Nuestro primer dia en Monterrey

Hello my dear friends, it is past midnight and our first day of adventures has come to an end. We had a fabulous time getting to know EGADE and the mountaineous city of Monterrey. Our day started with a trip to the graduate school of business (EGADE), which is part of the prestigious Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey. We were introduced to various administrators who will be assisting us during our 3-week stay. The director welcomed us with the proverbial Latin American warmth . His visit was supposed to last only five minutes, because he was receiving a group of European accreditors who were re-evaluating the standing of the school (currently ranked #7 in the world). He spoke with much pride about the long tradition of "Tec de Monterrey" and his welcome address extended to close to one hour. It was a delight meeting him and learning about the vision that has transformed EGADE into a success on a global scale.

We were also introduced to Ben, our very special professor of Spanish grammar, who was flown from Wharton especially to pour grammar into our brains. He is FANTASTIC, and I cannot wait to have our first class tomorrow! We were divided into two groups, according to the results of our language proficiency tests. I will be joining the advanced group - we'll be in for a ride but I am sure I will love every minute of it! :)

The orientation continued with a campus tour, followed by a city tour. Among cheers and laughter, a bus took us to the oldest church in Monterrey. Located at high altitude, this church is of historic significance to the people of Monterrey, as it played an important role during the Mexican Revolution. The views from atop the mountain are breathtaking! We were unable to visit the museum inside because the building is currently being restaurated. As this freed up some of our time, we decided to walk up the mountain, to a plateau which offers an amazing panoramic view of the city of Monterrey. Here we are, admiring the awe-inspiring sights!

At 5:30pm we returned to the residence halls, only to get ready for dinner downtown. At the suggestion of our country director who accompanied us, we went to a traditional Mexican place called "Las Monjitas" ("The Little Nuns"), where food is served by ladies dressed as nuns. Here are two of my classmates, Daniel and Rafael, in a rare display of religious zeal :)

After dinner, some us us returned to the dormitories, and others (including myself) went on to visit the gorgeous fountains in the center of Monterrey. It had been raining earlier, and I had to make sure I would not slip on my high heels (sic! :)) so I hang on to my classmate Diogo, who very gently offered to assist me. :)

As we were walking back, we heard guitars playing in a bar and so we ended up spending the remainder of the evening enjoying drinks and listening to fun loving Mexicans playing Karaoke. I sang along, even if it was my first time hearing those songs! I had a blast! :) Looking forward to tomorrow! hugsssss