Leaf blowers are as annoying in Mexico as they are in the USA!

As we walk three blocks down the attractive entrance to the university around 8 a.m. each morning the grounds crew is often blowing leaves from one side of the street to the other, creating great clouds of choking dust. The next morning they blow the leaves back to the other side of the street. These infernal machines should be banned worldwide. Don't they destroy the ozone and contribute to global warming? Even if they don't, let's say they do and start a worldwide movement. There is already enough hot air circulating, right? (Especially on this blog!)

Not everyone likes the USA, unfortunately.

On my walk back to Guadalajara through the narrow streets of Zapopan, I stopped to talk with the left-wing local representatives of the Mexican political party that lost the last election. The walls are covered with photos of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and López Obrador, who lost the election a few months ago to Felipe Caldedrón. They insist that Mexicans in the USA make less than a dollar an hour and that Cuba has the best medical care and educational system in Latin America, so I changed the subject to Mexican literature. They were surprised that I knew most of the authors, including her favorite Enrique González Martínez, one of whose poems I recited for her. Later, I took pictures of murals in the Zapopan city hall. You will recognize the leading revolutionaries that inspire leftist Mexicans. Ho Chi Minh, Karl Marx, Lenin and the ubiquitous Fidel Castro. The last picture was taken nearby in a record (that dates me) or CD store, showing my son James' band Maroon5's new album as #1 in Mexico this week. Nobody is buying Fidel Castro's albums these days.

Centro de Bienestar Infantil - Matriz Zapopan

Roslyn and Janae work with delightful kids every day from 1 to 3 p.m. Alejandra Lazano and Faustina Campos kind of run the place on a daily basis. The kids are there all day while the single moms work. It is a lot like La Casita and both are run by the Centro de Bienestar y Asistencia Infantil de Jalisco. Mexicans take care of their children at risk as best they can. The pictures tell the story. The kids are marvelous. Roslyn and Janae are learning a lot about how to handle children that cry out for love and affection.

Parking is a problem in Guadalajara

The standard sign says NO PARKING. The E stands for ESTACIONAMIENTO or parking. The second sign says if you park here I am going to let the air out of your tires. Desperate times, desperate measures. Buses and taxis are the ONLY way to get around town, but Americans still insist on renting cars when they visit.

Rafael Coronel is a well-known Mexican painter!

Like his older brother Pedro Coronel, he has broken away from the Mexican muralist tradition. Some of his recent work is on display in the art gallery of Zapopan. Entrance fee: 20 pesos. It is worth a visit, as is the Cabañas art gallery with the Orozco murals in downtown Guadalajara near the central market. BYU Guadalajara students have a lot of fee time in the evenings.

To the BYU students: VISIT ZAPOPAN

Several students do service projects nearby Zapopan. Take bus #25 or 32 to downtown Zapopan and walk around. The colonial cathedral is famous for the Virgin of Zapopan, where the Pope Juan Pablo II visited in 1979 on his first trip to Mexico. The Zapopan art gallery is first class, celebrating the Festival Cultural de Mayo. More on painter Rafael Coronel on another entry.

Backsliders! May 30, 2007

When we got off the bus in Zapopan, there it was, a KFC. Valentine had a crispy pechuga; Courtney and Sheree shared popcorn pollo y papas fritas. The BB sauce, of course, was picante! The place was a lot cleaner and better run than the dirty KFC stores in Utah Valley, that is for sure!

La Casita is a day care center.

Courtney and Sheree take bumpy bus to Zapopan, a little town on the edge of Guadalajara, to work and play with about 34 children after the kids finish lunch. Marcela Arambula is the very warm and friendly director and has an abundance of patience with the niños La Casita is open from 8 a.m. until late. The workers take the children to their local school in the late afternoon, where their moms pick them up later in the evening. Mexico has many private and public institutions like this one to take care of children whose moms must work.

¡Una queja!

We are very sad that the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara has closed the swimming pool this year. The BYU students from previous years enjoyed swimming almost every day. It was one of the highlights of the trip. But, alas, the pool is closed and we are very, very disappointed that this important part of our trip is missing!

Break time every day at 10:40 a.m.

About a third of the BYU students arrive at 8:45 a.m. for the daily song, prayer and announcements. About 80% are ready for Paula and Teresa at 9:00 a.m. to start the Spanish classes. Dr. Valentine is always worried until all show up for class each day. The students take a break at 10:40 a.m. for about twenty minutes. They often buy a snack downstairs in cafeteria or at the sandwich or ice cream stand. Usually, they hang out in the hallway and chat until 11:00 a.m. The final hour each day is devoted to Spanish conversation. The second picture shows a handful of very social BYU students who have a hard time making it back to Spanish conversation class on time.

Where does Dr. Valentine live in Guadalajara?

About two blocks from the entrance to the university, Callejón del Quijote is a quiet street. Dr. Valentine pays about US$460 per month for a room with a patio, a kitchen and a washing machine. A little pricey by US (Provo) student housing standards, it is convenient. It cools off at night. There is no AC. Valentine bought screening for the window to keep out mosquitos.

Hotel Villa Varadero in Puerto Vallarta

We are going to stay at this hotel on the beach in Nuevo Vallarta at the end of our study abroad from Monday through Wednesday, June 18 through 20. We return to Guadalajara on Wednesday, June 20 for our departure back to the USA on Thursday, June 21. Parents, please tell your kids NOT to be stupid during their last few days in Mexico. TO SEE A PICTURE OF THE HOTEL, CLICK ON THE ? Do you want to join us? The Puerto Vallarta airport is about 15 minutes from the hotel.

Where do BYU students live in Guadalajara?

After church on Sunday, May 28, Carli, Stepahie and Kaylie showed the Valentines where they live - Calle Tomás Mann in the neighborhood called the Rinconada de los Novelistas, near COSTCO, Walmart and SAMS and the beautiful Galerias shopping mall. Not bad. Most students live in upper class Mexican homes like this one.

Lunch in a sidewalk cafe in Guanajuato

Bob and Shauna have NO idea what the students are doing Saturday afternoon. Suspending our Weight-Watcher points, we eat beef and chicken fajitas with delicious side dishes at a wonderful outdoor restaurant on the main, tree-covered square. ¡Qué rico! Vamos a tener que caminar diez kilómetros después de comer. The last picture shows the bus ride back to Guadalajara late Saturday. Can we stay another night, tío Bob? No, tenemos que estar en el barrio de Moctezuma a las nueve el domingo por la mañana, por favor. The other picture is the bus ride back from the mines. Many of the BYU students engage in conversations with surprised Mexicans in the seat next to them.

Three Gold-Plated Altars Built by the Rich Miners in Guanajuato

Thank you very much for all the gold and silver and the Indians to mine it. Here is a church in partial repayment. No, it is NOT solid gold, but it is impressive! No se toca, por favor.