The Chronicles of Mexico

The Chronicles of Mexico

as experienced by Ryan Fitzgerald 

: : Preface

First of all let me say this, no one who blogs should ever post writings of this length.  No one wants to read more than a couple of short paragraphs as it pertains to your daily life – just being honest.  Thanks for taking the time Mom and possibly Jaime!  I love ya’ll back.  I am most likely posting these writings for only a limited time since the plan is to use this blog to share with you about leading worship, and the places we go.  For now, here is what’s going down in Saltillo, Mexico.

 

: : Characters

Margarita – An extremely independent woman.  She is a firecracker with a huge laugh.  She was my host mother.  She instructed me in Spanish grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary.  Her English is limited and forced me to practice my Spanish.  This played out nicely, because she was adamant about me learning Spanish.

Edmundo – An intelligent, well-educated man who taught me Spanish conversation and the history of Mexico.  Edmundo took me into the city showing me historical places and introducing me to many people.  He made a huge impact on my time in Mexico, and I have a deep respect for him.  

Jose Angel – A quite man with a silent strength I hope to one day acquire.  Jose Angel is Margarita’s husband and was my host father.  He is very gentle, patient, and is without question a great, well-respected man.  He spoke little to no English, but always greeted me with a smile and hug. 

Anna – A young, WEIRD (she wrote that) woman I met halfway through my time in Mexico.  She is a Christian whose life speaks of it.  Her theology and perspective of who God is seems to be similar to mine.  At the age of twenty-four, she teaches English at two Universities in Saltillo.  She has a huge heart for people and I learned a lot from her.

Antony – A tall, African American, man, who is soon to be 75 years old.  He was an activist in the civil rights movement.  He holds six degrees including two masters and a doctoral degree.  His Spanish is good and went to Mexico to learn a more native accent.  His knowledge is extensive, but his beliefs seemed to differ slightly from mine.  Antony is was my roommate.  

Jose Angel Jr. – The son of Margarita and Jose Angel.  His English is excellent, but was rarely seen around the house.  He is a few years older than I and enjoys the nightlife – possibly too much.  However, he is very polite and was a joy to hang out with.

 

: : Travel day

Like a ton of bricks it hit me, I’m on my way to Saltillo, Mexico to study Spanish for three weeks.  I’m alone, my Spanish vocabulary is inadequate at best, and my host family speaks English as well as your local Spanish channel.  Yet I sat confidently aboard Continental flight 2063 in seat 7C (I feel like a character on LOST) knowing that I had endured much more difficult tasks in the past and come out triumphant.  (Welp, I’m still searching for what that might have been.)

 

Once grounded in Saltillo, I made my way through customs.  You know that gargantuan line that doesn’t quite move at the pace of a sloth, but close.  For those of you who have never crossed the Mexican boarder, you have never met the stoplight of life and death.  Imagine completing your citizenship papers they force upon you, getting your passport tattooed, and the only barrier between you and finally getting some rest is a guard standing by a stoplight.  This is no ordinary stoplight – this is the stoplight of life and death.  The stoplight of life and death has a sign close to a large button clearly reading “press here.”  Once the button is initiated it triggers one of two lights — green or red.  Green means you are done with the whole process, and red (nu nu nu nu – sung to Beethoven’s fifth) you get to enjoy the thrill of opening every bag you own only for it’s belongings to be repacked precisely how you never intended them to be.  As I watched people press “the button” the only thought I could dwell on was how this reminded me of the first Austin Powers movie when Dr. Evelyn’s button on his chair sent the guy down to the pits below as he and his posse where gathered around the table contemplating the destruction of the United States.  Honestly, I was feeling pretty good about my odds seeing the two fellows in front me both got red lights.  Surely the stoplight of life and death doesn’t turn out three reds in a row – yep, it does!

 

If you happen to be reading this, don’t give up on me just yet…

 

The ride from the airport to my host family’s house was pleasant.  I attempted conversation in Spanish, but quickly realized I would need to dig into the abyss of my brain to carry on any type of enjoyable conversation.  Where words failed, smiles covered and it was then that I knew my time in Saltillo was going to be just fine.

 

Wouldn’t you know the night I arrived Margarita (host mother and my maestra) would be hosting a fiesta for her brother.  Without stretching the truth, I met no less than thirty people.  Thus my quest to memorize words began! 

 

: : Thought for the day… If I lose this one tiny piece of paper I hold in my hands, I can’t get back into the States.  “Might want to keep up with that one” – Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber.

 

: : Meals

breakfast – raisin bread, english muffin, and bacon. (in Tulsa, OK before playing at the Kirk.  thanks Mrs. Kay and Mr. John for taking care of us!)

 

lunch – hamburger and fries.  (T.G.I. Fridays in the airport – thus my last American meal)

dinner – tacos.  bacon, sausage, beef, onions, peppers, and green salsa – the salsa was hot.

 

 

: : Day uno

My eye lids opened precisely at eight letting in the day’s first glimpse of sunlight.  A couple of deep breathes and I jumped out of bed.  Margarita and Jose Angel (host father) were waiting on me – once again, both with smiles!

 

After a quick breakfast Margarita and I dove head first, I might add, into our first session of Spanish.  I didn’t realize I was going to be receiving one on one instruction during my time studying in Saltillo.  Our first lesson was, of course verbs.  I studied their translation and conjugation in the present, past, future, and imperfect tenses.  All was well until we hit irregular verbs… POR QUE?

 

After lunch, I experienced my first true Mexican siesta.  The Mexican culture has it figured out when it comes to this custom.  Whoever it was that came up with the idea to take a one-hour nap directly following a good lunch is a sheer genius, and my friend! 

 

After the siesta, I was introduced to Edmundo (my Spanish maestro).  Edmundo and I had our first lesson in conversation.  I was surprised at the amount of conversation that took place and was encouraged by the outcome.  As our conversation lesson came to an end, Edmundo invited me to his two-hour yoga class.  Yes, yoga!  I was excited, as one of my goals during my stay in Saltillo is to experience the culture.  And what better way to experience the culture than to tag along everywhere I am possibly welcome!  

 

To my dismay, the yoga class proved refreshing.  The purpose of yoga, as explained to me, is to become more conscience of yourself in three areas: mind, heart, and body.  The first hour was dedicated to physical exercise – boy, did we exercise.  It was simply fantastic.  The second hour was dedicated to meditation and stretching while inhaling the scent of burnt wood (who knew they made incense in the scent of a bonfire.  note: I am passionate about legally changing the name of bonfire to bondfire since the majority of us congregate around a bonfire to “bond”).  Close your eyes, now stereotype a yoga instructor in your mind, and picture him/her.  Got it?  I would assume you’re envisioning a mid to young aged, limber, person wearing some type of stretchy material revealing every curve.  Well, our yoga maestro was seventy, extremely limber for seventy, and wearing white.  A feisty old man he was.  I met a wonderful young lady during the class named Edith.  She is studying graphic design at the university of Saltillo and works for a political party here in the city.  Her English was pretty good, so I asked her to join me for an evening at Starbucks next week.  I asked her to bring along some of her design work, and told her we can attempt to make conversation in Spanish.

 

Finally, we made our way back to the house were I began writing what you are reading now.  Much of my day is spent memorizing vocabulary and conjugating verbs, but I think (as do my instructors) spending time experiencing the city/culture and meeting people are equally as important.  Don’t tell anyone, but I like it much more than flipping flashcards!               

 

: : Thought for the day… don’t make your first yoga class two hours.

 

: : Meals

breakfast – banana and coffee (black).

lunch – tacos (chicken and green salsa), rice with carrots and broccoli.

dinner – peanut butter sandwich.

 

 

: : Day dos

The first thought of the morning: “I can’t move my legs!”  After a great breakfast Margarita and I cracked the Spanish books.  We spent a few hours going through short sentence exercises and learning bits of sentence structure.  After that, I spent a couple of hours studying vocabulary words.  Margarita and I already had to make an emergency run to Walmart to buy more flashcards… yeah…  It seems to be a productive way to expand my Spanish vocabulary. 

