I had a terrible dream last night that Levi wasn’t really mine and I had to give him back. (He was actually Jackie Maher’s little boy, the Kohler rep) I was sobbing in my sleep and kept calling my mom to say, what do I do? Levi means everything to me. I think that being here in Jona makes me feel like I have nothing familiar and Levi is the only thing that keeps me feeling normal. (Him and my laptop) I am getting ready to blow this pop stand.
I think I passed the threshold from trying to be humored by this experience to crabby about it yesterday (Friday). I am sick of little kid birthday parties and stopping at everyone’s house to just say “hi”. There has to be more to a day than that. There is more to me than just producing children and watching them swat at a Paper Mache cartoon characters. I want to do something. I tried to explain to Helio that it isn’t everyone who gets to take a near month off from work and go sit in a foreign country. I want to take advantage of my time. I don’t mind doing nothing; let’s just go do it at the beach. I want to go shopping. Helio has a hard time even giving me pesos to buy a diet coke with. (Coca light) I am going to confiscate the money that I had him recently take out of the account and hold on to it. I am sick of asking and being given a lecture every time I spend money about how long that could last him vs. me wanting to buy more soda. I keep telling him, people here may be poor but we are not poor. He doesn’t see it that way.
We went to Andrea’s (Rafa’s youngest) birthday party last night. The piñata was twice the size of Levi. Levi was a bit nutty the whole time because his mom didn’t think ahead and give him something to eat before we went. He yelled and ran around during the pallasos (clowns) skit. I get so uncomfortable when my kid just won’t behave like all the other kids especially when we are the only 2 gringos in the group and the clowns continue to say to my kid “seintense guero” (sit down whitey). We were told to arrive at 5 but of course the party didn’t get started until 6:30 and they didn’t eat until 7:30. He was so hungry that the soupy tamales they served were just fine by him. I nearly started crying. I just want a regular plate of food where it tastes good, was prepared hygienically, and I get full, preferably with a great cup of coffee and a to-die-for dessert after dinner. I haven’t had a meal in who knows how long. I literally had tears well up in my eyes when they brought me my plate of soggy tamales, a small bun with something that tasted like tuna on it, Jell-O (the hard kind made from scratch, not the Bill Cosby Jell-O) and wet cake that sort of looked like hosed down tiramisu after it sat on my plate for a while. The only thing I have eaten for the past couple days is buttered noodles with parmesan cheese and orange juice, and those are things I look forward to. I just want some food and I don’t want to get sick from it.
Helio has become crabby with me and has taken to calling me a “Reina” -queen. I am really trying to make do here but this feels crazy. I have had 1 hot shower since I arrived, I am hungry, I feel like I am constantly at a family party, I haven’t had a moment alone with Helio and haven’t had this much time to parent Levi since he was an infant. I am glad to have the time with Levi but when he wants to run all over and not listen, I just want to bring him to daycare and go to work. Does that make me the world’s worse mom? I am sure that many people talked about us after the birthday party last night and I hate that. You are just put so on display and I am so tired of it. -Especially the women. Jodi and Jose Luis were there and they kept trying to tell me that things were fine; they just don’t have a super active 2 year old and a husband who thinks that it is fine to let him stand up on the chairs and stick his fingers in the cake before it is cut.
Well- I am off to try to get a better attitude about things. Maybe if I had some me time and a little bit of privacy I could turn this boat around?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
12.28.06 Day 10, Mexico Trip 1
We went swimming in the morning at Atotonilco and then came back to the house around 1. I was done with the water and a bunch of Mexican men staring at me. I am not even that good looking. I think it is just because my hair is not black and I turn red in the sun- very attractive. When we returned to the house I slept for two hours with Levi. I didn’t sleep well in the hotel. As I was trying to fall asleep in the hotel (without my fan) I counted 5 different dogs barking, some of which were in the hotel rooms flanking ours. And then at 7 am the roosters start from neighboring houses and loud speaker with a woman announcing all the things you can buy- sort of reminded me of a concentration camp.
I have decided that if I were stranded on a desert island and I was able to have one thing, I would want to bring Helio. He knows how to do anything without the proper tools. He opened a can of spaghetti sauce today with a knife. He also is not afraid to take a few electric shocks in the interest of dry clothes. He is extremely resourceful and pleasant to people he doesn’t know. In other words, he knows how to work people for what he wants. If I could take two things, the second would of course be a good tube of lipstick.
Levi has cuts all over his body. I fear he will contract some crazy virus because he has so many open spots on his legs and arms for some sort of bug or infection to take affect. He falls down a lot and it is often times on concrete. I am sure I will use the whole tube of Neosporin that I have in my bag before we get home.
