We're going out of town for today and tomorrow, so no new posts until we recover from New Year's, but in order to placate our (1) reader(s) -- hi, mom -- here's a video from last year of one of the places we're going.
And also because you deserve some quality film occasionally, check out this video created by Televisa honoring Mexico's bicentennial. Yucatan is a gorgeous state, and we're glad to be here. By the way, the first Mayan ruins they show are at Uxmal -- we're going there tomorrow!
Thursday
Feed us, Harvey!
We went to the port at Progreso on Wednesday and got a nice little tour, but some of us coughAmandacough were a little more interested in getting lunch than learning about what they do.
Wednesday
Now that's a fish!
Brandon was the only brave one who ordered a fish whole. Eww. To each his own, I guess.
Here's a pic of the group at Flamingos, a seafood restaurant on the beach at the port of Progreso.
Burns, I'll pay you 15 pesos right here and now to make a normal face in our pictures. Por favor y gracias.
Burns, I'll pay you 15 pesos right here and now to make a normal face in our pictures. Por favor y gracias.
Cinépolis: Mediocre movies made better
We watched Tron 3D last night.... Or at least, we went to go see it. Some of us napped. Regardless, by the time you add recliners and waiters to bring you baguettes or sushi to go along with your chili popcorn, no one really notices if the movie bombed or not.
John Pemberton plays soccer?
Oh no! Which one is John?
John and Juan Pemberton
For some reason los futbolistas wanted a picture with the girls.. Why not?
Below is a video of Justin (gray shirt) and Brandon (no shirt) playing a little soccer, with commentary from the peanut gallery.. Despite appearances in these videos, they actually did pretty well and scored quite a few times.
Below is a video of Justin (gray shirt) and Brandon (no shirt) playing a little soccer, with commentary from the peanut gallery.. Despite appearances in these videos, they actually did pretty well and scored quite a few times.
Tuesday
Monday Night Football.. in Mexico?
This is why no updates have happened yet--but I promise we have had real class!
Videos and picture posts are in progress..
The great divide
Everything below is from our 2009-2010 intersession trip.
Now new posts can start above from 2010-2011! Another great trip is in the works. Enjoy!
Now new posts can start above from 2010-2011! Another great trip is in the works. Enjoy!
Friday
A little bit of everywhere
From Merida to Oxkutzkab and everywhere in between.. The majority of these photos are from our first day walking through the city, but some include the marketplace in Oxkutzkab, a village on the way out to the reserve at Kaxil Kiuic. You may see some repeats in these photos, but that's no surprise. Here we have a compilation of several students' photos as well. You'll see restaurants, cathedrals, Christmas trees, and who knows what else. If you've got any questions, feel free to leave us a comment!
Bull Fighting!
Fact: Matadors are only the guys fighting on the ground. Picador is what you call these guys that we watched who ride on horseback. And we have no other name for the guys in white jackets who line up to get hit besides kamikazes!
New Year's Day we went to the annual bullfight in the Plaza de Toros--only a few minutes walk from our house. Whether your loved it or hated it, pitied the bulls or felt sorry for the men, there's no denying that it was a sight to behold. The arena was packed as you can tell from the photos, and the crowd alternated between cheers and boos as the competition went on. A four piece band even played at an impressive volume--at least, when they could be bothered to remember their job playing!-- and cries from vendors resounded throughout.
New Year's Day we went to the annual bullfight in the Plaza de Toros--only a few minutes walk from our house. Whether your loved it or hated it, pitied the bulls or felt sorry for the men, there's no denying that it was a sight to behold. The arena was packed as you can tell from the photos, and the crowd alternated between cheers and boos as the competition went on. A four piece band even played at an impressive volume--at least, when they could be bothered to remember their job playing!-- and cries from vendors resounded throughout.
Thursday
Celestun
Flamencos! Flamingos come and go from Celestun all year long. Too bad for us, this was one of the times of year where there weren't as many, but I'm sure we got our share.. Things to look for in the photos: birds, more birds, oh--and did i mention?--birds. Also, see if you can find the termites in the trees. And catch our boat driver guy scooping water out of the boat. Makes you feel safe, right?
