Great news, my Hawaii tan came back within two days of being in Acapulco. Yes I have been using sun screen and sitting in the shade, the sun is just so bold. Regardless of how tan I am, I still stick out like a sore thumb. It’s been interesting to be the minority. W are the only Americans and only white people on the beach. Acapulco seems to be like the Hawaii of Mexico, the hot vacation spot for the winter. Though we are white and do attract attention we are not “an attractive nuisance” as Momma Marsh would say.
My pondering today was in Mexican societies and economy. It was a compare and contrast ponder on the differences between life growing up in Mexico and in the US. My pondering led me to conclude that in Mexico the important rules to be followed are that of cultural norms, there is a lot of grey space. In the US the Dos and Donts are clearly spelled out because of, in my opinion, a lack of personal responsibility. In Mexico you crash the jet ski you rented you pay for it not sue the jet ski company for not telling you there are rocks in the ocean to steer clear of.
My thoughts of cultural norms spilled into gratitude for my family and country for installing me confidence and empowering me as a female. I was not the only solo female backpacker getting on the plane in San Fran, however, we where all Caucasian women. The blessings of being a woman raised in the US, especially California, are abundant. I have been taking advantage of this abundance my whole life the difference now is that I have a deeper understanding and gratitude for my abundance.
Wonderful as the blessings are, there are downsides to growing up a woman in modern American society. It’s obvious that many women, myself included, struggle with self acceptance. There is this image of what we should look like, act like, and do plastered on everything; news reportings, Hollywood stars, magazines ( even the ones that are promoting health ), and in every retail and grocery store. There is no escaping. It is a challenge and a battle of being ” good enough,” tall enough, thin enough, having the clearest skin, having the latest fashion. I have honestly eaten a meal and not enjoyed it because I have a guilt complex towards my food and immediately want to run off every calorie I just ate!!! So stupid, I love food but sometimes I get so caught up in the mono culture image of a “beautiful woman.” Yoga and self awareness have been helping to deteriorate these projections. I have been practicing my Hum Sa meditation everyday. I often replay my conversation with a wise woman that lives back in Kalalau valley. I was expressing to her how I felt about this topic. She instructed me that I, and the rest of the ladies out thee, need to be CELEBRATING OUR DIFFERENECS! Forget the mono culture it’s like the mono crop, toxic. Wow, tangent. On the bright side of things I admire the women in Acapulco flaunting their curves on the beach in on piece bathing suits that look like there are from the 90’s. Hell yeah, get it girl. These women are eating deep fried tacos stuffed with cheese and potatoes, of course I also followed suit and indulged.
Pants hoe, I can’t stop laughing about the phone incident last night. This man had somehow gotten our room phone number and kept calling to make a date to take us out. After about five times of the phone ringing and us being paranoid and not picking it up, Trina finally answered the phone quietly hotly to say We did NOT want to go fishing. Turns out it was a teenager that we had met at the pool earlier and was calling to see if we where going out. It was his first time calling. Bahamas poor kid caught the tail end of another issue. Still concerning that he also had our number.
I am a very happy girl here in Acapulco. I get to instruct yoga to wonderful pupils that have great self awareness, they know how to pay attention to their bodies and muscle movement. It’s also great to have feedback from them, I am also always learning how to better myself and my practice.
Funny sights to remember:
– The conch man: this dude rolls up to the beach in his paddle boat full of conch shells tooting his shells to get attention.
– the tampon, I mean, Banaba boat riders: the people bouncing on the giant inflatable Banaba boat being toed behind a speed boat all around the bay, kills me every time.
– para sailors: these people are being dragged behinds a speed boat far bellow them on the water, they almost get tangled with other para sailors mid air, they skim the tops of the sea of umbrellas on he beach, and seem to be hanging from their necks!
– the wild man on the rock island waving me over to climb over the urchin covered rocks to goodness knows where…kinda curious but it’s sketch
Sending my love home to all those following
The Limber Lotus 