October is finally here! Wooo..this month is about to fly by! Except this week is dragging because I have 2 exams and a presentation and other stuff to do for SEMO. I have to do a journal entry every week for semo but in spanish and I am a couple weeks behind so the hard part is just to remember what I did that week..blah! So I am definitely working for the weekend! This weekend a lot of us are going to the World Cup Qualifying match between Mexico and El Salvador in Mexico City and to the pyramids of Teotihuacan the next day! I´m super excited for that..got my mexico jersey, sombrero and mustache ready! Geez..I am procrastinating really bad so I better get to work on some stuff! This week is super boring anyways!! No news!
Besos
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Missing Missouri
I have been here almost 2 months so I think I will talk about the things I have been missing. I know..I totally didn't finish the story about how my weekend in Guadalajara went, but for you to hear it is not nearly as exciting as being there was :) And plus, there are pictures..those tell somewhat of a story themselves. And I actually ended up going to Puerto Vallarta for the weekend instead of Ixtapa and Zih..it was so much fun minus the 10 hour bus ride there, and another one back! But going by bus is soooo cheap.
I actually received my first piece of mail the other day, I was so excited because I rarely receive mail in the US..let alone Mexico. It was from Ross! Good job dude..I loved it!
Okay list time!!
Things I am missing here in Mexico..
1. My family - This will be like my first semester away from home, like a real college student so I am missing my family a lot (I maybe be getting the freshman 15 now too, the food is just too amazing )
2. My friends - I wish you guys were here with me, it would make my experience here that much more amazing!
3. My bed - I appreciate its comfort so much now :)
4. My car- oh geez, i just can't get up and go some where like that..you have to plan so far ahead, such as..do I need to call a taxi, what bus do I need to take, how long is it going to take me to walk there, I know, I sound so lazy but come on, we all love those things that make things easier- One day we were talking about drive thru windows at the bank, and all the kids from Europe were like what, you guys can just drive thru the bank, you are so lazy! So I am not the only one..
5. Grits - I have actually been googling today to see if I can find it any where here in Mexico and it seems like not only in Mexico is it hard to find, someone googled, Where can I find grits in New York? Why would anyone live there now.. Hopefully I will have a good welcoming of grits when I arrive back in the bootheel.
6. Carpet- I haven't seen any yet in mexico, no matter how much we clean the floor at my house I still have to wear flip flops around the house or else my feet would be dirty by the end of the day..so carpet would be nice.
7. Country Music- It is actually a little bit better now because I finally have internet and cable and the cable tv here actually has CMT..wow,.. yeah but no one here likes country music..even the other Americans. Booooo..
8. THE CARDINALS - It was pretty evident that there were going to the playoffs but they finally got in last night, so that is exciting, what is NOT exciting is that I will be thousands of miles away WHEN the cardinals go to the World Series!!
Don't get my wrong, I miss all these things but I do love it here in Mexico, I am so thankful that I wake up every day and have the opportunity to speak in spanish.
Besos!
I actually received my first piece of mail the other day, I was so excited because I rarely receive mail in the US..let alone Mexico. It was from Ross! Good job dude..I loved it!
Okay list time!!
Things I am missing here in Mexico..
1. My family - This will be like my first semester away from home, like a real college student so I am missing my family a lot (I maybe be getting the freshman 15 now too, the food is just too amazing )
2. My friends - I wish you guys were here with me, it would make my experience here that much more amazing!
3. My bed - I appreciate its comfort so much now :)
4. My car- oh geez, i just can't get up and go some where like that..you have to plan so far ahead, such as..do I need to call a taxi, what bus do I need to take, how long is it going to take me to walk there, I know, I sound so lazy but come on, we all love those things that make things easier- One day we were talking about drive thru windows at the bank, and all the kids from Europe were like what, you guys can just drive thru the bank, you are so lazy! So I am not the only one..
5. Grits - I have actually been googling today to see if I can find it any where here in Mexico and it seems like not only in Mexico is it hard to find, someone googled, Where can I find grits in New York? Why would anyone live there now.. Hopefully I will have a good welcoming of grits when I arrive back in the bootheel.
6. Carpet- I haven't seen any yet in mexico, no matter how much we clean the floor at my house I still have to wear flip flops around the house or else my feet would be dirty by the end of the day..so carpet would be nice.
7. Country Music- It is actually a little bit better now because I finally have internet and cable and the cable tv here actually has CMT..wow,.. yeah but no one here likes country music..even the other Americans. Booooo..
