Life in my Mexico

Pregnancy Friendly Hair Gel: Product Review

2011-10-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

This review is of a product I bought with my own money. I reviewed it because I think it is such an awesome product and I wanted to share it with my readers and friends.
I am close to being at the half way point of the 40 (or 42 weeks) of pregnancy. I am super sensitive to smells and can now sympathize with my younger brother who would complain and complain about my "stinky" perfume when we were teenagers. I find perfumes, lotions, hair gel, creams, after shaves, soaps, ANYTHING with an artificial scent, to be particularly offensive to my nose and general well being. Recently, my husband thought it was the perfect time to switch hair gels, that's right, NOW, when he has an over-sensitive-to-smells, pregnant wife. I explained to him that his new L'Oreal hair gel "has the same scent if flowers could poop." He didn't get it. I gave him an ultimatum: either ditch the gel or I will ditch it for you. My message got across to him and several days later he came home with Gel de Linaza by Buena Imagen. (see bellow image)

The best smelling non-smelling hair gel on the market in Mexico!

He gingerly handed it to me for the "smell test". I opened the tube and took a whiff. It smells a little chemically, but nothing that I could turn my nose up to or even have a reaction to. It is the closest thing to smelling like "nothing" that I can describe. And HOORAY it is a gel that I can use too! It is made with linseed extract from flax and according to Wikipedia, "...various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels, and soap." So linseed is a tried and tested ingredient for hair gels. It is natural (it is after all, from a plant!) The gel is manufactured right here in the city where I live. So I have a natural, locally produced hair gel that makes me WANT to do my hair in the morning. Can I quote a creepy, Hollywood star? Can I say "WINNING!"

The 250ml tube cost $40.00 MXN at the Buena Imagen Spa but we later found a better deal at a local fair: two 250ml tubes for $50.00 MXN. The ingredients are: distilled water, carbomer, trietanolamida, linseed extract, methyl and propyl paraben. My overall reaction to the gel: I love the fact that this gel is alcohol free and that it doesn't leave white flakes in my hair, have a bunch of ingredients or make me feel like throwing up. It is a win-win-win situation!

Now, if I can only find a deodorant that doesn't make me want to smell like B.O.

Trying Something New

2011-07-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

There are times when I post to this blog and I wonder if I am essentially doing the equivalent of going outside, finding a nice tree and talking to it for a half an hour or so. Talking to a tree is a relatively easy thing to do; perhaps a bit odd but it is a great way to exchange carbon dioxide for some fresh oxygen and get some things off your mind. Is writing on this blog my own tree talk? Am I just putting my own intellectual carbon dioxide out into the cyber universe and receive some release from the daily culture shock experiences? I really don't know. But I do know the reason why I started blogging: I wanted to try something new. Four years later, I am still at it and I really do enjoy it, even if I am just exchanging gases. Trying something new is a great way to learn about yourself and, as Matt Cutts points out in this TED Talks video, a great way to boost your self confidence. I've decided to try the 30 day challenge and I will be writing 1,667 words a day. I'll post again in a month and hopefully, I will have results that I am proud of!

Slut Walk Morelia 2011

2011-06-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, (June 26th, 2011) Morelia was witness to the first ever "Marcha de las Putas" or "Slut Walk" organized by three locals, Cris Mendoza, Laura Sainz and Erika Torreblanca. La Marcha de las Putas has a special meaning for Mexican women who have historically been targeted on the streets by men as they walk by. Cat calls, profanities, the well known "piropo" is the day-to-day backdrop for many women in Mexico.

Looking back over the ten years I have lived here, I have changed the way I dress to avoid this on the street sexual harrasment. I remember the first time a man groped me it was on the street in Mexico City. I was walking towards the metro, looking for my ticket in my purse, when I felt an odd pressure on my left butt cheek. I continued to walk after I had felt this, but stopped as soon as it registered in my brain that someone had grabbed me. I stopped and looked up. I turned and saw the most normal looking man standing a half block away from me, smiling and winking. That normal looking man became the most vile, disgusting creature right before my eyes. I was enraged! In what mind, in what kind of human being, did the idea of grabbing another person in a sexual manner without their consent become something acceptable? I considered chasing after him. I thought "Who the HELL does he think he is, grabbing me like that?" But as I saw him turn and walk away I reconsidered, fuming that I been distracted, let my guard down and promised myself to be more aware of my surroundings.

The Slut Walk is a grass roots movement to call out these offenders and the authorities who place the responsibility on women for being victims of these types of crimes and other sexual assault. And it is a call to society so that women don't have to do what I did back in Mexico City; walk away admonising themselves for not being "on guard". It is a call for women to be safe in their own cities, towns, cities and homes.

