Centre in Merida, Fall 2009

Looking Back - John Clark

2009-12-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-12-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-11-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-11-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-11-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-10-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-10-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

¡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

Family Life- Rachel Skaggs

2009-10-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

I truly believe that the homestay element of Centre in Mexico is the best part. I have grown to love my huge extended family. There are always people in and out of our house, and we even had a wedding anniversary party last weekend where SIXTY-FIVE of our immediate family members came to our house for tacos, cake, and socializing. We have lived in Mexico long enough for this all to feel routine. Kara and I have a host family that loves to take us around and show us new places and things to do in and around Merida. Last weekend, this was a day trip to the colonial city of Izamal where nine Maya pyramids are set amongst the small modern houses and stores as well as the huge monastery. This monastery is beautiful and ancient. The oldest date I saw on any of the inscriptions was from the 1600’s. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1993, and there is even a large statue of Friar Diego de Landa in one of the city squares. I have already had so many great experiences, but this weekend has definitely been the best weekend of all. On Friday, our Tio Pepe and Tia Elia brought us to the Maya site of Uxmal. Unlike the rest of our Maya site experiences, we went to this one at nine pm. We wandered toward the main square and sat. This site has a light and sound show that tells the story of the city of Uxmal. It was fun and very different to get to see the ancient buildings lit up with white, green, red, and blue lights. At times, they would only light certain parts of the monuments, such as the Maya god Kukulcan. They told stories in Spanish as we sat and listened, all while reclined on the steps of one of the huge buildings. This was a great night and a fun time to bond with some of our other family members. On Saturday and Sunday we went to our family’s beach house in the fisherman’s village of Sisal. This is the town where all of the henequen plants used to be sent out, thus giving henequen its other name, Sisal. We have been here once before and stayed in Mama Melba’s house, but this weekend we went with our “nephew” Beto and stayed in his beach house. The day started with a great picnic by the pool with brie, crackers, crema de cacahuate con miel (Peanut butter with honey), and brownies. The group had a great time here and then decided to walk on the beach. Phyllis, Alison, and Widdle came with us, and Widdle had the best day ever on the beach. She ran as fast as her 11-year-old dachshund legs could take her. She chased seagulls and made new doggie-friends until Phyllis & Alison decided that it was time to go home. Later on, we watched a Mexico vs El Salvador Soccer game, ordered a pizza, and took in the sea air. Today we fished at 6 am (with only line, hook, and bait!), slept in the sun, and ate our fish. It was a great weekend, and a great peek into Mexican family life yet again!

pescadora buena, pescadora muerta - katie halloran

2009-10-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

if there were be two phrases to sum up this trip so far, they would be, "i love my life" and "where ARE we right now?". the first is self-explanatory, but the second i find myself constantly saying because i end up in the most ridiculous and crazy situations that i would have never imagined being in, let alone in mexico. por ejemplo, instead of preparing for my midterms, i spent this past weekend at two separate beaches. doesn't sound too wild, right? well, on friday (i'll take this opportunity to mention that we don't have class on fridays!!!) a group caught the bus to progreso. it costs about two dollars to get there and back, and it's about a thirty minute bus ride, although time passes quickly because there is typically a guitarist serenading all of the passengers. we swam, laid out, had a cheap but delicious lunch, and then began to walk back to the bus stop. on the way, christine spotted a bathing suit in one of the shops, and so we separated from the rest of the group so that she could have a closer look. the shop was a mix of convinient store/bathing suit shop/restaurant/bar, and while christine tried on her potential purchase, i started talking to the store owner, francisco. he asked if i spoke spanish, if i was a student, etc., and when he found out that i was taking some anthropology classes, he began to explain his past career as a tour guide. we became fast friends. i bought a bottle of jamaica (a mexican beverage made from hibiscus), and he asked why i wasn't drinking beer. in between trying to explain that i wasn't in the mood to drink and him showing off all the brands of beer in the cooler, christine returned to pay for her bathing suit. this was only a minor distraction. he became more persistent and offered us each a free shot of tequila. we thought why not, and he broke out a bottle, some limes, and salt. he was not satifised with only one, offering us another, and i'm pretty sure he would have had us empty the bottle had we not firmly refused. only in mexico can a simple purchase of a bathing suit turn into free shots (p.s. francisco wants to throw the group a party at his restaurant very soon). on saturday i had received an invite to the beach house of rachel and kara's host family. the drive itself was an adventure. we piled seven humans (professor included) and one dog into a car. once there, beto, a grandson of rachel and kara's host family, had forgotten his key so we all ventured to the pool with some snacks while we waited for someone to come let us in. the rest of the day was spent swimming, playing cards, and watching the mexico vs el salvador futbol partido because we had an early morning. at 5:45 a.m. our alarms went off, and we quickly threw on our suits to meet our fishing guide, pepe, at the beach. mind you, when told that we were going fishing, all of us expected a decent-sized boat with actual fishing rods. not the case. pepe, rolls up in this tiny, wooden contraption with the motor practically duct-taped and super-glued to the back. it took awhile to even start, and i began to imagine myself stranded at sea as pepe attempted to row us back to shore. after a twenty minute ride out, pepe pulls out six large spools of fishing line with hooks tied to the end. he then pulls out some tiny fish, which he chops into little pieces. we were all a little sea sick at this point, and personally i almost tossed my cookies right there. rachel was definitely on the same page because shortly after i got a great view of vomit chucks floating in my direction. lydia was next to go. just more food for the fish, right? so stomachs emptied we continued on. fishing sisal style consists of just holding a piece of fishing line, and then we you get a bite, just jerk the line until you hook a fish. then you have to reel them in bare-handed. i dominated some fishing, which i attribute all to the straw fisherman's hat that beto let me borrow. they started calling me "pescadora buena", and pepe, noting a passed out passenger on the side of the boat, referred to rachel as "pescadora muerta." pepe really got a kick out the four gringas vomitting off the side of his boat, especially kara. her spanish skills are epic. they consist of phrases such as, "buuuuueeeeenoooo" and "puedo cerveza", pepe lauging at both. he even started repeating her ridiculously voiced, dying cat call, "bueno". upon returning to the shore, we had a feast of the fish we caught, crashed a birthday party by the pool (equipped with beer, birthday cake, and techno music), and watched "legally blonde". i really can't comprehend how i end up in these situations, but when in mexico, live as the mexicans do.

