Thursday, January 25, 2007

Geotag

I don’t know about ya’ll, but I love taking pictures, and I love looking at maps when I’m traveling. It just so happens, I realized I could link my photos to a world map with Flickr.

For those paying attention to my Photostream on the right sidebar, I learned how to “geotag” my pictures. If you click on a photo, it will take you to my Flickr page, where you will see the photo and a list of details next to the photo
If you click on the “Map” link, it will show you a satellite view of where the photo was taken, and you can zoom in or out of the map to get a better idea where in the world I went.

Hope this helps put things in perspective.

Peace by Peace.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Papantla

On my way to El Tajin, I went through the small town of Papantla, where I saw what I think is a rain dance of some kind.

Not really sure, though.

El Tajin

Last week I learned that Mel Gibson’s new movie, Apocalypto, was filmed in the state of Veracruz. To make it even more appealing to me, I learned that Gestalt, the school I’m teaching in, was involved in the filming. The fashion students designed and made many of the costumes, jewelry, and other accessories worn by the actors and actresses, and many students were used as extras.

Unfortunately, the film is showing here with Spanish subtitles, and my Spanish isn’t quite up to snuff to understand everything being said. I’m tempted to try anyway, just for the experience.

Apocalypto or not, my interest in Mexican history was sparked, so Anna, a fellow intern, and I decided to get out of the city of Veracruz for a day and visit the ancient ruins at El Tajin.

"The city El Tajín was the capital of the Totonac state. Tajín means city or place of thunder in the Totonac language, and is believed to have been one of the names for the Totonac god of thunder, lightning and rain." -- Wikipedia





On our way into the archaeological site, we saw five men perform the Voladores Rite. Now, I thought I’d seen some crazy things in Japan, but this ranks way up there.



According to my Lonely Planet, this is packed with symbolic meanings, which I’m sure at some point in time it was, but from my perspective, it’s just a way to sucker tourists into watching something crazy while vendors sell T-shirts made in China.

Talkin' about Teaching

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Awesome

In an attempt to mock the cover letter workshop I sat through at SIT, and the process I went through to get my current internship, I recently composed an email application, in cover letter style, to a friend who goes by the monkier the Director of Awesomeness.

My awesome application was as follows:

Dear Director of Awesomeness,

My name is Heyward Gignilliat. I am a candidate for a Master of Arts in Teaching at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.

I recently embarked on an eight-week internship to Veracruz, Mexico, and I would be honored if you bestowed upon me the title of Ambassador of Awesomeness.

I feel I distinguish myself from other applicants because I am ever mindful of the Big Here and the Long Now. If granted this honorary title, I vow to teach, learn, speak, study, listen, laugh, eat, drink, joke, play, surf, spin, skip, jingle, dance, groove, twist, squeeze, drop, flush, climb, win, lose, conquer, smoke, rip, tear, thrash, roar, thrust, finish, slash, and even burn in the name of Awesomeness.

Please consider this application, and I am looking forward to hearing from you in the near future.


After a couple days of deliberation, my friend wrote me back with the following response:

Dear Candidate,

After extensive review of your application the selection committee (comprised only of the Director of Awesomeness) would like to honor you by conferring upon you the title of Ambassador of Awesomeness.

It is with great pleasure that this position is filled by such an ambitious candidate in its first conferral as of date. It fills the director with much pleasure that awesomeness will be brought to the people of Veracruz.

Everyone, especially beautiful women, need awesomeness and I trust that you will spread as much of it as possible to Veracruz and the surrounding region. Just be sure to do all that you have said you will... especially groove, squeeze, burn and thrust.


I guess I am now a diplomat... of awesome sorts.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sushii w/ Salsa?

I knew Veracruz had a small Japanese restaurant around somewhere, but I’d nearly walked all the way to the beach before I stumbled upon the squat building with Kanji painted around all the windows. As I stepped into the nearly empty restaurant, a short and weathered old Mexican man stood up to greet me, “Buenas tardes.”

