There have been some free concerts in the Ajijic square in the evening this past week. We didn’t find out until lste in the week; however, yesterday (Friday) we did go. It was a dance troup doing Mexican dances, including Mexican hat dance (I recognized it as they were dancing around ‘los sombreros’. The dancers looked Indian. The girls and women had long, billowing dresses, tied to their wrists so that they could swing them in arcs as they danced; the dresses were very colourful. their performance lasted about an hour. It was in front of the cultural centre. The plaza is raised about 3 steps there so that it was like a platform. In one dance, the young men had knives which they twirled and clicked together rythmically. It was a beautiful night and very interesting occasion. This series of concerts I think was a warmup for the big celebrations for Mexican independence day--16 September. The festivities are spread over almost a week. We are looking forward to that as the descriptions sound really interesting.
Tonight, we went to the ‘Blue Moon’ festival held by ACA, the organic farm and ecology group. It was quite large, with enormous amounts of food, including turkey, duck and rabbit, all grown on the farm. It was well organized, with tents. The latter was necessary as there was a bit of rain for part of the time. We sat at a table with another couple who turned out to also be Canadians, originally from Winnipeg. They are both real estate agents and have been living here for just over 10 years. Lucy said that for about three years she worked in Trudeau’s office on press relations. There are so many interesting people here.
I signed up for Level 1 Conversational Spanish. It starts next Wednesday, once a week until the first week of December, just before we leave to visit Nova Scotia. The 3 classes in Level 1 Spanish were filled up just before I got there, as I intended to enroll in one of those. However, I got the text/workbook used and I can work on that on my own. The oral conversation is always the aspect that I am weakest on in learning foreign languages. Thus, this may turn out to be the best for me. I just hope that they are not expecting a larger Spanish vocabulary than I possess; however, I have a few more days before the first class so can learn some more before then. These classes through LCS are only 500 pesos each (i.e., about 50 dollars), compared to the thousands that the commercial language schools charge. My online course at St. Mary’s starts on that same day, Wednesday, Sept. 3; thus, I’ll have to field questions and last minute requests to get into the course--no time to be bored.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Samson & Delilah in Mexico
OK, I may have exaggereated a bit; I am certainly not an heroic strongman, but as you can see from the photos, Barb is pretty proficient with the shears. In June when Angie was here, she cut my hair. However, it was getting a bit long. Last Sunday, Barb decided that she would cut my hair and trim my beard. She sent the results to some of you. However, probably we should have a permanent record on our blog. The photos were taken in front of one of our butterfly palms that we got earlier. They seem to be thriving. In the one photo you can see a new hummingbird feeder that we got. I managed to break the old one by tightening it too much. Although we have had a few small wasps, we have not had a return of the honey bees. Dawn & Gordon will be bringing the HummZinger with them in September--getting close now.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
History of chocolate
Not too much to report. Today we went to the weekly lecture by ACA, the organic farm and ecology group. This week it was on chocolate. Mickey, who is down learning to farm organically and is soon to return to the US, gave the lecture. He recounted the history of chocolate. The Mayans and the Aztecs, who were the first to discover how to process it for consumption, did not have sugar to mix with it and used chiles and other spices instead. It was relatively scarce so was used only by the elite in society and as a drink. He talked about how it was taken to Europe by the Spanish, who changed the use by adding sugar and dropping the chillies! It was very interesting. He had a pod from which the beans come. While originating in Mexico, cultivation of cocoa had been taken to other places in the world, especially West Africa. The beans are fermented, then roasted and finally ground and have all the cocoa butter extracted. Michey is an admitted chocolate nut. He even had what is virtually 100% chocolate without any sugar--cocoa paste-- which is what all manufacturerers use as a starting point. It is bitter, like Baker’s Chocolate. Some people apparently eat is as a medicine--all those antioxidants without the sugar! Barb even said that she liked it! However, recently we had some chocolates with 78% cocoa and she didn’t like it as well as ones with a lower percentage--go figure! I think I mentioned in an earlier post in June that when we were at the restaurant with Matt and Angie in Tlaquepaque, I had chicken in a chocolate sauce with chile. The menu said that it came from an Indian recipe from the Oaxca, one of the most southerly states in Mexico, It was delicious and unlike anything I had had before.
ACA is putting on a special buffet supper out at their farm this Saturday night. It is a fund-raiser, but much of the food will be from their own farm and they are doing the cooking and preparation. We are intending to go, but have to wait for our finances to be replenished on the 28th August before we can buy the tickets. I’ll report on that on the weekend.
ACA is putting on a special buffet supper out at their farm this Saturday night. It is a fund-raiser, but much of the food will be from their own farm and they are doing the cooking and preparation. We are intending to go, but have to wait for our finances to be replenished on the 28th August before we can buy the tickets. I’ll report on that on the weekend.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Boomer invasion?
Well, today Barb went to see Dr. Garcia and was very pleased with the result. He was very much less casual than Dr. Leon. He went through the materials from her chart from Canada with her, he gave her a physical check and said that he was friends with the rheumatologist recommended by her Halifax doctor. He said that he would arrange for her to see him. She was there for almost an hour. He says that the lab associated with his clinic is certified to US standards. We also discovered that the clinic is open for emergencies 24 hours a day with a doctor there. They do what they can there and arrange for patients to be taken to Guadalajara if necessary.
