Up Shit Creek

So. After class today, four of us girls had appointments at the beauty salon (services are SO much cheaper here)! Anyways, we were walking along, when up ahead we see that a street was flooding with water running down it. As we got closer, a god awful stench permeated the air. The water happened to be from a dirty water line that overflowed - thus causing tons of dirty, bathroom POO water to come rushing down the street, bearing unidentified floating objects. We had no choice but to cross the river - it was the only way to get to the salon that we knew of. Other people were crossing it as well. So, we got plastic bags from a nearby store and put them over our shoes. Then we crossed. OH MY GOD it was terrible. The smell was so bad that I couldn't stop dry-heaving even after we had crossed it and were a block away. Not to mention that the plastic bags fell off in the middle of the river.

Yes, we did wash our hands once we got to the salon, but I am still paranoid that I might have contracted a fatal disease from the toxic water. The experience was so bad that I absolutely refused to cross it again on the way home. I paid for a taxi.

Machismo and the lack of it.

Machismo is the Mexican (and Latin American) idea of manliness. It's the tradition view of how a man should be. In particular, there is a saying that Mexican men are the three F's: Feo, Fuerte y Formal (ugly, strong and formal). So far, I've noticed that there is a certain amount of Machismo in Guanajuato, but yet on the other hand many men do things that would be considered sensitive or even feminine by people in the United States.

Many people are familiar with the fact that in Latin America, many men will stare at women and even whistle and give catcalls. Recently when we went to Puerto Rico, my dad claimed that it was MY fault that men were acting this way - he said that it was the way I dressed, the way I wore makeup, etc. This is not the case. Men here will whistle at any young woman - especially if she looks foreign. It does not matter how she is dressed or made up. On our walk to school in the morning, Amanda P. and I also often have men try to speak English to us. They will yell out "Good Morning!" or "Hello!" It is completely harmless, and we ignore it. This has been one of the biggest differences between Mexico and America.

However, I have also noticed that men here do many things that are considered "unmanly" to American people.
- Many men pluck their eyebrows and groom a lot more extensively.
- Many men aren't afraid to hug each other, put their faces close to each others, or even dance with each other ocassionally.
- Men carry their girlfriend or wives purses or pink backpacks without being afraid of being called gay.
- Men here definitely do not mind PDAs (public displays of affection).
- Many men grow their hair long... and wear headbands.
- Men LIKE to dance.
- Men aren't afraid to sculpt their hair into a rock-hard, helmet-like structure using large amounts of gel, hairspray, and grease. They also aren't afraid of wearing TOO MUCH perfume/cologne.
- Men here are experts at making roses out of paper napkins from the bar.

Home Sweet Casa

I never thought I would be so happy to be in a tunnel... until last night, when we arrived in Guanajuato and we were driving through the first tunnel into the downtown that signified that YES we had arrived home. What a trip! Sooo, let me back up to the beginning.

Thursday Night:

Amanda P. (who has infinite amounts of energy) and I went salsa dancing because we didn't have classes the next day. It probably was NOT a good idea because the very next morning we had to leave with aching feet for Mexico City (aka. the D.F. or Districto Federal. But most people just say "Mexico" to signify the city... which is a bit confusing if you think you are already IN Mexico).

Friday:

8:00 AM - 13 students including me, 1 chaperone and 1 driver stuffed themselves into a tiny white van. The trip started out with the driver trying to back up, but instead kept repeatedly ramming into another car which he couldn't see was there. We drove for 5 hours and it was impossible to find a comfortable position to sit in. Finally we arrived in Mexico City. We plunked our things down in a very cool and modern yet economical hostel, and went to eat at a great buffet. Things seemed fine, but gurglings of my stomach and aching feet signified that something might be amiss.

3:00 - 7:00 PM - After eating lunch, we went on a whirlwind tour, given by our tiny yet charismatic guide Pepe. We went to the Palacio Nacional (a government building), Templo Mayor (I don't even remember what that was), the Cathedral, and Zocalo (which I think is the huge plaza). Then we went to see a very cool art exhibition called Snow and Ashes. Finally we arrived back to the hostel. By then my feet hurt like hell, I felt strangely ill, and I was in a foul mood.

