Biblioteca Vasconcelos

Today we went to La Biblioteca Vasconcelos, the coolest library I have EVER seen. I'm sure you're thinking a library can only be so cool, but this one really is the cream of the crop. Each of the floors can be seen from the first level, and they all seem to be suspended from the ceiling. A picture is really the only way to describe it. In my opinion, this is what Georgia Tech's library SHOULD look like. If I could study here, I would study a lot more often...

Roxanne and Travis on the library's balcony. What a view!

REWIND: Before going to the library, we went to an LBAT-renowned empanada place. I'd heard so many good things about this restaurant from the people in my group last year, but I did not understand how big of a treat I was in for. This blog is starting to revolve around food so much that I might as well create a second one devoted entirely to the food aspect of my travels... 

Hawaiian (ham, cheese, pineapple) and blackberry w/ cream cheese. DELISH!

After empanadas and the library, I went to a park to have a Bible study with Ben and Ben. We've changed locations every time we've met, which makes for a nice change of scenery and perspective. We hung out there for a while and then went to Ben Johnson's house to avoid the rain that was heading our way. His host mom offered us dinner which consisted of chincharrón and tortillas, a dish that is somewhat hard to explain. It was pretty good and I was glad to have something other than a PB&J for a change. Something MEXICAN. Once the rain stopped I walked home to Condesa with the other Ben and then proceeded to do what I do every night: get on my computer. Sometimes my life is so predictable...

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." - 2 Peter 1:3

BIMBO

Today we went to Grupo Bimbo, one of the largest bread manufacturers in the world (if not the largest). While the majority of the group slept on the bus ride there, I was buzzed from a 13 peso coffee (or excitement?) and wide awake. The tour through the factory was kind of like what someone described as being in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Machines everywhere (IE paradise), waving at all of the workers, but most of all... the smell. Imagine the smell of Krispie Kreme when the "HOT" sign is on ... x 293847. Despite being tired, we all suddenly became very happy. At the end we got "goodie bags" of Bimbo products and took an unintentionally goofy picture. Nice hairnet, Drew.

This isn't the greatest picture... but kinda funny. Lots of eyes closed.

Afterward we went to Bellas Artes for the THIRD time, which was FINALLY a success. The building itself is rather impressive, but there is surprisingly not a ton of art inside like you'd expect. However, still pretty bello if you ask me.

Since most restaurants are closed on Sundays, we decided to stop at none other than McDonald's for lunch. A lot of us tend to get a twinging pang of guilt as a result of eating McDonald's in a foreign country, but we gave in anyway. Five of us stayed there for 2 hours talking about nothing in particular... calling some attention to our gringo-ness every once in a while with outbursts of laughter. :)

When I finally got back to my apartment, I again conceded to my American ways by watching The Bachelorette online. That show is 100% my guilty pleasure...

No pictures for now. :( I've uploaded some on facebook though from the past few days if you're interested. Hasta pronto!


"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
- Matthew 10:39

Crazy busy!

Thursday - The group went to Tlatelolco (also known as "La Plaza de Tres Culturas"), where a government massacre of student and civilian protesters took place on October 2, 1968, just 10 days before the '68 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Though only 30-40 deaths were reported, the death toll estimate ranges from 400-1000 total casualties. Students were protesting their dissatisfaction with the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) and advocating their desire for a democracy, which would not be achieved until the year 2000. After having watched a film about the massacre, the visit to Tlatelolco was rather emotional and left us feeling a little somber. The Mexican sacred ground is also known as The Plaza of Three Cultures because it composes three eras of Mexican history: a precolombian marketplace, a cathedral that was constructed during the Spanish conquest, and the modern platform where the protests and massacre took place.

