Teaching and learning at the same time...

¿Que hay, chavos y chavas?

I hope that all is well with all of you. I am just about ready for bed, although I think I might be persuaded to watch a bit more of the Ohio State-LSU game. My brother Oto is really into american football, so I can´t miss his exclamations when either team scores a touchdown: TOUCHDOWN!!!!! Hehe. It is amazing how much English is spoken in the Spanish world of sports. Most of the positions and movements on the field are characterized and defined in English terms, not in the native tongue that the announcers are speaking. For example, a coach is a coach, a time out is a time out, and, most importantly, a touchdown is a touchdown. Watching american sports provides a great venue for communication with people from another culture; for once, we understand each other. Hehe. No, I have been doing a great job communicating my needs to my host family: I rub my tummy when I am hungry, I heave when I am getting sick, and I collapse on the floor when I am tired. Gestures must be a universal language...

In reality, I have been learning a lot of Spanish here in Mexico, especially from my brother Oto. Being 20 years old, he knows all of the colloquialisms of the day, and he teaches me each and every one of them, be they appropriate or a tad vulgar (actually, many of the things I have learned I have vowed not to repeat in front of people who won´t understand the humor..). I have also learned from my parents about the customs of the people here. Even better is the fact that I have been able to teach my hosts a ton about the world I normally live in--you know, the one where toilet paper can be flushed down the toilet, where we eat fast food like a cow eats grass, and where time is of the essence. I have also passed on a little knowledge of the English language. Just last night, I taught Oto how to ask a girl out on a date. He has advanced to the point of being able to say "How are you doing?" and "Will you go out with me? I have wine and chocolate." You have to hear how he says it to know how silly it sounds. Even so, I think an American girl would fall for it; he sounds so cute. Hehe.

So about my day today... I woke up a bit later than usual due to the fact that I tried sleeping in the hammock again. Bad idea. I don´t know what it is, but it is much easier to sleep in the hammock during the day than at night. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I can see how I am positioned during the day and thus can observe that I am safely nestled in the makeshift bed. At night I have to trust a few well-positioned cords to keep me suspended. I will learn...at least that is what my family tells me. After waking up, I finished my homework and took the bus to the plaza where we divided into groups to tour the plaza in the middle of the city. We saw the old cathedrals, the government buildings, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, after which we ate paletas and returned to the building we use for classes. When our grupito arrived there, we listened to a historian talk about the Mayan way of life (they were a fascinating and intelligent bunch, those Mayans) and we ate a traditional yucatecan meal. All in all, it was a great day, especially since I began it with real coffee!!! Oh boy, that was a wonderful moment-ordering an Americano at El Cafe, La Cabaña. I was so excited afterwards that I almost bought everyone a cafecito. Luckily, I left my wallet at home.

I must say goodbye now. I will try to add some pictures sometime in the next few days. I have a really busy day tomorrow (we are going to Uxmal to see some more Mayan ruins), so you won´t hear from me again until Wednesday or Thursday. I am hungry--time for some rosca! I just hope I don´t find a muñecita!!!

Tito