In only 4 days and 20 hours I will be at the airport in León, 20 miles outside of Guanajuato. I should be getting information soon on the family with whom I am staying. I keep forgetting that I need to pack for two months. I have no idea what to take. Temperatures in Guanajuato will be ranging from the mid-fifties to the mid-eighties. There will be showers in the afternoons, the early mornings and nights will be cold. I guess I just need to pack like I’m staying somewhere in Ohio for two months. Haha! I’m very anxious about getting my host family’s contact info: calling them will be very intimidating. I’ve been asking myself questions like: What if they have the Spanish equivalent of an Appalachian accent and I’ve only heard the Spanish equivalent of an English accent; needless to say, there is quite a difference between the two. I’ve had opportunities to speak with people from Guatemala, Peru, Spain, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Both the Puerto Rican and Cuban accents take at least 5 sentences to start understanding what they are saying. Oh well, guess I’ll find out when I call them.
I found (via facebook) a couple of students that attend the Universidad de Guanajuato and have been talking to them recently. They are both extremely nice and have answered tons of my questions. One of them offered to welcome at the airport when I flew in, the other invited me and a few of my friends over for dinner with his family. Both told me to just give them a call when I get there and they are more than willing to show me where to go, where not to go, where to eat, where to go for fun, and to just hang out. I was chatting with one guy on MSN Windows Live Messenger the other night and was asking him about prices in Guanajuato and he assured me that because I’m from the US, some people will try to charge me more, but he said would make sure it wouldn’t happen if he was there. I am thrilled to have met both of them because I didn’t want to get down to Guanajuato and only hang out with other American students and not get to experience the real Mexico.
Come to find out, I actually know a guy here in Columbus that’s from Guanajuato. Small world! Also, I have a friend whose husband is still in Mexico (getting ready to move to the USA though to be with her). While he’s pretty far south of me, I may see if he wants to meet me in Mexico City sometime. There is a global health conference being held in Mexico City and a few of my friends are planning on going to that, so it may be the perfect time to meet up with him.
Wow, this is a really long post. If anyone is just dying to send me something, I’m putting my address below. Please know though that the best way to get mail to me is via FedEx, DHL, or UPS. Mail in Mexico is pretty slow, so something sent via regular mail would take weeks.
Stephen Tyler Knauff
Programa de CIC
a/c Profesor Pepe Natividad
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Ex-Convento de Valenciana s/n
36240 Guanajuato, Gto
MÉXICO
If my host family has internet and it isn’t dial up, I will be posting on either Sunday night or Monday.
Estamos en contacto,
Tyler
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