Viva la Siesta

Pre Nap

Back in the mountains of Morelos! It’s so much quieter here. After lunch, Hubby fell asleep almost instantly. I think he was out before his head even touched the pillow. Neither the very few cars that go by every 15 minutes nor the single lawn guy working a few blocks away disturb his rest. I think my keyboard tapping and the birds chirping are the loudest sounds here. Ahhhhhhh. Much better. Time to recover again. I think I’ll join my napper.

Post nap

The contrast in family homes is so marked that it’s actually kind of funny. Here at my uncle’s home in Morelos, everything is calm, quiet and slow. Everyone roams about freely, gathering and separating at will. After the day’s work is done, there’s a lot of talking and do-nothing hanging out, what with the town closing down so early. And in a home full of morning people, bedtime comes relatively early. Long term, it could be challenge—especially for my hyper Hubby—, but as a restful haven it’s perfect!

Even work is restful here. About the only thing that disturbs the peace is Greta, the Scotch Terrier. I’d love a formula for figuring out how to get her to quit barking at the wildlife in between her own naps.

 

Loud Much?

Today, my order was simply confirmed, not requested. I’ve found a coffee house home. It’s funny to me that I couldn’t tell you were to find the nearest hospital, embassy or ATM, but I have a regular coffee-and-wifi spot. And what with the connection issues at the house, I spent 4 hours in the morning and 3 in the evening drinking coffee and snacking on bits of cheese on ciabatta. 

My virtual class went well, despite the ambient noise. The place is reasonably quiet. I say reasonably, because I don’t think there’s a single corner of downtown that can be described as quiet. There is so much… I don’t even know how to end that sentence. There is so much.

A hand-held bell clanks up and down the street announcing the garbage truck. The cloths donation guy announces his presence over and over. The gas truck is easily identified by the metal on metal banging—I sure hope those tanks are empty. Planes fly overhead constantly. Merchants call out their wares on and off throughout the day and evening. At night, the neighborhood guard blows what sounds like a small train whistle up and down the street. Cars and buses never stop. Neither does their honking. People are out talking and someone's baby is crying 24 hours a day. And the poor birds and bugs do their level best to sing above all the chaos. 

There’s a price to be paid in a city that offers everything at all hours: your hearing.

Urban Workout

Today was my second day on the metro (fifth in my life). What a workout! I have no idea as to the distance, but I’m clear on the 20-minute speed walk with intermittent stair runs to make connections. Who needs a gym?

We weren’t actually in a hurry, but I’m glad we raced through. Sitting all day tightens my back. And there was one part of the metro that creeped me out. That part I was more than happy to traverse at lightening speed. 

First we walked down a long staircase, then through a short bit of tunnel with a lower ceiling—hello, claustrophobia—, and then up a steep, suddenly much narrower, and very long set of stairs. Just about anything could happen there and security would be none the wiser. Later I found out that in fact, all sorts of bad goes on in that bit. So, mental note: no more Pantitlan metro connections for me. That’s what cabs are for. The memory still makes me shiver.

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We Owe, We Owe, It's Off to Work We Go

Back to work. Unfortunately, the signal where I am is spotty at best. So back to the fabulous little café I mentioned yesterday. It’s a great little spot that we first visited two years ago called Decor Art Café. 

Back then, they had been open for no more than a day or two. We had stopped in on our way back from the store and fell in love with the place. It’s very rustic. Basically, a family living in a medium to large home converted their front patio and created an eclectic little coffee house filled with outdoor plants, a television, and strong Internet connection. Today they were my saving grace.

Once the Internet connection at the house was reestablished, I set up camp on the patio. It’s nice, though I enjoyed the setup more before my week in paradise. Even so, the city’s residents have done a great job as making sure there are plenty of trees and my mother-in-law keeps tons of plants on the patio, so I’m still surrounded by green.

It’s a good thing that I was surrounded with calming tones today, because it was a rollercoaster workday. Fortunately, we proved to ourselves once again that we juggle well, despite the distances and squirrely Internet connections. Everything was properly completed and delivered on time. I’m actually quite proud of us.

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Waka Waka (Porque esto es África)

¡Sí se puede! ¡Sí se puede! ¡Sí se puede!

Llego el momento,
caen las murallas
va a comenzar
la única justa
de la batallas.

No duele el golpe,
no existe el miedo
quítate el polvo,
ponte de pie
y vuelves al ruedo.

Y la presión
que sientes
espera en ti,
tu gente!

Ahora vamos por todo
y te acompaña la suerte
samina mina Zangaléwa
porque esto es África.

