Update from South of the Border

Dear Blog,

The last time I wrote you, I told you that I had been applying for teaching jobs. On Wednesday, I got a call to come in on Thursday and interview for an English teaching position at a private preschool. Well, I went in on Thursday and the interview went very well, and I was offered the position. I start on August 11th, and I will teach English to preschoolers for most of the day, and to toddlers for an hour in the morning. I am basically going to be talking, singing songs, and playing games to familiarize the children with English. I will work from 8:30-2:00, which is my idea of a teaching schedule, and I will get July off and two and a half weeks for Christmas and two weeks for Semana Santa. I am going to go and observe on Wednesday this week, so I will let you know how that goes.

On Thursday, I drove in Mexico City. I didn't stay in my lane...I cut people off...I did it all, Blog. I was just like a Mexican driver, but I still prefer driving in the U.S. I enjoy it when things are orderly, like lanes for example. In Mexico, they don't even paint lines for the lanes half the time, so how am I supposed to know where to go? I guess they leave it to the drivers to use their best judgment, which is lacking most of the time (imho). At least, I know I can drive if I have to.

On Thursday night, Juan and I went to dinner with his friend, Fernando, and his girlfriend. We had a fun evening, and it is nice to get to know other people. The food was really good. If there is one thing they know how to make in Mexico, it is a sauce. They have a sauce for everything, and I love it.

On Friday, we bought season 2 of "Lost" and ate sushi for dinner. On Saturday, we watched a lot of "Lost." We have been completely sucked in, but what else are we gonna watch without cable?

Yesterday, we walked around the city. They close off Paseo de la Reforma (the main street right outside of our apartment) on Sundays, so people can walk around and rent bikes and stuff. We walked around, and then we went to the zocalo, the historic center of the city. Apparently, the Spanish built on top of pyramids, so you can still see some of the ruins. We went to the church in the zocalo, which was beautiful, and took the metro home. I thought the metro was pretty nice.

I will write to you again soon, Blog.

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Whoa...Dolly?

Dear Blog,

I came to work with Juan this morning and just learned that there is a hurricane called Dolly pounding the Gulf coast of Mexico and Texas. Who knew? I immediately went to weather.com to find out more about this breaking news, and I was greeted by a picture of--you guessed it--Jim Cantore, my favorite hurricane tracker, on South Padre Island. I was surprised to see him wearing goggles, but I guess he is getting older and maybe his eyes can't handle the strong winds the way they used to. Watching Jim and reading about the storm reminded me of tracking Hurricane Isabel in the Peabody computer lab in college and eating at Cracker Barrel (bleh) when it finally hit. I should have gone into the weather business--it truly fascinates me.

Anyway, Blog, I suppose that I should tell you what I have been up to the past few days. If you hadn't already guessed it, we still don't have Internet or cable in our apartment, which would be the reason I just found out about Dolly. Over the weekend, Juan and I did some shopping. On Friday, we bought "El Orfanato" (The Orphanage) and season 2 of the show "La Traficante" (aka "Weeds"). I had already seen "El Orfanato" with Sara (Maddox), but I wanted Juan to see it, and it was still scary the second time. We watched "Weeds" and became totally hooked.

On Saturday, we finally bought a fridge for our apartment. (As I type the word fridge, it makes me think of my dad and how he doesn't like abbreviated words like "fridge" and "mayo." I can't stand Ben Franklin impersonators, so I guess we all have our weird pet peaves.) We also went to Wal-Mart, and we didn't really get lost this time! I say "didn't really" because we did get a bit turned around, but I blame that on D.F.'s poor city planning, which is a complete disaster. Saturday evening, we went to dinner at a Brazilian restaurant, which had really great food and a great live band. We liked the band so much that we got their card and may give them a call about playing at our wedding.

