Una Noche Muy Divertido

Last night I went to a wedding and it was way fun! The night started with cramming i a taxi with my friend becca and four of her friends. When we first got to the wedding, everyone and i mean everyone was staring at Becca and I. That did not stop for the rest of the night lol. We ate mole and this time it was sweet and pretty good. we also drank this awesome strawberry pop. people could not believe that we did not drink alchol! lol. its cray to me how these weddings are. They are so fancy but so casual all at once. For example the whole place was decked out in white table clothes and decorations. But it was all in an uneven land of dirt and trash everywhere. There were also two bands that played. The first band was a bunch of mexican cowboys lol and man they were hilarious. They got so into it! Yet when we looked around everyone else seemed to be bored out of their minds. Later they set up a huge stage! Like the kind of stage that they use at the county fair for all the big concerts. This band was a little more profestional with red suits and horns lol. Later they moved out the tables in the middle to create a dance floor. These two drunk guys would not leave Becca and I alone. We danced and danced and danced! Then we just had to shut them down. But I am glad that we did because after that we got asked by seriously like 10 other guys. Ah Banda is sooo fun to dance to! i even got asked by two of the cutest guys there:) i love mexico! jaja but I am going to have a bit of a low self-esteem when I get back, because we get so much attention here with out trying lol. There is also a custom her in mexico where everyone dances around the bide and groom in a cirle holding hands and then people go in and dance with the bride and groom. se llama valz. The people I was there with made me go in and dance with the groom. But luckily a different lady took my place quickly so it was not too okward:) Then we sqooshed in a car and went back to Tehuacan. I wanna have my reception in Mexico!!!!!

La Mas Grande Ciudad Del Mundo!

Hey gang. so two weeks ago I traveled to Mexico city that was a good experience:) our first day there we went to the temple. That was awesome. The spirit was so strong and it was soo beautiful and it was so big! ah it was awesome. Our next adventure took place at six flaggs-MEXICO. it was wierd to be at a theme park where noone else spoke english lol. we also got a lot of attention to say the least lol. Carson our blue eyed blonde haired friend, was liked so much that while in line to go on a ride these school girls gave him their school uniform shirt HAHAHA! That night we were all prity tired and hungry. We went to go for dinner but our driver just kept driving and driving. We still have no idea why. Eventually we stopped at our driver's cousin's house lol. Then he gave us directions to a pimpin taco place. It was pretty legit. The tacos were awesome but I put on a lil too much salsa. I can eat spicy food pretty well but that night my mouth was on fire!!!! Lemon and salt and coke were my new best friends lol. They also had these way awesome fried bananas! jaja that place made a small fortune off of all of us that night, i'm sure. Then we got in the bus and again drove forever and ever looking for a place to stay. you would think it an easy task in such a big city. We finally got to a hotel taht seemed reasonable. ha. As soon as we got out of the bus it sounded like we were in a rain storm. But there was no rain. Then we looked up to see the electric power lines. The "rain" we heard was actually the traveling electricity and static in the air. haha! Then when we asked the guy if that was safe he was basically like "idk, it just started doing that the other day." Ha, gotta love Mexico!Then we go down the basement to find a ghetto full sized bed for the three of us. Kinzi, katy y yo. It didn't comfort me any to see over a hundred names carved into the head board with hearts. Then there was no consistency to the hot water at all. The first person to showerhad it ice cold. the second cold hot and hot. Then when I got in, I was scolded by hot water and the cold water didn't work jaja. ya. The next day we hit up muesems, and the zoo. We were pretty excited to find out that the zoo was free, but soon sound out why. Seriously the first 5 stalls looked like an animal habitat, but did not have animals lol. Later we traveled to the center. that was tight there were sooo many people! Mexico city really is the biggest city in the world. I am thankful and awestruck that noone was lost. There were all these ladies with insents "ridding people of evil spirits" lol. Then there was just soo much to look at! I wish that I would have had more time there. Then we went to meet and pick up Becca but someone had the not so smart idea to meet at the airport! ah we drove around for more than 2 hours in search of her lol. But this is how tight my group is. I had a blast going in those circles and just chilling with my hommies and I don't think anyone was angry, there were just a couple people that about wet their pants lol. On this trip we also went to Taxaco! Oh man. Definitely the most beautiful city I have seen here in Mexico. There was no garbage in the street and it was in the mountains and all the buildings were painted white! It is a silver mining town, so obviously there was a ton of silver. Yes I did buy a freakin awesome silver elephant ring:) while there we had a couple meals on the top of rooftops. it made me laugh how expensive it felt to eat there, in comparison to other places to mexico, When really it was like $6 for a good meal with a breathtaking view lol. The best was the ride home. We stopped and ate at Mcdonalds. Haha i've been missing those fries! Then we had a movie marathon on the way home. It was the funniest moment ever. We were in the middle of no where and its gotta be like 11 pm and as we are deciding which movie to watch, everyone just let out all their wiggles by yelling (not contentiously) back and forth and just laughing like crazy. Our bus driver who speaks no english had to be so confused. It was so random. had to be there.
Since we've been back its just my daily adventures. We are currently preparing for a show for the parents. But that has been a nightmare! I have a new respect for the leaders who run the primary program at church! But today we used candy as a motivation and believe me that worked incredibly! I have also obtained a gym membership. Us Americans tend to take over the gym lol. Me and my host brohter have also gotten pritty tight. We hang out everyday. I feel like he is my real brother. we fight and he tries to hang out with my cool older friends and I boss him around haha its fun. We had a birthday party for my host sister last week and ate and danced like every good mexican party. Last Sunday was general conference and so we watched it with all the american missionaries here....IN AN AIR CONDITIONED ROOM! AMAZING! first time since I have been here. It is getting hot. I haven't slept with the covers in 2 weeks now. Oh and this morning I was in another Earth quake! haha it seems so normal to me now lol. Other than that not too much is going on. ha. lie but im tired of writing:)P