My First Try With Adding Photos
Here's just a compilation of photos we have from our trips to the beach.. If only I'd figured out how to do this weeks ago, we'd have had photo slideshows all along during the trip. My apologies! But look forward to the next two days full of me catching up on photo slideshows.
While in the Yucatan, we visit the beach at Progreso (only aout a 40 minute ride from the city), as well as Celestun (where the flamingos are!). Both are great places to play in the water and get some sun.. And as you may notice in some of the pictures, volleyball is usually a fun idea. However, unfortunately for us, the Federales decided to ruin our fun when they ran over our volleyball! Poor thing-- it never had a chance. Thanks, Justin. :(
Wednesday
Comunitodo
Two students discuss their visit to Comunitodo, a telemarketing company contracted by TelMex to sell phone service plans to Yucatecans. During his tour, Adrián explained many management techniques he has implemented during his time to improve performance and morale with employees. Many differences exist between American and Mexican companies, but as Alex and Ann found out, a lot of things are the same too. Below are a few excerpts from their commentary and our visit:
Management Across Cultures
Professor Diane Baker discusses the class she taught during the winter intersession, Management Across Cultures.
Cenote Diving
For those of you out there who've never seen one, a cenote (suh-NO-tay) is a naturally formed, underground cavern full of the clearest, most beautiful water you've ever seen.. They pop up all throughout the Yucatan peninsula, and as much as I've tried digging in my backyard in Mississippi, none have appeared. This particular day, after driving a few hours and and dreaming of the days of Jose and the Benz van, we arrived in Cuzama-- a recently commercialized yet still incredibly rural village where, until a few months ago, practically the only available bathroom involved paying 4 pesos to use a broken toilet. Upon arrival, Harvey contracted a few drivers for the "train" to transport our sixteen persons to the cenotes. By "train" I mean, horse and cart on tracks that have been in place since the height of the haciendas. Ride at your own risk. And then, once you've arrived at any of the three available cenotes, jump/dive at your own risk. De verdad, I'm pretty sure the whole experience is a risk. Enjoy the video, and try not to get too jealous that you weren't there.
Note: I recognize that the videos are a little excessive, but iPhoto seems to be very anti-me posting photos. Thanks to this lovely water crisis in Jackson though, I have several days to make it happen. I'm on a search for a PC that isn't falling apart. Still to come: visit to telemarketing firm Comunitodo, the flamingos of Celestun, class sessions, and tours of the house!
Note: I recognize that the videos are a little excessive, but iPhoto seems to be very anti-me posting photos. Thanks to this lovely water crisis in Jackson though, I have several days to make it happen. I'm on a search for a PC that isn't falling apart. Still to come: visit to telemarketing firm Comunitodo, the flamingos of Celestun, class sessions, and tours of the house!
Tuesday
Oh, CantaMexico
We celebrated Sital's birthday by going out to karaoke, and we learned a few things:
1) Alex loves Bon Jovi.
2) Smells Like Teen Spirit is way harder to sing than you remembered. And,
3) As noted by Tim, Hotel California is key for international bonding.
1) Alex loves Bon Jovi.
2) Smells Like Teen Spirit is way harder to sing than you remembered. And,
3) As noted by Tim, Hotel California is key for international bonding.
Sunday
watching the planes go by..
As we sit in the airport, I have MORE than enough time to go through photos.. Unfortunately, the majority of the quality photos are on Harvey's camera/hard drive instead of here with me. However, I've got three hours to kill, so you guys are going to get a photo summary of our two weeks in a very, very long post.
Thursday
Kaxil Kiuic
After a few more problems, like a broken down van, we spent one night last week at the Helen Moyers Biocultural Reserve at Kaxil Kiuic. Here's a student's tale of our journey and some photos from atop the tower at Kiuic:
On the morning of Wednesday December 30th, we left for Kiuic sporting a Mercedes Benz minivan. There was ample cargo space, lots of leg room, and an overall level of comfort unmatched by any other van I had previously experienced. We were riding in style to say the least. As nice as the van was, the ride was still very long and exhausting, but several stops along the way made it less arduous. It's worth noting that along the way, there were signs of poverty everywhere. We passed by several little shanty villages, homes made of nothing more than the surrounding environment, and children who were wandering around playing with anything they could get their hands on. It was definitely an eye opening experience and one that I won't soon be forgetting.