At the Marcha de las Putas we yelled "alerta, alerta, que camina, la marcha de las putas, por America Latina" and so we did, we marched because if one woman or girl is signaled out as a "slut" all women and girls are. And because women do not provoke sexual assault by "dressing like sluts", sexual assailants are guilty of a crime. In short, the message of the Slut Walk and Marcha de las Putas is: Stop blaming women for being women and put responsibility of sexual assault where it belongs: on the assailant.

BlackBerry Status

2011-06-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last week my BlackBerry was stolen; taken right out of my purse as I waited for someone on a street corner here in my colonia (see location). The panic I felt when I realized my phone was missing was nothing compared to the anger I felt when, Iusacell, the cell phone company I have been using for several years now, told me there was no insurance on my phone. I couldn't believe it! I had contracted insurance on my original plan and for some reason, the company dropped the insurance when I got the new plan with the BlackBerry!
So, my options to fix this situation are: pay for a new phone, preferably a BlackBerry since my two year plan is a BlackBerry plan, get out of my contract with the cell phone company or get another, less expensive phone and keep paying for something I am not using. Of course, I had one of the newest, priciest phones and really don't have the cash to buy a new one like the one that was stolen. The customer service rep assured me that the person that took my phone could never use it, since it has been suspended by the phone company, not all that comforting really since there are some sites on the Internet telling people that they can unblock BlackBerrys with "this phone has been stolen" message on it. Not making matters any better, I also got a scolding from a family member for having such an expensive phone, which was just "asking" to be stolen. This mentality is blaming the victim for being victimize and goes something like this: You got car jacked? Well it´s your own fault for owning a car! You got got mugged? Well you were wearing jewelry! You were raped? Well, you WERE wearing a mini-skirt. So all those thieves, muggers, rapists, car jackers, they are O.K.; they are just doing what they do.

Sheesh!

With the news last week that Research in Motion, the company that makes BlackBerrys, is in financial turmoil, I am wondering, no, more like hoping, to get a great deal on a BlackBerry, finish out my two year plan and NEVER buy an expensive cell phone again*.

*Ok, so I might eat my words here but at least I know that my phone company can't be trusted to keep the insurance on my phone. Constant vigilance seems to be the answer here. Sigh

The collective mind of adventure lovers

2011-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Expat Women Confessions: 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions About Living Abroad

I was fortunate enough to receive an e-book copy of Expat Women Confessions: 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions About Living Abroad and have found a trusted resource in Expat Women. Right from the start, the introduction by Andrea Martins resonated with me. She talks about her experience with a friend, April, in Mexico City several years ago. April appeared to be coping well, but as Andrea discovered, she felt alone and overwhelmed. This is a feeling that many expat can relate to, if not every person that has moved to another country.

Expat Women Confessions: 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions About Living Abroad is not a “how to” book; it is a culled, intimate look into how other women have survived and enjoyed the adventures of moving to and living in a foreign country. The authors, Australian Andrea Martins and New Zealander trained psychologist Victoria Hepworth, are expat women themselves. They have “been there and done that” and have compiled stories and experiences in this book to share with other women who are or are thinking of becoming expats.

The chapters cover the following topics: Settling In, Career and Money, Raising Children, Relationships, Mixed Emotions and Repatriation. Presented in an easy to understand manner, the reader gets the impression that flipping through the pages is like listening in on a conversation between two friends. Using useful facts to discuss the topics they present, Martins and Hepworth give the reader important issues to think about and discuss with family, partners, friends, co-workers, bosses and others involved in the expat’s life.

I would recommend this book to anyone considering moving to another country, or who has a close tie with someone who is. I find it especially significant that one of the authors is a psychologist, since in my own experience, a well trained professional whose passion is to study human behavior can be one of the most trusted of allies as I navigate my own adventure of living abroad. For more information about this book, please visit www.expatwomen.com

Acceptance

2011-03-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

For many years now I have fought an undeclared battle against things that I see in my Mexico that I dislike immensely. All these things can be summed up into two words: ignorance and indifference.

Garbage

It seems far too common place that so many people don't stop to think about what throwing a piece of paper, a can of Tecate or a disposable coffee cup from Starbuck will do to the city they live in. I go about my day and I see garbage strewn about and I grind my teeth telling myself "Mexicans are not dirty, we are just ignorant". I include myself in this collective "we" because I too am ignorant about so many things so I am no one to judge but I am someone to speak up and say "PUT THE GARBAGE IN IT'S PLACE!"

