Tejupilco, Mexico

Introduction

2009-07-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Recently I was in Mexico learning to teach English and thought I'd drop in on some old friends. Unfortunately I didn't have their address or phone number to let them know I was coming! I shouldn't have worried a bit, everything turned out great. Each day I jotted down my own frank observations of life and took tons of photos. Upon returning to the US, I made this site to share with the world. Some times we don't quite realize (or remember) how different life is in other cultures. And some things are very interesting, indeed.

I like to think that it is easy reading, enjoy! Click here to begin my written log.
Or click on any smaller photo below to go straight to the pictures.

Front Yard

2009-07-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Adriana and I sit in the "special grass". This grass is treasured, never cut and seldom walked on because it was so hard to get it to grow in the clay soil.

Of course Monstro loves the grass too. As does Brandy.

"You just push the button." I tell Sra how to use the camara. Oh, technology.

Now, she's figured it out, though each time Sra takes a photo she has to hold her breath and then let it out with a whistle. That makes it easy to keep a natural smile on our faces.

A valiant attempt to get two dogs to just sit still for a second.

It proved to be impossible as Brandy refused to cooperate.

Sra and the love of her life.

Front porch, so pleasant to sit on in the evenings,

hoping for a cool breeze, or some rain clouds.

A philodendron is looped on nails to frame the garage. I think it looks enchanting (pay no attention to the propane tanks and the washing machines).

The philodendron magically continues on the side of the garage.

Sra next to her new yellow rose plant that I forgot to barter for so I paid a whole $1.60 for it instead of $1.40. The dirt that it is planted in was imported all the way from the river.

Backyard

2009-07-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is a little building behind their home on someone else's property. It used to be a day care just a few years ago. Before that a family actually lived here, with no electricity. It's been abandoned since then, but it's rather picturesque, I could see so many things here...oooh, like an English school? Hmmm...

One of my favorite parts of visiting Mexico is the chickens. They are everywhere and so fun to try to make them like you (hint, use food and lots of it). I wonder how the top chicken doesn't realize that she is actually sitting on another, there are about four other spots for her to lay her egg in (or pretend to as they often do). But no, she must have this spot. And the bottom chicken just allowed her to come and sit on top of her?

Sure there is a real sink in the kitchen, but that's no fun! There's no ambiance in there. This washer basin and pool below are where the dishes and clothes are all washed. Nevermind that Sra has a fantastic new washing machine that almost puts the clothes in it itself. It is just not good enough, she has to wash them all herself first, and only then will she put them in the machine.

View of the backdoor (the one that everyone goes in, the front door is rarely

used) and "sink" area.

How do two people and one house need 12 brooms?

Deluxe sized chicken pen.

Think birdie knows where she is resting? It's the cover to the septic tank, ewww.

A kitty with no name. Sra says that the 3 cats that are always nearby do not belong to her. But don't tell them that, they hang around for hearty meals of dog kibble twice a day that Sra serves on their special plates aka old hubcaps.

(Why yes, that is a dead cockroach reposing next to kitty.)

No, the chickens don't have their own special hubcaps for eating off of, that'd be silly! They just peck at the scraps left by the dogs.

Terry during afternoon post-meal naptime.

It's hard work scratching pulgas and carrapatos all day long, you can imagine.

Mandarin Oranges et al

2009-07-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

When will the mandarin oranges be ripe?
Oh, they are ready right now.
Yay! (she runs for a ladder)
It's hard to see, but the tree above is covered in mandarin oranges. Apparently the chickens aren't crazy about them.
And there were still lots left on the tree. Don't let their strange brain like appearance fool you, I'm not an orange person, but these things were delectable, each one perfect, like candy.

Would you believe it if I told you that 4 years ago I bought some grapefruits with me on my visit here and that Sra planted some of those seeds and that one of those seeds grew into this healthy, lovely tree? No fruit yet, but someday soon.
If you look close you will see that there are two small green figs on this tree. The fig season is almost over, but I was told that the tree was loaded with them. The first day I was here I found a purple fig growing on the tree. Having before mistaken a rip fig for what was actually a non-ripe fig (yuck), I was going to ask if it was ready. But the next day, it had been ripped off the tree by some animal. How disappointing for me who would loved to have eaten lots. I remember when this tree was as tall as I and as round as my arm. Now it is about 10 feet high with many branches in every direction.
A regular orange tree not quite ripe yet.The brown pod-like things hanging down are tamarinds. They are used with sugar to make a juice. Some people really like it, it's sold in all the stores. Some people (not mentioning any names) find it disgusting and don't know how anyone can tolerate it. But it's too bad because when the fruit is ripe the tree is covered with them and here they end up giving away bushels of it.
Cirruela aka Plum trees, like the little prune plums. These trees produce fruit around May and then grow leaves, very delicious and fun to climb to try to reach the best fruit on the top.
Lots of piles like these each evening.
Sra. and Adriana (and me too) eating mandarinos and enjoying each other's company as the day winds down.

