newer pics

Brand new_________ http://hs.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49385&l=e7b37&id=507225186

new pics

check them out:

http://hs.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47139&l=48dff&id=507225186

http://hs.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47146&l=92881&id=507225186

sorry, but thats all i got, my camera is totally dead and my dad is mailing me the charger soon i hope...

And more:

http://hs.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47738&l=2f1da&id=507225186

One more

post for tonight. I forgot to mention that it is FREEZING here. right now its like 50 F but it feels like 30. The elevation of my city is 8,000 ft. And, nobody needs to worry, Hurricane Dean is far from here, its going to pass way North of my city. Today we did get some mild rain and wind, but nothing like what is happening on the coast...So DONT WORRY!

If its yellow

Let it settle, if its brown, flush it down. Rule of thumb here. Bathrooms are really frustrating here. And I found out pretty quickly that theyre all different. Some dont have toilet seats, most have no toilet paper. Flushing here sucks, you have to know just how to do it for each toilet. [Certain amount of seconds to hold down the handle, how much tp to use, it gets pretty frustrating.]
Then theres the showers. Ive only seen one bathtub my whole time here, because all of the water (minus drinking water) comes out of this big black tank on the roof of your house. You have to take your shower really fast too, or else youll drain the tank. (Done it a few times) Then when that happens, you take a bucket, dip water out of the giant clay tub in the yard used for washing dishes or clothes, and dump water over yourself. But at least the water is clean and warm.
The drinking water here comes out of one of those five gallon plastic jugs in waiting rooms. But it sets on the floor in this metal balancer thing. when you want a glass of water, you have to stoop down, and carefully tip the jug and fill your glass. Theres almost always a puddle on the floor.
So thats how water works here. Lol

In mex.

Sorry everyone that I havent posted anything while ive been here, my familys internet is really slow and ive been busy. just to let everyone know, im doing fine, but i constantly have an upset stomach because of the food and coffee. ha. but the food is awesome, ive only had fast food once here, and that was in the airport. im glad that i came so far south, this has to be as close to the real mexico that you can get nowadays. theres wild dogs running around EVERYWHERE and lots of people who beg or bother you to buy candy or handicrafts. its kindof annoying. last night this little kid kept bothering me downtown and i kept telling him no, but he wanted my money. he went into a store and started counting his change, so i put my hand out, tugged on his shirt, and kept pestering him for some pesos. ha. kinda mean, but he was annoying. not everything here is as cheap as i would have thought. shoes and clothes are really expensive, like $100 usd for a pair of shoes. of course you can go to the freaky markets where all they sell is crap, and its cheap there. oh, and im really big and tall in mexico. the largest size of shoes i could find is a 10, and im a 12. the lady at the store laughed at me when i asked for a 12. i went to school for one day and it sucked. its really small and everyone there is stuck up and rich. stuck up=fresa in spanish. the girls here are wierd and loud, and like to whisper about you while youre not looking. kinda makes me mad, but w/e, its not like i understand them anyways. ive gone to el canon sumidero, the deepest canyon in chiapas and say five crocodiles, and some monkeys too. i hate to say it, but everyone was right about mexico being really dirty, theres garbage everywhere. but at the same time, its really beautiful. anyways gots to go, try to write more often...

Eve of departure

So here I am sitting, it's 11:07 pm and I leave La Grande for an entire year tommorrow morning. At 5AM! I doubt that I will even fall asleep by then though. This has been a crazy summer. I broke the screen of my iPod, had going away parties, did (many)new things, made a lot of new friends, worked in a crappy job, and began the rollercoaster ride of my life. Dorine was right, the whole exchange thing is just a crazy, exciting, and freaky rollercoaster ride that you will never forget. At this moment, I'm just nearing the top of the first climb. The last 9 months I have been filled with anticipation, just waiting for the real ride to begin. And now here I am. It's amazing and confusing and scary to teeter up here on the top of the rollercoaster. I look back and feel sadness and nostalgia for those I am leaving behind, I'll miss being with them on whatever rides their lives take them in the next year. But then I look ahead of me and my stomach drops out of the seat of my pants. I can see it all coming, I know I'll be scared, but I have to hang on for my life and soon everything will work out. I know that it all SHOULD come together, and I'll be great in Mexico, but who knows what loop-dee-loops I'll have to go through... Thats enough lame metaphors, time to finish packing... one day