another week

Another week here in Monterrey, it was much more eventful then last week with lots to do and see. Monday I was planning to go to the Mexican History Museum, a class assignment, with my Australian roommate, but it was closed. Good thing I looked the hours up online first. Instead we decided to take one of the bus routes around town after a friend suggested it. It was 2 hours and we went all the way up to the north of town and saw some interesting parts of town. There were houses everywhere, lots of dogs and cats, and a few markets. I decided to video tape some of the trip but ran out of room on my card. When I went to see how a 20 minute video filled it up I found 400 pictures from China. I thought I had uploaded them all, but decided to play it safe. We decided to get off at a park downtown near this cool looking church. We walked toward the church and realized it was the one we found the first weekend here. On the way there we found a juice stand with 2 liters of juice for 20 pesos. It was fresh juice from ground fruit. We then walked in the park and found a batting cage, 12 pitches 5 pesos. I sucked the first round, but got 6 or 7 the second. My roommate claimed he never played before and got 7 the first round and better after that. We then decided to look for a bathroom, and the best thing was a little deli/restaurant and got drinks, talked to the owner, and used the bathroom. The lady was a really nice old lady and the bathroom was a little strange but got the job done.

Now for Tuesday, there wasn’t much just sat at home and relaxed. Wednesday was much more eventful with a trip to the Modern Art Museum (MARCO) to see a Diego Rivera Exhibit. It was pretty cool they had all his sketches of his murals. No pictures of the paintings, so sorry I was bummed too. This afternoon was a trip to the Cervecaria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, a beer factory where they make Sol, XX, Tecate, Carta Blanca, Indio, and Coors Light. A cool trip, but unfortunately the safety inspectors were there so we couldn’t go in any of the rooms, and the gift shop was closed for the last day of the month. It was all okay at the very end when we got free beer, as much as we wanted. Most people drank 3 or 4, I drank this new drink of theirs where instead of adding hops they add artificial fruit flavors, it was pretty good.

I am now writing this and getting ready to head out at 9:30 for Queretaro, all night on a bus what fun! This should be a great weekend traveling just like last. Mad I am missing LOST tonight, but come Saturday I can see it.

another week gone by

Another week over and it seems like it flew past. Another week at school with nothing exciting going on, felt like school at home, but in Spanish. I was told that Monday my visa papers would be ready and on Wednesday decided that two days was a good enough grace period. The lawyer said that they had been done since Friday, and I should have gotten an e-mail; then when he went to get my papers realized someone screwed up and they were not done. He freak out and quick did them and said we was going to take it in for me the next day, now it should only be 6 weeks till I get the visa. Also a treat this week was seeing two peacocks walking down the sidewalk next to me.

