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This weekend was a bit of a fail for the Get Out Of Puebla campaign, which was a mixed blessing. On Saturday I took the bus into Puebla with my favorite bearded Puebla-ND friend to check out the Saturday markets and the preparations for Día de los Muertos. I think I already talked about this celebration a little bit, I can´t really remember so I apologize for any repetition. In a quick summary that doesn´t do the tradition justice, Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to celebrate the memory of deceased relatives, friends and heroes with ofrenda altars. Popular offerings include fruit, alcoholic beverages, religious images, and of course, marigolds. Apparently marigolds are the flower of choice because A) they are in bloom right now (Mexicans are so practical sometimes!) and B) the yellow color is supposed to attract the souls of the dead. I think. In a spur of the moment decision, five of us decided to cram into a taxi and visit Huaquechula, a small town outside of Puebla that is famous for its intricate and numerous ofrendas.

Although we arrived just as the crowds were leaving and the ofrenda-ers were closing up shop, we were still able to visit a few. One woman offered to send her daughter with us as a tour guide and she took us through the town. It´s tradition that the family who arranged the ofrenda provides food and drink for the visitors, a fact we should have taken into account before eating dinner. It´s rude to not accept offered food so we were stuffed to the brim with chocolate, horchata, and tamales by the time we crammed back into the taxi. I didn´t do as much studying last night as planned and it was a little uncomfortable making a LOOKAGRINGO scene every time we arrived at an ofrenda, but I´m glad that I decided to go. It was a very different experience than the typical stroll through Puebla's zócalo and was definitely worth the long taxi ride.
The other aspect of this mixed blessing was that I spent a lot of time in my room. On a normal travel weekend, I would leave on Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning and not return until Sunday night and I am always busy during the week so this weekend was an anomaly in this respect. Spending all of this time in my room led to the formation of the following list:
REASONS WHY ALL Y'ALL SHOULD BE JEALOUS OF MY SUITEMATES

1. They are obviously used to taking care of themselves, cooking logical meals at reasonable hours, and cleaning up nicely afterwards.
• There are never mysterious dishes left on the table for days.
• There are never large chunks of unidentifiable food in the sink.
• This never causes the kitchen sink to plug and refuse to drain.
• The leftovers of these logical meals are always promptly stored within the week, never allowing for more than a slight covering of mold to develop.

1. No one ever "does their business" in the toilet that can only handle liquids.
• Because of this, we never have to share one toilet between seven girls.
• Also because of this, the bathroom never smells like open sewage is in the other stall.
• In the unlikely event that the LIQUIDS ONLY toilet is plugged, the RA will probably not blame the non-Mexican residents for flushing toilet paper.
• No one writes anonymous rude notes about proper bathroom etiquette.
2. The television is never left on loud, senseless channels for hours on end. (Clarification: truly senseless, not just because it´s in Spanish) In fact, no one ever watches television.
3. Quiet hours are carefully observed.
• Running, screaming, door slamming, and Reptar interpretations are rare events, but are especially avoided after bedtime.
• These are the quietest, most well-spoken roommates imaginable. I have not learned any swear words from them. Not. One.
4. My roomie listens to very normal music, ¡gracias a Dios! It would be creepy if she listened to Bjork´s Halloween Album or watched a serial killer series religiously.
5. Makeup, hair dye, fake nails, trash and long dark hair are never strewn about the living room.

Now, let´s discuss how the Pope is Protestant…