We went to a lecture at LCS by an American academic who has been studying migration of foreigners to the Lake Chapala area for over 10 years (currently updating his research). He reviewed some of his findings. He also drew attention to the changes taking place, especially with a growing influx of expats and what that might mean. He noted that the boomer generation is starting or will soon be retiring (75 million in the US alone) and that they are much more likely to retire to foreign destinations than their parents were. While a number of other countries, especially in Central America, are trying to attract these potential migrants, Mexico is and will probably remain the most frequent destination. Another interesting fact is that many Hispanics (not just Mexicans but others from farther away, such as Peru) who have lived many years in the US and who have families stillthere are retiring to Mexico and Lake Chapala. Althugh they speak Spanish, they have also been assimilated to Gringo ways, foods, etc. In Lake Chapala area, with so many Gringos, Wal-Mart and other American chains, a growing number of migrants feel that the area is losing the culture and things that attracted them in the first place. Some are moving from Lake Chapala to other areas of Mexico that have been much less touched by these American people and influences. There is a great deal of development and not much evidence of planning or control being exercised. One example arose in July in San Antonio, the village next to us. Development of condos above the town altered and interrupted the existing water courses for runoff during the rainy season. A couple of streets in San Antonio were washed away, literally, and houses flooded as rain water was no longer able to follow the old routes to the lake. One street is having to be completely rebuilt. This is a bit unsettling for us as we don’t want this area to become just another Florida or Arizona. However, at the moment, we are still very happy with our decision to move here. Moreover, as the lecturer also pointed out, Lake Chapala has had other booms in the past which were then followed by relative busts. Maybe, things will taper off again this time.
We went to a lecture at LCS by an American academic who has been studying migration of foreigners to the Lake Chapala area for over 10 years (currently updating his research). He reviewed some of his findings. He also drew attention to the changes taking place, especially with a growing influx of expats and what that might mean. He noted that the boomer generation is starting or will soon be retiring (75 million in the US alone) and that they are much more likely to retire to foreign destinations than their parents were. While a number of other countries, especially in Central America, are trying to attract these potential migrants, Mexico is and will probably remain the most frequent destination. Another interesting fact is that many Hispanics (not just Mexicans but others from farther away, such as Peru) who have lived many years in the US and who have families stillthere are retiring to Mexico and Lake Chapala. Althugh they speak Spanish, they have also been assimilated to Gringo ways, foods, etc. In Lake Chapala area, with so many Gringos, Wal-Mart and other American chains, a growing number of migrants feel that the area is losing the culture and things that attracted them in the first place. Some are moving from Lake Chapala to other areas of Mexico that have been much less touched by these American people and influences. There is a great deal of development and not much evidence of planning or control being exercised. One example arose in July in San Antonio, the village next to us. Development of condos above the town altered and interrupted the existing water courses for runoff during the rainy season. A couple of streets in San Antonio were washed away, literally, and houses flooded as rain water was no longer able to follow the old routes to the lake. One street is having to be completely rebuilt. This is a bit unsettling for us as we don’t want this area to become just another Florida or Arizona. However, at the moment, we are still very happy with our decision to move here. Moreover, as the lecturer also pointed out, Lake Chapala has had other booms in the past which were then followed by relative busts. Maybe, things will taper off again this time.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Garden Club
Meeting Jane at the BBQ was really fortuitous. Barb had noticed when she had her blood test last Wednesday that it took a very long time for the blood to clot. However, when she got the result, surprisingly it said that she was just about exactly where she should be.(2.7) and Dr. Leon said to stay at the same dose of warfarin for a month. However, suspicious, she reduced the dose a bit. On Saturday, she was out gardening with her pants with the knee pads and kneeling a good deal. When she was taking a bath, she noticed that one knee was all blue and bruised looking. She had not banged it and with the knee pads had not noticed any discomfort; she concluded that it indicated that her blood was too thin. On Monday, she called the other doctor, Dr. Garcia. Although she could not get an appointment until Friday morning, she could go an get another test at their lab. This lab reported that the INR level was 3.5 (too high), even though she had reduced the warfarin she was taking even more over the weekend. Thus, it appears that Dr. Leon’s lab is not very dependable. She sees Dr. Garcia on Friday. His office is not as convenient as it is a good 3 kms and a bit too far to walk. However, it is on the Carretera (highway) so is only 5 minutes or so by car.
There is a garden club that holds monthly events--a tour of someone’s garden and then lunch at the Nueva Posada restaurant. Barb decided to join. Because this month’s garden was in West Ajijic, I drove Barb there. It was a really spectacular place--a big, luxurious house with 2 story casita (guest house). The couple are both avid gardeners, but also have 2 full time and one part-time gardeners employed! Among many different types of flowers, they also specialized in roses. They apparently propagate many themselves. At the lunch, Barb sat with and got acquainted with some other ladies. Two of them have offered her plants from their gardens. One said that her garden was overgrown and that Barb was welcome to take any and all that she wanted! This is very good timing. On Monday, we arranged with Rosendo to dig out the hard clay soil in 2 of her beds, because it is hard to believe that most flowers would do well there. He took a load of it away in his pickup; he finished that today. He also arranged to get a pickup load of good composted soil, which was delivered today. This will allow Barb to get started. One of the beds just under the kitchen window, she wants to use as a herb garden. She has cilantro, rosemary and a very ‘picante (i.e., hot) pepper plant that she discovered in the corner by the wall. However, she also wants to get and experiment with a number of others. Every time, she wants to reduce the grass for more garden space, I expect that she will have to do the same (i.e., dig out the heavy clay dirt and get good soil).
There are so many clubs, organizations and events that one could be going somewhere all the time and have no time at home. It is hard to decide and choose.
