New research shows that Mexican adults read on average only about 3 books per year. This is very sad, considering that Mexico claims to have a 93% literacy rate. But it's not so unusual, when compared to the U.S.
The U.S. has a 99% literacy rate, but unfortunately 25% of American adults do not read books at all. Of those who do read books, the average was 5 per year for men and 9 per year for women.
Once the averages are better compared, American men don't seem to be reading much more than the average Mexican. Remember, also, that 50% of Mexicans have almost no discretionary income to purchase books and they Mexico does not have public libraries with free reading material that can be checked out. (Their libraries have mainly research and non-fiction books that can only be used within the library. There is no check-out process bc there is no guarantee the book would ever come back and no way to track down the book once it leaves bc so many Mexicans have no official address and there is no good way in Mexican law to demand payment for something after the fact.)
American women with a college education, otoh, seem to be big readers. Which explains why there are more female-slanted titles in Borders.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101045.html
http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/mexicans-read-few-books-a-year-10218
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
"calm zones" on Mexico City streets??
I'm still comparing Tokyo and DF; it's hard to stop.
The crowded-ness of Mexico is often shrugged off by Mexicans. As in, "there's nothing that can be done, we just have to live with the bad traffic and rude people bc that is what happens with large cities". When I have mentioned that better road construction, requiring adequate driver's training, forcing buses to keep to a route and a schedule and designated pick-up zones, and actually enforcing traffic rules amongst drivers/buses/pedestrians/bikers, Mexicans have dismissed those ideas as if I have recommended that Mexico City be relocated to the moon where there is more space.
After staying in Tokyo - another very large, very crowded city - for 10 days, I know that crowd control can be well done. Despite the business of every train station and every store, I did not feel pushed or crowded in Tokyo. There is always space between the cars when they are driving. The buses pull off the road to pick up people. Pedestrians wait their turn to cross the street. Bikers stay in their bike lane. Everyone respects each others' space, which is crucial in such a crowded environment.
So when I read that Mexico City is going to "give priority to pedestrians and bikers" I had to laugh. Really? Who is going to enforce that priority? Drivers could be fined $150 - $225 USD for infringing on the rights of a biker or pedestrian, but who will issue the ticket? The corrupt policeman or the impotent traffic guard or the absent federal police? When is the fine paid - after someone is lying dead in the street? Where exactly will these pedestrians and bikers travel? In the road with the out-of-control buses or the untrained drivers? In the broken narrow sidewalks crowded with dead dogs and trees growing out of them?
Yeah, I'm not so much seeing this happening.
Now, if those fines went to pay for bike lanes or bike helmets... then we might be onto something.
http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/new-priority-on-the-citys-streets-10218
The crowded-ness of Mexico is often shrugged off by Mexicans. As in, "there's nothing that can be done, we just have to live with the bad traffic and rude people bc that is what happens with large cities". When I have mentioned that better road construction, requiring adequate driver's training, forcing buses to keep to a route and a schedule and designated pick-up zones, and actually enforcing traffic rules amongst drivers/buses/pedestrians/bikers, Mexicans have dismissed those ideas as if I have recommended that Mexico City be relocated to the moon where there is more space.
After staying in Tokyo - another very large, very crowded city - for 10 days, I know that crowd control can be well done. Despite the business of every train station and every store, I did not feel pushed or crowded in Tokyo. There is always space between the cars when they are driving. The buses pull off the road to pick up people. Pedestrians wait their turn to cross the street. Bikers stay in their bike lane. Everyone respects each others' space, which is crucial in such a crowded environment.
So when I read that Mexico City is going to "give priority to pedestrians and bikers" I had to laugh. Really? Who is going to enforce that priority? Drivers could be fined $150 - $225 USD for infringing on the rights of a biker or pedestrian, but who will issue the ticket? The corrupt policeman or the impotent traffic guard or the absent federal police? When is the fine paid - after someone is lying dead in the street? Where exactly will these pedestrians and bikers travel? In the road with the out-of-control buses or the untrained drivers? In the broken narrow sidewalks crowded with dead dogs and trees growing out of them?
Yeah, I'm not so much seeing this happening.
Now, if those fines went to pay for bike lanes or bike helmets... then we might be onto something.
http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/new-priority-on-the-citys-streets-10218
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mexico's Metro
Back in Mexico City after 10 days in Tokyo, I can't help but compare the 2 largest most crowded cities in the world. Except for their similar population size and density, Tokyo and Mexico City couldn't be more different.
No where is this highlighted more plainly than in the metro/subway/train system.
Tokyo has at least 4 different train lines that provide above-ground and underground service throughout the city and it's suburbs. There is also a complex network of buses that transport people directly from the train stations to other places where the train does not go. 2 other large Japanese cities also have a metro/subway system, and a series of high-speed trains connect the large cities together. The trains throughout Tokyo are clean, efficient, quiet, and modern. The train stations are busy but not "squishy" with plenty of attention and space given to elderly, infirm, tourists, and babies. There are clean, free restrooms. There are signs and maps in English (and Japanese, of course) liberally spaced throughout the station. There are helpful bilingual station staff who are available to answer questions, fix ticket problems, direct traffic, encourage safety, and retrieve lost items.
Mexico's system is completely different. Mexico has no passenger rail service; there is only a tourist train that goes on a set route through the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua (see my posts on this from October). Mexico City, the capital, is the only city with train service and this underground only goes through the central area; it does not extend to most of the suburbs that are now integrated with DF. The trains have no schedule. They are loud and pushy and dirty, there are few signs, no restrooms, and many many beggars and peddlers. There are many buses, but we have never taken a bus in DF or Toluca (we do take a tourist bus from Toluca to the DF airport, but that is a different story). The buses seem to have no schedule or set route, they pick up anyone anywhere anytime. The buses are notorious for being highjacked by young men with black market guns.
On the other hand, it often costs $10/day/person for the multiple trains needed to get around Tokyo. Each ride on a Mexico City metro (with free transfers) is only 20 cents. It seems that we get what we pay for.
Mexico City has recently raised its rates a few cents and is promising many new reforms: more cars and more trains, more security, more restrooms, fewer peddlers, and also more station services. I still doubt that many Japanese would feel comfortable on a DF train.
For more info on Mexico City Train improvements see -->
http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/series-of-improvements-set-for-metro-system-10114
No where is this highlighted more plainly than in the metro/subway/train system.
Tokyo has at least 4 different train lines that provide above-ground and underground service throughout the city and it's suburbs. There is also a complex network of buses that transport people directly from the train stations to other places where the train does not go. 2 other large Japanese cities also have a metro/subway system, and a series of high-speed trains connect the large cities together. The trains throughout Tokyo are clean, efficient, quiet, and modern. The train stations are busy but not "squishy" with plenty of attention and space given to elderly, infirm, tourists, and babies. There are clean, free restrooms. There are signs and maps in English (and Japanese, of course) liberally spaced throughout the station. There are helpful bilingual station staff who are available to answer questions, fix ticket problems, direct traffic, encourage safety, and retrieve lost items.
Mexico's system is completely different. Mexico has no passenger rail service; there is only a tourist train that goes on a set route through the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua (see my posts on this from October). Mexico City, the capital, is the only city with train service and this underground only goes through the central area; it does not extend to most of the suburbs that are now integrated with DF. The trains have no schedule. They are loud and pushy and dirty, there are few signs, no restrooms, and many many beggars and peddlers. There are many buses, but we have never taken a bus in DF or Toluca (we do take a tourist bus from Toluca to the DF airport, but that is a different story). The buses seem to have no schedule or set route, they pick up anyone anywhere anytime. The buses are notorious for being highjacked by young men with black market guns.
