mexicanos know how to work it

oooooooooooooooook so here i am again in the ISA office (for those who are unaware, the International Studies Abroad office is the home of all of us crazy study abroad kids... we come here, grab free oreos and free agua and/or pop (or soda, or coke, depending on which crazy state you are from), get free tutoring, watch spanish movies, talk in spanish... a lot (or else try to muffle the sound of the constant english speaking, or should i say, american speaking), stand on the balcony and observe the guanajuato scene, and disobey the signs on the computers that say ¨please limit your computer use to 15 minutes.¨ good stuff, it really is. the only place i can get online for free. otherwise, i pay about 10 pesos per hour, which is only a dollar, so even that`s not too shabby. yep. so.

i just did one of the coolest things in the whole wide mundo: joined the gymnasio here in guanajuato. indeed, leisha joined the gym, for about 35 dollars for the entire month, with full access to weights, spinning, steps, latina, abs and glutes, taebo, pilates classes and more more more........ basically however many classes i want per day........ and i just got done with my first class. it was steps. and.......... WOW!!!!!!! those mexicanos know how to WORK IT!!!!!!!!!!!! that was THE hardest hour of mi vida. no joke. it was an hour long class, and after 20 minutes i was hoping the hour was over with. lets just say that i definitely made an arse out of my unable-to-move-it-and-shake-it self, but there were lots of laughs and smiles...... and lets not forget the sweat. chyeah. i cant wait to go again. the best part of ALL of this? short of the students who are studying abroad here in guanajuato, EVERYONE at the gym is a local. which means, instant insight to the way people really are around here. guanajuato, straight up. as much as i hate to use a mcdonalds slogan, ¨im lovin it.¨

clases started today. i have advanced gramatica from 9 until 10, and then advanced conversacion from 10 until 11. then, a break, and historia de mexico from 1 until 3. then, racing home to eat la comida because youd better believe that im absolutely starving to death by that time........ lunch at 3:30........... good grief. pero asi es la vida. both classes went well. historia isnt my forte, but itll be fine... puedo hacerlo! im just trying to look at it as... well... ¨a good learning experience!¨ yep. indeed.

mexican food is seriously going to be the death of me. forget argentina and spain, and the familias there, i´m taking linda (mi señora) with me. she´s sort of short, so maybe i could smuggle her by means of my kelty packpack. tons of vegetables, sopas, some meat, the BEST guacamole in the world (mom you´d go CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!), quesadillas, TONS of mango y frutas.............. ahhhhhhh............. be jealous of me, be very jealous of me. hehehe................

que mas.

there are about a bajillion and ten bars in guanajuato. some with american music, many more like salsa bars, merengue, etc. i´ve been to about 4 of them, strangely, all in one night. (side note: i am not EVER going out again with a big group of americans. i should have known better beforehand, anyway, but ¨we wanted to spend time together.¨good grief. there were absolutely no surprises there and just about everyone got trashed or something like it.) i got so much crap for ordering water everywhere i went. and it was expensive water, goshdarnit, but i´m still the same ole leisha... enjoying my water a whole lot... although i admit i took a sip of victoria, the most popular beer in mexico (i think i can say that for sure, at least it´s one of the most popular). it didnt make me puke, or gag, surprisingly, but that doesn´t mean i´ll be trying it much more. agua. mucho, mucho agua. le doy gracias a Dios por el agua. yep. anyway. leisha has a goal, and that´s to actually look like she´s halfway capable of busting out a salsa move before she leaves here. how will she accomplish this? dance classes, baby, dance classes!!!!!!! i´ll keep you all informed.

things are excellent with my roomie, shawnna. isa did a great job of pairing people up. she's about the same speaking level as me, except she pauses and slurs her words a lot more. it drives me crazy at times but i have to remember that she´s learning too, just like me. besides that, she´s great. a very intelligent, level-headed person. sweet as can be. as excited about everything mexican as i am. last night she and i went to a streetside cafe and had mexican hot chocolate. (side note: the hot chocolate here is CRAAAAAAAAAZY rich. basically, its chocolate, straight up. not something you should chug. i know this from experience.) we talked for like two hours, sitting there. it was great. great conversation, great view of the locals walking by, great everything. now that´s my kind of evening... spent in a cafe.

should probably get going now. the oficina is about to close, and i have homework to do, as weird as it feels to say that.

love you all........... miss you all............ keep in touch!