fire!

By Angela on December 5, 2011

Yesterday, we had an unusual windstorm (but no rain) during the night that has kept up all day today, and the usually warm temps have dropped 10-15 degrees to no more than 60′s in the daytime, 40′s at night. Feels like Maine Fall! (early Fall). The windstorm had pulled down several dead palm tree branches, about 12 feet long, dry as toast, and much heavier than I expected. Now I see why my gardener was averse to sawing the dead branches off – let the wind do it. I can see how these substantial palm branches are excellent  for building houses. (Bonus: I got 2 “leafless” branches in a beautiful shape that would make interesting sculptures.)

Maybe because I’m an Aries, fire has always been important to me, and a source of contemplative delight. My years in Maine afforded me my most contact with building fires, and various methods of using a fire: campfires, not so efficient wood stoves, efficient wood stoves, Russian or Finnish fireplaces (thanks to my ex who builds fabulous such fireplaces and stonework), traditional fireplaces, and finally, my very own DIA stone firepit situated close to the lake at my last (beloved) house in Maine. My hammock was also close by, and it was wonderful to engage with the fire and visitors into the night. One night, a new neighbor across the lake gave us quite a professional fireworks show, in celebration of a birthday. One never knows…

Living here in Lake Chapala, I have been well aware of fires burning in the distance, on the mountain and in the country, even in the relatively hot month of May when I first came to check the place out. I’m sure many people still cook and heat with fire, and farmers always have trash wood to burn. The houses here don’t usually have a source of heat. Many houses have fireplaces, and many folks buy electric heaters for cool weather. My house has a faux fireplace in the living room with an electric receptacle inside for a heater to be plugged in. So far, the house doesn’t cool down enough to need a heater, but that may change.

Right before the recent windstorm, I anticipated wanting a fire for warmth (that old Fall ritual seems to have become part of my DNA), and also a means of grilling over charcoal. A few days ago, I went to the vivero (garden shop) I frequent and bought a ceramic chiminea, but not the kind with a little built-in chimney. This one lets me build a fire with logs on the bottom, or put in a grate to hold charcoal, and a 2nd grate above that to hold food for grilling. All told, the chiminea, custom-made (and re-made grates that didn’t fit the first time), and a few sticks of mesquite cost about $50.00 USD, delivered.

Tonight I tried out my little fireplace, starting the fire with palm leaves and branches, and burning a couple of mesquite logs that lasted for a few hours. Heaven!

So my circle is complete: wind, wood, fire. I had a cozy time fondly remembering my fires in Maine, sipping a very Mexican cup of that Chocolat drink (cocoa, cinnamon, and chipotle chili), a good connection.

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spa time!

By Angela on November 30, 2011

Villa Bordeaux

My friend Diana had two visitors from British Columbia; unfortunately, Diana was sick with a bad cold during their visit, and asked me to help attend to them. What a delight that turned out to be! We ended up spending 2 days (their 3rd and 4th, it was so good) at Villa Bordeaux Spa Termal Cosala / Hotel, one of the local spas & hotel in San Juan Cosala, about a 20 minute drive west of Ajijic.

This unique setting on Lake Chapala is built on natural hot springs. One of the waitstaff told us that if it weren’t for the spa pools, the land could explode with thermal “geysers”. We enjoyed the infinity warm water pool, a hot tub and wonderful poolside meals and drinks; there was also tequila tasting and education about the different types of tequila. This area was restricted to 60 adults only, and since it was during the Revolution holidays, we picked the best spot, not at all crowded. The hot water is quite healing: our incipient (or worse) arthritic aches and pains simply disappeared, and the salts in the water (no chlorine) made our skin extra soft.  The price? (are you sitting down?): about $22.00 USD for tickets for the whole day, plus meals and drinks. There are other areas of the same spa for families with children, and several hot tubs that offer immersion in herbs, flowers, and even chocolate! But they were noisy and crowded. The thermal infinity pool was enough for us, thanks, and totally delightful.  If/when any of my family & friends come visit, (ahem) it’s definitely worth a trip to the spa!

Monte Coxala

Across the road and up the mountain from this spa is a unique place: Monte Coxala Spa/Hotel and its Restaurante Chac-Lan. Their website offers gorgeous photos. The story here is that the Mexican owner, a retired physician, loves pre-Columbian art and has dedicated the grounds as a sculpture garden of replicas of such art. He has worked with a local sculptor who for over 20 years has created replicas of notable Tolmec, Aztec, and Mayan sculpture and architecture.

We asked if we could stroll the grounds, but alas, they’re open only to hotel guests, to protect their privacy. However, the restaurant is open to the public (the round palapa (thatched roof) covered structure in my photos below.

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november celebrations

By Angela on November 27, 2011

November may be the most celebratory month of the year here, but I’ll wait for Christmas to confirm this.

Art Festival

Besides the Day of the Dead festivities, the town of Chapala has hosted Feria Maestros del Arte for the last 10 years and is going strong, this year on November 18-20. Artisans and performers from all over Mexico converge in a giant outdoor arts festival. There is a video from the 2009 Feria Maestros del Arte with many of the same artisans and crafts that appeared in 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also recommend that you look at photos from fellow Mainer Bill Frayer* to get an idea of the art (return here with your back button).

Feria Music Performance and Rebozo (shawl) demonstration

Mariachi music is an acquired taste and I have acquired it! Guadalajara has an all-woman Mariachi band, which have become my favorite group. Their singing is emotional, humorous, flirty, heartfelt, and serious bluesy. They are a talented group of individuals and performed at the Feria this year.

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There was also a rebozo (shawl) fashion show and demo of the myriad ways these lovely shawls can be tied and used for different purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viva la Revolution!

The last 9 days of November in Mexico offer many parades and fireworks commemorating: La Revolución Mexicana - 1910′s that is. Mexico’s revolution in 1810,  celebrated on the 16th of September, was the Mexican War of Independence from Spain, and lasted from 1810 to 1821.

La Revolución also required 10 years, to ouster Porfirio Diaz, create the Constitution, and establish a viable central government.  In the parades celebrating the  Revolution, children dress like the people did back in the day, complete with painted-on moustasches, little wooden rifles and faux bandoliers, and pretend fine ladies’ gowns.

I can’t help but connect, since my mother was born in 1906, and my family left for the USA (Texas) at about the time of the Revolution, just in time for her to start kindergarten, not speaking a word of English. Ajijic’s patron saint (of fishermen) St. Andre is remembered and honored: the church in Ajijic Plaza is dedicated to him, and there were extensive celebrations, bombas, and parades in his honor.

Thanksgiving

The American (and Canadian??) Thanksgiving used to be difficult to put together in Lake Chapala, since turkey and many of the trimmings weren’t easily available here. Thankfully, that has changed, and many restaurants offer a traditional TG dinner. My friend Valerie invited me to join her at La Nueva Posada (an old colonial style hotel) for a delicious meal that was very easy to overeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were joined by an elegant lady, probably in her 80s, bright as a penny, who was leaving her temporary assisted living digs for an independent apartment this week, and who had interesting stories to tell of her 17 years in Lake Chapala. One of the staff from the assisted living facility came to check on her and arrange her pick-up time. Our dinner companion had glowing reports about the care there, and Mexico is committing to building more affordable assisted living and extended care facilities, at a fraction of the cost in the U.S.