Public Transportation and Traffic in General

As a pedestrian: it has been too many times to count the following scenario: I am walking on the street and the light turns to red, allowing me, the pedestrian, the allotted time to cross said street. Just as I am stepping off the curb (at times with a stroller in tow) and a car screeches around the corner, either braking to let me walk or speeding up as I freeze to see what the driver will do.

As a driver

The public transportation operators, in this case combi and bus drivers, cut me off, stop abruptly at an intersection without pulling over to the curb to pick someone up or drop someone off, or cut traffic off completely.

I am not going to be naïve and say these are just examples of ignorance because there is a large indifference factor; the thought “why should I care what someone else does or says, I am going to do what I want” or like my friend Alex says “que se haga la voluntad de dios pero en las mulas de mi comadre” which loosely translated into “whatever happens as long as it happens to someone else”. I have accepted these daily happenstances as a part of my life but also as something that I can actively become a part of changing. For example, I pick up garbage in public spaces, this is my home and I want it to look nice and it is the right thing to do.

After all we all live in the same home and this indifference I seem to be experiencing so very often stems from the ignorance of this fact: we all are in this together, same planet, same garbage, same solution. We are the solution as much as we are the problem. This I can accept with grace and contentedness to become a part of the solution. Or like the infamous Televisa campaign asks Mexican society collectively: ¿Y tu? ¿Tienes el valor o te vale?

Happy International Women's Day: Hell does exist

2011-03-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

And to what conclusion, pray tell, have you come to fair lady? Hell does exist.

Hell, in my mind, is a place where people are raped, beaten, abused, hated, manipulated, cajoled, in short, convinced that they are responsible for all the violence and torment in their lives and forced to swallow it all. Hell is being forced to do with your body what you are told to do, not what you want to do. Hell is being told to believe what someone else wants you to believe and if you disagree, you will pay some terrorizing price with your immortal soul. Hell is what we people use to control other people. Hell is a very usefull tool, it prevents the otherwise intelligent individuals from using the reason and imaginations they were born with to be empathetic with other human beings; the idea of hell amputates all possibilities of having an open mind.

I am so very often frustrated by what I percieve to be the close-minded religious fanatiscm deeply embeded in some people's world view. Reading the papers today, people seem to have forgotten that fanaticism is not exclusive to one religion, ideology or country. In the United States the Republican representative Peter King is planning to start hearings this week on the "radicalization" of Islam in the United States.

According to merriam-webster.com, fanatic is "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion " and radicalize is "to make radical especially in politics". Isn't Rep. King being a fanatic by making religion a political issue, a religion that he does not share? Is he not going against the very essence of the Constitution by persecuting a religious group? Of course radicalization is not in any way exclusive to Islam or to religion to that matter. Rep. King seems to be quite radical in hearings by just limiting the topic to Islam and including other religious groups or militant and hate groups for that matter.

Hell DOES exists and it is full of radicals and the fanatically religious and ideological people who want to make everyone see things the exact same way they seem them. And, from where I stand, hell is where we all currently reside.

What about...

2011-03-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

"What about the interests of people who are beaten down by terrible poverty?" Kathy Kelly

What about the people who are starving and can't feed thier children?

What happens when you live your life in a world where food is always a surplus, where money is always plenty, where trips to the dentist are as common as air.

I'll tell you what happens, your eyes are pried open like a rusted shut treasure chest that has sat at the bottom of the ocean.

Taking Care of Business

2011-02-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Starting your own business is challenging. There is so much work to do and depending on your business, you may be the sales, accounting, marketing and PR departments all at the same time. This is more than true in my own experience. I update the blogs, monitor the website (in English and Spanish), get quotes on raw materials, do the budgeting, Ad Words campaigns, networking, Facebooking, product development, talent management, etc. etc. Think of an industry catch phrase and I most likely do it, have done it or will eventually have to do it. Today was no different. Thanks to the advice of a business savvy friend I went to the local state university to scout possible points of sale and to talk to the street vendors outside of the campus to get a feel for what they sell and how their sales go from day to day. After I talked to some very talented crafts people I went to look for my friend who is a student at the Economics School. Coming up on the building I saw that one entrance, a gated doorway, was closed and apparently blockaded with furniture. Walking around I saw signs reading “out with the dictator” and “we demand justice”. These were signs of student protest and the building was on lock down. The economic major students had taken over two buildings and locked themselves inside. Outside were some students talking and they seemed to be the life lines for those locked inside. While I waited for my friend I saw food and bags being passed through the gates.

