While I'm in Mexico...

2009-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

A humorous piece from the New Yorker which shows the real benefits to SPF...

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2009/08/10/090810sh_shouts_borow

More on N. Korea

2009-06-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

In addition to my previous post, I happened upon this article while reading World magazine...

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15488

Coincidental? I think not....

p.s. The author is this article is a phenomenal writer...I have a book of her essay's and they're amazing. Sometimes she confuses me with some of things she writes about, but even in my state of confusion I know I'm still blown away by what I'm reading...

North Korea

2009-06-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with Mexico, but I feel compelled to post it.

As many people have probably seen in the news, two American journalists who were working in North Korea were arrested for 'illegal entry,' and sentenced on Monday to 12 years in prison. I haven't really been following it that much, but a website I like wrote an article about it, and after reading through the article, I began reading other readers' comments. The comments mainly focused on the injustice of it all, but also about the prison labor camps that exist in North Korea. As I began to read more about them, I realized: they're awful, awful places. Obviously, the words 'labor prison camp' don't conjure up images of kittens chaseing butterflies across puffs of clouds, but still. I was in shock about what goes on at these camps. The government (which is essentially made up of Kim Jong-il) created these horrible places and tries to keep them secret from the international population. But, as you'll see in the link below, survivors of the camps are working to making the atrocities committed in the prisons known to the international community. People accused for practically no reason spend time in these prisons, usually dying before they are released. Even if they make it out, they find no recompensation from the government for their injuries, deformities, anguish, etc. Even family members of the 'accused' are thought to be guilty and are forced into the camps. Even children. *insert shiver of disgust, here*

The article below was written by Sun Ok Lee, a survivor of one of the prison camps. Please beware before you read it, of the following: its very, very graphic and ultimately, heartbreaking. Some of the things Sun describes sound like they came from the history books when talking about concentration camps and the Holocaust. And she was there during the 1990s..and I have no reason to believe anything has changed since she was released. I became more and more nauseous as I read it. So be careful. I had to stop a few times because I just couldn't even believe what I was reading. Its also a pretty hefty read, and needless to say, depressing.

I don't really know what my thoughts are yet on all of this...but I do know my heart is broken for the people living in North Korea. The complete lack of human rights, respect, protection, love, etc. They deserve to be saved from this awful hell. And I guess passing on this article is one way to help them...raising awareness is a first step. When people become passionate about something, thats when changes can be made. So take a half hour of your day and read the article, say a prayer for these people, and maybe think about passing it on.

http://ncafe.com/northkorea/SunOkLeeTestimony_w_llus.pdf

It's been a long time

2009-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for such a lapse in posts...almost two months. My bad.

I'm back in Mexico, about a month into my coop at SwissRe. Christmas break was wonderful - went to Paris for two weeks and got to spend time with Gina and some other BSIBers. Then I was home for about 10 days, which was nice as usual. Its always good to be home and have nothing to do. I saw a lot of family, got to hang out with my friends from high school. All around a nice break. Now, as I said, I'm back in Mexico.

Work is going well. We're doing so much training for the job. I work in the technical accounting department, and there's so much to learn. There are 4 coops total there, the first round of coops the company has had. Which is frustrating, but also kind of exciting. I'm going to have different responsibilities, but I'll write about them when I'm more involved.

In between my training I usually don't have much to do besides read the news, and I happened upon this opinion article from the NYT. Errol Morris is a columnist and photographer who rights media-related op-ed articles. In this particular post, he sat down with three photographers who spent the past 8 years following former President Bush around the world. They basically documented his entire span in office. Morris asked them to pick their ten favorite photos that they felt captured Bush and his terms as President. He sat down with each of them and had a conversation about each chosen photo, analyzing the expressions and situations surrounding the photos. Some of the photos are funny, some are not. Some are meant to provoke negative reactions from anti-Bush enthusiasts, some are meant to provoke empathy.

