Not too much to say...

So today:

Slept in until 9ish- woke up, had breakfast- the typical plate of fruit covered in honey with cereal and orange juice. Went to the lavendaria and dropped off my clothes to be washing- it was a few dollars- maybe 5 or 6? I can pick them up tomorrow morning- hopefully before school starts- otherwise I won’t have anything to wear- didn’t think that one through so well!! After, I walked to the copy/paper store and bought some notebooks (all grid notebooks—hmm) and three folders (the filing kind- they didn’t have any others). Came back to the house- Doña Ligia spent half an hour telling me why I would make the perfect girlfriend for some Mexican boy- it was hysterical and a self esteem booster for sure- but I definitely don’t think that will be happening!! Called Ilion- the aunt and grandmother after- it was good to talk to them both and Skype sure does make it a lot easier and cheaper! It’s about .02 a call to phones- and obviously, free to computers.

Lunch was light- macaroni and cheese with mushrooms and salsa verde- a really, really weird, but bearable combination. Left to catch the bus- it was filled with kids getting out of school (first day here) and took forever!! I need to take this into account when taking the buses now too! They were all curious about the gringa on the bus- didn’t help that when I tried to get off I went to the front door which was broken and I didn’t realize. They laughed at me, so it goes.

Made it to the Facultad a bit late- but that’s ok- everything here starts late. Scuba diving is going to be so much fun. The teacher is awesome, I have him for one of my classes too. He seemed pretty happy that I was into Maya archaeology and anthropology- I’m very excited to be taking classes with him. We are going to be getting our basic certification “open water diver”- good for up to up to 70 feet or so, and after, we can get a more advanced certification if we want it. We went over all the basics in terms of equipment the physics and physiology of it- we are going to a pool Friday to start! I’m so excited about it- ahh! Should be a great time.

Came home after class- stopped for an “aqua fresca (they advertised with an a, not an o) de sandia”. I really should have brought my burks- my flip flops are really slippery on the dusty sidewalks and I keep having a few near wipe- outs. I’m not sure what type of shoes would be better- but I really need to find some!! I just don’t know if I will be able to here with my huge feet!!!

Didn’t really do anything tonight- hung out, watched a Doris Day film that Ligia had laying around. She loves movies- and gave me a whole stack of movies to watch- good practice for my Spanish!! She’s so cute, I’m really lucky!

All in all, not much to say about today except for my excitement over scuba diving. Classes start tomorrow- Maya and Spanish- I’m nervous but very excited!

At least everyone who reads this gets a break with a short entry for a change!! I’m trying to keep my entries pretty detailed so I can reference them later too, hopefully you all aren’t bored to death!!

Mi vida es bellisima

Ok- so yesterday was pretty terrific. Left in the morning and met the group at the cathedral. We all went to Los Dos cooking school- ahh! It is essentially in a gringo’s house- chef David Sterling- and it has been featured on Martha’s shows, Oprah’s, in the NY Times, etc. etc. The classes are actually in the chef’s house en el centro. He showed us the before pictures of what the house looked like when he bought it- trees growing inside, crumbling walls, etc…it’s beautiful now. The dining room has a mural that wraps all the way around it of el centro and essentially, “life in Merida”. It is beautiful. His kitchen is covered in tiles with cast iron pans hanging; the terrace has beautiful plants and a pool- look at the pictures!! (http://www.los-dos.com/galeria/index.php). To begin the class we tasted different spices and fruits. After, we went to the Market- it was terrific. There were a lot of indigenous people selling fruits, little “street vendors”- it was incredible. So hard to put into words and describe. It was a happening place- but oh so very local. After we went back and at different stations made the food. Tostadas, panuchos, and more- the chile habanero was the hottest thing I have ever tried in my life- it burned, my face burned, it was incredible. Definitely need to work on my “pica” tolerance. The food, all in all, was great- and I learned a lot about the spices and forms of cooking. The difference between “yucateco” and “Mexican” is huge here, there are definitely two distinct things- regarding culture, the people, the food, the music- it’s a huge difference. A lot of times yucatecos don’t want to be considered Mexican and it seems that there is a very strong current of underlying resentment between the peninsula and the rest of the country. Makes for an interesting history lesson!!

