Guilty Pleasures

Although I talk a lot about my trials with cockroaches and spiders, I have to admit that I have it SO much easier than volunteers in other countries (and other volunteers in more remote locations here in Mexico).  True, a mouse ran right past my feet this week (inside my house), but my fellow volunteer Narcissa doesn't have a flushing toilet and has to heat water for bucket baths in her Mexican village. Thus, in the spirit of full disclosure, I thought I would tell you about some of the best parts of being a volunteer in what others have dubbed "Posh Corps" Mexico (i.e. those things I am extra thankful for here).  

Most importantly, I have access to clean water that only requires the effort of stopping a truck to buy it, and I have access to a variety of delicious foods.  My options are a little limited in my small town but I can still find salads, hamburgers, pizza (served with ketchup packets for some odd reason), mozzarella sticks and delicious tacos.  If I travel to a big city, I can find US-style sandwiches, Indian food, cappuccinos, etc., so I’m not limited to only beans and rice for 2 years (for which I am very grateful).  

Corn dog from a street vendor in Guanajuato? Don't mind if I do!

Subway sandwich in Puerto Vallarta? Why, thank you kindly. 

Perhaps the poshest part of my life is the fact that I have access to internet, and – in an ultra-posh move – Netflix Mexico.  While I don’t have a TV, I’ve still managed to waste tons of time in front of a screen with the excuse that the comfort of watching cheesy sitcoms helps keep me from getting homesick.  Since August, I have wasted oodles of time by watching the following (and yes, I would agree that it might be best if I cancelled my Netflix membership): 

• All current episodes of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” – season 1 was da bomb!
• All current episodes of “Stranger Things” – the first time I tried to watch this, I couldn’t get past the opening credits as I was convinced there was a creature in the house with me. I tried again later and found that as long as I watched it in the middle of the day, I was good to go.
• All current episodes of “House of Cards” – before I watched the show, I though Kevin Spacey’s accent was super awful but now I’ve embraced it.
• 4 seasons of “2 ½ Men” – I’m going waaaaaaay back for this one.
• 3 seasons of “Friends” – nothing takes you home like the trials and tribulations of Ross and Rachel.
• 4 seasons of “Modern Family” – everybody’s favorite is my favorite too.
• All episodes of “Hot in Cleveland” – for when you want something really cheesy, wholesome and bedazzled (and totally suitable for grandma).
• 3 seasons of “Orange is the New Black” – ummm, not suitable for grandma’s viewing.
• All episodes of “Arrested Development” – Buster is the best.

 See, sometimes I do leave my house and explore my community, including local churches. 

  This lovely stained glass window created the colorful wall art you can see here. 

A sampling of statues in a local church. 

Don’t get me wrong, I partake in brain-stimulating activities that sometimes include other people too, but I’ve definitely indulged in some holdovers from my US life.  Netflix Mexico is not my only guilty pleasure here, although it is perhaps the fanciest.  Other pleasures I at times partake in include the following:

• Cheddar cheese – a friend came to visit from Puerto Vallarta a few weeks ago and she brought me cheddar cheese – which you can't buy in my town – for FREE!  Words can’t express my gratitude and joy for free cheese.
• A thin crust Hawaiian pizza with black olives – there’s a great little restaurant near my house that sells a 3-ingredient, 8-slice pizza for $89 pesos, so twice a month I splurge for a weekend pizza and a warm blissful feeling in my heart.
• Chocolate-covered almonds – these are available in Pepe’s market and even though they are kind of expensive (40 pesos for a bag the size of your palm), I buy them 1-2 times each month because they are delicious and it’s my only source of chocolate.

• Art – I am slowly accumulating artistic items to make my house feel more like home and ensure I have some great items to bring back at the end of service.  Cindy also helped me make some big pieces of art for my house using fabric purchased in Querétaro, simple wood frames made by the local carpenter, and her staple gun.  Art is life people.

 This is my fav - I love this style of art. 

 Once I found a giant, dead moth in the pot. 

Painting by my landlord's wife. 

I think these lovely plant pots qualify as art. 

 Two of four custom-made pieces of fabric art, by yours truly.
Cindy brought me back frames from the US to house my favorite cards from Guanajuato.

I finally found some Otomi designs during a recent trip to Querétaro.  Some day I'll go to Oaxaca and Chiapas for the really good stuff.

• A real bath mat – some friends picked out a lovely, plush bathmat for me at Costco and it’s really nice.  I really thought this was a “must have” when I first arrived, but now I see I could live without it (but why would I want to?).
• Costco in general – The first time I went we had to run through the store because we were using a borrowed card from someone who was on their way to an appointment, but it was glorious. Glorious I tell you!  I bought two different kinds of cheese (one with sheep’s milk!), the softest sheets, the softest towel, the biggest jar of peanut butter, a big box of sugar-free crackers, and A LOT of toilet paper.  Before I arrived, I haughtily thought “Costco has no role in Peace Corps life,” but now I understand.  I’m sorry I ever doubted you Costco – I do need you.
• The time to learn all the lyrics to great songs – thanks to my internet connection, I’ve been able to take more time to actually learn the words to some of my favorite songs.  And I’ve had the time to play them over and over again which I’m guessing my neighbors love.  I know my sisters have enjoyed hearing me sing these on the phone.  These are some of the best that I’ve spent my time on and that I recommend you spend time with too.
• Someone New – Hozier
• Heartbeats – José González
• All I Believe In - Amadou & Miriam and the Magic Numbers
• Tricky – Run DMC (these lyrics ain’t tricky to learn!)

There are other perks to serving in Mexico, such as the really nice air-conditioned buses you can take cross-country (sometimes), finding people who at least speak a little English, the fact that the Spanish language has a lot of words that are similar in English, access to stores that sell things like toaster ovens (you might have to take the bus for 3+ hours to reach such a store but it’s totally doable), and the fact that - should you ever find yourself in a serious bind - a) there’s Amazon Mexico and b) regular Amazon will deliver many things to Mexico.  

 You can't order this longhorn on Amazon but you can see it in Mexico.

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 You can also find art in unexpected places, like this leaf art stamped into the concrete.

So, if you’ve been thinking about joining Peace Corps but aren’t sure you can handle a pit latrine, living without electricity, a bland diet, carrying water for long distances, no access to public transportation, etc., consider Mexico.  You’ll learn Spanish (the second most commonly spoken language in the world), eat delicious food, experience some of the most mega-diverse areas in the world, do important work and have a lot of fun!  And you can finally learn the words to some Run DMC songs, or whatever tunes float your boat.