I'm actually enjoying blogging about our adventure, and one of the things I like to do is find a common thread about the day for a post. Some days are just a random series of unrelated events, but every so often things just come together by themselves. Tonight was one of those.
Normally we have Thursday as our date-night, but there was a back-to-school night presentation at our school, and I really wanted to go. Bryce and Laurel's teacher gave a talk for about an hour (all in Spanish), and we learned that what she has to do is very difficult. The class is combined with first and second graders, with a variety of abilities, which poses one challenge. The other challenge is that some kids speak little Spanish, and some little English. So it is extra challenging. Nevertheless, Maestra Catalina - with the help of Señor Thomas, are able to break up the groups and give them individual attention over the course of the day to make it work, even though it is difficult. Maestra Catalina has about 20 kids in the class - 8 first graders and 12 second graders. As our primary goal was for the kids to be immersed in Spanish and Mexican culture, the less-than-rigorous academic piece of the Waldorf style doesn't really bother us. It occurred to me that Bryce and Laurel are getting a much greater Spanish immersion experience than Sue and I, and for that I'm slightly jealous.
After back-to-school night, we picked up Bryce from his math-games tutoring session, and returned home briefly before going out. Our neighbors from Florida were also on their way out, so we joined them for hora feliz - happy hour - at the Sunset Bar. They have been coming to San Miguel for a while (since 1975 I recall), and we had a nice time chatting. The bar owner Linda came and chatted with us for a while too. She has been here fifteen years, and built her Casa Linda hotel, restaurant, and now the Sunset Bar all from a dilapidated piece of property she acquired fifteen years ago. She even lives in the hotel. I think she really enjoys her life here, and she has a really positive vibe about her. I hope to see her again.
For dinner, Sue and I went to Woolis Kahn, a bar/restaurant that she had been to on her previous visit. We had a few appetizers: Fish Tacos, Empanadas, and Guacamole. The Empanadas were the best part, and they came with a delicious peanut salsa, which was really special. As we were awaiting our drinks, Lori the owner came up and chatted with us. She bought into the business a couple of months ago. Apparently, the economy, the swine flu, and the border drug wars have had a negative effect on the San Miguel economy, even though the drug cartels and swine flu thing is nonexistent here. We can see other signs of economic slowdown by talking to individuals here: Rocio's husband lost his job, Antonio has had to reduce his fleet from seven to two cars, etc. And the restaurants are by-and-large usually empty. But there are still Americans coming here, and the vibe is upbeat, in spite of everything else. I think that's a part of the culture here, and it's infectious.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Jardin Burgers and Fireworks
Today is the REAL birthday of the town of San Miguel, and of course you know what that means: Fiesta! As far as I'm able to tell, the official name for the celebration is the Alborada.
Since Bryce got to see the Independencia fireworks show up-close two weeks ago, and since Sue hates crowds and being out late, Laurel and I went out at about 7 PM in anticipation of the fireworks show at 9:30. There's never a downside to showing up early for events, since things here don't usually keep to a tight schedule. Besides, there's always something going on in the Jardin.
Upon arriving at the Jardin, the Aztec dancers were back at it. Then they stopped, as the Idol of San Miguel passed through on it's way to a neighborhood fiesta. Apparently, the Idol is stored in the Parroquia, and on each day a week before the Alborada it visits a different neighborhood for a block party. As Laurel and I walked towards the Jardin, we saw a part of the street covered in banners, unlit firecracker strings, flowers and balloons, When we returned later, our taxi had to take a different route since the block party was in full force blocking the street. Here's what the traveling San Miguel looks like:
Laurel and I were hungry, so we decided to partake in the famous Jardin Burger. (For those of you Spanish-challenged, it's pronounced "har-deen burger". Sounds better that way.) Some of the other gringos we've met, who have been coming here for years, recommended the Jardin Burger stand as safe and tasty. I got one first, and was asked if I wanted it con todos - with everything - so in the spirit of Super-size Me I said yes. I was treated to the most unusual and tasty burger with hamburger, cheese, bacon, a slice of ham, tomatoes and jalapeno chiles (and maybe a few other things I forgot.) I gave Laurel a bit of mine (without the chiles), and she liked it so much she ordered one - with just bacon and cheese. Laurel can be a picky eater, but hamburgers are usually a winner with her, and this one was no exception. Here she is chowing down on her first Jardin Burger:
Laurel enjoying her first Jardin Burger
After our gastronomic adventure, we hung out in the Jardin for a while. I brought my glow poi, and soon had a few people coming up to me asking questions about them. One American woman and her six-year-old daughter chatted with us, and it turns out they had just arrived here in town, and the daughter was going to go to Laurel's school starting in two days. The daughter was really outgoing, and Laurel and her immediately hit it off and were playing together nicely until....
BOOM! The first set of fireworks were launched from the other side of the Jardin. They exploded right above us. And then without warning (at 9:10, not 9:30 as was "scheduled"), the first of the fireworks stands (called castillos - or castles - as I later learned) went off. Like the ones at the Independencia, they rained a shower of sparks over the audience. As were caught off guard, we were downwind at first, but once there was a pause, we quickly dashed to a better place to enjoy the spectacle. Even though I've seen this already, it was still as lot of fun, and Laurel thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm hoping it was a night she'll never forget.
The castillo going off in front of the Parroquia
Since Bryce got to see the Independencia fireworks show up-close two weeks ago, and since Sue hates crowds and being out late, Laurel and I went out at about 7 PM in anticipation of the fireworks show at 9:30. There's never a downside to showing up early for events, since things here don't usually keep to a tight schedule. Besides, there's always something going on in the Jardin.
Upon arriving at the Jardin, the Aztec dancers were back at it. Then they stopped, as the Idol of San Miguel passed through on it's way to a neighborhood fiesta. Apparently, the Idol is stored in the Parroquia, and on each day a week before the Alborada it visits a different neighborhood for a block party. As Laurel and I walked towards the Jardin, we saw a part of the street covered in banners, unlit firecracker strings, flowers and balloons, When we returned later, our taxi had to take a different route since the block party was in full force blocking the street. Here's what the traveling San Miguel looks like:
Laurel and I were hungry, so we decided to partake in the famous Jardin Burger. (For those of you Spanish-challenged, it's pronounced "har-deen burger". Sounds better that way.) Some of the other gringos we've met, who have been coming here for years, recommended the Jardin Burger stand as safe and tasty. I got one first, and was asked if I wanted it con todos - with everything - so in the spirit of Super-size Me I said yes. I was treated to the most unusual and tasty burger with hamburger, cheese, bacon, a slice of ham, tomatoes and jalapeno chiles (and maybe a few other things I forgot.) I gave Laurel a bit of mine (without the chiles), and she liked it so much she ordered one - with just bacon and cheese. Laurel can be a picky eater, but hamburgers are usually a winner with her, and this one was no exception. Here she is chowing down on her first Jardin Burger:
Laurel enjoying her first Jardin Burger
After our gastronomic adventure, we hung out in the Jardin for a while. I brought my glow poi, and soon had a few people coming up to me asking questions about them. One American woman and her six-year-old daughter chatted with us, and it turns out they had just arrived here in town, and the daughter was going to go to Laurel's school starting in two days. The daughter was really outgoing, and Laurel and her immediately hit it off and were playing together nicely until....
BOOM! The first set of fireworks were launched from the other side of the Jardin. They exploded right above us. And then without warning (at 9:10, not 9:30 as was "scheduled"), the first of the fireworks stands (called castillos - or castles - as I later learned) went off. Like the ones at the Independencia, they rained a shower of sparks over the audience. As were caught off guard, we were downwind at first, but once there was a pause, we quickly dashed to a better place to enjoy the spectacle. Even though I've seen this already, it was still as lot of fun, and Laurel thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm hoping it was a night she'll never forget.
