Dear Blog,
I think it's the end of the world, and it is starting in Mexico City. I can't be sure, but I swear we just had a little earthquake, more like a little tremble. It felt like my apartment was swaying, and it sounded like rocks were falling inside the walls or something. If it was an earthquake, it wasn't very strong at all, but it certainly startled me and Monty. Nothing fell or anything, but it was really strange. I took Monty outside, and everyone was outside wearing their masks. I mean, as if it's not bad enough there's an outbreak of swine flu down here, now this?
Everyone seems to have returned to their buildings now, so I hope that means it's over. I just heard on the news that the earthquake was a 6.0 about 150 miles outside of Mexico City, but we still felt it. Of course, the swine flu is still a major concern. I've been eating a lot of fruit, taking vitamins, washing my hands obsessively, and drinking lots of water. I've also been wearing my mask outside. I am gonna take all the necessary precautions.
In other news, we celebrated Monty's birthday yesterday. His first birthday is actually on Wednesday, April 29, but I am going to the U.S. that day, so we decided to celebrate early. We gave him a new dog bed, and he really seems to like it. In fact, last night he wanted to sleep in his bed and it made me sad. I like it when he sleeps with us. We also gave him some cookies and a new steak toy.
I'll write to you again soon.
Love,
Jenny en la ciudad
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Swine Flu
Dear Blog,
There's been an outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico City. When I got to work this morning, I found out that they had suspended classes in all schools and universities. It's craziness. On my way home, I saw lots of people walking around with masks on too. They even said that classes might be cancelled for a while. Sixty people have died in Mexico (57 of them in Mexico City). I am probably not a high risk because I don't take public transportation, and no one in my school has gotten it. I'm sure if Gretchen were here, she would have already caught it. (In reality, she wouldn't have caught it, but she would think she had all the symptoms. She thought she had SARS.) I don't have it, but I'm certainly going to be careful.
Next week, I am going to the U.S., so Ihope I don't bring the swine flu to South Carolina. Apparently, they've already had 7 combined cases or something in California and Texas, but no one has died. I think that's what I read.
I'll keep you updated on the crisis.
Anyway, when I got home, I took Monty on a long walk and bought some fresh flowers. Then, I cleaned the entire apartment. I'm eating some corn soup that I made yesterday, and I think I'll continue reading Twilight.
Love you,
Jenny en la ciudad
There's been an outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico City. When I got to work this morning, I found out that they had suspended classes in all schools and universities. It's craziness. On my way home, I saw lots of people walking around with masks on too. They even said that classes might be cancelled for a while. Sixty people have died in Mexico (57 of them in Mexico City). I am probably not a high risk because I don't take public transportation, and no one in my school has gotten it. I'm sure if Gretchen were here, she would have already caught it. (In reality, she wouldn't have caught it, but she would think she had all the symptoms. She thought she had SARS.) I don't have it, but I'm certainly going to be careful.
Next week, I am going to the U.S., so Ihope I don't bring the swine flu to South Carolina. Apparently, they've already had 7 combined cases or something in California and Texas, but no one has died. I think that's what I read.
I'll keep you updated on the crisis.
Anyway, when I got home, I took Monty on a long walk and bought some fresh flowers. Then, I cleaned the entire apartment. I'm eating some corn soup that I made yesterday, and I think I'll continue reading Twilight.
Love you,
Jenny en la ciudad
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Moving up
Dear Blog,
Well, it looks like Juan, Monty and I will be moving apartments (within Mexico City, of course) at the end of May. Juan sent the contract this morning. We found an apartment we like in Parques Polanco, which is where our gym is also conveniently located. It has three balconies, two bedrooms (on two different floors), and a private park in the back, just for residents. How cool is that? It's also a lot quieter than where we live now, which is a plus. I think Monty will like running up and down the stairs--he seemed to enjoy doing that in Colombia. Plus, we are practically inside a shopping center that has a grocery store, Starbucks, Baskin Robins, Blockbuster, and much, much more. I'm never gonna have to leave Parques Polanco--it has everything I need in one location!
There isn't much else to report from south of the border. I've been really tired this week. My sleeping schedule is still off from vacation. I'm happy that tomorrow is Friday and even happier that I get to go to Ridgeland next week, even if I'm gonna have to work my tail off to get that house in order.
Little Monty has a rash on his belly. It's like his fur got rubbed off in one little spot and it's all red and splotchy. Poor pooch.
