Oaxaca City to Teotitlan

At Universidad de la Tierra, with Gustavo Esteva

Though we haven't blogged in awhile, we've been doing a ton of cool things. After settling at Hostel Don Nino, we went out for dinner in Oaxaca City, where some of us sampled the local traditional dishes of Oaxaca. (Seasoned crickets anyone?). Then we walked to the Zocalo, a really hopping downtown ped mall. On the way there we met an Australian desperate to speak English, and somehow ended up at a concert where we attempted to dance the Cumbia and Salsa. Afterward some of us continued on to see more music, and watch children have crazy amounts of fun with really tall balloons. Before leaving we got to be part of a street performer stunt. Eight of us lay down in a line while a BMX biker jumped over us all.

Eating Mangos Pinas on the patio kitchen at Don Ninos

The next day we went to San Pablo Etla, where we were introduced to sustainable desert forestry and mountain preservation. For the service aspect of the day we revarnished a  community building. Some varnish remains on some of our clothes and bodies today, including the arms typing this post.
On Monday we met up with Scattergoodian Teri Gunderson, who lives in Oaxaca City and showed us some of the sights. Notably, we had a great time with her dog, Kiji, who jumps through anyone's outstretched arms on command. In the afternoon we went to the Oaxaca Learning Center, where we spent a few hours talking with kids our age trying to learn English. These intercambios were a really great time for all of us to practice a foreign language. There were many opportunities to laugh at ourselves, particularly at the end when we played a bilingual game of 'Telephone'.

On the way to our intercambios

Alan rocking his Spanish

-Sophie

The night before we left Oaxaca City for Teotitlan a few of us decided to try and listen to a sold out concert of the locally famous Cumbia artist, Celso Pina. It was an awesome location set between two gorgeous churches and it was the biggest can of sardines I have ever walked through. We squished our way through tons of people and stood on the edge of the crowd outside of the ticketed area to listen and jiggle to the music.

The next day was probably my favorite speaker of the trip. We talked to an amazing wise older man named Gustavo Esteva. You should check out his books if you haven't already. He talked about many ideas relevant to many of us, concepts of time, belonging to a place and the "I" versus "we" societies. I was mesmerized and I wanted him to be my personal village elder to direct me in my questions of life. I'll just have to settle for email advice. Anyway the cool thing about where we talked to him was that he is part of an alternative higher education idea that has people teach each other skills and knowledge that they know. A trading of knowledge rather than a diploma program. You can sign up month by month and if you want to learn the business of a tortilla restaurant they will find someone for you to go apprentice with. Universidad de la Tierra may be my next destination during or after college.

Zapatista pig at Unitierra

We arrived in Teotitlan last night and this morning six of us (who are staying in the same house) went to the market as we will every day.

Sawyer with Isabela, Shane and Bradley's host grandmother

-Oriana