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Holidays in Mexico Part II: Christmas Eve Day

It’s a sunny Christmas Eve day here in Oaxaca city. Earlier this morning, Cynthia, Rebecca and I went to Monte Alban located about fifteen minutes from their house. Monte Alban is the ancient capital city of the proud and fierce civilization called the Zacatopecs. It was interesting because I had made a presentation about Monte Alban for my Spanish class so it was super exciting to see history in action!

On top of a pyramid in Monte Alban…never mind my bad hair, I was happy to be there!

Inside the ancient city, we walked and climbed the places where the Zacatopecs lived, sold goods, ate, argued, sacrificed their enemies and I’m sure enjoyed a good time every now and then. It was fascinating to know that I was walking where possibly the emperor of some great civilization once stood. Visiting the city that I had made a presentation on breathed life into the somewhat mundane facts. Perhaps I am a history nerd but you gotta admit, archeology and history is cool-just look at Indiana Jones!

Tonight, we are joining up with the family of Cynthia’s friend, Josue, and will be having a combined family dinner. As of now, I’m not sure what exactly that all entails but I definitely know we will be eating a LOT. My palate is eagerly waiting.

It’s bittersweet being here in Mexico for Christmas. It’s painful being away from family, friends and the familiar things such as snow and the 24-hour Christmas radio station. At times, I question whether I’m doing the right thing. With the exciting discovery of being in a new place, visiting places unexplored with warm-hearted friends, I still feel a slight sadness in my heart.

Cynthia and I also visited the Santo Domingo Cultural Center-a beautiful place to visit!

However, this is my dream-to live abroad and experience another culture. Being away from home for Christmas for the first time is hard and I’m not going lie…Christmas is another country is so exciting! I never realized after always living in the USA how much of a materialistic culture we are. It is true that materialism is very present in Mexico but its presence is not as strong. To be honest, it’s a relief to be enjoying the season with colorful lights and red poinsettias. In Oaxaca, I am finding a simple and beautiful spirit in Christmas…just what my soul needs.

More to come and Feliz Navidad dear readers!

Farewell, Cambridge

December 24, 2010 / Jeff Harbert / 0 Comments

I don’t even know where to begin. How do you possibly sum up what has potentially been the best four months of my life? How do you even come close to putting into words how amazing and unforgettable this semester has been? Truth be told, I don’t think you can. But like I’ve learned about a lot of things while studying abroad, it’s worth a try.

Living in England was a dream come true, it is as simple as that. With that being said, everything I’ve experienced while being here has been beyond my wildest dreams. The amount of pictures I’ve taken this semester is a testimony to how much I’ve enjoyed Europe and how much I’ve been fascinated by what it has had to offer. I’ve never really possessed an obsession with taking pictures, but with all the incredible places I’ve been and the astounding things I’ve seen, I ended up collecting 7 gigabytes of pictures, some 2,306 photos in total. Uncountable stories are hidden behind these photos, so many of them representing a unique memory not soon to be lost from my mind. I probably would have taken even more pictures to look back on had I not opted to make an effort to avoid being labeled as a tourist.

I am anything but a tourist in Cambridge. Was I one in Madrid? Without a doubt. And in Amsterdam? Absolutely. Cambridge became my home though. It rapidly became my home away from home and, to be honest, by the end of the semester it was a little bit more than that. The more I explored Cambridge, the more I liked it. The more I conversed with the people, the more I felt at home. I may not have lived in Cambridge anywhere near as long as anyone I met around the city, but I somehow managed to feel like I was one of them by the time I left. In their eyes I may have still been a foreigner they had come to accept, but I couldn’t help myself from feeling like a ‘local’. It can even be said that my own self-entitlement provided me with a sense of fulfillment.

