Nothing exciting, just a general update; Differences Part 6

The first thing that comes to mind for this update is that my foot has gotten only worse, until today. So yesterday I looked more closely at the damage to my foot, which for it's location requires some yoga, and realized not only is the cut far deeper than I had initially thought, but that a lot of the skin around it had turned a jaundice-yellow (that should be a crayon) and in the depth of the cut had some fun different shades of various colors that skin should not be. On top of that the pain, when compared to the previous few days, was getting worse rather than better (although I should mention that it was still better than the first week when I was limping). So yesterday afternoon my senora put a heap of antibiotic cream on/in the cut, put iodine soaked cotton over that (between my toes where the cut is) and tape to hold everything together. This morning my foot still hurt a lot to walk on, but this afternoon it was a little better and just now when I arrived home from school and took off the wrap to check on it, everything seems better. Cleaner at least. If this progress continues I shan't pursue professional attention, however if it doesn't I certainly will.

As for everything else I seem to have really found a niche here. Everything has calmed down and except for continuously pissing off my feminist friend and now avoiding English as much as I can (blog, facebook, and people here who cannot speak Spanish being the exceptions) nothing really particularly aggravating has occurred (I really don't like having to wade through the English whenever the group of exchange students is about). I have a regular workout schedule that I'm keeping up and really like. It's funny how much like therapy lifting is for me. When I have a crappy day or am in a bad mood for whatever reason all I wanna do it head to the gym. Unfortunately this has been happening more and more recently. I'm not exactly sure what's got me so wound up, but I keep being set off my little things (often things I don't notice, I'll just find that I'm sad or angry). Part of my problem I've realized is pride and I'm working on that one constantly since my epiphany yesterday. In the United States I'm generally an intelligent person, but here that just doesn't count for anything. I need to get used to knowing virtually nothing here. The other day my teacher said something to the class which I didn't understand and I stated what I thought she said for clarification, needless to say I was wrong. But she, and the class (which is only 5 other people) looked at me like I had just asked why, since heat rises, isn't it hotter in the United States. Fortunately this was at the end of class. I got the correct information from the professor, packed up my bag, was the first one out of the room and practically sprinted to the gym. Since then I've been trying to dial back my pride and just roll with the blows and laugh with what would have previously been at my expense. Don't get me wrong, I can take a joke, but when it is someone legitimately thinking that I'm stupid... That genuinely bothers me. I suppose this is part of the personal growth that everyone keeps telling me I'm going to experience from this whole trip.

Speaking of the trip, I've now officially been here for over a month. I'm a little more than one-third of the way through. I've got some 53 days left, and am both excited to return and realizing that when I do leave, I'm really going to miss this place. I have every intention of returning to Queretaro in the future, as well as using my new found Spanish ability to explore more of Latin America and probably someday visit Spain as well.

Like I've said I don't really have that much exciting news to publish, but I figured I'd just talk for awhile so you all have something to read about (DON'T FORGET ME!).

Much Love, please comment, I love to read them.

-Connor

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Differences part 6

Police:

-Here they drive around with there lights on at all times. And I don't mean their headlights. If they want you to pull over, they'll get on their speaker and tell you to (although that's kinda an issue because of the terrible, terrible quality of their speakers. The native folk here can't even tell what they're saying).

-Generally are more scary looking

-Often have semi-automatic weapons with them, and it's taken rather casually. Today I watched one of the policemen get out of the car (which had four other policemen in it), set his semi-automatic weapon on the seat with a kind of 'hey can you watch this for a sec' look to the others and headed up to the convenience store. I can only hope/assume that the rifle was unloaded.

-Many Smoke while on duty

-Many are women and equally scary

-Wear their bulletproof vests (almost?) all the time.

Dogs:

-Dogs in yards (or on roofs depending on whether or not the house has a yard) bark A LOT of the time. Often at nothing, but typically at me.

-When said dogs are barking, no one seems to care. For example, Andrea, which is the German-Shepard that lives here, barks (so much) at the wind, rain, bugs (I think), people, and goes ballistic when another dog goes by. It drives me crazy. The family here just lets her bark... and it's not my dog so I really can't do anything about it (I imagine disciplining their dog would be a bit taboo). (Maybe it's a German-Shepard thing, right dad?)

-Dogs, owned or feral, aren't spade or neutered (Bob Barker would be so mad.)

-Respond equally well to Spanish or English petting.

Alright, that's all I've got for now.

Adios y se amo todos,

-Connor 'Chaparro' Flynn