Forums > General > General Forum

1 2 View All

Bubba

Oct 9, 2006, 10:43 AM

Post #1 of 37 (2750 views)

Shortcut

Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Well, folks, what are you seeking in Mexico? Pomona with strip malls and all-you-can-eat buffets (very real Mexico from Tepic to Monterrey) or piss-in-the-trench-while-never-looking-the-other-patrons-in-the-eye-cantina Mexico? Well here are two Mexicos oversimplified in the extreme just for fun.

Recent Topics on the Lake Chapala Forum
Cell Phone Update
Lake Level (yawn)
Mexican Tourist Tax (There are times when beheading is the only solution)
Bringing Horse into Mexico (the four legged kind)
Bakeries in the lake area
Doctors and Dentists
Driving instructions from Some Hick Town in Texas to Lake Chapala (ad nauseum)
Next Garden Club Luncheon
Endless Back Patting on What Expats are Doing for the Benighted Mexicans and Their Offspring
Aren´t Mexicans Happy and Wonderful and Always Dancing and Singing Zippety -Doo- Dah
Zzzzzhhhh.

Recent Topics on the Southern Mexico Forum
Death, destruction, anarchy, kidnappings, revolt, revolution, coffee, mescal, beaches, tamales with banana leaves, sausages made of God knows what but mighty tasty, heat and light, racism, economic dislocation, creepy immigrants from Guatemala without a bean to eat and seeking yours, mountains and jungles, floods, tempestuous storms, enticing cuisine, ancient ruins and on and on.

In other words, Latin By-God America

.

Maybe you prefer Tim Horton´s all you can eat down home whatever the hell they eat in Canada that nobody has ever, even once, exported even to detestable Britain. Can you imagine opening a restaurant in Manhattan or Paris featuring traditional Canadian cuisine?

Take your pick

(This post was edited by Bubba on Oct 9, 2006, 11:02 AM)

Gayla

Oct 9, 2006, 11:20 AM

Post #2 of 37 (2716 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Well, if those are my only 2 choices then I'll opt for the Southern Mexico version of life SOB. If nothing else it would be a heck of a lot more interesting and engaging (if not entertaining).

But, jeez, there's got to be something in the middle..........oh, right........D.F.

jennifer rose

Oct 9, 2006, 11:35 AM

Post #3 of 37 (2708 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

What a great topic, Bubba.

What am I seeing right this very moment? Beyond a desk stacked up with paperwork demanding attention, the bougainvillea, a messy plant if ever there was one, and below that, the camellias. The roses are attacked by some kind of plague, but I don’t have time to think about it. The plumber is supposed to come and install two new faucets in the laundry room and butler’s pantry.

It’s a fairly regular life I lead, the dog’s beds having been washed this morning and his pot of food stewing on the kitchen stove while Maria tidies up the house. We bought the weekly case of Coke today.

I really care not about the topics you’ve mentioned that are under discussion in the Lake Chapala Forum. Frankly, I think about Lake Chapala about as often as I think about Norway, which is practically never. As for the Southern Mexico topics, well, death, destruction, anarchy, and impending doom are universal. None of that merits getting my knickers in a twist.

You know, plenty of folks traveled to Mexico before there was an Internet. Or even Sanborn’s tope-by-tope guides, and they made it down here all right. Plenty of foreigners traversed the country, even settling in here, generations before us, and they fared well enough.

What did I do this weekend? I went to Home Depot, and then I cooked a turkey, frozen and from Chile, that I’d picked up at Superama a few days before. I wasn’t concerned about the unavailability of Pepperidge farm dressing, because I just wasn’t going to have any dressing with the turkey anyway. I cooked up a pilaf with basmati rice and pine nuts instead. Nope, no cranberry sauce either. The turkey represented nothing more than simply deciding I wanted to have turkey. The lack of American products at the super doesn’t really bother me. Besides, it was Italian Week last week at Superama, and French Week at Comercial Mega.

What’s on the agenda for this week? A couple of trips to the gym, where I may be the only one with a US passport, but that’s not a big deal. I’ll go to Costco or Office Max for some copier paper, and I’ll think about what color to paint the entrance hall. I’ll have coffee with friends a time or two. Oh yeah, and trying to get some work done.

Having settled into certain routines here, my most publicly charitable acts being giving a couple of pesos to the fire jugglers at the intersection of Camelinas and Venture Puente, life here seems fairly normal to me. Even the blockades across from the Casa de Gobierno. Am I aware of the differences between here and where I came from? Hell yes. Up North everything costs a fortune, danger lurks everywhere, and I have to pump my own gas. And everyone speaks a foreign language.

