I'm back at my host family's house, resting just as hard as I possibly can. I'm pretty weak and have to remind myself to eat so I don't get more worn out. I thought I was going to have a 6 week course of medication; instead I'm on a combination of 5 medications for 2 weeks and on a special diet for most of that time (absolutely no milk or cheese).
The new session of Spanish classes started Monday; I will have missed a whole week of the 4 week session. Plus, I won't have enough strength by next week to volunteer and run around with 8 year old girls for hours on end, so... I'm heading back to the States, hopefully Saturday or Sunday, as soon as I feel up to flying.
I'm really going to miss my friends here and the great people I've met, and I'd really like to work on my Spanish more, but I think I'll feel so much better resting at home with mom's special chicken broth and rice recipe.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
enfermeras, medicos y brucella... oh my!
So what would a trip to Mexico be without a little bacteria? Saturday I had a bad stomach ache all day, Sunday I felt feverish and queasy all day, and by Monday night I was miserable. I called the Roys (the family that takes me to church) and they took me to Hospital San Javier. A nice place, and there were a couple doctors who speak English; between those guys and Amber Roy, I was able to understand everything that was going on.
Turns out I ate some cheese or milk last week that had the bacteria brucella in it; I stayed in the hospital Monday and Tuesday night. I've kept down 3 whole slices of turkey and some jello, so that's improvement since Saturday. I can't eat milk or cheese products for the next 15-30 days (depending on how I'm doing) and I will be on a 6-week course of antibiotics.
Turns out I ate some cheese or milk last week that had the bacteria brucella in it; I stayed in the hospital Monday and Tuesday night. I've kept down 3 whole slices of turkey and some jello, so that's improvement since Saturday. I can't eat milk or cheese products for the next 15-30 days (depending on how I'm doing) and I will be on a 6-week course of antibiotics.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Acortar Distancias
The agency where my friends and I are volunteering is called Acortar Distancias and it's like a summer camp for children in disadvantaged homes in the area. A lot of the kids live in the neighborhood we ride through everyday, the one without roofs and just an old bed sheet for a door (I wonder how they cope with the torrential rain and thunderstorms).
There are 500 kids in the program and 50 volunteers (though it is required to do social service during the summer if you are in college here) and a few full-time staff members. The younger ones are always so excited to come in in the afternoons, it's like a sea of children running through the gates. There are 15 or so teams, ranging from babies to teenagers and a group of moms too (who are SO psyched to be there, they have make-up and cooking classes).
The kids have gym class (basketball, etc.), creativity, equillibrios (which is balancing and tight rope and that kind of thing), acrobatics/gymnastics, and malabares (juggling and other things like that). Each class is supposed to teach the kids a value, such as balancing - trust in others, malabares - determination, etc. Each team has its own cheer too, to instill feelings of pride and family (this week's saying is "my family, my treasure"). Our cheer, the purple team/team #7/girls aged 8-9 years, is to the tune of Justin Bieber's "Baby" and it goes something like:
Siete, Siete, Siete ooooh (7, 7, 7)
Siete, Siete, Siete ooooh
De color morado vestimos (We wear the color purple)
...something something family, friends forever. I still don't understand all of it.
Camp is extremely exhausting. Not only do the girls like to run for 3 1/2 hours straight, they like to talk really fast in Spanish and the other counselors find it easier to talk to me in English (a lot of them know some) or give up on me altogether. Both are frustrating because I'm here to learn Spanish! I am liking it there though, and it will be interesting to see how much I can contribute despite the language barrier and to see if my Spanish improves much in the next 3 weeks (it ends the last week in July).
Here are two videos about A.D. Even if you don't understand what they're saying, it's interesting to see the neighborhood (and compare it with the rest of Guadalajara).
"Miramar" Corto documental
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lODSAVSA_8
Acortar Distancias
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNLSgps6YiQ (This girl is in Daisy's group, though the buildings they show are at the old location and not where I'm working, so mainly just watch the beginning)
There are 500 kids in the program and 50 volunteers (though it is required to do social service during the summer if you are in college here) and a few full-time staff members. The younger ones are always so excited to come in in the afternoons, it's like a sea of children running through the gates. There are 15 or so teams, ranging from babies to teenagers and a group of moms too (who are SO psyched to be there, they have make-up and cooking classes).
The kids have gym class (basketball, etc.), creativity, equillibrios (which is balancing and tight rope and that kind of thing), acrobatics/gymnastics, and malabares (juggling and other things like that). Each class is supposed to teach the kids a value, such as balancing - trust in others, malabares - determination, etc. Each team has its own cheer too, to instill feelings of pride and family (this week's saying is "my family, my treasure"). Our cheer, the purple team/team #7/girls aged 8-9 years, is to the tune of Justin Bieber's "Baby" and it goes something like:
Siete, Siete, Siete ooooh (7, 7, 7)
Siete, Siete, Siete ooooh
De color morado vestimos (We wear the color purple)
...something something family, friends forever. I still don't understand all of it.
Camp is extremely exhausting. Not only do the girls like to run for 3 1/2 hours straight, they like to talk really fast in Spanish and the other counselors find it easier to talk to me in English (a lot of them know some) or give up on me altogether. Both are frustrating because I'm here to learn Spanish! I am liking it there though, and it will be interesting to see how much I can contribute despite the language barrier and to see if my Spanish improves much in the next 3 weeks (it ends the last week in July).
Here are two videos about A.D. Even if you don't understand what they're saying, it's interesting to see the neighborhood (and compare it with the rest of Guadalajara).
"Miramar" Corto documental
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lODSAVSA_8
Acortar Distancias
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNLSgps6YiQ (This girl is in Daisy's group, though the buildings they show are at the old location and not where I'm working, so mainly just watch the beginning)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
More of Week 3
-One day for lunch we had tamales which are tortillas filled with something or other, not really sure what, but they were good (that's my attitude towards most food here, but I will NOT try the famous grasshoppers). Apparently they are extremely difficult to cook and it's a very long process; Blanca had gotten them from a friend who made a bunch at once, so we probably won't get them again.
-There's a famous saying here, "He has his cathedral but he also has his chapels," which refers to the common occurrence of Mexican gentlemen (caballeros) having a girlfriend (cathedral) and other female friends as well... Our dear host brother Joakin is kind enough to set an example for us of how this process works (i.e. when his girlfriend is in the States).
-Chenoa and I did a presentation for our Mexican Culture class about the family and I found otu several interesting things:
>Mexican Catholics become extremely offended if you call them Christians
>It is the norm for children to live with their parents through schooling/work until they get married, and to move back in if they get divorced
>In more traditional families, the youngest daughter must stay home and care for her parents until they die (meaning no marriage). In others, the youngest children are not taught to cook or clean and that responsibility lies with the oldest children.
-One day for lunch, Blanca fixed us spaghetti and instead of garlic bread, just plain white bread. It sounds kind of plain but I realized I am so used to wheat or garlic bread at home that this tasted kind of sweet.
-I don't remember if I've said this before, but Blanca truly is the Christmas Story mom. She never gets a hot meal, always fixing people more food or cleaning up after the dog who has already been house trained but decided she didn't want to be anymore. That's really appetizing during a meal, so that might be another reason Blanca doesn't always eat with us...
-Saw Toy Story 3 in Spanish in a gigantic IMAX theater in a mall that looked just like any in America. I understood the plotline, even if not all the words or jokes. Daisy and I looked at each other at the end and we were both crying as we watched Andy leave for college! Thankfully Joakin and Eli (with whom we saw the movie) thought it was more endearing than pathetic.
-There's a famous saying here, "He has his cathedral but he also has his chapels," which refers to the common occurrence of Mexican gentlemen (caballeros) having a girlfriend (cathedral) and other female friends as well... Our dear host brother Joakin is kind enough to set an example for us of how this process works (i.e. when his girlfriend is in the States).
-Chenoa and I did a presentation for our Mexican Culture class about the family and I found otu several interesting things:
>Mexican Catholics become extremely offended if you call them Christians
>It is the norm for children to live with their parents through schooling/work until they get married, and to move back in if they get divorced
>In more traditional families, the youngest daughter must stay home and care for her parents until they die (meaning no marriage). In others, the youngest children are not taught to cook or clean and that responsibility lies with the oldest children.
-One day for lunch, Blanca fixed us spaghetti and instead of garlic bread, just plain white bread. It sounds kind of plain but I realized I am so used to wheat or garlic bread at home that this tasted kind of sweet.
-I don't remember if I've said this before, but Blanca truly is the Christmas Story mom. She never gets a hot meal, always fixing people more food or cleaning up after the dog who has already been house trained but decided she didn't want to be anymore. That's really appetizing during a meal, so that might be another reason Blanca doesn't always eat with us...
-Saw Toy Story 3 in Spanish in a gigantic IMAX theater in a mall that looked just like any in America. I understood the plotline, even if not all the words or jokes. Daisy and I looked at each other at the end and we were both crying as we watched Andy leave for college! Thankfully Joakin and Eli (with whom we saw the movie) thought it was more endearing than pathetic.
ahhh, que ocupada
I've been so busy the past week that my free time is spent zoning out trying to catch a breath. Here's what's been going on with me:
-At Starbucks last Sunday the cashier could tell that Daisy and I were from the US and started singing Limp Bizkit to us (for those of you who don't know, it's an American band. the band's not too great and neither was this guy).
-Learning about Mexican birthday traditions: they shove the birthday girl's/boy's face in the cake (which is often tres leches: made with regular, condensed, and powdered milk and is really moist) and all the family and friends compete to see who can sing the birthday song first (it's unique to Mexico and no, it's not "feliz cumpleaños a ti" like they sing in the US)... as in calling them at 5 am.
-Mexico-Argentina game was not so hot BUT the Argentina-Germany game was! There are a lot of Germans who live in Mexico and there are several who volunteer at Acortar Distancias where we all do, so they painted everyone's faces in Germany's colors, it was so exciting, 4-0!
-My sunburn from the pyramids is subsiding, in case you were concerned.
-There are so many characters in our classes: for one - Puff, the Angry Dragon as we call her, who can't go an hour without a cigarette (or she gets angry), and the Canadians (collective, they're all pretty much the same), and James. James is probably forty or almost there and is in classes with students in their early twenties, so he sticks out to begin with. He pronounces all his "h's" in Spanish (which is a no-no) and has the world's loudest laugh. However, he told me that he was in an awful car accident a few years ago and while he was bedridden, he decided to quit being a chef and do something productive with his life, so he went back to school for Social Work. Before he came here, he bought all his clothes at Salvation Army and is planning on donating them to the homeless in el centro the day before he leaves. It's kind people like James that remind me why I'm on this trip.
