An Entry in Five Scenes

A viejito dancer

More viejito dancers...

SETTING:

As I write this I am sitting outside on the patio behind Rogelio and Fernanda’s house, listening to the five million dogs in the neighborhood croon their evening goodbyes, and wondering where to start filling this blank screen as the overcast sky darkens with every passing second and mosquitoes suck my blood (I just got bit on the eyelid... how does that happen?). However, the for real setting is this weekend... and five million miles of streets.

CHARACTERS:

Me – sometimes referred to in third person terminology (usually not very endearing terminology at that), and the character who has an unusual talent for mucking up the simplest of objectives.

The Fam – Rogelio, Fernanda, and Booz... who were gone this weekend to Ixtlan, and therefore (unfortunately) not a part of many events.

The Club – Meghan, Eileen, Nimrod, Quico, Esteban, Nick, Eric, Edgar, and Yours Truly... whose talent for making conversation a “mosh-pit” instead of an “art” is unparalleled.

The Aptly Named “Señor Not Appearing In This Entry” – who I ripped off from Monty Python, and... sadly... will not be appearing in this entry.

SCENE 1: (A cafe in the eastern part of town on Friday night. The Club have just arrived – nine of them – to this tiny eating place, and are toasting in honor of the imminent exodus of two beloved members: Quica and Esteban.)

‘Tis true that we are losing two members of the Conversation Club – Stephen and Henrietta – the couple from Lawrence, Kansas. Since it was their last night we all decided to go to the cafe for cena and say goodbyes over sopa torasca and white wine. After a jolly good time, the predominant use of “Spanglish,” and many hugs, we sent our beloved friends on their way (after promising to have dinner with them in Lawrence when I return to Kansas). I do suppose all good things – and groups – must come to an end eventually, but it was a lot of fun to have them here.

Sniff, clear the throat, move on.

(Blackout.)

(End of scene.)

*Number of blocks walked: approximately 15 (in the U.S. – approx. 30)

SCENE 2: (Saturday morning... early... very early... like 5:30 a.m. early. “Me” has awakened/awoken to the sound of hurried preparations. “Me” drags herself out of bed, groaning at the pathetic twinges in her muscles, and heads downstairs.)

“The Fam” was almost ready to depart to Ixtlan, and I wanted to see them off. So... bleary-eyed, stumbling a bit, and certainly not very close to coherent, I gave hugs, wished them well, watched as the vehicles departed, and then stumbled back upstairs.

To bed. To beautiful, peaceful sleep.

To waking up and banging my head on the wall as my Ipod alarm went off unexpectedly. Fortunately there were no black eyes this time.

I did laundry, read a bit, puttered around, and finally got ready to head downtown for the desfile – Eileen, Meghan, and I had planned on meeting up at Eileen’s, watching the parade for a bit, and walking around to the see the street vendors.

When I arrived downtown it was packed – which I expected. I couldn’t cross the main street (where the parade was going to be) to get to Eileen’s house because the people and chairs were five to seven chairs thick – which I hadn’t expected. I walked until I could find a break in the people, and managed to squeeze my way through (also managing to knee an old man in the back and poke a woman in the stomach with my umbrella... bad karma).

I finally made it to Eileen’s house, we got ready, and then headed downtown to stand in the blazing sun with a million other people. Sweating profusely, not really shaded that well by my umbrella (especially since it was pushed out of the way by a tiny woman carrying the biggest umbrella I have ever seen in my life), and dying of thirst, we finally headed to look at some of the other sights (since there were – literally – almost two hours of different schoolchildren that marched by before we got to see the horses and costumed riders... the interesting part).

Eileen got cucumbers, onions, and some other slimy-looking thing (we couldn’t identify it) with chili sauce, Meghan got gespacho (a mixture of three fruits with chili sauce and cheese sprinkled on top), and I got pomegranate seeds in a cup (a delicacy during festivals, apparently). Eileen couldn’t eat the slimy-looking thing, Meghan thought the gespacho was terrible, and the seeds dried out my mouth so much that I was having trouble talking...

It was time to have good food and water.

We ended up stopping at a cheap street cafe and getting enchiladas and tacos... the food wasn’t that great, but we were able to sit down and rest for a bit. Just after we had paid our bill we looked outside and it was starting to rain – not rain – flood. The water started coming down so hard and so fast that even standing under the eves of the cafe wasn’t keeping us dry. I had my umbrella, and after waiting fifteen minutes (with no let-up) I decided to risk it as I headed back to where the buses would take me home.

