for Santa Claus or los tres reyes

My Christmas Wish List

With the holiday season upon us, I know all of you reading this have one burning question on your minds: What does Jesse want for Christmas? Well I've thought about it and there are a few things I want. Of course I want nothing as much as I want pie, and snow, and a trip to my mountains, and to see my friends and family. But we are living in a material world, so here are some things I would also like to receive. Also note that these items are in no particular order.

1. Feetsy pajamas!

Few things (except hugs!) are warmer and fuzzier than pajamas with feets. Extra points if someone finds me the kind with the butt flap. It's a reall buzzkill to remove the whole outfit every time you have to use the bathroom. You don't necessarily have to buy me feetsy pajamas that look like a deranged Easter bunny, but I'm certainly not saying I wouldn't appreciate it/wear them in public if you did.

2. DKNY apple-shaped perfume.

This stuff just smells really good. Get me either the red kind or the light pink kind. Surprise me!

3. Some superfly sneakers.

Now I know what you're thinking: "Jesse, you're a sweet kid but you wouldn't know 'superfly' if it bit you in the ass. You think "superfly" was the time you wore your gay rainbow socks, plaid boxer shorts, a tie dye shirt, and an argyle sweater vest to the Morrow house party." That may be so, so I will leave the choice up to the buyer. I just want some sneakers, not for running but for looking cool.

4. Books.

I read the way most Mexicans watch tv: 3-4 hours every day. Here are some books on my list right now:

But maybe it's best to get me this:

5. Travel mug.

I'm going to need this to get me through my next semester at Smith. The travel mug in the picture is recycled, making it extra-awesome. I really just need one that won't spill or break when I inevitably drop it every day. So a travel mug designed by NASA and tested by a hippo should be fine.

6. A Honda that's as old as I am.

Hondas last forever. And old cars have character. At least, that's my excuse. This car is about what I could afford...if I worked for a summer instead of doing internships. Maybe get me an unlimited-ride metro card instead.

7. Miniature pig!

This is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time (an aside that will surely be too long for parentheses: Dear Friends Who Know Me Well: Please do not think I am giving up my love of hedgehogs! They still have a special place in my heart. It's just that the little piggies are so smart! You can train them and take them for walks! Although they can't get stuck in paper towel tubes. Clearly the answer is that I need both a hedgehog and a mini pig.) After that aside I feel this item needs no further explanation. On to the pictures!

This is the luckiest guy in the world. Also: THE CHIN HAIRS THE CHIN HAIRS THECUTETHECUTETHECUTE. That is all.

It's floral! It has the proudest expression.

For comparison.

8. Can anybody find me somebody to love?

A birthday celebration

--Before I begin, I just want to say that I have a lot of catching up to do with these blog entries. I haven't written about Cuba, or Oaxaca. So expect more entries in the near future!

I'm leaving Mexico in 3 days. I can't believe the semester went by that fast! I've been here for almost 18 weeks. The fastest 18 weeks of my life.

Yesterday was my friend Lalo's birthday, so a program friend and I went to Tlaxcala with him to celebrate. He just has a thing for Tlaxcala. His goal for the afternoon was to buy a cane. I think he felt it would change his "look." So we found a cane decorated with carvings of birds and cacti in an artesan shop, then we went to Cacaxtla. To get to the zona arqueológica, we had to take a colectivo through several pueblitos. When we got to Cacaxtla we found the zocalo (not difficult in such a tiny village) and bought some tlacoyos for lunch. Tlacoyos are tortillas stuffed with black beans and covered in salsa, cheese, and onions. So tasty! Then, we walked back up to the archeological site.

The coolest thing about the ruins at Cacaxtla are the murals. Cacaxtla became the great power in this region after the fall of Cholula around 650-750 CE. So the paintings are even older than that, and they're really well-preserved!

The colors are still vivid more than 1,000 years later!

Remember my pictures from the Museo Nacional de Antropología in the DF? These weird dancers with scorpion tails that I saw in the DF come from Cacaxtla!

Note the fellow getting his intestines ripped out in the bottom left corner.

Apparently this latticework shows that Cacaxtla has Mayan influence!

The Mayans sure got around.

After we got back from Tlaxcala, we took Lalo to All Day Cafe and made the staff bring him a slice of cake. The whole cafe sang Las Mañanitas (Mexican birthday song)! And the cake was delicious.

Lalo with cake.

It was a good ending to a great day, but saying goodbye was sad. It always is. I will definitely keep in touch with Lalo.

Now for the Word of the Day: Bastón. It means cane or walking stick. Lalo compró un bastón en Tlaxcala = Lalo bought a cane in Tlaxcala.

Some things that make me angry and sad.

Disclaimer: I'm sorry to get all political up in here, because this is supposed to be a blog about my travels-architecture, foods, pretty scenery, etc. And what I'm about to write is a real downer. Also I do understand that I'm preaching to the choir-the folks reading my blog are my friends and family, not racists who fail to seek practical solutions to the problem that is Mexican immigration. But here I go anyway, ranting about some crazy, crazy shit that's been happening over the past few years regarding Mexican immigrants.

Note-This blog entry isn't about my politics. It's about a couple of things I've seen lately that I just could not believe. And then when I could believe them, I was so frustrated and sad.

Thing 1: The Arizona Minutemen.

Here's the issue (briefly): After 2001, border security increased in Texas and California, where it's easiest to cross. Why is it easiest to cross the border in those states? Ciudades gemelas, and there's no desert. Ciudades gemelas means twin cities, like Ciudad Juarez/El Paso, Tijuana/San Diego, etc. Once a person reaches Ciudad Juarez, they are pretty much set. The only obstacle is border security. They walk or ride in the trunk of someone's car from one city to another. It's easier to hide in the city, easier to find food and water.

