What a crazy three or four days it has been..... we had en extremely busy week of homework and studying for finals this week. On Thursday we finished our finals (a test, a paper, and a presentation) and Cherie told us she had something important to talk to us about. She started to tell us about incidents of violence that have been happening in Mexico and my heart just broke....I had had this talk before (when they told us CBC was closing) and I knew what was coming. I hoped with all of my heart she was just going to warn us to be careful (as she, Jeannine, Aaron, and Kristina were going back to North Park). Cherie told us about incidents of the drug cartels attacking police stations, homes of police chiefs, restaurants, etc. in towns near Morelia. They also intercepted a truckload of grenades that were headed to Morelia. There had been a grenade thrown in a group of citizens in Morelia last September and it was really calm after that for awhile but in the last few weeks these new situations have happened. The tears exploded immediately when Cherie told us that she had been talking to people at North Park and they had talked with the lawyer and they were closing the program. Morelia 2009 officially closed yesterday. We found out on Thursday afternoon and NP suggested that we leave as soon as possible. Abby, Brenda, Hannah, and I went to the travel agency and got a flight that left Morelia at 2:00AM on Saturday.
I was livid at first. I don't know if I have ever that mad in my life. I hate living my life in fear and I hated that North Park could make that decision for me and if I want to graduate as planned there is nothing I can do about that. I couldn't stay and get credits at North Park and it was so hard. As soon as we changed our plane tickets I stopped fighting it in my head and decided to make the best. I enjoyed my last time in Mexico and I tried to be positive. I cried some on Friday but I didn't really have a whole lot of tears left and it didn't seem real. I said bye to my Mexican family and got a plane. Now I've been home for a day and a half and it still doesn't seem real. I can't believe I'm really here, I'm not going back, and I'll be at North Park in a week. I love everyone here and it's good to see people but it's so hard. It's hard because I want to be there. It's hard because I wasn't prepared to leave; there were so many things I had put off till next quad--and now I'm regretting that a lot! It's hard because I'm back and have to decide a lot about where I'm going to live, what classes I'm going to take and all of that. I don't want to live at home but I don't want to go to North Park either. It's hard because I'm so confused. When I'm away from home, I just wanted it so bad. Now I'm here and I'm not sure I do. I'm not sure if I could/would live in latin america. I'm just so confused about things I have been so sure about before...
Anyway all in all it's been a really really hard week and now I'm home and bored and lonely and just sad. I am sorry if any of you are hurt by reading this but please please know that I am so happy to get to see everyone that I missed so much (but it just isn't the best circumstances to do so).
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Update on Mexican Life
Sorry again that I haven’t written in awhile. It is so hard to find the time to write about the adventures I am having. It is Sunday night and I should probably be doing my homework but instead I am writing this….hopefully I will post it soon.
Last weekend we went to the beach and it was really, really great. We went to a beach called Zihuatenejo and we had a lot of time to relax and enjoy ourselves. We didn’t have classes on Friday so we could leave for the beach. We left school at 8:00 in the morning and arrived at the beach with the entire afternoon to enjoy it. We spent the day playing in the water, playing soccer on the beach (with a group of middle school students that happened to be there) and just relaxing. Then we went to a restaurant on the beach to watch the sunset. It was SO beautiful!! Then on Saturday we went out in a boat and snorkeled at a nearby beach. Some people also fished but didn’t catch anything. Then we got back and three of us decided to paraglide (maybe….I don’t know what its actually called in English) where you are attached to a parachute and pulled by a speedboat around the area. It was very fun and actually just relaxing because it wasn’t very fast so we got to just enjoy the beauty from above. Anyway that night we went to the town of Zihuatenejo for dinner and ended up choosing a not very good restaurant but it was cheap and the drinks were free so we were satisfied. Then we decided to go out but the nightlife in Zihuatenejo was slightly boring so we took a bus to Ixtapa (a more luxurious gringo-filled beach town) to go out. We found a bar that had live music and the guy singing ended up being a Canadian named Sebastian…how weird right? Anyway we had a good time. The next day we hung out on the beach some more, watched a soccer game and left. On our way back to Morelia (which ended up being a very very long trip) we stopped for lunch at another beach.
