Moctezuma had his revenge

Let’s see, I’m almost done with my second week of class. This wasn’t quite as active of a week because I had a bout with “Moctezuma’s Revenge” that started Tuesday afternoon just after a $10 (yes, $10) pedicure. At least my feet looked pretty. Really, though, I think getting sick here is like an initiation rite. Just be prepared if you ever come visit. You can get drugs easily here but you’ve got to know what to ask for and be willing to trust a Mexican lab. I figure, I’m living here now, Mexican-made anything is plenty good enough for me (except for the tap water).

With the help of some antibiotics, I was well enough to make up the excursion to Mexico City that we had missed due to the street closings for protests on Sunday. We saw the huge Catedral, Diego Rivera murals in the Palacio Nacional that used to be Cortes’ home, and the Templo Mayor, which are Aztec ruins that an electric company stumbled upon in the 1970s when workers were digging new power lines. Check out the pictures I just posted online.

Also, on Monday this week I visited the local orphanage in the nearby city of Temixco that my language school has been working with for years. I’m thinking about volunteering here regularly either Monday or Tuesday afternoons, or both, teaching English to the kids. There are two orphanages here – one for babies and toddlers and the other for kids around age 8 to 17. I wanted to work with the older kids because I thought I could make more of a lasting impression on them. I expected them to be pretty tough and maybe even stand-offish when I met them, but that wasn’t the case at all. They were excited to talk to us (by us I’m referring to a couple of my fellow students who also came to volunteer) and even asked for us to teach them some English. They ASKED for English!! I was psyched.

Last piece of news – Tuesday, I got a cell phone that I’m sharing with another student for a month, and then I’ll have it on me all the time. It’s cheaper for those in the U.S. to call me, and you can just email me if you want the number. You can also send text messages, but I have no idea how much that would cost from the U.S. or vice versa. I’ll look into it.

Coming up this weekend: a visit with my Rotary host counselor, Robert Winter, and trips to Taxco, famed for silver production, and D.F. again to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit honoring her centennial.