Bubba

Oct 9, 2006, 12:16 PM

Post #4 of 37 (2693 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Good God, Jennifer, you are forcing me to admit that on my first two drives from Jalisco to Chiapas I am taking the following care packages to make the real Mexico a tolerable place and sort of like Ajijic South. I hate to admit this but in the back of my Nissan will be:

A case of Best foods Mayonnaise
A garbage disposal from Tio Sam (nobody down there ever heard of this contraption - even my high falutin architects)
A bag of stone ground grits
Several jars of watermelon rind pickles
Floor tiles from Guadalajara
Dijon Mustard
Sadaf Israeli Extra Virgin Olive oil

More later.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Oct 9, 2006, 1:42 PM)

Rolly

Oct 9, 2006, 1:12 PM

Post #5 of 37 (2669 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

A garbage disposal? Hell, just invite me over.

Rolly Pirate

sfmacaws

Oct 9, 2006, 1:13 PM

Post #6 of 37 (2668 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Quote

creepy immigrants from Guatemala without a bean to eat and seeking yours

Hot damn! Sometimes the words just roll off your fingers Bubba. That was a great line, sentence, post.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

jennifer rose

Oct 9, 2006, 1:19 PM

Post #7 of 37 (2661 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] Seeking the Real Mexico

Garbage disposals have been around here for years. Not many people have them, but plumbers definitely know how to install them. I've bought mine at Costco and at Ace.

Bubba

Oct 9, 2006, 2:13 PM

Post #8 of 37 (2643 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

You are right, Jennifer. When I said a garbage disposal from Tio Sam I was speaking of the Guadalajara appliance store, Tio Sam that specializes in imported appliances, with a branch in Ajijic. We found it interesting that all of the appliances we want for our new home in San Cristobal are readily available in Tuxtla Gutierrez in several big stores but, I swear to God, you´d have thought we were looking for the Mars Rover when we brought up the notion of a garbage disposal - and our architects in San Cristobal deal with a very upscale clientele - we´re not speaking of George Costanza´s Art Vandelay here.

The reason Bubba wants a garbage disposal in San Cristobal is that it is his understanding that, as in Oaxaca, the garbage truck comes through at an ungodly hour tooting the horn and you must rush out with your garbage when they pass. There is none of this business of leaving the garbage in the street the night before. Oh No! You have to race out in the street in your jockey shorts and you had better be fast. The way I figure it, I dispose of the organic waste in the sink and worry about the inorganic stuff at my liesure.

The water truck, on the other hand, plays Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head loudly as they pass and the gas truck drags a chain which makes a hellova racket. As I understand it, Sub-Comandante Zero and the EZLN play The International from their recruitment bus as they pass and one had best be inside at that time or at least be carrying a toothbrush and change of underwear.

wendy devlin

Oct 9, 2006, 2:14 PM

Post #9 of 37 (2641 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Thanks for remembering us Canucks.

We're getting ready to celebrate our special feast day today.

Found some 4 year old pig's trotters in the deep-freeze. arbon's boiling them up with rutabagas, some rusty nails...and yes!

An Anaheim pepper found in a dried grass arrangement at the thrift store.

Some Yankee imperialists have just opened a Star-bucks here in River City.
We're not taking this lying down!

Scoping out a location in Mexico for our retirement dream, a Tim Horton's franchise!

Just waiting for the market reports to return from Tuxtla Guterriez.

Tim bits with salsa picante!

I'll need a poster child.

arbon

Oct 9, 2006, 2:52 PM

Post #10 of 37 (2621 views)

Shortcut

Re: [wendy devlin] Seeking the Real Mexico

Wendy, just noticed one of the pigs limping around on three legs, does that mean ham as well as capon for Thanks Giving supper?

I wondered what you had been smoking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bubba

Oct 9, 2006, 3:03 PM

Post #11 of 37 (2616 views)

Shortcut

Re: [wendy devlin] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Wendy,

I´m available to be your poster chilld. However, it is entirely possible that they may use my picture to start a crusade against trans fats in Mexico.

I understand they already have a Tim Horton´s in Ajijic. It´s known under its latin name Salvadors.

I have never been to Canada except for a month I spent in Vancouver one Sunday afternoon in the 60s when it was still dry (alcoholicly speaking) on Sundays. We Alabama folk never thought of Canada except on those January days when it was in the 70s (fahrenheit - OK?) and was to be in the 20s the next day because of some Canadian cold front invading our space .

