April 18, 2013
Today after school, I needed to find a grocery store or a Wal-mart of some sort because I wanted to do an art project, called marbling with my class so I needed a few supplies. I looked up the closest place where I could purchase everything that I needed and it directed me to a Wal-mart a little over a mile away. Long story short, don't use Google maps. We ended up in a very bad part of Mexico City and wouldn't you know it...there is no Wal-mart to be found, let alone any other store where I can buy my supplies.
We just seem to keep getting lost in this big ol' city but you know what, I like getting lost. It's an adventure every time and you also seem to stumble upon something amazing in the end that you may have never seen or done or even tried before.
So we attempt to find our way home and go to another grocery store. A few hours later we arrive to find out that the store is out of food dye,which is what I need for my project! So we walk all the way to yet another store. Luckily this store had some, THANK GOD! What was suppose to be a quick trip that started at about 3 didn't end to 11. However, all my supplies were finally in my hands!
Along our travels, we were able to try some Mexican fruit ice cream that was delicious! We also stumbled upon an awesome bakery and a few bars/restaurants that Alejandro told us that we must try.
Tip for today...take the road less traveled because even though you may have no idea where you are going, you always end up where you're met to be. :)
Adios!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Off to the Zocalo!!!
April 17, 2013
After school today, our group hopped on the metro and traveled to the Zocalo! The Zocalo is the main square in the heart of Mexico City and also happens to be one of the largest city squares in the world. For those of you who don't know anything about it, here is some general information if you're interested!.."Few places hold within so much meaning for Mexican culture like the Zocalo of Mexico City, a monumental public space surrounded by some of the most emblematic urban landmarks in the city, which together constitute one of the largest and most important public plazas in the world. The Zocalo’s background dates back to pre-Hispanic times; since then, in the place occupied by this plaza today, there existed an open space which was part of the ceremonial center of the Aztec empire’s capital, Tenochtitlán. Apart from being the seat of the political, economical and religious powers in Mexico, as well as a space where the indigenous and viceroyal past come together with more than 4 centuries of history, it’s also a rallying point in which the people of Mexico come together to celebrate parties or participate in manifestations. It’s the place in which Mexicans take part in history; in pre-Hispanic times with the rites and religious Aztec ceremonies; in the Viceroyship with the proclamations of Kings and Viceroys and in the time of Independence with the celebrations of Independence Day, the welcoming of governors, protests or cultural events. Mexico City’s Zocalo is the heart of a culture and every beat a day in its history."
When we arrived in the Zocalo I was completely amazed at the beautiful architecture, the massive Mexican flag centered in the Zocalo, and the thousands upon thousands of people just hanging out, talking, and dancing. Dr. Gordon, Suzzie, and I went off together and toured the city. Dr. G has been to Mexico over 30 times so he knows all the places you must see while you are here so it was awesome to kind of have your own personal tour guide. Dr. G was filled with so much information and fun facts, he also knew all the best places to go, so thankful for him! We went all over the place. Our first stop was at Palacio Nacional (The National Palace). The murals that Diego Rivera painted are unbelievable to see in person. Pictures just won't do this justice. He painted these between 1929 and 1952. These colorful murals show Mexican history from prehispanic times to the workers' movement of the 1930s. It was really cool to see the great and ever changing history of this land displayed into gorgeous art.
Next, we walked over to Catedral Metropolitana (The Metropolitan Cathedral). This is one of the most gorgeous cathedrals I have sever seen. The detailed and in depth art and architecture is unreal. Even if you're not a religious person, this is a must see! Then, Dr. G knew of this awesome restaurant that overlooks all of the Zocalo so we casually strolled to the top to capture a great photo opportunity. You should see the beautiful, colored tiles covering the staircases. Next, we went over to another hotel/restaurant where Dr. G's says there are tiny, private balconies that overlook the Zocalo equipped with a small table and two chairs; perfect for a romantic and surreal date night. I have an obsession with stained glass and if you do too then this is one of the places you must see. The ceiling of this building is a mixture of beautiful blues, purples, reds, oranges, and creams. While walking through the busy streets, we also stumbled across Cristóbal Colón's (Christopher Columbus) house!
