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Tue Dec 30, 11:55:06 AM
Racism and "rip-off gringo" is still alive even here in the small towns! I am glad that us Americans haven't totally absorbed the Mexican culture - the simple-minded that think we are all rich or hate us for US policies towards Mexico still rule! It's okay, I felt the same way when the boatloads of Vietnamese were let into Orange County, California (my home for 35 years), they still don't speak English after 30 years and have errected their own town "Little Siagon". Most Americans left that area in the 1980's. Anyway, enough history...........

So this little rip-off ferreteria (hardware store) will lose one (rich?) Gringo client. There are many other ferreterias around town cabrón.

Fri Dec 26, 02:09:27 PM
Navidad is finally over... now we eagerly await the new year, Dia de los Reyes (Jan. 6th) and finally get back to work on January 7th here. For those of you that use the Newsgroups... if you don't already, I suggest you subscribe to the alt.mexico group, you will find good answers to your questions about traveling down here - most posters are polite, we have gotten rid of most of the racist scum... just don't pay any attention to one poster (who goes by the name of Snoop Dogg) who is living off of border intelligence and 20 year old imformation. Overall a good group with timely information for anybody planning a visit or thinking about moving down here to beautiful Mexico.

Wed Dec 24, 01:11:00 PM
Noche Buena... The last posada, now it is the big midnight feast and all night fiesta.... manana will definitely be "...peace on earth" at least in Mexico while everybody recooporates!

Feliz Navidad!

Sat Dec 20, 03:07:43 PM
Holding on to traditions.... Last night our neighborhood hosted "Las Posadas" a tradition that has gone on in Mexico since 1538. It is the reenactment of Joseph and Mary as they go door to door to find a place to stay. Posada literally means "inn" which when they find an inn that lets them stay (in the stable) the people break out in song and celebration. Then with the symbolic breaking of the piñata (defeating the 7 deadly sins) the fiesta begins with candies, fruits, tamales and a special punch.

Las Posadas started on the 16th with candlelight processions and the reenactment of Joseph and Mary and goes straight through to Christmas Eve "Noche Buena" (the Holy Night).

Sorry folks... there is no Santa Claus... but, it is party time in Mexico!

  ** If you want the real story, try one of these links:  In English    In Spanish

Thu Dec 18, 11:47:01 PM
Looking for that special Christmas gift?  It is here in Mexico City, where anything you desire is available (for a price of course....) but the things you will find will amaze you! Of course the Zocalo is insane this time of year, getting in and out of downtown could take an hour (or more) depending on the time of day or if any manifestations (problems, protests, etc.) occur.

We were on Tecuba street the other day (the street of used book stores) when one of these manifestations were about to take place. For 3 cuadras (blocks) every 5th shop had 2 police in full riot gear (including helmets and shields) awaiting the hoards of street merchants who were preparing for a violent protest down the streets. Amazing how these street vendors survive, selling Chinese knockoffs, pirate stuff and everybody on the street has electricity! Who is paying for that? We are... one person steals electricity from a light post and everybody piggybacks off of their connection. Most street vendors have light, have their getto blasters and tv's playing - all stolen from the CFE (electric dept.) and of course the police just look the other way.

We decided to hide out in a few old bookshops until the supposed danger had passed. While browsing the shelves I came across a Charles Dickens book (just in time for Christmas...) "Master Humphrey's Clock" copyright edition 1846 in near mint condition for 40 pesos! (soon to be seen in an eBay auction)

Sorry, no riot fotos... the manifestation fortunately never materialized.

Sooooo, we are back (in the freezing valley of San Juan del Rio) blogging our way through the rest of 2003 into the new year.

Cheers!

Wed Dec 10, 10:12:34 AM
Milagros Mexico...  (Mexico miracles...) it is that time of season again. On Friday thousands of people will converge at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City from all over the country for the celebration of the Virgin. Here in San Juan del Rio we have our own little neighborhood miracle of sorts.... and her name is "Chess".

Heading off to Mexico City manana, will return next week...

Mon Dec 08, 03:22:41 PM
Weekend Mercados...  Here in San Juan we have 2 main mercados, they are open every day of the week, but on the weekends they are packed with at least 5 times the normal amount of sellers. On Sabado we like to go to Mercado Juarez, check out the pirata CD's, munch on baked shredded coconut (great with cafecito!), when in need... we buy soil and pots for plants. This is the time of year everybody is selling moss (the rest of the year it doesn't exist), these women live in the hills and ranchos around Amealco, they collect the soil, plants and such, then get on a pesera (taxi van) and haul it down to the mercado.

