Sunday, March 2, 2008
It Finally Happened
Let me tell you about the doors in my house, they are the typical Mexican doors that you will find in most of the homes here. They have no door knobs on the outside, just a keyhole. On the inside there is just a latch. So, as soon as you close the door it is always locked. I have two of these doors, one is my front door on top of the stairs and the other is the door that leads to the roof which is my fine dining room. When I first moved in I quickly made note of the fact that if I was on the roof and the wind slammed the door shut I would be locked out of my house and be stuck up on the roof. So I put a plan in place, whenever I would go into my dining room (on the roof) I would open the window in the door (the doors have a shutter window in them) so that if the door would slam shut I could reach my hand through the window and pull the latch, Such a clever plan. Today I forgot a step in the plan, because I only stepped into the dining room for 3 seconds to get something I didn’t open the window first. I tell it was a horrifying sound when that door slammed shut behind me. I was stranded on my roof...yep. I did have some options to consider though so I was not totally without hope, 3 of them to be exact. I was pretty sure I had left my front open when I came in, so all I needed to do was get off the roof and come back in through my front door. 2 ways to do that, one....jump off the roof, it isn’t very high but I was afraid of breaking an angle since I do have very weak angles. Option two would be to shimmy along side the edge of the roof, possibly 10 – 12 inches wide and I would loose about 3 inches where the windows are although by the windows I would have the bars to hang onto, the rest of the way I would just be hugging the wall. This is how the cats get up on roof, and get into my garbage; I call it the cat walk. Or there is option three, get the attention of someone walking by and ask them to walk up the stairs and walk in my front door (which I am still assuming is open) and open the door from the inside, this would of course all have to be done in Spanish which I was pretty confident I could do. I knew Senor Papa would not be by as he had already been here this morning, sometimes he comes more than once or at least he drives by sometimes but that would of course not happen today. So I weight my options and right away cross off jumping off the roof and decide that the whole Island doesn’t need to know how foolish I am (so I post this on the internet for the whole world to read instead) so I opt to shimmy along the catwalk which really wasn’t as scary as I had thought, it was rather easy, and sure enough the front door was open...what a relieve. Lesson learned is to always stick to the plan and put a backup plan in place, which is to get a rock to put in front of the door from now on. Just never a boring day here on the Island.
How Popular Am I
I’m not sure if I mentioned this before or not but Mary is a very popular name in Mexico, almost every house has at least one. Yesterday I met a lady whose name is Mary Lena, (this is also my name) but she goes by Lena because she has 2 sisters who are Mary Guadalupe, and Mary Rosa. Yep her mother named all her daughters Mary. Speaking of Mary, a lady from the Spanish church named Mary invited Lydia and I to her house last week for supper. I had an awesome time, and the food was awesome...oh it was so awesome. There are a wonderful, beautiful family of 3 girls, age 21, 17, 6 and one adorable little guy age 10. They are a family of 6 living in a little 2 bedroom house. Their kitchen is as big as my bathroom at home, take my bathtub out and put a fridge and stove there....now that I am picturing it my bathroom might even be bigger. The living room was a bookcase up against the wall and 2 chairs, the kitchen table as a small square table with 4 chairs. They seemed quite happy and did not have a problem inviting 2 guests over for supper. I think that families at home don’t even get to know each other because they don’t have to spend time together in the same room anymore. They sleep, eat and watch TV in separate rooms. I think we all have too much space and I am including me in this as well. I don’t even have to share a bathroom with my daughter and have certainly never had to share a bedroom with her. In two weeks my mother and daughter are both coming to visit me and we will all be sharing a bedroom and one bathroom....should be interesting. Mary knows they are coming and told me that she wants to have all of us over for supper when they come. The people here don’t mind being crowded; they have no problem with that at all. They are not used to ever having their own space. Before I lived in this little loft there was a family of 4 living in here. I can’t imagine having two little kids running around in here.
The Lord Taketh and He Giveth
A few weeks ago we had a lady dropped off at Casa Damasco by the police, there were a few different stories as to what happened to her but the end result was a broken back, an arm in a cast, a dislocated shoulder and a few stitches in the other arm. The first day that we met her she took a few teaspoons of water but no food, just swallowing the water seemed to be painful to her. We redressed her stitches and tried to get her to take more water but she would not. The second time we were there her condition had not changed a lot although they told us that she had eaten some baby food during the week. Last week she was awake and alert the whole time we were there and she ate about 2/3 of a jar of baby food, our hopes were high that she would recover. The very next day she passed away. I was surprised as she had looked so much better and had been so responsive to us. I really thought she was on the road to recovering, but I guess we really didn’t know what she was recovering from and what kind of life she had had. The pastor assured us that God had brought her back to us briefly so that she could prepare herself for going home, home where she will be forever safe in God’s loving arms. This is the second death like this that we have had there since I’ve been here. The sad news of her passing came the same day that we heard that money had been raised in the English Church to purchase a permanent home for Casa Damasco, a home that is much more suited for a long term care facility (which is what Casa Damasco really is) There is a 12 room house in Francisco Madero right beside the Red Dragon (prostitution house) The owner is serving a 25 year sentence in prison, for what I do not know but I could give a pretty good guess. In Mexico a 25 year sentence is actually 25 years, none of this early parole, getting out on good behaviour or any of those other get out of jail early cards that you can draw in Canada. Now we just need to pray that all parties involved will have the patients and knowledge needed to endure the long paper trail of purchasing property here; I’m hearing it’s a very complicated process and the seller being in prison could make it worst. Here is a link for Casa Damasco www.casadamasco.com
Update on a few things
The worms.....a few weeks ago I wrote about waking up one morning and finding a lot of worms in my house. They have never come back, I have not seen one single worm since then and I still do not know where they came from.
My plants......my plants that a neighbour gave me are now 3 weeks old and are all doing just fine. The plants that I planted from seeds that I had bought are not growing at all and 3 of the 4 plants that I bought in Mazatlan at a green house died.
Tranchilla in the water tank.......Who knows? What’s in the water tank is none of my business any more.
Alote.......is very good with chilli powder on it; corn will never be the same again when I go home.
Water Issues.......We are still on a 5 days with water and 8 days without water schedule but I have learned that during the 8 days without water I can still fill my tank at night and that way I don’t run out of running water. The problem with the hot water is that sometimes the pilot light on the hot water heater gets blown out by the wind (its outside) and then I have to wait until my land lady comes as she is the only one that has a key to get at the hot water heater. Right now I’ve had hot water for about 2 weeks straight....that’s a record.
Knitting...... I brought a whole suitcase of wool with me thinking I would just be knitting up a storm for lack of other things to do. I am almost finished my first project, a shawl. I seem to have found a lot of other things to do. I met a lady on the Island here that is in a wheel chair and I was surprised to see that she was knitting; it doesn’t seem to be very common here. When I leave I plan on giving her all my wool instead of dragging it back with me. I had 50 lbs of wool with me.....what was I thinking? Maybe it was brought especially for this lady in the wheel chair, yes, that’s right that was my plan. Oh wait, I already confessed that I came here without a plan. I ‘m so glad God’s in charge and not me.
Caldo.....is a sauce that goes on almost everything, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chilaquiles, and some other things that I can’t spell. I’ve been trying to learn how to make this sauce and keep getting a different recipe from every person I ask. Today was my 3rd attempt and it was very good, finally. I think I’ve got it. Although I think this is like making bread, even though you use the same recipe each time sometimes it’s great and sometimes it‘s just not. I was hanging out at meat market this morning and a gentleman that owns a restaurant on the beach stopped by (just to hang out) and he gave me his recipe and I raced home immediately before I could forget anything and it was a success. By the way, the Spanish words for garlic and eyes are different by one letter only....an easy mix up.
