Muchas Gracias

Rule Number One of International Travel: Learn how to say “Thank you” in the language, and use it often. Manners are paramount, and it burns my ass when men don’t open doors for elderly women or eat like fucking pigs with their elbows on the table and generally act like Neanderthals and openly talk about other people’s money. Read Emily Post if you have questions.  

This is my last night in Puebla, and I am, per usual, delaying packing. Listening to Puccini’s Tosca, reading the comments from today. It still amazes me that people consider me a professional and a great teacher and all that. I guess it beats the alternative, though.

I picked up a Puebla football jersey this afternoon and spent some time at a café with Laverne and Shirley, sucking down frozen mokas to kill the headache I picked up around 3rd period. We ate dinner at a pretty great restaurant, I had shrimp empanadas and white fish in a corn fungus (smut) sauce, which left a little bit to be desired, but it was good nonetheless.

A lot of talk about politics today. Being solicited for my opinion a few times left my feeling very trepiditious. How do you say “shitbag” in Spanish? Luckily, it was possible to steer the convo toward a diplomatic, fairly innocuous direction. I am going to look up Marcos, tho, who is apparently a guerrilla commander who is touring Mexico and giving lectures about the elections coming up in July. Fox is on his way out, and apparently the race is a rough one. This Marcos(image) fellow is supposed to be an intellectual who is doing more of a public service in his lectures than trying to be incendiary. Here are some sites for his information:

http://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/tchessay03.htm
http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico/marcos_index.html
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/chiapmumesp.html
Wikipedia Definition

I’m not really feeling the ski mask. It’s like the “P” in P.Diddy. It comes between the man and his fans. He should really consider dropping it.

I have developed a taste for Bonafont Levite in Brise Jamaica. It’s water flavored with berries, and it’s damn delish. I have really enjoyed this week in Mexico. It’s way cooler than I had expected.

I need to pack; we leave the hotel at 5:15 tomorrow morning, which is akin to torture. Really. Buenos noches!