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A BREAK BEFORE THE NEW YEAR

          Sunday was a relaxing day sitting around while my landlord installed some shelves in my bathroom for me. He came at 11 am and left at 3:30 pm....??? Did not get the job done. He only had one large size bit which did not match the screws and anchors that came with the shelves to mount on the wall so used his own to large anchors ...then the screws wouldn't hold and didn't support the shelve.  He pounded and mashed the plastic anchors until the screws fit but 6 months from now they won't hold.  He just needed a smaller bit and now has to come back in the morning to do the last shelve!  This is Mexico.

     I was starved so left for Tres Bistro in the Zocalo to eat and stopped on the way to pick up some leaf tea and fresh Stevia for my kitchen.  Everyone was still on vacation and were out listening to the live bands and watching the dance entertainment.  Everything is free and quality entertainment

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    I went to the bar to watch the Arizona Cardinal chalk up one more win toward the Super Bowl against Green Bay and had a nice Tuna Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Yams.

 I paid the bill and was leaving when Saul arrived.  He is a waiter that I met last year and we became friends.  Neither of us spoke the others language but now I speak a little more Spanish and he speaks more English than last I saw him.  It felt good to know people where ever you go.  In Phoenix...I only know the Bartenders at my Happy Hour favorites and the dealers at the Casino.

    It was around 11am Monday and the landlord had not returned to install the last shelve.  I went over and told him to forget it.

Went shopping then met Hector for dinner.  Hector is the only Mexican friend I have here.  He worked for El Presidente Hotel chain in Mexico and also 7 years in the states.  He is a professor that teaches Management at the University here.  It was our first get together since I returned.  He had taken advantage of Christmas break and been to the beach. We had a nice dinner at Cabouche and agreed to get together after the new years.  I might go to the beach myself after Marjorie leaves.
    Tuesday I played Dominos with Richard, Beth and another friend Bob.  We played most of the afternoon and had lunch at the hotel.  I walked over to the library to join Marjorie for a lecture by my friend Bill Pumphreys.  He spent 3 weeks in Peru this summer and did a beautiful slide presentation of his trip with his family.
      We stopped to get a bite to eat .

When I returned, the maid had cleaned the condo and the landlord had new internet high speed (for here) connections installed that day.  Wow...I was happy.
    Today I'm off to San Felipe for an afternoon playing Fandango...the card game similar to Canasta.

con't...CHRISTMAS DAY AND THE FANDANGO

       Christmas Day I finished putting together my "Pot Luck" contribution to the afternoon dinner at the Library and caught a taxi there.

 It was already set up nicely and people were laying claim to tables for their group.  I headed over to the cashier to purchase drink ticket then cashed one in and put my wine down where I wanted to sit and headed for the appetizer table for some Deviled eggs, Cheese and Crackers, Asparagus wrapped with Serrano Ham, and some Croutons with Tomato Jam.

     Marjorie and Richard joined me and another retired ExPat from NYC..Peter.  A ribbon cutting Ceremony was preformed for the opening of the roof top.

 Two members had been laboring the last few months to complete the first renovation of the Roof to open it for more events...Yoga, InterCambios, etc.  More tables on the roof were soon filled up and people were notified to begin the Buffet.  Tables were laden with Lots of different salads, vegetables, Turkey, Ham, Dressing, etc.

     A Dessert table was opened later...that was jammed packed with Cakes, Puddings, Pies, etc.
It was a nice dinner that finished on the roof with complimentary Mezcal Margaritas!!! I made a new friend from Germany that is visiting for a few months.

NAME TAGS: SIMON (David) & GARFUNKEL (Veronika)

Spencer, one of the volunteers played some nice guitar music

then around 5 pm we caught a taxi home for an early bedtime.
     Beth, a friend from last year, arrived in town the next day for a week so we accepted an invitation to join her and Richard for dinner at the The Catedral , a very nice upscale restaurant, at 7pm.  On the way there we encountered huge crowds at the Zocalo for a concert that I was unaware of....a big Concert.

 Popular Singer Performing We paused to catch the opening act then hurried to join our friends.

   

Excellent Salmon with Mussels

Shrimp Tacos

Roast Pork

Chocolate..Chocolate and Chocolate

The meal was so fantastic we had to have dessert.  We paid the bill then headed back through the Zocalo for a bit more music before returning home.Headliner Playing

     So what is FANDANGO?  Well in between all the festivities, I was invited to join a small group of Card played to learn this game.  It is a lot like Canasta, which I've never played, so I thought it good to learn something new.  A small group of us met at the library and took the bus to Colonial Reforma to meet at Chuck's home .  Chuck, a retired lawyer from Louisiana hosted this week's card game.  Three hours later I returned home with a "basic" knowledge of Fandango, thanks to Bill who sat out the game to coach me through the afternoon.  It was fun and I'm set for another game coming up in a few days.

con't ... CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY AND THE FANDANGO

      Christmas Eve Day...began with a Wedding...

                                                            Wedding Celebration
                                                           click to play

Click for Tall Santas

           The big event Christmas Eve was processions leaving the Churches in different areas throughout the city at different times and culminating at the Zocalo between 8 pm and 10 pm where everyone gathered to watch them go by...families, tourists, young and old.  They all gathered early to assure a seat at one of the restaurants where they had dinner and drinks until ....I left around 11 pm and understand people celebrate until the wee hours of the morning.

             

                        Click for Part of Procession         ....con't                         

RADISH FESTIVAL, CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY AND THE FANDANGO

  The Radish Festival is December 23rd each year at the Zocalo and is a competition for the best Radish Carving as well as Dried Creations and a couple other categories but the big $$$ goes to the first prize Radish Carving.  These radishes are LARGE and small grown for long time with Miracle
Grow I think?  Tables for each contestant are placed side by side surrounding the Zocalo with Ramps built around that for the public to walk on, take photos and view the displays...the line goes for a serpentine mile or more with a wait up to a hour or more to get on the ramp.

Bands Play

 

Clowns Entertain...just after this picture...she picked me out of the crowd saying something is Spanish that caused a lot of laughter....???

This event was started in the late 1800's by Monks as part of a fund raiser for their parish in Colonia La Noria neighborhood of Oaxaca and developed into this world class tourist attraction every year.

These are just a few of the the 80 plus displays.

       The day before Christmas was busy everywhere. ...con't next blog.