The José saga......I now have 3 José’s in my class, we spend about 10 minutes at the beginning of each class deciding who will be who. They are a rather funny bunch.
Update on a few things
The worms.....a few weeks ago I wrote about waking up one morning and finding a lot of worms in my house. They have never come back, I have not seen one single worm since then and I still do not know where they came from.
My plants......my plants that a neighbour gave me are now 3 weeks old and are all doing just fine. The plants that I planted from seeds that I had bought are not growing at all and 3 of the 4 plants that I bought in Mazatlan at a green house died.
Tranchilla in the water tank.......Who knows? What’s in the water tank is none of my business any more.
Alote.......is very good with chilli powder on it; corn will never be the same again when I go home.
Water Issues.......We are still on a 5 days with water and 8 days without water schedule but I have learned that during the 8 days without water I can still fill my tank at night and that way I don’t run out of running water. The problem with the hot water is that sometimes the pilot light on the hot water heater gets blown out by the wind (its outside) and then I have to wait until my land lady comes as she is the only one that has a key to get at the hot water heater. Right now I’ve had hot water for about 2 weeks straight....that’s a record.
Knitting...... I brought a whole suitcase of wool with me thinking I would just be knitting up a storm for lack of other things to do. I am almost finished my first project, a shawl. I seem to have found a lot of other things to do. I met a lady on the Island here that is in a wheel chair and I was surprised to see that she was knitting; it doesn’t seem to be very common here. When I leave I plan on giving her all my wool instead of dragging it back with me. I had 50 lbs of wool with me.....what was I thinking? Maybe it was brought especially for this lady in the wheel chair, yes, that’s right that was my plan. Oh wait, I already confessed that I came here without a plan. I ‘m so glad God’s in charge and not me.
Caldo.....is a sauce that goes on almost everything, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chilaquiles, and some other things that I can’t spell. I’ve been trying to learn how to make this sauce and keep getting a different recipe from every person I ask. Today was my 3rd attempt and it was very good, finally. I think I’ve got it. Although I think this is like making bread, even though you use the same recipe each time sometimes it’s great and sometimes it‘s just not. I was hanging out at meat market this morning and a gentleman that owns a restaurant on the beach stopped by (just to hang out) and he gave me his recipe and I raced home immediately before I could forget anything and it was a success. By the way, the Spanish words for garlic and eyes are different by one letter only....an easy mix up.
The José saga......I now have 3 José’s in my class, we spend about 10 minutes at the beginning of each class deciding who will be who. They are a rather funny bunch.
The Scallop guy, the Meat guy and dinner guests
I am having my first dinner guests over today. A wonderful couple from British Columbia whom I met at church are coming for dinner tonight. I when to the meat market yesterday and bought hamburger to make meat balls and ended up hanging out there for about an hour. Two of the guys there want to learn English and I need help with my Spanish so a chair was pulled up for me and we just started conversing, once in awhile getting interrupted by customers. One lady bought a whole pigs head and I had to ask “what do you do with that?” Turns out it has many uses but mostly used to make tacos, which would explain all the “head taco” signs I see everywhere. I ask the guys where I can buy scallops and they tried their best to give me directions to a guy that sells them out of his house (of course) but I could just not understand the directions. It was decided that I could just buy the scallops from the shrimp market downtown Mazatlan; I wanted to get some shrimp as well anyway. Before I headed off one of the meat guys wanted me to see his piece of land where he is starting to build a house, he was too busy with customers so he gets his cousin to take me up the hill on his guad (which is the meat delivery vehicle) We go way up the hill, he will have the tallest house on Stone Island. He figures he will be safe up there even if a tsunami comes. The view took my breath away, he had told me about the great view but I thought he had been exaggerating, wow, it was amazing. I could see the north side of Mazatlan and all the way along the Stone Island beach and all 1700 hectares of coconut plantations. He has a lot of work to do, so far they are just digging his foundation which is done by men with a spades. I hope I get to see the process of this house going up, I’m currently watching one being built across the street from me.....most interesting. Anyway, I head off to the docks to go to the shrimp market and run into Senor Papa, he asks me where I am going, I tell him I am off to buy scallops and shrimp. He says no need to go all the way to the market he knows a guy that sells scallops right here, tells me to get into his truck and off we go. We arrive at a house that is right around the corner from my house and a girl comes and gets into the back of the truck and we go a little further and she runs into a house and comes out with 2 bags of fresh scallops....money and scallops are exchanged and I get driven back home. Quite happy that I now have a scallop guy living right up the road a bit. I am really enjoying buying my groceries from individual people instead if shopping at a big store where you never actually have to speak to anyone if you don’t want to. This is so much more personal. I have a guy that I buy my fruit and vegetables from, he comes to my door everyday, I have the guy that I buy tamales from almost everyday, he also comes to my door. (He also has cheese and cactus) I have the lady that I buy my peanuts from, and of course the meat guy. There is a guy that walks door to door selling pastries and bread whom I have not bought anything from yet....I should get to know him as well. I found a lady that makes bread in a stone oven everyday....No, I don’t buy bread everyday. Of course we cannot forget the lady that sells me my tortillas and the alote lady. What will I do without tortillas and alote when I get home? I’ve learned how to eat tortillas with almost everything.
My trip to the shrimp market was uneventful; I came home with ½ kilo of great big shrimp and set to work getting ready for my guests. Meatballs had been put into the crock pot this morning and were ready. Usually bacon wrapped scallops would be done in an oven but since I don’t have an oven I fried them and they turned out great. I fried my shrimp in garlic butter.....so good! We had a great time just sitting on my roof and eating and chatting and eating some more. I am so blessed. I have some more friends coming for dinner next week and I think we will do the scallops and shrimp again...maybe chicken instead of meatballs. Or should I attempt to make head tacos?
My trip to the shrimp market was uneventful; I came home with ½ kilo of great big shrimp and set to work getting ready for my guests. Meatballs had been put into the crock pot this morning and were ready. Usually bacon wrapped scallops would be done in an oven but since I don’t have an oven I fried them and they turned out great. I fried my shrimp in garlic butter.....so good! We had a great time just sitting on my roof and eating and chatting and eating some more. I am so blessed. I have some more friends coming for dinner next week and I think we will do the scallops and shrimp again...maybe chicken instead of meatballs. Or should I attempt to make head tacos?
A Visitor from Home
How exciting, I have a friend coming to visit from home. She`s coming for 1 week which will be very short but we`ll make due. I`ve made arrangement to borrow a blow up bed and sheets. I`ve checked my water schedule and we`ll have hot water for most of her visit. I`ve gotten used to not having hot water for days at a time but for someone visiting that might be important. I`m interested to see how she perceives this place because most of my acquaintances on the mainland still think I`m crazy for living here. One lady who says she`s been to the Island asked if I was the only one living here, she was not aware that people actually lived here.....hello, did she not see the houses and the people...we`re not hidden up in the tree tops. How could she not have heard the honking of the gas guy and the water guy, they cruise around all day long.
