lunes un otro vez...

Up early again for class, the second week is here! Friday night, we went to Tantra, a club that was about 40 minutes away from the school by taxi. This club had the most dancing of any of the clubs that we've been to yet, it was amazing! I met a girl named Catalina who was really fun to dance with, I learned to salsa very quickly with her. Funny catch though, she was 25…it keeps happening, I can’t help it. We didn’t get home until around 6 am, so needless to say I spent most of Saturday catching up on sleep for the week. Saturday night, we went to another club/bar called Ktdral which was a bit expensive and didn’t have much in the way of dancing. They had a live band with like 12 people on stage, it was very boy-bandish. I did get the chance to meet a girl named Anastasia who is originally from 400 miles east of Moscow but lives in San Diego and was studying abroad here for six months. Quite the coincidence to meet a contact for San Diego in Mexico City! Sunday, we went to the Mercado Negro (Black Market) with the family and shopped around for a couple hours. It was obviously a black market because many of the vendors had old, used things like shoes and machinery, many times obviously stolen because they only had one or two of something. I keep talking about going to clubs, but it’s kind of ironic that I had only been to a one or two clubs before coming to Mexico City. I have also found it interesting that the clubs and bars aren’t filled with just young people. There are all ages at a lot of these places, making me think that dancing and camaraderie is much more a part of life here than it is at home.

The weather here has been incredible. I packed expecting really hot weather, sweating in class and at all other times. Fortunately, this has not been the case; it has been a bit cool in all of the mornings, and has rained twice but blue skies and pleasant temperatures otherwise. We don’t have any tests this week, but we have excursions and guest speakers and the like non-stop, so it’s going to be tough to fit everything in.

Enrique and Ana are going to come with us to Acapulco, we did some research yesterday on the internet for places to stay and a bus company to get us there. Our padre, Luis, works for the Social Security department and can get us a discount on the vacation. Apparently, he has worked for Seguro Social for nearly 30 years, and will retire within the next three. We’ve been learning a lot about the family lately. I think the most interesting points are that Enrique and Ana are actually both US citizens because their parents went to stay with family in Los Angeles to birth both kids. Pretty smart use of resources, huh? Now, they don’t have to deal with paperwork and can just use a passport like anybody else, although they don’t know much English. I thought that was very clever, especially since Enrique wants to go to law school in the US after he finishes law school here. The listening music that our family has been putting on for dinner has been oldies and 70’s music from the US, it seems kind of ironic to be living in Mexico City but listening to the same music. Yesterday, I bought a cd by Hombres G, an almost jam band-ish sounding Mexican group that sounds similar to some of the bands I’m accustomed to hearing. I’ve got to go finish some presentation work now, hasta luego!

Viernes de la primera semana

Que lastima! The first week is already over...it sure has been full of activity. I just finished my test over Aztec and Mexica history for the day, it was an essay test that I wrote six pages for - not fun. Yesterday, we had a test that was only one page front and back but took four hours to finish, I think there were 164 blanks in a story to input vocab (that was only the first part). It was kind of ridiculous, but I guess it's all part of the game. After talking with Enrique about how much he studies for law school here, I find it a bit humorous to think that it's not a big deal to study for 5 hours for one test. I guess that's what Tech does to you!
Yesterday we walked through Chapultepec Park on our way to the National Museum of Anthropology, it is quite a sight. They say that it is one of the largest and most visited parks in the world. I was telling one of the guys yesterday that it is awesome to get the chance to visit some of the places that I've previously read about in my spanish books in high school. After the Museum, Keegan, Matt, and I went back to the house for a little birthday fiesta for Ana, who turned 24. She works at a radiology clinic in the hospital, so all of her friends that came were from the hospital too. As the food and bebidas went down, everybody started salsa dancing in the house, it was great! I might as well have never danced before, because I was/am horrible. I took a salsa class this spring but apparently all that did was give me a mental picture, because my body surely didn't follow.
I've got to get working on the details for our trip to Acapulco next weekend. Next weekend, all of the students are taking a trip, some to Monterrey, some to Veracruz, and Keegan and I to Acapulco! We talked earlier about just buying hammocks and sleeping on the beach for the weekend, but I doubt that will happen. So much going on right now, I'm trying not to let it pass by too quickly. Until next time...

El Metro y La Virgen de Guadalupe

Hola amigos! Things are going well here, we have class from 8:30-2:30 straight each day, which makes it a bit difficult to stay focused when you're learning about Aztec history for four straight hours. We have a test tomorrow and on Friday, but fortunately mi hermana (sister) in my mexican family has a birthday get-together tomorrow afternoon to break things up a bit. She's going to take us to one of her favorite clubs for her birthday, I'm looking forward to it!
Last night, we travelled as a group of 18 across the city on the Metros to visit the Basilica de Guadalupe. We left the school around 7:30, which happens to be during the most busy time of rush hour on the metros in Mexico. Unlike Atlanta which only has two, the Mexico City metro has something like 12 different lines that you can ride, and we had to change trains three times. It was so packed that we literally had to shove people into the door, and then wait until the door closed to try not to get pinched or stuck. It was ridiculously packed, I couldn't have moved any part of my body if I wanted to. Apparently, this is the most dangerous time to be a gringo on the metro because people can touch you anonymously and be free of punishment. Fortunately, I had control of my wallet and my camera. During the ride, I didn't notice any unusual uncomfortability but apparently after we got off of the metro, all of the girls were talking about how they were groped by different people and different directions. One girl of our group was crying and didn't continue on the trip with us. I won't go into detail about the "groping," but needless to say it was an very unwanted Bienvenidos a Mexico City. We got to the Basilica just before it closed, and spent a total of about 20 minutes at the Basilica, which was a very impressive church, and then returned to the metro to take the hour long journey back. This experience was the first surprisingly bad experience, but fortunately I receive any bad effects from the trip.

