3.7.2006
Well, that's not strictly true. I missed the church ceremony because the directions to the church I was given were so meagre. Finally found a taxi driver who knew the church. I arrived in time for the photo session at the end of the service! "Nice performance, Prue Jarvis!"
That said, my student was thrilled I made the effort, which is more than could be said for some of his other friends. They reserved themselves for the party afterwards.
I was given the dubious honour of holding the baby at the church, & then transporting him to the party venue. Having completed that mission successfully, he was left to take a bottle & sleep in my trustworthy arms. Of course it really was an honour..it ensured all friends & family came in contact with me. Jorje (Hor-he) aka George, & his wife Cecy proudly stood by & introduced me to each person as "mi maestra d'Inglis" (my English teacher!).
"Oh!" they all said. "She's so tall! It's obvious she's a foreigner; where's she from? New Zealand? Wow!..that's in Europe, right?"
Big wide eyes when I explained NZ is south & to the right of Australia. My Span-glish is getting better.
"Ah, that explains your height..we've watched rugby on TV, & have seen Jonah Lomu. You must be about the same size as him, aren't you! Can you explain Rugby to me? How much does it cost to get to Mexico from NZ?"
All I could manage to interpret from a semi-skilled English speaker is that they think New Zealand is Nova Scotia. Hang on..isn't Nova Scotia in Canada? Since when was Canada part of Europe? Is it possible there're people in this world with worse geographical knowledge than mine?
It was a weird experience standing in a room with 150 men & women, & towering over all of them! Though I've never considered myself short, it IS a strange experience being able to look across a room over everyone's heads!
There's a tradition similar to a lolly-scramble for the kids. Instead of lollies though, money is tossed. I was pleased to be standing outside whilst this was going on inside. A life-threatening event!
The food: shatter me, it was amazing! Entirely catered by Jorje & Cecy..not a maize dish in sight, & only one bean dish..frijoles..which I like. Jorje was overseeing the food table, & made sure I understood what every dish was, & was tickled when I went for everything loaded with chilli. He was absolutely thrilled when I went back for seconds. Not so me; I overloaded my belly & regretted it later..piglet! Just like the runt of a litter, I have a terrible tendency to gorge myself when presented with yummy food! I should've woken up this morning back at 76kg's..thank goodness for my over-zealous metabolism these days!
I met a lovely woman who lives in Mexico City. She's opened her home to me; I can stay there whenever I want & for as long as I need. I may take her up on her kind invitation on my way out of Mexico.
I'm so relieved I didn't follow the advice of 'Mark from Siberia'! The subject of his email was "Important Advice on Baptismal Etiquette" ... let me clarify right now..Mark is in fact a Christian..with a delightfully irrevernt sense of humour!
"I hope you have a great time at the baptism. Here are some basic rules for these events.
1. Do not under any circumstances forget to spit in the font.
2. Full frontal nudity is a common occurence, if you see someone else getting their kit off, it is considered impolite not to join them.
3. Turn up drunk , everyone else will. Offer anyone you see in the congregation without a drink a swig from your brown paper bag covered tequila bottle.
4. Roman Catholic priests are celibate so a quick grope under his cassock will be a welcome break for the poor guy.
5 In the event of a fight breaking out, which is quite likely, stand behind the oldest lady you can find and accuse her as convincingly as possible of being the ring leader.
6. It is important to be certain exactly who the father of the child is, ask the guy who has assumed this important role if he is absolutely certain of his wifes fidelity. Do this frequently and in front of witnesses.
7. As this is Mexico there will almost certainly be music to accompany the ceremony. The tune is unimportant, all you need to know is the words to "La Cuccuracca". Sing this loudly, particularly during the most solemn moments of the baptism and during any lulls where there would otherwise be silence. Encourage others to join in.
Let me know, if you live long enough, how long your prison sentence will be.
He's such a hoot!
It's election day today. No booze available for sale yesterday or today. Probably a sensible rule, but a little inconvenient for a non-national over the weekend.
On that note, I'm going to "vamos". I need to check the election results on the internet.
Thursday, 21 December 2006
2006: Mexican Madness - And now I'm beginning to understand ...
21.11.2006
... why Mexican's revere their Saints so much!
How many emails have I dutifully composed, giving due attention to your news & answering your questions, only to have them disappear into a black hole? I dunno..I've lost count!
My fuse is running dangerously short; no longer am I prepared to sit & try to recompose what I've just spent an hour writing. So, if you don't get a quick response from me, this is probably the reason. It now takes me a bit of time to calm down & face the email again.
It truly requires a saintly nature to cope with the day-to-day frustrations..& I'm not sure I'm equal to the task.
Yes I am..it's just that some days are particularly irritating. By no means 'saintly', I generally do have a reasonably patient nature, unless pushed too far & beyond reason.
(sigh) A trying time about to start here again. The phone bill is due to be paid in the next couple of days, & I'm seriously out of pocket having supported Dom the Canadian flatmate boy & an endless stream of free-loaders. I'm looking down the barrel of no phone, no internet, no gas, & no electricity. I may have to confiscate Dom's guitar & the endless array of shoes he's dumped about the apartment & sell them to defray expenses!
Honestly, any male allowed to live past year 11, year 16, year 23, & year 30 should seriously consider himself lucky. Actually, about now, my allegiance is with the female praying mantis! Scratch that..I'm all for the male cats who kill & eat their own off-spring!
I'm frantically trying to off-load all my photos & the 'Siberian Adventure' from my lappy & onto my own website. Not too successfully at this stage, but I'll keep trying.
Who knows..if I succeed I may end up with a bucket load of money from 'blogging'.
Anyhoo, that's me for now. Not the up-est message I've ever sent, but at least you know I'm alive & kicking. Actually I'm kicking the fridge cos the bloody thing keeps dying on me. At the moment my new neighbourhood dog is eating better than me..he gets the meat that keeps going off cos the fridge goes off! Bless though..he follows me where-ever I go, & most of the locals are afraid of him. They stop their cars, bikes, & Nikes to watch my pooch turn to putty when I step outdoors.
... why Mexican's revere their Saints so much!
How many emails have I dutifully composed, giving due attention to your news & answering your questions, only to have them disappear into a black hole? I dunno..I've lost count!
My fuse is running dangerously short; no longer am I prepared to sit & try to recompose what I've just spent an hour writing. So, if you don't get a quick response from me, this is probably the reason. It now takes me a bit of time to calm down & face the email again.
It truly requires a saintly nature to cope with the day-to-day frustrations..& I'm not sure I'm equal to the task.
Yes I am..it's just that some days are particularly irritating. By no means 'saintly', I generally do have a reasonably patient nature, unless pushed too far & beyond reason.
