Upon arriving at the Columbus airport at 3:30 am for a 5:22 flight, it was shortly discovered that my flight had been canceled. Luckily, I was traveling in a group, and we were all able to get on the same flight…scheduled for 11:30 am. After 7 hours at the airport, and one too-close-of-a-call connecting flight later, I was finally in Mexico.
The sky was blue, there were palm trees everywhere, there was a nice breeze. And a four hour bus ride from Cancún to Mérida. But I didn’t care — I was finally where I needed to be.
The first day was a whirlwind of events. The biggest obstacle was trying to understand my host mom, Margarita (yes, this is her real name). I’d like to consider myself fluent in Spanish, but this first week has shown me I still have so much more to learn about the language. After the first day however, it’s become increasingly easier. The biggest problem? Native Mexicans speak so fast. I keep having to se “repite, por favor.” (Repeat, please)
Besides getting acclimated to having to speak and think entirely in Spanish, there is also the food. Now, as a picky eater, I knew this would be a big hurdle for me to overcome. My host mom was astounded I didn’t like ham. I also had to explain I’m allergic to shellfish, but I can eat other seafood. Although I’m a picky eater, if there is food on a plate in front of me, I will try it. However, Yucatecan food is completely different than Chipotle and Casa Nueva’s type of Mexican food. There is quite of bit of spicy food, and chips and salsa is served with every meal (no complaints there!), but be prepared to have some antacids at hand.
The strangest thing I wasn’t entirely prepared for in Mexico is all the stares I receive. I understand being a gringa (slang for American), I would be different than all the olive-skin, dark-haired Mexicans. However, I wasn’t really prepared for the amount of stares I receive—because of my blond hair and blue eyes. I’ve had people stare at me in restaurants, men wink and catcall to me while walking on the street, have had little kids point at me and even had people start speaking in English to me—because they assume I don’t know Spanish. This has been eye-opening for me, I know I have a different appearance, and probably an American accent, but I know the language—despite not being able to roll my Rs.
So, lessons learned in the first week:
- Don’t be afraid to ask people to slow down or even repeat a sentence; they’re happy you want to communicate with them in Spanish.
- Have TUMS or Peptol Bismal on hand if you know you could easily get an upset stomach. Getting acclimated to the food is very important.
- Be prepared for everyone to know you’re American. Yes, skin color is an obvious factor, but this will also cause people to be surprised when you say “hablo español” (I speak Spanish).
Check back soon for more from Carly Wiita on her winter quarter abroad in Mérida. Photos courtesy of Carly and Google.