Night Out at the Theatre: Romeo y Julieta

To celebrate Ashley's birthday we went to the theatre to see Romeo and Julieta. It was fun to get all dressed up and go out on the town. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed the play. There were only 3 actors who played the parts of all the characters in Romeo and Julieta, so it was different but very enjoyable.

Don't we look so glamorous!?!?

VIVA MEXICO.....VIVA!

The girls and I at the zocalo (the center of Cuernavaca). VIVA Mexico!

The huge crowds waiting for the govorner to show up and give his speach....he never showed...Que Triste! How sad!

The boys: Tavo, Sombi, and our German friend, Roberto.

September 15th and 16th are the days when Mexico celebrates it's independence. It is comparable to the 4th of July. The people of Mexico go crazy on this day. Almost anything and everything goes on the night of the 15th. In the center of each town the people wait for the governor to come out and give El Grito (the chant). The governor gives a speech and then says the traditional, "Viva Mexico," to which the crowd responds, "VIVA!" There are people of all ages everywhere wearing green, red, and white. Their faces are painted, they carry flags, they wear sombrerros, they throw confetti, and the blow horns and whistles. It was so cool to see. We were able to go with our Mexican friends. It was neat to be a part of such a special day in Mexico!

Feliz Cumpleanos a Ashley!

Today is Ashley's 23rd Birthday and tonight we are getting all dressed up and going to the theatre production of Romeo y Julieta in Spanish!!!! I am so excited!

Exploring Cuernavaca on a Saturday Afternoon....Our Beautiful Discovery

We went exploring this last Saturday with a few of our friends and we found this beautiful park in the middle of the busy city. The city of Cuernavaca is pretty green, but it was nice to be surrounded by greenery when everyday you see and hear cars, buses, and noise. Here are some of the pictures I took while we were in the park. There were fountains (fuentes) and waterfalls everywhere! Proof of the presence of God's beauty in the center of a large city!

Check out the YouTube video that I just posted on the right side of my blog!!!!

Our teacher showed us this video in class today. It is a YouTube video that is a spoof on how most people only know a few things in Spanish. I found it quite funny. I hope you all enjoy it!!!! :)

More of our cooking adventures! Yum Yum!

Molletes: a traditional Mexican dish that is simple to prepare. Place black beans, cheese, and fresh salsa (onion, tomatoe, and chilies) on top of a torta (bread). Very tasty!

Chilaquiles: fried tortilla chips with fresh green salsa, onions, and cheese. It might not look very pretty but it tastes great!

Jodi, Ashley, and I enjoying our Champorado. It is similar to hot chocolate that is the consistency of pudding. It is so thick because it is made with tortilla dough. Unusual but yummy in the tummy! Cheers!

Tortilla Making! Yummy!

Our finished products of cooking class. We have been able to cook a lot while here in Mexico. It is fun to learn and try new foods. On this day we made tortillas, ensalada de nopales (cactus salas), and gucamole. Yum Yum! Myself, Ashley, our teacher Queta, and Jodi with our fresh batch of tortillas.

First you take the dough and you mix it....you mix it. Me mixing the tortilla dough.

I am having so much fun seeing and learning new things everyday!

This is a picture of the amazing murals or frescos of Diego Rivera, a famous Meixcan muralist. The whole balcony of the Palace is covered in Rivera's murals. So breathtaking!


The view from the balcony of the Palace. This is where all the action takes place in Cuernavaca. Beautiful isn't it!?!



Jodi, myself, and Ashley at La Palacio de Cortez (the palace of Cortez) in El Centro de Cuernavaca. This was one of our weekend trips to the museum at Palacio de Cortez. We spent the morning walking around the museum, and then afterwards went to a movie.

Pictures!!!

The enterance to the church at the fair. It was decorated with thousands of flowers, and the inside of the church had a shrine for the Virgin Mary. If you don't like large crowds....then don't go to La Feria because I have never seen so many people in one place in my whole life. Once again, us three girls stuck out like crazy!

Jodi, Ashley and I with our teacher Queta at La Feria (the fair). The fair is a 9-day long celebration of the Virgin Mary.

Jodi and I eating crepas (crepes) at our favorite little spot in La Plaza de Cuernavaca.

Jodi, myself, Raquel, Gustavo, and Gabi...all my new friends and I on my first night out in Cuernavaca. We had so much fun meeting new friends. Everyone was very nice and patient with us and our Spanish speaking abilities. One thing is for sure....in Mexico people stay out till the sun comes up!!! No exaggeration! But we made sure that they knew that us Americans aren't used to staying out that late.

Finally some pictures!!

This is a picture of the different types of mole paste that you can buy at the market. Looks kinds brownie mix.

The meat hangs in the air with all sorts of insects covering it. Jodi is a vegiterian and it was hard for her to walk through this section. The smell is something I've never experienced before.

My new friends!! Jodi, myself, and Ashley on our way to El Mercado (the market) riding on La Ruta (the bus).

All the fresh fruit at the market. There are rows of fruit in the market. Everything is openair.

