i've been home for 20 days. but nobody's counting.

I have been home for approximately 20 days now, and even though I feel reflection will be an on-going process, I have certainly had plenty of time to think about my month abroad.  While my values have stayed more or less the same, my appreciation and awareness of certain aspects of life have increased.

I have grown to appreciate more aspects—especially certain mental and physical comforts—of life since my return to the United States.  I appreciate the seemingly simple things I used to take for granted like air conditioning, available internet, and flushing toilet paper.  I have focused more on the value my education and all the opportunities it has presented to me and all those to come.  Above all I value the feeling of being safe and the comfort and security of home. 

I know that I have changed since my trip to Mexico because I have become more aware and tolerant.  I have become more aware of my independence and ability to do things on my own.  I have a higher tolerance for the unknown.  Anybody who knows me understands that this is a big deal for me.  While I am not actively looking for more ambiguity in my life, I am better at handling not being in control and I have a better handle during difficult or stressful situations.  Problems can be solved more simply by identifying them and utilizing available resources instead of bothering with feeling worried. 

My self-confidence has increased not only in my ability to communicate despite barriers, but also overall.  I am a big believer in the fact that vulnerability is a necessary component to everyday life, and it just so happens that I find it easy opening up confidently to a bunch of strangers that I more than likely will never see again.  Now, I feel more inclined to take initiative and take risks. 

The new task at hand is figuring out how to integrate this “new me” back into my life at Meredith and at home.  As two different cultures and lifestyles conflict in my mind, I have already heard, “You’re a different person now,” and “You’re not in Mexico anymore, Ana.”  I wish I could explain to my friends and family how much good this trip has done for me; but I’m more than positive it’d be more effective to show rather than tell.  As much as I was ready to leave Mexico, I wasn’t done exploring; my adventure wasn’t over.  A completely agree with world traveler Jim Malarkey when he said, “It is difficult to live overseas and then come back to this country.  You carry within you a perpetual ache, a sense that we need to know more, to do more” (Paige et. al. 151).  My door to Mexico may have closed, but a lot of new windows in my personal journey have opened up.  I conquered study abroad—something I used to be so terribly against and afraid of.  Not to be cliché, but the possibilities are endless.

Paige, R. M., Andrew D. Cohen, Barbara Kappler, Julie C. Chi, and James P. Lassegard.

Maximizing Study Abroad: A Students' Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture

Learning and Use. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota, 2009. Print.

hogar dulce hogar

And I'm home.

After my quickie nap on Saturday morning, Gaby and Christy picked me up, and I said my goodbyes to Dona Patricia and Brandi.  At the airport I made it through my goodbyes keeping a straight face, and 2 excruciatingly long flights later I finally arrived at RDU.  I had been texting my friend Afeefa (mi mejor gordita) and she told me I better get my family time over quickly so that she could be the first friend to spend time with me.  Seemed easy enough to agree to that, until I walked off the plane and immediately ran into my friend Halie Sue.  She gave me the hugest hug in the world, told me she was about to board a plane to Mexico for a mission trip, told me she was reading my blog and that I better write about us meeting in the airport in my blog.  How could I not??

That night my mom made hamburgers, corn on the cob (which we bought fresh from the farm down the road), and macaroni salad.  it was awesome. 

In the mean time, I've been catching up with friends, doing laundry, eating cookout, shopping, swimming, and living up to Valerie's title of macha and reupholstering the antique chairs for my new kitchen table.  I've enjoyed air conditioning and my car to the max.  That, is new found appreciation.

In a way I feel culture shocks in reverse.  But that won't last long.  : )  Home sweet home.

beer & botanas = liiiiiiife : )

here i sit.  a couple hours before i have to leave for the airport.  i'm not sure how i feel; or even if i feel at all because i'm pretty sure all of the conflicting feelings are canceling each other out leaving me indifferent and numb.

i am SO excited to fly home and see my family and friends.  i miss my house and all the comforts of home. 

it is sad to be leaving mexico.  in some ways i feel like i have just gotten used to things, yet in others i feel like i wasn't given sufficient time to conquer them.  being stubborn, that is rather frustrating. 

the trip didn't turn out how i expected; which isn't a bad thing.  it was still totally worth it.  i hope my spanish has improved & i sure as hell hope i pass the proficiency test in the fall. 

not even today has turned out as planned.  but after living a month on mexico time, i can honestly say that i was hardly bothered by anything that happened or didn't happen. the plan was, wake up, go to centro, go to progresso, stay up allllll night, and catch a ride with gaby to the airport at 4:30 am.  welllllllll...after going to bed at 7:00 am (awesome.) i woke up at 10:00 am (without an alarm--which for some unknown reason went off at 11:39 am).  i didn't go to centro.  i went to the mega instead.  i wanted to buy dona patricia flowers, but they didn't have any.  instead alex and i bought dos equis and heineken, got passed up by like 5 different busses, and finally got picked up by a huge charter-ish bus to progresso.  did i mention i chugged 2 huge things of water before leaving for the beach so that i wouldn't get dehydrated?  that didn't work out because we ended up getting off the bus early in progresso so that i could pee.  i successfully took my first outside pee inside some random, abandoned, labyrinth construction site (awesome).  it was cloudy all day at the beach, all of our ice melted and our beers stayed warm.  we tried a bajillion botanas (snacks) at eladio's for like the bajillionth visit there.  caught a bus back to merida in which a baby puked the entire way while the mom yelled at it.  remembered to get off at our stop this time around.  went to my house and packed my bags.  went to alex's house and fell asleep for 2.5 hours.  his host mom locked us in.  for real.  locked us in.  i climbed out over the gate with a chair, stack of newspapers, and a step stool.  let me reiterate this.  i was trapped inside homegirls house and she was well aware that i was in the house.  that is ridiculous.  but i got out.  ate some more tacos.  probably the last tacos for a bajillion years.  no biggie.  gaby is picking me up in less than 2 hours.  i should probably take another nap.

