Just Got Back From Mexico...
<div class="IPBDescription">if you've wondered where I've been =P</div> Well, I didn't <i>just</i> get back. I left from Newark for San Diego at about 9 am last Sunday, and my San Diego - Houston - Newark flight got me here around 9 pm Saturday. I've been hoping that I could get my lazy bum out to develop some pictures I took before creating this thread, but oh well those will have to wait.
Anyway, from San Diego I took a Mexicoach (I kid you not) down to Tijuana, my home for the next couple of days. Now before you get any...interesting...thoughts, note that I went down there with my church's Youth Group. The 15 of us (and 3 chaperones) were there for service and community immersion, both of which I think were incredible.
On the service front, we mixed cement for roughly 5 hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. By hand. If you've never done it, allow me to explain, because I sure as hell will never forget how to do this. When you arrive at the worksite, there is a giant pile of sand, a giant pile of small rocks, and a giant pile of bags of cement powder. Shovel 5 wheelbarrows full of sand, dump them in a pile. Dump 5 bags worth of cement mix onto that pile, then shovel it into a pyramid. Then everyone working on that pyramid tears it down and forms about five or six smaller piles. Then, everyone shovels it back together. This is apparently the best way to mix the sand and cement.
After that's mixed, you flatten out the pile into a pizza crust, complete with a canal around the outside. Dump 5 wheelbarrows of rocks in the center and spread them out. Fill the crust with water and wait about 5 minutes. Now, you have to pull the center of the pile out and dump it on top of the outside, then keep pulling the dry stuff out from underneath the pile and dumping it on the wet cement until a nice consistency is reached. Shovel the mix into bunch of wheelbarrows and dump it where the cement layers tell you to. Repeat as many times and necessary - over the course of 3 days we probably made around 18 piles.
Of course, with the money we raised to go on this trip we coulda just sent them a check to hire a cement mixer that would have done the same job. So you could say the real reason we went to Tijuana was for the immersion, and let me tell you basically every stereotype you have of Tijuana is way off the mark. The people are incredibly friendly (especially when they see you're there to work and not to drink). La Avenida de Revolucion and the beach are the only places where Americans go normally, so they're geared towards pulling in those dollars.
We visited La Avenida, and the beach, but we also went to El Centro (a museum), and the border memorial. That last one I really want to get some pictures up. There is a memorial stretching for roughly a mile or two of the 14 mile border fence filled with crosses, one cross for each of the 3000+ people who died trying to cross the border between 1994 and 2000. And one other thing - while walking along that border, buses and cars driving down the highway right next to us would lay on their horns when they saw us, presumably because they thought we were a bunch of white college kids making fun of their memorial. Amazing how badly Americans have behaved in that city, to give us that stereotype >_>
Oh, and I got to play futbol rapido with some kids. I was the goalie...because I suck at soccer.
Back in San Diego on Friday, we saw Chicano Park. Unfortunately I was out of film by then, which I'm rather **** about because the murals were so awesome. And that's really the end of my trip. It was fun but also hard work. Yes I did get sick at one point, along with almost everyone else, despite drinking bottled water and such, but to say the good outweighed the bad would be a huge understatement. Heck, just practicing my Spanish alone was great; I'm taking it in college next year and I desperately needed a little practice with speaking and listening. <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
So, thoughts, comments, questions? I'll have the pics up in a day hopefully, and maybe I can sn.atch a couple from some friends also.
[edit]Worst.censored.word.ever[/edit]
Anyway, from San Diego I took a Mexicoach (I kid you not) down to Tijuana, my home for the next couple of days. Now before you get any...interesting...thoughts, note that I went down there with my church's Youth Group. The 15 of us (and 3 chaperones) were there for service and community immersion, both of which I think were incredible.
On the service front, we mixed cement for roughly 5 hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. By hand. If you've never done it, allow me to explain, because I sure as hell will never forget how to do this. When you arrive at the worksite, there is a giant pile of sand, a giant pile of small rocks, and a giant pile of bags of cement powder. Shovel 5 wheelbarrows full of sand, dump them in a pile. Dump 5 bags worth of cement mix onto that pile, then shovel it into a pyramid. Then everyone working on that pyramid tears it down and forms about five or six smaller piles. Then, everyone shovels it back together. This is apparently the best way to mix the sand and cement.
After that's mixed, you flatten out the pile into a pizza crust, complete with a canal around the outside. Dump 5 wheelbarrows of rocks in the center and spread them out. Fill the crust with water and wait about 5 minutes. Now, you have to pull the center of the pile out and dump it on top of the outside, then keep pulling the dry stuff out from underneath the pile and dumping it on the wet cement until a nice consistency is reached. Shovel the mix into bunch of wheelbarrows and dump it where the cement layers tell you to. Repeat as many times and necessary - over the course of 3 days we probably made around 18 piles.
Of course, with the money we raised to go on this trip we coulda just sent them a check to hire a cement mixer that would have done the same job. So you could say the real reason we went to Tijuana was for the immersion, and let me tell you basically every stereotype you have of Tijuana is way off the mark. The people are incredibly friendly (especially when they see you're there to work and not to drink). La Avenida de Revolucion and the beach are the only places where Americans go normally, so they're geared towards pulling in those dollars.
