Xico

So, I decided to take the easier culture class: Temas de la vida de méxico contemporaneo. This class only requires class participation and one 5-page paper. Thank you! Not only is it better because it is less work, I think I’ll get more out of it. The teacher writes every word she says on the board (which gets slow and boring sometimes), and we go on field trips!

Most students in the EEE don’t have classes on Fridays. So last Friday my culture class went to Xico (pronounced hee-ko, for all you gringos), a small town about an hour from Xalapa. It’s famous for it’s Fiesta de Santa Maria Magdalena, but that takes place in July, making it tricky for us to truly experience it in February. However, we got to see a church that was decorated during the time of the festival with the flower shapes made from reeds and plants. The decoration was originally white, but has dried over the months.

While we were staring at the front of this little church, a woman spotted us – we stand out a bit – and insisted that we come in and try all of her different liquors. I think she said it was her husband’s job to make them. Anyway, my teacher thought it was an important enough cultural experience that the class trotted inside and plopped ourselves down on the couches of this random lady’s house for a bit.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around and trying all kinds of mole (a very important Mexican dish that varies by region). The owners of the tiendas were very nice and gave us free samples, knowing perfectly well that we weren’t going to buy anything. There are some waterfalls an hour’s hike from Xico, but my teacher is pregnant and it was raining so we didn’t do it. I’ll probably go back sometime this semester.