The castillo going off in front of the Parroquia
Good Thing I'm a Night Owl
It's midnight. I'm sitting on the deck working on my PC, overlooking the town. Just got treated to a five minute fireworks show.
Sue sleepily wandered upstairs to catch the last part of it. Her theory is that this announces some event tomorrow. Can't wait.
Update: September 29 is the official birthday of the town of San Miguel. There's a mini fireworks extravaganza happening tonight. Sue was right!
Sue sleepily wandered upstairs to catch the last part of it. Her theory is that this announces some event tomorrow. Can't wait.
Update: September 29 is the official birthday of the town of San Miguel. There's a mini fireworks extravaganza happening tonight. Sue was right!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Classes
Today happened to be a day where Sue, Laurel and Bryce all got their first taste of extracurricular activities.
Sue is signed up for Spanish classes at the Warren Hardy school. It looks like she will go three times a week, for three hours a day for the next two weeks - and then beyond. She had a good class today, and met Sandy from Florida who seemed really nice.
Bryce is doing a math tutoring session with an amazing couple who have started schools and such, yet have been living here twenty years. The husband is really good, and Bryce got to learn how to play 21 and dominoes today, and he had a great time. He is doing two hour sessions twice a week.
Laurel had her first acro-dance class at GravityWorks, a local circus school. I took her there and watched. The teacher was phenomenal, as they learned dance moves and combined it with gymnastics tumbling. In spite of getting a bloody nose during one of the moves, Laurel had a great time, and is psyched to go back. There were just four girls in the class - all from our school. (Apparently every other private school in town has tons of homework, so the Los Charcos kids are disproportionally represented in after-school activities.)
And Bill almost had a class today too. It turns out the circus school does a weekly poi/staff spinning class, and I was dying to meet the teacher, but alas she was sick today, so I'll have to wait a week. I'm curious to see if I will be able to hook up with any other poi spinners while I'm here. They are definitely out there.
Sue is signed up for Spanish classes at the Warren Hardy school. It looks like she will go three times a week, for three hours a day for the next two weeks - and then beyond. She had a good class today, and met Sandy from Florida who seemed really nice.
Bryce is doing a math tutoring session with an amazing couple who have started schools and such, yet have been living here twenty years. The husband is really good, and Bryce got to learn how to play 21 and dominoes today, and he had a great time. He is doing two hour sessions twice a week.
Laurel had her first acro-dance class at GravityWorks, a local circus school. I took her there and watched. The teacher was phenomenal, as they learned dance moves and combined it with gymnastics tumbling. In spite of getting a bloody nose during one of the moves, Laurel had a great time, and is psyched to go back. There were just four girls in the class - all from our school. (Apparently every other private school in town has tons of homework, so the Los Charcos kids are disproportionally represented in after-school activities.)
And Bill almost had a class today too. It turns out the circus school does a weekly poi/staff spinning class, and I was dying to meet the teacher, but alas she was sick today, so I'll have to wait a week. I'm curious to see if I will be able to hook up with any other poi spinners while I'm here. They are definitely out there.
San Miguel Family Blogging
Our friend Anne from Colorado and her family also have a blog. You can read it here.
They invited us to their house yesterday, and we've hung out with them a few times. They are a really cool family, and have that Bay Area feeling about them, which makes them very comfortable to be around.
Ann from Baltimore apparently also has a blog. I'll have to get the link from her next time I see them.
They invited us to their house yesterday, and we've hung out with them a few times. They are a really cool family, and have that Bay Area feeling about them, which makes them very comfortable to be around.
Ann from Baltimore apparently also has a blog. I'll have to get the link from her next time I see them.
Quarter Till
I've noticed the church bells here always ring fifteen minutes before the hour.
I have to ask Antonio why.
I have to ask Antonio why.
Averting Disaster
Not to jinx ourselves, but so far:
- Our internet connection has been perfect.
- Nobody has gotten really sick. (Just a few minor stool issues.)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Cultura Clash
As we strolled into town today, after getting our traditional weekend Churros y Chocolate, we arrived at the Jardin to find two cool things happening - at the same time! To me, it was a quintessential Christopher Columbus moment.
Representing Spain, in the middle of the Jardin was a great five-piece Cuban salsa band, with many Mexicans dancing. They were really good, and lots of people were watching.
Representing the Indians (do they call them "Native Mexicans" here?), about 100 feet away from the musicians, were about 60 (presumably) Aztec dancers, complete with drums, incense, and huge feather headdresses and costumes. This was also great fun to watch. Sue took some awesome photos:
Dancing Aztec style
Aztec goddess
Little drummer boy
Representing Spain, in the middle of the Jardin was a great five-piece Cuban salsa band, with many Mexicans dancing. They were really good, and lots of people were watching.
Representing the Indians (do they call them "Native Mexicans" here?), about 100 feet away from the musicians, were about 60 (presumably) Aztec dancers, complete with drums, incense, and huge feather headdresses and costumes. This was also great fun to watch. Sue took some awesome photos:
Dancing Aztec style
Aztec goddess
Little drummer boy
El Charco del Ingenio
We're not only experiencing living in a colonial Mexican town, but we also have access to some pretty cool nature too. About four blocks from our house is El Charco del Ingenio, a nature preserve with some really neat hiking trails and lots of cool cacti. Bryce and I went for a walk this morning and I took some pictures:
View from the preserve
Bryce surrounded by cacti
More cool cacti
Going with at least one kid is essential, as you can get in the back gate as Bryce demonstrates with this neat trick:
View from the preserve
Bryce surrounded by cacti
More cool cacti
Going with at least one kid is essential, as you can get in the back gate as Bryce demonstrates with this neat trick:
Church Comes To Us
We're sitting on the porch eating breakfast this Sunday morning, and are listening to Mass from the little church just across the street. Sue knows all the songs.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bullfight-lite Fiesta
Antonio called me today and invited us to a party. Usually in San Miguel, this time of year has a Pamplonada, or running of the bulls, but this year they decided not to do it since it brings a lot of drunks and a lot of people get hurt. Nevertheless, Antonio and a couple of his friends threw a Pamplonada party, and Antonio was kind enough to extend us an invitation. It was really interesting.
We drove out to a big empty lot with a brick wall surrounding it, and a metal gated corral inside. There were about 150 Mexicans there, and two Americans - Bryce and me. A pickup truck backed up to the corral, and inside were two bulls. They let one of the bulls out, and immediately the brave/foolish young men in the audience jumped into the ring to dare the bull to chase them. Some of the men had red capes - like a bullfighter - but most would just run up to the bull and wave their hats to attract it's attention. The bulls did get annoyed, and eventually chased their tormentors. A couple guys got hurt - none seriously - but in general it was really fun to watch. The possibility of injury always creates great tension. There was food, music, lots of beer and tequila, and people of all ages. Here's a video:
Antonio explained to me that his cousin is a butcher, and does this every year. The cousin always has a couple of bulls that he keeps on his land, which are soon headed for hamburger heaven anyway, so they let them have a final last run. (Unlike a real bullfight, the bulls aren't killed.) At the party there were probably three main families, and all the assorted cousins and in-laws. (Antonio claims to have 70 cousins). One of the cool things about Mexican culture is their really strong sense of family, and you could see it in the bullring. Whenever one of the kids got in trouble, several people raced out to the rescue.
Thank you Antonio for giving Bryce and me an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives!
