Triana's Life in Mexico

2011 and Out of Mexico for Now

2011-04-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

After my last post, three years ago, my life in Mexico became a whirlwind of travel, love, strife and a surgery. Since I can't encapsulate 2008 - 2011, I won't try. Let's suffice it to say that I miss Mexico like hell, I miss Baja CA and the colors, the people, the whirling of life, the bad music and playing with the kids. I miss my dear sister friend Martha and her family. I miss my horses. They are still there. But a failing hip, a major (wrong) move to the city of Monterrey in mainland Mexico and the economic crisis among other things catapulted me back to the U.S. where I got my hip fixed; I am dying to go to Ensenada to see my horses and my friends and soak up my favorite town where I lived for 5 years. I will do this trip soon. And I will write from there.

For now, I am remembering, going back through my blogs and reading about myself in my first days in Mexico...such high hopes, such determination I had. Wow. I learned so much there and continue to learn through remembering. I will go back and learn more. Mexico, I miss you.

2008, Getting Caught Up

2008-02-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

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

2007-08-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!

2007-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

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!!!!!!!!

2007-01-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-01-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

These little girls had never seen a real gingerbread house. They were very shy about starting, wanting to do the "right thing." I showed them how to put the icing on the back of the candies then stick the candy on the house. Then all hell broke loose, as you will see in the next photo.

Icing flying, sticky fingers, candy alternately being stuck on the house and in little mouths, full enthusiasm, squeals of delight, giggles and total cooperation ensue.

The masterpiece is finished! A door on one side, windows on the other. The little 5 year old wanted the house to have a Christmas tree inside, and if you look through the window you will see the Christmas tree of the imaginary family. Success!

Altar for Frieda

2007-01-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

Frieda was an amazing lady...I saw the movie and was captivated by her story. Her altar was beautiful.

Day Of the Dead

2007-01-02T00:39:00.000-08:00

This is the altar for Benito Juarez; each step of the altar has a meaning; moving from bottom to top, we can see the first step of the Saints and Angels, then is the level for the children...candy skulls are placed to honor them. Next level is foods to protect the soul, including salt. The next is the things the deceased liked in life, their favorite foods and items. The next step is food for the afterlife should the soul be visiting, and the top is the image of the deceased. It is very lovely.

Oh My God It's 2007

2007-01-02T00:12:00.000-08:00

It's already January 2nd, just after midnight! No more am I complaining about it being too hot. I am seriously thinking of being a Cool Bird this year, seeking somewhere cooler to be for July and August!

Never mind that. My grandest achievements for 2006 were being able to support myself writing, putting my horses in a fabulous ranch for boarding, beginning training with my Belgian gelding, turning 50 and celebrating in Disneyland, celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve (all three) and gearing up for a new year.

2006 left me with confidence and a great makeover, which I did on New Year's Eve. Photos speak better than words, so I will begin this year with photos of the holidays. Christmas Eve was terrific! I spent it at my Mexican family's house and I made gingerbread cookies and a gingerbread house with my little nieces. Their ages are 12, 7, 5 and 4. Perfect for holiday magic! I told them the story of gingerbread and they were keen to take turns helping me in the kitchen. We spent two days making these things, and between playing and yakking we burned about half of the cookies but the gingerbread house came out just fine.

Day of the Dead

2006-11-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

November 1, 2 and 3 are set aside for Mexican people to honor their ancestors. Today is the Day of the Dead, and last night I went to an exhibition at a local university campus to see the altars honoring Mexico's people who have passed on. The students at UABC put together a fabulous and beautiful display, which is running for three nights.

I am including photographs I took of the altar for Frieda, Mexico's famous artist, and Bonito Juarez, a Mexican hero. Each step on the altars is significant, bearing the offerings given by the living people. Food is offered for the soul's sustenance in the other world, candles light the path to Heaven and also between the worlds of the living and the dead. There is music and food and rememberance; it is truly beautiful and a tradition that is being lost in Northern Mexico because of the encroachment of American culture and the celebration of Halloween, yet the truly devoted still celebrate both Haloween and the Day of the Dead.

I was delighted to see children in the streets on Halloween night, their adult family members accompanying them en masse. They stop at a house and shout in unison, "TRICKY TRICKY HALLOWEEN!" In a singsong voice that is endearing and a welcome relief to the usual "Trick or treat." All of the children wore homemade costumes and ample face paint, and they didn't care if they had a proper Halloween bag or a simple grocery bag. They were all very happy and excited to get a special treat. I had purchased "Bon e Bons," a rather upmarket wrapped chocolate candy, and the squeals of delight and ohhhhhhhhs and ahhhhhhhhhs and GRACIAS, SENORA, MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!!! was enough to warm my heart.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

2006-07-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

Well now, this is almost scary. Today was wonderfully cloudy and only in the low 80's. For the first day in a while, I didn't wake up, spend my day, and go to bed covered in sweat! The forecast is for a cooling trend now, thanks to the storms in the south. Whew. We are all relieved.

Tomorrow will be interesting, I am in the process of getting my FM3 work permit for CETYS. It will not be a fun process, I am sure. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I have everything I need. Tomorrow is photos, like mug shots. For some reason, they want one full-face and two right profile with ear showing. I find that bizarre, since when you are driving, if someone pulls up next to you, they are looking at your left profile. But then again, our faces are pretty symmetrical. Logic doesn't exist here. Why two rights????? Two wrongs make a right, three rights make a left, but what are two rights? The Bush administration?

Obviously, it's bed time.

Roasted Chilis

2006-07-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

Easy! Put any chili out on the sidewalk. Tomorrow's temperature is supposed to be 106 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn't even bother to venture out today, although we did have a lovely rain early in the morning. Yes, I am complaining. It is too hot. It's too hot everywhere.

People are getting very crabby and impatient and their productivity is diving. Well, of course! I think everything should just shut down in this environment and reverse hours. Be open all night instead of all day. Most of us here in Ensenada don't have air conditioning; the mild climate doesn't call for it. But with these high pressure systems shoving up from the Sea Of Cortez, the heat and humidity is just like the Midwest and South. Usually we have a fresh ocean breeze here that takes the edge off. The ocean breeze is even hot. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like inland, in the desert.

I've been reading on AccuWeather.com that the temperature here feels like 123 degrees. Yes, it does. Everyone is consuming water like crazy and I am grateful for that precious commodity. We take water for granted, but what would it be like if water were suddenly rationed? What if, like gasoline, some area controls all the water and jacks the price up so high that only a few could afford it? Personally, I bet that is on the table somewhere.

When I lived in England I knew a woman whose father had installed the first oil wells for Burma Castrol. Her son turned out to be quite a ruthless young businessman. I remember him advising her once not to bother investing in precious metals anymore. "In the future it will be water, Mum. Put your money there." I got the creeps listening to that.

So here I sit again, running up my power bill with the fan on nonstop, in a sticky night with a low of 89 degrees. I do not do well in heat. I never have. That's why I moved to the cool, rainy Northwest over 30 years ago, but even now the Northwest is neither cool nor rainy. Everyone is getting hit equally. What would happen if the distribution of wealth was as widespread as the weather? Now that would be interesting. Saving for a rainy day would have a whole new meaning.

My brain is turning into a raisin, I'm sure.

I may spend the day at the beach tomorrow.

Frodo

2006-07-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

This little ball of black fur has been an unending source of entertainment and fun for me. Frodo came to me through Connie, my Mexican sis. He is the one that likes to try to steal my food. He's now about 1/3 bigger than in this photo. I hope to have many happy years with him.

Horsing Around

2006-07-24T01:57:00.000-07:00

Angele and Krista (my 12 year old riding student) enjoy the lienzo at Rancho Chatuco.

Hot Summer Night

2006-07-24T01:41:00.000-07:00

I won't complain. Conditions are much hotter elsewhere, but I want October to happen now. As usual, I am up during the wee hours of the morning, having languished all day trying to stay cool. Night time is the only time I can work and think!

I am giving you some summer flavor of my life here in Ensenada. One disturbing thing of note is more crime. This is the statistically the safest city in Mexico to live, but there has been a crime wave occurring here for the past few months that has been nothing short of disturbing.

An acquaintance of ours, who lives on the south side of town near the beach, was savagely beaten recently by burglars and airlifted to Mercy Hospital in San Diego. This lady is older, probably in her 60's or so. They broke her finger trying to get a ring off of it. That was the least of her injuries. After about 10 days in the U.S., she returned home today after having assured us all that she was fine.

At that end of town, where I lived for a year and a half with Zoila and her two kids, there is escalating crime. The road I lived on and loved, Pedro Loyola, has become a sort of slum now. Much more traffic and unsavory activity around there. One couple I spoke to commented that there was gang activity operating out of the junkyard just a few blocks from where I lived. That doesn't surprise me.

This town is changing an awful lot; yet it still has its own charm and beauty. Am I afraid? No. But cautious, always.

On the brighter side, there is always something to do and something interesting to see here. Friday night Zoila and I went to the local carnival again and we had a blast. We didn't take the cameras, which is too bad, but we might go back again during the week. The carnival is typical traveling fare, with the rides and games and concerts and contests. We went on the Tilt-A-Whirl and laughed and screamed. After that I decided to ride the mechanical bull. I will take this opportunity to brag about the fact that I, a middle-aged woman, outlasted all the 20-something guys on the mechanical bull. And it was my first time on one!

Tourists abound, lots of loud, blaring music, Hussong's and Papas & Beer have Americans packed in their drinking establishments and Ensenada is bustling with activity. I like to dip my toe in downtown once a week or so just to see what's going on.

I hope you enjoy the photos, little moments of my life here.

Happy Horses

2006-07-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

My draft horses Jake and Star at Rancho Chatuco. I moved the horses right at the end of June. The city of Ensenada is encroaching into ranch territory and bringing with it unsavory conditions. Rancho Chatuco is GORGEOUS. It is owned and operated by the Rubio family, and for Mexico, it is absolutely deluxe. It is a huge difference to be with people who are gentle, good with animals. It's also wonderful to be free of having to haul alfalfa and clean the pens! The ranch hands do that. We will soon be offering horsemanship vacations at Chatuco!

Rain, please

2006-07-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so it's been humid and sticky. The air is not moving, it just sits there like an oppressive sauna from which there is no escape. Most people here in Ensenada don't have air-conditioning because it's usually not this bad.

Today I slept all day, virtually exhausted from the heat and humidity of 65%. Call me a woos if you want, but I am not used to this! When I was in Texas this time last year, it was the same except 20 degrees hotter. Here it's only been in the 80's but not at all dry heat. Yech.

