Final days....

So, my bad for not posting in 2 weeks.

Thanksgiving was great. We all got together as a program, including professors, and ate some delicious Thanksgiving food under umbrellas next to the pool. Yes, it felt a little odd, but was mostly fun. We had turkey, homemade bread, pumpkin and apple pies, elotes (corn on the cob with cheese and chile), stuffing, mashed potatoes, chicken (a recipe Sidy made us from Senegal...mmm so good), cranberry sauce (Dad brought from EEUU). It was all delicious. The apple pies I made actually turned out really well. I made them with puff pastry dough in square pans, so they were slightly unconventional, but delicious too. I also got to talk to Lindsey, Mom, Dad, Gretta, GramElaine, and Aunt Ra, which was wonderful! So good to hear everyone's voices on Thanksgiving.

The Friday after Thanksgiving we all participated in a parade/party for the neighborhood where Casa Sol is; it was the anniversary of Zapata signing the Plan de Ayala (which is the name of the neighborhood). We danced with the Chinelos (people dressed up in outfits originally used to make fun of the Spanish) for about 45 minutes, in a huge crowd of people, many of them drunk men. After, Hilary and I took Jonathan out for pizza. He's a really nice guy that goes to UNILA who is studying culinary arts. And the best part is, he's coming to Earlham next August to be a Spanish TA for a year! I really can't wait to get to know him better and help welcome him to Earlham. He's going to have such a good time, I hope. And I think it will really help his English.

UNILA ended well; although only 5 of 11 students came to the final exam. Ay, what frustration. I still don't completely understand the apathy of some of my students. They are probably going to fail the class, and they just don't seem to care. I don't understand. But they want to have a going away party for me, so Thursday I'm going to go back to UNILA for a little bit to hang out with them some more. As lazy as they are, they are really nice people who I have enjoyed getting to know. My rough draft is done, 20 pages, and I just need to make some minor changes before handing it in Thursday. This week is so crazy...we're done with classes and everything and just have presentations and oral exams. I present Wednesday...I hope I don't get tooo nervous. The oral exam is to see what level we are at on a national hierarchy of language fluency...it should be interesting. I know I've learned a lot and gotten a lot better, but I still make minor grammar errors allll the time, so who knows...

Thursday afternoon is the final party with the families, and then we are done! I am staying until Tuesday, just to hang out with my family a little bit more. I might try to go to Cuernavaca one more time....my students really want to go with me, so we'll see how that shapes up.

This weekend was super fun. It was sort of the last hurrah of everything. Friday we celebrated Ilana's birthday at a garden bar we hadn't checked out yet. Almost the whole group came, so that was fun to be together. Then Saturday night I went to a karaoke bar with Rita, Camila, Miriam, and Pepo (M's boyfriend) which was a blast. We had such a good time just hanging out. I sang some, and we all danced a lot. We got home at 4 AM, which was pretty scandalous. Rita didn't believe me the next day when I told her that's when we gt home. Haha. Sunday morning we had a final group breakfast, which was really nice. Afterwards, Hilary, Justin and I went to Tlayacapan, a small town about half an hour away by combi. It has tons of cute little shops, so I got the end of my shopping done, which really needed to happen. We wandered around, eating nieve, and saw the beautiful church there built between 1530-1550. The best part was when we stumbled upon a panaderia where you could actually see them making the bread. Hilary and I are obsessed with the pan here, and we think we should have a food network show about breads of the world, so we were fascinated by the huge ovens, molds used to make concha (my favorite kind of bread), and huge mixers and wooden tables used to put everything together. The workers were excited by how excited we were, and answered lots of our questions. It was like a bread museum!!! Justin wasn't quite as enamored as us, but he put up with it for a little while.

Tonight I'm going to see Madagascar 2 with Ruben, Miriam, and my mom. It should be really fun. Last night Rita was apologizing to me for their financial situation, and how she would have liked to go out more and do more fun things while I was here, but they just don't have the money right now. It breaks my heart, but there's not a whole lot I can actually do.

I'm getting really excited about coming home though! I am excited to see family and friends. As much as I have loved being here, it will be nice to return to my own culture and traditions for Christmas. I can't wait to make cookies, decorate the tree, play board games, etc. I also can't wait to bundle up. Warm weather is nice, but I also love the snow. It's weird to see Christmas lights tied around palm trees.....

The final stretch has officially begun, and it is tangible in the air. 3 weeks from tomorrow, I will be flying back to home soil. Mixed feelings; but mostly excited. I will be sad to leave Mexico, but I am certainly not leaving empty handed.

This weekend we wonderful; it was so great to have Dad here. Friday night we went out to dinner with Rita, Rubencito, and Andrea to VIPS, the trendy Friendly's-esque restaurant that my mom just thinks is so cool. It was fun to chat in Spanish with them; I think it was really good for Dad to mee them and them to meet Dad. Afterwards, we went to Italian Coffee so he could meet Camila. We both hit the hay around 11 to get up early for Cuernavaca. We left Cuautla at 7, and arrived in Cuerna around 8:15...it was a speedy trip. We had an elegant breakfast at Las Mananitas, a fancy hotel complete with cloth napkins and parrots chirping in the background. We enjoyed watching a couple planning their wedding....always a fun people watching experience. Next, we headed to Jardin Borda to stroll through the gardens of Borda/Maximilian. Unfortunately, they weren't running the boat rentals, but we got some sweet pictures with some big Day of the Dead figures of Maximilian and his mistress. We checked out the cathedral, and hit up the big artesania market, where we made some good purchases. We decided to head to Tepoztlan after realizing how far Taxco was going to be. After looking up at the cliff that is the pyramid in Tepoztlan, Dad decided we could stay down below, walk through the market, and eat some lunch. It was really fun to catch up with him and share all of my thoughts about Mexico, capitalism, etc.

Saturday night when we got back to Cuautla we met Hilary for a coffee in "La Cafecita", our favorite place for Concha (sweet bread) and capuchinos. After, we went to Barry's and met up with Lauren and Isana and Dad got to sample the best tacos of Cuautla. From there, we went to dad's hotel, the luxurious Villasor, and had a coffee and some dessert. It was really nice to chat with him, and I was sad to say goodbye.

Right now, I'm sitting in my kitchen chatting with my mom and sister, waiting for my chocolate chip cookies to be ready. Dad brought me some chocolate chips, so now everyone can try the deliciousness of chocolate chip cookies. I had to improvise a little bit with the measurements, but hopefully everything will turn out ok. It smells good, at least!

My UNILA project is going very well, and I'm starting to write the 20-25 page final. I have done a bunch of really interesting interviews with students and teachers, and can't wait to put everything together. I only have 3 more classes with my students!!! And so much more to teach! Now I understand how easy it is to get behind in a class. This experience has certainly helped me appreciate the difficulties of teaching....

