Always keep the faith

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

MEXICO CITY SUMMER PROGRAMME 2013

This is probably once of those trips that I will never forget because it's my first independent trip and it's in a country that is stereotyped to be all about sex/drugs/alcohol. (To some extent, it is true!) 3 other fellow NUS friends are travelling with me, along with another American. I was quite surprised and rather disappointed that there were no other international students in this programme. So it's just the asianz and an american :/
It's been slightly more than a week since we touched down in Mexico City on 14 June 2013, 11pm. The flight was torturous because (stupid me) I went to choose China Southern Airlines. #REGRET. The service was rather horrible and the in flight entertainment/lights in my row was not working!
Air stewardess: oh, the aircraft is very old, it's 20 years already. (walks away)
:O
No offer to change seats for us/give us something extra? Ajay and I just sat down there like two bored souls, along with this poor Japanese dude who was painfully polite and shy. (He was trying to hard to read his Japanese novel by using the sunlight from the side window LOL)
Anyways, the flight from China to Vancouver was PAINFULLY LONG. All I could remember was Thiru being ultra gay with comforter, taking up two seats and annoying the air stewardess by asking for multiple cups of water and bread, till the point where she just deposited this on our trays in attempt to shut us up and leave her alone. Okay, I inferred the last part. So three of us spent the remaining time playing hangman on my notebook and Thiru was an ultimate fail because he tried to come up with super complicated/long phrases. However, it backfired because I guessed it in one shot.
Kanye West.

Jumbo: WOAHHHHH

We flew over Alaska on the route to Vancouver. The scene was absolutely stunning T_T It made me marvel so much at how vast the world is and how magnificent God's creation is (:

So we touched down in Mexico City through Air Canada (the flight was >10 times better than CSA) and on the way out, we bought duty free alcohol. Alas, our luggage didn't appear on the conveyor belt and a part of my just felt deflated because I somewhat knew that this was gonna happen. Screw you, CSA. After filing our report for missing baggage and all, we walked out of the arrival doors with our hand-carrys and about 6 litres of alcohol =.= On the way, Thiru got stopped by security (because he looked like a freaking terrorist with his unsightly beard and Pua Chu Kang hair) to check his black bag. I swear I was so embarrassed cos the lady opened his bad and was greeted by his baby pink comforters.

My buddy, Octavio, didn't come to pick me up because apparently, he had problems with his car. (He probably thought that his buddy isn't a hot asian chick so he abandoned me. Yup). Instead, Thiru's buddy, Poncho, came to pick us up and he was so nice and hospitable (: We cabbed to Alpina and subsequently, decided to roam the streets in search for a convenient store to fill our hungry bellies. In Singapore, 7-11 is the household brand but in Mexico, it is Oxxo. Thiru kept saying "Xoxo" -.- Anyways, we got kinda lost on our way out so by the time we arrived home, it was about 12 am plus already. Talk about us being daring in Mexico City, wandering out at night without cellphone connection or knowing anyone!

I felt so upset and tired because I missed my luggage. I looked like a freaking Chinese ghost loitering around the house because my complexion was so sullen and dry from the long haul flight. I wanted to change my clothes so badly but there wasn't any ):

The next day, we went out in the morning with one of our house girl called Emilia. She brought us to Walmart and for the first time, we rode the bus which costs 5 pesos! (50 cents) Apparently, transportation is really cheap in Mexico. A one way train ride, regardless of distance, costs only 3 pesos and cab fares start at 8 pesos.

On Sunday, (still no luggage) Poncho brought us out to Plaza Loreto which was located within a 5 minutes walk from our house for lunch.

Look at the glorious Tacos :D

The only memorable (and disgusting) memory that I had from that lunch was Thiru attempted to remove his coin pouch from his chest. He was complaining that it was so uncomfortable, as though it felt like he was wearing a bra. I saw some stuff which I wish I can remove from my memory but no, I can't forget it. Thanks very much. Thiru says the weirdest/most random/most inappropriate things at the wrong time. I don't know if he is aware of it, but it's just excruciatingly embarrassing, I don't know if I should laugh or cry in frustration. My mom told me that people like him are in my life to test my tolerance level. Haha, yes mom.

