On Saturday, which felt like Sunday, I went for a stroll through the barrio of Jalatlaco, just outside centro, which I’d heard was a particularly pretty little neighbourhood of Oaxaca: quite historic (formerly the leatherwroking quarter), but also pictureque, with many murals. It was a pleasant stroll, though nothing really out of the ordinary. it […]
Worst end of farmyard
It was the 14th birthday of my Spanish school and in the break there were two cakes. One, a tres leches cake, the other a jelly made with cream and with bits of regular green and red jelly suspended in it. It looked like something out of a 1950s American cookbook. Glad to have tried […]
Waking, sleeping
After a couple of slightly down days, when my Spanish didn’t feel like it was going particularly well, and at work the piano seemed to rise higher overhead, and it was difficult to concentrate, today was a little better. For one, I spoke to the Gentleman Friend briefly, which cheered me up. Last night I […]
Higher level beginner
This is where my teacher placed me today, as nearly imtermediate level but not quite there. OK, I suppose, given that I didn’t really speak a word of the language until three weeks and a couple of days ago. I think I would have been more advanced had I not been working, and been better […]
Miniso, to my shame
Yesterday, I went and got a few bits and pieces for my room, including a cushion from Miniso as there is nowhere to sit in my room other than a rickety chair, and there is a lot of floor. I also bought a spoon for my avocado dinners. Then today I went again, intending to […]
Moved out
I moved out of the flat this morning and took a taxi to the homestay. This is a bright blue building, very easy to find, just up the hill from one of the prettiest parts of the town. It’s on a big road which can get noisy, but my room is at the back of […]
Alone in Oaxaca
The following day my class was a little better and less discouraging. I did a spot of memorising, and have most of the prepositions somewhere in my brain if not always readily accessible. This was overshadowed by the GF’s departure as he left for his nearly-month long travels to New Zealand for a conference. The […]
Dream home
This morning, or rather afternoon, we caught a colectivo to San Augustin Etla. By morning I mean afternoon, but it was the first thing we did this Sunday after brunching. By catching a colectivo I mean we stumbled around in the general area where the colectivos left from until we were shoved into a taxi […]
On the fritz
I’ve been on the fritz for a couple of days, throwing mini strops, mostly silently, like a well-bottled beverage. One little eruption actually took place on Metafilter, where there has been a longrunning pair of threads on the site’s white middleclass American orientation and the moderators having only one solution: applying copious amounts of goodwill. […]
Long day
Yesterday I had a second class with the new teacher and while she is very sweet and also very good, spoke to the owner of the school that I’d prefer to return to the old teacher. At the time she said yes certainly, though we will see what happens. I was then up late at […]