Fending for myself food wise today: I had cereal for breakfast, because that's how I roll! I had lunch at noon and dinner at six! What's up now Mexico!? I went to the cafeteria for lunch to a restaurant that had both Spanish and English on the menu. I had chips with guacamole, shrimp and rice with a Squirt, which is a really popular soda here. Cookies for dinner. (See what happens when I have to feed myself!?)
Today, I woke up late, around nine and showered using the "hot" handle. Today was a good temperature. I'm starting to feel much better from being sick. I probably could have managed going on a bike ride into Guadalajara this morning but oh well. Better safe than sorry, and there are more Sunday's coming at which time I can go. Church bells were going off about every 30 minutes until 1pm today. It wasn't a pretty sound, either. It sounded like a hyper small child got ahold of the bell and was ringing it without rhyme or reason. I'm guessing the bells were going off because there is a "big" Catholic church here and it is Sunday, after all. I say "big" in quotes because it's not compared to the mega-churches in the United States.
I don't know why but I get stared at more than normal if I walk around in basketball shorts or running shorts. It's too hot to wear jeans all the time though, and I'm not a fan of regular shorts, so I went on a mission to buy a dress. Mission failed. I will try again later. When I was walking, though, I saw the Mexican Army which was rather frightening at first but it turns out there was just a ceremony of some sort in El Centro. El Centro was a very busy place today.
It's weird being white down here. White with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. I get looked at a lot. I don't think people are being racist or anything but they sure do like to look. Hopefully I'll get used to it soon because it's kind of uncomfortable now.
I've realized that I have no idea what car this family owns. Maybe they don't actually own one because there is a different car parked inside every night. One time it's a BMW, the next a Mercedes, and last night a yellow taxi Jeep. Also, the kid that I thought was the son of Claudia is not, and her son is a different person I've seen around a couple of times that is 26 like me. He acts like a boy though so we'll call him 22. We were chatting in the living-room for a long time while I was doing my homework which was fun. Eventually we had to use a translator on his phone because we already covered everything I knew how to say in Spanish. He knows a couple of words in English but not many. I met his friend, Hector, who is also 26 and we'll call him 26. He is very nice and speaks a lot of English. Not "fluent" perse, but pretty fluent in my book, because we can converse relatively easily. I went to his house with Claudia's son tonight and we hung out on his patio for a couple of hours. He lives towards Chapala about 15 minutes away and next to a very, very famous singer in Mexico (I don't remember his name.). The singer owns a lot of land and has a huge house. We got a ladder to climb up on and had a peek over into his yard. He has a lot of miniature ponies and his own church.
When I was at Hector's house, it started raining a lot. And then some more. And then it rained even harder. And when I thought it couldn't rain any harder, it did. And again after that. Everything turned into a huge mud puddle and I got a little cold for the first time since I've been here. A true tropical rain shower. It was a good evening and I'm happy I've made a couple of friends to go do stuff with. They both have girlfriends and hopefully we will all go do something together next weekend and I'll have two more friends!
Things I've noticed/learned:
-In general, Mexican people are really short when compared to people in the United States.
-Pemex is the only gas offered in Mexico and at the gas stations there are no prices posted on the signs, which I guess they can do if it's the ONLY gas offered.
Estoy candsada. Buenas noches! (I'm tired. Goodnight!)
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Lazy Saturday
Even though I know how to get hot water in the shower now, I have yet to use the "hot" handle at all. Completely cold showers are just fine for me, though today wasn't unbearably hot.
I had a very lazy day in order to try to recover as quickly as possible so I can go out and do fun things. A lot of sleeping, and reading, and a little studying.
This morning I got the best massage I've EVER, ever gotten in my life. With a 25% tip (because it was that good, and I plan to go back again - but mostly because change is next to impossible to come by) it cost me $38.86 for an hour. It was a "spiritual therapy" session. At the beginning and the end she rings this bell and moves around you and I'm pretty sure she was praying for bad spirits to leave me. Also, near the end she did this tapping thing on my head and heart at the same time. I'm into that kind of weird stuff so it was fun. But the massage itself was WONDERFUL! She even used scrubby lotion on my feet. If I died right now I would die completely at peace because of this massage.
It's super cheap to live down here. For under $600 I get room and board and 3 meals per day for an entire month! And then spending money lasts quite a while because everything is so cheap and there isn't very many things I need to spend money on! I'm digging the financial part of this trip.
