Rinconcito de Mexico

Today, I really wanted to be in Querétaro...... or Honduras, or El Salvador.....

Last night, I went to the Great Harvest Christmas party - it was really rather interesting, we went to Lefty's Pizzaria, a pizza place-meets-somewhat-family-oriented-night-spot. There was a really off-the-wall Russian rock band playing last night - SUPER funny to see a bunch of 40-60 year olds dancing (or attempting to dance) there. It wasn't people from my work, just people who were also at Lefty's. Anyhow, in a conversation with a few of my co-woorkers, Sally and I got into a conversation about not really wanting to live in the States anymore. She used to live in Poland when she was younger, and has been in Kosovo most recently. Well, I was talking about how I don't feel like I have a culture - I don't really fit with United States culture, but I'm too gringa to fit in with Latino cultures. The other girls in this conversation I think were kind of weirded out. But Sally could sympathyze.

So today, we (sets of parents #s 1 and 4) were trying to decide where to go for dinner after church. I said Muchas Gracias - a nearby Mexican restaurant that is fast-foodish, but actually one of the more authentic restaurants in town. It's NOTHING like Taco Bell!! That idea was nixed, so I jokingly said we should go to Grullense, an AWESOME mexican restaurant on the other side of town. "Other side of town" = more hispanic people than white people - I like it! Somehow, I talked everyone to actually going there, so we went into the crowded Grullense, and we were the only white people in the place (there were at least 100 others I'd say). It was great! I got to eat tacos al pastor, and order everything in spanish, and the waitress was surprised that I could speak so well! The only place I've had better tacos al pastor is in Querétaro. Too bad they didn' have "gringas" there today - those are tacos al pastor with really good cheese too!

So I'm ready to just move to Mexico now. Even though the stares I we got for being white and different in the restaurant will CERTAINLY be there in Querétaro too - somthing that will be hard for me to deal with. I felt way more conspicuous and out-of-place the few days I was in Querétaro a year ago than I ever have in Honduras. But, like I say, and like no one here understands - Mexico is a whole different culture and society than my neighborhood and friends in Honduras (or in El Salvador for that matter). A lot different attitudes toward gringos, or I guess now I should say "hueros." Pero ¡quiero mudarme allá este mero minuto! :-)