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January 30, 2007
A Day of Complete Frustration
There are times here when I go through absolute frustration--- whether it be for seconds, minutes, or even a day.
Yesterday was one such day. Its amazing how the school system works here. None of the students buy textbooks because they cant afford them... So, instead, you have to make photocopies of the textbooks in the library. ¨Where is the book?¨I ask the librarian. She tells me its not in the library. So I returned to Dra. Shrimpton who told me she gave the book to Will, who let Carla borrow it, or handed it over to Rosa, who left on the table, where Manuel picked it up. ¨Where is the book?¨I ask Manuel. He tells me he put it back on the shelf. So I look on the shelf to find that its missing again. And then I find myself back in Dra. Shrimptons office where she tells me that Manuel returned the book to her in person, but must´ve not realized.
It was only then, after an hour of searching who had the book, that I could begin looking for the second of 5 books to make photocopies.
And the process works like such: Once you find an actual book to copy in the library (where the collection is bleak, might I add), you can´t even copy it yourself. I mean, you can if you want to stand over the copy machine for hours and hours. But most students just generally hand their books over to the poor woman that works in the copy room, sweating over books every day for hours. And, depending on the tip you give her, she´ll copy your books quicker, faster, double sided, with holes--- it all depends. You just have to know how to work the system.
You just have to know how to play the game. I think yesterday I truly appreciated my American education. Most definitely.
But, despite all the drama, I had a nice long talk with Dra. Shrimpton, and we even broke out into English a bit. She´s a graduate of Cambridge University and a very very interesting person. And she speaks Spanish like a Yucatecan.
In other news, I just came back from a test with Marcela´s class. I have a lot of hw. to do and an essay to write for tomorrow.
Time to go.
Posted by jlsumich at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)
January 28, 2007
Didiere, Carla, and Los 3 Cenotes
Let me just say that yesterday was truly a great day. I woke up early in the morning (at 6!) to walk to the Centro where I met Didiere and Carla, two kids from my Antropología Mexicana class as well as some other Butler students. Didiere brought some Mexican music for me to listen to, as he promised… Carla and I discussed the project that we were assigned to work on together in the upcoming weeks for our class… We waited for a bit in the Centro for other Mexicanos and then we all made our way downtown to catch a shuttle to the Tres Cenotes.
Las bellezas naturales del estado de Yucatán son innumerables, y entre las más importantes están los cenotes y las grutas. The bus ride to the cenotes was a bit long; we passed through two major pueblos: Chuncanan and finally Cuzama. As we rode through the pueblos, I took a good look out the window – stray dogs; children running barefoot, wild in the streets; garbage on the side of the rode; tall, old iglesias with windows shattered but lines of people; naranja and limón trees and of course, Coca-Cola signs everywhere.
When we got to the cenotes, I didn’t know what to expect—we had went to one last week near Chichen Itza that seemed very confined, but our senora told me that every one is really, really different. And she was right.
El municipio de Cuzama es cada día más popular por sus cenotes, la forma de visitarlos y el espeleobuceo. El recorrido a traves de los distintos cenotes se realiza en un “truck” jalado por caballos a través de 7 km en caminos llenos de naturaleza agregando un increíble sabor de aventura. Los cenotes principales de esta zona son: Cheletun (piedra recostada), Chansinic’che (árbol con hormigas pequenas), y Bolonchoojol (nueve goteras). We split up into 4 wagons and made our way to the cenotes.
I think I’ll remember two things, honestly, about my experience yesterday:
First of all, it’s hard to even describe the cenotes without seeing them in person. They’re beautiful, natural structures. I realized today that you can have a lot of fun without paying a lot of money & that there is certainly much to be seen in this world beyond the realm of home. Mexicans far and wide come to the cenotes just for fun and it certainly is a priceless adventure.
Secondly, I think I’ll remember the overwhelming kindness of the Mexican students here at the UADY. They certainly didn’t have to invite me or the two other Butler students, but they did. And it was a great bonding experience. We talked about life in Mexico, life in the US, movies and books, food and school drama. It’s funny how a student is a student no matter what country you live in or what language you speak.
But anyway, they were so helpful and so generous through the whole trip—they brought food for us to eat in the shuttle; the packed a picnic lunch; and they handled the truck guides for us so there would be no hassles or worries.
While Mexico certainly might not be a rich country, there’s certainly something to be said about the way in which relationships and friendships are formed.
