A year and a half ago we moved our family to Mexico City knowing that we would be here for two years...minimum.  We wanted to provide Dave with a unique teaching experience, experience the world of international education, learn Spanish, and hopefully boost his resume in preparation for a future in educational leadership.  I moved here ready for a two year commitment, but still a bit impatient for the next step after that.  It turns out that the next step is another two year commitment to Mexico City.  Dave just found out that he has received a promotion at the school...a really wonderful promotion!  It will once again reinforce all of our original goals for moving to Mexico.  I am so proud of my husband and all that he has accomplished so far in his career!  He is a dedicated worker who truly cares about education and he is doing a wonderful job providing for our family and being a amazingly supportive husband and father.

Now comes the but....

But I still have to wrap my mind around living in Mexico for 2 more years.

2 more years of living far away from grandparents, great-grandparents, and other family and friends.

2 more years of conversations with these people over Skype and e-mail rather than in person.

2 more years of learning to love and embrace a culture that is different from the one I grew up in in the U.S..

2 more years to improve my Spanish.

2 more years to find my place in Mexico.

I recently read a blog entry at Chatting At the Sky.  I don't personally know the woman who writes this blog, but she sometimes has a way of saying just what I need to hear.  In this particular blog post she spoke of beginnings, middles, and endings.  Right now I am in the middle of my Mexico experience and still learning to fully embrace it.  She states that in the middle you need to "be faithful where you are, and remember the sacred gift of ordinary days."  This is exactly what I need to do right now.  I'm learning to be faithful in my current stage of life and to remember the gift of ordinary days...days like today when I get to celebrate my husband's accomplishments, read books with my 2 year old, and enjoy the sweet snuggles of my six month old.  After all, as my grandmother reminded me over Skype a few days ago, these days will only last so long.  Life keeps moving forward.

It's time to embrace this day, this stage - all that right now has to offer.

Today, while we were hanging out in the park in our housing complex, I taught Eli how to take pictures on my phone.  He loved it so much that he spent the next half hour getting shots of every aspect of the playground.  I thought I would share some of his best shots with you (I'll spare you the other hundred).  He actually got some good ones.  I'm thinking I may have to have him start his own photo a day project....

It's official...on August 21 at 12:37PM Josiah Henry was born and we became a family of four.  As an only child, I've never been a part of a family of four before.  It still sounds a little strange for me to say.  

However, so far, being a part of a family of four has been a wonderful experience.  From the beginning Josiah has done his best to make life pretty easy for us.  Yes, he's only 2 weeks old now and I have yet to spend a day alone with two kids (thanks hubby, mom, and mom-in-law for making this possible), so we have a long way to go, but so far life is good.

Here's a quick ( not at all graphic) run down of the birth experience and life with Josiah so far:

Contractions started at regular 7 minute intervals at 2 am on my due date (seriously, how many babies actually arrive on their due date?) and increased to a steady 5 minutes apart over 3 hours.  This was actually ideal for us, as it meant that Dave was home and my very pregnant sister-in-law was off the hook for driving me to the hospital while Dave was at work.  Plus, that early in the morning is a pretty low traffic time here in Mexico City, which relieved the stress of the 45 minute plus commute to the hospital.

My doctor arrived at the hospital as we were checking in and was there for almost the whole time I was in labor.  The whole time I was in labor at the hospital amounted to a grand total of 5 hours - so much better than the twenty hours I went through after I was induced a week after my due date with Eli.

Everything progressed quickly.  I turned down an epidural knowing that last time I had made it a full 10 hours without one and it had largely worn off by the time I actually gave birth.  Although, I realize that it is no great feet to give birth without anesthesia, people in Mexico (including my doctor) seem to be amazed that I did so.  Apparently it's practically unheard of here.

After three quick pushes (so much easier than the 1 hour plus of pushing last time) out popped our healthy, 6lb 8oz. 19.5in. little boy.  My doctor has since likened the experience to being on a roller coaster with her driving and me on the accelerator.

Since then he has been amazing.  He breastfeeds without any problem and pretty much just sleeps or quietly looks around when he's not eating.  He already regularly gives us 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night.  Seriously, Eli wasn't a difficult baby at all.  How did I get SO blessed this time?

