Days 10/11/12 - El Tiempo Vuela

Greetings my friends! Not much has changed in the past few days. I'm still performing the basic physiological functions that are required for the phenomena called life, and my location still happens to be a neat little place by the name of Oaxaca. But I do have some interesting little tidbits to run through. ¡Comencemos!

- This is a busy week volunteering at El Centro de Esperanza Infantil. All of the kids enrolled in the program are supposed to come to the center this week to begin the registration process for school, which begins towards the end of August. That being said, there has been plenty of work to do. On Monday, I helped take photos of the kids to send to their sponsors. It was a lot of fun, and I did my best to make the kids smile for the camera! We've also been very busy sorting report cards (boletas) to send with their letters and pictures. There is still a lot of work to do, but I look forward to helping out! I also have helped to translate some letters from Spanish to English and I even got to help a high school student write his letter (in English). These activities have definitely helped to improve my skills. One of the best things about volunteering at the centro is the interaction with the kids. They are all so bubbly and happy, all the time it seems. One little girl is there every day of the week, and she is absolutely adorable! She always asks to watch videos with us, the main one being a cartoon called El Chavo. Winnie the Pooh is also quite interesting in Spanish, fyi! Volunteering at the center has been very rewarding, and I'm very glad I've had the opportunity to do so.

- Tuesday started with a bang, literally. At 6 am, fireworks were exploding very close to my house because some local church was having a celebration. The activities are really ramping up down here in preparation for La Guelaguetza, a huge cultural celebration of all things Oaxaca. Luckily my parents warned me that things would be going boom in the morning, but it was still a little startling to hear their loud explosions that early. I'm very excited to participate in the festivities, and can't wait to try some of the amazing food dishes that Oaxaca is known for!

- It has been raining in the evenings for quite a few nights this week, which has really impeded upon my desire to walk around the city. It has, however, allowed me to begin watching a new TV series, at the suggestion of my peers. Parks and Recreation. It is quickly growing on me, and also helps me with my Spanish due to the subtitles from Netflix.

- Clinicals start next week, and I am amped! We have a meeting tomorrow with our medical director, where we will be going over expectations and our schedules for the next two weeks. I'm eagerly anticipating Monday morning (I just may be one of the only people in the world doing that), but am going to take things one minute at a time so as not to miss out on something in the meantime!

- There is a café next to my language school that serves one of the best, if not the best, frappucinos I've ever had. To make things even better, they top it off with a cinnamon sugar whip cream that is too good to be true. So if you ever venture to Oaxaca, make sure to make a pit stop at Nuevo Mundo Café. You won't be disappointed!

- I finally got to check out some alibrijes today. Alebrijes are some of the art pieces by which Oaxaca has made its claim to fame. Often made by artisans in the surrounding pueblos, they are wooden sculptures extravagantly decorated and hand-painted. All are done by hand and some take around 3 months to complete. They originated in Oaxaca and are a unique art form to this region. Here is a picture of one of the many different kinds:



This alebrije may just jump out of the screen at you! Ribbit!

- Well, that's all for now. I can't think of much else to spill for tonight. ¡Adios!

Day 9 - Around the Countryside

Today's adventures took us to many interesting places, encompassing the whole gamut from indigenous rugs to ancient ruins. Let's make this blog a swimming pool and dive right in! Goggles on...let's go!
- I set off on a tour set up through Becari at around 10 this morning with the rest of my group. On the agenda were trips to the widest tree in the world, a Zapotec rug making shop, the ancient ruins of Mitla, a traditional Sunday market in Tlacolula, and a Mezcal factory on the way back to Oaxaca. The trip was supposed to be a "short" one, but still managed to last around 8 hours. It was definitely a long day, but so worth it for the experiences we had. First stop was El Árbol del Tule, just outside of Oaxaca. There was a nice park with some very neatly trimmed hedges and gardens. The tree itself was quite the sight, with a perimeter of some 57 meters around its trunk! At over 2000 years old, the tree was definitely a cool thing to take in. Here it is, in all its glory:

El Árbol del Tule, also known as Big Gertha. The trunk has a perimeter of approximately 57m!

