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.