I’m not dead. I was in the hospital in México, though only for a day. When I get copies of the pictures my friends took, I’ll retro-blog them.

Last night, Ryan and I walked to the other parish. It’s about a 40 minute walk, and due to some difficulties with trying to get a working stove, we didn’t eat until late (not late for here, by the way, since they eat supper at about 9:30 at night). We watched Star Wars: Episodio VI¹ in Spanish. Well, we watched part of it, but it was getting late, so Ryan and I decided to go back to our parish. We took a cab rather than walk. This is the first time that I’ve had to give directions to the cab driver without a more fluent Spanish speaker. There were no problems, however, and we got to the parish just fine.

Next mission: Take a cab and argue about the price.

Unrelated notes:

They put ketchup on pizza. We went to Mass and ate supper at the seminary here, and they brought out big bowls of ketchup for the pizza. This was the second time we saw that, so we figured it was not just a fluke. The Mexican seminarians couldn’t figure out why we didn’t use ketchup. ¿Porqué no? the would ask. We were unable to give them an answer other than No es la costumbre in Los Estados Unidos.

The atmosphere is so different here in Guadalajara (and Mexico City also in some ways) from the EEUU. I feel really at home because of the Catholic atmosphere. The piety of the people is so great. True, not everyone comes to Mass, etc. but the Church is more tangible here.

For example at the parish where I am, there are six Masses on Sunday and priests hear confessions during all of them, and many people come. The statues and furnishings in the Church are beautiful, and people are very reverent to the Blessed Sacrament and our Blessed Mother’s image, etc. The parish has a food pantry, clothing for the poor, medical supplies for people, and a bookstore that is open almost every day. There are catechetical classes, the Rosary, etc. very frequently. People are just in the church during the day, too. It’s great.

I got the “Windows Key” on my laptop to be used as a modifier key to get international characters in x.org.

¿Tienes sueño?

The pastor of the parish taught Ryan and me to play Dominoes last night. I think I understand how to play. We begin classes a week from today.

Estoy esperando en el aeropuerto ahora, and I just got coffee at Starbucks. I just wanted black coffee, and their menu lists “el cafe del dia” (sorry no accents, I’m too lazy).

Here’s how it went down:

Starbucks employee: Que quieres a tomar? [What do you want to drink]

I: Que es el cafe del dia? [What is the coffee of the day?]

SE: Cafe del dia? Cual talla? [Coffee of the day? What size?]

I: (emphatically) Que es? [What is it?]

SE: What size?

I: Que es el cafe del dia? [What is the coffee of the day?]

SE: What size (indicating the different sizes)

I: Alto, por favor. [Tall, please.]

People in adoration at a nearby parish.

Zacharias and I in an alley.

A motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic.

Part of the garden of the place we are staying in Mexico City.

The cathedral of Mexico City.

Part of the reredos behind the high altar at the cathedral.

I in the sacristy of the cathedral.

Since you can’t drink the water.