We continued our tour by visiting The House of Tiles. A once beautiful house which is now a beautiful place to have lunch. As we began to come close to ending our tour we stumbled upon some awesome street performers. We had the chance to see a beautiful gypsy, a magician that I actually believe had to be gifted because there is no way the stuff he was doing could be tricks!, and awesome Indian dancing and singing. We finished our tour by arriving at Palacio de Bellas Artes (The Fine Arts Palace). All throughout this amazing city, there are thousands of things to see and do. In the evening, they perform their flag ceremony and from what I heard it's a must see so I'm planning on coming back again!
After we arrived back to our house, we decide food was a must! Long story short, we got very lost for a very long time and ended up at the mall. HAHA Seriously should be a scene from Legally Blonde or something..4 lost American girls looking for a specific restaurant end up at the mall..very irritating but also comical. So we didn't find our restaurant so our only option was the food court or TGIF's because after our long journey I needed some cerveza...how pathetic..I'm ashamed to admit we actually ate TGIF's in Mexico..no more American food for this girl from here on out.
Adios for now!
After school today, our group hopped on the metro and traveled to the Zocalo! The Zocalo is the main square in the heart of Mexico City and also happens to be one of the largest city squares in the world. For those of you who don't know anything about it, here is some general information if you're interested!.."Few places hold within so much meaning for Mexican culture like the Zocalo of Mexico City, a monumental public space surrounded by some of the most emblematic urban landmarks in the city, which together constitute one of the largest and most important public plazas in the world. The Zocalo’s background dates back to pre-Hispanic times; since then, in the place occupied by this plaza today, there existed an open space which was part of the ceremonial center of the Aztec empire’s capital, Tenochtitlán. Apart from being the seat of the political, economical and religious powers in Mexico, as well as a space where the indigenous and viceroyal past come together with more than 4 centuries of history, it’s also a rallying point in which the people of Mexico come together to celebrate parties or participate in manifestations. It’s the place in which Mexicans take part in history; in pre-Hispanic times with the rites and religious Aztec ceremonies; in the Viceroyship with the proclamations of Kings and Viceroys and in the time of Independence with the celebrations of Independence Day, the welcoming of governors, protests or cultural events. Mexico City’s Zocalo is the heart of a culture and every beat a day in its history."
When we arrived in the Zocalo I was completely amazed at the beautiful architecture, the massive Mexican flag centered in the Zocalo, and the thousands upon thousands of people just hanging out, talking, and dancing. Dr. Gordon, Suzzie, and I went off together and toured the city. Dr. G has been to Mexico over 30 times so he knows all the places you must see while you are here so it was awesome to kind of have your own personal tour guide. Dr. G was filled with so much information and fun facts, he also knew all the best places to go, so thankful for him! We went all over the place. Our first stop was at Palacio Nacional (The National Palace). The murals that Diego Rivera painted are unbelievable to see in person. Pictures just won't do this justice. He painted these between 1929 and 1952. These colorful murals show Mexican history from prehispanic times to the workers' movement of the 1930s. It was really cool to see the great and ever changing history of this land displayed into gorgeous art.
Next, we walked over to Catedral Metropolitana (The Metropolitan Cathedral). This is one of the most gorgeous cathedrals I have sever seen. The detailed and in depth art and architecture is unreal. Even if you're not a religious person, this is a must see! Then, Dr. G knew of this awesome restaurant that overlooks all of the Zocalo so we casually strolled to the top to capture a great photo opportunity. You should see the beautiful, colored tiles covering the staircases. Next, we went over to another hotel/restaurant where Dr. G's says there are tiny, private balconies that overlook the Zocalo equipped with a small table and two chairs; perfect for a romantic and surreal date night. I have an obsession with stained glass and if you do too then this is one of the places you must see. The ceiling of this building is a mixture of beautiful blues, purples, reds, oranges, and creams. While walking through the busy streets, we also stumbled across Cristóbal Colón's (Christopher Columbus) house!
We continued our tour by visiting The House of Tiles. A once beautiful house which is now a beautiful place to have lunch. As we began to come close to ending our tour we stumbled upon some awesome street performers. We had the chance to see a beautiful gypsy, a magician that I actually believe had to be gifted because there is no way the stuff he was doing could be tricks!, and awesome Indian dancing and singing. We finished our tour by arriving at Palacio de Bellas Artes (The Fine Arts Palace). All throughout this amazing city, there are thousands of things to see and do. In the evening, they perform their flag ceremony and from what I heard it's a must see so I'm planning on coming back again!