It kind of makes you wonder what’s really important in life…
Posted by jlsumich at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2007
More photos...
Me and my Hammock
Ben and his Hammock
Ceviche on the beach in Celestun
The whole group in Uxmal
Swimming in the Ojo de Agua with Cristina and Molly in Celestun
Out on the boat in Celestun
El Castillo en Chichen Itza
Juego de Pelota court in Chichen Itza
More Chichen Itza
Handmade Crafts in Chichen Itza
El Observatorio en Chichen Itza
Y Mas de Chichen
In front of the Cenote near Chichen
More of the Cenote
Peon Teatro for the Opera
Marcela, our professor
The Opera
More of the Opera
The Theater
Phonk!
Phonk!
Phonk!
Posted by jlsumich at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)
A Little Bit of Opera, A Little Bit of Phonk, A Little Bit of Free Falling
This week was a busy week (and awesome) because so many things happened. Please excuse this entry if it seems a bit jumbled, as I try to recollect the week’s events.
On Monday night, Marcela, our Yucatan Conversational Professor (for the Rutgers program only), brought us to see an opera in the Teatro Peon, across the street from the UADY central office on Calle 60. It was a great cultural experience—not only because it was in Spanish, but because it’s not ever day that you get to see an opera. I had a lot of fun; we even got balcony seating & I was able to take some great pictures and movie clips.
Tuesday began my Antropologia Mexicana class under the Segundo Semestre horario. I love the class--- in fact, I think it’s the best of all my classes. And, although the students are one year younger than me, I think that they’re all really friendly. In fact, 3 guys from the class and two girls invited me to come with them tomorrow morning to a cenote (one of those many subterranean water dwellings here in the Yucatan). I’m really happy that they invited me—and surprised—and it’s going to be a good experience, I think (especially since I’m going without any of my Rutgers compañeros). The three students—Dediere, Heidert, y Cesaire are really interested in learning English and asked if I would be interested in holding a conversational hour or two during the nights in the centro, so I think I might consider it. We also plan to exchange music sometime next week.
Later on Tuesday, I got Julio (su nieto) interested in Oragami. I made a fortune teller for him…what a cultural break-through that was.
On Wednesday I went with a totally different group of Mexicanos and Erich (my friend from the Butler program) to see PHONK!, a Canadian group that was performing in the Teatro Merida. They were basically like a spin on the Blue Man Group or Stomp or Blast and it was a great experience. My Rutgers group was a bit taken by surprise when I told them that I had plans with Mexicanos… oh well… I’m really enjoying the time I spend with students here--- I am forced to speak Spanish and I like learning about Mexico hoy en dia. I have a lot of pictures from Phonk!
Yesterday, Thursday, was a rainy, miserable day. I waited at the bus stop for over an hour to get to school. The buses are generally crowded, but this week, they’ve been terrible. Almost every morning, I’ve had to jump on the bus while it’s practically in motion (no joke, I’ve mastered this into an art form) and I’ve had to stand in the stairwell of the bus with the door swinging open, holding only onto the hands of other Mexicans and a pole to keep me inside the bus. NO JOKE. It’s what I like to call my morning extreme stunt. I ride like this for about 45 minutes until I get to the Facultad where I am nearly ready to collapse from exhaustion and motion sickness. So, the bottom line is: All you in Michigan, be thankful for the bus system that we have!
Class went well the whole week, and I am beginning to feel more comfortable raising my hand in class and more actively participating. Although I still need to work on my Spanish, the only way I will improve is by trying and making mistakes. And while I mind criticism sometimes, I guess I should remember that it all comes in good faith.
Last night, after our class with Mirna, our Yucatan Civilization prof. (for the Rutgers program only), I met more students again in the Centro and I went with a different group to see Phonk a second time. Although not nearly as good, I like meeting and getting to know new people. Ben and Cristina were supposed to come but they weren’t able to get in. Ben was practicing his trombone on the patio and I guess lost track of time…
I also saw Lorena, Sara and Antonio’s granddaughter (who’s my age, studying medicine at the UADY) and she told me that she would also like to exchange music. She’s going to bring some magazines by as well, so that I can read them on the bus and whatever.
