The Fish Dinner

It just poured rain 2 days ago - rained through most of the night and off and on all morning. And then, just when we were beginning to wonder if we should start working on the Ark again, it stopped and the sun came out. It is quite unusual to have rain in December, and this has been, I think, our 3rd rainy day this month. However, it does stop eventually and everything is still lovely and green so we're really not complaining too much about the occasional damp day. To be honest, if I was here for a 2 week holiday, or just in for the day on a cruise ship I would be upset, but we're here for almost six months, so as I said, we just sit back and wait for the sun to come back.


Our very good friends, Jerry and Diane,



had promised us a fish dinner, and even though it was pouring rain they headed out at 8 a.m. in the morning to pick up our main course. They spent several months last winter in La Paz, and while there cooked a few 'morsels from the sea' and are working on perfecting their technique.

I did mention that they are very good friends? It was just pouring!

They had made arrangements the day before to pick up a 2.5kg Pargo, (red snapper), however the storm made fishing a bit difficult and instead they came home with two Sierra (mackeral). Mike waited patiently while they worked their magic.



As far as we are concerned, they have it pretty much perfected. Jerry was right to become emotionally attached but it was too late! As Jerry said, "Holy Mackeral!"



The Sierras were cooked to perfection - crispy on the outside, wonderfully moist inside,and as far as Mike and I were concerned were every bit as delicious as anything we have eaten on the beach.



We've suggested that if they run out of cash, and want to stay a bit longer, they might want to apply for positions as chefs at one of the local palapas.

We ate it all - fish, salad, roasted onions, and of course, Jerry's world famous jalapeno poppers.


As Julia would have said, "Bon Appetit"!

Peace on Earth

For all my fretting, we actually ended up having a lovely Christmas! I was apprehensive at first as this has been our first Christmas away from home. It was the first time that we would spend the day without our son, Jeff, who couldn't make it down for the holiday. I worried about my Mum as my Dad passed away this summer, and this was her first Christmas alone without him. We didn't have a tree. And then we had no sleep at all on Christmas Eve and I caught the dreaded Mazatlan cold that everyone seems to have.

Christmas is Christmas however, and we ended up having a wonderful day! We had long telephone chats with Jeff and my Mum and they were both fine. Jeff assured us that he had attended to all the important Christmas details. He had a tree and the fridge was stocked with mandarin oranges, egg nog and Christmas cookies! What more could a young man need? We had a truly wonderful dinner with friends, and marvelled once again at the beauty of their home. As well as a lovely Christmas tree, they even had their own angel, who appeared on one of the cut branches on their palm tree.



The presents we decided to exchange at the last minute were perfect. Mike's new shirts fit him perfectly and I found a book for him by one of his favourite authors. He bought me earrings that match the dress I plan to wear for New Years and also a picture by one of my favourite artists.



Santa gave us both gift certificates for a massage. Santa also gave us a star, which we have hung in the Casita, below the one that was already here. We'll bring it home with us in the Spring and find a special place for it there.



Even Abi enjoyed her day, and her special treat.



We are now resting up, getting ready for the big New Years Eve party. I've found my ear plugs. All is right with the world.

Except that I might soon run out of kleenex!

Enough is Enough

Right now I am NOT filled with the Christmas Spirit. Last night, Christmas Eve, around 10:30 p.m. a pick up truck roared up the street, music blaring, and parked just past our place. Several of the neighbours joined the driver for what appeared to be an impromptu street party. I gave up trying to follow the movie we had been watching as I couldn't hear the dialogue and went to bed. At 3 a.m. they switched to banda. It is now 6 a.m., December 25th, and they are still at it. The music is roaring (at 5:30 they turned it UP) and they are all just hooting and hollering out there. I don't care if street parties are part of the custom and the culture of Mexico, as far as I'm concerned this is just rude and inconsiderate. I have been awake most of the night. I did bring ear plugs, but I can't remember where I put them, and I'm too tired to look for them. I don't understand it - there are people on this street with children, this is Christmas morning, why don't they say something to these idiots. Usually I laugh off these moments, but not now - I am just very weary and very angry. I know that after time, this could be amusing, but I doubt it. Enough is enough. I hope Santa puts coal in their stockings and the reindeer poop on their heads.

...................

I wrote the above several hours ago. I am still awake, and annoyed (!) and also somewhat amazed. They are getting louder, people are joining them. They haven't even started to fade. Why hasn't anyone put a stop to this? We can't be the only family on the street who didn't feel like partying til sun-up!