Anyway this weekend has also been really fun!!! Friday evening we had a Valentine’s Day party at the orphanage we have been helping at and I had so much fun! I haven’t loved going to the orphanage twice a week to help with homework but getting to hang out and play with the kids was a blast. We played a few games, ate, and just hung out with the kids. I think that they enjoyed it too!! After that we went out to a bar with one of our teachers Itzi (who is more like a friend than a teacher) and some of her friends. That was fun and we also went to the disco afterward! It was a really fun night but it made it very difficult to get up at 7:00 yesterday morning to go to Guanajuato. But we did and the trip to Guanajuato was incredibly long. The two hour (ish) trip there took like 9 or 10 hours because we stopped like 10 times at different churches or other sites to see. Some were really cool but some were just another church or another town just like every other. One of the stops we went to a plaza that sells weird flavors of ice cream. The guy let us try all of the flavors we wanted and some were good, some were not. I tried shrimp with octopus ice cream, mole ice cream, beer, tequila with pineapple, cheese, avocado, and a bunch more I can’t remember. I ended up getting mango and tequila and that was delicious. When we got to Guanajuato we went to this horrible museum of legends and stories. It was horrible….even Cherie our professor got in the van afterward and said well there’s nothing to say about that. It was also at the end of a very long, exhausting day (on little sleep for many of us). The museum was just weird and full of windows that have mannequins of the famous legends from Guanajuato. Part of it also had a story about these stuffed bears (maybe…possible woodchucks or something…we really couldn’t tell). That was the worst part of the whole thing. Anyway, then we went out to dinner and I ate pasta (and loved it of course)!!! After dinner we went to the estudiantina which is a tradition where a group of about ten men dressed in colonial (I think) costumes play music and sing and we walk around the city. It was fun but we were also exhausted! Then today we got the entire morning to do as we pleased. I woke up and went out to breakfast with Lisa Stoneberg (a friend from high school who is studying in Guanajuato). It was really good to see her and to talk to her about our experiences (especially since we got together right before I left to talk). Then we left and saw another museum in Guanajuato and a big statue before heading back to Morelia. Once we got back Brenda, Abby, Aaron and I went to a taco place that Christian had told us about and we ate really good tacos al pastor!! It was delicious….now I am back at home and ready to start some homework. Anyway I hope all is well with you all and I would love to hear from you!!!
Last weekend we went to the beach and it was really, really great. We went to a beach called Zihuatenejo and we had a lot of time to relax and enjoy ourselves. We didn’t have classes on Friday so we could leave for the beach. We left school at 8:00 in the morning and arrived at the beach with the entire afternoon to enjoy it. We spent the day playing in the water, playing soccer on the beach (with a group of middle school students that happened to be there) and just relaxing. Then we went to a restaurant on the beach to watch the sunset. It was SO beautiful!! Then on Saturday we went out in a boat and snorkeled at a nearby beach. Some people also fished but didn’t catch anything. Then we got back and three of us decided to paraglide (maybe….I don’t know what its actually called in English) where you are attached to a parachute and pulled by a speedboat around the area. It was very fun and actually just relaxing because it wasn’t very fast so we got to just enjoy the beauty from above. Anyway that night we went to the town of Zihuatenejo for dinner and ended up choosing a not very good restaurant but it was cheap and the drinks were free so we were satisfied. Then we decided to go out but the nightlife in Zihuatenejo was slightly boring so we took a bus to Ixtapa (a more luxurious gringo-filled beach town) to go out. We found a bar that had live music and the guy singing ended up being a Canadian named Sebastian…how weird right? Anyway we had a good time. The next day we hung out on the beach some more, watched a soccer game and left. On our way back to Morelia (which ended up being a very very long trip) we stopped for lunch at another beach.
