Bugs. I just can't seem to stay away from them...or rather, they from me. Since arriving in Cuernavaca, Mexico, I have been waking up every morning with at least one new bit (pico in español). I have gone over me room I don't know how many times trying to find the culprit(s) but to no avail! I just keep getting bitten by the bugs down here (who seem to have a fondness for my blood as nobody else is getting bitten) and on top of that...I seem to be allergic to them to! The bits swell up like no other!
Moving on...but still on the subject of bugs...you will have no idea what they served us to eat at the school the other day. Yep...you guessed it...bugs! They were explaining to us some of the foods of Mexico. Among the many itemes that most of us are familiar with, maiz, chiles, mangos, etc...there...in the middle of the table in a glass jar sat a bunch of live bugs (looked similar to really fat stink bugs....the best I can do for visuals...but smelled something like ladybugs). I, of course, refused to eat even one, but a bunch of the other guys (some just to prove that they were a man...what is up with that?) had at least one. Taste was described as akin to Redhots candy. For one of us though...it was not to be the most interesting food expierience of his day...
One of the seminarians...for some stupid idiotic reason...decided that he would just pop a habañero pepper into his mouth. At first he was okay...but then he was not, it took forever to cool down his mouth with milk, fruit, and finally a trip to the ice cream store. His mouth was so red afterwards...it was hard not to laugh at his pain because of his stupid machismo! Anyway...he pulled through alright, but this morning he said that all night his stomach gave him hell...as well we all knew it would!
Well...its still hot down here my friends. I miss you all sooooo much, and cannot wait to see you all again...in three weeks. Love you all...from...
Tu hermano en Jesuchristo!
23 May, 2007
09 May, 2007
Mi Primera Semana en México
My first week in Mexico I stayed at the minor seminary of the Archdiocese of Tlanlapantla. The seminarians (high schoolers) were very friendly and it was a bit of a challenge trying to communicate with them with only halting Spanish on my part and little to no English on theirs. Still, we had a good time, and made some friends.
The day after our arrival (Thursday) we went to the Anthropological Museum in Mexico City. Many interesting things there...but I have to say a lot of it was frightening, all sorts of Aztec artifacts, all having to do with human sacrifice...and lots of it at that! It was very weird to think that the things that I was touching and seeing right in front of me, ran with human blood just six hundred years earlier.
On Friday the we all travelled to the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan. We climbed to the top of the Temple of the Sun following in the footsteps of priests who climbed the step incline of the pyramid centuries before us. The view was awesome and the place was truly amazing! Never before have I been in a place so completely ancient...and I did it without even leaving the continent!
The ride to the pyramids was a bit of an adventure though...traffic in Mexico City is just plain crazy. There is next to no order on the streets and they are flooded with cars, buses, motercycles and pedestrians. Many time there seemed to be only a few inches between the side of our bus and the the vehicle next to us...not something that makes you feel very comfortable. Well on the way to the Pyramids our bus bumped (nothing serious) with another vehicle...basically just scraped the side a bit. We were stuck while they sorted out the affair for about an hour before another bus was called to take us the rest of the way to the Pyramids. This bus was not as professional as our previous charter bus...as was proved but the bus driver pulling over at a certain point and dropping off some old tires before continuing on our way...goes without saying that this was a huge reminder to us that we were not in the U.S.A. anymore!
The Next day we went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The place is absolutely awesome and the devotion that is still given to the Virgin is astounding. The Mexican people have a great gift in this holy place, and I felt so priveledged to be able to visit the place that she appeared and see the Tilma with her image imprinted upon it with mine own eyes. The Tilma was very beautiful, even after all these years, and it was very moving being so close to something so holy.
Needless to say this is a very quick rundown of some of my expieriences in the past few days...but I don´t want to spoil the story telling when I get back...since I get more enjoyment out of telling a story over a few beers with you in person than via the internet. Keep me in your prayers...it is a little hard being in a place that you don´t understand the custumes and the language that well...but I am doing well, so don´t worry about anything! The keyboard is a little weird and everything (including spell check) is in Spanish, so if things don´t look quite right, it is due to the limitations of my understanding. I love you all and miss you all very much...or as they say in Espaniole, te qiero mucho!
Buenas Noches me amigos!
The day after our arrival (Thursday) we went to the Anthropological Museum in Mexico City. Many interesting things there...but I have to say a lot of it was frightening, all sorts of Aztec artifacts, all having to do with human sacrifice...and lots of it at that! It was very weird to think that the things that I was touching and seeing right in front of me, ran with human blood just six hundred years earlier.
On Friday the we all travelled to the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan. We climbed to the top of the Temple of the Sun following in the footsteps of priests who climbed the step incline of the pyramid centuries before us. The view was awesome and the place was truly amazing! Never before have I been in a place so completely ancient...and I did it without even leaving the continent!
The ride to the pyramids was a bit of an adventure though...traffic in Mexico City is just plain crazy. There is next to no order on the streets and they are flooded with cars, buses, motercycles and pedestrians. Many time there seemed to be only a few inches between the side of our bus and the the vehicle next to us...not something that makes you feel very comfortable. Well on the way to the Pyramids our bus bumped (nothing serious) with another vehicle...basically just scraped the side a bit. We were stuck while they sorted out the affair for about an hour before another bus was called to take us the rest of the way to the Pyramids. This bus was not as professional as our previous charter bus...as was proved but the bus driver pulling over at a certain point and dropping off some old tires before continuing on our way...goes without saying that this was a huge reminder to us that we were not in the U.S.A. anymore!
The Next day we went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The place is absolutely awesome and the devotion that is still given to the Virgin is astounding. The Mexican people have a great gift in this holy place, and I felt so priveledged to be able to visit the place that she appeared and see the Tilma with her image imprinted upon it with mine own eyes. The Tilma was very beautiful, even after all these years, and it was very moving being so close to something so holy.
Needless to say this is a very quick rundown of some of my expieriences in the past few days...but I don´t want to spoil the story telling when I get back...since I get more enjoyment out of telling a story over a few beers with you in person than via the internet. Keep me in your prayers...it is a little hard being in a place that you don´t understand the custumes and the language that well...but I am doing well, so don´t worry about anything! The keyboard is a little weird and everything (including spell check) is in Spanish, so if things don´t look quite right, it is due to the limitations of my understanding. I love you all and miss you all very much...or as they say in Espaniole, te qiero mucho!
Buenas Noches me amigos!
01 May, 2007
Reverse Migration
I have meet many Mexicans in my life. They have come as long as I can remember to help out on the farms up here in Michigan. But I guess that I have always been on the receiving side of Hispanic culture...them coming to us. Now I am going down to learn about them and their language at their home. A reversal of the usual migration pattern that I have grown accustomed to.Now for all of you who have long been demanding that I let you know what is/will be going on...I give you the Itinerary of the next two months!
- May 2, 9am I depart for Mexico from Detroit Airport
- May 2-6 I will be visiting the Mexico City and learning about their history and culture.
- May 6-June 15 I will be in Cuernavaca learning Spanish and living with my Mexican family (Justino and Costanza)
- June 16-24 I will be doing door to door evangelization (or something like that) in some Hispanic communities in Detroit or Flint Michigan.
- June 24 2006...I am finished for the summer
- June 24-July 4 I have completely free and will be packing up my possessions at school and will hopefully be seeing a lot of my friends in the Ann Arbor area before heading back home.
Hopefully I will be able to post to the Bubble while in Mexico...so stay tuned (and pray for this Gringo!)
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