Why Ancient Latin Americans looked like 80s Arnold Schwarzeneggers

This is a 3/4 blog entry. I am currently working on my normal blog but I found that I have left my devoted fans to have nothing from here in Mexico, so I decided to let you in on a little sneak peek and to let you know that I have pictures below from my trip around Mexico. Also to let you know the newest entry will be on shortly.

So if you haven't guessed on my trip around Mexico we visited many ruins and I had heard tons of interesting stories, seen what the villages looked like, and even got goosebumps by standing in a place where Mayas and Aztecs actually lived. But one thing occured to me that I didn't quite expect to get out of this trip. That the people living in these civilizations must have had KILLER calf and glut muscles. You may be asking yourself; how in the world did she come to this conclusion- (if you haven't asked yourself yet, please do so now). I made this hypothesis due to the over-welming amount of stairs that we had to climb. Normally I wouldn't be complaining about the extra muscle I acquired while on the tour of Mexico, I mean who doesn't like going back with a legit farmers tan, toned calf muscles, and a firm glutous maximus; but the worst part of having to climb up these ancient stairs was the fact that they never seemed to be at a convenient size. Most of the time there were up to my knees, causing me to struggle to climb them at a steady pace, and leaving those of... well shorter proportions to have to literally use their hands to help them up. Not to mention the uneven surface area that they had created-as if it wasn't enough to make them a foot and a half tall; they were slanted and uneven too!

But that's not all- the way down appeared as though you were sitting at the top of the hill of the roller coaster right before it plumits down the track, the only difference, there were no state approved safety harnesses-just you and those terrible piles of rocks that they called stairs. Instead of just stepping right on down, which is almost guaranteed suicide for the shorter people, and 20% chance of a good fall for people of my tall stature- that's when we discovered. After you had toned your behind area you had to use it to get yourself back down the 247 steps you had climbed up 10 minutes ago. I believe this is where the sit and schooch tactic came from, but who am I to know.

When the stairs weren't so daringly steep I often got the job of holding my australian friends hand because she literally felt threatened by the fact of going down alone... Of course, I did enjoy the views on top, and as much as I despise the Mayan stairs and still find myself awake at night wondering why they made these stairs so large that people under 5'5'' couldn't climb them; I felt as though I had earned the view I got. So to those of you that are going to just sit in your comfy computer chairs, or are lounging on your couch with your lap top and a cup of coffee and are planning on scrolling down to the pictures I previously mentioned without more that a click of the mouse- BE WARNED! Your time will come when you must tackle these stairs of terror, and as you are climbing them wishing you hadn't ate that piece of cake for breakfast- you think of me and of my trip, that I have now conveniently changed the name to for this particular incident, The Trip of Too Many Stairs (in Mexico). It's a catchy name isn't it? You think of me and of that time that you got to see the views without so much as a flex if the right pointer finger. And to those future Outbounds to Mexico good luck, you get the chance to go on a beautiful trip and get your fair share of exercise as well!

Week 25-29: "Ella habla Ingles, Espanol, y Pendejadas!"

Its been many moons since my last blog, and as I have heard through the grapevine people are just itching to read the next chapter. Well, I have to apologize for the wait but it has been just crazy lately for me to get a chance to write my blog, and I apologize for this apology because that is not a good enough excuse. So now I will be sure to update everyone on what I have been doing here in Mexico.

The feelings I am experiencing now are more over-welming than I have ever known. It feels like two places have mixed to make up my life, and yet I feel that they are two completely different places that I can never have at the same time. As I near my date to return to the USA i feel that it gets harder to even think about leaving my friends and "families" here. I know deep down I will see the majority of them again, but the fact that I can't just call up Kike and talk to him for hours, or laugh for 10 minutes with Caro about nothing, or even try to translate the strangest words in English for Luis; makes me feel like I could lose the relationship that we have established in less than a year. More than half way through my exchange year I have made friends that seem like I have known forever. Despite this sadness about leaving I know that I will keep in touch and continue to visit Mexico. However it won't be the same, and although Rotary had warned me and I thought I had prepared myself - it still happened. I let my guard down and I met people that made me feel comfortable and let me be myself, while at the same time helping me mature and blossom. It takes a lot of guts for someone to put up with another that is finding himself. Therefore I thank my friends that I have made this year AND those friends that currently reside in the USA and have made an effort to stay in touch and listened to millions of stories. I also apologize if I don't seem to make sense, but it is a saying that Rotary has; sometimes only other exchange students can truly understand. Although this may be the case, I wanted to try and share at least a part of what I was feeling and try to include everyone in every aspect of being an exchange student (or at least my experiences as one).

When I left the last time I had returned from my best friends birthday party, the next two days Caro and I worked on the Kike's birthday present. It is a poster of our jokes and pictures of us that he can hang up in his room. After school we brought it to him at his school, and he loved it! We ended up staying and talking to him for a long time; later I had a basketball game and as Mariana and I were heading home we passed the circus advertising (driving the animals around the city in their cages) and I got within a foot of tigers, zebras, camels, and leopards. Friday all my friends from Tec and I met at Erick's house then we went to Velvet. Saturday Patti, Mariana, and I went to Moroleon, a nearby town that puts the tags on expensive clothes, and we walked about 15 blocks which were filled with JUST clothes! That night I went out with Kike and all of my friends from Valla to San Topez. Sunday I went to church with my family, and then met Kike because he had invited me to his birthday celebration with his family. I met some of his aunts and uncles and even his grandmother. His family is really crazy, so I fit right in. That is where my title comes in. Kike's mom explained to the family that not only do I speak English and Spanish but all the slang of Mexico as well.

Februrary 1st, and we had no school so Mariana and I spent the day lounging in the house, we even rented movies. The next day I spent in school working on my project on the USA and Kike came to visit everyone at Valla. Then Mariana, Mau, and I went to the circus, but it was horrible. We ended up leaving 3/4 of the way through because they had been beating the animals and we didn't want to support that kind of behavior. The next day, it had continued raining (2 weeks straight) so besides going to Immigration we didn't really leave our houses for anything but school.

We left for Mexico City at 3:30am and after picking all of the Exchange students up from all of their cities we headed to Mexico City; in reality Mexico City is only 3-4 hours from my house-it took us 11. We got three new exchange students: one from South Africa, one from Germany, and one from Austraila. I talked with Erin (from Austraila), Mackenzie from USA, Trinity from USA, Jenny from Korea, Robyn from Canada, and Fredi from Germany-and thus formed my group of exchange student friends. When we arrived to Mexico City we went to a mall to eat and hang out after the long bus ride. After we went to the hotel and finally got to shower before going out to dinner. On Saturday we went inside the President's house and even got to meet his two dogs! His house/land is the same size as Milford! Then we went to Six Flags for the afternoon. On sunday we didn't see Erin from Austraila (we found out later that her mother had passed away so she had went back to Austraila. Erin is coming back to Mexico very soon to start spend her exchange year here) then we went to Teotihuacan, which are the ruins of the Mayan civilization that first settled in Mexico. This is the story of Mexico and is the symbol on the Mexican flag: this ancient Mayan civilization were told by there gods that they needed to search for new land and they would know the land was there's when they saw a bird holding a snake in its mouth perched on a cactus that was on top of a rock! As you could imagine this would have taken a long time to find, and when they finally found this it was basically in the middle of a lake. But according to the prophecy this was there new land and so they proceeded to build on top of the lake. Later on the Spanish attacked a destroyed many of the structures-but what is still standing today we got to see! There are still a lot of remaining structures and you can climb most of them, one including the SECOND LARGEST PYRAMID IN THE WORLD (and we climbed it in 7 mins!). After a tour and looking all around we went to lunch and then returned to the center where we took a group picture. The final day of the trip we went to the famous Anthropology Museum and looked at the Mayan and Aztec exhibits; the museam is so big it ould take all day to see everything-so they only allowed us to see the two most important civilizations in Mexican History. After they took us to the Chapultepec Castle which has some of the most famous Mexican Independence murals painted right on the walls! It is also home to many very ugly paintings of Mexican leaders, apparently they painted leaders exactly how they were, unlike a lot of English Victorian paintings that made people look better than they were. We got Starbucks before heading home- I would like to take this moment to say that it must be a Rotary/Exchange student thing because everyone was craving Starbucks at the same time-it wasn't my idea to go. We got back to Morelia at 4:15 am and then Rocio picked us up and took us home. That following day was considered my catch up on sleep day, so I did nothing all day long.

