It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

We have a lot of new neighbors since moving to Roma Norte last year. The entire colonia has transitioned to being one of Mexico City's hippest neighborhoods. New salad bars, an American Apparel store, Polanco-ish restaurants (and prices), and even a kuru-kuru (conveyor belt) sushi bar.

It's been about a year since we walked the entire neighborhood, so we brought out the camera and spent a Saturday rediscovering Roma Norte. One of the places we went looking for was a hidden plaza and church, Nuestra Señora de la Navtividad, known as La Romita. Before Colonia Roma was what it is today, it was a tiny Aztec pueblo now known as La Romita, and for some reason, locals don't like to disclose its location. So, we never found it, but we did meet someone later that day who works at the sustainable gardening center in La Romita called Sembradores Urbanos, and he told us exactly how to get there. Some of the directions included, "Walk down the alley that looks like a dead end." Intriguing -- I'll have to venture out there soon.

Some photos from our neighborhood stroll...

Around the corner for some tacos de guisado, tlacoyos, hamburgers, or suadero.

Art Bazar every Saturday and Sunday along Alvaro Obregón

Avenida Insurgentes (Mexico City's longest street) cuts through Roma. This picture perfectly depicts the chaotic traffic patterns. Can't even tell whose turn it is to go.

The amazing Metrobus line that runs the length of Insurgentes. One day when I have 3 hours to burn, I'm going to ride that bus from north to south because I can for just 5 pesos.

My favorite torta stand circa 1950s

Roma is starting to look a lot like Paris, dog crap and all.

I have no architectural knowledge, but I do know pretty when I see it.

A souvenir from the 1985 earthquake?

It may not have all the latest foreign foods, but I *heart* my humble grocery store, Sumesa.

Is that decimal in the right place? That's $2 for a medical consultation.

My Life Project

Since the end of the school year's almost here, I am trying out a new project with some of my students. I know it should be the time to wind down, but for me, I like to use the last few weeks for a cool project. This year, I'm calling it the "My Life Project". It's sort of a selfish endeavor for me because I am interested in life amongst Mexico City's poorest, but I'm hoping it'll be a good eye-opening opportunity for the kids to take a critical look at their surroundings.

So what I'm going is this: I'm giving 32 kids a disposable camera to document a day in their life. Then, with the photos they take, they are going to compile a book with English captions (had to sneak in the English somewhere). I've mostly confined the project to out-of-school hours since I don't want a whole lot of pictures of kids sitting in desks. The cameras were a donation years ago from a lady I knew who worked at Fuji in Dallas, and for some reason, it's taken me this long to pull them out. I hope the roll of film isn't warped; and I hope I can still find someone to develop the film. 

We've just started our project, so we have been talking about life with your family, life in a community, the people who make up a community, etc. Then I gave them a crash course in taking interesting pictures. I explained that the "normal" pictures with loved ones standing side-by-side smiling big is not really an interesting photo. Interesting photos capture emotions, the scenery, and often, the way the two are put together make a photo interesting. All this in Spanish, by the way. And all of this with 9-year-olds!

Since the school is a technological dinosaur, I couldn't just pull up photos of other kids who had done similar projects. Instead, I passed out a few National Geographic magazines, and we searched for and discussed what makes certain photographs interesting. Ideally, this part of the project would take months, and the kids would have time to practice taking pictures. But, alas, the resources are scarce, and we have just three weeks and one chance to get it done. Even if the students can take away one really good photo from the project, I'll be happy. The kids are super excited, and I find it a waaayyy more interesting way to conduct English class. :) 

Wow, that IS a nice home you've got there!!

Our lease is up soon, and we've been snooping around the neighborhood for somewhere else to live. Perhaps somewhere...cheaper? quieter? But, HOLY COW!!, the first place we saw just one block away was over $1 million dollars!! Look what you can get for a mere $243,000 in Patzcuaro. Not just an apartment, a 3-bedroom house! Oh, one day, I'm hoping to have a dream hacienda such as this... 

By the way, if you, too, dream of owning a hacienda or want to feel like you live in one, I recommend going to Fonart (for those of you here in Mexico City) for Talavera, handcarved wooden furniture, tapestries, and pottery. I've been to three different stores, and the one on Avenida Patriotismo is the largest and has the best selection. If you're always taking your guests to the crap Ciudadela Market for their souvenirs, considering just going to Fonart. 

