Stressed already

Well... second day. Not a good one. Slept about two hours and the flat seemed to be cold as an iceblock - I have no idea why. Spent the day until now with trying not to fall asleep and trying not to give up on trying to understand spanish. What would I give for a conversation or a class in english! Damn! I really hope this is going to get better FAST.

To make things even better, making our spontaneous plans to go to Acapulco yesterday Hansjörg and I totally forgot that we are invited for dinner at the home of a student of the first year of MEDE who lives in our Dorm tomorrow - but cancelling Acapulco is no option anymore, the bags are packed. So one of us has to call him and cancel... apart from not knowing all the words you need to wiggle out of an appointment it also is a shame for us because we were just too drunk yesterday to remember what plans we had already made. Hmpf.

At least I got my computer to work in the university today... because I did not forget the adaptor for the power plug like yesterday. Somehow I feel like everybody is reading from my screen as I sit in the first row, but who cares. As long as I am not disturbing anyone, please let me live! And, of course, I got my dictionary on the laptop. Es verdad!

However, we are leaving in half an hour and will be lying at the beach the next two days, so please don't cry when there is no update until monday - but then you can expect some brand new pictures!

Hasta luego!

Even in the kitchen - everything original seventies. Except us, of course! Boy, this was a lot of fun. Tomorrow after classes Hansjörg and I will travel to Acapulco with three classmates for the weekend (Friday is off! Yeah!) - that's going to be exciting! So watch out for the next update! Cheers!

Tonight we were invited to join an evening of Domino and Drinks - and said yes! It was a lot of fun. About twelve guys of the MEDE program showed up, and we met in the flat of one of them, which is completely 70s style - thats like travelling in a time machine!

Well...

Aqui tambien - here as well, with Hansjörg.

No, still not in the city park. That´s all IPADE!!!

Another view of the campus.

The main lecture room for the participants of the MBA program (which is called MEDE here). Every student has an assigned place and carries a little sign with his name on it which you click into the table in classes, so that the professor can address you by name all the time. I got my own sign now, and my place is the outer right in the first row! :-)

It looks like a park, it feels like a park, but yet: This is the campus, all surrounded by high walls.

Here we are: IPADE, Universidad Panamericano!

On the way to IPADE.... not what I expected when I saw the pictures of the university in the internet, but people are extremely friendly around here and the whole block has a movie atmosphere somehow.

And this is the view when I step out of my door (the dorm is built like an american motel, every room has got a seperate entrance) - the corona sign is lighted up wonderfully by night.

This is the view from my window!

The bed is hanging into the room by some welded construction... seems to be stable. Saves space and is quite comfortable as well.

This is the view from the entrance into the room - small but absolutely "suficiente". And mine!

The arrival

After an 12 hours flight I arrived at 6:40pm in Mexico City. The airport was crowded, taxi drivers screaming for customers and someone who collected my trolley right behind the exit of the arrival zone, so that I could prove my fitness on the way to the "taxis autorizados". My colleague Hansjörg who came here a week ago had given me the address of the dorm, so I just handed it to the taxi driver and he took me there - after a short lecture in the incredibly thick road map and 50 minutes fear in the rush hour of Mexico City. When we arrived, I was sure this was the wrong street. Everything looked a bit industrial, I could see only big gates but nothing like a dorm - well was I wrong! Behind one of the gates it is: The dorm of IPADE, were only students live. Within ten minutes I had my baggage in my new room, which is next to Hansjörgs, someone had brought me bedlinen and toilet paper, installed a new shower head (?) and said "bienvenidos!". The only thing missing was the key, but never mind, I got that today. The big extras are the Wireless Internet and the telephone - this caters to all my communication needs.
In the picture you see the view to the door from my room.

Dear Friends, I´m far away from home again! Woohoo!
Mexico City, the world's largest city with something around 28 million people living here. I haven't seen them all yet, but working on it.

After having to pass the "Nachschreibeklausur" (that means something like "Exam you have to pass because you missed it the first time and they will kick you out of university if you don't, leaving you with 18 months wasted time, no degree and some big bucks owing the bank") AND in fact passing it, I could finally fly here yesterday.