Student sitting under protest signs on Economic Faculty Building

The first time I encountered this kind student disobedience I was baffled. As a student I had never dreamed of doing something so bold, so aggressive, so against the rules. It never occurred me to me that students could demand something from their schools and to be honest, I never saw it being done until I moved to Mexico. I know that in the 60´s and 70´s students in the USA protested wars and the draft but students protesting their own school's institutional politics took me some time to understand. These particular economic major students seem to have grievances with the department head. In the past I have seen students prostest because they didn’t get into the faculty of their choice, which techinically means that they weren’t students protesting, but “wanna be” students demanding that they be admitted.

Blocked entrance to the Economic Faculty Building

Under the Mexican constitution, citizens are guaranteed the right to education and education is stipulated as being public and liaca (non-religious). Which brings me to another topic that has taken some time to understand : the Mexican public school system, in particular teachers and the teacher union. At this moment in Mexico’s history the teacher union is headed by the stretched faced maestra Elba Esther Gordillo. Elba Esther Gordillo is the president of the teacher’s union ad vitam, owns luxueries properties (namely a penthouse in Paris), is a frequent costumer of plastic surgeons and pretty much does whatever she wants. Last week President Felipe Calderon gave his country a Valentine’s Day present. He announced that all private school tuition, from pre-school to high school, would be directly deductible from taxes. Back in the late 80´s early 90´s a very similar issue debated in the US Congress. Nothing really came of this proposal of giving tax breaks to people who paid private school tuition but then again the situation of public schools in the USA isn't really all that comparable to Mexican public schools. Public school education in Mexico is beyond deficient, it is border line criminal. Students in public schools are left with out classes, they are abused by their teachers, they are given limited resources and often forgotten about it. Why does this happen? Because the teachers and the teacher’s union have millions of Mexican families literally imprisoned and the government allows it. These are families who have no choice but to put their kids in public schools. Education should be public and non-religious and it is the responsibility of government and civil society to monitor and provide children with academic and emotional preparation. Between teachers striking and suspending classes for all and no reason, students are left to fend for themselves and that does not change when it comes to university. Teachers will still hold their students captive but the difference is that in university students seem to fight back and at least, from my perspective, the playing field is evened out a bit more.

So what does this have to do with my business? Well everything and nothing. As a member of civil society I believe my children have a right to a free, public education but they are not getting it because the public school system is beyond broken. As a business women I see that the teacher’s union is nothing more than a business where the power is concentrated in the hands of a business oligarch. Teachers stike whenever they want and students and parents are left to pick up the pieces. Right now there are protests going on in Wisconsin over the governor’s attempt to limit public sector workers from bargaining powers. In business and life negotiation is key. Closing yourself off to negotiate is equivalent to suicide. As any negotiator will tell you, all sides must be taken into account. When it comes to the teacher's union in Mexico the students and their parents are NEVER taken into account. Watching those economic majors commandeer their faculty made me reflect upon power in numbers. That power can be used for good or, as in the National Teacher’s Union case, for evil. So for now, I am taking care of business by searching out others who want to work and grow and not at the cost of an entire country, faculty or community.

No knight in shining armor just a red pony

2011-02-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Back in 2007 I was living in León, Guanjuato. After a very disturbing highway accident (we were run off the highway by what looked a tank but turned out to be an old Chevrolet pick up), our gas mileage friendly Volkswagen Pointer was left crunched in half at the dealer's workshop. With no car to drive and a full time job at the UGTO Physics Institute, I had no choice but to drive around a muscle car. Doesn't sound so bad? The muscle car and I shared our birthdays; we were "manufactured" in the 1970´s! I am glad to say that I was in better shape than that car: it leaked oil, the hydraulic steering was ever so delicate, it had no seat belts, the list went on and on. I wrote this as diary entry as a way to vent some stress and intended to post it on my blog. Four years later and a muscle car less, I have the best memories of that 1978 Mustang, our "red" pony.

Grey Cloud, Red Horse

1978 Mustang II

I woke up this morning with a grey cloud hanging over my head. As I rolled out of bed, my mood was ominous and drab. I yelled at my bedmate, I cursed at the dog. I packed away my breakfast in clear plastic boxes and slid out the front door. The sun was shining brightly as I took steps towards my new car. A brand new car. New to me, and my husband and five year old son that is. 1978 Ford Mustang. Red. Hot. And as I backed out of my drive way after battling with the ignition switch and getting the car to start, I remembered what it was like to live in artic Rochester, New York, where any car older than five years had to be coaxed and prodded into starting up in the morning. Not that any of that matters now, now I live in sunny Mexico. The funny thing is, I still wake up with grey clouds sometimes.

