IDEALS

After five powerful and liberating weeks of experiential learning in Mexico, we have arrived back in Canada. The flight seemed shorter this time and in many ways stepping off the plane and onto the soil of my home country was just as shocking as taking the steps onto Mexican soil 38 days ago.

By John Duggan

In my blogging to this point I have been writing in an anecdotal and descriptive fashion. I beg patience as I shift to a more analytic and summary style. I am very conscious that there is much to learn about Mexico and its people and about being an effective international support worker. Here are a few of my learnings from the Chiapas and Mexico experience:

A reflection from reading week - March 1, 2011

There is something about sitting beside a tree that is over 1500 years old that makes life beautiful. Today that’s what three of us ISW girls did, went to visit the 1500 year old Tree of Life in a small town called Tule, about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca City.

Submitted by Gary Warren

Everyone is back safe and sound. Except for one student, but that is another story.

Like most of the students, I am recovering from ‘reverse culture shock’ after 7 weeks and 3 days of being in Southern and Central Mexico.

FINAL PART: LESSONS LEARNT IN MEXICO - CHARLOTTE KUDADIRGWA

Observations:

From the very first day I set foot in San Cristobal, I noticed that the local people were not very loud. Most of the locals walk very quietly facing down. Even though there is always music in the air, dancing on the street and fireworks all night every night, the local people were not very loud.

At first I thought it was because they were not happy given that Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico. Then I realized that it’s just the way they are. Why? I will get into that.

By John Duggan

Today Cathy and I took the Petatlan bound bus out to "La Chole" on the road that leads from Zihuatanejo to Acapulco.

The Lonely Planet guide informs us that this recently discovered archeological site (work began in 2007) is the largest and richest site in Guerrero State. Another source (La Jornada, Guerrero) suggests that it could ultimately outshine
Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. It adds that he government has already spent 12 million pesos on work completed at the site.

By Charlotte Kudadirgwa

As this trip in Chiapas Mexico comes to an end, I feel as though nothing about development is as black and white as the textbooks or the media make it seem. What I was expecting and what I experienced were two completely different things.

Coming from the small coastal town of Puerta Arista, where after three days the locals know you by name, the city of Oaxaca is a big change.

The streets are lively and lined with shops and vendors, mainly of jewelry and local food delicacies. The streets are wider and busier here compared to the smaller cobble stone streets of San Cristobal and the indigenous population is drastically less within the city center and it took until mid-afternoon before I was able to clearly identify numerous of the traditional dress of the indigenous peoples within Oaxaca.

Submitted by Gary Warren

One of the words most used while we were in the rainforest was ‘fear’. On the surface, everyone can agree with the beauty of the forest that surrounded us, the clear rivers and lagoons, the hot weather in February. But on the other hand, it was unsettling to deal with the animals that wandered into our open cabin at night; the stories that Victor told us about seeing jaguars and panthers; the spiders in our beds; the fierce sounding howler monkeys that kept us awake at night. Then there was the man-made fear of the military checkpoints.

I forgot how cold the nights could get in the city of San Cristobal, tonight I am quickly reminded. Thank goodness we are beach bound.