After the cooking lesson, the group went on a bus tour- in a bus from Puerto Rico- brightly painted and sticking out like a sore thumb. The bus tour, truth be told, wasn’t that great. The guide was hard to understand and it mostly went through el centro, which I walk through every day and have been asking many questions about as I go. I’m not sure if it was the heat, that I was tired, or just what- but I definitely think that the bus ride/tour could have been a lot better!

After the bus ride, a few of the other girls and I went to an air conditioned restaurant for bebidas- you need to hydrate and stay cook as much as you can during the middle of the day, you can’t function otherwise!! After, we went shopping- I bought an adorable dress for 70 pesos (less than $7). Shopping was a lot of fun, and also really funny- all the clothes are just a big too short!! Having tired of shopping, two of the other girls and I decided to attend the Catholic mass at the cathedral en el centro. It was really interesting to go- hear everything in Spanish (not understanding a lot due to the echo), and see the way people worship here. Mexico is so very Catholic, but the way it is practiced here is a lot different than the states. There are mixes of folk religion, there is a large GLBT community here but it isn’t openly practiced, very interesting how the social aspects of life mix with the religious ones. After the service- I left my bag with my dress in it under the pew, went back for it 10 minutes later and it was gone, damn it. Learned my lesson- and I at least make sure I have my purse close to me at all times, and haven’t been carrying around anything important.

Went home, and rested for awhile- massive thunderstorms and rain. Tried to call a taxi to go over to a friend’s house before going to the disco. My phone wouldn’t work, I couldn’t understand anything they were saying, it was raining outside- what a mess!! My host mom finally called for me from the house phone- and the taxi picked me up about half an hour later. I had planned to arrive at 9, but didn’t until well after 10- you gotta love Mexican time. The taxi driver was so incredibly nice- he wanted to tell me all about his family and asked me a lot of questions. I now have his cell phone number (which is what you do when you find a good driver) so I can call him when I need to- that way I won’t get ripped off by prices- there usually aren’t meters. Got to Jen’s house- met her sister and her sister’s boyfriend (from Oaxaca) who are backpacking around Mexico, and are in Merida now. They were supperrrr nice- and it was awesome to have a native speaker- not a gringo with us.

Got to the disco and met some friends there- $7USD cover charge- that includes an open bar. It was packed. Now, mind you, I was wearing heels- but regardless, was latter than ¾ of the people there- and two gringas walking around together attracts a lot of attention- something I guess I need to get used to. Wow, can the guys here dance. So much more fun than a club back home- everyone dances, and everyone dances well!! Some of the guys were a bit creepy- nothing serious or worrisome, but we eventually met a group of very nice guys and a girl. They started teaching me some salsa- hard, but fun!! We stayed, dancing until about 3 in the morning- left, took a taxi home. It was so much fun! AHH! I can’t quite get over how much I enjoyed myself- I really, really need to learn how to salsa now! The music is great, a mix of American and Hispanic dance music and rap with the occasional salsa song. Watching people dance to MC Hammer segueing into a salsa is the greatest thing ever, and they make the transition seamlessly. I’m in love with the discos (or at least, the one I have been to).

So Today:

Woke up (easier said than done) showered, ate, made it to the bus stop by 10:15 with some friends and bought round trip tickets to Progresso (the local beach, about 25 minutes away) for $25P- about $2USD- gotta love the price of transportation here. Got to Progresso- it was packed with locals- NO other gringos- not a one! Walked around trying to find a calm spot or a halapa to sit in that wasn’t too expensive. Eventually settled on a halapa we had to order food to stay at- ate pico de gallo and guacamole. The water was crystal clear, a beautiful blue. The water was also nice and refreshing- not too cold, not too warm. Interestingly enough, most of the people there swam in their clothes- different than any of the other beaches we had been to. There were a few other people in bathing suits. We basically sat at the beach all day- swimming, eating, and in my case, sleeping. There are now some lovely pictures of me, asleep on the beach with my mouth hanging open.

