Latest update: Epilepsy Support Group, Christmas Parties, and Random Observation

Hi everyone,

Here is the latest update. Another calm week, but then an amazing turnout!

1.) Epilepsy Support Group
This week, I met with the doctor and we finished making the schedule for the monthly conferences of 2014. It turns out that I will be presenting at the first one at the end of January. It's titled: "Que es la Epilepsia? Perspectiva de paciente a paciente, experiencia de vida"...(What is Epilepsy? From a patient's perspective and life experience). We have also decided that January 11th, we will go to the Zocalo and give out brochures about our support group, which will have the dates and themes of those meetings for the year.

On Saturday, I got two different messages on Facebook from people who have heard about what I've been doing here in Puebla. That was such an amazing feeling! I may be meeting up with one of them next Saturday in order to inform her about the support group and how to get involved. I'm really thankful for everything that has been happening.

I also learned that we may have some new members in January and some possible places to present at. I will keep you updated on that.

2.) Christmas Parties
On Friday night, I went to a party at the house of Mauro's boss and it turned into "mojito night." Everyone was going around the room with their mojitos and eventually, we got out the computer and started playing the favorite song of each person. It was definitely entertaining!

On Saturday night, I met up with my closest friends here and went downtown. We exchanged presents while eating pizza, then walked around downtown Puebla taking pictures with the Christmas lights. Tonight (Sunday night) we are returning to downtown and will be going to the Zocalo where there will be a snow machine at 9:00. There's a first time for everything! I think this will be memorable experience.

3.) Random Observation
Today I was in Starbucks and was drinking a TAZO tea from a bottle. I randomly looked down at the bottle and noticed the phrase: "Made in the U.S. from Imported Teas....Portland, OR"  Who would have thought? This whole time, I've been drinking those teas that came from my own city. That was a nice feeling, knowing that whenever I get homesick, I can go to Starbucks (which is Seattle-based) and get a Portland-based tea. haha Anyway, I just thought it was funny.


That's it for now. Next week should be pretty busy, especially next Saturday, December 21st. That's the day of the jornada (medical day with the neurologist) where we will be assisting numerous patients with epilepsy. Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season!

Calm week with a very good ending

Hi everyone,

Here is an update for this week. It started out as a very calm week with not much going on. I spent a lot of time walking around, taking new bus routes, and writing essays for my grad school application to Portland State for the MSW program.

Then on Wednesday, one of my friends took me to a suburb of Puebla called Atlixco and we had the opportunity to tour around there for a while. It turns out that Atlixco is known for Christmas lights and decorations. So, we began taking pictures by all of the decorations including numerous red flowers, pinatas, and skeletons with Christmas necklaces and hats on. I love these new experiences!

The week continued to be pretty calm. However, each day, I had the opportunity to teach English to two little boys, a 5 year-old and 8 year-old. This week I bought 1 book that has English-Spanish translations of different types of animals, and then got 2 coloring books with Disney themes in Spanish. I decided we could use the coloring books to keep the boys occupied and then translate the objects that they were coloring. This is definitely a learning process for me, but it's a good experience.

Then on Saturday, I had a FANTASTIC day! At 9:00, our epilepsy support group had a meeting and Christmas party. However, the doctor wasn't able to come, so that meant I was in charge. That made me kind of nervous, which is never good because when I'm nervous, I have to speak Spanglish instead of real Spanish. But it turned out really well. In fact, our group has some new ideas. We are thinking about adding:

1.) Art Night ---- art is healthy and useful for people with epilepsy. One of the girls from the group will lead session on painting, sculpting, and drawing once a month

2.) Yoga Classes -----yoga is very helpful for people with epilepsy because it is a way to relax and de-stress. Juan Carlos of our group is a yoga instructor and will lead classes once a month for those with epilepsy.

It is starting to feel like people are more attracted to our group. I always say this, but one step at a time. During the week I got nervous because I wasn't being that productive but then yesterday, everything changed. We can't have everything happen at once, right? :-)

After that, I met up with a college student named Jonathan who happens to be from Phoenix, AZ and studies at Boston College. He is studying abroad here in Puebla and is returning home on Tuesday. Then in January, he's going to Cuba for his next study abroad experience. Before coming to Mexico, he studied for a bit in Bolivia. Amazing, right? I'm thankful for having made a new friend.

Then on Saturday night, I met up with my wonderful friends. We all started talking about our Christmas plans. I'm excited to experience Christmas here. I don't know if I've said this already, but I'm planning on going to Tres Valles, Veracruz with my friend Mauro to celebrate Christmas and learn about the traditions here. I'm always up for new experiences.


Thanks for reading this. Keep enjoying your weekend everyone!!!!

Good week including: Epilepsy Presentation, Thanksgiving and Monthly Conference

Hi everyone,

Here is an update from what happened this week. All good stuff!

1.) Epilepsy Presentation en "Escuela Libre de Psicologia"
On Wednesday, I presented on stage in the auditorium at this school, which is basically another university. The title of the presentation was "Epilepsy from a Psychological Perspective" which started out with the basics of what epilepsy is and how to help someone during a seizure, but then went on to explain the methods in which a psychologist can help someone with epilepsy. There was actually a really good turnout and afterward, I was able to distribute around 40 business cards. The presentation took about 45 minutes, and then another 40 minutes to answer questions. It was such a nice feeling to be able to make an impact.

2.) Thanksgiving
On Thursday, I celebrated Thanksgiving here in Puebla with my wonderful friends. I spent a few hours making a traditional "dressing" but unfortunately, our oven wasn't working. So I found a recipe to make dressing on the stove top. Surprisingly, it turned out really well.

That night, I met my friend Mauro and we went to our friend Izchel's house. There ended up being 7 of us total, and we all brought something to add to the American-Mexican Thanksgiving dinner. Our dishes included chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, dressing, wine, and a large bowl of guacamole. :-) It was actually a very delicious Thanksgiving dinner! Before eating, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for, and then did a toast, saying "salud", which means "cheers" or "to your health".

We finished dinner with a homemade cake from Izchel and lots of talking. I am definitely thankful for having such good friends.

3.) Monthly  Conference
Today (Saturday November 30) our support group had a monthly conference in Hospital Betania. Another doctor came in and spoke about the relationship between doctors and patients, and then showed some videos regarding epilepsy. However, the most interesting part was the people I met. I was introduced to a girl around my age who has a more intense form of epilepsy and therefore, cannot read or write. However, she can talk and communicate well. She is often home alone due to the fact that she most likely cannot work, but I now have a goal in finding something that she can do each day. She is very upbeat and there is most likely an opportunity waiting for her. :-)

I spoke to another man whose daughter has epilepsy. He said she heard a couple months ago that there is an epilepsy support group in Puebla and they want to learn more. I asked how she heard and he said she mentioned having seen someone on the Televisa channel of television. I asked if that happened in early September. It turns out, his daughter had seen me speak on that program before returning home and now they want to help out with our group. I talked about upcoming conferences and events and he was very interested. He also asked me to come to his school and present.

Before leaving, Dr. Coyac introduced me to the man who presented. Dr. Coyac told him that I want to get experience with social work before getting my MSW and the other doctor said I can come to his office and he is going to set me up with some opportunities to volunteer here for experience.


This has been the week of Thanksgiving and am definitely thankful for all that has happened!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Positive Update in Puebla

Hi everyone,

Here is an update of what's happening with the epilepsy support group and more. I'm actually really excited about all of this. 

