English Maestra

Hasta Luego--Not Adiós

2010-08-27T13:58:00.020-05:00

The time came to leave Mexico and my amigos. It was a great vacation and I enjoyed, so much, seeing my friends again. As I look over the many photos that I took, I leave you with a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them! They are in no particular order---just some of the ones I like for different reasons.

This is a church in La Chona, Jalisco, coming into view between the nopales cactus. This picture was taken in Chuy's backyard.

In San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes, the Cristo Roto statue at the dam is breathtaking. Placed high on a hill it can be seen for miles around.

The cathedral in Guadalajara, Jalisco and the main plaza.

The Degollado Theater, Guadalajara, Jalisco.

An Indian family resting on a bench in Aguascalientes. He dances to earn money for the family. She is loving her baby while their two older children play.

In the flea market in downtown Aguascalientes.

The mountains are named "Cerro de Muerte" (Death Mountain) because it looks like a corpse lying down. You can see the forehead, nose, chin, hands folded and feet.

At the Rancho Capomo, Las Palmas, Jalisco. Such a typical Mexican scene.

The beach in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

The Voladores fly on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

The Church of Guadalupe, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

The Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, taken from the balcony of La Chata restaurant.

My favorite statue on the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta.

I hope you enjoyed my writings and photos and perhaps learned a little about Mexico, the people and their lives.

I look forward to returning, some day, to beautiful Mexico and the gracious and kind-hearted people. Until then...

Hasta luego.

Isla Rio Cuale

2010-08-26T19:43:00.011-05:00

Slicing its way through the city, the Rio Cuale divides and surrounds the isla before tumbling into the Banderas Bay. The river at times is peaceful and quiet and at other times, it becomes a raging torrent whirling into the ocean.

This is the Cuale River after a huge rainstorm. It is muddy and is charging into the bay. The island is on the right. See the beautiful Sierra Madre mountains in the background? I love the mountains!

The river meets the Banderas Bay. You can see where the muddy waters stop and the ocean takes over.

The island is located between the centro (center of town) and the Zona Romantica. It is not a very large island, only about 1 block wide and maybe 6 blocks long. Access to the island is gained by wooden and very shaky footbridges on either side of the island or by a cement bridge and stairs on each end of the island! After crossing the wooden bridge once (to say that I did it!) I choose the more sturdy, but less dramatic cement bridge when I go to there! It is a natural island with walking paths through the trees, benches and flora and fauna. Part of the "fauna" includes iguanas climbing through the trees. It is very exciting to see one of them up close.

The island is a favorite place of the local people to come and relax. The market is always full of tourists but the other side of the island is quiet and peaceful. Often kids will swim in the river while parents spread a picnic on the grass.

As you enter the island you come upon a "Peace Park" with lovely flowers and greenery and a fountain. This is the pathway to the area.

Here is a close-up of the sculpture. Can you see what is on top of his head? And notice the stone turtle on the mushroom rock.

The stone iguana waits for you to take his picture!

Passing by the Peace Garden, you spot the archaeological museum---a small but nice museum of local Indian artefacts. It is cool and quiet there and one can learn a little about the history of the area.

Also on that end of the island is a group of artists who exhibit their paintings and photographs. Of course you can buy a special piece to take home. They also give art lessons 2 or 3 times a week.

There are restaurants where you can stop for a limonada, lunch, dinner or a great Margarita.

And then you come to the flea market! Bartering with the locals for a good deal is a great challenge for both you and the vendor! Usually you can go away happy with a wonderful memento to take home! They sell silver, jewelry, pottery, blankets, serapes, leather goods, handmade clothing and purses, as well as many different types of souvenirs too numerous to mention.

I stood on the steps to take this photo of the mercado.

The man in the orange shirt and the man in the white shirt are "deciding" on a price for a gift!

Visiting the island is a great way to spend a morning. You will be amazed at the local vendors speaking English! And once in a while, you might hear the famous phrase: "Almost free for you today!"

When I go to Puerto Vallarta, a visit to the island is a must!

Hasta luego.

Sunday Brunch

2010-08-22T19:14:00.023-05:00

On my last Sunday in Puerto Vallarta I treated myself to Sunday Brunch at the Sheraton Hotel. This post will not be a teaching, preaching, or informative article---it is simply something to make your mouth water looking at all the delicious foods!

The Sheraton has a brunch on the weekends and it is not to be missed. Unlike the restaurants in the USA, when you go to a restaurant in Mexico, you are expected to sit a long time, enjoying the food and visiting with your friends. I was at this brunch about 3 hours, sampling, tasting, and nibbling on a lot of different foods, and then retired to the beach for another hour!

On the way into the restaurant, La Villita, you walk through pretty gardens.

The carved watermelon, behind the bowls, and the fat pig, welcome you to the salsa table.

The salads are inviting and take a peek at the colorful vegetables decorating the table.

This was what I chose: fresh squeezed orange juice (there were 7 juices from which to choose), pico de gallo (in the bowl), spring roll, cheeses, prosciutto, cantaloupe, tuna (tuna is a cactus and comes in red or green), papaya, honeydew and pineapple. A healthy start to the meal, right?

The entree included a chicken enchilada, tamale, birria (a local favorite) and a hardcooked quail egg.

I couldn't pass up the pozole and Spanish paella.

A couple hours later it was time for a visit to the dessert table. I took this picture especially for my friends in Gainesville, the poultry capital of the world! See the chicken in the box? A great decoration, I thought!

The pretty rice pudding (in the bowl) and a crepe de cajete were the best! The fruit tart wasn't bad either!

To top off the meal, a glass of champagne and reading the Tribune, an English newspaper which tells about the happenings in Puerto Vallarta for the next week. On the front cover is a picture of the angel statue on the Malecon.

The mariachi played to entertain us. I love the mariachi music!

When the mariachi took a break, these two guys played the marimba. They were quite good.

These two folklorico dancers and the two Indian dancers (see next photo) were walking through the diners advertising their Fandango show which takes place in the evening.

These are the Indian dancers. Their ankle bracelets shake and jingle when they dance or walk.

Dinner over, the newspaper read, I walked out on the beach to enjoy the ocean and the sun. These folks were at the pool which is right on the beach.

The vendors were waiting to make a sale. The mountains are in the background. Puerto Vallarta has the ocean on one side of the town and the mountains behind it. The views have something to please everyone!

Those chairs are just waiting for you to come, sit, and enjoy!

The yacht just happened to get in the way of my picture! The man is selling jewelry.

I enjoyed my last Sunday in Puerto Vallarta, relaxing at the beach and visiting with friends.

Hasta luego.

A Day in the Country

2010-08-14T14:27:00.019-05:00

When my friends, Alex and Tom, asked me if I would like to spend a day at a ranch, I couldn't say "YES" fast enough! Alex sells jewelry at the ranch a couple times a week and he was going to display his gems and invited me to tag along. What a relaxing and enjoyable day.

El Rancho Capomo is in the town of Las Palmas, about 45 minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta. Turning off the main road, we travelled a dirt road for about 1/2 mile back into the jungle of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and arrived at a ranch right out of the movies!

A family owns and runs the ranch and they offer tours to tourists from Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, and other towns in the area. At the ranch the vacationers enjoy a breakfast before spending the day going horseback riding through the jungle to see waterfalls or riding ATVs over the mountainside, or streaking through the trees near the river on ziplines. After all that activity, the famished group is fed a delicious Mexican dinner before being returned to their hotels. What a day!

Now, you might wonder, just which activity did I participate in? Well...I walked down to the corral and looked at the horses. I watched the tourists return the ATVs to the ranch. I was fascinated by the more daring ones moving at lightning speed on the ziplines. And I took pictures of everything!

After all that activity (!), I sat in the outdoor restaurant, and visited with the family who owns the ranch, while sipping a Margarita, and listening to some Mexican music playing from a CD. There was a cool breeze blowing from the river through the trees so the weather was great.

The ranch is on the bank of a river, which was full of water due to the heavy rains. The water was surging and tumbling over the rocks, a beautiful sight. They tell me that during the dry season, there is very little water in the river but today, it was almost overflowing its banks.

On the ranch they grow bananas, have mango and lime trees, and dry their own totopos---nacho chips. If you have never eaten a tortilla chip dried in the sun instead of fried, you have missed a culinary delight!

The area was so pretty and I had a very unexpected but delightful day out in the country! Thanks, guys, for inviting me to go with you!

Lots of room to park the ATVs in front of the restaurant.

A typical Mexican restaurant.

The river was muddy due to the heavy rains. Can you see the people standing on the balcony looking at the river?

You can walk down the stairs and across the bridge to look upriver.

The corral with horses waiting.

These two guys have a nice place in the shade to wait.

Here come the ATVs!

Me and the old cowboy!

Such a pretty picture...the old wagon, a pile of bricks and the agave cactus.

After we left the ranch, we stopped for la comida---dinner---the main meal of the day---at the Restaurante Mariscos El Coleguita in the town of Ixtapa. They specialize in seafood and I ate shrimp and more shrimp!

The waiters pick up the food at the kitchen. I love the sign!

It was a big restaurant and was quite full at 4:00pm. We had to wait a few minutes for a table.

There were musicians to entertain us. Well, let's say that they thought they were musicians! A lot more practice was needed before they truly could entertain!

Pico de gallo on the left with a basket of tostadas and a cup of shrimp soup on the right were the appetizers. Limonada in the blue glass. My entree was a special platter with fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, fried fillet of fish, rice, beets and carrots, and a seafood soup. Of course, tortillas were in a basket on the table too. For dessert they brought fried plantains and kahlua and cream to top off the meal. Good eatin'...yum!

This was certainly a one of a kind day for me and I savored every minute of it.

Hasta luego.

The Malecon

2010-08-14T14:06:00.012-05:00

I walked the Malecon (the boardwalk) a couple times while I was here. How relaxing to sit on a bench and watch the waves roll in, observe the people, keep an eye on the tourist boats in the bay and enjoy the ocean breezes. Then walk along the Malecon and take pictures, of course!
Here are some that I particularily like.

El Caballito, the Sea Horse, is representative of Puerto Vallarta. A passing tourist agreed to take my picture!

The church of Guadalupe.

The dolphins were a gift to Puerto Vallarta from its sister city in California.

The Dancers is my favorite statue on the whole Malecon!

The Angel hold out her hands and is a favorite photo spot for tourists.

This man balances the rocks. Some are small pebbles holding up quite large stones. No glue needed here!

The Malecon curves around the ocean.

The white building is actually a big jewelry store but it happens to be at the curve in the street. Notice the rocky shore here and the green pole on the right side of the picture is the pole that the Voladores use for their ritual dance.

Wish you could be here to take a walk with me!

Hasta luego.

Los Voladores de Papantla

2010-08-07T21:28:00.010-05:00

Put five men on top of a 30 meter pole. Ask them to tie a rope around themselves and fall backward into the air, spinning around until they reach the ground. This is what happens several times a week in Puerto Vallarta as well as in Papantla, Veracruz and perhaps in other places in Mexico.

The Voladores, the Flying Men, participate in a pre-Hispanic ritual, now associated with the Totonac people. It is thought to have begun as a request to the gods to end a severe draught in the land. Papantla is a town in the state of Veracruz, on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico and this is where the ritual began.

The five men climb a 30 meter pole for the ritual dance. The foreman is the first to ascend and the last to decend. He plays a flute and taps a small drum during the whole event which lasts about 15 minutes.

The five men dance around the pole and then, one at a time, climb the pole to a small platform on the top of it., After they all reach the top, the foreman stands up on the platform and dances a "son of good-bye" dance, never stopping the beat of the drum and the flute. Each of the other 4 men wind a rope around themselves 13 times. Four men times 13 equals the number 52 which represents the number of years in the mesoamerican solar cycle.

The four directions of the platform represents the 4 cardinal directions: north, south, east and west; as well as earth, air, fire and water. The foreman who will remain on the platform, represents the sun.

The four men launch themselves backward to spin to the ground. They fall backward, keeping their faces to the foreman to acknowledge the sun. They spin slowly to the ground making 13 revolutions around the pole. As they fly down, they create a pyramid shape. They spin very slowly, upside down, until they reach the ground.

Finally the foreman climbs down the pole, still beating the drum and playing the flute, and at the bottom of the pole they all do another "son of goodbye" dance.

What a breathtaking event to watch!

The foreman begins the ascent.

They are at the top of the pole beginning to wrap the ropes around themselves.

They fall backward acknowledging the sun.

They spin around 13 times, forming a pyramid shape.

Here the people who were watching the Voladores walk away, still amazed at what they saw.

The Voladores perform on the Malecon several times a week.

And when I turned around, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the church just off the Malecon.

Maybe someday you will get to see the Voladores, either in Puerto Vallarta or in Papantla.

Hasta luego.

Puerto Vallarta

2010-08-07T21:24:00.005-05:00

Here it is---the beach in Puerto Vallarta!

On Saturday, July 31, I took a bus from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta, a trip of 5 hours. The bus is a nice coach with a bathroom and tv monitors which showed old movies, in Spanish of course, with the volume very loud!! Turn off the old hearing aids and take a nap!

I arrived about 3:30pm and taxied to the house where I am staying. My friend is visiting her brother in California so I am alone in the house but I stayed with her once before when I was in Vallarta so I'm familiar with the house. But now the problems begin...air conditioners don't put out cold air and the bathroom door, next to my bedroom, is locked! I did the very Mexican thing...I walked out of the house, locked the door, walked to the nearby restaurant and had dinner, went grocery shopping at Walmart and took a taxi home. I can deal with those problems "mañana"!!

Mañana came and I went to the beach!

The man is selling small kites while a gorgeous yacht leaves the dock.

I sat on the beach for a couple hours, drinking a lemonade and people watching, then went into the hotel and got a book at their book exchange. Now I have something to read.

Since the children are off school for their summer vacations, the beaches are crowded and there are lots of people in town. The cruise ships come in on Saturdays and Wednesdays so those days are busy times in the markets.

This is the rainy season in Mexico, which means that it will rain pretty much every day for some length of time. The rains come up suddenly and pour rain, with thunder and lightning. If the rain occurs during the day, after the storm, the sun returns and within a few minutes the sidewalks are dry, leaving puddles in the potholes in the streets and more humidity in the air! Usually the storms are in the evening and at night.

The weather is better in Guadalajara but the atmosphere in Vallarta is much more relaxed and calm. I enjoy both places.

Hasta luego.

La Gorda Restaurant

2010-08-07T21:18:00.007-05:00

Thanks for your comments. It is good to know that I am not writing in vain!

I am just now catching up with my posts since I have had trouble finding a "cyber cafe" that would accept my pictures to download on the blog. Today I will try to get up to date. This is the last post from Guadalajara before I came to Puerto Vallarta.

Today's Spanish lesson--gordo or gorda means "fat" in English. However, in Mexico, la gorda, or la gordita is an endearing term too. It depends on how you use it. So when my friends and I had dinner at the restaurant "La Gorda", we were not eating at a place that makes me fat!! At least I hope not!! Their sign, "Welcome to La Gorda" was set in the street in front of the door. The restaurant is in Guadalajara.

Inside the restaurant the decor and the food was very Mexican. If you notice in the USA, all the Mexican restaurants say on their signs "Authenic Mexican Restaurant" and I am afraid that they are "authenic" Tex-mex restaurants, not authenic Mexican food! This one was the "real thing"!

I had their "special" which was chicken enchiladas, two with mole sauce and two with pepian sauce. On the left is rice with onion slices and on the right are frijoles with totopos standing up in them as a decoration. To drink I had horchata, a rice drink which is delicious. I highly recommend it! In the background you can see my friend's tacos.

Aelia, me and Mago (l to r) had a nice visit and a good dinner. Three old retired teachers, gossiping about how nice it is to be retired!

Keep reading!

Hasta luego.

Are You Out There

2010-07-29T19:43:00.002-05:00

I hope some of you are reading my posts but not leaving a comment. Write a comment to me and tell me what you would like to read about or see while I am here. It is easy to leave a comment. At the end of each post, after you read "Hasta luego", in tiny print the word "comments" appears. Click on it and write your name or write under "anonomous". I would love to hear from you!