After dinner we visited another 80-year-old friend of Valerie’s, and again, a very smart and with-it lady, recently widowed. There are many role models of aging women here, including a 90-something woman (who can’t weigh more than about 90 pounds), that I have seen on LCS bus trips, totally independent. I wish we could see more such positive role models in American media. As one of the local fitness guru’s logo says, aging is not for sissies.

*News from Bill and Pixie

Speaking of, Mainers Bill and Pixie have decided to become snowbirds, living most of the year in Maine (see more details in the same link). Although I haven’t seen that much of them, I know I will miss them. Hey, I just got here! Luckily, Bill has published several volumes of poetry and there’s a reading coming up soon. And Pixie has invited me to the Solstice celebration on the mountain overlooking Ajijic (I attended the Equinox celebration at the same location in September). Hopefully, I can see them in Maine too, when I’m there.

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day of the dead

By Angela on November 8, 2011

This year, Mexico celebrated their Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 2, a day which traditionally honors the dead, All Saints Day, and these days, Halloween imported from foreigners. Celebrations began on 10/31 with bombas (fireworks) in the plazas, and a parade of each barrio and school in the native costumes of Aztecs, Mayans, and other Indios, with an occasional living pieta (Mary holding the body of Jesus brought down from the cross) float here and there. (So there’s a bit of mixed metaphors, makes it richer!)

A  friend and I visited the Ajijic Panteon (cemetery) where families gathered at gravesides in the traditional manner to honor their dead. The graves are decorated with flowers, especially marigolds which made them look like shrines in India, along with food items, specific reminders of their departed loved one such as their favorite sport or drink, and tiny terra cotta skeletons and other momento mori (“Remember you too must die”). Some young men were drinking their tequila or beer at graveside, some of the women were conducting prayer recitations with their families, all subdued and quiet, but not sad.

Perhaps they get through their grief at the time of death, knowing that they will come back to it every year, they process their grief a little bit at a time over the year, surrounded by family and community support. It was so heartbreaking to see photos of children and youths who had died prematurely, some this very year. But it was heartwarming to see the attention to detail in the way the people honor their dead. Each decorated grave was an art exhibit. There were moments when I thought I felt spirits (Rosie, are you reading this?), and I decided they were glad we were there.

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Another celebration in Chapala was on a street where people commemorated whomever they wish, not just their own personal departeds, with elaborate altars, parades, pan de los muertos, bread of the dead – buns with a dough cross on top (gives new meaning to hot cross buns). Another treat was a free hot drink served by a woman at her doorstep, which was made with coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, and a pinch of one of the Maya’s gifts, chipotle chili (like in the movie Chocolat, but it didn’t seem to have the same effect on me as in the movie, dammit). Among the altars were one for Bob Marley, another one for PRI one of the Mexican political parties (I guess someone WISHED they were dead), and perennial favorite, Frieda Kahlo. The altars presented food, drink, clothing, momentos of their interests and activities when alive; and curiously, often included a wash basin with soap and towel.

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In the course of walking the crowded street, suddenly there was a somber parade of high school students in “dead” makeup, some on horseback. They took their procession very seriously, and you could feel the power they exuded as guides through the underworld. These were not decked out as zombies American-style, nor the amusing little skeletons found everywhere here, but a much more dignified, enactment of momento mori.

 

(May look better in full-screen mode…)

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For the last celebration, little neighborhood goblins dressed in U.S.-style Halloween costumes and came to my door declaring “Queremos Halloween!” (“We want Halloween!”). I felt terrible that I did not have candy for them, not thinking they did American-style Halloween. But I had a few pesos to hand out and hope that was sufficient. I’ll know better next year. Alas, no “fotos” of the kids.

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lake cruise

By Angela on October 31, 2011

Lake Chapala Pelicans

I recently bought a ticket for a cruise on Lake Chapala on the new party boat, the Batur. I had left another meeting late, and raced from Ajijic to Chapala hoping I’d make the boat in time. Just as I got there and parked, I could see the stern of the boat several meters from shore and I thought, oh no, missed it. As I approached the gangplank anyway, it turned out that the boat hadn’t launched yet, and in fact wouldn’t launch for another 15-30 min., making the excursion 1/2 hour late. Yep, we’re on Mexico time. A small ferry holding about 20 passengers is pulled by a rope by a man on the boat, bringing passengers from the shore to the boat, similar to a clothesline on a pulley; and the reverse when landing at the end of the cruise. I had seen a similar ferry in my early days in Maine, and I always enjoy experiencing low tech solutions  (as well as my Apple tech toys).

Batur Boat Cruise slideshow:

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The Batur is a dedicated party boat, with 2 bars, a dance floor, dining and cocktail tables, a grilling center for, in this instance, burgers and dogs, and a few fish options. In this climate, there’s no need to close it in with glass, so it’s an open boat all around. It’s a brand new boat, white on white, very clean and seemed to function well. Our cruise was supposed to be about 3 hours long, heading east from Chapala and back. Some tours go to Ajijic, some stop off at Scorpion Island or Mescala Island for a brief tour of the fort and a bit of history (see below). I think it’s not until you are on the lake and far enough away from shore that you can actually conceptualize just how big Lake Chapala really is: 50 miles long, 20 miles wide, more like an inland sea.

Our cruise had a DJ spinning old songs from when we were young, from the 1950′s, 1960′s, 1970′s and some Latina music. And as this trip was sponsored by the LCS Mix and Match Singles Club, the passengers were mostly single (some sneaky couples wiggled their way in), mostly women, and people were soon drinking and dancing.

Understandably, the vastly outnumbered men were the focus of attention of many of the women (no, I wasn’t one of them). Seems that all the guys have to do here is stand there, keep their mouths shut, and look pretty!  (Oh, unFAIR!) I did find several women interesting to talk to. The women here tend to have full and varied backgrounds, and they certainly are risk-takers: hey, they’re here! Many came down here alone, or were unexpectedly separated, widowed or divorced after they arrived. They seem to be thriving.

I had noticed one of the cute young waiters wiggling his hips as he served the passengers, and I wondered if he was anxious to dance. And he was. At the end of the cruise, well after the 3-hr. deadline, the waiters changed out of uniform, donned crazy wigs, and hit the dance floor. They were very gracious asking the elder ladies to dance. So sweet and charming: I believe they could get jobs as social directors on any cruise liner.

Batur Boat Boogie:

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History and Culture

Two islands are found in Lake Chapala. One of these, Scorpion Island, or Isla Alacranes, is a sacred site for indigenous Mexicans. Isla Alacranes is named for its shape, like a scorpion, not because it has an abundance of them. According to one website, it has several restaurants that serve scrumptious local dishes.