month summary

So many stories, so little energy….So x weeks ago we had a nice four day vacation to Oaxaca:) It is so Beautiful. The first day we went around the city. We saw more ruins, similar to others but still way pimpin, and the biggest tree in the world. Later we went to the center to shop and eat. While in the center, we chilled and sat in front of a church. There are people selling things everywhere in Mexico but these people were the most insistent ones that i have seen. They would not leave us alone. Its funny too because they all sell the same things. Anyways, I ended up buying these pretty sweet book marks from this little girl. But then she kept bugging me and all the other teachers to buy more. She even asked for a whole package of cookies. Believe me she was not starving. One of the teachers even offered to buy her and her brother lunch, but she was like no I just want cookies. She was a brat lol but it made the afternoon interesting…… After a night of shopping we got in out compact combi/bus thing and went to the beach. It was a ten hour bus ride through the mountains. Our driver went through the night as we tried to sleep, but everyone got motion sickness and we had to stop for someone to throw up like every 30 minutes. The bus was also very hot. It was a crazy night, but fyi I never got sick. Then when we got to the beach, I just crashed in the hot sand for a nap. Later we got boogy boards and road the waves. It was so freakin sweet! But at the end of the day I was redder than a lobster. The worst burn of my life and it was February!  We stayed in hostels and I was impressed. Another cool thing that we did was go snorkeling. There where mini jelly fish everywhere and I was terrified but no one got stung:) There was also a sweet cave that we went through. The ride home in the mountains was also a sight to see. I pretty much loved it all lol.

            In other news, I went to a wedding, b day party and a 15neria all in one night a couple weeks ago. That was a party! There was this crazy drunk lady that kept dancing with me. It was funny and super okward lol. I also danced with some normal guys lol. That was fun! I love love love Mexican dancing! Especially banda and cumbia! Teaching is going pretty good. Our classes vary from 1-12 students lol so everyday is an adventure. This weekend I am going to Mexico city so that should be a great adventure.:)