A few things on my wishlist:

Talavera from Puebla

A handcarved comedor

Cerámicas from Michoacán

Christel House Mexico

Here are some videos I found on YouTube about my school. The first is in Spanish, and the second is in English. For friends and family back home who have asked, you can find pictures of the kids and facilities in these videos.

If you're interested in donating time or money, you can visit the Christel House website for more information. In the short time I've been there, I have been amazed by all the random affiliations with this school. Case 1 of random affiliation: while standing in a Turibus line, there were two ladies from Indianapolis in front of me with plans to visit my school the next day, and Case 2: met a friend of a friend who attended our 10 year anniversary last year on behalf of ING. It took the commitment of one person, Christel de Haan, to bring this international community together--cool!

Unbeknownst to be me, two relatives of Christel House students died during the influenza. Here's the 411 on that:

Homemade Street Food

Tlacoyos (pronounced Kla-koi-yos) are one of my newest favorite foods because they appear to healthier than the rest. I really have no way of telling, though, except by my informal observation that no grease drips down my hands and arms like some of the other street food, making it a 1 on the napkin rating scale (for just one napkin needed to clean up the aftermath). The tortilla's stuffed with beans and topped with a smearing of more beans, cactus, cheese, and salsa--has to be healthy, right? I'm going to pretend it is even if it's not.

Last week I tried making tlacoyos from pre-made stuffed tortillas, but they weren't tasty like the ones on the street. They tasted a little...too healthy?? And from this experience, I decided to save myself time in the future and let street food stay street food. The ambience on the street somehow makes street food taste better and there's no way to replace the natural "seasoning" of the grill. A similar idea to the pre-seasoned wok. So unless I turn my home into a pre-seasoned kitchen with the aromas of grease, beans, and grilled meat, I'm probably never going to achieve the same flavor as the street vendors. 

Some things weren't meant to taste THIS healthy.

Dentists with Living Rooms ROCK!

No, that's not a picture of my living room, but rather, a picture of my dentist's living room/office space. Homey, isn't it?? Well, I finally got around to seeing the dentist, and thanks to everyone in DF who assisted me in my search. Joy linked me to a great list from the Embassy website, which others might find useful.

Besides the living room, most things were similar. The dentist had all the regular dentist-y stuff like the reclining chair, x-ray machine, hanging light, and spit sink. I'd never been so relieved to see all those things in my life! And, for the most part, a cleaning in Mexico is just like a cleaning in the US. Well, okay, there are some noteworthy differences. It can't all be the same...

• After I made my appointment, the dentist himself rang me to introduce himself and get to know me. I was a little taken aback and maybe rude to him for asking me personal questions without ever having met me, but I suppose that was the point of the conversation.
• The dentist usually has an assistant working nearby to suction, spray water, mop up stray drool, etc., but this dentist did not. He had an assistant, but she didn't act as the suctioner/mopper. He had THE TOWEL! Let me just tell you that a towel under the chin still leaves the chin and part of the neck a perfect conduit for drool to flow out your mouth and down your face. It wasn't too bad, I guess, just messy and unexpectedly wet.
• And finally, for the most "Mexican/Developing Country" difference: the power went out in the middle of my cleaning! Fortunately his equipment was backed up by a generator, and the assistant moved in with a flashlight so we could carry on. Like I said, this is a resourceful country. (Imagine having that happen to you while you're in the middle of a root canal or lengthy procedure?!?!)

What was really memorable was that the dentist took some time to tell me about himself, his practicing philosophy, and really cared to get to know me. And he cleaned my teeth himself. If my teeth could talk, they would say they were thrilled with the VIP and gentle treatment. All in all, a smashing success! No cavities, either. :)

El Progreso: All Things Pulverized Near Mercado San Juan

There's a tiny stall near the international San Juan Market (metro: Salto de Agua) that I like to visit every time I'm in that neck of the woods. It's called Molinera El Progreso, a culinary delight stacked floor to ceiling with herbs, spices, sugars, flours, and nuts--either whole or powdered. After checking everything off the list at the market for your special dinner of exotic meats, it makes perfect sense to stop off at the next block and pick up the exotic herbs and spices you're going to need for that one and only time you'll ever need them. Stand back, move your eyes up and down, left to right, and be awed by the number of items en polvo! Grab as little or as much as you need, and if they don't have something you're looking for, say mango powder (for mango pudding, of course), they'd gladly do it for you.


