Day 14: Back

I'm back to San Francisco! The last day was traveling but nevertheless had interesting stories. The problem? No Internet at home yet, but as soon as civilization is back I'll definitely post an account of the last day.

In the meantime,  my next adventure is: how to fit many stuff in a tiny SF apartment?

** The Real Day 14: Adventure at the last minute!

I cheated a little bit: day 14 in Mexico wasn't a 24 hour, it was 5, and early in the morning, when there was no traffic in Mexico city - a rarity. Nevertheless I experienced a memorable time change -Daylight Saving happened in Mexico a week earlier than in the US - saw what happened to United 3 hours before the flight, chilled out at a house party, and had some taxi story to tell ya'all!

My flight was at 5 in the morning, and the day before, my random taxi driver told me that he would pick me up at 2 to drop me off at the airport. The problem? He didn't have a phone and neither did I. So how did we communicate? Basically on faith. Somehow I thought that he was really going to pick me up, and I didn't book any other thing in preparation. At 1:50 am, I looked out the window, there was nothing. At 1:59 am: still nothing, I was a little nervous, but decided to take a quick 1 minute mediation nap. 2:10 am: there was a car outside! It was a taxi! Faith restored! I came down. Now here's the interesting part - the taxi driver was sleeping with a towel across his face. I wanted to check if he was Hector, my dear taxi driver, but there was no way to know. The towel covered his face. The taxi didn't have any name tag. Stupid me didn't save the taxi number, but it didn't look like what I remembered, either. I felt bad - what if he was Hector, and was waiting for me? The street was empty. There was no other taxi around. Apparently, no other cars parked around that spot, either. At the same time, if he was here to pick me up, shouldn't he be up or at least have some kind of signals?

After 20 minutes walking around the car, inspecting its elements from the outside, I decided to leave the taxi driver sleeping. It felt cruel to wake up someone at 2 am. I went upstairs and called Uber instead. Yes, Uber is in Mexico City, and cool kids call it something like U-bear-rr. I got a black car, which arrived in just 7 minutes. Yet, the taxi driver at 2 am remained my concern and puzzle. I didn't know what happened and to this day still don't. That is my little Mexican mystery.

I arrived safe and sound in San Francisco. My friends saved a delicious portion of "bun bo xao" for me at home. Then off we went to my new San Francisco apartment, where I'm staying till today, and just got Internet this morning. 

I imagined some epic entry to end this blog, but the fact is, I'm not writing this live like every other day - this is a "microwaved" entry :) The heat is hard to reconstruct, but the taste - still the same, as you can probably tell, I love my Mexico trip. I came back refreshed, and to an extreme, reborn. All the previous hatred, frustration, disappointment, and heartache suddenly seemed so distant. They were part of another chapter of my life, a past that is ready to be shelved away. Mexico gave me the fresh start that I needed. I'm ready for San Francisco and my new life here. 

Thank you for reading my lengthy travel rants, commenting, and checking up on me, my dear family and friends! I feel special and cherished. I'd love to update you all about my SF life, too, but I probably won't be able to write every day. Occasional crazy stories about my tiny space? Totally feasible, say hello to http://326sf.blogspot.com/ :)

Day 13: Penultimatum

The traveler's moment: have you ever read a travel book and wondered: can it really happen? How can she meet these amazing people?

Well the traveler's moment just happened to me today. While wandering aimlessly in a small museum in a hidden corner of downtown, I met one of the world's most passionate docents. My face must have screamed I don't know anything and why I'm here - which was true: my fabulous plan to get up at 8am fell spectacularly and I instead played it by ears. Then I was going to the Chipulpetec park but stopped at the Almeda first because it was so nice and bright. I'm telling you, Mexico City has everything, if you want European building you have European building. If you want French park, you have French part. History? Check. Dance? Yep. Street food? Mystery? Aha. It literally has everything, a world within a world. This square in particular is clean, big, and full of shades. It also has wifi. And I enjoyed it too much that my plan to go to the park didn't work anymore because of timing and distance. Instead I went to the little known Diego Rivera mural museum because it was the first "nearby attraction" that showed up on my phone. Admission was only 19 pesos and since I lost wifi after that, I actually didn't know what I was going to look at.

A big mural, it turned out, with hundreds of characters and allegories in them. The museum helpfully had some directions in Spanish. While I tentatively studied it, this elderly gentleman stepped in and asked if I understand everything. Then he pointed me to the next big board and said that's in English. Although it wasn't true, I told him I speak Spanish and can understand everything. A delightful smile he gave me - he went on to explain every important character on the mural - why they were there and what they presented. He also explained that there are five Important Diego Rivera murals, one in San Fran actually! Another one is close by not in this museum but of walking distance. He asked if I wanted to see it and I said yes!