This is not the case in Arizona. People who make it to the border between Mexico and Arizona still have days of walking through the desert ahead of them until they reach Phoenix. Imagine walking for days with little food and even less water. After a while, all the mountains look the same and you start to pray that you aren't walking in circles, that you wont end up back in Sonora where you started. And if the rattlesnakes or dehydration doesn't kill you first, then there's vigilante justice. Enter the Arizona Minutemen.

According to the Minutemen themselves, they are American heroes. They do not break the law, in fact, they have immense respect for the law, and especially law enforcement officials. The founder of the Official Minutemen Project (http://www.minutemanproject.com/) is a Marine with a purple heart. So what's my problem? How could I argue with a guy who has a purple heart?

Well. I am just getting started. After 2001, the good people of Arizona began to notice that there were a lot more Mexicans walking around on their ranches and hiding in their barns, because it's pretty tricky to find a place to hide from La Migra in the middle of the desert. After repeated attempts to bring this problem to the attention of the federal government, the Arizona ranchers got fed up. Being red-blooded Americans, they decided to take the situation into their own hands. What could go wrong? After all, they're just enforcing the immigration laws that already exist. According to the Official Minutemen Project website, a Minuteman simply apprehends the "illegal alien" (I have SO MANY ISSUES with this term, but I think that's another subject for another evening when I'm feeling rant-y) and turns him/her in to the authorities. The Minutemen are protecting their private property; who could argue with that? And what would you do if a group of Mexicans walked through your backyard in the middle of the night? Actually, I would invite them in for tacos, but we all know I'm a little bit odd.

And what happens if one of these gun-toting protectors of the homeland gets a little too trigger-happy? http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/eades/2009/06/minuteman-leader-arrested-in-a.php

This Minutewoman killed a nine-year old girl. What, did the little girl threaten to steal your cattle? And that's not the scariest part. This woman and two of her cronies murdered a man and his daughter in the process of a home invasion. According to the mother of the accused, "She sat here and said that she was going to start a group where they went down and start taking things away from the Mexican mafia. She was going to kick in their doors and take away the money and the drugs."

Unfortunately, this lady is not the only psychopathic Minuteman. But really, what do the American people care if in the process of apprehending a few "criminal aliens", some folks get buried in the backyard. Your finger slipped on the trigger. It was dark and you couldn't see properly. After all, they're nothing more than criminals. Illegals.

So, I have a problem with vigilante justice. What else do I have a problem with?

Thing 2: Racist video games.

http://nerdnirvana.org/g4m3s/borderpatrol.htm

This game is called Border Patrol. The objective? Shoot the "wetbacks" as they run across la frontera. Oh, and double points if you shoot a pregnant woman because she's a "breeder." She wants to come to America so her baby will be a citizen, then she wants to steal your tax dollars to pay for WIC and welfare for said baby.

I really have nothing to say, except that I don't want to believe people are capable of this level of ignorance. If you dare, scroll down and read the comments of the game website. I want to believe these people are joking. They're just spouting horrible, insensitive, racist jokes. But then a little voice in the back of my head says, "These are not jokes, these are your countrymen." And in moments like those, I have never felt less proud to be an American.

That's all for tonight. I miss you guys, but sometimes I don't miss the United States. Sometimes I don't miss it at all.

Best. Midterms Week. Ever.

I had midterms this week. At Smith, my mid-semester exams and papers tend to be spread out over the course of 2 or 3 weeks. I hate that. I am the kind of person who rips off her band-aids; I just want to get it all over with at once. Here, I had a paper due Monday, exam #1 Wednesday, and exam #2 Thursday. I spent a few days worrying a lot and studying a little, then I got serious and started spending hours in the library. I wrote a paper analyzing Diego Rivera's mural, "Triumph of the Revolution", took a short-answer exam in my colonial era class that I wrote in Spanish and English, and to end it all Thursday I wrote an essay exam in Spanish for Relaciones México-Estados Unidos. I was most worried about the last one, because it was the first time I have ever written an in-class essay in Spanish. I think my essay could have been worse. I'm mostly happy it's over, but I'm not embarrassed by my essay by any means. 

So why was this the Best Midterms Week Ever? Well, it was short. And Wednesday instead of studying more, I went to my program director's house for a cooking lesson taught by Delfi. She works in the program office. We made red chilaquiles, chalupas with carne asada, and red and green salsa. The green salsa should have been spicier in my opinion, but everything else was excellent! Sometime soon the program director will email us the recipes, and then I can make chilaquiles for everyone! You will love them, I promise. 

After cooking class I went to see a movie with some girls from my program. We ended up seeing "Mi Segunda Vez" ("The Rebound" in the US), a romantic comedy with Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was cute. I say that with equal parts admiration, and scorn. As many of you know, to say that romantic comedy is not my favorite film genre is an understatement. But I love to watch movies, if for no other reason then to criticize them. And "Mi Segunda Vez" gave me plenty of fodder for criticism, so thanks Director Bart Freundlich! 

Then, we all went back to Bernadette's house for our first class in Catrina-making. Catrinas are papier-mache skeletons that artisans create to be Day of the Dead decorations. 

Catrinas; picture not mine: 

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/v3/11-02-2007.NHG_02catrina.GSF291L6Q.1.jpg

I want to make a skeleton version of Kokopelli, the flute-playing fertility god of the Hopi, and other Native American tribes in the southwestern US.