Truth be told, the beach was a bit frustrating- once again, we were a complete spectacle. People stared at us, someone took pictures, ugh. I know that I need to get used to this eventually, but this is also the first time in my life that I have been the clear minority. It doesn’t help that I happen to be American, white, and “tall”- definitely a lot of interesting looks, questions, and the men can be a bit annoying and objectifying. I know that this all comes with the territory, but this is just something I have to get used to. Yes, I did put on sunscreen- although, I don’t know that it helped. I am leathery, sore, and red. I suppose this had to happen sooner or later- and hopefully won’t be repeated too frequently. We went to a nice restaurant- local but not a whole in the wall- with music, a nice deck, and view of the Gulf. I ended up ordering a salad and French fries because nothing else was vegetarian- what are you going to do? I feel like I have less luck when I eat out because the menus don’t typically have anything vegetarian, at the same time, I feel like I am completely spoiled by my host mom and experiencing local food this way. Dinner was great and we lingered until around 8. Took the bus home- took a shower to clean off all the sand and am here. Nursing my sunburns and updating my blog.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes; I don’t have any “real” classes, only scuba diving. I am really nervous about meeting local people and classes- it’s like freshman year all over again, but worse. The communication issue, the fact that I stick out like a sore thumb, etc. etc.

I know that I am still in the “honeymoon” phase of study abroad, but this really may be the happiest I have ever been. I don’t want to leave- there is something about this place that just feels “right”. AHH! Still sad to see people back at Geneseo and sad to be missing out- but what an experience! I couldn’t ask for a better situation- I’m so lucky!

And to quote a friend’s tattoo (seems to be a recurring theme): “Este momento es el major en mi vida.”

My brain.

Didn’t write yesterday, I was only home for about an hour- here is the quick synopsis:

More orientation in the morning, including a review of the trips that we are going to take- the longer trip covers a few places I have already been (Tulum, Cobá!!!, Ek Balam, Muyil) and others that I haven’t. I am debating taking a scuba diving class that is expensive- but I would be internationally certified and could dive at all the sites- not sure what to do…input???

We had a 3 hour break or so- too long! This whole orientation process could have been a lot more condensed than it was. Having said that, the information is good, the people working for the program are great, and they are really well prepared- have their stuff together.

After the break, Spanish class and back home…

I LOVE the walk to and from the bus. I pass through streets that are blocked off from cars, plazas, in front of panederias (bread shops), people sell papers in the streets….it’s great. The shops have clothes, CD’s, everything imaginable for cheap, cheap, cheap. I feel like I’m really getting a glimpse into la vida normal en Merida. On the way back from the bus, I poked around some- stopped to talk to some of the boys at the CD shop- I will go back soon, the music is only 1 or 2 USD for a whole CD- I can improve my Spanish music collection!

At home I sat down with Ligia for awhile, had our evening chat- classes, politics, and art. We might paint together! She loves drawing and painting- how fun!

At night, I went out with one of the guys from the program- went to 3 different bars in el centro- they were too touristy- we couldn’t find any hole in the wall places, and decided we needed to ask the Program Director where to go. Anyways- the first place- there was a singer who we talked to for awhile, told him we were both from New York- and he ended up singing New York, New York to us, we were mortified! Admittedly, it was hysterical though. After, we left and went to another cantina that had karaoke- except we were the only ones there and the music that was being played didn’t match the music on the screen- awesome! The third was more of a restaurant and had more locals in it- we had a beer there and listened to the music- it was nice. Walked Ray back to his bus stop (I actually know my way around downtown some!) and was home by 11:30. El centro was fun but not as authentic as I would have liked- we’ll get there eventually though!

Moving on, today was great.