Samina mina ¡eh! ¡eh!
waka waka ¡eh! ¡eh!
samina mina Zangaléwa
porque esto es África.

Oye tu dios y
no estarás solo
llegas aquí
para brillar
lo tienes todo.

La hora se acerca
es el momento
vas a ganar
cada batalla
ya lo presiento.

Hay que empezar
de cero
para tocar
el cielo.

Ahora vamos por todo
y todos vamos por ellos
samina mina Zangaléwa
porque esto es África.

Samina mina ¡eh! ¡eh!
waka waka ¡eh! ¡eh!
samina mina Zangaléwa
porque esto es África.

Samina mina ¡eh! ¡eh!
waka waka ¡eh! ¡eh!
samina mina Zangaléwa
porque esto es África.

The Big Fiesta

This morning there was no time for breakfast. With a zillion people in the house all trying to shower and get ready for the big party, it was everyone for themselves. While the more prudent group grabbed fruit and coffee out of the kitchen or feasted on leftovers, Hubby and I bee-lined to the tianguis for mole enchiladas. And you want to hear the craziest part? We’ve already started to loose weight despite our almost non-existent self-control with food here. I love Mexico!

More price fun: Got my hair done for the party for about 14 bucks, tip included. I laugh out loud every time I think of how much money this little adventure will actually end up saving us! People on the street must think I’m completely bananas.

Anyway, the golden anniversary lasted eight hours. Everything was fabulous with a glitch here and there that in the end did little to affect the explosion of happiness from this family. I finally, nine years later, met many of the people Hubby has told me about over the years. We danced, ate, talked, sang, toasted, cried, and generally reveled in the joy of being together. No family is perfect, but as far as in-laws are concerned, I made out pretty well.

Hen Broth

The wedding preparations left no time for food preparation, so mid afternoon we all headed for Caldos Castro. Hubby’s family has been coming here for years, and you can tell the minute they walk in through the door. All of them start talking about how the place has changed and grown. Every other phrase begins with “when we were kids” and they all know exactly what they want without need for a menu.

Spouses and grandkids are easily identified. We’re the ones with the lost look on our face trying to listen to the bombardment of recommendations, sifting through the simultaneous anecdotes. Well, my dear in-laws, thank you. This little place makes it on my list of great grub. Carlos and I opted for the chicken sopes and hen broth. Yum. I drank guava water, while he went with the tepache. Unfortunately, since it’s made with pineapples (a fruit that sadly doesn't sit well with me) I only got to sniff his drink.

Anyway, throughout the years the youngest of my sisters-in-law has mentioned this place, always highlighting the famous broth. So salud, my dear sis-in-law! Caldos Castro was great.

Penguins in Mexico City

Making my way back from Oaxtepec. It’s still impressive to me how people still manage to find one another in this monster of a city. Carlos and I agreed to meet at one of the metro stations. You’d think that would be a fairly stupid choice, but no, not at all. Amidst the crowds, traffic, magazine stands, food carts, stray dogs, city workers, bikes, and merchants on foot, we spotted each other almost instantly. It must be how yellow-eyed penguins feel when finding each other year after year.  

So after locating my penguin, I booked it home from the subway to attend an online meeting. Since tomorrow is my in-law’s 50^th anniversary, all other activities were focused on preparing the great event. Oh and one such preparation involved eyebrow waxing… for about four bucks. Yeah, I’m quickly getting used to the prices here.

Goodbye to Oaxtepec... for Now.

Mountain beauty had to be appreciated from the window today. It may feel like I’m on vacation, but alas, I’m not. Good thing I love my work because today it was almost the only thing I had time for.

Once the hours had finished knotting my every muscle, I escaped for a long walk to the entrance of the gated neighborhood and pranced into town only to find almost everything closed. In the private residential area I’m in, with people walking around here and there all the time, it’s so easy to forget how small the town below is. Fortunately I was still able to get a couple of mangos, a huge avocado, and a small garlic baguette.

Just as I was going to walk back, it occurred to me that with daylight still available the walk was a little perilous. There is no sidewalk along the main road to the neighborhood. It’s a very broad street, so there’s plenty of room to walk along the edge and still have two cars go by side by side. That doesn’t stop single cars from driving close to the edge anyway. What with the ups and downs, there were times I wasn’t all too visible until they were quite close, so I kept to the grass. That wasn’t a game I wanted to play in the dark, though. So, for a whopping 6 pesos (that’s $0.46USD) I caught a shared cab home—which as it turned out, I didn’t end up having to share after all.

