So week…6? Gosh time flies, am I right?!

Last week was so great =) it was the week after the trip to mexico city, so as you can imagine, we were all pretty tired, but we had to return to our classes! You know, sometimes I would like a day off from classes. There are so many free days in May that we don’t get off of school like the rest of the kids. Haha I understand it’s an intensive program, but wow. It’s intense. Spanish 24/7 is a lot sometimes. I speak it at home with my family. I speak it at school with my teachers. I speak it with strangers. It’s like we can’t get a break…I really relish the few times that I get to speak English with my friends. Sometimes you just need that to stay sane. I mean honestly. My Spanish is totally improving though. Like my vocab and everything is going great. I’m working really hard on the verbs. There are a lot of ones that I’m having problems with, but I’m trying to get them down. I mean, I’m doing great in the classes and ‘learning’ the verbs, but applying them to my actual speech is where the problem is. I’m not sure the context where it’s appropriate, etc. I’ve decided, though, that I’m definitely going to be enrolling in Spanish 300-level for fall term. I need to; I need to continue this and try to be ‘fluent’. Right now conversations are ok. Sometimes I need stuff repeated several times, and sometimes I cheat and tell strangers who say weird things to me that I don’t speak Spanish, but I guess it’s going to be important in my life to know more than just conversational Spanish. I’ll try, and see where it takes me!

Ok, let’s get back to the week =p Monday was pretty rough cuz we were all tired, but it was nice too because we didn’t have classes in the regular school, we had them in our other ‘back-up’ school because it was a holiday. (May 6, the day after Cinco de Mayo, they take off school, I guess. O, by the way, cinco de mayo here? Yea, not the same party that we have back home =p just want you all to know that. Haha they don’t do anything for it because it’s actually only a holiday for Puebla, a small state who won independence in Mexico. So there is your new information for life!) so we all went to this other school, I like it a lot better because it’s closer to home and there are more things around it because it’s nearer the center. Our first class, grammar, went by like usual and then in our oral class we watched a movie! =) we watched basically the equivalent of romeo and Juliet, but for mexico. It was interesting. We had subtitles on, so we could actually understand what was going on. Let me tell you, the ending sucked. Haha, but what can you do, right? I was just happy we didn’t have normal classes. Head needs a break sometimes. And after! Some girlfriends and I went to this amazing restaurant and got food and just hung out for a little while. That was fun for sure. Some of the restaurants here are just super chill and delicious.

Tuesday it was back to the grind at the normal school. We go to the tech college here where the engineers study. So, because it’s a mostly science school, there are definitely more men than women here. You get used to hearing a zoo outside of the window, I guess =p

Wedneday, Thursday and Friday were the norm. wake up, walk to school, sit through classes, get home, take a nap, eat ‘lunch’, do homework, use the O SO LIMITED internet, and then bed. =p my routine, it’s great. Haha I wouldn’t call life boring, I would call it super relaxing. I have no idea how I’ll survive back home without my daily nap. Here, if for some reason I can’t take my nap, like we’re doing something, I totally feel it. Haha I’ll need some readjustment time back home that’s for sure!

Wednesday I did have an oral exam. Yikes! It’s the second oral test we’ve had, but this one was in groups, and we had to give a presentation for 20 minutes minimum and 70% of our grade depended on the group part, not the individual part. It was kind of scary. My group, thankfully I like all the girls in my group, talked about music in mexico. It actually went SUPER good. I’m so proud of the girls and how hard they worked and how well we all did together. Other presentations we about the trip we took to mexico city and the differences in routine from back home and here. They were all really good. I feel like we’re learning a lot.

Thursday I actually got a few hours to myself just wandering around the center. I went shopping a little bit, but the main reason was to visit a museum for extra credit. I had to visit this museum, write about the location and exhibits and interview one of the employees. Eazy-peazy, right? Well, actually, for probably the first time ever, what was supposed to happen, actually DID happen! Haha it was fun. I’m definitely an independent person, and I love walking around alone and exploring by myself sometimes and not being responsible for other people. So it was really refreshing to do. And then after exploring around for a bit, I went back home to my house, ate dinner, and then went out with my friend to the market to buy flowers for mother’s day for our host moms. There was a birthday party for one of the people in our group that night with a piñata, but we didn’t really feel like going so we just walked around. I bought some flowers for the next morning to give to my host mom, and we just sat around after the market.

