Semester in Mexico 2008

 Since some publications offer a “Granparent’s Brag Book” section, I thought I’d do the same and offer an “Uncle’s Brag Book.”

Here are some photos of Sonny’s nieces and nephews as they dressed for Halloween. Halloween is a fairly recent event in Mexico (Globalization/Americanization). The kids get dressed and use either plastic or real pumpkins to collect candy/money from neighbors. Attached are some pictures of Daniela (the baby–vampire), Lalo (3 years old, vampire), Valerie (9 years old–she-devil), Josefa (9 years old, Wednesday), Jose (11 years old, Spiderman), and Andrea (12 years old, pirate).

I’ve also included a photo of Daniela with her pet guinea pigs. She reminds me of Boo from Monster’s Inc. hehehe.

Until next time…

It has been a BUSY few weeks; I apologize for the time lapse in writing. I have, however, taken some photos! Remember you can click on the photo to get a larger image. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

BABY SHOWER

When I first moved to Puebla in 1998, I lived with a family (a widow and her adult daughter and son) in Cholula. It was a wonderful experience–we all got along splendidly. When I visited Puebla last June, I saw Ale (Alejandra), my “sister.” She told me the exciting news that she is pregnant (Due in December). I was going to be an uncle again! Hooray! 

To honor and celebrate Ale, I decided to host a Baby Shower in my house. I’ve never done this before (and Ale has never gone to one before), so I relied on friends to give me ideas. Ale and I are both ANTI baby-shower games, but we decided to have 2 funny ones. 1) blindfold people and make them try to feed each other baby food. Whoever finished first won! and 2) melt chocolate in a diaper and they had to guess what kind it was. hahaha. We had a blast!

Sonny (my co-host) and I made a diaper cake for Ale. It was pot-luck, and people brought all sorts of yummy food! pan bazo…mmm…It’s bread that is dipped in red salsa, shredded beef (or pork), and served with avocado. Good stuff! The party started around 5:30 and everyone stayed until about 11:30 (a late evening!). We ahd a good time celebrating Ale. She deserves it! She’s an angel.

Day of the Dead     

Last weekend we celebrated Day of the Dead. The younger generation is celebrating Halloween, as well. On Friday there was a costume contest in one of the malls that I was at. Hilarious ideas! A lot of vampires (the “easy” way out, in my humble opinion), but some other very creative costumes. The kids dressed up and wandered around town with plastic pumpkins/jack-o-laterns in hand, saying “Me das algo para mi calabaza?” (Will you give me something for my pumpkin). Many didn’t wear costumes…they just wanted either candy or money.

The “candy street” in Puebla (a street filled with candy stores that sell traditional candies of Puebla (camotes, obreas, rompope, etc) were filled with calaveras, candy skulls that you give to friends (after writing their name on the forehead). I’ve included a photo of my friend Claudia as we purchased some candies for friends.

Friday night and Saturday night the discos had costume parties. Many other people celebrated with parties in their homes. The more traditional celebration of Day of the Dead (ofrendas, time in the cemetery, etc) still happens in the city, but it is much more prevalent in the smaller towns and mountains.

That’s the news so far!!! Read Steve Dalager’s guest blog on the Dalager family’s (well, the parents and Kylie, anyway) experience in Cholula.

Hooray! The end of the rainy season is near! Typically the rainy season ends around Oct. 10th, but we can see now the skies are clearing. Until now our days have been usually sunny until the late afternoon, followed by heavy rains for a couple of hours. We have had a few cloudy, drizzly days, but not too many.

Now the skies are staying clear (although once in awhile it looks like it might rain), and the mornings are getting cooler (winter is on its way).

Last week there was a fiesta hosted by Glenn (one of our students) held at the Saint Patrick’s pub in Cholula. There was music, dancing, some food (although by the time we got there, the food was gone), and beverages. Many of the international students as well as local students attended–it was quite a mixture! The UDLA has a large number of international students from all over the world. It’s really quite an expereince for us!

I took photos, but unfortunately, they did not turn out well. Perhaps one of the students will post photos on his/her blog.

That’s all for now…

Last weekend I took a group of 5 students to see Mexico City. We left on Friday evening and returned to Puebla on Sunday night.

Friday evening was pretty quiet. By the time we arrived at our hotel, located in front of Alameda park, it was already 9:30 p.m. We checked into the hotel and then we walked along Avenida Juarez. We saw the national lottery building, the Monument of the Revolution, and then walked the other way to the Palace of Fine Arts (pictured below) and finally ate at Sanborn’s restaurant (sort of like a Perkins…this one is located in a beautiful former mansion styled in a very “poblano” way–tiled building).