There is a garden club that holds monthly events--a tour of someone’s garden and then lunch at the Nueva Posada restaurant. Barb decided to join. Because this month’s garden was in West Ajijic, I drove Barb there. It was a really spectacular place--a big, luxurious house with 2 story casita (guest house). The couple are both avid gardeners, but also have 2 full time and one part-time gardeners employed! Among many different types of flowers, they also specialized in roses. They apparently propagate many themselves. At the lunch, Barb sat with and got acquainted with some other ladies. Two of them have offered her plants from their gardens. One said that her garden was overgrown and that Barb was welcome to take any and all that she wanted! This is very good timing. On Monday, we arranged with Rosendo to dig out the hard clay soil in 2 of her beds, because it is hard to believe that most flowers would do well there. He took a load of it away in his pickup; he finished that today. He also arranged to get a pickup load of good composted soil, which was delivered today. This will allow Barb to get started. One of the beds just under the kitchen window, she wants to use as a herb garden. She has cilantro, rosemary and a very ‘picante (i.e., hot) pepper plant that she discovered in the corner by the wall. However, she also wants to get and experiment with a number of others. Every time, she wants to reduce the grass for more garden space, I expect that she will have to do the same (i.e., dig out the heavy clay dirt and get good soil).
There are so many clubs, organizations and events that one could be going somewhere all the time and have no time at home. It is hard to decide and choose.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Going green in Mexico
I mentioned in a previous post that Jalisco is trying to implement a reclycing/composting aspect to garbage collection. Up to now everything has gone to landfills. Thus, this is really a quantum leap here in Mexico, especially because awareness among Mexicans is still rather low. It has been the ex-pats who have tended to take a leading role in arousing ecology awareness, although there is a growing ecology awareness movement in Mexico. The problem here is that the state government passed laws and regulations for a change to the 3 stream system in June with municipalities supposed to implement and have suitable systems operating by September. There is only an embryonic recycling infrastructure and no composting; most municipalities already have garbage collection contracts in place. Thus, everyone knows that such systems cannot be implemented according to this timetable. However, there is movement and over time it will gradually be implemented.
BTW, Barb did get her composter. It is almost exactly like the ones Halifax was selling in terms of size and appearance, except this one is made of fibreglass (rather than plastic--perhaps more durable) and is green instead of black. She has used all the kitchen waste and yard waste; she was wondering (in jest) if she should go down the street and pick up some of the horse manure! We are assured that, because of the hot weather, materials decompose and are ready for use in 6-8 weeks and this can be done year round. Barb can hardly wait to get some for her garden. The woman selling the composters in Zapopan (one of the municipalities of Guadalajara in the north-west corner) is very interesting. She lives in a gated community, called Rancho Contento, with a golf course. There was a gatehouse with guards and getting in was almost like going through US Immigration or a military establishment. She had been importing composters from Germany but found it was such a hassle; she finally found a manufacturer in Guadalajara who makes these composters for her. They have a waterless, composting toilet outdoors in the back yard. She proudly showed it off to us. In fact, it did seem ingenious, and unlike outdoor toilets that I knew, this one had little smell. The juxtaposition was interesting though; here is an outdoor toilet in a very high priced residence. Except perhaps at times in the rainy season, there should not be the uncomfortable conditions that one experienced in outdoor toilets in Canada in the winter.
On Friday afternoon and evening we went to a BBQ at LCS put on by the Red Cross of Mexico. The local chapter is run by volunteers, mostly ex-pats. They do an amazing amount of good. They have 3 ambulance crews (fully trained in first aid, resusitation, etc.) standing by 24 hours a day at 3 different spots in the area. They claim that response time is 15-20 minutes anywhere in the Lakeside area. Clients are given a breakdown of costs for any assistance given, but payment is voluntary, with about 50% paying some or all of the costs; the others are serviced for free. The bulk of their funding comes from fund-raising and donations. We have been greatly impressed by what they do and have been trying to support them in little ways. The event was very interesting for us. We were joined by 4 other couples at a table for 10. They, like the ex-pat community in general, are very interesting and diverse. All have been here for much longer than we, 3 years, 5 years, etc. One of the women is a nurse and was able to give us valuable information about medical practitioners and facilities here. She was especially adamant that she had had bad experiences with Dr. Leon, the doctor we are going to presently, and the lab he operates. Barb has been getting uneasy about him already. This woman, Jane, had someone else she recommends highly. Anyway, we greatly enjoyed getting acquainted with these people. The affair lasted for about 4 hours.
BTW, Barb did get her composter. It is almost exactly like the ones Halifax was selling in terms of size and appearance, except this one is made of fibreglass (rather than plastic--perhaps more durable) and is green instead of black. She has used all the kitchen waste and yard waste; she was wondering (in jest) if she should go down the street and pick up some of the horse manure! We are assured that, because of the hot weather, materials decompose and are ready for use in 6-8 weeks and this can be done year round. Barb can hardly wait to get some for her garden. The woman selling the composters in Zapopan (one of the municipalities of Guadalajara in the north-west corner) is very interesting. She lives in a gated community, called Rancho Contento, with a golf course. There was a gatehouse with guards and getting in was almost like going through US Immigration or a military establishment. She had been importing composters from Germany but found it was such a hassle; she finally found a manufacturer in Guadalajara who makes these composters for her. They have a waterless, composting toilet outdoors in the back yard. She proudly showed it off to us. In fact, it did seem ingenious, and unlike outdoor toilets that I knew, this one had little smell. The juxtaposition was interesting though; here is an outdoor toilet in a very high priced residence. Except perhaps at times in the rainy season, there should not be the uncomfortable conditions that one experienced in outdoor toilets in Canada in the winter.
