Southern Living

Natural Birth Resources in Mexico City

2011-07-20T19:33:00.004-05:00

Besides an ounce or two of formula the nursery gave my son without asking (sneaky, they were, by feeding it to him in a cup), we were very satisfied with our birthing experience here in Mexico City. While I ended up not giving birth in the water, Kishan was born naturally, but not without a supportive team of doctors, doulas, and my husband.

Like I posted before, it took some digging to find doctors and hospitals that were pro-natural birth, pro-lactation, and pro-rooming in (alojamiento conjunto). The general term for this here in Mexico is psicoprofiláxsis. Below is a small list of resources I came across as I was researching having a natural birth in Mexico.

Psicoprofiláxsis Montaña

CEPAPAR (Centro de Educación para el Parto)

Pronatal

Asociación Nacional de Instructoras en Psicoprofiláxis Perinatal

Parto Humanizado

Plenitude (Guadalajara)

Links to Mexico resources from Midwifery Today

La Liga de La Leche de Mexico

Hospital Medica Sur - Lomas (women's hospital that specializes in maternity)

The psicoprofiláxsis community is quite small here in Mexico, and nearly all of them have contacts in other cities besides DF if you can't find what you're looking for on your own.

Welcome to the world, Kishan!

2011-07-20T15:41:00.003-05:00

Born two weeks early, Kishan arrived on July 9, 2011 at 1:16 pm. Everyone's healthy and happy, except when there's gas :(

Natural Birth in Mexico

2011-07-05T11:13:00.003-05:00

According to my lamaze teachers/doulas, caesarean sections account for nearly 85-90% of all hospital births here in Mexico City. Now, of the 85-90%, I don't know what the breakdown is for elective vs. necessary c-sections, but it's pretty apparent that women in the DF are having c-sections more than they should. To the point that there are coined words in the natural birthing community: cesariaólogo -- a doctor who prefers c-sections -- and innecesaria, in reference to the inordinate amount of c-sections that are performed without real medical need.

In a country where obstetricians still attend labor from start to finish, natural birth can be a slow and not so financially rewarding procedure. From a cesariaólogo's point of view, it's not hard to see why c-sections are preferable: it takes 20 minutes and you don't lose sleep like you would attending a 20+ hour labor, you get paid more by insurance, and you're still be able to attend your other patients in the clinic. Actually, I've quickly learned that a tell-tale sign that your OB/GYN leans towards c-sections is that they always keep their appointments versus the natural birth doctors who are always having to cancel you to attend a labor.

Much before I got pregnant and not realizing the kind of politics that go into having a baby here in Mexico, I blindly chose an OB/GYN through my insurance network. It seemed to work out great because my doctor was only a block away, she spoke English, and she guided us through some fertility issues we were having. But, once I got pregnant, I had an idea of what kind of labor and delivery I wanted: a natural one and probably one that included delivering in water. She seemed taken aback by the ideas I had in my head, and I quickly discerned that she was one of those: a cesariaólogo.

Stunned by her reaction, I decided to search out a new doctor. Who knew that you had to fight so hard to do something your body was designed to do?? I realized that in a country where c-section is the norm, if you want and/or can have a vaginal birth (epidural or not), it is essential to find a doctor who respects that decision. Otherwise, you might get find yourself in the heat of the moment, succumbing to a doctor's advice that a c-section is necessary "for the health of you and the baby."

I feel like such a rebel for seeking out a doctor who regards natural birth so highly, but it's just the unfortunate rate of c-section here that has me running to the other side like some kind of radical. Which I'm not. I just wanted a doctor who respects my body and what it can do.

Ode to Street Food

2011-06-14T08:55:00.005-05:00

Mexico City has a street food scene that rivals the best in the world. The street food is so good that it sits in my Top 3 things I'll miss most about Mexico, just behind tropical fruits and the weather. This video by MC Luka is a delicious ode to Mexico's street food, and if you know Mexico City, you'll recognize some or most of the sites. I'll be referring back to this video often when I'm sitting at home in street food-less Madrid, wishing for a freshly-pressed, hot tortilla de masa just off the comal.

There's a drink mentioned called Tejuino that I've never tried because it's only found in certain states. Those of you in Jalisco and Guadalajara, what's Tejuino like? Recently, I saw someone on a travel show drinking it with a dollop of nieve de limón, to which the host described as tasting like a margarita. And, according to MC Luka, a great hangover drink, too?

Moving on

2011-06-09T12:17:00.008-05:00

Baby's due date is only five weeks away, but there's a full moon coming next week that has me a little anxious that he/she will come earlier than expected. And friends here have also said it's not uncommon to go into labor early -- something about the high altitude. Probably an urban legend, but between the full moon and the high altitude, I'm gonna pack a hospital bag this weekend.

Besides the impending life overhaul we're about to experience, there's been other BIG news. It's all sort of happening at the same time (not really my preference), but we are gearing up to leave Mexico after the baby arrives. :( Normally, couples move closer to family after having a baby, but we're going much further to La Patria -- Spain. Nick accepted a position within the same company but in the Madrid office.

I've known for awhile, but I delayed sharing the news for several reasons. One, I've been wrapped up in the baby thing, and two, I find it hard to write that we are leaving. Our life here in Mexico has been special in so many ways despite the ups and downs of living in what is sometimes a very frustrating environment. We were married right before we moved down to Mexico, so being newlyweds in a new country has been an adventure that required us to lean on one another for support (especially on those days we had to make trips to the bank!).

And, obviously, we've developed a community of friends who we'll miss dearly and a way of life that has grown comfortable. Sometimes I do envy the friends back home who've built their nests, speak the native language, and are surrounded by family, but this is the choice we've made. And despite asking myself (more now these days) "What in the world are you doing?" I know it's an opportunity that many only dream about.

So once the baby arrives, we'll complete the mountain of paperwork to get him/her US citizenship and a passport, and soon after, we'll be embarking for Spain. I'm assuming this will be around September. It seems far enough away, but I know we won't be the boss of our time once the baby comes. My mind is jumbled with nostalgia and baby thoughts, so if this baby can hold off a few more weeks, I'm going to try and post more frequently.

If in doubt, try Vermox Plus

2011-05-25T17:06:00.003-05:00

Even after nearly three years here, our intestines are still very welcome hosts to a number of guests. Sometimes these parasites make a fast exit, but sometimes they stick around and prey on everything you eat. For up to years if you don't seek treatment.

Earlier this year, Nick was having a very hard time getting rid of some parasites, and he decided to pay his first visit to the gastrointestinal doctor. After diagnosing Nick with a case of the amoebas, he prescribed a common amoeba and worm med called Vermox Plus. One dose of two pills, and voilá, he was cured!

After hearing about some friends who take a course of Vermox every six months to purge themselves of any unwanted parasites, we thought it wasn't such a bad idea to do the same ($5 USD is a small price to pay compared to having to visit the GI doc every time you've got problems. And there are LOTS of problems.) In fact, Nick's parents said that when they were growing up in India, they would take a spoonful of castor oil every six months to flush out their intestinal tracts. I like the idea of natural castor oil, but be ready to take a day off of work!

Obviously, Vermox doesn't cure all our stomach ailments, but I have to say that it has been pretty life-changing :). And with the hot weather and sub-par food storage practices, just imagine the kind of feast amoebas and worms are enjoying these days...

Pregnancy myths debunked during babymoon

2011-05-03T09:28:00.011-05:00

While we were away in Europe, I consulted several locals on the advice I'd been given about what not to do during pregnancy. Specifically, do the Dutch ride bikes while pregnant? Do pregnant women in France eat soft cheeses and drink red wine? Do Belgian pregnant women abstain from all the delicious beer? I wanted to be adventurous as was safely possible and have a gastronomically good time, so I thought it would be wise to hear what the locals had to say on these matters.

#1 Do the Dutch ride bikes while pregnant?

Yes. One of the very charming things about the Dutch is that they LOVE their bikes. If you look around, you will find that the Netherlands and the Flemish regions of Belgium are some of the most bike-friendly place in the world. There are well-paved and well-marked bike lines not just in the city but all over the countryside, as well. But there's not a fear of falling? Who was I to ask in a city with the most wretched sidewalks in all the world?

So, asking whether Dutch pregnant women ride bikes is like asking Mexican pregnant women if they eat corn tortillas. It's a way of life! And what to do about your little tots? Attach a big wooden crate to the front of your bike, and it becomes the family vehicle.

#2 Do pregnant women in France eat soft cheeses and drink red wine?

Depends. Cheese that has been pasteurized is okay, and red wine is definitely okay in moderation. One night, we were presented with a plate of cheeses, one of which was an unpasteurized Roquefort, and I did not partake even though everyone at the table raved about it. I'm not usually one to heed pregnancy advice, but I also didn't want to be that girl who gave her baby some weird bacteria just because mama couldn't resist a little Roquefort. Another time.

#3 Do Belgian pregnant women abstain from all the delicious beer?

No. In fact, our B&B host in Brugge said that during her stay in the hospital (an astounding 5 days!) she was given a trappist dark brew to facilitate lactation. That's how seriously Belgians believe in their beer. We became such fans of Belgian beer that we were willing to haul two (very heavy) six-packs of Westvleteren trappist beer back home.

Westvleteren is considered the most secretive trappist brewery of the six in Belgium, and the only one where the monks are still involved in the day-to-day making of their beer, making it a special and prized drink if you can get your hands on one. It is considered Beer Advocate's #1 in all the world, and our baby will be one of the lucky ones to have a taste when he/she arrives!

The blond (8%) was good, but the dark (10%+) is the real deal.

Wonder why the monks prefer such alcohol-laden brews?!?

We had such a fantastic time on our vacation, and whoever thought of a babymoon is genius. It was perfectly relaxing, memorable, and delicious. The chocolate, wine, beer, ice cream, waffles, fries, and pastries were divine (the heartburn afterward, not so much).

We planned our trip around the tulip season in the Netherlands, but so did everyone else in the world. It was madness.

Walking around Brugge is like being on the set of a medieval movie set

Brugge

The Dutch love their bikes, and the French love their snails

It's only appropriate to stay at a farmhouse B&B set in the rolling hills of France

Piles of Pink Laundry

2011-04-04T18:46:00.003-05:00

My sister-in-law was super generous to give us heaps and heaps of clothing for baby's first year. So I decided to go ahead and wash it all and sort through the sizes -- part of the nesting phase, I think, because I've been really into cleaning the house, too. According to the what I read about the nesting instinct, it begins around the 5th month until the time of labor with "sorting the baby's clothes over and over again as a favorite theme."

Since my sister-in-law only had girls, she gave us a lot of pink, which means, if we have a boy, he will be our pink prince. Ain't nothin' wrong with boys wearing pink except when everyone starts saying how cute SHE looks.

Oh, parents, what kind of laundry madness am I getting myself into? The dryer was like a bottomless pit of burp cloths and onesies!

Cactus-shaped Accessories Present Interior Design Challenges

2011-03-23T09:58:00.006-06:00

Nick's parents were in town this past weekend, and we made the obligatory stop at La Ciudadela handicrafts market so Nick's mom could grab a few gifts for the grandkids. It's an overwhelming place with rows and rows of the same thing, and usually the ladies love it and the men want to poke their eyes out with a thousand straight pins.

But, look who came home with a "treasure". Nick had been eying a shopkeeper's cactus-shaped magazine holder, and unfortunately, the shopkeeper directed him to where he could buy his very own. Off Nick went -- two different times -- in search of his cactus until he proudly strolled up from "aisle 5" with this thing dangling from his hand.

It's cute...I guess. I was just thinking more along the lines of a colorful hand woven basket. And now, with the simple purchase of a cactus-shaped magazine holder, I feel like we've been thrusted into a decor scheme like this:

Rather than something more me, more bohemian, like this:

Can the two be reconciled? Maybe what I'll do is cut the rope, reupholster the jute with a batik print, and paint the cacti aqua blue. :)

March Mango Madness

2011-03-14T11:01:00.005-06:00

The season came slightly early this year, and I started noticing mangoes in the market in early February. Normally, I'd expect them around this time in March, but I guess the mild winter has been good to the mangoes.

One of the first pieces of advice I got from my mother-in-law was a warning that I shouldn't eat mangoes during pregnancy because they're a hot -- a heat-generating -- food, as opposed to cold-generating foods, like apples and bananas. That is, in eastern medicinal philosophy, conditions are classified as 'hot' or 'cold' and should be balanced with the relative hot or cold food. So with pregnancy being a 'hot' condition, I should be avoiding mangoes because they generate heat and could lead to complications like miscarriage. True? I have no idea.

And, judging from the mound of mangoes in my fruit basket (and the raw fish I ate this weekend), I've not been following the dietary guidelines of pregnancy very well. And, I can already confirm with you now that I WILL be enjoying lots of soft cheeses and Flemish beers on our trip next month.

The other indulgence that I only dream about in my head (because the bakery's in Houston) is the birthday cake I had last year at my niece's 1st birthday party. It is, hands-down, the best cake I've ever put in my mouth, and I savored that moment by eating 4 pieces of it. Last week, Nick did a very mean thing by digging through his jpeg vault and emailing me a picture of the cake. And, I, in turn, did a very mean thing to myself by making it my desktop photo.

The next time I'm in Houston, I'm ordering this cake for myself, and the message will read, "Congratulations to me!"

Learning French

2011-03-04T11:48:00.003-06:00

We're coming down to the final months before I should stop traveling by plane, and we've decided that our final big trip will be to Europe next month. Besides sitting under the Cancun sun like a beached whale, it seems Europe will be gentle on the body. And, oh the chocolate!

Part of our trip will include driving through northern France, like around the region of Nord Pas de Calais on the France/Belgium border. And, for someone that enjoys learning new languages, it's kind of embarrassing for me to admit how little knowledge of French I possess. Seems like one of those languages you might pick up from pop culture, gastronomy, and travel, but I can't even tell you how to conjugate the most basic verb to be.

To avoid assuming everyone in the world speaks English by speaking loudly and slowly with big gestures, I am going to brave a crash course in French. In this next month leading up to our trip, I'm going to immerse myself in French and hope that Spanish helps me out a little (I'm always impressed by how easily the French learn Spanish and vice versa!).

One of the new podcasts I downloaded to my iPod is called 'Coffee Break French'. Cheap (free) and cheerful! My goal is to learn basic grammar, basic nouns, verbs, and adjectives, learn how to ask for directions, and be able to order off a menu. And I'm going to work on a lovely French accent, too.

Super 99 Chinese Supermarket

2011-02-28T09:47:00.003-06:00

There's a running list on our fridge for the goodies we'd like to purchase when we make visits back to the states. Comfort foods like Combos, but it's mostly a list of Asian food stuffs like dried mushrooms and sauces. There's a lot I can get here but, whew, if you saw the prices, you'd be hauling things back, too.

Customs and I have had many encounters (especially over my insistence to bring in dried shrimp because, really, they do taste different from the dried shrimp you find here), but I find the hassle worthwhile compared with the mind-blowing cost of buying them here (bag of dried shrimp in the US: $1.89; same bag in Mexico: $120 pesos, or $10 USD).

Something caught my eye the other day when I was down south near Coyoacán. As a friend and I zoomed by in the car, I saw some Chinese writing and what looked suspiciously like the symbol of the mega Chinese supermarket chain in California called Ranch 99. Except it wasn't Ranch 99; it was Super 99. Could it be?!?

On Saturday, we saw it with our own eyes. Super 99 IS Ranch 99, and there were things in there I'd never laid eyes on before in Mexico. I saw dried lotus flowers, spiced tofus, pickled turnips, and the usual suspects like soy sauce, tofu, and seaweed. As you might expect, the prices were eye-piercing, but now there's no complaining about being unable to find this or that rare Chinese ingredient in DF.

A chaotic exterior is a must

At least until they close their doors. I mean, how many people in DF are looking for pickled turnips? And, from the look of their "fresh" vegetables, I can't say many people are flocking to Super 99. But I'll support them because I support a good effort. And I find the funky smell of Asian grocery stores oddly comforting.

Address: Miguel Angel de Quevedo 310, Colonia Santa Catarina (one block south of Coyoacán's beautiful Calle Francisco Sosa)

Can't Stop Eating!!