I ran into Luis at the fish market today on the other side by the docks, I wasn`t shopping, I have not been that brave yet. (Maybe I`ll take my visitor with me) Of course I didn`t have his seeds on me, I told him my plants were fine although a few of them still look quite sad. He was holding a fish that was about 3 feet long and I didn`t understand whether he had just bought him or caught him, he was still totally intact. I need to learn some fish related words in Spanish. I asked my meat guy what kind of fish I should buy and he wrote down the name of a fish that he thought was a good frying fish (pargo) I just haven`t made time to go get it and when ever I happen by the market I am not ready to have fish or am on my way somewhere and don`t want to carry fish with me all day. It`s just not something you want to have in your backpack all day. Speaking of backpacks, I had a little scare last week. There was a gentleman at church on Sunday that had been stabbed (not fatality) in a neighbourhood not too far from the street that I always walk on my way to downtown. Two thugs wanted his backpack and he had fought for it, and lost. He was lucky; the knife went in just above his heart just barely missing a main artery. I always thought that if I was a man walking alone I would feel completely safe and I didn`t think that thugs would knife you for a backpack unless they knew for sure there was something of value in it. So this bothered me for a bit because I do carry my laptop in my backpack to the Golden Zone to post my stories onto the net because I don`t have internet in my house anymore. I was bothered until I heard that he had been walking and taking pictures with his camera in full view of anyone and everyone and then put his camera back into his backpack. Plus it was the week of Carnival and thugs from all over the world came to Mazatlan to pillage from the 1 million tourists that have come for the event. However, not to push my luck I will be taking a bus instead of walking when I have my backpack on from now on. I believe God has taken care of me and he will continue to do so but I feel I have been given a warning and I would be foolish not to heed to it.
I ran into Luis at the fish market today on the other side by the docks, I wasn`t shopping, I have not been that brave yet. (Maybe I`ll take my visitor with me) Of course I didn`t have his seeds on me, I told him my plants were fine although a few of them still look quite sad. He was holding a fish that was about 3 feet long and I didn`t understand whether he had just bought him or caught him, he was still totally intact. I need to learn some fish related words in Spanish. I asked my meat guy what kind of fish I should buy and he wrote down the name of a fish that he thought was a good frying fish (pargo) I just haven`t made time to go get it and when ever I happen by the market I am not ready to have fish or am on my way somewhere and don`t want to carry fish with me all day. It`s just not something you want to have in your backpack all day. Speaking of backpacks, I had a little scare last week. There was a gentleman at church on Sunday that had been stabbed (not fatality) in a neighbourhood not too far from the street that I always walk on my way to downtown. Two thugs wanted his backpack and he had fought for it, and lost. He was lucky; the knife went in just above his heart just barely missing a main artery. I always thought that if I was a man walking alone I would feel completely safe and I didn`t think that thugs would knife you for a backpack unless they knew for sure there was something of value in it. So this bothered me for a bit because I do carry my laptop in my backpack to the Golden Zone to post my stories onto the net because I don`t have internet in my house anymore. I was bothered until I heard that he had been walking and taking pictures with his camera in full view of anyone and everyone and then put his camera back into his backpack. Plus it was the week of Carnival and thugs from all over the world came to Mazatlan to pillage from the 1 million tourists that have come for the event. However, not to push my luck I will be taking a bus instead of walking when I have my backpack on from now on. I believe God has taken care of me and he will continue to do so but I feel I have been given a warning and I would be foolish not to heed to it.
Sewing in Fransico Madero
I`ve been recuited once again for something new. I am assisting in teaching some ladies in Fransico Madero how to sew with sewing machines. About 4 old and I mean old, sewing machines have been donated and a wonderful lady from Saskatwan (who happens to speak German) came with a few boxes of fabric, patterns and notions. What a gift that was for these ladies here. Our first project is to make a pair of capris, the first day they all picked out fabric and we started cutting out the pieces. While the fabric lady speaks German she does not speak a word of Spanish but would you believe it we made out just fine, these women were so patient and easy going. We had so much fun; it is like sewing and playing charades at the same time. At one point a lady was asking me why one piece of her pants was cut bigger than the other, I tried to explain that the back is always bigger as we have to leave room for the butt, I didn`t have a Spanish word for butt, or for the behind so I was trying to figure out other words that could be used for butt as I am pointing to my butt she suddenly got it and said ``ah da boom boom`` I said ``si, da boom boom``. This is how it continued on all evening. Once again I feel so blessed to be here.
The start of a roof top garden
I`m on my way to the beach again and I run into a friend and as we`re walking and chatting I mention that I would like to buy some plants for my roof and would he know of anybody that would sell me some. Yup, he does, about 6 or 7 house up from where I live is Luis, who is a bit of a gardener, a bit of a fisherman and a bit of a taxi driver and who know what else. Amazingly enough on the side of a hill, amongst the rocks and sand is the most beautiful little garden. Luis started yanking plants out of the ground, yes yanking and put them in a box and assured me that all I needed to do was stick them in the ground, even though most of them had just been ripped up without roots. I tried to pay the man but he would not take any money so I decided that I would stop by with a gift of some sort within the next week. I get home and realize that once again I never made it to the beach ...oh well, and I also have no dirt to put in my pots. So I grab my water bucket and start wandering around the Island looking for dirt, turns out there isn`t any, this whole Island is made of sand. I head over to another friends house and ask her where I can buy dirt, she shows me her plants that are all in pots of sand and are doing just fine. She tells me I don`t need special dirt, as I head home with my empty bucket I realize that now I am walking around with a 5 gallon bucket just like the locals that I had been wondering about. Soon I`ll get me a wheel barrow too. Being the North American that I am, I head into Mazatlan the next day because I am convinced that my plants will grow much better with some good potting soil. I pick up a big sack of dirt and find some Delphinium seeds that I think would make a great gift for Luis and for me too. I like Delphiniums because they grow very fast and I don`t have much time left. (I should have done this a month ago) I`m excited to give Luis his seeds but he is not home, I`ll try again later. By the afternoon I have an assortment of sad looking plants on my roof, celery, cilantro, a Boston fern, some petunias, some mint, some pink impatients, some dill and some others that I don`t have names for. I also started some delphiniums from seed. I`m hoping that once they sprout roots and discover their fine soil (I did mix it with sand) they will grow nicely. I `m excited about my little garden.
I`ve been recuited once again for something new. I am assisting in teaching some ladies in Fransico Madero how to sew with sewing machines. About 4 old and I mean old, sewing machines have been donated and a wonderful lady from Saskatwan (who happens to speak German) came with a few boxes of fabric, patterns and notions. What a gift that was for these ladies here. Our first project is to make a pair of capris, the first day they all picked out fabric and we started cutting out the pieces. While the fabric lady speaks German she does not speak a word of Spanish but would you believe it we made out just fine, these women were so patient and easy going. We had so much fun; it is like sewing and playing charades at the same time. At one point a lady was asking me why one piece of her pants was cut bigger than the other, I tried to explain that the back is always bigger as we have to leave room for the butt, I didn`t have a Spanish word for butt, or for the behind so I was trying to figure out other words that could be used for butt as I am pointing to my butt she suddenly got it and said ``ah da boom boom`` I said ``si, da boom boom``. This is how it continued on all evening. Once again I feel so blessed to be here.
The start of a roof top garden
I`m on my way to the beach again and I run into a friend and as we`re walking and chatting I mention that I would like to buy some plants for my roof and would he know of anybody that would sell me some. Yup, he does, about 6 or 7 house up from where I live is Luis, who is a bit of a gardener, a bit of a fisherman and a bit of a taxi driver and who know what else. Amazingly enough on the side of a hill, amongst the rocks and sand is the most beautiful little garden. Luis started yanking plants out of the ground, yes yanking and put them in a box and assured me that all I needed to do was stick them in the ground, even though most of them had just been ripped up without roots. I tried to pay the man but he would not take any money so I decided that I would stop by with a gift of some sort within the next week. I get home and realize that once again I never made it to the beach ...oh well, and I also have no dirt to put in my pots. So I grab my water bucket and start wandering around the Island looking for dirt, turns out there isn`t any, this whole Island is made of sand. I head over to another friends house and ask her where I can buy dirt, she shows me her plants that are all in pots of sand and are doing just fine. She tells me I don`t need special dirt, as I head home with my empty bucket I realize that now I am walking around with a 5 gallon bucket just like the locals that I had been wondering about. Soon I`ll get me a wheel barrow too. Being the North American that I am, I head into Mazatlan the next day because I am convinced that my plants will grow much better with some good potting soil. I pick up a big sack of dirt and find some Delphinium seeds that I think would make a great gift for Luis and for me too. I like Delphiniums because they grow very fast and I don`t have much time left. (I should have done this a month ago) I`m excited to give Luis his seeds but he is not home, I`ll try again later. By the afternoon I have an assortment of sad looking plants on my roof, celery, cilantro, a Boston fern, some petunias, some mint, some pink impatients, some dill and some others that I don`t have names for. I also started some delphiniums from seed. I`m hoping that once they sprout roots and discover their fine soil (I did mix it with sand) they will grow nicely. I `m excited about my little garden.
