Hello all!
I am transferring my travel bloggings over to wordpress. Please follow my next four month adventure in Santiago, Chile!
http://jchampeau.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Home again
The End
Thursday, July 31, 2009 10:03 AM
From every angle you look at it, this summer in Mexico was crazy amazingly cool! With all the uncertainty at the beginning with the swine flu outbreak and other stuff, it actually happened and it was so worth the planning, money and anticipation! This UF/UADY program was so great! The professors knew what they were doing and everything went perfectly.
My Spanish has improved 100%. I would almost say I’m fluent. Like, if there were someone who needed a translator or something, I would volunteer to do it. And I could for sure carry on a good conversation with someone who spoke no English. I mean, I’ve been doing it for about 2 meals a day all month!
The combination of people made everything really fun. The bond we had within ecology and the bond that everyone had was really great! Everyone was different and the same.
The last few days have been kind of nostalgic, as we do our last of everything and say goodbyes. I got all A’s. The classes weren’t really hard, because they would rather have us out exploring the city, experiencing everything, rather than locked in our houses studying.
Monday was a good time with Addison, Tuesday was a good time swimming at Allison’s with the group. Wednesday was a good time after class going to Paseo Montejo. Went again last night. We went to an all inclusive karaoke club called Cantina Mexico. Enough said. It was a lot of fun. Go big and go home.
Yesterday after the closing ceremony with the school where we got our completion certificates, we had one last baby excursion to Dzitza, the same place we went to for the first one. There was an art fair going on yesterday though. Then everyone went to lunch kind of for a last meal. It was sad saying goodbye to Roger and the Mexican boys. Abel made us all a video with music and pictures which was sweet. The Mexican kids told me I was their favorite UFer so my life is complete. It’s always strange to know you won’t see someone again, unless I travel to Merida someday.
Today we are going swimming again at Allison’s, our last time together here. And then at like 4 AM I have to get up to go to the airport. I don’t usually get sad until I’m in the airport, just past security, at that point where there is no turning back. It’s kind of different because we all go to UF so we can hang out if we want, but I will never see my host family or the Mexicans from class again, and I will miss them.
I’m looking forward to going back though. Back to comfort and familiarity. I feel comfort and find familiarity here, but still, it’s not home.
So, lesson learned… um… something I am coming away with that I didn’t know before, besides the obvious. This is difficult. I think I learned that a big reason why Christians are so full of joy, is because we have someone to be grateful to for every beautiful thing around us, mountains, beaches, relationships... Like, when you receive a gift, you act more excited about it than you would if you just bought it, or it was already there. But when you realize that something is given to you, and you are able to value the generosity in that gift, you appreciate everything more.
6:44 PM
Today was a good last day. It was the core: me, Allison, Laura, Addison, Clay, Joe, Heather, Sallie, Kiana and Keilani. We lounged in Allison’s pool and had lunch. I got a little sunburned, so tomorrow mom is going to assume I was burnt the entire time, but the truth is, it just happened today. After that we went to a mall, which was as nice as ones in Tampa and Orlando, and got gelato and walked around. Then, bused back. I’m pretty sure I spent every peso I had left. Haha. 12 hours from now I will be sitting on the plane.
It was sad to leave everyone. Most will be on the flight to Houston tomorrow, but Kiana and Addison, and Hoe are getting back different ways.
I took my key off my wallet when I got back. Just all of these last times, doing the public bus, unlocking the gate, showering. Last night was my last night in the hammock since I packed it up already.
Thursday, July 31, 2009 10:03 AM
From every angle you look at it, this summer in Mexico was crazy amazingly cool! With all the uncertainty at the beginning with the swine flu outbreak and other stuff, it actually happened and it was so worth the planning, money and anticipation! This UF/UADY program was so great! The professors knew what they were doing and everything went perfectly.
My Spanish has improved 100%. I would almost say I’m fluent. Like, if there were someone who needed a translator or something, I would volunteer to do it. And I could for sure carry on a good conversation with someone who spoke no English. I mean, I’ve been doing it for about 2 meals a day all month!
The combination of people made everything really fun. The bond we had within ecology and the bond that everyone had was really great! Everyone was different and the same.
The last few days have been kind of nostalgic, as we do our last of everything and say goodbyes. I got all A’s. The classes weren’t really hard, because they would rather have us out exploring the city, experiencing everything, rather than locked in our houses studying.
Monday was a good time with Addison, Tuesday was a good time swimming at Allison’s with the group. Wednesday was a good time after class going to Paseo Montejo. Went again last night. We went to an all inclusive karaoke club called Cantina Mexico. Enough said. It was a lot of fun. Go big and go home.
Yesterday after the closing ceremony with the school where we got our completion certificates, we had one last baby excursion to Dzitza, the same place we went to for the first one. There was an art fair going on yesterday though. Then everyone went to lunch kind of for a last meal. It was sad saying goodbye to Roger and the Mexican boys. Abel made us all a video with music and pictures which was sweet. The Mexican kids told me I was their favorite UFer so my life is complete. It’s always strange to know you won’t see someone again, unless I travel to Merida someday.
Today we are going swimming again at Allison’s, our last time together here. And then at like 4 AM I have to get up to go to the airport. I don’t usually get sad until I’m in the airport, just past security, at that point where there is no turning back. It’s kind of different because we all go to UF so we can hang out if we want, but I will never see my host family or the Mexicans from class again, and I will miss them.
I’m looking forward to going back though. Back to comfort and familiarity. I feel comfort and find familiarity here, but still, it’s not home.
So, lesson learned… um… something I am coming away with that I didn’t know before, besides the obvious. This is difficult. I think I learned that a big reason why Christians are so full of joy, is because we have someone to be grateful to for every beautiful thing around us, mountains, beaches, relationships... Like, when you receive a gift, you act more excited about it than you would if you just bought it, or it was already there. But when you realize that something is given to you, and you are able to value the generosity in that gift, you appreciate everything more.
6:44 PM
Today was a good last day. It was the core: me, Allison, Laura, Addison, Clay, Joe, Heather, Sallie, Kiana and Keilani. We lounged in Allison’s pool and had lunch. I got a little sunburned, so tomorrow mom is going to assume I was burnt the entire time, but the truth is, it just happened today. After that we went to a mall, which was as nice as ones in Tampa and Orlando, and got gelato and walked around. Then, bused back. I’m pretty sure I spent every peso I had left. Haha. 12 hours from now I will be sitting on the plane.
It was sad to leave everyone. Most will be on the flight to Houston tomorrow, but Kiana and Addison, and Hoe are getting back different ways.
I took my key off my wallet when I got back. Just all of these last times, doing the public bus, unlocking the gate, showering. Last night was my last night in the hammock since I packed it up already.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Grand Finale Excursion
Campeche and Chiapas Weekend
Sunday 7:50 PM July 26, 2009
This weekend consisted of a LOT of traveling. 3 hours in bus Thursday, 6 hours in bus Friday, 2 hours in bus Saturday, 9 hours in bus Sunday. Pretty intense. But it was worth it, because we got to see a lot of different landscapes that aren’t in the Yucatan. It was a rainforest, and the hills looked more like the sites of Dominican Republic, Jurassic parks scenes as I call them.
The most different part of this weekend was being with a huge group. The best part was being able to interact with different people, which was good especially since I had had enough of someone in ecology and had some time to be away and get cool together again. So I liked mixing with different people, but I didn’t like about it how groups form cliques and I tried to bounce around to all the different ones, but it wasn’t the usual bond of nine of us forced together. More people added to more interactions, and more drama to talk about which is entertaining. Everyone knows everything little thing that happens to every one here. It’s pretty fun.
