The small Providence suburb where I grew up wasn't too exciting if you were a t(w)een. It's the stereotype of a white, middle-class, New England town. There were the usual school and town sports teams, girl and boy scouts, and CYO events. Kids hung out in their neighborhoods after school and on the weekends, playing street hockey, etc. The teenagers looked for trouble - drinking or smoking pot in the woods, house parties when the "cool" parents allowed them. It sounds/seems like the perfect setting to a horror film or an after-school special about binge drinking. Our town was small, but living off a main highway meant my neighborhood didn't have any kids. I mostly played by myself or with my sister. I wasn't on any sports teams, nor I was involved in any extra-curricular activities. In short, I wasn't normally surrounded by large amounts of kids.
I'm willing to bet census statistics would confirm my prediction that the largest segment of Guanajuato's population falls under the age of 18. Sit yourself on a city bench Monday through Friday between the hours of 1:00 and 2:00 and the sheer number of kids in the streets might overwhelm you. For the most part, Guanajuato is pedestrian friendly. There is one main street that runs through downtown, a system of tunnels weaves its way under the centro extending out in all directions, and buses are so frequent that you never wait for one more than 2 minutes.
Starting with the youngest Guanajuatenses, babies are everywhere and they accompany their parents all the time. Leave the kids with a babysitter? Unlikely. Babies go where adults go. And if the baby is less than 6 months old, it will be wrapped up in at least 2 micro-fleece blankets. Moms, dads, older brothers and sisters all carry newborns in these brightly colored cobijas. There are so many layers of wrapping that I've questioned whether or not a baby is inside. (After a too-close examination, there are in fact babies inside.) At the Museum of Rafael Coronel in Zacatecas, I viewed ceramic figurines which represented all the classes and races of colonial Mexico. A tour guide explained that you could distinguish the female figurines by the way they carried their babies: Spanish mothers in the front and indigenous on their backs. I have seen some babies carried in traditional rebozos, woven shawls, but mostly teddy bear and Sponge Bob (excuse me, Bob Esponja) acrylic blankets have replaced these vibrant cotton and silk scarves. I have to wonder whether or not the babies are sweating underneath all those layers, but it still is winter here, even if I'm in short-sleeves.
True, families are very excited about new babies and want to hold them close. But it's also done out of practical reasons. Strollers and baby carriages are impossible here. The sidewalks are dangerously narrow, so much so that two people often have to jockey for position, with one person stepping off out of courtesy. It's a silent game of eye contact, based on gender and respect. I usually step down for children and the elderly. Most men step down for me.
The plus side to this closeness is that toddlers aren't leashed. Parents of America: Your children are not pets. Do not put them on leashes. Hold their hand. Or carry them. Three, four and five year-olds are walked to Kinder with their parents. They wear mini smocks with their names painted on the chest.
After Kinder schooling is divided into primaria (1-4) secundaria (1-4) and prepa (1-4), elementary, middle and high school. Like many other cities, Guanajuato's population boom translates to an insufficient number of schools. To satisfy the growing demand, secundaria and prepa-aged kids attend classes in two groups, the first from 7am to 1 and the others from 1 to 7pm. Almost all schools require uniforms. Where you're standing in the city determines whether the crowd of kids appears as a navy blue, maroon or brown wave. Girls wear plaid skirts with white knee socks. Boys in dress slacks with collared shirts and v-neck or cardigan sweaters. Many wear warm-up suits personalized with their school’s name - President Benito Juárez 241, 183, etc.
At 1:30 a rush of children pours forth from the schools en rumbo a casa. Many parents accompany them, but equally common is huge packs of chavos walking together. It can be completely overwhelming trying to get anywhere with the congestion; I've found it easier to sit down on benches, wait for the crowd to pass and observe. In gross generalizations, kids (and adults) use much more hair gel than in the United States. Boys can achieve some very aerodynamic styles with mini-Mohawks and stiff spikes. Highlights, luces, are very popular for boys and girls, especially a gray-platinum color. It seems that anyone over the age of 10 is holding a cell phone, using it to play music or games, or giggling with friends over texts messages. It's totally normal for boys jump on the back of passing pickup trucks to catch a ride for a few streets.
While my comprehension continues to get better, it's still very difficult to pick up passing conversations. Therefore the average teenage chatter sounds like "Oye guey blah blah blah blah no manches blah blah blah blah blah Mira! No manches! Chíngale! Pinche cabron guey!"
- Guey is the incorrect spelling of güey, which came from buey (ox) and is always pronounced "way." See Urban dictionary's entries for a better translation, but basically you're either repeatedly calling someone dude, or insulting them in the same ways that guys deprecatingly call their friends bitch or pussy. No manches is the parent-appropriate version of No Mames which is No f'ing way!
- Chingale - from Chingar - Oh the myriad of ways you can use this word, in all its forms. Again, urbandictionary.
- Pinche - a conversation "enhancer"
- Cabron/a - literally a goat. But let's not kid around. ha. ha. ha.
Also, it's a delicious walk home. So many snacks! For just about a dollar!
- A little bag of steamed beans (similar size and texture to edamame) with fresh squeezed lime, salt and salsa - 5 pesos
- Just fried potato chips or French fries with lime, catsup or salsa - 13 pesos
- Sweet breads in all shapes and sizes covered in sugar, butter or both.
- Sugared, chocolate and cream-filled donas (doughnuts) 2-6 pesos
- Cups of freshly cubed or shredded fruits and vegetables (cucumbers, melon, papaya, pineapple, strawberries and carrots) covered in lime and salsa - 15 - 20 pesos
- Fresh squeezed juices (all the above fruit plus grapefruit, orange, pear, parsley, apple)
- Dorilocos! – sort of like nachos in a bag: a snack size bag of Doritos opened on the long side, topped with salsa, pica de gallo, some cubed pork product, peanuts, onions, and cilantro. I'm terrified of this product, but I've been told it's great.
- Lots of other beige fried shapes (some that look like pretzel twists,) cheetos, or cheese puffs covered in salsa.
- Ice creams, agua frescas, tables full of candies...
Yes, the common denominator here is salty, spicy, and sour. Don't forget to brush your teeth! With bottled water, of course.
After the kids go home, eat lunch, maybe take a nap, they will come back downtown. On the steps of Teatro Juarez, en el Jardín Union or on a random bench, couples will have serious make-out sessions whenever possible. Are Mexicans just more passionate? Why is everyone so fond of PDA? I really do not want to give any thought to the Latin Lover stereotype of hot bloodedness. One basic reason? Catholicism. It's kind of a big deal here. Sex before marriage is still really frowned upon. The same word - novio/novia - is used for both boyfriend/girlfriend and fiancé/fiancée. The implication is that the person you date is the person you're going to marry. Boys aren't allowed into girls' rooms because What would the neighbors think? Kids can't make out at home. And the average teenager definitely doesn't get a car at 16. Without anywhere else to go, what should be done in a private, intimate setting is displayed for the entire city to see. Guanajuato being relatively small, your cousin or your neighbor will probably see you. But it doesn't matter. The parents know that it's going on. They just can't let it happen under their roof.
