Well as you can tell I am happy that I only have two days left. I took my poetry test this morning and got an A. I also gave my presentation in the other class and it went well. While I was talking to the professor the security people at the Tec took my backpack and laptop and took it to the security station. When I looked over at the picnic table it was gone, so I sprinted over there thinking someone had picked it up and taken off with it. It was sitting there and one of the security guys gave me a long speech about how I need to watch my things better. It was good that they were paying attention, but it definitely freaked me out! The funny/ironic thing was that at that moment we were talking about having things stolen in Cuba/Costa Rica. Thankfully it all turned out well.
Tomorrow I have my final test at 9. I think it should go well. Then I have all day tomorrow free and I leave at 10:30 from the bus terminal here and Querétaro on Wednesday. My flight out of Mexico leaves around 3:45 on Wednesday and I get to Des Moines around midnight. It will be a long day, but I can't wait to get home and sleep in MY OWN BED!!!
My host mom just told me that they are leaving tonight on vacation. So it might be a little boring/lonely tomorrow. I will have to find something to occupy my time besides packing my suitcase.
Well, I should study or do something productive.
Hasta luego,
Erin
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Rain, rain go away!
It has been so crappy lately weatherwise. It started to rain last Thursday and it has rained off and on since then. All I want to do is snuggle into my bed and take a nap. Bleck! I guess it was bound to happen at some point. It never has really done this while I've been here the other two times and it should of, so I guess maybe it is just making up for the other two summers. It would be much easier if I had a car, but having to walk in the rain is the pits.
Tomorrow I have to give a presentation on the structure of a novel. I have to in order to get the extra credit I need to finish, so I'm okay with it. I am just worried that I won't cover everything the prof. is looking for. AKA I am being too hard on myself as always! :)
In my other class tomorrow I have a test. It is over poetry, and I really enjoy two out of the three movements that we covered. It is more modern and easier to interpret. Poetry can be pretty tough sometimes. It is hard to understand what they are trying to say and why. I am glad that I got to take this class, because they give you the historical context behind it and the poet's history and it makes it much easier to understand.
On Tuesday I have one test at 9, and then I'm done!!!! I will be done taking classes for my master's for good. Now I have to write my 20 page research paper and take my comps and I can graduate!!!
Last week on Tuesday we went to a Lucha Libre (wrestling match). It is much like WWE, except most of the wrestlers wear masks. I posted a few pics. I did take a video, but it was taking a long time to upload, so I will try tomorrow at the Tec. I think the Internet connection is better there.
On Friday some of my friends ate some "mexican delicacies". They ate grasshopper tacos first and then corn smut. Corn smut is some kind of fungus that grows on corn, and looks like tar. I, being extremely picky and not very brave, did not try any of said "delicacies". We then went shopping downtown and I found a Don Quijote statue made out of metal (including used spark plugs). It is really big, but I think I will have plenty of room in my suitcase.
Last night we went out to eat crepes for a girl's b-day. We planned on singing Karaoke afterwards, but the bar's karaoke list only had the song titles and no singer's names. We left to go dancing and ended up at a Salsa Bar called La Barra Habana. They have a live band and it is a very cool place. The problem with going there is that you either have to have someone to dance with or you have to wait to be asked. No one asked me, and I was okay with that. I get a little nervous dancing salsa in a place like that. I know how to dance it, but I get nervous. So I just hung out and watched the dancing and it was a fun night.
Today I went to the local market and bought some dishes (ceramic) and a molcajete. It is like a mortar and pestle made out of basalt (a volcanic rock). They are used to put salsas (sauces) in. It is really big, but it was the only one I could find. Sounds like I'm going to have my hands full on Wednesday!
Well I ought to get to work on my presentation and studying.
Have a great week!
Tomorrow I have to give a presentation on the structure of a novel. I have to in order to get the extra credit I need to finish, so I'm okay with it. I am just worried that I won't cover everything the prof. is looking for. AKA I am being too hard on myself as always! :)
In my other class tomorrow I have a test. It is over poetry, and I really enjoy two out of the three movements that we covered. It is more modern and easier to interpret. Poetry can be pretty tough sometimes. It is hard to understand what they are trying to say and why. I am glad that I got to take this class, because they give you the historical context behind it and the poet's history and it makes it much easier to understand.
