NOVEMBER - FRUSTRATIONS

Right now, my biggest frustration is to replace this blog after 3 days work.    A bad stroke on the keyboard that erased the entire thing!!$#%&@!!  

    OK...I made a note to replace the keyboard ASAP.  April when I get back to the states. 

      Dinner at Mexita.

                      Ravioli stuffed with Ricotta on Marinara Sauce

      A walk over to Casa de Ceila for Roasted Cauliflower & Shrimp Risotto.

                        An Ofrenda from Dia de Muerte

Ofrenda is the alter in Memory of those that have passed away. Shannon Shepard's blog explains in better than I

View From Casita Colibrí Thanks again Shannon!

Some photos of my new home at La Resolana in Reforma...then breakfast at Rico Pan nearby.

I love the children's play area, newspaper on a concrete floor and they could care less.  I mangled one egg before I remember to take a photo of this Mexican dish: Tortillas with refried beans, creme, eggs and marinated roast pork.  Very good. Love the trees in the hood.

Off to the World Heritage Site of Oaxaca and Salmon with Nuts and salad at the Zocalo. 

Garbage Man napping under his garbage.

 Did I mention that trash strike and protest!  They have an issue. Our 

land fill is filled and closed and no other provisions have been made to replace it.  These issues do come up from time to time...along with protests by the Teachers, Taxi Drivers, Hospital and Ambulance drivers, Villagers , etc...it is a way of life in Mexico. 

     The Salmon was great.

     While I'm at it.  Do NOT put your toilet paper in the toilet...it goes in the waste basket to keep from clogging the sewers which could be cracked or broken by earthquakes or tree roots.

      Don't drink any water from the tap, especially if it is brown. Potable water is available in some hotels and private homes that can afford to fill there tanks with it.

       Few hotels and rich folks homes have A/C but most all of the state of Oaxaca has no heat or A/C because of the Temperate climate.

We use fans if it's hot (April and May and most afternoons from 1-5) and use blankets when it's cold...at night.

       Returning home we passed a stage with Gringo's in the audience awaiting a performance by some young adults.  They were behind the stage preparing.

Middle aged man taking a nap after spending the morning trying to sell some baskets to feed himself and pay the rent.

If you wonder what happens to all those skeletons after Dia de Muerte is over for another year?  

Reminds me of my nickname...Bones

Grab a basket and help yourselves...add some Marigolds too.

How does Oaxaca manage to make all these events happen. What goes on in the City of Oaxaca is the same in every Pueblo in the state. Every cemetery, church, main street ...are parades, bands, people in costume, food, dancing, parties...the list is endless.  It all happens because the people are a collective and each person plays his or her part in that effort. 

      It is amazing and beautiful to see people that care ...reminds me of Attica, my home town, in the 50's with parades, summer picnics, parks and recreation, arts and crafts, 4 H, boy and girl scouts, Rotary Club, Masonic Temple, all the church dinners, and school sporting events, Lion's Club, Vets, Grocery stores, Ice Cream Parlors and soda fountains, butcher shops, hardware stores,lumber company's, car dealers, bakeries, 5 and 10 cent dept store,  restaurants, movie theaters, all Mom and Pop.etc etc etc. Well it's sort of like that here but it helps to speak the language so you can participate and be a part of the community. 

       I took some "alone time" to go shopping today, have a seafood lunch, stop in some galleries, then a spaghetti dinner before returning home.  

LOST FACE

YIKES

                     THE THINKER YA THINK?

      

                       HAVING A SERIOUS DIGUSTION

                                    REMEMBER WHEN?

          A SAND OFRENDA ...love to see it with candles lit at night

                        SOFT SHELL CRAB TACO

                         SHRIMP AQUA-CHILI CEVICHE

SALMON AND SHRIMP ALFREDO!!!

       

     WOMAN INVITED THE MAN SITTING AT THE BAR TO JOIN HER AT THE TABLE...I THINK SHE WISHED HE DIDN'T

Jeannie, my benefactor who allows me to share her home, recently finished a remodel and sent me a photo of my room with my picture on my desk.  The view looks familiar.

