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¡Estoy triste! Tan triste que no tienen idea :(
Well folks, I have finally left Camohmila. Sob. It was very hard indeed.
But first, to cheer me up, let me tell you of the ins and outs of walking in the street with a chico.
Basically, they ALWAYS let the girl go first. ALWAYS. It makes me mad.
I was walking in town with an aspirante guy a couple of Sundays ago, called Paco, and although he had a sleeping bag and a small rucksack, and I had nothing to carry except my shoulder bag thing, he always went out of his way to make sure that I passed though smaller gaps first, and that I walked on the pavement and not on the street. I got slightly angry, cos I felt really bad for him, and he laughed at me and explained that all decent mexican guys do it, they could be carrying the kitchen sink and they will always let the lady pass first... Meh. I was less mad when he explained, but I still can´t get my head round it. Also, they always open doors for you, and hand you in and out of taxis and, and, and. It is soooo wierd. Even though I have been here for 5 months, I still can´t get used to it. And Paco paid for my tacos and tlacoyo when we went to eat in the market, which also made me slightly angry, and we had another discussion about why the guys always pay. It is a cultural phenomenomeonm that I will never get my head round. Well, I will, it´s just so strange.
Another example. I was wandering round with nothing to do last Friday, and I came across Matías. He asked what I was up to, and when I told him I had nothing to do all evening, he invited me out for a beer in town. I went to meet him on the corner by Ixcatepec, but the gate was locked. And there were 3 people, and two camionetas (trucks) waiting to go in to/out of the camp. So I was 5 minutes late to meet him, and he teased me about it loads, as he always takes the mick out of inglesas being on time all the time.
But it was cool. We walked along the avenida del tepozteco, and found a cafe type place, and we sat there for like, 5 hours nattering away. We had prepared beer. I think it´s called michelada, they put a huge fat bottle in a massive polystyrene cup, and mix it with chile and lime, and put powdered chile round the rim of the cup. It is nice. I thought we would only stay for one, but matías kept insisting on another and another, and a taco cos it was his fault for keeping me out an me missing supper. I should point out that matías is in his 40s and is married. Anyway, even though he only earns like, 200 pesos a day (about a tenner) he paid for everything, and the taxi and everything.
It was a very funny evening. He is about the same height as me, but a bit lighter, and if I was slightly tipsy by midnight, he definately was. Fortunately, he has the key to the gate, as he is the head maintenance guy, so I sneaked in and caught the padlock and crept past the doctor´s cabaña, and all the way to the cabaña without gurmaro (the night person) seeing me, only to walk up to a couple of aspirantes and aarion, a consejero, stood outside the cabañas. They asked me how the party was, and I said, ´what party´ shhhh, I´ve been in the cabaña all night sleeping, and I got back at 9 o´clock, yeah?
Hahaha. the only time that I´ve sneaked in really late. Matías made us wait by the taxis for ages, so that I wouldn´t arrive drunk to the camp. Bless him. And he was really worried the next day. He kept asking, nobody heard you did they, nobody saw you? niña traviesa.
All top fun. I also had a very interesting conversation with Rocendo, the paramedic, about all different types of dance, and he gave me a dance lesson in the enfermeria. It is a very small room, and I kicked mariana, who was watching, several times. I also learned how to take my own blood pressure, although I wasn´t really sure what I was supposed to be listening to. I think rocendo wanted to teach me how to put a drip in someones hand, but lacked the equipment to do so. Lastima.
But, on to the becarios.
The last week was possibly the best week I have had with them all. It was ACE. Sadly, saul, one of the secondary school leavers wasn´t there, as he was helping with the bulls for the fiesta in san juan, and I get on dead well with him, but, all the rest were cool too.
I got the secondary school girls to help me tuck Adrian in the pool. Haha. We had to grab him and take all the stuff out of his pockets first, and he is very ticklish. I handed his wallet, mp3 player, change, etc. to luisa who was sitting on the lifeguard chair watching bemusedly, and, as he knew he was going to lose, we let him take his trainers off. He started to take his shirt off too, but I told him that we don´t want to be seeing that thankyou very much, and we pushed him in. hahahaha. He acted angry, but I think he thought it was very funny indeed.
