I arrived in Mexico City yesterday afternoon at about 2.30PM and immediately made my way to my friend Frank's apartment in Hotel Virrey. I was exhausted from getting up very early and from the travel, but still managed to head out and have a torta (big sandwich) at the local sandwich shop, as well as take a walk through the neighborhood.

Frank lives in a great neighborhood, by the way. During the day it is bustling with activity, with people selling everything imaginable, both on the streets and in stores. Clothing; food; electronics; pirated logos, books, music, everything. Not everything of high quality, but everything of reasonable price. Hotel Virrey itself is quite interesting. It was at one time a rather swanky Mexico City establishment. However, in recent decades it has fallen a bit from grace. Now, instead of a hotel, it is an apartment complex, complete with a shared kitchen and dining area, a lounge and a large front lobby, completely with fabulous retro furniture. When I have the money (hopefully in a few weeks), I plan to get my own small apartment there.

For the moment, however, Frank and I are sharing one large one. It's basically like sharing a large hotel room, with two queen-sized beds. But Frank has made it home, impressing me by putting up posters he's collected on the walls and just generally giving the place a "lived in" feel.

As for work, I'm investigating a variety of options, including English First, where I worked before, as well as other schools in the area. Now that I am a qualified English teacher, and not merely a native speaker with a BA, I feel that I deserve a reasonable position with a competent school. I'm feeling optimistic about my possibilities.