What a month its been... Kara Beer

2009-10-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Vida es buena... This is pretty much all I can say to describe my life thus far in Mexico. Each day I wake up, might I add drenched in sweat, but nontheless totally ready for an awesome day- which never fails to occur. My host family and I are starting to truly bond and I feel that I get closer each week with them. Every Wednesday Mama Melba, my Tia Norma, Rachel and I all go to the movies and then to dinner. The first week we were in our home stay Rachel and I suggested it might be fun to hang out together at the movies and its now become our weekly "thing". Our eighty-something mom and aunt decided to see "The Ugly Truth" one week and Rachel and I thought this would be good. Little did we know that there are some graphic scenes in the movie and they were certaintly not meant for the eyes and ears of little gray-haired eighty-year-olds. I remember looking over in several scenes and seeing my poor Tia Norma's hands over her mouth, with a wide-eyed expression of shock. Rachel and I were mortified and convinced our trips to the movies would have seen their last that night. However, much to our releif, when we walked out of the theatre they both wore wide grins and said nothing to us about the content of the movie. Perhaps the Spanish subtitles didnt translate the English exactly or perhaps Melba and Tia Norma are just a lot cooler than we ever expected- I'm going with the latter of the two. One of our latest exploits with my family was this past Friday when we went to Uxmal for the light and sound show. Rachel and I piled into the car with our Uncle Pepe and his wife Elina and quite literally raced to Uxmal. Pepe loves to drive as fast as he can and the roads can be a little rough, plus I'm sure we almost plowed down at least 3 people on bikes. Needless to say once we arrived I was quite happy. The light and sound show was so beautiful and we were able to literally sit on a ruin, while watching the ruins around us light up. There was a story and music that went along with the light show, however, my spanish skills are quite lacking and I picked up on about every fifth word. Despite not understanding the "sound" part of the show I had a wonderful time and am hoping to go back soon. Anyone up for a trip to Uxmal?!

Only in México: Blair Murphy

2009-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

It has officially been one month since I stepped foot in Mexico. I never knew the routine of starting classes would make my time here pass by so quickly. On the upside, I have finally been here long enough to know my way around instead of looking like just another tourist. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still stick out like a sore thumb, but I think the look of confusion on my face has definitely dwindled. I now understand to a certain degree why people stare at us. It is more than us merely getting hit on by Mexican men. There is a certain curiosity in seeing someone who looks different from you. In my case, I am now curious whenever I see white people too.

On a random note, just about everything here is eaten with salsa. When I say everything, I mean it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks…it is always there. Not saying that I am not a fan of salsa, I just need a little variety sometimes. Because of this, we have decided to branch out on our food choices when we eat outside of the house. The last place I ever expected to have Sushi was in Mexico, but it has really been one of, the best, if not the best, meals that I have had since I’ve been here. I came into this trip thinking that I was going to be eating tacos, quesadillas, and fajitas the whole time. I was wrong. They have just about everything here that we have in the states. Eating the food here has also made me realize that we have a very limited amount of food that is “American.” In fact, the main things I associate with “American” food here are sandwiches, burgers, or hot dogs. I am just glad that we have relied on some other countries to broaden our food choices back home.

Anyways, that is enough about food. This weekend a couple of us had our first Mexican movie theater experience. The funniest thing is that the movies are all pretty much in English with Spanish subtitles, but the names are different. For instance, “The Hangover” here is called “¿Qué pasó ayer?” which translates directly into English as What happened last night? The movies here also come out much later than they do in the states, but that just means that if we really liked a movie from back home we might get to see it again here!

This weekend a few of us made the trip from Mérida to Chichen Itza. It is one of the most touristy ruin sites here, but after going there I can see why. The main pyramid there is just huge; there is no other way to describe it. I also really got a greater sense for what the ball courts were like because the little rings through which the balls passed during the games were still intact on the walls of the court. There was a little thrown for the King to sit and watch the game and basically wait to see which of the two players would later be sacrificed. Crazy.

There were both pros and cons to the tourism of Chichen. Stands lined the walkways to every ruin site so that you could not escape the constant pressure to buy something. In saying this, there was also a constant source of entertainment every time we walked from one site to another. The phrases that the venders had picked up to draw in English-speaking tourists were nothing but comical. Everything was either “almost free,” or at a “discount for today.” When they asked if you spoke Spanish, the phrases that followed next were either “barato” or “tiene un novio,” which mean cheap, or do you have a boyfriend. It never got old.

Well, time to study for Midterms after our five days of class. As much as I am not very excited about them, I also have the thought in my head that in 4 days I will be arriving to the island of Cozumel to do nothing but relax at the beach for our fall break. Only in Mexico.

Blair

John C

2009-10-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well even after classes started the trip is still going great. The classes have a lot of reading involed and we have midterms coming up this week but I guess it can't all be fun right? There hasn't been anything too crazy going on, after classes started we kind of got into a routine: classes monday through thursday, beach on friday, discotecas friday and saturday night, and all day at the starbucks on sunday doing homework and using the internet. We kind of changed things up a little this past weekend considering we have midterms coming up and then fall break this weekend we went to the movie theater and we went to chichen itza and we tried out the Barbeque House which was all inclusive food and drink all night for around 9 american dollars. I've started to figure out the bus system a lot better and a taxi is always a reliable source of transportation. The majority of the people are leaving this thursday around 7 in the morning for our fall break consisting of 4 days and three nights in Cozumel which is going to be an amazing trip and is the one thing helping most of us get through these last few days of tests.