On Friday afternoon and evening we went to a BBQ at LCS put on by the Red Cross of Mexico. The local chapter is run by volunteers, mostly ex-pats. They do an amazing amount of good. They have 3 ambulance crews (fully trained in first aid, resusitation, etc.) standing by 24 hours a day at 3 different spots in the area. They claim that response time is 15-20 minutes anywhere in the Lakeside area. Clients are given a breakdown of costs for any assistance given, but payment is voluntary, with about 50% paying some or all of the costs; the others are serviced for free. The bulk of their funding comes from fund-raising and donations. We have been greatly impressed by what they do and have been trying to support them in little ways. The event was very interesting for us. We were joined by 4 other couples at a table for 10. They, like the ex-pat community in general, are very interesting and diverse. All have been here for much longer than we, 3 years, 5 years, etc. One of the women is a nurse and was able to give us valuable information about medical practitioners and facilities here. She was especially adamant that she had had bad experiences with Dr. Leon, the doctor we are going to presently, and the lab he operates. Barb has been getting uneasy about him already. This woman, Jane, had someone else she recommends highly. Anyway, we greatly enjoyed getting acquainted with these people. The affair lasted for about 4 hours.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Barb's 3 month review
After 3 whole months in Mexico, I thought it would be good to have a look at how we have adjusted to this new life. Wally and I are still very pleased to be here. It was great to see the boys and their families but it made me very sad to have them leave. But we have only 4 months and Wally and I will be back at White Point Beach. And then we will be back in July again for a visit. Matthew and Angela will be back in February and at first Jeffrey and Tarra were talking about coming back for a month next year but Aiden was so unhappy (he screamed most of the flight back). I think they are reconsidering coming down next year with 2 children!
When we first moved here we were lucky to have our real estate agent suggest we hire a property manager to assist us with the setting up of our utilities and hiring the maid and gardener. He really was there to translate for us. It would have been much more difficult if not impossible without him. This was our first indication of how much our lack of knowledge with Spanish was about to affect us.
We are very pleased with the house. At first I thought that we would be replacing all the furnishings, but for financial reasons that was not going to happen in a hurry. And now that we have lived here a while, I have decided not to replace as much as I thought. We lived for 2 months without a barbeque which was hard, but once we bought a wonderful barbeque for me and then a microwave for Wally, we were much happier cooking. We have had no TV which we both thought we would miss but do not! We read and/or 'work' on our computers. We had put all our CD's on the iPod as we were only allowed to bring a few CD's with us. This meant we had all our music on the iPod but only ear phones to listen with. This was less than satisfactory. There was one music station on the radio here that played classical music, but we still missed our music. So yesterday we made a trip to Costco and bought a speaker system for the iPod. Even the maid, who was here today, did not get to play her Mexican music on her transistor radio! Also, I finally found someone who sells compost bins in Guadalajara and we picked up one yesterday as well. How to make Barbara very happy!
The weather is as wonderful as was predicted. We arrived in May which is the hottest and driest month of the year and then we have experienced the wettest part of the rainy season; neither the hottest or wettest weather has deterred us in the least. We have had some considerable downpours with definite leaks appearing in our wonderful house, but none of the leaks were over furniture and the floors are all ceramic tile, so no great damage. The rain can happen during the day, but 95% of the time it rains at night and we have sun during the day. Who could ask for more? The mountains have all changed from brown to wonderful shades of green and all the gardens are in bloom. We do have the interesting experience of having rivers flowing down our streets after a heavy downpour, but the water is warm and usually passable.
The social life is progressing nicely. There are infinite opportunities for involvement in a great many areas. Every Sunday, we have been going to the Open Circle which is held outside in the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) gardens and then we go out for lunch. If the speakers are not that interesting, you can just relax and look at the gardens and listen to the birds. Mom would have loved it! On Tuesdays the organic farm group give a talk on gardening, cooking, Mexican folklore, local history etc. I always go to those and Wally joins me sometimes. Every month there is a classical music group who present Mexican musicians from all over the country who preform in a local church which is open to the garden; again you can see the gardens and hear the birds singing. Next Wednesday I will be going to my first Gardening Club garden tour and then to a meeting at the Nuevo Passada hotel for a gardening talk about roses and lunch in their garden. Almost all of the restaurants have gardens as part of their dining area. One of our particular favourites even has a peacock who seems to be on constant display for the peahens. Jeffrey and Tarra bought us a book on hiking in the Ajijic area, so Wally and I would also like to follow their example and start hiking.
My gardening has given me much pleasure as I learn about new plants and how to treat the familiar plants from home to this Mexican climate. I have found a great large garden centre which has an English-speaking staff member who is very helpful. The plants are incredibly inexpensive and very healthy. I am happy that my yard is pretty bare except for the bougainvillea vines and virginia creeper. I have tried to focus on the courtyard as it is very bare and the courtyard off the guest room. However, my poor gardener and I are having a couple of problems because of the language barrier and my reluctance to let him do most anything. He is here three days a week for 2 hours each day and he is used to doing everything and of course so am I! I have been successful in having him leave the grass on the lawn when he mows, but he still wants to plant the bushes after I allow him to dig the hole. I guess we will somehow work this out. Wally is adamant that he needs the work so we must keep him all three days. He is a very pleasant fellow but I just don't want him out in the garden doing the things that I want to do. On the other hand, although I think having the maid 2 days a week for 5 hours is way more than needed, I can appreciate that I have never had so clean a house!