In other news, I'm going to URUGUAY in a month. The whole world seems slightly annoyed with me, but there are times in life when people have a responsiblity to themselves to be selfish, and to do what they know will make them happiest. Of course, I am sad that I won't be home for a long time at Christmas, but honestly, would you pass up the chance for a free trip to South America? I really loved Germany with the Edelmans, so this just seems too perfect to refuse.

Ohhhhhh Mexico

This is the week Dad (hopefully) comes to visit! I am so excited!!!
We only have 3 weeks more of classes, one week of presentations, and then a few days after before I come home! I am still super happy here, but also starting to get very excited about coming home, seeing everyone I have missed so much, and celebrating Christmas in VT!

Today I had no class at UNILA...it's some Mexican holiday. And we were supposed to have class with Andres at 12:30, but he never showed, so we all left at 1:30 and now I'm home waiting for la comida at 3. Tonight at 5, we have our first Mexican film class, and we're watching "Los Olvidados", which is apparently about some troubled youth living in a barrio of Mexico City. It should be pretty depressing, but hopefully still interesting. Tomorrow we have literature class, Goyo's class, and I go to UNILA for my class. This past weekend I did some interview with a bunch of my students to get started on the final project. We have to write a 20 page paper about our projects, so I'm getting more information about my students and how they feel about English. It was really interesting, and fun to chat with them about other stuff too. I think it was fun for them to speak with me in Spanish, because they saw my weaknesses, just like I see theirs with English everyday in class.

This weekend was a blast; Friday a bunch of us went out to a bar called Resa-K (resaca means hung-over in Spanish). We ran into Justin's sister and some other friends there. The music was good and we danced for a long time. Saturday night Leah's family was having a graduation party for her sister and they invited all of us to come. It was great; food, dancing, socializing. She has some really great siblings and cousins that we have all gotten to be good friends with. Her host dad is so cool; he is a very-powerful socialist politician, and when you talk to him, it's hard not to feel intimidated. But he's really interesting. Yesterday morning we got up early to go to Puebla, which is 2 hours northeast of Cuautla. We all went together via bus, and when we got there, divided up to explore the city for the afternoon. I walked around with Hilary, Isana, and Justin, like normal, and we visited some churches, a museum, and, of course, the market. Justin and I ate lunch together and had to try the mole poblano that Puebla is famous for. It was pretty good, but I still prefer the mole in Oaxaca. I really hope they have mole at La Mexicana in Richmond, because I will miss it a lot when I leave. We all slept on the bus ride home, especially because we were still tired from dancing at Leah's the night before. When I got home last night, my mom and I chatted a bit and then when to pick my sister up at work.

Next week, we have Thanksgiving to look forward to! It should be really fun...we're all going to cook something and then meet at Casa Sol to eat together. I can't wait!

Everything is good. The last 2 weeks since vacation have actually been very laid back, with the exception of the paper we wrote for Howard.

We started new classes; a few are basically the same as before (grammar/writing/reading/conversation), but we have also started a literature class with Felix, which has been great so far. He is a very calming presence, and when he reads, you feel like you're listening to a book on tape. We started out by reading Aura last week, by Carlos Fuentes, which (gracias a dios) I had already read in high school. It was a nice review to read it with a better level of Spanish. Now we're going to be reading some short stories. We are also taking a lecture series with Andres Barreda, a brilliant political economist from UNAM who is essentially socialist. He thinks capitalism is the root of all evil, and that the world is in the midst of about 8 grand crises (he's right...). He can talk and talk and talk, and you never really get bored. Friday night we had class with him 5-8, today 12:30-3, and we have 2 more sessions with him. We will also be starting a film class with Norma soon, but I think we only have that a few times.

It's nice because the course load is less, since we're spending 10 hours a week in our projects. My class is great, but now I have to start thinking about the final 20-page paper and 30 minute presentation. I am going to write about my students, and their process of learning English. I am planning on conducting interviews with them this weekend, and it should be really interesting to see what they have to say. I am also serving as an assitant, and sometimes substitute, in other classes, which has been a great way to get to know more teachers and students. Today I had a class that was supposed to have 10 students, but only 2 showed, unfortunately. It was really hard because the grammar was simple past vs. continuous past (ex) I was running when I fell), and they didn't understand the difference in Spanish, so it was hard to teach in English without that foundation. I tried my best...

This weekend was really fun because I went with my family to DF (Districto Federal) for a baby shower. The niece of my mom is 7 months pregnant, so I got to meet my mom's brother, sister, parents, and lots of cousins. It was the first baby shower I had ever been to, and it was really fun to play all the games associated with babies and giving birth (they hired a party-planner to run everything). The only bummer is that my mom feels like the black sheep of her family, because she doesn't have as much money as her siblings, so I could feel some tension. It was really fun to be together with all of my 4 siblings though, and to see how they all interact in a group. Camila and I spent the night with Andrea (my oldest sister, Stew's age) in her apartment. It was a good opportunity to get to know her a little bit better. She is a computer engineer, so we don't have a ton in common, but she's still really fun. The highlight of the weekend had to be watching America beat Monterrey in fútbol yesterday. The whole family was super psyched.

Oh! I forgot Dia de los Muertos! The weekend itself wasn't that full of excitement, just because my family isn't really that into the holiday. BUT Monday, we went to the cemetary, and it was AMAZING. It was just like all the photos. We chatted with a bunch of people about their loved ones who have passed away, or about the tradition. They think it's very weird that we don't celebrate the dead like they do, and I agree fully. People were super friendly and open, and lots of kids wanted us to take their picture.

I am mostly excited about Dad coming to visit in a couple weeks! I can't wait to show him around, and for him to meet my family! I just can't believe I only have 5 1/2 more weeks! Time is flying!

Vacation

Ok, the post we've all been waiting for....drumroll please...
2 weeks of vacation; 1 word: incredible.

On the 11th, we traveled to Oaxaca. I almost didn't make it because my alarm didn't go off (my bad), but thankfully, my mom is a speed demon driver and got me there in time. We took a public bus together to Puebla, and from there another to Oaxaca. We arrived in the afternoon and had a little rest. We stayed at a really nice hotel right near the zocalo. The first night we all went out and ate at various places in the zocalo, and explored the nearby markets. Howard is really good about giving us time to rest whenever we are traveling; probably because he enjoys his breaks too. I don't remember the days exactly, but we did a number of super cool things. We went to 2 archaeological sites; Monte Alban and Mitla. Monte Alban was amazing; smaller than Teotihuacan, but in my opinion, more beautiful, because the mountains of Oaxaca are incredible, and there's less pollution in the view. The pyramids were easy to climb, and fun to explore (you could go into a few small parts...even though my claustrophobia was pretty strong, I managed ok). Mitla was smaller, without pyramids, but more opportunities to enter the remains and see the intricate designs and art carved into the walls. Mitla is really interesting because when the Spaniards arrived, they constructed their cathedral with pieces of the old temples, so there is a beautiful (although Colonial) church in the middle of the archaological site. There was also a really nice market in Mitla, where I bought Camila (my sister) a Club America (favorite soccer team) hat, which she has been wanting for awhile.

