"Where Are You From?"

"Jill--you're not from Indiana!" 

What?  That's news to me. 

However, a few months ago, my father-in-law read in my passport that I was, indeed, born in Wisconsin, not Indiana.  To the Mexican psyche, one is from the place they were born.  So yes, if you were "accidentally" born in Florida because one of your parents was in grad school there and never stepped foot in the state after the age of six months, to your Mexican friends, you are a Floridian. 

 Mario got lucky in the fact that he was born within the official confines of Mexico City, as he likes to refer to himself as a chilango.  He spent the majority of his growing-up years 10 blocks from the line that officially divides the DF from the state of Mexico.  But, to his way of thinking, he was born on the "right" side of that line.    

I don't mind my newfound status as a Wisconsite.  All my extended family is from there,  and while I haven't lived there since the age of two, I've spent plenty of Thanksgivings, Christmases, Easters and summers there, so Wisconsin and I do have a connection. 

But I'm a Hoosier, baby.  And that's all there is to that.

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On the opposite note, when in the US, I've been introduced to people as "my friend from Mexico". 

Woah, slow down, Sparky.  I live in Mexico.  I am not from Mexico, and it's clear that no matter how many years I'll spend there, I will NEVER be considered to be "from" Mexico.  Don't get me wrong--I love Mexico, and I sure hope I'm assimilating.  However, when I'm ninety years old, I will still get asked, "Where are you from?" 

It's clear (to Mexicans, at least) that I'm not "from" Mexico.

Got Your List?

Greenga Girl got me thinking the other day with her list of cravings from the US.  As I'm planning a trip to the US soon, I've been writing lists in my head about things we need to do, people to see, food to eat, and things to bring back.  And this made me think about how these lists of mine have changed over the years.

The "People to See" category has remained fairly constant and still remains a mad dash of trying to cram as many visits to my favorite people as possible in whatever time frame I have to work with.

The "Things to Do" list has always included a visit to the Indiana Dunes, but now that I'm toting kiddos with me everywhere, this list has changed significantly.  It now contains many more playground and zoo visits than it did in the pre-Clara era.   Fortunately, the Dunes are still a necessity.

This year, "Things to Eat" is pretty vague.  However, as I'll be at my mom's house for my birthday, a Kahula cake is my one very well-formed craving.  Ooo--and any beer that isn't Corona, Victoria, Modelo, Sol, Indio, XX, etc.  Mmm . . . seasonal beers . . . microbrews . . . I'm ready to hop in the car now.  

"Things to Bring Back" is in a constant state of evolution. On this year's list:

• footed pajamas for the kids. I know they sell them here, but the jammies from the US feel softer. 
• Books, books, books.  Particularly children's books.  Ironically, I have a much easier time finding quality children's books in Spanish in the US than in Mexico.  (They don't have Ghandi or the Sotano here in Saltillo.)  It's no understatement to say that Mexico really needs to work on fostering a culture of reading--which is unlikely to happen during Pena Nieto's government.  *snicker*
• hummus mix.  The Three Rivers Co-Op in Ft. Wayne sells a dried mix.  When I add warm water and olive oil--presto!--I've got hummus.  While it's slightly less tasty, it's waaaaay cheaper than what I can find at the grocery store, so I'll keep supporting my favorite co-op. 
• Rechargable batteries.  They're just way cheaper.  
• A pair of jeans.  I was desperate for a new pair of jeans a few months ago, so we went to Parras, where they're famous for making jeans.  (Parras is home to the Dickies factory, too!)  They have men's jeans aplenty, but I was sorely disappointed at the women's selection.  The one pair that I found that fit decently was made of really thin material and, after I got home, I realized that it didn't have front pockets!  They were just sewn to look like pockets, but there's nothing there!  Grrr . . .

Man, I'm struggling to come up with more.  Either I'm really settling into life here, or Texas is just within too easy access.  Or a combination of the two.  

That which used to be on my lists?

• Peanut butter.  Really, this is often still on my lists, but I'm still well stocked from last year.  They do sell it here, but in minuscule quantities at twice the price.  So yes, I import peanut butter.  
• Cheddar cheese.  I really don't miss it any more.  (But I'm sure I'll eat plenty when I'm there.)
• Cherries.  Unfortunately, I"m not going during cherry season.  Next year, perhaps?
• Shoes.  I have now found a shoe store that I really enjoy in Saltillo.  If I were in need of good tennis shoes, I'd still wait to get them in the US (combination of cheaper and better quality).  Other than that, I'm having fun with my odd, made-in-Mexico finds. 

