Las Carnitas

Today I went with a group of new friends to the Carnitas, which is Mexican Barbecue. We took cabs, as it was a few miles outside of town, on the way to La Gruta (hot springs). There was some confusion when we discovered that nobody in our cab knew exactly where we were going, including the cab driver! After stopping to ask for directions, and a bit of a scenic tour, we arrived to the cheers of the rest of our group.

You order the meat here like in Texas, except in kilos rather than pounds. The sides included Guacamole, charro style beans (these are beans cooked with onion, garlic, bacon, sausage and other yummy things), and rice. The “dining room” was open air, and there was a good view of the surrounding country. It was a bit of a relief to get outside the walls of San Miguel.

Complimentary corn tortillas and rolled-up deep-fried tortillas with a bean and meat filling, with green or red sauce for dipping, accompanied the meal. Dee and I split a kilo of carnitas, and had most of it left over. I just made some carnita and bean soup, with chipotle sauce, onion and fresh lime juice for seasoning. Delicioso!

Although the meat was well seasoned, and tender, it was a bit dry, and it didn't even come close to the Texas barbecue we had at Charles' place in Austin. But I would still bring friends here for the casual ambiance and the fun food experience, which included plates, and the seasoning of the meat was very, very good.

Reality

Hi,

Hi you guys. You may think I am having the time of a life time, but things are never what you think they will be. I have been feeling disconnected, lost and lonely quite a bit of the time here. The culture and language are completely different, and I miss my friends and the familiarity of home. Making new friends takes time. Also miss having a job to go to and distract me from the intensity of self.

However, that all said, somehow I know this is where I am supposed to be. I guess I'm learning, and that's not always fun, but will probably be rewarding. I've only been here a couple of weeks, and apparently it takes longer than that to feel at home somewhere as completely different as this. There is a big difference between going somewhere for a vacation, and putting your life in storage for an open-ended adventure. I know I can come home any time I want to, and that makes it possible for me to stay a bit longer and see what develops.

Life is insane no matter where you are and what you're doing. Ah, the human condition. Gotta love it.

Bye for now, Jacquie

From: "Susan Lowrey"
To: "Jacquie Wareham"
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 21:12:43 -0800
Hi, Email and say Hi. Debbie and I are wondering how you are doing. Having fun no doubt. Getting tan no doubt. Got a new email rey@teus.net. I've finally gone high speed. It's a telus miracle.

Sue

Tuesday Market

On Tuesday Dee took me out to the Tuesday Market. We met at the Lavanderia, the outdoor laundry at the Chorro, just down the street from Casa Dharma. From threre we walked straight up, up, up the stairs, past the cultural centre, up to the Queretaro road, the up even more, to the very rim of the canyon. Along the edge of the city, with the Santa Domingo neighbourhood to the left, and the whole country spread out below us to the left, out in the hot 10 AM sun, out to the Gigante.

The Gigante is a large modern store, like a Mexican version of Superstore, on the edge of town. Also the home of San Miguel's first shopping mall. On the other side of theGigante, the Tuesday Market spread out like an ocean of tarped roofs before us.

Wandering between the stalls, the vendors call out to attract customers, taped music blares, each booth with its own station, competing for our attention. The powerful fragrance of ripe fruit seduces. Crowds jostle through, women with babies, women and girls of every age. Every imaginable consumer good is for sale, from prepared food, clothes, electronics, remedies, fashion accessories, toys, honey, raw chickens, produce, CD's,

This is where the people shop. We were mainly shopping for clothes. Large tables with huge mounds of clothes, each table a different price. There were 50 peso tables, 30 peso tables, 15 peso tables, and at the very back of the market, we found a 10 peso table. We should have started there, because they had some great finds- the odd silk shirt, some Old Navy, really great stuff, for about a dollar each. As we, and the other shoppers sort throught the clothes, we pull up the buried things from the bottom of the piles, and toss them on top. In this way, the clothes are all contantly being circulated for everyone to see. There aren't any mirrors, so you just pull things on over your clothes to check the fit, much to the entertainment of any male bystanders, and rely on your friend's opinion as to how it looks. I came home with practically a whole new wardrobe, for about $35 dollars.