I have decided, that since I am up anyway, I might as well be somewhat productive, so I've started to make home fries to go with our Christmas morning omelet, washed up the dishes left over from last night, and I'm doing my nails. I'm going to look really tired (make up can only hide so much!) but at least my nail polish won't be chipped.

Feliz Navidad everyone! I'll let you know if we managed to stay awake long enough to enjoy Christmas Dinner!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I really really hate Banda music. I still love Mexico, but I hate banda, a lot. I'm not too thrilled with some of my neighbours either. Like I said, coal and poop.

Hace Mucho and the Star

Earlier this month, Mike and I attended a sale of restored and rebuilt furniture and artifacts at a local business called Hace Mucho. The sale was held at the home of the owner, just around the block from our casita, at the corner of Belisario Dominques and 21 de Marzo. Casa Azul is one our favourite houses along Belisario Domingues - the old homes are magnificent, and so are the trees!




We were hoping to perhaps find something just a little different to bring back to Canada with us, something that would remind us of the beauty of Old Mazatlan. There were so many lovely things, especially some of the larger pieces of furniture. One in particular, an armoire, was beautiful, but there was no way that was going into the car for the trip home!



We were thrilled when we stumbled across the Star. A very very long time ago, the Star formed part of the ironwork in a window of a home somewhere in Centro. It is rusted, the paint is chipped, it weighs a ton, and it barely fits into the truck of the car. We have no idea what we will do with it when we get it home. And we love it!


Hace Mucho, by the way, is pronounced 'ah-say mucho' and means "way back when".

Time Flies

I realized this morning after receiving an email from a friend at home that it has been awhile since I have posted anything on mexicoatlast....

Well, what excuses can I come up with? None really, other than the fact that we have been busy, doing stuff. What sort of stuff, you might ask?

The days just seem to fill themselves. We get up, earlier than we would like to some days (dogs, roosters, mufflers - or the lack thereof, music...) but the mornings are lovely and who really needs to sleep anyway. We have breakfast (the yogurt is delicious by the way), walk the dog, check our email, make the bed, the usual stuff of day to day life. Sometimes it's a long walk, and then Abi just needs to rest.



And then it starts. We are trying to pace ourselves - if we know we are going out at night, we stay home more during the day. If we have a busy day, we just get comfy for the evening.

We shop at the Market several times a week for fresh produce. We do hit some of the bigger grocery stores every few weeks to stock up on the bulk items and were quite excited last week to stumble upon Heinz Relish. Real relish .... Mike was thrilled and we rushed home to barbeque hot dogs for lunch. If we had been thinking we would have bought several bottles - could probably have auctioned them off and made enough to pay for groceries for at least a week!

I have started volunteeting at the library Mondays from 11 til 3. We usually meet with friends afterwards, for drinks and an early dinner. Mike is also taking bridge lessons on Monday mornings. I was going to take lessons as well, but decided the library would be a lot more fun... just my opinion here! I think perhaps in the New Year I will try to fit in both, go for lessons and then leave and head for the library.

We attended a wine tasting party on the 6th which was a definite do-again. The hosts have recently moved into their new home on Lookout Hill, which is the other hill in Centro. Their view is amazing - should be the perfect spot to watch the fireworks during Carnival. We all brought wines from California and an appetizer. The next tasting will be early in January, Spanish wines this time. The January hosts live in the Golden Zone and they also have a view of the ocean. I have to tell you, it's a tough life!

We attended a baseball game a few weeks ago, with friends from San Francisco, and it was an adventure. We ate, and ate and ate - tostadas, ribs, wings, hotdogs, peanuts - the food was great and our team won! The Venados have made it to the playoffs. We would like to think it was because of our very enthusiastic support, so have another baseball evening planned, between Christmas and New Years. We don't want to let the boys down! Mike and Don were quite enchanted with the Pacifico girls ... wonder why?



We attended a party at the Old Mazatlan Inn, a combination Anniversary/Christmas celebration. I truly wish I had taken the camera as there were Pinatas everywhere, and the Christmas tree was huge. We also had the pleasure of meeting Amy Roloff, who is the Mum on TLC's Little People Big World. Amy really is an amazing person. It was a pleasure to meet her and we're hoping to get together again on one of her future visits.

We went to an early Christmas get together at Canucks, listened to some lovely Christmas music and ate the best chicken soup we have ever had. After that we wandered out to the Malecon to listen to a concert. The concert was presented by Cultura Mazatlan, the group, Radaid, was from Guadelahara. It is so hard to describe the music - a mix of Celtic, Indian, you name it, it was there. The lead singers had truly amazing voices and the light show against Icebox Hill was spectacular. We bought their CD, but I've found them on Youtube - worth a look up if you're so inclined. Once again, no camera. Oops!

