Looking Back - John Clark

Looking back on the trip you start to realize how much fun it was and what a great opportunity it was. The biggest problem about the trip is that we did so many fun things and had so many fun nights that its really difficult to remember them all. We started out spending time at Hotel Caribe and then we got to go see Ek Balam and Tulum and swim in cenotes and head to the beach to snorkel with sharks and sea turtles. We got to come back and go to an Independence day festival and see the famous Pedro Fernandez. We got to see the equinox through a temple at Dzibilchaltun, we got to go to Palenque and a lot of other ruins with some of us making the trip to Chichen Itza and Uxmal. We got to spend 3 nights in Cozumel and 4 nights on Isla Mujeres. We got to spend time in the Chiapas jungle and see the Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca. We got to experience the Mexican discotecas. We got to do so many fun and interesting things in such a short period of time that it made for an unforgettable trip, I just hope we can remember all of the small details.

Farewell Mexico! Erin Sliney

I am writing this last blog from my chilly house in rural Kentucky, remembering the warmth of Mexico. I want to use this as my opportunity to give my farewell. Here’s to the ones we love, here’s to the ones who love us. And yes, the ones we love are the ones that love us because we make up the best Centre group to ever set foot in Merida, Mexico. And it all starts with the leader. Thank you Phyllis for being the best trip leader that I can ever imagine. You cooked us food, took us to the doctor, worried for us, taught us, and sympathized with us. I know that many professors invite students to their homes, but we all really truly felt comfortable and extremely welcome ringing the doorbell of 99j. Alison, I am so glad that I got to meet you. You were like everyone’s big sister of the group, and you are tons of fun. Everyone else, there is no way, that they trip would have been the same without you. Some of my favorite times came from time that we spent together. Taxi group: we had some good times. We did a good job taking care of each other, and I can’t even imagine what those taxi drivers thought of us, even if they didn’t speak English. And Sarah, that first night that you pulled out the sheet with everyone’s addresses was clutch. Christine, Lydia, and Katie: I will never forget that rainy, hung over day at the beach, with the huge waves, nachos, and FRANCISCO!!! You guys are great friends and very close friends. Kit and Keach, your stories and enthusiasm for fun made the trip, and I think that you were able to bring out the fun in everyone. Everyone else: you’re going to get a big hug from me at Centre. I enjoyed being surrounded by you and experiencing Mexico together. Hope Hillside Cielo will be realized. Farewell Mexico and warm weather. Farwell beaches. Farewell rum coconuts. Farewell Francisco. Farewell taxi rides. Farewell El Cielo and Amarantus. Farewell flip-flops and dresses. Farewell classes at Phyllis’s house. Farewell 21st birthdays at Palacio de Billards. Farewell hotel parties. Farewell bathing suits. Farewell all!!!

Casa Cielo- Erin Sliney

So, I have looked back and found out that nobody has really explained our Thanksgiving, so I will because it was great and I don’t want people to forget it. For Thanksgiving break a lot of us went to Isla Mujeres. As Lee already said, the beach was beautiful and it was a bit touristy, but I had a great time. We all stayed in one big girly house on the water: Casa Cielo. Sitting in the living room/kitchen, you could see the ocean out of two different sides of the house. On the east, the strong waves were crashing against the big rocks that lined the coast. On the west, the clear blue water glistened serenely on top of fine sand, and the Cancun buildings and lights sparkling in the distance. Although we were only supposed to have eight people in Casa Cielo, we sneaked and crammed five more, for a total of thirteen. Although there wasn’t that much space, I feel that it gave us a truly different experience as a group. We didn’t have our own hotel rooms to go back to, our different televisions to watch, and our own showers. Well, we did designate a boy bathroom and a girl bathroom; the last thing that we wanted were boys stinking up ours, and fittingly a boy was the only one to make a gross mess in it. Go figure. There was just the pink room, the purple (naughty) room, and the kitchen/living room. It gave a sense of community. We shared food, drinks, chores, and even the extreme thirst that came from the absence of water that first night and morning. We were getting so desperate and dehydrated that Lydia, Michael and Blair resulted to drinking the Mexican tap water! They’re hardcore though, so they champed through Montezuma’s revenge, ready to take on the world, the waves, and the sun. I was extremely surprised how clean and not destructive we were. Even though we did break 2 lawn chairs, 2 glasses, and spray red wine on the ceiling, they were all purely accidental, and the lawn chair were just cheap. This angry Danish (Dutch?) woman did yell at us, though, because we apparently messed up her bike. We didn’t; she was just mean and overreacting. I thought everyone did a good job cooking too, even though our menu was slim. Our food consisted of left-over thanksgiving from our dinner at Phyllis’s, hot dogs, pasta, grilled cheese, ramen, baked beans, peanut butter and jelly, frozen chicken nuggets, brownies and hot sauce. People were putting hot sauce on everything. In fact, on the last day John made a concoction of hot dogs, brownies, and hot sauce, and one night Michael was eating hot sauce on peanut butter and jelly Crackets. The five ipods sitting permanently by the music station played such a variety of music for all different moods. Although there wasn’t much dancing, there was a lot of sing-a-longs, a perfect table for bp, and amazing people. I am very glad that I coughed over the $62 USD to enjoy Casa Cielo for four nights.

Back home - Christine

It has been about 4 days since I've left Mexico and it's surprising how fast one can assimulate back in the US. I've brought out my winter clothes and started using English 24/7. Que triste. However, one thing I won't forget was the plane ride home. Apart from being set back 4 hours in the airport I sat next to a lady and her son. It was not until the stewardess passed by when I realized the lady next to me only spoke spanish. It went kind of like this: Stewardess: "What would you like to drink" Lady: "Umm.. cafe?" Stewardess: "Excuse me" Lady: "cafe?" My thoughts: "cafe is spanish for coffee. this lady wants coffee." Me: "She said coffee." :) This dialogue continued with me translating, "Sugar and creme, and orange juice for the boy please." We soon after started having a conversation of our own.. in spanish of course. I learned that she was from Costa Rica and that she was going to Boston to visit her eldest daughter. She has four children in all and she only knows a little English and is still learning. I told her how I had just finished studying for 3 months in Mexico and how I had the time of my life. And after some more conversation I feel back to sleep. I soon realized, that I had just done something I couldn't have done three months ago. Not only because I didn't have the knowledge, but because I would not have had the confidence. It was an amazing experience to have been a translator! I mean, I know, omg, I helped this lady get her coffee, big deal... but it was awesome okay. It was a great feeling to have, and to have done it using two different languages are bonus points. I was really happy and once again realized just how much Mexico has affected me. After the flight was over I walked her to carousel 2 where our bags were (since she didn't know where to go) and after I got my bag and said adios, I finally returned back home. I am now sitting at my house. We just had a big snow storm today and I got to wear my snow boots. Its nice hearing the northern accents and seeing the Boston Red Sox gear adorned on everyone's hats and jackets. And, as much as I miss Mexico, I have to admit, it's nice to be back home.

Mastering the Art of Public Transporation - Lydia McCollum

When first arriving in Merida and seeing all the buses with writing on the front with words in Spanish that I could hardly even pronounce…I came to the conclusion that the transportation system was something that I would never understand. However, as our three months in Merida comes to an end, I realize that I have for sure mastered the art of Merida’s public transportation system. It is actually quite simple; you find the bus that says where you need to go whether it be Gran Plaza, Itzimna, or Campestre, you wave your hand in the air to signal the bus driver to stop, you hop on pay the driver 6 pesos, take the usually very thin ticket he gives you, and then find a seat. When you are ready to get off you walk to the front of the bus or if you are in the back press the little red button and the bus will stop especially for you. You never know what exactly you will see when riding a bus in Merida. One Thursday afternoon after studying at The Italian Coffee Company I had one of the craziest and most unforgettable bus experiences ever. It all began when I hopped on a bus from Technologico to my house in the Centro. When I first got on the bus it was pretty crowded so I had to stand. After about 3 minutes of standing, I get a tap on the shoulder and turn around to see a guy offering me an open seat. Seeing that there are no elderly people standing I take a seat. The bus driver continues to pick up more and more people, packing us in like sardines. This day was particularly hot and by this point I was sweating buckets due to all the body heat and I could feel the guy standing up above me breathing and sweating on me. I was thinking to myself my stop cannot come soon enough…just when the first midget that I have seen in Mexico gets on this jam packed bus! Two people close to me were talking so loud over the person in between them it sounded as if there were yelling directly into my ear. Then the bus comes to a spot where three streets merge into one so the bus had to yield. Since the bus driver could not see anything due to the massive amount of people, he asked the guy sitting next to the front right window to tell him when it was clear of traffic and he could go. To add to everything the man directing the bus driver yells go just when a few cars have to slam on breaks because the bus had pulled out in front of them. Everyone at once starts honking their horns, which is a frequent occurrence in the streets of Mexico. Just as I am about to stand up and work my way off the bus through the crowd, a man’s cell phone starts ringing and his ring tone is “Abusadora”. I think to myself oh Mexico, how I will miss these kinds of experiences.