I never thought much about Canada until I subscribed to Starchoice. Good God. They even have (shudder) documentaries on Canadian television. When, pray tell, will they knock off worrying about the past and enter the Foley generation.

DoDi2

Oct 9, 2006, 3:23 PM

Post #12 of 37 (2608 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

bubba! what you doin! ya gotta keep the tortillas and bread separated off in a bucket of water to mush up for the chickens and turkey's breakfast and the other slops is for the pigs.

wendy devlin

Oct 9, 2006, 3:27 PM

Post #13 of 37 (2604 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Bubba,

I'll let you know.
If the financing falls into place, we'll tweedle with the NAFTa agreement a bit and scarf up a Mexican partner.

However, if Mexicans start worrying about transfats...pop! goes that little dream.

Also realize Canada is a great unknown to many on these foros.

My parents(God less their souls) attempted valiantly to bridge the cultural divide.

Especially when they found U.S. booze served on Sundays and in...
gasp...corner stores!

For them, the States was to Canada, as Mexico is to the States.

who'd ever have thunk about that?

Gringal

Oct 9, 2006, 3:48 PM

Post #14 of 37 (2592 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Looks like y'all got spoiled in Lakeside with the garbage. In my barrio, it's the same deal as your new digs. What you do is to get yourself a basura-serf. This is a small boy who rings your bell at some ungodly hour. You, in jockeys, slide the door open enough to silently hand the boy the bag and put 5 to 10 pesos in his outstretched hand.

Bubba

Oct 9, 2006, 4:54 PM

Post #15 of 37 (2569 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Gringal] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Thank you, Gringal but does this young dude have a computer? What´s his e-mail address? Would he be interested in a Foley-a-deux.?

(This post was edited by Bubba on Oct 9, 2006, 5:04 PM)

Gringal

Oct 9, 2006, 7:44 PM

Post #16 of 37 (2520 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Cute. Enough of this trash-talk.

(This post was edited by Gringal on Oct 9, 2006, 7:46 PM)

sfmacaws

Oct 10, 2006, 12:23 AM

Post #17 of 37 (2487 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Bubba, I'm wondering whether San Cris has city wide sewage or each house has one of those Fosa Septicas that are in Merida? If that's the case I'd imagine that ground up rutabega would do as much damage to the filter as TP. Maybe that's why they aren't familiar with garbage disposals. I recall the little trash bin next to the commode in every place in the centro I went to.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Bubba

Oct 10, 2006, 6:14 AM

Post #18 of 37 (2461 views)

Shortcut

Re: [sfmacaws] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Good question, Jonna. Brigitte is on her way there now & I´ll have her ask when she arrives. Interestingly, we were on septic at our home in Sonoma County with a garbage disposal and always threw toilet paper in the commode for many years. Never had any problems. In fact, those rutabagas may have been helpful to the septic in doing its thing. The septic we had there was also not up to code as it was too small for its normal usage but it worked for over 30 years.

I have heard that septic systems are different here and they don´t use leach fields. I guess I´m about to get educated on this subject. Better to be educated now rather than watch my plumbing back up later.

Someone, I believe it may have been Rolly, posted here that the notion that toilet paper can jam up sewage systems may be a myth in many areas and toilet paper can simply be thrown in the commode. I know this has never been an issue in Ajijic and we live in an older part of town. Maybe, if it was Rolly, he can enlighten us on this issue. Bubba really does not like to store used toilet paper in a waste basket next to the commode. I feel the way those poor Central American kids felt in that movie, El Norte.

"Look ma, you just push the little lever on the toilet and it all just disappears!" .

(This post was edited by Bubba on Oct 10, 2006, 6:16 AM)

caldwelld

Oct 10, 2006, 6:51 AM

Post #19 of 37 (2449 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Somehow these two ideas don't quite compute in my Mexico: "install two new faucets in the ... butler’s pantry. " and "It’s a fairly regular life I lead"
dondon

caldwelld

Oct 10, 2006, 6:58 AM

Post #20 of 37 (2447 views)

Shortcut

Re: [jennifer rose] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

A garbage disposal is one of the most environmentally unfriendly devices ever invented by man. And yes, as someone later in this thread alludes, it will certainly f up your septic if you have one. These abomonations are prohibited for sale in Canada and most European countries because of there impact on the sewage systems. Better to teach those wimpy mastives of yours to eat a more varied diet or buy a good pig for the back yard.
dondon

caldwelld

Oct 10, 2006, 7:10 AM

Post #21 of 37 (2442 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Gringal] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