Orientation, orientation, orientation- it’s just getting old at this point. On the plus side, I’m really hitting it off with some of the girls on the trip- we have plans to travel to Oaxaca and Chiapas later in the semester- very excited! During lunch today I had a near meltdown. I had to ask Jen- one of las chicas- to repeat a sentence three times- and still couldn’t understand it. After making a fuss, “Wait, wait, hol;d on, give me a minute, I can get this”- I realized that she was talking in English, about her sandwich. Oh God- my brain is doing some funny things!!! Anyways, we are going to go out to a salsa club tomorrow night and to the beach on Sunday- I guess it’s what all the locals do so it should be fun! After orientation we had a big dinner with all the program people in the office- it was great and I ate a ton!! Guacamole, tostadas, different salsas, pasta, horchata, jicama, cantaloupe, watermelon, couldn’t have been better. Took the bus back with Ligia in the pouring rain! The streets were so slippery and everyone was trying to hide under tiendas, we got on a taxi/van too- small and packed in like sardines- omg, so very Mexican and so great!

Today, although nothing particularly exciting happened I was very content with everything. I love the city, love, love, love it. Every day is a mixture of ups and downs, and I feel like I am never going to learn Spanish!! Nevertheless, I really am happy and content traveling- I just feel at home when I know I’m not. I love the Maya area and the people- the balance between tradition, modern, yucatacan, and Mexican is just amazing. There is so much diversity and so many influences that blend together to create such a dynamic and stimulating environment- ahh!

I already know it is going to be so hard to leave, I really feel like I might need to take more time to travel and “explore”- it is what I feel content doing. There are definitely ways to travel and work, living on the cheap and immersing yourself in local culture- I’ll have to put a lot of thought into this. I know I will learn a ton about myself while learning about a different culture- not sure what any of it will amount to but hey, life is short. What’s wrong with doing what makes you feel happy and feel like a better person, more self sufficient, cultured, and generally more aware of what’s going on in the world around you- not just what is going on with yourself!

Que ondas?

Victories of the day: I took the bus an hour to and fro La Facultad de Antropología without problems- it was easy! The buses were on time; I got on the correct one, and wasn’t hassled by anyone! Also, I managed to walk back from the bus stop to my house and was only approached by one street vendor. The stares that I get walking around El Centro are actually pretty fun, I’m some grand spectacle and I kind of enjoy it. I am the only gringa that I have seen walking to and from the bus stop and my house- there are a ton of people too!

In the morning, I walk through 3 or 4 different plazas to get to the bus, and two pedestrian- only streets. It’s so much fun because in the morning all the stores are opening, everyone is going to work, people by breakfast on the street, and everyone is running into people they know- so great to watch! Coming back from classes is great because the plazas are packed and there is so much going on- unbelievable.

The park outside my house has traditional music every Tuesday from 8- 11, the Plaza de Santa Ana (4 blocks from my house) has dance and music on Thursdays, in the Plaza de Independencia (biggest plaza in el centro, where I catch the bus) there are dancing lessons on Wednesdays and big festivals on Sundays. The office building and library of UADY has free theatre for students on Fridays- also right by my house. With my student ID card, all the buses are ½ off (30 cents per ride), museums are free, and on Wednesdays, movies are half priced. There is so much to do, I feel like one year isn’t enough time to fit this all in! Despite my feelings of frustration and being overwhelmed, I’m so happy with my host mother, the area I live, the university, and the massive amount of things I can do in my free time.

The Anthropology department is AMAZING. There is a whole library devoted to anthropology and you can take out ethnographies and other resources in two places- the post 1900 section and the pre 1900 section. I can check out the first copies of the Catherwood diaries. (Major anthro- Maya geek out time- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Catherwood) The professors seem amazing and are essentially living in their field of study, with Maya influences everywhere. I am planning on taking a Yucatec Maya class (the language), History of the Yucatan, Underwater Archaeology, and Spanish- I can’t take photography this semester!!! Maybe I can take a dance class or something like that? Haha.

I’ll spare everyone the horribly boring details from orientation except one. I was placed in the first (lowest) Spanish class. Meh. That is definitely frustrating, but on the other hand, it will be much easier, a lot of review, and I will probably want a break from intense Spanish.

Walked to the supermercado alone today to buy toothpaste and snacks. That was a lot of fun, I love interacting with locals, especially when they clearly just don’t know what to think of the gringa waiting in line.

