Something I Can Do That I Didn't Know I Could

As I write, I am cooking red peppers in balsamic vinegar. I really like to make it and usually serve it with goat cheese on good bread. Except that good bread is next to impossible to find here, so I am trying some sort of good bread... I just got back from the store where I finally got some stuff to cook with (hence the peppers). I did drop a jar of chicken broth though and learned that here they don't give you a new one, you pay for the broken one. That was somewhat frustrating.

So far today has been a really good day. The thing I am most excited about is that while Nisha has been out of town, Christian and I have continued our training! It is so hard to self motivate and especially because I still don't know all that much, I was worried that we wouldn't go or that we wouldn't get anything done. But we have been doing really well, working on our parts for the show, but also just practicing tricks and trying to get stronger (which for me, feels impossible, like no matter what I do it's not enough). I am so happy because when I leave San Miguel and I don't have Nisha pushing me to do thing and try new tricks, I think I am going to be able to do it! It's not as hard as it seems to just go and do whatever you can. Everytime we leave Christian and I are so excited like we can't believe we actually did it. This is one of the things I am learning from Nisha; how to put into action the things that you think about doing. She gets more stuff done in one day than I think many people do in a week. Seriously, without exaggeration. She is incredibly productive. Not only that, but there is a woman who is just starting again after a long break and we are helping her remember movements and teaching her some new things and it's so cool to be able to explain things to her. Not only is does she learn, but once I have shown someone else, it is much harder for me to forget. I am starting to feel like I will be able to be a teacher. Soon! On top of that, the circus school is moving to a new location next month and there I may be able to teach some Pilates. It would be so good to just get started with that. I feel like it's what I really want to be doing right now and since the certification class got canceled, I am all off track. So I am just going to create a class myself and start at the school. I don't want to keep putting it off forever.
So I don't know what else, I am just so happy to be acting on my wishes instead of just thinking about how I can't do it. I have more energy today than I have had in so long, which is just totally reinforcing what a good thing this is. Chao!

My day

I feel bad that I haven't been writing here. The idea was to stay in touch and let everyone know what I am doing, but I have been in a funky place for quite a while and I don't really want to write about all the bad stuff. I have now been in Mexico for a year, save for the couple of months I came home last summer. It has been a very interesting time that has evolved from the idea of traveling for a bit to living in San Miguel training in a circus, with stops along the way in all sorts of places. I feel like I have learned so much. I am not even sure about what exactly, but I am definitely more grown up, more put together, more able to handle what comes my way, more flexible, mentally and physically! My heart has been opened and elated and broken and expanded and a few times had to close. I feel less confused about what I want to do.

And since I don't know what else to write will just say that yesterday I cleaned my room until Jan stopped by to pick me up. We went to the market and I had my dog leashes (which I got for 50 pesos) cut to the right length for spinning fire. I went to the key place I had been to before even though I knew they might not have the tools. They were just very nice. They did the work and when I asked them how much they said "just go learn quickly." It was so sweet, but I left them some money anyway. Then Jan and I went to the hostel where he had leftover tofu burgers ready to be cooked. We ate and it was great! On the 4th of July we had made tofu burgers for the first time and they were quite a success. After some lovely Oaxacan hot chocolate we went to the artesan's market to get the balls for my spinners. We walked up and down several times and finally got a couple of hacky sacks for 35 pesos. Back at the hostel we chatted with the owner for a while until one of the guests came back and said he was going to a performance of folkloric traditional dance from Jalisco. It was excellent! Afterwards, in search of food, we walked to the zocalo and the moment we arrived huge fireworks exploded over our heads! The closest I have ever seen them. We went over to find out what they were for and learned that yesterday San MIguel was created a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town has been working for this for a long time so there a big celebration and everyone was very happy. When it was over we went to Los Milagros to eat, and then I went home. It was a good day.
Today I will work on my spinners and then go to training. Maybe I will go to the circus school beforehand and watch the class...

Kitty no name

I have just posted a few pictures of our kitten. She is very interesting and smart. The house has been so empty and weird, she makes it better. Next I will post pictures of said empty, weird house, after it gets cleaned.