- Next was an indigenous rug making shop. The Zapotecs are one of 14 (I think) indigenous groups present in Oaxaca. They are very much traditional in their culture and way of life. The family we visited was 48 in number, and was one of five families to still use all natural ingredients for their pigments. We watched a really cool presentation on how the rugs were made, starting with the lana (wool) and then progressing to pigment making and weaving. It was so, so interesting, and the final products were absolutely incredible! It was amazing to hear how long some of the rugs took to make. Depending upon the size and pattern to be placed on the rug, rugs can take anywhere from a few hours to 6 months or more. They showed us a rather large rug that was custom ordered by a family in Guatemala. It had taken 5.5 months to make and cost around 55,000 pesos ($5,000 US, give or take). Here are some examples of the sights from the Zapotec shop:

The all natural ingredients (in the bowls) used to make the pigments. A few of the colors of wool can be seen here. Below to the left is the weaving machine. It is incredible that all the threads are thrown through this machine to make the beautiful rugs as seen below to the right!

 

 

 

- It was then off to some ancient ruins in Mitla. They were very cool, and offered a glimpse into the life and customs of the indigenous tribes of Mexico before the Spanish influences arrived from Spain. Many of the buildings were about 1200 years old and had no mortar between the large stones of the walls. A true engineering marvel for an early 1st century civilization. Additionally, metal had not yet been introduced to them, so all of the intricate stonework was done using other stone...talk about dedication! It was a very cool history lesson to take in on a beautiful afternoon.

- We stopped at a buffet for a quick bite to eat before heading off to a traditional market in Tlacolula. Many of the markets within Oaxaca are artisanal markets. This market was more traditional, with a much larger selection of food items to choose from (including live chickens!). We walked around the market for about a half hour, and also had a chance to visit a local church. It was marvelous inside, with tons of gold painted accents and even a solid silver railing separating the pews from the altar. Splendid!

- Our last stop of the day was a mezcal factory. Mezcal is to tequila as moonshine is to whiskey, sort of. Tequila is basically the industrialized production of mezcal. Tequila can only be produced from blue agave, but mezcal can be made from any of the 31 types of agave. We learned about the process, from the harvesting of the agave "heart" to the final distillation and flavoring processes. At the end, we could sample all the mezcal we pleased! They had a lot of really good ones, so it was tough to make a decision. Luckily, they had a promotion going on where you could basically buy three for the price of two. So Lauren, Genevieve, and I each picked our favorite flavor to buy. I choose the extremely tasty Crema de Maguey Maracuya (passion fruit).

- I tried my first tamale today, and it was phenomenal! It was a pollo con mole negro wrapped in hoja de plataño. Let's just say this food is taste-bud approved! ¡Es todo por ahora, hasta luego!

Day 7/8 - Coming Down With the Sickness

For all of my time spent down here, I have been waiting for the inevitable...the upset stomach typically encountered by travelers in a foreign land. Well, the change in diet finally caught up to me, as my great times were slightly interrupted by a day and a half of digestive problems. Eww! Thus I did not get to go to the salsa club with my friends, but I did get to plow through an episode of Grey's Anatomy, a couple of How I Met Your Mother, and three of Parks and Recreation. I guess getting sick has its benefits? Not really, but Netflix did help to pass the time, as did Skyping with my good friends Ryan and Taylar, the soon to be newlyweds (only a few more weeks you two!). Luckily, I started to feel better Saturday morning to participate in the days festivities!

- Saturday was full of some awesome events. In the morning, I rested up and continued to watch  episodes of Grey's and Parks and Recreation. I also switched rooms (and houses) because the two Stanford students are now gone. In the afternoon, around 2, I met up with the rest of my group and a couple volunteers from El Centro de Esperanza Infantil, and we headed off to the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca. There were a lot of really cool pieces in the museum. Many of the walls had extravagant murals painted on them, and some of the displays were quite impressive. I definitely glad I got to experience this place, all for only 20 pesos.