probably more organized thoughts later.  maybe thoughts that involve capital letters.

listology

things I miss about the United States/North Carolina:

• my family
• my frands
• lucky
• my onyx
• unlimited texting
• air conditioning
• macaroni and cheese
• bojangle's
• cookout (aka cheesie fries)
• sunset slush
• my car
• feeling hydrated without having to pee literally every 10 minutes.
• drinking tap water
• drinking water when i'm thirsty and because i want to; not because if i don't drink it i'll pass out
• meredith college
• hillsborough street and downtown raleigh
• swimming pools
• doing my own laundry whenever i want
• having a choice about what i wear
• target
• being independent
• eating when i'm hungry and not when i'm not
• G105
• K 97.5
• True Blood
• farenheit
• flushing toilet paper
• St. Francis of Assisi being a church not a grocery store
• The Franciscan School
• golf
• ice skating

things I'll miss about Mexico:

• open bar
• walking (almost)
• refried beans
• rice
• kickboxing
• central college
• cheap mani-pedis
• spanish
• corn flakes for dinner
• iguanas

 things I won't miss about Mexico:

• bug bites
• cockroaches
• bedroom lizards
• ants
• heat
• humidity
• diarrhea
• numbered streets
• busses
• glorietas
•  walking everywhere
• mango, papaya, and mamey
• feeling dehydrated all the time
• homework
• un viejo que leia novelas de amor por luis sepulveda
• pesos

examining cultural differences in verbal and non-verbal communication

 Here in Mexico, there are several cultural differences in verbal and non-verbal communication. Wonderful. Because I'm already so good at verbal and non-verbal communication. Because I have yet to master the art of communication in the United States, it has not been easy experiencing the Mexican cultural differences—that is when I have actually been able to notice that a cultural difference is occurring.  I have only spent four short weeks in Mexico and I know that I have hardly progressed through the U-curve of culture shock and cross-cultural adjustment.  Only last weekend did I feel myself leaving the stage of cultural euphoria and into the stage of cultural confrontation and homesickness.  Now there is no time for cultural adjustment and adaptation. 

The other day in class, my teacher Silvia assigned for homework essay corrections, test corrections, and worksheets for trips to the Casa de Artesanias and a traditional dance in downtown.  It is quite a lot of work considering the amount of corrections needed (I know that one is my fault) the amount of travel time needed, and just the fact that we had already spent half the day at school when during my study abroad time, I'd love to just experience the culture of the country and practice my Spanish--not sit around doing grammar exercises in my room. 

My classmates and I put a lot of time and effort into our work.  At school the next day, my teacher did not ask for any of our assignments and instead we spent the entire day at school watching the Mexico vs. Uruguay game and making piñatas for Thursday’s end of term party.  The expectations for assignments and due dates was not communicated clearly.  I feel like these miscommunications in my class happened somewhat regularly.  For example, if I tell my teacher that I think she is assigning too much work for one night she takes it as me complaining about her and not as a sincere, not lazy concern.  I am used to idea-oriented communication in which a disagreement is directly stated and only the idea is wrong, not the person; whereas, in this situation it appears that communication is more relationship-oriented in which disagreeing with an idea is viewed as being the same as disagreeing with the person who originated it.

            I have noticed other non-verbal cultural communication differences as well.  For example, the “rules” of eye contact seem different.  During one of my first few days here, I caught the eye of a man in a department store window and smiled at him.  He immediately looked away and didn’t look back.  I later learned that it was not appropriate for me to make eye contact and smile at a strange man.  I didn’t mean anything by it since the eye contact was accidental and the smile was only friendly, but my actions could have been interpreted as inappropriate.  Waiters rarely make and keep eye contact with customers, but yet they hover around your table almost out of sight waiting to serve you. 

            Personal space is a very different idea here.  It almost does not exist.  Public transportation is beyond crowded and in general people are okay with being very close to each other.  During my placement exam, I remember sitting very close with the teacher who was talking with me—a lot closer than I have sat with any professor at Meredith.

            Although my time in Mexico has been short and I have not been able to read cultural adaption and adjustment but I can at least say that I’ve had a taste of the Yucatecan culture.

i just can't get enough

i've watched this video way too many times in the past few days. it makes me laugh. enjoy. : )

oh she found the strength to break free like a painted wild mustang flying out across the open range

Since I have been "out of town" more or less all weekend, it has been awhile since I've updated my blog.  Here goes nothing.

Thursday--Mexico played France in futbol.  Mexico won.  I watched crazy reactions on the news.  And while I walked around town, people were going crazy here in Merida too.  People were honking their horns, waving flags, using noisemakers, and joy-riding around town.  I went to Eladio's later that afternoon and the waiters were still all wearing their jerseys and some people were still going crazy.  That night, a group of us went to a club called Tequila.  People were still wearing their jerseys in the club.  On the way home from the club, a police man pulled our car over (a friend of Gaby's that works at Tequila was driving).  There wasn't really a reason.  He just pulled us over.  And searched the trunk.  You can't argue that in Mexico.  The police can do whatever they want.  There is a HUGE police presence here in Merida.  But I've never seen them doing anything.  Except pull us over pointlessly at 3:00 in the morning.

Friday--7:30 am departure for Chichen Itza.  8,000 tourists move through this site a day.  We got there early, so we were able to take really good pictures without a million people running around in the background.  There are 365 steps on this pyramid, and sadly, they don't allow tourists to climb up and down anymore.  From Chichen Itza, we left for Tulum where we stayed in a hostel.  Long story short, if you drink rum and fall asleep in an outdoor hammock, you will get 10000s of bug bites regardless of whether or not you applied bug spray 3 times.  Lesson learned?