The most unique item we found this weekend was a baby in a crate, though we later found out that she was not for sale... but birds her mom was selling were. The Mercados have always been the major, most common way to shop in Mexican culture and today it is as strong as ever today - although it is frustrating to find alot of things from China that used to be made in Mexico, unfortunately we now seem to be stuck with this junk. But, you still find the most unusual items that cannot be gotten in any commercial stores. We buy all of our clay cups, plates and bowls there, as well as our fruits, vegetables and some quesos (cheeses) too.

The flavor of Mexico................ not to be missed!

Thu Dec 04, 11:42:16 AM
Neon glowing fish!??  No, not here in Mexico (at least not yet...) this may be a bit off-topic for now, but you never know when these genetically twisted fish are going to end up down here in Mexico. Remember as a kid, you might have had some of those black & silver Zebrafish in your aquarium? Well now they are being genetically produced in red and green colors that glow neon under ultraviolet and blacklights. So now we are making novelty pets in the US... these poor creatures were entwined with genes of sea anemones and jellyfish to create this new breed of designer fish.

Genetic food, animals, people... this is not a good thing people! At least the California Dept. of Fish & Game is banning the sales of these genetic fish, worried about future genetically created fish being created and possibly dumped into the rivers mixing with natural species.

What will be next?

.........and it is all for the almighty dollar.
(these fish aren't really necessary in this world, are they?)

Sun Dec 02, 02:28:04 PM
"Live".... from the onion fields!  Aren't we going overboard on the condemnation of the "cebollitos" (little onions) coming out of Mexico... just because some employee at a Mexican restaurant was infected, or didn't wash his hands after using the bathroom and prepped a couple hundred little onions into a salsa.

You know what is going to happen next don't you? It will be Mexican retaliation time again... and against who you might ask, not the US government, it will be against all of us living down here in Mexico!

Isn't it bad enough that Mexico is a dumping ground for inferior or banned US products?

Sun Nov 30, 08:12:31 PM
So, how goes the "Mall Madness" up in the states?!! Want some good Christmas Gift ideas? Check out this link... a shameless self-promotion . Anyway, it's a good day NOT to be a witness for the Mexican Government!

Thu Nov 27, 12:04:16 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! Just another normal day here in Mexico... but the Posadas are starting soon!

Back from my whirlwind week in Mexico, got all of the 'lame' taxi drivers out of our system the first day we arrived in D.F. (3 of them!!!) was safe and smooth driving from there on out. Got out of town just in time as the 3 day protest began on the addition of taxes to food and medical supplies via the PRI has begun (what a mess... )

Did somebody say that Salinas and the PRI are forging tax bills in Salinas' casa?
Or was that just PANcito talk?

Sooo, our blogs are back online with new information on Mexico and the upcoming holidays, stay tuned!

Tue Nov 18, 08:02:34 PM
Did you hear the one about the Mexican Army soldier who is a Krishna? No chiste (no joke)... he lives here in San Juan. What will the Mexican Army think of next?!!

Monarch butterflies soon will not have a home "south of the border" to migrate to. As usual their homes - the forest is being raped and tons of trees are getting to the saws to make way for cheap quality Michoacan furniture, just like we bought 2 months ago..... oh no, I am responsible for the demise of Monarchs !!!

Sun Nov 16, 12:26:43 PM
Domingo Feliz... ah, Sunday..... a nice warm day (80's), the Reforma just got delivered (Mexico's best newspaper...), sipping cafecito__________

Thu Nov 13, 10:08:22 AM
Refunds.... it is customery, NOT to give refunds in Mexico... but exchanges are welcome. It doesn't matter if the refund is for 10 pesos ($1.00) don't expect a refund, it ain't gonna happen!

Wed Nov 12, 10:21:11 AM
Dia del Cartero - "Mailman's Day"... time to show our appreciation to the mailman (for not stealing our mail...) by putting a little $$$ in an envelope (supplied by him) for pick up. Kind of a mordida, but he is cool, so we don't really feel it as such a "bite".

Mas cokas!

Tue Nov 11, 01:51:05 PM
Gringo Factoid #26 - In Mexico the most popular fast food is:

       Tacos
       Burritos
       Chicken (pollo)
       Pizza
       Hamburgers (hamburguesas)
       Beans & Rice (frijoles y arroz)

............and the winner is______ Pizza! By approximately 40% over all the rest. In Mexico we have about 450 Domino's Pizza, along with other big name pizzerias like - Pizza Hut, Benedetti's, Papa John's (mi favorito) and those California favorites: Shakey's (didn't know they were still around) and the newcomer COSTCO, yes... millions of Costco pizzas are consumed here, even though there aren't that many Costcos in Mexico.