Talked with my host mom forever tonight- we are going to try and paint together! How fun! She is so cute!! We had a big long conversation about more politics- both sad about Ted Kennedy- and art and music. We’ve decided that we will try and start a painting, not really expecting either of us to finish it- that’s the best!

Used Skype to call home and Scott- How great!! It cost me a total of $2 for almost two hours of phone time. It was very nice to talk to people at home because studying abroad can be a bit frustrating and lonely at times. I am very happy with where I am right now, in terms of the program, but I seriously couldn’t be more ecstatic with the choice of programming.

And I’m out, falling asleep already! Goodnight all!

I'm having experiences?

Today…ugh! What a day. Many good things, many things were frustrating.

I had to wake up at 5:30 this morning to get ready for class and catch the bus. Waking up, ready to roll over and turn off an alarm clock is a lot harder in a hammock- I got stuck.

Left the house with Doña Ligia at 6:30 this morning and walked to La Plaza de Independencia (10 minutes from my house) to catch the bus. We ended up waiting for close to 45 minutes- maybe an hour- for the right bus. The area was unbearably crowded and confusing. There was a mass amount of people that resulted in a lot of chaos and confusion for me. It was very hard to figure out what bus was the right one- we had to ask a ton of people, and all the bus drivers. The area is nice but yikes, at 7 in the morning, that is just not for me. When we finally figured out what bus it was, it was crowded, sweaty, and hot! It’s like 90 degrees by 7 in the morning!! The whole experience was a little traumatic, Doña Ligia says that it is easier when there are less people later in the day- going to avoid taking 8 am classes if I can! Tomorrow…I have to take the bus all by myself, I’m absolutely terrified!!

Arrived at the Facultud de Antropología (social science building) late. The program hard already started- one of the other girls was late too. Program was long today, lots of information about living with host families, being American in Mexico, etc. etc. etc. (I’ll spare you the details). We had a two hour break for lunch and a group of us went exploring to the library. We were pointed and laughed at (the first of many I’m sure) and yelled at for being in the computer lab. Two freshman boys also stopped to talk to us- attention from men because I’m a gringa- a “tall” one with “rastas” (dreadlocks) is going to get old quickly.

After lunch we took a Spanish Placement exam that I absolutely bombed. I don’t know what happened- my brain couldn’t process any Spanish and the speaking component was a disaster. I guess this really isn’t that bad because I might welcome an easier Spanish class- but it does mean extra time in class though.

Entonces, we all finished the test and there was a lecture- the brief political and social history of México (particularly the Yucatan) that was a bit encouraging. I could follow pretty much everything and thought it was really interesting. I got to ask a few Maya questions and took notes because I’m nerdy like that.

I asked about taking classes in Maya and the program director, Diana said she would find some for me.

Doña Ligia and another friend picked me up in a car and we drove back home. I had plans to meet some other girls in the program at the main plaza, at 8. OMG, what a disaster! I left the house at 7:30 thinking I would take the two main roads over so I could see everything- uggghhh. I got so lost. I ended up in the sketchiest neighborhoods ever- I was one of the only people on the street- anyone who was on the street was a rather seedy looking man. It was terrifying. I walked around for an hour, stopping to ask directions a few times, before I finally found the place. Lots of shouting at me, name calling I didn’t understand (luckily, I’m sure) and the sheer terror of having no clue where the heck I was.

Finally found the largest plaza and cathedral in the city, that obviously only a gringa couldn’t find and met up with everyone. We ended up eating at a restaurant that was a little nicer but too American. I won’t tell you what I ate because it would just be embarrassingly American- I think I wanted comfort food after getting lost! I had a lot of fun with some of the girls but I hope that this isn’t the norm. I would much rather try and push myself out of my comfort zone a little more and eat at the little restaurants and avoid English. I’ve been speaking way too much English. I at least got to talk to the waiter for a bit in Spanish- another anthropology student at UADY. Although it’s great to have other Americans here to share experiences with and travel- I hope that I can make local friends. I really would like to integrate into the culture as much as possible but it is hard to do because there are clear “comfort zones” and it is hard to leave them all the time.