Some of the discussions surrounding the photographs go into critical analysis of each facial expressions, hand placements, reactions, surrounding objects, etc. The conversations turn from analysis to criticism all too easily in most cases. In a few of them I feel the photogs use the article as a platform to express their complete disdain for Bush and his administration, focusing mainly on all of the failures of it. But I think the photos shouldn't so much be looked at as a series that encompasses the failures of Bush, but rather as a serious look at the man who, for the past eight years, has had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

In my opinion, I think the photographs serve as a reminder that George Bush is, first and foremost, a human being. And that he too, makes mistakes but is capable of emotion and feeling, not immune to them. I think its all too easy to forget sometimes that the President is a human. We treat him as some sort of superhuman, who should do everything we want, and then some, without ever faltering. I don't remember the last time I made it through a day without completely messing something up. The president is elected into office because he's seemingly competent, intelligent and very importantly, relatable. That sounds weird, saying I would vote for someone expecting them to fail. But it's part of being a human being. I fail - I expect people to fail. That's often how we relate to others, through common failures. Seeing someone else mess up reminds us that we're human. It gives us the chance to work things out, grow as people. Color me pessimistic, but I'm more leery of people who never seem to do anything wrong.

The photographs, to me, are striking because they show Bush not just as the president, but as a human. They capture human reactions to real events. They show him caring about people, having concern, interacting with other people, making fun of himself, laughing - they show him being real. I think thats something America has forgotten over the past two terms. They forgot that Bush is a human being, a real person. Americans have treated him like some sort of monster, making blind decisions left and right, not caring what will happen to the world. Did Bush do everything right in his eight years as President? No. Definitely not. But does he deserve to be treated like a villain? I don't think so. Some of you may argue, that yes he should be - that he made too many mistakes.

But I don't think its fair to write him off that easily. Sure, he'll go into the history books as probably one of the worst presidents ever with abysmal approval ratings. But that doesn't mean he's a bad human being. After looking at these photos, I would argue for the complete opposite. I love the seventh photo in, where Bush is being informed about the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11th. The photographer makes a comment that Bush's face is completely blank: "He looks completely blank. He doesn’t understand, really, what’s happened. In the picture we can see his eyes — something very strange has happened; he doesn’t understand. He doesn’t seem to understand what the guy is saying."
I don't think that's what is going on. To me, Bush's eyes are saying he can't believe what he's hearing. He was reading books to an elementary school class, and his Chief of Staff has come to tell him that a plane has just hit the World Trade Center in NYC. His look is of utter disbelief, pure amazement. He looks like a combination of heartbroken, shocked - like in his mind he's thinking "I can't believe what's happened." I feel like I would probably react with a similar look if someone told me news of that same degree. The other photos (not all) offer other glimpses into his mind. Not everyone will agree with me on this point, but I don't really care. I don't think its fair that he should be demonized by the very people who supported him in the first place.

The photos that come at the end of the article are very powerful. As I was watching the Inauguration last Tuesday, I couldn't help but drift off during Obama's speech and think about what Bush is feeling. On one hand, I would say relief. He's done dealing with problems (yes, people, I know..problems he created and Obama has to deal with, poor Obama) and can step out from the international spotlight. If I had been the President of the United States for eight years, finally being done would probably sound very relaxing. I saw a photo collection (i swear i dont just look at photos) that showed Presidents at the beginning of their terms then at the end, the point being to show how much 4 or 8 years aged them. This would imply being President is stressful, duh. So, relief. But I also think Bush was/is probably sad to be done. Maybe not sad to leave behind the endless criticisms and snarkniness of the media, but sad to be leaving the life he's known for the past eight years. The last three photographs of the article capture, raw, human emotion - something America has forgotten Bush is capable of. He's sad. He's sad to be leaving. Maybe sad that he's leaving behind a mess of problems, maybe sad because he couldn't get things right. I don't know. And I don't think Bush will ever personally tell me why. But he's obviously not being blase about his departure from the White House. It meant something to him.

I didn't really think I had that much to say about this article, but obviously I did. You can agree or disagree with me about any points. It doesn't really matter. I just want people to remember that regardless of what Bush did in the past eight years, he's a human being. Does that make everything pardonable? No no no. But at least try to understand that he didn't go through two terms as president without an inkling of emotion and passion for our country. He was a President, and that in and of itself deserves respect. It's a job few are qualified to do and fewer actually do. Just take a step or two back from being so critical (I think he knows people don't like him) and give him a modicum of respect for being our president the last eight years, if for nothing else, than being human and making it out alive.

here's the link:
http://morris.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/?ref=opinion

sheer excitement

2008-12-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'M CURRENTLY SITTING THE MEXICO CITY AIRPORT, GETTING READY TO BOARD MY FLIGHT AND JUST WANTED TO SAY....

