On the tower!!!

Harvey Fiser

Even Stacy made it!!!! We think everyone came back down......
We'll let you know tomorrow!

Harvey Fiser

Hola from the reserve!!!

Harvey Fiser

We are updating from the reserve... So a few pics and blurbs, but
Internet off solar power isn't quite there! So, more from the house!

So we made it to the reserve and got to walk over the ruins!!!

Mayan chocolate shop!

Harvey Fiser

Ok.... One more pic from day one... So during the "death march"
we stopped off to check out the local Mayan chocolate
shop....yum.... Chocolate and chili.. STRANGE!

Welcome to the JUNGLE!!!

O.k....we are off to the wild for the night!!!! Not sure if we will get the chance to post from out there (depends on the solar powered satellite internet) but if so, we will!!!! If not, see you tomorrow after UXMAL!

More Pics from Day One!

Dia Uno!

Ok...so day one:

Day one....9 AM walk of death...105 degrees...and where is he walking now!

So down the street to check out the city. First off to the Fiesta Americana for orientation on getting the most important things...CASH! Then off to the second most important cultural feature of Merida...Wal Mart to check out how its done Mexican style....

From there, down the Paseo down through the maze of mansions lining the streets built with Hennequen money and off to El Centro. Checked out churches that are nearly 500 years old and built out of Mayan ruins and the Governor's Palace with the paintings of the history of the Yucatan. He is finally going to let us eat something!!! Sorbet at Colon!!!! Mango, Mamey, Guyabana, Naranja, and sorta vanilla.... Then off to the local market! Fruit, live animals, by way of the glass box of cooked "innerds" and the "don't go in there...no really you are not going in there..." fresh fish market!

After the fish market, we were, of course starving (read hurling) and off to lunch. Guac and more Guac!!!!! Steak quesadillas and veggie fajitas and Guac! Then off to the CASA for a brief stop for a siesta!!!

After a cool nap, we are up and off to the BEACH...well...sorta...by way of the mall and a stop to get a modem for the computer....and a drive around the parking lot forever waiting on FISER...while accidentally driving through the Starbucks line!

FINALLY: off to the beach!!! AWESOME! Beautiful day with a BREEZE!!!! Hours of shopping and eating ceviches on the sand and hanging in the water!

Oh..wait, that wasn't finally: FINALLY, to the house to clean up and out to Noche de Mexicana! All the food!!!!! Cones of chocolate and edam cheese, panuchos and salbutes, cactus tacos, tequila ice cream, kalua ice cream, corn and fruit with chili powder ice cream....WHEW....that was day one! Off to bed!!!!

Just a few things from the day:

1. "Innerds Burritos" (pronounced just like its written and just as gross)
2. Ahhh "delicious breezes"
3. "You dropped something" (Street Vendor)...Ellen, "What?"....Vendor...."My Heart!" ...Awwww....
4. Bronwyn, "OMG, this COKE is UNREAL...I mean Like REALLY, it is amazing....GUYS ITS CRAZY GOOD....so COLD....and in a bottle with a STRAW.....Ellen, are you gonna drink THAT coke? ....would you pass it over....OMG...it's SO sweet!"
5. "Dude that is BEAST!"
6. The taxi roof thump!
7. "Dangit Kyle!"
8. "I can't eat anything else...Oh....wait, what is that! That is GOOD...I'll get another one of those..."
9. Brad's search for the perfect buzz cut!
9. Ellen, what is your first impression of the first day.... "HOT!!!".... Connor, "Dude, it's hot, hot and hot..."
10. .......... tune in for 10-???

Noche Uno!

A Sampling of the local cuisine! So we arrived on the Houston flight EARLY...made it through customs with NO RED LIGHTS...even with Connor's sketchy "revolution" hat and Kyle's attempt at circumventing the swine flu barriers....

After picking up the "purple cobra" van (PC) we headed to the house!!! A few A/C mishaps later we got everyone cooled off....all the house was a hit! Then some dinner... (See pic) Night one: Total Mexican junk food! As you can see, it is a mess......BUT, of course, it tastes a whole lot better than it looks!

After our spread of nachos, quesadillas, and queso fundito, we headed over to get Trolli Buses! Imagine a Sonic Slushy made from fresh fruit....Tamarind, Mango, Strawberry, Coco, Pina Colada, and Jamayka (please excuse the spelling, most of the time, we would check the spelling on the internet, BUT, see other posts!!!)

Then off to the house...I haven't seen people crash that fast in my life!!!!!

Were here!