On last thursday, most of the kids weren´t in school, so I hung out with them whilst they were playing and decorating the salon. I had to do the farm in the morning (whilst a group of moodie teenages were there staring at me in my wellies splattered in rabbit wee), and I heard them all playing. Alfredo told me that they were soaking each other with water. I mention to Chulo, (miguel) one of the secondary boys that I wanted to watch, but was in the farm, and about 10 minutes later, he oh so subltely told japo ´vente´ and the two whispered, and wandered off in the direction of the loos. A bit later, they wandered back to where I was on the swings. It was slightly obvious they were planning something water related, but what I didn´t realise was that there was a third person in on it Gerado. He wrapped his arms round the swing and me so I couldn´t stand up, and miguel and japo started running towards me with bottles of water. I managed to break free though, and we legged it all round the juegos, me using the other kids for protection, much to their disamusement. I was VERY wet by the time we finished that game.
The night before, I slept in the girls cabaña, it was cool, we chatted loads, until lupe came in and whined at them all to sleep.
We also had a campfire on the wednesday night, organised by the becarios, without any of the juveniles. It was quite impressive. All the big ones sang songs, and at the end, everyone was told to give 60 hugs, as there were 60 people at the campfire. Lollypops and marshmellows were everywhere. It was ace. I sang the óle song, requested with popular demand, and we played auld lang syne on the guitars with the secundaria chavos that had been learning it.
Thursday afternoon was la clausura, like a show type thing to say goodbye at the end of the year, and goodbye to those that were leaving the camp. The salon was decorated loads with bamboo as trees (which the lads used to bury a sleeping lilia) and birds and flowers and balloons everywhere. There were dances, and we played the guitars again, and the secondary leavers said a few words. All their parents and sisters and brothers and aunts etc. were there. And the juveniles were there to help dish out the million tortas and the refrescos and the atole to all the families at the end. All the kids were made to stand in a line, and they hugged all the secondary leavers one by one. The three girls, liliana, viri and rebeca, were crying loads, saul had really red eyes, and I think jonathon was on the edge too. It was so sad.
After, I went and stood by the entrance with adrian who was counting all the people as they left to see how many attended, and I gave all the becarios a hug goodbye. It was really sad saying bye to a few in particular, and also a few of the juveniles. Argh........
On sunday, ocatvio finally gave me the flower that he promised to regalarme when I got angry when he said something VERY rude to me in english.
I also built upon the fake boyfriend joke that I have with one of the lads in the kitchen. The weekend before last, he came and sat down next to me and gave me a hug, and kind of stayed there for ages, until I asked, ´who are you, my boyfriend?´to which he said yes. We then wound each other up every time I was in the comedor and went to ask for more food, or handed over the plates. The cooks thought it was hilarious.
On saturday night, I was sat by the campfire after it ended, and Victor (novio mio) and octavio´s brother came over, and octavio´s brother sat and played the guitar. He is amazing at it. We were then asked by aarion to go and hide in the bushes and wait for him to arrive with the group, and he told a story about a musician, and octavio´s brother played a few notes. It was hilarious squashed together behind a tree with a few of the aspirantes and my novio poking me and strangling me and whining that he was cold. We didn´t scare the group in the end. Oh well.
And today (after an embarassing mix up of times) was my last day in camoh. I went to school in Ixcatepec in the morning, and played with the kids. We got both 5 and 6 grado to go out, and we played basketball. In the end, it was me and the teacher from 5 grado against like, 20 other kids. Me and the maestro? we won.
5o then did a goodbye comida for me, and we had sandwich and refresco, and they gave me a teddy bear and two roses and a libretto with drawings in. It was well sweet.
And now I´m in the bus station waiting for my bus which leaves at 20 to twelve. I have nothing to do. I have bought fake dvds, a magazine, eaten tacos and had agua de limon, and only have 6mins left on the internet.
I had a goodbye talk at the YMCA in mexico city, and I now have a brand shiny new chamarra with the ymca logo on. tres cool. It was Very sad saying goodbye to urbano though. he taxied me to the metro station and everything. hhmmmmmm.
anyway. more soon from oaxaca!!!!!!!
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