Inside

2009-07-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Introducing the most spoiled brat in the world. His real name is Capullo, just like it says on the bottle of cooking oil (whatever that means), but I call him Monstro (monster), Monstrito (little monster) or Beastie depending on what mischief he is making at the time.

When he is not sitting on a chair like the real human beings do, or sprawled out in the middle of the floor, so you trip over him, Monstro can be found sleeping in his favorite place. How is he comfortable smooshed between the wall and the couch? Who knows? But he's done it since he was just a half of a year old.

A real live Mexican kitchen - sort of. See the tiny stove? It is old though it still works, but for a few years now it's been acting as a side table. And that cupboard I helped to paint. It was my first introduction to the wonders of oil based paint (you know, the kind that doesn't just wash off of your hands or arms even with vigorous scrubbing).

And on the other side of the kitchen we have the reason why the tiny stove is not used (though why it is in the kitchen at all anymore still remains a mystery).

A new dining room set and "china" cabinet make up the open dining room. China is put in quotes because I've never actually seen china in Mexico, and there certainly isn't any in that cabinet. I should instead call it a glass cabinet.

Turn around and you will see the living room...

A beautiful painting from Mexico City, that I helped pick out, hangs over the couch.

Sr. y Sra. many moons ago.

Close ups of the granddaughters in their almost life-size quinceñera photos. Why do the girls get a party and the boys don't? Or maybe the boys' present is being invited to the girls' parties?

Adriana and Sr. so kindly obliging my request for a "this is a real Mexican lunch" image, even though we all know what they are thinking. Note the obligatory tortillas covered in foil to keep warm in the middle of the table.

Feliz' House

2009-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

See photo above for the front of Feliz' house.

Does anything say Mexico more than a bright pink house?

This was Feliz' first ever digital camara attempt while

she was showing me their chickens...

Feliz, her mom (left), and her pup, three of the sweetest beings I know in Mexico!

First things first, don't you have any baby chickens for me to play with??

Doesn't take much to make me unreasonably happy!

Awww...little furry darling, I held him for about an hour,

until he started to do his business in my lap.

Feliz' mom had her first run with a digital camara too,

but Feliz - you are ALWAYS smiling, why aren't you very much in my pictures??

I know what he's thinking and no, it's not lunch time.

They tried to make me tell them which one I thought was fatter!

I laughed, demurred and then changed the subject.

I do wonder who's idea it was to paint the house this color...

isn't it gorgeous in a very respectably eccentric kind of way?

Plants

2009-07-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

These are some photos of the plants that grow around the house. The first three are of my favorite plant, they smell delicious but no one knows what they are! If you do, then let me know please!

River

2009-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the river three times this week, the last time I went alone and brought my camera.

Just follow the cow paths.

Hi, guys, don't mind me, just passing through!

They all looked at me as if to question, "What in the world is that?"

These cactus trees grow wild and the "leaves" are also cooked and

eaten (though not by me). I really wanted to like it, look at all that free food!

When the branches become heavy or are knocked off by wrestling cows or strong rains or winds, the fallen pieces grow roots and become a new tree, neat!

See the exotic yellow and black bird I was trying to take a picture of? No? Me neither.

I started further down the river and worked my way up it. You can tell we had a rainstorm the night before by the muddy water. This part of the river is pretty strong and the six inches that covers what is a road in the dry season is hard to cross. I lost a flip-flop on the way back, but thankfully it paused just over the edge and I was able to catch it.

Moving up the river it isn't as strong and only a foot or so deep as this is just the beginning of the rainy season. Er, this is where I lost my sandal again. Since I couldn't see the bottom (like I could the day before) I was scared to walk barefoot. This time I had to chase my shoe as it was carried by the river, getting soaked from the hips down to catch it.

The day before we had sat on some of the larger rocks in this bend to rest and stick our toes in the water. Today those rocks are covered by water.

And now the most exciting part of my river trip - see that cute little calf?

He sees me.

And he's a curious little fellow, here he comes!

Very curious. The fact that I was sweet talking to him and waving long pieces of grass around helped to peak his interest.

I thought this photo was the closest he would let me get to him.

But I was wrong! This photo below is my favorite from our meeting. I only wish I had snapped a shot of him tasting my hand! He did it twice.

And then he licked my dress. What a little cutie pie, isn't he?

