Jan. 17th - sorry so late :)

Out of my window I can see many buildings below. The one that I find the most interesting is the purple one. I swear there was odd happy children’s Spanish music loudly playing from it yesterday. Alica said that there is a school close by. I wish my elementary school played music loud enough for the neighbours to hear!

From up here (5 stories) we can hear the trucks go by, cars honking and squealing their tires, and every once in awhile a loud train horn. It reminds me of Fernie a bit, except here they hold the horn much longer. Probably a good thing too. On the city streets you will find an assortment of people and cars – most vehicles traveling with great speed, in and out in the traffic. The traffic circles are the most fun – you zoom around and it seems miraculously you pull away from the gravitation of the circle and pop out onto one of the various roads. After our driving yesterday and touring I started to recognize things here!

Last night we went downtown – to see the original Guadalajara. Of course there are many fascinating buildings and three town squares with people out everywhere. I love this about Mexico. We don’t have ‘central’ locations where our citizens can go and walk with friends, or kiss with their lover on a bench. Aqui, es muy social, muy hermosa.

Already I have begin to communicate in Spanish and understand. Last night we went to visit Alica’s aunt before dinner and it was awesome. She speaks a little English but confuses it with German sometimes, and of course is fluent in Spanish. She asked me at the beginning (en espanol) what we would speak and I said Spanish. So she spoke to us in Spanish. I understood a lot because she speaks clearly. I know that I have a long ways to go before I will speak and understand Spanish fluently but I am excited now that through immersion it will be easier. My only problem is that Alica and Adrian (su primo) spoke mostly English to me. I keep saying Alica speak Spanish but of course it is so much easier for her to speak English to me because she knows I will understand. J As my Spanish improves I am sure she will speak Spanish to me.

Last night we had lonches for dinner. They are a ‘sandwich’ only made in Guadalajara. They are made with a type of bread similar to French and have cheese and lettuce and tomatoes on them, however they are served in a sauce – a really good one. You take your spoon and pour the sauce over the lonche and then eat it. It is messy but tasty.

Right now I am going to have a shower…adios.