Busy-ness

With only 6.5 weeks left in the program, the increasing intensity of our working, academic, and social lives alike means that each week passes by more quickly than the last. And, of course, there is that moment of extreme panic when one realizes that they are poor and have yet to buy a single souvenir for friends and family.

I’ve somewhat reached the saturation-point academically – that moment when you just need to escape from all modes of higher thought about a given subject (in this case anything to do with the border) for awhile – but, in general, I’m glad to have some more time here. At least if recent highlights are any indicator.

For example, the Friday afternoon I spent treating one of the girls who’s having a rough time out to lunch. Later that evening, two of the other girls and I got together to make Spanakopita. Not until after we’d joyfully rebelled against the no-taking-the-ruta-after-dark or no-walking-without-a-male-escort-at-night rules, though.

Once in the kitchen, there was much singing and dancing, and also a fair amount of shouting and laughter during particularly hazardous endeavours to start the most finicky gas-oven I’ve yet to encounter. After hearing the story of an uncle whose eyebrows were singed off during a particularly “successful” attempt at lighting the thing, rather than risk balding ourselves, we vetoed the cigarette lighter we had and ended up setting fire to a bit of rolled-up newspaper and then using that. End result: The food turned out wonderfully and the “flaming redhead” jokes all – quite thankfully - came to naught.

In terms of the present, though... It’s Halloween on the American side of the Border. My boss and co-workers are running around crazily trying to find costumes and candy at the last minute. And me? I have a whole weekend of celebrations for the Dia de los Muertos ahead of me in Juarez, so right now I’m sitting under the tallest tree I’ve seen since San Francisco, listening to the 1.59 gigs of music that I pirated off of friends last weekend.

Also among some of my newer acquisitions – aside from some much-needed trousers (I literally did not own any pants for a solid two weeks) – is a lovely new coat. That’s right, a coat; I bought a beautiful, red, 80% wool jacket in the middle of a desert. I almost feel guilty for cheating on my lovely white trenchcoat – it has, after all, seen me through two Minnesota winters – but, after a year of searching for something a bit less bulky or easily stained, I finally found something that I think Audrey Hepburn would have approved of.

Stocking up on cold-weather clothing, though, was just one of a few chores that’s kept me busy these past few weeks. I’ve done my quarterly budgeting, I’ve worked out my Spring Semester schedule, I’ve finished my summer job application, I’ve worked out winter travel plans, I’ve already finished all of my homework through Monday… It’s been a lot of constant, low-level stress, but it’s paid off in that I literally have nothing to do over the next four days but enjoy my friends and host-family and take a little extra care of myself.

Which I may start doing by curling up with J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace and good cup of PG Tips. …Or by taking a pumice stone to the soles of my feet, which – as can sometimes happen when one walks around in sandals through a dusty, polluted city - have been stained the same shade of brown-black for the last two months. On the plus side, I haven’t had this many calluses since my dancing years; I’ve got heels of leather, baby! And while I still get a new set of blisters every time I switch into a pair of close-toed shoes (my current count is four, including one particular gem the size of a quarter), I foresee spending even more time than usual barefoot this spring.

To step onto a pathway and find the surface cool beneath my feet! Or to feel the soft, cutting blades of new grass between my toes… I dream of green and cold. …Except maybe not so soon with the cold. I could definitely handle a trip to… oh, say, the Yucatan peninsula? ...before returning to below-freezing temperature weather. Which, conveniently, is just what I’ll be doing after the program ends.

Hannah and I will fly out of Juarez the next day, where we’ll have an overnight in Monterrey. From there, we’ll fly to Merida, where we’ll be joined by one of our program coordinators and which will be the base for our travels. From there, we’ll have easy access to numerous beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, Chichen Itza (the world’s most visited archaeological site) and various other Mayan ruins, and some prime hiking-in-the-jungle and scuba-diving locales. I think – given my penchants for nature, anything cultural, intense physical activity, and dare I say seafood! – that I’ll be quite content.

Until then, though, I’ll just be trying to stay ahead of my work and cram in as much as possible outside of work. Which, really, shouldn’t be that hard. The Dia de los Muertos celebrations are this weekend, it’s my birthday next weekend, the program’s trip to Mexico City is the week after that, and it’s Thanksgiving break the week after that. There aren’t any major events that first weekend in December, but the second week we have a farewell party for friends and family, the week after that is the program’s closing retreat, and the day after that I fly out of Juarez. Whew.