Hasta luego.

The Quinceañera

2010-07-27T12:22:00.021-05:00

Rosario and her family were invited to a Quinceañera and they asked me to go with them. I was quite excited about this since I had never attended such an event.

A Quinceañera is a special birthday party celebration. When a young lady turns 15 years old she celebrates the crossing over from being a child to being a woman. This celebration is similiar to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for young Jewish children.

This 15th birthday began with a Mass held in their Catholic church. The tradition is that her Godparents oversee the religious ceremony. The birthday girl chooses a color scheme and the flowers and decorations are selected to match. Laura opted for blue, silver and white. The church was decorated with white and blue flowers in large urns lining the central aisle of the church; the altar was banked with flowers. The church looked very much like it would for a wedding.

Laura and her parents arrived at the church in a car decorated with flowers. She wore a long blue gown with hoops, her hair was upswept with a tiara. She was escorted down the aisle of the church by her parents, followed by her chambelan of honor (6 young men) and also by friends carrying gifts to be given during the ceremony. During the Mass, the friends walked down the aisle and gave gifts to Laura of a candle, a cross, and a Bible. Then they presented gifts to the Virgin, in Laura's name---fruit, bread, wine and flowers. Each gift had a special significance.

After the Mass in the church, everyone went to a banquet hall for a party, once again, very much like a bridal reception in the USA. At the fiesta, Laura posed for pictures with everyone while dinner was served, buffet style. There was background music and a video of Laura's life---all 15 years! After dinner the festivities continued with a traditional father-daughter dance, after which the father "presents" his daughter to the chambelan. Laura then dances with the 6 young men, again a traditional dance. This signifies the transformation from family to friends and the outside world.

Laura changed into a ballet costume, blue, of course, and danced en pointe with 6 little girls. At the end of the dance, she presented all the little girls with a doll, signifying that she is giving up her toys of childhood to accept the challenges she will face as a woman.

Then a Mexican "Banda" took the stage! A VERY LOUD bass, percussion, tuba, and 10 other brass instruments played for dancing. Everyone danced until after midnight. What fun!

Laura and her family were very happy and all her friends had a great time participating in her Quinceañera.

The church in La Chona where the Mass was celebrated.

Inside the church.

Laura in the blue gown poses for pictures with friends.

The banquet hall ready for guests.

Spagetti, a beef dish, frijoles, pork, tortillas, and nopales for dinner.

The cake table.

Adriana, Rosario and I are enjoying the party!

Hasta luego.

The Black Sheep and a Birthday Party

2010-07-27T12:07:00.023-05:00

Kind of a different title to this post, isn't it? Today I would like to share with you some news about a great little restaurant and also a birthday party.

But first, I want to show you the mountains around Aguascalientes. They are called Cerro del Muerto...Death Mountain. They say that the mountain looks like a dead person lying down in a casket. If you look at the far left, you see the forehead, nose, chin and further down the hands folded and on the far right, the feet. Maybe it takes some imagination to see all this, but it makes for a good story, doesn't it?

The restaurant...

Now for the Black Sheep...La Oveja Negra.
I tried a new-to-me Mexican dish---Barbacoa de Borrego---barbequed lamb, and oh, was it good! I like lamb very much but had never heard of barbequed lamb.

Here's the story...Rosario's sister sent us out to buy chicken for dinner at a chicken place she likes. She gave the directions to Rosario and we drove around but never found the chicken restaurant. However, we did discover a small restaurant called La Oveja Negra and they were advertising their barbequed lamb. Knowing that we had to come home with some food, we stopped there. We decided to taste the lamb before buying an amount to take home. It was so good that we sat down and ordered 3 tacos de Borrego with Fresca to drink. They were served on blue corn tortillas. Que rica! We enjoyed our dinner and bought some to take home for the family. They liked them too. A successful, and delicious, outing!

In the restaurant, he is checking the order and she is preparing the tortillas.

The cooks puts the lamb on the tortillas.

The good dinner! Fresca, limes, cilantro and salsa, and my and Rosario's tacos. Yummy!

The birthday party.....

Rosario's sister, Estela, celebrated her birthday last week and she invited about 30 family and friends for a party. A little after 9pm people started arriving. Within minutes, 3 card tables with yellow tablecloths and the white plastic chairs appeared in the garage. Remember, the garage in Mexican homes is in the front of the house enclosed with an iron gate. She had parked the car outside, opened the gate and the double doors to the living room and we had a party!

About 11pm 4 men and 3 guitars (trobadores) appeared and the music began. Everyone knew the words to all the songs and they sang and sang. Estela's special friend was the host and he did a great job of keeping everyone's glass filled. About midnight people wandered into the kitchen and ate what they found there. Two chicken dishes, slaw, and tostadas were offered. It was very different from parties I am used to. No munchies. No desserts. No housecleaning before the party. Everything was much more casual. I think I like that!!

Another thing that was different...several people were smoking. We don't think much about that any more because so few people smoke. I was surprised when I smelled cigarette smoke coming from the garage.

Finally at 3am I said goodnight! I do think the party broke up about then. It was a good one!

The next morning when I got up and went into the kitchen, it was immaculate. The white chairs were stacked, the tables closed down and the car back i the garage. You would not have known there was a party there last night. Rosario said she went to bed st 5am!

Feliz Cumpleaños to Estela. Thank you for inviting me to your party!

A group of people sitting in the garage. That is Krystela, Estela's daughter, in the blue dress.

Two of the guys playing. They are sitting in the doorway to the living room.

Estela, in the striped shirt, visits with a friend.

Some of the cousins played games while the adults talk.

The birthday girl with her gelatina---no cake for this gal!

These are the flowers that her special friend sent to her for her birthday. Pretty aren't they.

I hope you enjoyed the food and the party.

Hasta luego.

La Chona

2010-07-27T11:47:00.026-05:00

Although known as La Chona, the real name of the town is Encarnacion de Diaz. It is a small town, tucked in the hills of northern Jalisco, about 30 miles from the state line of Jalisco and Aguascalientes. It is Rosario's hometown and she is very proud of it! She has two sisters who live there and we go to visit them.

On this trip we explored the Mummy Museum (Museo de Momias) and had a personal tour by the docent. It houses about 15 mummies as well as several very, very old paintings and religious objects found in the area. The docent explained there is something in the earth that naturally mummifies a corpse.

We also toured the city cemetary. You may think it unusual to go to a cemetary, but in Mexico the cemetaries are very different from those in the USA. This cemetary has vaults in the walls as well as the white statues in the graveyard naming the families buried there.

In another small museum in La Chona, I learned about the Cristero War. In 1926-29 there was an uprising and counter revolution against the Mexican government, set off by persecution of the Catholics. The rebels called themselves "Cristeros" because they said they were fighting for Christ. Many people were killed in the war which was ultimately ended by diplomatic means with the help of the US Ambassador to Mexico.

La Chona, much like AGS, is known for its handcrafts: embroidery, crocheting, knitting, and serapes are woven and sold there. They also make pottery and stained glass. There is a bullring where bullfights are held in February and occasionally charrerias--the roping of cattle and fancy horseback riding done by the charros.

In August the people of La Chona are looking forward to the celebration of the 250th year anniversary of their town.

Maria Chuy, Rosario's sister, crochets, embroiders, and knits beautiful things. She showed me tablecloths, placemats, blankets and doiles that she made and she presented me with a pretty placemat and a fancy handtowel that she had decorated. I observed that while sitting quietly the women's hands are constantly busy doing some sort of needlework. The lady who sold tickets to the museum was embroidering a set of placemats and her friend was knitting a baby blanket. The women of La Chona are proud of their handwork.

On Saturday evenings you will see many people on the plaza, sitting on benches eating Pan Dulce, a tradition in the town. Children are playing and teenagers are circling the plaza in their pick-up trucks and cars. A typical small town Saturday night!

This is the view of La Chona from Maria Chuy's house on the hill.

Nopales cactus grows in Maria Chuy's backyard. You can see how tall it gets by my standing next to it.

The Mexican people eat Nopales in several different ways. It is good in a salad, with scrambled eggs, and as a vegetable with dinner. I like it very much. Mr. Neat---watch out! You just may have an ensalada de nopales when I get home!

Maria Chuy is cutting some Nopales for our dinner.

Rosario has cut off the "prickles" and is chopping nopales for salad.

This is the Museo de Momias.

The chapel in the city cemetary.

Vaults in the walls decorated by the families.

The cemetary in La Chona.

Some of Maria Chuy's handwork.

Embroidered roses on a tablecloth.

Hasta luego.

More Pictures of Aguascalientes

2010-07-27T11:02:00.017-05:00

I have added a few more pictures of AGS...more of the San Marcos fair area and of the Old Train Station. Enjoy!

An interesting sign advertising the San Marcos fair for 2010.

Upon entering the gate at San Marcos, you go into a very nice garden with lots of walking paths, benches and pretty flowers and trees.

Here is the children's train that drives around San Marcos plaza. Anyone for a ride?

The church in San Marcos plaza.

The old station has been restored and houses a small museum. It brought back old memories of my childhood, when I would wait for my dad to come home from work on the train. He was a railway mail clerk and my sister and I would wait with our mother to take him home.

This is an old steam engine. Maybe it was used in the "old days"? It sits in the rail yard in front of the station.

The Dancing Fountains with programmed music perform every hour. Very nice! We sat on a bench and watched the show.

Here I am with the old train master!

Hasta luego.

Pictures of Aguascalientes

2010-07-26T11:01:00.022-05:00

Once again, I have finally gotten to upload some photos to the blog! I wrote about Aguascalientes the other day and these are some pictures of the city. I hope you enjoy them.

Here is the eagle on the Plaza Patria, the historical plaza in downtown AGS. It is said that it represents the geografical center of the country of Mexico. It is surrounded by a fountain, trees, flowers and benches in a park-like setting. I sat on a bench and watched some little boys having fun flicking water from the fountain at each other!

This is the cathedral in the Plaza Patria. The carved wooden door is very unique. Can you see the bells in the tower? And, of course, the pidgeons enjoy the crumbs on the plaza!

The Morelos Theater is next to the Plaza Patria and there are still performances in the theater. It is a pretty building, isn't it?

The Governor's Palace is where the beautiful murals are. One can spend a lot of time looking at and learning about the city of AGS in this building. The red stone is from this area. On the far left is the Municipal Palace. A picture of it is next.

Here is the Municipal Palace, the city government. Notice the pink stone. This building is in the Patria Plaza.

Just off the Plaza Patria, there was a mercado--a Mexican market where each puesto sold different items. This man was selling fruit, wine, vegetables and a few other things. One stall sold only candy and sweets; another, toys and games; another, sunglasses; items from the state of Oaxaca; blouses and shirts; jewelry; books. Everything was there for the offering! It was a lot of fun to browse here.

A street scene in the downtown of AGS. The clothes are displayed and I walked from store to store, admiring and buying a few embroidered items.

The gate at the San Marcos garden where the fair is held each April. This is the entrance to a large park---trees, flowers, fountains, benches, vendors selling balloons and food items. It is very pretty and relaxing to sit there. The area around this garden has stores, the bullfight ring, restaurants and other places that are open during the fair.

This is the plaza in front of the San Marcos gate. There is a little train for children that circles this plaza. An engine and about 4 cars give the kids a ride and lots of smiles as they ride around the plaza! Food items are sold there and people walk and visit on their lunch hours as well as during the evening. I took this picture about 6:30pm.

AGS is a very old city and yet a very modern one. If you haven't read the next post about the city, please scroll down and enjoy!

Hasta luego.

Aguascalientes

2010-07-22T17:08:00.015-05:00

My friend, Rosario and I, along with her two teenagers, took the bus from Guadalajara to the city of Aguascalientes last Friday, the 16th. It is about a 2 hour drive between the cities. She has two sisters who live there and we are staying with Estela and her little girl, in her lovely big house.

Aguascalientes is the capital city of the state of Aguascalientes, the state just northwest of Jalisco. Once again, do you mind if I abbreviate? Aguascalientes = AGS. It is an old city, founded in 1575 as a postal rest stop between Mexico City and the state of Zacatecas.

The name, Aguascalientes (aguas=waters, and calientes=warm), came about as a result of the many thermal springs in the area. There are still several public bath houses and spas in the city which are open to the public. The Ojocaliente is an original bath house still in use today and fed by the thermal springs.

The Patria Plaza is the historical center of the city. There are several impressive buildings there. The Govenor's Palace with its Neoclassical facade of red stone was built in 1664. Inside there are 111 arches under which are five murals depicting stories about the city. They were painted by the Chilean artist, Oswaldo Barra Cunningham. Other notable buildings are the Municipal Palace, built with pink quarry stone, and the Cathedral, Nuestra Senora de la Asunacion, built in 1575. A very tall statue of an eagle stands high in the plaza and it is said that it covers the spot which is said to be the exact center of Mexico.

There are many plazas, parks, churches, theaters and museums in the city. At the Old Train Station I learned that in 1884 AGS was the largest train hub in Latin America. I enjoyed looking at an original locomotive and browsing through the station itself which has been restored and looks just like an old train station. The rail yard is now a park with trees, flowers, benches and a "Dancing Waters" fountain when each hour the waters "dance" to programmed music.

AGS is well known for its handcrafts, festivals and fairs. The San Marcos fair is one of the oldest (175 years) and most famous fairs in Mexico and is held for four weeks each April. It showcases the regional culture and folklore, art exhibits, cultural events, dance performances and cockfights. Yes, cockfights! Cockfights are very traditional in Mexico. There are also horse races and bullfights during the fair. Many people wear traditional clothes and traditional foods are available. There is also a national competition for young artists at that time.

Another popular festival, The Festival of the Skulls (Festival de las Calaveras) occurs Oct. 31-Nov. 2. It honors the pre-hispanic tradition of paying respect to the dead. It is also known as "El Dia de los Muertos" and is celebrated with candy skulls, offerings of food and drink, and a living altar. La Catrina is the symbol most recognized for the festival and she appears permanently in many places in the city. "Catrinas" are humorous figures of modern people depicted as skeletons.

AGS is also widely known for their handcrafts: embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. Embroidered clothing, tablecloths, doilies, and tortilla covers are cultural symbols of the area. Pottery made from natural clay, kneaded, molded and painted by hand grace the tables in restaurants and homes. Also wool textiles (cowboy clothes), stained glass, and artistic ironworks are "hecho mano"---made by hand---here in AGS.

The city is rich in history but is also a very modern industrial city. Nissan, Texas Instruments and a Coca Cola bottling plant are located in the city. There are several big shopping malls as well as a busy downtown shopping area. Movie theaters, restaurants, video game arcades, and this week: a circus is in town!! I wish I could go to the circus but, I guess I will have to miss it!

AGS is a big city, but smaller that GDL, thus the lifestyle is more relaxed and quiet, not so busy and crowded. I have enjoyed seeing the sights and interacting with the people. Soon I hope to be able to post some pictures of the city. In the meanwhile...

Hasta luego

Pictures of Guadalajara

2010-07-20T12:09:00.019-05:00

When I visited friends in La Chona (more about that later) Brenda had a laptop and I could upload photos to my blog. I hope you enjoy them

This is my birriria de chivo! Yum! It is good with tortillas and aguas frescas de jamaica to drink. A good dinner!

I am standing in front of the kitchen in the restaurant. Notice the Talavera tile. My friend, Rosario, is sitting at our table.

The restaurant where we ate our dinner (la comida). The little animal statue in front is a goat. The signs say: Birria of goat and the other barbeque of sheep!

In front of the Instituto Cultural de Cabanas where there are many of Orozco's paintings.

I am sitting in front of the Fountain of Fire in the Plaza Tapatio. It is a pretty place.

One of the big jewelry stores in the area.

Kids playing in the fountain!

The Plaza Fundadores, the plaza of the founder of GDL.

This is the Degollado Theater. Some day I hope to go inside!