Inside the cathedral at Tlatelolco

Friday - Travis' birthday! Went to the school around midday to find a chocolate cake with coffee frosting that Julia made. It was soo awesome, I can't even begin to describe. After class I walked around with Doctora a bit, stopped at La Bombilla (my favorite torta place) before heading to the metro. We were trying to go see the murals at Bellas Artes since we failed the first time, but unfortunately failed AGAIN. So to make ourselves feel like we didn't waste the afternoon, we stopped at El Moro, an extremely well-known churrería that's open 24/7. Kinda overpriced, but churros are always worth it. As you can see, Friday revolved a lot around food... A big chunk of the group went to un barrio chino after and then to un sindicato to see another mural, but I was so exhausted that I decided to head home instead. The 15-block trek just didn't sound appealing in the scorching heat... not to see one mural. Apparently I missed out. Later that night I met some peeps for pizza before heading to Mama Rumba, a RIDICULOUS salsa place. We looked super gringo there because we don't know how to dance salsa, but it was so much fun. I kinda want to take salsa lessons... I headed back to my apartment around midnight because I was literally about to collapse. It was a good day.

Today we went to Xochimilco, a sort of market on water. That's the best way I can think of to explain it. Although we got ripped off, we still had a pretty good time, snapping pictures like locos. The ride there and back was extremely long, taking almost 2 full legs on different metro trains. I'm still glad we went though because there is literally nothing like it in the U.S. We're getting together to watch another movie tonight. A good way to end a lengthy, busy day!

The best pineapple juice I have ever tasted

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me." - John 14:1

ARTE

Today was craaaazy. Tuesday is free museum day in Mexico. And that's exactly what we did... x4. Four museums in one day is a sure-fire way to wear you out. 


We started at La SEP (Secretaría de Educación Pública) where we saw 23290348 murals by Diego Rivera.  Ok, there were actually only about 200, but that's still a LOT of murals. The tour was only supposed to be 2 hours long, but ended up being 3 because we accidentally agreed to do this little art/craft thing... Long story short, we started the day off a little behind schedule.

 Next we headed to Museo San Ildefonso. Our guide was fenomenal and explained to us several of José Clemente Orozco's murals. They were definitely still intriguing the second time around, and I'm not much of an art person, so that's saying something. Muy impresionante. 


At this point we were dying of hunger and therefore broke off for lunch. I distinctly remembered this day from last year because it was so tiring, but still we pressed on. After lunch we went to El Palacio Nacional, my favorite of the four museums. El Palacio Nacional isn't exactly a museum (a palace, duh), but the secondary workplace of the Mexican president. Apart from MORE of Rivera's murals, we got to see a sector of the palace that I didn't have the privilege of seeing last year: the president's office, the balcony where he shouts the "Grito de Dolores" every 15th of September at midnight ("Viva México!"), reception halls, red carpets, immaculate portraits - THE WORKS. All of us were in awe. It was that awesome. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the secret part...

Lastly, we walked (slash ran because we were short on time) to El Palacio de Bellas Artes. We arrived at 5:25. The museum closes at 5:30. So they let us in to look around for a few minutes anyway? No. Qué pena. I was a super stress box today. But it's okay, because we're going to head that way on Friday to see the museum FOR REAL. 

Roxanne came over a few hours later to review some stuff (actually because she just wanted to hang out with me, duh!), and we were surprisingly pretty productive! That might have been the only thing that went as planned today... haha. Even though we were all exhausted from a day of running around the city, some peeps decided to come over and watch a movie on the terrace again. It was a sad movie, but I think we all enjoyed it more by watching it together. I'm gonna miss doing that when I get back home.


A dormir!


"For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." - Romans 7:18

Weekend Recap

I've skipped a few days, so I'll try to back-track a little... or a lot...

Friday night dancing was a BLAST, even though we had to run 1/2 mile through the rain to get there.

