¡hola! it´s a beautiful sunny morning here in cholula. (i haven´t seen rain in 3 weeks and i´m beginning to think this is the way to live...)

this week´s been pretty exciting.

on tuesday, leah and i took a walking adventure around cholula that involved the discovery of a small pyramid behind a fence, a truckload of soldiers with large weapons, some adorable boutiques and pottery stores, getting un poquito lost, a market, dead chickens (lots of them! with the feathers plucked! gross.), and $8 (US) worth of produce to make fresh juice. it was divine. we also made pancakes and eggs for the entire group after class at the cholula house. it´s important to note that we also learned that the word ¨zócalo¨is not pronounced with your standard american z sound (as in zoo or zany or zebra). it´s pronouced like the ts in tsar. ¨ts-ócalo.¨if you want to get anywhere in this town, you have to pronounce it correctly! otherwise, someone might think you want to buy tortillas...

however, my confidence in just walking up to a random person and speaking to them in spanish has increased tenfold. granted, i go over what i want to say in my head for about 3 minutes before i do it, but STILL. i´m pretty proud of myself.

wednesday involved another visit to the orphanage where i´ll volunteer. it´s called la casa de la niñez poblana and it´s a home for not just orphaned children, but those who were abused or neglected and put into state care. kids up to 12 or 13 years live there, but i´m going to be working with the 2-3 year olds. also, in february, i´m taking a class so i can work with the little babies, which means two things:
1. i might get really attached to them and never come home, OR
2. i might have to come home, but there´s a possibility i´ll have an adopted child with me....

my roommate wants me to visit her house in chiapas for spring break. some of us were talking about visiting palenque (mayan ruins in the jungle!!!), which is also in chiapas, and then spending the rest of our week on a beach in the yucatan, so i think i might get to stop by crystal´s house too! this is fun.

there´s no VU trip this weekend, so the valpo crew will be hanging around cholula and puebla. another walking tour will probably happen ... and we´re also planning on visiting the zoo!! rumor has it that it´s a safari zoo, with the animals just roaming around (and visitors in cars, of course). pretty much it´s going to be the coolest thing ever. and i´m determined to pet a giraffe. or an elephant.

i´m getting pretty comfortable in my classes. i´m only taking 3 on campus. my grammar class makes me feel like i´m in 3rd grade, but at the same time, i´m pretty sure it´s essential since i haven´t taken a grammar class in a year and 1/2 and seem to have forgotten lots. my oral and written communication class is wonderful, because we basically talk or write the whole time. excellent practice! my business class... has reminded me that i never wanted to be a business major. apparently we might go to the vw plant here in town, though, and see how jettas are made. that´s pretty cool.

and on that note, it´s time for breakfast. they call frosted flakes ¨zucaritas¨here.