I’ll go chronologically now, starting with Wednesday night. After class, for Joe’s birthday (well, there are two Joe’s. One I call Hoe and one I call Joe, but I am going to spell them the same so you are just going to have to be confused and guess which one I am talking about) and he wanted to go to El Gato Negro. So we did that which is an experience in itself. After that we went downtown and walked around and sat at a restaurant and went in the park again just chilling. And then some guys Joe knew from is host brother came up to us and invited us to a disco club. We a group of about 6 or so of us went to that. Bonded a lot with Heather, my fellow Lakelander, and got so much entertainment watching Clay dance, especially. Got home around 2. Slept. Got to the school by 7:30 for the trek.
Thursday first we went to Edzná ruins in Campeche. Typical ruins, we learned that in it’s day was equivalent to a huge city state like in Greece back around 600-900 AD. Even though I say typical ruins, every time we see a new site, I’m still in awe of how they built the massive pyramids back then! Of course we all joke that they had help from aliens like the legends say, but the Mayans were just so advanced for their time it’s amazing! It would be cool to see what they really looked liked thousands of years ago.
After that went to into the city of Campeche, in Campeche state, where we stayed that night. We had a really, really good lunch. I had a fish with shrimp inside, it was delicious! This was our last really great meal of the weekend, besides breakfasts. I guess feeding 40 is a lot more difficult than 15, so we had to eat a little less creatively.
The city of Campeche is a lot nicer than Merida! The sidewalks are all really nice, and the buildings look nicer, mostly just because they have underground wiring instead of seeing them crossing between all the buildings. I was really impressed with Campeche. We had the afternoon and evening off, so we walked to the gulf and looked at it, played in a playground, napped. At night it was raining, so we just ate pizza in the hotel. Then we had a cake for Joe’s birthday. After that we walked downtown some, but it was rainy, so we just played cards and talked and chilled in the hotel.
Friday morning we went to a museum in a fort in Campeche. It was kind of cool. Pretty St. Augustine-esque. We then drove three hours, had lunch at this sketchy place, where we also we blessed to eat at today for lunch. Both days I just had rice and beans. I was scared of everything else. After that lunch we drove for three more hours until we got to Palenque which is the state of Chiapas. This whole time we’ve been staying at these authentic Mexican hotels, but for our last time we stayed at Best Western. Ironic. Not exactly the same as American Best Westerns, but still, we were a little disappointed by the anticlimactic last hotel.
We walked to downtown Palenque, which is different than Merida in that it is really hilly, and you can see mountains all over the place! Jurassic Park look style. The people of Palenque were a lot less friendly than the ones in Merida, and I could tell that they looked different. The Mexican boys told me that they had different accents too. You could just tell that we were closer to Guatemala, and plus Chiapas used to be a part of Guatemala.
After roaming the city and a market, we swam in the pool for a little bit before dinner. I really enjoyed Friday night, because some of us sat outside, under a palm umbrella around a table, Clay (and sort of Keilani) strumming the guitar, and just playing cards and talking with Joe and Addison until midnight. That’s my favorite thing to do, just make conversation while someone messes with a guitar, outside. They are some of my favorite people here, because we are kind of more nerdy kind of cool than the others. I mean, everyone hear is nerdy, and every one is cool, but it was just a chill group that I liked being part of. Even though I honestly bounced to all the different groups. The cool girls, the goofy kids, the Mexican boys, all of us blending together… Mexico does not take the best friend whore quality out of me.
Saturday was the for sure the best day of the trip. Basically the only day that wasn’t a traveling day for the most part. We went to Palenque national park, which was the coolest ruins site we have been to I thought. First we went on a hike through the rainforest for a few hours. This area was so different because it was an actual rain forest, with tall trees, and streams and little waterfalls, and vines and everything! We even saw a Howler Monkey sitting in the tops of the trees! As we followed the path, we would see un-furbished, un-touched ruins, surrounded and over-grown by plants and trees. It felt like a book or TV show, hiking in the rainforest around and above undiscovered ruins!
It was really, really hot there. We saw this stream so I splashed my face with the fresh, cool water, and it got my shirt all wet, so I look like I was sweating more than I actually was. So I look like a pig in all the pictures I have from there, but just remember that I splashed water on myself, and it is not ALL sweat.
It was disappointing because we either took too much time hiking or didn’t leave enough time allotted to tour the ruins, so we pretty much ran through them, and they were the most cool, unique ones we had seen! Being built within the hills, and with mountains in the background! I really wish we had had more time to tour what could have been my favorite site.
After that we drove to a river called Misol Há. First we had lunch, I had some delicious shrimp kabobs. Then we walked down to one of the prettiest waterfalls I have ever seen! It was different than water falls I’ve seen in northern USA because of all the tropical plants around, and after the waterfall, it didn’t really flow, just sat in this little lake thing. We all jumped in and swam under the heavy power of the waterfall. It was so beautiful floating in the water, looking up at the waterfall and the sky, having to remind myself that I was really in it, it wasn’t just a postcard picture or something.
God’s creation is so amazingly, beautifully cool! You know how they say some people have their best experiences with God either through people, or song or church, or anything, well, I am for sure a naturalist. I think I have known this, but just being in nature, and seeing awesome landscapes and such just makes me appreciate the realness of God so much more!
Saturday evening we came back to the hotel, napped some, had dinner, and then it was really fun! Mark and Roger had gotten cake and a piñata for Allison and Joe’s birthday! We went outside and some took turns whacking at it. It was just as funny as it was in elementary school, when Roger would yank it up, and the person would hit into thin air. It was a good time. Later we walked downtown to celebrate Allison’s 20, and then we came back and played games and just hung out at the hotel. It was a good time, a good last night together.
Went to bed around 2:30, got up around 7. Lack of sleep was fine today, because it consisted of a 9 hour bus ride. Just stopped at the gross place for lunch and a few bathroom breaks. Today I had a lot of really good conversation, especially with Kiana and Joe. A lot of times in the bus we will just read or listen to iPods, but today I had a few good conversations, and some hilarious rounds of accordion stories.
Got back to an empty house around 6:30. Showered and stuff, and then la Señora came home and I ate and now I’m doing this, with just a tiny bit of Spanish homework to do.
So overall, good last excursion. I wouldn’t say that they saved the best for last, but it was different than the usual for sure. My favorite excursion might have been the Carribean one where we went snorkeling and to Tulum and Cobá. I also really liked caving. And I also really liked the baby turtles last week. This week we saw cool stuff too. IDK.
I keep saying that I’m actually retarded or something, so the world organized my life to be one big Make a Wish Foundation wish for me, without letting me know about it. I’m just so blessed to have been able to do this! I don’t want to leave! If we didn’t so such awesome excursions every week, it probably wouldn’t seem as amazing, but this whole Mexico thing has been the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve learned a lot about southern this area of Mexico, ecologically and culturally, I’ve gotten a lot more fluent in Spanish, I’ve gotten to know a ton of cool and interesting people, I’ve seen tons on Mayan ruins that I never even dreamed of, I’ve seen God in a lot of really cool ways, and I’ve learned about myself.
Looking back a few years ago, I would have never imagined that I would have spent a summer living in Mexico. Ever. It’s the best thing I could have done at this point in my life. Free from a job and other responsibilities. Practice for an entire semester of living abroad. Gaining a whole new perspective, not just of Mexico, but of everything.
We all say that we will have Mexico reunions and we will meet up for lunch together and stuff. But it will be interesting to see how our relationships translate over to the real world. I imagine keeping in touch with a few, but we’ll see what happens when our forced best friendships aren’t forced anymore.