2011-02-02T14:37:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I googled "always hungry second trimester" to see if my ravenous hunger was something many women experience during pregnancy. And, yes, it is. It hits very suddenly. Like the feeling that if I don't ingest something in the next 10 minutes, I might pass out.

So when I'm out I'm apt to carrying around one or two snacks with me because, believe you me, there are quite a few tempting and not-so-healthy options out there on the street. Like the torta stand outside my apartment -- it takes WILLPOWER to not want one of those sandwiches mounded with 5 different kinds of processed meats, 2 kinds of cheese, and smothered in mayo. Or the hamburger stand that billows with the char-broiled goodness of ground beef sizzling on the grill. Good thing Wendy's is a 15 minute walk away because I'd be over there everyday for a Frosty if it were closer!

Photo by Flickr user Scaredy_kat

What I've found on the street to be quite nutritious are the amaranth, peanut, and pumpkin seed bars sold on the street. It's a stretch to say I LOVE them when I could be having a torta, but they are generally tasty and filling when in a pinch. The alegria bars -- the ones with just amaranth -- I find super unappealing, but the palanquetas -- the bars with nuts -- I like as long as they don't break my teeth. I might even be inspired to make them at home using this recipe. Looks easy enough with just five ingredients.

You see what I mean? These things won't send you in a tizzy of excitement like a torta might.

But say it ain't so that healthy eating on the street confines one to nut bars. Is there such a thing as a healthy taco? Or what's a quesadilla like without all that cheese? Déjame investigar, but I can't say that I'm that optimistic.

Good News!

2011-01-19T07:55:00.006-06:00

Well, hello there! It's been a long time. So where do I begin? Most of the past month was spent in Texas with family, enjoying our parents, siblings, and nieces. It's usually the only time of year that everyone's together, even if it is just for a day or two. One of my brothers spends half the year in Africa, so for my mom, especially, having him home for the holidays is really special.

The upside to having both parents in the same city is we never have to divide up the holidays or fly to different cities to see each set of parents. The only difficult thing -- and it's really not so terrible -- is having to choose whose house to stay at that night, for how long, and where we're eating dinner. In fact, I think the decision of where to eat dinner trumps all the other decisions. Because our mothers have thought long and hard about just what to make on those special days. That chicken curry that no one else can make as good as Mom, the special herbal soup that will detox us of Mexico City's pollution, or the pan-fried noodles that Nick loves and that my mom loves him for loving.

But the holidays isn't really what was so special this year... Just before the holidays, we learned that we are expecting our first baby!! :) Just before we moved to Mexico, we got married, and we always had it in our head to start our family here. However, the outlook looked dim as we realized having a baby wasn't as easy as just saying so. It took a lot of time, but we're both overjoyed to be joining the club -- is it really true that you'll never sleep again?? sigh...

Right now, we're navigating our way through the process of having a baby in Mexico. It requires talking to lots of people, hearing their experiences, and deciding what kind of birthing plan we'd like. C-section is very common here, and using a midwife is something most people here deem antiquated and left to the indigenous. It's like we've made having a baby too technologically advanced.

Last week, I was catching up on my back issues of National Geographic, and one of the articles was about the Aztecs. A few years ago, archaeologists in Mexico City's downtown ruin, Templo Mayor, unearthed a stone carving of the Aztec earth goddess, Tlaltecuhtli, squatting to give birth. (You can find the story in the November 2010 issue. She's actually devouring the dead to give them new life, but whatever, I like that she's squatting!) So while everyone pushes me to lay down in bed, get an epidural, or go for a c-section, I'm going to remember that even goddesses had to pain their way through childbirth.

Many of you out there in bloglandia are mothers, and I would love to hear your stories. There's a lot to learn before July 22nd.

Field Trip to the East Side

2010-12-02T09:53:00.010-06:00

Very early last Saturday, we met a friend on the east side of town -- the Neza municipality, if you know these parts. There aren't any high-rise, shiny glass buildings or anything of brand name. What you'll mostly find are simple cement homes housing the family business: snack shops, comida corrida restaurants, and car shops. Brilliant, I think, to live and work in the same place! The original work-from-home scheme. It's the way many Mexicans live but a world in which we know so little about living in our foreigner-friendly neighborhood. So, when the opportunity arises to see a different face of Mexico, I welcome it. Plus, you never know what fantastic food finds you might encounter.

We needed our car checked, and if there's one really good thing about the east side, it's the abundance of men who know how to fix cars. Even at 8 am on a Saturday morning, when there wasn't much going on in a usually crowded and vibrant area such as Neza, there were men everywhere fixing their cars. Oh, and if you ever wondered where the microbuses/peseros (small, green buses that terrorize the city) are maintained (they're maintained, you ask?!?), just go to Neza and take a look. Unfortunately, besides car guys and carts selling tamales and atole, I didn't get to see much. I think the real shenanigans start in the evening when the sun goes down.

This photo I took in Neza is something of a cultural curiosity to me. I've seen it many times before in various parts of the city -- the lack of attention to spelling. On you-can't-take-it-back permanent signage, no less. As a teacher, it makes me wonder how much schools here stress spelling?? We are sticklers for it in the US. I recognize the difficulty in distinguishing between v and b, but seriously, c'mon people, fabor?

By golly, these things do get repaired sometimes. Photo taken from the blog El Analfabeta, where the caption reads, "Pesero - Pequeño autobús que no cumple con ninguna regla de seguridad." ("Pesero - Small bus that doesn't comply with any security measures.") I love the thrill, but it's a miraculous feat to step off these alive.

Green Juice

2010-11-23T08:14:00.003-06:00

Fresh juice stands are ubiquitous in Mexico City. For a mere $20 pesos ($1.63 USD), you can enjoy an entire liter of fresh-squeezed orange juice from oranges squeezed right in front of you. If you've ever made your own juice or smoothie, you know how impossible it is to exactly estimate a cupful. Always a tad leftover, no? Jamba Juice would never do something like this, but here in Mexico the juice man will fill your cup, ask you to take several sips, and fill it full again. Which means I always get my thirst quenched before I even leave the stand.

Some juice stands specialize in blends, like a blend for diabetes or a blend for high blood pressure. One of the most popular juices is the blood-red vampiro drink made from the juice of beets, oranges, carrot, and celery. My new favorite, though, is green juice. Literally called jugo verde. It's a blend of orange juice, pineapple, celery, nopal, and parsley. And it goes down a little pulpy with the perfect hint of sweet and tart (and grassiness from the parsley). If you're like me and are always battling the digestive forces in your stomach, this is a good one. It should really be renamed something more appropriate like fibre fuerte.

Such a lovely shade of green!

Out with the cold. In with a portable heater and kimchi

2010-11-08T10:08:00.006-06:00

As you know, most homes in Mexico don't have central air or heating. That means finding natural ways to adapt. In the summer, it's wearing as little clothing as we can get away with and sitting near the fan; in the winter, it's drinking lots of hot drinks and wearing heavy jackets and hats in the house. While it's not quite winter yet here, it sure does feel like it at night. Last week it got down to 1˚C!

We'd been holding out for some time, grinning and bearing the cold like everyone else, but this weekend, we caved and purchased a portable heater for the living room. Many others had the same idea, and the heater aisle at Home Depot was buzzing with people out buying their first heater. I felt very guilt for putting it in the cart, as the eco-nut in me was resisting the purchase. But now that it's in the house, we vow to only use it on unbearably cold nights when our fingers can't move and we can't sleep. On the other days, we'll keep adapting naturally.

FYI, one of the upsides to having cold temperatures like this is that, if you're into kimchi (the Korean fermented spicy cabbage), 2-7˚C is the perfect temperature to achieve and maintain a delicious kimchi. Instead of storing it underground like they do in Korea, all I'll need to do is set it out on the counter and let the cold weather do its magic. If you want a good recipe, click here.

From the depths of cultural prejudice we get lard

2010-10-27T08:25:00.008-05:00

In most parts of the world, no one bats an eyelash when recipes call for heaping tablespoons of solid fat, whether it be butter, ghee (clarified butter used in Indian cuisine), or lard. I had a friend in high school who used to bring chickpea patties smothered in ghee for lunch, and the sight of solid fat going straight into her mouth was so revolting to me that I can still remember it nearly 15 years later.

Photo by: Homesick Texan

Now I'm an olive oil kind of girl. I buy it bulk at Costco, and even if I'm supposed to be using a higher temperature oil for stir frying, I most always use olive oil. Despite learning that canola oil is an equally good cooking oil, I've maintained my loyalties to olive oil. Why? I'm not really sure except to say that I've been brainwashed into thinking olive oil is the only oil to use.

Recently, however, I've been realizing that I need to just get over my American vanity and step into the realm of cooking with solid fats. If most of the world cooks this way, then I'm thinking something is probably wrong with the way we Americans dissect our food down to the kind of fat it should be cooked in. I already know things taste better cooked in butter or lard, and perhaps that's why my homemade tlacoyos never tasted that good.

On our trip to Buenos Aires, I took a cooking class where I learned how to make empanadas. Most of the group was American, and when the teacher started spooning lard into the pastry dough, we collectively shrieked. Then, someone asks, "So how much lard should we put in there?" (We Americans like to know exactly how much fat we're ingesting, no?)

"Oh, you know. Just enough to make the dough soft," she replies.

Beef empanadas made with a generous helping of lard

At that moment, between the shrieks and looks of disgust, I started to feel sympathy towards the misunderstood lard. I like to maintain as healthy a diet as the next person, but do I want to be that person that disregards hundreds of years of traditional cooking based on a cultural prejudice? It's not always about the calories.

So, to be true to the art of cooking and, well, living, I'm going to start keeping lard in the fridge and won't feel bad about it. If someone asks what's inside those delicious empanadas, I'm going to proudly tell them I used lard. And that cake? Two sticks of butter, thank you very much.

Get your paws off my bag!

2010-10-14T09:07:00.005-05:00

For all the malas noticias about the dangers of Mexico, I'd like to report that our first encounter with thuggery happened in Buenos Aires. The last time we came here, I glowed about how safe it was -- how I could walk down the street without having to bear-hug my bag -- but I take it back.

Nick and I were walking through a very nice neighborhood on Monday, and I felt something wet spray across my back. A man walked up from behind to warn me about water dripping from an awning. Really? It sprayed horizontal, sir, like from your direction. The man tried to reach out and show me where I got wet, but I immediately got in attack mode, and started yelling. Something about the situation didn't seem right. I called his bluff, identified the squirt bottle hidden in his right hand, and told him to get away. And he ran across the street behind a car like a scared cat. Yeah, that's right, don't mess with Asian girls -- we may be small, but we can be vicious! And, FYI, this Asian girl doesn't have any Louis Vuitton or anything even close, so take your eyes and your paws off my bag, and move along.

Anyway, the moral of today's post is: crime is everywhere. But you knew that already, right? Even in this charming, Paris-of-Latin-America, you can never hold your bag too tight.

Sunday Tianguis in Colonia Popo

2010-10-04T09:30:00.005-05:00

We've been dining al fresco lately on the roof garden, and yesterday during breakfast, Nick eyed the red and pink lonas, or tarps, that are characteristic of only one thing: a tianguis (from the Nahuatl word, tianquiztli, for day market). I turned my head left, lonas. Turned my head right, lonas. This was a tianguis of enormous proportion -- and two blocks away.

The joy I get from going to the tianguis is kind of unexplainable. Why I get so excited about mangos or leafy greens or guavas, I don't know, but there are perhaps a few of you who can understand. We are the types that buy beyond what we can eat, then go home and proudly display everything on the counter like we've just purchased pieces of fine art. When the spouse comes home and sees the harvest, he/she asks, "Don't we already have like fifty other types of cheese/chilis/bread?"

Each tianguis is unique in what they offer. Some focus on fruits and vegetables; others do food stalls, furniture, antiques, cars, etc. Ours is more like a US strip mall -- it has a little of everything with over 300 stalls spanning about 10 streets. Here is what's inside our strip mall:

Walgreens

Goodwill

Pro-Cuts

Krispy Kreme (actually not donuts but mini gorditas de nata)

Sally's Beauty Supply

Guacamolería/Aguacatería

Nick came down with mall-itis and became disorientated at the sight of all that there was to buy. So, probably, on future Sundays, I'll leave him to watch football while I gorge myself on fruits and vegetables and barbacoa tacos.

Deluxe Apartment in the Sky

2010-09-27T14:35:00.012-05:00

I've moved nearly every two years for the past 13, but something about making a move within Mexico City had me out of sorts. I was having meltdowns, forgetting important events, and making crazy talk. And, a few things happened -- unrelated to the move -- that triggered my angry button. Finally, though, we're all moved in, and we are hooked up with all our utilities, cable, internet, a new fridge, microwave, and washer/dryer (I've never had a washer/dryer in my apartment, so I am over-the-moon excited about doing laundry).

The linguistic debilitation that I thought would happen never came to pass, although I highly recommend studying this link and this one before attempting polite phone conversations in Spanish. Because phone Spanish just ain't what they say on the streets. In fact, I think customer service derives great pleasure in finding ways to complicate phrases like "Who's calling?" into "With whom do I have the great pleasure and luxury of speaking with today?"

Of the new words I learned during the move, the word volado appeared a lot. I believe it derives from the verb volar (to fly), and it refers to the act of doing this:

Hoisting objects up or down the side of a building

Like our way-too-big couch that we will be cutting in half the next time we move

Figuring out how to get the couch into the apartment was a feat of engineering, and the good 'ol folks at Mudanzas Gou (whom I 100% recommend if you need to move in, out, or within Mexico) carried it up 15 flights of stairs to the roof and lowered it one floor to our apartment on the 14th floor. Do we sound like the Jeffersons?? "Well we're movin on up, to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky."

In the daytime, you can see the mountains to the north of Mexico City. Better than that, you can see the traffic whirring around you, but you don't hear it!

The view at night is something pretty spectacular.

2010 Mexico City Fun-a-thon

2010-09-13T18:52:00.006-05:00

"Should we bring the camera?" Nick asks before we head out to the street to watch the marathon.

"OK, let's bring it," I say.

"Well, what are you going to do with pictures of people running?"

"OK, let's not bring it."

But, the moment I saw someone run by with a wig on, I ran back inside and grabbed the camera. If there were wigs, there'd probably be costumes. And there were. And many other non-traditional marathon sightings: activists, clowns, Mary lovers, and a generous helping of patriotism. We foreigners like to say "Only in Mexico" when we see the occasional oddity, but, really, I do believe marathons like this exist ONLY in Mexico.

If you carry a framed picture of Mary on your back for 26 miles, I think you deserve to go to heaven.

Friends, Moving, and Losing Your Linguistic Elegance

2010-09-07T12:47:00.009-05:00

We're rounding out our second year here in the DF this week, and there have been so many changes/transitions in the past few weeks to make me feel like we're starting this adventure from scratch.

One of the most difficult things about living abroad is seeing the friends you've made leave. This summer, we said goodbye to six friends, all of whom moved to far away places. I suppose it's in mental storage that this happens amongst the Mexico City expat community, but it never fails to bother me. I am a creature of routine and comfort, so if you leave me, be assured that you have ruffled my feathers. :)

We are also uprooting ourselves from the lovely boho Colonia Roma to move to a place closer to Nick's work. We decided against the apartment a block away (in hindsight, a very good thing since a new club has just opened across the street, and they play freakishly loud music from Wednesday to Saturday) and will be moving to a new neighborhood which, from many accounts, is also a very amiable place. All I ask for is good street food, ok? Preferably less than two blocks from my door. Thank you.

And, related to the move, I know it'll really feel like starting over when I have to make contact with the utilities, cable, and phone people. As happens every time I encounter these people, blood rushes to my face, the temperature in the room suddenly rises, and I become linguistically debilitated to the point of providing ridiculous answers to standard questions.

Examples of linguistic debilitation:

Census taker: How many bathrooms do you have in your house?

Husband : 95 (the number of meters in our apartment)

Census taker: Do you speak any indigenous languages?

Husband: Yes

Census taker: (mystified) Which ones?

Husband: English

Store clerk: ¿Con quien le atendió? (Who helped you?)

Me: Mi nombre es Alice

Store clerk: (annoyed) No, no, no. ¿Con quien le atendió?

Me: Alice

Store clerk: Un segundo...