After my last midterm Thursday, I went to buy nail polish at Plaza Dorada because it's on my way home. I stopped to see when "Jennifer's Body" (Diabolica Tentación here) was playing, because I had been looking forward to seeing that movie. Turns out, I had plenty of time to see the movie and still be home before dinner. It was way more my style! I love coming-of-age movies and dark comedies. "Heathers" is both! "Jennifer's Body" is no "Heathers" , but it does have a flesh-eating cheerleader. I think for me the big difference between "Heathers" and "Jennifer's Body" (besides Winona Ryder-I have a huge crush on Winona Ryder!) is the witty dialogue, which I believed in "Heathers." It has some of my favorite one liners: 

Veronica Sawyer: When teenagers complain that they want to be treated like human beings, it's usually because they are being treated like human beings.

There's just something about the way Diablo Cody writes dialogue. I can't imagine real people saying what her characters do. Best one-liner in "Jennifer's Body":

Jennifer: I'm not killing people, I'm killing boys.

See what I mean? Everyone should watch "Heathers". It is one of my favorite movies. Actually, maybe for that reason none of you will like it. I like some strange movies. 

Anyway, with midterms week over I'm just hanging out, exploring different parts of this city and planning trips afuera de Puebla. I miss everyone! I heard it snowed in Central New York and the Pioneer Valley! Can't say I'm surprised. 

Cuetzalan (lots of pictures)!

View of Cuetzalan from the Hotel Mixti.

Last weekend I went to Cuetzalan with my study abroad program. Cuetzalan is a little town in the mountains, 3-4 hour drive from Puebla. The drive is spectacular once you get to the mountain roads-so many curves and hairpin turns, and great views of hills, valleys, ravines, and small villages.

View from the road.

 Of course it made me miss "my mountains"-the Adirondacks. Cuetzalan and surrounding areas just aren't the same. Where are my freezing cold rivers, mountains with rocky tops hidden in the clouds, and cold, rainy afternoons? My hut and my muddy trails and the wind in the pines? I miss it.

Anyway. It was so humid in Cuetzalan! My host mom made me bring a jacket, because she thought it would be cold and rainy. Instead, it was hot, humid, and sunny. It was like summer vacation, but with more mosquito bites. The weekend we went was La Feria del Cafe y Huipiles (Coffee and traditional blouses!), two things I love. And the coffee was strong and good! The weekend also happens to be the day of St. Francis of Assisi. It's not a coincidence that all the parties are on the same weekend, because St. Francis is the patron Saint of the town's main church.

Picture taken from inside a restaurant in el zócalo. 

I don't know why, but I like this picture a lot.

The streets were very busy.

On Sunday we went to the beginning of La Coronacion de la Reina de Huipil, a pageant of sorts. There were several girls from Cuetzalan and surrounding pueblitos, dressed in huipiles and shawls, and their hair snakes were way cooler than mine (remember the picture of me at my program's welcome party?). The girls had to give a speech in Nahuatl and Spanish about their personal goals, and also their pueblos and culture, and how they would keep their traditions alive. I didn't see the actual coronation, but the speeches were interesting. 

The girls with their yarn snakes.

Our first full day in Cuetzalan we went to see the ruins at Yoaulichan. Unfortunately I don't remember much about the history of these pyramids. But enjoy the pictures!

Eli told us this was the biggest ball court in Mesoamerica!

I love taking pictures of ruins.

Guess what you're not supposed to do? (I climbed it too...I did not read the 1 sign at the entrance that said "Please don't climb on the pyramids.")

This little shop was in Yoaulichan: Jessy=Jesse! My little shop!

Later, we went to a cooperative run by Nahua women called "Las tejedoras en flor."  They make traditional fabric art, and it's really beautiful. They also run workshops on small business management, and run a restaurant with Nahua food. They are really inspiring people, working to keep ancient arts and ways of life alive, while improving their own lives and their communities. 

Entrance to Tejadoras en Flor.

In the afternoon we went to Coral Cave! It's called coral cave because inside are formations that really do resemble coral. One girl in my group took some amazing cave pictures, and I'll try to steal a few and post them here. I thought I had never been to a cave before, but my parents say I have. This cave was pretty extreme to me. We didn't need any special equipment, except a headlamp and sneakers of course, but it reminded me of hiking, only underground. There was a stream rushing through the cave, and my sneakers got good and soaked. We went up ladders and down ladders, and climbed all over slippery rocks. But it was worth it to see real stalactites and stalagmites! The folks who run the cave exploring operation also had an adorable cow. If I call a cow "adorable" you know she must be something special, because usually I think cows are kind of intimidating. They're so large and they make mechanical noises. This seems to be the day for off-topic rambling. Lo siento.

We also walked to a waterfall. It was really pretty, but some women told me if you hike a little bit further you can find an even more beautiful waterfall, but the hike's a bit difficult. I would have loved to find the other waterfall, and hike around in the woods, but we didn't spend much time there. I guess the water was pretty cold, but not compared to what I was expecting (John's Brook in July is MUCH colder). 

La cascada.

In addition to excursions, I also spent a lot of time walking around Cuetzalan, eating and shopping! I found quite possibly the best lemonade I have ever tasted. Who knew I would find it hiding in a restaurant next to the zócalo in a little town in the mountains of Mexico! I love surprises of this nature. I also had some foods I never get tired of: molletes, enchilidas verdes, and tlatyoyos (which I have seen spelled at least 3 different ways). And I bought a dress, and a purse, and a bunch of earrings as gifts.  

My dress!

