Only Skeletons Celebrated Here

Yep, I'm jumping on that Day of the Dead bandwagon, too. Because what did Clara and I come across when we went downtown hoping to refill ink cartridges? The street along one side of the Alameda was blocked off to make room for enormous ofrenda upon ofrenda for the Days of the Dead.

Last year, I believe I posted something about the ofrendas that were on display at the State Cultural center. That was enjoyable, but this was so much better! This year, a number of the city's high schools seemed to stage an ofrenda-making competition of sorts. Various schools were represented, a stage was set up for local talent to sing covers of popular songs, and a nine-foot tall catrina danced down the street.

I don't know if it's because we live so close to Texas or if it's because Mexico in general is getting more and more Americanized with their Halloween celebrations, but certain sections of this town are really trying to hold on to their own traditions and celebrate the Days of the Dead, instead of Halloween (or, maybe along with Halloween--hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em). This parade is a good example, as was the sign posted at the daycare center near my house. Today the children were to come to school dressed as catrins or catrinas (boy and girl skeletons)--NOT in their Halloween costumes. Good job, Centro Educativo--teach them young to reclaim their culture!

Anyway, the ofrendas are altars built to remember someone who has passed on. I believe a few were made in honor of the founders of some of the schools represented. I saw quite a number dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Sor Juana seemed to be the next favorite of the high school girls. I didn't recognize the picture of this one, so I asked the boys who made it. Pedro Infante--of course! How did I miss that most dapper of mustaches?

So thank you high school students of Saltillo--you sure brightened my day!

It's About Time

1) Since it's been awhile since I posted a Clara update, and
2) the kids is making strides (quite literally) in a number of areas,
here's the skinny on Chubbs:

She walks! Without holding onto my hand! The second week that we were visiting my parents, she and I went to Parkview North's playground. I was sitting on a bench about 3 yards away from her as she played with their enormous abacus. After awhile, she pooped out, took a seat, and asked me to pick her up. I told her to walk to me. She kept asking, I kept insisting. Finally, she planted her hands on the ground, hoisted her heiney in the air, got to her feet and walked over to me. I was incredulous. She just looked at me, plainly saying, "What's the big deal? Of course I can walk."

Thanks for finally letting us in on the secret.

Her vocabulary is also advancing with leaps and bounds. Keeping in mind that bilingual children are a bit slower to speak, I was still getting a little worried when, at 20 months, her only recognizable words were "mama" and "papa". And even those words were hit and miss. Just within the last week or two, she has developed an 8-word vocabulary.

• Mama

• Papa (she does say "dada" pretty frequently, but as we've never referred to Mario as "daddy or "dada", I'm not counting it as anything.)

• baby. Until yesterday, this did not refer to a baby, at least not in Clara's mind. To Clara, "baby" means animal, any animal. Puppies, Chris's cats, the hornet in my parents' kitchen, illustrations of cows . . . they're all babies. Finally yesterday she did point to Baby Bill and call him "baby".

• no. Today she decided to prove that she is very, very good at "no". Funny how the baby books often mentioned that kids learn to say "no" right around the same time they learn how to walk. They were right on, in Clara's case.

• please. She still does the sign language, but now she'll often accompany it with a verbal, "pee".

• ball. It comes out as either "ba" or "be". Very consistent, though. I think it was her first word after mama and papa.

• yeah. I've heard her say it a few times in the last week, but "no" has solidly eclipsed anything positive.

• beer. Mario was enjoying one tonight and Clara was working really hard to get a sip. After quite awhile without success, she thought it would be good effect to string together, "Pee [accompanied with hand signal], bee." For real? Beer?!? You're out of control, Clara.

Visitor Delight

Coming home last week, I didn't have too much time to adjust from being the visitor to having a visitor! How I love visitors . . . hint, hint!

My friend, Danyel, lived and volunteered with me for a year at Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos way back in 2004. She's back there working and had to visit the house for the college students in Monterrey last week. Since she was all the way up here, she decided to spend her "weekend" with us here in Saltillo.

In my heart, part of my plan for her visit was to wander around downtown and snack ourselves sick on street food. When I was living in Toluca and she had just returned to NPH, we'd meet up in Coyoacan, on the south side of Mexico City, about once a month. Coyoacan is a lovely, lovely neighborhood, and we'd meander through the neighborhoods filled with huge houses, impressive gates, polished wood doors, cascading bouganvillea. While doing all that walking we'd inevitably work up an appetite, head back to the center of Coyoacan, craving corn-on-a-stick, donuts-on-a-stick (thanks, Cafe El Jarocho), mocha frappes, gorditas de nata, nieve (sherbet) . . . on at least one occasion we both ended up sick afterwards.

