I have been really busy over the last few weeks. Sorry I have lost contact and not posted pictures. I promise there are a lot to come. I hope to get them up by tonight, depending if facebook will let me or not.
Spring Break (Semana Santa) was so much fun. Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful beach and city. We took a bus which took us about 11 hours to get there. Good thing the bus ride was at night. I went with my friends Aleisha, Tish, Lindsay, Amanda, Brandis, Jorge and Luis. (Brandis, Luis and Jorge drove there and stayed in a different hostel). We got there early in the morning and checked into our hostel and got breakfast at a Mexican café. We had an all girl room to ourselves with 3 bunk beds, a bathroom, and lockers. The hostel was really nice. There was a kitchen and tables to eat at. There was a computer, hammocks, and pillows and cushions on the ground to watch TV. Everything was painted really neat with animals and a tropical feel. The staff there was wonderful. They spoke both English and Spanish and they were always willing to help if we needed something. One night they even had a party for everyone staying there which was really nice.
The first day after breakfast we went to the beach. I think my friend Aleisha got sun poisoning that day and Lindsay and I got red. We all fell asleep on the beach for an hour or so which was not good. It was better to sleep because there are a ton of vendors on the beach that try to sell you things and it gets annoying after a while. They were selling ice cream, fish, shrimp, sundresses, sun glasses, banana boat rides, jewelry, and all kinds of things. We ended up heading back to our hostel and laying around then rest of the night since we were all burnt. We made mac’n’cheese for dinner with hot dogs. It tasted so good!
The next day we laid around most of the morning and early afternoon since we were burnt we did not want to go to the beach. We had lunch (grilled cheese and grilled pb&j) and headed to explore the town. Puerto Vallarta is a pretty town and there is always something going on. There were people building things in the sand (I have great pictures of it) and people performing on the streets. There were lots of shops and restaurants. My friend got her nose pierced and I waited outside because I didn’t want to hear her scream when it happened. (I think I was freaking out more that she was!) We later did more exploring and did some shopping and then went out to dinner. After dinner we went back to change and went to explore the night life. There were a lot of cool places to go. We ended up going to a bar that was decorated all in cow things. All the furniture, cups, and outfits had cow print. Then we went to a club that played good music from when I was in high school like Ja Rule and Get Low. We met some people from Canada who were studying there and we had a lot of fun with them. They kept speaking French though so sometimes we had no idea what they were saying. One was from Morocco, another from France and the others from Canada.
They next day we braved the beach again and it was perfect. It was not too hot and it was kind of cloudy so we got a break from the sun. We did the beach the next few days and chilled in our hostel and mad dinner. It was nice having a kitchen because we got to make all the American food we were craving since we have been here. On Tuesday night only Lindsay, Amanda, and I were still in Puerto Vallarta. We decided to go to Senor Frogs since everyone talks about how good it was. We got an appetizer and drinks. All the waiters and waitresses were crazy. They would come up behind you and scare you, scream and dance. One even danced on our table. It was fun because they made if fun to be there. I got to go on stage and be an ‘assistant’ in a contest for the strongest man. I had to lay on their backs as they did pushups. It was really funny and cool to be on stage. We had a great night there, but we ended up spending a lot of money since it is a big tourist place, but it was worth it!
The next day we went to a new beach a few minutes down the road called Playas Gemalas (which is beautiful twin beaches). It was really nice because it was less crowded and there were fewer venders. It was nice to spend out last day on the beach at that beach. The water was bluer there as well, it was so pretty. If I ever go back to Puerto Vallarta I will stay near that beach because it is calmer and then go to Puerto Vallarta at night. Later that evening my friend Lindsay went to get a tattoo. I was really nervous because she wanted to me to go with her so I did. It was not bad at all, I never felt woozy or anything. Maybe my needle fear is over..not! (Don’t worry mom and grandma this does not mean I want a tattoo!) She got a star on her foot and it looks really nice.
We had to check out at 11am and our bus did not leave until 9pm so we spent the day at the Puerto Vallarta Zoo. It was one of the coolest zoos I have ever been too, although it was kind of scary. We bought a bag of food because we could feed the animals. On the bad it told you want to feed what animal. So I got to feed a camel, monkey, ostrich, zebra, giraffe, black bear, flamingo, baboon, and the farm animals. It was neat to feed all of the animals and be so close to them. Although, some of the cages did not look strong enough to hold back some of the animals. For example, the lion was in a chain link fence which made me nervous. The funniest part was they had house cats and raccoons in a cage. I laughed and thought about dad killing the raccoons that get into our garbage and here they were on display at a zoo. At the end we could pay extra to play with a baby tiger (3 or 4 months old) or a baby panther (1 month old). My friends Lindsay and Amanda did it, but I did not. I am not a huge animal rights person but I thought it was wrong the babies were away from their parents and I did not want to pay to play with something that should not be played with. The baby tiger was roaring and crying and I felt so bad for it. So I watched but did not pay to touch them. But overall it was a great zoo and I got a lot of great pictures!
After Puerto Vallarta I went to the Mexico City Airport to pick up Evan and Mom. Once they got off the plane we went to our hotel and went out to dinner. We stayed in Zona Rosa and it was an artsy area and it was beautiful. There was artwork on the streets and fun things to look at. We went to a Mexican restaurant and the first thing we saw when we walked in was a baby goat being cooked. I had never seen that before and thought oh great Mom and Evan are never going to eat Mexican food now. But we had a good dinner. The next day we went to the Basilica of Guadalupe and then to the pyramids in Teotihuacán. The Basilica was beautiful. The churches were elegant and we got to learn the story of Guadalupe and see the poncho that Juan Diego wore. The gardens were beautiful as well. The pyramids were fun and Mom climbed two of them. Evan and I climbed the tallest one together. We had to wait in line for a long time just to climb it but it was worth it. Someone told me it is the 3rd biggest pyramid in the world, not sure if that is true but it was tall.
We headed back to Queretaro and on Sunday we went to the market and then my host mom had a big meal with her family and invited us. So we had Easter dinner with my host family which was delicious. Mom loved the guacamole (I will have to ask my host mom for the recipe). We also went to the movies and saw Bounty Hunter.
We went to San Miguel the next day. It was also my first time there and I really liked it. It was a smaller city but there were a lot of churches to see and it was beautiful. We ate tortas and had a good day walking around and exploring. We did some shopping and headed back to Queretaro. I showed them around the Tec and took them to my internship to meet everyone. We went to the Centro and I showed them around there too. We ate at El Portal and they had some more traditional Mexican food (it is my favorite restaurant in the Centro). We got our picture taken there with sombraros on too!
On Wednesday night we went out the Bernice Quintana for my birthday. Bernice Quintana is a bar here in Queretaro. It is a lot of fun and is decorated with bright colors and the waiters are funny and we all had a great time. It was nice to spend my birthday with my family and friends. The next morning, the day of my birthday, my host mom made us a big breakfast and had a cake for me. It was the first time she has ever made cake. She had candles and sang me happy birthday in English and everything. It was so cute. It was great to have my family and my Mexican family there. We went back to Mexico City and eat at Chili’s because Evan and Mom were sick of Mexican food and we all had burgers and fries. I was happy to eat some American Food too. They flew out the next day and I went back to Queretaro for a combined birthday party with my good friend Marian.
This week I made fudge with my host mom. She wanted to recipe and wanted to make it so we made it together. It was a lot easier to make than I thought and it turned out just like Mom’s. I think that has been one of my only cooking successes of my life. Then yesterday was my friend Marian’s real birthday so we went to her house here and her host mom made us dinner. She made us spaghetti and lasagna. It was delicious and we had so much fun. She has two host brothers who are 14 and 9 and they were so funny and they were so upset when we all left because they wanted to hang out with us. There were the cutest family, I felt like I was in a movie. The boys helped in the kitchen, set the table, and were so polite. The mom made us dinner and knitted at dinner while she waited for her husband to get home. Once he did she made him and herself a plate and they ate together. Then the 14 year old plays guitar and he played while they sang songs after dinner. It was adorable!
Well this weekend I am going on a school trip and hopefully Guadalajara the weekend after. I only have about one month left until I will be home.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Puebla and Guanajuato
Two weekends ago I went to Puebla with four friends, Lindsay, Marian, Mandy, and Amanda. We left Friday afternoon and stayed in a Holiday Inn. It was a business hotel so it was very nice, but we got a good deal online. Our room was huge. It had a mini fridge, a huge shower, big TV, and a big desk. That night we just stayed in and swam in the pool and hot tub. We got into the pool and it was really warm and we were all excited. Then we went into the hot tub and realized the pool water and the hot tub water were the same. The next morning we woke up and headed to downtown Puebla. We explored some on our own and then found a place to have lunch. We has seafood and I ate shrimp with rice and my friends shared octopus that still had the tentacles on it and raw fish called saviche. (Not sure if I spelled that right). They let me try and I loved the raw fish, and the octopus would have been good if it did not have the tentacles. I just could not get over that part. Then we got onto a double-decker bus for a tour of the city. We all sat on the top and got to see all of Puebla which as nice because there was no way we could walk and see everything. We also got to see cool things we wouldn’t have known to go see. We say a fort from when the Mexicans drove out the French on Cinco de Mayo. We saw beautiful churches, fountains, statues, and markets. Once we were done with our tour we went to some of the markets we saw. I bought some gifts for people and a scarf and a painting for myself. We then had dinner and headed back to the hotel to relax for the next day.
We went to a neighbor city on Sunday called Cholula. In Cholula there are 7 pyramids built on top of each other. When the Mexican tribes would conquer one another they would build a pyramid on top of the existing pyramid. We climbed the pyramids and there is a church at the top. It was really amazing and the church was beautifully decorated. After we climbed the pyramids we went to my friend’s sister’s husband’s family’s house. They picked us up at the pyramids and we took a taxi back to their house. When they came to pick us up they all were dressed up and had their nice clothes on. They would not allow us to pay for the taxi, which we fit 9 people in! Lindsay had told us they were poor but I was not prepared for it. When we got to their house it was very small and they had a small farm outside. There were 2 pigs, 2 goats, turkeys, chickens, and dogs. When had to wash our hands outside because they did not have running water. On the inside there was only one room so there were the 2 beds and the kitchen table and 2 couches. The family was the mom her 3 daughters and the one daughter’s son. We all sat at the table and ate lunch. We had a spaghetti with cream, chicken, nopales (which is cactus), and fresh fruit. Later we walked into town to have ice cream and they would not let us pay again. It was probably one of the best experiences I have had yet in Mexico. It was an eye opener to see how people really do live in Mexico and how love is all that really matters in a home. They were all so kind and so happy to have us in their home. My friends and want to send them things but Lindsay is going to talk to her brother in law and see what would be appropriate because we do not want to offend them and we need their address.
