Mérida, México

Guess what!  I got accepted to do a study abroad program in Mérida, México, this spring! I'm sooooo excited!

Frequently Asked Questions:

It's in southern Mexico, on the Yucatán Peninsula, pretty close to Guatemala on the west and Cancún on the east.  Right next to the beach!

No, Joel isn't coming and yes, that will be suuuuper hard.

I will be going to a Mexican university in Mérida and living with a (most-likely) Catholic family :)

I will be there for six weeks - approx. April 29 - June 16. 

Also, guess what - I was just looking up some things about Mérida and they even have a temple, so that'll be fun, too.  I really like going through the temple in Spanish. :)

I'm so excited to finally get to visit a country that speaks the language I'm studying!  It will be super fun to get to improve my Spanish with so many Spanish-speakers. (I even had to sign a contract that I will only speak up to half an hour of English per day! not including when I'm talking to Joel.)  I'm excited to get to be with the people/culture that I've studied, and it will help me feel so much more capable and qualified as a Spanish teacher.  If you have any other questions, let me know! :)

Woohoo!

RE: my last post

By the way - for my class, I need to keep the lyrics the way they were originally, but I apologize for the non-G-rated language. 

Everyone's a little bit racist.

For one of my classes, I'm supposed to post this video and then consider any comments people leave about it, so if you watch the video, please comment!  Thanks :)

It's a little hard to understand at some parts, so here are the lyrics in case you need them.... 

Princeton: Say, Kate, can I ask you a question?
Kate Monster: Sure!
P: Well, you know Trekkie Monster upstairs?
KM: Uh huh.
P: Well, he's Trekkie Monster, and you're Kate Monster.
KM: Right.
P: You're both Monsters.
KM: Yeah.
P: Are you two related?
KM: What?! Princeton, I'm surprised at you! I find that racist!
P: Oh, well, I'm sorry! I was just asking!
KM: Well, it's a touchy subject.
No, not all Monsters are related.
What are you trying say, huh?
That we all look the same to you?
Huh, huh, huh?
P: No, no, no, not at all. I'm sorry,
I guess that was a little racist.
KM: I should say so. You should be much more
careful when you're talking about the
sensitive subject of race.
P: Well, look who's talking!
KM: What do you mean?
P: What about that special Monster School you told me about?
KM: What about it?
P: Could someone like me go there?
KM: No, we don't want people like you-
P: You see?!

You're a little bit racist.
KM: Well, you're a little bit too.
P: I guess we're both a little bit racist.
KM: Admitting it is not an easy thing to do...
P: But I guess it's true.
KM: Between me and you,
I think

Both: Everyone's a little bit racist
Sometimes.
Doesn't mean we go
Around committing hate crimes.
Look around and you will find
No one's really color blind.
Maybe it's a fact
We all should face
Everyone makes judgments
Based on race.

P: Now not big judgments, like who to hire
or who to buy a newspaper from -
KM: No!
P: No, just little judgments like thinking that Mexican
busboys should learn to speak goddamn English!
KM: Right!

Both: Everyone's a little bit racist
Today.
So, everyone's a little bit racist
Okay!
Ethinic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because
They're based on truth.
Don't take them as
Personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them -
So relax!

P: All right, stop me if you've heard this one.
KM: Okay!
P: There's a plan going down and there's only
one paracute. And there's a rabbi, a priest...
KM: And a black guy!

Gary Coleman: Whatchoo talkin' 'bout Kate?
KM: Uh...
GC: You were telling a black joke!
P: Well, sure, Gary, but lots of people tell black jokes.
GC: I don't.
P: Well, of course you don't - you're black!
But I bet you tell French jokes, right?
GC: Well, sure I do. Those stupid French people!
P: Now, don't you think that's a little racist?
GC: Well, damn, I guess you're right.

KM: You're a little bit racist.
GC: Well, you're a little bit too.
P: We're all a little bit racist.
GC: I think that I would
Have to agree with you.

P/KM: We're glad you do.

GC: It's sad but true!
Everyone's a little bit racist -
All right!
KM: All right!
P: All right!
GC: All right!
Bigotry has never been
Exclusively white

All: If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
Even though we all know
That it's wrong,
Maybe it would help us
Get along.

P: Oh, Christ do I feel good.
GC: Now there was a fine upstanding black man!
P: Who?
G: Jesus Christ.
KM: But, Gary, Jesus was white.
GC: No, Jesus was black.
KM: No, Jesus was white.
GC: No, I'm pretty sure that Jesus was black-
P: Guys, guys...Jesus was Jewish!

Brian: Hey guys, what are you laughing about?
GC: Racism!
B: Cool.