By the way, if you are interested in hearing about what it's like living in Mainland Mexico, you should check out Douglas Bower's articles. I burst out laughing reading some of his reflections. Here is the link to see Doug's articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Bower

I especially loved reading The Realities Of Mexican Living l, ll and lll, Mexican Independence and American Girlie-Men, Mexican Bus Riding l and ll, and others. Living here and finding some hysterically funny parallels between Bower's observations and mine makes it even sweeter. He and I have exchanged a couple of emails but we have never met. Maybe someday we will.

If I don't wind up being a sweating heap of shriveled flesh before that!

Update: Mexico's President-Elect

2006-07-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've recovered from my marathon. Felipe Calderon won the recount, but AMLO is going to take it all to court. There is a massive protest getting ready to happen in Mexico City tomorrow (Saturday, July 8). It's going to be interesting to see what happens now.....I just hope there isn't any violence. The stereotypes of Mexico are very obsolete and I hope that the Mexican people can maintain their cool and not get ugly over this. They are a beautiful people with a rich culture. Yes, there is an enormous amount of poverty here, but the solution to that is education and better infrastructure, not government handouts. Mexico is joining the world as a force to be reckoned with in terms of business, and it has for so long hung its head to the Americans.

I love living here because I can make a difference in lives. What I do (teaching English) matters. It's great. I am here to help make a better tomorrow for Mexico, to help it rise from the ashes of its earlier existence as a Third World country. I want to help it help itself, not rely or depend on its government to make decisions for it.

I've seen enough of what has happened in my own country with new laws being made every ten seconds to protect us from ourselves. Mexicans are very resourceful, they are bright, and intelligence steered in the right direction can make miracles happen.

Here in the North, the people are heavily invested in making all of Mexico better. I'm standing with them.

Please, when you come to visit Mexico, don't flash your cash around and act obnoxious. Don't expect it to be like an extension of the United States. Come here with an open mind and the willingness to allow Mexico to be Mexico. And bring an English/Spanish dictionary! Be a good guest. Please.

Mexican History Being Made

2006-07-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

It's 2:00 a.m. on July 6, 2006 and I'm sitting here watching a real cliffhanger of a presidential election going on, much like we experienced in the States in 2000. People are beginning to protest the IFE where the votes are being recounted. The IFE is the Federal Elections Institute and it is the legal body that handles, impartially, the votes of the people. This arm of the government was formed in the 1990's in order to achieve truly democratic, clean voting.

At this moment, AMLO (Lopez Obrador, leftist) is leading by .02% over Calderon, whom people here in Baja CA want to win. This is exciting, being here, right now, in Mexico during this historic time.

Living in a baby democracy is a real trip. It's amazing to watch how careful the protocol is.

2:04 a.m. the difference is now at .01%, in favor of Lopez Obrador. All of my friends here have voted for Calderon. I personally hope he wins, he seems pretty pro-education. He is bilingual, which is good for a president to be. Lopez Obrador doesn't want to even know a single word of English. I don't even know if Bush knows English. Hmmmm. I wonder how a radical left-wing president of Mexico would get along with the right-wing Bush admin.?

2:06 a.m. 97.64% of all votes recounted, the same difference of .01% is still holding. So is my breath. To be an American, so accustomed to democracy, living in a country where democracy has only existed for 6 years is a real privilege.

2:08 a.m. Still the same numbers. Has it really been 6 years since we all went through this? It's weird having history repeat itself and living it all over again. Sort of...I mean, our American election in 2000 was quite a debacle. This one is exciting but tame, so far. But Lopez Obrador has vowed to fight if Calderon wins the recount, and with such a volatile party as his, anything can happen. I think they're still upset about what happened to them in 1988.

2:10 a.m. Still at .01%, 97.7% of the votes counted. The peso really fell before the July 2 election; this was good for those of us who earn our money in dollars. Then it went back up again when it appeared Calderon had won, then back down again when Lopez Obrador ordered a recount. Wow.

2:13 a.m. Nothing changing. Everything changing. In the land of "Don't worry, there is always tomorrow," people are worried. Everyone is worried about North Korea, but hey, we have an incredible history happening here in Mexico that is unprecedented. And it would appear that Mexico is just as divided as the U.S. is.

2:14 a.m. Calderon has edged ahead now, with a .03% lead. I bet Lopez Obrador is NOT sleeping, even though he left his headquarters hours ago and went home. Calderon is still at the PAN party headquarters. This is going to be quite an event; this is amazing, and you never know what will happen in Mexico. A court could overturn the votes, people could run rampant in the streets, God, who knows?

2:17 a.m. Calderon now has a .05% lead, with 97.84% of the votes recounted. The gap between Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and Calderon has been slowly closing for a couple of hours now. At one point Lopez Obrador was ahead by a full percentage point. Now the tables are turning. I wonder if the tide will?

2:20 a.m. I just did a spell check. Now I am going to check El Universal's site....still the same .05% in favor of Calderon. It was the same, in favor of AMLO, just two hours ago.

2:23 a.m. Still the same...do I dare go and get a snack? Yes. Be right back!!!

2:31 a.m. While I was in my kitchen making a tuna and avocado sandwich I was feeling the anxiety of "not knowing." You know, that feeling that if you do something biologically necessary like eat when you are hungry, you will miss something! Then I wondered, what good will it do me to know, RIGHT NOW, who is likely to be the next Mexican president? I can't vote and much of the world outside of Mexico doesn't really care. But here I am, waiting and watching. Oh, how we love to be "in the know" about things! And at this very moment, who am I telling?????? I haven't published this blog yet!

2:34 a.m. Okay, okay. I'm going to check.
Calderon is now ahead by .07%. A battle is going on right in front of me! No, not with people protesting...my 3 month old kitten Frodo wants my sandwich. He can't have it.

2:38 a.m. Calderon is now ahead by .08%. It was predicted that a recount wouldn't make a difference, that he would win anyway.
I wonder what's going on in Mexico City right now? Since I don't have TV, I'll have to look it up online. Should I be paying attention to N. Korea? Nah. They are having a tantrum right now and I don't want to deal with that. This is much more exciting. But historically speaking, both a nuclear bomb and a Mexican election can kill people.

2:41 a.m. Calderon is now leading by .09% with 98.01% of the votes recounted. They must have gotten to the Baja CA ballot boxes, finally. In the past, it was Mexico City that decided who would be president. Actually, it was the president who decided who would be the next president. Then in 2000, 70 years of the PRI party rule was broken by President Fox. And now, that party didn't stand a chance in this election. There were 5 people running for president, including a woman. What used to be a major party fell into third place, what was a practically nonexistent party a few years ago shot into a dead heat with a party that got shot down in 1988 and not even looked at much in 2000. Very interesting stuff.

2:45 a.m. Typical. My friend asked me to call her and wake her up when Calderon got ahead. I did. Now she wants to sleep. Well, she does have to get up at stupid o'clock to go to work and I don't. But I really do want to sleep. Can this recount go on without me?????? I don't think so!!!! And I'm sure YOU will want this blow by blow written not by a professional journalist or even someone who cares much for politics! I'm just a middle-aged lady living in Mexico.

2:48 a.m. Still the same, Calderon by .09% and I am trying to keep Frodo off the keyboard.

2:49 a.m. Oh my God, I turn my back for a few seconds and now Calderon is ahead by .11%!!!!! I would imagine that AMLO is either asleep or having a major explosion of temper right now. I wonder why this government doesn't want to educate its people so they can do more? Well, an education doesn't necessarily enable a person to do more, it just gives then a leg up and a huge debt in student loan repayments. Funny how one thinks at nearly 3:00 a.m.

2:53 a.m. Well, even Google News isn't this far ahead, it is still reporting that Lopez Obrador is ahead. Don't they know that this is HISTORY?

2:54 a.m. I wonder what would happen if I fell asleep right now? What would I miss??? I am American! NOTHING is more important than information!!!!!!!

D879265ghskhbg Oops, I fell asleep on my keyboard!!!!

2:55 a.m. Calderon is still at .11% ahead. The nerve. There could at least be a surge. It's been a full seven minutes and nothing has changed!

2:57 a.m. I am going to wait for three more minutes, then I am going to be sensible and go to bed.

3:00 a.m. Dare I go to bed????? Calderon's lead has now gone to .13%. They have surely reached the Baja boxes now. I wonder if they did that on purpose, since Mexicans do enjoy a good drama. I bet the IFE left the northern Mexico and Baja CA and Guadalajara boxes until last. But according to what I am reading, the IFE will not stop until it has counted every single vote! It took the U.S. a full three months to do that! Here there were over 40 million votes to be counted.

3:04 a.m. I'm still up. I wonder if I am still awake. The cats have now decided that it's time to go crazy. Maybe I should stay up a bit longer. By the way, one of my cats, Princess, is Mexican. She was a street cat who followed me home from the corner market one evening, insisting that she was moving in. After a full month, with Princess outside waiting patiently, I let her move in. She's a darling. She's almost 2 years old now. Frodo came from the U.S., my adopted sister Connie (you can see her in my earlier blogs) brought him down for me. Since my beloved 14 year old cat Merlin died just before my first Christmas here, I have waited for a year and a half to have another black male cat. Connie's cat had 5 kittens, 3 of them black males, and I asked for the one with green eyes. They brought him down from Chula Vista for me almost 3 weeks ago. I named him Frodo and I love him to pieces. So does Princess, even though he really bugs her sometimes.

3:09 a.m. Okay, it's still .13% in favor of Calderon. And I'm an idiot sitting here in the dark writing this when the pro's are probably blogging their big-word hearts out, citing all kinds of interesting facts about Mexican elections, etc. I honor your intelligence. If you really want to know, you can look it up on Google just like the pros do. Or Wikipedia. I don't want to repeat other people's stuff.

3:12 a.m. The cats are racing around my little 2 story apartment. They're having a great time.

3:16 a.m. Calderon is now ahead .15% I think I've been on a big enough roller coaster. The situation could turn at any time, but I don't think it will.

3:19 a.m. I just spent the last three minutes doing time management. I reset my watch because I'd set it 12 hours slow when we changed to daylight savings time. Then I looked for a pen so I could cross Wednesday, July 5 off on my calendar. If you are now bored reading this, it's time for me to post this and go to sleep. The breaking news of who ultimately won will have to be left to someone else. Calderon still has his .15% lead.

Space shuttle Discovery has no injuries.
North Korea is making everyone mad.
Bush is stressed.
The World Cup has more attention than any of the above.
Goodnight, Chet (ha ha, if you're not a Boomer you won't even know what that means!)