 

For lunch Margarita made juice from a cucumber and lime… add water and call it refreshing!  (Cucumber juice is not so refreshing to me.)  After lunch came a siesta, (I siesta’d hard) and after a siesta Edmundo picked me up for what I call education by experience (my grandpa would call this the college of hard knox).  This is where Edmundo takes me into the city and introduces me to people only to watch me embarrass myself attempting conversation after conversation in Spanish.  Oh, it’s amusing!  If I were he, I would do the same thing.  However, this accomplishes two of my goals: to learn more Spanish, and meet as many people as possible. 

 

Edmundo took me to meet his son, Mundo.  Mundo and his friends were hanging out in a fancy Mexican neighborhood.  One of Mundo’s friends, Monica spoke a bit of English so we both conversed in spanglish (get it) for a while.  Some of Monica’s family lives in Texas where she plans to visit and shop this Thursday.  We mainly talked about music.  It’s interesting the kind of music young people of Saltillo listen to.  The majority of the people are listening to either Mexican jams (accordion, brass, and some type of percussion drum) or American rock from twenty years ago i.e. Kiss and Scorpion (seriously Edmundo?).  However, the young people are “looking for something new.” They apparently find “newness” in hardcore screamo (Noetzel and Lentz, I know you hate when I call it screamo, but you would fit right in down here amongst the youngens).  In all fairness, I have recently given hardcore screamo another listen.  There are those crazy times in life, like when you feel the world is simply “missing the point” that hardcore screamo seems all too appropriate.  It all comes back to my theory; in all types of music, there is something to be appreciated.

 

Upon arrival back at the house I grabbed my bible and headed with Margarita and Jose Angel to their weekly bible study.  This was held at one of the catholic churches in town.  It was there that I met some very nice older folks.  I read the scriptures they were studying (Matthew 10 and Jeremiah 1) while catching bits and pieces of Spanish I could comprehend.  As they were discussing God’s call on Jeremiah’s life, Margarita asked the priest “at what age was Jeremiah called by God?”  The text only says Jeremiah was very young.  The priest said Jeremiah was about sixteen, but I believe he was even younger – approximately twelve years old.  What a testament of how God empowers people.

 

Margarita and Jose Angel have a son, Jose Angel Jr.  He is only a few years older than me and speaks wonderful English.  He isn’t around much since he works during the day and seems to enjoy the fiestas of the night.  The night ended with a bit of television, reading, and late night writing. 

: : Thought for the day… Would an act of siesta pass in the U.S. congress?

: : Meals

breakfast – pancakes and coffee.  (maple and blueberry syrup.  note: pancakes are called “hotcakes” which I fancy much more than pancake and the blueberry syrup was much sweeter than ours in the U.S.)

 

lunch – chicken cordon blue, fries, and rice with carrots.

dinner – tacos. (sausage, onions, and cheese)

 

 

: : Day tres

Each year on the sixth day of August the people of Saltillo celebrate a major holiday called “Seis de Augusto.”  What better way to celebrate a special day than to throw a fiesta and invite the entire town of Saltillo, right?  (Population: 800,000)  Edmundo picked me up at ten in the morning and we headed downtown to participate in the fiesta.  We had to park the car many blocks away from the town center because there were no parking spots.  Since we were close to the school where Edmundo teaches, he decided to give me a quick tour.  As soon as we walked in we were greeted with many students, as classes begin soon for the students of Saltillo and they were there getting their schedules.  You could tell Edmundo was the “cool” and much liked teacher by the way students greeted him (he also had a tall, white, American walking close beside).  Finally, after walking many blocks, through the park, while we discussed Mexican history, we arrived at the town plaza.  Tent after tent we scooted (literally) amongst hundreds of people.  We witnessed extravagantly dressed dancers, small musical groups, and all sorts of food.  It’s here that I had my first taste of the “fruit” from a cactus.  Yep, you read it right, cactus (as in found in the desert).  As I said before, there were hundreds of people, but that was only a glimpse of what was to come.

 

Back at the house Margarita had prepared a feast.  Oh, I failed to mention lunch is served at two in the afternoon and is the largest meal of the day — to each his own.  Lunch was followed by an intense lesson of Espanol in the classroom.

 

What came next was nothing short of beautiful… Starbucks and free wifi!  Margarita dropped me off and picked me up an hour later.  This was definitely not enough time to reply to emails and of course, “catch up” on the world of facebook.  Nonetheless, I was semi relieved after three days of not having any connection with some of the people I love.  I’m hoping to frequent the local Starbucks as often as possible.  (Don’t think I’m wasting my time at Starbucks.  I speak to people in Espanol and study vocabulary with my trusty flashcards.)  This Starbucks is one of the big ones, not one of the tiny ones with ten tables packed together that we find too often in the states.  Building a nice roomy Starbucks with lots of tables here in Saltillo is actually a wise marketing technique on Starbucks part — knowing that the Mexican culture is to sit down and enjoy one another’s presence and conversation.

 

After another lesson in the classroom with Margarita, Edmundo picked me up for another round of yoga.  I was already strutting the streets of Saltillo with a funky gimp, now I was going to put myself through the source of the pain yet again.  I believe mr. webster would define this as stupid.  We had a different instructor for this go around and it proved even more intense than the first.  You wouldn’t believe the positions these people can mold themselves into and hold for ungodly amounts of time.  I did my best and impressed myself.  My inspirations were the pictures of the yoga greats hanging from the walls. 

 

Post yoga Edmundo dropped me off at Margarita’s sister’s house.  From there my Mexican familia (Margarita, Jose Angel, and I) walked approximately twenty minutes to the town plaza.  The walk was extremely enjoyable as the night air was cool and attempting to speak only in Spanish with my family awesome!  Remember me saying the fiesta during the morning was just a glimpse of what was to come?  This was to come.  There must have been ten thousand people making their way to the town plaza with the three of us.  The fiesta was alive!  The dancers were still dancing, the musicians still playing, and the food was still cooking.  We were all on our way to the main event of the day — a magical display of flashing lights complete with many loud pops.  At precisely ten, according to the cathedral’s massive clock, the bells began to chime.  Seconds after the streetlights were cut, the music cued, and the magic began.  Honestly, it was the most spectacular viewing of fireworks I have ever witnessed.  Now, I have a theory as to why.  In the States there are regulations on the distance between the ignition of a large firework and the spectators.  In Mexico, there are no such limits.  The closer the firework blows up to your face, the better.  And it was!

 

: : Thought for the day… Today was such a big day here in Mexico, I have two thoughts: 1. I heart Starbucks.  2. Let’s abolish the regulations regarding the vast distance between the point of igniting and the spectators during a fireworks show.  Obviously, we don’t want to kill anyone…but seriously…if you only knew what you were missing during our celebration of independence.

: : Meals

breakfast – six chocolate chip cookies (no kidding), and coffee (black).

lunch – beef patties (sliced extra thin), rice with carrots and broccoli.  

dinner – peanut butter sandwich.

 

: : Day cuatro

 

After a quick breakfast and conversation with Margarita, Edmundo picked me up for another morning in town.  He has a friend, Rosario who has taught Spanish in Chicago for the last seven years.  During the summer months Rosario spends time with her family here in Saltillo.  Since she will be headed back to Chicago soon, Edmundo wanted to visit with her and thought I would enjoy visiting with her too.  We mostly talked about the differences between the United States and Mexico as well as religious views.  Our conversation time together went so well we are planning to wine and dine at a nice restaurant sometime next week. 

 

Once we left Rosario’s house, we walked to the city market.  The city market is only open Thursday of each week.  The city market is huge and you can find just about anything you could ever need from used televisions to new shoes.  You can find things much cheaper at the city market than anywhere else in town.  I bought a sweet, white, leather belt for only sixty pesos (six dollars).  I was well pleased with my purchase! 

