Jack Handy, an American writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003 once said: “A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. “Hear that?” You say. “That’s dynamite, baby.””
That might actually work if you could, in fact, get the phone call to actually go through. This brings me to the thread of this blog – Phone Calling 101 – a course that should be offered throughout Mexico for those of us who seem unable to consummate a phone call….of any kind.
David has several friends who meet each day in the town square at 10:00 a.m. for coffee and conversation. He asked, at one of these get-togethers, how does one dial any number and actually get the person to whom they wish to speak?
Without being too loquacious I will try to synopsize some of the answers he received.
If someone gives you a phone number, you dial it. Pretty upfront and one would think easy to follow. (My suggestion, don’t think…just dial.)
If, after dialing you don’t reach the party you intended to reach, or anyone at all for that matter, place a “33” prior to the number. By placing a “33” prior to the number you are calling a Guadalajara number. (Makes sense.)
If after prefacing your number with a “33’ you still don’t reach the party you intended to reach (now I feel like I’m doing a Lilly Tomlin “Ernestine the Telephone Operator” act), it is probably a cell phone number. You ask, quite reasonably, if it’s a cell number, why don’t they say so? This query usually simply gets a look like – well, if it isn’t one then it’s the other. (I can accept that.)
Okay so if it’s a cell number you place a “045” and then a “33” prior to the number. (Please folks, if I’ve got this all wrong, bear with me.)
By way of further information they also explained Mexico City and Guadalajara have 2 digit area codes followed by an 8 digit number. All the rest of Mexico has 3 digit area codes followed by a 7 digit number. Yes, for those of you who are counting, both equal 10 digits and, if you are like me, your head is spinning and the word “duh” is coming up frequently as both a noun and a verb.
To add to all of the above information we have two phones. You’ve got that right folks, a US phone and a Mexican phone. No, they do not translate (Spanish to English or visa versa). We’ve found it unnecessary for them to translate as we never get through on the Mexican phone anyway.
Another problem for us is we are used to phone numbers in the states (that’s reasonable given we both have lived there most of our lives)…a number such as 414.214.4444 tells us instantly the phone number is a Wisconsin number and, if we happen to be out of Wisconsin (we are way out of Wisconsin now!), we will need to dial a “1” prior to that number. When you are given a Mexican number it can look like, for example, 765 5249 y 50 or 763 2330. Looks pretty simple up front, doesn’t it? Don’t let that fool you. By the time you are through you will be puzzled, perplexed, mystified, baffled, bewildered, befuddled, your dialing digit will ache… well you get my drift.
The series of pictures accompanying this blog are of the various phones we have in our house. The phones are labeled both in the pictures below and at home (don’t go there it’s the only way we can remember which phone number goes with which phone). These are followed by several pictures of David in the act of using said phones (and I “use” that term lightly). The last picture is of the only “person” in our house who has been able to do anything with the Mexican phone besides grip it firmly and pray for some type of connection and a friendly voice on the other end! One good thing, neither of us will be threatening anyone soon as neither of us has received our certificate of graduation in Phone Calling “101″. Viva La Mexico!
Phones at Rest
US Phone, Diabolically Simple in Appearance
Mexican Phone - Glibly Facile in Appearance
David – Remaining Calm Under Pressure
David – Audacious in Spirit
Senior Parrot in Charge
The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn’t for any religious reasons. They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin. Jay Leno – Humorist
I awoke this morning thinking how interesting it will be celebrating the birth of Christ here in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.
My thoughts then began to wander, as we’ve discussed before…they often do. I haven’t spent many Christmas’s outside of Wisconsin – David has…he’s been in Europe (too many places to mention), Hawaii and, of course, Dallas. I was in Dallas two years before we moved here to Ajijic.
I mention all of this to put things into perspective. A Wisconsin Christmas does actually have snow, frigid temperatures, chestnut roasting on the open fire and the obligatory white Christmas…and lots of it…if they are “lucky”. I say lucky because it turns gray or yellow pretty darn quickly after the first beautiful white, fluffy stuff.
