I set my alarm for 6:30AM this morning so that I could arrive at the gym by 7AM. I haven't been going because (1) I was sick for over two weeks and (2) I became a sloth in that period of time. Anyway, after noticing that my uniforms had "shrunk" in the last month or so, I decided to get back into my workout routine. Since it is so "cold" here in the mornings, I figured I could stay warmer by wearing a hat. I grabbed my favourite ball cap (the one that says "Canadian Girls Kick Ass") and prepared to head out. Imagine my surprise to find a nice hole, the size of a quarter, chewed in the middle of it!
I know I've mentioned a lot of the wildlife I deal with here on a regular basis but I have failed to tell you about the termites! They are everywhere. Everything that is wood here is likely to succumb to their voracious appetites. In my room alone, the dressers, the night tables, the doorframes and the wooden screen that hides the laundryroom, are all tasty morsels for these pesky creatures. I never realized that they wanted variety in their diet (ie. cotton!) or I would have bought them a stick of dynamite to chew on! Grrr ... anyway, after I returned from the gym, I dumped the entire content of my drawers on the floor and sprayed them all inside with bug spray. With my luck, they will probably inhale the stuff and mutate into something that eats hair! LOL
So Christmas is finally over. Thank the Goddess! I used to have fabulous Christmases when I was a kid but the ones in my adult life have never quite measured up. The frenzy experienced NOTB is somewhat muted here but working in retail allows me to see the best and worst of people when they are shopping. December 23 was a great day in the store -- we were incredibly busy and everyone was in a generous mood. By December 25 (one day before the full moon), people were definitely in a different frame of mind and it was hard to maintain my enthusiasm while working. I spent Christmas Eve at a friend's house, enjoying her hospitality and a wonderful homecooked meal. Dinner on Christmas Day proved to be somewhat of a disaster since the restaurant I chose was overbooked and understaffed. I would have been happier at home with a bag of cheesies.
Next comes New Year's and this is a much happier "holiday" for me. I never feel the pressure to have a date for New Year's Eve, either here or in Canada. December 31, 1999 saw me celebrating the millenium with two girlfriends, drinking champagne in one of the unfinished penthouse suites in my brand new condo building. I think I stayed home alone the next year and it was wonderful. Last year, I spent New Year's Eve on Los Muertos beach, drinking margaritas, watching fireworks with the ocean and palm trees as a back drop and then dancing the night away on Olas Altas. I swear every gay guy in town was out that night. What a blast! Some old friends will be missing this year (and yes Medina, I'm talking about YOU!) but there are always new friends to fill the void.
I don't expect this December 31st to be the same as last year but I am hoping for a few giggles anyway. Then I have a two day weekend afterwards. I can hardly bear to think of what I'm going to do with myself! LOL It will probably take one whole day to recover from my hangover. Whatever you do on December 31st, and with whomever you do it, please be careful and mindful of those around you. The world is a fragile place and we must look out for one another. All the best to you and yours for 2005. I'll be here for a while yet.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Sunday, December 26, 2004
The Battle of the Sexes
I had a psychology professor in university who felt that women were definitely the stronger sex. I was in my late teens or early 20's at the time and I didn't really believe him. But his "philosphy" must have registered somewhere in the back of my brain. I can always remember his telling us that women were tough and that's why they had babies. Or maybe having babies made them tough. Hell, I can't remember his exact words but I took his Psych 101 class once a week for a year and he hardly ever neglected to comment on his favourite subject.
My roommate Colleen and I just finished watching three back-to-back episodes of the "Sex and The City" on DVD tonight. In one of the episodes, Carrie (the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker) asks, "Are we the new bachelors?". Colleen and I howled at this one because we think it's true! Lately the men we've been meeting are all about relationships and commitments and "making love" and we just want sex! Is there ever a point in our lives when men and women are on the same wave length?
When we're young girls and women, we dream of getting married and having babies. I never actually "dreamed" of getting married but I did it 'cause everyone else was doing it. I feel it was a relationship that "went too far". In retrospect, we should have never gotten married. Then, in my early 30's and after my divorce, when most of my school chums were raising their families, I was single and still trying to have relationships with guys my own age. For the most part, they hadn't been married yet or, like me, had been married for a short period of time with little or no prodigy. We went to "meat" markets, partied a lot and tried to form relationships with people we barely knew. It was a sad, lonely time for many of us and I never want to repeat that decade.
Once I turned 40, I was well entrenched in a successful career, was close to buying my first home and living a somewhat sophisticated lifestyle downtown Toronto. Most of my friends were female, in their 40's, divorced with no kids, single and professional. We ran around in packs and had fabulous, boozy dinner parties in each other's homes or went to the theatre or out for dinner to the newest, hottest clubs and restaurants. Once in a while, one of us would get tangled up with some guy but it never lasted, especially if the "girls" didn't like him. They were my barometer against which I measured all my men. And not many measured up.
It was in my late 30's and early 40's that I discovered the unique experience of dating younger men (Dad, if you're reading this, you might want to go get a drink of water or something!). The first one was nine years younger than me and he was SO sexy, with his tattooes, multiple piercings and Harley. When he came to the office one day to show me his newly pierced nipple, the girls I worked with went crazy! He was lean and handsome in a rakish kind of way, with long black curly hair. We had absolutely NOTHING in common yet I dated him for almost a year and we stayed friends for a long, long time after that. I think I passed him on to one of my girlfriends.
Since then I've dated guys of all ages but lately, just those much older or much younger than me. Guys my own age seem to be in short supply. Most of them are gay. The rest are married to my girlfriends and therefore, become great friends to me but nothing more. Ideally, these would be the guys with whom I have the most in common but there are none available. The older guys I meet might be financially stable but they can be quite boring. The younger guys I know provide fun and excitement but they are often starting to think about having a family and I'm not!
I've decided I'm not cut out for a long term relationship. I like to sleep alone too much! And the older I get, the harder it is for me to meet someone who can stimulate me on all levels. I need about four different men to keep me interested -- someone intellectual, someone to confide in, someone to get zany with and one muscle-bound sex machine. But if I had to choose any one of the above, I would choose the last one. Less complications that way and my girlfriends can fill in for all the others! :)
My roommate Colleen and I just finished watching three back-to-back episodes of the "Sex and The City" on DVD tonight. In one of the episodes, Carrie (the character played by Sarah Jessica Parker) asks, "Are we the new bachelors?". Colleen and I howled at this one because we think it's true! Lately the men we've been meeting are all about relationships and commitments and "making love" and we just want sex! Is there ever a point in our lives when men and women are on the same wave length?
When we're young girls and women, we dream of getting married and having babies. I never actually "dreamed" of getting married but I did it 'cause everyone else was doing it. I feel it was a relationship that "went too far". In retrospect, we should have never gotten married. Then, in my early 30's and after my divorce, when most of my school chums were raising their families, I was single and still trying to have relationships with guys my own age. For the most part, they hadn't been married yet or, like me, had been married for a short period of time with little or no prodigy. We went to "meat" markets, partied a lot and tried to form relationships with people we barely knew. It was a sad, lonely time for many of us and I never want to repeat that decade.
Once I turned 40, I was well entrenched in a successful career, was close to buying my first home and living a somewhat sophisticated lifestyle downtown Toronto. Most of my friends were female, in their 40's, divorced with no kids, single and professional. We ran around in packs and had fabulous, boozy dinner parties in each other's homes or went to the theatre or out for dinner to the newest, hottest clubs and restaurants. Once in a while, one of us would get tangled up with some guy but it never lasted, especially if the "girls" didn't like him. They were my barometer against which I measured all my men. And not many measured up.
It was in my late 30's and early 40's that I discovered the unique experience of dating younger men (Dad, if you're reading this, you might want to go get a drink of water or something!). The first one was nine years younger than me and he was SO sexy, with his tattooes, multiple piercings and Harley. When he came to the office one day to show me his newly pierced nipple, the girls I worked with went crazy! He was lean and handsome in a rakish kind of way, with long black curly hair. We had absolutely NOTHING in common yet I dated him for almost a year and we stayed friends for a long, long time after that. I think I passed him on to one of my girlfriends.
Since then I've dated guys of all ages but lately, just those much older or much younger than me. Guys my own age seem to be in short supply. Most of them are gay. The rest are married to my girlfriends and therefore, become great friends to me but nothing more. Ideally, these would be the guys with whom I have the most in common but there are none available. The older guys I meet might be financially stable but they can be quite boring. The younger guys I know provide fun and excitement but they are often starting to think about having a family and I'm not!
I've decided I'm not cut out for a long term relationship. I like to sleep alone too much! And the older I get, the harder it is for me to meet someone who can stimulate me on all levels. I need about four different men to keep me interested -- someone intellectual, someone to confide in, someone to get zany with and one muscle-bound sex machine. But if I had to choose any one of the above, I would choose the last one. Less complications that way and my girlfriends can fill in for all the others! :)
Monday, December 20, 2004
A Week of Wonders
Last weekend (Dec. 11 and 12) marked the end of the feast of the Virgin and the final processions in her honour throughout the City. It is a week filled traffic chaos, religious devotion and food. The processions wind their way through town, causing major headaches for drivers as one of the main arteries in Centro is completely closed off to vehicular traffic and food stands sprout up everywhere. The processions themselves are beautiful with their costumed performers, ancient pagan rituals, familiar, haunting music and drum beats. The processions at night are especially beautiful, lit with candlelight. There is something very moving to see young and old, Nationals and ex-pats, mingling together to celebrate one of Mexico's oldest traditions. It is truly a powerful expression of faith.
On Saturday afternoon in the store, Luis manhandled two huge pinatas up the stairs. I had no idea what they were for until around 5PM when Ana Margarita yelled for me to come downstairs to see the children. The tunnel to the store was filled with small children, all dressed in costume, two representing Mary and Joseph. Apparently, they go from one stop to the next, on their journey looking for food and a resting spot for the pregnant Mother of God. These kids were so small ... I can never get over the difference in size between Mexican children and the kids in Canada. Most of them didn't appear much older than 3 or 4 as they looked at me with huge shining eyes and big toothy grins. It was amazing.
One night on my way home from work, as I walked by Cafe de Olla, the man who cooks on the barbeque outside the restaurant greeted me with his usual smile. As I reached out my hand to shake his in our regular form of greeting, for some inexplicable reason, he enveloped me in a warm hug much like I would expect from my father. I don't know his name and he doesn't speak a word of English but it made feel fuzzy all over just the same.
On Wednesday night, it started to rain around 12:30AM. I lay cuddling my teddy bears in bed, listening to the sound of the rain on the leaves and the thunder rolling in the distance out over the Bay and I thought I had never been more content than right at that exact moment.
On Thursday night, I shared a romantic dinner on the beach with a friend before we headed down south to Dreams (the former Camino Real resort) for an outdoor concert. Paco Renteria was playing to a small crowd outdoors. I had seen him last year at Los Arcos, a huge venue with thousands of people. We were maybe 100 people on Thursday night and as he strummed the first few notes on his guitar, with the quarter moon floating above us and the palm trees waving in the cool night breeze, I felt tears roll down my face. There is something about his music that reaches me like no other ... maybe because wherever and whenever I play it, I am always taken back to Puerto Vallarta.
On Saturday afternoon in the store, Luis manhandled two huge pinatas up the stairs. I had no idea what they were for until around 5PM when Ana Margarita yelled for me to come downstairs to see the children. The tunnel to the store was filled with small children, all dressed in costume, two representing Mary and Joseph. Apparently, they go from one stop to the next, on their journey looking for food and a resting spot for the pregnant Mother of God. These kids were so small ... I can never get over the difference in size between Mexican children and the kids in Canada. Most of them didn't appear much older than 3 or 4 as they looked at me with huge shining eyes and big toothy grins. It was amazing.
One night on my way home from work, as I walked by Cafe de Olla, the man who cooks on the barbeque outside the restaurant greeted me with his usual smile. As I reached out my hand to shake his in our regular form of greeting, for some inexplicable reason, he enveloped me in a warm hug much like I would expect from my father. I don't know his name and he doesn't speak a word of English but it made feel fuzzy all over just the same.
