New Website for Study Abroad Program:

The new website for the 2010 summer study abroad program in Cuernavaca will soon be up and running.  Check back for the link.  In the meantime, if you have any questions about next year’s program, feel free to contact me at the Department of Modern Language at 817-272-3161 or by emailing me at elliott@uta.edu.

July 3rd, 2009: At the airport

I will be arriving at the airport about two hours before our flight takes off.  As soon as I check in and get through security, I will go to the gate.  Please be sure to check flight status at: www.aa.com.  You can put in the flight number to make sure that the time and gate information has not changed.  Between now and the day of the flight, feel free to email me if you have any questions.  En una semana estaremos en Cuernavaca–la ciudad de la eterna primavera.

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!!!!

Countdown to Mexico

Countdown To Cuernavaca

I MISS MY MOMMY!!!!!

Although you probably will be enjoying yourself too much to really get homesick, there are several ways you can keep in touch with the folks. Here are a couple of ways:

1.) Telephone: You can buy calling cards at the institute so you can call home. These cards can be used at public phone booths or from home. If you use the cards at home, you get a lot more minutes than you would if you use them at a public phone booth. The difference is substantial. A $10.00 phone card will give you about 2 hours of talking time from a private phone. If you use a phone booth, you get about 45 minutes. Please remember that when calling from your “family’s” home, please keep phone calls to a minimum.

2.) SKYPE: Using Skype is one of the best ways to keep in touch. If you have friends and family members who are computer literate and who have webcams, wherever you have an internet connection, (e.g., at the institute, perhaps at your home, at an internet café), you can keep in touch. Skype is wonderful because it’s FREE and you get to look at the person you are talking to using real time video! Skype also has pay plans where you can make calls to land-lines using their service. I’ve never felt the need to use their pay service so I’m not too sure how it works.  To download SKYPE to your computer or laptop, go to www.skype.com.  There are Skype versions for both MAC and PC platforms.

3.) EMAIL: There are a couple of computer terminals at the institute for you to use. Sometimes there is a line, especially between classes. There are many internet cafés that you can use. These are downright cheap–something like 4-5 (40-50 cents) pesos for an hour!

4.) CELLPHONES: Boy, there’s not a better way to get yourself in trouble! Unless you have a great international cellphone plan, I would advise against using cellphones to call the U.S. Some people have found great plans–which, for some reason, I have not. One student from last year used her cellphone so much that her mother cut it off when the bill got up to a couple thousand dollars. So, if you are independently wealthy, or if you have a great international plan, then I recommend cellphone use! If not, BEWARE–there always appear to be hidden costs that you never are aware of until you get that bill!

5.) CONVENTIONAL MAIL!: WHY BOTHER?????

SLI Registration Forms are due!

Queridos estudiantes,

If you have not yet sent me your SLI registration forms, please do so as soon as possible.  Be sure to indicate your flight information for your arrival and departure from Cuernavaca.  I know that most of you will be traveling with me but for those who are not, please click on the link titled, “From D.F. to Cuernavaca”.  There is a file that will give you all the information you need to get from Mexico City to Cuernavaca safely.  Also, that form has my contact information in Mexico, as well as the contact information for the Institute.  I strongly recommend that everyone download and print the document for future reference.

If you’re having problems filling out the SLI registration form using the .dot file I sent you, you can always send me the information in an email and I will transfer it to the document.  Most of you, however, have already turned in the form.

As always, email me if you have any questions.

¡Cuernavaca nos espera!

Mexico program going as planned

As you know, the University of Texas at Arlington continues to monitor the spread of the H1N1 virus.  From all indications, the virus appears to be under control and fortunately, has not proven to be as threatening as originally believed. As we continue to monitor the situation, I will give you periodic updates with regard to the Summer Study Abroad Program in Cuernavaca.  I am very hopeful that this epidemic will pass and that everything will be back to normal by the time of our trip.

Please keep an eye on your email account for further updates.  If you have any questions regarding the summer study abroad program in Cuernavaca, feel free to email me at elliott@uta.edu.  In addition, if you would like further information about the H1N1 virus, please go to the university website at:  http://www.uta.edu/uta/flu.html.

Study Abroad Informational Meeting: Feb. 9th, 2009

There will be a study abroad informational meeting scheduled for Monday, February 9th, 2009 from 12:00-1:00 in Trimble Hall, Room 218.   Come to this meeting to find out about the program, The Spanish Language Institute, the courses you can take, finanacial aid and scholarships.  Feel free to bring any fellow classmates who might be thinking about spending part of the summer in Cuernavaca.

I’m looking forward to meeting you at the informational meeting on February 9th.  Cuernavaca is a wonderful place and I am sure you’ll fall in love with the people, the institute and the city.  It’s close enough to Mexico City so we can go to the museum, the pyramids, Frida Kahlo’s house, and Bazar del Sábado.  Cuernavaca is very safe and everything is reasonably priced!  You will also be amazed by how much your Spanish will improve during the short time you are there.  The faculty members and staff at the institute are very helpful.

Please check out the websites and let me know if you have any questions.  I guarantee you this will be an experience of a lifetime and you’ll learn more about Mexico, the Mexican culture and language and will be able to experience life in Mexico firsthand. Once you’ve looked over the webpages, feel free to email me at elliott@uta.edu if you have any additional questions.

Announcing 2009 Summer Abroad Program in Cuernavaca

Informational Pages

Dear Summer Study Abroad students,

Here are some pages I put together to prepare you for our trip to the Spanish Language Institute in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. On this site, you will find information about the Language Institute, What to Pack, Information on Getting from the Airport to Cuernavaca, and what to do once you have arrived. All of these documents are downloadable in Adobe .pdf format so you can print them and take them with you on your trip.

There is also a page link above, “About our group” where I ask you to submit a small paragraph telling us a little about yourself–who you are, what your major is, what you like to do in your spare time, etc. This will help us to get to know each other a little better.

There is another page titled, “FAQ’S: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM?” where you can post questions that might be of benefit to other students as well.

I hope you are looking forward to our trip to México as much as I am. I am sure it will be a rewarding learning experience.

FAQ’s: Questions about the Program?

Whether you are a student who went on the Cuernavaca Summer Study Abroad Program or are thinking about going and have some questions, feel free to click on the FAQ’s link above to post any questions you may have about the program, the Institute, Cuernavaca, etc. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the program. The UT-Arlington study abroad program is also open to students from other universities who would like to earn intermediate or upper division credit in Spanish language, literature or culture. Thinking about expanding your horizons? Well, it all starts here!