I did more than just see the sights in Cambridge. I embraced the city for everything it was and I made it my home, which in turn allowed me to gain the most out of my once-in-a-lifetime experience. I leave with no regrets, just memories and a feeling of satisfaction that I was fortunate enough to accomplish more than I ever sought out to. I leave knowing I am going to miss Cambridge, but also that I will one day make a return in the future. I leave knowing I did everything I possibly could to gain the most out of this experience. I’m thankful for all of the people who helped enhance my experience in Cambridge, whether they meant to or not.

Dick and his girlfriend Alyssa, the owners of Sir Isaac Newton’s pub, and the numerous servers there made it my favorite place to hang out or watch sports in all of Cambridge. Then there was Silo, owner of a small Kebab trailer and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. It’s surreal how much I learned from him and countless others about their native countries. Worth a mention as much as anyone, if not more so, is Mark Farmer, the director of the Cambridge Study Abroad program, as well as his wife, Sarah. They quite possibly had the biggest influence over making this an unforgettable semester for everyone in the group, and everyone in my program will undoubtedly agree with me that they certainly succeeded in helping us enjoy Cambridge as much as possible. I could go on and on about all of the people who helped make this an experience I’ll never forget, but the list would end up being longer than Santa’s to-do list on Christmas Eve.

All I can do is reflect on what an extraordinary and unforgettable semester this has been as I take with me all the lessons I’ve learned and insights I’ve gained. So much of that I owe to Cambridge and the incredible place that it is.

My home for the past four months

Holidays in Mexico Part I: The Beginning

December 22, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

So, my plans have changed. Instead of spending Christmas in Indiana with snow and family, I’m spending the holidays with friends and their charming families here in Mexico. Ok, so I’m not going to sugarcoat things here. When the situation came about that I was going to have to stay in Mexico for Christmas, I was not happy. However, after a good sob and meditation session and some delicious chocolate, I realized that this was an unique experience for me and to just live it up! Here’s part one of the story:

In downtown Puebla…that building never looked better!

This Mexican Christmas begins in the bustling and historical city of Puebla located in the state of Puebla in central Mexico. My friend Cynthia was kind enough to invite me to not only stay with her family during the holidays but also stay in her apartment in Cholula (the city where my university is located at) during the week.

Last week, Cynthia, her boyfriend Martin and I paid 5 pesos each and took the bus to downtown Puebla. When walking through downtown Puebla in the zocalo, you always get this sophisticated feeling. However, with the Christmas decorations, I felt sophisticated and festive. The European inspired buildings were decorated with green and red lights creating a colorful but simple beauty to the Christmas season. The zocalo was filled with families of all ages enjoying the many vendors and the activites surrounded by signs saying “Feliz Navidad” and red poinsettas.

In downtown Oaxaca…don’t you love the poinsettas?

The following week, Cynthia and I took the 6:00 PM bus and after a four-hour trip, we arrived in the capital city of Oaxaca located in the state of Oaxaca. Cynthia lives with her mother and two sisters in a colorful and cute home located close to the center of the city.

During the past few days, we have enjoyed relaxing and seeing the downtown area mostly during the evening. The first thing that struck me about the zocalo in Oaxaca was the tranquility that seemed to surround it. The area is famous for tourists and locals walking around and enjoying the numerous cafes. However, I didn’t feel the stress and burden that normally seems to accompany the Christmas season in the USA. Although materialism strikes every culture during the holiday season, in Mexico, there seems to be less of that here.

Navity scene in downtown Oaxaca

I’m enjoying this simple beauty.

Stay tuned for more of Christmas in Oaxaca…saludos readers!

P.S. I’m trying to reach more out to readers, if you have questions or comments, feel free to email me at lydia.mertz@valpo.edu.

