Hi everyone,
Before I continue with my post about my weekend, I would like to share links to my friends blogs. We all are studying abroad this semester and I want everyone to check in on them too:
My friend Mike, who is studying in Beijing:
http://mike-china-blog.blogspot.com/
My friend Peter, who is studying in Nairobi:
http://thoughtsandstoriesfromkenya.blogspot.com/
Today I will continue about my post about my weekend to Puebla. On Saturday, we spent the day at Africam, a large park that is half drive-thru safari and half zoo. I took many pictures, so I decided (per the advice of my sister) to upload them to photobucket so everyone could check them out. Below is the link to a slide-show of the pictures:
http://s841.photobucket.com/albums/zz340/cb3383a/Africam/?albumview=slideshow
The safari was great. The first 1 1/2-2 hours we spent driving through the safari. This was my first safari since I went to the one at Great Adventure with my father many years ago. There were so many animals!! Coupled with the scenery, it was a great experience.
After the drive-thru, we walked around in the zoo. There were a lot of exhibits; we saw spiders, reptiles, Emus, and got to walk around a semi-open area with wallabies and kangaroos. We spent all day there, and I don't think we saw everything. The pictures will show everything that we saw.
Tomorrow I will post more pictures from our trip to the city center Saturday night, and some pictures from Sunday before we left. Take care!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Trip to Puebla, Part 1
Hello everyone,
This weekend, my friends and I went to Puebla, about 2 hours outside of Mexico City. The trip was pretty amazing. It took us about 40 minutes just to get out of the city (I've been told it takes about two hours to get from one side to the other). We passed through areas of the city that I haven't seen before. On the outskirts, I was told that people live on less than 100 pesos a month (about 7.60 USD).
After we got out of the city, we went up into the mountains, through a place called Rio Frio. The fog up there can get very dense, although it wasn't too bad when we went through. The temperature dropped drastically as we went through the mountains; you could feel the cold when leaning on the windows. After we got through the mountains, we drove for about an hour more before we made it to Puebla.
We stayed in a little Villa for the weekend. There was one of three or four that circled an in ground pool. Above is the outside of the villas, and I have to say the scenery was absolutely amazing. We were a little drive from the lake, but wherever we went there was a view of the rolling hills, and farther out a view of the mountains. The street we were on was very quiet; it was the closest I have been to nature in a very long time.
After we got settled in, we went for a boat ride around the lake. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures (this was the ONLY time I forgot my camera over the weekend). We only had some time to see the cliffs on the closest side of the lake because of a bad storm coming though. It was the blackest sky I have ever seen!!!! After the boat ride, we went to the grocery store, where I saw for the first time the makings of a tornado
We were very far away, but I have to say it was pretty cool to see it for the first time. Apparently, tornadoes are pretty common around Puebla due to the open hills with very few trees.
This pictures were taken on Saturday morning. The building in front kind of blocks the view, but I hope everyone can see the hills in the background. The view in the morning was beautiful.
So, this is part 1 of my trip. Tomorrow, I will post about our trip to Africam, a Safari and Zoo that was just 1 kilometer away from where we were staying (about .6 miles). Hope to hear from everyone soon!
This weekend, my friends and I went to Puebla, about 2 hours outside of Mexico City. The trip was pretty amazing. It took us about 40 minutes just to get out of the city (I've been told it takes about two hours to get from one side to the other). We passed through areas of the city that I haven't seen before. On the outskirts, I was told that people live on less than 100 pesos a month (about 7.60 USD).
After we got out of the city, we went up into the mountains, through a place called Rio Frio. The fog up there can get very dense, although it wasn't too bad when we went through. The temperature dropped drastically as we went through the mountains; you could feel the cold when leaning on the windows. After we got through the mountains, we drove for about an hour more before we made it to Puebla.