Afterwards, I met up with the two of them in the Centro—we went to the Heladeria for ice cream and then, we had the brilliant idea to walk Cristina all the way home to Vista Alegre because the buses stopped running (it was after 11). Somos locos…we left the Centro at 11:30 , walked Cristina home, and didn’t get back to our house until 3:15 in the morning! But to be quite honest, although we were exhausted, it was a good experience getting to know more of the city and it was some “quality bonding time”, I guess you could say…
That’s about it for now; I just finished up a nice breakfast with Dona Sarita—Ben’s still sleeping… tonight, I have plans so I have to get a lot of school work done before them… Lots of reading to do!
Adios…
Posted by jlsumich at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2007
In Mexico…
they worship Coca-Cola like it comes straight from heaven. I’ve been noticing just how massive the consumption of Coca-Cola is here in Merida and it’s amazing—vendors, stores, men and women on the street all selling Coca-Cola. I’ve even been told by one of my professors that they give Coca-Cola to babies when they’re first born instead of milk, because it’s cheaper. Interesting…
These past few days have been great. On Friday, Ben and I went with Don. Anotonio and Doña Sarita to buy hammocks in the city. I wanted a maize and blue one, but all they had was solid blue, so it’ll have to do. It’s really comfortable and I’ve been sleeping/resting in it whenever I get the chance. They had some made out of nylon and others out of cotton, but I chose the nylon one… It’s a bit more durable I think, although not as soft. The man at the hammock store said it takes 1 week to make each hammock and it’s incredible the amount of work that goes into each one.
On Saturday, we went to Chichén Itzá , the largest Mayan archaeological site in existence. Fechada de aproximadamente 1553 anos, estas famosas pirámides Mayas están localizados una hora y media de Mérida. El nombre de Chichén Itzá se deriva de las palabras Mayas: “chi”- boca-, “chen” – pozo-, e “itzá” – el nombre del pueblo de este región. El sitio esta divido en tres áreas: el grupo norte (estilo Tolteca), el grupo central (del periodo temprano), y el conocido como “viejo Chichén”…
It was different than our visit to Uxmal; most of the buildings are closed off from climbing and there seemed to be less restoration (or obvious restoration) at the site. Our guide, Carlos explained to us that excavations at Chichén are ongoing and recently, they found some skeletons of ancient Mayans. Some of the artifacts are in the Mexico National Museum in Mexico City, but some of the most important ones are housed in the Smithsonian (after their original discovery in the early 1900’s). There were a lot of people at the site—from all over the world & it was incredible to see such interest in the ancient culture and especially in El Castillo, the main pyramid. The pyramid was constructed in a very methodical way, with a clear interest in the astronomical calendar; during the solstices and equinoxes, the sun hits El Castillo in a way that forms illusion-type shadows. Really cool….
After Chichén Itzá , we went to eat a Buffet Lunch which was okay… Nothing real special…
But afterwords, we went to a cenote not far from Chichén Itzá . A cenote is the Spanish word for an underground, subterranean fresh-water system. We all dove into the cenote from high up (me first!) and it was a great, great experience. There were waterfalls that opened up right into the middle of the cenote from the ground above. We have group pictures that I will be posting up when I get them. Someone else took the pictures. The water was crystal clear--- I’ve never swam in water like that before and it extended downwards for 120 feet (according to Molly). I really had a great time…
On my way to and from the sites, I took some time in the car to stop and reflect on the immense poverty of this nation. I’ve only been here for about 3 weeks, but in these three weeks I’ve really learned a lot. The people of Mexico are good people. They have values unlike those we share in the United States. They have a deep interest in family, in culture, and in helping people. And it’s a shame to see so many of them live lives of despair in deep, deep poverty.
When we were at Chichén Itzá , there were so many poor vendors at the site. Supposedly, our elizabeth told us, they claim to be the decedents of the Mayan people that lived in Chichén Itzá. When you think about how advanced the Mayan nation was, how prosperous their culture was, and how long it flourished, it’s just so sad to see these people living like they do—selling “Chichén Itzá key rings” for nothing more than 5 cents…
5 cents, they claim, is just enough to make a living.
Posted by jlsumich at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2007
Tales of the Witch Doctor, Marcela, Daniel, and Wendy
I’m sitting out on my patio right now, just reflecting on some of the things that have happened over the course of the week. It’s been a good week by all means and it’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for almost three full weeks now.
I feel finally like I’m getting into a routine—up at 6, bus stop at 6:30, class at 8 till 12. Then I catch a snack at the Plaza de las Fiestas from an elderly woman that makes hot empanadas and sells coke from glass bottles that look like the original kind from the early 1900’s. Lunch follows at 2:30 with a short siesta and/or studying and then I’m back off to class at 4 with my Rutgers program. Before class, we (Ben and I) stop at a little Panaderia for some snacks and only yesterday did the girl that works there ask if we were tourists. She thought I (I don’t know about Ben) was a Mexican.
