Thursday, October 29, 2009

Mommy to the rescue.


There are some things you can only get away with in Mexico. Grab a few rocks and juggle on the corner for cold hard cash, call your cockroaches "pets", give family members offensive, but loving nicknames like "gordo", ask for a discount at your local sex shop just for the hell of it, pay off cops and who knows what else. A friend came into the shop a few weeks ago. He was planning on going to a music university in Canada and had all the strings pulled. The visa, the trip, the flight... everything would be taken care of. All he needed to show was his high school diploma.

Which he doesn't have.

Truth is, his parents moved him back and forth so much from California to Mexico, alot of his school years weren't accepted. Add the fact, that he did drop out as well doesn't make this challenge any easier.

To make matters worse, here in Mexico, to take your GED-like test, you need to show proof of middle school, which thanks to the many moves, isn't valid here in Mexico. So now, my dear friend has to take the middle school test to qualify to take the high school test....

He tried. and failed.

My poor friend was devastated. All these things were being done for homie to study music, his lifelong dream, and he can't pass the test in spanish.

I love Mexico. If you want something bad enough... you can seriously have anything. Momma got pissed that dear son didn't pass his test and accompanied him to the following test date. (This dear old lady is seriously a crack up and a wonderful woman.) "stay in the car", she told her son. She walked right in and said her piece to the testing lady. She must have been gone about a half hour. She got back in the car and told her son, " You take the test tomorrow. It's taken care of."

And by golly, she was right. Dear friend skipped into the shop today... giddy that he put his name on the paper and suddenly he officially completed middle school in Mexico.

Now he's gotta introduce Mommy to the high school tester!

Monday, October 26, 2009

At least it's something.


I wish i had an interesting post, or something insightful to say, like other bloggers.... but I just had 3 shots and was tattooed on my inner arm (which sucks @ss!).

So....

I don't.

Have a nice day.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Cervantino, 2009

Cervantino was amazing. Will n Amber, and Lacy n Jeff came down to do it right in Guanajuato. There was drinking, sightseeing, drinking, dancing, more drinking and laughing our asses off. We couldn't have spent this trip with any better people. Thanks guys!

Getting started right off the airplane!!!

Mexican security system.

Happy Birthday Amber!


Real men drink fruity drinks.

Guanajuato, Gto.
Now everybody, FREEZE! Museo de Momias.

Always on hand....

One of the first mines in Gto.

After a round of shots, everyone needed a hard hat.

Apparently, cool enough to take a photo.

Museo del Inquisicion


Monkey in the back?

Up top at the tower of Pipila.



Starting off the night with a few shots, and a bottle of wine...

Try and explain that stain to your man....



Finishing the night with a bang...


We partied it up, took tons a photos, toured the town, laughed our asses off and experienced one of the best fiestas in Mexico. Cervantino is definitely something you must experience! Saludos!!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

word of advice.

It is not recommended to mix shots of tequila with bottles of red wine.

Over.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

What happened to an old skool spanking?


Everyday, I think about our move to Mexico. I wonder how our journey will in time affect our relationships, family, and children's future. It sucks that the move has made it more difficult for my kids to have a relationship with their grandparents and extended family. They have lost their childhood friends, their customs, their comfort zone, their ability to joke around, and just be normal kids. The pressure has been brought on early in life. They are foreigners in another country, where kids, like all kids, can be mean. They are forced to adapt, learn another language, be stared at (not that we make that any easier in a conservative country), and still be children and grow up. Little One is adapting. He doesn't understand the difference in cultures, what is allowed and what isn't, but he's picking it up, slowly but surely. Moosecake is doing wonders. Six months ago, we considered sending her back up to the States... but after reading the success in Moving-Kids-to-Mexico's family , I had hope for my dear child. Four months ago, we put Moosecake in a spanish tutor. During summer, she went every day.... drove me nuts. She has now earned Student of the Week, two weeks in a row, top of her class and is 1 of the 3 students, competing to be the best reader and participate in some school event. It's her second language!!! She has done wonders... in a short time... when she was ready. And I am so proud of her.

I swear, I only had to starve her once... or twice.

Which brings me to our next point. I still wonder how the significant difference in cultures will affect our kids as they get older. Will they pick up the traditional values in Mexico? the Machismo? all those Catholic virtues? Then you throw in the apparent "freedom" here, where your personal security also takes a hit, especially if it involves contact with narcos or our fabulous justice system here. But does that even really affect our kids safety? I feel pretty safe here in GDL.

