The following picture is from our hotel, Hotel Meson de la Merced, where we stayed for the first evening. All of the rooms open up into this beautiful courtyard. It was a perfect first impression of Queretaro, Mexico.
From now on, I will update pictures as they happen so that I don't fall behind on my blogging. Now onto the events from this past week (it might be a bit long, sorry!)
Classes began, in a sense. Most people didn't meet for the first day of classes because professors didn't show up or because the professor was sick (as was the case with one of my classes). I have to say, Mexico is very different from the United States in this respect because they are much more laid back about class schedules...at least the professors are. Sometimes, professors simply do not show up to class, though students are expected to be punctual. Sometimes, it's maddening after struggling to find the classroom, finish the homework on time, only to find class canceled because the professor didn't show up. As I am learning here in Mexico, patience is virtue and the world will not end if something doesn't go according to plan because its happened quite a lot (someday, I'll share my love/hate relationship with Mexico's bus system).
Nevertheless, I was one of the few who did start classes this week. I'm taking four classes at the UAQ (Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro): Mexican culture, Syntax (these two are with just WMU students), Colonial Worlds, and Italian I(the latter two are with Mexicans). My Italian class is, right now, my favorite class. The entire period, our professor speaks in Italian. You can imagine my shock when he came in spurting out Italian sentences and for a second, I thought I entered the wrong class, but sure enough, it was basic Italian I. Even more surprising, however, is the fact that I can understand what he says thanks to the years of Spanish I have studied. The class itself is loads of fun because I get to speak, in broken Italian and Spanish, with all sorts of different Mexican students who are always willing to lend a hand inside and outside of class.
In my second class, Colonial Worlds, I am the only American and I love it that way (no offense my WMU buddies). I love it because I'm forced to speak Spanish 100% of the time because hardly anyone speaks English. Furthermore, this class is going to be interesting because it not only deals with Spanish colonialism, but USA imperialism. It will be a trip being the one American in a class dealing with the other side of US imperialism and their reactions to the presence of American icons like Starbucks, Chuck Taylor, and McDonalds.
Friday evening, after the first week of classes, the entire WMU group went over to our Mexican Culture professor, Maria Elena's, home for a fiesta. One thing about our professors for our "Mexico for Americans" class -- the professors are amazing! Maria Elena had TONS of tacos for us with all sorts of different flavors (chicken, beef, cheese...), tortilla chips, salsa, and, of course, some tequila and beer. It wasn't a wild and crazy party, but we did have a few tequila toasts along with boisterous conversations and even some dancing on the side. I had a fantastic time at our gringo fiesta and if we get good grades, Maria Elena promised weekly fiestas at her place. I can definitely get used to this.
Tomorrow, I will write about my failed trip to San Miguel de Allende this past Saturday, a little more on Moctezuma's Revenge, and show some love to the Mexican intercity bus system.
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