On Tuesday I have one test at 9, and then I'm done!!!! I will be done taking classes for my master's for good. Now I have to write my 20 page research paper and take my comps and I can graduate!!!
Last week on Tuesday we went to a Lucha Libre (wrestling match). It is much like WWE, except most of the wrestlers wear masks. I posted a few pics. I did take a video, but it was taking a long time to upload, so I will try tomorrow at the Tec. I think the Internet connection is better there.
On Friday some of my friends ate some "mexican delicacies". They ate grasshopper tacos first and then corn smut. Corn smut is some kind of fungus that grows on corn, and looks like tar. I, being extremely picky and not very brave, did not try any of said "delicacies". We then went shopping downtown and I found a Don Quijote statue made out of metal (including used spark plugs). It is really big, but I think I will have plenty of room in my suitcase.
Last night we went out to eat crepes for a girl's b-day. We planned on singing Karaoke afterwards, but the bar's karaoke list only had the song titles and no singer's names. We left to go dancing and ended up at a Salsa Bar called La Barra Habana. They have a live band and it is a very cool place. The problem with going there is that you either have to have someone to dance with or you have to wait to be asked. No one asked me, and I was okay with that. I get a little nervous dancing salsa in a place like that. I know how to dance it, but I get nervous. So I just hung out and watched the dancing and it was a fun night.
Today I went to the local market and bought some dishes (ceramic) and a molcajete. It is like a mortar and pestle made out of basalt (a volcanic rock). They are used to put salsas (sauces) in. It is really big, but it was the only one I could find. Sounds like I'm going to have my hands full on Wednesday!
Well I ought to get to work on my presentation and studying.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
+y+yo+(mariachi).JPG)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thesis for research paper approved and Guadalajara trip
Last Thursday I met again with my professor and she approved my thesis for my paper. I am super excited and can't wait to start writing... kind of scary to admit but it's true.
On Friday a group of 8 of us went to Guadalajara. It was about 4 and a half hours from Querétaro, but we rode on a super comfortable bus. There was about a foot more leg room and probably half a foot more room in each seat than the buses that we usually take. It was definitely comfortable. We got to watch Get Smart, Australia and Seven Pounds and some others that I didn't watch during our round trip.
One of the students got a discount at the Hilton and we stayed there. It was really nice and it was nice to sleep on a comfortable bed with REAL pillows!!! What a luxury! They had a pool but I didn't swim, I chose to get a massage instead.
On Saturday we took a tour to the town of Tequila. We got to go out to the agave fields and learn about how they grow agave and harvest it. All the plants are planted by hand, and for a farmer to earn a decent wage he has to plant 1500 to 2000 by hand. I didn't catch how often, but nevertheless it sounds like a difficult and not well enough respected job. The agave plants have to grow for like 5 years until they can be harvested. The bigger they are, the more they get paid. Then we went to the José Cuervo factory "La Rojeña" in the town of Tequila. They showed us how they take the "piñas" or pineapples (the agave heart looks like a pineapple once its spines have been cut off) and roast them in ovens for 30+ hours. Then they take mash the heart and extract the sugars and yeast and add bacteria in big tanks to distill it and make alcohol. Then it is put into barrels and aged. We got to try the different varieties, and it was interesting what a difference the aging makes. Then we got a free margarita and went off to eat some lunch and check out the town. We left Tequila around 3:30 and got back to Guadalajara around 5.
Then we went to the historical center and had some dinner at the plaza de los Mariachis. The state of Jalisco (where Guadalajara is located) is famous for its mariachis. My housemate Amy had her birthday on Sunday so we paid the mariachis to play for her birthday. It was nice.
We came back to Querétaro yesterday and started class again today. I had a test this morning and I think it went well.
That's all for now. I will post some pics later.
Besos y abrazos,
Erin
On Friday a group of 8 of us went to Guadalajara. It was about 4 and a half hours from Querétaro, but we rode on a super comfortable bus. There was about a foot more leg room and probably half a foot more room in each seat than the buses that we usually take. It was definitely comfortable. We got to watch Get Smart, Australia and Seven Pounds and some others that I didn't watch during our round trip.
One of the students got a discount at the Hilton and we stayed there. It was really nice and it was nice to sleep on a comfortable bed with REAL pillows!!! What a luxury! They had a pool but I didn't swim, I chose to get a massage instead.