The next day we went back to Puebla for the day and explore the city some more. We ate some traditional food from Puebla. I had enchiladas with the mole sauce which is famous in Puebla. It was so good. We then went home. We left Puebla around 7 so my friends and I mostly slept on the bus. It was only a 4 hour bus ride.
Later that week, on St. Patrick’s Day my friends and I went to the Irish Bar to celebrate. It was fun because of the people we went with but the servers and owners were very rude and unwelcoming. That will be the last time we go there. But it was fun to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day since it is not big here in Mexico. No one really wore green at school and I had to explain to my host mom what it was all about.
The next day my Lindsay’s mom flew in so we all took her to the salsa bar. That is the place to take parents when they come. It is a fun way to take them out in a traditional way. So guess where I am going to take my mom and brother =) She had a great time and it was nice meeting and spending time with her mom. The next day we took her to a movie. We saw Shutter Island and it was a great movie. I don’t usually like seeing scary movies in theatres but I made it through. Lindsay had to hold my hand a few times. Later we had appetizers at Chili’s.
Saturday morning my friends Tish, Heather, Gaby, Jasper, Kayla, Liz, Myra and I went to Guanajuato. My friend Gaby is a communications major and they were taking a trip but needed more people to go so we came along with them. When we go there we did a lot of exploring of the city. It is a tourist town and it had a lot of history. We went to a famous place where a rich girl and poor boy fell in love back in the day and they would kiss each other from their balconies. The girl’s dad ended up finding out and killing her but it is a famous story and place to visit. We had a tour guide who was 8 years old named Fernando. He stuck around us all day and was so sweet. We had so much fun with him. We spoiled him and bough him cake and candy and pop. I am sure his parents were happy when they found out. But we also went to the legends museum which explained all the stories of the town. We went to Diego Rivera’s house which was my favorite. It was the house he lived in until he was 6. The first floor was a museum of his house and the top 2 floors were his paintings. He is one of the most famous painters in Mexico so I really enjoyed that. We did some more walking around and then had dinner and headed in for the night.
Sunday we went to the mummy museum which was so cool. They found all kinds of mummies in Mexico, but it is unlike in Egypt where they prepare the bodies and try to mummify them. These mummies mummified on their own. I got to see the smallest mummy in the world which was cool. Some of the mummies had stories about their lives and who they were. It was really interesting but spooky at the same time. There were about 7 rooms full of mummies.
We headed home and now I have this week and then I will be at the beach. I want this week to go by quickly so I can relax in Puerto Vallarta. It is going to be so much fun. My friends and I are going to the store on Friday to buy some food so we can cook some of our lunches and dinners in the hostel. I am hoping to buy some mac’n’cheese and bread for grilled cheese! Yummy! Then Evan and my mom come in less than 2 weeks! I am planning things out now for us to do. I cannot wait!
We went to a neighbor city on Sunday called Cholula. In Cholula there are 7 pyramids built on top of each other. When the Mexican tribes would conquer one another they would build a pyramid on top of the existing pyramid. We climbed the pyramids and there is a church at the top. It was really amazing and the church was beautifully decorated. After we climbed the pyramids we went to my friend’s sister’s husband’s family’s house. They picked us up at the pyramids and we took a taxi back to their house. When they came to pick us up they all were dressed up and had their nice clothes on. They would not allow us to pay for the taxi, which we fit 9 people in! Lindsay had told us they were poor but I was not prepared for it. When we got to their house it was very small and they had a small farm outside. There were 2 pigs, 2 goats, turkeys, chickens, and dogs. When had to wash our hands outside because they did not have running water. On the inside there was only one room so there were the 2 beds and the kitchen table and 2 couches. The family was the mom her 3 daughters and the one daughter’s son. We all sat at the table and ate lunch. We had a spaghetti with cream, chicken, nopales (which is cactus), and fresh fruit. Later we walked into town to have ice cream and they would not let us pay again. It was probably one of the best experiences I have had yet in Mexico. It was an eye opener to see how people really do live in Mexico and how love is all that really matters in a home. They were all so kind and so happy to have us in their home. My friends and want to send them things but Lindsay is going to talk to her brother in law and see what would be appropriate because we do not want to offend them and we need their address.
The next day we went back to Puebla for the day and explore the city some more. We ate some traditional food from Puebla. I had enchiladas with the mole sauce which is famous in Puebla. It was so good. We then went home. We left Puebla around 7 so my friends and I mostly slept on the bus. It was only a 4 hour bus ride.
Later that week, on St. Patrick’s Day my friends and I went to the Irish Bar to celebrate. It was fun because of the people we went with but the servers and owners were very rude and unwelcoming. That will be the last time we go there. But it was fun to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day since it is not big here in Mexico. No one really wore green at school and I had to explain to my host mom what it was all about.
The next day my Lindsay’s mom flew in so we all took her to the salsa bar. That is the place to take parents when they come. It is a fun way to take them out in a traditional way. So guess where I am going to take my mom and brother =) She had a great time and it was nice meeting and spending time with her mom. The next day we took her to a movie. We saw Shutter Island and it was a great movie. I don’t usually like seeing scary movies in theatres but I made it through. Lindsay had to hold my hand a few times. Later we had appetizers at Chili’s.
Saturday morning my friends Tish, Heather, Gaby, Jasper, Kayla, Liz, Myra and I went to Guanajuato. My friend Gaby is a communications major and they were taking a trip but needed more people to go so we came along with them. When we go there we did a lot of exploring of the city. It is a tourist town and it had a lot of history. We went to a famous place where a rich girl and poor boy fell in love back in the day and they would kiss each other from their balconies. The girl’s dad ended up finding out and killing her but it is a famous story and place to visit. We had a tour guide who was 8 years old named Fernando. He stuck around us all day and was so sweet. We had so much fun with him. We spoiled him and bough him cake and candy and pop. I am sure his parents were happy when they found out. But we also went to the legends museum which explained all the stories of the town. We went to Diego Rivera’s house which was my favorite. It was the house he lived in until he was 6. The first floor was a museum of his house and the top 2 floors were his paintings. He is one of the most famous painters in Mexico so I really enjoyed that. We did some more walking around and then had dinner and headed in for the night.
Sunday we went to the mummy museum which was so cool. They found all kinds of mummies in Mexico, but it is unlike in Egypt where they prepare the bodies and try to mummify them. These mummies mummified on their own. I got to see the smallest mummy in the world which was cool. Some of the mummies had stories about their lives and who they were. It was really interesting but spooky at the same time. There were about 7 rooms full of mummies.
We headed home and now I have this week and then I will be at the beach. I want this week to go by quickly so I can relax in Puerto Vallarta. It is going to be so much fun. My friends and I are going to the store on Friday to buy some food so we can cook some of our lunches and dinners in the hostel. I am hoping to buy some mac’n’cheese and bread for grilled cheese! Yummy! Then Evan and my mom come in less than 2 weeks! I am planning things out now for us to do. I cannot wait!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I love Mexico
The past few weekends I have stayed in Queretaro and relaxed. I have done some shopping and going out. I went to the mall for the first time 2 weekends ago. It was nice but I prefer shopping in El Centro. The mall was very expensive and there were not a lot of deals, and I am just like my mom, a bargain shopper. So I ended up not buying anything but it was fun to look around. We ended up eating dinner in the food court. My friends and I wanted to eat Dominos Pizza but our Mexican friend told us we could just get pizza in the food court. So he ordered our pizza and we thought nothing of it. He comes back with a pizza with pepperoni and hotdogs on one side and banana and ham on the other. I was brave and tried it but it was the nastiest pizza I have ever had. The sauce was not marinara it was spicy kind of like salsa. I then just got BK instead. After that we went bowling, but I did not have socks so I could not play. It was fun to watch though; it was my friends first time ever bowling. I laughed the whole time. Later we went to a bar/restaurant and that is where I am going to go for my birthday! There was a live band and it was decorated with bright colors and monkeys. Definitely my kind of place!
The next week I was sick so I went to the doctor. I had a throat infection and took some medicine. The medicine helped but it made me really spacey. I forgot all my things in my locker one day at school. So once I was home I had to go all the way back to pick my things up. It also made me really tired so I slept almost every day after my lunch. That week we went to a restaurant and it is now one of my favorites. The owner’s 13 year old son works there and he is hilarious. His name is Valentino and he calls my friend Tish ‘Cheese’ because she always orders a quesadilla with just cheese. He gets so excited when we come in to visit him. We went again yesterday but he was at the movies with his friends.
Last weekend on Saturday AMI had a sports day for us. We went at 10am and broke into teams for the day. We played soccer, basketball, and volleyball. It was great; I wish we could do it every weekend. I don’t think people were expecting me to be so aggressive so that was funny. My team did not win, but we were pretty good and we had a great time together. After sports day me and 7 of my friends went to my friend from my internship’s house for a dinner party. He invited me over and told me to bring as many friends as I like, he told me to bring 20 but I thought 7 was good. His house was so adorable. His living room was decorated in red and he has beautiful artwork for his walls. I ask if I could move in with him because I loved it. We all ended up having a great time. He made us traditional Mexican food. It was delicious. After we ate we all talked and danced. He has 3 dogs, a mini poodle, a Chihuahua, and a beagle. The beagle just had puppies so I got to hold an 11 day old beagle puppy. It was so cute I wanted to take it home with me. (I told my host mom about them and she asked if they were for sale. She is always talking about buying a dog. I really hope she does! We have a cat already but I would love to have a puppy!) So I now understand why my mom and her work friends hang out even though they are all different ages. My friend Oscar is 37 and he and I get along great. I love going to my internship now because we all get along so well. I got to hear all the office gossip and I feel a part of the business now. We are planning on having another dinner party soon!