As I ambled down the street, I remembered, “you haven’t paid for the car yet.” “Be careful…” I told myself as I rounded the corner, to find myself hood to hood with a 1980 Chevrolet pick up. I held my breath as the driver edged by my scarlet pony. “The breaks are low…” I reminded myself as I eased over the ever present, much despised, speed bumps that are so common in Mexican streets. “A 1978 Ford Mustang, this is so cool!” I reflected as I made it over the speed bump only to slow down again as the road ended and became nothing more than dirt for about twenty meters. Another one of my current resident city’s charms; mid-road missing pieces of asphalt. I turned left onto the street that take me out of my neighborhood complex and my grip tightened on the mini steering wheel the previous owner installed. “You don’t have a horn to beep with…” I reminded myself as four dogs, a bicyclist and a minivan crossed my exit path. “Deathtrap…you’re driving a deathtrap….” The American, always have insurance, never forget to buckle your seat belt panic set in as I pushed down hard on the gas pedal. “Breaks are low, oil needs changing and there is no gas…you can do this, you are going to be just fine”-my mantra until I got to the gas station. A half a tank on $100 pesos, not bad for a eight cylinder. I was impressed, still nervously excited though because my journey to work through eight AM traffic was still ahead of me.

The orange and white barricade bar that the parking lot at work went up as I approached. I sighed and crawled my lovely new 1978 Mustang up the ramp into the parking lot. I parked it right next to my office window. “This just might work” I thought. Then I remembered, “no backseat seatbelts and in about five hours I have to pick up my son from school….” The journey continues….

My red pony

Las Aparicio

2011-02-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Telenovelas, or as I knew them growing up in the USA, soap operas, have been a constant in my life ever since that fateful day I saw the Young and the Restless for the first time. Sitting cross legged on the carpeted floor of my friend Jenny's house, her mom a fan of the Y&R, would let me watch while my friend begged that we go play. However, at home, my mother never watched a soap opera or a telenovela. She is a rarity among Mexican women her age because she has never liked telenovelas.

Exposure: Telenovelas

I had never seen a Mexican telenovela until I moved to Mexico City in 1998 while studying a semester abroad at the Universidad Iberamericana Santa Fe. My boricua (Puertorican for those unfamiliar with the term) roomate, Beatriz, was my own personal resident expert on all things Mexican and she got me hooked. Beatriz, at the time was smack in the middle of a love affair with Mexico and all things Mexican. She convinced me to go with her to the Cervantino, she insisted I try new foods, chapulines (crickets) chilaquiles, anything instead of pizza. With Beatriz I climbed to the top of "El Cerro del Tepozteco" and once every week day, we would sit in front of our furnished apartment's television to watch Beatriz's favorite telenovela.

Las Aparicio

Add for Las Aparicio

During the years that I've lived in Mexico I've shied away from telenovelas, finding those produced by TV Azteca and Televisa irritatingly bad. They are either re-makes of old telenovelas, adaptations of other countries telenovelas or just plain insulting. Last night, however, I sat down to watch Las Aparicio. Las Aparicio is not produced byTelevisa or Azteca, but Argos . It first aired last year on Cadena Tres. It is is about a very unique family, The Aparicios.

In many Latin American countries, Mexico included, children use both parent's surnames and in the case of the Aparicio, three sisters from three different fathers, fathers who each died under very strange circumstances, all share their mother's surname as their first and only last name. ( Aparicio is Spanish, Castillan if I am to believe a website on surname origens). The word "aparicio" is very similiar the words "aparecer" and "aparencias" which mean "to look like" and "appearances", respectively. "Aparició" with the accent on the last o, means "to have appeared". As is the case in any part of the world, appearances are so very important to people, and the Mexican upper middle class is no exception. Las Aparicios´ world is one where appearances, as they so often do, deceive. The family is surrounded by scandal, loss, sadness and triumph. Rafaela, the three times widow and her three gorgeous daughters, Alma, Mercedes and Julia must deal with the stereotypes placed on women in Mexican society. This program´s relevance in Mexican society stems from its portrayal of gender roles, sexuality, and sexual orientation; topics that are still difficult to discuss in Mexico. In the very first show, the youngest of the Aparicio, Julia has a hot and steamy romp with her best friend Mariana in her bedroom. Mariana stops Julia and says "si aqui la lencha soy yo". Lencha is a Mexican slang term for lesbian and word not often used or heard on Mexican television (click here for an interesting look into lesbian life in Mexico). If these first two shows are any indication, I am in for a lot of entertainment and topics to discuss in the future here on the blog and out and about with all those I encounter while living life in MY Mexico.