(only after post-phone reflection did I realize what he was saying)

In the next few weeks, I will be making quite a few "Why hasn't your service worker showed up the past three times he's made an appointment with me?" conversations, but, hopefully, all my insides won't come unraveled. But, if they do, I'll make a note of it so we can all have a good laugh.

Taco Bell Cantina Tacos

2010-08-24T18:38:00.005-05:00

This weekend, we celebrated our niece's 1st birthday in Houston. She excels in heavy lifting, doesn't like to hit the books like her sister, and she can eat! Isn't she a cutie?!?

While there, I sold out to Taco Bell but only because I wanted to try the new Taco Bell Cantina tacos. They come double-wrapped in corn tortillas ... just like the taco here. They're topped with fresh cilantro and onions ... just like the tacos here. And they come with lime ... just like the tacos here. Did they taste like the tacos here? Not really, but, mmm... they were tasty. A move in the right direction, Taco Bell!

Pigs on the left; chickens on the right

Learning eh-slang via YouTube

2010-08-19T13:38:00.003-05:00

We're coming on **two** years here in Mexico, and I'm finally getting around to understanding and using slang. Which pretty much means I'm finally learning to speak Spanish... While I highly recommend the blog Effective Swearing in DF for lovely explanations of slang, I find this YouTube sensation, Werevertumorro, to be pretty amusing. He teaches me lots of useful slang, and I like his social commentary on the craziness that often goes on here.

See how many references to Mexican pop culture, TV, and futbol you can get in this video:

Finally, banking gone easy

2010-08-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

I have been known, at times, to unleash my inner beast. Since I've left the classroom, it doesn't rear its ugly head much except when I'm at the bank (although when a man intentionally opens his garage door and lodges it into your car, I can't help but thrash around a few saucy words and fingers).

Yes, another banking story. But, a good one this time. I recently joined a new Facebook page called Surviving Mexico City where the topics range from how to keep people from blocking your driveway to how to avoid being served a Nescafé when what you asked for was coffee. On that page, I read a thread about easy and discounted bank transfers from Wells Fargo accounts in the US to BBVA Bancomer accounts in Mexico. Not only discounted bank transfers, but Bancomer can also deposit US checks, and depending where you live, allow you to keep both dollar and peso accounts.

For us, we have financial obligations in the US which require us to transfer money back to the US on a regular basis. If you add up the commission fees from both banks, it comes out to nearly $50 in fees. However, I just found out that Bancomer has a relationship with Compass Bank in the US. So if you happen to come from the following states -- Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas -- it behooves you to open a Bancomer account in Mexico and a Compass account in the US if you have bills to pay in the US. Why? Because there's only a $5 fee on wire transfers between Bancomer and Compass Bank.

And, certain branches throughout Mexico have a segment called the Preferred Customer Unit, a foreigner-friendly banking service. They guarantee Preferred Customers an English-speaking banker, no waiting in line, free online banking, access to English-speaking mortgage bankers, and more.

So, of course, we went to open one of these accounts last week, and it was nothing short of a miracle. We had a fully-functioning bank account in one hour, debit cards in hand, and just because I could, I chatted with my banker -- in English -- for over an hour. It became another long trip to the bank but only because I didn't want to leave!

I'm looking for the Tofurería

2010-07-28T09:29:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, I walked to the Zona Rosa to buy tofu at this one Korean store that sells homemade tofu. Every time I go, though, I'm never really sure what street it's on. Londres or Hamburgo? London or Hamburg?

That's how it goes here. Streets in the same neighborhood are grouped thematically. Since the Korean stores are in Colonia Juárez, they are mostly named after European cities, like Hamburg, London, or Florence. In my colonia, the streets are named after Mexican states; in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, rivers; in Colonia Nápoles, US cities; and in classy Polanco, thinkers and scientists like Aristotle and Galileo. I suppose all streets can't be named Benito Juárez...

In addition to confusing street names, some stores have no name or, rather, a generic name ending with -ería. Take whatever it is you're selling -- frutas, for example -- add an -ería to the end of it, and your name becomes frutería. So we have chocolaterías, joyerías (jewelry stores), neverías (ice cream stores), jugueterías (toy stores), tintorerías (drycleaners), pozolerías (pozole stands), taquerías, etc.

Well, the Korean store that sells tofu not only sits on a nondescript street, it also doesn't have a name. Really, no sign. Nothing to identify itself except by the piles of napa cabbage in the doorway. So, in the art of adding -ería to whatever's for sale, I'm going to give the nameless Korean store that sells tofu, tofurería. To the kimchi store around the corner, kimchirería. And to the non-existent, I hope you open soon pho restaurant, phorería.

Another reason I can't fully be vegetarian

Photo by Phigonggol (Flickr)

Mexican-Korean Fusion Cuisine

2010-07-22T10:36:00.005-05:00

I've always thought Mexican and Asian food -- separately -- were the two tastiest cuisines, but they've been enjoying a merry partnership recently. You don't initially think Mexican with its tomato and corn-based ingredients to pair well with soy sauce-y and fish sauce-y Asian food, but thanks, in part, to the success of the Kogi Korean taco truck in LA, I think people are beginning to see the beauty of Mexican-Asian fusion cuisine. I mean, how amazing does a bulgogi taco topped with kimchi salsa sound? It's pretty much your standard taco but with the added -- and very addictive -- umami flavor from the soy and fish sauce.

Last week while in the states (hence the long absence from blogworld), I went to Austin and stalked the Kogi knock-off taco truck, Chi'Lantro (Kimchi meets Cilantro), to try the bulgogi taco. I ordered one beef bulgogi taco, but having never tried a tofu taco, I ordered one of those. It was all quite tasty except the tortilla snob in me thought the tacos would have tasted better had the tortillas been homemade or at least not churned out from the local grocery's monster tortilla maker. And, of course, the tofu was no match for the beef taco.

Fusion-haters would find this taco hard to resist.

Deliciousness finds its way to a mall parking lot.

Korean food in Mexico City keeps to its few corners in Zona Rosa, but just like the mexicanization of Japanese food, kimchi will make its way into the taco soon enough. Below are other photos of non-traditional fusion concepts I saw while on my trip:

This I took while in Canada last week. I can only guess what Canadian-Chinese food is.

Caribbean-Indian sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

Taken at my cousin's house over the weekend. In our varied assortment, we had egg custard tarts, Chinese BBQ pork, sushi, brats, and Coronas.

Swiss Chard Tacos

2010-07-01T12:38:00.004-05:00

In an effort to eat more sustainably and be more health-conscious, I've been trying to cure myself of eating meat every day. Beef and pork are easy to write off (the exceptions being tacos al pastor and Chinese BBQ pork buns), but chicken always finds its way into the kitchen. Very delicious in soups, salads, stir-fries, and sandwiches -- oh, chicken, why must you be so versatile and tasty?

Here in Mexico, eating vegetarian often confines one to eating a lot of beans for protein. When I moved here, I asked on the Chowhound forum if anyone knew where to find tempeh, but there was radio silence on that one. Occasionally, when I get around to the Korean store, I have a treat of tofu. But, by and large, having tried hard to kick meat out of my life in the past month has meant a whole lotta beans!

One meat-free (and bean-free) dish that I made in the last month is the following recipe for swiss chard. I swiped the recipe from one of Lesley's Diana Kennedy books, Art of Mexican Cooking. The subtitle read "Traditional Mexican Cooking for Aficionados" which freaked me out as I am already intimidated of cooking Mexican at home. However, once I read through the directions, it felt manageable.

And, it was. Easy, fast, delicious, and meat-free! I bound it in a tortilla and topped it off with a dollop of guacamole just like the one I had at a taco stand the week before. I suppose you could add salsa, but it tasted so good the way it was that I didn't want to mask the flavor with salsa.

Acelga Guisada (Stewed Swiss Chard)

Taken from: Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy

1/2 kg swiss chard, stalks chopped finely, leaves roughly shredded

2 TBP oil

2 TBP onion, chopped

1 garlic, chopped

1-2 chile serranos, chopped

225 g tomatoes, chopped and unpeeled

salt, to taste

1 1/4 c water

Heat oil. Add onions, garlic and chiles and fry for one min. Add tomato and cook on high heat for three min. Add chard, salt, and water and cover over medium heat for 10 min. Remove lid, continue cooking until tender, about 10 min. Serve with tortillas.

Frontera Mexicana

2010-06-21T10:04:00.003-05:00

I don't know why I enjoy watching reality crime shows because they're pretty depressing if you really digest what's happening. When Cops first aired, I was all over that! Busting the bad guy ... over and over, again. But, one that I saw yesterday keeps haunting me. It's called Frontera Mexicana (Mexican Border) which follows border patrol officers along the US-Mexican border region.

I'm not usually moved by these shows, but this one resonated with me. Living on this side of the border, meeting people who have been deeply affected by immigration policy, it's not just about catching illegals. There are stories of struggle and hope. Men with children. It all plays out like a game. When a band of illegals get caught, the jubilant US Border Patrol hi-five themselves for a job well-done. Young boys on the Mexican side throw rocks at la migra as they look for weaknesses in the system. A never-ending battle to keep people on their side of the fence.

No answers here about how to open the borders just enough to let the good ones in and keep the bad ones out, but hopefully shows like this reveal something deeply wrong in our system and don't just sensationalize it down to drugs and hi-fives.

World Cup in Progress: Please, PLEASE Come to Work

2010-06-10T08:02:00.010-05:00

I was living in Japan when it hosted the 2002 World Cup, but there was never any excitement in the air about it. In fact, when I attended a game (coincidentally between Mexico vs. Croatia), I had to go sit by those rowdy Mexicans in their sombreros, serapes, and maracas so I could stand up and cheer without being asked to sit down and be quiet.

So it's been refreshing to live in a country that not only loves soccer but warmly welcomes all types of raucous and bizarre behavior. It's hard to explain, but there is an energy in the air in anticipation of the World Cup. An entire month of soccer! I guess in US terms, the only analogy I can think of is having the Super Bowl every day for a month. Everyone's talking about it, making their predictions, buying hoards of soccer stickers to fill their Panini sticker albums, and deciding where they want to watch el mundial.

Now, where to watch the World Cup sort of conflicts with one other slightly important thing in life: WORK. Not sure what other companies in Latin America (or, pretty much all parts of the world except the US) are doing about it, but in an effort to appease all parties, Nick's company is encouraging people to, at a minimum, show up for work. If you do, you will be rewarded with being able to watch the World Cup on newly-installed TVs AND get points for showing up to work regardless of your productivity. And, a memo from Argentina reads: THERE SHALL BE NO MEETINGS SCHEDULED DURING ARGENTINA GAMES. IF YOU DO, YOUR MEETING WILL BE POORLY ATTENDED, IF AT ALL. SHAME ON YOU!

Work-life balance in Mexico generally tips more toward the life side of things, but I'm thinking between now and July 11th, work is really going to take a hit (especially tomorrow -- wheeee!!). The scale will be completely tipped this month toward enjoying life, hopping out of bed way before the sun rises, and drinking beer for breakfast. I can't wait!

#1 Music Video (for learning Spanish)

2010-05-31T11:54:00.004-05:00

This song by Calle 13, "No Hay Nadie Como Tú" (There's No One Like You), is a fun way to learn Spanish. If you learn the words to this song, my guess is that you can add over 100 distinct nouns and adjectives to your vocabulary (I didn't count but probably enough to order a taco -- what else could be more important than this?!?). Lyrics here

Losing & Reclaiming Traditions

2010-05-26T08:08:00.005-05:00

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned while living abroad happened while attending Samant's wedding in India last week. The thought started here in Mexico, when one Sunday a few weeks back, I noticed an eerie quiet around 2 pm. Nick and I were wandering around the neighborhood, probably in search of something to eat -- I don't remember.

But, I remember picturing a family -- grandma, grandpa, mother, father, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and probably a few great-somethings in the mix -- gathering around the table for Sunday brunch. An unspoken tradition that happens every Sunday, even if you have to pull yourself out of bed bien crudo to get there.

I felt so alone. Sure we had friends we could call on to recreate this family tradition, but family is family, and I craved to be surrounded by family at that moment. This is the life you chose, Alice. You squandered something few have -- both families in the same town.

We arrive in New Delhi three days before the wedding, and our plan is to stay in a B&B on our own, go shopping, eat kebabs till our teeth fall out, and stay out of Samant's hair as he prepares for his wedding. We'd find our way to his house on Thursday for the first planned event.

So very American thinking. The next morning, less than eight hours after we arrive, Samant calls us to invite us out for drinks that night. He wants us to meet Sneha, his bride, and other family. Then, each day thereafter, Samant would ring us to know our plans, and if we were free, to go shopping with them, come over for dinner, etc. I kept thinking, don't you have something more important to do -- like plan your 4-day wedding -- than hang out with us? Again, so very American of you, Alice. Weddings are for being with family, and Samant considers you family.

We realized this early into our trip, and we didn't resist. We joined in every scheduled wedding function (except one, and the family noticed), and we met Samant's parents, brother, uncles, aunts, and cousins (who, in India, are referred to as brothers and sisters. And if they see the look of confusion on your face, they clarify, "Oh, he's my cousin brother/sister."). Even on Thursday, when the wedding festivities were commencing, Samant and his brother took me and our mutual friend, Varun, to the Karol Bagh market. Not exactly the tranquil kind of thing I'd want to be doing if I were getting married, but I'm glad they did. We ate some of the best foods I've ever had in my life.

At the end of the wedding, after an intense number of waking hours together, we were hugging, exchanging numbers, and asking when the other was coming to visit. We had that deep family feeling connecting us. The kind where if we came back to Delhi without telling them, and they found out, we'd be shamed.

I don't recall the exact moment when I had my epiphany, but somewhere in the madness of wedding ceremonies, I felt very satisfied. I said to Nick, "I like the tradition of being with family. If we're going to continue living abroad, let's make a commitment to see our family at least once a year. Get everyone in the same place at least once."

In typical husband-like brevity, he replies, "Ok."

In places like Mexico and India, the tradition continues without effort. Because they know the importance of something we've forgotten. Family oils the gears of life. Family keeps us happy and socially adjusted (I know, not always). So while I can't undo the fact that we've moved far away from family, I can try to reclaim what's been lost. Even if it is just once a year.

I Survived an Indian Wedding!

2010-05-24T04:43:00.012-05:00

I'm not functioning at full capacity at the moment, but since it's 4 am and can't sleep from a combination of jet lag and Delhi belly, I wanted to share some pictures from the wedding in India we attended last week. Our friend and Nick's boss, Samant, was getting married in India, and while we had an Indian wedding of our own, I knew it wouldn't compare to those in India. We had to go!

Ours was a two-hour wedding; Samant's was 4 days. No small feat for the bride and groom, or for anyone else. I'm still absorbing all the events from those 4 days; in fact, I'm still waking up wondering what wedding function we've got going on today. So, while I process my thoughts and wake up from the haze, here are the events in photos. We were taken in like family on Samant's side, so all the pictures are from the groom's Punjabi traditions. The bride had different ceremonies which we didn't attend.

Day 1: Mendhi (henna); Sangeet (singing)

Women from the groom's side gather to dance, sing wedding songs, make jokes, and eat

Day 2: Ring Ceremony (gifting of jewelry, meeting of families and exchanging of gifts, dinner and dancing)

According to Samant, a nice luxury vehicle could have been purchased with the price of those jewels

More lavish than most western weddings, and this was just the ring ceremony

Day 3: More wedding ceremonies (that I don't know the names of); Sehra Bandhi (tying of the turban and riding the horse); Wedding procession; Reception

Sister-in-law carrying the pot of water the groom bathes in just before his turban ceremony

The little boy gets all the same adornments as a groom-in-training

Raucous and joyful wedding procession through the streets of Delhi to the reception and wedding venue

Bride is handed over to the groom

Day 4: (a continuation of Day 3 but technically the next day around 2 am) Wedding ceremony; Blessing by Hijidas (eunuchs); Wedding games with the groom's family

Finally, the wedding ceremony, but most people have gone home. Lasted until sunrise!