San Miguel Streets

Casa Dharma Sunset Views

Lunch, the San Miguel Way

Today I had plans to meet Dee for lunch. We met at the Biblioteca, and wandered the city looking for the perfect place to suit us both, some place not to noisy, stopping in at this shop and that to browse and window shop. We finally ended up at a place on the "Ancha" which is short for Ancha de San Antonio, the main street coming in to San Miguel from Leon, and also the main commercial street in the Colonia (neighbourhood) de San Antonio. We ordered, and soon our meal appeared. The name of the restaurant is Hobo's, and it was cool, dark, nearly empty, with cloth tablecloths and napkins. I ordered the comida, which is a set meal, with four or more courses for a set price. It is served at midday, is the largest meal of the day and is quite reasonably priced. All you need in the evening is a snack. Today the comida consisted of a choice of soup, a choice of main, choice of dessert, and tea or coffee, for $100 pesos, about $10. I had a thin chicken soup, rich with flavour and meat, the main course was a large chicken breast in a tangy mustard sauce, with rice and steamed veggies, accomanied by warm rolls with butter. For dessert, I had flan, which is a traditional Mexican dessert. This one was a bit cakey, usually it is more like custard. Black tea throughout toned the meal. All very, very delicious.

Dee had a tuna salad, which came beautifully garnished with avocado, tomatoe, cantaloupe and carrot. quite substantial and refreshing, for $35 pesos, or about $3.50.

When we were nearly done, a friend of Dee's happened by, and we sat with him while he ordered and ate his lunch, chatting about various interesting topics of delight to all. John made the very pithy and correct observation that one of the differences of living in San Miguel, compared to "home" is that in San Miguel, if you get three things done in a day, you feel all the accomplishment of a full day's work, whereas chores such as dry cleaning, grocery shopping, etc are things that would be accomplished on the way to, or home from, work, "back home". So true!

Lunch ended at quarter to four, only because I had to leave to meet another friend. Otherwise, who knows how long we would have been there, lunching on, and on, in San Miguel.

Cross Cultural

I was chatting today with a young Canadian woman who has been living with a Mexican man. I asked her about the challenges of different cultures. She said there are similarities, and differences. For example, Mexican men need their mothers. They want their girlfriends, or wives, to perform all the tasks that their mothers did for them, such as cleaning, laundry, cooking etc. If the wife doesn't do these things, the man will literally go home to his mother. However, this woman said when the differences between them become too great, she goes home to her mother, who also lives here. That is the similarity.

I had a request for a picture of me, here, so I figured out the self-timer on my camera, and here I am- in Mexco! I took the picture on the rooftop this evening. The other picture is the table in my room, where I write this blog.

The party I went to last night was fun. It was early, 7-9, and very laid back and relaxed. I met some new people and even had a ride home on a motorcycle!

Saturday, not that it makes much differrence...

Today in San Miguel, it is, as always, sunny and warm.

I had a few days of feeling really lost and lonely here, but have started to get to know a few new friends. It takes time. I'm still tired a lot; the competely new culture, a new city, the altitude, and isolation of not knowing anyone, all taking a toll. I have to rest often. That whole siesta thing makes a lot of sense here, too, as it is very warm in the mid-day.

I'm still not used to having a maid and groundkeper here every day, and we can't communicate at all. I'm picking up a little Spanish, but not much, and feel very self conscious, because courtesy is a big part of the culture here, and there are lots of things I don't know. For example, in a restaurant, the waiter will not bring you the bill until you ask for it, as that would be considered rushing you off rudely. And then, you must give the money to him directly, not just leave it on the table. That would be like saying the server is not worth your personal attention.

Tonight I have been invited to a party to celebrate a new friend's graduation from university. There will be lots of people there, mostly American. I am looking forward to my first Mexican Fiesta!

Thanks to everyone who has left me a comment either on the blog or by e-mail. Good to know you're all still out there.

Casa Dharma Rooftop Views

Looking north up the canyon wall, and west out over the city.

Welcome to Casa Dharma

Casa Dharma is a Tibetan Buddhist Retreat where I landed on Sunday, and have rented a room here until the end of April. However, I may never leave. I don't have any pictures yet of the other people who live here, but everyong is very friendly and helpful, (not to mention good-looking). I feel safe and at home. It's like a big family, but everyone has their own space too. We're up above the city, out of the pollution, and backed by a canyon. The large Parque Jaun Benitez is just a few minutes walk away, and shops are just beyond that. Everything is within short walking distance. I am happy here.

