We are leaving Mexico, probably forever, in 3 short days.
I’ve lived in Mexico for two years now. Does that make me fractionally Mexican? Two years out of 38..... 5.3%. Well let’s see: I speak the language, but not as well as a native, I dance the salsa, but likewise, not so well. In a strong breach from Mexicanness, I am a vegetarian and in total departure, I like to spend one or two hours a day alone. So, if I am fractionally Mexican, 5.3% sounds about right.
It’s been a very good two years in many ways. Living so far from the city centre I’ve been a bit isolated from the types of people and activities that I normally get into, but then life is change and for the first time ever I’ve formed real and lasting friendships with my workmates. Teaching is a hard job, one that keeps you up at night worrying about it and perhaps this has led to camaraderie. It has been particularly great that V and I have been learning the ropes of the same profession at the same time. A shared angst.
Teaching is as rewarding as jobs get and so, professionally, it has been an excellent two years. When a lazy student turns around, works hard and scores a good grade, you really feel like you have achieved something. My kids seemed to learn a lot of stuff this year and the other day I got a note from some happy parents - I’ll be framing that. And of course, there is what you are not supposed to care about; the love and friendship of your charges. Before teaching I had precious little contact with young people, but for the last 2 years I’ve had 250 of them relying on me, fighting with me, asking me dumb questions and amazing me with their acumen every day. It has been very gratifying. Humanizing even.
It has also been nice to be part of the Tlalpan community. Whenever V and I walk around the town square, go to the movies, visit the markets or whatever, we run into people we know; children we teach, parents of children we teach, friends through random connections and all the shop keepers and café owners. It’s just so nice, and as teachers we feel respected, valued and a little bit famous – a nice experience no doubt about it.
BUT - even at beautiful Lanky, (as at at every school I’ve been to) there is a group of 4 or 5 boys who are just total arseholes. They – and I can write about them collectively because they are more or less indistinguishable - are mean spirited, rude, lazy, small minded and crude. Whenever they can get away with it, they bully smaller children and girls, disrupt the classes etc etc. I can well imagine them being unemployed at 20, annoying to work with at 30, wifebeaters at 40 and involved in local politics by 50. They are the down side to teaching – anywhere, so I guess that’s got nothing to do with Mexico.
So how does it feel to leave Mexico? Well the pollution has really sucked and I won’t miss that. The traffic is so bad that going to the city centre takes an hour and leaves you covered in soot and other people’s sweat, so I won’t miss that either. The work, as I said above, has been fantastic and I will certainly miss that. And my friends.... what can I say? In truth, I feel like crying but I have been covering it up with a particularly offensive salutation “nos vemos al otro lado” which means, see you when we die and go to heaven.
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