On Saturday we took a tour to the town of Tequila. We got to go out to the agave fields and learn about how they grow agave and harvest it. All the plants are planted by hand, and for a farmer to earn a decent wage he has to plant 1500 to 2000 by hand. I didn't catch how often, but nevertheless it sounds like a difficult and not well enough respected job. The agave plants have to grow for like 5 years until they can be harvested. The bigger they are, the more they get paid. Then we went to the José Cuervo factory "La Rojeña" in the town of Tequila. They showed us how they take the "piñas" or pineapples (the agave heart looks like a pineapple once its spines have been cut off) and roast them in ovens for 30+ hours. Then they take mash the heart and extract the sugars and yeast and add bacteria in big tanks to distill it and make alcohol. Then it is put into barrels and aged. We got to try the different varieties, and it was interesting what a difference the aging makes. Then we got a free margarita and went off to eat some lunch and check out the town. We left Tequila around 3:30 and got back to Guadalajara around 5.
Then we went to the historical center and had some dinner at the plaza de los Mariachis. The state of Jalisco (where Guadalajara is located) is famous for its mariachis. My housemate Amy had her birthday on Sunday so we paid the mariachis to play for her birthday. It was nice.
We came back to Querétaro yesterday and started class again today. I had a test this morning and I think it went well.
That's all for now. I will post some pics later.
Besos y abrazos,
Erin
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Same old song and dance
Well another day of classes down. I have a test on Friday and quite a bit of reading to do this week. Thankfully I have already read the two novels and just have to read them again.
I just got done talking to my professor about my thesis for my research paper. She said that I am getting closer, but I need to refine it a bit and find something more specific to prove. So it is exciting because last year I was really not on track. I just hope and pray that I can get it approved before I leave so I can get it written this year. I would love to be done with this and move on. I love the classes but the research paper is this huge obstacle that freaks me out. So... hopefully I can get it done.
I'm planning on going swimming again this afternoon. I haven't swam for a few weeks so it should be a little bit harder. Hopefully I won't feel dead when I get done.
Anyhoo... that's all for today.
Hasta pronto,
Erin
I just got done talking to my professor about my thesis for my research paper. She said that I am getting closer, but I need to refine it a bit and find something more specific to prove. So it is exciting because last year I was really not on track. I just hope and pray that I can get it approved before I leave so I can get it written this year. I would love to be done with this and move on. I love the classes but the research paper is this huge obstacle that freaks me out. So... hopefully I can get it done.
I'm planning on going swimming again this afternoon. I haven't swam for a few weeks so it should be a little bit harder. Hopefully I won't feel dead when I get done.
Anyhoo... that's all for today.
Hasta pronto,
Erin
Monday, July 12, 2010
Long time, no write
Well sorry I haven't written for a long period of time. CJ just left yesterday and we were pretty much running the whole time he was here. Here's a recap of what we did:
Friday the 2nd we both went to Mexico City to spend my four day break between sessions. We stayed in the Melia México Reforma Hotel on the Paseo de la Reforma (which is the main street downtown). We went to the Zócalo, which is just a HUGE square downtown. On the sides of the zócalo you can find the Palacio Nacional (National Palace) where I believe the President has his office. You also can see the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral) and the Templo Mayor (Aztec ruins). The Spaniards built the church and the whole plaza on top of Aztec ruins and only recently have they been uncovered.
After spending one day downtown we went to Xochimilco at the southern end of the city. There you can ride in gondolas in the canals that still exist from the city of Tenochtitlán (Aztecs). Tenochtitlán was built on Lake Texcoco and the city was comprised of little islands that were built up above the surface of the lake. So the people had to ride on gondolas through the canals to get through the city. We took a 30 minute ride and saw lots of mariachis and families riding and relaxing. Then we went to La Casa Azul. It is the former house of the mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She lived there with her husband and famous mexican muralist Diego Rivera. It is called La Casa Azul because it is painted blue. Our last stop on Sunday was to the National Museum of Anthropology and History. It is an amazing place. There are so many artifacts from the indigenous groups of Mexico and it is amazing all of the things that are still in tact that they have found.
On Monday we took a bus and went to Teotihuacán (City of the Gods). There you can see all kinds of pyramids built by the Teotihuacans. The Aztecs later inhabited the city. Also there are two enormous pyramids that you can climb: The pyramid of the sun and the moon. What is so amazing is that when the pyramids were built they didn't have knowledge of the concept of the wheel. There are really amazing!