Allie the wonder dog. Bhatto, the other wonder dog is an ancient male chocolate lab, who is hard to take a picture of, as he usually just turns out looks like a big shadow. I will keep trying, because he is a real doll. These two keep us feeling very safe here. Last night Allie was up barking at something, probably a possom, or a cat, but if it was a burgler, he definitely got scared off.

Welcome!

The beautiful doors to the casa

La cocina

The dining room area

My fabulous room

The "doors" of my room. They take up most of one "wall".

The terrace outside my room. It is shady most of the day, but the open door in the wall lets in light and warmth from the canyon outside.

Posada des las Monjas

These area few photos of the Posada I satyed in for three nights. It is on Canal street, a very busy, steep street, leading up to the Jardin, the main square where Mexicans and ex pats gather to meet, or pass the time.

This was my door-handle. Very rustic. The Posada was originally a convent.

Courtyard

This courtyard sits beneath my terrace, and I passed by it to come and go from my room. The afternoon I arrive, the fountain was going, but they shut it off at sunset that evening, and never turned it on again. Mexico is a mysterious land.

City view

This is the view of San Miguel from the terrace outside my room at the Posada

San Miguel, Safe Arrival

It's now 1:45 in the afternoon, and I've survuved my first morning in San Miguel. I got a late start this morning, and tried to get directions to the AA mtg, but the English speaking staff here at the Posada were not working, and I was told I needed to take a cab. I didn't feel up to that straight off, so I did my usual, walk up to the Jardin, which is the main square in front of the cathedral, and asked some nice-looking Americal woman for help. I am so lost here. I am very glad for all the English speaking people here. We collated her map with my map, and I found the street where the meeting was supposed to be. I headed off, no money, no breakfast, to meet up with my new friends here. Eventually, I found the place, although I was half an hour late, but half a meeting is better than none at all. I was kindly welcomed, given a meeting list and a list of phone numbers.

After the meeting, I chatted a bit with a new friend, Sally, who fed me breakfast and had a lead on an apartment for me, just around the corner from the meeting room, and from her own place. I am going to look at it later this afternoon. I walked back up to the jardine, got some money from the bank machine, asked some more strangers where ot go for a good cup of coffee, had my caffeine fix, got a copy of the Atencion, which is the English newspaper that comes out once a week, and here I am back in my room, retreating and collating.

There are 7000 English speaking people living in San Miguel. It feels very safe here. But that being said, there is a rapist on the loose here. He has attacked 4 women over the past month, all of them single women in their sixties, who live alone in wealthy homes. The police are working on catching this man. So I have been warned not to walk alone at night, to take a cab. Probably good sense anyways, and cabs are cheap here.

I feel so vulnerable, not knowing where anything is, or how to ask for help, although my tactic of finding approachable people in the Jardin seems to be working out just fine.

The men here are not as aggressive as I had been led to believe. They don't say make remarks on the street to you, but I am wearing my “wedding ring” regardless.

It is beautiful and charming here, and I am feeling more positive about the city.

And it's hot.

Political Statements, Austin Style

Outside many Austin homes, you will find some Americans express this sentiment...

while others feel this way about the political situation.

The political statements of some, however, are a bit more obscure.

Barbecue, Texas Style!

I promised I would tell you about Texas Barbecue. First I will say it is the best meat I have ever eaten in my life, and I've eaten a lot of meat. All you veggies may as well stop reading right now, or else you might get converted.

So last week after the basketball game, Charles escorted Mardi and me to Luling, to the City Market, to sample real Texas Barbecue. These are photos of the fine gentlemen who cooked out meat. It's more like smoking than what we know in Canada as barbecue, which is grilling over coals. These places have a separate room, with a wood fire drawn into large "ovens" where the meat cooks ever so slowly and fragrantly. The meat gets tender and absorbs all the wonderful smoke aroma and flavour.

When you arrive, you head into the smoke room and order your meat. In Luling, they had only ribs (pork) and brisket (beef) left by the time we got there. Barbecue is more of a lunch thing on Saturdays, and we were there for dinner. You tell them what you want and they cut it off the rack for you and slap it onto a few pieces of brown paper. No plates. No cutlery. You tell them how many slices of bread (white bread) you want, and in this case, sweet or dill pickles. You order your "sides" and your drinks, and get your sauce, up at the front. Beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and pop. They let you have a plastic fork for your sides. The sauce was mustard-sweet-vinegar, not hot; perfect for the barbecue.

