As we were planning our trip here, one unknown would be what to do about Halloween. This is Sue's favorite holiday, and the kids are crazy for it too. Fortunately, our friends Jim and Adriana had a Halloween party at their house in the "suburbs", and invited a variety of American and Mexican friends. They had a bounce house, and people brought various food to share. The kids all dressed up, and come nightfall everyone was ready to venture out in search of candy.
It turns out that the Halloween thing is starting to catch on in Mexico. Many houses in Jim and Adriana's neighborhood were giving out candy, and there were other packs of trick-or-treaters roaming around. Apparently some of the Mexican kids are still learning, as they would ring the doorbell and yell "Halloween" instead of "trick or treat". But we were out and about for an hour or so, and all the kids came back with a decent supply of candy.
(I'm working on getting pictures. The ones I took didn't come out very well.)
When we returned to the house, Jim and Adriana had hot chocolate for the kids, and I did a fire poi show for all the families, which went off perfectly. Bryce and Laurel had fun, in spite of the fact that Laurel got two bloody noses and a sprained ankle tonight. And of course, Sue was home fighting her stomach virus.
The next two days here are Day of the Dead, which is sort of a bonus Halloween. We're still figuring out what to do, but it should be pretty awesome. I hope Sue will be able to enjoy it.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sue's Bug
Sue is in the midst of the worst diarrhea / stomach virus she's ever had. She was unable to go out last night, and tonight she had to miss Halloween, which is her favorite holiday. She can't eat anything, except an occasional saltine. I hope she will rally in the next couple of days to experience Day of the Dead, as it would be a shame for her to miss that as well.
This has the same symptoms of Bryce's bug he had earlier in the week, and he got over it in three days, so hopefully Sue will have the same recovery.
This has the same symptoms of Bryce's bug he had earlier in the week, and he got over it in three days, so hopefully Sue will have the same recovery.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Alex's Party
"When I'm in San Miguel, I become just like my Avatar"
The above quote, and many more gems, came from Alex (Alexandra), the hostess of a party I went to Friday night. Alex hosted a birthday party for Ann-from-Texas, and we were invited. But since Sue was starting to come down with the horrible stomach bug that Bryce had, I went alone.
Ann had told me that she had some really fun friends that would be at this party who had been coming to San Miguel for a long time, and she was absolutely right. This was a group that had met ten years ago, and now either live here or have been coming back at different times every year. There were a lot of really interesting people, and I had conversations in both English and Spanish. Alex was particularly interesting, and my friend Jim (of Jim and Adrianna) and I wound up staying until 2 AM just hanging out and talking with her and her friend Holly. I hope Sue gets to meet Alex, as they would really hit it off as well. But the fact that Sue wasn't there allowed me to stay late, since Sue rarely is out past 11 PM. It was a great party.
Alex built Casa Colina, which is one of the houses we looked at on VRBO when searching for a place here. She also has a blog of her adventures in San Miguel.
I'm amazed at how social it is here, and how easy it is to be social. It seems like we see a lot of people in San Francisco, and I feel we're pretty active, but it's nothing like what's happening here. I attribute it partly to the influence of the Mexican culture, and partly due to the kind of people that come here. I'm really having fun.
The above quote, and many more gems, came from Alex (Alexandra), the hostess of a party I went to Friday night. Alex hosted a birthday party for Ann-from-Texas, and we were invited. But since Sue was starting to come down with the horrible stomach bug that Bryce had, I went alone.
Ann had told me that she had some really fun friends that would be at this party who had been coming to San Miguel for a long time, and she was absolutely right. This was a group that had met ten years ago, and now either live here or have been coming back at different times every year. There were a lot of really interesting people, and I had conversations in both English and Spanish. Alex was particularly interesting, and my friend Jim (of Jim and Adrianna) and I wound up staying until 2 AM just hanging out and talking with her and her friend Holly. I hope Sue gets to meet Alex, as they would really hit it off as well. But the fact that Sue wasn't there allowed me to stay late, since Sue rarely is out past 11 PM. It was a great party.
Alex built Casa Colina, which is one of the houses we looked at on VRBO when searching for a place here. She also has a blog of her adventures in San Miguel.
I'm amazed at how social it is here, and how easy it is to be social. It seems like we see a lot of people in San Francisco, and I feel we're pretty active, but it's nothing like what's happening here. I attribute it partly to the influence of the Mexican culture, and partly due to the kind of people that come here. I'm really having fun.
Day of the Dead - Waldorf Style
As this weekend is Day of the Dead, our school had a small celebration for kids and parents alike. Day of the Dead is described by Wikipedia thus:
Our school had an ofrenda, a traditional altar for Day of the Dead, housed inside the "dome". The event had one of the teachers sing a song on the guitar, and the first and second graders did a song and dance in Spanish. The most fun part was for the older kids - they built skeletons representing the various teachers, and then recited poems they wrote about them. Afterward, they had tamales for everyone.
Poem and skeleton for a teacher
The Ofrenda
The opening act
I got to school a little early, and got to watch my second graders do their Movement class. It's sort of like P.E., and they run around and do various games, and it looks like FUN. It was nice to see first hand what goes on during the day.
Another bonus of being early: Since the second graders are now a class all by themselves, I got to do the definitive demographic breakdown of the class. There are thirteen kids, eight girls and five boys. Six kids are Spanish speaking, five are English speaking, and two are totally bilingual. The boys all speak English.
After the event, I got a ride home with Jorge and Haydee, a really nice Mexican couple we see everywhere. Jorge is a private Lear Jet pilot for some super-rich Mexican industrialist. They moved to San Miguel from Mexico City this year, just to place their son Jorge into our Waldorf school. Jorge is really into the arts and drama, and has performed in some very large productions already as a fourth grader. He is their only child, and they relocated here just to send Jorge to the perfect school. He is a really nice kid.
The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Our school had an ofrenda, a traditional altar for Day of the Dead, housed inside the "dome". The event had one of the teachers sing a song on the guitar, and the first and second graders did a song and dance in Spanish. The most fun part was for the older kids - they built skeletons representing the various teachers, and then recited poems they wrote about them. Afterward, they had tamales for everyone.
Poem and skeleton for a teacher
The Ofrenda
The opening act
I got to school a little early, and got to watch my second graders do their Movement class. It's sort of like P.E., and they run around and do various games, and it looks like FUN. It was nice to see first hand what goes on during the day.
Another bonus of being early: Since the second graders are now a class all by themselves, I got to do the definitive demographic breakdown of the class. There are thirteen kids, eight girls and five boys. Six kids are Spanish speaking, five are English speaking, and two are totally bilingual. The boys all speak English.
After the event, I got a ride home with Jorge and Haydee, a really nice Mexican couple we see everywhere. Jorge is a private Lear Jet pilot for some super-rich Mexican industrialist. They moved to San Miguel from Mexico City this year, just to place their son Jorge into our Waldorf school. Jorge is really into the arts and drama, and has performed in some very large productions already as a fourth grader. He is their only child, and they relocated here just to send Jorge to the perfect school. He is a really nice kid.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Amazing Sunset
Tonight was one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen - anywhere. It got progressively darker, and then lighter again as the whole city took on a beautiful orange glow.
The pictures speak for themselves.
Great clouds
Amazing colors
San Miguel glowing orange
The pictures speak for themselves.
Great clouds
Amazing colors
San Miguel glowing orange
Soaking
One of my favorite trips in California is to go to the Eastern Sierra and sit in the natural hot springs in the middle of the desert mountains. It's incredibly relaxing and reinvigorating, and you usually meet some really nice people and have great conversations.
With that in the back of my mind, I've been jonesing to return to La Gruta hot springs this week, and today was going to work. I drove with Antonio to drop Laurel off at school, and he dropped me at La Gruta which was nearby. I enjoyed the hot mineral water, the cave, and the hot waterfalls. A few other people were there, and I started talking to one of them. Her name was Miriam, and she lives in Celaya, an industrial center about 30 minutes away. We talked for probably an hour mostly in Spanish. She is the exact middle of 15 children, and was married to a German guy who now lives in Queretaro. Her three kids are going to school in Europe - the 18 and 16 year old girls are in a boarding school near Prague, and the 20 year old boy is in University in Berlin. She was really nice, and her Spanish was easy to understand. (Her mom was with her, and if anyone needed a relaxing day, it would be someone who raised 15 kids.) I also chatted with a San Miguelense and an American woman living here 13 years, also in Spanish. La Gruta is a beautiful place, and with the hot relaxing water and flowery surroundings, it's a great place to have a conversation with no rush.
The funny thing about interacting in a foreign language you are still learning is that sometimes you feel just like a local, and the next moment you are practically illiterate. It depends upon whom you are taking to. As I was waiting for a taxi to return home, I talked to the greeter outside La Gruta, and I really had a hard time understanding him. It was night and day different than my conversation with Miriam.
Nevertheless, I got a lot of good Spanish practice today, and will hopefully return to La Gruta soon!
With that in the back of my mind, I've been jonesing to return to La Gruta hot springs this week, and today was going to work. I drove with Antonio to drop Laurel off at school, and he dropped me at La Gruta which was nearby. I enjoyed the hot mineral water, the cave, and the hot waterfalls. A few other people were there, and I started talking to one of them. Her name was Miriam, and she lives in Celaya, an industrial center about 30 minutes away. We talked for probably an hour mostly in Spanish. She is the exact middle of 15 children, and was married to a German guy who now lives in Queretaro. Her three kids are going to school in Europe - the 18 and 16 year old girls are in a boarding school near Prague, and the 20 year old boy is in University in Berlin. She was really nice, and her Spanish was easy to understand. (Her mom was with her, and if anyone needed a relaxing day, it would be someone who raised 15 kids.) I also chatted with a San Miguelense and an American woman living here 13 years, also in Spanish. La Gruta is a beautiful place, and with the hot relaxing water and flowery surroundings, it's a great place to have a conversation with no rush.
The funny thing about interacting in a foreign language you are still learning is that sometimes you feel just like a local, and the next moment you are practically illiterate. It depends upon whom you are taking to. As I was waiting for a taxi to return home, I talked to the greeter outside La Gruta, and I really had a hard time understanding him. It was night and day different than my conversation with Miriam.
Nevertheless, I got a lot of good Spanish practice today, and will hopefully return to La Gruta soon!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The 25 Peso Taxi Experiment
I've devised a way to test the theory that we're being overcharged for some services because we're American, a.k.a. the Gringo Tax. When we first got here, I'd always ask the taxi drivers how much the ride cost, and 90% of the time it was 30 pesos. However, occasionally some drivers only charged 25, and most of the guidebooks said that a taxi ride should be 25 pesos. So now I have a different tactic.
For the last week or so, instead of asking how much the ride is, I just say "25 pesos?". Every single time, the taxi driver says yes. I still give them a nice tip, but it's been an interesting experiment nonetheless.
I may try a week of saying "20 pesos?" after each cab ride and see what happens...
For the last week or so, instead of asking how much the ride is, I just say "25 pesos?". Every single time, the taxi driver says yes. I still give them a nice tip, but it's been an interesting experiment nonetheless.
I may try a week of saying "20 pesos?" after each cab ride and see what happens...
Alfeñiques
Normally Wednesday is my special evening with Bryce, but since he was still infermo, Laurel and I got to have a special night out together. Our mission was to buy some Day of the Dead stuff for both home and school. Day of the Dead is November 1 - the day after Halloween.