Anyway this weekend has also been really fun!!! Friday evening we had a Valentine’s Day party at the orphanage we have been helping at and I had so much fun! I haven’t loved going to the orphanage twice a week to help with homework but getting to hang out and play with the kids was a blast. We played a few games, ate, and just hung out with the kids. I think that they enjoyed it too!! After that we went out to a bar with one of our teachers Itzi (who is more like a friend than a teacher) and some of her friends. That was fun and we also went to the disco afterward! It was a really fun night but it made it very difficult to get up at 7:00 yesterday morning to go to Guanajuato. But we did and the trip to Guanajuato was incredibly long. The two hour (ish) trip there took like 9 or 10 hours because we stopped like 10 times at different churches or other sites to see. Some were really cool but some were just another church or another town just like every other. One of the stops we went to a plaza that sells weird flavors of ice cream. The guy let us try all of the flavors we wanted and some were good, some were not. I tried shrimp with octopus ice cream, mole ice cream, beer, tequila with pineapple, cheese, avocado, and a bunch more I can’t remember. I ended up getting mango and tequila and that was delicious. When we got to Guanajuato we went to this horrible museum of legends and stories. It was horrible….even Cherie our professor got in the van afterward and said well there’s nothing to say about that. It was also at the end of a very long, exhausting day (on little sleep for many of us). The museum was just weird and full of windows that have mannequins of the famous legends from Guanajuato. Part of it also had a story about these stuffed bears (maybe…possible woodchucks or something…we really couldn’t tell). That was the worst part of the whole thing. Anyway, then we went out to dinner and I ate pasta (and loved it of course)!!! After dinner we went to the estudiantina which is a tradition where a group of about ten men dressed in colonial (I think) costumes play music and sing and we walk around the city. It was fun but we were also exhausted! Then today we got the entire morning to do as we pleased. I woke up and went out to breakfast with Lisa Stoneberg (a friend from high school who is studying in Guanajuato). It was really good to see her and to talk to her about our experiences (especially since we got together right before I left to talk). Then we left and saw another museum in Guanajuato and a big statue before heading back to Morelia. Once we got back Brenda, Abby, Aaron and I went to a taco place that Christian had told us about and we ate really good tacos al pastor!! It was delicious….now I am back at home and ready to start some homework. Anyway I hope all is well with you all and I would love to hear from you!!!
Monday, February 2, 2009
How am I feeling?
How am I feeling?
It has been a roller coaster of emotions for me these past three weeks in Mexico. I love being here. I love the weather. I really really love our group and the people at the school. I instantly felt very comfortable with my family and loved my house and where I lived and everything. And at the same time sometimes it feels like my life is falling apart here.
As I told you I switched families on Friday in order to be closer to everyone else. This has been a very bittersweet move. I love being closer to everyone else and it has made making plans way easier. However, saying goodbye to my other family was really hard (although they are still one of my Mexican families and we will definitely still see each other). It has also been very difficult to be back at the awkward I-don’t-know-you phase again with a new family. As of yesterday, I have now met my whole family (my mom, dad, two sisters, and one brother). The siblings are all in their twenties and it is definitely different than my eight-year-old sister I had at my other house (mi hermanita). I did just meet a bunch of my brother’s friends and I think that having siblings around my age will help us make new, Mexican friends. As I get more comfortable here I think this move will be a good thing. It has just been a really hard process of deciding to move, choosing a family (I visited three), deciding when to move, telling my old family, and actually moving and readjusting. I’m ready to just adjust here quickly and feel at home (although I do know that will take time).
It has also been a very emotionally crazy three weeks in general. As most of you know I’ve been obsessed with Spanish and Latin America every since I first went to Mexico before my freshman year of high school. However, that has recently been changing and I’m not really sure why. I came back to north park this year not really excited to speak Spanish nor go to Mexico and about a week before I left I freaked out and didn’t want to go to Mexico (and have to transition in, get to people, and leave—again!). So needless to say it has already been an experience that has brought some clarity and a lot of tears. I think that I’m realizing that I do love this culture and this language but not like I used to. I do want it to a part of my life, but not my whole life. I don’t really want to live in Latin America long-term anymore. Realizing this and seeing myself not passionate about things that meant so much to me is actually really hard. It has been a grieving process (of losing that passion) all semester and it has been huge here. I’ve already cried in class a few times (about this and moving)—which probably isn’t that surprising but it has been difficult.
It has been a roller coaster of emotions for me these past three weeks in Mexico. I love being here. I love the weather. I really really love our group and the people at the school. I instantly felt very comfortable with my family and loved my house and where I lived and everything. And at the same time sometimes it feels like my life is falling apart here.