I sloshed through the streets where the water was streaming along, and finally made it to the main square. I watched as a torrent of water (at least a foot deep) flowed along the street I needed to cross. I looked down at my sandaled feet, at the rushing water, and then at the people crowding under and through the arched (but dry) passageways. I went for the passageways.

Bad mistake.

It took me twenty minutes to walk a block, crowded as everyone was under the arches... and once again “personal space” wasn’t allowed to be an issue. I wondered if I leaned on the lady in front of me and let the man behind me shove on if I could just ride the wave of people – but remembered various passages in novels where people were trampled to death and decided that would be an even worse idea than walking this direction in the first place.

However... I finally made it home (after an hour-long bus ride), collapsed onto the couch, and watched television for the rest of the night. Speaking of which, Ethan Hawke was on “Inside the Actor’s Studio” – an old episode – which made life happy for a bit; and Helen Mirren was starring in "Prime Suspect"... proving yet again how much “cooler” you are if you have a British accent.

Alas, alack... fie thereon.

(Blackout.)

(End of scene.)

*Number of blocks walked: approximately 30 (in the U.S. – approx. 60)

SCENE 3: (In the shower... “Me” has another brilliant run-in with the upstairs shower, and realizes that no matter what – she will lose.)

I woke up Sunday morning, had a very nice prayer and reading time, watched an easy-listening group (“New Morning”) on the Film&Arts channel, and then part of a ballet (called “Danza” if you’re interested... I wasn’t for very long), and then decided to take a shower since I was meeting Meghan and Eileen at 2:00 to listen to music in the town square.

I turned on the shower and had water... fabulous. I waited for the water to warm up... not so fabulous. It remained freezing cold. Now, I have no idea if I am supposed to have turned on a warming switch, let it heat up ahead of time... I don’t know. But it was cold... really cold... and I doubt I have ever taken a quicker shower in my entire life.

The shower and I had words. The shower won. I am officially boycotting the shower (which will last until tomorrow morning when I need to take another one.... but in the meantime I feel vindicated).

(Blackout.)

(End of scene.)

*Number of blocks walked: Zero at this point...

SCENE 4: (Downtown Morelia, walking to the Hindu Vegetarian Restaurant with Meghan, Eileen, and Eileen’s host-mother, listening as our stomachs rumble with hunger.)

I had suggested eating at this restaurant (the same one that The Fam and I had eaten at early in my time here), and as we headed upstairs into the dining area the smells of “food, food, wonderful food” assailed our senses, and we hurried to find a sitting place. Much to our regret, the waitress informed us that they had just (literally just) run out of food since the day had been unusually busy, and the restaurant only serves one specific meal on Sundays.

So... we headed on down the street to find another place, and ended up at this great little cafe that was very, very cheap, and very, very good... we all agreed that we would be going back. After eating, we walked along the streets, and then decided to head back toward the cathedral and listen to the music that is played in the square every Sunday evening.

It ended up being just Eileen and I that walked to the square, and after purchasing gelato (which I guess is really popular in the U.S. too... it’s an “ice-creamish” yogurt mix that is fabulous) we listened to the music in the square until we were attracted to the opposite side of the cathedral by a group of men in traditional costumes getting ready to do the la danza de los viejitos (“the dance of the little old men”) – which is always talked about, and a very important tradition in Morelia.

Apparently these dancers are from outside the city and only come a couple times a year during festivals... but the dancers themselves come from a long tradition of dancers in the family, and most of the men who dance had fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers that participated.

It was very cool... and very weird.

The dancers put on these masks that are painted like leering old men, and dance hunched over... letting their feet and their actions move lightning fast to the music that is played by their little mariachi band.

A little girl was standing in front of Eileen and me and was laughing and clapping until one of the dancers came too close... then she shrank away, crying and shrieking into her mother’s side.

I felt the same way... but didn’t have my mother’s skirt to hide behind. It really was very interesting, but the masks were more than a little disturbing... but... now I have seen the dance and can appreciate the tradition... as well as the humor that is a definite part of the presentation.

(Blackout.)

(End of scene.)

*Number of blocks walked: Approximately 32 (in the U.S. approx. 64)

SCENE FIVE: (The final scene... and a short one at that. “Me” has returned to her home, finished writing up her travels, and wishes to finish her current novel or watch The Last Unicorn in Spanish.)

Goodnight. Take care. Much love.

*Total Number of blocks walked: Approximately 77 (in the U.S. approx. 144)... shoot me.

(Blackout.)

(End of scene.)

Sidenote: The shower is still winning... there was no hot water this morning, The Fam haven't been home to fix it yet, and so I skipped out on the freezing douse in Glacier Lake.

(Curtain.)

(End of entry.)