One part of town has a collection of tents set up just for Day of the Dead. You can buy candles, some cool paper cut-out banners that make scary shadow images, and alfeñiques, which are these amazing sugar sculptures. Traditionally alfeñiques were sugar skulls, but the art form has evolved to encompass all kinds of things, including animals, cars, coffins, and other interesting sculptures. And the amazing thing is that everything is edible. Here's a photo I took of one of the booths:
Alfeñiques
Laurel and I bought two cut-out banners, three skulls, a car and a dog. The dog and car were Bryce's request for his Day of the Dead altar, to memorialize our departed dog Bailey, and the Lexus we used to own.
Next stop was dinner, and Laurel suggested a Jardin Burger, which I knew she'd eat so I said OK. At the hamburger stand, we met a nice couple from Alaska. who bought a house here three years ago and live here as artists eight months out of the year. The other four months the husband works on a fishing boat. It's amazing how many nice people you meet here.
At the Jardin, a Cuban band was setting up, so we spun poi together, then stayed for a while and listened to a few songs before Laurel was ready to go home. Once she went to bed, I went on our patio, sipped some of my special tequila and listened to the band some more. Even though we are far away, the acoustics are such that you can really hear what's going on in the Jardin.
Laurel and I had a great outing together. Her consumer Spanish is coming along nicely, as she was able to purchase the alfeñiques and a Jardin Burger (with bacon, cheese and ketchup) all on her own. She has a beautiful accent.
One part of town has a collection of tents set up just for Day of the Dead. You can buy candles, some cool paper cut-out banners that make scary shadow images, and alfeñiques, which are these amazing sugar sculptures. Traditionally alfeñiques were sugar skulls, but the art form has evolved to encompass all kinds of things, including animals, cars, coffins, and other interesting sculptures. And the amazing thing is that everything is edible. Here's a photo I took of one of the booths:
Alfeñiques
Laurel and I bought two cut-out banners, three skulls, a car and a dog. The dog and car were Bryce's request for his Day of the Dead altar, to memorialize our departed dog Bailey, and the Lexus we used to own.
Next stop was dinner, and Laurel suggested a Jardin Burger, which I knew she'd eat so I said OK. At the hamburger stand, we met a nice couple from Alaska. who bought a house here three years ago and live here as artists eight months out of the year. The other four months the husband works on a fishing boat. It's amazing how many nice people you meet here.
At the Jardin, a Cuban band was setting up, so we spun poi together, then stayed for a while and listened to a few songs before Laurel was ready to go home. Once she went to bed, I went on our patio, sipped some of my special tequila and listened to the band some more. Even though we are far away, the acoustics are such that you can really hear what's going on in the Jardin.
Laurel and I had a great outing together. Her consumer Spanish is coming along nicely, as she was able to purchase the alfeñiques and a Jardin Burger (with bacon, cheese and ketchup) all on her own. She has a beautiful accent.
Rocio Rocks!
Rocio, our once-a-week housekeeper and babysitter, has turned out to be quite a gem. Not only do the kids love her, but Sue notices how nice the house looks, and she can cook!
Margarita was sick today, so Rocio was here to take care of the house. Once she got here in the morning, she asked if she could cook me breakfast, and I refused as I had just returned from buying some tamales after getting Laurel to school (Bryce is still sick and stayed home today).
Not to be deterred, she took a leftover tomato soup that Margarita made, and turned it into something spectacular. She added a bunch of things including chicken, spaghetti noodles, and made a side of avocado pico de gallo to put on top. With a squeeze of lime as she suggested, it was delicious! Bryce even had some, as it was his first real food in two days. Rocio is like the Iron Chef of San Miguel.
Rocio's soup creation
Avocado Pico de Gallo
Now I'm a little mad at myself that I turned down her offer to make me breakfast.
Margarita was sick today, so Rocio was here to take care of the house. Once she got here in the morning, she asked if she could cook me breakfast, and I refused as I had just returned from buying some tamales after getting Laurel to school (Bryce is still sick and stayed home today).
Not to be deterred, she took a leftover tomato soup that Margarita made, and turned it into something spectacular. She added a bunch of things including chicken, spaghetti noodles, and made a side of avocado pico de gallo to put on top. With a squeeze of lime as she suggested, it was delicious! Bryce even had some, as it was his first real food in two days. Rocio is like the Iron Chef of San Miguel.
Rocio's soup creation
Avocado Pico de Gallo
Now I'm a little mad at myself that I turned down her offer to make me breakfast.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sick Day
We were all set to give Bryce a special day off from school today. I was going to take him to the La Gruta hot springs this morning, and Sue had him scheduled for a trip to the Tuesday market afterward. Since Bryce loves swimming and shopping, it was going to be a great day.
Unfortunately Bryce came down with some sort of tummy virus, and had to spend a sick day at home instead. He slept a lot, and watched a bunch of Spanish TV.
Laurel has been feeling a different kind of sick - homesick. The last two days she has cried for her friends back home, but then returns to the normal perky Laurel shortly thereafter. Having the first graders move to a different classroom may have unsettled her as well. Plus, Halloween is coming, and she is probably unsure of what it will be like here, since it's pretty awesome in San Francisco. Today is also rainy, which compounds the mood. We'll try to do something special tomorrow.
Unfortunately Bryce came down with some sort of tummy virus, and had to spend a sick day at home instead. He slept a lot, and watched a bunch of Spanish TV.
Laurel has been feeling a different kind of sick - homesick. The last two days she has cried for her friends back home, but then returns to the normal perky Laurel shortly thereafter. Having the first graders move to a different classroom may have unsettled her as well. Plus, Halloween is coming, and she is probably unsure of what it will be like here, since it's pretty awesome in San Francisco. Today is also rainy, which compounds the mood. We'll try to do something special tomorrow.
Fill 'er Up
Riding with Antonio today, I saw something out of my childhood. We stopped for gas, and had FULL SERVICE at the gas station. With two guys cleaning the windshield.
Antonio didn't even turn off the car...
Antonio didn't even turn off the car...
No More First Graders in Class
Our little Waldorf school is doing well. It seems they have found a niche with combining Mexican and American families, and they have seen a lot of new incoming transfers (all of whom speak English) since we started in August. So much so that our combined first/second grade has been split into separate classes, and they have hired a new teacher for the first graders. There are now about twelve kids in Bryce and Laurel's class.
The upside is that our kids get more attention now, and Maestra Catalina doesn't have to try to combine lessons for kids with a wide range of abilities. The downside is that Bryce and Laurel made some friends with the first graders, and they are sad to not see them so much any more. Plus, the first graders were probably easier to speak Spanish with.
The upside is that our kids get more attention now, and Maestra Catalina doesn't have to try to combine lessons for kids with a wide range of abilities. The downside is that Bryce and Laurel made some friends with the first graders, and they are sad to not see them so much any more. Plus, the first graders were probably easier to speak Spanish with.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Variety Day
Sue and I felt like a walk today, and since we didn't get our weekend nature fix, we decided to further explore El Charco Ingenio - the nature preserve up the street. And since we had no kids with us to slip into the gate, we would have to walk through the main entrance. It's a worthwhile cause, so when we arrived we bought a membership for $40, and were given a key to the gate.
They have a neat store at the entrance, where you can buy honey, mead, artwork, books, hummingbird feeders and more. There's an attractive health food restaurant as well. We went to a part of the preserve we hadn't seen before, and came across a greenhouse for all kinds of exotic cacti. The whole place is well cared for. Here's one specimen I really liked:
Cool Cacti
After running into Ann-from-Texas who was chaperoning a school group with her son, we walked back home, then decided that lunch was in order. As we went into town, we discovered the Burrito Bistro (only the second burrito place I have found here). It looked good, so we went inside. As we went upstairs, we saw a Haight-Ashbury sign, which made us feel at home. The restaurant had all kinds of neat artwork on display - and for sale. I ordered a taco salad, which was superb, and Sue got a Mediterranean plate with tabouleh, falafel and Baba Ganoush which she enjoyed. Plus, it came with a yummy Thai coconut chicken soup.
Like our meal, today had a little bit of everything - work, nature walk, city walk, kid time, and more. Nice!
They have a neat store at the entrance, where you can buy honey, mead, artwork, books, hummingbird feeders and more. There's an attractive health food restaurant as well. We went to a part of the preserve we hadn't seen before, and came across a greenhouse for all kinds of exotic cacti. The whole place is well cared for. Here's one specimen I really liked:
Cool Cacti
After running into Ann-from-Texas who was chaperoning a school group with her son, we walked back home, then decided that lunch was in order. As we went into town, we discovered the Burrito Bistro (only the second burrito place I have found here). It looked good, so we went inside. As we went upstairs, we saw a Haight-Ashbury sign, which made us feel at home. The restaurant had all kinds of neat artwork on display - and for sale. I ordered a taco salad, which was superb, and Sue got a Mediterranean plate with tabouleh, falafel and Baba Ganoush which she enjoyed. Plus, it came with a yummy Thai coconut chicken soup.
Like our meal, today had a little bit of everything - work, nature walk, city walk, kid time, and more. Nice!
Waldorf, Silicon Vallley Style
We're starting to notice the Waldorf-school effect on Bryce and Laurel. They have started becoming more and more creative in making things. Just yesterday they made several balloon animals, and then spy bracelets, cell phones and computers using markers, tape, string and construction paper. Romy and Fernando were into it too. Here's some of their creations:
Waldorf style cell phones
The kids have come up with a neat blend of our gadget-filled world in San Francisco, and the make-anything-from-anything culture of Mexico. Sue really likes this sort of art project as well, and she's been great at encouraging them. This upcoming week is Halloween and Day of the Dead, so there will be more cool art to come.
Speaking of creations, here's a great photo of Bryce with his Lego airplane creation that Ann-from-Baltimore took this last weekend:
Bryce with his Lego plane
Waldorf style cell phones
The kids have come up with a neat blend of our gadget-filled world in San Francisco, and the make-anything-from-anything culture of Mexico. Sue really likes this sort of art project as well, and she's been great at encouraging them. This upcoming week is Halloween and Day of the Dead, so there will be more cool art to come.
Speaking of creations, here's a great photo of Bryce with his Lego airplane creation that Ann-from-Baltimore took this last weekend:
Bryce with his Lego plane
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Queretaro - Cars and Clowns
One of the things that seems natural to do every weekend is to venture outside of town and explore. San Miguel is great, but it's fun to see something completely different at least once a week. So today we went into Queretaro. It was about an hour away by car, and with a population of 600,000 is quite a bit bigger than San Miguel.
Our primary goal was to see the Carrerra Pamericana, a road race we heard about last week. A hundred or so vintage race cars would be coming into Queretaro, and the family of Bryce's friend Matt from San Francisco knows one of the drivers. Plus, we've heard nice things about the town, and wanted to check it out. Fernando would be joining us for the adventure as well.
Once we arrived, we noticed a nice clean city center area. There were four main squares of activity, plus a large park. After we had a quick snack, we ventured into one of the squares, and the kids were immediately attracted to a clown making balloon figures. It so happened that they were doing the same thing that morning. This payaso made some amazing things: Laurel got a puppy on a leash, Fernando an airplane, and Bryce an awesome motorcycle. The clown claimed to be able to make 60 different things. And there must have been 6 or 7 others like him throughout the square.
Bryce and Fernando with the payaso
Laurel's balloon puppy
From there, we explored the city center. Queretaro has a European feel to it in some parts, like this walkway that joins two of the squares:
Downtown Queretaro
There were some cool fountains too. Sue and I liked this one:
Dog Fountain
We had lots of time before the cars would arrive, so we got ice cream, and explored the four main squares a bit. There seemed to be clowns everywhere, as another clown was doing a show in one of the smaller squares, with his clown buddies and a decent crowd watching.
