Mexicanos...

Mariachis en Plaza Garibaldi, Cuidad de Mexico

Profesor de espanol a CEPE, UNAM

Muchaco a templo

Estudiante

Cantador

Cantador y musico en Coyoacan

Musicos en Centro Historico

chicos con helado

Ken y Juan en Acapulco

Barristo

Juan y yo con pastel chocolate

Nuestro guide de Teotihuacan

Mi amigo de clase de bailando

Juan en Puerto Vallarta

Un mesero de Puerto Vallarta

Ken a Teotihuacan

Two fiestas in one week....

Here in Mexico, fiestas are a part of everyday life.  This week, I hosted one and attended another.

I wanted to have a few of the dancers over to my house after class one day.  But, how would I draw the line on who to invite?  While it is true that only a small group of us meets regularly after class for cappuccino at the "Meli Melo" restaurant, almost everyone is very nice to me during class.  I am greeted with hugs, kisses, and anyone who speaks English makes sure to speak it to me.  (Clearly, having heard my Spanish, they are sympathetic...).  So, I just decided to invite everyone.

My friend Marite translated the invitation...and everyone applauded.  Now, the pressure was on.  Our house is small...there is a loveseat, sofa and one chair, plus a table with four chairs.  I could tell that some of my friends were a little nervous for me.  Where would everyone sit?  Would I have enough food?  But I figured...whoever wants to come will, and if someone doesn't like the party...well...they won't come to the next one!

The day before the party I was busy.  I went to the mercado in San Angel and bought two tablecloths in the Mexican colors: red, white and green.  I bought some of those paper cut-out flags in the same colors.  Then I went to the beautiful flower market and got a red,white and green centerpiece and multi-colored gerbera daisies.  I went to the bakeries and checked on their opening times and I bought nata.

As best as I can piece together, nata is made when you boil whole milk and a skin of the cream forms on top.  This becomes the nata. It is rich, thick and somewhat sweet.  It is sold in stores, but also on the street by women who make it themselves.  You spread it on the delicious Mexican pan dulce called a "concha" (because it looks like that type of shell).

I cleaned up the house and began to decorate.....

I got up extra early the next morning so that I could go to both local bakeries.  I bought so many pastries at the second bakery that the line behind me stretched to the end of the store!  I had made coffee, bought instant cappuccinos in all flavors, put out different kinds of teas,  and filled baskets with cookies and pastries.  But still I felt it wasn't enough...so I went to dance, left very early, and stopped at two mores stores.  I bought traditional Mexican sweets at one, and brownies at a very fancy bakery.

Soon, my doorbell was ringing!  I received some sweet and thoughtful gifts...delicious homemade empanadas (I was glad I was able to snag one....), cookies, candy, and a wonderful assortment of handcrafts from different places in Mexico.  We were crowded, but nobody seemed to mind!

Then, the singing began!  What beautiful songs...some to me, some just for fun.  They even did a cheer for me!  I loved having these wonderful people in our little home.   Did I have fun?  Guess the photo above says it all!!!

In my quest to find out how I can make a difference in the lives of the abandoned animals here in Mexico, I have met some amazing people.  After my trip to Cholula, I began a search for animal rescues in Mexico and sent out e-mails.  I hooked up with a wonderful place in San Miguel called "Save a Mexican Mutt".http://www.saveamexicanmutt.org/  I urge you to click on their wonderful website and offer any help you can.  Hopefully, I will be bringing one of the "mutts" home with me in December to hook up with her new owner in New York State!  I was also given a name of a woman who does rescue and lives right in my neighborhood.  She immediately invited me over for coffee...and told me about a big party that was about to take place.  It turned out that she was unable to go, but I went anyway.

I took a taxi to the lovely area called "Lomas de Chapultapec" and arrived a bit early to help a hostess I had never met!  She really didn't need much help...she was a whirlwind in her kitchen, preparing wonderful appetizers, opening wine, taking care of her little girl and being sweet to her gerbil, cat and FOUR dogs!  Her husband was doing just as much. The party was for a group called "Newcomers" and the purpose was to raise money for "Mexican Animals in Need".  A number of people from agencies that directly help animals were there.  I most enjoyed meeting "Cristobal", who is like Saint Francis here on earth again.   He has been rescuing dogs for years and years and finding homes for them.  Here is his site:  http://www.alberguesancristobal.org/perritos/buscador/?frm_size=2&frm_sex=0&frm_age=4&x=28&y=8  Like "S.A.M.M." San Cristobal needs help!