What a restful experience this has been. Schedules crossed in odd ways, so I saw fewer people than expected, but I enjoyed every minute here. It’s safe to say, I’ve fully recovered from the hustle bustle of the last month. On to more adventures!

Portable Time Machine

Miguelitos and Chamoys deserve their own post. Before the scolding begins, please rest assured that I am fully aware that such treats are pure crap. I know this. And the cantaloupe water that I drank to wash down the salty, spicy concoction does little to change this, but I'm okay with that. Sometimes a person just needs to regress.

The need to revisit childhood explains why I would take a Miguelito (iodized salt, citric acid, powdered piquín chili pepper, and tiny bit of soy flour), combine it with a chamoy (basically a tamarind, chili, salt, and sugar syrup), and then eat it. When I pause to think about it, the result is a mixture of what was once meant to be two separate condiments. This stomach bomb, however, became quite popular as a treat many many years ago, and that is how I saw it growing up.

Why, oh why, not just eat ice-cream or cookies? Simple: no one ever fussed at me for eating those. This crazy concoction was the source of much scolding and warnings relating to gastritis and other words children roll their eyes at. That makes it a perfect time machine.

Since my stomach is no longer 10 years old, though, I only had a little, just enough to feel 10 again as I sat on the church steps under a tree remembering.

Life in Oaxtepec

Today marks my first week in the mountains, be it in Mexico City or Morelos. Living at the same temperature as the trees almost turns me into a morning person. I say almost because 6am is still not my thing, but here, neither is 9:30am.

Today I had special motivation to get moving: the World Cup. Sadly Mexico lost to Uruguay, but, hey, we are still in the game! Not so for my Greek and South African friends.  Greece lost to Argentina and South Africa lost to France. I will say this, South Africa wins as well loved and impressive host to the world. Comments here both on and off the screen have been very positive.

After the game I headed to the local coffee house to give a virtual class. I had already ducked in yesterday to confirm they had Wifi. The screen was of course tuned to soccer, with only two other people. Everyone else was probably headed back to work or still mourning the loss at the bars and restaurants.

AM booze is just not me, World Cup or not. Instead Today I opted for a turkey croissandwich and coffee, with jello for dessert. It’s much the same as what I order in Dallas, but entirely different. For starters, here my croissant was pressed and toasted like a Panini and filled with Manchego cheese, the likes of which are not easily found in a US café. Sides? Chips and jalapeños, of course. And that jello is made with milk and drizzled with mango sauce.

It was a bit warm today, so the coffee house shut its doors and turned on the AC... to a normal temperature! Can I just say how nice it is not to need a sweater in the summer? The virtual session went well. I was a bit concerned after reading several blog posts on poor Internet connection in Mexico. My experience was entirely normal, no issues with the connection whatsoever.

As the sun set, I wound my way back home, taking more pictures and lollygagging at every flower patch. Though it's not exactly intense exercise, it got warm after a while, so I jumped in the pool as soon as I got home.

The night couldn’t have ended better. For maybe three hours my uncle and I talked about history, culture, politics, and society. The best part for me is always the history. All my uncles are extremely well versed in national history, and the one I’m visiting is so passionate about it that his conversations play like a movie reel in my mind. It was nothing short of a history lesson and I loved it.

Cecina and Bugambilias

Ahhhh, a highly uneventful day. All this resting, light work, and reconnecting with Dallas via the Internet can get addictive. I miss actual hugs and kisses from my Dallas loved ones, but am grateful that casual conversation with my people isn’t either out of the question or ridiculously expensive. Yay for the web!

And yay for cecina! Vegetarians beware, I’m about to unabashedly wax rhapsodic about meat. Click on the play button only if you can accept that for some of us meat is poetry. 

One of the specialties of the state of Morelos is cecina, very thinly cut salted meat. It’s not dry like beef jerky, quite the contrary. Just imagine very thin, soft, salty beef. Combined with a bit of avocado, salsa, and our friend, the tortilla…. ohhhhh… its… um… uh... wait, I lost my train of thought.

So after my love affair with cecina, I went for a walk and took some pictures. There is no shortage of beauty in this place. Flowers burst from every nook and cranny. Tomorrow I'll take pictures of the bird of paradise collection in the back yard. And bugambilias (bougainbillea spectabilis) are as common as grass in these parts. They remind me of my grandparents. Their vacation homes were covered in these pink flowers.

With my ear buds in place and the radio tuned in to a local station, I strolled through the neighborhood. My only objective was to soaking in my new environment and to enjoy the sparks of familiarity that flashed like lightning bugs in my mind. Mission accomplished.

If Spring were a place... this is it.

