Mexico Journal: July 3, 2010

Sitting in San Cristóbal de las Casas in a gelateria "nice". I arrived at 8:30 am and Jorge was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he came and left? More likely, he overslept, or thought I was supposed to get in at 7 pm. I'm not worried. I left San Juana at the bus station. If I don't find Jorge after the game, where I left him a message to meet me, I'll call Nacho. I'll wander with my camera, I'll read a book, I'll go watch the Paraguay-España game. Germany is winning which is displeasing. Yesterday Brasil lost a heartbreaking game on an own goal.

I'm not sure why this fête of nationalism is so comforting to me, but I think it is the sense of belonging. He laughs at me, he doesn't believe in football because it, like religion, is the opiate of the masses. I agree, to an extent, but unlike religion it doesn't impose itself on anyone and all the drama is human drama, not otherworldly. Plus, it is a game I understand, and love, and ni hablar de los bombones ;) I believe it is something akin to smoking, without the damage to my lungs. I can sit down and watch, and for a few brief breath-holding moments, I belong.

Yesterday was a strange example of this impromptu community. Elissa and I got some alone time and ended up at Palaloapan, a cantina "familiar" where we were the only two women, save for the waitresses and one woman with her partner. We decided to earn our status as "malas mujeres" (¡divorciadas además!) and drink beers instead of ordering lunch. Luckily the beers came with botana: caldo de camarón, pastel de pescado (croqueta), empanada de cangrejo... Once we had two beers ourselves, our neighboring game-watchers started "inviting" us beers. Later it became a competition among rivals for our attention and we simply accepted, with a smile. After 6 beers. 6! I cut myself off and since the "diet" was already shot to hell, we stopped for a Tepoznieves ice cream before returning home to her place on Moctezuma.

So, here I am, watching Argentina lose 2-0 to Germany at minute 73. No, 3-0. It's over. Shit. Uruguay, Paraguay are our only hope for a Copa latinoamericana...