Puebla

This weekend a group of 8 of us took a trip to check out the city of Puebla. Many of us Americans celebrate the battle of Puelba every year on Cinco de Mayo, which is the day the Mexicans defeated the French in a sort of David and Goliath-like fashion. They ultimately lost the war, but it still gives us reason to drink margaritas and Corona in Irish pubs.

A million people live in the city but it has a very small feel. It's surrounded by mountain ranges, volcanoes and open land. It's one of the few parts of the country that has managed to avoid drug trafficking drama. It felt good to not have to worry about city curfews, which has been the case in Cuernavaca lately. At around 7,000 feet the weather is a lot more mild...even a little cool in the morning. It was a nice break from the intense heat we've been having in Miacatlan.

We also visited a nearby city called Chulula where my friends Erika and Sophie studied for a semester. I walked with them as they visited their old haunts. Chulula is also known for a huge pyramid, on top of which the Spanish built a Cathedral in true colonial fashion.

Another highlight was hanging out with my friend Raul, who I had visited back in January. He goes to college in Puebla and was able to show us some of the city, including a good taco joint and a fun salsa club on Saturday night.

By the way, I stole these pictures from Erika's Facebook page, so I can't take credit for any of them.

Huriel

Last week the kids finished another quarter of the school year, which meant there was a round of exams. The older kids are required to take an Arts class and for their exam they have to choreograph a group dance and then perform it in front of the whole school. I went to watch them Thursday and Friday mornings. Most of the groups consisted of about 20 kids trying to copy their favorite pop stars' dance moves that they had seen on Youtube videos. At times it was painful to watch but I sat in front taking pictures, as they instructed me to do.

I met Huriel one of my first weeks here. He broke his finger and would show up every once in a while to show me that it was moving better. He's in the Special Ed department. He has this interesting balance of confidence and shyness, which I can appreciate. A couple of Sundays ago he asked me to buy him a Michael Jackson CD at the market. I was able to find a nice mix with a lot of MJ's greatest hits.

Friday morning he walked onto the center of the basketball court in front of all of his classmates wearing black dress shoes, a white belt and a white styrofoam hat. I waited for the rest of his group to join him, but then I realized he was going solo. Billy Jean started to pump over the speakers and he proceded to moon walk back and forth for a full 5 minutes...shedding his white hat and jacket in the process. It was very Napolean Dynamite-esque. Afterwards he came up to me asking for my approval, I honestly told him it was my favorite all of the dances...and I took his picture.

I'm On A Boat

Yesterday all 16 volunteers took a retreat together. It was the first time all of us were able to go on a social outing together because usually we alternate work weekends. We spent the day in Xochimilco, which is the south part of Mexico City. It's known for its canals that flow through the borough. Its most famous attraction are the Xochimilco boat rides. We all piled onto one boat and our driver propelled us though the canals using a huge stick. A whole economy exists along the canal. Boats of mariachis will pull up alongside you to serenade you. Old women in canoes prepare beers with chili and salt, complete with blessings. They're a little expensive, but supposedly they're worth it. I even saw a guy boiling water for corn on the cob using an open fire on his wooden canoe. The atmosphere amongst the boat riders ranges from a relaxing picnic vibe to party boat style. We chose the party route and had a lot of fun together. I even took part in the all-guy shirtless beer shotgun ritual. There was more than one comment of surprise from the women folk that an old man like myself would partake in such college-like shenanigans. But I did just fine after a little orientation. Good people and good old fashion fun...not my typical "nice little Sunday", but luckily I'm not too much worse for the wear on this Monday afternoon.

Perla

Perla is my youngest patient and one of my most consistent patients. She isn't a "pequena", meaning she doesn't live here at the house. She's what is called an "externa", she lives in town and her parents pay money for her to attend school at NPH rather than the public school in Miacatlan. Pati, who seems to know everyone within a 20 mile radius, introduced me to Perla's mother the first week I arrived. Perla has been unofficially diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, which has left her with limited strength and difficulty walking. She is well known around the NPH home because of her obvious disability.

