Ya la segunda semana?

Hey everyone,

So I'm going to try to be better about keeping this thing updated as of today. I can't believe that I'm already in my second week here. Time goes by soo fast, but at the same time it feels like I have been here forever. I've already has to say good bye to good friends, already have my "cafe", places I like to go dancing, foods I like to eat, etc.

Quick recap on whats been going on and then the posts from here on will be a little more insightful and interesting. Promise.

So I got here Friday the 16th late and basically just went home and crashed. I live with a Mexican host mom, John (a friend from GU), a guy that just got here from Michigan named Scott, and until this week two students from other parts of Mexico whom were so much fun, Luvic and Ivan. Its really different from my host family in Peru. There I had a second family where as here I basically just rent a room in a house. Its fun though too, just different. I'm enjoying it.

Saturday all the GU kids had to be at the university early to take placement exams and go through orientation. UNINTER, the university we study at is quite beautiful--lots of green, fountains everywhere, birds chirping, etc. Add that to the warm sunny weather and you can see why the idea of being in class from 8-2 or later makes it a little difficult to concentrate sometimes.
Saturday afternoon was spent exploring el centro (downtown) and el zôcalo (which is what they call the main plaza). It was pretty sweet and extremely packed with people compared to the calmer plazas I was used to in Peru. There are two squares right next to each other. In one they had stage and a concert and in the other vendors selling food, balloons etc. People were everywhere-- sitting on one of the many benches just enjoying the day, strolling along with their families or significant other, etc. There is always something going on culturally too. Indigenous people were dressed up in their traditional clothes, playing music and dancing, while just across the way another crowd of people was watching older couples do some kids of slow dance (too me it looked like a really slow rumba, but I'm not sure). Then to the side of that they had a huge big rainbow banner where people were demonstrating against homophobia. I thought this was especially cool considering Mexico is a pretty conservative country and so homosexuality is a pretty hush hush issue.

Sunday the GU group went with some other kids from the university to the pyramids of Teotihuacan. I'll post those pics later and talk about them, but basically it was a pretty awesome trip. Sitting on top of the pyramids and looking around you can't help but wonder what that place was like when it was alive and kicking.

Monday-Friday was pretty much spent in class, doing homework or walking around exploring the city. John (the other GU student I live with) and I have a pretty sweet setup because we live within walking distance of both the school (about 8 minutes) and the downtown (about twenty minutes) so we have been walking everywhere.
Classes are going really well. I don't know how much my spoken Spanish is actually improving, but I am learning a ton. I have idiomatic expressions which teaches me all those important phrases that don't make sense when translated literally. Very important for someone wanting to really learn a language. Then I have Hispanic literature with a really great professor. He's one of those guys that not only knows his stuff, but has a real passion for teaching as well. I never though I would like a literature class (I'm not the biggest lit fan), but this class is awesome. We have assigned text we read the night before and then the prof goes into depth with what techniques each author uses, what is the authors background, underlying message, what makes it uniquely latino and how it compares to text from different countries, etc. We have gone over one of my favorite poets, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (another writer I really like). Now I have so much more appreciation from them and definitley have a better understanding of what is going on behind and in between the words. Its great. And then finally I have my grammar class. My professor for this class is also very good, super sweet lady. I'm finally at the point where the grammar is nothing new, but rather the class just goes over the technical things which is something I still really need to work on.
So that is pretty much what school is like. After school I've been to a few dance classes on campus for salsa, merengue and bachata. Thursday night John and I met up with a group of kids from the university at Mambo Cafe which is a disco where they bring in a live band. Super fun, but there was zero room to move because it was so packed.

Friday was a friends bday and then the despedida (goodbye party) of Luvic ( the girl from Acapulco that lived in our house) so she, Ivan (the other guy from Acapulco that lived with us), John and I all went out dancing basically till we couldn't dance any longer and then made our way to our favorite taco joint "La Gringa" for some early morning grub before heading off to bed. Let me just say that Mexican food is delicious-what we have in the states, although I love that too, just does not compare.

Saturday I spent the day sleeping and then John, Ivan and I went down to the zocalo. For dinner we decided to go check out Luvics favorite restaurant where they serve pozole. Pozole is a soup that has chicken or pork, big pieces of corn and then you add avocado, onion, radishes, and lettuce on top--muy sabroso (very tasty).

Sunday the GU group went to Mexico City. We went to see some of Diego Rivera's murals which I really liked (again I'll get pics up soon). Then we went to the main zocalo, checked out the cathedral and the main temple (actually just the base of it because it was destroyed by the Spanish) where the Aztecs made their human sacrifices. It was pretty ironic standing on the far side of the remaining ruins of the temple and then seeing the cathedral in the background which was built using the stones the Spanish took from the destroyed pyramid. It was like in Peru where the Spanish partially knocked down the Incan temples and then built their churches on top of the them. Sunday we also went to el Museo de Antropologia (Anthropology Museum) which I guess its one of the best and/or biggest in the world? I forget exactly what the guide said, but from someone who doesn't really like museums I thought it was pretty sweet. I definitely learned a lot. We had a really good guide.
Ok so that was Sunday.

Monday John and I went out to a little Italian joint by our house and threw a despedida for Ivan who left for Acapulco on the next morning.

Yesterday the GU kids all met up downtown and went to the Robert Brady Museum which was awesome. Robert Brady was a American who didn't have to work a day in his life (rich father) so he spent all his time traveling around the world and collecting art. It just so happens that his travels took him to Cuernavaca, which he soon fell in love with and so decided to move to. The museum is his house, which in itself it amazing--beautiful architecture, completely open (thanks to the eternal spring weather Cuernavaca boasts all year long). Anyhoo, he decorated his house will all of the art he collected from his travels and when he died he told them to make it into a museum. We saw some Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and a bunch of other really cool pieces. It was sweet because the museum left everything the way Brady originally had it. It was basically like taking a tour of a really cool house rather than visiting a museum.

Alright folks, that's just a quick sum up of whats been going on here. I have to run to class, but I hope you all are doing wonderful. Miss you all.

Auntie J, I hope you are having a blast on your cruise!

Promise the other posts will be a little more insightful, I just wanted to catch you guys up on whats been going on.

I'm loving Cuernavaca and I am learning a ton about the history of Latin America and the Mexican culture.

Love you all!

Un besote,

Court.