Saturday--Of course not.  After a beautiful day at the Mayan ruins at Tulum, near-heat exhaustion on the beach, and a 3-4 hour rest under a shady palm tree, the same thing happened.  Whoops.

Sunday--Not a fun day.  Forgot the rest of the rum in the fridge at the hostel.  Itched like no other.  Diarrhea?  or TMI?

Today--went to class.  We didn't make pinatas like Silvia promised.  Instead we watched a depressing movie called Under the Same Moon (La misma luna).  And we had to visit la casa de artesanias (a little market for artists) AND a traditional dance.  Long story short, Alex and I fail at taking buses and ended up spending the afternoon at the air conditioned mall--which is the complete opposite side of where we wanted to be. 

Also--Valerie (the director) told me I was butch today.  Why?  Because I carry around a clip board.  I educated her that it was A. a cute clip board created by my roommate, B. that girls all over my women's college carry clip boards and that it was in no way butch, and C. that clipboards are very commonly used where I am from by people of all ages. 

too much coffee was spilled today

Yesterday, our class went to the market.  It was awful.  Tiny aisles, huge crowds, smelly food, animals trapped in cages.  Three-ish hours of my life I will never get back.

But afterward, the day redeemed it self at the zoo : )

The zoo in Merida was nothing like the zoos I have visited in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.  The animals were behind chain-link fences, waist-high walls, and there was even a part of the zoo where you walked around the cage with a bunch of birds.  : )

Today, after a dreadfully boring class, 3 cups of coffee, and doing a bajillion grammar exercises with Alejandro in prep for tomorrow's test, Christy and I went shopping with Erika and Vero.  Nothing like retail therapy to help procrastinate for a test, essay, and presentation.  : )  Now my bank account might need therapy.  hahaha.

I skipped kick boxing.  Oh well.  Tomorrow is another day.  And so is the day after that.  Which will be spent in Chitzen Itza and Tulum.  : )

Strategies for Making Cultural Inferences--D-I-E method.

For my CORE 200 class I had to approach a cross-cultural interaction using the D-I-E (Describe, Interpretation, Evaluation) method.  Here goes nothing:

I will be the first to tell you that I am a busy person, and that most of the time I love having a packed schedule.  For instance, Thursday night I went out to a club and then early Friday morning to Saturday afternoon I was on a field trip with my school.  When I got home that afternoon, I napped and then went out to the club again.  In the morning I went to the beach and then later that night Christy and I had dinner with our language partners.  When I came home it was about 10:30 PM, and I decided to go to sleep because I planned on going to kickboxing class at 7:00 AM.  When I came back from the gym this morning, my host mother greeted me at the door.  She asked, “Did you sleep here?”  I told her yes, but that I had gone to an early workout at the gym.  She then said something in Spanish along the lines of, “You’ve been to the clubs, the beach, and the gym.  You’re never here.  Do you ever rest?”  I don’t remember my exact response to her, but I’m sure I said something along the lines of “I’m young, I’ll be fine.”

Doña Patricia lives alone, and from what I have gathered, she has lived alone for a long time.  She has never mentioned any men she has shared her life with, although I know she has had relationship(s) with a man (maybe more) since she has four grown children.  She keeps to herself a lot at the house, and has told me about trips to visit her father down the street and some visits with her grandchildren on the weekends.  Maybe she is worried that my fast-paced lifestyle isn’t healthy.  Or maybe she thinks that do not appreciate her hospitality because I come and go so often.  Or maybe she just has never met someone as active as I am.

I’ve gathered cultural information in my efforts to better understand the situation: 

First, I’ve gathered that family time is very important here.  Doña Patricia has mentioned missing some of her children and grandchildren because they have moved to the United States.  My friend’s host family always gets the extended family together for a meal at least once a week.  Another friend has mentioned doing things with her entire host family on a regular basis.  Family is important in the United States too, but I feel like things are different here.  My family spends time together, but we are also very independent people who do our own thing on a regular basis.

Second, nothing here is rushed.  Waiters don’t give you the bill until you ask for it.  They let you stay at the table for hours on end if you want.  Nobody goes out earlier than 10:00 PM; why bother if you have literally all night to party and have fun?  At home, my friends and I enjoy going out earlier, come in earlier, and get a decent amount of sleep.

Because of the lack of a cultural value for monochronic time, the importance of the “siesta” is stressed.  Time is not necessarily of the essence, naps aren’t just for children, and resting is just another activity for the day.  Granted, I am in college and a lot of my friends in the States take naps, I have never been keen on napping and don’t know many “grownups” who take them.

Personally, I felt judged when Dona Patricia confronted me in the doorway this morning.  I do not want her to think I am rude; I am used to a fast-paced lifestyle.  My own parents have commented on my busy lifestyle before, but for the most part I am on my own and they don’t bother me about it.  Plus I have become accustomed to “living on my own,” as both my roommate and I are in and out so often, that we do not run into each other much.  

Study abroad has provided me with the opportunity to push myself to look at multiple perspectives.  I have pushed myself into uncomfortable situations; and I would say that my cultural background definitely causes my reactions to certain situations such as this.  Right now I feel stuck between two cultures:  time is of the essence, yet tomorrow is another day.

the gremlins and the mayan gods are out to get me : )

Night life in Mexico is something completely different than nightlife in Raleigh.  Completely different.  Most bars are set up that you pay 'x' amount of money at the door, then inside it is open bar.  It is either super awesome, or bad-news-bears.  Let me assure you, that for me, it is always super awesome.  : )  Also, you don't go out until later.  And you don't come home until at the earliest 3.

Christy, Alex, and I headed to Nosferra with our language partners and some other random native kids.  And their professor.  That was kind of weird.  He was hanging out with this students and eating a lollipop in the club.

Waking up the next morning for our field trip was difficult, yet achievable.

We hiked through the Lol-tun caves.