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE GINA AHN IN PARIS!!

6 more days in Mexico

2008-12-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

I've officially finished classes here at UDLA, and my finals start on Monday! Finals actually started this past Monday, but I just happened to not have any til the 8th. I meant to use this past week to get lots of work done, but instead I ended up being lazy. Oh wells

It's weird because when I come back to Mexico I'm not going to be in Puebla anymore. I'm really excited for my six months in Mexico City, but I'm also kind of sad to leave Puebla. Sad to leave places I'm familiar with, friends I've made, etc. But its part of the process I guess. My friends have said they'll come visit and I plan on making trips down to Puebla probably once a month to see people. Coop should be really fun. I'm going to be living with another girl from the BSIB program, Alyssa, and another girl from NEU named Jess. I actually worked with Jess's best friend on my last coop, so I sort of know her. We're going to be sharing an apartment about 15 minutes away from the offices. I went to Mexico City on Wednesday to put some stuff in a friend's apartment while I'm in France/USA. I was hoping to be able to get into my apartment before, but we weren't able to get the keys from the landlord so early on. But its okay. I was just thankful to have somewhere convenient to put my things. There's no way I could've transported all of my things from Mexico to France to Ohio back to Mexico. Its funny, because I didn't think I had accumulated that many things, but my suitcase to D.F. was packed fulllll. My closet is so empty now. But its nice because I won't have any packing problems when I leave on Thursday.

Speaking of Thursday, I'm leaving for France at 1PM!!!! I'm getting into Paris at like 1130 on the 12th, and I CANT WAIT TO SEE GINA!! eek

super old photo from Montreal fresh year

I really should be writing a paper...

2008-11-25T15:40:00.001-08:00

But instead I'll give a quick blog post!

1. Only 3 more days left of classes! Crazy, I know. I have so much work to do betwixt now and Friday....but sleep is for losers so it'll get done.

2. Thanksgiving is this Thursday, but sadly, I won't make it home to be with my family. Some of the other American students and I are going to attempt to do our own makeshift Thanksgiving at my friends house. Should be awesome. Also, once Thanksgiving passes its seasonally appropriate to listen to Christmas music. Double awesome.

3. 16 days til Paris!

4. I talked to Caitlin over the weekend and realized all over again how much I miss her.

Um yeah..I really need to write an ethics paper.

But for your viewing pleasure (and a tribute to Sarah Bells) one of my favorite lolcatz ever that i can only use around this time of year:

Election 2008 - my biggest issue

2008-11-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how sick I am of the election, and I'm not even in the United States. People in Mexico are interested in the election, and every website I'm on I see some sort of ad or rally of support for one candidate or another. The news headlines are always about the election, and who's ahead in the polls, as if the election is already decided. All of this is understandable, I realize. This is a huge, defining moment for America. Who's elected wil shape the next 4 years of our country, but also leave an indelible mark in history. So, I'll deal with it.