(sigh) A trying time about to start here again. The phone bill is due to be paid in the next couple of days, & I'm seriously out of pocket having supported Dom the Canadian flatmate boy & an endless stream of free-loaders. I'm looking down the barrel of no phone, no internet, no gas, & no electricity. I may have to confiscate Dom's guitar & the endless array of shoes he's dumped about the apartment & sell them to defray expenses!
Honestly, any male allowed to live past year 11, year 16, year 23, & year 30 should seriously consider himself lucky. Actually, about now, my allegiance is with the female praying mantis! Scratch that..I'm all for the male cats who kill & eat their own off-spring!
I'm frantically trying to off-load all my photos & the 'Siberian Adventure' from my lappy & onto my own website. Not too successfully at this stage, but I'll keep trying.
Who knows..if I succeed I may end up with a bucket load of money from 'blogging'.
Anyhoo, that's me for now. Not the up-est message I've ever sent, but at least you know I'm alive & kicking. Actually I'm kicking the fridge cos the bloody thing keeps dying on me. At the moment my new neighbourhood dog is eating better than me..he gets the meat that keeps going off cos the fridge goes off! Bless though..he follows me where-ever I go, & most of the locals are afraid of him. They stop their cars, bikes, & Nikes to watch my pooch turn to putty when I step outdoors.
2006: Mexican Madness - so here I am in tropical Mexico ...
11.11.2006
... with a runny nose & an annoying cough. I'm decked out in jeans, socks & shoes, a top, woolly jersey, scarf, beret, & Russian blue coat! And still I'm cold!
I'm quickly being reminded of my early days here..hot, hot days, & freezing cold nights. So many changes of clothes in one day!
The runny nose is mostly caused by the dust in the air; the annoying cough comes from the loss of humidity as this high desert land heads into winter..an asthmatic's nightmare.
Riding in buses with locals succumbing to seasonal colds & flu doesn't help. It's only a matter of weeks before once again I start every day with a bleeding nose. Dammit! I love the heat of this country, but living in the high desert has it's share of health issues!
I was laughing with my niece, Toni, earlier tonight about how I break a sweat every morning sweeping & mopping the floors with one of those industrial sized mops..a full body workout. Everyday I sweep up enough dirt to plant an orchard. When I mop straight afterwards, there's another orchard's worth of dirt in the bottom of the bucket. If I miss a day, the hair that my flatmate Dom & I shed creates 'tumbleweeds' worthy of a ghost town. DISGUSTING! I was wearing a summery top when I was talking to Toni. About now, that's a fond & distant memory; only a few more hours until I'm reliving that lovely warmth again.
I had been thinking of throwing away my Siberian boots and selling my coats and hats; now I'm relieved I haven't, though I suspect I could make a tidy sum of money if I chose to. Tonight I'm pleased I've been emotionally attached to these excess baggage nuisances; they're back to being essentials.
But how stupid do I feel sitting inside my apartment rugged up like I'm about to step outside into a Moscow winter?!
If you look past me in the photo, you'll notice that I've succumbed to owning a TV & turning it on. Not that I watch it all that often; it's either background noise or muted flickering light. Usually I'm listening to music & downloading loads of old stuff from the internet. I've already told you this.
Look a little closer & you'll see maps taped all over the wall. My world map (in Spanish), my map of Aguascalientes, my map of Mexico, a map of Guanajuato, & my well used & beloved map of Surgut.
Most people who come into my apartment are first drawn to the world map, then they spot the map of Sugut. "Where's that? Show me where that is on your world map! Wow! Now show me where New Zealand is! New Zealand's in Europe, right?!"
Cripes, and I thought everyone thought New Zealand was part of Australia!!!
The next time someone says New Zealand's part of Europe, I'm going to make them show me what part of Europe they think New Zealand is.
Part of Europe, part of Australia, or known for where I'm really from, it's all preferable to being assumed I'm from the US.
Most people quickly work out I'm not from the US cos my accent is so odd. They like it, & mostly they understand it. Sometimes it takes a week or so for them to really get the hang of it. My 'rrrr's' are too soft, as are my 'a's'. And let's not get into the 'zee' vs. 'zed' debate!
I've mentioned to my buddy Tim from Uni when chatting on Messenger, & Toni heard tonight how noisy Mexicans are. I wrote to you about the cursed Tomales truck that comes past every night.
There're also the gas bottle trucks that come past all day every day. Some of them have loud speakers singing out "Gasoline, gasoline, la-la-la-la-la-laaa, gasoli-ine". Some of them just have drivers pulling on a cord to constantly ring an annoying bell..please excuse my coarseness, but they must be fantastic wankers! Or they're too tired by the end of the day to actually do it.
There's the guy who pushes a trolley which has hot coals burning at the bottom of it. He's selling coal-cooked banana's. He has the shrillest train whistle in the world. Shrill enough to burst my eardrums every night.
Daily there're cars that drive through spouting political 'stuff'.
And then there's the water truck boys. You can't drink tap water so every home has bottled water delivered. These boys have their own racket to make, but they've taken a shine to me, so they park below my windows & then ring my doorbell until I pop my face out the window. "Agua Bonita Senora?" Grrrrrrrrr, smile, "No, gracias!" Occasionally they spot me at the shopping mall & bail me up there.
Honestly, this country is 18-hours out of 24 of NOISE!
And I thought Planeta in Surgut was a noisy place to be!
Good grief, & now the roosters have started crowing & I realise this place is 24-hours of NOISE!
Still, in spite of the challenges & annoyances, I love it!
I have 2 new 'boyfriends'.
With the first one, we haven't got to the point of exchanging names, but he's always popped out of his workshop to greet me. Last week, he grabbed hold of me, spent 10-minutes telling me I need to learn to speak Spanish well & he'll learn English so we can actually talk & romance. At the end of it he kissed my hand and let me go. He thinks I'm "muy, muy guapa" (very, very beautiful). In return I could tell him he's muy guapo (very handome). He's got drop dead gorgeous teeth! Hahahahaha..so I have a thing about teeth! That comes from not liking my own.
The second one is a 10-year old lad I teach for three hours a week. He's a difficult child & we've had a few staring out competitions to work out who's the boss. My icey blue eyes have won every time. Now he spends most of his lessons holding my hand, & every Friday he begs me to spend the weekend with him at his family's ranch.
Generally he addresses me as "Teacher", which is the accepted form of respect (regardless of the age of the student), however when he wants me to come to the ranch he hugs & kisses me & calls me Prue.
His parents started out being very off-hand & superior, now they call me Teacher, & kiss me on arrival & departure.
It's an odd world we live in, & I'm thrilled to bits to finally be experiencing it!
So what do you all think about me giving serious consideration to nipping into Libya? I read this neat article in National Geographic, & I'm a little bit hooked on the idea.
