First: - Thanksgiving:
Order, and do not bake, because your oven kicked with a gas leak about two years ago, pies from La Buena Vida bakery. Pick them up from the window from the gal in the white baker's hat. Jockey to pay with the lady receiving two dozen dinner rolls into her over-the-river-and-through-the-woods basket.
Step out of the way of the city employee on Hernandez Macias shouting up to the guy in the cherry picker to adjust the giant tinsel mistletoe he is hanging over the street to the left.
Elbow a Philadelphia buddy and remind him of standing in the cold at the Thanksgiving parade in the shadow of Billy Penn. Grumble at your kids, who are on Facebook, that they should be watching a parade.
Every once in awhile, throw your hands up and yell, Touchdown!
Tell yourself you won't have seconds, and then ignore yourself.
Giggle when all the kids (yours are teenagers now, and too sophisticated for such nonsense, you see) squirt whipped cream moustaches on each other.
Love that after dinner, your kids, along with new and old friends, go outside to watch the stars from the lienzo charro - the rodeo ring on the property.
Thank you Karla and Kayla Lorch, fantastic mother/daughter cook and hostess team!
Look for South of the Border Holidays, Part II. Coming soon...
Blue Iguanas, Cold Caguamas, Blinking Jesus and other surprises found in Mexico diario
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Reasons to Feel Optimistic
Was visited yesterday by two friends who live in a town near Monterrey. Juan is researching why Mexican teens don't continue their schooling for his PhD. During their travels this past August, they returned to their hometown the day a fire was started in a Monterrey casino that killed 53 people. The fire was atrributed to clashing cartel members. In communication in the days following, my friends were frightened, laying low, hearing of people disappearing and worse. How are things now, I asked them yesterday.
I ask because fortunately, in San Miguel, we have not experienced drug violence.
Both friends brightened at the question. Things are better, they said. Those responsible for the casino fire have been arrested, they reported. Lots of the cartel commanders have been jailed too. What's left are ragtag street criminals without organization. The military is keeping up a presence, and establishing little posts in neighborhoods to keep the streets safe. Visitors are returning to tourist sites in the area. Residents are returning to towns that had been evacuated when cartel members threatened to move in. Order and peace are returning.
I've been praying for some Mexican healing, and my heart sings to hear it.
I ask because fortunately, in San Miguel, we have not experienced drug violence.
Both friends brightened at the question. Things are better, they said. Those responsible for the casino fire have been arrested, they reported. Lots of the cartel commanders have been jailed too. What's left are ragtag street criminals without organization. The military is keeping up a presence, and establishing little posts in neighborhoods to keep the streets safe. Visitors are returning to tourist sites in the area. Residents are returning to towns that had been evacuated when cartel members threatened to move in. Order and peace are returning.
I've been praying for some Mexican healing, and my heart sings to hear it.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
An Unexpected Turnaround
Yesterday, Mexican news reports said that tourism was up around 2% in 2011. That's good news, and surprisingly, it just might be true. Last month, for the first time in three years, the numbers in our business, Jasmine Spa, went up. That is, after a steady three-year slide in earnings, October 2011 was better than October 2010.
Why? I have absolutely no idea. There were times during the past three years when Carlos and I considered closing Jasmine Spa. There was the swine flu, blamed on Mexico even though I personally knew of NOBODY in the state of Guanajuato who had the illness. Then, on top of the bugs: drugs. Escalating power fights between the cartels on the coasts and on the border, but NOT here in our town, and relentless media coverage of it, had some people believing Mexico was a war zone. The sluggish economic recovery in the United States didn´t help. The landlord would come around and we'd have nothing to offer but empty pockets.
But we kept on. A base of local clients kept us paying the phone and light bills. We struck deals with our kids' schools. We stayed home, or went to the presa (lake) and watched the water and the sun. I worked on my writing, not memoir this time but a Young Adult novel. And now, a good month. Rental people say THanksgiving weekend will bring tourists as well.
All I can say is Viva Mexico.