- Next we ate lunch at some local restaurant. It was very good, and included free juice, soup, and jello. I ordered a hamburger that was much larger than anticipated, and it also included a slice of ham wedged between the patty and the bun. Bonus! We then wandered through market to find a chocolate store with a sit down chocolate bar. After walking through a couple random chocolate stores, we finally made it, and boy was it worth it! I ordered a malteada, which is basically a gourmet chocolate milk. My oh my were my taste buds pleased! They used fresh, 100% natural chocolate made in house. I will probably be going back there daily to get myself one of those bad boys! Next, we wandered through a market, El Mercado 20 de noviembre. There were lots of really interesting items for sale, from miniature combs to fried crickets and everything in between. It was a neat experience to be in a part of town that much better represented the culture of the city, and not the more touristy area of the Alcalá.

- For dinner, we were going to eat at a place on the cerro del Fortín with panoramic views of the city, but mother nature had other plans. The rain was going to make for poor visibility, so we instead found a neat little restaurant to satisfy our hunger. I had espagueti boloñesa, and it was fantastic! After dinner,  we found a real nice spot for dessert. I ordered a frappucino oreo and a piece of the cake of the day, Tres de leche. Absolutely hit the spot! Then it was time to go home and rest up for the big day Sunday.

- I took my clothes to the Laundromat before heading off to the museum. Here, you pay per kilogram for a wash, and come back at a later time. Additionally, they fold your clothes for you...what a deal!

Time to get some rest now. I'm going on a tour of some pueblos tomorrow and am looking forward to visiting some of the less expensive markets. I'm absolutely loving every minute of my time down here. Until next time!

Day 5/6 - Adelante

Greetings once again from beautiful Oaxaca, Mexico! Nothing too exciting has happened in the past couple days. Nonetheless I will press on with the recording of my thoughts. On to some random points:

- Oaxaca just feels like home. The city itself is very safe for gringos such as myself...even the women of the group have commented on how secure they feel while walking about the city. What makes this city so easy to like has got to start with the people. The oaxaqueños are very helpful, and will without a doubt welcome you with open arms. Just sit around at la Plaza de Santo Domingo and, within five minutes, chances are you have struck up a conversation with a complete stranger. In fact, I ran into a gentleman selling tickets for tours on la calle Alcalá, the pedestrian street connecting Santo Domingo to the zócalo. We had a quick conversation in Spanish, when all of a sudden he starts talking in English. He said he had only been to the US once, and had visited Cincinnati many years ago. I then pointed out that the Reds were my favorite MLB team, and that he picked a good city to visit. Turns out he is also a Reds fan. We talked for a good five minutes before I continued on my exploration of the city. But this type of interaction is not atypical in Oaxaca...it happens all the time! Very friendly people make for a very enjoyable stay!

Looking up la calle Alcalá. Santo Domingo is off to the right in the distance. ¡Qué bonito!

- It's incredible to see the amount of diversity down here. Where I volunteer, I have been working alongside Lauren and Shan-Shan in addition to two women from Germany and Sweden. So that makes two Americans, a German, a Swede, and a Taiwanese all working together...in Mexico. Many of the language classes attract students from all over the world, and it shows! On Wednesday night, we went to a couple different social cafes with members of another school in town where the German, Lara, studies. Sarah and Shannon, who stay at the same house I do, are also a part of this group. Anyways, this group introduced me to two guys from Switzerland and another from Germany. So we made up a pretty diverse group as we walked about the city! Lots of nationalities, in addition to indigenous cultures, meet in Oaxaca. It is really cool to experience it firsthand and talk about the differences that exist between our cultures.

-My host mom's birthday was today (Thursday). Apparently it is a very big celebration as well, because she is either having breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a group of friends for the next 3 days! The food continues to be phenomenal. I had some cactus (delicious!) and today had some onion soup and fish covered with peppers, onions, red sauce, and olives. I also ordered some tostados del pollo when I was out with our group and they were so good! Not only is the food good, but it is so inexpensive! For example, at the restaurant/bar Comala, I had the Tostados del pollo and two margaritas (the best margaritas de fresas I have ever had!) for about $12 US.

