Thanksgiving Mexican Style - and a week of gratitude for all that is good

Yesterday was Thanksgiving for all of our American friends and family.  Normally, we wouldn't feel the need to celebrate again after all, it's really hard to imagine a full turkey dinner here,. However, when we found out Jimi Mamou was playing at the old Rick's Bar now called "Rafa's" and with our Victoria friends Sue and Paul wanting to join us, we headed off to experience a Thanksgiving dinner in Zihuatanejo. 

We entered to the familiar sound of Jimi at his keyboard, with some Ray Charles tunes that immediately put Gene into his full-on dancing mode...and dance and party we did.  It was 4 hours of the most fun Thanksgiving dinner I've ever had, turkey, all the trimmings and Judy's yummy chocolate fudge for dessert.  Not to mention, I wasn't responsible for any of the food or clean-up, and for that I am truly thankful!  

But this week has again reminded us of why we are so thankful to be here for our 3rd winter.  In September, we were worried, it almost wasn't going to happen as Gene was told he needed an operation on his thigh due to the fall he had here last winter...but after a lot of internet and soul searching, we decided to forego the surgery and head south as planned...and so far, this decision seems to be the right one.  We know that our family and friends back in Canada have been suffering through the worst weather in November . We are thankful that we are missing that onslaught of cold, and hope that everyone back home is safe and warm until the blast from the Arctic moves on.   

Gene and I are enjoying the opportunity to be outside, in the sun, and with the warm ocean breezes on our skin at any time of the day or night.  we are thankful that we have the health and the energy to enjoy this paradise.  Each year I regularly walk the 16 km. beach between Playa Larga and Barra de Potosi...and each time I do, I feel the magic of being in that open ocean air and feeling at one with the beauty and tranquility of the tropics.  Thanks Sue for joining me and that cerveza at the end....that is the best cerveza of the year!

We are thankful that there are people here who are making "paradise" even better. 

One of them is the founder of El Refugio de Potosi.  We have been to the beautiful wildlife refuge and eco-center near La Barra de Potosi several times, but each time there is something new to capture our minds and hearts...this time it came in the form of a golden baby porcupine named Lala.  She was one of the cutest creatures I've ever seen, and seems to be adjusting to life as a star in the foyer of the wildlife refuge. 

I could go on and on, but I think I'll save a blog about being thankful for our car for another time,...and just end this now, before I head off to yoga at Paty's (thank you for yoga on the waterfront in a fabulous environment with wonderful teachers).....namaste!

My neighbour, a modern Mexican woman - and a "show of guns"

One of the first persons whom I met when we moved into our neighborhood was Lily.  Lily and her family live across the street from our apartment and she owns a beauty shop "Liliana's" that is located on the mainfloor of her 3 storey house.  Her husband and one daughter are lawyers, one son is a refrigeration technician and I'm not sure what the other son does...but their lives are intricately entwined and on a day to day basis, they make sure that each of them, together with their spouses, sees, hugs, talks with and eats delicious food together.  Her 5 grandchildren are there each day after school.  

Lily is an esthetician who does hair and manicures/pedicures and a visit to her shop is an adventure in Mexican life.  On my first visit, she and I practised each others'  languages, each time she heard a new word, she wrote it and we practised the spelling and pronunciation.  I learned that she sewed, so she made my first curtains and tablecloths.  Over the years, our relationship has grown...she found Cori, my little Mexican dog who was abandoned...she nursed him back to health and then gave him to me, when she saw my sadness after Robbie died. 

Her shop has expanded, she sells her clothing and each visit is often interrupted by someone wanting to purchase something she has made. She is also a very talented artist, part of a local collective called Arte Nativo and I will soon be the proud owner of 2 of her most recent works, but shhhh...as they are regalos for anniversarios y navidad!   Her house has been under construction for the last 3  years.  She tells me that she is adding  4 apartments so her family can live with her and she may also rent out one or two in the future...she has a fulltime carpenter employed as well as a full time housekeeper, cook so she can pursue her artistic pasttimes.  They come to get direction from her while she works, neighbours pop by, local vendors come in to sell home made tamales, or local herbs...she stops and smiles and chats with each.  She takes "multi-tasking" to a whole new level. 