Our first stop was in Oxcutzcab where we were given about 45 minutes to explore the marketplace. Much like the first marketplace we visited, this one was teeming with vendors and customers. Vegetables, children's books, clothes, and even a slot machine here and there lined the walkways of the marketplace. We spent our time looking around, marveling at the selection, and soaking in the culture. A few more minutes and a bag of oranges later, we were ready for lunch.
The restaurant was apparently famous for a dish called Poc Chuc. Naturally, I was inclined to order the dish and am happy to say that I was not disappointed. A vast assortment of meat, resting on a bed of veggies and citrus was just the thing I needed after a day in the market. Bellies full and energy restored, we packed back into the luxury van and headed towards Kiuic.
Once we reached Kiuic, we quickly settled in and found our respective hammocks. The boys in one room and the girls in another right across. The downtime was much needed, but short lived. We quickly gathered back up and headed on a trail into the forest towards a tower. The tower seemed to be sturdy enough, but at a couple stories high, there were still some doubts. In order to put some worried minds at ease, we split up into two groups and went up one at a time. I'm happy to report that I was part of the first group, and was one of the first to experience the incredible view. You could see for miles in every direction. The sun was just starting to set, and the only noises that could be heard were those of the forest. Oh, that and the noise of a certain someone's water bottle crashing down to the ground below because a certain someone knocked it over while he/she was at the top of the tower. Anyway, the view was gorgeous, and the setting sun was icing on the cake.
After the tower shenanigans, we headed back to our rooms to relax for a bit before dinner. Although nothing that was said in the boy's room can ever be repeated in the presence of any kind of decent company, it's worth noting that stories were told, and good times were had. We ate dinner with the geology kids, talked about our day, and headed to bed. It was a good day to say the least.
http://www.millsaps.edu/yucatan/
On the morning of Wednesday December 30th, we left for Kiuic sporting a Mercedes Benz minivan. There was ample cargo space, lots of leg room, and an overall level of comfort unmatched by any other van I had previously experienced. We were riding in style to say the least. As nice as the van was, the ride was still very long and exhausting, but several stops along the way made it less arduous. It's worth noting that along the way, there were signs of poverty everywhere. We passed by several little shanty villages, homes made of nothing more than the surrounding environment, and children who were wandering around playing with anything they could get their hands on. It was definitely an eye opening experience and one that I won't soon be forgetting.
Our first stop was in Oxcutzcab where we were given about 45 minutes to explore the marketplace. Much like the first marketplace we visited, this one was teeming with vendors and customers. Vegetables, children's books, clothes, and even a slot machine here and there lined the walkways of the marketplace. We spent our time looking around, marveling at the selection, and soaking in the culture. A few more minutes and a bag of oranges later, we were ready for lunch.
The restaurant was apparently famous for a dish called Poc Chuc. Naturally, I was inclined to order the dish and am happy to say that I was not disappointed. A vast assortment of meat, resting on a bed of veggies and citrus was just the thing I needed after a day in the market. Bellies full and energy restored, we packed back into the luxury van and headed towards Kiuic.
Once we reached Kiuic, we quickly settled in and found our respective hammocks. The boys in one room and the girls in another right across. The downtime was much needed, but short lived. We quickly gathered back up and headed on a trail into the forest towards a tower. The tower seemed to be sturdy enough, but at a couple stories high, there were still some doubts. In order to put some worried minds at ease, we split up into two groups and went up one at a time. I'm happy to report that I was part of the first group, and was one of the first to experience the incredible view. You could see for miles in every direction. The sun was just starting to set, and the only noises that could be heard were those of the forest. Oh, that and the noise of a certain someone's water bottle crashing down to the ground below because a certain someone knocked it over while he/she was at the top of the tower. Anyway, the view was gorgeous, and the setting sun was icing on the cake.
After the tower shenanigans, we headed back to our rooms to relax for a bit before dinner. Although nothing that was said in the boy's room can ever be repeated in the presence of any kind of decent company, it's worth noting that stories were told, and good times were had. We ate dinner with the geology kids, talked about our day, and headed to bed. It was a good day to say the least.
http://www.millsaps.edu/yucatan/
Operadora Ganso Azul
Tuesday both classes visited Ganso Azul, a maquiladora in the north of town that makes uniforms for Blauer, an American company. Gus Gordon, co-owner of OGA, took some time to speak with Millsaps students and discuss some of the challenges he faces as a manager in an international business.
