1) The narrator and two roommates from Ohio decided to study in Mexico City over the summer to learn Spanish and study Latin American and Mexican economics. 2) By mid-July, they had visited seven cities and learned to order drinks in Spanish. On Cinco de Mayo, they went to a cantina where a fight nearly broke out. 3) A stranger named Jose Manuel intervened and protected the three students, driving them to safety in their car despite it being damaged. He explained that he felt obligated to help Americans after being raised by a American couple since age 12.