Address: Molinera El Progreso Calle Aranda 26 Colonia Centro México D.F. (55) 5512 2844 Click here for a map.

OUT with the heat, IN with the rain

Just when I was going to write some posts about coping with the heat and mosquitoes, the beginning of rainy season appears to have snuck up on me. Which means, I've almost come full circle here in Mexico (seasonally-speaking), since we moved here at the end of the last rainy season. The rain's been good--cooling temperatures, freshening the air, and keeping the mosquitoes at bay. AND, my plants get more attention because I've neglected and killed nearly all my cactus plants. Who knew cacti could be so demanding?? If this is any indication of future parenting skills, I'm not in good shape.

To the increasingly expanding bag of necessities I shoulder around on a typical day, which include a light jacket for the morning chill, an iPod for the commutes, reading material for downtime, food and water to pull me through until the 2 pm lunch hour, and now an oversized umbrella for the downpours. 

But not everyone has an umbrella when they need one, and I've seen people cover their heads with anything from a cardboard box to a plastic bag. Although, the plastic bag only seems like a good idea to me if it's your hair--and only your hair--that you're most concerned about. When I'm stuck in the rain, I prefer to have dry clothes than dry hair, but to each his own...though I'm still trying to understand the technique. Rainy season is several months long, so there's a HIGH probability that I might resort to bagheadedness a time or two or three, too, seeing that I've already been without an umbrella a few times already this season.

Mystery of the bagged head. 

Stuff

Have you watched this video yet? It's called "The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard, a former Greenpeace worker and an expert on waste. Not much new information about American consumption, i.e. that Americans own waaaaayyyy too much stuff, but she presents the facts with clarity and thoughtfulness. Even I, as one who tends to be annoyingly conscious about my ecological impact, was moved to think more about my bad consumption habits. 

It comes as a surprise to my family and friends that there are actually fewer things in Mexico cheaper than the US. There is an inherent belief that because Mexico is a poor nation that, duh, stuff is cheaper. I thought that, too, before we moved here. However, things are generally priced the same or higher, especially on imported products (an effective way by the government to "encourage" you to buy Mexican). Fruits and vegetables are the only items I've found to sometimes be cheaper, and if I had domestic help, that would also be cheaper. Like around $15 per week for maid service. 

Even if you offset the cost of higher prices in Mexico City, prices in this country are SO not commensurate with what people earn. It is an expensive country to live in, actually. If I were teaching in a public school, the salary might be around $500-600/month. Give half that to rent, much of the other half to food, and the rest to pay the bills. It's why something like shutting down all businesses during the influenza can leave people who live day-to-day struggling to put food on your family. :) In general, though, hallelujah that this country is blessed with arable land and good climates for farming because Mexico would suffer from hunger otherwise. Can it be true that there are so many mangoes in Guerrero state that they leave them on the ground to rot?? 

Back to the stuff. We came down here with minimal stuff, assuming we could buy it all when we got here. Were we wrong! One day I went to Sears to look for a plastic air-tight container, but it was nearly $30. I shopped around for something cheaper, but the cheapest I could find was around $10. I could live without the container. In fact, I've learned to live without a lot of stuff. We hoard every plastic container we have, rewash our Ziploc bags, refill plastic bottles (in case the water goes out), place a plate over leftovers instead of plastic wrap, use canvas bags for groceries, rebag our vegetables at the store with old plastic bags, etc. While, yes, stuff is not sooo expensive that we can't afford it, I am retraining my brain to use resources more wisely. Higher costs of stuff in Mexico and the haunting image and knowledge of trash gyres the size of Texas floating in our oceans have pushed me into a new realm of eco-living. 

Just a teensy tiny portion of a trash gyre

My blender blew a fuse two days ago. It was a wedding gift, which makes it less than one year old. Compare that to the blender my parents received for their wedding in 1975 and still use today. Oh so (9 months) long ago, I could already tell it was heading into a vegetative state. It puttered along, gave me chunky smoothies and chunky hummus, and then, two days ago, the base lit up like a rocket and went kaput. Leonard addresses this issue in her video, and manufacturers actually think about ways to give stuff a short life span so we'll go out and buy more. WELL, I am determined to defy Oster blender odds, forgo my initial instinct to throw it out, and find someone to fix it. In such a resourceful country, I wouldn't be surprised if the doorman knows how. If I don't find someone, I'm gonna have nightmares of my blender floating in the ocean...