This week was an exam week. I hope I did well on my tests. I studied more this time but I am not feeling too confident about either of them. I also had a meeting with my advisor about my internship. I love meeting with her. We talk about my whole experience not just my internship. She is interested in how I am doing and how my study abroad experience is. It is nice having her to talk to and having that support.
This next month is going to fly by. I have a lot of plans to travel with friends. This weekend is a long weekend so 4 friends and I are going to Puebla. My friend’s sister’s husband has family there that we are going to visit and sightsee as well. It is supposed to be beautiful there so I will be sure to take a lot of pictures. The following weekend some friends and I are going to Guanajuato. It is a city close to me and it is supposed to beautiful as well. My host mom keeps asking when I am going to go. She said it is a place I need to see. Then after that is my Spring Break. I am going to Puerto Vallarta with some friends. I am ready for a relaxing week on the beach! Then at the end of that week Mom and Evan are going to be here!!! I am so excited to share my experience with them I cannot wait! I already have a lot of fun things planned. Every time I talk to Evan about it he asks me if we are going to do anything besides eat!
The next week I was sick so I went to the doctor. I had a throat infection and took some medicine. The medicine helped but it made me really spacey. I forgot all my things in my locker one day at school. So once I was home I had to go all the way back to pick my things up. It also made me really tired so I slept almost every day after my lunch. That week we went to a restaurant and it is now one of my favorites. The owner’s 13 year old son works there and he is hilarious. His name is Valentino and he calls my friend Tish ‘Cheese’ because she always orders a quesadilla with just cheese. He gets so excited when we come in to visit him. We went again yesterday but he was at the movies with his friends.
Last weekend on Saturday AMI had a sports day for us. We went at 10am and broke into teams for the day. We played soccer, basketball, and volleyball. It was great; I wish we could do it every weekend. I don’t think people were expecting me to be so aggressive so that was funny. My team did not win, but we were pretty good and we had a great time together. After sports day me and 7 of my friends went to my friend from my internship’s house for a dinner party. He invited me over and told me to bring as many friends as I like, he told me to bring 20 but I thought 7 was good. His house was so adorable. His living room was decorated in red and he has beautiful artwork for his walls. I ask if I could move in with him because I loved it. We all ended up having a great time. He made us traditional Mexican food. It was delicious. After we ate we all talked and danced. He has 3 dogs, a mini poodle, a Chihuahua, and a beagle. The beagle just had puppies so I got to hold an 11 day old beagle puppy. It was so cute I wanted to take it home with me. (I told my host mom about them and she asked if they were for sale. She is always talking about buying a dog. I really hope she does! We have a cat already but I would love to have a puppy!) So I now understand why my mom and her work friends hang out even though they are all different ages. My friend Oscar is 37 and he and I get along great. I love going to my internship now because we all get along so well. I got to hear all the office gossip and I feel a part of the business now. We are planning on having another dinner party soon!
This week was an exam week. I hope I did well on my tests. I studied more this time but I am not feeling too confident about either of them. I also had a meeting with my advisor about my internship. I love meeting with her. We talk about my whole experience not just my internship. She is interested in how I am doing and how my study abroad experience is. It is nice having her to talk to and having that support.
This next month is going to fly by. I have a lot of plans to travel with friends. This weekend is a long weekend so 4 friends and I are going to Puebla. My friend’s sister’s husband has family there that we are going to visit and sightsee as well. It is supposed to be beautiful there so I will be sure to take a lot of pictures. The following weekend some friends and I are going to Guanajuato. It is a city close to me and it is supposed to beautiful as well. My host mom keeps asking when I am going to go. She said it is a place I need to see. Then after that is my Spring Break. I am going to Puerto Vallarta with some friends. I am ready for a relaxing week on the beach! Then at the end of that week Mom and Evan are going to be here!!! I am so excited to share my experience with them I cannot wait! I already have a lot of fun things planned. Every time I talk to Evan about it he asks me if we are going to do anything besides eat!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sorry it has been a while!
Two weekends ago I went to Mexico City and saw the Pyramids at Teotihuacán. They were beautiful and amazing. I could not believe they were built by hand so long ago. They were so intricate and there was meaning behind everything they did. When my mom and brother come we are going to visit again. It has been one of my favorite places to visit so far. There were a lot of people trying to sell things there as well. They made me laugh because they tried to speak English to all of us. They would call out to me, “Hey Lady! Buy something nice for your boyfriend. Almost free!” Almost everyone we passed said that to us.
After the pyramids we had lunch at a restaurant in a hotel nearby. There was a buffet with different types of Mexican food and there was a band that played for us and traditional dancers.
After lunch we hopped back on the bus and went into Mexico City. The bus driver had the heat on and the bus was almost 90 degrees. It was disgusting. All of us were sweaty and cranky when we got off the bus. He must have figured it out when we all walked off the bus angry. My friends told him in Spanish to turn the heat off as well. We went and explored a church, some ruins, and the president’s old house. It was so beautiful. I felt awkward taking pictures in the churches because people were in there praying and preaching. They were magnificent though. Everything was so elaborate and decorated. There was a place outside where there was a hole in the sidewalk and there was glass over it. If you looked down you could see bones and skulls of dead people. I am not sure why it was there but it was creepy and it reminded me a lot of the movie Angles and Demons.
Later that week we went to a Queretaro soccer game. Queretaro’s team name is Gallos which is a chicken. What is with me always having horrible mascots? Chickens, Browns, Indians, Cavs, really though? Anyways, we placed the Pumas which are a really good team. We ended up winning 3-2. It was an intense game but a lot of fun. I felt like I was at a high school football game but times 100! Everyone was so into the game. They went crazy every 2 minutes and they had specific cheers for everything that happened. I loved the intensity of the crowd. They get into it like I get into my sports so I fit right in. I even learned a few cheers. I don’t know how many people watched Disney Channel movies when they were young but if you remember the one with the dance team. They had a coach with red hair and they all spoke Spanish and said ‘Si se puede’ (Yes he/she can). Well the point of this is that is one of the cheers they cheer at the game!
The game was on Wed. and on Thursday I went to the play Aida. My salsa instructors were in the play so a bunch of my friends and I went to support them. I had never heard of the play before and I really enjoyed it. It was in Spanish and I understood the majority of it. I may go to another play this Thursday.
Friday I took the bus home. I hit the button for the bus driver to stop at my stop. He looked at me and continued to go. He took me another five minutes down the road. I was so upset but I was glad I knew where it is was and it was in the afternoon. So frustrated I turn my ipod on and begin walking home. As I am walking a van pulls up next to me. I get nervous and just continue to walk until I hear someone call my name. I look and its my professor of my international business class. She asks if I am walking to the Tec and I told her I was just walking home to my house. She offered me a ride and I told her it was ok. She insisted and she drove me all the way home to my house. On the way home she asked if I have been to San Miguel yet, which is a town about 45 minutes from here. I told her no, but at my internship I translated a brouchre for a residential area in San Miguel called El Secreto. Turns out she owns a house in El Secreto. She then asked who set me up with the internship and I told her Carla, the woman who works in the international office. Ironically enough, my professor is Carla’s godmother. So it’s a small world after all! That is one thing about Mexico I love. People are friendly and would do anything for you. She could have easily drove by me and not even stopped. It was definitely a heartwarming moment and something like that would never happen in the US. I hope I can bring some of that kindness back with me!
Last weekend I went camping in Michoacán. It is a state in Mexico north of Queretaro. We stayed in a large cabin in the middle of the woods. It was on a farm with horses and cows. 27 of us went and here are the stats from the trip:
Quesadillas eaten: 230 pieces
Oranges made juice: 50kg (110 pounds)
Cups used: 200 pieces
Plates used: 275 pieces
Distance driven: 540 kilometers (335 miles)
Hours inside a car: 12 hours
Butterflies dead: 347,236 butterflies
Accidents: 4 accidents
Cars dead: 1 car
Cars wrecked: 1 car
To better explain, the first day we were there we went to see the Monarch butterflies. Every winter they migrate to the same place in Mexico. We drove there and saw them. It was unreal. The trees were orange that is how many there were. They were millions flying around everyone. It was beautiful but I would have much rather watched them behind glass or something. I did not like that they were flying at my face and trying to crawl on me and land in my hair. I am glad I went but it is one of those things I will never do again because I was so afraid of the butterflies.
On our drive back the car in front of us (a car that was in our group) had a fender bender with a van in front of them. There was nothing wrong with the car but a dent in the van. There were 2 women in the van and we drove out of the town and out of traffic to assess the situation. We offered the women 2000 pesos which was way more than enough to fix the dent. They refused and had the owner of the car call his insurance agency. Well in Mexico the insurance agency needs to come to the accident and look for themselves. The agency took over 2 hours to get there. So in the meantime we waited with our friends (the same people traveled in the same car all weekend) and played car games and made up a cheer for our car. We were team snakessssssss. Team snakes went to go get tacos and brought them back for the people in the car that got in an accident. At the taco stand we had tacos and burritos. The cook was so friendly and she loved us and our car cheers. She was interested in where we were from and how our trip was going. Anyways, when we come back with tacos the police and insurance agency are there. The police threatened to take the car away because an American was driving and she did not have her license. So they paid of the cops with 1000 pesos and the insurance agency estimated the damage at 1000 pesos. So in the long run we waited four hours and ended up paying just as much as if the women would have just taken the money in the first place. If anything they go the worst deal because they waited and go less money.
Later that night we went swimming and all hung out. My friend Owen had me laughing so hard that night I could not breathe. I do not think I have ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Our friend video taped him so hopefully it is on facebook soon.
The next day we went to the waterfall. We had to hike about 45 minutes in the woods to get to the waterfall. We had to cross the river two times and the current was strong and since it had rained a lot the water was up to my waist. It was definitely an adventure and a lot of fun. It reminded me of hiking in North Carolina when I was little. When we got back we packed up and headed home.