Because one of my classes doesn’t start until this coming week, I’ve had a little bit of spare time to go strolling around and exploring. I walked down my neighborhood street about 6 blocks and entered into the Parque de las Americas (I think it was on Monday) and I got to take some really great pictures. The park has a concert shell and a school by day (which turns into a park for the public by night). While I was there, there was a kids show going on and they were singing the witch doctor song--- you know the one I’m talking about ? Oooh-eeh-ooh- ah-ah… (That one). I thought it was funny how some ideas are so cross-cultural, or rather, so international—like songs about witch doctors, for instance.
We also did some group exploring over the week—on Wed. we went with Marcela, our Rutgers conversation teacher to the heladeria in the centro for ice cream and conversation. Then, she took us to the Palacio Municipal to see the giant sized murals , each of which depict a different scene from Mexico’s history—Benito Juarez, Popul Vuh, Wars, Diego Rivera, Mayas, Aztecs, and more. It was a great opportunity to here from a Meridiano more about the history of the city and I enjoyed it… I forgot to take my camera though, so hopefully I will get back there soon to take some pictures. Actually, Cristina from our group was sick so she said she would go back with me….
Last night was a real night surprise… Over the week, I started to get more friendly in class and exchanged numbers with a bunch of mexicanos. I really feel its important to start branching out a bit—while the kids in the Rutgers group are all really nice, I feel like we’ve been spending our time speaking a lot of English and rightly so. Everybody in our group has a very different level of Spanish and it’s been hard to really keep strictly to Spanish when we go out. Anyway, this girl Wendy from one of my classes called me and asked if I wanted to hang out with her and her big group of friends in the Parque de las Americas down the street. I was really happy that she called and I got to meet new people from the UADY, some of whom (supposedly) live close to me…
After we walked around a bit, Molly (from Rutgers) called Ben and I. She asked if we wanted to join her and her new Mexicano friend Daniel at a bar. He also was a really cool kid; he studies engineering with Molly at the UADY Engineering Facultad and lives close to her.
So all in all, I can say that I’ve been really pleased this week. And my classes went relatively well, too. I have a lot of reading to do, and I’ve been doing it little by little—on the bus, outside—whenever I have some spare time.
Tomorrow, we’re going to Chicen Itza as a group & next weekend, I spoke to Eric, a kid I met from the Butler University program here in Merida about going to some beach… we’ll see what happens….
Oh and lastly, to all of you at UMICH that are studying abroad and are leaving this week, safe travels…
SCENES FROM EL PARQUE DE LAS AMERICAS, a park down the street from my house
Posted by jlsumich at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2007
You Can Call Me Al.
A man walks down the street
Its a street in a strange world
Maybe its the third world
Maybe its his first time around
He doesnt speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says amen! and hallelujah!
Posted by jlsumich at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2007
Celestun, UADY, and the Prolongacion Montejo
So, over the past few days, a lot has happened...Im definitely feeling more and more comfortable in the city as the days go on, and I see my Spanish improving...Although, its been hard to speak Spanish on a constant basis because when im with the Rutgers group, they prefer speaking English....whatever...
One thing is for sure: Ive definitely been a lot hungrier here in Mexico...but thats okay, because I like trying out the new foods every day...I usually go to a Panaderia before my night classes to get something to eat and usually I have something in the cafe at school as well....
Classes have been going well at UADY and Ive finally learned how to take the bus system... One of my professors, Dr. Shrimpton, is from Cambridge University and it really amazes me just how well she speaks Spanish...Im taking 2 lit. courses, 1 international relations course, and 1 Anthro course at the university, and of course I have my classes at night with Rutgers....they days are long here, but I dont find that Im ever bored...which is a good sign...
Over the weekend, I went with the Rutgers group out the Prolongacion Montejo to a rock-club. There was a live band there which was really cool. The drive was long, but Im glad I went because there are a lot of restaurants and things to do a bit beyond the city, which I was never aware of....It was funny how most of the music they played was American...I dont know if thats just a sign of the times, a sign of that particular place, or whatever... but Ive noticed that this part of Mexico seems to be largely influenced by American culture....although VERY VERY few people speak English...
