September 11th, 2011

I remember September 11th, 2001. I was 8 years old. I heard something bad had happened, and I remember that a classmate drew his understanding of the events on the chalkboard. I really did not know much about it until I was older, and although I will never understand, I know what happened.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the day that changed the United States forever. Every year in school, we have a moment of silence. After that short minute or so, life goes on. Maybe we talk about it in class, maybe everyone is a little quieter for a while. By lunch, everyone is back to normal, laughing and joking about whatever was on TV the night before. 

This year, September 11th means more to me than it ever has. This is the first year I have ever thought about how significant the day is, not just to Americans, but to the whole world. Hearing my host dad say, "I remember where I was when I heard the news," forever changed my perspective. An entire country was grieving, but what's more, the entire world was. When those Twin Towers were attacked, people everywhere were devastated. It was an attack on freedom, reaching farther than the borders of one country. As I watched movies and news reels depicting the events, I was so struck with emotion for the first time. The day changed everyone and everything everywhere.

A Little Bit of Rambling, A Little Bit of Life

So my family has been telling me that they want a blog post. I wasn't sure what to write about, because there is just so much! I would write on one topic, but then I get carried away and a post on food turns into a post on seatbelts. Better to just have a general update. I decided to just talk about everything that comes to mind, and I can't promise that all of it will be interesting to everyone. Feel free to read what you like, skip what you don't, and share what you love.

First, I'm going to talk about weather. I'll start by saying that it is hot, all the time. I'm not too great with celsius, so I don't know exactly how hot. The one day I checked the weather channel online, it was 90 degrees fahrenheit, but "felt like 100". That is not the sort of thing you want to ever read. Feels like 100? I thought it was a joke, or a typo, but unfortunately it was not. In my house, and most houses, we have air conditioning, but only in the bedrooms. Fans help, and if you're lucky there is a breeze, but really, I never could have imagined living somewhere where it is so hot we take at least two showers a day. Aunt Kathy, if you're reading this, I think I found an entire country who bathes as much as you do!

Second, there are bugs here, and lots of them. Itty bitty ants are always crawling around, but those are the least of my worries. I still hate spiders with a passion, but I managed to let a daddy long leg cross my path without freaking out. This is big stuff for me! The little salamanders still garner a little (okay a lot) of fear, but I do my best to just turn around and walk/ run somewhere else. I just try to ignore all of those little creatures. I have bug bites all over my legs, and I can only hope that they are from mosquitoes.

Next, time. This may not seem like the most fascinating aspect of my exchange, but it is definitely prevalent in my daily life. For comparison sake, let’s just say that arriving to an event between 10 minutes early and 10 minutes late is pretty typical. When it gets to be an hour in either direction, it starts to be a little rude.  In the U.S., I am pretty typical as far as timeliness goes. Although my mom may disagree, I tend to be on time. How many of you have heard, “To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is unacceptable.”? Well, I’m pretty sure no one in Mexico has heard this. It may be the opposite, in fact. Being early is almost unheard of, and being on time is extremely rare. “Late” practically does not exist in this society.  At first this was really difficult for me, as I would be ready to go somewhere, only to wait another hour or two. However, this concept is really kind of beautiful. We don't rush here, and quality time is a must. There is no agenda set in stone, and nothing is so important that it takes you away from your family. Now, I find myself enjoying this. Instead of checking my watch and rushing to the next activity, one of many on a never ending list, I spend lots of time with people who really matter.

Now I should probably talk about school. I'm technically studying "Communication and Publicity". My schedule :