For some reason my best friend (a seven year old canine) gets turned on by bells. He can hear the garbage guys coming a kilometre away and gives a few short barks to warn me of its eminent arrival. (The ice-cream cart bells are for him almost orgasmic.) That way I can arrange my hair and put on something over my jockey shorts before carting my garbage bag down to the corner. The dress of the fellow garbage greeters I meet on these twice weekly sorties is but a small part of the Mexico I am seeking.
dondon

Bubba

Oct 10, 2006, 7:23 AM

Post #22 of 37 (2437 views)

Shortcut

Re: [caldwelld] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Now, now, Don Don, it´s OK to belittle Bubba but don´t be calling my darling mastinos "wimpy". They already have a varied diet, it´s called Las Piernas de Los Ladrones.

The notion that garbage disposals, especially the modern variety, are detrimental to the environment is nonsense. In fact, grinding waste food products into fine particles and disposing of this garbage in that manner is superior to throwing it in bulk into landfills in plastic bags - especially the environmentally unsound landfills one sees in Mexico. Why do you think all those fat carp in Lake Chapala always seem so happy? Yes, it´s Bubba´s left over rutabagas properly ground for fish food.

I lived in a house in California for over 10 years that had been built 20 years before I moved into it. For 30 years or so, garbage disposals regularly discharged ground food wastes into our undersized septic tank where they joined their toilet paper friends. Not even one problem - ever. Nada.

I do value your input - no matter how off the wall, DonDon. I´ll always think of you when I grind those rutabagas down there in San Cristobal or in Ajijic when I´m here. Those carp have become dependent on me.

Gringal

Oct 10, 2006, 8:07 AM

Post #23 of 37 (2419 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

More trash talk.

Out there in the CA boonies, we all had septic tanks. Some people had leech fields, some didn't. Nobody had a garbage disposal. The common wisdom was that you had to put some yogurt or sour milk down the drain periodically to get those little cultures to do their jobs. If the smell got bad enough outdoors, you made certain assumptions and called the honeypot pumping wagon. For a while, things would be better.

When we first moved here, we rented an upstairs apt. from a lady who insisted her plumbing was good enough that we could flush the toilet paper. This lasted until the debris that accumulated on the roof washed down into the main drain and backed it all up into her (lower floor) house. Eeeeeuck.

The price of working plumbing is eternal vigilance. And a screen over the upper roof deck drain.

It is worrisome that a mountain of plastic bags goes into the old fashioned land fills. Much of this is disposable diapers, and you sure wouldn't be putting those in your kitchen garbage disposal. I've heard that the energy use involved in washing cloth diapers is actually greater than that of using the disposables, but don't know if it's true. I do know that there are no rooftop clotheslines sporting diapers, even in a lower end neighborhood. Since there's plenty of ninos being born around here, I have to assume they're swathed in disposables. Interesting question.

ignacio

Oct 10, 2006, 8:43 AM

Post #24 of 37 (2400 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Bubba] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

Bubba, ROFL, you said "...it´s OK to belittle Bubba but don´t be calling my darling mastinos "wimpy". They already have a varied diet, it´s called Las Piernas de Los Ladrones."

I look for your posts daily to lighten my day !

Heck, whjo needs Leno.

Some one stated that the rainwater from the roof was messing up their sewer system..... someone has that all wrong, rain water is NOT supposed to go into you house sewer drains, it is supposed to go our to the street, where the 'agua pluvial' sewer lines, or gravity will drain it to the lowest point nearby, to be percolated into the ground.

Here in Veracruz we also flush the toilet paper in the comode (hum, why is this word to much like 'commodore'?), going on 7 years, with no problems what so ever.

Gwynne

Oct 10, 2006, 8:52 AM

Post #25 of 37 (2394 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Gringal] Seeking the Real Mexico

| Private Reply

When we lived in rural Missouri and depended on a septic tank, we regularly fed it RidEx to keep the resident critters happy and working. We did have a garbage disposal but never had a problem. The dishwasher and clotheswasher exited into a french drain and ran out into a field.
Our home inspector in Ajijic has recommended RidEx (or something like it) for the tank we have there. He mentioned it might be hard to find in Mexico and we're wondering if we should bring down a case with the first load. Whatever it takes to keep those critters happy.
Gwynne

1 2 View All