First two weeks

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Today is the end of my second week in Morelia! I have:
Visited Tzintzuntzan, Patzcuaro, and Santa Clara. Patcuaro was hands-down my favorite, although the ruins at Tzin were so interesting too.
Here is my daily/weekly routine:
I wake up at 6:30, get dressed, and eat breakfast with my host mom: usually an omelet (huevos de jardin), fruit (sandilla, melon, o pina), and coffee (from Vera Cruz)! Then I catch the camion at 7:40 ish with some girls from my neighborhood (Nueva Chapultapec). The camion ride is a little long, I'm out of the habit of riding buses. We get to school and warm up in the sun til class starts at 8:30 (Spanish 399). I have a twenty minute break, and then its on to either Migration or Mexican Culture until 1pm.
I am loving my classes so much. Right now they're mostly on history, and it is so fascinating. I've never been that into history, but there is just so much in Mexico's history... depending on how you look at it, its either so old or so new- the native peoples have been around for so long, and are still here practicing the same customs and living in the same places and speaking the same languages- there are over 60 languages spoken in Mexico!! Then, on the other hand, Mexico's independence didn't happen until 1821, which sounds so recent to me. There are so many revolutions and wars and elections and emperors that it is hard to keep track of but always exciting. Plus, it is all tied up with the United States... and there is so much we aren't taught in school! Like, Mexico used to cover Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas? After its independence from Spain Mexico covered more space than the US... after the US went to war with them, it was half the size of what it once was.
See? fascinating!! We're also going once a week to an orphanage to spend time with the kids there.
I'm also loving the night life- we have been to a few bars that are really fun- my favorite is the loud and crowded street bar Pecatto, and the swanky rooftop bar Terraza. My favorite place is in Gringolandia: Starbucks. They have the best internet connection, and the baristas are super nice. There's also an organic coffee shop across the street from my house, which is good too.
Coming up are Guanajuato, Ixtapa, and a long time from now, Mexico City!
Pictures here: http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f199/Gemissima/

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Photos

UNLA campus
Our beautiful college campus

Morelia
Downtown morelia, near Catedral

Patzcuaro
A former Convent in patzcuaro

Comments

[SS]

I love finding Starbucks in other countries. I know it should make me mad, but when I found Starbucks in Lima I was so happy! Last night I had a dream about you and I asked you why you weren't in Mexico. You said Mexico was just like the US. Weird. Also you were very tan. So hopefully you're very tan and having fun in Mexico, which is not like the US at all.

[Gema]

haha, it is kinda like US, in some ways! I'm at a Starbucks, next to Domino's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Nexttel, OfficeMax, and Sam's Club. And I am tanner! but other than that, the countries are pretty different.