Dallas has cold weather – occasionally – and should they have snow it sets an almost humorous series of actions in motion. To explain, we went out to the only large store in Ajijic – Wal-Mart – today to pick up a few things mostly for dinner. As we entered the parking lot David commented: “Gees, it looks like Albertson’s (grocery store in Dallas) when the mere mention of snow hits the airways in Dallas!” We watched as people exited the store with carts piled high with food, water, milk, etc….much like Dallas when they think they may be “snowed in”.
Please people, before you think this is a critique of Dallas, it is not. I found it almost loveable the way everyone left work early when a “storm” was predicted and hit the grocery store. In Wisconsin you’d have to have blizzard conditions in addition to black ice and 50 mile an hour winds to even consider, possibly, closing early.
Okay, I’ve gone on long enough. There’s no snow here. I, know, no surprise there. The village does not decorate a lot except for colorful piñatas and some Christmas lights. We’ve seen Christmas trees but, for the most part, they’ve been in gringo homes.
You do hear Feliz Navidad everywhere with the usual wonderful bright smiles. It is a religious holiday and most activity is centered round the church.
One of the traditions many US families have is purchasing poinsettias – the beautiful red and white plants that seem to herald the Christmas season. Poinsettias are native to Central America and the plant flourishes in an area of Southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon. The poinsettia may have remained a regional plant for many years to come had it not been for the efforts of Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779 – 1851). The son of a French physician, Poinsett was appointed as the first United States Ambassador to Mexico (1825 – 1829) by President Madison. He fell in love with the plant and began growing it in hot houses he had built on his property in Greenville, South Carolina.
Yes, Virginia, there is a real poinsettia plant and, by golly, it doesn’t grow in pots, with brightly colored cellophane – it grows on trees. We, dear hearts, have a poinsettia tree in our backyard and it is beautiful as evidenced by the picture David took which you will see below.
To all of our dear family, friends and readers, we miss you and wish you the happiness and the hope that is born anew each Christmas now and evermore!
A Tree of Beauty
David and Les
The best way to garden is to put on a wide brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig. David Hobson
Accompanying this post are many pictures of our garden papaya being harvested. David spent a morning, a few days ago, sitting on our front porch – laptop nearby – watching our gardener, Senior Magay, harvest the papaya from the various extremely tall trees in our yard. A daunting task but he tells me he felt up to it, David that is.
Truth be told, he really was enjoying the whole experience and was “working” hard to take pictures of the various activities going on right before his eyes. It is difficult to capture the height of the trees or, for that matter, the ladder Senior Magay uses to pluck these papaya’s from the branches. We’re talking 20 feet or more of balancing on the last rung of a ladder that, well quite frankly, reaches at least 21 feet.
We have Hawaiian (Kamiah) papaya and Mexican Yellow papaya in our yard…as I understand it. There are four types of papaya out there:
Hawaiian which is more rounded and carries more flesh because of its shape.
Mexican Red which is very sweet and larger then Hawaiian.
Mexican Yellow which is not much different then the red except the yellow has a firmer bit but taste pretty much the same.
Solo which is the most common papaya and has a reddish-orange flesh and is excellent in taste and texture. It is shaped like a pear. Here’s an odd factoid: this papaya tree does not produce any male trees. The tree can either be bisexual or female with an average ratio of 2:1. That might account for why we don’t seem to have any Solo papaya in our yard.
After a strenuous morning of watching Senior Magay harvest, David decided to do a “magazine shoot” of the “fruits” of his labor (David did pick the limes) – more precisely Senior Magay’s labor!
Enjoy…
Can you see him?
Is the basket close by?
Just a little higher.
Okay, I think I've got it!
20 feet up and comparison shopping no less!
Yellow Peppers - David tried these on his hamberger that night...he almost finished it!
Some of the harvest on neighbor's kitchen counter.
Mag shot - would you like a glossy print?
The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life. ~William Faulkner (Nobel Prize Winning American Author 1897-1962
David took some time out last Sunday, before the Dallas Cowboy’s football game, to walk down to Ajijic’s town square to see the artist’s fair.
When he was down here in August Veronica – the real estate agent assigned to show him around – besides helping him find our wonderful home – introduced him to her boyfriend Jay who is an aspiring photographer. Naturally, David and Jay connected and spent some time talking photography.