Also in Oaxaca, we visited two agricultural organizations, both trying to help indigenous farmers in Oaxaca stay competitive with the growing influence of US products and transgenic corn. They are experimenting with organic farming, and creative methods of irrigation. It's really tempting for a lot of them to immigrate to the US or abandon their farming lifestyle, but these organizations are trying hard to help them maintain their historical culture of corn. It's pretty great to see that in the midst of global economic crisis and TLCAN (NAFTA), there are people trying to avoid change.

The city was beautiful, and we had a really good time, but the real deal was in San Antonio Huitepec, an indigenous village of around 1,500 people, about 50 miles from Oaxaca City. Now, you would imagine that 50 miles would take about an hour, right? Try 6, on an incredibly terrifying road. I didn't really realize my fear of heights until I arrived in Mexico. There were a few moments when the bus tipped a little bit, and it felt like we were going to fall off the mountain into the countryside. The road literally cut through the mountains, which was absolutely breathtaking, but also scary. The really cool thing about Huitepec is that there are about 100 people in Richmond from this small town. So now we have a strong connection with this small community. We spent three days there, talking to various people, eating with them, learning about what it means to be indigenous in Oaxaca, and the challenges and benefits they face with so much immigration. The best was probably talking to the high school students (the high school only opened in 2004) about what it means for them to be indigenous, and how hard it is to maintain their culture and language (mixteco) in an increasingly "modern" world. Most of them said they would like to go to college, and then return to Huitepec to benefit the community. We watched a sampalilu dance, which is part of the marriage process, and also attended a dance. Hilary and I played the drum/cymbal in the band for awhile, which was fantastic. It's really interesting, because although the money that people working in the US have sent has helped many people in the community, the influence of the US is also destructive to the cultural traditions. I could go on and on about this town and the days we spent there, but I can't write a novel here, so I will just have to tell more stories in person. Overall, it was incredibly humbling, and I learned a ton. I realized the other day that I have met FAR more people who have lived in the US than I ever thought I would. I have heard so much about immigration, and I know there are millions who cross the border every year, but to meet so many people has been amazing. One guy I was talking to yesterday in the panaderia told me he thinks people should stop calling the US and Mexico two different countries, because the flow of people between both countries is so constant that we should just stop pretending there's even a border. I also thought being in central Mexico, it would be less common to meet people immigrating, but the lack of jobs affects the whole country, and people are desperate everywhere. Even indigenous farmers from Oaxaca, in a village that you can't even imagine are heading north for better opportunities and the fulfillment of "the American Dream." How bizarre, and sad.

From Huitepec, we returned to the city for one night, before leaving for Acapulco the next morning. I went with Brian and Ilana (who are together), Justin, and Lauren. It was great to get to know Lauren better, because we hadn't spent too much time together. The trip was so long. We left at 8 in the morning, and got to Acapulco at about 9 PM. We had to pass through Mexico City because that's the fastest way, but it took so long. It was worth the trip though. We arrived in the center, which was totally overwhelming after spending days in the mountains, and quickly took a taxi to our hostel, which was in a more remote part of the city. October is not tourist season anywhere, so things were pretty quiet. It seemed like we were the only people at our hostel, which was great. From Sunday to Wednesday, we woke up around 1 PM, went and got some food, and headed to the beach. We spent 2 days at Puerto Marques, and 2 days at Princess. The water was warm, the sun was wonderful, and we relaxed wholeheartedly. We stayed at the beach everday until sunset, when we reluctantly returned to the hostel, and then went out to eat dinner, usually around 9. We ate a lot of dominos, burger king, and tacos, unfortunately. Because we were in a less touristy area, there were far fewer options for places to eat. But thankfully, there were also 2 oxxos close (like 7/11), where we bought ramen, tuna, bread, large jugs of water, and other necessities. Every night after eating, we would hang out by the pool, which was all ours. It was so nice at night to go for a cooler swim, and chat by the pool. We usually went to bed around 2 or 3 AM, and woke up the next day and repeated the same pattern. One day, we went on a banana boat, which is a big float that you ride on attached to a speed boat. It was super fun.

Justin, Lauren, and I returned Thursday afternoon, while Ilana and Brian stayed another night and decided to go to a fancy hotel. It was so nice to get home after all the traveling, and to see my family again. It was also fun because Angela, an Earlham student who lived with my family last fall, was here visiting with her boyfriend Dylan, who was also here last fall. She and I know each other a little bit, and she worked at F+W this summer, so it was great to hang out with them before they left Saturday. It was also reassuring, because she told me the family loves me and is really happy with me. The rest of the weekend was really chill; I didn't hang out with anyone from the program or go out at night, and I had a lot of good quality family time. My sister Camila is working at Italian Coffee (like Starbucks) so I went to visit her at work a couple times and did some reading.

Today, we started new classes. The next (and final!!!) 6 weeks, we will be taking Literature, Grammar/Conversation, Writing/Reading, and a Mexican film class. My project is also going really well, and I am now going to be there 10 hours a week. I'm going to stay with my class (thank god!), but also be an assistant for high school English classes on Mondays. It should be good. My students were so excited to see me today, and the other professor who was filling in for me said a lot of them stopped coming when I was away; it's probably just because I'm less strict, but I also like to think they like me as a person too.

I can't believe it's almost November! This weekend is Dia de los Muertos, and I promise to take lots of photos. Friday I am going to a Halloween party at my aerobics studio; we are having a party with the karate class and we're both going to do a little presentation. We are doing a dance/aerobics sequence to "Thriller" which is shaping up nicely. Mago, the aerobics teacher, is really sweet, and is so excited about the party. It should be fun. And Hilary and I are planning to dress up at "Limon y sal" (lime and salt) which is the Mexican equivalent of salt and pepper. It should be quite cute. I hope everyone has an awesome Halloween, and I hope to talk to you all in the near future!!!

