Last day hugs (03/30/11)

Today is our last full day in San Miguel de Allende. Although we're sad to leave, we have great memories, we know we're coming back next  year, and we're returning to a life in Leelanau County that we enjoy. But to wrap things up, here's more miscellaneous photos of some of the things that went on while we were here.

Above is a picture of Rick in the Jardín, with a gal who had just hugged him. Apparently she's part of a group who, the first Monday of each month, wear signs around their necks advertising "free hugs". I'd love to join that friendly group, and will check it out next year.

*****

Rick and I have a lot of restaurants that we really like in San Miguel, and Café Monét is one of them. This is an especially cool painting that they have hanging on the side of their bar.

This restaurant is run by a Canadian man, and the entire place is decorated beautifully, with incredible, eclectic paintings and art pieces. If it weren't done so tastefully, it could look gaudy. But it doesn't.

***

When I'm walking home from class at noon, I often buy a "gordita" from these ladies for 15 pesos (just over a dollar). "Gorditas" look like fat pancakes, but they are tortillas filled with some sort of delicious, spicy filling. They puff up when cooked over a hot grill. (Note: The word "gordo" is Spanish for fat which, I suppose, I could become if I ate too many of them.)

.*****

Manuel is the gardener who tends the flowers at our casa. He's extremely friendly and animated. In this photo he's in the dining area, telling us stories about bull runs and fights...with two horned bull heads on the mantel behind him. 

*****

Life can be hard for many San Miguelians. Below is a photo of the old man who, along with his two cats, lives next door to us. The "cane" you see in his left hand is actually a pick axe, covered with fabric. I wonder if it's a tool that he used in his profession in his younger years?

*****

Difficult lives touch many, from young to old, in SMA. As Rick and I were leaving our casa one afternoon, a mother and her two children were just outside our door. The mom asked us for money to buy food for her kids. As Rick got out his wallet, I ran back into the house, picked up my camera and a cold bottle of pop for the kids (it was really hot out and I thought they might need to be hydrated). The little boy smiled quite naturally, but his big sister just didn't seem to be able to come up with a smile on that particular day. 

*****

Now this young man, an after school helper at his mother's cheese shop, might have a brighter future and thus more reason to smile. He is studying English, and we were able to have a nice conversation, each of us using the language that we are trying to learn.

***

Rick and I attended an out-of-town festival one afternoon. We were told that there was a pyramid somewhere on the mountain (as seen in the background). But it was really hot out, and we didn't feel like climbing a mountain in the hot sun. So we sat in the shade and watched as the young people from all over the area put on a variety show.

These girls did a traditional folk dance that showed off the beautifully colored full dresses they were wearing.

There were many brave young people who got up, either as small groups or individually, and sang for the crowd. But this young man stole the show at the end, doing a modern Spanish "rap" song. He was so good that I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up on a CD some day. 

*****

And so unless I come across more photos that I'm inspired by, this is the official end of my "San Miguel, 2011" blog. I hope you've enjoyed reading about our experiences here, and that now you have a sense of what it's like in San Miguel. 

Until our flight leaves at 8:30 tomorrow morning I remain,   Judhit

¿Quién Es Mi Persona? (2011 - March 29)

Our third (and last) assignment in our Spanish Storytelling class is to write a story about a famous person whose name we drew out of a jar. 


Tomorrow we will present our stories to the class, and they will guess who our person is, based on the information we give them.


Following is my story - first in Spanish, and then in English. See if you can guess who my person is.

¿Quién Es Mi Persona?

Aunque mi persona nació en 1899, él nombre es conocido y respetado por gente en mi generación tambien.

La cara de esta persona se pueden encontrar, con las caras de otras personas famosas, en la cubierta de álbum de los Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

Esta persona fue mencioné de Madonna en su canción "Vogue", y esta persona esta refería a en la canción "Puedo Bailar" de Leo Sayer. 

Esta persona fue número cinco en una lista del cincuenta más famosas estrellas de cine, hizo por Instituto de Cine Americano.

Ricardo puede recordar viendo esta persona por el primer vez, en una película cuando él tenía diez años. El nombre de la película fue "Daddy Long Legs". Ricardo fue feliz cuando descrubió que la película fue no acerca de una araña. El disfruté el bailando mucho.

Esta persona empezaba bailando a la edad de quatro, con su hermana mayor. Ellos entretenían juntos en Vaudeville.

Aunque esta persona fue muy talentoso solo, él continuaba bailar con compañeras femeninas. Su más famosa compañera fue Ginger Rogers.

¿Quién es mi persona?

*****

Who Is My Person?