All in all, I had a good time. It was good to be outside of the city for a few days, and I got to know the other girls in my program a bit better. Now I'm back in Puebla and it's midterms week for me, so send me positive mental energy! 

Oops I forgot the Word! The Word of the Day is pavo. These are pavos:

Day trips! What fun!

On Thursday (09/24) I went to the D.F. with two friends who are also exchange students in la BUAP, but not foreign exchange students. They're from Ciudad Juarez. In fact, I think I introduced them in my last post. The objective of our trip was the presentation of a book. Last year Miguel and Eduardo worked with Dr. Consuelo Pequeño, who was editing a book about the border between Mexico and the US. Thursday was the presentation of that book. Before the presentation, we went to el Castillo de Chapultepec because Miguel had never been there before and he loves museums, and we're all history geeks-I mean, history majors. I've already seen el Castillo because I went with the program, but when I visited in August I was tired, hot, and bored at the end of a long day, so I enjoyed my visit much more last Thursday! 

The Castillo has served several purposes over the years. It was constructed in 1785, and abandoned during the Mexican War of Independence. 

The Castle became a military academy in 1833. In 1837, los niños heroes (boy heroes) died defending the Castle during the War of the North American Invasion. This mural honoring los niños heroes is my favorite thing in the Castle. Miguel's favorite thing? The prosthetic wooden leg of Santa Anna. Why do the weird ones always find me?

El Castillo de Chapultepec was the home of Emperor Maximilian, and later Porfirio Díaz. In 1939 President Lázaro Cardenas delcared it to be the National History Museum, and the museum opened in 1944.

This is a view of Mexico City from the balcony of the Castle. It just goes on forever!

After visiting the museum, we walked around in El Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest) which kind of reminds me of Central Park, in that both are enormous, and both have lakes and monuments, and ice cream for sale. Then we ate, and took a taxi to the bookstore. At the presentation I met Dr. Pequeño and she gave me her book! It's called Cultura e Identidad en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos (Culture and Identity on the MX-US Border). I've started it and it's really interesting. Also, it will help with my International Relations class, which has a large focus on the border because I'm studying the history of relations between MX and the US. 

Today we went to Tlaxcala, the capital of the smallest state in Mexico. 

Me in front of a chicken statue en el zócalo in Tlaxcala.

It rained in the early afternoon, but later on the rain stopped and we had a good time walking around the streets in el centro. We went to a small history museum with some interesting exhibits about the colonial era, and an art museum which was exhibiting the work of Columbian painter Fernando Botero. They were well done, and moving, but also tough to look at. Very violent and sad. The paintings dealt with violence related to drug trafficking in Columbia. While walking around the museum I had this strong sense of deja vu, then just now I remembered that I've seen his work before. He did a very interesting series of paintings about torture at Abu Ghraib. Here's a link:

http://www1.american.edu/cas/katzen/museum/2007nov_botero.cfm

 Right before we got on the bus to return to Puebla, we climbed these stairs to see what was at the top. The guy in the red sweatshirt is Eduardo. Also, this picture is deceptive; in real life there are way more stairs!

View of Tlaxcala from the top of the stairs! 

The Word of the Day is mofles. I've seen this word so many times and today I figured out that it means mufflers!

A long-overdue update.

I'd like to begin by informing you that my host family has more Tupperware than any family needs, ever. I'm not sure why. This evening Mari was valiantly searching for lids and discarding the lidless containers, and there are more than 50 and less than 200. That is my best estimate.

In non-kitchen related news, Mexican independence day was last week! To celebrate, I went to el zócalo with a friend from the program, and met her friends. They are exchange students from Ciudad Juarez, and they're history majors. I ate chalupas, which are a traditional fiesta food because they are covered in white cream, red salsa, and green salsa, the colors of the Mexican flag. We watched some performances on a stage set up in the zócalo even though it was raining, and at 10:30 PM-ish there were fireworks, and el grito, which is when the governor of Puebla comes out on the balcony of the Palacio de Gobierno Municipal and yells, "Viva México!" among other phrases regarding the heroes of the republic. I found Mexican independence day to be very different than fourth of July. For one thing, el 16 de Sepiembre is a Very Big Deal here. Many, many people go to the zócalo of their city/town to celebrate, and those who don't probably watch el grito on television. There are parties, big and small. In the US most people have small parties with their family and friends, and maybe go to a parade or to see fireworks. Fourth of July just doesn't have the overwhelmingly nationalistic feel of Mexican independence day. Some other time I'll share my thoughts regarding Mexican nationalism. For now, here re some pictures!

Miguel, Me, Sarah

Some blurry pictures of the fireworks

Friday, September 18 was the welcome festival for my program. I thought it was a bit late for a welcome festival because we arrived August 6, but who really needs to justify a fiesta? A good time was had by all, especially my host mom because she loves to dance, and the band was a lot of fun. Everyone wore a traditional Mexican dress, and I wore a yarn snake in my hair! And I wanted to keep my huipil (the tip); it was so comfortable and pretty. Alas, I had to return the outfit. I was not sad to let the yarn snake go. 