We drove out to a big empty lot with a brick wall surrounding it, and a metal gated corral inside. There were about 150 Mexicans there, and two Americans - Bryce and me. A pickup truck backed up to the corral, and inside were two bulls. They let one of the bulls out, and immediately the brave/foolish young men in the audience jumped into the ring to dare the bull to chase them. Some of the men had red capes - like a bullfighter - but most would just run up to the bull and wave their hats to attract it's attention. The bulls did get annoyed, and eventually chased their tormentors. A couple guys got hurt - none seriously - but in general it was really fun to watch. The possibility of injury always creates great tension. There was food, music, lots of beer and tequila, and people of all ages. Here's a video:
Antonio explained to me that his cousin is a butcher, and does this every year. The cousin always has a couple of bulls that he keeps on his land, which are soon headed for hamburger heaven anyway, so they let them have a final last run. (Unlike a real bullfight, the bulls aren't killed.) At the party there were probably three main families, and all the assorted cousins and in-laws. (Antonio claims to have 70 cousins). One of the cool things about Mexican culture is their really strong sense of family, and you could see it in the bullring. Whenever one of the kids got in trouble, several people raced out to the rescue.
Thank you Antonio for giving Bryce and me an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives!
Big Day
We did so much today. I'm beat. Here's a synopsis:
- Sue and Bryce has tennis clinics.
- Laurel and I walked 20 minutes to a garage sale which wasn't there.
- The whole family went to Parque Juarez, where Laurel did some art, and Bryce played with Nicholas and his friend (another Mexican kid) named Francisco. Laurel played after her art class.
- We went to La Posadita for comida, with Nicholas, Adriana, Francisco, and Lorrie from the UK and his two kids Rupert and Lucien (4 and 6). I had an awesome Pozole Verde con Pollo - a chicken and corn stew, which included my first taste of chicharrones (pork rinds). The guacamole was terrific too.
- We hung out in the Jardin for a while and the kids played spy games. Met more new cool people.
Kinz de Web
Today Laurel showed me how she is playing Webkinz in Spanish. This is a terrific way for kids to learn a new language! Not everything is translated, but you can converse with your pet and navigate most of the menus en Español.
Bryce was looking over her shoulder, and was able to translate some of the text as well. So it appears our travel and language experiment may actually be working.
Laurel and I are starting to have Spanish conversations too. I'm delighted.
Bryce was looking over her shoulder, and was able to translate some of the text as well. So it appears our travel and language experiment may actually be working.
Laurel and I are starting to have Spanish conversations too. I'm delighted.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Drive-by Fireworks
It's 10 PM. Sitting in our living room, just now, about twelve huge fireworks went off right over our house. The fallout landed on our deck and patio. Sue saw the car that launched them drive away right afterward.
These people are crazy.
These people are crazy.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Noche Libre #3
Now that we've secured Rocio as a niñera (babysitter) every Thursday, Sue and I have a standing date night. We heard about a benefit party from a couple friends, and we decided to check it out. The benefit was for a guy named Beto Martinez, who runs a bike shop here in town, and needs to raise $100K for chemotherapy treatment. Some of the gringo socialites here have taken up his cause, and so far have raised about $40K for him.
The event was held in the Instituto Allende, the local continuing education center and famous language school. It has a great patio with a view adjoining an art gallery. Upon arriving, we realized that this was our big chance to break into San Miguel society, such as it is. It seemed like most of the party-goers were 50 year old ex-debutantes from Texas. Just add cameras and you'd have The Real Housewives of San Miguel. We bought some raffle tickets, and met a few characters too.
One woman who stood out was Crystal Calderoni. Here's her Facebook photo:
She is a totally buff, really personable woman in her forties. She moved here a few years ago to sell real estate, but has transformed into a personal trainer - and you can tell. (She also has an IMDB resume as I discovered later.) She's half Mexican and half Italian, and because of that she claimed she can mix tequila and wine no problem.
The other highlight was meeting Eli and Joseph, a gay couple recently moved here from San Diego. Eli is also known as the "Spanish Guru" - follow the link to see a funny promo video he made. And it turns out Joseph is from Wilmington, DE (where Sue grew up), and is one year younger than her. Joseph does hypnotherapy. Both these guys were great, and invited us to their Thursday "game night" (which sounded like "gay night" at first).
After the benefit, we met Ann from Baltimore and her husband Sam for mojitos and dinner at Pueblo Viejo, and had a great double-date while getting to know them better. Sam is an ex-8th grade history teacher, and Ann used to be a "Julie-the-cruise-director" for a travel company. They love good food, and love to travel, and are very personable. We may meet them at the Fair on Friday, as Bryce and Laurel get on with their kids really well.
This was our third time to Pueblo Viejo, and we tried some new things. The highlights were some shrimp and jicima tacos with shredded leeks. The "tortilla" was made out of jicama, and they were outrageously good. Ann got a sole-like white fish covered with a subtle goat-cheese sauce which was unusual and very tasty. Sue got a mancheaga (I think that's what it is called) - a mixture of steak, chorizo, cheese, poblano chiles and green sauce served in a pestle-and-mortar bowl. Sabroso!
The event was held in the Instituto Allende, the local continuing education center and famous language school. It has a great patio with a view adjoining an art gallery. Upon arriving, we realized that this was our big chance to break into San Miguel society, such as it is. It seemed like most of the party-goers were 50 year old ex-debutantes from Texas. Just add cameras and you'd have The Real Housewives of San Miguel. We bought some raffle tickets, and met a few characters too.
One woman who stood out was Crystal Calderoni. Here's her Facebook photo:
She is a totally buff, really personable woman in her forties. She moved here a few years ago to sell real estate, but has transformed into a personal trainer - and you can tell. (She also has an IMDB resume as I discovered later.) She's half Mexican and half Italian, and because of that she claimed she can mix tequila and wine no problem.
The other highlight was meeting Eli and Joseph, a gay couple recently moved here from San Diego. Eli is also known as the "Spanish Guru" - follow the link to see a funny promo video he made. And it turns out Joseph is from Wilmington, DE (where Sue grew up), and is one year younger than her. Joseph does hypnotherapy. Both these guys were great, and invited us to their Thursday "game night" (which sounded like "gay night" at first).
After the benefit, we met Ann from Baltimore and her husband Sam for mojitos and dinner at Pueblo Viejo, and had a great double-date while getting to know them better. Sam is an ex-8th grade history teacher, and Ann used to be a "Julie-the-cruise-director" for a travel company. They love good food, and love to travel, and are very personable. We may meet them at the Fair on Friday, as Bryce and Laurel get on with their kids really well.
This was our third time to Pueblo Viejo, and we tried some new things. The highlights were some shrimp and jicima tacos with shredded leeks. The "tortilla" was made out of jicama, and they were outrageously good. Ann got a sole-like white fish covered with a subtle goat-cheese sauce which was unusual and very tasty. Sue got a mancheaga (I think that's what it is called) - a mixture of steak, chorizo, cheese, poblano chiles and green sauce served in a pestle-and-mortar bowl. Sabroso!
Yoga, yoga, yoga
Being that there is a crunchy side to San Miguel, there are quite a few yoga classes around town. So far I've been to three different ones.
Yolanda teaches a good vinyasa flow class at the Arthur Murray dance studio, in both English and Spanish. It's challenging, but she doesn't kill you. I've done her class twice, and enjoyed both. There was a range of all ages, and some Spanish-only people. I was on the older side, but not the oldest. It's Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30. 90 pesos (about $7). I'll be back.
Anabel teaches a good class at Bellas Artes. I went yesterday, and got a great workout, although I couldn't do some of the bent knee poses. I may have been the oldest person in the class, but not by very much. This class is also bilingual. It's Tuesday and Thursday at 9:15 AM. 85 pesos (about $6.50). I'll do this one again too.