Then I went to school and Caro got home from her visit to the USA. So that night we went to Starbucks with Kike and talked. The next day I worked all day in school on my presentation and we prepared for the Valentine's Day party that we were having the next day at school. After school Mariana and I went out form sushi and later Patti and I cooked brownies for the Valentine's Day party. We had no classes the following day, just a HUGE Valentine's party where people sold food and sweets and there were even dances prepared. The Exchange students were told that we were supposed to have something prepared, but they hadn't told us before I came up with the idea of getting two boys and two girls up on the stage and having the girls be the arms of the guys and get them to prepare some food for themselves and eat it-of course they prepared whip cream and jam covered crepes and every laughed when they got their faces covered. That night I went with Luis, Kike, Pedro, Caro and a whole bunch of people from my school to Velvet. We ended up having a lot of fun dancing around and just making fun of Valentine's Day. Saturday I spent the entire day with the family, going out to eat and talking. At night I went with Luis to try to go to Justine's birthday party- but she had lied to the security at the door and had way too many people inside so we weren't allowed in; it turned out to be ok though because Luis wasn't feeling great, but we did stop by Ego before going home. Luis is a DJ so he knows a lot of people in the clubs so we just walked in said hi to some friends of ours and then left. After church on Sunday we went to the movies as a family and we ended up running into Kike and his mom at the movies too. After Mariana and I went shopping for an hour or so before heading home.

Monday was a normal day at school, and after we ate I went to basketball practice. Later Caro showed up at my house and we decided to go to the movies. We didn't have school the next day so I got to sleep in. Mariana and I hung out all day and then that night Luis came over and we watched Mean Girls. Luis has friends from Canada and so he knows a lot of English-and now he is learning slag, so I have been teaching him little by little and we figured Mean Girls would be a fun way to learn some "American" slang. Caro presented the next day about Germany and after school we went as a family to an Ash Wednesday gathering. The following day I presented about the USA, NY, Milford, Friends, and Family (all in Spanish) and let me tell you, trying explain the Polar Bear Jump and Donkey Basketball in Spanish is a lot harder than you think. Then I went to my first host family's house to eat, and they had prepared my favorite meal! I went home later on and talked with Maru to get permission to go visit my exchange student friends in a near by town- Leon. She gave me permission so the next day I went to Immigration again before taking a bus to Leon. My friend Mackenzie's mom picked me up and Mackenzie and I met Trinity and Fredi at the mall. We had lunch then went back to our houses to get ready for a party that night (I stayed at Mackenzie's house). We went to a friends party and they introduced me to all of their Mexican friends, and to my surprise they all tried to speak to me in English! Of course I refused and spoke to them in English and they all complimented my spanish and said I spoke very well! It turns out that almost no one in Leon speaks good Spanish and so all the Mexicans just speak English with them. After 3 friends of Mackenzie took us to what they said was a new club, which turned out to be a joke. They had taken us to a gay club! It was really funny, but we didn't stay long. Saturday Mackenzie and I just hung out and then in the night we met up with the Exchange students before going to meet Mackenzie's best friend Andrea and some friends of hers. Then we all went to the most popular night club in Leon "La Nuit" and we met a girl from Austraila that had been an exchange student 4 years ago and had come back to study and ended up getting engaged to a friend of hers from Mexico (who was the DJ at the club)- and no, I am not getting any ideas! Sunday Mackenzie, Trinity and I went to Starbucks and then out to eat before I went home. I got to Morelia around 10pm and then went home to sleep.

The following week fell into quite the pattern: school, lunch, basketball, sleep. On Wednesday I met up with Kike and we sat in a cafe and just talked. Kike and I have declared the Wednesday is our "new Friday", which just means that we promise to hang out and talk every Wednesday night. For those of you that haven't noticed Kike is my best friend here and we literally are inseperable, he was an exchange student to he gets what I am feeling which makes it easy for us to relate to each other. He also is planning on studying engineering in the New England region, so we have so much to talk about. Thursday we were supposed to have a game but the other team didn't come, so Luis asked if I would stay and watch the boys team play, I did and then after Luis took me home. Friday I was really sick, my throat had been bothering me ever since I went to Leon- I had spent 5 hours or so in a house where everyone was smoking and it had gotten me sick. Saturday I had a basketball tournament and they really needed me so even though I felt bad I played two games then went home with Luis again. When I got home I showered and my whole family went to Patti's dad's ranch to eat lunch. I made plans to go to Velvet with my cousin, Mayita (20 years old), and when we got home at 8 Mayita had called and said she would be at my house in 8 mins. Luckily she said that we were going to her friends house to get ready so I just packed a bag and we left. We went with Mayita's friends and we ended up picking up Luis before going to Velvet. I met some of Luis's friends and we got to go in the DJ box and watch him play-which was cool. Then my other cousin Gustavo took Luis and I home. Finally, this week is following the pattern nicely: school, basketball, and meals. That concludes this hectic month, thank you and goodnight.

Week 23 and 24: "Aprende La Bomba!!"

Caro spent the night at my house and then we went to school the next day.  The following day was a normal school day as well, and after school Mau (my little brother) and I went to the gym and worked out.  The following day we went to school, then home to, eat and then to an inter-school dance competition!  It was pretty cool and I got to see some friends from other schools.  The next day I was told at 5am that we didn't have school due to dangerous winds, then at 7, my host mom said that we DID have school.  So we showered and went late.  After school Caro and I went to a friend, Daniela's house.  We had lunch with her and her family and then we went to the school soccer game.  After I went out to a little club with Caro and some friends from Valla.  

On Saturday I went to Kike's house and we talked for a while before we went to one of our best friend's birthday lunch.  We stayed there until 10pm then I went home and talked with Mariana.  Then on Sunday we went to chruch and then to the mall the whole day.  On Monday I paid for part if my Ruta Maya trip (trip around Mexico with Rotary).  Then we ate lunch with some friends at the mall, and then I went to basketball practice from 4:30 to 6:30.  The following day Caro got sick, so we got to go home at 11.  Later I went to basketball practice and then I called some people from my local rotary because I wanted to see if I was allowed to go to Ixtapa for my best friend's birthday party!  The next day I found out that I was allowed to go to Ixtapa so I was super happy, and after Basketball practice Caro and I started working on Kike's birthday present!  The next day was tough, Aurore (from France)'s friend had died in France and she wanted to go back but they wouldn't let her-we tried to tell her that it is better to be here, but it is really tough on her.  We had a little funeral here in school for her friend and we talked with her and gave her all of our support.  After school Mariana, Simon, Mauricio (my host dad), and I ate shrimp tacos.  Then I went with Kike, Andrea Tapia, and Pedro (friends from another school) to get the food for the trip to Ixtapa.

Friday I went to school with all of my clothes for Ixtapa.  After I went with Laurisa, Judas, Karla, Bienvenido, Fedee, and Qiqe to eat before the trip.  Then we all met at Kike's house and piled into the cars and we were on our way.  When we arrived Kike's Mom's boyfriend bought us pizza.  Then we went to our apartment, WHICH WAS HUGE and had a hot tub on the balcony!!  It was amazing!  We stayed up all night dancing and hanging out in the jacuzzi.  Saturday was Kike's actual birthday, and we spent the WHOLE morning and afternoon on the beach and in the ocean.  Then we went up to the apartment to eat then we went back down and went on the banana.  It is a long tube type thing that is pulled behind the boat, and it is even crazier than the doughnut in Tzintzuntzan because the ocean is a whole lot choppier.  So Kike, Marta, and I were the last three on the banana(which is the part with the most control, but the first part to fall off).  So then Kike, Marta, and I were jumping and then we decided to lean one way and well ALL fell off.  After as we tried to climb back on we tipped it over AGAIN.  After falling a couple more times, Kike said I needed to lean MORE to one said so then he said "to the right!" and I leaned extra far and ONLY I fell off!  They found this absolutely hilarious!  After we met Kike's older sisters and then we went up to the apartment to eat dinner and sleep before going to a salsa club.  We danced and had a lot of fun, I even got some salsa lessons!!  On Sunday we left for Morelia and Mariana picked me up at Kike's house.  I was really tired because we basically didn't sleep the whole weekend, I think I slept 5 hours!!  

Despite being SUPER tired I still went to school Monday and to basketball to 2 hours of basketball.  Tuesday I was still tired but I made it through school.  Then I went to basketball and then Caro and I finished the present for Kike.  On Wednesday I the whole family had lunch together at my house and then I went to basketball practice.  On Thursday, Caro and I went to Tec (Kike's school) to give him his present.  He loved it and we ended up talking for an hour, before we left to go eat.  After lunch I changed and went to basketball practice (saying goodbye to Caro because she was going to the United States with my first host family).  At basketball we practiced for an hour then we had a game for two hours.  On the way home we drove past a caravan promoting a circus and I got to be literally a foot away from tigers, zebras, camels, and buffalo!!

The title is a saying from my house, it means turn on the bomb!  I know that sounds bad, but it means that the water is low and so we need to turn it on downstairs and once you do that it shoots the water up just like a bomb!  I'm still not sure if I want to shout that out at 6am, but we'll see! 