I'll leave you with that thought.
Toodle pip!
... with a runny nose & an annoying cough. I'm decked out in jeans, socks & shoes, a top, woolly jersey, scarf, beret, & Russian blue coat! And still I'm cold!
I'm quickly being reminded of my early days here..hot, hot days, & freezing cold nights. So many changes of clothes in one day!
The runny nose is mostly caused by the dust in the air; the annoying cough comes from the loss of humidity as this high desert land heads into winter..an asthmatic's nightmare.
Riding in buses with locals succumbing to seasonal colds & flu doesn't help. It's only a matter of weeks before once again I start every day with a bleeding nose. Dammit! I love the heat of this country, but living in the high desert has it's share of health issues!
I was laughing with my niece, Toni, earlier tonight about how I break a sweat every morning sweeping & mopping the floors with one of those industrial sized mops..a full body workout. Everyday I sweep up enough dirt to plant an orchard. When I mop straight afterwards, there's another orchard's worth of dirt in the bottom of the bucket. If I miss a day, the hair that my flatmate Dom & I shed creates 'tumbleweeds' worthy of a ghost town. DISGUSTING! I was wearing a summery top when I was talking to Toni. About now, that's a fond & distant memory; only a few more hours until I'm reliving that lovely warmth again.
I had been thinking of throwing away my Siberian boots and selling my coats and hats; now I'm relieved I haven't, though I suspect I could make a tidy sum of money if I chose to. Tonight I'm pleased I've been emotionally attached to these excess baggage nuisances; they're back to being essentials.
But how stupid do I feel sitting inside my apartment rugged up like I'm about to step outside into a Moscow winter?!
If you look past me in the photo, you'll notice that I've succumbed to owning a TV & turning it on. Not that I watch it all that often; it's either background noise or muted flickering light. Usually I'm listening to music & downloading loads of old stuff from the internet. I've already told you this.
Look a little closer & you'll see maps taped all over the wall. My world map (in Spanish), my map of Aguascalientes, my map of Mexico, a map of Guanajuato, & my well used & beloved map of Surgut.
Most people who come into my apartment are first drawn to the world map, then they spot the map of Sugut. "Where's that? Show me where that is on your world map! Wow! Now show me where New Zealand is! New Zealand's in Europe, right?!"
Cripes, and I thought everyone thought New Zealand was part of Australia!!!
The next time someone says New Zealand's part of Europe, I'm going to make them show me what part of Europe they think New Zealand is.
Part of Europe, part of Australia, or known for where I'm really from, it's all preferable to being assumed I'm from the US.
Most people quickly work out I'm not from the US cos my accent is so odd. They like it, & mostly they understand it. Sometimes it takes a week or so for them to really get the hang of it. My 'rrrr's' are too soft, as are my 'a's'. And let's not get into the 'zee' vs. 'zed' debate!
I've mentioned to my buddy Tim from Uni when chatting on Messenger, & Toni heard tonight how noisy Mexicans are. I wrote to you about the cursed Tomales truck that comes past every night.
There're also the gas bottle trucks that come past all day every day. Some of them have loud speakers singing out "Gasoline, gasoline, la-la-la-la-la-laaa, gasoli-ine". Some of them just have drivers pulling on a cord to constantly ring an annoying bell..please excuse my coarseness, but they must be fantastic wankers! Or they're too tired by the end of the day to actually do it.
There's the guy who pushes a trolley which has hot coals burning at the bottom of it. He's selling coal-cooked banana's. He has the shrillest train whistle in the world. Shrill enough to burst my eardrums every night.
Daily there're cars that drive through spouting political 'stuff'.
And then there's the water truck boys. You can't drink tap water so every home has bottled water delivered. These boys have their own racket to make, but they've taken a shine to me, so they park below my windows & then ring my doorbell until I pop my face out the window. "Agua Bonita Senora?" Grrrrrrrrr, smile, "No, gracias!" Occasionally they spot me at the shopping mall & bail me up there.
Honestly, this country is 18-hours out of 24 of NOISE!
And I thought Planeta in Surgut was a noisy place to be!
Good grief, & now the roosters have started crowing & I realise this place is 24-hours of NOISE!
Still, in spite of the challenges & annoyances, I love it!
I have 2 new 'boyfriends'.
With the first one, we haven't got to the point of exchanging names, but he's always popped out of his workshop to greet me. Last week, he grabbed hold of me, spent 10-minutes telling me I need to learn to speak Spanish well & he'll learn English so we can actually talk & romance. At the end of it he kissed my hand and let me go. He thinks I'm "muy, muy guapa" (very, very beautiful). In return I could tell him he's muy guapo (very handome). He's got drop dead gorgeous teeth! Hahahahaha..so I have a thing about teeth! That comes from not liking my own.
The second one is a 10-year old lad I teach for three hours a week. He's a difficult child & we've had a few staring out competitions to work out who's the boss. My icey blue eyes have won every time. Now he spends most of his lessons holding my hand, & every Friday he begs me to spend the weekend with him at his family's ranch.
Generally he addresses me as "Teacher", which is the accepted form of respect (regardless of the age of the student), however when he wants me to come to the ranch he hugs & kisses me & calls me Prue.
His parents started out being very off-hand & superior, now they call me Teacher, & kiss me on arrival & departure.
It's an odd world we live in, & I'm thrilled to bits to finally be experiencing it!
So what do you all think about me giving serious consideration to nipping into Libya? I read this neat article in National Geographic, & I'm a little bit hooked on the idea.
I'll leave you with that thought.
Toodle pip!
2006: Mexican Madness - Hppy Halloween Everyone!
31.10.2006
Hola, buenas tardes!
I hope you're all well, happy & coping with spring & winter weather.
Spare a thought for me this week. I'm exhaused already and it's only Monday. I didn't actually attend any of the parties..I just sat up all weekend trying to cope with the phenominal clamour! Parties started on Friday as a warm up for Halloween & The Day of The Dead (Dia de Muertos). The celebrations are combined here, so instead of celebrating 2 separate days, they celebrate for 10 days in a row (What the ...? :-O), with the biggest nights being Wednesday and Thursday, but continuing on through to the end of next weekend.
My alcohol intake will increase dramatically this week just so I can get some sleep!
The noise is especially bad in this apartment because I'm on the corner of a T intersection. Cars and buses coming from every direction, and they're all either V8's or have those stupid stereo's that vibrate your windows out of their frames! The buses start at 5:30am & finish at 10:30pm. The cars thunder past 24/7! I think I'll boost my friend Manuel's annual sales by purchasing all the nails and tacks from his tapateria (hardware store) and sprinkling them across the 4 roads! Do you think the police will trace all those nails to me?