Then the following day, Friday, I had a presentation with another boy for 20 minutes. It’s like all of the hard things were all packed into one week. Our presentation was about superstitions in mexico. I honestly think we did a good job. We don’t know the grade yet, but I have confidence. Later that day, to celebrate mother’s day, my host mom’s entire family went out to a nice seafood restaurant. i kid you not, we got there around 2:30-3, and we didn’t leave until about 6. Talk about a lot of family time. It didn’t really bother me, I was just bored mostly. =p Once we got back home I got ready and then that night me and my best gal here, Rebekkah, went to our favorite bar/hang out and saw our local friends. It was fun! it’s always fun there =D I invited our friends to the Saturday excursion, but they couldn’t because they worked until about 4 in the morning. Crazy!!!

Saturday was so much fun! 8 of us and Luis, our ‘guide who goes with us everywhere is one of the most awesome people ever!, went to a waterpark in Tequisyapan. It’s a little city about an hour away from here. We met around 9 to go, but because of busses and things, we didn’t actually end up getting there til about 11;30 or so. then we took a pit stop to go to the tsore abd buy some food and drinks to take into the park with us. It was really fun! I got ‘tan’ and bruised on the slides =p we went home about 5 and arrived at about 7 ish. I would say it was a Saturday well spent.

Now I’m on week 7, but I’ll write more about that later 😉 lots has happened this week! Stay tuned!

we all gathered around danald duck at the water park!

some of my girlfriends and me having super fun!

we ran into the highway, and took a picture in the middle like stupid people.

luis and me!

Sigh…so I fell behind again on my blogging. This no internet whenever I want it is really hard. I’m a child of the technology generation, what can I say? =) So I’ll have to combine weeks 4 and 5 in this post. Can’t believe it’s already midway through week 6!!!!!

pinata time!!

Week 4 was great. I honestly have a hard time remembering everything that I’ve been doing =p One of the biggest highlights of week for was that we made, and broke, a pinata! Like a legit pinata, and apparently they are actually no paper mache; they are made with a big clay pot with paper around it! Who knew, right??? One of the ladies on the trip had her birthday, and so we got a chance to get together, eat jello (apparently that’s the ‘cake’), and get candy. The woman whose bday it was broke the pinata and we just watched, but it was fun. She broke the stick TWICE before we finally decided to throw it off the roof. haha yea, good times.

My girlfriends and I also got a chance to go to this super awesome restaurant for the first time. It’s called “Biznaga” and it’s probably one of the chillest places I’ve ever been. There is writing all over the walls, there is artwork, it’s very “Oregon” if you know what I mean =p The food was great and cheap! We have planned to make that place a regular stop until we go home.

the artwork and drawings were everywhere!

i got amazing crepes for food. yum!!!!

we had to leave our mark too =p

Week 4 was great, nothing bad happened, and that’s always a good thing =)

Week 5 also brought some really fun opportunities for me. First of all, it’s the halfway mark in the program. Part of me is soooooo happy that I’m over it, and part isn’t ready for it to be going so fast. Week 5 was a super fast week too! On Wednesday, May 1, it was Labor Day here. Nothing government ruled was open. No classes =D And then on Friday, our whole group left to visit Mexico City for the weekend! Yea, super fast week. So many great things happened.

A few weeks ago I, along with a friend, met 2 Mexican girls while they were working at a bar. We exchanged numbers and stuff, but finally this week we had a chance to hang out in real life. We went out on Tuesday because there were no classes on the following Wednesday. It was a lot of fun. We ended up going to one of the girl’s house and we sat on the roof and just looked over at the city in the dark. The lights were gorgeous! It was such a fun night. We have standing plans to hang out again soon =) I’m really happy I’ve been able to finally meet a local person. It makes me feel like this is worth it =p O, by the way, we spoke in Spanglish the whole time. She talked a lot in English, and I tried to answer in Spanish. It’s good practice!