Christmas Eve: BRIAN! Come back here!
You take out lecycuraburs!
P: What's that mean?
B: Um, recyclables.
Hey, don't laugh at her!
How many languages do you speak?
KM: Oh, come off it, Brian!
Everyone's a little bit racist.
B: I'm not!
P: Oh no?
B: Nope!
How many Oriental wives
Have you got?
CE: What? Brian!
P: Brian, buddy, where you been?
The term is Asian-American!
CE: I know you are no
Intending to be
But calling me Oriental -
Offensive to me!
B: I'm sorry, honey, I love you.
CE: And I love you.
B: But you're racist, too.
CE: Yes, I know.
The Jews have all
The money
And the whites have all
The power.
And I'm always in taxi-cab
With driver who no shower!
P: Me too!
KM: Me too!
GC: I can't even get a taxi!

All: Everyone's a little bit racist
It's true.
But everyone is just about
As racist as you!
If we all could just admit
That we are racist a little bit,
And everyone stopped being
So PC
Maybe we could live in -
Harmony!

CE: Evlyone's a ritter bit lacist!

"Someday we'll know why the sky is blue..."

Dear New Radicals, Mandy Moore, and Jon Foreman,

We already know that.

Sincerely, alisonmj

P.S. I love this song :)

free food

here

 I just wanted to let you all know that I got free breakfast today in my class.  After I already remembered and had time to each lunch.  Now I'm set for lunch!

vegetables

That looks super good, don't you think?

And if I told you it was made out of a vegetable and not potatoes,

wouldn't you think, "Hey, what a cool way to get some

extra vegetables into our diet!"?

Because it does look super good.

Well, let me tell you what.

If you ever want to be disappointed in a recipe,

try making this.

alisonism #13: Gus, don't be a gooey chocolate chip cookie.

here

• I like chocolate chip cookies a lot. 
• My favorite part of a chocolate chip cookie is the part that doesn't actually have any chocolate chips in it. 
• --> I look for the cookies that barely have any chocolate chips in them. 
• I prefer milk chocolate to semi-sweet. 
• I say "se-my," not "se-mee."  In all cases - not just with semi-sweet chocolate chips. 
• I love "everything" cookies. I don't know what they're called; my mom just sends them to me sometimes and they seem like they have everything in them.  Nuts, m&ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, whatever. 
• I loooove oatmeal cookies! Not with chocolate chips in them. People always seem to think that when I say I love oatmeal cookies, I mean I love oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips in them, but no. Just regular oatmeal cookies. Sometimes the store-bought ones with the hard frosting on top. mmmm.
• When Carrie and I were living together, we invented a new kind of cookie.  Only, since Carrie gave up sugar for Lent that year and we still wanted to make them, we changed them to be called patties instead.  Oatmeal Craisin Patties.  They are so so delicious!  I would give you the recipe, but we're actually entering them in the Pillsbury Bake Off 2011, so... :) I promise - after 11:59 on April 18, you can have it.    
• When I make cookies, I let them cool on wax paper if I have any, but usually I don't so I use newspaper instead.  Joel thinks it's gross, and it probably is. But I do it anyway.

Pillsbury Bake Off 2011, here we come!

When we were roommates, Carrie and I invented a delicious kind of cookie.

This semester, we are entering it in the Pillsbury Bake Off.  

It's gonna be awesome.

alisonism #12: pigeons

I am pigeon-toed. 

here

Well, not actually that kind of pigeon-toed. I've heard that's much more rare.

But I am. You can't always tell if you just see me walking around - I think I'm less pigeon-toed than I used to be when I was younger. But, if you pay attention, you might notice that I'm pigeon-toed when...

I walk up stairs.

I land after jumping.

I am nervous/not confident.

I'm feeling kind of lazy.

I'm sitting down with my legs stretched out.
I need extra balance.

Also, if I try to focus on walking with straight feet, I usually think about walking like this:

here

 and it all works out.

Gus: [on his work at Psych] This is just something I do on the side. A hobby, really, like collecting thimbles or, um... raising carrier pigeons.
Frankjim Ogletree: You raise carrier pigeons?
Gus: No, not at all. That's totally lame. I just said that because I was flustered.  

Ogletree: I raise carrier pigeons.
Gus: I'm glad you said that. Because I was afraid to tell you how cool I thought carrier pigeons are. Flying around and carrying stuff, coming back... awesome!

on the same note...

It's awkward when boys hang around outside the girls' bathroom.  If they're waiting for someone, that's fine, but could you scoot down the hall a little bit?  Thanks.

you know it's bad news when...

...you can smell the bathroom in the hallway.

through the mother's lounge in between the two.