Alejandro also teaches a class at Bellas Artes, but this isn't for me. I was the youngest person in the class, which looking around at the clientele should have given me a clue. While it was a good stretch, the poses weren't very challenging. The downward dog was more of an upright dog using the bar of the dance studio. Some of the attendees were in their seventies. This class is Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30, and was only 40 pesos ($3). Can anyone say "senior discount"?
Yolanda teaches a good vinyasa flow class at the Arthur Murray dance studio, in both English and Spanish. It's challenging, but she doesn't kill you. I've done her class twice, and enjoyed both. There was a range of all ages, and some Spanish-only people. I was on the older side, but not the oldest. It's Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:30. 90 pesos (about $7). I'll be back.
Anabel teaches a good class at Bellas Artes. I went yesterday, and got a great workout, although I couldn't do some of the bent knee poses. I may have been the oldest person in the class, but not by very much. This class is also bilingual. It's Tuesday and Thursday at 9:15 AM. 85 pesos (about $6.50). I'll do this one again too.
Alejandro also teaches a class at Bellas Artes, but this isn't for me. I was the youngest person in the class, which looking around at the clientele should have given me a clue. While it was a good stretch, the poses weren't very challenging. The downward dog was more of an upright dog using the bar of the dance studio. Some of the attendees were in their seventies. This class is Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30, and was only 40 pesos ($3). Can anyone say "senior discount"?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunset
We had a great sunset tonight. This picture doesn't do it justice, but here it is anyway:
Sunset from the patio
Sunset from the patio
Too Bad it's Not Valentine's Day
Laurel was showing signs of getting sick yesterday, so she stayed home from school and Bryce went off on his own. Sue, Laurel and I hung out at the house for the morning, and in the afternoon I walked down to meet Bryce at the bus stop while Sue and Laurel went to the Mercado to do some shopping.
Our Waldorf school is doing a play in a couple of weeks, and the kids need some sort of Mexi-Amish clothing for the performance. Laurel got her duds today - a red skirt and Mexican style floral top - and she looks awesome in them. Especially with her new stylin' haircut.
Bryce and I had a nice boys afternoon. We ate comida at La Grotta, got some ice cream at the Jardin, then did a little shopping ourselves at the Mercado. Bryce loves to shop, so the fact that Laurel was sick gave him a perfect excuse to buy something for her.
Bryce broke a pair of sunglasses yesterday, so we got a new pair for him - about $3. For Laurel and Mommy, we bought a dozen roses. As I rarely spend more than $15 or so for flowers, I had no idea what to pay for roses, but 50 pesos seemed reasonable. When we presented them to Sue and Laurel, they were impressed. But Sue was even more impressed that twelve roses cost about $3.80.
Roses
I think we'll be doing a lot more flower shopping.
Our Waldorf school is doing a play in a couple of weeks, and the kids need some sort of Mexi-Amish clothing for the performance. Laurel got her duds today - a red skirt and Mexican style floral top - and she looks awesome in them. Especially with her new stylin' haircut.
Bryce and I had a nice boys afternoon. We ate comida at La Grotta, got some ice cream at the Jardin, then did a little shopping ourselves at the Mercado. Bryce loves to shop, so the fact that Laurel was sick gave him a perfect excuse to buy something for her.
Bryce broke a pair of sunglasses yesterday, so we got a new pair for him - about $3. For Laurel and Mommy, we bought a dozen roses. As I rarely spend more than $15 or so for flowers, I had no idea what to pay for roses, but 50 pesos seemed reasonable. When we presented them to Sue and Laurel, they were impressed. But Sue was even more impressed that twelve roses cost about $3.80.
Roses
I think we'll be doing a lot more flower shopping.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Feria
According to the newspaper here, there are a few big events in September that the government is willing to fund with ever-decreasing pesos: The Independencia, the San Miguelense (birthday of San Miguel), and the Feria (the fair). Apparently the Feria is supposed to bring 150,000 people into town, so I figured it would be worth checking out. The Feria is running for two weeks, sandwiched by the Independencia on September 15, and the San Miguelense on October 2.
So tonight, we got to see what a real Mexican county fair is like. We were there almost two hours, and as often happens, we approach this from the standpoint that if the kids have fun, we have fun. So in no particular order, here's what Bryce and Laurel did:
As we were leaving, we saw a sign for a Pelenque. I asked the cab driver what that was, and we eventually figured out it was for cock-fighting. There was a pretty big tent set up for this, but it's definitely not something we'll take the kids to see.
Here's some pictures:
Laurel on the merry-go-round
Bryce's kiddie car ride
Laurel on the ropes course
Gambling-lite
House of crazy mirrors. Is this Bryce or Sue?
So tonight, we got to see what a real Mexican county fair is like. We were there almost two hours, and as often happens, we approach this from the standpoint that if the kids have fun, we have fun. So in no particular order, here's what Bryce and Laurel did:
- Rode in kid sized toy cars.
- Went down the inflatable slide several times.
- Played some sort of gambling game with pictures on dice and a pad to place bets on. We watched for a bit, and the man running the game flipped some 1 peso coins to Laurel to play. She eventually won (payout was 5 to 1), and kept playing for a bit until her money was gone. Bryce played some too.
- Did a ropes course.
- Bryce jumped on a trampoline with a harness and a springy rope support.
- Did a maze of mirrors.
- Went into the Espejos Locos (crazy mirrors) to see themselves as fat, skinny or otherwise deformed.
- Laurel rode on a merry-go-round.
- Did another mini car ride. (Laurel is definitely getting too big for these.)
- Bryce and I did bumper cars.
- Finished the evening seeing the tail end of a seal act.
As we were leaving, we saw a sign for a Pelenque. I asked the cab driver what that was, and we eventually figured out it was for cock-fighting. There was a pretty big tent set up for this, but it's definitely not something we'll take the kids to see.
Here's some pictures:
Laurel on the merry-go-round
Bryce's kiddie car ride
Laurel on the ropes course
Gambling-lite
House of crazy mirrors. Is this Bryce or Sue?
Laurel's haircut
Behold the new Laurel:
Laurel's haircut
Sue finally convinced laurel to try a shorter hair style, which will probably free up about five hours a week from having to manage Laurel's extremely thick hair. I think it came out nice! $15 including tip.
She got her haircut in a mall on the outskirts of town. Yes, there are actually malls here, but the locals never go to them. This particular one has an Office Depot. Antonio's philosophy is that if he were running the government, there would be no malls, since people could just go to Queretaro 30 miles away to get what they need. Selfishly, I'm happy to have an Office Depot here. But everything else there we could probably do without - especially the McDonald's. It seemed like most of the people in the mall were Americans, and with the exception of our haircut, everything was pretty expensive. The mall was nice though - you can see it in the background of the picture above.
Laurel's haircut
Sue finally convinced laurel to try a shorter hair style, which will probably free up about five hours a week from having to manage Laurel's extremely thick hair. I think it came out nice! $15 including tip.
She got her haircut in a mall on the outskirts of town. Yes, there are actually malls here, but the locals never go to them. This particular one has an Office Depot. Antonio's philosophy is that if he were running the government, there would be no malls, since people could just go to Queretaro 30 miles away to get what they need. Selfishly, I'm happy to have an Office Depot here. But everything else there we could probably do without - especially the McDonald's. It seemed like most of the people in the mall were Americans, and with the exception of our haircut, everything was pretty expensive. The mall was nice though - you can see it in the background of the picture above.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Antonio
Antonio - our driver
My time with Antonio has been one of the best experiences of being here. I often get to ride with him to deliver the kids to school, and he's taken us on a few side trips as well. Although he is a little more expensive than the local taxis, I look at it as a Spanish lesson with a free car ride.
Antonio is 48 - just like me. He has two boys in their twenties. One is married, and is about to have Antonio's grand kid. The other kid is not yet married, and is also having a kid, and will be married shortly. He has lived in San Miguel all his life, and when driving through town, it seems like he knows everyone.