One thing that I can't stand though, is that I'm made out to be an idiot for not voting for Barack Obama. Every one is entitled to their own opinion, yes. People who support Obama can support Obama, and those who support McCain can support McCain. But, if you're trying to make me see it from 'your point of view' is making me feel like an idiot the best way to do it? When I tell people I didn't vote for Obama (I voted absentee last month) I'm greeted with eye rolls, head shaking, and really negative attitudes. It's as if i'm made the worst decision of my life, like I gave my decision no thought and just closed my eyes and filled in my ballot. I gave very serious thought to my decision - I'd like to think of myself as an informed voter. I don't agree with everything John McCain advocates, but does anyone ever truly agree with every single article on a candidate's platform? I agree with him moreso than Obama - so that make's me stupid? I'm sorry, but yes, I do care about the future of my country, and I don't feel Barack Obama is the best answer. You don't feel McCain is...and I'm not telling you you're stupid in anyway. Several people have asked me if I like Sarah Palin. When I say Yes, they begin to talk about how unqualified and dumb she is, and one person even used the word retarded. So, do you equate me with those attributes? Am I mentally disabled if I'm supporting someone who you think is retarded?Should I want to vote for Obama because that I’ll be seen as smart? Well, goodness, I’ll go ahead and change my vote right away. Wouldn’t’ want to be seen by my peers as mentally disabled. If I'm not on the bandwagon, there must be something wrong with me. i must not want healthcare coverage for Americans, and I must only want the rich people to benefit from government regulations. I feel like people see me as this soul-less being because I'm not all about Barack Obama. That's not right.
I've been told that I'm 'crazy' for not supporting Obama. Did it ever occur to you that as strongly as you believe your convictions, I believe mine? Why should I be any more crazy than you, if that's the kind of attitude we're taking. If you were really trying to change my vote for the right reasons, I feel there's a more constructive way to do it.
I'm not attempting to make anyone feel a certain way, or to change thier mind by any means. People can vote for who they want - that's the beauty of democracy. I am one person, and the people I'm referring to are a select group of individuals. I don't represent the entire Republican party, nor do they represent Democrats.I realize there are a lot of problems with the Republican Party - I'm by no means trying to make them out to be an honest group of citizens no more than I'm trying to bash Democrats. I fully believe there are plenty of Republicans who behave in a similar manner, making Obama supporters out to be soulless idiots. And I'm not okay with that, either. I have very little respect for politicians in general, but my decision in this election wasn't made by arbitrarily filling in a circle.
If anything, I would like supporters of both candidates to realize that there are constructive ways to have political conversations. If you're from opposing sides, chances of getting someone to change their vote is slim. But, come on. Making someone out to feel like an idiot for not agreeing with you show's a lack of respect for other's and their opinions. And how stupid is that?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Idea Box

2008-10-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Another two weeks have gone by....I only have 6 weeks left in my first semester here! Can you believe it? I can't...

So I was reading my friend's blog the other day, and she had a really interesting idea that I want to try out. Instead of writing about whatever I feel like writing about (which maybe isn't always super thrilling) I want to hear what YOU all want me to write about. Leave a comment at the end of this post with things you'd like me to tell you about. It can be anything - the weather, the food, what my favorite class is, etc. This way I won't be struggling to think of things to tell you, and you'll be enlightened on some things about Mexico.
This will also give me a good indicator as to how many people are reading my blog. I mean I love that my parents read it, but if all the suggestions are from them I might be a little hurt :)

Midterms

2008-10-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

I should be working on homework right now, but I'm not really in the mood. Plus I haven't updated my blog in forever. So this works out.
This past Wednesday marked the halfway point in my first semester here at UDLA. I can't believe how fast time is going by. I think I have like 8 weeks or something left, then finals. Craziness. I can see why people would want to stay for two years. I've been giving it some thought. I'm still 50/50 about whether or not I would want to stay. Not like it's a decision I have to make any time soon, but still, worth some thought every know and then. I feel like I could really benefit from another full year at UDLA. The classes here are wonderful. I don't know if it just happens that I have really good classes this semester and maybe i would hate all my classes if i stayed, but I think overall the education system is great. Plus my Spanish skills would be wonderful. If i stayed I guess it would mean you all would have to come visit me :) But there's reasons I would want to go back to Boston, too. who knows...

What else is new...surprisingly not much. I'm feeling more comfortable in classes and stuff, and enjoying life here. Oh! This is cool: I tried out a church this past weekend, and I think i'm going to start going. I found this Christian group on the internet called 'El Pozo'. It's kind of affiliated with UDLA, but not directly. I went on Tuesday to their small group, which actually turned out to be an open mic night this week, but usualy it's a bible study. I ran into this man named Tom, and we got to talking, and I told him how I was looking for a church and hadn't had much luck locating one. He 'happened' to be the pastor of a church plant in Puebla and invited me to check it out on Saturday. He and his family live right next to campus, actually in the same complex as a few of my German friends. He and his wife and 4 sons are missionaries and have been in Mexico for the past 16 years or so. There's a large church they helped start in Puebla, and from that they're planted 5 other churches, the lastest being the one he invited me to. He offered to give me a ride, so I went to his house and we drove over to the church. Service is held in an old pool hall thats in the process of being converted. They've made good progress over the past 6 months. It's one large room with 3 more small rooms added on and two bathrooms. It looks pretty good for what it used to be. There were about 20 people total there, 8 of them being children. There was one other American couple (who have livedin Mexico as missionaries for 26 years), two Mexican couples, another couple (American wife, Mexican husband), a sweet woman named Dulce, and myself. We worshipped toa few songs off of iTunes, had time to pray in small groups, then Tom gave a short message. It was very interactive, though, which was cool. And he did it all in Spanish, and I'm happy to say I understood practically everything he said. It also helps that he speaks at a pace I can understand. He talked about one of my favorite scriptures: Matthew 6:25-34. Good and powerful stuff. After that we took Communion and had some time to socialize. I got a chance to meet everyone, and got some contact information. Everyone was so friendly, making sure I had a ride home, inviting to their places saying I was welcome anytime, telling me to email/call them if I had problems or just needed to talk, etc. It was great to be back in touch with other believers. I think I'm going to keep going. The Christian group El Pozo usually goes to this church, so hopefully I'll have a chance to make some friends with students my age. yay God!