On the other hand, it often costs $10/day/person for the multiple trains needed to get around Tokyo. Each ride on a Mexico City metro (with free transfers) is only 20 cents. It seems that we get what we pay for.
Mexico City has recently raised its rates a few cents and is promising many new reforms: more cars and more trains, more security, more restrooms, fewer peddlers, and also more station services. I still doubt that many Japanese would feel comfortable on a DF train.
For more info on Mexico City Train improvements see -->
http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/series-of-improvements-set-for-metro-system-10114
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Japan is... Beautiful!
I had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Tokyo National Museum on Thursday while Dave was at work. (I was mainly excited that I got to figure out the trains and metros alone!) This was a large, imposing museum - with 3 separate buildings - so I was nervous that I hadn't scheduled enough time to see everything. Thankfully, like all things Japanese, the museum was well-organized and flawlessly designed. The exhibits were spaced out so that many many people could visit at one time without being cramped or crowded; since I visited on a weekday after school groups had left, that wasn't a problem.
The museum provided a number of English brochures explaining the displays. The point of the museum was to use the highlights of Japanese historical artwork, presented chronologically, to give a visual history of the country. This was amazing. Of course, pictures don't do the artwork justice (no flash, art behind glass, etc.) but I still thought I'd share.
Most of my favorite art, and what westerners think of as "Japanese" art is from the Edo period of late 1600s to late 1800s - when Japan was just beginning to trade with Europe but not westernizing at all.
This was my favorite kimono
Some kimonos were embroidered and others were woven with different designs, some had designs sewed onto them.
Some screens had natural scenery painted on them, others had caligraphy, and still others used ink sketches of dragons or snakes. This was really interesting, I thought:
I had never seen this kind of art, but it was very much highlighted in the museum. Small items made out of wood were often carved with gold leaf designs and then painted and then laquered for a shiny beautiful design.
This is a small bookcase, about 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall and 1 foot deep. It must have held small books.
There was a room of ceramic items that were made out of what we would call "China" but was actually a fired and painted ceramic style popular throughout Asia - it was brought to Mexico and used there to make some of the beautiful Mexican tiles we love.
ceramic tiered box
The museum even had a room full of "modern" art. By modern, I think they actually meant "recent" as most of that art was 20th century (although before WWII). Some of those styles seemed specifically to be using traditional art forms and art styles with a modern twist or modern theme.
The museum provided a number of English brochures explaining the displays. The point of the museum was to use the highlights of Japanese historical artwork, presented chronologically, to give a visual history of the country. This was amazing. Of course, pictures don't do the artwork justice (no flash, art behind glass, etc.) but I still thought I'd share.
Most of my favorite art, and what westerners think of as "Japanese" art is from the Edo period of late 1600s to late 1800s - when Japan was just beginning to trade with Europe but not westernizing at all.
This was my favorite kimono
Some kimonos were embroidered and others were woven with different designs, some had designs sewed onto them.
Some screens had natural scenery painted on them, others had caligraphy, and still others used ink sketches of dragons or snakes. This was really interesting, I thought:
I had never seen this kind of art, but it was very much highlighted in the museum. Small items made out of wood were often carved with gold leaf designs and then painted and then laquered for a shiny beautiful design.
This is a small bookcase, about 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall and 1 foot deep. It must have held small books.
There was a room of ceramic items that were made out of what we would call "China" but was actually a fired and painted ceramic style popular throughout Asia - it was brought to Mexico and used there to make some of the beautiful Mexican tiles we love.
ceramic tiered box
The museum even had a room full of "modern" art. By modern, I think they actually meant "recent" as most of that art was 20th century (although before WWII). Some of those styles seemed specifically to be using traditional art forms and art styles with a modern twist or modern theme.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Japan is... international
One aspect of the United States that I really didn't appreciate until we moved internationally was our cultural diversity. We have a lot of ethnicities, races, religions, and cultures within our borders and we celebrate them. We all eat international food (well, US versions of international food!) but also have a lot of other cultural influences from our diverse society.
Not so much in Japan. Something like 98% of the population is ethnically Japanese. (there is such a thing as "native" or indiginous Japanese, but that group has largely mixed with whatever "normal" Japanese is.) It's so homogenous that whenever I see an American (black or white or brown) I want to run up and introduce myself, as if we should all know each other! ;)
But, there are still a lot of international influences in Japan. By "a lot" I mean more than I would expect from such a homogeneous group.
The most notable is the Buddhist religion, which was imported from China, by way of India. Today, few Japanese are Buddhist, per say, but many do respect Buddhist principles.
There are some American foods, namely hamburgers and starbucks. Also we had a delicious American breakfast at the hotel (complete with coffee, orange juice, eggs, bacon, and toast). Japan's entire constitution was practically written by the U.S., and some would say they have managed to be even more American than we have, showing how effective "do as I say, not as I do" philosophy can actually work.
But we're "Mexicanitos" or "casi-Chilangos" now, so we could hardly go a week without salsa and tortillas and Jamaica and Limonada. We found the only Mexican restaurant in Tokyo and tried it out!
The recipes were more authentic than those in most Mexican restaurants in the U.S., but their execution was not as delicious as at Mexican restaurants in Mexico. Still, super yummy!
Not so much in Japan. Something like 98% of the population is ethnically Japanese. (there is such a thing as "native" or indiginous Japanese, but that group has largely mixed with whatever "normal" Japanese is.) It's so homogenous that whenever I see an American (black or white or brown) I want to run up and introduce myself, as if we should all know each other! ;)
But, there are still a lot of international influences in Japan. By "a lot" I mean more than I would expect from such a homogeneous group.
The most notable is the Buddhist religion, which was imported from China, by way of India. Today, few Japanese are Buddhist, per say, but many do respect Buddhist principles.
There are some American foods, namely hamburgers and starbucks. Also we had a delicious American breakfast at the hotel (complete with coffee, orange juice, eggs, bacon, and toast). Japan's entire constitution was practically written by the U.S., and some would say they have managed to be even more American than we have, showing how effective "do as I say, not as I do" philosophy can actually work.
But we're "Mexicanitos" or "casi-Chilangos" now, so we could hardly go a week without salsa and tortillas and Jamaica and Limonada. We found the only Mexican restaurant in Tokyo and tried it out!
The recipes were more authentic than those in most Mexican restaurants in the U.S., but their execution was not as delicious as at Mexican restaurants in Mexico. Still, super yummy!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Japan has a bathroom fetish
Japanese are obsessed with their bathrooms. Obsessed may not be the right word. They are very modest about the bathroom use. Not sure whether this is an extension of their technological focus, or a response to western toilets being forced on them, or a very high standard of cleanliness, or whether living in such tight quarters has necessitated extensive bathroom etiquette.
Japanese traditionally take off their shoes when entering the house and then put on "house slippers". This keeps outside dirt out of the house. (This is actually the #1 way to keep allergens, dirt, and pesticides out of our homes, and the Japanese have been doing it for hundreds of years.) They also take off their home slippers when entering the bathroom and put on special bathroom slippers. Our hotel room came with special bathroom slippers.
Once inside the bathroom, they have very strange technological toilets. Apparently, western toilets are a recent post-WWII addition to Japan. Some public bathrooms still have "Japanese-style" toilets which are actually more like urinals but placed on the ground horizontally rather than on the wall vertically. They flush, and women use toilet paper, but the idea is to sort of position yourself without sitting on anything. Women all over the world think that sitting on public toilets is nasty, so in some ways it makes sense to just avoid that gross feeling altogether, I suppose.