After we arrived back to our house, we decide food was a must! Long story short, we got very lost for a very long time and ended up at the mall. HAHA Seriously should be a scene from Legally Blonde or something..4 lost American girls looking for a specific restaurant end up at the mall..very irritating but also comical. So we didn't find our restaurant so our only option was the food court or TGIF's because after our long journey I needed some cerveza...how pathetic..I'm ashamed to admit we actually ate TGIF's in Mexico..no more American food for this girl from here on out.
Adios for now!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Back to School..Back to School..To Prove to Dad that I'm not a Fool!!!
April 16, 2013
Hola Amigos!!!
So today was the first day of student teaching at ASF! This school is unlike any other that I have seen before. You know how in movies they always make schools seem awesome and like one big party, with attractive rich kids hanging around outside and music is blasting..but then you get to high school and you're like wow this sucks!..It's not like this at all? Well my friends I'm here to tell you that they do exist! They are right here in good ol' Mexico City!!!
Seriously the school is the most gorgeous school I have ever seen! First of all, it's HUGE like as big as a college campus. All of the buildings are inside/outside classrooms. There are different buildings for each school..for example, there's the ECC (Early Childhood Center...this is where I'm teaching), the Lower School (Elementary), Middle School, Upper School (High). Each building is so big, beautiful, and covered with art work from thousands of the students. They have multiple gyms (with the most recent work out equipment), multiple courts for many different sports (both inside and outside), multiple computer rooms, the cafeteria is outside in a huge beautiful garden courtyard, 4 libraries, multiple resource room, and the swimming pool and art rooms are ridiculous. Literally the list goes on and on. Anything you can think of, they have it!
The school is completely centered around the students. In the US, students would receive detention if they were caught walking around socializing on school grounds. Here in Mexico, the students are encouraged to be very social. There are tons of hang out areas with TVs, computers, couches, tables chairs all over the campus. Literally the school is covered and emerged in art, music, culture, and different languages. Art and gardens with different flowers, plants, and trees cover the entire school. You should see how many courtyards they have!
Here learning is completely hands on and is inquiry based, meaning that the students ask questions and kind of choose what they want to learn about. They are given the chance to explore! This is the way education should be! Another awesome thing about the school is that they don't go by room numbers but rather by houses. For example, Harry Potter fans, you know how there is Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, etc...here it's like this!!! SO COOL!!!
Another thing that I just absolutely love about this school is how the ECC is set up. Here their grades go K1, K2, K3, Pre 1st, then 1st! This is so amazing because it really allows the kids to become fully prepared for an actually classroom setting. The kids education here is so much better than most that I have seen. I am placed in Kindergarten and my kiddos can read, write, recognize and recall things that you would have never thought that they could do. Oh did I mention that almost all of them are fluent in 3 to 4 different languages!!!..YEP KINDERGARTNERS!!! It's so amazing here. The ECC is also set up separately too and just like the rest of the campus it's outside learning, AWESOME! They also have like 6 playgrounds for them! Parents and family are also very involved in the school. For example, every Thursday parents come to just read to the kids! How nice is this!? By the way, my kiddos are the cutest little pumpkins ever! In this culture, everyone kisses and hugs when you meet and every time they see you. It's absolutely adorable when my kids greet and say bye to me...I love the closeness and affection that you can have with the students, their families, and your co workers. In the US, it's frowned upon but here it's considered rude to not display affection. When teaching younger kids, they need that love and affection and I believe you need and should be allowed to give it to them...oh and I absolutely love my co op and aides..everyone is so awesome here!...basically what I'm trying to say is I never want to come back to the US. Haha
Because this school is a VERY wealthy school and the majority of the students who go here are ambassadors kids or kids of parents that work at the embassy, security is VERY high here. I'm not even exaggerating to you when I say that hundreds of HUGE security guards in big blacked our SUVs drop off and pick up the kids everyday. Literally the school is surrounded by the kids personal security guards and the police. Traffic here is insane but the school here even has people that are paid to just stand in the streets to let us cross. Literally as soon as you or anyone related to the school is in sight all traffic is stopped immediately for those to cross..it's like nothing I have ever seen before! The school even has a secret underground garage where the buses go to drop off the students and staff!!
