2007/06/28
2007/06/22
Mi vida en Oaxaca
It's almost been a week since I arrived in Oaxaca and I am really enjoying this place a lot. The city with it's colonial buildings, the nice and colourful Zocalo and the many churches are great to explore!
I am living with a local family about 10 minutes walk from the city centre and Maria and Manuel are a very friendly and helpful couple. Maria is also a great cook and her food is really delicious and everyday the surprise us with some new specialities.
There are another 2 students staying in the house with me, Sarah from San Francisco and Patrick from Washington DC, both are very nice too and have already travelled to various parts of the world.
My school is very good too, at the moment they don't have a lot of students (this week we are only 9 people at the whole school), which is almost like having private tuition. We have class from 09:00 - 14:00 hours, first grammar and the second part is more conversation. I think this is really great for me as I can improve my Spanish quite a bit.
They also offer "intercambios" where you meet a local person and speak in Spanish first and then your counterpart can practice his/her English or whatever language. My intercambio is Marcos, a 25 year old graphic designer who speaks English more or less fluently and and also knows a bit of German.
The school also organizes some social events such as going out to the bars to have a beer or a Mescal (the typical drink here in Oaxaca, similar to the Tequila).
This weekend Sarah and I are planning some sightseeing trips around the city such as to Monte Alban (Zapotec ruins), Tule (big tree and local market) and some other rural villages in the mountains.
Unfortunately it seems that I can´t upload any pictures today, I will have to try from another internet coffee some time later!
I am living with a local family about 10 minutes walk from the city centre and Maria and Manuel are a very friendly and helpful couple. Maria is also a great cook and her food is really delicious and everyday the surprise us with some new specialities.
There are another 2 students staying in the house with me, Sarah from San Francisco and Patrick from Washington DC, both are very nice too and have already travelled to various parts of the world.
My school is very good too, at the moment they don't have a lot of students (this week we are only 9 people at the whole school), which is almost like having private tuition. We have class from 09:00 - 14:00 hours, first grammar and the second part is more conversation. I think this is really great for me as I can improve my Spanish quite a bit.
They also offer "intercambios" where you meet a local person and speak in Spanish first and then your counterpart can practice his/her English or whatever language. My intercambio is Marcos, a 25 year old graphic designer who speaks English more or less fluently and and also knows a bit of German.
The school also organizes some social events such as going out to the bars to have a beer or a Mescal (the typical drink here in Oaxaca, similar to the Tequila).
This weekend Sarah and I are planning some sightseeing trips around the city such as to Monte Alban (Zapotec ruins), Tule (big tree and local market) and some other rural villages in the mountains.
Unfortunately it seems that I can´t upload any pictures today, I will have to try from another internet coffee some time later!
2007/06/16
Hola y bienvenido a Mexico
Hello everybody, here a first update from Mexico.....After a very smooth trip I arrived in Mexico DF on Monday evening and spent Tuesday relaxing at my friends house and getting organized for the days ahead.
On Wednesday morning I did take the bus to the town of Taxco, which is about 3 hours drive from Mexico City. Taxco is an old silver mining town, built on a steep hillside with narrow, cobblestonded streets and a very charming colonial style architecture. I especially liked the Templo de Santa Prisca, a rose coloured church at the Zocalo (main square of any Mexican town).
I returned to DF on Thursday evening, that night my Mexican friends (I first met them in Edinburgh/Scotland in 1998) were organizing a dinner at a nice Taco place and it was really great to talk about good old times in Edinburgh (this time I could even keep up with their Spanish, when we first met it was only English...).
Today Friday I did a tour through the historical center of DF and as there is quite a lot to be seen, I did take a tourist bus tour which they now run here as well...
Of course I did not miss the Zocola (one of the biggest squares in the world) and the Palacio Nacional, where the Mexican President has his office and where you can admire some great murals by Diego Rivera. Next to the parliament there is the cathedral, a three nave basilica in baroque style.
The bus also took us through some really nice neighbourhoods (colonias) and to the bosque de chapultepec, one of the biggest 
parks in Mexico.
parks in Mexico.Tomorrow Saturday early morning I will take the bus to Oaxaca, a city about 7 hours south east of DF, where I will stay for three weeks to attend a Spanish course at a language school.
So more news will come from there....
2007/06/06
Farewell Party Nuance, June 04, 2007
On Monday it was time to say goodbye to my colleagues in the office. Thank you very much for the great
farewell card (myNuance colleagues on a world map) and the nice presents! Of course I will take along my very special, branded bathing towel....!!
Farewell Party Baradox, June 02, 2007
Farewell party with friends at the Baradox in Zurich. Thank you very
much to all for coming along and to give me such a generous gift! I
could not only buy a backpack but also a nice raincoat with the money you collected for me...
much to all for coming along and to give me such a generous gift! I
could not only buy a backpack but also a nice raincoat with the money you collected for me...
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