The food is another interesting experience here in Mexico. First of all we love the spicy food! We have it whenever we eat out. At home it is more like we ate back home. I still really like to cook so we don't eat out very much except when we have company and then we love trying new foods and new restaurants. Matthew, who is a great cook and loves Mexican food, stocked my cupboard with all the spices and accoutrements I need to cook Mexican food. As well he gave me some cooking instructions to get me started. However, the only things I have attempted are guacamole which I can make quite quiet or very spicy, salsa which can have a lot or little amount of cilantro ( I like a lot) and margaritas which until Tarra made a batch with strawberries and crushed ice, I have been completely unsuccessful with.
The grocery shopping is again a novel experience. Firstly, as strange as it may seem, everything is labeled in Spanish! Wally and I did not have time to learn it before we came. So our initial foray in to grocery shopping took us a long long time! We are better now, but have not really been successful with reading the ingredient lists. But it will come. The experience at the weekly market is better in that you can point to what you want without knowing the appropriate name but... then they tell you the price! No comprendo! Wally is getting much better at this as I always let him pay! The local produce is fantastic, fresh and inexpensive; however our reliance on our familiar food from home is not conducive to inexpensive food costs. Once we got over the initial excitement of finding a familiar cereal or cracker and positively snatching it off the shelf, we started to notice the COST! Kate and Jack became very good at shopping at the small local stores instead of the two gringo supermarkets that we use. Another new skill for us to learn.
Our health has definitely improved a lot, especially mine! Wally is feeling great and is very pleased with his care from our new doctor. He is taking fewer medications since we moved here. I have come off all my asthma medications and have come off or reduced some of my lupus medications. My specialist in Halifax has sent a referral to a specialist in Guadalajara; I will be pleased to go see him soon as he will check my blood work and then hopefully further reduce my medications. My fatigue has almost disappeared. I am down to one lupus day a week, which means the other 6 days I am raring to go! Well I guess I am still 61 years old which is slightly limiting.
I have left the most trying part of our life in Mexico to the end, learning Spanish! Wally has been much more attentive to learning the language. I have been much more attentive to the house and garden! We have a 'learn Spanish' course on our computers and I have finished the first Cd and started the second of 8 Cds, while Wally is on CD #7! We both started beginners Spanish at the LCS for 1 month. I did one class and Wally did 3 classes. So I am relying on Wally not only for driving me around but also to communicate for me! Speaking of driving me around, I will be very pleased when we get back to Halifax and change the ownership of the car into both of our names so I can drive again. I do walk a lot and enjoy it, but man will it be good to drive again!
So I guess to summarize our limited experience in Mexico we would say 95% is wonderful and 5% is frustrating. So I hope you all will be able to come down and see what life is like in Ajijic, Mexico with Wally and I, as I think we will be here a long time.
When we first moved here we were lucky to have our real estate agent suggest we hire a property manager to assist us with the setting up of our utilities and hiring the maid and gardener. He really was there to translate for us. It would have been much more difficult if not impossible without him. This was our first indication of how much our lack of knowledge with Spanish was about to affect us.
We are very pleased with the house. At first I thought that we would be replacing all the furnishings, but for financial reasons that was not going to happen in a hurry. And now that we have lived here a while, I have decided not to replace as much as I thought. We lived for 2 months without a barbeque which was hard, but once we bought a wonderful barbeque for me and then a microwave for Wally, we were much happier cooking. We have had no TV which we both thought we would miss but do not! We read and/or 'work' on our computers. We had put all our CD's on the iPod as we were only allowed to bring a few CD's with us. This meant we had all our music on the iPod but only ear phones to listen with. This was less than satisfactory. There was one music station on the radio here that played classical music, but we still missed our music. So yesterday we made a trip to Costco and bought a speaker system for the iPod. Even the maid, who was here today, did not get to play her Mexican music on her transistor radio! Also, I finally found someone who sells compost bins in Guadalajara and we picked up one yesterday as well. How to make Barbara very happy!
The weather is as wonderful as was predicted. We arrived in May which is the hottest and driest month of the year and then we have experienced the wettest part of the rainy season; neither the hottest or wettest weather has deterred us in the least. We have had some considerable downpours with definite leaks appearing in our wonderful house, but none of the leaks were over furniture and the floors are all ceramic tile, so no great damage. The rain can happen during the day, but 95% of the time it rains at night and we have sun during the day. Who could ask for more? The mountains have all changed from brown to wonderful shades of green and all the gardens are in bloom. We do have the interesting experience of having rivers flowing down our streets after a heavy downpour, but the water is warm and usually passable.
The social life is progressing nicely. There are infinite opportunities for involvement in a great many areas. Every Sunday, we have been going to the Open Circle which is held outside in the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) gardens and then we go out for lunch. If the speakers are not that interesting, you can just relax and look at the gardens and listen to the birds. Mom would have loved it! On Tuesdays the organic farm group give a talk on gardening, cooking, Mexican folklore, local history etc. I always go to those and Wally joins me sometimes. Every month there is a classical music group who present Mexican musicians from all over the country who preform in a local church which is open to the garden; again you can see the gardens and hear the birds singing. Next Wednesday I will be going to my first Gardening Club garden tour and then to a meeting at the Nuevo Passada hotel for a gardening talk about roses and lunch in their garden. Almost all of the restaurants have gardens as part of their dining area. One of our particular favourites even has a peacock who seems to be on constant display for the peahens. Jeffrey and Tarra bought us a book on hiking in the Ajijic area, so Wally and I would also like to follow their example and start hiking.