His English is really good. I asked him how he learned, and he said it was from just driving people around. He used to be a teacher when he was younger - he worked at a ranch, and had a class of 40 kids, with no classroom. They sat on stones outside. I think he did that for three years or so. This is probably why he is good at explaining things.
Not only am I improving my Spanish, but Antonio has been very gracious in explaining some of the cultural systems at work. For example, he told me he was invited to an opening party for the local fair that started this week. I asked if his wife went too, and he explained that unless you are very old, husbands and wives never go out to social functions together, unless it is a family event. This came up because I asked Antonio how to say "date", since Sue and I are having Thursday date nights. Cita is the word for a date for unmarried couples, he explained, and noche libre is for married couples. This sort of information is priceless.
On our way to school, Antonio always crosses himself at the same place in the road each day. I asked him what was so special about that place, and he explained that most drivers will cross themselves as they are about to leave town. He just picked this place as "leaving town".
If you're looking for airport transportation for San Miguel de Allende, give Antonio a call. (He's also a great driver.)
Caffeine and Alcohol
Sue remarked today that she is drinking much less tea and much less wine than normal. We're not sure why. Having Margarita doing a lions share of the cooking and cleaning may have something to do with it.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Two Light Shows
Sitting on my deck this evening, something remarkable is happening. Straight ahead of me, way off in the far-away mountains, is a heat-lightning storm. Random flashes of orange light, and an occasional thunderbolt punctuate the dark clouds. To my left, also at random intervals, are fireworks that are going off for no apparent reason.
I can't imagine any other place in the world quite like this.
I can't imagine any other place in the world quite like this.
Sunday in the Country
Although there is a lot going on in town every day, there's still a big unexplored world outside the city limits. Heck - we're in the mountains, and if we can enjoy nature in Tahoe, we can certainly do the same in San Miguel.
Adriana picked us up at our house, and our first stop was Xote, the kid-friendly hot spring and water park. Bryce has been bugging to return here for weeks, and was psyched. Nicholas - Bryce's new friend and Adriana's son - met us there on the back of his dad's dirt bike. And Ann-from-Colorado and her family joined us as well, so we had a nice multi-family gathering swimming, sliding and hanging out.
(One of the great things about living in a very religious country is that you can go anywhere on Sunday morning and avoid the crowds. We practically had Xote to ourselves.)
Having lived in San Miguel for three years or so, Adriana knows some great spots. Our next stop was a hotel/restaurant called Casa de Aves (House of Birds), way out on a dirt road. If we didn't know Adriana so well, I would have been sure she was driving us to a place to get mugged or something. It really was way out there.
Casa de Aves was awesome. We arrive, and immediately we see a tree house, a trampoline, and a pond with a dock. The kids were delighted. The restaurant was beautifully perched next to the pond, with new age massage music piped in from a distance. We had a long leisurely comida, and between courses the kids checked in with us every ten minutes or so from trampolining or duck chasing or whatever else they were doing. The food was good, and Jim (Adriana's husband) ordered a nice Italian bottle of wine. My only regret is that we didn't get to try the zip line that travelled over the pond. We'll have to return...
Casa De Aves
Adriana picked us up at our house, and our first stop was Xote, the kid-friendly hot spring and water park. Bryce has been bugging to return here for weeks, and was psyched. Nicholas - Bryce's new friend and Adriana's son - met us there on the back of his dad's dirt bike. And Ann-from-Colorado and her family joined us as well, so we had a nice multi-family gathering swimming, sliding and hanging out.
(One of the great things about living in a very religious country is that you can go anywhere on Sunday morning and avoid the crowds. We practically had Xote to ourselves.)
Having lived in San Miguel for three years or so, Adriana knows some great spots. Our next stop was a hotel/restaurant called Casa de Aves (House of Birds), way out on a dirt road. If we didn't know Adriana so well, I would have been sure she was driving us to a place to get mugged or something. It really was way out there.
Casa de Aves was awesome. We arrive, and immediately we see a tree house, a trampoline, and a pond with a dock. The kids were delighted. The restaurant was beautifully perched next to the pond, with new age massage music piped in from a distance. We had a long leisurely comida, and between courses the kids checked in with us every ten minutes or so from trampolining or duck chasing or whatever else they were doing. The food was good, and Jim (Adriana's husband) ordered a nice Italian bottle of wine. My only regret is that we didn't get to try the zip line that travelled over the pond. We'll have to return...
Casa De Aves
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Hang-out day
We're getting into a new kind of laid-back rhythm for us here in San Miguel. Is it the culture? The climate? Not sure. But it feels really comfortable.
We started our day with our Saturday tradition of Chocoloate y Churros at St. Augustines. I had a yummy chilaquiles con pollo y huevos en salsa verde - tortilla chips cooked in green salsa with chicken and a fried egg on top, as well as a fresh squeezed vegetable drink of carrots, beets, celery and a few other things. Tasty!
We had planned to go to a garage sale before meeting Adrianna and her son Nicholas for a tennis lesson at a nearby hotel, but ran out of time and went to the tennis lesson instead. Sue and the kids went to a garage sale while I was away, and really enjoyed it. (Things are so inexpensive here that going to a garage sale seems redundant, but I'll reserve judgment until I actually go to one.)
The tennis lesson was great. Bryce, Laurel and Nicholas had an instructor (Señor Cruz) to themselves. It was on a clay court, which is unusual in the USA. They played for an hour, and Señor Cruz had Bryce hitting one-handed forehands and backhands, something he hadn't done before. Our teacher had limited English, which is OK with me. Nicholas is totally bilingual, and he taught Bruce and Laurel to say "da me otro" - or "give me another". The kids were pretty tired after an hour. The cost was $7.50 per kid, and with three kids it was a great deal.
Tennis lesson en Español
The rest of the day was the "hang out" part. We got ice cream for the kids, then went to Parque Juarez and chatted with the various members of our Gringo family club throughout the afternoon. We probably spent three hours there.
Laurel and the bubble lady in Parque Juarez
As we left, we got a tour of Anne from Baltimore's parent's house, which was really cool. It had three floors, a jacuzzi, and a really neat interior design. It was still indoor-outdoor like the other houses I've seen. I'd like to see more houses as I am here, since I really enjoy living outside.
On the way home, we stopped at Tortitlan, and got some amazingly good Tortas - Mexican sandwiches - to bring home. Tortitlan is known for their tortas and agua frescas (fruit drinks). Mine had chicken, cheese, chorizo and sauteed vegetables. Yum!
We started our day with our Saturday tradition of Chocoloate y Churros at St. Augustines. I had a yummy chilaquiles con pollo y huevos en salsa verde - tortilla chips cooked in green salsa with chicken and a fried egg on top, as well as a fresh squeezed vegetable drink of carrots, beets, celery and a few other things. Tasty!
We had planned to go to a garage sale before meeting Adrianna and her son Nicholas for a tennis lesson at a nearby hotel, but ran out of time and went to the tennis lesson instead. Sue and the kids went to a garage sale while I was away, and really enjoyed it. (Things are so inexpensive here that going to a garage sale seems redundant, but I'll reserve judgment until I actually go to one.)
The tennis lesson was great. Bryce, Laurel and Nicholas had an instructor (Señor Cruz) to themselves. It was on a clay court, which is unusual in the USA. They played for an hour, and Señor Cruz had Bryce hitting one-handed forehands and backhands, something he hadn't done before. Our teacher had limited English, which is OK with me. Nicholas is totally bilingual, and he taught Bruce and Laurel to say "da me otro" - or "give me another". The kids were pretty tired after an hour. The cost was $7.50 per kid, and with three kids it was a great deal.