the city at night <3

me, a girl from my group, and the 2 girls =D

The rest of the week just flew by, I’m sure you can imagine! We left from Queretaro at 8 am on Friday to head to Mexico City =D  It’s about 3 hours to the city. I could honestly write a book about what I saw in the city and all of that. But no time! So I’ll just give the highlights =)

We saw the pyramids. And climbed them =p

i dominated the pyramid del sol!

there were a tin of vendors trying to sell things, and i was able to buy some gifts =) for cheap if you know how to bargain!

one of the oldest cathedrals in the country

we saw one of the oldest churches in the country

templo mayor…ruins in the middle of the city

we saw the ancient ruins of the old city. they are literally right in the middle of the modern city!

the canal tour

we went on a canal tour! it’s just like a tour in venice, except we were in mexico! =p

the national house

we visited the equivalent of the white house. the first day that we went it was under lockdown because obama was there. we just came back the next day.

the castle of maximilian

we saw the castle where maximilian lived. it was so beautiful and amazing.!

the castle

the anthropology museum

and last we went to the anthropology museum. it would take you at least a week to see everything that it had. but we only had a few hours.

I can’t believe that week 5 is over, and week 6 is well under way! So many things are changing me here. I’m seeing so many things, and I’m learning so much. I’ve hit a brick wall in my classes with a certain topic. I just can’t understand it. I’m studying hard and trying to get it all down. In general the classes are going well. I’m just extremely tired all the time. Somehow the Spanish is sinking in though, so I guess that’s good. =p

I can’t wait to be back home sometimes. Everything is going great. But it’s been awhile. And I miss people. A month from today I fly back out. It is so crazy to thnk of it like that though!!!!!

So this is officially the end of week 3 and week 4 is about to start. EEK! My program is almost half over!!!!

So week 3…o my goodness. It’s been great =) Sunday was great- I slept in and relaxed myself for the week ahead. I don’t know why, but I’m exhausted here. All the time. Some people say that it’s the sun. I feel like it’s all the Spanish, plus the culture, plus the sun… =p It’s life!! I’m still working on my tan though. My shoulders and face are ok, because I’ve been burned a  couple times =p but my feet have yet to get the amazing sandal tan-line =(

The week went by pretty great. Like usual. I walked to school with my friends everyday and back again. 5 Miles everyday. It’s great. I hope my legs thank me for this later. haha School has been ok. It’s getting better at times. Sometimes it’s still boring. But I’m working hard. Getting good grades on tests and things =) In my communications class we did a lot of activities! Usually that’s the hardest class to get through because it’s just all talking, but we had fun things!!! Monday we played a hardcore game of trivia. It was pretty intense haha  but it was fun =) Then on Tuesday we went to a “tianguis” (flea market) on the other side of the city. There were new things, old things, probably stolen things, fruit, food and there were puppies too! Our teacher told us to make sure our bags were in front of us at all times. It was a super crowded place though, so I understand the reasoning. It was neat to see, that’s for sure. Then we went on a bus tour around the perimeter of the city. That was really eye opening to see just how big this place is. 2 million people. There are all sorts of neighborhoods. Poorer, richer, scarier, safer. I saw lots of things around the city tour, and it’s so different on the outskirts than it is in the middle of the city center.

After we got back to the school we had to meet some new people from the school and eat food. It was super fun. We met the student council of the university that we’re attending and tlaked to them for like an hour =) Then we ate pizza together. yum yum yum! aaaaaaand after….they taught a bunch of us how to ‘basic’ salsa! That was so fun, but wow, I’m not a good dancer. I just laughed histerically most of the time, but I had a lot of fun. Now I just need to attend every Wednesday to dance class, and then I’ll be ok =p

On wednesday we had our first oral exam. Pretty intimidating, but I ended up doing pretty good =) She asked  some questions, then I had to talk about a topic for like 5 minutes. I’m glad it’s over. Only 3 more to go! But it was a great day because we got to leave school right  after our test was done, and me and a friend went to the mall to Chili’s and the movies! The food was sooo good. Not legit Mexican like we usually have, but a taste of home every once in awhile is a good thing =)

yummy burger and fries

fooooood

Then we watched GI Joe part 2. Epic. The theater was so clean and comfortable, and the best part was that on Wednesday’s the ticket prices are super cheap so we paid 5 USD  for a 3d movie.