The List: Blair Murphy

Miss 1. Always having an excuse to be late because of the buses 2. The drinking age 3. Being a 30 minute $1 bus ride from the beach 4. Late night taxi rides 5. 2 days of class a week 6. Queso Ruffles 7. Starbucks at Gran Plaza 8. Zucarritas 9. Everyone in the clubs knowing the words to “I gotta feeling” even if they don’t know English 10. Fanny Lu 11. Our Mex Friends 12. Sushi and Cielo Thursdays 13. Fusion Fridays (at the Toose) 14. Pesos 15. Omar saying preguntita 16. Erin saying “ah si si si” 17. Keach saying “Papuuuusa” 18. Pool Parties 19. The clever pick up lines 20. Saraita, Kiki and Alexa 21. The adventures of Kit and Keach 22. Drinking for Free 23. Saying the word Heather and having 2 boys respond 24. Free shots of tequila 25. Cereal with coke Won’t Miss 1. Waiting an hour for a bus in the rain 2. Cockroaches the size of Texas 3. Picaduras (bug bites) 4. Unidentifiable smells in the streets 5. Ants…everywhere 6. The Burger King Smell 7. Stepping in Widdle’s pee 8. Getting out of the shower and immediately starting to sweat again 9. Being whistled at everywhere we go 10. Mexican dogs barking at us (I think they have something against Gringas) 11. Our week of lost belongings 12. Not being able to flush toilet paper 13. Cops following us and calling us out with their megaphones

So What Was a Typical Day Like? (Rachel Skaggs)

These are notes from one of my daily accounts I wrote while I was here, the typical day! Sorry if it's sparse info, but we are all very busy & I guess this is all I had time to write that day!!! September 29, 2009 a. Class at 11: Discussed Poverty in Class d. Lunch at Pizzaria Rafaela: Garlic bread and Hawaiian Pizza, the worker had a Parrot! e. English bookstore: Amate Books i. Gringo travelers from Michigan ii. Oaxacan crafts iii. SO MANY GREAT BOOKS f. Café Chocolate i. Study for quiz on mayan civilization ii. Ordered a coke and coffee flan iii. Michigan gringos ate here too (second time we've seen them in one day!) g. School i. Quiz ii. Discussion of culture and what it means to be American h. Home for dinner i. Eat pork & zucchini & tomato mixture ii. Tortillas and beans iii. Talked to baby Josie i. Homework i. Worked on Spanish ii. Sick!! Oh no! iv. Fell asleep in hammock & went to bed

Coming to a Close (Andy)

Well at this time one week from tomorrow I will be somwhere in the U.S. of A., maybe in Atlanta airport or some other place, who knows...it's very sad to think that this experience is coming to an end. Coming here, I only knew around four people out of about twenty, but now I feel like i've been hanging out with this group forever. The best part is that the majority of the people I've become friends with are people that, otherwise, I would have probably never met at Centre because of different social groups and greek (or non-greek) organizations and these types of things that sequester people within the campus. This is really has been one of the best things about the trip is becoming good friends with a wide array of folks. Since my last blog quite a bit has happened...we were able to go to the nature reserve at Celestun where I saw a couple of crocodiles and an uncountable number of flamingos which was neat. Also, a couple of hours ago today thirteen of us just got back home to Merida after Thanksgiving break, which we spent on Isla Mujeres, a small little island off the coast of Cancun. It was pretty touristy, but it was still a great time, all of us living in a house for four nights, cooking for ourselves and going to the beach (although food usually consisted of spaghetti, ramen noodles, baked beans, canned corn, etc. - food that was easy to cook). Tomorrow, final exams start which is a downer, but I suppose that since we ARE attending school down here, it's only just that we have tests...on one hand I'm looking forward to pushing through this week towards the going-away party on friday, and the final hooray on saturday and flying home on monday, but mirroring this is the fact that Merida has grown so much on me that I know that upon returning to Lexington, KY, it will only take a few days before I wish I was back in the heat of the Yucatan...Also, full-time english speaking will be a shocker. On Thanksgiving break, I was very confused when all of the locals on the island and the restaurant workers would only speak in english...they were talking in english and I was talking in spanish...very weird, but I'm sure that spanish phrases will slip out of my mouth back in the U.S. throughout winter break before I get truly comfortable again with full-time english. It's been a wild ride, but it's been amazing...incredible. Nos Vemos, Andres

The End Is Near: Lee Myers-White

So my experience is coming to a close and I can't decide whether or not I am ready for it to be over. At the moment I am ready for this last week to be over but that also might be because it is finals week. So I could be sitting in Frankfort Kentucky in a week or so wondering why I ever though I would want to return. We just returned from our Thanksgiving break on the island of Isla De Mujeres which was wonderful. It had the nicest beach we have seen on our whole trip and much of our day was spent there. It was a little strange just making myself spaghetti for Thanksgiving dinner. Also there was a downside to the island, it was very touristy, even more so than our previous trip to Cozumel. All of the activities on the island were completely directed at tourists, mostly American tourists, and more english was found than spanish both is writing and speaking. I was also very excited that I was able to watch my first Florida State football game, which was against Florida. We lost bad but I was still glad to watch. The end nearing has also brought about much conversation of what are going to be the first things we are going to do when we get back. Food has been the main topic of discussion, mine is going to be Thai Smile in Frankfort and for those who haven't been, do. Overall this has all been an experience which I am very glad to have done and don't regret at all.

Getting Ready to Leave...Sarah Swauger

It’s so hard to believe we only have 2 weeks left! It feels as though we have lived here for ages, but I can still remember stepping off the plane in Cancun like it was yesterday. What am I going to miss most…well, probably not the mosquitoes, the constant honks or the smell of burger king and the movie theatres. But I definitely will miss the playa, Gloria’s cooking and the latin music that I have recently become obsessed with. We’ve done so many amazing things, but some of my favorite memories are those that have happened in my home stay. At the beginning of the trip, I was nervous and intimidated to live with a family who speaks a completely different language from me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit into their daily routine and what we were going to talk about. But now, as I prepare to leave this family forever, I realize how great they have been. The grandchildren are adorable and as the weeks have passed, they have become less shy and more enthusiastic to play with us. Sarita is 5 and is at the house nearly every day. It’s amazing how I have learned so much from someone who is so young. She tells us jokes, jumps around on our beds and has dance parties with us. Any time she’s around we can’t help but smile and she never fails to keep us entertained. One Friday morning, she begged Gloria to let her come in and sleep with us and she succeeded in waking up Blair at 7:30 a.m. The other grandchildren, Kiki and Alexa, are also at the house often and love contributing to the madness. Alexa likes to pretend she’s a lobo and runs around trying to scare us while Kiki jumps from bed to bed, trying to avoid the girls. Once Kiki thought it would be a good idea to use the pool as his own personal bathroom from the top deck, which Gloria was not too happy about. When the niños aren’t around, the house is a bit calmer and we get the chance to have conversations with Gloria. She has really become like a second mom to us, asking us how our classes are going and offering us advice about what trips we should take. For Thanksgiving, she could see that we were in need of a little assistance in cooking, so she helped us set everything up and didn’t mind that I turned her kitchen into a war zone with all the flour and sugar I managed to spill. Thanksgiving dinner turned out to be amazing; since we all won’t be able to go home, it was nice to spend it with our “Mexico family.” All in all, it will be nice to return to normal life in the states but I will never forget the memories and people I have met here.