8. THE CARDINALS - It was pretty evident that there were going to the playoffs but they finally got in last night, so that is exciting, what is NOT exciting is that I will be thousands of miles away WHEN the cardinals go to the World Series!!
Don't get my wrong, I miss all these things but I do love it here in Mexico, I am so thankful that I wake up every day and have the opportunity to speak in spanish.
Besos!
Friday, September 25, 2009
POR FIN!
Finally, I have internet at my house!! YAY!! Much easier to blog this way...and here is a link to my dads photo site that I upload photos to if you want to see!
Besos!!
http://www.dropshots.com/vic_mcc
New Blog coming soon to a theater near you!Besos!!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
!Viva Mexico!
This last weekend a lot of the international students went to Guadalajara for the weekend. There were about 12 of us total..and we even ran into other internationals there who hung out with us. We got there really late friday night and checked into our hotel then went and found some tacos because we were all starving. Honestly, Guadalajara is definitely not a place that I would ever want to live..it is far too big for me. It is like the second largest city after Mexico City. It just isn't as cozy as Queretaro. Queretaro is a big city, with tons of things to do..but with that same feel as a small town.
Saturday in Guadalajara we first did a lot of sight-seeing. We saw sooo many beautiful Catholic churches, I took a lot of pictures of those and inside. hah One time we were all taking pictures inside and I was kind of waiting for everyone to get done, and some lady came and whispered something in my ear like "This is the house of God" but in spanish..it was something like that, because I was kind of startled by her and she said it really fast. But you are allowed to take pictures in there, I guess she just thought it was rude. BRIGHT SUN (I'm allowed to throw in a few inside jokes here and there, right?)
Later in the day we went to several parks, and to a museum which had a lot of murals and paintings by Jose Clemente Orozco, which is Mexico's most famous muralist, supposedly more famous than Diego Rivera, but I had never heard of him before I came here. Come on...Diego Rivera, you know who I am talking about..he was married to Frida Kahlo, here is one of his murals that you will probably recognize.
After the museum we all met in the market because I had heard that the markets in Guadalajara were the cheapest in all of Mexico so I really wanted to go there. I bought a super-mexican looking women's shirt and some headbands that were about 25 cents each, the kind that you can buy at walmart or target for like 6 bucks..so nice deal huh? OH YEAH..and where-ever you go in Mexico, you have to eat the food that that place is known for!!! In Guadalajara it is Torta Ahogada!! WOW..it literally means, drowned sandwich! It was soo good. Basically, it is a bread called
So anyway, after the market and stuffing our faces..we went to a Tequila Factory called Tequila del Senor, which use to be the makers of Patron, but they sold the brand to an American Company. Patron cannot actually be called tequila any more because only the alcohol that is made in Jalisco can be called Tequila, just like that whole champagne thing, only if it is made in that part of France can it be called that. They showed us all the plants that are made for the tequila and they take sooo many years to grow, and the alcohol has to sit for so long in barrels, and depending on how long it stays in the barrel is which kind it is. Then we got to sample the tequila, which you think would be the best part but I do not really like the taste of tequila. He was like "just put a little in your mouth and swirl it around to impregnant the tongue, then take another sip and each sip tastes better" Pfff...yeah right. It tastes better with mountain dew, which, by the way, they do not have in mexico. There was this bottle of tequila they had for about 1500 dollars because it was in a crystal bottle with all kinds of diamonds on it and was a brand of tequila that had been in the barrels for 12 years. That is the kind of alcohol that if you mix with any thing the person would be insulted.
Omg..I'm not even done with talking about the trip to Guadalajara but this is a lot so I will do more later! The same group of people that went there, we are leaving for Zihuatanejo tonight at 11:30 on the bus, and the bus will arrive there at 7 in the morning..so I am sort of not looking forward to that bus trip. But I am SOOO excited to see Zihuatanejo, ever since I have seen the movie Shawshank Redemption I have wanted to go there..the beach at the end of the movie where its so mellow and peaceful. YES, i get to see that..although it might be raining some I don't care! VAMONOS!
-Besos!
Saturday in Guadalajara we first did a lot of sight-seeing. We saw sooo many beautiful Catholic churches, I took a lot of pictures of those and inside. hah One time we were all taking pictures inside and I was kind of waiting for everyone to get done, and some lady came and whispered something in my ear like "This is the house of God" but in spanish..it was something like that, because I was kind of startled by her and she said it really fast. But you are allowed to take pictures in there, I guess she just thought it was rude. BRIGHT SUN (I'm allowed to throw in a few inside jokes here and there, right?)