Today, she stopped briefly to say Hola this morning on her way back from her morning walk with her 3 perros...she is a busy woman with a life full of love and beauty!  Que buena mujere! 

 And Gene and I continued into town to see the morning parade for the 100th anniversary of the revolution...I think every school child in Zihuatanejo was in the parade.  Each school was on display with their students either smartly dressed in the schools gymastic uniform doing intricate pyramids for the judging stand or dressed in traditional revolutionary costumes and showing what makes Mexico famous world-wide today....GUNS!  And if you look closely, you will see the Mexican army on guard with their AK 47's in the background. 

Dia de la Revolucion...or how I got fired up this holiday weekend.

This is the 2nd day of a 3 day holiday in Mexico.  For Zihuatanejo, that means that many people from the already frosty inland cities come out to the coast to enjoy the sun, sand and ocean.  The buses line the streets, the Mexicans arrive in coats, carrying most of the food that they will need to enjoy a full day at the beach.  They get in the water just shortly after sunrise and they leave the beach after a long and happy day - it is fun to watch and always reinforces the great value that Mexicans place on family and leisure time.  


So, we decided to go with the flow and take a small lancha to one of our favorite destinations...Los Gatos beach.  A little tropical paradise with one of the best coral reefs for snorkelling in our area.  I had thought the day would be a "lucky day", as on my morning walk with our dog, Cori, an excited crowd stood by on guard watching a huge tortuga work her way back laboriously from her night time journey to high, dry sand to lay her eggs.  I watched in awe as the first waved lapped against her shell and she easily slid off into the waves, with her head popping up twice as she effortlessly glided back to safety in the ocean...aaah, what beauty!  So, a couple of hours later, while snorkeling the coral reef at Los Gatos, feelings of anger and outrage overtook me as we floated over plastic bags caught on the coral, and watched them floating freely just above the reef.   I know that Mexico is slowly developing a culture of environmental awareness, garbage cans and signs remind us at every corner to "not throw out garbage"....but this was terrible, and with outrage I wrote a note on our local website 's message board asking for help to clean up the reef.  So far, I've been promised that the local dive clubs do indeed do this and a major cleanup is scheduled for January, but I am saying the time is now...let's go, let's do it.  


I've also decided that as owners in the original complex we purchased we have a right to expect certain standards for maintenance, and when we don't see the results we need, we do not need to sit back and wait for someone else to do the job...we can do it ourselves.  


So today, Gene met Roger over at the pool, they donned their masks and snorkels and cleaned our pool to a standard that is acceptable to our fussy gringo tastes.  These small revolutionary acts make me feel more powerful....we don't have to sit back and feel like victims, we can and will do what we can to make sure paradise isn't lost for us here.  Like the dog in the window, we can be on guard for what we know is right and make it happen!












Oh, and just when I thought that I was going from bad to worse,....I happened upon the prettiest refrigerator I've ever seen. Who could imagine a nicer to look at kitchen appliance...way to go Maralyn - a woman with taste.   Another revolutionary.....in kitchen design!  Viva la revolucion!  

Boys and their toys.....and the colors that make me happy

So we've been working hard to finish our painting project on our one bedroom rental apartment, and we're almost there.  I love the colors of Mexico - they make me happy.  I wish they were colors that I could use at home in Canada but people would object, they aren't considered "liveable" and are far from the neutral that is so recommended in order to decorate and safely re-sell your home...but I don't care. 