We walked through the ruins at Labna.  Buterflies were EVERYWHERE.  I couldn't get a picture, but imagine yellow leaves falling on an autumn road.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Santa Elena. 

We saw a light show at Uxmal.  

And my favorite, we went swimming in two cenotes.

Last night was yet another trip to the discoteca (this time to el cielo), followed by another beach trip to Progresso (this time with Christy, Gabi, and Dona Pilar).

In other news. I lost my hairbrush somewhere.  I'm guessing either the gremlins or the mayan gods stole it from me.  I am turning into a deliciously dark bronze goddess.  My trip is halfway over.  Dona Patricia made me all my "favorite" foods for lunch the other day: mac 'n cheese and french fries (which she made me eat all of so that she wouldn't get fat).  And Gabi wants to start doing two-a-days to the gym so she can fit into her graduation dress.

uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, ocho, siete, seis, cinco, cuatro, tres, dos, uno, ALTO

The last two days have been a combination of tiring, stressful, and really relaxing.  Yesterday being the stressful of the two.  This morning I had my first test, a two-page paper due, and a presentation to give.  I feel like I did decently on the test, my paper was alright, but my presentation which I didn't have time to practice for at all, wellllllllll...not so hot.  But, whatever.  Que será, será.  (What will be, will be)

Last night was relaxing...in a way.  More like, stress relieving.  My friend Christy, the friend from Meredith who traveled with me, lives with Dona Pilar and her granddaughter Gabi--who is our age--and her son Julian.  Gabi is super nice (sometimes she gives me rides to and from school) and speaks English very well.  She goes to a small gym down the street and does kickboxing.  And now, so do Christy and I.  Last night was our first day.  The husband and wife who own the gym and teach the classes are super nice.  Their daughter Larissa is always there too.  She likes to watch Christy and I make funny faces and act like gringas.  Kickboxing in Spanish?  No air-conditioning?  I love it.

Today, of course was the test and presentation.  Then Silvia drove our class to el museo de antropologia (the anthropology museum).  Not really my thing, but there were some cool art in there, so I made it work for me.  When Silvia left to go teach at her other school, of course we ditched the museum too.  : P

Alexander (o Alejandro), a classmate, and I took a 30-minute bus ride to a beach called Progresso.  And we fried relaxing in the sun.  On the ride home, we weren't paying attention, missed our stop, and ended up downtown.  So asking 2 or 3 people, we made our way back to the part of town we know, and stopped at Eladio's for some snacks and Coronas.  All we did was order Coronas and they brought us salsa, refried beans, sausages, rice, potatoes, bread, and chips.  It was like free chips and salsa at Las Palmas but better. 

Then kickboxing again tonight.  My body hurts (from exercise and sunburn) but I love it.  Kickboxing again tomorrow night before going out for a night on the town.

This weekend holds lots of fun stuff:  the caves of Lol-Tun, Labna (a Mayan archeological site), Santa Elena, Uxmal (another Mayan archeological site), Yaxcopoil, and the cenote of San Antonio Mulix (like an underground lake to swim in).

la cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar

Today was Monday.  Class.  'nuff said.

Also, our class went on a bus tour of Merida.  It was hot, the tour guide sounded like Borat, and the seats made my booty hurt.  Silivia got mad at us every time she heard us say something in English, and once again, she gave us lots of homework.  In addition to my daily work, on Wednesday I will be writing a 2-page essay on someone I admire and giving a 10 minute power point presentation on said person.  Que padre.  Which is Mexican-Spanish for "how cool."  But of course, it is sarcasm.

I had a good siesta today.  The first time I've actually siesta-ed without the help of Benadryl.

After the tour, I came home to a dark house.  So I ate cornflakes and yogurt in the kitchen.  I came upstairs and heard loud coughing.  From the dark, empty guest room next door.  A few minutes later, Dona Patricia walked out and said "Buenas Noches" and went to her own room.  Now I'm in my bed doing homework.  And I'm trying not to get up.  There have been so many strange looking bugs in my room today that either a. were not here before I went to Cancun, or b. they were here and I just didn't notice them.  In particular, there is a cockroach that keeps crawling around.  I've hit that sucker with my shoe two or three times, shrieked the same amount, and that dude is still under my bed somewhere.  I don't know if I will be able to sleep knowing that homeboy could crawl out from under my bed, up the sheets, and onto my face at any given second.  He better get the hell out during the night because I will not tolerate any more of him in the morning.   

"is that REAL grass?" --teagan aguiñaga, quote book entry

This weekend was long and tiring.  And this morning I'm super tired because Brandi barked at stuff a lot last night.  Quick summary.  Weekend was a lot of fun.  The book I'm reading still sucks.  My host mom still keeps to herself, and so I enjoy spending a lot of time outside of the house, and when I'm in the house--inside my room.  I understand Rome wasn't built in a day, and that I'm probably not going to leave with fun stories from the host home like most of my friends from school, but sheesh.  My Central College friends are making connections and yada yada yada.  The awkwardness better die soon.

Anyways, the Central College trip to Celestún was a lot of fun.  We took an air-conditioned bus, and stopped in a small market place on the way there.  In Celestún, we saw flamingos, iguanas, various other birds, tons of fish, and even termites.  At our beach-front restaurant, we dined on octopus soup and grilled fish.  And of course, we laid out in the sun.

Then 2/3 of our group (aka 10 people) took taxis to the bus station, and took a 4-hour bus ride to Cancun!  Long story short, it also took 2 more buses, and a lot of walking to get to our hotel.  By the time we got there, the only place open for food was Domino's.  Guess who got nominated to call the pizza guy.  The first thing I asked was "¿Hablas ingles?"  He said, yes, then proceeded to speak in Spanish.  I don't have any clue what homeboy was saying, but it took me forever to figure out that he was asking me, "Where are you calling from?"  Then actually ordering the pizza was an ordeal because we needed 2 large cheese pizzas, 1 large pepperoni pizza, and 1 personal pan-thin crust-no cheese-with ham pizza (Mindy is allergic to just about everything).  Oh, and after that phone call I need to put more pesos on my phone because I can't send any texts or make any calls.  Classic.