B.F. Skinner, help!

2006-06-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whatever happened to plain psychology? It used to be so simple. It was based on observation of behavior, especially in terms of stimulus and response. Ring the bell and the dog salivates (that was Pavlov, not Skinner).

Behavioral psychology really didn't have that much wrong with it; it was simple. Prevent the bad behavior from happening and reward good behavior. But we can't say bad behavior anymore, because it might offend someone.

It used to be that reprimands and discipline for children meant that children were better behaved. In the animal kingdom, mothers discipline their young all the time. It's a matter of survival. Humans have gone from disciplining to abusing or becoming permissive, depending on who is the judge. What we have now is a horde of youngsters with terrible manners, rotten posture, no common sense and wired to the hilt. ADD, ADHD, borderline autism, etc. are the keywords that describe behaviors now.

Don't get me wrong; I've seen my share of children and people with bonafide mental disorders. In my day, we had (as far as I can remember) kids that were mentally retarded or had other learning disabilities in school. They went on a little yellow bus somewhere and we didn't engage with them much. Then there were the bullies, the baddies and the sissies and the tattletales. Of course, we all worked our way around those guys. If someone hit us in school, we would go home and tell our parents and our moms were on the phone to the bad kid's parents in a New York minute. People handled problems themselves. They talked to each other. If something got bad enough at school, the kid causing it would get sent to the principal's office. We were all scared to death of the principal. I don't even remember any of the principals; we never saw them. The principal was like God, sitting in some throne in an unseen place. Even as a middle aged Boomer, I still get the willies going to ANY principal's office. I get nervous in school offices. And I'm a teacher! The office was forbidden territory in my school days. We respected the teachers.

While we played outside and managed to survive recess with all the jungle gyms and exercise equipment that apparently kills kids now, we had a "monitor." This might be a teacher or a teacher's helper, but still it was an authority figure. At recess we all stayed away from the boys with taps on their shoes. Those were the bad kids and we knew it. They were the troublemakers. They were tough. They wore leather jackets to school. And I am speaking of third grade! The kids with taps hung out together, sneered at the rest of us and killed insects with a magnifying glass and the sun. They liked to burn stuff, especially if it was alive. But they limited their murderous antics to insects and leaves. We let the playground monitors handle those guys while we played kickball and tetherball and dodgeball and climbed on the bars. It seems we were very active, always moving around, and there weren't many fat kids in school.

The best days in school were Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesday was hot dog day. We didn't have to dig into our lunch boxes to trade with another kid who had something we wanted. We could buy hot dogs, with or without mustard. Friday was ice cream day. A guy would come with his cart and we would buy our favorite ice cream treats. I liked the Big Sticks the best.

We would guzzle water from the water fountain that probably had lead in the pipes. In general, we seemed pretty normal and healthy and life was simple. I don't recall any of us getting salmonella or some horrible disease from drinking water from the fountain. Either I'm dreadfully out of touch or most of us lived through it. Judging from my peers that are still alive, most of us didn't die from anything we did in school.

It seems that now, every discipline problem is a mental illness. An ill-equipped parent has a problem dealing with an unruly kid and is afraid to discipline the kid because just about any discipline is considered child abuse. A few years ago when I was having a garage sale in the States, I saw a mother "disciplining" her toddler girl by explaining why she couldn't do such and such...the mother used all of the right "I" statements and stated clearly how the baby's behavior made her FEEL, and she went on with this amusing discourse while chasing the child all over the place. The little girl was no older than two. I wondered if this mother had any friends. And I wondered why she didn't have the kid in one of those fancy backpack things. Most likely because the little girl would clobber her for any kind of attempted restraint that would stifle her creative expression and scar her for life.

Sadly, the revolutionary days of behavioral psychology are over. Behavioral psychology only applies to rats now. Humans have apparently transcended B.F. Skinner's work by turning everything into a mental illness. That way, no discipline is required. Only medication and talk therapy. From what I see on the airwaves and internet, all three hundred million people in the U.S. are engaged in talk therapy, but who is listening? That's something I couldn't figure out. But then, I went to school in the primitive days. Maybe I can find a Gen Y with no known mental disorder to explain it to me. The problem with that idea is that I can't understand a word they say for all the tongue piercings that make clanking noises and lisps when they talk. They get very impatient when someone can't understand them the first time. As far as I can tell, nobody is really saying much of anything worthwhile, it's a lot of complaining and whining and buzzwords, all basically saying, "I'm so special."

Don't think it isn't noticed elsewhere; South of the Border here, school is still simple, if very expensive. Kids wear uniforms, they can't attach metal to their faces or color their hair or any of that completely necessary survival behavior until they finish school. People here are generally "uneducated." That means they can talk about anything, because they have been busy living and not thinking. Mind you, they are rarely right about stuff, but they at least try! Perhaps I ask the wrong questions, which is entirely possible. One good example is, I once asked someone what the time was. He looked at his cell phone and told me. They don't wear watches here. Living here feels like it was when I was growing up; and it's refreshing.

How to Shop in Mexico

2006-06-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Unless you speak fluent Spanish and know how to haggle, if you are an American you will automatically pay more for trinkets, jewelry, etc. Sad but true. I've learned through experience that when I am shopping in the second hand stores, unless I know the owners, I take a Mexican friend with me to negotiate for what I want. Once I've selected the item, I leave the store as if I was disinterestedly browsing and leave my friend up to the haggling.

The same holds true for shopping in the tourist areas. Most of the shop owners here in Ensenada will haggle a bit even with their countrymen, but in the First Avenue (Calle Primera) shops, the prices are high anyway because it is THE tourist place. Thousands of people a week come off of the cruise ships a week during peak season to swarm in and pick up a few knickknacks to take back home, so the shop owners are not hurting for business. Many of the shop owners are only bilingual when it comes to money, as in "such and such dollars." And make no mistake about it, they are math wizards.

When my doctor friend came to visit, one aggressive shop owner tried to charge her quite a bit for a pair of earrings. Being well traveled, she replied, "That seems a bit expensive." The shop owner was bilingual and told her she wouldn't find those earrings anywhere else. Knowingly, my friend said, "Well, I'll look around for something else and come back here later." She found a pair of earrings that she liked even better for a lower price after a bit of haggling.

This is the Mexican way. It is only when you really get to know people that you don't get ripped off, but it is true that in Mexico people see Americans and have dollar signs in their eyes. Why? American behavior. It's our own fault. For generations we've been coming here as tourists waving money around, wearing expensive clothes and shoes, and look like we are dripping with money. Not only that, many tourists wave money around and wantonly give massive tips to people just for information. It's amazing.

We can't blame the Mexicans for their idea of us. Tourists are the representatives of any country, and we've done a bangup job of creating the stereotype that we are from the Land Of Milk and Honey and have money to burn.

The Immigration Thing

2006-06-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

For three weeks last month, I had the enormous pleasure of substitute teaching English at CETYS, which is a prestigious prep school/university here in Baja CA. I taught three classes of teenagers, about 75 students in all and it was not only challenging but fun and energizing.

I was amazed at the these young minds and how they probe into issues that concern them, and how aware they are of their own feelings. These kids tend to come from Ensenada's wealthiest families, and they understand the importance of education.

Now, a word about education in Mexico...it is EXPENSIVE. Unlike the U.S. and other countries, in Mexico parents have to pay a tuition for their kids to go to school, plus they have to buy uniforms and books. Given that most people in Mexico are only able to provide the basics for their families, most are not educated past the 8th grade, according to statistics. Here, education is a privilege, not a right or a requirement. The schools are also strict. There is no "No Child Left Behind" or Gifted Programs or accommodation for ADD/ADHD. Either you make the grade or you don't, period.

The schools don't have frills, either. No overseas trips, no special school lunch programs, nothing. This is bare/bones education. Many schools are underfunded and unkempt buildings that don't even have chalkboards or supplies for the younger children to use such as crayons, glue sticks and other supplies for creative expression. The pay for teachers averages $40/day or less.

Keeping that in mind, visualize a beautiful albeit small campus high on a hill above the city with an ocean view. A fresh breeze is always present, and the air smells of the fragrant flowers in the beautifully landscaped parking lot and campus grounds. This is CETYS. This is where I have been offered a permanent job teaching English, and I'm grabbing it. Certainly not for the money; the pay at CETYS won't support me, but the thrill of being a part of a better tomorrow for Mexico is enthralling. I am needed here. The rewards are many.

Getting to the point of this post's title, one day one of my classes was doing an exercise in interviewing. I told them they could interview me. First question was: "What do you think of the immigration issue in the U.S.?" I nearly dropped my teeth, thinking they would ask me something like, "Are you married? Do you have any kids?" Something simple. But no. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. I begged the higher powers for a good way to handle this question, finally winding up asking a question back: "I am going to ask you the same question...what do YOU think about it?" A lively discussion followed, along with debates that were very impressive.

The kids have the idea that Mexican immigrants to the U.S. is a good thing because Americans don't want to work in the fields and Mexicans are used to doing that. Americans don't want to do lowly production work. Basically, we are seen through the eyes of Mexico's young as a people who have no interest in getting our hands dirty. So they will. I am simply reporting what I experienced as food for thought, sans a personal opinion. I was blown away.

I look forward to teaching at CETYS and discovering more about how the young are thinking about the future of their country, their families, their unborn children. Teaching there is a privilege for me, a gift.

You can see the CETYS campus through a link I've provided in the right hand sidebar.

Me and Madame

2006-05-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

Standing with me is the one and only, irreplaceable, outrageous, bighearted, clever and Absolutely Fabulous Katrina, commodore of the La Vendima Yacht Club and co-owner of the La Vendimia restaurant where the good times roll. Katrina is one of my best friends, and she is a true treasure! Born in Liverpool England, she worked on cruise ships for a good number of years, and was working on a ship that called on Ensenada. Eventually Katrina met Andres Tinoco, a local restauranteur. She's been in Mexico now for twenty years, climbing the social ladder and generally raising hell and having a great time raising her kids and building the business. This lady has brought so much happiness to so many people! I think she'll be sainted someday!

Miniature Horse

2006-05-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

A Young Lariateer

2006-05-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

These kids are terrific, they are practicing their art all the time.

A Happy Team

2006-05-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

I had never ridden a mule before and always wanted to. This little guy was darling, and we had a great time together! I am on the left, and my friend Angele is on the right. An American and a French woman riding a mule and a horse in Mexico. Love it!

Seven months and no post!