Ok so I literally can not go on enough about how amazing the school is but seriously moving on now! Ok home life...today the roomies and our host momma went grocery shopping...obviously we some how managed to become separated from our host mom..cool.
Today was a very fun, interesting, and tiring day..I can't wait for more tomorrow!
Adios!
Hola Amigos!!!
So today was the first day of student teaching at ASF! This school is unlike any other that I have seen before. You know how in movies they always make schools seem awesome and like one big party, with attractive rich kids hanging around outside and music is blasting..but then you get to high school and you're like wow this sucks!..It's not like this at all? Well my friends I'm here to tell you that they do exist! They are right here in good ol' Mexico City!!!
Seriously the school is the most gorgeous school I have ever seen! First of all, it's HUGE like as big as a college campus. All of the buildings are inside/outside classrooms. There are different buildings for each school..for example, there's the ECC (Early Childhood Center...this is where I'm teaching), the Lower School (Elementary), Middle School, Upper School (High). Each building is so big, beautiful, and covered with art work from thousands of the students. They have multiple gyms (with the most recent work out equipment), multiple courts for many different sports (both inside and outside), multiple computer rooms, the cafeteria is outside in a huge beautiful garden courtyard, 4 libraries, multiple resource room, and the swimming pool and art rooms are ridiculous. Literally the list goes on and on. Anything you can think of, they have it!
The school is completely centered around the students. In the US, students would receive detention if they were caught walking around socializing on school grounds. Here in Mexico, the students are encouraged to be very social. There are tons of hang out areas with TVs, computers, couches, tables chairs all over the campus. Literally the school is covered and emerged in art, music, culture, and different languages. Art and gardens with different flowers, plants, and trees cover the entire school. You should see how many courtyards they have!
Here learning is completely hands on and is inquiry based, meaning that the students ask questions and kind of choose what they want to learn about. They are given the chance to explore! This is the way education should be! Another awesome thing about the school is that they don't go by room numbers but rather by houses. For example, Harry Potter fans, you know how there is Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, etc...here it's like this!!! SO COOL!!!
Another thing that I just absolutely love about this school is how the ECC is set up. Here their grades go K1, K2, K3, Pre 1st, then 1st! This is so amazing because it really allows the kids to become fully prepared for an actually classroom setting. The kids education here is so much better than most that I have seen. I am placed in Kindergarten and my kiddos can read, write, recognize and recall things that you would have never thought that they could do. Oh did I mention that almost all of them are fluent in 3 to 4 different languages!!!..YEP KINDERGARTNERS!!! It's so amazing here. The ECC is also set up separately too and just like the rest of the campus it's outside learning, AWESOME! They also have like 6 playgrounds for them! Parents and family are also very involved in the school. For example, every Thursday parents come to just read to the kids! How nice is this!? By the way, my kiddos are the cutest little pumpkins ever! In this culture, everyone kisses and hugs when you meet and every time they see you. It's absolutely adorable when my kids greet and say bye to me...I love the closeness and affection that you can have with the students, their families, and your co workers. In the US, it's frowned upon but here it's considered rude to not display affection. When teaching younger kids, they need that love and affection and I believe you need and should be allowed to give it to them...oh and I absolutely love my co op and aides..everyone is so awesome here!...basically what I'm trying to say is I never want to come back to the US. Haha
Because this school is a VERY wealthy school and the majority of the students who go here are ambassadors kids or kids of parents that work at the embassy, security is VERY high here. I'm not even exaggerating to you when I say that hundreds of HUGE security guards in big blacked our SUVs drop off and pick up the kids everyday. Literally the school is surrounded by the kids personal security guards and the police. Traffic here is insane but the school here even has people that are paid to just stand in the streets to let us cross. Literally as soon as you or anyone related to the school is in sight all traffic is stopped immediately for those to cross..it's like nothing I have ever seen before! The school even has a secret underground garage where the buses go to drop off the students and staff!!
Ok so I literally can not go on enough about how amazing the school is but seriously moving on now! Ok home life...today the roomies and our host momma went grocery shopping...obviously we some how managed to become separated from our host mom..cool.
Today was a very fun, interesting, and tiring day..I can't wait for more tomorrow!