-Instead of cookouts with hot dogs and hamburgers here, they have carne asadas which I'm assuming are a little nicer than what Taco Bell has. Anna, Chenoa, Daisy and I hung out at a cookout with Joakin and Eli for a little bit one day and learned that the phrase que padre (yes, translated "how father") means "cool" in Spanish.
-I also learned that there's no word for "awkward" in Spanish... so when I fell on Eli FOUR times on the bus, there was nothing for me to say. That was definitely an uncomfortable situation, I've got to develop some balance.
More later!
-At Starbucks last Sunday the cashier could tell that Daisy and I were from the US and started singing Limp Bizkit to us (for those of you who don't know, it's an American band. the band's not too great and neither was this guy).
-Learning about Mexican birthday traditions: they shove the birthday girl's/boy's face in the cake (which is often tres leches: made with regular, condensed, and powdered milk and is really moist) and all the family and friends compete to see who can sing the birthday song first (it's unique to Mexico and no, it's not "feliz cumpleaños a ti" like they sing in the US)... as in calling them at 5 am.
-Mexico-Argentina game was not so hot BUT the Argentina-Germany game was! There are a lot of Germans who live in Mexico and there are several who volunteer at Acortar Distancias where we all do, so they painted everyone's faces in Germany's colors, it was so exciting, 4-0!
-My sunburn from the pyramids is subsiding, in case you were concerned.
-There are so many characters in our classes: for one - Puff, the Angry Dragon as we call her, who can't go an hour without a cigarette (or she gets angry), and the Canadians (collective, they're all pretty much the same), and James. James is probably forty or almost there and is in classes with students in their early twenties, so he sticks out to begin with. He pronounces all his "h's" in Spanish (which is a no-no) and has the world's loudest laugh. However, he told me that he was in an awful car accident a few years ago and while he was bedridden, he decided to quit being a chef and do something productive with his life, so he went back to school for Social Work. Before he came here, he bought all his clothes at Salvation Army and is planning on donating them to the homeless in el centro the day before he leaves. It's kind people like James that remind me why I'm on this trip.
-Instead of cookouts with hot dogs and hamburgers here, they have carne asadas which I'm assuming are a little nicer than what Taco Bell has. Anna, Chenoa, Daisy and I hung out at a cookout with Joakin and Eli for a little bit one day and learned that the phrase que padre (yes, translated "how father") means "cool" in Spanish.
-I also learned that there's no word for "awkward" in Spanish... so when I fell on Eli FOUR times on the bus, there was nothing for me to say. That was definitely an uncomfortable situation, I've got to develop some balance.
More later!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Mexico City
I have been busy with a project and haven't had the time to write since I got back from Mexico City, so now here (if you'd rather skip the rest) are my top 3 thoughts on the place:
-The city (one of the largest if not the largest in the world) is gigantic and is a combination of Aztec ruins, skyscrapers, modern art, and Mexican traditions.
-There is a lot of smog and smoke and I've gotten a pretty bad cough.
-Churros filled with hot chocolate syrup are my new favorite food and I might have to stay in this country and just live off those for the rest of my life (if it weren't for the coughing).
Day 11 of my adventure here began at 5 am to get to the bus by 6 to leave for Mexico City (though some girl didn't get there until 7 so I could have slept in!). This is more or less the same group as Guachimontones, English-speaking exchange students. It was a 7 hour drive there so we watched a couple movies including Frida with Salma Hayek. Frida Kahlo, a painter who was married to fellow painter Diego Rivera, was a strange lady with a crazy life but I really enjoyed the movie: there was so much artwork and there were so many historical Mexican events in the movie that we would see on the trip, so the nerd in me really liked applying that knowledge later.
Important buildings we saw: National Palace (full of Diego Rivera murals; Mom-Jeans tour guide talked about each one for 20 minutes: "This demonstrates how important corn is in Mexican culture. It can also be called maize. We use it for tortillas, enchiladas..."), the Metropolitan Cathedral (I couldn't go in part of it because I was wearing shorts, but the other half has 14 chapels inside, one made of solid gold), and El Templo Mayor. El Templo Mayor was the old center of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan on top of which Mexico City was built. Each time they expanded El Templo, they built on top of it, so it is actually like a 7 layer cake. It's amazing what's still intact today. Just 4 years ago they found some large important myth-telling stone (Coyolxauhqui and no I can't pronounce it), is on display there now.
Cafe Tacuba for dinner - they saw Americans were coming so they gave us baked chicken and fries. We did, however, get serenaded by a mariachi band, so that was neat.
We saw old Cabellito (like any other statue) and new Cabellito (modern art that is supposed to look like a yellow horse) and the Bellas Artes theater (below)
Day 2 of Mexico City, Day 12 of Mexico:
I got almost NINE hours of sleep! Honest to goodness one of the most exciting parts of the trip. Typical continental breakfast food at the hotel (plus quesadillas).
We went to Chapultepec (which means "grasshopper's hill" in Nahuatl, language of the Aztecs). This is where Maximilian and his inappropriately young wife Carlota lived for the 3 years he was in charge. Not as much gold as Versailles, but close to the same scale. It has the most beautiful view of the city, 360 degrees around.
Next, Museum of Anthropology. Outside, five men hold a reenactment of the Papantla fliers (those guys who hang out on top of a pole and pretend to fly at Guachimontones). Thankfully theirs lasts a few minutes, not several hours.
Inside is a gigantic stone with water spraying from the top, pretty cool.
Daisy and I saw the most important thing to see there (according to Mom Jeans), the Aztec sun stone/calendar, and lots of other old rocks too. There were lots of exhibits that were set up with characters - Barbie-sized Neanderthals - to demonstrate the hunting and gathering era.
Next stop: Frida Kahlo museum. It was kind of far away, in an area called Coyoacan, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I'm not really an art person, but her work is so unique (and strange) that it was fascinating. She was in an awful car wreck when she was around my age and was immobile for a very long time. A mirror was installed in the ceiling of her bed for self-portraits (the original bed was there) and she also painted on her body cast (the original was there too... it must stink something awful). There were lots of photos there of her and Diego (I don't know what she saw in him, man the size of Jupiter) and a garden also.
Then a few of us on the trip went to el centro artesanal ciudadela, a gigantic marketplace. I was so proud of myself (I haggled) but then I got lost, so those sorta even each other out.
Dinner at VIPS, the Mexican Denny's (breakfast all day) owned by Walmart. I had flautas which are kind of like taquitos. They gave us chips and dip for an appetizer so everyone of us ate them, but apparently it was a test and we weren't supposed to, so we had to pay for it. This happened a couple times on the trip, I'm not sure if it's a typical Mexican thing or just bad service twice.
We walked back to the hotel and there were lots more piropos, or things guys yell from cars or from the street. Even a group of cops! Thankfully we were in a group of 6 so it was safe, but still kind of creepy. It was definitely worse in Mexico City than Guadalajara.
Final Day of Mexico City, Day 13 of Mexico
I know this is present in the US too, but I notice so many more things being in a foreign country: there are so many poor people living near so many rich people. Santa Fe is an area of Mexico City that has both the poorest and richest people in town: homeless people sleeping in front of gated mansions. This was sadly one of the first things I saw on this morning. It's kind of frustrating because Daisy, Chenoa, Anna and I came here on this volunteering, almost mission trip, but we are not accomplishing a lot and there is certainly nothing we can do for people in those situations (like homelessness).
We saw Tlatelolco (sight of 1968 riots between students and police, hundreds died), Acolman (the first Mexican monastery) and learned what piñatas represent: the batter is blindfolded and the star has 7 points to represent 7 deadly sins, the one who can break through it has the most (blind) faith.
Next was the Basilica of the Virgin Guadalupe. There's the old and the new, and the new has the painting of Guadalupe inside: visitors can see it while mass is going on by standing on moving sidewalks underneath. I will talk more about this experience later, in its own post.
Finally, the pyramids at Teotihuacan!! We were given 2 1/2 hours - plenty of time, right? Nope. And we hustled for sure. Anna and I walked up the Pyramid of the Moon - the smaller one with 30-40 steps - then the larger one - Pyramid of the Sun - with 300 or so steps (which are very narrow and very steep). Definitely my workout for the month. What a sight at the top! Even with the smog from Mexico City, you can see mountains all around - imagine the view thousands of years ago. And to think they built this without having yet invented the wheel!!
There were literally hundreds of people selling goods (who chased us down quite a bit, and no they don't barter, I asked, you have to use real money), we got a little lost and were told that we were on prohibited territory, and finally made it back to the bus for the eight hour drive back. We stopped once at a rest stop where we had to pay to use the bathroom, the toilets didn't have seats, and you had to get TP on your way in the door (I missed that memo). However, I survived, and we made it back to Guadalajara safe, sound, extremely sunburned, and exhausted at midnight.
-The city (one of the largest if not the largest in the world) is gigantic and is a combination of Aztec ruins, skyscrapers, modern art, and Mexican traditions.
-There is a lot of smog and smoke and I've gotten a pretty bad cough.
-Churros filled with hot chocolate syrup are my new favorite food and I might have to stay in this country and just live off those for the rest of my life (if it weren't for the coughing).
Day 11 of my adventure here began at 5 am to get to the bus by 6 to leave for Mexico City (though some girl didn't get there until 7 so I could have slept in!). This is more or less the same group as Guachimontones, English-speaking exchange students. It was a 7 hour drive there so we watched a couple movies including Frida with Salma Hayek. Frida Kahlo, a painter who was married to fellow painter Diego Rivera, was a strange lady with a crazy life but I really enjoyed the movie: there was so much artwork and there were so many historical Mexican events in the movie that we would see on the trip, so the nerd in me really liked applying that knowledge later.
Important buildings we saw: National Palace (full of Diego Rivera murals; Mom-Jeans tour guide talked about each one for 20 minutes: "This demonstrates how important corn is in Mexican culture. It can also be called maize. We use it for tortillas, enchiladas..."), the Metropolitan Cathedral (I couldn't go in part of it because I was wearing shorts, but the other half has 14 chapels inside, one made of solid gold), and El Templo Mayor. El Templo Mayor was the old center of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan on top of which Mexico City was built. Each time they expanded El Templo, they built on top of it, so it is actually like a 7 layer cake. It's amazing what's still intact today. Just 4 years ago they found some large important myth-telling stone (Coyolxauhqui and no I can't pronounce it), is on display there now.