Me, Drew, Emnet :)

Saturday we went to La Ciudadela, an enormous market in DF where you can buy almost anything you could ever want in México. Souvenirs galore, in other words. The market is literally like a maze, making it very easy to get lost or separated from the group. I was excited to buy una cucharrita for my spoon collection, which I started last summer to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother, Mema. What a cool way to keep up with all of my travels! I've been searching for a good book written in Spanish, but still haven't found the right one just yet. Hopefully I'll find one next weekend... After Ciudadela a few of us stopped for an awkward midday meal, but enjoyed each other's company nonetheless. Ben Ivey, Drew, and I met Ben Johnson and Loren at the plaza in front of the school a little while after for a Bible study. This was my favorite part of the day because I'd been missing my small group back home. It was really cool to hear each other's stories and get to know each other better on a spiritual level. This was the last thing I would have expected to happen this summer, but I'm so glad that it did!

Sunday started with another online sermon by Andy Stanley, which again made me feel somewhat at home. Later in the day the group and I went on an excursion to MIDE (Museo Interactivo de Economía). I was shocked to learn that if California were its own country, it would be one of the ten richest nations in the world. We saw the differences in the weekly intake of food among various countries, all of which astounded me. The difference in an American's average weekly food intake in comparison to the intake of an African or Ecuadorean family was appalling. Pictures like these really make you think.

We were all pretty tired from standing all day and ready to return home. I was starving by the time we left the museum having not eaten lunch, so I stopped at a Domino's-to-go in the metro station and bought a personal hawaiian pizza. A little taste of America, though I felt somewhat guilty for it, was sure to hit the spot. Afterward I stopped by Ian's house for a little bit before heading to my apartment. It was cool to see his (LAVENDER) house since I didn't get to see many of the other students' homes last year. They are all so different, yet still very Mexican. It's not very often that you find homes like these in the United States. No "cookie cutter" houses. I like it that way.

Later that night Emnet came over to start grading one of the tests with me... and man was that a task! I'm not sure which which is worse: taking the test or grading the tests. It's a close call. She ended up staying so late that she decided to spend the night. TA slumber party! Except instead of talking about boys, we talked about tests...

Today was just another day of class, more or less. Drew, Emnet, and I snuck out for a bit to wander around and grab some comida, glad to get out of the hot classroom for an hour or so. We stopped to chat with some Mexican students at the university nearby before heading back to the classroom. Not a super eventful day, but still enjoyable. I'm looking forward to going to bed early tonight...

My BFF Abbey is leaving for Summer Leadership Project tomorrow!! I'm so excited for her. :)

"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." - 1 Corinthians 7:17

El Castillo de Chapultepec

"Chapultepec" comes from the word "chapulín," which means "grasshopper." This is the castle that Maximilian of Hapsburg lived in when he was the emperor of Mexico (1864-1867). Porfirio Díaz also lived here. The view from the top looks over the entire city, and the interior is embellished with numerous murals done by several of Mexico's most famous artists.

The castle is definitely my favorite part of the trip so far. I think castles always fascinate Americans because we don't have much in comparison to them in the United States. Honestly, there is no point in describing it to you because no words can do it justice. So I'll just post some pictures instead.

Alexi and Roxanne are starting to dominate all my pictures. Gotta love 'em! :)

The path on the way to the top.

Travis and me in front of the castle.

Travis stole my camera again... but this one turned out pretty cute!

Kind of overdone, but I still like.

After walking through the castle and listening to several presentations, everyone was MORE than ready to get some food. We ate at an outdoor restaurant in the park surrounding El Castillo before heading back to our homes. Four hours without sitting is quite a long time... especially in this heat! NAP is the plan, then some dancing tonight with some Mexican students from La Universidad de la Comunicación. Arriba! I love this country.

"Stand firm, and you will win life." - Luke 21:19

La La La

I proctored the second test today. Afterward, some of the students and I went to Episodios (the cute bagel place) for lunch. Drew introduced us to Sergio, one of the guys who works there that he became friends with last year. We hung out there for a while and chatted with Sergio, enjoying the humor in our exchange of words. He taught us some Spanish slang; we taught him how to say, "What's up homie?!" and "Hey, Shawty!" We couldn't help but laugh. Jaja

Drew walked back with me back to my apartment where we hung out with Doctora for a while. Emnet joined us shortly after and we started to grade part of the test from today. Between the three of us, it was still quite a task and we hardly made a dent in the grading. We all went to a nearby Argentine restaurant afterward where we had a good time and quite a few laughs.  They're great to "work" with.  :)

This might not be the most exciting blog post ever... but I'll leave you with something sweet:

Our hope and faith are not in vain. God is and always will be faithful.