The other, Mezcala Island, or Isla Presidio, is a national monument and the site of a glorious episode in Mexican history. In the early 1800′s, from their stronghold on the island, a very determined band of 1000 Mexican insurgents – grossly outnumbered and with little or no arms and supplies — held off the powerful Spanish army and navy for four years. Eventually defeated by typhoid and dysentery rather than force of arms, the freedom fighters’ brave resistance is said to have inspired Mexico’s independence in 1821, ending 300 years of colonial rule.

Adapted from: http://www.chapaladirectory.com/english2011/chapala.php

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the Thriller dance

By Angela on October 30, 2011

I didn't even need makeup :o )

Last night, we did it! We danced the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance on the Chapala Malecon. This was a global phenomenon: at the same hour across the world, other zombies performed the Thriller dance in their location for their charities and causes. Thank you, MJ, for your fabulous choreography.

talented fearless leader Elliott

Local realtor Elliott Joachim, with a background in ballroom dance, does a fabulous job organizing and guiding us through learning the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance. She’s a lot of fun and knows how to run a group that keeps it fun and non-competitive.

Why? you may ask…for fun, of course! And it was a blast. Practice for 2 wks and/or learn the official MJ moves online. About 30 women and a coupla guys, young, old, Americans, Canadians, Latin Americans, we are just people who love to dance, create make up and costumes for Halloween like 4-yr-olds.

 

this adorable little zombie helped to collect the donations for Cruz Roja

This is also a benefit to raise money to help our local Red Cross (Cruz Roja) who provides EMS and ambulances locally. They are in dire financial straights, and the Lake Chapala community has been doing all kinds of things to collect donations for them to keep it all going. Including scaring the money right out of the audience’s pockets!

Here are a few other zombies before the dance… and be sure and watch the video! Go to the slideshows and video page in this blog.

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lunch in the cloud

By Angela on October 16, 2011

There is such good food in Lake Chapala: regional Mexican, of course, (even Tex-Mex), seafood (fresh daily from the Pacific), ranchero-style and other steak, Texas bar-b-que, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, pasta and pizza, rotisserie chicken, nouveau cuisine (whatever that is, these days), the weekly organic market that is out of this world, along with the weekly traditional Tianguis (outdoor markets) in each village, and there are new cafe’s/restaurants opening (and closing) all the time.

Having lunch weekly at the new internet cafe on my street – The Oasis Cloud – has become a real treat;
delicious sandwiches, dessert and coffee, including lattes and espresso, and the owners and other guests to chat with in the beautiful garden. Duane is a software developer;  he and Mary Ann met while working as independent missionaries in Indonesia, and have lived all over the world. They have cleverly converted part of their home into a cafe and meeting place, indoors and out.

Krypto loves it there; he’s appointed himself greeter of customers, but settles right down for a nap in the shade as he waits for a treat from my lunch. And to think it’s all just a few blocks down my street where Krypto and I walk nearly every day.

You never know what you’ll find in Mexico.

 

The Oasis Cloud garden is a wonder and I think it deserves its own post of photos here.

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how busy should we be?

By Angela on October 14, 2011

Tropical Storm Irwin in Eastern Pacific

We’ve had rain for about a week, most unusual; hurricane Jova plus 2 tropical storms in the east Pacific churned it up, and Jova crossed land into our state of Jalisco around Puerta Vallarta. In Lake Chapala, we didn’t have high winds or severe rain, only minor flooding here and there, as in the usual rainy season, where nearly all cobblestone streets and sidewalks morph into streams and rivulets to be forded. People have been saying we had an abbreviated rainy season this year, so this light steady rain, all day and all night, was actually welcome. The temperatures dropped down to 50′s and 60′s. It made me want to hunker down and luxuriate in the weather, and reminded me of wrapping up in a comforter with a good book on a snowed-in day in Maine. Without the loss of power. There is still tropical storm Irwin that just made landfall, but the sun came out here this morning and it’s as welcome as the rain was.

Hunkering down in the rain this week was a good reminder of how busy I’ve been lately, good busy, doing fun things, getting out, enjoying doing things with people and new friends. But I’m recognizing how much I don’t want to be busy. I want to make room for creativity, for tranquility, for gardening, for watching the humming birds, for the joy of reading (again), for writing, and art. I’m seeing an optimum pattern emerging: do no more than 3 errands/tasks per day, not more than 3 times per week. Otherwise, my energy is sapped.

What’s there to do around here?

For me, Spanish class (twice a week), grocery shopping (more fun in the Tanguis or Organic Market, but there’s always WalMart), meals out, shopping for second-hand clothes (I’m still shrinking), occasional LCS bus trips to other famous towns to view the work of artisans, or the GDL Zoo, or some day to the beach (Puerto Vallarta, Manzanilla, Colima, or other coastal towns), or to Tequila (town of, blue agave fields, tour of Tequila processing methods plus take-home samples), or to Guadalajara and Mexico City for big-city culture and shopping fixes.

In Lakeside, there’s live theatre x 2: Lakeside Little Theatre, and Naked Stage, other live musical and dance performances, movie theaters x 2 (for around $2 USD) showing current releases in English with Spanish subtitles (or visa versa), meetings, parties, fiestas. I hope to do Kayaking (year-round) on the lake, maybe an art group, a garden club, and Zumba for exercise (unbelievable workout to very loud Mexican techno). There’s a Mac user group, iPhone/iPod/(iPad?) group, free weekly movies at LCS, mostly foreign, independent, and art house films, selected and hosted by a very knowledgeable and good-humored film aficionado, with discussion before and afterwards.

Then there’s volunteering to “payback” this wonderful community, help the Mexicanos, especially the poor children. I have yet to volunteer for something, but luckily, many of the local second-hand shops and bus trips I do give a cut of the fees to local charities.

I will always need my alone-time for meditation/centering, creative work, gardening, reading, watching movies, perusing the net, playing with electronics, and oh yeah, playing with Krypto. I also hope to develop close friendships here, and keep up with those of my prior life. I hope to save enough dough to be able to travel, both within Mexico and wherever else I can afford. Put all of this together, it’s a pretty full slate. And this doesn’t even scratch the surface.

I think of how often it is reported that retirees are bored to death (literally?), not knowing how to fill their day, eventually returning to work, (if they can find it), for structure and social connection. I don’t believe it’s a problem here, but I could be wrong. I hear people saying they can hardly get themselves out of the house to do something (like this week for me with the rain), and I hear people saying they are so overbooked they have no time for themselves. I seek the middle path.

In the 3 months I have been here, I’ve had 4 people wanting me to develop a website or blog, but for now (probably forever), I’m saying ‘no’. I really don’t feel like working! Even work I always enjoyed. (This from a formerly long-term unemployed premature retiree avidly seeking work every week). In Mexico, my financial status is “good enough” and I’m even saving more than I was before I left the states, spending less here all the time, so I don’t really need to try to earn more money. The panic is gone, along with the pressure; I re-calculate what I’m spending frequently, to make sure I’m not hoodwinking myself, but my bottom line is: I’m living a very good life that costs around $20K per year (including saving 20%), and it could cost even less should the need arise.