Ar first, I was very anxious I was worried that he was trying to sell something to me or maybe this is a scam of some sort. But he is some kind of museum connoisseur: he walks in and out free. He walked me to the Palacios de Bella artes, and the next twenty minutes or so was devoted to Diego Rivera's political mural. It was originally commissioned by Rockefeller but erased because Lenin was featured prominently. The Mexican government adopted instead. My docent explained to me everything from the timing, context, to characters and hidden meanings. Then, just as I was so excited about this new knowledge, he decided to go. I was going to invite him for a coffee or somethinmig but he said good bye as fast as he showed up in the first place. I even forgot to ask for his name! I only remembered he wore a green vest, used to work for the finance department, is retired and loves arts. I'm so deeply grateful for his spontaneous generosity to a stranger!

Lina had a traveler's moment today too. Guess who was in the same elevator as her? Limp Bitzkit and Korn! What did I say? Anything can happen in Mexico City!

As for the park, it wasn't totally lost. I biked there instead using one of Mexico progressive bike shares. Great bike lane and bike traffic lights! I had a blast! Afterwards I went to a mariachi restaurant, but that's the story for anther day. I need to take a nap before my super early flight tomorrow. Adios!

PS: Taxi here is so expensive, it costs as much as a bus trip from Cuernavaca to the city. Lesson learned: public transportation!

Day 12: Goodbye and Hello Mexico

Although today is not my last day in Mexico, it's my last day at the school. I've learned so much, I've had so much fun, it's hard to say goodbye! All of my teachers gave me great hugs and told me to come back. My fellow students too! So sweet!

In about an hour, I'm taking the bus to Mexico City, and will continue my journey there.

*** A la ciudad de Mexico!

I got my first "independent" bus trip and it wasn't bad at all. First of all, it was super fast, mi mama mexicana dropped me off at the airport, and in just a few minutes, I was ready to board on the bus. Then the bus was leaving in 5 minutes! Que perfecto!

The bus has assigned seat, and the one next to me was empty: I was occupying two - yihaaa! The seat also has a recliner, you can have it back down all the way, just like in a car, and much more comfortable than an airplane. They played Elysum on the bus, in dubbed Spanish. It was great for me to shoulder-pat myself every time I picked up a word or two! I was like, great, I can now watch movies (yeah, if they are made up of 2 word dialogues)!

But of course, I dozed off soon after, a very pleasant nap. When I woke up, the bus was already close to the city, but traffic was terrible - we were hardly moving at all. Since it was my first bus trip, I don't have any reference point and was just enjoying the view. Several people were complaining on the phone (I eavesdropped).

The bus arrived at a crazily crowded station. Following advice from my teachers and friends, I went straight to the prepaid taxi counter, where you tell them the address, and pay the fare in advance. Then they assign you a number and you can find your taxi right away. Mine was really expensive (150 pesos) but not knowing any better, I was just silent and went to my taxi. Now, here's the interesting part. My taxi driver had no idea where my hotel was. Umm, I booked the Hampton Inn & Suites, and was thinking that at least Hampton has some kind of brand name in Mexico? Nada. He was also long sighted, and had the hardest time reading the address. He told me the street that I gave him was very long, it could be anywhere! In my broken Spanish, I told him to take me to the Central Square and we can figure out from there. It was a success. He told me to the Zocalo, from there, we asked a pedi-cab and was able to get to the hotel.

Not only that, I also made friends with him, and was given his email for my trip to the airport later. He left his cell phone at home, so he told me, email or facebook! I somehow managed to explain my complicated living situation: I'll stay in the hotel for one night, then to another apartment near by. I need a taxi at 2 am in the morning. He said, yes, he will pick me up at 2 am in the morning, and he also promised to send email. In the meantime, he also mentioned a bunch of hotels where the rates are much better than mine :|

At the hotel, I checked in in Spanish, obviously struggling, so the receptionist asked if I wanted to switch to English. Here's what the stubborn Tam said: Spanish only, so that I can practice! She was very patient, although she had to answer everything two or three times to my duck-pooping (ngong i) face :| But I was able to check in no problema.

Hotel service also called and asked me something on the phone. They repeated it twice, but I still couldn't figure it out. I hope it wasn't something terrible.

Alright, this is the up-to-the-moment update. I have to enjoy hotel amenities, and then the Zocalo!

Day 11: Mercado

Today, Marie taught me 3 more verb tenses. In total, I have 12 verb tenses to manage by tomorrow. I'm now upgraded to past, present, and future. Technically, I'd be able to say anything and understand everything. Reality is slightly (or much) different. I definitely have been able to understand more. But speaking? Umm, that's still very hard.

