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".