My host mom's sister Gabi, Me and my yarn snake, my host mom

Saturday the 19th I went to a wedding in a very small town with my host mom and her sister. The bride was the daughter of my mom's close friend. The pueblo San Nicholas is more like a large neighborhood than a small town, and it's about an hour outside of Puebla. We arrived just in time for the party after the ceremony. The family set up a tent in the vacant lot next to their house, and decorated it with cut paper chains and beautiful flowers. The food was so good! The abuelas made the best molé ever, and fresh hot tortillas and tamales. There was so much food left over, so we took some home with us and we're still eating it. What stands out most in my memories of the wedding? First, an image of the bride in her white dress with lace, posing for a picture in front of the family's pig enclosure. Second, everyone was so welcoming! The groom and bride made the rounds (bride while wearing heels!) and personally greeted every single person at the fiesta, asking us if we needed more food or anything else. At an American wedding the bride and groom stand still and everyone else walks past them in the receiving line. On the way back from the wedding we stopped at a roadside stand for elotes asadas, which are grilled ears of corn. I ate mine covered in lime, salt, and very spicy ground chiles, and my host mom and her sister added mayonaise and grated cheese to the mix. I still don't understand the Mexican culinary fascination with mayonaise. 

Stay tuned for updates on exciting things, like my trip to the DF tomorrow, my volunteer job, and the upcoming program excursion to Cuetzalan!

Word of the Day: Cohetes! It means fireworks.

What did I expect?

Thursday my International Relations professor asked us exchange students about our preconceived notions of Mexico: what did we expect to see here? 

I thought really hard. I studied the history of Mexico a bit at Smith, and I read La Jornada and the Huffington Post for news of Mexico for months before I got here, so of course I must have had some expectations. But I really can't think of very many. I guess I expected Mexico City to look more like New York, in terms of skyscrapers and subways, and then I discovered that Mexico City looks like the end of the world. Yet mostly I was surprised by things I never considered, like children on the street with no parents in sight, and the men and boys who will wash your windshield for a few pesos. I continue to be surprised by the rampant poverty. My IR professor told us that almost half the population of Mexico has a yearly income below the official poverty level. I also discounted the importance of colonialism in shaping the nation, which is a very silly thing for a history major to do. I guess I've always been interested in the history of indigenous peoples, and how Mexico's indigenous past shaped the country's present. But now I think that Mexico today was shaped just as much by New Spain as it was by the Maya and Aztecs, etc. I think one reason I continue to be surprised by Mexico is my lack of preconceived notions. Mostly I just expected Mexico to be different from the United States. Different how? I didn't know. When I imagine other countries, I end up with similar results. I read the news, read books, and so on, but when I try to imagine what it must be like to live in another country, I draw a blank. Sometimes I think this means I suffer from lack of a vivid imagination, and sometimes I think it's a good thing. I show up in a new country (which for me is any country outside of America del Norte), and I am a blank page, waiting for the story. 

On another topic, yesterday I went to see a pop/rock concert with a chica from PMCSP. I can't for the life of me remember the group's name, but they played, "Somebody to Love" by Queen and it reminded me of a Luna lover I miss sooooooo much. Después del concierto, we went to eat churros. They're kind of like fried dough, only better. She had a churro with maple honey, clearly a good choice. I opted for chocolate. When in doubt, always opt for chocolate. Next weekend me and aforementioned chica are going to Tlaxcala, the capital of the smallest state in Mexico. I'm excited! 

Classes are going well. I have a lot less academic stress here. That's one thing I do not miss about Smith: the academic panic that happens at least twice a week and a lot more before finals. My Temática de Colonia class will be taking a lot of field trips in September and October. Expect pictures! I don't think I ever went of a field trip with a Smith class, except for hiking in geology labs. 

Word of the Day: colchón. It means mattress. My host mom had to buy a new colchón for a woman who rents a room here because the old one finally died. 

It goes without saying that I miss all of you, too too much. Also, I am forgetting how to spell simple English words. For instance, I just spent about 2 minutes considering the word, "Goes." You mean it isn't spelled "Gos?"

¡Buenas noches!

My first dance class in years!

Today I had my first folkloric dance class! I couldn't stay for the whole class because I have a schedule conflict, but so far danza folklórica seems more like jogging, jumping, and shuffling. It's a workout! I was definitely panting and sweating. It was fun, though. I think I'm going to enjoy having mandatory physical activity. 

Other updates...My mom has been making me this really tasty orange juice, but the oranges are green! Also, I had mole for lunch and dinner! It wasn't very spicy and it was delicious. I need the recipe. And Mari made green salsa again. I love green salsa. Mari and I watch my new favorite novela on weeknights. It's called, "Mujer Comprada," which means "Bought Woman." It's about a woman named Angelica who agreed to be a surrogate mother for Laura because Laura can't have children. Angelica needs the money because her mom has some sort of illness. I don't know what, but Angelica's mom has been in the hospital since the first episode. So Laura is paying all of the hospital bills for Angelica's mom, and all of Angelica's baby-related medical expenses too, and on top of that she's also just giving Angelica some money. But Angelica's having second thoughts. And of course because it's a novela, there's a lot more drama and scandal. I like it best because it began a couple of weeks ago, so I've seen almost every episode and I know what's going on. When you start watching a novela in the middle it can be tough to keep the characters straight. I am always bothering Mari with questions about who is doing what, and why. 

Tomorrow I have only one class (danza folklórica), so I think I will buy some dance clothes, and do homework of course. 

Word of the Day: anaranjada. It's the color orange. Naranja is the fruit orange. 

Fruitfruitfruit.

Today I had fresh squeezed orange juice and it was so good! I think there was another type of fruit mixed in there because there were small brown seeds in the bottom of my glass. It was so citrus-y! I also had little guavas (guabaya en español), seeds and all. Yesterday I ate tuna, not the raw fish that I love so much, but a cactus fruit. It's very sweet. I think I prefer agua de tuna more than just plain tuna. Mexico is a good place to be for those who enjoy fresh fruit. Every day I eat papaya, mango, cantaloupe (this is a tricky word to spell), and avocados, and sometimes I eat tuna, mamey, and guavas. And there's fruit I haven't tried yet! New favorite food group? I think so. 