Probably it's not helping that I'm hanging out with people who speak English. When we go out, we'd try a bit of Spanish at the beginning, but of course, the story always finds its way back to English :) But my group of people is very nice. Today we had a goodbye dinner, because everyone is either leaving tomorrow or during the weekend. The busy Miguel had to take a conference call during the dinner, but we enjoyed French cuisine in a little restaurant next to school, and talked about our future plans. We were so animated that I forgot to take pictures. Afterwards, I wandered around town, to the big market and the artisanal market. I also did a bit of homework with Lina at a trendy coffee shop. It has nice, cosy chairs, open air, and quite pleasant atmosphere. The only minus point is that their WiFi doesn't work.

Cool coffee shop

El mercado, the big market, never stops to amaze me with its size and variety. I was looking at some artsy DVDs when suddenly an avalanche of nude videos were surrounding me. It's kinda funny to see them in daylight, these shops look just like any regular shops, with kids running around and elderly grandmas yawning in boredom. They have discounts and feature displays, too. There are also very many of them, but unfortunately, I didn't take any pic or investigate very closely :)

I've booked the room for tomorrow, and will board on a first class bus to the exciting Mexico City. The adventure continues!

Cuernavaca in the evening

Day 10: New Friends

At times in Cuernavaca, I feel like I'm the protagonist of "Under the Tuscan Sun". I see romance budding, friendship forming, and so many, many good moments. Everyday I'm learning something new, be it the language, the way of life, or the people surrounding me.

Today, I got to know the new group of students a little bit better, as we took an excursion to Xochihuacan. I second-handedly learned that Melissa has done all of the followings: Air Force 1, medic, psychiatry, and saving lives in a hospital in Ghana. Laura is a diplomat and has been traveling everywhere, including Vietnam. Emily speaks very good Spanish, and actually grew up not too far from San Francisco. She has visited other pyramids in Mexico, and is my guide on the way home (She has been here just 3 days but already knows the way better than me :). There is a family from Colorado who is going to farm in Paraguay. They have a tunnel in their house, and many crazy farming stories, about the weather, the rain, the different cultures between North Americans and South Americans.

And of course, the trip itself is interesting. In true touristy form, I took way too many pictures. This time, we visited another pyramid, where the view, again, is spectacular. The original habitants are still a mystery to archaeologists but the site is restored beautifully. There is a temple, a steam bath, and even a sacred playground for ceremony. The best part is that the site was almost empty. We were the only people on the premise, roaming free, enjoying the view, climbing a pyramid, taking our time. It is also the first time when it actually didn't rain at all during a visit. The bright sun, the blue sky and white clouds over a city's ruins made me pause and start to appreciate the scenery even more than ever.

On the way back, we stopped by a historic hotel. This is where the 1st Spanish ruler, Hernan Cortes, built his residence and hosted guests. Now it is a commercial hotel, with few modifications from the original building, but anyone can rent for the night. Next to the residence is a sugar mill - now a restaurant, and the tunnel, where slaves and workers used to live, a high end bar. The building is packed with history. It also boasts a big swimming pool, a nice garden, and a big hall which used to be a stable for guest carriages. Other notable is a big stadium for mariachi bands during wedding celebration. If you stay here, you probably feel like you are walking on the set of the History channel.

Yes, this is a hotel

One sad thing for the day: Rosy, mi mama mexicana, has suffered a loss in her family: the mother-in-law of her brother passed away today. I wanted to say sorry, condolences, but my vocabulary is not that developed that. Best of luck to their family!

**PS: writing under influence of the fancy hotel's cocktail, Vista Hermosa:

Day 9: Irregular Verbs

I haven't learned a new language for so long, I forgot the difficulties of learning one. For example, how much you have to memorize just to survive and say simple things such as, What did you do yesterday? Not only do you have to know the verb "to do", you have to be able to put it in the right past tense. Then, you have to know how to say "yesterday", the pronoun, the question phrase "What". And when people answer, you, again, need to know the verbs and their tense, in order to understand anything. Et voila, c'est la vie!

In my 2nd week in this beautiful town, my very talented teacher wanted me to master 6 verb tenses in Spanish. I know, it isn't all tenses yet, but for me, it's more than enough. Not only there are many tenses, there are very many irregular verbs, too. My favorite word in the class, according to her, has been "difficil" - new verbs are difficult, new tenses are difficult, irregular verbs, also difficult. Is there anything easy for me?