The Plaza Liberacion, the main plaza in GDL. The cathedral is in the background.

Hasta luego

Guadalajara, Guadalajara!

2010-07-19T11:40:00.007-05:00

Do you know the song, "Guadalajara"? I'm sure you would recognize it if you heard it. Pull it up on your computer and give a listen! It is a great song and Guadalajara is a b-i-g city! It is the second largest city in Mexico, after Mexico City, with about 4,000,000 people.

Guadalajara (GDL) (Do you mind if I abreviate?) is in the state of Jalisco in the central western region of the country. The founder of the city, Cristobal de Oñate, named it in honor of the city of GDL in Spain. Its nicknames are "The City of Roses" and also "The Pearl of the West". The city is a big industrial and commercial city and is rich in culture, architecture and Mexican traditions. There are several universities in the city and the University of GDL is the second oldest university in Mexico.

As in any big city, there is lots of traffic but one can get around very easily using taxis and city buses. The main streets are good--many divided highways and 4 lane streets-- but the side streets are something else again! You haven't seen potholes until you have seen Mexican potholes! And the topes....oh, yes...the topes! Topes means "speed bumps", the like of which you don't want to drive your car over! Often they are spaced about every 20 feet apart!

GDL has a well-known soccer team, the Chivas, which plays in a big, fairly new stadium, and, depending on with whom you talk, the team is either very good or lousy---maybe much like the Atlanta Braves or the White Sox!

In GDL's historical center, the buildings are of Colonial architecture. The Metropolitan Cathedral is surrounded by 4 lovely plazas with trees, fountains and benches. In these plazas are many beautiful, old buildings. The Governor's Palace is the main office of the government of Jalisco and inside there are murals by Jose Clemente Orozco, the famous painter from Jalisco. The Degollado Theater, inaugrated in 1866, still is a very active theater. Unfortunately, each time that I have been there, it was closed so I can only peer in through the windows to see the lobby. The Regional Museum is said to have one of the best archeological collections in the Western Hemisphere.

My friend, Rosario, and I walked from the main plaza to the Instituto Cultural Cabañas (Cabañas Museum) where we looked at more that 50 pieces of art by Orozco. While we were there, a docent explained several of his murals. After the tour, in the museum bookstore, I bought brochures in English, so I could read about what the man had said to us in Spanish!

Although Rosario and I could have taken a "Calandria tradicional"---a horse drawn carriage---from the main plaza to the museum, we chose to walk so we could browse through one of the biggest jewelry areas in Mexico. Store after store of jewelry! One store was a city block long and wide, with several floors inside. We wandered though a few of the stores, admiring and drooling over the jewelry! Also, the stores are air-conditioned, a welcome relief from the sun and heat.

One of my favorite experiences in GDL was attending the Ballet Folklorico. I love the regional dancing and the music. Although they were not performing this week, I remember the last time I was here and enjoyed the evening with friends.

GDL is famous for many of the things that you may think of as "Mexican". Tequila, fancy horseback riders (charros) and mariachi music all originated in GDL. The mariachis started playing at weddings in the 19th century and they tell me that the name came from a French word for "marriage". The original instruments were all strings but a trumpet was added in the 20th century. A guitar, mandolin, violin, sometimes a harp, a trumpet and a gitarron are the usual instruments in a mariachi group. Their costumes are usually black (but not always) and are decorated with little silver chapetones (decorations) and a huge sombrero.

The "charreria" are experts in capturing cattle with a lasso and excellent horseback riding. It is considered a national sport. The charros ride in the Rosebowl parade each New Year's Day. They wear fancy suits decorated with the silver buttons, similiar to the mariachi suit, and a big sombrero. The women wear beautiful big, full skirts with brightly colored bands that cover the backs of the horses, a tight fitting blouse and a hat.

GDL is also known as the birthplace of tequila although nowdays most of the tequila is manufactured in the town of Tequila, about 1 hour west of GDL. The discussion of tequila is another blog all of its own!

I arrived in GDL in the evening of the 14th and we spent only one, very busy, day there. I chose not to bring my laptop, which may have been a mistake, since I have not been able to find an internet cafe where I can post photos from my camera. I am sorry about that but if I come upon a computer whiz who can help me download my photos, I will send them to you. It is a very pretty, interesting city, and I would like to share the sights with you. (I am not very computer literate and C--where are you when I need you??!!)

Rosario and I stayed with a good friend of hers who welcomed me into her home. We also met with another friend who took us to dinner at Mexican restaurant. If you notice, most of the Mexican restaurants in the USA say on their signs "authenic Mexican restaurant". NO! They are not! This one was! GDL is known for "birria de chivo o de res". This is beef or goat meat, shredded, steamed and then roasted. It is served in a broth and eaten with tortillas and is very delicious. I like it very much. My friends ate Caldo de Tlalpeño, chicken soup full of vegetables, and served with avocado and tortillas. The kitchen was open to view and the walls were covered with Talavera tile. Even the restroom sink and mirror (outside the main bathrooms) was in the Talavera tile.

The next day, Friday, Rosario, her 2 teenagers who had an overnight with their friends, and I boarded a bus for the one and a half hour ride to the city of Aguascalientes where I am now.

It has been very nice to see friends again and to meet new people. In fact, Martha, the friend who took us to dinner in GDL, has a brother living in Gainesville and a sister in Alpharetta. Small world!

Another day I will write about Aguascalientes and hopefully, by then I can figure out how to put photos from my camera onto the blog! My little niece, E, want to learn about Mexico and I want to show her how pretty it is!

Until next time, hasta luego.

Let's Go Back To Mexico!

2010-07-11T17:45:00.008-05:00

After spending the year 2009 having both my knees replaced, going to Physical Therapy for months, and doing hours and hours of knee exercises, I am ready to return to Mexico! Yea!

A kind invitation from my friend, Rosario, instigated the vacation and I leave next Wednesday, July 14th. I will fly into the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, meet Rosario, and we will travel to her sister's home in the city of Aguascalientes, about 3 hours north of Guadalajara. My trip will end in the city of Puerto Vallarta where I lived in 2007-08 while teaching there.

I am excited about the trip and I look forward to sharing with you some interesting stories, photos and information about Aguascalientes as well as the other places that I visit.

On the left side of my blog, scroll down and you will see a small word: "blogarithm". You can enter your email address there and you will be notified by email when I write a new post. Sign up there and you won't miss a thing!

I hope to visit with you often and to pass on some entertaining and informative tidbits about life in Mexico. Won't you come with me on this vacation?

Hasta luego.

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-09T19:05:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year to all my family, friends and readers! OK, I know I am a bit tardy in sending you my New Year's wishes but they are sincere, just the same!

When I was a child, my mother, who was a second grade teacher, always took down the Christmas tree on New Year's Day because she had to return to work on Jan. 2nd. Also on New Year's Day, she cooked cabbage and said we eat cabbage on New Year's Day for good luck for the upcoming year.

When I moved to Chicago, friends taught me to eat herring on New Year's Day, and now that I am living in the south, I have learned yet another tradition for the holiday.

Some southerners eat black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread, saying that the peas represent pennies, the greens are for dollars, and the cornbread is for gold for the new year.

Other southern tables are loaded down with Hoppin' John (rice and black-eyed peas) and ham hocks.

I wondered about the cabbage that we used to eat and using the miracle of "Googling", I learned some interesting myths for New Year's.

Eating cabbage is a German practice while the Italians and Brazilians eat lentils---all hoping to become wealthy in the New Year. Herring is a Scandinavian and German custom and the Spaniards and Latin Americans eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight---one grape each time the clock strikes---in order to become healthy, wealthy and wise in the New Year!

Although I was in Mexico last year, I really don't know if they have a special superstition for New Year's Day food. If anyone knows a Mexican custom, please write a comment and let me know.

Many cultures eat some form of pork for the New Year's dinner. They say that since pigs root forward and never go backwards, that means good luck will come to you as you go forward into the new year. It seems a universal thought never to eat lobster on New Year's day because lobsters move backwards!!

Well, New Year's Day found my larders empty of black eyed peas, cabbage and herring! Oh, dear! What to do? What about my luck in 2009 and would I never get any money?!!? Searching through Mother Hubbard's cupboard, I found split peas which I made into a delicious soup and added cornbread (at least I will get some gold in 2009!).

Here is my New Year's meal, along with a bayberry candle which, as the poem goes:

A bayberry candle burned down to the socket,

Brings luck to the home and wealth to the pocket.

So perhaps I will be covered for luck and wealth in 2009, thanks to my cornbread and bayberry candle!

Hasta luego.

The December Holidays

2009-01-02T20:47:00.008-06:00

Advent: the time of expectation; the time of waiting; the time of preparation.

It is a busy time, preparing for Christmas: shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking---but also a peaceful, quiet time: reading, attending church services, lighting advent candles.

We had some of both, during the month of December, beginning with three very delightful musical concerts.

Our son, MJ, plays bassoon in the Alpharetta City Band and on a chilly Sunday afternoon, we tapped our toes to Jingle Bells Forever, Sleighride, and other holiday favorites. What fun!

Next was a lovely holiday concert at Z and C's high school. There were about 60 students in the Wind Ensemble. The guys, very handsome in their tuxs and the gals, looking lovely in black dresses, played music from the "Nutcracker Suite", and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" among other selections. Z plays Euphonium and C plays the tuba and we are very impressed with the talent of all these young musicians.

Finally, we were entertained by M's 4th grade chorus at his elementary school. "Experiencing Winter Through Song and Poetry", the children said poems and sang songs about Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and winter. They had worked hard all fall on their music and did a great job!

Here is part of the 4th grade chorus.

Next we were entertained at our church's Great Wednesdays at Grace by Kristi, our expert caterer, and John, our florist extraordinaire, who gave us ideas for holiday table decorations and special holiday foods. Kristi was ably assisted by Mr. Neat and two friends who cook lunch each week for a local mission. We all had a good laugh as Kristi struggled to teach the men how to make a quiche!!!

Mr. Neat watches as Bill pours cream into the food processor.

As we got closer to Christmas, we decorated the Christmas tree and put out the manger scenes.

This is our tree, adorned on the top by the angel we bought for our first Christmas tree, and at the bottom by a tree skirt made by our sister-in-law many, many years ago. As we put each ornament on the tree, we talk about when and where we got the ornament and who gave it to us or where we bought it and why. We reminisce, recalling old friends and years gone past. Little pleasures!

Stockings made for each of us (including the dog), by our good friend and neighbor in Chicago, hang each year at the fireplace. Angels from Germany, a Christmas clock, and a tiny sheep that was from my mother's childhood are some of the special memories on the mantel. On the small table is one of our three manger scenes.

This manger scene must go on the table so Nellie, our Goldendoodle doesn't pick up the pieces!

And finally, the tiny nacimiento that I bought in Mexico brings back memories of last December when I celebrated Advent in Mexico. In Mexico, the baby Jesus is not placed in the nacimiento until Christmas Eve and the Wise Men continue on their journey, arriving at the nacimiento on the Three Kings Day, Jan. 6th.

Finally, all the work completed, the anticipation coming to an end, Christmas Eve arrives.

Our family gathers at our son's home for an afternoon of food, fun and music. CA's pretty table was laden with ham, turkey, salads and dips.

The afternoon passed quickly with everyone playing games.

C and Mr. Neat playing Gin Rummy!

After dinner, the ladies in red posed for a photo!

Z, CA, me, and AE dressed in our holiday finest!

Then it was time for the music to begin!

"The Family Band" plays Christmas music. M changed from playing piano to his new saxophone; C plays trumpet instead of tuba; and new member, MD, plays in the band for the first time with his toy tambourine! C was on guitar and MJ played piano for several rousing Christmas songs!

Finally everyone went to church for midnight mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Christmas morning found all of us at our daughter, AE's home, to see what Santa left, to empty stockings, and exchange gifts.

Mr. Neat tries out the 3-D glasses that the boys got as he waits to open his stocking!

MD is delighted with his gift of a toy saxophone while MA waits to open his present.

Christmas Day is over but December celebrations continue! Friends invited us to their annual Boxing Day party.

Judy works in her new kitchen with the help of friends.

It was such a warm day that the party spilled over onto their patio. Good friends, good food, good fun!

We closed out December with a Christmas brunch, with AE's family, at our house . MJ's family left for Orlando the day after Christmas. The marching band was performing in the football bowl game on Saturday and marching in a parade on Monday so they missed out on the Feliz Navidad Huevos Rancheros, (Merry Christmas Eggs) fresh pineapple, orange juice and warm coffeecake--homemade yet!

The table looked festive.

After brunch, M and M watched a movie and played Lone Ranger, while the adults visited. Before going home, they gathered around the tree for a family photo.

Mr. Neat and I are truly blessed to have our families close and good friends with whom we can celebrate the season.

Christmases will come and go and the years will pass, but I will never forget my friends and the children with whom I celebrated the Advent season last year in Mexico. (I was home here for Christmas Eve and Day.) It was a wonderful experience, opening my eyes to the unique celebrations of others. This year I shared some happiness with my friends there by talking on the telephone to many of them before Christmas.

Just for fun, scroll down the page and look back at some of the blogs from December of last year and reread the writings about the Dia de Guadalupe and look at the picture of the children of the Salvation Army singing Christmas carols in front of WalMart.

I am very fortunate to have friends in both countries.

Hasta luego.

My English Class

2008-12-15T20:09:00.004-06:00

This fall I have been teaching English as a Second Language to Hispanic adults here in Georgia. It is a great class with some beginners, a few intermediates and a couple of advanced students. These are parents of children who attend an elementary school in our town and they are a committed group. They are making great strides in learning English and I am proud of their efforts!

They not only study English with me for three hours, twice a week, but also take a parenting class taught in Spanish by Joyce. They are learning much about our culture and how parenting in the USA differs from parenting in their country.

Here is the class:

Last week I gave each of them a small Christmas remembrance: an ornament and a candy cane. They learned some Christmas vocabulary words and sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"!

Today Joyce organized a Christmas party for our students and their children. Pizza, drinks, candy, gifts for everyone, a Christmas story for the kids and a rousing chorus of Jingle Bells made a fun day for everyone! The adults gave a gift to each of their children and made little Christmas trees with candy hidden inside.

Some of the mothers put last minute touches to the Christmas trees. Lift up the tree and---a surprise: candy!

Joyce had poinsettias and bags of candy for everyone.

Lots of pictures, lots of smiles, and lots of fun! The children were so happy and the parents were very pleased.

We will have a break for Christmas but everyone will be back, studying English once again, at the beginning of January.

Hasta luego.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T20:54:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving: a unique American holiday; a day we set aside to give thanks for all our many blessings; and a day for family, food, football and fun!

In our family, the kids and grandkids come home to be together, eat turkey, and just enjoy being with each other. Our tradition has been that they come on Wednesday and leave on Saturday, so we have three days of "togetherness". A big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, a little football on TV, a card game of Hearts or Gin Rummy, and watching a movie or two fill the time.

A cornucopia, pilgrims (salt and pepper shakers), candles and fall leaves decorate the table.

The family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner while C takes the photo.

On Friday, Mr. Neat and the grandkids raked some leaves! They were a big help.

We were very grateful to have everyone together and especially for the many blessings that each of us have in our lives.

Hasta luego.

Family Day at Montessori

2008-11-21T20:04:00.007-06:00

The Montessori school where our youngest grandson attends kindergarten had Family Day today. Parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters were invited to observe in the classroom, attend the Thanksgiving program, and nibble on snacks. What fun!

Miss Kathy, the teacher, helps M prepare to do some Mathematics. In the tray are ones, tens, hundreds and thousands. He was able to add four-place numbers and understands the placements.

Notice the fresh flower on his desk! Every week, a parent provides a bunch of fresh flowers for the classroom and the children care for them.

M reads a story to a proud Nana! The students learn to read and write at their own pace and M is pleased to be able to read now that he is in afternoon kindergarten!

Children choose their work and put it on mats on the floor or on a table. They learn to get out a project and put it away when finished and they don't go on to something else until they complete what they are doing. The classroom is very organized.