Salsaaa

Another early start today. Señor Gary, our taxi driver, dropped me off in front of the bookstore I'd requested at 8:00, but I failed to remember that most businesses don't open here until 11 or noon. So I headed over to the school to hang around before handing out the test to the LBATers. Though I was relieved to not be taking the test myself, I still felt a little nervous for them because I remembered the anxiety I felt last year going into the first test. Ten weeks of material crammed into one can be pretty intimidating, especially when having to write about it in another language.

Emnet and I left the school around 9:30 in search for some films for Doctora ("some" meaning 20+). On the way to Blockbuster, we stopped at a tea place that was kind of pricey, but well worth it. We shared a kettle of caramel toffee rooibos tea (fab!) and sat on little cushions in a sort of arabic style lounge. I really should switch to tea over coffee...

After walking around for an hour or so and searching right and left for bookstores that would possibly sell movies, we decided to call it a day and have some lunch. I had fun wandering around Condesa for a while on my way home, meandering through bakeries and outdoor markets until I reached my apartment again.

Not long after I returned, Doctora and I went to the outdoor market together and were absolutely amazed by the quantity of fruit and vegetables we saw. And the prices! The market must have been 200 meters in length and reminded me somewhat of Pike's Place Market in Seattle... except it was better. Strangers don't call you "guapa" and give you free samples of THE BEST produce in the States. :)

Later in the evening the group met at La Bodeguita del Medio where we got a 1.5 hour salsa lesson and dinner for 60 pesos (~$6). It was a great way for the students to take a break after a LONG test and forget about academics for a while. I'll be the first to admit that I have two left feet, but the salsa lesson was surprisingly easier than expected and twice as fun. We just might have to go back to La Bodeguita!


"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." - Psalm 19:1

Yay Life

Yesterday, I slept in and relaxed in my room for a while, enjoying the calm of the morning for a change. I caught up on some Andy Stanley since I haven't been able to go to Buckhead Church for the past few weeks, and that was very uplifting as usual. Skyping my mom afterward reminded me of the usual Sunday morning routine of waking up and enjoying each other's company over a cup of coffee. I'm looking forward to doing that again when I get home. Después, Emnet met me at my apartment and we went to VIPS (Mexican IHOP) for lunch. We enjoyed some huevos rancheros, mis favoritos. 

After rolling out of the restaurant, we came back to my apartment to start writing a test for Wednesday, which took about an hour or so. It's weird to think I could be doing that for the rest of my life if I decide to become a teacher! I'm not complaining... jaja.

I spent the rest of the night relaxing and fiddling around on my computer. No change there. (However, I did fry myself some tilapia, which surprisingly turned out to be pretty tasty! Had to put my culinary skills to the test.) It made me happy to skype with Abbey, although we were having some extreme technical difficulties. All in all, despite the 7 dropped calls, it was worth it. I love that girl más que se puede imaginar. :)

The only thing missing to complete my favorite day of the week was going to Mema's house to visit my family all day. Sundays just aren't the same without seeing my aunts, uncles, cousins, and Mema while devouring the best southern cuisine. This is my favorite thing in the world, and it's something I'll continue to crave until the end of my summer adventures. Love and miss you all!

Today started out the same as usual: up at 6:30, headed over to the school around 8:00, got some coffee (which makes me super jittery...) before class began. Doctora let the students out around 11:00 to go meet some Mexican students at the school nearby for an hour while the two of us went to an adorable little bagel shop a few blocks away. I got a bagel with MANGO cream cheese. Yes. It was delicious. I'm sorry half of this blog post is about food. 

