newly arriving!!

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Hello!!!
I hope everything is going well for all of you where ever you might be around the world. Here in Mexico everything is hot and spicy!! I love it! School is starting this week and for the first time in a long time Im actually pumped! Guadalajara is a beautiful city...full of mexican spirit and tradition.
We arrived a week and a half ago and like most people when arriving to a new place we meet all the canadians and americans so far in town. On top of it, we live in a apartement where most of the people from Canada...say hello to intergration in the new country..nope. But we just needed a place to start off in and to feel some security to begin with, expecially with Ben Harper getting elected,being with other Canadians helped us get over our anger and fears seeing that the only news we get down here is CNN. All we hear is: George Bush has never been happier with the Canadian population for electing one of his biggest allies...ahhhh!

For those who dont know...Matt and I drove down from Quebec city to Mexico. The ride went really well..the old beast didnt give us any trouble what so ever on the intense 5 day drive down to Guadalajara. We spent the first 2 days looking intensily for an apartement and finally fell on the Gringo apartement where we had planed just to start off in the time to find something else, but since our car got stolen the day we moved in our security and transport home is making us less sure what we want to do. Pretty much everything was in the van...our computer, camera, shoes, some clothes, cds but its mostly the sentimental things that we miss the most...so for the last week we have been dealing with Mexican bureaucracy....c pas un cadeau. Forget about only having to report the stolen car to the police, you have to go through every level of the government to get a report from this departement and that one. On top of it our insurrance doesnt cover robberies. I just hope the van got into the hands of some family who really need what was inside.

A little anecdote...being a tour guide I love them....The meaning of Gringo: When the Americans where invading Mexico city in the 1800's they were wearing green uniforms so the mexican people where always yelling 'green go home...green go'

For those who are planning to visit....Caranaval time is coming up at the end of Feb!!! Its going to be awesomly amazing and note to all of you....this is Tequila and Corona country (Gooo gang its calling your name... nine shots each for old times?)

Well I hope you are all doing well!!!
xoxo
Julie

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Photos

matts party!!
Mariana is mexicain and Ralph is half german and peruvian....super cool peps!!!!

Welcome home Mat!!
Patricia and Matt are from Cow Country!! Patricia does the best imitation too!!! Got to love them!!