Cafe Tacuba for dinner - they saw Americans were coming so they gave us baked chicken and fries. We did, however, get serenaded by a mariachi band, so that was neat.
We saw old Cabellito (like any other statue) and new Cabellito (modern art that is supposed to look like a yellow horse) and the Bellas Artes theater (below)
Day 2 of Mexico City, Day 12 of Mexico:
I got almost NINE hours of sleep! Honest to goodness one of the most exciting parts of the trip. Typical continental breakfast food at the hotel (plus quesadillas).
We went to Chapultepec (which means "grasshopper's hill" in Nahuatl, language of the Aztecs). This is where Maximilian and his inappropriately young wife Carlota lived for the 3 years he was in charge. Not as much gold as Versailles, but close to the same scale. It has the most beautiful view of the city, 360 degrees around.
Next, Museum of Anthropology. Outside, five men hold a reenactment of the Papantla fliers (those guys who hang out on top of a pole and pretend to fly at Guachimontones). Thankfully theirs lasts a few minutes, not several hours.
Inside is a gigantic stone with water spraying from the top, pretty cool.
Daisy and I saw the most important thing to see there (according to Mom Jeans), the Aztec sun stone/calendar, and lots of other old rocks too. There were lots of exhibits that were set up with characters - Barbie-sized Neanderthals - to demonstrate the hunting and gathering era.
Next stop: Frida Kahlo museum. It was kind of far away, in an area called Coyoacan, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I'm not really an art person, but her work is so unique (and strange) that it was fascinating. She was in an awful car wreck when she was around my age and was immobile for a very long time. A mirror was installed in the ceiling of her bed for self-portraits (the original bed was there) and she also painted on her body cast (the original was there too... it must stink something awful). There were lots of photos there of her and Diego (I don't know what she saw in him, man the size of Jupiter) and a garden also.
Then a few of us on the trip went to el centro artesanal ciudadela, a gigantic marketplace. I was so proud of myself (I haggled) but then I got lost, so those sorta even each other out.
Dinner at VIPS, the Mexican Denny's (breakfast all day) owned by Walmart. I had flautas which are kind of like taquitos. They gave us chips and dip for an appetizer so everyone of us ate them, but apparently it was a test and we weren't supposed to, so we had to pay for it. This happened a couple times on the trip, I'm not sure if it's a typical Mexican thing or just bad service twice.
We walked back to the hotel and there were lots more piropos, or things guys yell from cars or from the street. Even a group of cops! Thankfully we were in a group of 6 so it was safe, but still kind of creepy. It was definitely worse in Mexico City than Guadalajara.
Final Day of Mexico City, Day 13 of Mexico
I know this is present in the US too, but I notice so many more things being in a foreign country: there are so many poor people living near so many rich people. Santa Fe is an area of Mexico City that has both the poorest and richest people in town: homeless people sleeping in front of gated mansions. This was sadly one of the first things I saw on this morning. It's kind of frustrating because Daisy, Chenoa, Anna and I came here on this volunteering, almost mission trip, but we are not accomplishing a lot and there is certainly nothing we can do for people in those situations (like homelessness).
We saw Tlatelolco (sight of 1968 riots between students and police, hundreds died), Acolman (the first Mexican monastery) and learned what piñatas represent: the batter is blindfolded and the star has 7 points to represent 7 deadly sins, the one who can break through it has the most (blind) faith.
Next was the Basilica of the Virgin Guadalupe. There's the old and the new, and the new has the painting of Guadalupe inside: visitors can see it while mass is going on by standing on moving sidewalks underneath. I will talk more about this experience later, in its own post.
Finally, the pyramids at Teotihuacan!! We were given 2 1/2 hours - plenty of time, right? Nope. And we hustled for sure. Anna and I walked up the Pyramid of the Moon - the smaller one with 30-40 steps - then the larger one - Pyramid of the Sun - with 300 or so steps (which are very narrow and very steep). Definitely my workout for the month. What a sight at the top! Even with the smog from Mexico City, you can see mountains all around - imagine the view thousands of years ago. And to think they built this without having yet invented the wheel!!
There were literally hundreds of people selling goods (who chased us down quite a bit, and no they don't barter, I asked, you have to use real money), we got a little lost and were told that we were on prohibited territory, and finally made it back to the bus for the eight hour drive back. We stopped once at a rest stop where we had to pay to use the bathroom, the toilets didn't have seats, and you had to get TP on your way in the door (I missed that memo). However, I survived, and we made it back to Guadalajara safe, sound, extremely sunburned, and exhausted at midnight.
Monday, June 28, 2010
fotos de Mexico City / Ciudad de México
The picture above is of La Reforma, a famous road in Mexico City. The view is from Chapultepec Castle where Emperor Maximilian and his wife lived. The six white towers at the bottom are the Niños Héroes monument to honor the brave teenage boys who fought to defend the castle during the Mexican-American war. They almost erased this event from history books altogether because the boys were breaking military orders to begin with, but decided it was too patriotic to leave out.
Here I am at Teotihuacan on the Pyramid of the Sun with a view of the Pyramid of the Moon in the background. I don't know that guy in the picture.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Catch-up: Days 8, 9 y 10
So, to keep things entertaining and because I've fallen behind, I'm not going to list every moment of my day but I'll do things a little differently.
Foods/Drinks:
-moon pies (just like in America)
-homemade double cheeseburgers and fries (just like in America)
-jugo de jamaica (juice made out of hibiscus)
-jamoncillo (rich candy, some are dark pink and sugary and some are pecan/toffee)
-quesadillas with ham and corn inside (and yall should be proud, I even attempted a little hot sauce on them)
-authentic churros - the real stuff! so good! I won't be able to go back to Taco Bell after this trip.
-chilaquiles - fried pieces of tortillas, tomatoes, seasoning. good breakfast food, kind of like hash browns
-rollos de primavera con lechuga y zanahorias - spring rolls, better than Chinese take out
-jugo de mango (mango juice)
-arroz con leche y pasas - rice pudding dessert with cinnamon on top
-pollo con limon, arroz blanco con maiz (lemon chicken and white rice with corn, because I told Blanca we eat a lot of white rice at home. She's so thoughtful!)
-jugo de horchata - rice water with some kind of pink coloring. very sweet
-gelatina de cereza - cherry jello straight from the box
-there's one more interesting food... I'll put that one at the end...
Embarrassing Things:
-One night, the dog pooped on the floor and I didn't know how to clean it up, so I asked Eli (one of the guys in the house), or tried to at least. I didn't know how to say "poop" or "brown" in Spanish, so I tried "When you use the bathroom and it's not yellow," "it's not liquid," and I even pointed to my rear end but he didn't get it. So I searched "crap" online and the google images were disgusting, but I got my point across. The word is "popo."
-I didn't do my homework one day (it's already the 2nd week of school, time for a break) but made the mistake of saying so before class. I figured hey, I'm speaking in English, it's fine... forgetting that though Olga can't speak English, she understands it perfectly. So, she called on me for answer after answer, none of which I knew.
-I found out the window in the bathroom opens up inside the house. And sound travels.
-Blanca was taking our laundry out of the washer and I asked, "Do you need help?" When she looked at me puzzled, I said again, louder, "Do you need help??" Daisy had to remind me that no, Blanca does not speak English and I should try saying it again, in Spanish this time.
Events & Adventures:
-Acortar Distancias is all figured out. We went 4-6 Tuesday and Wednesday and will start going 4-8 next week. I'm with the 7-10 year old girls and they are all so loving and fun and fast-talking! They are almost in that catty stage, they love to dance, and they love to show off their English (numbers 1-20, mom, dad, car) and ask for new words (moustache, underwear). There's a lot of running around and and I should be in bikini-ready shape by time I get back! The kids speak so quickly that it really tests my Spanish, which is definitely a good thing!!
-There's a woman volunteering at A.D. like us, from Texas, who's working to get a water purification system installed, because bottled water for 100 kids can get pretty expensive.
-We made it on our own 2 days in a row on the bus!! (By the way, it will cost $2 a day for at least 40 days.) Thankfully Daisy remembered which one was our stop the first day... and the 2nd day we took several sketchy "short cuts." This took us through a really sad neighborhood just down the mountain from million-dollar mansions- there were houses without electricity, running water, real roofs (and this area gets tropical storms almost nightly), and had sheets of aluminum paneling for doors. And this is the area near Acortar Distancias, so many of the sweet girls I'm working with probably live there. I really need to be more thankful for what I have, not just here (a washing machine, a roof over my head, hot food), but at home too (a dryer, a car, air conditioning/heating, safe water). I am safe to come and go as I please here and at home, but I would not want to walk there in daylight by myself. I am so blessed to lead the life I do.
-Martha, the program director, is a life saver and helps us with any and everything! Except when men were calling at us on the bus (the usual stream of tacky compliments), she stopped talking and pretended not to know us American girls because we were so embarrassing! Ha ha!
-People here are very honest. Sometimes passengers get on the bus from the back if it's packed, and everyone will pass the money up without stealing it, and pass the ticket to the back. Also, at a street vendor we went to, everyone ordered multiple dishes, grabbed drinks, and gave an honest count of what they got when they paid after they ate, even though the street was chaos and they could have gotten away without doing so. Then again, they will also be too honest and tell you if you have bad acne, if you're fat, or if you're white.
-The amount of smoking in the house has increased incredibly and I'm starting to not like it so much. The younger son and his friends smoke "occasionally" but I think it's more like several packs a week. The day we lost to Uruguay (people still celebrated a ton because Mexico's moving on to the next round), he had a group come over and the air was awful to breathe even with the window open.
-This is Mexico's bicentennial anniversary of independence from Spain and 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution... there are new dollar bills (peso bills?) and really cool commercials advertising the "natural beauty" of the country.
-Accomplishment: I'm learning to roll my r's (it's about time!)
-Daisy, my roommate, told Alfredo, the older son, that a classmate of hers tried cow tongue the other day. Of course Alfredo was not surprised, of course he asked if we were full from dinner, and of course Alfredo, Joakin, Blanca, Daisy and I got in the car and headed immediately to a street vendor (yes, you can see where this is going). Near el centro, in an incredibly dark and sketchy neighborhood, is a corner, brightly lit and alive with activity. In the center is a small street vendor that cooks every part of the cow. Alfredo ordered 1 cow tongue taco (tacos de la lengua de vaca) for Daisy and I to share. It came chopped up in little pieces and looked edible, so we braved up, each took a bite... and... it was good. It was really good. Like, we argued over the last bite of taco. So, Alfredo ordered us some more, but this time he made us watch them cut the slabs of tongue and they put hot sauce on it. That taco was not so appetizing, but I can still say I tried and liked cow tongue!!! Sick...
