Although it was the turquoise blue Caribbean waters, balmy climate & Spanish speaking world which originally attracted me to Playa del Carmen well over a decade ago, what holds me here, like a warm embrace, is a lifestyle: a certain way of being in the world. This morning as I began my day, the electricity went out..Se fue la luz literally means the light went away is what is said when this happens. A frequent occurrence when I was first here, its not so much so anymore. Nevertheless, although inconvenienced, I know it will come back. I dress and exit with Buda, searching for the source of the outage, giving thanks that I have no Skype students programmed until later today.. My neighbor, Jaime (an internationally renowned artist of enormous canvases celebrating the historical, anguished annihilation of the indigenous peoples), is out sweeping the street in front of his house, and informs me that the large tree on the corner near the school fell over in the early morning, taking the electric cables down with it. There are many workers cutting up and carting away what remains of the fallen tree. Helmeted, belted CFE (electric co.) workers are doing their part. Another neighbor, Sandro the Italian, comes up and joins our conversation, lacing it with his customarily humorous outlook on things. I stroll the half block to my neighborhood hangout: Café Orange, hoping for a coffee. The crew are gathered in front of the restaurant, visiting and observing the large clean up project. We all commiserate amiably for a while, guestimating when the luz will return. I stroll towards 5th Ave. to Chez Celine, up and running and serving authentically French croissants and freshly ground expresso coffee. I hook up to the net and decide to share my thoughts here, rather than jump into the work lined up for me. Not long ago my electric bill was due. It was after 9PM when I left the house, Buda in tow, to walk the 6 blocks to CFE, the electric company. The street lights, if present, are low. In another time and place I might be hesitant to walk late with low lighting through several neighborhoods & a purse full of $, but I have no fear here, often walking at 10, 11 or even midnight sometimes. I take the short cut through the park and, now 9:30 or so, the poorly lit park is full of families, children filling every swing and teeter totter, basketball court full and noisy, couples kissing on benches. I go up to make an automatic payment, and a security guard shows me which machine is working today. I feed my bills into the machine, and head back the way I came, joyful that I am here, in this world. I am walking towards home from my morning yoga practice, and as I approach about 4 blocks from home, I hear large band type music. Its just after 10AM, and I wonder which school the music is coming from. Mexico loves its noise, its volume. I smile big inside and out, observing how noisily, boisterously and freely the schools full of children are allowed, encouraged to be. Even though I live next to one, and at times must close my front door in order to carry on a lesson, I celebrate this robust expression allowed to youth here. These are a sampling of the reasons I love living here, next to the turquoise blue Caribbean with its white sand beaches. There are endless stories to be told. Now, as I people watch on 5th, Buda sitting quietly at my feet, caterpillars crawling over my laptop, the birds chirping in branches overhead and breezes kissing my face, I guess Ill go to work :D
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:50:39 +0000
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