Even violence in children isn't really apparent here in Mexico. Today on CNN, a 15 year old was lit on fire for telling his dad who stole his bike. The police investigator said that we need to teach these kids that this is wrong. THEY KNOW IT'S FUCKING WRONG. We don't hear of any of that here in Mexico. No school shootings, gang problems, stabbings, kids on fire?!? Public schools here, you might have fist fights... but the private schools, which are so common, is NOT tolerated. I can't tell you how many times we've gotten little notes from school because Little One likes to play rough, like a boy, and how even that little bit of energy is pacified asap. If the U.S's education system is wonderful.... then why are we still producing products like this or this daily?

Maybe we should go back to old skool discipline. Revive 'soap in the mouth' and ritual spankings.... hot sauce too. That was a good one. Remind kids of their manners and how to correctly speak to adults. When your kid is being an ass, whoop their ass UNTIL they learn not to do it again. If your kid is a smart ass, wash the words right out of their mouth.... okay, so maybe I'm pushing it...but I do remember a fondness for DIAL. But we DO need to bring back some level of discipline.... for the betterment of our children. I don't ever want to experience the daily fear of sending my children to school.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

I apologize in advance to any hotel workers.



Maybe after reading Gringa-in-Mexico's Dirty Hotel Secrets, I've started paying a bit more attention to the hotel workers and how we treat them.... and I've come to a conclusion.

I'm f'ing over it.

I'm polite. I don't cause a fuss. And believe it or not, my hubby is even MORE kick back than I am. I believe in common courtesy, service, and a positive attitude. I think that is what sets our shop a little apart from other "rockstar" shops here in Mexico. We try to take care of every client, and aside from quality work, be positive,knowledgable, and responsible. Isn't that how you would want to be treated?

Since we've been here in Mexico, EVERY hotel that we've stayed in has screwed us one way or another. Stupid shit, like in PV, where hubby ordered drinks with Jimador tequila (a cheapo) and when we got the bill for 4 drinks (two of mine were 100 pesos), we were floored with the amount. 970 pesos!!!!!! For what?!? The waiter took off for the day... end of shift, i suppose. He charged us for Don Julio anejo. wtf?!? They couldn't do a damn thing about it since the waiter left...cept give us a free shot. well, i suppose that will ease the tension for now... but WTF?!? You can't do a damn thing about it?!? that was 70 bucks for 2 drinks. Fine... next time... we'll trudge our big ass cooler out to the pool with our own beer.

The Mexico City hotel in Zona Rosa was just ridiculous.I could talk about the coked out bellman, stolen camara which "magically" reappeared, or all the random hookers... but seriously, all chilangos are just plain crazy. Period.

In our own town, for the Guadalajara expo, hubby reserved 4 hotel rooms. We also had a seminar in the same building. Hubby went down to the front desk and waited patiently for the clerk. He was to put down his CC to secure the rooms. The lady told him she was WAAAAAAY slammed and said just to come back tonight and his reservations would be fine until then. We came back after the seminar... and no rooms. Hotel COMPLETELY booked. What about the lady? Rude ass evening shift said that's not his problem. He doesn't control day shift. There's nothing he can do.

Am I sensing a theme?

We, instead, had to shuttle ourselves, sister, and her fiance, and bro-in law BACK to our house, which my kids and my parents were already comfortable... and makeshift for the night. In a little house with alot of shit, that kinda sucked. I was able to make reservations the following night....

Last, and surely the best, prolly cuz it was so recent.... was the expo in Guanajuato. We got there. Our room was on the 5th floor. Only stairs. Turns out, hubby's sisters' childhood friend was a manager there. She moved our room to a bi-level-ish first floor. Sweet! Tattoo expo was okay. The entire hotel was booked with artists. They even gave us little tickets for complimentary lunch... valid between the hours of 2-5. Great. Hubby was booked. We never used them. Hubby was finished about 8. We decided to go eat... at the only restaurant in the hotel and that COMPLETE area of town. We walked up front. Completely ignored. Excuse me. Two, please. Both the waiter and the hostess turned around and I swear, gave us at least two up-downs. oh hell no. "Your coupons are only valid between 2 and 5." Wow. Okay. thanks. but we'd like to eat now. They did nothing but move out of the way. Hubby and I walked in and found a table. We sat. and sat. and sat....watching ALL other tables being taken care of. We thought, hmmm.... maybe it's only a buffet. no menu. We got up and served ourselves and sat back down. Hubby got up again. The plates began to pile. Not ONE person came to help us or offer drinks. Finally, hubby got up and went to the original waiter in the front, and this time was pissed. Are you a waiter or a busboy? "uh... I'm a waiter." Then do your job. By the time someone came, we were already done eating. They brought one beer, instead of two. And the bill. Ignorant assholes.