Walking the beach, I never finished this story because I got side tracked
I’ve started to walk on the beach, or at least try to walk on the beach. It is very easy to get side tracked when you are on a mission with a plan. Today I decided no one was going to send me veering off my path, so when I approached the beach I snuck along the edge for a while so that my friend that works at one of the restaurants didn’t see me because that usually results in me sitting down and having a fruit drink and perhaps him introducing me to some more of his friends which is all great but I end up there until sundown. As I’m walking on the beach that is so long that you cannot see the end I am always am reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to be able to be here. I am literally living in my dreams. Walking along the ocean is also a reminder to me of how big God is. It is amazing to me to hear the thundering roll of the waves coming in and suddenly they roll over as if unfolding and slowly curl in to shore and gently lap up against my feet. They sound so powerful and scary at first but as they get closer they become so gentle. Kind of like God, until you get close and built a relationship with Him he can also appear scary and perhaps intimidating. Once you get close to him you will find his ever loving arms always open to you, and you will feel his gentle love always. I walk for an hour and the only people I encounter are two local surfers riding the waves and one lone gentleman walking his dog and the guy that rents out his horses was herding them home, 6 of them altogether. Out on the ocean I see a big tanker anchored, possibly waiting for his turn to dock....apparently there’re only so many ships allowed in at a time. I also see a little fishing boat, this is my favourite, with one lone fisherman casting out and hauling in a net. I love watching these boats; they seem so peaceful out there on the big ocean. I admire these fishermen; it seems like such a noble profession. As I come off the beach and head home I am just in awe over how different and simple life is here. I see hammocks hanging from trees and roof over hangs and they actually have people in them, on almost every front step there is someone either just sitting or someone bashing coconuts or a fisherman mending his nets (a common sight) someone scrubbing clothes or kids running around. People use their homes for sleeping and storing their stuff not for living in, for the most part life happens outside. If you live like this you really don’t need a very big house at all. As I continue on home I pass a baseball game, not a little league game, just some kids on an open lot with bases marked with pieces of trash and rocks, except for home plate, it’s so worn from sliding in it doesn’t need a marker. There are no uniforms, no adults standing around with clip boards and whistles, no bleachers and no hotdog stand....although there is a chicken stand just up the street. Judging from the boyish banter and hooting and hollerin it looks like fun is being had by all. As I get to the chicken stand I find a volleyball game going on right beside it with grown men and perhaps a few teenagers also hooting and hollerin and having a blast, parked on the side of the street are a row of motos and bicycles and one lone, very bored looking horse tethered to a pole. As I walk on I pass people coming home from work, (it must be about 4:00 ) fisherman carrying buckets, people pushing wheel barrows, men on bikes with spades and shovels and ladies carrying backpacks...possibly beach vendors. Young men with their black cases that they sell jewellery and watches and you name it out of on the beach. I see the hotdog stand in front of the Big City Deli being set up and across the road the taco stand that I had very good papa locos at a few nights ago is also in full swing with a small crowd gathering in front of it. I pass a stand that is just closing that I had not seem before (I do miss some things) I ask her what her hours are and was told they are only open during the day, she tells me they do still have tamales left over if I want, I decline as I already have a tamale guy....he comes by my house every morning and I don’t want to cheat on him. (it`s a small place, he will find out). I keep on my way home and pass the peanut stand, I search my pockets, I have no change....too bad, I love fresh roasted peanuts and they roast them right there. It took me a while to figure out what the funny looking contraption was, it`s a peanut roaster. I continue limping on....I`m wearing my thongs again.
Then I pass the cutest little Hansel and Gretel house, it is so tiny but so perfect and I can totally see me retiring in a little house like that (I`ll take a picture some day for you) this house looks very out of place as it is completely finished and very neatly painted and obviously loved and adored by it`s owners. The little front porch is just dreamy. I must get myself invited into this house sometime. The lady that sells fresh coconut cookies greets me and I stop to say the usual Buenas tardes, I don`t buy a coconut cookie because I have no change and although I really really love coconut I find them a bit too sweet for me, I wonder if I can ask her to make some for me with less sugar. Maybe I`ll just make my own, there`s an idea. I pass by the little confectionary store that I can sometimes buy a great big Marlin sandwich for 7 pesos at. On the front porch there are the usual 5 or 6 men playing Dominoes, they always seem to be here at about this time.
I get home just as the sky is turning pink, it`s sundown, I debate if I want to walk just a little further so that I can see the sun set over the ocean but I decide that since I don`t have my camera I better not, I would be so disappointed if it turned out to be a magnificent sunset and me with out my camera so I just head on upstairs to my little loft. This little place is really starting to feel like home when I walk through the door. I really didn`t think I would feel so at home here, I knew I would feel at home here in Mexico but I didn`t think that this house would ever feel as homey as my house at home does. I always though that my house at home was special in a way that it made me feel very comfortable and safe and I always loved going home to it, even if I was only coming home from work. I somehow thought that if I moved I would never have that comfortable feeling again but I guess I was wrong. I already love coming home to this house and I`ve only been here 2 months. My things aren’t even in here, all my wonderful things that I`ve collected over the years that I felt I had to have in order to make my house a home, they`re not here and yet I feel perfectly at home... Interesting.
Then I pass the cutest little Hansel and Gretel house, it is so tiny but so perfect and I can totally see me retiring in a little house like that (I`ll take a picture some day for you) this house looks very out of place as it is completely finished and very neatly painted and obviously loved and adored by it`s owners. The little front porch is just dreamy. I must get myself invited into this house sometime. The lady that sells fresh coconut cookies greets me and I stop to say the usual Buenas tardes, I don`t buy a coconut cookie because I have no change and although I really really love coconut I find them a bit too sweet for me, I wonder if I can ask her to make some for me with less sugar. Maybe I`ll just make my own, there`s an idea. I pass by the little confectionary store that I can sometimes buy a great big Marlin sandwich for 7 pesos at. On the front porch there are the usual 5 or 6 men playing Dominoes, they always seem to be here at about this time.
I get home just as the sky is turning pink, it`s sundown, I debate if I want to walk just a little further so that I can see the sun set over the ocean but I decide that since I don`t have my camera I better not, I would be so disappointed if it turned out to be a magnificent sunset and me with out my camera so I just head on upstairs to my little loft. This little place is really starting to feel like home when I walk through the door. I really didn`t think I would feel so at home here, I knew I would feel at home here in Mexico but I didn`t think that this house would ever feel as homey as my house at home does. I always though that my house at home was special in a way that it made me feel very comfortable and safe and I always loved going home to it, even if I was only coming home from work. I somehow thought that if I moved I would never have that comfortable feeling again but I guess I was wrong. I already love coming home to this house and I`ve only been here 2 months. My things aren’t even in here, all my wonderful things that I`ve collected over the years that I felt I had to have in order to make my house a home, they`re not here and yet I feel perfectly at home... Interesting.