8:00 - 11:00 PM - Things didn't end after the tours. I had to meet up with Christian, a friend of a friend who lives in the D.F. I brought Amanda P. along, and we went out to eat and then walked around the city more. We went to see the Chinatown (more like 1 street) of the DF, along with some other sights. Finally we got home and I collapsed into bed yet couldn't sleep because I had a fever all night.



Saturday:

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM - We had tours the entire day! First we visited the Plaza de las Tres Culturas which represents the 3 cultures of Mexico. It includes an Aztec pyramid, a Spanish church, and a modern Mexican building. Then, we went to the Basilica de Guadalupe. This was a huge cluster of churches, including the church in which is housed the cloth that holds the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The story goes that a Nahuatl (Aztec) speaking Virgin appeared to an Aztec peasant and asked him to build a church for her. When the peasant went to the priest to tell him to build the church, the priest didn't believe him. So the Virgin told the peasant to gather flowers in his cloak and release them before the priest. When the peasant did so, an image of the Virgin appeared on the cloak. Milagro! (Miracle).

My favorite part of the day was when we visited a place where the people did artisanal crafts. They showed us how the indigenous tribes (and Aztecs) made paper and thread out of a type of cactus called Maguey. They showed us the cactuses that taquila and mezcal come from. We tried three different types of alcohol from different plants. Later they showed us different types of semiprecious stones, and how they carve them. Then of course, we got to shop at their store. I bought an obsidian frog for my host mom. She collects frogs, and I thought that it was so much more meaningful to buy something from a place where I had seen how they made it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Teotihuacan. It is the site of an ancient city, about 2,000 years old - older than the Aztecs. Even though I felt quite sick, I somehow managed to climb up all of the pyramids. The view was beautiful.



Finally, we returned to the hostel. I was extremely tired and still feeling sick. But again, Christian (who was super nice) was hopeful to see Amanda and I again. So, he took us to a night market in a Spanish neighborhood called Cuyocan. Amanda and I shopped (bought some awesome jewlery!) and we ate at a really fancy restaurant. They had this wine with grapes and apples inside of it... it was amazing.

Sunday:

Finally the day came to go home. But first, we had a few more things to do. First we went to see the house of Frieda Kahlo. It was amazing to see all her art, letters, photos, and the home that she lived in with Diego. I also felt a little bad for her - Diego was an ugly guy, plus he didn't treat her too well. I guess being a famous painter counts for something though. :-)

Lastly, we went to Xochimilco - the remainder of the lake that the Aztecs built their grand city on. They made amazing man-made islands. It's fasinating. We had lunch on a lovely boat while ridiculously good looking Mariachis serenaded us. It was reallly fun and a great end to a trip.



Monday:

Well, most of this blog was wrote in the time that I would have been at school. I left in the middle of my classes today because my stomach still felt terrible. Luckily I have already been to the doctor - he says it's probably an intestinal infection. He gave me some antibiotics to take. The strange thing is that my host brother and host dad are also both suffering from some type of stomach illness too. It feels so great to be back in my own house, in my own bed, as much as I can call it my own. My host mommy took me to the doctors office and sat with me, and also has been preparing special meals for me, such as chicken rice soup, chopped fruit, and tea made out of "Dog Herb" (yerba de perro) which is supposed to be good for the stomach.

So, although I felt quite like dying throughout the entire trip to Mexico City, I am happy to have endured everything and to have been able to experience all the greatness of Mexico City. But man, I am glad to be home.

