Rachel in Mexico

I am in Monterrey, Mexico on business for a week.  I've only really thought about the work part of why I'm here, which is super fun and interesting (teaching a three-day intensive course on qualitative video analysis to physics and math faculty and grad students).  Now that I'm here I'm more sort of realizing that I'm in a foreign country.  My Spanish is okay for signs and simple courtesies, but totally insufficient for normal talking.... I can sort of get the gist of what someone else's conversation is about, but not enough to respond, even if I knew what to say.  My hosts were kind enough to pick me up at the airport, and though I fancy myself a resourceful traveler I am very glad they did.  I didn't have to change money, find my way around, locate a taxi, tell a taxi where to go, worry if I was actually being taken there, etc.  Monterrey is very safe as Mexican cities go, but still.

Monterrey is a big, rich city, more Americanized (USA-ized?) than most cities in Mexico.  My hotel is next to a mall (I can't tell how big) with a Starbucks and a Carl's Jr.  I will still need to avoid the tap water; I don't know yet whether locals do that too, but even if they drink it, it might not work for me.  There is a liter of bottled water in my hotel room, marked $34, which confused me because I didn't know they use the same sign for the peso as we do for the dollar.  That turns out to be US$2.89.  That feels like a deal, but of course I have no clue what it sells for in a store.  The weather is what they consider freezing cold tonight, which is 60F and a little humid... balmy warm, to me.  A couple days ago it was 110, which is more what I was led to expect.  My hotel is on campus so getting to class in the morning will be easy.

On the drive from the airport I asked my hosts about regional foods and they said that much of the food is typical tex-mex kind of stuff, but this particular part of the country enjoys a lot of meat.  "Carne asada," they said, "I think to you it would be barbecue?"  They added, "The one thing that might be a bit new for you is the little goat."  I had read up on this (leave it to me to prioritize the food over the currency) and said I was looking forward to trying it.  It's called cabrito, it's slow-roasted, and it's an emblem of the city.  They were pleased that I was an adventurous eater, especially when I said I like spicy food just fine.  We'll see how I do.