Sickness, Worms and Tranchilas (however you spell that)
Sickness, Worms and tranchilas
Today was not a great day for me, I was sick. It started last night when I came home from another Sunday of church all day; I got home at about 8:30 pm as usual and was really hungry as I had not had supper. I had sustained myself with a few muffins here and there and a bag of Cheetos during the afternoon but I needed some real food. So when I got off the panga I headed for a food stand and got 2 tostadas with grilled beef, I was debating getting 3 but decided that because I was going to go to bed right afterwards I didn’t want to eat that much. As it turned out they were huge and 2 was plenty and I was feeling quite full, not overly full but just really full....I went right to bed. I couldn’t fall asleep as I was feeling very bloated and my stomach felt really hard, now I would like t o say that I have a nice hard stomach all the time but that is just not the case. I felt very uncomfortable and tossed about most of the night. In the morning I was still not feeling well, I was not nauseous just feeling very bloated. I was in the bathroom when I noticed a bunch of little white worms on the floor, very odd and a bit alarming. I got a broom and swept them up and then noticed there were more worms in every corner, including my bedroom.....what is going on? Where are they coming from? Because of all the sand I sweep my floors 2 or 3 times a day and I always wash my floor everyday sometimes twice a day and I have never noticed worms before anywhere. So I frantically sweep everywhere and wash my floors with bleach all the while not feeling great at all.....still just feeling like I should poke myself with a needle and let some air out. I kept trying to throw up but that wasn’t working for me. I felt I needed to empty myself somehow but it just wasn’t happening. I also washed my rooftop with bleach and the stairs coming up just in case the worms came from there; I checked all my garbages but could just not figure out where the worms came from. Once I had them all cleaned up they didn’t come back and I did keep my eye out for them. Around lunch time I was finally able to throw up and felt a little better, I even managed to do all my laundry but later in the afternoon I felt all tight and bloated again. I was supposed to go to Madero at 4:00 to help with the sewing projects but the thought of taking a boat and bus ride almost made me sicker so I decided that I would just stay home, I am after all just a volunteer. I spent most of the afternoon in bed, and never left the house at all. Before I went to bed I turned on the water valve as I believe I was told to do and lifted the lid to my water tank to see how much water was in it and a big black tranchala scurried off the edge...yikkes! I slammed the lid shut and pulled myself together and decided I had imagined him and lifted the lid again just to send him scurrying to the other side...He was as big as my hand, including fingers and black and furry. I decided then and there that it would no longer be any of my business how much water was in the tank. I will run out when I run out. I’m a little nervous that the tank is right beside my door. I’m telling myself that the water tank has been his home for many years and that he is quite comfortable there and has no desire to relocate, as long as the snoopy gringa will stop peeking at him and leave him alone. I wonder what he eats in there. I guess I’m also drinking tranchilla poop.....could explain the stomach troubles....nah, couldn’t be.
I went to bed hoping I would feel better in the morning and hopefully no worms. My stomach and the worms are both a mystery, I just hope they are not related in some way.
Today was not a great day for me, I was sick. It started last night when I came home from another Sunday of church all day; I got home at about 8:30 pm as usual and was really hungry as I had not had supper. I had sustained myself with a few muffins here and there and a bag of Cheetos during the afternoon but I needed some real food. So when I got off the panga I headed for a food stand and got 2 tostadas with grilled beef, I was debating getting 3 but decided that because I was going to go to bed right afterwards I didn’t want to eat that much. As it turned out they were huge and 2 was plenty and I was feeling quite full, not overly full but just really full....I went right to bed. I couldn’t fall asleep as I was feeling very bloated and my stomach felt really hard, now I would like t o say that I have a nice hard stomach all the time but that is just not the case. I felt very uncomfortable and tossed about most of the night. In the morning I was still not feeling well, I was not nauseous just feeling very bloated. I was in the bathroom when I noticed a bunch of little white worms on the floor, very odd and a bit alarming. I got a broom and swept them up and then noticed there were more worms in every corner, including my bedroom.....what is going on? Where are they coming from? Because of all the sand I sweep my floors 2 or 3 times a day and I always wash my floor everyday sometimes twice a day and I have never noticed worms before anywhere. So I frantically sweep everywhere and wash my floors with bleach all the while not feeling great at all.....still just feeling like I should poke myself with a needle and let some air out. I kept trying to throw up but that wasn’t working for me. I felt I needed to empty myself somehow but it just wasn’t happening. I also washed my rooftop with bleach and the stairs coming up just in case the worms came from there; I checked all my garbages but could just not figure out where the worms came from. Once I had them all cleaned up they didn’t come back and I did keep my eye out for them. Around lunch time I was finally able to throw up and felt a little better, I even managed to do all my laundry but later in the afternoon I felt all tight and bloated again. I was supposed to go to Madero at 4:00 to help with the sewing projects but the thought of taking a boat and bus ride almost made me sicker so I decided that I would just stay home, I am after all just a volunteer. I spent most of the afternoon in bed, and never left the house at all. Before I went to bed I turned on the water valve as I believe I was told to do and lifted the lid to my water tank to see how much water was in it and a big black tranchala scurried off the edge...yikkes! I slammed the lid shut and pulled myself together and decided I had imagined him and lifted the lid again just to send him scurrying to the other side...He was as big as my hand, including fingers and black and furry. I decided then and there that it would no longer be any of my business how much water was in the tank. I will run out when I run out. I’m a little nervous that the tank is right beside my door. I’m telling myself that the water tank has been his home for many years and that he is quite comfortable there and has no desire to relocate, as long as the snoopy gringa will stop peeking at him and leave him alone. I wonder what he eats in there. I guess I’m also drinking tranchilla poop.....could explain the stomach troubles....nah, couldn’t be.
I went to bed hoping I would feel better in the morning and hopefully no worms. My stomach and the worms are both a mystery, I just hope they are not related in some way.
Water Issues
We have water issues again and according to my Spanish and my very patient land ladies’ explanation to me a shark, a very large fish or a swimmer hit the water line (this just can’t be right) and they are trying to fix it. While they are fixing it we will be without water for 8 days and then we will have water for 5 days, this will continue until they have fixed it. During the 5 days with water I am to turn the valve (the one that is still leaking) on during the night so that my cistern can fill as there is no pressure during the day, in the morning I turn the valve off. So I now have a water schedule on my calendar. Lydia stopped by today and I would really have wanted her to confirm this with my land lady but she was not home and of course as soon as she had left Senor Papa showed up, he reiterated the valve on at night and off during day but seem confused when I asked him about the 5 days on and 8 days off.....I’ll find out I guess.