As I told you I switched families on Friday in order to be closer to everyone else. This has been a very bittersweet move. I love being closer to everyone else and it has made making plans way easier. However, saying goodbye to my other family was really hard (although they are still one of my Mexican families and we will definitely still see each other). It has also been very difficult to be back at the awkward I-don’t-know-you phase again with a new family. As of yesterday, I have now met my whole family (my mom, dad, two sisters, and one brother). The siblings are all in their twenties and it is definitely different than my eight-year-old sister I had at my other house (mi hermanita). I did just meet a bunch of my brother’s friends and I think that having siblings around my age will help us make new, Mexican friends. As I get more comfortable here I think this move will be a good thing. It has just been a really hard process of deciding to move, choosing a family (I visited three), deciding when to move, telling my old family, and actually moving and readjusting. I’m ready to just adjust here quickly and feel at home (although I do know that will take time).
It has also been a very emotionally crazy three weeks in general. As most of you know I’ve been obsessed with Spanish and Latin America every since I first went to Mexico before my freshman year of high school. However, that has recently been changing and I’m not really sure why. I came back to north park this year not really excited to speak Spanish nor go to Mexico and about a week before I left I freaked out and didn’t want to go to Mexico (and have to transition in, get to people, and leave—again!). So needless to say it has already been an experience that has brought some clarity and a lot of tears. I think that I’m realizing that I do love this culture and this language but not like I used to. I do want it to a part of my life, but not my whole life. I don’t really want to live in Latin America long-term anymore. Realizing this and seeing myself not passionate about things that meant so much to me is actually really hard. It has been a grieving process (of losing that passion) all semester and it has been huge here. I’ve already cried in class a few times (about this and moving)—which probably isn’t that surprising but it has been difficult.
What have I been doing?
Sorry all that I haven’t written very much. There has been so much happening that I haven’t known what to write about so I ended up choosing whatever seemed the most important at the time so I will try to catch you up a little bit on what has been happening in my life. I am going to post a couple entries right now so you can read what you want….
What have I been doing?
My life is so full of activities here! I have classes every morning from 8:30-12:00 (1:30 on Thursdays). I am taking Mexican Literature which is really hard (partly because literature is not my strong suit (even in English). I am also taking a conversation class which I really don’t like that much. I don’t love the teacher and when we have class in the classroom it is really, really boring. But some days in that class we go on field trips which are awesome! We have gone to markets and churches and the zoo. The zoo was really fun and I got to hold a four-month-old monkey named Bruno. He was so adorable!! I am also taking an advanced Spanish class every day of the week. I love that teacher so even though the material can be boring, I really like that class; however, since Abby, Aaron, Hannah, and I already took Advanced Grammar and Composition at North Park, we have the option of joining a university class instead two days a week. We are still waiting to see if that will be a good idea or if it will be too much. I am hopeful though.
At night three days a week we have optional fun classes of artesanias, cooking, and dancing. Those have been really fun. On Monday nights we have our art classes where we made telas (painted pieces of fabric), piñatas, and the others painted clay pots last week (I was visiting families). On Tuesday nights we have cooking class and it is really fun. We have a professional chef that comes in, teaches us how to cook, and we get to eat the wonderful food. On Thursday nights we have dance class which is really fun but the first week we learned a folkloric dance from Oaxaca (which was not really what we were hoping for) and last week we learned Cumbia (and some of what we learned and did was weird)! For example we began and ended the class in a circle holding hands (and at the end went around the circle and said a word in Spanish—for who knows what reason).
We have also been volunteering at an orphanage and helping with homework. This is not my favorite part of the week because they often don’t need my help and I feel useless. I have really enjoyed getting to know the kids though. They are really fun but I just wish I had more of a chance to get to know them when they weren’t supposed to be doing homework.