OK, looking over this list, I see that it really hasn't changed much.  However, my former intense attachment to these objects/experiences has.  Particularly with the peanut butter.  I used to ration my peanut butter.  Sometimes I'd gift it to friends.  Fortunately, they understood how very, very dear this peanut butter was to me.  (It was to them, too.)  We used to spread it on Maria, dip Oreos in it . . . man, I guess I'm growing up!  My friends here in Saltillo often ask me before they make a trip to the border if I need any more peanut butter.  But now that I'm no longer pregnant, it's just not quite so necessary as it used to be.  I guess I was a little desperate last year.

Then again, maybe I should double-check my peanut butter stock.  I may be halfway through my last jar.

Yikes.   

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What's on Mario's list?

• Mt. Dew.  Yesterday, he opened his last 2-liter of Mt. Dew and I heard him say, "oops!  Last Mt. Dew--I guess we'll have to go to Laredo soon!"  Really?  For Mt. Dew?  Goofy man. 
• Cargo pants.  He wears them to work and work tends to tear them to pieces.  And he can't find any in this country. Again, thank goodness Texas is close. 
• Beer.  Unfortunately, Laredo has really disappointed us in their beer selection.  Sam Adams is about as interesting as Laredoeans want in their beer, apparently.

My Salute To Those Other Mexican Immigrants

While there are around a million of us gringos calling Mexico home, another group of immigrants to Mexico has been making their presence known for well over 100 years. 

Lebanon, of all places, has been providing Mexico with thousands upon thousands of wanna-be Mexicans.  After more than 100 years of Lebanese immigration, there are now an impressive number of Mexicans of Lebanese descent . . . their ancestors weren't just wanna-bes, like yours truly.

Saltillo's Lebanese Immigrant Plaza  (on Jose Musa de Leon)

Between escaping the Ottoman Empire in the 1890s and leaving civil war behind them in the 1990s, Lebanese have settled all over the Americas.  Some cities in Brazil claim to have a larger Lebanese population than Beirut.  But plenty have come to Mexico, particularly in Merida, Puebla, Mexico City, and Tampico (according to Wikipedia and other sources).  Glancing through the last names in Saltillo's social pages, plenty of Lebanese also decided that Saltillo is a pretty great place to live, too.

Why is this worth mentioning for me?  Arabic restaurants, baby!  During college, I got involved with a group that served international dinners once every couple of months, and I fell in love with Middle Eastern food.  Unfortunately, I'm from northeast Indiana, and Middle Eastern food is rather difficult to find.  To the best of my knowledge, the nearest restaurant that serves anything wrapped in grape leaves is in Ann Arbor, a good three hours from my house.  So how delightful was it to move to Saltillo, which--while twice the size of my hometown--seems half as small, I could find not one, but a number of Lebanese restaurants!    

Embarassingly, though, we have only tried one.  Almajal, on Jose Musa de Leon, just north of Figueroa, serves an excellent buffet every Sunday.  We like it so much, we haven't bothered trying anywhere else.  (But we will, we will!)

After a year of living in Puebla my hands-down favorite Mexican meal is really a Mexican-Lebanese creation, the taco arabe.  It deserves its own post.  We spent many a Saturday afternoon at the Antigua Taqueria Cholula, scarfing these babies down until I discovered something even better--the falafel taco.  Nestled in a big, warm, pita tortilla was a bed of slivered beets, cradling a generous portion of falafels, bathed in jocoque.  A-mazing.

Then Mario moved out of Cholula and the next thing we knew the Antigua Taqueria Cholula went out of business.  (If anyone in Cholula/Puebla can find out that they just moved, instead of going out of business, please let me know.  We will make the 12 hour drive some weekend just for the joy of the falafel taco.)

Recreation of the falafel taco--success!

A few months ago, when I was missing my falafel tacos more than usual, I was inspired while at the market.  My verdulero had great-looking beets for sale.  I had never bought them before, but thought, "Hmmm . . . with fresh flour tortillas, jocoque, these beets and falafels (from a recipe that I had just found on pinterest) I could make falafel tacos! 

And I did. 

And they were amazing.

And we even got Clara to eat beets, because my girly-girl three-year-old was pretty excited about a pink vegetable.

Anyway, that's all a very long, roundabout way of saying, thanks for coming to Mexico, all you Lebanese immigrants!  You make this country even tastier than it already was.       

Eco Tianguis

A few months ago, I read the tiniest blurb in the newspaper about an "eco-tianguis", taking place that Saturday.  Tianguis is a Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) word for market, and the "eco" added to the front implied that they would be selling all things local and organic.  I was intrigued, so when I found out where it was and that is was to be an ongoing event, I had to check it out!