Feeling OK, Feeling Alright -- Taylor Erwin

2009-10-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've always held a fondness for the expression "fly by the seat of your pants" (in this apparel based analogy of aeronautics in which one's hindquarters are jettisoned into the wild blue yonder I imagine the wallet, sitting in the cockpit of my back pocket, to be the pilot - a fitting comparison, indeed - my legs the wings propelling me forward; would this make my zipper the navigation, compassing me into a wondrous journey--or oblivion?). Regardless of the airline implications I do believe that most of my experiences thus far have been off the cuff, if we're continuing with our clothing line of expressions. Not infrequently I find myself hopping onto a bus, throwing down my $6 peso fee, and finding a seat by the window, and keeping my fingers crossed that I'll know where I am when I get off.

If Mérida is anything, it's a city that breathes. I feel the pulse of activity every

step I take along the streets, smelling not only the curbside vendors and noxious fumes of countless buses, but the passion and vitality - the vivacity - that keep the blood flowing through this city. Although I spend little of my free time in El Centro, the entirety of pedagogical attention we receive takes place downtown, providing near daily exposure to the heart of Mérida. Likewise, the necessity of public transportation opens a window - albeit with translucent curtains still drawn - into the lives of those living here. I imagine where these people are going (in jeans, no less; for god's sake, it's an average of 95º F everyday!) and what they must be thinking of this six foot plus gringo in aviator sunglasses and Chaco sandals riding the bus by himself, reading a Tom Robbins novel (I've found that the bus, not quite a hub of conversation even for the locals, is a great place to read since I can't communicate verbally with it's patrons). Then I wonder if they're even thinking about me at all.

Whenever I receive an e-mail from home or Skype with loved ones and they ask how is Mexico I almost consistently respond, "Well, it's hot." While I try to avoid complaining about the weather I think it would be absolutely absurd to try and act as if it did not shape daily life and our perception of the place we inhabit. Plus, it really is very hot.

One thing that I can say about Mérida, and all the locations we've visited thus far, is that it doesn't get boring. On one street alone (Avenida Montejo, if you're wondering) there are several discotecas, watering holes, and karaoke bars. These establishments have been oft

frequented by our group, both as

a whole and in smaller sects. While much dancing has indeed occurred, I find an evening spent in the boîte known as Palacio del Billar to be worthy of recantation. Jose Ordonez, John Clark and myself noticed a special for Tuesday nights and decided to try it out; we also thought we'd pull our singing voices out of the attics and see if they still fit after all these years. After a few locals strutted their stuff, I thought perhaps I should give it a go. So I did. As did Jose. And we sang. We sang until our vocal chords switched to reserve power. Feeling quite courageous - perhaps it's just that Mexican air - we serenaded the crowd, their hearts melting butter over the flapjack's of our songs (to which I am now liberally applying a hefty helping of maple syrup sarcasm). In addition to several Spanish songs from Jose (which I did not know) I added to the mix The Doors, a dash of Eminem, and 1 part Backstreet Boys, a la "I Want It That Way." I don't want to say it was spiritual, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.

Mexico is fun. It is a gift basket of experiences, a taste of everything (what's with these food metaphors?). However, one thing I've tried to not overlook while I'm here are the differences from America. I do not want to become disillusioned by the nightclubs and beach trips - but, oh sweet Jesus, those beach trips are nice; it's hard not to think about all the people changing class in Grace-Doherty Library on a Friday afternoon as I lay on the white sand beach of the Yucatan Peninsula - but I always try to keep in my mind the disadvantages so many of the citizens of this country have. I believe that maintaining a viewpoint that doesn't forget that I am fortunate enough to live in the country I do allows me to truly experience everything Mexico is, and helps me to avoid becoming the obnoxious, self-righteous ass that much of the world views Americans to be already.

This trip, without a doubt, is the trip of a lifetime.

La Vida en Merida- Sarah Swauger

2009-10-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

From the moment I stepped off of the plane in Mexico, this experience has felt like a never ending adventure. The adventure began with a flat tire and cracked windshield on the bus ride from Cancun to Merida. Somehow, my streak of bad luck with the busses has continued from that moment. Last night after waiting for 45 minutes for a bus, we crowded onto it with our huge backpacks and stood jam packed the entire ride home. When we finally had to get off, I had to push Blair through the crowd as everyone around us just watched and laughed at the silly Americans. Aside from those minor issues, everything else has been absolutely incredible. When else in my life could I go to the beach every Friday?? I also feel like I have learned so much in such a short time. I never knew anything about the cultural history of this place and I enjoy learning about the Yucatan area both in and out of class. Every day we encounter people who are so in love with Mexico that they just want to share it with us, like this man we met outside of the cathedral who took us on a mini tour. One of my favorite experiences has definitely been spending time in Puerto Morelos. Scuba diving was amazing as everyone else has said, but I also enjoyed going to the square to watch some kids perform traditional dances. It seems like there is always some kind of celebration going on with music and dancing, which is way different from life in the States. I also think this experience has been made that much better because of the family me and Blair are living with. Our mom, Gloria, is always so sweet and makes amazing food. From the moment we met her, she has been more than willing to help us with everything, from the busses to where we should go on the weekends. She has 3 daughters all with children, so the house is always lively when the grandchildren come over. I especially love playing with the kids in the pool and I already feel like part of this family. I’m sure there are more adventures to come!

Adios,

Sarah Swauger

Trees, Besos, and Mexican Pride (Morgan)

2009-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

These people love their country. I think that is a common characteristic of nations that have had a revolution: they have the best independence celebrations.