Week 19-22: "Can't you just 'forget' to pack your bags?"

Good Afternoon New York,

I apologize for the absolute tardiness of my blog, but I have been running around so much that I hardly have time to sleep.

I left you on December 16; Caro and I went to Justine's posada that night.  A posada is a type of party anytime in the two weeks before before Christmas it traditionally involved all the houses in the town.  It is supposed to represent Mary and Joseph traveling looking for a place to stay- and everyone would be involved sometimes with a chosen Mary.  Now in cities like Morelia it is used as an excuse to have a party-which I have found Mexican's are the masters of making excuses to have parties.  There are still towns that have traditional posadas, but you have to know where to look.

The next day I cooked brownies with my host sisters and after we finished we watched a movie eating brownies.  After I went to Kike's house before we met up with Kike (a different Kike from my school), a couple others from my school, Kike's  cousin; then we all went to see a local singer and a fashion show.  the next day was about the same I met up with Caro for sushi, then we went with Bienvenido, Elsa, Judith, and Kike to Bienvenido's house and talked for a little while.

Regina woke me up the next day, she asked me to come help set up the Nativity Scene.  Here in Mexico the Nativity Scene is more important than the Christmas Tree.  We had a HUGE Nativity Scene set up with moss and everything for the ground!  After I asked if we were going to set up a Christmas Tree, my parents said no because we would be spending Christmas at Isaura's parents house in Lazaro.  Regina and I were sad, until I came up with a great plan!  We asked Favio if they had been planning on using the Christmas lights for anything, he said no.  So we wrapped the lights around the trunk of a palm tree in the house and declared our newest Christmas Tree!  

The next day we spent with Favio's family and we got ready to go to Lazaro.  I also spent this time packing up my room, because I would change my house as soon as we got back from New Years.  Later I went with Simon to a Christmas dinner at a friend's house, then Kike picked me up and we hung out with Pedro and his sisters.  Caro and I spent the next day shopping, and getting our hair cut.  Then I went with Kike (from my school) to burn his video (I helped him make one on my computer).  

We left for Lazaro at 3, but didn't leave Morelia until 5-due to Favio's store.  We went to Isaura's parent's house and I got to sleep in Isaura's childhood room with Isa.  Christmas Eve day was spent with the whole family, and in the night Favio took us to church.  When we got home we had a secret santa type thing.  We shared a huge dinner and then went to sleep.  Christmas day we woke up and went downstairs and there was one of each one of our shoes in front of one present.  I got a purse from the secret santa, and a sweater from santa.  After all the "kids" went to the movies and ew saw Alvin and the Chipmunks 2.  The next couple of days we spent with the family and we even went out fishing in the ocean in a TINY boat.  

The 28th we left Isaura's parent's house and headed to Ixtapa to a friend's house (where we stayed the first time I went to Ixtapa).  We had seafood for lunch then we spent a long time in the pool.  When we got back to the house all of the adults were there except Favio-they said he was "stuck" at a party!  So Regina and I walked over to rescue him, and after meeting all of the people at the party they finally let him leave.  After Isa wanted to watch a scary movie, but as we were watching it she was literally beating me up because she was so scared!  Of course she didn't really hurt me, but we found ourselves making fun of it the whole time.  

The next day we spent on the yacht, literally the entire day!  We ran into some other families and swam back and forth between yachts.  And the following day just the "kids" took the yacht out (with a hired driver, the club doesn't let the people drive without a license).  The next day we lounged around before getting ready for the New Year's part that we had reservations for, and was very formal.  We left at 10:30 and ate dinner there, and five minutes before 12 we all got a little bowl of 12 grapes.  It is a tradition that you eat the twelve grapes after midnight as fast as you can and make wishes for everyone.  After they turned on music and we spent the night dancing.  We didn't leave until 4 in the morning and we didn't go to sleep until 7:30.  Later on we went shopping in the center of town. The follwoing day a couple of friends came over and we went to the beach, I ran into a girl from my school and we just hung out.

We left Ixtapa at 7:30 in the morning to try and beat some of the traffic.  We stopped to eat at 11 am, and the we got to see Isaura's blackberry farm.  I spent the night talking to Isa and Regina; because they were sad that I was changing the house.  

My second host family I have already met, and I get along with all of them really well.  I am living with Patti (the mom), Mariana 16, Julia 13, and Mau 11; the Dad lives on the outerskirts of Mexico his name is Mauricio (he and Patti are separated).  Patti picked me up at 12 at the house and we loaded my 11 bags into the car!  After I said "goodbye" to Isaura, Isa (who cried), and Regina (who refused to let go of me) we went to the house.  I had already slept in this room once, when my first family was out of town, so I knew the house well.  At 3 we went to Patti's sister's house, I have already met her and her daughter (Pau 16, she is in Valla with me).  My "Aunt" has another daughter and a son, then Patti's parents came, and one of her cousins.  After lunch Mariana and I went to get Caro in Tres Marias and then we went to the movies.

I have found that this family stresses being together for meals and events whenever possible.  We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner together.  We spent the day running errands and in the evening Patti skyped with my parents; speaking English!  The next day was "Day of the Kings" and in the night you put out a shoe by the door and the Kings (from the Bible) bring you a present.  I got perfume from the kings, and then the kids went to Gloria's house.  Gloria as you might remember is where Simon is, and she is also Mauricio (my host dad)'s mother.  We got the Day of the Kings bread out and got ready for another tradition.  The bread is in a giant circle and there are sweet parts, chocolate parts, vanilla parts, parts with peppers even; and you choose what you want and cut out your piece.  But the trick is if your bread has a little white boy in it you have to eat a tamale!  The rest of the day I spent with Mariana running around doing things to get ready for school, when we finally got home Mariana and I just hung out in my room talking.  

I went to school for the first time since vacation, we weren't sure if we had school because Mexico is in a "freeze wave".  It is the coldest it has been here in a very long time, I believe it is a record!  I know you're all thinking I am crazy because it is obviously colder in NY-but you have to remember they are not prepared here so they are suffering all day from the cold!  Later that night I went with Caro and my frist host family to my "x cousin"'s 15th birthday party.  It was laid back but it ended up being really fun-all of the adults were dancing with the kids, which made for some very interesting entertainment.  

The next day Mau invited me to the movies with his cousins, so I accompanied 3 pre-teen boys at the movies and then to the arcade.  Later that night I hung out with Bienvenido, Marta, Valia, Kike and Erick.  The next morning Mariana and I met her best friend at the club for breakfast and we ended up staying there talking for a long time.  Then Mauricio took Mariana, Julia, and I out for pizza then Mariana and I hit up Starbucks taking advantage of the Starbucks card I received for Christmas from my parents.  Then Caro came to my house and we got ready for a party-it was the 16th birthday of one of Rox's friends.  It turned out being really fun!  On Sunday we went to church then to the "Hacienda" (ranch type hotel thing that my host dad owns) to eat lunch with his family.

After school Mariana and I got Starbucks before going to her aunts house for lunch.  That night Memo (from my class), Kike, and Caro came over-we went out to eat dinner and just talked.  Caro ended up staying the night at my house.  We were up and ready for school on time, and as usual school was pretty uneventful-but very cold!

The title is what Regina told me to try and keep me from changing houses.

Week 17 & 18: "I Beautiful Speak English"

Fact: I have encountered many Mexican families that don't even set up their own Christmas Tree, but it is looked at as the job of the maid that works for them!

When I left you off I was just hanging out, well the next day yielded the same results, until my whole family went to a near by house, which is bigger than the one I live in (if you can picture it!). After Isaura, Carla, Caro, and I went to the movies.  Caro spent the night at my house.  The next day consisted of organizing the goodbye party for Fran.  Hopefully everyone remembers one of my good friends, Fran from Brasil, well the story is still quite fuzzy but there were lots of mishaps with her family, so eventually Rotary in Brasil had enough and decided Fran needed to go home.  The following day consisted of buying tons of decorations for Fran's party, then later we went to a friends house where we set up for the party.  Fran showed up with a friend and we spent the night dancing, sharing stories and jokes, then I showed the video I made for Fran (which was quite good, not to toot my own horn).  The next day Caro, Aurore, Astrid, and I took a taxi to the airport and said goodbye to Fran.  She gave me a stuffed animal of hers that she said her mom gave to her a long time ago and she wanted me to have it.  Of course we shared some tears, but now Fran is much happier in Brasil because she doesn't have to fight about her house.  