We visited La Avenida, and the beach, but we also went to El Centro (a museum), and the border memorial. That last one I really want to get some pictures up. There is a memorial stretching for roughly a mile or two of the 14 mile border fence filled with crosses, one cross for each of the 3000+ people who died trying to cross the border between 1994 and 2000. And one other thing - while walking along that border, buses and cars driving down the highway right next to us would lay on their horns when they saw us, presumably because they thought we were a bunch of white college kids making fun of their memorial. Amazing how badly Americans have behaved in that city, to give us that stereotype >_>
Oh, and I got to play futbol rapido with some kids. I was the goalie...because I suck at soccer.
Back in San Diego on Friday, we saw Chicano Park. Unfortunately I was out of film by then, which I'm rather **** about because the murals were so awesome. And that's really the end of my trip. It was fun but also hard work. Yes I did get sick at one point, along with almost everyone else, despite drinking bottled water and such, but to say the good outweighed the bad would be a huge understatement. Heck, just practicing my Spanish alone was great; I'm taking it in college next year and I desperately needed a little practice with speaking and listening. <!--emo&::nerdy::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/nerd-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='nerd-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
So, thoughts, comments, questions? I'll have the pics up in a day hopefully, and maybe I can sn.atch a couple from some friends also.
[edit]Worst.censored.word.ever[/edit]
Comments
Needs more body shots off hookers.
It would be "Hablas", and yes.
As for you Sonic, what do you think a church youth group would be doing in Mexico? Take a wild frickin guess. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Good for you and welcome back.
Sky, you didn't get sick from drinking the water, did you?
Sky, you didn't get sick from drinking the water, did you? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
... thats like a pretty long time ago depot, you do know things can change in like, 40 years right
My Dad: Yeah, can I have 3 of those alcapurrias?
The woman smiles and hands him one and gives a blank stare.
Me: Lo siento, Senorita mi papa no habla espanol. ¿Puedo tener dos alcapurrias por favor?
Woman: Ay! Si, si senor. Tienes un buena dia.
See what you can accomplish when you know a foreign language?
<!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Good to hear you had fun with your trip. Most of mine are pretty boring, with like....visits to animal reserves and such. Maybe I expected too much out of them.
My Dad: Yeah, can I have 3 of those alcapurrias?
The woman smiles and hands him one and gives a blank stare.
Me: Lo siento, Senorita mi papa no habla espanol. ¿Puedo tener dos alcapurrias por favor?
Woman: Ay! Si, si senor. Tienes un buena dia.
See what you can accomplish when you know a foreign language?
<!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Since I don't understand 2 full lines of your post, no, I don't see. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Cheapskate.
ohgoodgod I totally missed out a line's worth of reading.
So meh <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Sky, you didn't get sick from drinking the water, did you? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Didn't drink the water, still got sick, along with over half of the group at one point or another. Not surprising really; the people who live there don't even drink the water, so it must be rather easy to get sick. >_>
:-)
as ifs sonic's first post wasnt good enough... 'Not enjoying themselfs that's for sure.' set me right off..
but on the point. its a good thing you did, BUT its hardly very christian of you to go around saying 'presumably because they thought we were a bunch of white college kids making fun of their memorial.'
thou shalt not judge and all that... just stuck in my mind abit as beign abit of a thick thing to say, when you went there for religious reasons, you automatically assume its cos of these so called 'white college kids'
maybe you had a sign on your back that said ' honk if your horny!'
who knows. the point is in a thread which basically celebrates christianity and its goodness, which it does. cos its a great thing you did. dont put judgemental stuff in it, cos it spoils it <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> and makes me rant. and 4:39 am. which is never good.
As for you Sonic, what do you think a church youth group would be doing in Mexico? Take a wild frickin guess. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
A) He may have been using the respectful usted conjugation, since he doesn't really know you all that well IRL. (Doubt it tho hes just stoopid lols)
B)CAUS DA WHIT DEVILS SPREADIN HIS RELIGIONS IN DEM DERE SAVAGES>.
Seriously though, I'm rather envious, sounds like you had a great time and got some community service in. Good job.
O.o
O.o <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Illegal immigrants (and those who failed to become one) have friends and families, too. Those friends and families would want to remember their lost ones same as anybody else, and a memorial at the site of an unnatural death is a common thing. Before this spirals into a debate thread, I'll point out that discussion already has some that could be revived <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
EDIT: I'm glad you got so much out of your trip Sky.
thou shalt not judge and all that... just stuck in my mind abit as beign abit of a thick thing to say, when you went there for religious reasons, you automatically assume its cos of these so called 'white college kids'
maybe you had a sign on your back that said ' honk if your horny!' <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well actually our host who was with us at the time told us that that was most likely the reason they were honking, and given that she's been down working with Los Ninos (yay for no special characters) for a couple months now down in Tijuana I trusted her assessment. And tbh it makes sense considering how the average American behaves in Tijuana. <!--emo&::marine::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif' /><!--endemo-->
*Applause*
That was one heck of a ripping you gave those guys. Nicley, nicely done.