On Tuesday we rode the bus back to Querétaro and CJ and I got acclamated into our hotel here. I had classes Wed-Fri. CJ took advantage of sleeping in and then in the afternoons we went walking, bought souvenirs and took a short tour of the historical center.
On Friday CJ, a bunch of fellow students and I went and sang karaoke and played pool. Then we went dancing. We stayed out late so we slept in on Saturday. On Friday CJ got to meet my host grandpa Martin who owns and runs a popsicle shop. CJ tried 7 different flavors and we had a really nice visit with him.
On Saturday night we walked around the centro and there was a student group (led by my host mom's brother Pepé) that was singing and playing instruments. We listened to them and CJ really enjoyed it.
Yesterday we got up early and packed his things. When we got to the bus station the next bus wasn't until 12 and his flight left at 3:50. We were worried because we only arrived at the airport by 2:45. He lucked out... he made the flight and his suitcase arrived with him in Des Moines.
Today I went back to classes and am a little blue now that he isn't here. I come really soon though!!! This weekend a group of 8 of us are going to Guadalajara. The state of Jalisco is know as the area where Tequila is made in Mexico. We are planning on touring the Jose Cuervo factory and seeing how they make the tequila out of agave. I have seen pictures of agave fields and they look beautiful. It is also a famous area for mariachis and it is my housemate Amy's b-day on Sunday so I know we will have to have them sing to her.
Well I should get to posting some pics!!!
Hasta luego!
Erin
Friday the 2nd we both went to Mexico City to spend my four day break between sessions. We stayed in the Melia México Reforma Hotel on the Paseo de la Reforma (which is the main street downtown). We went to the Zócalo, which is just a HUGE square downtown. On the sides of the zócalo you can find the Palacio Nacional (National Palace) where I believe the President has his office. You also can see the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral) and the Templo Mayor (Aztec ruins). The Spaniards built the church and the whole plaza on top of Aztec ruins and only recently have they been uncovered.
After spending one day downtown we went to Xochimilco at the southern end of the city. There you can ride in gondolas in the canals that still exist from the city of Tenochtitlán (Aztecs). Tenochtitlán was built on Lake Texcoco and the city was comprised of little islands that were built up above the surface of the lake. So the people had to ride on gondolas through the canals to get through the city. We took a 30 minute ride and saw lots of mariachis and families riding and relaxing. Then we went to La Casa Azul. It is the former house of the mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She lived there with her husband and famous mexican muralist Diego Rivera. It is called La Casa Azul because it is painted blue. Our last stop on Sunday was to the National Museum of Anthropology and History. It is an amazing place. There are so many artifacts from the indigenous groups of Mexico and it is amazing all of the things that are still in tact that they have found.
On Monday we took a bus and went to Teotihuacán (City of the Gods). There you can see all kinds of pyramids built by the Teotihuacans. The Aztecs later inhabited the city. Also there are two enormous pyramids that you can climb: The pyramid of the sun and the moon. What is so amazing is that when the pyramids were built they didn't have knowledge of the concept of the wheel. There are really amazing!
On Tuesday we rode the bus back to Querétaro and CJ and I got acclamated into our hotel here. I had classes Wed-Fri. CJ took advantage of sleeping in and then in the afternoons we went walking, bought souvenirs and took a short tour of the historical center.
On Friday CJ, a bunch of fellow students and I went and sang karaoke and played pool. Then we went dancing. We stayed out late so we slept in on Saturday. On Friday CJ got to meet my host grandpa Martin who owns and runs a popsicle shop. CJ tried 7 different flavors and we had a really nice visit with him.
On Saturday night we walked around the centro and there was a student group (led by my host mom's brother Pepé) that was singing and playing instruments. We listened to them and CJ really enjoyed it.
Yesterday we got up early and packed his things. When we got to the bus station the next bus wasn't until 12 and his flight left at 3:50. We were worried because we only arrived at the airport by 2:45. He lucked out... he made the flight and his suitcase arrived with him in Des Moines.
Today I went back to classes and am a little blue now that he isn't here. I come really soon though!!! This weekend a group of 8 of us are going to Guadalajara. The state of Jalisco is know as the area where Tequila is made in Mexico. We are planning on touring the Jose Cuervo factory and seeing how they make the tequila out of agave. I have seen pictures of agave fields and they look beautiful. It is also a famous area for mariachis and it is my housemate Amy's b-day on Sunday so I know we will have to have them sing to her.
