The last couple weeks have been packed! Work was mostly comprised of preparing copy for our Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Winter Season sales. We have been releasing some exciting new products, like a waterproof rain jacket and crossbodies. It’s so cool to see the artisans use their skills and techniques to make the products we make together unique. We also had a work party to celebrate the end of the year and the upcoming holidays. In Mexico, these parties are works are called posadas. And no posada is complete without a piñata.
The World Cup has brought so much excitement to Mexico! While there are many soccer fans in the US, the atmosphere has been on a whole other level. Mexico’s first game ended in an uneventful tie against Poland, followed by a heartbreaking loss to Argentina. They had a chance to advance, but even in their win against Saudi Arabia, they couldn’t get enough points to advance. Even though Mexico had a disappointing showing in the World Cup, being here helped me see how soccer has such a connecting and inspiring effect around the world. I have found myself glued to the games, feeling the highs and lows through the screen as people cheer on their countries in the knockout rounds.
What makes soccer so exciting and equally as frustrating is how difficult it is to score, even if you are the dominant team. I gained a new appreciation for the sport, and even got to accompany a friend to the Brazilian embassy to see the Brazilian national team play (which also ended in a heartbreaking loss).
My sisters finally came to visit! My family had come to visit me last year while I was on my Fulbright, but we had gone to Oaxaca which was also a new city to me. It felt awesome to feel like a true local, taking them to all my favorite spots while also doing some of the touristy things I hadn’t done yet! We went to Teotihuacán to visit some of the largest pyramids in the world. That’s right, Mexico has more archeological sites than just Chichén-Itzá! This site is the most visited archeological site in the Americas, even more than Machu Pichu!
One activity I loved doing with my sisters is visiting the chinampas in Xochimilco, an area in the southern part of Mexico City. The Chinampas are pre-Hispanic man-made islands made by the indigenous people to cultivate using the rich soil found at the bottom of the lakebed (Mexico City was once a giant lake). We booked an Airbnb experience, and a local biologist took us to a conservation area in the chinampas by canoe! We canoed through the canals until we got to their chinampa, where they showed us all the vegetables they are growing! We even got to try some of their harvest, even thing tasted delicious!
Another special experience we had was watching a ballet in Bellas Artes, an iconic theater in the center of Mexico City. The dance tells the story of Mexico from pre-Hispanic times through the Mexican Revolution. We got front row tickets, and it made me so happy to see my sisters be in awe with the breadth and diversity of Mexican culture.
Going into my last month in Mexico, there is still so much I want to do and see! Hope to share more in the next post!