I am getting really good at this doing laundry by hand thing. I don’t feel like a good sport about it though. I started doing the laundry at 3pm and finished up at 6:30 and still had a few more articles to wash. I ran out of places to hang it all. When Helio’s aunt stopped by I had to ask Helio to repeat himself when he said “you like to do the laundry like that don’t you babe” with a positive nod encouraging me to say “yes, love, I think this is fabulous” I didn’t answer like that and I think his Aunt thinks I might be a bit prissy. She offered her washing machine at her house but that would require my hanging out all day waiting for the wash with all their birds and the many, many Santa Clauses that have a button to push and a song to sing- Levi can’t leave them alone.
Jose Luis and Jodi were to have arrived in Mexico on the 28th. Friday (29th) is a party for one of Rafa’s girls- a birthday party. I am sure we will see them there. (Rafa and Jose Luis are brothers) It will be nice to speak English with someone. It would be even better to spend time with someone that would giggle in the corner with me about this whole deal.
It finally happened, I have been acting all “brave” and all and not wearing shoes in the morning when I get up to go make coffee- This morning (Friday) as I was stumbling around in the kitchen I stepped right on a cockroach. Thank God I had socks on but I can’t get rid of that sensation. I keep hearing the crunch and feeling the wet goo that squeezed out of him. Ick. (when I tried to share this story he was not impressed, he said, “honey, it’s normal to step on cockroaches” My response- NO IT’S NOT, who wakes up in the morning and steps on cockroaches?) Maybe it is bc I couldn’t sleep last night that my attention was elsewhere. I am hoping that the sleeping spell I have been under since I arrived has not been broken; I was up all night thinking about home and wondering how we are going to make this work when Levi and I return to the US. (I finally had to get up and take a sleeping aid) There are many things to look forward to like windows that have either a screen or a glass pane in it and not just a cut out in the wall, more than one channel on the television that is NOT children’s programming and a home security alarm but without Helio- such a paradox.
Until later-
I have decided that if I were stranded on a desert island and I was able to have one thing, I would want to bring Helio. He knows how to do anything without the proper tools. He opened a can of spaghetti sauce today with a knife. He also is not afraid to take a few electric shocks in the interest of dry clothes. He is extremely resourceful and pleasant to people he doesn’t know. In other words, he knows how to work people for what he wants. If I could take two things, the second would of course be a good tube of lipstick.
Levi has cuts all over his body. I fear he will contract some crazy virus because he has so many open spots on his legs and arms for some sort of bug or infection to take affect. He falls down a lot and it is often times on concrete. I am sure I will use the whole tube of Neosporin that I have in my bag before we get home.
I am getting really good at this doing laundry by hand thing. I don’t feel like a good sport about it though. I started doing the laundry at 3pm and finished up at 6:30 and still had a few more articles to wash. I ran out of places to hang it all. When Helio’s aunt stopped by I had to ask Helio to repeat himself when he said “you like to do the laundry like that don’t you babe” with a positive nod encouraging me to say “yes, love, I think this is fabulous” I didn’t answer like that and I think his Aunt thinks I might be a bit prissy. She offered her washing machine at her house but that would require my hanging out all day waiting for the wash with all their birds and the many, many Santa Clauses that have a button to push and a song to sing- Levi can’t leave them alone.
Jose Luis and Jodi were to have arrived in Mexico on the 28th. Friday (29th) is a party for one of Rafa’s girls- a birthday party. I am sure we will see them there. (Rafa and Jose Luis are brothers) It will be nice to speak English with someone. It would be even better to spend time with someone that would giggle in the corner with me about this whole deal.
It finally happened, I have been acting all “brave” and all and not wearing shoes in the morning when I get up to go make coffee- This morning (Friday) as I was stumbling around in the kitchen I stepped right on a cockroach. Thank God I had socks on but I can’t get rid of that sensation. I keep hearing the crunch and feeling the wet goo that squeezed out of him. Ick. (when I tried to share this story he was not impressed, he said, “honey, it’s normal to step on cockroaches” My response- NO IT’S NOT, who wakes up in the morning and steps on cockroaches?) Maybe it is bc I couldn’t sleep last night that my attention was elsewhere. I am hoping that the sleeping spell I have been under since I arrived has not been broken; I was up all night thinking about home and wondering how we are going to make this work when Levi and I return to the US. (I finally had to get up and take a sleeping aid) There are many things to look forward to like windows that have either a screen or a glass pane in it and not just a cut out in the wall, more than one channel on the television that is NOT children’s programming and a home security alarm but without Helio- such a paradox.
Until later-
12.27.06 Day 9, Mexico Trip 1
We stayed at the hotel at Atontonilco so that Levi could swim and then take a nap without leaving the grounds. Really- I just wanted a hot shower. So we paid $90 for a hotel room that had a double bed for the three of us, a bathroom that reeked of that nasty blue thing that you hang in the toilet that makes the water blue and disinfects, really the whole room smelt like that, a cute little balcony, a swimming park for two days, and three meals for two.
