Teaching English & Fryin' up Platanos

I have to say that spending a semester in Mexico is the best decision I could've made for myself--I couldn't be happier, and I don't feel like I've been this genuinely content for a really long time. I'm also really happy with my Spanish--it gets better and better every day, which is incredibly encouraging!

I was up at 5:30am because my host mom asked me to come to her classroom and speak English to her students--she's an English teacher at Diego Rivera Middle School. We had to levantarnos REALLY early to take the micro (bus...pronounced meecro) to school. And let me tell you--there's nothing like a little cumbia in a rickety ol' bus at 7am to get the blood flowing. I love cumbia, but that early? It's almost offensive!
I spoke English in two of her morning classes and it was just too funny. Everytime I spoke, the students actually applauded me! hahaha! It was a little surprising to be applauded for saying things like, "I'm from California," and "I have a cat named Josefina." When I told them that I liked cumbia and tacos al pastor, they went NUTS...yelling and all excited. After my little presentacion, they all wanted to take pictures with me and a bunch of the little boys actually asked for my number. Ridiculous!

Afterward, Farath and I grabbed a coffee from the local oxxo (just like 7 11) and headed back home to fry up some platanos. On our way home from the bus stop Farath showed me a couple of little tortillerias, where they make tortillas with a machine.

AND THEN Farath showed me how to make fried platanos, which ended up being incredibly delicious. We feasted on sopes that we made ourselves and had the fried platanos for dessert. Oh man.

Then we decided to head to the Tiangui, or open air market, to explore. I love hanging out in Tianguis...there's just so much to see and everyone's yelling at you to buy whatever it is that they're selling.

Tonight we'll take it easy, just novelas, knitting (I'm teaching Farath), joking around with Cairo & Farath, & tacos, but tomorrow we're going out dancing and then Sunday to the museums, which are always free on Sundays. Also, I'm VERY excited because Cairo (my host mom) told me that there's a cumbia dance studio closeby...so I'll be an experta when I come home.

xoxo--shoot me a line if you have time, it'd be great to hear from you all! Shout out to my homies in Sac & everywhere else.