The weekend brought an amazing adventure; I went to Real de Catorce. Originally my roommate and I thought it sounded cool to go horseback riding in a ghost town, but it turned out to be so much more. First we had to meet at school at 7 AM packed for the two day trip. The bus ride was five hours with a 30 minute stop about halfway. After a 15 mile drive up the mountain on gravel we got to the tunnel, our bus was too big so we waited for 2 trucks to come get us. There were a few little food and drink shop set up and two dogs running around, one in a shirt and the other in a shirt and pants. 45 students and 5 guides fit in two truck beds with all their luggage, somehow I lucked out and got to ride in the stuffy, hot cab. The tunnel was one lane and a little over a mile long; on the other side we were in Real. This town was very small seven blocks by four blocks with a church in the middle, and 9000 up. We got to our hotel which turned out to be big, clean, and great all around. It had 13 rooms and we filled it up. We had an hour lunch break so my roommate and one of our trip roommates went to lunch with four other girls, and found a great restaurant (someone’s kitchen) to eat. It was all handmade including the tortillas, and 5 pesos (45 cents) a taco. We previewed the market and went back to the hotel. We got back and 50 horses were in the street in front of the hotel. We all jumped or we helped on if needed. We rode the horses up another 400 feet to the silver mine ruins. From the ruins you got a great view of the city and valley it was it. There were two mine ruins one much bigger were they lower the men in and washed the silver. Each mine shaft was 600 meters (1970 feet) deep. The horses were… well horses. They all wanted to pass each other and loved to shove you into a tree, rock wall, car, or other horse. You would be riding along three in a row and get to a single file spot which meant knees were in danger. One thing that was very surprising was that even with so many none bit or kicked. Once down it was time to shop, I got a few things including a rosary with St. Francis the towns Patron. After shopping my roommate and I started walking back and heard music, and decided to check it out. It turned out to be a wedding and some drunk guy invited us in, but we thought it would be rude to crash it. Dinner time came and they had a restaurant reserved for us. We had to sit next to new people so I got to know a girl from Singapore. At the end of dinner they said that since most people wanted to dance or drink after dinner there happened to be a wedding and in small town Mexico that means everyone is invited even tourist, I laughed inside. First though they said there was a surprise, we all went to an amphitheater and we were going to watch a fake cock fight that was traditional in to the town 50 years ago. They went around and showed everyone the cut off talons covered with rubber caps. It was an entertaining event. After wards I got a picture with one of the roosters. It was then off to the wedding, where we watched the bride a groom dance and then it was dollar dance time, so I decided to dance with the bride. Unfortunately my roommate didn’t figure out how to use my camera till it was too late. Champaign and other random dances followed along with a tradition of dousing the groom with beer. After leaving the weeding we checked out a cantina, interesting, and ended with a dance party in the hotels inner courtyard. I got woken up very early by the roosters and the morning started with a craft project taught to us by a Huichol Indian. This was making the beaded bowls and plaques. I spent two hours on a plaque and only finished a third of it, very hard work. Then it was lunchtime before we had to load up. Before we left the Huichol shaman blessed us for a safe trip home. This time I was in the truck bed for the tunnel ride, which was a lot more fun, but you had to be careful of the tunnel edges. Another five hours back stopping at the same rest area this time for an hour to have dinner. Once we got back we all agreed that this was such an awesome and enlightening trip. Enjoy the pictures.

This week will probably be another bland week at school, followed by a weekend in Queretaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and Hidalgo. No school the Monday after for Día del Constitución, and then 1st partial exams start.

another adventurous saturday

I meant to post yesterday, but it took so long to get my pictures up. Well yesterday was the first excursion with Tec. We went to visit Grutas de García (Garcia Caves.) It was an hour drive northwest of the city. The whole ride there was through the mountains. We arrive and after getting off the bus are told to go wait in line for the Gondola to the cave. The cave entrance was about 100 yards up the mountain, so we got on the Gondola and rode it up. The view for up there was awesome. We got in the cave and it was a nice 79 degrees inside, much better than the morning air outside. This cave unlike most in the US was totally dry inside, and it had many different levels to see. We walked up and down stairs, there were probably 2000, and all around the cave. The guide pointed out all the formations with names like: Dead Man’s Hand, The Divine Portrait, The Virgin of Guadalupe, The Christmas Tree, The Donkey’s Head, along with a few more. After finishing the tour we decided to take the path down the mountain since it had warmed up considerably since we arrived. It was a nice relaxing walk down. At the bottom were snack bars and gift shops. I got a big cheeseburger (with a beef patty, cheese, and ham), fries, and a drink for 50 pesos which is about $4.50. Then there was a big free for all to get back on the bus, so I ended up on the third one. We were supposed to leave at 1, and at 1:15 the driver figured we were all in and left. Then a little over 25 minutes later he got called and was told he left all the chaperones along with 15 people. This meant we had to turn around and get them, and wasted an hour. Oh well I didn’t have anything else to do. I put pictures up; also hope you like the pictures on the side bar.

The last night I went out with two of my roommates to a bar in the Plaza in front of our house. The bar was a separate room of a restaurant that is part of the Holiday Inn but in a separate building. It was the three of us and another group of three and then after an hour they left. It was a nice night out. Another week here draws to a close. I hope everyone has a great upcoming week, and enjoys their MLK break. Oh well I get a day off in February to make up for it.

first week of class

Here it is Friday again, my first week of classes done and now only 15 left till finals. Classes this week went great, my fear of having an assignment due and not knowing about it didn’t happen, and I have now made it through the getting all my textbooks bought, class packets copied, and Visa paperwork turned into the Lawyer. Only one snafu with it all and that was at one of the copy centers they gave me the wrong book, but the right study material, I was real worried about having to argue with them and was memorizing what to say when I got in, but when the guy saw me holding the book he already knew the problem and said they do stuff like that all the time. The weather this week has been hit and miss, Monday was another great day, that night it rained and it got to the low 50s for Tuesday. Wednesday the sun came out and a moderate day followed, but it rained again and another cold, wet day. Then it got even colder about 33 when I woke up this morning. All of this wouldn’t be so bad, but it is rare for a building to be heated, it really sucks when you can see your breath with in class and at home.

