Well, I guessi should tell all you who don't know: I'm no longer MorganinMexico - I'm more of MorganbackinCalgary. It's a long story, but the short version is one that didn't show in this journal. I was absolutly utterly miserable. For a lot of reasons. And I knew the semester wasn't going to get that much better. Oh, there would have been some good days and some laughs and such, but I would have have been miserable two out of three days. And that didn't seem worth it, from a financial or life choice standpoint.
So I've been home since the 24th. And yes, I miss the weather. And yes, I know I made the right choice. And yes, I'm happy again, and I've started eating and started sleeping again. If you want to know more, just contact me. We can do coffee or whatever.
It was the right choice, and a very very hard one. Don't judge till you've been there.
There may be one last set of pictures to go up.

More photos.
The yellow house has 7 international students in it – 4 of the 10 Canadians, my house has another 2 of us. The streets and sidewalks here are crazy, designed by a committee of mad scientists (engineers?).
That photo is before we left for the house party last wednesay. Breanna, me, Sonya and Robyn. (For fun, start looking for booze bottles in any house pictures. It’s EVERYwhere.)
The Ram is the school mascot. The statue is at the entrance, and looks kinda funny. Not as funny as my bedhead, after two days of high fever though.
Maria is waiting patiently, as is Sonya. We were all killing time until Breanna got everything ready, and found Cyrill. We all travel with water bottles everywhere we go – no water fountains to drink from here.
The next pictures are from the Zocalo, the central square. Which even has a Scotia Bank – I win, no one else has their ‘own’ bank here. No fees plus if I lose my card, it can be replaced. (Amanda may have forgotten hers at home, and so is rather screwed.)
We went to the Jardin Borda, which my guide book tells me were built in 1738, and in 1866 became the summer residence of the (French) Emperor of Mexico Maximilian and his wife. They used to have way more varity of plants, but are still pretty. Plus, there are couples lying in the grass making out everywhere, which is funny. There are also vendors selling crafts. The first picture of Amanda has her between Sonya and Maria – Amanda is 21, international studies major. Her boyfriend is in the special forces on his way to Iraq, he’s the kind who parachutes in to enemy territory first or something, so you can imagine she’s freaked out. There are lots of butterflies here – some very pretty. (Unlike Breanna’s armpit hair.)
We got 6 of the 10 housemates together at once, which is I think an actual record. Too many of us, plus rooms in 3 buildings and two kitchens means we never all accumulate at once.
I plan to go back and a row boat and paddle around that pond. For 20 pesos an hour, how could I resist? I also want to take John to that little restaurant, it’s so cute. It’s more expensive than many places around it, but we’re still talking 69 pesos for the plate of the day (soup, salad, main dish, beverage and desert).

***Conversision Rate*** Pesos to USD – 10 pesos = 1USD. CAD – 7 pesos = 1CAD. ***

Aren’t those little leather shoes just so CUTE??
Pictures of the churches on the main church compound.
I like the juxtaposition of the colonial architecture and the modern technologies – you see that kind of thing everywhere.
The BIG stone building is Palacio Cortez, build between 1522 and 1532, build on top of a pyramid that bastard destroyed. It later became a prison, which it totally looks like, then government offices and now a museum. We had a breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack (depending on who you asked) at a restaurant facing the building.

After that, we went to el Supermercado and did that thing we do so often – bought groceries. Because of the massive amount of veggies we eat, things don’t keep long. Luckily, there are some stores in our neighbourhood, so we can get some of the stuff near here. Beckie and Kelly, who are sharing food, have a massive amount of caned and dried and processed food. Breanna is vegetarian and tries to eat as much raw food as she can. Robyn wants her American comfort food. Xavier eats pasta and rice and grilled cheese sandwiches. Sonya eats lightly, and healthily. Me? I eat whatever, not too much, fruit or veggies at every meal. Needless to say, we are not like the yellow house next store, who eat psuedo gourmet meals together every night. We can’t all manage to be in the same room at the same time, let along EAT together every night. Strange how different and quickly house dynamics grow.