This Montessori school meets in a church so after observing in the classroom, we went into the church for the Thanksgiving program.

Here the toddlers joined the big kids to sing songs and the kindergartners said a Thanksgiving poem that they had written. Lots of proud parents and grandparents and many, many pictures!!!

Yummy snacks!

The children, parents and grandparents were happy and I am sure the teachers were relieved that it was all over!!

The Montessori school in Puerto Vallarta had a Thanksgiving program too. How nice it would be to see photos from their celebration!

Hasta luego.

Autumn in North Georgia

2008-11-17T19:49:00.011-06:00

Autumn has been gorgeous in our neck of the woods. Even though we are in a severe drought, the trees have been beautiful. The colors of the leaves and the clear blue sky---sometimes with white fluffy clouds---have beckoned me to take more pictures than I know what to do with! Although the fall color in Georgia cannot compare with the color in the New England states (there the colors are sooo vivid!), the mountains are still glorious in their fall splendor.

Just look at the tree in our back yard!

The tree is full and vibrant with red, orange and yellow leaves even though there is a blanket of leaves below it already.

In our front yard, the Ginkgo tree, with its very yellow leaves, makes a nice contrast to the red oak next to it. When the Ginkgo loses its leaves, they all fall off quickly, in one day , leaving the bare branches with a carpet of yellow leaves beneath.

Just down the street in the yard of a friend stands this maple---one of my favorite trees.

Further down in our neighborhood, these trees were stunning! The small, burgundy red trees are dogwoods. Dogwoods line the street where we live and this fall their leaves were as pretty as their blossoms are in the spring.

These trees border the parking lot near our public library. The blue sky, red, yellow and green leaves---how pretty!

On two different Fridays in October, Mr. Neat and I took a ride to the mountains to see the fall color. The Appalachian Trail begins near our house so the Georgia mountain roads remind me of my West Virginia heritage!

Looking down the road....

Waves of mountains....

It reminds me of a patchwork quilt.

We enjoyed our sightseeing trips. One day we had lunch in Helen, a small town with Bavarian architecture and a wonderful German restaurant! On the next trip, after our drive, we stopped in Dahlonega, walked around the town square and lunched at a restaurant located in an old home with a front porch and rocking chairs. Quite a contrast!

After a couple of very windy days and some drizzling rain, the beautiful leaves are falling, leaving not-so-pretty piles to be raked! But they were nice while they lasted!

Although I am no longer in Mexico, writing about my local area allows my friends in Mexico to learn a bit about our beautiful country and its culture. But...I hope friends here are still reading my writings. I miss your comments! Please feel free to write a comment. It is good to know I have readers!

Hasta luego.

Mule Camp Market

2008-10-12T20:22:00.005-05:00

On an almost weather-perfect Saturday afternoon, Mr. Neat and I wandered over to our town square (in Mexico this would be called the "plaza" or "zócalo") to check out the annual Mule Camp Market. For 3 days on the second weekend of October, lots of people gather to enjoy the music, crafts, games for the kids, and mouth-watering food!

Sponsored by the Jaycees, the fund-raiser supports the Empty Stocking Fund which provides school supplies, Christmas toys, and clothing for underprivileged children in our area. A very worthy cause!

The sign tells the "what" and "when"!

Folks check out the food tents. Chicken, gyros, pretzels, lemonade, and doughnuts, were just some of the food offerings available.

This scarecrow advertises the fried pies. "Come and get 'em while they're hot!"

And here are the ladies making the fried pies. You can't get fresher fried pies than this!

Moving on the the crafts...
You can buy handmade wooden bowls and other interesting pieces here.

These painted gourds remind me of the ones I saw at the market in Tonolá, Mexico. In Mexico (unpainted) gourds are frequently used in the fields as bird-houses. Several gourds are hung on a pole and many poles are put out in the fields.

In this booth here, the lady's bird houses were very attractively painted. See the one at the top of the picture? She also had some very handsome jugs made from gourds.

One of the more interesting crafts was the blacksmith booth.

This young man, Jason, a self-taught smithy, cranks up the fire to work on a piece he was making.

Here he uses the anvil to shape the rose that he is creating. Notice the large can of water in the lower left of the photo. He can put the iron into the water to cool it down. It is also there as a precaution since he is working with an open fire.

Here he pounds the rose he is making.

Watching him brought to my mind the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, "The Village Blacksmith", that I had to memorize in elementary school. Do you also remember:

Under the spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands...

OK...so Jason doesn't exactly fit the description that Mr. Wadsworth had in mind!! but he was a good blacksmith!

And now on to the pumpkin patch. You can make jack-o'-lanterns or just decorate with pumpkins. But in the fall, one must have a pumpkin! It just wouldn't be autumn without one!

Want to buy some fun for Halloween? All kinds of Halloween decor made from tin was available here.

These two little guys sit, eating their caramel apples and playing with the balloon, while the couple takes a rest, and others still mill about. Everyone enjoys the day.

Here are my two favorite guys:

For my friends in Mexico who are reading this blog, maybe from these photos, you can get a feeling for the fall festivals we celebrate here. They are similar to the puestos in the plazas in Mexico.

For my friends in the good old USA, go out and enjoy the autumn: the festivals, the colored leaves, the pumpkins and the apple cider. It won't be long before the snow flies!

We had a fun afternoon!

Hasta luego.

50th High School Reunion!

2008-09-07T15:33:00.010-05:00

After writing about my trips to Florida and North Carolina, I look forward to sharing with you this story and a few pictures from the third great state we visited this summer: West Virginia---the state where I was born!

High school reunion #50?? Can it be true? I graduated from Huntington East High School in 1958 and we have had class reunions every five years. A wonderful committee headed by my friend, Carolene, organizes the reunions and everyone who attends has a great time renewing old friendships from years gone by. Our class, although large (numbering somewhere between 300-350), delights in remembering the people we knew, the places we went and the things we did in our high school days, as well as catching up on kids, grandkids, and now, even great-grandkids!

One thing that everyone remembers from the "old days" is Stewart's hot dogs! And it is probably the first place that folks from Huntington visit---even before going home to see their families! The little orange hot dog stand on 5th Avenue next to the BASF plant (formerly the Standard Ultramarine) hasn't changed since it was started in 1932.

It was always a drive-in, long before drive-ins became popular in the 1950s. Through the years it has added some items to its menu, but the standard hot dog, with Mrs. Mandt's secret chili sauce, and a frosty mug of Stewart's root beer, served on a tray hanging on the driver's side window, is the unrivaled king of hot dog eating!

Another landmark in Huntington is the Keith Albee theater.

Through the years, many a hand was held, and even a kiss stolen, by high schoolers while watching a movie at this historical theater.

Trinity Episcopal Church is the church I attended and we were married here.

Several high school friends attended the youth group with me at this church.

The face of Huntington has changed and a new multi-use center right downtown is a very attractive addition to Third Avenue.

Pullman Square is home to restaurants, shops, and a movie theater. The old B&O railroad station and the Ohio River provide a lovely backdrop for this area.

And now to the reunion...

Friday night, classmate Jim and his wife, Verna, hosted a lovely gathering in their large yard. The Marshall University Jazz band played while everyone chatted, took pictures, looked at old yearbooks, and nibbled on delicious hors d'oeuvres. We even had two of our former teachers attend. How nice to reminisce with them.

Saturday morning, some of "us girls" met at Bob Evans for breakfast---a meal which lasted four hours! Just can't get those ladies to stop talking! What fun!

All of us not only graduated from high school together, but we also attended Junior High together. We are friends from age 12 in the 7th grade.

After breakfast finally ended, some of us got together with another junior high/high school friend and chatted over lunch!

The day passed quickly and finally it was time for the dinner and dance at the local country club.

Mr. Neat and I enjoyed a delicious dinner, visited with friends, and even danced a few to the 50s music provided by a (very loud!) band.

The night ended too quickly---there was much more to be said to friends. I guess we will just have to get together again in five years and pick up where we left off!

Hasta luego

Highlands, North Carolina

2008-09-06T19:13:00.006-05:00

Hello again to my faithful readers! I apologize for being so lazy this summer and not writing about my travels. Although while I am not in Mexico, I did visit three great states right here in the USA! I already wrote about my trip to Florida in June (see the blog dated June 15 "Fun in Florida" ) and now I will share some of the fun and pictures from a week that we spent in the Highlands, North Carolina in July.

Highlands is a small town nestled in the mountains in the southwestern part of North Carolina. It is a two hour drive from our home in northern Georgia, through the curving hills of NC. How beautiful the scenery was, driving through the mountains, and the village of Highlands had its own charm!

This is Main Street where interesting shops, boutiques, and restaurants line the street.

In front of this store is a pretty waterfall, some greenery and a bench to sit and enjoy "people watching" after a day of browsing in the shops.

There are several churches on Main Street but everyone seems to designate the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation as the landmark from which to give directions. "It is across the street from the Episcopal church." "Walk a block down from the Episcopal church." And here is the Episcopal church!

This is the Highlands Community Theater where Mr. Neat and I spent a lovely evening. Celebrating their 40th anniversary, the musical play highlighted several of the numbers from shows which the theater has performed in the past and also some numbers from plays which they would like to put up on the boards in the future. Such talent from the writers, musicians, and the actors! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

This is the lovely condo we stayed in. Owned by friends of Gainesville State College, they shared their elegant home with us for the week.

Behind the condo was this pretty creek. Isn't the setting beautiful?

And where there is a creek, there will be little boys! Our two grandsons visited for a couple days with their parents and M and M loved wading there.

One day when AE, C, M and M were visiting, we climbed aboard their van and took off to visit a state park a few miles from the Highlands. This Looking Glass Waterfall was so pretty. Tumbling down from the huge rock formation and forming a quiet pool of water below, it attracted lots of folks, some of whom only looked and took photos (me!) and some actually went down and waded in the pool of water. Maybe you can see some of the people in the water at the bottom of the photo.

Travelling a little further down the road, we stopped at Sliding Rock. It is an enormous rock formation with a waterfall on which people could sit down at the top and actually slide down on the rock into the water below. C, M and M went down the rock into the water and declared it was great fun! I took some pictures but I couldn't get far enough away for you to see the whole area. Too bad because it was a fun thing to watch.

On our way home we stopped for ice cream at Dolly's, whose reputation had been touted by many. "You must stop at Dolly's!" Flanked by the two bears, M and M, Mr. Neat and I enjoy the treat.

Our son and his family also joined us for a couple of days and we had breakfast at the pharmacy on Main street. They served up some fine vittles at this drug store!

Being able to visit the beautiful mountains, to become acquainted with the delightful town, and to share a few days with our kids and their families---as well as having a couple of days by ourselves to relax---was a great pleasure for us.

If you are ever in western North Carolina, a side trip to the Highlands would be a treat! Just drop down south of Asheville and you will find the town just waiting for you.

Hasta luego.

Breakfast in Tlaquepaque

2008-07-23T21:35:00.003-05:00

In May I was able to spend a few days with my friend Rosario and her family in Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara. They are very special to me and treat me as one of their family.

On Saturday morning, after taking the kids to the dentist, we went to breakfast at "the Senora's house". That is the only way this little restaurant was identified! In the parking area of her home, "the Senora" sells gorditos on Saturdays. There was a line and the wait was about 20 minutes---but it was well worth the waiting! Some folks bought gorditos for carry-out and others chose to eat there at the 4 little tables.

Here is the hand-written menu, advertising the different types of gorditos, aguas frescas, and coffee.

Butterflies decorate the wall of the cooking area as the ladies work. A large jar of jamaica aguas frescas is on the left, next to the carry-out bowls.

The fillings for the gorditos are made in the kitchen of the house but the tortillas are made outside where everyone can watch. The tortillas used for gorditos are thicker than the usual tortilla. Can you see the raised edges as she puts it on the grill?

After the tortilla is cooked, she makes a slit in it and stuffs it with your chosen filling. In the pot is mole, which I chose.

Here is my breakfast: on the left is rajas with melted cheese (strips of roasted poblano peppers) and on the right is the mole. Chopped onions and tomatoes are in the bowl and my jamaica aguas frecas is on the right. Good eating!!

This is typical of the Mexican food that I enjoy when I am there. Many people ask me if the Mexican food is spicy hot. Some of it is but most is not. Hot salsa is always available on the table for you to add if you want to add some heat to your meal, but I notice that most of my friends do not eat their food very spicy.

If I ever get back to Tlaquepaque and "the Senora" is still selling those delicious gorditos, I will be first in line!

Hasta luego.

San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco

2008-06-22T18:49:00.008-05:00

Even though I am no longer in Mexico, I have some pictures and memories that I would like to share with you. I didn't have time to write about everything on my blog while I was there!

San Sebastián del Oeste is a quaint little town, in the state of Jalisco, nestled in the Sierra Madre mountains about 40 miles from Puerto Vallarta. It is a weekend escape for Vallartans who appreciate the altitude of 4500 feet and the cool evenings! Pine trees, cattle and coffee plantations, and splendid mountain views, together with the relaxed atmosphere provide a special treat for all visitors.

The town was settled in the early 1600s as a gold and silver mining town. The precious metals were mined there, sent to Guadalajara and on to Veracruz where they were transported to Spain. At one time the population was about 40,000 people; however, the Mexican Revolution in 1910 and the depletion of the mines caused the prosperity of the town to decline. Now there are about 600 people living there.

The road from Puerto Vallarta to San Sebastián reminds me of my home state of West Virginia! Mountains, dramatic views of the valleys, hairpin curves and narrow passages provide thrills as you drive along! They are still building parts of the highway and at times we had to stop and wait for the construction. But, in true Mexican form, where we were stopped for about 10 minutes waiting for the road grader, it was party-time! Some people pulled out a cooler and sold beer, soft drinks, and water and everyone got out of their cars and stood in the shade talking with each other, wondering how long we would be stopped.

Even though it is only 40 miles away, it took us about 2 hours to make the drive due to the condition of the roads. While the highway that they are building is almost complete, and is very good, at some point one must leave the highway and drive over cobblestone and dirt roads to get to the town. Also be sure you have a full tank of gasoline. The gas stations are few and far between!

As we drove through the fields, we passed many maguey (agave) farms. Jalisco is the state where the maguey plant is grown which is made into tequila.

This is a how the farmers grow the maguey plants. Like corn in Illinois and Iowa, the maguey is planted in straight rows--field after field. it takes 7 years for the plant to mature.

The mountains and valleys on the way to San Sebastián.

This new bridge, called El Progreso bridge, spans a river.

Here is the road we were just on! I took this picture from the area near the bridge where we had stopped for a photo op.

Upon arriving in any little town, one always asks: "Where is the church?" That will get you to the center of town. The Temple of San Sebastián was built in the 1600s but due to an earthquake, it had to be rebuilt in 1868.

Next door to the church is a small museum with interesting artifacts from the region.

The altar of the church.

This is the churchyard with beautiful bougainvillea blooming.

The town plaza with the church steeple in the background. The long, low building in the back is their version of a strip mall! Souvenirs, cold drinks, snacks and even some postcards were sold there. The kiosk in the plaza is used for music programs and fiestas.

We walked up the road to the tourism office! This young lady was very helpful and explained a lot about the area to us. She also gave me some brochures and then posed for the picture.

Walking down a street in town.

I love this picture---the satellite dish next to the house where a burro was tethered in the back yard! The lady from the tourism office lives here and her husband makes silver jewelry and sell it from their home.

Lety and I took turns photographing each other in front of the bougainvillea plant with the church in the background.

Sitting on the porch of the Posada del Sol restaurant drinking limonadas and people watching was great fun! The main activities of the town are: walking, enjoying the beauty of the region and resting! There are 2 museums in town, and we visited both, and if you are so inclined, you can rent an all-terrain vehicle and drive through the mountains. There are 7 hotels/bed and breakfasts in town but only one has a television and Internet connection. People come to San Sebastián to rest and rejuvenate---and what a perfect place to do so. I am ready to go back!

Hasta luego.