Street Food

Me and my stomach have decided that one of my missions is to try the variety of different common foods sold on the streets here (as long as it looks clean and sanitary). There are always tons of food vendors in the streets both day and night. It's very common for people to buy something and then walk around eating it outside.
So far I have tried:
- "Nieve de Limon" = lemon snow. A slushy ice cream-like thing, made with natural lemon juice. It was pretty tasty.
- "Elotes" = corn kernels in a styrofoam cup, mixed with mayonaise, quesilla (white, grated cheese), chili powder and lime juice. It was good but a little too juicy for me. The other variation is just corn on the cob, stuck on a wooden stick and smeared with the mayo and chili powder.
- Fruit cup mix. It has a specific name, but I forget what they call it. Basically they chop up whatever fruits you choose (papaya, mango, watermelon, etc.) and put it in a cup or a plastic bag. Then they sprinkle chili powder and lime juice over it.
- Aguas frescas (Fresh waters?): different juices made with fruit, water and sugar. I've tried the hibiscus one, but there is also watermelon, orchata, tamarind and other flavors.
- "Paletas" = popsicles. They come in all different crazy flavors here. I tried one that was mamee flavor. It was interesting. I also tried the mango with chile flavor. I really liked that one.
- Pizza. The pizza here is pretty much the same (you can get pepperoni, hawaiian, etc.). However, when you sit down at the table or counter, there are a wide variety of sauces to apply to the top of your pizza. Most people use these lavishly. The choices of sauce are: hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, mayonaise with chilis, and ketsup.

* A note about hotdogs. Here, people do things with hotdogs that people the States couldn't even imagine. In the morning, we have eggs with hotsauce and hotdogs. People make hotdogs and spaghetti, pizza with hotdogs on top, and of course there's always the simple hotdog in a bun. In a coffee kiosk in the University, I ordered a "Sandwich" from the menu. The girl took a hotdog, sliced it, and put it on a piece of bread with mayonaise.

The First Week is Over!

Yes! I've done it! I survived my first week in Mexico and it wasn't even that hard! My classes are great! I did switch to the advanced class, and it has been so much more fun. The professors are a lot more interesting and it's not hard to pay attention or keep up at all.

I'm becoming closer to the other students. Especially Amanda P. We do pretty much everything together since we are neighbors. She's nice and very candid. Luckily, she has a better sense of direction than I do. If we didn't walk to school together every morning, I don't think I would be able to find my way without a map. The walk to school/downtown is about 30-40 minutes depending on how fast we walk and if we take the shortcut through the tunnel. Either way, the walk involves tons of hills, narrow streets with speeding taxis and motorcyclists, food vendors hawking their wares, and tons of other people. It's fun.

Last night all the students gathered to have dinner at the program director Karen's house. It was awesome. Her house is amazing, first of all. Secondly, the food was great. She hired a taco-man to make tacos in her house, and we also had homemade guacamole and quesadillas. YUM! Afterwards, a few of us girls went out to see if our salsa dancing lessons were working. I am getting better at dancing (surprisingly!). But I still have a lot more work to do. Also, it depends on the dance partner. If the partner is good, then he simply pulls me and spins me and therefore it looks like I'm an awesome dancer too. :-)

Easing In

Classes started yesterday and it's kind of a struggle for me to get back into things. I'm in the less advanced of the two groups that they divided us into for classes, but the annoying thing is that I'm better than everyone else at Spanish as a result of talking with native speakers constantly. So... I'm trying to figure out whether I should switch or not.

Lately, I've gotten more friendly with my host family. They are great! One of my host "brothers", Carlos, helped me hook up ethernet to my room. Also, I'm very spoiled as far as ammenities goes. For breakfast, first comes juice (sometimes freshly squeezed), coffee and water, followed by a fruit and yogurt plate, followed by a "main" dish (usually eggs or waffles). For lunch, there are also 3 courses. For dinner... well, they don't really eat dinner. I usually eat the other half of my lunch for dinner since the lunch is so huge. Also, a maid comes in every day and tidies up my room and makes my bed.

Last night, me and Amanda P (another student who lives very close) went to salsa classes. It was fun, but embarrassing that my hands were really clammy. We've decided to register and go to all the classes, even though they are 4 times a week, which seems like a lot to me. Tonight, more girls from my class have decided to come along with us.

Around the city in 18 hours

Wow, I feel like I fit an entire vacation into one day today! First, I had breakfast with the Norwegians. Then, all of us study-abroad people met up downtown with our program director, and we took a tour of EVERYTHING. First, we went to San Gabriel - a huge mansion plantation type house built in the 1700's by the owner of a big mine. Mines are really important in Guanajuato, that's pretty much what made the town what it is. Then, we visited TWO historical churches, then we went and saw a huge mining hole with machinery coming out of it, then we went to a place where we actually went down into the mines (it was a lot of steep steps in the dark), then we went to see a historical statue called Papilo, THEN we drove 45 minutes to Christo Rey - an enormous statue of Christ that marks the center of Mexico.

