Day One: The Empty Streets of the Holidays

All is quiet on New Year's Day.

Today is New Year's Day and the streets here in Guadalajara seem almost impossibly quiet.  Of course, that is also true in the U.S. on major holidays like New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  But I guess the difference is that every day the streets are relatively quiet in U.S. suburbia.  When you return to the U.S. after spending some time in Guadalajara, the first question that comes to mind is, "Where are all the people?"  Mexico seems to always be loud, busy and full of people.  And on a holiday, the difference is striking.  This mainly seems to be due to the streets and sidewalks being so full of workers.  People here have real jobs in the way the Americans only did in the old days.  Here in Mexico, people aren't so often "Assistant Resource Managers" or some white-collar, indescribable management position.  Rather, they are painters or builders or garbage men.  Sure, these jobs still exist in the U.S.  But here they are everywhere...the streets seem to overflow with these professions.  There is always a new building going up, a house being painted or a gasoline truck double-parked.  The streets are also normally full of traffic light workers --- washing windshields, selling gum or flat-out begging.  All the commotion seems to help guard against loneliness.  But today Guadalajara seems a ghost town and a bit lonely at that.