My life is getting balanced: I have what I want, I want what I have. The last thing I want is to get on the treadmill trap of work. And maybe activities and socializing is another treadmill to avoid, or at least to moderate.

I think life here is so fulfilling – beautiful climate, gorgeous environment, good healthy food, connection with interesting friendly people, and creativity everywhere – that it’s possible to leave behind the shoulds and musts and wants that kept us on our treadmills as we sought to fill an empty life.

The most frequent word I hear about living here is: “magical”. And we’re not kidding!

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16th of september

By Angela on October 3, 2011

The 16th of September is Mexico’s 4th of July, celebrating Mexico’s hard-won independence from Spain in 1810. For an excellent account of the history – and contemporary celebrations – of this important holiday, please read here (note: if you have to subscribe to that blog to view the article, it’s well worth your money, assuming you want to learn a lot about Lake Chapala.) But here’s a quote:

In the early hours of September 16, 1810, Padre Miguel Hidalgo, the parish priest of Dolores, Guanajuato, summoned the townspeople to the church and spoke passionately, urging the farmers to take up arms against Spain. The midnight rally 201 years ago marked the beginning of Mexico’s 10-year struggle for independence from Spain.

In essence, Mexico commemorates this event with the recitation of Hidalgo’s speech (called the grito, or cry for freedom), the night before around 11pm on the 15th of September, in every plaza in Mexico, led by officials from the most local all the way up to El Presidente de Mexico. But the decorations and parties actually begin around September 1, and in Lakeside, since there are several villages and not enough room for everybody in Ajijic for one big celebration, the Mexicanos are happy to repeat the celebrations AFTER September 16 in each of the other villages. Any excuse for a party, and nobody parties like Mexicans!

from the Club balcony, Ajijic Plaza

(Left:) Come to the Ajijic plaza September 11 about 6 p.m. for an old traditional event — the promenade of the rebozos (shawls). Girls, young women and grandmas proudly wear this iconic garment in a variety of ways.
(Right:) The charros (horsemen) don their finest trajes (traditional suits) for the September parades. (from http://www.mexico-insights.com)

One of the unique expressions of Mexican joy and fun around this time, is the launching of globos: small homemade hot air balloons that mostly catch on fire and crash to the ground, but if they actually fly, can go all the way up the mountain.


Finale

Noche Mexicana

(Left) Not to be undone, expats and Mexican amigos put on a fabuloso performance of their own: THE REALLY BIG LIP SYNC SHEW hosted by Ed Sullivan himself (or maybe it was a look-alike?). They cavorted and minced and lip-synced to some favorite and not so favorite oldies. There’s a lotta talent in this town! See the slideshow (although the images are fuzzy, you’ll get the idea).

 

 

(Right) And we also had a delightful La Noche Mexicana (Mexican Night) celebration, with great food, music, singing and dancing, including dance performances by a young Ballet Folklorico troupe from San Juan Cosala, west of Ajijic.

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people snapshots

By Angela on September 30, 2011

My maid Estella and her husband Chuy (and son)

Estella is a young mother of two of school age children, a boy and a girl. She does an awesome job cleaning my house every week, and converses with me in Spanish. Although she speaks some English, she refuses to with me, to help me advance in my Spanish lessons (she’s right). We enjoy a conversation before she gets down to sweeping (inside and out), mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, changing the beds, cleaning the kitchen. She’s very sweet and her face reminds me of the sun, smiling brightly.

Her husband Chuy is employed by my rental agency and has been a big help with resolving minor issues with the house. He has 2 brothers who live in Washington, D.C. and Chuy lived there with them for a time, working and learning English. He is a favorite among our rental agency’s workers, and is often requested by the single women who are mistrusting of having un hombre in their homes. He is so reliable, speaks English nearly fluently, and is generally an all-around good guy. They recently worked an extra 4 hours to scrub my fountain of a hardened layer of scale plus some protective coating that had to be chiseled out, making the fountain good as new.

Our “staff” down here (maid, handymen, gardener) serve as concierges getting us good value for services we need from local businesses without getting gouged with gringo prices. I like to send business their way, rather than randomly find somebody out of a phone book. And if they and their friends can make out a little better, it’s a virtuous circle.

Talking to strangers

Simply Thai Restaurant

I recently met a couple in a restaurant who live in Lake Chapala in winter, Hawaii in summer, but also spend 1-2 months each in Rome, Paris, or wherever in the course of the year. Tough life! It seems they can do this by renting their 2 home bases year-round, not pouring money into home ownership, and staying in affordable hostels in Europe when there.

Ives, on the lake

Usually, when I go to a restaurant alone, I end up chatting with people at the next table. Especially when Krypto is with me, he’s a conversation starter par excellence. Since nearly all restaurants here have outdoor seating and allow dogs, K can usually come with me, and behaves very well, knowing he’ll get treats from my meal at the end. But even when he’s not with me, people are so friendly and seek to engage. It reminds me of being in college where you always have something to talk about: what’s your major, which dorm do you live in, what’s your sign (in my day, anyway). It’s like that here, but about: are you visiting or living here, full- or part-time, where do you live, renting or owning, where are you from, how long have you been here. And then usually, all agree about how wonderful it is here, and share our JOY at our good fortune in being here.

El Jardin, with peacocks

There are some people, of course, who take every opportunity to complain: about how awful 1) Mexico 2) Mexicans 3) their maid/gardener 4) the food 5) the prices 6) the street vendors, 7) the cost of healthcare… n) nearly anything/everything is here. I overhear conversations over an entire meal that are strictly about somatic complaints, their latest diagnosis, what a ripoff healthcare is here (e.g., $15.00 USD doctor office visits??), how their overfilled medicine cabinets are just not helping.

And then there are the Fear Mongers (FMs) who are never very far way from impending violence. It’s true, we recently had a shooting in Chapala – the police shot 3, killed 2 drug-related bad guys (I felt more secure knowing that the police won that round). The FMs were all atwitter warning anyone who would listen to stay out of Ajijic and Chapala lest they be shot. Now, we’re talking about elders who managed to survive the violence in the U.S. all their lives up til now. But maybe that’s how they did it, by hiding under their beds.

Worse are the insidious racists oblivious to their racism. Saying how they would not swim the public pools here (“I don’t know how often they clean them”), would not eat from street vendors (“they’re so dirty, you would get sick”), how some mixed neighborhoods (gringo and Mexican) are TOO mixed (“too many Mexicans”). And even some Mexicans are in this category, who don’t allow their maids/gardeners to use their bathrooms (hence the additional outdoor bathrooms built in many homes, including my rental or the Guadalajarans who treat the uneducated, poor Mexicans like slaves or worse. I hope things will change some day, but meanwhile I cringe at some of these conversations. When I’m in a position to challenge them, gently, it only backfires: I become one of THEM. I grew up with this in Texas, it’s very familiar territory. Some day, if I get my nationality declaration, it would be very amusing to let them know “You know, I’m a Mexican too.”