Later in the day, the hijidas came to give their blessing (or, a curse if you choose not to pay them; Samant's mom negotiated a rate of $500)

Family wedding-related games to round out 4 FULL days of an Indian wedding

Asian Delights in DF

2010-05-05T09:52:00.004-05:00

Although it's not the savory Asian treat I've been looking for, I've noticed recently that bubble tea has come to town. If you don't know what it is, bubble tea is a milk tea (now in all kinds of psychedelic colors and flavors) with giant tapioca balls, and you drink it with a super-size straw. Bubble tea was popular in Taiwan in the 90s, then it immigrated to the US in the 2000s, and just when you think the trend is dead, it arrives in Mexico. Kind of like what's happened to high-fructose corn syrup -- when your profits plummet in the US, revive the product in Mexico.

Twice last week I saw advertisements for bubble tea in Mexico City. Original Boba's House will be opening soon on Calle Tamulipas in La Condesa. Another chain, Tapioca Go, is in Plaza Altavista in San Ángel. I'm sort of over the bubble tea thing because it's hard to justify paying $3-4 for tea, but I'll probably go get some just because it's made it this far down the food chain.

In Search of Perfection

2010-04-26T08:07:00.003-05:00

When you move to a new city, you take many leaps of faith into the real estate market. The neighborhoods are unfamiliar and there's only a vague idea of real estate prices. The first time around, we got a recommendation from a friend who was from Mexico City, and fortunately, the colonia we ended up in was a good one. We *heart* La Roma! We're blocks away from the super, the tianguis, restaurants, the subway, buses, and taxi stand. Let's face it, in Mexico City, it can be super tricky to find a suitable place, and with lax zoning laws, you could end up next to an all-night cumbia lounge.

Now that we're staying (oh yeah, we were supposed to leave Mexico this summer), we decided to find a new apartment. We made a list of ten must-haves -- of the most important, our new place needed to be cheaper, quieter, and with a rooftop perch. In a city such as this, one can never get enough of this good weather.

Although the best way to find a place is walk around the neighborhood you want to live in and cold-call places that have FOR RENT signs hanging out front, we ended up finding a place through a friend -- one block away.

While this new place has the coveted roof garden that we've been searching for (with bonus views of Popo and Izta), I've been waking up in the middle of the night in a panic. It sits on the exact same busy street that we've been trying to get away from, it faces west and heats up like a sauna, and I learned over the weekend that the neighbors like their music LOUD.

Our friend -- the one living in our future apartment -- invited us to his party Saturday night, to show us how great it was to have a roof garden. We were lounging to the sounds of Gotan Project and the likes when the neighbors in the roof garden next to us show us up with their DJ equipment and lighting. They wanted to have a party of their own. At this point, I wasn't thinking how great the roof garden was. I was having nightmares of listening to Poker Face and I Got a Feeling long after their shelf life.

I relayed these concerns to my ever-patient hubby, and he said I was taking it too far. How could I judge from this one occasion that we would have noisy neighbors? And how did I know that the sound would even travel down to our apartment? I don't.

What I'm learning from this is that there is no place to live in the city without knowing I live in one. Quiet is unrealistic. Especially if we want to live in the center of the city. The sound of cars should ring in my ears like chirping birds. And as long as I live in apartments, expect noisy neighbors. If it gets so unbearable, I'll buy a pair of noise-canceling headphones. It all becomes a matter of managing and adjusting expectations. I thought I had adjusted pretty well to life in the big city, but clearly, it's still a work in progress.

Earth Day Mexico City

2010-04-22T20:30:00.003-05:00

In honor or Earth Day, Mother Nature takes revenge on DFeños by creating a massive traffic jam

Enjoying the Good Life

2010-04-21T11:53:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, while taking a coffee break after a long stroll through town, my mom asked my dad to take a picture of us "enjoying the good life." I was worried beforehand that they would try to find something to convince us that our lives back in Texas was more desirable. But between the perfectly sunny weather, the awesome quesadillas, and the mangoes, they couldn't stop gushing about how great it is here.

We did our short visit to San Miguel de Allende, and, yes, I'm eating my words. It was beautiful, tranquil, and so worth visiting over and over again. Like I expected, there were Texas plates all over town. The highlight of our trip was to El Charco del Ingenio, a natural botanic garden, showcasing local fauna and cacti from all over the country. I am so in awe of how diverse cacti can be -- more pictures to come.

Aerial view of San Miguel de Allende from the highway

El Charco del Ingenio

I'm pretty sure my parents are already planning their return trip. Having grown up in Asia, they felt like the way of life here is similar to the way they grew up -- fruit and vegetable markets, walking a lot, taking the bus, boiling the water, noisy streets, and hoards of people. My dad was even able to tighten his belt an extra notch! I'll have to work on adding an extra notch the next visit.

Las Grutas de la Estrella

2010-04-04T09:09:00.007-05:00

We stayed home this Semana Santa, and we've been enjoying the silence of the city, driving around town without traffic, and eating at some of the restaurants we've been wanting to try.

Yesterday, we took a short venture out of the city to the Grutas de la Estrella caves, about 2 hours southeast of Mexico City. They are near the spa resort town of Ixtapan de la Sal, where even a Marriott resides. Named for its resemblance to a star, the Grutas are not well-known nor written up in guide books, though I really think they should be.

The estrella-like entrance to the cave

With your entrance fee, you receive a 40-minute guided tour. I was amazed, as usual (by the caves, not the guide). No matter how many times I go, I am always taken aback by how beautifully rocks can form. Since Nevado de Toluca is nearby, I'm assuming these caves are a result of volcanic activity. And, these caves were used during pre-hispanic times and as a hiding spot during the Revolution. We didn't take the 3-4 spelunking tour, but we might go back to do it. Part of the spelunking tour requires that you jump in a pool of water, and we weren't dressed or prepared.

I don't know why the government doesn't do more to regulate this, but nearly all the natural wonders of Mexico are teeming with entrepreneurs. Maybe I'm a nature purist, but I find that sope and gordita vendors at the entrance to a cave distracting. This is one of nature's most amazing feats, something you only get to see a few times -- maybe even once -- in your life.

Getting there by car: From Mexico City, take Autopista 15 to Toluca. Go south on Autopista 55 toward Ixtapan de la Sal. In Ixtapan, take the turn-off to Tonatico. In Tonatico, follow the signs to the Grutas.

Toll: 129 pesos; Entrance fee: 20 pesos, 200 pesos more for spelunking tour

For a list of other caves in Mexico, go here.

Por fin!

2010-03-31T10:09:00.004-06:00

It worked! If you harass people long enough, they start to relent. In a few weeks, my parents will be making their first journey to Mexico City, and I am overjoyed with anticipation. Everyone from Nick's family has already come to visit, but my side of the family has been brainwashed by fear. But, alas, they have their tickets bought, and I am going to stop complaining that no one comes to visit us and start making plans.

Our first stop is actually not going to be Mexico City. My parents have had a burning desire to visit San Miguel de Allende because 1) my mom has a friend who lives there and 2) it's become lore in Texas that when you retire, you move down to San Miguel de Allende. Not to knock somewhere I've never been before, but SMA has not been on the top of my list of places to visit (I'll eating my words soon enough).

A few years ago, before we moved to Mexico, my dad asked me to buy him the book On Mexican Time. For a man that doesn't read books in English, it was odd that he asked me to buy him one about about an expatriate in SMA. So I think this trip is a secret mission to find a piece of land like the farm he grew up on in Taiwan -- you can take a man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man, right? (side note: my childhood in the urban sprawl of Fort Worth consisted of an assorted animal kingdom of chickens, roosters, rabbits, and quails and Asian squashes hanging from the backyard clothes line)

After we secure some property (my dream or theirs?), we're heading back to DF, where I plan to show them all the requisites (pyramids, the Zócalo, etc.) and my neighborhood favorites. I doubt they'll be partaking in a particular joy of mine -- street food -- since traveler's diarrhea isn't the kind of memory we're going for on this trip. I'm also excited to show them the array of Asian food we have available. I can't figure out if it's just my parents or all Chinese parents that like to try Chinese restaurants in different cities. Or, perhaps they just like meeting Chinese people. Either way, it'll be good for me because they can read the hidden messages on the wall (aka better food).

Will let everyone know how their visit goes, including pictures of savory Chinese food we find along the way!

Fake Beaches

2010-03-27T11:08:00.004-06:00

Everyone says to stay home during Semana Santa because the roads to get anywhere you'd like to go become like giant parking lots. I was thinking that maybe if we left and returned on an off-day, we could avoid the traffic, but who am I kidding? Ten million other people are thinking the same thing.

So our idea this year is to stay in Mexico City for the 4-day weekend but find a pool or rooftop terrace to enjoy the weather. Perhaps better than that, we can enjoy the city when everyone else is on vacation.

Alas, Mayor Ebrard had been thinking upon these very things, too. If you're too poor to afford a beach vacation in Cancun or Acapulco or you can't imagine spending one more second on the road but have a hankering for the beach, you might enjoy the city's artificial beaches at your municipal pool. That's right, sand, palm trees, and beach chairs right here in the city!

These playas artificiales aren't exactly the serene beach setting you dream about in your head, but how serene could the beaches be this time of year? Honestly, the scene at these artificial beaches looks a bit scary to me. It looks like the experience in the city, with everyone fighting for a small space, be that on the street, subway, or sidewalk. As much as I want to be on the beach this Semana Santa, I think we're going to let everyone else left in the city enjoy this Ebrardian "Vamos a la Playa" campaign.

Where to find the nine artificial beaches: La Alameda Norte (Azcapotzalco), Deportivo Vida Sana (Coyoacán), Balneario Popular San Juan de Aragón (Gustavo A. Madero), Ex balneario Olímpico (Iztacalco), El Centro Deportivo Casa Popular (La Magdalena Contreras), Bosque de Tláhuac (Tláhuac), Centro Deportivo Villa Olímpica (Tlalpan), Alameda Oriente (Venustiano Carranza), and Deportivo Emilio Sáenz Ibarra (Iztapalapa).

There are just so many things in this picture that frighten me.

Radio Spanish

2010-03-16T18:10:00.010-06:00

Last week, I was driving to work, had forgotten my iPod at home, and in my long (read: so slow that I saw a man reading a novel at the wheel) commute, I turned to one of the pop-y rock radio stations. Not only did I find that it helped pass the time in a karaoke sort of way, but it boosted my Spanish self-esteem!

It was something very supernatural. Poof! I was suddenly understanding everything the DJ was saying. It made me quite happy to realize that my Spanish intelligence level is now about that of a Spanish DJ's commentary! Like many of you, we're out to conquer the Spanish language, and we take the small successes like we just walked the moon.

That first phone call! That first trip the bank! I'm telling you, people, listening to the radio and understanding the DJ was momentous! If you've been here awhile and been intimidated like me to try it out, I have to say that it's highly recommended for a Spanish self-esteem booster. Stay away from the talk radio -- your best bet is to go with the radio stations that play the same 10 pop songs on repeat all day long. :)

Some drive and some read the paper

(no worries, no wheels were in motion when this picture was taken)

The Long Sit

2010-03-05T18:09:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, the weather we all know and love came back! The rain had let up, the sun was out, and it was just one of those days to be outside. We were in the mood to try some new beers, and Lucille's in Roma serves Minerva, Tempus, and Cosaco (sadly, Duff is off the menu). We rang up some friends to meet us there for lunch, which, on the weekends, is somewhere around 4 pm.

Now, my idea of taking advantage of the weekend doesn't usually entail getting it going around 3, but you soon find out that your friend circle will be very small if you ask them to meet you for lunch any earlier on the weekend. So, to appease my inner early-bird, I do any errands or chores beforehand, because, I KNOW, and as you'll soon see, that the rest of the day can quickly turn into one long and continuous gathering.

Back to 4 pm. The friends arrive, we lunch, and then head back to the pool tables. It quickly turns into 6, at which time another set of friends join us "for lunch". The American in me is ready to call an end to lunch, but the trying-to-be-culturally-sensitive side of me decides that we should stay because 6 o'clock lunchers like to have company just like the 4 o'clock lunchers.

Fast forward the clock to 7, then to 8, 9, 10, and 11, and we're all still sitting there having "lunch". One leaves for a bit to grab dessert, another to get some cigarettes, and it all seems too normal to run errands while lunching. I guess if you weren't like me, and you didn't complete your errands before, you might as well complete them DURING lunch.

By midnight, I was all lunched out. I felt like the rude foreigner ending the festivities early. I mentioned that I had never lunched so long, to which I got, "What? You've never sat down to lunch for 8 hours?" Sorry, no. And, sorry, I need to go.

Our friends waved us goodbye, with no intention of leaving, and we stumbled home, half proud that we were gaining Mexican social stamina and half in wonder with where the day had gone.

Guayabas

2010-02-26T13:27:00.002-06:00

While I wait for mango season to return, I've been obsessing about guavas. They're native, available year-round, have an intoxicating scent, and SO delicious. And Wiki taught me that guavas have vitamins A and C, fiber, and omega-3s -- a superfood! Took me over a year to buy them because of some bad guava experiences in Taiwan, but those kind are so different (and so nasty) that I don't think they should even be categorized together.

Working on a Roll of Paper Towels

2010-02-22T08:04:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I opened up the cabinet under the sink where we keep our roll of paper towels. I rolled off two sheets, and I thought to myself, "Wow, this roll just keeps on going." Like for over six months now.

I remember not so long ago buying quilted quicker picker-uppers in packs of 12 (and 50 rolls of toilet paper). So thick and absorbent, you roll off a few at once, wipe up a small spill, and throw them all in the trash. I think I went through a roll a week. Dusting, wiping the kitchen counter, drying my hands, etc.

Shortly after moving here, I was stunned that a multi-pack meant only two or three rolls and that each roll was nearly $1.50 for the cheap kind! And for $1.50, I was buying a product so thin that it tore as you ripped it off the roll. It wasn't even worth buying.

Exactly. Now I keep a roll under the counter for sopping up oil from the occasional deep-fried adventures, but really, we're 100% back to real towels.

Xin Nian Kuai Lu!

2010-02-14T21:50:00.004-06:00

Happy Year of the Tiger! Lucky for you, the one and only Chinese song I know is about tigers.

Liang zi lao hu (Two Tigers)

Liang zi lao hu, liang zi lao hu

Pao de kuai, pao de kuai

Yi zi mei you er duo, yi zi mei you wei ba

Zhen qi guai, zhen qi guai!

Two tigers, two tigers

Running fast, running fast

One doesn't have ears, one doesn't have a tail

How strange, how strange!

Dental Woes

2010-02-10T16:58:00.005-06:00

My teeth have been cranky and agitated lately, and I've been wondering what's up. I am a vigilante with my teeth because 1) they were neglected and abused in childhood from one too many Little Debbie treats and 2) I'm a snacker. I try to brush after meals, I'm an obsessive flosser like Pretty Woman, and I started consuming more tumeric for its antibacterial magical powers. Maybe I'm just scared of being completely toothless.

Since I'm in the US for a bit, I decided to visit the dentist for a cleaning. While I have an excellent dentist in Mexico, it's nice not to have to deal with the language barrier when discussing matters like my teeth problems, of which there are many. And, it's actually cheaper here. Unbelievable, I know.

So, I booked a last-minute appointment (taking full advantage of the "Oh, you poor thing, you live in Mexico" sympathies), and I found out that I have a cavity! That surprised me because I just went to my Mexican dentist in January, and he didn't mention anything. What he did mention, though, was that I redo four fillings. And my dentist in the US recommended crowns! Oh my, what's happening to my teeth?

Every dentist is different, and each will have his own recommendations, so I take it all with a grain of salt, but I'm just wondering what on earth I need to do to stay cavity-free. I'm also wondering if the water's fluorinated in DF -- does anyone know? If it is, I should be getting a higher concentration of fluoride in my water since we're water boilers. If it's not, I need to stop snacking and start gargling.

Street Peddlers Know Random

2010-02-05T14:47:00.005-06:00

Gosh, that last post was way too depressing. Let's get back to why I love Mexico.

Mexico thrives on its informal economy of street peddlers, and I was very fascinated by this when we moved here. Instead of hopping in your car to reach the neighborhood Target or Wal-Mart, you go to one guy for the lightbulb you need to replace, another guy for a black marker you need for school, and the dude down the street to fix your broken watch. Whatever you might need, you don't have to go too far to find it on the street.

