The other GTO

Many of the streets in Guanajuato are underground, or lower than the people streets. This was one of the first sights that greeted us as we came up from the underground in Guanajuato. He guards the stairs in front of the Teatro Juarez in the Centro. The building of the theater is impressive to behold, and my picture doesn't quite do it justice.
This statue is just down the street from the Theater and quite close to the hostel we stayed at. I don't know so much about this particular plaza, except that we had to wait for a long time in the sun to catch the bus to the mummy museum. (I didn't take any pictures in the mummy museum... I found it to be different and kind of weird.)
We attempted to see the famous Callejon del Beso, but took the wrong street the first time. Instead, we ended up on top of a hill overlooking the city. On top of this hill is a rather large statue of Pipila, a Mexican Revolution hero, and a rather awesome view of the city. The large white building in the lower left is, I think, the University of Guanajuato. I think it had been built recently, but had its design to fit in with the city. The yellow and red church building below it is adjacent to the plaza with the statue above.
This cat is one of the three mammals living in the hostel. I've got to give props to Brad for finding the hostel and figuring out the entire trip. The other two mammals are a pair of chihuahuas, one gold colored (Miel - "Honey") and a dark dog. The cat right before this shot had been checking out the backpack on the left before losing interest. I mostly thought that this shot turned out really well, even though I meant to catch all of the cat in the frame. The kids of the hostel owner were pretty cool, too. I snapped another shot of one of the girls torturing the birds by holding the cat up and eventually putting the cat on top of the bird cage.
Saturday was the day for museum visits. I said above that I went to el Museo de los Momias, and afterwards our group of gringos walked our way to the Museo Casa de Diego Rivera. The house of Diego Rivera was converted into a museum, the main floor kept the living arrangements, and the upper floors were art galleries. Studying the characters in "Dream of a Summer Afternoon" is pretty darn interesting. On our way to food, Jessica found this mural and we had to snap a few photos of it. The museums and Dream of a Summer Afternoon were cool and all, but I'm still quite American in the uncomfortable feeling about death.
This is the famous side street and balcony. The local legend is that the daughter in an affluent family fell in love with a man of low monitary resources. But because this was forbidden, they had to keep it a secret; so he rented the house across the road and the two were able to kiss. This is where my details grow a little fuzzy, but I think that the father caught them and killed the daughter. It sounds weird, which means to me that it's wrong, but I don't know. The best part about finding the balcony was that there was a little girl who would tell the story and then tell about all the different kinds of kisses. I think I'm going to have to learn the Spanish language and return to Guanajuato so that I may learn about kisses for a peso or five or ten.

I took 56 photos and a :27 movie of a mariachi group. I might have taken more, except that my battery started to go low after the first few hours there. Oops. So there are a few more stories about this trip, but this update is already intensive and a plenty to read. Plus, I don't think I've written about what I did before the weekend, so there's still a bit of catching up to do. So, until a few days.

What's going on this week

Well, I still haven't gone down to the capoeira place... But I met the daughter (Adriana) of one of the ladies in class. I turned in my homework yesterday at noon, and finally got home at 7:30. Because the mom is a student and doesn't have so much time to make the food, we went out to Roberto's Restaurant. We had lentil soup, chicken, rice, flan, and water of guayaba. Very good foods. Then we went to their house and talked in Spanish for a few hours. My ability to speak grew a bit last night, but I fear it may wear away after awhile. Tonight, I'm headed to an art showing with Adriana.

I don't have classes tomorrow, so I really should get out and do something, like, oh, I don't know... Try to get to the capoeira place in the morning... Because in the afternoon, we're headed to the bus station and travelling for the weekend to a nearby place that begins with a G. Guanajuato, or Guadalajara... But I think it's Guanajuato. I'll be able to write more about it next week, but I think we're staying in a hostel, and all the other details are unknown to me.

In the same vein, my class with the mexicans is going to take a trip around the country in April. I wrote down a lot of details, but I still don't quite know where we're headed. Though, Oaxaca (wahaca), Oaxaca, is one stop. We leave on a Thursday night, and get back on a Monday. I hope to speak better Spanish in April, so I'll be able to tell more about that trip then.

But for right now, I've got class sometime today, and we watch a movie for my other class. I'm thinking of a nap out in the commons area. I'll write later!

Two pictures for you!

This first picture was taken at night on the first day we arrived in Mexico. It's of the courtyard of the Hotel de la Merced. We dropped all our bags here and then we went walking for a few hours and had a dinner at Vips (the American equivalent would be Denny's). When we came back, the students that came to Mexico earlier had arrived and were chilling out on the patio, located underneath the two blue arcs having some drinks. Just about all the students wanted to stay in the hotel for longer than a night because it was such an awesome place.
This second picture is of the aqueduct that runs through part of the town. It was constructed by a guy who loved a nun, but couldn't marry her because, well, she was a nun. Her convent needed water, so he built it. It runs more than a mile long, and goes pretty high, as you can see. It's within walking distance of my house, but I don't often have to go that way. I took this picture from the back of a tour bus last Saturday.
Otherwise, things are alright. I did drop my other 7am class and kept my Lengua y Cultura course, which is pretty interesting. I managed to find a bookstore where I can buy the book, too. I'm the only American in the class, so whenever there's a question about America, I get to answer it. Or if there's a question that requires an answer from someone recent to the city... Except I keep falling asleep in the middle of class. Oops. I haven't yet gone to a martial arts studio, but there are quite a few around.