For more on Las Aparicio, please visit these sites:

De Telenovelas Blog http://detelenovelas.com/tag/las-aparicio/

Wikipedia http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Aparicio

Review of Il Belcanto

2011-02-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

Il Belcanto

A couple of weeks ago I ate at a new Italian trattoria here in town. Il Belcanto, true to it’s name, has a guitar playing crooner strumming songs in Spanish and Italian.

Guitar playing at Il Belcanto

Located on Rey Ticateme #464 in Morelia, the atmosphere is very urban. How more urban can you get by having dinner in a gargage, sitting on plastic chairs and eating at a plastic table?

Street front of Il Belcanto

Street sign that reads "pasta and salads, Tuesday-Sunday 1-6pm, Sundays live music. Cash only, reservations 443-200-4895"

Joined by my mother, we ordered spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti al pesto with shrimp (with four, yes four, shrimp). The pasta was, a las, far from al dente but the sauce’s seasoning was decent. The prices were not unreasonable at all, $70.00 pesos MXN per pasta dish that included a salad with unlimited bread (sliced bolillo) plus $35.00 MXN per glass for overly sweet sangria. The salad had a house dressing that was a bit watered down. Over all I would say that Il Belcanto offers Italian food at cocina economica prices and that is pretty much what you get, fresh food that can be a little over cooked with quick, friendly service.

Life in my Mexico: Fibra de Coco

2011-02-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Life in my Mexico: Fibra de Coco

Fibra de Coco

2011-02-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

About a year and half a go I became involved with a part of the coconut that I had never thought of before. I love coconut and everything to do with it, coconut trees, coconut forests waving in the coastal breezes, coconut oil on warm bronzing skin, coconut milk in frosty piña coladas (can I just say: YUM!, piña coladas have coconut AND rum, how can you go wrong with that combination?) and there are the ever so delicious, ever so traditional Mexican cocadas; lip smacking coconut candy. But coconut fiber? I didn’t even know it could be used like this:

Coconut fiber and cotton bags galore!

And yet here I am, today, the proud creator of a small business, an up and coming ecologically minded company that designs and produces coconut fiber products. And today also marks the day that I put some hydroponics knowledge to the test using left over coconut fiber pieces from my business.

Coconut fiber "beds" for little raddish seeds

I just figure that with all the stress and unrest the world (are narcoblocades, kidnappings, extortion, economic crisis, revolts and political unrest ringing a bell, anyone?) around me and in my own life, putting small, seemingly delicate seeds on a coconut fiber “bed” has been surprisingly soothing. Hopefully my plants will grow and in a few weeks I’ll have something to show for a couple of hours work. Here’s to that ever so tasty, ever so versatile, coco.

For more information on coconut fiber and coconut fiber products, please visit the following links:

ecobolsamexico.blogspot.com

nanacollective.blogspot.com

flavors.me/nana_co

www.nanacollective.webs.com

Look the other way: violence in Mexico today

2010-09-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Personal perception

A little over a year ago a family member living in the USA asked me about violence in Mexico and was wondering if he should cancel his trip here. I was angered by his question, angered and outraged. I gave him statistics about how it was more dangerous to be in certain cities in the States and in the end he didn't cancel his trip. His questions made me think about how Mexico is being presented in the media in the USA and the rest of the world. Living in the center of the country, far removed from the border cities of Cuidad Juarez and Tijuana, we are still exposed to murders, dicapitations, and violent encounters between narcos & military patrols. We stay home on festive holidays like this past 15th of September, avoiding large crowds and people. Two years ago explosions at Morelia's traditional "el grito" in a downtown street sent the city into panic. Today I feel we Morelianos are more cautious, avoiding going out late at night etc. yet I feel as if, at the same time, we are somehow looking the other way. The violence in our city and state continues but it always seemed to be reported with some kind of spin on it. Whether it is state run media or private media reporting, things always seem to be fault or responsibilty of the federal government. This, in my opinion, is collective amnesia. Mexican society allowed for this reality to be what is today. After all, who voted for the elected officials? Who allowed narcos to set up supply lines and operate? Drug trafficking and violence is nothing new to Mexico. Drug trafficking has been the bread and butter of many Mexican politicians, officials and families for many, many years. Perhaps this averting of our collective eyes is more a self-preservation mechanisim than out right denail. It is an interesting topic of study for a cultural anthropoligist I would say.