Over time, the novelty of going here and there to get my shopping done became routine. But, still, the juxtaposition of completely random items is funny to me. In front of the World Trade Center in Colonia Nápoles is an old man selling the typical gum and cigarettes, but then he also has one or two bags of freshly fried churros. I don't know about you, but I'm a little weary of a man that sells gum with three churros hanging off the side. Wouldn't you rather buy your churros from the boy down the way?

Also, if you're ever on Calle Monterrey in Colonia Roma, you can usually find the same three men: one selling Bob the Builder belts, another selling chalkboards, and another selling miniature guitars. I always wonder what the demand (and the supply, for that matter) is for Bob the Builder belts.

And, finally, if you will turn your attention to the picture below. Next to the stand where I fetch my favorite Friday treat of chicken flautas is a young, good looking young lady (in black) selling a strange assortment of home wares. Mainly, she has drain covers, soap dishes, and rubber chair leg pads, and minorly (a word?), she has two spray bottles, three plungers, and one bath mat. She was so intensely trying to sell someone (lady in purple shawl) a drain cover that I thought to myself, "Wow, I am so intrigued by her enthusiasm for drain covers!" If I were selling drain covers, soap dishes, and leg pads for 8-10 hours a day, I might not be as enthusiastic. Doesn't she look like she's having the time of her life?

Sooo...what randomness have you seen in Mexico these days?

Why We've Had So Few Visitors

2010-01-31T14:53:00.004-06:00

It couldn't be any easier to get to Mexico City from Dallas. It's a direct 2.5 hour flight, but family and friends have been extremely reluctant to visit. I have hounded my parents to come visit this wonderful country, but they're scared. So are a lot of other people.

My sister-in-law forwarded me this article today from the Houston Chronicle. The story is pretty typical of what's been going on in Ciudad Juarez, and I went on to read the comments (aka "True expressions of the First Amendment"). I posted some below, but you'll have to read the article for the other fascinating thoughts.

(218)	fishingpole wrote: More violence and another killing field in Mexico. Another example why we need better border protection. 1/31/2010 1:32:49 PM Recommend: (47) (5) [Report abuse]
(41)	Katherina2 wrote: We have this failed state on our southern border and our military is building states thousands of miles away in the middle east. For whose interest? 1/31/2010 1:37:07 PM Recommend: (34) (8) [Report abuse]
(0)	bobhop wrote: Now, fishingpole don't think like that. We should just open up our hearts and the gates and let the horde come in. We only have 20,000.000 now it will surely get better when 40,000.000 arrive 1/31/2010 1:40:14 PM Recommend: (23) (5) [Report abuse]
(87)	Chief_Decoy wrote: Such a sad state of affairs. Time for the people of Mexico to rise and take back their country. Starting with the cartels and corrupt politicians, and law enforcement, and military, and etc,,,,etc,,,,etc,,,,,OH WAIT! The citizens are unarmed. How on Earth can they ever do that? The citizens of Mexico are truly screwed..... 1/31/2010 1:40:20 PM Recommend: (44) (6) [Report abuse]
(5)	Woody40 wrote: If you didn't think there is a full blown war down there on the general population, this should serve as proof!!! I dont know why anyone would travel to Mexico these days. Its just a matter of time before something like this happens at a border crossing with heavily armed groups crashing the check point, if for nothing else, to create chaos. 1/31/2010 1:41:04 PM Recommend: (8) (2) [Report abuse]
(89)	TrueBeliever wrote: I can't wait for Latinamary to show up and tell us how lovely and nice the people of Mexico are and how it is all just hype. Why anyone would go to Mexico is beyond me. However, I am almost ready to contribute to a fund that would provide guns and ammunition for the people of Mexico to enable them to do something about the drug cartels and the killing. Nothing is going to make it any better because the government, as corrupt and ineffective as it is, will just sit and watch and count their money. 1/31/2010 1:43:51 PM Recommend: (23) (10) [Report abuse]
(40)	Antonchigurh wrote: This was not supposed to happen...A story I read right here in the Chron just 2 weeks ago said the leader of the major cartel was arrested. This should have sent a message to the evil cartel leaders. NOT! the war on drugs was lost a long time . There is nothing that can be done to stop it. If you legalize it, they will sell it for less. They will also just expand their other businesses of extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking. The border is militarized now and nothing is changing. This will be coming soon to us. Too bad we can't prioritize protecting America instead of everyone else on earth. 1/31/2010 1:46:45 PM Recommend: (10) (2) [Report abuse]
(0)	johnsmith wrote: Make no mistake about it. Mexico is our biggest national security threat. We have 20 million plus illegal aliens in this country, our porous border is subject to overwhelming security breaches, and the drug cartels have established themselves in 230 plus United States cities. - Will there be spillover violence? Are there any cows in Texas? Of course we've been having spillover violence for decades here from the drug traffickers. How many bodies can you count in Harris and surrounding counties that were found shot and burned in the trunk of a car. All due to drugs.....failure to pay, lost loads, ripoffs, you name it. - We need to seal the border completely and halt all immigration until we can figure out what we've already let inside. 1/31/2010 1:47:34 PM Recommend: (16) (1) [Report abuse]

I feel more scared after reading these comments, not of Mexico but of these people. What I thought was alarming were all the comments related to arming private citizens. I know it's Texas, but, sheesh, Texans really like their guns. I doubt Mexicans feel the same way.

Obviously, most of us that live down here share different opinions from those expressed above. Most of us love this country, recognize the problems, and work with and around them. And for one more desperate plea to my family and friends: I hope to see y'all real soon! I'll even take you to the Museum of Drug Trafficking.

Las Brisas Acapulco: A Second Honeymoon

2010-01-26T09:51:00.008-06:00

Although Acapulco is just a short road trip away from Mexico City, we never hear very good things about it and stayed away. I was imagining the dingy -- gray and muddy water -- beaches of Galveston, Texas. And, for someone who loves just about any beach, Galveston is not one of them.

But, alas, with a few extra days to our weekend last week, we booked a last minute beach stay at Las Brisas Acapulco. Here are just a few of the unbelievable perks that made this stay like a second honeymoon:

private casita
private pool
view of the Pacific Ocean
breakfast brought to your doorstep via a "magic box" (imagine the old-timey milk doors)

Everything inside and out is tastefully pink and white, and short of Don and Betty Draper, you feel as though you've been dropped onto the set of Mad Men. Even the attendants walk around in white bermuda shorts and pink havana shirts.

While there was a lot of beautiful coastline and excellent restaurants to be taken in, I can't say we got further than our pool. One restaurant we did make it to was, as I call it, a weigh-and-slay where we picked our fish and had it grilled. It's called Beto Godoy, in the sleepy beach town of Barra Vieja, east of Acapulco. A must-go for the outdoor beach ambiance, though be prepared for slight price gouging.

Acapulco is definitely the most developed beach town we've visited here. And the development just seems to be beginning. There are brightly-lit, jumbo-sized supers, streets, highways, malls and condominiums developing in the east. Casa Palacio has even moved into town. But, whatever you might be looking for -- sleepy beaches, all-night parties, or private pools -- you can find something to your liking in Acapulco.

Buenos...Buenos...?

2010-01-11T19:11:00.004-06:00

I kind of feel stupid for still not knowing the rules of when to say buenos días, buenas tardes, or buenas noches, but when an annoying street musician stepped on my bus on Monday, he fumbled his greeting with "Buenos...buenos...", stared down at his watch (it was nearing 1 PM), finished with "tardes", and ended with an awkward smile. Maybe I'm not the only one who can't seem to internalize when to say what. Many times, I'm caught saying one greeting and receive a completely different greeting in reply. For example, around 1 PM today, I said buenas tardes to someone in passing, and he replied back with a buenos días.

Now, in the US, there appear to be more clear delineations between what's morning, afternoon, and evening: say a morning greeting until noon, an afternoon greeting until dusk, and an evening greeting after dusk. If you say good morning after noon, you're likely to receive a giggle. Not here. It is perfectly fine to say buenos días after 12 PM and buenas tardes when it's dark. I seriously can't figure it out. The rules of when to say what are nebulous, at best -- very similar, I find, to the rules of this game we call driving.

Head Cold, Literally

2010-01-05T11:18:00.004-06:00

Oh my, this morning, I woke up feeling like my head had been dunked in a cooler of ice. Sleeping next to a large window is usually a nice way to welcome in a new day, but when it's this cold (yes, I'm a very warm-blooded Texan) and there's no heat, I need a new strategy: a sleeping hat.

A Japanese sleeping hat. What could possibly be written on her forehead?!?

La Canasta Básica

2010-01-04T09:37:00.003-06:00

I'm still not brave enough to tackle the Mexican newspaper, but this morning, I walked past the neighbor's door and glanced at today's headline "Canasta Básica subirá 30%". Canasta básica? The basic basket? Another term for inflation?

Not being knowledgeable about economic terms, I went to my trusty online dictionary, which translates canasta básica into "basic food basket" or "basic market basket". Then, I wondered what could possibly be in the basic food basket?

If you imagine the average Mexican family strolling around the supermarket, what might be in their cart? Tortillas, tomatoes, limes, beans, rice, oil, laundry detergent? Well, that's essentially the basic market basket -- goods and services deemed by the government to satisfy basic family needs.

Examining the list, it's interesting to note what's essential. This article from 2008 provides a good summary of the origins of the term, the eventual inclusion of more than just food, and the 2002 list by the Bank of Mexico. Did you know essentials now include the movies, TV, and sodas?

I like to look at the list for comparison -- just how Mexican is my daily living becoming and how do the basic goods and services differ between Mexico and the US? I don't know what would be in the typical American basket, but I doubt powdered gelatin (Lesley is always observing how much Mexicans like their gelatina) and beef liver would be. And, if I were to guess what might be on the American list ... macaroni and cheese and Hamburger Helper?

El Tizoncito Dallas

2009-12-29T21:03:00.003-06:00

El Tizoncito in DF is one of the tastier tacos al pastor chains I like to frequent, mostly for their salsas and variety of aguas. We were in disbelief that El Tizoncito has a branch in Dallas that it warranted a visit despite it probably 1) costing more in gas to get there than the food itself and 2) not tasting as good as what we can get two blocks from our house in DF.

Our visiting brother-in-law from Houston shares a similar obsession with tacos al pastor, but the unfortunate soul lives in a city where roasting raw pork on a spit is illegal! To feed his obsession, he drives all around the city in search of taco trucks who break the roasting raw pork law in the name of authentic tacos al pastor. Hallelujah! the Dallas health department has yet to crack down on taco spits and that we don't have to aimlessly roam the city to find delicious tacos.

The tacos at El Tizoncito were comparable to the ones in DF, but the salsas were disappointing. The two choices -- red and green -- were bland and didn't add flavor to the taco like they should have. To me, the salsas have to be just as good as the taco meat itself. However, the service was prompt and friendly, and the interior was spotless (perhaps to stave off the health department?). The prices are a little high, but given the packed crowd, I think the general consensus is that it's a small one to pay for something so close to home.

The nicest taquería I've ever been to

The presentation is so American

The Spanish menu. Not shown is the English menu we were also given with higher prices :)

Food Poisoning & Blizzards

2009-12-24T14:18:00.002-06:00

We've had an eventful holiday season so far here in Texas. There's so much snow falling right now in North Texas that it looks like there's going to be enough to build snowmen and have a snowball fight. We rarely get snow, so we novices drive around like crazies, getting ourselves into accidents. And we like to take pictures of the snow. Below is a picture of Texas snow starting to accumulate.

Also, as soon as we got to Texas, Nick came down with food poisoning from eating an oyster cocktail in Mexico City the day before. I think this finally drove home the point that eating raw oysters is never worth the price you pay when the poison strikes. Adios to oyster cocktails! :(

But once Nick recovers, we're on a mission to find tacos al pastor. There's supposedly a Tizoncito in Dallas, so crossing our fingers that it's good.

Soya Texturizada

2009-12-10T17:21:00.003-06:00

In a quest to try all culinary delights at least once, I purchased something at the market this week that resembles dog food (or, if you prefer, porous rocks). In Spanish, it's called soya texturizada, or textured soy, and you can usually find it hanging out with the beans and grains. Given its appearance and the Mexican love for meat, I wondered how many people have been daring enough to try it? 'Cuz, again, it looks like dog food. But, somebody's eatin' this stuff up -- Google has 57,000 hits for "soya texturizada".

After rehydrating the soy, I threw them into pad thai, thinking it might be a good substitute for tofu. Soy chucks = tofu, right? Not so much. At first, you think -- despite their tastelessness --they're not so bad because 1)it's chewy like meat and 2) they're packed with protein. Then, you get to the grit, and you are SOOOO disgusted. It was like eating a bowl of sand.

Did I buy low-grade textured soy? I'm hoping so, because I think it has a bright future in my kitchen. Ma-po tofu with textured soy, textured soy burgers, tacos al pastor with textured soy...

See here for some recipes with textured soy.

Couldn't the manufacturers have done something to improve its appearance?

It doesn't look any better rehydrated

Driving in DF

2009-12-09T14:40:00.005-06:00

At last, I've done something here that I promised I'd never do: DRIVE!! There might be worse places to drive than Mexico City, but driving here seemed like my personal hell. There are serious safety laws not being followed, lane markers not being used, random cars stopped in the middle of traffic, red light runners, and drivers criss-crossing through traffic like Super Mario Kart. In fact, in the worst case of road rage I've ever witnessed came straight from some Demolition Derby competition with two cars engaged in a deliberate ramming of their vehicles. That scene pretty much squashed any desire I had to drive.

But, after one too many no-show and "you look foreign, I shall rip you off" taxistas, I decided to drive myself to work. Since the typical rules of defensive driving don't apply -- following a safe distance, using your signal, stopping at red lights -- I first had to relearn how to drive. Over the weekend, I got in the car, practiced the route, cut a few people off, swerved between lanes, and stopped using my signal (actually, I'm still in the process of unlearning that good habit :)) It was basically a route overview to work and figuring out which lanes were safe, i.e. which lanes wouldn't suddenly end. FYI, you can never go wrong with the middle lane.

So, here I am, having completed two roundtrips to work and back, and I feel so empowered! I still love the convenience of public transportation, but I am loving even more this new and reliable way to get to work. And, I conquered a dreaded fear, and it just wasn't as bad as my mind had made it out to be.

Letting Men be Men

2009-12-02T09:33:00.004-06:00

Besides the safety issue, another issue that I realized I've become numb to while living in Mexico is the machismo attitude. The kind of manliness that drives many men here to whistle, honk their horns, yell crude pick-up lines, and even engage in 180 degree head turns when women -- particularly bust-a-licious or booty-licious women -- walk by. And, as amorous as couples seem here, there's a good chance that the man, while hugging and kissing his woman, has his eyes open, gazing at the other women walking by. To combat these machismo ways, I've learned to dress modestly, avoid eye contact, stare down at the pavement, walk quickly, and wear my iPod. But only when I'm alone; most men wouldn't dare say something when I'm with Nick. There are rules to this game, y'all...

Another machismo attitude that I find really disheartening is that many men here keep other women in addition to their wife/girlfriend (or, for lack of a better English word, their mujer). A security guard at Nick's work likes to brag about his women, that he can keep them all by "getting in and out quickly." When questioned about his wife, he replies "Ahh, no importa!" Or, my taxi driver de confianza that openly confesses to me about the many women he has despite having a mujer.

Cheating happens a lot, so much so that it's making me rethink the machismo attitude here in Mexico. Not so much the affairs, but the catcalling and such. As in, this open type of self-expression is very genuine. It's a very real and biological need that men have. Is it still annoying? Yes! Do I think there are better ways to meet one's needs? Definitely! But, I'm over the catcalling. Let men be men, and I'm just gonna keep on keepin' on with my frumpy clothes and anti-social street persona.

Meeting Mafalda in Buenos Aires

2009-11-23T11:55:00.005-06:00

This week, we're in Buenos Aires for some work and play. Besides trips back to the US, this is our first trip to another country, and we've been reflecting on the enormous differences we see here and back home.

Of the main differences we've experienced is the sense of safety. Don't get me wrong, I feel safe in Mexico City when taking the necessary precautions, but now I realize that I take A LOT of precautions in Mexico to get through the day safely. Here, we can drink tap water, hail a taxi off the street, walk where we want to go at 2 am, and take the subway without bear-hugging our belongings. I'd gotten pretty accustomed to a vigilante lifestyle in Mexico City, and, whew, it feels freeing to let loose a bit.