My gardening has given me much pleasure as I learn about new plants and how to treat the familiar plants from home to this Mexican climate. I have found a great large garden centre which has an English-speaking staff member who is very helpful. The plants are incredibly inexpensive and very healthy. I am happy that my yard is pretty bare except for the bougainvillea vines and virginia creeper. I have tried to focus on the courtyard as it is very bare and the courtyard off the guest room. However, my poor gardener and I are having a couple of problems because of the language barrier and my reluctance to let him do most anything. He is here three days a week for 2 hours each day and he is used to doing everything and of course so am I! I have been successful in having him leave the grass on the lawn when he mows, but he still wants to plant the bushes after I allow him to dig the hole. I guess we will somehow work this out. Wally is adamant that he needs the work so we must keep him all three days. He is a very pleasant fellow but I just don't want him out in the garden doing the things that I want to do. On the other hand, although I think having the maid 2 days a week for 5 hours is way more than needed, I can appreciate that I have never had so clean a house!
The food is another interesting experience here in Mexico. First of all we love the spicy food! We have it whenever we eat out. At home it is more like we ate back home. I still really like to cook so we don't eat out very much except when we have company and then we love trying new foods and new restaurants. Matthew, who is a great cook and loves Mexican food, stocked my cupboard with all the spices and accoutrements I need to cook Mexican food. As well he gave me some cooking instructions to get me started. However, the only things I have attempted are guacamole which I can make quite quiet or very spicy, salsa which can have a lot or little amount of cilantro ( I like a lot) and margaritas which until Tarra made a batch with strawberries and crushed ice, I have been completely unsuccessful with.
The grocery shopping is again a novel experience. Firstly, as strange as it may seem, everything is labeled in Spanish! Wally and I did not have time to learn it before we came. So our initial foray in to grocery shopping took us a long long time! We are better now, but have not really been successful with reading the ingredient lists. But it will come. The experience at the weekly market is better in that you can point to what you want without knowing the appropriate name but... then they tell you the price! No comprendo! Wally is getting much better at this as I always let him pay! The local produce is fantastic, fresh and inexpensive; however our reliance on our familiar food from home is not conducive to inexpensive food costs. Once we got over the initial excitement of finding a familiar cereal or cracker and positively snatching it off the shelf, we started to notice the COST! Kate and Jack became very good at shopping at the small local stores instead of the two gringo supermarkets that we use. Another new skill for us to learn.
Our health has definitely improved a lot, especially mine! Wally is feeling great and is very pleased with his care from our new doctor. He is taking fewer medications since we moved here. I have come off all my asthma medications and have come off or reduced some of my lupus medications. My specialist in Halifax has sent a referral to a specialist in Guadalajara; I will be pleased to go see him soon as he will check my blood work and then hopefully further reduce my medications. My fatigue has almost disappeared. I am down to one lupus day a week, which means the other 6 days I am raring to go! Well I guess I am still 61 years old which is slightly limiting.
I have left the most trying part of our life in Mexico to the end, learning Spanish! Wally has been much more attentive to learning the language. I have been much more attentive to the house and garden! We have a 'learn Spanish' course on our computers and I have finished the first Cd and started the second of 8 Cds, while Wally is on CD #7! We both started beginners Spanish at the LCS for 1 month. I did one class and Wally did 3 classes. So I am relying on Wally not only for driving me around but also to communicate for me! Speaking of driving me around, I will be very pleased when we get back to Halifax and change the ownership of the car into both of our names so I can drive again. I do walk a lot and enjoy it, but man will it be good to drive again!
So I guess to summarize our limited experience in Mexico we would say 95% is wonderful and 5% is frustrating. So I hope you all will be able to come down and see what life is like in Ajijic, Mexico with Wally and I, as I think we will be here a long time.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Return of the hummingbirds
So far, the bees have not returned to our hummingbird feeder. Nevertheless, Barb has been looking for the HummZinger feeder which claims that it prevents insects and bees from getting in. I looked in Windsor, Ont. when I was there, but no luck; no luch in Mexico either. She looked on Ebay and the company website, but they do not ship to Mexico and wanted over $100 shipping to send to Canada! However, Barb started calling pet stores in Halifax and lo, the store in the Dunbrack Mall, near the Sobey’s, have them for a cost of $26! Barb bought one on her credit card and hopes that her friends, Dawn and Gordon, who are coming to visit us in the middle of September, will bring it down with them. Unlike other feeders, this one is flat, like a flying saucer; it doesn’t have nearly the capacity of the one we have, but that is probably good. After about 3 days, the syrup starts to ferment and the hummingbirds can’t consume more than a fraction of the syrup in that time. After about 3 days, we had been letting the bats finish each batch off.
The other purchase Barb has been anxious about was a composter, very difficult to get in Mexico. Some had been advocating a hole in the ground with a little fence around. I think that in the dry season especially, the stuff would dry out and not decompose very well. However, we did locate a woman who has been importing them from Germany and has now arranged for some to be manufactured here. She lives way on the other side of Guadalajara, past the Costco store and mall that we go to. Barb had been calling and emailing her to set up an appointment to get one for over a week. Finally, she called back yesterday saying that she had been away. We are planning to go Wednesday. The State of Jalisco, where we are, is saying that all municiapalities must implement a 3 stream program for waste similar to that in Nova Scotia by September. I’ll talk about that in my next post.