- I did have a nice Skype session with my dad and sister tonight. It was great to see them again! Naturally, my dad had a lot of questions but I enjoyed every one of them. My mom did miss out, so she'll just have to wait until next time to see me!

That's all for now. ¡Hasta luego amigos!

Day Four - Right Back At It

I'll try to keep today's post short and just brush up on the highlights, but I can't guarantee that I won't ramble on. Let's get after it!

- Today was the first day of volunteering for the program. Lauren, Shan-Shan, and I all chose to volunteer for a really cool organization called Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots. They help local children who would otherwise be selling goods on the street to get off the street and into the classroom by providing the money and resources they need to enter into the school system. Their families are often very, very, very poor and cannot afford to give them an education. Additionally, they are often from the pueblos outside of the city, many of which require a 30 to 45 minute bus ride into town. The organization relies on sponsors to send money to support the children and make sure they can buy school uniforms and make it to the center. We went to their main location, El Centro de Esperanza Infantil, and went through a brief orientation, learning about the mission of the center and about the options we would have to assist them. There were plenty of volunteers around, and we quickly found work sorting letters from the kids to their sponsors. I skimmed through a couple of the letters as I packed them into envelopes. The kids were so appreciative of the support, and you could really sense the genuineness in their writing. One little boy even said he prayed for the sponsor everyday, thanking them for their support and hoping that they would be safe and in good health for years to come. Very sweet to read!

- Language classes are continuing to go well. I am continuing to understand more and speak more as well. My confidence is growing every day too. The instructors at Becari are so great. Manuel and Andrea are engaging, and make the material fun to learn. They keep all of us involved and routinely ask for our participation. Even though they always assign tarea for the next day, I look forward to class and can't wait to learn more tomorrow.

- During our conversation lesson with Andrea, we talked about the healthcare system of Mexico. One thing that I thought was pretty cool was that some of their insurance plans have a huge list of procedures they cover. Doctors check what number of plan the patient has (if they have one) and then can see if the procedure they need to perform is covered by the patient's insurance. So for example, if I would've been a Mexican citizen with Andrea's coverage, my appendectomy would've costed me a grand total of...nothing. Sounds a lot better than the $30,000 hospital bill I had!!! Even procedures that aren't covered are so much more inexpensive than in the states. Manuel had two surgeries last year that weren't covered by his insurance, and paid around $4,000 pesos, which is the equivalent of around $400 US dollars, more or less. Unheard of in America! Heck, in America $400 is just enough for a wound dressing change (jk, but you get the point).

In the evening, I walked around Oaxaca and took some pictures of the scenery. La iglesia de Santo Domingo is so beautiful, and the interior is remarkably detailed. It is truly a sight to see. Here are a couple pictures of this historic church.

The exterior of Santo Domingo. It is visible from many places within Oaxaca.

The interior of Santo Domingo. This picture doesn't do it justice!

That's all for now. ¡Hasta luego!

La Programa Empieza!

Today marked the beginning of my CFHI program entitled, "Intensive Beginner Spanish and Healthcare in Oaxaca, Mexico." I awoke at 7:15 am to the beep of my watch alarm and the high-pitched buzzing of a seemingly overexcited mosquito hovering around my ear. I was told that mosquitoes would not be a problem in Oaxaca, but that advice is proving to be incorrect...I have probably killed about 5 of those blood-sucking bastards while praying they don't carry the parasite for malaria! So far so good, but we'll have to wait and see. It seems like I am sort sort of mosquito magnet, but I'll just say mi sangre es demasiado dulce (my blood is too sweet).

