Tag Archives: Mexico

Feb22

Sunday February 22 2026

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Sunday February 22 2026

So I’m sitting here wondering why I haven’t heard a word from Canada while the USA has been quick to issue warnings and provide updates on Cartel activity today. Oh, wait! I forgot! Canada is always in the shadow and takes a while to catch on whenever there’s a crisis.

Please pray for everyone in Jalisco, especially Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Here in Aguascalientes it’s quite tranquil as I write this. I was out for a walk earlier. Restaurants and shops all open as usual. A typical day here in my neighborhood.

I have the Olympic figure skating on in the background. I missed the Canada USA hockey game earlier. Maybe the Guatemala channel might show it later on. Another hockey game that went to overtime. But they actually streamed some bobsleigh finals this morning. First time I’ve seen it on TV and not just on You Tube.

This is a short post but I wanted to let everyone know that I’m okay.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Feb16

This Week in February

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This Week in February

Has anyone else been glued to the TV lately? It all started with the Super Bowl last weekend. And now it’s the Winter Olympics. It’s been exciting seeing so many new world records set. These athletes have incredible determination and drive. I can only imagine the grueling training and other sacrifices made in order to qualify and participate in this event.

Yes, there’s been the usual complaints about judges and accusations about cheating. Athletes have been disqualified over petty little things. Politics has reared it’s ugly head. But there’s been a lot more positive things going on.

It was interesting to see that Mexico sent a delegation this year. Both men and women had a presence in Alpine skiing as well as in cross-country skiing. Donovan Carrillo skated his heart out in the men’s single event. Sarah Schleper set a record as not only the oldest Alpine skier but she is also skiing alongside her son.

Years ago I never enjoyed watching the figure skaters. I always worried that they’d fall and screw up their routines. But now I find it quite relaxing compared with watching some of the other sports. Serious injuries involving broken bones have occurred in skiing and in the halfpipe. There have been many crashes in the speedskating races. But I still marvel at those competing in these events, especially the halfpipe and the big air. And I have always enjoyed watching the luge and bobsleds.

Aside from sports and my usual English teaching this week, seeing as the mindfulness series has ended I’m starting a new program with a church in Canada tonight. This one deals with bridging broken bonds. It deals with avoiding and healing estrangement with adult children. This is always a hot topic of conversation with friends and I’m curious to see how Rick Warren approaches this.

And now I’m going to be mindful. I’m putting away my computer and I’m going to turn on my TV to watch the Winter Olympics. By the way, I’m watching it in Spanish on a channel our of Guatemala.

Feb10

WAY TO GO SEAHAWKS!

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WAY TO GO SEAHAWKS!

Around the world people are excited about the winter Olympics. But I’ll leave that for another post. This post is dedicated to my Seattle Seahawks.

While all my Mexican friends were watching soccer on Sunday, I was watching the Super Bowl. I’d watched the NFL playoffs in Spanish. To my surprise and delight, ESPN streamed here in Mexico in English! What a treat!

It was a great game and I thought the choice of Walker as MVP was appropriate. Of course once they won, it was a bit of a letdown to be here in Aguascalientes while all my friends were celebrating back in Washington. Oh well. Maybe another time.

I can’t even begin to describe the team spirit for this beloved football team. On game days when I was in Washington, everyone in church was always decked out in their Seahawks jerseys. And I expect it to be the same next season.

But for now, I’m content to talk about Sunday’s game with my friends back in Washington on my cellphone.

Feb1

It’s Been A While

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It’s Been A While

Yes. I’m still here. I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted. The truth is that I haven’t been inspired. No. It’s not writers block. It’s completely different. I’ve still been working on my WIP. My characters are still talking to me. Actually, I think it’s the world. The uncertainty. The tension. The chaos. There’s no escape.

In my newsfeed this morning I was reading about the protests in Puerto Vallarta. The locals are demonstrating regarding injustice for a change. Apparently it now takes hours instead of minutes to access the airport, if you are able to at all. Tons of complaints about people missing their flights.

The situation in Sinaloa is worse. The government is now deploying even more troops to Culiacan in a feeble attempt to bring peace to the area. They’ve been unsuccessful so far and I doubt that this action will have much of an impact.

There are blizzards in Florida. Iguanas are falling out of trees. Other local wildlife are struggling for their lives in this rather unusual climate. Disney is closing rides involving water and reducing hours in the theme parks. There are a lot of red flags on the beaches.

And I won’t even touch on the political climate in Canada or the USA. Or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. It is what it is.

January was a great month for my Seahawks. They annihilated the 49ers and beat out the Rams in a close one. On to the Super Bowl next Sunday! Go Seahawks!

I’m looking forward to watching some of the Winter Olympics on TV. I wonder how you say “bobsledding” in Spanish.

I’m off to Wateke Weekend later this afternoon. I’m craving a Jumbo Dog smothered in onions and tomatoes and salsas. It will be a nice change from cochinita pibil.

