Blogs from Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, North America
Mexico: Day of the Dead and much more!
Published: November 29th 2011North America » Mexico » Morelos » Cuernavaca
November 29th 2011
Back in the saddle again! Arriving in Mexico felt rather second nature in some respects, but then again, the difference from home abound! As we unpacked our suitcases in Cuernavaca, the birds squawked, the geckos.. I do not know what that sound would be called, the neighbor swept, the gas truck went by sounding its siren like an ice cream truck, someone called out what sounded like “mmles,” which turned out to be the tamale man. Then of course the smells coming from the kitchen were different as a spicy roasted chili smell greeted us. It felt great to be back, but where did I leave my Spanish? Travelers from Italy, the United States, Australia, and who knows where else, have been encouraged to not visit Cuernavaca, I can guess due to the drug conflicts, though ... read more
June 7th 2011
It's been a hectic few days! I arrived on Sunday afternoon in Mexico City and after buying some lotion and a SIM card for my phone I met with my driver. He actually had a sign with my name on it, just like in the movies!! So before we began to drive, he made the sign of the cross. He made it again before we got on the freeway and I could see why he did with the wild driving that goes on in Mexico. It's dangerous because people drive really fast and pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. I'm starting to get a complex every time I have to cross the street. Anyway, my host family is excellent. I have a guest room and bath all to myself...at least for now. Rumor has ... read more
June 1st 2011
I am absolutely not ready to leave for Mexico. I'm trying to fit FIVE weeks worth of things in one suitcase and a backpack. Ugghhh! Well, I haven't actually started to pack, this conversation is all happening in my head, but I can just imagine!! ... read more
May 25th 2011
I am so excited to be studying at Escuela Kukulcan in Cuernavaca for 5 weeks this summer. The purpose of this blog is to keep people updated as to my activities here and to document this experience. Stay tuned!... read more
Dia Del Pensamiento en Nuestra Cabana
Published: March 3rd 2011North America » Mexico » Morelos » Cuernavaca
February 22nd 2011
I only passed through Mexico City for one night and didn’t really do anything. The next morning I headed to the taxquena and caught a bus to Cuernavaca for something I had been looking forward to for quite some time: my Thinking Day event at Our Cabana (a Girl Guide thing). I arrived mid-afternoon when everyone else were out on a day trip (I started the event a few days late), which gave me an opportunity to sort out my life (e.g. laundry) and check out the facilities (e.g. craft house open 18 hours a day- definitely utilised by me to its full extent). The first night was an introduction to what guides in Mexico is like followed by margarita night. Definitely a good way to start things off! The next morning was Saturday and thus ... read more
Mexico City, Cuernavaca, and Oaxaca
Published: August 18th 2010North America » Mexico » Morelos » Cuernavaca
August 18th 2010
July brought the perfect opportunity to head to Mexico for a five-week adventure!! My mom and I started our time together in Mexico City with a visit to the Templo Mayor to see the ruins of Tenochtitlan, which are kept in fantastic repair and rather well explained. The accompanying museum was also helpful and filled with impressive artifacts that we were all too happy to explore. We also took in the Museum of Anthropology, which is massive and awesome! The museum is divided into various regions of Mexico and has two floors within each section. The lower floor has ancient artifacts- including the Aztec Sun Stone- while the upstairs floor explored more recent history and cultures of the regions- we gravitated to the upper floor. To change our pace we moved from our hotel in the ... read more
August 3rd 2010
Friday, July 30, 2001 We went to the Brady Museum way back on the 14th, but I forgot my camera. So when a friend, Diana Siemer, from Baltimore came to Cuernavaca on a scholarship for 2 weeks, I decided it was a perfect opportunity to show her this unique museum and get my pictures. The low down on this guy is that he inherited loads of money. His parents owned the Mayflower moving company. So what better thing could you do with your life than to travel to distant parts of the world, collect outrageous art, decorate a beautiful mansion with it, and then invite lots of famous and outrageous people to your house in sunny, cool, quaint Cuernavaca, Mexico for cocktails and parties. ... read more
VAMOS- Our Community Service Learning Day
Published: August 3rd 2010North America » Mexico » Morelos » Cuernavaca
August 3rd 2010
Monday, August 2, 2001 Yesterday we volunteered at VAMOS, an organization that helps the poor, to help paint their building and prepare the food for their "la comida" (big meal of the day). It was a warm and sunny day, and the place was high up in the mountains outside of Cuernavaca. Once we left the outskirts of town and headed up, most of the roads were dirt with plenty of potholes. The people that run the meal do have a routine. The children sit down and eat, brush their teeth (which I videoed), take a vitamin, then play or work on crafts. Of course, the kids don't always do it in that order. ... read more
July 23rd 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010 The Arts in the Schools: Arts for the most part are absent in public schools. And private schools are much better. They are not part of the regular school program, unless it’s a “special” school. Otherwise, it’s usually an extracurricular activity that costs a lot of money. ***** Tonight's presentation was on women in the arts. The first one wove cloth, the second painted, and the third played a small guitar and acts in local theater. They came to talk about their art. Mostly they said how much artists struggle to survive. The situation sounds similar to the one in the U.S., but, of course, things are always much more difficult here. The economy, like elsewhere, is suffering, too. One came to Mexico from Guatemala. She and her husband weave to make ... read more
Lecture on Dying Languages Heard by Andrea
Published: July 21st 2010North America » Mexico » Morelos » CuernavacaJuly 21st 2010
I copied and pasted the following. They are notes from one person in our group who attended a lecture about the dying languages in the world. *** Yesterday when I was working at the school in the afternoon, I was invited to see a film that Dr. Elliot from Texas was showing about two linguists' searches and efforts to document dying languages. One was from Bolivia. If you are interested, below are some notes I put together. There is also a website where you can read about Dr. Elliot's continuing research with the Indians of Oaxaca that speak Triqui. July 19th, 2010 An accidental class on linguists and dying languages When I was studying alone at the school yesterday afternoon, some people came in to see a movie with Dr. Raymond Elliot called The Linguists. I ... read more