Walking the Beach
Today after I got home from the mainland (I had phone duty) I decided to walk the beach, I need to walk of some creama....oh, a little side story first. This morning I go to the little store just up the street from my house and buy creama for my coffee and the lady tells me “you do know this isn’t milk right”, (in Spanish of course) She must think that because I buy a carton every 4 days I must just be drinking it straight. I tell her I put it in my coffee, she says “yes that would be better; it’s too thick to drink straight.”They must be having quite the conversations on their decks about this weird gringa, everything from how I do my dishes to how much creama I buy and possibly about how many papayas I buy and that I eat meat without grilling it.....oh and I’m sure they’re talking about how I am limping around in my new thongs that I bought. I am trying to break in a pair of thongs and it’s just not a pretty sight, I have not worn thongs since I was a kid.....ok, let’s clarify something first, I am from a time when thongs were worn on your feet, ok. I tell you in feels like I have a log between my toes and if I ever get used to that I will be amazed. I really do feel like I am always being watched but not in a spooky sort of way, more like in the same way that I am watching them out of my windows....in a curious way. Did I tell the story about when I first got the keys to my house? I don’t think I did. It was a Monday or a Tuesday when I first came to talk to my land lady about renting this place. I asked her how safe it was (like she was going to tell me it wasn’t safe) she told me not to worry but perhaps not to tell anyone I was living here alone, I was wondering how I was going to do that, make up a room mate perhaps. So we agreed that I would come back on Thursday at 11:00 am to pick up the key. I arrive early because I wasn’t sure how long the bus would take to get to the docks so I gave myself lots of time (I’m not Mexican enough yet to show up late) as I approach the house a lady sees me and comes up to me and asks if I am the Canadian lady that is going to rent Bertha’s house, I say yes. She tells me that Bertha had to go to Mazatlan but will be back at 11 to give me the key. As I wander around the neighbourhood just to waste some time an older gentleman approaches me asks me if I am the Canadian lady that is going to rent Bertha’s house, I say yes and he tells me as well that she is coming at 11 to give me the key.....it seems she told the whole village about the new Canadian resident.
Today my neighbour lady invited me over to her house for coffee, (the one that thinks I’m weird) I think...that or I invited myself over, one or the other. I understood coffee, my house and the words any day....I will certainly be taking her up on that, perhaps tomorrow. Such interesting things go on over there and I feel guilty spying on them through my windows, I would like to have a relationship with them so that when I see something interesting going on I can just jump over the fence and say “hey...what’s happening?” instead of running from window to window to see what they’re doing.
Today my neighbour lady invited me over to her house for coffee, (the one that thinks I’m weird) I think...that or I invited myself over, one or the other. I understood coffee, my house and the words any day....I will certainly be taking her up on that, perhaps tomorrow. Such interesting things go on over there and I feel guilty spying on them through my windows, I would like to have a relationship with them so that when I see something interesting going on I can just jump over the fence and say “hey...what’s happening?” instead of running from window to window to see what they’re doing.
Will the real Jose please come forward
Will the real José Please Come Forward
Did I tell you that I have the most beautiful children in my classroom? I do, they must have gathered all the beautiful kids and put them all in my class. There are 19 of the little darlings but never the same 19 it seems; they like to change their names on me. Today I thought I was very clever and made them all name tags to hang around their necks and this seemed to work fine until the end of class José handed in his assignment with Antonio written on the top. I pointed to his name tags and asked what happened. He said he didn’t want to be José anymore he wanted to be Antonio again, like last week. Unbeknownst to me I had 2 José’s in my class but the 2 of them kept changing their names from José to Antonio making it so that I never noticed....clever little guys, and not so bright a teacher. I believe we have sorted it out today though. Mexican children normally have 4 names, a first name, a second name, then their mother’s maiden name and then their father’s name. My daughter’s names follow that sequence as well but we have never actually used all those names but these kids do use them all. I have asked them to choose one name and stick with it so that I have ½ a chance of remembering them....hence the name tags. Also hard to tell them all apart when they are all equally beautiful and sweet...noisy and very tricky, but sweet. Ever so sweet, I know I’m going to want to take them all home with me when I leave.
I did have an interesting bus ride out there today, and I was on the right bus this time. I had to make copies of my lessons for the kids today and the copy/internet place on the Island does not open until 1 pm (or at least it didn’t today) we Island people are quite the slackers. So when I got off the panga I walked downtown and got my copies made and caught the bus from there. At the very next stop 2 clowns got on the bus, yep, real clowns. Their make up was done so perfectly that they really looked like real clowns (like there are real clowns) they performed a little skit and were rather entertaining. After their little act they walked around and were collecting donations, I am not sure for what as I could understand nothing (I don’t speak clown) so I did not contribute. Shortly after they got off another gentleman got on with a guitar and preceded to serenade us all, he was rather good and he looked like he might have had a family to feed so I did contribute to his cause whatever that may be. It could very well have been his next hit of some drug or for tortillas, who knows, it is beyond my control and in Gods’ hands. I see so many hands out everyday that I cannot help; I don’t have enough pesos to go around. I can’t help but wonder what Jesus would have done when an empty hand would reach out to him as he passed by. It doesn’t tell us in Bible if he had a miracle for everyone that reached out, we don’t know how many miracles he actually performed....we know it’s many. Did he just look down and give a sympathetic smile and continue walking as I do, somehow I don’t think so.....but we know he didn’t have money to give. What did he do?
Did I tell you that I have the most beautiful children in my classroom? I do, they must have gathered all the beautiful kids and put them all in my class. There are 19 of the little darlings but never the same 19 it seems; they like to change their names on me. Today I thought I was very clever and made them all name tags to hang around their necks and this seemed to work fine until the end of class José handed in his assignment with Antonio written on the top. I pointed to his name tags and asked what happened. He said he didn’t want to be José anymore he wanted to be Antonio again, like last week. Unbeknownst to me I had 2 José’s in my class but the 2 of them kept changing their names from José to Antonio making it so that I never noticed....clever little guys, and not so bright a teacher. I believe we have sorted it out today though. Mexican children normally have 4 names, a first name, a second name, then their mother’s maiden name and then their father’s name. My daughter’s names follow that sequence as well but we have never actually used all those names but these kids do use them all. I have asked them to choose one name and stick with it so that I have ½ a chance of remembering them....hence the name tags. Also hard to tell them all apart when they are all equally beautiful and sweet...noisy and very tricky, but sweet. Ever so sweet, I know I’m going to want to take them all home with me when I leave.
I did have an interesting bus ride out there today, and I was on the right bus this time. I had to make copies of my lessons for the kids today and the copy/internet place on the Island does not open until 1 pm (or at least it didn’t today) we Island people are quite the slackers. So when I got off the panga I walked downtown and got my copies made and caught the bus from there. At the very next stop 2 clowns got on the bus, yep, real clowns. Their make up was done so perfectly that they really looked like real clowns (like there are real clowns) they performed a little skit and were rather entertaining. After their little act they walked around and were collecting donations, I am not sure for what as I could understand nothing (I don’t speak clown) so I did not contribute. Shortly after they got off another gentleman got on with a guitar and preceded to serenade us all, he was rather good and he looked like he might have had a family to feed so I did contribute to his cause whatever that may be. It could very well have been his next hit of some drug or for tortillas, who knows, it is beyond my control and in Gods’ hands. I see so many hands out everyday that I cannot help; I don’t have enough pesos to go around. I can’t help but wonder what Jesus would have done when an empty hand would reach out to him as he passed by. It doesn’t tell us in Bible if he had a miracle for everyone that reached out, we don’t know how many miracles he actually performed....we know it’s many. Did he just look down and give a sympathetic smile and continue walking as I do, somehow I don’t think so.....but we know he didn’t have money to give. What did he do?