During one of the shows they mentioned a circus performance in town, and there was a staff spinner doing a preview of the show. I tracked him down, and asked if they were going to be doing poi as well. He said yes, and gave me a flier for the show, and told me it was at the "dog fountain". I went back to where I thought he directed me, but no show. I guess I'll have to wait to see Mexican poi spinners until another time.
Finally, the cars started arriving at about five o'clock. Our friend-of-a-friend Doug Mockett was in second place. After several cars came by, Sue and Bryce went over to talk to Doug, and he was kind enough to let Bryce sit in the car for a photo:
Bryce driving Doug Mockett's car
Doug Mockett's car
And if you're a car freak, here's a video montage of some of the cars as they rumbled into town:
We hung out until six thirty, then got our ride back to San Miguel. Everyone was exhausted. It was a busy day, but great fun. I can't wait to do some more exploring - but not right away.
Our primary goal was to see the Carrerra Pamericana, a road race we heard about last week. A hundred or so vintage race cars would be coming into Queretaro, and the family of Bryce's friend Matt from San Francisco knows one of the drivers. Plus, we've heard nice things about the town, and wanted to check it out. Fernando would be joining us for the adventure as well.
Once we arrived, we noticed a nice clean city center area. There were four main squares of activity, plus a large park. After we had a quick snack, we ventured into one of the squares, and the kids were immediately attracted to a clown making balloon figures. It so happened that they were doing the same thing that morning. This payaso made some amazing things: Laurel got a puppy on a leash, Fernando an airplane, and Bryce an awesome motorcycle. The clown claimed to be able to make 60 different things. And there must have been 6 or 7 others like him throughout the square.
Bryce and Fernando with the payaso
Laurel's balloon puppy
From there, we explored the city center. Queretaro has a European feel to it in some parts, like this walkway that joins two of the squares:
Downtown Queretaro
There were some cool fountains too. Sue and I liked this one:
Dog Fountain
We had lots of time before the cars would arrive, so we got ice cream, and explored the four main squares a bit. There seemed to be clowns everywhere, as another clown was doing a show in one of the smaller squares, with his clown buddies and a decent crowd watching.
During one of the shows they mentioned a circus performance in town, and there was a staff spinner doing a preview of the show. I tracked him down, and asked if they were going to be doing poi as well. He said yes, and gave me a flier for the show, and told me it was at the "dog fountain". I went back to where I thought he directed me, but no show. I guess I'll have to wait to see Mexican poi spinners until another time.
Finally, the cars started arriving at about five o'clock. Our friend-of-a-friend Doug Mockett was in second place. After several cars came by, Sue and Bryce went over to talk to Doug, and he was kind enough to let Bryce sit in the car for a photo:
Bryce driving Doug Mockett's car
Doug Mockett's car
And if you're a car freak, here's a video montage of some of the cars as they rumbled into town:
We hung out until six thirty, then got our ride back to San Miguel. Everyone was exhausted. It was a busy day, but great fun. I can't wait to do some more exploring - but not right away.
Can't Handle the Rain
We've had steady rain since about 4 PM Saturday, which is causing some weaknesses in the overall drainage infrastructure to appear. As we headed home from Sam and Ann's place, we noticed a river running down Cuesta de San Jose, the street we live next to. Upon closer inspection, the sewer/drain had overflowed. We didn't stick around long enough to see if it smelled or not.
Laurel's bathroom also smells a little funky, probably due to some sort of related overflow as well.
We have Liz, Romy and Fernando sleeping here tonight, so I get to sleep in the "cave". Which is fine since it's the only bedroom in the house without a bathroom. Que suerte!
Laurel's bathroom also smells a little funky, probably due to some sort of related overflow as well.
We have Liz, Romy and Fernando sleeping here tonight, so I get to sleep in the "cave". Which is fine since it's the only bedroom in the house without a bathroom. Que suerte!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
School Work Day
Today in the USA was the Burkes Festival, where Laurel's school has all the parents volunteer to run a fair which makes a lot of money for the school. There are food booths, things to buy, the Burkes spa, and lots of other fun events for the kids. It's the one time of the year where all the parents get to do jobs they had as young adults, and have fun doing it.
Coincidentally, today at our school in San Miguel was "work day", where parents are supposed to volunteer and help fix up the school. We were asked to buy two trees and two plants, and bring them to school. Sue weeded for three hours, and I wielded a pick-axe and helped transplant three agave bushes, move a greenhouse structure, pull down a dead tree and plant a new one. It was tiring, but kind of fun for a once-a-year event. I'm glad I don't do manual labor for a living though.
Fixing a fence
Kids helping pull down a dead tree
Once the work was done, we did the Waldorf circle thing, sang a song, and then had a community meal provided by the parents. We talked to many parents, in both English and Spanish.
Waldorf Circle
Afterward, we got a ride back to town with Roger and Nina, two really nice parents we haven't really gotten to know. They own two businesses in San Miguel: Counter Cultures, a high end bath supply store, and a El Gozo, a chicken wings restaurant. Nina is Italian, Roger is American, and they have been here six years or so.
Then Sam and Ann invited us over for much needed cocktails. Their three kids have moved to our school this past week, partly from our recommendation, so I really wanted to check in with them and see how it was going. So far they are happy. They also just bought an amazing house here, which solidifies their commitment to be here at least three years. It was nice to catch up with them and decompress from a hard work day.
Coincidentally, today at our school in San Miguel was "work day", where parents are supposed to volunteer and help fix up the school. We were asked to buy two trees and two plants, and bring them to school. Sue weeded for three hours, and I wielded a pick-axe and helped transplant three agave bushes, move a greenhouse structure, pull down a dead tree and plant a new one. It was tiring, but kind of fun for a once-a-year event. I'm glad I don't do manual labor for a living though.
Fixing a fence
Kids helping pull down a dead tree
Once the work was done, we did the Waldorf circle thing, sang a song, and then had a community meal provided by the parents. We talked to many parents, in both English and Spanish.
Waldorf Circle
Afterward, we got a ride back to town with Roger and Nina, two really nice parents we haven't really gotten to know. They own two businesses in San Miguel: Counter Cultures, a high end bath supply store, and a El Gozo, a chicken wings restaurant. Nina is Italian, Roger is American, and they have been here six years or so.
Then Sam and Ann invited us over for much needed cocktails. Their three kids have moved to our school this past week, partly from our recommendation, so I really wanted to check in with them and see how it was going. So far they are happy. They also just bought an amazing house here, which solidifies their commitment to be here at least three years. It was nice to catch up with them and decompress from a hard work day.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ultimate Roof Dog
Ann-from-Baltimore initially named her blog "Roof Dog". As we walk through town, we often see dogs on the roof barking at us. It's a local phenomenon.
On the way home from school today, we took one of the kid's classmates home to a ranch house, and then worked our way home via a back way. En route, Sue snapped a photo of this super roof dog:
How did he get here?
On the way home from school today, we took one of the kid's classmates home to a ranch house, and then worked our way home via a back way. En route, Sue snapped a photo of this super roof dog:
How did he get here?
Casa
I've been meaning to do a video tour of our house, just to capture an important part of living here. Finally, I got around to it today.
The houses here really make use of the outdoors, in a way I haven't seen anywhere else. As I'm an outdoorsy person, this style totally works for me. Here's me working in my outside "office".
La Oficina
Anyway - enjoy the tour!
The houses here really make use of the outdoors, in a way I haven't seen anywhere else. As I'm an outdoorsy person, this style totally works for me. Here's me working in my outside "office".
La Oficina
Anyway - enjoy the tour!
Internet still down
It's our third day without Internet at the house. I think we figured out why:
Who needs a cherry picker anyway?
Update 4 PM: Internet at the house is back up. I enjoyed doing the Internet cafe thing with my laptop though. It's great being served yummy food and tasty fresh squeezed juices while working away on the PC. I may have to change my work habits.
Who needs a cherry picker anyway?
Update 4 PM: Internet at the house is back up. I enjoyed doing the Internet cafe thing with my laptop though. It's great being served yummy food and tasty fresh squeezed juices while working away on the PC. I may have to change my work habits.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bryce & Rocio
Bryce has recently expressed a lot of interest in learning to cook. He is dying to try some recipes for things he has made up off the top of his head, and unfortunately they usually seem too disgusting for us to try to make. He is also prone to making a huge mess.
As tonight was date night for the parents, Rocio came over to watch the kids, and as she always makes some great things to eat when she is here, I suggested to Bryce that he ask her if he could help cook. Rocio has the patience of a saint, and isn't phased by a mess in the kitchen, so it seemed like a perfect match.
She had Bryce do some cooking tasks, including crack some eggs to make a bread pudding apple fritata kind of thing, and even though a couple of eggs landed on the floor, it came out great. (I had some for breakfast the next day). Here's a video of Bryce and Rocio working together:
Bryce has come a long way since we first got here. On Rocio's first night watching the kids, Bryce was petrified that she couldn't speak English. Now the kids are able to communicate with her, and Bryce jumps for joy when we say that Rocio is coming. She has totally won them over. Way to go Rocio!
Update: Rocio even squeezed the oranges we had in the fruit basket so that I could have fresh juice the next morning. THAT is awesome.
As tonight was date night for the parents, Rocio came over to watch the kids, and as she always makes some great things to eat when she is here, I suggested to Bryce that he ask her if he could help cook. Rocio has the patience of a saint, and isn't phased by a mess in the kitchen, so it seemed like a perfect match.
She had Bryce do some cooking tasks, including crack some eggs to make a bread pudding apple fritata kind of thing, and even though a couple of eggs landed on the floor, it came out great. (I had some for breakfast the next day). Here's a video of Bryce and Rocio working together:
Bryce has come a long way since we first got here. On Rocio's first night watching the kids, Bryce was petrified that she couldn't speak English. Now the kids are able to communicate with her, and Bryce jumps for joy when we say that Rocio is coming. She has totally won them over. Way to go Rocio!
Update: Rocio even squeezed the oranges we had in the fruit basket so that I could have fresh juice the next morning. THAT is awesome.
Bugs Bunny opens a Restaurant
It's Thursday - date night again! Our friends seemed to be unavailable tonight, so it was just Sue and me. First stop was the Sunset Bar, with two for one cocktails, live music and a great seat overlooking the activities on the street. $8 got us two margaritas and two glasses of white wine. It's become one of my favorite spots.
Next, just up the street, was a "natural food" restaurant we've been meaning to try called El Tomate. As is often the case, we were the only customers, which in this case was great. The waiter Mariano came out, told us about the menu and recommended some dishes. Then Mariano put on his hair cap, and became the cook, and made us an exceptional salad of beets, green beans and hard-boiled eggs, followed by two tasty pasta dishes. Mariano was also the sommelier, and recommended a great glass of Argentine wine. It was like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
It turns out that Mariano is the owner, which after all the above is not surprising. He is from Argentina originally, and uses a lot of his mother's recipes in the restaurant. His English was exceptional too. We had a great meal, and felt really special, and being the only patrons in the restaurant didn't hurt either.
