Week 2 flew by and it was a blast. During the week the study abroad group went to a restaurant to watch one of the fútbol games and see the culture when there is a game going on. The restaurant was pretty full but nothing compared to when México was playing in the world cup. When México played people would fill the restaurants and then there would be people overflowing into the streets just trying to watch the game in the restaurants. In one of the plazas there was a TV set up and people were watching the game, setting off fireworks, playing music and having a great time. The scene was definitely really cool to see.
During the week I would usually stay home and do homework and I watched Harry Potter with my family one night. The professors definitely keep you busy with homework. I usually do homework from after Comida to when I go to bed. It’s crazy! There are some very culturally different things in México, aside from paying to use a bathroom, which is usually 5 pesos, there are also almost never toilet seats on the toilets! It’s just the toilet bowl. Also the men here are very forward with how they feel and sometimes it feels like they think they have a right to tell you what they think and if they want to dance with you they usually don’t take no for an answer.
For the weekend, the study abroad group went to México City and went to various museums and the Aztec Pyramids. I climbed to the top of the a smaller temple and was able to see some of the inside. I also climbed to the top of the Sun Temple. The altitude was huge and it was actually really challenging to climb however, there were grandmothers climbing up there just like me and some passed me!! We went to the museum of art and saw a Pablo Picasso exhibit along with art that told the history of México. We went to the museum of anthropology which was huge, we saw how humans evolved into the people we are today, we saw archeological sites which included underneath the now México city, before it was Tenochtitlán which was an Aztec city. When Tenochtitlán was conquered by the Spañards they built their building right on top of the Aztec houses and temples. As archeologists are discovering more of the city the citizens get to see a big part of their culture. We saw some underground burial chambers and we also saw where temples were being dug up in the city, which is cool because we only saw the tops of them because they are so far down. We also had the opportunity to see the sacrificial stone that people were sacrificed on. Another place that showed the history of México was the Plaza of Three Cultures. This plaza is in the middle of three major landmarks that are from different cultures and they had a lot to do with the revolution that took place. We got to see Chapultepec Castle which was turned into a museum telling the story of the royal people who lived in the castle before the revolution.
We also visited Xochimilco which is referred to as the Mexican Venice. There are beautifully decorated boats that you get on with a guide who takes your boat down the canals. The boats at Xochimilco are big party places and there were lots of celebrations happening when we went. People will also hop from boat to boat if they want to or see a girl they want to talk to! The culture there was wonderful, it is definitely a place people should go if they want to see some of the culture. The last place we went to was Frida Kahlo’s house. This was also turned into a museum and there were many cultural clues in the house. The house was bright blue on the outside and so colorful on the inside.
My Spanish has improved so much and now I understand why people go on study abroad trips! Week 2 flew by and I know week 3 will as well.

The aquaducts in the city.