Jan6

Remember This One?

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Remember This One?

Who remembers their mom baking a birthday cake with a coin in it? My mom never did but I remember going to birthday parties where other moms did. As if a birthday cake in itself wasn’t exciting enough, now there was the added element of surprise. Who would find that lucky coin that symbolized good things in the year to come? Okay, so it was just a superstition, but it sure added to the fun at a birthday party.

Today, January 6th, is King’s Day here in Mexico. That is synonymous with Rosca de Reyes. And it is every bit as delicious as it looks in the photo. This amazing oval loaf of bread doesn’t contain coins. But it does have small figurines of the baby Jesus baked inside. If you are lucky enough to find one, then you bring the tamales and the atole to the celebration on February 2nd, Dia de la Candelaria. And adults are just as gleeful about this as children.

When I lived in Mazatlan, I took a cooking course where I learned to make a variety of traditional Mexican foods. And yes, Rosca was one of them. But like many other dishes I learned to cook or bake, it is far easier to buy this wonderful delicacy than to make it yourself. At this time of year bakeries are filled with Rosca. And speaking of filled, there are lots of variations. Fillings of cajeta, Nutella, cream cheese, almond paste, fruits and nuts are quite popular.

Buenelas move over. Rosca is here.

Dec27

Boxing Day

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Boxing Day

December 26th was synonymous with Boxing Day when I lived in Canada. No, it wasn’t a day to put on the gloves and rumble about in a ring. It is a day steeped in tradition although this seems to have changed dramatically over the years.

As a child, I have treasured memories of visiting my Auntie Florence with my parents. She was a friend of my mother’s but I called her Auntie. A large tree adorned her living room resplendent with vintage ornaments including real candles and shiny tinsel. Back then those were not considered a fire hazard. A beautiful pump organ filled a wall. Auntie Florence would patiently sit beside me on a bench and man the pedals while I attacked the keyboard. Afterwards we would have tea and delightful homemade Christmas cookies. Those were magical afternoons.

As an adult, Boxing Day sales became the norm. I recall buying everything from stereo equipment to leather furniture on those days. Of course it was necessary to fight the crowds of other bargain hunters. This day was akin to Black Friday in the USA. And yes, occasionally my kids would come long and add to the chaos.

But I have other memories of my kids on Boxing Day. They were competitive bowlers in the YBC program in Canada. Boxing Day Doubles at Rossmere Lanes became the norm. I enjoyed cheering them on. If the truth be told, I preferred the tournament over department store sales.

As mentioned above, Boxing Day is a day steeped in tradition so I’ll digress to a brief history lesson. Back in 1874, England declared December 26th as a bank holiday. Servants who had to work on this day were given boxes containing gifts, bonuses or food. The church distributed alms boxes to the poor. Tradespeople were also given boxes containing gifts or money.

Boxing Day is mostly limited to the Commonwealth countries and is not well-known in the USA although Canada is a close geographical neighbor. However, there is the tradition of a Christmas bonus which seems to be quite common in companies worldwide.

I’m in Mexico now where the 26th is just an ordinary day. I went to the bank, ate breakfast at a restaurant and then went for a long walk. I spoke to friends from Washington and Winnipeg on the phone. I listened to an audiobook in English and watched a movie in Spanish on TV.

And that’s it for Boxing Day this year.

Dec23

La Nochebuena

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La Nochebuena

The poinsettia plant has long been synonymous with Christmas. Here in Mexico, these colorful red flowers grow on small trees. When I taught in Tlaquepaque years ago, one of these beautiful trees was actually growing out in the courtyard of the school. While the traditional color is red, there are many other colors now available.

In Mexico, the Aztecs used these plants for dye and medicine. Franciscan monks then used them in nativity scenes. The star shape symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, while the red color symbolizes the blood of Christ.

Although native to Mexico, this plant was named after Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Back in the 1800s, he gave many of these colorful plants as Christmas gifts to family and friends. And poinsettias have increased in popularity over the years.

Nochebuena in Mexico is also the term used for Christmas Eve. This is the time of the big celebration, when families gather together to attend a mass at church and enjoy sumptuous dinners. This differs greatly from Christmas Day celebrations in the rest of North America.

I wish all my readers a holiday season filled with love, peace, hope and joy.

Merry Christmas!

Dec18

First Washington Now Winnipeg

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First Washington Now Winnipeg

This morning I wandered down to the tianguis on my street. It was a tad chilly, a mere 60 degrees. But the sun was shining brightly. And I’ve gotten used to seeing Mexicans wearing ski jackets and scarves in this weather. Lots of hats and gloves too. Me? A short-sleeve top instead of a tank top.

Washington was hit with a second atmospheric river. Once again the wind toppled trees and downed power lines. Lots of evacuations on the west side. And now there are blizzard and heavy snowfall warnings out across the state.