Claudia was babysitting the cutest little boy this morning, about 5 years old. He kept talking and talking to me even though I didn't know what he was saying. It was adorable. I asked him if he likes Yakult and he did so I went and got us both one.
Breakfast was sliced fruit. There is one fruit that is the color of carrots and the texture of pear that I'm not a big fan of. It tastes like a whole lot of nothing. Lunch was some soup that looked like throw-up. It was called pozole. It tasted OK if you didn't look at it while you were eating it. It really did look like it was a bunch of food scraps pulled out of the trash and made into a soup. For a side there was a hard tortilla closed up around some cold mashed potatoes. A "taco". It was really yummy. It was served with chewy yellow juice today. The chewy part was the texture of and tasted like grass. (Yes, I've eaten grass before so I do know what I'm talking about here.) For dinner, there's yogurt. Because I haven't been drinking enough of that lately. Claudia will be gone all tonight and tomorrow so I have to fend for myself for food! It will be fun to go eat somewhere tomorrow.
I got to Skype with my older sister and see my beautiful niece today and I also got to Skype with my Poppi (my dad) tonight so I'm a very full girl.
I plan to read for the rest of the evening and sleep. I starting reading my doorstop which is a big book in English called "The Memory Keepers Daughter".
Things I've noticed/learned:
-Soccer here is like football season in the United States except take all the excitement and amount of fans and times it by ten. (Everyone is into it here: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, and children.)
-Change for money is impossible to get. When planning to go buy something it's important to try to have the exact amount because you won't be getting any change back most likely. Carrying small denominations is necessary.
Hasta luego! (See you later! or Until next-time!)
I had a very lazy day in order to try to recover as quickly as possible so I can go out and do fun things. A lot of sleeping, and reading, and a little studying.
This morning I got the best massage I've EVER, ever gotten in my life. With a 25% tip (because it was that good, and I plan to go back again - but mostly because change is next to impossible to come by) it cost me $38.86 for an hour. It was a "spiritual therapy" session. At the beginning and the end she rings this bell and moves around you and I'm pretty sure she was praying for bad spirits to leave me. Also, near the end she did this tapping thing on my head and heart at the same time. I'm into that kind of weird stuff so it was fun. But the massage itself was WONDERFUL! She even used scrubby lotion on my feet. If I died right now I would die completely at peace because of this massage.
It's super cheap to live down here. For under $600 I get room and board and 3 meals per day for an entire month! And then spending money lasts quite a while because everything is so cheap and there isn't very many things I need to spend money on! I'm digging the financial part of this trip.
Claudia was babysitting the cutest little boy this morning, about 5 years old. He kept talking and talking to me even though I didn't know what he was saying. It was adorable. I asked him if he likes Yakult and he did so I went and got us both one.
Breakfast was sliced fruit. There is one fruit that is the color of carrots and the texture of pear that I'm not a big fan of. It tastes like a whole lot of nothing. Lunch was some soup that looked like throw-up. It was called pozole. It tasted OK if you didn't look at it while you were eating it. It really did look like it was a bunch of food scraps pulled out of the trash and made into a soup. For a side there was a hard tortilla closed up around some cold mashed potatoes. A "taco". It was really yummy. It was served with chewy yellow juice today. The chewy part was the texture of and tasted like grass. (Yes, I've eaten grass before so I do know what I'm talking about here.) For dinner, there's yogurt. Because I haven't been drinking enough of that lately. Claudia will be gone all tonight and tomorrow so I have to fend for myself for food! It will be fun to go eat somewhere tomorrow.
I got to Skype with my older sister and see my beautiful niece today and I also got to Skype with my Poppi (my dad) tonight so I'm a very full girl.
I plan to read for the rest of the evening and sleep. I starting reading my doorstop which is a big book in English called "The Memory Keepers Daughter".
Things I've noticed/learned:
-Soccer here is like football season in the United States except take all the excitement and amount of fans and times it by ten. (Everyone is into it here: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, and children.)
-Change for money is impossible to get. When planning to go buy something it's important to try to have the exact amount because you won't be getting any change back most likely. Carrying small denominations is necessary.
Hasta luego! (See you later! or Until next-time!)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Friday Night at Home
In the future, I need to wait to write my posts until the END of the day. But, today I will write two posts because I can.