A few Friday’s ago Jay invited us to a showing of his work at the Ajijic Cultural Center. While at the showing David was encouraged to join the artist’s group that meets monthly on the first Monday of each month and also sponsors the art fair on the third Sunday of every month.
The pictures below are of the various types of art set up for people to enjoy and to purchase.
It is such a joy to know there are people who are like-thinkers…so to speak…and groups you can join here that inspire, encourage and sustain you and your art. I know David is extremely talented.
Since I’m not too sure I have an “art” and know for sure I can’t even draw a circle, I’m sort of going with the flow and waiting to see what the next day may bring. I have established a friendship with a woman I met online who is a published author, Ruth Howell. She is extremely talented and, while currently living in Maine, lived in Ajijic with her husband prior to moving back to Maine. She’s got several great websites but I particularly enjoy the link accompanying this blog http://temporaryinsanity.blogspot.com/. Ruth has been encouraging my writing and has the same slightly quirky sense of humor and the absurd I seem to have. Consequently, while family and friends are used to it (and David has learned to live with it and, dare I say it, at times enjoy it) – not everyone reading this blog knows that I’m slightly askew of center…I like that.
Though David simply took these pictures so that I could see what was being displayed, as usual, he did a superlative job. After looking at these pictures I decided to “display” some of his photography. The pictures following those of the art show are of our porch and David’s photos placed so that those entering our garden and approaching our home can see how truly creative he is. Half the fun of decorating here is the ability to be so creative. The weather is so nice you can create welcoming settings anywhere. Enjoy.
The First in a Series
Jewelry
Chapala... My Guess
Interesting Display
Color and Lines
As you step onto our porch.
To the right of our front door.
Next to the guest room.
Between the master bedroom and guest room.
Near the side gardens.
Close-up of display near front door.
Beauty and Peace
Bob Dylan wrote: “I accept chaos, I am not sure whether it accepts me. I know some people are terrified of the bomb. But then some people are terrified to be seen carrying a Modern Screen magazine. Experience teaches us that silence terrifies people the most.”
Mexico is a place of great beauty – at least all that I’ve seen of it so far. It has beautiful weather. The lush greens and brilliant colors of the flowers fruits, birds et al, are amazing. Each day David and I are newly charmed by the beauty of our surroundings.
We are gradually getting to know our neighbors. David, being David, made the comment yesterday, I could buy a grill at one of the large stores in Guadalajara but would prefer to buy it locally…up the block, across the street. I want to get to know my neighbors and support them. The man speaks volumes with his heart and soul.
We have commented often of the friendliness of most every one of the nationals we’ve met. You cannot help but smile back when a cherry “hola” is followed by a big grin and the wave of a hand. A shy smile and a little “hola” shared by one of the precious children on the street. And we do. The other day we had stopped to pick up some mail and as David was getting in the car someone shouted “hola” a few cars away. We’re actually beginning to know people outside of our little radius. When David got back in the car he asked if I knew who that was. I didn’t, but it was sure nice to be recognized. What fun.
That is why I decided to write what happened to me down, today, the day it happened, not let it slide into a dark place and grow beyond my ability to deal with the slight fear it caused, rationally.
First come the disclaimers…I have a psych degree…I have a certification in AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse)…I interned at a psych hospital and with the mental health association in my home state. I even did a short stint with a local police department which, in fact, turned me on to the study of psychology. I can take care of myself.
David had decided to walk over (only a few blocks) to the local blacksmith this morning after a leisurely breakfast. We needed some very long curtain rods made and a fire grate for the bedroom fireplace.
While he was gone our intercom system to the street rang and I ran down to get the door. To explain, our house is on a slight hill and the front garden leads down to the pool area and then the parking area below that where the entrance to our property is.
There was a young man, probably in his early 20’s, at the door collecting for a local Tratamiento De Adicciones – treatment center in Chapala. We’d run into people from this organization before. Without thinking I simply said, I’d be happy to contribute but had to retrieve the money from the house and turned to go. I did not say wait here, nor did I think twice when he began to follow me up to the door. I walked into the house. The secretary is right by the door so I took the money out and put it in his collection box.
