I'm hot. How are you?

It is officially hot. I thought it was hot before, but I was wrong.  My body is starting to rebel and I’ve fallen in love with a small desk fan.  My host mom said there’s only 6 months of hot weather, and hey, at least it’s a lot less humid here in Querétaro than where I’ll be moving in exactly one week.  Speaking of which, this is my last weekend in Querétaro before I make my permanent move next week.  I wish I could say I did more to celebrate this milestone, but it was just….so……hot. 

I did go out with a group of amigos for some fun that started at 9 PM, which is a testament to how much I like these people since I’m usually in bed by 10 PM and it was still blazing hot.  I came home to my own personal night club thanks to a raging party next door.  They were pro with a microphone and a boss sound system.  Even though the club was still bumpin at 3:30 AM, I did appreciate that they played some Ximena Sariñana songs which I know and love.

  With my first Peace Corps friend - my DC roommate, Megan!

 Trainees in my neighborhood - and frequent walking home buddies - Brennan, Tess and Hannah. 

The loveliest of trainees - Narcissa and Megan. 

Querétaro is an amazing city and I recommend a visit to anyone thinking about a trip to Mexico if you want to see something other than the normal tourist resorts and beaches.  I’m excited to get to my permanent site but I am going to miss Querétaro, including:  

• The options for food on just about every corner – pizza, Indian food, gorditas, ice cream, soft serve ice cream, sorbet, gelato, pastries, hamburgers, crepes, popcorn – it’s all here.

   One of these days I am gonna waffle in here to eat.

However, this past week, I had pancakes for lunch, cooked fresh at the office by fellow trainee Pedro!

• The gardens and squares – they are beautiful and a community hub as there's almost always a band, dance troupe, outdoor church or other entertaining event available for your viewing pleasure.  Case in point: today there was a celebration for the international day against lesbo/homo/bi/trans-phobia – with some wicked dancing performances.

Dancing against discrimination in the plaza. 

 Three beautiful squares I pass on my daily walk. 

 

• Having a 30-minute walk to the office.  During pre-service training you don’t have a lot of time alone, so the walk was a precious thing. And when other trainees joined the walk, it was a great way to download and find important soft serve ice cream stands.  

Sunrise on the walk in this week. 

• Art - it's always there to inspire and provide enjoyment. I've seen so many amazing displays of art in public spaces in Mexico and Querétaro is a definite hub. And the churches here are their own special brand of art, both day and night. 

 Santa Rosa Church at night. 

 

   Art, art, everywhere there's art. 

   Beloved jacaranda trees and the aqueduct.

• And last but not least, my host family – they are really wonderful people and have been so important in helping me with the language, talking about cultural norms and, most importantly, lifting me up when needed and providing me with LOTS of laughter at the kitchen table!  As a parting gift, they gave me the best thing possible: an extra piece of luggage to carry the many language books and training documents I’ve inherited in the last 10 weeks, along with my big medical kit, mosquito net, and all that other stuff I somehow acquired already.  

Speaking of gifts, I got a great one this week from my friend Mickey – a super cool cloth bag that I already have plans for while traveling next week!  Mickey and I have been language class partners since week one – along with my beloved Kyle who is a knitting savant – and I’m proud to say that after our language proficiency interviews this week, we all improved significantly!  

My super awesome new bag from Mickey! 

I advanced from a Beginner-Medium level to Intermediate-Medium level, and was so relieved to see some kind of proof that yes, I am slowly getting better at Spanish!  I wasn’t nervous about the interview but I have been spending most of my free hours in Mexico studying Spanish, and I guess that explains why I busted out crying when I got my results.  Slightly embarrassing but Lulu, our lead language and culture instructor, simply hugged me and said it was because I had worked so hard and that she was proud of me.  Learning a new language is hard. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and it’s been incredibly frustrating at times, which is why that 30-minute walk home in silence was really helpful at times.  My future site is not that big but I really hope I can find a good Spanish teacher to help me keep advancing because I need it!

Tomorrow we have an early get-together with Peace Corps trainees and staff and then I have my last weekend comida with Lilia and Jose Antonia, and then my last week with my fellow future volunteers in Querétaro. Ten weeks in and I've learned that I'm going to have connections with these people for the rest of my life.  Oh, and I've learned are that I need sunblock – ALL THE TIME – along with hats, long sleeve shirts, lots of water, and fans.  I need lots and lots of fans.