Need a Place to Eat?

Rick Bayless, host of the PBS show Mexico-One Plate at a Time, just finished up filming Season 7 in Mexico City. His online travel journal visits some places most of us DFeños know like San Angel Inn and Cafe Tacuba but many that I've never heard of and need to try. He spent quite a bit of time in my neighborhood, but I never did hear of it until now...por qué no, I ask?? He also posts a piece of his walking tour around Mercado San Juan (metro: Salto de Agua) that Lesley and I visited last week. 

As of this week, PBS has (finally) jumped on board and streams some of their shows online. While you can't watch Bayless' show yet, you can catch up with Ms. Child and master French cuisine or gaggle at the diversity of the universe on Nova or discover something on Antiques Roadshow that you saw at your grandmother's house and can now beat yourself over the head for giving it to Goodwill. 

Advancing your Spanish Skills the Hard Way

I've been feeling such a slump in my Spanish language acquisition lately that I thought a hearty dose of advanced level Spanish might do me some good. I've conquered the beauty salon; now it's time to visit the doctor and the dentist. What more difficult place might there be to practice the foreign language skills you don't have? 

Actually, I really do need to see a doctor and a dentist here (no worries, just general maintenance), so for anyone out there in the Mexico City reading area, I'd really appreciate your suggestions and any advice you think necessary for a first-timer in the medical realm of Mexico. I prefer someone able to speak a little English since I actually don't want a hot and heavy conversation in medical Spanish. That I'll be ready for next year...maybe.

Obamanos!

There's a buzz around town as Obama heads down to Mexico City tomorrow morning on his way to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas. Since I missed the inauguration, I thought I might be able to catch The Beast around town. 

According to El Universal, Obama is expected to leave the Mexican White House, Los Pinos, at 3pm, head down Paseo de la Reforma, make a right on Arquimedes, and a left on Campos Eliseos to reach the Intercontinental Hotel. Does it seem as odd to you as it does to me that the public is able to know Obama's exact route, down to the left and right turns? Yes! But it's the kind of information this stalker girl will need tomorrow as she seizes the day.

                                                                                                                                         Notimex

UPDATE: While I didn't see The Beast today, Obama's helicopter, Marine One, did fly right past my apartment. As usual, I went to investigate what the loud noise was in the sky, and there it was!

One Day in DF

Nick's family popped into town this weekend, and with just one full day and a tot in tow, we thought the best way to see the city would be atop a Turibus. For just $145 pesos (now just a mere $10), you can sit on your ass for 2-3 hours and wind your way around the Historic Center, Reforma, Polanco, Chapultepec Park, La Condesa, and back. I suppose you can take advantage of the "get on and off as you wish" aspect of Turibus, but you just never know when a bus will come around to pick you back up. So best to be a lazy bum and not move an inch. 

Even if you've seen all the sights on the route, it's nice to be chauffeured around while listening to a soothing voice tell you random facts about your city, like the church near Hidalgo station that offers services "for the deaf and the dumb". There was also one very exciting moment when I thought we were going to go through the barrios, but, sadly, it was only to make a U-turn--I wouldn't have minded a guided tour of Mexico City's barrios myself. 

We opted to just watch people get hit with burning herbs in the Zócalo.

View from the Turibus. 

Beware of branches slapping you in the face should you choose to sit up top.

The sidewalks can be treacherous for walkers and strollers alike!

Wow, if only I had that kind of energy after a long night of off-the-charts LOUD music from the neighbors.

Thanks to Jenny kaka...ahem...I mean Jenny maushi...for the photos from her spankin' new camera. Highly recommended for action stroller shots!

7,349 ft Chocolate Cake

I studied Chemistry in college, and even I can't figure out the nuances of high-altitude cooking. There are too many competing factors here at 7000 feet--flour, leavening agents, sugars, and liquids all trying to do their jobs in thinner air. In general, it's more flour, less leavening agent, less sugar, more liquids, higher temperatures and longer baking times. And then, that all varies depending on the exact altitude and climate. And don't forget your own factors like the type of pan and oven you own. If you're a novice baker like myself, baking at high altitudes might be better left to the professionals. 

