Wow, it's been a crazy week! I know I haven't posted all week, but I've got good reasons. I had a test today and one tomorrow, so I spent a ton of time preparing for those. Anyway, I should start at the beginning.
Sunday:
El museo MIDE. It's an economy museum. This is me and Roxanne waiting for the shindig to begin. It was super hot that day, but I was loving it.
SO, at the economy museum, we learned all kinds of basic economy stuff. The museum was designed more with kids in mind, I think. But that was great for me, since my Spanish isn't excellente. I found it quite fascinating, but I usually like economy.
The museum was interactive. I think that part sounds awesome, but we were limited in what we could do since we had a guide. The museum is self-explanatory enough that I think playing with all the toys like a gradeschooler would have been much more fun. But, that's just me. I never lost my inner child. And I wasn't following the tour guide very often, so I got more from the toys than from her.
We learned about the back. Hence this picture. But the coolest part to me was the simulated stock market where we actually got to buy/sell. It took me a round to figure out the device and how the game was working. But after that, I loved it!
Monday:
A long day of class. 6 hours, per usual. We didn't have an excursion. Just more history of Mexico and business Spanish. Sitting in class for 6 hours is a pain, but the subject matter is usually interesting. Then, lunch. Then home for studying. There's never a down moment in DF.
Tuesday:
Tuesday is free museum day in DF. So, we visited four. Or tried to. It was Art Museum Expo day of craziness. You can see us at the beginning of our adventure here :). We're not exhausted yet!
The first museum we did was La Secretaria. Many of Diego Rivera's murals are there. The tour guide for this museum was bad, even Benjamin (who grew up in Peru) was having trouble understanding her. But the paintings were fascinating. Most of the walls were covered in giant murals that tell the history of Mexico. Diego Rivera, although an idealist, was famous for telling Mexican history through his paintings.
After touring the museum, we did a craft project. We weren't supposed to do it, there was a misunderstanding. But I thought you might enjoy seeing the results. Mexicans do a dance while wearing masks like these (only not made from paper). The leader waves a flag. If I understood correctly, it was a slap in the face of Spain. Kind of recalling Mexican tradition and creating a unique Mexican identity. Mexico's had a lot of identity crisis throughout its history.
The next museo was el Cologio San Ildefonso, which used to be a school. This one is covered in the murals of Jose Clemente Orozco. His paintings tend to be less story-ish and more thought provoking. I especially like this one for its so many interpretations of the symbolism. And its just a cool painting.
The tour guide on this trip was easier to understand. But after 3 hours at the first museum, we were all world weary and not really wanting to walk anymore. But the museum was really worth it. I learned so much more about Orozco. I learned to tell almost immediately between his work and that of Diego Rivera.
We had to know a lot about the styles of these two painters for our test, so it was really cool to see so many of their works in person and compare them. We definitely spent time talking over symbolism and the differences in style between the two painters.
After that, we split off for lunch. We met back up in the giant plaza in the middle of Zocolo. That's where this craziness happened. No reason, just fun in DF. Miguelito's on the bottom (yes, his name got changed in Mexico), then Ben, with Alexi on top. Don't worry, there are several hands outside the picture in case they fall. But they were surprisingly steady.
Anyway. Next museum was el Palacio National. I couldn't take many pictures because this is like the Mexican version of the White House (only, they have two). We actually got to see the Mexican Oval Office and the balcony where el presidente gives the Grito De Dolores every year on la Dia de Independencia. "Viva Mexico!"
The picture of me shows a HUGE mural by Diego Rivera on the wall in the Palacio. I mean, huge too. That wall is probably 50 feet across and at least that tall, plus half that on each adjacent wall . It's simply amazing and very complex. I have no idea how he painted all that!
Our last museum was Bellas Artes, but we arrived about 5 minutes before it closed and they wouldn't let us in. By this time, it was 5:30 and all of us were ready for dinner and a siesta. This museum has a lot by the third big muralist of this period: David Siquieros.