I have not updated in quite some time, so in procrastination from my paper (EZLN, Atenco, and APPO: Social Movements and Their Relationships with the Mexican Government) I would like to give a brief update:

Tepoztlan: 2 weekends ago, we traveled to Tepoztlan to climb a mountain to see a pyramid. It was essentially a cliff; we climbed straight up for about an hour and a half...my asthma was not too happy. But we made it to the top eventually. It is a tourist hotspot, for Mexicans and Internationals alike, and it's free on Sunday, so it is a constant flow of people hiking up the mountain...it sort of felt like we were on a pilgrimage. But the view and pyramid were well worth the hike. It was pretty foggy, but still beautiful. And there was a big festival going on at a church in the town, so we could hear the music and see the floods of people. Since it was Sunday, the markets were also incredible, and I was able to pick up a few gifts along the way. Hilary, Justin, and I ate in a market for the first time. It was pretty squashed, but it was probably the best food I've had in Mexico so far. We ate Tlacoyos, which are sort of like quesadillas, but much better. They had "queso de Oaxaca" inside, which is the best type of queso...it's salty and stringy. Mmmmm.

This past weekend, Hilary and I decided we wanted to check out Cuernavaca for a day trip, so we left Sunday morning around 9, and took the 1.5 hour bus ride to Cuerna. We visited the Palacio de Cortes, which is an archaeological museum with ancient-modern artifacts, and also includes a beautiful Rivera mural that portrays the history of Morelos very accurately. Next, we went to the Catedral, and the Jardin Borda, which has lots of beautiful fountains and plants. We ate lots of yummy food (churros, helado) and we found a great cafe that had delicious salads and coffee. We also visited the Mercado Artesania, which had beautiful jewelry and artwork. Hilary found a great painting for her brother, and I bought birthday presents for my mom and brother here, whose birthdays are both today. My 14-year old brother received from me a "100% guapo" shirt (100% attractive, essentially), and my mom some silver earrings. Camila and I stayed up until 1 last night baking them a cake. We finished it off with the very Martha-esque "R" that I stenciled on with some cocoa powder....everyone was impressed.

We are all watching the election very carefully. I already sent in my absentee ballot, but it's still interesting to watch the debates. I think I'm more interested in it here than I would be in the US. It's really interesting to talk to Mexicans about the election. They don't really care that much but seems to prefer Obama. The economy is freaking me out a bit...I took out cash today, taking advantage of the sweet exchange rate, but who knows what the future holds....

Sunday we head to Oaxaca for a week of group travel. I am super excited...we are spending a few days in the city, and then a few days in San Antonio Huitepec, the pueblo in Oaxaca where about 100 Mexican immigrants in Richmond are from. I think it will be a really cool experience to be able to go back to Amigos in Richmond, and be able to understand where these people are actually coming from. After Oaxaca, Ilana, Brian, and Justin and I will travel to Acapulco for vacation, from Saturday-Thursday, and then return to Cuautla for a couple days before classes start up again. I'm pretty excited for the tourist experience of lounging on the beach and drinking pina coladas.

UNILA continues to go really well....my students are pretty upset that I will be gone for 2 weeks, but they understand that I need to go. I still feel weird about being here in general. Being in Mexico, teaching English. Proliferating American values is not something I'm sure I support. And my students' intentions are good; and I understand why they want to learn English. But the confidence I have walking around this town, and the way I know people perceive me makes me uncomfortable daily. I feel like we keep asking ourselves, "what are we doing here? what right do we have?" Especially when visiting "indigenous villages" to see "how they live." I understand that there aren't many better ways to become more culturally educated, but it's hard when you're always coming from a position of power.

Entonces, I'm very happy here, but currently digging into the harder stuff of what it means to be American in another country, and how as much ans I try to reject my identity, I am still not Mexican, and I will never fully be part of this culture I love so much. Neither will me Spanish be fluent at the end of this program. But I think I have come to accept that. I will just keep doing my best and we'll see where that leads...

Ay dios mio

Wow. Mexico is freaking amazing.

First of all, I taught my first class at UNILA last week, and it went really well. I had 13 kids, and we talked about using gerunds as objects and subjects, as opposed to verbs. It was a good brush-up of English grammar for me to teach it. We also learned vocabulary for talking about different jobs, and the personality styles that go with different jobs. My planning was right on, and we spent the whole 2 hours doing different activities and games. It was hard to plan that much, and I think mustering up that kind of creativity 2 times a week will be a challenge, but a good one. My students were very respectful, and all tried really hard, and hopefully learned something. The best part was when I asked them if they wanted a break halfway through, and they said they wanted to keep going. I felt very confident though as the class went on, and I am hoping it continues to go well. I really want them to learn a lot. Vamos a ver...

Next topic: this weekend!
So, we went to DF (Districto Federal, Mexico City) for the weekend. We left yesterday at 8 am, and took a bus to the city, and went straight to Frida Kahlo's house, which is now a museum. It was amazing. I appreciated it so much more after watching Frida last weekend, because I knew the history and had the visual image already planted in my head. It was incredible though, to be in the place where she was, and to be in the rooms that inspired so much great art. She has such a tumultuous life, and I just can't think of many people who put so much of themselves into their work and what they create. What a woman. From there, we went to our hotel where we hung out for awhile and ate some lunch. We met up again to go the Palacio Nacional, which is where a large number of Diego Rivera murals are located. Again, watching Frida was such a big help. The biggest mural there is a history of Mexico. I love his murals because you can tell exactly how he felt about all the characters by looking at their faces. He depicted kindness and "evil" very well, and it was fun to pick out the historical characters now that we've done history up until 1915-ish. Zapata, Villa, Benito Juarez, Porfirio Diaz, etc...I am actually soaking the history in, and enjoying it. Goyo is a great professor, and I'm learning a lot with him. After the palacio, we bummed around the Zocalo (main plaza) for awhile, watched some "Aztec" dancers, got some ice cream, and felt like a big group of gringo tourists. A good feeling to have every once in awhile. Then last night we had the night off. Norma (our program director) took us to a bar with live salsa music. It was so much fun! 4 guys asked me to dance, and all of them were very patient with me, teaching me how to salsa. But it was funny, because all of them told me to relax and let them be in charge. Caballeros. One of them was taller than me, which everyone in my group was very excited about. Everyone is always looking out for me!

This morning we woke up super early and headed to Teotihuacan, which was INCREDIBLE. The pyramids were amazing, and the view from the top was once-in-a-lifetime. They were a pain to climb up because the stairs were very steep, but worth the hike. We climbed to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Moon. So high. I am always amazed by the human capacity to build giant things....without backhoes or bulldozers. After Teotihuacan, we went back to DF (about half an hour on the bus) and ate at a restaurant, and went to the Museo de Bellas Artes to see some more art. Orozco, more Rivera, Siqueiros, etc. Amazing art. From there, we headed home and I am now rushing to get lots of homework done. But it was a great weekend overall, and I am ready for another week of sun, salsa, and Mexico!

21!

This was a big week. I finally feel very comfortable here. Things feel good with my family, and my Spanish is finally feeling comfortable. I think I'm understanding more everyday.