Things to look forward to about being back:
No hot dogs for breakfast, brownies and cookies, air conditioning, knowing what is going on around me, being able to drive, having a phone, being able to exercise, being able to choose what I eat, getting back together with my “
real” friends, seeing the fam, the beach, Gainesville life.
I write way too much, I know. And I know I’m too wordy. oh well.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2921.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2977.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2987.jpg
Sunday 7:50 PM July 26, 2009
This weekend consisted of a LOT of traveling. 3 hours in bus Thursday, 6 hours in bus Friday, 2 hours in bus Saturday, 9 hours in bus Sunday. Pretty intense. But it was worth it, because we got to see a lot of different landscapes that aren’t in the Yucatan. It was a rainforest, and the hills looked more like the sites of Dominican Republic, Jurassic parks scenes as I call them.
The most different part of this weekend was being with a huge group. The best part was being able to interact with different people, which was good especially since I had had enough of someone in ecology and had some time to be away and get cool together again. So I liked mixing with different people, but I didn’t like about it how groups form cliques and I tried to bounce around to all the different ones, but it wasn’t the usual bond of nine of us forced together. More people added to more interactions, and more drama to talk about which is entertaining. Everyone knows everything little thing that happens to every one here. It’s pretty fun.
I’ll go chronologically now, starting with Wednesday night. After class, for Joe’s birthday (well, there are two Joe’s. One I call Hoe and one I call Joe, but I am going to spell them the same so you are just going to have to be confused and guess which one I am talking about) and he wanted to go to El Gato Negro. So we did that which is an experience in itself. After that we went downtown and walked around and sat at a restaurant and went in the park again just chilling. And then some guys Joe knew from is host brother came up to us and invited us to a disco club. We a group of about 6 or so of us went to that. Bonded a lot with Heather, my fellow Lakelander, and got so much entertainment watching Clay dance, especially. Got home around 2. Slept. Got to the school by 7:30 for the trek.
Thursday first we went to Edzná ruins in Campeche. Typical ruins, we learned that in it’s day was equivalent to a huge city state like in Greece back around 600-900 AD. Even though I say typical ruins, every time we see a new site, I’m still in awe of how they built the massive pyramids back then! Of course we all joke that they had help from aliens like the legends say, but the Mayans were just so advanced for their time it’s amazing! It would be cool to see what they really looked liked thousands of years ago.
After that went to into the city of Campeche, in Campeche state, where we stayed that night. We had a really, really good lunch. I had a fish with shrimp inside, it was delicious! This was our last really great meal of the weekend, besides breakfasts. I guess feeding 40 is a lot more difficult than 15, so we had to eat a little less creatively.
The city of Campeche is a lot nicer than Merida! The sidewalks are all really nice, and the buildings look nicer, mostly just because they have underground wiring instead of seeing them crossing between all the buildings. I was really impressed with Campeche. We had the afternoon and evening off, so we walked to the gulf and looked at it, played in a playground, napped. At night it was raining, so we just ate pizza in the hotel. Then we had a cake for Joe’s birthday. After that we walked downtown some, but it was rainy, so we just played cards and talked and chilled in the hotel.
Friday morning we went to a museum in a fort in Campeche. It was kind of cool. Pretty St. Augustine-esque. We then drove three hours, had lunch at this sketchy place, where we also we blessed to eat at today for lunch. Both days I just had rice and beans. I was scared of everything else. After that lunch we drove for three more hours until we got to Palenque which is the state of Chiapas. This whole time we’ve been staying at these authentic Mexican hotels, but for our last time we stayed at Best Western. Ironic. Not exactly the same as American Best Westerns, but still, we were a little disappointed by the anticlimactic last hotel.
We walked to downtown Palenque, which is different than Merida in that it is really hilly, and you can see mountains all over the place! Jurassic Park look style. The people of Palenque were a lot less friendly than the ones in Merida, and I could tell that they looked different. The Mexican boys told me that they had different accents too. You could just tell that we were closer to Guatemala, and plus Chiapas used to be a part of Guatemala.
After roaming the city and a market, we swam in the pool for a little bit before dinner. I really enjoyed Friday night, because some of us sat outside, under a palm umbrella around a table, Clay (and sort of Keilani) strumming the guitar, and just playing cards and talking with Joe and Addison until midnight. That’s my favorite thing to do, just make conversation while someone messes with a guitar, outside. They are some of my favorite people here, because we are kind of more nerdy kind of cool than the others. I mean, everyone hear is nerdy, and every one is cool, but it was just a chill group that I liked being part of. Even though I honestly bounced to all the different groups. The cool girls, the goofy kids, the Mexican boys, all of us blending together… Mexico does not take the best friend whore quality out of me.
Saturday was the for sure the best day of the trip. Basically the only day that wasn’t a traveling day for the most part. We went to Palenque national park, which was the coolest ruins site we have been to I thought. First we went on a hike through the rainforest for a few hours. This area was so different because it was an actual rain forest, with tall trees, and streams and little waterfalls, and vines and everything! We even saw a Howler Monkey sitting in the tops of the trees! As we followed the path, we would see un-furbished, un-touched ruins, surrounded and over-grown by plants and trees. It felt like a book or TV show, hiking in the rainforest around and above undiscovered ruins!
It was really, really hot there. We saw this stream so I splashed my face with the fresh, cool water, and it got my shirt all wet, so I look like I was sweating more than I actually was. So I look like a pig in all the pictures I have from there, but just remember that I splashed water on myself, and it is not ALL sweat.
It was disappointing because we either took too much time hiking or didn’t leave enough time allotted to tour the ruins, so we pretty much ran through them, and they were the most cool, unique ones we had seen! Being built within the hills, and with mountains in the background! I really wish we had had more time to tour what could have been my favorite site.
After that we drove to a river called Misol Há. First we had lunch, I had some delicious shrimp kabobs. Then we walked down to one of the prettiest waterfalls I have ever seen! It was different than water falls I’ve seen in northern USA because of all the tropical plants around, and after the waterfall, it didn’t really flow, just sat in this little lake thing. We all jumped in and swam under the heavy power of the waterfall. It was so beautiful floating in the water, looking up at the waterfall and the sky, having to remind myself that I was really in it, it wasn’t just a postcard picture or something.
God’s creation is so amazingly, beautifully cool! You know how they say some people have their best experiences with God either through people, or song or church, or anything, well, I am for sure a naturalist. I think I have known this, but just being in nature, and seeing awesome landscapes and such just makes me appreciate the realness of God so much more!
Saturday evening we came back to the hotel, napped some, had dinner, and then it was really fun! Mark and Roger had gotten cake and a piñata for Allison and Joe’s birthday! We went outside and some took turns whacking at it. It was just as funny as it was in elementary school, when Roger would yank it up, and the person would hit into thin air. It was a good time. Later we walked downtown to celebrate Allison’s 20, and then we came back and played games and just hung out at the hotel. It was a good time, a good last night together.
Went to bed around 2:30, got up around 7. Lack of sleep was fine today, because it consisted of a 9 hour bus ride. Just stopped at the gross place for lunch and a few bathroom breaks. Today I had a lot of really good conversation, especially with Kiana and Joe. A lot of times in the bus we will just read or listen to iPods, but today I had a few good conversations, and some hilarious rounds of accordion stories.
Got back to an empty house around 6:30. Showered and stuff, and then la Señora came home and I ate and now I’m doing this, with just a tiny bit of Spanish homework to do.
