epic monsoon fall

I had a great weekend!! Morelia is a great place, and I had wonderful company to travel with.

Friday, we came home from work (which was a really fun day, actually) and had already done our laundry so we were nowhere near as rushed to pack as our trip to Guanajuato. Concha helped me make dinner for us to pack and take on the bus. We ate lunch and headed over to the PA office where we met up with Heather, who was finishing up her workday, and Andy. Andy is brand-new to Mexico and just arrived early last week. He is a college student from Scotland going back to get a new degree in Physio Therapy, so he is working at a local hospital here in the PT unit. After we all met up, we went to the bus station and had a 3.5 hour ride to Morelia, the capital of the Mexican state of Michocán. We finally arrived at our hostel around 10pm.
Saturday we spent the day doing a whirlwind tour of Morelia’s historic downtown. There is this really neat aqueduct that runs down the middle of the entire city and our hostel was on the road that it runs on, so we walked the 10 blocks to the center guided by the aqueduct. Once in the center, we had a lovely breakfast and grabbed a few tourist maps. We saw the cathedral (a cathedral in a Mexican city?!), many museums, tons of great art work, traditional Michocán dance groups, etc. Andy’s guide book told us that at 9pm on every Saturday the main road by the cathedral is closed and there is a big fireworks show. We knew we’d need dinner around 8 anyways, so we found an adorable restaurant and sat outside on the square by the cathedral so we could see the fireworks. Before the fireworks, there were a lot of street vendors and tourists walking along the avenue, etc. It was really fun, and dinner was great (more enchiladas…). We also took advantage of Michocán being the ice cream capital of Mexico and had some amazing ice cream. For a huge waffle cone and 2 gigantic scoops of ice cream, it was only $14 MXN ($1.40 USD). I love a good ice cream deal! After our busy day, we dragged ourselves back to the hostel, 14 hours since we had left it, and collapsed.

We started Sunday off bright and early. We checked out of the hostel at 9a and the “concierge” (for lack of a better term) called us a taxi so we could get to the bus station and catch a bus to Pátzacuaro, a small town an hour away. We took a cheap bus an hour and arrived there, not having a clue as to what we were going to do. The “downtown” of Pátzacuaro consists of 2 plazas, so the taxi dropped us off at one and we walked around the artisan shops and touristy things on the plazas. Then we headed out for the cathedral (I think my Mexican church count is over 50 at this point) and found a lovely open air market. We were given so many free samples of good food and it is very easy to talk the vendors down, so we all did some great shopping. We saw the cathedral, but there was mass still going on so we couldn’t get into it. But we headed back to the main plaza and ate lunch at an outdoor restaurant. Thankfully we were under the cover of an awning because it started to rain. When it let up, we caught a taxi down to the lake shore of Lake Pátzacuaro. There we did more shopping and caught a boat to the island city of Janitzio. Janitzio is almost a mountain, it is so sloped. It is situated on an island in the middle of Lake Pátzacuaro. Many of the older residents of the island have never been to the main land and don’t even speak Spanish, but keep to their traditional indigenous language. We did the 30 minute trek to the top of the island, with the cutest little shops on the way up, and as we all caught our breath, we took amazing pictures of the statue that is the peak of the island and the panoramic view of Lake Pátzacuaro. It was a once in a life time experience. There are not many non-Mexican tourists who go to places like that, because many Americans prefer bigger towns or beaches of Mexico. It was beautiful and a place I highly recommend to everyone. We got back on the boat as it started to rain again and headed back to shore. We realized, in the 20 minute boat ride, that we were almost out of time to catch a bus back to Morelia so we could catch another bus back to Guadalajara. The monsoon started just as we docked and we decided to brave it so that we could catch the bus. This ended up as a catastrophe.

I had flip flops on that get really slippery when they are wet, so I yelled to my friends to slow down and not run because I would slip. Just as that sentence came out of my mouth, I fell. I fell up rickety wooden stairs. My sandals fell off and were dangerously close to falling into the lake (thank God they did not!) and I was sitting in a mud puddle. I got up after the shock of it, and saw Heather and Emily still running. Andy saw me fall and stayed behind to help me up. I was COVERED in mud and bleeding from several places. He was wearing two shirts, so he stripped off his top one (reminder: middle of a torrential down pour) and gave it to me to wipe my blood and mud off as I whimpered and walked to the taxi waiting for us. My umbrella was also a casualty of the fall and I have to buy a new one now. It is toast.

We got to the bus station 2 minutes before our bus was supposed to leave and ran to buy our tickets and hop on the bus. I was planning on cleaning up in the bathroom on the bus, but our ghetto bus line we took between Morelia and Pátzacuaro didn’t have a bathroom. Emily and Heather travel with baby wipes so I cleaned up with that and then was supplied with Neosporin from Emily. I thankfully had brought Advil and bandaids. After the initial upsetting fall, it has become a fun thing to laugh at. It was pretty epic, and, as a bonus, in front of about 100 Mexican tourists. I looked like a fool.

We missed the 6p connecting bus to Guadalajara by 10 minutes, so we had to hang out in the bus station until 8p when the next one left. We finally got back to Guadalajara and in bed around 12:30a this morning.

I ended up skipping work today because I was so exhausted and the quesadillas I ate in the bus station were not sitting well with my stomach at all. But I am feeling better now and Emily and I have a relaxing afternoon planned, including a scheduled nap. I hope everyone at home is doing well and at least gets a good laugh out of my epic Mexican monsoon fall. It was pretty hilarious.

once again, no witty title

I am having a very strange week. I'll start with work?

Work is great. We know almost every patient now and know when they are coming in for their next treatment. I feel really connected to a lot of them and it is nice to be so relaxed and joke around with them and their parents. Many of them treat me like a big sister, which is adorable, and I am fairly certain that at least 1 of the teenage boys has a very obvious crush on me. The parents know us now and remember details about my life, so we have real conversations now. It is less like an interview and more like a relaxed conversation among friends. It was a hard week, though, because one of the little girls we love just got the news that her treatment is no longer working and they have decided to stop treatment. She comes in now for plasma and for medicine to make her more confortable, but she doesn't have a lot of time left. We are doing our best to play games with her and keep her smiling, but it is hard for her and for us. We knew this would happen to at least one patient, but it is still hard. Other patients and their parents have started talking more about their prognosis and some of them aren't doing as well as we thought. It has been hard, but it has also been a good week because every day I fall more in love with these kids and their families. The mothers bring us amazing food and drinks and the kids who like to play together with us sit near each other so we can play collective games of UNO or all share the crayons, etc. It is a heartwarming and heartbreaking place all at the same time.

