So, I'm
headed to the mainland, my mission today is to buy coffee (it's cheaper there)
contact lens cleaner (don't have any on the Island) , get some cash (have no
banks here) have lunch at the market (fish or shrimp dish for 50 pesos) , buy a
red dress for a Valentine's day dance (I'm still in dance training) and make a
physio therapy appointment (heard the guy was hot and single....he might go
nicely with my red dress) and also wanted to stop at a friend's house (hadn't
seen her yet this season)
The ferry
boat was just leaving as I was approaching, the captain backed the boat up and
waited for me, I thank him, I smile at everyone and greet them just in case I
now made someone 3 minutes late for something. One guy has his life jacket on
upside down, everyone laughs as his wife points it out to him, I don't. (I
think I've done this)
AT the other
end as I approach the street a taxi driver asks if I need a ride, I decline,
like I always do, but then he asks "why not?" , I laugh and point at
my legs, he whistles as I walk by, I wished my dancing skills were up to
par....I would have done the cha cha for
him.
As I turn a
corner to head towards my friends house a guy asks if I am lost, I say no but I
am not sure if the street I am looking for is 2 more blocks or 3 (streets here
have names not numbers) he says it's 2 blocks and walks with me, I didn't
really like this but its daylight and there are many people walking and driving
by so I relax. He asks where I live, I tell him the Island, he asks how long
the ferry ride is (means he's never been there), after chatting briefly he
takes out a little wee plastic bag with some white powder in it and asks if I
want some. I put my hand over my mouth
to stifle my scream of "ARE YOU
CRAZY", I can't not scream. This has never happened to me before, I have
never even seen shit like this here , never, not even marijuana. He puts it
back in his pocket and continues walking beside me in silence, 1/2 a block
later I realize I still have my hand over my mouth, and I haven't breathed yet.
I'd make a great hostage, I'd suffocate myself. I finally take a breath and am
ready to give him a piece of my mind and he turns a corner and walks away......and
what do I say to him, get this, I say "thank you", And remember I do
know how to tell someone off in Spanish now, and when I actually have the
opportunity to do so I choke and say
"thank-you". Thank-you for what? For freaking me out? Who knows, I'm
just polite that way I guess, and hilarious.
My friend
and I have a great laugh at this, as I look in the mirror in her bathroom I try
to see what part of me looks like I like stuffing shit up my nose, I don't see
it.
Next stop,
red dress, I see a shop that might work (I'm a fast shopper) , I find two
dresses, one is red and one is pink, they have no dressing rooms or mirrors, a
cute little girl helps me pull the red dress over my head over my clothes, I
ask her how it looks, it feels tight, she gives me a very enthusiastic thumbs
up, yeah yeah you're just trying to sell me a dress I think. I say it feels
tight (my clothes are underneath it) she says "it would be better if you
were a bit thinner", ouch! such honesty isn't really necessary I think,
but this is Mexico. I try the pink one on, it seems to fit better but it's
pink, I wanted a red one, she thinks it's perfect, better than the red one. I
don't like the color but she seems really excited about it, I get caught up in
her excitement and buy the Pepto-Bismol pink dress for 99 pesos, a dress I
haven't even seen myself in, just to get the shopping part over with. Now....would
I get lucky to randomly just happen to see a pair of matching pink flip flops
somewhere, because I am NOT going to shoe shopping. We'll see.
Lunch time,
upstairs at the market, I have breaded shrimp, it comes with rice, beans, a
small salad and French fries, and
tortillas for 50 pesos. You can't beat this, and as long as the fish and shrimp
are fresh it's always good, you just can't really screw up fresh fish and
shrimp. I am a fisher lover, I like all fish prepared in every which way, I
have never had fish I didn't like. I don't even ask what kind of fish it is anymore
because it just doesn't matter, It was awesome. I try to think of life without
fish and shrimp, "stop it" I tell myself it's not time for that yet. The
waiter is learning English and we work on the words "breaded" and "napkins".
I accomplish
everything on my list and head home, on the boat going home I am once again
relieved that I live on the Island. It always feels a wee bit cooler on the
Island (by the way it is still blazin hot here), maybe it's just because you
get a quick cool down on the boat ride across.
- I do
actually have a stiff neck, I'm not that desperate that I would go see a cute
therapist just because he is cute.
- When I got
home I realized I could have gotten the girl to take a picture of me wearing
the dress with my Iphone and then I could have seen what it looked like, I
wouldn't have bought it then. I will never wear this dress......I'm an idiot.- We do have
drugs here on the Island, lots of it, but it is so small that everyone knows
everyone and the druggies know who does drugs and who doesn't so you are not
going to get hit up to buy some unless you give the impression that you are
open to that.
How to make gorditas
Today a friend invited me over to show me how to
make gorditas. Really very simple.2 ingredients, Masca and water. Once again
genius.
Mix the Masca, which is corn flour with enough water to make a soft dough. Masca
doesn't get sticky like flour. Knead it softly until it is nice and soft and
stays in one piece. Roll a little bit into a ball and then flatten it, making a
round disc. Shape the disc into a little sombrero, lifting the edges and
pulling a point up in the middle. I have seen them made without the point, but
that's not important, it's cute with the point. Get the point? Haahha. Don't
make them too fat or they will take forever to fry, thus soaking up a lot of
grease... not that I am worrying about grease, gorditas need to be eaten with
reckless abandonment.
Heat oil up
in a pan, in this case it was done over a fire, and fry your little sombrero,
point side up first and then flipping it over, frying until it is golden brown.
What you
load onto your gordita is up to you, there is no end to what you can put on it.
Carne asada, chicken, beef, beans, pork...no end to the possibilities.
We had a
stir fry of onions, garlic, squash and tomatoes, topped with cheese. We had fresh
basil to put on it but forgot.....just dove in
to eat it as quick as we could.
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| The veggies getting sauteed |
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| First gordita in the pan |
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| Making little sombreros |
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| Lista! Bien Provecho .....yummmy |
