Catch up time!

Hey Friends and Family!
Emee here:

You would not belive how hard it is to keep up on blogging down here. We are so much busier than we thought we would be with school and after school activities, excursions and weekend trips ( a hard life I know;) And half the time when we are ready to blog the power goes out:) But hey as we are learning that is just part of Mexican life down here.

In the past few weeks so much has happened. James and I (along with the rest of our group) went to Oaxaca ( which is 7 hours away via bus) which is beautiful! If you think that Oregon is green and beautiful, it pales in comparison. It was an interesting experience in so many ways, one being that Oaxaca is one of the more idenginous states and white poeple in this region are rare..... therefore lots of staring....but James and I have pretty much gotten used to people yelling ´Wheta(o) or gringa(o) almost everywhere we go. While in Oaxaca we got to visit Monte Alban ( an archeological site), the birth place of black pottery, and see one of james´s good friends Camillo who now lives there, as he is working for Adventures in Life Ministry. On Sunday when we got back, My parents were at our house waiting for us which definitly began one of my favorite times down here.

My Parents were here with us and attending school for 18 days. While they were here we went to Taxco which is a silver mining town that was built on the side of a mountain and is beautiful! Our days were filled with going to school, swimming, playing raquette ball, ping pong, eating tacos, going to La Terraza ( one of the local resterants), and of course watching the presendial debates. At the end of 14 days we all went to Mexico city, where James and I got to take my parents to see the Cathedral in the main zocalo, the national palace ( which has many paintings done by Diego Rivera) the Palace of fine arts, Teotihacan... to climb the piramids and last but not least a soccer game in the Aztec Stadium. Our time was so full and rich... I was sad to see them go, but James and I will be home again in 6 short weeks.

The day after my parents left, James, Erin, Tiffany and I went to Acapulco together which was so much fun.
We booked hotel rooms that had kitchens so that we could cook for ourselves which has been one of the things that I have missed doing.. especially since I don´t always care for the food made in my house. While in Acapulco we saw the cliff divers , which was exciting and nerve racking all at the same time. I convinced myself that someone was going to die, diving from 50 plus feet into the ocean at night. But they were all wounderful!


The rest of the time was spent at the beach swimming at Puerto Marques and going ( or in my case attempting) warm water surfing.

We have now been back in school for a little over a week. This last weekend we went into Mexico City on both Saturday and Sunday. On Satuday we went to the house of Frida Kahlo and road on Mexican style gondalas in Xochimilco. On sunday a group of us went back for what is the biggest soccer game in Mexico aside from the world cup.. the Chivas ( Gaudalajara) vs. America(Mexico City) game.


There were over a hundred thousand people in the stadium... needless to say it was an intense experience. During the pre game they had Pele come out on to the field... Pele is one of the most famous soccer players in Latin American History...soo cool! Chivas ending up winning 2-1!I was happy as they were who I was rooting for!





And now we are back at school until on thursday when we take off for Gaunajauto for the weekend. Promise to blog soon as we will be experiencing the day of the dead here on the 31st. Take care. We miss you all!

catch up...

hey all...sorry about taking so long...here´s a quick update:

We went to Oaxaca. Got to see a friend there from my missionary days...then we got back and Em´s parents were here. We had an AMAZING time with them...I´ll let Em fill you all on how that went on in the next post...we went to Mexico City with them the last few days they were here, and then when they left we went to Acapulco...

More later.

James

Lions and Tigers and Powercords, oh my!