After lunch I tried to Skype with my sister. First, the power on THIS block went out during the time I was supposed to call her. Then when it came back on my Internet connection was bad. I walked to the school and used the computer there and the connection still wasn't very good. We'll try again tomorrow.
Because the power was out at the house, I figured instead of sweating my face off inside, I'd go study in the park and sweat my face off there instead. So I did. A group of high school girls came up to me in the park that knew less English than I knew Spanish. They wanted to interview me for their English class on video camera. I was pleased to do a few interviews. They were definately in their first English class ever, so luckily the questions were written out in English on a piece of paper. It was a cute experience.
A poor older couple decided it would be a good idea to feed the pigeons. I thought for sure that today was the day I get pooped on because about 70 flew over my head, twice. Again, they flew too close for comfort, which undoubtedly was entertaining to the people feeding the birds, but to the rest of us sitting peacefully in the park - not so much.
There is a man that owns the "bar" across the street and down a few doors and is always doing something in the block, whether it's talking to people, or being on a mission of some sort. He seems very friendly but sort of up to no good at the same time. Today he tried to talk to me as I was entering the house. Once I got inside Claudia saw who I was talking to and said "No. No, no. Es no bueno." I won't be talking to that person again (not that I wanted to in the first place).
What I am assuming is Claudia's boyfriend (you know what they say about assuming, though) has been over baking away. I think he's made about 8 cakes and several pans of cupcakes tonight already. I'm not going anywhere near the kitchen because it is so. stinking. hot. in there with the oven going.
It really wants to rain! It's lightening and thundering and everything but it still feels hot like the sun lives next door. The lighting is so close and the thunder is SO loud. It's probably actually really scary right now, but I love lightening and thunder, and might not be smart enough to be scared yet. We'll see...
Things I've learned/noticed:
-The son of the family here rides a motorcycle. After I'm confident he's good at it I'll learn how to ask if I can ride with him.
-People walk around with umbrellas, which is smart because it's portable shade.
-Dinner is a funny experience to me because it is literally just sitting out on the table and is up for grabs between 7-8, whenever you get hungry, and it's not dinner like dinner in America. Tonight, for example, was just a plate of sliced cantaloupe and the box of cereal was sitting out with a bowl in case I wanted to eat cereal too. Other foods were normal today. (Breakfast was eggs with hash browns and lunch was hot dogs.)
-The house shakes whenever a truck goes by, or a car for that matter, just not as badly.
I would really like to see what El Centro, the 5 block pedestrian area in the middle of town, is like on a Friday night, unfortunately, as it is with throat sicknesses, it is usually at its worst in the morning and the evening. I'm feeling this evening's rationing of pain so it's time to read and relax. Adios!
After lunch I tried to Skype with my sister. First, the power on THIS block went out during the time I was supposed to call her. Then when it came back on my Internet connection was bad. I walked to the school and used the computer there and the connection still wasn't very good. We'll try again tomorrow.
Because the power was out at the house, I figured instead of sweating my face off inside, I'd go study in the park and sweat my face off there instead. So I did. A group of high school girls came up to me in the park that knew less English than I knew Spanish. They wanted to interview me for their English class on video camera. I was pleased to do a few interviews. They were definately in their first English class ever, so luckily the questions were written out in English on a piece of paper. It was a cute experience.
A poor older couple decided it would be a good idea to feed the pigeons. I thought for sure that today was the day I get pooped on because about 70 flew over my head, twice. Again, they flew too close for comfort, which undoubtedly was entertaining to the people feeding the birds, but to the rest of us sitting peacefully in the park - not so much.
There is a man that owns the "bar" across the street and down a few doors and is always doing something in the block, whether it's talking to people, or being on a mission of some sort. He seems very friendly but sort of up to no good at the same time. Today he tried to talk to me as I was entering the house. Once I got inside Claudia saw who I was talking to and said "No. No, no. Es no bueno." I won't be talking to that person again (not that I wanted to in the first place).
What I am assuming is Claudia's boyfriend (you know what they say about assuming, though) has been over baking away. I think he's made about 8 cakes and several pans of cupcakes tonight already. I'm not going anywhere near the kitchen because it is so. stinking. hot. in there with the oven going.