Talk to you soon,
Jenny en la ciudad
Well, it looks like Juan, Monty and I will be moving apartments (within Mexico City, of course) at the end of May. Juan sent the contract this morning. We found an apartment we like in Parques Polanco, which is where our gym is also conveniently located. It has three balconies, two bedrooms (on two different floors), and a private park in the back, just for residents. How cool is that? It's also a lot quieter than where we live now, which is a plus. I think Monty will like running up and down the stairs--he seemed to enjoy doing that in Colombia. Plus, we are practically inside a shopping center that has a grocery store, Starbucks, Baskin Robins, Blockbuster, and much, much more. I'm never gonna have to leave Parques Polanco--it has everything I need in one location!
There isn't much else to report from south of the border. I've been really tired this week. My sleeping schedule is still off from vacation. I'm happy that tomorrow is Friday and even happier that I get to go to Ridgeland next week, even if I'm gonna have to work my tail off to get that house in order.
Little Monty has a rash on his belly. It's like his fur got rubbed off in one little spot and it's all red and splotchy. Poor pooch.
Talk to you soon,
Jenny en la ciudad
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Back to Mexico
Dear Blog,
Well, it's good to back, Blog. I'll write to you again this week.
Take care,
Jenny en la ciudad (once again)
Well, vacation is officially over, as of tomorrow. We got back to Mexico City on Friday and were greeted by smog and traffic...ahhh. It is nice to be able to check e-mail and everything, but it sure was nice to be on vacation.
Let me tell you about some of the highlights of our trip:
1. Watching Monty encounter new (and usually much bigger) animals. I would like to note that before we left, Monty was deathly afraid of a fake cow in the lobby of our building. I don't know why this cow was there, but he wouldn't go anywhere near it and nearly refused to come in the entrance. Well, in Colombia he didn't seem afraid to go near live animals. His first encounter was with a horse, and I think he thought it was an oversized dog cause he tried to play with it. Of course, as son as the horse neighed, Monty took off. He also came face to face with a bull--we all did. As we were driving up the ridiculously windy roads around Aranzazu, we were confronted by a bull (directly in front of our car). Now, there was a man that had a rope around the bull, but it looked like the bull was pulling the man. We were in the car, but Monty decided to bark. I tell you, Blog, I looked into the eyes of the bull and thought he was going to jump on the car or something. And Monty didn't help with his barking. Luckily, the man got control of his animal. Finally, while we were at Juan's family's farm, Monty came eye to eye with a donkey. The donkey was behind a wire fence on a steep hill and Monty was standing higher on the hill and started sniffing the donkey's head. Monty looked so small.
2. Spending time with Juan's family. I really enjoyed getting to know Juan's grandma and aunts and uncles. We stayed with Juan's grandmother, his aunt Rubiela, and his uncle Tomas. His grandmother is almost 87, but I am pretty sure she is in better shape than me. His aunt Rubiela is really sweet and took quite a liking to Monty--she even let him sleep in her bed. His uncle Tomas, who was in a car accident 20-some years ago and suffered brain damage, was highly amused by Monty. He walked around the house talking about "el perro" and really got a kick out of blowing in Monty's face. At one point Monty and Tomas both got out of the house, and Juan's grandmother just screamed, "Se fueron (They left)!" We found Monty down the street and Tomas in a bar drinking coffee and smoking a cigarrette. After everyone returned, we got quite a laugh out of it. Juan's Aunt Mayola also stayed with us for Semana Santa, and she was quite funny too. She walked around in the morning with round hair brushes in her hair so that her hair would dry curled. We also spent a lot of time with Juan's cousins. It was fun to just hang out with them and get to know them better.
(From left to right: Juan's cousin Jorge, his cousin Angela, his uncle Tomas, and his grandma)
3. Experiencing Semana Santa in a small Colombian town. We went to several processions for Semana Santa, and I really enjoyed the experience. On Good Friday, we followed a statue of Jesus with the cross as the priest read scripture. Everyone sang and walked and sang and walked. It was quite moving. We also went to a procession that night. This was after Jesus died, so he was lying down and followed by statues of Mary and Mary Magdelene and some disciples. It's really cool how they sort of re-enact the whole story.
Well, it's good to back, Blog. I'll write to you again this week.