Hey, a really cool site called spanglishbaby reviewed my travel/romance memoir, Flirting in Spanish. Check it out!
http://www.spanglishbaby.com/2011/11/book-review-flirting-in-spanish-giveaway/
Why? I have absolutely no idea. There were times during the past three years when Carlos and I considered closing Jasmine Spa. There was the swine flu, blamed on Mexico even though I personally knew of NOBODY in the state of Guanajuato who had the illness. Then, on top of the bugs: drugs. Escalating power fights between the cartels on the coasts and on the border, but NOT here in our town, and relentless media coverage of it, had some people believing Mexico was a war zone. The sluggish economic recovery in the United States didn´t help. The landlord would come around and we'd have nothing to offer but empty pockets.
But we kept on. A base of local clients kept us paying the phone and light bills. We struck deals with our kids' schools. We stayed home, or went to the presa (lake) and watched the water and the sun. I worked on my writing, not memoir this time but a Young Adult novel. And now, a good month. Rental people say THanksgiving weekend will bring tourists as well.
All I can say is Viva Mexico.
Hey, a really cool site called spanglishbaby reviewed my travel/romance memoir, Flirting in Spanish. Check it out!
http://www.spanglishbaby.com/2011/11/book-review-flirting-in-spanish-giveaway/
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Been Scrapbooked!
Since my travel and romance memoir is, in fact, a love story, I´ve been snooping around on some romance sites and blogs. That's how I ended up being the guest author SCRAPBOOKED by romance reader and blogger Nat at Reading Romances - http://readingromances.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/an-authors-scrapbook-susan-mckinney/
It was way fun to put together! Go over to the Reading Romances blog and see what my favorite hobby is, what my secret wish is and who my favorite authors are. It's such a cool presentation! Thanks, Nat!
It was way fun to put together! Go over to the Reading Romances blog and see what my favorite hobby is, what my secret wish is and who my favorite authors are. It's such a cool presentation! Thanks, Nat!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Guest post by "I Love San Miguel" Hal Schade
Texan Hal Schade has visited San Miguel several times, but its colors, festivals and street life never fail to captivate him. In my romance and travel memoir, Flirting in Spanish, I wrote about watching the Festival de San Miguel from the balcony of one of the town´s stucco houses. Hal stayed on Calle Sollano for nine weeks, exiting the country at the beginning of this month with a promise to come back. During his last week in San Miguel, the festival of San Miguel Arcangél took place. He told me personally, Nothing beats Mexican chocolate, and Nothing beats a Mexican fiesta. Here are his thoughts in text, and his photos.
I had some photos from what turned out to be the final "event" of the celebrations of Arcangel San Miguel...it was much like the others, yet very moving......you can't see it, but the mantón this woman is wearing is soaked with tears from the experience...she told me I should go through, so I did...
...of course, there were all the dancers...here are a couple of diablos "before and after" the passing...and a lady burning incense at the door of La Parroquia...
...the mix of rituals for the whole celebration period was amazing...pagan, pre-Hispanic, Christian...but they all blend into one very memorable experience...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Vendors in my Life
I guess I better clear things up. I´m speaking of the taco ladies. The Hands of Steel lady flips tortillas and gorditas with her bare hands. She uses cheap stainless steel spoons to serve the guisados (fillings like shredded chicken, mushrooms in cream, chicharón and nopales) into the tortillas to make tacos. Me...I´d be burning my fingers and yelling, Ouch! Not this lady though. Her outdoor stand is on Calle Nueva. She has a nice smile accentuated by some tall white teeth that probably cost her some.
The Gates of Hell taco lady has a little fonda (traditional Mexican food sold out of a small kitchen or stand) at the back of a corner store jam-packed with every snack beverage ever invented by Coke, Pepsi or Lipton. It´s hard to tell how she cooks because her back is to you when she is at the stove and, like the name implies, she cooks in the dark, as the lights went off in the back of the store about two months ago and have not been repaired. This gal is probably not even 30. She rarely smiles. She does, however, serve her tacos with lovely, crinkled slightly blackened grilled and salted jalapeños. In both places, you can get a fill-you-up plate of tacos for about one dollar.
Josefina is the owner of La Ventana, where I get my yummy organic Chiapas coffee. Being in the coffee business, a cold day makes her do a happy dance. She and I trade service for product. The other day her two daughters, who've been in school with my girls, came in to my business, Jasmine Spa with a friend for massages and facials. All on credit. This means I can think, a latte would be great right now, or Frappucino! and just cruise on over and pick one up. Sometimes when I don´t have small change the Hands of Steel taco lady will tell me to pay tomorrow. It´s one of the nice things about living in San Miguel de Allende, which even though it´s a World Heritage Site, is still a small town.
