Month: February 2018

I have been living in Mexico for two years now – and I cannot believe it has been that long.  There are only about 6 people here besides me who are fluent in English and I do not see them on a daily basis. Many people back in the U.S. have said to me, “Well, I guess you are fluent in Spanish now,” and I always answer, “No, not really.” I can pretty much handle the normal everyday conversations, sometimes by pantomiming or describing something when I do not know the exact word.

I believe my grammar is improving, my vocabulary is expanding little by little, and I am still horrible on the telephone because I lack the visual cues I need to understand spoken Spanish.

One of my Mexican friends is married to an American. She told me that she depended on him to translate for her until one day he refused to do it anymore. He said that she would never learn English until she was forced to. She told me that at first she was very angry, but then realized that he was right, and so one of the things she did was to take a class that was given in English. All the rest of the students in the class were Chinese, so she said to me, “What was I going to do? I either had to learn Chinese or learn English.”  And that helped me to go to one seminar and two classes, all given in Spanish.

The first was a nursing seminar last year. I was able to follow all but two speakers because all but those two had really good PowerPoint presentations along with their talks, so I could listen and also read, and in that way have an almost complete understanding of what was being said. (When I came to Mexico, I could read and write very well – it was the verbal communication with which I was having a problem, and more difficulty speaking than understanding the spoken word. I think this was due to remembering vocabulary once I heard it, but with speaking, you have to pull the words out of your memory, not just recognize it once you hear it.)

The second was a class regarding sanitation for culinary workers. This included washing your hands, safe handling of food, proper temperatures, cleanliness of the work area, etc.  This was easily understandable to me, as I already knew most of the spoken vocabulary.

When my friend Lourdes told me about a pastry and presentation class, at first I was hesitant, but then decided it was time to jump right in and sink or swim, so I signed up along with her.  The one classmate who did speak some English spoke very little, but I was not going to completely drown as I have come to depend on Lourdes to slowly repeat the Spanish that I don’t catch or understand, and I could also copy her notes. And so we arrived at our first day of class on February 21st.

Me with our instructor, Chef Santiago Rico

     I had the notebook that was provided for the course, and a separate notebook where I wrote my new vocabulary words. Through the wonder of modern technology, my Google dictionary was able to provide accurate translations for me, and sometimes I would make a drawing to help me remember.

Our recipe book/workbook

My vocabulary notes. Some things still had to be explained, in spite of Google Dictionary. For example, betún translates as bitumin or shoe polish, which didn’t make any sense in a cooking class. What it meant in this case was a decoration for a pastry. The Frida and Diego at the bottom refers to some event where certain types of pastries will be prepared reminiscent of Frida Kahlo and other types to signify her husband Diego Rivera and it will be held this month – February.

     So class began with ingredients lined up in rows of two, one row for each of the tables of students. I was able to follow the general idea of the lectures and instructions, and I was even able to ask a few questions. I did learn quite a few new things, too. Vainilla molina is clear vanilla extract with a stronger vanilla flavor. Cocoa negra is black cocoa baking powder with a more intense chocolate flavor.

     It was educational and also a lot of fun and camaraderie in the all-female class. Many discussions among the students I couldn’t follow but many I could and was able to join in the conversations at some points.

     The classes were held over three days. The first day we made the basic cakes which would become cream puffs or the cakes of layer cakes, etc. when we created the frostings and fillings on successive days.

Day One – The Basics

Brownies, cakes, eclairs and cream puffs without the frostings or fillings

     The second day we worked on the frostings and fillings, using creams, different types of sugars and fresh fruits. And here I also learned some new things, such as glucosa (glucose) and azúcar (sugar) are two different things when cooking.

Lourdes (in pink) busy mixing. 

     And finally, on the third day, Chef did most of the work decorating and mixing, with some help from us under his direction.

Putting on the finishing touches.

 

Dividing up the pastries so we can all share the results of our hard work.

As an aside, I should also mention the use of titles here in Mexico. If you are a teacher, you are addressed – even if you should meet someone in the street – as Maestra or Maestro.  Our chef was addressed as “Chef.”  You are addressed according to your profession, which I find very respectful.

And at the end of the final class, the pastries were divided up and we all got to take some of each home. Yuuummm!!!

We students took up a collection and gave our dear Chef a parting gift – a statue of Los Perritos – the dancing Colima dogs.

This isn’t two photos – there is a mirror over his head so we students can see the work table.

     Diplomas were handed out along with our share of the fruit of our labors and we were on our way. I survived my latest adventure in immersion Spanish with new knowledge and new acquaintances and I am definitely looking forward to any more classes that will be held here.

My personal favorites

“Postres Gourmet”  Class Photo 

There are always adjustments to make whenever you venture outside your comfort zone.  You may be trying new activities, learning a new language or any one of a number of things.  The adjustments required are even greater, progressively, when interacting with a different culture, a foreign country where they speak your language and the ultimate challenge to your comfort is when you are in a foreign country where the culture and language are not your own.

