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).