what's the craick?

No, I have not taken up drugs in Mexico. This is simply a phrase that Adrian said I should use if I got to meet Dolores O'Riordan. Sadly, I did not get to use it, but it may come in handy one day if I ever need to impress someone from Ireland.

So one of the greatest experiences I have had since being here in Mexico is distinctly non-Mexican but was pretty much a dream come true for me. Last Sunday Adrian, Charles, Tiffany and I went to Mexico City to see DOLORES O'RIORDAN!!! For those unfortunate readers who do not know who she is, she is the lead singer for The Cranberries and has now gone solo. And for those of you know know me well, you know that The Cranberries are my favorite band of all time!

Since it is parcials time (like midterms, except three times a semester) we didn't get to spend much time in Mexico City but got there enough in advance to find a cool little Cuban restaurant in a quiet part of the city and have a relaxing meal. Pictured from left to right are Tiffany, Charles, and Adrian.

The restaurant was pretty interesting, with writing from past-patrons scribbled on every inch of the walls, ceiling, and lampshades. They also had cute waitresses peddling t-shirts and trinkets of Ernesto "Che" Guevara and cigars. I wasn't terribly hungry so I just got platanos con crema...Mmmmm! After we were done eating a friend Charles has that lives in Mexico City met us at the restaurant and joined us for the concert since we had an extra ticket. Off to el concierto!

The concert was at Auditorio Nacional. Charles, Adrian and I had splurged on the expensive tickets but it was SOOOOO worth it! We were speculating beforehand whether she would perform any Cranberries songs. The concert started just as we got to our seats and the first song she did was Zombie!!! It was incredible! A majority of the songs she did were Cranberries songs, including Pretty, Linger, Salvation, Animal Instinct, Ode to My Family, Free to Decide, and others. Her solo songs were awesome too and I can't wait to get the album. I was beaming and singing as loud as I could the entire time. :-) Dolores finished up the concert with Dreams...perfect! Immediately following the last song, however, they turned on the lights in the auditorium and started playing a Glen Campbell song over the speakers. What the...?!?! Total mood-killer!!! We suspect it was an effort to get people to empty out quickly--and it certainly worked. For more tiny pictures of Dolores, visit my Facebook album.

The concert ended early enough that we were able to get back to Querétaro around 1am and be semi-rested students for our exams that morning. :-)

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Last week in my Introducción a la cultura mexicana class we took a field trip to el centro. Since this class is only once a week for three hours it is feasible to do such things. I really love this class. It is totally relaxed, but certainly not a waste of time. Most of the classes consist of getting into groups consisting of both international and Mexican students and learning from each other. The professor is one of the kindest and most genuine people I have come across here and creates an environment where both international and Mexican students can inquire and share openly without fear of judgement. The Mexican students in this course are great too and are so happy to share their culture with us.

I have been to el centro several times before, but am usually in search of a restaurant and have missed so much of what there is to know and see (aside from admiring the occasional building and snapping a photo). Our professor first took us to the government building and shared with us some of the history of Querétaro's role in the independence movement of Mexico. He shared with us the story of the corregidora (the wife of a ruler back at the beginning of the 19th century) who conspired against her husband and the Spaniards to organize the movement to liberate Mexico. I have heard a couple versions of this story from two of my professors, but it boils down to that she was discovered and locked away in the building that is now the office of the Governor yet somehow was able to get a message out that mobilized the people. I believe she was later imprisoned, but not executed. El Día de la Independencia is coming up next Saturday and I hear the celebrations are spectacular! The city has been decorated in preparation for a couple of weeks now.

A part of this government building used to be a prison and for prisoners that we to be punished in harsher ways than to be locked in a cell, they would place them in these little spaces (as Mel is demonstrating) for days at a time.

After seeing the government building we stopped to talk to some activists that I have seen several times before in one of the downtown plazas (my professor is on the right). The protesters are students who have been standing in that plaza for three years. They started out petitioning the government to provide a housing facility for poor students so that they could afford to go to college. If I recall correctly, I believe they were told that they would have been successful except that they are associated with a national organization that the government opposes. A teacher that is a leader in the organization has been imprisoned for years. They have gone to court to free her four times, and have won each time, yet she is still in prison because the government doesn't agree with her ideals. They are still working to free her.

The students have been protesting in the plaza every day for three years, prohibited from attaching their signs to any building so they take one-hour shifts holding their sign day and night. They are completely supported by donations from people on the street.

I have heard that the government in Mexico is corrupt, but after hearing from that student and then in our class yesterday hearing about the protection provided to elected officials which basically means they are untouchable while in office, I was shocked. I wasn't as much shocked about the degree of corruption, because there is corruption in every country, but I was mostly astounded by the blatancy of everything. In that U.S. the corruption is hidden much better. I don't know that one form is better than another, but the difference is interesting.

The tour ended with a fruitless hunt for churros and hot chocolate (they were closed) and then gorditas for all. You've got to love a class like that!