The next day consisted of exercise, then I went to Caro's we set up the Christmas Tree with her maid, then we went to Kike's house and looked at his AMAZING scrapbook of his year exchange in Oklahoma!  The following day I sent a package to my family with lots of goodies from Morelia.  Then we went to a Rotary Meeting, they turned down my request to go to Chiapas and I was extremely upset.  Isaura was too but we had to respect that they are trying to protect us.  The next day we got to see Mama Mia a Ballet/Musical.  It was different, because no one sang and the only danced a little bit of Ballet to ABBA songs, if you can picture it.  However it was cool to see the Mexican interpretation of Mama Mia, which involved a lot more Catholic rituals.  After a couple of friends invited Caro and I to their house where we hung out discussing school and college.  

Sunday was the normal repertoire, but everyone joined in for a game of "Basta".  Which for those of you who know what it is, is quite dificult.  So just imagine playing it in spanish!  But it turned out being really fun!  Then Regina and I watched Toy Story 2 in Spanglish; you can change the languages on the TV- I think we enjoy this a little too much.

Monday Caro and I went shopping (as much as we can here-which is close to nothing).  After we met Kike and we went to Mari Mar's (one of my friends) house to wish her a happy birthday!  After Caro and Kike came to my house.  We watched some dance videos, and just hung out.  

The next morning all of the exchange students from Morelia (minus Aurore) went to see the Monarch Butterflies that migrate near to Morelia all the way from Canada.  We had to endure quite the hike up a mountain, but it was worth it!!  They COVERED the trees and when the sun came out they all left there temporary home on the limbs of the tree to stretch their wings while it was warm enough.  After we went to Tlalpujahua, a near by town that is famous for making blown glass ornaments.  

The next day Caro, Rox, and I filmed some little videos that I am putting together for my school's news program.  After we met up with some friends and hung out for a little while.  The next day my whole family went to my host Aunt Lupita's house for my Host Grandma's birthday.  I really enjoy the family gatherings because all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins are really nice and we get along really well.  My two youngest cousins Mateo and Julia (their mom is Lupita) got a bunny rabbit.  Mateo is three so he is still grasping the idea that the bunny is fragile.  He would run around with it and even try to sit on it- So I told him he needed to be more careful with it.  He said "Oh I know my mom told me not to throw it"  I laughed and said "ok" then he proceeded to run with it again, so I said "Mateo you're not being careful" and he replied "No, my mom told me not to throw the rabbit; this isn't throwing it!" then ran off.  Then I caught him poking its eyes and I said "Mateo what are you doing?!" and he said "His eyes are really red!" then poked them again- the rabbit is Albino!  Besides Mateo beating up his poor rabbit the afternoon was really fun!   The next day I cooked myself breakfast and took a book and read outside!  That was quite the adventure, it is december and I can go outside comfortably in a t-shirt!  Then I changed and took a walking path to the workout club, it was SO beautiful, there were cliffs covered with plants- it was just breathtaking.  It's amazing how I can still manage to find things here that take my breath away!  After I worked out I went home and got ready for a friend's party.  Favio picked me up at 12 because we were going to travel the next day.

I was up and ready by 8am, and we were off.  We drove two hours to get to a little town, then we rented horses.  I know you are asking your self why?  Well the answer- The World's Youngest Volcano!  We had to ride the horse 3 hours to get to the volcano, and my horse had a temper.  He bucked a little bit, and had to be in front of all the other horses, which if it meant it full out running (I got quite the experience)!  When we arrived we looked up at the Volcano and realized that we had to climb it!!  Of course there was 2 feet of Volcanic ash and hardened volcanic rock on the path- nothing was easy.  After literally and hour climbing up we made it to the top exhausted but the view was worth it.  Then Regina, Favio, and I climbed to the very top and had to ski down 3 feet of volcanic ash!  Then we got back on our horses and rode to what was once a town, but after the volcano erupted the lava took over everything with the exception of part of a church!  Then we went back home.

The next day we went to Guadalajara because my family was getting their visas.  When we got there we visited the center then the shopping mall.  We enjoyed a huge lunch!  It started with bread and all types of sauces, then empanadas, then parts of a throat of a cow (I think they said it was glands), then I had Fetichini Alfredo.  We shopped a little bit before heading to the hotel.  The next day we went out to breakfast and my family got their visas.  Then we headed back home.  I went to Caro's house and the whole family went to Rox's friend's house for a very yummy American/German meal.  

This week's title was courtesy of Favio my host dad

Week 14,15, & 16: "Parangaricutirimicuaro"

This blog dates all the way back to November 10th just about 3 weeks ago, I have found that two-three week intervals work better for my schedule. Now on with the show!

In school we had an Exchange Student Interview and we got video taped speaking spanish, which I am sure everyone will enjoy later on when our spanish has improved immensely (which I am counting on).  After school I had basketball practice and then I went with Isaura and Isa to get Isa's dress fitted for a friend's 15th birthday party.  

The next day Fran, Caro, and I went to Tec (a local high school/college) with my best Mexican friend Kike (Enrique is his name but Kike is the nickname and it is pronounced Key Kay).  We went to all of his classes and even got to check out some of the University classes.  It was really neat to see a different school that has more of an open mind perspective, and we got to meet some people that are my age-which was nice.  After Kike told us we wanted to take us to "picnic"; I asked what it was and he said it was the MOST beautiful view in Morelia.   So after school we bought sushi and went to "picnic".  He wasn't joking it was SO beautiful, but to get there you had to go out on this backroad.  Turns out Kike's mom was looking to buy come land out there but changed her mind, so when we went this time we looked at the house she wanted to buy and then some guys were working on a mansion type house near there and they let us go inside and look!  They had a cantina (outside bar) all set up with old movie posters and everything!  They had a walk out as well and you could look down the cliff side-it was a really cool house!  After we went back because I had my first Basketball game, which we lost but we played well.  After I went home and packed for the Basketball tournament in Aguascalientes.  Then at 9:40 I went to Caro's house to sleep over (it was easier to go with her parents then to make Isaura drive me all the way down).  

The next day we left Morelia will all the basketball, volleyball, and soccer (boys and girls) teams.  We got to Aguascalientes checked in then met our "host families".  I was with the Captain of our basketball team, Laura, and we went with a girl who was named Karina.  She has two brothers, one is 18 the other is 12, and her parents were in a nearby town on a business trip but her brother is 18 and the maid took care of all the food and stuff.  After we got settled in Karina and her brother (Roberto I think was his name) took us to the mall to get some lunch.  After we showered and got ready for the opening ceremony.  The opening ceremony consisted of different cheerleading dances and even an Olympic torch lighting ceremony type thing.  After Karina took us to a friends house were all the athletes were meeting, but it was really cold so we didn't stay long.  The next day we had a game at 9am so we went to school at 8:30.  We lost the game again but only by two points!  The rest of the day we had off so we cheered the other teams on, then that night we went to a huge concert/party!  It was in a garden and when we got there they had shut the door and weren't letting people in, so I held up the ticket we had to get in and said I was from NY, and they let me and my friends in (my friends consisted of my basketball team, Karina and her friends, and some girls that we met while waiting at the door).  After that people keep asking me if I was the girl from NY, and they asked me my name.  Then I met up with Caro and lots of people from Valla.  Then Mariana (a friend of ours), Caro, and I walked around and we saw Karina in the VIP part; she told me she had a bracelet for me to get in, but one of her friends had it and she didn't know where they went.  So instead Caro, Mariana, and I just jumped the VIP fence(But don't get too excited they didn't even care-it was more for looks than anything).  Then we decided we wanted to go up on the stage with the DJs so we went backstage and after explaining that we are exchange students the security guard let us through!  It was so fun we danced and took tons of pictures, people were even slapping our hands!  Eventually we left the party and got some sleep.  This wasn't the case for everyone, one exchange student actually arrived to the party drunk and ended up puking and passing out; and she left her host family from Aguascalientes to deal with her, then on the way home proceeded to puke in there car.  Luckily she isn't a friend of mine, and I made sure to tell her the next day that she was extremely disrespectful and she gave a bad name to everyone from Morelia (especially the exchange students).  

The next day we had another game at 9 then again at 2.  After the games we didn't make it to the finals but I played the whole time during both games and scored baskets.  After we went back to the house and ended up having to shower at a friends house because we didn't have gas to heat the water.  Karina had some friends over but Laura and I were beat so we went to sleep.  

The final day in Aguascalientes we watched the championship games and then had the closing ceremony.  During the ceremony Tepic were being extremely rude to Tepa ( the team they had lost to, AFTER they tried to cheat).  So after quite the closing ceremony which consisted of some nasty words we all left.  We stopped at a food court type thing to eat and Tepa and Tepic both showed up, and as we were leaving they starting fighting!  We had to leave but no one really knew what happened after that.  We got home at 9:30 then Favio picked me up and after numerous stops we finally went home.