So, for all who have looked at us with concern as we have prepared to have a baby in Mexico, do not be concerned at all.  We had a wonderful birth experience and received great care during our stay at the hospital.  My biggest complaint would be the amount of moving around they made me go through during the birth process. Four different rooms and five different beds seemed a bit excessive, but certainly not a reason not to have a baby in Mexico.

So here we are, getting used to life as four:

About three weeks ago we moved into a new place here in Mexico City.  With another little boy on the way we wanted to upgrade to three bedrooms and something with some outdoor space for Eli to get out and play.  After lots of calls and going to see a few places we found just what we were looking for about a five minute drive from our previous apartment.  We have settled in easily and so far we are loving the extra space and Eli is loving the shared yard in front of our house and playground right inside our complex.  Also, our five minute move away from the main roads has made us feel like we are in more "real" Mexican neighborhood.  We are now in walking distance from the main square of our little area of the city, there are cobblestone streets, and lots of little family owned places to explore.  We have really enjoyed walking around and getting to know our new neighborhood.

Within that main square area is the local Catholic parish and they have been in all out party mode for the last week in celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.  The fair starts just a block from our house and wraps around down to the church.  I have nothing against fairs and we have taken the opportunity to go over and explore, enjoy the food, and let Eli get a pony ride, however it's the fireworks/firecrackers that get to be a bit much.  For the last week there has been an incessant "bang, bang" (as Eli calls it) going on at random times anywhere between 6am and 10pm.  At times there has been constant noise for up to 45 minutes straight and the majority of the time we just get the noise without any of the pretty lights in the sky.

Somehow Eli has developed an immunity to them and manages to sleep right through all the noise.  What a blessing!  However, our dog has been on edge constantly and none of us can manage to sleep through his barking when he really gets going.  Sorry neighbors...maybe he'll get used it at some point.

All of this to say, the fair ended last night and I will be perfectly happy if I do not hear any more fireworks for quite some time!

In doing a little internet research on the celebration and the local church I came across this You Tube video that someone took of the church and a bit of our neighborhood.  I thought you might enjoy getting a little picture of where we live:

P.S. Still no new baby.  We're still waiting, and yes, getting a bit impatient.  Maybe he'll be timely and arrive tomorrow on his due date!

As I mentioned previously, on my birthday we had the opportunity to attend our first quinceañera.   It's been a couple of weeks, but I wanted to go ahead and take the time to share the experience with you, because it was like none I have had before.  The closest I have come is watching MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen, but this involved a much less bratty birthday girl.

How did we end up at a quinceañera, you ask?  Well, when Dave was finishing up his time teaching in Reno and we were getting ready to move to Mexico one of his previous students told him that her sister would be having her quinceañera in Mexico City in the next years and she wanted to invite our family.  Dave didn't think much of it at the time.  I hate to burst your bubble, but high school students do not always follow through with the things they tell their teachers, and an invite to a party in another country seemed particularly improbable.  However, a year later a message popped up on facebook officially inviting us to the  quinceañera.  Surprise! 

So we dressed up for the event, took a cab WAY across town and joined the party.

Now, if you have never experienced a  quinceañera  either let me first say that they are not all the same and we only attended the after party.  There is a more traditional church service that takes place before the party.  As the majority of Mexicans are Catholic (at least in name), the whole event is something akin to a confirmation mixed with a coming out party.

Anyway, the party took place at a banquet hall and the room was set up very much like a wedding reception with round tables around a dance floor each with a large floral centerpiece.  As we entered (fashionably late as we have learned is standard in Mexican culture) the birthday girl was in the center of the dance floor surrounded by six young male dancers.  This was her entrance dance and the first of five choreographed dances which were performed throughout the evening.  The male dancers were hired for the for event (I have included a shot of their business card if you are interested:)) and the birthday girl came down from the US a month early to learn each of the dances.  

