Thursday, July 31, 2008

Yo estoy a Jane Austen.

Last week I read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. In her stories when individuals had not communicated for a period of time long letters were exchanged. I feel as if I should revert back to that time and sit here for two hours writing letting all who cared to read know just what has been filling my life as of late. However, it is not that time. I am by no means as eloquent in my words as Jane Austen nor would my two hours of writing do justice to my readers so I shall stick with what is usually acceptable, short and sweet.

I'll start with the pictures that I said I was going to post.

This first picture is of me and my angel, Cristina. (see previous post for explanation). Praise God for answered prayers.

This is a picture of my room at Chichimecas 698, Guadalajara, JAL (forget the zipcode), Mexico.
This is my new friend Micha in one of her favorite spots; lazily soaking up the sun at my window.
Now it's been a week since my last post so I'll do a bit of the highlights.

Friday: Set off to find the Santander Serfin ATM with only a vague idea of where I was going. I found it only because God turned my feet. Deciding to look in between the stores at Plaza Mexico was not any idea of mine. God has truly been directing my path one step at a time. I tell you, blindly jumping off a cliff trusting only in the fact that it's what God has asked of you brings the fact that God is alive and willing to catch you new meaning. You understand even better what Noah went through to build an ark or for Peter to get up and run. May I forever run like the apostles did.

Saturday and Sunday: Went to Ixtlan for the weekend. I am so excited about my brothers and sisters here in Mexico. The weekend was such a blessing that it makes the cost so worth it. I was a bit surprised but since I live in the exact opposite corner of Guadalajara than the bus station the taxi fare is double that of the bus fare. Since Marshall and Jan's eldest daughter and son-in-law was visiting I spent the night with a local family of members, the Gonzalez's (Berta and daughters Claudia y Mage (the only two living at home)). Am definitely looking forward to going back.

Monday: First day of orientation. Welcome to medical school which starts today and lasts for the rest of your life. Today was actually rather boring with speaker after speaker after speaker. Finally got to actually meet some people at lunch. They even had a live mariachi band for us. Got a ride home with one of my classmates.

Tuesday: Today was registration and a spanish proficiency exam. I had a bit of trouble with my tuition, so when I finally got it figured out it was too late to finish. Let me explain. There were 11 stations that I needed to go to (11 parts for a complete registration). Got everything done but the station titled scholar and cashier. I had to have the receipts from the cashier to give to the scholar people so was sent across the campus to take care of it. By the time I got back the scholar people had left. Argh. They told me could take care of it the following day, but you know what that means....I had to take care of it the following day.

Wednesday: Orientation today was at the medical school campus (ICB) close to me. Glad that I no longer had to go over to the CU. After the personality exam they gave us I set off to figure out what the scholar people had wanted. Got sent three different places but finally ended up where I needed to be with someone who knew what I was about and took care of whatever it was that I had missed the day before. This day was also my White Coat Ceremony. It was odd. I had always thought my family was going to be with me for stuff like this. It was bitterly reaffirmed to me that yes I am alone here. They presented coats to us 7 at a time. During my time I was a bit uncomfortable to stand and smile knowing that it was for the benefit of the other six standing with me who were having pictures taken. After the ceremony I was walking by outside and a lady (who saw I was walking by myself without a camera) offered to take my picture. I gave her my email so if the picture gets sent to me then I'll have a picture of the first time I wore my bata blanca complete with patch and all.

Thursday: Today was long. My class and I are going through an intense power reading course. By the end of the 4 hours today I was up to 1,124 words a minute (I had started at 200). Granted my comprehension was down to about 20% but we are going to work on that part tomorrow. Also had my send exam of medical school today. It was on computers! If I did well enough I'll be exempted from the class. If not....well, I guess I'll be taking a computer class. We also had our clinical placings today. Due to the fact that my last name begins with an S I am in the last group meaning my clinic will be on Fridays. (Side note about names. In Illinois lots of names begin with S and R and such letters later on in the alphabet and not so many at the begining with A and the like. It is the exact opposite here. As a rough estimate A-C =1/4 of the class, D-G = 1/4 of the class, H-M=1/4 of the class and then N-Z constitutes the last 1/4. i think there's 109 in my class. I'm like 102. something like that. I wasn't expecting to be such and oddity. I'm tall, white, and my name is Stoller....can anyone say extranjera?) Another girl in my class named Trrifinie (she has moved here with 6 of her 7 kids) is also on Fridays. She drove down here so she has a vehicle. We made sure that we signed up for the same clinical spot so that I've got a ride. She wanted to go to the hospital since it was the only location that provided protection for your car. Since I was the one along for the ride I agreed even though I'd rather go to one of the local clinics, but I've got four semesters of this; I'll go to the hospital this time and next time when I've got my own mode of transport I'll go to another location. Once I got back home Rosa's nephew, Raul, came over to help set up the internet. so now I can finally feel connected again. Get this, I ate 'lunch' today at about 6:30 - 7:00. it consisted of food that Rosa had left out for me. I don't want to know when she had actually made it.