It really wants to rain! It's lightening and thundering and everything but it still feels hot like the sun lives next door. The lighting is so close and the thunder is SO loud. It's probably actually really scary right now, but I love lightening and thunder, and might not be smart enough to be scared yet. We'll see...
Things I've learned/noticed:
-The son of the family here rides a motorcycle. After I'm confident he's good at it I'll learn how to ask if I can ride with him.
-People walk around with umbrellas, which is smart because it's portable shade.
-Dinner is a funny experience to me because it is literally just sitting out on the table and is up for grabs between 7-8, whenever you get hungry, and it's not dinner like dinner in America. Tonight, for example, was just a plate of sliced cantaloupe and the box of cereal was sitting out with a bowl in case I wanted to eat cereal too. Other foods were normal today. (Breakfast was eggs with hash browns and lunch was hot dogs.)
-The house shakes whenever a truck goes by, or a car for that matter, just not as badly.
I would really like to see what El Centro, the 5 block pedestrian area in the middle of town, is like on a Friday night, unfortunately, as it is with throat sicknesses, it is usually at its worst in the morning and the evening. I'm feeling this evening's rationing of pain so it's time to read and relax. Adios!
Settled
Woke up very swollen in the throat and feeling bad. However, the day got better.
I arrived here five days ago and I must admit that I really enjoy it here. I don't miss the United States at all yet. I'm very happy being here. (The only thing that would make it better was if it wasn't so hot and I had a couple of friends.) Next week people my age are arriving at the school so that is exciting for me. I hope they aren't all American, just because it's more fun to experience people of different cultures. Also, it's very easy not having a cell phone. I haven't even noticed not having one, and I don't miss it at all! After day two, I pretty much haven't thought about it.
Some things I forgot to mention yesterday:
-I saw the daughter take the dog out to go pee. The dog DOES go outside to go the bathroom.
-I figured out why there was no hot water. "Calor" is "hot" and "Frio" is "cold". In the shower there are two handles, one with a "c" for "calor" and one with an "f" for "frio". The handles were switched. I kept turing on the "hot" handle and getting water that was cold. (Yup! Took me two days to figure that one out!)
-Real insults are still "your mom" phrases. I heard a couple guys fighting in the streets and they kept saying "your mom" this and "your mom" that. Being American, this is of course very funny to me because "your momma" insults haven't been insulting, I'm pretty sure, since before I was born.
-It's normal to sell things out of your house. Here is pastries on the weekends. Across the street and down two houses is a "bar" out of a house. One more house is a tiny convenient store.
-I had to buy Yakult (to protect my stomach from the antibiotics) which is a really popular Japanese yogurt drink. They sell it everywhere. There are a lot of yogurt drinks which is great. I can totally dig drinking my yogurt!
School was good except that the power was out on that block which meant it got really hot in there because there were no fans. For the second class we had group conversation class with all levels. We sat around downstairs and played a mixed version of spin-the-bottle and truth-or-dare. One guy ended up having to stand on the street corner and scream the Spanish version of "cock-a-doodle-doo!" which is "kee-kee-kada-kee!". We also played telephone which the teachers thought was hilarious, and we read tongue-twisters.
Tonight, I hope to Skype with my older sister and plan to rest more in order to try to start feeling better. Que tengan buen fin de samana! (Everyone have a good weekend!)
I arrived here five days ago and I must admit that I really enjoy it here. I don't miss the United States at all yet. I'm very happy being here. (The only thing that would make it better was if it wasn't so hot and I had a couple of friends.) Next week people my age are arriving at the school so that is exciting for me. I hope they aren't all American, just because it's more fun to experience people of different cultures. Also, it's very easy not having a cell phone. I haven't even noticed not having one, and I don't miss it at all! After day two, I pretty much haven't thought about it.
Some things I forgot to mention yesterday:
-I saw the daughter take the dog out to go pee. The dog DOES go outside to go the bathroom.
-I figured out why there was no hot water. "Calor" is "hot" and "Frio" is "cold". In the shower there are two handles, one with a "c" for "calor" and one with an "f" for "frio". The handles were switched. I kept turing on the "hot" handle and getting water that was cold. (Yup! Took me two days to figure that one out!)
-Real insults are still "your mom" phrases. I heard a couple guys fighting in the streets and they kept saying "your mom" this and "your mom" that. Being American, this is of course very funny to me because "your momma" insults haven't been insulting, I'm pretty sure, since before I was born.