On Wednesday night, it started to rain around 12:30AM. I lay cuddling my teddy bears in bed, listening to the sound of the rain on the leaves and the thunder rolling in the distance out over the Bay and I thought I had never been more content than right at that exact moment.
On Thursday night, I shared a romantic dinner on the beach with a friend before we headed down south to Dreams (the former Camino Real resort) for an outdoor concert. Paco Renteria was playing to a small crowd outdoors. I had seen him last year at Los Arcos, a huge venue with thousands of people. We were maybe 100 people on Thursday night and as he strummed the first few notes on his guitar, with the quarter moon floating above us and the palm trees waving in the cool night breeze, I felt tears roll down my face. There is something about his music that reaches me like no other ... maybe because wherever and whenever I play it, I am always taken back to Puerto Vallarta.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Back Online
Our computer has been down since last Friday with a blown out video card. We got a new one installed but things are still looking a little bit wonky. At least it's working! I haven't been able to check my emails, read the Board (http://vallartascene.com/forum/phpBB2/) or blog anything. Funny how you get so used to having a computer every day, it seems strange when it is gone. After being offline a week, I was started to get used to having a bit more free time. LOL
Not much new around here other than the weather which was unseasonably warm and humid today. As I walked home from work just after sunset, I noticed some dark clouds and thought that it looked like it might rain. We did get a few drops about an hour later and I've been hearing thunder but nothing major is happening right now. A good downpour would give some welcome relief although I'm still finding it pleasantly cool.
The town is relatively quiet this week, no doubt in preparation for all hell to break loose next week when the Christmas crowd arrives. It is always difficult for me to get excited about Xmas (as I call it). I find it to be overly commercial (she said, working full-time in retail) and far too frantic. Everyone is rushing around, looking for gifts for people who don't really need anything. I prefer a quiet evening of sharing good food and good wine with good friends.
I'll keep this short as I have a TON of emails to answer. I hope you aren't stressing too much about the coming "season" and find the time to be thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Not much new around here other than the weather which was unseasonably warm and humid today. As I walked home from work just after sunset, I noticed some dark clouds and thought that it looked like it might rain. We did get a few drops about an hour later and I've been hearing thunder but nothing major is happening right now. A good downpour would give some welcome relief although I'm still finding it pleasantly cool.
The town is relatively quiet this week, no doubt in preparation for all hell to break loose next week when the Christmas crowd arrives. It is always difficult for me to get excited about Xmas (as I call it). I find it to be overly commercial (she said, working full-time in retail) and far too frantic. Everyone is rushing around, looking for gifts for people who don't really need anything. I prefer a quiet evening of sharing good food and good wine with good friends.
I'll keep this short as I have a TON of emails to answer. I hope you aren't stressing too much about the coming "season" and find the time to be thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Mid Week Blog
Thanks to everyone who called, sent an email or pushed wishes of good health out into the stratosphere -- I am on the mend! I tried to go back to work yesterday but my boss insisted that I go home after our one hour staff meeting. She didn't want me having a relapse. I guess she didn't think an unconscious employee lying on the floor in the middle of the store would be good for business! Actually, I thought it was very sweet of her to be so concerned. So I came home, tried to sleep but couldn't even though I was operating with only 3.5 hours from the night before (frickin' insomnia). I went out for a quick, light dinner at Mama Dolores around the corner. I never met Dolores but the new owner, Grant from Toronto, makes a mean margarita! :) Everyone down here keeps telling me that tequila is the cure for my cold.
But after being in bed since Saturday, I was bored, lonely and checking for bed sores. So I went into work today for my first full shift. It was an extra zany day for some reason. Wednesdays are always a little crazy because the Viva models do a show out at Paradise Village in Nuevo at 2PM. That means four or five young beauties, running around, getting dressed, donning jewellery and blasting out of the store for the 45 minute drive up there, so they can walk around on the hot beach promoting the store, all the while looking cool and chic. What a job!
We are also promoting the store with a local modelling agency at different venues around town which means organizing pareos (sarongs), hats, shoes, sunglasses and jewellery for TEN more models (8 women and two men). This takes HOURS of prep work, including writing down a list of everything sent out in the hopes that we get it back. Fortunately, none of these jobs fall within my list of duties (thank the Goddess!) but I get to watch everyone else run around like headless chickens.
BTW, we had a group photo taken of the new staff at Viva (finally) and it up on the website. Check us out at www.vivacollection.com. Or better yet, drop into the store and see us "live"! The person recently responsible for our marketing "department" (I say that facetiously because the department consists of one person -- Nathan) is leaving to go back to school so we had chocolate cake at the meeting yesterday morning and then went to Burger King tonight after work as sort of a farewell. You might think this sounds a bit odd but Nathan is, without a doubt, the biggest junk food junkie I've ever met! So his going away "bash" was appropriate.
Nathan's replacement, Scott, is turning out to be a good friend. Actually, we are discovering that we are a lot alike and I call him my "alter ego" at work. We like the same kind of jewellery -- when something new comes in, I ask Scott, "Do we love it or hate it?" Invariably, we agree close to 100% of the time. Other than the fact that he is (1) a man (2) gay and (3) blonde, we are identical twins! LOL We joke about it all the time. We keep each other "sane" at work on the days when everyone else is driving us nuts! And he missed me terribly when I was off sick. It is nice to be needed ... BTW, I have a sign in the back room where I work. It says, "Welcome to the Marking Department" and then below that a big circle with the words "BANG HEAD HERE" typed inside. I've been told to move to a location with easier access for all employees. Haha!
After the junk food festival at Burger King, I walked home along the new bridge so I could look at the ocean. The water was wild tonight! There was a huge bank of black clouds in the south end of the Bay and I could swear it was raining south of Mismaloya. The ocean was churning out huge, angry waves and the wind was whipping the crap out of the palapas along the beach. So far it hasn't rained here but it seems to be pending. Weird weather for December. It's been really cool lately. So much so that this acclimated Canadian actually took her jean jacket out with her last night to ward off the chill! Oh that reminds me, it's snowing in Toronto. [insert evil laugh here]
I hope you are happy and healthy wherever you are. And remember, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with!
But after being in bed since Saturday, I was bored, lonely and checking for bed sores. So I went into work today for my first full shift. It was an extra zany day for some reason. Wednesdays are always a little crazy because the Viva models do a show out at Paradise Village in Nuevo at 2PM. That means four or five young beauties, running around, getting dressed, donning jewellery and blasting out of the store for the 45 minute drive up there, so they can walk around on the hot beach promoting the store, all the while looking cool and chic. What a job!
We are also promoting the store with a local modelling agency at different venues around town which means organizing pareos (sarongs), hats, shoes, sunglasses and jewellery for TEN more models (8 women and two men). This takes HOURS of prep work, including writing down a list of everything sent out in the hopes that we get it back. Fortunately, none of these jobs fall within my list of duties (thank the Goddess!) but I get to watch everyone else run around like headless chickens.
BTW, we had a group photo taken of the new staff at Viva (finally) and it up on the website. Check us out at www.vivacollection.com. Or better yet, drop into the store and see us "live"! The person recently responsible for our marketing "department" (I say that facetiously because the department consists of one person -- Nathan) is leaving to go back to school so we had chocolate cake at the meeting yesterday morning and then went to Burger King tonight after work as sort of a farewell. You might think this sounds a bit odd but Nathan is, without a doubt, the biggest junk food junkie I've ever met! So his going away "bash" was appropriate.
Nathan's replacement, Scott, is turning out to be a good friend. Actually, we are discovering that we are a lot alike and I call him my "alter ego" at work. We like the same kind of jewellery -- when something new comes in, I ask Scott, "Do we love it or hate it?" Invariably, we agree close to 100% of the time. Other than the fact that he is (1) a man (2) gay and (3) blonde, we are identical twins! LOL We joke about it all the time. We keep each other "sane" at work on the days when everyone else is driving us nuts! And he missed me terribly when I was off sick. It is nice to be needed ... BTW, I have a sign in the back room where I work. It says, "Welcome to the Marking Department" and then below that a big circle with the words "BANG HEAD HERE" typed inside. I've been told to move to a location with easier access for all employees. Haha!
After the junk food festival at Burger King, I walked home along the new bridge so I could look at the ocean. The water was wild tonight! There was a huge bank of black clouds in the south end of the Bay and I could swear it was raining south of Mismaloya. The ocean was churning out huge, angry waves and the wind was whipping the crap out of the palapas along the beach. So far it hasn't rained here but it seems to be pending. Weird weather for December. It's been really cool lately. So much so that this acclimated Canadian actually took her jean jacket out with her last night to ward off the chill! Oh that reminds me, it's snowing in Toronto. [insert evil laugh here]
I hope you are happy and healthy wherever you are. And remember, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with!
Sunday, December 05, 2004
"Sick As A Dog" Blog
Tengo la gripa. That means I have the flu. Some of the people at work insisted on coming in, even though they were deathly ill. So now I'm sick. Really sick. I have a philosophy about being sick and work. Whether or not you get sick days, DON'T GO INTO TO WORK, for three reasons: (1) Obviously, you will infect everyone else around you and, in our case, even our customers. "Thank you for shopping at Viva ma'am ... cough, cough." (2) You need rest when you're sick in order to mend. Go home. Sleep. (3) The work you are doing is probably well below standard. Mistakes happen regardless but when you're sick, MORE mistakes happen.
Thank goodness for Colleen, my roommate, and my friend Bill, who have been nursing me with food and drugs since Friday. I am very grateful not to be living alone right now. Yesterday I was too weak to even make myself a bowl of soup and I couldn't sleep either. So combine insomnia with the flu and you've got a good idea of how I'm feeling. To add insult to injury, I got severely bit by something last night and have two huge welts on the side of my neck. If it was a vampire, I'll let you know.
Right now I'm drinking some tea while thinking about having a shower and washing my hair. Something tells me my energy level for the day is at its highest right now and I should take advantage of it while I can. So this blog is going to be short today. Sorry about that. Please send your wishes for my speedy recovery up into the air and direct them south to Puerto Vallarta where, hopefully, I will receive them. And if I'm still sick tomorrow, you can bet I won't be going into work ... :)
Thank goodness for Colleen, my roommate, and my friend Bill, who have been nursing me with food and drugs since Friday. I am very grateful not to be living alone right now. Yesterday I was too weak to even make myself a bowl of soup and I couldn't sleep either. So combine insomnia with the flu and you've got a good idea of how I'm feeling. To add insult to injury, I got severely bit by something last night and have two huge welts on the side of my neck. If it was a vampire, I'll let you know.
Right now I'm drinking some tea while thinking about having a shower and washing my hair. Something tells me my energy level for the day is at its highest right now and I should take advantage of it while I can. So this blog is going to be short today. Sorry about that. Please send your wishes for my speedy recovery up into the air and direct them south to Puerto Vallarta where, hopefully, I will receive them. And if I'm still sick tomorrow, you can bet I won't be going into work ... :)
Saturday, November 27, 2004
The Week in Review
I've been getting a lot of "flack" from fans of my blog about not posting. I have no real excuse but I can assure you that I have working every day as well as going out almost every night. Life in Vallarta is interesting, challenging and always changing. The noises I hear at night through my bedroom window would probably cause most of you to head to the airport and catch the next plane back to civilization. I just smile, adjust my ear plugs and try to go back to sleep.
Lately, I've heard coconuts falling. It actually sounds like someone on the roof is tossing bombs over the side which crash through the trees before slamming onto Arturo's patio below my window. The other night, he and a friend woke me up trying to wrestle the coconuts off the patio and onto a huge, noisy, plastic tarp so the friend could haul them away. Did I mention this occurred at 1AM? It's difficult to get angry with Arturo. He is our landlord and incredibly handsome. He thinks Colleen and I are the most beautiful women in Vallarta. Oh, and rich too since we're always working. Too bad he plays for the "other team"!
And then there is the "new" dog in the neighbourhood. He must be very big because he is very loud. And he always starts his barking AFTER 11PM, like some kind of weird, inverted noise by-law. One night last week, at approximately midnight, I threw my jean jacket over my PJs and headed outside with a flashlight to investigate. There is a condo building way up on top of the hill directly east of our house. This poor dog was out on the balcony, whimpering, barking and pawing at the glass doors. If I can ever figure out a way to get up there, those dog owners better watch out! Thank the Goddess I know how to say "SHUT UP" in both English and Spanish.