Take care,
Jenny en la ciudad (once again)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
We are the champions
Dear Blog,
I think that Queen said it best, "We are the champions!" Now, I know that I had no direct involvement in the Tar Heels´ victory last night, but I will certainly enjoy it. And yes, Blog, I did get to see the Final Four game and the game last night, although it took me some doing. On Saturday, we went to Manizales, a city about an hour and twenty minutes from Juan´s town, but fortunately his aunt gets ESPN, so I was able to watch the Final Four game at her apartment. Yesterday, we had to go to a little hotel about ten minutes up the road to watch the game on Direct TV, but I got to watch it. I watched the game with Juan and his two cousins, and I think they think I am crazy cause I was so into it. Go Heels, 2009 National Champions! Btw, for all the talk of the Big East teams, I would like to note that they were not represented in the title game. Sit on that, Big East.
Let me update you on the goings on in Colombia (please note that there is no "u" in Colombia...this ain´t SC, folks). On Saturday, we went to Manizales, which is a very cute little city in the mountains. Well, everything seems to be in the mountains here, so I guess it´s all relative. I met some more of Juan´s family, including an aunt and several cousins. They are all very nice. Juan and I went with the cousins to the mall and hung out a bit. He took his cousins to dinner, but I opted to stay in the apartment and watch the game on the tube.
On Sunday, we did some site-seeing in Manizales. I took a lot of pictures, but my computer doesn´t get internet down here, so I can´t upload them yet. We ate lunch at Frisby, which is like a fast food fried chicken place. Apparently, Juan has lots of fond memories of Frisby chicken from his childhood. The chicken was good, but the best part is that they give you plastic gloves to eat with so your hands don´t get dirty. Hello? That is brilliant! Why has no one thought of this in the United States?
Yesterday, we went to this little place called Alegrias, which is about ten minutes up the road. We went with two of Juan´s cousins and his aunt...oh, and Monty. It was like a farm, but you can also spend the night there. This is where we discovered Direct TV in Colombia. Anyway, Monty had a blast running around. There were several other animals there, and he got put in his place by all of them. First, it was the dog that set him straight. Monty played with him, but when Monty got too excited, the other dog barked him back to reality. Then, it was a baby horse that let the little booger know who was boss. Monty got a little too close and the horse started neighing and kicking. Luckily, Monty got the point pretty fast and left him alone. Finally, these two little kittens hissed at Monty when he tried to sniff them. They were the size of my hand, but they scared Monty, a so-called hunting hound, away.
We also rode horses yesterday. My horse was very calm, but I only rode it for about ten minutes. I´m not really into riding horses. Plus, Monty kept following me and it was making me nervous. Juan and his cousins went for a long time. When they came back, it looked like a parade of Colombian coffee farmers. Horseback is still a popular form on transportation down here.
Last night, we returned to Alegrias for the game and that was that. Today, we are going to Juan´s family´s farm to watch how they make panela, which is like sugar cane juice. I´ll let you know how it goes when I get back!
Love,
Jenny en el pueblo
I think that Queen said it best, "We are the champions!" Now, I know that I had no direct involvement in the Tar Heels´ victory last night, but I will certainly enjoy it. And yes, Blog, I did get to see the Final Four game and the game last night, although it took me some doing. On Saturday, we went to Manizales, a city about an hour and twenty minutes from Juan´s town, but fortunately his aunt gets ESPN, so I was able to watch the Final Four game at her apartment. Yesterday, we had to go to a little hotel about ten minutes up the road to watch the game on Direct TV, but I got to watch it. I watched the game with Juan and his two cousins, and I think they think I am crazy cause I was so into it. Go Heels, 2009 National Champions! Btw, for all the talk of the Big East teams, I would like to note that they were not represented in the title game. Sit on that, Big East.
Let me update you on the goings on in Colombia (please note that there is no "u" in Colombia...this ain´t SC, folks). On Saturday, we went to Manizales, which is a very cute little city in the mountains. Well, everything seems to be in the mountains here, so I guess it´s all relative. I met some more of Juan´s family, including an aunt and several cousins. They are all very nice. Juan and I went with the cousins to the mall and hung out a bit. He took his cousins to dinner, but I opted to stay in the apartment and watch the game on the tube.
On Sunday, we did some site-seeing in Manizales. I took a lot of pictures, but my computer doesn´t get internet down here, so I can´t upload them yet. We ate lunch at Frisby, which is like a fast food fried chicken place. Apparently, Juan has lots of fond memories of Frisby chicken from his childhood. The chicken was good, but the best part is that they give you plastic gloves to eat with so your hands don´t get dirty. Hello? That is brilliant! Why has no one thought of this in the United States?