Just a lot of rambling
I have a new job; I have been recruited to help with giving sewing lessons to some local ladies at Franisco Madero, this is the same colonia that I am teaching in. We had talked about me doing this before I had even left home but then when I got here I got busy with everything else and I thought that project had been cancelled. Last week a lady from Winnipeg arrived with boxes of fabric and patterns so the sewing ministry got up and running again. We started yesterday and got as far a choosing fabric and a pattern, the ladies wanted to make capris. We managed to get most of them measured for size and got the fabric all cut and tomorrow we start to sew. On Wednesday I am always at Casa Damasco until about 3pm and I am to be in Madero at 4pm so I will have to find a bus that takes me from Casa Damasco to Madero in an hour. This will no doubt be another adventure, the first time I tried to get home from Madero it took 3 wrong buses, a long walk and one polmonia ride. The polmonia driver of course ripped me off; I can’t stand cab/polmonia drivers and will walk from here to Mexico City if needed before I will ever take another cab or polmonia. (I might end up eating these words)
Today when I came home from Mazatlan (I had phone duty today) I found out I have no running water again, I debated whether I should find Senor Papa again but decided just to wait and see if the whole Island is out or just me. I went to the neighbours but they weren’t home and right now I’m too lazy to go wandering out any further. Not having running water does not really affect that many people because not that many people are fortunate enough to have running water at all or hot water for that matter. The other day at Casa Damasco there was a new resident that was really ill; the police had dropped him off and he was so ill he could not walk or even sit up. We are not sure what is wrong but most likely just very malnourished and possibly starved. One of our new volunteers came to me and ask for a warm wet clean cloth, he wanted to wipe the man’s face with it in hopes that it would warm him up. I looked at him very dumb-founded; he may as well have asked me for a bucket of gold nuggets. I told him that the only cloth in the house was the one greasy dish rag, and even if I could clean it up for him, there is no hot water in the house at all. Heat up water on the stove you say.....there are only 2 pots and one is full of rice and the other frijoles (refried beans) every day. I am learning that hot water is truly a luxury that I need to be very grateful for. I meant to go buy dishrags and dishtowels to take with me but of course I needed to do that in the city (our big city deli doesn’t have any) but soon as I am done my duties in the city I always hightail it home as fast as I can and I totally forgot to pick some up.
By the way, today someone asked me if knew what bus they could take to get to WalMart..hahah, do I ever. I thought that was kinda funny. I miss having a land mark like that, this is why I am having such problems getting in and out of Madero, I don’t know yet which buses go there from the boat docks. There is a landmark but I am reluctant to use it, around the corner from the school that I teach at is the bus stop and about ½ a block up is the “Red Dragon” it is the biggest prostitution house in Mazatlan. So I could flag down a bus and ask in a question like tone “rojo dragon?” just like I used to do for “WalMart?”But I think the bus drivers would think it very peculiar that this gringa goes to the prostitution house 3 times a week. I did ask the ladies that I was teaching sewing yesterday which bus to take in and out and I do believe I have it figured out now..... I will get to test it out again tomorrow. I have noticed that if I am talking to an older person or a child they will not understand me even if I have the correct Spanish words if I mispronounce them even the tiniest bit, like perhaps missing one vowel. Unlike in English, in Spanish you always pronounce every vowel and I tend to skip a vowel sometimes (or 2) and a lot of bus drivers are older gentlemen and have had very little exposure to the English language and thus don’t understand me when I tell them where I want to go. Especially the bus drivers on the Madero route, tourists just don’t go there very often.
I figured out why I don’t have water, remember the water leak I wrote about earlier. Well, it seems Senor Papa fixed it by turning the main water valve off. So I turned it on long enough to fill my tank on the roof and then turned it off again. If he shut it off on Saturday when I left the message for him my tank lasted me 3 days, so I’m good for awhile. I’m not sure if this is the permanent solution or what he plans on doing.
With me running into the city everyday I’ve missed the fruit and vegetable truck for a few days now and my bin is empty. If I don’t catch him first thing in the morning I will not be able to have my daily fruit shake for breakfast......I just know he’ll drive by when I’m in the shower. I did go to the general store, which by the way is called “The Super City Deli” and they did not have any papayas, mangos, oranges or apples. They did have nice bananas but bananas alone does not a fruit shake make, at least not a very memorable one. I’ve had fruit shakes so good I remember it all day, at about 3:00 I’ll be thinking “man that was a good fruit shake this morning....wish I had one now”.
I found a place on the Island here that sells Papa Locos, yes! I have not tried them yet. I bought a chicken and a half a few days ago and made a whole crock pot of Frijoles so I have no reason to eat out for awhile. Most BBQ places will sell you a chicken and a half with a side of rice, about 8 tortillas and some salsa. (60 pesos here on the Island) It sounds like a lot of food but it really is not because these chickens are not raised on steroids like ours are, making them a lot smaller. I ordered a meal like this with a friend and between the 2 of us we ate it all except for one piece of chicken which we gave to a passerby. I do have to learn how to make the salsa that they serve with it, it is so good. I might have to hang out at the chicken BBQ place for a day or so. I tell you, food geniuses. I’ve also discovered that I love love corn, what they do with corn is just.....genius. When I set up my taco stand at home I will also serve corn....oh yeah I was also going to have Papa Locos (I might need help) I ran into a gentleman today that had not seen me in a week and he jokingly said that he thought I had gotten taller (he’s a very short guy) I replied that perhaps all the Mexican food was making me taller because I know for sure it’s making me wider. I am seriously going to start walking more; taking the wrong bus 3 times last week did me well. I might start walking on the beach; I think that walking on sand would be more exercise and we have miles and miles of beautiful beach here with no rocks unlike the beaches in the Golden Zone and you don’t have to walk around or step over tourists. (Just some stray dogs and the occasional horse)
Today I bought some boxes of crayons for my kids at school; I’m really excited to surprise them on Thursday. I can’t believe these kids don’t have crayons, a box of 64 crayons cost me 17 pesos and that is something that the parents and the public schools just cannot afford....oh dang, I just now remembered I wanted to buy a blackboard eraser too, they don’t have one of those either. We’ve been using a piece of tissue paper to wipe the board with. Oh and get this, no photo copier at the school. I’ve been going to internet cafes to get my worksheets and handouts copied for my class. Can you imagine operating a school without a photo copier? Or elementary kids that don’t have crayons, most of our kids have eaten a box, lost a box and broke a box of crayons before they even get to grade 1. I think I will buy these kids each a note book as well; I think we are wasting so much time taking turns writing on the board.....they do have to learn to write their alphabet too, not just recite it. So I have a shopping list for Friday when I go into the city.
For tea towels and dish cloths I might have to go to WalMart for this, this is not something I will find in a Mexican store I should maybe explain this a little. Mexicans do not wash their dishes with hot water (ever) usually because they have never had hot running water, and usually they don’t have running water at all. If they have running cold water they let the water run and wash the dishes under the tap with a sponge that they dip in a bowl of dish soap every once in a while. This is how they wash the dishes at Casa Damasco; imagine plastic greasy dishes that have never been washed in hot water, or even warm water. I must remember that I am not here to change the ways of the Mexican people in fact it is their relaxed ways, customs and traditions that have lured me back here time and time again.
Today when I came home from Mazatlan (I had phone duty today) I found out I have no running water again, I debated whether I should find Senor Papa again but decided just to wait and see if the whole Island is out or just me. I went to the neighbours but they weren’t home and right now I’m too lazy to go wandering out any further. Not having running water does not really affect that many people because not that many people are fortunate enough to have running water at all or hot water for that matter. The other day at Casa Damasco there was a new resident that was really ill; the police had dropped him off and he was so ill he could not walk or even sit up. We are not sure what is wrong but most likely just very malnourished and possibly starved. One of our new volunteers came to me and ask for a warm wet clean cloth, he wanted to wipe the man’s face with it in hopes that it would warm him up. I looked at him very dumb-founded; he may as well have asked me for a bucket of gold nuggets. I told him that the only cloth in the house was the one greasy dish rag, and even if I could clean it up for him, there is no hot water in the house at all. Heat up water on the stove you say.....there are only 2 pots and one is full of rice and the other frijoles (refried beans) every day. I am learning that hot water is truly a luxury that I need to be very grateful for. I meant to go buy dishrags and dishtowels to take with me but of course I needed to do that in the city (our big city deli doesn’t have any) but soon as I am done my duties in the city I always hightail it home as fast as I can and I totally forgot to pick some up.