Well I should get to posting some pics!!!
Hasta luego!
Erin
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Another A for me!!! Yay!
Well I got my other test back that I took last week and I got a 98%. I was pretty happy, since I was kind of worried that I might not have written enough.
I got all my reading done last night so I decided to sleep in until 8:30 today. It was nice. Last night I was coughing a lot so my host mom gave me some disgusting bee drops that made me want to vomit, but they worked. I didn't cough the rest of the night. According to her they are something that a bee secretes. I have no clue, I just know they tasked sick, but if I was in a pinch I would use it again. Since I slept in I decided to take a taxi and I got the dingiest driver I have ever had. First of all he went WAY out of the way to take me to school and he drove SUUUUUUPPPPPPPEEEEEEEERRRRR slow!!! So it took about twice the amount it should have taken to get here. I don't know if he was just inexperienced or thought that if he took me out of the way that I would have to pay him more. In any case I only paid him the rate I was supposed to pay, and got out.
I have two tests on Friday so I need to make sure I start studying at least by tomorrow night. I hope everyone is having a good week...and that the weather stays nice for you. It is supposed to heat up and apparently there is a hurricane brewing in the Caribbean which means we will have rain once it hits the coast.
Well I must be off to class...more learning for me.
Hasta luego,
Erin
I got all my reading done last night so I decided to sleep in until 8:30 today. It was nice. Last night I was coughing a lot so my host mom gave me some disgusting bee drops that made me want to vomit, but they worked. I didn't cough the rest of the night. According to her they are something that a bee secretes. I have no clue, I just know they tasked sick, but if I was in a pinch I would use it again. Since I slept in I decided to take a taxi and I got the dingiest driver I have ever had. First of all he went WAY out of the way to take me to school and he drove SUUUUUUPPPPPPPEEEEEEEERRRRR slow!!! So it took about twice the amount it should have taken to get here. I don't know if he was just inexperienced or thought that if he took me out of the way that I would have to pay him more. In any case I only paid him the rate I was supposed to pay, and got out.
I have two tests on Friday so I need to make sure I start studying at least by tomorrow night. I hope everyone is having a good week...and that the weather stays nice for you. It is supposed to heat up and apparently there is a hurricane brewing in the Caribbean which means we will have rain once it hits the coast.
Well I must be off to class...more learning for me.
Hasta luego,
Erin
Monday, June 28, 2010
Fun but full weekend!
This weekend flew by, but it was definitely filled with lots of activity. On Saturday my roommate Amy, and two other classmates took a bus to Bernal, which is a town about 1 hour outside of Querétaro. In Bernal you can see the 3rd largest monolith in the world. It was huge, but we only climbed up so far until we got to the fence that keeps you from climbing higher. If you are into mountain climbing it would be an awesome thing to climb. Then we walked around the town and checked out the crafts that are sold. We had some gorditas for lunch. They are not like Taco Bell by the way. It is more or less a pita made of tortilla (corn) and filled with different ingredients. After lunch we got some fresh bread filled with cheese...DELICIOUS!!!!! We took the bus home at about 3 and got home by 4:30. Then Amy and I spend the rest of the day napping, because we were WORN out from walking and hiking in the sun.
On Sunday our host family invited us to a water park outside of San Miguel de Allende, which is about 30/45 minutes from the city. It was nice to get to ride in a car, a luxury that we don't often get here. Usually we ride the bus or take taxis. Unfortunately my host mom's boyfriend drives like a maniac. I think he probably would have gotten at least 7-8 tickets if he were driving in the US. He passed people in no passing zones with cars coming very close to hitting him, drove at excessive speeds and ignored all kinds of signs. It was crazy. Well, besides that it was a great day. They let you bring in food and drinks so we had ham sandwiches with mayonnaise for lunch and chips. We rode lots of water slides and swam in the pool from 11:30-6. Needless to say despite my putting on sunblock at least 6 times I am a little crispy. I will have to wear a t-shirt all week.