During the past few decades, I have traveled across the United States and traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The English language varies greatly across the United States – for example that fizzy drink can be called soda or pop, depending on which part of the country you happen to be. In England, we were often separated by our common language, either by our accents or different words to describe the same thing – lift for elevator, boot for the trunk of a car, or Flat White American for a cup of “regular coffee.”

I’ve lived in villages with no electricity or plumbing, which included pit toilets and no running water in the dwellings (no tap in the kitchen, no shower, etc.). So I consider myself pretty adaptable.

Being a Professional Registered Nurse AND being from New York, I was used to a fast-paced life. Everything needed to be on time, if not a few minutes ahead of time. Days, hours, minutes and sometimes even seconds mattered. And this was my mindset when I arrived in Mexico.

The first thing I had to learn was Mexican Time. I guess many cultures have different names for this. There is Island Time, African Time, or an African Week, and all signify the same thing; time is much more fluid in these places.  If I am invited to a party here in Mexico, and they say it starts at 8pm, then it might start at 9pm or 9:30.

Another thing is driving habits. I almost never see a driver use a turn signal, and stop signs are more of a suggestion than a requirement. When crossing the street to get to the Equum ballet yesterday, there was a stop sign and we thought we had plenty of time to cross. A driver sped through the sign and never slowed down, honking his horn as he passed by and almost hit me.

For the first Equum performance we attended, the posters said the ballet started at 8pm. So we arrived a little early, and what we saw was an exhibition of horses that lasted an hour. So the ballet actually began at 9pm.

Last night’s performance was also supposed to start at 8pm. Judging from the previous week, my friend Magda and I figured we had at least an hour to go, so we had a nice leisurely dinner at a nearby restaurant, and brought our pillows (because the metal bleachers were painful to our bottoms after a while) and took our seats at 9pm.

We were assured by the people sitting behind us that we had not missed the ballet. And for an hour we watched as riders took their horses through their paces and were given scores. I have never been around horses in the past, so to me it was just people riding in circles with their horses. I did learn a lot, as Magda explained what the judges were looking for in the riders and horses.

However, as the hour dragged on, we were getting anxious about seeing the ballet. There were little children becoming restless, and Magda had to be at work at 7:30 the next morning, after having worked since 7:30 the  morning of the ballet.

Suddenly we heard a lot of whistling from the crowd. Now you may have noticed that when there is Mexican music and singing being performed, there will be whistling and loud cries which add joy and energy to the performance. People are smiling while they are either doing this or listening to it.

The whistles we heard last night were whistles of displeasure and frustration. It was quite different. The announcer heard it and responded that we should be patient and show respect to the performer and that the ballet would start in 20-25 minutes.

If that was accurate, then the ballet would start 2½ hours after it was supposed to. We decided to get out of our seats and walk around to see the tents. We saw beautiful paintings for sale, belt buckles, bags, hats, etc. for sale. Saddles for sale and a food tent that we had not noticed before.

On the opposite side from our bleachers, we saw some of the performers waiting until they were able to enter the arena. Many beautiful costumes which appeared to be Spanish from Spain, some men with hats specific to Colima, a woman in a beautiful Spanish dress,  all trying to cope with the long wait.

At 10:30p it still wasn’t time for them to start, so Magda and I reluctantly left and we noticed quite a few other people leaving also. Sometimes Mexican Time is too fluid and relaxed even for the Mexicans.

So, yes, there are some cross-cultural frustrations. And you are a guest in their country so it is up to you to adapt, but with time and observation you can gain insight into what is acceptable and when even the locals get frustrated.

Eso es así (that is how it is), but I am still grateful for the way my life unfolded that led me to my new life here.

Until next time, adiós !

 

The cabalgata is a procession of horses. Each town and village here has at least one per year, and while it is exciting, I would not recommend having to drive through or conduct any business during this time unless you are going for the sole purpose of seeing this event. Roads into town are blocked out of necessity as the procession of horses will proceed down the highway and into the town for the festivities.

The night began with a procession of people bringing images of the Virgin of Guadalupe through the streets. You can see one large banner, and on a truck is being transported a large heart with a crown and a picture of the Virgin under the crown.

Behind this part of the procession are the Danza Azteca de Cofradía, the Aztec Dancers of Cofradía. They are so amazing to me for several reasons. They dance vigorously in the street with sandals on their feet, and they are dancing on cobblestones and it is not a flat surface. It is a very bumpy road. In addition, it is dark, so normally I walk carefully so as not to slip on the rounded surface of these stones, and they are keeping step with each other in the dark.

Then we see a car bearing the Queen of Cofradía – la Reina de Cofradía. Every year there is a new queen, and this year it is Jessi. It seems like just about every town and village has these royals. A neighbor joked to me that even though I am a foreigner, there is one election in which I can vote, and that is for our queen.

And oops! Shame on me. I did not vote in this election…..

In addition, before we see the horses, there are very large mannequins (for lack of a better word), this night of a man and a woman dancing in the street.

