How my daughter became a Vegetarian

We extended Jessica's birthday-week (ha) by letting the boys get on the school bus Tuesday morning, and letting Jessica "skip school" and spend a special day with Keith and I. We took her out to breakfast and to the "Tuesday Market" --- a wonderful, colorful market that rivals any Super Target in the States. The kids never get to go, as they are always in school.

You can, literally, get ANYTHING, there. Clothes - new and used. Pinatas. Car parts. Shoes. Plants. Barrettes. Dry beans. DVDs of brand new movies just out in theatres (Hmmm - not legal??). Embroidery. Arts & Crafts. School supplies. Kitchenwares. Pets - kittens, puppies, fish, turtles, gerbils, birds, parrots.......

this is where we got in trouble. See you can also get live chickens. You can also get produce -- eggs. There are also wonderful stalls to eat -- churros, papayas, coconuts, jicima, tacos, bisteak, even pizza.



Within about 500 feet, Jessica witnessed the entire lifecycle of a chicken ---- a produce stand with eggs. After some very loud Mexicano music to display the power of some speakers and quality of CD copies, we saw a group of cages with some adorable baby chicks, ducks, geese, and many different chickens and roosters. Not far after were some of those large oven spits roasting some 20 chickens over a hot broiler. Nearby were happy couples and families enjoying their meals. It wasn't too long before my 10 year old was HORRIFIED!!!!

Luckily, we are in a land of plenty when it comes to beans and lentils. Soy milk and tofu??? Probably not.

Tequila

Honestly, we've only had one or two shots of tequila the whole time we've been down here. Really!

Now, where did I park the van again?

More Fiesta photos and movies...

Parade Pictures....







Voladores from Veracruz and Happy Fireworks Watchers!

Fiesta!...... Peligroso!!

September is the month of fiestas in San Miguel. It includes: El Grito, the celebration of the start of Mexican Independence from Spain; the San Miguelada, a running of the bulls in downtown San Miguel; and the Fiesta of San Miguel, the patron saint of our fair town.

El Grito was a wonderful wave of pariotism that swept over the town, and the country. Mexican banderas fly everywhere and red, white and green decorates many shops and windows. At 11pm, a local government official steps up to a high balcony overlooking the square and reads the same speech given by Father Hidalgo in to get the locals riled up to push the Spanish conquerors back to the sea. Then, it is fireworks and shouts of “Viva Mexico! Viva Hidalgo! Viva San Miguel!” And the party continues the rest of the weekend.

The San Miguelada was essentially moved from San Miguel this year to a smaller town about 1.5 hours away. Although the local restaurants and bars loved the infusion of young drinkers and “bull targets”, the townsfolk were not so fond of the drunks making a disgusting mess of the town, including very lewd behavior. So, I really don’t have much to say about this celebration.

This past weekend was the Fiesta of San Miguel. Natives from all over Mexico danced in parades every day that wound through town for hours on end. The proud colors, feathers and shells made for impressive displays. Other crews had half of their group in native dress battling the other half in Spanish army gear with realistic steel blades clanging up and down the parade route. Flatbed trucks displayed dioramas, using real people as statues, of monks or St. Michael reading bible verses to Indian maidens.

But the dangerous part (the peligroso part) was the crazy fireworks. On Saturday morning at 4am the “battle of good and evil” gets going en masse. The gates to the Parroquia, the main church, are closed. Inside the gates are 50-100 people and outside the gates in the square are hundreds of others. At 4am on the dot, those inside the gates begin heaving large bottle rocket type fireworks onto those outside the gates. (Not sure which side represents good and which side is evil.) This goes on for an hour. My friend, Dave, and I figured that at least 15,000 of these babies are tossed into the square. Minor burns and singed hair are common. But it has the appeal of walking on hot coals – for those of you that find that appealing. On the opposite side of the square, more fireworks are lit and, luckily, directed to the heavens.



But here is the COOLEST part. The castillas. These are large steel or iron scaffolds towering up 60’ or more, wobbling to and fro and tied down with ropes or cables. At night, they are ignited, one at a time, with a fuse that crackles, sparks and jumps. Then the fireworks on the tower whirr or spin or scream or spell out “Viva San Miguel”. Oohs and ahhs are whispered from the crowd or laughter breaks out as one of the wheels refuses to spin despite the efforts of the rockets spewing sparks to move it. All of this culminates in the anticipation for the top of the castilla. The top section may be an iron wagon wheel or a rocket or smaller rings. They light forming a heart or a star and start spinning wildly around. And then, another set of rockets fire and the whole top lifts off and flies 200-300 feet in the air. It can then explode into a bunch of fireworks. Or the entire wagon wheel piece and simply burn out and then fall to the ground. As in, pending where the wind blows, it can fall back into the crowd (Lookout!) or onto a roof or into a garden blocks away. THAT is NUTS!

