Psych 101 – Type B personalities, compared to type A, are more ‘passive’. They tend to have an external locus of control, which means when anything happens to or around them, they’re more likely to consider outside factors (other people, circumstances, and greater powers) more significant than the factors they control (their own actions, motivations, and thoughts). As such, they’re more likely to believe in things like destiny or fate.
You may think (for good reason) there’s no way a type B personality would willingly choose to study medicine, but I’ve always had this instinctive response; when something happens (often good), I think of how the universe must have come together to create such fortunate circumstances. From things as small as a $5 bill found in my pocket when I’m craving ice cream, to my placement in the world at key times in my life, it often seems like the world is looking out for my best interests. So of course that’s where my mind went when my time in Oaxaca was undeniably changed by the release of (and I’m sorry for how ridiculous this is going to sound) by Wizards United, the new Harry Potter mobile game.
Before we get into what exactly changed, let’s take a look at what the game looked like for me when it first came out:
Note: Oaxaca is green but it’s not THIS green.
It was a barren wasteland.
However, in no more than 3 days, Mexico was caught up and the map was full of inns, greenhouses, fortresses, and all the other things that populate this semi-immersive augmented-reality world of magic.
So what’s the big deal? Well, Centro is a part of Oaxaca with incredible sights, but the only way I’ve found to really experience it is to walk through it. But although wandering around here can be exciting the first few times, after a while of living here I’ve found that it’s just not as rewarding to walk up and down every street, many of which look the same, for the sake of seeing the city. But a game that actively encourages (read: outright requires) you to walk gives you an automatic reason to wander those streets: even seeing nothing is still being productive, at least in-game. The placement of the game’s important sites is like a personally designed map of areas of interest in the city, so even the newbiest of visitors (i.e. me) have an idea of where to go.
All this to say that today, with the goal of playing this silly game, I went to some nice places no tourist map would ever tell me to go, talked to some lovely people, and took some good pictures. With that, I would like to introduce you to my new love, the Centro histórico de la ciudada Oaxaca de Juárez:
Nicknamed “the Green Antequera” (not for its plant life but for the green volcanic stone from which many of its buildings are made), Oaxaca city is surrounded by villages called by their original indigenous (Nahuatl) names as well as a Spanish Catholic saint: Santo Tomas Xochimilco, for example. Behind that mountain you see on the right is the site of Monte Albán, the ancient capital of the Zapotec people (more on that later when I visit). All in all, Oaxaca’s history is full of culture and political strife: evident as recently as 2005, when the governor ordered the assassination of 36 leaders and activists and banned protests in the town square.
If you have seen the Paris-era posts, you know how much I’m a sucker for street art
Is this not the SADDEST thing you’ve ever seen?
All made possible by this walk through the city of Oaxaca/world of Harry Potter.
All things considered, doesn’t it seem like a crazy coincidence that during my short stay in Oaxaca, a major app gets released pushing me to just go outside and take in the city sights? Maybe that’s just the type-B in me, but nonetheless I am full of gratitude for the encouragement I’m getting to go live my best life in Mexico.
Chase the Wind, Touch the Sky 