Monday and Wednesday I took a lot of pictures at school and walking home from Tec, so Thursday I figured I wouldn’t need my camera, but of course that day I see one of the Peacocks on campus. This was the second time I saw it on campus and it was walking along one of the outdoor halls, I was so mad. Today with the rain gone, I decided I would bear the cold and during my hour break search for a peacock. I got a good deal more pictures of campus, and noticed that there were placards everywhere for the different animals and plants on campus, including the European Deer and the Peacock. On the hunt I also found ducklings, a stray cat, and a goose. Finally I found him, today his position was more then I could have hoped for. He was perched on a stair rail by the library just so you could see his entire tail dangling beneath him. I then walked toward him and got many pictures from all angles. I was so excited and with 30 minutes to spare. Here is his picture



Hope you enjoyed the two albums from Wednesday; here is one from my quest and my walk home, a different route because the bus driver took forever to stop. Hope everyone else had a good week and has a great and relaxing weekend. Tomorrow I am going on a trip to caves nearby so stay tuned for more pictures.

first round of classes

Sorry for the long post, I just started writing and…

Now after two days of classes I have gone to each class once, a pretty interesting experience. Sunday was uneventful, our host family doesn't cook on Sundays so I went with the two roommates to Carls Jr for lunch, and to watch the games, plus it is the closet place to eat. It was really packed, plus the place is 2-3 times bigger than one in the States. For dinner I went to the Wal-Martish store to get some stuff along with dinner. Then I sat around and watched TV till bed.

Now onto yesterday, I got up at 7 to leave at 8 to run a few errands at school before my 9 o'clock class. Well no errands got done because one of my roommates was running late so we didn't get there till 8:30. Then when I went to run the errands I found out that neither the tour sign up desk nor the copy center were open till 9. I went to my first class, Thermodynamics, and was the only non-Mexican there. Oh well it actually came in handy, because the first thing the teacher said about the class was that it was going to be half Metric and half British units, and we needed to memorize all the British units and there would maybe be a quiz on it tomorrow. Everyone else in the class moaned at that. I then had an hour off and went and got a bunch of copies for my Visa. This took forever, since I needed two copies of EVERY page in my passport, along with two copies of a bunch of other documents. The next class I went to was Culture and Traditions of Latin America. He started talking about the class then asked us to go around the room and introduce ourselves along with tell him which city we are from and the prep school we went to. After 10 people went with 5 names each told all there stats, then I was my turn. I said my much shorter name and that I was from the US. He then asked me a question about my parents; I swore he asked where their ancestors are from so I said Ireland and German. This caused the rest of the class to laugh; I figure I answered it wrong. Then he asked how well I understood Spanish was, I responded okay, and he told me that if the Spanish got too hard to come talk to him after class and he would make sure I understood everything. The some more people introduced themselves, and there was another American girl, two Dutch guys, along with another Polish girl. The teacher then put us in groups, one international student per group, so there could be a non-Hispanic view in each one. After that I went and talked to the lawyers who we can have take care of our visas and do the paperwork, he gave me a checklist of what else I needed then I went home. Once getting back I ate lunch and then my Australian roommate wanted to go to a Mall. We went to the mall with our fourth roommate who until then hadn't done much with us. The bus trip required one transfer of busses in a Wal-Mart, Sam's and Home Depot parking lot. We got to the mall which was next to another Wal-Mart and a Costco. We got lost in the weird double decker packing lot and couldn't find the entrance. Finally we got in the mall. It was a pretty nice one and had some good stores. We then took a cab home which was much easier.