Most public bathrooms have western-style sit-down toilets. But almost every stall has a soap dispenser full of "toilet seat cleaner" and instructions on how to use the toilet paper and cleanser to clean the toilet.
The toilet is attached to multiple contraptions that provide a variety of bathroom conveniences. Every toilet has a seat warmer; Japanese find that cold toilet seats are very uncomfortable and so public toilets normally are pre-heated. The toilets also are designed to mask any personal toilet-using noises. Upon sitting, the sound of rushing water (or actual water rushing into the toilet) is designed to keep your own noises a secret from other public bathroom users - or, in the case of our hotel bathroom, private from other hotel room inhabitants. Many public bathrooms also have a variety of other noises available on demand from an electronic thermostat-shaped control on the side of the stall. Toilets also have a built in "bidet" which is a European bathroom appliance designed to wash your personal areas after using the toilet. (in the picture, this is translated as "shower toilet") Again, Japanese men and women seem to have an unparalleled personal desire for cleanliness. These bidet washers are in almost every public toilet. (personally, I would feel weird getting washed in that way from a public toilet...). All of this technology means a lot of controls and a lot of instructions in the bathroom. It's so confusing that often the "flusher" button has to have a HUGE sign and arrow so that westerners don't keep pushing every button in a desperate attempt to flush the toilet (or push nothing and leave a mess behind - even more scandalous in Japan than anywhere else, I'm sure).
toilet controls
directions for using the toilet controls:
Not all of the bathroom technology is related to their awkwardness of natural functions. Some of the technology is designed to save space and/or save resources (both are in high demand in this crowded country).
When this toilet fills up the tank after flushing, the clean water is first available in sink format for people to wash their hands; the 'gray' water left after washing can then be used for flushing the next time.
This sink is an amazing all-in-one combo. The faucet on the right automatically dispenses water and the faucet on the left automatically dispenses soap. The grey controls on the bottom of the sink, near the user, is an automatic hand dryer. This saves space and also keeps germ transmission low!
Japanese traditionally take off their shoes when entering the house and then put on "house slippers". This keeps outside dirt out of the house. (This is actually the #1 way to keep allergens, dirt, and pesticides out of our homes, and the Japanese have been doing it for hundreds of years.) They also take off their home slippers when entering the bathroom and put on special bathroom slippers. Our hotel room came with special bathroom slippers.
Once inside the bathroom, they have very strange technological toilets. Apparently, western toilets are a recent post-WWII addition to Japan. Some public bathrooms still have "Japanese-style" toilets which are actually more like urinals but placed on the ground horizontally rather than on the wall vertically. They flush, and women use toilet paper, but the idea is to sort of position yourself without sitting on anything. Women all over the world think that sitting on public toilets is nasty, so in some ways it makes sense to just avoid that gross feeling altogether, I suppose.
Most public bathrooms have western-style sit-down toilets. But almost every stall has a soap dispenser full of "toilet seat cleaner" and instructions on how to use the toilet paper and cleanser to clean the toilet.
The toilet is attached to multiple contraptions that provide a variety of bathroom conveniences. Every toilet has a seat warmer; Japanese find that cold toilet seats are very uncomfortable and so public toilets normally are pre-heated. The toilets also are designed to mask any personal toilet-using noises. Upon sitting, the sound of rushing water (or actual water rushing into the toilet) is designed to keep your own noises a secret from other public bathroom users - or, in the case of our hotel bathroom, private from other hotel room inhabitants. Many public bathrooms also have a variety of other noises available on demand from an electronic thermostat-shaped control on the side of the stall. Toilets also have a built in "bidet" which is a European bathroom appliance designed to wash your personal areas after using the toilet. (in the picture, this is translated as "shower toilet") Again, Japanese men and women seem to have an unparalleled personal desire for cleanliness. These bidet washers are in almost every public toilet. (personally, I would feel weird getting washed in that way from a public toilet...). All of this technology means a lot of controls and a lot of instructions in the bathroom. It's so confusing that often the "flusher" button has to have a HUGE sign and arrow so that westerners don't keep pushing every button in a desperate attempt to flush the toilet (or push nothing and leave a mess behind - even more scandalous in Japan than anywhere else, I'm sure).
toilet controls
directions for using the toilet controls:
Not all of the bathroom technology is related to their awkwardness of natural functions. Some of the technology is designed to save space and/or save resources (both are in high demand in this crowded country).
When this toilet fills up the tank after flushing, the clean water is first available in sink format for people to wash their hands; the 'gray' water left after washing can then be used for flushing the next time.
This sink is an amazing all-in-one combo. The faucet on the right automatically dispenses water and the faucet on the left automatically dispenses soap. The grey controls on the bottom of the sink, near the user, is an automatic hand dryer. This saves space and also keeps germ transmission low!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Japan is techie
From the time I landed in Japan, I felt that Japan was somehow more "technological" than the U.S. Maybe it's just more techie than Mexico. or Michigan. Manhattan may be just as techie as Tokyo and the rest of Japan may be just as unplugged as central Mexico. Still, I wanted to show my fabulous readers just what I meant when I said Japan is techie.
Of course, there is the issue that nearly everyone on the trains is being electronically entertained - by their phones, ipods, playstations, and even TV advertisements on the train itself. Even those who are reading often have headphones. I saw a businessman about my dad's age on a playstation. I have yet to see a geisha texting... but i'm sure it could happen. (also, no ereaders!! Maybe Japanese books aren't available for this technology yet? Is it one of the only technologies that was not invented by Japan?) I don't have pictures of electronic metro use bc it somehow seemed rude to photo people up close.
But there are other things I got a picture of.
The cars are small (there are some Japanese minivans, but more like the Nissan Cube than the Nissan Quest) but very wired. In a line of parked cars, I saw a number of them with multiple screens turned on - one for GPS maps in full color (and 7"!) and one for video entertainment to go with their radio. Again, I felt rude taking a picture of a person in the privacy of their car, so I only have a screen that's not in use:
And cars aren't the only place that Japan has televisions! They are all over the street, used as advertisements for nearly anything. Again, this may be similar to times square in New York City, and it may be very unusual throughout the rest of Japan, but it seemed excessive to me. This is only 1 TV on the street, but busy corners are often inundated with these. And not just one major corner but instead multiple corners, at the very least, are full of these.
The restaurants are somewhat techie, too. People dining alone often use their phones or ipods, of course. And electronic bills run through a computer by the waitstaff is nothing unusual for us North Americans. But fast food here is often extra-techie. Ramen shops sell bowls of noodle soup (which are nothing like the cups of ramen we eat in the Americas, by the way!) for a small set price. So, what customers do is to pick out what they want and pay for it through a vending machine. The machine spits out tickets that we can take to the counter.
Of course, there is the issue that nearly everyone on the trains is being electronically entertained - by their phones, ipods, playstations, and even TV advertisements on the train itself. Even those who are reading often have headphones. I saw a businessman about my dad's age on a playstation. I have yet to see a geisha texting... but i'm sure it could happen. (also, no ereaders!! Maybe Japanese books aren't available for this technology yet? Is it one of the only technologies that was not invented by Japan?) I don't have pictures of electronic metro use bc it somehow seemed rude to photo people up close.
But there are other things I got a picture of.
