Its the nighttime commute home on a shaky, graffiti covered bus. I have come to realize that Merida (well the northern part) is actually a very safe place. From my own observations as well as those of the American from my Spanish class who has lived here for two years, Merida is actually much more safe than Chicago. Or thusfar it seems anyways. This is not to say I'm not careful or that there have not been times where I thought i was in the process of being kidnapped or something of the sort... but I guess I'm wondering if it is at all okay to have my netbook out on the bus? My morning or nighttime commute is pretty long and usually when I have the most reflective thinking. But when I try to write in my journal it is extremely unlegible as Mexican buses are EXTREMELY bumpy. Recall the childhood joy of sitting on the back of the school bus and raising your hands in the air just as it were about to go over a speed bump. Now multiple that by the highest number you can think of.


The most striking difference between the Yucatan and American culture lies within the people's kindness towards one another. Taxi cab drivers actually enjoy talking to you and many will be the first one to strike up the conversation. In the ladies room at nightclubs girls smile at one another and all seem to be friends. Wheras in Chicago I often dread going to the bathroom because of the death stares I always get. I have yet to meet one person who isn't happy to strike up a conversation, regardless of age, gender, or class. Life here is much slower placed. Meeting times are general and always understood to be flexible.

I have yet to experience any real culture barriers, as I feel as though the culture here is much more fit for myself than that of America. The only thing I am having trouble with is at the dinner table. People here don't ever wait for everyone to sit down before eating. In restaurants they bring out each person's plate one at a time, often with a 5 minute span between each one. At dinner I absolutely can't stand to start eating before everyone, especially because I get served at least 5 minutes before the rest of the family. "Empieza" they will demand to me, "start!" But I just feel so weird doing so. What can I say mom, you raised me right. Well according to American customs anyways. I'm still loving the fact that lunch is the main meal of the day and dinner is light. It is so much more healthier not to mention many other benefits that I would develge into if my busstop weren't soon approaching........

My adjust to the city thusfar has been very smooth yet exciting. Today I went to my friends house for lunch to meet her parents. They are both anthropologists who practice in fields that I find most exciting. The mother works more in ethnography studied different tribes within the region and writes books about her studies. The father writes more journalistically and practices photography for documentation and exhibitions. Their house was absolutely amazing. Most of the rooms were divided into different houses spread amongst a pebbled garden complete with a wishing well. I made friends with one of their cats... "the one that hates people." Yeah, thats what my host family said about Blacky, our cat. And look whose snuggle buddies with me now (sorry Weston).

Right now I'm at an internet cafe with a couple of my friends. Its kind of one of those places you stumble upon with low lighting Mexican yuppies spread around, all laughing over their computers and beer.

There are constantly so many beautiful things I see and experience and make mental notes to come back and write about in this. But alas, as many have already figured out my mental notebook is extremely unreliable. Lo siento.

I absolutely love my classes. My spanish class is way too slow paced due to us catering towards the slowest student in the class. My history class is phenomenal, and my anthropology class, which we just had our first class is great. It is about working with "underprivaliged" communities and how to improve them, how they get to be that way, etc. Myself and another student will be recruiting people to join a computer class that we will teach. I'm really excited to do this, I will be able to construct the program however I would like. We are going to go to a food bank as well as go door to door to recruit.

A woman joined our spanish class yesterday who has been living in Merida for about 2 years. She took a cruise here many years ago, fell in love with the area and her and her husband bought a house. After their divorce he got the house in America and she got the house in Mexico. Sounds she got the high end of the bargain, eh?

Last night I saw a man on the side of the road who stood in front of a giant van that had his face painted on it. He looked so serious in his jeweled stunna shades.

If there were to be only one thing I could blog about during this trip it would be the man in a thong that stood on the roof of a truck with an elephant in its bed that I saw today.

My fellow observers and I simply blinked once and went back to sipping our coffee.

This post is dedicated to Brittany and Matt who have not only take in Professor Bananas, brought him back to health, but also... **drumroll please** TRAINED HIM TO STOP MEOWING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! Round of applause!!! That's right... I typed it.


I found my spot. Well two actually. There is a big park in front of a church by my house that will be great for writing as soon as the weather warms up. But I am currently sitting inside a coffee shop that I have absolutely fell in love with. The interior is all red and black and the only lighting comes from the light that pours through the glass walls. The music they play is a combination between BitterSweet and Hooverphonic... but slightly more jazzy. Okay well that was just for that song... ever since they have been playing Frank Sinatra.

The coffee in Mexico is extremely smooth and the mint cappucino I am currently drinking is beyond words to describe.

Tonight we will be going to our first disco. I'm very excited but a bit nervous because I know my moves are nothing to compare to those of hispanics... or any race for that matter. Something good about my location is at night the tables turn in terms of long commutes. Now the students have to come to my neck of the woods where all of the discos are located!

Last night we went to an all you can eat and drink restaurant for only 115 pesos (approx 8 USD). My favorite place thusfar (I say this like I have gone everywhere... DISCLAIMER: I have only been to two bars thusfar) was a Mayan pub. With its dimly lit backyard seating and stray kitten scrounging about for food I felt exactly like I was in a movie.