I can't remember what I did on Monday other than work my usual eight hour day. With any luck, I came home and went to bed early. On Tuesday, we had our usual staff meeting at 9AM and I worked until 6:30PM, changed and went across the street to Lucy's CuCuCabana. Lucy's husband Gil was holding a book signing party for his two books, both of which I already own, already signed by Gil last year and the year before. However, a party is a party and they were serving free margaritas! I said hi to Gil and headed to the back of the store where I could see Lucy waving a ladle at me over a huge jug of already mixed margaritas. My friends Martin and Missy arrived shortly thereafter, as well as David and Nancy. We all bought something in the store which is the least we could do considering all the margaritas we were consuming!
Lucy left to fire up the band and the next thing you know, we had a four piece Norteño band playing live music on the street outside the store! Norteño music is kind of like Mexican polka music since the accordian is the most predominant instrument. These guys were good and very resplendent in the their matching chocolate brown suits and white boots. Besides the accordian player, there was a guitar player, a bass player and a percussionist banging out the beat on a little wooden box strapped to his waist about the size of wallet and two inches thick. These guys were awesome and not one of them was under 50 years old! A couple of Mexican ladies started dancing together on the sidewalk. My friend David knew all the words to one song and was singing to us. The band members were flirting outrageously with all the women passing by them. Ahhh ... Mexico!
We dragged ourselves away from this party and started another across the street at Cafe Frankfurt. We decided we needed to fortify ourselves with German food before commencing the Black Death Mexican Open. It was time for our annual dart tournament, the name of which sprung from Martin's overactive imagination. I think it had more to do with the fact that Cliff kicked Martin's ass playing darts one night last year and Marty wanted a rematch. Anyway, after a scrumptious dinner and more libations (I stuck with tequila, drinking my infamous "Tequila Ceasar"), we made our way to the back corner of the restaurant where Mike hides his dart board.
Cliffie and John squared off against Martin and David. Cliff's team won by ONE throw! What a game! What suspense! *YAWN* We woman sat around and talked while the guys played. Then they decided we all should play and two teams of four players each were formed. It takes a long time to play a game of darts with eight people, especially when you have to wait for people to come back from the washroom and drinks to arrive. After much laughter and good sportsmanlike behaviour, one team was victorious over the other. I can't remember if I was on the winning team or not -- by this point it didn't matter because I was laughing too much. Someone took photos. I hope I get to see them before next year's tourney.
On Wednesday, I worked a full day but I was finally getting caught up on all the merchandise to be marked and felt like I was really accomplishing something. As a result, I actually left work a few minutes early (*gasp*) and took a taxi up to Barcelonas Tapas to meet all the same people from the night before (and then some) for dinner. Bill, the owner, offered us a set price meal (195 pesos) with enough tapas to fill everyone up. Tapas are small, appetizer size dishes, ideal for sharing but there were 15 of us at the table. I was curious to see if we would get enough food. The sunset was outstanding that evening and by 7PM, we were all eating.
We each received a small bowl of shrimp bisque. Then we were all served a small green salad with pear slices and goat cheese. Then the tapas started to arrive. We were served five plates of the same dish so in fact, one dish was shared by approximately three people. We had tuna canneloni, sauteed mushrooms, chicken salad, eggplant and mozzarella with fresh diced tomatoes, beef skewers, garlic shrimp, and probably a few others I've forgotten by now. It was a lot of food. Then there was flan for dessert and ice cream in a biscuit with whipped cream. After the wine, sangria, coffees and liqueurs were consumed, the bill arrived and it was just over $5000 pesos for 15 people. Service was efficient and courteous. We left a 20% tip. The cost came to approximately $35US per person. After eating all those small bites, most of us wanted to walk home to wear off dinner so we strolled, en masse, along the Malecon, enjoying the night air, the sights and each other's company.
Are you tired yet? I'm exhausted just writing this ... I can't imagine how I did all this and got up for work every morning. But Thursday arrived just like any other day and I was at the store before 10AM. Imagine my surprise to find 17 huge boxes had arrived the night before from McAllen, Texas! So much for being caught up ... it was a crazy day and American Thanksgiving as well. I had made tentative plans to meet my friends, Bob and Kathy, at Northern Delights for a turkey dinner at 6PM but with those 17 boxes piled around me, I didn't leave the store until much later and simply walked two doors down to Steve's Bar. There I met Colleen and some of her friends for dinner. I knew from talking to Teri (Steve's better half) that she was expecting a big crowd and was planning to cook 9 turkeys. Dinner, with salad and dessert, was 120 pesos.
I don't know what I was expecting but the meal they served was incredible! Caesar salad with fresh French baguette bread and herbed, garlic, whipped butter to start. Dinner was served on a platter and consisted of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked carrots and cranberry sauce. I ate every single thing that Teri cooked but passed on the canned cranberries. I even ate half of my piece of pumpkin pie even though I don't usually like it. It was that good! With two beers, dinner and a tip, my dinner there was $180 pesos or $20CDN.
By now, you are probably picturing me at 200 pounds. I don't know why I'm not getting fat but I'm not! I didn't even go to the gym this week so I don't know what I'm doing right but whatever it is, I'm going to keep on doing it. I think we're up to Friday now. Friday was another hairy day at work but I got a lot accomplished and the boss was smiling at the end of the day. We had a very busy day in the store since we decided to have a sidewalk sale. This always brings people into the store, including actress Jennifer Tilley, who was trying on espadrilles with my friend Karin when I left at 6:30PM. After changing out of my uniform, I freshened my makeup and loosened my hair. I have to wear it tied up or back at work and it always a great feeling to "let my hair down" at the end of a long day and ditch the uniform as well.
I made my way down to the beach to meet friends for drinks at CCs (2 for 1 margaritas for 40 pesos), followed by dinner at Langostino's next door. I think we were 18 at the table. The food was good and the conversation was great! I waddled home around 10PM and tried to get to bed early but I stayed up for a while reading "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" -- a gift from my friend Anna, the editor of the Tribune, Vallarta's weekly English newspaper. This book is a bestseller about grammar. Anna knew I would love it so she had her ex-husband buy it in Canada and bring it down for me as a late birthday present. This book is so funny, I can't put it down! It will no doubt make me even more insufferable (is that possible?) when it comes to your punctuation, grammar and spelling mistakes. LOL
Today was my short day at work (only four hours) and I managed to get two big designers marked so that the models could wear the jewellery this weekend when they are out doing their "style shows" at the various restaurants around town. I think they visit approximately 20 restaurants each night, dressed in Viva's beautiful sarongs and decked out in our fabulous jewellery. Maybe you've seen them when you've been here? Combine that with our sidewalk sale (on again tomorrow), and it was another busy day in the store. Mary Sue asked me to look at a blurb they were using for advertising and I made a few changes to the wording. She liked it so much, she asked me to help her to write her weekly article for the Tribune. So add that to all my other duties at the store plus my busy social life and you'll probably won't get an email from me until sometime in April 2005! LOL
I'll just keep blogging away if that OK with you ... Tonight I went to a party with some friends at a beautiful condo north of Gringo Gulch up near Ay Carrumba Steak House. The hills were so steep, my friend Patricia got vertigo during the taxi ride up there. Finally we arrived at Patrick and Ron's place. Naturally, they live in the Penthouse and the place is immaculately decorated. What is it about gay men that gives them such a great sense of style? I had to laugh as Ron told us about a couple of their friends who were having their place decorated by a "straight guy". He was sure they were going to have to "tweak" the place when the decorator was through. If their home is any indication of their talents, their friends could do a lot worse.
Anyway, the evening was very enjoyable and I met a ton of new people. The food was incredible and the view of the sunset was spectacular. Unfortunately, I ate something that did not agree with me so I had to come home from the party a little bit earlier than planned. I'm not sure really what it was but I am feeling better now that I am at home. Plus, I'm tired. I wonder why? So I will sign off now and crawl into bed for, hopefully, a good night's sleep. I have a brunch date at 10:30AM, followed by plans for a relaxing day on Los Muertos beach, one block from my house. I hope you are spending your Sunday doing something special. Hasta luego!
Lately, I've heard coconuts falling. It actually sounds like someone on the roof is tossing bombs over the side which crash through the trees before slamming onto Arturo's patio below my window. The other night, he and a friend woke me up trying to wrestle the coconuts off the patio and onto a huge, noisy, plastic tarp so the friend could haul them away. Did I mention this occurred at 1AM? It's difficult to get angry with Arturo. He is our landlord and incredibly handsome. He thinks Colleen and I are the most beautiful women in Vallarta. Oh, and rich too since we're always working. Too bad he plays for the "other team"!
And then there is the "new" dog in the neighbourhood. He must be very big because he is very loud. And he always starts his barking AFTER 11PM, like some kind of weird, inverted noise by-law. One night last week, at approximately midnight, I threw my jean jacket over my PJs and headed outside with a flashlight to investigate. There is a condo building way up on top of the hill directly east of our house. This poor dog was out on the balcony, whimpering, barking and pawing at the glass doors. If I can ever figure out a way to get up there, those dog owners better watch out! Thank the Goddess I know how to say "SHUT UP" in both English and Spanish.
I can't remember what I did on Monday other than work my usual eight hour day. With any luck, I came home and went to bed early. On Tuesday, we had our usual staff meeting at 9AM and I worked until 6:30PM, changed and went across the street to Lucy's CuCuCabana. Lucy's husband Gil was holding a book signing party for his two books, both of which I already own, already signed by Gil last year and the year before. However, a party is a party and they were serving free margaritas! I said hi to Gil and headed to the back of the store where I could see Lucy waving a ladle at me over a huge jug of already mixed margaritas. My friends Martin and Missy arrived shortly thereafter, as well as David and Nancy. We all bought something in the store which is the least we could do considering all the margaritas we were consuming!
Lucy left to fire up the band and the next thing you know, we had a four piece Norteño band playing live music on the street outside the store! Norteño music is kind of like Mexican polka music since the accordian is the most predominant instrument. These guys were good and very resplendent in the their matching chocolate brown suits and white boots. Besides the accordian player, there was a guitar player, a bass player and a percussionist banging out the beat on a little wooden box strapped to his waist about the size of wallet and two inches thick. These guys were awesome and not one of them was under 50 years old! A couple of Mexican ladies started dancing together on the sidewalk. My friend David knew all the words to one song and was singing to us. The band members were flirting outrageously with all the women passing by them. Ahhh ... Mexico!
We dragged ourselves away from this party and started another across the street at Cafe Frankfurt. We decided we needed to fortify ourselves with German food before commencing the Black Death Mexican Open. It was time for our annual dart tournament, the name of which sprung from Martin's overactive imagination. I think it had more to do with the fact that Cliff kicked Martin's ass playing darts one night last year and Marty wanted a rematch. Anyway, after a scrumptious dinner and more libations (I stuck with tequila, drinking my infamous "Tequila Ceasar"), we made our way to the back corner of the restaurant where Mike hides his dart board.
Cliffie and John squared off against Martin and David. Cliff's team won by ONE throw! What a game! What suspense! *YAWN* We woman sat around and talked while the guys played. Then they decided we all should play and two teams of four players each were formed. It takes a long time to play a game of darts with eight people, especially when you have to wait for people to come back from the washroom and drinks to arrive. After much laughter and good sportsmanlike behaviour, one team was victorious over the other. I can't remember if I was on the winning team or not -- by this point it didn't matter because I was laughing too much. Someone took photos. I hope I get to see them before next year's tourney.
On Wednesday, I worked a full day but I was finally getting caught up on all the merchandise to be marked and felt like I was really accomplishing something. As a result, I actually left work a few minutes early (*gasp*) and took a taxi up to Barcelonas Tapas to meet all the same people from the night before (and then some) for dinner. Bill, the owner, offered us a set price meal (195 pesos) with enough tapas to fill everyone up. Tapas are small, appetizer size dishes, ideal for sharing but there were 15 of us at the table. I was curious to see if we would get enough food. The sunset was outstanding that evening and by 7PM, we were all eating.
