I’m going to have a go at embedding a Flickr slideshow. Pics are from the Colomos Park in Providencia, filled with joggers and too-bold-by-far squirrels. And the occasional rabbit. Rodents galore, basically. Did lots of playing with the depth of field…
Next mission is to work out how to stop it autoplaying…
The Artichoke place was nice enough, but unfortunately a few hours later I suffered a night of what has now become a fortnightly bout of gastric fun… If I’d know about CEPE’s new scatological bent they’d’ve been very interested. At times this house seems a home for sick gringos…
Anyway, all better now, thanks and heading to the place where Guadalajara was founded the second time, “The place where the sun rises”, Tonalá to go wardrobe shopping with M & D. That’s shopping for wardrobes, not things to wear… Sita’s up to her eyeballs in academia again so she’ll not be coming along but might tag along for jeans shopping in Plaza del Sol this avo. We also decided last night that next weekend we’re going to Barra de Navidad for a change. I’ve not been there for 10 years or so, it was the first time I saw the Pacific Ocean. There were waves and I managed to take the skin off my stomach when I got plunged into the beach by a Pacific breaker. I still vaguely harbour ill feelings toward the waiter at the restaurant who recommended I put salt and lime on the wound to help it heal. Strange how searing pain can help your memories… Anyway I’m older and wiser less young now (nearly 32…) so I’ll not be taking waiters’ advice on matters medical this time round.
Still waiting on contracty people for the house, so in the meantime, I’ve been designing meself business cards, making a few changes & additions to the nutrition site I’m doing, and how’s this look for my new sublegal Mexican enterprise: Diseno Web Agave?
Agave’s the plant they make tequila out of, and for the record, Fionuala, its sap is said to have similar healing properties to aloe vera.
OK, that’s it, I’m having a piñata for my birthday on the 17th too. After an above par chicken and veggie soup I made with ingredients and everything, we passed by Chop, then a haphazard taxi ride to Los Famosos Equipales for mariachi cantina action and then on to La Maestranza for a bit of Toreador-themed fun. We made it back to the house and Ed got to smash the piñata to pieces with a broom handle. It’s better than the bumps every time. If I can work out how to stream video I’ll shove it up here, he looks like a man possessed.
Sita brought back all kinds of goodies from the states including spanking new trainers from her folks, the latest issues of Q, Uncut and several other music mags, a rug for the kitchen, decent cutlery, Barefoot Zinfandel from Trader Joe’s and a telephone so I won’t have to rush downstairs only to get another call from someone calling to request a song from a local radio station with one number different. And yes, she managed to swing an executive class upgrade again. Filet Mignon and fine wine apparently. I’ve got the airport run down to 22 minutes, though it’s taken me 1 hour plus to get back both times now taking the Tlaquepaque ’scenic route’.
Had a bit of skypage this morning with me mum and dad’s new handle because I can’t remember their password- please click ‘allow this person so see when I’m online’ if that pops up on yer skype thing. Somewhere along the line I checked a box saying let anyone and everyone call me and spent 15 minutes yesterday talking about the finer points of living in Mexico with someone from Toronto. I told him I enjoyed the space ride thing they had (and still have apparently) at the bottom of the CN tower. But then the soup was ready and I had to bid them farewell and hastily block people not on my contacts list, because life’s too short.
Once we’ve cleared up the papier mache remains of the chicken pinata we’ll off to the Instituto Cultural Cabanas to gawp at the murals and stroke our chins at whatever art they’ve got on display. Definitely a quiet day today. Sita’s not coming because she’ll be off there with our next visitors and she wants to avoid it becoming the Mystery Spot of Guadalajara (a place we’d take everyone who came to visit and thus ended up with 8+ complimentary bumper stickers)…
We’re heading for Puerto Vallarta soonish, despite every hotel being sold out. But maybe we can turn up and Sita can use her newfound ‘Upgrade me’ skills to get us a room. Also, Ian + family are passing by on Monday so I’m looking forward to that and all. If the blog’s a bit quiet for a few days, you’ll know why… Cheers and Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mise duit and Blwyddwyn Newydd Dda mes amis 
After seeing far too many Che Guevara T-Shirts at last night’s Fiesta de Musica in Av. Chapultepec, i was inspired to follow this tutorial: www.family-portrait-artists.com/ and give Victor Jara a makeover. Shame he looks a bit simian, but it’s my first attempt…
Definitely a fun night, the only band anyone had heard of was Los Amigos Invisibles, who cancelled, so Fernando, Jose and me walked the length of the street a couple of times and decided to adjourn to El Muro, then La Barba Negra. Sleep caught up with me around 2am, so I wandered home, gutted to find my favourite taco stand had packed up and gone home already. I got an episode of Lost in (Sita’s new record: 8 episodes in one sitting) , about 4 pints of water and half a loaf of bread, and crashed out. Today I’m up to web designery and hopefully going to see ‘V for Vendetta’ later this evening. It got rave reviews over here, it had a mixed reception in Blighty, though.
A good mate of mine, whose nom de plume is Pinguino Frog, wrote a short story which seems appropriate for the Día de los Muertos. He posted in in Spanish here in his blog. And since it’s all in the present tense and not too tricky I gave it the translation treatment.
Here’s the first paragraph:
They have arrived; I can feel them, their cold, their pain, their solitude. They wake me, brushing against my shoulder. It’s past 12 o’clock they inform me. With some difficulty I open my eyes and see them floating, there, at the side of my bed. They have arrived, they have arrived to give me a message from the other side, they have come to tell me that the dead are worried, that they are worried because I am getting dangerously close to their borders. They talk to me in an unknown language that all the same I understand perfectly. I sit on the edge of my bed to see them better, I rub my eyes to make sure that they aren’t merely some kind of trick. The spectres are completely unknown to me, not even by straining to see them better can I identify them; who they might be. I cannot avoid comparing this apparition with Dickens. I can’t help feeling like a Scrooge, victim of three Christmas spirits, even though, those who visit me number five.
Download the whole 5 page short story here (PDF 97k) . Not for the squeamish…
Thank you and welcome, new guestmappees, Tanya, Brittnie, and Matt. And cheers for the emails, Bethan & Jesse… 44 Gmail invites to go… Get’em while they’re hot.
Sita and the rest of the Monarchs had a resounding victory at basketball last night. Fair play to anyone who’s prepared to do anaerobic physical activity from 9 to 10 pm weekdays. It got a bit heated at times with some refereeing decisions…
Here’s my latest present to meself (I just broke my palm pilot), expect lots of low-res digital photos on this blog v. soon… am REALLY looking forward to this one arriving…