For the majority of our group, this was the first time any of us had seen the inner-workings of a factory, and many were surprised at how labor intensive the work in such a place is. Though we live in the twenty-first century, our world is far from fully automated of operations. Ganso Azul currently employees roughly 450 workers and just celebrated its tenth year. Experiences such as these do a lot to increase awareness of cultural differences, in everything from management styles to lifestyles of employees. In recent days, we've visited several business in Merida and spoken with experienced business people from the area, and the discussion that has developed from those meetings has opened our eyes to a lot. The following was taken from the class blog of a student:
Today we visited the factory Ganso Azul. I've never been in a factory before, so it was a pretty enlightening experience. The owner of the factory, Gus, was super nice and answered a lot of our questions. Sarah even gave us a tour of the factory since she used to intern there. It was awesome to see how these uniforms were made, because I've never really given much thought to how things like pants or jackets are made. Basically there's a station for every little piece of the pant or jacket. Fabric is cut in one place, pressed in another, buttons sown on here, cuffs added here. What's even more amazing is that these workers work 8-6 doing the exact same thing over and over. I'm pretty sure I would go crazy.
Another interesting thing about the factory is how much planning goes into everything. I would never have imagined engineers working at a clothing factory, but at Ganso Azul they are always trying to come up with ways to make things more efficient. By being more efficient, this allows the factory to deliver on time to their customer. That combined with high quality is what gives Ganso Azul a competitive advantage over other factories, not price. Over the past decade, thanks to CAFTA and China free trade agreements, Mexico has lost a lot of the factories owned by U.S. companies. There are still some companies in the U.S. that like the proximity of Mexico to the U.S., and factories like Ganso Azul are thankful for that and do everything they can for their customer.
One other thing that stuck with me is the way in which many Mexicans think only on a day-to-day basis and not of the future. For instance, the severance pay policy here in Mexico causes many workers to do poor work on purpose. If a worker gets fired for any reason, they get 3 months pay. Because of this many Mexicans intentionally do bad at work in order to get fired and collect that sum. What kind of work ethic is that? There are also even workers who will get injured on the job, such as lose a thumb in the buttonhole machine, just to collect the Social Security payment. I could never imagine doing something like that, but the day-to-day outlook is part of the culture here. Don't they understand that in the long run it's better to keep your job, your livelihood? Because eventually that one-time payment, although large, is going to run out, and you may not be able to find another job. What then? To me, that seems like such a tragic way to live.
www.blauer.com
Today we visited the factory Ganso Azul. I've never been in a factory before, so it was a pretty enlightening experience. The owner of the factory, Gus, was super nice and answered a lot of our questions. Sarah even gave us a tour of the factory since she used to intern there. It was awesome to see how these uniforms were made, because I've never really given much thought to how things like pants or jackets are made. Basically there's a station for every little piece of the pant or jacket. Fabric is cut in one place, pressed in another, buttons sown on here, cuffs added here. What's even more amazing is that these workers work 8-6 doing the exact same thing over and over. I'm pretty sure I would go crazy.
Another interesting thing about the factory is how much planning goes into everything. I would never have imagined engineers working at a clothing factory, but at Ganso Azul they are always trying to come up with ways to make things more efficient. By being more efficient, this allows the factory to deliver on time to their customer. That combined with high quality is what gives Ganso Azul a competitive advantage over other factories, not price. Over the past decade, thanks to CAFTA and China free trade agreements, Mexico has lost a lot of the factories owned by U.S. companies. There are still some companies in the U.S. that like the proximity of Mexico to the U.S., and factories like Ganso Azul are thankful for that and do everything they can for their customer.