Foods/Drinks:
-moon pies (just like in America)
-homemade double cheeseburgers and fries (just like in America)
-jugo de jamaica (juice made out of hibiscus)
-jamoncillo (rich candy, some are dark pink and sugary and some are pecan/toffee)
-quesadillas with ham and corn inside (and yall should be proud, I even attempted a little hot sauce on them)
-authentic churros - the real stuff! so good! I won't be able to go back to Taco Bell after this trip.
-chilaquiles - fried pieces of tortillas, tomatoes, seasoning. good breakfast food, kind of like hash browns
-rollos de primavera con lechuga y zanahorias - spring rolls, better than Chinese take out
-jugo de mango (mango juice)
-arroz con leche y pasas - rice pudding dessert with cinnamon on top
-pollo con limon, arroz blanco con maiz (lemon chicken and white rice with corn, because I told Blanca we eat a lot of white rice at home. She's so thoughtful!)
-jugo de horchata - rice water with some kind of pink coloring. very sweet
-gelatina de cereza - cherry jello straight from the box
-there's one more interesting food... I'll put that one at the end...
Embarrassing Things:
-One night, the dog pooped on the floor and I didn't know how to clean it up, so I asked Eli (one of the guys in the house), or tried to at least. I didn't know how to say "poop" or "brown" in Spanish, so I tried "When you use the bathroom and it's not yellow," "it's not liquid," and I even pointed to my rear end but he didn't get it. So I searched "crap" online and the google images were disgusting, but I got my point across. The word is "popo."
-I didn't do my homework one day (it's already the 2nd week of school, time for a break) but made the mistake of saying so before class. I figured hey, I'm speaking in English, it's fine... forgetting that though Olga can't speak English, she understands it perfectly. So, she called on me for answer after answer, none of which I knew.
-I found out the window in the bathroom opens up inside the house. And sound travels.
-Blanca was taking our laundry out of the washer and I asked, "Do you need help?" When she looked at me puzzled, I said again, louder, "Do you need help??" Daisy had to remind me that no, Blanca does not speak English and I should try saying it again, in Spanish this time.
Events & Adventures:
-Acortar Distancias is all figured out. We went 4-6 Tuesday and Wednesday and will start going 4-8 next week. I'm with the 7-10 year old girls and they are all so loving and fun and fast-talking! They are almost in that catty stage, they love to dance, and they love to show off their English (numbers 1-20, mom, dad, car) and ask for new words (moustache, underwear). There's a lot of running around and and I should be in bikini-ready shape by time I get back! The kids speak so quickly that it really tests my Spanish, which is definitely a good thing!!
-There's a woman volunteering at A.D. like us, from Texas, who's working to get a water purification system installed, because bottled water for 100 kids can get pretty expensive.
-We made it on our own 2 days in a row on the bus!! (By the way, it will cost $2 a day for at least 40 days.) Thankfully Daisy remembered which one was our stop the first day... and the 2nd day we took several sketchy "short cuts." This took us through a really sad neighborhood just down the mountain from million-dollar mansions- there were houses without electricity, running water, real roofs (and this area gets tropical storms almost nightly), and had sheets of aluminum paneling for doors. And this is the area near Acortar Distancias, so many of the sweet girls I'm working with probably live there. I really need to be more thankful for what I have, not just here (a washing machine, a roof over my head, hot food), but at home too (a dryer, a car, air conditioning/heating, safe water). I am safe to come and go as I please here and at home, but I would not want to walk there in daylight by myself. I am so blessed to lead the life I do.
-Martha, the program director, is a life saver and helps us with any and everything! Except when men were calling at us on the bus (the usual stream of tacky compliments), she stopped talking and pretended not to know us American girls because we were so embarrassing! Ha ha!
-People here are very honest. Sometimes passengers get on the bus from the back if it's packed, and everyone will pass the money up without stealing it, and pass the ticket to the back. Also, at a street vendor we went to, everyone ordered multiple dishes, grabbed drinks, and gave an honest count of what they got when they paid after they ate, even though the street was chaos and they could have gotten away without doing so. Then again, they will also be too honest and tell you if you have bad acne, if you're fat, or if you're white.
-The amount of smoking in the house has increased incredibly and I'm starting to not like it so much. The younger son and his friends smoke "occasionally" but I think it's more like several packs a week. The day we lost to Uruguay (people still celebrated a ton because Mexico's moving on to the next round), he had a group come over and the air was awful to breathe even with the window open.
-This is Mexico's bicentennial anniversary of independence from Spain and 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution... there are new dollar bills (peso bills?) and really cool commercials advertising the "natural beauty" of the country.
-Accomplishment: I'm learning to roll my r's (it's about time!)
-Daisy, my roommate, told Alfredo, the older son, that a classmate of hers tried cow tongue the other day. Of course Alfredo was not surprised, of course he asked if we were full from dinner, and of course Alfredo, Joakin, Blanca, Daisy and I got in the car and headed immediately to a street vendor (yes, you can see where this is going). Near el centro, in an incredibly dark and sketchy neighborhood, is a corner, brightly lit and alive with activity. In the center is a small street vendor that cooks every part of the cow. Alfredo ordered 1 cow tongue taco (tacos de la lengua de vaca) for Daisy and I to share. It came chopped up in little pieces and looked edible, so we braved up, each took a bite... and... it was good. It was really good. Like, we argued over the last bite of taco. So, Alfredo ordered us some more, but this time he made us watch them cut the slabs of tongue and they put hot sauce on it. That taco was not so appetizing, but I can still say I tried and liked cow tongue!!! Sick...
Monday, June 21, 2010
Q & A (mostly for Jo Ann Moore)
Q: Hey Laura, how do people greet each other there?
A: A lot people greet with a cheek kiss and handshake, "What is your name?", and "Do you have a boyfriend?" If you aren't necessarily meeting the person (man), rather he is just yelling at you from the street, the greeting is more like "Beautiful!" (don't worry I'm not getting cocky about that) or "I love you!"
Q: When do you start your volunteer work? How will you get there?
A: Volunteering starts Monday but it's more of a technical, figure out the bus routes (we will be accompanied the first trip), what will you be doing there kind of day. We have to get 15 hours total a week, for several hours starting at 4 each day.
Q: How do you do laundry?
A: I haven't yet but it costs eight American dollars to do laundry in the house! There's a laundromat nearby so that might be the better option. For once I didn't over-pack and I wish I had brought more clothes, oh well.
Q: What is the time difference?
A: It is 1 hour earlier than East Coast, so... central I think?
Q: Are the sons in the house cute?
A: One is forty and taken. The others are not my type.
Q: Do you have to miss class for the Mexico City trip, or is it planned for all of the international students?
A: The trip is planned by the exchange office like the Guachimontones trip, so a lot of people are going. I think they still hold classes, but we will have cultural homework (what new things did you see? write about it in 200 words or less) rather than missing important lessons.
Q: Have you seen any Latin American drug lords?
A: Unfortunately no (at least not yet, though I hear they're nice guys), but I saw the neighborhood where one of them lives and it's like Beverly Hills (more safe and secure, they can avoid getting shot there, no lie).
Q: Is there a lot of homework?
A: Not yet, but in a couple weeks we will have a some to do for the Transcultural Awareness class.
Q: Are the stereotypes true?
A: Lots of Mexicans ride in the back of trucks, but there aren't many rules of the road so it's not out-of-place like in the US. There are lots of pictures of the Pope and lots of stores that sell pictures of the Pope. There are lots and lots and lots of tortillas... but I don't know that these should necessarily be portrayed as bad stereotypes, they are more like differences in culture.
Q: Is the Spanish class just an hour a day?
A: Mexican Society is from 8-9 everyday for 4 weeks, Spanish is from 9-11 everyday for the whole time (but we will switch levels halfway through), and Transcultural Awareness an hour a week on Skype. I do have to say (and I know this sounds cheesy) that class is not just 2 hours a day, but all day, because when I talk with the family I use what I learned in class to answer/ask questions, that sort of thing.
Please ask if you have any more questions (and rest assured these are not all things people really asked me, I made up the laundry one), and I really do like getting comments from people (hint hint).
A: A lot people greet with a cheek kiss and handshake, "What is your name?", and "Do you have a boyfriend?" If you aren't necessarily meeting the person (man), rather he is just yelling at you from the street, the greeting is more like "Beautiful!" (don't worry I'm not getting cocky about that) or "I love you!"
Q: When do you start your volunteer work? How will you get there?
A: Volunteering starts Monday but it's more of a technical, figure out the bus routes (we will be accompanied the first trip), what will you be doing there kind of day. We have to get 15 hours total a week, for several hours starting at 4 each day.
Q: How do you do laundry?
A: I haven't yet but it costs eight American dollars to do laundry in the house! There's a laundromat nearby so that might be the better option. For once I didn't over-pack and I wish I had brought more clothes, oh well.
Q: What is the time difference?
A: It is 1 hour earlier than East Coast, so... central I think?
Q: Are the sons in the house cute?
A: One is forty and taken. The others are not my type.
Q: Do you have to miss class for the Mexico City trip, or is it planned for all of the international students?
A: The trip is planned by the exchange office like the Guachimontones trip, so a lot of people are going. I think they still hold classes, but we will have cultural homework (what new things did you see? write about it in 200 words or less) rather than missing important lessons.
Q: Have you seen any Latin American drug lords?
A: Unfortunately no (at least not yet, though I hear they're nice guys), but I saw the neighborhood where one of them lives and it's like Beverly Hills (more safe and secure, they can avoid getting shot there, no lie).
Q: Is there a lot of homework?
A: Not yet, but in a couple weeks we will have a some to do for the Transcultural Awareness class.
Q: Are the stereotypes true?
A: Lots of Mexicans ride in the back of trucks, but there aren't many rules of the road so it's not out-of-place like in the US. There are lots of pictures of the Pope and lots of stores that sell pictures of the Pope. There are lots and lots and lots of tortillas... but I don't know that these should necessarily be portrayed as bad stereotypes, they are more like differences in culture.
Q: Is the Spanish class just an hour a day?