I turned 21 on Monday! Thanks to all for the wonderful birthday messages! My mom and my sister sang to me when I came downstairs, and we had a wonderful fruity cake for breakfast...the best time to have cake. They have this thing called "mordida" here which consists of the birthday girl/boy taking a bite out of his/her cake. Everyone chants "mordida" until you do it! It's sort of like blowing out the candles, but it's so awkward to have lots of people watch while you try to gracefully shove your face in a cake. It reminds me a lot of when the bride and groom put the cake in each others faces, which I never plan on doing. Then at school I got another cake during our break in the middle of the morning, which was delicious...it was strawberries and cream and vanilla cake. Mmm so much cake. The best part of the day was definitely when I got to talk to mom and dad on skype, and got to actually see them because of the camera on mom's computer! It was awesome! If anyone else wants to chat on skype, we can make a date to talk...

The only bummer about this week was that there was so much homework. All the academic stuff picked up really quickly. Today, I had to hand in grammar homework, 2 1-page summaries for 2 different classes, I had to read lots of history, and I had 2 quizzes! I'm essentially taking 6/7 classes, which is way more than I would ever do at Earlham. I can do it, but it's hard to try to enjoy life here/spend time with family AND get all the work done.

On a positive note, my project is going wonderfully. I think I mentioned it, but I'm working at UNILA (La Universidad Latina) as an English teacher. Next week, I start with my own class of 15-ish students. The scary part is that I am the the teacher. I have to do a lot; I decide how to grade them, when to test them, what homework they get, etc etc. I'm a college professor! It's really daunting, but I also have a really complete teacher's guide to help me. They're pretty advanced, so we'll mostly be doing conversation, lots of reading and writing, etc. The grammar is stuff like future perfect, gerunds, the passive voice, etc. I think I will learn a lot of English grammar in the process, which I suppose it good. The students are great. This past week, Brian (another Earlham student), Nelly (professor at UNILA, also the dept. chair for languages), and I had all the intermediate and advanced students together, so I already got to know my students pretty well. I hope I am creative enough to make the class fun, but each class is 2 hours, so I need to plan a lot! Yikes! If anyone has any advice to offer me, please let me know! I'm a little terrified! Thankfully, it's only Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I will have time between to get stuff done (apart from all my Earlham classes!!!)

But it's the weekend, so I shouldn't worry! And Independence Day is Monday! So that will be fun! UNILA doesn't have class Tuesday, so I think I might go to a party Monday night at the house of a friend on the program. Tonight, a bunch of us are going to Pritsker to celebrate my birthday (on the weekend...) so hopefully that will be fun. I will try to write more than once next week, but it's so crazy here! The schedule is nuts, and I've also been going to aerobics every night, so there's not a lot of free time!

Crazy Day in Mexico

Yesterday was a day to remember. There were so many group-bonding moments that by the end, I felt like I would trust anyone in that group with my life! So we had to be at Casa Sol at 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday, which was rough, but we all climbed into the combi, bleary eyed, to head to Hueyapan and other villages. The ride took forever. It's not that far away, but because of the mountains, you go up and down about 20 times in 10 minutes. We stopped in Tatela de Volcan to see the market there, which was really the most rural place we've been so far. From the street, you could perfectly see Popocatapetl, and since we were so high up in the mountains, the view was incredible. We could see all the snow on the top. It's such a beautiful volcano. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died 5 minutes into the drive, but I'm sure there will be more opportunities. Anyway, moving on wit the story, we parked the combi in the street. This was not allowed. You know when they say "take down your license plate number" when you do something illegal? Here in rural Mexico, they actually physically remove your license plate when you park illegally. We all came out of the market to find our combi driving chatting it up with the Tetela de Volcan police. It took forever to get it worked out, and we had to drive to the police station. About half an hour after waiting, we were finally on the road again. We stopped at a small campo to see an example of an indigenous family farm. They were growing corn, avocadoes, and beans. They also grown marigolds especially for Dia de Los Muertos, because that is the special flower for the holiday, and we got to see a cool brick oven where they bake lots of bread daily. The guy was really friendly, and also gave us some of the walnuts that he grew...it was the first time I had ever had a walnut straight from the shell.

After this visit, we continued on to Hueyapan, where we had a nice little lunch at the house of some indigenous weavers. They had beautiful bags, ponchos, blankets, and scarves, all made from the wool they had harvested from their sheep, carded, spun, naturally dyed, and woven. I didn't buy anything, but lots of people did. From this house, we continued on to meet our tour guide, Abraham, who was a funny little guy who took us around Hueyapan in our combi. This was where the adventure really began. That combi was not happy with the rural Mexican roads. There were a bunch of times when rubber was burned, the combi rolled downhill a little bit, and many times when we got out to push it out of a ditch. Needless to say, we were giving the driver a hard day. But it was definitely an experience. After pushing the combi up many hills, we reached the house where Abraham was born, which had a great view of the hillside, and Popo. We could see lots of terraced hillsides where people were growing corn. We also got to go on an incredibly scary rope-bridge. Mom, you would have *loved* it....we were hundreds of feet off the ground above a ravine. I was terrified. The bridge was shaking and we all had a nice adrenaline rush.

On the way home, we had some issues with the brakes of the combi (no surprise after the roads it drove on), so we had to stop at a garage, where we waited for half an hour until another combi could come pick us up. It was great. All day, people started at us more than usual, a big group of gringos, walking around with backpacks and cameras. Needless to say, it was quite the "excursion", and there were many moments when we would look at each other and be like, "wow, we're really in Mexico".

Last night, a bunch of us went to a disco. It was super fun, and better than the other places we've been, because there was actually a dance floor. Next weekend I think I'm going to go out with my sisters, which should be really fun because I haven't really hung out with them that much, and my older sister Andrea will be home, so my little sister Camila can come out (she's usually not allowed to, since she's only 17, but Rita lets her go when Andrea's home). And tomorrow, I turn 21! Hooray! Life is really good.

Wow, this week has been crazy. More emotionally tiring than the first week, but I guess I should have known it was coming. The realization that I've had in the past few days is that while my Spanish is decent, I'm still not speaking enough. When we're at home, I listen a lot because my family loves to talk, but I'm not actually spending enough time talking. And I hit a major road bump yesterday when my dad was here. Like I mentioned, he works in Acapulco and comes home once in awhile (he is here now, and it's the first time since May). And although I can tell he has good intentions, he's just not really a part of this family anymore. He hasn't lived here for 4 years, and a lot has changed in that time. But anyway, we had a really hard time understanding each other yesterday, and I said "sorry my Spanish isn't that great" and he replied, "I noticed." It was just pretty rough. And thankfully, Rita came to the rescue and assured me that I was doing really well, but it finally felt like things were getting normal around here and then Ruben Sr. rolled into town to shake things up. And you can feel the difference in the kids; they're more tense, and Rita is also less relaxed. Hopefully this will be his only visit here while I'm here, and I think he's leaving tomorrow or the next day. But it's just sad that he is so distant from his family. I don't know how they make this work.

