Driving by...when you open your window and someone puts a knife in

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don't worry...it just maybe that he's selling you the best and most delicious pineapple that you have ever had. Yes, it's the season of "la pina"..the sweet and delicious fruits that make every salsa, brochetta and smoothie so fabulous. This has been a week of "drive-by's" for us as we toured Kristen and her friend Kevin through the areas that we love so much. Kevin is a small town guy, from the East Coast of Canada, the Maritimes. It's an area that shares many similarities with Zihuatanejo. Fishing was the primary occupation. Families stayed on living in their home towns from generation to generation and the economy was poor. What I noticed about Kevin was that although he knew no Spanish and indeed, this was his first trip to Mexico, he quickly "got" what it is that makes this life special for us. He noticed the people and how they related to each other and us. We think he'll be back and we hope he will be. He and Kristen are now back off to their busy lives in Vancouver, a city that offers everything one could want, except blue skies on most days of the 6 months that constitute late fall to early Spring. We hope that the sunshine here has helped them to cope with the next few weeks ahead.

So now our life takes on a slightly different pace. We are preparing for our 2 condominiums annual general meetings...a time that every owner gets their opportunity to shape the way these tropical vacation homes or full time residences will function for the next year. It's always a time of considerable stress for those who have the responsibility of being on the "steering committee". Gene is one of those people for our La Ceiba property, but he takes it in stride. We are learning the subtleties of living and doing business here in Mexico. We have both come to realize that you cannot ever say or do something that will embarass or criticize a Mexican's work or performance. And if you do, you will live with the consequences for the rest of your life..in obvious and not so obvious ways. It's the difference between what has become the norm in our society, the art of "constructive feedback" vs. the Mexican way of being. Mexicans have a complex social structure and do not mix business with pleasure. What happens at work, is work,and what happens at home is no one else's business. It's frustrating at times and we continue to see the outcomes of our lack of understanding of their cultural structures and norms.

We are also preparing to take our annual 'roadtrip" in February.  This year, we are shortening the trip to 2 weeks and we are taking it with our faithful "amigo" Cori.  He wouldn't have it any other way...so now it's my job to use Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, Booking.com, Guia Roja and the internet to set up our route, and dog friendly accomodations for our 2 weeks away.  I will be busy...but not too busy to fit in time at all of our favorite places around here...and also to have Sol Sisters products prepared for the annual Sailfest Fundraiser .  Lety is keen to make and sell more tote bags, make up bags, sunglass pouches and anything else I can get orders for.  I hope this works..it's all new for me and we are a team to pull this off.   

But in the 2 weeks before we leave, we are making sure to take in some of the sights , tastes, sounds and smells that make Zihuatanejo Mexico so special.   Here's a few photos of our favorites from the past 2 weeks with Kristen and Kyle

 

 

 

 

What a difference a week makes

Just one short week ago, I had a living room that was attractive, but not special. Ever since I had the walls painted a shade of aqua/green to complement some cushions that I had made, I had wondered if the color was right. Not only was the color a departure from my normal warm, earth tones, but the color on the walls had accentuated a bare cornice in the upper corner...it was in my mind almost as soon as the walls received the paint. But with only living here 6 months of the year, and having a busy life..I had lived with the nagging doubt that things could be better...that was until I met Oscar. Oscar and his wife Conchita operate a small gift shop along the waterfront walkway in Zihuatanejo. When Dawn and I were out on one of our many forays looking for all things unique..we spotted his art and were immediately "hooked". Oscar paints a style of indigenous folk art that is often found on the amate paper bark paintings sold in Guerrero State. It is colorful, often displays flowers, trees and birds and I have always loved the way the subjects catch my eye. So when Oscar's wife showed me his "portfolio" of murals..I was immediately hooked. But with the busy Xmas season, we chose to put things on hold till he had the time and I had a break in my company. Eric had no sooner left the room when Oscar arrived to transform my green walls to a soft orange which perfectly set the stage for his stunning mural.

Just like Zihuatanejo, my living room is now a completely different environment than it was just a week ago... A week ago, the beaches, streets and restaurants were full of Mexicans. Now our little town is quiet. It's "gringo time" in Zihuatanejo. But something feels a little different this year. Rather than every tourist appearing very elderly, there is a slightly younger group of visitors. People who love the relaxed life and enjoy all that nature has to offer here. Including our daughter Kristen and her "amigo/novio" Kevin. It's Kevin's first trip here so Kristen is playing a combined role of guide and holiday guest. It's a great way to spend time in Zihuatanejo. And this week, is not like the other weeks of her winter in Vancouver. Sun and heat abound and all stiffness, aches, pains and sniffles from a cold and dreary Vancouver will soon be chased away by the joy we feel here in Mexico.

A New Year....and the places we call "home"

The holidays "Decembrina" have come to an end.  Today, the Sunday before school starts again in Mexico, the crowds have mostly left the beaches and the streets of Zihuatanejo Bay.  This has been a busy holiday time...we've been busy and so have the townspeople.  And I think everyone had the holiday that they wanted.   I watched with tremendous joy as the Mexicans returned to their favorite seaside resort to once again spend time with their families and friends in the beauty and warmth of the ocean we love.   When they go on vacation, they embrace the notion of relaxation and relationships in a way that has been eschewed by many who feel the need to see more, do more and travel to different places each year.   Not so here in Mexico, as returning travellers fill the hotels and room rentals that they have come to love.

We moved back to our condo. at Casa Ceiba after sending Paul and his daughters back to their lives in the US and Canada.  Paul and his family had a tough year..so when we said "Feliz Ano" to them, we really meant it...may 2013 be the start of health and renewed happiness for each of them.  It's good that we pick one day to mark the start of a "new year"..but in our lives, we know that is not really what happens.  We go to bed one day and get up the next, and life goes on....if we are lucky!

This year, two people who we know didn't have that same "good luck".  They were our neighbours, each named John, one whom we met here in Zihuatanejo, and the other, in Victoria, and their lives ended on New Year's Day.  Both had suffered in the past years and their lives were no longer full of the quality we hope for.     So now, in the January "gringo travel season" when the retired from Canada and the US return here to their familiar condos. at Casa Ceiba and La Ceiba, and hears the news of our lost friend, each realizes how lucky they are to be able to once again travel to this country and escape the vagaries of winter in the North.

So what makes this a place to come back to year after year...it's both the sameness and the surprises.  It's the familiar and the new, and it's the feeling of freedom and adventure that greets you each day here.  Every shopping trip, every walk, every encounter delivers an opportunity to learn and encounter a piece of life that is unexpected.     It's not always the beauty or the tourist experiences that are here, it's the little things.   It's the look in people's faces as they come to know and recognize me, it's the happiness that lights the eyes of each child when you offer them the smallest of gifts.   And it's knowing that life here is full without the volume of goods that are the norm in Canada and the US. 

I love my life here, it is simple, but full.  I appreciate what I've been given...an opportunity to help others here who depend on me.  So this new year, I want to deepen my knowledge of Mexico, it's people and it's ways so I can be a good citizen of the world, this country and my body...which is really the only true "home" where I live.  

My children each have developed an incredible knowledge about their bodies and respect for their health and how to live and they have reminded me of how important what I do each day is for my future.  So I hope I can learn from them, in the way they've learned from me.   I will miss Eric terribly when he leaves on Tuesday, but will be counting the hours till Kristen arrives.  And for Amy and Patrick, my heart will be with them as they begin their honeymoon in Thailand and the start of their new lives in 2013.  Although our homes are far apart, you will always be with me in my "home" - my heart and my mind.