Adios!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Gringos have Arrived!!! ;)
April 15, 2013
My day began at 2:00AM. It was a crazy and hectic morning because packing for a month to live in a different country is not easy. I packed the night before however, obviously I did this last minute because I am the biggest procrastinator! Right when I'm about to pack the car up to head to the airport, I realize there is no way that my bag is under 50 lbs. To make a long story short, I unpacked and repacked and switched my bag about 5 times. I arrived at the airport at 4:30AM to meet my professors and fellow student teachers. We all stood in line to have our bags checked and I was praying to the lords above that my bag would weigh out to a reasonable weight...48 lbs. flashed across the screen and I was ecstatic!...However, this means that a ton of things are being tossed out when I come back to the States!
After receiving our plane tickets, maps, planners, etc. I waited in line to go through security. Because as soon as we arrive in Mexico City, we are headed straight to the ASF School to meet our host families and cooperating teachers, we had to be dressed to the nines. In Mexico, it is a HUGE deal to the host families that you are coming to live with them so everyone is wearing their best clothes and jewelry. Whelp, I obviously was wearing a nice dress that had a metal clasp that sits right under my left breast. Needless to say, I had to be searched by security because they apparently thought I was smuggling things in my bra! This would only happen to me. So as I'm being felt up by a stocky woman I can't help but laugh because I'm not even out of the country yet and problems are already beginning! Haha
We departed from the Pittsburgh airport and arrived in Dallas. As soon as we landed it was pure madness because we had about a 20 minute layover. You know that scene from "Home Alone" where everyone is running through the airport to catch their plane...yea that was us. Let me tell you trucking it in a dress, high heals, and huge heavy bags is not easy. We take off from Dallas where we land in Mexico City. I have heard that the Mexican culture is extremely caring, helpful, nice, and affectionate. Well it is! I sat in the middle between two Mexicans that all they wanted to do was feed me, talk to me, and buy me drinks and food on the plane! Haha
As we began to touch down in Mexico it was absolutely an amazingly gorgeous sight from the plane. Literally every inch was covered by buildings and houses. It was such a drastic difference from the view of Pittsburgh. As soon as we landed you could feel the overwhelming heat. We all hustled and picked up our bags (no ones luggage was lost...thank god...I thought for sure it would be mine if anything...I have the worse luck.) We made it through security and exchanged money. Let me tell you, exchanging money at first gave me a minnie heart attack! Everything is in Spanish so I had no idea what I was doing and I thought at first I drained my bank account...I didn't...Thanks to Heather (an awesome doctoral student traveling with us from Pitt, whom by the way is fluent in Spanish.)
Dr. Gordon had huge taxi vans waiting for us outside the airport. To get outside we had to walk through this roped off space directly in the middle of the airport. Everyone stared. The Gringos have arrived!!!
We hopped in the taxis and took off for the school. Let me tell you, New York City drivers have absolutely NOTHING on Mexico City drivers!!! It is absolutely the craziest thing I have ever seen! It was a miracle that we didn't die within the first 5 minutes of being there. Haha Mexico City is one of the largest and most populated cities in the world...The drive to the school was unbelievable to see. Everything is crowded and gorgeous but yes there are obviously bad parts of the city. There is a lot of poverty but also many great places. When I told friends and family I was going to Mexico to teach, everyones initial reaction was, "WHAT?! OH MY GOD! YOU ARE GOING TO BE KIDNAPPED AND KILLED! THE DRUG CARTEL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" However, it' not the case at all! This city is just like any other big city. There is good and bad people, there is safe and unsafe places; you just can't be dumb.
We eventually arrive at the school where I will be teaching and it was unbelievable! This school is unlike any other school I have ever seen! We walked into this huge courtyard that is lined with beautiful trees, flowers, and plants where big round tables and chairs were arranged for us. A huge buffet with delicious food was available to us. Here the faculty, staff, administrators, and our host families greeted us with much love. We all felt so welcomed and excited.
My host family is wonderful! Our host mothers name is Ester (she doesn't speak a lick of English). She brought her daughter along, who was very nice! She spoke English so was able to translate for us. Right off the bat, they both immediately grabbed us and began hugging and kissing us as they rambled off things in Spanish.