I wrote postcards yesterday. Now I just need to mail them. I'm going to ask my host mom about the mail at supper.

Today I had my International Relations class, but the professor didn't show up. However, she emailed the lesson plan to a girl in my class, so we broke up into two groups and discussed La Guerra de la Invasión Norteamericana (the War of the North American Invasion in Mexico, AKA the Mexican-American War in Estados Unidos). I was impressed that the students participated in discussion even when the professor was absent. I guess it's common at Smith too. It never fails to impress me when people take responsibility for their education. 

After class I walked around with some students, and had a conversation with a political science major. Brief moment of language jealousy: he speaks Spanish, decent English, and a little bit of French and German. He's a nice kid, a lot like me. We talked about books and movies mostly, though we also had a lively discussion about Cuba (his question, "Why doesn't the US permit its citizens to travel to Cuba?"). It's good to socialize, especially in Spanish. We walked to a bar with lots of students waiting to get in, but then I went back to my house because I didn't bring any ID with my age. Here I'm old enough to hang out in a bar. Lesson learned: always bring driver's license so that I can prove I am 20. 

Now it's raining pretty hard. It rains almost every evening, but that hasn't affected any of my plans yet so I don't mind. I know all this rain is good for the FRUIT! 

Tomorrow I have International Relations again. Every Friday I have to hand in an essay for IR. Today I wrote about the Civil War and its effects on US-MX relations. Interesting stuff. I think it's my hardest class, but also my favorite. 

My sister went to Hampshire today, and Smithies who are in the US have check in Sunday and Monday, I think. Good luck to everyone!

Word of the day: Mamey. 

Definition from Wikipedia: "The fruit is eaten raw out of hand or made into milkshakes, smoothies, ice cream and fruit bars. The fruit's flavor is variously described as a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado. Some consider the fruit to be an aphrodisiac."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamey_sapote

Missing you all!

Today a bus driver was playing Shania Twain's song, "Man, I Feel Like A Woman." I wonder if he speaks English...

So when I said I was done trying classes and changing my schedule, I was wrong. I don't think I'm going to take Anthropology of Religion. The professor is really well-prepared and organized. He handed out a syllabus during the first class, which is really rare at la BUAP, and the syllabus had a schedule for the readings, which is almost unheard 

of here. I am trading organization for adventure. That is to say, here I want to take classes that are not available in the US. In Anthropology of Religion I would have read a lot of old white guys, mostly Germans like Freud and Kant. I could take a very similar class at Smith. Tomorrow I'm going to try another Anthropology class called "Movimiento Indigena" (the indigenous movement). I'm not sure what it will be about because there are a lot of different indigenous groups in Mexico. Which group? Which movement? Questions are a good place to start any class. I really hope it goes well. I also heard that this professor doesn't give very much work. Of course that's another reason why I want to take the class. I have mountains of reading and an essay a week for my International Relations class, and a decent amount of reading for Temática de Colonia, and I need to do some background reading for Revolución Mexicana. It takes me quite a while to read a page in Spanish, and I really don't want to spend all my beautiful Mexican afternoons inside doing homework. So I will welcome a class with very little reading! 

Yesterday my host mom and I went to see "The Time Traveler's Wife" (Spanish subtitles, not dubbed). She loved it, and I thought it was a pretty movie. Interesting scenery and such. Thinking about time travel always confuses me. I just don't understand it on a fundamental level. I guess to me, the past does not exist in a concrete way. One cannot travel back in time to Christmas, 2008 because it doesn't exist anymore. What exists is the present. And one can't travel into the future because it hasn't happened yet. How does anybody know what the future will be like? The future changes every second because of what we do in the present. I guess maybe I could see how one could travel to the past IF AND ONLY IF time was like snapshots. Every second frozen forever. Then traveling back to last Christmas would be like looking through a picture album, finding the correct photograph, and falling into it like Harry Potter falls into the penseive. Hmmm. Clearly I need to read more science fiction novels.

Sorry, that rant had nothing to do with Mexico!

I think I'm going to hang around the kitchen when I get some time (maybe Wednesday) and see if Mari or my host mom will teach me how to cook something else. Last week I learned how to make salsa a la Mari, AKA The Spiciest Salsa You Will Ever Taste. Here are instructions:

1. Grill 4 tomatoes until they are hot and squishy and have some black burned spots, but not too many. Also grill some cloves of garlic (skins included), and 4 thin, hot green peppers.

*Note! The salsa was ridiculously spicy because Mari used 4 peppers. Usually people who value their tongues use 2 peppers!

2. Take the middle part out of the tomatoes, the tops off the peppers, and the skins off the garlic.

3. Throw everything into a blender. Add a bit of cilantro. Puree. 

4. Put the salsa on your molletes and cry a little bit. 

I want to learn how to make fried tacos, and chicken mole! I think I'm going to take a cooking class if it is free or cheap. The director of my program is investigating cooking class possibilities. 

Speaking of extracurriculars, I want to join a chorus. I've always loved to sing but I just don't haven time at Smith. We'll see what happens.

Word of the Day is a verb: Picar. It means to bite (like a mosquito), to poke (like a needle in the hospital), and to be spicy! What a useful verb.

Schedule

To begin, today I had chicken soup with rice! Incidentally, that's also the name of one of my favorite books (by Maurice Sendak). 

"In January it's so nice/While slipping on the sliding ice/To sip hot chicken soup with rice./ Sipping once, sipping twice/Sipping chicken soup with rice.