After my internship on Monday I began walking back to the Tec to catch the bus with a friend to go home. There is a hotel next to my internship and there was a car pulling out. It is a one way street and he was stopped. There was a ton of traffic so I decided to cross in front of him assuming since there was so much traffic he would not pull out. I was wrong. My left foot was in front of his car and he hit the gas. He ended up running over my left foot, hitting both of my knees, and my arm on the rearview mirror. I got so angry I hit his car with my fist. He stopped looked at me and then drove off. I did not fall over and I only have a small bruise on one knee so I am very lucky. I was more in shock that a car ran over my foot than anything else. Luckily Evan picked up the phone and calmed me down after it happened. I am alright though and feel fine. No pain and very minor bruising. But it is always a good story to tell!
After the pyramids we had lunch at a restaurant in a hotel nearby. There was a buffet with different types of Mexican food and there was a band that played for us and traditional dancers.
After lunch we hopped back on the bus and went into Mexico City. The bus driver had the heat on and the bus was almost 90 degrees. It was disgusting. All of us were sweaty and cranky when we got off the bus. He must have figured it out when we all walked off the bus angry. My friends told him in Spanish to turn the heat off as well. We went and explored a church, some ruins, and the president’s old house. It was so beautiful. I felt awkward taking pictures in the churches because people were in there praying and preaching. They were magnificent though. Everything was so elaborate and decorated. There was a place outside where there was a hole in the sidewalk and there was glass over it. If you looked down you could see bones and skulls of dead people. I am not sure why it was there but it was creepy and it reminded me a lot of the movie Angles and Demons.
Later that week we went to a Queretaro soccer game. Queretaro’s team name is Gallos which is a chicken. What is with me always having horrible mascots? Chickens, Browns, Indians, Cavs, really though? Anyways, we placed the Pumas which are a really good team. We ended up winning 3-2. It was an intense game but a lot of fun. I felt like I was at a high school football game but times 100! Everyone was so into the game. They went crazy every 2 minutes and they had specific cheers for everything that happened. I loved the intensity of the crowd. They get into it like I get into my sports so I fit right in. I even learned a few cheers. I don’t know how many people watched Disney Channel movies when they were young but if you remember the one with the dance team. They had a coach with red hair and they all spoke Spanish and said ‘Si se puede’ (Yes he/she can). Well the point of this is that is one of the cheers they cheer at the game!
The game was on Wed. and on Thursday I went to the play Aida. My salsa instructors were in the play so a bunch of my friends and I went to support them. I had never heard of the play before and I really enjoyed it. It was in Spanish and I understood the majority of it. I may go to another play this Thursday.
Friday I took the bus home. I hit the button for the bus driver to stop at my stop. He looked at me and continued to go. He took me another five minutes down the road. I was so upset but I was glad I knew where it is was and it was in the afternoon. So frustrated I turn my ipod on and begin walking home. As I am walking a van pulls up next to me. I get nervous and just continue to walk until I hear someone call my name. I look and its my professor of my international business class. She asks if I am walking to the Tec and I told her I was just walking home to my house. She offered me a ride and I told her it was ok. She insisted and she drove me all the way home to my house. On the way home she asked if I have been to San Miguel yet, which is a town about 45 minutes from here. I told her no, but at my internship I translated a brouchre for a residential area in San Miguel called El Secreto. Turns out she owns a house in El Secreto. She then asked who set me up with the internship and I told her Carla, the woman who works in the international office. Ironically enough, my professor is Carla’s godmother. So it’s a small world after all! That is one thing about Mexico I love. People are friendly and would do anything for you. She could have easily drove by me and not even stopped. It was definitely a heartwarming moment and something like that would never happen in the US. I hope I can bring some of that kindness back with me!
Last weekend I went camping in Michoacán. It is a state in Mexico north of Queretaro. We stayed in a large cabin in the middle of the woods. It was on a farm with horses and cows. 27 of us went and here are the stats from the trip:
Quesadillas eaten: 230 pieces
Oranges made juice: 50kg (110 pounds)
Cups used: 200 pieces
Plates used: 275 pieces
Distance driven: 540 kilometers (335 miles)
Hours inside a car: 12 hours
Butterflies dead: 347,236 butterflies
Accidents: 4 accidents
Cars dead: 1 car
Cars wrecked: 1 car
To better explain, the first day we were there we went to see the Monarch butterflies. Every winter they migrate to the same place in Mexico. We drove there and saw them. It was unreal. The trees were orange that is how many there were. They were millions flying around everyone. It was beautiful but I would have much rather watched them behind glass or something. I did not like that they were flying at my face and trying to crawl on me and land in my hair. I am glad I went but it is one of those things I will never do again because I was so afraid of the butterflies.
On our drive back the car in front of us (a car that was in our group) had a fender bender with a van in front of them. There was nothing wrong with the car but a dent in the van. There were 2 women in the van and we drove out of the town and out of traffic to assess the situation. We offered the women 2000 pesos which was way more than enough to fix the dent. They refused and had the owner of the car call his insurance agency. Well in Mexico the insurance agency needs to come to the accident and look for themselves. The agency took over 2 hours to get there. So in the meantime we waited with our friends (the same people traveled in the same car all weekend) and played car games and made up a cheer for our car. We were team snakessssssss. Team snakes went to go get tacos and brought them back for the people in the car that got in an accident. At the taco stand we had tacos and burritos. The cook was so friendly and she loved us and our car cheers. She was interested in where we were from and how our trip was going. Anyways, when we come back with tacos the police and insurance agency are there. The police threatened to take the car away because an American was driving and she did not have her license. So they paid of the cops with 1000 pesos and the insurance agency estimated the damage at 1000 pesos. So in the long run we waited four hours and ended up paying just as much as if the women would have just taken the money in the first place. If anything they go the worst deal because they waited and go less money.
Later that night we went swimming and all hung out. My friend Owen had me laughing so hard that night I could not breathe. I do not think I have ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Our friend video taped him so hopefully it is on facebook soon.
The next day we went to the waterfall. We had to hike about 45 minutes in the woods to get to the waterfall. We had to cross the river two times and the current was strong and since it had rained a lot the water was up to my waist. It was definitely an adventure and a lot of fun. It reminded me of hiking in North Carolina when I was little. When we got back we packed up and headed home.
After my internship on Monday I began walking back to the Tec to catch the bus with a friend to go home. There is a hotel next to my internship and there was a car pulling out. It is a one way street and he was stopped. There was a ton of traffic so I decided to cross in front of him assuming since there was so much traffic he would not pull out. I was wrong. My left foot was in front of his car and he hit the gas. He ended up running over my left foot, hitting both of my knees, and my arm on the rearview mirror. I got so angry I hit his car with my fist. He stopped looked at me and then drove off. I did not fall over and I only have a small bruise on one knee so I am very lucky. I was more in shock that a car ran over my foot than anything else. Luckily Evan picked up the phone and calmed me down after it happened. I am alright though and feel fine. No pain and very minor bruising. But it is always a good story to tell!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Bullfights, Salsa, Superbowl and More
The rain finally stopped and the weather has been nice. I saw two movies last week. I saw Avatar in 3D and The Book of Eli. They were both great movies. They were in English with Spanish subtitles. I also ate at Chili’s on Friday night and I got chicken fingers. They were so good, I didn’t realized how much I missed them!
On Saturday I went to my first bullfight. It was very interesting. I did not realize how much tradition and style there was to a bullfight. We got there about 2 hours before it began. I have never been to a horse race back in the states but I would assume they have the same atmosphere. There were a lot of people dressed up for the bullfight. I was very out of place in my jeans and tshirt. It is a rich persons sport. They had tents set up with food and things you could buy like hats and paintings. There was live music and people grilling out. It was a fun atmosphere. When we got into the stands it was packed. There were people that walk through the aisles and sell food, just like at a baseball game. There was a band right behind use that would play occasionally. There were 3 matadors, one from Spain, one from France, and one from Mexico. They all killed 2 bulls each. It was a good experience and I would not mind going again. It is easier to watch when the bullfighters do a good job. If they do it right then the bull will not suffer or feel a lot of pain. Also, they give the meat to a family in need.
After the bullfight we left to find a taxi. Since the arena is in the middle of nowhere we had to walk to a hotel to catch a taxi. My friend Bryan is such a negotiator. He asked the police the best way to get there and asked if they could give us a ride, but they said no. We (all 11 of us) were walking through a residential area when a man came out of his house. Bryan went over to ask for directions and the man offered us a ride in his minivan. So we fit 12 people in a minivan. The man was very nice and ended up taking us to I-HOP. He would not take our money at first so we left it on the seat and said thank you. It was crazy but the man was very nice and helpful.
After I-HOP I went home and changed for my friend’s birthday. We went to a salsa club which was so much fun. I got to practice some salsa with friends and we all had a great time. We want to go back again soon.
On Sunday I went to a Mexican flea market. It goes on every Sunday downtown. I bought 3 dvds for less than 5 dollars and sunglasses for about 5. They have a lot of cool things and I am planning on going again in a few weeks!
I went to an Irish Pub with friends to watch the Super Bowl. We had pizza and watched the game on a projection screen. They even had couches for us to sit on, so it was almost like being at home, except for the fact the commercials were different. They were regular Spanish commercials, not the good super bowl ones. If anyone has ones they liked and can find them on youtube please send them to me.
This week is exam week. I have two exams and had my first today and the second is tomorrow. The one today went alright, but it was still hard. At least I now know what to expect and what to study for next time. Tomorrow should go well, I hope.
On Saturday I went to my first bullfight. It was very interesting. I did not realize how much tradition and style there was to a bullfight. We got there about 2 hours before it began. I have never been to a horse race back in the states but I would assume they have the same atmosphere. There were a lot of people dressed up for the bullfight. I was very out of place in my jeans and tshirt. It is a rich persons sport. They had tents set up with food and things you could buy like hats and paintings. There was live music and people grilling out. It was a fun atmosphere. When we got into the stands it was packed. There were people that walk through the aisles and sell food, just like at a baseball game. There was a band right behind use that would play occasionally. There were 3 matadors, one from Spain, one from France, and one from Mexico. They all killed 2 bulls each. It was a good experience and I would not mind going again. It is easier to watch when the bullfighters do a good job. If they do it right then the bull will not suffer or feel a lot of pain. Also, they give the meat to a family in need.
