Visit the rich cultural area of Oaxaca City, Mexico

Details

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  Description

  Right now everything is on hold, for two reasons, the most important being that much of the city of Oaxaca, including that part I live in, is plain running OUT of water, and even getting delivery by truck difficult if not impossible, as the places the water trucks usually fill up are also running dry. AND there is no rains forecast for the foreseeable future. Hopefully though, water WILL be delivered, and I can get back to hosting. If you feel you can be helpful while I live depending on water bought in garafons and bottles from nearby store, you can apply now.
  
  Also, we are now into the hottest part of the year, and please only apply if you are prepared to deal with southern Mexican heat. Rainy season comes in mid-May, which cools everything off considerably.
  
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  Hello, my name is Jay, and I'm a 79 year old long time weaver of Ojos de Dios mandalas, and am well known amongst fellow yarn mandala weavers for introducing the modern version of this ancient art to Mexico and other places around the world. I also founded a popular facebook page devoted to the art. Recently I'm much more focused on oil pastel drawings rather than mandala weaving.
  
  Evan so, I'd consider taking an apprentices to help with both internet teaching, and who wants to learn the weaving techniques themselves. Help with promoting my instructions is a real plus. I had apprentices when I lived in Asheville, North Carolina, who eventually took over my successful etsy shop. Also workawayers who simply want to cook meals and provide companionship are totally welcome to apply.
  
  I have many references from couchsurfers, where I have hosted travelers from 39 different countries, and have received only positive references.
  
  I am a non-smoker, and have zero tolerance for marijuana smoking or other related drugs in my apartment. I drink the occasional beer, but tolerate only limited drinking.
  
  Eating a healthy diet is important to me, and I like to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. My meals are mostly vegetarian, but at times I eat fish or chicken. Actually, the amount of meat I eat fluctuates a lot, so you should have tolerance for my possible meat eating. I can not eat much of heavy starches or refined sugars: potatoes, wheat, white rice etc. Best for me is a high protein and whole grains with non-starchy vegetables. I walk most every day, and also do yoga and other workouts frequently. Sometimes though physical limitations put a serious halt to anything strenuous. Simple companionship is very meaningful to me.
  
  Recently I took in a small black cat that got left behind by a close neighbor who left the area suddenly. I also have been feeding two other cats ..... am not sure how that is going work out, but I am hoping others will adopt them. There are many cute street dogs in the area, but so far I've resisted adopting any of them.
  
  Although i occasionally take in two workawayers, usually I prefer hosting only one at a time.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Elderly Companionship

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Oaxaca is a city and general area extremely rich in arts and culture, both ancient and modern. Also, you can learn from me, through learning the actual weaving of my Ojos de Dios yarn mandalas ..... a creative skill both meditative and delightful to give as gifts and possibly to sell as well.

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  Help

  Fluency in Spanish is greatly desirable, as my own Spanish is minimal, and being able to teach yarn mandala weaving to the Spanish speaking people of the world would be a great help. Also, helping me with learning Spanish would be very helpful. I want to create both recorded and in person online teaching of my mandala weaving skills, so internet skills are also very desirable. General help around the house, especially cooking, would be a great help. Meals here tend to be simple and vegetarian, but at times I eat meat also. Often ready made foods from local vendors are also used, such as tamales or tacos.
  
  There is an opportunity here to learn both weaving of yarn mandalas and marketing them, as well as teaching others. I could use help with finding online students through social media.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I like English/Spanish language exchange.
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  Accommodation

  I live in a very desirable part of Oaxaca City, namely, San Felipe de Agua, which, although now a tony suburb of Oaxaca, still has its own village and corn farming life. I'm smack dab in the middle, across from the town plaza and historical church, with shopping in the same block. It's a 15 minute easy bus ride to El Centro Oaxaca. A fifteen minute walk in the opposite direction takes you through corn fields and into the Sierra Norte mountains.
  
  This is a small apartment, but I sleep in the living room, so the one bedroom is for guests and workawayers. There is one bathroom to share connected to the bedroom. Water is limited, so we must always be very careful in conserving water.

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  What else ...

  Busses run frequently right from the same block as the apartment, and reach El Centro Oaxaca in fifteen minutes. Likely I'll be able to show you some of my favorite sights in the area, both within the city, and nearby villages.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  I have dependable hi-speed internet, and there are many aspects of what I am looking for that can be done online, such as website help, and promoting my teaching mandala weaving online.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Not on the property of my apartment, but there is secure parking on the street right across from my apartment.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  2 or 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, and staying in evenings

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