The most relaxing and rejuvenating afternoon I've had in a long time!

Golondrinos aka Barn Swallows

2009-07-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

Some poor quality photos of the golondrinos that make little clay nests under the patio's overhang ceiling. Any covered patio that I've seen in this area has at least a few golondrino nests. You can see in some photos (if you squint, sorry these guys weren't very photogenic and it was hard to get any decent shots into the shady corners) that when the roofs were painted the nests were painted to match as well.

Below is a drawing I found online to show what this bird looks like if you aren't familiar with them. What I can't show is how they swoop around in circles, like they are playing tag and the nests are a safety zone. They glide so fast and so near to one's head, it's almost unbelievable. Also, what I am too proper to have taken a photo of is the "waste buckets". On the floor under each nest where I stayed there is a bucket to catch their droppings. And these birds go A LOT, they are very messy too. The birds are tolerated because no one seems to know how to make them go away and while their landlord's complain I think they secretly like them.

Roof Views

2009-07-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, they are as rickety as they look. But I was told that surprisingly no one has fallen to their death using this staircase yet.

To the North...see Sra Ava coming to visit?

Another view to the North, the black barrel doesn't quite fit the scenery but it's a great thing to have, it pumps water into the house.

To the Northeast , those cypress trees on the left 5 years ago were just 3 feet tall!

To the East, you can see the back of the store in both photos and how close it is to the house, the red part is the roof that I am standing on.

More to the East, a wedding party had rented the area just beyond the yard, the tent hadn't been taken down all the way yet.

To the South, rows of corn, used to feed the chickens, make tortillas and cookies around Halloween time that resemble eating sand, sugary sand, but still sand.

To the West.

The scariest part isn't going up. It's coming back down, go slowly and hold on tight!

The End

2009-07-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

It was another nice surprise from above that Jaime, the same taxi drive that had driven Adriana and I into town a two days ago, found us on the dark corner so early this morning. He took me the 12 kilometers into town alone for just 75 cents and dropped me off right next to the bus. Another kind person helped me to be sure I got on the right bus, and that the driver knew where I wanted to get off. My ride to Toluca started out awful, but after 20 minutes or so my magic motion sickness pill kicked in and I felt fine again. Note to self: Next time taken it earlier and not on an empty stomach.

Now my happiness at the ease that I arrived in Toluca has been shadowed but a suspicion that I was swindled by my taxi driver that brought me to the airport. I know I'm supposed to agree on the price beforehand, and yet when I asked him the cost he asked me how much I wanted to pay. I said 70 pesos and he started talking on the phone. At the airport he tried to tell me it was 250, that he wasn't joking and I couldn't leave unless I paid that. I thought he was crazy to think I'd pay that much. I ended up giving him all the Mexican money that I had, about 130 pesos and a little box of orange juice that I didn't feel like drinking before I went through security. Oh well, I'll even it out by not spending 50 pesos on the new Vogue España that I have been coveting. I was trying to talk myself out of it, but if I had pesos left I would have bought it. Well, I hope he needed it, a $5 loss will not break me.

Going through immigration was uneventful, though it took so long I had to race to catch my connecting flight. I arrived breathless and sweaty at 3:22. The plane was scheduled to leave at 3:30, but didn't until 3:40 or so. I was afraid my beloved tweezers, my new favorite 3.2oz bottle of face lotion (.2 oz more than allowed, just enough to make that special bomb, right?) and some of my snacks would be confiscated. Or maybe I'd be randomly selected to be interrogated and they'd find my photos of me with chickens and cows and I'd have to admit to being on a farm and among livestock even though I checked the "no" box on the custom's form. That would certainly have made me miss my flight.

Something I found very agreeable on the flight from Toluca was the fantastic snacks and the quirky flight attendant. His name was Nelson, a smaller Asian man with a Midwestern accent. He gave us frequent updates on our arrival time into Houston, the temperature and details of everything from how to go through customs, to the order of the refreshment services and what exactly the hearty snack was going to be. And what was it?

A pouch of beef jerky that even I could eat, crackers with a cheese spread, a craisin mix and M n'Ms. After he passed them out, he had a few extra so he went through the cabin and offered another to anyone who wanted one. Then he offered little bags of pretzels too (they tasted delicious with the cheese spread). Throughout the flight he offered beverages at least four times as well including asking me if I'd like more coffee about five minutes after he poured my first cup. After five days with only instant decaf I've been a glutton today having three cups of caffeinated brewed coffee. But my favorite part about him was how real he was, there was no reading from a script for him. He informed us that the beef jerky was not too hard, that the cranberry mix was delicious, warned us that it was 90 degrees in Houston and said "mucho gracias" [sic] to us all . He's the kind of person that one should write to his airlines to compliment and I think for the first time ever I will do that.

