Algunos Días

First things first: I put up two new pictures here that a friend put on facebook: http://twodifferentshoes.blogspot.com/2009/07/zona-rosa.html

Thursday was our presentation. I got there at 9:30. Rachel had had difficulty putting up her pictures onto our powerpoint, so we didn't get a chance to practice, but we talked a bit about what we were going to do (Rachel spent the first class finishing the pictures).

There was a guest speaker speaking about transnationality, which was quite interesting. Then we presented. Not everyone was in class, so it didn't seem so intimidating, but I didn't do that well on my Spanish. Afterwards, everyone said it was really good and the professor asked if she could use a copy of our powerpoint in the future.

Then we had Spanish. How frustrating. We had talked about bringing in drafts of our paper for the other class, so we could go over them. But only Cat and I did. So instead we talked about everyone's paper. I felt like Mac kind of dominated the discussion, and I think I just had so little patience that I didn't want to be there at all. I didn't say much about my paper because I didn't want to take up everyone's time. Then I headed home to do more work on my paper.

Eventually I got really hungry, and decided to go out for food. I was thinking of going to the Chinese place just down the block, and getting noodles and veggies again, but after those amazing quesadillas on Tuesday, I though I'd try out the taco place across the street. I went and asked to see the menu, and didn't see anything I really, really, wanted, so planned to go to the Chinese place. But the waiter asked me what I wanted to order, and I decided it would just be easier to order. So I asked what an Alambre was. I ended up ordering un alambre vegetariano. I could pay more to get it with cheese, but of course, I decided not to. It was essentially a stakc of corn tortillas with sautéed veggies: mushrooms, orange bell peppers, green bell peppers, onion, pineapple, and maybe more. Quite delicious, though not the most filling since it is mostly veggies. They have a few other vegetarian things there that I'll have to try at some point. While I was there, as a break, I read more of James Baldwin's "Just Above My Head." I came home, and decided to try making mole. It was a disaster. Not only did I shatter part of the glass jar, but it tasted terrible. I'll have to try to do it differntly next time. I was still really hungry, and craving either fat or protein. But I didn't have any of that. So I ate a ton of candy, lol. I wrote more in my paper until I felt i was pretty much done, except for editing. Then I went to bed.

Friday:

I showed up for the last day of classes. In Spanish we had to write an essay, talking about impressions and fears before coming, and then talking about our experiences here, and what we would say to someone who wanted to come. While we were writing that, I asked the professor to help me edit my paper, and she spent an hour working on it, which was really nice.

Then we had México Contemporáneo. It was sad that it was the last class. We had to get through U.S./Mexico relations, as well as a group presentation, and then presentations people has prepared on femicide in Cuidad Juárez. It was all kidn of rushed, but we finished. And the professor invited us to have dinner at her house next Friday.

After class, I started walking to UNAM so that I could talk to someone at el PUEG (university program of gender studies), to see if I can take an amazing graduate class having to do with borders, citizenship, race, gender, sex, and cultural analysis. On the way, I stopped at that taco place and got another alambre vegitariano. Yum. Then I quickly walked to UNAM and found the place with little difficulty. Although there was construction going on, the office was kind of open, and I talked to someone about what I wanted to do. They had me talk on the phone to someone else, and they gave me an email address to email. I stopped at the store to get some food, since I knew I'd be hungry. I bought some boxed tofu - bad idea. I've bought it before in the u.S. too, but since the last two times I got some really good quality and firm tofu, this just didn't compare.

I got home and made a stirfry with the tofu...not that good. And edited my paper. I sent it in and then tried to take a nap. Some people were playing guitar somewhere, which didn't help. And I just felt pretty terrible. So I called home, and worked on typing up some notes from class for a friend who wasn't there.

I stayed up until 2:30 looking at more classes and trying to figure that all out.

Today, I've so far been pretty lazy, but hope to do something fun. Ale went to visit a friend this weekend, and Rebecca is going to a party with a bunch of international students.