http://apu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031978&l=ad4b1&id=56902051
here is a link to some pictures. i didn't have a lot of time to upload them and they take forever! so i have a lot more...but here is a preview at least!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Week 1
Week one complete! Wow, it has felt like I have been here for A LOT longer than a week. Yesterday I went into downtown Guadalajara and looked around "el centro historico" (the historic center). I am working on uploading some pictures. It was absolutely gorgeous! I walked around a cathedral that was built in 1716, incredible! And I was actually able to attend the last part of mass. Downtown Guadalajara is so full of history is very colonial in appearance.
After admiring some of the buildings, my friends and I decided to go the mercado libertad, which is the biggest outside market in town...words cannot express. To say that I was overwhelmed while I was there...would be an understatement. There were thousands and thousands of vendors constantly asking what you were looking for, showing you their merchandise and trying to give you a bargain. What I thought was really funny were the dvds that were being sold. I could have bought Shrek 3 (which isn't even out in the theaters!). Lets just say that there was a lot being sold in the markets that you just shouldn't ask where it came from :) I think more than anything it was fun just to people watch!
Like I said earlier, it feels like I have been here for so much longer than a week. I have learned SO much...it seems surreal. The people here in Guadalajara are so nice. I have had to ask directions so many different times and people have gladly stopped to help. I don't know if this is true of all Mexico, but at least here Guadalajara appearance is VERY important (I am in a pretty rich part of town). Almost everywhere you go, people are dressed to impress. My senora was telling me that people pretty much assume that you bathe at least once a day. It is very common for people to take 2 showers a day. And never before in my life have I seen so many nice cars! I asked Courtney (our APU coordinator who has lived here for 3 years) about it and she said that because appearance is so important, people poor the majority of their money into their cars...because thats what you see more so than houses. It is so strange to walk down the street and see an average looking house...and then a mercedes or a hummer in the drive way. Like I said, I live in a nice area of town...it even applies to my school! To get on to the university campus you have to have a UAG photo id...otherwise you won't be let in!
I am exhausted from all that I have learned and experienced in such a short amount of time. This is mental exhaustion like I have never experienced before. Please keep me in your prayers!
PS: I just have to share one of the funniest terms that I have learned so far; "un taco de ojo" which literally translates into "a taco of the eye". One could equate the saying with our English phrase "eye candy" haha! Everyday Senora asks me if I have seen any :)
After admiring some of the buildings, my friends and I decided to go the mercado libertad, which is the biggest outside market in town...words cannot express. To say that I was overwhelmed while I was there...would be an understatement. There were thousands and thousands of vendors constantly asking what you were looking for, showing you their merchandise and trying to give you a bargain. What I thought was really funny were the dvds that were being sold. I could have bought Shrek 3 (which isn't even out in the theaters!). Lets just say that there was a lot being sold in the markets that you just shouldn't ask where it came from :) I think more than anything it was fun just to people watch!
Like I said earlier, it feels like I have been here for so much longer than a week. I have learned SO much...it seems surreal. The people here in Guadalajara are so nice. I have had to ask directions so many different times and people have gladly stopped to help. I don't know if this is true of all Mexico, but at least here Guadalajara appearance is VERY important (I am in a pretty rich part of town). Almost everywhere you go, people are dressed to impress. My senora was telling me that people pretty much assume that you bathe at least once a day. It is very common for people to take 2 showers a day. And never before in my life have I seen so many nice cars! I asked Courtney (our APU coordinator who has lived here for 3 years) about it and she said that because appearance is so important, people poor the majority of their money into their cars...because thats what you see more so than houses. It is so strange to walk down the street and see an average looking house...and then a mercedes or a hummer in the drive way. Like I said, I live in a nice area of town...it even applies to my school! To get on to the university campus you have to have a UAG photo id...otherwise you won't be let in!
I am exhausted from all that I have learned and experienced in such a short amount of time. This is mental exhaustion like I have never experienced before. Please keep me in your prayers!
PS: I just have to share one of the funniest terms that I have learned so far; "un taco de ojo" which literally translates into "a taco of the eye". One could equate the saying with our English phrase "eye candy" haha! Everyday Senora asks me if I have seen any :)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Day 4
Day 4
Well, I have officially completed my first day of classes at UAG...and I am basically expecting my GPA to take a hit :) The classes are going to be very very challenging, but will really push me in my abilities to use the language. I am enrolled in:
*Latin American Civilization
*Advanced Spanish Composition
*Advanced Spanish-Conversational
All my classes are conducted in Spanish with professors who don't speak English. It will be interesting!