The next day I slept in forever and did almost nothing all day.  At 6:30 I went to Starbucks and hung out with all of my friends, but they were all studying so when Kike came we left to go get some dinner and after we went back to Kike's and I just talked with him and his mom.  Then I took a cab home.  The next day we had school then Caro and I went shopping at the center then we went home.

The next day I had a basketball game after school.  So I went down to the other school that Valla owns and we won our game!  Isaura couldn't get me until 7pm, so I went to a friend's store and then I went home.  Regina went to see New Moon at 12!

The next day Caro and I went with a whole bunch of people from the school to see New Moon, and we went in the VIP theater!  It is crazy!  They have recliners and people to wait on you-I didn't think I could go to the regular movies again.

But it turns out the next day I went with Kike and Pedro to see 2012 in the regular theater.  After we went to a cool club restaurant type thing called the Martina.  We ate dinner there then went back to Kike's house where Isaura picked me up.  The next day I got a call at 10am, and it was Caroline from my district in NY.  She is living in Puebla, at town about 7 hours away from Morelia.  We planned to meet up in Morelia because her district was there visiting.  So I met Fran at starbucks and then we took a cab to the center and met up with the other Rotary group.  It was really funny because Caroline and I spoke Spanish to each other almost the entire time!  When I got home I talked to Derek for over an hour, it was really nice to talk to him again!

The next day was the typical slow Sunday, I went for a run, then we had sushi for lunch.  At 6:30 Isaura and I left to go see a concert and we brought Caro along too.  It was 3 guys from Scotland that sing Opera, but it was a HILARIOUS show!  The spoke some spanish but mostly English, and they kept everyone laughing.  On Monday I skyped with Spanish classes at my school in NY.  It is strange because most of the time it has become easier to speak Spanish than English!  It is really cool this feeling of become bi-lingual!  Right now I believe that my English and my Spanish are equal, I might not know as many words in spanish as I do in English but it is just as easy to speak Spanish as it is to speak English!    After I went to school for the second half of the day and the we had a Cultural night and we sang a traditional Mexican song then enjoyed the rest f the show, before going home.  

The next day during school ibe if the directors of the school asked Fran, and I if we wanted to change schools, because we have already finished High School and they could imagine that we are getting bored with the same classes.  Fran and I want to change, and I explained to them that it is the same classes as last year and even two years before that and for the first semester it was perfect becasue I didn't understand everything, but now I want a challenge so Tec is a better schoice.  Tec is a high school/college so I can take both regular high school classes and college classes.  Unfortuntely I don't think Rotary in Mexico will let me switch, however I am going to do my best to change school because I know it will be for my benefit!  After school Regina and I were the only ones home, my other host sister Isa has been having trouble with her head and they have started doing tests on her brain.  And as of right now she is ok, and it is nothing serious.  After I went with Caro to the center and then we had really awful pizza for dinner.

In school we had a "Life after Valla" day, all of the local colleges came and even a group about an Au Pair in USA!  After school I went home, ate, then went to Elsa's singing school.  She has singing lessons for one hour, piano for the next, then two hours of INTENSE music theory!  After I went to her house for 2 hours and we just talked, then Isaura and Favio picked me up and we went home.  Oh and today it was made official, I am Mexican.  There is a word that all Mexicans can say and only a couple of foreigners, well I can say it, so I am Mexican now!  The word is my title of this blog, good luck pronouncing it!

It was Thanksgiving, and although I didn't get to watch the parade, or eat turkey until I couldn't button my pants, or smell the best apple pie; I was happy.  I called my family and got to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and then I spent the day explaining Thanksgiving to all of my friends here!  After school I went to Caro's house and then we went to a Pastorela (Nativity type play) that was put on by my school.  

We had secret santa with my class today, and I gave some coffee from NY to one of the girls in my class. I got a gift basket from Elsa, and everyone had a good time.  It was my last day of school until January!  I plan to take cooking classes, and to travel with Kike and his family, and also with my host family!  At 8:30 I went with Caro, Kike (from my school not my best friend), Fedee, and some of their friends to the Martina where we had dinner then we went to Kike and Fedee's cousin's birthday party.  

My grandma emailed me and she got me thinking about how much of an influence we have on Mexico and other countries.  She was asking about holidays and when they started decorating for Christmas.  I explained that their Christmas season is significantly longer than ours and much more religious based.  Then I mentioned how I have witnessed it first hand living for just three months in Mexico our effect on their culture, and even though they don't celebrate Halloween all of the stores had their Halloween decorations side by side with there Christmas ones.  Sometimes I get a little frustrated with American customs that they have recently adopted here, and I want to experience another culture for one year without mine, but at the same time I am happy to see that our countries recognize each other and acknowledge the other's different cultures.  

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Miss you all!

Week 12 & 13 "Viva Hoy Viva tu vida!" "Jesus had long hair so why can't we?"

It has been a while- can't think of a better excuse for my absence in my blog other that I was extremely busy here in good old Mexico.  Well let's get down to business.

Week 12:  "Viva Hoy Viva tu vida!"

Mariana,Simon, and I were on our way to school, we were on the main road and all of a sudden all of the cars stopped suddenly in front of us- Mariana slammed on the breaks and we stopped 2 feet from the car in front, but then we heard screaching behind us and I said no and grabbed my head!  Right as I said no there was a crash and then the middle car hit our car!  We got out and the back of Mariana's car only had a dent in it, the second car was only smashed up in the back, and the third car was completely smashed in the front.  We made sure everyone was ok and talked with the third car driver (he is from the same school).  Then we went to school with Patti (my second host mom) and Mariana went to get a neck brace because her neck was bothering her.  We call the neck braces the Valladolid fashion because so many people have them!  After school we went to a Rotary meeting and Justine asked if we could stay in our second host family through Christmas-we still aren't sure what is happening.

After school the next day Fran and I went to the center of town, we ate salads for lunch then went to the "Candy Market" and I got some candy to send to my family.  The next day after school we had to help set up for Vallafest at my school.  so Fran and I went and got salads then we met Simon and a bunch of people from my class and we set up our lottery which consisted of prizes like peanuts, pins, and kisses (on the cheek) from all of us!  This was a big hit!  They had tons of games and african music, it turned out being really fun.  Kike one of my best Mexican friends was there and asked us if we wanted to go with him to his house, then it would be easier for our parents to come get us.  Favio and Isaura jr picked me up and after we dropped off Caro, Isaura jr began to cry (she is having boy trouble).  So then Favio began a lecture about living your life that lasted the whole way home and 45 minutes sitting in the driveway!  He kept saying "Viva la Vida Vive TU Vida!"  

The next day I woke up late and got ready in 10 minutes because I was really late and Mariana had a test.  That night I went to Bienvenido's house with Kike and we listened to music and just talked-it was really nice.  Then fran came and we went to Velvet, but there wasn't anyone there so we decided to leave.  As we were leaving we met 2 exchange students one from Germany and one from Slovakia (and their Mexican host brother).  Eventually we went home.  The next day Isaura, Favio, Regina, and I went out for sushi.  We had the chef that cooks at the table and I tried fish eggs!  Surprisingly I liked everything.  After we went back to the house and watched some of my dance recitals-they really enjoyed them.  After we watched Favio jr's ski diving video!

On Sunday Regina had her second half of her tennis tournament, it started at 8 in the morning and I promised I would go so I was up at 7:45 and ready by 8.  I went downstairs and that is when Favio told me we had turned the clocks back one hour (a week before the US, and which I was completely oblivious of) so I had really gotten up at 6:45!  (for those of you that know me this is a big step for a Sunday or any day really).  Then we arrived at 8am at the club and climbed the ridiculous amount of stair to the tennis courts only to find out that Regina didn't start until 9am!  After the tournament ended Isaura and I went to the gym and ran for 30 minutes then stretched.  Caro and Rox (her host sister) came to my house and we watched "The Hangover" for the 4th time!  Then we watched some of my dance videos and Caro's vaulting videos.  The next day nothing interesting happened, besides the fact that 3 of Regina's friends came to the house and one speaks REALLY fast so Isaura would quiz me on what she was saying-its was entertaining to say the least.

Week 13:  "Jesus had long hair so why can't we?"

After school I went to futbol practice with Caro, and it was pretty funny.  They are not strict and we just had fun the whole time.  After we ate at Caro's house and went to Simon's house to watch a movie.  After school the next day Caro and I went with a friend from my class and we ate "ahombajadas" (i'm not sure how to write it) but they translate to "drowned tortas" so it is like a sandwich but with a lot of salsa!  They were really good and the guy who owns the restaurant was really nice.  After we went to the mall just to walk around then I went home.  I was talking to Fran and she told me that rotary in Brasil wanted to send her home, right now we still aren't sure what is going on, but she is keeping me posted.  