The local kids (aged from 10 - 25) have decided the best pot-hole in the road for playing marbles is directly under my living room & bedroom windows. They start playing at around 8pm & usually finish up at 1am. More screaming from them than you'd hear at the Super Bowl on the biggest night of the season! I'm tempted to invest in some flour and water bombs..do you think that'll deter them? Or will it earn me a few nights in a Mexican jail?
Then there's the 'tomales' truck that cruises by late every night. A wonderful set of loudspeakers on the truck roof blast out "Tomales, tomales, your kids need tomales before they go to bed! Tomales, tomales, YOU need tomales before you go to bed! Tomales, tomales, everyone needs tomales right now!!" I want to run down the stairs & kick his tyres in! Another couple of nights in a Mexican jail!
Lastly, the girls that live in the apartment on top of mine get up every morning, put on their noisiest stilettos & start dragging their furniture across the tiled floor at high speed and in multiple directions. Don't ask me why..it's a mystery to me! Then at night, they run up and down the stairs as daintily as a stampeding herd of African elephants drunk on fermented amarula berries They have a penchant for starting up their incredibly loud blender at all unpleasant hours of the night and morning. Yesterday they ran out of gas before finishing cooking their afternoon meal 'knock, knock on my door' ... "Can we finishing cooking our meal on your stove with your gas?" They're lovely girls, but I want to lubricate their stairs with an oil slick! Oh lord..I'll be in jail forever! Hey, the bright side of that is that you get conjugal visits 'inside' here.
Add to this intolerance ...
...aaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh! Here comes the tomales truck!
... I have a temporary flatmate/room-mate. Dominique from Canada. He's 23 years old. I'm his surrogate mum, he's my surrogate son. He's driving me a little crazy. He's a messy little blighter in the kitchen, he has no idea how to replace the empty roll of toilet paper with the full roll sitting next to the toilet, and is quite negative..but he also has a really dry sense of humour..luckily for him. He has me on the verge of biting his head off, then he hits me with something really witty and I find myself having a great laugh! He is very good at making sure the water is hot for my shower.
Having dropped my good cellphone into the toilet & drowning it to death, I'm back to the one I had when I first arrived here. I think it's about 100 years old! It's been rebuilt 4 times this year, but I think it's finally on its last legs. Last night all the text on it turned upside-down and inside-out. If I want to read a message or look up a number I have to go to the bathroom, turn the phone upside-down and read everything through the mirror. I'M NOT JOKING!
Tonight, the vibrate mode died.
I think I'LL be mourning & commemorating my cellphones on Wednesday and Thursday!
On a more serious note..everyone please give a thought and toast to my sister, brother-in-law and their gorgeous boxer Shady; Shady went to sleep forever today (Southern Hemisphere time).
I'll be dedicating a flower & a few marshmallows to Shady this Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Light..light, I'm racking my brains for something light to sign off with.
Ok..maybe more vacuous than light..my stolen plant cuttings are starting to take root & flourish!
Daylight saving here kicked out last night..I was shocked by how dark it was by 6:30pm tonight!
The crazy supermarkets here have no change in their tills. Tonight the 'check-out Chick' asked the customer behind me for change! Bless his handsome skin, he tried but couldn't help. It was ok, because I was able to make the change myself. Both he and the guy customer behind HIM bade me a fond farewell, & raced to get through the check-out to escort me to where-ever I was going. Not a chance..I walk way too fast for everyone!
Which reminds me..you know how we all hate small change? Well, here in Mexico I hoard it because it's the only way to pay for things!
Mexican Madness! It frustrates the life out of me, and I love it..all at the same time!
Sorry to my Russian buddies for this very long English message.
Has this been a 'trick or treat' message?
Hola, buenas tardes!
I hope you're all well, happy & coping with spring & winter weather.
Spare a thought for me this week. I'm exhaused already and it's only Monday. I didn't actually attend any of the parties..I just sat up all weekend trying to cope with the phenominal clamour! Parties started on Friday as a warm up for Halloween & The Day of The Dead (Dia de Muertos). The celebrations are combined here, so instead of celebrating 2 separate days, they celebrate for 10 days in a row (What the ...? :-O), with the biggest nights being Wednesday and Thursday, but continuing on through to the end of next weekend.
My alcohol intake will increase dramatically this week just so I can get some sleep!
The noise is especially bad in this apartment because I'm on the corner of a T intersection. Cars and buses coming from every direction, and they're all either V8's or have those stupid stereo's that vibrate your windows out of their frames! The buses start at 5:30am & finish at 10:30pm. The cars thunder past 24/7! I think I'll boost my friend Manuel's annual sales by purchasing all the nails and tacks from his tapateria (hardware store) and sprinkling them across the 4 roads! Do you think the police will trace all those nails to me?
The local kids (aged from 10 - 25) have decided the best pot-hole in the road for playing marbles is directly under my living room & bedroom windows. They start playing at around 8pm & usually finish up at 1am. More screaming from them than you'd hear at the Super Bowl on the biggest night of the season! I'm tempted to invest in some flour and water bombs..do you think that'll deter them? Or will it earn me a few nights in a Mexican jail?
Then there's the 'tomales' truck that cruises by late every night. A wonderful set of loudspeakers on the truck roof blast out "Tomales, tomales, your kids need tomales before they go to bed! Tomales, tomales, YOU need tomales before you go to bed! Tomales, tomales, everyone needs tomales right now!!" I want to run down the stairs & kick his tyres in! Another couple of nights in a Mexican jail!
Lastly, the girls that live in the apartment on top of mine get up every morning, put on their noisiest stilettos & start dragging their furniture across the tiled floor at high speed and in multiple directions. Don't ask me why..it's a mystery to me! Then at night, they run up and down the stairs as daintily as a stampeding herd of African elephants drunk on fermented amarula berries They have a penchant for starting up their incredibly loud blender at all unpleasant hours of the night and morning. Yesterday they ran out of gas before finishing cooking their afternoon meal 'knock, knock on my door' ... "Can we finishing cooking our meal on your stove with your gas?" They're lovely girls, but I want to lubricate their stairs with an oil slick! Oh lord..I'll be in jail forever! Hey, the bright side of that is that you get conjugal visits 'inside' here.
Add to this intolerance ...
...aaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh! Here comes the tomales truck!
... I have a temporary flatmate/room-mate. Dominique from Canada. He's 23 years old. I'm his surrogate mum, he's my surrogate son. He's driving me a little crazy. He's a messy little blighter in the kitchen, he has no idea how to replace the empty roll of toilet paper with the full roll sitting next to the toilet, and is quite negative..but he also has a really dry sense of humour..luckily for him. He has me on the verge of biting his head off, then he hits me with something really witty and I find myself having a great laugh! He is very good at making sure the water is hot for my shower.