Although my person was born in 1899, his name is known and respected by people in my generation as well.

The face of this person can be found, along with the faces of other famous people, on the cover of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.


This person was mentioned by Madonna in her song "Vogue", and this person was referred to in the song "Long Tall Glasses" ("I Can Dance") by Leo Sayer.


This person was number 5 on a list of the 50 most famous movie stars, put out by the American Film Institute.

Rick can remember seeing this person for the first time in a movie, when he was 10 years old. The movie was "Daddy Long Legs". Rick was happy when he discovered that the movie was not about a spider, and enjoyed the dancing a lot.


This person began dancing at the age of 4 with his older sister. They entertained together in Vaudeville.


Although this person was very talented on his own, he continued to dance with feminine partners. His most famous partner was Ginger Rogers.


Who was my person?   (scroll down to see the answer)

Those Kodak Moments Just Don't Quit... (2011 - March 26)

It seems like almost every time we walk out our door, there's more Kodak moments just waiting to happen.

Today we were on our way to Norma's Pizza for one of Norma and Carol's delicious grilled delights. We were approaching San Antonio Church when...lo and behold...we discovered tons of people - including a bride - preparing for a wedding. Naturally I pulled out my trusty old point-and-shoot, and took a quick picture of the bride getting ready for her big day. 

As we continued down the street, Rick recognized an opportunity for another great photo. I was actually part of it but didn't like how I looked, so I cropped myself out. It's much prettier now. See the cobblestone street, the colorful buildings, the church steeples, and the mountain backdrop.

Rick and I, finally at Norma's, waiting for our food. Norma and Carol are both originally from the Detroit area, and opened their darling, colorful little restaurant just weeks ago. Last week we had their spinach and sausage pizza, and yesterday their traditional, loaded with lots of yummy items. Their pizzas have thin crusts, and are cooked on a Weber grill. What a taste treat!!  (BTW...This is the only photo I have of Rick and I together, in the entire 6 weeks we've been here. Thanks for taking it, Norma.) 

What a thrill to discover on our way home that the happy couple was just leaving the church. And that they had a mariachi band following them, playing joyful tunes!!! Whip out that camera again, Judhit...snap a quick shot...

 ...then run as fast as you can to the other side of the square so you can get a better view of this cool happening, with the church in the background (as Rick unobtrusively shrinks into the shadows of the trees).

The flowered limo was waiting, and as the groom helped his bride arrange her long train so she could get in, the children watched and the mariachis played. This event was like frosting on the cake for me!!! How lucky can one gal be?

This little boy, dressed in a cute little tuxedo, was probably the ring bearer. I couldn't resist asking him, and then his family, if I could take a picture. He doesn't look overjoyed, but he was cooperative.

Then I noticed a little girl, perhaps his sister, watching from the sidelines. She obviously wanted to be included in the photo taking, and I was happy to oblige. She even smiled for me!!! But then I noticed the very small form on the bottom left of this photo...

...yet another child, wanting to get into the picture. I was starting to feel like the pied piper of Kodak land. The kids loved seeing their pictures on the screen, and I think their parents were amused by their cooperation and enthusiasm.  What fun. Children are definitely the best subjects!!

We finally were able to tear ourselves away from the wedding festivities and began walking home. And suddenly...there was the limo carrying the bride and groom, driving down our street, right past our casa...

Adios, amigos. Have a great life together. And thanks for the wonderful photo ops that your special occasion provided for all of us. 

***

Well you would think this would be plenty of San Miguel excitement for one day, wouldn't you? But In the evening Rick and I walked back to the church to attend Mass, and discovered a group baby Baptism!  I counted 22 little ones, decked out in their best christening whites, receiving the Catholic rite of Baptism while their adoring parents, godparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins looked on. We just stayed in the background watching the happenings, but it was really special to be there. I felt blessed to witness two very special, joyful, family-oriented, church-centered events in one day.  

***

And so I wonder what treats are still in store for us? We leave early Thursday morning and though we're sad to go, we miss our wonderful lives, friends, family, house and dog back home. And it helps to know that instead of saying goodbye to San Miguel, we'll be saying "hasta el año próximo" (until next year). That's a good thing.

"Those were the days, my friend" (2011 - March 25)

O.K. you guys. Following is the second story I've written in Spanish. Our teacher wanted us to write something about ourselves, so I titled it "About Me". Once again, I challenge you to see if you can translate it yourself, before you read the English version.  (Go Kathy, go!!!)

Acerca de Mi

Yo tenía diecinueve años, y estuve una secretaria en Detroit centro, cuando Ricardo y yo 

conociamos. 