Sorry to say, but tacos and burritos are in the smallest percent of what Mexican's consume (fast food wise), burgers come in a fairly strong 2nd place. Of course pizzas here are served with worcestershire, tabasco and other hot sauces (even catsup!)...

I'll stick with the jalapeños, gracias.

Sun Nov 09, 03:38:44 PM
Our alarm clock is back! Last Friday there was a devastating silence in the morning... very strange. The bird that usually spends every morning serenading us from about 8:30am until a little after 9, didn't come by??? Even though he sings in about 6 different song styles (like a mockingbird) it does get a bit monotonous, but the silence without him was worse. We were hoping one of the 8 to 10 gatos on our street didn't get him!

Sabado he was back, but had a different schedule... he came and went about 5 times in a 2 hour period, totally all over the place! Then, today finally... he was back to normal with his regular twisted version of "Despierta" ("Wake-Up") for about a half an hour... so I guess things are back to normal in his life again ..........or maybe he had been out partying too late the other night.

Culture can be tough on the body!

Thu Nov 06, 03:52:27 PM
Congratulations! Mexico has become the LARGEST imported of U.S. toxic waste... (and you thought we weren't helping out Georgie Bush and his buddies) Yes, Mexico imports over 276,000 tons of the stuff every year for good ol' Uncle Sam.

Sun Nov 02, 08:49:12 PM
Tradition is dead ...thanks to thieves and a strike by cemetery workers, the night time traditions of Dia de los Muertos have been canceled. There are now rules! What a bunch of BS!!! You can no longer have candles, music or food in the cemetery... just flowers. And there are no longer all night vigils and celebrations with relatives who return for this special night once a year. Sooo, you have to say goodbye by 10pm (the dead don't know what time it is...), they were even closing earlier tonight and it is only 7:30.

Sorry we couldn't share some of Mexico's beautiful traditions with you... but unfortunately tradition has been canceled. (at least here in San Juan del Rio)

I guess mi amigo was right, Morelia (in Michoacán) is the place to be for Dead's Day... and I am sure there are other parts of Mexico where tradition still reigns.

...guess I'll go have some Pan de Muerto and cafecito.

Sun Nov 02, 03:27:41 PM
"All Souls Day" ...getting ready to go celebrate in the Cemetery tonight. (fotos manana here in the blogs) For those of you that read Spanish (or you can use a translator like BabelFish) here is a great story of a family who has 98 relatives that come by to visit every Dead's Day, alot of work for 4 women!

Also, Santa Muerto (the saint of death) is making a big comeback... a mix of Santeria and Dia los Muertos, not recognized by most people (except drug dealers) or the church as a Saint or holy being. Another story in Spanish from our favorite place ...Tepito. Deep in the Zocalo, where they think they are a separate state...(???).

Anyway,

Feliz de los Muertos!

Fri Oct 31, 08:12:26 AM
"Dia de los Muertos" starts tomorrow (Nov. 1st), "All Saints Day" when the spirits of the children, called "los angelitos" (little angels), are expected to return... On Sunday "All Souls Day" is a celebracion for all the adults that have passed away. Celebrations throughout the weekend with families feasting, remembering family members that have passed on, cleaning up and decorating around their loved ones graves with flowers, candles and food.

The historical roots of Deads Day dates back over 3,000 years ago to the prehispanic cultures of the Aztecs, Mayans, Toltecas and other groups native to Mexico.  Life was seen as a dream.  It was believed that only in dying, a human being was truly awake and the soul was set free.

A special altar is made in the home and adorned with pictures of the deceased to remind the living of their family roots. They picnic with their loved ones in the cemetery offering food and drink to strengthen their loved ones spirits so they can return to the other world. It is important for the family to maintain good relationships with the dead for it is they who intercede and bring fortune to the living. A time to come to terms with mortality and become aware of the cycle of life and death. A day for honoring beloved ones.

I hope to have mas fotos from the weekend's celebrations... but for now I'll leave you with tons of sugar skulls and other dulces and decorations for Dead's Day.

And yes, alot of Mexican's have also adopted Halloween (for the kids...) with fiestas and your average scary costumes and jack-o'-lanterns for tonight.

Happy Halloween!

Thu Oct 30, 10:02:39 AM
Gringo's taking over the Baja... Yes, we are all hearing this story now - Americans fleeing the "new rules" US (after Sept. 11th), taking over small quiet Mexican towns, forcing the locals to speak English, accept US dollars, destroying every last bit of the culture of the Baja. Unfortunately, this is the American way... we are conquerors. We don't care what country we are in, we want it our way...

     "how dare these people not understand us!"
     "why don't they speak English?"
     "this doesn't look like a Taco Bell taco..."