They do have any number of local craft people, jewelers (of the hippie style, of course!), baked goods, natural cleaning/pest remidies, honey suppliers, etc.  But only ONE produce stand.  A bit disappointed.  And, when I asked it seems that their produce mostly comes from Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, just like the Central de Abastos, where every other independent fruit/vegetable seller in town gets their vegetables from. 

However, they do sell mamey.  And starfruit.  And lychees.  And guanabana.  (Not all the same week.)  We have never seen these fruits in this part of the country!  So I can even talk Mario into going to the big hippie market, just so he can get his mamey fix.  Furthermore, their prices are very competitive with conventionally grown produce sold anywhere in town.  Considering that these fruits and veggies are supposed to be organic, I'm sold. 

The Eco-Tianguis is held every Saturday between 10-6 right in front of Avemed, just behind the Chrysler dealership on the north side of the Periferico Luis Echevarria.

IT'S RAINING!

Hearing the noise on the roof, I paused for a moment and asked myself, "What is that noise?" 

Yeah, baby--it's RAIN! 

While it rained with surprising frequency all winter and spring, lately it's been clear that we're still deep into the worst drought in 70 years.  We held our breath when we heard that there was a storm going through the Gulf--would it come here?

After a few days (and just a little spitting yesterday), I gave up hoping we'd see rain and just hoped that somewhere else, also desperately in need of rain, would get it.

But it looks like we're getting lucky today.

And I'm taking it as a good omen.  (Which, I realize, is probably grasping at straws.)  Today is Election Day in Mexico. They're electing a new president.  Like most elections anywhere, this one is a matter of choosing between the lesser of four evils (Four candidates.)  And let me tell you, I'm glad I can't vote here, because after months of campaigning and listening to three debates, I still have no idea who the lesser of these evils would be.  They're all scary in their own way.

But I'll take this rain as a sign that the "best" candidate will win.

Or maybe I'm just happy we have rain.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.   

Ruta Recreativa

On Sunday morning when Joey crashed after mass and Mario immersed himself in the newspaper, I thought to myself, "what will Clara and I do for the two hours that the boys are lost to us?"

Solution:  Ruta Recreativa!

What is the Ruta Recreativa?  About two years ago, the mayor blocked off some of the major streets of Saltillo on Sundays between 8am and 1pm.  Saltillenses can take their bikes and ride up though town, fear-free.  Or, of course, we can walk our dogs, skateboard, train for the half-marathon (which also took place yesterday) or just walk down the middle of the city's major streets, traffic-free.

When he introduced this idea, I didn't think it was going to last.  Or take off.  But it has!

Now, Clara and I did go downtown between the hours of 11 and 1 . . . not my best idea on a June day in Saltillo.  But it wasn't too bad.

And much to Clara's delight, the city provided free brincolines at both the Alameda and the Plaza de Tres Culturas (on the other end of Guadalupe Victoria). Ever since Children's Day (April 30th) when our chuch rented bounce houses, she's been asking almost incessantly to find more brincolines.  I'm thrilled that we now have a weekly outlet to enhance her need to jump. 

And if that's not enough, DIF had some face-painting stations and a few Twister games set up for people to play.

It was quieter than I expected, but we had a good time.  We'll be back.

At 10:30 on Sundays there's a Zumba class right in front of the library in the Alameda!

They close off Venustiano Carranza all the way to the Plaza de Armas (and the street is then named Allende).  Guadalupe Victoria is also closed off). So one could bike from Liverpool to the Alameda every Sunday morning without fighting traffic!

Guadalupe Victoria, looking towards the Alameda. 

It is kind of fun to strut down the middle of the street.

My non-jardin garden

My house, like most houses in Mexico (except in rural areas, of course) has a distinct lack of green space.  We know that we are very blessed to have both a patio and cochera (roofless garage) of fairly ample size.  But we do need some green in our life.  And since I like growing plants and Mario likes to buy them, we've had some very pleasant container gardens over the last 5 years. 

And this is the first time that I've documented one! 

My calla lily (or alcatraz), given to us by friends of Patty's.

My pot of Jojutla--menthol and wandering jew that I stole from my mother-in-law's garden.

My gardenia--I bought it at the fair for San Jose Day, and I'm shocked that it's not only surviving, but thriving.  Everything that we put in the cochera usually dies.

My veteran bouganvillea.  Again, everything that we put in the cochera has never lasted more than a season.  Except for this guy!  You go, bouganvillea!

My awesome tomato plant--first time growing tomatoes!  Plus a volunteer moss rose and another calla lily in the background. That lily is a lot happier, as this is the patio garden, which gets a lot less sun and is easier to remember to water them. 

We'll see what's still alive at the end of the summer. ;)