Fun In Florida

2008-06-15T11:13:00.003-05:00

My friend, Sara, invited me to go with her to their condo on St. George Island, Florida for a few days. What a wonderful, relaxing time we had!

Does everyone know where St. George Island is? I didn't so I had to check out the map. Look at the panhandle of Florida that sticks out under Georgia and you will see the town of Apalachicola. Drive over a new 4 mile bridge with a very pretty view of the bay, and you will arrive on St. George Island.

Arriving on the island you are welcomed by this newly built lighthouse, a replica of the original one.

At one end of the island is a National Park where everyone can enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean, picnic or camp, launch a boat and fish for the day, or just walk and enjoy the solitude and beauty of the place. What a treasure.

And then there is the beach! The sand is almost white and the water is beautiful. There used to be large sand dunes here until the area was devastated by a hurricane a few years ago, but the dunes are slowly being rebuilt by the wind.

In the morning we watched the dolphins playing and jumping out of the water. In the afternoon people swam and fished, but the best time for us was in the evening. From about 5:00 until 8:00 or so, we sat on the beach when the sun was not so hot and there was a light breeze. Enjoying a glass of wine, visiting with each other and watching and listening to the ocean---what a great way to relax, unwind and cool off from the heat of the day. The moon came up over the horizon as the sun was setting. How beautiful!

In the small town of Apalachicola, there is a park on the waterfront where you can observe, close-up, the oyster and shrimp boats. The town's industry is fishing and fresh shrimp, oysters, and fish can be found everywhere.

This is an oyster skiff and I learned that the long wooden paddles which you can see on the boat are tongs that the fisherman uses to reach into the water and gather the oysters to bring up onto the boat. Oyster boats are flat-bottomed and have the small cabin in the back. On the front of the boat is a culling board and a culling rake. The fisherman uses the tongs to throw the oysters onto the culling board and then rakes across them. He keeps the large ones and throws back into the water the smaller ones, allowing them to grow larger.

Another very interesting spot we visited was the dwarf cypress forest. Driving 4.5 miles off the main road, we arrived at a place where cypress trees only grow a few feet tall.

The boardwalk allows us to walk into the midst of the trees. In the photo you can see the taller trees in the background and the dwarf cypress in front. The information board says they do not know why the trees only grow so tall in this area because when the seeds from the trees are planted elsewhere, the trees grow to their normal height.

The area was a marshland with swamp grasses and lily pads growing in the creek.

I love the lily pads. But there were no frogs sitting on them!!

One evening Sara and I indulged in a seafood dinner. When you go to Apalachicola, try the Boss Restaurant on the waterfront. Mmmm--good!

Our table was right on the waterfront and the seagulls hovered, hoping for a treat!

Can you see him sitting on top of the light pole?

While Sara had fried shrimp, I tried grilled oysters with 4 different sauces. And, yes, we shared a dessert too: Mud pie!!

Sara was a great "tour guide" as she showed me the Estuarine Center, the historical churches, and beautiful old houses with interesting architecture.

As usual, I took many, many pictures and I just had to share some of them with you. I will have the pictures to remember the lazy days we spent in Apalachicola and on St. George Island, Florida.

Hasta luego.

Goodbye But Not Adios

2008-05-24T11:29:00.003-05:00

No one wanted to say "goodbye", including me! Everyone asked when I am coming back. I wonder that myself. We didn't say goodbye, but we did say "Hasta luego" several times during my last week in Puerto Vallarta.

My friend, Lety, with whom I lived and worked while there, invited me to breakfast at a very unique restaurant, El Set. Not recognizing the word "set" in Spanish, I asked her what it meant. She replied "It's an English word". It seems that when the movie, "The Night of the Iguana" was filmed in Puerto Vallarta years ago, this restaurant was used as a set for the movie---thus, the name "El Set"!

Lety and I enjoying our breakfast: eggs with mole sauce, frijoles, and fresh squeezed orange juice.

A replica of a movie camera adds to the authenticity of the restaurant.

And the view....oh, how beautiful!

On Wednesday morning, I returned to the preschool where I taught, to say goodbye, and the children put on a program for me. The principal, Maestro Rogelio, the English teacher, Maestra Erika (second from left) and I posed for a "faculty photo" before the program.

The three year old class sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".

These four-year olds, with Maestra Erika holding the mic, said a poem in English.

The girls did an Hawaiian dance!

At the end of the performances, the whole school sang the songs I had taught them to sing at the beginning and ending of the class period. They sang to me and I sang back to them!

Then everyone lined up for a big hug and said "goodbye" (in English!) to me. I hope they are able to continue learning English as they progress in school.

That evening, some of the principals and teachers, with whom I worked, gathered at the Restaurante Hector" for dinner. Located on the beach, we watched the sun go down and applauded when it fell below the horizon!

The sun joined us in the photo, sticking its bright head in between two of the teachers!

Another goodbye at the airport with three friends brought tears from us all but we parted with the standard farewell: "Nos vemos" ("We'll see each other").

Although I have returned from the trip, there is much more to be written about Mexico and I hope you will continue to read, as I write, about the schools, the people, and the country. And for those of you living close enough to see the photos, I have several hours worth of vacation pictures!!! I bet you can hardly wait!!

For now, I am very happy to see Mr. Neat, my kids and grandkids, and, especially Nellie, my faithful Gooldendoodle who missed me more than anyone!!

In the meantime, nos vemos and...

Hasta luego

A Day at the Beach

2008-05-17T20:54:00.003-05:00

My friend, Lety, said this morning, "We haven't spent a day at the beach yet. You can't go home without being at the beach. Let's go to Punta de Mita today." What a great idea! Sunny, warm, light breeze, temperature in the mid-80s, what better day to go to the beach?

One of her favorite beaches is in Punta de Mita, Nayarit, about 30 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. There is a beachfront restaurant there that she likes, so off we went.

The Anclote Restaurant has dining inside and out. We chose to sit outside on the beach for our tequila sunrise but went inside to the tables for our dinner.

Here is the beach and today there was seaweed all along the edge of the water.

Kids playing in the water.

Building sand castles.

Relaxing under the palapa. Can you see the people dining inside the restaurant on the right side?

Music time!

He caught "the big one"!

And we ate it! This is fish zarandeado, a way of preparing the fish. it is delicious!

Buying ice cream on the beach.

We had a very enjoyable day reading, people-watching and snoozing. Lety even went into the water but I didn't like the seaweed and rocky bottom. I prefer her swimming pool!

Hasta luego.

Teacher's Day

2008-05-16T13:55:00.006-05:00

May 15th is Teacher's Day in Mexico and what a big deal it is!

There are no classes and the teachers enjoy their day off. Hosted by the mayor of PV, one of the hotels served a big breakfast for the public school teachers. Scheduled to begin at 8:30, parking was at a premium and the line of teachers, waiting to enter the grounds of the hotel, snaked around the corner.

The Krystal Hotel had tables set up outside in the pool area. I estimate that there were about 1000 teachers there. Our table had "number 89" on it and we were next to the pool! There were 8 people at each table. The PV weather was at its best by having a light breeze and a few clouds which prevented the sun from boiling down on us!

You can see how close we were sitting, and this photo shows only just a tiny bit of the group! We were a big crowd!

What's a party in Mexico without Mariachi? They played while the people entered the grounds and kept us all toe-tapping while the breakfast was served.

This is our table. My friend, Lety, is 3rd from the left and I am 5th.

This is breakfast. Quite a bit different from the breakfasts we eat in Georgia! We started with a fruit bowl and pan dulce (sweet rolls) with coffee. Next came a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, a bowl of tortillas, and the main dish. On the left of the plate are frijoles with grated cheese with a tortilla chip standing up; at 12:00 on the plate are beef chunks, cooked in a very delicious sauce, (not spicy); next is a rolled tortilla; and at the bottom of the plate are pieces of chicken, grilled with tomato and green pepper slices. In the middle for looks (or for "some people" who like spicy food) is a grilled Jalapeno pepper. It was a typical Mexican breakfast which one would eat in a restaurant and very good!

The mayor of PV welcomed everyone and, of course, made a speech! Next a young student from the Normal School (Teachers' College) recited a poem about teachers which was so good it gave me goosebumps! I had heard her deliver the poem at her school, Juana de Asbeje, a couple weeks ago when I was there for a book signing by an author and was blown away by her talent. Such a wonderful gift to give to the teachers on their day.

The breakfast ended with door prizes: microwave ovens, dishes, TVs and the 3 big prizes---three 2008 automobiles to the lucky winners! Quite a nice day.

After the festivities ended, "Hizzoner (the mayor of PV) and I posed for a picture!

Mayor Francisco Javier Bravo Carbajal and retired Georgia ESL teacher: me!

Upon leaving the hotel about noon, Lety, 6 other teachers and I went to Starbucks where Lety treated us to a coffee and conversation. We made such an impression in the Starbucks employees (I'm not sure if it was a good or bad one!!), they took our picture and put it on their bulletin board! We had fun.

Then home long enough to change clothes and return to a restaurant where we had been invited by a principal to join in the festivities with some other teachers. About 50 of us ate, drank, danced and listened to what had to be "the worst band" in PV!! I'm not sure who had more fun---the teachers or the band members whom I am sure were playing together for the first time!!! The bass drum and the tuba drowned out the other instruments and the two singers who strained to be heard without a mic!

Victor, Meli, Lety and me and the band in the distance!

Dancers salsa-ing to the music!

After about 3 hours of music and merriment, Lety and I went home to relax....

And relax we did in the pool in the subdivision. Here's proof that I got wet above my knees!!

Lety received text messages and phone calls all day on her cellphone from friends wishing her "Congratulations" on Teacher's Day. And how nice that I was included in the messages from friends that we both know.

Teacher's Day is a special day for Mexican educators.

Hasta luego.

San Miguel de Allende

2008-05-12T16:46:00.006-05:00

San Miguel de Allende is a famous "little city" in Mexico. Famous, not only for its history, but also for its expatriate population of artists, the city of about 80,000, high in the mountains (6400 ft) is home to a large artist colony, 2 art institutes, many galleries, and a big theater community. No wonder I was anxious to see it!

It is a colonial city, named a national monument in the 1920s, so there are no neon signs or modern buildings and---get this: no stoplights! During the 1940s, the area became a tourist attraction because of the hot springs in the area and after World War II, American veterans discovered that their GI bill money went further at the art institutes here. Word got around and Americans began to visit, then move here and now retirees are joining them.

I am sure that Fray Juan de San Miguel, the Franciscan monk who founded the city in 1542 would be a bit surprised if he saw his city now! The town, like many others in the area, was a stopover from Zacatecas on the silver route to the mines.

The Mexican War of Independence began in a nearby town (Dolores Hidalgo) and General Ignacio Allende, who lived in the city (then known as San Miguel el Grande) joined the army and led it to several victories. He is now a national hero and the city was renamed for him in 1826.

As you know from other ramblings on my blog, in every city and town in Mexico the church and plaza are central features there. San Miguel de Allende is no different.

The Parroquia de San Miguel Arc Angel is a pseudogothic church overlooking the main plaza. Legend has it that the architect who added the facade had never seen a real Gothic cathedral and made his drawings from pictures. How true that is, I don't know but that is what they told me!

The altar of the Parroquia.

The plaza.

An Indian woman makes and sells her things on the plaza.

A street in the city.

I am showing you these doors because, not only were they very beautiful but they also had exquisite doorknockers on them and also, something else that I have never seen in Mexico: mail slots! The mail slots actually say "Correo" (mail)!!! Regular mail is not a common thing in Mexico and I have see only one actual mailbox and these were the first mail slots I have seen!

This is the (?) or a policeman for the city. I'm not sure if he was dressed up for a picture or if he always looks like that! But it does make for a nice photo, verdad?

We were only able to spend a few hours in San Miguel de Allende but I am so pleased to have seen it. Perhaps one day, Mr. Neat and I can return as tourists and really get to know the beautiful city.

Hasta luego.

Guanajuato

2008-05-07T12:38:00.004-05:00

We just had a five-day weekend! Thursday, May 1 was Labor Day, and Monday, May 5 was Cinco de Mayo--another business holiday. I don't know why, but there was no school on Friday, May 2 so everyone who toils in the field of education had a 5 day holiday! That works for me!!

My friend, Lety, planned a cultural tour for us! She wanted to show me the cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, as well as some smaller towns, so Wednesday afternoon, after she finished work, we took off, returning to PV on Monday evening. We had a whirlwind trip but at least I was able to spend a few hours in some of the famous places in Mexico. I really enjoyed it.

This story is about the city of Guanajuato, the capital of the state of Guanajuato, which is just north and east of Jalisco. Located high (6,500 ft.) in the mountains, the beautiful, old city with cobblestone streets and houses perched on the side of the mountains, is where, in 1810, Ignacio Allende and Father Hildago entered the city and confronted the Spanish for the first time. The Revolutionary war began.

A tiny bit of history...the Spanish were shored up in the granary which the Mexicans could not reach until Juan Jose de los Reyes Martinez strapped a stone on his back so the bullets couldn't hurt him and made his way to the granary and set it on fire! He is known by his nickname, El Pipila, and there is a huge statue (which you will see below) towering over the city of Guanajuato. A true Mexican hero!

The name "Guanajuato" means "the place of the frogs" and there are several stories, I understand, as to why it was called that. One tale says that the indigenous Indians from the area said the place was only fit for frogs to live! Guanajuato and the surrounding area is famous for silver mines. The Valenciana mine was one of the richest silver mines in the world and at one time much of the world's silver came from it.

The Guanajuato River ran through the city, and a series of tunnels were built to contain the river; however, the river regularly flooded the city. Finally a dam was built on the river and now those tunnels, paved with cobblestones, provide access to the city for cars. There is an "underground city"---a maze of tunnels---allowing cars to traverse the city. Above ground, although there are some streets for cars, most of the "streets" are actually very narrow alleys, allowing for 1 lane of traffic.

Lety's 2 sisters: Rosario, and her husband Manuel, Lupita, me and the dog (!) crowded into their Nissan and made the 4 hour trip from Guadalajara to Guanajuato! We arrived in the city about 7:00PM and after finding a place to stay, Lety, Lupita and I went to see and hear the student musicians play near the University.

Student musicians with medieval instruments, and dressed in medieval costume, stroll the streets in the evening, singing and playing.

The next morning we drove through the city, experiencing the many tunnels, but surfaced and drove through the town to see what we could see from the car. Parking in the downtown area, our main stop was at the city plaza and the Templo de San Diego de Acala.

An artist set up his paintings in front of the San Diego de Acala church.

The main plaza with gardens, benches and a kiosk.

We were fortunate to have an band concert in the kiosk while we were there. The plaza was full of people enjoying the sun (and shade too!) and the music, which could be heard for blocks around the neighborhood.

These boys, wearing a uniform similar to the Boy Scout uniform, were playing a game in the Plaza.

Here I am, standing in front of the Juarez Theater which hosts the International Cervantino Festival, in honor of Cervantes, every October. Artists from all over the world come to present plays, dance, opera, music and art exhibits.

This area is also known as the theater district since there are several theaters located within walking distance of the Plaza.

A pretty street scene.

Another street scene but look high up on the right side of the picture, just above the greenery and see the statue of El Pipila.

Here's a better view of him! The massive stone statue looms high above the city but there is a street leading there and the view of the city is fantastic!

From the statue, looking down onto the city, the clump of green in the middle of the photo is the main Plaza where the band concert was; and across the street, with the red roof, is the church.

Here are a couple of views of the city.

The houses are built on the side of the mountain and cars, driving in off the street, park on the roof of the house! What a garage!

Well, that's the tour of Guanajuato. Later we'll be off to the city of San Miguel de Allende.

Hasta luego.

Cinco de Mayo---An American Celebration

2008-05-07T10:31:00.003-05:00

Cinco de Mayo! Americans celebrate with gusto! A time to enjoy a Mexican beer and Mexican food: nachos! A time to celebrate the Mexican Independence---right? WRONG!