So overall, good last excursion. I wouldn’t say that they saved the best for last, but it was different than the usual for sure. My favorite excursion might have been the Carribean one where we went snorkeling and to Tulum and Cobá. I also really liked caving. And I also really liked the baby turtles last week. This week we saw cool stuff too. IDK.
I keep saying that I’m actually retarded or something, so the world organized my life to be one big Make a Wish Foundation wish for me, without letting me know about it. I’m just so blessed to have been able to do this! I don’t want to leave! If we didn’t so such awesome excursions every week, it probably wouldn’t seem as amazing, but this whole Mexico thing has been the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve learned a lot about southern this area of Mexico, ecologically and culturally, I’ve gotten a lot more fluent in Spanish, I’ve gotten to know a ton of cool and interesting people, I’ve seen tons on Mayan ruins that I never even dreamed of, I’ve seen God in a lot of really cool ways, and I’ve learned about myself.
Looking back a few years ago, I would have never imagined that I would have spent a summer living in Mexico. Ever. It’s the best thing I could have done at this point in my life. Free from a job and other responsibilities. Practice for an entire semester of living abroad. Gaining a whole new perspective, not just of Mexico, but of everything.
We all say that we will have Mexico reunions and we will meet up for lunch together and stuff. But it will be interesting to see how our relationships translate over to the real world. I imagine keeping in touch with a few, but we’ll see what happens when our forced best friendships aren’t forced anymore.
Things to look forward to about being back:
No hot dogs for breakfast, brownies and cookies, air conditioning, knowing what is going on around me, being able to drive, having a phone, being able to exercise, being able to choose what I eat, getting back together with my “
real” friends, seeing the fam, the beach, Gainesville life.
I write way too much, I know. And I know I’m too wordy. oh well.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2921.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2977.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2987.jpg
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bdays
Tuesday July 21, 2009 2:18 PM
Right now I’m in the lovely abode of Allison as tonight is her birthday party combined with Joe and another girl that lives at her house.
I’m on the fastest internet I’ve been on since I’ve been in this country and it’s amazing!
Last night we finally did El Gato Negro after Clay had been talking about it for days. Joe wants to go again tomorrow for his birthday. It is very hole in the wall and economical.
This morning Mark took us all to the market. It was very hot. But we saw a lot of authentic mexico. Chops of dead fish and sharks, Heads of pigs and cows, entire stomach systems of cows, all just hanging on hook. Butchers chopping up huge slabs of meet and blood on the floor. Very legit. Also there were a million types of fruits and vegetables.
Class was lame. All of the other classes got cancelled.
But right now I’m happy because I’m just chilling at Allison’s house, swimming soon, bday party later. Tomorrow after class will be birthday happenings for Joe (Ho), and then Thursday to Sunday will be our last excursion to Palenque. It should be a good time. They say it is more rainforesty there with waterfalls and rivers and stuff. It’s a nine hour drive each way and we are sharing a big bus with Anthro so it will be a crowd.
After getting back, just three days of classes and then just tying up the loose ends. ☹
Monday, July 20, 2009
Rio Lagartos and Harry Potter
Domingo 19 de Julio 2009 11:15 AM
The Rio Largartos trip started off when we got picked up by good ol’ trusty “El Indo,” the small, intimate, bonding time van. Indian stickers on the back window and all. We were fine with it though, personal space is so over-rated.
We headed north east, and our first stop was about two or three hours away. We went to some ruins called Xcambó, pronounce Champeau. So I felt like home at the Mayan ruins of my ancestors.
After that we pulled over to the side of the road somewhere, where there was a little store where we got fresh coconut juice. They just chopped off the top and put a straw in it! For some more hours we drove around, stopping at different fishing towns and abandoned places from previous hurricanes.
The next stop, we went to “Peten Tucha.” This was the first place where we all seriously questions Mark’s site selection. He told us we were going to make a death march, but this was not the first time, so we figured we would survive. It used to be a place with a trail to a lake with crocodiles, and a observation tower and descriptive nature signs and rustic wooden bridges. Now it was an extremely overgrown bushwhacking/army-craw through starved mosquito territory to a observation tower with flesh eating ants and a lake with one croc in it. We ran out like this summer in Minnesota where there was that promised “moose sighting.” We all made it out, barely alive, with only a few scratches from crawling, and a few ounces of blood left.
One thing about this region of the peninsula is that it’s a really big salt mining place. So Fransisco pulled over El Indio and we climbed passed these no trespassing signs and saw the huge mounds of salt, and the pink water where it is harvested. It looked just like snow.
Next we went to a sea turtle conservation place where we watched two guys, one of them being Santiago, the future husband of me, Laura and Allison, since Roger (Row-hair) is too old. Anyways Santiago and the other guy digging and pulling out hatched turtle eggs and putting all the baby turtles in a crate to be released tonight. It was just like a Reading Rainbow episode the whole time! They find the mother turtles laying eggs at night, pull out the eggs, put them in a safe place from animals until they are ready to hatch, and then release them. The baby turtles we soooo cute crawling all over each other!
After that we went to the beach until after sunset, when we were going to be able to release the baby turtles!! For real! With our own hands! My favorite part about that was making friends with an eleven year old girl and thirteen year old boy. They both lived on the beach over summer and it was so fun talking to them in Spanish! They were just so friendly, and they helped us release the baby turtles too.
So next for the NEW coolest thing ever. Right after sunset, they gave us each two baby turtles and we set them down in the sand and watched them crawl into the water. Sure, statistics say that only one out of 400 survive until adulthood, but it was still so cool to feel like we were starting out their big lifelong adventure! They were so cute crawling in our hands and stuff!
After that we had dinner at this restaurant on the water. I had fish with shrimp inside. It was delicious!
So all in all, Thursday started out as a mean day, but in the end, we all were nice to each other, and bonded a lot. How great… we get to know and love each other more and more until it’s time to leave each other. Next week, the last trip, is a long, far trip with anthropology too, so we were all nostalgic because this was our last excursion together as “ecology,” which is so much better than anthro. I think we get along so well, because our group is too small to make cliques and stuff, so we are all each other’s best friends here.
Our two nights this weekend were at a clean hotel, which was only $40 USD a night, score! I slept AMAZINGLY while we were there in the wonderful air conditioning and soft bed! Thursday was a lot of time in El Indio.
Friday might have been our coolest day ever, but I say that for everything. But really, we did a lot of stuff this weekend that I would have never had the opportunity to do! We got up early, and were in boats around 7:30. We road around the whole Rio Lagartos all morning. First thing we did was go fishing off the side of the boat, I caught a fish too! All we caught was barracuda, but I don’t think I had ever caught one before, so I was still super excited over catching a fish!
We saw even more, and closer Flamingos than in Celestún! They just look so interesting when they stand and fly and eat and everything!
Cool thing number one for that day was swimming (illegally) in the hyper saline waters of the salt mines. It was just like people say in the dead sea and other places, you just float at the top without even trying! It was really cool!
Number two, right after getting out of the salt water, the guides started digging in the white clay to a certain depth and then started smothering us in the clay! We all covered ourselves/eachother all over, in our hair, faces… we were COVERED, until we were white clay monsters! I don’t have any pictures on my camera from that, but I will debo them from others. It was like an episode of Survivor I remember seeing when I was in like fifth grade, we were all totally white!! I remember seeing that on TV when I was a kid and thinking it looked so fun, and now we were really doing it! It was so fun!