I came home and had dinner. By that point, it was late. I got a half hour nap. Then I was up again and headed to Emily's to watch the movie Rojo Amanecer for class. We had to write an essay about it, but it was in Spanish. Miquelito was the only one with the version with subtitles, so we got together to watch it on Emily's rooftop. Which was pretty fun.
After that, I was exhausted. I literally collapsed into bed.
Wednesday:
Another long day of class. Just class. Nothing else very interesting to report. Which is probably good, because if every day was as long as Tuesday, this would be an insane post!
Thursday:
We started out with class. We got out a little early and headed for lunch. Then, we went to the Plaza de Tres Culturas.
This is us on a bridge on the way there. It was an awesome bridge because you could actually feel it moving as you went across. Of course, not everyone liked that. But I'm a CE at heart, truly. It was very cool to jump on the bridge and feel it sway ever so slightly but know that there was no way it would come crashing down. I think this is where the conversation about pet elephants came in... but, you'll have to ask me about that one ;).
Well, we arrived at La Plaza de Tres Culturas. Remember the movie "Rojo Amanacer" that I told you about? Well, its about La Masacre de Tlatelolco in 1968. Over 300 people were massacred by the government when they were protesting for their rights. Most of them were university students. So we got to visit the place where that happened. The story is horrible because the government did such a good job covering it up. They reported that 4 people were killed and managed to get away with that until 2000.
This is a picture of the church that stands on the edge of the plaza. The plaza itself didn't seem big enough for all those people. And we could see the apartment building on its edge where the movie was set. If you like happy endings, I don't recommend you watch this movie. If you want a heart wrenching account of what actually happened, its perfect.
We visited the museum for the massacre after that. Then, we went for ice cream since we all needed a pick-me-up after the solemness of the occasion. I got a milkshake, and it was definitely different than US ones. But it was yummy. Then, back to the metro, home, and more studying.
Anyone seeing a pattern here?
Friday:
More class. Are you surprised? Didn't think so. Yeah, not much interesting to report. We did some review at the end of class for our tests. After lunch, we I came home and studied. I did get in a few good Skype conversations, so it was a good day. Not my usual Friday at home, but nothing about Mexico is normal.
Saturday:
El Dia Libre
Free day. Well, in the sense of no class. I spent a lot of it studying. I also didn't feel good. I missed the outing that most of the group went on (it was optional, not for class). But I was trying not to be sick and I needed a great deal of study time.
I did also take a few breaks. I got some good Jesus time in as well as talking to some people back home. It wasn't a great day since I didn't feel good. But it was good since I got in some relax time.
Sunday:
BIIMBO!!
This is the number one producer of bread and bread products in the world, and its headquarters are here in DF, Mexico. I so wish I had pictures, but we weren't allowed to take any. We got to hear about their company first and its history. They're so much like a family, and the guy said it, the video said it, and you could feel it in the atmosphere. I think I'd like to work at a place like that.
Then, we toured the back. Bread + Awesome Machines = awesomeness. Yes, I do have an ME boyfriend who's increased my appreciation for and awareness of complex machinery. But this would have been awesome even before that. I mean, the complexity and creativity with the machines to make dough, knead dough, roll out the dough, form donuts or hamburger buns or white bread, put it perfectly in the right pan, send it into the oven, get it out of the oven, let it cool ....
Wow. I mean, wow. I so could work there and have a ton of fun all the time.
After that amazing adventure, I came back for more studying. By this time, the freak out is beginning. My test is on Tuesday and I'm not READY. AHH!!
I also watched another movie for class. It wasn't great either. I don't think we watch good movies in this class. Informative ones, maybe, but not good ones.
I did spend some time on the Sabbath with my Jesus. I counted that as important, and really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Him. I needed some time to focus on how good He is, even when I'm going crazy. He's teaching me a lot this trip, and so I spent some time clarifying it all in my head and talking to Him about it.
Monday:
Happy Memorial Day to all my state-side friends. They, obviously, don't celebrate it here in Mexico. But Doctora Galloway gave us the day off. Thank goodness for more studying time!
