Monday, October 27, 2008

Yo estoy un poquito enferma.

It was such a blessing to be in Ixtlan again this past weekend.

After young group Saturday evening some of us older members went to help Nallely celebrate her birthday with pozole. Last summer when I had the pozole I didn't particularly care for it. After Saturday night I've decided that eating pozole is a Mexican art. I watched and learned. When to add the condiments and how much to add...and then here's the big one, what speed to eat it at. I went from still not liking it to enjoying it quite thoroughly.

Sunday after cutting up jalapeno for the salsa I was doing some reading and absentmindedly rubbed my eye. My eye was on fire! I ended up taking my contacts out which fueled the fire in both eyes now. It burned so bad it numbed my eyeballs. The worst lasted about 20 minutes. Moral of the story if you've cut up jalapenos in the last 2 hours and your eye has an itch...DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!!

Hasta!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Yo estoy sangrando.

I'm sitting here with some paper stuffed up my nose. Got elbowed today playing soccer. First time I believe I've ever had a bloody nose, and of course today was the first day I decided to wear a white shirt to play in. Praise the Lord Mexico has got some strong soap and hardy scrub brushes! I don't know why it hasn't stopped bleeding yet, happened like an hour ago, but I guess I'd rather have it bleed out than pool and end up with black eyes again. I wonder what I'll look like in the morning?!?!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Yo estoy bendicida.

Here's a few pictures from my weekend in Guadalajara.

On Saturday, a small group of us went to the Zoo. Guadalajara has got an amazing zoo. Took us quite a while to actually get there due to traffic and a lack of road signs (typical Mexico) so we were not able to see everything. My friends laughed at me for taking pictures of the statues instead of the actual animals, but I couldn't help it. I find these changos (monkeys) rather funny.

Today I had a church service with a few other of my friends that attend the bible study on Wednesday. Afterwards we went and got 'breakfast.' I got the most lunchyish thing on the menu I could find being as it was 1 in the afternoon.

Rosa surprised me this afternoon. She had said she was going to get me a cake but when I turned the corner on the stairs coming down this is what I saw.

Rosa ended up making fish tacos, buying a cake, and the best ice cream in Mexico according to her, Haagen daaz. Also, Delta even turned down going to the movies with her friends so that she could stay for our small party. She's so cool like that. Rosa got out her camera and a photo shoot ensued. I have a feeling that pictures of myself, Delta, and Micha will be displayed for her photography class to see someday soon. Rosa told us that we were going to make her famous. haha! Rosa and Delta kidded me about having so many festejos. I think it's because I haven't really been having much of a social life and now all of a sudden everyday I'm doing something with friends to 'celebrate' my birthday. haha! I think it'll finally be back to regular tomorrow.

I like how the serpientes reflect squiggle lines on the wall. The candles were funny. There were three princesses and two that said happy birthday on it. Unfortunately, by the time Rosa was done taking pictures and I'd been sung happy birthday and some other Spanish song there were only two left still burning for me to blow out. And yes Delta did shove my face in the cake.

I think I'm too sentimental for my own good. I kept all those serpientes from the table and strung them in my room. Throw them away now or later. I don't want to do either. They made me feel so special.

On a side note,
Last Wednesday, bible study was on the topic of the Sabbath. The topic was suggested and lead by my friend who is a Seventh Day Adventist. I was very nervous going into the bible study and praying for words. I've never been accused that my whole religion is wrong because I go to church on Sunday instead of Saturday, 7th day of the week, the Sabbath, before. I made sure I was as prepared as possible going into that bible study. In the end we were all still friends, praise the Lord. I was pleased with how the night went. It was uncomfortable at times but it was a topic causing dissenstion amongst us and needed to be addressed. Now it's been addressed and I feel we can move on together as Christians. Satan is not letting this be easy.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Yo estoy la edad de 23.

One year older another year wiser. Okay not so sure about the wise part...can't figure out for the life of me why this thing is underlining everything I write. Oh well, just go with it Christy.

I had a blessed birthday. There was a cake and a rose sitting at my spot when I got to class in the morning! Shared the cake, but still have a piece sitting next to me right now for later. My friend Triffinie made the cake and got me the rose. Of course the class sang (well those who were actually in class at the time sang). Why you would pay a lot of money to not show up at class is beyond me. I guess many of my classmates just understand much more clearer than myself, or just like to waste money on medical school tuition...one of the two. My roommate Delta got me a personal cake too, Sanborns at that, the good stuff! Then some other friends took it upon themselves to help me celebrate and we spent the evening together keeping me out until midnight. No studying got done, but I am so thankful I had people here to help me celebrate being alive. Pamela as a joke had to "outdo" Triffinie's rose so bought me a sunflower off a street vendor for my gift. The fact that people actually gave me something kind of caught me off guard. I was really touched.

On the left you can see the piece of Triffinie's Devil's food cake with the Sanborns cake from Delta on top. The yellow rose and sunflower....well I hope those are obvious.

I just noticed it's not underlining anymore. Technology...sometimes I just don't know.

Turned in my absentee ballot today. All I can say is God help America!

Our futures as international students is so up in the air right now. My class is now being included in the lawsuit against the AMA. The UAG is trying to mess with our loans. And then trying to adhere to the requirements of two governments with their (especially Mexico) sometimes absolutely ridiculous requirements. For the first time I think maybe ever my future is grayer than ever before.

At least I'm learning a lot. And as long as I can I'll continue doing just that. One aspect that I love about being here in Mexico with an international class is the fact that half of what I'm learning has nothing to do with medicine but with people and life.

