Exploring San Cristobal

I arrived at a hostel for volunteers called Junax (http://www.seva.org/junax/index.htm). There were a few Europeans and Mexicans already staying there and they welcomed me. There are two Mexican girls doing their social service and working with a public health organization, Marie Stopes. A French girl, Sabrina, is doing research for her dissertation in anthropology on indigenous communities of Chiapas. Another couple Italians are volunteering as human rights observers and go live in the communities that are still in the conflictive zone. Others volunteer at a Research Center for Human Rights, Fray Bartolome de las Casas. It’s a neat diverse mix of people living in community, cooking together, hanging out, sharing their different experiences. I stayed there for the first few days but I knew I wanted my own space, more independence and comfort especially since I’m staying a while…

I spent the day, Sunday, exploring the town, roaming through the central park area, found where my office is located. I went to the market where I was fascinated by the sights, smells, and sounds. You can find anything your heart desires! Fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, cheese, all sorts of spices, household items, handicrafts...I met Diana Damian and her family in the afternoon, we went to lunch and to a café (Chiapas coffee is excellent and there are many organic options available!) Diana is my logistics coordinator, helping me get settled in and finding an apartment, etc. She began to tell me about the history of San Cristobal, it certainly is a magical place, attracting many to come and stay here. There are the more conservatives, those from old families, who own many establishments in San Cristobal, and don’t like the many Westerners who come here and "interfere in their affairs." Then there are those who work for the many NGOs that are present in San Cristobal who are more open and embrace change. These NGOs offer services to many indigenous communities, working in poverty alleviation, economic development, and protecting human rights. It will be interesting to learn these different perspectives as time goes on…

I completed my first week at AlSol. Everyone is warm and welcoming. The staff is young and very committed to their work. I will be working on market research for expanding their operations to more areas, as well as helping promote the institution. They are giving me a lot of responsibility which makes me happy :) This will be a great learning process for me, I’m really looking forward to it! I will be working directly with the Executive Director and the Managers of the different areas. I spent the week drafting my work plan and getting acquainted with the organization. Spending 9 + hours a day in front of a compute takes some getting used to…No more student life for me!