sick.

I've been sick the past three day. Not going to lie...being sick in another country sucks. Coughing, fever and congestion. I get it every year and normally just take Mucinex for it, but I couldn't find it anywhere down here. Today the director of ILP from Utah came to check up on our school. Guess what he had with him...Mucinex and Reese's. Thank goodness!

American Dinner

I love Mexico...but every once in a while I get the craving for some American food. So after school last week all of the Teachers stayed after school and we made mac and cheese, lemonade and cake batter cookies. We even had pepper. It was heaven. Lauren made us cute name cards. So much fun.

Mexico would be perfect if...

1. They believed in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Swedish Fish
2. I didn't have a curfew
3. I had more alone time
4. I know where a pool was
5. I could call anyone I wanted, when ever I wanted to
6. I could communitcate with who I wanted to...not just the English speakers

Other then that Mexico is perfect. I love it here.

Birthday

So last week I exited my teenaged years and entered into the wonderful life of adulthood. Friday night was so fun! We went over to our friends Gibran's house and watched an aweful Mexican movie. But it turned out to be fun...The girls got me a pineapple upside down cake and cheesecake. Carly had been looking for a pumkin pie for me and got all excited when she found the cheesecake (Its differant down here...it actually looks like pumpkin pie). It was so sweet of them to do that for me. Saturday (My actual birthday) Carly and I went to Pachuca. Its a town about two hours away from Puebla. Gibran drove us. It turned out to be a bust of a day filled with a Mexican boy confusing his love for a teacher, nasty smells and lame shopping. On the brightside we got to sit on the grass and tan for a while and I bought a cool jersey. I was really homesick because my whole family was together for my cousins wedding and I really wanted to be there. Carly was such a dear and made me my favorite American dinner--Mac and Cheese. I love her soooo much!

Flores por Tu?

Last night on the way home from the store some boys where trying to sell me flowers. In perfect Spanish I told them "No necesito floras porque tengo un novio." Translation: I don't need flowers because I have a boyfriend. I was pretty proud of myself. They got a kick out of it and my Tia thinks I'm pretty funny.

Hosptial

So once realizing how sick Carly Laga was we decided that we needed to get her to a hospital as soon as possible. Carly Tai said an amazing prayer asking that we would know what to do and how to communicate. I went to the bus station and bought the ticket to for our first leg of our trip. Even though the bus station was only a five minute walk away, we had to take a taxi because she couldn't walk. The first bus ride was miserable...Carly was throwing up. It was really curvy and narrow. Carly was such a trooper. Being sick...away from home, in a different country and not knowing where to find a doctor...would been the last of me. We arrived in Cuernavaca, at the wrong bus station. We took the a taxi to the right station, only to find out that we had a four hour wait. It was a crappy day, so I went to the grocery store to find American food to make me happy. Once getting back into Puebla, Monica's brother (a doctor), told us to take her to the hospital ASAP. We spend the next two days at the hospital. Turns out that she had giardia and a tapeworm. She is better now.

Taxco--A Magic Town

We got five days off of school...so the Carlys and I decided to go to the magic town of Taxco. It is truly the jem of Mexico. Words can describe how beautiful it was. Its built into the side of a mountain so the streets have so much character. Cobblestone, steep and narrow. Its about a four hour bus ride from Puebla. Its know for its silver mines, so it was one of the first areas to fall to Spanish rule. The town looks like something from Europe. Every morning the fog rolls and every afternoon it rains...actually more like it pours. They don't have a good drainage system so the streets turn in rivers. We where there for Dia de Independencia (Mexico's version of 4th of July) so it was light with red, green and white lights everywhere. The first day we got there, we did some major silver shopping. Every Saturday, the streets turn into one of the biggest silver markets in the world. 3,000 silversmiths come to town to show off their work. I got some really cool pieces. My favorite is a simple silver band. That night we ate tacos el pastor with pineapple. This is the only way to eat tacos...trust me. Then we headed back to our hostel and ate ice cream and had some serious girl talk. Sunday we got up and walked to the Zocalo...my favorite place in the city. There we had the best Mexican breakfast, Arroz con Leche and Narajarade (Basically OJ with a lot more sugar). We spent that day shopping, going to cathedrals and eating. Carly Laga bought some sweet kicks at the Black Market...it was legit. I even saw some drug deals. We met this awesome women, Martha. We bought Mexican blankets from her. We told her that Mexican people are so happy...she let us in on their secret... TEQUILA! She would have invited us to drink with her, but we told her that we didn't like it. I also got some cool jewelry for my cousins, a really cool serving plate for me and lot of other fun treasures. That night we head back to the Zocalo for dinner. We ate at this cute restaurant that over looked the square. I ordered a pina colada sin liquor. Our waiter was so funny...when he brought it to me he told me that it had double rum. Then we got ice cream and sat in the center and talked. I can't tell you how much I love the center. It gives the city such a sense of community. It brings together all kinds of people. I really wish that American cities had them. We then head back to our hostel and sat on the roof that over looked the main cathedral in Taxco. The next day we got up and just walked around Taxco. Mid afternoon it started to downpour. The streets where literally rivers. After the rain stopped, we went back to the hostel and tanned on the roof. That night was my favorite memory of Mexico. We went late night restaurant hopping. We ended up at the local teen hang out for hot chocolate and cheesecake. It overlooked the whole city...it was beautiful! In the word of Carly Laga "There may or may not have been wedding planning involved." We got up on Tuesday morning, Carly Laga was sick. We didn't realize how sick she was, so Carly Tai and I left her at the hostel while we went on a gonadal ride up the mountain. It was gorgeous! I'm telling you that Taxco is the city of love. When we got back to the hostel, we realized how sick Carly L was. She passed out in the shower. Thus our new adventure begins.

