WOW! Time sure does fly, not only this week but this entire semester. Let me start with Tuesday. I had nothing to do all day, having finished my project and no final. Like I had planned I needed to see the Riverwalk. After lunch I got my camera and headed for the bus. I my host dad told me the two places to get off at. I missed the first, but then decided to get off a little before the second and walk through the bar neighborhood for one last time and get pictures of it. This neighborhood is next to the Macro Plaza. After exploring the plaza one last time I stopped in the Governor’s Palace to look through the free museum. Then it was on to the Riverwalk. It was pretty empty being a Tuesday, but was very pretty and relaxing. I walked all the way to the end where it emptied into Parque Fundidora. I walked around there a bit and then went to the old iron smelting oven to see the Steal Museum. After the museum I took the old coal elevator up to the observation deck. From there you got a great view of the city. I then descended and headed for the lakes. On the way there I ran into a group of 1o girls, the 4th one I had seen, and they were so excited to meet someone from the US. They were all wore yellow shirts, except for one had a green one. They said it was her Birthday and asked if I would wish her, “Happy Birthday!” then kiss her on the cheek for the camera. I did so and then asked how old she was. I soon found out it was her Quince (15th) and May is Quince season, with the new fad being videos of you at the party. We parted ways and I headed to the lakes. After a rest there I headed back down the Riverwalk to the midway point where you can easily catch busses home. I got home and decided to see how far I walked. I discovered first off it had been .3 miles to the bus stop every morning, then I found out I walked a total of 6.3 miles and keep in mind it was 41 C / 105 F. After that I ate dinner and started packing. My host dad helped me, after finding a cockroach hiding in the back of my closet, lots of folding, and insulating of souvenirs I was practically done.
Yesterday marked my last full day here. It was bittersweet. I had my presentation in the morning that went great. Then after lunch I met with the last of my friends here and said goodbye over smoothies. I headed home, but stopped at Soriana and the Mall to take some last pictures. My camera set off the alarm at Soriana, so I had to explain how it was my camera etc. One last trip in the mall, but I know nothing more would fit in my bags. I got home to watch my daily TV one last time, too bad I kept dosing off. It was then time for my “Last Supper” as my host dad put it. I was guilt fed twice what I should have eaten for the last time. The last plan of the day was to see Iron Man with my roommate Paul. It was a good movie.
I am now here after naturally getting up at 6:59 (my alarm was for 7), showering, and packing the last of it all I decided to blog one last time while in Monterrey. I am very glad I came here; I have met tons of great people, learned a lot, and saw a lot. I am sad to leave, but real excited to get home. I can’t believe it is day 130 here, and when I say that I remember like yesterday getting off the plane and thinking 130 days that is forever. My host parents keep telling me how sad they are I am leaving, how much they will miss me, and that I am always welcome. Well look for pictures of my last adventure and for one last entry about my trip home and reunion with my family. Thanks for reading all my adventures and until next time.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
goodbyes are never easy
Let me pick up after my last blog. Friday night I went out for a friend’s birthday and a going away party. All of my major friends were there except for two who had already left. The party was at a house, but it was still extremely hot and without AC the party was on the patio. It wasn’t until 2AM that it finally got decent outside. The party was fun, and I planned some last minute get-togethers. I woke up surprisingly early on Saturday and didn’t much. I spent most of the day catching up on American TV. I then took a nap to escape the midday sun and 100 degree weather. I didn’t end up going out because my phone was not receiving messages. Side note Mexican Cell Phone companies nickel and dime you. You have to pay 40 cents a minute, 9 cents a text or to check your balance. If your balance is low you get texts hours late. The day before my birthday after having only used 300 pesos on my phone I put 30 more on to last the rest of the semester. I have now put 170 more since then.