Here my eyes which seem to never have enough light at home see the sunshine and the brightness and we decided to paint with the colors we love...they are the colors of the flowers, the ocean and the wildlife...hence we've used paints named "Gardenia, Jamaica Bay and Parakeet"....and I feel happy to be finishing.  Gene has done a great job...I'm sure our Mexican friends and staff wonder why we choose to do it ourselves when labor is so reasonable...well, they just don't know Gene, the original do-it-yourselfer and the fact is, I think he kind of liked the whole project. 

Meanwhile we have taken some time to play at the local beaches....I love walking by the big Intrawest resort on my way to Yoga classes at La Ropa...and seeing Canada on display.  By the way, that Carnival Cruise ship made it safely in and out of Zihua and is not the one that has customers stranded....but cruise ships and the type of clientele that emerge from them is a whole other blog someday.

And a day at Playa Larga made me smile...boys and their toys...Cori and the Mexicans playing with balls, big small and anything in between if it moves and is round, there is always a game to be played.  

Bringing Cori Home....the other half of a year in my life

So, it took 4 days, one in Vancouver visiting our 3 kids and saying goodbye while staying in a haunted house B&B that takes dogs Balfour Inn ( in case anyone is interested). Then a short flight to Calgary where Cori and I were made very welcome by our good friends who have a dog friendly house, some great walks with Uncle Alex and another direct flight with Westjet who make the whole issue of travelling with a dog seem quite casual, and we arrived.For Cori, it was like "no big deal"...I know where my food is, where the coolest spot on the cement floor is, and where the best beach to play ball is. He has said hello to his old canine amigos, and has found all the best corners to mark...he's back and he's perro feliz.
For me, it's not quite so easy. First of all, this has been one of the wettest summers on record in Zihua. With temperatures in the high 30'C and heavy rain, there is a lot of cleaning up to do. Every fabric that was left here smells mouldy to me, so at last count, we may have spent a record $200.00 on laundry. Now I shouldn't complain as the laundry is done by a wonderful man called Antonio who operates Lavanderia Especial and his handsome son brings back the laundry, clean, folded and smelling amazing all with the widest smile each day....
But laundry is just the beginning. This year we have decided to do a complete interior repainting of La Ceiba #9, our original one bedroom condo. that we purchased 6 years ago. Gene is the original do-it-yourselfer. So he is mainly working solo, after I wash and tape the walls....Roger, our friend and neighbour has been assisting, unless he's had too late of a night....we have the bedroom and bathroom done...living room and kitchen to go. and then we can relax knowing it's ready for our first guests who arrive mid-November. This is no longer a 'vacation"...it is our life, in a second home that, like all homes, requires maintenance.
So I wanted to share some of the special moments that have happened since I've been back...I feel like this, my 3rd winter in Zihua marks a turning point....I am no longer a "tourista"...I am now a "vecina"...an "amiga" and a local....so here goes the things that stand out in my mind as significant at the beginning of my 3rd winter spent in Zihua.
1. The street beggars say "hola, bienvenidos, como esta!" and look happy to see me back. They are all in their usual spots and I look forward to seeing them as I go on my daily excursions.
2. A taxi of gringa tourists asked me if I spoke English...and then asked me to tell their taxi driver where they wanted to go.
3. I recognize all the dogs on the streets - many are the same ones that hung out with Cori when he was abandoned, but they all look good and are surviving here in their same hangouts each year.
4. The group of Mexican women who regularly do their morning cardio workouts on the waterfront walkway and have never ever spoken to me before, all now say "hola and bienvenidos" and smile when they see Cori and I each morning.
5. I have now added the most amazing yoga class to my regular morning classes at Paty's. It is taught by Ana, the Mexican woman champion surfer, on the open air palapa covered top floor of a hotel near our casa. It was magic....sunset, breeze, star-filled sky, and the sounds of a seaside Mexican town coming to life in the cool of the evening.... This just could be my new best find for 2011 season.
6. Today, Gene and I were invited to my good friend Monica and Anibals', 25th wedding anniversary. It was an honor and a privilege to be included in the group of neighbors invited to the home of our friends in Colonia La Madera. I practised my increasing Spanish and met new friends who I can now include in the growing group of Mexican's we feel so fortunate to know....and I didn't even mention the mole de pollo, ceviche y tiritas y pastele con frutas tropicales that were so lovingily prepared and served by our friends.
7. Last but not least. I made a new friend when shopping today for a card, ribbon and paper to wrap the champagne I had purchased for the party. Adelina who owns a small floreria downtown has offered to accompany Gene and me on an excursion to some newly discovered archeological ruins near her home in one of the small pueblas south of Zihuatanejo. She's also offered to be my floral designer for any arrangements or gifts I would like to give this Xmas...at a "buen precio"...not the gringo price!!! A sure sign of success.