James here:
So my powercord to my laptop has been melting slowly since we got here, and finally crumbled into melted junk yesterday...problem is, two weeks ago I emailed George Fox IT department, since my laptop is insured, and they said they´d send it me here. So Saturday I emailed again, and then when the powercord finally went kapoot yesterday I emailed again. No response. So Em called the same guy who said he´d send it to me two weeks before...and he basically said he forgot and didn´t know when he would be able to send it. When she politely asked a few questions about when that be, he hung up on her. She then called back and got HIS boss, Greg Smith. Greg´s son is the very same Dylan that lived with us in August ´07 and basically screwed us over, so Greg was happy to oblige us, and he didn´t hang up on Emilee.
Only thing is, my laptop is now basically worthless until the powercord gets here sometime this weekend. Oh well, but Skype and emailing is a bit difficult until then, and we´ll be in Oaxaca until Sunday night leaving on Thursday morning, so we´ll be a bit out of touch again.

Well, later!

Mexican Independence!

Hey all, James here:

First and foremost, please keep my grandpa Wolfer in your prayers...last Thursday morning around 10am he fell off a 14 foot ladder when he was home alone and hit his face on a rung of the ladder and broke a lot of facial bones. His wife found him that afternoon where he went to the hospital, and then was lifeflighted to Portland where he has been in and out of consciousness. He has had a heart condition for the last 30 years and they are afraid that since he is in his 70s that his body may not be able to keep up with all the trauma. Please keep him and the rest of our family in your prayers.

We just got back from Puebla, where we saw the historic site of the Battle on the 5th of May (el cinco de Mayo) the one and only battle Mexico EVER won. It was when the french invaded Mexico and the Mexican Army actually defeated the french...until the second battle. But still, it was cool seeing where it happened.
Today is El Dia Libre (day of freedom) as tomorrow is Independence Day. Tonight we will be having BBQ's and drinking a beer or two as today is the day without consequences...even people who never drink toss a beer or two back today to celebrate when they declared Independence from Spain...VIVA MEXICO!!! Tomorrow we have no school to celebrate Mexican Independence, so we'll probably go to the Zocalo (downtown square) and celebrate. This will be an interesting 15th and 16th of September because right now there is a nationwide teacher's strike, and all the Public School teachers are sitting in the town square here and every major city, and no one knows if they will leave and go home to their families tonight and tomorrow to celebrate, or since its historically a day to fight unjust government actions, they might stick it out and REALLY stick it to the government...I believe in their cause, as the government here is really corrupt (not unlike our own, but even more so) and the teachers got shafted by some government decisions. Anyway, I'm going to go celebrate but VIVA MEXICO!

Catch up!!!

Hey Friends and Fam!
Just wanted to give you an update! I feel like there is a lot to say….so if this is a little long hang with me. I am happy to report that I am mostly feeling 100% now. This trip is taking lots of adjustment on many different levels; adjustment to culture, food, climate, altitude, and being away from Family. One of the hardest things to get used to since coming to Mexico has been the food and just overall not feeling too hot! Since I got ill the first week most of the food that our host mom serves has not been looking too good to me after having an upset tummy. CULTURAL DIFFERENCE….. in the states people generally eat clear broth like in soup……. In Mexico people eat lime flavored Jello, tomato based soup and boiled apples with honey So not a happy thing for my already upset tummy! Because of this experience I fear that I have become a very picky eater or as I would say here “Soy Melindrosa”.

But aside from that James and I are making some amazing friends with the other people that came here with us from Fox as well as with the people that we are meeting here at the school. Everyday we try to speak in Spanish together (Spanglish for me) Sometimes it can get super Chistoso (Funny)….. like today I was trying to say that I needed to pay (Pagar) someone and instead I accidently said that I need to hit them. OOPS!

This last weekend was super fun….. Friday we spent the afternoon playing around in the pool ….. I am happy to report that I have yet to get a sun burn ( knock on wood), but one of the other girls on the trip Erin got seriously Crispy! That night we went to our favorite taco stand and then watched the Office! Sabado we had an excursion to D.F or Mexico City which was amazing. We got to go to the “templo Mejor” (Sp?), the main cathedral, the national palace and the Museum of anthropology! At the national palace there were paintings done by Diego Rivera which were amazing!!! A little scary though, One of the girls in our group blacked out during our tour there, we are thinking it was probably due to altitude, low blood sugar, and low iron ( as she forgot to take that supplement that morning) Still a little scary one minute she was ok the next her face was ash with white lips. Thankfully, we were able to go to China town in Mexico City where we were able to get some broccoli beef… lots of iron! I am glad to report that she felt better the rest of the day, but we still have two excursions left in Mexico City so if you could keep this person in your prayers that she would not get sick again that would be much appreciated.