Well sorry for the tangent but back to my story. Sunday I got up and two friends who left today asked to go out for lunch. Then after that I had plans to swim with my best friend while here before she leaves tomorrow morning. I decided that since the finally got nice, 80s, I would walk to the restaurant. The restaurant is about a mile away a little after leaving it started raining. When it rains here all the dust, soot, dirt, and gravel turns to mud. This coupled with the bad drainage makes for a wild time. I had flip-flops and a swimsuit on to go straight to the pool. My feet had turned black and I was sliding all over. I was close to the restaurant and saw a roof spout, here they are 8 feet in the air and shoot into the street, and cleaned my feet in it. My friends and I ate and enjoyed our last time together. By the time we were done the rain had ended and it had cleared up. I then said goodbye and we promised to visit in the future, and headed to the park. I got to the Wal-Mart by my friends house to wait for her. She arrived and we headed to the pool. After 2 hours at the pool we got out and walked around the park. Parks here are nice, but they are filled with litter and lack much grass. We also had plans to eat out for dinner, but to waste more time we walked to her house, she changed, then we walked to mine, I changed, and finally we went to eat. One of my roommates, Paul, joined at Chili’s and after dinner we said goodbye which again was hard. We headed home and I finished my take home test, while my roommate complained about the third one always using his computer and having no respect for it. Paul locked the computer then left. The other roommate, Mark, got home and was crabby he couldn’t get on MSN, to hit on more girl even though he is paying for his new girl friend to get a visa. This boiled over at 2:30 when Paul got home and Mark started yelling at him. This woke me up which wasn’t fun.
This morning I woke up and headed to school to turn in my test. I spent a whole 5 minutes there and then walked home for probably the last time. I got home and then at 1 it was time for lunch with my host parent at “El Rey del Cabrito” (the king of goat kid) the most famous restaurant here. The inside is cool and has animal trophies, and then there are the kids on spits. I was great food but it wasn’t the cheapest. I got goat kid shoulder, mmmm. We took pictures with our host family, and I bought the restaurants tequila in a fancy king shaped bottle. We then got home and took tequila shots with our host dad. I then took a nap after the heavy meal and 4 shots. I planned an hour, but 3 later I woke up. I now just finished eating dinner and plan to finish my part for the group presentation I have Wednesday. Tomorrow I plan to visit the Riverwalk and then Wednesday after my presentation I am having smoothies with the last remaining friends.
This weekend has been hard. I am very excited to leave and get home, but that means leaving all my new friends. I don’t know why I didn’t think it would be just as hard to leave here. I have met some great people can’t wait to see visit them. There are already 3 who had plans to visit KC this summer and are stopping by. Well until Thursday.
Well sorry for the tangent but back to my story. Sunday I got up and two friends who left today asked to go out for lunch. Then after that I had plans to swim with my best friend while here before she leaves tomorrow morning. I decided that since the finally got nice, 80s, I would walk to the restaurant. The restaurant is about a mile away a little after leaving it started raining. When it rains here all the dust, soot, dirt, and gravel turns to mud. This coupled with the bad drainage makes for a wild time. I had flip-flops and a swimsuit on to go straight to the pool. My feet had turned black and I was sliding all over. I was close to the restaurant and saw a roof spout, here they are 8 feet in the air and shoot into the street, and cleaned my feet in it. My friends and I ate and enjoyed our last time together. By the time we were done the rain had ended and it had cleared up. I then said goodbye and we promised to visit in the future, and headed to the park. I got to the Wal-Mart by my friends house to wait for her. She arrived and we headed to the pool. After 2 hours at the pool we got out and walked around the park. Parks here are nice, but they are filled with litter and lack much grass. We also had plans to eat out for dinner, but to waste more time we walked to her house, she changed, then we walked to mine, I changed, and finally we went to eat. One of my roommates, Paul, joined at Chili’s and after dinner we said goodbye which again was hard. We headed home and I finished my take home test, while my roommate complained about the third one always using his computer and having no respect for it. Paul locked the computer then left. The other roommate, Mark, got home and was crabby he couldn’t get on MSN, to hit on more girl even though he is paying for his new girl friend to get a visa. This boiled over at 2:30 when Paul got home and Mark started yelling at him. This woke me up which wasn’t fun.
This morning I woke up and headed to school to turn in my test. I spent a whole 5 minutes there and then walked home for probably the last time. I got home and then at 1 it was time for lunch with my host parent at “El Rey del Cabrito” (the king of goat kid) the most famous restaurant here. The inside is cool and has animal trophies, and then there are the kids on spits. I was great food but it wasn’t the cheapest. I got goat kid shoulder, mmmm. We took pictures with our host family, and I bought the restaurants tequila in a fancy king shaped bottle. We then got home and took tequila shots with our host dad. I then took a nap after the heavy meal and 4 shots. I planned an hour, but 3 later I woke up. I now just finished eating dinner and plan to finish my part for the group presentation I have Wednesday. Tomorrow I plan to visit the Riverwalk and then Wednesday after my presentation I am having smoothies with the last remaining friends.
