Bryan D. Brown

I’ve been in my apartment for about two hours now, having a fairly difficult trip home for such a short distance, and I already miss Oaxaca - although it was nice to take a warm (and rather necessary) shower. I can’t remember the last time I took a vacation that involved so many different things. Studying a language, documenting a political crisis, and enjoying amazing food with new friends. Put in those terms - well, it almost seems like I have my priorities all screwed up.

Unfortunately, one of the casualties of our trip was having to miss Julia’s (my niece) baptism. Us non-practicing half-Jews are always causing problems for them Catholics - just ask Mel Gibson. I wish I could have been there - although I have seen a good many Catholic churches while in Oaxaca. Not sure that makes up for it, though.

I am still processing my trip, vacation, whatever you want to call it. Frankly, it was a rather poignant experience. It had a little bit of everything. Between the strike - which is NOT over, and doesn’t look to be ending soon - and the over all feel and impact on the city itself - which is not filled with wealth, to say the least - there was still an pride in its people that I really hadn’t experienced before. I am not proud, for example, to have grown up in Irvine - or Southern California - in the same manner that Oaxacans are proud to be from Oaxaca. I guess you could argue that some people from the South have that kind of hometown pride - but then again, some of them start hoisting up rebel flags as symbols of their hometown affection. No, Oaxacans are more willing to acknowledge the good and the bad - without the in-your-face ignorance that some Americans seem to exude.

On the other hand, I might be putting Oaxaca on a bit of a pedestal simply because I fell in love with the place, and thus, committing the same crime I accuse others of committing. And it’s not like I am some seasoned world traveler.

Perhaps now is a bad time. Maybe some sleep will make these thoughts a bit more coherent. Until then…