Mexico City, Mexico: Thursday afternoon in Mexico City. In a lot of ways my trip has not really started. This is sort of a trip before The Trip. Staying with family, as we all know, has its pros and cons. And, of course, the pros heavily outweigh the cons.

For one, the food is great! I have to run every day just to keep from becoming overweight. You know how it is when you´re with family, expecially family you just met; you can´t say no when offered food. So I eat...and eat...and eat. But the food is delicious. If you like Mexican food, you should be jealous. Tortas, Chilaquiles (sp?), arroz con pollo, you name it, they make it. And the tia´s love to cook. This morning I had to finally, very politely, say no to another plate. I thought I was going to explode!

I can´t say enough about the food. I´m taking advantage of it, because I know I won´t always have it this good. It also made me think. I´ve been missing out on this for a long time. Living on your own, you don´t get this kind of treatment. I´m starting to think that I should settle down when I get back. Have someone to cook me a good meal. But I think those days are long gone, atleast where i come from. My tia´s are always asking me ¨cuando te vas a casar?¨ I didn´t want to tell them that getting married back home has lost many of its advantages. And I know someone out there will be outraged by this, but really, what are the advantages of getting married now a days? Most girls are too independent. Which is fine, they just don´t make good marriage partners. So until you´re ready to have kids, I don´t see the point. I´m not saying marriage is not an honorable and sarcred institution. I´m just saying it´s a bit different now; in my part of the world. Feel free to agree or disagree.

This I guess, is the first cultural difference. Mexico City is still very old school, and I think i´ve always preferred old school, but I live in a new world. They call it progress...i´m not too sure about that. But, as my Evidence professor would always say after going on a tangent...I digress.

The week is going well. I can tell my spanish is slowly but surely improving. My grandmother even asked me how to say something in spanish! That was good for my confidence. I still have a long way to go, but i´ll get there.

The one negative about being with family is that you always have to tell them where you´re going, when you´ll be back. I´ve been on my own for so long, that I am not used to it. But of course, out of respect, I stay within the rules. A little discipline never hurt anyone.

But being with family is fun. Especially my little cousins. Always asking me what i´m doing. ¨Que haces, primo?" The same thing I was doing five minutes ago, nothing. But of course I try to strike up a nice conversation. I realized he was only asking, because, like me, he was getting bored. He´s eight, so I figure, he´s the perfect person to practice my spanish with. I´m at about a third grade level with my spanish. Yesterday I took him to the park, he had a blast. I think we´ll go again today.

About pictures, i´m still trying. I was able to post a few on facebook. But, it´s a struggle to get them to upload.

I´ll figure something out, just not sure when.

Hope everyone is well back home, I miss you all, love you,

Michael