 

Post lunch, I did some writing while Margarita and took a quick siesta.  When she woke up, we studied common sentences used in Mexico.  After much practice, Margarita dropped me off at Starbucks for three hours of vocabulary, emails, coffee, and of course people watching.  The people here are fascinating – always in groups and it seems the more the merrier.

 

I suppose I should give an update as to the progression in my Spanish studies.  At this point, I have at least 150 new words under my belt, my Spanish translation is getting stronger, and my ability to carry on a conversation is still crummy!  My instructors keep encouraging me with this phrase “poco a poco” (step by step).  Learning another language is just like everything else in life – a slow progression.   

 

We ended the night around the dinner table.  Who knew you could have so many laughs with three people and an English to Spanish dictionary?  A bit of late night reading and I was off to bed.

 

: : Thought for the day… I’m pretty sure I participated in the black market today…

 

: : Meals

breakfast – banana, three chocolate chip cookies, and coffee (black)

lunch – pasta (with peas, carrots, and onions), beef (with something in it), and corn tortillas.

 

dinner – peanut butter sandwich.

 

: : Day cinco

How cool were the opening ceremonies of the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing?  (note: there are 7 million people living in Beijing.)  Go team USA!  I watched it in Spanish.  I remember watching the Olympic games when I was young and thinking “one day, I’ll win a gold medal.”  And I did – it just happened to be called the “Little Olympics” hosted by my elementary school (Smith School Stallions – man we were cool).  I’m looking forward to watching the games in between study sessions.  The Olympic games began in 776 BC as an ancient Greek festival with athletic, literary, and musical competitions.  (Props to Dr. Sloan at the U of A for his teaching of the Olympic games when we were supposed to be studying jazz history.)  What I love about the Olympics is how people from every race and ethnicity come together for one purpose – obviously each athlete wants to win their event for their country.  Still, they unite to participate in one purpose.  It’s funny how the world can unite for something like this, yet seems incapable of uniting to end hunger in Ethiopia, or provide sanitary drinking water for all of Africa (this kills 20,000 people, daily).  It reminded me of the Waterdeep song “Everyone’s Beautiful.”  So, I played it for Margarita, Jose Angel, and Antony tonight.  Here are the words to the chorus:

 

They were beautiful

Everyone’s beautiful

All of us crawling on hands and knees

In need of You.  

 

My studies kicked off a bit differently this morning.  Margarita began writing sentences in Spanish for what I thought would soon be translated by yours truly – nope!  She began singing what she had written.  I gave a listen to the first verse, chorus, and jumped in on the second verse.  It wasn’t long before we busted out the classical guitar and I put some music with the melody she was singing.  Since she taught me a song in Spanish, I thought I would return the favor and teach her a song in English.  So, I jotted down the lyrics to Phil Wickham’s song Cannons.  After playing and singing it for her she jumped in with me, and together we worshipped!  (There is a huge thunderstorm rolling in from the mountains as I sit outside, in the garden, beneath the terrace, writing this.)  Our study ended with a ton of exercises from the book. 

 

Apparently, Starbucks has gone way green – the bathroom light turned off on me.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do at first, but it quickly turned back on. Visiting the local Starbucks seems to have become a routine after my studies in the afternoon from 9-11:30.  The employee’s now know me by name (shout out to my peeps at the local Starbucks in Saltillo, Mexico).  They look to be my age and are a thrill to visit with.  While sipping on a white mocha, and enjoying the comfort of wifi, I downloaded Phil Wickham’s new live album “Singalong.”  It’s free.  You should download it at philwickham.com.  Phil has quickly become one of my favorite worship leaders and has been a huge encouragement to me.

 

From Starbucks, Margarita and I went to the airport to pick up Antony.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever picked someone up from the airport that you’ve never met, but it’s an odd feeling.  As we watched the plane land, and the people file through customs, I stood beside Margarita holding a sign reading “ANTONY HOBBS.”  (This was the “odd” part.)  Thinking about it now, I’m not sure why it felt so revealing holding that sign, but it did.  Antony is seventy-four years old, 6’4”, and African American.  He holds two masters and a doctoral degree.  He’s retired and volunteers teaching Spanish classes at a University in Pine Bluff, AR.  He’s rather fascinating.  His Spanish is good and I can tell I’m going to learn from the conversations he and Margarita have in the house.  

 

Tonight, post dinner Margarita made margaritas.  I had a tough time getting past the dense layer of salt on the rim of the glass.  But, you know what they say… when in Mexico!  We ended the night with a mixture of conversations in Spanish and Spanglish (for me).  A bit of reading and writing, and I closed my eyes.

 

: : Thought for the day… One day, I’ll win a gold medal!

 

: : Meals

breakfast – coffee (instant – not a fan    ).

lunch – chicken fajita’s (with lemon pepper seasoning, and green salsa), fries, and rice.

dinner – cheese tacos (with onions and salsa), and beans.

 

: : Day seis

Since today is Saturday, we aren’t spending any time in the classroom.  This morning we enjoyed watching some of the Olympics.  Afterwards, Jose Angel Jr, Antony, and I headed to the Dinosaur Museum.  There I wrestled with T-Rex, soared on the wings of a pterodactyl, and on the way out, discovered a fossil in the flowerbed they seemed to overlook.  (It was a big find for me.)  I’m such a geek when it comes to the whole dinosaur era.  Could you imagine real live dinosaurs stomping the streets of Fayetteville or Tulsa?  What do you think really happened – did a meteor strike the earth causing mass freezing, or was it a flood that killed them off?  There are so many theories out there.  There is a brilliant man by the name of Ken Ham who uses theology to answer many of the questions troubling our finite minds.  I have listened to him speak several times and know he has a solid, theological theory as to what happened to the dinosaurs.

 

I have to tell you about these drinks they have here in Mexico.  Think of the drink “orange crush” – carbonated and very orangey.  Ok, now think of every fruit imaginable and make a carbonated soda from each one of them.  That’s how many flavors of “fruit soda” there are to choose from.  It’s almost like Christmas morning every time I sit down at the dinner table not knowing which flavor will be adorning the table.

 

After all but I took a siesta, Margarita took us to learn about Serape’s.  Serapes are the bright, multicolored blankets you would think are native to Mexico.  Welp, they are and just so happen to be native to Saltillo!  Honestly, I was thinking “we’re going to a museum to learn about the history of making blankets – thrilling.”  To my dismay, it turned out to be quite fascinating, and rather enjoyable.  You wouldn’t believe some of the antique serape’s that were on display.  I have hopes to bring one back to the States if I find one I really like.  They are semi pricey and I’m forcing myself to be strict with my budget. 

 

After the serape museum, we walked to the town plaza where we quickly saw the inside of the Capilla del Santo Cristo.  The cathedral looks Spanish baroque (mainly because it is) with all its extravagant architecture and design.  Anytime I visit an old cathedral I can’t help but wonder what must have gone on in this very spot four hundred years ago?  After we left the cathedral, we joined five hundred other people in the observation of some sorts of reggae dance competition.   

 

Finally, we arrived back at the house and I let out a sigh of relief, as I knew the day was drawing to an end – so I thought.  After I sat down my backpack Jose Angel Jr. come out looking fresh and asked if I wanted to go to his friend’s party.  Three things popped in my mind: first, he just wants me to go to provide comic relief (I’m the only white dude amongst 35 other Mexicans my age).  Secondly, I’ve been hearing about these Mexican parties and I certainly thought we could end up in jail.  Lastly, if I want to leave, I can’t (unless I walk aimlessly around a city of 800,000 residents – key word, walk).  So, I went.  It was a fun.  I met a lot of people and got a chance to try out my new Spanish!  Jose Angel Jr. was close by at all times for those moments where I found myself trying to uncross my eyes of confusion.  At the end of the night I was exhausted.  Consequently, I enjoyed my best night of sleep thus far in Saltillo!    

: : Thought for the day… How awesome would it be if we brought the serape poncho’s back?  Like the ones seen in the movie The Three Amigo’s (one of my favorites, btw).

