Fran's Easter Vacation, Part I

Here is a rare treat, LOTS of photos!  Fran went on several long hikes while she was visiting her family and friends in Cuicatlan.  Last Thursday, May 17, she and a group of 5 from her village decided to take a long, circular hike to a waterfall.  On the way they met another 10 people from her village who by amazing coincidence were taking the same hike, so they all went on together.  After they reached the waterfall, they walked home a different way, passing through gorgeous open country near where her parents were born.  They left at 6 a.m. and got back at 8 p.m., and Fran said that the route was not easy or flat.  Enjoy the photos! (They are a little out of order...the last 11)

A pause for some snacks w/Fran's little brother

Fran and her father on a dark section of trail

Part of the larger group taking a rest stop in a clearing

Fran in a carrizo clearing must have been taken by her little bro

The hot season is upon us!

April and May are the hot, dry months in Oaxaca.  I can't overstate this!  HOT!  DRY!  The sun feels as though it is burning through your skin after only a minute of exposure.  I have discovered that people here value the shady side of the street so much, that there is a kind of unofficial hierarchy (based on sheer pugnacity) about who will cling to the inside lane of shade nearest a building, and who will be forced to walk around them into the sun.  I have an advantage because I am tall and old, but not much.  Sometimes I pretend I am not paying attention and barrel straight ahead, threatening to mow everyone down who dares block my way.  That always works!

Fran continues her steady march towards excellence and her degree, carefully organizing her life to accomodate study -- the most time consuming activity -- food purchase and cooking, washing all her clothes and bedding once a week, and helping me keep the house clean.  We used to have a young woman to help with the housecleaning, but our budget no longer allows that, so Fran and I clean the house from top to bottom every Thursday.  That was today!

Without going into any details, we recently passed through a disappointing (shocking, unless you are used to it) set of circumstances involving a bit of intimidation to get students to get out and rally for a certain political party here in Mexico.  Those who live here can fill in the blanks.  Life goes on.

Fran is consolidating a small group of friends, and no doubt will continue to find more along the way.  Her studies come first, and she is too earnest and sincere to be a social butterfly so this process will be slower and more meaningful than most.

I am still looking forward to her learning English, since we are still basically depending on my Spanish skills which are approximately 4th grade level.  It IS interesting to note that though Fran has heard Spanish most of her life, she says she has been speaking it only about 3 years.  Her first language as you will recall, is Cuicateco!

So, we can communicate about most basic things in Spanish, but all the subtleties are lost.  If both of us put a significant effort into raising our abilities in each other's language, we might someday be able to share on a whole new level sometime before I pass on to the Happy Hunting Ground!

This Summer, we are thinking about sending her to full-time English classes while she works part time.  It's only a 2 month break, but her young mind will be able to wrap itself around my language much more easily that I can hers!