What else...um I can't really think of anything else super exciting to share. I'll post again if I think of anything good.

Some photos of Acapulco

2008-09-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to Acapulco with a few of my friends. I think I had really grand expectations of what Acapulco was going to be like...it was nice and all, but can't say I was terribly impressed. We stayed at a hotel called Acamar which was in the Mexican touristy area. There are two tourist areas: one for foreigners visiting, where all the big hotel chains are, then a touristy spot for Mexicans. We got a really good deal on our hotel (something like $50/night) but it was kind of out of the way of the main strip (called Malecon). But whatevs. It was so funny to sit on the beach b/c people were constantly coming up to you and trying to sell stuff. They had jewelry, clothes, food - some people were giving massages. The best thing, though, was when these little Mexican children would come up and start singing, then pause and do this weird dance where they would lift up their shirt and roll their stomachs. Very weird. Then they would just stand there til you gave them a tip, as if their performance was that amazing. They were sneaky though, because after a while you would just tip them to go away.

So while were there we basically just walked around the city, went to the beach, went to dinner, went to some dance clubs. They have crazy clubs in Acapulco that can hold up to 5000 people. Crazy, I know. We only went to one b/c they're really expensive to get into. All the people who were there were super-stylish and wealthy (or at least looked it). I posted a few pictures of the inside of the club.

So yeah. I came home to a mound of homework. I had another test this week and then next week I have my first presentation. I'm surprisingly not that stressed about it. Granted its only Friday and come Tuesday I could be a complete basketcase, but as of now, I'm feeling good. It's funny, actually, people will ask me how long I've been in Mexico, and when I say only about 2 months, they'll tell me my Spanish is really good. What they don't know, however, is that I've been studying it for the past, oh, 7 years? Ha so I can't really decide if I should take the compliment as is, or let it depress me. Haha Anywho

What else is new...hmmm. I talked to one of my friends who's in Spain for the year and he showed me his apartment (via Skype) and told me what he's up to. Sounds like the Spanish track kids are having a good time. yay

Oh! I'm going to France for a few weeks over my Christmas break! My favorite Asian Gina Ahn is studying in Paris at AUP for the fall semester, and said I could stay with her if I bought a ticket. Wish she would buy me a ticket as well..they're expensive ;) I'm superexcited. I'm going to hang around in paris while she finishes up some finals, then we're going to go on a European adventure so she can visit all the places she didn't get to while studying. Plus I think I'll get to see some of my other friends who are in Europe. I don't think I could go a whole year without seeing Gina. She's one of my favorite people to spend time with/be in the same room with. I haven't officially started a countdown yet, but I can't wait.

Um but yeah. thats my life in a nutshell right now. well not all of it, but i'm listening to music while i'm writing and sometimes its hard for me to write and listen to music (and facebook) at the same time. i guess i'm not a good multi-tasker. Below are some pictures from Acapulco. I took a short video of Acapulco in the morning, but i'm having trouble uploading it - maybe in another post. Enjoy.

las playas

A large cactus, the main street (Malecon)

Us ready to go out to dinner

Reading tabloids at the beach

The beautiful morning, all the cabs in Acapulco were old VW bugs - cool in theory, but very cramped and hot in practice

Inside the club!

Vacation!

2008-09-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Guess what I'm doing this weekend!