: : Meals

breakfast – coffee

lunch – turkey sandwich (lettuce, onion, and green salsa)

dinner – peanut butter crackers, and raspberry cheesecake from Starbucks

 

 

: : Day siete

The morning was filled with relaxation and the Olympics (women’s gymnastics).  I’m always amazed by how they don’t kill themselves flipping and flopping all over the place — especially on the balance beam.  (If you reread the last two sentences, you would think I’m describing a charismatic.)

 

In the afternoon we piled into the car and headed to the sierra de Arteaga mountains.  As we climbed the mountain, my ears began to crackle and pop, much like rice crispy’s.  (I just took a quick break (3.21 minutes to be exact) from writing to list all fifty states.  I was recently terribly ashamed of myself for not being able to list all of them.)  There were many farmers growing all kinds of crops in the mountains: apples, peaches, corn, and beans, just to name a few.  At the first overlook we came to we stopped to take pictures.  On the descent, we noticed a cactus with tuna (fruit from cacti) and decided to give our hand (literally) at picking them.  We also stopped at a smaller town on the way back as they were having what appeared to be a citywide fiesta. 

 

Once we returned to the house, we watched some t.v. and ate pancakes with blue syrup.  I’m convinced this syrup could successfully replace ticky-tac in elementary schools across the nation.  After dinner I spent a couple of hours at Starbucks where the wifi crapped out on me.  After an hour of trying to fix the connection I resorted to a good book.

 

At eleven I returned to the house and decided to go out back to write.  (This is were I usually write.)  As I wrote, I looked up and saw my first gecko.  They tell me they are common here.  I tried a conversation with a British accent, but he refused to cooperate.  Stubborn creatures, they are.  Around one in the morning I finished writing and decided I would turn in for the night.  To my surprise, the back door was shut and locked – not good.  I had two options: 1. Sleep on the table outside tonight (no thanks).  2. Knock loudly and wake the whole house up.  I opted to knock lightly for fifteen minutes before eventually speaking into an open window of Jose Angel Jr’s room.  I must have scared the crap out of him.  He could do nothing but laugh when he greeted me at the back door.  Thanks for rescuing me Jose Angel Jr.  I couldn’t wait to tell my story to Margarita the next morning! 

 

First, Starbucks wireless didn’t work.  Secondly, my host father locks me out of the house at one in the morning.  Seriously, what’s next?  Well… how about I’m washing my hands when suddenly our house runs out of water.  YES, the sink literally stopped flowing with water — the toilet literally wouldn’t flush.  (Note: I was at the peak of lathering the soap on my hands)  After wiping my lathery hands with a towel, and closing the lid to the toilet, I laid down and closed my eyes.     

: : Thought for the day… note to self: don’t write outside late in the night at Margarita’s house because Jose Angel will lock you out (leaving you to find off the wild dogs, cats, and yes, people).

: : Meals

breakfast – sleep

lunch – fish, fries, and some type of crazy shrimp soup.

dinner – pancakes (with blue syrup).

 

 

 : : Day ocho

First thing I did when I woke up was watch as Margarita laughed (in an uncontrollable manor) about Jose Angel locking me out of the house last night.  I’m glad she thinks its funny!  After breakfast, we spent a lot of time in the classroom studying – she gave me a ton of homework, which kept me busy for the next couple of hours.  I snuck in some Olympics though!  As I was studying I heard a familiar tune and had to look up at the television.  It was high school musical in Spanish!  Margarita’s six-year-old niece, Arely was over and she and I exchanged looks of excitement!  It reminded me: I still need to see all three movies in their entirety when I get back to the states!

 

After lunch Edmundo picked me up and took me downtown.  We walked to the Governor’s office.  There we saw a mural painted across the entire wall pertaining to the evolution of Mexico’s history.  Edmundo took me left to right explaining each major moment of the past.  I was fascinated and soaked up every word.  We then walked to Yoga class where we practiced self-awareness, got a work out, and visited with new friends.  Post yoga, Edmundo dropped me off at Starbucks where I tried more Spanish with more new friends, wrote emails, and video chatted with my boy Jason and Jaime.  (Mom, if I would have been successful in convincing you and dad to buy an iMac, we too could have video chatted.  When I get back, maybe we should go peep them out as we never want to find ourselves in this position again!)  We had a minor problem with the sound, but facebook chat saved the day.

 

After Starbucks, we all sat around the table and had some good laughs (one of those was again due to me being locked out of the house the previous night).  Margarita and Jose Angel called it a night around twelve, but Antony and I had some studying to do – at least that was the plan.  We ended up talking about the segregation of white and black people in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Remembering that Antony is seventy-four years old, you should realize that he was a young man during those years.  He was an activist in the civil rights movement, witnessed African American’s being hosed down the street by the local fire department for protesting, went to high school when whites and blacks weren’t allowed to share the same school, traveled with his family and experienced being turned away by hotels because they were black, heard stories of people he knew being lynched, and was living in Pine Bluff, AR (close to Little Rock, AR) when the famous story of integration took place at Central High School in Little Rock, AR.  I had plenty of questions, but for the most part I sat and listened to the stories.  Honestly, I didn’t know what to say.  I am certainly embarrassed of the history of my country as it pertains to slavery.  Our discussion of slavery, the civil rights movement, and history eventually turned into a religious discussion.  Although many of his beliefs vary greatly from mine, we both landed on the fact that as Christians we are called to love God and love people.  He knew much about the bible and it was rather interesting discussing our theology, beliefs, and theories together.  Before we knew it, the clock struck 3 a.m.  G’night.

 

: : Thought for the day… I just want to love on people. 

 

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bars

lunch – beef (complete with yellow salsa), spaghetti, and rice (with carrots in it).

dinner – peanut butter sandwich, and a healthy slice of Starbucks triple chocolate cake.    

 

 

: : Day nueve

Shaved, showered, and out the door quickly this morning.  (I also put on clothes.)  Edmundo and his friend (of equal intelligence), Jesus took me to visit the University.  I dig visiting any college campus.  I’m not exactly sure why, just do.  Jesus is going to begin his process towards a masters degree in only a few days and had to hand in some paper work.  After leaving the campus, we headed to Walmart where I helped Edmundo pick out a new laptop.  They didn’t have my first choice (mac), but we got him hooked up with a pretty sweet Dell.  We then headed to Edmundo’s house where we got him set up on his wireless and caught some Olympics.  Seriously, how much of a freakin’ stud is Michael Phelps?  He’s like flipper, only in the human form. 

 

After lunch, I had to skip out on a siesta to finish the ton of homework Margarita assigned me.  That was followed by the most frustrating study session yet.  It was one of those moments where I had been studying for four hours and had hit a wall.  When I couldn’t understand something Margarita was trying to say I was ready to throw the table through the window (complete with all the Spanish books).  But, I didn’t. 

 

Before dinner, I spent an hour outside writing and relaxing.  It was exactly what I needed.  At dinner we had one of my favorite dishes for the second time.  It includes: queso, onions, and sausage wrapped in a hot, flour tortilla.  I’m not big on sausage, but with everything else the flavor is great!  Post dinner I spent a couple of hours at Starbucks (my second home in Mexico, and my home away from the States).  This never gets old.  My friend Daniela (who I met and works at Starbucks) invited me to go out with her and her friends sometime soon.  This should be interesting.

After some homework I called it a night. 

: : Thought for the day… No one should ever travel without a hammock.

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – meat balls (with tortilla’s), a vegetable medley, and peanut butter tortillas (my creation).

 

dinner – tacos (cheese, sausage, and onions).

