Thursday, March 12, 2015

We don't always party but when we do.....

We party like millionaires. 
It took the whole village.....but we had a party. A 9 year birthday party. 



The crust got cut off of 5 bags of bread for the ever present "pastel de atun" a Mexican party favorite (for me not so much)


A pinata got stuffed and hung.....actually 2 pinatas

A meter mong cake got brought across the water ferry, along with all the expected decorations 

one of the three pastel de atun platers

Can't have a party without jello cups

The party girl waiting for the guest, she was told "don't get dirty". Grandma made the party dress

Centre pieces were made the night before by the big sister. I saw some guests walk home with them too. 

A portable blue tooth speaker got borrowed, must have music WHAT?! I SAID "MUST HAVE MUSIC". 

A car pulled up with a trunk full of pots of corn

A truck came and unloaded the jump-o-leen  (this year we didn't blow the breaker"

Another pinata  and more balloons


Musical chairs off course WHAT!? I SAID MUSICAL CHAIRS.

And then, because it wasn't loud enough a Mexican boy band showed up

and then....it happened. STOP THE MUSIC! EVERYONE STOP.  A girl dropped her sucker, it's always fun until someone losses their sucker in the sand. We found it. 

A good old fashion race.....


grandpa and grandma manned the taco stand


I was in the kitchen all day, which is how I like to be at a party, I like to have a purpose. Once the serving was done I slowly mingled my way to the outer edges and slowly slipped away into the dark beach. This is how I usually exit a party. Even in the other land. It was a good night.

Oh Mexico, how I love thee

- I love the sudden burst of loud music drifting out of homes as I walk by or from car windows as they pass me
- I Love sudden bursts of smells as I walk by places, the market, the coffee factory, the fish factory, taco stands, fruit stands, fish market, the malecon, the bakery, that places where the horses stand, that lady in her backyard doing laundry, you name it, the whole country smells of Mexico.
- I love how you think you have your day planned and you end up doing something totally different....and it's ok.
- I love how the Mexicans love their food, I really really love how they love their food.
- I love how the big burly fisherman is so secure with his machoism that he can pack his lunch in a pink Hello Kitty backpack and a purple little mermaid thermos and go to work.
- I love how I can buy fresh cheese in front of my house from a guy on a motorbike.
- I love how I can close my eyes and never forget that I am in Mexico because I can smell and hear pure Mexico, even when she tries to be quiet. Plus you can feel Mexico in your bones.
- I love how the music is always romantic (except  when it's not) .
- I love how I can go barefoot everywhere on this Island.
- I love how the Mexican know how to relax in a hammock after work.....truly relax.
- I love how Mazatlan glows so sweetly and softly at night, you can almost feel the glow in your bones, it's softens you.  (I realize that this sounds crazy)
- The cake, oh how I love the cake, most of all I love how I have to go to the mainland for cake.
- I love the Spanish book store, I love how they still read "literature" as opposed to trash novels, and I can't wait until I can read Spanish literature, I can't wait.....I dream of this day (well I daydream about it anyway)
- I love how food is so easy and accessible, on almost every street corner you can pick up a quick snack or a full meal.
- I love how the little kids call their fathers "Papi".
- I Love how they love to dance.  
- I love how you can ride around on the back of a pickup truck, on mattresses or on chairs, on top of palms, or top of a pile of zucchini, with dogs and kids and grandmas.
- I love how my banana leaves look in the moonlight and how the moon shines through my mango tree.
- I Love the soft sound of the surf from my bed.
- I Love how I can hear my roommates motorbike from across the Island. I also love how excited he is when he hears me using Spanish that he taught me.
- I Love how my curtains bellow out from the breeze (I've talked about this before).
- I love how at least once a day I have to chase a bee out of my house.
- I love how the receptionist at the x-ray lab still uses a typewriter, and not an electric one.
- I Love how my doctor doesn't keep a file on me, that is my responsibility. 
- I Love that carrying a step ladder on a motorbike is no big deal.
- I love that they love romance so much

- I love how I smell when I have been in the sea all day. 

My neighbor dries fish on the power line above his house  ....and I love that.

when something is in your way you just cement around it.....love that

fresh cheese

carrot cake, here in Mexico you can have your cake and eat it too.....the whole thing. It's cake for single people.

The Mexican cutting board.....love it

A whole bunch of different plants have married and become one

The glow

cotton clouds


What's not to love