The first meal- holy smokes, see pictures, lunch was the following: a coptel de huevos (egg cocktail), the bottom of the glass was filled with iceberg lettuce hearts and on top was a quartered boiled egg and some sort of salsa/ketchup goo. Delish- Then, the main course- cabbage soup, and what they called spaghetti, I didn’t even attempt the spaghetti, it was a white something sprinkled with dried cilantro and shaved white cheese. Dinner was a little better, tostadas de tinga. I ate one. Breakfast was papaya (which I have already established, I refuse to eat) cecina and tortillas, perfect, I got a few bites out of that. However, when I sent Helio for coffee he came back with Sanka. I took a drink from the hotel bed and nearly had to spit it on the floor. The Mexicans don’t understand coffee. The first thing I am going to do when I get back to work is walk across the street and get the biggest latte I have ever had in my life. I am dying for a good cup of coffee. I haven’t had one in over a week. Maybe when we go to Acapulco next week they will have a Starbucks, you would think I would be able to find one down here but have not had such luck.
Another thing the Mexicans don’t have- paper. Nobody writes. Because we were at the hotel I didn’t have my laptop and while Levi was taking a nap I wanted to write a few things down. He came back with a 2” x 5” piece of cardboard he ripped off from a toilet paper box. So, the biggest complaint I have had about hotels back home is all the paperwork all over the dresser and desk. Not to worry in Mexico- they don’t have that sort of thing here, not even a pen to take a note down on your palm.
If you are going to play Mexican for a month, you must get used to salt and lime. Mexicans put it on everything, maybe they do that to kill the bacteria that is in the food they leave just sitting out on the counter all day. I like salt and lime but I find that by the end of the day, my hands are totally swollen. Helio has made me totally paranoid that someone is going to try to steal my ring off my hand while I am down here, I don’t think that is possible as my hands are so swollen.
There were a bunch of little open market stands near the swimming grounds that I tried to find another swim suit at. I was looking for something with a smaller top so I could sun myself more + they were only like $12/pc. I had to ask Helio to come with me to try one on. This lady led me to the back of her store to a little closet. The closet had a shower curtain strung up with a rope and a plastic crate to stand on I guess if you were short and couldn’t make it up to the mirror (it wasn’t full length) She then proceeded to open the curtain and give me more options, when I had no clothes on. Maybe she wanted to just see a gringa without her shirt on or something but she offered a little too much service for my taste.
The words for comb, peine, and for penis, pene, are very similar, use caution when asking for a comb and especially if you ask- “Do you have a comb I could use?” That phrase right there can raise a few eyebrows. When I was in the shower at the hotel, I asked Helio that very question. The shower was right along the main corridor for people to walk to their rooms and there were two cut outs in the wall to the exterior- I assume for ventilation. I am sure that sounded interesting to the passersby.
Ok, off to wash a bunch of clothes- again. I am so ready for my washing machine and fabric softener. My big fluffy sweatshirts are not so fluffy when you have to hang them in the sun to dry.
The first meal- holy smokes, see pictures, lunch was the following: a coptel de huevos (egg cocktail), the bottom of the glass was filled with iceberg lettuce hearts and on top was a quartered boiled egg and some sort of salsa/ketchup goo. Delish- Then, the main course- cabbage soup, and what they called spaghetti, I didn’t even attempt the spaghetti, it was a white something sprinkled with dried cilantro and shaved white cheese. Dinner was a little better, tostadas de tinga. I ate one. Breakfast was papaya (which I have already established, I refuse to eat) cecina and tortillas, perfect, I got a few bites out of that. However, when I sent Helio for coffee he came back with Sanka. I took a drink from the hotel bed and nearly had to spit it on the floor. The Mexicans don’t understand coffee. The first thing I am going to do when I get back to work is walk across the street and get the biggest latte I have ever had in my life. I am dying for a good cup of coffee. I haven’t had one in over a week. Maybe when we go to Acapulco next week they will have a Starbucks, you would think I would be able to find one down here but have not had such luck.
Another thing the Mexicans don’t have- paper. Nobody writes. Because we were at the hotel I didn’t have my laptop and while Levi was taking a nap I wanted to write a few things down. He came back with a 2” x 5” piece of cardboard he ripped off from a toilet paper box. So, the biggest complaint I have had about hotels back home is all the paperwork all over the dresser and desk. Not to worry in Mexico- they don’t have that sort of thing here, not even a pen to take a note down on your palm.
If you are going to play Mexican for a month, you must get used to salt and lime. Mexicans put it on everything, maybe they do that to kill the bacteria that is in the food they leave just sitting out on the counter all day. I like salt and lime but I find that by the end of the day, my hands are totally swollen. Helio has made me totally paranoid that someone is going to try to steal my ring off my hand while I am down here, I don’t think that is possible as my hands are so swollen.
There were a bunch of little open market stands near the swimming grounds that I tried to find another swim suit at. I was looking for something with a smaller top so I could sun myself more + they were only like $12/pc. I had to ask Helio to come with me to try one on. This lady led me to the back of her store to a little closet. The closet had a shower curtain strung up with a rope and a plastic crate to stand on I guess if you were short and couldn’t make it up to the mirror (it wasn’t full length) She then proceeded to open the curtain and give me more options, when I had no clothes on. Maybe she wanted to just see a gringa without her shirt on or something but she offered a little too much service for my taste.