Next, just up the street, was a "natural food" restaurant we've been meaning to try called El Tomate. As is often the case, we were the only customers, which in this case was great. The waiter Mariano came out, told us about the menu and recommended some dishes. Then Mariano put on his hair cap, and became the cook, and made us an exceptional salad of beets, green beans and hard-boiled eggs, followed by two tasty pasta dishes. Mariano was also the sommelier, and recommended a great glass of Argentine wine. It was like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
It turns out that Mariano is the owner, which after all the above is not surprising. He is from Argentina originally, and uses a lot of his mother's recipes in the restaurant. His English was exceptional too. We had a great meal, and felt really special, and being the only patrons in the restaurant didn't hurt either.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Fabrica Aurora
Fabrica Aurora
One of the places we've heard much about, but I have never visited, is Fabrica Aurora - a collective art gallery in town. San Miguel is known as an artists haven, and given my experiences with the Artisans in the mercado and other stores around town, I expected more of the funky, inexpensive stuff.
Entering the building quickly changed my mind. Fabrica Aurora has some really high end artists, furniture makers, and other assorted artists. Most were American, and there was a lot of incredible stuff there, so much so that we didn't get to see it all. But it was very inspiring.
The building is really cool too. It's an old textile factory, and they still have many of the machinery on display co-mingling with the art gallery.
Art and old textile machinery co-existing happily
Internet Down :(
For the first time since we've been here, the internet at our house is not working. Fortunately, there are tons of internet cafes here, and it's $0.75/hour. And I get to learn new words like inalámbrica (which means wireless).
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Atayde Circus
Last week, Sue saw something a little out-of-the-ordinary. Driving through town were trucks carrying giraffes, camels, zebras, horses, a buffalo, and even tigers. The circus was coming to town!
Naturally this clever promotion got our attention, and we made a plan to go see the circus on Tuesday night. The Atayde Circus is one of the oldest family circuses in Mexico, and since the animals passed Sue's well-taken-care-of test, we were all psyched to go.
The show was great. They had various animal acts, including a tiger trainer with about 15 tigers, camels, zebras, and all the other animals that paraded through town previously. Some of the clown acts were good, and even though they were all in Spanish we enjoyed them. And of course, they had jugglers, a contortionist, and a good trapeze act. It was great fun, and only $30 for the whole family (in the expensive seats).
Entering the circus tent
Camels on display
Naturally this clever promotion got our attention, and we made a plan to go see the circus on Tuesday night. The Atayde Circus is one of the oldest family circuses in Mexico, and since the animals passed Sue's well-taken-care-of test, we were all psyched to go.
The show was great. They had various animal acts, including a tiger trainer with about 15 tigers, camels, zebras, and all the other animals that paraded through town previously. Some of the clown acts were good, and even though they were all in Spanish we enjoyed them. And of course, they had jugglers, a contortionist, and a good trapeze act. It was great fun, and only $30 for the whole family (in the expensive seats).
Entering the circus tent
Camels on display
Malanquin
Clay and Anne-from-Colorado were kind enough to invite me to their "exclusive" country club today. Malanquin is about 10 minutes from the center of town, and has golf, tennis, a nice pool, a small playground, a weight room, lockers, and a restaurant. Clay told me that they require a marriage certificate for families to join, and his theory was that they didn't want mistresses of the male members in the club. They also supposedly do a background check on new members. The clientele seemed evenly split between Mexicans and Americans.
Apparently, it's $500 to join, and about $200/month, which is steep by Mexican standards. I was able to be a guest for about $10, and I enjoyed the pool during my visit. The facilities were nice. Here's some pix of the place:
Malenquin inside
Anne coming out of the pool
I got a good workout, which then made it easy to justify going to the Tuesday Market and trying some tacos with carnitas and sesos (brains). The carnitas were yummy, and the sesos just OK.
My kind of morning...
Apparently, it's $500 to join, and about $200/month, which is steep by Mexican standards. I was able to be a guest for about $10, and I enjoyed the pool during my visit. The facilities were nice. Here's some pix of the place:
Malenquin inside
Anne coming out of the pool
I got a good workout, which then made it easy to justify going to the Tuesday Market and trying some tacos with carnitas and sesos (brains). The carnitas were yummy, and the sesos just OK.
My kind of morning...
Telas de Araña
Antonio told me that once the rainy season ends in late October, cold season begins. This means that there are fewer shorts-days, and cold and foggy mornings. Today was one such day.
Off to school
The fog has a plus side. When you drive to school, it highlights the spider webs in the countryside in an amazing way. Here's one photo Sue took today:
Spider webs in the morning dew
When we first saw this, Laurel remarked that the spiders were getting ready for Halloween.
Off to school
The fog has a plus side. When you drive to school, it highlights the spider webs in the countryside in an amazing way. Here's one photo Sue took today:
Spider webs in the morning dew
When we first saw this, Laurel remarked that the spiders were getting ready for Halloween.
Our World
I started playing with Google Maps tonight, and made a map of the significant landmarks from our life here. This gives a good idea of how far apart everything is, especially school. Have fun with it!
View Our World in San Miguel in a larger map
View Our World in San Miguel in a larger map
Monday, October 19, 2009
Three Kinds of San Miguelenses
Among the people I've met here, I've found it interesting to classify them in three groups:
Urbanites: These are people used to living in cities, who can get along fine without a car. They live near the center of town, and walk or take taxis everywhere. Occasionally they venture out of town, but are usually quite happy just being surrounded by the activities in the city. We fall into this category (as do many of the teachers from Laurel and Bryce's school surprisingly).
Suburbanites: This group lives more on the edge of town, or in a development like Los Frailes that is too far away to walk into town. They own cars, but may also have an ATV or motorcycle to get around. They may occasionally venture into town, but only for errands or occasional fun nights since parking is such a hassle. Jim and Adriana fall into this category.
Rancheros: These folks live on a ranch, way out of town. Some of the Los Charcos parents fall into this group, as does Fernando grande's brother Cuautli. (Liz and Fernando seem more metropolitan in spite of where they are living now). Generally, if you like to be surrounded by a lot of land, with no nearby neighbors you're a Ranchero.
Of course, there are people who have characteristics of more than one of these groups, so you can't generalize, but knowing where a person lives can be a useful stereotype as you're getting to know someone. We've met lovely people in all of the above categories.
Urbanites: These are people used to living in cities, who can get along fine without a car. They live near the center of town, and walk or take taxis everywhere. Occasionally they venture out of town, but are usually quite happy just being surrounded by the activities in the city. We fall into this category (as do many of the teachers from Laurel and Bryce's school surprisingly).
Suburbanites: This group lives more on the edge of town, or in a development like Los Frailes that is too far away to walk into town. They own cars, but may also have an ATV or motorcycle to get around. They may occasionally venture into town, but only for errands or occasional fun nights since parking is such a hassle. Jim and Adriana fall into this category.
Rancheros: These folks live on a ranch, way out of town. Some of the Los Charcos parents fall into this group, as does Fernando grande's brother Cuautli. (Liz and Fernando seem more metropolitan in spite of where they are living now). Generally, if you like to be surrounded by a lot of land, with no nearby neighbors you're a Ranchero.
Of course, there are people who have characteristics of more than one of these groups, so you can't generalize, but knowing where a person lives can be a useful stereotype as you're getting to know someone. We've met lovely people in all of the above categories.
It was a shrimpy adventure, but still an adventure
As we're settling in here, you would expect that a routine would develop, which makes it harder to have new, exciting adventures on a daily basis. You find things you like, and get into a groove - that's human nature.
On the other hand, being here in San Miguel is a microcosm of life. We're only here for a limited time, and it's important to make the most of every day, which requires having new and different experiences. Unfortunately, not every day here is parades and fireworks, so one has to find other outlets. Since I love good food, discovering new eating places is an easy way to adventure between the big festivals and events.
Francisco gave me more confidence in the cottage food industry here, so after my yoga class today, I ventured to the shrimp cocktail counter across from the flower vendor at the mercado. I've always seen a lot of people eating here, and the food looks good and fresh, so I decided to give it a try. I got a huge shrimp cocktail and a fresh carrot juice for about $5. The shrimp were really fresh and tasty, although the cocktail sauce was a little ketchupy. It included fresh tomatoes and onions, as well as avocado, hot sauce, and crackers on the side. I brought back a shrimp tostada for Sue, which she enjoyed as well. We're both feeling fine.
Shrimp cocktails at the mercado
In spite of the emphasis on food in this travelblog, I don't think I've gained weight, and I am actively trying to balance eating with exercise. Not having a car here is a plus, as we wind up doing a lot of walking, and living up on the hill with a great view of town allows me to work out on a real life stair-climber, which I did twice today in addition to yoga.
Something as mundane as eating at a shrimp cocktail counter and walking up a hill are stimulating because they are outside of my normal comfort zone. There is so much more to explore here that I don't think we'll run out of things to do and try, in spite of our new-found routines. I'm planning more exercise and eating adventures for tomorrow!
On the other hand, being here in San Miguel is a microcosm of life. We're only here for a limited time, and it's important to make the most of every day, which requires having new and different experiences. Unfortunately, not every day here is parades and fireworks, so one has to find other outlets. Since I love good food, discovering new eating places is an easy way to adventure between the big festivals and events.
Francisco gave me more confidence in the cottage food industry here, so after my yoga class today, I ventured to the shrimp cocktail counter across from the flower vendor at the mercado. I've always seen a lot of people eating here, and the food looks good and fresh, so I decided to give it a try. I got a huge shrimp cocktail and a fresh carrot juice for about $5. The shrimp were really fresh and tasty, although the cocktail sauce was a little ketchupy. It included fresh tomatoes and onions, as well as avocado, hot sauce, and crackers on the side. I brought back a shrimp tostada for Sue, which she enjoyed as well. We're both feeling fine.
Shrimp cocktails at the mercado
In spite of the emphasis on food in this travelblog, I don't think I've gained weight, and I am actively trying to balance eating with exercise. Not having a car here is a plus, as we wind up doing a lot of walking, and living up on the hill with a great view of town allows me to work out on a real life stair-climber, which I did twice today in addition to yoga.
Something as mundane as eating at a shrimp cocktail counter and walking up a hill are stimulating because they are outside of my normal comfort zone. There is so much more to explore here that I don't think we'll run out of things to do and try, in spite of our new-found routines. I'm planning more exercise and eating adventures for tomorrow!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Schedule? What Schedule?
I started feeling better today, and come afternoon, I was ready to get out of the house for a while. Laurel had a tough night last night, as she got a bug similar to what I had, and Sue stayed up with her and was a little tired, so Bryce was my adventure partner today. I didn't really have a plan - I just wanted to see what was going on in town.
En route to the Jardin, we stopped at a book fair for while, which had yet more Aztec-style dancers doing their thing nearby. Next stop was the Jardin, where lo and behold, there was what appeared to be a car show going on. Bryce was thrilled! Actually, it was a preview of La Carrera Panamericana, a re-enactment of a famous Mexican road race from the 1950's. There were several classic race cars on display, which we caught the last few minutes of before they zoomed away through town:
Cool race car leaving the Jardin
The race starts next week, and comes through nearby Queretaro on Sunday, so we plan to check it out.
After hanging in the Jardin for a while, where Bryce unsuccessfully tried to buy Laurel a present from an upscale clothing store with 15 pesos, we headed over to Parque Juarez, where I showed a couple Mexican boys some poi tricks (they asked about la mariposa) and Bryce frolicked in the playground, occasionally mixing it up with some of the other non-English speaking kids.
Tonight as I write this post, we see random fireworks, and a castillo going off at a new location - likely a church deserving of it's own special celebration.
