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.