Xocen

Monday, July 07, 2008

After a breakfast consisting of a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and black tea, which tasted more like coffee, I said goodbye to Cherylie and Joe for the day and waited with my peers on the steps of the Meson for our transportation to Xocen. Garrett has become weaker with each day since our arrival in Santa Elena, so Sharon thought it best to see a doctor in Valladolid, leaving only six to venture to our first field experience in Xocen. Two prearranged taxis arrived and we climbed inside the musty, hot interiors nervous to meet our new host families. Though the ride to Xocen was short along winding roads, the open windows combined with the high velocity of the vehicle created a cyclone within the small interior. By the time we arrived most had undergone a drastic transformation in their appearances – for some hair was blown into a faux mohawk as I smiled at my peers crazy do’s. I was so thankful for my hair band and ribbon restraining my thick locks into a ponytail at the base of my neck.

Upon our arrival we waited for Don Teodoro and the other members of our host families before we embarked on a walking tour of Xocen. From a glance, the village of Xocen appears quite different from Santa Elena, quieter and more private. The glances and stares from the children made it all the more obvious that tourists are a very infrequent occurrence here. Walking along the small roads it was hard not to compare the nonperishable structures of Santa Elena to the sticks and thatched roof abodes of Xocen and I knew that family time here would not be sitting around a wooden kitchen table but in a very different setting.

After visiting the school, library, and church, I was greeted by Donna Venustiana with her welcoming smile. We walked side-by-side until we arrived at her home along with Donna Gregoria who rushed out into the yard to meet us and impart a warm hug, her eyes sparkling with delight through her large glasses. It broke my heart to meet the two young girls, identical twins, dressed in their matching huipils. It has been nearly six weeks since I have been with my twin, and seeing their smiling faces and arms around each other’s shoulders weakened my already uncertain emotional state. Thankfully I had two of my best friends waiting for me back at the Meson. Their home is comprised of a thatched hut with two worn hammocks, a hearth for cooking, two permanent one-roomed buildings for sleeping and religious worship, a small garden, and a pig pen for their two enormous pigs, and eight piglets.

We spent the day resting in the shade of the hut while getting to know each other and practice our Maya. The first few hours were spent making tortillas, while the two ladies asked me about myself. They complimented me on my tortilla-making skills, so I was quite pleased with the techniques that Donna Francisca had taught me in Santa Elena. Since I had been warned by Sharon, it was not a shock when Donna Gregoria asked if I had a boyfriend. Her response to my status in the dating department indicated that being single was the worst sin imaginable. But she proudly said, “You are too pretty not to have a boyfriend.” I was even more surprised by the ladies candidness when a tortilla placed on the griddle carelessly with a raised peak elicited much laughter. Donna Gregoria said in Maya, “like your boyfriend.” I suppose the largely separate life of men and women here makes for some interesting antics from the women as they spend hours around the hearth preparing the daily meals.

The afternoon was spent lounging in the hammocks until Donna Venustiana brought out her sewing to show us the huipils she was working on. It was amazing to watch her stitch the delicate flowers. When Donna Gregoria retrieved her own sewing I thought I was in for a very quiet and relaxing last hour until she passed me her stitching and commanded me to finish a brightly colored flower. I was extremely nervous and did not want to destroy the beautiful huipil with my poor craftsmanship, but it actually turned out quite well with Donna Gregoria’s direction. After saying goodbye to my new family and a short, hot walk back to Don Teodoro’s to get the taxis, I arrived back in Valladolid where I spent a short time by the pool soaking in the cool water with Cherylie and Joe. We took a quick walk outside the Meson to select a second huipil from the hundreds for sale before another wonderful dinner in the courtyard. Cherylie ordered Caribbean chicken which was prepared tableside, while I enjoyed chicken tacos, and Joe, not surprisingly choose pomodoro chicken.

Overall it was a pretty amazing day and I felt so comfortable with my new host family. I even felt like a small light bulb had been turned on in my brain as speaking and comprehending Maya became easier and easier. Even stitching a flower freehand on a Mexican huipil was exciting and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow will bring.