Namaste ~ Morgan

History's most relaxing travel experience, this is not. Despite the bright-eyed, smile for the camera appearance you see in the photographs, our lives here can get stressful. Last week I was drenched from head to toe in dirty street water by a passing bus as I was wandering around the streets of Merida in the rain. The Laundromat has lost half my wardrobe (which actually just means….more room in the suitcase for souvenirs!). I've lost count of how many times I've been whistled at, hissed at, or followed down the street by creepy Mexican men. (Isn't it enough that I've stopped combing my hair, ceased wearing makeup and pull out the ugliest clothes from my closet in efforts to deter them? I'm telling you...these guys can smell a foreign woman coming from miles away, even one who looks slightly like a refugee emerging from a war zone). And while we love all the tacos, empanadas and enchiladas, the truth is that sometimes you just really need a bacon cheeseburger. We're nearing the end of the term, and at the beginning of this week, I was in need of a serious dose of relaxation. Right on cue, along came Claudia Guerrero, Iyengar yoga extraordinaire. In reality, it was me who went to her. Phyllis has been taking classes with Claudia at Semilla Yoga for months, so I tagged along Tuesday night. Light on the hippy-dippy stuff and heavy on the physical aspects of yoga, Claudia teaches the art of letting go. With the moon shining through the screened window and the scent of night jasmine blossoms wafting in and mixing with the faint, crisp smell of chlorine from the tiled pool that borders the practice space, we saluted the sleeping sun. Claudia employed a series of props and constant personal attention to work her pupils into poses that give the brain a rest and push the mind completely into the moment. After closing with meditation in the dim, candlelit room, I finished the class focused, loose, and ready to take on the world.

Un noche extrano por Christine

Last monday night Sam and I were heading to the Fair in Xmatkuil with our Mexican friends. Sam and were in Ivan's car, we were jolly, blaring the music, windows down, dancing in our seats, bobbing our heads, ready for the fair. All of a sudden, BOOM!! BOOM!! Thank god I had my seat belt on. The guy in the car in front of us runs out screaming at Ivan. Through the windshield we see the car in front of us, a baby crying in its mother's arms.. aka, no baby seat. We're sitting the car with our seat belts still on, I didn't want to take it off. I never wear a seat belt too.. Never. Sam made a joke about Ivan being a bad driver.. IRONY.. and put her seat belt on, so I did too. After a good 10 minutes of trying to figure out what was going on in front of us we get out of the car to see the damage. The baby was okay, she stopped crying and was still in her mother's arms. However, something we didn't see.. another girl, probably 10 or 11, was laying on the floor next to the car.. she didn't fly out or anything but it was obvious that she was in the car and they laid her down next to the car. She wasn't bleeding or anything, she wasn't crying, she just looked like she was in shock. The cops made them move the cars out of traffic to take care of business. The girl was carried out in a strecher. But she was going to be okay. There were 3 cars in this crash. Ivan's car got a scratch, I repeat, a minor scratch on the hood. You couldn't even tell it was in an accident. The car in the middle was sandwitched and the car in front of that one got a new ass job. Just then a cow runs down the street followed by a mob of panicked Mexicans and a guy on a bike with a lasso. Oh Mexico. Poor Ic\van, the cops made him sit in the back of the cop car to make sure he doesn't "escape." We wait. An hour later the mob is walking back with the cow in their captivity. The cow is stubborn, poor animal, it is obvious it doesn't want to go back. Ever 5 steps and it stubbornly sits down. This results in the crowd going, "Ohhhhhhh!" This then follows by them pushing, pulling, lifting, pinching, and all those dreadful things to the cow to get it moving again. After a good 5 minutes it takes another 5 steps and sits back down. The fair where the cow came from is a good 2 KM away, it's going to be a long night for all of us. When the cow finally gets up the crowd goes "Yahhh!" But soon enough we hear, "Ohhhh!" At one point I look to my left and I see a mob of people crowded over a stubborn cow, in front of me is poor Ivan sunk in the backseat of a cop car, to my right is a random dog barking on a ledge at everyone. I can only say, "Oh Mexico precioso, I'm definately going to miss you."

With Three Weeks Left, What I'll Miss Most About Mexico

With only three weeks left in Merida, I have started to notice certain things that I will really miss about Mexico. Here is a list of things that I will dearly miss a few months from now while I am waiting in line for Cowan brunch after a night of frat parties... 5 pesos tacos Listening to Daddy Yankee and Pitbull for three hours straight Light up dance stages Local taco stands All inclusive discos for 7 or 8 bucks Liter and a half water for 80 cents Mexican guacamole Watching La Loba at four in the morning Wandering around Merida at three in the morning Cuban cigars Modelo Negro November weather in Merida 70's style VW bugs Progresso 9 year old dj's The Thuse The AC bus Hamacas 2 for 1 sushi and beer on Thursday BBQ House Pasha..... 31 pesos refreshments on Thursday with Keach Speed bumps The really big Mexican Oxxo The fact that I never got to see the Mexican that took my sandals, both pairs Cenotes The gallon jugs of hair gel Sur 13 tags All my roommates Late night walks with Keach Mexican Babies Cozumel My friend, Miguel Mendez Ruins Those long hours of Law and Order Watching Taylor open a 40 Thank you all for this fantastic experience, I wouldn't change a thing. Stay fresh, stay bold. Love you all. Kit

San Cristobel de Casas: Kara Beer

Alas our long awaited trip is over and we are back to the routine-filled days in Merida; however, we were each able to take home with us some pretty good memories and I find myself replaying through many of them throughout my day. One of my favorite parts of the trip was San Cristobel de Casas. Everything about this city was so enticing to me and I only wish we had more time to spend exploring. We stayed in a wonderful hotel, Na Bolom, which is a old hacienda that has been converted into a hotel. Na Bolom is also non-profit organization which strives to help the local Maya as well as create environmental awareness about the degradation of the rain forest. The weather in San Cristobel was rainy and cold; however, our rooms had big fireplaces and cozy beds, which always made for a perfect end to a perfect day. Na Bolom also had an excellent kitchen and served some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted. Among their declicacies was the chocolate caliente. (The Chiapian and Oaxacan people definately know how to make some delicious hot chocolate!)One of my favorite memories from San Cristobel was when we traveled to a small Maya village a little ways outside of the city, San Juan Chamula. This was such an incredible experience because we were able to witness the daily lives of the indigenous Tzotzil Maya. These Maya are very different from those in Yucatan and it was very interesting to see another group of Maya in a different setting. The men stood out due to their dress which typically included a thick, wool tunic (white or black), which was used for warmth due to the colder highland climate; the women wore the traditional huipil. While in this town we visited the church of San Juan Chamula, which was unlike any other thing I have ever seen. There were no pews in the church and the floor was carpeted in a bed of pine needles. There were small altars which lined the walls and many had mirrors, which were used in order to deflect the devil. People were scattered about the church, kneeling, often times with sacrifical items.Heavy drapes create a canopy, as they sweep across the expansive churhc ceiling and down the walls. The air is thick with incense, giving off a very strong aroma; they are using copan resin incense which the Maya have used for hundreds of years. Coca-Cola bottles lined the walls and were set on several of the altars as an offering, along with other bottles with unknown liquids. It was very obvious that the religion in Chamula was a blending of traditional Catholicism with pre-conquest Maya rituals. The relgious sycretism was so fascinating to me and I was in complete awe standing in that church. While inside the church we were lucky to witness a procession of musicians, as part of a ceremony for Day of the Dead. The procession was made up of wool tunic-wearing Maya men, all donning western-style cowboy hats, who were playing various instruments, inlcuding an accordian, guitar, flute, and drum. They were very solemn and I was told that these men were considered to be the "authorities" of Chamula, represented by their tunic and hat. (San Juan Chamula was granted autonomity and thus no outside military or police are allowed within the village, but instead Chamula has its own special "police force". This small town made up of indigenous Tzotzil is one of the most incredible places I have ever visited and I know I will never forget my experience there.