Saturday I went to Progreso, the local beach here in Merida for some swimming and relaxation... The beach was ëh¨--- nothing special about it, but Im sure it will be a necessity as the days get warmer here...and they are....
And Sunday, we went to Celestun, the resevoir/beach front area... We got to see flamingos up close as well as many other species of birds and animals...it was a lot of fun, especially swimming in the Ojo del Agua....And the food was great, I ordered Ceviche (raw seafood patter with chips and guacamole) and stuffed fish with garlic...
When we returned, I went to the Merida en Domingo festival in the Parque de las Americas to see what was going on...They had a show for children, but I stayed a bit, content with my churro, watching the festivities...the park happens to be real close to my house....
And other then that, nothing much else is new...Ive discovered that I really DONT have to do ALL the reading for my classes, because most of them are lectures, and simply by going to lectures, listening and copying down the notes on the board, I can get the gist of whats going on. I think that for me, anyway, speaking Spanish is more difficult than reading or listening to it...So thats particularly what I need to work on, while Im here...
On my next post, Ill try to put up some of the pictures from Celestun and the weekend....
Friday, Im supposed to be getting a hammock for my room...and Saturday we are heading to Chichen Itza!
Saludos...
Posted by jlsumich at 01:05 PM | Comments (1)
January 09, 2007
Some sights from Merida and Uxmal
Posted by jlsumich at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)
Uxmal & Classes...
I´m sitting in an internet cafe after a week and I think I´ve got the city pretty down pat by now... things have been going great and I´´ve been getting more accustomed to the climate, the food, etc.
Over the weekend, we went to Uxmal, the old Mayan city in the Yucatan. It was really interesting and a great experience although a little bit disappointing to be honest. Most of the sites in Uxmal are either reconstructions or restored and there was barely anything that was in its original form. We climbed the pyramids, saw the juego de pelota court and the palace... It was certainly an experience.
Also on Saturday, we saw an old henquen plant that was used in the up until 1900 for trade with Europe, the US and Cuba. It was really interesting... Our tour guide also told us that majority of the slaves were either Mayan or... Korean! I had no idea, but in truth, a lot of Koreans still exist in Merida today as descendents of the slaves...
On Sunday, we went to ¨Merida en Domingo¨, the Sunday flea market. It spread all throughout the center of town and was great... And, one of the ice cream places was celebrating its 100th birthday, so we went for some ice cream....
Yesterday, I started classes at the University with my Relaciones Internacionales class. It was great, especially because there are students from all over in the class--USA, Europe and Latinoamerica. I´m interested in hearing the perspective from students all around the world about international relations and the state of global economy today...
Getting to the university was another story, however... I had to take 4 buses to get there, because nobody in the entire town knew the route... It was a disaster and I never made it to my first class...
Today, I took Literature Latinoamericana which I have to take for Michigan and the class seemed okay. The class was full of students...There were also a lot of students in the class from Butler University and they all seem really nice... in the first few days of class, it´s important to understand whats expected of us, so we´re sort of banding together, just to make sure we´re not left behind...
Other than that, there is really not much more that I have to say... over the weekend, we´re going to Chicen Itza, the other Mayan site... I´ll let you know how it is...
Adios...more to come later
Posted by jlsumich at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2007
My host family, the toilet, and other cultural issues...
Bueno,
Como me dijo Sandra Cisneros en la Universidad de Michigan:
As soon as I crossed into another country, everything switches to another language. Toc, says the light switch in this country, at home it says click. Honk say the cars at home, here they say tan-tan-tan. The scrip-scrape scrip of the high heels across saltillo floor tiles. The angry lion growl of the corrugated curtains where the shopkeepers roll them open each morning and the lazy lion roar at night when they pull them shut. The pic pic pic of somebody´s far away hammer. Church bells over and over, all day, even when it´s not o´clock. Roosters. The hollow echo of the dogs barking. Bells from skinny horses pulling toursists in a carriage, clip-clop on cobblestones and big chunks of horse caquita tumbling out of them like shredded wheat.
Sweets are sweeter, colors brighter, the bitter more bitter. A cage of parrots of all rainbow colors of Lulu sodas. Pysing a window out to open it instead of pulling it up. A cold slash of door latch in your hand instead of the dull round doorknob. Tin sugar spoon and hor surprised the hand feels because it´s so light. Children walking to school in the morning with their hair still wet from the morning bath.