How much is that again? (by Mary)

I can't pretend any longer. It has been kind of cute up until now. Sort of. On the outside, I guess...

Shopping with the kids, at the market.... after the question we learned so quickly "Cuanto cuesta?" - "How much is this?" The answer is alwasy a rapid fire "dos cientos cienquenta" or "ochenta siete". Quick thinking Mommy that I am (personal pat on back)...... I turn to the "kids-that-are-supposed-to-be-learning-Spanish" with a smile to see who can figure it out first. And YES.....now all three can answer without batting an eye.

But now my cover is blown.

I cannot understand spoken Spanish numbers when said at a normal pace to save my life!!!!!!!!!!!

I've taken Spanish classes, slept to downloaded podcasts on my iPod, chanted the numbers out loud, listened to TV and radio, and yet, still, I have to resort to either this sort of offspring trickery..... or paper and pencil.

I have become one of those parents in a foreign land that needs to rely on her children to translate the language for them. It is awful. It is embarrassing. I have finally accepted that I have spent to much time with English speaking new friends and in art class for my own good. Time to start integrating (or watching Mexican QVC --- Hmmmmm.. could also be fun!)

Driving in Mexico..

Anyone who has driven with me (Mary here...) knows exactly what I am talking about when I say I am a self-proclaimed bad driver. Not that I get in accidents, mind you (except those few in high school, and that one in college, and oh yeah, when Jacob was just born and I BARELY bumped into the back of a police car -- but there was no damage and I didn't get a ticket, and that is all in the past anyway)...POINT BEING...... I don't get into accidents, I just bump a curb every now and then, miss a turn because I forget about it, stop too fast, or too slowly, park a little too crooked, make 7 point turns, and "drive by Braille" sometimes (as Keith likes to call it when I ride the bumps on the center line). Sometimes I tend to veer where I am looking -- which isn't great if it is at wildflowers, or my kids in the backseat (ok, I'm not serious there).

But I have to tell you ---- I AM A GREAT DRIVER IN MEXICO!!! I know, I know -- those of you who know me well find it hard to believe -- but it is true!!!! I love driving here, it is easy, and I am really, really great at it!! Some of the reasons are:

1) Most signs and signals are merely "suggestions" -- such as "one way", turn lanes, even stop signs. Common sense seems to be the law of the land. I accidentally (really!) ran a stop sign my second week here (the guy in front of me did too, so I really didn't know it was there -- and it was onto a 2 lane "round-a bout", so I had a lot on my mind...). Anyway, there was a Policia right behind me...... I was sure I was a goner.... but he ran it as well. Knock on wood, please, that my luck doesn't run out, and I promise I won't disobey any "suggestions" on purpose!!!!


2) With all the cobblestones, cars CAN'T go faster than 20 kilometers. That's not much faster than you can drive in a school zone. So, even if I did hit anything -- it wouldn't be very hard.

3) EVERYONE (except the occasional new Gringo in town) is incredibly nice and accommodating. Every driver stops for a pedestrian (to the point where pedestrians hardly look both ways ---- something we will have to re-teach our kids upon our re-entry to the USA). ALL intersections and incoming roads are treated like yields --- incoming cars are always let in or across traffic. ALWAYS. There is no butting in or inching your way in front of someone else. It just isn't necessary.

4) The only time I have ever hear a car horn is preceding shouts of "HOLA". Now this is often in such a small town, and it is really nice to see and hear so many warm hello's hollered through the air from the street to the sidewalk, or to an open window, or even to another car.

5) Common sense rule if someone needs to double park to run onto the pharmacy, or into someone's house to get something. Traffic just moves around it, and nobody gets upset about it.

6) If a 2-way street is too narrow for 2 cars going opposite directions, one car always pulls way over, or even backs up into a driveway or between two telephone poles so the other can pass. Usually seeing that I'm a US female driver of a van (usually full of kids), the other driver (usually a lithe VW bug or taxi) has been quick to respond and do this before I can even think of a plan. The other driver is quick to wave me through with a smile and a "Buenas Diaz"

7) If (or when) I do stray, swerve, make a wide turn, need help parallel parking, or making a 5-7 point turn.... others are quick to assist and/or move aside. And always with a smile.

This is my kind of driving!!!

P.S. although - I will hang my head in UTTER shame as I admit to you that my three children had to bail out of the van last night to navigate me into a parallel parking space. Not that it was that tight -- I'm just not very good at it. It went pretty well, except that my 5 year old had the back post, and was shouting, "you have 3 feet before you hit the motorcycle, Mommy". Unfortunately, he does not know what "3 feet" is (unless he thinks of it of 3 of his feet). Fortunately, I had the motorcycle in sight!