2 posts from January 2008

Here I am at the Internet cafe that only took a week to get to. So much has happened in this past week and 1 day that I haven´t had time to stop and think Ï am in Mexico for the next 3 months.¨ So let´s start from where we left off, shall we?

So last Sunday, January 6th, we got off the plane in Cancun, went through customs, and boarded a bus. Our ¨tour guide¨ is named Hugo. He is a very nice man and in the short time he spoke to us it was very apparent that he has a great passion for his country. I am very excited to have him as a guide because I think his love will transfer to us and that we will come to know and love the Yucatan like it is our home too. So anyway, we got on the bus and went to lunch. Lunch was buffet style Mexican food that was very good. After lunch we got back back on the bus and drove the almost 5 hour drive to Merida. As we got off the bus our host families were there waiting. Amanda and I live in the house of Gloria, her two children, Gabbie (12) and Alejandro (16), and their new puppy. We got home and were shown to our nice double bedroom, with its own bathroom. Amanda and I unpacked and then it was time to go to Gloria´s mothers house to celebrate Three Kings Day. We ate the traditional bread, Rosca de Reyes and began to get familiar with our new family. Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread that had three smalled plastic figures of the Kings hidden inside of it, the people that choose the slices with the figures must throw a party in February. Amanda and I were each given one of the figures. It was strange at first nd I had some trouble understanding what they were saying to me and how to respond. I think it was partly to do with the fact that I haven´t taken Spanish in over a year and that I was very tired from the trip. After we ate and chatted we went back to the house and went to bed.

Monday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and Gloria drove us to CIS centro, where we take our Spanish classes. I was placed in the advanced class. The daily schedule is that we have grammar class from 9-12, with a 30 minute break. Then we have another break and begin our culture and conversation class at 12:30 and end at 2:30. For the first day of culture class we walked to the Centro and learned about how the streets are laid out in the city. After classes we took the bus home. Gloria´s mother comes to the house everyday, and when we come home she has lunch waiting for us. Lunch is the big meal of the day, and generally consists of meat, soup, beans, and sometimes rice or salad. After Gloria came home and ate she took Amanda and I out to get cell phones. After going to 4 placed we finally got them. This was a very frustrating experience because it was the first time that the language barrier was very present. It was very difficult to communicate with the Gloria and the sales people to tell them what we needed and in turn for them to tell us what we were getting. Thankfully Allison and Ashley´s host-mom showed up, and she knows English so she was able to help. The experience taught me how important it is to learn the language and to learn it quickly. It was also this that helped me make up my mind to stay in the advanced class, because I want to challenge so I can learn.

Tuesday we had our first taxonomy quiz, on reptiles and amphibians. It wasn´t too bad. We had classes like usual and for culture class we learn about the origin of chocolate and about how the Maya used it. Instead of eating it with sugar, they drank it with spices and chili´s. We also had a small celebration for Aakash´s birthday. Tuesday night the whole group of us went to the center for a birthday dinner. We ate at this very fun place and had a very good time. We have all really started to bond and get to know each other. It´s really nice because it makes this strange and sometimes scary experience more comfortable and fun. We all went home fairly early, because we had class bright and early on Wednesday.

Wednesday we had class as usual. For culture class we went to the Museo de la Cancion Yucateca. This museum was full of pictures and artifacts of Yucatan musicians. It was very interesting. After classes we all got some lunch and went back to CIS to take a bus tour of the city. We went through the whole city and learned its history, and saw many beautiful old buildings house along the way. We also stopped at gorgeous park called, El Parque de las Americas. After the tour we went home and studied for our taxonomy quiz and went to bed.

Thursday we had our taxonomy quiz of mammals. Then we had classes like normal. We don´t do many specific things in grammar class, mainly speaking and listening. I think that is why it´s advanced, because we are expected to know how to conjugate already, so now they are teaching us to be comfortable speaking and listening. In culture class we were given a lecture on the trips of the Yucatan and more specifically were told a story about a famous song. Thursday night many of us went to Santa Lucia to listen to the live music and watch the dancing. It was amazingly beautiful to watch. In one of the dances the dancers had trays of glasses and bottles balanced on their heads, it was so cool to see.

