Random Tidbits

I don't think I have anything major and new to write about, which maybe is an indication of settling in here.  However, I have written some notes to myself about observations I've made--small, curious things that don't amount to much individually but, taken together, do communicate more about the context and the essence of the place.  Sometimes things that are curious or strange to me may have more to do with living in a huge city for the first time than with living in Mexico, but people who have lived in New York City or Chicago will have to judge that.

Grooming in Public
Every day that I go to my university, I use the Metrobus, one of the many types of public transportation here.  It is a double- or triple-sectioned bus that uses a dedicated lane (the extreme left-hand lane) on a two-way street.  Buses going in both directions share stops that are between the northbound and southbound lanes.  The bus is usually quite crowded (I mean, seriously packed).  The front "car" is supposedly reserved for women, children, older people, and people with disabilities, which is more or less respected by the rest of the men.  The way many people drive in Mexico (especially taxi drivers--and there are a LOT of taxis) is go about as fast as you can until you have to stop.  The brakes must be really good here (or replaced frequently) because stops are sometimes quite sudden!  The Metrobus drivers drive the same way, I think.  Thus, it's not exactly a smooth ride.  Everyone holds on, usually with two hands (everyone who is standing and has two hands, anyway).  What is really amazing to me is that women frequently are putting on their makeup as they are riding the Metrobus!  If they are standing, they may have one arm wrapped around one of the upright poles that are for holding onto. And they are putting on eye shadow, eye liner, mascara--even curling their eyelashes.  It looks eye-endangering to me.  I'm not sure what's more curious--the putting on of eye makeup in this setting itself, or the fact that sometimes they are using a metal teaspoon instead of an eyelash curler.  The first time I saw this, I thought, "Oh, she must have just forgotten her eyelash curler but had a metal spoon in her purse...".  But when I was remarking to our Spanish teacher about the applying of mascara, eyelash curling, etc. she asked whether they were using an eyelash curler or a spoon--apparently, it's a common practice (and I've seen it several times since then).

Just Call Me Teri
Everybody else does.  I introduce myself as Theresa, but most people, even if they are meeting me for the first time, almost immediately change it to Teri.  I've accepted it--I know it's a friendly shortening of the name.  Really, I have nothing to complain about because it's easier to have a name that people can pronounce rather than one such as Doug ("Doog") or Jeff ("Ypts"). 

This Ain't No New York Deli
In one of the restaurants we've been to several times, I asked one of the managers why all of the music they play is in English (it's '80s pop mostly) and he said, sounding surprised that I didn't know this, it's because the restaurant is supposed to be like a New York deli.  Let me describe it and see if you think it's like a New York deli:  it's on a rounded corner and open on close to 180 degrees of a circle; the tables are all probably 3-4 feet by 3-4 feet and at least three feet apart;  there's a full bar; there's a large, upholstered couch in an area in the corner facing a big, flatscreen TV; there's a glass case with some meats and cheeses in it; the place advertises its specialties as coffee and mezcal; I don't think they have cheesecake.  Really, the only thing that seems remotely like a New York deli is the case with meat and cheese.  I think it's mostly for decoration.  To be fair, I wasn't looking for there to be a New York deli here, and perhaps it's payback for the authenticity of many, many Mexican restaurants in the US.

Class Differences?
If you've read my blog previously, you might remember that I was really bothered by the shoeshine guy who tried to polish my black tennis shoes while I was trying to walk away from him and Doug and I were yelling "NO!"  Well, one time I was at the previously-mentioned restaurant that is not a New York deli and noticed a shoeshine guy getting the business of some businessman, while the businessman was seated at a table.  The businessman also was enjoying the cigarette-lighting services of the wait staff. 

Speaking of Cigarettes...
There are several startling differences between the food service operations at UNAM and what I'm used to in the US.  For one thing, the prices are extremely reasonable--I pay the equivalent of about 60 cents for a cup of coffee (okay, it's not good coffee, but neither is anything available at OSU in my opinion!).  Today I had lunch for about $1.60.  It seems they aren't trying to get every penny out of the students that they can.  The other really strange thing is that the food outlets sell cigarettes--single cigarettes.  At one of the food places, there's even a lighter on a string, hanging on the potato chip display.

Ah, as I'm writing this, I'm hearing the sound of another roving vendor, which I just identified last night.  The sound is one of those bulb-and-horn things that sometimes used to be on bicycles.  It's on a bicycle-cart-thing that has a big, round basket on the front and one of those big thermoses like you see Gatorade dumped out of onto the winning football coach.  In the basket are somewhat sweet breads of some kind (our doorman said donuts, but I doubt they're actually donuts) and in the thermos is coffee.  It's a fairly typical thing for people to have for dinner--around 10 p.m.