Ken and I keep looking at the beautiful dogs available from Save a Mexican Mutt and San Cristobal...they are impossible to resist!  I am so glad to have found these organizations.

At the party last night I met people from India, Germany, Norway, Peru, Canada, England, the U.S. and, of course, Mexico.  While there was no singing or cheering, there certainly should have been a cheer for the generous and hardworking hostess and her husband.

Two very different parties....at mine, people drank instant cappuccino out of styrofoam cups and at the Lomas one, people drank fine wine from beautiful goblets....but I think the guests at both were happy they were invited!

I'm Lookin' Through Her....

Isn't it wonderful when politicians demand TRANSPARENCY in government?  I guess they want the public to know they are honest.   Not just "regular" honest, but really, really honest.  And bringing transparency to government was just ONE  of first-term ex-Democrat  New Mexico governor Susana Martinez' promises.  I know she would not lie, because, like Nancy Grace, she was a PROSECUTOR WHO PROTECTED CHILDREN.  (I can't begin to tell you how sick I am of having my campaign lines stolen.)  So we know that Susie, as I like to think of her, is about 1,000% honest.  And good.  Want more proof?  She plans to balance the budget!

One of the things that REALLY REALLY bugs Susie Martinez are those pesky undocumented immigrants from Mexico.  She is of Mexican heritage herself and very, very proud, blah blah blah....but she is just fed right up with people who come here....gasp....illegally!  To do what?  Work for low wages and live in miserable conditions...so their KIDS and GRANDKIDS can have a better life than they might in Mexico? Terrible, really.  Disgraceful.

So Susie is cracking down on these folks AND their progeny.   She certainly doesn't want them to be able to legally drive!  Nope, in her world, illegals would NOT be able to get driver's licenses...which makes no common sense.  With licenses, you have a record of where people live, their infractions, if any, and a record that could assist law enforcement  in case of problems.  But Susie's REAL beef taco is with these pesky U.S. citizens who just happen to have been born here to illegal immigrant parents.  She wants to make sure they cannot get access to higher education through the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship program by seeking to repeal the current laws in place.  Damn right, Suse!!  Why should these....BAD KIDS have a chance to better themselves?  Become educated?  Maybe become doctors, nurses, teachers or....attorneys who PROTECT CHILDREN?    Their parents did a VERY NAUGHTY THING.  Their children must be punished.  That IS the American way, isn't it?  


And now it seems that the Republican presidential candidates are looking for yet ANOTHER woman who hasn't finished one term as governor to be on the ticket as veep.  Susie told the NY Times that she was "humbled" that she was being considered.


Shortly thereafter....Susie finally decided to come clean about her family.  You know....TRANSPARENT.  Hmmm...could there be a connection?  No!  How dare my liberal commie socialist mind go there!  Susie just didn't KNOW before....I'm sure that's it.  Seems that Susie's paternal grandparents were....(drumroll)  illegal immigrants from Mexico!  How does she square her own family's past with her current disdain for people exactly like....her?  How does she explain her OWN education and benefits?


Well, she doesn't choose to.  So there.   Her office stated that it was "unfortunate that some are choosing to personally attack the governor".  Poor Susie.  Now I feel really bad that I even thought some of the things I did.  


O Susana, you don't have to explain anything.  You can keep all the benefits that came to you through your grandparents' illegal entry into the U.S.A. and continue to rail against every OTHER family like your own.  I only hope Nancy Grace stops dancing long enough to put Susie on her talk show!  They sort of even look alike....

I am upset with Mexico.....

This is the Great Pyramid of Cholula.

Another view shows the winding road to the Catholic Church built atop the pyramid.

It was bound to happen. I have been madly in love with Mexico for years. And living here? Well, it has been a beautiful honeymoon. I have walked in ancient archeological sites and been amazed at the level of sophitication and intelligence that built them. I have prayed in some of the most beautiful churches in the world and watched Mexican people around me pray with true devotion and love. I have seen gorgeous homes surrounded by flowers of every type and color. I have eaten delicious meals, both plain and fancy.  I have been warmly welcomed...people have invited me to their homes, given me rides,  helped me when I was lost. 