Rewind

I totally forgot to blog about our weekend in Tehucan. Friday day, Teo came and took us to Pizza at Costco. I have never been so happy to see toliet seat covers in my whole entire life.

Carly Tai, Me, Carly Laga, Amelia, and Teo

After ILP , Teo and Alfredo, taught us the cumbia! I loved it. Its my favorite. Plus I love dancing with Teo...he is dang good! He even told me that I have good rhythm (Super funny to anyone who has seen medance). Then Teo, the Carlys and I departed to Tehuacan. During the two hours in the car we just talked. It was wonderful! Teo asked each of us to tell us him our stories. Not going to lie, it was had to cram my twenty years of living into five minutes.

The next morning we work up and went to the market with Teo. Then we went to back to his house to make food of a baraque with all of the Tehuacan teachers. It was so fun to see everyone again. I love Dusty and Kami. It was wonderful to seem them again. Teo and Rachel made us some rockin awesome tacos and horchata. Afterward we danced in the Luna`s studio. Loved it!

Amigas reunited

Carly Laga, Me and Kami

After food we decided to venture to Tehuacan's zocalo. There we made did some fun shopping and ate way too much. My Spanish was awful that day. I kept calling women misters and men misses. I acciendely told the cute boy in the ice cream shop to go fondel himself. While wondering around, a guy selling bugs came up to us and asked if we wanted to try some. He said that they were free for American girls. I put on my brave face and ate one. It wasn't bad at first, but then I realized what I was eating and spat it out.
That evening Carly L. cut my hair...YEAH! And then we ended up at Teo and Rachel's house to watch the Mexico vs. Costa Rica futbal game. Carly L. was cheering for Costa Rica and Teo responded with "Carly...why you no have feeling?" It was a good laugh. We spent Sunday with Teo and his family. We went to Church. It was wonderful!

Tres Americanos Negros

Last week after school, Carly Laga invited me to come to her house to watch a Basketball game (Her Papa is a coach and her brothers are way into it). Little did we know that we where going to the actual game. On the way there, Gibran told us that they had to import American for size. When we got there Carly's Papa said "Miran, tres Americanos negros." Translation--"Look, three black Americans." People here have no filter...they just say what they want, wither it is politically correct or not. The game was fun, we ate arroz con leche (Rice Pudding) and talked. We where talking with Gibran (Carly's older brother) about holding hands. I said that I had held hands with 8 people. Later in that night he grabbed my hand and told me "Now, its 9!" I was so confused about what was going on. He kept saying "How many Mexicans? How many Mexicans?"After the game we went down on the court, took pictures with the players and talked. As we where walking out, three Mexican boys came up and asked us if we where Mormons? It turns out that they had recognized us from the dance.

Carly and Me

Carly and Me in la Zocola de Taxco

Carly is my favorite person in Mexico. We met the her first day and hit it off. She is from Idaho, goes to BYU. She is majoring in English and Spanish. We have lots of fun together. Pretty much everyday we get ice cream before class. We love naming things. We have matching wallets and blankets. In January we are going live together. I love her. She keeps me sane her in Mexico. She helps me with my Spanish. I love my Carly Laga!

Toliet Rating System

10 Star: Automatic 10 star if the bathroom has toliet seat covers. Nothing else matters. Only one know to us at this time. Costco.

5 Star: Must have soap, toliet paper, not a squatter (meaning that it has a toliet seat).

4 Star: Majority of what we run into in Puebla. Can have either soap or toliet paper. Must have a toilet seat.

3 Star: Squatters are automatic 3 stars. Must have toliet paper and soap.

2 Stars: Squatters that have either toliet paper or soap.

1 Star: Squatters that require a bucket to flush. No soap or toliet paper. Encountered a few in Chiapus.

If I move to Mexico, I want to work for this Ad Agency!

Netty the Double Kisser

The first Sunday in Puebla we met, Netty the Double Kisser. Here in Mexico there are strict rules about the kiss on the cheek. We you walk in a room, you kiss everyone on the right cheek. It doesn't matter if you don't know them, how old they are or if you are related to them. Netty started off as a nice boy, who tried to help us understand what was happening at Church. But his English is worst then my Spanish. He followed us around of the reminder of our meeting and found us after Relief Society. We tried asking him about Insititue but he had no idea. As we where getting ready to say goodbye and I went in for the kiss, but he then embrased me for a hug. It was no ordinary hug. It lasted a good ten seconds. Then came the double kiss. Awkward. He did this to all six girls in the group. He got Carly L. in the mouth on "accident" because she didn't realize what was happening.
He has proceed to follow us around Church the past three Sundays and always says to goodbye with a double kiss. Gotta Love Mexican Boys!