The new kid

Days in Mexico: 5

On Wednesday I started at my new school. I don't understand what is being said in most of the classes but I have met some really lovely people and I really like the school. The school day is a lot longer than I am use to. I have to wake up at 5.30am to be at school for 6.45am and I don't finish until 2.40pm. Some people speak English but not many so I just smile if I can't understand what is being said- which is most of the time.
At school I do Biology, Lab (which is similar to chemistry), Physics, Literature, English, Maths, Logic, History, Graphic applications (computing), Religion and Uni prep classes. English is entirely in English and is the only class that I can completely understand. I'm finding maths easy as well because we are repeating work I did last year, even though the teacher is speaking in Spanish.

February the 14th is Valentine's Day and Mexicans go all out to celebrate! At school we were allowed to wear anything red or pink for a free dress day. Recess was extended so we had an hour and a half to participate in the events that the school organised. There were 12 white tents set up with chocolates and cakes to buy and Valentine's activities to do. They even had a alter set up for marriages so I got married to my host sister, Dany (not legally!)

Cake stands

Our wedding photo

The wedding documentation

Some of my new friends

After school I went to the Aquarium and Ripley's museum with some school friends. It was nice to relax and just hang out.The Aquarium even had Toucans, Macaws and a dolphin show! 

A macaw bird at the aquarium

The dolphins

At Ripley's museum there were lots of things to see and do, including a wax figure of Tom Cruise proposing. The museum is based on the Ripsley's Believe It or Not book and features lots of pictures and exhibitions from it. Compared to most Mexican females, I am tall but compared to the world's tallest man, I am really short!!

The wax figure of Tom Cruise proposing

A statue of the world's tallest man

My head in a museum specimen jar

After less than a week in Mexico, my Spanish vocabulary has expanded to be over double of what I originally knew before coming! I have really surprising myself and my host family with how quickly I am picking up the language. I have set a target to be competent in Spanish by the end of 3 months. With the rate that I am currently learning, that shouldn't be a problem!