I've had a similar soup at Erawan, but the Erawan version had a lot more ginger. 

I think I have my schedule figured out already, which is a relief. Here it is:

Monday

10 AM-12PM: Select Themes: Colonialism; Centro

6PM-8PM: Select Themes: Mexican Revolution; Centro

Tuesday

10 AM-1PM: Anthropology of Religion; CU

Wednesday:

same as Monday

Thursday:

4PM-6PM: International Relations: MX-US; CU

Friday:

same as Thursday

So I have 15 hours of class each week. My 2 history classes are en el Centro, which is the colonial city center (near the zócalo), and my anthropology and international relations classes are in Ciudad Universitaria (CU). So far I prefer Centro because the architecture is beautiful and there are so many people to watch. I also like taquerías (taco shops), and there are lots en el Centro. CU is a big public university. All the buildings look the same (more or less), and none of them are especially pretty. It's easy to get lost if you're new, but now that I know where my classes are I should be fine. There are always plenty of students hanging about to help if I get lost again. I have to take the bus no matter where my classes are. Today I saw Sarah B. on the bus, which was an awesome surprise! 

Other things happened today...I went back to classes! I feel much better. No more plague for me! Also, I spent half an hour playing with gatitito (the little kitten). 

Tomorrow I have a full day. In the morning I'm going on an field trip with my Mexican Revolution class. As far as I know we're going to a hacienda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacienda). Then I have class at 4, then at 7 the director of my program is having a fiesta at her house! I have plans but I also have homework-so much reading! I need to learn to balance everything.  

To close, here are some pictures of my room:

My bed with the amazing traveling PACE flag. Now it has been to Italy, Massachusetts, and Mexico!

My desk. 

Word of the Day: Mascotas. It means pets. La vida es mejor con mascotas como gatitito (Life is better with pets like the boykitten). 

On Sunday I was sicksicksick.

I was sicker than I have ever  been before.

There are a lot of exciting, happy things I could write about tonight. But in the interest of being thorough, I think first I must write about That Time I Got Sick (Hey remember that time?). Sunday when I woke up I felt terrible: nauseous, sore throat, awful headache, back pain, chills, body aches, and gastrointestinal issues. Rocío called the director of my program (Bernadette), and she said that I should see a doctor. We had to go to the emergency room because I had a dangerously high fever. I was examined by a general practitioner, then I was admitted to the hospital. This involved a disposable gown, and an IV. The nurses were trying to bring my fever down so they put ice packs on my forehead (which made me feel better) and my belly (this was painful and torturous). I couldn't have a blanket, so I lay there shivering for a few hours. I'll spare you all the rest of the details and put the rest of my hospital stay into 2 lists: The Bad and the Not So Bad.

The Bad:

IV discomfort, intravenous pain meds, adult diaper, nausea, feeling very unclean, hobbling around attached to my IV like an old woman, worrying that I would accidentally yank out the IV (ouch!), very little sleep, confusing spanish/english night thoughts, PAIN.

The Not So Bad:

My host mom was really supportive, and so was Bernadette. They were with me in the hospital for hours and hours, and Rocío would have stayed overnight if I asked her to. They advocated and translated for me, because I was in no position to do anything except lie down and wait for everything to stop hurting. 

Hospital Angeles is brand new (well, 2 years old) and beautiful. It has all the latest equipment and enormous rooms for overnight patients. After the nurses moved me out of the emergency ward, they rolled me to my upstairs room, which had a couch, big windows, a tv, art on the wall (actual art that someone painted, not a print) and most importantly, a bathroom four feet from my bed that I didn't have to share. 

The doctors and nurses were all so friendly and helpful. They treated me like a person when I felt like a malfunctioning shell. 

I was discharged Monday at 2 PM. In fact, I was only kept overnight for observation because my fever was mostly gone by dinnertime (American dinnertime, not Mexican-dinner-at-9 PM). I'm glad I stayed overnight though. I think I needed the extra fluids and the bathroom. 

Now I'm home and I feel so different. I am so much better, but I'm still sick. My doctor (Gastrointerologist) prescribed medications that are strange and contradictory to me, and I'm not a big fan of over-medication. So I've been carefully considering what medicine to take, and when to take it. I have prescription-strength laxatives and anti-diarrhea drugs. Tell me, does it make sense to take them at the same time? I think not. I am taking the anti-diarrhea drugs until I get that situation cleared up. Then I'll start the laxatives. I also take antibiotics to clear up whatever infection caused my fever. I still feel nauseous almost all the time, and whenever I try to eat I have the urge to throw up (in Spanish: Tengo ganas de vomitar). I think I just need to give it time, keep eating soup and crackers, and drink plenty of water. My host mom called my doctor and he said "Take Dramamine." Umm, no. I know what Dramamine is. It's powerful anti-nausea medication that has a long list of side effects. The most common side effect is sleepiness, but other side effects include headache, pain or difficulty urinating, abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. I already have the last 3 side effects! I will only take Dramamine if my nausea is so bad that I can't sleep. 

Tomorrow I'm going to do a bunch of homework, and sleep a lot. Hopefully I'll be back to school on Thursday. I have a field trip on Friday that I don't want to miss. As soon as I get well enough to take the bus I'm going to buy vitamins and fiber pills. I'm going to take steps to keep myself healthy, including changes in diet. And I'm going to start exercising! I'm thinking yoga and swimming to help my back problems, and using the gym at CU. I've been asking around about the BUAP frisbee team because I know it existed 3 years ago, but no one seems to know if it still exists. I Miss Luna. 