After the entrance dance there was a brief ceremony with the family where the birthday girl received a tiara.  Unfortunately, my Spanish is still limited so I understood very little of this.  Next came a choreographed father daughter dance which began with the waltz and went through an eclectic dance mix including both the chicken dance and T-Pain's Apple Bottom Jeans.  This was followed by a dance in which each male family member was presented with a rose.  Next came the dances with the hired dance team including a waltz, a Michael Jackson number, and a Shakira number.  The birthday girl and her dancers had a costume change for each dance.  Oh and I can't forget the guy who's job it was solely to periodically shoot off a confetti cannon over the dancers!

This was followed by a three course meal during which a solist dressed in traditional mariachi costume sang and showed a video of himself with various Mexican celebrities (a little self-absorbed for my taste). Throughout the evening professional photographers and videographers documented the event.  I am sure that in years to come the birthday girl is going to wonder about the shots of gringos she never met before.

Unfortunately, we had to leave at this point.  It was already nearing midnight and we had a long drive back and a toddler to pick up from the baby-sitter.  I do know that there was a very large wedding-looking cake to be served and as we exited we passed two clowns on stilts with balloons who were headed into the party.  Also, one of the birthday girl's aunt's stopped me and told me that we should not leave yet because the party was just getting started.  I was a little too pregnant to picture myself dancing the night away though.

Oh well, I think I experienced enough to say I have been to a quinceañera.  Above all it made me glad that I will not have a daughter who grows up in Mexico, because that was one expensive event!  

Just a 15 minute drive from our apartment are the Xochimilco canals.  While Dave's parents and sisters were in town over spring break we finally took the opportunity to go visit this beautiful and relaxing historic site of Mexico City.  I have no idea why it took us so long.  Now that we have been I fully intend to return and take anyone who might like to visit with me.

The canals are the remnants of what was once a rather extensive lake and canal system that extended over most of the Valley of Mexico.  Today they are explored aboard trajineras, colorful gondola-like boats.  The boats may be rented out by the hour along with a "captain" and are various sizes, generally designed for between 6 and 12 people.

The island and land areas along the canals are lusciously green (at least if you go during a time of year where there has been rain) and colorful flowers decorate the waterway.  You can also purchase plants from the many floating garden stores along the way.

Floating garden store

We brought along a picnic lunch, but if you happened to get hungry along the way there are plenty of stands in the area where the boats begin and end their journey, and various boats out on the canals on which Mexican men and women will cook you fresh tacos and quesadillas.  They simply tie their boats onto to yours while they make your food.  There was also a small bar/cafe along the canal where you could purchase a meal, cerveza (beer),  oversized pina colada in a carved out pineapple (I might have to test one of these out when I'm not so pregnant), or michelada (a traditional Mexican drink preparation made with beer, lime juice, salt, and sometimes hotsauce, the glass is then rimmed in salt - and in this particular case a chamoy jelly).

Float up mariachi service

These are not the only float up services.  There are also boats carrying complete mariachi bands who will happily play you a tune for a nominal fee per song  They too tie their boats alongside yours while they serenade.

Eli enjoying the view with Grandpa

Overall, it was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon with family and friends.  The kids loved it as well.  They spent their time checking out the water, plants, and various animals along the way.  If you're ever in  Mexico City I highly recommend that you make the trip down south to Xochimilco for your own relaxing afternoon on the water.

Well, today Dave took a sick day from school because he has pink eye.  We decided that this is probably the best sick day scenario for a teacher.  He doesn’t really feel that bad, it takes a full 24 hours for the eye drops to clear it up enough that he’s no longer contagious, and he’s required to stay home from school until the contagious period is over. Yes, there's plenty of hand washing etc. going on, but overall it's pretty benign.

                                                        

We took advantage of our unexpected day with Daddy and finally made another trip to the ecological park near Xochimilco.

We fed the ducks, 

 soaked in some more of that wonderful sunshine,

walked around the park,

 and played with sticks in the dirt.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Monday afternoon.

Today I took an unintentional tour of southern Mexico City.  I saw parts of the city I had seen before and parts I had never seen.  I drove by Estadio Olimpico Universitario 4 times from a couple of different angles.  I was really intrigued by it…

All of this to say, today I got lost for the first time while driving by myself in Mexico City.