We have also had excursions every weekend and mini-excursions on Wednesdays. The first weekend we went to a Purepecha (the local tribe) ruin site and town (Tzintzuntzan, Patzcuaro). Then the next Wednesday we went to a church and an art museum that were close to our school in Morelia. Last weekend we went to four small towns outside of Morelia and in one of those towns we got to watch them make copper which was really cool. Last Wednesday we went to an island town that also has a huge statue at the top that you can go up (like a mix of the lighthouse in Guayaquil and the Virgen in Quito for those of you who know what that means). That was a really cool place and I really enjoyed that trip. Finally this past weekend we went to Uruapan (another city nearby). On Saturday we drove to a volcano name Paricutin and we saw the volcano from a lookout. We then rode horses to the place where the volcano had erupted and we saw the ruins of a church there. That was so fun and we got to climb around on the lava and ruins and it was seriously the most fun we’ve had on an excursion. The church was really cool because the lava flow stopped at the altar to Jesus and it was left in tact. After returning on our horses to the van (my horse won on the way back and on of the ten-year-old boys named Pedro Dos rode back with me). That was fun to get to talk to him. He and all of his friends spoke Purepecha in addition to Spanish which was really cool. Then we drove to Uruapan and we got to visit the narrowest house in the world. It was just a weird place because I have no idea why anyone would actually choose to live there but a family of four lived there for nine years. The entire house was so skinny that my arms didn’t fit if I held them out straight. It was just mind-blowing. Anyway after that we went to visit the national park by our hotel and then to the hotel to rest after a very exhausting day. We went swimming and then went to a restaurant across the street to eat and watch the soccer game (Monarcas v. America). That is the most exciting game of the season in Morelia and I was bummed that we couldn’t return to Morelia to go to the game but we were assured we could watch it on TV. When we got to the restaurant and the game was starting they weren’t showing it. So I asked and they told us that it was blocked in all of the state of Michoacan so people would go to the game I guess. I was very upset but they very nicely turned on the radio so we could try and listen (which was very hard since it was in Spanish, very fast, and most of us were engaged in conversations). Anyway after dinner we went back to our rooms and found the game on TV so we got to watch it and MONARCAS GANARON (my team won 1-0)!!! Yesterday we got up and went to another ruin site (of the Teotihuacanos) and a lake (Lago Zirahuen). It was a fun day but we were exhausted. Then I went with Aaron and Hannah to watch the Super Bowl at a restaurant near my new house.
What have I been doing?
My life is so full of activities here! I have classes every morning from 8:30-12:00 (1:30 on Thursdays). I am taking Mexican Literature which is really hard (partly because literature is not my strong suit (even in English). I am also taking a conversation class which I really don’t like that much. I don’t love the teacher and when we have class in the classroom it is really, really boring. But some days in that class we go on field trips which are awesome! We have gone to markets and churches and the zoo. The zoo was really fun and I got to hold a four-month-old monkey named Bruno. He was so adorable!! I am also taking an advanced Spanish class every day of the week. I love that teacher so even though the material can be boring, I really like that class; however, since Abby, Aaron, Hannah, and I already took Advanced Grammar and Composition at North Park, we have the option of joining a university class instead two days a week. We are still waiting to see if that will be a good idea or if it will be too much. I am hopeful though.
At night three days a week we have optional fun classes of artesanias, cooking, and dancing. Those have been really fun. On Monday nights we have our art classes where we made telas (painted pieces of fabric), piñatas, and the others painted clay pots last week (I was visiting families). On Tuesday nights we have cooking class and it is really fun. We have a professional chef that comes in, teaches us how to cook, and we get to eat the wonderful food. On Thursday nights we have dance class which is really fun but the first week we learned a folkloric dance from Oaxaca (which was not really what we were hoping for) and last week we learned Cumbia (and some of what we learned and did was weird)! For example we began and ended the class in a circle holding hands (and at the end went around the circle and said a word in Spanish—for who knows what reason).
We have also been volunteering at an orphanage and helping with homework. This is not my favorite part of the week because they often don’t need my help and I feel useless. I have really enjoyed getting to know the kids though. They are really fun but I just wish I had more of a chance to get to know them when they weren’t supposed to be doing homework.