1.) Jornadas

               

These are days when the neurologist is going to meet with patients and will only charge 150 pesos (about $11.00 dollars). I will be the coordinator, so the patients have to contact me before coming. I will also be there during those days, talking to the patients and telling them about our group. These will take place every 3 months. The first will be on Saturday, December 21st. 

2.) Conference

               

We are planning a large conference on March 28, 2014, where we are going to have about 6 different doctors speak about different themes regarding epilepsy (similar to something I attended in Seattle with the Epilepsy Foundation Northwest).         

3.) Monthly meetings and Presentations

Our group has monthly meetings on the last Saturday of every month and we are in the process of organizing the themes for the year of 2014. I may present in January for the first one, and then we will have different doctors and other people present for the following. I am also in the process of organizing presentations at different schools, but will probably have to wait until January when people get back from Christmas vacation.

4.) Volunteering at a Hospital

Today I went to a hospital called El Hospital Niño Poblano, which is a children's hospital right next door to the university. There is a possibility that I may be able to volunteer there on Mondays and Wednesdays. I will keep you updated on that. 

5.) Plans for Thanksgiving

I just had to write this in here because I am so thankful to have such good friends here. On Thursday, which is Thanksgiving, there will be a group of about 12 people, and we are all going to our friend's house (our friend Izchel), and are making Thanksgiving dinner. Of course it's going to be a different version of food, but that doesn't matter. They want to learn more about this American holiday and incorporate some of their own cultural traditions. It should be a very good experience. :-)

I hope everyone has a great week and HAPPY THANKSGIVING (on Thursday)!

Return to Puebla....back for more adventures :-)

Hi everyone,

I have returned to Mexico after being back home in Portland, OR for almost 2 months, and now have been here in Puebla for 2 weeks. Time flies!

When I came back, I told myself that I didn't know how long I will stay this time and just have to wait and see how everything goes with the epilepsy support group. Well, so far, everything is going great! I've been preparing to give a conference in la Escuela Libre de Psicologia in order to give a presentation on Epilepsy and Psychology on November 27th. While preparing for that, I've been spending a lot of time with my wonderful friends down here, trying to come up with other ways to stay busy and now I have some new ideas....

1.) English tutor
   
I have made a flyer for being an English tutor, and because I have experience from helping teach English classes at the Ibero University during the spring, that's been helpful. I've actually already had two sessions where I've been teaching English for those of different levels. It's actually kind of fun and is another way in giving back to those around me.

2.) Volunteer Social Worker in a Hospital

Right now I am applying to Portland State University to get a Master's in Social Work, and therefore, it is helpful to keep gaining experience. I know a few people who are going to try to organize some contacts in which I could volunteer in a hospital here in Puebla as a social worker. That would be so amazing. I really hope it happens.

3.) Epilepsy Support Group

I have been meeting with the neurologist and we are making some upcoming plans for our group including more conferences,  and events. There is a possibility that we will be hosting a conference in 3 months where we will have 6 different doctors speak about different themes regarding epilepsy. Plus, people have been contacting me from different parts of Mexico and want to become part of our group.


In the meantime, I traveled to Mexico City last week for a conference in a university there with my friends who are professors. We then explored downtown Mexico City and I had my first experience riding the underground subway there. That is definitely not something I need to do again anytime soon, but I enjoyed exploring the city with my friends.

That's a quick update for you. I will try to be better about writing on here. Thank you everyone for all of your encouragement and support. I really appreciate it!

Update: Epilepsy Work, Life in Puebla, and Return Home

Hi Everyone,

Here is another update for what's been going on:

Epilepsy Work

The past few weeks have been VERY busy and successful in regards to helping others with epilepsy. On August 23, I spoke on a radio show with two doctors and another man who has epilepsy. We talked about discrimination and our epilepsy support group we have created. Then on August 31, we had one of our monthly meetings with the theme of "Epilepsy and Psychiatry". It was actually really interesting and there were 18 people who came. There are more people each time, that's always a good sign.

Then the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to help teach classes at the Universidad Iberoamericana and give presentations regarding epilepsy. I even had the chance to present at another university to two classes. I was also able to speak with the director of a disabilities group who likes what I've been doing and is trying to help me network more contacts in order to hold more events and conferences, and give more presentations.

This week, on September 4th, I was given the opportunity to speak on Televisa Puebla, a television station here in Puebla. I spoke for about 5 minutes about our support group, my personal experience with epilepsy, and our next event. We then had the event yesterday, September 7th, and fortunately, it was a success! In fact, three people came who told me they had seen me on TV and felt encouraged and inspired. That was really nice to hear. One woman told me she has had epilepsy for over 25 years and has never felt comfortable telling other people about her medical condition. Now she wants to start helping give presentations and do what she can to inform others. I was really excited to hear that.

The TV show host told me she would love for me to come on the station again whenever we have another event. Plus she wants me to tutor her in English. I figured it's a good way to make more contacts. As my mom always says, "It's always good to keep networking."

I am really thankful for all of these opportunities and experiences. The other day, I met with a man whose 3 year old daughter has complex partial seizures every day, and he took me to a suburb of Puebla where we put up flyers regarding our support group. I think we will continue to inform and inspire people over time, "poco a poco" (little by little).

Life in Puebla

Since the school year has started, I have stopped traveling and am helping in 2 sociology classes at the Ibero. The professor allows me to help teach parts of the class and has told me he will have me help him grade homework. It's definitely a good learning experience, and is always a good way to meet more people. In fact, the reason I was able to speak on television is because I gave an epilepsy presentation in another class at the university and one of the students happened to be the TV show host. You never know who you're going to meet.

Today I had an interesting experience. I went to Cholula (a suburb) with my boyfriend Alex. There happened to be a carnival going on and it was so crowded that we could barely walk. Alex was in front of me as we were going past all of these tables, and then I realized my backpack felt a little lighter....someone had taken my iPhone. We began looking around and asked some people if they saw anyone take anything, and they told us that a girl had just run past us. We tried to find her but no luck. I was trying to stay calm and not worry about it, (but many of you know that I tend to stress out easily), so I got a little frustrated. Then 10 minutes later, a man came up to us and brought us the phone. What a nice person! That was very nice of him to do that! He said a 13 year old girl had taken it. The funny thing is that later on, I realized that my house key and student ID card were missing. I'm not really sure why she would have taken those, but oh well, it could have been so much worse.

We decided to leave Cholula and get out of the crowd, and instead, went downtown. I wanted to shop for gifts to bring people, so Alex showed me a whole new part of downtown that I had never seen before. It was great walking around there with him in all of the little shops.

Return to Portland

I am actually returning home to Portland in a couple of days, on September 11th. I am planning to stay until about the second or third week of October, and then return to Puebla for 6 months in order to continue to helping those with epilepsy and look for more opportunities. I am getting really excited to come home for a while and see everyone, but I am extremely thankful for everything that has happened for me here in Puebla, Mexico.

Thank you everyone for all of your support. That is the reason I have been able to do so much, because so many people believe in me. Thank you for that! I hope we can all see each other and talk soon. :-)

Change of Plans.....

Hi everyone,

It has been an extremely long time since I have written on the blog, sorry about that.