It all started out fine.  I was driving to a friend’s house for a book study group.  I have been there several times before.  Getting there isn’t a challenge any more, and I even got there fine today.  The problem was there was no parking on her street, and it’s a one a one way street.  The next street I turned onto was also a one way street, and the next showed no sign of any way to turn around.  It went down hill from there….

…for the next hour.

I don’t know who designed the street signs in Mexico City, but today I would like to give them a piece of my mind.  I would carefully follow the signs to get back on a major road I knew, only for that series of signs to suddenly disappear with no hint as to where the road I wanted might be.

I’m pretty sure that during that hour I went through the 5 stages of grief.

1.  Denial – “I’m not actually lost.  I know what road I’m on; I just don’t know how to turn around.”
2. Anger – “Seriously, who created these (explicative) signs?”
3. Bargaining – “God, if you’ll just show me how to get home I promise to spend more time being thankful.”
4. Depression – “I’m going to be lost for the rest of the day, what’s the point of even trying to follow these signs anymore.”
5.  Acceptance – “Ok, I’m lost, but the world isn’t going to end.  I will find my way home.  I won’t be trapped on the roads of Mexico City forever.”

These were not my proudest moments.  However, I am proud of myself for the following:

1. I made it through the whole ordeal without crying.  I admit the tears welled up, but I stand by the fact that there was no actual spillage.
2. I didn’t call my husband in desperation and tell him that my world had ended and my day was ruined because I was lost.
3. I finally found my way home.
4. That’s the longest I have ever driven on my own here and I survived without any damage to the car and only minimal damage to my psyche.
5. In the end I’m not any more scared to drive in Mexico City.  Somehow I actually feel slightly more confident knowing that I can find my way on my own and get myself home…eventually.

I        I think I actually ended the day feeling a bit more self sufficient.  Way to go me!  Maybe I’ll actually take myself on a purposeful driving tour of Mexico City one of these days.

We’ve spent the last couple of weekends exploring our new favorite neighborhood in Mexico City, Coyoacan.  It has a little more of the city feel we came to love while living in Brooklyn – beautiful parks, fun architecture, and lots of little shops and cafes.  It’s a pleasant place to spend a Saturday walking around and enjoying a bowl of pozole (a traditional Mexican soup).  Pozole is our new found love, specifically when purchased from a certain stand in Coyoacan.  If you happen to have the opportunity to try it I recommend you go for the rojo (red) variety with shredded pork..  Come for a visit and we’ll be happy to take you to our favorite spot so that you can try it for yourself!

This past Saturday we also visted the Frida Kahlo Museum, which is housed inside what was actually Frida’s home in Coyoacan.  The bright blue building is rather inviting and houses works by both Frida and Diego Rivera.  Unfortunately, we picked a day when the museum was particularly busy and not particularly kid friendly.  We’ll definitely make a trip back to explore a bit more sometime soon. 

We did, however, manage to snap these gems while we were there:

Immediately after we took the picture of the kids (which drew a bit of a crowd) the guard removed the photo booth.  Perhaps the crazy Americans didn’t use the Diego and Frida cutout properly?

Peacock Mating Rituals

A few days ago we finally took the opportunity to visit ElMuseo Dolores Olmedo.  The museum is just 10 minutes from our house, on the southern outskirts of Mexico City in Xochimilco.  I’m so glad we finally visited!  The museum is housed in a beautiful stone structure built in the 16^th century and surrounded by an expansive lawn and garden area.

Eli Chasing the Peacocks

Yes, it houses famous pieces of art by Frieda Khalo, Diego Rivera, and various other Mexican artists, but it was actually the grounds and their inhabitants which made the trip completely worth it for us.   Throughout the lawn 15 to 20 peacocks roam alongside, geese, some of ugliest chickens I have ever seen, and Xoloitzcuintle or Xolo (Mexican hairless dogs).  The male peacocks show off their plumage and dance about for the seemingly unimpressed females.  The geese honk and flutter around the pond.  The chickens chased Dave around as he pushed Eli in the stroller (seriously, one of the guards finally had to block one of them so that we could leave – unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of this).  And the Xolo lie around and pose among the Xolo statues (it’s hard to tell which ones are actually dogs and which are statues.