That's right! Going to Acapulco!
We have Monday and Tuesday off of school (in honor of Mexico's independence from the Spaniards ), so my friends and I are taking advantage of the long weekend and going to the beach! I've heard Acapulco is a fun place to celebrate Independence Day, so hopefully it lives up to its reputation.

I'm taking my camera, so I'll be sure to post some pictures when I'm home :)

Under the weather

2008-08-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

I think my body has finally started to adjust to living in Mexico. Why do I say this, you may ask? Because I've gotten sick! Yes, folks. I've gotten my first Mexican cold, and it's exactly the same as an American one - i.e. its awful. I was just talking to my mom last night and she asked if I was feeling sick. I blissfully laughed and said "No! Not at all!" Fast forward two hours to me lying in bed coughing up a storm. Overnight I developed a weird cough/scratchy throat, which ultimately makes for me sounding like a man when I talk. The weather here has been really erratic - cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon, cold at night. So I think my body is not quite sure what to do. A lot of people have been getting sick lately, some more severely than others. One of my friends was in the hospital for three days because of something he ate! (Don't worry, Mom, I'm nowhere close to needing hospitalization). Despite my obsessive handwashing regimen, I've somehow managed to contract a virus. Blah.
The other two American girls are sick as well. Our bodies must be breaking down at the same rate. That's comforting, right?

On a lighter note (pun intended), I start my first piano lesson tomorrow. There are activities you can sign up for called talleres (which means workshops); they range from exercise to photography to music. I signed up for Jazzercise (fingers are crossed that I can march in the Blue Tip Parade next year) and Piano. I was thinking about learning the violin, because I thought it would be cool to learn a new instrument in a different language. I almost thought it would be easier than taking piano because I don't know any of the English violin terminology. But, I love playing the piano and miss playing, and as my former piano teacher would say "Music is the universal language." I'm excited!

a small update

2008-08-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

I made it through week two of classes, and things are looking up. I got called on randomly twice in classes, so I had to speak. I completely froze and mumbled a few unintelligible senteces out, but I think it needed to happen. Now I feel like I can speak more in class. I think getting over that initial barrier will make it easier to participate. So things are on the upswing.

I thought I'd post a few pictures random pictures for your viewing pleasure:

From L to R: me, Danielle, Alyssa, Carolina
Every year UDLA throws a big welcome party to kick off the fall semester (pretty sure NEU would never do that). This year it was a 'blue party' hence why we're all dressed in blue. We got flowers at the door for wearing blue.

This is actually a photo from the pyramid trip last week, but I thought I'd put it up so my family could see me :)

L to R: Erika, Danielle, me, Carolina, Alyssa

The nightlife is big here - mainly because of all the college students. There's a street called Camino Real that runs along one side of campus that has a bunch of bars, restaurants and clubs (called 'antros' en espanol). This is one of favorite clubs, called La Roka. Notice how smoky it is - so many people smoke here. I have to wash my clothes constantly!

So yeah....next weekend I (and the 4 other girls picture above) and maybe some German students are going to go to Veracruz for a beach weekend.

More to come...

First week of classes...Done!

2008-08-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

I've successfully made it through my first week of classes, meaning I went to all of my classes, understood mostly what was being said, and didn't cry. Hopefully I can keep that up!

Classes here are going to be really interesting but very, very challenging. Not only are they in Spanish, but they're going to require a lot of work. I'm taking six: Ethics and Transparency, International Marketing, Macroeconomics, Corporate Strategy, Intercultural Administration, and Organizational Behavior. I like them all so far, and I'm attempting to make some Mexican friends, which is easier said than done. Most students in my classes are second and third year students, so they have their own set group of friends. It's kind of hard to break into someone's group of friends, especially when I require a lot of things being said over and over so I understand what's happening. Hopefully some kind soul who loves to talk will befriend me. And soon.

This Saturday we went to Cacaxtla and Xochitecatl, some ancient pyramids in a neighboring state. Here are some pictures:

After the pyramids we went to Tlaxcala for lunch. We ate at this amazing little restaurant called Lotus, and afterwards sat in the center of the city while this band played. These boys had to be maybe 15 or 16, but they loved us. I'm pretty sure we were there three biggest (and maybe only) fans.

More to come soon!