In less than two hours I'll be on home territory once again. I've had a great trip, almost like a dream already, but it will be so nice to babble on and on in English to anyone that will listen. I know that at first I will stumble a bit with my words and say silly things like "she didn't want that I..." That is to say, I will unnecessarily insert "that" into my sentences or say "I" instead of "me". Amazing how the brain adapts and then re-adapts. I hope that the readiness that I've acquired to actually understand Spanish spoken to me doesn't evaporate. I'm also now thinking of how happy my grandma will be when I give her the gift I found for her - the most delicious smelling marshmallows one could imagine. I've been teased by their strawberry aroma for three weeks now. She likes marshmallows so much that she even sneaks some before breakfast, so I'm certain that she will love these. I'm rather looking forward to tasting them myself.

Day Five

2009-07-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

It was warm last night, a little cooler outside, but very warm in the house. The first day I was here I spent a long sweaty five minutes struggling to open the window in my room because for some reason the other windows are almost never open. Once I asked about it and I think I was told it was to keep the house cleaner, from the dust that would blow in. It makes sense in a way, but I'd rather have a slightly dusty home than suffocate. In fact last night I had propped up the fan in my window and put a damp cloth over my forehead because I was so warm. I woke up at 2am almost sweating.

For a half an hour I listened to the thunder, when the torrential downpour finally came, along with the winds, it helped to cool my room and I soon fell asleep. I had decided that I wanted to walk to the river alone after breakfast. I was hesitant to ask/tell Sra because I was afraid she'd try to talk me out of it because it was so wet and maybe that brings the snakes out or something. But she just suggested maybe I change my dress, or hold it up while walking the cow trails, and to be careful. Of course I was and I had the most marvelous morning. I took my time taking nature pictures of anything that would be photogenic, unfortunately the beautiful yellow and black birds insisted on swooping about so I couldn't capture them. But I did get lots of mountain views, plants and some of the newly muddied river. I made friends with a calf who was lunching with his mom and he even kindly posed for a picture with me. But only after he licked my hand and dress to make sure I was safe.

I lost a sandal not once, but twice, in the river. The second time I had to splash down the river 20 meters to retrieve it. I am so thankful it wasn't swept too far away. It would not have been pleasant to walk all the way back with one flip flop, trying to not step in the massive cow pies while carrying a bag of dirt on one shoulder and a large bunch of some poignant herb called papalos in my opposite hand. Sra had found it yesterday, but we forgot to pick some on the way back. It made me happy to actually be able to do something useful for her since she does so much for everyone else.

Something else mysterious and interesting happened on my river trip. I wanted to see the other part of the river that I hadn't been to yet this visit. While walking along the bank I saw what I think was a girl, though it could have been a woman. She was watching me from afar on the other side of the river and around the bend. When I waved to her she waved back and then started to do all kinds of hand signals.
Because she was so far away I could not tell if she was trying to ask me something or perhaps was talking to another person. I turned back up the river and came out to an area where I thought I'd be able to see her better, but I couldn't see her at all anymore. The few houses that are scattered back in the mountains are usually uninhabited. The older people have died and the younger have moved into town generally. But some families still live there, without electricity or phones and I've seen women washing clothes in the river before. If I did live here, or if I stayed for an extended time, I'd make it my business to know all the mountainous families. I'd bring them homemade cookies or something else unusual and delicious, like rice crispy squares and I think I'd endear them to me eventually. I bet I could learn a lot from them.

I finished hand stitching the two pillows with a pretty design of grape clusters and stuffed them to give to Feliz. I wanted to give her something that she thinks is pretty to show her that I appreciate her and she did like them. She insisted on putting them on the couch right away. Her mom had tons of fun taking photos of us. If I hadn't had to teach her how to use the camera initially, I'd have thought she was a professional trying to move the plants to make a prettier photo. All the photos with me in it show me happily holding a little chick. I asked to pet one and ended up holding it for a hour, until it began to relieve itself in my lap.

Feliz told me how happy she was that I was there and that she doesn't have many friends to chat with. I didn't want to leave but I felt bad that I was leaving Sra alone on my last evening here. When I returned to the house Sra. Eva invited me over to show me some old wedding photos she thought I had asked to see. I might have, but I can tell by her eyes that she doesn't understand 80% of what I say. Thankfully the store closed early tonight, the last few nights the men have been hanging around later. Because their party lost the election on Sunday, they’ve spent hours complaining about the system. Sra mentioned something I had forgotten about, that she wanted me to help her cut Capullo's hair. Around 9pm we started and we finished by 9:30.