Estuve en un restaurante drive-in con mi amiga, bailando a la música de Motown, en el cofre de un coche cuando Ricardo manejó pasada. El pensó que estuve loca pero interesante, y pidió una amiga común a nos presentar. Pensé que estuvo muy guapo, y yo estaba impresionado que él estuvo en la universidad. Yo estuve muy contenta cuando él me pidió una fecha.

Quince meses despúes, Ricardo y yo casíamos. Por suerte, no sabíamos los dificiles retos delante. Pero...somos juntos despúes de casi cuarenta y cinco años, y todavia divertimos juntos. 

About Me

I was 19 years old and a secretary in downtown Detroit when Rick and I met.

I was at a drive in restaurant with my girlfriend, dancing to the Motown sound on the hood of a car, when Rick passed by. He thought that I was crazy, but he was interested...and asked a mutual friend to introduce us. I thought that he was very handsome, and I was impressed that he was in college. I was very happy when he asked me for a date.

15 months later, Rick and I were married. Luckily, we didn't know the difficult challenges that were ahead. But. we are still together after 45 years, and we still we have fun together.

****

"Those were the days my friend,

We thought they'd never end...

We'd sing and dance, forever and a day...

We'd live the life we'd choose, 

We'd fight and never lose..

Those were the days...oh yes those were the days!"

My First Spanish-written Story (2011 - March 25)

Dear Friends and Family:


As you may (or may not) know, I am currently in a Spanish class called "Storytelling". We've been studying both the preterite and copreterite verb conjugations, and now we're "off and running" with our stories (or at least trying, anyway). 


Following is the first story I wrote. It's entitled "Mi Primer Viaje", which translates to "My First Trip". If you're interested in the story but not interested in trying to read it in Spanish, please scroll down the page and you'll find it in English. But it's a simple story...maybe you could try to challenge yourself. It was quite a challenge...and achievement...for me.

Mi Primer Viaje

Yo tenía veintiocho años la primer vez que viajé in un avión.

Mi esposo y yo estaban ir a Jamaica con nuestros amigos, mientras nuestras padres estaban cuidando a nuestros niños.

El vuelo estaba muy turbulento, y yo tenía mieda. Mi amiga estaba tan molesta que ella vomitó en la bolsa para enfermo de avión. ¡El no estaba el foto bonito! Eramos felices cuando el avión finalmente aterrizó en Jamaica.

Jamaica era muy hermosa, y nuestros vacaciones eran maravillosos. El vuelo volver a Detroit estaba muy tranquilo. ¡Gracias a Dios!

Translation:

My First Trip

I was 28 years old the first time I flew in an airplane.

My husband and I went to Jamaica with our friends, while our parents took care of the children.

The flight was very turbulent, and I was scared. My friend was so upset that she vomited in the airsick bag. It was not a pretty picture! We were happy when the airplane finally landed in Jamaica.

Jamaica was very beautiful and our vacations were marvelous. The flight home to Detroit was very calm. Thank God!!

***

As they say in my Spanish class:

"poco a poco" 

or

"little by little"

tu amiga, Judhit

Visiting Guanajuato (2011 - 03/24)

On Tuesday Rick and I decided to get on a bus and go to Guanajuato, a town approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from San Miguel de Allende. We'd stayed there for 3 nights in 2009, had fond memories of that time, and were interested in going back. But more importantly, we wanted to experience what they call "luxury" or first class bus travel in México.

Per instructions from some gals in my yoga class, we went to a travel agency in el Centro to purchase tickets. This was important because the young woman at the agency spoke fairly good English, and was able to help us with schedules and in choosing a bus company to travel with. Primera Plus, rated #1 along with ETN, had the most scheduling flexibility, so we went with them.

There was a bus leaving at 1 p.m. and since we had an hour to get to Centro de Autobuses, we hopped on a city bus. 5 pesos apiece (about 80 cents), got us there. Now traveling by city bus is cheap and, for us, was a novelty. But...the seats are small, the buses are very hot (especially if you end up on the sunny side, like we did), and it's an almost constant stop and go. By the time we arrived at the bus station, we decided that we'd definitely be taking a taxi home at the end of our adventure. 

Our bus to Guanajuato was very nice. The seats, which tilted back, had footrests. Each seat had a set of headphones we could use to listen to music, or to hear the movie which was playing on small screens throughout the cabin. Rick chose to watch Bruce Willis, and I was as happy as a clam checking out the mountains and countryside and drinking my complimentary Pepsi Light, while dialing through 6 channels of música Méxicana.