Saturday morning we woke-up early and met Elvia, our guide and Jesus, our driver. We rented a van and immediately went in search of breakfast and coffee on our way to the sites. After eating, we went to the Basilica of Guadelupe–the matron saint of Mexico (and much of Latin America). We saw the miraculous image of Guadalupe as gifted by her to Juan Diego. Here is the legend: http://www.cancunsteve.com/guadalupe.htm 

Afterwards, we headed to Teotihuacan, one of the most popular pre-Columbian sites in Mexico, if not Latin America. Teotihuacan was built during the Classic period of Meso-America. Here is a link to a webpage that describes more about Teotihuacan: http://archaeology.asu.edu/teo/ I’ve also included some photos taken while there.

After spending some time at Teotihaucan, we ate at a restuarant, saw a demonstration on the different uses of the cactus Maguey, and then headed to the Zocalo/Main Square of Mexico City. Here we briefly saw the ruins of the Templo Mayor (Aztec temples) and saw the National Cathedral.

We finished that evening and pretty much crashed. It was a long day of climbing pyramids, seeing sites, and eating.

Sunday morning two students and I got up early and I took them to the National Palace to see the murals of Diego Rivera. Rivera’s work always takes my breath away–a true genius! We also walked through the Templo Mayor to get a better look at the Aztec ruins. Fascinating area and on Sunday’s it’s free! Afterwards we returned to the hotel and met the other students and our guide, Elvia. We went by bus to Chapultepec park to visit the Museum of Anthropology. Since Sundays the museums are free, the line was INSANE, so we opted to create a Plan B. We watched the voladores dance and then the students went to the Botanical Gardens and zoo. This is the zoo where the whale that appeared in Free Willy was housed years ago. Elvia and I decided to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and then Frida Kahlo’s house. I had not visited Frida Kahlo’s house before–it was simply AMAZING!! The whole colonia of Coyoacan is beautiful–upper-middle class and artistic. It reminded me slightly of Uptown in Minneapolis. I will definitely return soon.

I met the students back at the hotel around 5:30 and we took the subway to the bus station. The metro in Mexico City is fantastic–very economical and convenient.

We returned to Puebla that evening and were all happy to be home. Mexico City is a beautiful place to visit–so much history and so much to do. We all plan on returning sometime soon.

Happy Independence Day!

September 15 and 16 are the celebrations in Mexico (and several other Latin American countries) for Independence from Spain. Actually, the festivities have been all weekend (Friday was the quincena…pay day), so my friends and I have been celebrating daily. The night of the 15th we will gather at the zocalo in Cholula for “El Grito” (the yell) where politicians will give a speech (zzz) and then yell “Viva Mexico” three times. After that we’ll go out and celebrate some more. Fun times!! I’ll post photos after the event is over (and after I charge my camara’s battery). The students are all doing their own thing. Some have gone to Cuernavaca, some to Acapulco, and others to Oaxaca. A couple of students remain in Puebla and will celebrate with friends here.

Today I met my friend Dana for lunch. Dana was originally Canadian but recently received her Mexican citizenship. We met in Puebla 10 years ago, but now she’s workin in PR in Manzanillo, Mexico. She came this weekend for a wedding and to finalize the sale of her home in Puebla. We went to a VERY cool mall in Cholula, just a few blocks from the UDLA campus. The mall is completely constructed out of giant Urban storage bins. It’s very ecologically-friendly, recycling materials for a new purpose. I took several photos of the place. Here they are:

Patriotism often leads to talks of politics. This year, being an election year in the US, it is an especially hot topic. Susan Hartley, an instructor at LSC, asked me via email what the thoughts were in Mexico regarding the elections in the US. To answer the question, I’ve decided to give the students here an assignment: each student must interview 3 non-Americans on their opinions regarding the candidates for US president. Look for those results to be posted on their blogs in 2 weeks.

The experience thus far has provided an outstanding opportunity for students to discover a new culture as well as to learn about themselves and how they self-identify. Some students (three so far) have discovered that they want to be pierced. I’ve promised NOT to reveal names until they inform their loved ones in the US on their own. Two students have eyebrow piercings and one has a pierced lip (ouch). Sorry moms and dads, since the students are over 18, I couldn’t do much to stop them. Just know that they went to a very sanitized place and now cannot drink alcohol or eat pork products for 15 days–who knew pork affected healing skin?!?

That’s all for now. Have a great week and “Viva Mexico!”

Wow! Another week has flown by! Sept. 4th marks our one-month anniversary of being in Cholula. I can’t believe how quickly it seems to have gone by!