All of the places that we went to I got to visit on Jr. Abroad and it was so amazing to be able to share these experiences with James. The Museum was constructed in honor of the 1968 Olympic Games that were held in Mexico City. The layout is such that there are different rooms for the different regions of Mexico and the people group that live there. My personal favorite were the Maya….. they had such a beautiful culture …..human sacrifice aside… but hey at least they were quick about it. The Maya would cut off the head of the human being sacrificed whereas the Aztecs would cut out the heart.

One of the things that I love the most about being here is learning so much about the pre-Hispanic cultures of the Maya, Olmecas and Aztecs. Crazy thing is that there is a theory that the Aztecs could have possibly originated from Utah and that the leader had a vision that he was supposed to lead his people to the land where they saw the eagle eating he snake which is how they came to Mexico. There have been several huge thunder storms here… the first being the loudest as it was right overhead. James and I both commented that it is no wonder the ancient civilizations thought that thunder and lightening where different Gods. The storm was so powerful, more so than anything I have ever witnessed in Oregon or California. The thunder shook the entire house and it was so load it hurt to not have a pillow over your head. The lightening was amazing light up the entire sky. (Note to self unplug and turn off all electronics during such storms. James and I blew out the ceiling light in our room…oops!

That’s about all for now…. But there will be more to come! Love you all lots!!!

Skype...

Hey all...we signed up for a Skype account...its an internet phone. Our number is (503)925-5092...its a Sherwood, Oregon number to call, but we can access it from Mexico. We have a voicemail on it, so you can leave messages for us. If we are online though, the call will go through and we can talk!
We are doing well, better each day. I'm loving this whole not working thing. Also, I almost never have to do dishes! For those of you who lived with us or me before, you know how much I hate to do those on a daily basis!
We are trying to follow the election here, but its difficult at times. Did you know we just attacked Pakistan? They are NOT happy with us. Just a small example of stuff I hear and read here. But I feel so disconnected at times with all that's going on, but gracias a Dios that I have internet...
I'm working on getting absentee ballots for Em and I...more later!
James

Tacos de Pastor...

Hola todos! Estamos aqui en Mexico todavia, estudiando, relajando, y nos diviertiendo. Emilee esta apriendo mucho y puede hablar casi en frases completos. Ayer fuimos a un restaurante y comimos tacos al pastores. La comida del sur es muy diferente que la comida del norte. Hay mas pollo que bisteck ("carne asada" es lo que dice en el norte). Estamos en una area que estaba controlada por los aztecas antes del llegado de Cortes. En las clases de cultura hablamos mucho sobre las conquistas de los Aztecas, Mayas, y los Quechuas (Inca). Tengo la opinion que los conquistadores eran cabrones (perdoname)...ellos hacian muchas cosas malas a los indigenas que todavia tienen efectos muy profundidos hoy en dia...
Manana vamos a visitar D.F. (la ciudad de Mexico, que esta en el Distrito Federal) y vamos a visitar muchas lugares famosas y pienso que vamos a divertiernos muchos...
Buenos, es todo que escribo hoy.

Second week of school!