**Sidenote I just killed a mosquito in midair and it has a butt like a bumble bee but red. Just thought everyone may want to know.

The other day a couple of amigos and I went to grab lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Here they served tacos with meat parts such as tongue, ear, hoof, brain, etc. The two girls we were with were unforutunately not having it so we had to go someplace else. But me and the rest plan to get back ASAP. Kevin said his mother makes grasshopper tacos all of the time and will have me over for dinner next time she makes them. Can't wait! This is going to be just like that scene in Lion King where Simba meets Timon and Pumba and trys the bugs. Hopefully! In my eyes so long as it is edible it is okay to eat. And this is the whole point in traveling isn't it? To try new things, send your senses on new adventures? What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger...

We visited the location where we will be doing our community service last night. It is in a very poor part of Merida where they are rebuilding a building for the community. I have a choice to either teach adults how to use computers or coach a kids soccer team. I am praying I get to do the later!

Some interesting facts:

There is no formal bus system. You wave a bus as if you were a taxi and simply stand up when you want to get off. Some buses are actually vans whose doors swing open and you jump inside and jump out when you get off looking exactly like that of a kidnapping scene. These vans also have no formal route and simply go to the direction they are marked with (example towards the center of town). Needless to say every one of us has been lost for many hours at some point or another, including myself. Mom and Dad--- BLINDFOLDS: It was really fun the other day when I was stranded in a factory part of town without a cellphone.

It is not the tourist season. I have only seen one other white person that was not affiliated with DePaul. They were a couple of students on the bus. Also, barely anyone speaks english here. I suspected some would... but almost nobody does. That being said, my spanish has improved dramatically, but don't expect me to be able to freestyle en espanol anytime soon. In 1 or two weeks my history class will switch over to spanish. Wish me luck.....

Hope everyone is having a great winter:) Time to take my fiesta...

PS. Sorry for all of my typos... I have a new netbook which I am still having trouble getting used to.

As I walked from the internet cafe I walked past an artisan on the side of the road chiseling away at a stone making a Mayan statue and a wild dog helped me cross the street. In Mexico cars have the right of way making if very hard and dangerous to cross the street.

There is a giant bug in my room. BIG! This bug is the sumo wrester or bugs, the creecher that lurks underneat your bed, the bug that gives bugs a bad rap. I'm freaking out. And this is coming from a girl who almost ate tongue yesterday and has plans to eat grasshopper tacos this week. Trying to make peace with the bug to coexist in a peaceful, zen bedroom.

Sorry... how lame is the title? Hola amigos! Today is Monday, January 4th, 2010. I have been in Merida for about three days now, including when I arrived late Saturday night. So far I absolutely love it. It is no wonder why Merida has become such a popular spot for people to retreat and settle down. Aside from the food being some of the best food I have ever had (next to Mom's home cookin'), the city breathes a unique compusure of traditional and contemporary ways of life.


Yesterday we had a very good meal of chicken that had been cooked in plantain skins and an appetizer that still remains a mystery as to what it was- but it was very good. Later on in the noche we met our host families... everyone, including myself, is very pleased with who they have. Although one girl who is living with two anthropologists that are also professional photographers doesnt seem to appreciate what they do... but anyways.

My family is exactly what I was hoping for. On my form that created our profile for the host families to decide upon us I had circled "NO PREFERENCE" when asked if I wanted to live with animals. BUt then I had made an arrow towards "would like to be" and told them I would prefer it. all of yesterday, before I met my family I was regretting not having just circled yes. But the family I was assigned with is exactly what I hoped. THey have two kids, one girl named Regina (kick it Weston... it's pronounced Ray-hena) who is 9 and Roberto who is 13. Her praents also live with her. And then they have 3 dogs including 1 puppy and 2 Chiwawas (pretty cliche) and 1 cat who I have become very close with. All of the mothers we have been assigned to live wtih are either divorces or widows.

The house is on the very very north outskirts of Merida and therefore is in a very nice neighborhood. So it has its pros and cons. The pros being that it is a ncie house, I have my own room, and there will be internet as of next week. THe cons are that there isn't much to do around the neighborhood, I don't live near any but one of the other students and I am pretty far from downtown and school. I have to take two different buses to get to school and have to leave a little over an hour. There are no bus deals or cards in Merida, so everytime I get on the bus I have to pay which is going to add up. I don't have a phone which makes it pretty hard to see the other students, especially given me living about 45 minutes away. But there is one student who lives within a 5 minutes walk. He is the other anthropology student. We both have been trying to figure out if there was a reason the two anthropology students live on the outskirts.Hmm.. Yo no se. But of all of the people to live near I am happy it is another anthropology student. ANthropology students are always my favorite kind of people... next to drummers of course. Our experience is definitely going to be much different than the other students being so far away. We are going to have a different view of Merida that is subject to the Meridan citizen that does not live immedietly in the city. We are going to learn to be more capable of traveling around the city. My mama works so I especially am more on my own than most students. I like this very much. It is amazing how accurately they assigned each student to the family.

Oh! Everyone drives buggies. It's pretty cute. Most people drive the old 60s buggies but my fmaily has one from the 60s as well as the 00's.