Q: When and how did you first hear about H1N1 flu?
    I first heard about the swine flu from a friend on Friday, April 24 as we were causually chatting waiting for class to begin.  He asked me if I had heard about what was happening in Mexico City with the flu, and I replied that I hadn't heard anything about it yet.  He told me that some type of flu had broken out there and schools were closing.
    I immediately began to think of my friends who live in Mexico City and hoped that they were fine, but honestly did not give the breaking news a lot of thought.  I believe both my friend and I were rather caught by surprise and tried to shove the news out of our minds and  focus on class the best we could.
    Later that day I met some friends for lunch and my friend Daniel, a native of Mexico City, said that he just spoke with his mother and that it was believed that a few people had died form the swine flu. That was when I first learned what type of flu it was.

Q: How are local residents and businesses reacting?
    Local residents  where I am, which is very removed from the south and center of the country where the outbreaks are the strongest, are reacting very calmly.  As this situation has continued for a week or so now, we are used to it and have learned to deal with it and continue with our normal lives the best we can. 
    I believe that we are all concerned about the economic and political impacts the swine flu is having on the country.  In Monterrey alone, restaurant sales were down last week by 80 percent.  So I imagine that local businesses are very concerned.  My friends and I went out for sushi a couple days ago, and we four students were the only diners in the whole restuarant.  All of Mexico is waiting patiently for the whole thing to pass.
Q: Are visitors and foreign students reacting differently?
    Yes, visitors and foreign students are reacting very differently from the local residents.  I believe that most of the foreign students have already returned home as the semester has practically ended. 
    Most European students returned to their countries as soon as they were able to buy a plane ticket home as they feared flights out of Mexico to some European countries may close.  Other Europeans though decided to take advantage of the cancelation of classes and went on vacation to the beach.  Some international friends of mine from Spain and Canada have decided to stay.  Everyone reacts differently to situations like this one, but the visitors and foreigners have better opportunities and reasons to leave the country if they wish.
Q: What precautions have you taken?
    The  precautions I took were to avoid leaving my home and do my best to avoid contact with people. When I realized that classes were to be canceled for almost two weeks,  that meant I would be isolated in my house for quite some time.    Unfortunately the mouth cover masks were sold out in the city before I was able to buy any, but very few people were able to have them in Monterrey anyway, and still we have no confirmed cases of swine flu. My friends and I did finally get our hands on some face covers, but by that time we wore them more as a fashion statement than as a preventative measure.
Q: How has daily life changed? Is it getting back to normal?
    My daily routine changed very little.  The only thing that was different was that there was no where I could go.  We were advised to avoid places where many people congregate, and most of those areas were closed anyhow, such as movie theaters and shopping malls.  When my friends and I realized that we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, we went to the supermarket to stock up on food and water.  Then we went to Blockbuster and rented six movies. 
    I think we all got a touch of cabin fever feeling isolated in our homes, and it was strange feeling like the city was dead - no people in the streets, very few cars, the normal sights and sounds just suddently stopped. But life is certainly getting back to normal though as it seems the virus is getting under control.  I am anxious for everything to start back up normally again.  You can only watch a certain number of movies in one week and guitar hero gets old very quickly.
Q: What is your living situation?
    I just moved into a new apartment acutally, in the midst of these swine flu happenings.  Not the best timing, I know.  I live in an apartment with three roommates, all coming from different parts of the country.  My apartment is about 15 mintues walking distance from my campus.
Q: Was there any point at which you were worried?
    When I recieved the email in the morning of Monday, the 27th of April informing me the the governor of  Nuevo León announced that classes would be canceled until May 6, I was rather shocked and began to think of the worst.  I immediately called my mom in Nebraska to inform her of what was happening and throughout the day kept checking the news online and on the television with my friends.  I was definitely worried when it seemed the situation was getting rather serious, but as we continued to monitor the news, the majority of my worry had disappeared by end of that Monday.
Q: How was official information communicated?
    Official communication to me regarding academic matters is done via email.  Nationally, President Calderón updates the public on the situation as does the Secretary of Health through all normal means of communication.  I  believe that the news sources have been doing a fine job of keeping the public informed and very up to date on the situation.
Q: What else do you think about the situation?
    I feel many circumstances regarding this flu situation have been exaggerated by many parties. As the President spoke about last night, many countries are beginning to take measures that are only hurting Mexico's economy and have nothing to do with the prevention of the spread of the virus.  The outbreak of swine flu has led to some discriminatory measures against Mexico, which is quite unfortunate.  Overall, as a U.S. American student in Mexico, I will say that Mexico is doing all it can to protect the health of its citizens and those of the world.  I continue to feel safe where I am in regards to the flu virus, and am hoping that the situation is completely under control very soon.  It is already looking quite optimistic.