Life Continues in Mexico

Well what can I say. I am getting worse and worse about updating my blog. Guess I have been just too busy studying eight hours of spanish a day. Haha, if I was studying that much I would be a genius.Ok well I finished midterms, like two weeks ago, and that Friday we went to Talaquepaque. It is another section of Guadalajara and is more of a tourist center. There are a lot of musuems and a lot of little shops with handmade crafts but I would not recommend buying them there because you can buy the same things in Tonala, remember the place I ended up when I went on the wrong bus, for a lot cheaper because that is where most of the stuff is made. We haven´t been to the market there yet but we have it on our list of things to do. We ate at subway because we were missing American food but it actually gave me a stomach ache. Guess I will have to eat mexican food every day when I come home :) We spent a couple of hours just walking around and then came home. I actually have no idea what we did the rest of the day. On Saturday we went to Lake Chapala. We left Guadalajara around nine and got there around ten thirty. We didn´t get off at the right place so it probably looked funny when we got off, walked across the road, and got back on the bus going in the direction we just came from. Lake Chapala is the biggest lake in Mexico and it is really nice. It is a really peaceful town, not too big, actually we were in Ajijic which is right by Lake Chapala. A lot of americans have houses down there, retired americans that is, so it was very common to see cars with lisence plates from the states. A lot are from either South Dakota and Texas but we did see a mini van with a MN plate. We walked around like tourists and then ate at a little restaurant. After that we decided to go horse back riding. Well somehow our five dollar horse back ride turned into a 20 dollar two hour, up the hill, along the lake horse back ride. Phillip was doing the talking which explains everything. No actually we all decided that would be fun but afterwards I was wondering why in the world we went for two hours as I was stiffer than a board. It was nice but Phillip wanted to go fast and Emely and Amanda didn´t and the horse that Phillip had didn´t want to go fast unless mine went fast. On the way back through town Phillip got his horse to gallop, through the street, and then Amanda´s horse went crazy and she was petrified, and Phillips horse was going to run right into a huge truck. We had a guide and I don´t think he ever saw a sight like this. Phillip tried to get his horse to stop but it didn´t want to and Phillip ended up falling off. It was crazy and now looking back it was funny, don´t know if Amanda would say the same thing. Well two hours was enough and I think they were probably glad that the crazy americans didn´t kill their horses. They had a festival of Chinese balloons at the futbol field so we watched that for a little bit and then we headed home. Once we arrived back into Guadalajara it was raining hard which meant the streets flooded like crazy. We tried to get a taxi from the bus station to our houses but no one would take us there because it was too flooded. We waited maybe an hour and then this taxi pulled up to us and asked if we needed a taxi. We told him where we wanted to go thinking he would say no but he was young and said of course. His name was Carlos and he was really funny. We learned quite a bit of spanish in that 30min ride. :) We were all over the place because Phillip couldn´t figure out his directions but Carlos didn´t charge us for the wrong turns which was really nice because that is almost unheard of down here. Then it was back to school. On Tuesday I went to the gym with Phillip and on Wednesday i felt like I had gotten run over by a bus. Guess I should be more consistent on working out. On Wednesday Emely, Amanda, Dan, and I went to the canyons that are about 40 minutes away. It was really pretty but there wasn´t a lot to do because they have everything fenced off. There is another place where you can go and I think I might be going there tomorrow. There are even waterfalls at the other place so we will see. Then we went to the historical center of town, which is by far my favorite part and bought some bus tickets for really cheap and a 30 cent ice cream cone. I have come addicted to them. On Thursday Phillip, Emely, and I went to the all boy ages 3-14 orphanage in town. At first it was fine. There were about 15 3-5 year olds outside and we just played with them, looked for worms, kicked balls, etc. Some of the boys would just want you to hold them and I think they would cry just so you would pick them up. Then we were told to put them all in the a room and start a movie. Oh my goodness. You wouldn´t think that would be hard at all but guess again. Once they got inside it was like they became crazy. They were drawing on the dry earse board with the wrong markers, eating candy there were not suppose to, throwing pencils across the room, broke the teachers glasses that were there, hitting, kicking, screaming, running, yeah yeah yeah. There was no way the three of us could control it. The funny thing is that when the people that work there came back there were like oh yeah thanks, didn´t care that the place was trashed. When the older boys came they flipped out and started hitting the little ones. I think they just wanted an excuse to hit them. It was really quite crazy but I am going back. We didn´t get on the bus until after seven thirty and by then it was packed and it smelled really bad. Oh well we survived. On Friday it was La noche del Grito, which is a big independence festival down here. Many people told us not to go because it is dangerous. People get shot, people get robbed, blah, blah. Well we went anyways because it is a cultural experience and there around millions of people there so the chances of getting shot are slim and if you are smart there is no danger. People had their kids there and everything. Baiscally the historical center shuts the streets down and people set up food stands, and other misc. stands where they sell everything you could possibly imagaine.We got there around seven thirty and it was already really crowded. There are people everywhere. It is really neat and would recommend anyone to going. There was music playing all over the place. I really don´t know how to describe it. Then everyone tries to get as close to the building where the governer was going to give his speech so basically people push, pull, and squeeze until you are packed like sardines. Then at 11 the governor gets up and says Viva (which is live) and then an area in our state and then we all said Viva. In the end he says Viva Mexico, and we say Viva, Viva Mexico, Viva, Viva Mexico, Viva and then the fireworks go off. It wasn´t as nice of a fireworks show as in the states but it was beautiful because they were over the cathedral. Then everyone tries to leave at the same time. HA. Oh well it was definately worth going to and I would definately go again.On Saturday Emely´s parents came and they are going to be here for a week so we got a taxi and went to the airport to pick them up. They are staying in a really nice hotel so sometime this week we might have to go swimming there. They rented a car, which I DO NOT recommend doing so it was a little crazy last night trying to get from their hotel which is about forty minutes away to Emely´s house. The majority of the streets here are one way and I can never remember which way they go and some of the bigger streets have dividers in them so you can´t cross it but have to go on it and basically make a square. Oh well we are all still alive :) Well this week is the last week of this set of classes. We actually have a four day weekend this weekend. I didn´t know that until last week friday! Today is Emely´s birthday so we will probably go out to eat tonight. Tomorrow I think we are going to the canyons, Thursday to the orphanage, and Friday to Tequila. That is all I know now. Well hope all is well and think of you all!