This rainy season is quite mild. We had not had any rain for about 3-4 days. About 3 a.m., there was some rain; however, at 7:30 there was a thunderstorm and heavy rain for perhaps half an hour. Then, it reduced to a steady rain until about 10 a.m. After that, it cleared up and became sunny before noon.
The other purchase Barb has been anxious about was a composter, very difficult to get in Mexico. Some had been advocating a hole in the ground with a little fence around. I think that in the dry season especially, the stuff would dry out and not decompose very well. However, we did locate a woman who has been importing them from Germany and has now arranged for some to be manufactured here. She lives way on the other side of Guadalajara, past the Costco store and mall that we go to. Barb had been calling and emailing her to set up an appointment to get one for over a week. Finally, she called back yesterday saying that she had been away. We are planning to go Wednesday. The State of Jalisco, where we are, is saying that all municiapalities must implement a 3 stream program for waste similar to that in Nova Scotia by September. I’ll talk about that in my next post.
This rainy season is quite mild. We had not had any rain for about 3-4 days. About 3 a.m., there was some rain; however, at 7:30 there was a thunderstorm and heavy rain for perhaps half an hour. Then, it reduced to a steady rain until about 10 a.m. After that, it cleared up and became sunny before noon.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Brunts return to Nova Scotia
We took Tarra, Jeff & Aiden to the airport at 7 a.m. Their plane was to leave at 8:30. The last few days were busy, but I think that Jeff and Tarra did enjoy themselves. Jeff and Tarra were pleased with the walk up to the chapel. The views of the town and the lake were great. Also, at each of the turns for the switchbacks going up to the chapel, there was a small shrine representing one of the stations of the cross. Jeff took a lot of pictures.
On Thursday, we all went in to Tlaquepaque. There are lots of shops and with the street closed off to vehicles, it is very pleasant to walk along and to go round the square. We had lunch in one of the restaurants. By about 4:30 or so, everyone was tired of walking and window shopping, so we started back for the Lakeside (the term for the area along the north shore of Lake Chapala). Someone in Ajijic had recommended a restaurant in Chapala, called La Luña, as being very authentic Mexican. It is on the main street leading from Chapala to Guadalajara. It is not at all fixed up for Gringos; however, the food was good. After dinner, we all walked down to the waterfront, out on the pier and then along the ‘malecon’ (walkway along the water) to the east. There are a large number of stalls selling all sorts of goods and foods. By the time we got back to the car and drove home, it was after sunset; we were all so tired that we went to bed almost immediately (just after 9 p.m.).
Friday, we tried to take it easy as the Brunts were facing the trip home on Saturday. After a couple of weeks, we put the hummingbird feeder up again. It was only a couple of hours before the birds were returning to the feeder. At night the bats also returned and Jeff got several pictures; it is tricky because they move so fast and with the short delay for focusing, often they are gone, before the flash for the picture. So far (Saturday evening, after 2 days), no sign of the bees returning. Barb BBQ’d a good sized pollo (pronounced ‘po yo’)--i.e., chicken--on the still new BBQ. The ‘beer-can’ roaster does a very nice job and we had the last dinner with them at home. Tarra fixed strawberry Margaritas. They are really good (much like a strawberry daiquiri), much better than the other Margarita recipes we have.
On Thursday, we all went in to Tlaquepaque. There are lots of shops and with the street closed off to vehicles, it is very pleasant to walk along and to go round the square. We had lunch in one of the restaurants. By about 4:30 or so, everyone was tired of walking and window shopping, so we started back for the Lakeside (the term for the area along the north shore of Lake Chapala). Someone in Ajijic had recommended a restaurant in Chapala, called La Luña, as being very authentic Mexican. It is on the main street leading from Chapala to Guadalajara. It is not at all fixed up for Gringos; however, the food was good. After dinner, we all walked down to the waterfront, out on the pier and then along the ‘malecon’ (walkway along the water) to the east. There are a large number of stalls selling all sorts of goods and foods. By the time we got back to the car and drove home, it was after sunset; we were all so tired that we went to bed almost immediately (just after 9 p.m.).
Friday, we tried to take it easy as the Brunts were facing the trip home on Saturday. After a couple of weeks, we put the hummingbird feeder up again. It was only a couple of hours before the birds were returning to the feeder. At night the bats also returned and Jeff got several pictures; it is tricky because they move so fast and with the short delay for focusing, often they are gone, before the flash for the picture. So far (Saturday evening, after 2 days), no sign of the bees returning. Barb BBQ’d a good sized pollo (pronounced ‘po yo’)--i.e., chicken--on the still new BBQ. The ‘beer-can’ roaster does a very nice job and we had the last dinner with them at home. Tarra fixed strawberry Margaritas. They are really good (much like a strawberry daiquiri), much better than the other Margarita recipes we have.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
More with Brunts
On Saturday, we drove to Jocotepec. On the way, we stopped at the organic farm set up and run by the two Canadian women whom I’m mentioned before. We drove around Jocotepec, which is bigger than we had realized in our previous visit. We spent some time in the square and then stopped at a restaurant called, the Iquana, in San Juan Cosala, which is a little more than half way back to Ajijic. It is spread out on a bluff over-looking the lake, a great view and some of the children were swimming. There was even entertainment by a Spanish singer/comedian, at least I assume so by the way most people were laughing. Unlike most restaurants in Ajijic, aside from us, virtually all the patrons were Mexican. We returned tired, but pleased with the outing.