The holiday, Cinco de Mayo, is NOT the Mexican Independence Day. That is September 16th and is celebrated enthusiastically by Mexicans all over Mexico.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Battle of Puebla. In 1862, some years after Mexico declared its independence from Spain, President Benito Juarez announced that Mexico could not repay its debts to England, Spain and France for 3 years. The French didn't like that and came to Mexico to collect their money!

The French sent an army of 6,000 men to the city of Puebla, with the intention of marching on to Mexico City. They were met by a ragtag army of 5,000 Mestizos and Indians who fought and won the battle in Puebla. Although the victory was short-lived, (the French invaded Puebla again 3 days later, and sent Maximilian to be the emperor of Mexico*) the Mexicans remember the men who fought so hard and lost their lives for their country.

*Maximilian was in power for about 5 years when he lost his backing from the Catholic church and Benito Juarez regained his presidency and Mexico was finally a free country.

So---that is much more than you ever wanted to know about Cinco de Mayo, right?

Regarding the celebrations in Mexico, the people have a day off work, the school children talk about the holiday in school, but as far as big observances go, it is more of a regional holiday, commemorated in Puebla, than nationally. Puebla celebrates with gusto and in Mexico City, President Calderon probably made a speech and there may have been military parades. In Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, there were no festivities.

The holiday has been embraced by many Mexicans living in the USA, and in areas around the US/Mexican border.

So go ahead and enjoy those nachos! Have a Corona beer! Play some Mexican music! You will have a great party, and why not? Just don't think that you are celebrating the Mexican Independence Day!

Hasta luego.

What Am I Doing Here in Mexico?

2008-05-06T20:41:00.007-05:00

You might be wondering just what is it that I do all day! The purpose of my visit this time is to write curriculum for the teachers to use next year in the pre-school and kindergarten English classes.

This is the first year that English has been taught at this level in the public schools in Puerto Vallarta and the supervisors are interested to see how the children are learning and they want additional curriculum for next year. Over 60 teachers are taking classes to learn English so they can teach it in the public schools.

When I arrived here, I went to a preschool/kindergarten where I observed the English teacher and her methods of teaching for about a week. Then for the next two weeks, I taught the classes there and then tested the students individually to see how well they are learning the language. I also tried different teaching strategies to learn what worked the best with the younger language learners. I was at the school from 9:00-12:00 and taught 1 three year old class, 2 four year old classes and 2 five year old classes.

In the afternoon and evenings, I met with 2 teachers and we began the tedious job of writing the curriculum.

I have finished at the school, although I will go back again next week to say goodbye to the children and the teachers. My job there, which was learning which teaching strategies work best with the younger children, has concluded. We know what we can use and what we can't use with the little ones who are learning English.

I continue to write the curriculum at home. Thank goodness for the computer and the Internet! That has been a life-saver for me! With the material available there, we don't have to try to reinvent the wheel! I can use songs, games and chants that I find on the web and that have worked well for other English teachers. The Mexican teachers are not aware of the wonderful world of information for teaching English that can be found on the Internet. They are like kids in a toy store when I show them a new website!

So here are some pictures of me teaching at the school. This first picture is the three year old class.

There are 19 three year old children in this class, including one set of identical twins!

This group of four year olds talk about the letter Aa and the apple! There were no bulletin boards in the classrooms so I used masking tape to hang the pictures on the chalkboard.

"Today is Monday. Yesterday was Sunday. Tomorrow will be Tuesday." Sing it and you can learn it. That's a good way to teach the days of the week!

This little guy gets to be a bee and buzz around the room! The "z" sound in English is difficult for Spanish speaking people to say. So we "buzzed" a lot!

These five year old boys are trying a conversation: "How are you?" "Fine, thanks. And you?"

"Come on, honey, you can say it! I'll help you."

I tested the children in both English and Spanish, asking the same questions in both languages. It was interesting to note that many of them knew the colors in English but not in Spanish! And when I asked, in Spanish, what the name of the color yellow was, about 95% of them replied "yellow" (in English) instead of "amarillo".

I enjoyed being with the children and seeing how they are engaged in learning to speak another language. It would be interesting to see this same group of children in 3 or 4 years to see how well they have learned English.

In the meantime, I continue to write the curriculum and hope that my help will ease the burden of teaching English for the new teachers next year by giving them some new ideas and methods of teaching. The supervisor says I must continue to help when I get back to Georgia and then come back on the fall! (Don't worry, Mr. Neat. That's NOT going to happen!!)

So that is what I do everyday, here in the land of sun and fun!

Hasta luego.

Las Flores de Mexico

2008-05-06T11:33:00.005-05:00

These are pictures of some of the beautiful and different flowers in Mexico. Enjoy!

This is the Rosa Morada tree.

A close-up of the Rosa Morada tree.

Same close-up. Sorry, I made a mistake and don't know how to delete, so enjoy the same picture again!

Palm trees silhouetted against the blue sky.

A blooming cactus.

This is a Primavera tree in Guadalajara with gorgeous, orange blooms.

A Maguey plant---also known as the Blue Agave. The Agave is where we get that great tequila!

Bougainvillea in San Sebastian.

I love to see the different flowers, trees and landscaping here in Mexico. I wish I could take a picture of everything!!

Hasta luego.

Get Ready to Say: Awww!

2008-04-24T14:04:00.005-05:00

What am I doing in PV this time? I have been very busy teaching and working.

My friend, who is the supervisor of one of the preschool zones in Vallarta, has started a new program this year of teaching English in preschools, kindergartens, 1st and 2nd grades in her school zone. During the fall, while working in this program, I went into the classroom and observed the English teachers during their classtime and later helped them with pronunciation and strategies for teaching English as a Second Language.

When I returned home in December, I continued to answer questions for them and send information to them via the computer.

Lety asked me to return to Vallarta this spring to see how the program is progressing and help write an addition to the English curriculum for next year.

In the afternoon and evenings, Lety, another teacher and I are working on developing the new curriculum. In the mornings, I have been going to a preschool from 9:00-12:00, teaching 3, 4 and 5 year olds. They have been learning English all year and my job is to assess how well they are doing as well as to try out some of the new ideas in the classroom.

This is my first time teaching preschoolers and kindergartners and I have renewed respect for those teachers! The little wiggle-worms are precious, but oh, do they keep you on your toes!

The Estancia Decroly Preescolar is a small, private preschool and kindergarten. There is one class of 3 year olds, two classes of 4 year olds, and two classes of 5 year olds, and also a day-care room with about 10 toddlers.

This is class 2A and they are 4 year olds. Today there were only 11 students present but usually there are 16 in the class.

I am still learning names but Rivaldo, the little curly headed boy on the floor is "my helper"!

Lucero, the teacher in class 2B, also 4 year olds, speaks a fair amount of English and is a good support for Erika, the English teacher. All 15 students were present today for the picture. This is my favorite class!

Class 3A is kindergarten age: 5 year olds. Nallely, the teacher, has her hands full with 20 children and several who are "special ed" students. Nallely lives near me and picks me up in the morning for a ride to school.

Monica, the other kindergarten teacher, has 19 students in her class 3B. They like to "surprise" me each day when I come into their class. They are seated with their heads down on the table and when I enter the room, they shout "surprise"! Great fun!

The classrooms in this school are very small and I think 10 would be a manageable class size for the teaching area. The teachers have to move the tables and chairs for each new activity. The floors, of course, are tile, and the walls, cement, so the noise level is quite loud.

And here is class 1A, the 3 year olds with teacher, Hilda. She has 18 in her room. I couldn't get all the children in one picture so there are 2 photos of them. Just look at those faces! Aren't they cute?

With the exception of your own children and grandkids, aren't these the sweetest faces you have ever seen? I love the hugs I get every morning as they arrive at school.

And here is my favorite student!!! 6 months old and the happiest baby I have ever seen. I call him "Smiley" because he breaks into a big smile every time I see him! He is the son of one of the cooks and he comes to school with her and has a wonderful time watching the kids play.

I am enjoying the teaching experience, the children as well as the writing. It is a challenge to write curriculum, including strategies and materials for the Mexican teachers, because they have such limited resources. We have to be very creative when suggesting ways to teach an English lesson. Worksheets are out because the teachers do not have access to copying machines. Some teachers have a CD player and can use music CDs in the classroom. Almost all materials are hand-made by the teachers. Not many can afford to buy posters to use in the classroom. It is quite different than many schools in the USA.

The important thing is that the children are learning English. They have good accents and are not afraid to try to say those "strange words". The younger the better for learning a second language.

Hasta luego.

Won't You Come In?

2008-04-21T20:55:00.006-05:00

You have seen the outside of my house and now I am inviting you inside...

As you enter the front door, you are in the dining room. She has a breakfront and table and chairs there and I hope you can see the fresh fruit bowl on the table. A papaya, cantaloupe, bananas, apples, mangoes, avocados, guayabas and limes greet you with their wonderful aroma as you enter the house . Today there is a jicama on top too.

The living room is just beyond the dining room past the railing.

On the other side of the dining room is the kitchen with the pass-through.

The living room has a sofa, loveseat and a big comfy chair. The little TV tray hold our computers. The Internet is hooked up there.

Here is the other side of the living room. The stairs lead up to a family room, 2 more bedrooms and 2 baths.

From the second floor, there is a set of stairs to go up on the roof where there is a lovely, tiled terrazzo, the boiler for the hot water and her washing machine. If a family has a washing machine, it is usually outside, covered with a plastic material to protect it from the weather.

You can see my bedroom next to the stairs.

This is my bedroom. The bed is wooden, very sturdy, and the mattress sits directly on the bedstead---no springs---but it is very comfortable. Lety put one of her dining room chairs and a TV tray there for me to use. My suitcase stands in the corner and holds my blanket (which I have used every night so far!) It is very convenient to have the TV tray to hold my clock, glasses and journal.

The windows are sliding doors which open out onto the back patio which is surrounded with a 10' wall---a very private area.

On the other wall is my closet and the door leading out to the living room.

When houses are built, there is usually no built in closet. This wooden closet is installed separately and there are roomy drawers to hold my "stuff"! The bedroom door swings closed so i use my sandals as a doorstop! (Any better suggestions for a doorstop?!!)

On the subject of closets, the master bedroom, upstairs, has a huge walk-in closet as well as a huge bath, complete with jacuzzi tub and a large shower.

This full bath is accessible from my room as well as from the living room. (Note the water bottle for brushing teeth!)

The shower is larger than mine at home! It is a nice bathroom.

Back to the front of the house and the kitchen. All stoves are gas which is supplied by a tank which one buys when the old one empties---and you never know when that will happen! This morning Lety was cooking and the flame went out: no more gas! The gas man will be around tomorrow.

Don't know if you can see it or not, but next to the stove in the front is a spoon holder and a small bottle with a white cap which is Microdyn. We wash our fruit and vegetables and then submerge them is a bowl of water to which 2 drops of Microdyn is added to clean them for eating. Any fruit or vegetable which will not be peeled is put in Microdyn.

Next to the fridge are 2 small pantries. Be careful or you will hit your head as you duck to go in! But they hold a lot. Lety stores lots of her school supplies there as well as food.

As you can see, she doesn't have much furniture yet as she has only lived in this house about one year. She is saving to buy furniture, but first, she says, she needs to finish paying for the house. The Mexican people don't have mortgages like we are used to having and thus they must save their money to finish building their house, to add on to their house (such as closets) or to buy furniture. She does have a couple extra mattresses and a couple blow-up mattresses upstairs which she willingly pulls out for extra guests! She has made me feel very much at home here.

I am having a different living experience this time while I am in PV. My home in the fall was with the hard-working, lower, middle class and now this encounter offers me a contrast. I highly value both exposures.

Hasta luego.

Dinners With Friends

2008-04-19T10:30:00.004-05:00

All work and no play makes me a dull lady! So, after school I make sure that I have some time with friends.

Yesterday I had dinner with 3 friends from the Colegio. Nieves, Emma, me, and Lucy (l to r) talked, laughed, reminisced and had a great time together. We plan to visit again before I leave.

Last Saturday, Anita, a teacher friend, invited me to have supper with her and a friend of hers. We went to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, "Cenaduria Tia Anita" which is a local restaurant open only on Saturdays and Sundays and serves (delicious) Mexican fare. No hamburgers here!!

The restaurant itself is so beautiful. Located outside in a lovely garden, one dines amongst the flowers!

This is the view as you enter the restaurant.

There is a walking path so you can stroll in the garden and enjoy the pretty flowers.

Further back is a fountain and the children can play here.

This is the restaurant itself. Most of it is under the roof but there are a few tables outside and I prefer to sit there in the garden.

My friend, Anita (in the white shirt) gets a hug from Gina's son! My bowl of Pozole is waiting for me at my place at the table. Yummmm! We had a good time.

Yes, that is a real, cloth, tablecloth on the table! Woo hoo!

Hasta luego.

More Pictures

2008-04-17T21:29:00.007-05:00

These are some of the other homes in the Puerta del Sol Residencial.

This one is a biggie! The house on the left (with the gray car in front) has added a wooden carport.

They have a lot of plants. It softens the stark white, doesn't it?

I like the clean, simple lines of this house.

Trees growing on the balcony are not unusual! My friend in Guadalajara has the same kind of tree on her balcony!

Here is the pool house and, in the green building on the right, is a small kitchen.

Someone had a party there on Saturday afternoon and the white tent is still there. A band played under the tent for 4 hours. The main instruments were a bass drum and a tuba---2 instruments played very loudly and very badly! I think the musicians learned their instruments in the 4th grade and never made it to the 5th grade lessons!! Oh well, a good time was had by all and I survived the music!!

I will take some pictures inside the house soon.

Hasta luego.

My Neighborhood---Part Two

2008-04-17T15:20:00.006-05:00

These pictures will show you inside my subdivision. I never lived in a gated community before--la-de-da! You met Alfredo yesterday and this is the entrance to the Puerta del Sol Residencial.

And the view as you leave the subdivision...

The houses are attached. Would you call them townhomes or cluster houses? maybe rowhouses? Typical of homes in Mexico, there is not a lot of property with the house. There is room to park the car in front and a small patch of grass in the back of the houses.

The house in the middle, with the balcony, is Lety's house. Right now there are only 3 homes there but they are building 3 more at the end of her street, which will complete her side of the street.

The wooden front door leads into the dining room/living room combination and that is the kitchen door on the left. The master bedroom upstairs has the balcony. There are 3 bedrooms and 3 baths in the house. My bedroom and bath is on the first floor and it opens out onto the back patio. Inside pictures will come later!

Across the street from "our" house is the pool. Very pretty! I haven't used it yet but I will have to take a dip before coming home.

As you can see, it is a new area and they have not completely finished building here, but it is a very lovely place and so convenient too everything. I am enjoying living here.

Hasta luego.

My Neighborhood--Part One

2008-04-15T18:50:00.005-05:00

I am living with a friend in the same area of Vallarta that I was in last fall only now I am now closer to the "main drag". Francisco Ascencio is a major street in PV which goes from downtown out to the airport. The famous "Wal-Mart" and "Sam's" are on this street and are just 3 blocks from my house.

Since I am on the busy street, the "neighborhood" looks very different than my previous locale, but I am living in a gated community so I actually have 2 sections that I call "the neighborhood".

These pictures are of the area near our subdivision on Avenida Francisco Ascencio.

"Welcome"! I know I am welcome here in PV because the sign tells me so! This is right across the street, at the PV harbor, where the cruise ships dock. Generally in the evening, around 8 o'clock, I hear a low, long whistle which tells me the ship is leaving port. The next morning there is another one (or two) boats taking its place.

This is the San Javier Hospital. Sometimes the ambulances can be rather noisy but it is nice to know that bilingual doctors are near!

Next door to the hospital is a furniture store. Our subdivision is right behind this store.

Next is the street going into the subdivision. The name is Puerta del Sol Residential and Alfredo keeps a close watch over the gate. He always has a smile and he has been helpful to me. (He gave me a hand in carrying my groceries to the house last weekend!)

Next to our street is new construction going up on the corner. I don't know if this will be an office building or apartments but they started building last August and I have watched their progress!