At the same time, I appreciate the fact that I can understand more now thanks to expansive knowledge of verb tenses. Especially the verb "to be" and "to go", suddenly, it is so clear what everyone is asking about. (my answer to them is another story though)

There will only be a few days left until I come back to the States. It's a bitter-sweet feeling. I've enjoyed the time here so much, it's kinda sad to go. I want to squeeze in as much as possible. There are so many things to see, places to go, that it is hard to plan it all. As of now, my only plan is to go to Mexico City again this weekend, and try to hit all the touristy spots. This trip is heavy on the spontaneous side, I haven't even bought the bus ticket yet. I have booked a hotel, but it's likely going to change, too.

Today, I will go to the "black market" of Cuernavaca with Lina. For now, I need to take a nap after a very full meal of quesidilla. This is what homemade quesidilla looks like:

** Update after "black market" trip": I bought some socks and guavas (for a total of 10 pesos or less than $1!) We also saw a family of NINE people getting out of a regular cab. I was so tempted to be touristy and snapped a pic - but I did not. We went to a posh restaurant with red wallpaper and a dance floor - perfect for a date! - but ordered only lemonade, then left to gossip at a sidewalk cafe near the Cathedral :) A funny thing happened: we were talking about A and then I saw him playing on the street. I should have alerted my friend, but I really thought it was imagination as we were just chatting about him. I didn't even remember his face. But don't worry, a moment was not lost. A sent my friend a message to confirm. Fun time ensued. I'm thirty and I'm not supposed to get giddy anymore. But I can't help getting excited about the start of something, especially when I'm there to witness :)

(new newly purchased guavas!)

Day 8: Aftermath

Everybody said, you did so much this weekend,  and on this glorious Monday, it actually hit me. I was very sleepy. One of our classmates had to stay at home because he felt sick. I was not doing so much better.  During class, my professor saw my wanting-to-doze-off face and asked if I wanted a break. The critical (or most embarrassing) moment was when I suddenly felt so hungry (Why? Who knows?) that she dispatched me to the cafeteria to get food. I couldn't really function during these periods of low blood sugar. I looked over the window, at the orange tree in the school garden and wondered out loud if I could eat its fruits. My professor laughed and said, too sour, get something sweet.

Today we also get new students at the school, 7 more to be exact. There is an entire family traveling from Texas, with Mom, Dad and Son. We also get the great Roberto, at the firm age of 84. He is in great health. It is a shame to say - but it's true - his Spanish is better than mine. The people I've met here are so inspiring. Becky is 78 and learning. Roberto is at the peak of 84 and showing no sign of slowing down. Lina speaks probably more than 4 languages. Fernando from Brazil, too. Everyone has been traveling extensively, is appreciative of other cultures, aspires to learn, and is always so humble and nice. They inspire me to explore, enjoy, and appreciate life.

I had planned to walk to downtown today, but instead, I took a big nap - got up at 8 pm, aye! It is also raining outside. My professor gave me a bunch of flashcards to study irregular verbs - that probably is my entertainment tonight. And Manuel Mijares, my professor's favorite, or Enrique Iglesias, my new rediscovery.

PS: the breakfast picture makes a comeback today, because, guess what? I had papaya for breakfast!

Day 7: Pyramid

This weekend has been so much fun: yesterday we climbed a pyramid in Tepoztlan, and today, we were on top of the 3rd biggest pyramid in the world! The pyramid in Teotihuacan belongs to a sophisticated structure, including civilian homes, markets, guest houses, etc. It made me feel like I'm entering a city in ancient time. The view is great, the structure quite magnificent, I love this trip.

One thing about traveling to pyramids: you may want to train a bit at home. I don't know much about the brave and strong people of prehistoric time, but for modern humans, walking up a tall pyramid sure looks dangerous. Yesterday, we were on the edge of a pyramid, and the edge was so narrow, we always felt like we could fall off at any moment. Today, the edge is big larger, nevertheless, the height is freighting. There is no rail, fence, or anything to prevent you from falling. Just have to hold your breath, and believe!

We also got to see the painting techniques of ancient people: they use a combination of cactus worms and various kinds of wild plants. It sounds gross, but it actually works very well: the color is immediate, bright, and long-lasting. We each got a postcard package made from cactus leaves. (Don't worry friends, I'll send you postcards once I know my way to the post office!)

After visiting the pyramids, we also went to see the 2nd most visited church in the world, the Basilica in Mexico City. The church has a quilt of Virgin Mary, which was revealed as a miracle. It also has an interesting structure: the old church was sinking due to soft soil underneath, and the new church is big, bright, like an auditorium. Mexican history and religion are so rich and interesting.

On the way back home, I stopped by a taco shop, and ate with my friends. The shop looks like a "bia hoi" in Vietnam, but the food smells super good. It was packed with locals, too, and it did not disappoint. I had pineapple pork, beefsteak, and ribs with mushrooms. They all tasted very yummy. In fact, I was so full I could not move.