Abre los ojos--Sam

Hey. Do you want to know something? Those stereotypes you have, well they’re kinda useless. So I suggest you put them away, in a box, under your bed or in a closet where they can collect dust. Better yet, just burn them. What am I rambling on about? Well, stereotypes limit you. They blind you. They often induce fear of other people, places, or the like. Mexico? Yeah right, you say. Only in a sweet resort on the beach, you say. Why? Oh because you’ve bought into a load of crap. I mean, seriously? A resort? That’s what you call “traveling to Mexico”? Well, you’re wrong. That’s not Mexico. Yea, I don’t really care where this place is on your map. It’s not Mexico. So while you’re sipping on your cold margaritas in your comfortable beachfront cabana with all your amenities and room service, I’m going to go over here to catch a bus back to my homestay. It’s a bumpy ride and I’m sitting next to a man with gel in his hair, but you know what? It’s all good because I’m more in Mexico than you are. Swine flu? C’mon. Swine flu in Mexico is soooo winter/spring 2009. Get over it. Drug trafficking? Puhlease. Go a few blocks the wrong way in any big city in the United States and you’re bound to see sketchier things than you would by visiting, actually going to Mexico. Just like anywhere else in the world, use your street smarts and common sense. Don’t have any? Go buy some. They sell everything in Walmart these days. Anyway, look. Look. Do you see how beautiful Mexico is? It’s not your typical Speedy Gonzalez in a burrito. It’s pretty ribbons in pretty girls hair standing around in their pretty dresses in the Zocalo in Oaxaca city. It’s the stacks of sugar skulls and loafs of Dead Bread. It’s the many, varying, sometimes surprising smells in the market. The smell of spices, raw meat, cloth, chocolate, leather, wood. The smell of people working, eating, observing, laughing, talking. The unfamiliar landscape of short bushes and shrubs, cacti, hills, mountains, trickling rivers trying to find their way. Go a couple hours in one direction and there are big trees, more green, chill winds and rain. You see a lot when you sit in the bus for hours upon hours, looking out the window. You see a lot when you mix and mingle in town. You don’t see much just sitting in your hotel or napping which, I’m afraid to admit, I myself have done. And what did I miss while I slept? Probably more little kids asking for “un peso, un peso”; a band striking up some song in the middle of the day in the Zocalo; more cups of hot chocolate and free chocolate samples. These are only some things I can imagine I miss by not putting myself out there. God knows I could have missed a chance to see someone or something really interesting, or even not so interesting. But at least it would have been a chance to see. To see. This verb not only refers to the good ole’ eyeballs. It can refer to the mind, to perception. What can you learn to see? Well, if you delve into the world of Hispanic literature, you’ll learn to see lo fantastico cohabiting the same space and time as lo cotidiano; the past, present, and future blurring their lines of demarcation to form space with no time; life sitting side by side with death. And everything is so much more magical this way. I see it. I see it. And it’s a beautiful view. Come have a real look.

Thoughts-Sam

Warm pearls of sweat wet my upper lip and forehead. A swipe with the back of the hand and they’re gone. Two minutes later, they reappear. Yes, Mexico is hot. That’s a no-brainer. But being so hot, I cannot understand why in the world the people here aren’t just naked most of the time. I mean, okay, there are some people I would NOT want to see naked. Actually, more than some. A lot. But holy flying monkeys, why are you people always in jeans?! Sometimes sweater –type things. I’m sitting here in as little clothing as I can get away with and I’m still dripping with sweat. Isn’t it uncomfortable for you to have thick denim stick to your lusciously tan legs? Ahem. Lusciously tan, yes. Something I’ve been trying to work on but am not achieving. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no albino. I just want to look like you. I’ve got some of your features (long dark hair, dark eyes, not-white skin), but still no cigar. Hmm. I guess I have to stick with being a gringa, as cringe-worthy as that can be sometimes. As a gringuita, I stand out more. Also, I’m taller than you, so I stand out even more. Also, I’m dressed in shorts, simple tank tops, flippin’ Chacos while you’re wearing tight jeans, pretty shirts, and…hey I like your heels too. Too bad we’re not the same shoe size…. with your hair up all perfect and your eyes rimmed in black. How do you manage to not to sweat it all off? Sigh. You make me feel inadequate when I go to clubs. Sure I still get some male attention. But that’s only because I’m a gringa amongst other cute dancing gringas. And male attention is NOT what I’m seeking anyway. All of us get too much of that just walking down the street in our everyday clothes and frizzy hair. OH MAAAAI GAAAWD. WHERE DA PATY AT? Not anywhere around you, you creepy 40-something year old man in that sweaty t-shirt. Hey, why don’t you wipe that sweat off your face and keep your eyes to yourself? I’m just trying to do my business. I don’t need you to distract me as I strut down the streets of Merida and…..Oh, uuuuh. What’s going on? Did this bus seriously just stopped working in the middle of this busy street?......

Late Night Strolls With MY P.I.C.

I must admit that Keach and I have a terrible habit of thinking that we can walk anywhere. For whatever reason we think that nothing can be that far away so we might as well walk. There are plenty of times when we could have forked over the six pesos and cut our trip by an hour, but for some reason we never do. For instance, several weeks back we were at Keach's house in the Centro and made plans to go to the BBQ house for wings and beer. His mom told us it was by Fridays and I was like "Oh I know where that is, it's not far at all".... Turns out that what I thought was Fridays is actually a Chiles. So we asked for directions and headed towards Prolongation for what turned out to be an absolute hike. It was six miles away, about seven and half from Keach's house. We got there finally a hour and a half later completely drenched in sweat and they barely let us in because we looked so ragged. It was well worth the walk, we ate our weight in wings and beer. We walked the whole way back, we had to work all the wings off. We always walk home from the clubs as well. I dunno why, we always just make a promise at the beginning of the night to end the night with a early morning stroll. It probably it is not the smartest thing to do, we have had a lot of close calls. We got into a wrestling match outside a restaurant and the waiter started yelling at us that he is going to call the cops. I kinda trespassed on some private party but to my defense, it looked like Walmart. Keach had to talk to the cops for about twenty minutes after that one. People always yell out of their car windows at us and one night Keach and I decided to follow them. We tried to follow them for thirty minutes, never found them. Most recently, this car followed us for a mile asking to give us a ride. We kept on saying no but the male driver was pretty intent on giving us a ride. Keach and I decided if he tried any funny business, we could handle him so we got in. He had two female companions who didnt seem as as interested in us as he did. He wanted to know which house exactly I lived in but I insisted we were close enough. Keach braved the rest of the ride by himself to his house. The guy really had to pee so Keach let him in and showed him the bathroom. Probably not the smartest idea to take that ride, but after a night of intense dancing, the legs needed a little break.

Feeling Fresh- A first in Mexico

Hello All! Between the 25th of October and the 4th of November, I estimate that I spent way too much time traveling on a bus. It could have been worse. It was a Mercedes, equipped with air conditioning, television, a bathroom, and ever so slightly reclining seats- not to mention a driver named Pepe who is an artist behind the wheel. Still, traversing the Mexican highland mountain ranges at a sizzling 35 miles per hour for about 20 hours was no joy. When I was first told that I needed to wake up at five in the morning to get on the bus and travel all day, I thought I would be able to sleep. Wrong. Mexican highways aren’t exactly “suave”. Trying to sleep on a bus as it pitches back and forth around corners, up and down over highway speed humps (which there are many of- some places every few minutes) makes one even more tired. So I guess the upside is that I got to see a good majority of the more than 2,000 miles of landscape we passed. After an all night drive, the first site we saw was Palenque, which is located in…… Palenque, Chiapas. This ancient ruin is absolutely breathtaking. I declare it to be my favorite ruin- and I have visited plenty. Numerous hieroglyphs remain intact, carved into the exteriors of the buildings here. It amazes me that the limestone they are set in has not completely dissolved in the 1500 years they have existed. That night, we slept in primitive thatched huts in a Maya reserve. My hut was down by the river, and it was very relaxing to hear the water rushing as I fell asleep. The next day, we took these wild motorized canoes to Tikal (another ruin!), traveling down a river (I forget the name) that separates Mexico from Guatemala. We ever docked for a moment on the Guatemala side of the river to catch a glimpse of some monkeys (I even got a picture). So I guess I can say now that I have visited multiple foreign countries- pretty cool for a guy who has never even been to California. That brings me to another point: In conversation with Mexicans, I am invariably asked about California. They are absolutely flabbergasted when I tell them I have never been, and sometimes repeat the question. We did some other stuff after Tikal, and then we went to San Cristobal de las Casas, in the mountains (about 7000 feet above sea level!) of Chiapas. This city is the Mexico I would really like to see more of. We spent several nights there, sleeping in a converted convent. Every room had a fireplace (except mine, of course) which was really awesome. I spent a lot of time building (and in one case, attempting) fires. San Cristobal is a town of about 400,000, but until about 10 years ago it was home to only about 70,000 people. It is absolutely gorgeous. Foremost, it is cold. Well, 65 degrees isn’t cold- but compared to Merida…… Secondly, there are hills- big ones. And everyone was just so nice and friendly! I got caught under a street awning with a Mexican gentleman for about 15 minutes during a rainstorm one day, and we had an excellent conversation, and he even told me where I could find some Chinese food. From San Cristobal, we drove to visit several Maya communities, where I did some shopping for my family. This is the earliest I have ever taken care of Christmas gifts. In one of the Maya communities, we visited a church built in the 16th century during some sort of ceremony. The halls were filled with pine needles, and it smelt amazing. And then a group of men (some being religious community leaders, I am told) came in with incense, flutes, accordions, and guitars, playing the most soothing melody I have ever heard. We were fortunate enough to be in Oaxaca for the Day (Days (plural) better describes it) of the Dead. Oaxaca City is an awesome city as well, and the whole place was charged with energy for the day of the dead. We went to a pretty wild club for Halloween, and the next night we went to a celebration in a neighboring town. Even if I spent a whole day telling you what I saw, you still wouldn’t understand it. There were cross-dressing ghouls cracking 15 foot bull whips; people covered in little bells, hopping frantically. Pope John Paul II making lewd gestures, and George W. being belted. I bought a small water bottle of Mezcal there for 10 pesos. I had a few drinks of it before I ditched the foul stuff. Not enough to buzz even. But at 5 in the morning, I woke up sick as a dog. Lesson learned. The night of November second, we went to a cemetery to partake in ritual mourning. Mexican Day of the Dead mourning is quite a bit different from ours…. Its more, well, celebratory. I was offered shots of mescal by multiple drunk mourners (I suspect that they really liked the Mohawk I was sporting ( sorry mom and dad, I couldn’t find a good Halloween costume)). It was definitely not as rough as what I had the previous night. Going up into the hills of Mexico was a great experience. The heat and odd familiarity of Merida was really beginning to wear me thin. I feel recharged, and now we just have one more month until we get home. I think I want some barbeque ribs, mashed potatoes with gravy, real milk with an expiration date that doesn’t come in a cardboard box, and some hot and sour soup. Thinking of home, Michael Keach

