I realized the winter weather and resultant transportation issues have derailed me from talking much about the Oaxaca experience. We have been home five days now and snowed in (or snowed out, in my case) for a couple of those days.Serena has some nice photos and just wrote about her experience on here blog here. The above picture was taken by her and is from that site.
The local people were great. The workshop participants were amazing, supportive, talented, incredible. The workshop facilitator, Ariel Gore, was awesome, as always. I love the town and the art and the people. Was it perfect? No - Serena's purse was slashed, along with a Guadalupe heavy duty shopping bag she had just purchased when we were walking near the mercado one day. The thief did not get anything, because she was not carrying her money or ID in the purse or the bag -- just water, make-up, a book, things like that. It was only a little unsettling - that was a known risk and could happen anywhere. But that was the only time.
I was thinking that I am still processing the experience and I believe there was a realization or revelation, whatever one would choose to call it, while I was there -- and it is not totally known, yet. So, because I saw another
Seven things I do or don't miss about Oaxaca (I've seen more of the "7 things..." listing, sorry to add another one to the pile!):
1. I miss the sunshine.
2. I miss not having to go to work.
3. I don't miss putting used toilet paper in the basket beside the toilet and not in it.
4. I miss having someone make the bed, cook breakfast, make the coffee, bring me fresh bottled water, and cleaning up the room every day.
5. I don't miss the air thick with exhaust from the vehicles.
6. I miss the slower pace of most things there; show up when you can; bring the dinner check only when you ask for it; de nada.
7. I miss the Zocalo - a more "user friendly" community living room than Pioneer Square.
Actually, the snow and ice have prolonged the slower pace aspect a bit. When I have to take transit, I can't go as many places in a day as I can drive. And I have to spend time waiting and transferring. And I get to read on the bus. I am reading more, again. Always a good thing for a writer to do *smile.