Today on my way to my office I took some photos of miscellaneous items. They include the house I’m living in (on-campus), the swimming pool and one of the gyms (there are two gyms on campus), a sign advertising the Aztecs’ (UDLA’s team) American football team, the language building (where most of the students’ classes are held), and the Sala de Videojuegos (Videogame room) that offers games and consoles of PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and others!! Here are the photos:

Now you have a little taste of what the campus looks like (through my lens). Check out the students’ blogs (find the links on the BLOGROLL) to see their photos and get their perspectives of the experience!

OH! I almost forgot…the students started teaching this week!! Look for their reactions in their blogs!

Until next time!

Well, week three has come and gone already! Time really seems to fly by!

This week has been a hectic one! One student was in the hospital from Sat-Tues with a tonsil infection, and another student went to the clinic yesterday to get medication and an IV (he was dehydrated) for stomach issues. They’re both feeling better now.

The positive aspect is that I’m getting a LOT of practice of my medical Spanish (good for those enrolled in my Spanish for Health Care course). I’m also learning a lot about the health insurance in Mexico.

As residents of the dorms, our students are covered for health insurance. The coverage includes the $10.000 Mexican Peso entrance fee for private hospitals, and 90% of the bill (not including the $3.000 Mexican Peso deductible). Pretty good deal!!

The care at the hospital was good. The student received a single room and a lot of personal care from the staff. The UDLA has a policy where no dorm residents will stay alone in a hospital, so the student had visitors 24 hours a day keeping an eye on her.

On Wednesday I took the students to La Cantina de los Remedios in Puebla. It’s a restaurant that is very popular in the city. There are musicians from all types of music (nortena, mariachi, Spanish) that wander around throughout the night, playing for guests. I meant to bring my camara, but I left it in my office.

Next week the students start their teaching experience in the schools. We’re all very excited for the experience. Check out their personal blogs (located on the sidebar) to see their reactions.

Until next time…

Wow!! I can’t believe we’re already nearly done with the second week of classes (and our third week here)!! Time goes by so quickly!!

The students are registered in a variety of Spanish courses at the UDLA, ranging from beginning-advanced, and some are taking Mexican Literature courses. FANTASTIC!! Every time I see them, they are speaking more and more Spanish, so I’m very proud of what they are learning.

Yesterday I gave the students a tour of the zocalo (main square) of Cholula. Here is a blurb on the city of Cholula taken from http://destination-guides.mexico-travelers.com/431/cholula-state-of-puebla/1/:

Cholula was an important city of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, dating back to at least the 2nd century BC, with settlement as a village going back at least some thousand years earlier. It was later the second largest city of the Aztec empire.

Cholula was a major center contemporary with Teotihuacan and seems to have avoided, at least partially, that city’s fate of violent destruction at the end of the Mesoamerican Classic period. Cholula thus remained a regional center of importance, enough so that, at the time of the fall of the Aztec empire, Aztec princes were still formally anointed by a Cholulan priest, in a manner reminiscent, and perhaps even analogous, to the way some Mayan princes appear to have come to Teotihuacan in search of some sort of formalization of their rulership.

At the time of the arrival of Hernán Cortés Cholula was part of the Aztec empire and was second only to the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) as the largest city in central Mexico, possibly with a population of up to 100,000 people. In addition to the great temple of Quetzalcoatl and various palaces, the city had 365 temples.

In 1519 Cortés, either in a pre-meditated effort to instill fear upon the Aztecs waiting for him at Tenochtitlan or (as he later claimed when under investigation) wishing to make an example when he feared native treachery, conducted an infamous massacre here, killing thousands of unarmed members of the nobility gathered at the central plaza and partially burning down the city.

A few years later Cortés vowed that the city would be rebuilt with a Christian church to replace each of the old pagan temples; less than 50 new churches were actually built, but the Spanish colonial churches are unusually numerous for a city of its size.

During the Spanish Colonial period Cholula was overtaken in importance by the nearby city of Puebla.

For photos of Cholula, click here.

The first week of classes is nearly over! We started on Monday, August 11th. The students enrolled in two language courses (based on their level of Spanish…beginning, intermediate, advanced, or superior), and in a service learning program through the UDLA. This service learning program includes a course on Theories and Methodologies of Foreign Language Instruction and the students will teach area 5th and 6th graders English. It is an exciting opportunity for our students to get to meet new people and to know more parts of the city.

Students also take two courses through LSC: SPAN 1800 (the trip) where we discuss what we’re learning (culture shock, reverse culture shock, intercultural communication, etc) and HUM 2005: Mexican Culture and Civilization.

I will soon link to students’ blogs about the trip…look for it!