In Merida, the independence celebration is called La Grita and it takes place on September 15. We came back from our weekend trip to Puerto Morelos on the Tuesday of the celebration. At the time we were still living in the Hotel Caribe in El Centro, about a block away from the Plaza Grande where the annual celebration is held. Walking from the hotel to the Plaza around 11 pm, we cleared the security checkpoints and melted into the enormous crowd filling the Plaza in front of the governor's palace. The main event of the night (traditionally) was the appearance of the governor and top government officials on the balcony of the palace. The governor gives a speech, and reminds the crowd of the valor of several Mexican revolutionary heroes. The crowd responds to each of the governor's statements with a resounding "VIVA!!!" We arrived at the Plaza with the entire group, but Christine and I quickly broke away to try to work our way through the crowd to get closer to the palace and the stage. We found that we were surprisingly skilled at crowd navigation, and that a simple smile and a sheepish "lo siento" got us a long way. At one point we were directly across from the governor's balcony, and we climbed a tree to get a better view. Being up in that tree, high above the crowd with a chilly breeze blowing was such a welcome feeling after pushing our way through the stuffy crowd. However, after a few moments passed our feet started itching again and we decided to try our luck to push further. On her way down, Christine dropped one of the red, white and green beaded hoop earrings that Maria Luisa had made for us to wear to La Grita. It fell to the ground at the base of the tree, and immediately a small group of young boys scrambled to retrieve it. When Christine landed on the ground a couple of seconds later, one boy around the age of 12 stood with his palm outstretched, grinning triumphantly with the earring in his hand. Christine thanked him, and we slipped a few pesos in his hand. His eyes widened, he looked at Christine, pointed to his cheek and boldly asked, "Un beso?" Laughing, Christine kissed his little cheek and he scampered off happily with his friends patting his back. We continued our conquest to the stage, but the crowd was getting thicker. We spotted another tree on the horizon with a branch protruding out at a right angle. That branch was calling our name, and we made it our destination point. Working toward it, we pushed on. When we finally reached the sacred tree, we found a rope attached to it. Christine went first, and grabbing the rope and using her feet to scale the trunk. The first branch was about 7 feet off the ground, and so our first couple of attempts failed. However, the crowd was watching us, and instead of being irritated by the gringos trying to get a better view, they actually started cheering us on. One man formed a step for us with his hand, and we were both hoisted up into the tree. It was perfection; we were high over the massive crowd and could see the entire area as if we were looking down from a plane. Just before the governor came out, however, the police spotted us and motioned for us to get down. A few scrapes and cuts later, our feet were back on the ground. We didn't care too much though, we had reached our goal and had a blast doing it. The governor's speech was intense and exciting. Thousands of people (us included) screamed their vivas and viva mexicos on cue, and it was an amazing feeling to hear the voices of so many people join together for something that they all love. After there was a firework show in front of the cathedral, which we were about 10 yards away from. We were so close that we were showered in ash from the spinning fire show, but it the show was beautiful. Next, the scene changed quickly for the worst. Little did we know that the next act of the night was a performance by the famous actor/singer Pedro Fernandez. As soon as he took to the stage, the crowd surged forward, and we were forced forward into the people standing in front of us. Christine and I were afraid of losing each other, or of falling down and being trampled, so we started to make the long trek back upstream. There was a man who saw us and helped clear the path for us all the way back through the park closer to the street. I don't think I've ever felt so gross, I was completely covered in other people's sweat, but it was so intense you couldn't help but love the adrenaline. Pedro Fernandez We lingered a little longer in the square, browsing the venders and watching the other people before we headed back to the hotel to watch the festivities come to an end from our rooftop.

Oh Mexico: Blair Murphy

2009-09-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

It is hard to put into words the whirlwind that has been the last 2 ½ weeks of my life. From the moment I stepped off the plane to when I woke up this morning, my time spent here has been an absolute adventure.

Everyone talks about their study abroad experience as some unexplainable but unforgettable time in their lives. I am beginning to understand why. There is no greater way to get to know people than to live with them in another country where you are figuring out the unknown together.

The first thing I figured out here is that bus windows apparently shatter when a tire pops. Sarah and I were on our way from the Cancun airport to Mérida when this little incident occurred. It actually led to us meeting someone who was knew about the Centre in Mérida program. I think he saw on our faces that we were a little bit confused about what was going on and tried to clear up the situation. He is just one of the many people here that have been more than willing to help us.

When I was trying to mentally prepare for this trip to Mexico, I thought that even though I knew some Spanish the language barrier would restrict me from communicating with the people and getting to learn about the culture. What I have learned during my time here so far is the exact opposite. During our first week, people in the streets helped us to find restaurants, ATMs, and led us in the right direction if we happened to forget where we were. There was even one man, named Raphael, who owned a business near the cathedral in the Centro who gave us a mini personalized tour of the building. He would first speak in Spanish and then ask us if we understood in English to help us practice the language that surrounds us everyday. I have learned that the best way to improve your Spanish is to understand that you might have to put yourself out there and sound silly in order to practice, because eventually you will get better.

I was actually surprised to find out this morning that our host mom Gloria already thinks that Sarah and I are improving in our Spanish. We typically have the best conversations during meals because it is when both José Luis and Gloria are home and have time to spend together relaxing. These conversations have ranged from simple things like asking if we want to eat our lunch at home or pack a sandwich the next day to future career plans or the daily school schedule of kids from the local areas. I never thought that I would be able to actually hold meaningful conversations outside of talking about my family or other elementary things with easy vocabulary.

Despite the fact that I say my Spanish has improved, I also am constantly making mistakes. Tonight I asked Gloria who her grandson Patricio’s friend was in the pool today at the house. It turns out what I actually asked Gloria was “who was the man at your house today in the pool with Patricio?” She was slightly concerned at first and then realized that when I said man I really meant boy, and that I had forgotten that this mystery 8 year-old was actually another one of her grandsons. Suffice to say, we also spend a lot of time laughing during our conversations at meals.