There's nowhere we've found to learn about these events. The big ones like the Alborada are published by the local paper Atencion, but the small things just seem to appear. I've learned that the street vendors are a good source of information about goings on in the Jardin, and the Office of Tourism is worthless. Even Antonio doesn't know about a lot of events.
Today I just figured out that the best indicator of something happening are the huge bottle rockets that go off during the day that act as a dog-whistle for anyone interested in seeing something interesting. I'm better than most at unstructured day-planning, but this even stretches my American sensibilities a bit, and it makes it hard to plan a family day. But the surprises are fun. I'm slowly getting used to it.
En route to the Jardin, we stopped at a book fair for while, which had yet more Aztec-style dancers doing their thing nearby. Next stop was the Jardin, where lo and behold, there was what appeared to be a car show going on. Bryce was thrilled! Actually, it was a preview of La Carrera Panamericana, a re-enactment of a famous Mexican road race from the 1950's. There were several classic race cars on display, which we caught the last few minutes of before they zoomed away through town:
Cool race car leaving the Jardin
The race starts next week, and comes through nearby Queretaro on Sunday, so we plan to check it out.
After hanging in the Jardin for a while, where Bryce unsuccessfully tried to buy Laurel a present from an upscale clothing store with 15 pesos, we headed over to Parque Juarez, where I showed a couple Mexican boys some poi tricks (they asked about la mariposa) and Bryce frolicked in the playground, occasionally mixing it up with some of the other non-English speaking kids.
Tonight as I write this post, we see random fireworks, and a castillo going off at a new location - likely a church deserving of it's own special celebration.
There's nowhere we've found to learn about these events. The big ones like the Alborada are published by the local paper Atencion, but the small things just seem to appear. I've learned that the street vendors are a good source of information about goings on in the Jardin, and the Office of Tourism is worthless. Even Antonio doesn't know about a lot of events.
Today I just figured out that the best indicator of something happening are the huge bottle rockets that go off during the day that act as a dog-whistle for anyone interested in seeing something interesting. I'm better than most at unstructured day-planning, but this even stretches my American sensibilities a bit, and it makes it hard to plan a family day. But the surprises are fun. I'm slowly getting used to it.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Comfort Food Day
It's been overcast here all day, with temperatures in the mid 60s. I'm feeling a little under the weather, not quite a cold nor a flu, but not really myself either.
So it was a perfect day for comfort food. We asked Margarita to make us a pozole for the weekend, and the timing couldn't have been better. Our pozole was made with pork, pasilla chiles, and a special kind of fat, hearty corn. It has a beautiful red color, and you can put onions, cilantro and limes on top.
Liz came by to pick up Fernando and Romy from their sleepover, and we all sat and enjoyed our pozole while overlooking the town. It was a perfect complement to the vibe of the day.
So it was a perfect day for comfort food. We asked Margarita to make us a pozole for the weekend, and the timing couldn't have been better. Our pozole was made with pork, pasilla chiles, and a special kind of fat, hearty corn. It has a beautiful red color, and you can put onions, cilantro and limes on top.
Liz came by to pick up Fernando and Romy from their sleepover, and we all sat and enjoyed our pozole while overlooking the town. It was a perfect complement to the vibe of the day.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Happy Hour Friday - Parque Juarez and the Jardin
Sam and Ann-from-Baltimore have started a Friday afternoon tradition of having happy hour in Parque Juarez, and are gracious enough to always invite us. As Ann says in the about-me part of her blog, "we had to get out of the States before organized sports destroyed our ability to host happy hour on Friday afternoons". These are the people you want to spend Fridays with. So we plan Fridays around happy hour.
Fernando and Romy, Bryce and Laurel's friends and kids of Liz and Fernando, were slated to spend the night with us, so we all met at the bus stop and had comida right away, as the kids were hungry and a little crazy. We went to another branch of Ten Ten Pie on Stirling Dickinson, which has about eight tables in a patio area, and a mesquite barbecue where they prepare all the food. I wasn't expecting much, but we had a great meal, including chicken kabobs, grilled fish, grilled vegetables, choripan (a chorizo and cheese sandwich for Laurel), and the most delicious Mexican style baked potato you've ever eaten with butter, sour cream and bacon served in tin foil. The owner was gracious, and the food and service were wonderful.
From there, off to Parque Juarez. Fernando chico and Romy had a last minute dental appointment scheduled, so they went off and then would meet us later at the park. Ann was there when we arrived, and promptly called Sam to bring Sangria for everyone. We met a new family from Paso Robles who landed here three months ago. Brian was a school teacher, and he quit, packed up everything, moved the whole family here and bought a house. Impressive. The park was busy, but not overwhelming, and the kids had free run while the parents socialized.
Happy hour Friday in Parque Juarez
We hung at the park for a couple of hours until Fernando and Romy returned with Liz, as their quickie dental appointments ran long. After more time at the park, it was clear that these kids needed some more running around, so we went off to the Jardin as dusk approached. They got ice cream, then played for another hour and a half in the Jardin, while Sue and I chatted with the Eurhythmia teacher from the kids school who was also there enjoying the crowd. At about 8:45, Sue and I got cold and decided it was time to head home.
Here's a kind-of-dark video I took of the goings on in the Jardin early on a Friday night. You can get an idea of the crowd, the mariachi music, as well as see all four kids playing together:
I really enjoy the days that have a loose plan, but leave themselves open to random encounters and new friends. The vibe of Parque Juarez and the Jardin make this happen more than anything. No matter what, there's always something going on in the Jardin, and everyone has fun. This central meeting place of town is something that I'd love to have in San Francisco, even though it's probably impractical in such a big city with a modest population of weirdos. I'll just have to savor the experience while I'm here.
Fernando and Romy, Bryce and Laurel's friends and kids of Liz and Fernando, were slated to spend the night with us, so we all met at the bus stop and had comida right away, as the kids were hungry and a little crazy. We went to another branch of Ten Ten Pie on Stirling Dickinson, which has about eight tables in a patio area, and a mesquite barbecue where they prepare all the food. I wasn't expecting much, but we had a great meal, including chicken kabobs, grilled fish, grilled vegetables, choripan (a chorizo and cheese sandwich for Laurel), and the most delicious Mexican style baked potato you've ever eaten with butter, sour cream and bacon served in tin foil. The owner was gracious, and the food and service were wonderful.
From there, off to Parque Juarez. Fernando chico and Romy had a last minute dental appointment scheduled, so they went off and then would meet us later at the park. Ann was there when we arrived, and promptly called Sam to bring Sangria for everyone. We met a new family from Paso Robles who landed here three months ago. Brian was a school teacher, and he quit, packed up everything, moved the whole family here and bought a house. Impressive. The park was busy, but not overwhelming, and the kids had free run while the parents socialized.
Happy hour Friday in Parque Juarez
We hung at the park for a couple of hours until Fernando and Romy returned with Liz, as their quickie dental appointments ran long. After more time at the park, it was clear that these kids needed some more running around, so we went off to the Jardin as dusk approached. They got ice cream, then played for another hour and a half in the Jardin, while Sue and I chatted with the Eurhythmia teacher from the kids school who was also there enjoying the crowd. At about 8:45, Sue and I got cold and decided it was time to head home.
Here's a kind-of-dark video I took of the goings on in the Jardin early on a Friday night. You can get an idea of the crowd, the mariachi music, as well as see all four kids playing together:
I really enjoy the days that have a loose plan, but leave themselves open to random encounters and new friends. The vibe of Parque Juarez and the Jardin make this happen more than anything. No matter what, there's always something going on in the Jardin, and everyone has fun. This central meeting place of town is something that I'd love to have in San Francisco, even though it's probably impractical in such a big city with a modest population of weirdos. I'll just have to savor the experience while I'm here.
Agua?
The water delivery guy was supposed to come by on Wednesday and give us three more containers of filtered drinking water. It's now Friday, and no water yet. We're almost completely out of drinking water. Time to panic?
Update: Phew! He came this morning.
Update: Phew! He came this morning.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mocajetes and Gayme Night
Tonight is Thursday, and that means Date Night! Rocio came right on time, and Sue and I were off. First stop was the Jardin for a drink, where we sat at a park-side bar and had a glass of wine, enjoying the crowd. Sue's classmate Suzanne was walking by and joined us for a bit. This was a nice relaxing way to start the night.
Next stop: dinner. We went to a new place called Los Milagros, a bar/restaurant a block off the Jardin. Unlike all the other empty restaurants we have been to, this one had some people in it. In fact, we were the only Americans there, as the rest of the patrons were hanging out at the bar. It was like having dinner AND a show, as we watched the semi-inebriated Mexicans do their thing, and enjoyed a great guitarist. But as usual, we were the only ones ordering food.
We opted to try to go on the light side, and ordered a salad and and entree to split. The salad was a delicious mix of lettuce, tomatoes, goat cheese, and artichoke hearts. For the entree, we ordered the mocajete, a mix of steak, chicken, shrimp, nopales, and some other vegetables cooked in a green sauce in a sizzling pestal shaped dish. It came with refried beans, guacamole and tortillas. And despite vowing before dinner to have a little and take some home, we wound up devouring the whole thing. It was awesome. Here's how it looked:
After dinner, we committed ourselves to go to a party at Eli and Joseph's house, for their once-monthly "game night". We met them at a benefit a few weeks back, and they seemed like fun people, plus Sue and Joseph bonded since they both grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and are one year apart in age. They had about seventeen people there, including the super-cool Angelina Jolie look-alike Crystal Calderoni, a couple of other parents from our school, and assorted artists and creative folks. We did a dice game called "left/right/center", and then played Taboo, which was a little challenging for the Spanish speaking folk. Eli and Joseph were great hosts, and we all had fun. It was great to branch out a little and get to know some other people, although the focus on the game made it harder to socialize than an unstructured setting. But nevertheless, we had a great evening.
Next stop: dinner. We went to a new place called Los Milagros, a bar/restaurant a block off the Jardin. Unlike all the other empty restaurants we have been to, this one had some people in it. In fact, we were the only Americans there, as the rest of the patrons were hanging out at the bar. It was like having dinner AND a show, as we watched the semi-inebriated Mexicans do their thing, and enjoyed a great guitarist. But as usual, we were the only ones ordering food.
We opted to try to go on the light side, and ordered a salad and and entree to split. The salad was a delicious mix of lettuce, tomatoes, goat cheese, and artichoke hearts. For the entree, we ordered the mocajete, a mix of steak, chicken, shrimp, nopales, and some other vegetables cooked in a green sauce in a sizzling pestal shaped dish. It came with refried beans, guacamole and tortillas. And despite vowing before dinner to have a little and take some home, we wound up devouring the whole thing. It was awesome. Here's how it looked:
After dinner, we committed ourselves to go to a party at Eli and Joseph's house, for their once-monthly "game night". We met them at a benefit a few weeks back, and they seemed like fun people, plus Sue and Joseph bonded since they both grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and are one year apart in age. They had about seventeen people there, including the super-cool Angelina Jolie look-alike Crystal Calderoni, a couple of other parents from our school, and assorted artists and creative folks. We did a dice game called "left/right/center", and then played Taboo, which was a little challenging for the Spanish speaking folk. Eli and Joseph were great hosts, and we all had fun. It was great to branch out a little and get to know some other people, although the focus on the game made it harder to socialize than an unstructured setting. But nevertheless, we had a great evening.
World's Best Tortillas
In the USA, when we buy tortillas, we get them in bags in the supermarket. They are good, but nothing like what we can get here.
