A few random picture of my trip so far...
The first a picture of the dining room. Taken from the living room.
The second is in my back yard. The stone cross has the family name on it.
The third is a picture of the new library...very cool
The next is a picture of the group waiting at the bus stop on campus with the Anthropology building in the background.
And the last is my bedroom, complete with blue hammock in the foreground.




There will be more pictures after this weekend of my trip to some Mayan ruins and the beach at Progresso.

Supposedly there is this thing called culture shock. Less of a shock and more of a clash really…A clash of your home culture and the one in which you are visiting. Supposedly it exists. Supposedly. And if this is true, then, in the next day or so I will start a downward spiral of frustration and annoyance of everything having to do with the Yucatecan culture…supposedly. To be honest, there are many things that I miss about home. I miss my family, friends, church, school, and my girl friend, whom I miss oh so much. But to go through a period of disliking the Yucatecan culture seems unlikely at this phase. Maybe it’s because I’m in the honeymoon phase of living here, or maybe I just fit so well here in Mexico, I don’t know. But as of now, things are going well. It is really fun to see how quickly my ability in the language improves daily. After studying Spanish for 6 years, such drastic improvement in just a couple of days is very encouraging. I’m to the point verbally where I can sit down and have an intellectual discussion over just about anything there is to discuss. For example tonight during la sobremesa, the period of time after dinner where the family sits and talks, my host parents and I discussed the differences and similarities between the Mexican and American public education systems.

I’ve decided which classes I will try to take. They are as follows (hopefully):

-Racism and Discrimination (Extra interesting because both are a big part of this

Culture)

-Cultural History of the Mayan Area

-Latin American Culture and Mindset, a Literature class

-History of Mexican/United States Relations

All of these classes will be in Spanish with native students. I’ll also be in an advanced Spanish class with a few other Americans that are in the same boat as I am.

One last thing about Mérida. It is probably the safest large city I’ve ever been in. The population is about 1 million, but they take pride in the security of the city as well as the way they treat foreigners. I feel completely safe, as well as the embassy here tells me I’m safe, walking through the streets alone at midnight. Something that you wouldn’t expect in Mexico.

Hasta

The major differences between Mexico and the US are easy to pick out and more obvious to readers back home. Because of this, it is the small differences that bring a smile to my face many times throughout my day…

Small Cultural difference (cont..)

-Brakes are for emergency use only in Mexico…which makes many emergency situations as stopped cars approach quickly in front of our speeding bus.

-People walk very slowly here and it doesn’t help that I’m 6’2’’ with a stride longer than most body lengths.

-Things that appear to be the same in Mexico as in America tend not to be. For example my sandwich for lunch today appeared completely normal…until I bit into the jalapeños and ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise mixture.

-Toilets in public places sometimes don’t have toilet seats.

-There is a different understanding of time. Meeting someone for lunch at 12 means that they will stop their previous activity at 12 and start the voyage to meet you for lunch. They aren’t late because, technically, the activity of meeting you for lunch did in fact begin at 12.

-In Mexico if you don’t talk about a problem, it doesn’t exist. For example, you will rarely here open discussion about poverty, racism, homosexuality, or any other “hot topic” because they don’t exist…

And the best part about all of this is that I love it so much. My bus ride to school in the mornings is awesome. Jalapeños add an amazing flavor to ham sandwiches. I’m a guy, so who needs toilet seats? The relaxed pace of everyone being about 10-15 minutes late is good practice for my patience and flexibility.

One last thing, it is interesting how quickly I forget English. Not really forget, but I have to think much harder about which word to use and how to spell it in English than I did 4 days ago. And if your name is Ashley, don’t worry because I’ll relearn the language just for you on my flight back home.

Hasta

Small Cultural Differences...

-I have been served soup 3 times so far in Mexico and each time I have been given a HUGE spoon, so big I almost can't even use it.

-The moment that a person steps on a bus here in Merida and pays his/her 5 pesos, the driver hits the gas with no regard for whether or not your footing is secure.

-When you put your bank card into an ATM it is not always a for sure thing that you will get either your card or money back.


I'm starting to get settled in here in Merida and I'm noticing some interesting things about the culture. First of all, Yucatecos have a very strong sense of state pride. They are above all else Yucatecans and then after this, Mexicans. Something that those of us from Texas can relate with. My family serves me food and then tells me whether its Yucateca or just plain Mexican food. Also, being an American here means one of two things. Either you get ripped off because the people know that most Americans will pay the high price...or you get a huge discount because the owners know that you being in their establishment will draw attention and business. Thirdly, La Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan is very beautful. The campus is not centralized like universities in America. Each different facultad, or major, has its own campus.

The night life in Merida is also unbelievable. It was Grandmother's Day nation wide in Mexico today and I went to a photography show of local grandmother's. And since many of the Abuelas, and people in general, here are Mayan there was a huge traditional ceremony full of singing and dancing. If you've never seen a 65 year old Mayan couple dance....you're missing out, sorta. And then there are endless restaurants, bars, clubs (which they call discos, and beautiful places just to walk around. I understand completely why so many Americans retire in this city.

Hasta

Today I discovered that waking up early in Mexico is no easier than waking up early in the US. I started orientation today and have discovered that Merida is an absolutely beautiful city. I saw the oldest Cathedral in the continent, which is right next to my university, and sat in a coffee shop dedicated to Frida Khalo. Tonight I celebrated my birthday with my new extended family because two of my new family members are one year older today as well. Side note, birthday cake in the Yucatan is quite different than we are accustomed to in the US. People are very interested in your political views and are very well educated in world events. It welcomes different view points in a very tolerant, yet still opinionated manner. It almost makes it more comfortable to talk politics than in the US where people are easily offended. But right now it is almost impossible to think and write creatively. I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Buenas noches

I'm here!!!! So after a night of sad goodbyes and a day full of flights and headaches I really didn't know what to expect when my host family picked me up from the airport. I screened my way through customs and walked through a door to see a woman, who looks oddly like my Granny, smiling really big holding a sign with my name on it. I knew right away that it would be a warm welcome. My host parents are probably the most friendly and lovable people I've ever met. I have 3 host brothers that are mid to upper twenties and my own room that is probably better than my room back home...mainly because in the Yucatan people sleep in hammocks. That's right, directly next to my bed is the most comfortable hammock I have ever laid on. As a matter of fact this very hammock will probably be the location of most of my blogs this semester seeing as my family has WIRELESS INTERNET. I was informed that no one in Mexico had internet in their home and I'd have to find some internet cafes....well that's apparently not true. One last small surprise i received today is that my host family has a beach house about 30 minutes away from here that they are taking me to the weekend after next. I'm roughing it so far, but I'll keep you updated.

Hasta