He began to chat, as people often do, as I started to walk him back to the door. He kept asking something about the pool, however my Mexican is so bad, I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. When we got to the pool he began to undress. He had swimming trunks on, thank goodness. However, it was quite clear as I believe Mae West said. he was happy to see me. I retreated to the house to get a towel – thinking I don’t want him to come up to the house again and if I give him a towel after he’s done swimming he will dry off and leave.
Not to go into any unnecessary detail, it was not his intention to leave. David had taken the keys to the house consequently I couldn’t lock the doors (as you need the keys to do so). The experience from that point was not pleasant. I finally closed myself in the house by holding the door and asking him to please leave. Thankfully, he finally did and David arrived home not five minutes later.
At home in Texas or Wisconsin I would have had him wait at the door. I certainly would not have allowed him to get any further then the front step.
People are people the world around. It is our responsibility to use common sense and not get ourselves into this type of a situation. However, it happens – everywhere. I’m just glad he finally took the message and left. I’m not terrified but I am not going to remain silent either. For now, the door stays shut unless I am expecting someone, know who is using the intercom or David is here. The beauty of Mexico has not been marred. But my common sense, thankfully, has planted itself firmly in the “here” and I intend to use it wisely from this point forward.
David’s comment to all of this is something that needs to be heard. He says: “The door to the street is the door to your house. If you let someone in the door to the street, you are letting them into your house.”
“I was leafing through a magazine where there was a before-and-after picture of a woman who went from a size 5 to a size 3 by liposuction. Was she serious? I’ve cooked bigger turkeys than her “before” picture.” Erma Bombeck (American Humorist)
Don’t expect something as amazing as the above quote.
We shopped for furniture. It was, quite honestly, one of our easier experiences in travel since we’ve been in Mexico.
I can’t even begin to tell you where we ended up on our way into Guadalajara SEVERAL times in our search for Home Depot and the like. Now that the wonderful owner of 60’s in Paradise told us to take a different route to Guadalajara, through Jocotepec, we’ve made the trip under much less tension filled driving. Now we love going there and find new places to visit each time we go.
Neither of us knew exactly what we were looking for in furniture except to say we wanted to go Spanish….whatever that means. To us it meant darker wood with darker colors. We found just the set we both fell in love with in Chapala – about 20 minutes from Ajijic.
To put this into perspective, remember we’d been spending nearly a month on a blow-up bed and sitting on pre-Hispanic Mexican chairs. Trust me when I say, we’d travel to restaurants where the decision to go in was predicated on how comfortable the chairs around the table looked! We were desperate for a “good sit” in front of a TV with a lamp nearby and a table on which to place the obligatory snacks.
Since then we’ve been working to get our place into the beginning stages of “home”. Below are some of the work in progress pictures we thought you might enjoy. Again, the emphasis is on “work in progress”, so bear with us please! I’ve probably included too many pictures. Believe me, there were many more but I’m forcing myself to stop here. Try not to doze off!!
Before Shot
A Different Before Shot
Process Started
The Process Continues
Continues...
Antique Desk Entrance
China Cabinet
Shelves by Fireplace in Great Room
Another View of Shelves
Window to Studio off Mirador (I think I spelled it correctly this time)
David's Studio Desk
Looking Toward My Desk
Kitchen Window/Studio Steps
Kitchen Back Lighting
“The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” Douglas Engelbart (American Inventor most famous for co-inventing the computer mouse)
Mirador – translation from Spanish to English – balcony, lookout, vantage point.
Mirror – English translation – a polished or smooth surface that forms images by reflection.
Door – English translation – a means of access.
I am embarrassed. It is not a new feeling for me. I’ve lived long enough to have been embarrassed numerous times during my lifetime. There have been the humorous embarrassing moments, the absolutely stupid embarrassments, the rather mundane embarrassments, the mega embarrassments, the “caught not being so nice” embarrassments, the “opps, I’ve walked in on something I shouldn’t have now how do I erase that from my minds eye” embarrassments, the clumsy embarrassments and the always popular I think I have all the answers only to find I’m completely off track embarrassments. I’m sure each of you can add to this list given enough time and motivation. I’m giving you time and the motivation to respond to this blog with an embarrassment you are willing to share.
