This past weekend I had the fabulous opportunity to meet with a lovely young Latina/Mexican from El Chuco town! AKA El Paso, Texas. :) We met at an art showing last year and I think we hit it off quite well. I don't know if it is the fact that we both smile with an ear to ear grin at everyone or that she's just awesome. Either way, we had been meaning to meet up and we finally met up for brunch on Saturday.
We talked about Washington Heights and Brooklyn and how much we both loved the Latino-ness vibe of the neighborhood. I've posted before on how much I love my salsa playing 99 cent store and I love that all you hear is Spanish on the streets. We talked about the things we really missed from home as well and where we could find them. I am dying to find a delicious panaderia out here but she has one close to her neighborhood in Ditmars! I also missed smothered anything! I have been craving a smothered burrito for months! I've concluded that "smothering" is a New Mexico/Colorado/Southwest thing. But it is ironic to me that New York, the place that has everything, does not have a smothered burrito spot. :(
I told her how I love the Norteno and Banda bands that jump on the trains with their guitars, basses, accordions, etc! I always carry a little bit of change or money so that I can give it to them when I see them. It's not that they are broke, but they are incredibly talented and we concluded that a part of us feels at home when we see them or when we hear them. I told her that I call them Los Tigeres del A-Train! I also love seeing the little mujeres who sell tamales on the weekend here. Even the old ladies hustle out here! It's truly incredible. I don't know how the immigrante community does it because the cost of living here is so expensive, yet they make it just fine. And the Mexican community, in particular, is very interesting to watch and listen to because they are all from Puebla or Oaxaca! How did they all get here? Puebla is far and Oaxaca is further! I project that within 10 years the Mexicano community will outnumber the Puerto Rican and Dominican community.
Anyways, I rambled there for a second, my apologies. Yadira (El Chuco) and I are going to potentially create a really fantastic project from our discussion, but I can't quite announce it yet as I need to flush it out a little bit more. All I can say is that it will focus on the Mexican/Undocumented community and that it will be awesome. On top of spending a wonderful afternoon with a lovely and talented new friend, I enjoyed just being able to relate to someone out here. I look forward to this friendship and the projects and ideas to come. :) (check our her blog)
On another note, I still haven't heard more details from my supervisors or directors, but I feel like nothing is going to come of this position. This places me in a weird predicament because I want to keep working hard on my projects but I feel a bit defeated and out of energy because a part of me feels like "what's the point?" But I know I can't feel that way because I still need to perform at my highest level so that they can remember the good work that I've done. :) I'm just having a hard time remembering that everyday. At least I'll go out with a bang! I will be in Puerto Rico next week for work, so it might be a nice (not really) break.
We'll see, but I am staying positive as best as I can and sending resumes and cover letters out again. I am trying to be at peace, but I am so anxious about it all. I might have to just drop in to some organizations like the hubs did. I'm just not as courageous as he is!
Happy Wednesday!