We stayed in a little Villa for the weekend. There was one of three or four that circled an in ground pool. Above is the outside of the villas, and I have to say the scenery was absolutely amazing. We were a little drive from the lake, but wherever we went there was a view of the rolling hills, and farther out a view of the mountains. The street we were on was very quiet; it was the closest I have been to nature in a very long time.
After we got settled in, we went for a boat ride around the lake. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures (this was the ONLY time I forgot my camera over the weekend). We only had some time to see the cliffs on the closest side of the lake because of a bad storm coming though. It was the blackest sky I have ever seen!!!! After the boat ride, we went to the grocery store, where I saw for the first time the makings of a tornado
We were very far away, but I have to say it was pretty cool to see it for the first time. Apparently, tornadoes are pretty common around Puebla due to the open hills with very few trees.
This pictures were taken on Saturday morning. The building in front kind of blocks the view, but I hope everyone can see the hills in the background. The view in the morning was beautiful.
So, this is part 1 of my trip. Tomorrow, I will post about our trip to Africam, a Safari and Zoo that was just 1 kilometer away from where we were staying (about .6 miles). Hope to hear from everyone soon!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I Have Classes Too!
Happy Wednesday everyone,
I know there are some out there who might be wondering that with all of the traveling and sight-seeing that I have done, where's the time for school? Rest assured, I have plenty of time for school, and I am enjoying all of my classes. I only have four this semester, which I thought would give me time to travel without putting too much pressure on schoolwork. My classes are:
Administración Internacional (International Business) - This class is basically goes over the basic concepts of international trade, International Organizations and Agreement (i.e. the EU, NAFTA), and International Investment. One of the bonuses of taking this class abroad is that it is taught from Mexico's point of view, which means I get to learn about their economy and their role in international trade.
Mercadotecnia de Servicios (Services Marketing) - This class is the one taught in English. We basically go over how marketing services differ from marketing products. We have a lot of case studies and group projects, but they promise to be interesting.
Mercadotecnia Ecología (Green Marketing) - This I think promises to be my most interesting class, where we learn how to develop strategies to market environmentally conscious companies, services and products. So far, I've done a lot of reading on current environmental trends, and how sustainable development can benefit both the business and society as a whole.
Administración de Operaciones (Operations Management) - This class focuses on decision theory, how to minimize risks with investments, and quality control. So far we've gone over break-even point analysis, and different approaches to analyzing risky investments.
I know that this hasn't been the most exciting post, but I still hope you found it interesting. To reward you, I decided to post a parody of the ending to the movie "There Will Be Blood" called "There Will Be Pokemon". If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it.
I know there are some out there who might be wondering that with all of the traveling and sight-seeing that I have done, where's the time for school? Rest assured, I have plenty of time for school, and I am enjoying all of my classes. I only have four this semester, which I thought would give me time to travel without putting too much pressure on schoolwork. My classes are:
Administración Internacional (International Business) - This class is basically goes over the basic concepts of international trade, International Organizations and Agreement (i.e. the EU, NAFTA), and International Investment. One of the bonuses of taking this class abroad is that it is taught from Mexico's point of view, which means I get to learn about their economy and their role in international trade.
Mercadotecnia de Servicios (Services Marketing) - This class is the one taught in English. We basically go over how marketing services differ from marketing products. We have a lot of case studies and group projects, but they promise to be interesting.
Mercadotecnia Ecología (Green Marketing) - This I think promises to be my most interesting class, where we learn how to develop strategies to market environmentally conscious companies, services and products. So far, I've done a lot of reading on current environmental trends, and how sustainable development can benefit both the business and society as a whole.
Administración de Operaciones (Operations Management) - This class focuses on decision theory, how to minimize risks with investments, and quality control. So far we've gone over break-even point analysis, and different approaches to analyzing risky investments.
I know that this hasn't been the most exciting post, but I still hope you found it interesting. To reward you, I decided to post a parody of the ending to the movie "There Will Be Blood" called "There Will Be Pokemon". If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Museum Visits
Hi everyone,
Hope everyone had a good weekend. On Sunday me and my friends went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and the Wax Museum. I know we have those in the US, but it was still so much fun (plus, I've never been to those museums in the US anyways).