Then we had to ride probably twenty minutes in the boat until we got to the most pure beach! We all jumped in the water and the clay dissolved from our bodies, although my hair still feels a little like straw. There was a boat near us and we went over and they had caught a GIANT nurse shark! I touched it, but Kyle still beats me about the swimming with them, even though I would have freaked out if I had to do that. This would be a good time to rub something in Kyle’s face, to the public. Two words, AP score. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
While we were swimming the guides made extremely fresh Ceviche (spelling?), from the barracuda we had caught that morning, fresh lime, tomatoes and avocado. We ate the ceviche with chips on the beach, and then got back in the boat.
Then we drove to a spring called Chiquilá for lunch. At one point Carlos and I swam over to the boiling part and suddenly brown, gross, sulfur smelling nasty squirted up and the water turned brown. Oops?
After lunch at the spring, we drove back to the hotel to shower and rest since we were going turtle hunting at night. I took a shower, and passed out in bed for three whole hours. It was amazing. The guys all walked around town some and stuff during the break, but us girls were so sleepy, we didn’t even hear when they knocked to invite us!
We went to dinner at yet another sea side place. I had shrimp. We got ice cream. Then we drove to the turtle reserve place where Santiago gave us a presentation about turtles. At this time it was just 10, and the turtle egg laying wouldn’t start until 11, so we all walked down to a little carnival thing happening in the little town. Sketchy carnival rides are only amplified in Mexico. We just looked at things and had a Coke, and then I bought a pirated “My Sister’s Keeper” DVD. We’ll see if it works, or if it has some sketchy thing on it. It was just $25 pesos, and I disliked the book, so if the movie doesn’t work, it will be OK.
We went back towards the beach. Allison got to do the coolest thing of riding on the four wheeler with Santiago on the beach, finding a turtle, while the rest of us rode in the van, along the road until they called that they had found one. We couldn’t have the head lights on in the car because it would mess up the turtles, we drove with just the flashers on, really slow.
So they found a turtle and we walked blindly to the beach. The stars were insane! There was no moon out, and we could see more stars than I have ever seen in my life, it was awesome! So we found a turtle, but we couldn’t take pictures or turn on flashlights until the turtle started actually laying the eggs, so we would mess her up. It was like National Geographic or something, graphically seeing the eggs plop out of the turtle. It was so cool, and I had never seen that before. When we saw the Turtle as Akumal, there were a lot of people, so we only got to see the turtle digging her hole, but this time we saw the whole thing! After she covered the hole back, Santiago, took out, and counted the eggs, so they could move them to the safe growing place, away from other animals. Then we watched the turtle crawl back into the water. It was really, really cool.
That night we got back to the hotel around 2 AM, and I slept like a rock. The next day we drove a few hours to an archaeological site called Ekbalam. We saw an extremely cute litter of puppies in one of the buildings, and climbed to the top of a pyramid. The coolest thing was that from the top, we could see Chitchén Itzá in the distance.
Then we went to a cute city called Izamal. We had lunch at a nice place, and walked around the city and saw a big famous cathedral. The pope had spoken there before, so that was a cool fun fact. It was nothing compared to the huge insane cathedrals I saw in St. Petersburg last year, but it was still impressive, with a modest, Mexican touch, instead of the enormous Russian glamour.
After that we drove a few hours back to Merida. When we got back, we all (besides Adan), walked to the movies and saw the new Harry Potter. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. We weren’t cool enough to where our graduation robes though. It was a good movie, but some parts were a little difficult to stay awake through after spending all day in the sun and in the car.
After that, I had to help Laura get home, since she was helpless with no money and no bus or something. I was annoyed because I just wanted to go home, but I stayed with her until we got a taxi back.
I slept so well in my hammock last night! I woke up this morning around 10ish. The maid (who I think I’ve have learned her name to be Arelli or something), had made me a hot dog. My. Favorite. Psych. Unless I request something different, that is the default breakfast she gives me. A hot dog on a bun with onions, mustard and catsup. I asked Abel and Carlos if this was a Mexican thing or something and they thought it sounded crazy. Oh well, I just keep eating them for breakfast. I haven’t died yet.
This afternoon we are all supposed to go the US consulate’s house for a party. So I will do that around 4. Before then this afternoon, I’ll just do homework for tomorrow I guess.
Last night I had a dream that I went to another Mormon prom. I just remember LOVING the dress that I wore! All the other nights here, I have dreams about the people here. Like one two nights ago, where I was sick, so Mark took me to a doctor and we had to wait in a long line, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I forgot what was wrong with me so I just made something up.
Even though we still have two weeks left, it sounds like a long time, but it feels like it’s the very end, just because we only have on trip left, and six days of class. It will be different since the anthros will be there too.
Two in our group have birthdays next week. Joe’s 23rd on Thursday and Allison’s 20th on Sunday, so Tuesday Allison’s mom is throwing a birthday party for them, and another girl that lives at Allison’s house.
10:54 PM
The party at the consulate’s was pretty much what I expected. There was an air conditioned house, and a pool, and food, and us. As we pulled up, we imagined that this was where the drug lords live since the houses were huge with big fences around them. I didn’t eat. Because Arelli had given me the exact same thing for lunch –Puuc Chuc. Which is pork tacos. But it was nice to dip my feet in the pool, and sit in some A/C. And other than that it was just the usual us, sitting around, conversing about nothing.
After the party, some of us went down town. The Ecos minus Joe plus Curly Joe and Keilani. We just hung out downtown for a little bit. The bus ride back was different. I think since it’s Sunday or something, the line for my bus was really long! Usually, there are a few on the street waiting. Well, I didn’t mind standing on the bus so I crammed into it, like I was in Mexico or something. Eventually some seats cleared out and I sat down next to this 40 year old guy holding a 3 year old boy who looked like he was six or seven. The guy was speaking really fast and slurred together and kept asking me questions I didn’t understand. At least he was friendly I guess? He asked if I was Yucatan, which every time I’m asked that it means, “you are the first white person I have ever seen on a city bus. What are you doing here?”
Today at lunch la Señora told me that my Spanish skills were “bastante.” I took this as a complement even though I wasn’t advanced enough to know what bastante meant. So I looked it up in the dictionary and it means “enough.” I can deal with that. I thought that the word bastante sounded cool though, so I sung it for the rest of the afternoon.
Remember how I predicted I would lose weight at the beginning, well, now, even though I have no idea if I have shrunk or expanded, I have for sure gained an appetite for the food here. Well, corn tortillas are too much for me when they are offered at every single meal, but I just eat more, and I guess I’m not scared of the food like I was at the beginning. Also here, they rarely drink water, it’s always sugary fruity drinks and stuff, which secretly means calories one forgets about.
I just tested out the DVD I got in that town. It’s what I expected. A video screen filmed in English with Spanish subtitles. Something I could easily find online, but it works. And it didn’t explode my computer.
I sometimes dislike a person here but I shouldn’t write about it online. I just had to get that off my chest.
I’ll go hit the hammock now. Buena noche.
Lunes 20 de Julio 2009 9:10 am
Usually when I go downstairs for breakfast, it is just me, or just me and Arelli, or just me and Arelli and la Señora. But today, there were six extra people there. All of the family, talking about where to take their vacation I think. It was kind of overwhelming. Especially since my mind doesn’t think in Spanish until I’ve been up for a while.
The pictures are of flamingos, baby turtles, and the mother turtle.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2825.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2838.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2852.jpg
The Rio Largartos trip started off when we got picked up by good ol’ trusty “El Indo,” the small, intimate, bonding time van. Indian stickers on the back window and all. We were fine with it though, personal space is so over-rated.
We headed north east, and our first stop was about two or three hours away. We went to some ruins called Xcambó, pronounce Champeau. So I felt like home at the Mayan ruins of my ancestors.