Stranded in London

December 21, 2010 / Jeff Harbert / 0 Comments

I was hoping that at this time I would be writing a blog about saying ‘good-bye’ to a place that I’ve lived for the past four months, but thanks to the weather and Heathrow airport, I have been forced to postpone that farewell and that blog…

So, instead… it’s 7:15 a.m., Sunday the 19^th of December. The sun hasn’t even risen yet, but I arrive at Heathrow Terminal 5 in hopes of being able to fly out to Chicago in approximately four hours on my British Airways flight. It has been five months since I was in the US and I’m extremely excited to return after an unforgettable semester abroad in England. After already having my bus canceled and being forced to spend big pounds to take a taxi all the way from Cambridge, I am slightly eager to discover if my flight is still scheduled. The detrimental snowfall has ceased more than 12 hours ago so surely my flight is still able to take off, right? Not the case. Minutes after arriving at the airport, a woman announces over the PA system that every flight arriving and departing from Heathrow Terminal 5 has been canceled, with the exception of a handful of extremely fortunate flights. I look around at utterly shocked faces, all of whose somber expressions reveal their disappointment. I, too, am in disbelief.

BA 295: “Contact your airline”, so I’m told by the departure screen. Once getting over the initial shock of having my long awaited route home canceled, I make an attempt to call the British Airways’ phone lines that an airport representative had given me. Unfortunately the lines are busy and I am not able to get through. I then try the other number I was given. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same story. “Due to the high volume of calls at this time, we are unable to take your call.” Unfortunately, that’s been the theme of my week. After storing two of my large suitcases in the terminal’s baggage storage for 16 pounds a day, I made my way to a hotel near the airport that a family friend had been kind enough to book for me while I attempted to get a hold of the airline to rebook. As I sat in the lobby with numerous other frustrated passengers who had also been unfortunate enough to decide to fly on this day (or this week), I tried over and over again to reach British Airways as I waited several hours to check-in to my room. I quickly lost count of how many times I attempted calling or how many hours I spent waiting to get through to an agent, but at the end of the day I knew it was a hopeless cause.

Snow: Wreaking havoc all across the United Kingdom

I’ve traveled numerous times before in my life and throughout this semester abroad, but not much could have prepared me for this. It has been the ultimate test of patience and flexibility as I must now wait until late Friday afternoon to fly out, all while hoping and praying that this white powder from the sky and these brutal temperatures do not cause further disruptions and cancellations at Heathrow. The very thought of spending Christmas at Heathrow makes my stomach turn. I’m just one of several thousands of people stranded in England right now, however. The terminals at Heathrow are full of people who have been forced to sleep at the airport as they desperately wait to get to their intended destinations. I can consider myself extremely fortunate to have an extremely hospitable family friend to stay with outside of London while I impatiently wait with everyone else for Heathrow to clear the runways and for this situation to improve.

Despite the disappointing end to my semester in England, I’m determined not to let things end on a sour note. I’m happy for the people who have managed to make it home safely, but all I can ask is that they either cross their fingers or pray that the rest of us can make it back soon too! England is great, but it is Christmas time and everyone affected by flight cancelations most likely shares my sentiment in saying that all we want for Christmas is to be home. Did you hear that, Heathrow?

Also, airing the following commercial is not exactly comforting for the thousands of passengers stranded at this very airport and terminal. Hopefully we will all be at our own desired destinations soon, and when that happens, I guarantee you we won’t need a large crowd to gather and sing ‘Welcome Home’ in order to feel happy about being home!

The T-Mobile Welcome Back

My Spanish Uncle

December 21, 2010 / John Webster / 1 Comment

Well, after some difficulty getting a connecting flight from Heathrow this weekend (see news article), I have made it home safely! I was extremely lucky to make it back yesterday, many folks are still stuck in London. My bag is somewhere out there in the world, but I was assured last night that there is a very high likelihood I will have it by Christmas. Just another one of the many adventures I have had on this trip. While in line I could help but snap this ironic photo.

My journey begin with Juan, a professor at the University of Granada, dropping me off at Granada’s bus station after kindly offering to do so earlier in the week. Our meeting was a strange occurrence, it’s a random story but I’ll plunge along nevertheless.