In the social world, we have had a better week. Tuesday we went to Lucha Libre, which is Mexican wrestling. It was a crazy, insane, drunken mess of Mexicans who were very vocal about their support for certain wrestlers. I was even chanted at! The crowd saw me walking and yelled "HIJA DE BUSH" which means "daughter of Bush". Lovely. Wednesday we had a lazy afternoon and then went back to Carmen's Ex-Convent for the movie showing and saw an old Robert Redford and Natalie Wood movie, "This Property Is Condemned". The old man who sells the tickets likes us and talks to us each time we go. Adorable! And the July schedule hasn't come out, so who knows what is playing next week?! We are going anyways, it is always good. And tonight we are taking it easy and going out in search of a good local cafe for a cheap dinner, nothing too exciting. This weekend we are going to MORELIA! so we are saving our pesos.

We leave tomorrow afternoon and won't get back until Sunday evening so I won't post again until then, but look out for pictures on Facebook that I am uploading now!

party favors!

Our lazy Saturday ended up being one of the best days I've had here! We met and went out to brunch at a very American restaurant called Sandy's (its a chain in the area). It was good food but we had a mishap with the bill. They gave us English menus (which really offends me) and I ordered the "Plate of fruit" which, directly translated, is "Plato de fruta". So I got this HUGE plate of fruit and I was like "Wow all this for just 24 pesos!". Then the bill came and I was charged $65 MXN for it. And I told the waiter and he said that I had ordered that one. He brought me the Spanish menu and, indeed, "Fruit Salad" (the expensive one) was called "Plato de fruta". Well, I explained that it wasn't my fault becuase the menu was mistranslated but I wasn't going to pay. And then he told me that since they had brought me the big plate, it was my fault for not recognizing it. And I argued that, since I hadn't been here and they had assumed I was a tourist (English menu) I shouldn't have known that it was too big. At the end, I got it taken off the bill and was happy. Then we walked around and caught wind of a gay pride parade that was about to take place. We walked down Hidalgo (big street) until we found a nice shady spot and watched the most amazing parade. We ended up joining in with the march at the very end, but took amazing pictures before (check Facebook... they will be up in the next few days). Part of it was a "protest" of sorts and part of it was a hot tranny mess. It was so much fun!!!! And they were really excited to see Americans and they waved to us from the floats and yelled "Hello girls!" and loved speaking English. It was a great day. Then we wandered around some more, saw an indigenous dancing group, and then ate dinner at a small café next to a church. There was a wedding going on there so we got to see the couple leave the church (adorable!) and then we went home.

Sunday was also a very fun day. We told Heather about the giant Americanized mall near the park where Emily runs, so we took the bus and went there because Heather is a shopaholic. Thankfully I had left my credit card at home and did not buy anything but lunch, but had I had it with me, I would have done some serious damage. We tried to eat at the Applebees (yes, there was one! There was also a Chili's, Outback, and Hooter's on the same wing) but it was too crowded so we went to an Italian place instead. The food was good, but what excited us most was the FREE REFILLS. That is the first time we had seen it in this country, so we all took advantage of it. The pasta was good. The waiter was excited to speak English with us and then they forgot that I had ordered mine without mushrooms (we all know how I feel about fungus) and he felt really bad and took it back. I offered to just pick them out myself, but I'm fairly sure he went in the back and painstakingly picked them all out. We tipped him well. After the shopping was over, we walked 2 km to Parque Metropolitano where Emily runs and where I had gone once before with her. We walked around it and stopped at a snack stand to get drinks. They have this amazing stuff here called "Agua Fresca". Now, you Spanish speakers are probably thinking "Fresh Water"? Well juice here is like 100% juice, no water. So Agua Fresca is flavored water (Agua Natural is real water). But "flavored" implies giant chunks of said fruit in the water. So I had Agua Fresca de Fresa (of strawberry) and it was AMAZING. It was pure water and strawberries. For $14 MXN ($1.40 USD) I got a massive styrofoam cup of it and it was heaven. After my Agua Fresca high, we walked back to the bus and went back to our house. Concha hadn't gotten back from Sunday evening mass yet, so we set up my laptop and watched a movie (with Heather). As she was started to leave the massive thunderstorm started (they are nightly) so she got soaked trying to get home. Poor thing.

Today we went back to work, finally! We were feeling well enough and were excited to go in for busy Monday. However it was unnaturally calm today and not even half of the chairs were full. But I really enjoy days like that where it isn't as hectic. And since we've been here so long, we know almost all the patients every day. Most of them are on a biweekly treatment or come one day every week, so we get to see them regularly. It is fun to just hang out with them. When we walk in and a kid sees us, their face just lights up and it really makes me feel like I am having a postive impact on their treatment. If for 5 minutes they can get their mind off of cancer and the pain of chemo, I know I have made a difference. And the smiles... seeing those kids smiles really makes my day. I don't think I will ever forget the strength that these children have and the positive attitude. One minute they are throwing up and crying because of the pain, and then we show up and they can't wait to talk to us or play a game or have us read to them. It is amazing.

After work today we went to the PA office and talked to Marco about the public heath project. It is definitely possible to keep going to the chemo center 2 or 3 times a week while going to the new project the other days. I was excited to hear that. There are several projects we can join with the public health nurses, the most exciting is field work. We are going to be trained in how to administer vaccinations and we are going to travel all over the city and give children vaccinations. We are going to visit the site late this week or early next week and hopefully start soon. There are so many exciting things we can do there, and we don't even have to leave our chemo kids who we are in love with!

Tonight we are just hanging out and lying low, but tomorrow PA is taking us out to Lucha Libre, which is the Mexican version of wrestling. It is going to be an EXPERIENCE. And I will have awesome pictures. PA is paying for our $70 MXN ticket ($7.00 USD) and 1 drink, so it is a free trip. I think we just have to pay for the bus ride over? We haven't been given that detail yet. We are meeting tomorrow at 8p to go over. So all day at work tomorrow, I will get to think about sweet Mexican wrestling!

We are going to Morelia this weekend, so all week I'll be excited about that. It's the capital of the state of Michocán (another state bordering Jalisco) and a lot of our patients are from there. I have already been asking around for places to go and things to do, so this week at work will be Morelia research. We are also going to try to visit the ruins at Patzacuaro, which is 1 hour away from Morelia.

this keyboard doesn't work

The computer I am on is dying so I will make this short and sweet.

I spent all day Friday in bed sick again, but I think today I am finally feeling better. We're spending a boring Saturday with Heather, our partner in sickness, and taking it easy. Not sure what exactly we are going to do, but we'll figure something out.

On Thursday afternoon we ventured to a nearby bookstore and I decided to finally read the Narnia books. I finished "The Lion, the With, and the Wardrobe" in 3 hours. So I have a feeling I'll be going back to find more.

I honestly have nothing else to say, having spent 2.5 days in bed sick. Life has been a bit boring.

montezuma's revenge?

