Blog 1 – Oaxaca; Loving and Easy Going Culture

My name is Hanna Smith. I graduated from Laguna College of Art + Design two years ago with a BFA in graphic design + digital media, with an illustration emphasis. I’ve been an art director at an advertisement agency for two years post-college, and I decided to come to Mexico to re-ignite my artistic passion and take a break from corporate America. Therefore, I’ve chosen to come to Oaxaca for three months to volunteer for graphic design and illustration.

My expectations for the program were scattered. I was mostly afraid to speak Spanish, because I have been learning Spanish for 5 years but the idea of being thrust into Spanish full-time was worrisome. I expected to be very busy and overwhelmed, and also very independent. I knew I would have a roommate, but I didn’t know if we would mesh well. 

As I started my adventure in Oaxaca, walking to Spanish class every morning with my roommate Maddie, I felt overwhelmed and excited. The Spanish classes were basically one-on-one, which I appreciated, because it felt more like tutoring than classes. They were very chill, and anything I specifically requested we learn, the teacher would accommodate. I was immediately impressed and excited by all the ridiculously delicious street food on every corner. One of our first Spanish classes was a tour of the city, where I got to try tejate (a traditional cacao drink) and chapulines (spicy grasshoppers, don’t knock it till you try it!)

On my first night in Oaxaca, I felt extremely welcomed. Señora Irma, who owns the home, and her son, Octavio helped me bring my bags up to my room and gave me a tour of the space. Irma only speaks Spanish, so it was a good indication of how my trip here would be, with lots of lots of Spanish practice, which I love. Irma gave me a glass of juice and a pastry, then she took Maddie and me out to dinner at a local taco place. The tacos were absolutely delicious. Overall, I felt very taken care of and safe. She also has a little white dog, Scrappy, who I love so much. We have another roommate, Violeta, who lives in the house permanently. She gave me a list of where I should go for groceries, laundry, and anything else I may need. She gave me her whatsapp phone number and was very helpful. 

One thing I love about Oaxaca is the amount of really cool street art everywhere you go. Wood engraving is a very popular form of art here, so there are lots of prints plastered onto walls of artworks made in this style. My favorite artworks are of animals with their skeletons showing, it’s really eye-catching. I was artistically inspired almost immediately, sketching everywhere I could.

One of my favorite parts about traveling is walking alone aimlessly, without a destination in mind. As I walked around Oaxaca daily after class, I was charmed by the quaint cafes, restaurants, food stalls, merchants, and overall pleasant vibe of the town. I found a cat café five minutes from my house. As I sat on the couch, drinking a watermelon soda, two cats sat next to me, and I sat there petting them, relaxing for an hour or so. I love the slow culture of Oaxaca, how normal it is to sit down with a coffee and just enjoy the day. As I walk in the park nearby (El Llano), I see lots of couples sitting side by side, kissing or talking, not looking at their phones.

It’s a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the work culture in the USA. In the park, every morning people are dancing/exercising to zumba music, kids learn to roller skate, people walk their dogs and there are always people just sitting, not doing particularly anything, and enjoying the day. Almost immediately, I felt like I had permission to just relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, something which I often forget to do.

Another cultural difference between here and the USA is how amazingly kind, caring, and compassionate the people here are. Obviously, people in the USA could be kind and compassionate too, but sometimes people could be a bit more guarded there. So many people have offered me food or advice, for free. When I make an effort to speak Spanish and communicate, people in turn are very generous and giving. The landlord, Irma, dropped off some delicious tamales one morning, unprompted. She also suggested she could drive us to Walmart if we ever needed it.

The Spanish class we went to made some delicious pan con queso one morning for seemingly no reason, just so we could enjoy some food together. I love how food is a love language here. I bought two churros and gave one to my housekeeper. We ate churros together and gossiped (chismear) for an hour, about nothing and everything, and it was so nice. Sharing food and just talking with somebody who was just a stranger made me feel so deeply seen and happy. It seems here that nobody is really in a rush, everybody is down to just talk and share food, late into the night.

There is a parade in the street almost every night, with a loud marching band to accompany it. Whether it be for a wedding, graduation, a government program, or really anything, the people here find an excuse to party and dance. The people in the street follow the parade, it’s open to everybody. People share mezcal, sing, dance, and holler. There is an electric energy in the air. Almost every night I hear fireworks, and as I walk down the main square, there are violinists, guitarists, saxophonists, or singers, making music. There is rarely a moment here in Oaxaca where I don’t hear music, and I think that’s beautiful.

All in all, my experience in Oaxaca was even more incredible than I expected. Read more of my adventures in my next blog.