One other thing that stuck with me is the way in which many Mexicans think only on a day-to-day basis and not of the future. For instance, the severance pay policy here in Mexico causes many workers to do poor work on purpose. If a worker gets fired for any reason, they get 3 months pay. Because of this many Mexicans intentionally do bad at work in order to get fired and collect that sum. What kind of work ethic is that? There are also even workers who will get injured on the job, such as lose a thumb in the buttonhole machine, just to collect the Social Security payment. I could never imagine doing something like that, but the day-to-day outlook is part of the culture here. Don't they understand that in the long run it's better to keep your job, your livelihood? Because eventually that one-time payment, although large, is going to run out, and you may not be able to find another job. What then? To me, that seems like such a tragic way to live.
www.blauer.com
An Analysis of Avatar
First things first: everyone should have a VIP movie theatre like the one located at Cinepolis. Leather recliners and a wait staff make any movie infinitely more enjoyable.
Secondly: only Millsaps students are crazy enough to write the following...
Secondly: only Millsaps students are crazy enough to write the following...
Avatar: A Whole New Perspective on International Warfare
One of the primary themes of Bush warfare was the idea of preemptive attacks. The same idea was employed by James Cameron and his crew in the movie Avatar. The troops from Earth in this movie used preemptive warfare against the Na'vi in order to gain access to a valuable mineral known as "Unobtainium". To some, this could be an analogy of George W. Bush's preemptive attack on Iraq, in order seize increased oil access, the "unobtainium" mineral of the Middle East. The Earth troops also saw the need to "fight terror with terror". This has been a common theme with the Iraq war, where we preemptively attacked out of fear of the use of weapons of mass destruction.
Not only was this mindset of exploitation employed by the United States on the Middle East but preceeded modern times with the British conquest of the colonies in America. The troops for Earth described the Na'vi as savages who could just move in hope to justify their overtaking of the land. The Na'vi saw the land as sacred, an intertwined spiritual being, while the Earth troops saw the trees as just trees and the people as just savages. Believing the Native Americans were a threat to their conquest, the British subdued the natives through the use of alcohol, modern weaponry, and disease that constantly plagued their population. Their whole goal was conquest rather than understanding. This is similar toAvatar's plotline where the troops from Earth cared nothing about the meaning of the land to the Na'vi people and simply saw it as Earth's playground.
Overall, it was both an enjoyable and educational experience once again at the VIP movie theater.
<3 Natalie and Gwen
Not only was this mindset of exploitation employed by the United States on the Middle East but preceeded modern times with the British conquest of the colonies in America. The troops for Earth described the Na'vi as savages who could just move in hope to justify their overtaking of the land. The Na'vi saw the land as sacred, an intertwined spiritual being, while the Earth troops saw the trees as just trees and the people as just savages. Believing the Native Americans were a threat to their conquest, the British subdued the natives through the use of alcohol, modern weaponry, and disease that constantly plagued their population. Their whole goal was conquest rather than understanding. This is similar toAvatar's plotline where the troops from Earth cared nothing about the meaning of the land to the Na'vi people and simply saw it as Earth's playground.
Overall, it was both an enjoyable and educational experience once again at the VIP movie theater.
<3 Natalie and Gwen
Tuesday
Facebook!
For anyone on Facebook, check out pictures from our trip by becoming a fan of Millsaps Else School in Mexico!
Monday
Revelations through Incidents in Mexico
Revelations as written by Tim (with a few purposefully missing numbers):