Later in the day we went to several parks, and to a museum which had a lot of murals and paintings by Jose Clemente Orozco, which is Mexico's most famous muralist, supposedly more famous than Diego Rivera, but I had never heard of him before I came here. Come on...Diego Rivera, you know who I am talking about..he was married to Frida Kahlo, here is one of his murals that you will probably recognize.
After the museum we all met in the market because I had heard that the markets in Guadalajara were the cheapest in all of Mexico so I really wanted to go there. I bought a super-mexican looking women's shirt and some headbands that were about 25 cents each, the kind that you can buy at walmart or target for like 6 bucks..so nice deal huh? OH YEAH..and where-ever you go in Mexico, you have to eat the food that that place is known for!!! In Guadalajara it is Torta Ahogada!! WOW..it literally means, drowned sandwich! It was soo good. Basically, it is a bread called
So anyway, after the market and stuffing our faces..we went to a Tequila Factory called Tequila del Senor, which use to be the makers of Patron, but they sold the brand to an American Company. Patron cannot actually be called tequila any more because only the alcohol that is made in Jalisco can be called Tequila, just like that whole champagne thing, only if it is made in that part of France can it be called that. They showed us all the plants that are made for the tequila and they take sooo many years to grow, and the alcohol has to sit for so long in barrels, and depending on how long it stays in the barrel is which kind it is. Then we got to sample the tequila, which you think would be the best part but I do not really like the taste of tequila. He was like "just put a little in your mouth and swirl it around to impregnant the tongue, then take another sip and each sip tastes better" Pfff...yeah right. It tastes better with mountain dew, which, by the way, they do not have in mexico. There was this bottle of tequila they had for about 1500 dollars because it was in a crystal bottle with all kinds of diamonds on it and was a brand of tequila that had been in the barrels for 12 years. That is the kind of alcohol that if you mix with any thing the person would be insulted.
Omg..I'm not even done with talking about the trip to Guadalajara but this is a lot so I will do more later! The same group of people that went there, we are leaving for Zihuatanejo tonight at 11:30 on the bus, and the bus will arrive there at 7 in the morning..so I am sort of not looking forward to that bus trip. But I am SOOO excited to see Zihuatanejo, ever since I have seen the movie Shawshank Redemption I have wanted to go there..the beach at the end of the movie where its so mellow and peaceful. YES, i get to see that..although it might be raining some I don't care! VAMONOS!
-Besos!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Happy Independence Day!
So I totally wrote a couple paragraphs of blog..and it deleted somehow. So it is 11:35 already and I have class in the morning and still need to work on an essay..on my next blog I will fill you in all about independence day in mexico and my weekend trip to Guadalajara..and this weekend we are going to Ixtapa, which is a beach about 5 minutes away from Zihuatanejo (the beach at the end of Shawshank Redemption where Red goes to meet Andy)! Very exciting!
Besos!!
Besos!!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Patiently waiting..
So I am still waiting for internet at my house, I feel as if I have been so disconnected from the world for the past month. I have access to internet here at school..but not being able to get online any time I want at home is rough..and not to mention my crappy phone I have here..no internet access there either. No one ever told me life would be this hard :)
Here is an interesting tidbit, the past few weeks we have been learning about all types of indigenous people in Meso-America and South America and the Aztecs really had no form of currency but ´´small purchases were made with cacao beans. A man could also sell his own daughter as a sexual slave or future religious sacrifice, generally for around 500 to 700 beans.´´ How many beans are you worth??
And here is funny link about the english language-
http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2959-english-and-how-she-is-spoken
I feel like it is going to be a great week..and to start it off, Cardinals are atop the cubs by 12 games! Woooot! Well, the weekend was pretty exciting, Friday night I went to a kind of barbeque but mexican style...because it was carne asada, chortizo, and tortillas..MMM RICO! Saturday, a friend and I went to the house of people in Queretaro, who are like, the ultimate fans of the local soccer team, Gallos Blancos. Their entire house is painted in the colors of the gallos (blue, black, white). And the people who live there go to every game with their upper bodies and entire heads painted. Then we went to the soccer game. We lost 3-2 to Monterrey! Then headed with a bunch of girls from school to their families house to watch Mexico completely destroy Costa Rica 3-0. They made us wear red, white, and green face paint during the game..and they got really loud when Mexico scored against Costa Rica..so I can only imagine what was going on when they were watching the game between US and Mexico last month. The USA is now in a 2 way tie for first place in CONCACAF for world cup qualifying. I'm sure everyone is just as excited about that as I am..hah.
