I stayed in San Miguel until Tuesday for a fantastic two-day workshop called "Techniques of Fiction." Taught by C.M. Mayo, the sessions provided easy, concrete tips to make our prose more poetic and more engaging. I've got dozens of handouts, along with handwritten notes, in a binder for easy access. One of the most interesting techniques was drawn from a philopsopher's assessment of the human brain. She argued that the brain perceives certain stimuli more readily, so mentioning those objects will make your writing more vivid.
The brain is great at paying attention to:
- areas of light and dark, and contrast
- human hands
- smoky, wispy textures and waving movements, and
- fruits and vegetables
Mayo also shared tips about "getting creativity flowing," writing convincing dialogue, creating characters with depth, and writing great first sentences. Basically, how to do
everything better. Mayo invited a lot of participation, and after each try-it-yourself exercise we shared our results. One exercise, the six-word story, was designed to help us create exciting plotlines. The deal is, you write a story ... in six words. (For examples, check:
here and
here.) My semi-autobiographical snippit, which I shared with the class: "
Vivi en Mexico. Left.
Hablo Spanglish."
At night, I went back to my hostel and read for class. I had hundreds of pages to read for Berryman, a book and a half to read for my Lit. of the War on Terror class, a test to prepare for in the same class, plus a test to take via e-mail for U.S. Foreign Policy, and a six-to-eight page creative essay to write for Creative Non-Fiction. Phew! I kind of hoped to get a tan while I was in Mexico, but when I wasn't inside at the convention I was inside homeworking. Hence I remain as pasty as ever.
On Tuesday evening, I rolled out of San Miguel on an eleven-hour, fifteen dollar (!) busride. I hadn't been able to find a flight combination to get me back to Arkansas before class on Wednesday, so I decided to miss an extra two days of class and visit Monterrey, the city where I studied abroad. (This seemed like a terrific idea in January when I bought the tickets, but when I spent Wednesday night in the library of the Universidad de Monterrey, instead of the Hendrix library, I started to worry. Fortunately, it seems I didn't miss anything too critical.)
At 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning I arrived in downtown Monterrey. Juan Ramon, the guy I dated there last semester, was waiting for me at the station -- with a gift! He bestowed a beautiful potted plant, which turned out to be a beautiful cut flower buried in a pot full of strawberry ice cream with crumbled oreo cookie "dirt" on top. Deliciously creative, that one. It was a clever beginning to a tragically magical reunion. I stayed with him for three days, also finding time to visit two dozen of my favorite Mexican friends and acquaintances.
Being back, I visited a lot of Monterrey that I'd never seen before. I went to a great Japanese restaurant, took the Metro downtown, ate at a Mexican restaurant called Las Monjitas, where the waitresses dress like nuns. All this while also writing essays and reading heavy literature and historical documents. My last night in town, JR drove me through the city, up the sides of some of the mountains, so I could take photos to remember Monterrey. (As if I wouldn't otherwise!) The next morning's departure was rushed and dry. We woke up late, and he rushed off to work as I rushed to the airport with a friend. We barely had time for a peck goodbye and an, "Alright, well ..." (awkward pause) "so, um, I hope we see each other again ... someday."
I departed hot and sunny Monterrey at noon and arrived in a snowstorm in Little Rock late that afternoon. Where is the justice?!? I cried and slept the whole flight, leaving a stack of readings neglected in my carry-on bag. My roommate Emily and I headed to La Huerta, a nearby Mexican restaurant, as soon as I got back. The tortilla chips eased the transition a little.
Aside from the academic issues with taking off school for a week, I'm wondering whether this trip was the right decision for me. The conference was an obvious success, and I had a great time seeing all my friends from Monterrey: Juan Ramon, Othone, Gema, Andrea, Karen, Paola, Mario, Mariana, Nancy, Sandra, Cehcy, Diana, Grace, Andrea, Jose Carlos, Monica, Jorge, Leo, Mariatzel, Rebeca, Pamela, Adela, Jonathan, David, Robe, and more.
But it's so hard to be all "home"-sick and culture shocked all over again! The same few readjustments have tripped me up this second time around: I forgot I could throw my toilet paper in the toilet and drink out of the tap, and I forgot I couldn't greet people with kisses on the cheek. I forgot I don't have anyone in this country to cuddle with. It's enormously depressing.
It is also inspiring in a way. For my Creative Writing: Non-Fiction class, I'm planning to write an essay considering Mexican ethnicity (Mexnicity?), and how hard I would have to work to be considered Mexican. If I had perfect Spanish and brown contact lenses and 30 years of residency there, would people consider me Mexican? Who is more Mexican: me, or a Texan of Mexican lineage who's never been to the homeland? I don't have answers yet. I guess I'll post my essay in a few weeks when I'm done with it.
In happier news, I'm currently filling out several applications: one to be an Orientation Leader, another to live in the Spanish House next year, and several for internships. Also: midterms are almost over! I've had it pretty easy: two essays and a test this week. I've broken out of the library and have been spotted in the Burrow several times. I've also been prepping for the Miller Center mission trip I'll be taking to New Mexico starting Saturday. We had an orientation session Sunday night, and the people who'll be on this trip seem easy-going and fun. It's great to finally be going on one of these trips, after two years of rejected applications. I'll be sure to post a full update when I get back.
Hasta pronto!