I hung out with some of the students for a bit after class ended and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. (Still talking about food...) I love walking around the city during the day. There's always something going on, but at the same time you still feel like you're in a small town. It's superb.

A few of the students are coming over to study on our rooftop terrace tonight for their upcoming tests. Six hours a day in class really isn't enough time together! Jaja. Such a great group. Anyway, that's it for now. Maybe all of my food talk will make you hungry. Or maybe it will make you want to come to Mexico. Either way, I'll consider it a success. :)

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore!" - Psalm 16:11

Frida Kahlo y Churrería

I've been here one week now, but it seems so much longer! I honestly have no idea why it seems that way, but I'm definitely loving being in Mexico again. There's just something about this country that you can't understand unless you've been here for a while. It's so much different than home, but you learn to love it as your perspective changes. Anyway, we started the day out with a review session at 11am. It was soo nice to sleep in. The review started out a little rocky, but I think (or at least I hope) it was pretty helpful to everyone. Afterward we all went to lunch together at Tacos Álvaro Obregon before heading over to Coyoacan to see Frida Kahlo's house. (She's the artist with the unibrow, if that rings any bells.) The house is kind of bizarre, but I guess it suited her fairly well. The best part of the day, however, was going to the CHURRERÍA. Churros rellenos are the best culinary creation I have ever experienced. Churros filled with nutella, strawberry, caramel, peach, blackberry... the list goes on. What could be better? Um... not much. All it takes is a little chocolate and something fried to make me happy. :) On our way back to the metro station, we walked through a little market and came across a stand that sold huitlacoche. Corn mold. A few of the guys with an adventurous appetite decided they had to try this mexican delicacy and seemed to like it, más o menos. I love to see people take advantage of what foreign cultures have to offer despite how different they may be from the United States. After all, you only live once! Tonight the group is coming over to my apartment to watch a film for class on the rooftop terrace. We spend pretty much every minute together... and I love it. Even though we're all so different, there is some commonality between us that draws us together. I can't really explain it. I'm excited to see what else comes of it during the next 5 weeks!

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." - Colossians 4:5

La Basilica

HOT HOT HEAT is not just the name of a band. It is the definition of Mexico during the summer. Despite the weather, however, today was fun just as the rest have been! (No bad luck on Friday the 13th.) We went to the basilica of La Virgen de Guadalupe, which was built in 1695 and is currently sunken 7 feet into the ground, causing the floor inside to be at a very obvious incline. The inside, on the other hand, is absolutely gorgeous and adorned with gold and various pieces of artwork. The group had a fun time taking pictures around the area, especially Travis who got a hold of my camera and took a stream of goofy pictures... of me. It was funny to say the least. I can't believe how well I feel I know the other kids in the group considering I've only known them for one week! It really is amazing how quickly you can get to know someone when you spend all day every day with them for a short amount of time. There are still a few people I don't know quite as well as I'd like to yet, but I'm definitely building some great friendships here. There are only so many people that like Spanish as much as I do! But I'm definitely still missing my peeps back home...

 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." - Matthew 24:36

Templo Mayor

I LOVE the group this year. It's nice having only 14 people because everyone is getting to know each other very well, and quickly. Today I sat in class with them and got a nice review of some of the stuff I learned last year. It's truly amazing that I still remember so much of it! But that's just how this program works... you remember. That's why studying abroad and extended immersion is so awesome! Anyway, after class we went to Templo Mayor, a site with a city that was recently excavated in the center of D.F. (Distrito Federal, like D.C.) after being completely hidden by the Spanish a few hundred years ago. Pretty cool stuff! Afterward we visited the Spanish-style cathedral en el zócalo, which was definitely still impressive the second time around. I planned on going to sleep early tonight, but it looks like that isn't going to happen... Well, here are some pictures!