We had a giant review session that lasted two hours that morning. Great help because there is literally so much information that it's daunting to know where to even begin to try to study. I spent most of the afternoon studying, but I still didn't feel ready. I think that's a common problem for me in this class.
Tuesday: (almost done!)
We got up and went to La Reforma, which is a local newspaper. We weren't allowed to take pictures again. (This one is actually at the school after we got back. Just random cuz I'm all dressed fancy-like).
The guide told us all about how the newspaper works. Their printing presses only print one color at a time in four layers. That was kind of cool. Also, online newspapers aren't a big deal down here. I thought that was interesting. They're department for "punta com" (dot com) was actually tiny.
When we got back, we had a few hours of class. Doctora wanted to introduce the next section of our material. We're in the last part of the course! She also told us about our project and debates coming up. This sounds scary, yet incredibly exciting. I'm hoping I can speak fast enough to be able to catch up. Even if I stumble, I've gotta try. But, I'm sure it will be fun. That's what I've heard from all the TAs who loved this part last year.
After that, I came back and had a short siesta before beginning a marathon study session. I studied for six hours straight. Those of you that saw my Facebook probably saw my posts about all the crazy things I did to keep myself concentrating and sane. But I really felt like I understood a lot more of the material before I went to bed that night.
Today: (yay!)
Our test began at 9 this morning and we had four hours. I finished it in 2 1/2 with over 7 pages double sided. Yes, long test. But I really felt like I understood so much more of what was happening than last test. I'm hoping I did much better on it. It felt better.
Then, back to mi casa. I had lunch and talked to my Momma via Skype for a bit. I need girl-time and I was so excited to have some time to spend with her. It was a great way to de-stress after my horrendous study session and super long test.
When she had to leave, I laid down for a siesta. Unfortunately, it went a little longer than I meant for it too. Oh well, I needed the sleep.
I spent the next two hours focused hard on my vocab for the test tomorrow. My stack of note cards is an inch and a half thick. Crazy stuff. But I managed to get through them all.
Now, I stopped for a minute to check Facebook and write this post. I have to go back to more studying. This post has taken me almost 45 minutes to write! I guess that's to be expected since I'm putting almost a week and a half of information into one post. I hope you didn't get bored! I'm off to more studying now.
Love to all from DF!
Loren
Sunday:El museo MIDE. It's an economy museum. This is me and Roxanne waiting for the shindig to begin. It was super hot that day, but I was loving it.
SO, at the economy museum, we learned all kinds of basic economy stuff. The museum was designed more with kids in mind, I think. But that was great for me, since my Spanish isn't excellente. I found it quite fascinating, but I usually like economy.
The museum was interactive. I think that part sounds awesome, but we were limited in what we could do since we had a guide. The museum is self-explanatory enough that I think playing with all the toys like a gradeschooler would have been much more fun. But, that's just me. I never lost my inner child. And I wasn't following the tour guide very often, so I got more from the toys than from her.We learned about the back. Hence this picture. But the coolest part to me was the simulated stock market where we actually got to buy/sell. It took me a round to figure out the device and how the game was working. But after that, I loved it!
Monday:
A long day of class. 6 hours, per usual. We didn't have an excursion. Just more history of Mexico and business Spanish. Sitting in class for 6 hours is a pain, but the subject matter is usually interesting. Then, lunch. Then home for studying. There's never a down moment in DF.
Tuesday:
Tuesday is free museum day in DF. So, we visited four. Or tried to. It was Art Museum Expo day of craziness. You can see us at the beginning of our adventure here :). We're not exhausted yet!The first museum we did was La Secretaria. Many of Diego Rivera's murals are there. The tour guide for this museum was bad, even Benjamin (who grew up in Peru) was having trouble understanding her. But the paintings were fascinating. Most of the walls were covered in giant murals that tell the history of Mexico. Diego Rivera, although an idealist, was famous for telling Mexican history through his paintings.
