moto moto moto

I have a little bit of time in between my exam and our next excursion, so in true Alexa form, Ill spend part of it updating my blog instead of studying!

Ive been meaning to write about this but havent had time.

Less than a week ago I was riding on a moto with my padre to a church, el divino salvador, to study. I called Kristen while on the moto to ask her to come out and see me! As soon as we parked, I hopped off the moto in excitement to say hi.

I hadnt learned yet that you always get off the moto on the left side, not the right. Because of this, my leg briefly touched the muffler or exhaust pipe of the muffler which literally burnt/ melted almost every layer of my skin off! As of now the wound is healing, but looks aboslutely disgusting. Like, I could invent a diet based on looking at the wound on my leg!

A funny part of this burn, is that when i returned home that evening, every member of my family showed me the scars they have on their legs from the exact same muffler! Now, it´s ´ ´mi marca de la familia´.

My mark of the family, now I truly belong :P

LOVE, Alexa

en serio?

My day tomorrow 

(parte del semana de infierno :P) :

 

2:45AM – wake up

3:15AM -  pick up Jenna

4:00AM-   meet at Carl’s Junior to wait for the bus

4:10AM-  study in the bus for examen de lingüísticas

5:00AM-  arrive at Dbztaldune (sp?), and I’m still not sure what we’re doing there

7:00AM??- drive to La Modelo and study a little bit more until

9:00AM- EXAMEN DE LINGÜÍSTICAS

11:00AM- Exam finished, get in another bus and head for Chichen Itzi (sp?).

11:10AM- Study on bus for my exam de Problemas Economicos, Politicos, y Sociales de México

2:00PM- arrive at Chichen Itzi, walk around, watch the  shadow of a snake climb down the stairs (only happens twice a year on the equinox, it’s an ancient mayan site that was created to perform this spectacle with the sun’s shadow, still is unkown how it was constructed!! )

ETC

9 or 10:00PM- arrive back at home where I will study possibly all night and finish an essay (on a 350 pg libro about sucesion presidencial - presidential succession!) 

The best part about all of this, I’ve just about quit stressing out because this Schedule is so rediculous that there is no point in stressing. What happens happens, what I can finish I can finish.

 

PAZ AFUERA

 Alexa

estresados

I wrote this a few days ago but I'm still going to post it.

If you think of it, I’m pretty sure that the Calvin students here in Mexico would really appreciate your prayers. A lot of us are feeling very overwhelmed right now with the workload we’ve been given from our classes.
When I thought of Mexico and the adjustments I’d have trouble making, having a butt load of homework was the last thing on my mind. So I guess it’s a bit of a shock to find that I am sitting here stressed not over culture shock, but over exams and papers!
Well I suppose there is a bit of culture shock involved. For example, the professors here don't give out syllabi (typically), instead two two four days before an exam or a paper is due, they tell you in class. This can be quite nerve wracking for those of us used to knowing about the huge projects we have far in advance.
Also I’m finding it a lot harder to study here in Mexico. Some reasons why: It’s only the third week of having classes and the third week of living in a new country, I want to spend enough time with my family, I’m in Mexico and really want to experience the culture not spend all my time in front of a computer screen, the heat makes me constantly sleepy and unmotivated to study, and I have no personal or quiet space in my house to relax or study.
I’m really trying to remember that God is a lot bigger than my worries and to practice trusting Him with my anxieties. I think it's time I learn to get through the stressful times in life without so much panicking.
So yeah, here’s a little look at the other side of Mexico for me. Until now I’ve been for the most part really pumped about life and absolutely loving Mexico. Right now I’m feeling really heavy with stress and frustration because I feel like schoolwork is taking over my Mexico experience.
Yet despite all of this, I am still able to laugh to the point of tears (twice tonight) when I am with other Calvin students. The group I'm here with is truly wonderful and a blessing!
Paz y amor,
Alexa

Cerveza, hija!?!

I have a new favorite word here in Mérida, not because of the word itself, but because the idea behind it is fantastic.

 Botana.

Translated: Snack.

 But not quite the snacks you’d expect in the United States.

 I’ll describe what botanas are by telling you how I found out them and then what my family here in Mexico thought when I told them about my experience!