One of the things that has been hard for all of us students is that in Mexico they eat a huge breakfast at 8 AM, and then don't each lunch until 2 or 3 PM. So it's hard to endure that long. I literally was at the point of exhaustion at lunch time. Oh, and another bad luck thing... I think I might have sprained my ankle. I tripped down a step at a taco tent and my ankle has been hurting ever since. Hopefully it's just bruised or something - if it turns black and swells up tomorrow then I will start to worry.

The night was busy as well. My host mom called her granddaughters over (they live right next to us). Fortunately, they are 21 and 24! Just my age. And they both study at the University here. They are super nice and tomorrow are going to show me how to get to class from the house. Yes, and of course the night ended with a group of us students going out to the bar to celebrate a birthday. It was fun and I am actually getting to know the other American students better.

Moving In

Today my orientation continued. For breakfast, we all got on a bus and drove to a nature reserve called Las Palomas.The reserve also has a conference ...house?... and a big kitchen/dining area. It was cool because the people that worked there also cooked us a traditional breakfast (of chilaquiles and scrambled eggs with hotdog chunks) and then after "orientation" was over, we had an amazing lunch. The best thing they had was chopped up chiles with cream and corn kernels. Yum. They also had chiles rellenos (which I didn't like... in fact, most of the Americans didn't like them, which stumped the Mexicans) and chicken with mole (Yum) and quesadillas, rice and potatoes.

Afterwards, we came back to the hotel. I walked down to the internet cafe with some other students, and then came back for dinner, which I ate with my host mom and another host family. The dinner was fairly awkward, but at least we got to know each other. Afterwards, I heaved my duffle bag into the car and moved into my new home.

My host mom is really nice, her name is Maru and she's quite an older woman. She has 7 children (who are all adults) and 16 grandchildren! There is also a couple who are Norwegian that are staying here to study abroad as well. The house is large and rather old, but at least I have a well equipped room with plenty of space. My only complaint is that there isn't a mirror in the bathroom! Oh, and there isn't wireless internet. But they do have a fairly nice computer in a tiny guest house/office off of the patio. Maru's husband seems quite knowledgeable about computers. He used to be a mining engineer and he has tons of computer magazines laying around. He also can speak a fair amount of English.

I got here!

Thurs. Feb. 7, 2008 10:00 PM (from hotel room)

Happy Chinese New Year! Yep, and today I arrived in Guanajuato. I woke up at 5 AM so that I could have plenty of time for my 8:00 flight. I hadn't been extremely anxious beforehand, but once I got on the plane I suddenly got hit with a wave of really bad nausea and homesickness.... hopefully that will go away in a few days.

I did have a tiny adventure once I got to the Guanajuato airport. My connecting flight was about two hours delayed, and I hadn't been able to call the program organizers. So when I arrived in Mexico, I couldn't find the guy who was supposed to pick me up! I stood around for a while and then limped around the airport with my HUGE (seriously, it's BIG) duffle bag. Finally, I decided to take a taxi there. Of course I was a total foreigner and tried to just grab one from the curb. Nope. You have to go Inside, and then Pre-pay for you taxi at the airport. The ride to Guanajuato from the airport was about 30 minutes, and my taxi driver lady was talking on the phone most of the time. When we got onto the highway, I noticed that the woman started accelerating, and the speedometer was rising past 140. I started getting nervous and clinging onto the side of the car and I was finally about to beg her to slow down.... then I realized that the speed here is probably measured in kilometers. I felt rather silly after that.

So far, I haven't seen much of the city, but what I have seen is quite beautiful. The landscape is very different from Michigan, it is hilly and there are practically no trees, which makes everything really open. In some places you can see for miles and miles.Today and tomorrow we are staying in a hotel, which is a lovely, historical place. There is no heat though, and the night is quite cold! In fact, I don't think there's any ventilation at all in this place.

There are actually only 13 students in the program. I guess I'll refrain from judging everybody else just yet, but I didn't really strike up a friendship with anyone so far.