Here is an update:

Job

Everything has changed. Instead of being an English teacher in the high school that is connected to the college, I am going to continue being an assistant in the college courses. What happened is that I had two jobs lined up and with that, was going to start the process of getting my worker´s visa. However, that didn´t work out quite as I had planned. I was notified that I cannot work at the high school, due to the fact that I would still have to wait to a get a worker's visa and that the school didn't want to wait for the process. It was extremely disappointing to hear that, but when one thing happens, we have to keep at it until we complete our goal, right? I decided to take a break and went to Acapulco for 10 days in July, and then returned to Puebla in order to give an epilepsy conference and continue looking for jobs. I had another job interview at a primary school (in which the hours would be from (8:00 - 4:00 Monday-Friday, from August to July). I thought about it, especially because they said they could try to help with my visa process, but I spoke to my parents and between the salary as well as some other standards, we decided it wasn't the best idea. Instead, I have decided that I am going to focus on helping others with epilepsy and keep assisting at the university.

Work with Epilepsy

Since I have been in Mexico, I've been trying to do what I can to help and inform others about epilepsy. As you know, we had an event on June 15th. On July 27, we had another conference from 9:.00 - 10:30 that morning about children with epilepsy. We had a pediatric neurologist give a presentation and in fact, there were 12 people who came; 3 of whom were doctors and 4 of whom were epilepsy patients.

Then the first week of August, I went to the state of Veracruz with my friend Mauro who is the professor whose classes I had been assisting in during the summer courses. We ended up having an epilepsy meeting at his house in the town of Tres Valles. In fact there were 8 people who came, 3 of whom have epilepsy, as well as two people who have had seizures in the past, along with a teacher whose school has 10 students with epilepsy. I gave a PowerPoint presentation that I had presented to different classes at the Iberoamicana University this summer. I then helped distribute three types of brochures, as well as seizure calendars in Spanish. I think the meeting was a great success and in the end, one person who has epilepsy asked me how he could help start a support group there in that town. I told him to find more people he knows with epilepsy and that I will try to do what I can to help him get started. That would be so great if they could have a support group in that town.

On August 23 I am going to speak on a radio show in Puebla regarding discrimination against different groups such as indigenous, those with disabilities, and in particular, those with epilepsy. I think it will be very interesting. On August 31, we will have another monthly conference meeting, and then on September 7, we are hosting an event in the Zocolo (downtown Puebla). It is more like an informative event than anything else, but we will be handing out brochures, seizure calendars, and bracelets that have an inspirational quote. We will be telling people about our support group in hopes of attracting others and helping them feel as if they are not alone in having epilepsy.

Traveling/Trips

This summer, I have actually traveled a lot, but a lot of those trips have been really relaxing. In late May/early June, I traveled with my parents and my boyfriend Alex to Mexico City, Taxco, and Acapulco. Then in mid-July, I went to Acapulco again for 10 days (after finding out that I didn't get that job at the high school). That trip was good for me because it allowed me to relax and to see Alex after returning from China for 6 weeks.

Then I returned to Puebla for 2 weeks in order to be responsible and attend epilepsy meetings and look for jobs. But when my plans changed, my friend Mauro asked if I wanted to visit Veracruz. I hadn´t gone there before, so I thought it would be a good new experience. I was in the town of Tres Valles for 3 days, where we had the epilepsy meeting and traveled to a lake as well as another town in the state of Oaxaca, and then on the 4th day, we went to the city of Veracruz. I really liked the city of Veracruz. It is on the water and is very historical. In fact, I learned that Hernan Cortes, the Spaniard who took over Mexico in the 1500s, first settled in Veracruz. Therefore, it has various historical sites.

Mauro and I returned to Puebla on Tuesday and then I took the bus to Acapulco on Thursday. I am still in Acapulco with Alex and his family. We have been relaxing, especially since Alex has to return to school next week. But this past weekend, we went to Marquelia, which is a beach town 2 hours from Acapulco. We stayed in yurts along this beautiful beach. All summer I have been getting used to thunder and lightening storms, but that night in Marquelia was a whole new experience. There was lightening for about 4 hours, without any rain. I was nervous because I thought that was dangerous, but it turns out that no harm was done. Instead, it was actually really beautiful to watch the dark sky light up every 5 minutes.

Return to Portland, then Return to Puebla

Just so everyone knows, I will be returning to Portland on September 11 (probably not the best day to fly, but I think it will be fine). I will be there for about 3 weeks, and then will be traveling to Ohio with my mom to visit my grandpa. I will probably return to Puebla around October 7 and will most likely stay for 6 months with the goal of continuing to do more for those with epilepsy in hopes of creating an organization. I could stay longer but we will have to wait and see what happens.



I promise I will try to write more often on this blog. Thank you for all of your support!

Epilepsy Walk in Puebla, Mexico on June 15th

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was the walk for epilepsy in the the Northwest region (Portland, Seattle, Spokane, and other places), and we had our own little event here in Puebla. 

At 8:30 yesterday morning, I arrived at the Hospital Betania and met with the other coordinators of the event. At first we were told that the hospital forgot to book a room for us, but eventually we found one to use. There were about 15 attendees, 5 of whom have epilepsy. We began the conference at 9:00 and ended at 10:30. Dr. Placido Coyac spoke for 30 minutes, in which he gave a presentation at the basics of epilepsy. Then Juan Carlos, who has also had epilepsy for about 20 years, spoke for a while, and then I spoke. I was really nervous, but I think it went pretty well.

About 10:30, we left the hospital and I went to the park where we were hosting the event. We had originally said that it would start at 10:30, but we didn't arrive until about 10:50. Then we weren't able to set up the tables or the banner until 11:30. People go by different schedules here in Mexico. I still need to get used to that.

Unfortunately, nobody came to the walk, so the walk didn't happen. But, we had our table there for 2 hours with the big epilepsy banner behind us, and gave out 200 brochures to people walking by in the park. Then at the very end as we were cleaning up, a woman came up t me and asked we were doing. I told her about the Epilepsy Support Group that we are creating and gave her a brochure. All of a sudden I realized that she had tears in her eyes. She said that her son has had epilepsy for a long time and that they have never met anyone else who understands his medical condition. Then she gave me a hug and thanked me for being there. I think that was a sign that the event was not a failure. It is always meaningful and better to impact one person rather than nobody.

Then at 1:30, my friend Mauro met me in the park and we went to walk around downtown all afternoon. At 5:30, he brought me to meet his aunt, whose sister has epilepsy. Her sister lives in Chiapas, which is in Southern Mexico near Guatemala, and wants me to meet her one day. The woman then began talking to me and eventually, I noticed that she had tears in her eyes as well. She asked me if I would like to speak on the radio for 2 different stations about my history and experience with epilepsy. I couldn't believe it! She said she is going to email me today with the details.

Overall, I think it was a successful day. Also, I heard that the Epilepsy Walk in Portland went very well! There were 400 people there. Maybe one day we can create something like that here in Puebla, but just one step at a time. 

Thank you for all of your support! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Epilepsy Presentation and Continued Job Search Process

Hi everyone,

Here is another quick update:

Yesterday was a busy day. I got up at 5:30 AM to say goodbye to Alex and wish him luck on his trip to China. He flew to Toronto, Canada, stayed there over night, and is now on his way to China. He will be there for a month.

I then went to the university about 9:00 and created a powerpoint presentation on epilepsy. That took me about 4 hours, and then at 2:00 I went to a human development class and gave the presentation for an hour. I spoke about the logistics of epilepsy, and then shared my story. I then did the same thing in the next class. Honestly, I've never been good at speaking in front of groups, and these classes had about 25 students each, so this was really good for me. It was good preparation for the event on Saturday. The professor then asked me to do another presentation tomorrow morning for a different class. I feel really lucky to have this opportunity.