A: Mexican Society is from 8-9 everyday for 4 weeks, Spanish is from 9-11 everyday for the whole time (but we will switch levels halfway through), and Transcultural Awareness an hour a week on Skype. I do have to say (and I know this sounds cheesy) that class is not just 2 hours a day, but all day, because when I talk with the family I use what I learned in class to answer/ask questions, that sort of thing.
Please ask if you have any more questions (and rest assured these are not all things people really asked me, I made up the laundry one), and I really do like getting comments from people (hint hint).
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Seis - el primero sábado - y Siete - el primero domingo
Day 6 - the first Saturday - and day 7 - the first Sunday
We got to sleep in this morning! Woke up 15 whole minutes later. Today was supposed to be our Sayula trip but there were some changes to the schedule & some confusion... but we did end up on a bus going somewhere. That somewhere was more of Jalisco: an hacienda & some pyramids.
We rode for an hour and I slept until our huge charter bus started bumping along on the tiny dirt road to the hacienda. Haciendas are like plantations, ranging from 500 to thousands of acres. Because they are so large and are so far from each other, haciendas have their own chapel in them too, which was neat. This was a smaller one (though still large) that used to produce tequila and sugar, but now primarily focuses on horses; they even have an arena for showing them. They also have chickens, many different and strange bugs (but they still have mosquitos... and they bite just as badly here), and a peacock (that makes noises like a dying cat). The whole place was covered in mud too, so that was fun to walk around in in flip-flops :)
Next we went to Guachimontones. It's right outside Teuchitlan and just up a mountain (I'm sure you know where that is). When I first got off the bus I thought, how pathetic, one little pyramid. But nooo, there was an amazing view of Teuchitlan below and its bright blue lake too, and not just one pyramid but 16 and a temple too.
Before I go any further let me describe my UAG tour guide: in her 50s, chin-length gelled red hair, skin-tight mom jeans, and a stylish fanny pack.
Back to the story, mom-jeans told us (she spoke in English the whole day) that Guachimontones means "pile of pumpkins" and it used to be the center of government so they could look down on the Teuchitlan people below. Pre-Hispanic pyramids were built to honor the gods, not to bury the dead, and these were for the god of wind. They would have hours-long ceremonies there where people would lay with their stomachs on upright poles to imitate flying, ouch. They also had a little court or mini-stadium for ball games.
We went down to Teuchitlan for lunch. Blanca had packed ham sandwiches for Daisy and I because the only food there is at sketchy little Mexican kiosks that can make you sick... but after my sandwich and after Chenoa & Anna didn't throw up after a bite of their food, I decided to risk it and get a taco. I told myself before this trip that I wanted to risk it once, and that was my one and only experience at a sketchy little Mexican food kiosk: Chenoa and I were fine but Anna got pretty sick that night (and no, the ham sandwich did not make Daisy sick either). The university did a really good job arranging this trip, so hopefully DF (Mexico/ Mexico City/ the capital) will be good next week.
When we got home, Alfredo the Elder told us about a safe, reliable bus to the beach (not Puerto Vallarta, it's only bars not for swimming, but one close by it that's much quieter, prettier, and swim-friendly) that leaves at early in the morning, we could spend all day there on the beach, and then catch a late night bus back. We have 3 weekends on this trip with no excursions, so that's probably what the 4 of us will do sometime (I hope!).
This was such an American weekend. Saturday night after our trip, Daisy & I visited Chenoa & Anna at their apartment, which is a little bigger than ours but a little farther from school. We watched The Hangover and ate chips & dip. Sunday morning, Daisy & I got Starbucks (because Blanca doesn't cook on Sundays and it was Father's Day so the family was off doing stuff) and went to church with an American missionary family here, the Roys. They have a little church that meets in a Holiday Inn meeting room. There aren't many families there but I really liked the service. It was contemporary and all in Spanish, but I understood the songs (based on hymns and other songs I've heard in English) and the gist of the sermon. Afterwards the family took us to El Pollo Pepe, which is almost a KFC (I had chips & guacamole, really good chicken in tortillas, mashed potatoes, and pasta salad). The one new thing I tried was rice water, which is popular here. Then we drove to the top of a mountain where we could see all of Guadalajara, it stretches out so far! It was so strange though to drive past polished multi-million dollar mansions, then while returning into the city seeing homeless people and graffiti and trash.
Daisy & I got home around 4 and hung out for a bit, then at 7 we headed to Applebee's with Chenoa and Anna... where we got burgers and fries and the English-speaking waiter had to help me. I hardly spoke any Spanish this weekend (though I did listen to some) which was annoying because that's what I came here to work on, but I did get to see some historic and cultural things Saturday morning.
We got to sleep in this morning! Woke up 15 whole minutes later. Today was supposed to be our Sayula trip but there were some changes to the schedule & some confusion... but we did end up on a bus going somewhere. That somewhere was more of Jalisco: an hacienda & some pyramids.
We rode for an hour and I slept until our huge charter bus started bumping along on the tiny dirt road to the hacienda. Haciendas are like plantations, ranging from 500 to thousands of acres. Because they are so large and are so far from each other, haciendas have their own chapel in them too, which was neat. This was a smaller one (though still large) that used to produce tequila and sugar, but now primarily focuses on horses; they even have an arena for showing them. They also have chickens, many different and strange bugs (but they still have mosquitos... and they bite just as badly here), and a peacock (that makes noises like a dying cat). The whole place was covered in mud too, so that was fun to walk around in in flip-flops :)
Next we went to Guachimontones. It's right outside Teuchitlan and just up a mountain (I'm sure you know where that is). When I first got off the bus I thought, how pathetic, one little pyramid. But nooo, there was an amazing view of Teuchitlan below and its bright blue lake too, and not just one pyramid but 16 and a temple too.
Before I go any further let me describe my UAG tour guide: in her 50s, chin-length gelled red hair, skin-tight mom jeans, and a stylish fanny pack.
Back to the story, mom-jeans told us (she spoke in English the whole day) that Guachimontones means "pile of pumpkins" and it used to be the center of government so they could look down on the Teuchitlan people below. Pre-Hispanic pyramids were built to honor the gods, not to bury the dead, and these were for the god of wind. They would have hours-long ceremonies there where people would lay with their stomachs on upright poles to imitate flying, ouch. They also had a little court or mini-stadium for ball games.
We went down to Teuchitlan for lunch. Blanca had packed ham sandwiches for Daisy and I because the only food there is at sketchy little Mexican kiosks that can make you sick... but after my sandwich and after Chenoa & Anna didn't throw up after a bite of their food, I decided to risk it and get a taco. I told myself before this trip that I wanted to risk it once, and that was my one and only experience at a sketchy little Mexican food kiosk: Chenoa and I were fine but Anna got pretty sick that night (and no, the ham sandwich did not make Daisy sick either). The university did a really good job arranging this trip, so hopefully DF (Mexico/ Mexico City/ the capital) will be good next week.
When we got home, Alfredo the Elder told us about a safe, reliable bus to the beach (not Puerto Vallarta, it's only bars not for swimming, but one close by it that's much quieter, prettier, and swim-friendly) that leaves at early in the morning, we could spend all day there on the beach, and then catch a late night bus back. We have 3 weekends on this trip with no excursions, so that's probably what the 4 of us will do sometime (I hope!).
This was such an American weekend. Saturday night after our trip, Daisy & I visited Chenoa & Anna at their apartment, which is a little bigger than ours but a little farther from school. We watched The Hangover and ate chips & dip. Sunday morning, Daisy & I got Starbucks (because Blanca doesn't cook on Sundays and it was Father's Day so the family was off doing stuff) and went to church with an American missionary family here, the Roys. They have a little church that meets in a Holiday Inn meeting room. There aren't many families there but I really liked the service. It was contemporary and all in Spanish, but I understood the songs (based on hymns and other songs I've heard in English) and the gist of the sermon. Afterwards the family took us to El Pollo Pepe, which is almost a KFC (I had chips & guacamole, really good chicken in tortillas, mashed potatoes, and pasta salad). The one new thing I tried was rice water, which is popular here. Then we drove to the top of a mountain where we could see all of Guadalajara, it stretches out so far! It was so strange though to drive past polished multi-million dollar mansions, then while returning into the city seeing homeless people and graffiti and trash.
Daisy & I got home around 4 and hung out for a bit, then at 7 we headed to Applebee's with Chenoa and Anna... where we got burgers and fries and the English-speaking waiter had to help me. I hardly spoke any Spanish this weekend (though I did listen to some) which was annoying because that's what I came here to work on, but I did get to see some historic and cultural things Saturday morning.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day 5? It feels like a month!
So as far as my previous Charlotte post went... I have to say sorry to all my friends back home because I have a new best friend and her name is Pepto Bismol. Enough said.
Moving on. We had pancakes for breakfast. How do you say that in Spanish, you ask? Hot cakes. It's right on the box.
As we were leaving for school, Alfredo said to wait and he would drive us. I thought that it was just a nice random gesture until we got outside and there was torrential downpour: we've officially moved into rainy season. Not only that, but I wore jeans and a sweater all day and I rarely got hot, so it's cooling down from earlier in the week. How am I going to get savage and tan if I have to cover up so much??
Laura Moreno's class, Olga's class, then we went to Martha, program director's office to sign up for/ pay for the Mexico City trip (also called just México or DF for distrito federal, like our DC). We also made our official decision for our volunteer locations: all four of us will be going to Acortar Distancias, the first place we visited, and Chenoa and Anna will be visiting Los Pinos a few times. We also get free t-shirts, the real reason to help disadvantaged people out (just kidding).
Daisy and I walked back home and I have to say, los piropos, the compliments, are picking up. Men in passenger seats rubberneck and yell things, or one guy blew kisses out his window (the lazy eye made it even more flattering).
At home we had vegetable soup, enchiladas with lettuce and tomato, guava juice (it was okay) and chongos zamoranos. It's a cold dessert, I can't tell exactly what it is made of but there's some bread like thing and some caramel in it. I have to say it was not my favorite and I think Blanca could tell, because we were only a couple bites in when she gave us a talk about telling her which foods we do and don't like so she won't repeat them. Also, she says everything is "good for digestion." Unlike America, where the best meals "stop you up" (fried chicken, Thanksgiving, other heavy meals) the goal here is to keep things moving... sorry, this is turning out to be a disgusting entry.
Side note: I need to mention here that they have the cutest dog. Unfortunately, until I arrived, Joakin was the only one who ever gave her any attention or love. She has multiple names, including Motita and Doña, but it doesn't really matter what you call her, as long as you say things to her in Spanish she responds (come here, go away, jump on my lap, get down, pretty much anything but sit or stay).