Tuesday was a pretty average day. I did manage to put up 3 albums of pictures on Facebook. I’m going to put up the 4^th today, I just didn’t last time because I didn’t feel like paying for that much internet.

Work Tuesday was very slow. Monday was super busy and all of the chairs were full, but Tues. was less than half full all day. Sometimes I like the slow days because they are kind of relaxing and I don’t feel like I’m ignoring half of the patients, but some slow days are just boring. It all depends on the crowd of kids that we get. Tuesday a lot of the kids were too sick to talk or were asleep, so by 12:30p, we left (we usually leave between 1:30 and 2p). Jesus, the doctor who works with PA with all of the various hospital/medical placements, was there Tuesday. His daughter gets treatment for a metabolic disorder and she has to get weekly chemotherapy. Marco, the director of PA here in GDL, showed up for a meeting with Jesus, so we got to see him for a bit as well. We were going to meet with him to discuss a new placement in public health that they offered to me, but he had an emergency of some type and had to leave. Jesus said they were going to make arrangements for us to go over to the new site in Zapopan and see if we were interested. I’m not sure if I’m going to want to switch though. When the AIDS program was cancelled and the chemotherapy center was offered, I said “yes” but I also said that if something in the public health area opened up, I’d be interested. Now that I’ve been at the chemotherapy center for 2 weeks, I am in love with the kids. Emily feels the same way as me. We’re both interested in seeing it, but we don’t know if we want to permanently change. We are going to see if we can do 2 days a week at the public health place and then do 3 days at the chemotherapy center. We’ll see!

After work we had a lazy afternoon and then met up with Heather, Jennifer, and Mel, Jennifer’s new roommate. Mel is a medical student in England and is here doing an intensive Spanish course. She wants to do world health eventually, so she wants to learn Spanish. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world! We met them at a restaurant 2 blocks from our house and then went to this German café that is literally 300 feet from our house (convenient!). Heather left early because she was feeling really sick but the rest of us stayed for an hour. There was live jazz music and we met an American guy who is living in GDL with family for the summer. He gave us lots of places to check out and was really nice. I started getting a really bad headache, which I thought was from the smoke, so we called it a night and headed home.

Wednesday was a very interesting day. I woke up with a bit of the headache from the night before, but didn’t really think much of it. I got to work and after about an hour, I had a really upset stomach. Within an hour of the stomach issues, I got so cold that I was shivering all over and my fingers and lips were blue. The nurses tried to take me to the emergency room that was close by the chemotherapy center, but I told them I just wanted to go home. Emily stayed behind and continued working, but I went straight home. By the time I got there, I was really sick. Not only did I have a splitting headache and an upset stomach, but I had a really high fever and I was vomiting. It turns out Heather has the exact same thing as me. I spent the rest of Wednesday lying in bed or on the bathroom floor and I could not even keep down water I was so sick.

This morning I woke up feeling slightly better. The headache is still here but I’m no longer nauseas. I finally got some food and water in me, green Jello and water! Concha made me Jello last night for today (she is so sweet) and went out and got clear sodas for my stomach. Emily was really helpful too yesterday. I was just getting out of bed when she was leaving to go to work, so I took a shower. When I got out of the shower, Emily was back. It turns out she was standing at our bus stop and started to get an upset stomach too. Now she has what Heather and I have! We are hoping that Jennifer doesn’t get it. Heather thinks we caught something in Guanajuato, since 3 of the 4 of us from that trip are so sick.

So now I’m just spending my Thursday hanging out with Emily and watching movies on my laptop. Hopefully I’ll be able to go to work tomorrow! For now, I’m going to eat some more Jello.

I'm fresh out of witty titles...

I HAD THE BEST WEEKEND EVER. EVER. Go online and book a plane ticket to Guanajuato, Guanajuato NOW.

Guanajuato is one of the neighboring states to Jalisco (of which Guadalajara is the capital). The capital of the state of Guanajuato is, remarkably, named Guanajuato (pronounced Gwa-nah-hwa-toe). Heather had asked Emily and I if we wanted to go, so we decided to get out of the city and head to the country for a weekend and explore a part of Mexico that the typical American tourist doesn't ever see.

We left work early on Friday and raced home to do laundry, pack, eat lunch, pack dinner, and run to the office where we met up with Heather and Jennifer. We took a taxi to the bus station on the outskirts of GDL and then we thought we were going to be cutting it close. However, the bus was moving on Mexican-time (they actually call it that here) and was 40 minutes late. The bus was supposed to leave at 5:30p and ended up leaving just after 6:15p. Somehow, we still managed to arrive in Guanajuato on time. This was a mystery to us. For the last 45 minutes of the journey, after the bus dropped off everyone else in Leon, we had the entire bus to ourselves to spread out in. We didn't really need the extra room. This bus line, Primera Plus, is POSH. The seats have foot rests and almost recline completely back with about 4 feet of leg room. And you get a free treat bag with cookies, a drink, etc. as you board the bus. Thus, the 4 hour bus ride (for the bargain price of $261 MXN or $26.10 USD) was very enjoyable.

We arrived in Guanajuato around 10p and took a taxi to the center of town and then searched for our bed-and-breakfast/hostel hybrid. We finally found Casa de la Luna and were greeted by my definition of a sweet Mexican grandmother. She showed us to our really nice rooms (2 rooms for 4 of us) and asked us what time we'd be eating breakfast. After exploring our rooms and staging a fake pillow fight (we're completely normal) we went to bed to get ready for a fun Saturday.

Saturday we had a fresh breakfast prepared by the "inn keeper" (the grandmother) and then she gave us a map and some recommendations and we walked 10 minutes into the historic Centro. There, we were instantly taken with the cute scenery and picturesque nature of the town. It is in the mountains and all the houses are built up the mountains and are all in bright colors. We were instantly spotted as tourists and were convinced to take a guided 3.5 hour tour where we would go to 3 museums. Our group, 8 of us total, first headed to the museum of the mummies for which Guanajuato is famous for. Las Momias were really weird and most of them died fairly recently (the "youngest" was from the 1970s). Then we went to the historic mine that is in Guanajuato. Traditionally, most of Mexico's silver ore has come from there but the mine has been out of service for quite some time now. The University of Guanajuato's engineering and archaeology/geology programs use it for research now. We got to wear really attractive hardhats and were accosted by several sketchy Mexican men for pictures. After that, we went to another museum that we hadn't read about. Had I read about it, I probably wouldn't have gone. It was where the Spanish Inquisition happened, in Mexico. It was basically a museum of torture devices at the site where it was actually done. It was discovered in the early 1900's during archaeological digs. It had been forgotten and grown over and most of the graves were covered in feet of dirt. It was creepy.