Xolo and Statue

At 5 pesos a person (less than 50 cents) and free entrance for the kids the visit was definitely worth it.  I definitely recommend a trip to El Museo Dolores Olmedo if you are ever in the area.  We’ll be happy to take you…

Dave and I had a great life in Reno.  We were surrounded by friends.  My parents lived right around the corner and were available to help all the time (thanks for all that free baby-sitting, Mom and Dad).  We both had great jobs and amazingly supportive bosses and co-workers.  Lake Tahoe and the gorgeous Sierra Nevadas were right there for us to enjoy any time we wanted.

Life was good, but it was full.  It was abounding with commitments – all of them good things, and all of them things we enjoyed doing, but we were busy practically every night of the week.  It was overwhelming at times.

Life in Mexico is simpler – more relaxed.  I’m no longer working outside the home.  Dave is home from school much earlier.  We spend more time just being a family.  We learn and grow together every day as we create our life in a new culture.

Life is also simpler because we don’t have as much.  Our apartment is comfortable, but much less full.  We’ve come to like it that way.  Sure, there are a few more appliances I’d like to have.  For instance, we have a washer, but no dryer.  Somehow I’ve even come to love going up to our cage on the roof of the apartment building to hang clothes to dry.  There’s something nice about standing outside, feeling the sun on my face, looking over the city and pinning my clothes on a line.  Where else can I look out over Estadio Azteca (the only stadium in the world to host two World Cups, as Dave and James often remind me) while I do such a basic chore as laundry?  Hanging clothes to dry is not something I thought I would ever appreciate. I won’t turn down a dryer when the time comes. But in this moment I’m happy with what I have.

I’m enjoying my simpler life.

Eli has developed somewhat of a celebrity persona since moving to Mexico.  Everywhere we go women and men alike ooo and ahh over him.  They tell him how handsome and precious he is and Dave and I what a beautiful baby we have.  Don’t get me wrong, I think my baby is absolutely gorgeous and perfect too, but he gets extra notice here because he’s a white baby with blonde hair. 

Seriously, people stop in the grocery store and call their relatives over to stare at him.  When we walk around our apartment complex older women stop what they are doing to wave to him.  In Costco women come up and kiss him (this one the American in me has a bit of a hard time with).  On the subway men play peek-a-boo with him and light up when he smiles and giggles along.  The kid is not going to know what to do when we’re back in the states and the world doesn’t come to a halt to stare at him.

 

The apex came while my parents were visiting and we were touring the Zocolo (the center square of downtown).  A high school-aged girl came up and asked if she could have her picture taken with him.  When we obliged ten other high school students came over in a crowd and each took dozens of pictures with their cell phones.  Seriously, the kid has paparazzi!

I’m just going to come out and say it …I think it may be time for me to start embracing mariachi music.  It’s not just for cheesy Mexican restaurants any more.  It’s a serious part of Mexican culture.  I first came to this realization a few weeks back when we attended a party complete with mariachi band entertainment.  They sang, they danced, they brought out lucha libre masks for a fake wrestling match among audience participants – and the crown went wild!

Plaza Garibaldi

Then last weekend, on our trip to La Plaza De TresCulturas, we passed by Plaza Garibaldi.  This is Mexico City’s Mariachi Mecca.  Since the 1920s mariachi bands have gathered here to show off what they can do.  On Friday and Saturday you can find dozens of bands scattered across the plaza competing to be hired. We walked by around 2pm and the plaza was already teaming with men (and a few women) donning instrument cases and tight black pants with silver trim.  I’m told the real party doesn’t start until 11pm.  It’s kind of a Where’s Waldo mariachi style.

And most recently, we discovered that our cable package includes an entire channel of mariachi music.  That’s right, I can sit on my couch and listen to mariachi music 24/7.  Jealous yet?

This weekend we decided it was time to get out and explore some more of the city.  On Saturday we visited La Plaza De Tres Culturas (The Square of Three Cultures).  It's a pretty amazing representation of all that Mexico City has to offer.  In the foreground you see the remains of an Aztec Temple.  Directly behind that is the Santiago de Tlateloco Catholic Church which was built in the 16th century.  And in the background you see a housing complex built in 1964.  Three cultures and three different periods of Mexican civilization in one view.