So we were sitting at the table, no plans for the afternoon, and Blanca said "Everyone keeps telling you, go to el centro, but no one has taken you." El centro is (obviously) the center of the city. This is the most antique part of town and probably the most famous. We were very excited to go. So, Daisy asked her, "Got plans for today?"
Our adventure began before we even got there. The bus ride was the most insane roller coaster I have ever been on, kind of like the Harry Potter movie when the bus shrinks and stops and is out of control, only this bus drive had no magical powers. We came within 1 or 2 inches of a car once, right beside my window. The bus driver got it into 5th gear (on small side streets with stoplights and pedestrians) and we hit pot holes so hard that we literally flew into the air, probably 4, 5, 6 inches up! Our poor tailbones!
Don't worry, we survived the ride. El centro is beautiful. They have a market with homemade goods and streets of store-bought goods: we went into one store where Blanca haggled for individual Ziploc bags. There were many buildings with a lot of history, including one particularly beautiful cathedral, several old government buildings, and a clock in one of the squares with a gunshot hole in it from Pancho Villa himself. While we were out and about, we found out that Blanca has another son, Alex. There are more and more family members we keep hearing about, how many kids does this woman have?
We were there for 3 hours if not a little more, walking walking walking. We came back, Daisy and I collapsed in our room for a few minutes, and then Joakin's girlfriend came over and then Anna and Chenoa, so Blanca (poor woman, probably exhausted) fixed enchiladas (with that really good onion-cheese topping) and guava juice for us again, like lunch. The four of us hung out for a little bit then the other 2 headed home and we went to bed.
Moving on. We had pancakes for breakfast. How do you say that in Spanish, you ask? Hot cakes. It's right on the box.
As we were leaving for school, Alfredo said to wait and he would drive us. I thought that it was just a nice random gesture until we got outside and there was torrential downpour: we've officially moved into rainy season. Not only that, but I wore jeans and a sweater all day and I rarely got hot, so it's cooling down from earlier in the week. How am I going to get savage and tan if I have to cover up so much??
Laura Moreno's class, Olga's class, then we went to Martha, program director's office to sign up for/ pay for the Mexico City trip (also called just México or DF for distrito federal, like our DC). We also made our official decision for our volunteer locations: all four of us will be going to Acortar Distancias, the first place we visited, and Chenoa and Anna will be visiting Los Pinos a few times. We also get free t-shirts, the real reason to help disadvantaged people out (just kidding).
Daisy and I walked back home and I have to say, los piropos, the compliments, are picking up. Men in passenger seats rubberneck and yell things, or one guy blew kisses out his window (the lazy eye made it even more flattering).
At home we had vegetable soup, enchiladas with lettuce and tomato, guava juice (it was okay) and chongos zamoranos. It's a cold dessert, I can't tell exactly what it is made of but there's some bread like thing and some caramel in it. I have to say it was not my favorite and I think Blanca could tell, because we were only a couple bites in when she gave us a talk about telling her which foods we do and don't like so she won't repeat them. Also, she says everything is "good for digestion." Unlike America, where the best meals "stop you up" (fried chicken, Thanksgiving, other heavy meals) the goal here is to keep things moving... sorry, this is turning out to be a disgusting entry.
Side note: I need to mention here that they have the cutest dog. Unfortunately, until I arrived, Joakin was the only one who ever gave her any attention or love. She has multiple names, including Motita and Doña, but it doesn't really matter what you call her, as long as you say things to her in Spanish she responds (come here, go away, jump on my lap, get down, pretty much anything but sit or stay).
So we were sitting at the table, no plans for the afternoon, and Blanca said "Everyone keeps telling you, go to el centro, but no one has taken you." El centro is (obviously) the center of the city. This is the most antique part of town and probably the most famous. We were very excited to go. So, Daisy asked her, "Got plans for today?"
Our adventure began before we even got there. The bus ride was the most insane roller coaster I have ever been on, kind of like the Harry Potter movie when the bus shrinks and stops and is out of control, only this bus drive had no magical powers. We came within 1 or 2 inches of a car once, right beside my window. The bus driver got it into 5th gear (on small side streets with stoplights and pedestrians) and we hit pot holes so hard that we literally flew into the air, probably 4, 5, 6 inches up! Our poor tailbones!
Don't worry, we survived the ride. El centro is beautiful. They have a market with homemade goods and streets of store-bought goods: we went into one store where Blanca haggled for individual Ziploc bags. There were many buildings with a lot of history, including one particularly beautiful cathedral, several old government buildings, and a clock in one of the squares with a gunshot hole in it from Pancho Villa himself. While we were out and about, we found out that Blanca has another son, Alex. There are more and more family members we keep hearing about, how many kids does this woman have?
We were there for 3 hours if not a little more, walking walking walking. We came back, Daisy and I collapsed in our room for a few minutes, and then Joakin's girlfriend came over and then Anna and Chenoa, so Blanca (poor woman, probably exhausted) fixed enchiladas (with that really good onion-cheese topping) and guava juice for us again, like lunch. The four of us hung out for a little bit then the other 2 headed home and we went to bed.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Day 4
1. I need to start going to bed earlier.
2. I need to nap during the day.
For breakfast we had ham sandwiches like the first night and banana shakes. The banana shake was really good. It was weird having sandwiches for breakfast, but they have desayuno y almuerzo together here, so it's like breakfast and lunch together, dinner at 3, and snack at 10... I guess that makes sense.
We went to Laura Moreno's class and learned about the Mayans and Aztecs. She speaks in Spanish but puts her powerpoints in English, which is good for clarification but more difficult to adjust back and forth.
Then Spanish with Olga. Pleasant lady, but she always has a too-serious look on her face and I get nervous answering questions.
After classes, I went with Daisy so she could get postcards. (Side note: we also stopped by Martha's office and apparently we are going to the town of Sayula this Saturday and Mexico City for 3 days next week!) Martha gave us directions to the post office to get stamps and we headed off. We weren't sure where it was once we got to the area she said it was in, so we asked 2 more people for directions. Then we crossed the street and asked more. Then we crossed another street and asked more. Eventually, after talking to seven people within one city block, we made it!
Here are a few things I've noticed:
-the dress is NOT conservative like they told us before the trip
-the ladies like tight pants and tightly pulled back hair and a lot of people wear jeans and t-shirts to work
-I've seen 1 turn signal used in 4 days here
-they paint the bottom half of trees white to keep the bugs off
We ate la comida around 3 - sopa de pasta codito, carne de rez, tortillas, jugo de papaya y ate de guayaba. This translates to elbow macaroni in tomato sauce, beef and potatoes, tortillas, papaya juice (not great, but better with lime in it), and a 4x6 rubber sheet of guava... yum?
As we were eating, we noticed that for the FIRST time since we arrived, regardless of time, it was quiet on the street.... then suddenly yelling and cheering... the game was on! We turned the TV on and we heard screams everywhere, Mexico scored! The announcer yelled "GOOOOOAAALLLL!" (The stereotypes are true.) One more goal and Mexico beat France for the first time in a long time, 2-0. There were splashes - in the courtyard outside, grown men fully clothed and wearing Mexican jerseys were jumping and pushing each other into the pool. Cars filled the streets and we heard honking for over two hours as people celebrated. On TV they showed people all over Mexico going crazy... and we didn't even win the world cup! This is definitely going to be a fun place to watch the tournament.
Finally, Blanca DOES have a husband! He is a sports writer so he locked himself in the bedroom during the game for no interruptions. He's a twitchy man, but very friendly. Also named Alfredo.
Daisy and I did nothing all afternoon, it was good to be bored for once because I don't think we'll get the chance for the next 7 weeks! Saturday is a day trip to Sayula (a pueblo with haciendas and pyramids), next week we have a trip to Mexico City Thursday through Saturday, and the next Friday a day trip to Tequila.
For dinner we had quesadillas with onions and tomatoes, and chocolate milk (with sugar added to it, it was really rich). Alfredo the Younger came home during dinner and he sat with Daisy, Blanca and me while we ate.... then the strangest conversation came up. Blanca, in her recipe drawer, has an ad stuck in there with a scantily clad woman. There is a restaurant nearby that has exotic dancers. Not just any restaurant... a breakfast place. Eggs, bacon, and a side of strippers? The best part about this conversation (besides the fact that Blanca has kept this ad for a while, goes to this restaurant with other 60-year-old lady friends, and apparently lies to her husband and says that she's going to the grocery store), is that Daisy and I didn't know the word for stripper so Blanca (60-something housewife) and Alfredo (40-something optometrist) had to ACT OUT what pole dancing is.
I think that is a good note to end on :)
2. I need to nap during the day.
For breakfast we had ham sandwiches like the first night and banana shakes. The banana shake was really good. It was weird having sandwiches for breakfast, but they have desayuno y almuerzo together here, so it's like breakfast and lunch together, dinner at 3, and snack at 10... I guess that makes sense.
We went to Laura Moreno's class and learned about the Mayans and Aztecs. She speaks in Spanish but puts her powerpoints in English, which is good for clarification but more difficult to adjust back and forth.
Then Spanish with Olga. Pleasant lady, but she always has a too-serious look on her face and I get nervous answering questions.
After classes, I went with Daisy so she could get postcards. (Side note: we also stopped by Martha's office and apparently we are going to the town of Sayula this Saturday and Mexico City for 3 days next week!) Martha gave us directions to the post office to get stamps and we headed off. We weren't sure where it was once we got to the area she said it was in, so we asked 2 more people for directions. Then we crossed the street and asked more. Then we crossed another street and asked more. Eventually, after talking to seven people within one city block, we made it!
Here are a few things I've noticed:
-the dress is NOT conservative like they told us before the trip
-the ladies like tight pants and tightly pulled back hair and a lot of people wear jeans and t-shirts to work
-I've seen 1 turn signal used in 4 days here
-they paint the bottom half of trees white to keep the bugs off
We ate la comida around 3 - sopa de pasta codito, carne de rez, tortillas, jugo de papaya y ate de guayaba. This translates to elbow macaroni in tomato sauce, beef and potatoes, tortillas, papaya juice (not great, but better with lime in it), and a 4x6 rubber sheet of guava... yum?
