So, it turns out that I’m going to the beach again this weekend. Yup, the second week in a row. This time, I’m just going with my roommate and two Mexican guys, and we’re going to a small, non-touristy place. Hopefully, we will speak mostly Spanish and won’t make them revert to English too much. I’m tired of all the English that is spoken here, at school and at home, and yes, I’m guilty of it as well.

Today I had two finals because it is the end of our first block of classes. Next week I’ll be starting Spanish grammar level 7 and Mexican culture. Hopefully they will be a little more challenging than this term, since I was bored the majority of class time.

Last night we had a farewell dinner for a few students who are leaving this week (most of us are staying for a semester or more). We went to this swanky restaurant that had small wooden pigs everywhere and only had like 10 different foods on the menu. I was boring and opted for “ensalada tuscana” which was a salad with ham and huge pieces of parmesan. I just felt like my stomach needed a break from all the fried foods my mamá makes for me here. She gives us fruit for breakfast every morning, but we hardly ever have vegetables. She only buys whole milk and I don’t think she’s heard of wheat bread. It’s all really tasty, just not very healthy.

This week was the first time that I didn’t go out on Wednesday for Ladies’ Night. Instead, my roommate Oliver had a party at our house. It was interesting because there were a bunch of Germans, two Mexicans who knew German, and then Molly and me. I didn’t know whether to speak to them in English or Spanish! I went to bed kind of early for a Wednesday (2am) and the next day I felt so much better than my roommates did because I hadn’t drinken anything.

Alright, chicos, hasta luego!

Hmm...it's been awhile since I've been able to get on here. It stinks because the computers at school have some kind of cookie-blocker or firewall or something that won't let me post on blogger so I have to head to another internet place to do it. It's ok, though; I found this place that only costs $1/hour when I show my student ID.

Last week we had an outing to Lucha Libre, which is Mexican wrestling. We were warned beforehand that it is very sexist there and to not be surprised by all the catcalls directed at us. It was worse than I thought, though. As we walked in (about 15 American girls, 3 guys), a bunch of guys got on their feet and started clapping and whistling at us. Then they started chanting "USA, USA." It was quite embarrassing. It wasn't just American girls though--whenever a female would stand up to go the bathroom or something, everyone would pay more attention to her than to the wrestlers. The wrestling was hilarious. It was the fake kind where they just pretend to beat each other up. Our study abroad director said it would be a good cultural experience for us. Yeah, sure, I guess so...

This weekend a bunch of us went to Manzanillo, a beach about 5 hours away by bus. We stayed at a great all-inclusive hotel, so we could have all the food and drinks we wanted all day long. A few of the guys I was with took full advantage of the open bar. I didn't drink too much, but I liked it because I could try some drinks I never had before to see if I liked them without worrying about paying for them if I didn't. We pretty much spent our days either at the beach (right across the street) or lounging by the pool. I wore sunscreen so I didn't end up looking like a lobster, but I did get darker than I have been all year (read: I no longer glow in the dark). It was so hot and humid there that the ocean and pool didn't even feel that refreshing since they were so warm, but it was nice to actually be able to swim in the ocean without freezing my butt off (good ole Washington beaches).

El 16 de Septiembre is Mexican Independence Day. It is celebrated with fireworks and flag waving and gunshots and shouts of "¡Viva México!" We only got to see a little of this since we were at the hotel at this time (they celebrate at midnight on the 15th), but it was still fun. The next big holiday is the Day of the Dead on November 2. I'm looking forward to it.

Ok, well, I don't really know what else to say. We're going on a beer factory tour today which doesn't excite me too much. I'll let you know how that goes.

On Tuesday, we had a tour of a very old graveyard. It was dark and the tour guide was telling us creepy stories as we walked between these elaborate tombstones. I thought it was cool, but some of the girls got a little freaked out. Since I left my camera at a club last week (whoops!), I won't be able to post pictures up here anytime soon, so I'll link to some pages so you can see some general pics and maybe learn a thing or two.

Tuesdays and Thursdays is Conversation Club. I've been going if I wake up from my siesta in time. It's kind of a hassle because I have to go all the way back to school (a 40-minute walk or 15-minute bus ride) for only an hour of talking. Last time they made us talk in front of the whole group, which was a little intimidating. It makes me realize how poor my Spanish speaking skills are. I can read and listen just fine, but I just can't think fast enough to formulate what I want to say outloud.

This Wednesday (Ladies' Night!) my two roommates and I went to the same restaurant and club we went to last week. It kind of made us feel like regulars because our waiters came over and greeted us (with a kiss, of course) like we were old friends. I think we'll try a new place next week.

Yesterday our whole study abroad group went to a mariachi festival called Lunadas Tapatíos. It was a very nice place and it was fun to see everyone all dressed up. We got all you can eat and drink as we listened to some mariachi bands do their thing. Molly got some great pictures so hopefully I can snag some from her to put on here. After that, most of us went out to a "disco" and danced the night away. Things don't really get started until around midnight here and then they go all night long. It's kind of hard on the body, but I might as well enjoy it while I'm young, right?

I'm going to Manzanillo next week because we have a three-day weekend because of Mexican Independence Day. I looked at the weather online and it's supposed to be in the high 90s all week. I can't wait to go swimming at a beach that actually has warm water!