2006-05-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Things keep changing, people come and go, we've now moved from autumn to almost summer again. Wow. At this point, after having been in Mexico almost two years, I don't think I could move back to the U.S. any more than I could cut off my arm. It is so different here, and although things still don't move as quickly or reliably as they do in the U.S., Mexico seems to be catching up in many ways.

Here's a synopsis of these 7 months: I began writing professionally, so that took up all of my writing time and I didn't have the energy for blogging. But now I've managed to start up again, and I'm happy about that.

Christmas was terrific, I went to my town of birth (Napa, CA) and spent a week with my family and long time friends. It was absolute magic.

New Year's Eve at La Vendimia was also excellent, as one would expect, and it was crazy and fun.

I've been riding my horses more, busy moving pens and fencing around, and very soon I will be at my adopted family's ranch next door, where my horses will be able to move around more and finally set some shade!

Memorial Day Weekend was terrific, and once again we went to the Day Of the Horse. I'm including some photos of this year's show. This year didn't have the fanfare of last year, but I ran into people I know now, and I also got to ride with my new friend Angele, who is originally from France!

I talked a couple of grizzled Mexican cowboys into letting me ride a mule into the arena. At first they said no, the mule was dangerous. I asked why. "It doesn't know anything," was the answer.

"I am a trainer, and I do know things," I said in my improving Spanish.

Finally after much discussion, they let me get on the mule and they led it to the arena gate. The poor beast didn't want to go inside, so I coaxed him in, and his big ears were waving all around. Suddenly he balked, ears forward, and I realized he had seen his shadow and was scared of it. I kept him walking while he watched that scary dark thing on the ground. When we got to the back of the arena, the mule let me know that he didn't like the sponsor posters AT ALL. I let him know that they weren't going to kill him. We then passed one of the barrels left from the barrel racing. The mule spooked, I took him back to the barrel and had him just stand there quietly, and he got the idea that maybe this arena thing wasn't a slaughterhouse after all. My friend Angele rode in on a black horse that is the mule's pasture mate, and the little beast finally felt more secure as we happily rode around, we did a couple of barrels at a merry little trot, and had a blast. When I took the mule back to his owner, it tried to follow me! Apparently I made quite an impression with the Mexican cowboys, because they were all asking me questions and praising my ability. Apparently that little mule had bucked off and cow-kicked more than a few people, but with me he was as gentle as an old friend. That was the highlight of the day for me.

This year they also had miniature horses, little pretty horses with lush manes and tails. They are uncommon here in Mexico.

They had the boys doing fancy lariat demonstrations, the dancers, music and fun and as always, great food! The Day Of the Horse is a great way to spend a Sunday.

Oh! I am also poised to work at CETYS, a prestigious prep school here. I am being hired to be an English teacher. I substituted there for three weeks while the Director of English was away, and I had a ball teaching the kids. These kids are bright, curious, amazing minds! That will be a whole other section here, so stay tuned!

Amateur Electricians

2005-10-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

Amateur Electricians
Originally uploaded by guardian1213.

Major surgery on a freezer cord at La Vendimia!

Frogman Holds His Breath

2005-10-30T23:04:00.000-08:00

Frogman
Originally uploaded by guardian1213.

Jorge Andres (Katrina and Andres Tinoco's son) cheers on the amateur electricians' mission!

New Plug!

2005-10-30T23:02:00.000-08:00

new plug
Originally uploaded by guardian1213.

Nobody died and we resurrected the freezer!

Viva Medicina!!!!!!

2005-10-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Okay I'm well now. My, that was fast! Mexicans might be amongst the most laid-back people getting things accomplished, but my doctor is terrific! My last post was yesterday (Saturday) and by afternoon I was well enough to go out for the first time in a week or so! We took hay to my horses, then (of course) went to La Vendimia, saying we'd only be there for an hour or so. "Or so" is how long we were there, of course. Six and a half hours later we came back, and not without having had an adventure! That's what the above photos are about....

So there we were, the restaurant was very quiet, and Katrina's mother-in law-Josefina was doing a great job keeping us entertained with lovely conversation while we sipped fresh coffee and I enjoyed being let out of the prison of strep. I got lots of good sympathy and congratulations for being well again. Then Madame swept in (this would be Katrina) and we had a great time.

Before Katrina arrived, though, we saw a flash and heard a POP from under the bar, so we called Joel the waiter over (he's the adorable guy in the photos below, with whom I am making a latte) and told him. He investigated and found that a plug had blown on a freezer and needed to be replaced. Of course this occurred five minutes after all the electrical shops closed. Andres (Katrina's husband) came up with a couple of new plugs but didn't know how to change them. He had tools though, and off to work Josefina and I went! I jumped on the internet and found out how to connect the wires (for a 3 prong plug the ground wire is green, by the way, and it doesn't matter which way the other 2 wires go). Josefina held the plug steady and gave me a lamp to see by and together we put the new plug on. Then came the moment of truth...plugging it in! Josefina was going to do the honors (while everybody backed away from the bar, the chickens!) then changed her mind at the last minute and handed the plug to me (I'd never changed a plug in my life). With completely false bravado and a prayer ("Dear God, you just made me well from this horrible infection, please don't kill me now") I plugged in the cord. No sparks flew and I didn't hear the heavenly angels. Whew. I felt the freezer, its motor had come back to life and it was purring away. Then of course the waiters rushed up to the freezer to see if it was working and there I was, all proud of myself! Now Katrina wants me to be her handywoman for her house and take care of the plumbing. No problem! As long as I have the internet and the right tools, I can do just about anything and when all else fails, there is plenty of duct tape in this country. Whole cars are held together with it here!

So, I'm well now. My doctor is amazing. One glance at my hellish throat told him the whole story and I will never again question his judgment. And guess what else, I got all well for under $100! I must admit that as far as Mexican medicine was concerned, I was very skeptical about it and figured they had technology obtained from the junk yards and wired up by an idiot like me who had internet access. Picture radiation flying all over the place and meat cleavers used for surgery. Hey, at least I am proud of how ignorant I used to be! But no, they have some of the best doctors in the world here and Dr. Mario (my Peruvian doctor) is surely one of them!

What a life.....what an adventure! I highly recommend complete immersion into a foreign culture and losing your identity for a while. It's good for the soul!

STRICKEN!!!!

2005-10-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

I just knew it. There is a price to pay for staying to long at the party when you have Epstein-Barr!!!!! After all the fun and frolics and late nights, I have been down for over a week with a very bad strep infection. As I write this I am still in my bathrobe and it's almost 12:00, which may seem like the good life to you, but I hate it.

Listen up, strep infections are nothing to mess around with! I nearly wound up in the hospital and had it not been for my excellent Peruvian doctor, I'd be laying in a ward right now with IV's and doctors and nurses I can't understand! We caught it just in time but the pain has been terrible.

So yes, for those of you thinking that I am living it up in Mexico (which I am), I am also paying the price. Oh, well. It's been worth it and my friends and Mexican family have all rallied on my behalf, bless them!

Soon I will be able to hear out of my right ear (I haven't been able to hear out of it for over 2 weeks, due to the ear canal being inflamed and trapping fluid in there because of the infection). In some ways it's been a blessing because my right ear is on the side of our noisy street and party hall next door so I've spent some nice time in my cubbyhole office working without being so distracted by all the noise. I've also slept better because I can't hear the traffic. I also have a good excuse for exercising selective deafness if somebody wants me to do something I don't want to do. Ha! Still I will be glad to have my hearing back and I don't think I'll complain anymore about all the noise.

The joke now at La Vendimia (from me) is to introduce all of them to you saying, "These are my new friends who put me in the hospital!"

When I get well I want to go to the second hand shop next door and buy a pair of roller blades. It's true, we go through a very crazy time when we get near age 50, and we Boomers are coming up with incredible ways to be in denial about approaching our "Golden Years." None of that boring sports-car-affair-with-the-secretary stuff for us! Ohhhhhhhhh, no! We can do more with midlife crisis because we had Johnny Quest. This gave us a purpose in life...grow up, make the stuff on Johnny Quest, then come up with a way to afford to buy it. Unfortunately, Hummers and SUV's are becoming very unpopular because of high fuel prices. They didn't say anything about that on Johnny Quest, but we certainly do have all of the interesting exotic cultures and "evil-doers" to fight with, which leads me to believe that our administration took the exotic turban wearing bad guys on Johnny Quest seriously. Makes me feel like saying, "Hey, we weren't supposed to REALLY fight with them!" Some people just don't play fair and that sucks. I think they should all be thrown out of the sandbox.

Funny the thoughts that come when one is ill and unable to physically ignore all the junk from television that's accumulated in the brain. Remember this one? "We start out with an English muffin, then add cheese and egg and some of that REALLY GOOD CANADIAN BACON yes that's how we GO 'BOUT MAKIN' BREAKFAST, McDonald's BREAKFAST...." Now, really. How many Gen X and Y's can claim that THEY remember when McDonalds created the Egg McMuffin? Huh? They don't know ANYTHING. And how many of them can claim that they remember the first calculators? A mere $400 was all it cost to have the power of basic math in your hand! Of course, we were not allowed to use them in school. Well, using them in school wasn't an issue because the only people who could afford to buy those things were people who didn't have kids.

Last night I was watching the "I Love the 80s" series on VH1, and I was very smug; Smurfs and Snorkels??? Transformers??? BAH! Those weren't real toys or cartoons! Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner (Wiley E. Coyote), Johnny Quest...those were the cartoons that made us THINK! And I remember the exact Saturday morning when I decided I didn't want to get up and watch cartoons, then spend the rest of my Saturday inventing what I saw with what was out in the garage. That was the day I became a teenager and spent a good many years being dramatic and completely awful to be around. Yechhhhh. I think I got over that when I was around 30. Finally I got sick of myself and decided to watch Johnny Quest again to sort my head out.

And then there was Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite and guys like that who brought a sense of real class to the news. "Good night, Chet." "Good night, David." Without all the cutsie flirting and how-are-the-kids stuff. Our news anchors just said, "Back to you, David." All without sat phones and satellites and embedded anythings. That was the stuff!!!!! I'm glad I was born when I was. I used to think that technology would NEVER catch up with me, but it has. I just wasn't counting on all the jargon that came with it. When Professor Peabody used to catapult himself and that nerdy kid through his Wayback Machine, no acronyms were used. He'd say, "We'll set the time to this or that date," and KAPOW there they were with Caesar or King Henry V, no acronyms needed. Things just had short names. Then I guess they ran out of names. If we had a machine like that, the instructions (written by an ESL person, of course, in one of those exotic Johnny Quest places) would read:

"SETUP: You not want go to the rong time. Please to connect the LED display to the UCNETO before attempt to activate the ENIMATE. Danger: be sure you have the correct voltage output as seen on page 235634672 section II a.XXIVI. Select correct voltage output for you specific structure. For current names of countries see Appendix V, "Current Country Names" (CCN). Disclaimer: Manufacturer is not responsible if name of country has changed since printing of instructions."

