Pollo Poco (o pequeno? no se)

Greetings from Mexico!

This night seemed like a better night than most to put off doing some homework (only one page about an old friend, thinking I'll write about Mike) and physical activity (ignoring the invite to salsa dance) and start up a little correspondence with whoever may have an interest (albeit likely limited) with what it is I'm doing down in Mexico. So honestly, mom, this is for you. But feel free to tell your friends if you want...

After one week here I venture to say I have become acclimated to my new home in the center of Mexico. The city I am studying Spanish in is named Queretaro and it has a population of nearly a million people. It doesn't at all feel that large though and compared to the 24 hours I spent in Mexico City it is a very laid back and relaxing atmosphere. It is considered to many Mexicans a tourist destination because it is the locale of a number of historic buildings and events in Mexican history. It is also popular because of the remnants of an aqueduct that once transported water to the city. One old tale says that the ducts were built by a rich man vying for the heart of a nun in the local convent. She promised to give her hand in marriage if he could bring water to the people of the town. I am very lucky when you figure that now a days all you have to do to get a girl's hand is hold a job 9-5 and not get caught staring at too many other women. But I digress...

Considering the fact that I hadn't studied Spanish for a year before coming here, and also that I completely disregarded my promise to watch copious amounts of Telemundo and Univision before arriving, I feel that things are going just about as well as they possibly could for a tongue twisted Gringo in Mexico. After a week I am finally feeling more comfortable talking with my host family and was able to spend a half hour last night discussing food, and sushi especially, with my host brother. He has offered to make sushi Thursday and wants me to invite friends from the program. Exciting huh!? Maybe dangerous aswell considering I'm in Mexico and hundreds of miles from a body of water....but lets get to some juicy details of my stay...

Among other things that have happened here two stories tend to stand out:

1. The story about the time I told my host family the sky fell on my neighbors head
2. The story about the time I left with a group of Mexicans in an overloaded car for a city I didn't know at 11:00 at night.

Story number one requires little back story, simply the fact that Paul (a member of our group) had his ceiling fan fall on his head last week while he was reading a book in his room. He was not sure whether or not he suffered a concussion but came to the conclusion that SINCE he fell asleep, and since if you fall asleep after a concussion you are supposed to die, that he is actually alright.

When I heard this story I found it wholly hilarious and decided I must share the humor with my host parents. So while eating comida (the big meal of the day, it comes around 3pm) I attempted to tell the story of the time Paul was:
"leeindo sus libre y el cielo (at this point I stood up and made a crashing impression) golpen en el cabeza" (So now you are starting to understand, really, how terrible my spanish is).

In response, a little confused, my host father said:

"La lluvia ayer?" Implying that perhaps I meant "the rain" fell on Paul's head.

"No, no, no." I responded. "El cielo!"

A dumbfounded look crossed both my host father and mother, but being the patient people they are they proceeded to maybe help explain that, unless Paul was merely a nick name for Chicken Little, it is impossible for the sky to fall and hit someone in the head.

"El granizo?" My mother asked. Maybe hoping that she could pull me away from the edge of ignorance by suggesting that it was hail that hit Paul in the head.

"No!" I exclaimed. I proceeded to make a spinning motion with my hands, impersonating a fan and declared "El cielo golpen Paul en la cabeza!" Then continued to laugh...

They both looked completely bewildered by the increasingly louder American standing in their kitchen (while they were sitting) , pointing at the ceiling and declaring that yesterday, in total flagrance of all known science, the sky fell and hit Paul right in the cabeza. After awhile I came to the conclusion that perhaps, just maybe, the term for "ceiling" was not actually "el cielo" and went upstairs to find my dictionary. As it turns out the proper word for fan is "ventilador" and when I was trying to explain how it fell out of the ceiling the word for ceiling is "techo" and "el cielo" is indeed "the sky."

After realizing I had made a huge ass of myself they laughed and my host father had me repeat "techo" very slow a number of times, probably hoping I wouldn't make such a ridiculous claim again anytime in the near future. I started talking in English, saying how stupid I was and how they must think I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in Mexico before realizing that, yes, they do live in Mexico and speak only Spanish and me telling them a bunch of useless information in English really isn't going to accomplish anything. I ended my rant of English with "Lo siento" and thanked my host mom for comida and went upstairs to take my daily siesta.

As embarrassing as the entire thing was, it has proven to be an entertaining story to tell to the people in the program and I was even able to relive the experience with the Mexicans I travelled with to San Miguel De Allende Saturday night and they found it as funny if not more funny than my host family when it happened. The story of the trip to SMDA will have to wait, because I've been typing for way too long. But, (yes I start sentences with But, take that 4th grade English) now I must watch some television and continue to write down words that are new to me. Oh, actually now I have to finish my homework. More later!