carlos and Kino and both are beautifully preserved without an excess of gargantuan resorts and beach houses and restaurants. The locals run small shops and everything is very clean and well-taken care of. Kino is the best example of this. We visited Isla Tiburron (aka Shark Island) right off of Kino and all you could see was the natural beauty of the island. To get there, one of the local people took us in a small boat instead of a large ferry like they do in the US. We swam in the ocean and walked around the island. Our guide told us how many people have seen the beauty of the island and wanted to make hefty profits by stripping it bare. The local people never let that happen. They love to share their beautiful home and way of life but they would never allow the island to be taken advantage of. The warm smell of brownies fills the air and the Mario Kart game noises capture our attention until Erika laughs at a video Rhiannon shows her. Her face goes red and her contagious laugh has the rest of us doubled over. It is moments like these that truly make this journey unforgettable. This past week, we have really gotten to spend a lot of time together as a cohort doing things such as watching the Incredibles 2 in Spanish, meeting the mayor, making brownies, visiting an orphanage, and enjoying nature at EcoNatura. These things have really brought us closer together and I am finally seeing what people mean when they talk about lifelong relationships. All of my best memories involve meeting new people or enjoying moments with people that I already know. Similarly, my worst memory was when I couldn't meet everybody because I was sick. In the end, it was the people I met that made this trip so memorable. I am halfway through my time in Mexico! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. Over these past 2 weeks, I have gotten to know my host family a lot better. My counterpart, Victoria, has 3 little sisters. At first, her little sisters would kind of just ignore me but over time, they felt more comfortable talking to me. They are all so sweet. All four sisters do dance at the same studio and it really brings them together. We love to play board games together (although the 7 year old always beats me at Candy-land). Having this many siblings around is definitely a big change for me. Since this family is significantly bigger than mine, the dynamic is also very different. The whole family is rarely altogether, but when they are, they give each other their undivided attention. For Father's Day, I went with Victoria, her sisters, and her dad to San Carlos. It is a trip they do every year with family friends and no moms are invited. We spent the weekend hanging out by the beach, swimming in the pool, eating good food, and talking. I think I really got to know their dad better on this trip. He is great and the trip was really fun, but this whole weekend made me feel homesick for the first time since I got here. I missed not being with my dad and the rest of my family on Father's Day, especially when the whole point of the trip was to spend time with your dad. It has been an amazing journey so far and I have made so many memories and met so many new people. I am excited for the rest of my trip and I cannot wait to learn more and share it with you guys as I overcome homesickness. Food is such an integral part of Mexican culture. The process of cooking it and eating it brings people closer. It is also a huge part of how they show their hospitality. Denying it is almost an insult to them. The biggest difference between the food in Mexico and the food in the US is the story it tells. There isn't much that a burger can say about your family traditions, but tamales have been handed down for generations and every family cooks them just a little bit differently. This journey has been especially interesting for me since I am vegetarian. It must be a bit of a hassle for my host family, but they have been so nice about it. They graciously modify their food to remove the meat. This just further shows how food is a part of how they show their hospitality. Entomatadas is just one example of all the delicious food I have gotten to eat in Mexico. I had this for lunch 2 days ago and it was such a good bonding experience with my host mom to help her make it. I hope you find the following recipe useful... Entomatadas 12 portions Ingredients 3/4 kilogram of tomatoes 2 small garlic cloves 4 tbsp of vegetable oil 3/4 cup of diced white onion pinch of salt 12 corn tortillas 1/4 kilo of cheese with 2 cups already crumbled Instructions
It has been a few days since I landed in Hermosillo. It has been an exciting few days becoming more familiar with the culture. It was my counterpart, Victoria's birthday the day after I landed, so we went out to brunch and I hung out with her friends. It was very interesting to see what being a teenager is like here. I realized that it really isn't that different. They talked about the boys at school and the upcoming dance recital. Life here is really not wildly different than life in Phoenix. There are, however, a few things that struck me as different. The first took me by surprise when I met my counterpart for the first time. I went to shake hands with her and she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. At first, I just thought that she was being really friendly but then her mom and the other counterparts did the same. They still do this every time we meet each other. It took a little while to get used to it, but I think it makes for a much more personal and heartfelt greeting. Another thing that is significantly different is the mealtimes. We still eat breakfast as soon as we wake up but lunch is the heaviest meal of day and is eaten at around 2:30. Dinner is usually pretty late and is lighter than what we would eat even for lunch in the US. The last thing that struck as different is the convenience store Oxxo. It is like 7-11 and its on every street corner, but the food they sell is much better. They have horchata and tamarind candies and really good potato chips. All in all, I have been enjoying my first few days in Mexico as I get adjusted to life here It is just a little over 24 hours until I board the plane to Mexico. Until now, my departure felt so distant but it is suddenly becoming so real. I still don't know what to expect from this trip. Everyone says it is a "life-changing" experience, but despite so many meetings and academy sessions, I don't think anything could have prepared me for this feeling.
From what I have heard about Mexico, I am most looking forward to the friendly people and good food. From personal experience and what the Phoenix Sister Cities alumni have told me, Mexican culture is very open and hospitable and I can't wait to see it firsthand. As much as we don't like to talk about it, the one thing I am weary about is cultural stereotypes. With the current political climate, people have stronger opinions than ever about the United States and vice versa. That makes it exceedingly important for me and all the other youth ambassadors to represent the United States in a meaningful way. I am scared to mess that up. I don't anyone to think something about me because of stereotypes and neither do I want to unknowingly offend someone. Anyway, I am ready to step up to the challenge and there is no way for me to know at this point how the experience will change my life. |
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