Me llamo Aria y tú? Still Week 1

There are things one cannot change, even by force. During a trip to Acapulco, I was ridiculed by my friends for having taken a philosophy book on a yacht, in one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. That night, my friend met two nice girls, with one of whom he really ‘clicked.’ He brought Sophia and her sister upstairs so to be ‘charitable’ and encourage me to join them on the dance floor. Sophia never left the roof top until the yacht had returned to the shores. She happened to be a literature major, enough said for those who know me. I didn’t re-tell this story to show off; I have a point to make.

Before I decided to teach English in Latin America, I read numerous blogs, mostly written by English teachers. Mostly, they had chosen Latin America for its fun and festive environment, drinking, socializing, so forth and so on. I don’t quite know my roommates yet, unaware of their tendencies and definition of ‘fun.’ All I know is that every time I came out of my room, for whatever reason, we engaged in a heavy, intellectual conversation. Discussions vary from the contemporary place of religion in the world, Post-Modern American literature, Feminist writings, etc. Last night, in the midst of one of our long discussions, it just hit me! In the middle of a charming town, at eight o’clock, after a day of work, we were discussing Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex”???

I laughed, not at the moment, not at what a hopeless book lover I am. I laughed at how the world works! What are the chances that three teachers would end up, each from a different corner of this planet, in a little Mexican town to discuss books??? My Canadian roommate finally gave up. Today, she proposed that we create a book club, read throughout the week, and discuss our books on Saturdays. So the point being, sometimes it’s better to accept and embrace one’s personality rather than go against it. If I take so much joy in discussing Nima Youshij’s love letters and Cormic McCarthy’s “All the Pretty Horses” to my roommates, then so be it. I believe once one finds peace with his/her personality, and truly see that there are as many gods in the world as there are humans, then no source of authority can stand in his/her way. No one can dictate to him what to think, how to make love, how to worship, and what to do in one’s leisure time in Mexico! In my precious time here, I plan on learning from my roommates and contribute to our ‘little’ book club. And I take pride in that.

Aria