Across the street from this "building-to-be" is the Wal-Mart/Sam's corner. It is about 3 blocks from my front door to the door of Wa-Mart so I can walk. And next to Wal-Mart is the "famous" VIPS restaurant where we often meet for dinner or meetings, and next to that is the new Liverpool department store. (Ladies, I will have to take some pictures of it and post them. You'll love it! A very classy store!)

So this is the first part of my new neighborhood. Tomorrow I will show you inside the subdivision. Stay tuned!

Hasta luego.

The Parish Meeting

2008-04-14T16:49:00.004-05:00

Yesterday after the service at the Cristo del Mar Episcopal Church, there was a parish meeting. They invited me to stay. I'm not sure if this was the "annual meeting" (all Episcopalians know about that!) or if it was just a meeting of the parishioners.

Shirley Wehrs, the wife of the priest, and a couple ladies in the parish, provided a very nice lunch. We munched on croissant chicken and tuna salad sandwiches, delicious fruit salad and chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Here we are at lunch. The men moved the chairs we used in the church service, put up the "church tables" and voila! we had a parish hall in which to eat and have the meeting! Father Jack is the one in the collar!

Someone going back for seconds!

Father Jack gave the history of the church here in Vallarta and explained how they were able to buy the property for the church.

He said that 7 years ago, he and Shirley came to PV to go sailing and fishing and they held the first service, with a few friends, on their sailboat. The service outgrew their boat and they moved to a larger boat. Eventually they needed a still larger space so they met at various locations in PV. Last fall they found this piece of property, across from the airport and on a bus line, and were able to buy it.

They had to do extensive remodelling, including a new roof, electrical and plumbing work, putting up walls and installing windows. It is really amazing to see how lovely it is now. There are bathrooms, a kitchen (which has yet to be remodeled) and an office area. Upstairs there is more room for offices and an apartment which they would like to modernize so priests from the USA could come to PV for a vacation, have a place to stay, and hold services during the summer. That would be a nice thing for the church as well as for the vacationing priests and their families.

Buying property in Mexico us not an easy thing to do and they ran into all kinds of obstacles trying to complete the sale. (I thought it was difficult to deal with the phone company! You don't know "problems" until you try to buy a piece of land here!)Finding the money to buy the building is still a dilemma and, of course, they are asking for donations from churches in the USA, as well as pledges from the congregation. The thing that Father Jack asked for the most: your prayers for this mission. I think we can all help with the prayers.

Pentecost Sunday, May 11th, (?) will be the last service here in PV before the Wehrs return to their home in San Diego.

I look forward to next Sunday.

Hasta luego.

Iglesia Cristo del Mar

2008-04-13T20:37:00.005-05:00

This morning I attended church at the Iglesia Cristo del Mar Episcopal Church. They now have their own church building which they bought in December but had to do many renovations before they could hold services there. Their first service in the new building was on Christmas Eve.

Father Jack Wehrs, from San Diego, California, is the priest in charge and there are services from mid November until mid May. He is retired and he and his wife, Shirley, spend 6 months in Vallarta.

This is the small sign with the telephone number which is out front. Eventually they will have a larger sign.

The church is the building with the "straw" roof, (called "la palapa" in Spanish) behind the parked cars. The cars belong to a tenant upstairs who will be moving out in a month.

Upon entering the church, there is the reception table (in front with the guest book on it) and you can see through the church to the back patio.

I went out to the patio and took this photo looking into the back of the church. Can you see the 2 large picture windows? That is the front of the church, looking out on that parking lot. Those are poinsettia plants.

Here is the altar. They just got the altar table last month. Someone designed and made it and the large candle holder for the church. The red books on the chairs are bilingual Books of Common Prayer.

This is a better picture of the cross over the altar.

St. Mary is in the corner of the church.

Father Jack and Dale, the "organist" prepare for the service. The organ is a keyboard and Dale plays it well. The voices of all 20 members of the congregation, praising God, rose above the noises of the street.

After the service, there was a parish meeting. Tomorrow I will tell you about the meeting and more about the church.

The church is very pretty and the people were friendly. It was so nice to participate in an Episcopal service.

Hasta luego.

And Here I Am!

2008-04-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

Here I am---back in sunny Mexico! The weather, so far, has been very nice. It gets warm (80 degrees F) during the afternoon and early evening but cools off at night and in the mornings. I even throw a light blanket over me at night. After being here in July-October and enduring the heat and rain, I sure understand why the "tourist season" is November through May: warm days, cool nights, and no rain.

I am celebrating my arrival at the harbor where the cruise ships dock. See photo below.

The rest of these pictures are taken in that welcoming area. People get off the ships and are greeted by this pretty fountain and the market behind it. That is the Crown Plaza Hotel in the distance.

Next is part of the beach behind the hotel where Lety, my friend, and I go walking at sunset. Doesn't that sound romantic?!! Mr. Neat should be here! He and I will have to come back for a vacation sometime.

Can you see the para sailor in the distance in a white parachute?

The Holland America cruise ship docked here yesterday. There are usually 2 or 3 ships that come and stay for 2 or 3 days. They leave at night and another takes its place by morning.

As you walk out toward the street, there are shops, Internet cafes, and kiosks to sign up for tours.

See the 4-wheeler parked in front of the red truck? And those are 2 kiosks behind it.

I am here for 6 weeks and I know the time will fly by. In future blogs I will you about my house and the cute kids I will be teaching. You'll love those pictures!

Hasta luego.

Goodbye---and Hello to Manaña

2008-04-07T14:50:00.004-05:00

The suitcases are packed. The goodbyes have been said. Tomorrow is the day I leave for Puerto Vallarta!

Although I am contemplating the trip with some uncertainty, anxious anticipation and cheerful expectation, I am looking forward to visiting with my friends, walking beside the ocean on the Malecon, eating good Mexican food, and enjoying the warm weather.

Mainly I am eager to meet with the teachers again and to see how much the students have progressed in learning English. My uncertainty is in not knowing which schools I will be going to and which teachers I will be working with; whether there be Internet at home or do I have to go back to Telmex to request its installation; and other such details which, of course, will be worked out as the days pass! As my Mexican friends told me: "Poco a poco!". ("Take it easy!")

I hope you will go on this journey with me by reading my blog and thus, live (vicariously) with me in Vallarta . My laptop is ready; the camera batteries are charged; and I am ready to go!

Hasta luego.

Happy Easter and Buen Viaje!

2008-03-24T16:41:00.009-06:00

Easter was a beautiful day!

Mr. Neat and I began the day, at 6:00 AM at church, attending the Great Vigil, a celebration in our church which begins in darkness and moves into the light. The service was very inspiring, the Easter flowers were beautiful, and the celebratory music was so welcome after the somberness of Holy Week.

This is the altar of our church. Thanks to my friend, Barbara, for giving me the photos.

Easter Sunday is a special day for baptisms. The baptismal fount is in the foreground of the picture below. During special activities for the kids before the 11:00 service, the Sunday School children "flower" the cross that can be seen in the background.

Following the service there was a continental breakfast in the parish hall where we welcomed a hot cup of coffee and good conversation with friends.

Having entered the church in the darkness, as we left the church, the sun was shining brightly. We experienced a wonderful celebration of the holy day in the Christian church.

We continued to have gorgeous weather for the rest of the day. Our family: MJ, Z and C, AE, C, MA and MD all came straight from their church service dressed in their Easter finery! They all looked very handsome! We missed having CA with us but she had gone to visit her Mom and Dad in Florida for the weekend.

I wish I had a picture of MD's face when he saw the dining room table, set with the spring colors of our Fiesta dishes and decorated with Easter grass, eggs, and bunnies! He tore off his little Eton jacket, hung it on the back of his chair, and climbed up ready to eat! I think everyone enjoyed the pork tenderloin, asparagus and Easter cake with Dulce de Leche ice cream for dessert!

After dinner, was naptime for some, a walk for others, and video gametime for still others. (You can guess just who did what, can't you???!!) Everyone left about 6:00 since Monday is a school day for all.

It was a very blessed Easter day for our family.

I am anxious to hear from my Mexican friends how they celebrated their Easter. I will receive emails from them, but soon I will be able to ask them in person how they celebrated the holiday.

I will be returning to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for six weeks on April 8th. Last November and December I was working with the public school teachers who are teaching English to the kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders in the new English program that my friend, Lety, began this year. I will continue to work with them, helping them with strategies for teaching English, pronunciation, and English grammar.

These are teachers at the Cipactli kindergarten in Puerto Vallarta, all of whom are now studying English!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone again and working on the language program for next year so the children will continue to have the opportunity to learn English.

Here I am, once again, trying to decide what to take with me and packing the suitcases! I will share with you, by way of this blog, my tasks, activities and life adventures in Puerto Vallarta and I hope you enjoy spending a few minutes with me ocasionally.

Hasta luego.

What A Difference A Day Makes!

2008-03-16T17:08:00.004-06:00

About 9:30 in the evening of Friday, March 14th, a tornado hit the city of Atlanta and did a lot of damage to many buildings in the center of town. Two people were killed and 27 were injured. The pictures of the destruction in the city are frightening. Fortunately, Gainesville was spared the terrible storm----until Saturday.

Saturday afternoon severe thunderstorms with hail and 2.3" of rain raged through our town. Tornados touched down around us but Gainesville was spared. Nellie, who hates thunder, was the first one to go to the basement! Mr. Neat and I followed her downstairs and we spent the afternoon reading and watching the NCAA basketball games on TV. Fortunately we didn't lose the electricity.

The hail and rain pounded down. This is our deck with the hail.

It was marble-size, BIG marbles!

In front of our house, the hail collected on the bush and sidewalk.

The next day...

Sunday dawned with beautiful sunshine, blue skies, and warm temperatures.

Here is the bush that had the ice on it yesterday. I was afraid that our camillas would freeze, but they are still pretty.

The pink camillas, on the right, are almost finished blooming, but they made it through the icy weather too.

Look at the beautiful blue sky!

And the forsythia is blooming in the side yard too.

Wow! What a difference a day makes!

Stay tuned for more news about Mexico.

Hasta luego.

Dr. Seuss, Kids and Flowers

2008-03-10T21:17:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! I'm back at it again! It has been 2 months since I
posted a blog. Have you missed reading about my escapades?!! I've missed our communication: my writing and your comments. Thank you for your enthusiastic remarks about my blog. I am glad that you enjoyed learning a little about Mexico.

Since I arrived home from Mexico just 3 days before Christmas, the family holiday celebrations began immediately. I didn't even finish unpacking my suitcases for 2 weeks! After the New Year, I decided to enjoy my "retirement" and some "down time": sleeping late, visiting with the grandkids, organizing my photos from Mexico, and I even joined a gym so I can use the treadmill and bicycle during the wintertime!

When I visited Guadalajara, I saw a poinsettia tree for the first time and fell in love with it. At Christmas, AE, C, M and M gave me my very own "poinsettia tree"! It is in our sunroom and Nellie and I are enjoying it!

For Valentine's Day, Mr. Neat brought me these pretty yellow tulips. Even though it was still cold outside, they made it feel like spring was near. They brightened our kitchen table for a long time.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as "Dr. Seuss", is an author of many children's books and this week was his birthday. Elementary schools usually have some fun and celebrate it. Teachers, parents, and even a few community leaders read Dr. Seuss stories to the schoolchildren, occasionally even dressing up as a character from one of the books. I visited Jones elementary school today and all the classroom doors were decorated in a Dr. Seuss book theme. The hallways looked great!

His stories are characterized by rhyming words and unusual illustrations. They are great books for early readers to use. "Green Eggs and Ham", "Horton Hears a Who", "Fox in Socks", and "The Cat in the Hat" are some of his famous books, but the picture shows several more of the Dr. Seuss books that kids love.

Even the IHOP restaurant got into the Dr. Seuss theme with "Whoville pancakes" and "Green Eggs and Ham"! M and M came to visit on Saturday and guess what they ate?

From the smiles, you can see they enjoyed them!

Here is a closeup of the green eggs and ham and the pancakes. They were a big hit with children!

That's all for now but there are some exciting projects being planned so I will be keeping you posted.

Hasta luego.

My Huichol Indian Friend

2008-01-09T22:07:00.001-06:00

On the night of December 12th, after the processions for Guadalupe had finished, some teacher friends introduced Lety and me to Guillermo, an Huichol Indian, from Mesa del Tirador, a tiny town in the northern part of the state of Jalisco.

Guillermo teaches English in the high school in his village, which has about 300 people, all Huichol Indians. He is fluent in English (his third language), Spanish (his second language), and his native language of Huichol! The children learn the Huichol language from birth, but when they go to school, they are taught in Spanish since, living in Mexico, they should know Spanish also.

Guillermo was in PV to attend a conference on teaching English. This was his first visit to Puerto Vallarta and he said he liked the city very much. I asked him how far his village is from PV. His reply: I take a 3 hour bus ride to the city of Tepic, where I change buses and continue on the bus for 9 more hours to the town of Tuxpan de Bolaños. Then I have a 2 hour walk to my village because there are no roads where the bus can go."

He and I had a lively dialogue about teaching English and he was very eager to discuss teaching strategies. Even though it was after 11:00pm, we continued our visit at a local restaurant with Lety and 3 of the other teachers from PV.

He invited me to visit his village. I told him I couldn't walk for 2 hours (duh!!!) and that we could email each other. He said he doesn't have a computer---his village does not have electricity! "I have seen computers but I don't know how they work."!!! A classic case of young/old age and previous/present times!

He also explained to us about some of the ceremonies that the Huichol Indians still participate in and showed us pictures which he had brought. He gave me a photograph of one of the ceremonies.

We had such a pleasant evening and I think his students are very lucky to have a teacher who is fluent in English and so enthusiastic about his subject.

Hasta luego.

Día de Reyes / Three Kings Day

2008-01-06T17:54:00.000-06:00

The Atlanta History Center had a celebration of the Three Kings Day this afternoon. I went to see the festivities so I can show my Mexican friends, as well as you faithful "blog readers", how the tradition is explained to families here in Georgia.

In the Spanish speaking countries, as well as many European countries, Three Kings Day is the time that the children receive their "Christmas presents". Each country has a little different way they celebrate the last day of the Christmas season.

In certain areas of Mexico, the children receive gifts from the Three Kings who arrive during the night of January 5th. They write a letter to the Kings and on the evening of January 5th, they set out their shoes for their gifts. Sometimes they leave a little food and water for the Kings, and even a few morsels of food for the animals on which the Kings ride.

Here are the Three Kings waving to the crowd!

The children, wearing gold crowns, listen as the story of the Wise Men is told to them.

After the story, each child received a gift from the Three Kings. This little boy holds a puzzle as Melchior (the oldest king!) beckons to the next child who will receive the teddy bear he is holding.

Earlier in the afternoon, there was a piñata workshop and the children made a small piñata, and played some games. In the picture below, the children are playing Mexican Bingo (La Lottería).

They also served tamales and atole to everyone! Atole is a delicious, warm drink made of corn, which comes in many flavors.

The tamale line was long but the food was warm and very good, and well worth the wait! This was a surprise that I didn't expect: tamales and atole---yum!

There was also entertainment! Some members of a church (I don't remember which church it was) are learning Mexican folkloric dances and performed two dances for us.

This dance was from Chiapas, a state in the south of Mexico.

The state of Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, was represented by this dance.

The two girls on the right carry statues of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, riding on the burro, and Joseph walking beside her. They placed this in the front on the dance floor. On the left, the young man, carrying a branch, leads the procession of people with candles.

During the dance, Mary, holding the baby Jesus, Joseph and the angel, watch the dancers.

The people bow their heads before beginning the dance.

No Three Kings Day is complete until the "Rosca de Reyes" is cut!

The "Rosca de Reyes" is a round cake and hidden inside is a small porcelain doll. The person who gets the doll must host a tamale party on Candlemas Day (February 2nd). The fun never ends!!

The ladies are serving the Rosca de Reyes. The pink liquid in the cup next to the napkins is atole and a slice of the cake is on the plate next to the manger. Do you see the star over the manger?