Since our classes are only five weeks long, we had midterms this week. I think I did pretty well on them, but I guess I'll find out on Monday. Only two more weeks to go and then I get new classes. I'm going to try to take a liturature or culture class in addition to grammar this time. That will transfer better and then I'll be able to graduate this year!

It’s so weird, but time seems to be going so slowly here. This is only my third week here but it seems like I have been here forever. I thought it would be the opposite and that my time here would be over before I knew it. I’m not even homesick; I really love it here and could definitely imagine myself living abroad in the future for an extended period of time.

Here are some hightlights from my busy weekend:

Friday I went with my roommate Molly to meet her Programa Amistad partner and his friend. It was kind of like a blind double date, which was a little weird, but we quickly warmed up to each other. We went to a bar and talked some, then headed to a party where there was a Mexican rock band playing. They were pretty good and I wish I could remember their name.

Saturday, I went to the zoo with a new friend. The only problem was that he thought it was a date and even brought me flowers. I set him straight but now I don’t know if he’ll call me again.
That night, I was going to play pool with my (hot) German roommate, but all five of us roommates ended up going. It’s kind of awkward to play with five people, but we had some fun playing guys against girls and then Americans versus the Germans. The Germans were kind of upset because the German soccer team had lost a game to some unknown team from Slovenia, so Molly and I had to give them a hard time. And I think the Mexicans were mad at all Americans that day because Mexico lost a big game to the U.S. I don’t know who to root for here—should I remain loyal to my country or go with the local team?

After church on Sunday, I went out with Genaro for tortas ahogadas. This is a special kind of sandwich that is only made in this state. It has a hard baguette with shredded pork inside and then the whole thing is drenched in a tomato soup-like sauce. Then of course you have to add some hot sauce to make it truly Mexican. It was so delicious and I’m bummed that I probably won’t be able to find them back home.

Riding the bus in Guadalajara

First of all, I don't know which is more popular, riding the bus or driving, because the buses are nearly always stuffed with people, but so are the roads. When you are waiting at the bus stop, you have to keep a careful watch for the bus you want because they don't stop unless you flag them down. Sometimes even when you wave your hand like crazy, they pass on by. I haven't figured out if they do this because they are full or because they just don't want to stop. If your bus stop is near a stop light and the bus stops at it, you have to run down to get on it before the light turns green because it won't stop directly in front of the bus stop.

When you pay, the driver can make change for you, which is something the American drivers would never do. When you board, you have to get on quickly and hold on because the driver will take off as soon as you are on the first step. You stand there and give him your money and he gives you a ticket. If a lot of people got on, you pass the change back to them from hand to hand, and surprisingly, nobody pockets it. It only costs 40 cents per ride, but since I'm a student, I get tickets for only 20 cents each.

I've only been able to get a seat a couple times since I've been here and I take the bus almost every day to school. Usually I stand in the aisle with the rest of the people and hang on to the overhead bar for dear life. The way they drive reminds me of a game of "Red light, green light." When the light turns green they hurry as fast as they can until the next red light, where they stop abruptly. I kind of like the challenge of staying upright and not flying forward, especially when going around huge roundabouts.

When you want to get off, you have to make your way toward one of the doors and push a button that makes a loud beep. We were warned that if you don't get off pronto, the bus might take off and your backpack will get stuck in the doors. This hasn't happened to me yet, thankfully!

Lots of the bus drivers like to personalize their buses, so there are crucifixes hanging in the windows and stickers with the names of their "women." Some have the radio blasting and others are completely silent.

Something I love is when there are musicians on board. I've seen anything from one guy with a guitar to a whole band with accordian and everything. They entertain the riders and then go around asking for change. It's great.

Riding the bus is definitely an experience not to be missed when in Mexico!

This is now officially the longest time I have been out of the U.S. at one time. And only three more months to go!

We sure had a fun time Wednesday night. Every Wednesday is Ladies' Night all over the city, so there are cool specials and stuff. Molly and another girl and I ended up going to this club where we got free admission (guys had to pay $22) as well as 10 free drinks! TEN each!!! Don’t worry, we didn’t use them all. We talked, we danced, and three guys ended up giving me their phone numbers! This was a new record for me, considering that I have never even gotten one guy's phone number before. We figured the guys were so interested in us because we were the only white people in the club. It was kind of problematic to communicate with them, since it's difficult to yell over the music in English, let alone try to decipher what someone was shouting at us in another language. We stayed out til about 4am (there is no "can't-sell-you-any-alcohol-and-everything-must-shut-down-at-2am" rule in Mexico) and then had to get up for class at 6:30. Everyone at school was super tired and of course the teachers know that everyone goes out on Wednesdays, so they were making fun of us.

I met my Programa Amistad partner yesterday. That is a program in which we are paired up with a student from the University of Guadalajara and go out on our own to practice each other's language. My partner's name is Genaro and he's actually only going to be here for two more weeks. Then guess where he's going? Little old Ellensburg, to study at Central for a quarter! That was such a coincidence and he couldn't believe that I only live an hour away from there. It's too bad that he'll be coming back here the same time I'm going back home!

I have to do my laundry today. We can use our mamá's washer, and then we hang out clothes out on the roof to dry. I love that our house has roof access. Sometimes I go up there to do my homework or just to take in the view of the city. It's only a four-story building, but it's still a nice view. I hope to get some pictures up here soon so you can see where I live and the people I live with.