Today I am meeting with the neurologist to finish organizing everything for the event.

As for the job search process, the same school has been contacting me and I have had about 3 different interviews there. It is sounding like I may get the job, but it is just an extremely slow process. They said they have an open position for an English teacher in the primary school. When I heard that, I wasn't sure if that was a good idea because I don't have experience working with little kids. I have always volunteered at high schools and colleges, but we just have to take the opportunities as they come, right?

I will continue to keep you updated. I hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Vacation with my parents and Alex around Mexico City, Puebla, Taxco, and Acapulco

Hi everyone,

Sorry, I know it has been a really long time since I have written on here. I have been traveling around Central Mexico with my parents and with Alex for the past week and a half. I just got back from Acapulco this morning.

My parents arrived to Mexico City on May 25, and Alex and I met them at the airport. We stayed there for a few days where we toured downtown and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are over 22 million people who live in Mexico City, so my parents didn't want to stay there too long. Alex said we only saw about an eighth of the actual city, so we will have to go back. But my parents really enjoyed downtown and the Basilica.

We then returned to Puebla on Monday night. I had to turn in a bunch of paperwork for my application to the K-12th private school in hopes of getting the job as an English teacher. I am still waiting to hear back. Keep your fingers crossed. That day, we all went downtown and Alex and I were on a radio show for an hour. The theme of the show that day was "Mente y Cerebro" (Mind and Brain), and it just so happens that the announcer of the show has epilepsy. So, he and I spoke about epilepsy and about the event on June 15th, while Alex spoke about meditation, and a neuropsychologist spoke about the difference between the mind and the brain. I was really nervous, but I'm very glad I did that.

We spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Puebla. We toured downtown, and I brought my parents to the Universidad Iberoamericana where I have been teaching, and to the school I'm applying to. We also ate lunch at my host mom's house and I introduced my parents to my future host mom (if I can get that job). If everything works out, I will move into her house in August and stay there until next June.

We then left Puebla on Friday morning and went to Taxco. Alex and I had gone to Taxco about a month earlier and I loved it. It is so beautiful there. My parents thought it was really nice being in a smaller town as opposed to the big cities. We met some people in our hotel who are from New Mexico and are world travelers. They are tour guides for trips throughout different countries. The man, Rocky, said he grew up in Oklahoma and had never left the state, then went into the army and has been traveling ever since. You just never know how life will turn out, right? :-)

We left Taxco on Sunday night and took the bus to Acapulco, which is where Alex is from. I had never been there before...it is so nice! It is about the size of Portland, but reminded me of a tropical version of Seattle. But probably a better comparison would be to say it looks a lot like Hawaii. The only hard part was the humidity. It was so hot! I'm not very good in the heat because of my epilepsy, so that was kind of hard for me, but I liked being by the beach. Plus, Alex' family has a hotel there, as well as a medical office and various different shops. Their hotel is SO nice! His parents took us out to dinner three days in a row, and toured us around their neighborhood of Acapulco. If you have never been there, definitely think about going. I think you would enjoy it, just get ready for the heat.

Next Saturday is the epilepsy walk in Portland, Seattle, other Northwest towns/cities, and in Puebla. I will let you know what happens down here.

I hope you have a great week! Thank you for reading this!

Busy Week! Met with a neurologist, had a job interview, and walked through a hail and thunderstorm

Hi everyone! Sorry it has been a while since I have written on here. It's been a busy week!

On Tuesday, I met with a neurologist and it turns out that he is going to help me with the event on June 15th (the walk for epilepsy). We decided on where it will be (Paseo Bravo), which is a park in downtown Puebla, and we are going to have tables where we can hand out brochures. Plus, my parents are coming down here in a week and are going to bring a banner that I can use that day. I'm really thankful for that. Also, the neurologist said that if I end up staying here for a year, we can start a support group for those with epilepsy that can meet once a month. He also said there are different events that we can put together. I am going to try to post pictures from the event on June 15th once that happens.

This week is "dead week" or the week before finals at the university, so I've been tutoring people in English and keeping myself busy through making epilepsy brochures and doing research. On Wednesday, I got an email asking me to come on a radio show on May 28 in which I will be speaking with a neuropsychologist about my experience with epilepsy (in Spanish). I'm not sure if it's going to happen, but it would be a great experience if it does happen.

Today (Friday) has definitely been a long day. I got up at 7:00 and got ready for a job interview. Yes, a job interview. I know I originally said I would only stay until late May, then said only until August, but I'm getting more ideas. haha I interviewed at a K-12th grade private, Catholic, all-girls school called Colegio del Bosque. It's a bilingual school and they want me to be an English teacher there for a year. I was really nervous but the interview went really well and I have to return on Monday morning to do a few tests. The coordinator who interviewed me said it's a process to officially get hired, but that she would love for me to be part of their team. That's a good sign, right? I will find out more details on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed.

After the interview, I went to the university and tutored a student in English, then met up with Alex and his friend for lunch. We went to his friend's house for a while, but at 5:00 I saw some clouds coming in. A bunch of people have told me that from May - September, there are 2 hour rain storms in the afternoon, and then it clears up. I've only seen that happen once so I thought it was just a rumor. Wow, I was definitely wrong! One minute it started raining, and 30 seconds later, it began hailing. But not normal hail...it ended up being the size of pennies and quarters! I decided it wasn't the smartest idea to walk home in that, especially since there was thunder and lightening, and because the streets were flooding. I am now at home and it's been like this for a few hours. My host mom said today's weather is unusual, but it should only last until 9:00 tonight. Then the stars will be out. We will just have to see what happens.

I hope everyone has had a great week!

Taxco, Mexico and volcanic eruption in Puebla

Another adventurous weekend! I'm starting to get used to exploring a new place every weekend. On Friday night, before our trip, Alex and I went to a meditation class. Honestly, I'm not the best when it comes to doing things like that. It can get really philosophical, and let me tell you, listening to philosophy in another language is not the easiest thing to do. But the best part about that night was that I was able to meet another person with epilepsy. In fact, it was the instructor. He has had epilepsy for 20 years and has a radio show on Tuesdays where he talks about epilepsy. He is going to make an announcement next week about the event on June 15 (epilepsy walk here in Puebla). He is also going to introduce me to his neurologist and other people who have epilepsy. I am really excited about all of that.

The next morning, Alex and I went to Taxco. It is about 3 and a half hours form Puebla. It is another historic town from the late 1500s/ early 1600s. It was so beautiful there! The whole town is set upon different hills, so you definitely get a workout when walking around; up-down-up-down. Also, this town is surrounded by mines and is known for it's silver. Almost every vendor was selling silver jewelry. This town is a bit more expensive than the others, but that's because it is a popular tourist spot. However, I really enjoyed it.

We explored throughout downtown and went to the main church (which was made of stone and gold). We then went to a few museums, and continued exploring the different shops. One thing I noticed is that the streets are made of stone. They were made during the time of horses and carriages, as opposed to cars. That makes it a little harder to walk, but I like the history. Then in the midst of all of this history, I saw the fanciest McDonalds I've ever seen. Go figure, huh? haha

We took the bus out of Taxco at 4:00 on Sunday afternoon, and arrived to Puebla about 7:40. The only bummer is that I think I got food poisoning from something during the trip, but I don't know what it was. Sunday night and all throughout Monday, my stomach was really bad and I couldn't eat much. But on Monday, I still went to school because I had an appointment with a professor from the Human Development department. He likes that I studied sociology and wants me to help out in one of his classes this summer. I'm excited that I've had so many opportunities to meet such wonderful people.