The words for comb, peine, and for penis, pene, are very similar, use caution when asking for a comb and especially if you ask- “Do you have a comb I could use?” That phrase right there can raise a few eyebrows. When I was in the shower at the hotel, I asked Helio that very question. The shower was right along the main corridor for people to walk to their rooms and there were two cut outs in the wall to the exterior- I assume for ventilation. I am sure that sounded interesting to the passersby.
Ok, off to wash a bunch of clothes- again. I am so ready for my washing machine and fabric softener. My big fluffy sweatshirts are not so fluffy when you have to hang them in the sun to dry.
12.26.06 Day 8, Mexico trip 1
We drove into Cuernavaca yesterday; it was sort of a bust. We did see Miriam (his ex- step-sister that I have a hard time liking, she is just so lame) His Ex-Step-Mom was in Puebla so we weren’t able to see her (no problema for me, I have a hard time liking her too) So we walked around the city. I saw a police truck pass us with like 4 police officers driving in the cab and I swear 30 uniformed officers packed into the pickup bed, loaded with riffles and everything. I don’t know how people don’t die all over the place down here. Nothing is safe and there are people/cars everywhere. (and garbage, really, I think Mexico needs a government program to clean up the roads, why not use inmates like they do in the U.S.? I think that is an excellent idea, Mexico Limpio, Clean Mexico could be the campaign, it is so sad to see how much trash is just laying around everywhere) I laid in my hammock last night outside in the courtyard and thought, man, it would really be hard to get away with crime down here like- robbery or killing someone, there are people everywhere, and where you don’t see them, you can hear them.
Don’t ride for an extended period of time in a car with a papaya that has been cut open, they smell like puke- enough said. (They taste like yack as well)
A sight I have seen a lot of while traveling down these freeways are old men and their machetes. I also saw the machete that Antonio cuts his yard with just laying in the grass when we went over the other night. I think people here need storage sheds to put all their crap in that nobody really wants to see. And why do men need to carry a machete when they are traveling down the road trying to hitch a ride? I would think that would make it more difficult to find one. I certainly would not pick up an old drunk Mexican and his artillery.
I met another one of Helio’s uncles yesterday- it is Marcos’s father. He lives in the house where his Aunt just died, obviously, he was married to her. He is indeed a very funny man. He is like Marcos when Marcos has had a couple beers- I don’t know if he was drunk, but he certainly acted super ultra happy, maybe he is medicated due to his loss. Levi and Helio walked over there the other day when I wasn’t with and found a remote control car on top of their fridge. Levi knew where it was and wanted to play with it again. He brought it into the other room and went to it. However, I am an American mother who is concerned when there are burning candles all over the floor- They are holding vigil for his Aunt’s passing, equipped with La Virgin statues, a little table full of knick knacks, and candles all over. I thought that was over after 9 days or something but I guess not. Helio’s family thinks I am a bit hyper when it comes to watching Levi- I am told often, oh, don’t worry, there is a gate and there are other kids out there, he’s fine. I don’t know, I just can’t let go that much. I made it back into the kitchen at Tio Marcos’s house (Marcos was obviously named after his father) where China (Jhoseline’s mother) was making breakfast. She is still here from the funeral. She wanted us to eat as well. Uh- no, that kitchen was so freaking gross. I swear, it needs more than a few wipe downs. It was filthy. On one side of the kitchen, a hutch with a small table in front and then perpendicular to that, a sink and stove, on the other side, another hutch. On the opposite end of the long galley like kitchen, the bedroom of his now deceased Aunt. At first I thought it was bunk beds but it was a bed with a full size hammock above it and an open closet at the head of the bed. I don’t think I could ever get used to living like that. It was worse than what my Grandma used to do to her apartment. It was crazy.
I slept like 10.5 hours last night. I went to bed around 9 and slept until 7:30 in the morning. Wow, how will I ever get back to a normal working life when I get back? I was laying there thinking last night, we aren’t even half way through this mess and don’t really have a plan of when we will see each other next. That is very dreary. I really hope something miraculous happens. This sort of scenario just isn’t right.
We are off to swim again at Atotonilco. We are planning to stay at the hotel there so that we can swim and sleep at our leisure. I want to finish my book and move on to the next one- big goals. I love you guys and wish so much that you were here with us, we need company, we have run out of things to say.
Don’t ride for an extended period of time in a car with a papaya that has been cut open, they smell like puke- enough said. (They taste like yack as well)
A sight I have seen a lot of while traveling down these freeways are old men and their machetes. I also saw the machete that Antonio cuts his yard with just laying in the grass when we went over the other night. I think people here need storage sheds to put all their crap in that nobody really wants to see. And why do men need to carry a machete when they are traveling down the road trying to hitch a ride? I would think that would make it more difficult to find one. I certainly would not pick up an old drunk Mexican and his artillery.