Anyway, this week has been pretty good, but my body has been mad at me on a number of occasions. I knew it would happen, but it's not fun. Aerobics has been really good though, and walking so much everyday. I feel really healthy here, and although I am eating a lot, the schedule and the food are very different, so I feel pretty good. I started my field study project today. I am going to be working 8 hours a week at UNILA, thre Universidad Latina, here in Cuautla. It's pretty small, and has prepa and universidad, so the students are between Gretta's age and college students, more or less. I am going to be actually teaching English classes, which should be really cool. It's intimidating to me, the idea of being a minority in front of a huge class of people my age, trying to teach them something, but it's also a good challenge. There are also a lot of people in Cuautla who lived in the US for a long time, and either got deported or finally saved enough to come home, so there are plenty of people here who speak English as well as I do. It will be interesting to see how things go, but I am looking forward to the project. And Brian, another guy from the program, is going too, so we can take the combi together and talk about it together.

I'm really looking forward to another weekend. Tomorrow night is Laura's birthday, so her family is throwing a party for her at her house for the whole group, which should be a blast. Then Saturday we're taking an excursion to the indigenous community of Hueyepan to see firsthand what it's like to struggle with the clash of indigenous and modern life. From what we've been reading, there seems to be a lot of internalized shame about being Indian in Mexico, so I hope we don't intimidate people when we roll up to watch "how they live." I really have been wanting to take pictures here, but I feel like a tourist everytime I break out my camera. It's a tough balance, because I'm not trying to pretend I'm not a tourist, but I also don't want to broadcast it to the world.

Saturday I think we're going out to celebrate my birthday. Who knows....

But in conclusion, I am still very happy in Mexico. I am starting to feel a bit more settled in, but also starting to feel some conflicts within myself, and some frustration with how I can be independent here, while still being a white American blonde girl, who's Spanish is imperfect. Quien sabe.....

Week One

I wrote this yesterday, and now I'm posting it:

"This first week was great. Overall, I have been very happy and content here. I had so many nerves for no reason. I fully expected the beginning to be very hard, but it has been surprisingly easy for me to acclimate to everything here. I think I really do need to get a phone card soon though, so I can call home (sorry, Mom and Dad, I really do want to talk to you).

Right now, I’m sitting in a hotel restaurant studying with Hilary, the girl from Oberlin who came on our program. I’m so happy she’s here. She seems like the person I will get along with best here. We’re pretty similar in personality; quiet, no-drama, calm. This morning though, we spent an hour looking for this restaurant we really wanted to go to that had waffles. Cuautla is so much bigger than I thought it would be; it’s a legit small city, definitely way bigger than Danbury, for example. When we FINALLY found it, we discovered it was closed Saturdays. How lame. Oh well, this hotel is nice, and there’s no one here, so we can study quietly. We have the test Monday on history and geography, so there’s a lot to prepare for.

Last night was really fun. A bunch of us went out for dinner (pizza), and then went back to my house to watch a movie. My mom is great because she has the perfect balance of motherly-concern, and understanding that I am an adult, and I’m going to go out at night and I can be independent. She was totally fine with me inviting people over, which was really sweet. She’s just so easy to get along with. And I love having siblings. Yesterday my sister Miriam came home for the weekend. She studies psychology at a university in Puebla, so it was fun to chat last night with her. She plans to go into criminal psych or work with kids. It’s really great to be part of a big family, and it’s funny to watch the arguments that my siblings have with Rita. For example, today, Camila told Rita she was going to go to the library all day, and Rita was like “no way…all day? What are you really doing?” It was funny; Camila insisted that she had a big project to do, but we weren’t so sure. Because the public transportation is so easy here, all my siblings (even Ruben, who’s only 13) can go out by themselves and do things with friends, and Rita doesn’t need to drive them around. The combis are so easy, and go all around, so transport here is no big deal. It’s amazing how after only 5 days, I can feel like part of someone else’s family.

Tonight everyone in the program is going to Carmelita’s (a friend of our professor) house, because she is apparently an amazing cook. We’re going to have dinner there and then go straight to a disco to dance. I’m super excited, because it will be the first time we go out like this. Norma (our program director, who’s really sweet and in her 20s) is going to take us for this first time, so I feel really good about it. I feel bad; there are some people on this program who are afraid of everything. They don’t want to take the combis alone, they don’t want to go out at night, they won’t eat anything new. I understand that it’s the beginning of the program, but if you can’t take risks now, what’s the point of going abroad? The point, at least for me, is to push yourself to take risks, to try new things, to meet new people, and to not be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve already messed up about a billion times in Spanish, but who cares? Everyone is really nice about it and understands that I’m learning. The best thing is that it’s already easier in some ways for me to write in Spanish than in English. My mindset is already so Spanish-focused. The grammar we’re doing is SUPER-boring, but oh well, that’s what happens when things get advanced."

Ok, now this is today:
Last night was super fun. It had it's sketchy machismo moments, but overall a blast to be able to go out and dance and have fun. And the whole group went together, which was a really good bonding experience. A few people had a little too much fun, so hopefully no one was sick this morning when they woke up (I obviously wasn't).

I forgot to mention: All the kindergarten public school teachers in Cuautla are on strike right now. It's pretty crazy stuff, and hopefully it won't get as crazy as the Oaxaca tachers strikes of 2 years ago. But it's cool...they're marching in the streets, and the kids are all home driving their parents nuts. I think they're just demanding higher wages, but it's pretty cool to watch.

This is a crazy experience. It's different than I expected it would be, but I guess it's good to have stereotypes disproved, reinforced, and changed. My family continues to be wonderful. I actually have a hard time being productive, because I am always chatting with my mom. She is very talkative, but it has been great practice for my Spanish.

Last night I went to aerobics class, which was crazy. It was super fun, but I didn't get a lot of what was happening. I looked a little silly bouncing around, much bigger than all the other fit little women, but it was ok. Walking about a mile to class everyday is also very good exercise. Ilana and I can take the combi if we want, and we do at night when it's too dark to walk, but the walking is good. The only crappy thing about the walk is all the guys that whistle and say stuff at us while we're walking. It is just not fun to be harrassed all the time. And we have to walk by a military base, which is usually swarming with young men. Ay. Good thing we do it with each other, because if we were alone, it would be much harder to ignore them.

The food has been delicious, and I haven't gotten sick yet (knock on wood!). I have had lots of fresh juice (jugo de naranja), frijoles, arroz, many tortillas, and delicious avacadoes. Mmmm. It's hard to adjust to the eating schedule tho, because we eat a huge meal at 3 when we all (me, my sister, and my brother) get home from school, and then eat smaller meals at breakfast and dinner, which is around 9/10/whenever I want to eat something.