This weekend has been hard. I am very excited to leave and get home, but that means leaving all my new friends. I don’t know why I didn’t think it would be just as hard to leave here. I have met some great people can’t wait to see visit them. There are already 3 who had plans to visit KC this summer and are stopping by. Well until Thursday.
Friday, May 9, 2008
the home strech
Sorry for the slacking. I meant to write after the trip then again today, but with no internet for a few days at home and finals I didn’t have time. Well let me start with the trip. We left Wednesday night at 11:45. After a stop at the other bus station and a drug search we got on the road. Two and a half hours later we made it to the boarder. We got excited, but all fell asleep waiting for our turn. 5 hours later it was our turn. The border was uneventful and we continued on. About 45 minutes later was a checkpoint. Here the guard just saw we had US passports and moved on. Then at the end he called my friend and I off the bus to make sure our bags were on the bus and hadn’t been stolen. He then asked why we were in Monterrey, after answering school he said, “Oh, okay, because we all know Monterrey isn’t a tourist town.” We laughed and got back on the bus. Around 11:30 we made it to San Antonio. We were picked up by our friends that got in earlier, and got the rental van (a new Town and Country.) We then headed to Olive Garden to quell our insane appetites. After that it is on to the hotel about a block from the Riverwalk. Some people decided to take a nap the rest of us walked the river and went to the Alamo. It was then time to drop one of the girls off in Austin, so we decided to load all 10 of us in the van, instead of having 2 cars. It was pretty crazy we put the seats down and sat on the floor. We then ate dinner there and tried to go out, but with three of us being 20 it was hard to find one. The only one we found we abandoned after standing in there for 5 seconds and realizing that the whole club was carpeted and sour smelling. We got the car, and went to Wendy’s for Frostys. It was back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. But before going to bed we decided to pick the last two travelers up at 11, since they were on the same bus we were just the next day.
The next day we got up at 10 so we could pick the two Germans up at the bus station. We got there and found out the bus made it in at 7:30. Neither of them had phones, but while at the bus station one of the girls with an iPhone got an e-mail from them and quickly replied with her number. After picking them up it was lunch at IHOP, followed by a trip to a mall near 6 flags. The Americans didn’t by much thinking we have everything at home, but the 4 from Europe went crazy. When we were finished each had bought an iPod and the Germans had 10 bags each. It was then a trip to Best Buy. I bought a cool tri-pod, a late addition to my camera, but a good one. Then we checked out Target next door. We then stopped by Krispy Kream and got some all American doughnuts. It was then time to get ready for dinner. Dinner was at Outback, which was another great American meal. That night we had plans to go out in San Antonio. Half decided to go and the other half and I stayed in. After they got home, and complained it wasn’t that great we headed for a night trip on the Riverwalk. After another good night’s sleep the next day started. We went to UPS so some people could send home stuff. It was then time to shop some more at the River Center Mall. We ate lunch there along with Cinnabuns. We walked around the river and headed toward the lookout tower, and went to the top. In the gift shop they had jelly beans, which I have really missed, so I bought half a pound. We headed back to the mall, relaxed and decided to see “Made of Honor.” It was a funny movie and we all enjoyed it. After the movie it was on to dinner at Fuddruckers. At this point the two French girls asked if they could just eat ice cream, and if we always plan our days around eating. We laughed and said yes to both. We left town at 11 and this time only waited at the boarder 2 hours. The guards were rude and yelled at us for not getting exit passes for our student visas. We were told we might get fines, and we all decided they just want more money from us. We got back on the bus and I got to my house at 7. We all decided we missed the states and were glad to do stupid ordinary things together, so we wouldn’t have to feel wired doing the same things with friends at home. Waking up at 2 Sunday was half over. My roommates were gone all day so it was relaxing and quiet at home.