Animas

In order to climb the fabric, which consists of one long, long piece of polyester-ish pretty colored stuff hanging about thirty feet from a solid rigging to the ground where it swirls around in a pile of about three more feet, one firsts lifts her hands as high as possible and pulls down to remove the stretch. This stretch is important once in the air, as a shock absorber for falls and stretches. But, if one tries to climb without pulling first, she will more or less jump just to sit on the ground. Which brings me to the next step. A little jump and a lot of arm, and she holds herself with arms bent at the chest and wraps one leg around both pieces so that the fabric runs down the thigh, around the knee, and around again until the fabric lays on top of the foot. The other foot then stands on top of the first, sandwiching the fabric between and thus creating a fine platform. From this position one can continue her climb by sliding her hands as far up as she can, lifting, and repeating the leg wrap. All the way to the top if desired, although there are other, maybe more spectacular ways to defy gravity and sanity. Or from this little platform, however high it may be, she can do a multitude of tricks, one of my favorites requiring a double foot lock. She lifts again, letting the fabric unwind from her leg and instead wraps just one piece in the same manner, around the knee, over the foot. Then, lifting this leg into a pike (straight leg, ideally parallel to the ground, toe pointed), she sticks the other foot into the part that is around the knee and pulls the fabric up and toward the foot, looping it from the outside in. This foot is now locked and can be stood on as though it were only the ground only with more pain, as all the little bones in the feet are being squeezed together. For the other side, the leg is wrapped the same but since one doesn't have to hold herself up anymore, she can use her arm to pull from the knee and make the lock. Now, both feet are held tightly and separately and she holds on with her arms high above her head. The shoulders slip though to the front and one arm bends around one fabric and the other just bends so they are holding opposite pieces. By pulling, lifting, and wiggling the shoulders a little, the two pieces are now crossed behind, running down the shoulder blades, crossing at lower back, and coming around to the front of the hips. Lifting the arms again, and piking the legs into a split, she sits in a V. Now comes the best part, pushing back with the arms and lifting the legs, she tips backwards until she is upside down with the legs still split, parallel to the ground. It is soooooooo pretty! (see photo). Tipping back over the cross can be moved down to the knees, which are then bent and she leans backwards to hang. From here, she can flex her feet and turn them out, like first position in ballet, and slide down to hang by her feet. And on and on, there are endless positions, all at least as complex as this one, although most are much more challenging in both knowing the proper order and placement, and strength required to sustain the body.
Last night was the second night of my first show with GravityWorks, and it was fantastic. I spent most of the time backstage, averting costume disasters and making sure nobody forgot to close a curtain or make a scene change. It was fun, a little like when I did theater as a kid, but on a whole other level. The house was just about full both nights, mostly strangers, a few family members. I had two little parts, two costumes, lots of sparkley face paint and wild silver plastic hair that came down past my butt. I went on each time there was a trapeze routine, to sit on the stage and hold the fabric out of the way. In the first part we are in heaven, so I wear a light suit and look calm and pretty. In the second part we are in hell, my suit is black and I get to twitch and stare like a crazy woman. Both are very fun. And, it is perfect to help me get over my stage fright, to have a little part, that is only noticed a little bit. I can just play until I am comfortable. I cannot even explain the energy that the group brings. Everyone is doing it because they love it so much. And there are none of the better than thou attitudes one finds in so many performance groups. Nisha, the leader, makes sure that the chemistry is a good as the skills and it really makes a difference. She has turned down people who already know what they are doing, preferring to teach someone from scratch if their attitude is better.
After we took down everything, every last star pinned from floor to ceiling, tied up every fabric, undid every knot, loaded the trucks, checked, double checked, we all went to Nisha's house to watch the video from the first night. I was still in my makeup. We ate a ton and cringed and laughed at all of an opening night's rough spots, and also were totally amazed at how professional the show ended up. Until the day of opening night, we had never rehearsed the whole show in the proper positions. The rig at Nisha's house is nine by nine square with equipment hanging on all four sides. I cannot wait for the next show. I should know enough by then to have a routine of my own and be a part of creating the whole thing. I love doing this. I don't think about anything else when I am at practice, and when I am not at practice, I am wishing I was.