Monday is Methods of Investigation, Social Psychology, Written and Oral Expression, and Computer class. Tuesday is Methods of Investigation, Drawing Techniques, and Written and Oral Expression. Wednesday is Written and Oral Expression, Social Psychology, Theory of Communication, and Computer class. Thursday is Written and Oral Expression, Drawing Techniques, and Theory of Communication. Friday is English. So, everyday is different, and every class is in a block of 2 hours, except Written and Oral Expression, which is only an hour. We have tons of breaks, at least between every class and sometimes the teachers just leave early. Monday and Wednesday I end around 2, and Tuesday and Thursday are around 12. I'm not really sure about Friday because I haven't gone to school on a Friday yet. I start everyday at 7 (which is so early in relation to when we go to sleep). My experience with the teachers has been pretty good. Some are really nice, and none have been standoffish or unfriendly. All in all, they treat me like all the other students, although I really don't have to do homework or pay attention in class. They know that my primary reason for being there is to learn more Spanish, and the content of the classes isn't as important. One thing that still confuses me is the conflict between the name of the class and the actual material. It seems like all my classes are really the same class with different names. This could just be my complete confusion as an exchange student, but I'm pretty sure I understand enough to know my teachers are all saying the same thing. I guess it's more about the application of the material than the material in my school, whereas I had a lot of classes in the US that had a lot to do with memorization. That is not to say my education in the US was worthless, quite the contrary. I have had many wonderful classes with incredible teachers- the kind who make you think, and challenge you to find meaning and application in what you learn in the classroom. The teachers and classes I loved were the ones that mattered outside the school building, that challenged my way of thinking or showed me how to use the information in my life. I did however also have classes where I had to memorize facts and figures for a test, knowing it would have absolutely no significance in four days, let alone four years. What I have experienced more in my school in Mexico is direct use for the information I am learning. This may be unique to my individual school, and these particular teachers, I really can't generalize for the entire country, or even just the entire city. I promise I will talk more about this as the year continues and I better understand what is going on!

Next, in my last post I said I would talk about nieves. A nieve is ice cream, but it is made with water and real fruit, instead of milk. Kind of like a sherbet. Flavors include guanabana, mango, tropicolada, limon (lime, not lemon), cacahuate (peanut), cappucino, chamoy, nanche, mamey, coco (coconut), chocolate, vainilla (vanilla), fresa (strawberry), and the list goes on. Nieves are sold everywhere, from a shop called Guerro Guerro, to carts that pass by on the street. This "food on a cart" aspect of the culture is really endearing, besides being very convenient! My personal favorite is guanabana. Wikipedia tells me that guanabana is called "soursop" in english. Never in my life have I seen or heard this word, but trust me when I say it's delicious! It evidently can only be grown in warm climates, any temperatures below 37 Fahrenheit will kill the plant, explaining why no one in Watertown even knows it exists. Nanche is also really good and completely new to me. The fruit is a small yellow ball, with a seed in the middle. More or less like a cherry in size, although not as soft, and tastes nothing like it. So, maybe not so much like a cherry. Also from the ever reliable Wikipedia, the nanche tree/ shrub only exists in tropical and subtropical climates. Next, mamey. I'm going to take this from WIkipedia too so there is a chance that none of this is true, but we're going to live on the wild side and use it anyways. Evidently it tastes like a combination of pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and maraschino cherries, with the texture of an avocado. Maybe it's just better if we say it tastes good, and it has the taste and texture of mamey. No surprise, it's also grown in Mexico, Central America, etc. However, Wikipedia does add that it can be grown in Southern Florida. Chamoy "refers to a variety of savory sauces and condiments in Mexican cousine made from pickled fruit". If that's not a little confusing, it is also described as having a flavor of salty, sweet, sour, and chile at the same time. The best way to explain the confusing combination of flavors is that it's just a part of Mexican food. Somehow every food has a million different flavors, none of which are exactly recognizable. It's really different than American food, but I am really lucky to have this firsthand experience with such a unique culture of which food is a huge part. If you wikipedia these fruits, there are pictures of each one, and tons more information!

My conclusion: Tomorrow I will have lived here 1 month (going from August 5th to September 5th) and that in itself is crazy. I am still adjusting to life, but missing my family has become more commonplace, and daily routines are starting to become "routine". Sometimes I'm a little overwhelmed, but that is not to say I'm not enjoying every moment. This is truly the experience of a lifetime, and I am so lucky to have this opportunity. I have been blessed with wonderful parents at home who support me in this, and an incredible family here in Mexico. If you ever get the chance to travel and live in someone's home, if even for just a week, please take that chance. You will learn so much about the culture, things that cannot be told. Besides that, you will see that this world is full of wonderful people. No matter where they come from, or what language they speak, they have a lot to share and they are more than willing. To every exchange student and their parents,  to every host family, to every kindhearted Rotarian- you are all amazing and I'm so proud to be a part of this. So, comment, tell me what you want to hear about, let me know how you are doing. Or just read, you don't have to take my word, in fact I hope you don't. I hope you are inspired, and instead of accepting what I say, you decide to go somewhere and find out for yourself exactly what possibilities the world holds.

School!