Life in Mexico

Sorry that I haveńt posted for almost a week. I have been trying but it usually doesńt let me post. Thanks for all the birthday wishes as it made my day even though I had to go to school which was hard because I knew in the states there was no school and Rodney was getting married. Oh well I survived :)The end of last week I cańt even really remember what I did. On Friday after classes we found a laundry service which we thought was a good deal but I guess it wasńt. I haveńt done laundry for about two weeks so I gave them my laundry and they did everything and then I picked it up on Saturday. It cost me a little less than $10 so about $5 a week. I guess you can get it for cheaper so next time I will have to find a cheaper place. Then Emely, Amanda, Phillip and I went to Vallarta street and just hung out around there. On Saturday we were going to go to the canyons but we forgot that we had to pick up our laundry between 3:00 and 3:30 so instead we went to the Plaza Mexico, which by the way we got there by using our bus map and didńt get lost, and went to the Wal-Mart there because I had to buy some things for a project that is due this week. Then we ate out at Jorges which is a chicken place. It was really good. The girls really liked it because they live with an Italian family so they dońt eat much Mexican. They are planning on going to Italy next so then maybe there they will eat Mexican food :) That evening I played futbol (soccer) with Bruno in the streets. He kept on telling me I played like a girl but he was just really jealous. Actually he is way better at futbol than me. We had a lot of fun and I think for once he was tired and went to bed without complaining. On Sunday we went to a town about two hours away to see some ruins. I wish I had my bus ticket with me so I could tell you exactly where we went. The ruins wereńt as big as we thought but it was still pretty. It was a good thing we had Phillip along because he is pretty good about not getting lost. The town isńt big at all and it was actually really nice to be in a small quiet town after being in Guadalajara for so long. We asked directions to the ruins and they told us about ten to fifteen minutes. It was about twenty five minutes up a STEEP hill. It was an adventure and we sure got our exercise for the day. We were the only ones walking up there so maybe that aught to have told us something. It actually wasńt that bad but when I told my family that we walked they thought that was aweful. There are supposedly hot springs in the area but we didńt find them but we did find some swimming parks. They wereńt too bad. They had like one big water slides and then a pool that was basically lake water and then a pool that I think had chlorine in it. We swam for quite a while and all got a little sun. We were also really glad that Phillip was along because there was this one creepy guy that kept asking Phillip about "stripes" which is what he called me. He was really the only creepy guy we met all day so that wasńt too bad but he was the creepiest guy that we have met yet. That is why when you travel it is good to have a tall guy in the group. Oh and I suppose some you know this but whenever any american girl goes anywhere the guys will whistle, tell you how beatiful you are, call you mamasita, offer you part of their taco, etc. They are sometimes just a little too nice. They even have a whistle as their horn in the car. I suppose I will feel really unloved when I come home and no one whistles or calls me mamasita :) Its kind of crazy but they areńt theatening or anything they just try to make you feel good I guess. The girls our age view us as competition so they can be really hostile. So we know if we get lost to ask a guy for directions because chances are they will help us where girls will not. Its kind of crazy but marriage is a big thing down here. If you are not married by 26 people talk about you and it is really humiliating. One of my teachers is older and is not married and she talks about how hard it is. Also another thing I learned in my grammer class, (as you will see I learn a lot of things not related to grammer in my grammer class) is that minimum wage down here is about five dollars a day. My profesoras which have a "good" job get about $5.00 an hour. Now the cost of living is lower yes but it is not as low as you may think, well not in the area I live in but I do live in the richest part of town. Things are pretty comparable to the states.So when you think that your job is bad just remember it could be a lot worse. Ok well I guess I got a little off track. We left the town to come back to Guadalajara around six and got on a crowded bus and had to stand for about two hours on the bus because there were no seats left. It wasńt all that bad but I guess transportation on Sundays is really crowded so that is good to know. Yesterday I had school and when I got done around noon I went over to Emely and Amanda's house and had lunch with them because their senora had invited me over. Then I came home and took a ciesta which I needed :) After that us girls decided that we wanted to find the DQ around here. Well no such luck but we did find another Wal-Mart and another huge centro and we did have ice cream so it was all good. I am on my third week of classes and my rotation is five weeks so therefore this week is midterms. I dońt think that mine will be too bad but we areńt making any plans for after school because we need to be studying. I am however buying a membership at the gym that is close to my house. It is really nice and has a lot of aerobic classes so that will be fun to try them out and see how they compare to classes in the states. Well I hope that I got you guys caught up. Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend.