I promised to blog about my little Tijuana adventure, so here it comes...!
So far, most of it has not turned out as I expected, but the most important part, i.e. the opportunity to do some asylum work that excites me, has. Driving across the border, trying to merge into a lane of traffic that three other lanes of traffic were also trying to enter, reinforced my conviction that I did not want to be driving any farther than I had to in Mexico. Then of course -- although the house I am staying at is literally just a few feet from the border wall -- I got lost and had to be rescued by my lovely host Jose and his daughter. (Okay, in all honesty, Google Maps was giving me street names, which weren't posted on the actual streets; so I don't feel quite as idiotic as I might otherwise.)
The drama of the day, for those who don't read my Facebook posts, is that after I arrived, I discovered that in the discombobulation of trying to tie up loose ends, pack, and leave, I managed to pack my computer's power cord and the padded case for it, but not the laptop itself! I was not relishing the prospect of another drive up to Irvine and back again; but fortunately Jose's daughter is in L.A. for the weekend and has offered to pick it up for me on the way back on Sunday. I don't want to hear a single negative word, for a very long time, about today's young adults!!
It turns out that I am not really needed as part of a personal support network for Jose and Erika; he is already recuperating nicely from his surgery, and there really isn't much for me to do about the house. It's actually been more the other way around, as Jose has spent quite a bit of time today getting me acquainted with the places I need to know -- the grocery store, the corner taqueria, etc. I had understood that the place I'm staying was within walking distance of the place I'd be doing most of my work, but in fact it's a bit of a drive on the freeway. We did it this afternoon (I asked Jose to do the driving!) and it isn't bad, but I'm thinking that after my weekend break at home in a couple of weeks, I might just take the train back and possibly stay in a hotel closer to the office. That part of town is actually very pleasant, and the idea of daily walks on the beach appeals to me.
Driving from here to the beach area of Tijuana, where Al Otro Lado has its main offices, made me think a bit of the trip I took to the Middle East a couple of years ago with the Olive Tree Initiative. Much of the route parallels the border wall, long sections of which are covered with murals. The ones on the border wall between Israel and the occupied territories are much more overtly political than most of those I've seen here, but there's one nearby that I want to photograph and post. (Stay tuned!) The border as seen from that stretch of road is an eerie sight: the metal fence, looking a little tired in spite of the bright colors painted on it, then a space of maybe 15 feet (but don't test me on that, because I am terrible at estimating distances) before the American wall towers high and white and uncompromising. And then a vast stretch of dry, rocky land where occasional CBP vans drive slowly through the dust, patrolling. I need to find a spot from which to take a photo, but meanwhile I'll just say it makes me think of Star Wars.
It was lovely to meet Nicole Ramos, with whom I'll be working. She put me right to work contacting sponsors and reading declarations and starting to gather evidence from countries of origin, so I came home with a little stack of things to work on over the weekend. (All of which will be easier when I have my own laptop back in my possession!) The downside, as always, is learning gut-wrenching stories of appalling violence and oppression. The upside is having the opportunity to maybe play a small part in bringing someone to safety and a more peaceful future. That's what I came for!