On Sunday, we went grocery shopping and looked for season 3 of "Weeds" but couldn't find it anywhere; instead, we bought season 1 of "Lost." We have been watching "Lost" every night this week and have become completely addicted. Before I left D.C., I watched some of this season's episodes of "Lost" with Gretchen and there is so much from season 1 that is addressed in the current season. It is like all the pieces are falling into place, and I can't wait to watch all the seasons in order!

On Monday, I sent out job applications and didn't even have time to write to you, Blog. I'm sorry. Yesterday, I stayed at home and cleaned. In Mexico City, things get very dusty and dirty very fast. When the smog settles, it leaves this gross layer of filth, so we have to sweep all the time. I really wish that I had brought my red slippers with me, but I guess I forgot them or threw them away or something. I miss the shuffling sound they used to make when I walked around on the hardwood floor. I am sure that Elena misses that sound, too. Now, I have to walk around in socks all the time, which I don't like because I can't just slip them off when I put my feet on the chair. Oh, well.

I will write to you as soon as I can, Blog--I promise.

Much love,
Jenny en la ciudad

What's going on out there?

Dear Blog,

I am sorry that I haven't been able to write to you more often, but I recently learned that it might take a while for us to get internet in our apartment. I am very frustrated about this, Blog, but there is not much that I can do. Apparently, our building is so new that it we can't be hooked up to cable or internet yet. I have already watched You've Got Mail about four times, the first season of Friends twice, and Wings. I have made a lot of jewelry, but I no longer have anyone to give it to. I have walked around our neighborhood and Chapultepec Park. I live in my own little world and have no idea what is going on in the outside world. Is this what it was like before internet and television? How did anyone know anything? What I wouldn't give to go see a movie with Sara (Maddox) or go to Target with Elena or eat at Chili's with Gretchen (and have Anthony wait on us).

Yesterday, I went to the Pyramids at Teotihuacan (about a 30 minute drive from D.F.), which has been the highlight of my week. There are two really huge pyramids, and we walked up the Pyramid of the Sun. The steps were very steep, and I definitely got a good workout. The view from the top was amazing. I kept thinking about Gretchen and her fear of heights, and I wondered if she went there when she went to Mexico. I could just picture her freaking out, just like she used to when she went above the second floor of Hinton James. Ahh...good times. In the picture, we are at the very top of the Pyramid of the Sun, but you can see the Pyramid of the Moon in the background. I think Erin sent me an article about an underground city that is beneath the pyramids, straight up Vicki Buchanan and One Life to Live style. I also kept thinking about that movie Apocolypto and how old the pyramids are. It was a very interesting place, and I can't wait to take people when they come to visit.

Last night, I ate with Juan and some people that he has been working with at an old hacienda. It was a very beautiful location, which is one of our top choices for a wedding reception. I will keep you posted, Blog (pun intended...sorry, if you don't get it, Elena).

This morning after my shower, I took a cab up to Juan's office so I could feel a little more connected to the rest of the world. At least I will know what is going on for a little while.

LYLAS,

Jenny en la ciudad

Back in Mexico

Dear Blog,

The wedding in Napa Valley was really nice. The location (some vineyard) was beautiful, the food was excellent, and I am sure it cost a mint to put on. The wine was good but not as good as burgundy mixed with sprite zero...is anything that good?

On Saturday morning, I got the squitters again, just as we were about to leave for Mexico. I was horrified at the thought of being on plane with the squirts, so we made an emergency stop for some Immodium and headed to the airport. Everything ended up okay in the end, and I haven't had to run to the bathroom since. Let's hope my stomach has settled down from here on out.

Yesterday, Juan and I walked around Chapultepec Park. It is like a mix between a real park (with trees) and an amusement park. It has a castle, museums, lakes, restaurants, and little vendors that sell all kinds of cheap stuff. We even saw some clowns and people dressed as Disney characters, like Winnie-the-Pooh. We didn't spend long in the park, but we are going to go back to ride the paddle boats. We decided that before our wedding, we will have everyone in the wedding party ride paddle boats! Sara (Maddox) is really gonna love Mexico.

