A month to catch up on....

Well, I must admit I am a terrible blogger..too many things happen and then I get behind, but okay a quick catch up. So I have been at school for the past month, and have finally settled into a really nice place on the top of hill, with great views from the terrace as you can see here. It was a bit of a transition going from the travelling life to being back at school, and probably more than anything having all the conversations from Cuba come down on me, when it was all over. I guess just the change in dynamic from being in a place where possibilities and opportunities are so few, to arriving in this picturesque place with twenty eight Canadians, all buying apartments, cell phones and figuring out where to connect to wireless internet gave my head a bit of a spin. But instead of feeling guilty about it I have been trying to find a way to put my privelege to use. The first three weeks, during the poli sci class, we all got to choose a topic of interest, and I got so inspired by the latest social movement here in Mexico called the Otra Compaña...I got to visit a Zapatista community and was given a great amount of inspiration through chats with various organization leaders. I think the whole way our classes our structured as well has given me a whole new outlook on learning. My poli Sci teacher Max, a big fan of Paulo Frieres dialectual teaching method was all about us going out into the world and seeing what we could come up with instead of burying our heads in books...Heres a shot of the man himself, (sipping) back a tequila shot :)


All in all it was an eye opening experience that really got me excited about uni in a way that I havent been for a long time. I think he is going to post all of the students finding on their particular topics so I can put that up on here too. After all the research and discussion I really wanted to get involved with something, so I spoke to some Otra Compaña activists and will be helping them organize publicity for a women´s march next week..It was also kinda funny cuz one of the guys was like..well we also have some farm work to do and re-forestation, but you probably wouldnt be interested in that..BAH, I says... man Im a treeplanter, give me the hard stuff..so I may have gotten myself into some physical labor for this weekend with my big ol mouth but thats okay too. What else to report..ah yes..we also get to go on plenty of excursions with the group...some highlights have been waterfalls at the biggest canyon in Chiapas, El Subidero, and an incredible religious carnaval at a small mountain town call San Juan Chamula...It was a big mix of a bunch of traditions including bull running, fire walking, offerings of eggs and coca cola to the dead, monkey masked races..it was one of those days that you wonder if someone slipped some magical sugar in your coffee..I think even our proffs studying Latin American culture were a bit overwhelmed so that was kinda funny to see...Oh except Max he wanted to go run with the bulls!! But unfortunately no picture taking allowed...
Ah yes and the latest, my lovely b-day vacation to the beach of Mazunte...Nutella crepe breakfast and delicious fish dinner..spoiled rotten I say! And after a sunset and and sunrise on my 23rd year on this crazy planet i felt a small wrinkle appear on my forehead, but felt a small bit wiser....














but not so wise as to not play in the waves with sting rays and jelly fish..teehee they didnt catch me.....oh above is my roomate Paulina who has become a great friend..we have lots of laughs especially when I try to tell jokes in Spanish...
ok thats all she wrote, Love and more love....the next one will most likely be about our field trip to the Yucatan to see all the Mayan treasures....until then take care
missing you

Hihi. Hope you havent given up on me, but I am back in Mexico now so I promise to email lots. Alas, adios Cuba, I was so sad to go. I think out of all the places I have been, Cuba and the Cuban people left the greatest impression on me. Too much to think about and write down here but a few pics to spice things up a bit. So this is back on the Pacific coast with beautiful sunsets. I will miss those up here in the misty mountains. First thing I did apon arrival was but myself a nice cozy sweater. The one to the right is Trinidad which was one of my favoritos in terms of towns in Cuba.

Here is ol Castro- his concept of the revolution and many other slogans about Unity, overcoming obstacles, liberating political prisoners etc are the only billboards you will see in Cuba.




Above is beautful Cayo Saetia- where they actually have zebras and antelopes from the days it used to be a hunting reserve used by the Spaniards. Historians say this was the frist place Columbus hit when he arrived in the New World and wrote he had arrived in Paradise...if i were him i would have just chilled here for the rest of my days it is def one of the most tranquilo, untouched places. Ah yes and the caña, or sugar cane that goes for miles and miles as far as the eye can see...my favorite drink Canchanchara (great name eh) made of sugar cane juice, rum, limes and honey-cuban like their sweeties..

here is miss bonita Daniella on yet another beautiful playa..I was so happy she came down and when she brought all her nice smelling shampoos I realised the sea sponge I had been using was really only making me dirtier and I felt less like a barnacle and more like a flower with her arrival :)
We got invited to a little house party and were told they were waiting for our arrival..we laughed this off like -c,mon who would be waiting for us but when we arrived there were six people sitting in chairs around a little space saying dance dance- show us the moves in canada! well after a few rums we were pulling out the robot the fish hook, running man, shopping cart and the look on their faces was priceless..we also picked up a little salsa and the ladies tried to show Dani how to shake that lil bum of hers Jaimaican style..classic evening..
And last but not least- Señor Francisco Vega-what a face this guy should be in Hollywood..We stayed with him in the little town of Puerto Esperanza and he told us all about the life of the Cuban tobacco farmer.
He rolled us Puros by night and we sat in rocking chairs sippin rum and talking politics and life. I gave him my scissors so he could cut his tobacco and he held them to his face and told his wife she would be sleeping on the couch! haha
The country side was like a trip back in the ages- horse a buggy, ox and cart they even still used the telegraph in town! But it is a a real problem to get a hold of things-hence his appreciation of the scissors..
After that experience it was a bit of a shock arriving in Cancun as you may imagine- but I took the first bus out of there and after a 32 hour trip in all I arrived in San Cristobal last night at mid-night. Its still the charming town I remember but definetely more touristy than 3 years ago when I was here. So thats about it, im off to buy pencils and paper as all those things were left in Cuba and I may have lucked out already with a place to live with some Mexican musicians, so Im keepin my fingers crossed...
I guess thats all for this blog so thanks for tuning in if you did and I will write as soon as a I have an adress or phone number..The invitation to visit is, of course always open - and maybe ill get spoiled a bit more :) Now back to school and the more routine life......mas o menos
Love and besos como siempre
Matea