The next museo was el Cologio San Ildefonso, which used to be a school. This one is covered in the murals of Jose Clemente Orozco. His paintings tend to be less story-ish and more thought provoking. I especially like this one for its so many interpretations of the symbolism. And its just a cool painting.The tour guide on this trip was easier to understand. But after 3 hours at the first museum, we were all world weary and not really wanting to walk anymore. But the museum was really worth it. I learned so much more about Orozco. I learned to tell almost immediately between his work and that of Diego Rivera.
We had to know a lot about the styles of these two painters for our test, so it was really cool to see so many of their works in person and compare them. We definitely spent time talking over symbolism and the differences in style between the two painters.
After that, we split off for lunch. We met back up in the giant plaza in the middle of Zocolo. That's where this craziness happened. No reason, just fun in DF. Miguelito's on the bottom (yes, his name got changed in Mexico), then Ben, with Alexi on top. Don't worry, there are several hands outside the picture in case they fall. But they were surprisingly steady.
Anyway. Next museum was el Palacio National. I couldn't take many pictures because this is like the Mexican version of the White House (only, they have two). We actually got to see the Mexican Oval Office and the balcony where el presidente gives the Grito De Dolores every year on la Dia de Independencia. "Viva Mexico!"
The picture of me shows a HUGE mural by Diego Rivera on the wall in the Palacio. I mean, huge too. That wall is probably 50 feet across and at least that tall, plus half that on each adjacent wall . It's simply amazing and very complex. I have no idea how he painted all that!
Our last museum was Bellas Artes, but we arrived about 5 minutes before it closed and they wouldn't let us in. By this time, it was 5:30 and all of us were ready for dinner and a siesta. This museum has a lot by the third big muralist of this period: David Siquieros.
I came home and had dinner. By that point, it was late. I got a half hour nap. Then I was up again and headed to Emily's to watch the movie Rojo Amanecer for class. We had to write an essay about it, but it was in Spanish. Miquelito was the only one with the version with subtitles, so we got together to watch it on Emily's rooftop. Which was pretty fun.
After that, I was exhausted. I literally collapsed into bed.
Wednesday:
Another long day of class. Just class. Nothing else very interesting to report. Which is probably good, because if every day was as long as Tuesday, this would be an insane post!
Thursday:We started out with class. We got out a little early and headed for lunch. Then, we went to the Plaza de Tres Culturas.
This is us on a bridge on the way there. It was an awesome bridge because you could actually feel it moving as you went across. Of course, not everyone liked that. But I'm a CE at heart, truly. It was very cool to jump on the bridge and feel it sway ever so slightly but know that there was no way it would come crashing down. I think this is where the conversation about pet elephants came in... but, you'll have to ask me about that one ;).
Well, we arrived at La Plaza de Tres Culturas. Remember the movie "Rojo Amanacer" that I told you about? Well, its about La Masacre de Tlatelolco in 1968. Over 300 people were massacred by the government when they were protesting for their rights. Most of them were university students. So we got to visit the place where that happened. The story is horrible because the government did such a good job covering it up. They reported that 4 people were killed and managed to get away with that until 2000.
This is a picture of the church that stands on the edge of the plaza. The plaza itself didn't seem big enough for all those people. And we could see the apartment building on its edge where the movie was set. If you like happy endings, I don't recommend you watch this movie. If you want a heart wrenching account of what actually happened, its perfect.We visited the museum for the massacre after that. Then, we went for ice cream since we all needed a pick-me-up after the solemness of the occasion. I got a milkshake, and it was definitely different than US ones. But it was yummy. Then, back to the metro, home, and more studying.
Anyone seeing a pattern here?
Friday:
More class. Are you surprised? Didn't think so. Yeah, not much interesting to report. We did some review at the end of class for our tests. After lunch, we I came home and studied. I did get in a few good Skype conversations, so it was a good day. Not my usual Friday at home, but nothing about Mexico is normal.
Saturday:
El Dia Libre
Free day. Well, in the sense of no class. I spent a lot of it studying. I also didn't feel good. I missed the outing that most of the group went on (it was optional, not for class). But I was trying not to be sick and I needed a great deal of study time.