After the bullfight we left to find a taxi. Since the arena is in the middle of nowhere we had to walk to a hotel to catch a taxi. My friend Bryan is such a negotiator. He asked the police the best way to get there and asked if they could give us a ride, but they said no. We (all 11 of us) were walking through a residential area when a man came out of his house. Bryan went over to ask for directions and the man offered us a ride in his minivan. So we fit 12 people in a minivan. The man was very nice and ended up taking us to I-HOP. He would not take our money at first so we left it on the seat and said thank you. It was crazy but the man was very nice and helpful.
After I-HOP I went home and changed for my friend’s birthday. We went to a salsa club which was so much fun. I got to practice some salsa with friends and we all had a great time. We want to go back again soon.
On Sunday I went to a Mexican flea market. It goes on every Sunday downtown. I bought 3 dvds for less than 5 dollars and sunglasses for about 5. They have a lot of cool things and I am planning on going again in a few weeks!
I went to an Irish Pub with friends to watch the Super Bowl. We had pizza and watched the game on a projection screen. They even had couches for us to sit on, so it was almost like being at home, except for the fact the commercials were different. They were regular Spanish commercials, not the good super bowl ones. If anyone has ones they liked and can find them on youtube please send them to me.
This week is exam week. I have two exams and had my first today and the second is tomorrow. The one today went alright, but it was still hard. At least I now know what to expect and what to study for next time. Tomorrow should go well, I hope.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Acapulco and More
Acapulco was a lot of fun. We left on Friday night around midnight and had a 9 hour bus ride. Before the bus ride we all ate tortas. They are a heated up sandwich but they are so good!! I might go to the bus station just to get another one! The bus ride was fine; I slept most of the way if that surprises anyone. When I woke up before we stopped I thought I was in the jungle. There were mountains everywhere. It kind of looked like North Carolina because all the mountains were covered in green plants, except it was more exotic because there were palm trees mixed in. I kept telling my friend to look out for wild animal, but all we saw were cows!
When we arrived and stepped off the bus it was so humid. It was not sunny but very warm. We all (22 of us) took taxis to our hotel and got into our rooms right away. I roomed with 2 girls from CMU, Amanda and Kayla, and Tish who is from North Carolina. We were on the 21st floor so we had an amazing view! (Our hotel at 22 floors so we were almost at the top)There was an amazing pool and a restaurant which I never got to eat at. Then all then went to the beach for the day, and there was a restaurant on the beach that some people bought food from. The owners were very nice and let us use the tables and chairs all day and then for the rest of the weekend. There are many people who walk up and down the beach and try to sell you things. They kept coming up to our tables and chairs wanting us to buy things. They had everything you could ever imagine. I had people who wanted to braid my hair, sell me a bracelet with my name on it, a little girl who sang la cuchracha, tacos, ice cream, beach cover-ups, you name they had it. The worst was an old man had massage oil and would give massages. They are all very pushy and get right up in your face and this old creepy man started rubbing my back and saying “massage, massage.” I ripped his hand off and told him no. I did end up buying some tacos from a vendor (4 tacos for 20 pesos, that is less than 50 cents a taco. They sure beat taco bell!) Then I bought some stuff that was like lemon ice but it was fresher and it was mango. It was delicious! Later that night my friends and I were craving American food so we went to Pizza Hut. It was so good. It definitely hit the spot. I had stuff crust cheese pizza and bread sticks. After dinner we went out dancing for the rest of the night which was a lot of fun. We got to dance a lot of salsa so I got some practice in. After we went out for tacos at a small restaurant by our hotel, again they were so good. (30 pesos for 5 tacos, which again is about 50 cents per taco!)
The next day we slept in and then went to the beach again for the day. Some people went jet skiing and parasailing. I just jumped off of the rocks and swam. We then ate McDonalds for dinner (yum!) and went to the restaurant/bar we went to during the day. They had a campfire for us and music. It was fun except there was a chicken that kept pooping on people. The owners told us not to worry because they were just going to kill it tomorrow. We were all freaked out!
The next day we had to check out so a few friends and I decided to check out the town instead of getting all sandy and not being able to shower before the bus. We went shopping and bought things at the local shops. They were just like the people on the beach. They were all very pushy wanting you to buy things and wanting to spend your money. They would try to charge you outrageous prices for everything too. You had to barter with them which was fun but did not always work. I only bought a bracelet from a store without a pushy salesman. We then had lunch at Subway and for dinner we had tacos again from the same restaurant. They were so delicious. I am craving them again!
When we were shopping we stopped at the mail to cool off and walk around in air conditioning. My friend Tish sat in a massage chair and we decided to leave and get dinner. We were about to exit the mall when she realized she did not have her wallet. She went back to check for it and could not find it. We talked to the security guards and thank goodness one found it. She had left it in the chair and luckily enough it was found by a security guard. So that was a relief.
We sadly left Acapulco at 9pm and did not arrive back home until 6:30am. I was so tired on Tuesday but it was so worth it. I just wish I was back there because all it has done this week is rain. Its only in the 50s and it won’t stop raining. Since it does not rain a lot here there is not a good draining system so a lot of the streets are flooded. My host mom has driven me to school the past 2 days because it has been raining so hard and the water is so deep in places. I took the bus home and I have to walk a little after to get home. On Wednesday I came home soaking wet because the cars would speed through puddles and splash me. I felt like I was in a movie. It was pretty funny though. Luckily that did not happen today though!
I have found out this week why I am horrible at salsa. I do not like not being in control or no knowing what is coming next. Since the guy leads I am always tense and I think too much. My partner always tells me to relax my arms. He laughs at me a lot and I am pretty sure he knows no English. I felt bad because last class I think I stepped on his feet 100 times and elbowed him once. Yes, I am not graceful either. I now understand why my parents never put me in dance. Thank you for saving me the embarrassment and keeping me in soccer.
My host mom now calls me here Hija. That means daughter in Spanish. She had her grandson Marco over again today. He is sick so he stayed home from school. He is a lot of fun and helps me a lot with my Spanish! Although he did throw up in the living room today and I almost did too. I felt so bad because he was sick but felt bad because my host mom would not let me help her clean up.
I went to the movies last night. I saw Avatar in 3D with some friends. It is a great movie and if you have not seen it yet you need to go! NOW! But the movies here are really cheap. I went at 9:30 and it was less than 7 dollars!!
I might be going to a bull fight this weekend and watching the super bowl with some friends. A hopefully relaxing weekend!
When we arrived and stepped off the bus it was so humid. It was not sunny but very warm. We all (22 of us) took taxis to our hotel and got into our rooms right away. I roomed with 2 girls from CMU, Amanda and Kayla, and Tish who is from North Carolina. We were on the 21st floor so we had an amazing view! (Our hotel at 22 floors so we were almost at the top)There was an amazing pool and a restaurant which I never got to eat at. Then all then went to the beach for the day, and there was a restaurant on the beach that some people bought food from. The owners were very nice and let us use the tables and chairs all day and then for the rest of the weekend. There are many people who walk up and down the beach and try to sell you things. They kept coming up to our tables and chairs wanting us to buy things. They had everything you could ever imagine. I had people who wanted to braid my hair, sell me a bracelet with my name on it, a little girl who sang la cuchracha, tacos, ice cream, beach cover-ups, you name they had it. The worst was an old man had massage oil and would give massages. They are all very pushy and get right up in your face and this old creepy man started rubbing my back and saying “massage, massage.” I ripped his hand off and told him no. I did end up buying some tacos from a vendor (4 tacos for 20 pesos, that is less than 50 cents a taco. They sure beat taco bell!) Then I bought some stuff that was like lemon ice but it was fresher and it was mango. It was delicious! Later that night my friends and I were craving American food so we went to Pizza Hut. It was so good. It definitely hit the spot. I had stuff crust cheese pizza and bread sticks. After dinner we went out dancing for the rest of the night which was a lot of fun. We got to dance a lot of salsa so I got some practice in. After we went out for tacos at a small restaurant by our hotel, again they were so good. (30 pesos for 5 tacos, which again is about 50 cents per taco!)
The next day we slept in and then went to the beach again for the day. Some people went jet skiing and parasailing. I just jumped off of the rocks and swam. We then ate McDonalds for dinner (yum!) and went to the restaurant/bar we went to during the day. They had a campfire for us and music. It was fun except there was a chicken that kept pooping on people. The owners told us not to worry because they were just going to kill it tomorrow. We were all freaked out!
The next day we had to check out so a few friends and I decided to check out the town instead of getting all sandy and not being able to shower before the bus. We went shopping and bought things at the local shops. They were just like the people on the beach. They were all very pushy wanting you to buy things and wanting to spend your money. They would try to charge you outrageous prices for everything too. You had to barter with them which was fun but did not always work. I only bought a bracelet from a store without a pushy salesman. We then had lunch at Subway and for dinner we had tacos again from the same restaurant. They were so delicious. I am craving them again!
When we were shopping we stopped at the mail to cool off and walk around in air conditioning. My friend Tish sat in a massage chair and we decided to leave and get dinner. We were about to exit the mall when she realized she did not have her wallet. She went back to check for it and could not find it. We talked to the security guards and thank goodness one found it. She had left it in the chair and luckily enough it was found by a security guard. So that was a relief.
We sadly left Acapulco at 9pm and did not arrive back home until 6:30am. I was so tired on Tuesday but it was so worth it. I just wish I was back there because all it has done this week is rain. Its only in the 50s and it won’t stop raining. Since it does not rain a lot here there is not a good draining system so a lot of the streets are flooded. My host mom has driven me to school the past 2 days because it has been raining so hard and the water is so deep in places. I took the bus home and I have to walk a little after to get home. On Wednesday I came home soaking wet because the cars would speed through puddles and splash me. I felt like I was in a movie. It was pretty funny though. Luckily that did not happen today though!
