I've almost made it through my first week!

One of my favorite things in life happened yesterday - I tasted something that I haven't had in years, something that has imprinted its flavor, but not its name, on my memory. It's like running into an old friend you thought you'd never see again.

The magic occurred when I accepted a cup of cebada to cool off yesterday afternoon... I thought I didn't know what it was, until I took a sip, and recognized it as the barley drink my mom's friend made for me almost every day one summer. It was wonderful!

I was reunited with this long-lost pal while taking a break from shoveling dirt with my class. We spent yesterday volunteering with an organization that builds houses. The residents make the bricks themselves, and then the houses are constructed by mostly volunteer labor and some professional work. It was a fun opportunity to spend some time outside, see a less urban part of Tijuana, and share a delicious lunch with the people that lived there. I also actually had some successful conversations with my classmates; despite the crudeness of my Spanish, we were able to talk about Hemingway, Steinbeck, the politics of refugee policy, Julieta Venegas, and 'preps' (apparently they're called fresas in Mexico - kids who eat strawberries every day.)

Earlier in the week, we also spent a couple of hours observing the international port of entry between Tijuana and California, listened to lectures about the geographical history of the border and the Constitutional implications of border control (did you know that Border Patrol doesn't need to follow the fourth amendment within 100 miles of the border?), and had discussions about cultural identity and historical narratives. It's been a tough week, but I survived, and I think/hope it's slowly getting easier! I've been exhausted and haven't done much outside of class beside go to the grocery store one day, but I'm hoping I'll have more energy this week and be able to explore the neighborhood a little more.

I'll post more pictures on here soon, but you can look at all the pictures I've taken in my Facebook album here.

Now I'm going to continue my lazy Saturday by eating nachos and listening to the Almost Famous soundtrack.