Then tonight (Tuesday night), I was walking outside and thought that sand was blowing through the air. I couldn't see at all. There was so much dirt in the air. It turns out that it was ash from an eruption of the Popocatepetl Volcano, which is the volcano that the sun sets behind each day here in Puebla. It made me think of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in the 1980s. I heard that when that happened, there was ash in the air for days. That's exactly how it is here. It took me an hour to wash out my eyes. I also heard that younger kids might not have school tomorrow because of this. It sounds like the Mexican version of a snow day. :-) But I'm glad everyone is ok and nothing bad happened (not that I know of).

Thank you for your continuous support with all of this! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Trip to Morelia and Maravatio

Another wonderful weekend! This time, the weekend began a little earlier in which Alex and I took the 11:30 pm bus ride to Morelia. We got there around 4:30 am, so it was really hard to wake up. But then we spent most of the day walking around the historic city. The city of Morelia has a different type of history due to the fact that people from Spain constructed that city in the 1500s. Therefore, it has more of a European touch to it. The buildings are all made of stone, as well as the streets and pathways. It was very beautiful but unfortunately I was yawning all day long due to the lack of sleep from taking the midnight bus ride.

At 5:30, we went back to the bus station and went to Maravatio, which was about one hour from Morelia. Maravatio is a town where Alex' dad was raised. Our reason for going there was to attend the 25th Anniversary party of his parents on Saturday. His dad has 11 siblings and his mom has 7 siblings, and they are all married and have 2 or 3 kids each. Therefore, on Saturday, there were almost 100 people at the party, most of whom were all family members.

At 1:00 Saturday, we went to the church where his parents had gotten married and they had a mass in which they said their vows all over again. Then they got in the jeep that they used as their shuttle on their wedding day and we all went to the building where their party was held. The party lasted from 2:15 to about 10:30 at night. At first it was pretty calm, with people eating and talking, and a mariochi band in the background. Now when I look back, it's kind of funny because I was thinking "oh, this is a really mild party". Never speak too soon! Before I knew it, another band approached the stage playing cumbia, merengue, and love songs, and all of a sudden there were a bunch of people dancing. Definitely my kind of party!

I liked seeing the different traditions at the party, such as when Alejandro (Alex' dad) had to dance with every woman, and Yolanda (Alex' mom) danced with every man. Then at the end, they danced together and kissed. Also, there was a tradition where the men picked up Alejandro and carried him around the room for about 5 minutes.

Everyone left about 10:30, but some of the aunts and uncles stayed for a while. We then went with them to the house of one of the uncles. Everyone was talking and eating until 2:00 am. They are all such a nice people! I'm really thankful for all of these experiences.

The next day, we all went to the downtown part of the town and saw a festival and parade happening. We watched the parade for over an hour. There were a bunch of different dance groups walking down the street, most of which were made up by young children. I have a ton of pictures! Then we went to another town (I don't remember the name), which was about 30 minutes away, and is the town were Yolanda was raised. We then ate lunch with her side of the family and hung around the grandparents' house throughout the afternoon. We didn't leave until 5:30, and then drove two hours to another city. We got there about 7:30 but had to wait until 9:15 to take our bus, which was then a 4 hour bus ride. Definitely an adventure! Overall, another wonderful weekend! :-)

Day full of experiences: English and Epilepsy

It has been a great day so far! This morning I went to the university and had the opportunity to teach an English class by myself. They were a level 2 class, and I was with them for almost two hours. Honestly, I was really nervous beforehand, but once I got there, it went pretty well.

There were 15 students in the class and they all understand English fairly well. We began the class by doing 3 different exercises with grammar and vocabulary. We then went to the lab to do exercises online, but unfortunately, the computers weren't working. Luckily, the students were well-behaved and stayed on task (mostly). When we returned to the classroom, we then had a conversation in English for almost 40 minutes. The students were telling me about their hometowns in Mexico, as well as the different types of food I need to try. We then started talking about the difference between Mexican and American culture. One stereotype that I have always heard about Americans is the assumption that we only eat at fast food places like McDonalds. People are always shocked when I tell them that I hardly ever go there. haha

After the class, I went out to lunch for an hour with Alex and his two friends, one of whom has epilepsy. I am so thankful to have been able to meet someone from this culture with epilepsy. The student was telling me about the types of seizures he has had and his experience. Fortunately, he has only had 4 seizures during his lifetime, but when they occur, they are usually intense. I'm not sure what types of seizures he has had, but it sounded like they are a mixture between complex partial (like mine) and grand mal seizures. He has never lost his memory due to seizures, but when they occur, he cannot control what's going on. His eyes roll back and he shakes immensely. His past seizure occurred over a year ago, but he was alone at the time, and fell on the floor where he hit his head. When he woke up from the seizure, he was exhausted and didn't realize that his eyelid and forehead were bleeding. I told him about the event on June 15th (where I am trying to create a team here in Puebla that will walk in support of those with epilepsy). There is a possibility that I may be able to attract more people to this event.

After lunch, I went back to school to tutor the student I meet with every Tuesday and Thursday. I always enjoy talking to him because he is really interested in learning English and is always willing to help me with my Spanish.

I am really enjoying this day. Thanks again for all of your support with this trip. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Weekend in Guanajuato, Mexico

Another amazing weekend! On Friday afternoon, I met up with Alex and we caught the bus to Guanajuato with another group of travelers. It turned out that I was the only "gringa" (American), but probably 75% of the crowd was from Europe. It was definitely an adventure to see the cultural differences between Germans, French, Russians, Mexicans, Chinese, and Americans.

We arrived to the hotel in Guanajuato (which is 6 hours from Puebla) about 12:45 at night. Then on Saturday morning, everyone met up at 9:00 to eat breakfast, and then we left at 10:00 to have a tour of the city. Guanajuato is very historical and has various buildings from the 1500s and 1600s. It is also famous for being the city of love in Mexico. That was kind of fun to watch all of the romantic bands roam around the city all day and all night.

We saw various churches and buildings, but what I remember most are the two buildings we visited that afternoon: Museo Santa Inquisicion, and Valenciano de Minas. The first place, Museo Santa Inquisicion is a museum that displayed the different methods of torture from the 1600s. Honestly, it made me kind of nervous but it was definitely interesting. We then went to the Valenciano de Minas from the 1700s which was a gold mine. I've never been inside a mine before. It was a new experience to go so far underground, but we were lucky to have lights with us. Just imagine how dark it must have been for the miners during that time.

That night, we explored the city more and ended up sitting in a restaurant, listening to a band for a while. I loved listening to the music and just watching the various cultures that surrounded us.

On Sunday, everyone slept in, especially all of the Europeans after clubbing all night. haha We left the city at 12:30 drove to San Miguel de Allende, which is another historic town. In fact, a lot of famous Americans have houses there. I never knew it was so popular. Actually, I've never heard of most of the places I've been visiting, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. Unfortunately, we were only there for 3 hours before doing the long drive back to Puebla. It was very pretty there but because it is popular to Americans, it was more expensive and wasn't as authentic or cultural. For example, I saw about 6 Italian pizza restaurants and a burger place all within 3 streets. Luckily, we found a place with great Mexican food before leaving. I had my first chile relleno in Mexico. Muy rico! (Delicious).