Monday was pretty mundane, last day for my Monday classes. In my culture class we found out the activities for the last month and final were canceled! Just our final presentation, which my group also had our country changed due to lack of info on Guatemala. Tuesday I had a project due and it marked the last day of school. At 1 they unveiled the international student photo exhibit. I got all 3 of my submissions in the show, but none placed. Wednesday marked the heat up this week and my first final. That afternoon I found out one final was made take home and I went to get the test. That afternoon a friend and I went to the center to buy all the last minute souvenirs. Thursday I had my hardest final, and am not sure how it will turn out. I got home and started on a final paper and my take home test. We then planned a final lunch at the signature restaurant here for next Monday. I found out I got a 90 in my class with the final Wednesday. Today was my final in History and then hung out with my former roommate. He decided to swing by the house for lunch and say goodbye to our host parents, since he can’t make it to lunch Monday. It was good to hang out with him. I then walked around taking last minute pictures and bearing the 100 degree heat and solid sun. I took a nap and now the plan is to go out for my last Friday to a friend’s birthday, then maybe an international student party.
Look for all the pictures on San Antonio, the City Center, and my neighborhood. In less than 6 days I will be home. I am really excited to get home and see everyone, but at the same time sad I have to leave all my new friends from here. I am already thinking of where to visit next, and who to see. Well look for one last blog while here in Mexico and one last blog when I get home.
The next day we got up at 10 so we could pick the two Germans up at the bus station. We got there and found out the bus made it in at 7:30. Neither of them had phones, but while at the bus station one of the girls with an iPhone got an e-mail from them and quickly replied with her number. After picking them up it was lunch at IHOP, followed by a trip to a mall near 6 flags. The Americans didn’t by much thinking we have everything at home, but the 4 from Europe went crazy. When we were finished each had bought an iPod and the Germans had 10 bags each. It was then a trip to Best Buy. I bought a cool tri-pod, a late addition to my camera, but a good one. Then we checked out Target next door. We then stopped by Krispy Kream and got some all American doughnuts. It was then time to get ready for dinner. Dinner was at Outback, which was another great American meal. That night we had plans to go out in San Antonio. Half decided to go and the other half and I stayed in. After they got home, and complained it wasn’t that great we headed for a night trip on the Riverwalk. After another good night’s sleep the next day started. We went to UPS so some people could send home stuff. It was then time to shop some more at the River Center Mall. We ate lunch there along with Cinnabuns. We walked around the river and headed toward the lookout tower, and went to the top. In the gift shop they had jelly beans, which I have really missed, so I bought half a pound. We headed back to the mall, relaxed and decided to see “Made of Honor.” It was a funny movie and we all enjoyed it. After the movie it was on to dinner at Fuddruckers. At this point the two French girls asked if they could just eat ice cream, and if we always plan our days around eating. We laughed and said yes to both. We left town at 11 and this time only waited at the boarder 2 hours. The guards were rude and yelled at us for not getting exit passes for our student visas. We were told we might get fines, and we all decided they just want more money from us. We got back on the bus and I got to my house at 7. We all decided we missed the states and were glad to do stupid ordinary things together, so we wouldn’t have to feel wired doing the same things with friends at home. Waking up at 2 Sunday was half over. My roommates were gone all day so it was relaxing and quiet at home.
Monday was pretty mundane, last day for my Monday classes. In my culture class we found out the activities for the last month and final were canceled! Just our final presentation, which my group also had our country changed due to lack of info on Guatemala. Tuesday I had a project due and it marked the last day of school. At 1 they unveiled the international student photo exhibit. I got all 3 of my submissions in the show, but none placed. Wednesday marked the heat up this week and my first final. That afternoon I found out one final was made take home and I went to get the test. That afternoon a friend and I went to the center to buy all the last minute souvenirs. Thursday I had my hardest final, and am not sure how it will turn out. I got home and started on a final paper and my take home test. We then planned a final lunch at the signature restaurant here for next Monday. I found out I got a 90 in my class with the final Wednesday. Today was my final in History and then hung out with my former roommate. He decided to swing by the house for lunch and say goodbye to our host parents, since he can’t make it to lunch Monday. It was good to hang out with him. I then walked around taking last minute pictures and bearing the 100 degree heat and solid sun. I took a nap and now the plan is to go out for my last Friday to a friend’s birthday, then maybe an international student party.
Look for all the pictures on San Antonio, the City Center, and my neighborhood. In less than 6 days I will be home. I am really excited to get home and see everyone, but at the same time sad I have to leave all my new friends from here. I am already thinking of where to visit next, and who to see. Well look for one last blog while here in Mexico and one last blog when I get home.
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