Are you bored yet? We have dinner with friends several times a week and I had a great 5 hour lunch with a friend on Thursday. Mike was ready to send out a search party for us.

We've finished painting the inside of the Casita and I'll send some pictures along soon.

We are still working on our Salsa - this is a work in progress - but we have another class tonight so hopefully it will all start to come together. We are much better at Merengue, but Merengue is a lot easier!

And yes, it is starting to feel a little bit more like Christmas!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are shrines everywhere you turn in Mexico, especially those celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531, a “Lady from Heaven” appeared to a peasant at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. Legend says she identified herself as the Virgin Mary and requested that a church be built on the site. The Virgin of Guadalupe has symbolized the Mexican nation since the Mexican War of Independence. The armies of Miquel Hidalgo, Emiliano Zapata and Subcomandante Marcos all marched beneath flags bearing the Guadalupan image, and Our Lady of Guadalupe is generally recognized to be a symbol of all Catholic Mexicans. The Basilica of our Lady of Guadaloupe in Mexico City was apparently the most visited Catholic Shrine in the world in 1999.

On the drive down we passed several images of Our Lady of Guadaloupe painted on the sides of mountains and there were dozens of small shrines along the sides of the road. This shrine was at a Pemex (gas) station.



We pass these shrines everyday.




This was discovered at the Old Mazatlan Inn, the little boutique hotel where our friends Jerry and Diane are staying.



The Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12, and the day is considered a Holy Day. This very large shrine is 2 blocks from the casita and has been decorated for the occasion.




And that's the end of today's lesson!

Is it starting to feel like Christmas?

Usually at this time of the year I'm rushing about, trying to find the perfect gift so that I can finally say the shopping is finished, while wrapping the gifts that have already been purchased. As we're decorating the house, I'm also mentally revising the menu for Christmas dinner and reworking the grocery shopping list. There are lists everywhere. I'm famous for my list making, a trait I inherited from my Dad! It`s the usual pre-Christmas panic and it happens every year. But no matter how stressful it is, I still really enjoy it and love everything about Christmas, crowded shopping centres and all.

Things are just different this year.

Mazatlan is filled with Christmas. Christmas trees have been available since mid-November and many of our neighbours have had their houses decorated for weeks now. We have seen some houses that have life sized nativity scenes, as well as Santa and the Reindeer, and several Nutcrackers standing guard at the front door. All the bases are covered. There are wreaths, coloured lights and garlands everywhere. The school down the hill has been playing Christmas carols every day while the children are on the playgound for recess. People are wandering around wearing reindeer ears. I've even seen a car with ears.

It should feel like Christmas, but it doesn't.

This is our first Christmas away from home, and I think perhaps I just can't get my head around the fact that it's warm here, and sunny. Christmas is supposed to be cold, right? It feels strange not to be shopping (I bought gifts for family at home before we left in October). Our son won't be with us this year, for the first time. It's been a few years since he spent the whole day with us, but I've never had a year that I didn't see him at all. I know he'll be fine, he even said he was putting up a tree, but I'll miss him. I hope he goes somewhere for dinner, even though he said he's given up meat - he could always eat the veggies. I wish he could come here. We don't have a tree this year, another first. I did bring a box of decorations (31 Santas!) which I put out on the weekend. But I miss the tree, and the shopping, and wrapping paper, ribbons and bows ....




However, that is just enough whining. We are spending winter in Mexico, something we have dreamed about for years and we are having a wonderful time. We have so much to do we have actually found ourselves with 2 or more things scheduled for the same evening. We had company for dinner last night, and then spent the day lounging by the pool with friends, soaking up the sun. We are going to the baseball game tonight, something we`ve wanted to do for ages. I've started volunteering at the library. We`ve finished painting the casita and it looks great. (The Santas are a nice touch!)

I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. Just because this is different, it is still Christmas!

Tomorrow Mike and I are going shopping to buy a gift for a little boy from one of the local orphanages. He`d really like a sports watch, a remote controlled car or a transformer. Then we`ll come home and wrap it all fancy! We`re going to the Christmas Open House at the lovely little boutique hotel over the hill on Saturday and are attending 2 Christmas `concerts` next week. We plan on spending an evening at the Plaza Machado admiring the sights and sounds of a Mexican Christmas evening. We have been invited out for dinner on Christmas Day which I am truly looking forward to. They are a lovely couple, their home is beautiful, and we will be sharing the day with friends, old and new.




Maybe it is starting to feel a little bit like Christmas.