Boy, has it been a good long while since I last wrote! Last week was an insanely busy week school-wise. We had a slew of final essays and tests that were due last week, which made it difficult to spend time away from eating, sleeping, school, and going out for our friend Maite's birthday! But I got over the hill that was that week, and here we are with week 4 having just begun! Four of our group-mates left yesterday, and I miss them quite a fair amount. The group dynamic rapidly and obviously changed, it's strange going from 13 to 9. Here are some other tidbits about today that were noticeably different:
- There are a couple of new groups of students on "campus," and it's strange to see new gringo faces around. By overhearing some of them talk today, it was more than obvious that they are from Texas, and we all know how I feel about Texas...!
- Our class schedule changed today, so now instead of taking a composition class in the afternoon, it has switched to a literature class. Which will be a challenge, but a good challenge I think, and the teacher has a peaceful, harmonious presence about here that will make class enjoyable.
- The grammar class that we were in moved from building 3 to building 12 - let me elaborate. The campus consists of 14 different buildings, each with a different purpose. Buildings 1-9 are on the same "campus," which makes it easy to get something to eat or kick it with friends during the 10-minute breaks we have during class. But buildings 10-14 are all separate from the main campus, so now we won't return to main campus until lunchtime. The buildings aren't far away, only a minute or two walk from main campus, it's not bad at all. And the change of scenery is nice, one can only spend so many hours a day in the same place, you know?
Day 1 of Week 4 wasn't a bad day by any means, I am very much looking forward to these next three weeks here. After three weeks, I really feel like I am in the swing of things, like I have a groove and feel comfortable differentiating from the gringo norm. I am so excited for what will come this next three weeks, I know I will have much to recount!
Catch-up time from the past week-ish!
As I said, last week was incredibly busy with homework and such, but that didn't stop Cuernavaca from getting further under my skin!
On Wednesdays, we have a class with our group of students from Gonzaga and the director of our program, our beloved Luis García-Torvisco! Each student is required to do a presentation of 5-ish minutes during the class on a given topic, and my presentation was last Wednesday on the Mexican Americans... I think it went well! My spoken-spanish is definitely better than my written spanish, that is for sure. We also watch a movie every class period, and this past class we watched Como Agua para Chocolate, such a cool movie! If you have not yet had the grace of seeing the movie, I would highly recommend it. It is set during the Mexican Revolution and focuses on the emotion and love one woman pours into her cooking, and presents the story in magic realism... it is an incredible movie! And if you want anyone to watch it with when you come back to the 'states, hit me up :) Oh and Wednesday was also the first time that I went to this restaurant/taco-joint called La Gringa (III)! I had heard such incredible things about it from my classmates, and I had wanted to go for the longest time. It's only a block away from my house here, so I was kind of surprised that it took me almost three weeks to get my butt over there. On Wednesday I went with a few friends and had tacos al pastor, and holy smokes they are incredible!!! Def one of my favorites, bar none.
Oh man I forgot about this story that happened maybe the 4th or 5th day that I was here! So I was up late doing homework (as I tend to be up late doing homework most nights) and when I was walking to my bedroom, I noticed a bug on the floor crawling toward my room, what appeared to be a small scorpion. Of course, everyone else was asleep, and I had NO idea what in the heck I was going to do, I just knew that it was not about to go into my room. So I took one of my handy-dandy Chaco sandals and flung the little pest across the living room, which was probably a smart idea since it decided to start sprinting away from me as fast as it could. But I was not about to take any chances with this little guy, so I ran after it and just smushed the crap out of it with my Chaco. It took me about 5 minutes to build up the courage to look and see if I had actually killed the fella, and thank goodness I did. The next day when I recounted the story to my classes, I felt like such a hero. My grammar teacher preceded to inform me that "wherever there is one alacran (as they are called), there are five more to be found close by." Thank you Daniél, I really appreciate that spout of sarcasm.
Anyway back to last week...the end of school on Friday came with a huge shout of happiness, a big fatty nap, and a night of salsa-dancing at Los Arcos as per-norm on Fridays. Saturday we went to Rios las Estacas, a sort of resort-ish place with this crystal-clear rivers that are so ideal to swim in. It is the perfect place to just lay around for a day, drink some beers, take some naps, jump in the river a few times... it was a much needed and well-appreciated break. Sunburn? Yep. Well, Maggie2 was smart and decided that because (the majority of) her legs are tan, she didn't need to put on any sunblock at all. But she forgot that there is a part of her thighs that her shorts cover, and that part never gets any sunshine. So by not putting sunblock on those whiter-than-white areas while wearing a bathing suit, she got a gnarly sunburn. It could've been way worse, but I haven't had one this bad since, well, I honestly don't remember. Eh, ni modo, no big thing. When we returned from las Estacas, we went out that night to a Cuban bar and restaurant, literally a hole in the wall place. So legit. We were the only gringos there, there was art and writing all over the walls, for anyone from Portland who has been to Montage, the menus reminded me of the Montage menus, but wayyyy cooler and Cuban!, and there was live music too! Starting at 1am was the live music and we left at 1230, but I mean, it was still there! Definitely going back there. And hopefully eventually going to go visit the real Cuba!!!
One of the things I love the most about where we live is that I can go with my roomdogs to the bakery at the Superama here and just get a churro or two to chow on. People here know how to cook and bake, I really think it is something in the blood. Watch out though, when I come back I bet I will be able to make a mean churro...!
Holy wow the storms here are incredible!!! There was just a huge burst of thunder, and it appears as if it opened up the sky, because an incredible downpour of rain is coming down outside. Yeah, this feels like home.
If there is one thing about México that I have come to love and appreciate so much, it is the food. And not because the food is incredible, but what food, comida, means. Comida is never just a grab-n-go affair as it most of the times is in the 'states. We eat desayuno in the mornings, then have our biggest meal called comida in the afternoons around 3, and then a small light dinner called cena in the evenings, usually around 8 or 830. The times to eat aren't merely suggested times, but stores close down and people stop working so that they can return home for their comida with their family or their friends. Food brings people together in a way that nothing else has the power to. It is a literally physical source of life and sustenance, but even moreso for the spirit. In these past three weeks, I have come to appreciate so much in my life just from sitting down and really enjoying and knowing the people I am eating with. People have always come first in my life, and the comida here has only reiterated and emphasized that ten-fold. Just you wait for some great comida upon my state-side return, just you wait!
Well, I better return back to my sándwich de crema de cachuate y mermelada, can't leave a serious business like that hanging.
Besitossss!!
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