Breakfast was again good, with té con límon, tortillas filled with cheese, and fresh papaya and banana. A friend of my host family, Juan, joined us (Avi, Maddy, and myself) for breakfast. He is originally from Massachusetts, but has spent the last 8 years working in Oaxaca as a teacher and president of the Lion's Club. I think this is pretty cool because, as he explained, the Lion's Club donates numerous pairs of used glasses from the US to areas that desperately need cheap or even free glasses such as Oaxaca (which happens to be one of the poorest states of Mexico). In fact, in my dad's office back in Fairfield has a Lion's Club donation box. If you have any old glasses you do not use, you just drop them off into the Lion's Club mailbox and then they can be sent off to people who really, really need them! It was very cool to hear Juan explain the work he did. He takes the glasses to schools and gives them to the kids who otherwise would not be able to afford them, for free mind you. Actually hearing about philanthropic organizations and witnessing firsthand the positive effects they are responsible for is truly inspiring. It just goes to show how there is so much potential for humanity, and that it doesn't take much to make a difference in the world. Making a difference can be as simple as dropping an old pair of glasses you have no use for into a mailbox so that some kid thousands of miles away can be able to see his chalkboard at school. Incredible in my mind.

Juan's story also gives me hope and new aspirations for the future. Yes, I do want to be a doctor, and yes, I do want to specialize as an ophthalmologist, but just getting to that point is not enough for me. There are always opportunities to go above and beyond in everything you do, and he has set an example for me to reach beyond my current professional goals and aspire to do more. With that being said, I hope to one day be in a position similar to Juan's. I would like to shut down my operations in the US and travel to some needy foreign land (Oaxaca in particular, but I'm open to any place needing assistance) for a month or two and take with me glasses and contact lenses to give to those in dire need of them. I would also like to perform routine exams and procedures on the individuals who need them most, all for free. Going through with a project like this would be so rewarding; I don't think words could describe how invaluable an experience like that would be. I realize that I might not end up as an ophthalmologist, but I feel this idea could be applied and adapted to a variety of other specialties, and I hope that one day these dreams of mine do come true.

My classes at the Becari Language School started at 9 en la mañana. I took a quick placement test and then met the others in my group. Lauren, Shan-Shan, and Sarah were my new classmates and peers. We received rockin' cell phones and then went on a tour of Oaxaca to see the various clinical sites we will be working in. Once again, the traffic was insane. One of the main highways through town actually has an intersection where the lanes switch sides! So you go from driving on the right side of the road to driving on the left...never in my life have I seen, or heard of anything like this! So weird, but apparently it works just fine for the oaxaqueños. This tour also exposed us to the poorer areas of Oaxaca. The area where the CFHI participants live (el centro) is relatively wealthy, and is well maintained, likely due to the fact that it is very touristy. However, one of the clinics, El Centro de Salud Lomas de San Jacinto, was located in a very poor neighborhood. The roads were dirt. Houses made of poorly held together strips of corrugated tin dotted the mountainside. Dogs roamed the streets, and the people who were fortunate enough to have cars by no means had the latest models. It was an eye opening experience for me, and again reinforced the idea that there are a lot of people out there who need help, not only at home but in foreign countries as well.

The trip wrapped up and I returned home for la comida, or the main meal of the day. This usually takes place around 2-3 in the afternoon, and is comparable in portion size to our dinners back in the states. As always, it was very good. I then headed back to Becari to take my first Spanish classes. They went well, and were divided into two sections with two different profesores. Manuel taught us prepositions and auxiliary verbs, while Andrea helped us participate in a conversation about ourselves and healthcare in general. It was a great session, and really helped to get my mind working in Spanish mode (imagine that!). And during these classes we received some tarea, or homework! After the classes finished, our group (Lauren, Sarah, Shan-Shan, and myself) decided to walk around a bit and get some food. We met up with Lauren's friend, Genevieve, and ended up at a restaurant called Zandunga. We ordered a tlayuda (basically a quesadilla, but this one was filled with cheese and vegetables) and some moletes de plataños (fried plantains served with fresh cheese and a cream sauce). They were very good, and to wash them down we all shared a sampler of three different types of mezcal. Mezcal is a type of tequila, and is very sweet because it is made from agave. The three were pretty good, and offered a great taste for a local specialty.

We left Zandunga and walked around a bit before ending up at a rooftap bar called XX (good thing there wasn't one more X!). After a round of cervezas, we walked back towards our houses and found another bar to relax in. This one also had a two for one special going on, so it was quite the bargain! After another round of cervezas, we called it a night and headed back to our respective houses.