Yesterday, we went to this little place called Alegrias, which is about ten minutes up the road. We went with two of Juan´s cousins and his aunt...oh, and Monty. It was like a farm, but you can also spend the night there. This is where we discovered Direct TV in Colombia. Anyway, Monty had a blast running around. There were several other animals there, and he got put in his place by all of them. First, it was the dog that set him straight. Monty played with him, but when Monty got too excited, the other dog barked him back to reality. Then, it was a baby horse that let the little booger know who was boss. Monty got a little too close and the horse started neighing and kicking. Luckily, Monty got the point pretty fast and left him alone. Finally, these two little kittens hissed at Monty when he tried to sniff them. They were the size of my hand, but they scared Monty, a so-called hunting hound, away.
We also rode horses yesterday. My horse was very calm, but I only rode it for about ten minutes. I´m not really into riding horses. Plus, Monty kept following me and it was making me nervous. Juan and his cousins went for a long time. When they came back, it looked like a parade of Colombian coffee farmers. Horseback is still a popular form on transportation down here.
Last night, we returned to Alegrias for the game and that was that. Today, we are going to Juan´s family´s farm to watch how they make panela, which is like sugar cane juice. I´ll let you know how it goes when I get back!
Love,
Jenny en el pueblo
Friday, April 3, 2009
Salutations from South America
Dear Blog,
Yesterday at 4 in the morning, Juan, Monty and I left for Colombia. We had a layover in Panama and our second flight got delayed. Juan and I were nervous that Monty would be freaking out ( it had been a long time since we had seen him), but saw him from the window at the airport and he was just chillin. We finally got to Medellin around 3:15 and picked the little guy up with our luggage. It took us a while to leave the airport (we had to get Monty, rent a car, walk Monty, exchange money, etc.). We left Medellin late and asked directions toward Juan´s little village. Personally, I like to travel with a map, but Juan likes to ask everyone for directions. It took us about five hours to get to his town, but we finally made it late last night. We were all so exhausted, especially our four-legged baby.
Today, we have just been hanging out. It took Monty a long time before he would pee (he gets performance anxiety in strange places--he might take after his mom a little). Anyway, by about 12 o´clock he finally took care of business. We have been visiting Juan´s family today, so it has been nice and relaxing. His family is really nice and welcoming. I have taken two naps today cause I have been so tired from all the travel.
I´ll write to you as soon as I can.
Love,
Jenny en el pueblo (Aranzazu is not a ciudad)
Yesterday at 4 in the morning, Juan, Monty and I left for Colombia. We had a layover in Panama and our second flight got delayed. Juan and I were nervous that Monty would be freaking out ( it had been a long time since we had seen him), but saw him from the window at the airport and he was just chillin. We finally got to Medellin around 3:15 and picked the little guy up with our luggage. It took us a while to leave the airport (we had to get Monty, rent a car, walk Monty, exchange money, etc.). We left Medellin late and asked directions toward Juan´s little village. Personally, I like to travel with a map, but Juan likes to ask everyone for directions. It took us about five hours to get to his town, but we finally made it late last night. We were all so exhausted, especially our four-legged baby.
Today, we have just been hanging out. It took Monty a long time before he would pee (he gets performance anxiety in strange places--he might take after his mom a little). Anyway, by about 12 o´clock he finally took care of business. We have been visiting Juan´s family today, so it has been nice and relaxing. His family is really nice and welcoming. I have taken two naps today cause I have been so tired from all the travel.
I´ll write to you as soon as I can.
Love,
Jenny en el pueblo (Aranzazu is not a ciudad)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Baby, Baby
Dear Blog,
There's a new addition to the Mathews family: Sidney Grace Caroline Mathews. She was born on April Fool's Day. Isn't that precious? Now, I knew she was going to be called Sidney Grace, but I am not sure where Caroline came from. I must've missed something. Marc sent a picture via cellular phone, and I have to say that she is super-cute. Now, I am not a person that ooh's and ahh's over babies, so for me to say she's cute is saying something. She looks like a little butterball. I already love her and can't wait to meet her in person! I'm such a proud aunty.
Tomorrow, we head to Colombia, so I will try to write you from the land down-under.
Toodles,
Jenny en la ciudad
There's a new addition to the Mathews family: Sidney Grace Caroline Mathews. She was born on April Fool's Day. Isn't that precious? Now, I knew she was going to be called Sidney Grace, but I am not sure where Caroline came from. I must've missed something. Marc sent a picture via cellular phone, and I have to say that she is super-cute. Now, I am not a person that ooh's and ahh's over babies, so for me to say she's cute is saying something. She looks like a little butterball. I already love her and can't wait to meet her in person! I'm such a proud aunty.
Tomorrow, we head to Colombia, so I will try to write you from the land down-under.
Toodles,
Jenny en la ciudad
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