Pictures from Mexico

2008-08-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today I went on a walking tour of Cholula, the little town that UDLA is in. Here are some pictures (you can see more photos on my facebook profile):

The streets of Cholula

Un centro

El volcano Popocatepetl

A view of Cholula from the top of the pyramids

I'm here!

2008-08-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

I made it! Yesterday was a crazy day of travel. I flew from Cleveland to Houston, Houston to Mexico City, then took a bus from Mexico City to Puebla, then a taxi from Puebla to Cholula. Whew! I met a few students at the airport and we took the bus together. One of the girls is in the same dorm as myself, so once we got here and put our stuff down, we ventured around campus together. Campus is gorgeous. They're doing a lot of landscaping right now, but even with the mess it looks beautiful. There's peacocks just roaming around like its no big deal. I'll try to take some pictures and post them soon.

Laurie (the girl I met), Alyssa (one of the other Americans) and myself went to Walmart last night and bought stuff for our rooms. Here are some pictures of the beginnings of my dorm room:

this is my half of the bedroom

this is the common area.

more to come soon! I'm off to orientation!

Adios!

2008-08-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm heading off to Mexico tomorrow morning at 8:40 AM!!

If you want to contact me while I'm in Mexico here's all my information:

Address:
Universidad de las Américas, Puebla
Lindsay Massau
Dirección de Asuntos Internacionales
Santa Catarina, Mártir s/n
Cholula, Puebla
72820 México

email: lindsaymassau@gmail.com
skype name: lindsaymassau

Yikes! Bikes!

2008-07-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's finally starting to hit me that I'm going to Mexico. For so long it's been referred to as "as my junior year abroad" or "next year when I'm in Mexico" and now its "Next week when I'm in Mexico..." I've gotten to spend a lot of time this summer with the other BSIB (International Business) students in my year, and we all say the same thing: We just can't believe it's actually here. We've all spent our college careers preparing for this year, talking it up to everyone, and now we actually have to go through with it! It seemed almost fictitious for a while, like some hazy adventure that seemed too distant to ever really think about. Not that I haven't been thinking about it, but I think reality has officially hit me. And reality feels scary and exciting and nerve-wracking and wonderful all wrapped into one big ball that was thrown directly at my stomach.

I think I know the exact moment that it hit, too. I was packing up jewelry today, trying to figure out what I wanted to take and what I wanted to leave in storage, and all of sudden, I felt really overwhelmed, because here I am in July, picking out jewelry that I may not even use until February. But the thought that I had to think that far in advance completely blew my mind! And its just jewelry! In the scheme of things it doesn't really matter what I take or leave, but I just felt so nervous, worrying that I would come to a point where I wanted something, then knew I couldnt' have it b/c it was in a completely different country.

I feel like I have heavy boots - that feeling where you're just kind of dragging yourseflf around, not really happy or sad, but you just do things a little slower because you feel a little overwhelmed. And I'm really split emotionally. I'm extremely sad to leave Boston, but at the same time I know it's my time to leave Boston; I'm at total peace about it. I'm sad to leave all of my friends, but I'm so thrilled at the thought of making new ones. My emotions are being pulled in every different direction! I feel like I have to tiptoe around my own feelings, because I never know how I'm going to react to a certain situation. Like the jewelry scenario...I was just going through jewelry and all of sudden I felt the impact of what I'm setting off to do and I felt like I could just cry right there. And then I thought I'd for sure cry at my last Sunday at my most favorite church, and instead I left extremely happy (probably because I loved the message and left feeling like I had another confirmation from the Lord about Mexico and was filled with such hope for people in my life who don't know Jesus ). Regardless, my point is that I just don't know how I'm going to respond to things. I thought for sure I'd have cried at least 10 times by now (I'm such an emotional person....some people say cry baby, I say 'sensitive'), but I've only cried once. I guess it's not fair to judge how much I'm going to miss something by how many or how few times I've cried, though. I guess I think that the more crying I do now, the less I'll do when I miss everyone when I'm in Mexico...my mind is a crazy thing.

Anywho.... My parents are here for the week helping me pack up my apartment. I'm really happy they're here. It's nice to spend time with them even if it is in the depressing context of moving me out.

I have 4 days officially left in Boston, and 6 left in the United States of America. Wow...

Goodbye Catlin...

