Family Outing

Alas, I am blogging from the air again, I am currently en route to Phoenix but I figured I would take the time to give a brief update on the goings on of my past week.  The ND savvy out there will probably recognize the statue in the above photo and probably recognize that it is not the one in front of Corby Hall, so yes you're right, we took a family trip to Gettysburg.  In all honesty it was originally billed as a family trip to Hershey Park and the Gettysburg leg (which is about an hour away) was added on later, at your author's humble request.  Hershey has been a place where my family has spent many a summer vacation and it is always nice to go back.  However with me at 25 and my brother at 21, this trip, while certainly still fun, brought the realization that our Hershey days are probably behind us and it is up to my brother to have kids of his own before we head back again.  But that being said, there are still some awesome roller coasters at Hershey that still give a thrill to children of all ages. 

Our time at Gettysburg was short (about4.5 hours) but extremely worth while.  It was my first trip to the famous battlefield and was certainly worth it.  I guess what is most striking is the sheer size of the battlefield, which took nearly 2 hours to drive around.  Equally striking was the absolute skill (and bit of luck) that was needed for the Union to be victorious.  As our tour guide drove us around the battlefield and outlined each phase of the battle it became apparent just how close the Union came to losing the Battle of Gettysburg, a possible history changing outcome.  However it is not the bravery and determination of the Union soldiers alone that makes Gettysburg sacred ground, the land is a great reminder of what the consequences of a divided nation can be.  A place where thousands of Americans, both Union and Confederate died in service to their country.

Final Reflections on Mexico

All in all Mexico was a fantastic experience.  Not only was it an opportunity to learn Spanish, but also an opportunity for Chris and I to experience the Mexican culture and to begin to understand a bit, not only the language but also the cultural base of the many Mexican Americans we minister to and with here in the United States.  Speaking of Chris, I cannot thank him enough for being pretty decent company for 6 weeks in a foreign country and for his kind and gentle forbearance.  We did pretty well considering we made up about 75% of each others' English conversation for 6 weeks.  Thanks must also be given to the many other seminarians who eventually joined us at CIRIMEX, there was a large group from the St. Paul's Seminary, St Paul, MN and from St. Meinrad's, Mundelien, and St. John Vianney in Denver.  They are just great guys in general and very much brought some welcome company and fellowship at the language school.

The program itself was intense to say the least.  Four hours of grammar instruction in the morning and 2 hours of conversation in the afternoon.  All the sessions were one on one just me and the teacher meaning there was really no opportunity to take a rest at all and of course after school was over we all went home to speak more Spanish.  The students often joked that the 30 minute break in the morning was the best part of the day, but truthfully, it was the one point in the day when we didn't have to think about Spanish at all.  However in reality this was probably the best way to learn, basically forcing myself to start thinking in Spanish.  I am certainly much more confident (and hopefully a bit better) with my Spanish after my time at CIRIMEX.  I also cannot thank my two teachers Aurea and Rosy for their patience and gentle guiding hands.  They really did help a lot.

The time also allowed us to get to know the people of Mexico and experience some of the great beauty of the country.  Mexico is certainly a country that has its fair share of problems, we have all seen what great evils the drug cartels have brought and how a culture of corruption among the police and government makes the drug problem and many others worse.  However at their heart the people of Mexico really have a lot going for them.  They are a people of great faith, passion, and devotion and a country of great natural beauty and resources. Mexico was an excellent host to Chris and I over 6 weeks and we are certainly much richer for the experience. 

PICTURES!

Alas I have finally gotten my pictures off my camera. They can all be found here

Here are a few highlights

The Jiamador cutting Agave in Tequila

















The National Palace in Mexico City

The Cardinal gives the benediction at the Eucharistic Procession
in Guadalajara

The Cathedral of Guadalajara

Home

Well folks, Chris and I wrapped up our time in Mexico on Thursday and flew home on Friday, Chris to St. Louis and I to Chicago. Oddly the longest leg of my trip was the bus from Chicago to South Bend, but alas I did make it home (though and hour and a half behind schedule). After some time on South Bend mostly spent changing over my luggage from Mexico stuff to Phoenix stuff and of course celebrating the 4th of July a bit. On Tuesday I left South Bend for New York where I will spend the next week with my family. Hopefully this time will allow me to relax and catch up a bit (especially on this blog) so look for more updates soon.

Recap: Tlaquepaque y Tonola

Last week Chris and I also spent some time in two of the major towns for artisanal crafts here in Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque and Tonola. Fr. Aaron Michka flew down on Sunday for a few days (yes the same Sunday we got back from Mexico City) and we spent Sunday afternoon with him in Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque is a town world renowned for its galleries and is definitely the higher end of the two towns. While the art was certainly interesting the main purpose for our trip was not the art but rather the Mariachi. Tlaquepaque has a large square in the middle of town that is often occupied by Mariachi or Ballet Foclorico groups. Conveniently the square is surrounded by restaurants, which makes for the perfect opportunity to rest, have a little tequila and enjoy the entertainment. After taking in the sights and sounds and strolling through some of the galleries we headed home fairly early so that Chris and I could get some rest. Later on in the week Chris and I headed to another Tonola with some of the other students at CIRIMEX, this was in their words "a cultural field trip." Tonola is another town near Guadalajara that specializes in artisanal crafts. The difference however between the two, as my host mom put it, is that Tlaquepaque is for the gringos and Tonola for the Mexicans. The crafts made and sold in Tonola in a sense represent better the traditional crafts of Mexico and are a bit cheaper, they include ceramics and other clay products, glass, and paper maché. This being a cultural field trip, the teachers arranged for us to see not only the shops, but the workshops behind them where the crafts are still made. In many cases these "factories" are still family owned and operated with the skill of glassmaking or ceramic making passed down from generation to generation. Also on a cultural note at the glass factory Chris, who had also been to the Waterford factory in Ireland noted the stark difference in safety precautions between the two places. The craftsmen at the factory in Tonola worked in fairly crowded conditions with molten glass at the end of 4 to 6 foot poles, yet all of them had on shorts and T-Shirts, meanwhile in Waterford all the craftsmen where covered in some serious layers of protective clothing. The most interesting stop on the Tonola trip was certainly the ceramics factory. This factory has been in the same family for several generations and produces a unique type of ceramics with a labor intensive cross-hatch pattern. Not only did we get to see all the beautiful wares they produced, but we also got to see the family members at work in the back carefully detailing each piece of clay, shaping the clay on the turntable, or firing it in the kiln. The shop was also filled with pictures and letters from celebrities around the world with their plates/bowls/cups. The most prominent photo at the moment was one of Prime Minister Harper of Canada, President Calderon of Mexico, and President Obama having lunch on their dishes. President Obama was apparently so impressed, he took his napkin ring and then bought a whole set for his family at the White House.

That's about all for our past two cultural outings. I am actually on the plane home at the moment and will post a recap of our last week in Mexico shortly.