Churches the color of flan. Vendors selling slices of jicama with chile, lime juice, and salt. Balloon vendors. The vendor of flags. The corn-on-the-cob vendor. The pork rind vendor. The fried banana vendor. The hot cake vendor. The vendor of strawberries. Of apple bars and teocotes bathed in caramel. The merengue man. The ice cream vendor. And a VERY GOOD ice cream at only 2 pesos. The coffee man with the coffeemaker on his back and a paper cup dispenser, the cream and suger boy scuttling alongside him..
The smell of diesel exhaust, the smell of somebody roasting coffee, the smell of hot corn tortillas along with the pat-pat of the woman´s hands making them.
These are my first smells of Merida. These are my first sights of Mexico.
When I arrived a few days ago, I didnt know what to expect. But it´s been a blast, thus far. I´m living with such a nice family, Doña Sara y Señor Antonio Cardenas, a nice elderly family (ellos estan en los años setenta) and they have many grandchildren, many of whom I met: Julio y Victor, Victorcito y Lorena ... they´ve been a part of the program for a long time, and although they dont speak a word of English, communicating with them has been rather facil. It´s amazing that I´m able to communicate with people and they are able to communicate with me... and they show a lot of interest in the United States. Every morning, they wake us up, and they´ve been so kind showing us around the city of Merida.
My roommate Ben, seems to be a nice kid. He´s from Grinnell College in Iowa-- and he´s originally from Oregon. He´s also a trombone player and he´s a year older than me. He´s studing biochem. and is a Spanish minor, so we at least have something in common.
The other students in the program are all really great-- two girls from Swathmore and another from Grinnell and only 1 student from Rutgers. I´m really proud to represent the University of Michigan (and the Spanish department)...
Merida has been a great city and it´s a great center of tourism. Although it´s pobre ( and every morning I have to fold the toilet paper up and put it in the garbage and NOT in the toilet), there is still so much to do here and SO much to appreciate. Cada noche, we have a class which is only for the Rutgers students, to immerse in the culture-- we take walking tours through the city, and visit many of the historical monuments. When I find a computer with a USB port, I will put my pictures up.
Last night, we went to the town square where they had ballet folklorico and mariachis for free. Because many of the ciudadanos live in poverty, the government of Merida subsidizes many cultural events for the citizens--- there is something free and different EVERY NIGHT.
After, we walked the Calle Montejo, which is a street of French and Moorish architecture, designed after the Champs Elysee in France, the largest main street in Paris. It was beautiful and very rich...
Something that I noticed while I walked: Mexico does not have any consumer laws. I because fascinated with this aspect of life last night. If someone trips on the sidewalk, for instance, it´s nobody´s fault but your own. You can´t sue anyone in Mexico. It´s not like the United States. It´s different here. And more friendly. Take it from me. Even the Midwesterners can´t compare to the friendly Mexican people.... I will write more about this when I have time...
Also yesterday, I went to Wallmart (what a universal and global experience that was) and then to the newly-designed US Consulate to register as a student in Merida. It was a beautiful building--- really nice architecture.
This morning, we had orientation at the school. Because the scheduling is different in Mexico, and especially here in the Yucatan, I will start some classes Monday y los otros on Jan. 22nd. But every weekend we have trips and every night we have the Rutgers classes, taught by University professors and only for us.
Anyway, I have class now and have to go. I will write more next week after I return from Uxmal. Como se dice in Merida, vayan bien ustedes.
Adios y un abrazo.
Posted by jlsumich at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
January 01, 2007
I´m here...
and tired. I don´t think I could pass up the opportunity to write an entry on my first day here in Mexico. Especially since my hotel has a computer in the lobby and I don´t know when will be the next time I get to a computer...
It was a hectic trip, but it all turned out well-- the plane flight to Cancun, the transfer to Merida, and the trip to the hotel.
I´m really tired and am headed back to my room now for the rest of the night, but I did get a chance to look around; I took a walk to the town center, ate dinner in a cafe there, and looked in some shops. Although I know I need to work on my Spanish, I think that I´m getting by pretty well for the first day here...
Tomorrow, I will call my senora and get to her house... it´s hot here and I will probably go after the siesta in the afternoon. The program elizabeth here told me that´s probably the best time to call...
Adios feliz año nuevo. ¡Estoy in Mexico!
* I´ll put pictures up when I get to a computer with a USB port...this computer doesn´t have one...
Posted by jlsumich at 07:38 PM