However, finally, I've found a recipe from Hershey's that not only gives you a moist and delicious chocolate cake but one that's suitable to the climate and elevation of Mexico City. For those of you at 5,000 feet in places like Guadalajara, I honestly don't know what would happen if you used this recipe. It's possible this recipe works for the range of 5000-7000 feet. Try it out, and let me know!

 7,349 ft Chocolate Cake

(Courtesy of Hershey's)

1 3/4 c sugar

1 3/4 c + 2 TBSP flour

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 c + 2 TBSP milk

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c boiling water

Buttercream frosting

Preheat oven to 190 Celsius. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans or 1 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool and frost.

Desierto de los Leones

Many DFeños with the means leave the city limits on the weekends to escape the noise, traffic, pollution, and masses of people. During the evening rush hours on Friday, a stream of cars radiate out in all directions-- to Hidalgo in the north, Cuernavaca or Tepozótlan in the south, Puebla and Veracruz in the east, and Toluca or Valle de Bravo in the west. They're all going to their weekend home in the "country". Well, we don't own such a place and many times we actually enjoy sticking around Mexico City on the weekends because the noise, traffic, and masses of people are surprisingly absent. It's one of the few days I enjoy opening all the windows in the apartment without fearing the sound of drills, honking horns, police sirens, and cars. 

This past puente, or long weekend, we stayed in Mexico City and made our way to the national park on the southwest edge of town called Desierto de los Leones. Not a desert at all but a lush 1,867 hectares of pine forest where one can recalibrate the lungs and remember what fresh air smells like.

Take a hike

Throw some meat on the grill

Wonder at nature's beauty

At the northern edge of the park sits a 17th century Carmelite monastery where you can stroll the grounds like the monks did and just be amazed by the serenity of "the desert", a term the monks called their isolated dwellings away from the heathens. 

Sunday stroll

For the past few weeks, Muévete en Bici has been going deep into the Historical Center. I brought my camera along again because I've been seeing some strange sights needing to be documented. Although, when does one NOT see strange sights here? I failed terribly at capturing some of the better moments, though, because I was too busy staring or avoiding potholes, but here are a few photos from today.

The tone-deaf men tolling the bells at the Cathedral in the Zócalo need practice. 

Signs with one's name on it always warrant a picture.

Girl, get some clothes on!

You can buy flowers from Jesus behind the Zócalo.

Biked to the Basilica de Guadalupe

Today's route was super long and took us to new parts of the city and almost out of it to Mexico State. We passed the infamous Tepito neighborhood and probably some other places a foreigner might not want to be seen in at night or even during the day, but a nice change from the usual.

Ambulante 2009

I'm a glutton for documentaries, probably because they provide real-life tales instead of the boob-tube "reality shows" we see on TV. I've already missed half, but going on until February 19th is the documentary film festival called Ambulante. And it's not just in Mexico City. Most tickets at Cinépolis theaters are 35 pesos apiece or 100 pesos for a movie pass, or cinebono, which entitles you to 4 screenings. Some screenings are free--check the programming schedule. 

Almost free flights out of MEX to the US

Don't know why or for how long, but American Airlines, Mexicana, and Aeromexico all seem to be offering flights out of Mexico City to places like LAX and SFO for $200-250 during the Easter break. Play around with the dates, and you can get a flight from MEX-SFO for less than $200! That means, 5 hours and another country away is now cheaper than flying somewhere within this country. 

Bloc Party--Free Concert

A friend happily informed me that Bloc Party will be playing a FREE!!! show in Mexico City on April 17 at Alameda Poniente. Time TBD. Ok, that's it.

Tianguis

It's something I look forward to each Tuesday--the return of my local tianguis to bring me the freshest, tastiest, and affordable fruits and vegetables around. For 57 pesos--about $4--I snagged the following:

3 Kilos of Mandarin Oranges

1 Cantaloupe

1 Bunch of Peach Blossoms

2 Free Carnations

(Not pictured is the FREE fruit salad I had while walking up and down the stalls) Thanks to the farmers for making it all possible--I hope most of my 57 pesos went into your pockets...