Friday was a lot of fun. For culture class we began to learn how to salsa dance. It was difficult but a lot of fun. There are many steps that have to be put together, and they can get a little tricky. It was also hot outside while we were dancing. Friday night was the welcome party at CIS, and Gloria baked a beautiful cake. As we ate I spoke to a very nice women, she was American but knew perfect Spanish. She was also very knowledgeable about the area, I think she may live here but I am not positive. I learned a lot about the cultural events as well as about the cenotes. After the party a few of us went to hang out, but we all went home early so we could get up for the cenote trip on Saturday.

We arrived at school at 8 on Saturday and headed for the cenotes. It was about an hour van ride. Once we got there we split into groups of 4 and got on small, open rail cars that were pulled but horses. We went to two cenotes. The first was bigger and more open than the second, but they were both amazing. We got to swim in both of them and dive into them. At first I was hesitant to dive in because it was from very high up, but I did it anyway because after this trip I may never get to chance to again. So I did it and it wasn´t bad, in fact it was a lot of fun. We ended up leaving the second cenote a little early because a large group of people came and it got way too crowded. When we got home I took a long nap, because I was exhausted. That night we all met up to go to the Plaza de Montejo. Every Saturday there is a big party with music, dancing, and fireworks. We stayed for a while and listened to music, as well as ate some really good ice cream. Then a we split up and a few of us went to a karaoke bar, we sang Stop by the Spice Girls. It was a lot of fun. We then met back up with the group. There was music playing on streets, which were blocked off and so we decided to put to use what we had learned the day before. Megan and I began dancing, and two Mexican men asked if the could cut in. So we began dancing with them, it sounds creepy but we thought it was okay because we had so many people with us. It was a great time and they were able to teach us more and help of improve our dancing. We danced for a long time before I finally got too tired to even move. We took a cab home and went straight to bed.

We woke up early on Sunday so we could go to the beach. We met Allison and Ashley and we all went to el centro and got on the bus for Progreso. It only cost $22 (pesos) for a round trip ticket. We met up with the rest of our group and all spent an amazing day on the beach. It was very relaxing and the weather was amazing. We came home around 4 and showered and I took a nap. Then we went to Gloria´s brother´s house for his daughters birthday dinner. It was nice, and we got to meet and talk to more members of our temporary family. It was a lot more comfortable then it had been the week before. It has already been a week, but I have learned so much it´s amazing. I feel more comfortable spreaking Spanish and I have an easier time listen to and understanding what people are saying to me. I am starting to really love this place and I am becoming very comfortable. At first I was so nervous to come but now I am so happy with my choice and can´t wait to experience everything that this trip has to offer. I have also fallen in love with the Spanish language and have decided to minor in Spanish at school. I would really love to become fluent and be able to one day teach my children both English and Spanish.

I miss everyone terribly, and I hope you´re all well! I will try and write more frequently and I will post many more pictures soon! Xooxoox

Here we are sitting in the B-C food court at the Philadelphia getting ready to go to Mexico! We were up at 2:30, on the bus at 3:00, at the airport at 5:00 and our flight doesn't leave until 9:35... We are flying to Cancun and then driving 5 hours in a bus to Merida. We get to meet out host families tonight, ahhh!

The past four days have been pretty laid back in the Rupp barn. We were up at 6:30 everyday worked on our research papers, mine is on coatis, and studied taxonomies. So far we have learn the true names of reptiles, amphibians, birds, arthropods, and plants that we are likely to encounter during our adventures. We already encounter out first bit of wildlife in the barn, a bat! He flew in on Friday night while we were watching a movie, we tried to net him so we could put him outside but he flew away and we couldn't find him again.

~More to come from Mexico~