Un Poco de Lluvia y Balance

Today the weather in Mexico City was mixed with scattered showers and overcast skies. It was strange because this morning, although cloudy, promised to be a sunny day. Fortunately, traffic this evening was very good considering that usually a little rain always makes roads that much more congested because people drive slower, etc. At the end of the day, I felt exhausted, but felt better when I stopped by a local corner shop to buy a papaya and six avocados. Being from California, I am used to coughing up almost $1.50 for a single avocado! But today, I got six ripe ones for the same price...yes, the benefits of living in Mexico City, produce is cheap! The month of March, and all its madness, is right around the corner. I am taking two classes at ITAM this quarter and my final exams are in about two weeks. So, all I have to do is keep it together, stay balanced and remain focused for another couple of weeks, and before I know it, the waters of Acapulco Bay will be splashing at my feet. Quick Sidenote: For those of you that know about the LiveSTRONG wristbands, you should be informed that in Mexico City they are the most recent rage with everyone. Since the wristbands are a rare commodity in Mexico, vendors are exploiting the low supply and high demand by selling them for as much as 200 pesos, roughly $20! Of course, the Lance Armstrong Foundation sells them for only a $1 and such proceeds go to support cancer research. Sadly, in Mexico City, most people wear them because they have become the trendy item to have, especially considering that a popular soap opera (¨Rebelde¨) features characters that wear them. This hype gets frustrating when wearers of such bands don´t even realize the meaning behind them. In the end, one must not let such trivial examples of mass consumer behavior bother one. Instead of stressing out, just focus on the tight rope you have left to finish the task at hand. Of course, for those curious, the art piece displayed here was photographed last Saturday in San Jacinto, in the southwest part of the city.  

El Pulmon Verde de Lincoln

Este domingo pase un tiempo en el Parque Lincoln de la Colonia Polanco en el norte de la ciudad. En este parque muchas personas aprovechan el buen clima de la ciudad para ponerse a leer una revista o un libro, y tambien para caminar por los jardines verdes. Aqui vemos un tren que va dando vuelta al parque. El clima de esta ciudad es ideal para aquel turista que pretende escaparse de la nieve o el frio, y tambien para ese capitalino que gusta respirar en uno de los pocos pulmones naturales del Distrito Federal. Se debe mencionar que el Parque de Chapultepec, el pulmon mas grande de la ciudad, permanece cerrado durante este mes de febrero. Las autoridades lo cerraron para que este se recupere de las miles de pisoteadas que le han dejado los chilangos. Hasta que se abra de nuevo Chapultepec, los residentes del DF tienen que acudir a parques menos grandes, como este pulmon verde de Lincoln en Polanco.  

Footloose

This past Sunday I spent the afternoon in Polanco and walked around the Parque Lincoln. I was in a good mood because despite my car overheating on Friday and having to postpone my road trip to Zacatecas, the Honda dealer in Pedregal came through. I am very pleased and impressed with their service. They solved the problem in less than an hour. My car´s temperature sensor needed to be replaced, and the Honda dealer gave me an excellent price. I am also relieved that I was able to resolve the issue over the weekend. Importantly, while at the park in Polanco, I realized that in life we should all try to have one foot in the door, constantly ready to step up and solve any problems that come our way, no matter how unexpected. By taking one step forward, we can all make something better, improve a situation, or even identify an opportunity. This sculpture titled ¨Releye¨ by Leon Kopeliovich really captures the essence of this very simple truth; the idea that we should all develop the courage and the will to do something about the status quo, in hopes of changing it for the better one step at a time. The piece was donated in 1997 by Mercedes Barrios Gomez to the Parque Lincoln in Polanco.  