The next day when we got to school Edith,our English/Spanish teacher, told us that a school bus had gotten into an accident and it turns out that Fran was in it!  We asked around and at first no one knew anything about it, but later on we found out it was REALLY bad!  It was a school van and another big van had slammed into them then they slammed into a house; one girl flew out of the door of the car and Fran's head was bleeding.  Caro, Simon, and I were really upset and we wanted to leave school to talk to Fran.  She didn't remember anything about who she was when she first was asked, so they were really worried.  I had called her host dad because the school didn't have the number, but she doesn't get along with her host family very well so we wanted to be there to help calm her down.  The teachers kept telling us that everyone was ok but then saying how horrible the crash was and that everyone was in the hospital, but we couldn't leave.  So after school Caro came to my house we ate lunch then headed to the hospital (meanwhile Fran had called me and let me know that she was ok but was staying the night in the hospital).  We headed to the hospital and Luis and Elsa were there, so we talked for a while and then Fran told me that her host dad had left and didn't say anything about coming back, and her host mom had only been there for ten minutes and then just left!  So Caro and I went out to "Muertec" (a Day of the Dead) celebration at a nearby school with Kike.  We walked around for a while taking some Day of the dead bread, then we went with Kike to Starbucks to get Fran some coffee too.  We went back to the hospital and we saw the other girls in the accident they were worse but everyone luckily was ok.  So Fran's dad said he wasn't spending the night in the hospital so Caro and I did.  We woke up at 5:30 and showered for school and then walked almost all the way up the hill to school (its a LONG walk).  We eventually got picked up by Gasca- and friend from Caro's class.  I wasn't going home again because Regina was going to a Jonas Brother's concert in Guadalajara and my whole family was going, so I was spending the night in my second host families house.  So Mariana brought me to her house we ate and did lots of running around, I even went to her dad's office to help her wiht her English to apply for Rotary exchange next year.  We picked up Simon and then went back to the house.  We changed for the Halloween party and left at 10:30-it wasn't a very god party because it was FREEZING outside so everyone had a hard time enjoying themselves but we made it fun.  

The next morning I had breakfast with Patti (second host mom) and we talked a lot-she is really funny and we get along really well.  Isaura came and we went home, I packed my bag and we went to Tzinztuntzan.  Caro and Rox came too as my friends (every time each of the kids are allowed to invite friends to come with us).  The neighbors were having a party so we stopped by, it was all really young kids so we didn't stay long but I talked with a boy from California and he was really nice, and it turns out he goes to Isaura jr's school so I'm sure I will get to talk to him again.

The next day we went out in the boat and in the dougnut (raft pulled behind the boat!) then we went back had lunch and changed to go see the Day of the Dead graves!  There were SO many people there and tons of beautiful graves set up!  They are very important to Mexicans, I won't kill you with the long history but just a brief summary.  There are two nights the first is November 1 it is special for the kids that died (but adults too) the second day recognizes adults more than kids.  They start setting up and some stay all night.  The traditional belief is that you put their favorite foods and things at their "altar" and they come back for that night and be with the family and enjoy their favorite foods!  It is really interesting all they way to set up and altar, but mainly you need special colors that represent different things and there are special flowers as well.  After we went to "Los Yacatas", which are ruins that over look Tzintzuntzan, it was really cool we watched some of the local dancing, listened to Mariachis, and got to see the cemetary all lit up (from all of the candles on the graves).  The next day we went out in the boat again along with the doughnut, and then we went waterskiing!  Eventually we went home to get ready for school.

The next day was the beginning of my 4th month!  I went to school and then after school went home to eat lunch with my family.  After I went out with Caro, Fran ,and Juan (a friend of Rotary members).  We talked and just hung out.  The next day at school was the same, then after I went to the mall with Fran and Caro and we got salads and talked for a really long time about our different cultures and the different sterotypes everyone gives us.  Then Caro and I had to go to a Rotary meeting, Simon's grandma said we needed to dress up but of course I was in my gym clothes from school and we didn't have time to change.  Luckily it turned out that we didn't need anything, we went to the "Expoval".  It was promoting local businesses and good from Morelia and Michoacan.  After we went out fro tacos then I went home.  

In school I got really upset with the teacher.  He had been bothering me lately, because he would walk around the school and telling boys they had to cut their hair (when it wasn't even long).  I don't understand why they can' have long hair in the first place, as long as it is kept neat what is the problem?  So one of my friends came in this day to school (he has beautiful curly hair that wasn't barely even long) and it turns out the teacher had told him to cut it.  I say this a flipped I asked my friends why he was making people cut their hair?  No one seemed to know, then Caro and I asked one of the directors of school and he couldn't give us a straight answer either.  He kept saying that it was more of a man thing, and so Caro said well then girls can't have short hair (she had shorter hair).  I am sure he was a little put off by the questioning but Caro and I had been discussing this for a while now, and here we have found that they like to take a lot of individuality a way from people.  So after I was talking with my friend and I said to him "Jesus had long hair, so why can't you?"- He laughed and all of my friends got a kick out of it too!  Then the next day I told him I had come to the conclusion that he wasn't allowed to a grow a beard either because Jesus had that too!  He loved that as well, and although it was a joke I can't seem to figure out why they can't just let them have some individuality.  Mexico right now doesn't have a lot of different types of people.  Most everyone wears Abercrombie and Fitch and hardly anyone acts crazy in public- I just can't see why they would possible want to put out one of the only flames of individuality that Mexico's teenagers are holding onto.  However I am trying to stay open and not judge, but there is this part of my that wants to go into school one day with a completely shaved head, just so see how this teacher and the school in general would react (but don't worry mom I won't I love my hair too much haha).  

After school I went home and found out that Isaura jr had stayed home from school sick, I went to her room and said "Why didn't you tell me?" and she said "What do you mean?" "I mean that you were going to stay home sick...we are always sick on the same days and now you have one more day than me!"  We laughed and then talked about her upcoming Killers concert.  Then I went to a new Dance aerobics class with my pilates teacher, it was really fun.  Then after to pilates.  After school the next day I went to Caro's house to eat lunch, then we went back to the school because Caro was going to be the goalie for the soccer team, she played the whole first half and NO ONE scored on her!  Then later that night we went to Karaoke with Maria,Liz, Max, Memo, Miguel, Maria's friend, Patti, Daniela, Shantal, and Caro; then we went to Velvet for a while.  The next day I slept in really late, got up made myself breakfast and then headed to Caro's grandma's house for lunch.  Then we went to Shantal's halloween party, it was really calm, but fun.  

Fran stayed the night at my house, the next day we watched movies and lounged around then eventually went to Caro's grandma's house again for lunch.  Then we went with her cousins to a local park, which has a BMX track, skateboarding area, actual carnival rides, and tons of candies!  And finally today I payed for my upcoming trip to Aguascalientes.  I am going with the basketball team, we leave on Thursday and play every morning and afternoon and then we go to parties with all of the teams that we are playing against in the night.  It is really neat because we stay with families there, so I will also be getting a little taste of culture in another state!  

Once again apologies for the ever so late blog post, as I am sure you have figured out I have been EXTREMELY busy lately!  

Week 10 & 11: "Veo Veo Morelia es..."

Apologies to all on the week late blog-I have been really busy lately.  

On October 6 (Tuesday) we received a new schedule from the school, they told us we only need to pick 8 our of the 11 classes to get grades for.  Then the other classes we didn't have to go to, we could just work on our project for Mexican Culture.  Fran came to my house after school and we studied for our spanish test.

I got to school and realized that I had almost NO classes on Wednesdays, just gym first period and spanish the 5th hour.  Gym got canceled because my class had a big test so Simon, Caro, and I went to work at the computer room for the entire morning!  But this new schedule didn't last long, it turns out that the teacher who told us we didn't have to go hadn't asked the director of the school-so now we have to go to class and sit there because we can't participate (it is very strange and we are still trying to figure out what they want from us).  After lunch I went to my spinning class and then ran before returning home to put up my blog.  

The next day after school we had lunch with my whole family at my house.  Favio's aunt is a nun and she was going back to her house, so they had a going away party.  We had mole (traditional salsa/chili type thing from the town Puebla).  Then Caro, Mariana, and I went to watch a soccer game at Valla (school).  After we went for tacos then Mariana brought me home. 

The next day Mariana and I were heading to school and we got stuck in the middle of the intersection for 10 minutes waiting for a bunch of religious bikers to go by.  After school Caro, Fran and I went to the mall for a little while, then I took a taxi home.  At 10:30 Fran and I met up and took a taxi to Velvet (discotec right next to ego).  We got there and tons of people we are the door, I met a guy from the Dominican Republic and he said he was an exchange student to so he took my hand and I grabbed Fran and we got to the front of the group and they said they were letting more people in; but we told that we were exchange students so he said ok go ahead!  Tons of people from my class were there and I met some of my friends's friends.  We spent the night dancing, then we both went back to my house.  

