Feria Internacional del Libro 2009

Es Internacional y es Aqui.

Actually, it wasn't.

Los Angeles, my beloved and hated hometown, was the featured guest this year at the Feria Internacional de Libro here in Guadalajara. It was here for about a week; every type of book, from every country, for every taste, and a huge area just for children. The entire convention center was filled, from poetry, textbooks, childrens books and activites, comics, cookbooks and more. Not only that, but LA was the featured guest. The cultura that makes us, or even more so, our spouses, who are really american, with that mexican flair, be on display for all to admire instead of criticize. The fair began on Monday and my kids' school visited Thursday. I met up with them later in the day, to pull little Moosecake out of class, and take her to find some history on HER special cultura. After dealing with security for a good while, (they had a kids area with strict security, so it was a good thing.)Moosecake and I jetted for the exhibition area which was decked out with a Monte Carlo and a few lowrider bikes..... and there we were disappointed. Two stands, and not as many books as I had expected. I picked up a book and had a question... excited that I might be able to speak english,  but could find no one. Turns out, the Americans had taken off. Yesterday.

I was butt hurt.

Could this be a sign that my allegiance could be changing?Am I more beaner that I thought?

and then I got pissed.

Los Angeles and the United States was the featured guest in the largest book fair in all of Mexico. They had their seminars, their cultura lectures, they were the stars. Stars, indeed. That they only stayed for three days and then left someone else to man their booths. Wtf?

I always hear my hubby talking with his clients. Random things, of course, but somehow the United States comes up quite a bit. Clients portray, like a lot of Mexicans here, a distrust and dislike for America.  And... I always get irritated.

Again, now I can see why. I know this sounds harsh, but isn't this always how it works out? The United States (in general) says  and  promises something and never follows through? Gosh, I still have a little anger at the repeated bullshit and backwards laws with Immigration... but it doesn't stop there. I'm ashamed. The general idea towards Americans is that we're "presumido"... stuck up. snobby. elite. And apparently, too good to hold up our end of the bargain at a freakin' book fair.

I know when I first moved here, I did  might have had a little animosity and frustration trying to get things done. It is difficult to get the ball rolling sometimes. But I don't want to be that person. I don't want to represent the supposed "bad" about the United States. I've met amazing Americans down here with such genuine hearts, that I don't want the general perceptions from Mexico to be constantly harping down on them, their families, or mine.

Argh.

Maybe I'm the only one noticing it.