People at home still worried?

Above:  I'm all right, See? I can hug you now, I'm not infected!

Okay, seriously, at this point I can't take swine flu seriously. Except for a few hot dog and tamale vendors, who always wear the masks, no one around me seems worried any more.
There's less cases now than before. Besides which I'm richer than the rest of the population, and thus am less suceptible to complications. In my view, like I've said before,I think the whole class issue gets left out far too often.

I may be the only one here at CEMAL who doesn't have an album on facebook yet of me wearing a "cubrebocas." I wanted to play down the issue. Sure I wore one for a while, but I just felt like a complete asshole wearing one in the Zocalo (main square, I hope to talk more about later) where I stood out as someone who could afford a cubrebocas. The fact is that it's not any more dangerous than normal flu. Just normal handwashing is probably enough.

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You know what? I should see what deals they have at the markets in Taxco on Silver bullets!
Even after sending out my first note one the subject on facebook, a friend wanted me to call to say I was all right. He said I looked pale. And I thought I had put up facebook albums to prove I was still all right! Of course I'm pale compared to some other people here, given that I'm Anglo not meztiso? I mean, sure I stand out when I'm wearing a rasta hat and a long blue skirt (below) but isn't that to be expected?

Seriously, Best. Manaquin. Ever. I actually saw this outside a shop once.
Well, I'd better start jogging before it gets dark. I've got lots more to say, about things that have nothing to do with swine flu. And I've wasted too much of the week sleeping and writing blogs, except for one trip to see some pyramids. Man! There's so much to write about. But also so much to do.
Hasta Luego,
Benja "Benito" Libras

Don't Panic!

Share this anyone who is worried about me and/or about the swine flu.

Yes I am in Mexico. In Cuernavaca, Morelos to be specific, the city of eternal spring (to me more like eternal summer). I have been to Mexico City recently, but not recently enough for that to be a problem.

As far as I know there have been no reported cases in Cuernavaca. A few in the state of Morelos.

Yeah, I was freaking out at the first warnings. Now I just find the people with their surgical masks (cubrebocas) to be funny. Not only that but we here at Augsburg's Center for Global Education have way too many of our surgical masks, for what its worth. Also I've heard that there's more cases in the U.S. right now than here in Mexico.

The fact is THIS IS A NON-FATAL ILLNESS. NORMAL FLU KILLS MORE PEOPLE! People always get scared of new things because they're new.

Please check out this site if you want some real information. If the link doesn't work for you, copy and paste the adress
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090501/putting-swine-flu-in-perspective

Our classes aren't closed because we're all from the U.S., even if we're running out of Mexican guest speakers at times who are willing to come to our classes. Some people are leaving but this'll probably be over as fast as bird flu or West Nile Virus. I'm still staying.

The real issue is that some Mexicans aren't educated enough to wash hands before eating and other such preventative matters, often try to auto-medicate with useless anti-bacterials and don't see doctors soon enough. However, I can assure you that none of the above applies to me or my friends down here, including my Mexican friends. Also I've temporarily suspended my involvement of

One girl here called her friend in Mexico City, who said that he didn't know anyone who actually had it (neither do I) and that it's all a conspiracy by the government. I don't know about the Mexican government, but I think that the U.S. government and media may be trying to distract attention from Osama bin Ladin's death, as announced by Pakistani officials. I heard that in passing here in Mexico. I'm not sure if any of you did. I still believe that it's real, but not really a threat. I may have already had it and gotten over it actually.

Oh, and eating well-cooked pork will not get you sick. I just thought I might add that.

And I might mention my favorite Mexican flu remedy I've heard, this from back when I had, and got over a different strain of flu (or possibly the same one, but unlikely, because it was earlier):
Have someone experienced put alchohol and lime juice (probably some other ingrediants too, I've never actually seen it done), burn it, and then put it out before it actually hits your feet. It's used by Indigenas (as we say here in Mexico, the term "natives" being too ambiguous) from the state of Puebla. I assume it's a solution they figured out after the Spanish destroyed their sweat lodges (which I've seen in the ruins here).