My neighborhood

A mother and daughter from the states live in my neighborhood, daughter helps mom who has health problems. Both were mental health field professionals prior to moving here, are politically liberal and active in the Democratic party. They are kind enough to rescue and/or feed the stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood. They were also kind enough to take me to Costco by a different route that avoids driving through GDL. (There are a zillion Costco’s in the GDL area.) Yes, I actually bought stuff there, including 36 rolls of t.p.! It seems that having a survivalist-type of stocked pantry affords a degree of comfort; for me, it means shopping less frequently, so I’ll probably go again.

Recent conversations about the economy: the banks around here are offering 5-6% on savings accounts with a minimum deposit of 10K USD. There are many small investment firms here and gringos seem to be moving their money to Mexico (although one can do all their banking online via U.S. banks). There seems to be new laws affecting capital gains taxes if one is selling property here.

We now have an Internet cafe in the neighborhood!  (photos later). A nice couple have converted their front room and patio into cafe space with umbrella tables, and offer sandwiches, coffee, desserts. Nice place to chat with them and with other neighbors. It’s a wonderful idea, and I will do my best to support them; it’s delightful to stop in there on my walks with Krypto, who is dying to get into their kitchen, but manages to behave. They have travelled throughout Indonesia and southeast Asia as independent Christian missionaries (unaffiliated with a particular church). He’s a techie, they both are into healthy food and complementary medicine, quite liberal in their politics, and most pleasant to talk with, so although they offer WiFi, so far I’d rather talk than read or write on my iPad.

Easy

Another neighbor from the states is in recovery and treatment here for a narcotics addiction. He has lived here several years in the home he inherited from his mother, who made the move several years ago, as did an uncle. One of his 2 dogs recently had to be put down following an eye infection that travelled to the brain. (What’s with the eye thing here?). I will always have an interest in addiction, having worked in that field, but I know to keep my distance – and boundaries. But he’s pleasant to talk to on a how-ya-doing basis. His dog Easy and Krypto get along.

My Mexican techie neighbor next door who had been very friendly when I first moved in, became very hostile about Krypto after we had tried to get K and his dog Lex to become friends. Krypto had uncharacteristically barked and snarled at him (the man, not the dog). So I’ve kept my distance from him. He recently got married to a very sweet young woman, and she and I have had some friendly chats. Lately, things are a bit friendlier, all around. Whatever it was that Krypto was picking up from him seems to have abated. But K’s still not interested in being friends with Lex at all, even though he’s made friends with lots of other dogs in the ‘hood now. As do most dog owners, I trust what doggies tell me about humans.

An attractive older Mexican man walks his unusual dog: a “Xolo”, a small charcoal-gray hairless dog, but for a few long strands on his head, like a Chinese crested. This dog is of an ancient breed known to the Aztecs called the Xoloitzcuintle (pronounced “show-low-its-queen-tli”). The man always looked a bit stunned at K’s doggles, and finally asked about them. I was able to explain in Spanish, I’m happy to report, and now he chuckles when he sees K with his goggles on.

Another very sweet Mexican man walks his Bichon-type dogster, Pele, and lives with an American woman nearby. He lived in Germany many years, and she’s an artist, grows an organic garden, and in the woman’s group I joined for an Equinox celebration recently; they are building a new house at the other end of the neighborhood. He is always very concerned about the stray street dogs, having rescued more than one himself. He told me one time that he and his partner were very glad to have met me – isn’t that nice? They’ll be an interesting couple to get to know.

Bougainvillea everywhere

My neighbors across the street I don’t know very well: she’s a very attractive Filipina with beautiful white hair and dark skin, he’s a Brit, and they have 3 ferocious watchdogs, all Chihuahuas. Krypto would love to play with them, but they’re just not into him.

I met an elegant, very fit older Mexican woman outside her beautiful house in the neighborhood. She’s from Mexico City, fluent in English, retired to Lake Chapala. Her adult children don’t visit much any more, and she has a big house. She said she’s interested in finding a roommate, and if/when I’m ready to move, we should talk. Needless to say, I’m not ready yet.

And of course, there are the celebrations that lead up to, during and after the 16th of September, Mexican Independence Day. Mexicans really know how to party! …stay tuned!

The lakeshore in the neighborhood

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update: climate

By Angela on September 15, 2011

Still “Maine summer” beautiful, still have rain at night only it skips a night here and there. Sometimes I have to wear a hoodie and jeans for the chilly morning walk, but it’s toasty again in the afternoon. As we head into fall, we’ll get less rain until it stops completely from about October until June. And it will gradually get cooler, not only in the mornings but the rest of the day too. We’ve had many conversations recently about whether the rainy season is past; we’re seeing flowers that usually don’t bloom until later October. When we go 2-3 days without rain, the cobblestones are dusty dry. After it rained last night, it was back to normal and quite a relief.

One more month until the snowbirds arrive for the winter. I’m trying not to be negative, but I’ve heard so many complaints from the year-rounders about how crowded it gets with traffic and too many ugly-American types. I’ll try to stay open.

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update: getting legal

By Angela on September 14, 2011


As you may remember, when I crossed into MX, Mexican border patrol didn’t ask for my passport, I didn’t get a tourist visa, and didn’t get my temporary import car sticker; the police kept waving me on saying I didn’t need to stop, even through 3 custom stops past the border. Everyone here said I would now have to return to the border to correct this. I have met several people here now who had the same experience, so I’m not the only ‘criminal’ in town. I knew that I could have applied for my car permit online in advance of coming here, but their website didn’t work on a Mac, and I ran out of time before I left to find a PC to do it on.

Ah, Mexico, wait a minute and everything changes. Turns out that the website has now been updated so the application process works on a Mac and it’s translated into excellent English. So, I pretended I was applying while still in the U.S. I applied on a Saturday, it was processed and delivered by courier to a friend in the U.S. on the following Wednesday, who sent it by courier to me here, arriving 2 days later on Friday. This has GOT to have broken all bureaucratic speed records, in Mexico or U.S. for that matter.

Wouldn’t you know it, as I passed Wal-Mart (a known speed trap) on my way to Mailboxes Etc. to pick up my car sticker, I noticed flashing lights behind me. A very nice (and handsome) young cop claimed I ran the red light at Wal-Mart (I didn’t, but I was not about to argue with him). Naturally, he asked for my visa and the whereabouts of my car permit sticker. With visions of sweating it out for days (weeks?) in a Mexican jail, wondering how I could cope with the confiscation of my car and Krypto starving to death without me, I swallowed hard and decided to tell the truth. Luckily, I could say most of it in Spanish. As I spoke, he leaned into my driver’s side window  – many Mexican men wear nice colognes, very pleasant – and kept smiling and shaking his head, no doubt thinking ‘yet another crazy old gringa’. ‘Un momento‘, he finally said and went to his cop car, speaking with his cop partner (who was older and not anywhere near as handsome); the youngster returned, saying he will just give me a ticket for the red light. I was intensely grateful and asked where and when I could pay it, wanting to pay it quanto antes (as soon as possible), a phrase I had just learned in Spanish class that week. He explained it all, and being a Friday, I couldn’t do anything until Monday. Thus I got away with not only just a ticket, but he didn’t act like he wanted a bribe and I wasn’t about to offer one for a lousy traffic ticket (in the U.S., I ate traffic tickets for breakfast ;o).

