March 2011
6 posts
Voy a necesitar pantalones nuevos pronto... (I'm...
Mom, Dad, Brian… I know you were very nervous about me going to study in Mexico, but I want to assure you all that the only real danger that faces me is the possibility that I will be fed to death before I come home.
Tonight I enjoyed what was easily the best meal I’ve had in Mexico… and the largest. My friend Karla invited me over to meet her family and have dinner with them....
El mejor cumplido en el universo (The best...
I have never been an exceptionally punctual person and my parents, teachers, and employers have often reminded me that this is a characteristic I should strive to erase if I’d ever like to succeed in “the real world.” One of my New Years’ Resolutions was to be on time more often and I’ve come to realize that in Mexico (with few exceptions) nobody gives a crap if...
Auténtica cocina mexicana, parte 2 (Authentic...
My new nickname might as well be Goddess of the Hot Plate, Queen of the Kitchen, or Princess of Prepared Food. I am feeling exceptionally generous today, so I thought I’d share another one of my original recepies that I’ve invented here in Mexico.
I call this one, “Instant Strawberry Oatmeal and Corona Light in a Red Cup.”
The timestamp on this photo, according to my...
Carnaval
I don’t even know how to start this post, except to say that I will remember Carnaval in Veracruz for the rest of my life. Even if I succumb to Alzheimer’s or Dementia one day and forget my name and how to use the washroom, I will still recount to the nurses who change my bedpans about the time I went to Carnaval when I was 22. It was really that awesome.
A 1.8-litre bottle of beer...
Consejos de citas para los chavos mexicanos...
Before I left for Mexico I had to attend a mandatory pre-departure session on Culture Shock, learning to be tolerant of strange new customs, and finding strategies to cope with feeling overwhelmed by the unfamiliar. What I’ve come to conclude is this: sometimes other cultures suck and the people don’t deserve your tolerance. Yes, I realize exactly how that sounds, and before I go on...
Auténtica cocina mexicana (Authentic mexican...
Cooking has never been my strongsuit, but since coming to Mexico I’ve started to get a little more adverturous in the kitchen. Well, as adveturous as one can get when their only means of preparing food are a microwave and a hotplate.
It is with pride and humbleness that I introduce my first original dish, which I’ve named “Leftover cold vegetarian pizza, watery instant mashed...
February 2011
2 posts
Cuando en Roma... (When in Rome...)
I think the phrase “When in Rome” was invented purely to bully people into doing weird stuff when they travel. I’ve never been to Rome, and I’m actually not sure what the Romans do (but I extend an open invitation to anyone who’d like to tell me). What I do know is that every time I hesitate to try a new food/drink/cultural activity, someone will pipe up and say,...
Reina de Bailar (Dancing Queen)
There is a very specific reason this post will not be accompanied by a photo: shame. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, other times it’s just more evidence of my terrifying lack of rhythm, coordination, and grace.
A few weekends ago, during a trip to Oaxaca City, I went to a salsa club with my travel mates Tiff and Marie. And the unthinkable happened: somebody actually asked me...
January 2011
11 posts
Como Besar en México (How to Kiss in Mexico)
I must say, I was a little concerned when I first arrived here and realized that cheek kisses are the standard greeting among friends and sometimes people meeting for the first time. It’s hard to explain, but something about kissing a stranger is so beautifully hilarious to me that I had to stiffle my laughs the first few times I got an unexpected peck on the cheek. Now that I can do it...
Verdades universales (Universal Truths)
Now that I’ve been away from Canada for almost a month, a tiny bit of homesickness has been creeping in. I never thought it would be possible to be homesick for waist-deep snow, frozen boogers, and constant touque-hair…but here I am.
Luckily, there are still many things here that remind me of home in Mexico, and what I learned this week is that there are exactly three things that...
Pastel Para Una (Cake For One)
As I am now living in a culture in which cheese is its own food group and a part of almost every meal, weight gain has become a concern. To keep an eye on things, Tiff and I decided to purchase a bathroom scale for our place. The best thing is that it measures in kilograms, so for the first time since sixth grade, my weight is once again in the double digits (fistpump!). After doing our...
La Aventura Del Inodoro De México (The Mexican...
I really struggled with how many details I should include in this post, especially since fifty percent of my readership is my mom. I decided that since she spent the first few years of my life changing my diapers that no poo story I could possibly tell would make her love me less. Hopefully the rest of you are as forgiving.(Kendra, if you’re reading this, I wish you could have been here).
...
Dame Todo Tu Dinero (Give Me All Your Money)
For the most part, I feel pretty safe about where I live. My apartment has armed guards 24 hours per day, university is close by (and also has guards), and I carry very little cash. However, the other day when I was at the bank with my roomie and our Aussie neighbours, this caught my attention:
Here are the WANTED posters for the ten most recent bank robbers at this Scotiabank. To be honest,...
Yo Vivo Aquí (I Live Here)
The view from the top of the Cholula Pyramid
& Sunset
Por Eso Prefiero Ginebra (This is Why I Prefer...
Tiff and I met up with Elly (one of the Aussie exchange students) today and decided to climb the Cholula Pyramid and watch the sunset. We made a quick run to the corner store to grab some beer (you can do that here!) so we’d have something to toast with as the sun disappeared behind the Cuexcomate volcano. As usual, I was quickly reminded why Gin and Jack Daniels are my drinks of choice.
...
El Almuerzo es una Perra (Lunch is a Bitch)
My parents constantly make fun of me for my complete lack of culinary aptitude. I have limited patience for food preparation, and it shows in that most of the meals I make are either horribly burned or so raw that most people wouldn’t eat it on a dare. Since I’m now limited to a kitchenette that contains a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a hotplate that takes 2316379861239812 minutes to...
El Papel Higiénico De Los Reyes (The Toilet Paper...
When Tiff and I picked up this TP, we just figured it had a cute pattern on it. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. It also smells like a bit like pine tree sap. I’m pretty sure this is the stuff Prince uses to wipe his charming, purple little butt.
El Más Lindo Apartamento En La Tierra (The Cutest...
I meet my roomate Tiffany at Hostal Cholula around 1 a.m. on Tuesday after leaving my house at 4 a.m., taking two planes, a coach bus, and a taxi. The hostal manager insists on carrying my two massive suitcases up two flights of stairs, and I can’t help but feel bad that I decided to bring 8 pairs of shoes, a flat iron, blowdryer, curling iron, and hoards of other stuff I probably...
Obligatorio mensaje introducción (Obligatory...
One of my New Years’ Resolutions this year was to have better follow-through when I say I’m going to do something. When I started telling people early last year that I was going abroad to do a semester of school in Mexico, I kept getting asked if I was going to write about it.
“Sure, maybe I’ll do a blog or something,” I said a few times in passing.
Now that...