¡Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Rah rah rah! Guadalajara, Mexico Winter Term January 2009 Amy Gibson and Katie VanBuskirk Our family had to be the best in Guadalajara. José, Carmen, Pepe, and Iván were extraordiary people. Carmen fixed the best meals, Pepe took us to the best dance clubs, José made us our very own bottles of tequila, and Iván helped us figure out new words in spanish. We became a very close knit family. Each Monday, we went to Tlaquepaque for classes in dance, singing, and art. We learned three dances and five songs for the final party. The first week for art, we painted a ceramic sun and moon. The next week we made masks of our own faces, painting them later. We learned new things about the culture each day. The first day there, Pepe took us on our bus route and showed us a few buildings around Guadalajara's Centro. This first picture is of the Cathedral and rotunda close to where we met for class every day. The other picture is a view of Tonalá from the top of a hill that we had climbed. This first picture is that of the Plaza of Fundadores in Guadalajara's centro. There were many fountains throughout the city that added to it's beauty. The second picture is that of a garden in the Bosque Colomos. It is our favorite place in Zapopan because it is so beautiful and peaceful. The third picture is the staircase of death, consisting of 97 stairs, that we had to climb to see the scenic view of Tonalá. The first weekend, we went to Manzanilla and Mazamitla. We stopped to meet Guty's mother. In Manzanilla, we met the mayor and toasted to a new year and a good trip. We stayed in cabins that evening in Mazamitla. We learned new, comical, Mexican games, including a game that consisted of us putting on whatever type of clothing we pulled out of the bag, hence the picture. A day in Tlaquepaque... We found the best Burger King in Central America. :D Dany took us. Three weeks of practice put to use in our beautiful faldas! What is there to say... Phantom of the Opera... eat your heart out! The city of Guadalajara had much to offer us, and we were open to every new experience. We learned so much and are truly grateful for our mexican teachers and professors. Overall, this was a great experience, a truly eye-opening adventure, and a wonderful opportunity.