senor garncarlo goes shopping...twice.

tonight was another trip down to the zocalo because earlier today i was finally going to bite the bullet and buy a pair of over-priced runners to replace the ones i left at home. the last thing i would have seen as i was going out the door.
anyhow...when i got down to the zocalo today i realized i had left my credit card back at the apartment so...no shoes. after i had had my lunch - a very tasty chili relleno torta - i came back here to have a little relax. and, after some pre-studying (i gotta get a jump on this stuff...) and a little nap - i know...super geezer - i walked back down and, after eating some mystery meat tacos with some locals (big smile), i went over to hugo (shoe store) and bought some adidas runners that will do the trick. after i ended my walk today i was some sore - my back mainly. my apartment is at the top of a hill and the sidewalks are very bad so it's kinda like hiking to get back here. plus i always have a bag and stuff with me and i'm old and....so, hopefully these shoes will be better than my other, more hangin' out, dinner casual numbers (my medium/house design wood grain wallabee kinda numbers.) oh, and the altitude is a bit of a killer too. not in a huge way but i am definately feeling it. it's also very dry and i feel that as well in my breathing.
i have to say. today was kinda hard but good. there's nothing quite as humbling as a test. any test. but especially a test to see how much spanish you know and you realize - fuck! i don't know much. at all. i mean i can order food, know numbers well enough to get by and can point pretty well but, after this little test, they better put me in with the sweat hogs. i think it will be good too. i have, in recent years, kinda gone into a social shell and don't like crowds and gatherings and more because they make me uncomfortable and i'm not even sure why. for a long time i had to be that guy - out smoozing, my life in the music/art community as garn the guy on the radio or the guy who wrote a little here and there, etc...and i didn't mind it but now...not so much. i'm not sure when it started but i prefer now to stay home or just be with a few.
anyway....my point is this - i think this trip may be about learning spanish or trying to, but also about getting outside my current comfort zone and doing things i don't like doing - or am scared to do or...whatever. like walking into a small crowd of mexicans tonight, sitting down and basically breaking bread with them. what's the worst thing that can happen, that's what i try and tell myself. i do find it hard, but i'm trying it. and when i have to be in a classroom with X number of other students and have to say something in front of the class...killer, i'll hate it, but i'm gonna have to do it. i guess.
oh...tonight i saw some killer break dancing...no shit. and i forgot my camera. i have seen breaking before but, these kids were awesome - i was transfixed. these crazy one armed hand-stands that went on for a minute or more - you try that. and they weren't just using one arm, they were moving up and down on that arm - jumping if you will - while they balanced there. and flinging themselves around on the pavement. it was pretty good...i hope to see them again and get some shots and maybe some video. (note to self - take your fuckin' camera all the time...)
ok. tomorrow morning i am going to meet a couple of the students - a young guy from baltimore who goes to vassar college and an older woman from i don't know where - and we're gonna walk around a little together. where? i dunno....he's interested in film and was, at one point, going to go to vancouver to take some film courses, and now that he knows i work in film is into, seemingly, hanging out and, hopefully, we can help each other learn a little spanish.

ok.

see you tomorrow.

g. xo

long shot of senor naptime.

i bought this horchata in a small market where i also got some other stuff for the fridge. it was good....

speaking of good...my lunch. a chili relleno torta. with potato salad.

and you know...? i know the baskets and blankets are kinda a dodgy thing but these women make them right in front of you and they're beautiful. i may get one just to pick up my groceries.