I also noticed today that Sarah and I are starting to refer to Gloria’s house as our home. Even though we have only lived here for about a week and a half it feels like just that. We live in a very residential neighborhood called Los Jardínes de Mérida in the north of the city. It is difficult to put into words how lucky and grateful we are to be living in this house with this family. Gloria and José Luis have welcomed us into their family just as they have with other host students for the past 8 years or so. They have 3 daughters but all of them live outside of the house. The best part about the daughters is that they have kids that come over to the house all the time. I think one of the reasons they come is because of the pool, which has been a constant source of entertainment for all of us. Sarah and I finally located some rafts (after learning that it took us so long to find them because we were referring to the rafts as “fishing line”. We finally went back to the basics and asked in Spanish for something that we could use in the pool so that we didn’t have to swim all the time. I guess it got the point across because we finally found some!), that the kids love to play with. They have also taught us some games in the pool.

We have found that it can be either easier or more difficult to communicate with the grandkids. Saraita is a five year-old who speaks very slowly and clearly because she has a pretty calm demeanor but likes to tell us jokes and play tricks on us all the time. Patricio, 8, and Alexa, 4 are a different story. When they play these color or animal games with us in the pool they get so excited and speak so quickly that we cannot understand them so we just start smiling a lot.

I absolutely love the schedule of classes here. I only have class on Mondays and Wednesdays, and while they are long days I am glad to get a break from my typical science classes at Centre. Sarah and I have found two cafes to study in so far. One near the school and the other being a large Starbucks with air conditioning that is a bit farther of a distance away but completely worth the bus ride. We have just made plans with everyone for a fall break in Cozumel, so I am sure everyone will have more stories to come!

Maya Lands --- Anna Capaldi

2009-09-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

At the Maya ruins of Ek' Balam

I am a travel channel junkie.

I usually follow up with a dose or two of discovery or history channel as well. So, it's easy to understand why I love this program. I see amazing things all the time and have the resources at hand to understand their deeper importance.

I've always been fascinated by the complex mathematical and astronomical knowledge the ancient Maya possessed, but I have not had the opportunity to appreciate their culture. Here, I have already learned much from our guide Miguel, our class on folklore and another class which gives an overview of everything Maya.

The Maya gods rest in the shade of the Ceiba tree

Thus, it was amazing when we were able to see the

equinox at

Dzibilchaltun. Not only was it awing to see such mastery of physics at work, but to stand in the place where the subjects of the chief came to see his mighty power hold the sun in a doorway on a day of his prediction was pretty sweet.

Equinox at Dzibilchaltun

Also, it would be easy and entirely understandable for the beauty of a civilization to be dwarfed by the kind of natural beauty present in the Yucatan, but Maya imagery continues to hold its own. My awe for both grows every day.

The crystal-clear water of a cenote

Begining to feel at home... Kara Beer

2009-09-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well we have been living in Merida for a little more than two weeks now and I can honestly say that I am beginning to feel like more than just a tourist. The bus system here is no longer so scary and I think I finally know how to get to Wal-mart! Although my Spanish is not anything to be admired, I can already notice an improvement in communication with my home-stay family and with others throughout the city. I can not even begin to describe my excitement when I am able understand the fast-paced dialogues of those around me. To some its considered eavesdropping, but to others, including Phyllis, its just another form of practice, both in fieldwork and in language skills. I am absolutely in love with authentic Mexican cuisine and never want to eat anything else- the food this week has been a drastic improvement from last week when all my home-stay mom would feed me was oreos and ham-and-cheese snadwiches! Along with my new appreciation for Mexican food, I have been fully convinced that sleeping in a hammock is the way to go! Everyday after class I take a short siesta in it and feel totally refreshed afterwards. Last week we went to Progresso, a tiny beach community outside of Merida, and it was wonderful! It takes about $2 to get there and back by bus (which is only about 30 minutes)and is a perfect way to spend a lazy day in the sun. Although we were unable to go this week due to our visit to the U.S consulate, I have a beach chair with my name on it next weekend! I think being so close to a beach is one of my favorite things about Merida. I am from Kentucky and thus am presented with the oppurtunity of a beach about once a year. All-in-all I truly am begining to feel at home here in Merida and am already dreading that day in December when I will have to leave.

