Pics!

I'm far too lazy to actually post all the pictures, so just take a look at the album I made on my flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56083196@N00/sets/72157602017084893/

'Tis all Cancun and Campeche. Mostly Campeche.

Whee!

Real update

Time for an actual post, perhaps?

I flew into Cancun last Saturday, the 1st--almost two weeks ago now. A whole bunch of us Dal kids got to Cancun on the same day, which was nice. I would have been pretty lost otherwise. Cancun was okay--fun for that one day, anyway. It's a little touristy for my liking, but the beach was gorgeous. I have pictures, but I can't upload them on this computer (I'm at the library). I'll have to find somewhere where I can.

We took the bus to Campeche the next day--about a 7 hour ride. My host family is really great, and the house is in a great location, close to school and not far from downtown. The house is small, and it's always filled with tons of people. Me, my house parents, their son, their other son and his wife and baby live there, all in three bedrooms, and other family members and neighbours are constantly in and out of the house. It's insane, but good! The family owns a little restaurant kind of thing in a tiny shop around the back of the house, called Gorditas y Algo Mas. I assume this is why I'm always fed so much, and why the food is pretty much always amazing. Seriously, if there's ever a time that I'm going to get fat, it'll probably be while I'm here.

I'm still getting used to the eating schedule. Lunch isn't until 2 or 3, and is the big meal of the day. Supper is generally around 9 or 10, and is small, like lunch or breakfast in Canada. School finishes, and most stores close, by 2 or 3. Then everyone eats lunch and has a siesta. It sounds like a luxury, but it's kind of necessary, because it's too hot to do much of anything else around that time of day. It's super hot here, and very humid as well. I complain about the heat in Toronto, but it's nothing compared to this. Still not as hot as Death Valley in July, but still, I spend most of my day drenched in sweat. Charming, eh?

Campeche is a really pretty city. It's small--about the size of Halifax--and is one of the safest places in Mexico. It's great for history stuff, too, with old cathedrals, city walls and museums. So the history geek in me (which, really, is most of me) is pretty happy here.

School is pretty good so far. It's quite light, which is nice, although it's something I'm not used to! My classes are grammar, history and literature. History so far is pretty much Aztecs and the Conquest, super-simplified, so I pretty much already know most of it; which is kind of nice, because I don't understand much that's said! In literature we're doing stories and poems from all stages of Mexican history, which is cool. Apparently, we're going to cover Nahua and Maya literature. Needless to say, I'm excited.

My Spanish leaves something to be desired, but I think I'm improving. My biggest weakness is definitely understanding when people talk--especially when the mumble and/or speak fast. I'm confused a lot of the time, but whatever... I'll get better, I guess! I've been speaking English with my Dal friends a little too often, but we're starting to ease our way into Spanish now. I hope that by next week we'll be speaking only Spanish, aside from the odd word we don't know and just have to say.

Part of our school programme is to take a salsa class. It's not something I'd ever want to do at home, but right now I'm so far out of my comfort zone in so many facets of life that adding one more un-Susan-ish thing to do just isn't that big a deal. It's actually a lot of fun, although I suck at it. The partnering stuff is especially hard, with the choreography. Hands, arms, everywhere! My brain just isn't made for choreography, I think.

Trip plans are in the works, both with school and with friends. There are many Mayan ruins to be seen. I'll probably head up to Mexico City and area in December (possibly with Lea!!!), and before that it sounds like I'm going to get to see Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala.

I'm sure there's tons more to say, but I can't think of anything else off the top of my head at the moment. Culture shock creates a bit of a brain overload. I'm having tons of fun, though, and usually keeping busy enough to avoid homesickness, so hooray!

I'm not dead!

This is a pointless post, pretty much. Just saying that yes, I'm here in Campeche, and yes, I am alive. And yes, I will post for real soon... I hope.
Campeche is gorgeous, and I'm normally confused as hell, but still having lots of fun.
But no time for a long post now. I will tell all later.

Hasta luego...

Oh dear.

I called my familia Campechana tonight. I'm pretty sure it was one of the most awkward conversations I've ever had. I had to ask for a repeat of almost everything that was said, and even then I barely understood anything. I think I'd have been okay if it had been a written conversation, but I seem unable to register anything aurally in Spanish. Kind of unfortunate, seeing as I'll be communicating pretty much solely in Spanish starting in about a week and a half.
That said, I'm pretty sure we arranged what we needed to. I think. I guess I'll find out if/when someone picks me up at the bus station!
Plus, I feel slightly accomplished now. Very, very slightly. And it's mixed with embarrassment. :P

Oh well. Here's hoping I improve quickly once I'm there!

Blog Re-vamp

I'm heading off to Mexico in a couple of weeks for the fall semester, and I decided that this warranted a blog re-vamp. New colours! And no more old posts! I just don't really feel the need for the old crap to be here anymore. So now this is gonna be my Mexico blog!

Stay tuned for tales of me accidentally insulting locals as a result of my terrible Spanish. Or maybe old, drunk guys will laugh at me trying to order ice cream, like in Austria. Fun times, either way!