Week Two: "Maria-HAH"

I can't believe that my second week here is done already!  I can tell that my spanish is getting a little bit better everyday, and my host mom tells all of the Rotary people that my spanish is really good.  I hope you enjoy this weeks events-and I will have pictures shortly I promise!

We never made it to the spinning classes or pilates, but Isaura said she will take me some time soon (and I believe I am going to do Yoga tomorrow).   Later on Isaura, Isaura jr and I went and got our hair cut, Isaura junior suggested I get mine cut with side bangs so I did and I really like it!  After that Isaura jr decided I needed some make up of my own (she has been experimenting on me).  After we had a professional consultant do my makeup they got me a light foundation and lip gloss stuff.  We got home and I went for a run-it was the perfect temperature and I got a beautiful view of the town.  When I got back Isaura jr, Regina and I watched Hercules and all sang I won't say I'm in Love together (it is our favorite part)!  The next morning we got up and packed for our 4 day trip to Tzinsunsan* (Seen-soon-son), my host family has a house by the lake there.  Some of Isaura jr's friends came (Paula, Carla, and Fany), then we packed up the car and we left.  On the way I finally got to exchange my money: I exchanged $200 and got over 2,ooo pesos!  (I haven't spent any yet) It took us about an hour to get there.  The first night it was only Isaura, Isaura jr, her friends, and I.  The next day we woke up and went right into the pool, then another car pulled up.  It was one of the two other host families I will be living with during my exchange and my current host brother Favio.  Patti is the mom, (The dad wasn't there), Mariana is 15, Julia is 12, and Mao is 11; and they are currently hosting Simon an exchange student from Denmark.  Isaura had mentioned Simon many times to me-he speaks 4 languages, none of which are spanish, but he does speak English.  He is very shy so Isaura encouraged me to talk to him.   I found out the he had only been here for 2 days!  We all took a walk out to the boat (it is about a soccer field away-2 other houses are there) and when we returned we had what I have named Mexican Corn on the Cob.  It is normal corn on the cob- but there isn't any butter to be found, sour cream, limes and salt(which I have found they put on EVERYTHING), cheese, and hot salsa sauce (Dad I can see you mouth watering from here).  After dinner my future host brother Mao (who reminds me of Luke) showed me some magic tricks, it was really funny and I enjoyed it a lot.  The next morning I went for a walk with Patti and Isaura-they are really good friends so I really enjoyed their company- I really like them both.  After that we all piled into their two boats and went out onto the lake, I didn't bring my swim suit so I didn't go out on the float they pulled behind but I had fun none the less.  We stayed out until 4:30pm then went back to the house for lunch.  After Simon, Favio jr, and I played soccer- It was really fun- Favio jr is quite the character and Simon is really good at soccer (Patti was happy because Simon hadn't really done too much with them- I think it is easier for him to talk to me because I speak English and I understand that he is tired and that he doesn't always want to eat, and he has a bigger time difference then me!).  Isaura's parents came, I liked them a lot, and I talked about the history of Patzquaro and the United States with Isaura's father.  After another boat ride and some more soccer we went to sleep.  We woke up and piled into the boats once again (with my bathing suit this time), and I went out on the float...it was really fun!  We hung out for a while swimming in the middle of the lake and listening to music!  We went back to the house and decided to go to a near by town called Patzcuaro (it is famous for it's icecream).  It was a really cute town with a center square and lots of little markets set up everywhere.  Favio dorve us and he said that he was buying everyone a bracelet!  Then Favio took Regina and I on a tour, we went into this alley garden thing and he showed us the weaved baskets, handmade clothes, and fun masks.  He pointed to 3 of the ugly masks and said they were Regina, Isaura jr, and Favio jr.  We all laughed then Regina pointed to one and said it was her dad, but right after she said oh no wait!  THIS is my dad!   It was a really ugly mask of an old man with a huge nose!  We laughed and then Favio pointed to two grim reapers and said one was Regina and one was me!  We laughed and went back into the market.  Then Favio said I needed a bracelet, because I hadn't found one I wanted.  So he laughed and said if I didn't get a bracelet then I didn't like Mexico.  I gasped loudly and laughed, he put his hand on my should and said "You like Mexico don't you?" and I answered "of course!" and he said "Then I guess you need a bracelet don't you?"  We both laughed and I ended up getting a blue and green bracelet for 10 pesos (not even a dollar).  After that Favio treated us to coffee with icecream (white chocolate to be exact) and we went back to the house.   (PS: Derek I went of Rail Road Tracks twice and lifted up my feet- you better be lifting yours up too)  On the ride back Mao my future host brother and I sang some rap songs (this reminded me of Luke and I laughed really hard when Mao acted gansta just like Luke).  When I got back I realized I had a nice burn on my knees, feet, back, shoulders, and scalp!  I had plenty of sunscreen on but the sun here is really strong!  When we got back Regina and I decided that she had established a nickname for me.  "Maria-HAH"  this is because so many people here can't pronounce Mariah that she makes fun of them by saying Maria-HAH.  Besides Maria-HAH my family enjoys referring to me as a "floja".  Which is someone who sleeps a lot- and it is true.