I was supposed to start school August 15. After a week of postponed classes, I thought I would be starting school on Monday, August 22. Much to my surprise, schools throughout the area were called off Sunday night  for Monday because of storms caused by a nearby tropical depression. So, finally, on Tuesday, August 23, I went to school.
Tuesday was one of those days where you step out of the car and can't believe they are really leaving you here, a lot like Kindergarten. I honestly did not want to get out of the car. But I did, only to walk inside at 7 and have an employee tell me that I didn't have to be there till 9. I called my mom, she picked me up, and I was able to relax for a little while longer. Then it came time for me to get out of the car again. And again, it took all I had to actually step out of the car, and walk into the school. Here I was, alone at my school, somewhere completely foreign and knowing everyone knows I'm foreign, and not knowing a single person. Luckily, the first person I saw was an exchange student from Australia. She and another student showed me where to go, and then I took a deep breath and walked into a classroom. I asked someone if I could sit at their desk, and started to breathe again when she said yes. Teachers and school directors introduced themselves and talked about their classes, the school, why Centro Universitario Hispano Mexicano is awesome. After what seemed like years of this, we were given a recess to eat breakfast, walk around, whatever. And then: the cafeteria. I thought walking into the school was hard. I have probably never eaten lunch alone at school. I was not about to start now! I asked a girl if I could sit by her, which could not have been more awkward, and then we sat in more or less silence. Finally that broadened into a group of four, still pretty silent. When we returned to the classroom, we were separated into Engineering and Communications/ Publicity classes. More talking followed, and then we were told we were going to "have some fun". Part of my Communications/ Publicity class involves photography, so we had to take pictures in teams of an older student wearing shiny wrapping paper. I'm not sure what the point of this was, and it mostly was just awkward. I guess it was meant to break the ice, but it's really hard to be creative in another language. Class was dismissed, I called my host mom, and in 10 minutes my host dad came to pick me up. He dropped me off with my mom to wait for my sister at her school. Her school was crazy! There were so many kids and so much traffic and they all wear uniforms, it was just unreal! My host sister's friends came and said hi to me, I guess they have been "dying to meet" the white, blond girl living with their friend. We came home, and I slept. After a while, I woke up, ate some cereal, and just chilled in my room with the air conditioning on for a while. School in another country is a whole lot to process.

Wednesday we left my house at 6:40, because I really did have to go to school at 7 this time. I'm used to getting up and getting ready around that time at home during the school year, but I also go to bed at 10 at the latest. One of the perks of getting up this early is seeing the sun begin to rise over the ocean. The majority of my drive to school is along the ocean, and I look out the window to see gigantic barges, smalll boats, and the sun rising with the most beautiful background. I could get used to this. My mom dropped me off at school, and I walked into my classroom. I sat next to the same girl I sat next to the day before, and just like all first days of school, we had to introduce ourselves to our new teacher. The big difference is we did this every time a new teacher entered, and the entire class was exactly the same, so we had to do the same thing with the same people. The students don't change rooms here, the teachers do. That means I am in the same classes with the same people everyday. Everyone was a lot more social today, and it was jsut generally less awkward. My classes were Expresion Oral y Escrito, Psicologia Social, Teorias de la Comunicacion, and Sistemas de Computo 1. They all went pretty well, and although I don't understand everything, I get probably 70 % of what the teachers say, when I'm not staring at the wall zoning out. My mom came to get me, I got a nieve (more on this later, it's delicious), and we went to pick up my sister, Nora, from her school. The rest of the day was really good and we went to a Zumba class in the middle of a plaza. That was one of the most amazing things ever, seeing around 75 people dancing all together! We had some dinner, and went to bed to relax before Day 3 of school.

Live and Learn

Next Monday, I start school. I feel like I’m entering Kindergarten again. I don’t know anyone, I can’t speak the language perfectly, and I have no idea what I will be learning. More than anything, though, I’m excited because I love to learn. Also, I’m so happy for once to not have to worry about how this class will look on my college application, or that I had better join another club to get more involved. For the first time since I was little, it’s not about getting 100 % on a spelling test, or staying up late to make a paper “A” material; the only thing I have to do is make an effort. I just have to learn. It’s something we all know how to do, it comes naturally. Just observe: look and listen. At home, I was so sick of hearing people tell incoming freshmen (and younger) how this class or that activity will really impress admissions officer. That they might not like what they were involved in, but at least then they would look good to colleges. I wish that stuff had never mattered, but it doesn’t have to anymore. I think YOU are what looks good to colleges. If you go after what you want, and study things that interest you, then you are impressive. Being yourself is what will look “good” beyond college applications. I didn’t go to Mexico for a year because it will look good to colleges, or because I will be a more impressive job candidate.  I came here to learn- about another culture, about different people, about myself. And honestly, when you get down to it, that’s what life is about.