All in all, I survived today and not all of it was bad- just different and a little hard. I’m sure there will be many more days like this to come.

Also, I’m already sick of eating eggs.

Exhaustion

I’m exhausted.

Program stuff all day- started at 12 and lasted until 6 or so. The Facultud de Antropología and the program offices are really far from my house and from the other students, but I think it will work out ok- I really want to avoid as much English as possible and I’m definitely in a better location in terms of activities.

Took the bus to the program office and was crammed into a room with all the other program participants. Met all the IFSA Butler people and began some orientation stuff today. I think orientation will be the necessary evil of dispersing information to us (how much of it I will retain- no clue). We register for classes tomorrow which is super exciting.

Doña Ligia picked me up at 6 (like kindergarten!) and we went home – her friend Jose drove. Dinner was some quesadillas, and a lot of conversation.

I told her that I liked the Maya stories about Ishtabi, the Uay, etc. (folk tales) and she told me a bunch of stories about the Alux (pronounced : Aluush). They are essentially little gnomes that guard land and houses- people don’t own the land but need to ask permission of el dueño (landlord) to use the area. Also, as it turns out- she loves my hair (rastas en español) and thinks the tattoos are (artes bellisimas) and loves tattoos. I was really nervous about both of these things so that is a bit of a relief.

I haven’t wandered out alone much yet- I need to do this so I can explore a little bit. It’s been hard because the communication has been challenging and I have been very tired.

Speaking of which, I need to wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 tomorrow, so I’m going to cut this short… I love the comments and emails, they are cheering me up- it’s a bit overwhelming and lonely now- but also fun and things couldn’t be going more smoothly.

What I learned today:

There is “la semana de antropología”- basically, anthro week! It happens in the beginning of November and other classes are cancelled. Here are a lot of presentations and exhibits sponsored by students, professors, and visiting anthropologists.

Mérida is the safest city in México according to yesterday’s papers.

I can’t participate in or be anywhere near political protests…uh oh.

UADY costs about $200 a year for students, is very prestigious. Public universities are more prestigious than private ones, and also, cost less.

The healthcare in Merida is amazing and cheap.

Mexico is passing this new b.s. law defining a family as two people who have been married in the church and have at least one kid. You can’t adopt children if you don’t already have one and you can’t receive all the benefits of “una familia” if you don’t meet this description.

Blogs are very self- indulgent.

Blogs are also already labeled with the date.

Sunday, August 23- I <3 Merida!

It’s going to be a great year. My host mom couldn’t be nicer. I'm going to gain 20 lbs because i'm force- fed on the hour, and man can she cook. She has absolutely no problem cooking vegetarian for me- que suerte! I really don’t know what I’m eating most of the time, it’s all delicious and covered in these magical salsas that are either green or red. I also had some kind of fruit this morning, white with little black seeds that was terrific- I can’t remember the name, I will have to ask again tomorrow. Watching her cook is great, she swears every 5 minutes because she burns herself or spills something- it's cute.

Today she took me around the city, to a few different plazas and two malls. They were both very American in style and both were air conditioned!!! We ate lunch and had sorbet at the malls. Lunch was a crepe with cheese, eggplant?, sour cream, and salsa verde. Quite tasty but very heavy. Doña Ligia doesn’t drive but the bus system seems great- 60 pesos for a ride (60 cents more or less). Taking the bus was actually really great- I got to see a lot of the city this way. After the malls we went to “Merida en Domingo”- the Plaza Mayor that has a festival every Sunday, with many vendors, music, dances, food, etc. We watched a group dance in the Vera Cruz style and after, a mariachi band. In la parquet de Santa Ana (3 blocks from my house) her son is commentating for a band on Thursday. It seems as though every day of the week has a different festival or musical happening. Also, we passed at least 5 theatres which are apparently very cheap for students. The Boys of Vienna are singing here in September. I’m so happy with my choice of city, and especially, with the location of the house.

