As the sun set on my first evening in Morelia, I found myself reflecting on the day & # 39; s events and my initial impressions of this old colonial style city that would be my home for the next several months.
After arriving by air into Guadalajara, my bus trip from there to Morelia with Primera Plus, one of Mexico & # 39; s first class bus systems, had taken about three hours one the half a new autopista (freeway) that In addition to a good meal and a new release movie, one of my fellow passengers shared many of the interesting This helped me relax a little and feel more at ease. Even so, nothing would quite prepare me for what I would experience right after we arrived.
The trip from Morelia is less than a few minutes and is less than a ten-block distance away. That is, unless you take a taxi ride with a driver that knows you are in unfamiliar territory and gives you a scenic, roundabout tour in order to capture more than a fare than he is entitled to. A trip that should have cost me 10 to 12 pesos (1 - 2 $ USD) at the most, ended up costing about 250 pesos (25 - 30 $ USD). Needless to say, one of my first purchases in Morelia was a city map. That way, I would know for sure where the was "all" ever again.
My room at the other room for more disappointment and anger I may have felt initially, the. I honestly do not remember the name of the first restaurant I ate in in Morelia, but the food was wonderful. My room at the Mintzicuri hotel was only a surprising sum of $ 8 a night. Now how good could possibly such a low rate? Not only was it comfortably furnished and clean, it even had cable TV!
Apartment living, the neighborhoods, and the people
While I will not say that everything I experienced was pleasant, for the most part I really enjoyed the places that I lived and the people that are my neighbors. At first, a few of the local people in the area around my apartment on Padre Lloreda I am a foreigner, an outsider. I remember on occasion being called "guero" which, near as I can tell or remember means "white boy" or "white-faced boy" or something to that effect Then, thankfully, my skin started to darken and my Spanish greatly improved.
Right from the start, I became well acquainted with the local people by going out on the streets around my apartment and the people that owned them or shopped in them. The local corner grocery store in Morelia is much more than just a place to shop - it is a gathering place for friends that want to to Alma, the store owner & # 39; s guys, why are you here? These are all my friends! They are all good friends too! So, why do not you just be quiet or go away? That was the last time I ever had a problem with anyone in that neighborhood Even my name caller became more pleasant and almost friendly.
In appreciation for Alma & # 39; s great act of kindness, I offered to tutor her in English during my off hours from teaching and studying at CMI (Centro Mexicano Internacional). She proved to be an excellent student. Sometimes, Spanish speakers have problems with certain sounds in English. The "th" sound, as in "thank you", is one of the most difficult to learn. Alma was determined, though! One night, we sat for at least 3 hours doing word exercises to grasp the I even had Alma watch my mouth carefully to imitate the way I held my teeth and lips to form the "th" sound. It would come on more like like & # 39; fank you & # 39 ;. Alma never did that that night , had, one day as I turned to leave the store; she called out a resounding thank you! She had been practicing.
My next apartment was at least a couple of miles away down the side street from Padre Lloreda on Calle Vincente Santa Maria. My favorite person there was was my landlady Amparo, affectionately known as "Amparito" to all of her "boys" in her apartment- Our neighbor just north There is nothing loud music, wild parties, or any funny stuff going on, at least not in that house! of us, however, liked to get a bit sauced and sing loudly until the wee hours of the morning occasionally.
I had 3 corner style grocery shops, a beer store, a tortilla factory, a barbershop, a restaurant, and a laundry within a four or five block radius. I wasted no time in getting to know most of the people on a first name basis, and I never experienced prejudice of any kind.
Shopping - mercado style
This mercado occupations a huge city block area - more like 3 or 4 blocks I could go and get fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats here, eat a restaurant style meal at one of the many food The meals are simple and nourishing and generally cost around $ 2, never more than $ 3 or $ 4.
I had decided to purchase a couple of ears of corn to go along with my spaghetti dinner that evening. Now, I had always learned the Then, I tried drawing ears of corn and explaining what I first asked for some maiz, one of the vendors went and got me a can of cut corn from a neighboring vendor. Finished, one of the young children looked up at me with big eyes and said - "elote, elote!" Si! Elote! I really was not sure what elote was ;, I figured it was worth a try. So, the little girl bought me back, yes - thankfully, an ear of corn. I have never forgotten the Spanish word elote.
I got another lesson in the mercado, I got another lesson in Spanish that I will still more probably remember for the rest of my life as well. I had said something to one of the young women in the shop that I I had no idea what was was said, but I tried to ask what it was and apologize. So, I tried to think of what the Spanish word for embarrass could be So, I need to emulate my words end in ed (embarrass - embarrassed) you add ado. So, I added adopted to embarrass and asked the lady if I made her embarasado, to which I aded to the same - "No, no señor!" Her face said differently, or, I I thought. I asked again - "No, no señor!" came her immediately reply. Now, I was really confused. I dug through my backpack and found my pocket dictionary. Imagine my horror - I had been asking if I made made her pregnant. Thankfully, sh I realized I was stumbling over my words and we were had good good. I do not think I 'll ever forget that word either.
One of my favorite stores in Morelia, Milano & # 39; s M Closing, was right across the street from Mercado Independencia on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas. I never paid more than $ 10 for any of the shirts and pants I purchased there . The quality of clothes at the a warrobe. I have a couple of months, I lost over 40 pounds from all the exercise I got every day in walking back and forth to my school and around the city. Milano 's was wonderful and at prices I could easily afford. I have had my own personal clothes - shopping assistant that would meet me and help me to match colors on my outfits.
The sounds of Morelia
From the roosters crowing all over town at the crack of dawn heralding the beginning of a new day to the vendors and various service providers on the streets, each one have their own own Generally, when you heard the first hint of the whistle, there is about 5 minutes or less to make sure any unwanted trash was at curbside for pickup. Trucks loaded with bottles of gas for cooking and heating on a special horn sound. And, on most weekdays, the streets teemed with sounds of traffic and people as they hustled about busily involved in their day & # 39; When more people are singing, they are hear (soccer) team played a neighboring city & # 39; s team and won, sounds of jubilation could be hear d as people pushed up and down the street blowing whistles or making other noises and shouting "Morelia, Morelia" at the top of their lungs.
Making Morelia my home
The teachers at my school, CMI I have wanted Morelia to be just a place to visit, study, and work. Right from the beginning, it became my home. I knew I had to learn to communicate effectively to fit in and do well. , Very few of Very few of Very few of Very Good of a Very Part of Helping me to learn to conjugate Spanish verbs, but it was the people I came into contact with on a daily basis, but that helped me to build my vocabulary of words and learn to communicate well. I have to speak Spanish well enough to be understood. It took me between one and two months of trial and error to learn to converse freely.
I have never seen people so eager to learn. English opens up a whole new world to many of them. For many, traveling to, living and working in the United States A lot of my students loved to read books and magazines, surf the Internet, and listen Learning is a two-way street. My students can not sense that I really cared. To this day, though, I feel that they taught and helped me more than I ever did them.
Learn the language, make mistakes, but keep your sense of humor
The best encouragement I can give you, then, is learn the language to the best of your ability, surround yourself with good friends, keep a strong positive attitude, and try not to lose your Sense of humor when you make a mistakes. Others aids - keep them handy just in case you encounter a word or words you are unsure of.
If you enjoy history, culture, adventure, and people, by all means - go to Morelia!