As we were eating, we noticed that for the FIRST time since we arrived, regardless of time, it was quiet on the street.... then suddenly yelling and cheering... the game was on! We turned the TV on and we heard screams everywhere, Mexico scored! The announcer yelled "GOOOOOAAALLLL!" (The stereotypes are true.) One more goal and Mexico beat France for the first time in a long time, 2-0. There were splashes - in the courtyard outside, grown men fully clothed and wearing Mexican jerseys were jumping and pushing each other into the pool. Cars filled the streets and we heard honking for over two hours as people celebrated. On TV they showed people all over Mexico going crazy... and we didn't even win the world cup! This is definitely going to be a fun place to watch the tournament.
Finally, Blanca DOES have a husband! He is a sports writer so he locked himself in the bedroom during the game for no interruptions. He's a twitchy man, but very friendly. Also named Alfredo.
Daisy and I did nothing all afternoon, it was good to be bored for once because I don't think we'll get the chance for the next 7 weeks! Saturday is a day trip to Sayula (a pueblo with haciendas and pyramids), next week we have a trip to Mexico City Thursday through Saturday, and the next Friday a day trip to Tequila.
For dinner we had quesadillas with onions and tomatoes, and chocolate milk (with sugar added to it, it was really rich). Alfredo the Younger came home during dinner and he sat with Daisy, Blanca and me while we ate.... then the strangest conversation came up. Blanca, in her recipe drawer, has an ad stuck in there with a scantily clad woman. There is a restaurant nearby that has exotic dancers. Not just any restaurant... a breakfast place. Eggs, bacon, and a side of strippers? The best part about this conversation (besides the fact that Blanca has kept this ad for a while, goes to this restaurant with other 60-year-old lady friends, and apparently lies to her husband and says that she's going to the grocery store), is that Daisy and I didn't know the word for stripper so Blanca (60-something housewife) and Alfredo (40-something optometrist) had to ACT OUT what pole dancing is.
I think that is a good note to end on :)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Day 3
First of all, I am really sorry that last post was so long, but I think as time goes on and I become more used to things, they will get shorter. Unfortunately, I don't think this one or any this week are going to be much shorter than the last.
This morning for breakfast we had eggs and beans, then were given official house keys and went to our class at 8 (uh oh, if Business 100 at UNC is any indication, I will not make it on time very often). Our teacher is Laura Moreno, and apparently her boss calls her Laurita (we had a bonding moment). This class, which will also be taught in Spanish, is called Mexican Society and Culture or something like that and we'll be learning about the different Mexican states, the economy, health care, family structures, etc. It turns out that our class with Prof. Alcocer (program director's husband) is the only thing we'll be doing in English.
Next we went to our Spanish classes. I moved up to Level 4 today and it was so different from yesterday (when there were 3 classmates). Instead there were 15 rambunctious people yelling in English when I walked in. But it turned out well, I feel like it's the right level for me and everyone was super friendly and outgoing.
(In case I haven't made things clear, the classes are: Mexican Society and Culture with Laura at 8, every morning for four weeks. Spanish with Olga at 9 for 1/2 my time here, then I will move up to Level 5 for the second half. Transcultural Awareness and Social Integration with Prof. Alcocer once a week on Skype.)
All the buildings are very open here. Even if there is no air conditioning, it is nice and cool because of the breezeways and air flowing through. So much less humid than Danville!!
Then we met up with the program director, Martha, and our favorite driver and campus-wide ladies man, Mario, and went to the volunteer sites. First, Acortar Distancias, is only 20 minutes away but looks like a different country. It is on the side of the mountains and all the buildings are colorful, so it's pretty in one sense, but there is graffiti everywhere, some slum-like housing, buildings with ceilings missing (like a bomb had gone off - it almost looked like a war zone). The agency, however, was like being back on campus. Acortar Distancias is a very nice daycare center where they keep kids off the streets during the free time after school, when they would usually get involved in drugs or bad influences.
Next we went with Mario to Los Pinos (closer to campus), a home for boys from abusive homes. They are CRAZY KIDS! And so fearless, they just ran up to us "Hey How are you?" If the families are improving, the boys can go there on the weekends, but if not, parents can visit the kids at the agency.
After that, we came home and Blanca had food cooking. She constantly is telling us to write every little detail of our trip down so we will always remember it, and wants us to write in Spanish, entonces: comimos sopa de arroz con papas y zanahorias y crema en las tortillas y para el postre, papaya con lima. In English: we ate rice soup (not really soup), which was just rice with potatoes and carrots in a sauce, then sour cream (but not really sour cream) on it, all in tortilla. For dessert we had papaya which originally tasted like bad canteloupe. The Blanca put lime juice on it (weird, right?) and it was sooo sweet! I get made fun of a lot for eating slow and not eating spicy food (by Blanca and her older son Alfredo), but she is happy that it will give me good digestion.... I guess I should be happy she's proud of me for something?
Next we met Martha at 4:30 (or 4:50 her time) and she drove us (no Mario!) to a home for mentally retarded people (severe Autism, Down's Syndrome, birth defects). Most were babies through twenty-year-olds, but there was also an 80 year old woman with Alzheimer's. Monks and nuns run the place but it is very difficult, only 3 workers live there full-time and there are 25 or so residents, all bedridden. Their motto is the Biblical, whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me, and their are pictures of the pope and Jesus everywhere. Hermano (I didn't catch his real name) stressed that they are all happy there because they are living, and the children are not sad. However, it was very sad to walk through there, especially seeing a 21 year old man the size of a 4 year old boy.
We were all in a down mood after leaving the home... ironically our next stop was the mall (the best in the city I hear). Like the school, you walk in the building but you are still outside. Stores have air conditioning, but the ceiling is open and it's sort of like an outdoor mall. I got a cell phone... quite an experience. You walk in, get a ticket, then wait in line and an employee at one of 30 stands calls you up. I picked out the phone, she sent me to a different desk to pay then I went back to the first stand to pick up my phone and numbers. (Yes, numbers, when I run out of minutes the first time I switch to a new number.) I couldn't register the phone there because I don't have two last names like everyone else in this country (ella dijo "que raro!"). They register them to keep prisoners from harassing people? I don't quite understand.
We went home, relaxed, then for dinner we had frijoladas con cebollas which are tortillas with beans in them and onions on top. It's probably my favorite food so far, it was really good. Unfortunately she gave me 2 and Ellie (aka Gordito) 4. I was jealous. This was our first time really talking with Ellie and he's a really friendly guy. I'm 20, Daisy's 21, Joakin's 22, and Ellie's 23. We like to joke that Blanca is 24 (and not 66). Alfredo came home from work and finished registering my phone. I didn't understand what he was saying to me so I finally just had to say "help me!!" and thankfully he didn't try to explain any more. End of Day 3... Day 4 is only a few hours away.
This is very long so I understand if you didn't read it all... I know at least my mom will :)
This morning for breakfast we had eggs and beans, then were given official house keys and went to our class at 8 (uh oh, if Business 100 at UNC is any indication, I will not make it on time very often). Our teacher is Laura Moreno, and apparently her boss calls her Laurita (we had a bonding moment). This class, which will also be taught in Spanish, is called Mexican Society and Culture or something like that and we'll be learning about the different Mexican states, the economy, health care, family structures, etc. It turns out that our class with Prof. Alcocer (program director's husband) is the only thing we'll be doing in English.
Next we went to our Spanish classes. I moved up to Level 4 today and it was so different from yesterday (when there were 3 classmates). Instead there were 15 rambunctious people yelling in English when I walked in. But it turned out well, I feel like it's the right level for me and everyone was super friendly and outgoing.
(In case I haven't made things clear, the classes are: Mexican Society and Culture with Laura at 8, every morning for four weeks. Spanish with Olga at 9 for 1/2 my time here, then I will move up to Level 5 for the second half. Transcultural Awareness and Social Integration with Prof. Alcocer once a week on Skype.)
All the buildings are very open here. Even if there is no air conditioning, it is nice and cool because of the breezeways and air flowing through. So much less humid than Danville!!
Then we met up with the program director, Martha, and our favorite driver and campus-wide ladies man, Mario, and went to the volunteer sites. First, Acortar Distancias, is only 20 minutes away but looks like a different country. It is on the side of the mountains and all the buildings are colorful, so it's pretty in one sense, but there is graffiti everywhere, some slum-like housing, buildings with ceilings missing (like a bomb had gone off - it almost looked like a war zone). The agency, however, was like being back on campus. Acortar Distancias is a very nice daycare center where they keep kids off the streets during the free time after school, when they would usually get involved in drugs or bad influences.
Next we went with Mario to Los Pinos (closer to campus), a home for boys from abusive homes. They are CRAZY KIDS! And so fearless, they just ran up to us "Hey How are you?" If the families are improving, the boys can go there on the weekends, but if not, parents can visit the kids at the agency.
After that, we came home and Blanca had food cooking. She constantly is telling us to write every little detail of our trip down so we will always remember it, and wants us to write in Spanish, entonces: comimos sopa de arroz con papas y zanahorias y crema en las tortillas y para el postre, papaya con lima. In English: we ate rice soup (not really soup), which was just rice with potatoes and carrots in a sauce, then sour cream (but not really sour cream) on it, all in tortilla. For dessert we had papaya which originally tasted like bad canteloupe. The Blanca put lime juice on it (weird, right?) and it was sooo sweet! I get made fun of a lot for eating slow and not eating spicy food (by Blanca and her older son Alfredo), but she is happy that it will give me good digestion.... I guess I should be happy she's proud of me for something?
Next we met Martha at 4:30 (or 4:50 her time) and she drove us (no Mario!) to a home for mentally retarded people (severe Autism, Down's Syndrome, birth defects). Most were babies through twenty-year-olds, but there was also an 80 year old woman with Alzheimer's. Monks and nuns run the place but it is very difficult, only 3 workers live there full-time and there are 25 or so residents, all bedridden. Their motto is the Biblical, whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me, and their are pictures of the pope and Jesus everywhere. Hermano (I didn't catch his real name) stressed that they are all happy there because they are living, and the children are not sad. However, it was very sad to walk through there, especially seeing a 21 year old man the size of a 4 year old boy.
We were all in a down mood after leaving the home... ironically our next stop was the mall (the best in the city I hear). Like the school, you walk in the building but you are still outside. Stores have air conditioning, but the ceiling is open and it's sort of like an outdoor mall. I got a cell phone... quite an experience. You walk in, get a ticket, then wait in line and an employee at one of 30 stands calls you up. I picked out the phone, she sent me to a different desk to pay then I went back to the first stand to pick up my phone and numbers. (Yes, numbers, when I run out of minutes the first time I switch to a new number.) I couldn't register the phone there because I don't have two last names like everyone else in this country (ella dijo "que raro!"). They register them to keep prisoners from harassing people? I don't quite understand.