1. Cowboy hats are a serious matter in Texas
2. Mexican dogs like to hang out on roof tops
3. Mexican street names are idiot proof
5. Title VII does not exist in Mexico
6. Copyright laws do not exist in Mexico
7. Justin's purpose in life is to sell Marquesitas
8. Motrin RETARD is a real drug.
9. Shenanigans can not be thrown around all willy nilly like.
12. AJ only talks to nice ladies
13. The Mexican military thinks that it is funny to run over innocent volleyballs
14. Shark heads wash up on shore
15. The Mexican police is actually more corrupt than JPD
16. Jose knows everyone in Mexico
19. Mayan women think I am the white devil and tell their children
20. Dogs like Anne and Alex and will follow them to hell and back
21. Sarah is very picky about her salbutes and will get angry about them
22. Mexican bowling consists of ten Mexicans and one very angry bull. People die. I have proof.
23. Bull fighting is a bloody family affair
24. Mexican bugs will cut you good
25. Hotel California as a karaoke song is the international language
28. Mexican Chinese food is as elusive as it is compelling
30. Every house should be equipped with multiple hammocks
1. Cowboy hats are a serious matter in Texas
2. Mexican dogs like to hang out on roof tops
3. Mexican street names are idiot proof
5. Title VII does not exist in Mexico
6. Copyright laws do not exist in Mexico
7. Justin's purpose in life is to sell Marquesitas
8. Motrin RETARD is a real drug.
9. Shenanigans can not be thrown around all willy nilly like.
12. AJ only talks to nice ladies
13. The Mexican military thinks that it is funny to run over innocent volleyballs
14. Shark heads wash up on shore
15. The Mexican police is actually more corrupt than JPD
16. Jose knows everyone in Mexico
19. Mayan women think I am the white devil and tell their children
20. Dogs like Anne and Alex and will follow them to hell and back
21. Sarah is very picky about her salbutes and will get angry about them
22. Mexican bowling consists of ten Mexicans and one very angry bull. People die. I have proof.
23. Bull fighting is a bloody family affair
24. Mexican bugs will cut you good
25. Hotel California as a karaoke song is the international language
28. Mexican Chinese food is as elusive as it is compelling
30. Every house should be equipped with multiple hammocks
39. Merangie! Merangie! Merangie!
ChaaaAAAAcccc
Everyone's favorite guide to Uxmal, Gregorio, gives us a lesson in the EXACT pronunciation of the rain god Chaac's name. Real pictures of our trip to Uxmal are still to come, but enjoy this for now:
Also at Uxmal was a completely epic adventure involving students and iguanas in which absolutely nothing actually occurred.
Also at Uxmal was a completely epic adventure involving students and iguanas in which absolutely nothing actually occurred.
Sunday
Scavenger Hunt
Harvey left town for the weekend and left his International Business course to search the town looking for violations of intellectual property rights. As you can see from the video below, the students had no difficulties finding them. The class decided the only proper way to go about looking for them was to compete, and boys vs. girls seems to be the only way to do so. The teams were uneven, so I got pegged to be a part of the boys' team. I can only assume the girls did their part of the assignment too, but I wasn't there for any of it. Here's how it all went down:
Several students commented on the assignment. Below are a few excerpts from their journals and blogs:
"Intellectual property rights and licensing violations have become an apparent problem for many companies, particularly within Mexico. Several years ago, it was estimated that firms from the United States lost US $162.4 in Mexico just from software piracy. Yesterday, our class went on a scavenger hunt to find at least 20 intellectual property rights violations. Overall, the task took less than an hour, and we had only been within about a three block radius. These violations ranged from toys, clothing, accessories, and movies. If it is such an apparent issue, then why is nothing being done about it?" --Gwen
"Intellectual property rights and licensing violations have become an apparent problem for many companies, particularly within Mexico. Several years ago, it was estimated that firms from the United States lost US $162.4 in Mexico just from software piracy. Yesterday, our class went on a scavenger hunt to find at least 20 intellectual property rights violations. Overall, the task took less than an hour, and we had only been within about a three block radius. These violations ranged from toys, clothing, accessories, and movies. If it is such an apparent issue, then why is nothing being done about it?" --Gwen
"I kind of have mixed feelings about the whole international law implications of our scavenger hunt. On the one hand, I side with the U.S. - companies have worked hard and spent tons of money on building the reputation of their brands and inventing new technologies and they deserve to make a profit off of it. It's not fair for them to put in all the work just for someone else to copy it and make the profit instead. At the same time, though, I can see Mexico's and other poorer countries' side of the argument. Most of the population in those countries cannot afford the price of brand name products, so is it fair that they should have to do without? No it's not fair. But is it fair that they rip off other brands? Most Mexicans feel that way, I fear, although I cannot say that I completely sympathize either way in this argument. The economic and cultural differences between countries only make any progress toward any kind of international custom on this matter harder to obtain." --Laura
Saturday
Vamos a Caminar a la Playa
After spending the day at the beach, this is pretty much all we have to show for it.. Clearly, none of us are ready to go pro playing volleyball. Yet.
Stumbling through the Marketplace
Monday we took a tour through the city and took a quick trip through one of Mérida's oldest and, I'm going to guess, loudest marketplaces. Just to give you a feel for what it was like, click play below and walk along with us through the market.
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