Hey, I feel human again. I mean, I'm still coughing, but not so bad. My fever, which got pretty high, has broken. My nose isn't running too badly. The body aches are mostly gone, and I"m not having chills anymore. I feel human, not like a waking bag of misery, so that's progress. Too bad I was sick though - missed tequilla shots on the pool deck, a house party near the school and a big club night, where they had to, as a group, spend 2000 pesos (yes, 200usd) on booze. EEK! Seriously, this is the place to become an alcoholic - a bottle of hairspray-esq smirnof is about 6 bucks US. Bailey's is really expensive, but tequilla is not. Guess what I will be doing when healthy? Hint: I do love those salted limes.
I went to a house party last wednesday and sat under a lime tree. I think we should all live near lime trees. Just think of the great limeaid you could make. (anyone got any good recipes for limeaid? limes are super cheap here, like $1cad a kg, and we have a blender and stuff. Hey - daquieries!
But seriously, hopefully the booze binging fades as the semester gets busier. I know I'm living with 3 french people, and they like to drink lightly at every meal but breakfast. It's kinda novelty, but not a lifestyle choice for me, thanks.
Today I will go shopping with Robyn and Maria, two of the housemates. I want to go to La Jardin (something) with Breanna and Sonya (two more housemates) but I don't think my lungs could take the walking or the sun. I feel better but not perfect! I think we'll have a meeting tonight, to talk about food and stuff. At least get all of us in the same room for the first time. At 10 people, it's a bit difficult.
I have no roommate. The french girl was supposed to be my roommate, but she wanted her own room, so no roommate for me. I think I'll live, and it's not like I've got the biggest room - just the biggest on my floor of 4 rooms. Xavier was also supposed to have a roommate, the other french guy, but Cyrill also wants his own room, so Xavier lucks out too.
Housemates:
Xavier - 23, French, taking master's classes, own room.
Sonja - 21, from UofGuelf, polisci, way more mature than I, Breanna's roommate.
Breanna - 25, antro major, span minor, here to finally finish her degree, vegitarian, very health concious, Sonya's roommate.
Maria - 21, just moved in, also home sick, north carolina, Robyn's roommate.
Robyn - 25, north carolina, buisness but trying to get into law school, also homesick, extroverted, Maria's roommate.
Carol - ?, french, business student, very hip clothing, own room.
Cyrill - ?, french, buisness student, wacky hair, minimal english, own room.
Becky - 28, spanish major, loud, sterotypically america, still nice though, was here last semester, Kelly's roomate.
Kelly - ?, was also here last semester, dating a mexican boy, was here last semester, Becky's roommate.
Morgan - 21, international realtions, minor in business, homesick, here to learn spanish, fluke of own room.

That's about it of interest so far. No new pictures yet, I'll let you know when I've posted some more. Enjoy your cold weather while I sit here in the mid 20s enjoying the breeze.

I am so sick. I'm either coughing up blood or just coughing up that iron taste. I hate being sick, and I want my mommy. And all these people smoke, so I'm always moving to get away from the bleep bleep cigarettes. Going to the salsa club was a rather bad idea, in hindsight. Oh well.
Off to my visa session.

So I've met like, +60 people, and I even remember some of the names! Yesterday started with an hour plus long spanish test, including a half hour essay and a 45 min multiple choice test. I'll find out how I place in a few hours. Then we did a campus tour, and then something they called the Ruta Ride, where we got a bit of a tour on the bus (ruta) and of el centro (the centre of the city). We also went out for lunch, where I had pozole, broth with shredded chicken and supersized popped corn and you put lettuce and radish and onions and lime into it. Very tasty.
The orientation was useful, and I soooo plan on doing many workshops, most of which are free, including: salsa dance, mexican ceramics, conversation club, film appreciation, painting, aerobics, et cetera. Keep busy is a good idea, that we all agree on.
Last night one of the student inns, run by the only man I've ever seen do a wrist flip not fascesouly, threw a massive party, and all the international students were invited, as were the mexicans helping us. So it was a big fun booze up, and I met more people. Spent a good chunk of time talking to mexican students about life and in a few cases, engineering. (Yes, engineering. I'm dating one, am friends with many, and keep meeting more. Including one ballsy electrical engg student doing an engg class here, plus some spanish option classes. Braver than I!)

Today was okay, met lots of people, did a whole lots of "hi, who are you, i am morgan, from Calgary Canada, above montana?, where are you from, what you taking?" I think I've greeted about 40, talked to 20, and will meet many of the rest at the big house party some one's house person is throwing tonight. Up to 70 and lots of drinking. Should be ... interesting. Good thing cabs are really cheap!
And clothes - I've found "cool" jeans for 100 pesos - 14 bucks.

I met a girl from Oregon (or maybe washington, Kyle has mentioned the school before) who is a third year student (arts program, minor in music), named Lisa. She is is dating an engeenerring student (mech, but he contemplated civil), their anniversary is dec 1 (but one year earlier than john and I) and her birthday is but 2 days after mine, and they hooked up at her birthday dinner. It's a damn small world down here.
Joanne, from Queen's, had an old roommate I vaguely knew from my highschool. A different Lisa is from Bragg Creek, but she goes to school with one of my housemates, who is from Toronto. My roommate arrives tomorrow, so I have one more night of sleeping naked, and only being bothered by the dogs and cars and people with bullhorns and sacrifical goats and the rooster who thinks dawn is 12 hours long and and and...

We're going to a bar for 2for1 tuesday. My housemates, some people from the house across the street, and two people from the Carolina's, and the Lisa from Oregon. My first real social event. Awwww.

Orientation starts tomorrow. 845 spanish placement exam. Eek. Wish me luck, folks.

You know, I really don´t care if it´s obvious that I´m a foriegner because I wear shorts. It{s 28 degrees outside. I think the fact that I{m like, WHITE, makes it obvious I{m a forienger. So I will wear shorts anyways. (Aprarantly the Canadian grls did it last semester too.)
Plus, it shows off all my bruises so well. Tripping onto a metal staircase hurts, I can tell you. Black and purple the bruise is now.
I{m off to town with Robyn and Beckie. Beckie is the first non buisness student I have met.