Tennis lesson en Español
The rest of the day was the "hang out" part. We got ice cream for the kids, then went to Parque Juarez and chatted with the various members of our Gringo family club throughout the afternoon. We probably spent three hours there.
Laurel and the bubble lady in Parque Juarez
As we left, we got a tour of Anne from Baltimore's parent's house, which was really cool. It had three floors, a jacuzzi, and a really neat interior design. It was still indoor-outdoor like the other houses I've seen. I'd like to see more houses as I am here, since I really enjoy living outside.
On the way home, we stopped at Tortitlan, and got some amazingly good Tortas - Mexican sandwiches - to bring home. Tortitlan is known for their tortas and agua frescas (fruit drinks). Mine had chicken, cheese, chorizo and sauteed vegetables. Yum!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday night with Laurel
Sue still isn't feeling great, and Bryce is a little off his game as well, so Laurel and I decided to have a daddy-daughter night.
I was looking for a dinner spot that would work for a picky eater like Laurel, and we settled on Palacio Chino, a Chinese restaurant, as a change of pace. It was actually really good - Laurel enjoyed her pollo naranja (orange chicken). The service had a few Mexican touches: The rice was served in a plastic tortilla holder, and we got Spanish fortune cookies afterward. Laurel was even able to decipher one of them, which was pretty impressive to me.
After dinner, we went to the Jardin, as there is always something going on in the Jardin. Besides the general atmosphere of young people and mariachis, we saw an unusual wedding party. There were the bride and groom, and about 40 people gathered around them, with one person passing out wine. A band was playing for them, and several of the guests were dancing. There were also two giant (ten foot tall) paper mache people dressed like a bride and groom, and they each had a person inside who was also dancing to the music. This was all happening in the street. It looked like a blast. Maybe one of my kids will have a wedding party like this someday. I think it would be great.
I was looking for a dinner spot that would work for a picky eater like Laurel, and we settled on Palacio Chino, a Chinese restaurant, as a change of pace. It was actually really good - Laurel enjoyed her pollo naranja (orange chicken). The service had a few Mexican touches: The rice was served in a plastic tortilla holder, and we got Spanish fortune cookies afterward. Laurel was even able to decipher one of them, which was pretty impressive to me.
After dinner, we went to the Jardin, as there is always something going on in the Jardin. Besides the general atmosphere of young people and mariachis, we saw an unusual wedding party. There were the bride and groom, and about 40 people gathered around them, with one person passing out wine. A band was playing for them, and several of the guests were dancing. There were also two giant (ten foot tall) paper mache people dressed like a bride and groom, and they each had a person inside who was also dancing to the music. This was all happening in the street. It looked like a blast. Maybe one of my kids will have a wedding party like this someday. I think it would be great.
Hangover
Sue is not feeling well today. She got the kids ready for school, and then went back to bed. No more margaritas and red wine on the same night.
I drove to school with the kids and Antonio, but Bryce was complaining about a headache, and came back home with us. I think Bryce has his own kid version of a hangover too.
I asked Margarita to make us some Huevos Mexicanos with refried beans, which I figured would be a good hangover cure for Sue. We sat on the deck and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Margarita's Huevos Mexicanos
I think today will be mellow.
I drove to school with the kids and Antonio, but Bryce was complaining about a headache, and came back home with us. I think Bryce has his own kid version of a hangover too.
I asked Margarita to make us some Huevos Mexicanos with refried beans, which I figured would be a good hangover cure for Sue. We sat on the deck and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Margarita's Huevos Mexicanos
I think today will be mellow.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Adventures in Babysitting
Apparently, Bryce, Laurel and Rocio had fun with Rocio while we had date night. From Bryce: "Rocio served us some great food while watching the movie. We had pancakes with condensed milk, that was our first meal. The second meal was warm milk with rice and some raisins and sugar. They were both delicious meals. We also had Churritos - chips shaped like churros. The thing I really liked was doing fuse beads. Some of the beads rolled off the table into Rocio's pants. Then we brushed our teeth and went to bed. Rocio snuggled with me for ten minutes."
This is especially cool since Rocio doesn't speak a lick of English.
This is especially cool since Rocio doesn't speak a lick of English.
Date Night #2
Sue and I were ready for another evening of doing adult stuff, so we got Rocio to watch the kids again, and we went off on our date.
First stop was La Bougainvillea, a cute little restaurant a couple blocks from the Jardin. We had margaritas, soups and entrees. Sue ordered a cold Avocado soup which was outrageously good. My main dish was Chiles en Nogada - poblano chiles stuffed with meat, raisins, ground nuts, and a few other things, along with a cream sauce and Pomegranate seeds on top. Delicioso!
chiles en nogada
After dinner, we had planned to meet Adriana and Jim for drinks. Adriana is Mexican, and Jim is American, and they live here in San Miguel. They are also good friends of our friends Jim and Cindy from Tahoe. Sue and Adriana have been going to the Tuesday Market together.
We had a little time to kill before our planned meeting, so we did a little shopping. Sue got a really nice scarf, and a pair of "San Miguel shoes". These are made here in San Miguel, and as their distinguishing feature have a lot of ankle support. This is important for women in San Miguel, as there are a lot of uneven sidewalks and cobblestones just waiting to trip a lady in high heels.
San Miguel Shoes
Speaking of shoes, Sue had three pairs of shoes with her by the end of the night. The pair she bought, the pair she wore to walk to town, and the nice-looking date-night pair. Shoes are very important here.
We met Jim and Adriana at La Fragua, which is a little touristy, but is known for great music. It was Jim's birthday, and we ordered a couple bottles of red wine, talked, and enjoyed the music and some really well rehearsed locals salsa dancing. It was fun, but I don't think we'll make the mistake of mixing red wine and margaritas again.
First stop was La Bougainvillea, a cute little restaurant a couple blocks from the Jardin. We had margaritas, soups and entrees. Sue ordered a cold Avocado soup which was outrageously good. My main dish was Chiles en Nogada - poblano chiles stuffed with meat, raisins, ground nuts, and a few other things, along with a cream sauce and Pomegranate seeds on top. Delicioso!
chiles en nogada
After dinner, we had planned to meet Adriana and Jim for drinks. Adriana is Mexican, and Jim is American, and they live here in San Miguel. They are also good friends of our friends Jim and Cindy from Tahoe. Sue and Adriana have been going to the Tuesday Market together.
We had a little time to kill before our planned meeting, so we did a little shopping. Sue got a really nice scarf, and a pair of "San Miguel shoes". These are made here in San Miguel, and as their distinguishing feature have a lot of ankle support. This is important for women in San Miguel, as there are a lot of uneven sidewalks and cobblestones just waiting to trip a lady in high heels.
San Miguel Shoes
Speaking of shoes, Sue had three pairs of shoes with her by the end of the night. The pair she bought, the pair she wore to walk to town, and the nice-looking date-night pair. Shoes are very important here.
We met Jim and Adriana at La Fragua, which is a little touristy, but is known for great music. It was Jim's birthday, and we ordered a couple bottles of red wine, talked, and enjoyed the music and some really well rehearsed locals salsa dancing. It was fun, but I don't think we'll make the mistake of mixing red wine and margaritas again.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Post Independencia - parade and more fireworks
The party-throwers of San Miguel are smart enough to make sure everybody gets to enjoy the festivities. The 11 PM fireworks on September 15 is mostly for adults, but they ensure the kids and families have fun too. There was no school today, and as a part of the holiday we got to see the independence day parade in town, complete with marching schoolkids, military tanks, bands, horses and more.