Today seemed like the longest day ever. First off Monday it was only in the low 60s, which was okay, but today it got to the low 50s and sprinkled all day. This wouldn't have been so bad, except no one here including the school has heat, so in every classroom it was just as cold as outside. My first class, History of Mexico is only for International Students and I have it with my Australian roommate. Next was Mechanics of Materials, this class I understood almost all of what he said, and got excited when he said we were using the English book, because we all need to practice our English, which made the class groan. He then went around asking us the name we wanted to be called and taking our picture. It got to me and the kid typing the nicknames was very confused on how to spell Matt, the teacher asked where I was from, and after responding everyone stared at me for a good 2 minutes. Upon leaving my teacher told me that I needed to use the Spanish book, because I already am good at Engineering English and need to learn the words in Spanish. Oh well that is why I am really here. After that it was on to the next class, a room change but nothing big. I got to the next class and he said we can pick the language of our big, and I decided on English because this class is much more important. After four and a half hours of class onto the crazy part of my day. It was on to buying textbooks, setting up tours and getting my visa lawyer squared away. I went to the International Students Center to get this necessary form, but it was closed for lunch for the next hour. I decided instead to go get my texts; the school bookstore hadn’t even heard of my books, so I went across the street and got two of the three. Since I need to pay with a Credit Card there was a separate line. It was about 10 people long and each transaction took about 3 minutes. It was finally my turn and I was told the price, which was about a quarter of at home. Next I went across the street to get a compilation copied for another class which went quickly and easily. Now that it was past the lunch hour I went back got the letter and then headed across campus to get it copied and get another classes compilation, which ended up not being there yet. I got the copy, and head downstairs to sign up for the excursions. Only one was ready, this weekend’s to caves nearby, and I then signed up to receive more info about the rest. Lastly it was back to the Lawyer, near the International Students Center. I gave him all the copies, he started some paper work and gave me a letter my host father has to sign and the forms to pay for the visa at the bank. I then decided it was best to get the payment done so I went to the bank, learned I had 15 minutes to pay, but one of the tellers let me cut and got me in and out. It was then off to home, Paul and I went to the supermarket across the street to get school supplies.

Also I just got a surprise call from my family which was a great one. I also am enjoying all the e-mails and comments. Pictures of school will be coming soon.

saturday on the town

I know I posted yesterday, but today was another eventful day. Plus I switched photo sites so favorite the new one.

Well last night I went out with seven other exchange students I have met throughout the week. We went to a club in the Barrio Antiguo, the oldest part of town where all the bars and clubs are. It was a crazy night, out till 3. Today I suprisingly woke up at 10, then after lunch two of my roommates and I decided to goto the Macroplaza. It is the third largest plaza in the world. We accidentally rode the bus too far, or maybe not far enough, so we had to back track a few blocks but got to see more fun stuff. The plaza has lots of old buildings and statues in it. Along with museums around it. It is kind of like the DC Mall but with office buildings around it too. Half way down the plaza we found a shopping street with lots of people. We spent some time there and ran into a few other exchange students. It was a very fun day and I took many pictures.

week one

So here I am finally after all the work and time. This week has been going well, I got in Monday night after a pretty normal flight. I met two other people going to Tec too. On the flight I sat next to a Chinese lady going to Monterrey for business. She wanted help learning to pronounce a few things in Spanish and then I found out she went to K-State, coming there straight from China. One getting through customs I met some more international students. After getting to the school I my host family came to pick me up. They are both very nice and are always trying to over feed us. Two of my roommates were already there. One is from Australia, the other goes to UC Davis. Tuesday was filled with orientations such as of the school, library, and computer lab (which looks like a giant napkin holder.) Lastly I got my schedule and it is a pretty good one, I even have a class with one of my roommates. Wednesday I didn't have anything all day so I finished unpacking and then went out that night with some people I had met the day before. Yesterday was information about the policies and procedures here along with saftey tips. Today we had an immigration meeting and later today there is an extraciricular activities and trip presentation, then a welcome cocktail. Here is a link to pictures. .

All is going great meeting new people. I am missing home and being able to easily talk with family and friends, but I forsee as I get more used to here and involved in classes it will get better. Hope everyone is doing good and I will post later. Also I have internet at my host family's home so I will be checking that very often.