Usually my blogs and seasons are done before the playoffs start, but as I prepare for my trip to Mexico in two weeks, watching the end of World Series didn't have that finality to it. I had a grin on my face when I tweeted that I had one more game to go to and that I wasn't quite finished yet.
So, what am I doing to prepare for this trip? As I alluded to in the previous blog post, I learning some basic conversational Spanish. I'm using this to nail down a few phrases that can help get me to the ballpark, allow me to navigate the ballpark, and hail a cab back to the border. I had thought about using Khan Academy to take some lessons, but I was surprised that they didn't have any. I have resorted to using flash cards from the popular phrases page on Wikitravel and some language videos on YouTube. They're getting the job done and I feel like my skills are being reinforced. I did take two years of Spanish in high school and I taught some Spanish when I was in the Peace Corps, so I have some experience in the language, and I think I could hold my own, but I just want to be prepared.
I found this YouTube channel called SpanishDict that has pretty easy-to-follow lessons. Each lesson is about ten minutes long, so I usually do one in the morning, review it at night, do a new one after that, and review it the next morning before moving on. Like I said, a lot of what I learned in school is coming back to me during these lessons, but the review is nice.
The second thing I have been researching in preparation for is the security situation on the US-Mexico border. From what I can tell, Mexicali is relatively calm in comparison to other cities on the border like Tijuana and Juarez. Based on all the travel sites I've researched, and I've used some of them for information before, the majority of the violence on the border is drug and gang related. They were unanimous in saying that the odds of American tourists getting into trouble, unless you're looking for it, is small. It seems like Mexicali is more a transit point to the border rather than a battleground between the Cartels and the government. There is still danger, but I believe it is of a lesser degree than other places in Mexico. Bottom line, I'm going into Mexico for a baseball game and nothing else. Mexicali isn't a huge tourist town with many sights, so I'm just going to go in, see the game, and get back across the border. No frills or fluff, but with the safety issue, I'm not willing to risk anything.
Folks, despite the dire sounding paragraph, I'm firmly believe I'll be fine and the trip will go off without a hitch. My preparations are great and I've been in cities before where crime is an issue. I just have to be more vigilant and aware of my surroundings.
I'm still working on getting settled in here at the new Casa de O'Connell in Highland. Work is going good and I fell like I am acclimating to the new culture down here. I'm taking things slow, observing and listening a lot, and not wanting to make huge changes immediately. I'm being patient with my movements and actions, and I think it is allowing me to let this experience sink in.
I'll keep all of you updated on my progress for this last Baseball Road Trip. I'm excited to go and experience something different.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
The second thing I have been researching in preparation for is the security situation on the US-Mexico border. From what I can tell, Mexicali is relatively calm in comparison to other cities on the border like Tijuana and Juarez. Based on all the travel sites I've researched, and I've used some of them for information before, the majority of the violence on the border is drug and gang related. They were unanimous in saying that the odds of American tourists getting into trouble, unless you're looking for it, is small. It seems like Mexicali is more a transit point to the border rather than a battleground between the Cartels and the government. There is still danger, but I believe it is of a lesser degree than other places in Mexico. Bottom line, I'm going into Mexico for a baseball game and nothing else. Mexicali isn't a huge tourist town with many sights, so I'm just going to go in, see the game, and get back across the border. No frills or fluff, but with the safety issue, I'm not willing to risk anything.
Folks, despite the dire sounding paragraph, I'm firmly believe I'll be fine and the trip will go off without a hitch. My preparations are great and I've been in cities before where crime is an issue. I just have to be more vigilant and aware of my surroundings.
I'm still working on getting settled in here at the new Casa de O'Connell in Highland. Work is going good and I fell like I am acclimating to the new culture down here. I'm taking things slow, observing and listening a lot, and not wanting to make huge changes immediately. I'm being patient with my movements and actions, and I think it is allowing me to let this experience sink in.
I'll keep all of you updated on my progress for this last Baseball Road Trip. I'm excited to go and experience something different.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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