With the arrival  said and done, we enjoyed the rest of our weekend at the pool, beach, and night life.  We met some interesting characters (orange shorts, yellow shorts, the man on the boat, the most attentive waiter in the entire world...) and some not so interesting characters (frat boy at club, first Cancun bus driver, Mexican bus riders leading us in the wrong direction...)

Also, we the Cancun travelers have started a quote book to bring back to the rest of the Central College students.  Now we can look back and laugh at all the stupid sounding stuff that comes out of people's mouths sometimes. 

 If you haven't already done so, check out my pictures on facebook.

lapa lapaaaaa quiero papassssssss

It has been busy, busy, busy here in Mérida.  On Wednesday I went to class again and the first thing we did was play Manzanas con Manzanas to practice vocabulary.  It is one of my favorite games, so of course I enjoyed class.  After class I went back to la casa de Dona Patricia (Mrs. Patricia's house) courtesy of Claudina's car.  Claudina is an administrative person at Central College and she is also my friend Katie's host mom.  I had lunch with Dona Patricia and she told me that she normally watches TV while she eats since she is normally here alone.  So since we were already eating at the table, I told her we could do that next time.  After lunch, we watched some news on TV, but I went up to siesta.  Surprise, I couldn't fall asleep, but I did get some good rest in before Christy and I walked to Starbucks.  We met up with Liberty, Valerie (a student, not the director), Teagan, and Mindy and did some planning for our Cancun trip this weekend!  (Ten students all together will be going on the trip together)  Coincidentally, we ran into Valerie (the director) at Starbucks.  She said that she already called a hotel, explained to them we were students, and got us a better "non-tourist" rate.  Then she explained to us about the bus systems, and the taxis we would have to take to get there.  Not to toot  my own horn or nothing, but then Valerie grabbed my arm and told the group that we would need to use our best Spanish speaker to negotiate with the taxi drivers because they would try to rip off all of us gringos.  Ah, what responsibilty.


Yesterday, class was not as awesome as Manzanas con Manzanas.  We checked over the crap done of homework we had to do including reading a novel called Un viejo que leía novelas de amor by Luis Sepúlveda.  I think it is ridiculously hard to understand but Chris and Katie understand it perfectly.  Silvia (the teacher) seemed to be slightly irritated with me, so I guess I better get my act together.  After class, some of Silvia's students from a different school came and chatted with us.  I got to know Candy first in Spanish and then in a little bit of English.  The deal was speak the first 50% in Spanish and the second 50% in English, but not gonna lie, we spoke more Spanish.  


Last night was a ton of fun!  Central College pays Mexican students to be our "language partner," or someone to hang out with and be our friend but also someone who speaks Spanish and we can talk to and learn from.  It turns out that my "language partner," Erika is friends with Christy's "language partner," Vero.  Last night, our "language partners" picked the two of us from my house to hang out.  Those girls are so much fun!  They drove us in their air conditioned (air conditioning is an important detail since I do not have it at neither my host home or school and it often reaches upper 90's and goes over 100) Chevy.  First we went to the centro (downtown) and saw La Plaza Grande (the big plaza).  There were people, vendors, historic buildings, etc. EVERYWHERE.  I like this section of Mérida way better than the section near our school.  There is so much more life!  After La Plaza Grande, we were going to go to the mall but then realized it was going to be closed since it was almost 9:00 PM, so we went to a restaurant called "Lapa Lapa," shared a HUGE plate of appetizers, Christy and I tried our first Mexican mixed-drinks, and talked and laughed a ton!  After drinking my drink, I noticed that all was left in my cup was ice.  which is made of water. which if it is from the tap, I will get super sick.  So I freaked out.  But Vero told us that the ice in our cups, which was completely see-through is the good kind of ice.  Ice that is white is de llave (from the tap) and we will get sick from that kind.  *whew*  She also said that her Daddy is a doctor, so if something bad like extreme diarrhea happens to me, I could be in safe hands.  I had so much fun with Erika and Vero and felt so much more at ease speaking Spanish with them since they weren't A. of grandmother age like Dona Patricia B. my teacher like Silvia, or C. some random person on the streets.  They were both 22, and super nice!  Next week sometime they said we could go shopping and out to a club somewhere and meet all of their friends.  All in all, I like the new friend that gets paid to hang out with me!


Today, Central College is going on a field trip to Celestun (I've mentioned it previously in a pre-departure entry) and we're going to see tons of flamingos!  Afterward, 10 of us from the group are making the adventure via 4-hour bus ride to Cancun!  I'll be gone until Sunday night, but I'll come back with lots of stories and pictures!

dealing with the life's roller coasters

During my study abroad, many events or issues could trigger low points or create high points.  So far, I have already experienced getting sick/having allergies (low point) and figuring out--with only a little bit of help from Valerie the director--how to buy bus tickets to Cancun (high point).

There is potential for some more highs and lows of studying abroad.

Some potential highs include actually carrying out our planned trip to Cancun tomorrow, and spending the weekend relaxing on very beautiful beaches.  I would really like to do something,  or solve an issue, or figure something out alone while I am studying abroad.  I would love to learn a traditional dance or simply visit a “discoteca” to dance and have fun like the natives do.  Doing well in my class would be a high point, but I think the highest point I could reach would be dreaming in Spanish because then I would know I have truly submerged myself in the language.  