I am going to quit now, since this is my infection talking and not me!

Thrown Across the Dance Floor

2005-10-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Thrown Across the Dance Floor
Originally uploaded by Triana.

My talent is NOT singing. I am a pretty good dancer, though but Laila ("Inga" is our nickname for her) decided to challenge me to some kind of crazy dance and it was all I could do to stay vertical! Laila is such a magical being, so loving and fun!

First Riding Lesson

2005-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

First Riding Lesson
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Our shy and formerly reclusive Lynette, having her first riding lesson with me. I can't believe that I am an American teaching a Londoner how to ride English in Mexico! Ain't life grand???

An Explosion Of LIFE

2005-10-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me know that I was pretty much a recluse. Weary of the world, I went to few events or parties, although I value my friends above all else. I lived a very quiet life in the San Juan Islands, yet when I worked I gave my all. When I first moved here to Mexico, oh God was I homesick, longing for the days when I could just hop into Lopez Village and visit my friends like Debbie at Archipelago or or Phyllis at IsleHaven Books or Diane at Village Apparel. On Lopez I would go into the village to buy some milk and wind up not coming back home for three hours. Some interesting conversation was happening somewhere, all the time, sometimes I'd join in, sometimes I'd just say hi, but my people were there. Ten years I lived in those lovely islands where noise ordinances are strict, a siren caught everyone's attention, and if someone was airlifted off the island for a medical emergency we all knew who it was. At night I slept in my trailer under a canopy of stars, the only night sounds were tree frogs and the occasional cow lowing and the shuffling and snuffling of my horses. Bliss. Quiet. Slumber on all levels. And in a way, an inertia set in; I was comfortable and things were pretty predictable.

Now I am in Ensenada, living on a street where the noise never stops, in a country where people never sleep, where parties are the norm, cars go by with the big bass sounds booming, squealing tires signal accident avoidance or a stray dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sirens in tandem fly down the street several times a day and the social hall right next door very often plays music (good or bad) at a volume that makes my little office windows shake. The other night we heard gun shots. That doesn't happen often! But no sirens followed so they may have been firecrackers. As I write this, an advertising car is driving by with a loudspeaker mounted on top, rattling off something I can't understand. When I first heard one I thought a tsunami was coming and we were supposed to evacuate or something. The noise never quits. I thought I'd never sleep again.

But now this is my street, and I know everybody on it. Still, for over a year I languished in loneliness, longing for the camaraderie of my friends, longing for the time also that I lived in England, longing for ANYTHING Anglo!

Three weeks ago all of that changed. In addition to my lovely Mexican family, I now have the La Vendimia crowd. I haven't gotten to bed any earlier than 3:00 a.m. for the past week, I've danced and drank a bit and laughed and been silly but also into serious conversations. New projects are now beginning to take hold, such as a Mexican jousting team! Can you imagine?

Where before I loved being alone with my beloved cat Merlin (who sadly passed away last December at age 14), I have now joined this teeming life in this lovely town.

As always, it is the people that make a place special. Zoila and her children have made Ensenada special for me, and Mamita and Connie and her family (scroll down for that story and photos).

Zoila (with whom I live) is an awesome singer with a voice that is rich and full; she brings the house down at the karaoke bar and we want to write some music for her to record her own stuff. As far as we (the Baja Sisterhood) are concerned, a voice like this should have its own music and lyrics. So there is another project.

Suddenly I have a support network of extraordinary women and men with whom I just fell into step as if we've known each other forever. As the little boy in the movie Power Of One said, one by one the loneliness birds flew away, taking with them their eggs of stone from my heart.

An extraordinary deliverance is happening for me, and though I have thrown myself into adventures more than once in my life, this one (lock, stock and barrel moving to Mexico with my horses) was my greatest challenge. I endured a loneliness that I honestly thought would kill off my spirit, but I decided to stick it out, since life takes very interesting turns and I wanted to see what would happen next.

So above are photos reflecting some pieces of my new life, which I am enjoying immensely. I am experiencing things for the first time, such as partying!!!!!! Partying for no reason other than to celebrate life and play together. No "intentional" anything, no thoughts of anything other than the joy of the moment. Don't get me wrong, my new crowd is heavily invested in improving the lives of others, but being the philanthropic sorts that we all are (as much as we can be), sometimes you just gotta bust loose and be completely silly!!!!! And this is the best place to do it!

Total Utilization

2005-10-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Total Utilization
Originally uploaded by Triana.

There is a Mexican joke that says, "You know you're Mexican when there are seven of you in a four-seater car, you see three more friends on the street and you yell, 'Climb in! There's lots of room!'"

As you can see, they start practicing when they are very young! Watching these little ones always keeps me laughing with delight.

Me and my sis

2005-10-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Me and my sis
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Me and my "Little Sister" Connie, Mamita's OTHER daughter. We're at their ranch, putting up portable horse pens.

How Much Of a Good Thing?

2005-10-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

New family. New friends. Wow. My circle has now become international (see photos below) and I'm a very happy camper!

It all started on Sunday the 2nd of October...we went to La Vendimia restaurant here in Ensenada, which I had read about in a local newspaper. I knew that an English woman and her Mexican husband owned the place and I had been dying to meet her (Katrina Tinoco, from Liverpool). Well, I struck gold that night. First came Julie, who is from Texas. Then in waltzed Katrina, the Grand Dame! A bit later, in came Scotti, who is a miniature Shirley MacLaine with poor Lynette in tow, who had just arrived from London and was jet lagged as all getout!

We had a terrific evening, lots of laughs and fun, and the Baja Sisterhood was born. Since then we've gone and visited La Vendimia about 3 times a week, all Sisters present (except for Scotti, who had to go back to Palm Springs where she reluctantly lives). If you look at the photo below you'll see Lynette, me, Katrina and Scotti.

The following Sunday we went sailing with a couple named Jim and Laila. Laila is from Oslo and Scotti kept calling her INGA, which put us all in stitches! It was a lovely time, except poor Scotti got seasick and perched on the edge of the boat; just when she was at her worst, a huge sea lion leaped out of the water right next to her, barked, and dove back in. Poor Scotti about leaped out of her skin while we howled with laughter. We're all lucky that Scotti is still speaking to us. We really did feel sorry for our poor Scotti, she was such a good sport through it all!

So suddenly I have found even more of my people, from all over the world!

La Vendimia is the gathering place here; so far I've met Brits, a New Zealander, a Frenchman, Laila from Oslo (she's married to an American, Jim), more Mexicans and other assorted nomads who live on their boats in our harbor.

I'm going to write more about La Vendimia with more photos because it is a rare place; women can go in there alone, it's very kid friendly, the food is to die for, and Katrina and her husband Andres and their crew make it stand out by their friendliness, fun and phenomenal service. It's a great gathering place for networking and having conversations that really mean something!

That's the update for now, more when I can!

Little England

2005-10-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

Little England
Originally uploaded by Triana.

The International Jamboree at La Vendimia in Ensenada. L-R Lynette (UK), me, (US), Katrina Tinoco, owner (UK), Scotti (US). Trouble for sure!!!

Flags

2005-10-10T12:04:00.001-07:00

Flags
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Here we were, leaving the Enseanda harbor; two flags visible and 5 countries represented on board: Italy, Norway, the UK, Mexico and the U.S. It was great!!!!!!

Triana sailing

2005-10-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Triana sailing
Originally uploaded by Triana.

My first time ocean sailing and a big smile as we leave the harbor!

Making lattes

2005-10-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Making lattes
Originally uploaded by Triana.

After sailing, back to La Vendimia where I made lattes!

Sunday at the Ensenada Costco

2005-09-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm "baching it" this weekend, the family is away and I have the house to myself. After finishing up a research paper and taking alfalfa to my horses, I decided to go and see what was new in the deli at our new Costco.

Usually I avoid Costco when I know it's going to be busy, but that's when I have a mission. Today I didn't have one, I was just hungry for something different. I swung into the parking lot and managed to find a spot about four rows away from the store. The lot was jammed, as always. I purused the deli and found a tray of sushi and a chicken ceasar salad, then headed for the cashier.

Now here is the interesting part...the lines are long and there are LOTS of people, the whole entourage of family members. It's not unusual to see a family of five or six all crowded around their cart, which only has two or three items in it. I couldn't help but wonder why they bother with a cart for that little, but more carts than not had no more than five items.

As I waited I was amazed at how well behaved the children were. No crying, screaming, begging, running or whining. They stood quietly with their parents, grandma and siblings, the older kids looking out for the younger ones. If they looked my way they smiled. The children have such beautiful smiles, those big eyes and open, curious faces! Their smiles are full of light, especially when you look at their eyes.

Many, many people had roasted chickens to take home for the main meal. I looked around, curious to see what was being purchased. It was the usual, boxed instant oatmeal, big boxes of cereal, cartons of juice and about a thousand roasted chickens!

Another thing I couldn't help but notice is how skinny the kids are and how chubby the moms are. There are lots of overweight women here; I've been reading about that being a big problem, this weight thing. I read that the state of Oregon has the least number of overweight people in the U.S. and that France has the least number of overweight people in the world. Well, here it's not hard to figure out why there are weight problems here...everything is fried in corn or regular vegetable oil! Not many people bake and what is really funny is, no matter how much cupboard space there is in the kitchen, the pots and pans get stored in the oven!

I very much like returning to my road from the busy Transpeninsular where Costco is; I come back to Isabella selling her birria tacos, Juan the mechanic working on cars, Valentine reading his newspaper in his little general merchantile, people sweeping the sidewalk in front of their homes or shops. A normal Sunday where after church families go shopping or housecleaning happens, but usually Sunday is the family's visiting day and everybody goes to Mom's for dinner.

I'm happy that I am American but I do envy the Mexicans a bit. There are such strong bonds here; I've never seen anything like that before, except for a few very insular families in the U.S. that don't know much beyond themselves.

