Personal Reflection from Mexico City - What to do when people WON'T TALK

Shawn, Monica, and I are resting on the shaded footsteps of a fountain at the corner of Articulo 123 street after our long walk along the Avenida de la Revolucion (Revolution Avenue). It is a beautiful plaza full of flowers. There are people selling painted pottery, silver jewelry, wooden and stone figurines, paper-mache marionettes, woven blankets and bracelets. There is even a Mariachi band taking a break from their singing, playing a game of dominoes.

I tried to talk to some of the people here to hear from them what it is like living here. I approached a young girl with her son, an old man that was sitting alone, and a group of two older women with their three daughters and four grandchildren taking their "siestas" on blankets while the adults strung together necklaces. But nobody would talk with me. One woman said she wanted to go home soon and was in a hurry to pack up. A man said it was his first day at the plaza and didn't have much to share. Another woman said she didn't know Spanish well enough to answer my questions. (She speaks some kind of native language — a language from the original people, often called Indians, who lived here before the Spanish came!)

I am sorry that I was unable to get them to tell me a story about their daily lives in this plaza, because I was curious to hear from them. How do you suggest I approach them next time? What do you imagine they could have told the Trekkers? I hope you can help me figure this out…. Please write me an e-mail. Hasta pronto! mextrek@yahoo.com.

-Silvia

Related Dispatches: 
Shawn: Day one in Mexico City (Part 1)
Shawn: Day one in Mexico City (Part 2)
Sylvia: What to do when people WON'T TALK!

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