Having dropped my good cellphone into the toilet & drowning it to death, I'm back to the one I had when I first arrived here. I think it's about 100 years old! It's been rebuilt 4 times this year, but I think it's finally on its last legs. Last night all the text on it turned upside-down and inside-out. If I want to read a message or look up a number I have to go to the bathroom, turn the phone upside-down and read everything through the mirror. I'M NOT JOKING!
Tonight, the vibrate mode died.
I think I'LL be mourning & commemorating my cellphones on Wednesday and Thursday!
On a more serious note..everyone please give a thought and toast to my sister, brother-in-law and their gorgeous boxer Shady; Shady went to sleep forever today (Southern Hemisphere time).
I'll be dedicating a flower & a few marshmallows to Shady this Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Light..light, I'm racking my brains for something light to sign off with.
Ok..maybe more vacuous than light..my stolen plant cuttings are starting to take root & flourish!
Daylight saving here kicked out last night..I was shocked by how dark it was by 6:30pm tonight!
The crazy supermarkets here have no change in their tills. Tonight the 'check-out Chick' asked the customer behind me for change! Bless his handsome skin, he tried but couldn't help. It was ok, because I was able to make the change myself. Both he and the guy customer behind HIM bade me a fond farewell, & raced to get through the check-out to escort me to where-ever I was going. Not a chance..I walk way too fast for everyone!
Which reminds me..you know how we all hate small change? Well, here in Mexico I hoard it because it's the only way to pay for things!
Mexican Madness! It frustrates the life out of me, and I love it..all at the same time!
Sorry to my Russian buddies for this very long English message.
Has this been a 'trick or treat' message?
2006: Mexican Madness - Hello!
15.10.2006
It seems like ages to me since I last wrote to you. Some of you've caught me on MSM Messenger, which is really cool!
I've also spoken to some of you on the phone recently.
I have this fantastic new (to me) tool on my computer. It's called "Skype". You download it free off the internet, buy talk time in advance, and away you go! It's cheap, Cheap, CHEAP!!!
If any of you want or need to call me my Skype address is flyingk1w1me
My Skype phone number is 00 61 (07) 3102 83 72. No matter where in the world I am, as long as I'm connected to the internet we can keep in touch.
If you have a Skype phone number we can telephone each other for free!
I'm not sure, but I also think you can call me for free if you don't have a Skype phone number just by using my Skype address.
WOW..DO I EVER GET GRUMPY WHEN YAHOO DUMPS MY MESSAGE BEFORE I GET TO FINISH TYPING IT!
So let me try & remember what I wrote.
I have another piece of free software I want to share with you. Do an internet search on Ares. It lets you download music & stuff for free off the internet.
I now have 1,008 new music tracks to add to the almost 4,000 I have on i-Tunes.
I have a real 'smorgasbord' of music, from Tchaikovsky to Green Day, and everything you can think of in between. OLD stuff like Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark and Cilla Black, naff stuff like Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe Through The Tulips", sickly sweet stuff like The Carpenters, The Seekers, and Peter, Paul & Mary, classic stuff like Neil Diamond's 'Hot August Night' album. CCR, John Coltrane, Deep Purple, Janice Joplin, The Pogues, Thin Lizzy, Iggy Pop, Christina Aguilera, Anastacia, Blink 182, Linkin Park, & some reggae band I've never heard of before. You name it, I have it for your listening delight. I'm in heaven!
Even my parents would be making dust clouds in their urns over some of the music I'm listening to & loving! As would you freak out Ben!
The guy that introduced me to Ares is blown away by the stuff I've got .. "Wow! You have very eclectic taste in music!"
Hahahaha! I guess I do, but it helps to while away some empty hours & does wonders for my frame of mind..whatever it may be.
The last time I wrote I was threatening to find & adopt a cat or kitten to help keep me warm at night. Well, I've met a few dogs this week that are at risk of being brought home. My current favourite is a black one of indeterminate breed. No-one seems to know who he belongs to. The other night it was hosing down with rain and the poor boy was just sitting out on the street. We're tentative 'friends' now..I gave him 2 chicken breasts and some turkey ham, but he's still a bit nervous of me and my weird language.
We're having an amazing electrical storm with torrential rain tonight. It's hot as well, which is a bit of a nuisance because I've had to close most of the windows.
I was on my way home this afternoon after one of my exploratory walks when the storm started. I was picking my way down the street trying to avoid the 'rivers' when a couple of lovely young guys stopped & offered me a ride. I was almost home, so I thanked them but said no.
Ummmmm...I think that's all I have to tell you for now, so I'll love & leave you here.
It seems like ages to me since I last wrote to you. Some of you've caught me on MSM Messenger, which is really cool!
I've also spoken to some of you on the phone recently.
I have this fantastic new (to me) tool on my computer. It's called "Skype". You download it free off the internet, buy talk time in advance, and away you go! It's cheap, Cheap, CHEAP!!!
If any of you want or need to call me my Skype address is flyingk1w1me
My Skype phone number is 00 61 (07) 3102 83 72. No matter where in the world I am, as long as I'm connected to the internet we can keep in touch.
If you have a Skype phone number we can telephone each other for free!
I'm not sure, but I also think you can call me for free if you don't have a Skype phone number just by using my Skype address.
WOW..DO I EVER GET GRUMPY WHEN YAHOO DUMPS MY MESSAGE BEFORE I GET TO FINISH TYPING IT!
So let me try & remember what I wrote.
I have another piece of free software I want to share with you. Do an internet search on Ares. It lets you download music & stuff for free off the internet.
I now have 1,008 new music tracks to add to the almost 4,000 I have on i-Tunes.
I have a real 'smorgasbord' of music, from Tchaikovsky to Green Day, and everything you can think of in between. OLD stuff like Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark and Cilla Black, naff stuff like Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe Through The Tulips", sickly sweet stuff like The Carpenters, The Seekers, and Peter, Paul & Mary, classic stuff like Neil Diamond's 'Hot August Night' album. CCR, John Coltrane, Deep Purple, Janice Joplin, The Pogues, Thin Lizzy, Iggy Pop, Christina Aguilera, Anastacia, Blink 182, Linkin Park, & some reggae band I've never heard of before. You name it, I have it for your listening delight. I'm in heaven!
Even my parents would be making dust clouds in their urns over some of the music I'm listening to & loving! As would you freak out Ben!
The guy that introduced me to Ares is blown away by the stuff I've got .. "Wow! You have very eclectic taste in music!"
Hahahaha! I guess I do, but it helps to while away some empty hours & does wonders for my frame of mind..whatever it may be.