10 days on a bus- Sarah Swauger

I can finally say I feel like Mérida is my home after being away from it for 10 days. The trip we took to Oaxaca and Chiapas was absolutely amazing, but there is nothing that can replace Gloria´s (our host mom) cooking and not feeling like a tourist. I feel so lucky to be here because traveling to Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead and Chiapas is something that I might have never done in my life and those places are truly unique and amazing. The trip began by staying in an ecolodge the first night, which I really enjoyed because it felt like camping. We swam in the river which turned out to be quite an adventure, since the current was a bit stronger than we expected. I´m glad we only stayed one night there because I was in need of a warm shower and a bug-free bed. In Chiapas, my favorite experience was going to the church in San Cristobal de las Casas. It´s hard to put into words how I felt being in there because it was such a unique kind of church. There was a mixture of traditional practices mixed with local traditions, such as the burning of incense and pine needles spread out all over the floor. Our hotel in Chiapas was easily my favorite place we’ve stayed. It was nice to be cold for a change and having a fireplace made me feel like I was back in Kentucky. Next we set off for Oaxaca to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The entire city seemed to be celebration all day, every day, the entire time we were there. I quickly became obsessed with all of the skeletal/skull figures that were present everywhere. My favorite event was going to the procession of the day of the dead in Etla. We painted our faces so we actually felt like a part of the celebrations, instead of just bystanders on the outside. The costumes were incredible and we even had people trying to take our picture which was pretty entertaining. The next night we went to the cemetery which was a bit more serious. It was such a different and interesting event to witness, but I felt a little intrusive because it seemed like a very personal celebration. Still, it was really neat to actually see the traditions we have been learning about like the ofrenda on the graves. It’s so hard to believe we only have a month left here! The time has gone so quickly but I’m sure there are many more adventures to come.

Un Viaje Muy Interesante (Andy)

Well we've been here for two months now and there's only one month left...To some degree I feel like I've only been here for a couple weeks, but to a larger extent I feel like I've been here for about six months (in a good way). We just returned to Merida from our twelve day excursion to Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tabasco, and I felt myself being relieved to be back in Merida, as if it was my real home; and it has become just that. I know that I will miss Merida tremendously when we leave in December, and that's a good thing, I think. When I first applied to come to Merida for a semester, my most prominent fear was that of being out of the U.S. for too long, that is the trip would last too long, but now I appreciate the length of the trip. Unlike a 2 1/2 week Centreterm trip that is very touristy and basically a short excursion, the full semester has allowed me to come to a different country and actually settle down. I see the sites like a tourist, but I see them at my own leisure and I really feel like a true resident of Yucatan. The lengthy trip around southern Mexico these last two weeks was quite possibly one of the best trips I've ever been on, and definitely was the most enlightening. Palenque in Chiapas has definitely been my favorite ruins site that I've seen thus far. The temple of the inscriptions was awesome, as was the entire site.

The first night outside of Merida, we stayed in a little ecolodge type place in the jungle. No doors on the entrance to the hut/shack/cabin and hammocks on the front porch. The only place to eat was outside and there were paths all through the jungle from our rooms. At night it was really cool to be able to hear the wild life right outside the room, although it was a little nerveracking considering there were no doors, but it was still nice.

Another really cool ruins site we saw was Yaxchilan, which was in the jungle. To get to the site we had to take a thirty minute boat ride down the Usumacinta River. We could see southern Chiapas on one side of the boat and Guatemala on the other side. On the boat ride we saw wild howler and spider monkeys in the trees that hung over the river. We also saw two crocodiles in the river, one swimming and the other was quite large and was perched on a rock jutting out of the water with his jaws wide open...it was pretty scary looking.

San Cristobal de las Casas was definitely the coolest city we've been to. It was high up in the mountains and provided a good change of pace with regards to the temperature. It was refreshing to be able to wear a jacket instead of sweating through t-shirts everyday. Also, Na-Bolom, the hotel we stayed in, was amazing. It was the coziest bed I've been in since my own in Kentucky, and there was a fireplace in the room which was fun. Also, while in San Cristobal, we got to visit two little towns outside of the city which were both amazing. We got to walk through the markets and into their beautiful little church. One of the coolest things were the police uniforms...the men wore cowboy hats and these giant sheep-wool pullovers, or at least what looked like sheep-wool, and a holster on their belt...it was really neat.

Well that's all for now, I think...I still have one blog left so hopefully something neat will happen before then. Until next time, ¡vaya bien!

Hasta pronto,

Andres

The Sickness Has Passed- Lee Myers-White

Well it happened, I finally got sick. I am actually very surprised I lasted as long as I did, and I am also surprised and happy that it never turned into a stomach problem, which I think would have been much worse and more difficult to deal with since we were on our trip when it occurred. Over all it was uncomfortable and disappointing because I did miss a few things, but it was probably the best way to be sick. Apparently, according to Bertha, our house mom, the rainy season started while we were gone, which is kind of disappointing since I was looking forward to continuing to enjoy the beach every Friday. There is a tropical storm coming though, so maybe it will clear up after that passes since we only have a few more weekends left. Another thing which has come to my attention is that I have bought very few items on my stay, nothing besides my hammock for myself and very little for other people. The most promising time I had to get good stuff was when we were in Oaxaca for day of the day, but that was when I got sick. I do not know where or what I should get since I have tried to stop myself from buying just a bunch of small little trinkets and instead try to find things I actually may want later in life, the only problem that has stopped me from making some of these purchases is that many of the items are large and sometimes easily breakable so they would be very difficult to transport back home. Hopefully by the end of the trip something will have called my name. Also coming up in the next few weeks is Thanksgiving. This has been a sort of disappointing thought for me since the break will most likely be absent of anything resembling our celebrations for the holiday, which I really do enjoy. On the brighter side we are looking into going somewhere for the break and as of now we are looking at staying in a house on an island for a few days with no cars, which hopefully could be relaxing. It is also looking to be very cheap which is a plus and maybe we could find some way to pull off a Mexican Thanksgiving dinner.

Celebrations in Cemeteries! Lydia McCollum

I would have to say that taking part in the celebration in the Tlalixtac cemetery on the night of November 2 for the Dia de los Muertos was one of the most unique experiences of my life. It definitely made an impression of me and I do believe that my thoughts of cemeteries and death have in a way been changed.