What a little beastie he is, following me all around the town, and ecstatically wagging his tail every time he sees me. I feel bad that he likes me so much and has to always go where I go, I swear that he really does remember me. He sat still very well for his haircut. If only he didn't yip-yip all the time and race to attack bicycles, motorcycles, men carrying anything and other dogs four times his size. I'm very tired tonight. Sr is going with me to catch the bus in the morning, I hope we don't have to wait long. I am really looking forward to being on the plane headed home.

Continue on to The End...

Day Four

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

My first "collective" taxi ride ever. I went with Adriana to Tejupilco in a shared taxi, she showed me where an internet cafe was, and sent me in the direction of the post office. After a few blocks I stopped to be sure I was going in the right direction and while I was asking someone, my bus driver came over! He was very kind to me before so it was nice to see him and how neat that at that exact moment we were in the same place at the same time, gracias a Dios, as they say frequently around here. I've come to believe that bus drivers are a breed all of their own, and I mean that in a good way.

They pointed me in the direction of the post office and I went a few more crooked blocks and stopped at a random store to ask again. Believe it or not the lady that owns the store was going to the post office! So she took me there and brought me back, how blessed I was. Then I wandered around until I found an internet cafe, just 55 cents for an hour! That's even less expensive than it was 4 years ago, I wonder why. It was much faster too, with better equipment. I used to be scared when I pressed "send", sometimes it would delete my whole letter.

Before I found the internet place I happened to pass by a shop selling roses. I had asked before and Sra. didn't have any yellow ones, so I was thinking about trying to find a plant for her. But it was in the back of my mind until this shop turned up right under my nose. $1.60USD later I felt less like a glowing tourist as I carried my little rose bush in my arms. After I finished with the internet, my plant and I went to find the taxi. I was unsure of exactly where Adriana had told me to go, but I walked slowly in that direction trying to look for her cousin who had driven us in his taxi to Tejupilco. When I got closer someone asked me if I wanted to go in the direction of Luvianos. I sure did, so I piled into the little 5 seater car (think a Toyota from the 80's) with 5 other adults, a kid and a baby! I managed to keep my breakfast down by trying to breathe evenly and not looking at the road as we raced along the curvy mountain highway (of death, as I call it). To the relief of my stomach I was eventually dropped off right in front of the store (which is in front of the house). Sra. and Sra. Eva were so awed that I made it home safely, but they were worried I took so long .

Like a doll, that is what two different women have called me. Because of my skin color and that I am a head taller than almost everyone? I am not sure how to take it. I feel very un-doll-like in any respect so it makes me laugh. After Sra. and I returned from our 3 hour trip to the river, I showered because my bag of dirt that I had hoisted on my shoulder had split open. The dirt ended up all over me, sticking to my sweaty skin, including managing to get to my stomach and undergarments. I realized and felt bad that I hadn't visited Cousin Feliz yet. She is always so nice to me and happy to see me. I feel very sympathetic to her because for 15 years she has suffered from a "nervous disorder". I wish I could package up a sense of worth and a warm welcoming Bible church for her to heal her soul. I have my suspicions why she doesn't have peace, perhaps because ofg a person who is often around her, but that part I must keep to myself.

Sigh...any way, Feliz and her mom were ecstatic that I came to visit, I feel awful that I never did that on any of my other trips. We did pretty well at understanding each other. Feliz does a great job of explaining things when I don't understand. In my quest for perfect politeness I accepted a "refresco", deciding not to ask what it was and when the apple flavored soda (who would think to make apple flavored soda?) was brought to me, I drank every sugary bubbly drop, to the dismay of my stomach. Next time when someone offers a beverage to me, I will ask for water. I made the mistake of saying no when Feliz asked me if I would like an orange. I think I should have said yes because I think she would have been happy to give me something. I would be delighted if someone wanted a piece of fruit from my tree, if I had a tree. So maybe when I go tomorrow, I will ask her for one if the moment seems right.

For some odd and wonderful reason their little furry poodle/bichon mix, Capullo, answers to my whistle when I call him. He used to do that before too, when he wasn't even fully grown. And people wonder why I prefer animals to humans. With animals all you need is a little food and to know how to scratch their heads the right way to make them love you. Feliz has a nice furry black dog, like collie/retriever mix that loves to be petted, in fact he lay down and put his head on my food so I would pet him the first moment he met me.

Capullo accompanied us to the river. Little monster that he is, he is accustomed to having his own chair. So when Sra. and I found rocks to sit on and put our feet in the river, he stumbled about in the river looking for his chair for at least 15 minutes. Finally he came over to me and put his dirty, wet front two paws on my lap. I picked him up all the way and he was very content getting my dress dirty and wet while attempting to clean his paws before he was to get them muddy again on our trek back.