Leaving Mexico to the Mexicans......time to head home

I drove to Uruapan this weekend with my friend Evelyn and her niece Leanne who is visiting from Vancouver. The reason for our trip, which is a 4 hour drive north to the state of Michoacan's avocado growing center, is the annual artisan's fair, a 2 week event that coincides with Semana Santa. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the fair where the residents from the small pueblas of the state gather to show and sell their products. There is also a juried competition for prizes in each art form, a parade, a women's textile fair and a food court where each village sells their regional foods prepared by women using traditional cooking implements.

The weekend felt like a huge sensory feast for the eyes, ears, palate and mind as we wound our way through the tents of the tianguis in the zocalo, the trails of the national park, and the streets towards the San Pedro textile factory. The colors of Mexico were all shining in the clothing, crafts and flowers along the streets and homes of Uruapan.... how lucky we were to see this special event. And how lucky we were to arrive back home safely each with carefully chosen purchases for our homes, ourselves or our friends. Each item will carry the memory of the hands, the eyes and the hearts that made them because surely that beauty wouldn't be possible without love being added to the mix of skill and art. This truly is the Grand Finale of our 5 months here in a country where people have a natural artistic style seen in everything that is made or done.

And now I am back in Zihua where Gene and I have 3 days to pack up our two apartments and organize the end of our "year". The town has changed in the 3 days I was away. Semana Santa brings the crowds from the interior out to the coast and this year looks to be as busy as ever. The beaches, the streets, boats, shops and restaurants are full of families who come for the sun, sand and water. The garbage trucks and street sweepers are working overtime to keep up with the volume of debris left beside the overflowing garbage cans. The ratio of Canadian/Americans to Mexican tourists has changed..it's the Mexican's turn to take back this little coastal resort and our time to head back to Canada where family and friends and home are waiting.

I love you Mexico, I love your people, your colors, your sounds, your tastes and your spirit. If we are lucky, we will be back next year and do this all over again! I wouldn't miss any of it. Please don't change anything.....we love you just the way you are.... Oh, maybe you could work on that hole in front along the sidewalk, and the funky water in the canal at the end of the season....

A Very Mexican Weekend - Lessons from the Heart

On Saturday, we arranged to spend the day with our Nino's Adelante student, Doraliz. Normally, when we see her, she is accompanied by her Mom and her 3 siblings, including even her brother who is 16. All previous visits have been to our casa and have centered around swimming in our pool and lunch. But because we wanted to take her to the new ecological park El Refugio de Potosi and then on to La Barra to swim and have lunch, we had said we could only take 4 safely with seatbelts, and we weren't sure if her Mom or her brother would be the 4th....well in the end, only 3 came, Doraliz, her brother Julio and their youngest sister Angelica. Liliana , the middle sister, was home with a toothache and waiting to see the dentist.

When we decided to become sponsors, we knew we wanted to be actively involved with our student because we are here 5 months each winter. However, spending time with Doraliz has been a mental challenge for me because I tell myself, a) we don't really know her or her family very well and are unsure of their tastes or preferences b) they only speak Spanish and our communication is limited c) I am very conscious of the inequities in our relationship.