Same hotel, I am walking up the stairs with a HEAVY ASS suitcase with tattoo gear. THREE bellmen, literally, WATCH me stumble up the stairs and almost fall over. I get to the last step, and then someone asks me if I'd like some help. No thanks. Down there would have been nice. I could keep going with little petty shit, extra fees, and stupid comments... but will it end?

Alot of tattoo artists were treated like shit. It sucked. Hubby didn't want to say anything because his sister's friend worked there. The conclusion is, this will be the last tattoo expo in Guanajuato we will ever go to. Everyone was treated like a criminal... I'm wondering if that is why we Americans ARE different. Mind you, I'm aware there are prejuidices all around the world... but I think we are a bit more open. We, as a whole, were looked at as mierda.. the walking shit of the street. I'm wondering how much longer it will take Mexico to catch up to the rest of the world in acceptance, education, and toleration... since it supposedly is taught so much in the schools here. Things are a little more up to date in Mexico City and GDL, but little 'ole Guanajuato? It will take decades.

I wish I could swear off all hotels there... but Cervantino is looming and dear friends are coming.
I've made reservations WITH a confirmation number!
and am praying that this time, it goes well.

I apologize to anyone who got offended. Has anyone else had a problem? or is it just my luck?!?

Monday, October 12, 2009

My special little boy....

Yes, I know. I've been distracted again. These last two weeks have flown by. We are officially recovered from our September mess of tattoo shows, parties, birthdays, and family. This weekend we did nothing but clean, clean, clean. We put the yard back together, removed evidence of former cohabitants, and attempted to put our agenda back to normal.And now I can focus.

Sort of.

Until I found my 6 year olds' camara. Grandma gave him a 10.3 mpx Kodak camara to take pictures of the most important things in his life... assuming that would be family, his dog, and his friends.

Nope.

Apparently, these are WAY cooler.







Oh... my special little boy... i think he got that from daddy's side of the family.



And just for my special little boy, I made something special with his favorite carmelized onions... into a creative fusion...with vegetables in between.

I saw this recipe on one of those ama de casa shows on tv. It was in spanish, so again, I was distracted easily. I got the gisht of it and made these little "mounds" next to chicken parmasean. (although in the pic... i forgot the parmesean!! eek!) The kids had fun making these.

3 potatoes
2 carrots
1 white onion
spinach
2-3 garlic cloves
e.v.o.o.
chicken broth
salt & sugar
butter
milk


Boil the potatoes & carrots. When done, mash potatoes w/skin with a little butter and milk. They should be a little more firm than creamy to hold shape.

The carrots, julienne them, and place them on the side.

Slice Onion into thin rings. In a pan on medium, add olive oil and onions. When they start to brown, add a pinch of sea salt and sugar. When they start sticking to the bottom, add a little chicken broth or water to deglaze. Keep doing this until your onions are to your preference.

Spinach... heat evoo on medium heat. Add chopped up garlic & a little salt. These should be done in 2-3 minutes. (if that.)

Here's the fun part: grab a glass, double sided open can etc... anything... to build your creations. I used a wine glass, lubed up with a little evoo spray. hehe... lubed. The kids had the best time.

You're working top to bottom. Start with your mashed potatoes, add a little onion, carrots, mashed potatoes, spinach etc... in whatever order you like. Finish again, with mashed potatoes.

And whoila!



Moosecake got her mashed potatoes, Little One got his onions... and I got to stick in a few veggies in between.

About Me

My photo
I've been living in Mexico now for about a two years with my hubby and 2 kids. Not exactly by choice, but we're here nonetheless. Luckily, I live with quite a few of the accomodations that i was used to in the states. In spite of those convienences, we also have a water tank with asbestos, outdated electricity, massive amounts of dust, caterpillars that burn your skin, and thousands of windshield washers on every street corner. My kiddos and I are learning to speak spanish and adjust to life away from our family and friends in the States.

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