After watching the parade and getting lunch, we came back home to rest before the evening festivities. Sue and Laurel decided to let the boys go out, so Bryce and I went to the Jardin at 7 or so to get ready for the 9 PM show. All of our gringo family friends were there, and Bryce got into yet another game of Jardin tag, while I hung out and talked with the parents. I finally got to meet some of the moms that Sue had mentioned to me.
At 9 PM, the fireworks started.
Unlike the previous day, there was a lot more room and a lot less people. Bryce and I were behind the fireworks stand - maybe 50 feet or so. A variety of pinwheels and flying saucers were lit, and it rained sparks everywhere and was really loud. Bryce loved it.
At the end of the show, about 30 feet behind us, some traditional fireworks were launched into the air, much to our surprise as we were looking ahead of us the whole time.
We finally got home at about 10:00 or so. Bryce was still amped, and I could tell he would have a hard time getting to sleep. Sue was beat, so she went downstairs, and I poured a glass of Herradura Reposado Tequila and sat on the deck overlooking town. All of the sudden, more fireworks appeared. It was beautiful. Bryce came running out from his room and we sat and watched five more minutes of fireworks.
After watching the parade and getting lunch, we came back home to rest before the evening festivities. Sue and Laurel decided to let the boys go out, so Bryce and I went to the Jardin at 7 or so to get ready for the 9 PM show. All of our gringo family friends were there, and Bryce got into yet another game of Jardin tag, while I hung out and talked with the parents. I finally got to meet some of the moms that Sue had mentioned to me.
At 9 PM, the fireworks started.
Unlike the previous day, there was a lot more room and a lot less people. Bryce and I were behind the fireworks stand - maybe 50 feet or so. A variety of pinwheels and flying saucers were lit, and it rained sparks everywhere and was really loud. Bryce loved it.
At the end of the show, about 30 feet behind us, some traditional fireworks were launched into the air, much to our surprise as we were looking ahead of us the whole time.
We finally got home at about 10:00 or so. Bryce was still amped, and I could tell he would have a hard time getting to sleep. Sue was beat, so she went downstairs, and I poured a glass of Herradura Reposado Tequila and sat on the deck overlooking town. All of the sudden, more fireworks appeared. It was beautiful. Bryce came running out from his room and we sat and watched five more minutes of fireworks.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Independencia Celebration
Tonight was the long anticipated Independencia celebration, and I was lucky enough to make it down to the Jardin just in time for the fireworks, which started at 11 PM. We were warned that it would be a mob scene, so Sue and the kids stayed home and I ventured down by myself.
They had erected a large sculpture with firecrackers everywhere, as well as some "spark throwers" and "flying saucers". It was pretty packed, which gave the whole thing a tremendous energy. The firecracker thing was pretty cool, and went on for 20 minutes or so.
Unfortunately for Sue and the kids, there weren't many traditional fireworks that they could see from the house. But they still got a good show.
Fireworks from our house.
After the fire show, hundreds of people were dancing in front of the Parroquia. It's only the second time in my life that I've seen people literally dancing in the streets.
They had erected a large sculpture with firecrackers everywhere, as well as some "spark throwers" and "flying saucers". It was pretty packed, which gave the whole thing a tremendous energy. The firecracker thing was pretty cool, and went on for 20 minutes or so.
Unfortunately for Sue and the kids, there weren't many traditional fireworks that they could see from the house. But they still got a good show.
Fireworks from our house.
After the fire show, hundreds of people were dancing in front of the Parroquia. It's only the second time in my life that I've seen people literally dancing in the streets.
Pre-Independencia
September 15 is the Mexican independence day, and even though they call September "mes patria" (patriotic month), they mark independence at exactly 11 PM - to the minute. Throughout all of Mexico, churchbells ring at 11 PM, and 10 minutes later all the fireworks happen -- all at the same time.
Leading up to the big minute, people start flooding into town, and there are vendors everywhere selling all kinds of things in red, green and white, the colors of Mexico.
Red, white and green everything.
Bryce showing some Mexican spirit
Laurel dressing the part.
In the Jardin, they had some folkloric dancing, which was fun to watch.
After being in town, we came home to watch the fireworks from up on high. As soon as we arrived, we got a call from some new friends, Fernando and Liz, who came over and hung out with us. The have two kids at our school - Fernando and Romy - both bilingual. Fernando senior is Mexican, and Liz is American, and I took a liking to them almost instantly. They live on Fernando's brother's a ranch outside of town.
Turns out they have two cousins who live in San Miguel who are fire poi spinners, so I hope to get to meet them. These would be the first poi spinners I will have met here.
Leading up to the big minute, people start flooding into town, and there are vendors everywhere selling all kinds of things in red, green and white, the colors of Mexico.
Red, white and green everything.
Bryce showing some Mexican spirit
Laurel dressing the part.
In the Jardin, they had some folkloric dancing, which was fun to watch.
After being in town, we came home to watch the fireworks from up on high. As soon as we arrived, we got a call from some new friends, Fernando and Liz, who came over and hung out with us. The have two kids at our school - Fernando and Romy - both bilingual. Fernando senior is Mexican, and Liz is American, and I took a liking to them almost instantly. They live on Fernando's brother's a ranch outside of town.
Turns out they have two cousins who live in San Miguel who are fire poi spinners, so I hope to get to meet them. These would be the first poi spinners I will have met here.
The Annes
We've met a lot of people here, but the ones I've hung out with the most are the what I call the Annes.
There's Anne from Baltimore, and her husband Sam. Sam is a professor, and is really funny and engaging, and Anne is also very cool. They have three boys. While we are probably hyper-vigilant about where our kids are at all times, Anne's philosophy is "they know how to get home". They live right next to Parque Juarez, and the kids are there at all times, if not at the Jardin. They have 5, 7 and 10 year olds. I met her parents yesterday as well.
Anne from Texas also has three boys, 10, 7, and 3. Her philosophy is similar to Anne from Baltimore, except that her oldest is often charged with watching the three year old. Her husband is due to return to San Miguel at the end of the month, so she has all three kids on her own. They are nice kids. Anne is the daughter of an ex-NBA coach, and growing up she would spend the summers in Puerto Rico while her dad was coaching NBA summer leagues there. She lives really close to Parque Juarez as well.
Anne from Colorado I've met just twice. She has a kid in our school, and Sue met her at the market today, and I think they have done some other things together in my absence as well. Turns out this Anne taught Laurel's kindergarten teacher when she was at Head-Royce, an elementary school in the SF Bay area near us. Small world.
It's nice having a social group with some continuity, and especially one that is going through the same experience as us.
There's Anne from Baltimore, and her husband Sam. Sam is a professor, and is really funny and engaging, and Anne is also very cool. They have three boys. While we are probably hyper-vigilant about where our kids are at all times, Anne's philosophy is "they know how to get home". They live right next to Parque Juarez, and the kids are there at all times, if not at the Jardin. They have 5, 7 and 10 year olds. I met her parents yesterday as well.
Anne from Texas also has three boys, 10, 7, and 3. Her philosophy is similar to Anne from Baltimore, except that her oldest is often charged with watching the three year old. Her husband is due to return to San Miguel at the end of the month, so she has all three kids on her own. They are nice kids. Anne is the daughter of an ex-NBA coach, and growing up she would spend the summers in Puerto Rico while her dad was coaching NBA summer leagues there. She lives really close to Parque Juarez as well.
Anne from Colorado I've met just twice. She has a kid in our school, and Sue met her at the market today, and I think they have done some other things together in my absence as well. Turns out this Anne taught Laurel's kindergarten teacher when she was at Head-Royce, an elementary school in the SF Bay area near us. Small world.
It's nice having a social group with some continuity, and especially one that is going through the same experience as us.
Monday, September 14, 2009
La Grutta y La Grotta
After being away, it brought home to me that life is short, and that my life here is even shorter, so I really wanted to jump back into San Miguel life.
