2008, Getting Caught Up

Well here we go, hurtling toward Valentine's Day ("El Dia del Amor"). So many things have happened it's been difficult to sort them all out into a believable story. Stil, I can try.

I now have a housemate, Kathy, who hails from Illinois. We have rented a house 1 block from the beach in a "gringo camp," which is a completely refurbished trailer park established 50 years ago. Many of the houses here have the trailers incorporated into them and it's fun seeing how creatively the owners have designed their houses. The camp is a rather 60's style life, in that one is reminded of a time long past where things were just simpler. We know our neighbors. People watch out for each other.

Lots of the residents here drink themselves silly quite often. I don't hang out with them. But we have a good spot here in a section of what was once the family home of the landowners the camp is built upon. There are about 90 houses here.

My Spanish has taken a turn for the better and I am starting to do well with past tenses and I can tell a future tense when I read it. I can read almost a whole newspaper now and understand most of it, which has been a real achievement.

I have friends further afield as well, including a very talented artist named Alejandra Flores who lives in Monterrey. I will be meeting her in person soon; that will be wonderful!

Another carnival has passed but I didn't attend; I don't care for the crowds and chaos.

I will try and keep up more here as time goes by and I feel like I've done something worthwhile...I am working on a couple of projects that I really want to have come to fruition, and I'll post the results when something is moving forward.

Meantime, Happy Velentine's Day to all who read this!

A Mexican Rodeo

Here is a bit of flavor from here. I just learned how to do video streaming (cut me some slack, I'm 50 years old). I shot this in '05 at a rodeo at the ranch where my horses used to be boarded. I hope you enjoy it.

Looks like PAN

The Spanish word for bread is "pan." In the Presidential election of last year, political spoof shows on television showed a characture of Felipè Calderòn (now Mexico's President) sporting a little loaf of bread as a lapel pin in a mock debate.

I'm not doing a marathon tonight...it's 1:25 a.m. Pacific time, and it looks like the PAN candidate for governor of Baja CA has a comfortable lead. The peso burped a little bit since Friday as the elections drove the peso down a little against the American dollar, but it will stabilize again. Right now it's holding at about 11 pesos to the dollar.

Another election done, and hopefully our new governor will do as he said he will and help create better access to education and better paved roads. The PAN party has had a good record of getting along with others in its seven years of power after 70 tumultuous years of PRI rule. Things change, and changing with the times is the sign of true leadership. I sure do hope Mexico continues to do better.

Another Election Day

Today is Sunday, August 5th, and the people of Baja California vote for their new governor. This is a hotly contested race and looks like it may well turn out to be like the presidential race last year. The candidates are Jorge Hank Rohn and Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millán, the two top contenders. After much mutual accusations of connections with organized crime and two very different sets of priorities have been presented, stories of free food, clothing and even money being distributed to "buy" votes, at the end of the count we will know who the new governor will be.

Jorge Hank Rohn is a very powerful, mega-rich eccentric who has a total of 19 children by three wives and a girlfriend. I have visited his private zoo and horse stables. My adopted sis Connie and her husband both work for him, so of course they are very loyal. Mamita is also loyal to "Hank" and his PRI party, as is my landlady. I just don't know what to think.

The word I hear from many people is that they don't like either candidate, but as Baja CA continues to grow, being very affluent with its proximity to the U.S., especially in the North, hotly contested issues spur the public into a frenzy of activity.

One major sore spot is the plan for the U.S. to line the All American Canal with concrete, an action that is projected to cut off irrigation water supplies to the Mexicali Valley, the breadbasket of Baja CA. Osuna Millán (PAN party) has pledged that this will be one of his priorities as governor, along with paving roads and improving infrastructure.

According to one report, "Hank" has vowed to turn Ensenada into "the Cancùn of Baja Norte" by transforming it into a major tourist destination.

I have learned that people from all over Mexico come here to Ensenada, mostly to find work in the ever-increasing number of industrial plants and international businesses sprouting up here. When I first moved here and began this blog, Costco had recently opened. In that area of town now is Comerciàl Mexicana, which is a superstore; Home Depot and the Walmart complex that has a new cinema, loads of stores, another McDonalds and an Applebee's. I have not been in the Wal Mart. I don't want to go there.

Well, as usual, I've meandered from the elections to what's up in the south end of town. I'll write more when I find out who the governor is.

New Adventures, New Vistas

I have recently had the pleasure of attending the brand new Center For the Arts here in Ensenada. It just opened on July 30, and the interior is so beautiful it took my breath away. The atmosphere is enriching, invigorating! So many things are changing here it's difficult to keep up with them. Ensenada is booming and growing, expanding south and east and with an estimated population of 500,000 people from all over Mexico and the world.

The summer arrived late and we are now, in August, having our warmest weather, which makes me miserable. But walks on the beach help, and so do the delicious ice lollies (bolis) that they make here in a variety of flavors: Chocolate, Banana, Strawberry, Pistachio...they are so creamy and cold and yummy, I'd stay in Mexico just to have them available! The factory is not far from where I live, and that is a marvelous thing!

Without further ado, I will introduce you to our wonderful new Center for the Arts. I will be attending a free, open air classical concert there on Tuesday evening.

Cold!!!!!!

Now it really does feel like winter here! We went from 80 degrees last week to snow in the upper hills last night! I will be focusing a lot on my training with Star for Day Of the Horse, so stay tuned if you want...since this is my first show, I am focusing on having a good time and I want Star to enjoy it too. It's not like it's a national competition or anything, just an exhibition but still, it's a big deal to me. I will post photos as soon as I have someone available to take them for me; today I cantered Star under saddle for the first time and was it ever a powerful feeling! She's such a great mare and I am very proud of myself for what I've done with her so far, since I've had her since she was 4 months old!

INVITATION!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!! If you look at my earlier posts, you'll see my two visits to the Day Of the Horse Festival. This occurs the last Sunday of May, and the riders exhibit their horses and skills, by invitation only. I GOT AN INVITATION!!!!! I am going to ride Star, my Percheron mare, in the exhibition! Between now and then will be training, practice, and more practice! Star is the only horse I will have raised, trained and shown. I am so excited! Watch this space!

Triana '07!

New year, new decade for me (turned 50 on December 13), new look! I found a fantastic hairdresser here who made me happy with my hair for the first time in my life! So this is me, on New Year's Eve.