Oh, Mexico -- Erin Sliney

2009-09-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

As soon as I arrived in Mexico, I knew, if nothing else, it was going to be an experience. Jose, Morgan, Samantha, and I walked out of the doors of the Cancun airport, and were overwhelmed by yelling, sign-holding Mexicans. Jose, the native Spanish speaker, took charge, and somehow we were offered to be taken in a private van directly to the Hotel Caribe in Merida for only $280 USD. How great, right? We could be as loud as we wanted, go where we wanted, and party as much as we wanted, just for $50 dollars a person. However, it wasn’t that great. As soon as we agreed, workers from other companies bombarded us. In rapid Spanish or broken English they told us that the guys were “pirates,” we were going to be stopped by the police, and that they were in fact the “real” van company. Apparently to stop this hassling, we were quickly rushed into the van, left our waiting place for Blair and Sarah, and driven to the massive van parking lot to sit and wait. The van next to us had its door open and inside were 4 Mexicans sitting on top of the folded down seats, playing cards. It turned, that while we were shadily waiting in the parking lot, Blair and Sarah got though customs, looked for us outside of the airport and proceeded to take the free shuttle to the bus station, where they bought their ticket to Merida for only $250 pesos. We, however, were unaware of this, and finally decided to leave 4 hours after we had initially landed, with the increased cost of $70 USD per person. Oh, and instead of the great Yucatan/Mexican food that we were going to stop and eat on our way to Merida, everyone was so irritated and itching to get to get out of Cancun that we stopped by McDonalds. Yes. My first meal in Mexico was indeed a happy meal, and there wasn’t even a toy. However, after the bus/private van ordeal, Mexico turned into paradise. The Hotel Caribe is very tropical and gorgeous. I roomed with Christine, Sarah, and Morgan Lynn. The swimming pool on the top floor looks over one of the earliest cathedrals in the Americas. The pool perfect place to relax and dangle your feet, so perfect in fact, that Christine, Mamie, and I just couldn’t help jumping fully-clothed that first, new, and magical night. We giggled all the way back to our rooms, dripping wet. That first day, my clueless, American self was definitely in need of some of the knowledge that I now know: $35 pesos is way to much for a beer, $70 pesos is way to much for enchiladas, and you don’t need to tip the bellman $50 pesos. But, at that point pesos just seemed like monopoly money with no real value. Oh well, I know better now. The second day: lunch with the host moms. This was fairly intimidating, especially when my mom, Elsy, just starting rambling in Spanish. The whole time I was wondering, “Does she know that I am just stupidly nodding my head?” It turned out fine though, as the accepting and caring nature of all of the home stay moms made me smile. After the meeting I went on a several hour excursion with Omar and Maria Luisa looking for a bathing suit. Apparently, there is a bathing suit season in Merida, after which stores don’t keep them in stock, even though the city is only 30 minutes from the beach and still 90 degrees Fahrenheit in September. The schedule activity that night: SALSA LESSONS!! A perfect way to start a trip in Mexico. I was so excited! I really like to dance, especially to anything with Latin American beats, rhythms, and moves. It turned out to be great fun. My great dancing partner Lee and I were able to pretty much master the routine that our skinny non-English speaking salsa instructor taught us. As you know the cenotes were beautiful and the experience absolutely charming. Tulum and Ek’Balam were nice and fairly interesting. However, at Tulum I had my first and only bad encounter with the heat. I had a headache, a queasy stomach, and felt lightheaded, as if I was going to pass out. Painfully for me, Miguel, our tour guide, would explain intricate details about the Maya for long minutes in the hot sun, trying to politely pretend to listen while actually trying to stay alive and conscious. Then, to make things worse, he forbade us to go into the extremely tempting portion of the beautiful Caribbean sea that Tulum overlooks. It worked out fine though. I was able to hike back to the van and took Christine’s advice: lie down someplace cool, but not cold, and drink water. Finally after about an hour in the backseat of the van squishing Taylor and Mamie together, and stealing Christine’s water, I felt better. That night we went to the wonderful Puerto Morelos. The room I gladly shared with Christine and Morgan had a balcony that intersected with Taylor, Kit, and Michael’s, and proved to be a great place to relax or have fun. It was lovely. The beach at Puerto Morelos was also the sight of the absolutely great sand castle/fort/god palace created by the goddesses Katie, Morgan, Chritine, and I. In the middle was a sacrificial fish named Borris, or he might be the main god, I can’t really remember. We definitely let our imaginations run free. Jumping ahead, La Grita de la independencia wasn’t as crazy as I had expected it to be actually. Maybe it was because we, the loud half drunk, Americans were ruining it with our English-speaking and disrespect, but I still thought that people would be more into it. Apparently closer to the governor’s palace things were more intense. Yes there was a crowd and much pushing, but not an excess of dancing, singing, and yelling. About the food: we eat local and traditional food most of the time. We have tacos every day for lunch, because no matter what we are eating, we are supposed to stuff it all into little corn tortillas. Usually, I would rather just savor the flavor of the delicious beef, but alas, I can’t waste the tortillas that Elsy makes me. There is also almost always a small bowl of very soupy, but tasty, black beans, and lime halves to squeeze over basically all of your food. Dinner usually consists of ham and cheese croissants either grilled in the cast-iron quesadilla maker or in the toaster oven. This is what my room looked like when I first got to my homestay. Basically, Mexico is amazing, and so is the group of Centre students who are living here. Thank you Centre for giving me the opportunity to do this; I would much rather be here than in the library. ☺

2009-09-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Bienvenido a Merida--Rachel Skaggs