  Carol, Sha, and I went to Kitaro for a Japanese lunch today, then visited the stamp museum showing a Monetary exhibit.

FRIED ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE SPLIT 3 WAY.

Monetary exhibit was boring but this caught my attention. There was a Dos real and a Tres real also.

Today was my appointment with the Tax Dept to register me in case I bought a car, house, or wanted to open a bank account or a utility account to pay my electric bill.  It took three months and two different tries before I finally got it. I hired a lawyer to help me complete the interview and paperwork.  I had to get my landlord to get a copy of my electric bill that she paid to help verify my address.

       I arrived a bit early to meet German, my lawyer who was born and bred in Oaxaca.  I stopped in the market across the street to see if anyone was there I knew...there wasn't.  So I noticed construction going on in a building that housed a popular restaurant called Quinque, that we all frequented for it's good food and convenient location.  Their lease was not renewed a couple years ago so they were forced to move to a far away location.

THIS WAS THE LOCATION.    THE OUTSIDE OF THESE HISTORIC BUILDINGS CANNOT BE CHANGED

DOOR ON THE RIGHT WAS THE QUINQUE'S ENTRANCE

German arrived and I followed him in line.  We waited about 20 minutes until the appointment time then got in to discover I did NOT have an appointment. German sweet talked them into giving me the next available within 20 minutes. 

                      German in line.

You have to have more than an electric bill receipt, the lease, and an address to prove where you live.  A description of the building and color plus either the cross streets or a landmark such as a school or church nearby.  I had none so I did get registered but I will not be able to buy a car, house or open a bank account or utility account for electric.  So if I move, I can not rent a place unless the electric is included in the rent. That could be a problem. I paid German his $35 and met Carol to visit the Textile Museum, lunch and a gallery to visit.

            THIS WALL COVERING IS 12 X 16 FEET

                          THIS ONE IS ABOUT 12 X 10 FEET

 I LOVE THE CLASPS 

          

Some of these are done on a back strap loom others all by hand on a loom with wool spun and dyed by the artist. Most live in a Zapotec village called Teotitlan to the East of Oaxaca.  It is amazing the craftsmanship, and intricacy of the works which can be expensive but it's all relative. 

               We stopped across the street for a Matcha Latte.

The gallery,  Art de Oaxaca was impressive. On the way we noticed an odd exhibit in a neighboring building.

           REPLICA OF THE FAMOUS MAYAN CALENDAR

                             NO IDEA....?

       

Time for a lunch Comida at our favorite (for now) Casa de Ceila

Best Spanish Gazpacho...next to Carlos Sedonna's in Malaga! , a Salad with Beets and Cheese, Roast Pork and Potatoes with a fantastic gravy, Vegetarian Lasagna with a bite missing? We ate the desserts of Purple Sweet Potato with Yogurt and Berry Puree and Custard before I could think about a camera.

Arrived at my home, CRETA, in La Resolana very happy!!!

I returned to the Centro area the next day and ran into another Wedding while on my way to Berlina for some sausage and beer.

 

I wanted to get some labs tests out of the way and mailed to my Scottsdale Doctor.  The lines were out the door and after a 1/2 hour wait, I had not even got into the building so left for my 10 am appointment with my Dentist for a Cleaning.  He found a cavity so I will be returning in two weeks for that. Time for lunch.

Carol and I returned to Casa de Ciala for Comida that afternoon.

Nice Sweet Potato Salad and Hamburg made of Lentils...little bland for me...Salad was great as was the Apple Crisp.

I returned home on the bus the next day, I got off to walk when

I realized I was close to Ceviche y Clamato, a restaurant that 

features Seafood Ceviche of different varieties and combinations.

They wouldn't open for an hour so I got a haircut next door then 

stopped into a sandwich shop called NAM.  Been there, so I had

to drop in and order a sandwich to go...then crossed back to the 

other place and ordered Ceviche to go. Lots of restaurants near by.

 

Heather, my daughter and her partner Allen are arriving in 

three days for a week' visit.  This was another long post but easy

to skip through and lots of eye candy.  Next post is my family visit!