Advertising sign for local language school: "Learn Englis Here."
Hmmm. Problematic, wouldn't you say?
Snapshot: The ladies here can often be seen walking down the street with parasols to protect them from the sun. When was the last time you saw THAT in the States? It makes ultimate good sense to me. So now I don't feel so stupid walking down the street in my big floppy brimmed Indiana Jones hat. Shade at any cost.
Last night I went to the Pochote Cine-Club to see a free movie. This is an art house that plays 2 movies every single night FREE! I like free a lot. The building was formerly the home of contemporary Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo, who is the patron of the Cine-Club. Here's a link for those of you who read Spanish: http://www.oaxaca-mio.com/atrac_turisticos/elpochote.htm
The 8:00 showing was the 1979 American film, "Hair." Ahhh...talk about a blast from the past! My era! I was one of one about 6 people in the theater. I'll have to admit it was a bit weird watching this slice of 60/70's Hippiedom here in Mexico (with Spanish subtitles, even!).
I'm truly enjoying having a kitchen. You have to understand that after 7 months on the road, it feels good to sit down to a non-restaurant meal. Tonight, I made myself a salad. That's a luxury, since I never order them in restaurants here. Lots of vegetables and lettuce, right? All of which require washing, right? In what water? Purified? Or the nasty stuff that comes out of the tap (non-drinkable). Here at home, I was very careful to soak all my greens in MICRODYN, which is the liquid microbicide commonly used here for everything from washing veggies, to purifying drinking water, to washing dishes. Put a few drops in, let 'em soak.
The produce here is gorgeous. Red, ripe tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Wow! Avocados cheap. Unusual squashes. The Mercado (market) is where most Mexicans go to buy their veg (NOT at the supermarket). This is because it is usually fresher (often you're buying direct from the farmer), and cheaper, since you can haggle. A lot of Americans are put off by having to haggle. Me...no problem. I guess 10 years selling real estate in Chicago made me lose my timidity in closing a deal.
Product plug: one beverage I'm crazy about here is called "Clight." Don't have any idea what that means...probably nothing at all. I'm guessing it's a riff on the popular bottled drink called "Be-Light." (next letter 'C'-light, get it?). This is a dry powdered drink mix. Think Kool-Aid. But oh so much more yummy. It's sugar free (made with Splenda) and comes in 100% natural fruit flavors like: Pear (my favorite), Mandarin/tangerine, Pineapple-Coconut, Mango, Peach, and Hibiscus Flower. Can you imagine the taste of PEAR Kool-Aid? Since they use natural flavorings and no preservatives, it's sure good.