Yesterday...nobody would have believed this. I went to the store, bought a mop and bucket and other cleaning supplies and totally transformed our house. Did the dishes (we have no dishwasher, thats right..by hand baby) swept, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned my room, ironed all my clothes..and still made time for homework. This was definitely an all day process. I have to mention all this because I know my mom is reading :) Loveeee you mommy.
Oh yeah, as far as activities go..I was in a salsa class at the beginning of the semester but as of now have stopped going because there are soo many people in that class, not to mention much more girls than guys, so you get less dancing time and less attention from the instructor and I have learned that salsa, and all dancing in general, I will probably need a private instructor because I'm super white.
I am going to go ahead and start taking ideas for what I should make my roomies for Thanksgiving, especially since they don't celebrate it, I want to make it special. And..I'm pretty sure they don't sell grits here at the stores, even at wal-mart, I know, it is pretty unfortunate. I will check again though. So any recipes that you think I should make for them..let me know. And I will be back in the states December 15th so get the grit pan ready..
I have a test at 1 so I will write again soon!
Besos!!
Here is an interesting tidbit, the past few weeks we have been learning about all types of indigenous people in Meso-America and South America and the Aztecs really had no form of currency but ´´small purchases were made with cacao beans. A man could also sell his own daughter as a sexual slave or future religious sacrifice, generally for around 500 to 700 beans.´´ How many beans are you worth??
And here is funny link about the english language-
http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2959-english-and-how-she-is-spoken
I feel like it is going to be a great week..and to start it off, Cardinals are atop the cubs by 12 games! Woooot! Well, the weekend was pretty exciting, Friday night I went to a kind of barbeque but mexican style...because it was carne asada, chortizo, and tortillas..MMM RICO! Saturday, a friend and I went to the house of people in Queretaro, who are like, the ultimate fans of the local soccer team, Gallos Blancos. Their entire house is painted in the colors of the gallos (blue, black, white). And the people who live there go to every game with their upper bodies and entire heads painted. Then we went to the soccer game. We lost 3-2 to Monterrey! Then headed with a bunch of girls from school to their families house to watch Mexico completely destroy Costa Rica 3-0. They made us wear red, white, and green face paint during the game..and they got really loud when Mexico scored against Costa Rica..so I can only imagine what was going on when they were watching the game between US and Mexico last month. The USA is now in a 2 way tie for first place in CONCACAF for world cup qualifying. I'm sure everyone is just as excited about that as I am..hah.
Yesterday...nobody would have believed this. I went to the store, bought a mop and bucket and other cleaning supplies and totally transformed our house. Did the dishes (we have no dishwasher, thats right..by hand baby) swept, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned my room, ironed all my clothes..and still made time for homework. This was definitely an all day process. I have to mention all this because I know my mom is reading :) Loveeee you mommy.
Oh yeah, as far as activities go..I was in a salsa class at the beginning of the semester but as of now have stopped going because there are soo many people in that class, not to mention much more girls than guys, so you get less dancing time and less attention from the instructor and I have learned that salsa, and all dancing in general, I will probably need a private instructor because I'm super white.
I am going to go ahead and start taking ideas for what I should make my roomies for Thanksgiving, especially since they don't celebrate it, I want to make it special. And..I'm pretty sure they don't sell grits here at the stores, even at wal-mart, I know, it is pretty unfortunate. I will check again though. So any recipes that you think I should make for them..let me know. And I will be back in the states December 15th so get the grit pan ready..
I have a test at 1 so I will write again soon!
Besos!!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
To study or to post...
At the Tec de Monterrey, every semester in your classes you have 3 partial exams and a final. Tomorrow is my first partial for Social History and Culture of Latin America class (historias sociales y culturas de Latinamerica) so I am kind of stressing about that, but my other two classes won't be too bad because they are just spanish and spanish communicating skills class. I only have three classes because one class is 4 times a week for an hour and a half each which equals to 6 credits and the other two equal 3 credits each so thats 12 hours, plus I have one credit because I have to keep a diary and send it to SEMO each week about my stay here. I wish they could just read my blog :)
So..I have a test tomorrow, yet I am blogging. I really would like to visit maybe Cuernavaca this weekend. I don't have friday classes and on thursdays my classes finish at 2:30 so I could hop on a bus right after that for the weekend. ¿Quien sabe? Who knows..Cuernavaca is known as the The Land of Eternal Spring, because it supposedly has amazing weather all year round. Diego Rivera has lived there too, the famous Mexican Muralist.