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." - James 2:17

Soy Torpe

The first thought that came to mind when giving this post a title was "I'm clumsy." I am not exaggerating when I say that I tripped up stairs at the metro station 3 times today and nearly fell several more times on the sidewalk. Great day to wear a skirt. Además, someone stepped on the back of my shoe which caused it to break while crossing the street, so that was eventful... Despite my clumsiness, however, the day was very fun and even a little adventurous. Emnet, Drew, and I went in search of bags again to give to the students and FINALLY found them after wandering around the city for a while. Today was also the group's first taste of riding the metro, something which never fails to be an experience. So... we took the metro to el zócalo (the town square) to visit El Museo de la Medicina for presentations, only to find that it was closed for Mother's Day. (The U.S. and México celebrate it a few days apart, and nearly everything closes: schools, stores, MUSEUMS....) We decided to improvise and have the presentations in the middle of the zócalo, and they turned out very well. Afterward, we went to a fancy terrace restaurant called Las Sirenas where we dropped quite a few pesos... but it was muy sabroso and nice that we could look over el zócalo during lunch. Took the metro home, stopped for SUPER good ice cream, and Travis came over to our apartment to get his computer, which turned into a 5-hour conversation... jaja. Overall, it was a good day! Pues, despite my clumsiness. :)

"...add to your faith virtue..." - 2 Peter 1:5

Primer Día de Clase

Today was the first day of class. Emnet, Drew, and I sat in the back and listened for a while, testing our knowledge from when we were here a year ago. We left about 2 hours in to go on an adventure with Jeny (a super cool chica who lives here and helps us coordinate things) to La Ciudadela, an enormous market in search for bags. Though we failed in finding them at a good price, we treated ourselves to some pastries on the way back. There are no words to fully describe Mexican bakeries... Later on we all went to the nearest mall to buy cell phones before returning back to our casas. We walked around the city a LOT today, and I am absolutely exhausted. Doctora Galloway started piling on the TA duties as well, and it's definitely teaching me to reach beyond my grasp. I feel like I've learned more in the past two days than I ever could in an entire semester at home. Tomorrow we have a very filled day, so I'm excited! This program is super fast-paced, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There is definitely no comparison.

"You shall not go out with haste, . . . for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard." —Isaiah 52:12

Teotihuácan (Teh-oh-tee-WAH-cahn)

Today we climbed the pyramids at Teotihuácan, the fourth largest pyramids in the world. Though it was hot, the group seemed to enjoy everything and we got to know each other a little better as well. We were allowed to be "turistas" today by wearing shorts and gladly represented the gringo population. After climbing las pirámides, we enjoyed a long-awaited lunch that was truly excelente, though I'm pretty sure anything would have tasted delicioso after such an exhausting day. It was fun to see some people's reactions to the taste of mole poblano... jaja.

Later I returned to my apartment to hang out for a bit and plan some things with Doctora, Emnet, and Drew. I'm must say I'm pretty excited for some new adventures this year! We met up with some other students afterward at Café 22 and relaxed together for a while. I also felt more comfortable with my Spanish today, so that was very uplifting! It's about time.... Pues, ¡hasta pronto!

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

Arrival

Yay! I'm finally in Mexico... again! Everyone arrived safely and so far seems to like it here. The other students met their families at the new school and then went home with them for dinner. Doctora Galloway and I got settled into our apartment, and I must say that it is absolutely fabulous! Six weeks here might not be enough... haha. After settling in, we walked around for a bit searching for a restaurant until we found a lounge-y place tucked away a few blocks from our apartment. I'm not exactly sure what I ate... I just know it was good. Really good. But I guess that shouldn't have come as a surprise since she's been coming here for the past eleven years and knows all the good places! It was comforting to skype with my mom and Abbey when we got back. Love and miss you both! Summers abroad would be very difficult without video chat...

Tomorrow we're diving in quickly and going to climb the pyramids at Teotihuácan. This is the only day of the trip we're allowed to wear shorts, so that's something everyone is looking forward to. It's strange to think I'll hardly be wearing any shorts this summer, especially with it being winter in Peru. All I can say is that I am super excited for what lies ahead and can't wait to get to know everyone better. :)

"The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."  - Psalm 118:23