I met another one of Helio’s uncles yesterday- it is Marcos’s father. He lives in the house where his Aunt just died, obviously, he was married to her. He is indeed a very funny man. He is like Marcos when Marcos has had a couple beers- I don’t know if he was drunk, but he certainly acted super ultra happy, maybe he is medicated due to his loss. Levi and Helio walked over there the other day when I wasn’t with and found a remote control car on top of their fridge. Levi knew where it was and wanted to play with it again. He brought it into the other room and went to it. However, I am an American mother who is concerned when there are burning candles all over the floor- They are holding vigil for his Aunt’s passing, equipped with La Virgin statues, a little table full of knick knacks, and candles all over. I thought that was over after 9 days or something but I guess not. Helio’s family thinks I am a bit hyper when it comes to watching Levi- I am told often, oh, don’t worry, there is a gate and there are other kids out there, he’s fine. I don’t know, I just can’t let go that much. I made it back into the kitchen at Tio Marcos’s house (Marcos was obviously named after his father) where China (Jhoseline’s mother) was making breakfast. She is still here from the funeral. She wanted us to eat as well. Uh- no, that kitchen was so freaking gross. I swear, it needs more than a few wipe downs. It was filthy. On one side of the kitchen, a hutch with a small table in front and then perpendicular to that, a sink and stove, on the other side, another hutch. On the opposite end of the long galley like kitchen, the bedroom of his now deceased Aunt. At first I thought it was bunk beds but it was a bed with a full size hammock above it and an open closet at the head of the bed. I don’t think I could ever get used to living like that. It was worse than what my Grandma used to do to her apartment. It was crazy.
I slept like 10.5 hours last night. I went to bed around 9 and slept until 7:30 in the morning. Wow, how will I ever get back to a normal working life when I get back? I was laying there thinking last night, we aren’t even half way through this mess and don’t really have a plan of when we will see each other next. That is very dreary. I really hope something miraculous happens. This sort of scenario just isn’t right.
We are off to swim again at Atotonilco. We are planning to stay at the hotel there so that we can swim and sleep at our leisure. I want to finish my book and move on to the next one- big goals. I love you guys and wish so much that you were here with us, we need company, we have run out of things to say.
12.25.06 Day 7, Mexico Trip 1
Christmas did pass under the radar this year but I think it is exactly what I needed. I think Helio needed the same. The more I am here the more we talk, and get real about things. That is really good. We had a long talk on the way back from Cuatla last night. We went there in the evening looking for something to do. We really just laid around all day yesterday. I am totally getting into this Mexican lifestyle. When I am home and away from him I feel so desperate and that this is never going to work. When I am here I still understand those feelings but realize honestly, nobody knows me better than him. I forget to give him credit for that. It is amazing sometimes. He can tell me how I would react to something before it even happens and then when it happens, that is exactly how I react. He is a smart man. Mom’s advice to me about how he doesn’t want to own anything down here because he wants to leave at a moment’s notice is so true and has helped me tremendously. He talked about that last night. He has told me over and over again how he doesn’t want to live here and that he just wants to be with his son, his family, and sleep in his own bed. I get it now. I brought our old cordless phone down with me, hopefully this will help him talk to us. Currently, he has to sit in the room with his dad and dad’s girlfriend and has no privacy. Now, he can go sit outside by the roosters if he wants.
Helio bought us a hammock yesterday on the way to Elis’s house. That is Alan’s wife. I finally met her and my nephew Juan. Juan looks totally like Alan. He was very kind to Levi and followed him everywhere. I could see a little fondness in his eyes when he would look at Levi. I think they have all talked about him. Juan doesn’t say much but he is so well behaved and has such a sweet manner. I think he is going to be tall like Alan. I feel awful that I didn’t have a present for him. Helio told me over and over not to bring him one and said that we would bring him to the Zoo when we go. I think the little kid needs so good American toys from his American Aunt. As we left, we walked down to the yard where he keeps his Chivos (sheep) so that he could show Levi. They were gone; I think someone took them to eat somewhere (maybe tacos?) or something. Juan proceeded to show him his gallinas (female roosters) Levi had no fear. He was right in the coop with Juan and held the rooster. All I could think of is BIRD FLU. I did my best not to panic and let Levi have his moment with his cousin. Levi was so proud when he held the gallina all by himself. He loved it and I think Juan was impressed that his little gringo cousin liked his gallinas. Juan gave him a lasso to play with as we walked back to the car. His dad had to tear it from his hands; he didn’t want to give it back. I demanded that Helio wash his hands before we left, I just can’t have all those rooster germs all over. I kept thinking, that is a brand new shirt and you are putting rooster moogre (schmutz) all over it. I will do some washing, and then lay in my new hammock. I am so excited about that hammock.