After the water park they took us to downtown San Miguel. There were gringos EVERYWHERE!!!! It is apparently a popular place for Americans to retire. The church there is beautiful. We ate elote (corn on the cob). Ours was actually cut off of the cob and put in a cup with lime, butter, mayonnaise and cheese. It was not exactly something I would order again, but at least I tried it. You can also get it with chile (chili powder), but I opted not to. The corn isn't as sweet as at home and it wasn't cooked thoroughly. Oh there is nothing like sweet corn with butter, salt and pepper in the summer!!
I took a lot of pictures, but didn't have time to upload them because we didn't get home until 9:30. So I will try to do that later today. It's my last week of these two classes and C.J. comes on FRIDAY!!!!! We will be in Mexico City from Friday to next Tuesday so I may not post much, but we'll see.
Have a great week! It sounds like this one will be much drier than last! :)
Erin
On Sunday our host family invited us to a water park outside of San Miguel de Allende, which is about 30/45 minutes from the city. It was nice to get to ride in a car, a luxury that we don't often get here. Usually we ride the bus or take taxis. Unfortunately my host mom's boyfriend drives like a maniac. I think he probably would have gotten at least 7-8 tickets if he were driving in the US. He passed people in no passing zones with cars coming very close to hitting him, drove at excessive speeds and ignored all kinds of signs. It was crazy. Well, besides that it was a great day. They let you bring in food and drinks so we had ham sandwiches with mayonnaise for lunch and chips. We rode lots of water slides and swam in the pool from 11:30-6. Needless to say despite my putting on sunblock at least 6 times I am a little crispy. I will have to wear a t-shirt all week.
After the water park they took us to downtown San Miguel. There were gringos EVERYWHERE!!!! It is apparently a popular place for Americans to retire. The church there is beautiful. We ate elote (corn on the cob). Ours was actually cut off of the cob and put in a cup with lime, butter, mayonnaise and cheese. It was not exactly something I would order again, but at least I tried it. You can also get it with chile (chili powder), but I opted not to. The corn isn't as sweet as at home and it wasn't cooked thoroughly. Oh there is nothing like sweet corn with butter, salt and pepper in the summer!!
I took a lot of pictures, but didn't have time to upload them because we didn't get home until 9:30. So I will try to do that later today. It's my last week of these two classes and C.J. comes on FRIDAY!!!!! We will be in Mexico City from Friday to next Tuesday so I may not post much, but we'll see.
Have a great week! It sounds like this one will be much drier than last! :)
Erin
Friday, June 25, 2010
I got an A!!!
I got an A on my test I took yesterday! This makes for a great beginning of the weekend. I'm not sure what we are going to do this weekend, but I will let you know. Last night we met to eat at Chili's and have a few Margarita's. It was a good time. On Sunday my host mom invited us to go to some theme park with them, so I'll have some pics to post. I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!
Hasta pronto,
Erin
Hasta pronto,
Erin
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
USA all the way!
USA soccer beat Algeria in their World Cup game today and advances to the next round. They play Ghana on the 26th! It is so exciting! I hope they do well, or at least that Spain loses!!!!! Mexico plays Argentina next and Argentina will be favored. We'll see how it goes. I'm just taking a break from studying for my Pre-colombian literature of Mesoamerica test. It actually doesn't seem like it's going to be too bad. n It is a 100 level class and I actually already knew a lot of the information that we are covering. I have high hopes for the test, but you never know. I think my other test yesterday in Latino Literature went well but I won't know until probably Monday because she has to grade a student's comprehensive exams and therefore doesn't have time to get ours done.
I went swimming yesterday after lunch and that was nice. I didn't get too tired, but I also only swam 50 meters at a time. I have a hard time getting my lungs trained and not feeling like I'm going to have an asthma attack. Last year it got better every time so I'm hopeful. We have a cute little park across the street and I went walking for awhile tonight.
Well I better get back to studying. I hope the rain stops soon at home and the heat too! Mom said that it has been pretty miserable since I left. Sorry I took all the good weather with me. :)
Hasta luego,
Erin
I went swimming yesterday after lunch and that was nice. I didn't get too tired, but I also only swam 50 meters at a time. I have a hard time getting my lungs trained and not feeling like I'm going to have an asthma attack. Last year it got better every time so I'm hopeful. We have a cute little park across the street and I went walking for awhile tonight.