The cars are small (there are some Japanese minivans, but more like the Nissan Cube than the Nissan Quest) but very wired. In a line of parked cars, I saw a number of them with multiple screens turned on - one for GPS maps in full color (and 7"!) and one for video entertainment to go with their radio. Again, I felt rude taking a picture of a person in the privacy of their car, so I only have a screen that's not in use:
And cars aren't the only place that Japan has televisions! They are all over the street, used as advertisements for nearly anything. Again, this may be similar to times square in New York City, and it may be very unusual throughout the rest of Japan, but it seemed excessive to me. This is only 1 TV on the street, but busy corners are often inundated with these. And not just one major corner but instead multiple corners, at the very least, are full of these.
The restaurants are somewhat techie, too. People dining alone often use their phones or ipods, of course. And electronic bills run through a computer by the waitstaff is nothing unusual for us North Americans. But fast food here is often extra-techie. Ramen shops sell bowls of noodle soup (which are nothing like the cups of ramen we eat in the Americas, by the way!) for a small set price. So, what customers do is to pick out what they want and pay for it through a vending machine. The machine spits out tickets that we can take to the counter.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Japan is healthy!
The Japanese are very small. Dave & I are not tall, so it's kind of nice looking in everyone's eyes here (seriously, when we traveled home at December I was surprised to realize how many of our family and friends are so much taller than we are!). Still, compared to them, we are huge. Japanese adults are about the size of junior high Americans. They're short and very very slim. After living like Japanese for a couple of days, I can see why.
Most Japanese families own a car, but it is not used to get to work and/or school. It's used for family outings (vacations, yes, but also shopping, restaurants, visiting grandma, church, etc.). So, most days Japanese ride their bike for a few miles and/or walk to the metro, where they then walk through the station, stand on the metro car, walk through another station, and then walk to school or the market or work or the park. 5 miles per day is average for the Japanese, while the avg. American walks less than 1 mile. (The Japanese invented the concept of 10,000 steps per day for health, did you know that? http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/wellness/steps.html)
I have to say, this is an exhausting amount of steps. We walk a lot, and we like to walk, and this was still a lot of steps.
Also, the Japanese eat really really healthy food.
The most unhealthy thing we ate all weekend was Tempura (i ate it before I took a picture, so this is from google):
As you can see, this is fried vegetables and fish. But, it was served with a bowl of rice, a bowl of tofu miso soup, 2 kinds of cooked vegetables, and hot tea.
Even with the fried part, I'm guessing our large lunch was less than 500 calories.
For dinner, we had sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. This picture is sukiyaki, but they both look really similar. (I have no idea why this is crooked, sorry)
As you can see, this is a pot of meat and vegetables cooked at your table. The menu explained that Japanese really didn't eat meat (pork, chicken, and beef) until the late 18th century. The Japanese people found this meat really yucky looking and were not interested in eating it - kind of like Americans feel about fish, I suspect! So, to "ease them into it" someone came up with this idea of cooking the meat yourself, so that everyone knew what it was. The vegetables are put into the boiling pot of water, to make a delicious broth and also some cooked vegetables. Then, the very thinly sliced meat is cooked one piece at a time in the pot. Each person cooks their own meat and then puts the meat in their own bowl. Each person can add seasonings to their cooked meat as they wish. Sukiyai meat is dipped in raw egg after cooking in the pot and before eating. That sounded gross but was actually delicious.
The amount of meat in this meal was minimal; mainly we ate vegetables and noodles. I would be really surprised if we ate more than 700 calories with this meal.
This was the Denny's breakfast menu. I do not think any American would find a meal here that s/he was used to ordering at Denny's. Also, each meal was posted with its price and its calorie count. Most everything was between 500 and 700 calories.
Dave ordered a very Japanese breakfast, which included sticky rice with sesame seeds and bacon shavings, and a pot of noodle soup with tofu. Very delicious and very filling.
I'm pretty sure if I was here for a few weeks, and was able to avoid the Outback steakhouse and the McDonalds near the hotel, I would lose a few pounds!
Most Japanese families own a car, but it is not used to get to work and/or school. It's used for family outings (vacations, yes, but also shopping, restaurants, visiting grandma, church, etc.). So, most days Japanese ride their bike for a few miles and/or walk to the metro, where they then walk through the station, stand on the metro car, walk through another station, and then walk to school or the market or work or the park. 5 miles per day is average for the Japanese, while the avg. American walks less than 1 mile. (The Japanese invented the concept of 10,000 steps per day for health, did you know that? http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/wellness/steps.html)
I have to say, this is an exhausting amount of steps. We walk a lot, and we like to walk, and this was still a lot of steps.
Also, the Japanese eat really really healthy food.
The most unhealthy thing we ate all weekend was Tempura (i ate it before I took a picture, so this is from google):
As you can see, this is fried vegetables and fish. But, it was served with a bowl of rice, a bowl of tofu miso soup, 2 kinds of cooked vegetables, and hot tea.
Even with the fried part, I'm guessing our large lunch was less than 500 calories.
For dinner, we had sukiyaki and shabu-shabu. This picture is sukiyaki, but they both look really similar. (I have no idea why this is crooked, sorry)
As you can see, this is a pot of meat and vegetables cooked at your table. The menu explained that Japanese really didn't eat meat (pork, chicken, and beef) until the late 18th century. The Japanese people found this meat really yucky looking and were not interested in eating it - kind of like Americans feel about fish, I suspect! So, to "ease them into it" someone came up with this idea of cooking the meat yourself, so that everyone knew what it was. The vegetables are put into the boiling pot of water, to make a delicious broth and also some cooked vegetables. Then, the very thinly sliced meat is cooked one piece at a time in the pot. Each person cooks their own meat and then puts the meat in their own bowl. Each person can add seasonings to their cooked meat as they wish. Sukiyai meat is dipped in raw egg after cooking in the pot and before eating. That sounded gross but was actually delicious.
The amount of meat in this meal was minimal; mainly we ate vegetables and noodles. I would be really surprised if we ate more than 700 calories with this meal.
This was the Denny's breakfast menu. I do not think any American would find a meal here that s/he was used to ordering at Denny's. Also, each meal was posted with its price and its calorie count. Most everything was between 500 and 700 calories.
Dave ordered a very Japanese breakfast, which included sticky rice with sesame seeds and bacon shavings, and a pot of noodle soup with tofu. Very delicious and very filling.
I'm pretty sure if I was here for a few weeks, and was able to avoid the Outback steakhouse and the McDonalds near the hotel, I would lose a few pounds!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Japan is organized!
Tokyo rivals Mexico City in size (depending on who is counting, one of those is the largest in the world) but they have almost nothing else in common. Both are very crowded, but the Japanese seem to have organization in their blood. In Mexico City, there is a desperate sense of "squishing" that takes some time to get used to. After years of watching out for rogue cars, buses, pedestrians, motorcycles, and even dogs, I was shocked to see this:
Yes, it's a huge intersection, but do you notice anything else? Look again.
Everyone is waiting. This is the largest, busiest intersection in the world, and people actually follow the rules. Thousands of people wait for the pedestrian crossing light, when they actually cross at the marked crossing, and deliberately do not push anyone near them. The cars wait patiently behind the lines and some even stop on the yellow light, so that they are not in the pedestrians' way. I was completely shocked.
Also, when waiting for the metro, the Japanese will line up and wait their turn. When the doors open, they patiently wait for those on the train to come off (in an organized line) and then the line of people waiting calmly enters the train. The line enters calmly, with those in front moving to the middle of the car.
I'm not kidding.