Fran slept at my house and Caro came to house the next morning and we went to Tzintzuntzan with my family.  We got there and we cooked a Tuna Pasta Dish-which turned out to be really good.  We hung out the rest of the night.  Caro, Fran and I watched RENT on my lap top, and Fran asked if we could put Portuguese subtitles up, so I did.  Caro and I were laughing because she got REALLY excited but after 20 minutes she just fell asleep! (verdad Fran? jaja)

The next morning we had breakfast and despite the cold we went in the boat.  Fran, Caro, and I piled on the doughnut (pull behind the boat) and we went tons of times, getting flipped off and thrown into the lake.  I tried the "table" but I didn't get to get all the way up on it because a storm came-but another time.  We headed back with Caro and I on the doughnut, then it started to pour and the rain was hitting us so hard!  We finally got back and ran and jumped in the pool-it was like a hot tub.  We played cards then headed home.

After school on Monday we went to Applebee's because it was Mariana's birthday.  Then Fran, Astrid, and I went to the movies.  Later that when Regina and I were skyping with my dad we heard a crash and Regina and I had to check the whole house-turns out it was just Regina's guitar falling over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Halfway!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn't go to school the next day because I woke up with a wicked headache.  I had planned on going to school late, but Isaura wanted me to stay home the whole day to make sure I was really ok.  

The next day after lunch I met Maria, Liz, Max, and Caro at Maria's house and we headed to a lounge to watch the Mexico futbol game.  After we headed to a Greek Taco place and we were goofing around and I was running and took a corner to fast and cut up my knee and elbow pretty bad!  We met our friends Guillermo and Miguel for tacos and lets just say no one forgot about me falling, not to mention they found it hilarious that tacos there were called gringos.  I went to Caro's house and slept there.

We went to a girl in our jazz class's house to work a little on our dance.  She told us it was food too, but we didn't get any so we left and cooked breakfast back at Caro's house then I went home with Isaura and packed for Puerto Vallarta (the beach we were going to with Rotary).  Then Favio took me to the bus stop, he is trying to teach me tongue twisters in spanish-they are really hard to remember!  Then at 4:30 all of us from Morelia and a couple other excahnge students got onto the bus and we spent 15 hours driving to Puerto Vallarta!  It should have taken us 8 but we picked up all of the other exchange students.  

We arrived at 8 am in Puerto Vallarta and changed into our bathing suits, then went right onto a boat.  We stopped and some people went snorkeling, but I didn't go because they didn't have a lot of equipment so I let those who hadn't gone before get a chance.  Then we went horse back riding up to a waterfall and then went swimming there for a while before going back on the horses back to the boat.  I even got my house so a gallup type thing-it was really fun!  We had lunch then headed to the hotel, showered, and had dinner.  

We went to breakfast then we went into the sea.  After we moved to the pool and we hung out there the whole day!  That night we went to a discotec and it was super crowded, but really fun!

We got up the next day, packed and headed to the center of Puerto Vallarta.  We shopped and ate for a little bit before heading home.  We arrived in Morelia at 8:30ish and Isaura picked me up.  We went shopping for some things before heading home.  I was greeting by a package from my family, including some candy that I have missed so very very much.  

And to explain the title, there is a popular reggaeton song and we changed it to "Veo Veo Morelia es la mas chingoda ve lo que es!"  We are the craziest exchange students so we decided to make a song about it!  

Week 9: "We need to work on my English or I am never going to understand your parents when they come to visit!"

Once again the week flew by, and I am posting a late blog-story of my life!  So lets get started:

September 29: Fran didn't go to school again, Caro and I had a waterfight, and school went by slowly.  After school I had lunch at my house and got ready for Caro's surprise birthday party.  As Isaura jr was doing my hair for the party (she really enjoys this) we talked to Favio for the first time on skype, and his english has gotten a lot better.  He said he was freezing and I just laughed and said "Oh you wait!"  At 8:30 Isaura took me to the party, it was fun but Caro knew what was happening, so the surprise part didn't really happen.  I went home around 12:30 and slept. 

I woke up late so I didn't get to skype with the spanish class like I had promised.  At 4:30 I went to Starbucks with Fran and then we went to Caro's house to have a small birthday cake to celebrate her birthday.  I left about 9:00pm and then did last weeks blog.

The next day in school we were in the middle of the class and I teacher showed up and said we needed to go downstairs.  Turns out everyone had to take a drug test, it is normal and all the classes have to do it.  After that I had English, I was greeted by the teacher saying you have a test today and laughing.  I thought she was joking so when she handed me the test I said "Oh we really have a test?!" she said "yes" then I said "Oh darn, but I didn't study!" everyone laughed.  I found a couple parts tough because they were more England English-but I ended up correcting a part-haha.  After lunch Isaura, Caro, and I went shopping for everything I needed for my "American Food" at my house the next day.  Isaura told me in the car that we needed to practice speaking English, I said why and she said "We need to work on my English because I am never going to understand your parents when they come to visit!"  I laughed and agreed to speak to her in English-that was a challenge in itself, I kept switching back to spanish!  After an interesting shopping trip we dropped of Caro and got Gaspachos for dinner.  Then I decided to skype with my spanish class the next day so I went to sleep.

I woke up at 6:20am to skype with my spanish class in the US.  Despite their microphone not really working it was successful.  I really like seeing everyone again and of course showing Senora how much my spanish has improved (it still needs some work).  At 11:00 Caro came to my house so we could start preparing food.  Caro was the only one who made something from her country- I asked everyone else but they didn't end up cooking anything.  It was hard work-we were cooking for 30 people!  I made my mom's BBQ meatloaf (which was a hit), along with apple pie (everyone loved as well!), pasta with cheesy sause, pancakes, and as a joke Isaura cooked some hot dogs and hamburgers.  Everyone came to my house after school (around 3pm) and I had about 25 people there from my school, 4 of Favio jr's friends, my second host family, and Regina and Isaura had some friends come as well.  My friends from school didn't leave until 7:30-8:00ish!  We enjoyed food, talked to Julia and Emily briefly on skype, looked at some pictures of my friends and house, jumped on the trampoline, and told jokes!  It turned out being really fun!  After the party Fran stayed at my house because Favio jr's friend Daniel invited me to a party!  He said about 9pm, so we went at 9:30 (here wen someone tells you a time you go AT LEAST 30 mins later then what they say).  The party was official, we had to have our names on the list (there were 2 bouncers at the door), our names were there but luckily Daniel showed up the same time as us and the guy let us right in.  The party was really nice, I met a girl who lived in NY for 7 years, and I spent most of the night talking to Santiago (my friends brother I met him in Ixtapa).  Santiago told me he has a very rich friend who lives near Morelia and in NY, and he said he thinks his friend will be back to Morelia soon.  He will be having a party, and apparently his parties are in this HUGE house and are really really cool!  Santiago said there is TONS of food, a whole bunch of Mariachi bands (they are expensive), then they change to rock bands, and its a dance party!  He said he told his friend he had a friend from NY here and now his friend told Santiago to invite me to the party!  So I am really excited for that!  

 The next day we left at 9am for a second weekend in Ixtapa, but this time it was with the grandparents.  We arrived at their house around 1pm and it was so hot Isaura jr and I immediately put on our bathing suits and went into the pool.  (At this point in time I would like to let all of you know I happen to have a tan!  Yes,yes its true...and no its not a burn....its a genuine -but not very strong tan...but it's there and that's what counts!)  We stayed in the pool all afternoon only getting out to eat lunch.  I tried one of the HOTTEST chili pepper's in Mexico!  It surprisingly wasn't that hot, but we couldn't eat more than a small piece or it would be bad for the stomach!  My host dad says I am more Mexican than Isaura jr.  Eventually we headed to a beach that isn't super popular, it's called Playa Ropa (clothing beach)-of course Favio and I took the opportunity to make some jokes about this, then he was telling me about the other beaches-and one was Playa Gato (cat beach).  I asked him why it was called that and he said "Because you can only wear cats on the beach" we laughed and then Isaura's dad said it was because it has lots of "insert a spanish word I don't know", so then I asked what that word was and he said "um cat-sharks"  I laughed and said "ahh catfish"  we laughed about this for a while.  We then went into the ocean enjoying the waves, some were so big Favio would shout when everyone needed to dive under the wave!  We left when it got dark and went back to the house and went straight into the pool.  We hung out there for a long time before going into the house to sleep.   However we didn't get much sleep because the house was SUPER hot!  

The next day we found ourselves in the pool again before lunch, then we headed back home.  But before we left the grandma said it looked like I got a little burnt on my face so she Globbed on this healing cream-everyone thought it was great!  When I got into the car I wiped off some so I had only  small amount on my face.  As we were leaving we got stopped by the army and as they were checking the car Isaura says to me "It's a good thing you wiped that junk off your face my mom put on otherwise the army would never let us pass!"  We all laughed then headed home.