This evening we planted the yellow rose bush using the dirt we brought back from the river. After planting the rose we surrounded it with stones, including one about six inches in diameter that I had carried back. They are partly decorative, to keep water in, and to not let the chickens scratch the fresh dirt. In order to carry the bag of dirt, the stone, and my parasol, I slung the bag of dirt over my shoulder and balanced the stone partly on the bag and partly on my shoulder. Sra. saw me and said the equivalent of, "You always know to do the things that no one does". I think it was meant to be a complement, but I wasn't sure how to translate that, so I just laughed along with her. After finishing with the rose bush and pruning a few other things, while Sra and I were enjoying the evening and eating mandarin oranges, Adriana stopped by on her way home to be certain I had made it home from town safely. I ran inside to get my camera to take pictures and we had fun looking at the ones I had taken, and teaching Sra how to take some of us.

Continue on to Day Five...

Day Three

2009-07-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Day 3 on the ranch. I can say that because they actually do call it a ranch. I am not sure why exactly, surrounding the fence that encloses the house and flower gardens, they do have a couple of acres in which to plant corn and about 30 chickens, but that is all. They have no other animals besides their 3 dogs and a few cats that Sra. feeds (with dog food) even though she says they don't belong to her. I've always wondered why Sra. doesn't grow vegetables. Maybe because it would be such great manual labor to prepare the soil, to maintain it, and then to keep the chickens away from the produce. Or maybe she doesn't know how? I found it interesting that she didn't know how to make tortillas either until 20 years ago when they moved here because they always bought them. They also didn't have electricity for the first few years here either. Wow am I glad to have both of those things! Homemade tortillas about 60 seconds off the stove are like no other.

And speaking of tortillas, today I made my first four ever! I told Sra. that I was glad they were for me because they were ugly - and they were. Sra. had already made the dough (out of their own corn) ahead of time. I've never actually seen her making it, just that there is Always a pile of it in the fridge, I wonder how long it keeps for. I think the ingrediants are just ground corn, water and calcium. So make to my cooking, she brought the dough out of the fridge, broke off a chunk, wetted her hands and kneaded it, adding a splash of water twice. Then she made four perfect little balls, the size of the small round doughnut holes. My job was to take each ball and smoosh them between two circular sheets of wax paper that were placed on the "tortilla maker", an iron press. Then you close it to press it once, open it and press again. Then peel off one piece of wax paper...up to now has been the easy part, what is hard is to put the sticky tortilla on your hand just the right way to enable yourself to put it just the right way on the hot pan. I failed each time, but I was really close with the last one. I *hope* she'll let me try again tomorrow.

I also watched Sra make "tacos" for their lunch...er, not like Taco Bell type tacos. Instead you take a tortilla and put about a heaping tablespoon of whatever you want in it. Then you roll it up, like a fruit rollup. Today she made eight with just tuna in them for her and eight with beans and cheese that smells like old socks for Sr. Then...are you ready for this? In her pot (that was just big enough to put the tacos in in a single layer), she dumped in 2 cups of oil, enough that when it was hot enough it almost covered the tacos, but by the time all 16 tacos were done there was no oil left! I almost couldn't watch. How is it that they haven't had a few heart attacks each yet?

After I lunched on my 4 tortillas with cheese, we picked mandarin oranges. I don‘t usually care much for oranges, but these are delicious. I used the ladder and Sra. used a contraption that she had made from a 15 foot long bamboo stick, some string and a smaller stick about 6 inches long that knocked the oranges off. We ended up with 2 full buckets and at least that much left on the tree. They were so ready to be eaten that they almost peeled themselves. Really, when they fell, the skin on some of them would split open. They look like little orange brains because the skin is lumpy, but inside they are all perfect. One bucket went to the store for people to eat while they sit there and play dominoes, the other is for us. Maybe Sra. will make juice out of them? Or they will be eating them for all 3 meals of the day for a week!

Today is very warm, the shade is pleasant but the sun is intense. It didn't rain last night unfortunately, that helps to cool things down. Another indication that this is the place where years seem like weeks - Sra. Still has a bottle of soy sauce I brought 5 years ago and yeast that expired in 2005. She asked me if they were still good, I said I wasn't sure, sometimes yeast works and soy sauce is mostly salt, which is a preservative...and so they are both still in the fridge. I'd try the yeast but Not the soy sauce. I didn't want to tell her that she'd kept them all these years for nothing. I bet they will still be there the next time I come to visit. Something pretty neat was that I brought some grapefruit back from Toluca one time, I barely remember it. But Sra does because she planted some seeds and now has a grapefruit tree about 5 feet high! She said it hasn't flowered yet though, maybe it's not mature enough? One of the many things I will look up when I am home. Like do earthworms really eat rose plants? I'm pretty sure they don't and that they are very good for gardens to aerate and to fertilize. But Sra also does not have live plants in the house because "they take away the air". So I really don't know who starts these rumors.