Thursday was a relax day. Back to the grind =p Friday and Saturday were super fun. My friend and I went into the city center to hang out, we got some drinks, and we met some really nice girls. They gave us their number, so I’m thinking that we will have to hang out soon! And then on Saturday our group went to a football match. Like a legit, in Mexico, soccer game where football is like church. It was sooooo fun! Crazy fans! Our team won, there was so much energy in the crowd. It was great. Lots of security, which makes sense because people get really into it here. Only one fight that I saw happened literally right behind me. That was kind of scary, but it broke up fast. The policia got involved. It was super fun. I’m so glad I got that chance to go. That’s definitely one of the once in a lifetime chances that I’m glad I took.

all of the hardcore fans

the stadium!

ticket for the football game!

After the game we all went out dancing at a Cuban music club. It was fun…but I really need to learn how to dance hahahha

Life is so good here. I love everyday. It’s almost over though! Part of me is excited to get home to my family and friends, but I’m in love with this culture. Hoping that it all works out ok. =)

So I’m playing catch up on the last 2 weeks. I covered week one, finally! And now, I’m on to week 2 =D

After the crazy busy weekend of clibing a mountain =p all I wanted was to relax the next day. I slept late, and it felt glorious. But there was a problem-the time finally changed here =p We ‘sprang forward’ and the whole day I was lost. I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out what time it really was. I went to a huge market with a friend and we walked sooooo much. We were going to meet at noon to go, buttttttt, the time changed. So she was ready by eleven, which really was noon, and I was late because I thought she meant the real noon. It was a confusing time. But we walked around this open air market and there were so many things to buy! Clothes, shoes, make up, meat, fruit, veggies, bascially anything that you would ever need. That was fun. There were so many people.

But honestly the day dragged on for what seemed like forever because none of my clocks were right, and my internal clock was wrong too. The bright side, I was able to meet the kids of my host parents that night! They have a son and a daughter, both in their 30s and married. But the daughter just had their first grand baby. So everyone is excited all the time when she comes over. And rightly so. She is adorable!

But because of the time change, I got to bed late, and none of my clocks were right, so I was actually late waking up and wlaking to school. But luckily I arrived on time =) not a good way to start week 2, but things could have been worse. Week 2 was met with a lot more understanding of the language, but a lot more confusion at the same time. We had a lot of homework in our classes, but most of the work is done at home with our families. That’s really where I’m learning the most Spanish. They are helpful, and they correct me when I’m wrong. Which is a lot! hahaha but that’s ok. That comes with the territory of learning a new language. I’m ok with being wrong. Because I know that I don’t know the language. =p

We had an adventure around the city for one of our classes during the week. Each of us had to learning about a ceratin location in the city, lead the group to it, and talk about it for about 5 minutes. Yikes. Our first prezzie in just the second week. It went well. We got to see lots of the city. It’s really beautiful.

part of the city of Queretaro

I love everything about it here, and I think that’s because it’s so different. Yes, there are parts of Mexico that are dangerous, but wehre I am, I feel fine. I see a lot of homeless and poor people everyday. And that really makes me feel sad inside. Because I know that I can’t help them right now.

people on the streets selling things

There are always people on the side of the streets selling things. Things that they made, things that they are trying to resell, or sometimes things that are stolen are also being sold. I wish I could give money to all of these people down here, because they really need it. The dollar is a lot strong than the peso, and everything is priced at at least half price. which is crazy when I think about it. But to these people, they are barely getting by. It’s just really eye opening to how other parts of the world are. I’ve seen poverty before. This isn’t what is surprising to me. It’s surprising to me that no one does anything about it. Mexico shares a boarder with the US, but we do nothing here. It just really makes me want to talk action. People have always been my passion. It makes me really sad to see them suffer.

the busy, beautiful city

I’ve walked all over the city center and near my neighborhood multiple times with a couple people. It’s great. There are so many new things. I love it here. The city is huge, and there are people. It’s great. I can’t believe that I’m in the middle of week 3 right now, ironic as I’m supposed to be writing about week 2, =p but the time is both flying by and feeling like it’s been 3 months. It’s crazy here. But I really like it. This upcoming week has a lot to offer me! It’s a secret what’s going on this weekend, but I’ll update soon!