After a nice meet and greet brunch time, we made our way to the place where we would call home for the next month. I'm living with 3 other girls; Marrissa (the Translator..she is the only Spanish major and person that speaks any Spanish on the trip), Kaelin (the Tall One..that's a whole other story in its own that I'll get to eventually :)...she is so funny!), and Suzie-Q (those of you that know me probably know Suzie too..she is my drinking partner/ pbros slave/ friend from Cali..I don't know know why she moved to PA from CA either..) Besides us 4 girls, there is our host mom, Ester, her 2 daughters, 1 of their sons, Alejandro, 1 daughter, Issa, Ester's husband, Vicky the maid, Martina the dog, and Matilda the turtle. In case your wondering how 11 people and 2 pets are living in one house, well don't worry it's a mansion!
This house is the most gorgeous house I think I have ever seen. It's huge and filled with tons of plants, flowers, gorgeous pieces of artwork and pictures, and many knick knacks. There are so many rooms and even rooms outside. There is a garden, a patio, a terrace, and a courtyard with an orange tree! Our room is downstairs on the other side of the house, making it separate from the members of the family. Suzie and I share a room together and up the stairs from our room is another room that used to be an old library/ den, this is Kaelin and Marissa's room. It is absolutely gorgeous and filled with thousands of books covering the shelved walls with tons of cool artifacts, it also has a beautiful look out facing the street.
After we got settled into our new home, Ester took us on a walking tour of the town. We went to this AWESOME and HUGE market where you could basically buy just about anything. We also visited this gorgeous church and the metro (where we would be using much of it for our future travels).
Late at night after eating dinner, we were introduced to Ester's husband (no English either). In my attempt to be polite and introduce myself, I failed miserably. With such confidence, I stuck out my hand and shouted, "Mey Samantha!" This translates to "A lot of Samantha or Very Samantha" I meant to say, "Yo soy Samantha!" Everyone began to laugh hysterically at my confidence. The grandfather needless to say probably thinks I'm a dumb American. The grandfather does not remember our names and we don't see him often so he refers to us by our physical attributes. He refers to Kaelin as "the tall one"..so yes we now have labeled her "the tall one." :)
Today, was an awesome and exciting day! I can't wait the the first day of school to begin!
I will attempt to keep updated and post blogs everyday for those of you who would like to see what is going on in my crazy life! I will also attach pictures as the days go on!
Adios for now!!! :)
My day began at 2:00AM. It was a crazy and hectic morning because packing for a month to live in a different country is not easy. I packed the night before however, obviously I did this last minute because I am the biggest procrastinator! Right when I'm about to pack the car up to head to the airport, I realize there is no way that my bag is under 50 lbs. To make a long story short, I unpacked and repacked and switched my bag about 5 times. I arrived at the airport at 4:30AM to meet my professors and fellow student teachers. We all stood in line to have our bags checked and I was praying to the lords above that my bag would weigh out to a reasonable weight...48 lbs. flashed across the screen and I was ecstatic!...However, this means that a ton of things are being tossed out when I come back to the States!
After receiving our plane tickets, maps, planners, etc. I waited in line to go through security. Because as soon as we arrive in Mexico City, we are headed straight to the ASF School to meet our host families and cooperating teachers, we had to be dressed to the nines. In Mexico, it is a HUGE deal to the host families that you are coming to live with them so everyone is wearing their best clothes and jewelry. Whelp, I obviously was wearing a nice dress that had a metal clasp that sits right under my left breast. Needless to say, I had to be searched by security because they apparently thought I was smuggling things in my bra! This would only happen to me. So as I'm being felt up by a stocky woman I can't help but laugh because I'm not even out of the country yet and problems are already beginning! Haha
We departed from the Pittsburgh airport and arrived in Dallas. As soon as we landed it was pure madness because we had about a 20 minute layover. You know that scene from "Home Alone" where everyone is running through the airport to catch their plane...yea that was us. Let me tell you trucking it in a dress, high heals, and huge heavy bags is not easy. We take off from Dallas where we land in Mexico City. I have heard that the Mexican culture is extremely caring, helpful, nice, and affectionate. Well it is! I sat in the middle between two Mexicans that all they wanted to do was feed me, talk to me, and buy me drinks and food on the plane! Haha
As we began to touch down in Mexico it was absolutely an amazingly gorgeous sight from the plane. Literally every inch was covered by buildings and houses. It was such a drastic difference from the view of Pittsburgh. As soon as we landed you could feel the overwhelming heat. We all hustled and picked up our bags (no ones luggage was lost...thank god...I thought for sure it would be mine if anything...I have the worse luck.) We made it through security and exchanged money. Let me tell you, exchanging money at first gave me a minnie heart attack! Everything is in Spanish so I had no idea what I was doing and I thought at first I drained my bank account...I didn't...Thanks to Heather (an awesome doctoral student traveling with us from Pitt, whom by the way is fluent in Spanish.)