Then we were dropped off at the Pipila, a big statue with the best panoramic view of Guanajuato. The view was MAGNIFICENT. I took 100000 pictures of it because it was so beautiful. The tour was over around the same time as lunch, so we found a cute outdoor cafe and had wonderful enchiladas (my new absolute favorite food... I've eaten so many since I got here!) and then we wondered around, took ridiculous pictures, and found the world's tastiest pastry shops. They were on every corner and are Heather's downfall. We saw a music festival with some traditional indigenous dancing and some Spanish guitar ensembles. And we ate more pastries. Then we shopped and bought fun souveniers and we all got new purses in the Mercado Hidalgo, a massive market similar to the one in GDL. We found a charming outdoor restaurant for dinner and continued our wanderings of the city.

Both mornings we heard cannons firing, but they woke us up on Sunday. We also heard drums and trumpets. After breakfast, we headed down to the Centro and we found the cannons were for San Antonio and the drums were for an anti-abortion protest. I wrote a paper on women's rights in Mexico, so I was able to fill my friends in on the abortion debate and the legislation that was in Mexican Congress (the reason for the protest). We found some random museums, including one for Miguel Cervantes/Don Quixote. There is a big Cervantino festival in Guanajuato every year so we enjoyed the Spanish touch of that part of town. Also, we found Diego Rivera's house!!! Diego Rivera is one of the most famous Mexican painters and husband of Frida Kahlo. It was really awesome to be in the house where Frida had lived and died, as well as her husband Diego Rivera. Amazing.

We took another bus back to GDL and arrived about 9p last night. We got home, unpacked, and passed out, exhausted from such a great weekend.

This morning at work was CRAZY. It was so busy I could hardly thinking. I talked to a lot of my old friends, like Katia. Katia and I gossiped about the incredibly handsome doctors and other girl-talk. I also got to talk to some new patients I hadn't met before and played with a lot of small kids. It was a really fulfilling day at work, regardless of how busy it was. I had a great day. Every day I'm there I feel like I'm making more and more of a difference in their treatment. Even if they are in pain, I feel like making them smile makes it hurt less.

it was like sex and the city... only far less glamorous.

I can't remember what the last thing I wrote about was.... so I will start with Wednesday?

Wednesday we went to work as usual. Walking to the bus I had a very Carrie Bradshaw moment where a bus drove too close to the curb in a puddle of water and splashed me. Gross. It was very much Sex and the City opening credits... minus the designer clothing and NYC glamour. It was disgusting, in fact. It has been raining here for 6 days straight. Apparently, that is unheard of. But Concha, who said it never rained 3 days in a row, says that after such a long period of rain, we should get a week of sun. I like the temperature when it rains (I get to wear pants and I even sleep with the covers on!) but I like the sun. Boo.

At work I made friends with the most adorable, talkative, intelligent 6 year old I have met. She and I instantly became friends. She doesn't have any hair but she says she wants to spray her head different colors when she comes to treatment, for fun. She read me several books, watched a movie with me, and we had a fun time. I was so glad to be able to make her smile. When they put a cap on her IV catheter (she has to come back several days in a row) she got really upset and was carrying on. It was weird to see her instantly go from this strong, funny, alive little girl to one who was scared of the nurse touching her IV (they hurt a lot). But I get to see her 3 days in a row and then again in 2 week!! I made a few more friends, but since she was there for 3 hours, I mostly spent my time with her and the kids around her.

Wednesday afternoon was incredibly lazy. I was in bed reading and napping from lunch until an early dinner. Then we dragged ourselves down to about halfway between our house and Centro (downtown). There we met Heather (can you tell we're friends??!) at the Virgin Carmen's Ex-Convent for a super cheap movie. She discovered the movie schedule and last week she saw "Breakfast at Tiffany's". When we heard about this place, we had to go. So we saw Tennessee William's "Suddenly, Last Summer" with Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Montgomery Clift. It was fantastic! It was sad and depressing like all Tennessee William-based movies, but was still fantastic. And, even better, was only $15 MXN ($1.50 USD).

Today at work I got to see my favorite little girl again! Her treatment was a lot quicker today, so we didn't have too much time together. But tomorrow I'm taking in nail stuff to do her nails and toe nails, as well as some of the other girls. When it was time to cap her IV again, she started screaming but her mom wasn't there (she had run an errand not realizing that so little time remained) and she clung to me so hard! It was adorable and endearing that she was so close to me after only 2 days that she knew she could trust me to help her through what is, to her, one of the most traumatizing moments of her treatment. After she left we played Bingo with 3 kids who were all in a corner together with their parents. The moms played too, so it was a big game. We had a really fun time! The kids are so adorable and you can tell, especially with the way the parents treat you, that our presence is so appreciated. One of the moms lives about 3 hours away in Michochán and she had brought in a bunch of food for Emily and I as a thank you. I tried Chaparras, which are like sweet corn bread balls that are cooked inside the husks of the colored corn they are made of. AMAZING. I need to learn how to make these and where to buy these. I also had my first authentic Mexican TACO!! Here, tacos are much different than in the US. The shells are tiny little soft tortilla shells. When you order tacos, unless you specify, you get a variety of 4-5. Usually its 2 meat, 1 potato, 1 bean and cheese, and 1 chicken or jam. They are fantastic. And they give you the world's most deliciously spicy chile sauce to put on them. It practically burned my tongue out of my mouth, but was well worth it. The head nurse of the ward, Yola, bought them for me. Many other parents, when they leave their kids in our capable hands to go out and buy food, try to give us food or offer to bring back stuff for us. They are so incredibly nice and grateful! I try to tell them that I don't need them to do that, but they do anyways. Plus, they really like sharing their culture with us. It's really fun.

Tonight, I have no idea what are plans are. It is typically Salsa night, but we are skipping that in favor of money-saving alternatives. I may go to Heather's apartment, which is nealry 40 minutes away, to hang out, but I may just stay in.

We are leaving for Guanajuato, MX tomorrow evening, probably around 5:30. That will get us there around 10:30, via bus which is $350 MXN ($35 USD). Then we'll have all day Saturday and most of Sunday to explore. I've heard great things about it so I'm very excited! It will be me, Emily, Heather, and Jennifer, a volunteer from Canada who arrived the day after Emily and I did. She's really nice, but when I hang out with the 3 of them I always feel so young! Emily is 21, Heather is 25, and Jennifer is 24. I'm the baby teenager ( but not for long... 20 is close!!!).

We also got very posh box seats for the Don Quixote The Ballet! And they were only $200 MXN ($20 USD)!!!!! It is next weekend, so I have that to look forward to.

Also, Jacky, our other housemate, is leaving this weekend to go back to Atlanta. And we're kind of glad. He is really rude and very strange. We have high hopes for our other housemates that arrive the 2nd of July from France and the 6th of July from USA.