Kids play in the street and they don't get hit by cars. If they do get hurt, Mama fixes them up then tells them off. These kids are good kids, but tough ones, too. And everybody watches out for the babies, not just the mom. It's pretty amazing how few injuries I see considering how many people are walking or riding bikes in the streets here (without Spandex and those silly looking water things and all the fancy gear...here the people ride bikes for actual transportation). It's a nice neighborhood and if we weren't right on a busy 4 lane street with all of its noise I'd like it better. Still, it is my street and I like it and the people here.

By the way, the sushi and salad were delicious!

Watermelon

2005-09-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Watermelon
Originally uploaded by Triana.

I love the visits with Mamita! There is always good food, lots of fun and an abundance of love!

Smiles

2005-09-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Smiles
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Ximena is so sweet! She is the granddaughter of my friends Pancho and Amelia.

Esperanza and Ximena

2005-09-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Esperanza:Ximena.jpg
Originally uploaded by Triana.

My new mom loves people of all ages!

It's Fall

2005-09-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

The noise and business of summer is over now, and we just finished Independence Day weekend. What was great was the American style barbecue we made to celebrate. We didn't see any fireworks, though. I miss fireworks, especially the ones from my home on Lopez Island, WA.

Sometimes I get so discouraged trying to learn Spanish, there are so many colloquialisms that I don't get and just like someone trying to learn English, I learn a word but when someone speaks to me, they use a synonym so I just stand there looking stupid. Sometimes I just give up for a while and refuse to speak any Spanish at all; when the feeling of rebellion passes I start again, and surprisingly, I've inadvertantly learned more words somehow.

The nights are getting cooler, which is great. I do miss the mist and the changing weather of my home, the fresh air and the quiet of my island. We live on a very noisy street that has 24/7 traffic; it's promising to get busier too, since we now have a Costco about two miles down the road and in the same vicinity is going to be a huge supermarket; across the street the land is being cleared for a Home Depot and a Wal-Mart.

I have to say I love Costco here. After a year without much exposure to things from home, seeing the Kirkland brand name here makes me smile. I never felt that back home, where there was a Costco every three blocks (or so it seemed).

I also have a family that has "adopted" me. These are people who have horses at the same ranch as mine, but they own 100 acres next door and are in the planning stages of their own equine facility where my horses will eventually be. It is a wonderful family and a big family. My new mother's name is Esperanza; she now calls me "hija" ("daughter"). She is a wonderful woman, very warm, loving, brilliant of mind. She raised two beautiful children (now adults in their 30's) and on Saturday I finally got to meet my other (also adopted, like me) new brother whom I had not met before. They are so loving, when they introduce me to other family members, they say, "and this is your neice...this is your nephew...this is your cousin..." and embraces all around. It is like something from a beautiful book. And I feel the love of these people for me; an adoption is no light thing, they mean it! So from now on I am to address Experanza as "Mamita" or "Mama" or "Ama." I am not allowed to call her anything else.

Soon I am going to haul my Spanish books over to her house and learn Spanish from her. She lives alone, her husband died some years ago. I promised my new siblings that I would stop in and take her places and that if anything ever happened I'd be there in a heartbeat. Since all of them work and I work from home, it just makes sense, and it feels good that my new brothers and sister won't have to worry.

I must tell you about my new sister Connie...she is awesome! A Sagittarius like me, she is (thankfully) bilingual, very pretty, and very smart. She also has a wicked sense of humor, and there isn't a day that she somehow doesn't make me laugh. She loves horses as much as I do, and we share the common childhood trait of dragging home every stray animal we ever found.

She has two little girls, Paulette (age 5) and Chantal (age 3). They are not girlie-girls, these kids love to get dirty and play hard. Paulette is in love with a horse at the ranch named Perico, who is her lesson horse. My own history is repeating itself as I look at the loving bond between horse and girl, Paulette saving every penny she has to buy him. I had done the same with my first horse Pretty Boy, who was my first lesson horse. Thank God Perico isn't older than God like Pretty Boy was.

Connie's husband Leopoldo works in Tijuana and the family lives in (very) southern California. They all come down every weekend to visit the ranch, ride horses, have cookouts and visit.

I am very fortunate. Being a stranger in a strange land even before I came to Mexico steeled my mind and heart against loneliness to a degree, but to have unconditional acceptance is such a treasure. My new family is a bunch of angels.

So there's the update. Things are changing and I am changing along with them.

Have you ever noticed that as we grow older we shift from one mind set to another as circumstances demand? Possibly we form mental and emotional coping tools through out lives and when the need arises, we open the toolbox and use the tool we've used before. But I feel, inside, more lateral shifting than actual "growth." I don't want my mind to close, but I don't want any more shocks either. Of course there will be some. Yet a part of me still feels numb from past shocks. Almost as if it is sleeping; maybe it's best to let sleeping dogs lie. Being awake is too much work. But I feel very safe in the arms of my new family. It is a safety that I haven't known since I was very small.

Longhorn

2005-08-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Longhorn
Originally uploaded by Triana.

I had no idea that their horns were this big!

Ft. Worth

2005-08-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Ft. Worth
Originally uploaded by Triana.

A mounted policeman was nice enough to pose with me

My First Jumping Lesson

2005-08-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

My First Jumping Lesson
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Working With Solecito ("Little Sun")

2005-08-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Working With Solecito ("Little Sun")
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Solecito Poses

2005-08-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

Solecito Poses
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Smiles after a training session

Going On 14 Months

2005-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, I got busy, up to my armpits with horses and a bit of travel and starting my video production business.

I went to Texas for a week to film a DVD and wondered how I would react to being back in the U.S. after a year in Mexico with all of my trials and tribulations here. I enjoyed my stay in Texas very much, but they can have the heat and humidity! I was indoors most of the time because the heat outside was unbearable.

It was wonderful to be able to speak English 24/7 and to have American food and I was treated to the best steak I've ever eaten in my life! I saw some longhorns too, and that was exciting. I also got to talk with a mounted policeman (see photos).

When I returned and crossed the border, boarding the bus back to Ensenada, my first thought was, "I'm home." So I guess Home really is where the heart is!

I am getting a better grip on the language, am almost able to read two consecutive sentences in a newspaper and understand them, and I was also bold enough to order a pizza over the phone and to write a letter to a coffee company. I always apologize for my Spanish in every communication but have found that people are very good and patient and willing to rephrase for me if I ask them to speak to me in "Espa~ol Basico."

One by one my English students have dropped off due to other financial obligations or relocation. One of my favorite students and her husband and little girl recently moved to Leon and I really miss them.

So far the summer has been very mild, not too awfully hot and we haven't had to use the fans, which really saves on the electricity bill!

I am now working with three other horses at the ranch besides my own, and that's always a lot of fun.

This sounds like a postcard. I guess that's what it is!

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival
Originally uploaded by Triana.

This guy taught himself!

Sunday Belongs to Horse People

2005-05-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

This is the end of a long and fun day. My friends and I went to the annual Day Of the Horse festival. This is an extremely popular event, out of reach pricewise for many locals at $15.00 U.S. or $150 pesos to get in.

The setting is in the Adobe Guadalupe Valley, famous for its vineyards. In the midst of the activity showcasing different equestrian disciplines was wine tasting. There were all kinds of food and snacks, and it was very good! One could eat their way through this thing with no problem!

I ate two chicken tacos washed down with an apple soda. Later I indulged my Pacific Northwest roots and bought a frappucino which really went down well on a warm dusty day.

The equestrian displays were mostly mediocre by American/Canadian/European standards but these people were very proud of their show and some of the horses were absolutely gorgeous (see photos below, scroll down).

This was a truly cultural experience and I couldn't help but notice that perfection is not the goal; these people just do it. Timing was off, balance was bad and the skill level was unschooled but by golly, these people do what they can with what they have.

I couldn't help but be stricken by the enthusiasm and support of the nearly 2,000 member audience. It was endearing and as always, gave me a different perspective. I listened to people wrongly informing each other about things equestrian...it is difficult for me to acknowledge that I am living in the 21st century here. But we Americans are so addicted to "in-depth" and "completely accurate" information that it's difficult for my Anglo-Saxon American mind to not judge these people for being so undisciplined. It's all in the eye of the beholder, truly. These folks have grit. They love what they are doing. They are not doing it for money or prizes or prestige or competition. They are simply showing others what they can do. And people come. In droves.

I loved today and am still digesting my own reactions, automatic or not...watching how my mind insists that my knowledge and perceptions are correct.

I can see why other countries put us down for being self-righteous. We are. We work hard, we put everything we have into what we DO. This culture is so different. So very different. I've been hanging back all these months to see how I can fit in.

The lone jumper in this show informed me that he taught himself how to jump because there is no teacher available in Mexicali where he lives. They traveled for over three hours to do this show. Wow. I commended him for his performance. He does it simply because he likes it.

The encouraging information I gathered, though, is that Mexicans are very open to equestrian arts different from their traditional ones. As does every culture, they adopt a method to themselves, putting their own spin on it. Sometimes the results are good, sometimes not, but all the same everyone has a great time.

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival photos
Originally uploaded by Triana.

They start dancing very young!

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival photos
Originally uploaded by Triana.

An Escaramusa team from Ensenada shows their stuff

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T00:41:00.001-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival photos
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Spanish Riding

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival photos
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Here is a gorgeous Lusitano

And a video of him too!

Day Of the Horse Festival

2005-05-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

Day Of the Horse Festival photos
Originally uploaded by Triana.

A proud Azteca Stallion

Saturday Night Belongs to Idiots

2005-05-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

The following just happened last night and I am being lazy by copying an email I wrote to a friend after it happened...DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

Okay so here I am, coming home from my English lesson
and a visit with my student/friend and her husband. I
stopped at a little convenience store on our block to
get ciggies and this stupid ass in a big car pulls in
behind me after honking madly at me while I was trying
to park. I ignored the idiot, parked and went in the
store. I came out and there was his car, blocking me,
and NO ONE IN HIS CAR. He hadn't gone into the store
either!!! Well finally I saw him get in his car and he
just SAT THERE taking his time and I got impatient and
started my engine. He didn't move so I put my truck
into reverse and he was parked so close to me, about
1" away that just the movement of my putting the truck
into gear touched his car. Well!!! He gets out of the
car and comes to my truck and immediately my
adrenaline starts. I got Zoila on my Nextel radio (we
only live at the other end of the block) and told her
what was going on.