By the way, today someone asked me if knew what bus they could take to get to WalMart..hahah, do I ever. I thought that was kinda funny. I miss having a land mark like that, this is why I am having such problems getting in and out of Madero, I don’t know yet which buses go there from the boat docks. There is a landmark but I am reluctant to use it, around the corner from the school that I teach at is the bus stop and about ½ a block up is the “Red Dragon” it is the biggest prostitution house in Mazatlan. So I could flag down a bus and ask in a question like tone “rojo dragon?” just like I used to do for “WalMart?”But I think the bus drivers would think it very peculiar that this gringa goes to the prostitution house 3 times a week. I did ask the ladies that I was teaching sewing yesterday which bus to take in and out and I do believe I have it figured out now..... I will get to test it out again tomorrow. I have noticed that if I am talking to an older person or a child they will not understand me even if I have the correct Spanish words if I mispronounce them even the tiniest bit, like perhaps missing one vowel. Unlike in English, in Spanish you always pronounce every vowel and I tend to skip a vowel sometimes (or 2) and a lot of bus drivers are older gentlemen and have had very little exposure to the English language and thus don’t understand me when I tell them where I want to go. Especially the bus drivers on the Madero route, tourists just don’t go there very often.
I figured out why I don’t have water, remember the water leak I wrote about earlier. Well, it seems Senor Papa fixed it by turning the main water valve off. So I turned it on long enough to fill my tank on the roof and then turned it off again. If he shut it off on Saturday when I left the message for him my tank lasted me 3 days, so I’m good for awhile. I’m not sure if this is the permanent solution or what he plans on doing.
With me running into the city everyday I’ve missed the fruit and vegetable truck for a few days now and my bin is empty. If I don’t catch him first thing in the morning I will not be able to have my daily fruit shake for breakfast......I just know he’ll drive by when I’m in the shower. I did go to the general store, which by the way is called “The Super City Deli” and they did not have any papayas, mangos, oranges or apples. They did have nice bananas but bananas alone does not a fruit shake make, at least not a very memorable one. I’ve had fruit shakes so good I remember it all day, at about 3:00 I’ll be thinking “man that was a good fruit shake this morning....wish I had one now”.
I found a place on the Island here that sells Papa Locos, yes! I have not tried them yet. I bought a chicken and a half a few days ago and made a whole crock pot of Frijoles so I have no reason to eat out for awhile. Most BBQ places will sell you a chicken and a half with a side of rice, about 8 tortillas and some salsa. (60 pesos here on the Island) It sounds like a lot of food but it really is not because these chickens are not raised on steroids like ours are, making them a lot smaller. I ordered a meal like this with a friend and between the 2 of us we ate it all except for one piece of chicken which we gave to a passerby. I do have to learn how to make the salsa that they serve with it, it is so good. I might have to hang out at the chicken BBQ place for a day or so. I tell you, food geniuses. I’ve also discovered that I love love corn, what they do with corn is just.....genius. When I set up my taco stand at home I will also serve corn....oh yeah I was also going to have Papa Locos (I might need help) I ran into a gentleman today that had not seen me in a week and he jokingly said that he thought I had gotten taller (he’s a very short guy) I replied that perhaps all the Mexican food was making me taller because I know for sure it’s making me wider. I am seriously going to start walking more; taking the wrong bus 3 times last week did me well. I might start walking on the beach; I think that walking on sand would be more exercise and we have miles and miles of beautiful beach here with no rocks unlike the beaches in the Golden Zone and you don’t have to walk around or step over tourists. (Just some stray dogs and the occasional horse)
Today I bought some boxes of crayons for my kids at school; I’m really excited to surprise them on Thursday. I can’t believe these kids don’t have crayons, a box of 64 crayons cost me 17 pesos and that is something that the parents and the public schools just cannot afford....oh dang, I just now remembered I wanted to buy a blackboard eraser too, they don’t have one of those either. We’ve been using a piece of tissue paper to wipe the board with. Oh and get this, no photo copier at the school. I’ve been going to internet cafes to get my worksheets and handouts copied for my class. Can you imagine operating a school without a photo copier? Or elementary kids that don’t have crayons, most of our kids have eaten a box, lost a box and broke a box of crayons before they even get to grade 1. I think I will buy these kids each a note book as well; I think we are wasting so much time taking turns writing on the board.....they do have to learn to write their alphabet too, not just recite it. So I have a shopping list for Friday when I go into the city.
For tea towels and dish cloths I might have to go to WalMart for this, this is not something I will find in a Mexican store I should maybe explain this a little. Mexicans do not wash their dishes with hot water (ever) usually because they have never had hot running water, and usually they don’t have running water at all. If they have running cold water they let the water run and wash the dishes under the tap with a sponge that they dip in a bowl of dish soap every once in a while. This is how they wash the dishes at Casa Damasco; imagine plastic greasy dishes that have never been washed in hot water, or even warm water. I must remember that I am not here to change the ways of the Mexican people in fact it is their relaxed ways, customs and traditions that have lured me back here time and time again.
Spanish is Coming along
I know I always complain about my Spanish not coming along as fast as I would like it too but it really isn’t that bad, I am just impatient and get very frustrated when there is something that I just can’t do. I can usually get my point across if needed. About a week ago, maybe a bit longer (I tend to lose track of the days) I locked my keys in my apartment (I know, just brilliant I am) my landlady had not been around for a few days and I had no idea how long she would be gone. Her father (Senor Papa) usually checks in on me about once a day, but I had not seen him that day and did not know where he lived. So I just started walking, this place is not that big and I knew I was bound to run into him or see his little truck somewhere or I might run into landlady’s brother or her niece. I found Senor Papa at the docks, turns out he works there, not sure what he does there or what all the other men do there that hang out there all day long. I was able to tell him what I had done and I didn’t even need too many words to explain after I made that sound to him......you know the sound you make the second the doors slams shut and you realize your keys are on the other side, and even though you know your keys are on the other side you immediately stick your hands in all your pockets looking for a miracle. You know you do that, we all do, anyway....that sound is universal and Senor Papa understood immediately what I had done and was able to help me out. Yesterday when I came back from Mazatlan I noticed that the water pipe in front of the house had a slow leak and I made a mental note to myself to let Senor Papa know the next day. By the way the saying “a mental note” is just that, a saying, it’s not an actual note at all, the note does not exist, so when Senor Papa came by in the morning to check the plants we had the same conversation we always have about the weather and then he went on his way. Later in the afternoon I saw the leak again and figured I better let him know because even though it is just a slow leak we are by now wasting a bit of water, so off to the docks I go but he is not there...hummmm. Beside the docks is a little restaurant that is run by a very friendly couple and I know that they know who I am renting from as the lady had introduced me to my landlady’s niece a few weeks ago.....everybody knows where I live by now. So I ask her if she knows where Senor Papa lives....of course she does, and I can even understand her directions. I find his house (turns out he lives close to me..hahah) but of course he is not home but I explain to his daughter (who lives with him) what the problem is. I’m getting a little smarter now, before I left the house I looked up some words, like pipe, beside, gate, leaking, and slowly, so that pretty well explains it, pipe beside gate leaking slowly. She promised to pass on the message when he returns from Mazatlan. Soon the man will think I am a pest, I hope I can leave him alone for a while now. On the way home I bought a cup of alote (corn with creama) it was only 12 pesos, it was 20 in Mazatlan...ripper offers I tell you. .....whoooo, the power just went out, it looks like the whole Island is dark (my laptop is running on its battery now) and is it ever dark. Good thing I had anticipated this and bought some candles when I first moved in.
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