Although our sponsorship involves a relatively small amount of money on an annual basis, it is obvious that we have been priviliged in the order of the world. On the other hand, her hardworking family has little. They live at the top of a steep hill overlooking Zihuatanejo. Some of the recent migrants to that area are accused of being squatters, but we believe her family own the property. Doraliz has a loan from the government and runs a small tienda attached to her families modest plywood and paper home. It is her way to contribute to supporting herself and her family even though she is only 13 and is working hard to maintain a top grade in her class and qualify for our sponsorship. Her Mom volunteers in the local community by arranging social programs for some of the areas poorest and her Dad is a gardener facing unemployment because the large Ixtapa home where he works is for sale.

I am sometimes unsure as to how to handle visits to her home where there is no place to sit and I feel like I am at risk to be perceived as critical. I want to know how to handle giving gifts, as I am constantly aware of how much they need and how little they have. So this Saturday it was a great relief to have some really fun time with Doraliz and her brother and sister. We laughed, we played and we ate. Gene finds it easier than me to just be with them and laugh and not worry about how to talk or what to say....he has the gift of being a Mexican at heart! It is the lesson I hear in yoga everyday....to be able to move from my thinking mind and live with an open heart. Doraliz may just be the gift I need.

Today, our friends and neighbours, Monica and Anibel, invited us to drive to their coffee plantation in the mountains just north of here. Monica was given the responsibility to live in the mountains and to be the cocinera at the coffee plantation of her husband's family shortly after she married Anibel, over 20 years ago. This was hard for her, a university graduate from Mexico city, but she learned the traditional ways of cooking and working the land and those skills are what she refers to now when she teaches her classes in the Cooking School of Patio Mexica. She had often told me of the beauty in the mountains, the crisp clean air and the quiet surroundings. We jumped at the chance of driving them, together with their daughter Jimena, to see their property. Monica had not been there for 5 years and now we know why!

We were unprepared for the 3+ hours of rutted dirt roads needed to travel the 80 kms and 1500 meters of elevation. We wound our way another 30 kms. past the tiny settlement of El Cedral, which is the last point along the route where someone could depend on a vehicle for assistance. After that point, we were the only car on the road which had been destroyed by the heavy rains that fell recently and ruined any surface repairs done earlier in the dry season. We passed herds of cattle and goats but saw no persons until we pulled into the property of Anibel's neighbour. We were greeted by his grandchildren and the children of his hired help. This hardworking family live in one of the most remote areas I have seen, but what they lack in amenities, they made up for in welcoming us to their home.

We wandered into his nearby coffee plantation to see how organic, shade grown coffee is picked. Now is the season when the workers from Chilapa arrive to work the plantation. The plants grow in the shade of the tall trees and on the natural slopes where rocky foot paths that are barely visible wind there way through the rough and often dangerous terrain. I learned that the men carry machetes primarily to protect themselves from animals.....snakes to be precise!

We shared our lunch which we had bought to eat enroute and Gene's 6 pack of beer was a real treat for the men of the house. The women were eager to have photos taken of their children and later we were given a tour of the gardens and the outdoor ovens, coffee washing and drying stations. We were served Cafe de Olla which is the local version of sweet coffee, and I learned it is a drink given to children as without electricity or refrigeration, they must live on what they have and grow. We were invited to have lunch with the family who wanted to kill and serve us a beautiful chicken who wandered in and out of the kitchen where we sat. However our time was short and after saying goodbye, earing gifts of produce and flowers from the garden, we were left with the feeling that no matter how hard we think we have worked in our lives, we had not even imagined the work that these kind and generous people who look old before their time must do. Life is not easy for coffee growers in Guerrero...and I will never question why coffee costs what it does. Our morning reward, is the product of much hardwork and sacrifice by these farmers.

Oh, and a final note, when we left the greeting "que les vaya bien" was wished to us. "That we go well",.....and that greeting carried us and our 1996 Ford Explorer back down the 80 kms. safely, despite some worried moments when Gene thought our brakes had failed heading down the steep mountainside terrain. Gracias a Dios one more time!