We ate dinner at some Italian restaurant in Polanco, and then we went to buy a dvd player. You see, Blog, the people never came to install the internet and cable, so I just had to buy a dvd player, so at least I can watch movies on the television and not my tiny laptop. As it turns out, our paperwork never went through for the cable and internet, so Juan had to call again this morning. I am at his office right now, and I am going to go crazy if I don't get connected to the outside world soon! Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, I also got a phone. It is a pay-as-you-go phone and my number is: 551728-2443.

I might make the trip back up to the office later this week, so I hope to talk to you soon! I miss everyone up north!

KIT,
Jenny en la ciudad

Dear Blog,

I am sorry that I haven't written you in so long, but I got the Mexican squitters when I went to Oaxaca. I was in the hotel the entire time and afraid to eat anything. I just stayed in bed and watched t.v. I probably would have written to you, but we didn't have internet in our room, and I didn't want to have an attack away from a bathroom.

On Wednesday, we returned to Mexico City. I was feeling much better, so we ordered pizza.

Yesterday, we had to get up early to fly to Napa Valley, CA to go to a wedding. We had to switch planes in Mexico and Phoenix. As soon as we landed, we had to rush to get to the rehearsal dinner, which we were late for. The dinner was excellent, and I am looking forward to the wedding tonight.

Our hotel is a dive, but it has internet!!!!! Hopefully, when we get back home we will have internet in our apartment. Keep your fingers crossed, Blog.

I will write you later!

Love,
Jenny en la ciudad

My Mexican Crib

Dear Blog,

I can't believe I get to write to you two days in a row--what luck! Once again, Juan and I came to his office to use the internet. I really owe Al Gore a thank you card for his genius. Last night, we looked at some overpriced furniture (turns out that Italian leather is expensive no matter where you are) and ate sushi (decent but not as good as the stuff in Georgetown). It rained 'gatos y perros' yesterday. The cool part was that at the furniture store a man came out with an umbrella and walked us to the door--that's Mexican service for you. After we went back to our apartment, we cleaned and straightened a little more. Juan read a book about fengshui, and I watched an episode of Wings on my computer.

This morning, we walked (my new hobby too, Gretchen) to 7/11 to buy coffee and cereal. I love that there is a 7/11 on the corner of our street! I also took pictures of our apartment. The picture on the right is our kitchen. The place still needs some work but there's marked improvement. The picture below is of me standing on our sliver-of-a-balcony, which has a really cool view.

Juan also took me to the top of our building. There is a party room with a deck, a hot tub, and a tiny little door--which I believe was made for little people--that leads to the roof. The door is the perfect size for the Roloffs and Elena. I felt like Alice in Wonderland as I contorted my body so I could squeeze through to the roof, but it was worth the effort because the view was awesome.

Later today, we are going to walk around Chapultepec Park, so I will be sure to send you pictures. Tomorrow we are going to Oaxaca, which has a large indigenous population and is located south of Mexico City, so I will take more pictures there.

Hasta luego,

Jenny en la ciudad

Mexico City

Dear Blog,

We continued our roadtrip Thursday morning and headed south on Mexico 57. We made several stops along the way for gas, bathroom, and food. On one such stop, we saw two pathetic little stray dogs, one of which had little growths and scabs on his face. We felt so sorry for the dogs, so we bought them ham sandwiches and Ramen noodles to eat. All of the Mexicans just looked at us, as if to say, "Only Americans." We might have even adopted the little muts if there had been any room to take them in the car. I couldn't help but think of when Marc and Perri found Manning at a Wendy's in South Carolina. I guess that we have to be satisfied with giving them a good meal.

We arrived in Mexico City a little after 5 p.m. Obviously, the city is huge and very overwhelming. On the outskirts of the city, we actually saw a lot of American stores, including about 20 Office Depots, a Chili's, a Wal-Mart, and a TGI Friday's. The historic center of Mexico City is very beautiful. I was very excited to see where I would be living. Our apartment is in a cool location, right near Chapultepec Park, which is also very beautiful. When you walk in our apartment, you enter a long hallway. The 2 bedrooms are on the right and the kitchen/living room is on the left. We are on the fourth floor and have a big window and sliding door that overlooks some of the city. Once our internet is up and working, I will upload photos.