Kindergarten teachers in Japan must be very proud. Although, on second thought, maybe the students have to already know this kind of polite consideration in order to start school here?
Yes, it's a huge intersection, but do you notice anything else? Look again.
Everyone is waiting. This is the largest, busiest intersection in the world, and people actually follow the rules. Thousands of people wait for the pedestrian crossing light, when they actually cross at the marked crossing, and deliberately do not push anyone near them. The cars wait patiently behind the lines and some even stop on the yellow light, so that they are not in the pedestrians' way. I was completely shocked.
Also, when waiting for the metro, the Japanese will line up and wait their turn. When the doors open, they patiently wait for those on the train to come off (in an organized line) and then the line of people waiting calmly enters the train. The line enters calmly, with those in front moving to the middle of the car.
I'm not kidding.
Kindergarten teachers in Japan must be very proud. Although, on second thought, maybe the students have to already know this kind of polite consideration in order to start school here?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Japan is clean! (First Impressions)
I have to be honest - I had no idea what to expect in Japan. I visited China when I was in Jr. High, but that was a long time ago, and Japan is supposed to be very different.
It sure is!
My first impressions of Japan:
it is very clean, efficient/organized, technological, and healthy.
Take a close look at this subway picture; what do you notice? You might not notice much at first, except for the Japanese signs. Look again; what is missing?
I'll help you out: there is NO graffiti, scratched windows, torn seat covers, broken handles, food wrappers, used tickets, old newspapers, outdated posters, etc. The entire train is very very clean. It is also well-lit and spacious and generally new-looking. David saw a train official removing a can of soda from a train car with the kind of disgusted look we would expect from someone carrying a dead mouse.
We've been on metros throughout the Americas and Europe. I have to say that only London came close to the cleanliness on this metro; both London and Tokyo have relatively expensive metros. But the central London trains were nicer than the ones in the suburbs. We rode a lot of trains throughout Tokyo, and this isn't just the nice tourist train. It's a normal train.
After years of Mexico City Metros, I also noticed the quiet of Tokyo's Metro. The train itself is quieter, as it is modern and well-sealed, but also the people are quieter. They actually turn their phones to vibrate and refrain from all but private conversations. Needless to say, there are no pirated CDs for sale nor unemployed musicians playing their harmonica/guitar/accordion!
Every restaurant gave us wet towels when we sat down so that we could wash our hands. This was one of the first times that I felt that my hands weren't even all that dirty! Also, every bathroom (they even had free, clean, well-stocked bathrooms in the metro stations!) had toilet paper, running water, and soap; 90% had paper towels, but I saw many moms carrying a washcloth in their purse for kids to dry their hands if there wasn't any paper - very organized moms!
It sure is!
My first impressions of Japan:
it is very clean, efficient/organized, technological, and healthy.
Take a close look at this subway picture; what do you notice? You might not notice much at first, except for the Japanese signs. Look again; what is missing?
I'll help you out: there is NO graffiti, scratched windows, torn seat covers, broken handles, food wrappers, used tickets, old newspapers, outdated posters, etc. The entire train is very very clean. It is also well-lit and spacious and generally new-looking. David saw a train official removing a can of soda from a train car with the kind of disgusted look we would expect from someone carrying a dead mouse.
We've been on metros throughout the Americas and Europe. I have to say that only London came close to the cleanliness on this metro; both London and Tokyo have relatively expensive metros. But the central London trains were nicer than the ones in the suburbs. We rode a lot of trains throughout Tokyo, and this isn't just the nice tourist train. It's a normal train.
After years of Mexico City Metros, I also noticed the quiet of Tokyo's Metro. The train itself is quieter, as it is modern and well-sealed, but also the people are quieter. They actually turn their phones to vibrate and refrain from all but private conversations. Needless to say, there are no pirated CDs for sale nor unemployed musicians playing their harmonica/guitar/accordion!
Every restaurant gave us wet towels when we sat down so that we could wash our hands. This was one of the first times that I felt that my hands weren't even all that dirty! Also, every bathroom (they even had free, clean, well-stocked bathrooms in the metro stations!) had toilet paper, running water, and soap; 90% had paper towels, but I saw many moms carrying a washcloth in their purse for kids to dry their hands if there wasn't any paper - very organized moms!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
EASTERN hospitality
We're traveling to Japan for about a week so even though it will have nothing to do with Mexico, I'd like to share our pictures and stories with you. So... this site will temporarily be "Eastern Hospitality" until about Wed. Feb. 24. If you're not interested in Japan, just check back then.
The reason we get to do so much traveling is bc Dave gets more vacation time with his international assignment. (also, Mexicans get more vacation days than U.S. folks.) We both feel very blessed that we have had the opportunity to travel throughout Mexico, but also to Great Britain (last summer) and Japan (this spring). We absolutely love traveling and are hoping that I can get a job when we move back to MI so that we can keep traveling around the world!
The reason we get to do so much traveling is bc Dave gets more vacation time with his international assignment. (also, Mexicans get more vacation days than U.S. folks.) We both feel very blessed that we have had the opportunity to travel throughout Mexico, but also to Great Britain (last summer) and Japan (this spring). We absolutely love traveling and are hoping that I can get a job when we move back to MI so that we can keep traveling around the world!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Oaxaca - pt. 5 FOOD!!!
What's the best part of traveling? EATING!!!!
Every region in Mexico has slightly different food, bc the dishes all developed independently; the geography did not allow easy travel between areas until recently.
The Oaxacan food was very yummy.
Oaxaca is known for 2 foods made from the Cacao plant: chocolate and mole. Mole is actually a mix of nuts, chocolate, and chile pepper, as well as up to 15 other spices. It's delicious, and we bought many jars of it to bring home to MI to share. But a popular mole/chocolate store in Oaxaca will mix the chocolate for you on site! This guy is mixing cacao beans, almonds, and sugar to make a dry chocolate mix that people can take home and cook in some recipes and also make hot chocolate to drink.
All of Mexico eats tortillas, and Oaxaca is no exception. Except here, for some reason, the tortillas are HUGE!!! about twice the size of U.S. "tortillas" - maybe 15" diameter? Normally they will fold these in half to make a giant Tlayuda which is filled with beans and cheese and avocado and red pepper slices and maybe something else. I ordered a "Tlayuda" but instead got this huge open-faced volcano of a sandwich. It was a huge shell just covered in yumminess. Honestly, it was tough to eat.
Before the Spanish showed up, Mexicans didn't eat a lot of meat. Oaxaca City is not near the coastline, so they had no fish, and there are no domestic-able animals in Mexico. meat was limited to birds and rabbits that were hunted. To augment their limited protein intake, some traditional societies learned how to collect and fry grasshoppers. That's right, grasshoppers. blecht.
Now, it's a tradition for gringo tourists to buy some grasshoppers (which a few people still eat, only ground up so that the obvious bug-eating is less obvious, I guess) and eat them. I refused, but Dave went ahead and ate one.
He said it tasted like a bug with lime and chile powder.
double blecht.
Every region in Mexico has slightly different food, bc the dishes all developed independently; the geography did not allow easy travel between areas until recently.
The Oaxacan food was very yummy.
Oaxaca is known for 2 foods made from the Cacao plant: chocolate and mole. Mole is actually a mix of nuts, chocolate, and chile pepper, as well as up to 15 other spices. It's delicious, and we bought many jars of it to bring home to MI to share. But a popular mole/chocolate store in Oaxaca will mix the chocolate for you on site! This guy is mixing cacao beans, almonds, and sugar to make a dry chocolate mix that people can take home and cook in some recipes and also make hot chocolate to drink.
