I've been writing a little less lately for two reasons, I think. First, I've just been busier. I'm making friends, joining WAY to many soccer teams, and working long hours. Second, I think I'm getting used to things around. Bathroom etiquette is finally becoming less of a mystery (except that I realized people smoke WHILE doing their business, so that when I go to do mine, I'm basically being hotboxed with secondhand smoke, my favorite), people are beginning to know me (and vice versa), and I'm slowly but surely picking up on the language and culture so that I don't make as many stupid gringo errors. That's not to say that I've completely rid myself of them, but just that they're certainly waning. But still, there's a lot going on, and a lot that I continually laugh about, not to mention that I manage to keep making some "great" decisions...
Speaking of which, today was a beautiful day in Queretaro. The sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and I had time to burn before my football game (to be addressed later). Since I work 8-6 every day during the week, I miss out on prime suntanning hours during the week, and almost sunlight in general. When factored in with my already pale complexion, I'm basically ghost-like. So, I figured I'd be proactive and tan a little. You never know when an impromptu beach trip will strike (that is, when I'll be successful in launching one), so I figured I ought to be ready and pre-tan. So, scantily clad, I laid out for a little while. As in, maybe 30 minutes each side? And now the backs of my thighs are BRIGHT red. As in, it's painful to sit down and write this blog. How much do I look forward to my desk job this week? Less than usual. I was wondering what grandpa would say about this, and I've decided he probably wouldn't have said anything. He just would have laughed real hard, in my face, and that would have been enough. Eh, he might have pointed out that I am a jackass, but I can't see him elaborating much beyond that.
So I've finally been able to have a few people over to the house for dinner and drinks. I think they're always a little disappointed and surprised to see the that I made salsa, guacamole, and pinto beans. For starters, those are pretty much the same things they've eaten every day of their lives, and they were probably hoping for something a little more exotic--like hamburgers or fried chicken. But moreover, I think they're just shocked that a gringo would not only have those foods, but that he would have made them himself. One guy actually straight up said to me: "I didn't know that gringos liked frijoles!" Um, I'm pretty sure most don't, it's kinda just me. After complimenting the salsa, someone else asked, "You like spicy food??" I explained that I do, but that it makes my eyes tear up and my nose run. That one was actually kind of embarrassing to admit, but obvious since I had just set a box of tissues on the table. All in all though, I've been happy to host a few people over at my house and even make a few friends outside of work. In a lot of ways, Mexico has stopped being such a novelty and is really starting to feel like home. So, now instead of being shocked by the cleaning ladies hanging out in the guy's bathroom, I think I'm starting to get a better feel for what makes people tick around here, how they are in a lot ways just the same as me, and how they are real different in some. It is still a little too soon to fathom the depths of the Mexican people (shocking, I know), so I'll digress and tell you about how I did my best to fulfill stereotypes in my football game this afternoon. Yes, I said "fulfill."
We had our last game of the season today (only my second game). We were down 2 players, so we definitely drafted one guy's girlfriend into playing with us, since she looked sorta kinda dressed for the occasion. En route to a 13-20 loss, I managed to score 2 touchdowns and snag an interception. While it wasn't enough to win the game, it was enough to earn an invitation to play with them for the next season. Which starts in 3 weeks. And, of course, because I have never said no to anyone before, why start now? This means I'm now playing on 1 American Football team, 2 futbol teams, and then have also been invited to play on a pretty serious ultimate frisbee team. Apparently the ultimate frisbee team has won 2 large tournaments in Mexico City? The guy said they were "good, but not American good." So, I'm like a gringo talisman? Pretty sure that's actually what is going on here. Whatever, I enjoy playing football and futbol (probably going to politely decline the ultimate invite...), so I'll take it as a compliment and enjoy the camaraderie. Here is an actual picture from today's game:
In other news, we had a lot of very important people visit the factory last week, so everyone was real stressed out. Except for me. Because I didn't realize that I was supposed to be stressed out. Probably this is one good case of when "ignorance" really was bliss, or at least not as bad as "awareness." Whatever the case, I got to go to dinner with everyone on Thursday night. In total, there were 3 VP's, 3 CFO's, and a handful of upper managers. I kept laughing to myself during dinner, thinking about how I'm only a year out of college, and was sitting around a table in Mexico with the 6-10 guys who are driving this business in the Americas. I felt a little bad about laughing at apparently nothing, until the real important people ordered a round of tequila shots. I figured out then that most everyone else was probably laughing at something themselves. Someone commented later that I had made a good impression on the people above me (probably not everyone I ate dinner with, but maybe one or two of the ones who mattered). Glad to know they made their assessment and left town before I had a chance to burn my backside.
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