Friday, August 22, 2008

First Weeks in Queretaro






These past two weeks in Queretaro have really been a whirlwind of figuring out logistical details like where to live and what classes to take. I enjoy the city's aesthetics as I walk to and from the university, but so far I haven't been taking photos to share daily scenes with you. Photographing, especially in a place where I already look different, has always made me feel self-conscious. I'll try, however, to become more brazen as I settle into life here and perhaps feel less like a tourist or an outsider. Even though I'm aware of not fitting in physically, I feel much more comfortable in the city than I did two years ago . . . the narrow, cobbled streets in the city center are familiar. My senses appreciate but are not startled by the smells of masa, elote, and rainstorms and the visual mosaic of colonial churches, elegantly dressed professionals, otomí women and children panhandling, and tiny shops selling every possible gadget, from nail polish to cell phone cases.

Living in a downtown hostel called la Jirafa Roja has allowed me plenty of time to absorb the city's daily comings and goings. The hostel is a temporary refuge while I wait for a room in house to become available. While staying in the hostel has postponed that comforting feeling of being settled, it has given me a reason to walk from one end of the city to the other each morning and has also introduced me to some great people who I hope will continue to be friends. The owner of the hostel has been taking me on night runs through the city, which gives me a different and beautiful perspective of Querétaro and stretches my legs. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to moving into my own room this weekend.

For those of you who are following the more academic aspects of this experience, I'm quickly learning about the Master's program and about my own interests. The literature courses I'm currently taking are considered preparation for a Master's in Latin American Literature, which begins in January. The preparation and the official program are both geared toward forming literary researchers, and they culminate in a thesis. Acquiring the bases of Latin American literature and literary theory will be up to me, but the prospect of getting to spend time researching a topic of my choice is exciting! I am thinking of comparing the different ways that Latin American literature represents utopia . . . so I'll have a lot to read! The people in the preparatory class come from all different professional and academic backgrounds, from philosophy to engineering. I am getting to know several of them better, and those of us who don't have degrees in Latin American literature are slowly forming a nice support group. In addition to the literature classes and studies, I'm taking a contemporary dance class just for fun. The group of theater students in the class have welcomed me kindly, and I look forward to beginning each day with reggaeton and salsa music!

I'm going to wrap this up. I'm realizing that I'm stuck in the mass-email mentality, and learning to use a blog as an interactive and more visual form of communication will take some practice. Now that I've made my first real entry, however, I think I'm ready to add more entries (probably smaller ones) on a more regular basis.

I wish all of you well!

No comments: