I've rearranged my work schedule so that I'm off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The main reason I did this was to satisfy my friend, Kathy, who challenged me to a grudge match at our local bowling alley. Collage is up north of Walmart so every Friday morning, a group of us meet at Andales for breakfast at 10:30AM and then car pool up to the bowling lane for a couple of hours of air conditioned fun. They have 20 ten-pin lanes and there are usually between 10 and 20 of us bowling. The cost is cheap ($7 for three games and shoe rental) and the beer/Cokes are very cold!
We give each other high fives for spares or strikes. The scorekeeping is all electronic and these messages come up when you get more than one strike in a row. Two strikes is a double and three strikes is a "turkey". An actual drawing of a turkey comes up on the screen and we all say "gobble gobble"! Anyway, two weeks ago I had a Friday off and went bowling for the first time since last October. Kathy kicked my ass so we had a rematch on Friday. Let's just say I got my game back and she's not bragging so much anymore. LOL
After bowling, Jeff, Kathy and I went for pizza at San Remo's. One large pizza with four toppings cost only $122 pesos (about $5 each). We then headed over to Que?Pasa as Lynnda had reminded us it was Larry's ... excuse me, Sr. Fox's birthday. (Larry looks a bit like Mexico's president, Vincente Fox, so everyone calls him "Fox"). Fridays are also "Jam for the Kids" afternoon at Que?Pasa. From 5 to 8PM, Fox and a bunch of other talented guys and gals get up and play music. Last week was particulary invigorating with a great crowd and wonderful music. The cake finally came out around 8PM and it was chocolate with a big guitar on it! Ymmm ... (see http://www.quepasabar.com./ for photos).
On Sunday nights at Que?Pasa, Lynnda shows movies and since it is the cook's night off (they have the grill going every other night), Lynnda usually makes something yummy for us to eat. Last night was no exception and we dined on caesar salad and lasagna. We also enjoyed ANOTHER chocolate cake since it was Kathy's 29th birthday (again). The movie was "Pay It Forward" which had us all crying in our drinks by the end. We watched the movie on a large, kingsize bedsheet strung across the back corner of the bar. BTW, the sun just went down here about 15 minutes ago (around 8:30PM) and I saw some big, black clouds moving over the mountains so hopefully, we're going to get some rain. I'll sign off for now and hope to hear from you soon!
Monday, August 29, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?
Remember my blog from earlier today? "Thankfully, I haven't run across any more of those BIG bugs." Well, that comment certainly came back to bite me in the ass! I just sat down in front of the TV, ready to enjoy my dinner along with an episode of Law and Order, when I sensed movement out of the corner of my eye ...
A HUGE bug wandered out from under my loveseat and headed under the coffee table. I jumped up to grab my "weapons", namely a plastic container, bug spray and a hammer. ;) In the five seconds I had my back turned, the goddamn thing had disappeared! I frantically moved furniture out of the way, looking for it.
Then I saw him, heading out the door. In the unlikely event that he decided it was too wet (it's raining again!), I turned the light on outside and opened the door. He had already climbed up the wall and was scaling my mop left on the landing to dry. I shook the mop so he would fall one storey to the ground below.
Why do I have the feeling that I am not going to get much sleep tonight? LOL
A HUGE bug wandered out from under my loveseat and headed under the coffee table. I jumped up to grab my "weapons", namely a plastic container, bug spray and a hammer. ;) In the five seconds I had my back turned, the goddamn thing had disappeared! I frantically moved furniture out of the way, looking for it.
Then I saw him, heading out the door. In the unlikely event that he decided it was too wet (it's raining again!), I turned the light on outside and opened the door. He had already climbed up the wall and was scaling my mop left on the landing to dry. I shook the mop so he would fall one storey to the ground below.
Why do I have the feeling that I am not going to get much sleep tonight? LOL
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Back To School!
Yesterday was the first day back to school for a lot of the Mexican children here. All over town, I saw shining fresh scrubbed faces, crisp new uniforms and smiling proud parents. There were a few tears as well, especially for one little girl who obviously was not thrilled to be moving on to the next phase in her life. The youngest children are the cutest with their eyes filled with excitement, wearing large square name tags strung around their necks like badges of honour.
When I was home this summer, sitting in a movie theatre before the film started, they showed a number of interesting facts on the screen to entertain us. One stuck in my mind. Did you know that the average adult will eat approximately 70 bugs in their lifetime? Last night, before bed, I filled up my water glass to bring upstairs to my bedside. I placed it on my night table, turned the light on and discovered the glass was filled with tiny, thirsty ants. Good thing I only had one gulp because as I brushed my teeth, I found an ant on my toothbrush! LOL BTW, the mosquitos are back and feasting on me, especially after the rain. Thankfully, I haven't run across any more of those BIG bugs.
I've been out walking in the mornings, getting up around 7AM and doing "laps" on the Malecon for about an hour. In my opinion, this is the best time of day here. The air is fresh and the breezes are cool. It's been overcast lately and still quite dark at that time of the morning. If I'm lucky, I'll be on the Malecon when a well-lit cruise ship slips into port. As my walk progresses, the sun comes up over the mountains and burns off the clouds, leaving a crystal clear blue sky with just a hint of the heat to come over the course of the day.
The town is really quiet and a lot of the restaurants are closed until October. My fridge is fully stocked so chances are I won't starve to death. I ate out this weekend with my friend Scott for dinner. He had a craving for fajitas from El Brujo, which just happens to be right down the street from me. The restaurant, usually packed in the high season with a line out the door, was virtually empty! We enjoyed our fajitas (shrimp for me, mixed for him) and got caught up on all the things we can't talk about while we're at work. LOL
A few of us went out last night to "demonstrate" against the demolishment of Lazaro Cardenas Park. A short burst of rain delayed the proceedings by about an hour and probably inhibited a lot of people from coming out to join us. We are going to try to be there every evening this week, at 6PM, to show the City that we value this park, with its shade trees, palm trees, grass and wonderful seating areas. The huge, gaping hole in the empty lot across the street would be a much better location for a parking lot. If you're in town and read this, come out tonight!
On a sad note, one of the older, retired ex pats living down here is in the hospital with a very serious head injury. Bob Pugh was found by his landlord, near his home, unconscious, bleeding from the head. No one knows what happened and we may never know. Bob underwent surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain and has been in a coma ever since. His chance for survival is 40% but it looks like he will be in a wheelchair if he does survive, with limited mobility on his right side. Bob is one of the many characters down here. He was well read, witty and always had a glass of red wine in front of him. Send your prayers down here to Bob in Puerto Vallarta.
When I was home this summer, sitting in a movie theatre before the film started, they showed a number of interesting facts on the screen to entertain us. One stuck in my mind. Did you know that the average adult will eat approximately 70 bugs in their lifetime? Last night, before bed, I filled up my water glass to bring upstairs to my bedside. I placed it on my night table, turned the light on and discovered the glass was filled with tiny, thirsty ants. Good thing I only had one gulp because as I brushed my teeth, I found an ant on my toothbrush! LOL BTW, the mosquitos are back and feasting on me, especially after the rain. Thankfully, I haven't run across any more of those BIG bugs.
I've been out walking in the mornings, getting up around 7AM and doing "laps" on the Malecon for about an hour. In my opinion, this is the best time of day here. The air is fresh and the breezes are cool. It's been overcast lately and still quite dark at that time of the morning. If I'm lucky, I'll be on the Malecon when a well-lit cruise ship slips into port. As my walk progresses, the sun comes up over the mountains and burns off the clouds, leaving a crystal clear blue sky with just a hint of the heat to come over the course of the day.
The town is really quiet and a lot of the restaurants are closed until October. My fridge is fully stocked so chances are I won't starve to death. I ate out this weekend with my friend Scott for dinner. He had a craving for fajitas from El Brujo, which just happens to be right down the street from me. The restaurant, usually packed in the high season with a line out the door, was virtually empty! We enjoyed our fajitas (shrimp for me, mixed for him) and got caught up on all the things we can't talk about while we're at work. LOL
A few of us went out last night to "demonstrate" against the demolishment of Lazaro Cardenas Park. A short burst of rain delayed the proceedings by about an hour and probably inhibited a lot of people from coming out to join us. We are going to try to be there every evening this week, at 6PM, to show the City that we value this park, with its shade trees, palm trees, grass and wonderful seating areas. The huge, gaping hole in the empty lot across the street would be a much better location for a parking lot. If you're in town and read this, come out tonight!
On a sad note, one of the older, retired ex pats living down here is in the hospital with a very serious head injury. Bob Pugh was found by his landlord, near his home, unconscious, bleeding from the head. No one knows what happened and we may never know. Bob underwent surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain and has been in a coma ever since. His chance for survival is 40% but it looks like he will be in a wheelchair if he does survive, with limited mobility on his right side. Bob is one of the many characters down here. He was well read, witty and always had a glass of red wine in front of him. Send your prayers down here to Bob in Puerto Vallarta.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Big Rain Last Night!
We finally had a real tropical storm rip through here last night. Just when I thought it couldn't rain any harder, it did! I discovered that I have a river running through my apartment from my kitchen sink, across my living room floor (under all my electronics!) and out the door. Left alone, it probably would have just travelled through without incident but I decided to start sweeping and mopping. I think I made it worse by spreading the water around a greater area but at least now I have a relatively clean floor. :) The noise of the rain was so hard, I had the TV turned up to its highest volume and still had to read the Spanish subtitles so I could understand what the actors were saying.
I had plans last night to attend the first Girls Only Night at Que?Pasa. We were all bringing something to eat and planning to watch chick flicks. Unfortunately, the party was scheduled to start at 7PM during the height of the storm. I arranged for my friend Laura to pick me up but she called to tell me that she couldn't negotiate her stairs in the heavy downpour so we decided to wait a bit longer. Finally, she made it down her 85 stairs to her Jeep and headed over to my place. I prepared for my departure with my salad, my purse and a towel in a plastic bag. I wore flip flops, cotton pants rolled up to my knees, my jean jacket over a tank top and a ball cap. An umbrella would have been useless and I wanted one of my hands free.
Usually, Laura picks me up on the corner, 1/2 block from my door but I convinced her to turn the corner and pull up in front of my building. Once outside, I realized that the water on my cobblestone street was at least a foot deep and rushing like a river. I do not feel comfortable negotiating it when dry and felt that all that water could prove to be very dangerous. I decided to walk down to the corner as the water didn't seem to be so deep there. I was able to cross the street without getting too wet. The warm water came up over my feet but the cobblestones are flatter here because of the constant buses roaring down the street. I stood under an overhang and decided to wait for my friend. I was able to watch the storm (ever see pink lightening?) and stay relatively dry. Plus the temperatures had cooled considerably.
A car pulled up to the curb and three people jumped out. Two didn't even bother wearing any shoes, walking on the street, around the car and onto the sidewalk. One of the women shuddered and backed away from the wall, pointing to a dark spot. Her male friend looked too and then just laughed at her. I decided to investigate. Ever wonder where the big bugs go when it's raining? They were clustered in writhing reddish brown clumps on the side of the wall, waiting out the rain with the rest of us. There were almost a hundred of them, all clinging to the wall, antennaes flickering in the rain. It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen! I still get the heebie geebies when I think about it! *shudder*
The rain eventually stopped so we could enjoy our potluck dinner at Que?Pasa and watch the movie "Million Dollar Baby". It was nothing like I expected! But I liked it. I slept well last night because of the wonderful cool breeze coming in my bedroom window. I got up early and went to the gym at 7AM. I've been at home ever since, puttering around and cleaning up after the rains. I plan on re-arranging my bedroom again so that if I am not home to close the windows, my bed will not get soaked. Right now it is right under the window but I think I will move it back a couple of feet and change the direction so that I can make better use of the breeze when it does come through. After I watch the Y&R that is, which is coming on now on The American Network. Talk to you later! :)
I had plans last night to attend the first Girls Only Night at Que?Pasa. We were all bringing something to eat and planning to watch chick flicks. Unfortunately, the party was scheduled to start at 7PM during the height of the storm. I arranged for my friend Laura to pick me up but she called to tell me that she couldn't negotiate her stairs in the heavy downpour so we decided to wait a bit longer. Finally, she made it down her 85 stairs to her Jeep and headed over to my place. I prepared for my departure with my salad, my purse and a towel in a plastic bag. I wore flip flops, cotton pants rolled up to my knees, my jean jacket over a tank top and a ball cap. An umbrella would have been useless and I wanted one of my hands free.
Usually, Laura picks me up on the corner, 1/2 block from my door but I convinced her to turn the corner and pull up in front of my building. Once outside, I realized that the water on my cobblestone street was at least a foot deep and rushing like a river. I do not feel comfortable negotiating it when dry and felt that all that water could prove to be very dangerous. I decided to walk down to the corner as the water didn't seem to be so deep there. I was able to cross the street without getting too wet. The warm water came up over my feet but the cobblestones are flatter here because of the constant buses roaring down the street. I stood under an overhang and decided to wait for my friend. I was able to watch the storm (ever see pink lightening?) and stay relatively dry. Plus the temperatures had cooled considerably.
A car pulled up to the curb and three people jumped out. Two didn't even bother wearing any shoes, walking on the street, around the car and onto the sidewalk. One of the women shuddered and backed away from the wall, pointing to a dark spot. Her male friend looked too and then just laughed at her. I decided to investigate. Ever wonder where the big bugs go when it's raining? They were clustered in writhing reddish brown clumps on the side of the wall, waiting out the rain with the rest of us. There were almost a hundred of them, all clinging to the wall, antennaes flickering in the rain. It was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen! I still get the heebie geebies when I think about it! *shudder*
The rain eventually stopped so we could enjoy our potluck dinner at Que?Pasa and watch the movie "Million Dollar Baby". It was nothing like I expected! But I liked it. I slept well last night because of the wonderful cool breeze coming in my bedroom window. I got up early and went to the gym at 7AM. I've been at home ever since, puttering around and cleaning up after the rains. I plan on re-arranging my bedroom again so that if I am not home to close the windows, my bed will not get soaked. Right now it is right under the window but I think I will move it back a couple of feet and change the direction so that I can make better use of the breeze when it does come through. After I watch the Y&R that is, which is coming on now on The American Network. Talk to you later! :)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Getting a BANG Out of Church
Since Sunday morning, I've been hearing loud and continuous explosions close to my house. At first I thought someone was firing a weapon. Then I thought the Navy was out in the Bay doing something funny. Finally, someone clued me into the fact that the next neighbourhood, Colonia Caloso, was celebrating a festival involving their church and, instead of ringing the bells to get people to attend mass, they were setting off bombas (firecrackers) at the necessary times. What kind of culture feels it necessary to SCARE their parishoners into church??? Anyway, I haven't needed to use my clock radio all week to wake up. The "bombs" go off at 6AM, 6:15AM, 7AM and 8:30AM. Oh, and in the evening too for several hours! I am assured that this too shall pass ... LOL
I don't have too much else to report. I was down and out all day on Monday with some type of intestinal disorder which required me to stay close to my bathroom. Apparently, it wasn't necessarily anything I ate as a number of other people (Nationals and ex-pats alike) were all struck by this "bug". I got over it in about 12 hours. One of my friends was down and out for two days!
Speaking of bugs, I just had the scare of my life! If my hair wasn't tied into a tight ponytail on top of my head, I'm sure it would have stood on end all by itself. I actually decided to cook tonight and pulled my little personal grill out to cook two chicken breasts. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the lid and a HUGE beetle/cricket/cockroach-type creature stared at me, licking his chops. He scuttled into the grease catcher underneath and that's when I knew I had him! I grabbed a lid from a plastic bowl, slid the tray out slowly and covered it quickly with the lid. My unwanted dinner guest went out the window! Now I have to disinfect everything. *sigh*
I don't have too much else to report. I was down and out all day on Monday with some type of intestinal disorder which required me to stay close to my bathroom. Apparently, it wasn't necessarily anything I ate as a number of other people (Nationals and ex-pats alike) were all struck by this "bug". I got over it in about 12 hours. One of my friends was down and out for two days!
Speaking of bugs, I just had the scare of my life! If my hair wasn't tied into a tight ponytail on top of my head, I'm sure it would have stood on end all by itself. I actually decided to cook tonight and pulled my little personal grill out to cook two chicken breasts. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the lid and a HUGE beetle/cricket/cockroach-type creature stared at me, licking his chops. He scuttled into the grease catcher underneath and that's when I knew I had him! I grabbed a lid from a plastic bowl, slid the tray out slowly and covered it quickly with the lid. My unwanted dinner guest went out the window! Now I have to disinfect everything. *sigh*
Monday, August 08, 2005
On Being Assertive
Assertive behavior is:
Standing up for one's rights no matter what the circumstance.
Correcting the situation when one's rights are being violated.
Seeking respect and understanding for one's feelings about a particular situation or circumstance.
Interacting in a mature manner with those found to be offensive, defensive, aggressive, hostile, blaming, attacking, or otherwise unreceptive.
Direct, upfront, (not defensive or manipulative) behavior. Those using assertive behavior confront problems, disagreement, or personal discomforts head on, and their intent is unmistakable to others.
Verbal ``I'' statements, where individuals tell others how they feel about a situation, circumstance, or the behavior of others.
Taking the risk of being misunderstood as being aggressive, abrasive, or attacking.
Being able to protect one's rights while protecting and respecting the rights of others.
Risk-taking behavior that is not ruled by fear of rejection or disapproval, but is directed by the rational belief that ``I deserve to stand up for my rights.''
Rational thinking and the self-affirmation of personal worth, respect, and rights.
A healthy style in which to conduct interpersonal relationships.
Finding a ``win-win'' solution in handling problems between two individuals.
You might wonder why I am "blogging" this. Throughout my life, I have often taken flack for speaking up when others will not. I have been labelled a "bitch" because I refuse to remain silent. I've been told I "complain" too much because I am constantly standing up for myself in situations where other might walk away.
The other night, I was trying to get an umbrella strategically placed at an outside bar because the sun was bothering me and the other people at the table. My tablemates decided to solve the "problem" by moving their chairs back into the shade (and further away from the rest of us seated at the table). The waiter was totally useless and none of the so-called "gentlemen" at my table had the cojones to get up and do anything!
So I just kept bugging the waiter. There were empty tables on the beach with umbrellas but, for some reason, he couldn't bring them over (ie. he was too LAZY to do it). There was an umbrella stashed behind us but, according to him, it wasn't "working". After many, many dirty looks, he finally successfully placed the "broken" umbrella in the stand and opened it up. What a miracle! It worked! Needless to say, he did not get a good tip and I will never sit in his section again.
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease." In other words, speak up if you want to get things done. Don't tell me I'm beautiful. I've heard that a million times. Tell me I am provocative, intelligent and assertive and I will acknowledge that you are a good judge of character. :)
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Mother Nature Rocks!
Well it finally rained last night. After a week or more without any real rain (we had one hour the other afternoon), it was a blessed relief! And the thunderstorm that accompanied the rain were fabulous. Tons of lightening and great big CRACKS of thunder. During dinner at Archie's Wok, the power went out twice so we had to eat our wonderful Thai food by candlelight. It continued to rain for the rest of evening and the air cooled down considerably. I had to ask Greta to turn off the ceiling fan at Que?Pasa because I was too cold! LOL
I have met a couple of my blog fans this weekend. Carlos from Oklahoma kindly ordered my AVON products for me online and then delivered to them to me in the store. He asked me to donate the payment to the kids at the Refugio so the next time I see Larry, I will be giving him $100 pesos. Thank you Carlos! And I also met my friend Katherine, from Vancouver, who is down here "living like a local" for a week. She is hoping to move to Vallarta sometime in the near future and was picking my brain. I don't know how helpful I was after Happy Hour at CCs! :)
A couple of condo-owning friends are also in town this weekend and we were all talking about the upcoming high season. Between them, they own and/or manage about 10 vacation rentals here in Vallart and ALL of them are booked for Christmas and New Year's. And the town is very busy right now. The store was full of American tourists yesterday and there wasn't even a ship in port! I'm not sure where they all came from but a lot of them are first time visitors. The majority of them are leaving with very favourable impressions of Vallarta and promising to return.
I've also been reading a lot of posts on the Board from people wanting to relocate to Puerto Vallarta. I also have many friends returning for the season. This can only mean one thing: affordable rental accomodations are going to be at a premium! So if you can, get down here earlier, rather than later, in order to find a place to live. Hope to see you all sometime soon!!!
I have met a couple of my blog fans this weekend. Carlos from Oklahoma kindly ordered my AVON products for me online and then delivered to them to me in the store. He asked me to donate the payment to the kids at the Refugio so the next time I see Larry, I will be giving him $100 pesos. Thank you Carlos! And I also met my friend Katherine, from Vancouver, who is down here "living like a local" for a week. She is hoping to move to Vallarta sometime in the near future and was picking my brain. I don't know how helpful I was after Happy Hour at CCs! :)
A couple of condo-owning friends are also in town this weekend and we were all talking about the upcoming high season. Between them, they own and/or manage about 10 vacation rentals here in Vallart and ALL of them are booked for Christmas and New Year's. And the town is very busy right now. The store was full of American tourists yesterday and there wasn't even a ship in port! I'm not sure where they all came from but a lot of them are first time visitors. The majority of them are leaving with very favourable impressions of Vallarta and promising to return.
I've also been reading a lot of posts on the Board from people wanting to relocate to Puerto Vallarta. I also have many friends returning for the season. This can only mean one thing: affordable rental accomodations are going to be at a premium! So if you can, get down here earlier, rather than later, in order to find a place to live. Hope to see you all sometime soon!!!
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Paying the Landlord
The first time I met my landlady, I was so hungover, I didn't even feel human until 5PM. Unfortunately, she started banging on my door much earlier than that. It was my first three day weekend after the high season and I ended up on a tear the night before with my best girlfriend from work, Scott, and a few of his friends. Drinks at CCs turned into drinks with dinner and then nightcaps at La Noche. I thought I was going to DIE the next morning!!!
So I'm lying in my bed, naked, attempting to placate the jackhammer in my head with enough ibuprofen to sedate an elephant, when I realize that the banging inside my brain is actually being echoed at my front door. My door is wrought iron and glass. The noise was deafening. I stuck my head out the second storey window and surprised a woman standing on my first floor landing. She immediately started speaking in rapid-fire Spanish and waving a paper at me.
Hardly able to stand up, the act of switching my brain from hungover in English to la cruda in Spanish proved too much for me. My downstairs neighbour, Estelle, sensing my consternation, yelled up to me, "ESTA LA DUENA!!!" (It's the owner!) I had never actually met the owners before. I barely met their son when I paid first and last month's rent three days AFTER I had already moved in. Alejandro (the son) spoke English. His mother, Ana, did not.
I threw on a beach coverup and splashed some water on my face. After daintily picking my way down the winding cement stairs to my main floor, I opened the door. I don't remember her actually introducing herself to me and we didn't shake hands. Instead, she thrust a piece of paper at me which turned out to be the electricity bill and demanded I give her 100 pesos. (I could understand none of what she said except the money amount.)
The amount on the bill said 177 pesos. So why only 100 pesos for me? Because I shared the electricity with Estelle downstairs and, since her place is much smaller than mine, I was liable for more than half the amount. I may have been hungover but I'm not stupid! The bill covered the time period from March 17 to May 18 or 63 days. I moved in on May 1st. The way I figured it, I was responsible for 1/2 of 18 days worth of electricity or approximately 26 pesos.
I went upstairs to get my calculator and my money. I explained that I had only been living there for 18 days. La Dueña explained that Valerie (my friend and the previous tenant) was supposed to give me money to pay for her share. I knew damn well that Val's rent INCLUDED utilities and during her six months in residence, she had never been presented with an electricity bill. I told her Valerie didn't give me any money!
I did my calculations on the calculator and explained to her what I was doing. When I showed her I actually owed 26 pesos, she didn't seem overly surprised. I gave her 50 pesos and said thank you. She smiled and departed. After she left, I realized that (1) I was probably oozing vodka from every pore and this was hardly the impression I wanted to make on my new landlord and (2) I had conducted the entire conversation in Spanish without even being conscious of doing so!
So I'm lying in my bed, naked, attempting to placate the jackhammer in my head with enough ibuprofen to sedate an elephant, when I realize that the banging inside my brain is actually being echoed at my front door. My door is wrought iron and glass. The noise was deafening. I stuck my head out the second storey window and surprised a woman standing on my first floor landing. She immediately started speaking in rapid-fire Spanish and waving a paper at me.
Hardly able to stand up, the act of switching my brain from hungover in English to la cruda in Spanish proved too much for me. My downstairs neighbour, Estelle, sensing my consternation, yelled up to me, "ESTA LA DUENA!!!" (It's the owner!) I had never actually met the owners before. I barely met their son when I paid first and last month's rent three days AFTER I had already moved in. Alejandro (the son) spoke English. His mother, Ana, did not.
I threw on a beach coverup and splashed some water on my face. After daintily picking my way down the winding cement stairs to my main floor, I opened the door. I don't remember her actually introducing herself to me and we didn't shake hands. Instead, she thrust a piece of paper at me which turned out to be the electricity bill and demanded I give her 100 pesos. (I could understand none of what she said except the money amount.)
The amount on the bill said 177 pesos. So why only 100 pesos for me? Because I shared the electricity with Estelle downstairs and, since her place is much smaller than mine, I was liable for more than half the amount. I may have been hungover but I'm not stupid! The bill covered the time period from March 17 to May 18 or 63 days. I moved in on May 1st. The way I figured it, I was responsible for 1/2 of 18 days worth of electricity or approximately 26 pesos.
I went upstairs to get my calculator and my money. I explained that I had only been living there for 18 days. La Dueña explained that Valerie (my friend and the previous tenant) was supposed to give me money to pay for her share. I knew damn well that Val's rent INCLUDED utilities and during her six months in residence, she had never been presented with an electricity bill. I told her Valerie didn't give me any money!
I did my calculations on the calculator and explained to her what I was doing. When I showed her I actually owed 26 pesos, she didn't seem overly surprised. I gave her 50 pesos and said thank you. She smiled and departed. After she left, I realized that (1) I was probably oozing vodka from every pore and this was hardly the impression I wanted to make on my new landlord and (2) I had conducted the entire conversation in Spanish without even being conscious of doing so!
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Skype Me!
I started using this new VOIP-like service to call people for free using the internet. Actually, if you download this free software and then add me to your contact list, we can talk for free. You can also make calls internationally for less than 3 cents per minute. My wireless connection isn't that great (still only "low" as opposed to "very good") but I can still manage to carry on a conversation. Until my VOIP gateway gets here, this is working for me so check it out! (www.skype.com)
I've been getting emails from friends all over the U.S. and Canada, complaining about the weather. Toronto and PV shared the same kind of weather yesterday except that it rained in Toronto and it didn't rain here. Too bad too because we really need it to cool off and Toronto didn't need it given the plane crash that resulted from the inclement weather. What a miracle that no one was seriously hurt!
The power went off here tonight for about an hour and I think I had three cold showers during that time period. Actually, the water isn't really all that cold considering my water tank is on the roof and the sun beats down on it all day. It is pretty cool in the mornings but by the time I get home from work, the water is merely tepid. It usually starts to cool down around 2AM here. Right now (11PM), it is 29C.
In order to give you an idea of how hot it is, I will relate a story shared by my friend Laura tonight. She bought one of those portable air conditioning units for around $5500 pesos ($500US). It weighed 30 kilos and she carried it up the 86 stairs to her place, plugged it into the bedroom and sealed all the windows. Within an hour, the small water receptacle was full so she rigged up the hose to drain into a plastic container that previously held 40 lbs. of cat litter.
When she turned the unit on, the temperature read 35C in her bedroom. (Laura gets ALL the afternoon sun!). By the time the machine turned itself off, the temp was a balmy 29C and the 40 lb. cat litter container was full of water! Half way through the next night, at 2:30AM, Laura woke up drenched in sweat. The unit had stopped working and the hose venting the hot air outside was too hot to touch. So she rigged up a fan to blow on the unit to keep it cool! LOL
It would work for a little while, overheat and then shut itself off. She never could get the thing to work properly or for a whole night so she took it back. She told three people at the store that she really wanted it to work. They told her that it is too hot here to use this type of machine. So she got her money back and promptly went out to buy two more fans for $25US each.
BTW, there are no more fans to be found in Vallarta so if you want to make a small fortune, load up a truck and come on down! The hot weather is expected to continue into October ...
I've been getting emails from friends all over the U.S. and Canada, complaining about the weather. Toronto and PV shared the same kind of weather yesterday except that it rained in Toronto and it didn't rain here. Too bad too because we really need it to cool off and Toronto didn't need it given the plane crash that resulted from the inclement weather. What a miracle that no one was seriously hurt!
The power went off here tonight for about an hour and I think I had three cold showers during that time period. Actually, the water isn't really all that cold considering my water tank is on the roof and the sun beats down on it all day. It is pretty cool in the mornings but by the time I get home from work, the water is merely tepid. It usually starts to cool down around 2AM here. Right now (11PM), it is 29C.
In order to give you an idea of how hot it is, I will relate a story shared by my friend Laura tonight. She bought one of those portable air conditioning units for around $5500 pesos ($500US). It weighed 30 kilos and she carried it up the 86 stairs to her place, plugged it into the bedroom and sealed all the windows. Within an hour, the small water receptacle was full so she rigged up the hose to drain into a plastic container that previously held 40 lbs. of cat litter.
When she turned the unit on, the temperature read 35C in her bedroom. (Laura gets ALL the afternoon sun!). By the time the machine turned itself off, the temp was a balmy 29C and the 40 lb. cat litter container was full of water! Half way through the next night, at 2:30AM, Laura woke up drenched in sweat. The unit had stopped working and the hose venting the hot air outside was too hot to touch. So she rigged up a fan to blow on the unit to keep it cool! LOL
It would work for a little while, overheat and then shut itself off. She never could get the thing to work properly or for a whole night so she took it back. She told three people at the store that she really wanted it to work. They told her that it is too hot here to use this type of machine. So she got her money back and promptly went out to buy two more fans for $25US each.
BTW, there are no more fans to be found in Vallarta so if you want to make a small fortune, load up a truck and come on down! The hot weather is expected to continue into October ...
Monday, August 01, 2005
Relief, finally!
It's Monday afternoon, 2:55PM and it's actually raining! I can't believe it. It has been so hot and sunny, with no relief in sight. Every night the clouds roll in and then nothing happens. We had the highest heat index highest of the year so far on Saturday, July 30. It was 116-0ºF or 46.7ºC. I was just coming home from the Burros Bar around that time, after having two buckets of beer (3 Coronas each) in celebration of a friend's birthday. It was hot, hot, HOT!
I've been having a little bit of trouble coping with the heat during the day since I don't have a pool or AC. Last night was especially warm for me but I'm not sure if it is the weather, a hot flash or a by-product of the wine I drank last night after dinner. ;) I didn't get to sleep until 4AM. Good thing I am not working today. Once this episode of Law & Order is over, I am going upstairs to try to grab a siesta. This is a true tropical downpour!
Thank the Goddess! Cooler air is on the way ... :)
I've been having a little bit of trouble coping with the heat during the day since I don't have a pool or AC. Last night was especially warm for me but I'm not sure if it is the weather, a hot flash or a by-product of the wine I drank last night after dinner. ;) I didn't get to sleep until 4AM. Good thing I am not working today. Once this episode of Law & Order is over, I am going upstairs to try to grab a siesta. This is a true tropical downpour!
Thank the Goddess! Cooler air is on the way ... :)
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