 

: : Day diaz

The day began with finishing my homework.  Once that was complete, Edmundo picked me up to head downtown.  We stopped by Jesus’ house to pick he and his kids up.  I noticed some kids playing baseball in the street and since Jesus wasn’t quite ready I asked to join them – they obliged.  I absolutely love playing catch.  It would have made my day to just play catch with those kids all afternoon.  From the sounds I heard as the ball flew through the air (oooo…ahhhh), I gathered baseball isn’t frequently played in these parts.  The kids were simply amazed by how far a baseball could fly.  At one point, one of my long throws was headed straight for the back windshield of one of the nicest cars I’ve seen down here.  Thankfully, the smallest kid snagged it just before impact – thanks lil buddy!

 

From there we visited The Mexican Bird Museum.  The museum is home to the largest permanent collection of Mexican birds in the entire world, with over 2,545 specimens representing around 74% of all national avifauna.  This might sound boring, and there is a possibility that I’m just a complete geek, but it was pretty stinking awesome!  My top three favorites (in order) were: 1. Bald Eagle 2. Falcon 3. Pygmy Owl (mainly because it reminds me of and put into perspective Ron’s owl from Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling, if you’re reading this will you write book 8 — seriously?).

 

After lunch, I tuned in to watch Michael Phelps dominate another gold medal at the Olympic games.  When Margarita woke from her siesta, she and I studied Spanish.  She assigned me a butt load of homework again which I knocked out right after our session.  As soon as I finished, I heard the words “andale andale” and I knew that meant Margarita was headed towards the car.  We (Margarita, Jose Angel, Antony, and I) had decided at lunch that we wanted to go see a movie tonight.  So, we piled in the car and headed off to the theatre. 

 

We ended up seeing the third Mummy movie.  The cheese-o-meter was off the charts.  For example, one of the last lines of the movie went like this:

 

Woman: Kiss me (as she was being held by the man).

Man: You don’t have to tell me twice (kiss).

 

Seriously?  Brendan Fraser needs to scope out the possibilities of starring in part two of Encino Man, because his efforts in the mummy are lacking.  Margarita, Jose Angel, and I did take some pretty fun pictures using the theatre’s promotional material as props!

 

I guess it’s worth mentioning today marks the half waypoint of my time here in Mexico.  Things are still going well.  It seems as though I’m accomplishing the goals I set before embarking upon the journey.   

: : Thought for the day… If I were a bird… I would be a falcon, and if I were J.K Rowling I would write book 8. 

: : Meals

breakfast – writing Spanish sentences.

lunch – tacos (beef, pork, onions, and cilantro), rice (with carrots and broccoli), and cheesecake for dessert.

 

dinner – peanut butter sandwich.

 

: : Day once

The morning began in the classroom and ended in the classroom – yeah…  After lunch I took an hour siesta.  The day was off to a “not so interesting” start. 

 

Tap, tap, tap; I quickly sprung up from my place of rest knowing too well the sound of a peso clinging against the metal gate outside of Margarita’s house.  I slipped on my shoes and Edmundo and I were off again to conquer downtown Saltillo.  We had a mission in mind and that was to see the inside of the Cathedral de Santiago.  This is the oldest and largest cathedral in Saltillo.  We have been unsuccessful in our previous attempts to see the inside due to touch work being down to the outside.  This time, we were successful.  The sight was stunning.  Simply touching the twenty-foot wooden doors from the 16^th century was enough to stand in awe.  I have been to Italy and seen the Vatican, seen the Sistine chapel, and other significant cathedrals much larger and with much more history, but still I couldn’t help but let my mind run wild with what must have happened in that chapel over the last 450 years.  After leaving the Cathedral de Santiago, we visited a couple of gift shops where I purchased bookmarks (one of my favorite souvenirs to bring back to people as I believe they should be reading).  We finished our time downtime today with one last tour of a smaller cathedral.  There, we convinced one of the priests to let us up the narrow stairwell that led to an upstairs where I had spotted an old pipe organ.  Turns out, there were two old pipe organs.  I, of course was enchanted yet again.  After a few pictures, we loaded ourselves in the car and headed to Starbucks.

 

Once at Starbucks I finally influenced Edmundo to give Starbucks a chance at loving him.  He did and sure enough, Starbucks loved him!  (Edmundo, I’m so proud I could buy you your first Starbucks white mocha – we shall do it again, my friend!)  Edmundo took off around eight as I was supposed to be meeting Anna (a girl who Jaime met during her time here in Saltillo).  She arrived shortly after eight and we instantly hit it off.  She is a Christian sharing my perspective on what Christianity is.  Her theology seems to line up well with mine.  From the moment I met her I knew one of her spiritual gifts was to genuinely love on people.  After three and a half hours of wonderful conversation, that proved true.  Anna lived in Little Rock, AR for six years when she was younger.  She currently teaches English at two of the Universities here in Saltillo.  Since Jaime had already told her my life story she knew that I was a worship leader.  It just so happens her father pastors a church here in the city.  So, she asked me to lead worship this Sunday at their church.  After being persuaded that the congregation won’t hate me for leading them in English (with a piece of a song in Spanish) I agreed to lead.  She also invited me to spend all day Sunday with her family.  I’m looking forward to it.

 

Finally, I made it back home.  After practicing the guitar, studying some vocab, and writing, I hit the light – darkness.     

Thought for the day… I wonder how many secret passage ways we must have over looked in the cathedral today…

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – beef fajitas, rice, and beans.  We had some type of raisin pastry for dessert.

dinner – Starbucks chocolate cake, and white mocha.

 

: : Day doce

I couldn’t sleep for the life of me last night.  Antony gets up about four times a night to use the restroom and I’m pretty sure I greeted him all four times.  Stuff was just running wild through my mind.  At one point (somewhere around 3) Antony suggested counting sheep.  He said, “when you get to one hundred, start counting those sheep backwards.  I bet you’re asleep before you finish.”  I had nothing but a laugh for him!  I ended up not counting sheep, but dozed off somewhere around 4:30 a.m. 

 

I spent the first part of my morning learning the chorus and bridge of the worship song “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” in Spanish.  I would like the church to join me in praising our God this Sunday rather than me just singing a bunch of songs in English to them.  After figuring out the song in Spanish, Margarita and I began our studies.

 

After lunch I watched the USA dominate in women’s gymnastics for the individual all around – way to go team!

 

Edmundo picked me up just before six and I helped him load some new couches into his house (he’s remodeling).  After switching cars three times we headed to the mall to meet Anna and her friends.  We wanted to see a movie… wouldn’t you know the only movie showing in English (with Spanish subtitles) was… you guessed it, The Mummy.  So, Edmundo and I endured it yet again!  There is a funny story worth mentioning.  As I sat in my seat, at approximately halfway through the movie, I began craving something to eat.  About that same time Anna got up to use the restroom – that was my chance and I took advantage.  As Anna headed to the restroom, I picked what I thought was the shortest line at the concession.  There was only one family in front of me and I was sure I would have my twix in hand before Anna returned.  Welp, I was wrong.  The family in front of me took forever.  With that being said, Anna joined me in line and asked me what I bought.  I told her I hadn’t bought anything yet and that I thought I was strategic in choosing the shortest line, but it was taking FOREVER.  She waited a moment before grabbing my arm and gently informing me “actually, the line is back there.”  Apparently, in Mexican theatres they have a line for their concessions much like a line for a ride at a theme park in the states.  It was definitely one of those moments where my checks turned a brighter pink than normal.  Now I know (thanks Anna)!

 

After the movie all of us, with Edmundo being the exception, gathered at Starbucks.  There I attempted speaking in Spanish as much as possible with Anna’s friends Claudia and Goretti.  They were nice folk and a pleasure to hang out with.  From there they dropped me off at the house were I played guitar, wrote, read, and talked with Antony.  Finally, I called it a night.

 

: : Thought for the day… Don’t see the Mummy twice in the theatre.  Actually, don’t see the Mummy twice in your life.

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar

lunch – pork chops, mashed potatoes, and flour tortillas.

dinner – peanut butter crackers and granola bars.  (You never know if you’ll be having dinner around here or not.)

 

: : Day trece

As soon as my eyes opened Margarita was ready to jump in the car to head downtown.  After throwing on some clothes we did just that.  There I found a cheaper, beautiful, massive serape.  I was so pleased that Margarita knew exactly where to go. 