This saves me the cost (several hundred USD) and aggravation of a trip to the border, and will free me up to drive long distances, which I have been avoiding until I got the sticker and the visa. I have managed to sashay around a couple of police ID checks on the Carreterra , but I knew it was only a matter of time. But now, at least my car is legal!

However, the visa application process has been seriously delayed, a classic “who’s on first” runaround between Chapala and Guadalajara immigration authorities. But we’re getting somewhere now. I just met with my lawyer to pay the fine $1196 MXP (about $97 USD)  for not having the FMM tourist visa; then when the actual FM3 visa is ready, I’ll  pay the regular fee for the visa $1294 MXP (about $105 USD). Then pay the remaining balance of the $1000 MXP (about $80) to my lawyer. But hey, it’s better than jail, deportation, or getting my car confiscated. Once I get the FM3 visa, it’s good for a year, and renewable locally, along with the car sticker. And it will end up costing me less than it would have had I been going from an FMM (tourist visa) to the FM3.

And so…this all got processed this week, I’ve got my FM3, and I am now thoroughly legal for a year! I don’t even have to pay the red light ticket because that’s a local jurisdiction and there’s no record of my being here (visas and car permits are federal), so they can’t find me ;o).

Along the way, I discovered something I’ve never known or considered before: as a child of a Mexican (my mother was born in Mexico City), I qualify to apply for a ‘Declaration of Nationality’ as a Mexican, which would make me a full Mexican citizen with all rights and privileges, whatever exactly they may be (I don’t know enough yet). At the very least, I wouldn’t have to pay the $400 USD or so every year to renew my FM3 visa, or if I should one day decide to become a citizen, I wouldn’t have to go through the rigorous naturalization process similar to that of the U.S. and which requires renouncement of citizenship in another country. With the nationality pathway, I do not have to renounce U.S. citizenship, both countries allow dual citizenship, and I could carry both a U.S. and a Mexican passport. There is some ambiguity in the law, especially from the U.S. side, and I would want to check it out thoroughly, but it looks like a path I might want to pursue.

The only glitch at the moment: my mother’s (and her mother’s and siblings’) birth certificates burned in a church fire where they were stored near Mexico City. Instead, I have a certificate of authenticity recorded by a parish priest verifying her birth according to the the baptismal records. This and another document was good enough for her to immigrate to the U.S. at the age of 6, an to have become a naturalized U.S. citizen 10 years or so later. If the Mexican authorities accept the documentation I have, I can apply; I would also need to get an “apostile” certifying my own birth certificate, which I would have to obtain from the state where I was born, Texas; apparently, my original official birth certificate isn’t enough. (I keep hearing John Lennon’s Imagine in the background).

So, my next immigration adventure is to see if the local Chapala immigration office would accept what I have for my mother’s papers, and if not, try Mexico City, which my lawyer thinks would be likely successful. My lawyer can help me with whatever, and I’m on the lookout for Americans here who have gone through this process. I’m in no hurry, and as I’ve learned so well, in Mexico, it pays to wait. But as immigration law in the U.S. is currently a moving target, and there are rumors here that Mexico won’t be using any type of visa except for tourist visas (or full citizenship), who knows where this will all lead? Stay tuned!

 

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update: Krypto

By Angela on August 31, 2011

Some of you didn’t realize that Krypto’s doggles are not just a fashion statement, but about protection from potential eye disease due to the high altitude and intense sun, which could cause corneal ulcers and some other terrible disease that could result in blindness. He’s tolerating them for about 5 min. then shakes them off – I put them back on, rinse and repeat. But I also try to walk him in the early morning and later evening when the sun isn’t so intense and he doesn’t have to wear them.

He’s gone through several personality changes since we arrived, and lately he seems back to his old self, sweet, friendly, not barking like the other dogs. There are a few dogs in the ‘hood he plays with while we walk (I can’t let him off leash, he runs away), and there’s less ferocious barking as we pass other doggies’ home gates. In fact, we can walk in total silence as the dogs have come to recognize and accept Krypto. I’d still like to find him a regular playmate and somewhere to run, but that will come. Meanwhile, after dinner, he takes to running laps as fast as he can in long circles from the front patio to the back. Does the trick.

 

 

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am I happy?

By Angela on August 31, 2011

hibiscus

An old friend asked me, ‘am I happy?’ I am happy.

I’m meeting the challenges before me, and adapting. I have chosen a healthy lifestyle and I feel good physically. I’m living in a beautiful physical environment, and can see the mountains shrouded in mist in the morning, like on ancient Chinese scrolls, while feeling the warm yellow sun on my skin. I’m surrounded by cheerful people who are NOT working and are having fun, and even more cheerful people who ARE working – and hard – but are still having fun. I’m eating delicious food that didn’t travel from CA or TX to ME, dying on the way. Because I’m experiencing how much people are alike, and the small ways we are not, adding spice.

rose

With the little travel I have done, there was always a moment during my hard- won vacation when, as I sat down to an outdoor meal, with the evening gathering around me, and a luxurious breeze starting to envelop me, when I knew that THIS was how life was meant to be experienced: simple, unadorned, without fret; THIS moment, without a remembered past, without an imagined future. In Lake Chapala, we have this magic whenever we choose to welcome it, if we know how. Yes, I’m happy.

 

lovemuffin

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my cool dude

By Angela on August 17, 2011

cool dude

Krypto’s “doggles” arrived, and after a few false starts, he’s learning to tolerate them. He rubs against my knee to try to strip them off, but when he forgets about them, he’s like he’s always been on a walk.

Children love to see him in his doggles, adult Mexicans (especially the men) crack up laughing, no doubt deciding I’m another ‘gringa loca’, and other expats seem to recognize a medical treatment when they see one, NOT a fashion statement.

What you can’t see in this photo is decor on his fashionista goggles: red skulls and cross-bones, like any cool dude would wear.

 

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learning Spanish

By Angela on August 13, 2011

Our Spanish classroom

 

Our Spanish I class - our teacher Lulu standing

 

I can’t express how delighted I am to be learning Spanish. My classmates have a variety of experience with Spanish and other languages, but what holds us together is the fact that we’re all doing due diligence with homework, and in class. We are progressing rapidly, and I’m anxious to keep going through all the levels possible. Already we are beginning to think in Spanish, which is of course how it should be, rather than translating words or sentences or paragraphs. I am impressed by how we humans continue to be hard-wired to learn language, even when we are a bit dotty at our ages. This has GOT be be good for warding off Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

New friend Valerie and I sometimes go to lunch after class

But it’s also FUN!! Especially with the teacher we have, Lulu (short for Lourdes). She shares personal experiences with us that makes me want to know more about her, and of course, Mexico, but she also maintains us in a fast-paced schedule without getting too far off the track, and we’re growing by leaps and bounds.