Independent Media

Interviews like this one from Democracy Now (democracynow.org) force me to reflect on these issues. Putting responsibility and politics asside, what strikes me the most is how all of us, children, adults, every member of society, have to incorporate these acts of violence into our daily lives and continue life the best way we can. I am not so visceral now when someone outside Mexico asks about violence. My answers are always more along the line of "yes there is violence...but what can I do besides carry on with my life and protect those I love as best I can?" The truth is: what other options do we have?

Sights from Life in My Mexico

2010-05-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Timbiriche

2010-04-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

The other day we decided to go to San Juan market (Mercado de la Revolución) and while we were waiting for someone to meet us, I saw a strange looking fruit laying on the ground by a bunch of crates. It looked like "baby" bananas but it was a totally different color. The skin was white wtih pinkish-red coloring at each end. It grew in a bunch just like bananas and when I asked the green grocer at the fruit stand what it was he told me it was called "timbiriche". A strange name, I thought, given the fact that there is a Mexican 80´s pop group with the same name. I didn't have my cellphone on me, so I didn't take a picture of the strange looking fruit but I did get one from the green grocer who told me to be carefull because the fruit would burn my tounge. I have to say this made me hesitant to try this exotic find but a woman who saw me struggling to get the very hard peel off of the "timbirche" told me, "Dig in your nail, pull down on the peel as you would a banana". I asked her if it would taste horrible and she said "No, not at all, just a little acidy, it is great with salt". So I went for it. It was sweet, sticky and quickly popped on my tounge with an acid sting. It was quite enjoyable, almost like eating pop rocks when I was kid! After doing some research on the fruit once I got home, I realized that it isn't "timbiriche" like the music group, but "tinbiriche" or bromelia karatas.

I still can't believe that I have lived in Michoacán for almost 5 years and never seen or tasted this fruit before. This just goes to show, that life in MY Mexico is full of new and exciting things!

Here is a website I found while looking for information on El Tinbiriche

http://www.laplazadellimon.net/Gastrinomialugares.html

For more detailed information on this fruit, here is a website that is an ethnobotanical reference site

http://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/ibc/pdf/coppens/Fruits%20from%20America/Ficha%20Bromelia%20karatas.htm

Getting Married in Mexico

2010-04-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Planning a wedding is stressfull and nerve racking. Planning a wedding Mexico is no exception. Last fall I had the results of months of planning, calling, emailing, facebooking and instant messaging fold out before me as the offical wedding planner for my younger brother´s wedding. He got married here in Morelia, a colonial city which is the state capital of Michoacán a state full of rich cultural heritage. *For more information on Morelia and Michoacan, see the bottom of this page.

The religious ceremony was held in the same church our parents got married in 1977. San José is a typical example of colonial architecture with a round plaza in the front of the church, providing a most dramatic stage for a bride to walk into her wedding.

The priest that officiated the mass was chosen because he had spent several years pastoring a church in Chicago. It was important for my brother and his wife to have a mass in English since no one in the bride's family spoke Spanish fluently. Finding a priest who speaks English is not always an easy task but not impossible.

For the wedding reception, we hired caterer extraordinare Roberto Omaña. He is one of the finest organizers with flair for the mexicana meets international in his food presentations. The party setting was held at Jardin Ego, which is strategically placed a top one of Morelia's hills, overlooking the city. Music was provided by RONA, a sounds and lights company. My brother and sister-in-law couldn't have been more pleased with the results. It was a lot of hard work, but well worth it!

Un ejército musical

2010-02-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

A musical army, an interesting thought and one that I would had never had if hadn't been for the "MAGNO CONCIERTO DE MÚSICA MEXICANA" given by the Mexican military in Morelia, Michoacán this past Friday, Febuary 5th, 2010. This year, 2010, marks the bicential of Mexico´s independence and the centenial of Mexico's revolution. (For more information on Mexico's 2010 festivities, visit this site México 2010)

The concert comprised of 13 diferent pieces by different Mexican authors and were all performed by military women and men. The Symphony Orchestra of the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, the Chorus of the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, the Mariachi of the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, and the Musical Band of the Army, directed by Rubén Estrada Corona, second capitan.

It seemed a pity to me that this concert be available to those of us lucky enough to be invited and would encourage the organizers to offer these types of musical/cultural events to children and schools. We took our children and they loved it! We got up and danced, you could see how the musicians themselves were enjoying themselves. It was an entirely new facet of the military that I had never seen! We had never imagined that the National Defense Secretary had a mariachi! Thanks to all the musicians envoloved! ¡Gracias a todos los musicos involucardos que hicieron un trabajo excepcional!