hola comrades

well I dont really know what I was on about on that last entry, but now that the dam scar is healing, I have to think of something new. Ok so a bit of a more concrete entry about Cuba. I have to admit at first I was a little thrown off. I didnt like the way everything was so separte in the tourist industry...different currency, regualted places to stay and eat, people having there credential checked all the time on the street. It was like all the things i like about travellin were forbidden. Dualities seemed to represent every part of cuba..a country for the people, where basic things like transport arent provided..a country full of music where the beat is happy but all the words about sadness and suffering. I wasnt seeing how the average cuban was really benefitting from the growth in the tourist industry. But there is a Cuban saying that goes, somethingi n translation like, when a cuba arrives in the desert, the next week you pass by he will have started selling bottled water. And it is really true, when you start travelling you begin to understand the system and all the little ways people find to make money when entreuprenuership is not allowed. and having been on the road for about a month now, everything is starting to open up..on the road talking to so many differnet kinds of people listening to their stories and thoughts about the political system, so interesting an inspiring...i feel happy, grateful for life for the river and the ocean and the breeze..
i hope life is good back home and i miss you all
hugs and more hugs

Motor cars, carriages, bicyles oh my!

Yaar ive found me an internet on the carribean sea. Currently in Trinidad which i have to write about because it reminds me of croatia with the red roofs and cobblestone streets but all the houses are painted in carribean colors and salsa music is spilling out into the streets. I am getting into revolutionary mode reading history, Paulo Friere and visiting the endless monuments celebrating the revolution and the socialist party. But also realising that I will never know cuba in a way that is outside of my western lense as it seems as much as I try I cannot but compare to our way of life in Canada. But than it hit me, actually quite literally the corner of a palm leaf hut hit me and with my new amazing scar right above my right eye I have decided to simply go half way and become a pirate! ok no time..sorry if i didnt reply to you your email but did read making me very very happy
adios

habana

so who knew communists didnt use internet? bah this computer is slowissimo, so I will just say a quick couple o words...Pacific coast of mexico with Bri was great, lots of beach time and sun splattered with death defying bus trips, jungle fever and enchiladas. We got beat up surfing, but at least can say we caught some waves at puerto esco and i was sad to say goodbye. Will have to tell more stories later, but the travelling life of mexico, which I have grown fairly used to has been thrown out the window in this crazy cuban system..dont know quite yet what to think but will have to tell all the stories in about 20 days because i probably wont find internet again. so dont worry about me..dani is coming on the 20th cant wait and im off to explore the island...while somehow managing my online course....
take care
love love love and puff of cigar

Feliz Navidad

So I am back this quite Christmas morning in the City, looking quite different with no market stalls, cars in the street or people walking around. I spent a great couple of days in the towns of Tepotzlan and Taxco and stopped in Cuernavaca just for the day. Tepotzlan was this amazing mountain town surrounded by hill resembling great ruins. I met this new age hippie Harris there that told me all about the gods and Qetzacotl and to be careful not to let them take all your energy when you visit the ruins. In light of my new knowlege I would like to make sure eveyone lives the next 4 years of their lives simply gloriously, because according to Harris the world is comeing to an end october 23, 2011! Consider yourselves warned. But seriously Tepotzlan was probably my favortie place so far not only because of the amazing location, but because I stayed with this incredibley generous family, of which the grandma is my favorite person in all of mexico. With her blue eyes she reminded me so much of my grandma, she was always trying to feed me and sneak me treats and I would bring her sweet rolls for the market and she would give me kisses...Ah Senorina Josephina, definetely my favorite. Also I got invited to their nephews Wedding, which came as a total suprise but was so fun to watch the mexican traditions such as dancing in circles, pushing people holding up the bride and the groom, trying to break the tie that there holding on to eachother with. Anyways there I was drunk on margaritas and kissing some random bride and groom thinking this is all very funny, but feeling pretty lucky. Cuernavaca is known as the city of eternal spring and the getaway to mostly rich mexicans, So i only stopped to have lunch but had an interesting chat with Dr Francisco about life in mexico and religion. Taxco is the center of silver in Meixco and like a Tuscan village with lots of winding cobblestone streets winding around whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs. The only thing is the little VW bugs that at first seem really cute are forever clogging up the streets making you want to walk far up into the hills. So thats what I did -For christmas eve I visited the Big Jesus up on the top of the mountain to wish him happy birthday and touch his toe for goodluck. Otherwise Christmas has just been another day and I miss everyone so much
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday.
Muchissimo Amor como siempre