In the United States we have always been taught to fear death and especially cemeteries. These are places that you go to places to bury the death and then you return every now and then to place flowers on the graves of the deceased. It is a known fact that when in a cemetery you are quite and reverent. Children must stay right by their parents’ side, if they are even allowed to enter the cemetery. Most people in general are very scared and there is a belief that one must be respectful in a cemetery at all times and celebrating there is frowned upon.

On the night of November 2 we all saw something completely different. The cemetery in Tlalixtac was filled with people. Everyone was partying and having a great time. People were singing, laughing, and eating. Children were running around dressed up in masks asking for their dules and throwing fire crackers, many were even playing games of tag throughout the cemetery. It was such a joyous occasion in which they were celebrating the life of their deceased ancestors and celebrating the coming back of their ancestors’ souls to enjoy the ofrendas which have been left on the graves. The graves were adorned with everything including flowers, food, candles, and alcohol all for the souls of the dead to enjoy.

Rachel, Kara, Katie, and I decided to sit on a bench for a while to rest and observe all that was going on. That’s when we saw Erin who came over to talk to us. When she first walked up a firecracker that a little boy had thrown hit her in the foot. She screamed a little and all the kids around started to giggle.Erin then asked the little boy if she could try one of his firecrackers and he let her. When she threw it, it landed very close to the children’s parents and that was when our friendship began. For about an hour and a half we had so much fun talking to these three children. They were so funny and really smart. The little girl was named Daniela and she was 11 years old, she had a little brother who was about 5, and an older brother who was 12. After talking for only a few minutes Daniela walked up to me and gave me a banana as a gift. We continued to talk to them and they were very interested in what we were doing in Mexico and kept asking us when we were going to return. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress that she told us was her first communion dress. Her mom and dad were selling chinitas – chips and they gave three bags to eat. When it was time to go we said our goodbyes and they wanted each of us light a firecracker before leaving. This experience was so meaningful to us. For those few hours we felt like we were actually a part of their culture, taking part in their rituals for Dia de los Muertos. We did not feel like outsiders. People around us were offering us food and shots in hopes that we would enjoy their holiday celebration as much as they were and that is exactly what happened. Celebrating in the cemetery is an experience that I will never forget!

Vegetarianismo (Morgan)

It takes a certain courage to be a traveling vegetarian. Especially if you plan to live in a homestay, as the Merida program warrants, you have to come to certains terms with yourself. There are two options for those with self-imposed dietary restrictions. The first is to maintain the habit and risk an ideological barrier between yourself and the host family (given that they do not share your views toward meat). The second option, as painful as it may be, is to temporarily abandon vegetarianism for the sake of the cultural experience.

It's an extremely difficult choice. One of the essential qualities of a good traveler, and a good guest, is flexibity. On the other hand, my choice to become vegetarian some years ago was made in efforts to be a better "global citizen." Quite the catch-22.

Before coming to Mexico, I had prepared myself to live in a non-vegetarian family. On the personal information form that is used to place students in homestays, I had written "vegetarian, but willing to eat meat for cultural purposes."

You can imagine my surprise, then, upon the first meal with my Mexican host mother, she declares to the waiter that our gorditas will have to be made with egg, since we are vegetarian. Not only was I placed in a vegetarian homestay, but I've noticed a significant non-meat consuming culture in Merida. Mama Violeta, a Buddhist yoga instructor and vegetarian for 30 years, says that she is abstains from meat consumption for health reasons. She's also lactose intolerant, which renders her an ovo-vegetarian (eggs, but no dairy...very close to veganism).

Walking along the streets, I've noticed a significant sprinkling of vegetarian restaurants, or normal restaurants that advertize vegetarian options. Natural food and medicine stores are everywhere, and no one furrows their brows or widens their eyes in restaurants if I ask for food sin carne. (Quite the opposite of my European travel experiences. where the typical response would be "Excuse me, you don't eat meat? But...WHY?")

I feel that I'm still experiencing Mexican cuisine as any other person would. Cheese-filled empanadas, egg-filled enchiladas, sauteed soy with chile instead of chicken (that's really delicious), etc. Mama Violeta taught me how to order a hamburger at Burger King like anyone else would, except she instructed the worker to bread a thick slice of cheese with a little egg and throw it on the griddle to subtitute the meat. Fully dressed, it's even better than a normal burger :).

Not only have I been able to enjoy my time studying abroad, I have also been able to do so without compromising my vegetarian lifestyle. (AND there's free yoga in the backyard. I couldn't ask for more in a homestay.

Maya Chuy (Morgan)

Chuy is the Mayan word for embroidery. The traditional hupil, a dress worn by Mayan women, can be seen throughout the region. This indigenous technique has been wonderfully preserved over the years, and is today a thriving business that allows female artisans a step into the otherwise male-dominated world of entrepreneurship. Embroidery is perhaps the most striking of the crafts in the Yucatain. The bright, intricately woven floral patterns certainly catch the eye. Other local products include bags and baskets made from hennequen, sisal and palm leaves (all local raw material), delicate paper flowers and butterflies, silver jewelry, wooden jars and bowls, hammocks, wax figurines, paintings and wooden toys for children.

I recently had the opportunity to visit a local non-profit organization that works with local craftswomen. Tumben kinam encourages female entrepreneurship by helping individual women and cooperatives develop their products by coaching them on what type of merchandise sells in the modern market. They encourage women who have a skill for embroidery to produce handbags, coin purses, eyeglass cases and t-shirts in addition to the traditional hupil. Such products tend to appeal to the western tourist market present in the Yucatan, and allow the merchandise the flexibility to be exported to the United States and Europe, where they bring a higher price. Tumben kinam, directed by Sra. Sylvia Teran, also helps link the women with venders, one of which is the government-backed Casa de las Artesanias. Established in 1978, the project seeks to rescue and preserve indigenous craftsmanship by maintaining a market for traditional crafts. The organization stocks large stores in most major cities in Mexico with ware from local artesans. Casa de las Artesanias keeps two shops in Merida, one in the Centro and another on the Paseo Montejo. Featured in several guidebooks, these stores are the ideal starting point for those interested in artesanal crafts.

The work of local craftspeople is a daily sighting in Merida. From hupil-clad Mayan women on the bus to hammocks swinging on porches to woven Sisal shopping bags in the Supermarket, one is constantly reminded of the presence of Mayan culture in the Yucatan. Indigenous crafts therefore is one of the essential points of culture in the Mexican Yucatan.

Lunch at the Mama's House

Monday through Thursday, I get out of class at one and head towards the bus station. As I wait for a bus that goes towards Itzimna, my mind always wanders towards lunch and what my madre has made for me and my roommate. I try to predict what she has made and wonder if it would be better to grab a couple tacos to go or save the pesos and brave the unpredictability of her cooking. Most of the time I decide to go with her cooking and hope for the best. Somedays, I hope someone asks me if I wanna grab some lunch because I have a bad feeling about lunch at home. My gut normally serves me right and those bad feelings become tuna lunch days. The bus ride home always leads to a build up of my hunger. Something about sweating profusely while bouncing up and down makes me starved. The bus drops me off close to my house so I am able to scramble inside my house rather quickly, not having to endure more of the Mexican heat. I always hope for something really authentic for lunch. Something spicy and chickeny that is going to blow my mind...has yet to happen. No matter what the entre of the meal is, I can bet my life it is going to come with half a pound of rice. The bun-less burger, the empanadas, the soup, the tacoesque looking things, all of it comes with a huge amount of rice. I have learned that hot sauce makes it a lot easier to eat half a pound of rice, but every meal ends with a little rice baby in my stomach. After my madre serves lunch, she sits with me to talk but not to eat. I feel like such a fat kid sometimes shoveling rice into my mouth while she just watches and smiles. I must say we do have some candid conversations at lunch though. I understand maybe forty percent of what she says but somehow it still works. We have talked about cougars (not the large cats), my hair, girls she wants me to meet, life and death, carpe diem, her life, how she hates her son's girlfriend, and more. I must say, were pretty tight. I look forward to lunch every day after class, especially today. I came home and saw a huge pot of pasta and was stoked. I said I was hambre so she gave me a gigantic helping with cheese and hot sauce. I finished it all ten minutes later and was finishing my glass of water when I saw her coming at me with a big piece of tuna.......

