I try and email before my spanish class every morning, but I have found it difficult keeping up with email and blogging, so sorry if it has taken a while to reply, Im on msn messenger johncumbers @ hotmail. com if you want to chat...

The Earthquake happened in Colima a few hundred miles to the West of Mexico City on wednesday night (I think) 23 people died apparently, and it measured 7.something on the richter scale, so quite large. At the

time, about 8.30pm, I was standing in our back yard chatting to some of Benebe´S (the dad) friends. I didnt notice anything at all, but they all did, and pointed at the street light outside, which was swaying

slightly from side to side. Other friends living in town, had windows and doors rattling, and the lights blacked out for 20 minutes in some houses.

more news::: A french student here on exchange was held up in the street with a gun, at 4 in the afternoon! He emptied his front pockets and gave him 18 pesos, (just over a pound) the guy shouted at him for

more, and wanted his wallet, but he said he didnt have anything and that he was a student here. the guy then put the gun away and patted him on the shoulder and walked away... lukcily he had his wallet in his

back pocket, but it has made me think twice about carrying my video camera and wallet about, as I had only just left the guy 20 minutes before. I still have my old backpack I bought from the french guy in

Malaysia with me, luckily it doesnt look like there is a video camera inside it, and my new shoes are starting to blend in and not look new anymore.

Im enjoying the feeling of living somewhere, rather than travelling, its nice to settle down. but perhaps I chose too cheaper option on the housing, 70 pounds a month for 2 rooms.... its cheap, but so cold at

night, I have a chest infection, and it hurts when I eat. Im hoping that its not serious, but ive had it a week and anti biotics are not working, and it is starting to wear me down a bit. Other than that the family are great, learning lots of spanish here. Jeremey is staying for 2 months to do the spanish course, so living together. have a TV, Fridge, Radio, Carpet, desk, Table, 3 chairs, 1 double bed, 1 single, but no running water, and you have to flush the toilet by tipping a bucket of water down it. it is certainly an experience living like this, I dont mind the shabbynesss, but its so cold! should warm up in a month or so... hot shower can be had at the familys house, which we are at all the time for food, which we arranged seperatly. The house mother, Senora Lupe is a great cook, we have been here 2 weeks already and she hasnt repeated a meal yet, although I have to chew my food loads before I can swollow it at the moment.

I thought I was going to take it easy when I got here, but once again I have loaded myself up with subjects at university. Ontop of the 2 hours of spanish everyday, I am taking sculpture classes, (I made a

plasctercene frog on Monday, and next week I need to calve it out of a block of soap! great fun!) guitar classes, I bought a new guitar this week, plus foot stool and tuning fork!, 4 hours of guitar a week!

Mexican Modern Art, with a teacher who is really crazy, and great fun. sit and talk about pictures, plus I have to do 4 presentations on a topic of my choice, you can even draw your coursework! then the

serious subjects, Mexican economy and the free trade agreement with USA and Canada (NAFTA), plus Mexico and Latin america in the regional and international context, which is great, but in spanish so a little

tricky at times, but I hope to keep with it. all the others are in english, except guitar and sculpture, which are both great for making mexican friends...

Lots of people are off travelling this weekend, but I hope to take it easy instead. I get saturdays off here! I didnt in singapore, it makes such a difference! hope to go to the cinema tonight with Jeremy and Jose, the son of the house, to see Eminems film 8Mile.

Live rocks, but sometimes its a bit hard to swallow.
Love to you all-
Juan

Slept through new year in a boring port town in Honduras called Puarto Cortes, we tried to make it over the border to livigston in Guatamala but did not manage it. Headed there the next day though after a cool boat trip to get there.

Livingstone is a black african town consisting of freed and escaped slaves from trading ships going to the americas (similar to jamaica, -I think but correct me if I am wrong...) continued towards Tikal, ancient Myan Ruins in Guatamala and spent a day there, probably guatamalas biggest tourist attraction so it felt wierd to be back on the beaten path again. Headed for the Mexican border, again hitching, and crossed the river into Mexico after a very muddy taxi ride through the last bit shared with a spannish couple... I have a small collection of Cordobas, Ketzales and Limpiras from Nicaragua, Guatamala and Honduras as souvinirs.

First stop back in Mexico was Palenque, and the highlight of the trip. Another Myan ruin, a complex of 18km full of houses, temples, ball parks, and pyramids... stayed in a hippy commune of sorts and had a great day sampling the local mushrooms and checking out the pyramids.... Hitched onwards towards mexico city, but found it much harder to hitch in Mexico, too many fast roads and private cars. Got a bit of the way but caught a bus to Vera Cruz on monday. woke up in the seaside town and it was raining and cold, so got another bus to Mexico city 190 pesos (13 pounds) , 2nd class, 7 hours and made it back to the place Im living at for 9pm. I had called the day before to tell them we were coming, but they were not expecting us so late and we slept on the floor for the first night... it is so cold here, its mid winter, and although its hot when the sun is out at night it is freezing...

They had not finished building the place where I was going to stay so Im living in the place next door, which has 2 rooms instead of 3, but its fine, very basic, but cheap and safe. Jeremy is staying as its a nice poart of Mexico, in a little town on the outskirts, 20 mins from the university by bus. The family I am staying with are amazing, its a 3 minute walk up the road to take a hot shower and to go for meals, but the family is huge, with relatives and friends popping up all over the place. The guy who first showed me the place, Franscisco, or Frank for short, speaks english as he lived in the USA for 20 years, we have arranged meals with his sister who is the best cook, she is filling us to the brim with loads of great Mexican food, we have not eaten this well in weeks. the family all speak spannish to us, and we are picking it up really quickly. There are other houses being built in the place where we are living so we will probably find some others to come and live with us. some other people are moving out in a month and we may move in there as it hs hot water...!

Arrived at University this morning for registration and was 2 hours late after reading some information for a different semester, but not much of a problem and did not miss too much, registration continues tomorrow, friday, and classes begin on monday. Will defaintely be doing 2 hours of spannish from 9 till 11 every morning, plus 2 other subjects still to be chosen. about a hundred other exchange students here and it feels great to be making loads of new friends again, although missing some from singapore too as term started back there this week as well. looking forward to buying some Mexican Blankets to decorate the house and another guitar, as I sold the first one to a Guatamalan guy at the border, made 5 bucks profit on it and was happy to let it go and buy a better one without the dents in it from travelling around... but should get one quick before I give up on the idea, was really good to travel with it though.

Taking a trip to the mountains near the house at the weekend, Frank has been showing us around the town and says he will take a shotgun to the mountains, Im not sure if its for people or animals though...? the best new phrase I have learnt is "dedos de la carjetista" as Senora Roja, Franks sister says that I have the fingers of a pickpocket.... I take it as a complement of course!

We really have a great set up, such a friendly family and such a nice place to stay, and super cheap. Address is: Calle Abasolo, #76 San Mateo, Tlaltenango, Cp. 05600, Mexico District Federal (thats Mexico City) Mexico.

Hasta Luego,
Huan,