Muy Occupada

Yes. I am very busy here in Mexico. Yet I never seem to know what time it is. I swear there are no clocks here! lol I think it is because the people here are so chill. They just live to enjoy life and survive. This last weekend I went with Italia to Puebla and we stayed with my host sister. We ate at this legit taco stand in the road lol. Then we went to Cholula and saw the ruins. freakin tight. The stairs were so steep (at the pyramid). It was scary to walk down with out a hand-rail but I survived:)P The view at the top was so Beautiful! There was also all these cool straight up Mexican stands in the road that we shoped at. I couldn't help but look at everything. My host sister is so sweet and PATIENT lol but seriously. After our time there we got back on the stick shift bus and returned to Puebla (jerkiest ride of my life lol, it was like a roller coaster!) That night we ate at an authentic restaurant as well. They gave us soup, bread, enchiladas, and dessert for 35 pesos (aka 3 dollars!) We were so full that we couldn't even walk! As far as life during the week goes, I am taking cumbia/bachata dance classes, spanish classes, and boxing classes. Plus I go running everday with my host brother and my new found friend:) I better be in Bomb shape after all this, but then again I do eat so much here lol. Yet I love it! Today I met up with my friend early in the morning and we went shopping in el centro. We got more work out clothes lol. It was funny trying to speak Spanish everywhere that we went, because we are both waydas lol (not sure if that is how u spell waydas). We also ran into this lady who had hosted a teacher before herself, so we talked (in Spanish) to her as we walked down the street lol...... My kids are so cute! This week I am teaching kitchen and art and it is so fun! I find myself wishing i could teach longer:) lol I still have a lot to learn and there are hard hard times but all together I think I am living it up:)

Iglesia

Hoy I went to church in mexico again lol But this time I was the only white girl there. lol then in Sunday school I was paying really close attention, to try to fake like I knew Spanish for real, and I guess that I was a good actress because the teacher started to ask me questions in Spanish and Out of shock I mumbled, "no hablo espanol".......everyone (including the elders) laughed at me! It was so embarrassing for me and for the teacher. Yet all I wanted to do afterward was literally laugh out loud. After church I was asked to go visiting teaching, so I did. I only understood that the woman's son was very sick. It made me sad how humble her circumstances were. The house was basically dirt with cement walls and sheet doors. Then to top it all off my companion suggested that she and I sang a hymn in Spanish-w/o preparation. It was not horrible and I am glad we did, but it was not the best lol However, I am so grateful for this experience because it has made me so much more grateful for what I have and it inspires me to serve more. I also learned better that the Lord knows all of us individually and is sympathetic of us all because he has felt all of our pains.

El Viaje

 

            I arrived in Mexico on Thursday night. We had two connecting flights and two connected bus rides. On the buses we watched “The Proposal” in espanol. It was pretty funny and we also watched some mosaic film. I was so tired when we got there but It was a fun and interesting time. People drive so crazy here! But it is a sort of organized chaos:) The first night I slept in the school because my host family was out of town. They gave us spaghetti-ohs for dinner but we did not have a can opener lol. Lets just say I am good with a knife:) I also saw my first cockroach there..Ah!!! lol they really are impossible to kill by smashing. The next night I found out that my original host family was going to move so I did not have a familyL but I was then put with the family that I am with now. They have two children in college and my new little brother who is 16. They are all super nice. The older children come home on the weekends and it is a good time. Last night we went to get elote which is corn with mayo, cheese, and Chile powder. I loved it. We also got tortas de pierna adobada. I eat so much here cuz it is soo good! Today I also went to the church that is all in Spanish. It was fun to sing in Spanish and I caught a couple words of the talks too-The Book of Mormon is True. This city is so huge. At first I did not think I could ever find my way around but now I think I may be able to with some help. My host parents do not speak English but my brother and sister do a little. They have all been helping me learn Spanish and I love it. But it is also very frustrating at times. I feel so dumb all the time! Haha. As far as teaching the children goes, we start tomorrow. I spent all of yesterday in training and preparing lessons for my class. I am going to teach the very youngest children and this week I am teaching gym and drama. Haha this shall be interesting since I am no professional. Over all it has been an awesome and exciting journey. Mexico is were it is at:)

On my Way!

My brother says I should be a travel guide because of all the connections it has taken for me to go to Mexico. I left Washington at 8pm on Monday and got to Rexburg at about 6am Tuesday. Thanks Taylor! After a few errands and lunch with my buddies I again took off. This time to SLC. I got the hook up from this really nice couple that were on their way to Puerto Rico. They spoke Spanish most of the way and this is the experience that has me saying crap,  i don't know Spanish and I am moving to Mexico! lol But then my awesome brother Chris took me out to taco truck and the food has me saying heck yes, I am going to Mexico!!! Then I will be riding with the ILP secretary to the airport-EARLY. I have one lay over and then Mexic. A bus will then take me South to my final destination! So I am pretty sure this is going to be a real adventure. It has not quite hit me that I am leaving in less than 24 hours! I can't wait to see my partner in crime-Italia. I'm also excited/terrified to meet my host family.... My favorite part of traveling=the unknown factor thrill. Ever day is epic and new. So thank you USA for all the good times and I'll see you soonish:)!