 To start, yesterday I had a wonderful time travelling yet again to the beach in Progreso with 6 or 7 compañeros from Modelo, and 4 other chicas from Calvin. We found plenty things to talk about the entire time despite our language barriers, and my abs hurt by the end of the day from laughing so hard at various things. One of the funniest things to me was hearing the Mexican student’s impressions of how we ‘gringos’ from Calvin speak! I will hopefully post videos of this later!

 So we started out by going to a restaurant for refrescas (beverages). I was hungry, so I was disappointed when I found out there was no food being served because it was about 12:30 in the afternoon. I was assured though, that if I ordered a beer, I would get some free snacks. Well, I didn’t want a beer, so I asked the waiter if the free snacks came with a coca cola light. He said yes, they would. And thus, I had my first encounter with botanas!

 The waiter brought out plate after plate after plate of appetizers for about an hour and a half or two hours, when we told him we had to leave. Apparently, there would have been even MORE dishes served if we hadn’t of been in a hurry.

 By ordering at least one drink a piece, we received about 20-30 free plates of food (to share between 10 of us). The plates were small, but tasty and filling.

 First we received tortilla chips and a bunch of different dips. There were refried beans, a dish made of potatos and carrots that was real spicy, then there were the sea food dips with squid and octopus.

 I thought that was all the botanas consisted of.

But oh, no. That was only the beginning.

 Then there were tomales, and different kinds of tomales (sort of) and other…stuff…that I had never tried before. I don’t have the names with me, but I’ll write about them later.

 It was fantastic. I fell in love with botanas yesterday. Tasty, and a great way to socialize for a long time rather than rushing through a meal. And the best part, it only cost me 40 pesos with the tip – which is less than FOUR US DOLLARS!!!

 Well, then I came back home to my house (where I’m writing this and will post it to the web later), and told my parents about the amazing deal I had discovered.

 They began to laugh really hard and talk real fast with each other, and the only word I kept hearing was Botana. Then they asked me – so you were drinking cerveza? Were you drinking beers? And I responded quickly “oh! No, no, only two of the guys with us were”. And they laughed some more and explained that typically botanas are only for people who order alcohol, and that the connotation with saying “I went to a place that served botanas”, is like saying “ I went out and drank beer with my friends”. And here, my parents told me, many of the families we know (and live with ) are conservative and Christian, so this would be a big mistake. My family is also Christian, but they understood the context so it was funny to them, not shocking or offensive. Someone who did not understand the context would assume I had gone out drinking, which is a big NO in this community (which, interestingly, is because it is such a big YES for some people, and there are lots of problems with alcoholism, so the Christian’s here take a big stand against drunkenness and drinking).  

 So now I know, it’s okay to say “I ate some botanas” because literally it means “I had some snacks”. But to say I went out to restaurant where there were botanas isn’t quite the same.

 In fact, I was told not to discuss this in church on Sunday when I see my friends who I went out for botanas with.

 I’m so blessed that my family here has a great sense of humor. They are always laughing and making jokes, and for that I am grateful. It makes me feel a bit more lively as I struggle with having any personality at all in another language, because I love to laugh and make others laugh.

 

All that wrapped up in one word for me,

Botana.

 

Paz y Amor,

Alexa

 

 

 

 

MLIA

The other day both my papá and hermano asked me if a mosquito bit my face or if maybe I had run into the wall and hit my forehead. When I said no, my brother took the initiative to act out what he meant by running his own head into the wall. In reality, I just happen to be breaking out pretty bad here in Mérida. MLIA - my life is average.

skype

I was on skype just now with Brittany, my dad, my stepmom.

I mentioned my sister's boyfriend.

Little did I know, she had been keeping it a secret from them.

I 'sniped' these photos to capture the moment.

Habaneros

This post is for everyone to read, but is a shout out to the Taube side of my fam. 

Habanero peppers are pretty common in my household here in Mexico. 

(This picture has nothing to do with habanero peppers, blog posts are just more fun with pictures.)

Last Thursday evening during dinner with the Calvin group, something reminded me of Habanero peppers, which reminded me of the time that we had the "Habanero Wars" - when I put the entire contents of a Habanero pepper in Aunt Kellie's coffee, and then Aunt Kellie and I (I think it was us) put Habanero seeds and juice inside Uncle Tim's cigar. Well I happen to think this was a pretty funny prank war so I started telling this story. I stopped when I received only blank stares and a general consensus that i could have KILLED my uncle Tim! They really thought it was a horrible and dangerous idea. Hah all this to say, I really appreciate you Taube's and your sense of humor. And I'll miss you while I'm here, but I'll be back before ya know it! 