The last time I wrote I was threatening to find & adopt a cat or kitten to help keep me warm at night. Well, I've met a few dogs this week that are at risk of being brought home. My current favourite is a black one of indeterminate breed. No-one seems to know who he belongs to. The other night it was hosing down with rain and the poor boy was just sitting out on the street. We're tentative 'friends' now..I gave him 2 chicken breasts and some turkey ham, but he's still a bit nervous of me and my weird language.
We're having an amazing electrical storm with torrential rain tonight. It's hot as well, which is a bit of a nuisance because I've had to close most of the windows.
I was on my way home this afternoon after one of my exploratory walks when the storm started. I was picking my way down the street trying to avoid the 'rivers' when a couple of lovely young guys stopped & offered me a ride. I was almost home, so I thanked them but said no.
Ummmmm...I think that's all I have to tell you for now, so I'll love & leave you here.
2006: Mexican Madness - I've Moved ... AGAIN!
26.9.2006
You can rest assured I'm ok. All Mexican wounds have healed & I'm working on not being clumsy & receiving any more.
I'm not teaching at the moment..I've been given a job researching & helping Mexicans emigrate to Canada. Interesting stuff! And the pay is better!!
I've moved into an apartment, so I'm living like a human being again. Hot water, gas, a good little kitchen to cook in (roast chicken basted with orange juice & honey, baked spuds with onion rings & avocado, orange & honey roasted kumara, & steamed carrots & brocolli tonight..wish I could find a meat-mallet to tenderise the evily tough beef), a telephone, internet access, & a nice big super-king bed! HEAVEN!
I've made a few friends in the neighbourhood, & even went to a party on Saturday night..yeeeha! Not bad going for only having been in the apartment for 2-weeks.
It's autumn here now, which reminds me very much of spring in NZ. Some days hot, some days chilly, lots of rain, & the nights now require a spare blanket next to the bed ready for 3am when it gets cold.
I had to wash my sleeping bag a couple of weeks ago cos it was a bit whiffy..& now it's ready for when it starts getting FREEZING overnight.
If it looks like I'm not going to get away from Mexico easily, I may just have to adopt a stray cat to help keep me warm at night.
You can rest assured I'm ok. All Mexican wounds have healed & I'm working on not being clumsy & receiving any more.
I'm not teaching at the moment..I've been given a job researching & helping Mexicans emigrate to Canada. Interesting stuff! And the pay is better!!
I've moved into an apartment, so I'm living like a human being again. Hot water, gas, a good little kitchen to cook in (roast chicken basted with orange juice & honey, baked spuds with onion rings & avocado, orange & honey roasted kumara, & steamed carrots & brocolli tonight..wish I could find a meat-mallet to tenderise the evily tough beef), a telephone, internet access, & a nice big super-king bed! HEAVEN!
I've made a few friends in the neighbourhood, & even went to a party on Saturday night..yeeeha! Not bad going for only having been in the apartment for 2-weeks.
It's autumn here now, which reminds me very much of spring in NZ. Some days hot, some days chilly, lots of rain, & the nights now require a spare blanket next to the bed ready for 3am when it gets cold.
I had to wash my sleeping bag a couple of weeks ago cos it was a bit whiffy..& now it's ready for when it starts getting FREEZING overnight.
If it looks like I'm not going to get away from Mexico easily, I may just have to adopt a stray cat to help keep me warm at night.
2006: Mexican Madness - Life's a Seesaw; mostly good, seldom boring
19.7.02006
Gidday Mates!
How's your week treating you? More ups than downs I hope!
Friday night was a 'gem'. I finished work at 8:15pm & the mother of one of my students gave me a lift to the supermarket close to home. Unfortunately it was all out of what I needed so I caught a taxi to the next one (it was bucketing down with rain). Purchases rapidly made, I nipped out expecting to grab one of the many taxi's permanently stationed outside. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson "Doh!" The taxi rank was empty and there were at least 30 groups waiting ahead of me. Quick calculation completed I guessed I'd be waiting at least 3-hours before my turn.
"Blow that for a game of soldiers at this time of night!", I thought.
For a fleeting moment I considered catching the bus then decided there was no point cos I'd still have 3 blocks to walk home. Gamely, & possibly naively, I started walking, thinking I'd hail a taxi on the way, but if worse came to worst I'd be home in an hour on foot.
Unbelievable! In the 3 km's I walked, I saw only 6 taxis. Usually they're wall-to-wall. The 1st 3 were full. By the time 2 empty ones were spotted I was so dripping wet they wouldn't stop for me..the brutes! I was getting a bit nervous by then as the lightning was popping directly above me in all its blue glory. The next taxi I saw was empty too..unfortunately for him I caught him at a red light. He didn't want to let me in, & it took all my powers of persuasion to convince him..I finally won out when I showed him that although I was drenched & dripping on my front half, the back half was dry. Plonked into the back seat & feeling relieved, he screamed off at a great rate, breaking all speed & road rules in order to get rid of my soggy self ASAP. Once he'd delivered me to my gate & collected his fare, he couldn't resist twisting round to check the condition of his back seat, & was gratified to find it dry. I popped through my front door envigorated by a refreshing soaking & successfully negotiating a ride home.
The rain continued all night and throughout Saturday.
Saturday morning my students took me to Sanbornes for a 2-hour 'English over coffee' lesson. Sanbornes is considered one of the 3 best places to go for coffee. It's simply filtered & as weak as a newborn kitten! Still, it's better than instant and as I haven't had coffee for months now it was a real treat. I'd planned to blinfold the boys for the 1st hour to hone their listening skills but Paco was full of the 'flu & I didn't think it would be fair.
Lesson over, Paco offered to drive me wherever I wanted to go. I declined his generous offer, preferring to head home, curl up on my bed with my e-book (The Count of Monte Christo..I had to delete Gulliver's Travels; what a YAWN that book is!), some chocolate & apples, & to read and snooze the day away. Heaven on a rainy day!
And snooze I did! I was amazed when I woke up & found the day had disappeared; it was after 6:30pm and I was still feeling shattered.
I stumbled out of my room to find the accountant sitting in his office & showing no signs of moving. I transferred my lappy to the kitchen where I could read some more & eat up a storm.
Midnight rolled around & the accountant was still here. I started puffing out a few irritable sighs. He was crowding my precious 'alone time'.
At 1:30am I appeared at his office door & told him to "vamos!" I finally got rid of him close to 2:15am.
The weather was still manky on Sunday so I repeated Saturday's indulgent & lazy performance.
4:30pm & the accountant rocked up again. "No!" I said. "All I ask is one day each week to be left entirely alone, now go!" I surrendered the battle in the end. He left after 10pm.
The ridiculous thing is that he invaded my space all weekend, but has nothing to do this week because of it.
Monday brought me my reward for an invaded weekend; back home by 8:30pm & yeeeeha!, the accountant was already gone for the day.