Mi primero fin de semana

Ahh…finally the chance to sit down and get some thoughts out! We’ve been on the go since we arrived Thursday night with all kinds of activities, mostly historically related. Mexico D.F., as it is called because of the same reason as Washington D.C., is much more clean and civilized than I expected, at least the part that our school and my home is located in. My friend and roommate Keegan and I are living with a family of 4; the father works for the Mexican Social Security, the mother works one day a week at an optomologist’s office, the son is going to school to be a lawyer, and the daughter works in a radiology clinic at the hospital. They are all very friendly and open, I feel like I can ask the questions that you would normally feel awkward asking a Mexican. Our house is very nice; we have a little feisty poodle and a tarantula who live there too! I didn’t imagine we would have a refrigerator, air conditioning and good water pressure, but we certainly do! There are no real house rules for Keegan and I, only to let the family know what time we will be home at night.

Friday, our group took a tour around the central part of the city on a double-decker bus like those in London. There are many tall buildings in the downtown area, and also many scenes that I would think resemble those in Europe. The Zocalo, or central historic center, has a monstrous national cathedral, the house of the government, and also the ruins of Templo Mayor. Templo Mayor contains the ruins of an old Aztec city called Tenochtitlan, with pyramids and the like. The pyramids are not there anymore because the Spaniards decided to use the material from the pyramids to build the cathedral there. On our way back to the University, we passed a large group of protestors from Veracruz who were there to protest the government. While this may not be interesting in and of itself, the way that they were protesting was very interesting. At 12, 4, and 6 pm each day, the protestors would take off all of their clothes and stand in front of the buildings that housed the people making the bad decisions. Although we did not see the actual protest, we did see all hundreds of police dressed in SWAT team-looking apparel that were protecting against the protestors. After we returned from the tour, we grabbed dinner and then went to the Lucha Libre, the Mexican version of WWF wrestling except more comedic. It was great to see all of these Mexican wrestlers wearing masks doing ridiculous things. There was one wrestler called Brazo de Plata who was an old fat guy who just ran into people and jumped on them from the top of the ring.

Saturday, we woke early and took the metrobus (which only runs north-south) across the 32 stops to the Bazaar Sabado where they tried to get us to buy expensive art. That afternoon we went to Xochimilco (pronounced sochimilco), which is an area of town where people go to ride in gondola-style boats like in Venice but a little better for drinking and festivities. Xochimilco was about 45 minutes from Bazaar Sabado, and somehow we managed to pack 22 people in our TA’s Volkswagen, it was nuts! Anyways, we lost one of the guys in our group in the city for about an hour, and then on the way out we hit a parked car! That night, we went out the two kids from our family, Enrique(21) and Ana(23) to first meet up with our group at a bar at about 11. The bar was packed and expensive, so Enrique, Ana, Keegan and I decided to go to a club called Afrika where he knew some people that would let us in. This club was by far the most crazy and packed I have ever been in or seen. After dancing with some mexicanas for a while we got back to the house to sleep for three hours before getting up for Sunday’s activities. It was quite an action packed day.

Sunday, we traveled an hour and a half from the university to Teotihuacan, the city of the gods for the Aztecs. The pyramids there are very large, I can’t imagine the effort it took to build them. There were lots of people from the US here, a surprising number of beautiful young American women, I guess I miss home a bit already! I took a few minutes to sit on the corner of the top of the pyramid to soak in the history of the place, it was very peaceful once I tuned out the hundreds of people talking nearby. This was also a wonderful chance to see the layer of pollution that hangs over the city, I have a picture where you can actually see the brown layer of air directly over the city. I think the pollution has caused a few of our group to get sick, fortunately I only have a bit of a dry throat as a result. Everyone spent the rest of the evening after our sightseeing to work on presentations that we had today.

Today my brain isn’t working too well in Spanish, but tonight at dinner we talked about how Keegan and I spent all of Saturday night speaking only Spanish and didn’t really realize it. I think the best part of this trip is the chance to get to speak with the host families because of the wonderful practice I’m getting. Ana’s birthday is on Thursday, so I think we’re going out to a special party this weekend for her. Keegan and I are planning a trip for the first weekend in June to Acapulco for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this place! I’m looking forward to getting to see a little bit more of the city as time passes, Colonia Roma where we are staying is almost comparable to Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. It is very quaint and safe, and very appealing to the eye. I’m going to post the most interesting pictures now, so make sure to check them out! ¡Hasta luego amigos!

Starting off

Tonight begins the chronicle of a summer abroad in Mexico and Spain. Here I am, about to embark on an adventure for the summer to a foreign land where people don't even speak the same language as I do. From what I have heard from people who went on the trip last year, the Mexico portion of this trip will include some of the most intense classes that Tech has to offer. After hearing that from a Tech grad, I'm not sure I know what I'm getting into but I can't wait! I'm going to be rooming with one of my best friends from GT, Keegan Dum. Apparently, we will be staying with Los Arteaga, the family that has a son who will help us out with the night life. I wish I had a bit more time to say "adios" to more of my friends, but I have enjoyed my time at home since I have gotten to go mountain biking, do some fishing, go dirtbiking with Holly, go to a Bluegrass Festival in Aiken, sailing with my dad and grandpa, and relax! Off to Mexico I go!