Despite being extremely shy, Perla and I have developed a good rhythm together when she comes for treatment after school. Despite very few words being spoken, she has shown increased comfort with me. She laughs more each week and now feels comfortable if her mom waits outside during our sessions. We always finish with a Wii boxing match between Perla and her sister Yeri who is in Kindergarten. Sometimes their cousin Diego comes in too and pretends like he's playing along (as seen in the picture).

Perla's mom pays me with occasional treats like fruit, yogurt or cookies. Yesterday she invited Pati and I to their home for lunch. Perla lives under an umbrella of strong women, including her aunts and grandmother. The men are either deceased or working in the United States. Perla's father works in Los Angeles, sending enough money for her to attend "private" school.

I can't help but to compare Perla to the kids in the house here at NPH. On one hand she has a mother who daily advocates for her to receive the therapy she needs. There is no way the pequenos in the house can receive this one on one attention. But at the same time Perla's mother lacks the resources to ultimately get her daughter the proper medical care she needs. Every child with a disability at NPH is followed by Shriners hospital in Mexico City. It's a complicated process that often involves social workers and a knowledge of "the system"...a task that is too overwhelming no matter how many times I mention it to Perla's mother. Honestly, it's hard to say who has a greater advantage. In the meantime Perla and I will keep plugging away.

***On a side note I'm feeling much more like myself again. I think putting it out there was good medicine. Thank you for those who expressed concern. No doubt there are bad days in life, but it gets hard when they stack up!

Halftime

Please excuse the "Exercise In Living" halftime intermission. I've been in a weird head space since hitting the 3 month point here in Mexico. I haven't felt quite like myself and needless to say, I've lacked the inspiration to write. I wish I could pinpoint something that's causing it but I can't. I'm eating well, sleeping enough, exercising almost daily, using legal substances in moderation, even taking a vitamin. So bear with me, I hope to be back in action in the near future.

Baby Jesus

Jesus is kid I've known for awhile. He's famous for coming up and saying, "Hey man!" in a classic Mexican accent. He's always injured and when he hurts badly enough, he'll come up to the clinic for some help. I started calling him Baby Jesus, partly because he likes English (and gets the reference) and partly because he whines like a baby no matter what I ask him to do. His official nickname is Chango, which is a word used here in Mexico for a small monkey. I don't really like it because it's a name they use for kids who look more indigenous. Part of the reason he's always hurting himself is that his shoes are torn up, his toes literally come out of the top. He also really likes to play soccer. When I mentioned the possibility of getting some new shoes, he would always tell me that his uncle is the lawyer for the President of Mexico, and would send him money. That never came through, but luckily my friend Park the Krazy Korean and Baby Jesus became fast friends and Park left some money to buy him some shoes. So this morning we hit the market and he picked out some shiny new black soccer kicks, which should serve him well on the slippery soccer courts here. I hope they keep him injury free.

"Wear them in good health"... famous quote by my grandma every Christmas.

"Hey, I put my new shoes on and suddenly everything is all right"... lyric by Paolo Nutini

Taxco German Style

Today I went with my friends Erika, Jane and Martin to a town called Taxco, famous for its silver mines. It's a steep curvy bus ride to reach the town. My new friend Martin who is visiting from Germany politely woke me up during the ride and asked if I had a plastic bag. Luckily I did and in stereotypical German style he stoically threw up in the bag and then went on as if nothing ever happened. The German theme continued as we explored the town in several vehicles: VW bug taxis, VW bus public transit, and a cable car ride that I believe was also made in Germany (or was it Switzerland?). We also walked our share of the steep cobble stone streets, often dodging VW bugs. It was another nice little Sunday. I spent Friday and Saturday in Cuernavaca but exploring a new place made the weekend seem twice as long.