I did also take a few breaks. I got some good Jesus time in as well as talking to some people back home. It wasn't a great day since I didn't feel good. But it was good since I got in some relax time.
Sunday:
BIIMBO!!
This is the number one producer of bread and bread products in the world, and its headquarters are here in DF, Mexico. I so wish I had pictures, but we weren't allowed to take any. We got to hear about their company first and its history. They're so much like a family, and the guy said it, the video said it, and you could feel it in the atmosphere. I think I'd like to work at a place like that.
Then, we toured the back. Bread + Awesome Machines = awesomeness. Yes, I do have an ME boyfriend who's increased my appreciation for and awareness of complex machinery. But this would have been awesome even before that. I mean, the complexity and creativity with the machines to make dough, knead dough, roll out the dough, form donuts or hamburger buns or white bread, put it perfectly in the right pan, send it into the oven, get it out of the oven, let it cool ....
Wow. I mean, wow. I so could work there and have a ton of fun all the time.
After that amazing adventure, I came back for more studying. By this time, the freak out is beginning. My test is on Tuesday and I'm not READY. AHH!!
I also watched another movie for class. It wasn't great either. I don't think we watch good movies in this class. Informative ones, maybe, but not good ones.
I did spend some time on the Sabbath with my Jesus. I counted that as important, and really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Him. I needed some time to focus on how good He is, even when I'm going crazy. He's teaching me a lot this trip, and so I spent some time clarifying it all in my head and talking to Him about it.
Monday:
Happy Memorial Day to all my state-side friends. They, obviously, don't celebrate it here in Mexico. But Doctora Galloway gave us the day off. Thank goodness for more studying time!
We had a giant review session that lasted two hours that morning. Great help because there is literally so much information that it's daunting to know where to even begin to try to study. I spent most of the afternoon studying, but I still didn't feel ready. I think that's a common problem for me in this class.
Tuesday: (almost done!)We got up and went to La Reforma, which is a local newspaper. We weren't allowed to take pictures again. (This one is actually at the school after we got back. Just random cuz I'm all dressed fancy-like).
The guide told us all about how the newspaper works. Their printing presses only print one color at a time in four layers. That was kind of cool. Also, online newspapers aren't a big deal down here. I thought that was interesting. They're department for "punta com" (dot com) was actually tiny.
When we got back, we had a few hours of class. Doctora wanted to introduce the next section of our material. We're in the last part of the course! She also told us about our project and debates coming up. This sounds scary, yet incredibly exciting. I'm hoping I can speak fast enough to be able to catch up. Even if I stumble, I've gotta try. But, I'm sure it will be fun. That's what I've heard from all the TAs who loved this part last year.
After that, I came back and had a short siesta before beginning a marathon study session. I studied for six hours straight. Those of you that saw my Facebook probably saw my posts about all the crazy things I did to keep myself concentrating and sane. But I really felt like I understood a lot more of the material before I went to bed that night.
Today: (yay!)
Our test began at 9 this morning and we had four hours. I finished it in 2 1/2 with over 7 pages double sided. Yes, long test. But I really felt like I understood so much more of what was happening than last test. I'm hoping I did much better on it. It felt better.
Then, back to mi casa. I had lunch and talked to my Momma via Skype for a bit. I need girl-time and I was so excited to have some time to spend with her. It was a great way to de-stress after my horrendous study session and super long test.
When she had to leave, I laid down for a siesta. Unfortunately, it went a little longer than I meant for it too. Oh well, I needed the sleep.
I spent the next two hours focused hard on my vocab for the test tomorrow. My stack of note cards is an inch and a half thick. Crazy stuff. But I managed to get through them all.
Now, I stopped for a minute to check Facebook and write this post. I have to go back to more studying. This post has taken me almost 45 minutes to write! I guess that's to be expected since I'm putting almost a week and a half of information into one post. I hope you didn't get bored! I'm off to more studying now.
Love to all from DF!
Loren
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