Uh-oh..no I wasn't alone. A massive flying cockroach & I played squealy cat & mouse for a couple of hours before I beat it into fatal submission. Just to be sure, I dumped a heavy archive box on top of it.
I had a meeting with Marifer's mother this afternoon. I was quaking in my boots. No need..she's quite happy for me to continue the informal 'chat' sessions now that she's seen the homework I set.
Earlier in the day I was walking back to the office/home from a lesson & spotted a chihuahua puppy playing in the window of a florists. I'm not a big fan of chihuahua's, but this little guy was so small & cute I had to stop & play with him through the window. Not good enough, I went inside. The owners had been watching & immediately uncaged the little man. I picked him up & he snuggled into me. MELT! We played for a while & then I left.
Striding down my home street I spotted the really pretty little kitten that lives up the road from me. We played 'You can't catch me, but I want you to'" for a while.
Tuesday, the day I have an early lesson & a horrid cold shower. How pleasing..no water in the tank! Once I'd performed the mandatory fight with the pump & the water started flowing, I got to have an even colder shower, given the water is pumped from an underground tank.
Joel finished with, Jorge arrived to collect me for his 3-hour (groan) lesson. I don't believe in lesson's lasting longer than 90-minutes max. It's too exhausting for both the teacher & the students..& especially when it's a 1:1 ordeal, which is what it is with Jorge.
Some respite today..half way through, Jorge had to stop for a business meeting with his lawyer, another bloke & HIS lawyer. The 2 lawyers & the other guy were dressed like Mafia Dons (an unusual sight here).
Holy Tamoly! Such passion! So much shouting & gesticulating! How nervous was I when these men erupted from their seats in their fury? Really bizare when all this was interspersed with jocularity. Jorge & his lawyer 'vanquished the enemy'. It was a very interesting performance for me to observe whilst sitting behind a spare desk in a corner & pretending to read my Lonely Planet Mexico guidebook. The 'enemy's' lawyer wasn't fooled; he kept catching my wide open mouth & even wider eyes.
The lesson resumed but with an unanticipated change of focus. Jorge, still full of adrenaline, 'interrogated' me. "How long have you been away from home? How long are you going to do this for? When do you plan to return to NZ? Where are you going next? No, not there, you should go to this place! Will you return to Mexico?"
Just as time was up Jorge received a phone call from his wife, Ceci. More drama, but this time a tragedy. Ceci's best friend, on her way to the hospital to deliver her baby, had died.
I've been asking myself all day how a woman can die giving birth in the 21st Century. I know Mexico's considered a 3rd world country, but this is supposed to be a civilised & educated city I'm living in.
Due to the unexpected turn to the lesson with Jorge, I arrived 15-minutes late for Marifer's lesson. Today's lesson with Marifer involved bathing her little dog, Cuca.
Cuca's a cute little 'motorised slipper' of indeterminate breed. She's absolutely filthy & has dreadlocks Bob Marley would've been proud to sport!
Until today Cuca has waited for me to get myself settled at the table before coming to leap into my lap & give me cuddles. Today she was leaping & pawing at me from the minute I walked through the gate. I needed that attention & distraction.
I don't think Marifer was particularly looking forward to the bathing exercise, & she was certainly rougher than I thought necessary, but I was determined Cuca would receive some long overdue personal hygiene & grooming. Cuca took it all in her stride, although she did try to escape a few times.
Her body & legs were washed with soap, but her "hair" was treated to the luxury of some conditioning shampoo I'd brought along with me.
What a hoot when she'd dried off & was brushed. Not much change to the terrible state of her body & legs, but the hair on her head was outrageous! The conditioning shampoo had worked magic..all soft & unmatted, & seriously fluffy! Marifer's description.."She looks like a crazy rock 'n' roll chick!"
It's true..she did! Actually, she looked like she could join Rod Stewart in his good old days without a 2nd glance.
After such a traumatic experience I expected Cuca to hold a grudge against me. Nope..she was all over me like a rash. Bless her little fluffy head! I took a couple of photos of Cuca & Marifer.
From there to a 2-hour meeting with Rene to discuss some timetable changes & 'issues'..aka "I'm really ticked off..my camera's been damaged by either you or the accountant..I know both of you have been in my room when I've been out teaching!"
I haven't touched my camera for a couple of weeks, & when I pulled it from its pack today I found the casing bent out of shape. I value all my possessions, but my camera & lappy are the most prized & savagely protected. Luckily for all, the camera's still working.
Even more bent out of shape than my camera, I'm having a lock put on my bedroom door tomorrow.
Back to home; oh heaven, oh bliss, it's only 6:15pm & the place is locked up & deserted!
It's occurred to me today that perhaps I should've become a pet psychologist. As much as I get a kick out of meeting new people & learning about their culture, it's the furry beasts that really make me feel happy at the moment.
For me, there've been a couple of downs this week, but the ups far outweigh the downs. I AM worried about Ceci though. I emailed a friend of hers tonight who lives in Mexico City, asking her to call Ceci.
Eternal power to 'fur therapy'!
Gidday Mates!
How's your week treating you? More ups than downs I hope!
Friday night was a 'gem'. I finished work at 8:15pm & the mother of one of my students gave me a lift to the supermarket close to home. Unfortunately it was all out of what I needed so I caught a taxi to the next one (it was bucketing down with rain). Purchases rapidly made, I nipped out expecting to grab one of the many taxi's permanently stationed outside. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson "Doh!" The taxi rank was empty and there were at least 30 groups waiting ahead of me. Quick calculation completed I guessed I'd be waiting at least 3-hours before my turn.
"Blow that for a game of soldiers at this time of night!", I thought.
For a fleeting moment I considered catching the bus then decided there was no point cos I'd still have 3 blocks to walk home. Gamely, & possibly naively, I started walking, thinking I'd hail a taxi on the way, but if worse came to worst I'd be home in an hour on foot.
Unbelievable! In the 3 km's I walked, I saw only 6 taxis. Usually they're wall-to-wall. The 1st 3 were full. By the time 2 empty ones were spotted I was so dripping wet they wouldn't stop for me..the brutes! I was getting a bit nervous by then as the lightning was popping directly above me in all its blue glory. The next taxi I saw was empty too..unfortunately for him I caught him at a red light. He didn't want to let me in, & it took all my powers of persuasion to convince him..I finally won out when I showed him that although I was drenched & dripping on my front half, the back half was dry. Plonked into the back seat & feeling relieved, he screamed off at a great rate, breaking all speed & road rules in order to get rid of my soggy self ASAP. Once he'd delivered me to my gate & collected his fare, he couldn't resist twisting round to check the condition of his back seat, & was gratified to find it dry. I popped through my front door envigorated by a refreshing soaking & successfully negotiating a ride home.