Classes were great yesterday and today. Today we talked about projects (I'm going to be working at the local university with kids my age, I think teaching English. It should be sweeet.) Yesterday we had grammar with Goyo (our prof), and learned lots of new vocabulary. It seems like the advanced grammar won't be that fun, but I guess it's good to learn new stuff. And we did history with Goyo, and learned all about Porfirio Diaz and Benito Juarez. Got to go do homework!

Finalmente, estoy en Cuautla. Wow. The past few days were crazy. My flight got canceled, so they put me on standby for 2 more flights later in the day, but I didn't get to Mexico until 8 PM, when my original flight would have gotten me in at 2:30. Ay dios mio. It was awful to spend 7 hours straight in the Houston airport, but Howard and Patty were there for a little while, which was nice, because they helped me figure out a plan for that night.

So when I got there, there was another girl who was late, so I waited for her, we found each other, and we took a taxi to a hotel in Mexico City at around midnight. It was quite a way to begin the trip. But the hotel was nice, and we finally got some sleep. The next morning, yesterday, we woke up early and took a bus to Cuautla, which was only an hour and a half long, shorter than I expected. The drive was beautiful, and I enjoyed looking at the countryside. When we finally arrived at Casa Sol, the building where we have class, I was so relieved to be there. We spent the rest of the morning going over random program information; the schedule, rules for the house, etc. Then my host mom, Rita, picked me upat Casa Sol and took me to our house. Rita is very nice, and we understand each other very well. She said she was impressed with my Spanish already, so it's good to know that I can basicaly communicate anything I need to. We had a delicious lunch with my younger brother, Ruben, who is very sweet. He is very shy, but nice. Then in the afternoon I went back to Casa Sol and we did a combi (little bus) tour of the city, which was awesome.

Last night I spent a lot of time with my little sister, Camila, who is Gretta's age. She's really sweet and loves futbol, so she talks about that a lot. We watched tv with my mom, which was fun because we watched friends with subtitles, so we all understood the jokes. We chatted about music, family, etc. It wasa nice first night, and I slept really well. Today we drove around Cuautla some more in the combis, and saw the Zocalo, and the Alameda, which are the two main plazas. I really want to write more, but here we are by the side of the pool hanging out, and I think it would be good to socialize with the group. But it seems like I'll have lots of opportunities to update, so that's good news. Hasta luego!

The last week of Germany was wonderful. I got lazy and stopped posting, but I thought a final post was in order.

In the last few days of the trip, we took it easy. We went to the zoo twice, another indoor playground, the carnival, and shopped for new toys. John left on Sunday, so Bonnie and I had our hands more full than before. The zoo was amazing though; much cooler than any American zoos I've been to. You can get really close to the animals, and feed the elephants and the giraffes. And they didn't just have one or two of every animal; they had at least 10 elephants I could see, tons of baboons, lots of bears and tigers. It was great. And the kids could stay for hours without getting tired.

I don't think I ever mentioned the fireworks! Friday night (Friday the 8th) there were fireworks right outside, at St. Pauli church. Apparently they do them every Friday! They were absolutely beautiful, and went on for a good 10 minutes. I was amazed the kids slept through them. It was so wonderful to stand out on the balcony with a perfect view of them. That's the same church that has an 80-something year old man play the trumpet from the top of the tower every day at 9 in the morning and 9 at night. He plays in all four directions so everyone can hear it. It's sad though; it's an unpaid position and no one is inclined to replace him, so the multi-century-old tradition might be lost.

Saturday night (the 9th) was a blast because Bonnie and John invited some friends over to the hotel, and we sat outside on the deck eating pizza and drinking wine. It was nice for me because I put the kids to bed and then I got to hang out with the "adults". Their friends are all pretty young, so it was great to chat with some younger Germans about politics, school, life, etc.

We went to the carnival on the last night of the trip, which was a perfect way to end it. We went on rides, played games, did bumper cars, ate fair food (beer, fries, pretzels), and ended the evening with a ferris wheel ride that overlooked the whole city. The carnival (called the Dom) is really amazing because it's semi-permanent and is there 3 times a year, so it's huge and really well-established.

I was really ready at the end of the trip to come home, and the flight was easy and the kids well-behaved. But the last few days I have really missed the kids a lot! I got pretty attached to them! I am going over tomorrow to hang out one more time before I go to Mexico, but there's a good chance I might get to go back next year, this time to Berlin! That would be a really great opportunity. For now, I am relieved to be done with that trip, and excited to start packing and planning for Mexico. I just spent the weekend in VT with Mom and Dad and Gretta, and they bought me a great travel book about Mexico for an early birthday present. Now I just need to learn all the states and their locations, and master a few hundred years of history! Wish me luck!

The day off was wonderful. I took a great bus tour of the city from the top of a double decker. We went all around the city, and it was partially in English, which was helpful. I walked around a ton, just exploring and getting lost and found again. Then I had dinner at a little cafe overlooking the harbor. The best was sitting across from an 80-something year old woman who was just sitting there sipping a beer. I love the sense of freedom in traveling alone. It's so nice to only be responsible for myself. It's selfish, in a way, but also deserved after the amount of time I've spent with little kids lately. I decided I'm going to apply for the Watson Fellowship (http://www.watsonfellowship.org/site/index.html), because, well, why not? Something about this trip, especially yesterday, has made me crave more time alone in other countries. I love watching people, being anonymous, without responsibility to anyone. I think I could do it for a year.

Anyway, today was fun because it was raining, so Bonnie and I took the kids to an indoor playground (sort of like Leaps and Bounds-Stew, Lindsey, Mom, Dad, and Grets...) and they entertained themselves for 3 1/2 hours. Bonnie and I played with them a bit, but we also just sat and chatted. The more time I spend with her and John, the more I respect them and appreciate them. I was being judgmental for awhile, but I'm really starting to see how hard they try to be good parents, and what a conscious effort they do make. They communicate really well, and although John doesn't spend a ton of time with the kids, you can tell everyone loves each other a lot, which is the most important thing in my book.

This view is incredible. The kids are asleep and I have this nice quiet space all to myself. Bliss. I did realize today though, I'm going to Mexico in 2 weeks! Yikes! I need to start getting in that mindset. At least I finished the book....that's a relief, and it was actually really interesting.

Hamburg

Hi all,

I am finally posting an entry right after I write it! We are in Hamburg, overlooking the water from a VERY nice hotel. The city is beautiful; it has more bridges than Amsterdam, and there's water everywhere. There is a lake in the middle of the city, the streets are wide, and there is plenty of fresh air. It's good to know there are cities like this in the world. Yesterday we went to the model train museum (don't worry Dad, I took lots of pictures) which was amazing. We had to wait in line for over an hour, but it was worth it. There were models of various cities and countryside settings, all complete with thousands of tiny little people and amazing details.