The guy said to me something like "What is your
problem?" I said, "I want to leave!!!" He reached in
and punched me in the chest...not hard but enough to
REALLY PISS ME OFF. I still had the radio button open
and I yelled at him, "NO TOCARME!" (DON'T TOUCH ME!)
Well Zoila freaked out at that point and was on her
way to the little store. In the meantime the guy had
gotten back into his car and I was so damned mad I got
out of my truck, SLAMMED MY DOOR and went up to his
car. He quickly rolled up his window and locked his
door but his back window was down so I reached in and
grabbed the back of his neck. Well, then another guy
came up to me asking me to calm down and I kept
yelling "THIS ASSHOLE TOUCHED ME!!" the guy took off
in his car and guess what, I wasn't done yet! I
followed him...Zoila saw his car roaring down the
street to the gas station next door, and me roaring
past her in my truck. There she was, standing on the
sidewalk trying to flag me down and I just blew past
her HAHAHAHAHAHA

So the guy didn't know I was following him!!! He went
into the gas station as if to use their driveway to
turn around (I wonder if that whole time he was trying
to run away???) and I pulled up and blocked his
way!!!! Well that scared the piss out of him so he
went tearing out of the gas station, tires squealing,
and he hit a dirt road and started to fishtail. The
road was dark and I wasn't about to follow him and by
now a crowd had gathered at the gas station. I told
Zoila on the radio where I was (right next door) and
here at the house they could hear the guy's tires
squealing all over the place.

He came back to the gas station and tried to block me
in so I let him think I was going to smash his car, I
slammed into first and hit the gas and brakes at the
same time. OH MY GOD he peeled off and went blasting
down the street, away from me!!!!!! And that was the
end of it.

This was all very stupid and dangerous for me to do
but damn it, YOU DO NOT HIT AN AMERICAN WOMAN WHO HAS
PMS!!!!!!!!

At the end of it all I was shaking and angry and was
taken in by my little family here, given a Diet Coke
to cool off and lots of hugs. Then we called our best
friend and told her about it, at my request. She
laughed so hard! But then admonished me for being in a
situation like that in the first place and told me
never to do it again. I said I didn't really want to
repeat it. But she also said she was very proud of me
for scaring the little pissant.

Burning the Midnight Oil

2005-05-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

Today it was 11 months exactly that I have been in Mexico. It was an uneventful day and at the moment I am taking a break from creating a brochure for my new video production business to continue rambling.

In the past few days I've had many more surprises and impressions, perhaps many of them inaccurate to the true Mexican style since I don't live on the mainland. Even my best friend here says she would experience culture shock going to mainland Mexico! Her kids are afraid to go there because of the reputation of violence there.

Many people move here from various parts of the country. It is interesting having moved from a predominantly white island community to one of brown. I really do stand out in a crowd and no matter how fluent I become in Spanish or how much I absorb this culture, I will always stand out.

One of my English students is half Mexican and half Japanese. Now there is a combination! Here in her own town, strangers come up to her and start speaking to her in English. She has to explain she's Mexican. When she went to school for a year in Japan, she didn't know Japanese and then the people there got all nasty with her because she is Mexican. According to her and the Japanese side of her family, the Japanese like Americans, the English and Australians and that's it. Mexicans are little more than street dirt to them.

I can't help but wonder where it began and where it will end, this appalling difference between peoples. Yes, we share the same emotions but what we do with them varies from place to place.

Since I don't know a lot of Spanish yet (my comprehension rate is about 30% on a good day), I have plenty of time to observe and try to figure things out. Most of the time my intuition is correct. If I don't understand something I will memorize the words and wait until I see an English speaking friend and ask if what I think I heard is really what I heard.

Lots of people say I am very brave for lock, stock and barrel doing a full immersion into a culture so foreign to ours. I don't think of myself as brave. I mean, it's not like I would try to do this in the Middle East or somewhere that is that foreign to me! I mean, I'm a bit adventurous but not crazy!

Okay that's it for today.

Lupita and Triana

2005-05-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lupita and Triana
Originally uploaded by Triana.

My English student Lupita (who is a local folklore dancer) and me on the 123rd anniversary of Ensenada exhibition May '05

Life In Mexico

2005-05-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Life In Mexico
Originally uploaded by Triana.

Making tamales at the ranch on Christmas Eve '04

Life In Mexico

2005-05-24T17:32:00.001-07:00

Life In Mexico
Originally uploaded by Triana.

A dancing Palomino

Life In Mexico

2005-05-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Life In Mexico
Originally uploaded by Triana.

At a ranch in the middle of nowhere, an ice cream truck on a hot day!

Bug Bites and Acronyms

2005-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

When I wrote the preceding note my right hand felt like it was on fire. Some wretched thing had bitten me in the night and I woke up at 4:00 Sunday morning with the tortuorous experience of the itching and burning that wouldn't go away. I was half asleep and by the time I was fully awake I had taken the top layer of skin off the area. There were a number of little bumps indicating where the bites were and then came the hives, indicating an allergic reaction. Common opinion was that it was a fire ant. Thankfully the hives were confined to the area of damage. I think it's very rude to bite another thing when it is sleeping. Can't these pests find something else to do??? There are all kinds of yummy road kills they could be munching on, but nooooooooooooo, they prefer Gringa meat.

Midmorning yesterday we went to the pharmacist where I ruefully showed him my hand. He explained that it was a toxic bite (gee, do ya think???) and sold me some antihistamines which worked almost immediately to relieve the reaction. The problem is, it says on the box to only take one pill every 12 hours. In three hours my hand was itching and burning again but I could no longer do anything to relieve it for the pain. I put some antibiotic gel on the wound and oh my God, did it BURN! We called a nurse friend and she said if the cream made the pain worse, don't use it. But then I was told the second danger is infection. But I can't use the antibiotic cream! I am still trying to sort all this out, maybe I'll find a shaman somewhere who can smear something green and slimy on it. As long as I don't know what's in it, I don't care.

Now to add a few more thoughts to my previous blog. We were watching a movie yesterday and of course I listen in English and read the Spanish subtitles in order to learn new words and phrases. The acronyms drove me crazy. Here are two of them...

If you are listening to the news here and you can pick up a few words of it, they make a lot of mention of the EU. I was thinking for the longest time, "Why do the Mexicans care what the European Union is doing? Are they thinking of converting pesos to Euros?" The EU is mentioned every day here in lengthy terms. Then I saw an image of George Bush talking to President Fox of Mexico. The background didn't look at all European although they kept on about the EU. Well. Turns out the EU here is "Estados Unidos." the United States. D'uh.

In the movie we watched on DVD yesterday, someone called out for CPR but in the subtitles it showed up as RCP. Oh great, I thought. RCP????? After pondering that for almost 24 hours I finally asked what it stands for and found out it is Resucitacion Cardio Pulminar. I will never remember that. I can only hope that if I yell out CPR there is a dyslexic Mexican somewhere in the vicinity.

I can carry on a conversation with scientists, doctors, veterinarians and other professionals because the medical/technical terms are fairly close in both languages. But even after 11 months I can't say "Please pass the pepper." I don't have to say it because I normally don't put pepper on my food anyway. I can deal with most things that are critical with a professional but I don't know how to say knife, fork, spoon. I recently learned how to ask for oil for my truck. Car terms are easily translated as well if I tell the mechanic what the term is in English.

Of course I know most of the swear words in Spanish but I rarely use them unless I am joking. In traffic though I've been known to hurl a word or two. Fortunately I don't understand what they are saying back.

One thing Mexican men think is funny as hell to do is just blather a bunch of unrelated English words for sport and watch the gringo get confused. They love to play Let's Confuse the Gringo. Well, one day I'd kind of had it with that game and as I drove past the same pack of soccer-playing fun loving guys who loved to make me stop and wonder what they were saying, I played it back. I stopped, smiled, and said to them, "Hola! Insistiendos mistacos!" Then I drove away, watching them standing dumbstruck in the rear view mirror. I laughed all the way home. Having related that to my Mexican friends, they now think it's the funniest thing in the world to yell INSISTIENDOS MISTACOS! for no reason at all. And nobody gets the joke that doesn't know the story, so they confuse their own, which is even better!

These people have a crazy sense of humor. I consider some of it to be very mean, but that's maybe my Euro Centric thinking. Is mean the same thing around the world? Maybe so, maybe not. But these people love to have a good laugh at anyone's expense, including their own. So maybe it's not so bad.

Sometimes I feel like a cultural anthropologist, making my way through a society so different from mine and that of Europe. That's how I can cope with the loneliness sometimes is to pretend I am on a mission and learning the ways of the people like in all those films I saw in my college anthropology classes.

Thus begins another week as I hurtle toward my first anniversary of living here, which will be June 26. Wow, time flies!

Breaking My Brain

2005-05-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Communication in Mexico is something that, after 11 months, I have still to learn. It's not simply learning the language, it's the mind set!

I am trying to get used to the fact that my Anglo-Saxon ways are useless here. My brain is nearly done in every day by this culture that doesn't know how to say "no" or "I don't know." If I ask a simple question, it might be forty-five minutes of listening later and I am still unenlightened as to the answer...the monologue has taken a turn into a story about one's crazy brother who got on the wrong side of the Mexican Mafia.

Trying to make appointments, plan an hour or start a project involving anyone but myself is maddening. I see people going here and there, doing this and that and wonder how long it took for that particular action to occur.

Issues of money are interesting too. Since few people have it, it is generally shared. "Do you have 100 pesos?" and the Mexican friend will produce it for you immediately. If you are foreign, they know you will pay them back. If you are one of their own, they will wait until they need it rather than expect it back today or tomorrow. At that time, they will come to your house and ask for it at about 9:30 at night.

The ability to outwait each other is astonishing here. One will rent a piece of equipment at a certain rate, say 50 pesos a day. Four months later the owner of the equpiment calls indignantly for the equipment and says "Leave it at this location, I will be in a meeting." What this means is that they know darned well you're not going to pay and since they are so angry with you that they would like to rip your teeth out they choose to not be there. And no money is exchanged even though arrangements to discuss it "tomorrow" are made. I guess this is why everybody else has contracts.

What is very funny is that people here will do these things to each other, yet when it is done to them they are very angry.

I've been reading some online articles about Mexico and I still don't understand this wild culture any more than I did when I first got here. But Ensenada is not completely Mexico. After reading encounters of people in Guadalajara and Mexico City, I think I'll just not go there.

In reading accounts of others, I can see where Northern Baja is very Americanized. I can't imagine what would have happened to me mentally had I chosen a place in the interior. Well, I wouldn't have anyway.

As I engage in soul searching, it never ceases to amaze me how deeply programmed we are by our cultures. I have a better appreciation for what Gene Roddenberry did with Star Trek. But that was easy, watching Star Trek. After an hour you just turned off the television and got on with your life. Living in a culture so very foreign to mine is a challenge every day and I move between being thoroughly charmed to being completely disgusted.