My maid Estella doesn’t speak English but understands alot. I don’t yet speak Spanish but understand a lot. Together we like to converse before she gets down to work. I was telling Estella that I hope that by the end of one year I will be totally speaking Spanish (no English). She told me, no way, it will only be 6 months or even less. She’s witnessed my frustration searching for words, and can see my improvement.

And since I don’t have Brynne here to speak/translate for me, I’m making progress faster than I thought I would. But I can’t wait to converse with Brynne in Espanol when we next get together. Jana learned French pretty rapidly, and has travelled to France more than once to visit friends; she understands a lot of Spanish too. What fun if we could be at least a bi-lingual family. (Although my teacher says bi-lingual technically only applies to someone who grew up speaking both languages from childhood on. Thus I guess I was partially bi-lingual as a child, my cousins Rosie and her brother Ray were truly bi-lingual because they continued speaking/learning as they grew and are fluent today.)

Spanish classroom garden

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big city shopping

By Angela on August 7, 2011

I made it through our shopping bus trip to the Guadalajara Galleria mall (La Galleria de Guadalajara), but didn’t set foot in Cosco. We had a full busload of Lake Chapala Society (LCS) members. Many of them do this every month to stock up in bulk at Cosco. There’s also a giant Wal-Mart, a Mexican big box store, a department store much like Macy’s, and too many shops to mention.

The Mall itself is a 3-story wonder that reminded me of Houston’s Gallerias. It’s beautiful and has  high-end shops with names even I recognize. Anybody living here or even just visiting can certainly get their mall fix there in style. And there’s even another mall that just opened. LCS has a great organizer of these trips; essentially we give her our wish list. I missed the trip to some fabric stores but it will come around again. Also Home Depot. We are already booked for Tonala at the end of the month.


The Galleria even had an Apple store authorized reseller, not quite a full Apple store yet, perhaps it’s coming. I’m an IMAX addict – check! there’s one there, along with the 26-cine movie theatre. I got all excited but then saw that they’re playing the same old kid crap (“Transformers”, etc.), same as the 6-cine theatre in our new tiny mall in Lakeside. I ended up buying $25 USD worth of stuff from …. Wal-Mart. Ugh, I hate supporting that store, but it is the cheapest for some stuff, and I’m in the appropriate budget category to shop there. 

At the end, it was quite amusing to see all the old codgers and codgerettes stuffing their mega packs of Cosco toilet paper into the belly of the bus. And they do this every month! How can they use so much? or maybe there’s a black market for toilet paper that I don’t know about. I buy a 2- or 4-pack from a local Mexican tienda (store) for cheaper per roll than Cosco.  Fear of Mexican products is rampant among some here.

My primary goal for going on this trip was to see GDL and how difficult it is to drive the 40 min. or so to get there. Its an easy drive from Lakeside. I didn’t really see GDL – it’s almost continuous industrial manufacturing businesses the whole way there. The offshoring of American manufacturing happens not only at the border, but here too, and I saw it in Monterrey. Duh, it’s the global economy, a view of which we don’t really see in Maine.

Although I’m not much of a shopper, I consider it the most extensive part of my orientation: finding where to get stuff and who has the best prices. I have most of the basics down now. It’s good to know that I can find anything here or in GDL as the need arises.

Why am I, an anti-consumer, so focused so much on shopping? Good question. When I left Maine, I eliminated all but the minimal essentials, and left behind some stuff I regret…up until now. It’s taken this long for me to realize, it’s still just STUFF, even my own artwork or other perhaps “precious” items. I really don’t miss it. The few things I’m buying here are mostly consumables (food, drink, Krypto food & toys, rent & utilities), and experiences (bus trips, classes, hopefully more travel in Mexico and beyond). I’m facing up to the fact that if there really is something I want, I can make it, rusty artist though I be. I continue to find ways to recycle and re-do, and if I do buy something, I try to find multi-purpose items. I’m in the center of the universe of people who have been making their own stuff for generations. Utilitarian household stuff, made beautiful and one-of-a-kind. I’m going to let that be my guide and inspiration.

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legal matters

By Angela on August 6, 2011

I’ve been having some sleepless nights over how I entered Mexico. When I crossed the border, even though I asked them, no one asked to see my passport, I didn’t get a tourist visa, nor a temporary import sticker for my car, nor certify my dog’s health. I’m an illegal alien!

That's not me in the photo...but suspected members of a Cartel

I’ve been seeking opinions from free legal consultants, and finally talked to a Mexican attorney who comes down from GDL to the central patio at LCS to offer free consulting. He seems to be beloved by all, and indeed has been delightful to deal with. Bottom line: He can help me skip the 180 day tourist visa and apply for the year-long FM3 visa which I had intended to do anyway, and it can be processed right in the new immigration office in Chapala. That’s the good news. The bad news? I can only get my car’s temporary import sticker at the border!

So, I have to make the 14-hr. (4-days for me) journey back to Laredo and get my car official. If the Policia stop me at any point without it, they could confiscate my car, they could charge a “fee” ($500 p about $43 USD), they could threaten the above in hopes of a bribe. Or they could just play it straight as if I (and they) hadn’t screwed up in the first place. As it turns out, my attorney says many gringos have mistakenly entered without proper documentation, since we’re not used to crossing borders where visas are needed, like in other countries. So I’m feeling a lot less like a criminal.

As I was chatting with a good-ole’-Texas gal who ‘works’ (regular volunteer) at LCS about this, she told me she used to help people drive back and forth to the border at both San Diego and Laredo, knows how to do it without getting lost, can make it in 12 hours (2 days), and she’s game to go with me! So it’s sounding more like a fun trip now than a penance for being bad. I can board Krypto for 2 days, and there are also dog/house-sitters who will stay in your home too. My attorney says not to bother with the doggie health certificate (sounds like they don’t really do that any more?).

So as soon as I get my visa in a couple of weeks, I can make the trip without missing Spanish lessons (Tue and Fri). Officially, I will have to pay an extra fine for the visa, but not for the car, unless someone at the border insists on a bribe. My attorney will also see about providing me with some sort of a letter of transit (like in Casablanca) in case I get stopped along the way, affirming that I’m on my way to get the car validated.

Already, I’m sleeping better.

LCS Patio

I recently chatted with a Canadian woman who had the most awful experience crossing the border – from Canada into U.S., and from Mexico into U.S. The problem was with the U.S. – our Homeland Paranoid Insecurity (HPI) force. The first time, they held her for over five hours while they took everything out of her SUV and inspected her gas tank and other hiding places for contraband. They wouldn’t let her pee, even though there were bathrooms right there and a female agent who could go with her. Ultimately, when she absolutely couldn’t hold it any more, she warned them “gotta-go-now” and then stood up in the middle of the “bad girl waiting room” and just pee’d on the floor through her jeans. Everybody waiting scooted over as far away as possible. When she stood up, the HPI cops had all put their trembling hands on their holstered guns and looked at their boss for further instructions. So…a new crime on the terrorist front: Bladder Deficit Disorder (BDD, nickname ‘baadd’). Luckily, they let her go right away.