I just got home and jotted this down for fear that I might fall asleep and forget my journaling mission. Adios!

Day 6: Tepoztlan!

That's me and my classmate on top of a pyramid in Tepoztlan. Today is such a fun packed day! The day started with a trip to the Bus Station in Cuernavaca. Well, it was my first time going to the bus station so I clearly had no idea where to go. Luckily, our friend Lina always knows the way. She led us through a bunch of backroads, markets, bridges and backdoors, and we arrived at the bus station. It was only 21 pesos (less than $2) to go to Tepotzlan!

Once the bus dropped us off, we realized we didn't really know how to go to the downtown area, or to the mountain where the pyramid is. Another taxi trip....

Well, lots of details, but the most exciting part was hiking up the mountain, to the top, to see the pyramid. It's quite challenging, but the view is so satisfying. Once on top, you can also climb the pyramid, walk around the steps and have even a better view - but a riskier one, as the steps are super narrow. You feel like you can fall at any time!

After the big hike, we went to a very good restaurant in Tepoztlan, where a mariachi band was playing the best romantic songs of the afternoon. I also had a very good gelato, specialty of the region, and is made of fig and special tequila leaf. It was very good!

I'm back now feeling very pumped. There is another trip tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to it. Now to the shower and a very nice deep sleep.

Day 5: Itches!

Last night, I looked at all existing entries and noticed, all of them begin with "Today", and are about food. So I decided to change the topic, and begin with "last night" here. I also forgot to take the ritual breakfast picture today, which leaves room for other topics, like, other food :) ?

J/k. The day began with a trip to the local pharmacy. I've been getting these crazy itches around my ankles with tiny red dots. I spent last night researching and concluded that it's better safe than sorry. I wrote an email to the program director, asking to be checked by a doctor. He said not to worry, we could check at the pharmacy, and today, mi mama mexicana took me to one. Of course, I did not understand much of the conversation, except for his prescription. He gave me cortisone, loratadine, and told me to treat it in the next 3 to 4 days. My program director told me that his niece gets these red dots all the time, they come from the grass - or in his words, "grass lice". These insects give crazy bites, so I should wear shoes instead of sandals the next time I'm in the school yard. His words made me even worrier, do these lice live on people or as long as I stay away from the grass, I'll be OK?

In the meantime, it still itches like crazy. I was really scared that I got scabies. The Internet says one of the symptoms is red dots like mosquito bites, but if you look close, they are actually burrows where the scabies mites lay eggs. The pictures look quite disgusting. However, scabies contract from human to human, and I don't think I know anyone with scabies. Even in all my intensive travel recently, I don't think I was in much human contact with anyone except for handshakes and hugs. Unless the room in Punta Canta had scabies in the sheets? But my friend Nga is totally fine without any itch. The red dots are not concentrated around one place or linked either. In any case, that's quite a scary thought. "Grass lice" sound much better (can't believe what I just wrote!)

Meanwhile, this morning, I attained two new big red dots on my feet. It's impossible not to go to the grass, because the chairs and tables are there. I already did the unsightly thing of putting my legs on the chairs. I'll wear close-up shoes the next time. For now these itches are quite bad. I'll try to think about new words, Spanish, and class instead.

This afternoon, we'll go to a nice restaurant in Cuernavaca, Las Mananitas. I just looked up the word, and it is a traditional Mexican song for birthdays, which is perfect, as we are going to celebrate my classmate's birthday there.

This weekend is also packed with trips to nearby towns. I'm excited! I'll wear shoes and cover myself everywhere. Mosquitoes and insects love me too much!

For now, an usual siesta would be good. My Mexican mama is off to work. I'm at home with Hachi again. She told me to close the door so that Hachi would not enter. But the dog looks too cute and I hate the idea of him looking sad and alone. Hachi always find people to hang out with. He jumps to my bed, sits next to me, etc. It's like he has a sensor for human. I've only had cats before, so I'm not used to it yet. But it's nice.

* Note: I just finally realize that "salsa" just means sauce. So when they ask you, do you want salsa, it just means any kind of sauce, even, say, pasta sauce! Or fish sauce!

* After trip report: this is us at the fancy Las Mananitas. There are wonderful fish, duck, and other delicious food after this. We also got to tour the kitchen and garage b/c we wanted to get a taxi. In fact, I'm now not afraid of taking the taxi anymore. Today, I even bargained using fingers (6? Nope, 5! It works), and told the driver that there are two locations instead of just one. Wonderful people here!