Two weeks in San Miguel

Yesterday I went to the practice of a group here in San Miguel that does arial dance with trapieze, those long fabrics that hang from the ceiling and various other crazy things. My whole body is screaming today, it was one of the hardest workouts of my life (and I hardly did anything compared to the rest), but they told me I am strong and flexible enough to come back and practice more! They have a girl who is leaving in a few months and may have an opening in their perfomance group! So I am super excited. We are talking wild spandex body suits and wigs and rainbow sparkly face paint!!!
My silverworking class is really cool too. I have already learned how to set a stone to make a pendant. It looks very fancy! Today I started a ring with a fire opal that I will finish tomorrow. I bought opals and gold obsidian in Queretaro (big city about an hour away) on Saturday, bargained with the guy, paid $16 for seven good stones and found out in class that I paid like 1/8 the price that some of the others paid at a Feria de Artesanias yesterday. I happy about that. The basic tools to do a lot of this work are neither expensive or large so I think I will be able to travel and continue with silver although I would really love to stay here longer to learn more techniques. Then I would try to get a table in the market.
I also met the best salsa partner I have ever danced with this weekend! He is from Colorado of all places, but I could not believe his skills! We danced until 3:30 in the morning. He has the beat, he understands the technical parts, which a lot of people don't, and he leads so good! I knew where I was supposed to go and how I was going to get there before I knew that I knew and we just flowed like that for hours. He is staying here a while so i hope we get to dance again.
Today I am going to attempt my first batch of arroz con leche because el Maestro has never had it and I think it's an essential part of one's Mexico experience (unless you are lactose intolerant). We have been eating really good food here. I had INDIAN food!!!!! I have been dying for it since before I even left Ca, it was good.
Tomorrow, I have my last class in the morning, I will try to finsh the ring. Then I think we are going to try to put wheels on Rising's little crate, because then I will be totally mobile and self suffiecient. Which will make me very very happy. Wednesday night we will go out with our friend from the taxi and his friend the salsa dancer and maybe some others and if we can get up in the morning, I will get on the bus to Puebla.
Once in Puebla I will think about what I want to do, and after that, I plan to do whatever it is that I want.

First days in San Miguel

Now I am staying at the house of one of my favorite high school teachers in San Miguel de Allende. It's cool becuase now I get to know him as a real live person! I have been taking long walks with Rising and seeing what the town is like. She is just fine from her accident. No limp, no pain really. Her incision didn't heal properly and there was talk of reopening the whole thing but now it is looking much better. I think the guys in Merida cut way too much. I am kind of upset but I can't change it now. She is so smart though and we are having a lot of fun. El maestro totally loves her too.

I am on my own again. It is actually very nice. Memo didn't have any money and I wasn't doing anything in Puebla so we decided it would be good if I ran off for a bit. I like having time to myself (as everyone seems to know) and our relationship is endlessly intense so taking breaks is really good I think. As for artesanias, I actually can't sell here. It's only if you pay for an actual stand in the market and I don't have enough stuff or time yet. So I am working on making lots of new stuff. I have been
trying all sorts of new ideas and some nice things have emerged. I am also looking into buying a dremmel which I would use to cut stones and also to work silver. They cost something really affordable like $60. I am so interested in learning more more more! San Miguel is really neat, the streets are all cobbled and there is art EVERYWHERE. They have a fantastic art school that I am going to check out today. And tons of americans. Which is a little wierd but not as bad as I thought it would be. They are nice for the most part althought maybe a little goofy. There is this whole "travel fashion" thing where they get all dressed up in the jewelery and fancy hair and scarves but with quick dry pants and KEENS (damn those keens, I know my whole family loves them, but nothing screams, "tourist" more than they do). Some of them have this elitist attitude though like "ooo I am so special I live in Mexico" and I'm like, um... we are all in Mexico right now. Mheh, what can ya do? One cool thing is that with the Americans come the things they like, such as good cheese and bread, foreign cuisine, yoga, meditation, recycling, hiking clubs, and so on, so I get a little respite from beans and tortillas and can stretch out a bit.