UNBELIEVABLE!

I am so tired and ready for a great night's rest after an incredibly tough but amazing yoga class. However, I have to write about this tonight, of I won't be excited enough tomorrow and it'll lose some umph.

So...

I left yoga tonight feeling INCREDIBLE. It was an alternative class. Meaning, Cristina decided to kill us before the weekend. No, just kidding. It means instead of sticking to the traditional 26 Bikram poses, she threw in some salutations to the sun (Mom, you know I was loving that for my arms!) and other things as transitions. She eliminated some of the postures and modified others. It's nice mentally, hard physically, and makes for a good feeling of accomplishment and complete exhaustion after. As a result of being on my computer quite a bit, I'm developing a stiff neck and apparently stiff wrists. I didn't realize the wrist part until tonight. Doing those salutations made a huge difference.

I digress.

The point is that I was leaving. Neither Cecy nor a friend of hers who has once taken me home and offered to any other time in the future (Umberto?) was there tonight, so I resigned to a taxi again. I walked a few blocks to pass the time moving while waiting for a taxi to come. I finally saw one and got in explaining my destination. The guy tells me 60 pesos, to which I respond, no way dude (not exactly, mind you); it's usually 50. With the economy and rise of the dollar (apparently they're 14 pesos to buy now and just over 13 to sell), I should've just given him the 60. But I stuck my ground like a native. He said okay and asked if I could do him a favor. He needed gas and this was his first call of the night. Could we go to a gas station and I pay up front. I said okay. Then I started feeling nervous. In light of the events that have happened in East Nashville this week, as well as being nighttime in Mexico (I've read the same taxi stories you all have from the 80s), I just envisioned myself on the news...

We pulled into the gas station and he got out. This never happens here because they have gas attendants. (That was one of the things Mabel notices in Tucson: "Who pumps the gas? I never saw anyone near the pumps!") Add more nervous vibes!

I paid the guy, got my 50 peso change for my 100 peso bill and off we went.

We pull out going the opposite direction we need to go. We make another turn. I start getting more nervous. I ask why we had to turn. He said that the other street was a one way. (Phew) I was totally overreacting by the way. There was nothing to worry about and I haven't felt in jeopardy since I've been here.

Then he says the way we're going will be faster because of less traffic. ALL taxi drivers have taken me the other way. I got really nervous.

Well then he starts asking me where I'd been, exercising? I answer yes, from a yoga place.

He asks about yoga. How long I've been doing it. How hard it is since you have to be flexible. Misconception, so I go into explaining that it's the yoga that makes you flexible. Not that only flexible people can do yoga. Then we talk about something else. At this point (after negotiating fare, talking about where I live [destination of the night, not US], discussing yoga and such, only after all this), he asks me where I'm from.

HOORAY!

So I tell him. I explain the whole thing. Teaching exchange. Teach English for a year. Been here since August, etc.

He offers (I didn't ask) that he my Spanish was really good. So good, in fact, that didn't know until he asked that I was from "el otro lado (the other side)" which is what they call the US here. I was PUMPED. I mean, I know that I look Mexican. No one thinks I'm foreign by looking. But then to sound Mexican. (Or even almost Mexican) I was very proud of myself. Then, of course, I stuttered, misconjugated, and hesitated. But that's okay. I impressed on the front end!