Day 4: Just Relax

Time flies - it's already my 4th day in Mexico. Today, I got up with an excellent breakfast, like usual, and then went to school. Not much else happened.

Breakfast: my Mexico mama made a sweet tamale. She told me that there are many types of tamales in Mexico. Basically, you can put anything in a tamale, and they all have different names. Mine today was corn, very sweet, and very good as well.

The regular fruits, melon, watermelon, apple, pineapple made a reappearance.

Today is also the first day I could make some "small" talk with my Mexican mama. It really was small because I couldn't say a lot, but worth remembering, as my Mexican mama, Rosil, then told my teachers that we had a conversation. A baby step!

Class: There will be an exam tomorrow, and today, I was given about 20 more new verbs, all of them irregular, and a new verb tense to learn. There are also new words as well, today is the first time I know how to say "yesterday" in Spanish. I've heard it forever, just today it became clear what it means.

I also realized that I didn't understand much because, in addition to my lack of vocabulary, I don't know any verb tense except for the present. Even common actions sound different in the past. No wonder I had no idea what people were asking, and their confused looks when I answered everything in the present tense. I go to bed, I get up, I eat, etc. Et voi1a!

Every so often, I'd say a word in French too. I always mumble, "C'est bon!" instead of the correct "Esta bien". I just happened to say so many other things in French too. I did not want to do that. It's just my fried brain doing its detection: Is it Vietnamese? No? English? No? Oh must be French! Rush out some words!

It's absolutely funny to hear me trying to pronounce Spanish words. The rolled "R" is already of international fame, but I elevate it to another level: I treat it as a French word and pronounce it like a nasal sound - haha. Other times my brain is super active, and creates new non-existing words on the spot. I suspect I only read half of the words in general and make up the other half. Often, the prediction is right, but today, I saw "me" and thought it must be "Mexican", while the sentence was actually "he is a mechanic" - no es mexicano! My teachers had a good time laughing at my fabrication: Don't read what is written, read out loud what you think it should be.

After-class: Well, this afternoon, I'm staying at home with Hachi, the very cute dog of my Mexican mama. After two days of going out, I suddenly became exhausted. I have so many books to read though. I can also walk around this very nice neighborhood. Did I mention I also have walnut shrimp from last night?

Tomorrow is Friday! Then the weekend! I'm pretty sure there's something planned, but for now, I can only think about my siesta.

Day 3: Shopping!

Today I got up very late, because for some reason, I stayed up late last night reading a guidebook about Mexico City. Mexico's history is quite fascinating: many wars, many revolutions, and too many ideologies. I slept through the first alarm clock, and only got up 30 minutes before school.

Breakfast was good like usual. Instead of eggs, I got to eat muettes? - some kind of bread with beans and cheese. I also had fresh fruits and yogurt. I knew that my teachers would ask me to describe this meal, so I took a picture.

School was heavy, and for some reason, I felt constantly sleepy. Is it the altitude finally kicking in? Cuernavaca and Mexico City are both way above sea level, which supposedly makes you tired if you are not used to high elevation. Or maybe it was just my lack of sleep?

In any case, I have a fantastic plan for tonight: shopping. I heard that there is a big mall not too far away from here. My classmates are going too. But because I live quite far away from downtown, I'll first have to take a taxi downtown and go from there. 2nd taxi adventure is in order! Also, will I have to haggle in Spanish later? I don't know, but I'm curious to find out!

At the school today, we celebrated a birthday. It was Becky's 78th, and we had a cake. Everyone was singing a Mexican happy birthday song, it was wonderful. Becky was very animated, speaking to me in both English and Spanish about how happy she was. Becky had been to the school 5 times before. She is in retirement, but keeps going back to polish her Spanish. Her partner is younger, and accompanying her as well. Also, at this party, I realized I had confused people's name. Becky's partner is Roberto. My travel companion for yesterday was Fernando. There are only 6 students in the school, and somehow I haven't managed to remember everyone's name yet.

Alright, I'm going to take a nap now, so that I'll have energy for the shopping trip later. I was thinking of not going, but my teacher said that I should take advantage of the time here. Take an-hour-nap and then go!- she said. I'm going to try to see how it goes!

** Update after the mall trip **

Dios mios, I got home at 11 pm! Homework will likely be very difficult! Aye aye aye, but I had a good time today with Lina and Fernando. We went to a big mall in Cuernavaca, and ate a delicious (and big) dinner at PFChang. It was actually good, and I was so super full.