-It's normal to sell things out of your house. Here is pastries on the weekends. Across the street and down two houses is a "bar" out of a house. One more house is a tiny convenient store.
-I had to buy Yakult (to protect my stomach from the antibiotics) which is a really popular Japanese yogurt drink. They sell it everywhere. There are a lot of yogurt drinks which is great. I can totally dig drinking my yogurt!
School was good except that the power was out on that block which meant it got really hot in there because there were no fans. For the second class we had group conversation class with all levels. We sat around downstairs and played a mixed version of spin-the-bottle and truth-or-dare. One guy ended up having to stand on the street corner and scream the Spanish version of "cock-a-doodle-doo!" which is "kee-kee-kada-kee!". We also played telephone which the teachers thought was hilarious, and we read tongue-twisters.
Tonight, I hope to Skype with my older sister and plan to rest more in order to try to start feeling better. Que tengan buen fin de samana! (Everyone have a good weekend!)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sick Day
At 10 p.m. last night it was still 93 degrees! I wake up about three times a night because of the heat. Speaking of night, people park their cars literally inside their houses at night if they don't have a garage, which is usually the case. They park them in their courtyard which is the inside of their house. A very strange sight at first.
Today, I woke up with what I figured was Strep-throat because it seems as though every time I go on an airplane I get that. Claudia told me to go see a doctor close by at 9 a.m.. I have class at 9 a.m., though, so my teacher (the one that doesn't speak any English) went to the doctor with me. I have no idea what sickness I have because I couldn't understand what they were saying but apparently it's less dangerous than Strep so I'm relieved to know that I probably won't be dying from this. The crazy thing is that it was only 30 pesos to see the doctor! That's just a little more than $2! (No, I'm not forgetting to add any zeros.) I bought flashcards yesterday that cost me two doctor's visits! I got prescribed an antibiotic and two other medicines and the total was about $20. Their Universities are free so there are many doctors in the area which helps to keep the price way, way low according to Wouter. [Side note: in case you are wondering how to pronounce "Wouter" it's like Walter. Just say Walter with a crazy European accent and then you will be saying it correct. Also, Claudia is pronounced like a cloud in the sky...Cloud-ee-ah. Claudia.] After we went to the doctor, my teacher walked me through the market. It is just an entire parking garage floor (enclosed) of people selling fruits and vegetables. It's amazing. Being out in the "real world" was a good way to learn today. Also, I am very excited because I now know how to talk in future tense as well as present tense. In the next couple of days I will learn to speak in past tense. Very exciting.
Claudia made chicken noodle soup for lunch, of course, because I am sick and she is motherly. She puts avocado in the soup which is so very yummy. We drank more chewy juice. This time is was purple chewy juice. For breakfast I had 5 different kinds of fruit, all sliced up and put on a plate very decoratively.
The rest of my day I anticipate will be me sleeping, resting and reading. I might go get ice cream in a bit for my throat. (Yes, I know milk products aren't good for it but ask me if I care.) And then more sleeping. And then more chicken noodle soup. And then more sleeping.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-Mexicans are very polite.
-If you don't know Spanish but you are actually trying to speak it, they very much appreciate that and will help you out as much as they can. (They are extremely nice about it.)
-There are trucks that drive around playing "music" like an ice cream truck, but these trucks carry gasoline for people that run out of gas. I guess it must happen often. The speakers on them sing "Zeta! Zeta! No hay Zeta!". Zeta is the brand and "no hay" means "there is no" or in this case "you have no". I hear/see one about 2-3 times per day.
-Many people are into American things like Las Vegas, NYC, American music, and some English phrases like "I love you" or "spring breakers" (except that one is spelled "espring breakers" - not joking.)
Off to go find ice cream. Adios!