Then you pull up wooden chairs to a wooden table and dig in. It ain't elegant, but you are so happy you don't care.

I was so excited I forgot to take a picture of the actual food, but you can see one of the cooks holding up a side of ribs behind the loaf of whit bread in the picture on the left.

Then the next day, we had the most amazing brisket that Charles' friend James had cooked up practically all day and all night, for his church's fund-raiser. I could not stop. Even though I was in public, and usually I can show restraint, this meat was so tender, juicy and richly smokey and flavourful that we were all of us a little beyond showing restraint. But life is short, and food that good doesn't come along everyday. Trust me, you have not truly eaten until you have had this Texas Barbecue.

Shopping at the Mall

Well, this is America after all, and you really should join the party when you're in town. Barton Springs Square has 4-5 major department stores, connected by hallways full of shops. My favorite shopping experience was at Nordstroms. They know how to put it all together there.

A pretty shrug for chilly evenings in the sqare, or at a cafe.

Every gal's got to have a lucky t-shirt!

My run to the market slip-ons love the colour.

I Love Diesel. Theses sweet little shoes will get me around town in comfort and style. Fabulous

Photos Miraculously Recovered!

Well, somewhere in my laptop there is a Goddess of Lost Files. So I can show you some of my tour of The Capitol Building. It's a beautiful building, and a historic monument, and there is a lot of symbolism in the design and art. Texans are very proud of Texas, and the state has a dramatic history, having held six different flags over the course of its European history. I highly reccommend the tour if you are in Austin. It fills in some of the historical highlites, like the BAttle of the Alamo, and the Battle of San Jacinto. It's free, and takes about 45 minutes. You are also right downtown, and could easily visits some of the local art galleries.

Standing on the ground floor, in the main hall, looking up four stories into the rotunda.

This is a small meeting room just off the main hall where the legislative representatives meet.

One of the many symbolic floor designs. This one is in the main entrance. It os some kind of stone inlay

Many original light fixtures grace the interior.

This shows some of the detail at the top of the colums that are sprinkled tastefully throughout halls and staircases.

This is the view looking South from the Capitol, down South Congress Street, the main business street in Austin. Coming the other way, The BUilding makes a strong, neo-classical statement for miles.

State Capital

I'm having technical difficulties with transfering pictures today, between programs in my computer. As far as I can tell, this is the only photo I got saved from my tour of the capital building this afternoon, before the reat of them were somehow deleted. I know they're in my laptop somewhere, but who knows where?. It's a chandelier in the Senate. The lightbulbs on the points of the stars each form letters that spell out Texas, in case you ever have amnesia while in the building.

At least I got to save a pretty picture.

Game Day

What I didn't get pictures of, because they were too far away, was the fella in nothing but a black speedo and a matching black lacrosse helmet, the cheerleaders, the dancers, the school band, the mascots, the coaches: about eight of them per team, in suits and ties, the baton twirler, the half-time basket shooting contests, the two three-year-old girls, emulating the dancers from the sidelines, the shirtless young men, each with a large letter painted on their fronts spelling "Texas", the singing, yes singing, Oh, and the basketball game. It was televised, so maybe you saw it. I was there. It was a great spectacle of entertainment, and a whole lot of fun! Austin is a fun fun town, and you should all plan to get hear ASAP.

Before the game, Mardi and I met up with Charles, Orville and Mark at this restaurant near the stadium. Notice the profusion of orange shirts. This is the Texas Lonhorn team colour. Also, notice the sunshine, and the lack of sweaters, jackets and coats.

This is a shot of the stadium before the game stated. The University of Texas Longhorns are rated in the top 10, but the Texas A&M are not, so it wasn't a "big" game. At one time, the Longhorns were ahead by over 20 points, but the Aggies were able close the gap to 6, so it was an exciting game.

This giant bottle of barbecue sauce drifted around the stadium at half-time. I will tell you more about barbecue tomorrow.

My sister Mardi, and her boyfriend Charles. Don't they look cute together?