Here are some pictures from the wax museum. These were all taken from my blackberry because I forgot to change the batteries (at least I remembered to bring it with me though).
Hope to hear from everyone soon!!!!
Hope everyone had a good weekend. On Sunday me and my friends went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and the Wax Museum. I know we have those in the US, but it was still so much fun (plus, I've never been to those museums in the US anyways).
Here are some pictures from the wax museum. These were all taken from my blackberry because I forgot to change the batteries (at least I remembered to bring it with me though).
Hope to hear from everyone soon!!!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Ramdomness
Hi everyone!
Hope everyone is having a good weekend! I decided to download a couple of pictures I took with my blackberry and talk about them. There is no specific topic today, just thought I would write about how everything is going so far.
I can't believe I've been here for over two weeks! Classes are going great, I can understand almost everything that is going on. Most of the books are in both Spanish and English, so what I like to do is go to the library and read the Spanish and have the English as backup. That way, if there is a word or phrase I don't know, I just look to the English version! I think it's the best way to improve my reading skills.
This is a view of the street where I live. Most of the back streets are cobblestone, which I really like. Around the corner there are small open stores where I can buy snacks, fresh produce, and my personal favorite, fresh tortillas!!! The tortillas are made right there, and when you get them fresh, they are so warm and soft!! I have to admit, it's a pretty nice substitute for gluten-free bread.
This picture was taken the Saturday we went to the market. From left to right is Julia, Marta and Sasha. This was the first time we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We decided to share a big pot with different meats (chicken, pork, beef) and vegetables in this hot sauce. It was very good!!!
Alright, so this is really random. Here we are at a HUGE supermarket called mega. Just imagine a Super Wal-Mart, take another one and place it on top. Anyways, you can take your cart from level to level with these long escalators; they are specially made so the carts will stay put when going up and down. The mall we went to is the same way, you can take a cart from store to store.
Now for something completely different. This picture was taken on the way to the Tepoztlan last weekend. After we left the city, the scenery was so beautiful. We passed a lot of small towns and farms. Since we left so early, once we started heading toward the mountains, we could see the clouds ascending, I never saw anything like it.
So, that is all I have for today. I'm kinda tired, but that's because Marta and I went with some friends to play pool and we didn't get back until after 3:30. Hope everyone has a good weekend, and I look forward to your comments!!!!
Hope everyone is having a good weekend! I decided to download a couple of pictures I took with my blackberry and talk about them. There is no specific topic today, just thought I would write about how everything is going so far.
I can't believe I've been here for over two weeks! Classes are going great, I can understand almost everything that is going on. Most of the books are in both Spanish and English, so what I like to do is go to the library and read the Spanish and have the English as backup. That way, if there is a word or phrase I don't know, I just look to the English version! I think it's the best way to improve my reading skills.
This is a view of the street where I live. Most of the back streets are cobblestone, which I really like. Around the corner there are small open stores where I can buy snacks, fresh produce, and my personal favorite, fresh tortillas!!! The tortillas are made right there, and when you get them fresh, they are so warm and soft!! I have to admit, it's a pretty nice substitute for gluten-free bread.
This picture was taken the Saturday we went to the market. From left to right is Julia, Marta and Sasha. This was the first time we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. We decided to share a big pot with different meats (chicken, pork, beef) and vegetables in this hot sauce. It was very good!!!
Alright, so this is really random. Here we are at a HUGE supermarket called mega. Just imagine a Super Wal-Mart, take another one and place it on top. Anyways, you can take your cart from level to level with these long escalators; they are specially made so the carts will stay put when going up and down. The mall we went to is the same way, you can take a cart from store to store.
