My Not-So-Typical Days in Cuernavaca

School Schedule

6:30am We gracefully awaken. It's not hot yet, so we are happy :)

7:07am Mama Irene comes upstairs and says that breakfast is ready

7:10am We enjoy a spanish breakfast. We have had pancakes, omeletes with potatoes, french toast, and cereal (FRUIT LOOPS!!!!!!) and other days quesadillas with fruit and JUGO DE NARANJA. You guys think our orange juice is good? The stuff we drink is freshly squeezed every morning and absolutely wonderful!

7:45am We start walking to the school. It's a good 15 minute walk. On the way, we are surrounded by a wave of kindergartners running to their schools. For my current/future special ed teachers....there is a little boy who has down syndrome and is SUPER CUTE that we always pass by. This morning he said Hola, Como estas? to me and it was precious.

8:00am...ish School starts.
We have grammer class from 8 until 10 with our professor, Cesar. He is HILLARIOUS. We have 3 people in our class.....which is great...except you can't hide....which is not so fun, but you get to pinpoint your problems.... the many grammer problems that everybody has, but generally ignores.... We did pronouns for 2 hours and then por/para (two different words meaning for) for another hour and we got 78 sentences to practice it. It's intense, but it is SO worth it. I discovered how much I didn't know, but also how much I DO know and how much I have learned in just 5 days.

After grammer we have a break and then conversation class. It's an hour of just speaking the language and listening to Cesar's funny stories. Our class is 70% comedy sketch, and 30% .... other? ha but we have the best conversations!

Then after a short break we have either a workshop or a lecture to go to.

2:20pm - We walk 15 minutes back home and have COMIDA!!!!!!!
Comida is our equivalent of dinner. It is the main meal of the day and SOOOO yummy. Our Mama spends all morning cooking. We have had REAL enchiladas, chiles rellenos, tostadas, spaghetti (spanish style of course), different kinds of chicken, fresh veggies, rice, rice, and more rice, and salsa that's basically straight up jalepenos. We spend about an hour or two eating and talking with the family. It's always good conversation, and then after a short siesta (and its HOT by now...no A/C. We are very spoiled in America), we head back to the school.

At 4:30 we have either a dance class and afterwards a conversation hour with the students studying english, or a spanish movie.

Then we either go out to the Plaza for fun, over to someone's house to swim and study, or home to our families. They don't really have supper here. Cenar is a light supper or snack around 8. Tonight I had a banana and a tortilla!

On Saturdays we have excursions and this weekend we are going to Tepoztlan I do believe (climbing a mountain and seeing some pyramids)

We have something incredible planned every Saturday and optional ones every sunday.


And then if there is time... we sleep.

I am having so much fun here! I'll put up more pictures as soon as I can!

Consider Yourself Llamar'd.

Hola!

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind. I am staying in Cuernavaca, which is about 35 miles south of Mexico City. It is in the mountains and is absolutely gorgeous! The first thing I noticed about Mexico is that everything is colorful! Walls, cars, houses, street signs...todos. There is spanish tile everywhere, and flowers and fruit trees of every color line the streets. Wherever you go it feels like everybody is celebrating!

Our house is about 10 minutes walking distance from our school,
Cuauhanahuac Instituto (If it sounds like you have marshmallows in your mouth and you get the first and last "c" then you're probably saying it right!)

We are staying with a 60 year old retired elementary school teacher "Mama" Irene. She is absolutely wonderful and very hospitable. She refuses to let me help her with ANYTHING but it's such a blessing to be treated so well! I also have a roommate, Mary Lucy, and it's been so good getting to know her!

Today we had our orientation and exams......placement exams that is, and oral interviews. It was a HUGE written test, but the interview was fairly informal, they just want to know where we are.

Now upon going into the interview I do believe the professora and I spent a good 5 minutes trying to pronounce my name in Spanish. I am very seriously considering changing it to something comprhensible because they only really pronounce one letter in my entire name. So Heidi.....sounds like....... eeithey... If you have any suggestions let me know! haha

The school itself is beautiful and the professors are very helpful. They've created an atmosphere of learning that makes me so excited to learn!

Later on we saw a few of eachothers host families and then toured a bit of the Plaza. (main part of the city)

We saw the Palacio de Cortez....he actually did live there and there is a museum! Lots of swords...ha and a really beautiful cathedral.

Then we walked around the black market (SKETCH) and THEN IT STARTED TO RAIN.
We got on the bus and headed back...but our host home is about 15 minutes from the bus stop. So while we had the cover of some trees, our group decided to wait....unfortunately we picked the wrong spot to wait because part of the street was flooding and, no joke, a bus came by and threw a tidal wave of water on us. It was HILLARIOUS but that water was nasty. Then it happened again.

After a glorious shower we had cena (dinner) with la Senora. She made us PANCAKES! It felt like home :)

and now it is time for bed because classes start muy temprano (a las 8)

Buenas noches

DOS!

I leave the country in 2 days and I wanted to be able to share my adventures, thoughts, and everything that God teaches me this summer!

Learning this amazing language has been such a beautiful gift from the Lord. Spanish is more than a major or classes, and much more than just words.

Awhile ago, I heard God whisper, "I have given you the keys. Unlock the doors." Three days later I had the means and opportunity to study abroad in two different countries to learn Spanish. God has given me tiny glimpses of his plans for me, little assurances that He is in control and that I can rest and trust in the life He has given me to live.

I am truly delighted to bask in every single moment, and taste what God has prepared. This summer is just a few pages of HIS story for me, and I happily share it and invite you along for the journey!