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much to do

By Angela on July 30, 2011

I’ve had a busy couple of weeks.

I’ve bought a Mexican iPhone 4. I had been caught in a serious catch-22 with AT&T who will only cancel service by phone – but I didn’t have a phone that would work. My 2-yr. contract with AT&T finished last week; but to get a Mexican plan I would have to pay for an (unused) US plan too – double billing. Enough. What I have now is a pay-as-I-go phone which is the cheapest option, and no contract. I don’t do many phone calls, but do use several apps, maps, the camera. I’m gradually finding the hotspots in Ajijic & Chapala.  But there is still difficulty getting calls/calling US numbers, still trouble-shooting.

I’ve joined the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) that has an amazing array of activities (check out their website.)

I’ve signed on with LCS for 2 bus trips in August: one to GDL (Guadalajara) to the Galleria shopping malls, and another trip to Tonala, a small town known as the center of Mexican arts and handicrafts. The bus is a good deal, costs $150 p (about $13 USD), picks us up at 9am and delivers us back around 3 pm. One is free to explore on one’s own, or hang out with the group. This will help me conquer my fear of driving – and getting lost – in big cities, I hope, and I’ll get to meet more people. Shopping Costco is not my thing (I didn’t in the states), but I’m curious to see the other shops, and the bus driver takes us wherever. There’s a huge Mercado in GDL but maybe not this trip.

I’ve enrolled in a LCS Spanish I class, 2 x per week. All their classes had filled up, and I took the last seat of the 6 sections of 14 students each. So no more delay, I’m going to learn Spanish. The instructor is a very lively Mexican woman from GDL who recently moved to Ajijic for semi-retirement, like the gringos. The class is in a lovely flower-filled covered patio of a children’s biblioteca (library), with children learning Spanish and English, and singing songs in the classrooms inside, very sweet. Looks like my classmates will be a fun group to learn with, and it feels like I’m a freshman in a small strange college of old people.

I’ve signed up for a mail box with Mailboxes, Etc. (MBE), our “pony express” that delivers mail to/ from Lake Chapala and Laredo, TX. They make the mail run every day, and gets us mail within 4 or 5 days instead of 2 or 3 weeks (or not at all).  I can share the box with others to split the $ 34 USD /month cost. And  we can use the MBE address in Lakeside for UPS, DHL, and FedEx deliveries, which may not make it to my front gate. The sturdy mailbox on my gate still serves a purpose: ads for Domino Pizza specials – which is actually pretty good pizza, delivered on a motorbike, and besides the usual, they offer an awesome Mexican pizza.

My rental agency has cleaned up the construction debris in front of the house and completed my neighbor’s sidewalk that had been part of the tree removal.

I got my front patio fountain fixed and it’s such a peaceful, relaxing sound in the evenings during hammock time.

Life is good.

 

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shopping

By Angela on July 21, 2011

Note: there’s a new page above “Map of Lakeside” – you can see the Carretera, the yellow road across the area.

Krypto and I like to walk along the Carretera (in this case, small highway) one street behind my house. It’s essentially the shopping district for day-to-day, utilitarian items. Artsy and touristy stuff is mostly in Ajijic, and Chapala is the largest town lakeside with even more shopping, restaurants, and local government offices..

It’s amazing how everything you need you can buy on the Carretera. Picture a quaint little shopping area like Portland’s Old Port spread out along 4 miles on one road instead of bunched up into several square blocks of a city. Of course the shops are Mexican style and tiny, and you find what you need by going to many shops, instead of one big box store (sorry, Wal-Mart). There are small furniture stores, lumber yards, zillions of tiendas (small stores, usually with groceries and drug store items), blacksmith/iron work shops, computer fixit shops, electronic gizmo shops, Telcel and TelMex (Mexican cell phone and phone companies), plant stores, hardware stores, pharmacies, veternarian, physician, and dentist offices, bakeries, auto body and auto repair shops, 2nd hand clothing stores, art galleries, pet stores, pet shelters, and of course, bars and restaurants mixed in with the rest in random order.

I’ve learned to be on the lookout for items I need/want and then to wait: sooner or later it shows up somewhere. Today, I saw a 2nd-hand shop I never noticed before with 2 such items: a small table to use as a coffee table, and an ironing board. I may circle back tomorrow and actually buy them. (Waiting to see if I really want something saves money.)

Everything is done outdoors here, so every cafe and most shops and businesses along the Carretera have their doors flung open, and tables & chairs or goods for sale are set up in front of the shop (hence, Krypto is allowed inside if leashed and behaving himself). The entrepreneurial spirit here is amazing, for both gringos and Mexicans, to our mutual benefit. You basically browse and chat with the owners without the layers of corporate structure keeping you at arm’s length. Even my maid and gardener, if I happen to ‘ask where can I find…’ they want to go out and get it for me. They’re walking instant marketing and sales divisions.

It’s an important part of Mexican etiquette, to make contact with people you pass by, to say some greeting (buenas dias or hola) to acknowledge their existence. Personal space is also smaller than in North America, but I haven’t felt any discomfort by someone standing too close. It is said that many Mexicans perceive gringos as rude and cold because they ignore people they’ve made eye contact with in passing, without saying something. You also finish your brief encounter with a good-bye greeting, like hasta luego. I’m want to learn to do this automatically.

furniture

I’ve never rented a furnished apt. or house before. Down here it is the way most rentals come. It certainly serves a community of migrants, like the expats here. After looking on line and finally in person, you can get a sense of how much you’ll have to adapt to someone else’s ideas of furniture, color, and decor. I saw some I knew I couldn’t tolerate, esp. since home decor is so important to me. I’ve lucked out in finding a house that is traditional Mexico yet somewhat updated contemporary. Probably because the owner is American, it makes an easier transition. But I still find touches here and there I can do without, items left behind by another tenant perhaps.

It makes so much sense, though, the ultimate in recycling. Why should every household start from the ground up with furnishings, especially with HGTV and other media defining our taste. Probably 90% of what we think we should want and buy we share in common with the rest of American society, so why not leave it when we move on and only buy and move a few precious, highly personal items to the new place. I know we’re not ready for such a cooperative (socialist?) society but why not? Sure makes moving easier.

Nevertheless, there are several relatively upscale furniture shops here with everything from antique Mexican colonial, Early American Country kitsch, to mid-century modern, and what I think of as NY loft-electronic-geek style. (Probably stoner-aging-hippie too, but I haven’t been invited yet). Homeowners can outfit their homes exactly as they want, and from what I’ve seen in the real estate ads, most look just like homes in say, California. (Must be comforting.)

 

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