Guanajuato is a really cool town, and I'd love to tell you about it's history and uniqueness. However, I simply don't have the time. Instead, I've included photos I took while there, with simple explanations beneath each. If you have an interest in learning more, you can always google Guanajuato. There's lot of information online about this fascinating town. 

Although the above photo looks forbidding, it's not as scary as it seems. Below the city is a series of tunnels built for flooding many years before a dam was constructed. Since flooding is no longer an issue, the tunnels are now used for traffic and for pedestrians. We (and many others) got off the bus in this tunnel, headed for the main area, or "el centro".

We followed the crowd up the stairs towards "el centro", but not before I shot this 

photo of the tunnel we had just emerged from.

Rick was quickly able to acclimate himself, and soon we were in front of Teatro Juaréz
one of the jewels found in el centro. It's an historically famous opera house where Enrico Caruso, the Italian tenor, once sang. Rick and I toured it two years ago, and it's absolutely gorgeous inside. You can see that the steps have many people on it. Guanajuato is a 
college town, and there are always students congregating on these steps.

A photo of Rick sitting in the lovely restaurant where we had lunch. It was actually 
one of the most fabulous meals we've had this trip, which is saying a lot. We chose arrachero (skirt steak) tacos, which came with frijoles, guacamole, cebollos (onions), pico de galla y dos salsas (2 sauces). It was all really yummy, and we left feeling pleasantly full!!!

The main church in the center of town. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name, but I
guess it doesn't really matter.  As you can see on the left, there is a 
manicured park with benches to sit on.
 At the end of the street that you see on the right, is Teatro Juaréz, the opera house.

Guanajuato is a lively, energetic town full of college students. It is a tradition for the young people to parade down the streets on the weekend evenings, singing joyful, lively tunes. 
I had the pleasure of experiencing this from our balcony when we stayed in Guanajuato two years ago (Rick was already in bed). I loved it, and would have joined them if I was braver.

Ricardo is at the bottom of the steps of one of the university buildings. Wouldn't it be 

interesting to know how many steps there are? It doesn't look architecturally accessible,
but it sure is pretty. 

The streets of Guanajuato remind us of Italy. Although this photo doesn't do it justice,
I like it anyway. You can see the narrow cobblestone streets with the flagstone sidewalks, 

and the beautiful church at the end of the road. 

I took this photo simply because I was amused at the name above the door - 
the "Ha! Ha! Cafeteria". These young men may have been amused as well.

The churches in this part of México have life sized, clothed statues and,  
at first glance, often appear real. 

Above is a photo of a (not-quite-life-sized) statue in a glass case, 
depicting the passion of Christ.

This old, old, old, huge, huge, huge Cathedral in Guanajuato is one of 

the most beautiful churches I've ever visited in my entire life. And I've been to a lot!!!
The Spanish apparently spared no cost in converting México to Catholicism.

Rick and I were heavily involved in the Marriage Encounter movement back
in the 80's,  and thus have a special place in our hearts for 
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza,  from "Man of La Mancha" .

Above you can see statues of these characters, about 3-4 times the size of life.

(as a size reference, notice the two strangers who happen to be standing between the figures)

A very picturesque photo of a street in Guanajuato, complete with a 

beautiful tree in bloom,  and brightly colored houses on the hillside beyond. 
They are so pretty that they almost don't look real. This town is very European-like.

Teatro Cervantes, a beautiful stone theater located next to the area where

the statues of  Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are located. This 
theater is obviously dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes
the author of  the 17th century masterpiece, "Don Quixote".

Well, it's back to the bus station and time to go home after a wonderful few hours. The bus to San Miguel isn't in yet, but above is a photo of two buses from the same line. Pretty snazzy!
...and a great time was had by all...¡Hasta luego!

Only on the streets of San Miguel... (2011 - March 19)

Rick standing in the background on the left

This afternoon I was studying my Spanish, and Rick was watching a movie with Spanish subtitles when suddenly - our buzzer buzzed. Now I've been told to never open the door unless I know who is on the other side. And so I nuzzled up close to our thick wooden door and said..."Who is it?" Since I didn't understand the muffled male response,  I said "Lo siento, no entiendo" (I'm sorry, I don't understand), and stepped back from the door.  But Rick was curious and opened the door to find a man and 2 burros - 1 white, and the other black - with packs on their backs. It turned out that this dear man was just trying to earn his living by selling the bags of garden soil he had placed on his burros' backs.


We tried to explain in our halting Spanish that we were just renting the casa, and that the gardener would be in on Tuesday. Even though we didn't buy anything, the man was gracious enough to allow me to take a picture of him and his burros. You can see Rick in the background, to the left, standing in front of our door. Only on the streets of San Miguel...


