I was trying to make a call to the United States using a phone card that my parents got me for Christmas. I had never used a landline in Mexico before so I just started dialing the numbers on the phone card. The first three numbers happen to be "066"which also happens to be the number for an emergency in Mexico. So this woman picks up and asks the nature of my emergency...what do I do? I hang up the phone. I didn't even realize that I had called an emergency number!
So about 5 minutes later someone calls the phone back and asks if I'm alright, and if me or anyone else in my presence needs medical attention. Then she says if I don't answer in the next minute then she is sending police, fire, and medical personnel to my aid.
No further explanation needed. I learn more and more in Mexico everyday :)
Hasta Luego,
Chris
Monday, January 24, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Almost forgot the pictures!
VALPO!!!
About to eat grasshoppers....
My bed
My desk area
My closet
Food central
Balcony door
Dining room/kitchen
Puebla city center
Frijoles!!
One of the many churches I have visited
First Mexico Post
So I decided that I should create a blog so that my family and friends can follow my journey in Mexico for the next few months. So lets begin....
My journey began on January 2nd when my parents drove me to Indianapolis, IN to stay with my friend Paige overnight. My flight was very early the next morning, and we figured going the night before would just be easiest for everyone involved. I spent the entire night awake with Paige and Emily slimming down our bags so that they all weighed under 50 pounds. As to this day a good chunk of my belongings remain at Paige's house. Our flight left January 3rd at 6am for Atlanta, GA. We had a short layover in Atlanta (where we all slept) until our flight from Atlanta to Mexico City, Mexico. Funny thing is that upon arrival in Mexico City we found out that another person from Valpo (Clayton) was on the same flight as us to Mexico! What a small world. Once we had arrived in Mexico City we were very tired and unsure of what to do. Some representatives from la Universidad de Las Americas-Puebla (UDLAP) where supposed to help us get to where we needed to be, but we couldn't find them anywhere. After about two hours of roaming around the airport, carrying our heavy bags, Clayton finally found a representative (aka Amigo Internacional). We then took a bus from Mexico City to the historic city of Puebla. Upon arrival in Mexico we took a taxi from the bus station to the campus. In case you got lost I will recap: car-->plane-->plane-->bus-->taxi-->campus (finally).
The next morning we had orientation all day long. I think it was probably really pointless for everyone attending because everybody was jet-lagged and exhausted from traveling the day before. I will never forget looking around me at the orientation session and seeing more than 75% of the room sleeping, or staring at the speaker with wide eyes.
The next couple days of orientation we traveled to city center of Puebla, and Cholula. UDLAP is located within the Mexican state of Puebla. Within the state of Puebla is Cholula. Cholula is divided into two municipalities: San Andrés Cholula and San Pedro Cholula. The university is located in San Andrés Cholula. They are all very historic cities, and important sites in Mexican history. Cholula is home to the largest man made pyramid, and Puebla is the site of the great "Battle of Puebla" where the Mexican army defeated the French army...aka Cinco de Mayo.
In between the days of orientation we took advantage of the 100+ bars, restaurants, and clubs that line the edge of the university. This road is locally known as the Camino Real. Anything you want to eat or drink you can DEFINITELY find somewhere along that never ending road. I have come to see that so much of social life centers around dancing, drinking, and eating. All of this happens along the Camino Real.
Eventually it was time to start school. By now, I have made it through two weeks successfully :). Initially I had some problems with a couple of my classes so I had to make a few changes. Now all is good, and I'm especially enjoying my Mexican Civilization course. This might be a good time to mention the concept of "Mexican time." Unlike the U.S where time is money and everybody is running around all the time, Mexico runs literally on their own time. To this day I have yet to have any of my classes start or end on time. Walking in late to class is no big deal. Its so funny because everyone here is so laid back, and nobody cares when things get done. Its has been very hard for the Americans here to get used to this concept. We start to get antsy when the teacher is ten minutes late or our Mexican friends don't arrive on time.
Finally, I should mention where I'm staying. I live in an apartment style suite on the UDLAP campus with 7 other Mexican students. The suite includes a full kitchen, dining room, living room with TV, bathroom, and washer and dryer. Off the main part of the suite are four large bedrooms, each housing 2 students. It is by far the nicest living environment I have lived in..with the exception of my own house! Everyday I interact more and more with my roommates. The natives tell me that it sometimes takes people here a while to warm up to new people. Once they do warm up to you though you are friends for life. Give it another week or so, and things will be right where I expected them to be!