After that we pulled over to the side of the road somewhere, where there was a little store where we got fresh coconut juice. They just chopped off the top and put a straw in it! For some more hours we drove around, stopping at different fishing towns and abandoned places from previous hurricanes.
The next stop, we went to “Peten Tucha.” This was the first place where we all seriously questions Mark’s site selection. He told us we were going to make a death march, but this was not the first time, so we figured we would survive. It used to be a place with a trail to a lake with crocodiles, and a observation tower and descriptive nature signs and rustic wooden bridges. Now it was an extremely overgrown bushwhacking/army-craw through starved mosquito territory to a observation tower with flesh eating ants and a lake with one croc in it. We ran out like this summer in Minnesota where there was that promised “moose sighting.” We all made it out, barely alive, with only a few scratches from crawling, and a few ounces of blood left.
One thing about this region of the peninsula is that it’s a really big salt mining place. So Fransisco pulled over El Indio and we climbed passed these no trespassing signs and saw the huge mounds of salt, and the pink water where it is harvested. It looked just like snow.
Next we went to a sea turtle conservation place where we watched two guys, one of them being Santiago, the future husband of me, Laura and Allison, since Roger (Row-hair) is too old. Anyways Santiago and the other guy digging and pulling out hatched turtle eggs and putting all the baby turtles in a crate to be released tonight. It was just like a Reading Rainbow episode the whole time! They find the mother turtles laying eggs at night, pull out the eggs, put them in a safe place from animals until they are ready to hatch, and then release them. The baby turtles we soooo cute crawling all over each other!
After that we went to the beach until after sunset, when we were going to be able to release the baby turtles!! For real! With our own hands! My favorite part about that was making friends with an eleven year old girl and thirteen year old boy. They both lived on the beach over summer and it was so fun talking to them in Spanish! They were just so friendly, and they helped us release the baby turtles too.
So next for the NEW coolest thing ever. Right after sunset, they gave us each two baby turtles and we set them down in the sand and watched them crawl into the water. Sure, statistics say that only one out of 400 survive until adulthood, but it was still so cool to feel like we were starting out their big lifelong adventure! They were so cute crawling in our hands and stuff!
After that we had dinner at this restaurant on the water. I had fish with shrimp inside. It was delicious!
So all in all, Thursday started out as a mean day, but in the end, we all were nice to each other, and bonded a lot. How great… we get to know and love each other more and more until it’s time to leave each other. Next week, the last trip, is a long, far trip with anthropology too, so we were all nostalgic because this was our last excursion together as “ecology,” which is so much better than anthro. I think we get along so well, because our group is too small to make cliques and stuff, so we are all each other’s best friends here.
Our two nights this weekend were at a clean hotel, which was only $40 USD a night, score! I slept AMAZINGLY while we were there in the wonderful air conditioning and soft bed! Thursday was a lot of time in El Indio.
Friday might have been our coolest day ever, but I say that for everything. But really, we did a lot of stuff this weekend that I would have never had the opportunity to do! We got up early, and were in boats around 7:30. We road around the whole Rio Lagartos all morning. First thing we did was go fishing off the side of the boat, I caught a fish too! All we caught was barracuda, but I don’t think I had ever caught one before, so I was still super excited over catching a fish!
We saw even more, and closer Flamingos than in Celestún! They just look so interesting when they stand and fly and eat and everything!
Cool thing number one for that day was swimming (illegally) in the hyper saline waters of the salt mines. It was just like people say in the dead sea and other places, you just float at the top without even trying! It was really cool!
Number two, right after getting out of the salt water, the guides started digging in the white clay to a certain depth and then started smothering us in the clay! We all covered ourselves/eachother all over, in our hair, faces… we were COVERED, until we were white clay monsters! I don’t have any pictures on my camera from that, but I will debo them from others. It was like an episode of Survivor I remember seeing when I was in like fifth grade, we were all totally white!! I remember seeing that on TV when I was a kid and thinking it looked so fun, and now we were really doing it! It was so fun!
Then we had to ride probably twenty minutes in the boat until we got to the most pure beach! We all jumped in the water and the clay dissolved from our bodies, although my hair still feels a little like straw. There was a boat near us and we went over and they had caught a GIANT nurse shark! I touched it, but Kyle still beats me about the swimming with them, even though I would have freaked out if I had to do that. This would be a good time to rub something in Kyle’s face, to the public. Two words, AP score. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
While we were swimming the guides made extremely fresh Ceviche (spelling?), from the barracuda we had caught that morning, fresh lime, tomatoes and avocado. We ate the ceviche with chips on the beach, and then got back in the boat.
Then we drove to a spring called Chiquilá for lunch. At one point Carlos and I swam over to the boiling part and suddenly brown, gross, sulfur smelling nasty squirted up and the water turned brown. Oops?
After lunch at the spring, we drove back to the hotel to shower and rest since we were going turtle hunting at night. I took a shower, and passed out in bed for three whole hours. It was amazing. The guys all walked around town some and stuff during the break, but us girls were so sleepy, we didn’t even hear when they knocked to invite us!
We went to dinner at yet another sea side place. I had shrimp. We got ice cream. Then we drove to the turtle reserve place where Santiago gave us a presentation about turtles. At this time it was just 10, and the turtle egg laying wouldn’t start until 11, so we all walked down to a little carnival thing happening in the little town. Sketchy carnival rides are only amplified in Mexico. We just looked at things and had a Coke, and then I bought a pirated “My Sister’s Keeper” DVD. We’ll see if it works, or if it has some sketchy thing on it. It was just $25 pesos, and I disliked the book, so if the movie doesn’t work, it will be OK.
We went back towards the beach. Allison got to do the coolest thing of riding on the four wheeler with Santiago on the beach, finding a turtle, while the rest of us rode in the van, along the road until they called that they had found one. We couldn’t have the head lights on in the car because it would mess up the turtles, we drove with just the flashers on, really slow.
So they found a turtle and we walked blindly to the beach. The stars were insane! There was no moon out, and we could see more stars than I have ever seen in my life, it was awesome! So we found a turtle, but we couldn’t take pictures or turn on flashlights until the turtle started actually laying the eggs, so we would mess her up. It was like National Geographic or something, graphically seeing the eggs plop out of the turtle. It was so cool, and I had never seen that before. When we saw the Turtle as Akumal, there were a lot of people, so we only got to see the turtle digging her hole, but this time we saw the whole thing! After she covered the hole back, Santiago, took out, and counted the eggs, so they could move them to the safe growing place, away from other animals. Then we watched the turtle crawl back into the water. It was really, really cool.
That night we got back to the hotel around 2 AM, and I slept like a rock. The next day we drove a few hours to an archaeological site called Ekbalam. We saw an extremely cute litter of puppies in one of the buildings, and climbed to the top of a pyramid. The coolest thing was that from the top, we could see Chitchén Itzá in the distance.
Then we went to a cute city called Izamal. We had lunch at a nice place, and walked around the city and saw a big famous cathedral. The pope had spoken there before, so that was a cool fun fact. It was nothing compared to the huge insane cathedrals I saw in St. Petersburg last year, but it was still impressive, with a modest, Mexican touch, instead of the enormous Russian glamour.
After that we drove a few hours back to Merida. When we got back, we all (besides Adan), walked to the movies and saw the new Harry Potter. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. We weren’t cool enough to where our graduation robes though. It was a good movie, but some parts were a little difficult to stay awake through after spending all day in the sun and in the car.
After that, I had to help Laura get home, since she was helpless with no money and no bus or something. I was annoyed because I just wanted to go home, but I stayed with her until we got a taxi back.