 

The first part of the afternoon was spent playing the guitar and writing.  Honestly, it was rather uneventful to read about.  Thus, I will spare you. 

 

At a quarter ‘til four I began my quest to find the taxi service and get a ride downtown.  I was successful in finding and communicating my destination with the taxi driver.  It made me happy.  I was headed to the town center to meet Anna, her sister Gabby, and brother Samuel.  (I currently sit on a bench in the town center awaiting their arrival.  The chances of being pooped on must be great as there are hundreds of pigeons surrounding me – kind of like the second home alone movie in Central Park.  And, there they are.)  Directly following the arrival of our first art gallery it began to pour down rain.  Turns out it was still raining when we decided to go to the next gallery.  We waited about five minutes at the doorway for the rain to slack, it didn’t.  Finally, I gave into the girls desire to walk in the rain, correction – torrential downpour.  Everything (from head to toe) got soaked.  What was I thinking?  As I was walking I remember the moment where I just gave up and began to enjoy it.  I wasn’t thinking about being soaked for the remainder of the night…

 

After leaving the art galleries we stopped by the movie store to rent four movies.  Next we headed to the grocery store where I purchased seventeen dollars worth of junk food for all of us.  Finally, we made it back to Anna’s house where we relaxed, watched, movies, ate junk food, washed AND dried our clothes, and laughed.  Every night before bed, Anna’s family gather’s in the living room to pray together.  We spoke our prayer request and each took a turn praying for the person on our right.  We also sang worship songs together.  It was awesome!  At one point, I remember thinking to myself I feel like I’m at home right here, right now. 

 

Once I made it back to the house (Margarita’s house) I played the guitar a bit more, read, wrote, and tucked myself in.

 

: : Thought for the day… Never allow two women to convince you into walking the city streets of Saltillo, Mexico during a torrential down pour.  Mainly because it will take your tennis shoes three whole days to dry – they smell great by the way.  Does the freezer trick really work?

: Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – tacos (beef, potatoes, carrots), rice (with broccoli), and a peanut butter sandwich.

dinner – A ton of junk food (including popcorn, three kinds of chips, peanut m&m’s, and sodas – so bad).

 

: : Day catorce

After rushing to get around I grabbed my guitar and ran out the door to catch a taxi.  Once again, I was successful in getting to my destination of choice – church.  Anna’s dad is the pastor of the church and asked me to lead a couple of songs in English.  I sang the song in English and then we sang the chorus together in Spanish.  It was awesome – such wonderful people.  I also helped Anna teach the young students during Sunday school.  We learned about Sampson — how God empowered him as well as how he lost his strength.  The students thought I was Sampson’s son simply because I could touch the ceiling without jumping!  I told them they should have seen the things I could do before I cut my hair short.  Before parting we took pictures and gave proper Mexican handshakes. 

 

After the morning service, Anna and I went to the market to find a gift for her little cousin’s birthday.  We quickly found a gift and began walking to the bus station.  Little did I know what was in store for me.  Anna asked me if I got a stomachache easily (meaning, do random Mexican foods make you sick)?  I quickly observed my surroundings and noticed there was a man selling some type of chips with sauces.  Sure enough, Anna stopped at that food stand.  Mind you, these stands are on wheels in order to be hauled around from place to place in the city.  That to say, it couldn’t have been the most sanitary food I’ve found during my time here in Mexico.  I watched at the man opened a bag of chips, poured several large spoons of sour cream, cheese, and jalapenos into it and stuck a spoon in the middle.  A few quick stirs from Anna and it was ready to go.  The next ten minutes of our journey to the bus station were spent arguing about whether or not I would take a bit of this contraption she called “good.”  Finally, once we arrived at the bus station I took a deep breath, took a bit, and began chewing without breathing (this helps hide the taste for those of you with sensitive gag reflexes).  I swallowed and decided it wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be.  However, the next thing that happened was.

 

The bus arrived and we climbed aboard.  As I tracked to my seat I was suddenly thrown forwards.  Apparently, the buses here in Mexico don’t wait for you to sit down before they “put the pedal to the metal.”  It was unbelievable how ludicrous the buses drive here in the city.  The cars are bad enough, but the buses think they can drive as fast as they please, in any lane, stopping at their pleasure simply because they are big.  It’s kind of like the school bully only in bus form.  We almost killed a pedestrian crossing the street, hit several cars, and successfully killed a person inside the bus from head injuries.  It seemed as though they don’t bother putting shocks on their buses either as we felt with our buttocks every pebble in the road.  Nonetheless, we made it to Anna’s house.

 

There we enjoyed a wonderful meal together.  After lunch we filled all three couches in the living room and put on a good movie.  It was so comfortable I didn’t want to get up and go to the church’s night service.  But, we did.  I tuned their guitar and bass, which single handedly, revolutionized the sound of their worship music!  I led a song and spoke in Spanish in front of the entire congregation – yipes!  After the church service I attempted to show a young man how to play Hillsong’s song (they never sounds right – Hillsong’s song…) “From The Inside Out.”  It proved to be an unsuccessful attempt due to the lack of time. 

 

After leaving the church (in the rain) we headed to Anna’s little cousin’s house to celebrate her birthday.  She turns five tomorrow – Feliz Cumpleanos Fernanda!  There, we enjoyed two types of flan and two types of jello – they weren’t messing around!  I dig jello mainly because of the way it wiggles and jiggles from the time you put it solidifies in the refrigerator until it goes down your esophagus.  As for flan… yucka (that should be Japanese for sick).  After dessert and presents we broke out the popular game, pictionary.  I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen eleven Mexican’s and one white boy play a game of pictionary strictly in Spanish, but it’s worth a several good laughs!  I don’t know what else to say.  Before leaving I played a few songs for them on the guitar. 

 

Once back to Anna’s house we called a cab that would eventually bring me to where I sit now – inside Margarita’s house writing.  I’m calling it a night.  

 

: : Thought for the day… I wonder if Adam had a belly button?

 

: : Meals

breakfast – notta (as in notta thing)

lunch – hamburger (one of the best I’ve eaten — spices were mixed into the hamburger), macaroni (with white cheese!), and chips.

dinner – flan, jello, peanut butter crackers, and a granola bar.

 

: : Day quince

A couple of days ago Margarita informed me my final exam would be Thursday at 10:30 a.m.  With that being said, the entire morning was spent conjugating verbs and studying.  After lunch I was ready for a good siesta – and a good siesta it was! 

 

During the afternoon Edmundo and I went to one of the Universities for a special lecture.  All the English teachers in the city were required to be there.  We gained insight on how to teach students to learn English as a second language.  Little did I know it would soon prove useful.  On the way home, Edmundo asked if I would mind coming to his school tomorrow and talking with the students in his classes.  I quickly arranged a look of pondering on my face as I thought to myself, this could result disastrous or it could result awesome.  Hoping for the latter of the two I said, “I’m in.”  We hung out at Edmundo’s house for a while before heading to Starbucks. 

 

After Starbucks Edmundo dropped me of at Margarita’s house.  Margarita’s had prepared a late night meal and was followed by a late night study session.  I began to feel the necessities of studying a lot of irregular verbs before Thursday morning arrived and it be too late.          

: : Thought for the day… Why irregular verbs, why?

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – chicken fajitas, fries, and vegetable soup.

dinner – beef quesadillas (with a special salsa). 

 

 

: : Day dieciseis

The morning began extra early with an intense lesson with Margarita, actually every lesson has been intense with Margarita.  I coined the phrase “Tu es muy stricto” (you are very strict) for Margarita during my time here.  Every time I say it Margarita dies laughing.  After our studies I grabbed a shower and headed to Edmundo’s school.

