CLASSES
So far, my classes have been really good. I was a little concerned heading into my first week because I didn't know how I would do in classes that were taught in Spanish with Mexican students. It turns out that I really didn't need to worry too much, as most of my classes are majority Notre Dame or other international students. That's made it easier, because most of my professors will say quick snippets in English every once in a while to make sure we know what's going on and to help us adjust.
However, I was honestly a little disappointed when I saw the makeup of my classes, because it makes it harder for me to get to know Mexican students. To make up for my limited contact with college-age Mexicans, I signed up for a program called TANDEM, where I am assigned a partner who is a Mexican student at UPAEP. We will meet at least once a week, and about once every month, all the students in the program get together for group dinners representing one of the students' cuisine from back home. I briefly met my partner this week. His name is Gustavo and he seems like a cool guy. I'm looking forward to meeting with him once a week and getting to know him better. I'll have to talk more about my individual classes another time, but for now, I can at least say that I really like all of them. They're pretty interesting, and all of my professors are very nice and down to earth.
SURPRISE RADIO INTERVIEW
Last week, the professor for the "Dialogue between Science and Religion" class, which many of us ND students are in, told us about a field trip he wanted to make as a class to a radio telescope on top of one of the mountains outside Puebla. Also, the international student club at one point told our group that they were looking to interview a few international students on local radio stations about their experience so far and why they were studying abroad in Mexico. To make a long story short, radio interview somehow got mixed up with radio telescope, and all of a sudden I was unknowingly signed up to be interviewed on Mexican radio. (Ironically, the other ND students wanted me to go because I missed out on a group hike up La Malinche volcano the weekend before due to an untimely bout of TD, lovingly referred to as Montezuma's Revenge here in Mexico. Since I had to miss out on that mountain, my friends thought that it would only be fair if I got to go up La Sierra Negra to see the telescope.)
I was really excited to go up this mountain with our quirky professor and my friend Sharlo, and I was definitely a little bitter when I found out shortly ahead of time what I was actually signed up for. I got pretty nervous, because I CAN'T ACTUALLY SPEAK SPANISH and I'd never been on radio before, especially not MEXICAN radio, with hosts who talk really quickly in loud, somewhat obnoxious voices. I only became more nervous when, before leaving for the radio station, some people from the UPAEP media made me sit down in front of a video camera and awkwardly answer questions I didn't understand. I don't know what they plan on using the video for, but if it ends up on Mexico's Funniest Home Videos (I don't think that's a real thing) I won't be surprised.
Fortunately, after enduring the pain of the video interrogation, the radio interview was actually pretty enjoyable. The host was super nice, and I wasn't the only student being interviewed. Therefore, she only asked me a few questions, and most of them were about things we had already chatted about before we went on air. That made it a TON easier.
In the end I had a funny story, a great opportunity to learn Spanish under pressure, and a picture in the school newspaper. My only regret is that I didn't get put on Radio Disney like Charlo, although Radio Ultra is pretty cool as well. It's also worth noting that my status as an international superstar has to be rising, due to my radio performance and multiple appearances on TV with the cathedral choir.
 |
| After the interview. The girl on the left of me was the host. |
 |
| Me in the UPAEP newspaper with other international students who were interviewed. |
COOKING CLASS
Last Saturady, all of us ND students were treated to una clase de cocina mexicana (Mexican cooking class) at the UPAEP culinary school. We were taught how to make tinga de pollo (a type of pulled chicken cooked with some great marinade made with tomatoes, cinnamon, chipotle peppers, and some other ingredients), arroz con leche (delicius rice which we made with milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and plenty of sugar), guacamole (you know what that is, I hope), and, of course, margaritas (It feels weird to italicize things as americanized as guacamole and margaritas, almost like writing "Taco Bell"). Although we didn't make anything too complicated, it was a fun time, I learned some new recipes, and I got a free UPAEP apron and chef's hat.
 |
| Cooking up some good food |
 |
| You can barely see the guacamole because it's covered in some chicharrón (basically pork rinds) and ton chapulines (crickets fried with lime and salt). Our master chef-teacher-guy wanted us to put the chapulines in the guacamole. They refused. I felt bad, so I loaded up my plate with them. |
 | ||||
| Mmmmmmm. Crickets. I'd like to see this show up as a surprise ingredient on Top Chef/Chopped/[competitive cooking show].
TIME IN EL CENTRO
I spent a lot of time last Saturday and Sunday walking around and enjoying Puebla's historical district, which is a massive part of it's "downtown" area. It's absolutely gorgeous. There are tons of great restaurants, cafes, and mercados (markets), as well as beautiful historical buildings. There is a lot to see and do. I still feel like I've barely skimmed the surface, and I go there every Sunday to sing at the cathedral. I probably don't need to share any specifics, but here are some pictures:
ONE LAST THING!
We're technically medical students here in Mexico (they don't do pre-medicine as undergrads like we do in the states), and we got cool white lab coats this week to make us look the part. They say UPAEP on one sleeve and Notre Dame on the other, which is a nice touch. It looks pretty spiffy, and it'll be a nice souvenir when I get back. I don't have a picture yet, but maybe I'll update you on that later. Our hospital rotations begin on Tuesday, so there should be ample opportunity soon to snap a pic.
That's all for now. If you read all the way through this thing in one sitting, congratulations! Writing this had made me realize how much I have already done and how quickly time flies. Tomorrow I'm off to Zacatlán de las Manzanas, a somewhat-nearby town known for their apples, cider, and wine they produce, as well as an old clock-making company there. It looks like a beautiful little town. Look for updates soon, or put in your email at the top of the blog to be notified whenever my future entries are posted (if you haven't done so already). Hope you all are doing well.
¡Hasta Luego!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment