internet has been down at the hotel for a while. welcome to mexico! the other night, the phone service went out b/c of the rain. you just learn to deal with it. it's a little hard for me with school demands and everything, but i'm learning to seize opportunities...submit work when i can.
to sum up...
on sunday night, two of the girls on our trip made spaghetti dinner and salad. most of the younger people on the trip (and me..) got together, drank some beers, told stories, and started to know each other. it's a diverse group. a 17-year old dance student. a school counselor who is studying art therapy. a 19-year old mariachi trumpeter. a girl who is starting to study dance at UCSD in the fall, but who works for the padres. it's pretty interesting. i'm one of the only designers, and i'm the oldest of the younger group. there is another group of people who are much older...60s and 70s. it is interesting to see how in some cases this doesn't matter, and in others it is very apparent. i suppose it has to do with outlook. it makes me really want to remember not to lose an open mind as i grow older, which is not an easy thing to do.
so on monday....
we had our first class. enrique and i met up with candice early to get the projector going, and we drank a coffee at the vista real, overlooking the town. it is a lovely facility with these beautiful domed ceilings made of bricks. when you think about it, that must be very difficult to execute...each brick must be specially placed and measured by hand. we discussed folk art in different regions in mexico, then took our first field trip out to chilo's storefront and workshop in the outer part of the city. chilo has a metal shop and does work that is collected throughout the world, and if you are in san diego, is often found in expensive galleries and hotels in la jolla. his shop is tiny, but completely filled with amazing pieces. even more interesting than that, though, was his workshop. each craftsperson was constructing each piece by hand with hand tools. we watched as they created a rose out of metal for a giant mirror. chilo himself is a character... a ladies man (yes, he is pictured above...look at mr. sexy). he rolled up just as candice said he would...in all black, with shiny black shoes and a well-groomed mustache. he is something of a "rock star" because he sings in a band. but despite his rock-star status, he is one of the most humble and generous people i have met. he gave us all metal roses for $1 each, and then let us tour his house, and gave us amazing discounts on his work. it is always inspiring and humbling to meet somebody who is talented, visionary, and generous. it reminds me of what is important in life. oh, and i acquired a new nickname from one of the craftsmen....rockerita. apparently that means "little rocker girl." ha ha.
which was an important lesson to keep in mind as the afternoon continued. we came back and went to the bank to get money. after some quick shopping stops, including the acquisition of our lucha masks, we went to el tomate, a vegetarian restaurant in town. it was quite good, especially after having not having eaten very well the past two days. the salsa was really spicy, too. that made me happy.
unfortunately, after the meal, leah found realized she had been pickpocketed. all of the money she just took out of the bank (which was a lot of money) and her cards, etc. it was really sad. her bag was partially open because her umbrella was sticking out of it, and somebody took advantage of the situation. she took it really well, but it was a bummer.
dinner that night was at tio lucas where they have live jazz. somehow i got elected to tell all of the underage drinkers (who are not underage in mexico) what to drink. the big drinker that i am...ha! well there were a lot of mojitos and cosmopolitans to go around. i just stuck to one beer. by the end of the evening i was exhausted and looking forward to some time alone.
