Get Back To Where You Once Belonged

I'm back. It has been awhile, I know. As you start to truly adjust to the point you wake up one morning, look at the enormously beautiful mountains behind your home, and say, "Damn, those mountains suck. I live in a bowl," you know you're truly HERE. And while so much has happened in the last two weeks, so much has not happened. I know that may be blowing your mind, like some kind of trans-mutated, 60's experimental drug revolution thingy, but it's the truth. Before, when I was writing blogs like they were Harry Potter books, each time I left my house was an event, like going to prom or a sixth birthday party. There were cameras, bug-eyes, cheesy smiles, and the constant fear of urinating in your pants (I can't ever find a bathroom here when I need one).

But now, it's plain. Just...plain.

And I don't mean that in a bad way, at all. In fact, I feel terribly at home now. Before, I sat around the house on the Internet, visiting the same seven websites in a never-ceasing rotation, like constantly opening the refrigerator and freezer doors when you're hungry, hoping something good pops up you didn't see before. And when I went out, it was for a purpose. A truly great purpose, full of excitement and adventure, like visiting Soriana or buying a Coke - noble necessities.

But a month has passed and the excited, first-time feeling has exited stage left, replaced by that same feeling, that same word, that I use to describe Rushville and used (much to my mother's chagrin) to describe DePauw.

Home.

Yeah, it's true. When I think of home, I think of our broke ass house that's too far away from anything, that white, cold tile floor and the plain, empty bedroom I sleep in. What I mean to say, by all of this, is that my lack of pictures and blogs and consistent excitement now is the same reason I don't take pictures of my house or my dorm room or my college campus. Because I'm here and this is where I call home now. (And for those of you who misinterpret everything I say, I mean this is a good thing and I like it here a lot and you smell like funky toe jam).

Enough of that sappy shit, though. There are some rather bodacious things that have happened in the last week and a half:

• Umm...school started! I've sat down to write about school a few times recently, but each time I delete it and figure I'll start it later. I'll have a hard time describing school this year, a very difficult time, which is why even though it constitutes 75% of what I do during my waking hours, I'll rarely write about it, suffice it to say this - it is nearly 180 degrees of the way things are where I have taught before. There is no copy machine, few supplies, etc. It is sparse, to say the least. And the discipline problems are extremely unique compared to the plethora of problems I've dealt with before. But despite some early year struggles, I really enjoy being here. The kids are all really cool, and when your "clientel" are easy to work with, it makes any job enjoyable. I also had to sort-of decorate my classroom (the teachers switch classrooms, not the students). Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

• It has rained here - constantly - for the last week. And while it provides a cool view of the mountains, it sucks. Things here flood quickly, like the bathroom after your father stops it up with one of those dumps of epic proportion.
• I have recently added to my Meixcan DVD collection with the purchase of Sueno de Fuga. You may know it by the name The Shawshank Redemption. Of course, I still lack a working DVD player and my own personal copy of Rescatando al soldado Ryan, you know, just in case someone is saying, "Oh jeez, I really like you and want to send you a cool gift that would make you love me forever." Just saying...
• I bought a dumbbell set, a punching bag, and boxing gloves. It is fantastic. In the month I have been here, I've lost almost 12 pounds and look like an emaciated Albino (my apologies to all those Albinos reading this). So very soon, buff/hot Ryan is gonna be walking around Monterrey like "WhatWhat"?
• Speaking of buff/hot Ryan - I bought new clothes last night. Dress clothes. You know, since I don't have my uniform yet. Two pairs of classic gray pants from Aldo Conti (which by the way, they tailor for you), two very swanky dress shirts that of course are tinted blue with sexy patterns, topped off by a pair of classy Florsheim black dress shoes, since my Wal-Mart pair of shit kickers lasted approximately one week before a giant hole appeared in the toe. Let's just say I'm the best looking teacher named Mr. Ryan at school (apologies to the other Mr. Ryan...you are a gorgeous man in your own right sir).
• I've been eating at so many taco places I can't keep them straight (and that's probably because they're all called "Los blahblahblah". I think I even ate at a place called Los Anus, but the food tasted like crap anyways. And instead of just eating the tacos, I'm going for the full experience, which means singing (not singing, like "la la la la", but singing, like burning off) all the tastebuds from my tongue via various salsas and spices. I have had a guide with me at these various locales to prepare my food the "authentic" way (and to also make me eat shit they know is going to be gross simply for the satisfaction of watching me cringe). This guide has also helped me out in various other ways, such as kindly telling the stylist how to cut my hair, commenting on what clothes I should buy, and how I should go about my daily routine. And I appreciate all of it...except the hair cut. No, I'm kidding. I look like a straight pimp.
• Finally, I was asked recently about things I miss from home. And then I thought about it. And it was kind of a funny list (at least I thought it was), so I will reproduce it here:

1. the Park Restaurant coffee
2. Quizno's
3. my guitar
4. country drives
5. Bourbon Whiskey
   
6. kettle cooked barbecue potato chips
7. Beefaroni
8. 2% milk
9. Mr. Freshie's donuts at 4am
10. Goodwill/Kohl's
    

I thought that was a pretty good list. I'm going to try to write more frequently. Starting school has just been a huge hassle and very time consuming. See you on the flip side.