Today, I woke up with what I figured was Strep-throat because it seems as though every time I go on an airplane I get that. Claudia told me to go see a doctor close by at 9 a.m.. I have class at 9 a.m., though, so my teacher (the one that doesn't speak any English) went to the doctor with me. I have no idea what sickness I have because I couldn't understand what they were saying but apparently it's less dangerous than Strep so I'm relieved to know that I probably won't be dying from this. The crazy thing is that it was only 30 pesos to see the doctor! That's just a little more than $2! (No, I'm not forgetting to add any zeros.) I bought flashcards yesterday that cost me two doctor's visits! I got prescribed an antibiotic and two other medicines and the total was about $20. Their Universities are free so there are many doctors in the area which helps to keep the price way, way low according to Wouter. [Side note: in case you are wondering how to pronounce "Wouter" it's like Walter. Just say Walter with a crazy European accent and then you will be saying it correct. Also, Claudia is pronounced like a cloud in the sky...Cloud-ee-ah. Claudia.] After we went to the doctor, my teacher walked me through the market. It is just an entire parking garage floor (enclosed) of people selling fruits and vegetables. It's amazing. Being out in the "real world" was a good way to learn today. Also, I am very excited because I now know how to talk in future tense as well as present tense. In the next couple of days I will learn to speak in past tense. Very exciting.
Claudia made chicken noodle soup for lunch, of course, because I am sick and she is motherly. She puts avocado in the soup which is so very yummy. We drank more chewy juice. This time is was purple chewy juice. For breakfast I had 5 different kinds of fruit, all sliced up and put on a plate very decoratively.
The rest of my day I anticipate will be me sleeping, resting and reading. I might go get ice cream in a bit for my throat. (Yes, I know milk products aren't good for it but ask me if I care.) And then more sleeping. And then more chicken noodle soup. And then more sleeping.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-Mexicans are very polite.
-If you don't know Spanish but you are actually trying to speak it, they very much appreciate that and will help you out as much as they can. (They are extremely nice about it.)
-There are trucks that drive around playing "music" like an ice cream truck, but these trucks carry gasoline for people that run out of gas. I guess it must happen often. The speakers on them sing "Zeta! Zeta! No hay Zeta!". Zeta is the brand and "no hay" means "there is no" or in this case "you have no". I hear/see one about 2-3 times per day.
-Many people are into American things like Las Vegas, NYC, American music, and some English phrases like "I love you" or "spring breakers" (except that one is spelled "espring breakers" - not joking.)
Off to go find ice cream. Adios!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Day 3
I'm very tired this evening. This constant heat is taxing.
I woke up to a traffic jam this morning. I don't understand why everyone here feels the need to constantly honk. It doesn't make the traffic move any faster and it is so loud and very irritating.
Had pancakes with some sort of sugary caramel spread over the top with coffee. Food coma. I wanted to climb back onto my bed afterwards instead of go to class. Claudia (the mother) and I talked a lot this morning. Apparently I can converse about directions and activities to do in the villages nearby very well.
School was good. My first teacher barely knows any English. I've probably heard her say about 10 words in English, total. It's amazing that I can understand what's going on most of the time, but I think she sees a blank stare on my face many times during our two hours together. Today, she wanted to move a picture that was hanging on the wall and kept peeking behind it before she moved it. I wondered what in the world she was doing but it turns out she was making sure there were no cockroaches behind it. (Gross, right?) My second teacher is young, energetic and informal. We converse a lot in Spanish and she tells me how Spanish is really spoken... She tells me a lot of funny stories in Spanish that happen to her. It is fun.
I was supposed to go with two girls from my school to another village close by called Tonala, today. But it turns out that the giant farmer's market we were going to go to is not until tomorrow. I told Claudia I wouldn't be home for lunch, though, so I just walked to the center of Tlaquepaque and found a restaurant in which to eat instead. There is a cafeteria which is a place with many, many chairs and several restaurants surrounding them. (Maybe about 20?) I don't really know all of the words on the menu or how to order yet so I just found words I knew and pointed them out.
After I walked around for about an hour I came back home and showered. There hasn't been hot water in the afternoon two days in a row (maybe there never is) but I am OK with that because it is so refreshing! As soon as I get out, I begin to sweat again anyway.
Today, there was ice in the freezer!! Joy! I asked if it was purified and Claudia said it was, however, I don't know how because it looks like it's an automatic ice maker. I used it anyway so I guess if I get sick I'll know not to use it again.
Claudia and her daughter have been working very hard all day at baking and decorating their pastries. Everything looks so yummy and is so detailed. The house has smelled delicious for two days now.
I was told about a big park (5 pesos to get in) in Guadalajara that is about 15 minutes walking distance that has a nice low-impact running track. I plan to go check it out tomorrow afternoon if I don't go to Tonala. I'm hoping there is a basketball court there so I can get in a pick-up game.