But now, I am upset with Mexico. It started with a weekend trip to Cholula, to experience the famous festival celebrating "La Virgin de los Remedios".  Cholula is known  for having the largest pyramid by "volume" in either the western hemisphere or the entire world.  When the Spanish invaded, they built a huge church right on top of the pyramid, as seen in the photos above.

The festival spreads throughout the entire downtown, and all of the churches take part, and schedule First Communions, Confirmations, and Weddings to coincide with the beautiful floral decorations that are created.

A little girl gets ready for her First Communion.

A special time for a wedding!

Each church had a beautiful fresh flower centerpiece.

One of the oldest churches we saw

These convent churches date from the 1500's.

Cholula has so many beautiful churches that you could spend a week and not visit them all.  We visited two enormous churches within a convent that were built in the 1500's.

Vendors work all day and night

These people never seem to sleep.

The church looked like something out of Disney World at night!

We wandered through the fair, where you could eat all kinds of food, or buy almost anything.  After dinner, we went back to our little hotel.

  ******************************************************

The next day, we hoped to visit a very famous church we kept hearing about.  We took a pesero, since the church was in another town.  The driver said he knew where we wanted to go.  But, either we said the wrong name, or he heard the wrong name, because he dropped us off at a town nowhere near the famous church.

It was a very poor town.  It had no charm, nothing beautiful, no picturesque houses.  All we saw at first were empty roads and flies.  But then the dogs began to appear...one after the other; one skinnier than the next; many covered in flies and clearly in pain from the fly bites.  I felt sick.  Many had just given birth...so of course we also saw the poor puppies, who seemed helpless.  All of the dogs were frightened of us.  We had a package of tostadas (crispy tortillas) and broke them into pieces and tried to feed the dogs.  Many were too timid to come close enough for the little treat, especially the youngest.

We stopped to buy water at a tiny store and four adorable children were behind the counter.  They struggled to figure out the cost of the water and finally called for mama.  She came quickly; she had been hanging laundry in their small, cluttered yard.  But she had a big smile for us.  She was so young!  If she were in the U.S., she would probably be in college or working and planning vacations, not hanging laundry for six people on a Sunday morning.  If she "owned" one of the female dogs, she certainly couldn't afford to have it spayed.  And if puppies kept coming and coming, well, she couldn't afford to feed them, either.  As upset as I was about the town's stray dogs, I couldn't be upset at this young woman who was clearly struggling to care for her family.

This sweet stray obviously is part beagle!

As soon as he had his small treat, he wanted to leave.

The puppy couldn't manage to get a treat.

This little guy was being bitten by flies.



On the bus on the way home, we saw more sad things.  Old, old women carrying heavy bags as they struggled to walk along busy roads, far too poor to afford taxi fare.

There was a terrible thunderstorm, and the roads were flooded, but I saw a donkey chained to the side of the road, and imagined how terrified he must have been of the thunder and lightening.

Yes, Mexico is a much poorer country than the United States.  BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE HERE!


So, I am looking into dog rescue agencies here.  So far, I am coming up with agencies that rescue and bring Mexican strays to the U.S. or Canada.  In my neighborhood, Coyoacan, many people have beautiful dogs.  They treat them with love and care.  They dress them up in little outfits and funny hats.
The Mexican people I have met are kind and caring.  So I don't understand how they can see these old women, and helpless animals and not want to at least try to do something to help!

I hope, in the days to come, that I get return e-mails from the rescue agencies I have contacted.  I hope they tell me that they want my help, because I am more than willing to give it.  I hope that I discover that many Mexican people are willing to donate their time and money to help the most helpless..those who cannot speak for themselves.


People pray here all the time.  And they are constantly putting money into the donation slots that are in front of each statue in each church.  The churches are certainly beautiful...but it seems to me that if the money from even ONE
statue in each church in the country could be given to the poor, or used to spay the helpless dogs, then God would be very, very pleased with the people of Mexico.

I am upset with mexico