Grad students

The Mexican graduate students took me to dinner tonight at the Sierra Madre brewpub, a big, very American-like place that served hamburgers and pizza, but with Mexican additions like guacamole on the hamburgers.  The beer was good and it was fun to go out with them.  I asked what life is like as a graduate student here, and one of them said, "Do you read PhD Comics? Exactly like that."  PhD Comics being an all-too-accurate sendup of the US grad school experience, I guess things are pretty much the same world round, or continent-round at least.

I also learned, just out of curiosity, that most of the grad students drink tap water and think nothing of it, unlike my hosts.  The only one who doesn't is from Veracruz, in the south of Mexico, where she says they "don't have the tradition" of drinking tap water.  I also learned that in Mexico City the water has the reputation of being less safe.

People say hello and goodbye here with one air-kiss on the right cheek, the way we would have a quick hug.  I find this charming but hard to remember.