Well I better get back to studying. I hope the rain stops soon at home and the heat too! Mom said that it has been pretty miserable since I left. Sorry I took all the good weather with me. :)
Hasta luego,
Erin
Monday, June 21, 2010
Another beautiful day in Querétaro
The weekend went by really fast...I suppose that is always how it goes. On Friday night most of the students met at Harry's in "el centro" (the colonial center of the city). We had some drinks and food and hung out enjoying each other's company. It was really nice. Then several of us went to my favorite place to dance in QRO...Time Free. (It should be Free Time...but so it goes sometimes with bad translations) :) On Saturday Amy and I went to el centro to look around and buy jewelry and look for souvenirs. Then we went home and rested and around 8 we went to Pao's brother Pepe's house for a Father's day dinner with many of her family of their friends. They grilled out and we hung out. On Sunday Rafa (Pao's boyfriend) took Amy, Pao and I out to lunch at Cibbo. We had pizza and salad. The food was amazing!!!!! Then we went to Pao's parent's house for a popsicle and conversation. Afterwards Rafa took us to the movies and we watched Killers. We got home around 10, so it was a busy day. I was still able to get my reading done for today.
Today is just another normal day of classes. The weather is absolutely beautiful. I'm actually kind of cold and had to put on a long sleeve shirt today. I couldn't ask for better weather. I did get sunburnt on Saturday walking around so it hurts to wear my backpack. Tomorrow I have my first test, so I will be studying a lot tonight. Mexico plays Uruguay tomorrow and that should be a really good game. I might watch some of it because it is at 9 and I don't have class until 10:45.
Well that's all for now. I hope everyone had a great Father's day!
Hasta pronto,
Erin
Today is just another normal day of classes. The weather is absolutely beautiful. I'm actually kind of cold and had to put on a long sleeve shirt today. I couldn't ask for better weather. I did get sunburnt on Saturday walking around so it hurts to wear my backpack. Tomorrow I have my first test, so I will be studying a lot tonight. Mexico plays Uruguay tomorrow and that should be a really good game. I might watch some of it because it is at 9 and I don't have class until 10:45.
Well that's all for now. I hope everyone had a great Father's day!
Hasta pronto,
Erin
Thursday, June 17, 2010
¡México venció a Francia!
I just got done watching the world cup game with Mexico and France. We watched it in the cafeteria and they had a projector and projected it onto the wall. It was full of people and the atmosphere was electric. Mexico won 2-0 and it was great. Everyone was hugging and clapping and so happy. The cafeteria workers even had face paint that is green white and red stripes together that they put on our faces if we wanted, and almost everyone on campus today was dressed in green. It is really cool that I get to be here during the whole World Cup. Spain lost yesterday and I think Spain and France were in the final in the last World Cup. USA plays Slovenia tomorrow and I don't have class during it, so I'm going to watch it too.
My classes are going well. I feel like I have so much less homework this year than last. Plus I have already read most of the lit that we have to read for the class, so that lightens my load even less.
Yesterday I was sick, I think I have a sinus infection and I was feeling really homesick. I went to bed around 7. My host mom's sister in law is a doctor so she saw me and they got me some anti-biotics and I feel a lot better today. There is nothing worse than being sick away from home.
Tomorrow we are planning to go out after classes and dance, so that will be fun. Then on Saturday we are going to visit Bernal, which is a little town that has apparently the 3rd largest monolith in the world...or something like that. I have never gone so I am excited for that. I have my first test next Tuesday and the other on Wednesday so the weekend should give me lots of time to read and study.
I got to go visit Pao's (my host mom) parent's house. They have a popsicle store that is nearby and I had a great lime popsicle two days in a row. Her parents are so nice and her dad wanted to make sure that Pao got me a popsicle before I left their house.
Well...that's all for today. I posted some pics of my house. I can't quite figure out how to put them all in the same place, so for now that is how I will post them.
Happy Thursday!
Erin
My classes are going well. I feel like I have so much less homework this year than last. Plus I have already read most of the lit that we have to read for the class, so that lightens my load even less.
Yesterday I was sick, I think I have a sinus infection and I was feeling really homesick. I went to bed around 7. My host mom's sister in law is a doctor so she saw me and they got me some anti-biotics and I feel a lot better today. There is nothing worse than being sick away from home.
