19 hours in Salamanca

Some of you may know that part of my goal of being in Mexico is to learn about the school systems here and the lives of teachers and students involved in those systems. Making contacts has proved to be a bit of a challenge but things are finally taking off and I have done a number of interviews with parents, teachers and students.

A fellow I worked with in Portland got me in touch with his cousin who is a first year English teacher at the University of Guanajuato. She has been a wonderful help, introducing me to professors, taking me to libraries, and this weekend she took me home to Salamanca to meet her parents who are both public school teachers in rural schools around Salamanca. Not only was it great to make the contacts for my project, it was wonderful to get to spend some time with a truly lovely family.

This picture is taken from the bus. You can’t see it well from the haze, but in the distance there are a mix of refinery and church towers, mostly refinery.

Salamanca is a smallish, very industrial city in the valley just south of Guanajuato City in the state of Guanajuato. Salamanca started as a small agricultural community in the 1600s and stayed small until a refinery, now PEMEX, moved there in the 1950s. Since then the city grew rapidly without a plan and with very little focus on quality of life. PEMEX and a thermal electric plant are the main industries and employers there now. Jessica told me that respiratory problems are very common and also asked me to let her know if I got dizzy or nauseated as many first time visitors do. I didn’t, but my eyes did sting. I heard that birds have been known to fall dead from the sky - the pollution gets so bad.

On the outskirts of town there are acres and acres of these huge complexes of tiny apartment houses.

Jessica’s family lives in one of the older neighborhoods, which she says is also known as a poor and dangerous neighborhood. She has lived there her whole life and has never had a problem with crime. This is right outside her door.

And a main street, a few blocks away.

Inside their garden - it is so sweet and cozy.

We went to the market, early Sunday morning. So early that it was just opening up.

When we got home everyone gathered in the kitchen for their traditional Sunday of cooking a big breakfast, and then cooking for the week. (Two sisters aren’t shown.) I got to slice nopales just like the ladies in the market do - and learned the word for slimy, boboso. I also learned that for better flavor you should make salsa with a mortar and pestal - with the tomatoes on the stovetop there are chilies roasting. They are all for the salsa.

After breakfast I finished my interviews. They are both very enthusiastic, creative teachers who have huge hearts and love for their student and both have been teaching for over 25 years! I am planning to go back soon and spend a day with one of them in school.

It was also excellent to get to speak so much Spanish, with a mix of English and support from Jessica.