We have also had excursions every weekend and mini-excursions on Wednesdays. The first weekend we went to a Purepecha (the local tribe) ruin site and town (Tzintzuntzan, Patzcuaro). Then the next Wednesday we went to a church and an art museum that were close to our school in Morelia. Last weekend we went to four small towns outside of Morelia and in one of those towns we got to watch them make copper which was really cool. Last Wednesday we went to an island town that also has a huge statue at the top that you can go up (like a mix of the lighthouse in Guayaquil and the Virgen in Quito for those of you who know what that means). That was a really cool place and I really enjoyed that trip. Finally this past weekend we went to Uruapan (another city nearby). On Saturday we drove to a volcano name Paricutin and we saw the volcano from a lookout. We then rode horses to the place where the volcano had erupted and we saw the ruins of a church there. That was so fun and we got to climb around on the lava and ruins and it was seriously the most fun we’ve had on an excursion. The church was really cool because the lava flow stopped at the altar to Jesus and it was left in tact. After returning on our horses to the van (my horse won on the way back and on of the ten-year-old boys named Pedro Dos rode back with me). That was fun to get to talk to him. He and all of his friends spoke Purepecha in addition to Spanish which was really cool. Then we drove to Uruapan and we got to visit the narrowest house in the world. It was just a weird place because I have no idea why anyone would actually choose to live there but a family of four lived there for nine years. The entire house was so skinny that my arms didn’t fit if I held them out straight. It was just mind-blowing. Anyway after that we went to visit the national park by our hotel and then to the hotel to rest after a very exhausting day. We went swimming and then went to a restaurant across the street to eat and watch the soccer game (Monarcas v. America). That is the most exciting game of the season in Morelia and I was bummed that we couldn’t return to Morelia to go to the game but we were assured we could watch it on TV. When we got to the restaurant and the game was starting they weren’t showing it. So I asked and they told us that it was blocked in all of the state of Michoacan so people would go to the game I guess. I was very upset but they very nicely turned on the radio so we could try and listen (which was very hard since it was in Spanish, very fast, and most of us were engaged in conversations). Anyway after dinner we went back to our rooms and found the game on TV so we got to watch it and MONARCAS GANARON (my team won 1-0)!!! Yesterday we got up and went to another ruin site (of the Teotihuacanos) and a lake (Lago Zirahuen). It was a fun day but we were exhausted. Then I went with Aaron and Hannah to watch the Super Bowl at a restaurant near my new house.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
SORRY!
Sorry I am so bad at blogging but it has been a crazy, stressful week for me. On Monday I visited three different families so I could choose on to move in with. By Tuesday morning I had chosen the second house I went to adn my new mom's name is vicki and they have 3 children that live at home (all in their 20s). I am going to move tomorrow and will try to write again soon about what we have been doing and how it is going with my new family!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
So many changes in such a short time!
Wow, so since my last blog a lot has happened (I promise I am trying to get better at blogging). Anyway, we´ve started classes and those are going okay (not my favorite part of the experience by far). We have three different teachers but our spanish/grammar teacher is my favorite. She is really fun but we play weird games in her class. We also got to go watch the toma de posicion de Barack Obama (inauguration) yesterday instead of going to her class.
I still really love the family that I was put with here in Morelia but I am now considering switching families. Although the family is wonderful it is hard because everyone I know lives in the opposite direction from the school. On Monday I am going to visit three or four houses in order to pick a family that will work better in location. I am very sad to be leaving my family and I have not even had the chance to talk to them about it. Although I am sad I do think that changing will be the best (and safest) option for me in the long run. I could definitely use some prayers for making this decision as it is very hard!!
Other than that life is good here. It is warm and it has been so fun. One of the highlights was going to a Monarcas soccer game here in Morelia last Saturday night! It was a blast! It definitely made me miss my brother and going to soccer games with him though (especially since we were with a brother and sister). It was really fun even though the game ended up a 0-0 tie and was slightly boring soccer. At the stadium they walk around selling beer in liter-sized cups and all sorts of food like churros, nuts, etc. I ended up buying a monarcas jersey at the game and I am hoping to get to more games this season (although it is hard with our schedule of excursions on the weekends)!
It has been great to be here and the staff at our school is amazing. We have three really great teachers who are all very different and fun. There are also a lot of great people to help us with other things (liking homestays, paperwork, etc.). We also have what Abby and I have called our amigo pagado (our paid friend) Cristian who is around our age. He takes care of everything our group needs. He goes with us on excursions and he is in charge of making all of the arrangements and stuff. He is also really great about helping us find fun places to go (and helping us get there) and he usually hangs out with us too.