Relax, Guadalupe Reyes can be managed

2010-01-04T20:53:00.001-08:00

W hen you live in Mexico, you discover that the holiday season starts not as soon as in the USA (which is RIGHT after Thanksgiving), but it lasts a lot longer. Guadalupe Reyes is the term used to call the days between December 12th (the day of the patron saint of Mexico, La Virgin de Guadalupe) until January 6th (Three Kings Day). I for one think holidays are stressfull no matter where you live. That is why I recommend that you try an anti-stress massage at the Hotel Portico. In the newly opened "spa room" you can let yourself relax with the help of aromatherapy and Alejandra, the hotel's massuse. For more information call Hotel Portico at 312-1446 or visit the webpage www.hotel-portico.com.mx

Bags, Bolsas y mucho más....

2009-12-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

T he second anual Feria de Economía Solidaria was a success for our Eco Bolsas® and here are some pictures of our products. All our bags are made out of 100% biodegradable coconut fiber with cotton (manta) details that are also biodegrable. These are completely made in Michoacan by women who became involved with the product when it was still a government funded sustainable development project. It has since grown and the women have taken on the project as thier own micro business and have created a co-op. These bags are for sale and any orders can be taken through this blog.

**Coming soon: eco-bolsa: the website

El segundo feria estatal de Economía Solidaria fue todo un éxito para nuestro Eco Bolsas® y aquí hay algunos fotos de nuestros productos. Todos nuestras bolsas son hechos de fibra de coco 100% biodegradable con detalles de manta. Son hechos completamente en Michoacán por mujeres que se involucraron con el producto cuando aun era parte de un proyecto de desarrollo sustentable por parte del gobierno estatal. Desde entonces, el proyecto ha crecido y han creado su propio micro empresa y cooperativa. Estas bolsas están a la venta y cualquier pedido se puede recibir desde este blog.

**Proximamente: eco-bolsa: la pagina web

Coco for Coconut Fiber

2009-12-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I have become involved in a sustainable development project with coconut fiber bags. If you would like more information about these products, feel free to contact me through this blog.

Para mayor información acerca de la bolsas de fibra de coco, por favor escribame atravez de este blog.

Morning Rush

2009-12-03T09:11:00.001-08:00

T he morning ritual of Monday through Friday is pretty much the same in Mexico as anywhere else I have been. With school age children to get ready in the morning, rushing and hurrying is diurnal process that just can't be avoided. Today, however, the morning scurry came to a screeching halt for one family. I don't know who they are, I don't know thier names. All I know is that this family also had a school age child who was hit on his or her way to school. I know this, because in my rush to be on time to my son's school, I saw a little body, still and covered by a blanket, laying in the middle of an overloaded street. To be accurate, after fighting to get my car into the turning lane, battling other drivers to get into the lane (because driving in Mexico is the definition of chaos), I saw a large truck stopped in the road. I was furious, "what the %$*! is this truck doing" I said. Then I saw a man, directing traffic, a mound of clothing on the road behind him and a group of women huddled together on the corner. It all happened so quickly, just as I turned the corner (since I couldn't go straight) I realized that the mound of clothing was a child, I could see his or her sneakers and gym uniform. "¡DIOS MIO!" I exclaimed. I couldn't help myself, I saw the women on the corner, I realized they were consoling each other, perhaps one of them was the child's mother. On the right hand side of this street corner, there is a large school. Children were in the road, at the school's enterance, yelling, crying, running, maybe trying to figure out who the child was but they were in shock. I caught myself looking at the clock, force of habit, checking to make sure we weren't late. I reviled myself for even thinking about tardiness: a child had just died as he or she hurried to school. "We can be late" I told my son, "that little boy or girl just died, we can be late..."

El Torito

2009-02-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

In many cultures where there is a strong Catholic presence, today is Fat Tuesday, is the last day for "living it up" before the lenten season begins. The day before Ash Wednesday "El Torito" or the bull can be seen in plazas, streets and schools. El torito is done by a group of people who dance with a band (drum, trumpets, cimbals and horns) along with a person dressed as a devil or demon, a bull and various dancers. Here are some video clips of a torito at a local school.

Super Bowl 2009 a la mexicana: El Super Tazon

2009-02-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl in Mexico has become more and more popular over the years and this year for the first time, we had a Super Bowl "party". With the help of a wonderful recipe book written by the Junior League of Buffalo, B-Lo (Buffalo) style wings and fried cheese sticks were prepared. Of course, there was the Mexican touch with Pacifico beer and authentic hot salsa (made with roasted tomatoes, peppers, and onions). Frying Manchego cheese was a little bit of a challenge at first but finally by putting the cheese in extremely hot oil in a non-stick pan for about three seconds a similar effect was achieved. So as we say here in Mexico, ¡viva el super tazón!