I live about 10-15 minutes away from school with a widow "Senora" and a Mexican student "Betti". They are both super super nice and have already helped me a lot with my Spanish. Senora won't let me do any work around the house. If I try to wash the dishes she tells me (in Spanish) "No, you did not come here to work you came here to study." And oh my goodness, the food is amazing! I am totally spoiled. I think every single meal that I have had so far...breakfast, lunch and dinner have all had beans in some form :) I have a room to myself with a walk in closet and I share a balcony with Betti.
Some facts about Guadalajara:
-They use the metric system
-They use military time
-If you are a girl and not whistled at while walking down the street...you should be worried.
-The driving is crazy!!! I thought LA was bad.
-Pedestrians have no right-away.
-People smoke everywhere and anywhere.
-Soccer is everywhere and anywhere-Josh you would love it.
...more to come!
Kaitlyn
PS: One of the most akward moments of my life: on our tour of the university we walked through the cafeteria and literally about 50 guys stood up, clapped, whistled, cat-called for our group of 9 girls.
Well, I have officially completed my first day of classes at UAG...and I am basically expecting my GPA to take a hit :) The classes are going to be very very challenging, but will really push me in my abilities to use the language. I am enrolled in:
*Latin American Civilization
*Advanced Spanish Composition
*Advanced Spanish-Conversational
All my classes are conducted in Spanish with professors who don't speak English. It will be interesting!
I live about 10-15 minutes away from school with a widow "Senora" and a Mexican student "Betti". They are both super super nice and have already helped me a lot with my Spanish. Senora won't let me do any work around the house. If I try to wash the dishes she tells me (in Spanish) "No, you did not come here to work you came here to study." And oh my goodness, the food is amazing! I am totally spoiled. I think every single meal that I have had so far...breakfast, lunch and dinner have all had beans in some form :) I have a room to myself with a walk in closet and I share a balcony with Betti.
Some facts about Guadalajara:
-They use the metric system
-They use military time
-If you are a girl and not whistled at while walking down the street...you should be worried.
-The driving is crazy!!! I thought LA was bad.
-Pedestrians have no right-away.
-People smoke everywhere and anywhere.
-Soccer is everywhere and anywhere-Josh you would love it.
...more to come!
Kaitlyn
PS: One of the most akward moments of my life: on our tour of the university we walked through the cafeteria and literally about 50 guys stood up, clapped, whistled, cat-called for our group of 9 girls.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The First Blog of my Life!
To my family and friends-
Many of you have asked for emails with updates and pictures while I am down in Mexico- I created this blog in response. I don't know exactly how much internet access I will have at UAG, but I will attempt to keep everyone posted on life down there via this site.
To those of you who aren't quite sure what I am doing...I will be attending classes at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (http://www.uag.mx/) for 9 weeks. I leave in two days (May 12th) and will be down there till the very end of July. I will be in three classes all concentrating on Spanish. By the end of the summer, I will have completed 3/4 of my Spanish minor! I am doing this study abroad program through APU and there are 10 of us going. We are the guinea pigs though! They have never done this trip before. The details are pretty vague but I do know that I will be living with a single lady whose name is Isabel. It will be an adventure!
I will do my best to keep you all updated!
Oh, and the title of this blog "Ciudad de las Rosas" (City of Roses) is one of Guadalajara's nicknames.
Con amor (with love),
Kaitlyn
PS: Tequila and Mariachi were invented in Jalisco...some cool random facts :)
PSS: And I was looking at the wrong school when I told some of you that UAG was founded in 1792...so just disregard that info...oops!
Many of you have asked for emails with updates and pictures while I am down in Mexico- I created this blog in response. I don't know exactly how much internet access I will have at UAG, but I will attempt to keep everyone posted on life down there via this site.
To those of you who aren't quite sure what I am doing...I will be attending classes at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (http://www.uag.mx/) for 9 weeks. I leave in two days (May 12th) and will be down there till the very end of July. I will be in three classes all concentrating on Spanish. By the end of the summer, I will have completed 3/4 of my Spanish minor! I am doing this study abroad program through APU and there are 10 of us going. We are the guinea pigs though! They have never done this trip before. The details are pretty vague but I do know that I will be living with a single lady whose name is Isabel. It will be an adventure!
I will do my best to keep you all updated!
Oh, and the title of this blog "Ciudad de las Rosas" (City of Roses) is one of Guadalajara's nicknames.
Con amor (with love),
Kaitlyn
PS: Tequila and Mariachi were invented in Jalisco...some cool random facts :)
PSS: And I was looking at the wrong school when I told some of you that UAG was founded in 1792...so just disregard that info...oops!
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