Thank you everyone for all of your support with this trip. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Weekend in Cuetzalan and Huehuetla, Mexico

What a great weekend! On Saturday morning, RosaEna dropped me off at the university at 7:00 AM and I met with 25 people. We got into two separate vans and did the 3 hour drive to Cuetzalan, Mexico. Basically it was like driving from Portland to the Gorge, but the tropical version.

We were in the mountains, so it was completely green and beautiful, but it was humid and there were lizards and different types of birds everywhere. On Saturday, we got to the hotel and ate lunch (which was delicious...I really do love the food here). We then went for a walk throughout the town. We eventually ended up at a waterfall (which made me think of Multnomah Falls in Oregon). It was beautiful!

That afternoon, we walked to downtown Cuetzalan, which isn't very big, but is very historical. We were all shopping and looking around for about an hour. I went to look in the shops and was thinking about buying something for my parents, but then before I knew it, the rest of the group was gone. Plus, it was 6:00, which meant there were only 2 hours left of daylight, and there was no cell phone service in the town. Not a good combination!

I spent an hour walking around the town and was trying really hard to stay calm and not stress out, but honestly, I was starting to get really nervous. I had no idea where I was, couldn't remember the name of the hotel, didn't have anyone's phone number from the group, and my cell phone wouldn't work. Thankfully, I ran into two women from the group. I didn't recognize them, but they knew me, so that was really lucky. They were lost too, but it was better being in a lost group rather than alone. Eventually we found our way back to the hotel about 7:30.

It took me a while to calm down, so I decided to watch the sunset from the hotel. It is definitely a different experience being a town rather than a huge city. The sunset was beautiful and I enjoyed watching the people associate with each other.

The next day, we drove to another town called Hueheutla, which is a A LOT smaller than Cuetzalan and is made up of indigenous tribes. The area reminded me of a forest/jungle. It was extremely green and beautiful, but very humid. We walked up and down some hills, along a small stream, and eventually ended up at a garden where we met 15 women from the indigenous tribe. It was very interesting because they speak a different language, so our tour guide translated everything into Spanish. The women gave us homemade tamales that were wrapped in plantain leaves.

We then kept exploring and kept walking along the hills. Because it was so humid, it was getting difficult. But one of the tour guides showed me a plant that is used to cool people off. Before we knew it, the whole group had strips of these green plants all across our foreheads. :-)

We stayed in Hueheutla until about 5:00. Another group of indigenous women fed us a wonderful dinner of black beans, rice, fried cauliflower, veggie soup, and tortillas. (When in Mexico, you will never have a meal without tortillas and salsa....which I love). We then got in the car and did the 5 hour drive back to Puebla. I met some new friends this weekend and am thankful for the experience of seeing different cultures within the same country.

Everything Happens for a Reason

            “Your trip to Mexico has been canceled and we have decided that you are ineligible to study abroad.” Hearing those words was such a disappointment, but it was not the first time that had happened. I had actually been accepted to four different study abroad programs throughout college. However, they were all canceled for the same reason; the occurrence of my epileptic seizures.

           When disappointments reoccur, it is often easier to give up rather than continue to pursue one’s goals. But giving up only leads to regret and further disappointment. That is why I initially made the decision that I would never let my personal circumstances hold me back.

            Because I studied sociology and Spanish, I was determined to find a way in which I could use my Spanish capabilities and interact with other cultures. The original feeling of disappointment from not studying abroad eventually turned into motivation, in which I began volunteering at different organizations and schools around the Portland and Seattle area. Some of these non-profit organizations assisted the impoverished and provided meals to those in need. Within two of these organizations, I helped create a program in which we began teaching English to the foreign attendees. To my benefit, a large majority of the population was Latino and had come from various different countries with the hope of improving their lifestyle. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to learn about Latin American customs and qualities, and I realized that this experience had made me even more determined to continue my interaction with this culture.

            As I continued studying at Seattle University, I unexpectedly found another way to practice my Spanish skills, and that was through salsa dancing. Because I was a transfer student, I didn’t know many people at school and was desperate to make friends. So, when two girls asked me if I wanted to go dancing, I immediately agreed to accompany them. When we arrived, I realized that this was a wonderful opportunity to practice my Spanish, with most of the people being part of the Latin American culture. Therefore, every salsa outing was used as a wonderful learning experience. For that reason, I immediately became obsessed with salsa dancing and went out every weekend, in which I was able to meet wonderful people whom I still socialize with today.

            Once college ended, I tried to convince myself that I could find a job where I could use my Spanish capabilities and help those in need. Although I was thankful for all of the opportunities I've had, I still didn't feel completely confident with my Spanish skills. Yet, at the same time, I told myself that I could not worry about it, and that more opportunities would arise when the time was right.

            Three months after graduation, I underwent brain surgery in order to improve my epilepsy, and six months later, I traveled to Puebla, Mexico, where I am currently fulfilling the study abroad experience I never had. It is truly amazing to be able to do something that other people thought was impossible. I have been here for about 3 weeks and have realized that the saying is true; everything happens for a reason. For instance, if I had been able to study abroad in this program 2 years ago, I would have been in classes with other American students and would have lived with a different family.

            Instead, I am interacting with Mexican students every day and am living with a wonderful family who treat me as if we have known each other forever. One thing I've noticed about this culture is the generosity that constantly takes place. It truly is inspiring to be around those who may not have much, but are willing to help those in need, no matter the circumstances.

            Although I am still in the beginning of this trip, I am continuing to feel thankful each and every day for this experience. I am realizing that it is true; within every day there is a reason to smile. 

Weekend full of adventures

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I have definitely had some new adventures this weekend.

To start off, I went salsa dancing on Friday night, which was amazing! I have missed salsa dancing so much! To start the night, a small car of 10 people picked me up. That was interesting, with all of us sitting on top of each other. But don't worry, we just had to drive about 5 blocks. Then once we got to the place, we all had a great time! I was dancing all night and loved it! I feel like I have some good friends now, so I am thankful for that.

On Saturday morning, I skyped with my parents (which was really nice to see them), and then I walked to the park by school where I participated in a Capoeira class. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that was developed by the descendants of African slaves. There were four of us in the class, with me being the only girl. It was definitely a workout! I've been sore for 2 days. It is hard to describe, so if you want to take a look, go to this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwbuDYcrUOo

After that, I met up with my friend Janet and went downtown the rest of the day. We went to a restaurant for lunch, and then eventually topped it off with ice cream. We had a great time walking around, and I found out that her family has their own store downtown. I made it home about 9:00 at night.

This morning, I woke up early (really early because it is day light savings time in Mexico...so we are now 2 hours ahead of Portland). I walked to the university to meet Alex and we took a bus to Cholula. What a great day! When we arrived, we went to the ancient pyramid of Cholula and went inside. I couldn't believe it, we were actually walking through the bottom of this pyramid, in which we could see different paths and different images on the walls. I believe the pyramid was created by the Aztecs, but honestly I can't remember.

