¿Una broma por los autores, quizás?

My old textbook, Así es. My teacher at Soléxico was quite surprised to hear that I'd learned this term for hot dogs. I guess it would be best not to rely heavily on a text written by people with names like "Levy-Konesky" and "Daggett" if you want to speak Spanish in Mexico without making some amusing faux pas :)


Fortunately Gavilan has switched to a new textbook, I understand!





Speaking of books: one thing I wish I had packed was my copy of 501 Spanish Verbs. It would have been well worth the weight. If I could go back and do it over again I would ditch the four pairs of long pants and two cotton jackets (which I never wore), and pack the 501 Verbs and maybe a paperback Spanish textbook written in English. The teachers are excellent at explaining concepts in Spanish, but when you are back in your room, it helps to be able to review the grammar concepts in English, imo.

Home for Independence Day

I made it!

I will update the last couple entries as soon as I finish this mountain of laundry.

On my way....

I'm taking the "Tour of Mexico" itinerary on my way home - Cancún, México City, Guadalajara, and San José, California. Everything is going great so far. Good weather, the flights are on time, service has been good all around, and the Mexicana planes have been quite new and nice.

And the internet at the Guadalajara airport rocks.

Saying adiós

My last grammar class at Soléxico, with Israel, Madison, and Claudia


It's been such a pleasure meeting all my fellow students and the teachers and staff at Soléxico. Thank you all for helping make my experience so memorable. I look forward to crossing paths with some of you again - it's a small world, you know! Thanks again to Katherine in the office for her help - she must be the most organized person on earth!

Sheila's homestay experience

While I was at Azotea sipping mojitos Sheila was hard at work writing up this description of her homestay to share with us.


My Mexican “Home”

On the advice of David Perez, I chose to stay with “una familia Mexicana” during my stay at Solexico. It was a good decision.

My home is in a typical Mexican neighborhood. The house in which I am staying is a beautiful home. My room is a large bedroom with a private bath, private entry, and private balcony with my own hammock. But I am not consigned to stay in my room. As my “Mexican mom” says: “Mi casa es tu casa.” In addition to eating with the family, I am involved in other activities, such as watching TV and cooking. And this requires me to use my Spanish.

The house is located about 13 blocks from the school, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk home. If I don’t feel like walking, though, it is very easy to take the bus or a taxi, both of which are very inexpensive. The good thing about living further from the school is that I get to experience the normal, everyday people of Mexico, not just the vendors of Avenida Quinta trying to sell me souvenirs. The people are very nice and are always willing to put up with my trying to speak Spanish with them. I have never felt insecure in my neighborhood.

The food is very good. I have been able to watch, from start to finish, the creation of homemade empanadas. In the morning, I may see beans that are soaking, or chicken boiling in a pot, and I know that I am looking at my dinner that night. Once I even had an ocotopus ceviche made from fresh octopi, caught by a family member! (By the way, it was delicious.)

I highly recommend the homestay program for those who want to study in Mexico. In addition to being the least expensive way, it offers an opportunity to speak Spanish all day long. And, there is always someone to help you with your homework!

Tulum and Café Sociál

Fantastic!








































































What a great day! I'm so glad I got to Tulum - it was on my "must see" list. I will be back later to add details and more pictures. We took the collectivo van which dropped us quite near the entrance to the ruins (it was a five-minute walk) and only cost about 50 pesos.





Café sociál at the Azotea bar was cool. The rooftop location has a fantastic view and great breezes. It's definitely worth checking out!

Gorditas

Another fun cooking class - this time we made gorditas, a thick tortilla stuffed with refried beans.



After you make the dough, you roll some into a ball then make a depression in the middle which you fill with refried beans














You pat them out until they are flat (making sure that the bean filling is covered up when you're finished, so it doesn't leak out)


















Then fry them in hot oil


















Top with sour cream, cheese, and a sauce whipped up in the blender (a clove of garlic and a chile blended thoroughly with a little water, then some whole tomatoes, which are slightly chopped)







Voilá.....gorditas!



After class Sheila and I took a cab to Plaza las Americas, the mall in Playa, which is pretty similar to any small city mall in the U.S. The cineplex is very nice, and movies are only about 40 pesos. I understand that most American films are presented in English, with Spanish subtitles.