I have a lot of other things to tell everyone, but right now I'm going to sleep.

Words of the Day: Tengo fiebre. I have a fever.

First days in Puebla

I'm in Puebla, and everything is an adventure.

I live with a woman named Rocío Gallardo Cervantes. Her husband died of a heart attack 5 years ago.  Rocío sells Yves Rocher cosmetics, and her husband was a career military man. She has a daughter and a son; her daughter is studying engineering in Germany this year (girl speaks 4 languages-I am so jealous!). Rocío's house is really big, but it's kind of divided into apartments and she has several boarders. I don't remember who all lives here, but I know her son lives downstairs with his girlfriend. It's really common for Mexicans to live with their parents until they get married and have a house of their own. Maribel also lives here, and she cooks and cleans for Rocío. I have to say, I don't really feel comfortable with that. I think it's because I'm not accustomed to having a maid. At school I do my own dishes, laundry, etc. and at home I help out. Maribel ironed my jeans, for goodness sakes! And I don't even get to scrape and rinse my plate after eating. 

I have my own room here, with a big closet and a huge desk and a good view of the garden. I'll post pictures of my room soon! The best thing about the house is that Rocío's son has a cat and the cat has a KITTEN! It is so tiny and so cute. I promise to post pictures of Kitten as well. So far I've eaten well. I've had a lot of ham, cheese, and agua de sabor, which is water flavored with fruits usually. Rocío keeps asking me if I like the food and I keep telling her yes-I love to eat and I'm not picky. I'm here to try new things and that definitely includes food. I can't wait to eat out because food is super cheap in some places. Today while walking near the BUAP I saw a sign advertising a chicken molé lunch for 25 pesos! That's about 2 dollars American! 

Today I went to the BUAP with the other program students to meet all of the monitores who will help us out, and to tour the Centro. La BUAP has several locations. Today I went to the School of Philosiphy and Letters, which houses Literature, History, Philosophy, and Psychology. It's conveniently located in the old colonial city center (el zócalo) and the buildings are from the 1600's. I'm going to take most of my classes there. Tomorrow we're going to Ciudad Unversitario, or CU. I'm going to take a class in International Relations at CU. I will be taking four classes. I know that I will take the IR class, Select themes: Modern-Day Latin America, and also a history class called Nahuatl about the Aztecs. 

Friday I get to tour Puebla, and Saturday I'm going to Cholula! So much excitement. Then classes start Monday...ew. 

Word of the Day: palomitas. It means popcorn! I like it because it's fun to say. In fact it may be my new favorite word in Spanish. 

Mexico City Day 4: Teotihuacán!

Today we went to Teotihuacán. The name Teotihuacán means "City of the Gods" and could also mean "City where the dead become Gods" in Nahuatl. When Aztecs discovered Teotihuacan was discovered around the 6th century it was almost totally abandoned. Archaeologists hypothesize that the Aztecs saw the enormous pyramids and thought that the people who built them must have been gods, or something like gods.  The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest pyramid in Central or South America, in terms of volume. The Pyramid of the Moon is slightly smaller, but still really impressive. The site is definitely one of the most amazing places I've ever been. I looked at the pyramids and was in awe of both their size, and the time and effort required to construct them. I can't even imagine believing in something enough to build a pyramid more than a thousand meters wide BY HAND. We climbed the Pyramid of the Sun and got a pretty good view of the valley. 

Pyramid of the Sun. As Billy Fucillo would say, "It's HUUUUUUUGE!"

Pyramid of the Moon.

Sarah and I on top of the Pyramid of the Sun!

The Pyramid of the Moon as seen from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

After Teotihuacán, we went to a local artisan's shop. He showed us how Mesoamericans used the maguey (scientific name is agave) plant. The plant exudes a juice used to make pulque, which can be further fermented and refined to make mezcal and tequila. But ancient peoples just drank pulque. The skin makes a durable paper, and the fibers are used to make cloth. The pointy tips of the leaves can be weapons or needles or writing implements. Maguey plants live about 15-25 years. 

Maguey plant! I like these a lot.

Then, the guide showed us different precious stones that can be found in Mexico. He had some beautiful specimens of obsidian, and jade, and turquoise. He carves obsidian right at his shop, so we got to see how obsidian figures are created. He even had xoloscuincles (pronounced show-low-squink-lace), those hairless dogs I mentioned in my last entry. I highly recommend a visit to his shop if ever you visit Teotihuacán. I don't recall the name but it's right down the road from the pyramids and it has beautiful obsidian figures out front. 

After Teotihuacán we had lunch at a restaurant in a cave, hence, it was named "La Gruta" which means "cave" in Spanish. The salsa was excellent! Thus far I love all the food I've eaten. 

Our last stop was the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico. It's Church Central. There were 5ish churches on the grounds. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a bigger deal the Benito Juarez. In the Basilica there is a moving sidewalk and all it does is take you underneath the fancy portrait of the Virgin so you can take pictures. I got on the moving sidewalk and wondered, "Where are we going now?" Why, to genuflect underneath Our Lady of Guadalupe, of course! 

The old Basilica.

I just packed up all my stuff because tomorrow we go to Puebla. I am excited but also pretty nervous to meet my host mother. I'm worried that we won't get along well because I won't be able to communicate with her in Spanish. I guess I'll just have to try my best. She has had students from my program in the past, so I'm sure everything will be OK. 

Word of the Day: Escaleras. It means stairs. There were manymany escaleras on the Pyramid of the Sun, and then more at the Basilica. In general here there are more escaleras and less elevators and escalators.