 

Walking down the hallways I remember thinking how much it reminded me of my fifth grade year when we were asked to dress up for our school’s Halloween party.  How I convinced my mother to let me go to school dressed as a female cheerleader I’ve yet to discover.  One thing’s for sure, my peers clearly weren’t used to seeing that, much like the students in the Mexican high school weren’t used to seeing a six foot, white boy roaming the hallways.  The excitement didn’t end there.  Once inside the classroom Edmundo took role.  To my surprise there were approximately fifty students in each class.  After roll was called (that reminds me of the old hymn “when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there”) Edmundo introduced me and opened up the floor for questions.  If you’ve never been drilled by fifty fifteen year old students from another country its nothing short of intense!  They weren’t shy in any capacity.  Some of the first questions went like this: where are you from, how old are you, what’s your name – these I can handle.  But, who wants to answer questions like “do you have a girlfriend” and “what do you think of Mexican women?”  Do you answer the questions or do you give a verbal “side hug” and dodge them?  Interestingly, in a few classes asked my views on religion and U.S. government.  After they exhausting every question feasible I asked them to tell me what they thought about people from the United States.  Their answers were really all over the place including: most of them are nice, they are powerful and take what they want (did you know that California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma were once a part of Mexico?  Saltillo was actually the capital of Texas back in the day – no lie.), they are good at sports (as displayed at the 2008 Olympic games), etc.  I only hope my words and time spent with them helped break any sad stereotypes they might have had about the people of the United States.  I told them in all countries around the world there are good and bad people (forgive my lack of a better term) and that we have a choice as to what kind of person we want to be.  I encouraged them to be open minded about all people, work to understand them, give effort to build relationships, and above all LOVE.  My time in all three classes was wonderful – it made my day!

 

On the way back to Edmundo’s house he told me I have a future teaching – I politely corrected him!  At Edmundo’s house we peeped some Olympics on the tube and I boogie boarded the web on his wireless.  After a few hours he dropped me off at Starbucks.

 

Anna met me at Starbucks and we decided to go to the mall.  As we walked I commented at every gelato shop we passed (aghhh…that looks scrumptious).  Finally, we couldn’t take it any longer and we decided hunt down a good restaurant.  At the moment, I can’t remember the name of the restaurant.  It was my first time to eat out during my time in Mexico.  We had ribs, hot wings, and cheese sticks.  Not gonna lie, It was a beautiful moment.  In the restaurant they had a sweet glorified jukebox.  It was a computer full of songs by thousands of popular artists.  You could choose five songs at a time and when the song played the music video played around the room on giant LCD flat screens (ummm…awesome)!  At dinner I asked Anna all about her yearlong stay in Canada last year.  A couple hours later we decided to walk twenty minutes back to Anna’s house.  From there I took another Taxi home.  Side note: you would be humored by the conversations I have in Spanish with the Cab drivers!

 

Jose Angel was up waiting on me when I got home.  Because he doesn’t speak any English I haven’t been able to have a conversation with him.  But, by this time my Spanish has begun to develop.  Therefore, I finally got to have a conversation with him, which was such a joy.  After wishing him a good night I began writing what you’re reading now.  It was a wonderful day, today.  Fitzgerald out.

 

: : Thought for the day… I really dig teaching young people (high school/college).

 

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – peanut butter sandwich.

dinner – ribs, hot wings, and mozzarella sticks.

 

 

: : Day dieceisiete

The alarm rang early.  I needed to be at the high school Edmundo teaches at by eight for one last effort at teaching English classes.  Last night I gave thought to how I could continue to make learning English fun and exciting for the students.  So, once we got to the school I told Edmundo we needed t round up a small ball.  We eventually settled for a lemon, as there was no small ball to be found.  The students of the first class I walked into began clapping.  Either they were trying to kill mosquitoes or they were glad to see me again.  After roll was called I got up to teach.  We started off with some quick exercises using the alphabet and numbers.  Once we were good and warmed up I wrote (in English) a question on the board (“What do you like to do?) for them to think about.  Then, I wooped out the lemon (this is when things got crazy)!  I held it up and said, “my name is Ryan Fitzgerald and I like to play music.”  I then tossed the lemon to Edmundo he answered the question.  Edmundo gave the lemon back to me and I tossed it to the back of the room and said, “your turn!”  We tossed that lemon back and forth around the whole class practicing our English out loud together.  The questions continually changed on the white board and the students loved it. 

 

After teaching classes, Edmundo dropped me off back at Margarita’s house.  There I grabbed lunch before we began reviewing for my final exam coming up in the morning.  I was a bit nervous since the grade from that one test would be permanently adorning my college transcript.  With that said, I spent the entire afternoon studying after Margarita and I finished with our session.  Exciting, I know.

 

Today was Jose Angel Jr’s birthday.  When he finally got off work, we celebrated his birthday with the most amazing, thick, rich, creamy, triple chocolate cake you could possibly imagine – blissful, it was!  Unfortunately, Jose Angel Jr. couldn’t stay around for the festivities because he had to go out and party with his friends that night.  This gave me a reason to go to Starbucks, which I did.

 

At Starbucks I had the chance to put this macbook to use by video chatting with Jason and Jaime.  How sweet is it that we can be in different countries and able to see and talk with one another via iChat?  It rocks my face off.  (Seriously Mom, you guys need to buy and iMac for the house.)  I threw down a white mocha frappuccino and geeked out on the web.  For all of you Christian music fans, Charlie Hall and his band released a new Album called The Bright Sadness.  Peep it out at charliehall.com or iTunes it.  They released the album at 722 this past Tuesday night.  You can also watch the video at 722.org.  Speaking of 722, their recent decision to no longer meet as a body called 722 breaks my heart as I have been watching 722 religiously every week for the past 5 years.  I am however holding on and excited about what will emerge from their vision.  One thing’s for sure… I’ll be on board.

 

Once back at the house I studied for another hour or so, wrote, played guitar, until I couldn’t go any longer.

: : Thought for the day… Music can speak to the depths of people’s being when words find trouble breaking skin. 

: : Meals

breakfast – milky way.  (seriously.)

lunch – fish, pasta, and saltine crackers.

dinner – chocolate cake. (how am I not dead or fat?)

 

: : Day dieciocho

Today was the big day in which every second of my time here in Mexico rests upon – examination.  I spent approximately one hour early this morning doing last minute reviews before Margarita handed me the four-paged exam in Spanish (even the directions).  The exam took almost two hours, but I felt really good about it.  At one point in the exam is was necessary for me to utilize the word “fat” and for the life of me I could not remember the word for “fat” in Spanish – it drove me crazy because in my mind I could picture the very flashcard with fat written on it.  I ended using the word big instead of polite and argued it was more “politically correct” to say “big” instead of “fat.”  My persistence earned me a half point.  That half point and only one more due to an irregular verb were the only points I missed out of one hundred possible.  98.5/100 A+!  After I saw my grade I threw up my hands and let out a shout of jubilee.  I had worked hard the past three weeks and it paid off. 

 

After lunch I convinced Margarita to brave the flooded streets of Saltillo to drop me off at Starbucks.  There I relaxed knowing my studies were finished.  I read and sucked up the wifi.

 

From Starbucks, I walked fifteen minutes or so to a small mall with a movie theatre attached where I met Anna.  I told her it was necessary to enjoy a healthy helping of chocolate gelato.  She however wanted a snack.  On the way to gelato shop she stopped at a small stand in the center of the mall where I witnessed a woman fill a white, styrofoam cup with yellow corn.  On top of that sour cream, lemon juice, and chili pepper were poured.  Yeah… not cool!  She loved it though.  After our snack we both came to the conclusion that a snack was just not going to fill our hungry stomachs.  So, we hit up a Carl’s Jr. inside of the mall for a much welcomed American dinner!  After dinner we decided to see The Dark Knight since she had yet to be amazed by the latest Batman movie.  This was my second time to see it and I must say it was just as good the second go around as the first.  That magic trick the Joker displayed was brilliant.  Can you say Oscar?

 

After the movie we were both dead tired and had to wave a taxi down at 12:30 in the morning just to get home.  Once safely at home I wrote and listened to some more of Antony’s fascinating stories since I guess he was having trouble sleeping.  Finally, we both hit a wall and the light was banished.   