Just went down to see if there was some dinner laying out and I found Claudia dancing in the kitchen to American music. Nothing else, just dancing. Happy family I'm with. (There is quite a bit of American music around here.) Dinner was cold tuna salad but with jalapeno juice spread over it.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-There are no drains in the street but people are sweeping them everyday. I wonder what happens when it rains.
-In the past, I've noticed that foreigners don't understand the American bubble. My personal space is much larger than those from Europe and other places. Mexicans are normal with this, however, the pigeons here don't care. They fly literally about 2 feet from your head or body. It's frightening. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get pooped on by one before I leave just because there are so many; the odds are not in my favor.
-I used to wonder why foreigners who don't know much English would only talk in present tense. Now I get it, because that's all I know how to speak in Spanish.
-Wouter (the school owner) has a dog. People here mostly just take in street dogs and start feeding them in order to obtain a pet. "His" dog sleeps at their house and comes when it is hungry but just wanders around during the day. Before a special event (like an important political person visiting) they will round up the street dogs and kill them.
-There is a cardinal (Juan Sandoval Iniguez) that lives right here in Tlaquepaque.
- I think I see white people everywhere but it turns out to be Mexicans. They are very light skinned in this area. (The only white people I've seen are at school.)
I woke up to a traffic jam this morning. I don't understand why everyone here feels the need to constantly honk. It doesn't make the traffic move any faster and it is so loud and very irritating.
Had pancakes with some sort of sugary caramel spread over the top with coffee. Food coma. I wanted to climb back onto my bed afterwards instead of go to class. Claudia (the mother) and I talked a lot this morning. Apparently I can converse about directions and activities to do in the villages nearby very well.
School was good. My first teacher barely knows any English. I've probably heard her say about 10 words in English, total. It's amazing that I can understand what's going on most of the time, but I think she sees a blank stare on my face many times during our two hours together. Today, she wanted to move a picture that was hanging on the wall and kept peeking behind it before she moved it. I wondered what in the world she was doing but it turns out she was making sure there were no cockroaches behind it. (Gross, right?) My second teacher is young, energetic and informal. We converse a lot in Spanish and she tells me how Spanish is really spoken... She tells me a lot of funny stories in Spanish that happen to her. It is fun.
I was supposed to go with two girls from my school to another village close by called Tonala, today. But it turns out that the giant farmer's market we were going to go to is not until tomorrow. I told Claudia I wouldn't be home for lunch, though, so I just walked to the center of Tlaquepaque and found a restaurant in which to eat instead. There is a cafeteria which is a place with many, many chairs and several restaurants surrounding them. (Maybe about 20?) I don't really know all of the words on the menu or how to order yet so I just found words I knew and pointed them out.
After I walked around for about an hour I came back home and showered. There hasn't been hot water in the afternoon two days in a row (maybe there never is) but I am OK with that because it is so refreshing! As soon as I get out, I begin to sweat again anyway.
Today, there was ice in the freezer!! Joy! I asked if it was purified and Claudia said it was, however, I don't know how because it looks like it's an automatic ice maker. I used it anyway so I guess if I get sick I'll know not to use it again.
Claudia and her daughter have been working very hard all day at baking and decorating their pastries. Everything looks so yummy and is so detailed. The house has smelled delicious for two days now.
I was told about a big park (5 pesos to get in) in Guadalajara that is about 15 minutes walking distance that has a nice low-impact running track. I plan to go check it out tomorrow afternoon if I don't go to Tonala. I'm hoping there is a basketball court there so I can get in a pick-up game.
Just went down to see if there was some dinner laying out and I found Claudia dancing in the kitchen to American music. Nothing else, just dancing. Happy family I'm with. (There is quite a bit of American music around here.) Dinner was cold tuna salad but with jalapeno juice spread over it.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-There are no drains in the street but people are sweeping them everyday. I wonder what happens when it rains.
-In the past, I've noticed that foreigners don't understand the American bubble. My personal space is much larger than those from Europe and other places. Mexicans are normal with this, however, the pigeons here don't care. They fly literally about 2 feet from your head or body. It's frightening. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get pooped on by one before I leave just because there are so many; the odds are not in my favor.
-I used to wonder why foreigners who don't know much English would only talk in present tense. Now I get it, because that's all I know how to speak in Spanish.