I think I'm going to get a nap, or find some americanos and have some coffee, before my 1pm class... I nearly feel dead on my feet. I guess that's what happens when you wake up early when you haven't before. I also think I'm feeling the altitude and weather change in my sinuses, that or I'm getting a little bit under the weather. I'll start taking some sinus meds, I think. Anyway, I'm off!

Quick review of the first week

Well, as I call them my broncos, we're all from WMU. Along in my house is another student who attends el Colegio de San Javier, the local secondary school. He's pretty cool. He taught me how my phone works. Turns out that I had lots and lots of luck to find a phone as cheaply as I did ($250 pesos, or a little less than $25USD). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but nobody really has my number, so I don't worry about it so much.

I think I'm going to drop one of my 7am classes because both of my 7am classes are on the same day. That, and I've taken the class three times before. I still struggle a bit with the language, but everything is going pretty well. Oh, yeah... I've got a 7am class. The other mexican students will be finished with school each day by noon, but the americanos have class at 1pm and 4 or 5pm. What luck, eh? I have taken lots of pictures so far, but I haven't brought them with me to the comp lab. I did buy a guitar, though I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to, but I talked the guy to lower the price by $80 pesos ($8USD). I think I'm still going to buy a guitar of greater quality, though.

We've gone to a couple museums, I walk through all of the old part of the city. I can find myself pretty well here, that's to say that while I can get lost, I can figure out where to go pretty easily. I miss home, but I guess I didn't come here to be comfortable all the time.

Though I don't check my e-mail often, thanks to everyone who sends them to me!

Oh my gosh, I´m in Mexico

And dealing with such things like a different keyboard.

The flight went swimmingly well. I met up with quite a few of my classmates at the airport. I slept on the bus trip to my city. The hotel was awesome. I set this up, and I don´t really have any idea about how well photo additions will be, so there´s perhaps a slight chance that I´ll take lots of pictures and then put them on a website later.

I´ve met my family, they´ve got two kids, but both are married and have kids. I live near (at least) three others in my class. Oh my gosh, I´m in Mexico. I´ve also begun a daily type of reflection on my personal computer that would probably have to be reproduced later. Maybe in June or something.

All in all, I´ve got class in fifteen minutes with my Broncos, and I´ve no idea about day to day things. It´s all exciting. Oh my gosh, I´m in Mexico.

Zero hour is upon me!

2:13am. I forgot about my midnight post. I said fuhgeddabout the pictures. I'll try to get those to y'all when I'm in Mexico. I'm about ready to pass out and my ride is getting here in fifteen minutes.

I'm all packed, except for what I haven't. I'm almost ready to go except for the parts that aren't. I'm excited but mostly hungry and tired. I was wrong in my math earlier, it's probably going to be closer to 14 hours of travel time. But at least I've got my harmonica.

Next update comes to y'all from Mexico!

7 hours to go!

I've got seven hours left to pack. Earlier today, little bit tired, not so wired, feeling a little stressed. Now? After a mixed drink, I'm relaxed, and packing has been wonderful (except for the quickly and easily distracted part). I found some balls with which to juggle. That kept me going for ten minutes or less. And as I didn't get much sleep last night, I'm feeling the fugue, but I'm pretty well aware of what's going on.

I've packed just about everything I own (with the exception of my guitar), (picture to be forthcoming), into two bag, and I the last things are to be packed when i leave. Gosh. Wow.

Note to self: When packing for something like this again, try to set aside more than two days for it. Things will go much smoother in such instance.

I've got to figure out a time to take a nap so I can keep my driver company. I'm all excited now. Plus, I've got four hours to get to Chicago, a four and third hour trip to Mexico, thirty minute wait (I sincerely hope it's only 30 minutes), and a three hour bus trip to my ciudad. Eleven hours, fifty minutes of travel time. That's like, nearly half a day. I think it'll be worth it.

I'll maybe get an update in at midnight. Maybe some of the pictures, too. ¡Hasta luego!

El día de adios

Well, today is it. It's 5pm EST, which means I leave my house in ten hours. I've got my list of things to bring, and I can only hope that I can follow them. I really can't believe that today is the day/before. It seemed so far away when planning for it, and now it's time. Though there's probably much that I'm forgetting to bring. I've got things like my toothbrush and my towel. Even my danger-sensitive sun glasses.

Matter of fact, here's a few things I won't forget:

These are the guys from my floor at Western. This coming semester is going to be awesome, but I can't wait to get back. I'll have more stories next year.


I had the good fortune to share many breakfast times with these two during the semester.
She who introduced me to Dance Dance Revolution. Yet to be determined if she created a monster or not.
And for her, I'd play guitar as she'd finish her shift at Zimm Hall front desk.

And then there's the kids from Muskegon, but I've yet to get posed pictures of them. (Sorry guys!) And the surprise pictures are more blackmail material than anything else.

I'm leaving this weather:

For weather like:


My camera battery is charged, and I'm ready to take some shots of the horizon when I touch down, but I would be remiss if I were to not link to the page of fellow student from Western.

(There'll be more pictures of me with short hair forthcoming, I'm sure.)

Ah, well. I should have gotten more sleep last night.