Speaking of days in July... There is a huge avenue here called 8 de Julio, or 8th of July. Apparently my birthday is famous? That is super exciting news. There had better be a city-wide celebration. I've been told that it is the Saint Day for the Virgin Guadalupe, who is the Patron Saint of Mexico. Unknowingly, I always picked the name Lupe in high school Spanish class. Fate.

I won't be back online probably until Monday as we are leaving for Guanajuato tomorrow. But I will be sure to give a great update when I return! Also, I am planning on putting up the many photos I've already taken on Facebook, so look for those early next week.

Have a happy weekend!

this is mexico -- there is mariachi music everywhere.

Our lazy Sunday was so great! We ended up going to the nearby and very Americanized Centro Magno mall. It was fun to walk around and we ended up spending too much money in a candy store because Heather is like a small child when it comes to candy stores. Then we walked up Chapultepec, which is a big avenue by our house. The center of the street is a nice walkway for pedestrians and we got to this huge monument, saw street art, and had a really relaxing day.

The rainy season is officially early and officially upon us. There have been NASTY thunderstorms every night since Sunday and today (Tues) it rained all day and is still raining.

Monday was a really nice day. We went to work, as usual, and I talked with the nicest girl ever! Her name is Katia and she is 14. Her mom was so happy that Katia was having a good time at chemo that she went out and bought me tacos and orange juice for breakfast (I declined the tacos, having already eaten but gladly drank the freshly squeezed orange juice). It was so unexpected and nice! Katia and I talked about boys and she asked me for boy advice. It was so awesome to see her smile! She comes every Monday so I have a feeling next Monday will be equally as awesome.

After work we napped and then went over to the PA office to buy cheap phone cards. I can call the US so cheap! It was $100 MXN ($10 USD) for a phone card. For the US, it is just over 400 minutes! For other countries it is less. Thankfully I live close enough! So if you want a phone call, email me a time and the best number and I can call. I also discovered I can take my own computer to the Internet Cafe and hook it up to Internet (I still have to pay, but its only $5 MXN or $0.50 USD for an hour). So I have reliable internet and computer for Skype! At the office we met some new volunteers who just arrived but are going south to Ciudad Guzman to work at the boys orphanage down there, about 2 hours away. Then we hung out with Heather. She ended up coming to our house after work because there was a going away party at the bar next the office and she didn't want to go 40 minutes to her apartment and back when we live so close. Our mom Concha really loved Heather and we had a great time hanging out with her. Then we walked 5 minutes to Coyote Rojo bar and had a goodbye party for one of the volunteers, Jamie, from the UK. We didn't know him that well, but it was really fun anyways!

Today at the hospital was reallllllly slow. Monday was hopping and every chair was full. Today it was about half but of the kids who were there, only half of them were actually awake and/or well enough to sit and talk. I did get to play with a 5 year old, Mariano, for a long time. He is so ADORABLE. I wanted to take him home with me at the end of the day. But he comes every other day this week and then I'll see him again in July. We also took a coffee break and brought back coffee for some of the parents.

This afternoon we're going over to the office to hang out with Heather (we seem to do this a lot) and go online to buy tickets for Don Quixote The Ballet that is here next Wednesday. Tickets are super cheap, so we're excited! Also, this weekend we might go to Guanajuato, a city 4 hours away, that is very historic and colonial! I hope it works out -- I'm excited to travel! Speaking of travel, if you want to give me a birthday present, send money! We're going to PUERTA VALLARTA for my birthday!!!!!! I will get to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time EVER!!

I have to allude to the post title for a second... on the bus the other day, a mariachi band got on and "serenaded us". I'm kind of tired of the music already! Its weird that they come on the bus like that. But I tried to call Alan with my phone card last night and when it was ringing, mariachi music played in the back ground! It did the same for Emily but the person on the other line didn't hear it. And then Emily made the astute observation, "This is Mexico -- there is mariachi music everywhere."

So email about Skype/phone now that I am sure about everything and feel free to contribute to the "Meredith is going to Puerta Vallarta Fund".

what a day!

Soooooo yesterday (Saturday) was a very interesting day here in GDL. Friday night we didn't do much (we are old ladies who sleep a lot) so we were excited for a fun Saturday.

Emily is a runner so she wanted to go to a park to run. We found a great park for running because one of the nurses at our clinic is a marathon runner. The bus stops at the block behind our house, so we took a 30 minute bus to the peripheral part of the city and found the park, Parque Metropolitano. It was HUGE. I didn't realize how it would be so I wore sandals, but if I ever go back I'll take my tennis shoes and walk along all the paths. It is really beautiful too. It is surrounded by mountains, as GDL is in a valley. I sat under a tree and read while she ran for a half an hour, and then we took the bus back to our house. Since a lot of the streets are one-way, it dropped us off right in front of our house!

Our house is prime real estate in GDL. It is located in a good neighborhood and is only 20 minutes (via walking) from Centro, or downtown. It is also really close to all of the bars and clubs that the PA volunteers go to. And, its close to the office and movie theatre! Very convenient.

So after our trip to the park, we walked down to the Centro to meet Heather (the staff member at the office), Virginia, Jennifer, and Lisa for lunch and for shopping in the big cultural market. We went to lunch at a vegetarian buffet for Emily, who is an herbivore, and it was really good! For $37 MXN ($3.70 USD) we got a big glass of flavored water, 2 types of vegetables, a choice of several soups, tortillas, a dessert, rice, vegetable casserole, and salad. None of us finished all of our food and we think we'll bring tupperware next time to take home the leftovers!

After this, we went to the bus stop to wait for a bus to the market. This is where the fun started. It took 20 minutes to wait for the bus and Heather had pulled out a movie schedule from her wallet and was showing me movie times for later that night. Suddenly we saw our bus pull up, and we all started running to catch it. As we were in line to get on and pay our $5 MXN ($0.50 USD!!) this super sketchy guy got off the steps and let us all infront of him. We were all mixed between thinking it was chivalry and thinking he was weird. It turns out our suspicions were correct. He never boarded the bus and as the bus pulled away I saw him running off. Heather, who habitually grabs for her wallet when she gets on a bus (she has lived here for 2 months already so we tend to follow her lead) couldn't find her wallet. She immediately searched through her purse and got off the bus at the next stop, running back to where we had caught the bus. We didn't get off until the next stop, where the market was, but we were worried. We found her and it turns out that as she had put her wallet into her purse, the weirdo guy had reached in and grabbed it from her, which is why he didn't get on the bus afterall. She pulled out her Canadian cell phone and immediately got her parents to text her the numbers for her bank and for her credit card company. She cancelled the debit first and then credit. When she was on the phone with the credit card company, they told her that someone had already tried to take out $1500 MXN but couldn't because it wasn't a debit card. She took care of it all quickly and within 20 minutes of losing her wallet had everything cancelled. Her ID and birth certificate were also in her wallet, so she has to get new ones from the Canadian Consulate here, but the credit card and debit card are being sent to the office here in GDL in priority mail. She only had $600 MXN ($60 USD) in her wallet, thankfully!