The range of experiences we've had while here have been incredible. We live among the locals, and like to shop at the small stores they tend, and eat in the restaurants they operate and enjoy. Just yesterday (a meatless Friday) we had a wonderful dinner, complete with seafood tostada appetizers (provided as a courtesy by the house), huge shrimp cocktails, grilled red snapper cooked in garlic butter, yummy rice, bread and salad at a simple neighborhood restaurant run by a family out of the front of their home. The grandma and grandpa were in the back cooking, the son was waiting tables, and the daughter-in-law was tending to their beautiful little 15 month old daughter, Arlena (who flirted with us throughout our meal). This dining delight, including 2 beers, a lemonade and a nice tip, cost 300 pesos, or $25. Only in San Miguel...


Contrast that with a concert we're attending this evening at the Angela Peralta Theater downtown.  The name of the group is "Swingshift", and their eclectic background includes backup, touring and recording with the likes of Van Morrison, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, Boz Scaggs, Lyle Lovett, the Carpenters, Tom Jones, Marilyn McCool, Billy Davis, the Pointer Sisters, Art Garfunkel, Bette Midler, James Taylor, Rod Stewart, Cher, Linda Ronstadt, Lionel Richie, Chuck Berry...and the list goes on.  Tonight's concert will focus on songs from the Great American Songbook (Nat King Cole, Louis Prima, Ray Charles) and samplings of lesser-known tunes from the postwar era. We have no doubt that this will be an evening of musical enjoyment and fun. And it's just one of the many cultural events offered here on an ongoing basis.


It seems to me that there's something for almost everyone on the streets of San Miguel. Charming scenes complete with burros, tasty and inexpensive seafood dinners, flirting playfully with beautiful Mexican children and going to concerts performed by seasoned musicians are only the tip of the iceberg of experiences available. Needless to say, I love being here. Just the other evening I said to Rick "I want us to come here every year until we die". And I meant it. Hopefully my blogs are helping you to understand why. 


Adiós, mis amigos.  Time to get ready for yet another San Miguel experience.   j












  

"Storytelling" (2011 - March 15)

My new Spanish class started Monday, and it's called "Storytelling". Although there will be some grammar (imperfect "co-preterite" tense) presented in the first several sessions, the class is designed to give us the opportunity to use the past tenses of the language we've worked so hard to learn. The main focus of the 8 sessions will be to write short stories in Spanish, and then present them to our classmates.






I'm excited about this process for many reasons. I'm hoping it will train my ear to listen to and understand the spoken language better. I'm also hoping it will help polish my Spanish accent and rhythm. I not only want to speak Spanish - I want to sound as much like a native as possible!!! 

Spanish classes are a wonderful way to meet other "adventurers" who have enough interest in México's language and culture to stick around and thoroughly engage themselves in a learning process. I say "adventurers", because it seems like the media reports of Méxican violence and danger keep away those who are not quite as brave. When we meet new people in San Miguel, one of our first conversation topics is usually about the family and friends back home who wonder why in the world we'd choose to go to México. Don't we know that it's dangerous there? Are we crazy? But I'm here to tell you, first hand - there's no need to worry about any of us. The more familiar we become with the people, the language and the culture (through classes, reading and personal experiences), the safer we feel. And the more we want to return to San Miguel, again and again!!! 

Rick and I seem to meet almost as many Canadians in San Miguel as Americans, perhaps even more. Maybe I'm missing something but from what I'm hearing - and experiencing - it seems to me that the U.S. media is doing the American public a disservice by overgeneralizing the problems in México. The result is that they're scaring people away from a really cool place to be - and really neat experiences to have. And hurting Mexican tourism in the process. 

I'm hoping that, by now, you're totally baffled about who is in these photos, and why I'm posting them. But as you are probably guessing, there is actually a method to my madness.

These are photos of Rocío, my beloved Spanish teacher. Not only is Rocío a terrific instructor, but she makes learning lots of fun. These great shots were taken by Jim Quinn, a new friend and retired photojournalist from The Chicago Tribune. Like anyone else who has met Rocío, Jim is crazy about her. Crazy enough to do a photo study that totally captures her bubbly personality. If you were to look up the word "spirited" in a picture dictionary, this is definitely the photo I would hope you'd see:

And so it is with great excitement that I look forward to my second "Storytelling" class tomorrow morning. And although it is tempting, I solemnly swear that I will not switch the stories in my blog to Spanish. At least not yet!!!

Adiós, mís amigos.    Judhit