Jan. 31, 2008, Week 3 just ending….

Tomorrow I leave for 3 days to visit Oaxaca. I have heard it is very
colonial and beautiful. Last year there were a number of protests and
such but supposedly that is all done now. I am going with 4-5 of the
other students, all around 20 yrs old. Funny to think they are the
same age as my girls but I don't feel at all motherly towards them!
They are all planning to stay in a youth hostel as it is very cheap,
but I will have to wait and see. If the quality is below my standards,
I will be at a nearby hotel. I can rough it if I have to, but if I
don't well… I don't. Sleeping in a huge room with 15 people just isn't
appealing. Some perks do come with age!! Not sure what I will be doing
there but I hear there are museums and ruinas (pyramids), zocolo and
incredible craft markets to visit. By Sunday, the question will be
answered.

Things at school are going well enough. I have so much I should be
reading to prepare for various classes, but I can't get motivated.
One, the deadlines are still a week or so away and it is just boring
stuff, puts me right to sleep! I have decided that level of Spanish
here, is much higher than anything I taken a Univ. of Houston. Much of
the time I feel like I am treading water…..

My one of my favorite classes is Seminar of Spanish, it is really just
a communication class. How is the language used in advertising,
literature, plays, newspapers etc. Today we went on a field trip to
the local office of the largest regional newspaper. Very interesting.
Computers everywhere. We toured the various departments that cycle
through all the various sections of the papers 24 hours a day. Least
newsworthy stuff like social, entertainment go to press around
midnight and throughout the night the various sections based on
importance go to press, then at 3 am is the final section, the front
page. Then the around 4-5 am it is delivered locally and outlying
areas. Some areas as far as 4 hours from here. One cool thing the
local paper does here is that it publish every Sunday a magazine full
of ads of high dollar condos, cars etc and photos of the social elite
of Puebla. The proceeds from this ritzy glossy magazine goes towards
publishing a small version of the paper that is delivered for free out
in the very rural areas, not sure if it is delivered daily or weekly
but it is nice that they want to make sure all economic levels get the
news.

Congratulations go out to my Melanie, she got her drivers license today!!!