With the passing of each day comes a little more knowledge and a little more confidence in my Spanish speaking abilities. I am beginning to understand more of what I hear, and talking is beginning to come more naturally, even after only one day of classes. I can't wait to see where I stand at the end of the program, and look forward to continuing to put my best foot forward each day. ¡Te veo más tarde!

Day One/Two - And We're Off

Yesterday was the big day...my first trip outside the United States!  The day started plenty early (3:30 am) so I could arrive at the airport with enough time to check-in and get frisked by TSA before my 6:30 connecting flight to Detroit. My parents were kind enough to stay at my place Friday night and drop me off at the airport Saturday morning at 5 (thanks mom and dad!). As I waited in line at the Delta check-in, my intuition told me my bag was going to come in just a tad on the heavy side. Try 17.4 pounds over the 50 pound limit...oops! But hey, for a month of clothing and accessories, I think I did pretty well. Anyways, not wanting to pay the outrageous $90 overweight baggage fee, I heeded the advice of the helpful Delta employee and popped into the airport's gift shop to buy a $30 duffle bag to use as my second carry-on. I unloaded a few of the heavy hitters from my suitcase (namely my shoes and jeans) and managed to come in at an acceptable weight.

With my bag finally checked, I gave mom and dad their good-bye hugs and then got in line for the security checkpoint. The line itself seems to move pretty fast, well, at least until it is your turn. It seemed like I was removing stuff from my pockets and carry-ons for five minutes before I was "randomly selected" to go through the new body scanning machines. After getting through the machine I had to wait for another TSA agent to pat me down and scan me again. I finally got through, packed my stuff into my bags and pockets, and headed to gate C5 to wait for my flight. The flight was on time, and departed right at 6:30. It was off to Detroit! I lucked out and sat next to a friendly gentleman who was travelling to New York with his wife and daughter. He was an ex-minor league ballplayer and a high school baseball coach from California, so naturally we had a nice conversation centering on baseball for pretty much the duration of the two hour flight.

After a safe landing in D-town, I had a 54 minute layover before my flight to Mexico City at 10:30. Detroit's airport is quite large, so I had a good little walk to get to my gate.  Thankfully there were long conveyors to speed up the process. I arrived at the gate and waited for the boarding call. This flight marked the beginning of my cultural immersion, as the traveler information was given in both English and Spanish. After boarding the plane, I learned of the troubles this flight had just a day before. A volcano had erupted in Mexico City. Unable to safely land at the airport, the plane had to turn around and head back to Detroit after being airborne for two hours. Both of the young ladies seated next to me were on that flight, so they were more than ready to get this show on the road. Fortunately, the plane left on time and there were no complications as we flew. The four hour flight was relatively painless, and was made even better due to the fact that I spent about half of it staring at the backside of my eyelids.

The landing in Mexico City was also uneventful, and I was now officially in a foreign country for the first time! Which meant that a trip to immigration and customs was in my near future. After presenting a couple documents I filled out on the flight, an immigration officer stamped my passport with my tourist visa and sent me off to pick up my luggage before going through customs. At customs, I had my first opportunity to practice my Spanish with more than just yes or no, or short and simple answers like 29 or Oaxaca. The customs officer only spoke Spanish, so I did my best to hold a conversation. It was difficult, but a good experience at that, and something I should certainly get used to! The customs officers really dig through every nook and cranny of your stuff. I cleared customs and then headed to get my boarding pass and check-in my bag with AeroMéxico. I only had 4 hours between flights, so I felt so rushed...not!

While waiting to board my final flight to Oaxaca, I participated in some hardcore people watching. It was very interesting to see and hear many different cultures mesh together in the same place. Mexicans, Americans, Italians, you name it; they could all be found in this huge airport. After relaxing in a large seating area, I made my way to gate 53. After boarding, the plane left on time and arrived in Oaxaca at approximately 7 pm. The flight itself was short, but it was not short in great views. Oaxaca is set in a mountainous region, and the city itself is surrounded by mountains. It was a very sight to see. I picked up my checked bag and headed into the atrium to find my host family. My host mother, Inelva, was waiting near the entrance with a sign reading "Grand Liebe." Close enough! I introduced myself as we made our way out of the airport towards the car. My host father, Gilberto, was just rounding a corner to pick us up. They are both very, very kind, understanding, and easy to talk to. Inelva is basically a Mexican version of my Grandma Chalupa, and Gilberto is your stereotypical awesome grandpa!