Now for something completely different. This picture was taken on the way to the Tepoztlan last weekend. After we left the city, the scenery was so beautiful. We passed a lot of small towns and farms. Since we left so early, once we started heading toward the mountains, we could see the clouds ascending, I never saw anything like it.
So, that is all I have for today. I'm kinda tired, but that's because Marta and I went with some friends to play pool and we didn't get back until after 3:30. Hope everyone has a good weekend, and I look forward to your comments!!!!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Lost Video
Hi everyone,
So it just occurred to me that there was one video that I forgot to post from my trip last week. It features these strange creatures that I have never seen before. One of them actually jumped on me because I had food in my pocket, but all went well. Let me know what you think of them.
In case you haven't already noticed, I have no idea what these creatures are called.
So it just occurred to me that there was one video that I forgot to post from my trip last week. It features these strange creatures that I have never seen before. One of them actually jumped on me because I had food in my pocket, but all went well. Let me know what you think of them.
In case you haven't already noticed, I have no idea what these creatures are called.
Monday, August 16, 2010
My First Futbol Game
Hello everyone,
Yesterday, I got to go to my first Mexican football game (or soccer, as we like to call it in the United States). The game was held at Estadio Azteca, which from what I've read can hold about 105,000 people and is the largest stadium in Latin America. I went with some of the international students, and we all had a really good time. I forgot my camera, but I took a couple of pictures with my Blackberry.
We were sitting in the general admission area, but we got a great view of the whole stadium.
I thought this was interesting. The opposing team was from Guadalajara, and at first I thought it was odd that they were seated far away from everyone else. Then, when we look out behind us from our seats after the game, we saw this. No, you are not mistaken, the fans from Guadalajara are actually being surrounded by guards with shields! I never saw anything like that back home, I guess tension between fans here is at a completely different level!
Yesterday, I got to go to my first Mexican football game (or soccer, as we like to call it in the United States). The game was held at Estadio Azteca, which from what I've read can hold about 105,000 people and is the largest stadium in Latin America. I went with some of the international students, and we all had a really good time. I forgot my camera, but I took a couple of pictures with my Blackberry.
We were sitting in the general admission area, but we got a great view of the whole stadium.
I thought this was interesting. The opposing team was from Guadalajara, and at first I thought it was odd that they were seated far away from everyone else. Then, when we look out behind us from our seats after the game, we saw this. No, you are not mistaken, the fans from Guadalajara are actually being surrounded by guards with shields! I never saw anything like that back home, I guess tension between fans here is at a completely different level!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Trip to Tepoztlan, Part 2
Good Sunday everyone!!!
Here a some more pictures and videos from yesterday's trip, hope everyone enjoys!!!
These pictures and videos were taken at the top of the pyramid.
These pictures and one video were taken at the market in the town after lunch.
Here a some more pictures and videos from yesterday's trip, hope everyone enjoys!!!
These pictures and videos were taken at the top of the pyramid.
These pictures and one video were taken at the market in the town after lunch.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Trip to Tepoztlan, Part I
Hello everyone!!!!
Today, all of the exchange students (intercambios) took a trip to some ancient ruins outside of Mexico City. It was amazing!!! Below are many pictures and some videos. I will put the rest up tomorrow, I am way too tired. I tried to put them in order of when they were taken, hope everyone enjoys!!!
The first group of pictures are from the small town right next to the mountain.
The next section of pictures were taken on our climb up to the pyramid. It was about an hour hike up the mountain. I have never been so exhausted!!! Here is where the videos start. They are short, but still worth seeing.
Today, all of the exchange students (intercambios) took a trip to some ancient ruins outside of Mexico City. It was amazing!!! Below are many pictures and some videos. I will put the rest up tomorrow, I am way too tired. I tried to put them in order of when they were taken, hope everyone enjoys!!!
The first group of pictures are from the small town right next to the mountain.
The next section of pictures were taken on our climb up to the pyramid. It was about an hour hike up the mountain. I have never been so exhausted!!! Here is where the videos start. They are short, but still worth seeing.
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