: : Thought for the day… if ever traveling to any destination for more than one week, it’s necessary to bring your car or buy a motorcycle. 

: : Meals

breakfast – granola bar.

lunch – hamburger and fries.

dinner – hamburger and fries from Carl’s Jr.

 

: : Day diecinueve

My feet hit the ground mid morning today as I decided to enjoy a good nights rest.  Before leaving the States I had made up my mind to travel to the city of Monterrey at some point during my time in Mexico.  Since today was the last day, and my studies have wrapped up, it seemed perfect.  So, Anna picked me up around ten and we headed to the bus station.  Once inside the bus station we purchased two, one-way, grey hound bus tickets bound for Monterrey, Mexico. 

 

An hour or so later, we arrived and began walking aimlessly around a massive city.  We eventually found the subway were we mumbled, fumbled, and stumbled our way into purchasing two tickets.  As we stood below the city awaiting the subway, I couldn’t help but look down and realize if any given person walked by and gave me a little love shove I would end up being drug who knows how many miles before they recovered my dead body from below the subway.  (Key word… dead.)  Luckily for the both of us we successfully boarded the subway and shortly made it to our desired destination.  After much more walking we arrived at a beautiful place called Paseo de Santa Lucia.  This is a fancy place where the river runs through the city.  There we walked, talked and eventually settled in at a nice restaurant right next to the river. 

 

On the way back to the bus station we walked down the main streets where all the popular stores and shops seemed to gather.  We took it easy and when something caught our eye we decided to go in and check it out.  Anna bought the Miller’s and I each a cactus to take back home.  Yes, this is considered smuggling, as it is illegal to import any type of plant into the U.S. from another country.  (I didn’t get arrested going through customs.)  Eventually, we made it back to the bus station around seven in the evening to catch the 7:45 bus back to Salitllo.

 

Here is where the troubles began.  With tickets in hand we asked the bus driver if we had found the right bus (there were approximately 18 grey hound buses lined up headed to different destinations).  The bus driver said, “no, this isn’t the right bus.”  It was.  I told Anna it was no big deal; we’ll just catch the next bus.  Welp, that didn’t work.  It turned into a big deal as we were supposed to be back to Margarita’s for a farewell fiesta by 8:45.  After watching bus’ come and bus’ go, we finally boarded a bus headed for Saltillo.  At 10:30 we stepped off the bus onto the concrete of Saltillo.  There were four or five taxi cabs waiting to take people from the bus station to their desired locations.  Unfortunately for us, they all wanted 35 pesos.  Now, this is no large sum of money ($3.50, to be exact), but we were only going a few miles.  I told Anna we were only going to pay 25 pesos for this ride and no more.  After fifteen minutes of negotiating with six different cab drivers we got our ride for 25 pesos.  Victorious!

 

Back at the house Edmndo, Margarita, Jose Angel, and Antony were patiently awaiting our arrival.  They had cooked steaks and sausages on the grill and both Anna and I were definitely ready for some of that.  We sat around the table and all enjoyed what would be our last conversation (in Spanish, mostly) for this trip.  It eventually came time to say goodbye to Anna and Edmundo in which we shared last minute words and hugs.  I remember the last words spoken by Edmundo — “don’t forget, you have friends here.”  Those words fell sweetly on my heart and I will never forget them.  What wonderful people they both are.  I am looking forward to seeing them again down the road.

 

After they left I said goodnight to Margarita and Jose Angel.  I then began the hefty task of shoving all my belongs back into my large black bag that I have been living out of for the past four and a half months.  As I packed, Antony and I had wonderful conversation about this and that.  I really enjoyed my time rooming with Antony and the hearing the many stories he has lived over the past seventy-four years.  Finally at three in the morning, I had everything pretty well packed and ready to go.  By this time, I had accepted not getting much more than two hours of sleep, as we had to be up to catch a plane shortly after 5 a.m.  I decided to jump in my Mexican bed one last time for a couple hours of shuteye.  So, I did.     

 

Thought for the day… there are a lot of good people in the world.

: : Meals

breakfast – pancakes

lunch – chicken fajitas (onions, peppers, cheese,), rice, and carrots. (restaurant in Monterrey.)

dinner – steak, and sausage. 

 

 

Day veinte (traveling home).

Only a couple hours after laying my head down on my pillow, I raised it again.  I had slept just enough to make myself perfectly useless.  Useless or not, I had to get around quickly.  I enjoyed one last shower with half warm, half cold water before loading my bag and guitar into the car.  After all was loaded, we headed into the dark morning to find the airport. 

 

As I lifted my big, black bag to the gentleman behind the counter at the airport, I tried my darndest to act like it was effortless.  In reality, it was one of the heaviest bags I’ve ever lifted in my life (just after the one I took on last years mission trip to Mexico, which was loaded with my group’s supplies – that time, the strap literally broke).  Sure enough, the bag was ten pounds over weight and was going to cost fifty dollars extra.  The kind man allowed me to attempt shifting ten pounds from that bag to my carry on.  After removing three books, a notebook, and my small bag of shower supplies, I arrived at the appropriate weight for a checked bag – wonderful start to the morning.

 

It then came time for Antony and I to say our parting words to our Mexican family, Margarita and Jose Angel.  It was bitter sweet.  I only hope I have the opportunity to see them again in this life.  Shortly after they disappeared out of sight, we began the process of emptying our pockets, taking off our shoes, and spreading our legs for the inspection of any possible device that could be used as a weapon aboard the aircraft.  We both passed.  Since the airport in Saltillo was tiny, we actually had to walk outside the airport to board the plane.  So, with guitar in hand I took my last steps upon Mexico soil for at least a while.  Unfortunately, due to the recent accident with the airplane in Spain, they made me gate check Gomer (my Taylor guitar).  For all of you concerned, she made it just fine and is resting beside me right now as I type from my desk in Arkansas. 

 

On the first flight to Houston, I witnessed the sun begin to peak from under the clouds.  I have seen this before, but every time my breath is taken by the grandness of God and His majesty.  What a creative God He is.  I couldn’t take my eyes off the sun until it had come to full blossom.  It was simply inspiring.  Thanks God! 

 

Upon arrival at the enormous Houston airport, I made my way through customs before saying goodbye to Antony.  Again, I really enjoyed the many late night conversations the two of us shared while rooming together – I learned a lot. 

 

The lay over was less than two hours in Houston and before I knew it, I was aboard the last plane of the trip.  I enjoy flying (for the most part), but logically it doesn’t make much sense for a large piece of metal, weighed down with 150 people, and their luggage to be suspended in the air for a long period of time.  My mind always gravitates towards that principal each time I step aboard an airplane.  Nonetheless, we landed safely in Tulsa, OK where I began walking towards the luggage claim.  Along the way I ran into my parents who were there to retrieve me.  It was good to see them and tell them about the biggest leap of faith I have taken in my life. 

 

Once in the car, we headed down Harvard with one thing on our mind… Pei Wei Chinese food!  I had always heard of how amazing Pei Wei is and had only experienced it days before leaving for Mexico (twice in four days, by the way).  However, my parents had yet to be enlightened.  After lettuce wraps, and three entrees (I recommend the fried rice) we all exited the restaurant in agreement – best Chinese food we’ve ever had.

 

Before heading 103 miles, east, back to Arkansas, we stopped by the Kirk of the Hills to see where the guys and I had led worship the morning I left for Mexico.  As we were looking at the worship center a massive group of well-dressed individuals began filing up the staircase.  Yep, it was a wedding party.  There we stood in all our glory, holy jeans and all.  We booked it out of the church as quickly as possible! 

 

On the way home, I told for the first time of my amazing experience in Saltillo, Mexico.  I told of the wonderful people I met and built friendships with.  And how God was faithful in teaching me through them, about myself.  My prayer is that they saw Jesus in me – His grace, mercy, and above all, love.  

: : Ryan