Outside the mercado, there are two tortillerias (tortilla factories) where you can buy tortillas that have literally just come out of the oven. They smell great, and are still warm and soft. They meander down a conveyor belt and look too good to resist. Outside the store, a fan blows the scent of fresh-baked tortillas onto the street, making it extra-tempting.
When I buy tortillas this way, I bring them home right away and slather butter on top immediately for a quick reward snack. Bryce likes this preparation too. And then for the next few days we have a yummy wrapper for La Granja chicken or whatever other things we want to turn into tacos. A kilo of tortillas (maybe 60) is about $0.75.
Here's what one of the tortillerias looks like:
A Tortilleria
You can see what a kilo of tortillas looks like in the photo, as well as the fresh tortilla machine in the background. This will be one of the things I'm going to miss when we return home.
Outside the mercado, there are two tortillerias (tortilla factories) where you can buy tortillas that have literally just come out of the oven. They smell great, and are still warm and soft. They meander down a conveyor belt and look too good to resist. Outside the store, a fan blows the scent of fresh-baked tortillas onto the street, making it extra-tempting.
When I buy tortillas this way, I bring them home right away and slather butter on top immediately for a quick reward snack. Bryce likes this preparation too. And then for the next few days we have a yummy wrapper for La Granja chicken or whatever other things we want to turn into tacos. A kilo of tortillas (maybe 60) is about $0.75.
Here's what one of the tortillerias looks like:
A Tortilleria
You can see what a kilo of tortillas looks like in the photo, as well as the fresh tortilla machine in the background. This will be one of the things I'm going to miss when we return home.
Breakfast San Miguel style
Sue was off early to classes today, and I had a mission to accomplish.
I got up early (for me) at 8:15, had a quick shot of juice, and went walking on a similar route to yesterday's adventure. Going down Calle Barranca, I came across a great looking fresh juice place. At home, I'm addicted to Odwalla, but here I'm relegated to Jugo de Piña (pineapple juice) in a box, which is OK but not ideal. So I was psyched to find this:
Juice stand on Calle Barranca
They had all kinds of tasty looking fresh squeezed juices on display. I got a green antioxidant concoction with nopales (cactus), pineapple juice, spinach, grapefruit juice and some other things for about a dollar. After drinking it, I felt great.
The next stop was the real goal of my mission, the no-name tamale shop next door to La Granja. I've been there twice before in the afternoon, only to discover that they were sold out, and I was determined not to let that happen again. This time: success! Here's what it looks like:
The no-name tamale shop
Buying the yummy no-name tamales
I bought seven tamales for about $4, including two pollo verde (green chicken), two queso rojo (red cheese), and two puerco rojo (red pork), and one pollo mole (chicken with mole sauce) Oaxacan style, which was wrapped in a banana leaf, rather than a traditional corn husk. Not being one to believe in delayed gratification, I walked three blocks to the Jardin, sat on a bench, and ate the Oaxacan tamale. It was kind enough to pose for a picture on a bench before I devoured it:
Oaxacan style tamale
My tamale was moist and tasty. And the Jardin was the perfect place to chill and enjoy my prize.
After such a great breakfast, I had loads of energy, so I did a couple more errands, bought flowers for the house, and walked up our steep hill back home. I felt great.
I got up early (for me) at 8:15, had a quick shot of juice, and went walking on a similar route to yesterday's adventure. Going down Calle Barranca, I came across a great looking fresh juice place. At home, I'm addicted to Odwalla, but here I'm relegated to Jugo de Piña (pineapple juice) in a box, which is OK but not ideal. So I was psyched to find this:
Juice stand on Calle Barranca
They had all kinds of tasty looking fresh squeezed juices on display. I got a green antioxidant concoction with nopales (cactus), pineapple juice, spinach, grapefruit juice and some other things for about a dollar. After drinking it, I felt great.
The next stop was the real goal of my mission, the no-name tamale shop next door to La Granja. I've been there twice before in the afternoon, only to discover that they were sold out, and I was determined not to let that happen again. This time: success! Here's what it looks like:
The no-name tamale shop
Buying the yummy no-name tamales
I bought seven tamales for about $4, including two pollo verde (green chicken), two queso rojo (red cheese), and two puerco rojo (red pork), and one pollo mole (chicken with mole sauce) Oaxacan style, which was wrapped in a banana leaf, rather than a traditional corn husk. Not being one to believe in delayed gratification, I walked three blocks to the Jardin, sat on a bench, and ate the Oaxacan tamale. It was kind enough to pose for a picture on a bench before I devoured it:
Oaxacan style tamale
My tamale was moist and tasty. And the Jardin was the perfect place to chill and enjoy my prize.
After such a great breakfast, I had loads of energy, so I did a couple more errands, bought flowers for the house, and walked up our steep hill back home. I felt great.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Exploring at the half-way point
Today marks the point where our adventure here is half-way over, at least as far as our original 129 day plan goes. In a subconscious recognition of that fact, Sue and I today explored some places we have yet to see. First off, we walked to the Cruz del Pueblo, a cross we can see from our house which sits high on top of a mountain. From there, we went to the Mirador, the most famous vista point in town. Finally, we saw Los Chorros, a place where people used to bathe and do their wash, where the locals still do some of their laundry.
Doing laundry the old fashioned way at Los Chorros
There were some other cool places as well, like this:
La Barranca - one of the neat places we found on our walk
It was also neat to see other neighborhoods in town. We plan on returning - maybe in the summer - so it was interesting to scope out other possible areas to live, even though we love our house right now. The only improvement would be a house with a pool, which if we return in the heat of summer would be a must.
We wound up at a great lunch place (Cafe Rama) behind the Natura health food store, and had a gourmet lunch for $15. The highlight was a red snapper ceviche with a jicama and apple salad. Since it was our first time there, we were treated to two delicious chocolate dessert truffles - lavender, and pipe tobacco with sea salt. I was reticent about the pipe tobacco one, but it was really good, and I don't feel like I became a smoker.
Inside Cafe Rama
It's cool that we're still discovering restaurants and neighborhoods 65 days into our stay here. I feel there's a lot more we have yet to see.
Doing laundry the old fashioned way at Los Chorros
There were some other cool places as well, like this:
La Barranca - one of the neat places we found on our walk
It was also neat to see other neighborhoods in town. We plan on returning - maybe in the summer - so it was interesting to scope out other possible areas to live, even though we love our house right now. The only improvement would be a house with a pool, which if we return in the heat of summer would be a must.
We wound up at a great lunch place (Cafe Rama) behind the Natura health food store, and had a gourmet lunch for $15. The highlight was a red snapper ceviche with a jicama and apple salad. Since it was our first time there, we were treated to two delicious chocolate dessert truffles - lavender, and pipe tobacco with sea salt. I was reticent about the pipe tobacco one, but it was really good, and I don't feel like I became a smoker.
Inside Cafe Rama
It's cool that we're still discovering restaurants and neighborhoods 65 days into our stay here. I feel there's a lot more we have yet to see.
Enpicantado
Today's observation: I realized the hard way that I've been eating way more jalapeno peppers than my body can handle. Ay Caramba!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
English Class Translator
At our Waldorf school, among all the other unusual classes they have like Movement, Eurhythmia and Hand Work, they also have English class a few times a week. It must be quite a shock for Bryce and Laurel to not understand everything being said, and all of the sudden becoming experts in one class, but so be it.
I went to school today to give them some computer help, and rode back on the school bus sitting next to Laurel. She told me that she sits next to a first grader who speaks no English, and that today she was her translator in English class. Impressive sounding for sure. Thinking about it more, this makes sense, since Laurel's command of Spanish is probably beyond the level of English they are teaching to the Mexican kids.
As a parent, it's really hard to assess how much Spanish our kids are really learning, as kids can be prone to exaggerating or holding back in front of their parents. But I do see a lot of progress in little ways, such as being able to translate fortune cookies, letters from school, or Mexican TV shows. And it's only been nine weeks. But I'm hoping it will be like riding a bike, in that one day they all of the sudden just start speaking and conversing in Spanish naturally. I love seeing blond haired kids here speaking great Spanish with wonderful accents, and then flipping into English just as easily. Perhaps our kids will get there someday, but I have no idea what to expect. They are having fun at school, and we have at least nine more weeks here, so we'll just keep on doing what we're doing and see how it all turns out. Sue and I are having fun too.
I went to school today to give them some computer help, and rode back on the school bus sitting next to Laurel. She told me that she sits next to a first grader who speaks no English, and that today she was her translator in English class. Impressive sounding for sure. Thinking about it more, this makes sense, since Laurel's command of Spanish is probably beyond the level of English they are teaching to the Mexican kids.
As a parent, it's really hard to assess how much Spanish our kids are really learning, as kids can be prone to exaggerating or holding back in front of their parents. But I do see a lot of progress in little ways, such as being able to translate fortune cookies, letters from school, or Mexican TV shows. And it's only been nine weeks. But I'm hoping it will be like riding a bike, in that one day they all of the sudden just start speaking and conversing in Spanish naturally. I love seeing blond haired kids here speaking great Spanish with wonderful accents, and then flipping into English just as easily. Perhaps our kids will get there someday, but I have no idea what to expect. They are having fun at school, and we have at least nine more weeks here, so we'll just keep on doing what we're doing and see how it all turns out. Sue and I are having fun too.
More kinds of meat
They say that Eskimos have 30 different words for snow. Well, I'm learning that in Mexico, there are more words for meat than I could ever imagine.
I had lunch at Tortitlan today, my favorite torta (Mexican sandwich) place. On the menu were a few things I have never heard of, such as piernas and res. I wasn't quite ready to just experiment without more information, so I settled upon a Mexican version of a cheesesteak, which rivaled Pats Steaks in Philadelphia. Tender steak, queso fundido (melted cheese), spicy-hot salsa, tomatoes and crispy lettuce. Delicioso! But still, my curiosity about these other mystery meats had been piqued.
Antonio was on an airport transportation mission today, so Francisco - his backup driver - was our chauffeur. Francisco is 35, but looks 25. He is an avid runner, and doesn't drink alcohol. Besides working with Antonio, he also runs a Taco stand on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, so I figured he would be the perfect person to learn more about meat Mexican style.
So, I learned that res is a steamed beef preparation. Piernas is like ham. And at Francisco's taco stand, he sells cabeza (cheeks), lengua (tongue), sesos (brains), and even ojos (eyes). Apparently ojos are the best.
Surprisingly, I knew of one preparation that Francisco had never heard of. I asked Francisco if he sold ostiones de montaña (a.k.a. Rocky Mountain Oysters). He hadn't heard of them, and once I explained what they were using the only spanish dirty word I know, Francisco assured me that those are not on the menu.
I also asked Francisco about how regulated the various street vendors are, as stories of Americans getting sick in Mexico are common. Within San Miguel, each street vendor is licensed, and has surprise inspections at least twice a year, similar to the USA. I asked if he washed his vegetables, and this is a part of the process to be licensed. So I feel better about being more adventurous in the future.
Now, how to make a weekend night trip to his stand to try some of these crazy new meaty things?
I had lunch at Tortitlan today, my favorite torta (Mexican sandwich) place. On the menu were a few things I have never heard of, such as piernas and res. I wasn't quite ready to just experiment without more information, so I settled upon a Mexican version of a cheesesteak, which rivaled Pats Steaks in Philadelphia. Tender steak, queso fundido (melted cheese), spicy-hot salsa, tomatoes and crispy lettuce. Delicioso! But still, my curiosity about these other mystery meats had been piqued.