My poor little car went through a lot on our southbound journey, but I think that it did pretty well. Yesterday, I went to the office with Juan and the people in the garage washed the car while we ate lunch. The best part is that it only cost us 5 US dollars, including a 2 dollar tip. That's Mexican service for you. After lunch, we became members of Sam's Club and got some household items, including all the cleaning supplies we'll need for the next two years--yay! We drove around looking for the Wal-Mart--which we never found--and also went to the mall and signed up for internet and cable service, which we should have by next Friday.

Blog, let me tell you something about Mexican drivers: THEY ARE CRAZY! They just run stop signs and traffic lights and no one cares. In some strange way, it all works out because everyone drives the same way. When in Mexico, drive as the Mexicans.

This morning, all of our furniture arrived, which means no more sleeping on the air mattress. The air mattress is now reserved solely for Sara (Maddox) when she visits. We have started unpacking but it is gonna be a process.

I am enjoying Mexico so far, but there are some things I miss about America, including:
1. my friends and family,
2. people that obey traffic laws,
3. clean air (smog=black snot=not cool).

I will write to you again soon, my dear Blog.

Much love,
Jenny en la ciudad

Texas and Mexico

Dear Blog,

It has been far too long since I´ve written to you. Let me update you on what has been going on. On Tuesday morning, Juan and I left New Orleans. I know that I promised to upload photos for you, but I am at an Internet Cafe right now and not on my personal laptop. We drove throgh Louisiana, which has a lot of bridges because of the swamps. Next, we drove through Texas. We ate at Willy Ray´s Bar-B-Q, which had excellent ribs. Our original plan was to stop in Houston, but we would have hit rush hour, which would have been like trying to go west on 66 at about 5:30, so we took a little detour to avoid the traffic. We went south on US 59 toward Laredo, TX. Southern Texas is about as creepy as it gets. I saw a sign that read "GUNS EXIT NOW." It is so vast and my cell didn´t get reception, and I felt like I was in the perfect set-up for a horror film. Finally, we got to Laredo very late and stayed the night.

Yesterday we crossed the border, which was surprisingly anti-climactic. We paid a toll, but nobody checked our car or asked for our passports or anything. Lame. If we hadn´t had to register the car, I don´t know if they ever would have checked our stuff. After we figured out all the car stuff, we began our drive south. We saw a lot of rural poverty on the side of the road. It was very sad to see how some people have to live in Mexico.

The landscape is beautiful and the highways, especially the tolls, are pretty much like the ones in the U.S. As soon as I can e-mail pictures from my computer, I will. The strange part was that we kept seeing random animals on the side of the highway. We saw horses, goats, sheep, and donkeys. They all just graze right by the interstates. Last night, we stayed in San Luis Potosi, a colonial town about 4 hours north of Mexico City. I ate Aztec soup and some sort of marinated meat--it was really good. We are going to explore the city a little bit more, and then head to D.F. I will write to you soon!

I miss everyone!

Love you,
Jenny (almost) en la ciudad

N'awlins

Dear Blog,

Yesterday, Juan and I had a great time in New Orleans. I don't have a lot of time to write to you because we are trying to get to Laredo, Texas today.

Some highlights from my day yesterday include:
1. Eating (This was the most important part of the day. I had the best lunch EVER yesterday: red fish with craw fish cream sauce, veggies and potatoes. Juan had jambalaya, which was also amazing. I had a shrimp po'boy for dinner.)
2. Walking through an above-ground cemetery
3. Listening to live music on Bourbon St.
4. Driving around New Orleans, just checking out the town

New Orleans is a really cool place, and I wish I had more time here. Unfortunately, I am gonna be stuck in a car for 12 hours, but I will try to upload my pictures tonight.

I love you,
Jenny en la ciudad