We woke up the next day and said goodbye-but most of the good byes were see you laters, because there was a Rotary dinner at 2:00pm at Patti's ranch (my future host family).  We left but didn't get to the dinner until 3, I am still getting used to the laid back schedule here.  I met my chair contact Laura and she went over the rules and told us that we have a district rotary meeting on September 19th (we have 60 exchange students in the whole district and 6 inbounds in my town and school (Caro Germany, Fed or Ferd Brazil, Orzoro* France, Justine France, and Simon Denmark).  We left a little while later and Isaura jr told me we needed to go to the closet because we needed to pick out clothes for my first day of school.  I woke up late the next day for school, so Isaura didn't call for the bus-she gave me a ride up instead.  It ended up working out well because I got to ask all of the questions I had.  When I got to school (AT 7AM mind you!) I got help from a teacher, we talked and I found out that he works for Sabarro the pizza place and he is also an English teacher for people who speak spanish.  Knowing that I wanted to do the same thing as him he said he was going to put me in a class.  So I went with him and after a while in the first class I figured out it was politics.  Then a strange bell went off for 30 seconds and everyone stood outside.  I saw Simon and Ozcoro and we talked, then we returned to the room and they asked who was studying English and who was studying French.  I wasn't sure and neither were the teachers but since I speak English we decided on French.  I didn't understand anything in the class (I believe it is French 2), but I introduced myself in French and said that was the extent of my french (in spanish) everyone laughed and I sat down.  The teachers are very nice to the exchange students, they understand that the spanish is fast and we don't understand a lot.  After French we had a 25 minute break, I met up with some of the exchange students and met some of my other friends.  (Mariana my future host sister and another one of Isaura jr's friends) After I had Philisophy, and something else I have yet to figure out what is was, then Biology 2.  The teacher of Biology was really nice, I could hardly understand him most of the time, but he spoke slowly for me when I looked completely lost.  We had a test, just to see what we knew, and for the most part I could figure it out, then he started saying letters, ARN and some others, I was completely lost.  He saw my face and laughed, he apologized and wrote DNA and RNA and this is the English version.  After that I had history, but it was more of how history has applied to today.  Then another break after that I had Psychology, I didn't understand anything the woman was saying and she didn't seem too phased that I didn't understand, after that we had another break and then we went to our final class.  It was confusing because it was English and French again, but this time it was preliminary French and regular English.  I told the french teacher that I had taken french in the morning and didn't know where to go, she suggested English- I told her that I spoke English but she said that was alright.  So I went with the English students.  After a whole lecture in spanish the teacher looked and me and said si? and I said si.  He asked my name I told him Mariah, he said Mariah?  Where are you from?  I said the US and he said SO WHY ARE YOU HERE?  He laughed and I said I'm not sure- I explained what happened and he said he would talk to someone.  The class had to write in English why they were taking this class and what they wanted to get out of it- he told me to write in Spanish, and when he read it he complimented my spanish.  After class he said he didn't mind me in the English class but he thinks that two French classes will be better than one, and I agree.  The schedule is really crazy, so I am not sure what I have tomorrow, I know I have Psychology again and at least one French class, I'm guessing Math as well.  I also found out that the Exchange Students have a Spanish Class and a Culture class, we talked to the teacher and she said she wasn't sure when they would be but they would start next week and she would come to our class rooms and get us when they were starting.  I have to wake up every morning at 5:30am for school- so much for being a floja- Regina my host sister finds this absolutely hilarious!  I told her that if she laughed at me too much I would jump on her at 5:30 am and then she would be sorry! haha

After school I took the bus to the center of town and Favio jr picked me up.  We all had lunch and then Isaura Regina and I went to the store to get notebooks for school and some food for the house.  Tomorrow after school we are going to get my uniform for gym-its a polo and wind pants-yuck!  

I miss you all and pictures are soon to come!  

Let me know if you have any questions

Love,

Mariah