Back in October I started chatting with Jose, a man that lives on a street I passed on my way to school. I wanted to see why Jose chose to live on the street since the Spanish Government provides dormitory housing to anyone in need. Really though, I wanted to get to know the guy and hopefully see him move to a better future.

One evening when I was talking to Jose, a man approached me and asked where I was from in Spanish. As soon as I said Massachusetts he lit up and switched to an impressive English and said, “Oh I got my post doc at UMass Amherst and now I teach Civil Engineering here.” I was a pretty shocked.

We talked a bit more and Juan explained that he approached me because he also knew Jose. He had just come out of Mass, which was when I then discovered that Jose’s spot on the street was right next to a small church. I decided that my meeting Juan wasn’t a coincidence so I asked him if he wanted to have coffee sometime and took down his email.

Over the weeks I met Juan several times at his office. We went to lunch at the University dining hall and to a few different tapas bars. I gained a better insight into the Spanish education system and had great, personal conversation in Spanish and English along the way. On my last week we met and had a great talk. His being Catholic and my not being so (although being Christian) provided us with great topics. It never got heated but we definitely weren’t afraid to state beliefs. It reminded me of all the quality conversations I have back at Valpo, whether on similar subjects or a host of others.

Toward the end of the evening Juan asked how I was leaving and then offered to drive me to the bus station. I was thrilled to avoid paying a for a taxi and to have someone to see me off, and later said “Juan, you’re treating me like a father, thank you!” We laughed and he said, “well, you have a father, so I can be like an uncle.”

There you have it, now I have a Spanish Uncle who I will stay in contact with and look forward to seeing again when I, God willing, return to Spain with my family one day. Now that’s a dream and a blog for another time!

The End! (Well…kinda)

December 17, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 2 Comments

My alarm rudely woke me up at 5:15 AM and I slid out of my warm bed wondering why I was up so early. Eventually, my senses came to me and I was glad to be awake at this time of the morning and soon got ready for a morning adventure with my friends Erin and Chris. I left my room putting no makeup on, bundled in layers of clothing, my notebook and camera in my trusty bag ready to document the moment.

The “moment” I’m referring to was watching the sunrise at the top of the San Remedios Church here in Cholula. This isn’t just any regular Catholic church here in Mexico. The church was built on top of the Aztec’s pyramid in 1594 with the length from the base of the pyramid to the top of the church being 853 feet. The church is a beautiful icon of Cholula and overlooks the city. Erin, Chris and I arrived at the base of the church and walked to the top where you could overlook the city with wind snapping in our faces and the cold penetrating our bones all in the morning darkness. We somehow managed to get inside the area of the church for onlookers, sat on top of the wall (it was amazing to look down and see the valley below) and proceeded to patiently wait for the sunrise.

The sunrise is just about to peak!

After a few minutes, the colors of the sunrise started to appear. The valley below was sprinkled with the orange lights of homes and stores. The mountains were a dark purple and made the perfect background. Although it is impossible to describe the beauty that was before us in words, there was nothing like this sunrise. Soon appeared were layers of color that included a golden orange and rich yellow all somehow blending in with the morning darkness.

As we sat upon the wall of the San Remedios Church, the day started to awaken and the colors became more vivid. It was the end of semester and exams were officially over to our delight. It was somewhat ironic to end the journey with a sunrise. Chris (who is Mexican) and I would stay here in Mexico and Erin would be on her way to the US the next day. However, I couldn’t help but think that it really wasn’t quite the end.

When abroad, like the sunrise, you seem to realize the colors and diversity of the world as you become immersed in that culture and meet friends from other cultures. At times, those colors don’t seem to blend very well as you struggle with the language and solving the puzzle of living in foreign culture. It takes some time, but eventually, the colors somehow blend together in the palette of your study abroad journey. In the case of Erin, Chris and I, the memories we made and lessons learned from this semester in Mexico were just the beginning for a new stage in life. Although life changes and progresses when you get back to your country or even stay abroad, always live with color.

Saludos!