Periferico Tulips, Wrapped in Purple

As I type this anecdote of these tulips wrapped in purple, I am listening to a great song titled ¨Tu Vuo Far L´Americano¨ by Adriano Celentano, with lyrics that go something like ¨so you wanna be an Americano, but you were born in Italy...¨ playing on a great Mexico City radio station, ¨Horizontes 108 FM.¨ The tulips pictured here were meant for my grandmother, who´s favorite color is purple, but sadly were not delivered in person as intended. Earlier today as I drove north on the Periferico on my way out of the city, my Honda Accord started overheating and before I realized it, my trip to Valparaiso, Zacatecas, where my parents were born and raised, was cut short. I didn´t even leave the Distrito Federal! For any of those driving on the Periferico on Friday afternoon, I pulled over one exit before the Polanco and Paseo de la Reforma exits. The drive to Zacatecas is about 6 hours, and an additional 2 hours to get to Valparaiso. So once my car overheated, I knew I couldn´t carry on my planned 8 hour itinerary. My car was full of gifts, packages, toys and tulips for my family in Valparaiso, items that never left the city because of my car´s overheating incident. But the best part was the kind people all around that were very helpful and quite patient with my Honda coupe taking valuable lane space away from their Friday night commute. Furthermore, my family in both Zacatecas and Los Angeles were right there for me, on cell phone conferences, supporting my sincere, albeit brief, attempt to visit Valparaiso. Also, special props go to my cousin, who was my copilot throughout the entire ordeal. He sat there patiently listening to various Mexico City radio stations as I maneauvered our way back to my apartment parking lot. In the end, I will visit a mechanic this weekend to try to fix my car before next week. But the DF has proven to me that I am here at its own discretion, only allowed to leave when it, the biggest city in the world, has granted me a proper exit pass! Until I fill out the appropriate exit papers, the tulips wrapped in purple and meant for my abuelita in Valparaiso will have to sit in my sterile apartment living room and wait for my next attempt to escape! Thank you Mexico City residents for making my first experience as a driver of a hazard-lights-on-vehicle-stranded-on-a-highway such a pleasant and memorable one. The view from the second story of the Periferico, the newly built one, is quite impressive when you are stopped and can actually enjoy the spectacular lights across the Valle de Mexico. I may be so bold as to claim that my car was likely the first casualty to grace the recently inaugurated second level of the Periferico. As I end this post, I am now listenting to The Police's "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da"....buenas noches. The adventures in Tenochtitlan continue!  

Miguel Angel de Quevedo Metro Station

This is a typical Mexico City metro station entrance. Here, the Miguel Angel de Quevedo entrance is usually crowded with people waiting for buses or micros to take them to their final destinations. The metro system was developed before the eve of the 1968 Olympics. The metro system was in part heavily influenced by the Paris metro system. Fortunately, the Mexico City metro is quite affordable, at 2 pesos each ride, roughly .20 cents in American currency.  

El Pesero en el DF

This green and white mini bus is the infamous ¨micro¨ or ¨pesero.¨ It is one of the most efficient forms of transportation if you are without a car in Mexico City. The rates are about 2 or 3 pesos per ride, depending on where you are going. Micros are usually always crowded and each driver has different tastes in music, ranging from ¨rancheras¨ to ¨classic rock¨ and from ¨top 40¨ to ¨80s retro.¨ The point is that once you board one of these micros you will be forced to listen to this type of music for the whole ride and in very high volume while feeling squeezed at every stop, etc. For drivers on Mexico City roads, these peseros represent a menace, because they will likely cut you off or simply stop in front of you without warning to load and unload in the most inopportune times. Here, behind this particular micro is the fountain of Diana, a glorieta on Paseo de la Reforma.  

Sad Red Jester

This is a picture of a painting taken in Plaza San Jacinto in the south side of Mexico City, near San Angel. The sad red jester fits the perfect image of a nostalgic Valentine. For all those people that are always peppy and happy, it´s good to remember that some alone time is always in good order. Even jesters need some time to sit by a window and contemplate the orange outdoors. As a side note, the weather in Mexico City has been quite spectacular these last couple of days. 

2 Rabbit´s View of Tepoztlan

The view from 2 Rabbit´s shrine of the Tepoztlan Valley is very impressive. After a good hike up the Tepozteco mountain, you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you finally reach this designated archaeological area. The town of Tepoztlan is appreciated from a different perspective from here. All said and done, 2 Rabbit didn´t get a bad deal for having his shrine built atop such a great peak. It just goes to show that even back in Meso-American times, shrine building practices and preferences embraced the proverbial real estate principle of location, location, location!  

Clan of Tejones

When you enter the Tepozteco area, you will be confronted by a clan of aggressive tejones. Unfortunately, these tejones have been continually fed by tourists to such a degree that they now expect visitors to give them some form of tribute. I tried to suggest the idea of enforcing a "do not feed the animals" policy with the administrator of the Tepozteco, but the sixty plus year old man proudly proclaimed that for the past six years these tejones had been feeding off tourists´ crumbs and leftovers and that he did not see anything wrong with this dependency. So, if you ever reach the top of the Tepozteco, be ready to face a tough gang of tejones that will demand their royalties for your visit!  

Templo de Tepoztecatl: 2 Rabbit

When you reach the top of the Tepozteco, you will be charged $30 pesos to see the pyramid and to enjoy the panoramic view. If you have a proper student ID you will be exempt from this charge. The Tepozteco is a designated archaeological zone by the state of Morelos. This is the Temple of Tepoztecatl, patron god of the populace of the Tepoztlan Valley. The god´s statue was destroyed by the Dominican friar Domingo de la Anunciacion during the mid-sixteenth century. Tepoztecatl is one of the deities associated with the maguey plant and pulque; his calendar name is Ome Tochtli, 2 Rabbit. The rabbit was a moon being in Meso-American cosmogony. This connection with a heavenly body that dies and is reborn endlessly comes from the fact that pulque gods embodied nature's ongoing cycle of birth and death. These gods were celebrated at the end of harvest time.