I think we are going to Cuernavaca today. We have spent enough time in the small town. I think it is now time for us to run around and see some sights. However, we are trying so hard not to spend money. You need to spend money when you are away from home and we don’t have any.
Helio bought us a hammock yesterday on the way to Elis’s house. That is Alan’s wife. I finally met her and my nephew Juan. Juan looks totally like Alan. He was very kind to Levi and followed him everywhere. I could see a little fondness in his eyes when he would look at Levi. I think they have all talked about him. Juan doesn’t say much but he is so well behaved and has such a sweet manner. I think he is going to be tall like Alan. I feel awful that I didn’t have a present for him. Helio told me over and over not to bring him one and said that we would bring him to the Zoo when we go. I think the little kid needs so good American toys from his American Aunt. As we left, we walked down to the yard where he keeps his Chivos (sheep) so that he could show Levi. They were gone; I think someone took them to eat somewhere (maybe tacos?) or something. Juan proceeded to show him his gallinas (female roosters) Levi had no fear. He was right in the coop with Juan and held the rooster. All I could think of is BIRD FLU. I did my best not to panic and let Levi have his moment with his cousin. Levi was so proud when he held the gallina all by himself. He loved it and I think Juan was impressed that his little gringo cousin liked his gallinas. Juan gave him a lasso to play with as we walked back to the car. His dad had to tear it from his hands; he didn’t want to give it back. I demanded that Helio wash his hands before we left, I just can’t have all those rooster germs all over. I kept thinking, that is a brand new shirt and you are putting rooster moogre (schmutz) all over it. I will do some washing, and then lay in my new hammock. I am so excited about that hammock.
I think we are going to Cuernavaca today. We have spent enough time in the small town. I think it is now time for us to run around and see some sights. However, we are trying so hard not to spend money. You need to spend money when you are away from home and we don’t have any.
12.24.06 Day 6, Mexico Trip 1
I did find my pan to cook lasagna in and spent the whole day about lasagna. Antonio and Antonia came over for dinner around 5 last night (they were supposed to be here at 4) and ate. Antonio had never had lasagna before. I sent some home with him. Then around 8 or so Rafa, Paloma, and their two girls came over, so did Nancy. I fed them all too. The pan I found to cook it in was big. I sent some home with Rafa and Paloma so that they can give some to her Aunts. They asked to “trae unos tacos parami que puedo probar” Bring some tacos home for me so that I can try. Paloma had to explain that they weren’t tacos- it was a plated dish. I am happy that there are people who request my cooking down here and don’t even know why. It makes me so happy when people eat what I cook. I don’t know if there could be a bigger compliment. (ok- you’re pretty comes in as a close second) Rafa said it is exactly as he remembered (I was missing a few ingredients like Ricotta cheese and spicey sausage, they couldn’t be found at the grocery store) He said, this is why I like you Manda- you cook. Gotta love that.
I have noticed that I am either really tall or the people down here do not consider knee height when building furniture. Most every time I sit down at a table or one of the little vanities that are here in the house, I crash my knees into them. It hurts. I have to remind myself, careful of the knees- Also, they do not consider passing traffic on sidewalks. Shoot, they barely care if there is a sidewalk there at all. The sidewalks are maybe 3’-6” wide and up tall off the road. So, if there is someone approaching you, you must step down into traffic to get around them. That is if you are able, there are often times cars parked up right against the sidewalk or on the sidewalk.
I have gotten used to bathing in a 5 gallon bucket. This is the favorite part of Helio’s day- He walks by and says “you looks so cute” I just ask him to leave. Levi on the other hand, does not like bathing in the bathroom with a 5 gallon bucket. It is a more pleasant experience if we put him in the sun to sit inside the bucket. He finds it to be a game then.
Today is Christmas- we aren’t doing anything. Helio wanted to open the three gifts we bought for one another last night after dinner. He bought me a scarf, gloves, a little wallet, and a portable mirror with a stand. I am very happy about the mirror. I have been putting my make up on in the dark- there isn’t good lighting next to the vanity- who knew. I think we will sit around the house, maybe I will sit in the sun. That is if my arms get better- I have one of those sun rashes up and down both arms. It looks and feels like my itchy elbow syndrome. Maybe I can sit in the sun but just wrap up my arms. I also burnt a bunch of my fingers AGAIN last night. I was trying to make tea for my sore throat and touched the ceramic cup and it was blazing hot. I burnt 3 fingers and had a hard time sleeping because they were throbbing so much. Helio wants to go to the Zoo today but I don’t think it will be open. He then suggested the Ruins but again, I don’t think they are open on Christmas and I don’t want to spend 3 hours driving to find out.
I don’t think that I want to spend Christmas in Mexico again. I know it is up to me to make it special but everything takes so much time to do. Plus, I can’t really cook anything because I don’t have the ingredients I need and it takes a full day to collect them all. I will just try to treat it like any other day. I sort of wanted Christmas to pass under the radar this year anyway.