This is the Nacimiento (Manager) with the star which was on the table.

The narrator for the day was bilingual so everyone could understand what was being said. It was a nice afternoon and I was pleased to see so many people attending the celebration.

Hasta luego.

Sweet Sixteen

2008-01-04T17:18:00.001-06:00

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY!

Granddaughter Z celebrated her big day at our house on New Year's Day. We feasted on a big Mexican dinner: Lety's shrimp cerviche and Emma's enchiladas and had birthday cake and presents. Mom, CA, smiles her approval from the background and Z was very happy.

Her dad and brother wait for their cake!

Afterwards watching the football game on the big TV proved to be a disappointment for these Illini fans but the birthday girl was happy!

Hasta luego.

Reading Older Posts on the Blog

2007-12-31T11:36:00.000-06:00

Several people have told me that they missed reading some of my posts and wonder how they can read them.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, on the right side you will see "older posts". Click on that and it will bring up the previous posts.

If you scroll down again, you will see "older posts" on the right side and "newer posts" on the left side. If you continue clicking on "older posts", it will eventually take you back to the beginning of my blog which I started back in July.

Thanks to all of you who have told me that you enjoy reading my blog, and have encouraged me to continue writing.

Happy Reading!

Hasta luego.

Kissin' Cousins

2007-12-31T11:23:00.001-06:00

Sunday brought two good things to Gainesville: rain (which we need so badly) and my cousins who came for a visit!

Terry and Coe Ann, sisters who live in Arizona and Florida, came to spend the day with us. It was so much fun to see them. Way too many years have passed without visits, due to distance and very busy lives, but we promised that will not happen again. In fact, we made a plan to get together with my sister and other cousins next fall!

I put on a pot of chili, a fire in the fireplace, and we talked and talked and took pictures! What a nice day!

And the welcome rain that fell during the day added an inch + to our annual rainfall. Lake Lanier is so very low---about 10 feet below full pool. But...it has rained some every day since I have been home! What draught??!!

Hasta luego.

Boxing Day Party

2007-12-30T08:36:00.001-06:00

Last night Judy, Craig and Bobbie hosted a Boxing Day pot-luck for a jolly group of friends! Evidently a family tradition for Judy and Craig, they included us this year for their celebration.

Although I know about Boxing Day in "olde England" I had never been to a Boxing Day celebration.

Boxing Day is a traditional holiday in England, Canada and a few other countries. Stemming from Victorian England, when the servants did not have a day off for Christmas because they were serving their masters, the servants got the day after Christmas as a holiday to spend with their families.

The servants and poor people would take a box and go to the stores in the neighborhood and the owners would put a few coins into the box. (Perhaps the Christmas "bonus" that many people receive now began in this way.) Often the families would put small gifts, food or clothing into the box for their servants' families.

Also, since December 26th is the saint's day for St. Stephen, the churches would open their alms boxes and distribute the alms to the poor on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day is still celebrated as a day, more relaxed than Christmas Day, for families and friends to get together. Modern day life has also accepted "shopping" as a part of Boxing Day!

In England, "crackers" are used at Christmastime for fun. A "cracker" is a small cardboard tube filled with a small toy, a joke and a paper hat. Upon pulling both ends of the wrapping, a sharp "crack" sounds and the gifts tumble out. Everyone shares the jokes, shows off their toy, and wears the paper hats! Great fun is had by all!

Judy pulled her cracker and can't find the gifts! Where are they? Bobbie watches in anticipation to see the hat.

Aha! Success! And what a cute hat she wears!

Judy cooks as Heather, in her special Boxing Day hat, watches. Isn't that a great hat?!!

Some of the more sedate members of the party! Later, they got their crackers and wore their hats too.

Everyone brought a dish and the food was scrumptious! Although I won't tell you the whole menu, the desserts were extra special! Bobbie made Trifle, a typical English dessert, and a Buche de Noel, the French Yule log cake. Troy brought his Carrot cake and the dessert plates just weren't big enough! I had to go back for seconds!

It was a fun evening and especially nice for me to get to visit with friends I had not seen for 5 months! Thanks, Judy, Craig and Bobbie for a good idea!

Hasta luego.

Christmas Celebration

2007-12-26T21:25:00.000-06:00

Mr. Neat and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our kids and grandkids. It is so wonderful to be able to spend time together on the holidays.

On Christmas Eve, about noon, we went to MJ and CA's home and spent the afternoon. AE and C and family came and we had a delicious meal of ham, turkey breast, baked beans, lots of yummy dips, and a Santa cake for dessert.

Their house and Christmas tree were beautifully decorated and everyone posed in front of the tree for the pictures. C is as tall as his Mom and Z is taller! Both CA and M have lost weight this year. Aren't they a handsome family?

Here are the "old folks"! Mr. Neat and I are happy to be together again.

After dinner the musicians in the family serenaded us with carols. Z on euphonium, C on trumpet, MJ on guitar and M on piano.

On Christmas Day we all went to AE and C's home. They had such a nice Christmas dinner for all of us. Check out those fillets and twice baked potatoes! We opened gifts and had fun watching the kids enjoy their Santa presents.

C models the serape that I brought back from Mexico for him.

The church service on Christmas Eve with the beautiful poinsettias, greenery and candles; the music; and message of God's gift of His Son to us completed our special Christmas celebration.

Hasta luego.

Feliz Navidad

2007-12-25T15:44:00.000-06:00

To all of you who have followed my blog, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I will add the pictures of the processions in PV, and my good story, later this week. Keep reading and I will keep writing.

Feliz Navidad/Merry Christmas!

Hasta luego.

Goodbye, Puerto Vallarta

2007-12-18T10:16:00.000-06:00

The last few days of packing to return home, saying goodbye to friends and "things" has kept me pretty busy. No more teacher meetings this week---just the fun things left to do!

Sunday night I went with Lucila to a Christmas concert by the Puerto Vallarta Chamber Orchestra and Choir. The music was enchanting and the choir sang Vivaldi`s "Gloria". Wine, cheese, coffee and pastries were available at the intermission and sitting in the outdoor music venue, with a light breeze blowing, and listening to the music made for a lovely evening.

Yesterday morning I went back the the Colegio to see the first, second and third grade Christmas program. Each group had learned a Christmas song and sang and danced to the music. They were all so cute with their costumes and smiles! Of course "my" group was the best!!

I was invited to a Christmas party yesterday afternoon for the supervisors in the public schools. It was hosted by the superintendent at her home. She lives in Mismamoya, a town just south of PV, in a beautiful condo on the ocean. She had a musician playing keyboards and singing during the party, and a wonderful comida with fish, rice, salad, mole sauce, and cake for dessert. We ate at tables on her patio overlooking the ocean. Quite a nice afternoon.

I have gone to the malecon and sat on a bench "people watching" and looking at the ocean; gone back to a favorite restaurant; walked along the Plaza Marina where I have shopped so often; and said goodbye to my wonderful friends at the laundry and the very nice man who has made my photo CDs for me. Tonight I am having dinner with my friend, Emma, and tomorrow night with my roommate, Aurora and her sister, Elva. This afternoon I say good bye to my friend Lety, who has been so kind and helpful to me.

All that is left to do is on Thursday morning, I will sit on my suitcases and hope that they close!! Then I go to the airport and wing my way home.

Living and teaching in Mexico has been a dream fulfilled. I have been so fortunate to have had the experience, to have met so many nice people, and hopefully, I have left the impression on the children I have taught that education is a very important thing for them. Also I will never forget the love and support from my family, friends, and church that kept me going while I was away.

Most people here have not said "adios" to me, but instead say "hasta luego", meaning "see you later". They say that I will come back. And maybe I will... someday.

Someone once said:

"Goodbyes are not forever,
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I`ll miss you
Until we meet again!"

Hasta luego.

The Final Days

2007-12-15T15:18:00.000-06:00

I am winding up my time here in PV. Yesterday I cancelled my home internet service, tomorrow I give up my cell phone, and Wednesday my home phone will be cancelled. Thursday I fly home.

Since I must rely on internet cafes for the next few days, I will wait until I get home to post the pictures of the Guadalupe Day processions. I really enjoyed watching the processions and I was actually fortunate enough to walk a very short way in the teachers´procession! Two of my friends were leading the teachers, carrying the offering to the church, when they saw me on the sidelines and waved me into the parade. I walked the last 100 feet or so to the church with them. How special for me! Please don´t forget to check the blog next week for the pictures.

This morning I had breakfast with a lovely lady from Gainesville and her friend from San Francisco. How about that! She is a friend of a friend in Gainesville, now vacationing in PV, and we had a very nice visit. I have to go all the way to Mexico to meet a neighbor! We plan to get together again, (for Mexican food?!!?) when we both get home.

I have a lot to fit into the next four days! It is hard to say goodbye to the teachers I have been working with and the friends I have met. I am trying to spend a little time with each one and give lots of hugs to the kids!

Hasta luego.

Christmas Decorations

2007-12-13T21:54:00.001-06:00

The malls, stores, schools and houses are decorated for Christmas. The decorations are not as elaborate as those in the USA. There are the traditional Santas and Christmas trees but with a Mexican influence. Piñatas and papel picado are side by side with the Christmas trees and shiny balls.

I have been working with the teachers at the Cipactli kindergarten for the past two weeks and the pictures below show their decorations.

Hanging outside the classrooms are piñatas. Each point of the star piñata has a meaning but at this moment I can´t remember what it is.

Sorry, I forgot to turn this picture around but Santa swings happily in front of the classroom door.

The manger scene is ready for the Pastorela play that the students will do today for their parents. The stable is made from dry palm leaves.

Inside the classroom there is a little bit of holiday cheer.

I know the picture is dark but I want to show you the tree and Santa in the window at the house of my neighbor across the street. He put this up on Nov. 15th! Since they don´t have Thanksgiving here, decorations don´t wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving to be displayed!

St. Michael the Archangel Church is outlined with lights. It is such a beautiful church. There are 2 very tall steeples (out of the picture) which are lined with lights too and a huge piñata between them. You see the tree on the right, and on the other side of the church is a very large cross with lights.

Inside the church there is no cross over the altar, but this huge statue of St. Michael which looks like he is coming away from the wall, with his hand outstretched. The church is decorated with piñatas and papel picado and gorgeous flowers are in front of the altar and by the statues on either side of the altar.

Most Christmas trees in the stores, malls and homes are sparsely decorated, lots of lights but very few balls or tinsel. Many homes and some stores have the "icicle lights" hanging from the roof. There are lots of poinsetta plants being sold on street corners and most restaurants use the poinsettias as decorations.

There won´t be a tree at our house this year since I won´t be home until 4 days before Christmas but we will enjoy the trees and decorations at MJ and CA´s house on the 24th and at AE and C´s house on the 25th.

Hasta luego.

The Grocery Store

2007-12-13T19:14:00.001-06:00

Grocery stores here are much like the stores in the USA. The aisles of cereal, canned goods, soaps and detergents are the same. The produce department is laid out the same but is larger. Where we may have a small display of peppers, they have a huge display. Instead of taking of taking up an endcap or half a shelf for bananas, they have a whole long shelf of bananas. I have not been able to find any "baking potatoes" (Idaho or Russet). The only potatoes I have seen are "white potatoes". There are large displays of 2 kinds of limes, large and small ones, but no lemons. Fresh nopales (cactus paddles) are always available, as are oranges, tangerines (nectarinas!), and apples and pears from the USA are priced very reasonably.

Some of the most glaring differences I have shown below! I still can't get used to food being displayed uncovered.

These next 3 pictures are special foods on a holiday table. They had a similar one for El Dia de Los Muertos and other Mexican holidays. Nothing on this table is covered and it is a "self-service" table.

The white tower is a cream cheese dish, covered with frosting, and if you want some, just take the scoop and put it into a box. I think it is a roastbeef next to the white display. The woman in the back had just put a platter on the table. She is available to help if you call her out.

Breads and meats and a wine glass to make the table look pretty.

In the front left are hot dogs and behind them are roasted turkey legs. In the front right is some kind of meat. There are no identifying signs so I didn't recognize many of the foods.

The fish department is not just for holidays! It looks like this every day with uncovered octopus, eels, and other "delicacies"!

And here is the fish, whole or filleted. $29.90 a kilo is about $2.90 in US dollars.

The bakery area in this store is quite large. Once again, nothing is covered. If you want something from the shelf, you pick up a tray and a pair of tongs and help yourself. When finished, the girl will bag your choices, shake off the tray and replace it on the pile of trays.

The sweets in Mexico are called Pan Dulce. Often they are rather dry with cinnamon on the outside---good for dunking in coffee, but not very gooey good!

It is still surprising to me, everywhere I go, in grocery stores as well as in the puestos that sell food, none of the food is covered. Are we too "clean and healthy" in the USA, or.....???

Hasta luego.

The Salvation Army Kids Sing

2007-12-11T21:33:00.001-06:00

The Salvation Army's big fundraiser is at Christmas. The children learn Christmas songs and perform at Walmart and Sam's. They sing twice on Saturday and each evening, except Monday, at 5:30pm.

Walmart and Sam's draw a lot of American and Canadian customers and also tourists since the cruise ships are docked across the street from the stores. Who can resist throwing loose change into the kids' baskets?

Their enthusiasm is contagious! Just look at those smiles! Check out the little guy!

And yes, here he is! He is 3 years old and about 3 feet tall! Those are bells on a stick that he shakes as he sings. Each child has bells or a tambourine to play.

The children are wearing new shoes, courtesy of the English-speaking Community Church that I have attended several times. The church members also pick the children up at the Salvation Army and take them home after they perform.

Getting into the swig of things! They sing some American songs which have been translated into Spanish and some Mexican Christmas songs. I recognized "Sleigh Ride" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town".

They divide the group in half and half sings at Walmart and the other half sings at Sam's. The two stores are right next to each other. These youngsters are waiting to walk over to Sam's Club.

It really puts you into the Christmas spirit to watch these children, who have so little, put their whole heart into their singing and dancing.

Hasta luego.

La Posada at the Colegio

2007-12-11T10:56:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday the Colegio Mexicano-Americano held a Christmas Posada. It was not a Posada in the strictest sense of the word, but more of a Christmas Fair, with elements of the Posada thrown in. Whatever you may call it, lots of families came and enjoyed themselves.

The sign at the door invites everyone to "The Big Christmas Party, Saturday December 8th, beginning at 3:00pm, Don't miss it!" And next to the party sign is the Book Fair advertisement. Scholastic Books was holding a book fair all week, just like in the schools in the USA.

Some of the students put on a show. These 6th grade girls danced to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town".

First-graders had fun dancing and singing their Christmas song.

The Junior High students put on a Pastorela. Unfortunately I was unable to get photos of it because it had gotten dark when the play started and I didn't have enough light to make pictures.

A Pastorela, or A Shepherd's Play, is a traditional play stemming from the 1500s which covers the events prior to the coming of Jesus and ends with the adoration of the shepherds to the baby Jesus in the manger.

The play is a cheerful, fun-loving story with characters of the devil, a hermit, angels, as well as Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the shepherds. It has music and dancing and is the story of how the devil puts obstacles in the way of the shepherds and it makes fun of the devil and ends with his defeat and the triumph of good over evil. Each region in Mexico uses its own songs and dances to personalize the play for their own area.

The young people, complete with costumes, had fun and did a good job with the play. I enjoyed it.

There were games for the kids. This table is playing "La Lotteria" or, as we know it: Bingo! They were using raw chick peas for the markers.

Here is a game you won't find being played at schools in the USA! These are beer bottles and soft drink bottles with money under them. The child held a wooden ring and threw it at the bottle. If they ringed or knocked down the bottle, they won the money!! The little boy in the back reset the bottles when they got knocked over.

Lots of good food to eat: tamales, tacos, sopes, elotes, enchiladas, aguas frescas, cake, soft drinks and coffee with kahlua (another thing you won't see at schools in the USA!!) were available.

The school employees, teachers and staff, worked long hours preparing for the fun, and many people came and enjoyed the afternoon.

Hasta luego.