First Day in Cuernavaca!

The Zamora home: (PS-this isn't the Zamora house, it is a government building) I was surprised at the accommodations at the Zamora house. The house is nicer and bigger than I expected. They have a nice front room to sit in and a big table in the dining area. The kitchen is very small but it works fine for the 2 of them. We eat at the small table in the kitchen. There is a small area behind the house where Mrs. Zamora washes their clothes. They have a washing machine but not a dryer so the clothes dry on a line. The front of the house is pretty and they are considered to have a garden. That means that have somewhat of a yard with some trees and flowers. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Mr. and Mrs. Zamora sleep in different rooms (I think it might be a common thing in their culture). They have a bathroom and then there is my room and bathroom. In my room there are two twin beds. YES, twin! It’s been a while since I have slept in a twin but I’ll survive. There is a closet for my stuff and a chair in my room. I think I am going to have a roommate at some point but I don’t know when. My roommate and I have our own bathroom which is very nice. The bathroom is large and I can take a shower EVERY day, which is great since you sweat so much (but, I have noticed that none of the people here sweat when I’m drenched). We have a shower, sink, and toilet. You cannot flush toilet paper or feminine products. It is strange throwing your used T.P. in the trash can after you “big girl potty.” Mrs. Zamora has a small store next to their house that has different gifts and Mexican arts and crafts.
Back door neighbors: the lot behind the Zamora house, which is where my room is located (back side of house), is full of tons of ducks, chickens, and dogs. No people…just animals. So I have a great view and get to fall asleep to the noises that the animals make. It is so strange. There are at least 100 animals back there and they can be quite noisy.
Mrs. Zamora (Marie) used to be a teacher and now she works at her store and takes care of Mr. Zamora and myself. Mr. Zamora (Carlos) is an engineer. It is strange though because he seems to work strange hours.
Mrs. Zamora walked me to the school which is very close to the house. The school is about 4 or 5 blocks from the house. I am glad that I can walk to school because then I can go early or stay late to use the Internet.
The school is totally different than anything that we are used to in the US. There aren’t any “classrooms” in the building (which is more like a house converted into a school). There is a huge patio out back and a large yard with a mini pool, but I don’t know if I would use the pool because it isn’t very clean.
When I got to school I met the two other girls who are here right now. Ashley and Jodi both got to UNC in Greeley, CO and they arrived on Friday before classes started on Monday. They live with a lady who lives one block from the school, so we live close to one another. I was so glad to have people to talk to that knew about the US and spoke English. I hadn’t been here very long but I was ready to at least be able to speak English if I wanted to. I really like the girls and they both seem very nice and outgoing. It is nice to have people with whom I can explore the town. Since I don’t have a roommate right now I don’t want to go places by myself unless it’s to school and back. We stick out everywhere we go with the two of them. I am thankful for the two of them.
We got off to a slow start on the first day of school. It was very unorganized and there was a lot of confusion for the first 2 hours. The teacher that we worked with was Queta. I really like her and I think she truly enjoys her job. After getting to know each other, we went to El Centro de Cuernavaca. We walked a couple blocks and then got on to La Ruta, which is the bus system in Cuernavaca. This was quite an adventure. The second you step into the bus the bus driver takes off quickly. Mexican people in general are not very tall and I am, this was not a good combination on the bus. When the bus driver started driving I wacked my head on the ceiling on the bus and then stumbled to find a seat. When you get on the bus you hand the driver your money ($4.50 pesos, about $0.45USD) and they give you your change later on, if both you and the bus driver remember. As I said earlier, the driving in crazy and when you want to get off you simply stand up and get ready to hop off as soon as the driver slows down. If the driver doesn’t know you want to get off, you have to yell, “Bajo!” The people on the bus are nice and will also yell out when they hear you say you want to get off. We took the bus to El Centro and got off there.
El Centro is one of the main places where people meet in the town. Many of the government buildings are located in El Centro. There are lots of restaurants and places where vendors sell things. Sometimes bands play in El Centro or groups come and dance. There are a lot of vendors; rows and rows of vendors. They all have tiny, tiny, spots where they sell their products. They sell anything from jewelry to clothes to CDs to food. While we were in El Centro there was a lot of activity because the teachers in Cuernavaca are on strike right now. The teachers sit around the government buildings with all of their signs of protest. We aren’t really sure why they are on strike. The reason has gotten lost in translation as of now.
The buildings are decorated in the colors of the Mexican flag (white, red, and green) because September is the month when the Mexicans celebrate their independence. There are flags everywhere. While we were in El Centro we saw and heard the teachers marching and chatting different songs. It was neat to see because I’ve never seen a protest like that. It was peaceful and they were VERY loud.
While in El Centro we went to La Cathedral. It is a huge church and you can go inside and see it. The outside has unusual decoration because there is a skull and crossbones above the door. Queta said that this is not typical of cathedrals in Mexico. The inside of the cathedral was ornately decorated and there were paintings all along the walls and ceilings. I enjoyed seeing all the old architecture and the tall steeples.
I walked home (by myself) to have lunch around 2pm. In Mexico, lunch is around 2 or 3pm and lunch is the largest meal of the day.

