So after we landed in beautiful Monterrey, we went apartment hunting. Not before we were panicking very badly during the flight where everything was in Spanish and was wondering whether Arturo ( our mexican friend) would pick us up. Ultimately he would be our link to this part of the world and if he wasn't there to help us establish this link, boy, would we be in big trouble. When we reached, we didn't see him while collecting the luggage. The combined cold, loneliness caused by being surrounded by alien speaking strangers staring at us, it just made it worst that Arturo was late(or possibly not coming). We have not booked a hotel, there doesn't seem to be taxis outside of the airport(although Pamela confirmed that there was a taxi service), it just made us regret on our decision to purely rely on Arturo's promise. But they always say, have faith, and you shall be rewarded! Soon after Arturo came along, and brought us to apartment hunting in the middle of the night.
On the way there, the sights were beautiful, the whole hill of housing were lighted, their roads were littered with signal lights that acted like our street lights and pavement signs. We passed a huge brushfire and I laughed as I exclaimed, "Welcome to Mexico!" and you can see the crazy driving on the roads. We were constantly driving at an average of 110km/h on those roads, be it big or small roads. Mexicans, i swear, are the most craziest drivers I have seen around. Cutting across 3 lanes, overtaking on a two lane, two way road, tires CONSTANTLY screeching from the abrupt turns. We reached our first apartment to find that it was kinda ok... with another exchange student living in it, but we weren't given three proper rooms. The third room was right smack out of the house, it was originally a maid's room and can you imagine the loneliness, cold and the claustrophobic conditions whomever was going to face just staying in there.
Figuring that it wasn't such a good deal and it wasn't such a good idea to make any decision when we are jet lagged and searching for an apartment in the middle of the night, we drove off to Arturo's place in another city, 1 hr away in Satillo. The ride was long, dark and sleepy, so we dozed off intermittently till we reached his place, and Ohh and behold, it's such a big ass huge mansion! His parents were too hospitable, making supper for us, kicking arturo out of his room to accomodate us, making arturo's sister share a room with yvonne. "This is your home!" they said and that was hospitality, probably too much for a Singaporean like me.
We visited school the next day, freezing from Arturo's place in Satillo and Tec de Monterrey really has quite a beautiful architecture with a vibrant wildlife, yes, i'm not kidding, wildlife. Ducks, Squirrels, Deer(haven't seen one yet though) and Peacocks. Free to roam around. Imagine prestige and modernity of SMU with the size of NUS, and a fantastic animal life to boot.
We shall not say too much and let the pictures rollllll...
Adios,
Nyan
Arturo's Place..
Me and Arturo in his place...
Here's one oil painting that Arturo's mum does. She really talented and she's into feng shui recently.. Apparently its some craze in Mexico right now..
On the way from Satillo back to Monterrey, the beautiful mountain scenery that surrounds the whole of North Mexico.
First to the apartment, then to Walmart! They are really cheap!
Ducks living on campus ground, there is even a pond for them. The peacock is known to wander into the corridors.. haha
Yvonne in front of the tallest building in School.
It hosts the virtual university, and a web conference room that hosts classes for campuses around the State! That's really good stuff! MIT of mexico indeed!
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