While we were sitting in the shade of a bank (banks are closed Saturdays so we could sit on the steps) and she was taking care of her wallet situation, we were looking around when suddenly a guy was crossing the cross walk and a car didn't stop for the red light and hit him! I literally saw a man flip over the hood of a car and land on the ground. We all screamed as it happened. Thankfully we were in front of a bank, which all have armed guards on patrol 24-7 here, and he had a walkie-talkie to the police. The police and ambulance showed up quickly and the man actually walked away from it all uninjured. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it happen! Of course the man who hit him got a ticket and I'm sure a lot more from the police, but we were all glad the man walked away from it, after lying on the ground in shock for a few minutes.

After that, Heather, Lisa, and Virginia went home. We all gave Heather some money for bus fare because she had more cash at her apartment. Then Jennifer, Emily, & I tried to find the market. An hour later we were still lost in what was slowly becoming a bad part of town. We turned around and tried to find a bus back to Centro but we ended up walking home (an hour of walking) in the heat of the day. Even with SPF 50, I managed to get a 1500th degree burn on my chest. My arms are slightly red, but look much better than my chest.

Once we got home and I took a very cold shower, we met Heather for the Sex and the City movie (yes, I saw it again...) at the theatre 10 minutes from our house. She has to ride the bus there becuase she lives about 40 minutes away, but we were lucky we didn't have to. She was over her panic from the credit card situation and was in great spirits. If I were her, I would have been sobbing for days. After her incident, I took out about half of the cash in my wallet and all of my credit cards and put them in my suitcase, just in case. I am not going to go through what she went through! I instinctively check for my wallet too, but now I'm extra paranoid.

This morning I got to sleep in, which was glorious, and now Emily and I are spending a lazy Sunday doing nothing. We might go to the Centro Magno, which is the big Americanized shopping mall here with Heather, but nothing too adventurous. Yesterday was enough for both of us.

I don't understand anything you are saying.

¡HOLA! I miss everyone so much but continue to have a wonderful time in GDL.

Last night we met a few of the other girl volunteers (from Austria, Germany, England, and Holand) at one of the bars next to the PA office. We spent like an hour there and then headed over to the salsa club that is like 10 minutes from the office, which is like 15 from our house. It was an interesting experience. It was like 1000000ºF in the club and everyone was a drunken mess. There are some sketchy, sketchy Mexican guys in there and when one came up to talk to me, I inconspiculously moved my ring to my left hand and turned it around. I'd hold it up to the guys and say "Soy casada." ("I'm married"). It was an easy way to make them go away. But my roommate Emily met a nice guy who is the friend of a volunteer's boyfriend. Because the staff memebers knew this boyfriend and his friend, they said it was safe for us to get a ride home with him so we didn't have to walk or take a cab. We ended up getting home at 12:30a and passing out.

Today we were back at work and we made better friends with the nurses. They told us fun places to go on the weekends, including the Tequila Train which takes you to Tequila and back with included food and free tequila. We are going to do that one weekend. I talked with a lot of the same patients today and met a new one, a 15 year old boy who was so nice! We talked about cooking, school, our families, etc. He will be back in 2 weeks for more treatment and we will be able to talk to him then. It was a slow day at work, but we are both liking it more and more every day.

Right now I'm in a nearby internet cafè (one much closer to my house that we just discovered today) and I was going to Skype but technology failed me again. I will go to Starbucks this weekend to Skype on Sunday. Email about dates.

Tomorrow Emily, Heather, and Tamsin (a volunteer from England) are going out to lunch in the city center, Centro (near Mercado Libertad) and then we are going to the Cultural Market that is a big open air market 10 minutes by bus from the Centro. I will buy everyone stuff!!

I MISS YOU ALL AND LOVE YOU ALL!

PHONE!

Here is my mexinumber in case any of you want to spend the money and call it. If you buy credits on Skype its much cheaper. Also, phone cards. We are 1 hour behind VA here, and the best time to call is from 4-10p GDL time (5-11p VA time).

Dial this exactly (it has country code, etc): 011 52 1 33 1115 5815

I am warning you -- this one is practically a novel.

Hey y’all!! I hope this post finds everyone in good health! I’m enjoying myself here in Guadalajara and really getting used to everything here. It’s ridiculous to think that after 4 days I feel like a “local” but I really am starting to. I know how to walk several places AND successfully took the bus to work and back to my house. In Guadalajara, the locals are called “Tapatíos”. So I’m slowly becoming one of those!

Tuesday night Heather, a PA staff member from Canada who is living in Guadalajara for 6 months and working in the office, texted me and invited Emily and I to go to Zapopan for dinner with a volunteer. We told Jacky about it and he, surprisingly, decided to venture out of his room and join us! We met Heather at the office (so close to our house – we are so lucky to live in such a central locale!) and then walked to Centro, where Mercado Libertad is. That walk is about 20-30 minutes depending on how heavy traffic is. Then we had to take a bus 25 minutes to Zapopan, an affluent sector of the city that isn’t exactly on the outskirts but it is far enough. It is amazing how big this city is! We had quite an interesting experience on the bus when a drunk man got on, started singing to us, and then started speaking very broken English that I think he learned from a song. He was yelling “Hey baby! I wanna feel you! Kiss me! Hey homie!” He finally managed to ask our names, and we had fun deciding what name to tell him. I think we ended up with male names. After getting a good laugh, and seeing all of the other people on the bus laugh at our situation too, we got off at the plaza in Zapopan by the basilica. We met Lisa, a nursing student from Wisconsin who is working in a hospital there. We had a great dinner at an outdoor Greek restaurant and we were sitting by this huge landmark arch that was lit up at night. It was really beautiful.