The journey from Oaxaca to mi casa was about a half hour. During that time, they told me a little about the city, things to do, places to see, etc. One thing I immediately noticed was the way everyone drives. I'm not talking India crazy, but it is certainly not as orderly as driving in America. Traffic laws are more like silly guidelines than actual ordinances to obey. Have a red light coming up? No worries, just plow on through and don't think twice about it! Mopeds and motorcycles weave in and out of traffic, and it is not uncommon to see three or four people on them. 

The city of Oaxaca is beautiful in its' own ways. Each building is painted in a vibrant color, and many walls lining the streets are covered with colorful murals or tasteful graffiti. El centro de la cuidad (city center) is very historic, with cobblestone streets and magnificent iglesias (churches). Numerous plazas are popular spots to meet with friends, and street vendors are heavily concentrated in these areas. Every night is a fiesta at these locations. El zócalo and La Plaza de Santo Domingo are the most popular spots. After getting home, I dropped my stuff in my room and headed off on una camina (a walk) with my family and their dog, Tomás. We walked by the Becari Language School, where I will be taking classes, and the Santo Domingo Plaza, as well as the zócalo. Many groups were out performing, including mariachi bands and dancing groups. Fireworks went off every few minutes, sending a loud boom throughout the oaxaqueño streets. Nighttime in Oaxaca is a celebration, and is essentially a huge party in the streets! Well, at least on Saturday nights. Regardless, it is truly a sight to see, and I would encourage anyone taking the time to read this post to put a trip to Oaxaca in their plans.

The people of Oaxaca are very friendly, and are also extremely proud of their heritage. Oaxaca is one of the more traditional states in Mexico, and has the largest population of indigenous peoples. Many cultures intersect in Oaxaca, creating an environment unlike any I've previously experienced. There is definitely a greater sense of community down here, and the focus is certainly on the family as opposed to the individual. Even my house reflects this vision. My house is in a family compound of three houses. My host parents have a home, as do Inelva's aunt and sister. I'm actually staying in her sister's house, but like they always say, mi casa es su casa! The homes are beautiful as well. Large, with tiled floors, elegant staircases, and homey decor make these houses ideal for hosting.

After walking, I was exhausted from long day of travel. We came back and had a dinner consisting of bread and fried potato cakes with some homemade tea (it was the best tea I've ever had!). Inelva boiled some water then threw some fresh, homegrown hojas de límon (lemon leaves) into it. Then I headed to my room and decided to call it quits for my first night in Oaxaca.

Today (Sunday), I woke up at 9 to eat breakfast. Fresh fruit followed by some sort of tortilla covered with beans and cheese, and some bread. There are two other students staying at my house, both part of a group from Stanford participating in the CFHI program. Maddy joined us for breakfast. She invited me to go watch Despicable Me 2 with the rest of their group at a local theater. After breakfast, I met Avi as we headed for the movie. I haven't even seen the first Despicable Me, so I find it funny that I see the second one first, in Spanish, before I see the first. We walked to Santo Domingo, met up with the rest of the group, then hopped into taxis for a short trip across town. The movie itself was pretty good. I might not have understood a whole lot, but I had a basic understanding of what was going on, and I could still laugh at the behavior of the minions! After the movie finished, we piled back into taxis and came back for lunch at home. Two more students, Sara and Shannon, came right before lunch started. This house truly is a foreign student factory!

So far, my experience in Oaxaca has been phenomenal. The people here are extremely friendly, and I feel like I'm a part of their culture, even though I've only been here for about 24 hours. I'm excited for the start of my CFHI program tomorrow, and I look forward to learning each and every day I'm down here. I highly recommend for anyone reading this and looking for an awesome foreign location to visit to consider Oaxaca. It is a great place, from what I can tell, and has more than enough excitement to keep even the most easily bored people occupied. Hasta luego!