All of Mexico eats tortillas, and Oaxaca is no exception. Except here, for some reason, the tortillas are HUGE!!! about twice the size of U.S. "tortillas" - maybe 15" diameter? Normally they will fold these in half to make a giant Tlayuda which is filled with beans and cheese and avocado and red pepper slices and maybe something else. I ordered a "Tlayuda" but instead got this huge open-faced volcano of a sandwich. It was a huge shell just covered in yumminess. Honestly, it was tough to eat.
Before the Spanish showed up, Mexicans didn't eat a lot of meat. Oaxaca City is not near the coastline, so they had no fish, and there are no domestic-able animals in Mexico. meat was limited to birds and rabbits that were hunted. To augment their limited protein intake, some traditional societies learned how to collect and fry grasshoppers. That's right, grasshoppers. blecht.
Now, it's a tradition for gringo tourists to buy some grasshoppers (which a few people still eat, only ground up so that the obvious bug-eating is less obvious, I guess) and eat them. I refused, but Dave went ahead and ate one.
He said it tasted like a bug with lime and chile powder.
double blecht.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Oaxaca pt. 4 local towns
Oaxaca City, where we stayed, is the capital of Oaxaca state, which has a large group of small native villages. We had a chance to visit 5 of those villages to see the locals and their beautiful handicrafts.
Big Tree (literally, this is the biggest oldest tree in the world, and it's this one town's claim to fame):
alebrijes:
These animals are hand carved from wood and then hand painted and assembled. This is a new art that the locals developed about 20 years ago in order to preserve their traditional culture but also sell something that modern tourists would wan tot buy.
woven rugs:
local wool is naturally dyed and woven on looms to make rugs, blankets, pillowcases, and other things.
We also went to a city that sold black pottery. We were not a fan of that as much. It was rare and pretty, but not something that we would want to buy. No pictures, unfortunately!
I'm going to post again tomorrow (Saturday) which I normally don't, so I thought I'd warn the dedicated readers!
Big Tree (literally, this is the biggest oldest tree in the world, and it's this one town's claim to fame):
alebrijes:
These animals are hand carved from wood and then hand painted and assembled. This is a new art that the locals developed about 20 years ago in order to preserve their traditional culture but also sell something that modern tourists would wan tot buy.
woven rugs:
local wool is naturally dyed and woven on looms to make rugs, blankets, pillowcases, and other things.
We also went to a city that sold black pottery. We were not a fan of that as much. It was rare and pretty, but not something that we would want to buy. No pictures, unfortunately!
I'm going to post again tomorrow (Saturday) which I normally don't, so I thought I'd warn the dedicated readers!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Oaxaca - pt. 3 Dresses!
There are a variety of traditional indigenous dress styles throughout Mexico. Unfortunately, most Mexicans today prefer international modern style, rather than the traditional styles. That's understandable, as many native Mexicans are still discriminated against. Also, there are a lot of cheap hand-me-down clothes and/or asian-made clothes available; most families don't want to invest in a traditional outfit that really can't be worn to school or work where uniforms are required.
Oaxaca had the most variety of beautiful native dress styles. I'm not sure which groups used which styles. I didn't end up buying anything (many dresses were hand embroidered, so they were very costly) but did love the pictures!!!
Oaxaca had the most variety of beautiful native dress styles. I'm not sure which groups used which styles. I didn't end up buying anything (many dresses were hand embroidered, so they were very costly) but did love the pictures!!!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Oaxaca - pt. 2 Cathedral
The Spanish were notorious for building catholic chapels, cathedrals, and monasteries on top of indigenous sites. Today, of course, we think that's very sad, but back then it was part of the deal: winners tear down the losers' stuff.
Anyway, Oaxaca has a beautiful central cathedral and attached monastery. The cathedral is still being used as a catholic church, but the Franciscan monastery has been converted into an historical museum about the ancient peoples who lived in this region, the story of the conquest, and the modern lives of Mexicans in this area. The museum was fabulous and also the monastery was HUGE! I did some research and discovered that the Franciscans were given the task of converting and educating the natives and the Jesuits were in charge of educating the peninsulares (persons born in the Iberian Peninsula - Spain- but living in Mexico) and the criollos/creoles (persons of 100% European/Spanish heritage born in Mexico.
This was a fantastic meditation garden behind the monastery that is still kept up but visitors are not allowed to walk through.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Oaxaca - pt. 1 - History
Mon. Feb. 1 was a holiday in Mexico - Constitution Day - and we used the time off of work and school to visit "quintessential" Mexico: Oaxaca.
Oaxaca is about 6 driving hours south of Mexico City. (DF is about 14-16 driving hours south of the most southern tip of Texas, just for reference). This city is separated from Central Mexico (DF, Puebla, Toluca, etc.) by a very serious mountain range that was immensely difficult to cross until very modern road construction. Even as few as 10 years ago, the drive from DF to Oaxaca could take a couple of days through windy mountain roads.
Most people think that the insurmountable terrain is what kept the Spanish conquistadors out of Oaxaca and let the natives there continue their way of life for so long (even today, Oaxaca State has the greatest number of living indigenous peoples in all of Mexico). The terrain certainly was a major factor, but there was also another factor: cochineal. The Zapotec Indians formed a labor union, of sorts, that harvested the cochineal's red dye and sold it to the Spanish, who in turn sold it to the English (for their red-coat army uniforms) at a hefty mark-up. (see this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal for more info)
Due to the undesirable climate, the difficulty of traveling there, and the locals' willingness to do a job they wanted done but didn't want to do, the Spanish didn't really "conquer" the Oaxaca region like they did central mexico. Even today, it's harder to travel to this area, which is warm but not beachy, so there are fewer tourists coming. As such, the natural beauty, the traditional handicrafts, and the ancient archeological sites are in much better shape than elsewhere in Mexico. I felt like this was the "heart" of Mexico. Much like most tourists would visit Disney Land or New York City but have no idea how the rest of us live in central U.S., most tourists visit Cancun or Mexico City and not really understand Oaxaca.
The first thing we did was visit Monte Alban, an ancient city center for the Toltec nation, the mother nation of Mexico.
Climbing Monte Alban Steps:
Finally at the top!
Ball Court:
Behind me is the court where the Toltecs played a ball game. They thought that the gods would choose the winner, so often the losers would then be sacrificed or enslaved or something, but at least no one had to watch boring advertisements during time-outs!
Oaxaca is about 6 driving hours south of Mexico City. (DF is about 14-16 driving hours south of the most southern tip of Texas, just for reference). This city is separated from Central Mexico (DF, Puebla, Toluca, etc.) by a very serious mountain range that was immensely difficult to cross until very modern road construction. Even as few as 10 years ago, the drive from DF to Oaxaca could take a couple of days through windy mountain roads.
Most people think that the insurmountable terrain is what kept the Spanish conquistadors out of Oaxaca and let the natives there continue their way of life for so long (even today, Oaxaca State has the greatest number of living indigenous peoples in all of Mexico). The terrain certainly was a major factor, but there was also another factor: cochineal. The Zapotec Indians formed a labor union, of sorts, that harvested the cochineal's red dye and sold it to the Spanish, who in turn sold it to the English (for their red-coat army uniforms) at a hefty mark-up. (see this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal for more info)
Due to the undesirable climate, the difficulty of traveling there, and the locals' willingness to do a job they wanted done but didn't want to do, the Spanish didn't really "conquer" the Oaxaca region like they did central mexico. Even today, it's harder to travel to this area, which is warm but not beachy, so there are fewer tourists coming. As such, the natural beauty, the traditional handicrafts, and the ancient archeological sites are in much better shape than elsewhere in Mexico. I felt like this was the "heart" of Mexico. Much like most tourists would visit Disney Land or New York City but have no idea how the rest of us live in central U.S., most tourists visit Cancun or Mexico City and not really understand Oaxaca.