I'm so thankful to have friends who speak better Spanish than me (much better). Lina and Fernando are fluent, they discuss music, books, food, and very sophisticated subjects with ease. They can also carry on interesting conversations with any local on the street. We had a lively discussion about Cuernavaca with our taxi driver, until he looked at me and said, Hmm, looks like you don't speak any Spanish, do you? Haha, you're right. Every so often, I'd pick up one to two words, and guess what the conversation is about. But in general, I have no idea. Lina was very kind to translate part of the conversation to me. Our kind taxi driver said, You'll get it some day! I hope that day is coming soon.

The mall in Cuernavaca, La Galerias, is huge! It looks just like any American mall, with a big department store (Liverpool, Sarbonnes), and a few big brands (Zara, Stefara). It even has a food court, and many restaurants. The mall was a long way from our places. It took almost 30 minutes to get there, in heavy traffic. But in Cuernavaca, you don't rely on meters. You get into a taxi, ask for the price, and then go on your trip. No meter is running, so your taxi driver can take short cut, or doesn't care if sometimes you have to be in traffic, because there is no other way to go. 

On the way back, all three of us shared a taxi, and that saved money. Tomorrow, Fernando will calculate the fare for us. For now, I'm so tired. I'm going to bed!

Day 2: Continued Confusion

Buenos diaz! Today I got up awfully early, and then took a shower and went to school. I feel like a little kid going to school every day again.

My Spanish improves a tiny bit, but I still clearly struggle to understand my Mexican mama. Everyone told me that she is awesome, but due to the language barrier, I haven't been able to talk to her at all. Most of the conversations involve me saying Si si, or muy bien :D

Although today I adventured to say a vocabulary of food items and made some tiny progress. I can ask questions now. I know some verb tenses. I can even conjugate (barely)! Hoy!

After a big comida, I'm going to the downtown area for a tour at 5. There'll be a taxi involved too. I'm a bit worried since I have never hailed a taxi here at all. But at any case, it should be fun!

Report after the downtown adventure:

It rained! The moment we got on the car, it poured like crazy. Mi mama mexicana told me to bring an umbrella if I had one, which I did, thanks to good packing preparation. The umbrella saved me from getting wet the whole tour!

My tour guide, Ms Paquinto, was very nice and gracious. But my Spanish is hardly sustainable for such level of conversation. I could only get very little from the Cuernavaca history, the cathedral and what is special about this place. Ever so often, looking at my confused face, she would stop and explain something in details. But it didn't help. I just went from one level of confusion to another. Then, of course, if she gave me the English words, all is well again!

After the tour in the Central Cathedral, Miguel y Roberto and I went for an adventure in the downtown area. We got lost in a Mexican market. It looked just as crazy as a Vietnamese one, too many shoes, too many goods. It smelled like tacos everywhere, or grilled corns, and I immediately felt hungry. We were trying to find fruit stands, instead, we saw one shop after another, full of shoes, or some other items. In between there were barber shops, small eateries, DVD stores, clothes stands, and a row of just flower shops. It was very chaotic, it felt like a maze that we could never get out. Eventually, we decided to exit when we saw a small alley. Once we were out, we didn't know where we were anymore.

Luckily, out of the three of us, Roberto is an experienced Spanish speaker. He asked the police for the way, and the friendly police held up traffic so that we could cross the streets. It was very nice and special. We walked up the hills following his direction, and finally found ourselves at the starting point. At this point, everyone was hungry, and we decided to go for dinner.

I'm happy to report back: I'm full after dinner - I don't remember what I ate, Roberto ordered them all. I even forgot to take pictures although I was super touristy during the tour and took many pictures of things I could not understand.

Roberto and Miguel hailed a Radio cab for me after that. I got a chance to practice my baby Spanish - I asked for the price, and luckily, did not have to bargain. The price was just what I was told what it should be. Cuanrente pesos! I could do that.

When the taxi arrived on my street, I wanted to tell him, keep going. But of course, I don't have the vocabulary for that. I hand-motioned. He followed. We finally arrived at the right house. I survived!

After I got home, mi mama mexicana wasn't at home, but she got two guests came knocking at the door. Guess who answered them? Yo! I told them this was her house, but didn't know how to say she was not at home. But they got it, and said they would come back tomorrow in the morning. Bien!

This is it for today's adventure. Reported on the spot. Now I have to do homework, go to sleep, and get ready for tomorrow!

Buenas noches!

Day 1: Hola Mexico!

Today is Oct 13, 2014 - my first day on this totally spontaneous trip to Mexico. The ticket was bought yesterday (1 day in advance!) and my flight was at a wacko hour (arriving at 5:30 in the AM!). I wanted to learn a language. I have time on vacation. Most importantly, San Francisco rent is so expensive that, my trip abroad costs even less than a month's rent in the city. Yes, it's true. Welcome to the Wild Wild West!