Wednesday was a really fun day. Emily and I had our first official day of work at the children’s hospital, which is part of the HUGE hospital complex Centro Médico. It is very different from an American hospital in that it is more of a campus than 1 big building. It really reminds me of a college campus. There are many small buildings for each department. Pediatrics is located in one area with several specialized buildings. Our building houses hematology/dialysis and chemotherapy (where we are). After a very successful 20 minute bus ride, we found our way back to the clinic we had visited Tuesday and waited for the supervising doctor, Jesus, to meet us (he was in surgery when we went Tuesday). He was really nice and seems like a very caring doctor. He is in charge of the pediatrics program, not just chemotherapy, so we didn’t see him after that at all. He says we’ll see more of him this summer, but it won’t be a daily occurrence. The nurses at the chemotherapy center are so caring and helpful! They were very excited that we were there to help and helped us get acquainted. It isn’t a big place, it is mainly a lobby, a procedure room for those who have to get their chemotherapy lines through the spine (like an epidural), a nurses scrub room (where we put our stuff, wash our hands, use the bathroom, etc.) and the circular treatment room. There are about 13 “stations” for chemotherapy and a main nurses desk in the middle of the room. A “station” consists of a lounge chair with the IV pole and 1 or 2 chairs for the families of the patients and for me and Emily too. The ceiling is painted like a solar system and its very bright and cheery. There is a box of supplies that have been donated by previous volunteers and I am quickly realizing that my gift of 4 books and finger puppets isn’t enough. The box is full of puzzles with most of the pieces missing, coloring books but no crayons, and an assortment of cheap toys. Emily brought playing cards, UNO, crayons, and some other supplies. However, we think we’re going to make a trip to a nearby marketplace and invest in some toys. Toys here are cheap, most under $10 MXN ($1 USD). So once we got oriented, we started immediately. Basically our job is to make the children smile. Many are very sick and in a lot of pain so anything we can do to make them smile or to brighten their day a bit makes a huge difference. I talked to an 11 year old, Carlos, who was getting his last treatment. He and his mom were so nice and very happy to talk to me. They put on his favorite movie (there are 4 big screen TVs around the room for the kids) so I went to talk to someone else while he rested and watched. I met Marisol, a 10 year old girl who is just as sweet as can be. She looks almost exactly like my cousin Claire so it was hard at first when I was talking to her, thinking about my family. Marisol lives 3 hours from Guadalajara and they come once a month for a week of treatment and they stay in the hospital for the week. I will get to see her all this week, which I’m happy about because she is so sweet. She can talk for HOURS. She loves to tell stories and I learned all about her pets and her family. When they take the IV out, they have to leave the catheter in if the child requires treatment the next day, and apparently they get really sore and painful. Marisol was really happy to have my hand to squeeze while they took hers out because it is really unpleasant for her. After she left, I talked with a few other patients for a short while, but there wasn’t much to do because the majority of the children who were still there were those who had gotten the epidural chemotherapy and they put the small children under anesthesia for it, so they were all sleeping in the recliners. The nurses hung out with us and chatted, very eager to see our Spanish ability and how we liked the city so far. They also said that they really don’t care when we show up and when we leave. The center closes at 2:30p so we left then, but in the future we can show up “around 9” and leave whenever the patient load starts to slow.

Once we got back to our home, Concha made us a big lunch and chatted with us. Emily and I can sit in the kitchen for an hour just talking to her. Concha loves to talk and I think she’s really happy that we speak so well and that we want to be involved in her life too. She never lets us clean or help cook, but we always try and sneak in some help here and there because we want to help such a kind lady. I haven’t had a fan in my room yet, and she went out and got me one (with PA money, of course) and she is so sweet about what kind of food we like, don’t like, etc. Emily read her book upstairs but my room was too hot so I took a nap in the front room of the house where I like to read. It’s the coolest place in the house because it gets a nice breeze and is always in the shade. Then Emily and I decided to venture to the movies. There is a cine about 10 blocks from our house, very close to the PA office. We were shocked at how cheap the tickets were -- $24 MXN ($2.40 USD)!!!! The theaters are big and have great AC (I was shivering during the movie). We saw the movie “What Happens In Vegas” which we weren’t expecting to be great, but both of us really ended up enjoying it. Of course, it is probably better with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz speaking the lines because a bit of the delivery is lost in translation, but we definitely got several good laughs out of it. When we got back home after the movie, Concha told us that several other PA volunteers had stopped by (our house is so close to the office that they all end up coming over) and left us a message to meet them at the bar across from the office for another volunteer’s goodbye dinner. We didn’t want to eat there, but we walked over and had a drink with them. It was really nice, it was on a balcony that overlooks the huge plaza, Plaza Expiatorio, where the PA office is. It was so breezy and it wasn’t even that hot! We really enjoyed hanging out with 10 other volunteers and Heather, the staff member who took us out the night before.

After that, we went back to our house to eat dinner and hang out with Concha’s grandson and daughter. They have a strange eating schedule here that I’m not yet used to. It isn’t as extreme as Spain, but its close. They eat breakfast when they wake up, usually around 8 or 9. Then lunch isn’t until 3 normally and dinner isn’t until 9. Concha is good at adapting and feeding us a bit earlier, as we are all Americans and are used to meals a bit earlier. But slowly I’m getting used to it. They say that when you are here you are on Mexican Time, meaning 10-15 minutes behind schedule and moving very slowly. It has been a challenge to be constantly late as I’m usually 5 minutes early. But slowly I am mellowing out and “going with the flow” – my mother would be so proud!

Today we had our second day at the chemotherapy center. It was a lot easier today as we knew what to expect and brought crayons. The kids went crazy over the crayons!! Also, the Dora book and the finger puppets that my mom bought are a HUGE hit with the smaller kids. I colored with Marisol for a long time and drew her a picture to take home. I also chatted with Tonio, a 14 year old who is one of the nicest guys I have met. He just won a scholarship to la prepa, which is like high school here in Mexico. It is a really prestigious prep school in Guadalajara associated with the ITESM, the main university here that has a lot of campuses all over. He wants to study architecture or electronics. He seems really motivated and driven -- it is so sad that someone like him has cancer. He seems to be taking it all in stride, though, and really doing well with everything. When he leaves he goes up to all of the little kids and gives them high fives and hugs, trying to encourage them as well. I also played with Diana, a 6 year old who I met yesterday. She and I colored for a LONG time and watched Ice Age 2 in Spanish. Yesterday she wasn't feeling well but today it was like she was a whole different person. She has such a huge personality! I love knowing that I make the kids smile when not much does. They are so happy just to have someone to talk to and to color with or read with. I can already tell the difference I will make in their treatment.

After work, we went back to the house to eat lunch with Concha and to nap. I am still half asleep from that nap!!

So Mexican food is amazing. We aren't eating like tacos and quesadillas every day (which is fine!) but I am getting to try a different type of normal Mexican dishes. As if I didn't already love this country and the people enough, I have a new reason: LIME. They put it on everything. EVERYTHING. And we all know how I love lime. They use it as a salad dressing, which is the #1 thing I will bring back with me from the states. All fresh vegetables are sprinkled with lime juice too. And the fruit here is fantastic! I will turn into a piece of fruit by the end of the summer I am eating so much of it! Concha buys fresh fruit every few days because she loves it too, and we do enjoy it. Every morning at breakfast there is a plate of fresh fruit like watermelon, pinneapple, and papaya. And she also has amazing oranges, mangos, apples, pears, and apricots. And the tortillas here are amazing! They taste so real and authentic (perhaps because they are...) and I cannot get enough.