Last friday I went with my culture class to see a play called Los Insurgentes (The Insurgents), it was telling about how Mexico wanted to gain its independence from Spain. The play was held in the Centro and it was super interactive too because about an hour into the play we got up from our seats and had to leave the building that it was in, and we followed the actors in the streets yelling...´´Viva Mexico´´ and wearing sombreros hah, it was intense. I think all of this is happening because in 14 days, on the 16th of September is Mexico´s Independence Day..and next year, in 2010, is the 200th celebration because they gained their independence in 1810. So they are kind of gearing up for that..maybe I should come back for the celebration next year, it will be kind of spectacular to see. Independence day here is def more intense than in the US..I mean, we dont just eat tacos and watch fireworks, they get out in the street and yell (grita) ¡VIVA MEXICO! Anyway...that is soon to come.
In another part of the news, let me tell you about a little something here called PDA (Public Display of Affection)..like you have never seen before hah. I actually first learned about this when I was living in Merida, Yucatan and I went to the mall and all the couples were just walking around the mall, kind of all over each other. It is the same here and one day my friend and I were trying to explain to some Mexicans that that really doesn't happen in the US, not because the couple doesn't like each other..just because it is kind of courtious to other people not to be kissing or whatnot right in front of them. We are just two different cultures and have two different way of doing things..I think this kind of thing translates to other things as well, like, to why white people aren't such good dancers, i don't know. I think this also translates to what I have seen at futbol (soccer) games. When I went to the futbol game in Guadalajara, the Gallos, the team from Queretaro, were the visitors. So we had a small section in a huge stadium and when the Chivas (home team) scored, my section starts doing all kinds of chants and flipping off all the fans around us and yelling obscenities in spanish (i was not participating in this hah), and I think this was all happening because they are soo passionate about their team. I mean, even OLLDDD ladies were participating in this. Crazy, it made my day for sure.
Okay, I have to study,..atleast a little bit.
BESOS!! -Carolina
So..I have a test tomorrow, yet I am blogging. I really would like to visit maybe Cuernavaca this weekend. I don't have friday classes and on thursdays my classes finish at 2:30 so I could hop on a bus right after that for the weekend. ¿Quien sabe? Who knows..Cuernavaca is known as the The Land of Eternal Spring, because it supposedly has amazing weather all year round. Diego Rivera has lived there too, the famous Mexican Muralist.
Last friday I went with my culture class to see a play called Los Insurgentes (The Insurgents), it was telling about how Mexico wanted to gain its independence from Spain. The play was held in the Centro and it was super interactive too because about an hour into the play we got up from our seats and had to leave the building that it was in, and we followed the actors in the streets yelling...´´Viva Mexico´´ and wearing sombreros hah, it was intense. I think all of this is happening because in 14 days, on the 16th of September is Mexico´s Independence Day..and next year, in 2010, is the 200th celebration because they gained their independence in 1810. So they are kind of gearing up for that..maybe I should come back for the celebration next year, it will be kind of spectacular to see. Independence day here is def more intense than in the US..I mean, we dont just eat tacos and watch fireworks, they get out in the street and yell (grita) ¡VIVA MEXICO! Anyway...that is soon to come.
In another part of the news, let me tell you about a little something here called PDA (Public Display of Affection)..like you have never seen before hah. I actually first learned about this when I was living in Merida, Yucatan and I went to the mall and all the couples were just walking around the mall, kind of all over each other. It is the same here and one day my friend and I were trying to explain to some Mexicans that that really doesn't happen in the US, not because the couple doesn't like each other..just because it is kind of courtious to other people not to be kissing or whatnot right in front of them. We are just two different cultures and have two different way of doing things..I think this kind of thing translates to other things as well, like, to why white people aren't such good dancers, i don't know. I think this also translates to what I have seen at futbol (soccer) games. When I went to the futbol game in Guadalajara, the Gallos, the team from Queretaro, were the visitors. So we had a small section in a huge stadium and when the Chivas (home team) scored, my section starts doing all kinds of chants and flipping off all the fans around us and yelling obscenities in spanish (i was not participating in this hah), and I think this was all happening because they are soo passionate about their team. I mean, even OLLDDD ladies were participating in this. Crazy, it made my day for sure.
Okay, I have to study,..atleast a little bit.
BESOS!! -Carolina
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