Anyway, I could go on and on about the loveliness of Buenos Aires (which, honestly and ironically, has much more pollution than Mexico City), but what I really wanted to inform you of was my run-in with Mafalda. She's only the most cutest and clever little girl in Argentina, and her comics are super, especially if you're a novice at Spanish and needing some motivation. Mafalda's been a great Spanish teacher, and when I saw her on a bench in the San Telmo neighborhood, it seemed like destiny. We sat down for a small chat, I had my picture taken with her, and went on my way. It was a fantastic way to start the trip!

Mafalda lives on a bench on Defensa Street in San Telmo in case you want to hang out with her sometime, too.

Tacos al Pastor

2009-11-18T18:18:00.005-06:00

Tacos al Pastor may be the greatest food ever. For me, it's uprooted sushi in the coveted favorite food division. As in, "What food could you eat every day for the rest of your life and never get tired of it?" Yes, I could eat tacos al pastor every day. And conversations at home have even gone like this:

Husband: Wanna open up our own tacos al pastor restaurant someday in the US?

Me: Oh my god, yes, and we could have tacos al pastor every single day!!

Husband: Let's see if we can franchise a Faraón (our favorite pastor restaurant)

Or, another conversation:

Me: Wanna build a bola (the spit) in our next kitchen?

Husband: Umm, no.

Roasted pork meat shaven off a spit, sitting atop a warm, slightly crispy tortilla, topped with fresh cilantro, onions, and a slice of pineapple, and a generous helping of salsa. Nothing's better ... until the husband made it at home for my birthday, on my request. I thought to myself, if I love something so much, I should probably learn how to make it at home. Just in case we move away from our favorite taco al pastor restaurant two blocks away. Or, gasp, should we leave this beloved country.

Okay, so the homemade tacos weren't better in taste than Faraón (Calle Oaxaca 92, Roma Norte), but they were better because they were made with homemade TLC and pretty comparable to the street tacos. Get the recipe and instructional video at Cooking With Married to a Mexican. I was a little skeptical that tacos al pastor could be delicious baked in an oven and not on a bola, but really, amigos, if you love and crave pastor like I do, you need to learn how to prepare it on your own.

The bolador (or bolero?)

Tacos al pastor at Faraón

Tacos al pastor de la casa

Dr. Pepper Sighting

2009-11-18T16:31:00.004-06:00

I discovered Dr. Pepper at the store today, and like a giddy little school girl, I couldn't wait to rip it open for just one sip. But then I decided that if I truly wanted a special first-time-in-Mexico-drinking-Dr.-Pepper experience, I better do it right and chill it first. So, as it sits to chill, I'm pondering whether it's going to be as good as Dr. Pepper in the states. Coke is better here; maybe Dr. Pepper tastes better, too.

A full, in-depth analysis is in the works, but I wanted to let you know about this super find in case you're a fan, as well. Just imagine -- one day -- washing your delicious tacos al pastor down with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper!

Super Lujo in La Costa Esmeralda

2009-11-07T10:36:00.007-06:00

We usually stay in budget accommodations here in Mexico, but we couldn't pass up staying at Azúcar on La Costa Esmeralda (the 19 km strip of the Gulf from Tecolutla in the north to Nautla in the South). Azúcar is one in a series of Design Hotels around the world and one of ten in Mexico, and it's also the most affordable. So when smart design meets affordability, I say, "Vamos!" It might slightly be the whole reason we went to Veracruz. ;)

This is a take-your-breath-away view

outdoor library with an ocean breeze

Lost in Veracruz

2009-11-03T08:15:00.009-06:00

There are basically three kinds of travelers -- the planners, the non-planners, and the ones who sit in the middle somewhere, sometimes with a plan and sometimes with nothing at all. Personally, I like not having an agenda. All I really need is a good map. Get to a new place, ask around, and go by local recommendation.

There's just something I really enjoy about dipping into the unknown, being completely awed by who I meet and what I discover, and the sense of accomplishment I derive from it. If you've traveled with me before, you are aware that getting lost is an unexpected, yet an essential, part of the itinerary. However, having grown out of the backpacker 20's lifestyle, but mostly being married to a planner, I do a little planning so as not to toy with hubby's blood pressure.

This weekend, we took a road trip east to Veracruz state. Not a well-touristed region for several reasons, the main one being that Veracruz state is the wealthiest in natural resources -- oil and produce -- so there's no reason to tout it as a region of tourism despite it being one of the most amazing states, in my opinion. There's lush vegetation of bananas, citrus, coffee, and vanilla, biodiversity, a coastline, a seafood cuisine, and Mexico's tallest volcano. Can you believe that's all in one state?? It's like the Hawaii of Mexico (okay, a HUGE leap of the imagination, and change the color of the water from blue to brown)

Before leaving, I reserved the hotels and compiled a list of things to see, but I was really leaving this trip open to whatever Veracruz had to offer. One thing I forgot to do was take a good look at our geography. I knew we had to cross through the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range to reach our destination, the Emerald Coast, but who expects the shaded parts of the map to be so rigorous? Let's just say a topographical map of Veracruz would have been nice (this is probably true for many a place in Mexico). Fortunately, we borrowed a friend's GPS to navigate the mountains and warn us of 180 degree curves in the road, but GPS only goes so far in unfamiliar terrain. For example, GPS misled us into this rocky road and, literally, up a creek. :) I definitely thought this was more funny, being the passenger and not the driver. Did I mention that we got here after I convinced Nick to take a local road instead of the big highway?

One of the things we went looking for in Veracruz state were the French bread and cheese shops still remaining from the time when the French colonized the area. We stopped in San Rafael, inquired with the nice man who ran the bar El Casino off the plaza, but he seemed to know more about the local drunks than the pan frances we were in search of.

While we didn't find the shops we were looking for, we did get our hands on a dusty bottle of wine from our new friend at El Casino, who, by the way, really enjoys posting pictures of naked women on his walls.

Another exciting, though very difficult place to find, was Parque Xanath, a family-run, ecological park outside of Papantla, Veracruz and recommended to me by John Todd Jr. (who keeps the best English language website on Veracruz). It took us over an hour to find and at least five misdirections, but the owner, José Luis Hernandez, keeps an immaculate museum of old photos and provides a guided tour on the history of vanilla, other indigenous plants, and information on the Totonac culture.

Señor Ignacio, a Totonac, lives on-site and gives tourists a glimpse of indigenous life.

I don't travel on a shoestring or by pure whim anymore, and I plan a little more than I used to i.e. to drive in the daytime to avoid driving off a cliff, but I found that I still LOVE getting lost. It's the most thrilling part of traveling! I get to meet the unexpected, discover new things, learn new routes, and exercise my new language abilities. Traveling lost is not for everybody, especially if you like to check off the sites, but if it's your goal to be absorbed by your surroundings, I think it's the only way to go.

Sitting in the Dark

2009-10-27T08:20:00.004-06:00

With the Luz y Fuerza shut-down still going on, we've found ourselves in the most random places without light. It's becoming so common that it's normal. Several times we've been in restaurants where the lights suddenly go out, and no one even looks up from their food. The best was walking by Contramar, one of Mexico City's finest seafood restaurants, and seeing everyone eating in the dark.

Nick's lost power several times at work -- in one of the main financial sections of the city, no less. Dark rides down the elevator and people finding another reason to vacate the office early. Seriously, in the past two weeks, he said people have left work early 4-5 times, mostly to avoid the Luz y Fuerza demonstrations (because, of course, how can you work when there are people protesting out your window?). Yesterday, the power in his building went out around 2 pm, and everyone -- minus his team -- left. According to Nick, they were "strategizing" in the office until it became too dark to see. Ha!

I always thought my brother was a little loony for liking to sit in the dark. He shuts off the light in his room and sits there in the dark. As he says, "Why do you need a light to think?" Deep... but I like sitting in the dark for a different reason. I really like the way candles make a room glow.

Spanish Blunders

2009-10-23T10:57:00.004-05:00

Has anyone else noticed how commercial and prevalent Breast Cancer Awareness Month is now? I first noticed it from watching NFL -- the big boys looking tough in their pink jerseys. Then I noticed Mexico had turned pink, too. They turned the Ángel de la Independencia pink this week, and when I was shopping at one of the big grocery stores last weekend, I noticed I could even buy a pink fry pan in support of breast cancer research.

When I looked up information about it, the papers were calling it "cáncer de mama", which I took to mean "mother's cancer". I thought that was a little misleading since men and non-mothers get breast cancer, too. When Nick came home from work, I told him about it, and we laughed over its seemingly ridiculous name.

The next day, he went to work and was talking it over with a co-worker and told Nick that, "No, it's not cáncer de mamá (mother's cancer), it's cáncer de mama (breast cancer)!"

Mamá, mama, papá, papa... who knows how long I've been calling mothers "breasts" and fathers "potatoes". I'm super lazy about accents in writing and in speaking, but I think I'll start being more diligent in the future. And if I've ever called you a mama, I'm sorry. :)

All is well at 4:55 am

2009-10-14T15:38:00.005-05:00

I've never been so overjoyed to see 4:55 am glowing brightly on the alarm clock. Being the light sleeper that I am, I woke up in the middle of the night, habitually rolled over to check the time, and saw the clock lit up. It took a second to slip out of my fuzzy state to realize that -- voila! -- our power had been restored.

Not sure the exact time the electricity came back on, but I had a sudden burst of 4:55 am joy and went to the kitchen to check on the fridge. Yes, of all things, I was worried about all that precious food going bad. Some of it I took to Lesley's, and the rest we kept in the fridge with two bags of ice we bought at Oxxo.

Despite there being no electricity, Oxxo was in full service, albeit through the little window in the door. (Now I'm seeing the good value in that tiny window cut out in the door -- not just for late-night transactions but for power outages, after-fútbol game hooligans, and the likes. Whenever you feel threatened, just close the door and open up the window. No pasa nada.) There was one guy manning the calculator and one guy fetching the goodies.

When I asked for two bags of ice, the fetcher sort of paused like I was making some ridiculous request. It wasn't that there wasn't any ice left; I could see plenty through the window. That made me wonder why no one else was heading to their nearby Oxxo to buy ice to salvage their food. What were people doing about their un-refrigerated food? Not eating it, I hoped.

While we did have to throw some food out, it was more like a much-needed spring cleaning for the fridge. There was food in there with serious freezer bite 'fro, and, honestly, taking showers by candlelight, not being able to watch TV, surf the internet, or read made for extra free time and a few extra hours of sleep. Aren't these things we're always craving for anyway?

Showers of Pickled Pork Skins & Beer

2009-10-12T21:18:00.006-05:00

The government just seized control of Mexico's energy firm, Luz y Fuerza del Centro, so before we go dark (something tells me to keep the candles near), I wanted to post some interesting sights from the Mexico/El Salvador game on Saturday.

I didn't see this on any fútbol highlights, but thirty seconds into the first half, men with fire extinguishers started spraying the goal to expel the swarm of bees that had attacked the field. That was quick, genius thinking until the bees just moved to another side of the field. After a wild five-minute chase, I think the bees just gave in and flew off on their own.

Then, later, goal after freakin' goal, the law of gravity was beginning to wear my patience thin. Beer was flying all over -- mostly down on our heads and faces -- from the balcony above. I mean, people came prepared with ponchos for protection against the aforementioned barbaric activity. After the game, my hair felt like I had styled it with Elmer's glue. And, oh the smell...

I suppose throwing beer is better than throwing punches

And, finally, one of the strangest foods I've ever encountered in Mexico -- pickled pork skin called cueritos. If you like salty, gummy substances, you might like this, but if you don't, you're stuck with an entire cupful. So what does a naughty foreigner do with a cupful of pickled pork skins? He throws it up in the air at the next goal. Someone got a beer and cuerito facial that day.

That portion of cuerito is about 200% too big

I prefer my pork skin deep fried

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

2009-10-08T14:07:00.010-05:00

We have a lot of new neighbors since moving to Roma Norte last year. The entire colonia has transitioned to being one of Mexico City's hippest neighborhoods. New salad bars, an American Apparel store, Polanco-ish restaurants (and prices), and even a kuru-kuru (conveyor belt) sushi bar.

It's been about a year since we walked the entire neighborhood, so we brought out the camera and spent a Saturday rediscovering Roma Norte. One of the places we went looking for was a hidden plaza and church, Nuestra Señora de la Navtividad, known as La Romita. Before Colonia Roma was what it is today, it was a tiny Aztec pueblo now known as La Romita, and for some reason, locals don't like to disclose its location. So, we never found it, but we did meet someone later that day who works at the sustainable gardening center in La Romita called Sembradores Urbanos, and he told us exactly how to get there. Some of the directions included, "Walk down the alley that looks like a dead end." Intriguing -- I'll have to venture out there soon.

Some photos from our neighborhood stroll...

Around the corner for some tacos de guisado, tlacoyos, hamburgers, or suadero.

Art Bazar every Saturday and Sunday along Alvaro Obregón

Avenida Insurgentes (Mexico City's longest street) cuts through Roma. This picture perfectly depicts the chaotic traffic patterns. Can't even tell whose turn it is to go.

The amazing Metrobus line that runs the length of Insurgentes. One day when I have 3 hours to burn, I'm going to ride that bus from north to south because I can for just 5 pesos.

My favorite torta stand circa 1950s

Roma is starting to look a lot like Paris, dog crap and all.

I have no architectural knowledge, but I do know pretty when I see it.

A souvenir from the 1985 earthquake?

It may not have all the latest foreign foods, but I *heart* my humble grocery store, Sumesa.

Is that decimal in the right place? That's $2 for a medical consultation.

Love from the Food Trucks

2009-10-06T09:43:00.008-05:00

Apologies for my absence -- I caught blogger's flu -- but now am back on my feet, sort of. So what's been new?!?

I took on a new job that takes me way out into the woods of Mexico City. In doing so, I stepped into the world of the uber-rich, where families not only have their own maids but their own cooks, au pairs, drivers, and teachers (me). The taxi rides there and back have been good for Spanish fluency, learning random factoids about Mexico City, discovering obscure routes that only taxi drivers know about, and encountering death on nearly every occasion.

We've also been kickin' it in Texas. Went to Austin to catch some of our favorite bands at Austin City Limits Festival. They pushed back the festival a few weeks, and instead of steamy-hot September weather, we got cooler temperatures and rain. ACL paid for new grass to be put down in Zilker Park before the festival, but you wouldn't know it since there's no grass left, just mud. For optimal musical enjoyment, we decided that hot -- even if it's over 100F -- is actually more pleasurable than rain.

RAIN + 10,000 PEOPLE = MUD

From Flickr ChrisGoldNY

Another wonderful discovery is that Austin, like many other urban cities in the United States, is embracing the roving food truck idea (I believe we have our Mexican counterparts to thank for this). If you follow food trends, you probably heard about the Kogi BBQ food truck in Los Angeles that only discloses their location by Twitter, thus fueling a mob and obsessive-like behavior to find out where they'll be next. Fortunately, Austin is not as big as LA, and food trucks are easily found, i.e. right across the street from where we were staying. Me So Hungry is a mother-daughter collaboration of Asian fare, and seriously, it was THE best vietnamese sandwich I've ever had. Something about the mayo and the sweet marinade of the pork. Oh my, I may never have another one so good, but I shall keep looking. Cupcake trucks were everywhere, but I think I'm over the cupcake movement. They're good, but I'd rather have something like a kimchi-laced bulgogi taco.

Once I got over this annoying depiction of a demure, overly sexualized Asian, I was able to enjoy the delicious fare.

From Flickr Ydnar

And, on a more somber note, we are experiencing swine flu season. We have friends all over Texas catching the swine flu. Most cases have been mild, and my friend keeps telling me to catch it now rather than later. So maybe that's what I'll be doing for the rest of the week -- trying to catch swine flu so I can get it out of the way. It's funny the conversations we've been having with family about this -- whether to get the vaccine or just get the flu.

Before I leave, allow me to amuse you with the new location of "God's room" at Nick's house**. Hindus usually set up a home temple in their houses, and the temple can go anywhere. God's room used to be an entire bedroom set-up, but my in-laws decided to convert God's room to a baby nursery for the expanding clan, and God's room was moved. To where??

