Hola! Bienvenido a México!!

Hello!!  Welcome to Mexico!

So far...that encompasses an embarrassing percentage of my Spanish.  However, I'm picking up new words every day!!!

Today was actually our first excursion day, but I'll share those stories at a later time when I've had a chance to process all the photos.

For now, let's talk about the IMO camp as a whole, and why we're in Mexico.

Traditionally, the IMO team has trained at the Banff Research Institute (BIRs), in Banff (surprise surprise!) However, on occasion we have trained with the Mexican team (last time in 2009 I believe).  In addition to this...BIRs has actually newly opened a location in Oaxaca, Mexico, where we are now.  So, with a new BIRs location, and our continued partnership with the Mexican team, we are now training in lovely Oaxaca!

We will be training together until July 14.  On July 15, we leave for Rio.  Our days are intense - there is a mock every other day (3 questions, 4.5 hours),  and then one or two 4 hour lectures every day.  Evenings after dinner are currently blocked off as problem solving time, though every night so far the group has chosen to play games, basketball, or some other amusement for the evening.



My first impressions: wow!  The Mexican team is so musical!  Every day I have a song stuck in my head that they were either singing in the class or playing at a meal...I did spy Victor and Thomas joining in with some maracas at one point.

My second impression - everyone is very social.  It really adds to the dynamic of the camp if the students and leaders spend free time playing games or just hanging out.  We're going to be together for almost a month after all!  Though the Canadian team is more apt to have their phones out, but I haven't noticed it take away from the atmosphere yet.

Lectures so far are typically short, with the majority of the time allowed for the students to problem solve.  So far there's been 2.5 geometry lectures, 1.5 polynomial lectures, and one lecture on solution writing techniques.  Mocks have been compiled by Matt and James, and everyone has pleased us with how well they have done so far.  The end of every day seems to devolve into arm wrestling matches - usually some form of "how many handicaps can we give Steven till he loses", though he did meet his match in one of the Mexican students!



Weather has been great.  Just a bit of rain, generally not too hot, nor too cold ever.  I would enjoy it more if the mosquitoes left me alone.  Despite the layers and layers of bug spray that I wear, I have accumulated 5 bites to date.

Well, that's it for now.  Here's a bonus image of a plant.  (BTW, many of the plants here are extremely prickly!  In the words of one of our students, "I would not make friends with this!")



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