We each received a small bowl of shrimp bisque. Then we were all served a small green salad with pear slices and goat cheese. Then the tapas started to arrive. We were served five plates of the same dish so in fact, one dish was shared by approximately three people. We had tuna canneloni, sauteed mushrooms, chicken salad, eggplant and mozzarella with fresh diced tomatoes, beef skewers, garlic shrimp, and probably a few others I've forgotten by now. It was a lot of food. Then there was flan for dessert and ice cream in a biscuit with whipped cream. After the wine, sangria, coffees and liqueurs were consumed, the bill arrived and it was just over $5000 pesos for 15 people. Service was efficient and courteous. We left a 20% tip. The cost came to approximately $35US per person. After eating all those small bites, most of us wanted to walk home to wear off dinner so we strolled, en masse, along the Malecon, enjoying the night air, the sights and each other's company.
Are you tired yet? I'm exhausted just writing this ... I can't imagine how I did all this and got up for work every morning. But Thursday arrived just like any other day and I was at the store before 10AM. Imagine my surprise to find 17 huge boxes had arrived the night before from McAllen, Texas! So much for being caught up ... it was a crazy day and American Thanksgiving as well. I had made tentative plans to meet my friends, Bob and Kathy, at Northern Delights for a turkey dinner at 6PM but with those 17 boxes piled around me, I didn't leave the store until much later and simply walked two doors down to Steve's Bar. There I met Colleen and some of her friends for dinner. I knew from talking to Teri (Steve's better half) that she was expecting a big crowd and was planning to cook 9 turkeys. Dinner, with salad and dessert, was 120 pesos.
I don't know what I was expecting but the meal they served was incredible! Caesar salad with fresh French baguette bread and herbed, garlic, whipped butter to start. Dinner was served on a platter and consisted of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked carrots and cranberry sauce. I ate every single thing that Teri cooked but passed on the canned cranberries. I even ate half of my piece of pumpkin pie even though I don't usually like it. It was that good! With two beers, dinner and a tip, my dinner there was $180 pesos or $20CDN.
By now, you are probably picturing me at 200 pounds. I don't know why I'm not getting fat but I'm not! I didn't even go to the gym this week so I don't know what I'm doing right but whatever it is, I'm going to keep on doing it. I think we're up to Friday now. Friday was another hairy day at work but I got a lot accomplished and the boss was smiling at the end of the day. We had a very busy day in the store since we decided to have a sidewalk sale. This always brings people into the store, including actress Jennifer Tilley, who was trying on espadrilles with my friend Karin when I left at 6:30PM. After changing out of my uniform, I freshened my makeup and loosened my hair. I have to wear it tied up or back at work and it always a great feeling to "let my hair down" at the end of a long day and ditch the uniform as well.
I made my way down to the beach to meet friends for drinks at CCs (2 for 1 margaritas for 40 pesos), followed by dinner at Langostino's next door. I think we were 18 at the table. The food was good and the conversation was great! I waddled home around 10PM and tried to get to bed early but I stayed up for a while reading "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" -- a gift from my friend Anna, the editor of the Tribune, Vallarta's weekly English newspaper. This book is a bestseller about grammar. Anna knew I would love it so she had her ex-husband buy it in Canada and bring it down for me as a late birthday present. This book is so funny, I can't put it down! It will no doubt make me even more insufferable (is that possible?) when it comes to your punctuation, grammar and spelling mistakes. LOL
Today was my short day at work (only four hours) and I managed to get two big designers marked so that the models could wear the jewellery this weekend when they are out doing their "style shows" at the various restaurants around town. I think they visit approximately 20 restaurants each night, dressed in Viva's beautiful sarongs and decked out in our fabulous jewellery. Maybe you've seen them when you've been here? Combine that with our sidewalk sale (on again tomorrow), and it was another busy day in the store. Mary Sue asked me to look at a blurb they were using for advertising and I made a few changes to the wording. She liked it so much, she asked me to help her to write her weekly article for the Tribune. So add that to all my other duties at the store plus my busy social life and you'll probably won't get an email from me until sometime in April 2005! LOL
I'll just keep blogging away if that OK with you ... Tonight I went to a party with some friends at a beautiful condo north of Gringo Gulch up near Ay Carrumba Steak House. The hills were so steep, my friend Patricia got vertigo during the taxi ride up there. Finally we arrived at Patrick and Ron's place. Naturally, they live in the Penthouse and the place is immaculately decorated. What is it about gay men that gives them such a great sense of style? I had to laugh as Ron told us about a couple of their friends who were having their place decorated by a "straight guy". He was sure they were going to have to "tweak" the place when the decorator was through. If their home is any indication of their talents, their friends could do a lot worse.
Anyway, the evening was very enjoyable and I met a ton of new people. The food was incredible and the view of the sunset was spectacular. Unfortunately, I ate something that did not agree with me so I had to come home from the party a little bit earlier than planned. I'm not sure really what it was but I am feeling better now that I am at home. Plus, I'm tired. I wonder why? So I will sign off now and crawl into bed for, hopefully, a good night's sleep. I have a brunch date at 10:30AM, followed by plans for a relaxing day on Los Muertos beach, one block from my house. I hope you are spending your Sunday doing something special. Hasta luego!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Sleepless in Vallarta - Take II
It's 3AM and I'm awake. Something weird happened tonight as I was lying in bed. I felt something grab my hand and bite it, playfully. And before you ask, YES I was sleeping alone. Then I felt something grab my hair on the pillow, sort of playfully, like a kitten would. Except I don't have a cat! So I jumped up, turned on the light and grabbed my flashlight to look under the bed and behind the headboard. Nothing there ... so it must have been a weird dream but I can't sleep now. Go figure!
I went to bed at 8:30PM tonight. I've been doing that a lot lately (on the nights when I'm not out, tearing up the town!) but I usually only need about 7 hours sleep so I'm usually awake by 4AM. It's quiet this time of night, especially on a Sunday. No dogs, no cats, no birds, no burros, no roosters, no music, no cars, no NOTHING! Last night (Saturday), I heard music blasting until 7AM. No wonder I'm tired! OH! I spoke too soon! Just heard a dog barking ...
I went to Punta de Mita today with one of the women I work with and some of her friends. As you know, Sunday is the only day estoy descansa (I'm not working) so I like to get out of town and do something different. I must say that I do not care for this beach at all. It is too rocky! The rocks extend far out into the ocean so I had to wear my sports sandals into the water and I'm not sure how they are going to stand up to all that salt water. I was going to say that the only redeeming quality of this beach is the fact that the water remains shallow far out into the ocean but then I realized that this doesn't allow you to really swim because the water isn't deep enough.
Anyway, it was a nice day, spent with friends but I won't be going back there any time soon. Next beach on my hit list is Destiladeras! :)
I went to bed at 8:30PM tonight. I've been doing that a lot lately (on the nights when I'm not out, tearing up the town!) but I usually only need about 7 hours sleep so I'm usually awake by 4AM. It's quiet this time of night, especially on a Sunday. No dogs, no cats, no birds, no burros, no roosters, no music, no cars, no NOTHING! Last night (Saturday), I heard music blasting until 7AM. No wonder I'm tired! OH! I spoke too soon! Just heard a dog barking ...
I went to Punta de Mita today with one of the women I work with and some of her friends. As you know, Sunday is the only day estoy descansa (I'm not working) so I like to get out of town and do something different. I must say that I do not care for this beach at all. It is too rocky! The rocks extend far out into the ocean so I had to wear my sports sandals into the water and I'm not sure how they are going to stand up to all that salt water. I was going to say that the only redeeming quality of this beach is the fact that the water remains shallow far out into the ocean but then I realized that this doesn't allow you to really swim because the water isn't deep enough.
Anyway, it was a nice day, spent with friends but I won't be going back there any time soon. Next beach on my hit list is Destiladeras! :)
Saturday, November 20, 2004
The Goddesses
The Goddesses were "founded" in April 2001 as a result of an innocuous comment made by my friend Rose during our "girls only" trip to PV. Rose, Heidi, Louise and I had rented a two bedroom condo in Puerto Vallarta for 9 days. We were all remarking on how fast our nails and hair were growing and how soft our skin felt. She said, "I feel like a Goddess!" and the idea was formed. She also came up with "The Goddess Convention" as the title for this annual event (we decided after that initial trip that we would try to come to PV once a year). We had so much fun, we hoped to include other women and started spreading the word.
The second convention in 2002 was bigger and included my friend Winnie, her two sisters and her two daughters. Rose and I were also there, along with two new friends, Beatrice and Mary Ann. We held the event at Casa Andrea and invited other women, including Andrea, to join in the fun. And it was a lot of fun! Rose bought cheap, plastic, dimestore tiaras and we wore these around town during Goddess-related events and just for a laugh! Mary Ann brought some boas with her and we drapped them across our shoulders to add a bit of glamour. People started noticing how much fun we were having and started asking questions. I noticed that other women seemed particularly interested ...
In the intervening year, I developed a small website with the help of a Canadian Goddess I met online and wrote a campy "Goddess Handbook". It was mostly tongue in cheek but the main theme that ran through it was that Goddesses were superlative women -- strong, independent, funny, interesting, intelligent and knew how to have a good time. The tiara became our main focal point and I had beautiful Swarovski crystal GODDESS pins handmade for the core group plus a few other women who had attended GCII.
The third convention was smaller and consisted of only Rose, Heidi, Beatrice and Mary Ann. I was already living here so their visit was extra special because I missed them all so much. We had dinner out at a friend's restaurant, wearing our tiaras and boas, and caused quite a commotion, especially among the female patrons. They all wanted to know what they had to do to "join" the group! We felt special; we felt silly; we felt powerful -- heck, we felt like Goddesses! LOL
GCIV is scheduled for the first two weeks of April 2005. At that time, it will have been a year since I've seen Mary Ann but she is constantly in my thoughts. In fact, every time I open my lingerie drawer and see the "boa bra" she bought for me, I giggle! Beatrice was just here for a week but it was a very relaxing trip for her without any of the usual Goddess silliness. I miss her already! And I miss Heidi and Rose every single day I'm here ... we send emails or call and, on some level, that does help minimize how much I miss them. But it's not the same as breathing the same air as them. April 2005 will be a special month for me because I'll have all "my girls" back in the fold.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
The Rent Is Due Tomorrow!
I guess I will find out how good the Mexican banking system is going to work for me when I go to withdraw money from my new account for the very first time. First I need to find out how much is in there and I tried to register for online banking but apparently, I don't have a chequing account with eleven digits so I can't. :( My rent is due tomorrow so hopefully, there is enough in there to cover it!
My weekend was spent recovering from my last week of excess -- I was out every night for dinner and didn't really spend much time at home except to sleep and change clothes. I managed to get to the gym three times last week so I hope I don't see any extra pounds creeping back on. I'll let you know after I try to squeeze into my uniform tomorrow morning! It felt good to have an evening to myself on Friday night.
On Saturday, I only worked from 10AM to 3:30PM and then headed over to the gym. It actually rained yesterday AND today ... very strange. The mosquitoes are back out in full force but the air is definitely cooler. I met my friends Dave and Nancy at Langostino's on Saturday night with another couple, Ned and Cindy. They are all staying at Casa Andrea for two weeks. My friend Cliff is here with his Mexican girlfriend, Leticia, whose English is improving faster than his Spanish! We all had drinks and dinner together ... what fun!
Today, a bunch of us went to the beach at Conchas Chinas since it is closer to town. The boys wanted to cut our weekly excursion short so they could go to Steve's Bar at 3PM and watch the CFL semi-finals. The beach was crowded with Mexican families and even some people we knew. The water was definitely cooler -- a welcome relief to this Canadian Goddess! I came home and did laundry. LOL It's been a quiet night and I am ready for another work week starting tomorrow. More friends are arriving this coming weekend and I need to rest up for that!
Remember to tell the important people in your life how much you love them. You never know what tomorrow will bring ...
My weekend was spent recovering from my last week of excess -- I was out every night for dinner and didn't really spend much time at home except to sleep and change clothes. I managed to get to the gym three times last week so I hope I don't see any extra pounds creeping back on. I'll let you know after I try to squeeze into my uniform tomorrow morning! It felt good to have an evening to myself on Friday night.
On Saturday, I only worked from 10AM to 3:30PM and then headed over to the gym. It actually rained yesterday AND today ... very strange. The mosquitoes are back out in full force but the air is definitely cooler. I met my friends Dave and Nancy at Langostino's on Saturday night with another couple, Ned and Cindy. They are all staying at Casa Andrea for two weeks. My friend Cliff is here with his Mexican girlfriend, Leticia, whose English is improving faster than his Spanish! We all had drinks and dinner together ... what fun!
Today, a bunch of us went to the beach at Conchas Chinas since it is closer to town. The boys wanted to cut our weekly excursion short so they could go to Steve's Bar at 3PM and watch the CFL semi-finals. The beach was crowded with Mexican families and even some people we knew. The water was definitely cooler -- a welcome relief to this Canadian Goddess! I came home and did laundry. LOL It's been a quiet night and I am ready for another work week starting tomorrow. More friends are arriving this coming weekend and I need to rest up for that!
Remember to tell the important people in your life how much you love them. You never know what tomorrow will bring ...
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Social Butterfly
I know, I know ... I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy with guests: my friend Lauri from Ontario, my "brother" Mikey from Alberta, my best friend (ie. known her FOREVER and she knows where all the bodies are buried -- LOL) Jo-Anne from Ontario and my friends Linda and Denny from Kansas City. Plus I've been working six days a week. *sigh* I am tired already and it's ONLY NOVEMBER!!!
Last Friday night was Mikey's last night in town and he wanted to go to Oktoberfest at Cafe Frankfurt. This is an annual event where the owner, Mike Pohl, puts on a huge buffet, all you can eat and drink (think cold Corona beer on tap) for 180 pesos. The food is German and very, very good. This outdoor restaurant is beautifully decorated with palm trees wrapped in lights and very condusive to good digestion. The amount food was staggering and consisted of home baked bread, salads of all kinds, roasted potatoes, spaetzel (did I spell that right?), ribs, chicken, ribs, beef, pork, schnitzel, dessert, etc.
At the end of dinner, Mike invariably provides you with a shot of "black poison". My friend Vera (travelling with Jo-Anne) asked me again what "that drink was called" and I told her, "black poison". I don't think she really believed me until we literally bumped into Mike on the street last night and got the same answer from him! :) A word of caution: whatever you do, DON'T TRY THE LIME POISON!!!
On Saturday night, my boss gave me four free passes to the opening night of the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival. The presentation was a film entitled "Around The Bend" starring Michael Caine and Christopher Walken. Very good film. You know you live in a small town when you know half the people in the movie theatre. LOL
On Sunday, we decided on a day trip to Sayulita. My friend Gerry offered to escort Jo-Anne, Vera and me for the day and volunteered to drive us. What a sweetheart! We arrived at this small fishing community around 11Am and left 5 hours later. It was a glorious sunny day with a strong breeze. Not enough to make any big waves for the surfers but enough to keep us cool and comfortable for most of the afternoon. We had drinks, ordered lunch, the girls bought stuff from the vendors and frolicked in the ocean.
Gerry & I took a long walk down the beach and discovered a charming little boutique hotel called Casablanca (www.casablancasayulita.com.mx). We walked in and it was practically empty. We made our way to the front desk and asked to see a room. All the rooms are actually suites with fully equipped kitchens and air conditioned bedrooms. The hotel is immaculate and decorated in cool tones of white and blue. Very, very secluded and romantic. What a wonderful spot for a weekend getaway!
On Monday, back at work sporting my new sunburn, I stopped marking merchandise at 4PM so that I could transform myself, along with four of my fellow workmates, into VIVA Divas for a fashion show up at Casa Isabel. We donned brightly coloured pareos, Riviera hats and gobs of jewellery for our appearance at Isabel's annual "girls only" week. We were so happy to be invited up to parade all the new goodies we have for the coming season at VIVA. The show was a huge success and the ladies proved their fashion saavy by asking all the right questions about our attire. We were each treated to a pina colada for our "hard work" and posed for a photo with our charming hostess.
Back at the store, I quickly changed back into my uniform and headed home to get ready for Jo-Anne's 40th birthday party at Cafe de Olla. She said she wanted shrimp and Fermin had promised to serve up some huge prawns for her. I invited along my friends Linda and Denny, plus their travelling companions, Fred and Jayne. Jo-Anne's friend Vera and their new friend, Peter, rounded out our table at eight.
Dinner as always, was delicious. The margaritas were strictly off limits for me since I had to work the next day but everyone else was on vacation so ... we barely had room on the table for the food when it finally arrived. Jo and Vera had the shrimp, Linda and Fred had the ribs, Jayne the enchiladas, Denny had sopes, I had filet mignon and Peter had "shrimp and bananas". At least that is what he thought he was getting when, in fact, Fermin had said "shrimp empanadas" and Peter misunderstood. But he enjoyed it anyway, even without the bananas. LOL
After being serenaded by a couple of different strolling musicians, I gave Fermin the nod and they brought out the Birthday Girl's "surprise". It was an "anatomically correct" choco banana! They turned out the lights and blindfolded Jo-Anne before "feeding" it to her. She's a great sport and played along. We took a lot of photos so I hope some of them turn out. She had this crazy grin on her face and stuff was dripping off her chin ... you had to be there! Haha! It was a very "sexy" dessert -- nudge, nudge, wink, wink!
We agreed to meet Linda and Denny for a night cap at La Palapa so Jo-Anne and I walked back to her hotel to drop off her roses. At that precise moment, a burro came galloping down Calle Pulpito right in front of her hotel! This wasn't the tranquilized burro the drunken tourists ride at Andale's -- this was a real, live burro!!! I've never seen anything like it and probably never will again. In fact, the last time I saw him, he was turning left onto Olas Altas. I still don't know what happened to him but he was running like the devil was after him. Or maybe he was just very, very happy to be free ...
Last Friday night was Mikey's last night in town and he wanted to go to Oktoberfest at Cafe Frankfurt. This is an annual event where the owner, Mike Pohl, puts on a huge buffet, all you can eat and drink (think cold Corona beer on tap) for 180 pesos. The food is German and very, very good. This outdoor restaurant is beautifully decorated with palm trees wrapped in lights and very condusive to good digestion. The amount food was staggering and consisted of home baked bread, salads of all kinds, roasted potatoes, spaetzel (did I spell that right?), ribs, chicken, ribs, beef, pork, schnitzel, dessert, etc.
At the end of dinner, Mike invariably provides you with a shot of "black poison". My friend Vera (travelling with Jo-Anne) asked me again what "that drink was called" and I told her, "black poison". I don't think she really believed me until we literally bumped into Mike on the street last night and got the same answer from him! :) A word of caution: whatever you do, DON'T TRY THE LIME POISON!!!
On Saturday night, my boss gave me four free passes to the opening night of the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival. The presentation was a film entitled "Around The Bend" starring Michael Caine and Christopher Walken. Very good film. You know you live in a small town when you know half the people in the movie theatre. LOL
On Sunday, we decided on a day trip to Sayulita. My friend Gerry offered to escort Jo-Anne, Vera and me for the day and volunteered to drive us. What a sweetheart! We arrived at this small fishing community around 11Am and left 5 hours later. It was a glorious sunny day with a strong breeze. Not enough to make any big waves for the surfers but enough to keep us cool and comfortable for most of the afternoon. We had drinks, ordered lunch, the girls bought stuff from the vendors and frolicked in the ocean.
Gerry & I took a long walk down the beach and discovered a charming little boutique hotel called Casablanca (www.casablancasayulita.com.mx). We walked in and it was practically empty. We made our way to the front desk and asked to see a room. All the rooms are actually suites with fully equipped kitchens and air conditioned bedrooms. The hotel is immaculate and decorated in cool tones of white and blue. Very, very secluded and romantic. What a wonderful spot for a weekend getaway!
On Monday, back at work sporting my new sunburn, I stopped marking merchandise at 4PM so that I could transform myself, along with four of my fellow workmates, into VIVA Divas for a fashion show up at Casa Isabel. We donned brightly coloured pareos, Riviera hats and gobs of jewellery for our appearance at Isabel's annual "girls only" week. We were so happy to be invited up to parade all the new goodies we have for the coming season at VIVA. The show was a huge success and the ladies proved their fashion saavy by asking all the right questions about our attire. We were each treated to a pina colada for our "hard work" and posed for a photo with our charming hostess.
Back at the store, I quickly changed back into my uniform and headed home to get ready for Jo-Anne's 40th birthday party at Cafe de Olla. She said she wanted shrimp and Fermin had promised to serve up some huge prawns for her. I invited along my friends Linda and Denny, plus their travelling companions, Fred and Jayne. Jo-Anne's friend Vera and their new friend, Peter, rounded out our table at eight.
Dinner as always, was delicious. The margaritas were strictly off limits for me since I had to work the next day but everyone else was on vacation so ... we barely had room on the table for the food when it finally arrived. Jo and Vera had the shrimp, Linda and Fred had the ribs, Jayne the enchiladas, Denny had sopes, I had filet mignon and Peter had "shrimp and bananas". At least that is what he thought he was getting when, in fact, Fermin had said "shrimp empanadas" and Peter misunderstood. But he enjoyed it anyway, even without the bananas. LOL
After being serenaded by a couple of different strolling musicians, I gave Fermin the nod and they brought out the Birthday Girl's "surprise". It was an "anatomically correct" choco banana! They turned out the lights and blindfolded Jo-Anne before "feeding" it to her. She's a great sport and played along. We took a lot of photos so I hope some of them turn out. She had this crazy grin on her face and stuff was dripping off her chin ... you had to be there! Haha! It was a very "sexy" dessert -- nudge, nudge, wink, wink!
We agreed to meet Linda and Denny for a night cap at La Palapa so Jo-Anne and I walked back to her hotel to drop off her roses. At that precise moment, a burro came galloping down Calle Pulpito right in front of her hotel! This wasn't the tranquilized burro the drunken tourists ride at Andale's -- this was a real, live burro!!! I've never seen anything like it and probably never will again. In fact, the last time I saw him, he was turning left onto Olas Altas. I still don't know what happened to him but he was running like the devil was after him. Or maybe he was just very, very happy to be free ...
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Opening a Bank Account in Mexico
I haven't opened a new bank account in a long time. While I'm down here, I simply access my Scotiabank account via one of the three Scotiabank banking machines in town. I've never been charged a service fee but when VIVA deposited money into my Canadian account last spring via wire transfer after I returned to Canada, the cost was $20CDN -- per deposit! So when Ana Margarita told me that we were switching to direct deposit, she told me that I had to open a bank account. I will miss being handed that wad of cash twice a month ... LOL
I was allowed to go to the Bank during working hours. Good thing too since I work the same hours the Bank is open. It would be virtually impossible for me to go on my own time. I took the bus at 2PM and met with "Hector", the account manager at the Scotiabank Inverlat on Juarez. He speaks English. I was told to bring (1) my passport (2) my FM3 and (3) proof of domicilio. We checked and were told that my internet bill would suffice, even though it is in Colleen's name; just as long as it had our address on it and was currently dated.
When I got there, I had to wait a few minutes since I didn't have an appointment. But this was was fine since the Bank is air conditioned. BTW, the $CDN was trading at 9.24MXP today! :) In a little while, Hector invited me to sit down and asked me for "my papers". I handed everything over and he started to input information into the computer. It seemed very high tech and although his typing skills left a lot to be desired, he at least spelled my name right the first time (always a major hurdle in my life!).
Then he asked me for two references. I was stumped! Who do I know here who would vouch for my financial capabilies? Well my boss for one and since he already had all her information (the company banks with Scotiabank), that one was easy. But since my Palm died a couple of weeks ago, I don't have information on anyone so I eventually used my friends Larry and Sharon. Fox, if you're reading this, please answer the phone and be nice when the Bank calls about me! PLEASE ...
Then we got to the dreaded CosmoRed bill. Apparently it was acceptable to the Bank Manager (who coincidentally had the same last name as Hector's middle name -- a little nepotism perhaps???). Most Mexicans have two or more surnames; one from their mother's side of the family and from their father's side of the family. My guess is that Hector is the son of Fernando's sister. Anyway, Fernando said it was OK but when Hector tried to input the information, the computer wouldn't accept it.
So he called my office and asked them to fax him a phone bill from the store and they used that! Can you imagine doing this in any of the big banks in Canada or the U.S.? At this point, for some reason, he had to re-input (is that a word?) all my information again, including my "new" address of Basilio Badillo 274 (the address of the store). I know I work a lot of hours and sometimes I feel like I spend more time at work than I do at home but I am certainly not comfortable with that being my HOME ADDRESS!!! ;)
Then the whole system froze, no doubt as a result of the fraudulent information being fed into it by the nepotistic nephew Hector. He asked me to come back in 30 minutes so I could sign my application. Thirty minutes is a long time when you're on the clock at VIVA so we settled on 20 minutes and I came back in 15 minutes after wolfing down a Whopper con queso at Burger King. Everything was fine and I got to sign everything, in duplicate, many times. I haven't got a clue what I signed because it was all in Spanish.
Hector then took me up to Cashier Number 5 so I could obtain my ATM card. In this regard, the Bank in Mexico has it over the banks in Canada. I seem to remember having to wait for my ATM card to arrive by registered mail to ensure that the home address I supplied was indeed my domicile. Apparently no such safeguards exist in Mexico! Good thing too because mail delivery is virtually non-existent here within the city. I'll receive mail from another country without incident but the phone bill from TelMex will never reach my door!
At this point I was asked if I wanted to make a $2,000 peso deposit. "Uh, I don't think so!" I explained that I don't usually walk around with that kind of cash on me. Hector shrugged his shoulders and instructed the cashier to proceed. I signed two more times and was handed an information package (all in Spanish) and a secret PIN code along with my new ATM card. Hector then advised me to IMMEDIATELY change my PIN code at the banking machine outside the bank. Well I don't know about you, but I never knew you could do this!
Hector The Gallant, took me outside and showed me how to change my PIN code at the ATM. He even turned his head as I was punching in my new four digit code. What a guy! With that last transaction, I shook his hand and was on my way back to the store, a scant 90 minutes later. I will keep you apprised of my attempts to withdraw cash on the 15th of the month as well as the cost of each transaction. I think if I have a minimum balance of $2,000 pesos, I will not be charged any fees. My next feat: online banking in Spanish!!! Watch this site for details. LOL
I was allowed to go to the Bank during working hours. Good thing too since I work the same hours the Bank is open. It would be virtually impossible for me to go on my own time. I took the bus at 2PM and met with "Hector", the account manager at the Scotiabank Inverlat on Juarez. He speaks English. I was told to bring (1) my passport (2) my FM3 and (3) proof of domicilio. We checked and were told that my internet bill would suffice, even though it is in Colleen's name; just as long as it had our address on it and was currently dated.
When I got there, I had to wait a few minutes since I didn't have an appointment. But this was was fine since the Bank is air conditioned. BTW, the $CDN was trading at 9.24MXP today! :) In a little while, Hector invited me to sit down and asked me for "my papers". I handed everything over and he started to input information into the computer. It seemed very high tech and although his typing skills left a lot to be desired, he at least spelled my name right the first time (always a major hurdle in my life!).
Then he asked me for two references. I was stumped! Who do I know here who would vouch for my financial capabilies? Well my boss for one and since he already had all her information (the company banks with Scotiabank), that one was easy. But since my Palm died a couple of weeks ago, I don't have information on anyone so I eventually used my friends Larry and Sharon. Fox, if you're reading this, please answer the phone and be nice when the Bank calls about me! PLEASE ...
Then we got to the dreaded CosmoRed bill. Apparently it was acceptable to the Bank Manager (who coincidentally had the same last name as Hector's middle name -- a little nepotism perhaps???). Most Mexicans have two or more surnames; one from their mother's side of the family and from their father's side of the family. My guess is that Hector is the son of Fernando's sister. Anyway, Fernando said it was OK but when Hector tried to input the information, the computer wouldn't accept it.
So he called my office and asked them to fax him a phone bill from the store and they used that! Can you imagine doing this in any of the big banks in Canada or the U.S.? At this point, for some reason, he had to re-input (is that a word?) all my information again, including my "new" address of Basilio Badillo 274 (the address of the store). I know I work a lot of hours and sometimes I feel like I spend more time at work than I do at home but I am certainly not comfortable with that being my HOME ADDRESS!!! ;)
Then the whole system froze, no doubt as a result of the fraudulent information being fed into it by the nepotistic nephew Hector. He asked me to come back in 30 minutes so I could sign my application. Thirty minutes is a long time when you're on the clock at VIVA so we settled on 20 minutes and I came back in 15 minutes after wolfing down a Whopper con queso at Burger King. Everything was fine and I got to sign everything, in duplicate, many times. I haven't got a clue what I signed because it was all in Spanish.
Hector then took me up to Cashier Number 5 so I could obtain my ATM card. In this regard, the Bank in Mexico has it over the banks in Canada. I seem to remember having to wait for my ATM card to arrive by registered mail to ensure that the home address I supplied was indeed my domicile. Apparently no such safeguards exist in Mexico! Good thing too because mail delivery is virtually non-existent here within the city. I'll receive mail from another country without incident but the phone bill from TelMex will never reach my door!
At this point I was asked if I wanted to make a $2,000 peso deposit. "Uh, I don't think so!" I explained that I don't usually walk around with that kind of cash on me. Hector shrugged his shoulders and instructed the cashier to proceed. I signed two more times and was handed an information package (all in Spanish) and a secret PIN code along with my new ATM card. Hector then advised me to IMMEDIATELY change my PIN code at the banking machine outside the bank. Well I don't know about you, but I never knew you could do this!
Hector The Gallant, took me outside and showed me how to change my PIN code at the ATM. He even turned his head as I was punching in my new four digit code. What a guy! With that last transaction, I shook his hand and was on my way back to the store, a scant 90 minutes later. I will keep you apprised of my attempts to withdraw cash on the 15th of the month as well as the cost of each transaction. I think if I have a minimum balance of $2,000 pesos, I will not be charged any fees. My next feat: online banking in Spanish!!! Watch this site for details. LOL
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
It's A Small World After All ...
Work was crazy today! We had two ships in PV and I think everyone on board came to our store. The people I met were so nice and had great things to say about VIVA! I finally got my "lunch" break at 3:30PM and headed down the street to Steve's Bar. Steve is from Vancouver and has an air conditioned bar with good food. He makes excellent french fries so on a hectic day, nothing satisfies me more than a club sandwich, fries and a diet Pepsi.
When I returned to the store 20 minutes later, I walked by a woman in the tunnel who looked familiar but I couldn't remember how I knew her. BTW, the tunnel is the long hallway leading into the store with lit glass window cases on both sides, showcasing different designers of jewellery. I zipped into the washroom and when I came out, I walked right into her! She looked at me and I looked at her and she said, "Hello! I know you from Toronto. You go to my gym." Her name is Helen and she is in Puerto Vallarta for a friend's wedding. First time in PV. We live within six blocks of each other in Toronto which is the largest city in Canada. Neat eh?
When I returned to the store 20 minutes later, I walked by a woman in the tunnel who looked familiar but I couldn't remember how I knew her. BTW, the tunnel is the long hallway leading into the store with lit glass window cases on both sides, showcasing different designers of jewellery. I zipped into the washroom and when I came out, I walked right into her! She looked at me and I looked at her and she said, "Hello! I know you from Toronto. You go to my gym." Her name is Helen and she is in Puerto Vallarta for a friend's wedding. First time in PV. We live within six blocks of each other in Toronto which is the largest city in Canada. Neat eh?
Sunday, October 31, 2004
More From Vallarta
Well no more possum sightings since Wednesday night. Hopefully it was an "eclipse-related" event and will not occur again until 2007! LOL Thanks to all of you for your concerned emails. My latest visitor is a black cat that has been lying in wait on the stairs only on the nights when we forget to turn on the outdoor lights. The last two nights, he/she streaked by me as I came up the stairs. I told Colleen and she said to be thankful it is only one cat. Last year they had about 50 cats hanging around until someone decided to poison them. Then there were just a lot of dead cats ... :(
On Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Karin. We work together at VIVA and she is a fellow Canadian. She has a cute little one bedroom apartment with a rooftop terrace, ideal for nude sunbathing and/or a nightcap after a delicious homecooked meal. I am so lucky to have friends that love to cook! :) As we were enjoying the last of our wine upstairs, I noticed a light glowing behind the mountains to the east. It was the moon rising! What a fabulous sight ... we watched it for an hour along with the fireworks over the Bay. It was a beautiful, clear night.
So the weather has changed somewhat. I am finding it less humid and cooler in the mornings. I am sleeping under my sheet and comforter almost every night now. I can't even imagine what it is going to be like in January! Brrr ... The good news is the mosquitos are dying down and hopefully dying off with the cooler weather. With the time change this weekend, it will be lighter in the mornings (no more carrying my flashlight to the gym!) and turning dark when I leave work. Speaking of which, I worked six days last week and it didn't kill me. Haha ...
Today I went to Bucerias with some friends who go every Sunday. We hang out on the beach, play dominos, settle grudge matches from the week before, consume numerous "libations" and just generally relax. On the way back today, we stopped at Mauricio's just outside Ixtapa for a bite to eat. I don't know the term for this type of restaurant. We don't have anything similar in Canada but there are several like it here in Vallarta. I've been to El Coleguita outside of Pitillal last year but Mauricio's is much, MUCH better ...
It is a huge outdoor restaurant under a palapa roof. Seating is plastic tables and chairs and the menu is simple -- seafood. Shrimp with fish, shrimp with octopus, shrimp in soup or shrimp with shrimp. Price is 99 pesos. Your dinner comes on a huge platter with rice, salad and a piece of garlic bread. Drinks are extra but free while you wait. ;) Let me explain ... this weekend is a four day long weekend for the Mexicans, with Monday being All Saints Day and Tuesday being "El Dia de Los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). Vallarta is currently overrun with Nationals on vacation, enjoying the beaches, shopping for treasures, eating and drinking everything in sight!
Mauricio's was packed to the rafters. It was probably the worst Sunday to go there but, once committed with our names on the list, we decided to stay, hoping the estimated 45 minute wait was a slight exaggeration. It was. I think we sat in the "holding area" for about 20 minutes. While there, we were provided with free beer and free food. There was cooler full of ice cold Sol and Indio beer plus barbequed ribs and fresh ceviche. And this was before we even had a table! We considered hanging out in the holding area instead of going to dinner!!! But I'm glad we went inside.
Once seated, they convinced me to try a Tecate beer. I wasn't really in the mood for more beer but everyone else was having one so I went along ... am I ever glad I did! A cold can of beer arrived for each of us with FOUR HUGE FRESHLY PEELED JUMBO SHRIMP piled on top! I considered simply having beer for dinner ... LOL. To give you an idea of how succulent these shrimp were, a guy at the next table accidentally dropped one on the floor. He pushed back his chair, got down on his hands and knees to retrieve it, rinsed it off (in beer?) and ate it! We all cheered!!!
The table was crowded with serviettes, four different kinds of salsa, salt and salad dressing. I looked around and when I saw the size of the dinner platters being served at the other tables, I quickly agreed to share my dinner of fish and shrimp. It was delicious. Dessert was included (some kind of sweet thing made with bananas which I didn't want) and a small glass of kaluha with milk on ice. Dinner for four, with one shrimpy beer each, was $278MXP.
On Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Karin. We work together at VIVA and she is a fellow Canadian. She has a cute little one bedroom apartment with a rooftop terrace, ideal for nude sunbathing and/or a nightcap after a delicious homecooked meal. I am so lucky to have friends that love to cook! :) As we were enjoying the last of our wine upstairs, I noticed a light glowing behind the mountains to the east. It was the moon rising! What a fabulous sight ... we watched it for an hour along with the fireworks over the Bay. It was a beautiful, clear night.
So the weather has changed somewhat. I am finding it less humid and cooler in the mornings. I am sleeping under my sheet and comforter almost every night now. I can't even imagine what it is going to be like in January! Brrr ... The good news is the mosquitos are dying down and hopefully dying off with the cooler weather. With the time change this weekend, it will be lighter in the mornings (no more carrying my flashlight to the gym!) and turning dark when I leave work. Speaking of which, I worked six days last week and it didn't kill me. Haha ...
Today I went to Bucerias with some friends who go every Sunday. We hang out on the beach, play dominos, settle grudge matches from the week before, consume numerous "libations" and just generally relax. On the way back today, we stopped at Mauricio's just outside Ixtapa for a bite to eat. I don't know the term for this type of restaurant. We don't have anything similar in Canada but there are several like it here in Vallarta. I've been to El Coleguita outside of Pitillal last year but Mauricio's is much, MUCH better ...
It is a huge outdoor restaurant under a palapa roof. Seating is plastic tables and chairs and the menu is simple -- seafood. Shrimp with fish, shrimp with octopus, shrimp in soup or shrimp with shrimp. Price is 99 pesos. Your dinner comes on a huge platter with rice, salad and a piece of garlic bread. Drinks are extra but free while you wait. ;) Let me explain ... this weekend is a four day long weekend for the Mexicans, with Monday being All Saints Day and Tuesday being "El Dia de Los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). Vallarta is currently overrun with Nationals on vacation, enjoying the beaches, shopping for treasures, eating and drinking everything in sight!
Mauricio's was packed to the rafters. It was probably the worst Sunday to go there but, once committed with our names on the list, we decided to stay, hoping the estimated 45 minute wait was a slight exaggeration. It was. I think we sat in the "holding area" for about 20 minutes. While there, we were provided with free beer and free food. There was cooler full of ice cold Sol and Indio beer plus barbequed ribs and fresh ceviche. And this was before we even had a table! We considered hanging out in the holding area instead of going to dinner!!! But I'm glad we went inside.
Once seated, they convinced me to try a Tecate beer. I wasn't really in the mood for more beer but everyone else was having one so I went along ... am I ever glad I did! A cold can of beer arrived for each of us with FOUR HUGE FRESHLY PEELED JUMBO SHRIMP piled on top! I considered simply having beer for dinner ... LOL. To give you an idea of how succulent these shrimp were, a guy at the next table accidentally dropped one on the floor. He pushed back his chair, got down on his hands and knees to retrieve it, rinsed it off (in beer?) and ate it! We all cheered!!!
The table was crowded with serviettes, four different kinds of salsa, salt and salad dressing. I looked around and when I saw the size of the dinner platters being served at the other tables, I quickly agreed to share my dinner of fish and shrimp. It was delicious. Dessert was included (some kind of sweet thing made with bananas which I didn't want) and a small glass of kaluha with milk on ice. Dinner for four, with one shrimpy beer each, was $278MXP.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Sleepless in Vallarta (11:45PM)
This is the second night in a row that I haven't been able to sleep. Maybe it is the full moon tugging on me or the change in the weather which we all feel is just around the corner. I just don't know. Tonight I read about the lunar eclipse that is supposed to be happening in this part of the world tomorrow night so maybe that's it. Maybe it is just the car alarm ringing downstairs or the guy screaming down the street or the cricket that sounds like a little bird chirping outside my door. Quien sabes?
I should probably explain that the "windows" in my bedroom are actually 90" x 90", without screens, inlaid with an elaborate wrought iron grate painted white. The only thing between me and the great outdoors is the grate and a lot of huge plants. BTW, these plants make any attempt at growing houseplants NOTB lame by comparison. The leaves on these suckers are larger than dinner platters -- at least 20" in length. The stems on these plants are reminiscent of Jack's famous stalk.
I hope the plants aren't holding up the house. It's an old house and we are up on the second floor, I think. It's sort of hard to tell because the stairs wind up and around. Maybe we're on the third floor. I know there are people above us and below us. Did I forget to mention the huge tree that crashed into the neighbours' house the other morning at 5AM? We thought it was an earthquake. I guess the termites took one too many bites out of that tree! :) We also have an avocado tree growing just inside the gate that frequently drops fruit. Anything we don't salvage is mysteriously half eaten the next morning.
These huge plants provide me with some privacy but the bugs are still getting in. And unless I position myself strategically behind a huge leaf, I could probably been seen from below; that is if anyone was looking up or even cared (remember I live in a predominantly gay neighbourhood). Anyway, I feel safe and secure here and not too exposed but I am thinking of buying some sheer or gauzy curtains to cut down on the mosquito feeding frenzy in my room every night but now I'm thinking that something a bit stronger might be in order.
I had a visitor tonight. A rodent-like creature climbed onto the window sill outside my smaller bedroom window. I could hear him coming so stealth is obviously not one of his strongpoints. Judging from the noise he was making, I thought he would be a lot bigger. He is possum-like; bigger than my teddy bear but smaller than me. I wanted to scare him off so I yelled (not really a girlie scream --more of a "Hey you, get the hell out of my bedroom!" type scream) and he calmly turned his back on me and sauntered away. This leads me to believe that I didn't really frighten him but merely interrupted him on his nightly sojourn to another part of the jungle.
So I can't sleep now. Quel surprise! And of course, as I'm lying in bed, I can see bats flying maneouvres outside my window. These are probably big fat fruit bats since they are light in colour and just a little bit bigger than the mosquitoes lying in wait for me. I came out to the kitchen because the computer sits on a table right beside the kitchen counter. Did I mention that the power went off earlier? I felt compelled (OK, can you say obsessive/compulsive?) to go around resetting all the digital clocks, including the one on the microwave. I've held off on the fixing the one on the coffee maker so that the gecko languishing on the counter could finish eating up the sugar grains in peace. Did you know that geckos have TONGUES? This is a frightening thought for some reason ...
Anyway, I found a big stick and it is now sitting beside the dresser beside the window where Mr. Possum (or whatever the hell he is!) appeared earlier. If he should decide sometime tonight that I am way more interesting than whatever is on the outside of my window, I want to be prepared. Although if he ends up on the bed with me, I'm afraid the stick won't help at all. Goodnight to all of you, wherever you are ... sleep tight and don't let the ... well, you know. LOL
I should probably explain that the "windows" in my bedroom are actually 90" x 90", without screens, inlaid with an elaborate wrought iron grate painted white. The only thing between me and the great outdoors is the grate and a lot of huge plants. BTW, these plants make any attempt at growing houseplants NOTB lame by comparison. The leaves on these suckers are larger than dinner platters -- at least 20" in length. The stems on these plants are reminiscent of Jack's famous stalk.
I hope the plants aren't holding up the house. It's an old house and we are up on the second floor, I think. It's sort of hard to tell because the stairs wind up and around. Maybe we're on the third floor. I know there are people above us and below us. Did I forget to mention the huge tree that crashed into the neighbours' house the other morning at 5AM? We thought it was an earthquake. I guess the termites took one too many bites out of that tree! :) We also have an avocado tree growing just inside the gate that frequently drops fruit. Anything we don't salvage is mysteriously half eaten the next morning.
These huge plants provide me with some privacy but the bugs are still getting in. And unless I position myself strategically behind a huge leaf, I could probably been seen from below; that is if anyone was looking up or even cared (remember I live in a predominantly gay neighbourhood). Anyway, I feel safe and secure here and not too exposed but I am thinking of buying some sheer or gauzy curtains to cut down on the mosquito feeding frenzy in my room every night but now I'm thinking that something a bit stronger might be in order.
I had a visitor tonight. A rodent-like creature climbed onto the window sill outside my smaller bedroom window. I could hear him coming so stealth is obviously not one of his strongpoints. Judging from the noise he was making, I thought he would be a lot bigger. He is possum-like; bigger than my teddy bear but smaller than me. I wanted to scare him off so I yelled (not really a girlie scream --more of a "Hey you, get the hell out of my bedroom!" type scream) and he calmly turned his back on me and sauntered away. This leads me to believe that I didn't really frighten him but merely interrupted him on his nightly sojourn to another part of the jungle.
So I can't sleep now. Quel surprise! And of course, as I'm lying in bed, I can see bats flying maneouvres outside my window. These are probably big fat fruit bats since they are light in colour and just a little bit bigger than the mosquitoes lying in wait for me. I came out to the kitchen because the computer sits on a table right beside the kitchen counter. Did I mention that the power went off earlier? I felt compelled (OK, can you say obsessive/compulsive?) to go around resetting all the digital clocks, including the one on the microwave. I've held off on the fixing the one on the coffee maker so that the gecko languishing on the counter could finish eating up the sugar grains in peace. Did you know that geckos have TONGUES? This is a frightening thought for some reason ...
Anyway, I found a big stick and it is now sitting beside the dresser beside the window where Mr. Possum (or whatever the hell he is!) appeared earlier. If he should decide sometime tonight that I am way more interesting than whatever is on the outside of my window, I want to be prepared. Although if he ends up on the bed with me, I'm afraid the stick won't help at all. Goodnight to all of you, wherever you are ... sleep tight and don't let the ... well, you know. LOL
Monday, October 25, 2004
Dating Vallarta Style!
| The single ladies here in Vallarta have a saying about the men in Vallarta, they are all "married, gay or leaving on Tuesday"! LOL There are a lot of us here, of all shapes, sizes and ages. I think there are a few single men here who are not married or gay or leaving on Tuesday but from the few that I've met, pickins are slim. A lot of the men here are well over 50 years of age. A lot of the single gals here are well under 50 years of age.
This makes for some interesting combinations, especially when you factor in the cross-cultural combinations between the Mexicans and those of us born and raised NOTB (North Of The Border). I've seen some outrageous looking couples here -- beautiful young Mexican women with older stodgy American men and young Mexican guys sniffing around "mature" American women. Editor's Note: When I use the word "American" here, I actually mean to refer to anyone not born and raised in Mexico. I refuse to use the words "gringo" or "gringa"! My experience with Mexican men has been somewhat limited. (My friends are no doubt holding their sides laughing at this point!) The two that I have dated both work in the restaurant business which means that they both work almost every day and night. So you can just imagine how much time we actually got to spend together! Now that I'm working days, I'm looking for a banker. Haha! I do love Mexican men though. Aside from their obvious physical attributes, they are romantic, direct in their intentions and usually very good dancers. Some of them can even sing! And all those corn tortillas makes for very white teeth -- they are quick to smile, joke and blow you a kiss. So as much as I miss the quick wittedness of my Canadian counterparts, I wish they were more like Latin men ... *sigh* |
Working Out Vallarta Style!
| Well I finally bought my gym membership this afternoon. I have already worked out at the gym twice since Saturday. No one really seemed to care whether I had a membership or not. I probably could have just continued to go there, pretending that I belonged, but I am an honest person so I paid the money, filled out the forms and got a membership number. So now I am official.
The gym itself is very small and compact but it has everything including spa facilities. Free weights in 5 pound increments (so I will be missing my 8 pound dumbbells!) and only one set of each so if I meet someone else in the free weight section who is training at exactly the same time and we end up both needing the 10 pounds dumbbells at the time, I will just use the plates instead! They have all kinds of machines (I'll probably only use the ones for legs and back) plus a brand new Smith Rack which is a bonus! Two treadmills, two eliptical machines, two exercise bikes, two recumbent bikes and a small stretching area. There is also a "juice bar", beautiful change rooms, showers plus the aforementioned spa facilities. I will be showering at home but it is a nice feature for those people going straight to work. So this morning, I left the house shortly after 7AM. Unfortunately, it was still dark out so I had to take my flashlight with me! The walk over the top of the hill at Francisca Rodrigues was a little hairy since the steps are quite steep and it was still rather dark. The area is also a bit isolated so I think I will take the long way around in the mornings. Besides, who wants to climb 70 stairs after a hard leg workout? It took me about 10 minutes to walk briskly to the gym so I arrived around 7:15AM. The gym wasn't open. One of the employees arrived but she had forgot her keys. Alfredo, the trainer who usually takes the early morning shift, left for England yesterday for 2 weeks as his wife is having their baby there. Finally the manager/owner showed up at 7:30AM to unlock the doors. She assured us that this will not happen again but it's Mexico so who knows? We are allowed one small towel per workout, about the size of hand towel. If you want a shower, the bath size towels are 10 pesos each so by going home every day to shower, I am actually SAVING 120 pesos a week! Two towels per day (one for body, one for hair), six days a week would cost me that much. Besides, I have the time in the morning since I only start at 10AM and doing it this way adds another 30 minute walk to my day, every day. I should be svelte any minute now! :) Thank the Goddess we put the clocks back one hour this weekend. This means the sun will rise an hour earlier at 6:30AM and I won't need my flashlight in the mornings. However, I will probably need it to come home from work at night! LOL |
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Random Thoughts ...
Well, I've been here over a month now. There are many things about living in Mexico that you don't think about living in Canada or the U.S. For example: 1. In Toronto, I don't have to check my toothbrush for ants before I use it. 2. NOTB, I don't usually think about where to put my used toilet paper. Here, I have to think first: "Do I flush it or toss it in the wastebasket beside the toilet?" Decision, decisions ... 3. When I see something at the grocery store I've never seen before, I will buy it, just in case I never see it again, even if I don't need it. 4. There are so many dragonflies here; even fushia and purple ones! The word "dragonfly" in Spanish is libélula. Pretty huh? I learned that at work because one of our Mexican silver orders contained silver and turquoise or malachite dragonfly pins. Classic designs from Taxco ... 5. I finally figured out that the old man on Basilio Badillo wasn't actually calling me "honey" everytime I went by. He was offering to sell me miel but it was fun while it lasted! (Just kidding.) 6. You gotta love a country that puts up yellow police-type tape across the booze aisle in the grocery stores on election day. And everyone respects it! 7. Stereotypes about Mexicans are just that, stereotypes. They are some of the hardest working, most intelligent people I know. Most of them speak two languages. How many of your friends can do that? 8. I've been asked twice recently, by Mexicans, in Spanish for directions. So I must either look like I know where I'm going or look like I know what I'm doing ... either prospect is pretty scary when you think about it! 9. I'm actually thinking of buying mosquito netting and making it into curtains. How domestic! 10. My favourite new friend here is five months old and her name is Jessica. I am just in love with this kid! She's half Canadian and half Mexican ... sort of like me! :) |
Monday, October 18, 2004
Moving and Working ...
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I've been busy moving into my apartment and starting work. The move was relatively easy ... I borrowed a friend's small truck on Saturday in order to pick up my belongings from three different locations. That all went without a hitch but, unfortunately, the apartment is located up approximately 50 stairs and one of my suitcases was pretty heavy! My roommate, Colleen, was my driver but since she was so sick with a cold, I did all the lifting. Who needs to join a gym now? LOL
On Sunday, on his day off, my friend Adan from Casa Andrea, helped me with the last suitcase and a few boxes of last minute items, including food from the fridge. He gamely hauled all the heavy stuff up those damn stairs for me and I thanked him with a suitable propina. So now I'm in. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, two dining rooms and two entrances. One kitchen which we share although neither one of us cooks! We have cable TV, a washer and dryer, Colleen's computer with high speed internet and most kitchen gadgets including a microwave. Oh, and a phone line. Water, hydro, gas and cable are included in the rent.
The place is not a palace but it is big and Colleen lived here last year so I knew what to expect. The mosquitoes are feasting on us (new meat!) but we are battling back with sprays, lotions, burning coils and the like. If you have any other bright ideas, let me know! I am averaging about 6-10 new bites a day. It is very uncomfortable sometimes. Right now I'm typing with a Raidolito (burning Raid coil) smoldering under my chair. It is the only thing that seems to work when we are at the computer. The landlord has promised to paint, starting tomorrow. I wonder what he was doing for the last month when the place was vacant? LOL
We are just off Calle Amapas near the Tropicana. Security is good because of the huge locked wrought iron gate at the end of the driveway but we are also living in the heart of the gay district in southside Vallarta so I feel safe and content to be here for the next six months or so. It is a 15 minute walk for me to work -- less for Colleen who will be working at Que?Pasa on Olas Altas. She will be working nights and I will be working days so I don't expect to see her much after this week! :)
I got a bit of a promotion at work. Not really more money or prestige but a specific position within the company. The boss and other managers all thought I was suitable for this responsibility so I guess, in a way, it is a pat on the back for me. I will be in charge of marking all the merchandise that comes into the store and supervising any staff that helps me in this endeavour. In exchange, I asked for regular working hours of Monday to Saturday 10AM to 6PM. I am hoping to be able to leave at 2PM on Saturdays ... This is much different than my shifts last year which were inconsistent from one week to the next. Now I can plan my social life much better. I don't know when I'm going to find the time to buy groceries though.
I was actually quite happy to get back to work as I could not be a turista forever. One month off left me lazy, fat and unmotivated. Deciding where to eat dinner was my hardest decision of the day. BTW, I had a lovely meal the other night at Mariscos Polo ... six juicy jumbo shrimp on a skewer with grilled veggies and some rice on the side. It was delicious! With a beer and the tip, I think it was $180 pesos. Dinner at El Brujo last week was also good ... shrimp fajitas for $90 pesos and there were enough shrimp leftover (ie. a dozen!!!) for another meal. Great meal, excellent value. Brenda Martin is cooking a full course turkey dinner (just like my Mom used to make) every second Sunday night at Que?Pasa for $90 pesos. (FYI, the $CDN is trading at 8.9 pesos at Scotiabank here which is incredible!)
So even though I am working a lot, I really enjoy my job. The store is beautiful and the people I work with are outstanding. We are Canadian, American and Mexican. This is the sixth season for the store and we are hoping to have our best year ever! Mary Sue is a dynamo and working for her is exciting, demanding and fun. It is a lot of hard work but it is interesting and so different from working in a law firm. I feel sometimes that this is the kind of work I was born to do. It is fast-paced but I am learning a lot about fashion trends, marketing and sales. I am also learning a bit about myself -- who knew I was a good salesperson or that it could be so easy? I guess I am my father's daughter after all! :) Anyway, when you're in Vallarta, drop in to say "hi" and look around. It is the nicest store in Vallarta! And I'm not just saying that -- enough people have told me that so it must be true.
On Sunday, on his day off, my friend Adan from Casa Andrea, helped me with the last suitcase and a few boxes of last minute items, including food from the fridge. He gamely hauled all the heavy stuff up those damn stairs for me and I thanked him with a suitable propina. So now I'm in. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, two dining rooms and two entrances. One kitchen which we share although neither one of us cooks! We have cable TV, a washer and dryer, Colleen's computer with high speed internet and most kitchen gadgets including a microwave. Oh, and a phone line. Water, hydro, gas and cable are included in the rent.
The place is not a palace but it is big and Colleen lived here last year so I knew what to expect. The mosquitoes are feasting on us (new meat!) but we are battling back with sprays, lotions, burning coils and the like. If you have any other bright ideas, let me know! I am averaging about 6-10 new bites a day. It is very uncomfortable sometimes. Right now I'm typing with a Raidolito (burning Raid coil) smoldering under my chair. It is the only thing that seems to work when we are at the computer. The landlord has promised to paint, starting tomorrow. I wonder what he was doing for the last month when the place was vacant? LOL
We are just off Calle Amapas near the Tropicana. Security is good because of the huge locked wrought iron gate at the end of the driveway but we are also living in the heart of the gay district in southside Vallarta so I feel safe and content to be here for the next six months or so. It is a 15 minute walk for me to work -- less for Colleen who will be working at Que?Pasa on Olas Altas. She will be working nights and I will be working days so I don't expect to see her much after this week! :)
I got a bit of a promotion at work. Not really more money or prestige but a specific position within the company. The boss and other managers all thought I was suitable for this responsibility so I guess, in a way, it is a pat on the back for me. I will be in charge of marking all the merchandise that comes into the store and supervising any staff that helps me in this endeavour. In exchange, I asked for regular working hours of Monday to Saturday 10AM to 6PM. I am hoping to be able to leave at 2PM on Saturdays ... This is much different than my shifts last year which were inconsistent from one week to the next. Now I can plan my social life much better. I don't know when I'm going to find the time to buy groceries though.
I was actually quite happy to get back to work as I could not be a turista forever. One month off left me lazy, fat and unmotivated. Deciding where to eat dinner was my hardest decision of the day. BTW, I had a lovely meal the other night at Mariscos Polo ... six juicy jumbo shrimp on a skewer with grilled veggies and some rice on the side. It was delicious! With a beer and the tip, I think it was $180 pesos. Dinner at El Brujo last week was also good ... shrimp fajitas for $90 pesos and there were enough shrimp leftover (ie. a dozen!!!) for another meal. Great meal, excellent value. Brenda Martin is cooking a full course turkey dinner (just like my Mom used to make) every second Sunday night at Que?Pasa for $90 pesos. (FYI, the $CDN is trading at 8.9 pesos at Scotiabank here which is incredible!)
So even though I am working a lot, I really enjoy my job. The store is beautiful and the people I work with are outstanding. We are Canadian, American and Mexican. This is the sixth season for the store and we are hoping to have our best year ever! Mary Sue is a dynamo and working for her is exciting, demanding and fun. It is a lot of hard work but it is interesting and so different from working in a law firm. I feel sometimes that this is the kind of work I was born to do. It is fast-paced but I am learning a lot about fashion trends, marketing and sales. I am also learning a bit about myself -- who knew I was a good salesperson or that it could be so easy? I guess I am my father's daughter after all! :) Anyway, when you're in Vallarta, drop in to say "hi" and look around. It is the nicest store in Vallarta! And I'm not just saying that -- enough people have told me that so it must be true.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Bowling and Blood
Every Friday, a group of local ex-pats get together here for breakfast at Andales and then head out to go bowling at Collage by noon. Today we had a group of 16 people! We used four lanes, bowled three games each and then Lynnda gives out prizes for the highest score, lowest score, etc. There is always a lot of good natured ribbing going on and grudge matches from the week before. The bowling alley is air conditioned and the drinks are cold. Afterwards, we all head someplace for a late lunch, usually Munchies, but today we went back to Que?Pasa for pizza.
It was Tom's birthday and he wanted to hear a certain country and western singer (forgive me but I can't remember the name) so we started searching through Lynnda's huge CD collection at the bar looking for it. Apparently he had burned her a copy recently and was interested in hearing Track 9, something called "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!". Anyway, we found the CD, the song started and Tom kept asking Dennis, the bartender, to turn it up. Then he decided there wasn't enough woofer so he jumped up on the bar and reached over towards the stereo. WHACK! The ceiling fan was on ...
Needless to say, there was blood EVERYWHERE but he didn't feel a thing. We got him down off the bar, into a chair, with a clean cloth and ice before he decided to call his wife at home in Conchas Chinas and tell her what he had done. Four minutes into this conversation, I told him to "Hang up the phone. We're going to the hospital!" Howie drove, I road shotgun. We went to CMQ and they took him right away. They were so fast, he was done before his wife Michelle could even get to the hospital. Ten stitches later, Tom has a permanent reminder of his "39th" birthday. Isn't that special?
Signed, Nurse Juliana xo
It was Tom's birthday and he wanted to hear a certain country and western singer (forgive me but I can't remember the name) so we started searching through Lynnda's huge CD collection at the bar looking for it. Apparently he had burned her a copy recently and was interested in hearing Track 9, something called "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!". Anyway, we found the CD, the song started and Tom kept asking Dennis, the bartender, to turn it up. Then he decided there wasn't enough woofer so he jumped up on the bar and reached over towards the stereo. WHACK! The ceiling fan was on ...
Needless to say, there was blood EVERYWHERE but he didn't feel a thing. We got him down off the bar, into a chair, with a clean cloth and ice before he decided to call his wife at home in Conchas Chinas and tell her what he had done. Four minutes into this conversation, I told him to "Hang up the phone. We're going to the hospital!" Howie drove, I road shotgun. We went to CMQ and they took him right away. They were so fast, he was done before his wife Michelle could even get to the hospital. Ten stitches later, Tom has a permanent reminder of his "39th" birthday. Isn't that special?
Signed, Nurse Juliana xo
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