After lunch I met up with Ashley and Jodi and we walked to Wal-Mart to buy a few items. We figured it would be good to walk, but that turned out to be a bad idea because we had already walked all morning and Wal-Mart was almost a mile away, and up-hill. There was a Starbucks next to Wal-Mart so we stopped for a nice American treat. After we got back from Wal-Mart I finally got a chance to unpack my bags.

Like I said, dinner here is a small meal compared to what we eat at dinner, so my body is adjusting to the change.
After dinner I went to my room and somehow was able to access a wireless connection and I was able to talk to Mom and Dad for about 40 minutes. It was nice to talk to them and Skype works great.

First Days in Mexico!

Hola from Cuernavaca, the city of eternal springs!

Sorry it has taken so long to give you an update, but my first week in Mexico has been very busy!

When we flew in to land in Mexico City I could see part of Mexico City. There was a rain storm so it was kind of hard to see, but the city is HUGE!!! Huge doesn’t even describe it….GINORMOUS!!! (Yes, it’s a word). There are mountains around and in Mexico City and there are houses everywhere. The houses are one on top of the other, with no room in-between. The houses are on every inch of available space. I can see why the population is over 25 million. The houses went on forever when I looked out the plane window.
So I got to the airport in Mexico City around 7pm. First I had to go though immigration which took a long time. The people were saying that there is usually no line or wait, but I had to wait for over an hour and a half. I felt bad because I knew there was someone waiting for me from Fenix at the airport. After I got through immigration I had to go get my bags. I was so glad to see that my bags both got there and appeared not to have been rummaged through. :0) After I got my bags I had to go through customs. This was oh so much fun! Not really! You wait in a line and then when it is your turn you push a button and if the light turns green then you can pass through and enter the airport to leave or go to your next flight. If you push the button and it turns red then you are stopped and your luggage is checked by security. What happened when Katie pushed the button???? RED LIGHT!!! I got stopped and had to have my bags checked. When I say checked, I mean that they completely go through all of your things. Pretty sure the whole world is able to see your panties and tampons and all the other embarrassing personal items. I had 2 laptops because I had mine and one for the director of the school. A friend of Leticia in Fort Collins was going to mail the laptop but that would be expensive, so Lety asked if I would bring it for her and I said, yes. I thought I was being nice and wanted to have a good impression on my teacher, but it became a problem in customs to have 2 laptops. In fine print on the customs form evidently it says that you can only have one computer per person. I’m not going to lie…I totally started to freak out because I didn’t know what was going to happen and if I wouldn’t be let in the country or if they would take the computer. I had to talk the head of security and by the grace of God he let me go. I was so happy. I guess it pays to be nice to people because I promised him that one computer was mine and the other was my teacher’s and he believed me.
When I got through customs I found the person from Fenix who was there to pick me up. His name was, Gustavo, and Lety is his aunt. He helped me with my bags and we went to get tickets for the bus ride to Cuernavaca from Mexico City. We had a half hour wait so he and I got to talk. He is 25 and goes to a university in Cuernavaca. He was very nice and patient with my broken Spanish. This was the first that I had spoken Spanish consistently since May.
When Gustavo and I got on the bus a man came on the bus and started to video tape each and every one of the passengers faces…including mine. I was weirded out and had no idea why it was necessary to video us. I asked Gustavo what he was taping us for and he had no idea. My very rational mind starting thinking that maybe the bus was going to be hijacked and they were going to show the our faces on TV as the people who were kidnapped. Either that or they were taping our faces in case something happened along the way to Cuernavaca. I don’t know why they did it, but it was strange. My first strange experience in Mexico.
It was an hour and a half ride to Cuernavaca from Mexico City and we watched Rush Hour 3 dubbed in Spanish. Very comical.
I was terrified that I wouldn’t even make it to Cuernavaca because the way people drive in Mexico is CRAZY!!! The roads are barely wide enough for two cars and three cars will be driving on the road. The people are very impatient and they honk their horns all the time. No one uses blinkers or looks to see if another car or person is in the way. The cars and buses pass one another with only inches to spare. That is no exaggeration. They are so close to each other that you think they must crash. It is the strangest thing to experience and be a part of. I was thankful to be able to arrive safely in Cuernavaca.
Gustavo and I arrived in Cuernavaca and took a taxi to my home stay house. I got there at 11:30pm that night (Sunday). Mrs. Zamora greeted me at the door with a hug and a kiss. Mr. Zamora was already in bed because he had to work in the morning. Mrs. Zamora and I talked briefly and then I went to bed, or at least tried to, because I was exhausted and had class the next morning at 9am. It took me a while to fall asleep because I was sweating and very hot. There is a fan in my room but it isn’t very effective. After I stopped sweating I was able to sleep.

I survived my first day, even if only a small part of it was actually spent in Mexico!!