Monday morning I woke up and turned on my shower (to get the water to warm up) and then returned to my bed to wait.  On the way back I spotted something black on my floor- I turned on my light and there was a small SCORPION just sitting there!  I couldn't believe it, i just stared at it for a couple seconds before running to get a shoe to squish it (it took two tries to kill it!)  I showed Isaura who told me it was a type of scorpion; smaller but still poisonous-sweet!   After that school went by slow despite entertaining everyone with my scorpion story and after school Simon and I waited for what seemed like FOREVER for Isaura to come get us.  I had forgotten that all of the girls that help clean and cook started their two week vacation so Isaura had to do all of their work.    

This weekend I am going to be spending in Tzintzuntzan at the lake, then the next weekend we are going to Puerto Vallarta to the beach again (with Rotary).  It's deffinitely true-I spend all of my time at the beach-but that's just fine with me!  

Miss you all- I'll be sure to think about you all in the snow while I'm sunbathing on the beach, not to rub it in or anything...

Week 9: "Model Exchange Students and Cocodrilos"

I apologize for the extremely late blog, I have been a "floja" lately!  I hope everyone looked at the photos!  They are at the bottom of this page, I hopefully will be adding a couple more in tonight.

Tuesday the 22nd.  The exchange students and all the kids in their first year at Valladolid had to go on a team building trip to "La Planta".  It was about an hour away and all mud!  Of course they didn't tell us to bring a change of clothes-but everyone EXCEPT me did anyway!  We started off watching tons of environmental movies after the 3rd one we weren't paying much attention.  We like to refer to ourselves as Model Exchange students, I wish someone had taken a picture: I had Simon asleep on my right shoulder, Caro and I were talking to my left, Fran was asleep leaning on her hand behind us, and in front were Aurore and Justine speaking french and not watching the movie!  What a group we were!  After we got split into teams and after much debating Fran changed to my team because I was the only exchange student in that group.  The first activity we went to was a ropes course (and if any of you remember 8th grade transition that isn't the easiest thing for me).  But I did it-it was extra hard because everything was wood and it had rained so it was extra slippery!  After we went on a nature walk then INTO and UP a river!  Of course I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and had no change of clothes-smart I know.  We went a good mile up the river and then got a waterfall (10ft or so) and I was relived because this meant that we were done, but then the person with us said Oh no we have to rock climb up the waterfall!  I couldn't believe it!  After we went a little more up the river and got to a "waterslide" (slippery rocks) and hung out there for a while before returning back down the river, BACK DOWN THE WATERFALL (this is without ropes or anything!) and back down the river!  We got back and walked a little bit to lunch, my pants were soaked so they kept falling off and I was walking really weird-not to mention the water was freezing so I was super uncomfortable.  As I got into the dining hall Caro and Simon start hysterically laughing at the way I am walking.  After lunch Simon changed to our group because he didn't want to go to the river.  We were heading to a mud pit!  I told them I didn't have a change of clothes so I didn't want to participate, luckily I didn't have to because it started to rain.  We ran back to the meeting point and everyone got changed, Simon changed then offered his other short to me, and although they were wet they were 20 times better than my jeans.  We left a little while later, then Justine, Simon, Caro, Fran, and I went with Mauricio (future host dad, Simon's host dad) and we got Gaspachos and then Mariana drove everyone home.  Gaspachos are VERY popular here- it is all these different kinds of fruit chopped up with juice, cheese, and chili!  Surprisingly I really liked it-I am becoming more Mexican everyday!  I went home took and shower and went to sleep.  

I woke up the next day and I didn't have a voice and my head was pounding-so I didn't go to school.  Isaura jr stayed home too!  I slept for a long time and took some pills for my cold. 

The next day I went to school, and when we stopped to get Simon his grandma said he wasn't coming.  I sent him a message and asked him what was up-he told me he was REALLY sick he threw up BLOOD!  I was freaking out the whole day, turns out he went to the hospital and it was an infection in his throat from trowing up so much!  Fran didn't got to school either-she had problems with her stomach.  Caro was really late to school-but she just wanted to sleep in!  We are quite the bunch!  After school I had lunch with the family, then went to spin and right after to Aurore's house, then we went to Ego with her dad for 80's night.  It wasn't what I hoped it would be-but it was funny to hear Mexican 80's music.  Then we went to my house and slept.  

We woke up showered and packed for our trip to Ixtapa!  Aurore found out that all of us were going to Ixtapa (my family, Fran with her friend Astrid, and Caro with friends) so she invited herself to Astrid's house too-Astrid's parents changed their plans around so Aurore could go with them, but she didn't have a ride so she asked me if she could ride with us-my parents said it was fine so we went.  We left at 1:00 and got to Ixtapa at about 5pm.  As we were driving to Ixtapa I had one of those landscape emotion connections, and any of you that have traveled know what I mean.  As we got just about 2 hours out of Morelia the lush green mountains (that come one right after the other here) were sprinkled with a new brand of plant-the cylinder cactus.  These plants were everywhere, they added a new texture to the mountains of Morelia that I have come to know and love.  Paired with a softer looking tree the mountains seemed to pop!  And as I literally got on the edge of my seat to get a second look we hit a tunnel and on the other side was a rolling river so beautiful it looked like it was airbrushed in, you know like something you would see in a Mexico promotional magazine (well I happen to be living proof that, that breathtaking view does indeed exist!).  And although I was breathing the whole time I did happen to notice that my jaw had dropped just slightly.  And as I got a closer look at the mountains I found that they were made of cliffs that were covered iwth lime green vines that climed up the sides and secured themselves on the trunks of the trees.  At the base of the mountain was a light grass that looked like seaweed when the wind blew!  Absolutely gorgeous and hot!  Then Aurore saw the house and proceeded to invite herself to STAY THE WHOLE WEEKEND there!  She didn't ask her mom, she didn't ask Astrid (or even talk to Astrid)-it was really strange I couldn't believe it.  That night we all went to Senor Frogs and hung out (Caro, Maria, Paty, Santiago, Fran, Astrid, Astrid's cousin, Aurore, and I).  Then Aurore's host mom called Astrid's mom and found out Aurore didn't come to the house, and got really angry when she found out what Aurore did.  So she called my mom and my mom put Aurore's bags in the car for when they came to pick us up, well Aurore got into the car and went with us anyway!  Really strange.

The next day we got right into our bathing suits to go out onto the yacht!  (We were staying at a house with friends of the family)  Aurore then proceeded to invite herself on the yacht too!  So we all piled onto the yacht and headed out into the ocean a little bit then we went to a more private beach.  We anchored the boat then jumped in and swam to shore-Regina, Isaura jr, Isaura, Lore (her family owns the house and yacht), and I all jumped right in-but of course Aurore made a big deal about getting in and needed a life jacket too, but after much fuss she finally got in.  We spent the day there and returned to the house at 6:00 and had dinner.  Then all of the girls headed out to check out the market, it wasn't anything special so we went for homemade icecream!  I met up with Caro, Santiago, Maria, and Paty I decided to go with them and I asked Isaura if it was ok and she said of course!  Then she asked Aurore if she wanted to go and Aurore said she was tired and just wanted to stay WITH MY FAMILY!  I found this really strange then I talked to Isaura later on and she said the same thing.  (It's not that I don't like Aurore-she is very nice-but this weekend she was extremely pushy and strange).  So then my family left and we headed to Senor Frogs to meet up with Fran and Astrid, Astrid told me she and her mom were mad/upset with Aurore because she didn't talk to them at all!  After meeting a girl from Miami, a guy from Newport Beach Rhode Island, and a guy from San Diego we went to a cool restaurant next store-it was like a tree house!  After we went to the beach to see all of the town on the water-beautiful but it was impossible to take pictures!  

Sunday we went to the "Club House" and lounged around the pool and had lunch before heading back home.  We got back and Isaura jr had been making fun of my spanish so Isaura said we should speak English so I could make fun of her.  Well it didn't last long and Isaura jr doesn't like to speak English.  After that we went to sleep.

Monday at school passed surprisingly quickly!  Simon, Caro, and I were laughing the whole day-we still can't figure out why we all were so goofy but it was funny!  I had a famous salsa/chili type thing for lunch-it originated in Puebla (the town were Krista Henry went on exchange) it was really tasty!  Then I had salsa class and then went to sleep.

I forgot to mention in the marina where their yacht was- had tons of signs up warning everyone about the crocodiles!  They have tons in this marina and everyone had to be careful.  Regina and I were joking around and I was whistling like a dogs saying "ven, ven, cocodrilos" (come, come crocodiles)!  

Mariah