Today I get the day off; Bonnie and John took the kids to visit Bonnie's great aunt. It will be nice to have some alone time and explore the city. I am planning on taking a bus tour of the city, and I will be sure to take lots of pictures.

That's all for now, from the land of beer and pretzels!

The last few days have been perfect, exactly how I would like to vacation with my kids. We have woken up late (around 10 or 11), hung out at the house doing puzzles and reading, and then spent the afternoon at the beach. There is a nice little beach here in front of the lake, probably about 100 feet long, with lots of sand. There are usually about 40-50 people there hanging out. It’s perfect for the kids because they can play by themselves and hang out while we (me, John, and Bonnie) lay on the beach and read or sunbathe. One of us is usually playing with Oscar in the sand or swimming with Olivia, but we take turns. It’s been so nice, because I’m essentially just a third parent helping them. They don’t leave me completely in charge a lot, and are making sure I get free time to hang out during the day. (For example, right now, Bonnie and John are napping with Oscar and Olivia is watching a movie on Bonnie’s computer). They treat me respectfully, and don’t cut me a rough deal in anything. I feel more like a friend than an employee, which is a good relationship.

At night we all go have dinner together, usually with Veronica (Bonnie’s aunt), and Friet, Adrien, and Jasper (Bonnie’s cousins, all brothers in their 20s/30s) and then I take the kids and put them to bed. The past two nights, Olivia has gotten scared or lonely and has slept in my bed, which I really don’t mind. I have my own room with a sweet princess bed (curtains around the outside) so I don’t mind sharing with an adorable 7 year old. It’s been really interesting, because I have found my expectations to be flipped. I thought Oscar would be easy, and Olivia would be the difficult one. On the contrary, Olivia has been nothing but sweet and polite to me. We have asked her, on many occasions, to be mature and adult-like, and she has risen to the occasion beautifully. She shares well with Oscar, and tries to be the bigger person whenever conflicts arise. I can imagine it’s hard to share the Mom you had to yourself for 4 years. Oscar has been very whiny and needy. There’s nothing surprising about that; he’s 3 and I understand that it’s hard for him to trust me. He loves his mom, and she feels bad when she leaves him with me, but he really needs to learn that he can’t have her at every moment. It’s a constant struggle because we have fun and get along during the day, but he can also be cranky “don’t talk to me” or “not you. I want mama”.

This is supposed to be a travel blog, not a nanny blog. Sorry for getting sidetracked. It’s been hard though, being here without communication with the outside world. I’m writing this in Word, and I’ll post it when we can get online. Germany itself is beautiful though. We’ve been in this same town since Monday (today is Friday), so I don’t have much to report on, but it’s quaint. Today for lunch we went to the Bider (Beaver) café, overlooking the lake, and enjoyed some beer with sprite (very yummy) and lunch. There is a nice path that goes around the lake, and we have seen many families riding their bikes around. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that we all rented bikes to use to get back and forth to the beach. It’s so nice because the schloss is right in town. So it’s about a 10-minute walk to the beach, but would take the kids longer. So we ride bikes to keep it short and fun, and it works well. I forgot how much I enjoy riding a bike. And I just feel so, well, European when doing so. Oh! I forgot to mention the schpaghetti ice. I’m not sure if that’s how you spell it, but that’s how it sounds. Apparently they have them in every ice cream shop in Germany. It’s what it sounds like…vanilla ice cream (spaghetti) with a raspberry sauce (marinara) and white chocolate (shredded cheese) on top. It was so wunderbar! Haha. I love being here; it’s been so nice. I am very much looking forward to Hamburg, where we go Monday! Hooray!

First day

The flight was great. I never knew it’s possible to have a tablecloth on your tray, be served ice cream, and lie almost completely flat while you drown out the sensory overload with an eye covering and earplugs. Business class is luxurious. Although I did feel like quite the imposter; a guy had to help me load my tray back into its space ship worthy compartment. Anyway, it’s nothing I’m ever going to pay the extra money for myself, but it was nice to have the extra legroom. Thanks Edelmans.

It’s so beautiful! Oh my goodness. The country here is so perfect; it’s quiet, calm, and lovely. I’m sitting in the living room of the apartment we’re staying in, and I can hear birds chirping out the window and the sounds of horses and farm machinery. Driving from Hamburg to Gartow (where we are now) there were hundred of wind turbines creating energy. It seems to be getting big here; Bonnie’s cousin Friet, who is the earl of the schloss, (he’s so young, probably in his early 30s) works in developing alternative energy sources for small businesses. We stopped at a grocery store on the way and picked up the necessary breads, meats, sweets, juices, etc. John and I had a funny moment where the woman was asking us how many bags we had and we both looked at each other in complete confusion until Bonnie rescued us. I feel stupid whenever I go somewhere and people need to adapt to my cultural background instead of accommodating theirs. Oh well. It’s a phenomenon bigger than me.

We had lunch at the schloss with Friet, his younger brother Jasper, and a friend. It was lively conversation about hunting wild boars and bulls of a neglectful neighbor. Needless to say, we’re having a barbeque tonight…just the right time to start eating meat again. The schloss is beautiful. I haven’t seen the whole thing yet, but it just feels so old and full of history. The stairs are lined with paintings of family members dating back to Friet’s great-great-lots of greats grandfather who, in the 1600s, helped the King of Hanover become the King of Britain, and received loads of wealth in return.

This afternoon Olivia and I walked to town while John, Bonnie, and Oscar took naps. We spent about half an hour in a large toy store, without any money (a good plan), and walked the rest of the main street, which consists of a couple restaurants, a bike shop, an appliance store, an ice cream shop, a bank, a pharmacy, and a little gift shop. Very cliché. Oh, I forgot the liquor store, filled with a window of different beer varieties. Exactly like my vision of Germany. It has filled all the stereotypes so far. Then I got to sleep while they all went for a swim at the lake. And now they just got home; I guess it’s time to go barbeque! Auf weidersen!

Address

Here is my address in Mexico. I know it's a bit premature, but if I don't put it up now, I will forget! I am filling out my application for an absentee ballot right now...very exciting!

Hannah Reed
c/o Guillermoprieto
Apartado 21
Sucursal Plan de Ayala
Cuautla, Morelos
Mexico 62743

Intro

Hello, friends and family!

I have decided that instead of sending long, intense emails about how being abroad has changed my life, I will write in this blog. That way, you have a choice as to how often you hear about my travels. I will plan to post as often as I can, probably once or twice a week.

I will be in Hamburg and "the countryside" of Germany from July 28th-August 14th. I will then travel to Cuautla, Mexico, on August 24th, where I will be until December 16th. I anticipate lots of adventures, and I will try to accurately share them with you!