I've been dragging this post out because I've been waiting for a video to load, but it doesn't look like it's even close to being finished so I'll just explain it. Every day at about 4 in the afternoon the ice cream truck drives down my street spouting it's Cri Cri calling to all the little kids. I took a video (croutching behind my curtain so as not to be seen by the ice cream man) as the truck drove by one sunny afternoon. Just wanted to share a bit of Mexico with you all, but I guess no such luck.

Thanks for all of the emails, thoughts, and wishes I received on my birthday. They meant a lot.
God Bless you all,

Hasta!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Yo estoy una camaleon.

School is finally starting to get back to a normal hectic pace, so I am trying to catch up on a few things. I had planned to write this morning but that thing happened where the alarm goes off, you lay your head down but then figure no...I've got to get up, got things to do so you crawl out of bed and almost choke TWO HOURS AFTER THE ALARM WENT OFF!!!!! honestly how does that happen? Luckily I'm a nerd enough that when stuff like that happens I've still got plenty of time to get ready and off to class. But now I guess I'm two hours behind...well, if I had a schedule I guess I'd be two hours behind mathematically speaking.

I had finished this post and then was kicked off the internet and the first paragraph is all that was saved. That is so frustrating. anyways I had talked about playing soccer yesterday. Mentioned how one of the other teams had an amazing player with beautiful ball handling skills. Then come to find out that not only had he been top US college player when he played for Ohio State but he played for Nigeria!!!!!! and I played against him. Of course I posed absolutely no threat to him whatsoever, but it was still fun to pretend.
Then I talked about how Ponce is back in Anatomy. oh boy, here we go again!
And I mentioned that Loren Schrenk is in Ixtlan for his eye clinic and therefore there is no room for me this coming weekend. Sad that I won't be there to help, but I guess prayer will be the best help anyways, and I can do that from here.

Then I finished with some corny comment about how now I'm even more behind schedule, but in reality it doesn't matter because this is Mexico and whoever heard of being on time let alone on schedule.

Now I'm going to post this before I am once again kicked off! Have a great day!!

Hasta!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Yo estoy una futbolista!!!!!!

I got home from campus very late today because I stayed to play soccer!!! I'm playing with some people from my class. It is so much fun. It rained today too. The nice misting kind. God must have thought we needed some cooling off :)

Now after two hours of running around getting all nice and tired I'm home ready to start my long list of stuff that was supposed to be done yesterday.......man! I feel like I'm in undergrad again. Long list of things to do but sure I'll play soccer!!!

And yet look at me...not doing my list but facebooking and blogging. oh well, might as well make the most of it.

Few things to mention:
On Sunday, I wasn't here at the time, but Delta's dad came to visit. He brought with him a lot of guyabas, pan, y queso. I was talking to Delta and when she told me were the huge (I'm talkin ginormous) hunk of cheese in the refrigerator came from I cracked up. I asked Delta the reason, if she really liked cheese or something, she said no she didn't really know the reason for it just that her dad gets excited about his cheese. Once again i cracked up.

As you can see the end has already been cut off and yet it is still the largest item in the refrigerator. According to Rosa we'll be eating a lot of quesadillas in the future. No argument here.

Oh my I just looked at the time. I've got to go to bible study and I haven't even showered yet. Yikes!! i'll have to finish up filling in at a later date yet to be known.

Hasta!!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Yo estoy en un ritmo.

I have discovered why a person needs multiple pairs of shoes, the more the better. I've gone through three pairs already, two of which are unwearable and the other annoys me like crazy because they are falling apart from the inside out. In addition the holes in a fourth pair are getting increasingly larger because I have had to start wearing them more. Granted these shoes were older than four years. From this personal experience I've come to the conclusion that a person does in fact need multiple pairs of shoes. He or she is then able to rotate their usage and prolong their lifespan. (The shoes' lifespans that is). Pretty soon I'll be down to nothing but the pair of heels I brought with me..........I think I'll go barefoot first.

Was in Ixtlan this weekend again. Huge fiesta going on celebrating St. Francis of Assisi (the town's saint). Fireworks all day and night long. The singing and chanting was endless also. I, thankfully, was able to sleep. Marshall unfortunately was not and used it in his sermon during church. He said he was just about ready to go down to the plaza and start preaching like Paul to anyone who'd listen. He didn't though. They'd probably all have been drunk anyways.

Waiting at the parada for the bus to go back to Guadalajara I noticed the geysers going off so I took a picture. They did afterall give Ixtlan it's spot on the map, not to mention it's namesake.


Ixtlan de los Hervores

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Yo estoy sentiendo las tensiones.

PMC was great tonight. Only one patient but I got to do my first historica clinica with him. The doctor said one of the first semesters do the historica clinica, which completely caught me off guard. I was nervous not because I didn't know what to do, but simply because it was my first one. And i did it!! Clinical history; physical examination and all!!!! Now I've got a huge report to write up, but that doesn't even bother me so much at the moment because I'm still on the adrenaline rush from actually completing it. My final for PMC is to complete another historica clinica in the presence of a doctor who will be grading me, and unfortunately then there won't be someone next to help me decipher when they say their name is Hector Antonio Ruiz Garcia and to me it comes out sounding like Hector Anton....R...z....ia. Man I've got to practice more Spanish, you'd think living in Mexico would be enough, but living in Mexico by yourself kind of defeats that.

I am getting better though. However there is one guy in my class from Puerto Rico, Edwin, and I can't for the life of me understand him. He's from the mountains of Puerto Rico so has a specific accent 1)doesn't say his S's (all Puerto Ricans do that though) 2) talks rather quiet 3)has a sort of singsongy voice; in other words slurs everything together. So I've got someone talking quietly slurring everything together without pronouncing every syllable it's like a whole new language. there's Spanish and then there's Edwin's Spanish.

Praying for you all!
Hasta!