The Gates of Hell taco lady has a little fonda (traditional Mexican food sold out of a small kitchen or stand) at the back of a corner store jam-packed with every snack beverage ever invented by Coke, Pepsi or Lipton. It´s hard to tell how she cooks because her back is to you when she is at the stove and, like the name implies, she cooks in the dark, as the lights went off in the back of the store about two months ago and have not been repaired. This gal is probably not even 30. She rarely smiles. She does, however, serve her tacos with lovely, crinkled slightly blackened grilled and salted jalapeños. In both places, you can get a fill-you-up plate of tacos for about one dollar.
Josefina is the owner of La Ventana, where I get my yummy organic Chiapas coffee. Being in the coffee business, a cold day makes her do a happy dance. She and I trade service for product. The other day her two daughters, who've been in school with my girls, came in to my business, Jasmine Spa with a friend for massages and facials. All on credit. This means I can think, a latte would be great right now, or Frappucino! and just cruise on over and pick one up. Sometimes when I don´t have small change the Hands of Steel taco lady will tell me to pay tomorrow. It´s one of the nice things about living in San Miguel de Allende, which even though it´s a World Heritage Site, is still a small town.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Gates of Hell Tacos
My theory for living in Mexico is: Suspend Logic.
For instance, the corner store on Sollano where we buy tacos in the morning for 12 pesos. These days, that´s less than a dollar for 4 tacos (a taco, by the way, in Mexico, is ANYTHING stuffed into a warmed-up, folded-over tortilla). The tacos come with shredded lettuce, tomato and salsa. Quite the bargain. Quite a convenient little stop for the thrifty.
The gal who runs the little kitchen even put in a couple of tables. On any morning, you´d find cops with their walkie-talkies occassionally crackling, moms who´ve just dropped kids off at school, area workers, delivery guys who stop for a bite before resuming their routes. And THEN, about 3 weeks ago, the lights went out.
The taco gal now cooks to the light of the flame on her gas stove. The tables sit in darkness.
The store in the front still sells bread, milk and Cokes under fluorescent
lighting, so you can easily make selections and pay for your tacos in the front of the store. But step carefully once you show up at the kitchen window and be prepared to pick up your meal in the black.
The Taco Gal can´t change a light bulb?
She lost the number for the electrician?
She meditates while making tacos and prefers the dark?
It all doesn´t matter, because business has not slowed at the Gates of Hell Taco Window. The taco gal is busy as ever. People even sit at the tables, hunched closer to their plates to see where their taco is.
Not me, though. I like seeing what I eat. That´s not to say I´ve found another breakfast nook. A twelve peso plate of tacos de pollo o frijoles can´t be beat.
I take mine wrapped in tin foil, however, to go.
For instance, the corner store on Sollano where we buy tacos in the morning for 12 pesos. These days, that´s less than a dollar for 4 tacos (a taco, by the way, in Mexico, is ANYTHING stuffed into a warmed-up, folded-over tortilla). The tacos come with shredded lettuce, tomato and salsa. Quite the bargain. Quite a convenient little stop for the thrifty.
The gal who runs the little kitchen even put in a couple of tables. On any morning, you´d find cops with their walkie-talkies occassionally crackling, moms who´ve just dropped kids off at school, area workers, delivery guys who stop for a bite before resuming their routes. And THEN, about 3 weeks ago, the lights went out.
The taco gal now cooks to the light of the flame on her gas stove. The tables sit in darkness.
The store in the front still sells bread, milk and Cokes under fluorescent
lighting, so you can easily make selections and pay for your tacos in the front of the store. But step carefully once you show up at the kitchen window and be prepared to pick up your meal in the black.
The Taco Gal can´t change a light bulb?
She lost the number for the electrician?
She meditates while making tacos and prefers the dark?
It all doesn´t matter, because business has not slowed at the Gates of Hell Taco Window. The taco gal is busy as ever. People even sit at the tables, hunched closer to their plates to see where their taco is.
Not me, though. I like seeing what I eat. That´s not to say I´ve found another breakfast nook. A twelve peso plate of tacos de pollo o frijoles can´t be beat.
I take mine wrapped in tin foil, however, to go.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)