el crispito

We stay in the same place for a long time and we used to things being a certain way. Time passes slowly enough that we fail to notice all the slight changes that occur constantly. An ironic consequence of assuming such permanence develops where we tend to not see the things that are right in front of us every day. As David Byrne says in one of the best films of all time about man's (illusory?) relationship to place, True Stories:

When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.

Traveling is like a good dose of amnesia. It shakes you up and makes you forget, so that not only do you see a new place for the first time, but you see all the places you have been with new eyes.

This blog is supposed to be about Mexico, the place I have lived for the past year and a half. I admit, at times I have strayed into diatribes about the things that motivated me to leave the United States and how I have found things upon my occasional return trips there. I have also written about other Latin American countries, comparing and contrasting them to Mexico. If I were more goal-oriented, I might be very good at sticking to just talking about Mexico, but the fact is, I have a lot of strong opinions about other things too. I just cannot shut up about those things, and I do not like to deny myself.

I indulge in a lot of things I should not, and writing about other places when we travel, even if it has nothing to do with Mexico, is one of those things. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be in Buenos Aires, Argentina. and I'm going to write about it. Up to its old tricks, my mind is constantly comparing this place to both the United States and Mexico, in ways both favorable and not-so-nice. I cannot help it. That is just the way the mind works, and it is just the way I work to shoot my mouth off about what I think.

For those of you that might be considering moving to Mexico or some other Latin American country - maybe Argentina - you might find the 'Crispito Goes to Buenos Aires' articles informative about this slice of South America. For those of you who come here to read about Mexico, dammit...do not despair. This trip has already wiped my slate and made me notice things anew about Mexico, even though we are thousands of miles away from it.

Many people, especially in Latin America, think the Argentines are snooty wanna-be Europeans. One of my friends and former Spanish teachers tells the following joke:

Q: What is the most lucrative job in the world?
A: Buying Argentines for what they are worth and then selling them for what they think they're worth.

If you find that more true than humorous, you might want to tune back in around August 6, when we return to one of my favorite places: Mexico City.