We went home, relaxed, then for dinner we had frijoladas con cebollas which are tortillas with beans in them and onions on top. It's probably my favorite food so far, it was really good. Unfortunately she gave me 2 and Ellie (aka Gordito) 4. I was jealous. This was our first time really talking with Ellie and he's a really friendly guy. I'm 20, Daisy's 21, Joakin's 22, and Ellie's 23. We like to joke that Blanca is 24 (and not 66). Alfredo came home from work and finished registering my phone. I didn't understand what he was saying to me so I finally just had to say "help me!!" and thankfully he didn't try to explain any more. End of Day 3... Day 4 is only a few hours away.
This is very long so I understand if you didn't read it all... I know at least my mom will :)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Day 2, and a little leftover from Day 1
Yesterday I forgot to mention that:
-this city is GIGANTIC.
-the older son, Alfredo, loves Michael Jordan and the younger son, Joakin, loves Guitar Hero.
-we had ham sandwiches on white bread for dinner, then this morning we had cereal... where is the authentic Mexican food??
-Blanca walked us to the mall nearby which has an Applebee's and a Starbucks. Everything has an hour or two when they close (around 2 or 3 pm) for lunch. Then we went in a grocery store which looked just like Harris Teeter.
-Blanca also loved her hostess gifts (Daisy got her a book of pretty pictures of NC... the woman looked at it for forever!) and I got her a few household things (including a towel "too pretty to use").
Onto today:
We had to be at school at 8 this morning and Blanca walked us over there. It's maybe a 20 minute walk to the building (so pretty much like being at UNC) and then took our placement exams. I scored halfway between Levels 3 and 4... but I'm a pansy and opted for Level 3. It was wayyy too easy though so I bumped up to 4, I'll see how that goes tomorrow. There are 4 IPSL students (the program I'm doing) this term, which is far from what I expected. Three from UNC and 1 from UGA.
We met the program director and learned about the possible different volunteer sites; we'll be visiting those tomorrow. All of them are versions of an orphanage, including one for Mexican street children who don't speak Spanish (I don't quite understand that one).
We took a tour and got our student IDs (which, pathetically, I was extremely excited about) and book for the Spanish class. The campus looks like any American college campus pretty much, and there are a lot of exchange students here for the summer.
Finally, our first MEXICAN meal! La comida, the meal around 2, is the huge meal for the family. We had spaghetti-sauce-like soup with noodles, tortillas, salad, fried chicken (but not like Kentucky, as Blanca says), beans and cheese (the cheese is NOT the same - it's way gooier and richer), pineapple juice, and for dessert, bananas in a sweet creamy sauce (soooo sugary!).
Side note: while we were in class, Blanca came in our room and made the beds, put my dirty clothes in the closer (whoops, sorry Blanca), cleaned up. She also continuously jumps up during meals to get people more food or to make another dish, it's like Christmas Story when the mom has never eaten a hot meal! A lot of times she doesn't even eat with us, just makes plates for everyone else. Mom, get used to maid service because I might be expecting it when I get home.
After a nap, we went to meet another professor (Spanish is with other exchange students at UAG, our other 2 classes are through IPSL and are only the 4 of us). He will be in Portland for a month teaching, so we will have class on Skype. He is a Mexican who lived in Idaho for years (and is the program director's husband) so we were really able to discuss differences between the US and Mexico. The big one? Americans like to follow rules and Mexicans are crazy drivers who don't pay attention to stoplights. In Chapel Hill, the pedestrians have right of way, but in Mexico it's like a driver's license to kill: they will run you over!!
After the meeting, Daisy and I hung out at the apartment, put just our feet in the pool for a while (hmm, las cucarachas, not ideal for swimming), and then played Guitar Hero and Call of Duty (wooo!) with Joakin for a while. It was so hard to talk in Spanish and play at the same time.
For dinner we had authentic quesadillas! And again, the cheese is so different.
I am already thinking in Spanglish, 2 days in, but still at the point where I can't speak quickly or get my point across. It really is exhausting, trying to comprehend everything and conjugate and switch between Spanish and English.
It's tough to recap every detail, it feels like we've been here a week or two by now, but so far things are going pretty well.
-this city is GIGANTIC.
-the older son, Alfredo, loves Michael Jordan and the younger son, Joakin, loves Guitar Hero.
-we had ham sandwiches on white bread for dinner, then this morning we had cereal... where is the authentic Mexican food??
-Blanca walked us to the mall nearby which has an Applebee's and a Starbucks. Everything has an hour or two when they close (around 2 or 3 pm) for lunch. Then we went in a grocery store which looked just like Harris Teeter.
-Blanca also loved her hostess gifts (Daisy got her a book of pretty pictures of NC... the woman looked at it for forever!) and I got her a few household things (including a towel "too pretty to use").
Onto today:
We had to be at school at 8 this morning and Blanca walked us over there. It's maybe a 20 minute walk to the building (so pretty much like being at UNC) and then took our placement exams. I scored halfway between Levels 3 and 4... but I'm a pansy and opted for Level 3. It was wayyy too easy though so I bumped up to 4, I'll see how that goes tomorrow. There are 4 IPSL students (the program I'm doing) this term, which is far from what I expected. Three from UNC and 1 from UGA.
We met the program director and learned about the possible different volunteer sites; we'll be visiting those tomorrow. All of them are versions of an orphanage, including one for Mexican street children who don't speak Spanish (I don't quite understand that one).
We took a tour and got our student IDs (which, pathetically, I was extremely excited about) and book for the Spanish class. The campus looks like any American college campus pretty much, and there are a lot of exchange students here for the summer.
Finally, our first MEXICAN meal! La comida, the meal around 2, is the huge meal for the family. We had spaghetti-sauce-like soup with noodles, tortillas, salad, fried chicken (but not like Kentucky, as Blanca says), beans and cheese (the cheese is NOT the same - it's way gooier and richer), pineapple juice, and for dessert, bananas in a sweet creamy sauce (soooo sugary!).
Side note: while we were in class, Blanca came in our room and made the beds, put my dirty clothes in the closer (whoops, sorry Blanca), cleaned up. She also continuously jumps up during meals to get people more food or to make another dish, it's like Christmas Story when the mom has never eaten a hot meal! A lot of times she doesn't even eat with us, just makes plates for everyone else. Mom, get used to maid service because I might be expecting it when I get home.
After a nap, we went to meet another professor (Spanish is with other exchange students at UAG, our other 2 classes are through IPSL and are only the 4 of us). He will be in Portland for a month teaching, so we will have class on Skype. He is a Mexican who lived in Idaho for years (and is the program director's husband) so we were really able to discuss differences between the US and Mexico. The big one? Americans like to follow rules and Mexicans are crazy drivers who don't pay attention to stoplights. In Chapel Hill, the pedestrians have right of way, but in Mexico it's like a driver's license to kill: they will run you over!!
After the meeting, Daisy and I hung out at the apartment, put just our feet in the pool for a while (hmm, las cucarachas, not ideal for swimming), and then played Guitar Hero and Call of Duty (wooo!) with Joakin for a while. It was so hard to talk in Spanish and play at the same time.
For dinner we had authentic quesadillas! And again, the cheese is so different.
I am already thinking in Spanglish, 2 days in, but still at the point where I can't speak quickly or get my point across. It really is exhausting, trying to comprehend everything and conjugate and switch between Spanish and English.
It's tough to recap every detail, it feels like we've been here a week or two by now, but so far things are going pretty well.
Monday, June 14, 2010
I am in Mexico
I am in Mexico and I have done more awkward smile-and-nodding than ever before. My flights were fine and the guy who drove us from the airport, Mario, is the best driver ever (weave in and out of rush hour traffic). He also carried my 50 pound bag and Daisy's (the other girl from UNC staying in the apartment with me) 30 pound bag up the 2 flights of stairs for us - cool guy.
My host family is Blanca the mom, Joakin and Alfredo the sons (22 and 40 years old) and another kid "Gordito" whose mom died so he lives here too, he is Joakin's age or maybe a little younger. They also have a little dog that roams the area. La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, the school where I'll be taking classes, is directly across the street. The soccer stadium is in our front yard (not really a yard... it's an apartment building) and they are the Tecos, the owls. Daisy and I tried to explain Tar Heels but I don't think they quite understood it. I guess it isn't the greatest mascot name.
So it's almost 10:30 and Blanca is STARTING to fix dinner. I am exhausted. Between Daisy and I we've had 9 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. 8 am orientation tomorrow. Ay Dios mio.
My host family is Blanca the mom, Joakin and Alfredo the sons (22 and 40 years old) and another kid "Gordito" whose mom died so he lives here too, he is Joakin's age or maybe a little younger. They also have a little dog that roams the area. La Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, the school where I'll be taking classes, is directly across the street. The soccer stadium is in our front yard (not really a yard... it's an apartment building) and they are the Tecos, the owls. Daisy and I tried to explain Tar Heels but I don't think they quite understood it. I guess it isn't the greatest mascot name.
So it's almost 10:30 and Blanca is STARTING to fix dinner. I am exhausted. Between Daisy and I we've had 9 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. 8 am orientation tomorrow. Ay Dios mio.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
the night before my trip
I may have had (may be still going through) a minor (major) breakdown, complete with near hyperventilation, feeling sick, lots of sobs, and very dramatic late-late-night phone calls. We will see how things go tomorrow ... I've never flown by myself before! ahhh. And to top it off I'm still working on my homework (which I have known about for a full month). yikes.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
My greatest fear
Search "Charlotte drinks the water in Mexico" on Youtube and watch the video from Sex & The City.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
T-19 days
So this is crazy... years of saying "I might study abroad some time in college, not sure where yet" and now in less than 3 weeks I will be in Mexico. Things are sure to turn out different than expected, but for now this is what I know:
-2 months in Guadalajara, Mexico
-home stay
-Spanish and culture classes
-some type of volunteer work, I'll find out what when I get there.
and here are my goals:
-learn to say more than "Hola" and "Quiero dos tacos"
-keep people entertained with this blog (I've always hated that word)
... and that's it. Obviously I have a lot of faith in myself if that's all I hope to accomplish.
-2 months in Guadalajara, Mexico
-home stay
-Spanish and culture classes
-some type of volunteer work, I'll find out what when I get there.
and here are my goals:
-learn to say more than "Hola" and "Quiero dos tacos"
-keep people entertained with this blog (I've always hated that word)
... and that's it. Obviously I have a lot of faith in myself if that's all I hope to accomplish.
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