I have found out this week why I am horrible at salsa. I do not like not being in control or no knowing what is coming next. Since the guy leads I am always tense and I think too much. My partner always tells me to relax my arms. He laughs at me a lot and I am pretty sure he knows no English. I felt bad because last class I think I stepped on his feet 100 times and elbowed him once. Yes, I am not graceful either. I now understand why my parents never put me in dance. Thank you for saving me the embarrassment and keeping me in soccer.
My host mom now calls me here Hija. That means daughter in Spanish. She had her grandson Marco over again today. He is sick so he stayed home from school. He is a lot of fun and helps me a lot with my Spanish! Although he did throw up in the living room today and I almost did too. I felt so bad because he was sick but felt bad because my host mom would not let me help her clean up.
I went to the movies last night. I saw Avatar in 3D with some friends. It is a great movie and if you have not seen it yet you need to go! NOW! But the movies here are really cheap. I went at 9:30 and it was less than 7 dollars!!
I might be going to a bull fight this weekend and watching the super bowl with some friends. A hopefully relaxing weekend!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Camping at La Pena de Bernal
I got to go camping this weekend at La Pena de Bernal. It is located in the state of Queretaro and the largest monolith in Mexico. It was about an hour away from my city and I went with the AMI group and there were about 30-40 of us that went.
We first arrived at a farm about 20 minutes away from La Pena de Bernal. We set up tents and started a fire. We walked across the street to get some snacks at the gas station. Everyone hung out around the fire singing songs from their country and playing games until about midnight. Because I am the smallest person there (I am sure that doesn’t surprise anyone) I got stuck in this small tent with 2 other people. It was one of those little kid tents, so what I am trying to say was fitting 3 people in there was not easy. Some of us head to bed a midnight, well the people that were still up left the music on which was super loud. To make it worse I had a cold so it was hard to breath. So here I am smooched in a tent, on the hard ground, not able to breathe, let alone sleep. I sleep in 30 minute increments and I hear my one friend whimper every time I wake up. I think it is just something she does in her sleep so I think nothing of it. (This is her first time camping and she is not an outdoors person. You had the option to sleep inside but I made her stay with me). 3am rolls around she gets up and leaves and says she cannot take it anymore she is going inside (music is still blasting outside). She comes back 10 minutes later almost in tears because the door is locked and she cannot get in. So we begin yelling at the boys around the fire with music to stop and we start laughing because at this point that is all we can do. (Meanwhile, our other friend just stays asleep!!) The boys around the fire think it is funny and start banging on our tent and singing at the top of their lungs to us. They finally stop and go to bed around 4:30am. We were just about to fall asleep and then an obviously blind rooster begins to make noise at 4:50am. Then when he was done the cows started mooing. I finally fell asleep and woke up around 7:30am and needed to use the bathroom. The door was still locked so my friend (the one who was camping for the first time) and I had to use a cactus instead. We went back to sleep until 9 when we got woken up by our friends staring in our tent laughing at us and saying “Oh my gosh everyone look, they fit three people in there!” So of course we were like animals at the zoo and everyone came to look at us. When we got out of our tent we realized none of the animals were fenced in. So in reality we could have also been run over by a cow in our sleep. Now that I look back on it, it was hilarious, but at the time we were miserable.
We then drove the La Pena de Bernal. It was so beautiful. We got to climb almost to the top. When I say climb, I mean climb. There was no trail and no railings. You just tried to pick the best way to get there. Once at the top the view was amazing! It was really windy as well. There was even a little church type building in the side of the mountain and it was filled with photos of people who have fallen off the mountain and died. It was a near death experience but definitely worth it!
Later, we explored the city and had lunch. I had two gorditas and a bottle of water and paid about $2 for it. It was delicious. We went shopping in the small stores as well. I bought a few things which I will not disclose because some are presents for you wonderful people back home. But, I bought myself a little framed painting of the monolith. It also was only about $2. I want to go back just to do more shopping. They have great stores and authentic things for cheap!!
We got home around 6pm on Sunday and I was exhausted. I ended up getting a bad cold. I believe it was from the lack of sleep and it being 80 during the day and 50 at night. The next day I woke up and went to my internship. Before, I went to the store to buy cough drops, medicine, and tissues to help me make it through. It was a great day at the internship. My one boss came and talked to me all about my trip and what I am doing next weekend and what other places I should travel. The secretary is a younger girl and she gave me the newspaper because there was a picture of me in it. She told me it was a present from the office. Don’t worry Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa, I saved it and will show it to you when I get home!
After my internship I came home and my host mom knew right away I was not feeling well. She was wonderful. She made me tea and honey, offered to take me to the doctor, gave me some medicine, and told me if I could not sleep to wake her up. So today I am feeling much better. I did not go to spinning at 7am but I will tomorrow.
My salsa class is getting a lot better. Last Friday we got partners and I struggled. I was so bad my partner sat down haha. It was kind of embarrassing. However, today was much better and I am finally getting the hang of it. We are learning turns and a lot of other things. I am really enjoying it.
This weekend I am headed to Acapulco with 20 other international students. We are taking a 9 hour bus ride on Friday night and returning early Tuesday morning. (We don’t have class on Monday!!) So I am excited and getting ready for that. I miss everyone at home and love you!
We first arrived at a farm about 20 minutes away from La Pena de Bernal. We set up tents and started a fire. We walked across the street to get some snacks at the gas station. Everyone hung out around the fire singing songs from their country and playing games until about midnight. Because I am the smallest person there (I am sure that doesn’t surprise anyone) I got stuck in this small tent with 2 other people. It was one of those little kid tents, so what I am trying to say was fitting 3 people in there was not easy. Some of us head to bed a midnight, well the people that were still up left the music on which was super loud. To make it worse I had a cold so it was hard to breath. So here I am smooched in a tent, on the hard ground, not able to breathe, let alone sleep. I sleep in 30 minute increments and I hear my one friend whimper every time I wake up. I think it is just something she does in her sleep so I think nothing of it. (This is her first time camping and she is not an outdoors person. You had the option to sleep inside but I made her stay with me). 3am rolls around she gets up and leaves and says she cannot take it anymore she is going inside (music is still blasting outside). She comes back 10 minutes later almost in tears because the door is locked and she cannot get in. So we begin yelling at the boys around the fire with music to stop and we start laughing because at this point that is all we can do. (Meanwhile, our other friend just stays asleep!!) The boys around the fire think it is funny and start banging on our tent and singing at the top of their lungs to us. They finally stop and go to bed around 4:30am. We were just about to fall asleep and then an obviously blind rooster begins to make noise at 4:50am. Then when he was done the cows started mooing. I finally fell asleep and woke up around 7:30am and needed to use the bathroom. The door was still locked so my friend (the one who was camping for the first time) and I had to use a cactus instead. We went back to sleep until 9 when we got woken up by our friends staring in our tent laughing at us and saying “Oh my gosh everyone look, they fit three people in there!” So of course we were like animals at the zoo and everyone came to look at us. When we got out of our tent we realized none of the animals were fenced in. So in reality we could have also been run over by a cow in our sleep. Now that I look back on it, it was hilarious, but at the time we were miserable.
We then drove the La Pena de Bernal. It was so beautiful. We got to climb almost to the top. When I say climb, I mean climb. There was no trail and no railings. You just tried to pick the best way to get there. Once at the top the view was amazing! It was really windy as well. There was even a little church type building in the side of the mountain and it was filled with photos of people who have fallen off the mountain and died. It was a near death experience but definitely worth it!
Later, we explored the city and had lunch. I had two gorditas and a bottle of water and paid about $2 for it. It was delicious. We went shopping in the small stores as well. I bought a few things which I will not disclose because some are presents for you wonderful people back home. But, I bought myself a little framed painting of the monolith. It also was only about $2. I want to go back just to do more shopping. They have great stores and authentic things for cheap!!
We got home around 6pm on Sunday and I was exhausted. I ended up getting a bad cold. I believe it was from the lack of sleep and it being 80 during the day and 50 at night. The next day I woke up and went to my internship. Before, I went to the store to buy cough drops, medicine, and tissues to help me make it through. It was a great day at the internship. My one boss came and talked to me all about my trip and what I am doing next weekend and what other places I should travel. The secretary is a younger girl and she gave me the newspaper because there was a picture of me in it. She told me it was a present from the office. Don’t worry Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa, I saved it and will show it to you when I get home!
After my internship I came home and my host mom knew right away I was not feeling well. She was wonderful. She made me tea and honey, offered to take me to the doctor, gave me some medicine, and told me if I could not sleep to wake her up. So today I am feeling much better. I did not go to spinning at 7am but I will tomorrow.
My salsa class is getting a lot better. Last Friday we got partners and I struggled. I was so bad my partner sat down haha. It was kind of embarrassing. However, today was much better and I am finally getting the hang of it. We are learning turns and a lot of other things. I am really enjoying it.
This weekend I am headed to Acapulco with 20 other international students. We are taking a 9 hour bus ride on Friday night and returning early Tuesday morning. (We don’t have class on Monday!!) So I am excited and getting ready for that. I miss everyone at home and love you!
Monday, January 18, 2010
First Week of Classes
Sorry I have been falling behind on my blog and posting pictures. Today is my catch up day because I don’t have class or my internship today which is nice. I have been able to get some homework done and catch up with friends and family.
Well last week was a pretty great week. I started classes and my internship. I am taking International Marketing, Businesses and Companies of the World, and my internship. This week my spinning class and salsa class start which I am really excited for. My International Marketing class was really hard the first day. I did not understand the professor well because she spoke very fast and about companies in Mexico which I did not know about or what they even were. There were 4 international students in that class and now only 2. There is me and another girl who is from Colombia, so I am the only non native speaker in that class. However, I talked to my advisor and emailed the teacher and on Friday it was much better. It is comforting knowing that my advisor is willing to help. She said if I needed anymore help with the class just to stop by her office. She is also the person who set me up with my internship. Last Monday I had my interview. She came with me and she set up times I could work. It turns out the man I interviewed with was her husband. He owns a law firm and they want me to work on their marketing strategy. On Thursday I went to the law firm, Gabinete Corporativo (the website is http://gabinetecorporativo.com if you want to check it out), and I helped translate the brochure. I also was supposed to look at their website and find areas to improve. Tomorrow I am going to the marketing firm that markets Gabinete Corporativo to work with them on various projects. I loved working at the law firm so hopefully I will enjoy working at the marketing firm as well. My professor for my Businesses and Companies of the World class is wonderful. She had everyone in the class introduce themselves and there are about 7-10 international students in that class. She split us into groups so none of the international students were together and she made it clear she was happy to have us in class because we bring different prospective. I really enjoyed that class except it is 3 hours long. I hope I can sit for that long; she let us out early last week.