But it was so worth it.

I toyed with the idea of introducing Danyel to Elote Real, a popular snack spot downtown that throws a cup of sweet corn kernels in a styrofoam cup and then douses them with mayonnaise, nacho cheese, and chili powder. Amazing. And then we could peruse nachos, in the state where they originated (they come from Piedras Negras on the Texas/Coahuila border). Unfortunately, I haven't seen any jicaleta vendors lately to give our feast a healthy image.

However, Mario bought a newspaper on Sunday and a number of restaurants ran some fairly large ads . . . including three Lebanese restaurants. Middle Eastern food in Mexico? Oh, yes. I believe that in the 1920s, Mexico welcomed large numbers of Lebanese immigrants. One of their lasting contributions to Mexico is the taco arabe in Puebla (more on that another day). And, these excellent restaurants in Saltillo which happily serve me large platterfuls of unidentifiable delicacies. All that I know is that they're all stuffed with lamb and rice. Little squashes stuffed with lamb and rice, grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice, cabbage leaves stuffed with lamb and rice. Mmm . . . I love that lamb and rice! Eating garbage downtown just had no appeal after considering our lamb-filled options.

However, we did walk off all that rice downtown. And, as we approached the Alameda, we stopped for a frozen yogurt. For 10 pesos, we were served a generous serving of frozen yogurt, fruit on the bottom (raspberries for me), chocolate on top, then garnished with a spoonful of chocolate chips. Yes.

I need to have Danyel visit more often. We eat well together.

*******************************************************
Ayamal: Monclova #1419, Col. Republica Pte. 416-8201
Or, Jill-directions: You know the Soriana on Coss? And there's a Banamex in that same Plaza. Right. Roughly across the street from the Banamex (behind Coss, going into Republica) is Banco Inbursa. That's Calle Monclova. So the restaurant just past Inbursa, yep, that's Ayamal. And I don't think it's called that from the signs from the outside. Go figure. They also sell gorditas and other typical norteno dishes, plus Lebanese a la carte. However, I just always go for the buffet-brought-to-your-table as soon as they mention it. It's a good call.

Stop Seducing Me!

Oh, USA . . . after hanging out with you for almost three weeks, I must admit, I am a little smitten.

You started in with the walking trails in my parents' new neighborhood, meandering through woods and backyards and finally winding up to the YMCA (which boasts daycare . . . ooo--you want me bad, don't you?). Sidewalks that were wide enough for 2-3 people walking shoulder-to-shoulder and NO 6-inch cracks to navigate the stroller over? No traffic? Wonderful.

Then we discovered the toddler-friendly playgrounds--not just one, but two in town (and that was without even seeking them out). Stairs wide enough for the kid to crawl up . . . toddler swings that she won't fall out of if she lets go to point at a dog . . . slides that don't pitch her headlong into the pavement . . . nice.

And the library--oh, the library! Just the thought of those thousands upon thousands of FREE books, mine for the asking, is making me weak in the knees. For a parting shot the day we left, we returned our books just as story hour was beginning. I could be friends with those ladies. Clara could be friends with their kids. How I would have loved to go to lunch and the park with them afterwards, as some were suggesting.

Yep, you pulled out all the stops. Don't think I didn't notice.

Fortunately for me, a few days before I left the US, a friend of mine posted these photos on facebook (my apologies that I can't pull them up here for all to see). Thank you, Missy! Those snapped me out of it. Parts of me may want you, US, but for now, the rest of me is in Mexico. And I really am rather happy about it.















So, USA--despite all your charms, I left you again. We had a good time, but for now, that's all it can be.

Our Large Problem

Clara and I are hanging out in the US yet again this year (we've got to take advantage of the fact that Clara doesn't have to pay for an airplane ticket yet . . . that, and a friend's wedding). Anyway, I'm stumbling across some interesting comparisons between my life in the US and my life in Mexico.

Lately, a number of Mexicans have been proclaiming, almost proudly (strangely enough) that Mexico is now officially ranked as the second fattest country on the planet--after the United States, of course. A number of Mexicans have proclaimed that they ARE the fattest nation on earth. I put them back in their place. Yes, I'm from the US. We have to win on everything. While Mexico certainly has more than its fair share of overweight people, it's got NOTHING on my country when it comes to obesity.