Some potential lows include getting on the wrong bus, or taking the bus to the wrong place, or riding around on a bus forever because I do not know where I am or where the bus is going.  During my study abroad I’ll be missing Father’s Day and I won’t get to be with my Daddy.  I’ll also be missing Uncle Greg’s memorial service that is being held next week.  I could lose cash, or credit cards, or I could not have the exact change which is sometimes important in Mexico since most people rely only on cash.  I think the worst will be if I get sick again, but this time worse.  

Low points are not any fun, but they are inevitable so I have brainstormed ways to cope.  The best thing I think I could do for myself would be to what I do at home.  This normally involves relaxing—lying down and doing nothing or reading a book.  I could also journal—which I have been doing for my Spanish 300 class or blog—which my family and friends back home are reading.  If I brave the heat or the darkness I could take a walk or if outdoors is not a possibility I could Skype home.

i'm not excited about this email I just received

I cannot believe I forgot to talk about a very important item --- toilet paper.

 

Background:  Yucatan is built on limestone.  There are no sewage systems that we are accustomed to.  All homes here use septic tanks.  As a result, people here (and in many parts of the developing world) DO NOT flush paper down the toilet. 

 

You may have noticed that there are waste baskets beside the toilets here in the Central House, restaurants and in all of your homes. 

 

Please do your best to develop the habit of disposing of your paper or tampons in the waste basket, not in the toilet.  Doing this may seem awkward at first, but it could make a big difference in keeping the waste disposal system working.  Believe me, the alternative is not pretty.

 

Thanks....Valerie

extranjera!!!

Today, was the day of placement tests and host parents.  

We started the day off healthy with breakfast.  Dona Lupita made us fruit, yogurt, and bagels.  (I don't think I ever eat such balanced meals, as I have when Dona Lupita has made meals.)  I then headed to the palapa (our outdoor classroom) to take the placement test--which was easy for the most part.  I tested into the advanced class with Chris and Katie.  Our teacher's name is Silvia and she is only 28, but she could easily pass for one of us.  We read a newspaper from the Yucatan, and talked about the articles.  Sounds like all Spanish teachers give out the same assignments.  Our homework assignment for Thursday is to visit the monumento (which I already visited) and another place.  Since we're the advanced class we have to do our "field trip" type assignments on our own time.  Joy, being good at Spanish means I'm also good at time management.  ; )

For lunch Dona Lupita made us chicken, guacamole, and BEAN SOUP.  See that Dad??  I tried bean soup, finally!!  After lunch was our assigned siesta time.  Whoops!  A bunch of Central College friends and I hung out in the library and bought bus tickets to Cancun for Friday at 18:00.  We’re going to Celestun with the program on Friday, and then we wanted to check out Cancun on our own.  It’ll take almost 4 hours to get there by bus and we plan on picking out a hostel for all of us to stay overnight in.

Well there went siesta time.  Who knew buying bus tickets could be so difficult??  Finding the website, picking the times, using our cards, filling out the information.  It’s a whole new world in Mexico.

After “siesta” host parents began picking us up. One by one.  It was like a reality show, wondering who was going to pack their bags and be the next one to leave the house.  Dona Patricia picked me up relatively early and I was one of the first few to leave.  We rode in her white punch buggy (the vehicle of choice here in Mexico) to her casa.  These punch buggies are nothing like those in the states.  They’re smaller, no seat belts, very simplistic, no radio, roll-down windows, etc.  I told Dona Patricia she had the most popular car in Mexico, and she said it was because it was the cheapest.  

I settled into my room (which I’m pretty sure is the master suite and Dona Patricia moved to one of the other bedrooms).  It’s huge!  King size bed?!  There is another room next door to it.  Carla lives there.  She is 29 and staying with Dona Patricia until she is able to move into her new apartment.  I think that was how the story went.  Also, a boxer named Brandi lives here to protect the house.  She likes to kill iguanas and eat people food.

I’m not quite sure what happened next.  I THOUGHT that Dona Patricia came into my room and told me that the husband of one of her friends died and that she was going to go to the funeral.  She told me there was a park across the street and that I could go there while she was at the funeral if I wanted.  She said that she was going to stop in to see her and then we would leave.  Sounded kind of weird, but I figured I’d check out a park.  Well guess what.  I was wrong about that entire conversation which makes me wonder how many other things I’m misinterpreting.  Dona Patricia walked around the park with me.  There were street vendors, a carousel, a train, several exercise machines, and a “track” around the whole thing to exercise on.   There were also benches and wireless internet.  The dude in camo pants next to us on the bench was googling something.  We went into the grocery store and Dona Patricia showed me all of the tropical fruits.  Then we went to mass.  Her friend whose husband died was not there.  It was not a funeral.  Just a regular mass from what I could tell except it was a Tuesday.   And the Eucharistic minister gave me a funny look when I didn’t stick my tongue out to receive communion.  Then again, I’m sure I got plenty of odd looks at mass.  Anyways, apparently she was hoping to see her friend there; but she saw different friends instead.  One pointed directly at me and said “extranjera.”  (Foreigner).  Lovely.

We came back to the casa for dinner.  Dona Patricia gave me like half a cantaloupe to start off with.  Then she asked if I wanted 2 or 3 hotdogs.  I told her one and she told me I was crazy.  And I drank some warmish, soy, lactase free milk stuff.  She tried to make me eat a second hot dog.  I convinced her she needed to eat the 3^rd one she fried.  : )  She asked if I wanted to talk to my parents on the internet or watch TV because she was going to go to her room.  But it was nearly 10:00 my parents time, so I just told her I was going to go to my room too.

I feel like I’m doing more listening than talking.  I do not know what to say.  I feel awkward.  I don’t want her to think I’m a weirdo, or that I am rude.  I accidentally used "tu" instead of the formal "Ud." a few times.  : /  But I suppose I’ll get used to this.  I’ll learn to talk more and figure out the things we are supposed to talk about.

also...

