Teotihuacan, right between the Sun and the Moon, the world moves forward

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Mexico City. Three days of driving around the most winding and ridiculous streets from one beautiful, breathtaking location to the next. Navigating chocolate bumps and round-abouts, no lanes and VW beetle cabs (how do you get IN one of those?), high roads, low roads and tráfico, dontcha. It was like the best roller-coaster ride ever. My pilot knows the roads, mostly (even seasoned veterans can get lost on DF roads) but never missed a traffic bump. Yes indeed the city put in speed bumps all over the place because residents completely ignore traffic lights, which is not surprising as there are often traffic lights pointing the wrong way down one-way streets or other such ridiculous locations. Nevermind the fact that there is no grid. Navigation is all by landmark. This is made much easier by the fact that there is an unprecedented amount of public art. Lost? Pull a U-turn at the white Arabesque sculpture and follow your route back to the hairpin turn, then turn Right and take the low road under the Periférico.

When you reach your destination, you will have to pay for parking in a restricted lot. This is normal, the only way to do it. While on your way, you have to be careful not to run over the kids in the streets trying to sell you flowers or watches, nor the Big Butt Clowns, but you may consider clipping the guys who squirt soapy water on your windshield and then charge you for the wash. Supposedly this is now illegal, but the guys are still there and will toss a bucket your direction with towels in it to fake you out. The trick is to leave space between you and the car in front of you so you can pull up as a gesture to let the interesting and industrious pan-handlers know you are not a sucker. Big Butt Clowns? I was entertained.

We did other things besides driving, but in DF (Distrito Federal aka Mexico City) driving is essential. On Monday, when everyone went back to work, I had several dizzy spells. I was afraid that I had contracted something viral or that I was just simply dying of a brain tumor. I couldn't stop yawning and I needed to sit down, now. What was this curious malady? Aha! Pollution! I was suffering from an altitude of 7000ft above sea level and no clean air to breathe. Not a problem on the weekend, but once rush hour traffic commenced, the carbon monoxide levels were not suitable for this flatlander.

Now to the really amazing parts: The historic district with the Cathedral and the government buildings on the Zócalo, and the Aztec ruins and the Grand Hotel. It was beautiful. We toured the Cathedral and I asked my tour guide to translate every name of every chapel and explain to me the structural implications of the sinking of the building (too much water getting sucked out of the foundations). Then he purchased two tickets for the tour of the Campanario to see the naughty bell that tossed a pal one time. We climbed the ancient stairs and I requested translations of the narration by the guide, but the answer was always "tseh, he's talking about the bells..." which invariably led to more PDA. Speaking of that, the city is full of PDAs (which is what my personal kissing assistant now calls the other pals who are standing about kissing after I introduced him to the middle school term). He then mentioned something about how I'd be called a "strawberry" and I just had to accept that at face value despite my tendency to be offended. It didn't matter at all... The whole scene was so beautiful. We dined on the roof terrace at the Grand Hotel watching the clouds change above the government buildings until the afternoon rains came. We talked of many things from our pasts which seemed just right in such an historic place. Afterward we walked along the arcaded jewelry stores and watched the punk rockers hand out flyers while a string quartet played Vivaldi. It was perfect.



Ok, there were more amazing things, the piramides were wonderful, the hacienda was magical, everything was perfect and I am too tired to write about it all now.



I am leaving for Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I will be there for nearly a week and then to Pittsburgh for my brother's graduation. I'll have more stories when I return.



Bon voyage! Via con Dios...

moving is not better

So, there should be a completely different term for the act of taking all of your personal posessions from one location to another. Perhaps "bad idea" or "fiasco" or "torture" would be better terms. Does anyone know if I plan to write my memoirs someday? Cause I'm not sure if I should keep this box of notebooks from middle school. What about art made by a dead ex? Is that a "keeper"?
I think I need help. Or maybe just a dumpster.

Gifts

I have a week and a half to get rid of everything I own. Who needs winter coats? How about a gold velour couch? It is cat proof and super comfortable to sleep on. House plants? Anybody need to fill that hole with green lovin'? Who needs a set of Tea Sugar Flour canisters? I've got two very awesome art deco-ish pale wood veneer bedside tables with three drawers each for your naughty literature and your unmentionables. I have one mint green vinyl chair with a brass frame, total '70's waiting room style, one turquoise arm chair with wood legs and brass brads, also vinyl. If I had any real money these chairs would be leather, but alas, they are all vintage thrift treasures. To go with those, I have a white pleather bench with wooden legs, perfect for the front hall or the foot of the bed. I have one folding screen with beige and gold paper framed in black painted wood. It is falling apart, but a few strategically placed staples and you are good to go. I have two lamps: one is brushed stainless vintage 'inspired' and the other is black and bronze vintage for real. I also have two black 5 shelf target metro shelf units. I have two Ikea bar stools, white with silver legs, a Bulova wall clock which is super awesome but gently cracked at the edge. This has never bothered me because the clock is awesome enough to make up for it's flaws. I have a couple of wool blankets and a ton of books on all kinds of random topics. I have a small folding drafting table that is ready to go home with you. There are CDs that Reckless Records won't take, but I know you will.