Antonio was on an airport transportation mission today, so Francisco - his backup driver - was our chauffeur. Francisco is 35, but looks 25. He is an avid runner, and doesn't drink alcohol. Besides working with Antonio, he also runs a Taco stand on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, so I figured he would be the perfect person to learn more about meat Mexican style.
So, I learned that res is a steamed beef preparation. Piernas is like ham. And at Francisco's taco stand, he sells cabeza (cheeks), lengua (tongue), sesos (brains), and even ojos (eyes). Apparently ojos are the best.
Surprisingly, I knew of one preparation that Francisco had never heard of. I asked Francisco if he sold ostiones de montaña (a.k.a. Rocky Mountain Oysters). He hadn't heard of them, and once I explained what they were using the only spanish dirty word I know, Francisco assured me that those are not on the menu.
I also asked Francisco about how regulated the various street vendors are, as stories of Americans getting sick in Mexico are common. Within San Miguel, each street vendor is licensed, and has surprise inspections at least twice a year, similar to the USA. I asked if he washed his vegetables, and this is a part of the process to be licensed. So I feel better about being more adventurous in the future.
Now, how to make a weekend night trip to his stand to try some of these crazy new meaty things?
Burritos?
I saw a store selling burritos today. In San Francisco, we have tons of Taquerias selling burritos. The store I saw today was the first one I have seen since we've been here. There are tons of places to get tamales or tortas, but just one burrito place.
I wonder why nobody eats burritos here?
I wonder why nobody eats burritos here?
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Gringo Tax
One of the tricky things about being here is deciding what to pay for services. Our sense of economic fairness and scale is completely out-of-whack with the local economy in Mexico, and the Mexicans know it. They have a couple of interesting tricks:
The first most obvious one is to simply charge Americans slightly more than Mexicans, for everything from produce to taxi rides. This rightfully irks our friend Liz (who is American and is married to Fernando, a Mexican), since she can see right away the blatant discrimination. Liz has become sort of an advocate for economic equality. For example, when we took a taxi to their house last weekend, the taxi driver wanted 180 pesos, but she brought Fernando out and we only had to pay 150 pesos. Even in town, apparently the going rate for a cab ride is 25 pesos for locals, but the cabbies almost always ask us for 30. Once a cabbie tried to get 200 pesos from Sue.
The more clever trick, which both Antonio and Rocio have used, is the "whatever you think" response when we ask them how much to pay for transportation or childcare. Obviously we are way better off than they are, and I don't mind paying a little more since I want to help them out, but it's an interesting technique nonetheless, and it probably works. If they volunteered a price, it would likely be less that what we wind up paying. In spite of it all, Rocio makes about $5/hour babysitting for us, and Antonio does fine, too.
Rocio worked her tail off for yesterdays party, doing all the shopping and cooking, so we paid her $75 (1000 pesos) for the whole days work. Sue wanted to pay her $100. Liz told us $75 was twice as much as necessary. I think Rocio was happy with $75, and for what was basically a catered party it was a great deal for us.
Personally, I don't mind, since I feel very fortunate to be able to live here in comfort, and if I can help out some of the locals along the way that's great. It seems like the right thing to do, as long as we're not totally taken advantage of.
The first most obvious one is to simply charge Americans slightly more than Mexicans, for everything from produce to taxi rides. This rightfully irks our friend Liz (who is American and is married to Fernando, a Mexican), since she can see right away the blatant discrimination. Liz has become sort of an advocate for economic equality. For example, when we took a taxi to their house last weekend, the taxi driver wanted 180 pesos, but she brought Fernando out and we only had to pay 150 pesos. Even in town, apparently the going rate for a cab ride is 25 pesos for locals, but the cabbies almost always ask us for 30. Once a cabbie tried to get 200 pesos from Sue.
The more clever trick, which both Antonio and Rocio have used, is the "whatever you think" response when we ask them how much to pay for transportation or childcare. Obviously we are way better off than they are, and I don't mind paying a little more since I want to help them out, but it's an interesting technique nonetheless, and it probably works. If they volunteered a price, it would likely be less that what we wind up paying. In spite of it all, Rocio makes about $5/hour babysitting for us, and Antonio does fine, too.
Rocio worked her tail off for yesterdays party, doing all the shopping and cooking, so we paid her $75 (1000 pesos) for the whole days work. Sue wanted to pay her $100. Liz told us $75 was twice as much as necessary. I think Rocio was happy with $75, and for what was basically a catered party it was a great deal for us.
Personally, I don't mind, since I feel very fortunate to be able to live here in comfort, and if I can help out some of the locals along the way that's great. It seems like the right thing to do, as long as we're not totally taken advantage of.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Two Fiestas
Sunday was a busy day, with two parties in town.
The first was the Fiesta de San Francisco. The Iglesia San Francisco is the second biggest church in town, and October 12 is it's birthday. So even though we're just a week after the birthday of San Miguel, we still have to have a party. At noon, there was a parade (or "procession" as they like to call religious parades here), with more floats, music and dancers. Some of the Aztec indian dancers returned from last week, but there were a few new features as well. One was the Chinela (I think that's what they were called) dancers, which has cool outfits and masks. Here's what they looked like:
Chinela dancers
We hung out in town for a while to enjoy the spectacle, but then had to do some shopping and return home for the second fiesta - an open house at our home. We invited five families, and everyone showed up, so we had ten adults and twelve kids in all. My formula for a successful party is to set it up so that the hostess has a good time, so we hired Rocio for the day to do all the cooking and help out during the party. And cook she did! We had enchiladas mole, enchiladas suiza, fruit salad, green salad, taquitos, two kinds of beans and arroz verde (green rice). Plus Margarita made a ton of salsa and guacamole yesterday. Bryce helped cook, and Sue got in there as well:
Cooking for the party
Everyone enjoyed the food, the company, and the view from the house. We bought bubbles and rocket balloons for the kids, and they had plenty of fun as well. After a couple of hours, we took a walk in the neighboring El Charco del Ingenio nature preserve, which most of our guests have never seen before. About half-way through, it started raining, but since there was nowhere to take shelter, we all just enjoyed the getting really wet. I had towels for everyone upon returning, and most of us had more food, since rain apparently makes you hungry.
After our guests left, the second half of the San Francisco Fiesta took place, with fireworks and a castillo in town, which we enjoyed from the deck. It was a great way to end an awesome day.
The first was the Fiesta de San Francisco. The Iglesia San Francisco is the second biggest church in town, and October 12 is it's birthday. So even though we're just a week after the birthday of San Miguel, we still have to have a party. At noon, there was a parade (or "procession" as they like to call religious parades here), with more floats, music and dancers. Some of the Aztec indian dancers returned from last week, but there were a few new features as well. One was the Chinela (I think that's what they were called) dancers, which has cool outfits and masks. Here's what they looked like:
Chinela dancers
We hung out in town for a while to enjoy the spectacle, but then had to do some shopping and return home for the second fiesta - an open house at our home. We invited five families, and everyone showed up, so we had ten adults and twelve kids in all. My formula for a successful party is to set it up so that the hostess has a good time, so we hired Rocio for the day to do all the cooking and help out during the party. And cook she did! We had enchiladas mole, enchiladas suiza, fruit salad, green salad, taquitos, two kinds of beans and arroz verde (green rice). Plus Margarita made a ton of salsa and guacamole yesterday. Bryce helped cook, and Sue got in there as well:
Cooking for the party
Everyone enjoyed the food, the company, and the view from the house. We bought bubbles and rocket balloons for the kids, and they had plenty of fun as well. After a couple of hours, we took a walk in the neighboring El Charco del Ingenio nature preserve, which most of our guests have never seen before. About half-way through, it started raining, but since there was nowhere to take shelter, we all just enjoyed the getting really wet. I had towels for everyone upon returning, and most of us had more food, since rain apparently makes you hungry.
After our guests left, the second half of the San Francisco Fiesta took place, with fireworks and a castillo in town, which we enjoyed from the deck. It was a great way to end an awesome day.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Yummy Chicken
I'll admit it, I'm kind of a foodie, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate simple meals as well. On the way home from the bus stop every day, we pass an amazing looking chicken rotisserie place called La Granja, which I've been meaning to try for a while. Today after Bryce's tennis lesson, the kids were hungry, and La Granja was right there, so we stopped for lunch.
La Granja has what looks like a mesquite grill, with rows of juicy chickens beckoning you as you walk by. Beneath the chicken are onions and chili peppers, also roasting. The smell and sight is irresistible.
La Granja's rotisserie chicken
For abut $8, we got a whole chicken, tortillas, salad, salsa, condiments and three sodas. The kids, Sue and I thoroughly enjoyed making our free-form chicken tacos, and we finished every bit. It's a simple meal, but a kind I thoroughly enjoy. We'll be back!
La Granja has what looks like a mesquite grill, with rows of juicy chickens beckoning you as you walk by. Beneath the chicken are onions and chili peppers, also roasting. The smell and sight is irresistible.
La Granja's rotisserie chicken
For abut $8, we got a whole chicken, tortillas, salad, salsa, condiments and three sodas. The kids, Sue and I thoroughly enjoyed making our free-form chicken tacos, and we finished every bit. It's a simple meal, but a kind I thoroughly enjoy. We'll be back!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Empty Restaurants
One of the weird things we've seen lately is the empty restaurant phenomenon. On Wednesday, Bryce and I had an excellent pasta dinner at Casa Blanca, and there was one other table occupied the whole time we were there, so we got excellent service as we had a waiter entirely to ourselves. On Thursday, we met Clay and Ann (from Colorado) at Mare Nostrum, a really good Sicilian restaurant that was recently reviewed in the local paper, and we were the only patrons the entire night during our meal. This worked out well for Clay, as he has a bad back and needs to bring a special lounge chair and ice pack with him wherever he goes. Today, we had Chinese food with the kids, and were one of two tables.
I think the reasons for this are:
I think the reasons for this are:
- The global economic slump.
- Low season for tourists.
- The swine flu panic. (Actually, Baltimore has more reported cases of H1N1 than Mexico.)
- Bad press about Mexico in the USA.
Tarde
One of the aggravating things for many Americans about Mexico is the less-than-punctual nature of the Mexican way of life. As Cuautli (Fernando's older brother) said to me regarding some of his building projects, "es listo quando es listo", which means "it's ready when it's ready". I share that philosophy when making complicated software products, but for other things it doesn't necessarily work so well.
Today I had a semi-private yoga class (for 75 pesos, or $5!). Our teacher Librata, myself, and one other woman who works at the gym were the only people there, so obviously it's a great deal. The class was at 10:30, but she started 15 minutes late. I had planned to go to the kid's school afterwards and give them an hour of computer help, but this threw off my schedule, so I had to skip my shower and dash out to get my ride to school with Rocio, the administrator. However, when I called Rocio, she was running 30 minutes late, and so I got lunch and then waited for her. She was still another 30 minutes late, so finally I had to call her and postpone until next week. Arrrrgh!
It actually worked out well, since I had some business in the USA to take care of over the phone. And the American who was supposed to call me at 12:30 called at 1:30 instead, so I guess it's not just a Mexican thing.
Nevertheless, Sue and I were at the bus stop to pick up the kids right on time, and Antonio was there waiting for us with a ride, as he always is.
For the rest of the day, we didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time. We went to Parque Juarez, called Sam and Ann and they joined us for a cocktail and chips, and then went out to dinner when the kids got hungry. No schedules, no deadlines. It was great.