That´s it for now and I´ll try to write again soon! Hasta luego!!!
I still really love the family that I was put with here in Morelia but I am now considering switching families. Although the family is wonderful it is hard because everyone I know lives in the opposite direction from the school. On Monday I am going to visit three or four houses in order to pick a family that will work better in location. I am very sad to be leaving my family and I have not even had the chance to talk to them about it. Although I am sad I do think that changing will be the best (and safest) option for me in the long run. I could definitely use some prayers for making this decision as it is very hard!!
Other than that life is good here. It is warm and it has been so fun. One of the highlights was going to a Monarcas soccer game here in Morelia last Saturday night! It was a blast! It definitely made me miss my brother and going to soccer games with him though (especially since we were with a brother and sister). It was really fun even though the game ended up a 0-0 tie and was slightly boring soccer. At the stadium they walk around selling beer in liter-sized cups and all sorts of food like churros, nuts, etc. I ended up buying a monarcas jersey at the game and I am hoping to get to more games this season (although it is hard with our schedule of excursions on the weekends)!
It has been great to be here and the staff at our school is amazing. We have three really great teachers who are all very different and fun. There are also a lot of great people to help us with other things (liking homestays, paperwork, etc.). We also have what Abby and I have called our amigo pagado (our paid friend) Cristian who is around our age. He takes care of everything our group needs. He goes with us on excursions and he is in charge of making all of the arrangements and stuff. He is also really great about helping us find fun places to go (and helping us get there) and he usually hangs out with us too.
That´s it for now and I´ll try to write again soon! Hasta luego!!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My first day en Mexico
Sunday 1/11/09 8:21PM
I am in Mexico right now as of very early this morning (my flight landed at 3:00AM and I got to my house after 5:00). After being delayed 2 hours in Chicago (with a plane and no gate—which was slightly confusing/frustrating since there were many empty gates) we got here and were pulled over by the police just seconds after leaving the airport (literally). Anyway, that took just over 30 minutes and we were again on our way. I met my family and I love them already. I have two sisters (only one of whom I’ve met—the other is married and out of the house) and that was a wonderful surprise. God is so good!! Today I slept in and woke up to a wonderful, relaxing day with the fam. After breakfast and chatting with my mom (Alejandra), I met my dad and we all ate almuerzo. The food has been delicious and Alejandra has been great about asking me what I like and dislike. Then I unpacked my suitcases (feeling a little self-conscious as my 8-year-old sister Jenny kept talking about how much stuff I have). Then I played with Jenny and we ended up playing cards. I taught her and her mom war and they taught me a game too. Then we all went to the tienda (Walmart-like store) together. It was cool to walk around with them and compare products/prices to the U.S. Then we came home and ate dinner and watched a little T.V. (movies in English with Spanish subtitles). It was a great first day in Mexico!
I am in Mexico right now as of very early this morning (my flight landed at 3:00AM and I got to my house after 5:00). After being delayed 2 hours in Chicago (with a plane and no gate—which was slightly confusing/frustrating since there were many empty gates) we got here and were pulled over by the police just seconds after leaving the airport (literally). Anyway, that took just over 30 minutes and we were again on our way. I met my family and I love them already. I have two sisters (only one of whom I’ve met—the other is married and out of the house) and that was a wonderful surprise. God is so good!! Today I slept in and woke up to a wonderful, relaxing day with the fam. After breakfast and chatting with my mom (Alejandra), I met my dad and we all ate almuerzo. The food has been delicious and Alejandra has been great about asking me what I like and dislike. Then I unpacked my suitcases (feeling a little self-conscious as my 8-year-old sister Jenny kept talking about how much stuff I have). Then I played with Jenny and we ended up playing cards. I taught her and her mom war and they taught me a game too. Then we all went to the tienda (Walmart-like store) together. It was cool to walk around with them and compare products/prices to the U.S. Then we came home and ate dinner and watched a little T.V. (movies in English with Spanish subtitles). It was a great first day in Mexico!
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