Ironically though, since I've been in the US this week, I feel like I've been bombarded with health/consumer information. So many magazines sport cover models who have lost over 100 pounds in weight (and I am so happy to see them there instead of the celebrities who need to fatten up a bit). Magazines, newspapers, the TV news, and community organizations feel like they can't tell the public enough to go out and take a walk. Walk, walk, walk--it's the new miracle excersize! (Kudos to Allen County, Indiana, for investing in a series of walking trails--one which goes right through my parents' new neighborhood . . . I can't get out there enough.) Eat fiber, drink water, buy veggies from the farmers' market--the barrage doesn't end. Nor do the fat-free, salt-free, gluten-free, carb-free, sugar-free options in the grocery store. Dear heavens!

At any rate, I've been overwhelmed with the amount of health information from every channel. And it's apparently been long overdue, or we, as Americans, would not be in the shape we are.

Mexico, on the other hand, seems to be, once again, still stuck in the sixties. As often as I hear solid information about how people should cut calories, go for a walk, eat more vegetables, I hear at least as many rediculous theories. For instance, the peach diet--eat nothing but peaches and you'll achieve your ideal dress size. Right. Cut out tortillas and watch your waistline shrink. OK, there may be some truth to this one, but tortillas, especially corn tortillas are full of good nutrients and even a bit of protien . . . call me crazy, but skip the pop and chips and things might really start moving in the right direction.

More than anything though, the only reason that I can see why Mexico is #2 instead of #1 in worldwide largeness per capita is that it's still necessary for most Mexicans to walk at least a little bit each day. In the US, we've made it so that it's nearly impossible to walk to any kind of store, recreational area, school, etc. (Unless one lives in a large, urban area, I assume.) In Mexico, at least where I live, it's inevitable that I'll walk to either the butcher, the corner store, the tortilla store, the post office, the bank or the park almost every day. (OK, we were smart and chose to live downtown.) But, even when I lived in smaller towns or in areas that weren't quite so centrally located, I walked a lot--basically because I walked to work every day. Unless I wanted to wait 10 minutes each way to sit on an overcrowded bus, I walked. It just made more sense.

But in the US, at least where I grew up, it was next to impossible to walk anywhere without getting run over. Slowly, things are getting better. But not quickly enough.

So let's just hope that Mexican city planning (what's that?) never follows the direction that the US took. Unless they're just bound and determined to beat the US in something.

I can think of better goals.

Second Thoughts

For a few weeks now, one of my favorite families in Saltillo have started jumping through the hoops to get them moved to the US sometime in the next year. For quite awhile, I've been quite happy living in Mexico. But now, talking with my friend, I sometimes think, "man, _____ would sure be nice, if we lived in the US." Or, "if we lived in the US we could do ________."

I'm starting to get the itch to move. And the US was sounding real good. Until yesterday.

Do I really want to move back to a country that is so very against immigration that they refuse to let smart, hardworking young people (who have lived in this country longer than they've lived in their country of origin) even begin the process to become citizens? Do I want to live in a country that refuses to let openly gay people protect that country in the armed forces?

These weren't radical bills, people. Why on earth did they not pass?

Or, why were these two very hot issues lumped together in the same piece of legislation? I am trying to understand why the overall issues are so hotly contested, but these particular bills? Again, they weren't exactly radical. They seemed like no-brainers to me.

But obviously not to the majority of the population.

It's time to figure out what's going on. For the life of me, I can't figure out what is so very terrifying about about these 18-year-old immigrants or gay soldiers. They're out there. They exist. They're already part of our country (and a very important part, too). Why are they not allowed to live their lives out in the open like the rest of us?

I can't explain how disappointed I am.

Clearly, plenty of you do have some very strong objections to this. So let's talk. I'm not going to change your mind and you won't change mine, but let's at least try to figure out where we're coming from.

We can't go on like this.

Lili--Make Sure Your Parents Watch This!

Warning: This post is just a glorified email for my family (particularly my father-in-law). Videos don't email well.

Clara has been making the goofiest sounds and sentences for a week or two now. But last night she strung a bunch of new syllables together and came up with abuelo! (grandpa) And then she repeated it over and over.

Of course, as soon as I whipped out the camera, her version of abuelo became less and less identifiable. But at the end of the video, I think she says it well again.

Being super-excited, I wanted to pass that on right away. For most of the video, it is me talking, trying to get her to repeat me. But she DOES say it! Really, she does!