2008-07-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

My roommate Caitlin moved out this morning...it's a sad, sad day. We (as in me and my roommates) all went out for one final roommate dinner last night to Border Cafe.

On the walk back home, Caitlin started rapping about ace-ing a test or something and really wanted me to join in. But it was just too funny to watch her do it by herself. We made it a good ways down Mass Ave, and she was still rapping...alone. She'll probably be mad at me for posting this video, but it's just too hilarious to not share.

I'm going to miss her so much.

One more thing

2008-07-13T17:47:00.001-07:00

22 days 'til Mexico!

A weekend at the beach(es)

2008-07-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the beach. Twice. And it was amazing.

I got to see my wonderful friend Megan who I haven't seen in a few months. I love spending time with her. She's so refreshing. Plus she's absolutely hilarious. Megan, Christine and I went to Plum Island on Saturday afternoon, then over to Newburyport for a free concert/festival. We ate ice cream, heard some good music (Matt Nathanson!) and went for a ride in a Pedicab. Will was our driver. Ha.

Megan, Christine, and myself in the Pedicab.

Our fearless driver, Will.

Sunday I went to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire with my friend Laura y su novio Jose. It was the perfect weather for a beach day. Sunny, clear skies, and breezy. We layed out, played paddle ball, and attempted to swim. The water was so so so cold, my body was stinging. Needless to say, I only went in once.

Laura y yo

All around, good weekend!

An update...

2008-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last entry..sorry to those of you who check my blog regularly ;)

So here's some updates:

1. I finished up my first coop at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (and I'm excited to say I'm staying on part time in the month of July!)

2. I went home for a week and saw family and friends (see pictures below)

3. Summer classes start tomorrow

4. 36 days til Mexico!

So much has to happen in the next 36 days its not even funny. Well kind of funny, but funny in the way where if you think about everything too much you start to laugh then sob hysterically. I've already had to start saying goodbyes to people who have gone away for the summer. Crazy. But all that said, I'm extremely excited and anxious. Part of me just wants to be there so I can stop this wondering about what it's going to be like. I have a million and one questions e.g. Will I make friends? How will my personality translate? etc. I want to be down there and just get on with it! But at the same time, I'm sad to leave Boston. Yes, I realize I'll be coming back, but Boston's become my home in the past three years. I have to uproot myself again and make a whole new life. That's where these excited/anxious feelings meet head to head. I'm excited at the thought of starting somewhere new and discovering new things/people/places, and I'm nervous because I don't know how that's going to look like or what the mother-of-crap I'm supposed to expect.

I got a new camera while I was home (a belated birthday present). I'm not a huge picture taker, but I'm trying to become one. Bear with me. These are a few of my friends:

This is my friend's baby:

Anywho, I'll try to take more pictures of my life and post them.

Stay tuned for more life updates...

Atlanta!

2008-05-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

This week I'm in Atlanta for work! I'm working at a series of 5 meetings - it's my first official time "blue shirting." Instead of outsourcing our staffing to another company, IHI uses its own employees to staff its meetings. We have to wear these really, um, "stylish" blue polo shirts with the company logo on it, hence, blue shirting. I came in Sunday morning with some of my coworkers, so I'm about halfway through day 2. It's a fun time..really early morning, late nights, but all around fun :)

I'm off to NYC/Jersey Friday for the weekend for Gina's 21st. I get to hang out in NYC on Friday, which I'm really excited about for some reason. Maybe I've been bitten by the New York bug? We're having a big bbq on Saturday then off to the beach on Sunday. It's like a weekend long celebration!

The countdown begins!

2008-05-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

So the countdown to Mexico has begun...84 days! My last day in Boston is July 31st, then its back to Ohio for a few days til my August 4th departure to Mexico. I'm getting really excited thinking about it! It's going to be such an awesome challenge. I can't wait to meet new friends, get to know the city of Puebla, the people, see more of God's beautiful creation, etc. Am I nervous? Yes!! But the anticipation definitely outweighs my anxieties.

Just as a reminder, I'll be spending the first half of my year at Universidad de Las Americas, taking classes, then the second half co-oping somewhere. The school is in Puebla, Mexico (see map below). It's about a 2 hour bus ride from Mexico City.

Right now I'm finishing up my last few months of coop at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, taking trips to see friends, and just enjoying Boston in the springtime!