After that, we climbed to the top of the pyramid and looked out at the town of Cholula and also saw parts of Puebla. We then started walking around the town and went to a market, where I had an amazing quesadilla that had salsa, guacamole, and a certain type of flower inside of it. I can't remember the name of that plant, but it was really good. We then went to a park where a concert was occurring. We listened to the first band, who sang a bunch of romantic love songs in Spanish (which I loved). Then the final song was "Yo No Se Manana", which is a famous salsa song. Alex and I got up and started dancing, along with some other couples. At the end of the song, the band asked all of us to stay up there in front of the crowd, and asked the people to vote on who their favorite dancers were. I couldn't believe it, but we won. That was a surprise, but definitely added some excitement to the day.

The next band was an indigenous group. It was so interesting to watch them. They were dressed like true natives, with feathers in their long hair, red paint all across their bodies, big beads around their necks and ankles, and no shoes. There were about 6 of them playing the drums while four of them were dancing. Afterwards, they asked everyone to come up and get something that was similar to a blessing. It was definitely a good experience.

Really quick update in regards to seizures, I had 3 seizures today, but don't worry, they were all very small. Alex was very patient with me and we sat in the shade for a while until I came back to normal. I have a feeling I've been overly excited from all of the new experiences, and plus it's not the best for me to be in the sun. But I didn't lose my memory, and I only spoke slow for about 20 minutes after each one. I think the worst part was the headache, which really isn't that big of a deal compared to how it used to be. I still think I am improving, so I am happy!

Sorry this one is so long. I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for reading these. :-)

Making New Friends Each Day (I love this culture)

Hi everyone,

It is Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful week. I've really been enjoying this week. The people continue to surprise me by how kind and generous they are. On Thursday, I helped out in my regular English classes, and then was asked to come back at 4:00 in order to lead an English 6 class in a conversation for an hour. The professor had already left so it was just me and the students, but it went extremely well.

Last night, I met up with a friend who I met two weeks ago at school. His name is Alejandro (Alex) and he lived in Portland for 3 months a couple of years ago. Last night we went out to a restaurant where there was a live jazz band playing. There were a lot of people there. I then had an opportunity to try the Mexican version of pepperoni pizza. It was actually really good, just with thinner crust and different spices on it. We listened to the jazz music for about 3 hours and were talking the whole time. Good Spanglish conversations. He speaks English fluently, but I asked him if we could speak Spanish, so it kind of turned into a combination. Overall, it was a really nice night. It's nice making new friends.

Today, I went to my first English class at 9:00. Honestly, I wasn't completely awake, but eventually I started to help out with the grammar exercises. Then, towards the end of class, one of the students (Monica) asked me if I wanted to go with her and her family to visit one of the museums downtown after class. I was supposed to help teach the second English class at 11:00 but the professor told me that I should go with Monica and learn more about the culture.

We picked up the rest of her family and went to the Santa Monica Museo, which is an ancient convent that was turned into a museum. It was actually really interesting to learn about how the nuns used to live. I don't remember when this was, but at some point in time, I think in the 1500s, women had to be married by the time they were 15, and if they did not find a husband, they had to become a nun and join the convent. In this particular convent, they were no longer able to be in contact with their families and could not leave the property. Wow! Things have definitely changed over time.

I got back to the house about 3:00 and started relaxing because I am planning on going out salsa dancing tonight. However, the weather changed and all of sudden, there was thunder and lightening. I'm the biggest wimp when it comes to lightening. I don't know why, but I have always been this way. We aren't used to having thunder storms in Portland or Seattle. The rain got heavier and really started coming down. I was trying to stay calm but Tonio (my host dad) could see that I was nervous, so he took me outside and started asking people "es una tormenta?" (Is this a thunder storm?) He asked about 5 different people and they all started laughing and said no. I just have to get used to this I guess. I am trying to calm down now so I can still go out dancing later.

I hope you have a great weekend! Talk to you soon. :-)

Assistant English Professor

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and a great weekend! It is now Wednesday and I am finally starting to get used to being at school all the time. Yet, the difference is, I get to help teach the classes rather than having to worry about homework, essays, and tests all the time.

I am now a professor's assistant for teaching English classes, and currently have 3 classes that I attend each week. There is one on Mondays and Wednesdays, two on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all three take place on Friday. These English classes are all Level 1, which is probably why most of the students think I speak extremely fast and can't understand me. The good news about helping in these classes is that it is allowing me to meet the Mexican students.

Today, something very unexpected happened. I went to my boss' office after teaching English 1, and my boss told me that one of the English professors called in sick and that there was nobody to take his place. She asked if I would go in and teach the class. I just started laughing, but realized that she was being serious. I told her that I am not a certified teacher, but she sent me in there anyway. The students were given an assignment on the board, and then were told to have conversations with me in English. This class was Level 3, so it was a bit different than what I am used to, but at the same time, these students still thought I spoke extremely fast. :-)

I enjoyed helping out in this class because I was able to say things in English, and then translate into Spanish. The students would listen to both dialects and then respond in English (sometimes Spanglish). I am happy because I feel like I am actually improving my Spanish-speaking capabilities. I also am meeting a lot of great people, which I am very thankful for. My boss told me that she is going to put a flyer on the school's website for students who need an English tutor. It sounds like I am going to be busy each day from 8:00 to 1:00.

After school, I walk back to the house and eat lunch with the family around 2:30 or 3:00. I relax for a while, and then go for my daily walk to watch the sunset. You know me, I will probably never change and will always be obsessed with sunsets.

This is a short blog, but I have some plans these next few days, so I am sure I will have some stories to tell you by the time the weekend comes. Keep enjoying your week! :-)

Jueves Santo y Viernes Santo (Holy Thursday and Good Friday)

Hi everybody. Since it is Holy Week, and also because Mexico is 90% Catholic, I have enjoyed interacting in the cultural traditions this week. Last night, on Holy Thursday, I went to 11 different churches in the town of Cholula with RosaEna (my host mom), and her friend. It was really interesting. First of all, there were a ton of people there, but not for the reason of attending mass. In fact, we didn't get there until 8:30 at night.

In the U.S., a lot of people attend mass on this day and participate in the washing of the feet, as well as the celebration of the Last Supper. In Mexico, there are a few churches that have mass, but not each one. One reason is because a lot of these churches have been around since the 1700 - 1800s, and therefore, are extremely small. Although not as many people attend mass on this holiday, there is another tradition that takes place. (This may occur in the United States as well, but I have never noticed it). On this night, people attend various Catholic churches, of which are decorated with the symbol of bread and wine on the altar, as well as different statues and images of Jesus and Mary.

People go into these churches and show their respect through praying and approaching the statues. It was very interesting to watch everyone. One thing that stuck out to me was the fact that a lot of the statues involved Jesus' crucifixion. Some represented Jesus' death, while there were others that signified him being blind-folded while in prison. It caught my curiosity because I have always thought of Holy Thursday as the day before Jesus' death. However, the images presented made it seem as if he had already suffered. It was really fascinating to visit these different churches. All of the pews were moved aside, and each church had a purple sheet behind the altar, covering the display of the resurrected Jesus.

As we walked from church to church, there were tables outside of each one where people were giving away soup, cookies, hot chocolate, and juice. I thought that was enlightening because these people were volunteering their time and giving away homemade food. It was inspirational because there are usually always people outside of churches who are trying to sell their food and gadgets. Witnessing these people volunteer their time and essentials was uplifting and made me glad that I was there.

