On the Road Again

(photo by my bro-in-law raul fuentes)

After a two-month traveling hiatus, we are finally going to our second home--the Mexico City airport. Goodbye D.F., we are off to breathe some clean air in Coahuila.

Four-legged Intruder

We got up to an abrupt start early this morning when we had a furry creature break into the house in a creative way. I was still asleep when I heard a loud rustling of leaves right in the bedroom. "The chimney!" I cried. Before we knew it, there was a big thud.

A squirrel dropped about 25 feet from our roof all the way down to our chimney, and landed right in the middle of our bedroom. I don't know who was more freaked out-- me or the squirrel. The frantic fella darted throughout the bedroom and into our kitchen. It jumped on top of our microwave, counter and flew over our turtle tank. Poor turtles probably hid in their shells.

That whole time I was screaming like a little girl, while my husband jumped into action and shooed the crazy, hyped-up squirrel out the door. My hero. You might think squirrels are cute, and they are from far away. But believe me these Chilango squirrels are aggressive.

All-in-all, the squirrel did not jump on my face like I feared. The damage was not too bad--just a broken mug.

Tabasco Ignored in U.S.

People trapped on rooftops, looting and dehydrated victims--sound familiar? The comparisons between Katrina and the flooding of Tabasco--a gulf coast state in eastern Mexico are eery. About 80% of the entire state is under water, and this tragedy is being described as one of the worst disasters in modern Mexican history.


Yet, there seems to be little interest about this horrible situation in the U.S. print media. Several major newspapers--including papers we work for-- have decided to publish short Associated Press stories or a brief, if at all. If this tragedy would have occurred in Acapulco or Cozumel, people in the U.S. would probably be sick of hearing about it at this point.

Today, I joined hundreds of other volunteers at the Red Cross headquarters in Mexico City to pack up items such as diapers and canned food for the flood victims. The scene at the Red Cross was both chaotic and inspiring. Many Mexican employers gave their employees the day off to go volunteer. Children, still in their school uniform, came directly to volunteer after school. I spent most of the time preparing kits for babies, with everything from bottles to diaper rash cream.

Click on the blog title to read more about the situation in Tabasco.


Volunteers dashed from one place to the other as more and more donations kept coming in, making it a hectic scene.

Dia de los Muertos celebrations

The sign reads, "It's not Halloween, it's Dia de Muertos."
As the two holidays mesh more and more into one giant celebration south of the border, many Mexicans want to make it clear that the two holidays HAVE NOTHING TO DO with the other. Dia de Muertos (as Chilangos call it) celebrates death and honors its loved ones who have died. There are no goblins, witches or ghouls in the celebration.

Growing up along the Texas/Mexico border, I remember kids from the Mexican side of the border coming to Eagle Pass to trick-or-treat, years later kids from our sister city Piedras Negras just stayed home and trick-or-treated on the Mexican side because the holiday got so popular south of the border. It is sort of a relief that even though the kids here trick-or-treat, they don't say "Trick or Treat," like all kids say on the border. Instead, they say "Me puedes dar mi calaverita por favor," which means "Please give me my little skull (Dia de Muertos trinket)." If you don't have candy, D.F. kids also accept coins.


In her birthplace of Coyoacan (also my neighborhood), Frida has an altar dedicated especially to her.






We also checked out probably some of the best altars in the country at the Zocalo, or the heart of Mexico City, with our friends Joy and Brendan. It was definitely a breathtaking sight. I am sure all of our beloved difuntos were present and very proud of us.

Bazar Sabado

Though we've been to the artist market, Bazar Sabado, in San Angel a couple of times, we keep discovering more great things about it-- Apple and Habanero meat sauce! This weekend we ventured over with our friend Joy, who took this awesome photo of us in front of an antiques store.

It's been nice to stay off the road for awhile and enjoy Mexico City. But at the same time, we've gotten so used to our frequent travels that we are itching to leave the megalopolis soon.

Meeting Camilo

It was almost like being in a surreal world when we found ourselves in the actual home of a famous Mexico City musician and big-shot EMI record executive. Camilo Lara, of the band called Instituto Mexicano del Sonido (Mexican Institute of Sound), meshes traditional Mexican beats with electronica, ska, rock, etc.

Camilo invited us to check out the making of his first music video--which will be aired soon on MTV and VH1-- in his house! I first got hooked to MIS when my friend Geo from Miami gave me his copy of the band's first album, Mexico Majico. As I shot photos of the music video production, I thought how I would have never imagined hanging out with the band when Geo first handed me that CD.

So OK, I was a little star-struck, but Camilo turned out to be a very chilled, down-to-earth guy, super approachable and easy going. They played an awesome show that night, where I got access to film and shoot photos. I wish I could show you those photos, but they are embargoed until a few days after publication.

In the mean time, check out a few songs on the band's myspace page. Just click on this blog title. Enjoy!

Mariachi, anyone?

In all it's urban-ness this megalopolis of about 20 million, stays true to its traditions.

Gotta Love Machismo

Are you a new bride but don't know how to please your husband's hungry belly? Well don't worry, this new recipe book advertised outside of one Mexico City boutique store will solve all of your newlywed worries.

I saw this sign a few months ago and thought, "What year is it?"

When it disappeared from the sidewalk one day I thought someone finally came to their senses. But today on my way back home, there it was again in full machismo force.

Inside D.F. little leagues

This is Alonso's first year playing on probably the best little leagues in Mexico City. His parents invited us to see him play this weekend. I not only saw the game, but all the parent drama that goes on as their little ones run from base to base. Most of these high-class moms wore their heels to the game, and we even saw one dad escorted by his two military bodyguards. The good thing is that all the parental politicalness was the last thing on Alonso's mind when he scored a home run.

October Guy

It's playoff time in baseball world, and that meant nothing to me before married life. Now, it means that my hubby has turned into "October Guy" -- a crazy, frantic, nervous, but lovable Red Sox fan.