My embarrassment of the moment is my absolute inability to retrieve my memories from two years of Spanish. Okay, so that’s ancient history, truly, as it was in high school. The only thing I can say with confidence is “hola”. I’ve begun saying it with different emphasis to convey my feelings though I’m not sure it is working. It does garner smiles and that’s a good thing.
I titled one of the pictures on our latest post “Wonder, Wandering, What?!” “from our mirror door”. David gently corrected me to use the Spanish phase “mirador” (definition above).
Heck, I had been saying mirror door since I moved here – actually before when David took the first pictures of our house.
In my defense – while mirador is a balcony, vantage point, etc. a mirror reflects images and a door gives access – often to those images. So, for what it’s worth, the images David has taken from our mira dor are fabulous. We will often go up to our balcony and sit at sunset and watch the brilliance of the sun setting behind the Sierra Madre Mountains or over Lake Chapala and be amazed by the beauty of it all, over and over again.
The beauty that is seen from the mira dor is reflected in our minds eye and its brilliance opens the door to so many possibilities – in thought and action – that I think my confusion between mirror door and mira dor is somewhat understandable. After all, you are talking to someone who did the old panty hose thing…went to the ladies room, proceeded back to the office and down a hall past a large glass enclosed conference room where men of business were discussing the “deal of the century” so to speak. As I walked back to my office I heard laughter and moments later one of the guys came into my office and, through fits of chocking and having trouble breathing, said “don’t you feel a breeze, your skirt is tucked into your panty hose?!” “I think you may have just closed the deal!”.
My maturity aged me 20 years…give or take a few…that day. Surely there is someone who can top that??!!
The beauty of the photographs David has taken is not marred by my embarrassment.
View from Mirador
Steps to Mirador
Yet Another View from Mirador
Author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar said “You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific”.
David and I both like to wander around our “new” neighborhood. We also like to wander around our backyard….down our street…..into various shops and restaurants in and around our home.
We don’t wonder about our wandering as it is something we both did before we met and have found enjoyable since we met. We do, upon occasion, find ourselves wondering how we wandered into something or other. Sometimes we even wonder, after wandering into a particularly unfamiliar place (which happens more often then you’d think) how we are going to manage to get back to somewhere we know – though limited there are a few spots we “know” here and, therefore, don’t have to wonder about!!
Okay, so my mind again has begun to wander. The other day we started out by walking our yard and the pictures below are of the beauty we are so fortunate to see right here – in this little spot.
Then, as days will have it here, we set out on another adventure – though I can’t remember what it was or where we thought we were going – we found the whimsical windows during that outing.
Enjoy – as we did.
From our Mira Dor
Steps to Studio
Lilly in Yard
Birds on Wall
Window Whimsy
Lovely Window
Arch_Trees_from Porch
Grace and Beauty
A quote from “Northern Exposure, Three Doctors, 1993 by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider. “Sometimes the mind, for reasons we don’t necessarily understand, just decides to go to the store for a quart of milk”.
David took the two pictures accompanying this post yesterday morning as we sat on our porch eating our lunch…or was it breakfast…whatever and enjoying a little down time.
Down time, you ask, I am sure. Yes, oddly the days are going by rather quickly here….at least so since our furniture/belongings arrived and we’ve begun the nesting process.
I’m sure everyone is aware of the phrase “multiple personalities” also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder. My generation will naturally gravitate to “Sybil” a TV movie about Shirley Ardell Mason. The movie came out in 1976 with the character Sybil being played by Sally Fields. It was excellently done and portrayed Shirley’s battle with 16 different personalities – diagnosed by Dr. Cornelia Wilber. Long story short, after 11 years of therapy Dr. Wilber and Ms. Mason were able to combine all of these personalities into one complete self and Shirley seemed content and well adjusted. She went on to teach art and was a prolific painter until her death in 1998.
