Ensenada, Mexico is a nice place to visit. The people are very nice. The lights in the city are beautiful at night and the water keeps your mind at ease. The weather is great. It is cool only at night and the rest of the day is pleasant.
Immersion Programs are a excellent way to learn Spanish. I attended school for three weeks. I have never experienced speaking Spanish other than listening to cd’s and attending an immersion program for the first time. It was very intense for me. There should be a slow pace group as well as very intense group. I was under the impression that I was going to learn Spanish in a fun way. I was wrong. I like the idea of having 2-5 people in a class which made it easier to have one on one time with the instructor. Every week there was an excursion which meant the school would take you (if you choose to go) to different places of their choice in town. I saw the Winery and The Historic Museum. There should have been a another choice for people who have attended an excursion on a prior occasion.
For a week I stayed with a Mexican Family. It was a really nice family, but I had a problem with trying to understand them and they had difficulty understanding me. I thought that I would stay with someone who would speak some English. I also thought by staying with a family it would show me more of how Mexican life everyday.
Well I ate with them and then I would go to my room to study or sleep and they went to their room. On the fourth day, the house mom told me her youngest daughter spoke some English. So she would try to interpret what was being said. It was a good experience to see their home and the way they lived.
Mexicans drive very intensively. They are always in a rush not taking the necessary precautions of driving to get there safely. At a stop sign, they don’t stop completely. They pause to see if anyone is coming and drive directly through the stop sign. Now that is dangerous.
It was unusual for me to see no designated area for vendors (stores) and for houses. In the US we have stores in certain areas and on certain streets. In Mexico it doesn’t matter. Everyone is selling something similar in the same area. I don’t see how they make a living because people are on every block throughout the block. People sell from their homes as well. Sometimes, parents have their child sell things so people will feel sorry for them and buy it. Most of the children selling things on the street are not in school.
All in all I enjoyed living in Mexico. I meet a lot of friendly people and it is something I will never forget.
Ms. Kassie Winters
