Just like Atlanta, this past Saturday was a big football day in Cholula... it was the first game of the UDLA Aztecas American football season. There are only a handful of schools in Mexico that field football teams, and UDLA is one of them. We played Monterrey Tec from D.F. (Mexico City), and it was a lot of fun. Nathan (the head of the missions team at El Pozo) was actually an exchange student for Globalscope at Tec several years ago, so it was especially fun for him. The level of play, as well as the size of the crowd, were more comparable to a high school game in the US, but we all had a blast. After the game (which was at noon), we had a tailgate party at the campus house. We had a pretty good turnout, and we spent the afternoon/evening eating burgers, playing washers and volleyball, and hanging out and talking. Afterwards, the staff and exchange students stuck around to watch the Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame game on the projector... the guys all chipped in for ESPN GameDay online, so they can watch any game they want. Unfortunately, the internet connection was slow and the power went out a couple of times (due to bad weather), so we didn't get the full effect. I wish I could have been in Atlanta, just for the atmosphere... even if the game didn't turn out how we wanted it to.
This week is the first week of midterms for the semester. So far, I have had to give a presentation about a Mexican holiday and write a fake news article. Friday, I have a test in my grammar class. It has made things much busier, but our schedules hardly compare to those of my roommates and some of our friends at El Pozo (engineering, law, and architecture majors). Several of us will be playing intramural volleyball. Our first game is tomorrow... I'm not anywhere near great, but I think it'll be fun.
Things at El Pozo are going well. It was pouring rain during En Vivo (the Bible study) last night, but we still had a good turnout. It's so hard for us, to get used to Mexican schedules... we all start to get really scared at about 7:55 when we realize there are only about ten Mexicans in the house. (En Vivo starts at 8) Bible study starts, and by the time I turn around at the end, the "big room" is almost full. It's pretty cool. This Friday, we're having a chocolate-making party for all of the girls. We're all inviting our roommates, as well as all of the girls who attend El Pozo events. We're really hoping for a good turnout.
My goal for the week is to find time to just relax on my own. A friend back in the States pointed out a few days ago that I have a schedule filled with worthwhile, fun, and exciting activities... but I really never just RELAX. I'm either hanging out with people, doing ministry events, in class, doing homework, or sleeping. There's a really beautiful, big garden on one edge of campus... I'm going to try to spend more time out there with my iPod and a good book.
We had originally planned to visit D.F. (District Federal, or Mexico City) for Independence Day (Sep. 15/16). Unfortunately, we've had to cancel those plans. For those of you who haven't been following Mexican politics, they just yesterday declared (officially) the winner of the July 2 presidential elections. The leftist candidate, Lopez Obrador, has been calling for charges of fraud and corruption against the conservative candidate, Calderon; almost all of the charges have been dismissed as unfounded. To clarify, the politics in Mexico aren't quite what we would think of in the States - Obrador is FAR to the left, and is openly a populist ("rule by the people, from the ground" style), and perhaps (but less openly) a want-to-be revolutionary... Calderon is from the "conservative" party, but would be considered moderate in the States. He's for a strong business-oriented economy, something Mexico could really use. Obrador wanted the entire election thrown out as void; the electoral tribunal finally declared yesterday that the election was valid. Obrador, who has taken over the Zocalo (the famous city square of D.F.) with a makeshift tent city, has sworn to create an alternate government. Basically... it's not safe for us to be in the city for independence day. It'd be right in the middle of the action, but in this case, that might put us right in the middle of danger, too.
For an interesting look at Obrador's politics (and why it's not safe for us to be in the city), check out this column from the Washington Post yesterday: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/04/AR2006090400699.html
I don't have any thrilling pictures to share this time, but I'll stick a couple on here:
This is the UDLA mascot, the Aztec. He was pretty funny, but also a little bit more vulgar in his actions/humor than the mascots back in the States would ever be allowed to be. We laughed at him a lot during the course of the game, though.
This is a picture of Elsa, Ivette, and me at one of our favorite places to hang out. Elsa and Ivette are both student leaders at El Pozo, and they have quickly become two great friends.
posted by Audrey @ 12:18 AM
3 Comments:
awesome!!! too bad to hear about the politics stuff. i had no idea, really.
sounds like games are fun over there.
good luck in volleyball!
You have a weird squinty look in the picture, but I like your shirt.
I don't think I went to that museum, but it's hard to remember because we saw a lot of stuff. You really need to go to a bull fight if you get the chance, yes it's a little bloody and inhumane, but it's a really cool cultural experience as well. There's a band that plays special songs at different parts of the fight and people cheer and make scared noises and stuff. I loved it!
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