Hello, James here. We have started our second week of school. Emilee is basically over being sick. She got bitten by some mosquitos on her eyelids...needless to say she was uncomfortable for a couple days. But she's doing better now, and we have been having fun going out with the group. The only thing that sucks for me is that in our group AND the other group that just got here there aren't any guys. There is one other guy here, but he is leaving in another week so my guy time has seriously suffered. Kyle, if you are reading this, you need to come down here and bring some good 'ole American beer cuz Corona just ain't doin it for me...;-) But anyway, other than that we are having a good time. I think we are just about fully adjusted to the higher altitude and time change.
Emilee is such a trooper. The day after she was sick she went with the group on an excursion we had to this town next to a mountain that has a small pyramid on the top. Rather than stay at the bottom and shop, she opted to climb the fricken mountain with the group. An hour and a half later of almost vertical "stairs" (really just well placed large rocks) we were at the top of the mountain. The pyramid was less than spectacular, but there were some funny monkey-type creatures at the top except for that if you tried to eat any food they just jumped you to try and steal the food...the view from the top of the mountain made the climb worth it. You could see for miles and my pictures could in no way do it justice, but I'll post them anyway. Well, class is going to start soon so I'm gonna go, but enjoy the monkey/pyramid/view pictures...
-James

Update...

Hey all, James here:
We just finished our first week of school. We LOVE the school. There is a pool, table tennis, a small tennis court, computer lab, and wireless internet for our laptops. Its a great place to just chill after classes sometimes.
We walk a lot. Everyday we walk downtown to hang out and "shop" without really buying anything, and then we walk back, which is a few miles both ways. We've eaten at the Burger King a few times, which is REALLY weird because it is a mix of the American Burger King and some Mexican dishes...weird.
The last two days have been quite stormy. LOUD thunder, lightning, and pouring down rain. Not like Portland rain, mind you. Real, tropical downpours that last an hour and could fill a swimming pool in about that time.
Emilee has been sick for the last few days, so keep here in your prayers. Last night she woke up about 1:30am with a fever and started throwing up until about 8am this morning, so we are both quite tired. At least today is our free day, so she is resting at the house while I am here at school trying to finish some homework since she's feeling a little better. She took some antibiotics that the school doctor told her she should take since we had brought it with us, Ciprol. She should be back to her old self by tomorrow or the next day, at least in time for school on Monday. Not sure if she will make the field trip tomorrow, tho. I hope she is well enough to go.
Last night Emilee and I, with three other students, went to a movie. This place, called Cinepolis V.I.P. was AMAZING. For 98 pesos (about $10 USD) each we sat in a theater that would cost probably around $40-$50 american dollars in the US...I'm talking full on LA-Z-Boy recliners, waiters that brought your snacks to your seats, and fold out tables for your food all on a movie theater screen. We walked Busqueda Implacable, which is the American movie "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. It was in english with spanish subtitles, so it was nice for us all to just relax and not have to translate everything in our heads to enjoy the movie.
Both of our Spanish skills have improved, especially Emilee's. I'm so proud of her, she is understanding tons and is almost speaking in complete sentences now.
Well, I'd better get back to finishing the homework I spoke of. Later!
James

First day of school!

Well we are here at school, waiting to start. We had a little mix up in time; normally we start at 8am but they forgot to tell us that this week we will be starting at 9am. So far things have been pretty good, but we are having a little trouble adjusting to the food and nighttime noises, so sleeping well hasn't happened yet. I'm sure it will soon. Our little city is quite nice, as well as our family. I'll post some pictures of our house in the gated community with this post.
Don't know how hard the workload will be for either Emilee or I yet since we're still waiting to start the first day, but we'll let you all know as we go. Doesn't seem like there will be a huge out-of-class workload, but we'll see. I hope not, anyway. We are pretty excited for things to get going here, and before you know it, we'll all be back in the States wishing we were here again. Ah, thus is life...
Well, thats all for now...
James

Cuernavaca

Hey Friends and Fam!

James and I wanted to write a quik blog to let you know that we are safe and sound here in cuernavaca. Orientation is tomorrow, but for now we are settling in with our host family which from what we can tell so far is going to be a great experience. We have only met part of the family and will be meeting the rest tonight. The house is super nice we have our own bedroom (cuarto) and sitting room and bathroom. Our host mom Guadalupe is awsome. James took a nap and I decided to look over my "how to learn spanish in 10 min." book and she sat down with me for about 45 minutes to go over the lessons with me. Very nice. Anyways that is all for now!