Outside the birds and butterflies are beautiful, too bad they won't sit still for me. I think I forgot to mention how everyone is awfully surprised that I am not fatter (though I am not sure if it is a good or bad thing) and so very white. Then they must put their arms next to mine for the contrast - and yes, my skin looks like a cloud in comparison. That's thanks to frequent use of sunscreen, I'm happy it's so effective, like when I was outside in the sun from 2-4 yesterday. I thought my nose and shoulders would be sore and pink today, but I think they are the same shade of pale. Somehow though, my shoulders have more freckles than when I left the States.

This evening I "wasted" time by visiting with Sra. and then her sister-in-law, Sra. Eva, who lives next door. I am very pleasantly surprised (almost shocked) at how much they seem to understand me and how much I can understand them. I know sometimes we are both faking understanding, it's forgivable, but I am convinced that our ears are tuning to each other's voices.

Move on to Day Four...

Day Two

2009-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Oops, I didn't mean to say I was going to eat myself! It's rather fun to be somewhere where no one speaks English, a few weeks of this and I think I'd be able to say I was almost fluent! Too bad that I wouldn't last very long here unless I found a useful occupation. The only things to do are clean, and when I ask to help with that Sra. always says she is almost done or something like that, and make up crafts to do. I did cut some material in to squares and later I am going to sew some pillows (by hand) and stuff them with scraps that I have. It will make me feel like I am doing Something.

Today is voting day here. I researched the parties and found that my values are compatible with the PAN party, they are also called the Christian party and are conservative. But Sr. told me that he is *something else* because PAN and the other one who I can't remember (but I remember that they are liberal)are in alignment and have been for the last 70 years. He doesn't watch the news, or read newspapers (oddly few do, to see a Mexican reading anything is rare, that is just a fact), so I wonder if he really knows what he is talking about, or if it's just gossip going around. At home I will look it up more, I'd like to know these things.

Sr. also told me that I need to learn to speak better Spanish so we can talk about these things...well, since we disagree on politics and religion, I am sure there would be more we could get into disagreements on! So perhaps it's not so bad he can't understand me! :) His low gruff voice is hard for me to comprehend as well.

I slept about 10 hours last night making up for my lack of sleep the night before, it was wonderful. I love the firm mattress, but can people really sleep with pillows about 6 inches high and as soft as the mattress?? I improvise with a sweater under my head.

I asked Adriana to come to the river behind our houses today. She was kind enough to agree and even act like she was having a good time sweating in the sun and wading through the rocky river barefoot (and she Never goes barefoot, so every step was ouch to her). What a trooper! She said the last time she went was with me - 4 years ago! She's not into hiking, but it was very fun for me to try to find our way on the winding dirt trails made by the cows, to finally get to the (very low) river, to stick my toes in it, see it flow over the rocks and listen to the gurgle. I was surprised that I remembered how to get there and that Adriana, having lived here her whole life couldn't exactly remember either. Sra. said she'd take me tomorrow too, and after that I think I'll have the courage to go alone. I am more scared of someone trying to kill/kidnap me than of the cows, even though an angry cow would be more likely, so the natives say.

I credit Adriana with helping to improve my Spanish the most - we found a shady spot on some stones and chatted for a couple of hours. I can only imagine how ridiculous I sounded to her mutilating the past tense and all those indirect objects. Among other things we talked about the economy. Adriana who knows about as much about it as your average person (almost nothing) asked me, as an economist, how this economic crisis happened. I explained the best I could about banks loaning money to people that couldn't afford to pay it back. She then told me that everyone in Mexico thinks it's because President Bush spent too much money on the war! Wow, is all I can say.

I've decided to be Sra's shadow, where she goes, I go. If they are going to watch the Mexican version of American Idol, I'll watch it with them, no matter how bad the acting is that night (they even script dramas to make the show more interesting!). If they are going to dip their sourdough bread in their homemade hot chocolate, I will at least try it (surprisingly, it was good). And tonight, while we were sitting at the table doing just that Sra said the equivalent of, I'm so happy that you are sitting here with us. I replied with a hearty, me too. And it really was so nice, as they must both be over 70 by now, they do feel like real grandparents. I found out yesterday that Sr. had his prostate removed (if I understood correctly) and I saw that Sra has a needle in her arm for her to administer medication (though I did not understand for what). She breathes heavily all the time too, has chronic back pain and arthritis, but never complains unlike some hypochondriac neighbors.