Now don't get me wrong, Mexico is bursting with color.  Colorful produce and crafts line the streets. Homes, underpasses, and sculptural designs throughout the city are emblazoned with color.  What I'm missing are fall colors - the yellows, oranges, and reds of leaves gradually changing and then making their way to the ground.  Mexico City has a Utopian temperate climate right now, the 60s and 70s weather that people in Arizona and Alaska dream about this time of year, but I'm missing the nip in the air that autumn brings.  This is the first time I've lived in a climate without four distinct seasons, and I can't help but daydream about the days of this:

Here's a shot of our corner store.
Ironically, it is named FarMart.

Dave and I first came to love having a corner store when we lived in Brooklyn, NY right after getting married.  If you know Dave well, you have probably heard him sing it’s praises at some point.  In New York we came to love the corner store because it was, in fact, right there on the corner - a brilliant realization, right? But seriously, it was great to walk home from the subway after work and be able to grab those last couple of ingredients you needed for dinner on the way.  Or, let’s say you’re making cookies for a get together right after work the next day and realize you’re one egg short and it’s 10pm.  No problem!  The corner is just a 2 minute walk away. Added bonus: in New York, most corner stores make killer sandwiches.

Now, the Mexican corner store doesn’t make sandwiches, but let me tell you about its many wonderful attributes:

1)      Once again, it’s on the corner, just a two minute walk away.  Who doesn’t love convenience?

2)      They deliver! I don’t even have to walk those 2 minutes. I can just call them up and order just what I want (if I can manage to clearly get it across in Spanish).

3)      Not only can I get eggs there, but I can get exactly the number I need.  I’m no longer required to buy them in multiples of 6.  What freedom!

4)      It’s a pharmacy too.  As long as I know exactly what drug I need and the strength I can just order it over the counter for human or animal alike.  (I assure you I’m not doing this without first actually seeing a doctor or veterinarian.)

5)      Directly next door to our corner store is a fabulous little taco stand with 2 for 1 tacos al pastor on Wednesdays.  Perfecto!

So, I’m still not sure I’m a big city girl, but I love some of the conveniences big city life has to offer.  If you have a corner store and haven’t yet taken full advantage of all it has to offer…it’s time.

I’ve moved around a bit over the last decade and each place I’ve lived has housed a different slice of the world’s population.  I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. – a land of professional commuters and military types.  From there I headed off to Grove City College – a school swarming with scholarly Christian summer camp enthusiasts and C.S. Lewis loving conservatives.  Three months after I graduated I got married and moved to Brooklyn, NY.  Moving to Brooklyn right after 4 years of college in tiny Grove City, PA was a bit of a culture shock.   I was a suburban expat living in the big city among a quirky conglomerate of individuals and families from all over the world.  From Brooklyn we moved to Reno, NV, a sunny haven on the edge of Lake Tahoe filled with laidback outdoor enthusiasts and gamblers alike.  Each of these places has shaped who I am.

And now I’m living in Mexico City.  The third most populated city in the world (just before New York City and right after Tokyo and Seoul, if you were wondering).  I’m still trying to figure out how to define the faces of Mexico City.  I’m not sure they can be singularly named.  They are the faces of the men and women making their living running tiny food stands on every corner practically 24 hours a day, the men who are out washing cars and doing landscaping in our apartment complex as early as 6am, the artists selling their wares at markets spread out across every neighborhood, business people who start their days early and don’t come home until 8 or 9pm – sitting in traffic for hours a day, the government officials, diplomats, and generally wealthy who send their kids to The American School with nannies and chauffeurs, and the expats from all over the world who are drawn to the city for any number of reasons.  These are the people of Mexico City.  I am one of them.  This is not somewhere I ever expected to live.  But here I am.

Have you ever wished someone was available to help you find a spot in a parking lot?  At the mall, the grocery store, Walmart, Costco?  Would you like your car washed while you’re shopping?  If it’s raining when you leave Costco, would you like someone with a giant, picnic table sized umbrella to push your cart and walk you out to your car?  Do you want someone to help you put your items in the car?  Would you like someone to help you back out of your parking space? 