Tomorrow we are planning to go out after classes and dance, so that will be fun. Then on Saturday we are going to visit Bernal, which is a little town that has apparently the 3rd largest monolith in the world...or something like that. I have never gone so I am excited for that. I have my first test next Tuesday and the other on Wednesday so the weekend should give me lots of time to read and study.
I got to go visit Pao's (my host mom) parent's house. They have a popsicle store that is nearby and I had a great lime popsicle two days in a row. Her parents are so nice and her dad wanted to make sure that Pao got me a popsicle before I left their house.
Well...that's all for today. I posted some pics of my house. I can't quite figure out how to put them all in the same place, so for now that is how I will post them.
Happy Thursday!
Erin
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
¡Viva México!
Well soccer fever is all around! Everyone is talking about it, and I can't wait until next week when Mexico plays. It's going to be crazy!
Well I got to play laser tag with Toño in the park last night and it was a ton of fun. He also told us a bunch of jokes and he sat and ate Nutella by the spoonful while I read and took notes on my homework. I was worried that he wouldn't understand what the laser tag game was because everything was in English, but when I get home he told me he had already played with his mom and aunt earlier. Any was very excited about the Justin Bieber t-shirt and CD that I got her. Apparently she already listened to the whole thing.
Pao gave me a neck massage and hopefully I will be able to get this crick out of my neck and shoulder. It is really painful and I don't know how it happened, but it hurts from the top of my head down my right shoulder and I can barely lift my right arm. I guess it's a good thing to have a host mom who's a masseuse.
I took some pics of my house and I will probably post them later today. Well, I suppose I should do some studying for class.
Hasta pronto (Talk to you soon),
Erin
Well I got to play laser tag with Toño in the park last night and it was a ton of fun. He also told us a bunch of jokes and he sat and ate Nutella by the spoonful while I read and took notes on my homework. I was worried that he wouldn't understand what the laser tag game was because everything was in English, but when I get home he told me he had already played with his mom and aunt earlier. Any was very excited about the Justin Bieber t-shirt and CD that I got her. Apparently she already listened to the whole thing.
Pao gave me a neck massage and hopefully I will be able to get this crick out of my neck and shoulder. It is really painful and I don't know how it happened, but it hurts from the top of my head down my right shoulder and I can barely lift my right arm. I guess it's a good thing to have a host mom who's a masseuse.
I took some pics of my house and I will probably post them later today. Well, I suppose I should do some studying for class.
Hasta pronto (Talk to you soon),
Erin
Monday, June 14, 2010
I made it! 1 day of classes down!
Well I made it to my house last night at about 9:30. Any, my host sister let us in and I was so happy to see her, Toño (my host brother) and Pao (my host mom) again. I love that I have had the same family for three years. It feels like I was coming home when I came inside. They did move to a different and bigger apartment but it still feels like home. Toño knew that he was going to get a gift, so he was all excited. I didn't want to give him his gift (a lazer tag game) because I knew he would try and stay up until the wee hours of the morning trying to play it. So I teased him a lot and left it for him this morning. I am sure he will be excited when I get home and I might just have to play with him.
Everyone is crazy about the World Cup here and I think Mexico plays this week, so that will be really cool. I had two classes today: Precolombian Literature and Culture and Literature of Latinos in the U.S. I am very excited about both. I am looking forward to learning a lot and hopefully continuing to get good grades.
My roommate is from Pennsylvania and her name is Amy. I think she is a bit younger than me, but I'm not sure.
My cell phone works so you can call me if you want. Just not between 9 and 2 because I have class and need to study. I used it in both Querétaro and Mexico City and it works. I talked to C.J. yesterday and he is really happy and excited that he went to camp, so that is great. Only three weeks and he comes to Mexico.
Saludos desde México (Greetings from Mexico),
Erin
Everyone is crazy about the World Cup here and I think Mexico plays this week, so that will be really cool. I had two classes today: Precolombian Literature and Culture and Literature of Latinos in the U.S. I am very excited about both. I am looking forward to learning a lot and hopefully continuing to get good grades.
My roommate is from Pennsylvania and her name is Amy. I think she is a bit younger than me, but I'm not sure.
My cell phone works so you can call me if you want. Just not between 9 and 2 because I have class and need to study. I used it in both Querétaro and Mexico City and it works. I talked to C.J. yesterday and he is really happy and excited that he went to camp, so that is great. Only three weeks and he comes to Mexico.
Saludos desde México (Greetings from Mexico),
Erin
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