Jeff and Tarra spent last night in Villa Eucalytus and will be there again tonight. Last night with Aiden went well. The one problem was that when he was quiet and asleep, Barb would wonder if he were alright. She would then go in and he would wake up and cry. That reassured her. This happened even in the middle of the night. We had a short thunderstorm (only about 5 flashes with thunder) about 3 a.m. Aiden slept through that, but was wakened when Barb went in to check on him.
Half way up the mountain above Upper Ajijic is a shrine of some sort, which is visable everywhere in Ajijic. It is white so stands out from the vegetation around it. Tarra and Jeff were planning to walk up there today. They had forgotten their camera and dropped in here late this morning. I gave them a ride up as far as the houses go in Upper Ajijic and there is a trail going on up. We haven’t heard yet how that went. Jeff had looked it up on the internet somewhere and was anxious to go.
The organic garden group had a guest speaker at LCS today. He lived for some years in Jocotepec, but moved to B.C. when his sons became teenagers. He is a bit of an expert on the ecology of Lake Chapala and his second book is on some to the history of Lake Chapala since the Spanish conquest. That book is officially being published this Saturday. It was an interesting lecture and the profits (quite a big crowd) goes to support the educational programs of the organization; the founders are very dedicated ecologists who do a lot of work in the schools and work with students from the technology school in Jocotepec.
Jeff and Tarra spent last night in Villa Eucalytus and will be there again tonight. Last night with Aiden went well. The one problem was that when he was quiet and asleep, Barb would wonder if he were alright. She would then go in and he would wake up and cry. That reassured her. This happened even in the middle of the night. We had a short thunderstorm (only about 5 flashes with thunder) about 3 a.m. Aiden slept through that, but was wakened when Barb went in to check on him.
Half way up the mountain above Upper Ajijic is a shrine of some sort, which is visable everywhere in Ajijic. It is white so stands out from the vegetation around it. Tarra and Jeff were planning to walk up there today. They had forgotten their camera and dropped in here late this morning. I gave them a ride up as far as the houses go in Upper Ajijic and there is a trail going on up. We haven’t heard yet how that went. Jeff had looked it up on the internet somewhere and was anxious to go.
The organic garden group had a guest speaker at LCS today. He lived for some years in Jocotepec, but moved to B.C. when his sons became teenagers. He is a bit of an expert on the ecology of Lake Chapala and his second book is on some to the history of Lake Chapala since the Spanish conquest. That book is officially being published this Saturday. It was an interesting lecture and the profits (quite a big crowd) goes to support the educational programs of the organization; the founders are very dedicated ecologists who do a lot of work in the schools and work with students from the technology school in Jocotepec.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Un problema automóvil
Except for a little sprinkle, it has not rained since the Brunt family arrived. The last 2 evenings, it has clouded over and there was even distant thunder and/or lightning; however, nada rain. Tarra has expressed a wish to experience a good thunderstorm. The forecasts keep promising a thunderstorm, but not so far. They have another week before they return to Halifax.
Yesterday, I went out to start the car and nothing happened when I turned the key. At first there was enough power to lower windows, but an hour later, the battery was completely dead. I had seen an ad talking about Subaru, so I tried to call the number; no answer. I then decided to walk to the address given. I walked all the way to the other end of Riberas de Pilar (about 5 kms) in the hot afternoon. I could not find any sign of the either the establishment or the address. By the time I got back (I took the bus for part of the way), it was too late in the day. Today, I called what looked like a relevant auto shop speciallizing in electronic aspects and is very close in San Antonio. He came right over. Giving our car a boost, it started right up; however, he took it to his shop to diagnose what was wrong. It turns out that the voltage regulator was bad and it ruined the battery. That happened to me with another car. Anyway, we have the car back, but I’m not sure that Subaru will honour the warranty when we are in Mexico. Not having the car, we had to revise plans for the day and did not get far from the house. Jeff and Tarra have booked a room in a local B&B called, Casa Eucalytus, for 2 nights next week. It is only a few blocks away from our house, but it will give them some time by themselves. We are going to try to look after Aiden. They are really looking forward to that.
The pronunciation of automóvil is almost exactly the same as in English. My Spanish/English dictionary gives 3 other terms for automobile, 2 of them being cognates of English words as well--un auto, un carro and un choche. Learning Spanish is fun.
Yesterday, I went out to start the car and nothing happened when I turned the key. At first there was enough power to lower windows, but an hour later, the battery was completely dead. I had seen an ad talking about Subaru, so I tried to call the number; no answer. I then decided to walk to the address given. I walked all the way to the other end of Riberas de Pilar (about 5 kms) in the hot afternoon. I could not find any sign of the either the establishment or the address. By the time I got back (I took the bus for part of the way), it was too late in the day. Today, I called what looked like a relevant auto shop speciallizing in electronic aspects and is very close in San Antonio. He came right over. Giving our car a boost, it started right up; however, he took it to his shop to diagnose what was wrong. It turns out that the voltage regulator was bad and it ruined the battery. That happened to me with another car. Anyway, we have the car back, but I’m not sure that Subaru will honour the warranty when we are in Mexico. Not having the car, we had to revise plans for the day and did not get far from the house. Jeff and Tarra have booked a room in a local B&B called, Casa Eucalytus, for 2 nights next week. It is only a few blocks away from our house, but it will give them some time by themselves. We are going to try to look after Aiden. They are really looking forward to that.
The pronunciation of automóvil is almost exactly the same as in English. My Spanish/English dictionary gives 3 other terms for automobile, 2 of them being cognates of English words as well--un auto, un carro and un choche. Learning Spanish is fun.
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