Nuestra servicio favorita!

Buenos Dias Telcel


Hola Telcel

What have we been doing this whole time? The answer is working on Telcel!!! Telcel is a part of Telmex which is the monopoly of phone companies down here in Mexico. Telmex is the land line and Telcel is the cellular service.

There are tons of billboards and advertisments down here in Mexico. Even all over the walls, so it's very easy to run into a Telcell billboard or balloon at the local mall. But only Dr. Trailer's sharks really knows what goes on behind the seens of Telcell since he tought us how to interpret the financial statements and analyze them.

I solemnly swear to come prepared next time.

I swear that I'm Justin.


Look at our tax dollars at work. Good airport security.

So, the first picture is Justin having a notarizer validate that he is a US citizen. He applied for his passport during the Thanksgiving break, as suggested by the school, but it didn't get to him in time for the Guadalajara trip. Technically, you don't have to have a passport to cross the Mexico border if you have your drivers license, but just make sure that you bring one, becuase you might end up having to spend $70 and waiting over an hour to have a notarizer come make sure you are who you say you are. Get it expedited if you have to.

Also, just in general, make sure to come to the airport in plenty of time just in case things like this happen to you. You wouldn't want to miss your non-refundable flight would you? Other students in class didn't give themselves enought time for the airport, they made their flight, but their luggage didn't fly on the same plane that they arrived on and they received their luggage a day later.

How many people can you get into a cab?

A little crowded


How many people can we fit in this cab!?

So the answer to our question is 8. We fit 5 guys (not skinny guys mind you) and 3 girls into a small nissan sentra and that doesn't include the driver!!! It was a crazy experience but it made the cab fair cheap for all of us. The cab driver thought it was hilarious.

For future students, just so you know, if you barter enough it takes 20 pesos/2 dollars to get from the Quinta Magna Hotel to the Walmart Shopping center/galeria, 50 pesos/5 dollars to get to the flea market and 70 pesos/7 dollars to get back to the hotel from the flea market. According to Sean, he think it's more expensive to hitch a ride back from the flea market because the cab drivers have less of a chance of picking another person up. Smart guy.

Oh yea, and also 200 pesos/20 dollars to get to the airport from the hotel and visa versa.

Lets go to schoool

Don't make the bus driver late!


Listening to his Ipod on the way to school.


After the countless hours of studying the night before, we wished we could get an A on today's quiz. FYI- It does not work well.

Study Time!

Eddie highlighting the "House of Quality" booklet.


Sean working on his planning sheet.


Stacie researching online.


Our highlighters are exploding!!!

Time to put in the hours. Here are pictures of some of us reading the assigned readings for the quiz the next day of class and going over our days homework assignment. Unfortunately, when we were highlighting our highlighters kept exploding! It has happened to me and a few of my classmates several times. We've concluded that it's from the air pressure on the airplane that has caused this type of highlighter to build pressure and leak all over your book. It was hilarious!

1st day of School

Our class talking a tour of the campus today.


Walking around school


One of the little food stands where we can get really yummy lunch.


The court yard where there's internet access and we can eat.


At our hotel. There's a story why we look so confused.

It felt a little like freshman year in college again because our class had a school orientation about the rules and regulations of the campus. Also we went on a campus tour. It's a beautiful campus, very well kept and pretty up to date on the technology. There were some problems with the wireless internet that they're still trying to figure out. I think becuase the regular students aren't here until next week, our class is kind of low priority. The school has gates around the entire thing and we were issused temporary student ID cards for the university which lets us into the school grouds, into the library and main buildings, and also lets us leave the campus. With Guadalajara being one of the safest cities in all of Mexico, I suppose they still do have some security issues.

What's neat about the campus is all of the little food stands and court yard outside of the building, where they have internet and our class can do our assignments outside. At every umbrella table, there are multiple power and internet plugs for your disposal. And at the little food stands, they have a grill and can make you quesidillas, torta's (like a small sandwitch on a pita type bread) and many more things. Ofcourse there is also a cafeteria and surrounding outside food which we can also eat.

The bottom picture we took because Justin and Stacie really didn't want maid service the entire time of our stay so that we didn't have to worry about theft etc.... (even though it's not very common). So, they put the "do not disturb" sign on the outside of our room. Ironically, the maid kept coming buy and knocking on our door and they couldn't figure out why. They finally figured out that they had put the sign on our door the wrong way actually requesting maid service. We had a real kick out of it. So this is a picture of us and our maid looking very confused.

My first day in Mexico

Stacie, Justin and Me at the airport


Our first eating experience


Around the table


At the end of the table

My first Day in Mexico
Today was a very interesting day. Things are so different down here in Mexico. The weather is nice. The freeways are crazy! There really aren't onramps on the freeway, so when people stop to pick someone up, they just merge off of the freeway and then back on. They don't use signals but their car horn instead.

The plain ride was a little scary because there was some turbulance, it wasn't increadibly bad, but it was more than I was used to and it kept me awake for a while. It has been interesting with the language barrior here, it's true what they say... I've been using so much more spanish that I ever have before. I have to be able to communicate my needs and wants to a person who doesn't speak a word of English. I've been remembering words that i've long forgotten.

One of the more confusing things is the currency exchange rate. I have pesos now, but whever I pay for anything I feel like I'm spending way more than I shoud be because for every 1$ is 10 pesos, so when I'm buying things for $170 it's really $17.00. It's taken some getting used to but I think we're getting the hang of it.

Well I'm going to go to bed soon, I'm super tired. I love and miss all of you friends and family, especially Dave, I love you!

Love, Denise

¡Hola Mexico!

ITESM Mexico

I will be going on my first international trip to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The only time that I've been to Mexico was when I went to Tiajuana, but I don't think that counts. I will be taking an International Business Studies class through Chico State University at the Tecnológico de Monterrey (the picture above). Also, I will be staying at the Quinta Magna hotel. If you like, you can check out the website and take a virtual of the hotel I will be staying at to get an idea of where I will be living.


THe Hotel Quinta Magna

This experience will look good on my resume as well as make my Spanish minor more credible. We have been learning so many things in preparation for this trip like.
-Don't drink the water (the one everyone knows) -Don't eat waterey produce -Don't eat food from street vendors -Stay in groups -Always wear shoes to avoid parasites that might infect your feet. etc...

Luckily the campus has wireless internet everywhere so that will be the main way I will be communicating. Phone's a way expensive... I'm so excited!! If anyone has any requests for suvioners, just let me know... Other than that... I'm going to miss everyone very much and wish me luck!