 (And I never got to share the part where I was paid back with habaneros in my sandwich. And the jar of habaneros that were mailed to me over Christmas...which I honestly think might still be underneath my bed.)

hamacas

Everytime I´m in or near the plaza, I get asked at least 3 times if I want to by a hammock. `Hamacas! hamacas? hamacas!` The more it happens, the funnier it´s becoming. I think I should be annoyed, but instead I think it´s really comical. Yes, I´m a gringa, and no I don´t need a hamoca, thanks!

a la ciber

1. I got three more kisses on the cheek today from guys and girls in my class. It´s gonna take a while to get used to this.

2. When I think about what hugging must seem like to people used to giving kisses on the cheek, i think hugging would be harder to get used to. Your whole body is basically shmooshed up against someone you may or may not know that well.

3. I completely BIT IT today. My foot got stuck in a hole in the sidewalk and I fell pretty hard. Like,I was whipped onto the ground and my grande gringa backpack pounded me down even more. I was with Mandy and Chris and they didn´t know if it was okay to laugh at first and you know its bad when your friends dont even laugh at you :) EVERYONE looked at me. Then I went to walk into the street and almost got hit by a bus. For real. But the bus part is quite a normal occurance for me here in Mérida.

Adios.

¿Qué hora es?

Hey all, I'm currently sitting in the library of the University. I think I'll be spending a lot of time here to do homework since it's usually somewhat quiet, and even better, air conditioned. There is not a moment of silence at my house with three little siblings. Even when I attempt to read or do homework in my room, all three of them crowd on the floor around my hammock to talk. The other night, I went to bed a bit on the earlier side (10:00pm!!), and every time I was just on the fringe of being in a deep sleep, they came in to beg me to stay awake and play games with them.  

I thought Mexico would be a big change from last year as far as relaxing and having 'me-time' went, and maybe it's just a challenge to find ways to make 'me-time' when life seems to always be busy. I'm curious and a bit nervous and very excited to see what God's plans are for me this semester. 

I rode again in the back of a pick up truck with my family to a Cenote this weekend. I'm starting to notice more and more that it seems like everyone stares at me when I'm with my family in public. I guess I do stand out just a little. 

I was (all of us were) invited to go to a classmate's house on the beach this Friday after classes. I wanted to jokingly say something like "oh, and by then our Spanish should be much better!" and ... well I can't really explain it in English, but basically we ended up laughing at the fact that of all sentences, I couldn't manage to get that one out. One of the girls in my classes today gave me a kiss on the cheek when she saw me this morning, which is a way of greeting friends here, and I thought it was really sweet of her! But seriously, I want to improve my Spanish so I can actually have convos with our friends at the University. It's really hitting me how difficult it is to not be able to communicate what you're thinking. One or two weeks is okay, but now I just want to be able to have REAL conversations with my friends, and my family. I thought of all people I'd be the one to stick strictly to Spanish and not let any English slip into my vocabulary, but it's not always the case. Sometimes slipping in a few English words or sentences makes me feel a little more like ME. 

Also, I wore jeans today for the first time in the 95 degree humidity and heat. Now I just need to get rid of my bulging backpack that immediately makes me stand out as a tourist and replace it with a messenger bag or purse.  Then, I might just appear a bit less like a foreigner!

Paz Afuera!! 

Alexa

mas fotos!

I found my USB cord. Awww sí! 

So here are some pics:

One of the Three Cenotes!
In a cave thing in the cenote. Not sure why I uploaded this one really. 
Another cenote!
The trici-taxis we took to get to the first cenote. Then we rode in Trucks (trooooks!) to get to the others - sort of like a horse and buggy on a train track.
trici taxi con angela

mi familia here! papa, mama, rigo, areli, manuel

A cenote i visited with my family the day before the Three Cenotes.

How we got to that cenote. An hour and a half drive, I believe!

Manuel, Rigo.

In front of El Divino Salvador, where we have some classes, and where we study.

La Plaza, en el corazon de Mérida. 
My room and hammock :)

Las primeras fotos

 

Here are two pictures from my photobooth! One is with my hermanito, Manuel, y la otra is here at Claps, a restaurant in the center of merida, with some amigas and a really friendly waiter who said he learned to speak french in one month in quebec, canada!! Hay esperanza (there is hope!) for me!