I thought for a moment and then muttered in Spanish, “Hablo Ingles?” In a split second, it occurred to me that I’d conjugated the verb wrong. The old man just waved me off and motioned for me to sit down.

Not exactly sure what to do or say next, I reached down to the nearest table and picked up a pair of chopsticks. The old Mexican man looked puzzled and said, “Hashi da.”

With renewed confidence and a gleam in my eye, I asked, “Nihongo hanasemasuka?”

“Un,” grunted the Mexican.

“Eto ne… Boku wa Eigo no sensei desu. Kyo no jyugyo de hashi tsukaitai. Moratemoii desuka?”

“Ii desu yo,” he said delightedly and gestured for me to take the chopsticks in my hand.

“Yon seto de ii desuka?”

“Ii yo,” the Mexican’s son said coming out of the back kitchen with a handful of chopsticks for me.

“Arigatogozaimashita,” I said with a bow as I backed out the door. “Shitsuraishimashita.”

As soon as I was back out on the street, I thought it was strange to meet a Mexican family that could speak Japanese.

Then, I began wondering what they thought. Some white boy pops in off the street, can’t speak a lick of Spanish, but in Japanese says he’s an English teacher and wants to use four sets of chopsticks in his class, and he pops back out.

Yeah, that might be a little odd. I smiled and hurried towards the bank. Now I needed to ask for $20 worth of coins.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Xalapa: Museo De Antropologia

Yesterday, Anna and I decided to take advantage of our day off (our work schedules don't really kick in until next week) and go to Xalapa for the day. It was an easy hour & a half bus ride north.

Below are some pictures from the amazing Anthropology Museum. Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Veracruz: The First week in Pictures

Here are some photos, in no particular order, of my first week in Veracruz, Mexico.

I suggest playing Latin music in the background as you watch.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Friday, January 05, 2007

SIT Internship

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Winter Holiday 06

The Ride South

I sat in the backseat bleary eyed from the drive yesterday. Occasionally, I would glance at a book Atasi had given me an hour before. I didn’t really feel like reading, but the weight of the book felt comfortable in my hand.

The Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Freire. At one point, I opened the book and began counting how many times the word ‘oppressed’ appeared on a single page… one, two, three, four; flipping to another random page… one, two, four, six oppressed; another random page… five oppresses. This is not the kinda book I wanna to read while going home for Christmas, and my gaze drifted out the car window to the passing mountains for an undisclosed amount of time.

An unfamiliar street sign snapped me to attention. “Hey, Gooch” I called from the back seat. “Where are we?”

“Ummm. I dunno,” he said. I think I woke him from a daydream too.

“Are we still heading south on 29?”

“I’ve just been driving straight,” he reassured me.

Suddenly, a cell phone went off somewhere inside the car, and Mario sitting shotgun answered it on the second ring. “I’m on my way to Atlanta… No, I’m not there yet… I dunno… I’m still in Virginia.”

Christmas Day


Taylor and Kady: the singing, dancing Christmas princesses.


New Years Eve

“What exactly is flare and panache?” I asked Chris as he brought out a box full of Mardi Gras beads and other tacky knick-knacks. “ I don’t think I have either of those.”

Stiles quickly reached into the box and pulled out a black wig with pigtails. He tried it on and walked into the dining room to see himself in a mirror. “You look like Pocahontas!” someone laughed.

I guessed wigs were the way forward this year, so I walked up to the box and grabbed a blonde one. Jason looked at me as I put it on and began trying to the clear the hair from my eyes. “Uhh, dude! You look like the guy from Spinal Tap.” I guess I can dig that; I thought and headed to the front door to leave for the party.

“Come on in!” was the greeting at the basement door of the mayor’s house by an older man. “What’s your name?”

“Me? I’m David St. Hubbins,” I replied.

“Hi, David,” said the older gentleman, who turned out to be the mayor’s father.

Then, almost as if on queue, Chris deadpanned, “The patron saint of quality footwear.”

“Hey! I’m Randy. Nice to meet you,” said a jolly guy in a penguin suit and a top hat. “I’m the mayor. Ya’ll are safe here. The cops in this town work for me.”

“Happy New Year!”