The first thing we did was visit Monte Alban, an ancient city center for the Toltec nation, the mother nation of Mexico.
Climbing Monte Alban Steps:
Finally at the top!
Ball Court:
Behind me is the court where the Toltecs played a ball game. They thought that the gods would choose the winner, so often the losers would then be sacrificed or enslaved or something, but at least no one had to watch boring advertisements during time-outs!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pina!
We don't have fresh pineapple in Michigan. At least, if we do, I don't know where to buy it or when it is fresh.
Dave was very intrigued by the fresh pineapple on the side of the road in Mexico. Thankfully, our friend Rachael knew how to turn a full pineapple into a bowl of pineapple pieces.
First, she cut off the leafy green top:
Then, she cut the fleshy parts in half.
Then she trimmed off the sides and cut it into small pieces. I guess that the center of the pineapple is normally not eaten in the U.S. but is eaten in Mexico.
In the end, this was a VERY sweet pineapple. Rachael said it was almost too ripe, but I think I just was surprised by my first fresh pineapple experience. The pieces we couldn't eat went into the freezer for smoothies next week.
Yum.
Dave was very intrigued by the fresh pineapple on the side of the road in Mexico. Thankfully, our friend Rachael knew how to turn a full pineapple into a bowl of pineapple pieces.
First, she cut off the leafy green top:
Then, she cut the fleshy parts in half.
Then she trimmed off the sides and cut it into small pieces. I guess that the center of the pineapple is normally not eaten in the U.S. but is eaten in Mexico.
In the end, this was a VERY sweet pineapple. Rachael said it was almost too ripe, but I think I just was surprised by my first fresh pineapple experience. The pieces we couldn't eat went into the freezer for smoothies next week.
Yum.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Bilingual?
Since I've been studying Spanish for 15 years now (really!) I often get asked if I'm "bilingual". When I give a completely automatic and definitely not intentional funny look, sometimes the questioner will rephrase and ask me if I'm "fluent".
*sigh*
Bilingual: using or being able to use 2 languages equally. For example, someone from Quebec is likely bilingual bc they could have a conversation, watch a movie, read a book, go to church, etc. just as comfortably in either English or Spanish. A person can have an accent and still be bilingual.
Fluent: mastery; capable of using a language effortlessly. For example, some people, like my dear husband, are much more fluent in mathematics than I am. (yes, math is a language. it's a language of numbers. it's spoken internationally.)
For language teachers, fluency is a range. Kind of like reading fluency = literacy. Some people can read better and faster and easier than others, but nearly every child in america is literate.
Language fluency involves reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the language. My Spanish I students are theoretically "fluent" in Spanish, even though they can only understand me, and only know about 10% of the language - in other words, seriously flunking Spanish use in daily life. In order to get a job using both languages, I would have to be significantly more "fluent" in Spanish, to the point where I was only confused about 10% of the time - still getting an "A" in my daily Spanish use, but clearly not a native speaker. (how many of your friends and neighbors misuse English 10% of the time? if they did, would they still be your friend?)
According to this really interesting online quiz http://language.bin.org/FXM/level.htm I was at about 50% fluency when I arrived 18 months ago. I could survive Spanish, and even understand about half of what was happening. Still a "failing" grade, but not horrible. Now, I'm at about 75%. I can write emails, read the paper, listen to the news, and share intimate stories with friends. This is a huge improvement, of course, but I'm an "A" student and I still, even after 15 years of exposure, 3 months in Spain, 18 months in Mexico, and over 100 hours of individual tutoring, I'm still a "C" student in Spanish. Sometimes that's discouraging.
Here is what does encourage me:
1. I can have a 30 minute spanish conversation at the lunch table with fellow teachers and make sense. Conversations normally involve sharing opinions (which is a complicated verb tense we don't have in English but that is really important to use correctly in Spanish) and also a LOT of past tense (what I did this weekend is all a past tense story).
2. I can pick up a newspaper or watch CNN en Espanol and understand the basic news stories: the who, what, where, and when at least, even if not the why.
3. I can now read easy stuff. When I first started tutoring 18 months and 100 hours ago, I was using a junior high workbook. It would take me an hour to read a 500-word story, answer 10 questions, and write a 3-sentence summary. Now, I can read a chapter of Max Lucado in about 20 minutes and then go on to have an hour long group discussion on the topic.
4. Dave & I have started "spanish night" where we try to talk to each other about our day only in Spanish, watch Spanish TV, and also do some Spanish online tutorials. The first couple have been a huge success. It is good that we can do this, bc when we go home, we may have only each other with whom we can keep practicing.
*sigh*
Bilingual: using or being able to use 2 languages equally. For example, someone from Quebec is likely bilingual bc they could have a conversation, watch a movie, read a book, go to church, etc. just as comfortably in either English or Spanish. A person can have an accent and still be bilingual.
Fluent: mastery; capable of using a language effortlessly. For example, some people, like my dear husband, are much more fluent in mathematics than I am. (yes, math is a language. it's a language of numbers. it's spoken internationally.)
For language teachers, fluency is a range. Kind of like reading fluency = literacy. Some people can read better and faster and easier than others, but nearly every child in america is literate.
Language fluency involves reading, writing, speaking, and understanding the language. My Spanish I students are theoretically "fluent" in Spanish, even though they can only understand me, and only know about 10% of the language - in other words, seriously flunking Spanish use in daily life. In order to get a job using both languages, I would have to be significantly more "fluent" in Spanish, to the point where I was only confused about 10% of the time - still getting an "A" in my daily Spanish use, but clearly not a native speaker. (how many of your friends and neighbors misuse English 10% of the time? if they did, would they still be your friend?)
According to this really interesting online quiz http://language.bin.org/FXM/level.htm I was at about 50% fluency when I arrived 18 months ago. I could survive Spanish, and even understand about half of what was happening. Still a "failing" grade, but not horrible. Now, I'm at about 75%. I can write emails, read the paper, listen to the news, and share intimate stories with friends. This is a huge improvement, of course, but I'm an "A" student and I still, even after 15 years of exposure, 3 months in Spain, 18 months in Mexico, and over 100 hours of individual tutoring, I'm still a "C" student in Spanish. Sometimes that's discouraging.
Here is what does encourage me:
1. I can have a 30 minute spanish conversation at the lunch table with fellow teachers and make sense. Conversations normally involve sharing opinions (which is a complicated verb tense we don't have in English but that is really important to use correctly in Spanish) and also a LOT of past tense (what I did this weekend is all a past tense story).
2. I can pick up a newspaper or watch CNN en Espanol and understand the basic news stories: the who, what, where, and when at least, even if not the why.
3. I can now read easy stuff. When I first started tutoring 18 months and 100 hours ago, I was using a junior high workbook. It would take me an hour to read a 500-word story, answer 10 questions, and write a 3-sentence summary. Now, I can read a chapter of Max Lucado in about 20 minutes and then go on to have an hour long group discussion on the topic.
