Arrival in Oaxaca

Wow, after 2 plane flights (with lots of sleep and a moderate amount of Spanish learning), I am finally in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico! I am currently writing this on the porch on the second floor of my house right in front of my room. I stumbled out of baggage claim to meet Ariana, who is a 17 y.o. girl living in the homestay. I said “Hola!” and asked her “Como estas?” but from there our communication began to rely heavily on hand signals and Google Translate. I have a LOT of Spanish learning ahead for me to do! We were picked up by the grandmother’s son in law, who spoke some English so we were able to talk – he asked me my age, where I went to school, where my parents were from, how long I would be staying, etc. I also learned that there were 4 other Stanford students who were living in the same house. As we drove we saw all of the different shops and places in the bustling city of Oaxaca, which is very colorful, and the temperature was pretty hot compared to California. Upon entering the house, which was quite nicely designed albeit a little small, I was greeted by the grandmother (who later introduced herself as Eugenia or Senora Arces), who asked me what I wanted to eat and made me a chicken tamale. It tasted strong with a distinct corn taste from the wrapping and some burned taste from the chicken. Afterwards, Ariana took me on a walking tour of Oaxaca, where I saw the whole city from a vantage point near the house, the stadium where the Guelaguetza Festival is held, murals with people from Oaxaca history, and a statue of Benito Juarez. Outside of the house are many stairs where people exercise. I had some time to rest and unpack, and am enjoying my free time on the porch at the moment.