Today I had a semi-private yoga class (for 75 pesos, or $5!). Our teacher Librata, myself, and one other woman who works at the gym were the only people there, so obviously it's a great deal. The class was at 10:30, but she started 15 minutes late. I had planned to go to the kid's school afterwards and give them an hour of computer help, but this threw off my schedule, so I had to skip my shower and dash out to get my ride to school with Rocio, the administrator. However, when I called Rocio, she was running 30 minutes late, and so I got lunch and then waited for her. She was still another 30 minutes late, so finally I had to call her and postpone until next week. Arrrrgh!
It actually worked out well, since I had some business in the USA to take care of over the phone. And the American who was supposed to call me at 12:30 called at 1:30 instead, so I guess it's not just a Mexican thing.
Nevertheless, Sue and I were at the bus stop to pick up the kids right on time, and Antonio was there waiting for us with a ride, as he always is.
For the rest of the day, we didn't have to be anywhere at any particular time. We went to Parque Juarez, called Sam and Ann and they joined us for a cocktail and chips, and then went out to dinner when the kids got hungry. No schedules, no deadlines. It was great.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Moledor
Our garbage disposal was broken, mainly because Margarita throws anything and everything in it. The repairman came by this morning, and got it fixed. The funny thing was that I asked him what the word for "garbage disposal" was in Spanish by pointing to it, and he didn't know.
Later we figured out that it's moledor or triturador de basura.
Later we figured out that it's moledor or triturador de basura.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Maestro Thomas
As I went to the ATM machine by the Jardin today, I noticed that one of the teachers from Laurel and Bryce's school was sitting on a bench by himself, so I went over to say hi and talk to him. This was Maestro Thomas, the third grade teacher. When I first saw him at the opening day picnic at school, I thought to myself "this is a really cool dude." So I was excited to be able to talk with him one-on-one, and I sat next to him on the bench for a while.
Thomas is originally from The Netherlands, but hasn't been there for 24 years. He has taught in Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and other places), Egypt, Lebanon, France, Costa Rica, and now Mexico (and maybe some other places I have forgotten). He has done Waldorf for fourteen years. At the school event last week, we saw that he is an accomplished saxophonist and flautist. His twenty year old daughter is living in Tanzania right now, and we had a discussion about white people in Africa - and in particular young women - and how she almost got in trouble while talking to him from Africa on her cell phone, were it not for the police. Thomas told me that working in Mexico is cake compared to the other places he has been.
(I'll try to get a photo of Thomas later...)
Our conversation was entirely in Spanish, and while I could have slipped into English (since he speaks four languages), I have found that school teachers here are the easiest to understand. Taxi drivers and Margarita can be the most difficult. I don't get all the words, but usually there is enough context so that I can figure out the conversation. And everyone here is patient enough to explain words I don't understand.
I'm envious of those kids that get to hang out with Thomas every day.
Thomas is originally from The Netherlands, but hasn't been there for 24 years. He has taught in Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and other places), Egypt, Lebanon, France, Costa Rica, and now Mexico (and maybe some other places I have forgotten). He has done Waldorf for fourteen years. At the school event last week, we saw that he is an accomplished saxophonist and flautist. His twenty year old daughter is living in Tanzania right now, and we had a discussion about white people in Africa - and in particular young women - and how she almost got in trouble while talking to him from Africa on her cell phone, were it not for the police. Thomas told me that working in Mexico is cake compared to the other places he has been.
(I'll try to get a photo of Thomas later...)
Our conversation was entirely in Spanish, and while I could have slipped into English (since he speaks four languages), I have found that school teachers here are the easiest to understand. Taxi drivers and Margarita can be the most difficult. I don't get all the words, but usually there is enough context so that I can figure out the conversation. And everyone here is patient enough to explain words I don't understand.
I'm envious of those kids that get to hang out with Thomas every day.
Party Hardy
Sue has been taking Spanish classes at the Warren Hardy school (which she really enjoys) in San Miguel, and every so-often Warren and his wife Tulie open up their house for a lunch party. The property was gorgeous, with a main house, pool, art studio, and a well kept cactus garden. Here's some photos:
Sue and Bill by the pool
Garden overlooking town
Warren and Tulie came to San Miguel nineteen years ago, and bought a two acres plot of land to build their home, and opened their school. Warren is also an amazing artist, as we saw some of his watercolors while touring the property.
It's great to see people living an awesome life and doing what they love.
Sue and Bill by the pool
Garden overlooking town
Warren and Tulie came to San Miguel nineteen years ago, and bought a two acres plot of land to build their home, and opened their school. Warren is also an amazing artist, as we saw some of his watercolors while touring the property.
It's great to see people living an awesome life and doing what they love.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Girls Gang
Talking to Laurel before bed, she told me she wants to break into the "Girls Gang" at school. Apparently there are three Mexican girls that hang together a lot, and one of the girls has taken a liking to Laurel. The only barrier is that these girls don't really speak English, so Laurel figures she'll have to really learn her Spanish to break into the group.
Laurel's a fast learner, but I have no idea what a reasonable expectation of schoolyard fluency should be given we've been here less than two months. For me, I have to be exposed to a word at least three times before I remember it, but I don't have the advantage of an eight-year-old sponge brain. So anything's possible. It's fun watching the kids learn a new language though. Que sera sera.
Laurel's a fast learner, but I have no idea what a reasonable expectation of schoolyard fluency should be given we've been here less than two months. For me, I have to be exposed to a word at least three times before I remember it, but I don't have the advantage of an eight-year-old sponge brain. So anything's possible. It's fun watching the kids learn a new language though. Que sera sera.
El Comprende
Antonio picked us up from the bus stop today, and drove Bryce, Laurel and me to Billy's Hot Dogs for lunch. He had a Jeep Wagoneer today, and not the normal Suburban. We were talking in 100% Spanish, and he told me that this car was pretty much his, even though he didn't really own it. Bryce immediately chimed in from the back seat, and in English asked Antonio why the the car was practically his. He actually understood our Spanish conversation!!!!
I'm not sure it's the Spanish immersion in school, or the Mexican Disney channel, but this is the most impressive Spanish comprehension feat I've seen Bryce accomplish so far. Well done Bryce!
I'm not sure it's the Spanish immersion in school, or the Mexican Disney channel, but this is the most impressive Spanish comprehension feat I've seen Bryce accomplish so far. Well done Bryce!
Caminamos
Life can't be all fiestas all the time, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy every moment to the fullest. Sometimes the little things can give as much pleasure as anything else.
One of the things I enjoy about being here is just walking through town. Today, I took photos of my route as I walked from home to pick up Laurel and Bryce at the bus stop. Then I video-ized it. The photos aren't trying to be artistic, but just random shots along the way. Hopefully you'll get a feel for what it's like to live here like a local.
Let's walk!
One of the things I enjoy about being here is just walking through town. Today, I took photos of my route as I walked from home to pick up Laurel and Bryce at the bus stop. Then I video-ized it. The photos aren't trying to be artistic, but just random shots along the way. Hopefully you'll get a feel for what it's like to live here like a local.
Let's walk!
Ann-from-Baltimore's Blog
Have a look at Ann-from-Baltimore's blog for another family's perspective on living in San Miguel. Ann's family just moved here this summer too.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Enfiestado
Said hello to Maragarita this morning, and told her about our weekend. She remarked that we sounded "enfiestado", which I take to mean "partied out". Great word.
Today will be really mellow, as I have a bunch of work to catch up on and the kids have off from school due to the weekend's festivities.
Today will be really mellow, as I have a bunch of work to catch up on and the kids have off from school due to the weekend's festivities.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Rancho visit
Our friends Liz and Fernando (grande), parents of Bryce and Laurel's classmate Fernando (chico) and sister Romy, invited us to spend the afternoon at their ranch today. Actually it's Fernando's older brother's ranch, but they have a house there as well. After a 20 minute car ride, through a long one lane tunnel and down a dirt road, we arrived at their house. They have about 25 acres, with a creek running nearby, a tire swing, and a hill above with several unique houses in different stages of construction. The kids had already been there on Friday, so they knew their way around, but it was the first time for Sue and me. This was definitely country living, very relaxed and comfortable.
Fernando and Liz
The ranch house
Besides us, there was their nephew Ferdando (medio), their niece Lucia, Gaston and Patricia. Patricia used to be married to Fernando's older brother, but remains close to the family, and owns a restaurant in town with Gaston. Lucia is a poi spinner, and I showed her some of my gringo style for a bit. Fernando medio works at a local organic food store which is owned by one of the parents at our school. Everyone spoke more English than I expected, but I still got to use my Spanish a lot. They all were very friendly.
After grilled steaks and vegetables, the kids went down to the creek to play, and Sue, Liz and myself went to watch. They built dams and swam for about an hour, and had a great time.
Laurel and Romy playing in the creek
When we returned, Fernando's older brother arrived, and I talked to him for a bit. He's a really interesting guy - he is about 62, and builds eco-friendly houses using materials and techniques he invented himself. Some of the buildings on the property are made using bricks that are not baked, and have thatch roofs made from local reeds and a bamboo-like brace. There's also a tepee on the property, where Fernando medio lived for eight months. Apparently, the older brother also has an Indian hothouse/sauna built somewhere on the property where he does the occasional peyote ritual. (I didn't get all the details). He's also an accomplished drummer, and his two sons went to Africa to study drumming. He's probably the closest thing to Don Juan from the Carlos Castenada books I'll ever meet.
At the end of the evening, we got to borrow the older brothers car to return home, which was really nice of him. I promised to bring my fire spinning gear on our next visit, which should make for quite a party.
Update: Fernando's brother is named Cuautli. He changed it from Arnulfo. I had to ask Liz to spell it for me, since it was impossible to remember. Actually, Liz misspelled it, and Fernando had to correct her. It's pronounced "kwat-lee" I think. There will be more Cuautli blogging in the future I'm sure.
Fernando and Liz
The ranch house
Besides us, there was their nephew Ferdando (medio), their niece Lucia, Gaston and Patricia. Patricia used to be married to Fernando's older brother, but remains close to the family, and owns a restaurant in town with Gaston. Lucia is a poi spinner, and I showed her some of my gringo style for a bit. Fernando medio works at a local organic food store which is owned by one of the parents at our school. Everyone spoke more English than I expected, but I still got to use my Spanish a lot. They all were very friendly.
After grilled steaks and vegetables, the kids went down to the creek to play, and Sue, Liz and myself went to watch. They built dams and swam for about an hour, and had a great time.
Laurel and Romy playing in the creek
When we returned, Fernando's older brother arrived, and I talked to him for a bit. He's a really interesting guy - he is about 62, and builds eco-friendly houses using materials and techniques he invented himself. Some of the buildings on the property are made using bricks that are not baked, and have thatch roofs made from local reeds and a bamboo-like brace. There's also a tepee on the property, where Fernando medio lived for eight months. Apparently, the older brother also has an Indian hothouse/sauna built somewhere on the property where he does the occasional peyote ritual. (I didn't get all the details). He's also an accomplished drummer, and his two sons went to Africa to study drumming. He's probably the closest thing to Don Juan from the Carlos Castenada books I'll ever meet.
At the end of the evening, we got to borrow the older brothers car to return home, which was really nice of him. I promised to bring my fire spinning gear on our next visit, which should make for quite a party.
Update: Fernando's brother is named Cuautli. He changed it from Arnulfo. I had to ask Liz to spell it for me, since it was impossible to remember. Actually, Liz misspelled it, and Fernando had to correct her. It's pronounced "kwat-lee" I think. There will be more Cuautli blogging in the future I'm sure.
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