WEdnesday

The municiple garbage guys can't keep up so my Mexican cousin had to come and take our garbage away, and he has a new companion.

 He also installed out new sink which he built for us, where does that black pipe go? Just into the ground, because it is an all sand base the water just gets absorbed. The square box on top is where the soap is kept....we are thrilled. I have watched Mexicans wash up before a meal, I've watched mothers nearly scrubbing the skin off the little kids before they get to sit down and eat. My sisters boys will come in to eat and nearly have a bath, first they'll take their t-shirt off and wash face, head, neck and arms and then dry themselves with their t-shirt and then put the t-shirt back on. Having a sink instead of a barrel will make it so much easier.

not sure where this little guy is going, maybe he is trying to rent out his horse too, everyone here has entrepreneurial spirit

The life  guards spend Monday and Tuesday erecting their booth, today they spent it getting the roof on and painting it. 

You can see (kind of) our lifeguards get around by guad and they have flashing blue and red lights on it just like the police because usually they are police moonlighting as lifeguards, they can and will arrest you. Last week I saw them make a quick phone call and within a few minutes 3 police trucks came with 11 officers and many many big big guns and they walked into out restarataunt and arrested 3 guys that had been smoking marijuana in the beach. Days before that they arrested a local fisherman right beside us for smoking marijuana. Life guards had given him a warning or two already. Despite of what people think it is still illegal to smoke that crap in public...especially the beach. 

Raspados....what the town of Concordia is know for, aside the furniture...a raspado is a snow cone , a cup of shaved ice topped with the topping of your choice, anything fruit flavor has small chunks of fruit in it as well. Of course the Mexican favorite is chili/salt/lime

The real beach boys.....I counted 4 bands like this, this is music that doesn't get tiring. Mexicans love their life banda music, I didn't hear any getto blaster music...only live music like this....and they can't help themselves but dance when they hear music like this....that includes our kitchen staff

not overly crazy yet....yet

Boy next door with his apron on.The mexican boys grow up as macho as can be, they are expected to be "macho" from  the time they are little but I like how they are secure in their machoism to put on an apron, carry their wife's purse or sit down at their mom's sewing machine to make their pants a little tighter, or go to work with  a tinker bell backpack (because that's all that was available) 

Off the subject of Samana Santa a bit. If you want a good look at how the Mexican boy becomes "macho" I recommend you read "The boy kings of Texas" by Domingo Martiz, it's a sad eye opener to how the  "majority" of boys grow up. Not all of course, a few things were clarified for me while reading this, it explained a lot for me as to why the young men are the way they are. (remember, my father grew up here and he brought some of his growing up scars to Canada with him as well)  It just makes me love the little kids here all the more.
Another good read about Mexican culture and some history is "The rain of gold" by Victor Villesenor....good good book, I promise you won't be able to put it down...and it's a true story.

There ..... that's your homework. Maybe I'll do a book club post.