2009-09-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

When I told my Centre friends that I would be studying in Merida this semester, I got two common replies. From those who had not been to Merida, I heard advice such as the obvious "don't drink the water". However, I got a very different response from Centre in Mexico alums; they all expressed jealousy because they were not returning. This made me very excited because if people want to return to Merida so badly, I was sure I would have a great time. I had to pack and repack my bags about 10 times to meet the weight limits (have your school books shipped if you come here!), woke up at 3:15 am to leave for the airport, and arrived in Mexico less than 12 hours later. As you can gather from Michael and John's entries, we have had a packed schedule so far, so I'll spare some of the detailes by making a top ten "best of list" for week one. 10. Our Group & Random Happenings Our group of 22 is made up of people who are from all over the USA, one from Honduras, and one who lived in Belgium. We are all very different, but have so many shared experiences even after one week that have made us all friends. Whether learning to salsa with an instructor who spoke no English, riding in a van for hours playing "Would you rather", or bonding over tacos and tamales at a Mexican truck stop, we always find something to talk about and many things to laugh about. 9. Progresso I'm from Tennessee, so going to the beach is no small task at home. However, here it only takes 30 minutes and about a dollar's worth of bus fare to make it to the costal town of Progresso. Most of the group went to this beach on Friday and spent the day lounging in the sand, trying traditional Mexican homemade candy, talking to people who were curious about us, and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Not a bad way to spend a Friday when all of your Centre friends are in classes. 8. Ek' Balam Ek' Balam is a Mayan site that was a real urban center at its peak. It was fortified with three walls & used beautiful stucco sculptures to decorate parts of the town. When we visited, we climbed all the way to the top of the temple. Tourists are not allowed to do this at many sites (such as Tulum or Chichen Itza) so this was very special. When we all made it to the top, we got some great pictures and took in the view before taking it slowly, one careful step after the other all the way back down. 7. The Pizza I know it is surprising that I am commenting on Italian food while I am in Mexico, but it really worth mentioning. I have had two experiences with pizza whine in Yucatan and both times, it was simply amazing. The first was in the city of Valladolid. Claudia took Me, Kara, Phyllis, and Alison to a small Italian restaurant that is owned by a couple. The Italian husband cooks all of the food, and the Mexican wife runs the restaurant. Kara and I split a Hawaiian pizza that was simply amazing. The crust was a hand tossed work of art, and in its entirity was the best pizza I have ever had. Ever. My second experience with pizza was also nothing short of wonderful. A group of eight girls decided to get Italian food after returning to Merida from our trip to the coast. A man on the street offered to show us a place, but we did not want to eat there. At this point, he decided to take us to a place where you can see the pizza being made in a brick oven from your table in a loft above the restaurant. Four of us split a Hawaiian pizza (can you tell what my favorite toppings are...) and an order of garlic bread. We were more than pleasantly surprised to get a lunch tray sized thin crust pizza piled high with toppings and cheese. The best part was that for foru of us to eat this huge pizza, garlic bread, and each have something to drink, it only cost 120 pesos!!! 6. La Grita The way that Mexico celebrates its independance is very different from the USA. We were privelaged to join thousands of Yucatecans in the main square in Merida for "La Grita de la Independencia". At this event, we all gathered in the square and waited for the governor of the Yucatan to walk onto the balcony of the Governor's Palace and begin to shout "Viva Mexico!" then the crowd responds with "Viva!" this exchange goes on for about 5 minutes of screaming before pounds of confetti fills the air. After the Grita, there was a crazy concert that lasted for a few hours more. This was such a great experience that I'm so glad to have had! 5. Los Tres Cenotes If you can imagine an underground cave filled with equal parts of natural light and crystal clear water, then you can begin to realize the beauty of a cenote. Cenote is the Mayan word for "sinkhole". Many years ago, a meteor struck the Yucatan and the result was a series of caves formed in the thick limestone that eventually filled with fresh water. For our trip to three of these caves, we took a horse drawn cart down a set of skinny tracks that were used to transport plant fibers in the days of Mexico's haciendas. After riding in the hot sun, we descended down rickety ladders and wooden stairs into the darkness. Inside, the cenotes were truly a perfect remedy for the heat. They are out of the sun's direct light and have cool, clear water. 4. Valladolid Valladolid is a great colonial town that is about 2 hours from Merida. We spent only one night here, but I really wish that we could have stayed longer. The square was filled with people and the weather was cool. We walked through the town with our guide Miguel and were able to see a girl's quincenera ceremony, a beautiful monestary, and artefacts from the colonial period that were recovered from a cenote below the town. This city was picturesque and friendly, and I difinitely plan on returning. 3. Puerto Morelos The costal town of Puerto Morelos was our last stop on this first excursion. Here, we layed on the beach, ate great food, and went snorkeling in the second largest reef in the world. None of these are the reason that Puerto Morelos is so far up on my list. What I loved most about this city was something that only Kara and I saw. After dinner we decided to get ice cream and walk around the square. During this, we saw a stage filled with dancing children and were curious. We sat down and watched for about an hour and a half while the whole town came together to dance and socialize. It was so interesting to see people so uninhibeted. People in America generally will not dance at random occasions, and if they do, it is usually accompanied with sarcasm and ironic dance moves like "the robot". The most interesting part to me was when the whole crowd took off their shoes and line danced to "Achy Breaky Heart". Kara and I believe that they took off their shoes because it was a "country song". This has really been my favorite night here so far! I don't have a picture for this night because we decided that we wanted to blend in as much as possible. Gringitas with cameras stick out way too much and get more attention than is necessary. 2. Our Meal on the Beach Some of the group members found a fisherman at the beach that would take a head count, go catch enough fish for everyone, fry it in a hut, and serve it with salsa, lime, and tortillas. About 18 of us opted to do this for dinner one night in Puerto Morelos and I believe it is the best dinner choice we could have made. We all gathered around our 7 kilos of fish (this was wat too much!), picked it off the bones with our fingers, and made the freshest possible fish tacos. What made this even better is that we were able to do this on the beach while watching the sunset. It was one of those moments that will be a great memory for me forever. 1. Homestays! One of the things that I was most worried about was how I would be able to survive in a household where I only had the language ability of a 7 year old. This has actually proven to be my favorite part of Mexico so far. I love my family and all the experiences I've had with them so far. For the first few days, we had no idea how many people lived in our house because there were always 5 or 6 new people in the dining room everytime my roommate and I came downstairs. Now we know that there are only 5 people in the house including us but that we also have a HUGE extended Mexican family. We met even more of them this weekend at an art gallery opening. One of our Mama's daughters is a famous Yucatecan artist and was part of the premier. It was such a great feeling to be included in this special family event. Our Mama is wonderful and is making the transition to la vida Yucateca very smooth! In conclusion, I know why the Centre in Mexico alums were jealous. Mexico is wonderful. -Rachel

