La Vida Diaria

Buenas Tardes Amigos!
I'm sitting at a café right now called The Italian Coffee Shop- sounds really Mexican doesn't it? But don't worry, we found an authentic one last night called El Hoyo in the Lonely Planet guide book Kevin got me (thanks!). It has a really cool open-air courtyard and a weird pit with a tree growing out of it that you sit around- I'll get some pics next time we go.

Now that we're getting into our classes and are a little more oriented in the city, things are starting to fall into a routine- which is nice. I'm really starting to like the daily routine here, its much more relaxed than at home and with a lot more free time. Although I'm kind of spoiled- I don’t have to work, cook, do my laundry or clean so I'm sure the people who live here don't all have it as nice.

On a typical day, I get up around 6:00 am (and for anyone who knows me well knows this is EARLY for me) and Violetta has my breakfast waiting around 6:45 (rough life right?). To get to school I have to head out to catch the bus around 7:10 and it only takes me about 10 min to get there once I do. I'm lucky that I live so close to school- some of the other kids have to take multiple buses and it takes half an hour or more to get there. Lately I've been taking these creepy vans called camionetas which are just another form of public transportation and take you to the same places as the buses. The difference, though, is that when you flag them down they stop and the door swings open and you have to jump in- its kind of like being kidnapped.

Class is pretty relaxed since there are only three of us with a tutor. Starting next Wednesday though we start regular classes at the University with the local students. I'm a little scared, but I guess the class is kind of a remedial class for students who did really poorly in high school, so it shouldn't be too bad. On days when I don’t have history, which is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30, I usually head home for a nap or a run, or I stick around school to use the internet.

Violetta usually serves lunch around 2:30 if she's home, or she leaves it on the stove for me. Lunch usually consists of vegetable soup, salad or avocados and tomatoes, and some sort of meat dish with either rice, bread or tortillas. Yesterday I had chicken mole- yum!

On most days after lunch I head to el centro and meet up with the other people in my group at a café or bar to hang out and do homework, or we walk around to see the sites or browse the markets. Then I usually head home around 8 or 9 for a little snack, then homework or free internet in the park and an early bedtime (thats what happens when you have early class). Most people don't really eat dinner here because lunch is such a large meal, and if they do its only a small snack. Its nice though because you don't get that full feeling at night and when you don't have to go home or to a restaurant for a few hours to eat it frees up more time in the evening to do things.

I like the daily routine so much think its going to be hard to readjust once I get back. Its really nice having the evenings totally free to do whatever I want. Plus being waited on all day isn't bad either.

This weekend it looks like the weather is finally going to get nice so we're off to the beach Friday and the Discos at night! Saturday I'm going to try and explore a little, and Sunday we're going to Merida en domingo, which is when they shut down the streets around the Plaza Grande for vendors and such. I still need to bring my camera around with me to get pictures of it all but I promise I'll get some up soon!

Hopefully in the next two days I'll get some pictures up, and tell you a little bit more about what its like being a foreigner here- its pretty interesting, especially when you happen to be blonde and taller than a majority of the local population. I hope everyone is having a good start to their week!!