Summer Class in Mexico

I’m sitting in quite possibly one of the most charming kitchens in Mexico, waiting for the water to boil for my pasta. I’ve been here three days and had a mental block about blogging because I had promised to blog about Ecuador “soon” and that never ended up happening due to campus meetings almost as soon as I got back, a challenging summer school class, and other random things that came up. As much as I have to say about Ecuador, I want to write about Guanajuato while I’m here.

I taught here last summer and it went well but somehow, this summer is even better (with the exception of my dear friend, Dr. SH, being on a well-deserved vacation instead of hanging out with me in Gto). Though it may seem like a small detail, a big part of it is my apartment. Last year I stayed in a fully remodeled apartment that an American family owned. It was very nice but somewhat sterile and the caretaker was not terribly pleasant. This apartment is attached to a family home that also has B&B style guestrooms. It is filled with charm and art (and mosquitos, to be fair) and the owners are lovely people. It’s a bit silly, but I think it’s super cool that there is a pomegranate tree right outside my window. I have my own place and I get a taste of family life and Mexican hosts to help me out. I ended up asking the Señor for a corkscrew and toilet paper tonight.

I taught this same class last summer so I have materials prepped and they only need minor modifications. My walk to campus reminds me of my walk to class when I studied in Avignon. After class, I either go to a coffee shop for a snack and tea or I work on campus until I decide to leave for lunch. Today I went to lunch at a Japanese place. It’s so small, there are just a few tables in an alleyway (callejón) and no place to eat inside. Then I ran some errands. It seems every day there are minor errands that are more fun here. It’s a challenge to find certain things without taking a cab to a bigger store. My dinner is made up of pasta and cheese purchased from a convenience store and vegetables and butter from a tiny produce shop. I found a little wine at a random store that I had never seen open before. It will be fun for the brief time I’m here and then I’ll go home and enjoy some of the luxuries I have in my kitchen. Including a cooking partner (Austin) and background noise (Stinky’s fussing).