Well, I am off to bask in the sun and read about the assassination of Lincoln (my book for book club this month) I love you both, Merry Christmas, I wish I was with you guys.
I have noticed that I am either really tall or the people down here do not consider knee height when building furniture. Most every time I sit down at a table or one of the little vanities that are here in the house, I crash my knees into them. It hurts. I have to remind myself, careful of the knees- Also, they do not consider passing traffic on sidewalks. Shoot, they barely care if there is a sidewalk there at all. The sidewalks are maybe 3’-6” wide and up tall off the road. So, if there is someone approaching you, you must step down into traffic to get around them. That is if you are able, there are often times cars parked up right against the sidewalk or on the sidewalk.
I have gotten used to bathing in a 5 gallon bucket. This is the favorite part of Helio’s day- He walks by and says “you looks so cute” I just ask him to leave. Levi on the other hand, does not like bathing in the bathroom with a 5 gallon bucket. It is a more pleasant experience if we put him in the sun to sit inside the bucket. He finds it to be a game then.
Today is Christmas- we aren’t doing anything. Helio wanted to open the three gifts we bought for one another last night after dinner. He bought me a scarf, gloves, a little wallet, and a portable mirror with a stand. I am very happy about the mirror. I have been putting my make up on in the dark- there isn’t good lighting next to the vanity- who knew. I think we will sit around the house, maybe I will sit in the sun. That is if my arms get better- I have one of those sun rashes up and down both arms. It looks and feels like my itchy elbow syndrome. Maybe I can sit in the sun but just wrap up my arms. I also burnt a bunch of my fingers AGAIN last night. I was trying to make tea for my sore throat and touched the ceramic cup and it was blazing hot. I burnt 3 fingers and had a hard time sleeping because they were throbbing so much. Helio wants to go to the Zoo today but I don’t think it will be open. He then suggested the Ruins but again, I don’t think they are open on Christmas and I don’t want to spend 3 hours driving to find out.
I don’t think that I want to spend Christmas in Mexico again. I know it is up to me to make it special but everything takes so much time to do. Plus, I can’t really cook anything because I don’t have the ingredients I need and it takes a full day to collect them all. I will just try to treat it like any other day. I sort of wanted Christmas to pass under the radar this year anyway.
Well, I am off to bask in the sun and read about the assassination of Lincoln (my book for book club this month) I love you both, Merry Christmas, I wish I was with you guys.
12.23.06 Day 5, Mexico Trip 1
We spent the whole day yesterday going from party to party. I needed to be driven home by 10:30 last night. I can only handle so much sitting around. Helio went back to Las Posadas and returned home about 1 last night. I seem to get a super sore throat and cough at night. Maybe it is true, when it gets cold you get sick. This is something that I have tried in earnest to convince Helio for years that it isn’t true. However, every night when it gets cold out, I feel like I have a terrible chest cold. We went to a Baptism party around 3:30 and stayed there until 6:30. The whole time I kept feeling like Levi had wandered away. He did make it down the street a couple times with Rafa’s two little girls, (who by the way look exactly like Rafa) to get candy. There are piñatas everywhere. It seems every place we go to there is a new one for Levi to lose his mind trying to get at. You would think he would bore of it after time. Not the case. The more he sees, the more he wants. The kids are showing him the ropes here, you break open the piñatas, get candy, then get the money, and buy more candy. There are little shops everywhere for a kid to get more candy. I have also given in, I keep giving him Coke to drink. There doesn’t seem to be many options and it makes him not yell. I am going to have to get back to vegetables and more nutritious drinks when I get back. Oh, who am I kidding, we all know my main objective every day is to prevent yelling.
There are two extra hours of sunshine a day here. It starts getting light out around 6:30 and stays that way until 6:30 pm. It is nice to have a little extra light. However, Levi is up at the crack of dawn every day. The regulars do not have a schedule such as this, they stay up super late, and I am sure are super irritated with Levi yelling “mom, mom, mom” all morning while they are trying to get their last couple of hours in.
Today is Christmas Eve. Helio says that Christmas is not a big deal here (which I find hard to believe, everyone is Catholic) We have invited his dad -Antonio and his dad’s girlfriend –Antonia to join us for lasagna dinner. I still have to locate all of the ingredients and a pan to cook it in. Man, everything down here is so much work. It will take an hour drive to the store and back and I hope they have everything I need. Otherwise I will just make spaghetti. I am giving Helio about 20 more minutes of sleep and then we are off to see if we can locate all we need for dinner. Christmas is very different this year.
I am surprised that I haven’t seen more bugs. I have only had to kill a couple cucarachas (cockroaches). No bugs in the bed, no big welts from being bitten. So far-
Everyone down here has some advice for you. It makes me nervous. I don’t like being stopped by old ladies and told “can I tell you something, or can I recommend that-“ Yesterday it was “recommended” to me that to prevent being sun burnt to slather myself in yogurt. Uh, no- won’t be doing that. And it was “recommended” that I drink some magic tea to help me with my American chorro (diarrhea) I won’t be drinking that either, who knows what is in it. I think that maybe if the food just was put in the fridge after it was prepared, I wouldn’t be so sick. It isn’t all for not- bc I can’t really eat the food, maybe I will finally lose that last 10 pounds. My recommendation- don’t look in the trash can in the bathroom stalls of a public restroom- I nearly threw up.