Dr. Gordon had huge taxi vans waiting for us outside the airport. To get outside we had to walk through this roped off space directly in the middle of the airport. Everyone stared. The Gringos have arrived!!!
We hopped in the taxis and took off for the school. Let me tell you, New York City drivers have absolutely NOTHING on Mexico City drivers!!! It is absolutely the craziest thing I have ever seen! It was a miracle that we didn't die within the first 5 minutes of being there. Haha Mexico City is one of the largest and most populated cities in the world...The drive to the school was unbelievable to see. Everything is crowded and gorgeous but yes there are obviously bad parts of the city. There is a lot of poverty but also many great places. When I told friends and family I was going to Mexico to teach, everyones initial reaction was, "WHAT?! OH MY GOD! YOU ARE GOING TO BE KIDNAPPED AND KILLED! THE DRUG CARTEL! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" However, it' not the case at all! This city is just like any other big city. There is good and bad people, there is safe and unsafe places; you just can't be dumb.
We eventually arrive at the school where I will be teaching and it was unbelievable! This school is unlike any other school I have ever seen! We walked into this huge courtyard that is lined with beautiful trees, flowers, and plants where big round tables and chairs were arranged for us. A huge buffet with delicious food was available to us. Here the faculty, staff, administrators, and our host families greeted us with much love. We all felt so welcomed and excited.
My host family is wonderful! Our host mothers name is Ester (she doesn't speak a lick of English). She brought her daughter along, who was very nice! She spoke English so was able to translate for us. Right off the bat, they both immediately grabbed us and began hugging and kissing us as they rambled off things in Spanish.
After a nice meet and greet brunch time, we made our way to the place where we would call home for the next month. I'm living with 3 other girls; Marrissa (the Translator..she is the only Spanish major and person that speaks any Spanish on the trip), Kaelin (the Tall One..that's a whole other story in its own that I'll get to eventually :)...she is so funny!), and Suzie-Q (those of you that know me probably know Suzie too..she is my drinking partner/ pbros slave/ friend from Cali..I don't know know why she moved to PA from CA either..) Besides us 4 girls, there is our host mom, Ester, her 2 daughters, 1 of their sons, Alejandro, 1 daughter, Issa, Ester's husband, Vicky the maid, Martina the dog, and Matilda the turtle. In case your wondering how 11 people and 2 pets are living in one house, well don't worry it's a mansion!
This house is the most gorgeous house I think I have ever seen. It's huge and filled with tons of plants, flowers, gorgeous pieces of artwork and pictures, and many knick knacks. There are so many rooms and even rooms outside. There is a garden, a patio, a terrace, and a courtyard with an orange tree! Our room is downstairs on the other side of the house, making it separate from the members of the family. Suzie and I share a room together and up the stairs from our room is another room that used to be an old library/ den, this is Kaelin and Marissa's room. It is absolutely gorgeous and filled with thousands of books covering the shelved walls with tons of cool artifacts, it also has a beautiful look out facing the street.
After we got settled into our new home, Ester took us on a walking tour of the town. We went to this AWESOME and HUGE market where you could basically buy just about anything. We also visited this gorgeous church and the metro (where we would be using much of it for our future travels).
Late at night after eating dinner, we were introduced to Ester's husband (no English either). In my attempt to be polite and introduce myself, I failed miserably. With such confidence, I stuck out my hand and shouted, "Mey Samantha!" This translates to "A lot of Samantha or Very Samantha" I meant to say, "Yo soy Samantha!" Everyone began to laugh hysterically at my confidence. The grandfather needless to say probably thinks I'm a dumb American. The grandfather does not remember our names and we don't see him often so he refers to us by our physical attributes. He refers to Kaelin as "the tall one"..so yes we now have labeled her "the tall one." :)
Today, was an awesome and exciting day! I can't wait the the first day of school to begin!
I will attempt to keep updated and post blogs everyday for those of you who would like to see what is going on in my crazy life! I will also attach pictures as the days go on!
Adios for now!!! :)
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