I was doing Yoga for a while in SF, and it's really good for me, so I wanted to restart it here. I found a class from an ad in the local newspaper, and went for a 90 minute session Monday morning. The cool thing about yoga here is that most classes are taught in English and Spanish, so I get to improve my vocabulary (especially body parts) while also getting a good workout.
After class, Sue met me in town and we went to La Gruta, a hot springs resort just five minutes away from School. This place is more adult than Xote, but it is still pretty neat. (Sorry, I can't use the word "cool" when talking about hot springs.) They have 4 or 5 pools, which are much hotter than Xote. But the most interesting is one where you walk through a cave to get to a covered pool inside a dome. Then at some point, a stream of hot water comes gushing out of the wall, and it's the most intense hot shower you've ever experienced. After a tiring Yoga class, this was a welcome treat. We'll definitely be back.
Finally, we got the kids, and went to an awesome restaurant called La Grotta. I had a pasta with mushrooms and chorizo, which was great, and Sue had a shrimp dish with poblano chiles and mushrooms, which was outstanding. Even Laurel's chorizo and cheese pizza (nothing else) was satisfying. It was pretty reasonable too.
We finished the day by walking back to the Jardin, where they had a ceremony commemorating an event in the revolution where the "conspirators" rode from Queretaro to San Miguel (about 50 miles). About 80 horsemen dressed up in white shirts and red kerchiefs rode into town, and showed off their riding prowess. There were speeches and beauty queens and such. As soon as they finished, about 20 buses came and parked in the Jardin, doing some sort of political protest. They had banners, and some scribble-scrabble on the buses. It was definitely not an environmental protest, as the diesel buses were kept running for almost an hour.
As always, the kids had a great time running around the Jardin, and Anne from Baltimore was there with her kids and parents, so we all hung out for a while and enjoyed the spectacle.
I was doing Yoga for a while in SF, and it's really good for me, so I wanted to restart it here. I found a class from an ad in the local newspaper, and went for a 90 minute session Monday morning. The cool thing about yoga here is that most classes are taught in English and Spanish, so I get to improve my vocabulary (especially body parts) while also getting a good workout.
After class, Sue met me in town and we went to La Gruta, a hot springs resort just five minutes away from School. This place is more adult than Xote, but it is still pretty neat. (Sorry, I can't use the word "cool" when talking about hot springs.) They have 4 or 5 pools, which are much hotter than Xote. But the most interesting is one where you walk through a cave to get to a covered pool inside a dome. Then at some point, a stream of hot water comes gushing out of the wall, and it's the most intense hot shower you've ever experienced. After a tiring Yoga class, this was a welcome treat. We'll definitely be back.
Finally, we got the kids, and went to an awesome restaurant called La Grotta. I had a pasta with mushrooms and chorizo, which was great, and Sue had a shrimp dish with poblano chiles and mushrooms, which was outstanding. Even Laurel's chorizo and cheese pizza (nothing else) was satisfying. It was pretty reasonable too.
We finished the day by walking back to the Jardin, where they had a ceremony commemorating an event in the revolution where the "conspirators" rode from Queretaro to San Miguel (about 50 miles). About 80 horsemen dressed up in white shirts and red kerchiefs rode into town, and showed off their riding prowess. There were speeches and beauty queens and such. As soon as they finished, about 20 buses came and parked in the Jardin, doing some sort of political protest. They had banners, and some scribble-scrabble on the buses. It was definitely not an environmental protest, as the diesel buses were kept running for almost an hour.
As always, the kids had a great time running around the Jardin, and Anne from Baltimore was there with her kids and parents, so we all hung out for a while and enjoyed the spectacle.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Two Weeks Away
When you're with your family day-to-day, it's hard to notice how your kids are changing, since each day they grow in very subtle ways. Friends whom you haven't seen in a while will often remark how your kids have grown, or something similar, but rarely do I get to have this perspective on my kids. Being back in SF for two weeks, plus the novel experience for Bryce and Laurel living in Mexico has given me a rare opportunity to see how they change in time-warp.
Laurel is doing really well here. We asked her how she likes her school, and she gave it a 9 out of 10. Burke's (her school in SF) is a 9 3/4 out of 10. So not bad. But the coolest thing is that she is really learning a lot of vocabulary, and is starting to use it conversationally. I've had to ask her how to say a few things recently, which delights me. She's also starting to play with the Mexican kids in school.
Bryce has had a harder time adjusting, as he is much more of a creature of habit. At first, he was resisting learning Spanish because he thought that it would cause him to forget English, but he seems over that by now. Two weeks ago he just started to gain the courage to buy something using his Spanish, but upon my return he is comfortable buying things, and even asking a waiter where the bathroom is. (He used to insist on having me come to the bathroom with him in public, but seems to have gotten over that as well. Often this would occur in restaurants just as my food arrived.)
It's hard to know what to expect as far as our pursuit of bilingualism goes, but we're going to just give Bryce and Laurel the best possible experience, and hope that as much of it sticks as possible.
Oh.. and Sue. She rarely does things on her own, but with me away she has made friends with some of the local families here. She's doing mercado dates with Adrianna, (who is a friend of a friend, and has lived here for a while), as well as hanging out with some of the other new expat families, which I'll talk about in another post.
Me? I still remember my Spanish. It wasn't too hard to readjust coming back to San Miguel. I find the life here really comfortable, and I'll be disappointed when we finally have to leave.
Laurel is doing really well here. We asked her how she likes her school, and she gave it a 9 out of 10. Burke's (her school in SF) is a 9 3/4 out of 10. So not bad. But the coolest thing is that she is really learning a lot of vocabulary, and is starting to use it conversationally. I've had to ask her how to say a few things recently, which delights me. She's also starting to play with the Mexican kids in school.
Bryce has had a harder time adjusting, as he is much more of a creature of habit. At first, he was resisting learning Spanish because he thought that it would cause him to forget English, but he seems over that by now. Two weeks ago he just started to gain the courage to buy something using his Spanish, but upon my return he is comfortable buying things, and even asking a waiter where the bathroom is. (He used to insist on having me come to the bathroom with him in public, but seems to have gotten over that as well. Often this would occur in restaurants just as my food arrived.)
It's hard to know what to expect as far as our pursuit of bilingualism goes, but we're going to just give Bryce and Laurel the best possible experience, and hope that as much of it sticks as possible.
Oh.. and Sue. She rarely does things on her own, but with me away she has made friends with some of the local families here. She's doing mercado dates with Adrianna, (who is a friend of a friend, and has lived here for a while), as well as hanging out with some of the other new expat families, which I'll talk about in another post.
Me? I still remember my Spanish. It wasn't too hard to readjust coming back to San Miguel. I find the life here really comfortable, and I'll be disappointed when we finally have to leave.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
there's a mouse in our house
Yesterday morning as Bryce was heading out the door to school he turned around and fished out of his mouth yet another tooth. Albeit I had just given him one of those hard cookies that you purchase at La Pasteleria as a bribe, but that's another story I'll relay at a later time. He was jumping up and down with excitement as this is the second tooth he had lost in Mexico which means a little mouse will be sneaking in our house tonight. In Mexico as in most of South America, a mouse does tooth fairy duty. He is called "el ratoncito de los dientes". Children leave their tooth in a special box on their nightstand with the hope that El Raton, the magic mouse, will exchange the tooth for money. I lost a little of this in translation and thought the tooth was to be put in a shoe. So Bryce laid his tooth to rest in an Altoid box and placed it in his new shoes by his bed. Luckily, El Ratoncito is very smart and has great manual dexterity as he found the tooth and left 20 pesos. That's about $1.50, so not a bad haul for Brycito. Que suerte!
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