Mexico City’s subway is amazing. We cut through what would have taken over an hour in maybe 20 minutes.  No traffic, no lights, no people tapping on the window selling gum. Fast and clean, all for the bargain price of three pesos. The time went by even faster with vendors and singers popping in an out. Admittedly, too many bad stories about the metro kept me a bit on edge, but it was in fact a great experience.

While in the past I’ve avoided the metro, I’ve often been on an interstate bus. The experience is almost always pleasant and comfortable. This time the trip from Mexico City to Morelos was great as well, though being filmed by the bus line’s private safety personnel for my safety was a little unsettling. Then again, security cameras do exactly that. I guess having a guard sweep past me with a camcorder caught me off guard.

There are always cheap snacks and beverages offered on board (sandwiches, coke, candy, chips, etc.). This time the vendor was not with us the whole way. Not a block away from the station, he was picked up and, after announcing to everyone that the funds for said snackage would support the strike (he worked for a different bus line), he walked up and down the aisle. Less than 10 minutes later, the bus dropped him in front of a Federal Police station. Now I know to buy right away or decide early on not to snack on the way.

Morelos is a great state with amazing views, delicious food, perfect spring climate, and truly friendly people. My family has been shuttling between the capital and Morelos my whole life (getting away from the swarms), so while it does not have the feel of home, there are sparks of the familiar. I arrived straight to the lienzo charro to watch a full day of charros, eat cowboy fodder and, yes, follow the World Cup on TV—the screens were doing double duty. 

The actual rodeo looks different and much smaller than I remember. It’s the same experience as going back to an old elementary school, walking in spaces that a small body once felt to be huge. I’m not much of a cowgirl, though I do like to ride. Hanging out at the lienzo charro is more than roping cattle, though. It’s an entire cultural experience that involves a lot of unpretentious laidback people hanging out, talking, watching, eating... enjoying a perfect lazy day with brief moments of excitement during death jumps. 

As a kid I loved coming to Oaxtepec, Morelos. It’s one of those heavenly places where mangos are pulled of trees in your yard and lemons procured from the neighbor’s, almost everyone has a swimming pool, and crime is just a random word in the dictionary. A walk through the neighborhood is filled with hummingbirds, bugambilias, roses, old trees, and beautiful homes. And I love the textures here—no fence or building façade is the same. Even the roads are pretty.

Supper might have been home-cooked were it not for broken refrigerator issues. But as you can probably guess by now, a busted fridge paves the way to street tacos!

Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)

You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
Get back in the saddle

You're on the front line
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious
We are getting closer
This isn't over

The pressure is on
You feel it
But you got it all
Believe it

When you fall get up, oh oh
If you fall get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Don't wait in line
Y vamos por todo

People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations

Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it

If you get down get up, oh oh
When you get down get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Awela Majoni Biggie Biggie Mama One A To Zet 
Athi sithi LaMajoni Biggie Biggie Mama From East To West 
Bathi . . . Waka Waka Ma Eh Eh Waka Waka Ma Eh Eh 
Zonke zizwe mazi buye
Cuz this is Africa

Voice: Tsamina mina, Anawa a a
       Tsamina mina
       Tsamina mina, Anawa a a

Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Django eh eh
Django eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a

Django eh eh
Django eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a

(2x) This time for Africa
(2x) We're all Africa

Screens in Every Corner

Today I walked through a human swarm. Historical downtown is probably as beautiful as ever, but certainly hard to see in the sea of humanity that spilled out of every building, filling sidewalks and taking over the road. I hear many streets surrounding the central plaza close down on Sundays so people can walk and bike about freely. That sounds like exactly the way to hang out at the zócalo.

What I did see downtown were flags absolutely everywhere! And screens in every corner broadcasting—of course—the World Cup. In the textile establishment my mother-in-law and I went to, there were four screens for patrons… and almost everyone—staff and shoppers—were women. As we walked out the door, we caught snippets of conversations all centered on the World Cup, from everyone: men, women, children... I could swear even the stray dogs were commenting. Getting together in the US for games is nice, but it’s just more fun to watch when the whole country is excited!

After our errand downtown, we headed back to the neighborhood where we stopped in at the tianguis to order barbacoa for an upcoming celebration. That’s right, the best place to order truly amazing Mexican barbecue is not a restaurant or banquet hall, it’s the local open air market. And yes, there were TVs there, too, with long extension cords plugged into surrounding homes and businesses, all broadcasting the World Cup.