I guess all the other students live in el norte de la ciudad- it is farther from the center and there are more Americans and more money- I'm perfectly content here in the center, the location is PERFECT. I have only seen 2 gringos since I've been here, and I've been out and about a lot. I definitely get lots of weird looks, on the plus side, everyone loves my hair. (ha!) I must be quite the sight, “tall” gringa with funny hair and an adorable woman talking a mile a minute leading me around.

Although I don’t understand everything that Doña Ligia says, she claims to understand everything I say and that my grammar is good- that I have a few problems every now and them but she can understand everything. Every now and then I have to ask her to repeat something but she always says “Ohh, you speak well so I think you understand everything"- nice of her but I don’t think it is necessarily true.

After we got back from wandering around we moved the hammock to the back bedroom which has more windows and . . . AIRE ACONDICIONADO! I attempted to watch a movie on the Disney channel (all in Spanish) and generally, knew what was going on.

Fell asleep at some point and woke up around 8. Doña Ligia made dinner around 9 or so- bread with cheese and tomato sauce (cousin of a pizza!) and an icy chocolatey beverage. She loves chocolate.

After dinner we talked a bit about friends and classes and how I wanted to avoid spending all my time with Americans and take fun classes- she liked this a lot. She recommended a photography class- because the building is very close to our house (la facultud de antropologia is muy lejos)and I would have great pictures of the city this way. Apparently thereis also a snorkeling class (we are 15 minutes from the beach) and an underwater archaeology class. I hope that I can pick some fun things out! We shall see what fits into my schedule though.

Doña Ligia is divorced, has three kids- I think she had four but one died? Not sure... but she has many exchange students- probably a good source of income for her, company too. Her kids don’t live in the area from what I understand- one is an actress, the other I a director, and the youngest is off wandering about the states. She couldn't be nicer to me- loves to talk politics and religion and is very, very liberal (que suerte!).

I have photos on flickr now- only of my house and the park at the end of my block. Let me know if everyone can see them- my user name is bethanmaher (how original!)

Didn’t sweat quite as much today- there was some wind.

And phew, that was some entry! I’m sure that over time they will get shorter, but when I don’t have classes what else am I going to do at night?

August 22, 2009- Learning to sweat.

So, let’s talk about sweat. I woke up at 9:00 this morning and it was already 92*. I took a shower, stepped out, and by the time I had over- exerted myself by getting dressed, I was covered in sweat again. By 10, it was 102*. If anyone knows me the slightest bit, they know I am always cold…not so anymore. Studying abroad is all about learning and gaining new life experiences, now I know what it is like to be HOT. It got up to 110* today, very humid. I brought pants with me, scratch that idea. Time to buy more skirts or something.

Anyways, there is another chico from a different program here that is leaving tomorrow- had breakfast with him (Davíd) and Doña Ligia- lots of fruit, toast with honey, and pan dulce. My host mom talks a lot! I can understand about 75% of what is said and the other 25% just kind of blows right over my head. I’m sure that not speaking a word of Spanish all summer really helped.

After breakfast, I went to the supermercado with my host mom. As it turns out, I live in the historical center of town, half a block from a park with a lot of little restaurants, a bunch of different shops, etc. I’m about 4 blocks away from Calle 60- the main street in Merida, with has a lot more parks, cathedrals, etc. I think that I am a bit farther away from the other students on the program, but all in all, I don’t think I could have a better location to stay.

After wandering around in the heat, we returned to the house- I unpacked all of my stuffs. My room has a twin bed, a large closet, windows everywhere, and a fan that goes faster than you would believe, and now, has a hammock. I brought a total of 5 long sleeved shirts, what the heck was I thinking?

Lunch time came pretty quickly- we had some beautiful concoction consisting of eggs, tortilla, black bean paste, cheese, and a magical salsa (no clue what it was). It was delicious. She could care less that I’m a vegetarian, completely understands that I don’t eat any meat or fish, and is totally cool with it- que suerte! Lunch took a total of two hours, between the massive amount of food, talking (mostly listening) and whatnot.