Yesterday I forgot to tell about the nail salon experience.  Ashley, Christy, and I went down the street to get pedicures.  They said, "we can't do 3 of you at a time."  So we asked if we could get manicures instead.  And they still said they couldn't do all three of us at a time.  By the way...3 women are telling us this.  Who knows?

Also, I learned Victoria Secret bras are made here in Merida.  But not one of them is sold here.  They all get shipped to the USA.

breaking my $500 bill has proved difficult

So today was an early morning, but no biggie, story of my life.  I did not make a trip to the pharmacy today, and compared to yesterday, I feel better.  (allergies?  cold?  i don't know but it started the night before I left for Mexico) 

For breakfast Dona Lupita made us french toast and gave us lots and lots of fruit.  Fruit keeps you regular.  We need to keep regular according to Valerie.   And let her know if we're not.  All right.  : P

Then began orientation.  We took a quiz about Mexico.  I knew the president was Felipe Calderon because my dad told me over pizza the night before I left.  That's about it.  : )

We talked about tipping waiters.  You DO NOT tip waiters the same in Mexico as you do in the States.  The place we went for lunch yesterday and the place we had a beer last night must love us!  We tipped 20% when most just tip 5%-10% here.  oops.

We talked about getting smaller bills since the ATMs give $500 and $200 bills which most stores don't accept.  (Later we visited the oxxo store to buy snacks and get smaller bills.  epic fail, they wouldn't accept anything higher than $100 and i received close to $30 in coins back.)

Then we went for a tour of our neighborhood.  There is a Franciscan church nearby that I hope to attend mass at.  And there is a Catholic school across the street.  If I stay in Mexico, I will for sure teach there. : )

When we arrived back from the tour, Valerie told us to draw a map of where we just walked.  Well, anybody who knows me, knows that I have no sense of direction.  Well, Valerie liked my map and told me to draw the map on the board.  Confidence boost, I guess.  : )

I also walked to the MEGA mercado (mega market) twice (they gave me smaller bills--thank goodness), Chapur the department store, and BBT for a strawberry margarita before bed.

I learned you have to tip the people who put your items in a plastic bag at the store.  After the fact.  whoops.  Sorry person who put my breakfast bars in a plastic bag.

Placement test tomorrow!  (to see which "advanced" class I will be placed into)  Wish me luck!  Valerie says she is going to "pimp us out" to tutors.  bhahahahahahaha.  whatever that means. 

i'm a regular at the farmacia. two trips in one day. : )

well today was a mini-adventure i suppose.  woke up.  ate breakfast.  walked for about an hour.  got really sweaty.  enjoyed the hotel's air conditioning for an hour more.  then took a taxi to the central college house.  christy, donny, and i arrived, met pancho and lupita.  went walking again to find food.  valerie (the director) happened to drive by, picked us up, we met two new students, another valerie and alex.  and we ate food.  : )  went to the farmacia, bought antibacterial gel.  walked back to the house, then walked to the wanna-be walmart.  admired the liquor selection, bought a cosmo in spanish, and we all pitched in enough pesos for manzanas con manzanas for the central college house.  o yeah.  on the walk home the sky opened up and we were literally drenched.  wonderful.  we had a siesta.  we had dinner.  we went out for a beer.  went back to the farmacia and bought a box of tissues.  and now we're all anxiously awaiting the 8 am breakfast call before orientation.  oh mexico.

arrival : )

So last night was a late night.  Mérida is one hour behind Raleigh, so when we arrived back at the hotel around 12:00am Central Time, I was used to the 1:00am Eastern time.  My flight was supposed to land at 9:08, but it landed at 9:35ish.  Then we had to wait an hour and a day for the millions of people in front of us on the jumbo jet to exit the premises.  Meanwhile some guy from England (i think?) coughed and coughed and coughed.  Then we had to wait an hour and day in the line for extranjeros (foreigners) at customs while the mejicanos moved through their line ever so quickly.  When I finally got through the line, I got cheated out of my nice first stamp in my passport because the guy was running out of ink.  I thought i was done after this.  SIIIIIIIIKE.  There was another line.  I put my bags through yet another x-ray machine, gave the guard my declaration paperwork, and then was asked to push the button.  THE button.  I don't know how the button knows whether or not we are safe enough to go through, but it gave me the green light so I scampered along and got the hell outta there.  Through the doors, Christy and I met up with Valerie (the program director) who was also picking up another guy Donny from Indiana.  She took us to a 7-11 so we could buy BOTTLED WATER, and boy did we buy a lot of it.  I've heard some diarrhea stories, and I am NOT messing with this agua Mejicana (Mexican water).  I even brushed my teeth last night with the bottled water.  We watched the Mexican music channel, posted pictures, and made fun of the two different flushers on the wall (one for pee and one for poop).  Took some airborne (which the x-ray monitors thought was pepper spray at the RDU airport), chatted with FEEFS! on skype, and now i'm going downstairs for breakfast.  Here start my Mexican adventures!

estamos bebiendo agua que no causa diarrea

Arrived safely.  Made our first purchase.  Thank goodness too.  Brushing my teeth & going to sleeeeeeep.

pre-departure preparation

It is Monday. I leave on Saturday. Between now and then, I have four days at TFS, a going away party, packing (ahhhhhhh! only one suitcase and one carry-on), and making sure everything is taken care of while I'm gone (someone needs to water my daisies). While abroad, I'll be fulfilling the requirements for CORE 200 (a required class unique to Meredith College that teaches culture...I'll have no further comment on this class), and in doing so I'll be reading Maximizing Study Abroad: A Students’ Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use. This book provides activities and readings for reflection during the study abroad experience. In my pre-departure preparation, I have chosen words that describe a significant part of who I am and how I choose to identify myself with others. I chose woman, Meredith College student, Spanish major, pre-service teacher, Catholic, friend, sister, and daughter.

