Music, la Modelo, and Progreso

One of the things that surprises me the most about being in Mérida is the presence that American/ English language music has here. I heard American pop music (well, music that was popular 2-3 years ago in the US) while eating at a restaurant, and my host sister is currently playing Christian praise music from the Australian group called Hillsong on her computer. She knows some English, but I still find it amusing to hear music in English at a place where I am trying to learn Spanish. Yesterday I was riding a micro-bus (more like a large van with space for 13 passengers) to get back to the house after class, and the bus’ radio was playing American and British oldies music. It felt a little weird to be the foreigner while also being the only or one of the only people on the bus who could understand the song lyrics.

After hearing relatively current American pop music in the supermarket last night, I asked my host father what his thoughts were on all of the English-language music. He said that much of Merida’s population enjoys listening to American pop music, but that salsa hip-hop in Spanish is also popular.

Yesterday our group went for a short visit to la Universidad Modelo, where most of my classes will be starting next week. The school seems like a nice place to study, and some of the students came and asked us where we were from (some of them in English) if they weren’t in class at the time. I am looking forward to my classes at la Modelo, but I am glad that I have at least one other Calvin student in each of my classes – I have a feeling that understanding what is going on in class will be difficult at first.

After visiting la Modelo, our group went to the beach at Progreso. The weather is a little cooler close to the ocean and the water was very refreshing – I would love to go back sometime soon! A round-trip coach bus ticket between Mérida and Progreso costs only 25 pesos, which is less than 2 dollars. Certain things cost as much or more than they do in the United States, but things like food, especially fruit, and public transportation are fairly inexpensive.

Our group in our classroom at El Divino Salvador

Progreso