4. Dave & I have started "spanish night" where we try to talk to each other about our day only in Spanish, watch Spanish TV, and also do some Spanish online tutorials. The first couple have been a huge success. It is good that we can do this, bc when we go home, we may have only each other with whom we can keep practicing.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The "moles"
There was a bit of a viral reaction to a facebook status update circulating this week. Ok, I suppose that's not really news, but this particular debate centered on whether or not the U.S. should bother helping less-fortunate countries, such as Haiti, when we have so many of our own issues to deal with at home.
I won't make my entire argument here, nor did I do so on the FB comment, but those who know me can probably guess what I was thinking.
Mexico definitely has more domestic issues that the U.S. Up to 40% of Mexicans do not eat regularly. Children are only guaranteed 1-5 grade education, and there are no national tests to discover whether that education is actually producing literate citizens. Still, despite their own problems at home, Mexicans are generously donating to help the Haitians.
Mexicans know what it is like to live in an earthquake zone. They know what it is like to wonder if you will eat today. So they understand more fully than most North Americans what it is like for those 2 crises to collide. In 1985, a major 8.1 earthquake hit central mexico and killed tens of thousands of people. The government was unable or unwilling to do much to help. ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Mexico_City_earthquake#Emergency_response for more information)
Most Mexicans who were rescued can thank their friends and neighbors for volunteering to help.
After that Massive quake, an elite team of rescuers was formed called "Los Topos" or "the moles" so called bc they will burrow into any hole, searching for survivors. They are a completely volunteer team of rescuers, the most elite in the world. They have not lost a rescuer in 25 years and 22 natural disasters around the world. Unfortunately, they do not get a lot of press, no government support, and survive completely on donations.
This article is in English http://guanabee.com/2010/01/los-topos-de-mexico/
Please spread the word about these amazing rescuers and even donate to their cause if you can! (a donation link is on the bottom of the article)
(Note: The Mexican government is part of a Pan-American aid organization that is sending military, medical, and other support to Haiti. Also, many individual charities are collecting donations. The largest university in the State of Mexico - where Dave & I live - made a huge donation. http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/uaem-ships-11-tons-of-haiti-relief-10119 I don't want anyone to think that Mexico is doing nothing, even though they are not supporting this amazing volunteer team.)
I won't make my entire argument here, nor did I do so on the FB comment, but those who know me can probably guess what I was thinking.
Mexico definitely has more domestic issues that the U.S. Up to 40% of Mexicans do not eat regularly. Children are only guaranteed 1-5 grade education, and there are no national tests to discover whether that education is actually producing literate citizens. Still, despite their own problems at home, Mexicans are generously donating to help the Haitians.
Mexicans know what it is like to live in an earthquake zone. They know what it is like to wonder if you will eat today. So they understand more fully than most North Americans what it is like for those 2 crises to collide. In 1985, a major 8.1 earthquake hit central mexico and killed tens of thousands of people. The government was unable or unwilling to do much to help. ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Mexico_City_earthquake#Emergency_response for more information)
Most Mexicans who were rescued can thank their friends and neighbors for volunteering to help.
After that Massive quake, an elite team of rescuers was formed called "Los Topos" or "the moles" so called bc they will burrow into any hole, searching for survivors. They are a completely volunteer team of rescuers, the most elite in the world. They have not lost a rescuer in 25 years and 22 natural disasters around the world. Unfortunately, they do not get a lot of press, no government support, and survive completely on donations.
This article is in English http://guanabee.com/2010/01/los-topos-de-mexico/
Please spread the word about these amazing rescuers and even donate to their cause if you can! (a donation link is on the bottom of the article)
(Note: The Mexican government is part of a Pan-American aid organization that is sending military, medical, and other support to Haiti. Also, many individual charities are collecting donations. The largest university in the State of Mexico - where Dave & I live - made a huge donation. http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/uaem-ships-11-tons-of-haiti-relief-10119 I don't want anyone to think that Mexico is doing nothing, even though they are not supporting this amazing volunteer team.)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tamale Day!
Back in December, I promised to write about the final end of Mexico's Christmas celebration.
February 2 is 40 days after Dec. 25. As such, it is the celebration of Jesus' presentation in the temple. Protestants don't normally observe such celebrations, and I don't think many catholics do anymore either, but Mexicans still do.
So, on Dia de los Reyes (3 kings day/ epiphany) Mexicans eat a cake in the shape of a wreath. hidden in that wreath is a small plastic Jesus. Anyone who gets a Jesus in his or her cake is responsible for hosting a party on Feb. 2. That party normally involves delicious "tamales" or baked corn cakes, which are normally eaten for breakfast. Offices who shared the wreath on Jan. 6 will have tamales today when everyone gets to work. Families may have a party early this morning or tonight.
I also wrote in December about our difficulty finding a nativity scene that included the baby Jesus. We were told that most people have a separate Jesus that doesn't match the rest of the holy family. That sounded really strange to us until we remembered "tamale day".
Today, Mexicans carry their plastic baby Jesuses from their home nativity scene (yes, the nativity is still on display - the picture above is from the hotel where we stayed this past weekend - notice how HUGE Jesus is?!) to the church for the priest to bless it before they put the Jesus away. This is to remember when Mary & Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple for His dedication at 40 days after His birth.
We did notice that some churches were doing Jesus blessing this past Sunday, as many modern Mexicans now have to go to work and school on Feb. 2 and don't always have time to stop by church with their baby Jesus.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Drug Crime in Mexico
Some information in this post is from an article in THE NEWS, the English-language newspaper in Mexico City. see http://thenews.com.mx/articulo/pri-proposes-public-security-system-reform-10125 for the full article.
Every 85 minutes, someone loses his or her life due to drug crime in Mexico; every day sees 17 drug-crime related violent deaths. In the U.S., on the other hand, about 2 people die every day from drug-related violent deaths. We are not afraid of drug crimes in Mexico, nor are we afraid of the lousy local police system. This is for 2 reasons: most of the drug crimes involve drug criminals (which we are not) and most of the drug violence happens in border states (which we are not). It is too expensive and dangerous for serious drug cartels to run their business in or through central Mexico.
Thankfully, though, the U.S. is finally helping to support Mexico's war on drugs. American demand for Mexican drugs is huge - 60-80% of the drugs run through Mexico are used by persons in the U.S. The average Mexican cannot afford to be an addict. The U.S. is training Mexican federal police & drug dogs and sending equipment that will help them to catch drug cartel leaders. Quite a few major leaders have already been arrested.
Hopefully, once the economy is stabilized and we're no longer focused on a far-away way, the U.S. can direct more attention to the drug problem and our relationship with our neighbors.
Every 85 minutes, someone loses his or her life due to drug crime in Mexico; every day sees 17 drug-crime related violent deaths. In the U.S., on the other hand, about 2 people die every day from drug-related violent deaths. We are not afraid of drug crimes in Mexico, nor are we afraid of the lousy local police system. This is for 2 reasons: most of the drug crimes involve drug criminals (which we are not) and most of the drug violence happens in border states (which we are not). It is too expensive and dangerous for serious drug cartels to run their business in or through central Mexico.
Thankfully, though, the U.S. is finally helping to support Mexico's war on drugs. American demand for Mexican drugs is huge - 60-80% of the drugs run through Mexico are used by persons in the U.S. The average Mexican cannot afford to be an addict. The U.S. is training Mexican federal police & drug dogs and sending equipment that will help them to catch drug cartel leaders. Quite a few major leaders have already been arrested.
Hopefully, once the economy is stabilized and we're no longer focused on a far-away way, the U.S. can direct more attention to the drug problem and our relationship with our neighbors.
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