Primero Semana- Juan Clark

2009-09-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Senor Keach did a fantastic job giving a complete summary of the first week. He is very correct in that we have a great group down here with no severe dislike for anyone which will make for an excellent trip. It has been about 100 degrees most of the days with what it seems like the everyday short rain shower. The heat has made the first few days of sleeping without air conditioning pretty tough but starting to get accustomed to it. The first week was a lot of traveling going to Valladolid, Ek-Balam, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, and back to good ol Merida and the whole trip was great. It seems as if my snorkeling experience turned out a little better that Michael's and was a highlight of the trip. Aside from the before mentioned small colorful fish and the small nurse sharks I was lucky enough the deceptively speedy sea turtle, which was incredible, about 4 or 5 massive barracudas, about a 5-6 nurse shark, a small eel, several huge parrot fish, the list continues and I wish I had pictures. The trip to the beach at Progresso on friday morning was a good time being only around a 25 minute bus ride from merida and costing only 14 pesos I see many more Friday morning trips there in our near future. The Independence day festival here in Merida was a pretty cool thing to get to go to and see the similarities and differences from our Independence day back home. The streets were crowded and blocked off and swarming with police officers and apparently getting to see super latino pop sensation Pedro Fernandez was a pretty huge deal. Other than that Keach pretty much summed up everything; it has been really hot, I haven't had a bad meal yet, transportation is cheap, the locals have an obsession with coca-cola, the bus system is pretty difficult to figure out, cenotes are awesome, night life is fun, not all homestays are created equal, and I have a great Mexican mom. Great start to the semester, Juan

First Week in Mexico- Michael Keach

2009-09-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

¡Hola Todos!

Well, I must say that living in Mexico has really opened my eyes to the world, especially the developing world, outside of the United States. I must admit that I miss my family and friends, as well as many of the conveniences that we enjoy in the states. For example, there are no public water fountains (though many places have water coolers, and bottled water is much, much cheaper here), air conditioning is quite scarce (despite the hundred degree midday heat), and internet connections are sketchy at best. I have to walk fifteen minutes to the local cyber café in order to check my email on chat on Facebook. Ketchup sauce, one of my favorite condiments, is heavily rationed as well.

The upside to all this is that I have made some great new friends that I probably would not have met otherwise. I sincerely like everyone on our trip, and its great to see people come out of their shells, so to speak. I have been here for a week, but with all I have done and seen, it seems like much longer (in a good way!). Also, food and drinks cost about half what they do in the states, and tequila can be had for maybe a quarter of the US retail price. Also, a ten mile taxi ride costs about two dollars, which is cheaper than what I pay for gasoline to drive my big truck- except now I don’t have to worry about wear and tear on my vehicle or insurance costs.

The first day I arrived, we stayed in the beautiful Hotel Caribe. The staff was quick to answer all our questions, and hustled our heavy suitcases to our room. In the hallways are beautiful tile mosaics, mostly Christian themed, and busts of influential locals. On the third floor, there is a beautiful swimming pool, which overlooks the beautiful and gigantic 16^th century cathedral. The following morning, we toured the governor’s palace, which contains quite a collection of beautiful murals and paintings. We have had an excellent guide, Miguel, who has amassed an incredible amount of interesting information in the twenty years he has been giving tours. Then we walked around Mérida and got our bearings. The next day, it was off to Valladolid. The surrounding rural areas are famous for their breathtaking cenotes- a type of underwater cave spring. We took rail carts pulled by the most miserable and famished little ponies I have ever seen in my life. We visited and swam in three cenotes. The water was so clear and pure that I could see straight to the bottom, perhaps thirty feet down. There were “blind catfish” which looked like plecostamus (sp.? Suckerfish), as well as bats – very cool if you don’t have a fear of them. I tried to feed our pony some of the lettuce from my lunch, but he was quite indifferent- surprising for a starved beast of burden. Then it was off to another hotel for the night, in downtown Valladolid. We toured an ancient monastery, which we discovered was built partially over a cenote. About a decade ago, and expedition was launched, and divers discovered 500 year old pottery and muskets in the bottom of the cenote, which had been used up until the 20^th century as the town well. We could not go into the chapel, however, as a local girl was celebrating her quincinera- a Mexican coming-of-age rite, much like our sweet sixteen parties.

The following day, we ventured eastward to tour several ruins. The first was Ek- Balam, with an astoundingly large pyramid centerpiece, and ball courts where the Mayan elite played a game in which the goal was to use the body to bounce a rubber ball through hoops located on either side of the court. Surprisingly, it was the winners of the game who were sacrificed. Miguel explained that the gods would not want the losers, and the winners believed it a privilege to be sacrificed. If it were I, I would probably try my best to throw the game. Afterwards, we drove farther east to Tulum, another ruin. Tulum is located on the sea, and the breeze was really refreshing. Here we saw many iguanas, and an odd type of squirrel with an extra- bushy tail. After Tulum, we went to a beach (I can’t remember the name) located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. It is supposedly much less of a tourist destination than the other two beaches, and we had a great time soaking up the sun. The next morning we went snorkeling. I saw an assortment of small, colorful fish, but even better were the two nurse sharks I encountered. Though harmless and only three to four feet in length, it was eerie to see them pass around us. I must have an oddly shaped face, though, because my snorkel mask was giving me a noxious headache. I had to take it off every several minutes and float on my back, and therefore I missed the sea turtle sighting.

The next day, we traveled back to Mérida to partake in the celebrations for the Mexican day of Independence. The roads were blocked to accommodate the huge crowd, and a very famous traditional Mexican singer performed amidst sprays of fireworks. It was an awesome night. When we woke up yesterday, we met with our host mothers at the Hotel Caribe, and they took us home to settle in. I have my own room, with plenty of space, and my “mother” is quite the cook, so I am happy. We don’t have a/c, but last night I took a cold shower right before bed, and the fan was able to cool me off enough so that I could fall asleep comfortably. Although I have been sweating copiously, in just a week I have noticed an improvement in the way I cope with the sweltering heat. My host family includes two brothers who are 28 and 34 years old, run a pizza place, and are eager to learn about me. However, it is rough at times because I am the only one in the house who speaks English. On the other hand, I can notice my Spanish improving by leaps and bounds. My comprehension is much better than it used to be, and I can now understand most of what is being said to me, although sometimes I have to ask “slower, please!”

I am having a great time here, and I will be sure to keep you all updated.

Hasta Luego,

Michael Keach