Move to Mexico!

Someone is available to assist you at every turn.  For just a few pesos you can have it all!

Yesterday I drove for the first time in Mexico.  Yesterday marked three weeks living in Mexico.  It took me three weeks to get behind the wheel.  I drove to the grocery store.  The grocery store is less than 10 minutes away. I felt accomplished. 

When Dave’s brother first moved here someone told him that “driving in Mexico is a game of inches.”  Doesn’t that sound exciting?  Seriously though, merge lanes are a rare privilege here, lanes come, go, widen and narrow at whim (whose whim I'm not sure, certainly not mine), one way streets are semi-optional, and there’s a random guy at the corner of a major intersection in our neighborhood who has appointed himself director of traffic.  The traffic guy we like.  He occasionally gets tips when he’s particularly helpful. 

Added bonus: A picture of Eli in our rather empty apartment.

To drive here you have to be aggressive.  If you know me, you know that there is very little aggression in my petite 5’3” frame.  There’s going be a learning curve.  But last week I spoke with an American woman who has lived here for 4 years and never driven.  She’s afraid to try.  I drove after three weeks.  Check out that brazen courage!

Anyway, we went to the grocery store.  I’ve always been pretty good at finding things in stores.  Dave says that understanding the layout of stores and malls is my special power.  I’m not sure exactly what the action figure for Super Shopper Woman looks like, but I’m hoping soon you’ll be able to flip a switch on her back to put her in Spanish language mode.  In the meantime, thanks to the magic of Google Translator, I did manage to translate my whole grocery list before we went.  (Side note: Google advertising department, if you’re out there – I think I could be your next commercial, right after the girls who order Indian food.)  However, the Mexican grocery store is just a little different than the ones I’m used to in the United States.

Here are just a few of my insights: For one thing, Mexican’s apparently do very little baking at home.  The grocery store has a rather large section of fresh baked goods, but the section of baking ingredients is miniscule and I never did manage to find baking soda. Next, Mexicans don’t eat nuts.  I wanted to buy some raw almonds to keep around as a snack.  The largest package I found couldn’t have contained more than 20 nuts and cost double the amount I would have spent at my beloved Trader Joe’s (Trader Joe’s people, if you’re out there I will happily stand on the street corner and advertise for you if you’ll open a store in Mexico City).  Finally, Mexicans seem to believe that the main items that should be purchased in a can are refried beans and meat.  That’s right, meat.  There’s practically an entire aisle of meat in a can.  I wasn’t looking for meat in a can.  I was looking for butter beans in a can.  Butter beans are not an option in a can or otherwise.  Our tried and true White Chicken Chile will be made with Frijoles Bayo tonight (brown beans according to Google Translator), which came dried in a bag.  I currently have beans soaking in my kitchen for the first time in my life (I looked up how to do that on Google tooJ).  So, my cooking experiences are going to be a little different here.  On the upside, I will definitely become a more well-rounded and less recipe following cook.

Well, off to finish my cup of pineapple and coconut yogurt.  They don’t sell the vanilla yogurt I wanted, but I think I could get used to this breakfast version of a piña colada. More mundane to come…

Our condo has been rented! We're so happy that the stress of waiting is over.  Thanks for your prayers.

And in other good news - we found an apartment to rent.  We'll be putting a deposit down on it today.  It's just a five minute walk from where we're currently staying in a fairly new and large apartment complex.  My favorite feature?  The great walk-in closet in the master bedroom with tons of built-in drawers and shelves.  With a husband, son, and a male dog I have to make sure to keep a few girly favorites:)  Besides we weren't able to bring much with us, so although I don't have much furniture to fill up the apartment I at least have clothes to keep in the closet.

On Tuesday we took a brief break from city life and visited a nearby ecological park.  It was great to get away from the crowded streets and enjoy a little bit of nature.  It's hard to believe the park is surrounded by such a huge city.  I have a feeling Eli and I will be stopping by occasionally to take a walk and spend some time in the grass.