Now to be referred to as "God's saloon"

Behind the swinging doors, you can find the temple atop the wet bar!

**Explainer: Referred to this way by Nick's mom, and used in the following manner: "Grandma's sleeping in God's room" or "You can put your stuff in God's room"

What Line?

2009-09-21T11:45:00.002-05:00

Forming lines is not natural. In school, children do not naturally gravitate to forming lines, and we spend lots of time teaching and reteaching the art of lining up. I have put tape on the floor, we put down signs in the hallway that say "STOP HERE", and teachers repeat ad nauseum, "It doesn't matter who's first..."

From having spent some time in England, I believe Brits do the queue the best. They know the rules of lining up very well, and if you don't, everyone will let you know that "the line's back there." The Japanese, too, line up well, but they're usually too shy to confront someone who's broken the rules. According to this website , before visiting Sweden, you should know that cutting in line is taboo because Swedes "like lines."

Probably most of us prefer lining up to mob culture because we're used to lines and we see the value in order. It makes sense, no? If you came to the bank earlier, you should be served before the person who just got there? Clearly, not everyone thinks so.

There have been many times that we have been standing in line for something -- and usually for awhile -- and someone will walk up and cut in front of everyone. Sometimes people will say something to the effect of, "Sir, there's a line" or let the cashier/attendant know that that customer just cut the line, but cutters usually get their way. One time, Nick said something to a line-cutter after waiting in line at the bank for more than 30 minutes. The cutter got in Nick's face and threatened to beat him up. Ok, adelante, señor...

There are some cultural adjustments that take longer than others to get accustomed to, and this is one. I admit, I get overly worked up by line-cutters. My insides get hot and riled up. I start to feel blood rushing to my head. Patience, patience, patience, I have to tell myself. It's the most important virtue I've been learning here in Mexico.

A Lie That's Become Truth

2009-09-18T14:33:00.007-05:00

When living in Mexico, finding ways to break bills is a constant and strategic battle we all face every day. And most people don't mind lying and being lied to about change (see comments from my last post about change). Is it just me who's SO hot and bothered about lying?

I started a new job recently that requires me to commute by taxi to work and back. A more economical way is to find a driver, and that seemed like a good idea so I wouldn't have to call up a taxi service and give directions every day. An acquaintance recommended her driver, and he was willing to take me for 30% less than a taxi service. Sounded fabulous.

On the very first day the driver was supposed to pick me up, he didn't show up. I called his cell phone, he didn't pick up, I ended up taking a taxi, and was late to work (fine for a Mexican employer but not okay for my American employer). Since he never called to explain himself, I was deciding later that day whether to call him or not. #1: Talking on the phone in Spanish still isn't easy, and #2: I needed to have an uncomfortable conversation with this guy in Spanish and let him know what he did was NOT okay.

I rang him up in the evening, and I'm not sure what to think about the bag of lies he fed me. He said his car broke down and that he told our mutual acquaintance to call me. Bro, "my car broke down" is one of the lamest, over-used lies in the book of Mexican excuses. I can't tell you how many times we've been told that lie, and it's so common that it's nearly a truth. Just like lying about change -- you start to hear it and use it so often that it becomes a personal truth.

Part of me wants to give the driver another chance because this kind of lying is not really considered lying, but the American side of me wouldn't give this guy a second chance. At least tell me a believable and original lie, man. Still not sure what I'm going to do because if he does something like this the first time, he's likely to do it over and over again.

Patriotic Street Food

2009-09-14T21:35:00.005-05:00

One year ago, Nick and I were in a such a state of disorientation that we failed to embrace the festive atmosphere in the weeks leading up to September 16th, Mexico's Independence Day. Taxis and buses waving flags from their windows and buildings lit up and decorated in patriotic colors. I remember seeing street carts selling flags, pins, and toys in red, white, and green, and I vaguely heard about pozole (hominy soup) and chiles en nogada (stuffed poblano chile in a walnut cream sauce). Once we figured out what chiles in nogada was, the season had passed (yes, chiles en nogada has a season -- as if it's produce -- and it's only in September), and we looked forward to this year when chiles en nogada would reappear.

Well, chiles en nogada and I walked into each other lives, literally. On Sunday, while taking a stroll down a street I know very well, I noticed an older lady with a food stall right in my path. I thought, "Hmm...she's never been here before. Not only is she in my way but so are a lot of other people, and now she's made me hungry." Having seen the rice and ground meat, I had a hunch she was selling the elusive chiles en nogada.

Let me tell you that this was the best-ever street food find, and quite possibly one of the best dishes I've ever tried. With the walnut cream sauce, pomegranate, almond slivers, raisins, and pieces of fruit, it tasted very Mediterranean. But then again, the stuffed poblano was very Mexican. It was very intriguing, and the accompanying rice was a little too good. Never mind that we had just eaten breakfast 30 minutes earlier, and never mind that Nick's stomach was having a fit, I can never pass up a street food opportunity such as this.

Before September ends, and like many others, I am on a mission to eat this as many times as I can, especially because I missed nearly half a month of it already. I liken it to my obsession with eating as many turkey-related dishes and pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving and Christmas before a 10-month dry spell.

If you count points with Weight Watchers, chiles en nogada may be the only meal you can eat for one week. And, if you choose to sop up the nearly one cup of cream with a piece of bread (as is the practice), this may be your only meal for a month.

Meet Mr. Tengo Miedo

2009-09-07T17:01:00.003-05:00

Mr. Tengo Miedo is a YouTube legend. Get together with a group of Mexicans, and when the timing's right, repeat the following words with increasing intensity: "Tengo miedo, tengo miedo, TENGO MIEDO!!" (I'm scared). Then, as if you unlocked the magic words, everyone will erupt into laughter.

Apparently, Juan Pablo Carrasco was so inflamed with the police for wanting to check his blood alcohol level that he tried to avoid taking a breathalyzer test by repetitiously yelling the now famous phrase "Tengo miedo!" If you, too, have fears of any kind -- the police, the dark, the man next door -- join Juan Pablo in his campaign to END ALL FEAR. Or, add more joy and laughter to the world by downloading the ringtone for 10 pesos.

Mangos Never Go Out of Style or Season (it seems)

2009-09-04T18:01:00.004-05:00

For the most part, mango season has come and gone. No more beautiful shades of red, blush, yellow, and orange -- just green ones. Stacks of them in the supermarket, the tianguis, and the mercados. Are green mangos ushering in a new crop? Already the beginning of a new mango season?

Well, being the mango-obsessed fiend that I am, I bought a green mango, with memories of green papaya salad on the streets of Bangkok. Despite being the land of papaya and mango, I have yet to see a green papaya. Though, it doesn't really matter since green papayas and green mangos taste nearly alike -- tart and crunchy -- perfect for salads.

One of the the key ingredients in green papaya/green mango salad is dried shrimp, and unfortunately, it was whisked into the trash by a very exacting customs official.

Customs: What is this?

Me: Dried shrimp.

Customs: Let me check my list. (Proceeds to pull out a piece of paper from his pocket and scrolls down with his finger) Dried Shrimp? From where?

Me: (checking the packaging) China

Customs: Nope! No dried shrimp from China!

So while the following recipe is not exactly to spec, it's simple and most of the ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen (well, maybe not the fish sauce).

Green Mango Salad

1 firm green mango

1/4 c red onions or shallots, sliced thin

2-3 tsp fish sauce

1 thai bird chilis, chopped finely

1 tsp sugar

lime juice, a splash

peanuts and/or cashews, chopped

Score the mango lengthwise, and using your knife, cut down to make thin, julienned strips of mango. Mix in the onions, fish sauce, chilis, sugar, and lime juice. Top with chopped nuts. Serve chilled.

Okay, a little gooey because I used an overly ripe green mango but still tart, sweet, salty, and spicy.

Sir, why can't you find something else to read besides El Grafico?

2009-09-04T08:29:00.004-05:00

I read an interesting article this morning in the New York Times about how New York City subway commuters like to read during their commutes. People are reading all kinds of things -- magazines, books, newspapers, scripts, the Talmud, and shopping catalogs -- and this made my teacher-self all warm and fuzzy inside. Nick said that when he lived in New York, he enjoyed the commute because he could read the paper or do crossword puzzles. It was a calming, zen-like experience for him.

Well, I don't know what it is, but I find very few people reading anything on the trains and buses here. People sit. Some talk if they're with family or friends, but most people just sit. Or stand. A few are reading the tabloid-style, nasty, bloody El Grafico. I did notice one guy this week reading a book, and I remembered and noticed because I thought that was unusual behavior. And it's even more unusual to me after reading the article. Why aren't more people reading? Commutes are LONG, and one could really get a lot of reading in. This intrigues me as a teacher who sings the praises of reading everyday in the classroom.

In the US, I expected my students to read every night, to always have reading material with them at their desk, and to read whenever they're done with their work. We encourage parents to read to their children at night, to have lots of books at home, and to use the library. We value a literate culture. However, from my experience here in schools, I don't see teachers praising literacy like we do in the US. Kids aren't engaging in self-selected reading during the school day, teachers aren't spending time reading books aloud, and I don't know anyone who uses the public libraries (in Mexico City, many parks have library branches).

Even I don't read on the train or the bus -- I download NPR podcasts to my iPod. For one, the subway and buses would give me vertigo if I looked down. There is a lot of sudden braking and screeching halts, and you have to be a "defensive passenger", constantly adjusting how tightly you squeeze the railings. And secondly, there's a lot to see out the windows. The people watching is world-class, and the food...oh, the food!

In large part, Mexicans aren't reading is because it's expensive. One of the things that astounded me when we moved here was how expensive it was to buy books. If you're making less than $10 per day, why would you spend your entire day's salary buying a book? Actually, a non-pirated book will set you back more than $10. A hardback copy of a quality children's book is usually over $30. Why is that??

If books were cheaper, if student's read more in school, if parents read to their kids at home, imagine how different things might be...

Ponderings on the Rigors of Doormanhood

2009-08-26T20:57:00.005-05:00

As you know, we've had a handful of doorman woes in the past few months, but nothing too serious and nothing a little firing didn't take care of. Carlos, one of the two part-time doormen, was caught by my neighbor getting high on the job, and while I give him props for finding a unique way to whittle away the hours staring at the door (because that's all he really did despite having other duties), I'm glad he was canned.

Apparently, replacing Carlos has been an HR nightmare. Since his dismissal, there have been over five different guys who didn't make it past the first day. When I asked Felipe, the other part-time doorman, what happened to so-and-so, he would say with a smile, "Oh, he left."

And, over time, after seeing one doorman after another abandon the job after just one day, I realized that being a doorman in our apartment is a mentally grueling job -- in the sense that it's so NOT mentally challenging that it becomes mentally challenging. I mean, how many people can say they would enjoy sitting by themselves between two narrow cement walls for very long periods of time? A lonely, lighthouse attendant. A self-imposed prison isolation. I couldn't do it and would rather put two giant balloons down my pants and walk up and down the intersection looking like a complete fool.

Anyway, I think we found a keeper. This I deduced from having seen him a whopping three times. AND a guy that wears a suit and tie while mopping the floors means a lot in my book.

Crazy Man in Spanish Class & Calderón Legalizes Drugs (sort of but not totally related)

2009-08-21T12:22:00.009-05:00

In every Spanish class I've taken here, there's been some Columbine/Virginia Tech crazy that makes me afraid to go to class. In the fall, there was a fella from the US that didn't like a girl in class. He was so frustrated with her one day that he let her have it, insulted the way she spoke Spanish, walked out, and never came back. It shook us all up, and even I was left in tears because of the sheer meanness that some people can have within them.

This summer, I switched language schools, and there was one very manic Korean guy. He had a bad experience in Mexico and seemed to want to take revenge on the teacher and all Mexicans. When we learned a new grammatical structure, he would practice it by bashing Mexicans. For example, "If you trust a Mexican, you will lose all your money" or "You can get whatever you want in Mexico if you bribe a cop."

Then, on Monday this week, we got into a discussion about the legalization of drugs, and the Korean guy insisted that marijuana was legalized a few months ago. Everyone disagreed with him, so he left the room, called his lawyer friend, and went to the library to print out proof (but he ended up printing an op-ed piece). His friend -- apparently the authoritative god for this guy -- reaffirmed that the law had passed. Our homework was to find our own proof, and we all came back with the same Reuters article: that the law had passed in the Congress in April 2009 and was awaiting the President's signature.

Well, this guy was beyond upset that the teacher didn't believe him, and at that point, I thought he was going to pull out a gun. He threatened to bring in his lawyer friend, and he said that he cannot respect a person that does not change their mind after being given definitive proof. Anyway, it was clear he had his mind made up despite our definitive proof, and it was also clear to me that "one's word" seems like a very important cultural value in Korea. Oh, the joys of our United Nations discussions in Spanish class...

And, now, after all the drama and Mexican disrespect, here is the TRUTH: Calderón finally signed the law this week, and many types of drugs are now legal in Mexico in varying proportions. No more crazy debates in Spanish class about the legality of drugs in Mexico because it's here. W-O-W. Imagine what this weekend is going to be like?!?!

Banh Mi a la Mexicana

2009-08-19T15:01:00.005-05:00

I started eating lots of things with flowers recently because of an emailed recipe I received for zucchini blossom tacos. Those were so delicious that I then tried zucchini blossom quesadillas, hibiscus flower tacos, and now...drumroll, por favor ... flor de calabaza banh mi!! In plain English, that's a zucchini blossom Vietnamese Sandwich. (click on the link to learn more about "banh mi OCD")

YUM-EEEEE!!!

In the traditional banh mi sandwich, there's some type of grilled meat, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeños, pickled carrots and daikon, paté, and mayonnaise -- all bound up in a crusty baguette. Thanks to the French for their introduction of paté and baguettes to Vietnamese cuisine. In banh mi a la Mexicana, there is a sautéed mixture of flor de calabaza, red onion, and jalepeño, cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots and jicama, and mayonnaise -- sandwiched between a fresh bolillo.

Making something like this a year ago would have been a bacterial nightmare for me, but over time, I stopped disinfecting my vegetables, put my trust in DF water, and returned to eating with ease all my favorite Asian foods like pad thai, pho, and banh mis. Only time will tell if this strategy is working for me. :) Even if you're a religious vegetable disinfecter, this is a sandwich worth disinfecting all those vegetables for. Here's my rough recipe:

Banh Mi a la Mexicana

Filling:

Zucchini blossoms, 1 bunch

1/2 red onion, sliced lengthwise

1-2 jalapeño, deseeded, deveined, and sliced lengthwise

Cilantro

Cucumber, halved, deseeded, and cut in pieces, lengthwise

Pickled carrots and jicama (recipe below)

Mayonnaise

4 bolillo buns

In an oiled pan, sauté the onions and jalapeño. Two minutes before taking it off the heat, add the zucchini blossoms. Sauté together until blossoms are wilted. Salt as desired.

Half the bun and mayo both sides (paté one side if you're feeling lavish). Stack on the veggies and sautéed mixture, and enjoy!! And shall I suggest something completely Mexican -- a side of rajas??

Pickled Carrots and Daikon:

1 1/2 cups julienned carrots

1 1/2 cups julienned jicama

1 tsp salt

2 tsp + 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups vinegar

1 cup water

Place carrots and jicama in a colander. Sprinkle the salt and 2 tsp of sugar over the shredded carrots and jicama, and knead in the salt and sugar until the carrots and jicama soften. Once pliable, rinse the carrots and jicama, and squeeze out any remaining water. Place in a glass jar.

Dissolve 1/2 sugar into the vinegar and water. Pour into glass jar. Refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight for better results).

In Mexico, I like to hoard my jars for occasions such as this.

Huasca de Ocampo

2009-08-17T13:05:00.009-05:00

I'm always ready to hop in the car on the weekends and see what's outside Mexico City, but Nick usually wants to chill in DF. You see, there's a mountain of difference between being the passenger (me) and being the driver in Mexico (always Nick because I'm too chicken). As a passenger, I can gaze lovingly at the mountains or gawk at what everyone's selling on the side of the road. Nick, on the other hand, focuses his attention on avoiding an accident while trying to feign interest in my "Ooh, we should stop and buy some of those mangoes they're selling" or "You don't want to stop and grab something to eat here?" comments. So, on the rare occasion that Nick suggests we go somewhere, I know it's a much needed vacation.