And as you can see, the horses are about to arrive. Children start at a very young age to become accustomed to being around the horses. I saw a grandpa up the road at various stages of training his grandson. First, at least the first time I saw them, the boy was not alone on the horse. Then one day, I saw the boy on the horse, but grandpa was in a truck, driving slowly and holding the reins beside the horse. Finally, the boy could ride alone.

I’ve seen a photo of my friend’s grandson – all of 4 years old – alone on an adult horse. Here, this little boy has a pint-sized one to ride on.  Well, actually, it looks like he might be riding a burro.

And finally, the men and their horses arrive.

This cabalgata is very small compared to other towns, but we are a very small village. When I was stuck in the event in Comala, the horses were about 4 or 5 deep and you couldn’t see from one end of the line to the other end.  Comala’s event was held during the day and it was like Times Square for New Year’s. You could barely move, there were so many people.

But I was happy that this was taking place in my village. I could walk a couple of blocks to attend, didn’t have to worry about where to park. And when I got tired, I could be home in 5 minutes. I guess with age, convenience means an awful lot.

So that wraps up the January 2018 Cabalgata de Cofradía de Suchitlán.

Adiós until next time.

 

Today is February 2nd, which means it is Tamale Night, at least here in Colima State. Let me explain.  On January 6th, it is Three Kings Day – the day of the 3 Magi who visited Baby Jesus. On this day it is customary to eat the Rosca, a wreath-shaped pastry that has a plastic baby Jesus cooked inside. Whoever gets the piece with the Baby Jesus is supposed to provide tamales on February 2nd. When I was visiting the family of a friend in Mexico City years ago, I was told that whoever got that piece was supposed to throw a party, so I don’t know if the customs vary slightly in different parts of Mexico.

So, anyway, this year Lourdes’ 4-year-old grandson got the piece, but obviously he was not going to cook tamales. I asked Lourdes if she was going to cook them, but she decided to have other people provide them.

Now, there are several different type of tamales, all prepared within the corn husk. There are tamales de ceniza (ash tamales) prepared in singed husks, tamales de carne (meat) and tamales de elote (corn). We walked through the village to the woman who was preparing the corn tamales, and she delivered them to the Casita.

Once we arrived at the Casita, I had my usual cappuccino along with the corn tamale. It is close to Valentine’s Day, so there are decorations of hearts, etc., everywhere and the very artistic Nadia decorated my cappuccino with hearts and little silver edibles.

Nadia’s artwork

plain tamale of mashed corn

     After a while, Lourdes’ friends arrived from Tecoman with a bucket of different ones. I decided to try the tamales de ceniza first. I have learned to ask about any food when it is my first time to try it – Está enchiloso? Tiene chiles?  Is it spicy? Does it have chilies?  The answer was, no it was not spicy. So I tried it – and it was a bit spicy.  From experience I have learned that “not too spicy” for Mexicans is very spicy for me.

Lourdes holding tamale de ceniza

inside the tamale de ceniza

     So now I moved on to the tamale de carne. Not spicy at all and very tasty. The meat in this one, I believe, was pork.

tamale de carne

     So after an evening of good food and good conversation, I headed home and am off to sleep now. There will be a few posts over the next few days, as I finally (with much help, thank you, Juanis) am now able to access my photos and place them in my posts.

And so, good night one and all and see you tomorrow!

bucket of tamales

from Tecoman

     This past Sunday I attended the first of three different performances of the ballet, which combined the performances of horses and human dancers. This first performance was entitled “MÉXICO LINDO” – Beautiful Mexico.  The next performance will be “Dos Culturas” – two cultures, and the final one will be Fantasía – fantasy.

     So all the advertisements said the show would start at 8pm. We arrived a little early so we could walk around a bit. There was a hot air balloon that stayed tethered to the ground even after it was inflated. There were numerous tents for selling food as well as equipment for horses such as saddles, etc., as well as clothing for the riders.

As we took our places on the metal bleachers, we expected the ballet to start on time, either Mexican or hopefully Gringo Time. To our surprise, they first had an exhibition of the horses and 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ribbons being awarded.

This horse had the longest mane and tail I had ever seen.

     It was about 9pm when the ballet actually started. It had been advertised as free, but only the judging part was free. A woman and a girl came around to all of us in the bleachers selling tickets at 50 pesos apiece.  It was a cheap price (about $2.50 USD) but it would have been nice if we had known ahead of time.

In the meantime, I guess some of the younger attendees were getting a bit restless…

After we all paid for our tickets, it was time to start the show. First, the ladies and gentlemen paraded in on their horses.

 

 

 

 

And then there was the ballet, with the dancers and horses performing to one of my favorite songs Camino Real Colima

 

There were more performances to come, but by this time it was 10pm and we were tired, so we headed home. My plans are to attend the Fantasía performance on Sunday, February 4th, and we will know to dress warmly and bring pillows to sit on, as the metal bleachers were pretty hard on our butts.

We’ll also be more aware of the time frame, so hopefully we will stay longer. I hear the Fantasía reminds people who have seen it of Cirque de Soleil.  We’ll just have to wait and see.