First Day in Oaxaca

Well, I have to write about my first meal, because it was so exciting. I got salad, real salad (washed in purified water, these guys are good), with avacados and lime dressing. Fried potatoes, and a chicken breast, a real chicken breast with no gristle or cartilage, and fresh blue corn tortillas with salsa. Wow. That was a 3pm.

The main meal of the day here is at around 3pm, and a light snack later, around 8pm. Tonight I had some toasted french bread with a bean spread and Oaxacan cheese melted on top. Wow again. It was so great.

I slept for 4 hours today and I am heading off to bed soon. So far, the language school seems great, I am in a class of 4 people who seem about my level, and our teacher is a lot of fun. We have class from 9am until 1 every day (with coffee breaks with free, tasty coffee), then I have a one-on-one "intercambio" with a local from 3-4pm everyday to practice conversation skills, then from 4-6 we have optional acvitivies such as salsa dancing, cooking, weaving, and a few others.

Around 6pm I walked around, and was happy to find that my host family's house is very close to downtown and the Zócolo, or main city square. It is beautiful here. I remember the Zócolo as being a huge square packed with people, but after China it felt more like a little corner park with a few people out and about. It is so refreshing: the clean air, the uncrowded (by Chinese standards) streets, the vendors who turn away with a simple "No, gracias", and being able to communicate with the people around me! The only drawback is that it is cold at night (maybe 70 degrees), but at least it is very comfortable during the day.

I have not spent too much time with the family yet, except I had lunch with grandma who lives here, who is blind, which poses interesting communication challeneges (no body language). She is very smart and knew a lot about China, I look forward to getting to know her and the rest of the family more.

We have internet here at the house, so I will write more soon!