The Spanish institute I'm attending for the next four weeks is an easy walk from the house of my host family - less than a 10 minute walk if I take my time.
Check in at the school was as expected - orientation, and the requisite signed pledge to speak nothing but Spanish while I'm here. There is a small bell that can be rung when someone hears words that don't sound like Spanish. Unlike my entry into Spanish classes in Mendoza, I actually made it through the interview and was entered into Level 2 - about what I expected. To start, the two dreaded verbs for English speakers: Ser and Estar, both of which mean "to be".
The routine is good - classes from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, off to lunch at a Mexican restaurant, relax for 45 minutes, then walk around with a conversation tutor looking at sites, touring galleries and museums, checking out the many (!!) cathedrals, seeing a movie...basically whatever I feel like doing. My tutor is a young student very knowledgable about Puebla and Mexico generally, fairly fluent in English from working in Cancun and Toronto. I'm finding most younger people here are fairly bilingual.
Last night, I missed out on "Los Luches" - WWF, Mexican style. Very theatrical wrestling matches, and very popular. Next Monday for sure.
Other than classes, we have excursions booked every Wednesday and one Sunday, and there are lots of other (unorganized) diversions for weekends. Tomorrow we are off to Cholula - apparently the biggest pyramid in the world. (The Egyptians might say their's is higher, or whatever...in any it'll be pretty amazing. I've never seen a pyramid before).
Next up: Tomorrow is "El Dia de Reyes" which is a huge deal, and I've never hear of before. Any excuse for a party and a big parade!! Check out: www.inside-mexico.com/ReyesMagos.htm
Also, Cholula. Just enter "Cholula Pyramid" on Google - it's pretty amazing what comes up.
Hasta luego!!