Food and Despedidas

I have only been here a few days, but I have already learned so much, met sooo many people, and tried so many different foods. I already had it in my mind to try everything that was offered to me, and I'm going to stick to that. I mean, really, what's the worst that could happen? Actually, I won't get into what's the worst that could happen... Anyways, I try everything. Some of the things I have tried include: picadas, gordas, tejuinos, dulce de leche, tacos al pastor, horchata, empanadas, squite, and so much more! Squite is corn kernels in a cup with a whole bunch of stuff like mayonnaise, chili, and I don't know what. It's really good! A lot of it looks strange, but you have to try it, because it's more than likely going to be one of the best things you have ever tasted. The one thing I'm not used to is how spicy food is, and I try it, but I have to be a little careful! Clueless, I dunked a chip into some salsa, put it in my mouth, and just about jumped from how spicy it was, and had to drink something real quickly. There really should be a sign when you enter Mexico that warns about the food! It's delicious, but it is spicy when you least expect it. I like almost everything that I eat, though, so I definitely won't go hungry! One thing I absolutely love is the water my mom makes. She puts fruit in a blender and then combines it with water. It is sooo good! I can't even describe how much I love this!
My host sister, Liz, is leaving for Germany tomorrow, so we have been super busy with packing her suitcases, and saying goodbye to everyone. Las despedidas, or goodbyes, are so hard to watch, because I just did the same exact thing. In all honesty, it's so difficult to leave everything you have ever known, all the people that matter to you, anything with a trace of familiarity and know you aren't coming back for a year. However, it is worth it. I can't tell you how the rest of the year will go, but being "lost" is a good thing. Your comfort zone broadens and all of a sudden, you just get comfortable being uncomfortable, and that feeling is beautiful.

I'm Here!

Today is my second day in Veracruz, and it's more than I ever could have expected. I don't know how to describe it. I love it all: the food, the people, the heat. It is different than anywhere I have ever been, and so perfect just because of that. It is complete sensory overload, and I honestly don't understand everything people say to me. I know I took 4 years of Spanish, but it's hard! I feel like I have a good start though, because I am able to understand a little bit of everything. Culture shock is amazing, such a crazy feeling. I feel so out of my element, but I looove it! I don't have a cell phone yet, I don't know anybody. I don't even have any local currency yet, but it doesn't matter. I have a wonderful family, I couldn't have asked for better. My sister, Nora, is soo sweet. My parents are awesome, my cousins are so nice. And Liz is great too! I honestly have no words other than awesome, wonderful, amazing. There are no words to describe it, and there is no way I will ever do justice to this place, or the feeling of culture shock. It's like free falling- you have no control over it, and it is incredibly exhilerating. I have entered a new, different, crazy world, and it only took me around 6 hours to get here. You think that somewhere so close cannot possibly be so different, but it is. People are different, customs are different. The way I greet people is different, the climate is different. I am literally sweating all the time, but so is everyone else. I will have to get used to the spicy food, but hey, I'm going to try everything. This is going to be one crazy year, and I truly can't wait to see what is in store!

Leaving in 10 Days

After I got my visa-d passport back from the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, I was able to actually book my flight. I will be leaving from Milwaukee on August 5th at like 6 in the morning, changing planes in Houston, and then flying into Veracruz at about 11:15 :)

I have been packing, which is really hard for a girl who loves lots of choices in her wardrobe. I am going to take one bag under the plane, one carry- on, and a "personal item" aka backpack. You used to be able to take 2 bags under the plane on international flights, but now you are charged for the extra bag, so I will have to limit myself on my packing!

Today I had a goodbye dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, which really reminds me that I am leaving really soon! I have a really big family and it's really hard to say goodbye to them for a year, but it's just part of going away.

So I have 10 days to prepare mentally for an entire year in Mexico. That is ten days to say goodbye, to finish packing, to brush up on essential spanish, to buy any last minute gifts/ supplies, and to really get ready to leave.

It's going to be one great adventure!