P.S James and I went to the airport for the third time in 48 hours and got my bag back! Thank you God!!!!

Mexico City

Hello Friends and Fam!

Real quick, if you could be praying for my family, my uncle Bill passed away last night from a sudden heart attack. Keep his wife and kids in your prayers, as well as my family too. --James
Here´s Emilee:

James and I are sitting in Hostel Cathedral on the main Zocalo using their internet cafe. We arrived in MC after a super bumpy flight. James and I were so grateful to finally get off the plane although it was only a three hour flight. We took a taxi to our hotel Monte Real, which is in an interesting part of the city ony 10 blacks from the Zocalo. Right next to the hotel is a designer undies store. decked out with thongs for both women and men on display, but I think the most impressive were a pair of the mens that left the bum totally exposed. Across the street is a "Show bar" and our room shares a wall with strip club. Thank you AAA. These things were definitly not mentioned under the near by actractions section.We had a yummy dinner in a near by taco stand. And then we were planning on an early night, but there was just one teeny tiny PROBLEM. I opened up my suitcase to find childrens clothing. James and I spent about three hours going back to airport to switch the bag back only to find that Alaska closes at 6pm and we were too late. Thankfully we had the coolest cab driver named "kevin".....or Humberto. He talked us down told us it would be ok and even parked the taxi to come inside the airport with us and did not charge us too much extra for that which was really helpful. He even took a little bit of a round about way back to the hotel through the Zocalo and pointed things out to us (where to get good food and beer) just a really nice guy. I love it as he dropped us off at the hotel he told us again that it this was not the end of the world that we should get some tequila. Nice Guy! And he was right we contacted alaska this morning and we are meeting the owner of this bag tonight at the airport. I bought our new lime green set of luggage thinking no one else will have this, it will make it super easy to find our bags. Go figure that in the second largest city in the world, on the flight 244 to Mexico city someone else from portland had the exact same flippin bag!!!!

The Adventure Begins!!!

Hello all, James here:
Well here we are, sitting in the airport in L.A. waiting for our flight to Mexico. The trip that never seemed would get here is finally here!! We just finished a fun week in California, visiting family and friends. We're both nervous and excited for our four month adventure abroad. Four months of no work, a little school, no pressure and no Portland rain. I know we are both ready for this hiatus. Its kind of like retirement, except not. Yeah. Well, check back soon for more updates!

Emilee here:
I definitely second second James thoughts! We had a fun week in California! It was relaxing with going out to eat, going to movies--step brothers...which was funny, but slightly crude and tropic thunder...which we walked out on:( One of the days we went to Knotts Berry farm and had the rude awakening to the fact that we are no longer kids and our systems can no longer stand the twisty upside down roller coasters:( Although our favorite was a ride that was only 22sec long and went from 0-82 mph in 2sec. Holy Cr@p! The next day James and I got to spend some quality time with my Aunt Marcy and Uncle Steve for some Zen and relaxation. We had some nachos, some margaritas and a long walk on the beach with good convo, it was just what we needed! And then they took us out for our last American meal in the states! Yum! This morning was pretty uneventful, we woke up at 5am (yikes:) and were picked up by the shuttle by 6:15. Our driver was quite interesting..... you would think that as you are on your way to the airport the driver would not be repeating over and over how dangerous the city you are flying into is and pulling out stats on how many tourists have been mugged, ohh and lets not forget the detailed account of Mayan and Aztec sacrifice. Apparently those cultures were also cannibals..... news to me:) But anywhoo here we are waiting to board the plan. We are very excited and a little nervous. Miss you guys lots and please keep us in your prayers as we travel. Well thats all for now, more to come in the next few days.