Disclaimer* I'm not exactly bitching about him on my blog, but I wish to record down some of the interesting things he said. It's up to you to judge if it is me being mean to him or whether he is really just socially inapt.

1. Conversation with a housemate: "Eh, your nose very nice eh, I want to make"

2. Greeting the MEXICAN guys in the house "EH HELLO YOU MOTHERFUCKER" i'm surprise they didn't kill him.
3. Spat out Mexican food in front of a Mexican "walau, I don't like"
4. To a tourguide "are there many child beggars around?" The conversation was revolving around something else that is completely remote to child abuse/slavery.
(to be continued)

Schools started on 17 June, 7am. Yes, it's a 7am class called International Finance. Till now, I dread waking up at 6am to walk to school in the cold. ITAM isn't exactly near to Alphina, so we end up having a little morning exercise in the cold. Mexico's summer is so misleading. I was expecting a dry and hot weather but NO. it's like freaking 10-18 degrees ): Thiru is so spoilt, he cabs to school everyday and it costs him like 2 dollars per trip. He's so ridiculous, I can't even... Just say that by the end of 7 weeks, I can actually fund myself a trip to Cancun given the amount of money that he is spending on cab fare.

Our luggage finally arrived on Wednesday and I was so relieved! We really have got to thank Helianne for helping us to call the Airport and helping us to settle all the administrative procedures. :,) She's like a hot mama who clubs and drinks with the house people haha.

I finally had my first gym session with Alexa and Ajay on Thursday. It was rather entertaining cos Ajay was complaining and protesting so much like a kiddo :P I KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS. I was like a silent figure tagging along and conscientiously doing my workout :P It was a great feeling after, though. I know I will never have the motivation to gym on my own, so I'm glad that Alexa is here to help (:
Here are some quotes from out famous pretty boy.
A: Ah! F*ck i can't do this anymore!
Al: stop complaining! if you complain one more time, you do another burpee.
A: you are such a bitch!

Al: lift your legs higher!
A: shut up! I can't believe I'm heeding orders from someone who comes from a country with the highest obesity rate!

There's another quote that i'm so tempted to write here, but I know he will murder me in my sleep. If you are interested to know what he said, you can ask me privately. HEEHEE.

On Friday, we heading down to TEOTIHUACAN with our tourguide (ex student from ITAM) called Ricardo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan
Before we left, Ajay, Michelle and I cooked breakfast (:

It tasted great!

snoozing in the nicest car I've sat in thus far in Mexico.

I never knew the wonders of aloe vera. Apparently, the local folks use a type of aloe vera to make alcohol! On top of that, the tip of the leaf can double up as a needle. The "thread" comes with the needle as they are the fibres within the leaf! :O

This shall be my new defense weapon hehehe.

The inner and outer coating of the leaf has a paper-like material too! Cool, isn't it? (:

Drinking some alcohol before embarking on our climb up the pyramids!

I can't remember his name >< But he's a 27 year old descendant from the Mayans :O He brought us around the area and told us about the history and significance of the pyramids.

WHAT A SIGHT. I'm so amazed by the whole landscape of Teotihuacan!!!!

This was just a mini walk up a platform. We could walk up from all 4 sides. Each flight of steps consist of 13 steps, making it 52. In Mayan times, they believed that the world ends every 52 years. That is when the solar system aligns itself into on straight line.

This really feels like a scene from Tomb Raider.

PYRAMID OF THE SUN.

Group shot before we embarked up the pyramid!

Freak, the steps were so steep haha. The trick was to walk diagonally for 7 steps, then change direction. Ajay wanted to challenge himself to climb up the pyramid within 2 minutes I think? But he failed haha :P