-Wouter (the school owner) has a dog. People here mostly just take in street dogs and start feeding them in order to obtain a pet. "His" dog sleeps at their house and comes when it is hungry but just wanders around during the day. Before a special event (like an important political person visiting) they will round up the street dogs and kill them.
-There is a cardinal (Juan Sandoval Iniguez) that lives right here in Tlaquepaque.
- I think I see white people everywhere but it turns out to be Mexicans. They are very light skinned in this area. (The only white people I've seen are at school.)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Day 2
Breakfast: quesadillas using white cheese, salad with avocado, and coffee. Saw news of Oklahoma tornado in Spanish, of course, and Claudia (the mother) told me that here, they get about two hurricanes per year but it doesn't affect Guadalajara. Also, she said there are no tornadoes here.
School went well. I learned a lot. I saw my first cockroach at school today in the bathroom. It sat in the same place all day long. Gross!! In all of the houses here there are plastic covers with holes in them to cover all of the drains (in the sinks, in the showers...) because tons of cockroaches live in the sewage systems and they will crawl into your house at night if you don't have a cover. (The bathroom sink at the school didn't have a cover.) Speaking of sewage, there are wafts of sewage smell that happen throughout the day all over the town. It's delicious.
Lunch: Green beans with corn sauce, noodles with white buttery sauce, melon with spices, horchata (a drink) but not super sugary kind like you would get from Del Taco or somewhere similar.
Then, I went on a free walking tour that the town provides (in Spanglish). There is a lot of history and culture and artistic things here in Tlaquepaque. Not really my thing, but it was cool to see around. The museums here are free on Tuesdays and they are much more laid back than in America. Things that you think should be in glass cases aren't, you can take pictures...etc...
It was another hot day but not as miserable as yesterday, or maybe I've just come to accept the fact that I might melt down into a puddle at any moment.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-There are bicycle police around the town which makes it feel more safe.
-Mariachi originated here in Tlaquepaque.
-Sometimes people play instruments just walking along the street.
-If you're white or black you will get hit up for money by people who want donations, a job, or by beggars.
-My spelling for English words and sentence structure are getting funny already because of all of this Spanish.
-There are many street dogs.
-In Mexico, it is NOT racist to describe a person by their color. It is just normal and used as any other descriptor. For example if someone was trying to point me out they would say the "blanca" (white girl). To point out a black person they say the "negro" (black guy). And best of all, to point out an Asain they say the "amarilla" (yellow girl.)
-Bullfighting starts in July and is very close by.
Well, I have homework to do. Adios!
School went well. I learned a lot. I saw my first cockroach at school today in the bathroom. It sat in the same place all day long. Gross!! In all of the houses here there are plastic covers with holes in them to cover all of the drains (in the sinks, in the showers...) because tons of cockroaches live in the sewage systems and they will crawl into your house at night if you don't have a cover. (The bathroom sink at the school didn't have a cover.) Speaking of sewage, there are wafts of sewage smell that happen throughout the day all over the town. It's delicious.
Lunch: Green beans with corn sauce, noodles with white buttery sauce, melon with spices, horchata (a drink) but not super sugary kind like you would get from Del Taco or somewhere similar.
Then, I went on a free walking tour that the town provides (in Spanglish). There is a lot of history and culture and artistic things here in Tlaquepaque. Not really my thing, but it was cool to see around. The museums here are free on Tuesdays and they are much more laid back than in America. Things that you think should be in glass cases aren't, you can take pictures...etc...
It was another hot day but not as miserable as yesterday, or maybe I've just come to accept the fact that I might melt down into a puddle at any moment.
Things I've noticed/learned:
-There are bicycle police around the town which makes it feel more safe.
-Mariachi originated here in Tlaquepaque.
-Sometimes people play instruments just walking along the street.
-If you're white or black you will get hit up for money by people who want donations, a job, or by beggars.
-My spelling for English words and sentence structure are getting funny already because of all of this Spanish.
-There are many street dogs.
-In Mexico, it is NOT racist to describe a person by their color. It is just normal and used as any other descriptor. For example if someone was trying to point me out they would say the "blanca" (white girl). To point out a black person they say the "negro" (black guy). And best of all, to point out an Asain they say the "amarilla" (yellow girl.)
-Bullfighting starts in July and is very close by.
Well, I have homework to do. Adios!
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