After lunch, Davíd took me into el centro and showed me a few parks and cathedrals, UADY (Universidad Autonoma del Yucatan- mi uni), and a shop or two. I have only seen one other white person so far- which I quickly figured out is going to make me a target for every street vendor in the area. El centro is beautiful, there is so much to do, and I don’t even have a grasp on it. There are many different museums, a lot of dancing, a zoo, parks, festivals, etc, etc. Stopped for agua fresca (de sandia para mi)- I forgot how much I love the stuff! Great news- there are at least 5 different places to get it within 3 blocks. Still have yet to spot an ATM.

Poked around the house until dinner at 9ish, just some tortilla with cheese, sour cream, and magic green sauce. Davíd is taking guitar lessons and practiced some- I love classical guitar.

All in all, a pretty slow day- tomorrow looks to be more of the same. Orientation stuff doesn’t start until Monday. I’ve learned a lot of valuable things today though- I actually do sweat, to survive here I need to learn to dance, and last but not least, there are many different types of magic, delicious sauce (salsa).

Friday- Going and Arriving

Yesterday: Procrastinated a lot in regards to packing by hanging out with Scott and Caleb and running extra- long errands. Eventually started packing around 6 or 7, went smoothly enough until I lost my passport. Couldn’t find the damn thing anywhere. Tore apart the house, my car, etc. as did my mom and Scott. Also checked the store, no such luck. As I was to the point of a complete breakdown, ready to call the emergency passport service or go swimming in Sunset Lake (hoping to be eaten by whatever creatures dwell there, and thus, avoid the wrath of my mother)- got a call from home saying that one the fourth survey of my car they found it. Life lesson: don’t lose your passport and zip your purse.

Left this morning (Friday) at 8:30 or so, Scott stopped by to say goodbye- wasn’t too fun. Made it to Rochester in good time, by 10:30 or so and hung around with my parents for an hour and then went through the whole security thing, boarded, etc. Arrived in Newark on time, and made it to my connecting flight- bit of a rush. Boarded no problems, and then sat on the runway for two hours- bad weather so we couldn’t take off. The flight ended up taking over four hours because we circled around the Houston airport quite a bit. Luckily- my next flight which was supposed to depart at 6:55 was delayed until 9:15, giving me an hour layover. Shame really, I was stoked for a night in the airport hotel without any new reading.

Currently waiting for flight to board. Not nearly as nervous as I was, a little bit though. I’m very excited to meet my host mother (Doña Ligia and her dog). I hope she is excited too! Probably going to be a long night by the time I get through customs, find her, get home- I wonder how that is working, get settled in. I don’t think there is anything on the itinerary for tomorrow but I’m not sure. Hopefully my Spanish won’t fail me too much.

All in all, sad to leave, excited to arrive.

Arrived in Merida at close to 1. Met my host mother outside of customs, she was with other people but I wasn’t introduced- just shooed away- she did say she would see them Monday. I got a hug and a kiss of the cheek and we went right to the taxi that was waiting for us. She seemed pleased with the Spanish I know (“bastante espanol”) and said that I would pick it up quickly. Made me feel good that she at least was understanding what I was saying, I understood a lot- definitely not all of what she said. Didn’t make it back to the house until 1:30 or so, she showed me my room and told me to sleep and not worry about when I wake up. Tomorrow she is going to get me a hammock to sleep in. Still not sure where the bathroom is though…

The house seems very nice, on a quiet, but nice street. We passed a zoo and a park on the way to it- and there are a bunch of food vendors at the park.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings- no activities planned yet.

So...I have a blog.

Hey kids...

I have a blog, to blog about Mexico. In the process of getting packed and everything together now, I leave in one week! (August 21st)

I'm staying in the "Colonia Santiago," the historical center of town, with a retired woman- not sure if there is a husband?? She has three sons that all have jobs and live out of the house. She enjoys entertaining, cooking, and handy-crafts...and she has a dog.

The plan is to keep in touch via email, skype, and this blog. Also, my old cell number should work- nights and weekends are free for calls, not too much of a texting allowance. I will be getting a prepaid phone there too.

I'm nervous and excited. Mostly nervous at this point but I know it'll be a great experience.