At night they both, but Sr. especially, seem so tired that I wonder if he will wake up. He has heart problems too. I wonder what would happen to her if he passed away. This large four bedroom home is too big for two people, much less just one. If Sra. didn't live here, I can't think where she would live. They have 2 other children with families in Mexico City (interestingly enough Sr. owns the house that his other son lives in, his son just pays the taxes each year). But perhaps I do know what she would do. She’d stay right here because this is her home and she wouldn't like living in Mexico City. I know she would be so terribly lonely. I'll pray they go together so it won't come to that.

Move on to Day Three...

Day One

2009-07-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

I've been here 8 hours and it feels like I never left. At midnight I caught the bus to Toluca thanks to asking several kind strangers where the bus was and what I was supposed to be doing. We arrived at 6:30am in Toluca. It could only have been God that led me to the right bus station in the maze of little shops where I happened to notice a sign that said _eju_ilco. That was what I wanted and $4.50 later I had my ticket to Tejupilco. I wasn't sure what bus to go to when someone asked me where I was going. It turns out he was also going to Tejupilco and he saw me in Guadalajara.

So he showed me to the right bus and 2 hours later we were in Tejupilco. I thought I had to get off the bus and take a taxi to where I wanted to be, but after an extended and confusing conversation with the bus driver, he insisted I get back on the bus and sit right in front to let him know where I wanted to get off as he drove further west. Thanks to him I thought for sure we were all going to crash and die a few times, but he saved me a few dollars by not having to take a cab. And now I know how and where to catch the bus going back. So we found the rural corner that I wanted and I walked about 5 minutes to where I thought was "my" house.

It looked so different that I had to ask these girls by the gate if I was in the right place, they were rather surprised to see a gringa with her backpack and huge duffle bag walking around here. Then the woman they were talking with, who looked familiar, asked one to ask me who I was. I am not sure why she didn't just ask me herself, but when I told them my name, she recognized me, smiled big, said welcome and told me to go on to the house. So I knew I was in the right place, but as I walked toward the house I could barely see it. The rainy season has begun and the vines, trees and other plants have grown so much as to cover the entire front stone wall.

I called “Hola!” and didn't hear anything, so I went around back, inside the house and said it again. Sra was in the kitchen and later told me that she thought she heard my voice, but also thought she was mistaken. When she turned around and saw me she gasped and came to embrace me. Somehow I muddled out about sending a letter without knowing their address and not having their phone number and I think she understood. She was making tortillas and almost instantly asked me if I wanted her to make me some quesadillas, which of course I did. Sra. makes the best ones and I'm pretty sure she understood me when I told her just that.

We talked for a bit then had to go to the store, about 50 meters away to get my cheese. There I saw Sr, who I think almost had a heart attack upon seeing me, but welcomed me warmly just the same. Then a cousin, Feliz, came over to greet me. Then the aunt next door came and I went with her to visit another cousin, Adriana. Each new person I had to tell my story of learning to teach in Guadalajara and my bus trips here. They are all impressed I made it here alone (me too).

I visited with Adriana a bit and was very happy to see still here. She is about my age and I was afraid that she would have moved somewhere else. She also is perceptive enough to intentionally talk slowly and clearly to me and reminds her mom to do the same. She even thinks my Spanish has improved since I was here 3.5 years ago! I disagree wholeheartedly, but I thanked her just the same.

After we talk and catch up, I wonder what I am going to do the next few days. I did just discover a big yarn stash I left here and some needles that I had forgotten about. I wonder what else I will find that I had forgotten about or wonder why I brought them in the first place. Example: why I have 2 bikinis here, I have no idea.

In the front yard area this afternoon there was a wedding party with VERY LOUD music, I couldn't hear myself think and I have a slight headache. Now the television is so loud, I am convinced that everyone in this country is half deaf. Sr. turned it on, I thought for him to watch, but he left..so I guess it's for me?

I am so thankful to a classmate for giving me some amazing motion sickness pills to make it here in one piece. And I am glad I finally took the bus here, it was so comfortable and since I wasn't watching the road (until the bus driver made me sit up front), I felt so much safer than in a car. Before, I could never imagine myself spending too much time here because it caused me such discomfort to actually get here (2-3 hours straight of nausea). All my worries for naught. It's about 8pm and soon time for me to take a shower and sleep well!

Move on to Day Two...

2009-07-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

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