On Friday at the Tec they had a lunch for all the international students. It was so much fun. They had the whole room decorated. There was a buffet of Mexican food so of course I tried it all and it was delicious. After we had dessert (fruit again, no chocolate), but it was good. Then a mariachi band came in and no one was expecting it. They were really good and I have pictures and video of that too. The best part was one of the band members that was singing came off stage and would serenade people and he did to my friend Tish first. Our whole table was laughing!
This weekend I spent a lot of time downtown. On Saturday 3 of my friends and I went downtown to do some shopping and exploring. Well I ran into a friend I had made at the Tec named Carlos. He showed us around and explained some of the historical things to us. He took us to a street where there was a man painting. He sets up in front of a fountain on a side street and does painting with spray paint. There is a huge crowd that watches him and everyone claps when he is finished. His paintings are beautiful and they are only 50 pesos which is less than 5 dollars. I am planning on buying one before I leave. Then we explored some more and on another street there was another crowd of people. Next to another fountain there were 2 guys break dancing and when they were done there were clowns that put one a show. Downtown is so interesting at night. There is always something to do and shows to see or music. There are a bunch of plazas that have flowers and fountains and lights. Everyone just sits on benches and hangs out there. On Sunday I went downtown again for some shopping and exploring. This time there were 8 of us. There was some traditional dancing on a side street again which was very interesting. There was a drummer and the dancers had on tons of body paint. I have pictures and videos to post soon so everyone can understand what it was like. Later we saw the painter again and went to a restaurant for dinner. I had quesadillas with cheese, salsa, and guacamole. They were delicious. Those and my coke cost me less than 5 dollars! We also danced some salsa at the restaurant which was fun! Good thing I am taking classes because I am not so good! So it was a very fun weekend!
I walk to school now instead of taking the bus. I didn’t like how everyone on the bus stared at me. It takes me about 40ish minutes to walk to school but I really enjoy it. It has been really nice the past few days. It gives me time to relax and clear my head before class. Occasionally I will take the bus if it is raining or dark out.
Next weekend I am going to Pena de Bernal. It is the largest monolith in Queretaro or in Mexico. I cannot remember but I will know more after I visit! We do not have classes on Feb. 1st so my friends and I are planning a weekend trip to Acapulco. Hopefully I do not have to go to my internship on that Monday so I can go on the trip!
Well last week was a pretty great week. I started classes and my internship. I am taking International Marketing, Businesses and Companies of the World, and my internship. This week my spinning class and salsa class start which I am really excited for. My International Marketing class was really hard the first day. I did not understand the professor well because she spoke very fast and about companies in Mexico which I did not know about or what they even were. There were 4 international students in that class and now only 2. There is me and another girl who is from Colombia, so I am the only non native speaker in that class. However, I talked to my advisor and emailed the teacher and on Friday it was much better. It is comforting knowing that my advisor is willing to help. She said if I needed anymore help with the class just to stop by her office. She is also the person who set me up with my internship. Last Monday I had my interview. She came with me and she set up times I could work. It turns out the man I interviewed with was her husband. He owns a law firm and they want me to work on their marketing strategy. On Thursday I went to the law firm, Gabinete Corporativo (the website is http://gabinetecorporativo.com if you want to check it out), and I helped translate the brochure. I also was supposed to look at their website and find areas to improve. Tomorrow I am going to the marketing firm that markets Gabinete Corporativo to work with them on various projects. I loved working at the law firm so hopefully I will enjoy working at the marketing firm as well. My professor for my Businesses and Companies of the World class is wonderful. She had everyone in the class introduce themselves and there are about 7-10 international students in that class. She split us into groups so none of the international students were together and she made it clear she was happy to have us in class because we bring different prospective. I really enjoyed that class except it is 3 hours long. I hope I can sit for that long; she let us out early last week.
On Friday at the Tec they had a lunch for all the international students. It was so much fun. They had the whole room decorated. There was a buffet of Mexican food so of course I tried it all and it was delicious. After we had dessert (fruit again, no chocolate), but it was good. Then a mariachi band came in and no one was expecting it. They were really good and I have pictures and video of that too. The best part was one of the band members that was singing came off stage and would serenade people and he did to my friend Tish first. Our whole table was laughing!
This weekend I spent a lot of time downtown. On Saturday 3 of my friends and I went downtown to do some shopping and exploring. Well I ran into a friend I had made at the Tec named Carlos. He showed us around and explained some of the historical things to us. He took us to a street where there was a man painting. He sets up in front of a fountain on a side street and does painting with spray paint. There is a huge crowd that watches him and everyone claps when he is finished. His paintings are beautiful and they are only 50 pesos which is less than 5 dollars. I am planning on buying one before I leave. Then we explored some more and on another street there was another crowd of people. Next to another fountain there were 2 guys break dancing and when they were done there were clowns that put one a show. Downtown is so interesting at night. There is always something to do and shows to see or music. There are a bunch of plazas that have flowers and fountains and lights. Everyone just sits on benches and hangs out there. On Sunday I went downtown again for some shopping and exploring. This time there were 8 of us. There was some traditional dancing on a side street again which was very interesting. There was a drummer and the dancers had on tons of body paint. I have pictures and videos to post soon so everyone can understand what it was like. Later we saw the painter again and went to a restaurant for dinner. I had quesadillas with cheese, salsa, and guacamole. They were delicious. Those and my coke cost me less than 5 dollars! We also danced some salsa at the restaurant which was fun! Good thing I am taking classes because I am not so good! So it was a very fun weekend!
I walk to school now instead of taking the bus. I didn’t like how everyone on the bus stared at me. It takes me about 40ish minutes to walk to school but I really enjoy it. It has been really nice the past few days. It gives me time to relax and clear my head before class. Occasionally I will take the bus if it is raining or dark out.
Next weekend I am going to Pena de Bernal. It is the largest monolith in Queretaro or in Mexico. I cannot remember but I will know more after I visit! We do not have classes on Feb. 1st so my friends and I are planning a weekend trip to Acapulco. Hopefully I do not have to go to my internship on that Monday so I can go on the trip!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Things to know
It has been a week since I have been here and there are a few things I wish I would have known before coming here:
1. Bring warm clothes! It was been nice during the day. Usually in the upper 50s and lower 60s but at night it can get as low as 35 degrees. Yeah, I know that sounds wonderful especially to those who have 0 degree weather and snow, but when you are expecting 70s and 80s it is cold. Also, my house has no heat or air conditioning and it is very open. So when it is 35 degrees outside, it is 35 degrees in my house. They say it should only be colder for another month. Looks like I need to go shopping for some warmer clothes.
2. The bathrooms here are completely different. After I got off the bus in Queretaro I went to use the restroom. There was a gate on it and a coin machine. You had to pay to use the bathroom!!! Sure, it was only like .40-.30 cents but still. I refused to pay. Then I went to the mall the other day and you had to pay for toilet paper! Thanks to Grandma Pat I had some pocket tissues! Another thing with toilet paper, you don’t flush it down. You just throw it away. So yes, very interesting.
3. The way people drive is crazy. There are very few stop signs and traffic lights so people drive very fast and switch lanes without looking. There are a lot of speed bumps, so you will be going fast and then they will slam on their breaks for the speed bumps. I guess they are an alternative to stop signs. If you are a pedestrian Watch Out! The fly around turns and will not stop for you. Much different from CMU where pedestrians have the right away and we just walk in front of cars.
4. You don’t always know what you are eating. Usually for lunch my host mom makes me rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and tortillas. The first day she made me chicken. The last few days we have had meat as well but I was unsure what it was. It didn’t taste like chicken, beef or pork. It tasted somewhat familiar so I ate it. As I got to thinking, I am pretty sure I have been eating sheep. I refuse to ask though because I don’t want to know.
5. When you meet people they kiss you. I had my internship interview today (it was not like a normal interview. The director of International Students, Carla, went with me and just set up times I could work at the law firm. It turned out the lawyer was her husband. I will intern there Mondays and Thursdays helping them improve their marketing strategies). Anyways, as I met people at the office they all shook my hand and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. I was definitely not prepared for that. Especially when the first person was an old man!
6. A mall is not like a mall in the US. I went to the mall this weekend with my friends Tish and Jasper. (There are international students as well. Tish is from North Carolina and Jasper is from Columbus, OH and goes to college at Allegany). The mall was packed with people. The stores are smaller so it was very hard to look around. All the sizes are different and I was unsure what to try on. There was only one department store and it was crowed as well. I went to try on a pair of jeans and waited in line for over 10 mins and only one person before had gotten a dressing room. I ended up just getting out of line. The only similar thing at the mall was the food court. There were many different food options including traditional Mexican food, Chinese food, pizza and more.
7. Cut your own Rosca. Rosca is sweet traditional Mexican dessert bread served on January 6th every year. I believe it is the day of the 3 Kings. Rosca is shaped in an oval and has many different toppings. There are small plastic babies inside the Rosca to represent the children that were killed. If you cut a piece and get a baby you must buy your family food. Well at the orientation with your family I tried to be polite and cut a piece for myself and my host mom. Well I cut her piece and there was a baby!! We laughed but a lady looked and me and said somewhat mean, “That’s why you cut your own Rosca.” Well we had Rosca at my house as well and sure enough, I got the baby!
8. Frogs are good luck. There are vendors everywhere, even in the super markets. They all had tons on miniature figurines of frogs. Apparently they are supposed to bring you good luck. I bought one right away after hearing that!
9. Some streets are cobblestone. The neighborhood I live in has cobblestone streets. Therefore when we drive it shakes the whole car. Also when I walked to the bus stop today I tripped about 10-20 times in my heels. They take some getting used to but hopefully I will get the hang of it!