B E C A U S E . . . you are not in the USA, you are a visitor, a guest, in a foreign country, comprende?

Now not all of us are jerks, and do appreciate the culture around us (though sometimes very hard to accept), we call Mexico home. At times we don't even realize we are in a foreign land, we just know we are home. I feel sorry for the Americans who are so ignorant that they feel they must destroy the culture and ways of the Baja to make themselves feel at home and comfortable. I feel sorry for the Mexicans who are selling out and accepting this BS for the all mighty US dollar.

Soon all the Baja will be like Cabo San Lucas... and that is a scary nightmare. I spent 4 years in that Gringolandia they call Los Cabos and finally had the sense to get out. Now I live in mainland Mexico, where culture runs wild______

Mon Oct 27, 06:16:12 PM
Mexico's Postal Service. The mail system here is amazing, for what it is... if you live in a semi-decent neighborhood or barrio you might actually receive your mail. In Cabo San Lucas it was nearly impossible to receive mail, unless you paid those MailboxesEtc. type places, but even then they charged you $20 a month plus import duties on most anything from the US. Here in "real" Mexico except in some gringo towns (like San Miguel de Allende and Lake Chapala) they don't exist and we have to rely on Mexico's Postal System. Which has about 20,000 employees compared to about 750,000 US Postal Service employees.

Mexico's postal system is notorious for, guess what...? Corruption (so what is new... that is the flavor of the culture here), so if your mail doesn't get stolen you are one lucky soul. Not all Mexican Postal employees are corrupt, there are some that are really dedicated to their job, even though they only make about $250 a month. One such dedicated person got himself killed earlier this year for doing his job ...and caring! As millions of dollars in Social Security checks were stolen as they came off the plane in Mexico City.

Fortunately, we have a good Postman (Cartero) here... so we usually get our mail. He rides up on his bicycle, blows his whistle to let you know he has mail for you. Since November 12th is Postman's Day (Dia del Cartero) we need to give him a little present of thanks. Since Carlos (our Cartero) really likes old rock and blues I'll probably burn him a couple of my old blues/rock cds I dragged down here.

So, it is safe to continue to send me mail.

Fri Oct 24, 04:24:12 PM
Mexico marks 50 years of Woman's Suffrage. The study by "Inmujeres" (National Institute for Women ) exposed outrageous absurdities in Mexican law.

1) In 24 of the 31 states, as well as in the Federal District, stealing a cow carries a harsher punishment than raping a woman.

One of those states is Chihuahua, location of the now tragically famous border town of Ciudad Juarez, where some 300 women have been murdered in the past decade, many of them after being sexually assaulted despite pressure from domestic and international rights groups, the Juarez murders continue to go unsolved and unpunished.

2) Even some judges, continue to believe a woman who has been sexually assaulted has done something to deserve it.

3) Only three states punish domestic violence, and even in those jurisdictions it is not regarded as a serious crime, the official said.

4) Nine states exercise the concept of "deposit" in the event of a divorce, which means that a woman cannot make any decisions about her own life until a certain length of time has passed following the separation.

5) In addition, no state prohibits marriages between minors, and in the case of women 23 or older, rape is exonerated if the attacker marries his victim.

6) In Campeche, women who refuse to follow their husbands in the event of a move are punished, and in Coahuila, wives are prohibited from working in jobs deemed detrimental to the family structure.

Full story here...

Life in the Stone Age, life in Mexico?
Make your own decisions...

Wed Oct 22, 02:05:45 AM
Another dolphin dies in La Paz, now there are three... mas info later.

Wed Oct 22, 11:31:33 AM
Mercados around central Mexico... Here in Mexico we are limited to the type and quality of products available in the major food store chains. The best mercado in Mexico has to be "Superama", great produce, quality deli and the closest thing to a U.S. food store you can find - unfortunately they are only in the Mexico City area (owned by WalMart).

Another big food chain is "Gigante", it and "Comercial Mexicana" are very basic and except for the dangerously poor deli Comercial Mexicana has (greenish brown meats...???) they both are about equal in products and quality. A little better quality, is the company from Spain "Soriana", the same variety as the above... with a safe and clean deli (are you listening Comercial Mexicana?), but tasteless pancito. In Baja Sur there is the small family owned food chain "Aramburo", their inventory caters to Americans, so you will find alot of the comforts of home (for about double the price), with stores in La Paz, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

When we take our monthly trips to Mexico City, we always take along a cooler to stock up with deli meats, cheeses (cheddar, brie, swiss...) and beautifully perfect lettuces from Superama. The take-out sushi (extra wasabi on request) and pancito are excellent too!

Provecho!

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