25 - 8 AUGUST IN OAXACA

 August 1st, high 70s, cloudy, and a nice breeze. Great day.  I spent most of it down the Rabbit Hole on my computer, arguing with E-Trade over their policies.  Being in Mexico and having my bank and all my investments in the U.S. creates some problems.  Some immigrants, like myself, open Mexican bank accounts.  Not speaking the language restricts my ability to shop, bank, attend many Mexican events, visit doctors and dentists, handle legal matters, interact with landlords, and, above all, get to know the Mexicans on a personal level.  I do all those things with the help of Google Translate and the help of English-speaking Mexicans. I really am handicapped by my own doing.  At 80 (almost), I have profound hearing loss and find it impossible to study a language in a classroom.  I can barely have a conversation with more than one English speaker at a time. At small get-togethers, I struggle to understand what is being said, and when I talk on the phone, I really struggle to understand. Enough whining...I just wish I had mastered a language early on.  I do my Duolingo on the computer almost every day, and that helps. 

     I had dinner tonight with Porshia at the restaurant where we met, Tasta Vin.  She took my old apartment in La Noria after I moved out, and is an artist who lives in L.A. and visits here in the Season and when she can. 

Today I met with the Jimenez brothers.  They are friends who have done work for me and attend the library's "language exchange where both gringos and Mexicans go to practice one hour of each language together at a table of 4.  I arrived just before the classes ended when a 5.8 Earthquake shook the building, and everybody exited immediately.  The second earthquake this week. We were to go to lunch, but they got a call from a friend across the street.  The quake cracked their huge water tank on the roof and emptied the whole thing into their home.  The boys ran over and shut off the pump that keeps it full and helped clean up a bit. We had lunch next door at Cobilita's with a friend of theirs who was also taking classes. 

One flower is still struggling...life is a struggle.

T

They will help welcome my guest, Sercan, visiting from Turkey.  We will meet next Saturday at the library again and all take the bus to their village, Santiago Etla, for lunch at a large Oaxacan restaurant.  Hopefully, Sercan and I will get a chance to meet their family.  We will return in the evening.

I had breakfast with my friend Bill Pumpfreys.  I had finally started reading his autobiographical book, "Life's Roller Coaster," and am almost finished with it. We ate at Pan Am in Reforma, just North of the Center. We were so busy talking about the book, my trip, and what's been going on since last we met, I didn't take any food photos.

I had dinner that evening at Casa Celia.  A nice Tomato and Eggplant Salad with Parmesan Cheese, then a great combination of Mussels and Fresh Fish with tomatoes in a white wine sauce!

Monday, Maddie was on a trip back East, so instead of Domino's, I had lunch with Lynn.  We had a wonderful conversation for a long time, and so so food at Cafe Elfos.  It is good to have her back in Oaxaca, even for a short visit. Her French Toast looked good to me!

It was the end of Guelagetza, so today I met with the Democrats Abroad group at Cobalita's for Coffee and Conversation.  Both were good.

                                    Getting back to normal.

I just had coffee.

After coffee in the morning, I did a photo walk to Jalaltco for some shopping and returned to make a nice Baked Salmon on a bed of Fresh organic Tomatoes and Carrots.  Then added some peas and pickled red onions.  Put some Pomegranate Molasses on while baking it for flavor!

I decided to visit Marco Polo for Wednesday's Group Breakfast.  There are 2 groups...the Straight Men and the Gay Men.  I alternate, and this Wednesday was the Gay men.  When I typed it with AI, it corrected it to Happy Men...they were happy and smiling.

 Bruce ...VN Vet, 3 years in Peace Corp in Guatemala, and now a retired writer who is considering moving to VN...and my friend.

Then there is Hector in the flower shirt, a professor of Hospitality who spent a lot of time in Hotel work in the US but is Mexican and lives in Oaxaca. He helped me a lot when I first arrived, to find a dentist (his sister), shopping for things I could not find, etc.

A large party was celebrating a Birthday, so most of the time the music drowned out any conversation I wanted to hear, but eventually they stopped just about the time I was finished and enjoying my coffee.  Next Wednesday breakfast will be with the other Men's group.  I had dinner that night at what I thought was a new place, but it turned out to be an old place that relocated. That happens a lot because growing demand causes rents to increase, so Origin, a wonderful restaurant, couldn't afford the rent increase and moved out.  The same happened to Biznaga years ago...they never survived the move, and I don't think Origin will either. The food was good, but they are still charging the same, but the atmosphere doesn't warrant it.

This morning I headed out early to play pool with the "boys", but no one showed.  I beat myself 3 times and returned home.

Love the weather we have been having....

My "selfies" are getting better.  It was a beautiful morning and so quiet with the Guelagetza over and tourist crowds back to normal.

This is a Trique? An elderly lady who comes to the Center to try to make some money .  I've watched her for years. She must be in her late 60s to early 70, around 4'10, and she will spread a blanket on the walk and arrange her wares, then sit all day and hope.  Then return to her pueblo village.

I visited Corazan to get some bread for my guest's arrival tomorrow.

Sercan took the overnight bus from Chiapas to Oaxaca and arrived

at 9:30 am because of delays.  We had Turkish Tea and some Peanut Butter sandwiches before heading out to the library to meet Juan, Jose, and Louis. He drove the family VW Bug to take us back to his village, where we first stopped for a BIG lunch of all Oaxacan food.  After an hour or so of stuffing ourselves, we stopped at a Mayan ruin before visiting his parents at their home.  There we saw their garden, goats, chickens, fruit trees, etc.  Sat outside and enjoyed Pumpkin Juice...a first! They sang some Mexican Songs for us, which were great also.  Wonderful family and a great day.

             A film crew is visiting the Zapotec Ruins in Santiago.

Mother sang to them when children, and now they sing for her.

This morning we had breakfast at Chepiche, then visited the Santa Domingo Church, the Benito Juarez Market, and a Mezcal Bar. 

  

The next evening, he took me to dinner at Tasta Vin, then we toured Jalaltco before returning home.

We both ate the Fresh Grilled Tuna, Salad, and Mashed Potatoes, but I forgot to take photos.   

I left for the pool hall, hoping to get back in the swing of things, but it was Wednesday, and no one showed up. After beating myself 3 games, I returned home.  On the way, I got to witness the Taxi Parade to honor the drivers.  All the taxis (hundreds) decorate their Taxi and their family rides with them in a parade caravan that travels back and forth through the streets of Oaxaca for all to see.

Sercan was set to do an interview with me about his trip, visit with me, and my experiences with SERVAS. We filmed it on the rooftop.

Sercan left that evening at 9 pm to take the bus to Mexico City, then on to Boston. It would be another month or two before he reached home in Turkey, a total of 5 months. It was a wonderful visit for such a short time. 

     

 I visited "Morocco" restaurant and had Hummus and Mousaka...very nice.

                             Looked better before I dove in.

I will close this post with a Sunset Photo taken in the Adirondacks overlooking a Lake that my friends Kathy and Doug Sieg took.

The next post will be the end of August.