10. They don’t eat chocolate. Well there was chocolate topping on some of the Rosca. They have hot chocolate, but it isn’t the same. It is very different and tastes way less sweet. I bought chips ahoy cookies out the vending machine the other day because I needed a chocolate fix. I even had a dream last night about chocolate cookies!! I know I am a chocoholic!
11. You will never go hungry! Every time I come downstairs or come home she asks if I want something to eat. I usually respond with a no thanks. She asks me again 5 minutes later, persuades me to eat something, or just makes something and gives it to me. For example tonight I came home from shopping and she asked if I would like something to eat. I said yes please but only something small. She gave me this dessert she made which is like lemon pie (it's hard to explain) coffee. It was a good amount and then she asked if I wanted more. I said no thanks and she made me a quesadilla. Then she asked if I would like another and I said no thank you I am full and she laughed and said no and put another on my plate. I am going to weigh 500 pounds after this trip. Thank goodness I am taking a spinning class!
12. The dog next store barks at everything. There is a German Sheppard that lives next door to us. He really enjoys barking at all hours of the night and early morning. He has woken me up a few times and I am a heavy sleeper which means he must be really loud. I glare at him every time I pass the house but I don’t think he gets it.
Well that is my advice so far. I am sure there are other things I still haven’t learned yet, but I am getting there. My Spanish is getting a little better. I can better understand what people are telling me but it still takes me a while to respond and I don’t respond right very often.
One last thing, I joined AMI today (Amigos Mexicanos e Internacionales) Mexican and International Student Friends. For less than $20 (200 pesos) I get to take a trip at the end of January, have a picnic and sporting even in February, and in March there is a café internacional. Café internacional is where all the students from different countries set up a booth for their country. You serve traditional food from your country, play music, and teach dances and customs. I was elected as president of the USA booth! We are debating on what to serve it’s between hotdogs and mac n cheese or a turkey dinner. We plan on teaching the Solider Boy, Electric Slide, and Cupid Shuffle. If anyone has suggestions please let me know.
1. Bring warm clothes! It was been nice during the day. Usually in the upper 50s and lower 60s but at night it can get as low as 35 degrees. Yeah, I know that sounds wonderful especially to those who have 0 degree weather and snow, but when you are expecting 70s and 80s it is cold. Also, my house has no heat or air conditioning and it is very open. So when it is 35 degrees outside, it is 35 degrees in my house. They say it should only be colder for another month. Looks like I need to go shopping for some warmer clothes.
2. The bathrooms here are completely different. After I got off the bus in Queretaro I went to use the restroom. There was a gate on it and a coin machine. You had to pay to use the bathroom!!! Sure, it was only like .40-.30 cents but still. I refused to pay. Then I went to the mall the other day and you had to pay for toilet paper! Thanks to Grandma Pat I had some pocket tissues! Another thing with toilet paper, you don’t flush it down. You just throw it away. So yes, very interesting.
3. The way people drive is crazy. There are very few stop signs and traffic lights so people drive very fast and switch lanes without looking. There are a lot of speed bumps, so you will be going fast and then they will slam on their breaks for the speed bumps. I guess they are an alternative to stop signs. If you are a pedestrian Watch Out! The fly around turns and will not stop for you. Much different from CMU where pedestrians have the right away and we just walk in front of cars.
4. You don’t always know what you are eating. Usually for lunch my host mom makes me rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and tortillas. The first day she made me chicken. The last few days we have had meat as well but I was unsure what it was. It didn’t taste like chicken, beef or pork. It tasted somewhat familiar so I ate it. As I got to thinking, I am pretty sure I have been eating sheep. I refuse to ask though because I don’t want to know.
5. When you meet people they kiss you. I had my internship interview today (it was not like a normal interview. The director of International Students, Carla, went with me and just set up times I could work at the law firm. It turned out the lawyer was her husband. I will intern there Mondays and Thursdays helping them improve their marketing strategies). Anyways, as I met people at the office they all shook my hand and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. I was definitely not prepared for that. Especially when the first person was an old man!
6. A mall is not like a mall in the US. I went to the mall this weekend with my friends Tish and Jasper. (There are international students as well. Tish is from North Carolina and Jasper is from Columbus, OH and goes to college at Allegany). The mall was packed with people. The stores are smaller so it was very hard to look around. All the sizes are different and I was unsure what to try on. There was only one department store and it was crowed as well. I went to try on a pair of jeans and waited in line for over 10 mins and only one person before had gotten a dressing room. I ended up just getting out of line. The only similar thing at the mall was the food court. There were many different food options including traditional Mexican food, Chinese food, pizza and more.
7. Cut your own Rosca. Rosca is sweet traditional Mexican dessert bread served on January 6th every year. I believe it is the day of the 3 Kings. Rosca is shaped in an oval and has many different toppings. There are small plastic babies inside the Rosca to represent the children that were killed. If you cut a piece and get a baby you must buy your family food. Well at the orientation with your family I tried to be polite and cut a piece for myself and my host mom. Well I cut her piece and there was a baby!! We laughed but a lady looked and me and said somewhat mean, “That’s why you cut your own Rosca.” Well we had Rosca at my house as well and sure enough, I got the baby!
8. Frogs are good luck. There are vendors everywhere, even in the super markets. They all had tons on miniature figurines of frogs. Apparently they are supposed to bring you good luck. I bought one right away after hearing that!
9. Some streets are cobblestone. The neighborhood I live in has cobblestone streets. Therefore when we drive it shakes the whole car. Also when I walked to the bus stop today I tripped about 10-20 times in my heels. They take some getting used to but hopefully I will get the hang of it!
10. They don’t eat chocolate. Well there was chocolate topping on some of the Rosca. They have hot chocolate, but it isn’t the same. It is very different and tastes way less sweet. I bought chips ahoy cookies out the vending machine the other day because I needed a chocolate fix. I even had a dream last night about chocolate cookies!! I know I am a chocoholic!
11. You will never go hungry! Every time I come downstairs or come home she asks if I want something to eat. I usually respond with a no thanks. She asks me again 5 minutes later, persuades me to eat something, or just makes something and gives it to me. For example tonight I came home from shopping and she asked if I would like something to eat. I said yes please but only something small. She gave me this dessert she made which is like lemon pie (it's hard to explain) coffee. It was a good amount and then she asked if I wanted more. I said no thanks and she made me a quesadilla. Then she asked if I would like another and I said no thank you I am full and she laughed and said no and put another on my plate. I am going to weigh 500 pounds after this trip. Thank goodness I am taking a spinning class!
12. The dog next store barks at everything. There is a German Sheppard that lives next door to us. He really enjoys barking at all hours of the night and early morning. He has woken me up a few times and I am a heavy sleeper which means he must be really loud. I glare at him every time I pass the house but I don’t think he gets it.
Well that is my advice so far. I am sure there are other things I still haven’t learned yet, but I am getting there. My Spanish is getting a little better. I can better understand what people are telling me but it still takes me a while to respond and I don’t respond right very often.
One last thing, I joined AMI today (Amigos Mexicanos e Internacionales) Mexican and International Student Friends. For less than $20 (200 pesos) I get to take a trip at the end of January, have a picnic and sporting even in February, and in March there is a café internacional. Café internacional is where all the students from different countries set up a booth for their country. You serve traditional food from your country, play music, and teach dances and customs. I was elected as president of the USA booth! We are debating on what to serve it’s between hotdogs and mac n cheese or a turkey dinner. We plan on teaching the Solider Boy, Electric Slide, and Cupid Shuffle. If anyone has suggestions please let me know.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
My first few days
I still can’t believe I am going to be living here for four and a half months. It hasn’t hit me yet that this isn’t a vacation. My flight went well, it was 4 hours. Then I had to take a bus, called Primera Plus, to Queretaro. It took about 3 hours. The bus was awesome. It was a large charter bus with big seats and foot rests. There was a movie playing (Marley and Me) and the scenery was unbelievable. Mexico City was very colorful. There were many vendors and parks. At one park there was a circus so the first animal I saw in Mexico was an elephant! The city is crowded and there are houses almost on top of each other. It is almost sad because it is a beautiful place but there was liter everywhere, even in the parks. Once we got out of the city we were mostly in the country. There were only a few cities and they were smaller. There were not too many houses in the country but there were many animals. I saw many stray dogs and sheep and cows there were roaming free. Some were really close to the road. There were also many tolls on the highway. At one there was a guard with a huge gun, it was kind of scary. The police we passed also carried the large guns. Once I arrived in Queretaro it was completely different. The city is huge and we you are driving in it looks almost like Greece. There are mountains surrounding Queretaro and houses are built up on them like in Greece. I arrived at the bus station and I got a taxi with my friend Amanda. We gave our taxi driver our addresses and he drove to my street but used Amanda’s number. So she got out thinking it was her house (I wasn’t going to question the taxi driver) and the owner of the house explained where her house was. So we were on my street at 48 and I live in 24. He went to the other side of town to drop off Amanda and then got angry with me because we were so close to my house before ( I tried to explain to him when we were on my street but he didn’t listen). So I tipped him well for the troubles and he was fine.
My house is awesome. I promise to have pictures soon. I have 2 bedrooms that connect and a patio/balcony off of one of them. My host family is wonderful. My host mom has been very patient with my Spanish. I’m not so good at understanding everything she says, and my responses are not always right and they take a long time. It’s taking a while to get used to. She took me grocery shopping today and drove me to my orientation at the Tec. She also drove me downtown (el centro). She wants to me know where things are so I can get to and from school and other places around the city. There is another international student that lives close to my house. He is from Pennsylvania and we plan on riding the bus to school together.
Today I went to the Tec for orientation with the other international students. I am registered for my classes and I am starting to know my way around the Tec. I met many different people from different countries which was really great. Tomorrow we have more orientation and we are all going out for lunch to a Mexican restaurant. The food has been good so far. I have had many ham and cheese sandwiches.
The best part so far was tonight. I got to watch CMU play in the GMAC Bowl and win. I was so excited it was on tv down here. It was in Spanish so I learned some football terms in Spanish. Great game and it helped with me being homesick!
If you would like to send me mail it cannot be sent to the house I am staying at. So if I gave you my address please don’t send anything there. I will email you the address soon!
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