I slept so well in my hammock last night! I woke up this morning around 10ish. The maid (who I think I’ve have learned her name to be Arelli or something), had made me a hot dog. My. Favorite. Psych. Unless I request something different, that is the default breakfast she gives me. A hot dog on a bun with onions, mustard and catsup. I asked Abel and Carlos if this was a Mexican thing or something and they thought it sounded crazy. Oh well, I just keep eating them for breakfast. I haven’t died yet.
This afternoon we are all supposed to go the US consulate’s house for a party. So I will do that around 4. Before then this afternoon, I’ll just do homework for tomorrow I guess.
Last night I had a dream that I went to another Mormon prom. I just remember LOVING the dress that I wore! All the other nights here, I have dreams about the people here. Like one two nights ago, where I was sick, so Mark took me to a doctor and we had to wait in a long line, and by the time I got to the front of the line, I forgot what was wrong with me so I just made something up.
Even though we still have two weeks left, it sounds like a long time, but it feels like it’s the very end, just because we only have on trip left, and six days of class. It will be different since the anthros will be there too.
Two in our group have birthdays next week. Joe’s 23rd on Thursday and Allison’s 20th on Sunday, so Tuesday Allison’s mom is throwing a birthday party for them, and another girl that lives at Allison’s house.
10:54 PM
The party at the consulate’s was pretty much what I expected. There was an air conditioned house, and a pool, and food, and us. As we pulled up, we imagined that this was where the drug lords live since the houses were huge with big fences around them. I didn’t eat. Because Arelli had given me the exact same thing for lunch –Puuc Chuc. Which is pork tacos. But it was nice to dip my feet in the pool, and sit in some A/C. And other than that it was just the usual us, sitting around, conversing about nothing.
After the party, some of us went down town. The Ecos minus Joe plus Curly Joe and Keilani. We just hung out downtown for a little bit. The bus ride back was different. I think since it’s Sunday or something, the line for my bus was really long! Usually, there are a few on the street waiting. Well, I didn’t mind standing on the bus so I crammed into it, like I was in Mexico or something. Eventually some seats cleared out and I sat down next to this 40 year old guy holding a 3 year old boy who looked like he was six or seven. The guy was speaking really fast and slurred together and kept asking me questions I didn’t understand. At least he was friendly I guess? He asked if I was Yucatan, which every time I’m asked that it means, “you are the first white person I have ever seen on a city bus. What are you doing here?”
Today at lunch la Señora told me that my Spanish skills were “bastante.” I took this as a complement even though I wasn’t advanced enough to know what bastante meant. So I looked it up in the dictionary and it means “enough.” I can deal with that. I thought that the word bastante sounded cool though, so I sung it for the rest of the afternoon.
Remember how I predicted I would lose weight at the beginning, well, now, even though I have no idea if I have shrunk or expanded, I have for sure gained an appetite for the food here. Well, corn tortillas are too much for me when they are offered at every single meal, but I just eat more, and I guess I’m not scared of the food like I was at the beginning. Also here, they rarely drink water, it’s always sugary fruity drinks and stuff, which secretly means calories one forgets about.
I just tested out the DVD I got in that town. It’s what I expected. A video screen filmed in English with Spanish subtitles. Something I could easily find online, but it works. And it didn’t explode my computer.
I sometimes dislike a person here but I shouldn’t write about it online. I just had to get that off my chest.
I’ll go hit the hammock now. Buena noche.
Lunes 20 de Julio 2009 9:10 am
Usually when I go downstairs for breakfast, it is just me, or just me and Arelli, or just me and Arelli and la Señora. But today, there were six extra people there. All of the family, talking about where to take their vacation I think. It was kind of overwhelming. Especially since my mind doesn’t think in Spanish until I’ve been up for a while.
The pictures are of flamingos, baby turtles, and the mother turtle.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2825.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2838.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c261/jcsmartblonde/IMG_2852.jpg
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
Lunes 13 de Julio, 2009 9:58 PM
I don’t think that I have discussed the topic of the stature of the people here. They are all midgets. It would be pointless for them to watch Little People Big World, because they are all little people in a little world. And it’s not even how they are now, when we walk through the Mayan ruins, all of the entryways and tunnels are made for someone who is probably 4’ 10”. Even I, at 5’5” feel like I look down to everyone, including the men. The guys here who are over six feet must feel like freaks of nature.
That was just something I wanted to point out from dwarf land.
Nothing exciting about today. Spanish class. Home. Lunch. Nap. Eco class. Shop. Home. Now I have homework and sleeping. Such a strenuous life.
I’ve been thinking already about studying abroad again! I know, live in the moment, but I’ve just been thinking about it! I think Argentina would be sweet, but I don’t really want to live in a city like Buenos Aires. It’s way too intimidating. Another girl here was talking about how she’s thinking of going to Panama in the spring with FSU. I’ve looked at all the programs. I think I just need to talk with the advisor about experiences he has heard about with the different groups. I kind of picture myself going to Costa Rica, but it feels kind of cliché. I like the ideas of Chile and Argentina, but Costa Rica or Panama seem more conventional. And then there are the others like Peru and Ecuador and stuff. Any suggestions? To go in January, I have to be thinking now so I can apply in the fall!
I’m so beyond grateful to be able to study abroad. Not only once, but hopefully twice! This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I recommend studying abroad to everyone, it’s the best thing to do, ever. Just do it. Nike.
Thanks for the props on the pictures. There will be hundreds to come whenever I have better internet, and time, which may very well be when I’m back in Florida.
Martes 14 de Julio, 2009 4:50 PM
This morning before school, the maid told me that some guy who used to live with them was going to come over for lunch. I thought, “oh, cool! I’ll get to talk to some other kid in my house, sweet.” Well, he and his fiancé were weird and old and boring. He was learning Mayan and taught 7th grade Spanish, so I was scared to speak in front of him because I thought he was correcting in his head every word I say. It’s strange how I get so self conscious speaking Spanish in front of English speakers, but with the people who don’t know English, I just talk away.
I got up from a 1.5 hour nap. So sweet. I’ll probably study some for Spanish and hopefully someone will call me to do something tonight.
Tomorrow is ROSALYN’s birthday! I’m very excited about that even though she is in Bartow and I am here. So, if you even read this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
This weekend we will be going to Rio Lagartos. I don’t really know what that entails. It’s just three days. It’s our last trip, just as ecology, because the next week everyone is going together to the south. That will be an 8 hour drive. We were talking about movies we need to rent for the drive like Little Princess and stuff. It was so funny having a whole long conversation about that movie a few days back. I’m so scared that I can see the end in 2 weeks and 1 day! But no countdowns. Just think about each day and when it comes it will come.
One thing to look forward to when I get back is getting a new cell phone! It will be weird to be home for a whole week without Kyle around. And then we will go to the beach for a few days, and then back to school. Real school. The kind where I’m stressed and studying all the time. Blahhhh. But then again, it’s the real school where I’m with best friends, and always around people, and it’s fun!
Today I sent out some post cards… I think. So we will see if they get somewhere, or if they forever sit in that box, because I have yet to see a mail carrier, and the box was dusty, and under a stairwell, but we will see. Cross your fingers.
10:41 PM
Two cultural discoveries I have made, but forgot to write about. The favorite subject of my father and dear brother. Toilets. Here, 80% of the time you go to use the bathroom, there are no seats on the toilets. This used to freak me out. I would panic and wouldn’t know what to do and would just wait until I got somewhere else, but now, I forget that that used to be an issue.