The rain continued all night and throughout Saturday.
Saturday morning my students took me to Sanbornes for a 2-hour 'English over coffee' lesson. Sanbornes is considered one of the 3 best places to go for coffee. It's simply filtered & as weak as a newborn kitten! Still, it's better than instant and as I haven't had coffee for months now it was a real treat. I'd planned to blinfold the boys for the 1st hour to hone their listening skills but Paco was full of the 'flu & I didn't think it would be fair.
Lesson over, Paco offered to drive me wherever I wanted to go. I declined his generous offer, preferring to head home, curl up on my bed with my e-book (The Count of Monte Christo..I had to delete Gulliver's Travels; what a YAWN that book is!), some chocolate & apples, & to read and snooze the day away. Heaven on a rainy day!
And snooze I did! I was amazed when I woke up & found the day had disappeared; it was after 6:30pm and I was still feeling shattered.
I stumbled out of my room to find the accountant sitting in his office & showing no signs of moving. I transferred my lappy to the kitchen where I could read some more & eat up a storm.
Midnight rolled around & the accountant was still here. I started puffing out a few irritable sighs. He was crowding my precious 'alone time'.
At 1:30am I appeared at his office door & told him to "vamos!" I finally got rid of him close to 2:15am.
The weather was still manky on Sunday so I repeated Saturday's indulgent & lazy performance.
4:30pm & the accountant rocked up again. "No!" I said. "All I ask is one day each week to be left entirely alone, now go!" I surrendered the battle in the end. He left after 10pm.
The ridiculous thing is that he invaded my space all weekend, but has nothing to do this week because of it.
Monday brought me my reward for an invaded weekend; back home by 8:30pm & yeeeeha!, the accountant was already gone for the day.
Uh-oh..no I wasn't alone. A massive flying cockroach & I played squealy cat & mouse for a couple of hours before I beat it into fatal submission. Just to be sure, I dumped a heavy archive box on top of it.
I had a meeting with Marifer's mother this afternoon. I was quaking in my boots. No need..she's quite happy for me to continue the informal 'chat' sessions now that she's seen the homework I set.
Earlier in the day I was walking back to the office/home from a lesson & spotted a chihuahua puppy playing in the window of a florists. I'm not a big fan of chihuahua's, but this little guy was so small & cute I had to stop & play with him through the window. Not good enough, I went inside. The owners had been watching & immediately uncaged the little man. I picked him up & he snuggled into me. MELT! We played for a while & then I left.
Striding down my home street I spotted the really pretty little kitten that lives up the road from me. We played 'You can't catch me, but I want you to'" for a while.
Tuesday, the day I have an early lesson & a horrid cold shower. How pleasing..no water in the tank! Once I'd performed the mandatory fight with the pump & the water started flowing, I got to have an even colder shower, given the water is pumped from an underground tank.
Joel finished with, Jorge arrived to collect me for his 3-hour (groan) lesson. I don't believe in lesson's lasting longer than 90-minutes max. It's too exhausting for both the teacher & the students..& especially when it's a 1:1 ordeal, which is what it is with Jorge.
Some respite today..half way through, Jorge had to stop for a business meeting with his lawyer, another bloke & HIS lawyer. The 2 lawyers & the other guy were dressed like Mafia Dons (an unusual sight here).
Holy Tamoly! Such passion! So much shouting & gesticulating! How nervous was I when these men erupted from their seats in their fury? Really bizare when all this was interspersed with jocularity. Jorge & his lawyer 'vanquished the enemy'. It was a very interesting performance for me to observe whilst sitting behind a spare desk in a corner & pretending to read my Lonely Planet Mexico guidebook. The 'enemy's' lawyer wasn't fooled; he kept catching my wide open mouth & even wider eyes.
The lesson resumed but with an unanticipated change of focus. Jorge, still full of adrenaline, 'interrogated' me. "How long have you been away from home? How long are you going to do this for? When do you plan to return to NZ? Where are you going next? No, not there, you should go to this place! Will you return to Mexico?"
Just as time was up Jorge received a phone call from his wife, Ceci. More drama, but this time a tragedy. Ceci's best friend, on her way to the hospital to deliver her baby, had died.
I've been asking myself all day how a woman can die giving birth in the 21st Century. I know Mexico's considered a 3rd world country, but this is supposed to be a civilised & educated city I'm living in.
Due to the unexpected turn to the lesson with Jorge, I arrived 15-minutes late for Marifer's lesson. Today's lesson with Marifer involved bathing her little dog, Cuca.
Cuca's a cute little 'motorised slipper' of indeterminate breed. She's absolutely filthy & has dreadlocks Bob Marley would've been proud to sport!
Until today Cuca has waited for me to get myself settled at the table before coming to leap into my lap & give me cuddles. Today she was leaping & pawing at me from the minute I walked through the gate. I needed that attention & distraction.
I don't think Marifer was particularly looking forward to the bathing exercise, & she was certainly rougher than I thought necessary, but I was determined Cuca would receive some long overdue personal hygiene & grooming. Cuca took it all in her stride, although she did try to escape a few times.
Her body & legs were washed with soap, but her "hair" was treated to the luxury of some conditioning shampoo I'd brought along with me.
What a hoot when she'd dried off & was brushed. Not much change to the terrible state of her body & legs, but the hair on her head was outrageous! The conditioning shampoo had worked magic..all soft & unmatted, & seriously fluffy! Marifer's description.."She looks like a crazy rock 'n' roll chick!"
It's true..she did! Actually, she looked like she could join Rod Stewart in his good old days without a 2nd glance.
After such a traumatic experience I expected Cuca to hold a grudge against me. Nope..she was all over me like a rash. Bless her little fluffy head! I took a couple of photos of Cuca & Marifer.
From there to a 2-hour meeting with Rene to discuss some timetable changes & 'issues'..aka "I'm really ticked off..my camera's been damaged by either you or the accountant..I know both of you have been in my room when I've been out teaching!"
I haven't touched my camera for a couple of weeks, & when I pulled it from its pack today I found the casing bent out of shape. I value all my possessions, but my camera & lappy are the most prized & savagely protected. Luckily for all, the camera's still working.
Even more bent out of shape than my camera, I'm having a lock put on my bedroom door tomorrow.
Back to home; oh heaven, oh bliss, it's only 6:15pm & the place is locked up & deserted!
It's occurred to me today that perhaps I should've become a pet psychologist. As much as I get a kick out of meeting new people & learning about their culture, it's the furry beasts that really make me feel happy at the moment.
For me, there've been a couple of downs this week, but the ups far outweigh the downs. I AM worried about Ceci though. I emailed a friend of hers tonight who lives in Mexico City, asking her to call Ceci.
Eternal power to 'fur therapy'!
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