Tonight we are supposed to go salsa dancing with the other PA volunteers and staff. Every Thursday night there is a salsa night we go to. I'm really excited to see how it is, but I doubt I will do a lot of dancing. They say that some people dance and some people just hang out with each other. Heather wants us to go out of town to Morelia with her this weekend, leaving Saturday morning and coming back Sunday night, and we are undecided. We are going to talk to her about it tonight. But Tamsin, a girl from England we met at the bar last night, wants us to hang out this weekend since her housemates are going to the beach. I know I want to travel, but I don't know if I want to leave the very first weekend I'm here. I would like to relax and see what the city has to offer on weekends. We shall see!!

Okay this is WAY too long so I will end it here and go sleep some more before salsa tonight! I will drink a (legal) Corona for all of you who wish you too were in the amazing city of Guadalajara.

welcome aboard the black pearl!

NON-MEXICAN NEWS: I got into Portuguese! I got an email from UR and got to register for it today! YAY!!!!!!

Mexican news:

I'm still having a blast and surviving the heat. I'm actually getting used to it and I'm not nearly as miserable as I was at first. I'm drinking about 3 gallons of water a day which helps a lot. Also, its cooler today than it was yesterday (by a few degrees). However, it is still hot.

Today Emily and I went to our worksite with Jonatan. We had to take the dangerous, sketchy Mexican bus system, which is an adventure in its own right. I nearly fell down on it 100 times (to much snickering from the locals). I finally got a seat when some ladies left and that was much more enjoyable. But the bus also drives at like 70 mph and takes sharp corners without slowing down. This particular bus was nicknamed La Perla Negra (The Black Pearl) and I thought I would die. By some miracle, I survived to tell the tale. Tomorrow Emily and I have to do it all by ourselves (no Jonatan to help!!!) and that will be interesting. When we end up in Mexico City or Cancun, we'll know we messed up a lot.

We got to the hospital but the doctor was in surgery so we didn't get to meet our supervisor. But we'll get to tomorrow. It was nice to see where we'll be working (children's chemotherapy unit) and what resources we have (none). There is a playground outside so if the children are healthy enough we can take them out (its in the shade).

After that, we went back to our house, changed shoes (blisters) and went to the PA office to hang out with the amazing PA staff and to fill out some paperwork. After that, we had about 3 hours until lunch (we eat at 3p here) so Emily and I walked back downtown to go visit the art museum we had seen yesterday. It's normally $70 MXN ($7 USD) for foreigners but today it was free for everyone. It was nice and even had AC in some parts. We got a mini-tour from a curator and then went around on our own. We walked home and Concha fed us lunch. She likes to laugh at how sunburnt I get after 2 hours outside with SPF 70. Not fair.

Then we rested and walked to Starbucks (free wireless!) which is about 15 minutes from our house. It's nice here and I'm enjoying it. Now that I know that, I can figure out a Skype schedule. On weekdays I'll be available around 5-8pm. Email me! On weekends I'm still not sure, but probably all day for the most part.

That is about it... I'm having a wonderful time and getting lots of sun. I hope everyone is enjoying the US!!

LES QUIERO.

are you ready for tequila and salsa?

Hello from México!! I arrived yesterday afternoon, a bit sick from the plane ride, but otherwise in good shape. The luggage was NOT lost!! The first thing that the Projects Abroad (henceforth known as PA) guys who picked me up said was, "Are you raedy for tequila and salsa?" Forget DisneyWorld... Guadalajara is the happiest place on Earth. The guys were really nice and took me on a quick driving tour on the way to my home, which is in a very good location. It is literally 3 minutes from the PA office and 3 minutes from the main University of Guadalajara campus. It is only a 20 minute walk to "downtown". I spent most of yesterday unpacking, getting used to the suffocating heat, and hanging out with my house mom Concha and my roommates Jacky and Emily. Emily is physically my roommate and Jacky is a weird kid who has been here for 2 weeks and apparently never speaks. He's really awkward. But Emily is great. She'll be a senior at UC Berkley and we're really similar. Concha and the people from PA say I speak better spanish than her, which I don't think I do, and she lets me do a lot of the translation.

Today the director of PA here picked us up from our house and took us to the office to meet the staff, get our welcome packets, etc. Then Carlos, one of the guys from the airport, took me, Emily, and another new volunteer (Brittany - but she'll be in Ciudad Guzman 2 hours from here) on a walking tour of the important places. We went downtown and were treated to authentic local food at a HUGE open air market called Mercado Libertad. It is HUGE. Imagine the size of the Robins Center at UR and triple it. Then fill it with restaurants, clothing stores, shoes, etc. and this is Mercado Libertad. We had this awesome drink that is made from rice water and cinnamon. It was really refreshing. And don't worry -- my house mom has filtered water for us (and herself). I am getting plenty of it. I haven't had much of an appetite but I have drank at least 3 gallons of water in this heat!

There is an Internet café across the street from the PA office (where I am now) but they said they would show me the Starbucks and a few other restaurants near the hospital we'll be at where I can find free wireless with my laptop. I certainly won't do this every day (though it is cheap.... its like the equivalent of $1 USD for an hour online). I also bought a Mexican cell phone where I get unlimited texts and 100 minutes. I can always purchase more minutes with like phone cards that they sell everywhere. It's a decent phone and it was only $400 MXN which is $40 USD. Not a bad deal. It will be nice for local calls. Also, if you can't live without me, you can call me on it from the US and I can talk for free. But you will have to pay. If you call through Skype its cheaper though. The best bet, if you want to talk to me, is to wait until I find wireless so I can do Skype somewhere quiet.

Tomorrow they are taking Emily and I to the hospital to be oriented there and have a meeting with our supervisor. They are going to show us how to use the bus system, etc. and take us out to lunch again. Emily arrived yesterday too (she is from TX and was on the flight from Houston 2 hours before me). She also will work with me, live with me, and we both have the exact same flight back to Houston on August 1!! We are fast friends already and I'm glad I have a friend here to do things with so I'm not totally on my own.

So here are some preliminary observations of Guadalajara: No one knows how to drive. Many streets do not even have lines. Those streets that actually have lines serve no purpose -- lines in a road are strictly ornamental. All of the movies in the theatres are in English with Spanish subtitles. I am really pale. I've been called "la blanca" (white girl) by several people passing me on the street. I have also been called "gringa". Its really rather funny. It is hot as hell here. I have no fan and no breeze in my room and it was 90º last night in my room. But PA guys are getting me a fan.

Okay that is about it. My time here on the computer is about to run out and I don't feel like paying more. I will update this whenever I can (probably 2 or 3 days from now). But for now, know that I am LOVING Guadalajara, my roommate, the food, and NOT the heat. I was a bit homesick at first, but I'm slowly getting over that as I fall in love with this city even more.

Paz y amor. Un besote a todos.