RosaEna and I arrived back at the house around 12:30 that night, and I went straight to bed. I got up around 8:00 this morning (Friday), and got ready for my next adventure. I heard the doorbell ring at 10:00 and went to meet my friends Janet and Mau. Janet is a student I met last week when I was observing an English class. She and her uncle Mau are the ones I met up with on Tuesday night when they took me to Cholula. Today they took me to their hometown of Tepatlaxco, where I was able to meet their family and observe how people celebrate Good Friday.

When we arrived, we began walking around the town and saw a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus. We were only there a few minutes, but long enough to see people dressed as soldiers, and somebody portraying Jesus, who was carrying the cross and being whipped. It was really interesting to see, but sad at the same time.

We then walked to another area which reminded me of a Saturday market. It was full of people selling food, and there were a ton of people there who were walking around. We then saw a crowd walking towards us carrying statues of Jesus, Mary, and some other saints. They entered a large church, which is when the Good Friday service began. However, there were too many people to get inside, so we did not go.

We kept walking around the area, and eventually made it back to the house of Janet's grandparents where we had lunch. I was able to meet and eat lunch with some amazing people. It was me, Janet, her sister Jazmin, her brother Abel, her uncles Mau, Francisco (Paco), and Alfredo, her parents Bertha and Bernabe, and her grandparents Valentina and Francisco. Although my Spanish was kind of jumbled at first, they were extremely patient with me, which led us into having some great conversations.

Later this afternoon, we went over to their family business, in which they sell outfits for special occasions. However, these outfits are very cultural and are handmade. For example, they had me try on a white top with a long, skirt that had the beaded image of Mary on it. I have put some pictures on Facebook if you want to see. Janet and Jazmin got dressed up too, so we all started taking pictures.

Before I left, the family thanked me for coming and said I was welcome over anytime. "Nuestra casa es tu casa" they said to me, meaning "Our house is your house." I knew there was a reason I loved this culture so much. I am hoping to meet up with them again very soon.

That's it for today. As always, thank you for reading, and I will write again in a few days. :-)

Exploring Puebla

It is Tuesday, March 26, 2013, and we are almost in the middle of Holy Week, or in Spanish, La Semana Santa. Because there is no school, I am trying to use this week to explore the city and learn more about the culture. Today, I met up with a friend at 10:00 and we took the bus to Zócalo, which is downtown Puebla. We walked around for a while, and ended up going to four different museums. It all kind of seems like a blur now, but it was really fascinating. I thought it was interesting that two of the museums were free, and the others were only about $2.00 or $3.00 U.S. dollars. Here are the names of the museums. Like I said, I don't remember the specifics, but just type the name in on Google and it will tell you about it. They are historic and artistic museums. :-) Museo de Jose Luis Bello y Zentina Museo de la Revolucion Museo de los Muñecos Casa de los Hermanos Serdán We were out until 2:45, going through these artistic and historic museums. We then were able to look through some of the shops before getting on the bus. These vendors are placed, kind of a like a Saturday market, but they are there each day. These people work really hard, and I feel tempted to buy things, just so I can help them out. When I got back to the house at 3:30, I had a quick lunch, but then had to leave again at 4:00. I walked to La Universidad Iberoamericana, where I am teaching English, and met up with a Mexican student who I met last week. She had asked me if I wanted to hang out today, so I agreed. All weekend she had been writing me on Facebook and she was very sweet. When I arrived to campus at 4:30, she hugged me and said "vamos" (let's go). She introduced me to her sister and her uncle, and we all drove to Cholula, which is a suburb of Puebla. They are the nicest people! They were speaking to me in Spanish the whole time and after a while, I was starting to get used to their accents. We went to the pyramid of Cholula, which looks like a small hill with a church on top, but it used to be an ancient pyramid. We walked to the top and looked out at the entire city of Puebla. We then went to a restaurant, where they insisted that I order "pollo con mole" (chicken enchiladas with mole sauce". Puebla is known for its mole sauce, and it is a bit different than what I have had in Portland, but very good! We then got in the car and drove a bit. While we were in the car, they asked me if I would allow them to be my tour guides while I am here. I couldn't stop smiling. They are such nice people! I am going to meet up with them on Good Friday, but I will give you more details on Saturday after I see them. Tonight I have been relaxing and having good conversations with Tonio, my host-dad. He always likes to give me history lessons. Tonight we have been talking about WWII, and the involvement of the U.S. versus the involvement of Mexico. Thank you for reading these blogs. I really appreciate it! If this comes out all bunched up together, I am really sorry. I hope you are all having a great week! I will do another post in a few days. :-)

Puebla, Mexico

Hi everyone, This blog was originally created in September in order to update everyone on how I was doing after I had brain surgery. I have endured six months of recovery, and am continuing to improve as time goes on. In regard to the epilepsy, my seizures have decreased immensely in which I now have 1 or 2 a week, as opposed to having 3 every day. Since the surgery, my seizures have changed in various ways. For example, I can usually tell when a seizure is going to occur, and I usually stay awake the entire time. The best part about it is that I no longer lose my memory. I am very thankful for all that has happened and for all of the support I have received throughout this process. I need to wait 6 more months before I will be fully recovered, but until then, I am enjoying each day and having new experiences. For example, I am currently in Puebla, Mexico, where I am living with a family and am serving as an assistant English professor in La Universidad Iberoamericana. I arrived on March 16, and will be here until May 21. I am going to start writing in this blog in order to keep everybody updated. Although I was very nervous before coming here, I am glad that I did it. Because I studied Spanish and Sociology in college, I was supposed to study abroad. However, the seizures got in the way, preventing me from studying in another country. Fortunately, I was able to stay in contact with my previous Spanish adviser and professor, who was able to arrange this trip for me. I am living with a wonderful host family, and also have an 18 year-old roommate from Seattle University. The members of my host family are Tonio and RosaEna, who are wonderful people, and their four children. Two of their daughters live here at home. Majo is studying nutrition in her university, and Ana Sofia works in finance. She has a 4 year old son named Bruno who is very sweet, and always has a ton of energy. Bruno is learning English in his pre-school, so I have been studying his vocabulary words with him, where I say the Spanish and he says the English. I have a feeling he is better than me, but I will just have to work at that. :-) During the week, my roommate Paige and I walk to school. Because I already graduated, I don't have to attend classes, but I go to her Spanish History class sometimes, just so I can meet the other people. This week is la Semana Santa (Holy Week), which is another form of spring break, all throughout Mexico. After Easter, I will start helping with the English classes again at the university, but until then, I am trying to figure out what I will do this week. Most of the students have left Puebla and are traveling around Mexico. I almost joined some of the other foreign exchange students who traveled south to Oaxaca and to the beach, but I decided to stay here for two reasons. One, it is going to be around 90 degrees down south (way too hot for me), and second, I would prefer to keep practicing my Spanish and meet people who live here. Yesterday (Saturday), I did a little exploration of downtown Puebla. It was funny because I did not expect to end up there. It turns out that I walked about 8 or 9 miles, but I loved it! Puebla is very historic and beautiful in different ways. There are also numerous Catholic churches around the city, all of which are very close together. I am looking forward to Easter Sunday because I think it will be a good experience in celebrating a holiday with a different culture. I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I am taking notes on the cultural differences, as well as other things. I have more stories for you, but this is already a long message, so I will save it for the next blog post (which will be soon). As I said, I am not completely sure what my plan is for this week, but I will keep you updated. I might do a few day trips, but I will be alone the whole time, so I need to make my decisions carefully. Thanks again for all of your support!