Levi has taken to watering the plants from the toilet. Whenever I catch him wandering around with a little plastic container filled with water, I realize the main water was left on to the toilet- The pump is broken so it doesn’t know when to stop filling, therefore, there is a little plastic container to catch the dripping on the floor under the tank. I have to turn off the water to the toilet after each use. Sometimes, I forget, especially when you wake up in the middle of the night. Oh, well, maybe the plants will grow a little more now that there is a toddler looking out for them.
Thank God for Elmo. I don’t know what I would do without that little dvd player and Elmo counting and talking about pets. I try to tell myself every day that this down quiet time is super good for Levi. Kids need to be bored- right mom?
Add to the list of things you can get road side- a casket- I will have to send a picture of the cute little casket shop down the street from where we are staying. Also, if your road side juice stand isn’t bringing in a profit, just put yourself out in the middle of traffic and hand it out to people. When we went in for groceries this morning, there was a woman standing in the middle of a four lane highway- soliciting freshly squeezed orange juice. Traffic was backed up a little because she had some takers. Note to self- do not be shy in the world of commerce, it gets you farther. On an aside- never in my life have I seen when you want to take your soda with you because you couldn’t finish it at dinner, that someone bags it up for you. Yes, bags it, you get the juice in a baggie with a straw popped in the top and the top tied up around it. Containers are a big commodity down here and people are not likely to give theirs up.
Ok, I am off- will write again soon.
There are two extra hours of sunshine a day here. It starts getting light out around 6:30 and stays that way until 6:30 pm. It is nice to have a little extra light. However, Levi is up at the crack of dawn every day. The regulars do not have a schedule such as this, they stay up super late, and I am sure are super irritated with Levi yelling “mom, mom, mom” all morning while they are trying to get their last couple of hours in.
Today is Christmas Eve. Helio says that Christmas is not a big deal here (which I find hard to believe, everyone is Catholic) We have invited his dad -Antonio and his dad’s girlfriend –Antonia to join us for lasagna dinner. I still have to locate all of the ingredients and a pan to cook it in. Man, everything down here is so much work. It will take an hour drive to the store and back and I hope they have everything I need. Otherwise I will just make spaghetti. I am giving Helio about 20 more minutes of sleep and then we are off to see if we can locate all we need for dinner. Christmas is very different this year.
I am surprised that I haven’t seen more bugs. I have only had to kill a couple cucarachas (cockroaches). No bugs in the bed, no big welts from being bitten. So far-
Everyone down here has some advice for you. It makes me nervous. I don’t like being stopped by old ladies and told “can I tell you something, or can I recommend that-“ Yesterday it was “recommended” to me that to prevent being sun burnt to slather myself in yogurt. Uh, no- won’t be doing that. And it was “recommended” that I drink some magic tea to help me with my American chorro (diarrhea) I won’t be drinking that either, who knows what is in it. I think that maybe if the food just was put in the fridge after it was prepared, I wouldn’t be so sick. It isn’t all for not- bc I can’t really eat the food, maybe I will finally lose that last 10 pounds. My recommendation- don’t look in the trash can in the bathroom stalls of a public restroom- I nearly threw up.
Levi has taken to watering the plants from the toilet. Whenever I catch him wandering around with a little plastic container filled with water, I realize the main water was left on to the toilet- The pump is broken so it doesn’t know when to stop filling, therefore, there is a little plastic container to catch the dripping on the floor under the tank. I have to turn off the water to the toilet after each use. Sometimes, I forget, especially when you wake up in the middle of the night. Oh, well, maybe the plants will grow a little more now that there is a toddler looking out for them.
Thank God for Elmo. I don’t know what I would do without that little dvd player and Elmo counting and talking about pets. I try to tell myself every day that this down quiet time is super good for Levi. Kids need to be bored- right mom?
Add to the list of things you can get road side- a casket- I will have to send a picture of the cute little casket shop down the street from where we are staying. Also, if your road side juice stand isn’t bringing in a profit, just put yourself out in the middle of traffic and hand it out to people. When we went in for groceries this morning, there was a woman standing in the middle of a four lane highway- soliciting freshly squeezed orange juice. Traffic was backed up a little because she had some takers. Note to self- do not be shy in the world of commerce, it gets you farther. On an aside- never in my life have I seen when you want to take your soda with you because you couldn’t finish it at dinner, that someone bags it up for you. Yes, bags it, you get the juice in a baggie with a straw popped in the top and the top tied up around it. Containers are a big commodity down here and people are not likely to give theirs up.
Ok, I am off- will write again soon.
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