In any case, I'll be in Mexico for 14 days (2 weeks). I don't know Spanish at all, even a little. I can say Hola all day, but that's about it. I wish to at least be able to converse in Spanish by the end of the trip. I signed up for a language class in the City of Eternal Spring, Cuernavaca, so we'll see how it goes in two weeks!

First challenge: I lost my neck pillow on the plane. I could hardly sleep, I was so accustomed to my comfy pillow, that without it, it was a bit rough to fall asleep. Luckily, by the end of the flight, I found my pillow. It felt off somehow, and some people put it on the last seat of the plane. It was a strange feeling: waking up without the neck pillow and wondering, did I really bring a neck pillow on the flight with me? How can it fall off without a trace? Answer: someone else took it, but I questioned my mental health for a while before getting confirmed.

Second challenge: Do you remember the Immigration line at US airport? Well, it's just as bad in Mexico, even worse. The Citizen line was almost empty. The Immigration line (including tourists from anywhere!) was full of people. I waited for a good 30 minutes? or even more. There was no problem of course, but given that it was bright early in the morning, it was kind of tiring.

When I finally finished with Immigration, the school taxi driver picked me up with a sign. I felt very special. This is the first time I was picked up with a sign from the airport. It was bit scary. I was wondering what would happen if I didn't find him? But in the end, he is a pro, I saw the sign right away. It wasn't difficult at all!

Now, off to the trip. Mexico City is very crowded. We had traffic at 6 in the morning. The roads were full of people trying to commute, while the sun hadn't even risen yet. Mexico City is also very modern and impressive, just like any big city in the US: lots of cars, museums, people, all the amenities with parking meters, traffic lights, street vendors, etc.

The sun didn't rise until 7 am, and I wish I could see more of Mexico City. But the fact is, I was totally sleepy and tired. I had less than 4 hours of sleep, and couldn't keep my eyes open. My kind taxi driver told me to just lay down in the back seat - I totally did that. I had a peaceful sleep in the next two hours or so. The next time I woke up, it's already the bright morning. I was in front of my host family already. Buenos diaz!

My first impression of Cuernava is the hills - it is just as hilly as San Francisco - way to go from one hill to another. The weather is very nice. It's sunny, but not boiling hot. It's a bit chilly even. The sky was blue, not a lot of cloud. The houses are colorful, and people seem nice. My host mama drives a manual and runs a laundromat. She zips in and out of the hills with super determination and speed. She looks very young too.

Then reality hit me. Although I tried, I really didn't know any Spanish. I couldn't talk to her at all, awkward silence was in the air. My host mama tried to make some conversations, but I couldn't understand either her questions or answers. I ate in silence, vowing that I'd do better later. Yes, I came here to learn!

Cuernavaca also reminds me a bit of Aix en Provence. It's a quiet, somewhat sleepy town. The streets looks peaceful. I love the hilly roads and the way all the houses perched on top of the hills, too. It's a pleasure to look at.

Spanish school is quite intense. But I believe I have the biggest bang for my bucks here. I got one to one tutoring every day, since, everyone at the school is at a higher level than me. So they are going to pump me up until I can catch up with another level next week. For this week, it's me and my maestros - one for vocabulary, one for grammar. They are all very nice.

In the morning, I struggled to keep my eyes open. I was too tired. I tried hard and hard not to fall asleep in class. I didn't remember anything at all. Then some French came to my mouth, and my maestros laughed, stop speaking French. Hables Espagnol!

Si si si! I'm trying!

At noon, I found a comfy couch and had a comfy nap on the couch, for a brief 15 minutes, but that was a life saver. In the afternoon, I was much more animated. We went over present tense in Spanish, and a vocabulary of about 100 words. Again, too many things at the same time! I suspect I mis-pronounced half of the words, but the teachers were nothing but encouraging. They kept saying Muy bien! Perfecto! and I myself felt like a hero.

At the school, there are a few other students. There are a few who have been here for a few weeks, with superb Spanish. There is also an American couple visiting for the 4th time, their Spanish is much better than mine for sure. And lastly, an HR executive from LA, doing the VIP class. He has a car and VIP service, but he also starts at zero, like me!

Mi mama picked me up from the school and I came back home for the giant COMIDA at 3 pm. Meals here are weird! Only two meals per day, but I was mostly sleepy rather than hungry. I finished as quick as I could and took a fantastic nap until 8 pm! Ah yes, long nap I know, very relaxing. The next thing I know, my host was showing me how to turn on the TV, except that, they all speak Spanish of course. Then I checked my email, chatted a bit with friends online. And now, I'm composing this epic blog entry. Let's make it a daily ritual so that I have a journal of this adventurous trip.

Now, I must do homework, tarea! Hasta manana!