John Jay Chapters: Gina's Journey

I visited Na’atik and Felipe Carrillo Puerto during my study abroad trip on Indigenous Mayan Culture. The school provided our program a base for cultural exchange with the town and surrounding Mayan communities, and served as a great resource for us to meet locals and other travelers.During our time with Na’atik, we volunteered to help out in some of the English classes, which has been a great experience. The students are so energetic and eager to learn, and the teachers are so patient with the kids. I really like the way that the teachers use games in the classes, as it keeps the kids engaged but helps them to learn fast. Other than being teachers, Na’atik has also allowed us to be students, by providing us Mayan classes. Our teacher, Linda, is wonderfully patient with us, even when pronouncing hard words like k’iin (sun) or p’iit (little). Additionally, since Linda only speaks Spanish and Maya, the classes have also really helped me learn Spanish. Linda also kindly invited us to the Mayan villages Chan Ka, where she teaches, and Uh May, where she lives. I really enjoyed visiting these villages because we could learn a lot about the intersection of contemporary and ancient Mayan culture. Additionally, we were welcomed into homes and churches to learn about Mayan religion, cooking, and life.For our homestay, one of the girls in my program and I were paired with the Tus family. The Tus family is quite large, with anywhere between two to four of the Tus’ grown children popping in and out of the house with their own children, spouses, and in-laws at any given night. Our homestay father, Don José, works next door to the house as an accountant, and our homestay mother, Doña Maria, stays home. The family is perhaps the kindest I’ve ever met. Even though I came knowing a handful of Spanish, they are patient with me and make me feel at home, even when I don’t quite know how to communicate. Additionally, Doña Maria and her oldest daughter prepare the best food for us: salbutes, empanadas, posole, and even Mexican spaghetti with sour cream and queso fresco! The family also really pitches in to help each other around the house. Some afternoons, when we come home, the whole family is doing laundry together in the back yard.Each morning, when we wake up, Don José and Doña Maria sit with us to eat breakfast, and we share stories about where we come from, the area, and our cultures. During these times, the Tus have shared that they love to have homestays, and are constantly hosting students, many of whom return to stay a second or third time. It’s easy to see that they really enjoy having us in the house. They are eager to learn about our culture and values, share laughs, and teach us about their community in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. For example, after our first trip into the jungle to Balam Nah lagoon, Don José told us about little Mayan guardians of the forest and cornfields (milpas), “Aluxes”. Aluxes are small man-like figurines made of clay, supposedly formed by witches. The Aluxes are playful creatures. For example, if a man were to invade a milpa and set up a hammock (hamaca) on the property to take a nap, the Alux would shake the hamacauntil the man was too spooked to sleep and left the milpa. Apparently, no one can take a photo of an Alux, and according to Don José, sometimes when he goes into the forest with his son to cut firewood, an Alux will steal his machete.Overall my involvement with Na’atik and stay in Felipe Carrillo Puerto were extremely positive experiences - I learned so much about culture, language, and even myself. I would definitely return in a heartbeat, and recommend the experience to anyone looking to really get to know Mexican and Mayan culture.This blog is part of a series from the John Jay students who visited Na’atik in January of 2018. They came for two weeks to learn about Maya history and modern Maya culture in Mexico. Be sure to look at the other blogs in the series where they share reflections on their time spent in and around Felipe Carrillo Puerto. You can also find some great pictures of their trip over at our Facebook page.

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.