My first day of school! Wow! I can hardly remember the last time I sat in a classroom....oh wait....that's like my entire life! Ok so my attempt at humor isn't quite as witty as Denise's so I'll stick with the facts. So it's true that today was my first day of school and I had a busy weekend with lots of excitement, but let's get to the important things first....I think I may have found ultimate in Mexico!!!! yay! Tonight I met someone who says he knows a girl who plays frisbee and she even traveled to Mexico City last weekend to play in a tournament. I can hardly contain my excitement or wait until tomorrow to hunt her down. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on that one and let you know what I find out! This weekend I met the other two students who live with the same family that I do. One, Juan, is from Switzerland and is here for several months. Maybe like 6 or 7 - who knows. Numbers are hard for me. Anyway, his real name is Jean Sebastian, but here in Mexico he goes by Juan. I think that's hilarious for some reason. He was nice enough to invite me to go to a movie with he and his friend Xitlale (seet-la-lee). She has a really beautiful name that I butcher every time I say it. Her and her two brothers are all named after prehispanic gods or goddesses. Her name apparently means morning star in something...I'll have to look into that. Very cool. So we drove to this big suburban mall to go to the cine. The mall was a lot like a nice suburban mall in the states. I'm always struck by the contrasts here between the haves and the have-nots. I realize that the same is true in the states in some places, but the extent of poverty and the level of poverty, and the lack of welfare services here, and the lack of regulation of welfare services here is very different. I'm really interested in learning more about the history, culture, and economics of Mexico. So...the cine. We saw some really bad move, it was in English with spanish subtitles, so that was about all I understood the whole evening. I just kept smiling a lot and pretending like I'm one of those happy people who smile all the time. I think we all know better! The other student in a girl from Boston College, she just graduated last spring and is here for several months as well. Both good people.
The Feria. Since I arrived there has been a street fair going on very near our house. It's a church fair to celebrate La Virgen de Milagros. Well, since the morning I arrived i've been woken up every morning at 5am with gun shots (ok fireworks that sound like gun shots) and church bells (that ring and ring and ring and ring....). Yesterday I went to the feria with mi mama because she needed to buy some sweet break (we ate it all) and a few books for i think what she told me was a developmentally disabled nephew. I didn't really understand, but she was buying children's books for someone with many more years. Anyway, it was really crowded and she made me hold her hand, which was a little different for me, but hey you do what you do... I think the most fun part was her teaching me how to find the best bread. The first stand we went to, she said no! no fresca! or something like that. And when I asked her how she know, like any wise person with years, she took her time explaining how she looks for people with ovens at the fair and looks for the type of bread she wants coming out of an oven. Duh! It would have taken me many visits to figure that one out. I just found it funny because it reminded me of something that one of my grandparents would do. Non or Pap Spotts mostly. I really enjoyed walking around the market with her and having her point things out and explain which stands to NOT go to and why and which stands were ok. Well, mama serves la cena exactly at 730 so time to go, but hopefully you all are getting some enjoyment out of reading about Mexico. It will be nice for me to have these memories written, because....well, my memory stinks! Again, thanks for all the comments. Rob - I have no idea about the Cuernava and MIB link, if you find out, let me know. Denise, keep your comedic comments coming and people might start reading just for those!