My area of study, so you’ll have to bear with me as I try to get to my point, although I seem to have misplaced it at the moment. Which, in essence is my point.
We love the beautiful lush green plants (even out of season they are lush). While some of the mountains have lost their color, they are still beautiful, rolling, immense and enchanting. The mornings are sunny and, though the nights may be cool at between 40 and 50 degrees, the days usually are in the high 70’s to 80’s. Nothing to complain about, right? After all, my family in Wisconsin is suffering through it’s first major snow storm with temperatures in the teens and wind chills at 17 degrees below zero and David’s family, in Texas, have had lows and highs pretty close together in the 30’s and 40’s.
One minute we are enjoying all the beauty that Mexico has to offer, and the next we are trying to remember exactly what needs to be accomplished today, what can be put off until tomorrow and what may never happen or, for that matter, does anything “need” to be done at all?
We’ve tried the Jimmy Buffet approach – which works rather well for a while…find a comfy beach chair, sit down, drink and do nothing.
We’ve tried the intrepid traveler stance – let’s walk the area and get to know our surroundings. This too works except that after a while wobbling over cobblestones – no matter how great the exercise is – can put one’s muscles – some we never knew we had – into a uproar.
We’ve jumped in the car and headed into the manic traffic patterns of which David is becoming quite comfortable – good/bad – we’re still unsure. The gleam in his eye could mean he’s enjoying himself or something completely diabolically sacry…I’m not so sure what. And the remnants of city life kick in – we must stop at the farmicia (pharmacy), the Super Lake (large gringo grocery store), Mailboxes Etc. store (speaks for itself), the ferreteria (hardware store) and on and on. Until we realize we are launching ourselves into a frenzy of “must dos” like we were back in the states.
My point, we are gradually trying to contain our many personalities into a single, easy-going, it-will-get-done-when-it-gets-done attitude and it is not going quite as easily as we expected. Good grief, I hope it doesn’t take us 11 years to accomplish.
Right now I’m thinking I really should sweep the house. I’d like to sit down and read. I’d like to get our shared office/studio finished so that we can use it as the view from the mirror door is amazing. We should pick up the laundry.
See what I mean, the insanity of “life” with all its “could do”, “should do”, “must do” phrases preface each thought – not that I’ve ever been accused of thinking too heavily. For now, I think I’ll make this post and move onto the porch with my latest J.D.Robb novel and try to put at bay any of my personalities that think otherwise…or maybe I really should pick up the milk?!
“Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the “right stuff” to turn our dreams into reality.” James Womack is an American biologist and a professor at Texas A&M University
Doors play an important part in our lives. As such, there are all types of doors one that comes to mind is the door that Alice in Wonderland opened and she found a small passage, not much larger then a rat-hole which led her on a number of great adventures.
Then there’s the “Green Door” a popular song composed by Bob Davie with lyrics written by Marvin Moore. The song describes a nondescript establishment with a green door. Behind the door is a happy crowd with playing piano, smoke and lots of laughter and inside which the singer is not allowed.
I’ve stumbled through doors. I’ve stumbled upon doors. I’ve run head long into doors. I’ve forgotten my keys to open doors. I’ve wondered how a door got there or where the heck a door went! I’ve looked longingly at doors I wished I could have opened and others I wished I’d kept shut. I’ve been sent to my room and told to shut the door and think about what I’ve said or done, and the list goes on.
My guess is, given the question “what do you think about doors?”, people would come up with all sorts of answers – some humorous, some sad, some naughty, some nice, some interesting, etc.
Mexico and, in particular, our focus on Ajijic and Chapala, have so many beautiful, curious, thought provoking and simply unique doors David decided to take pictures of each one he saw during our travels throughout the region. These doors have provided us with hours of thought, miles of smiles, invoked conversations on just who might have come up with the artistry for these doors and how very unique and beautiful they can make any establishment seem – when first stumbled upon by an intrepid traveler!
Colors Bright and Cheerful
Color and Character
The Studio
Unique
Gentle Colors
A View from the Top
What is behind this door?
Scenic Street View
Hello? May I come in?
Okay, so it's a window. How many of us have exited or entered through a window in our life time?!