On my mental list of places to visit I put Huasca de Ocampo in Hidalgo state as a lovely day trip destination. I read about it once in some obscure publication, and the pictures of waterfalls enchanted me. AND, per my obsession with Pueblo Mágicos, I was very excited to visit Huasca, Mexico's first designated Pueblo Mágico and also close to Real del Monte, another Pueblo Mágico. Since Huasca is a one-with-nature kind of place, we booked a cabin, packed our bug spray and were off.

Amazingly, Huasca is still so undeveloped that we had to take an unpaved road for approximately 5 kilometers before reaching our cabin. Upon rolling into our cozy weekend home, El Huariche, we got giddy about having the chance to fish, sit on green grass, see the stars, and not hear a single unnatural sound.

The road to Huasca de Ocampo

The first thing we did was fish, but after two hours, we lost our patience. Nick did catch some things but nothing edible. Just a plastic cup and two branches. :) My brother -- the most prolific fisherman I know -- would have been embarrassed by my technique and our use of Serrano ham as bait. For the rest of the day, we picnicked on a patch of green grass and relaxed with our books. Grass is one thing I miss A LOT living in a land of concrete.

Our 'lil cabaña Mariposa

We're renting this tree house next time. 'Cuz how many times in your life do you get the chance?

Fishing made me realize I have the patience of a 10-year-old.

If it's there, why not light it?

The next day, we went to the Primas de Basálticos to see the famed waterfalls and unique rock formations. It was one of the most amazing geological phenomena I have ever seen! Cut down into a canyon are columns of polygon-shaped basalt flows that look like they were chiseled by hand and then placed side-by-side. Thanks to Wiki, I learned that this is a very rare geological phenomenon called Columnar Jointed Basalt.

I looked down and almost didn't make it across.

Photography tip #1: Slowing your camera's shutter speed can make you look like a pro. :)

And, on the way out, we swung by Real del Monte to preview our next road trip. Remnants of old mining equipment still dot the town, and the colorful town square reminded me of what Guanajuato might have looked like before the tourist/expat invasion. Pastes were everywhere, so we stuffed ourselves with these butter bombs, and happily made our way back to our crazy city lives.

Our next road trip -- Real del Monte, Hidalgo

When In Enemy Territory, Wear Your Colors Timidly OR ELSE...

2009-08-13T19:03:00.010-05:00

After a few naughty fingers, evil stares, and a threat to beat us up after the game, we're ALIVE!! And all this maliciousness brought on by wearing a USA jersey at the game. We had some hesitation, er, fear, that wearing a USA jersey in a sea of Mexican green might bring on some undesired attention, but our Brooklyn-blooded-I-have-NO-fear friends were expecting us to bleed red, white, and blue along with them. So we compromised and stashed our jerseys in my bag until we reached our seats. You know, 'cuz if there was ever a time to be low-profile, this day was it.

Once we reached our **UH-MAZING** seats (thanks to super fan, Dwight, who vigilently stood in line at Ticketmaster for us), we donned our jerseys and Dwight proudly hung up the American flag. It just so happened that we were fortified by a large cement wall -- aka the beer retaining wall -- and barbed wire, and the people in our section seemed somewhat more civilized than the average beer-throwing, taunting young gun. All turned out to be very good things once we realized that we were not in good company.

One day we will show this to our children and advise them that branding your colors on enemy territory might get you beaten up.

There were taunts like, "Yankee go home" and "America sucks," and every time the Mexican team scored a goal, people physically turned their bodies and launched all their anger and pent-up George Bush hatred towards us to suck up. The odds were 6 to 120,000.

Well, the game didn't go well (now we know why: Donovan has AH1N1) , and when Mexico made the second goal in the final minutes of the match, we quickly untied the flag, took off our jerseys, and filed out of the stadium as fast as we could. One young 'un in particular really wanted to fight us, and at that point, we decided to lay down our American pride and walk out with lowered heads. Disappointing. Exhilirating. A once in a lifetime experience.

Here are a few more pictures of the game:

Estadio Azteca seats nearly 120,000 riled up Mexican fans.

The starting line-up

Per Mexican machismo, the pretty girl parade during half-time

This bad boy enjoyed turning around and flinging the finger at us.

Don't Mess With Cuauhtémoc

2009-08-09T16:04:00.004-05:00

Throwing Trash in the Street Prohibited

Fine of $374 pesos (~$30 USD) or 12 hours in jail

These signs are posted all over my neighborhood, and I find the choice to pay up or go to jail very amusing. What is this -- MONOPOLY?!?!

Zona Coreana

2009-08-04T18:00:00.004-05:00

Not sure how it happened, but in the 90s, Koreans (it's probably safe to assume they're from South Korea) started flooding into Mexico City and into two areas, in particular. They conduct business in the notorious Tepito neighborhood, and many keep homes and businesses in Zona Rosa. Now, if you don't know Mexico City, it poses a very interesting dynamic in both places. Tepito is considered a rough and tumble kind of place and home to many famed boxers and wrestlers, and Zona Rosa is the gay and counter-culture district. I keep my distance from Tepito, but I frequent Zona Rosa since it's only three blocks away. So close I can smell the kimchi and fish sauce!

Imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out that I lived a mere three blocks from Zona Rosa, or now well-known as Zona Coreana (Korean Zone). They occupy a quieter part of Zona Rosa, and you can find as many as three Korean grocers on the same block (and one very stern owner at Seoul Mart). I walk these streets frequently, and there is an eerie comfort I get from walking amongst people that look like me. Sometimes--er, most of the time--I just want to blend in, and Zona Coreana is a fabulous place to do just that. Secretly, the Koreans and I know we're different, but to most everyone else, we all look the same. :)

I've been on a never ending search for good Asian food here in Mexico City, and it's been a dream to live near Zona Coreana. So far we've been to 4 of maybe 10 Korean restaurants in the area, and after consulting with two Koreans, both pointed me to Chang Won on Florencia. (Sorry for not writing down the address, but it's one block south of the Angel.)

I'd love to give you a glowing recommendation to get yourselves there for dinner sometime, but I'm not quite convinced. The small dishes, banchan, were delicious. Our main dish of grilled chicken turned out to mostly be fat. They passed the kimchi litmus test, but I'm going to have to go back again, maybe with a Korean friend who knows what's up. Because, you see, I've been watching... The Koreans get a better selection of banchan than the non-Koreans, a trend I saw in the US, too. AND, I think there's a secret menu written on those pieces of paper hanging from the wall that only readers of Korean have access to. What's up with that?

I'll report back when I've decoded the mysteries on the wall...

Banchan selection at Chang Won

Spicy Grilled Chicken (more like Spicy Grilled Fat Bits)

Daily Observations

2009-07-31T14:48:00.005-05:00

This week I noticed that the constant noise and rumble of traffic doesn't bother me like it used to. The trash man's bell, the knife sharpener's whistle, the honking horns--all sounds good and bad--were something I took notice of. Now that we're coming on a year here in Mexico, I was wondering if the newness of it all was settling into something regular. So I thought I'd write down a few observations over the past few days to remind myself that there are still some things that make me go hmm...

From a subway car, I learned how to get a free abortion if I were so inclined. In bullet point format, a poster laid out the requirements and the procedure which includes a proof of residence (the elusive comprobante domicilio), proof of age, etc.
From another subway car, I was told about the 10 peso (70 cents) meal I could get my hands on at any of the 300 outlets operated by the municipal government. Plus, 50 more places where I could get a free meal.
Man taking up an entire lane on Paseo de la Reforma, one of Mexico City's busiest streets, to push a two-wheeled wooden cart. That's some cojones, señor...
I'm biking down the street to get to Spanish class, and I find myself in the company of delivery men. They're delivering water, breakfast, fresh-baked bread, tortillas, produce, and let's not forget the mail.
A young couple holding each other tightly on the bus with their lips locked together. They're in my direct line of view, so I try to find a way to divert my gaze so as to not look like a gawker. Very awkward. And gross.

Todos Santos

2009-07-27T09:32:00.005-05:00

I admit that I'm a sucker for the "Pueblo Mágico" tourism program, a sort of domestic UNESCO World Heritage designation by the Mexican government. Local and state governments apply for the designation, and if the Tourism Secretary deems a pueblo to be of historical, cultural, or ecological worthiness (with other strings attached), then the pueblo goes up on a distinguished list. Definitely a tourist trap and money-making endeavor, but I'd like to think good people are behind this who truly believe in sharing and preservation.

Last week, while in Cabo, Amy and I took a 1-hour bus ride up the Pacific coast to Todos Santos, one of the 35 Pueblos Mágicos. With the Pacific Ocean on the left and open land on the right, this could have been anywhere. Then, the pueblitos appear; first Los Cerritos, then Pescadero, and finally Todos Santos. I was very tempted to haul myself off the bus at Los Cerritos after catching a glimpse of the deserted surf beaches. Aahhh... for another time, I thought.

Todos Santos was unlike the other Pueblo Mágicos I've been to. It is sleepy beach town meets San Miguel de Allende. There are both surfers and expats walking the streets, seafood restaurants lining the highway, and art galleries along the main street, Calle Jaurez. Todos Santos is home to the Hotel California, and while Don Henley and the Eagles claim to affiliation with the hotel, I think they like to keep up the mystique. Apparently, a man named Antonio "El Chino" Wong Tobasco opened the Hotel California in 1950, and he was known to sell Chinese food in his restaurant. Chop suey, perhaps?

Calle Jaurez, where most of the art galleries are and the Hotel California

Jill Logan's gallery

Exterior of the Hotel California

Mango trees everywhere in Baja California Sur

Cabo: Mexico's Poshest Vacation Destination

2009-07-21T10:32:00.012-05:00

Greetings from Cabo San Lucas! A friend from the States booked us a vacation through her timeshare, and I assumed it was going to be a condominium complex with a quiet beach and an older crowd. Unbeknownst to us, our timeshare is part of Cabo's poshest seen-and-be-seen hotel, the ME Cabo on Médano Beach. According to Frommer's, the ME Cabo has "VIP teepees, and the live DJ music keeps the party here going day and night. If you've come to Cabo to party, this is your place." Imagine how we felt--our country-bumpkin selves--showing up amongst life's primped and plastic specimen. (Yes, that's Terrell Owens, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, strolling the grounds.) But, I can't complain. We open our curtains in the morning and stare at the Pacific Ocean from bed!

The weekend has passed, and the partiers have mostly gone home. We are here for the rest of the week, and so far, we've planted ourselves on the beach, snorkeled and kayaked. Later this week, we're going on a bus adventure to Todos Santos, a Pueblo Mágico about 1 hour northwest of Los Cabos on the western shore. Amy's never been on a Mexican bus, so I feel obliged to share this unique experience with her.

Cabo is undergoing an LA-ification, and Californians have brought their price tags with them. (There's me in the photo going after my beloved mango, which ended up costing me 50 pesos.) Lunch and dinners run 200 pesos on the cheap, and taxis are 100 pesos for a hop into town. I heard some long-time Cabo vacationers lament that it's been changing a lot recently, but that is the case in many beach towns across Mexico. For a more secluded and lower-priced vacation, locals recommend La Paz.

Keeping Informed

2009-07-15T10:45:00.004-05:00

I've been very disturbed lately by the turn of events in the war on drugs here in Mexico. If you haven't been keeping up, El Universal is reporting that 16 federal police officers have been killed since Saturday's arrest of La Familia's high commander, Arnoldo Rueda Medina, or "La Minsa". In retaliation, members of the La Familia gang have ambushed (by gunfire and grenades) police in the state of Michoacán and the surrounding states.

Nearly all of these attacks are directed toward those involved in the drug trade (i.e. police, mayors, politicians, activists), so it obviously doesn't affect my life directly except to make me very moved to think more about my role. It's an awkward place to be in as an outsider with an American perspective, few language skills, and no voting rights, but what I can always do is be informed and thoughtful about what goes on.

I mostly use El Universal online because it's free and Reforma is not. One of the cool Google tools I use a lot is the Google Translate button on my toolbar. If you go here, you can drag one of 43 language options up to your toolbar and Google Translate will automatically set to work on translating the entire web page to your preference. So, I set mine to English, and once I'm at a web page that I need help understanding, I click on my "English" (what I named it) button, and Voila! the page is loosely translated to English for me. Not perfect but comprehensible. And if you know some Spanish, you will even start recognizing why some things are translated the way they are.

Mnemonics for an Aging Brain

2009-07-13T19:19:00.007-05:00

I'm sure people say the same about English names, but Spanish names are starting to sound the same to me. For example, Berenice and Beatrice; Alfonso, Adolfo, Alberto, and Alfredo; Rodrigo, Roberto, Ricardo, Rogelio, Ronaldo... see what I mean? Notice the pattern?

There are so many names that start and end with the same letters, and if you reel through the Spanish names you know, almost all names in Spanish end in a vowel. It is quite the opposite in English, not only because our US of A is so culturally diverse, but Americans have mastered the art of creative nomenclature. Just a few illustrious examples from my teaching career: Dequante, Demetria, Zoe, Kailisha, Arthurlon (what was her mother thinking?), Diamond, Davion, Quintrese, Asia, Kalen, Deonte...

Learners of English might well find these names just as confounding as I find Spanish names. In fact, English names are more discombobulating because there's absolutely no pattern, forget about phonics and spelling rules, AND one can hardly identify an individual's gender based on name alone. Hmm... this makes my problem of mixing up same-sounding names not such a bad problem to have after all.

In order to unmix the Rodrigos, Robertos, Ricardos, Rogelios, and Ronaldos of the Latin world, I have devised a mnemonic system of associating these names with something else. For example, our new doorman (gracias a dios!!) is named Alfredo, but now he's "Fettuccine Alfredo" to me. Nick's friend, Ricardo, is "Ricky Ricardo". Neighbor Rodrigo gets a whole 'nother name of "Annoying One Who Slams the Door". It's a handy system I've installed in my aging brain, but it's not fool-proof. There are some names my brain seems intent on mixing up. Like Berenice and Beatrice--they stump me every time.

Do We Look Like We're Made of Money Part II

2009-07-10T13:45:00.005-05:00

As most of us do, I take a brief look at our bank statements every month to ensure all the withdrawals and deposits are correct. Even though Nick is the financier by trade, I end up doing all our personal finances. Minus the frequent "service not available" messages, online banking here is trustworthy and useful. I can check our movements, pay bills, and most of the time, I can successfully transfer money between self-owned accounts and third-party accounts. And you can online bank in English with Banamex--something I find very helpful when dealing in financial matters. Something to consider if you need to open a bank account here.

Well, this week we've been counting our losses--first from our doormen and now from the government. I noticed a suspicious charge on our recent bank statement, and I really couldn't tell what it was because the charge was a mix of numbers and Spanish acronyms. Here is the actual line item:

000000000164473 IDE RECAUD PER ACTU 164473 CARGO POR IDE AUT. 139764

Between forgetting and mustering up the courage to call the bank, I finally did to inquire about the charge. A sampling of our dialogue in my less-than-eloquent Spanish:

Me: Hello, I have a charge that I'd like more information about.

Operator: Can you read the charge off to me?

Me: (thinking to herself, "I hope this guy knows code.") It says IDE RECAUD PER ACTU

Operator: (sounding annoyed) That's an IDE charge. Any deposits over 25,000 pesos are subject to a 2% tax.

Me: (Brain rejecting this seemingly irrational explanation) Are you telling me that I'm being charged extra if I deposit more than 25,000 pesos in my account?

Basically, yes. In short, there is a tax called called IDE, short for "Impuesto a los Depósitos en Efectivo", or "Tax on Cash Deposits" in English. Beginning July 1, 2008, the government instated the IDE to increase tax revenue, and all cash deposits over 25,000 pesos (per month) are subject to a 2% tax. You can read more about it here in English. Here in Spanish.

Well, hell, if I knew this minute law, I might of just kept the money at home or deposited it in smaller increments. I never, ever, ever thought that I could be charged for depositing money into my bank account. I wonder how many people unknowingly fall victim to this insane tax law.

Avoiding and ignoring laws here is second-nature, so I'm sure the only contributors to IDE are by first-time victims like me. After that, you smarten up and find ways around it. Anyway, on a lighter note, here are more ridiculous Mexican laws. And, let's not forget the rest of the world.