Wendy In Mexico: Annnd it's December! SO CLOSE.

Full of christmas cheer-induced happiness

First off, I'm so, so excited because it's December. That means there is now less than a month to go before good ol' Navidad, and the festive spirit is going to take over the world for the next month! Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday and I love EVERYTHING about this time of year. Excessive baking and consuming of seasonal food? Check. Comfy, hideous knitted sweaters? Check. Classical festive music, enormous christmas trees and beautiful decorations? Beautiful christmas lights at night everywhere you look? DOUBLE CHECK. And up to this year, a requirement of adding to Christmas cheer was a giant, fluffy dump of snow covering the world. Obviously, this is not going to happen this year, (nor the fuzzy festive outfits, it's not quite the right climate), but I'm still beyond stoked! And talking to everyone here, Mexican Christmas is like a mix of traditional and Western celebrations. So basically starting mid December, various holidays and special traditions start popping up and don't end until the first week of January. It's going to be a month of celebrating the best holiday ever! I walk past stores with christmas trees, or people in the streets selling santa puppets and other christmas themed objects and 1) take a picture (tourist forever and always) and 2) get even more excited. I was walking around downtown the other night and my Mexican friends couldn't understand why I was almost skipping with joy. They wanted to go for coffee and there I was, running around taking pictures of Christmas themed market items. I can't help it, smelling the pine trees, thinking of gingerbread and Santa.... How can you not get excited?!

STOKED (Also I have no shame, this is in a drug store)

I came across this in the market.
Just thought it was a bit funny, why would you WANT your room to smell of marijuana? Don't people usually try very hard to cover up that smell?

Christmas tree in the central plaza!

Random concert going on in the plaza.

It's been pretty calm the past few weeks. I've been attending school like usual, but exams started last week and so I spend my days in the library. And thank goodness, we enter at 10 or 11 instead of the usual 7:45! I've been alternating between working on the dreaded university applications and wasting time avoiding said applications. Nothing like university applications to kill your happy, carefree mood. Class planning, course prerequisites, entrance requirements, essays explaining in 500 words or less why you deserve a spot in a program.... Makes you want to tear your hair out in frustration! However, it's a necessary evil, and I am very, very excited to go to university next year. Just need to sit down, get it done, and then I can forget about it for a little while.With Spanish class we went to the ruins of another factory (this time completely destroyed). It was really interesting, and we climbed around on some of the less precarious stairways and walls. We then went to La Cruz de Zacate, which is this garden inside of a cathedral that has a grass patch that supposedly naturally grows in the shape of a cross. I'm a bit skeptical, but it could be!

More food pics.... Yummm

At a Japanese restaurant for my host dad's birthday

Yummy traditional Mexican dish called posole (It's a form of boiled corn with vegetables and chicken)

I made my family the classic Canadian meal of pancakes with authentic Canadian maple syrup

One day with our Rotary club, us YE's helped hand out wheelchairs! The recipients were individuals in Nayarit who couldn't afford to buy a wheelchair, and had therefore applied for one through a social service program. It's a program that my club participates in, and the wife of the Governor of Nayarit came to give the opening speech. We first constructed the wheelchairs and set them up in the hall, and then helped hand out the wheelchairs to the individuals, or to a family member that came for them. It was pretty great to see about 90 people walk away (or roll away, i suppose), in brand new wheelchairs and know that you helped get them there. We also stood there during the official speech in our blazers holding the club's flag (Club mascots, I suppose. The exchange student presence- makes every presentation more interesting!) I really hope that there are more activities like this in the future. It makes you realize how privileged you are, and I think especially as a representative for a country it really is important to contribute your time and effort to other people and their well-being. As wonderful as it is learning and experiencing things for yourself, it's also important to help others out. I feel like sometimes exchange students get a bit egotistical, and they forgot that not only are they on exchange to learn about another country, but to represent a country as well in a foreign land. I know I certainly get very self-centred sometimes, and when you help out at an event such as this it makes you see the bigger picture! It's not always about us, and we are lucky enough to be in a position to help others!

Oh my, that's a lot of wheelchairs!

