Livin' la Vida Gringa

I've been in Tapachula about a week now and am settling into a routine, so I figured it was time for an update!

Let me start off by saying that the city itself really isn't very nice to look at. In fact, it's ugly. I've read this in guidebooks and it's been reiterated by most Mexicans (including native Tapachulans!) that I've talked to. It's sometimes known as the armpit of Chiapas. Despite this, I've totally fallen in love with this place. Seems weird, but I think the reason behind my endearment for this hot, sticky, not-so-aesthetically-pleasing city can be summed up in these two words: "buena gente" which for all you gringo readers means "good people." Now some of you (specifically my father, shout out to the one and only Daddy Cutts) may be going "What???? I told her not to let her guard down or trust people easily! What is she doing??" Do not worry, I am not wandering the streets at night or making friends with the various men who shout "Hello ladies!" or "I love you!" from their cars or windows. But, I have met a lot of people through work or just asking for directions who not only nice, but helpful and enthusiastic. Everyone is proud of their city and when they realize that they're talking to a foreigner (which is pretty much instantly) they want to share what they love about Tapachula. They want to know where we've been, what kind of food we've tried etc. and are always full of suggestions for things to do. It's nice to feel so welcomed.

Another thing about Tapachula that is impossible to ignore is the focus there is on the United States. Granted, our world is globalized and NAFTA, whatever your opinion on it, has brought all things U.S.A even here to the armpit of Chiapas which most Americans couldn't find on a map. (Please note: I had no idea that Tapachula or Chiapas existed before this so I'm aware that I'm a part of the problem) But the focus on the U.S. here is about more than the Wal-Mart, the Sam's Club, or the Domino's, all of which can be found along a lovely strip on the outskirts of the city that looks similar to something you'd find in suburban American. Every taxi driver, waiter, person I work with etc. has lived in the US, has family or friends there, or wants to go. One man told us that before moving to LA he had a vision that it was like Beverly Hills 90210 everywhere. I've heard about the illusive "American Dream" before but hearing about it firsthand really proved to me that the concept that emigrating to the US can solve all of your problems is so true for many people.

Anyway, I started work on Monday at the DIF Municipal, which is a government organization. I wasn't anticipating working for the government and at first the idea didn't totally sit well with me. Politics here are pretty corrupt and I felt conflicted that my time and energy would be wasted on an agency whose mission I couldn't support. I felt even more conflicted when, on the first day of work, all of the students doing social service work at DIF this summer were taken to a welcome breakfast at this gorgeous hotel high above the city to meet with the president of the organization. Breakfast was delicious, but it was awkward listening to these women explain that they have a hard time feeding the children they care for or finding enough funding to for their programs. I know that things like this happen in the US too and a lot of it is a public relations thing, like "Oh look at us as this organization, here's a flow chart and our mission statement, please support us." This was weird because we had already committed our time to them and didn't really need convincing. But despite this discomfort, I'm really enjoying my time at DIF (if someone had told me that on Monday evening when I came back to the apartment totally drained I would not have believed them but, it's true). And why? Buena gente. Not necessarily the people at the top, but I don't really interact with or see them. But everyone else? I'm moved by their dedication to the community. Let me explain.

So DIF does a lot of things, but it's basic mission is to offer support to the community in whatever ways possible. The office part of the building is really the smallest part, most of the space is dedicated to serving people. Downstairs are the administrative offices, a daycare (whose fees are on a sliding scale based on what families can afford), physical therapy, and a nursing home. The nursing home is pretty depressing because all of the old people have been abandoned by their families and have no one to care for them, but DIF does a lot of community building and activities with them. Upstairs is where I work, Casa Camas, which houses abandoned and abused children. There are also a bunch of rooms dedicated to teaching vocational skills.

Now, for more on Casa Camas. I work there with Rachel one of the other AU students and Caro, who is one of the Ibero students. About 15 children live there right now, ages ranging from 4 months to 14 years old. Each child has a sad story to tell, but most have been abandoned by their parents or abused and brought to DIF by a neighbor or other relative. The area is L-shaped, and one leg of the "L" is the girls side and the other leg is the boys side. Each side consists of a long hallway and then about 8 rooms which include a bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. The kids are not allowed to leave unsupervised so there is a locked gate keeping them from the leaving and bars on the windows. It's definitely a depressing atmosphere. There is a group of women who come in in shifts to cook, clean, do laundry etc. Rachel, Caro and I have been talking to these women a lot and they've been helpful in giving us an understanding of how things work. Again, buena gente. They are all so busy cleaning and everything, they really don't have time to play with the kids or give them attention. It's really sad, but after being there for a week I can tell you that it is definitely the reality. At first I was worried that I would be basically babysitting all day, running around after the kids. And yes, part of what I'm doing is sort of like babysitting. At the same time, we've noticed that is a lot that can be done to give the kids a better experience, so Rachel, Caro, and I are working toward that. Casa Camas also has two psychologists who are there all day. One isn't around very much and just got a promotion so we'll actually be working with someone new on Monday but the other women is very helpful and cares so much about the kids.

One weird thing about DIF is that, as far as I understand, when the government changes party's or there's an election, many of the positions change and new people come in. As a result, a lot of the workers have only been there since January. To me, this seems totally inefficient. How can an organization function when the leadership is constantly changing?

And the kids. They are insane. Running, yelling, throwing things, fighting. But at the same time, they're great. It was sad to leave yesterday, which surprised me. I've been thinking a lot about what they're doing today and how their weekend's are going. On Thursday two kids came, I'm not sure if they're brother and sister, but anyway, it broke my heart. The little boy has the brightest smile ever. He is hilarious and cute and so so so kind to the other kids. He has these awful marks all over his neck because his mother used to tie him up so she could beat him. But here he is, hopeful, smiling, polite. And every kid has a story like this, something so awful that I can't even imagine and don't want to think about it. But that's the reality that these kids live every day. I really just hope that my time at DIF this summer can make their lives better and help them grow and survive.

Which reminds me of the cheesiest thing ever: the starfish song. Today we went to the Playa Linda on our day off (more about that in a later post--so amazing!) but I was thinking, "Wow, I'm on a beach in Mexico!" and I was reminded of this song we used to sing at closing campfire at Girl Scout camp. It starts off something like "On a beach there in Mexico.." (which is why I thought of it) and it goes on to tell the story of this little girl throwing starfish that are washed up on the beach back into the ocean. This old man comes along and asks her why she's doing that. He tells her that there are too many starfish washed up for her to ever make a dent and save them all. She replies that it doesn't matter if she only picks up one starfish because with that one action, she's made a difference in the one life. I'm pretty sure that the old man ends up helping her but I can't remember. Even though it's completely cheesy and I usually hate getting too touchy-feely about stuff, that song really rings true to me right now. Granted, maybe I'm just looking for something to make me feel better about the awful truth that is the situations so many people across the globe are in, but at the same time don't think that's it. If my time here results in making life better for these kids, then it's more than worth it. Well, cheers to Girl Scout camp for teaching me some great life lessons!

I'm off to bed since I had a long night last night and a long day in the sun today, but I'll try to update some tomorrow with pictures of the apartment and some less depressing stuff about the beach here and all of the great people I've met! Night!