People Are Strange, When You're A Stranger: A Native Tourist--Taylor Erwin

The waves forced the starboard side into the air, pummeling the port windows into the Caribbean waters before crests on that side reciprocated the unwarranted aggression; a pair of aquatic bully of a tempest violently see-sawing our ferry back to the mainland. Due in large part to my fatigue and newly discovered seasickness I found myself nearly dropping to my knees and Bugs Bunny-kissing the ground as I finally stepped foot on shore. It was Sunday afternoon, and we were just returning from a Cozumel fall break. As the events of that weekend are well documented - not without their plot holes, appropriate as they may be - I shall not relay another version of the same four days seen through another pair of sunglass wearing eyes. I will say, however, that our pool volleyball game was absolutely epic. México has certainly grown on me. Not that I ever had any animosity towards the basement in what is the house of North America, but I was new. Like a cellar the beginning of my occupation is somewhat lacking as my eyes adjust to the (cultural) darkness and my olfactory organ assimilates the redolent recollections I so rarely remember. Now, however, I've set up my shag rug, my thrift store sofa, black and white TV and I'm comfortably cohabiting with my collegiate comrades. Alright, I'll stop the alliterations. In all honesty, though, I have become so accustomed to life in México that I'm surprised when I don't recognize a street, or I sit on a bus I haven't yet plopped my over-indulgent American toosh onto. I don't quite feel like I'm an expatriate, but maybe America and I are having a trial separation. We all feel somewhat similar; that is, in a land where we're clearly not natives we still don't feel like tourists. It's an abroad purgatory. But it certainly adds an interesting dynamic to the whole situation. I'll be honest - and it sounds exceptionally supercilious and ethnocentric - but I feel there is some discrimination towards gringos down here. Nothing too much - most of it consists of assuming that we're more likely to buy a hammock on the street, regardless of the fact that each of us pass the vendors at least twice daily - but I've had a couple of instances where I've felt that the bus driver refused to pick me or a group of us up because we reflected the sun so brightly. Nevertheless, I believe that most of the people here are fully accepting of us; they're certainly friendly, and many will even try and bear with those of us who speak limited Español. I am in a feverish anticipation over our forthcoming excursions to the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco and I can say - with full transparency - that this has long been the part of the trip I have been looking forward to the most. Our group has proved fantastic, our educators superb and our meals inconceivably toothsome. And as much as I will rejoice upon my return to the States, I will feel more than slightly strange when I'm not invited into every shop I pass at 10:30 in the morning, offered a shot of tequila.

Fall Break, etc. - Andy Hagerman

Well yesterday marked the 40th day since we flew in to Yucatan and I must say that it has been quite an interesting experience thus far. On one hand I feel like I just got here a couple of weeks ago, but on the other hand I feel like I've lived here for at least a year. I've fallen into a routine of using the bus system, getting to UNAM, getting back to my house, going to clubs, restaurants, etc. It really feels like I live here, not like I'm visiting, and I like that. I find myself seeing large groups of other whitet people with fanny packs and cameras draped about their necks and I look at them as foreigners although I am one myself. I really feel like an inhabitant of the city and of the country as well. Typically, the majority of our group goes out to the discotech's on the weekends, but this past weekend it was a relief to make our way out of the city of Merida and do a bit of traveling. The four hour ride to Puerto Morelos followed by the 30 minute boat ride to Cozumel flew by and before I knew it we were relaxing by the ocean. The resort atmosphere provided a good, relaxing weekend, but by the time Sunday rolled around, I was quite ready to return to Merida. It was fun, but being surrounded by strictly other Americans at the resort made me feel as if I wasn't in Mexico anymore and quite possibly could have been at any one of a thousand resorts in Florida or another American beach site. However, the island atmosphere was fantastic and was a pretty fun adventure. The weekend before Fall Break Lee, John, Blair, Sarah and I all made the trek to Chichen Itza which was amazing. The bus ride was quite cheap, as was the entrance fee and we were able to see the great structures at the site. I must have taken 1,000 pictures of the large temple alone. I'm quite excited that in a few days we're leaving for Palenque/Chiapas, Oaxaca and Villahermosa...this is the trip I've been counting down for since I first got our schedule. Oaxaca is very famous for Day of the Dead and it's really cool that we get to be there on that occasion...I get to post another blog not too long after that experience so that will be nice. Until the next time, hasta luego, Andres

No Way Only Half Way!? - Lee Myers-White

So I was taking a look at the calendar for our trip last night and I noticed that in four days we will be only half way through our trip! I am not sure about everyone else but I feel like I have lived here for about three years. The only thing keeping me from believing that is that I am still awful at Spanish. This week trying to take things fairly easy after a great time in Cozumel, possibly just go to the beach on Friday and then maybe go to Uxmal, another very large set of ruins, on Saturday before we leave on our ten day trip to Oaxaca and Chiapas. Yes let me spell this out for you, we have fall break in Cozumel, come back and have only 4 days of class and then leave on Saturday for a ten day trip. It just doesn't seem fair does it? Right now just sitting in Starbucks thinking I will be doing work soon but knowing that with internet at my disposal it may not happen for some time. Being my first blog entry I feel like I should have more to contribute, especially after Cozumel, but if you want to good idea of what it was like I suggest trying to check out the facebook pictures, I feel like they capture it better than I can in words. Also just recently picked a topic for our final project in Phylis' folklore class, I am working in a group of a few people and we decided to go around Merida and take pictures of graffiti. I found one flaw in our choice of topic as I snagged my camera the next time I was leaving the house: there is barley any graffiti in this city, almost nonexistent. All of walls are spotless. The only bit I can find is scribbled on bus seats or the classic bathroom stall. So as of now I am not sure what I am going to do. I have had almost 2 months to experience things to explain in this blog and this is all I can get and my next one is in a week so hopefully something monumental happens in 6 days or the next one may be pretty weak. Hasta luego!

We left our mark on Cozumel and Cozumel left its mark on us - Lydia McCollum

Where to begin, where to begin…fall break ’09 in Cozumel was definitely an unforgettable trip! It all started Thursday morning October 15 when we woke up at 6 am to meet the bus at Phyllis and Allison’s at 7am, according to Jose the bus waits for no one. My mom Irene insisted that she would drive me and Rachel to meet the bus so we did not have to take a taxi so early. However, Mama Irene is definitely on Mexican time and does not hurry very often. One thing I’ve noticed since day one in Mexico is that no one is in a hurry and that society moves at a much slower pace than in the United States. I think that expression that is often seen on T-shirts and used in the US “We’re on Island Time” should be changed to “We’re on Mexican Time”. I am enjoying the slow pace of society. It’s a nice change from what I’m use to and I’m adjusting quite well. So when 6:45 on Thursday rolled around and my mom was still not awake, I began to wonder if she really had said she would take us or if there was a minor miscommunication with the language and all. I decide to knock on her door and find out. She said we will leave in 10 minutes. I looked at Rachel saw the panic in her face because since we were going to be late, but there was nothing we could do. Nevertheless, we left at five minutes till 7 and made it just in time to hop on the bus before it took off. It was a four hour bus ride to Playa Del Carmen and by the time we arrived we were all bursting with excitement. In Playa Del Carmen we caught the ferry to Cozumel. After an hour ferry ride with traditional music and a 30 minute taxi ride with Sarah McLachlan “I will remember you” playing, we finally arrived at the resort Whyndam. By the time we arrived, we were so ready to take advantage of the all inclusiveness and hit up the buffet and bar. After a little lunch, Sam, Katie and I discovered that our room had a pretty sweet balcony with a Jacuzzi, which we put to great use. We spent our days in Cozumel doing everything from lying in the sun, swimming in the pools to playing beach and water volleyball and of course enjoying the foam fiestas in our hot tub. We also enjoyed doing a little swinging at the bar because they had swings instead of bar stools. They were my personal favorite! Throughout the four days we were all frequent visitors to the snack bar, where we ate our weight in hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, quesadillas, and nachos. The best part of it all was that anytime you ordered a drink or food, no need to pull out your wallet to pay for it, the blue wristband was all you needed. Overall Cozumel was a complete success and our escapades were priceless. I do believe we left our mark on Cozumel and Cozumel left its mark on us!