Harvey Fiser

After an bit of time in the Houston airport... We made it!!! We
are here!!! Thought you might like to see our first billboard on the
way out of the airport!

Holllllaaaaaa from Mexico!!!!

Hola everyone! I am very sorry we have not updated the blog since
we have been here, but after much searching last night, we realized
our Internet modem at the house is DEAD!!!! So, we are going to
rely on Internet hotspots for a couple of days to try to figure out if
we can get a new one soon.... Good luck on a weekend in Mexico, huh!

If you get this, it means we are all safe and sound and on our walking
tour of Merida (and found a hot spot)... The flight in last night
was perfect and dinner on the Paseo was excellent!!! Pictures and
fun commentaries to follow!

Harvey Fiser

And the girls...

Harvey Fiser



Last minute American culture...

Blog email

harveyfiser.ibap2009@blogger.com

Sent from my iPod

Check out the excitement!!!

Harvey Fiser

Can you see the excitement.... It's the smiles that gave it away!

The Day Before...

Today was a bit more exciting because of the impending baseball game and ... drumroll please ... the flight tomorrow! We only had to make it through four more classes.

Spanish class was really neat because we went on a field trip to the local tiendas and taquerias to get a feel for what we're about to see everywhere. In the tiendas, they spoke no English, nor did they sell any American products. Only productos here. We especially enjoyed the shrimp snacks, pig skins, sodas, and huge colorful marshmallows. Definitely different!

Then, our second class was with Harvey on South of the Border Justice. He covered all the international laws that govern people and trade in Mexico.

Lunch in the 'Caf was followed by a presentation on trading in Latin America by David Aquino, an international businessman who procures wood products all over the world. We learned about his experiences acculturating in every corner of the globe and the best mindset to have when you are about to leave your comfort zone and attempt to successfully transcend cultural barriers.

Finally, our last class (ever!) was with Kim Burke about fraud. Yeah, we talked about people who engaged in fraud including a father who stole the allowance from his 6 year old son. How pathetic! But we also learned about the big time types of fraud, and definitely took notes to use later on...

The Braves game was the big event of the evening, even though the fifth inning had ended by the time we left the dinner line - it was really long!! We managed to entertain ourselves well enough while we waited...with the help of a few Millsaps students who came to join us.

It was back to the '50s night and so the team was wearing the old uniforms and all the food was cheaper than normal, which was really great! Unfortunately, the Braves didn't have a lot of luck with the game, and so we ended up leaving early and getting Bop's Frozen Custard. Magnanimously splendid.

Then, guess what? Back to the dorms for a movie. This time, it was the 40 Year Old Virgin.

Hump Day

By Wednesday, we'd established a pretty good routine. Like well-oiled machines, we got up in the morning and headed to Spanish for some conversation and tasty beverages. After learning the most essential phrases, aka the ones associated with ordering food, we got to sample Mexican sodas. We had a Coke, some other kind of soft drink, and liquefied jolly rancher flavored fruit juice. And we also learned the word for carrot: zanahoria. Weird, huh?

After a lesson on Business Etiquette taught by Tonya Nations, a pro at the Millsaps Career Center, we headed to lunch at a local favorite called C.S.'s. The best dive bar and burger joint in town, it was easy to see how C.S.'s is a cult favorite for the city and for students. Massive burgers, heart-clogging chili-cheese fries, and sinfully wonderful apple cobbler were instant classics.

One brief food coma later, we strolled to our next class: The Basics of International Trade. Here, we covered exactly what the title implies - the benefits of trading rather than relying only on what you can produce. Comparative advantage was the buzz word for the afternoon, and we learned that even if you rock at everything you do, it still behooves you to specialize in producing one thing and then trading for your other necessities.

Finally, Dr. Grubbs talked to us about the impacts of culture in business. We reviewed Hofstede's cultural dimensions: low vs high power distances, individualism vs collectivity, low vs high uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs femininity, and long-term vs short-term orientation. It was fascinating to try to understand how these general values can play such a large role in your understanding of people and the cultures from which they derive their beliefs and expectations. Also very important in the business world!

Our fun activity of the evening? The Madison movie theatre. More like a classy indoor mall, the movie theatre had a restaurant, arcade games, a full stadium menu, and of course, movies. We went to see The Hangover - it was hysterically funny. There just aren't any other words to describe it ... so I'll leave it at that.

And then, we returned to watch another movie (a complete 180 from The Hangover) - the Shawshank Redemption. I think we can all safely say we don't plan on going to prison anytime soon after seeing it!