Well, I'm slowly making some friends. I haven't completely hit it off with anyone yet, but then I haven't even met everyone yet either. I haven't meet another Christian yet either. I have a feeling I'm going to be labeled the Jesus praisin', bible thumpin', hallelujah raisin' freak of the class. Not going to make friends too easily with a stereotype like that. Satan isn't going to let this be easy for me. Oh well, if I must I must. But like I said I haven't even met everyone yet.

Well, Jane Austen could have done a much better job at writing this post, but I've done my best in her place.

Loving you all, and missing you all,
Hasta,
Christy

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Yo estoy explorando.

Went to an amazing park today. My walks tire me a bit more than I was expecting. Got to get used to this change of altitude. This definitely ain´t the plains of the midwest. Terrain isn´t as drastic as Taxco, but definitely not flat anywhere. My road, Chichimecas, is definitely at an angle.

Hasta,
Christy

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

nueva amiga

Forgot to mention my new friend. Micha is Sra. Rosa´s cat. After only a few hours in the house she was already curling up beside me and following me around at my feet. God sent me someone to love.

Yo estoy viviendo en Guadalajara.

I want to send out out a ginormous thank you for all who have been praying for me. God answered our prayers in the form of an angel by the name of Cristina. Yesterday I took off for the UAG main campus (CU) lugging my suitcases after. Went to the office for foreign students and instead of answering my questions I got a bunch more questions and a long list of requirements I need to do for immigration. I am sitting on a bench (surrounded by my bags....yes I looked out of place and lost). Cristina came up and offered to help. I was able to use one of my phone cards on her cell phone so I called some people about a place to live. THEN! she even drove me to their homes. The first was too far for me to walk. The second asked me to come at 5. so THEN! Cristina offered to let me hang at her apartment for the few hours while waiting. THEN! she drove me to the lady´s house. The amazing thing is that this lady, SeƱora Rosa, was the name that i had felt led to pick out of the 3 pages of names given to me. The house is very nice. Pulling up I was like oh boy this is going to be expensive...and it is. Very expensive from what I´m used to, but as a new student in a new school, a new country I think it is what I am going to nee. Sra. Rosa is very nice and helpful also. She wants to practice her english with me. So she talks in english and I in spanish.
I will post a picture of my room and my angel once Sra. Rosa gets internet in the house and I can access it with my own computer.
once again, may God bless you all exceedingly for your prayers
Hasta,
Christy

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

My first day

I can't really put into words how much I don't feel ready for this. I am in a strange place with no idea of what I am doing. Little recap. Yesterday got to the airport. No problem entering the country. Spent a while in the airport trying to get one of the multiple phone cards I bought to work. No success. Gave up and got a taxi to a random address of a random hotel. After talking with the driver we decided to change my destination. The driver took me to the city center instead. We drove around to multiple hotels till we found one with vacancy. I got a room. The bellhop that helped me was very helpful. He explained there is the Universidad de Guadalajara and the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara which actually isn't in Guadalajara but Zapopan which was too far away for me to go and come back again that day. So I shut myself up in my room. In the last 55 hours I had had a total of 3 hours of sleep plus my body was drained from trying to look like I knew what I was doing when really I had no idea. so I read, slept, took a shower, and went to bed. I was really wishing I was at home.
I pray that in a few days or weeks or months when I have everything figured out I can look back at my first few days in Guadalajara and laugh at myself when my faith was so weak all I wanted was to cry and go home.
Now today I've got to find a way to get to the school.....and then I'll go from there.

hasta,
Christy

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Yo estoy ir a Mexico

Hola todos,
Whelp I guess I'm finally going! Who would have thunk it? My plane leaves 8:45 am Monday, 21 July, 2008. Hence, my time is running short. I am very tired from no sleep last night, but I can't take a nap (I'm afraid I won't wake up again) yet my list is still very long.
To top it all off, I don't even know how to pack to move permanently. I've always moved to places close to home so twas aright if I forgot something and I was able to move in stages. Now its two bags that's it. yikes! Doesn't help that I've got a dress code to adhere to limiting what I want to take by items that I have to take.
In addition, I have no idea what I'm doing once I get to Guadalajara. I have no place to stay and currently not even a hotel reservation. Lord, what am I doing?
Anyways, getting to my point. I already am missing all of my friends and family here in the states and I haven't even left yet. This blog is to let you all know I'll never forget. As much as I feel my heart belongs to Mexico, being honest with myself, there's a part of it claimed by Central Illinois too.

Loving you all,
Here's praying that God knows what He's doing with me!!