Ye's of club Tlatoani and the governor's wife

I recieved this MASSIVE care package from my parents and friends last week. I actually got a little teary-eyed, I was ecstatic! Among the contents were a few pairs of pants (I neglected to bring a reasonable amount and sometimes shorts just don't cut it), some surprise Christmas gifts, various 'stocking stuffers' such as socks and lip chap (thanks Dad), and TEA. Lots and lots of delicious, holiday flavoured DavidsTea. Every night just before I go to bed I try out a new tea. Instant mood booster. My mum, Maribel, was actually super amused at how content I am to sit at the table, mug in hand, and just savour my tea every night. But with flavours like buttered rum, gingerbread and chocolate orange, how can you NOT be ecstatic?! I love my parents so much, best care package ever!

I mentioned a couple posts ago that I joined a university rec league soccer team. It was a sort of spontaneous, I-need-things-to-do-stat decision, and so I requested that my equipment be included in the package. (Way too broke to buy equipment here.) I finally feel official again- running around in running shoes doesn't have quite the same effect as cleats. I had my first game this Saturday! It was bloody hot, about 30 with the midday sun beating down upon us, but it was super fun! I played rather horrendously, but as I've not played for over two years I'm going to look at it as a starting point- I can only improve! All of the team members are super chill and very encouraging, and so when I trip over the ball they just yell encouragement instead of cringing in horror. It's a good time, and hopefully will be constructive towards loosening the fit of my pants. (I have, unfortunately, finally accepted that I've gained weight. Enough to make my formerly baggy pants very form fitting. I'm not especially thrilled about this, but it is one of those inevitable parts of exchange. It's a legitimate thing, just talk to any other exchange student. However, that doesn't stop me from wanting to get rid of it! Wish me luck, time to up the amount of exercise as a last-ditch effort to stop the taco belly.)

One very sunny soccer field!

After the soccer game, I returned home and quickly transformed myself from sweaty and tomato faced athlete to a classy kid ready to dance! I finally got to experience the famous quinceanera. It's this enormous, elaborate celebration they have for girls when they turn 15. It starts off with misa in a church, and then moves to a salon de eventos filled with friends and family. It's a huge affair, and the girl is dressed in an elaborate ball gown more formal than most girl's graduation dresses! The lucky birthday girl introduces herself, and then there are usually fancy choreographed dances performed by her and her companions. Usually, the girl has a group of boys to escort her, and they do at least one dance together. After this, dinner is served, then there are live bands with more dancing to follow. Obviously, each party will vary, but there you have the general idea. This particular party, the girl appeared from the floor- very fancy entrance! There was then a picture slideshow of her various birthdays and celebrations up to present day. After the dinner, the dance floor filled with excited teenagers and a dancing robot, all rocking out to disco music. After dancing the conga line the teenagers filed out and a mariachi band appeared. At that point, all the parents and older attendees started getting their dance on! Everywhere you looked, people were dancing salsa and banda with varying degrees of skill. I decided to try my hand at dancing banda, and asked a random guy to teach me. The poor guy probably very quickly realized that this Canadian does not possess a natural musical rhythm. However, he was very patient and said I did a great job by the end! I danced alongside Maribel and Alex, and we each got to show off our dance moves. (Their moves are considerably more graceful than mine, just saying.) It was a really fun night with my family, and I know have experience with yet another classic Mexican celebration that consists primarily of dancing and having a blast!

The salon de fiestas

Arrival of the birthday girl

Kicking off the event with a father-daughter dance

The meal- not especially traditional, but still good!
Apparently no matter the country, catered food for these type of events remains mostly the same.

And the formal dinner quickly turned into a dance party...

...Complete with a giant dancing robot

My host parents having a grand time showing of f their dance moves

In the entrance of the coliseum-themed party room

On Sunday I went over to Caro's house and we decorated her Christmas tree while munching on watermelon. To me, these two things belong in complete opposite seasons. To me, watermelon represents summer, while decorating the tree belongs unmistakably in the middle of winter. Welcome to Mexico, I suppose. Not that I'm complaining, watermelon anytime is fine by me! Once more, I was by far the most excited kid in the room while we were decorating. The smell of pine trees.... Mmmm. But I'll eventually infect others with my holiday cheer. Either that or they'll leave me temporarily to cool off from my excessive holiday excitement! I'm hoping the first- I have plans to make gingerbread cookies!