That is all I'm going to write for the moment. So many more things have happened, but it is so hard to sum up three weeks into one posting. I will try to post as often as possible. To this day it is so strange to wake up, walk out onto my balcony and see snow capped mountains/volcanoes. Its also strange to walk around campus and have the sun beating down on you in the middle of January. As strange as it may be I'm really starting to settle into my home for the next few months :)
Hasta Luego,
Chris
My journey began on January 2nd when my parents drove me to Indianapolis, IN to stay with my friend Paige overnight. My flight was very early the next morning, and we figured going the night before would just be easiest for everyone involved. I spent the entire night awake with Paige and Emily slimming down our bags so that they all weighed under 50 pounds. As to this day a good chunk of my belongings remain at Paige's house. Our flight left January 3rd at 6am for Atlanta, GA. We had a short layover in Atlanta (where we all slept) until our flight from Atlanta to Mexico City, Mexico. Funny thing is that upon arrival in Mexico City we found out that another person from Valpo (Clayton) was on the same flight as us to Mexico! What a small world. Once we had arrived in Mexico City we were very tired and unsure of what to do. Some representatives from la Universidad de Las Americas-Puebla (UDLAP) where supposed to help us get to where we needed to be, but we couldn't find them anywhere. After about two hours of roaming around the airport, carrying our heavy bags, Clayton finally found a representative (aka Amigo Internacional). We then took a bus from Mexico City to the historic city of Puebla. Upon arrival in Mexico we took a taxi from the bus station to the campus. In case you got lost I will recap: car-->plane-->plane-->bus-->taxi-->campus (finally).
The next morning we had orientation all day long. I think it was probably really pointless for everyone attending because everybody was jet-lagged and exhausted from traveling the day before. I will never forget looking around me at the orientation session and seeing more than 75% of the room sleeping, or staring at the speaker with wide eyes.
The next couple days of orientation we traveled to city center of Puebla, and Cholula. UDLAP is located within the Mexican state of Puebla. Within the state of Puebla is Cholula. Cholula is divided into two municipalities: San Andrés Cholula and San Pedro Cholula. The university is located in San Andrés Cholula. They are all very historic cities, and important sites in Mexican history. Cholula is home to the largest man made pyramid, and Puebla is the site of the great "Battle of Puebla" where the Mexican army defeated the French army...aka Cinco de Mayo.
In between the days of orientation we took advantage of the 100+ bars, restaurants, and clubs that line the edge of the university. This road is locally known as the Camino Real. Anything you want to eat or drink you can DEFINITELY find somewhere along that never ending road. I have come to see that so much of social life centers around dancing, drinking, and eating. All of this happens along the Camino Real.
Eventually it was time to start school. By now, I have made it through two weeks successfully :). Initially I had some problems with a couple of my classes so I had to make a few changes. Now all is good, and I'm especially enjoying my Mexican Civilization course. This might be a good time to mention the concept of "Mexican time." Unlike the U.S where time is money and everybody is running around all the time, Mexico runs literally on their own time. To this day I have yet to have any of my classes start or end on time. Walking in late to class is no big deal. Its so funny because everyone here is so laid back, and nobody cares when things get done. Its has been very hard for the Americans here to get used to this concept. We start to get antsy when the teacher is ten minutes late or our Mexican friends don't arrive on time.
Finally, I should mention where I'm staying. I live in an apartment style suite on the UDLAP campus with 7 other Mexican students. The suite includes a full kitchen, dining room, living room with TV, bathroom, and washer and dryer. Off the main part of the suite are four large bedrooms, each housing 2 students. It is by far the nicest living environment I have lived in..with the exception of my own house! Everyday I interact more and more with my roommates. The natives tell me that it sometimes takes people here a while to warm up to new people. Once they do warm up to you though you are friends for life. Give it another week or so, and things will be right where I expected them to be!
That is all I'm going to write for the moment. So many more things have happened, but it is so hard to sum up three weeks into one posting. I will try to post as often as possible. To this day it is so strange to wake up, walk out onto my balcony and see snow capped mountains/volcanoes. Its also strange to walk around campus and have the sun beating down on you in the middle of January. As strange as it may be I'm really starting to settle into my home for the next few months :)
Hasta Luego,
Chris
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