Everyone is starting to settle in a little more to life in a Mexican city. During the first week, we were given the chance to finally get to know each other and spend time as a group, as we were all living together within the same boundaries at La Villada Inn. On Sunday we split into groups of 2 or 3 and were each brought to our respective homestays. By now, however, we have officially been dropped into the homes where we will be living for the next 3 months and now have the choice of either learning to speak in Spanish, or being misunderstood and receiving blank stares. For the most part we thankfully all live about 5 blocks from each other. We personally, are direct neighbors with two other girls on this trip.
Monday was our first day of classes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings start off with a four-hour Spanish class, which helps us weed out our mistakes and sharpen our grammar on a technical level since the majority of the homestay families do not speak any English. We then usually have classes taught by Jonathan or Oliver from 4:30-6:30, in English, which is relieving because not all of us can roll our R's.On Thursday we had a fun explorative scavenger hunt. We were separated into partners, and each set of partners was given a famous destination to reach without a map!! Most of these were bordering towns, requiring us to navigate by bus or taxi, asking local Oaxacans to point us in the right direction. My partner and I went to San Bartolo Coyotepec, a town known for its black-colored pottery. We easily hopped on a bus and got off a half-hour down the highway, stretching our understanding of the geography around us a tiny bit more. The town was refreshingly quiet after a few days of living in the loud, bustling city of Oaxaca. We all met up afterward to share experiences about how much bus/taxi fair should cost, to discuss which were the best ways to approach people, and to see all of our amazing souvenirs and pictures! Other partners went to Atzompa, Cuilápam, Ocotlán, Teotitlán del Valle, Arrazola, and Tlacachoyahua. All of these places seemed really interesting and will definitely be visited in future independent weekend excursions.
Upon separation into these homes has also come an allowance for greater individual freedom. When we are not in class or on an excursion, we are free to do what we wish with our time. Whether I want to get together with others, pass through an art gallery, get food at one of the many restaurants, food stands, or local markets, or just walk around by myself, I can do so at ease.
Besides all of the scheduled things that we have done in Oaxaca, my roommate and I have had our own fun adventures. One of the most famous churches in this side of the world is Santo Domingo. And its about 5 blocks away from us!! We have seen multiple weddings and one funeral there. Likewise, last week we went to Monte Alban, an ancient Mexican ruin. At Monte Alban I picked up and read the Popol Vuh, an ancient religious book from that time period. Being a religion major, I was ecstatic! We both have had a lot of time to learn about the culture and read for fun. There are always live performances going on in the central square of the city so it never gets boring. One goal that we have is to find the best sushi restaurant in Oaxaca. We have been sushi hopping and already have been to 3 different restaurants. We also joined a gym a block down from our house. Next week we get to meet some students from The University of Oaxaca who want to learn English. This intercambo will help us with our spanish and hopefully, will make us some new local friends! Almost everyone here is keeping morale high and trying to absorb all of the sights and sounds. I can't wait to see what else there is to explore here!Saludos!
Spencer and Bobby
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