I wrote this before I had much of a grasp of the Spanish language, so please excuse any inaccuracies.

When I was in Mexico, I stayed in Tecalitlan. Tecalitlan is a humble country town with a population of about 13,000. This is not a tourist town, as I mentioned before. Most of the people there have never met an American before, much less someone that didn’t speak Spanish. The people have had some exposure to English through television and other influences of pop culture, but aside from that, the language is unknown. And rightly so. This is Mexico. And Tecalitlan is as Mexican as you can get.

Despite my funny looks and strange way of speaking, the locals, Dan’s family in particular, were amazingly outgoing and friendly with me. They accepted me. They took me in, fed me along with their families, and invited me to their parties. They asked me all kinds of questions about what I thought about Mexico, and how it compared to the United States (all with the aid of a translator, of course). How do you like it here? Are the people friendly? Do you like the food? How do you like our home? Sorry, we apologize for the mess. Even the cousins, a bit younger than myself, asked some of the more relevant questions — What kind of music do you listen to? Do you dance? Do you like Mexican girls? She’s hot, huh!? They were interested… interested in me. Dan’s uncle, Israel, and his wife Alydia and their many children were the family that reached out to me the most, and as I would eventually find out, would express the most concern for me. They were the most memorable part of Mexico.

Israel stands tall and wide, middle-aged, with a round belly and a weathered face. Like most of the uncles, he has thick forearms and wide, blunt hands from years upon years of laying brick. Alydia is a small woman, also middle-aged, soft-spoken, attractive, with deep brown skin and long jet black hair. She wears an expression of concern on her face, which I’ll never forget, but floats with an air of happiness.

Israel asked some of the more insightful questions. He spoke with patience and wisdom, even though I couldn’t directly understand a word he said. He told me a story about his visit to the United States, and how he felt helpless when he couldn’t talk with anyone, even for something as trivial as a transaction at the grocery store. I was going through what you’re going through now, Dan translated, So I understand how you feel. Communication is the most important thing. Without it, you have nothing. And he’s right. But maybe not completely. I didn’t speak with Alydia, on the other hand, except for maybe an hola, or a gracias here and there. Not until the end of my trip, at least.

The most memorable and meaningful moment of my trip came when I needed it most. It was the night of the car accident. I was laying in a hospital bed, and the doctor, who fortunately spoke a bit of English, was telling me about my condition. He was worried. He said the reflexes on the left side of my body were too slow compared to the right, and he could see retinal damage in my left eye. I had literally “rattled my brain”, and he thought I had a concussion, but was unsure of my condition until he repeated the tests. All we could do was wait. Naturally, I was very worried.

In the meantime, to allow me to stay in the hospital, a local resident that I knew was needed for the purpose of verifying my identity. I explained that I was a tourist, an American, and I had no such person. I was stressed over my health, and now over the red tape associated with it, Mexican style. Just then, Alydia walked in. Alydia — this woman that I had met only days before. This woman, to whom I had spoken not more than a few words.

Now, Spanish is a very descriptive language, and the verb “to know” translates two different ways. There’s saber, which means “to know of” something (as in information), and there’s conocer, which means to know personally. Saber Angelina Jolie is one thing, but conocer Angelina Jolie is completely different.

Alydia was led by a cop, who looked frustrated. ¿Conoce él? he demanded (Do you know him, personally?). She replied.

Sí, yo conozco.

Posted by andy on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007 at 2:26 am.