These are all gifts for YOU!

Please come pick them up now, thank you.

Warm Up

As if Portugal and India were not exciting enough, I'd like to warm up my International Travel Extravaganza with a quick trip to Mexico City. Why you ask? Because I was invited.

I am learning about all the things there are to see and reading my Spanish dictionary on the train in the mornings. Hot cha. I will tell you all about it when I return.

In the mean time, can someone tell me why I thought it was a good idea to sell my car BEFORE I move?

Housekeeping

There are some well put together blogs out there, people. Have you been reading these? It is amazing how many people are capable of putting together their thoughts and experiences verbally, and in print, digitally (sometimes with photos) and putting it out there for the world to read and learn from. I am so impressed.

And I am daunted. I could go so many directions and do so many things now that my rubbermaid tub of composting red worms has been opened up. Well, I mean I could say so many things in so many ways. (None of these things would make up for the fact that I just confessed to a little bit of dirty hippy deep down inside of me somewhere underneath my stack of really heavy design magazines). So, with no further ado, I would like to set forth some parameters for this textual adventure.

The title of this blog is "It's Better When You're Moving" (I think I need to consult my most updated version of the MLA to know how to punctuate the title of a blog, gimme a sec...) M'kay, it looks like the rule of thumb is quotations for short works and parts of long works, and italics or underlining for long works or series of short works. Blogs seem to fit well in the category of series of short works so, since I like dynamism, italics it is!

The title of this blog is It's Better When You're Moving and my intention is to document my world travels for my friends and family. I would also like to add two more things (which may actually lead to multitudes of things, but we can cross said bridge upon arrival). One would be observations of other movers and the second would be food. Because ultimately I like to rejoice in the movements of those around me and food, or nourishment, is the fuel for motion, dontcha.

So look forward to future posts with odd observations and tasty snack descriptions and/or photos. Thank you.


P.S. Further research suggests that the MLA actually prefers quotes as the appropriate punctuation for blog titles. I think they are not only misguided, but also missing out. GRIN.

Reaching Out for the Equator -or- Can I Swim to the Maldives From Here?

View Larger Map

Finally pinpointed the area of India where the school I am volunteering with is located. They have facilities in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and (as pictured above) Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India. Hot cha.
Please do browse the larger map and check out some of the pictures.

The Work

Getting closer to India is presenting a few challenges. The easy part was waking up one morning with the revelation in my mind.

You are going to India.

Now, I don't know anything about anything, but I woke up that March 14th with the most calm and doubtless knowledge, not a hunch, not a wishful thought, not a fleeting fantasy. I didn't ask why. I had no idea where or when or how.

Hm, I am going to India. Oh, OK then.

Hours later, several events coincided to provide a little more insight on what to do with this knowledge. I went to church in a state of mind one might describe as a complete and total loss. I was on my way to support my dear sweet friend on her first attempt at overcoming stage fright at 8 o'clock in the morning. She needed the support and I wouldn't have missed it for anything. One foot after the other, just get there and be present. I found myself in the pews with several women I had never met but were obviously there for our friend's speech. They all looked as if they had just rolled out of bed, but had beaming faces and bristling energy all ready to reach out for kisses and hugs, knowing eye contact and hand squeezes. Well after all of that I was scooped and brought to brunch and introduced to everyone.
These women blew my mind. Absolutely. It was as though I were invited onto cloud #347 where several angels had gathered to answer all of my questions about life and love and what to do next, with a side of bacon.

So naturally I told them I was going to India and they were all "oh that is fantastic, when are you going, where will you be staying, how long will you be there, etc." and I was all "um, I don't know. I just found out I was going there yesterday." After about a split second of processing, one of the women told me she had someone I needed to meet who was actually only in town from India for two weeks and would be leaving in about 5 days. I said yes please, distributed my contact information and said I was totally available at anytime of day or night. Brunch wrapped up and I felt ready for anything. It's a good thing, too. Because I needed to be ready for what came next. Beware the Ides...

In a nutshell, what came next was a radical re-envisioning of my life and goals that I already knew was going to happen, but was still shocked by. It is hard to have some serious intuition powers AND a blissful child-like naivete at the same time, dontcha. The important thing to focus on here is the merciful freedom that entered my life clearing up a couple of things that were blocking my vector towards India. Now, I still have only a vague idea where my destination inside an enormous country is going to be, and the vaporous knowledge of why I am going materializes only a little more everyday, but I am so glad I had that revelation early or I might have needed a stunt double for the death defying leap from the sun roof of a speeding luxury sports car about to veer left onto the side of a high-speed train about to veer right.

That was the easy part. Now I am faced with budget, schedules, plane tickets, vaccinations, visas, selling my car, moving out of my apartment, securing a storage locker or selling everything I own (jury is still out on that one), taking the GRE, researching grad schools, working on my portfolio, eating as much Indian food as I can (mutter paneer, yum), working 9-5, vacationing in Portugal, volunteering for LIFT (more on this soon), and socializing with near and dear friends and family. Oy.

Thank God the weather is holding up. Yes, I know, it will snow tomorrow because I said that.