The Day Post Fall Break and Out of the Ordinary

So t'was the day post fall break and as I awoke in the morning I could already hear my liver and sanity thanking me. As some of you may know we spent a wonderful time in Cozumel, Mexico thoroughly enjoying the scenery, cool temperature, pools, all-inclusive drinks, and Jacuzzi bathtubs. It was an educational trip. I learned about 15 new drinks (such as a dirty monkey, a dirty monkey with a tail, luzes de Habana, Miami Vice, Blue Kamakazis, Lemon Drop, etc etc), how many bottles of hotel shampoo is takes to make a wicked bubble bath in a Jacuzzi (2 bottles), and what happens when you add 17 crazy Centre students to an all inclusive beach resort in another country (fun fun fun). It was a marvelous time, but I'll leave those stories for others to tell. What I will tell you now is exactly what happened today when I woke up...really strange things. For one, the first thing I noticed when I woke up was that it wasn't boiling hot! Not only did I have my clothes on, but I also have my covers on too. This is rare in 110 degree weather (which is the usual temperature around here). And I mean 110 degrees Celsius, jk, Fahrenheit of course. Anyway, it felt completely amazing. I didn't wake up already sweating and sticky from humidity. I carried on my day as I naturally do and after breakfast I waited outside my house like usual for the bus. I waved one down just as I got out of the house and it decided to stop a block ahead of me. He threatenly tapped the gas pedal, and knowing how teasing and impatient the bus drivers sometimes are, I made a run for it. As I got on the bus I noticed that there were only 2 more people. Now if you know about Mexican buses, or any Mexican automobiles, there will always be somewhere between 6 and 100 people squished in there. (Whoa, looked how weird squished is spelt, its pronounced squwished, but there is no w in there, I just googled it!) Anyway, 2 people, plus me, plus bus driver adds up to only 4, in a bus! Let me tell you, that is strange. And after literally 2 minutes it was just me and the bus driver. NEVER HAVE I EVER been on a bus alone! Ever, in Mexico, never ever. I was today. I looked around and realized that no one else left except me. The bus driver caught me off guard and asked me where I was going. "Centre! uhhh I mean Centro, Centro!" In response the bus driver went off the usual route, took a short cut, and went straight to the Centro! This made me wonder if he had been taking short cuts all day which would explain why he didn't have anyone on his bus. Is he trying to get himself fired? Maybe? Clever way of doing it I suppose. As I got off my bus stop I saw a clown dressed up in blue with big yellow shoes. Yes, that's right, I saw a Mexican clown. Anyway, he was checking himself in the mirror, as I passed by he said something in Spanish which I didn't understand, but then immediately showed me his zipper which was located on his shirt from his shoulder to neck, which was unzipped. Ahh, I said to myself, luckily I'm not a dumb ass and I can take hints when I see them. So in response I tied his shoes. JK! I helped him with his god forsaken zipper which after a long 4 minutes of trying, finally noticed it was stuck in a hole in the cloth. The whole time I was wondering if it was some trick and if I was going to be squirted with water or something. Luckily I was not. After a gracias, a smile, and a de nada, I carried on my way to school where everything returned to normal. Normal is not part of this story so I'll fast forward to when I got home. When I got home everything seemed normal, I got off the bus, walked through the gate. As usual Teri (my Mexican dog the most awesomest dog in the world) was waiting by the door. As I opened the door and looked in the house, all the things in the living room, the chairs, the old clock, the lamp, the mirror, etc etc was all replaced by pieces of fallen cement and concrete on the floor, everywhere. What I have just described is what is called house construction, which is what will be going on in my house for the next 15 days. 15 days of hammering and tearing down walls, and ripping out floors. I don't mind really, since I'll be on a trip soon. Anyway, that is what happened to me today, and it might not seem very strange to you but it was for me, especially because I had just come back from vacation, and this is not what my sanity was expecting. Pues... let me leave you with this fun video of some more clowns I've seen on this trip...with love of course!

School in Merida is No Joke (Michael Keach)

¡Buenos días, América! When I wrote my last entry, I had not yet begun classes in Mexico- and let me tell you, its no longer all fun and games. Don’t get me wrong- there are still plenty of opportunities to go out, dance, explore, and have fun. However, there is now always the looming deadline somewhere in my mind. The first week and a half in Mexico was a fun-fueled tour and exercise in “getting to know another and your environment.” Everyday, we had a fun activity planned- visiting ruins, snorkeling, hitting the beach- the only responsibilities we were charged with involved keeping track of our wallets and looking out for one another. I’m not going to lie- the addition of class definitely bummed me out a bit. I’ve never been what would be considered an “academic” (well, at least by Centre College standards) and so naturally, I would prefer to have kept on partying and learning by fieldtrips, rather than papers and reading assignments. However, I’m not yet aware of any school that operates in such a fashion. To be honest, I had some crazy idea that the workload in Mexico would be a joke compared to the rigor back in Danville. How naïve I was! The classes that I am in right now are actually very challenging, and time consuming. I had been fed tales by Centre friends who had been abroad- “Don’t worry- It will be cake. There are only like 30 days of class per semester.” While it may be true that there are only 34 days that I am scheduled to have class this semester, each day I am in class for 4 hours. Though we don’t hold class on Fridays down here, I still attend class for 16 hours a week- a significant increase compared to the 12 or so hours stateside. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have class from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. - which can really be trying on one’s concentration. I guess I can’t complain too much, though. I know of several girls down here who take all four of their classes on the same days. While they only have to go to school 2 days a week, each day they have class for 8 hours! I am in two anthropology classes, and two Spanish classes. I take a Folklore anthropology class taught by Prof. Passariello, and it is definitely my favorite class. We have been reading several books, but the one I really enjoy is about the various folk saints of the Mexican people. One particularly interesting character is Jésus Malverde (The bad green one!), a train robber in late 1800’s Mexico who would redistribute his wealth among the poor. Today, he is prayed to and venerated mostly by drug dealers and criminals. Because the Day of the Dead is approaching (Nov. 1-2), last Monday we met at Prof. Passariello’s home to craft in the theme of the holiday. I had a lot more fun with this activity than I had anticipated. I made a skeleton- horse, complete with real dead flowers, glitter glue, and little sparkly fabric puffs. My other anthropology class is about the ancient Maya, and I certainly am learning a lot. For our midterm exam last week, we were permitted open- books. The catch: each response (all ten of them!) had to be AT LEAST a whole page typed (double spaced, of course.) I ended up with 16 pages, after about 8 hours of labor. My Spanish conversation class is a lot of fun. Rather than focusing on reading or book exercises, our homework consists of interviewing Mexican citizens or reading the paper and presenting our findings. We also have debates and conversation during class, which I think is more essential to learning the language than is writing or memorizing vocabulary. Our midterm consisted of watching a movie in Spanish, and then answering 5 questions to test our comprehension. My Mexican literature class is most trying for me. We are always reading, always in Spanish, and the language is complex. It takes me forever to do my homework, because it seems as though I have to use my dictionary to look up every other word. Our midterm for that class was to write 8 pages, either an essay or a short story. I chose to write a short story, because you can’t really give a wrong answer when you are creating your own story. I hope my professor agrees with me. Right now, I am on my final day of fall break. With the exception of one or two others and me, the entire Centre crew went to Cozumel. I am sure they had a blast, and I can’t wait to hear the stories. In fact, they are probably on their way back right now. I opted to save a bit of money and hang around Mérida for the break. As of now (this is before I have heard the wild tales) I am glad I stayed home, because I slept in until well past noon everyday, and also got a whole ton of work done. I also had time to write my friends and call my parents, for the first time since I arrived. Also, Friday night I had the opportunity to experience a small town’s celebration and dance. I don’t know the name of the city, but it is about 30 minutes from Mérida. Alison (Prof. Passariello’s assistant and my good friend) invited me to attend the cultural event with her, along with Claudia (who works as a sort of liaison and interpreter for our Mexico program) and several of her friends. I witnessed a style of dance that I had never seen, and the women dancing had beautiful, ornate dresses. Alison and I were the only gringos there, and I feel like this was the most genuine Mexican cultural experience I have seen. I am about half- way through my Mexican excursion. I have certainly learned a lot, and I have realized that though many things are way different in Mexico, Americans still have a lot in common with Mexicans. Will I be happy to get home to Kentucky? Certainly, without a doubt. I have always taken for granted the resources and rights we have at our disposal in the States. However, I think my stay in Mexico has enriched me as a person, and will forever change my perceptions and attitudes. Adiós, Michael Keach Sunday, October 18, 2009