If I had to pick just one identity, I would pick daughter. Friends always come and go, but my mom and dad will always be my mom and dad. Through my 21 years, they have provided stability and meaning to my life. If I had to pick just two identities, I would pick daughter and friend. Though friends come and go and often disrupt the rhythms of life, I have learned a lot from their company. Being a daughter and being a friend are the most important to my cultural identity because both my parents and my friends have played a significant role in making me who I am today.

I think it was difficult to identify myself with only eight characteristics. I could have gone on including identities such as after school care counselor, middle-class, white, American, English speaker—first language, Spanish speaker—second language, ice skater, golfer, retired softball player, etc. The list of defining characteristics can go on. From this exercise, I have gained insights about myself such as what is important to my character and what simply adds to my flair.

I don’t think people readily recognize my Catholic identity, as I try to practice the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” This kind of behavior doesn’t stand out here in the south, where I find a lot of Bible thumpers and condescending religious folk. It is frustrating, but I can only stay true to myself and my beliefs.

Do I think I’ll add new identities while I’m abroad? Yes. I hope to add cosmopolitan world traveler, and maybe even Mexican-Wannabe. While I am in Mexico, I think I will be judged at first by the stereotypical American. While I fit some of the stereotypes (fast-paced and time is of the essence) I do not fit some of the others (lazy and overweight). It will be difficult, but my goal is to keep an open mind and hope that those I encounter will do so as well.

I think the biggest piece of cultural “baggage” I will be taking abroad with me, is my view of monochromic time—the idea that every second counts and something important must be done with it. Word on the street is that most countries don’t share this American punctuality. It is going to make my experience abroad frustrating, but I can only worry about things I can control. I can’t control everyone else; I’ll just be able to control my reactions to them. I just hope I don’t lose my sense of punctuality when I return home!

In a completely non-reflective tone, I've wondered many things about Mexico. Do they have True Blood? Can I watch Asiz Ansari host the MTV movie awards? Will I walk or take the bus to school? Will I have enough time to Skype back home? Will I even want to Skype back home? Have I sufficiently base-tanned, or will I burn to a crisp once I get there? Who is my host mom? Is she married? Was she married? Does she have children? Is she old? Young? Will I be able to understand her accent, or will we stare at each other awkwardly not understanding a word the other is saying? Will she let me freeze bottled water in ice cube trays, or will I be forced to drink all beverages warm? How often, if at all, will I be sick with the runs? Do Mexicans like Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias as much as I do? Will I want to come back home right away, or will I want to stay forever?

Paige, R. M., Andrew D. Cohen, Barbara Kappler, Julie C. Chi, and James P. Lassegard. Maximizing Study Abroad: an Instructional Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota, 2009. Print.

flamingos spend half their time eating and filter 2,000 liters of water each day while doing so

Today I received the itinerary for my month stay in Mérida.  26 days until I'm on a plane.  Reality is sinking in as I finish up my last exams for the spring semester. 

Classes will be from 8:30am-1:30pm Monday through Thursday and will start on June 1, my 4th day in Mérida.

It appears that we will be taking 3 different field trips as a group starting Friday mornings and sometimes lasting the entire weekend.  So after my first week of classes, aka 3 days, I'll be visiting Celestún.  I've taken the liberty to wikipedia (don't hate me, wikipedia haters) said location, and I like what I see.  In Celestún is the Celestún Wildlife Refuge, home to thousands of flamingos and other bird species.  The population is small, but numbers rise during octopus hunting season.  Interesting, no?

The following weekend I'll be visiting the Loltun Cave and archaeological sites at Labna and Uxmal.  My third weekend, we'll be visiting archaeological sites at Chichen Itza and Tulum.

It appears as if I'll have lots of adventures outside of class.  Not to mention, the 3 free days for individual exploration and the time after school each day. I think this is the part where I read travel books.  and THAT can wait until Friday morning when my last exam is over and done with.

33 days and counting

So as some of you already know, I have been blessed with the opportunity to study for a month this summer in Mérida, Mexico on the Yucatán peninsula.  I will be studying with Central College, a small college based in Iowa.  Mérida is on the Western coast of the peninsula, a few hours from Cancun.  Its a non-touristy somewhat large city with a colonial feel.  Did I mention its in a safe location?  I will not be anywhere near the United States-Mexico border nor Mexico City.  Despite the travel warning issued by the United States government, I'll still be studying in Mexico.  Several travelers have presented it to me like this: "Would you not visit North Carolina because of violence in New York?"  I will not encounter any narcotraficantes [drug dealers], I won't become a drug mule, and I'll come back alive.  Don't worry.  I'm pretty sure this will be like the trip of a lifetime.  I just have no idea of what to expect.  I don't even feel like its real that I'm going.  I'm stuck in a perpetual world of Meredith and TFS.  My trip will be a wake up call for sure.

I'll be eased into my month-long stay in Mexico.  First of all, I'll be traveling with a friend, Christy, who began attending Meredith this year, and who I played 4 years of varsity softball with in high school.  You won't have to worry that I'll be aimlessly wandering the airport alone trying to figure out how to navigate myself, because we'll be aimlessly wandering together.  We booked our flight a day early since Saturday flights are cheaper than Sunday flights.  We'll be picked up at the airport by a representative from Central College, and taken to a hotel for the first night.  Did I mention that its super nice and only $44 total for a one night stay?  I think I like Mérida already.  

The next night will be spent in the Central College house while everyone from the program arrives from various locations.  The next night I'll be swept away into the home of a host family, where my Spanish skills will be put to the true test.  And classes will start the next morning.  I know I'll get my practice in.  I'll be finishing all required coursework for a BA in Spanish, and in the fall back at Meredith I'll [hopefully] pass the proficiency exam--the last requirement for a Spanish degree.

I've started "preparations" for my trip, but I've still got a ways to go.  Follow me on my life-changing adventure.  There is only one month before my departure--reality better sink in soon.