One of those TVs exercised its magnetic pull on a friend we’d been hoping to run into since our arrival. Let’s just call him Roaming Hippie. After two years without hearing from him, there he was with his hand crafted jewelry displayed, beer in hand, pasted to the screen.

It was a day of get-togethers. After hanging out with said Roaming Hippie, I took time to see family. Getting there was interesting, what with offensive driving being a way of life here. I’m fairly certain I closed my eyes half the trip, which gave me a lovely opportunity to more clearly see my entire life flash before my eyes. It was worth it, though. Being with family is always comforting. The kids are amazing. And for supper… street vendor tacos to go! Woo-hoo!

Walking Around Mexico City

We walked ten kilometers today. Its always surprising to me how far I can walk when the terrain is visually interesting… and when it’s not a hundred degrees outside. If ever anyone wonders about the reach of US Business, just know that we were running errands to Home Depot and Walmart. I know, not at all exotic, but there was so much to see on the way (including an airplane-turned-library), so many cars to dodge, so many people everywhere; and we, of course, had a taco encounter.

We may have attempted to resist and keep walking past the man on the bicycle, but he was selling tacos de canasta. Who knows where he might ride off to! OK, there are other “basket taco” vendors, but they are on the go as well. What if we didn’t run into another one for weeks? So, with our excuse firmly in place, we feasted under a tree in front of the Casa de la Cultura.

After the long walk, we had yet another fabulous home-cooked meal followed by, of course, a nap. No longer am I the odd ball that sleeps during the day in a nation of non-nappers. Here napping is not lazy, it’s sacred. I feel so understood.

Evening errands took us to a friend’s house for a very laid back and pleasant visit. And yes, we ended up at the taco stand again. I’m sure the fascination will subside soon, but until then, we are happy to support local business. Hee hee hee.

Leaving Home to Go Home

A two-country existence necessarily means that regardless of the direction the plane is headed, I’m always going home. Even the process is a homecoming of sorts: the familiar airports, the check in rituals, the delicious take off that takes me into the clouds. This year’s welcome came with a red carpet. Talk about overflowing nostalgia: downtown through the plane’s window, the enormous flag, Spanish from the lips of everyone around me… and the World Cup on every screen.

We were still buzzing with the excitement of finally embarking on our adventure (or maybe it was sleep deprivation). I could still feel my heart swell with the comfort of being home. And as if to reassure us that this new chapter was destined to be great, not 5 minutes after the taxi pulled away from the curb of Mexico City’s Benito Juarez airport, Mexico scored against France. We pulled in to an excited home with arms ready to embrace us and to alternating screams celebrating our arrival and that magnificent goal. We hauled luggage running back and forth, watching the last minutes of the game between bags. To complete our arrival, we were rewarded with a second goal, jumping and yelling beside our loved ones that this morning were still a world away.

With thousands of restaurants offering cuisine from all over the world, the best place to unfold our napkins on day one will always be home. Steamed cauliflower, vegetable broth, green mole with chicken, red rice with corn, and orangeade… the perfect first meal. I’d love to say we had amazing adventures and spent all sorts of time visiting friends, but the truth is that after eating, I barely made it to the bed. Despite the new surroundings, the honking horns, the vendors calling out their wares, and the planes flying overhead, I slept like the dead.

And I might have slept through the night, but street cart tacos will stir me out of even the deepest nap. After picking up a kilo of eggs—14 large eggs for dollar (I’m really going to like our bills here)—, we headed for El Paisa. As usual, we met people right away and polished off a few tacos de suadero with a lovely couple properly attired in Mexico soccer shirts gabbing about the World Cup, local business, and the neighborhood.

Afterward we enjoyed a lazy walk home. As night fell, we settled at the table with my mother in law, Alpura 2000, sugar and powdered Nescafé. Gourmet it is not, but it’s the flavor of late night kitchen conversations. When I want good coffee, I head to the coffee house; but it takes instant coffee to travel back in time. Less than 24 hours later, we were feeling quite at home again.

Ready

The adventure begins! I'm completely sleep deprived. Frankly, I'm not sure that going to bed wasn't entirely pointless. In the end we slept an hour and a half.  I'm so ready for this adventure to begin! I've tossed my stuff in the car and am pointed to the airport!

Refrigerator on Wheels

 I'm completely amused by this little refrigerator-looking car! It's called an Isetta, and while car fans are probably completely familiar with it (it's been around for decades), for me it's a new discovery.

And check out the BMW emblem. LOL! A three-wheeled fridge on the go isn't the image that usually comes to mind.

It's adorable, though I wonder if it's not a potential death trap. Can you imagine a front end collision? If you survived, how on earth would you get out?