Winnipeg is completely shut down today as a massive blizzard attacked the city and the surrounding areas. Glad I’m not there either, although I do recall blizzards in the past when I braved those Winnipeg winters in my younger days. The good thing about a Winnipeg blizzard is that it blows in and blows out fairly quickly. While it does cripple the city, plows are usually able to clean things up fast. And the highways are not destroyed as is the case in Washington.

Highway 2 west of Leavenworth is closed. That is huge! Not only is this the most direct route to Seattle, it is also one of two main mountain passes between Leavenworth and Seattle. Landslides, mudslides and flooding have taken their toll. A fifty mile stretch of highway no longer exists. Barring any more inclement weather, it is predicted that repairs will be complete and the highway passable hopefully by the end of February.

The only other option is Blewett-Snoqualmie, a more scenic but less direct route also notorious for harsh winter weather. Delays are already all too common and now it will definitely take much longer to travel to Seattle with the increased traffic on this route.

I’m thankful that I’m here in Mexico, although I admit I do occasionally dream of a white Christmas.

Dec10

So I Went To The Hospital Last Night

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So I Went To The Hospital Last Night

Hospital MAC Aguascalientes Norte. This is an amazing facility in the north end of the city. Both the hospital and the adjacent medical tower feature state of the art equipment. There are 477 consulting rooms for the various specialists, one of whom I saw last night.

But I need to back this up a little. My friend Arcelia and her husband own a small cafe in San Marcos. I was having breakfast with Arcelia and two other friends yesterday when I mentioned that my ear was blocked. Arcelia immediately offered to take me to a doctor two doors down from the cafe. It was noon by now. After less than a 5 minute wait, we were shown into the examining room. Although my Spanish is quite good, it was nice to have Arcelia with me as a translator. I also had an app on my phone for medical terms in addition to the usual Google translator. In broken English and fluent Spanish, the doctor explained to me that he didn’t have the proper equipment to help me. I was rather surprised. In Canada my family doctor never had a problem with syringing my ears when necessary. After an approximately fifteen minute discussion, he referred me to a specialist at MAC. He also refused to charge me for the office visit. He felt badly that he couldn’t help me and had to refer me to a specialist. Just imagine a doctor in Canada or the USA doing that!

I was a little discouraged and more than a little anxious at this point. My ear had been blocked for 4 days. Arcelia then contacted the office of the ENT specialist and I was completely blown away that I had been given an appointment for 7 pm. Really? A referral to a specialist and being seen that very same day? Never would happen in Canada or the USA!

To my surprise the doctor spoke English. And I have to tell you, seeing a doctor here in Mexico is very different. It feels more like a social call. Once the doctor had entered my medical history on the computer, I was then guide over to a chair in front of a huge monitor on the wall, not your typical computer or TV screen. I was treated to a clear view of the impacted wax in my ear that had been causing me distress. The entire time she was working on my ears (and it turns out my good ear wasn’t really in that good a shape either) we talked about a variety of things, among them Arcelia’s cafe and the conversation club we have there. The doctor also checked my nose and throat while she was at it. Thankfully those were just fine.

An hour with the specialist and I walked out of there a different person. In just under $50 US, it came to hundreds of dollars less than the deductible on my travel health policy. I won’t even comment. You can draw your own conclusions. And the cost to park in the hospital parkade was about sixty cents US per hour.

By the way, I only use private clinics and hospitals. The government-run ones, such as IMSS, are a whole different story. Maybe I’ll save that for another blog post.

In the meantime, I’ve had to adjust the volume on my TV, my computer and my cellphone. And I’ve noticed just how loud the fan in my bedroom is!

Nov11

November 11

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November 11

It was called Remembrance Day in Canada when I was growing up. I always thought it unfair that we had to go to school for a service while my dad had to close his business and got to stay at home. I remember that all students in the school congregated in the gymnasium. We sang O Canada and O God Our Help In Ages Past. There was the standard Last Post and Reveille. I recall men in uniform and a speaker. We all wore poppies. We sang God Save The Queen. And after about an hour we were dismissed and allowed to go home.

In 2016 I was in Leavenworth, Washington on November 11th. Veteran’s Day in America meant honoring all those who had served in the armed forces. Restaurants offered specials for veterans. Tables were decorated with American flags. There was a more festive feel to this day than what I had experienced previously on November 11th in Canada.

In Mexico November 11th is not recognized as the big holiday in the month. That honor goes to Revolution Day on November 20th, although November 17th is the day people take off in order to have a long weekend. Banks and government buildings are closed as well as many businesses.

Revolution Day marks the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. Madero led a group of followers up against the dictator Diaz, demanding equality and a more democratic country. Parades and historical reenactments are common on this day.

Today is November 11th. This afternoon Ricardo is bringing me enchiladas and taquitos. Then I will go to a cafe to facilitate my weekly Conversation Club with Mexicans who are eager to improve their grasp of the English language.

Enjoy your day.