Learning another language does not mean you are going to accept the mind set of the native speakers of that language. But as I turn inward and look out, sometimes feeling so homesick I think I am surely going to shrivel up and die inside, I investigate my own programming; I keep what is valuable to me. If it turns out that I'm the only one on the team, so be it...I'll just pick my projects that I can do alone.

As you can tell by reading this, this hasn't been the very best weekend. But there have been more best weekends than not here. So here I remain with my new people, in a distant galaxy, far far away.

Not Too Brown

2005-05-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that when it gets warm here, the women tend to complain how hot it is. It doesn't get that hot here in Ensenada, but it can get quite warm. At the ranch, I dress in jeans and a tank top on the warmer days. The women who are at the ranch begin complaining about how warm it is while we are working.

They wear long sleeves and hats all the time. And once I said, wear a shirt like this, pointing to my tank top. "Oh, no!" they say. "We will look like Indians."

There you go. To call someone "Indio" here is an insult. It means that one is uncivilized, ignorant and dirty. The shade of brown is important here. Where in the U.S., people prefer to be tanned and not too white, here they prefer to be lighter. It's kind of a status thing, I guess.

I didn't realize that it was that important in Mexico. But here in the North of Mexico, the people tend to be a lighter shade of brown, or even as white as me. Lighter is better. They very much like the color that the Gringos turn when they're in the sun and wish they looked like that.

Yet their skin is such a warm shade of brown, it's very lovely and I don't understand what the big deal is. Of course, I'm not them.

A very desirable trait here is a Mexican with green eyes. Apparently that combination is of a rare tribe that is highly regarded.

These little racial things are, of course, left over from the days of Cortez. It's amazing how a mind set can change and stay there and no one questions it.

I encourage people to enquire, to find out why rather than just follow the herd. This is exactly what the government here doesn't want, people who enquire.

My partner read an article to me about people who do well in Mexico...most of them are not Catholic, or not practicing Catholics. They are educated and independent thinkers. They are in the minority. Education and the Arts are not supported here.

I notice that the support for the Arts is also falling apart in the U.S. When I was in school, music was part of the curriculum. It is here, too. Students learn to play a recorder, marimba, guitar. Music is a major part of their lives.

At a party, I asked what music I should bring. I was told, 80's music. There was also a mix of Mexican rock. When the Mexican rock was playing, everyone was dancing. When the 80's music came on, they all sat down. It was pretty funny. Music is in their blood, music that is a rich mix of their heritage and that of their conquerers so long ago.

We're now off to the ranch.

My Students Inspire Me

2005-05-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

I love my English students. They are all very sweet people. I have noticed even in advanced speakers of English that there is still a problem with using "in," "on," and the feminine and masculine words "he,she." They will say "It is in the table" or "It is on the car." When speaking of women in the past tense, they will say "...and he said" instead of saying "...she said." The reason for this is that in Spanish, there is no separation between "in" and "on." There is one word only, "en." Same with possessives; instead of "his" or "hers" it's simply "su."

They are encouraged by my trouble with some Spanish words, and when I explain to them my problem with past and future tenses (there are FIVE tenses in Spanish) and figuring out whether the subject of my sentence is masculine or feminine, they don't feel so bad.

We discuss all kinds of things, sometimes resorting to Spanglish to make the point. It's really fun.

In addition to getting paid I always get snacks, such as coffee and cookies or little sandwiches and cake. These people are very generous and the warmth of being in their company is wonderful. They are such hospitible and grateful people, very open to me with their stories. They trust me and that is an honor. They will often tell me things even their spouses of families don't know. To be trusted with personal information and engage in psychological support is an amazing experience.

It is said that Mexicans are the 2nd happiest people in the world. It's not hard to believe. No matter what, these people find something to be festive about. They are happy people who love to have a good time. An invitation to play a game is always accepted, they love games and will often make a game out of something if there is nothing else to play with. Toothpicks, matches and bottle caps are no exception. If it can be played with, they will do it, young and old.

I love my new home more every day. These people are extraordinary in my eyes.

Some Things I Miss

2005-05-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the supermarket; I keep trying to learn not to be in a hurry.

I miss Safeway. I miss the speed and efficiency of moving people through the lines. This morning, there was hardly anyone in the store. With the customary Mexican way, I got to the "Express" line and the cashier had to call someone over to undo some transaction. Of course, this involved sliding a card through the terminal, writing and stamping about 57 papers, sliding the card again, this and that...it took me 20 minutes to get through the line with all that nonsense, and I was the only one in the line, purchasing four items! One would think that with computer terminals and such, things would move a bit faster. But no, Mexicans love to stamp their papers.

Same thing for going to the bank. In the U.S., we don't like lines so we do online banking. Heaven forbid we should wait for more than five minutes at the bank! Try three hours! Here you go to the bank and take a number. Then you sit down if there is any available seating. There may be 125 people ahead of you (this is NOT an exaggeration!). I've clocked it and the average transaction at a Mexican bank takes 10 minutes. Type this into the machine, get a printout, stamp, stamp, stamp, do something else, stamp, stamp, stamp, write something down, stamp, stamp, stamp, sign here...stamp, stamp, stamp. Going to the bank here is torture unless you have a good book to read!

The pleasure and pain of Mexico is a system without a system. At the gas station, you don't courteously pull up to the front pump. You pull up to whichever one you want. There is no self-service here, they pump your gas and wash your windshield if they feel like it. Most of the time they do. The gas station people are very nice. One woman who works at the gas station next door to me taught me how to say my numbers in hundreds, like "one hundred, one hundred and fifty, two hundred," etc. She always smiles at me when I proudly ask for the amount of gas she taught me how to say.

Driving is an adventure. Mostly you have to watch out for the microbuses and pedestrians and people on bikes and other cars and big trucks and the occasional donkey cart. Well, I guess you have to watch out for everything, really...a car accident here is a federal offense and no matter who's fault it is, both parties are arrested. If it is determined that it's your fault, you'd better have some extra cash to bail yourself out of jail! Most people here don't have car insurance; the person at fault has to pay for the other person's repairs. Period. The bad part about this is, you don't have insurance protection. You also can't go and buy a plasma TV with your payoff should you choose not to repair the car. This keeps expenses down quite a bit.

Mexicans love a bargain and are into quantity, not quality. Not surprising for a Catholic country where the average family has four or more kids. They love Wal-Mart. They think Wal-Mart is the best thing since the tortilla. They say the price is lower and the quality is higher. Well, the price is lower because there are no import fees. Quality? That's anyone's guess. Mexicans produce good quality things themselves, so I won't be surprised to see them become much more self-sufficient when it comes to superstores.

Milk is the same price everywhere. There is a standardized thing where things like milk, beans, tortillas, and a few other staples are kept at a low cost. Well, milk is expensive here, the price just shot up a few months ago. I am told that milk is cheaper in the U.S. and I believe it. A gallon of milk here costs about $3.50.

Other things are much cheaper; one can eat very well on about $5.00 a day here, or less. I've had three squares for less than $4.00 before.

You won't find the super organic, microbrewed specialty beers here. You have a few choices, mostly Tecate, Corona, Dos XX. The Mexicans don't like to import beer. They are very into their own beer.

Although I miss the speed of things that I don't like to do, I can't help but wonder if it's really better to know that something is going to take you a long time, like going to the bank. It really slows things down. The only place where Mexicans are fast is driving. Everything else happens when it happens, pretty much.

Living here takes a different sort of planning, but thankfully I had the experience of living in the provinces of England and the San Juan Islands before moving here. You learn patience there, waiting for ferries and such. Island life is anything but convenient. Still, Mexicans are more relaxed than the islanders are.

Now we move into Mother's Day...it's always on May 10, no matter the day of the week. It's very strange having Mother's Day on a Tuesday, but I thought it even more strange to have it in March, like they do in the UK. As long as mothers get celebrated, that's what's important. There are some very good ones out there! Don't forget to acknowledge them, even if they aren't your own mother.

Teaching English

2005-05-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

For the past few months I have been teaching English to some Mexican people who work in industry. There are a lot of American companies in Mexico, especially in the border towns. Ensenada is the southernmost "border town" in Baja CA and it is exploding with activity.

The people I am teaching work for a compnay whose plant is moving to another city quite far away and most of them don't want to relocate. Mexico is suffering from exploitation from the U.S., companies looking for cheap labor (apparently under NAFTA). As the standard of living got better for Mexicans, the American companies decided to set up shop in Asia for even cheaper labor. This is leaving folks here high and dry, which is sad.

Anyway, back to my students...they are of varying fluency in English. All of them understand English but are hesitant to speak it. They all think they need to drop their accents. One can never really do that with a second language learned as an adult, so I tell tham that they will always have an accent due to individual speech patterns and not to worry about it. They don't like to speak English with their own people because they are made fun of. I tell them ignore that and speak it anyway and never, ever to be afraid to speak English with me.

I learn so much from my students and they all study in earnest. It's great. They are all so kind to me, they love their "Teacher." Once we begin the classes, my name is Teacher from then on. It's very sweet.

I love being a helping hand with English for these people. Never before did I understand that speaking English is the key to freedom for many people. Wow. English is the current language of power. I feel very sad that my own language is going to hell in so many ways...I well remember my English classes in school and although I never had any patience with "simple past" and "dangling participles" (I still don't), I do have an investment in my language. I love its origins, looking up words and how they began. My students have the same enthusiasm now.

Since Latin is the root of Spanish and English is a descendant of German, the divergence is huge. Learning Spanish is expanding my mind a lot, giving me insight into the mindset of an entire culture with a rich and varied history. It almost feels like the days of old when Latin was the dominant language and only those affiliated with aristocracy or the church learned it.

Illiteracy runs rampant in this country due to school expenses being so high. Uniforms and school supplies are often beyond the reach of most of the population. I have never so much appreciated education as I do now. It is an honor and a privilege to teach these people. Once they are fluent enough, we can discuss philosophies, opinions, anything! It is terrific to look into the minds of my students, to learn their personal histories, their dreams and goals and their ideas about life.

Ten Months

2005-05-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been living in Mexico for 10 months now, with my three horses. Ensenada isn't really "Mexico" proper, it's in Baja CA, which is very different than mainland Mexico.

Ensenada boasts the highest number of scientists per capita than anywhere else in Mexico. It's not so very different from some places in the U.S., other than people can get away with a lot more here.

The people are basically warm and friendly and appreciate efforts to speak in their own language.

I hope you will enjoy perusing these pages as I add to them.