I have really really enjoyed getting back into yoga, as I have made well known in each yoga entry. I can't explain to you what a difference it makes. It gives me something to do, for one. I have plenty to do on the weekends. And I love school. I'm thankful for free afternoons. I figure for once in my life, I'm not rushing around to make it on time from work to yoga to babysitting to dinner with friends. I might as well enjoy it, even if it feels a bit lazy. Yoga also takes the lazy feeling out of the equation.
Thursday, I decided to walk more of my route to yoga. I usually de-board downtown and wait about 15 minutes for a bus that will take me 5 more minutes up the main drag. I decided this time to stay on my bus a little farther down the road and get off and walk the last 15 minutes or so. That way, I could stop at the Oxxo and get my water. It would still be cold and I wouldn't have to manhandle so much (iPod, money, phone, towel) on my way there.
It worked like a charm and I enjoyed the walking. Sometimes the bus just stresses me out. Walking just seems so nonchalant.
I'm almost always the first one there, often beating Cristina since I err on the side of early in general, but especially in yoga (in Nashville, you get locked out if you arrive "on time"). I left much too much time for error this time, forgetting that the walking would amount to about the same time as waiting for the bus, changing buses, and riding the bus. I sat outside the yoga building and people watched. This street is called Obregón and is the main drag. It's not really a pretty street, but there's always lots going on. I watched little boys wash windshields of unwilling customers stopped at red lights. I watched people rush out of buildings only to take on the calm, moseying pace that defines Mexico (although, not necessarily DF).
I got to yoga, got my mat (that I store there so I have one less thing to carry), and relaxed on the couch. In walked Cristina and her sister Victoria. I think Victoria is a doctor based on the discussions she had with some guy whose name I cannot recall (Victor, I think). This guy is ridiculously hard to understand, and I wonder what it's like for Culichis. Is it like a thick NY accent? Or is it like a mumbling kid? Who knows. I find my listening skills so interesting. They're definitely better. To be in the fastest city, I'm proud of myself. However, when there are two variables, like with Victor (fast speech and an accent or impediment), I find myself understanding, but at a very delayed rate. Like if I stopped to think about what I was hearing, I would miss the next part. But if I just listen, I get it a few seconds delayed. It's really weird.
In walks Willy, my drug ride.
We do our class, which was hotter, humider (go with the consonance here), and harder! We did some different salutations and I'm thankful for the flexibility (and breaking up of tension) that's coming to my wrists. I also was finally able to do the pushups in good form. Regular Bikram yoga is neither arm nor ab intensive. This was my fifth class back in a relatively short amount of time, so my arms are getting back where they should be. The pushups going from down dog to plank to up dog without sinking your hips at all are SO HARD. But I was finally where I thought I should be. I have plenty more to go, but I'm content.
After class, I was drenched. I mean, I looked like I had been swimming. As of late, the classes here haven't seemed too hot or humid (back in the fall, it was literally hotter outside than it was in the hot yoga room), but last night was CRAZY.
As we're getting ready to leave, Willy says, "Are you ready?" He had told me he would drive me home whenever, since he lives in the adjoining neighborhood (meaning it would take me about 15 minutes to walk there). He asked, though, if the next time we could speak English; he wanted to practice. As dumb as this sounds, I'm not the best at speaking English with people for whom it is their second language. But we got to the car and he started the conversation off and spoke very well. He told me last time that English had always interested him, so when HBO came to Mexico, he would watch it with closed captioning, learning accurate pronunciation while seeing that our phonics is not really phonics at all.
Something he said led me to ask about his job, so he explained it all. I don't totally get it, but he is the owner/CEO or the like of a company that does something with software. They have an account with IBM in Mexico and he's currently trying to create and distribute an identification software like we have in the US. At the border, you have to digitally give a fingerprint and all kinds of information pops up about you. He's actually trying to get that here for drivers licenses and such (which to me makes him a pretty good guy). He explained that it would allow cops to know if you're a felon- or related to one. He also takes paper documents and scans them in a way that digitalizes them. He manages 16 employees with 6 different divisions or departments. It's a high stress, high travel job, but he likes it. Seems he makes pretty good bank, too!
As I was getting out of the car, I complimented him (again) on his English (he has friends in the US that he visits regularly, and he studied in Canada, so that helps his initial HBO tutorial), and he said "See you Monday." It's good to know I won't be hailing as many taxis. It's only 50 pesos, and I don't feel in danger, but I'm happier to know that I'm not walking a couple of blocks before getting in a car with yet another taxi driver.
1 comment:
I love watching an urban space, trying to figure out people.
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