Second interesting thing about the toilet what I thought would bother me. No flushing of toilet paper. I though that this would freak me out, like putting used paper in the trashcan to sit for days until it gets changed, and at the beginning, I would accidentally, instinctively drop it down the toilet, but now, like when we are places like hotels where it’s OK to flush, we panic, not knowing how to handle the situation.
This week I have been having more positive feelings about my Spanish capabilities. Besides getting all intimidated by that Spanish-teacher-boring-guy who had lunch here today, I feel like I talk a lot at the house, and the Señora told me that she can tell I’m becoming for fluent. I feel like when I’m conversing, I don’t have to think of an answer in English and translate it, it just comes to me in Spanish! Another weird and sometimes annoying thing, is that when I am listening to my ipod, my mind translates the song into Spanish words while I’m listening to it. It’s crazy.
Thank you to all who have been complementing my writing. Thank you to those who actually read these, even though they are forever long. Even if you were lying, and just told me that it was entertaining because you thought I spent a lot of time on it, or really don’t read them but still tell me you liked them, thank you for the thought. That is what counts. I am also sorry that it takes years to read each novel long entry. They probably just seem good because I have extremely fun things to write about!
I have no intentions of publishing my writing, although isn’t putting it on the internet already making it public access? But I have a dozen or so journals or diaries and letters, over the past four years, which are less public, but I would like to make it known now, that when I die, or maybe I’ll decide just when I’m a little older, I would like them to be able to be read by friends and family or whoever is interested. It’s not that they are full of super secret spy stuff, it’s just that it feels like a lot of it is still happening, so it’d be weird to have current events be read like an autobiography of the past. To be honest, at the font of the journals I have written who was dominant during that time in my life in each notebook, so that that person can get around to reading it someday if they so desire. Put that in my will.
I’m not going to keep blogging when I get back home, that’s just too emo/livejournal. But when I hopefully study/live abroad again, I promise I’ll keep a tab for those who what to hear.
Miercoles 15 de Julio, 2009
Another blasted hot dog for breakfast. I'm outie to the west coast I think. Back on Saturday evening.
I don’t think that I have discussed the topic of the stature of the people here. They are all midgets. It would be pointless for them to watch Little People Big World, because they are all little people in a little world. And it’s not even how they are now, when we walk through the Mayan ruins, all of the entryways and tunnels are made for someone who is probably 4’ 10”. Even I, at 5’5” feel like I look down to everyone, including the men. The guys here who are over six feet must feel like freaks of nature.
That was just something I wanted to point out from dwarf land.
Nothing exciting about today. Spanish class. Home. Lunch. Nap. Eco class. Shop. Home. Now I have homework and sleeping. Such a strenuous life.
I’ve been thinking already about studying abroad again! I know, live in the moment, but I’ve just been thinking about it! I think Argentina would be sweet, but I don’t really want to live in a city like Buenos Aires. It’s way too intimidating. Another girl here was talking about how she’s thinking of going to Panama in the spring with FSU. I’ve looked at all the programs. I think I just need to talk with the advisor about experiences he has heard about with the different groups. I kind of picture myself going to Costa Rica, but it feels kind of cliché. I like the ideas of Chile and Argentina, but Costa Rica or Panama seem more conventional. And then there are the others like Peru and Ecuador and stuff. Any suggestions? To go in January, I have to be thinking now so I can apply in the fall!
I’m so beyond grateful to be able to study abroad. Not only once, but hopefully twice! This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I recommend studying abroad to everyone, it’s the best thing to do, ever. Just do it. Nike.
Thanks for the props on the pictures. There will be hundreds to come whenever I have better internet, and time, which may very well be when I’m back in Florida.
Martes 14 de Julio, 2009 4:50 PM
This morning before school, the maid told me that some guy who used to live with them was going to come over for lunch. I thought, “oh, cool! I’ll get to talk to some other kid in my house, sweet.” Well, he and his fiancé were weird and old and boring. He was learning Mayan and taught 7th grade Spanish, so I was scared to speak in front of him because I thought he was correcting in his head every word I say. It’s strange how I get so self conscious speaking Spanish in front of English speakers, but with the people who don’t know English, I just talk away.
I got up from a 1.5 hour nap. So sweet. I’ll probably study some for Spanish and hopefully someone will call me to do something tonight.
Tomorrow is ROSALYN’s birthday! I’m very excited about that even though she is in Bartow and I am here. So, if you even read this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSALYN!
This weekend we will be going to Rio Lagartos. I don’t really know what that entails. It’s just three days. It’s our last trip, just as ecology, because the next week everyone is going together to the south. That will be an 8 hour drive. We were talking about movies we need to rent for the drive like Little Princess and stuff. It was so funny having a whole long conversation about that movie a few days back. I’m so scared that I can see the end in 2 weeks and 1 day! But no countdowns. Just think about each day and when it comes it will come.
One thing to look forward to when I get back is getting a new cell phone! It will be weird to be home for a whole week without Kyle around. And then we will go to the beach for a few days, and then back to school. Real school. The kind where I’m stressed and studying all the time. Blahhhh. But then again, it’s the real school where I’m with best friends, and always around people, and it’s fun!
Today I sent out some post cards… I think. So we will see if they get somewhere, or if they forever sit in that box, because I have yet to see a mail carrier, and the box was dusty, and under a stairwell, but we will see. Cross your fingers.
10:41 PM
Two cultural discoveries I have made, but forgot to write about. The favorite subject of my father and dear brother. Toilets. Here, 80% of the time you go to use the bathroom, there are no seats on the toilets. This used to freak me out. I would panic and wouldn’t know what to do and would just wait until I got somewhere else, but now, I forget that that used to be an issue.
Second interesting thing about the toilet what I thought would bother me. No flushing of toilet paper. I though that this would freak me out, like putting used paper in the trashcan to sit for days until it gets changed, and at the beginning, I would accidentally, instinctively drop it down the toilet, but now, like when we are places like hotels where it’s OK to flush, we panic, not knowing how to handle the situation.
This week I have been having more positive feelings about my Spanish capabilities. Besides getting all intimidated by that Spanish-teacher-boring-guy who had lunch here today, I feel like I talk a lot at the house, and the Señora told me that she can tell I’m becoming for fluent. I feel like when I’m conversing, I don’t have to think of an answer in English and translate it, it just comes to me in Spanish! Another weird and sometimes annoying thing, is that when I am listening to my ipod, my mind translates the song into Spanish words while I’m listening to it. It’s crazy.
Thank you to all who have been complementing my writing. Thank you to those who actually read these, even though they are forever long. Even if you were lying, and just told me that it was entertaining because you thought I spent a lot of time on it, or really don’t read them but still tell me you liked them, thank you for the thought. That is what counts. I am also sorry that it takes years to read each novel long entry. They probably just seem good because I have extremely fun things to write about!
I have no intentions of publishing my writing, although isn’t putting it on the internet already making it public access? But I have a dozen or so journals or diaries and letters, over the past four years, which are less public, but I would like to make it known now, that when I die, or maybe I’ll decide just when I’m a little older, I would like them to be able to be read by friends and family or whoever is interested. It’s not that they are full of super secret spy stuff, it’s just that it feels like a lot of it is still happening, so it’d be weird to have current events be read like an autobiography of the past. To be honest, at the font of the journals I have written who was dominant during that time in my life in each notebook, so that that person can get around to reading it someday if they so desire. Put that in my will.
I’m not going to keep blogging when I get back home, that’s just too emo/livejournal. But when I hopefully study/live abroad again, I promise I’ll keep a tab for those who what to hear.
Miercoles 15 de Julio, 2009
Another blasted hot dog for breakfast. I'm outie to the west coast I think. Back on Saturday evening.
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