Differencessssssss

There have been several differences in the culture that I've noticed so far. Though y'all might enjoy it =)

-The lanes on the road, you know, like a two-laned highway, are really more of a suggestion than anything else. While riding in the car, seatbelt fastened of course, we tore down the middle of two lanes of traffic just to go faster. Scary =p

-There are ten billion speed bumps out here on all of the roads. I think they substitue stop signs in many instances. They are a little rough to go over at first...no, i take that back. They're always rough to go over.

-The men are walking, talking, breathing oxymorons. I don't get it. They hoot and holler in the street, but they are also very courteous at the same time. They give up their seats in the busses, they open doors...it's crazy. I'm so confused =p They need to be just nice and polite all the time.

-DON'T tell your teacher that class is over when she's still talking...

-In the football (soccer) stadium it's cheaper to buy a liter of beer than 16oz of water. They have priorities =p

-There are tooooooooooons of street venders. Some of it looks good, like fresh fruit. But it might kill me so... =p

-There are a lot of venders that sell meat, and they just throw it out there on the counter. The raw meat just sits there on the counter. Chicken, beef, pork. This is why they tell us to be careful where we eat here.

-The eggs aren't refrigerated. Sometimes, yea, but in the store they aren't. Also, some of the other people have experienced non refrigerated milk. I don't know how that's possible, but it works.

-They eat a BUNCH here. Litterally. I don't eat that much, and it just shocks my family when I'm not hungry or I don't want seconds. We finally agreed on me just eating cereal for breakfast. But as for everything else... =p My family has their main meal at around 4-6. It's pretty big, and it's delicious. Ususally it's some kind of soup followed by a meat filled dish. Loving that they eat tortillas with everything =))) Then my family eats again around 9:30 or 10. Usually I pass this one up because that's too late for me to eat. For this meal they usually have like sandwiches or something smaller.

-There is a lot of American music here. A lot of it is older. It's fun to sing along.

-There is a lot of Mexican music here. Go figure =p I like it. I've heard lots of slower songs, and they are really peaceful.

-Each bread has a different name. Like a legit name. One memorable one is called a bigote (mustache) because it has that shape.

-Sweet breads, including churros, are considered bread, not a dessert.

-Lots of people don't wear wedding rings. But some do. I'm not sure where the division is and why some do and some don't.

-Policia EVERYWHERE. and they look pretty hardcore. They are always suited up with navy blue uniforms, guns, combat boots, and sometimes armor. I feel safe.

-Gotta run across the street when you're crossing, because the cars, busses, and bikes don't stop.

-There are lots of motorcycles and mopeds that come in handy for those people who don't want to deal with traffic. They just weave in and out of it.

-All of the streets I've seen are 1-way or separated by a huge median. That's super handy when crossing the busy highway because then you only need to watch for cars in one direction.

-You have to tip the people that bag your groceries.

-Each day the temperature has been in the 90s. Wow, look out. I'm melting over here. But hey, there's good news! The hot month here is May ^_^ We haven't even gotten there yet...

-I am so jealous that the kids my age--20s--all know how to dance!!!! Like completely jealous that they can just do the salsa or the tango without even thinking about it. GRRRRRR. I'm going to start learning the salsa. Wish me luck.

What else is different...it's really hard to just think of these on the spot you know.

-Buying food in the city, on the street or in a restaurant, is affordable. Most places and most meals are less than $5 USD.

-The money sign for peso is the same as the US dollar. Sometimes it gets confusing in my mind.

-Most people in the city with normal jobs earn like 60 pesos ($5) a day. For 8 hours of work.

-There are lots of women who work on the street cleaning crew--they wear orange jumpers and have little brooms made out of switches it looks like. And their job is to sweep up the tree debris in the street. Everyday. That's a hard job. There is always more to do.

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I honestly can't think of anything else right now. I'll keep you updated when I think of more though! Thanks for reading =D