Today I had the pleasure of meeting Sharon Helgason, a dynamo who lives in Chicxulub. Sharon is involved with many programs whose goals are to improve life for the local people. Among them are the Food Bank in Chicxulub, education, the old folks' home, providing a monthly food package for about 90 families, Christmas hampers and a breakfast program.
This morning a group of us went to her house to wrap Christmas toys which will be distributed closer to Christmas. I forget how many gifts we wrapped but I think it was around 150.
I'm glad I went. It gave me a much better understanding of what's needed and what's not really practical. An example of an impractical toy is anything the requires batteries. While battery operated toys are very cool, batteries is an expense that many families just can't afford.
She also hosts a conversation hour where Spanish and English speakers can get together and learn each others' language. There was a meeting tonight and there will be another on Wednesday. I'm not sure if it's twice a week all the time or only through the winter. There was only one Spanish speaker there tonight but I was told that there are usually several.
It was fun and informative. I'm hoping to go again on Wed.
In unrelated news, we had a mosquito in the house last night. omg. That little bleeper was relentless. I had several bites before going to bed and received several more while I was trying to go to sleep. I finally couldn't take it anymore and got up. Armed with a fly swatter, I laid in wait for it. Victory was finally mine at 2:30am. But Ms Mosca managed to get 11 jabs in before meeting her demise.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
How Did I Get on Facebook?
In the past week I've acquired a good number of hits from Facebook. I have no idea why. I don't have an account with them. I checked with my kids and none of them have linked me.
This is the first time I've seen FB in my referring URLs and sites. The only thing I can think of is that someone liked my blog enough that they chose to share me. Since I don't "do" Facebook I haven't a clue about how it all works and if there might be another reason FB is showing up in my stats.
Anyone have any thoughts?
This is the first time I've seen FB in my referring URLs and sites. The only thing I can think of is that someone liked my blog enough that they chose to share me. Since I don't "do" Facebook I haven't a clue about how it all works and if there might be another reason FB is showing up in my stats.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Feria Yucatan 2012
This afternoon a group of us went to the state fair, Feria Yucatan. I've been wanting to go since our first November here but it just never worked out.
We took the Autoprogreso. Tickets are 65 pesos each for the round trip. The bus from Progreso runs Fri, Sat and Sun. Departure times from the depot are at the top of each hour, starting at noon and ending at 6pm. Departure from the fair grounds is 6 hours after you leave Progreso. We took the 1:00 time and had to be back at our bus for 7pm. The last bus is the only difference. It leaves the fair at 11pm, so it's a five hour stay instead of six.
Six hours is not nearly enough time. There is sooooo much to see and do. Most of the shows for today didn't start until 4:00 or later and, once we read the schedule of events, I remembered reading that on someone else's blog last year.
There is a multitude of eateries from a regular food court to the vendors selling from their carts. Lots of rides for all age groups, from adults down to the littlies. Shopping, shopping and more shopping...kitchenware, jewellery, shoes, clothes, belts, cowboy hats, trinkets. You name it, it was probably there. Games of chance with prizes that would be deemed totally unacceptable up north. I'm pretty sure the politically correct would be aghast to see toy guns and bow and arrow sets available to be won by/for children. And if you didn't want to try winning them, you could buy them!
I don't know the name of this group of riders. They were a pleasure to watch. Round and round the arena. Back and forth, weaving patterns and crossing over each other. It was beautiful. You can see the horses are running here. Can you also see that the girls are riding side saddle? (Note the gal on the white horse). I swear those young ladies must have crazy glued their bums to the saddle.
One of the filled-to-the-rafters stalls.
It was a great day but we all agreed that the day was much too short so we're considering going in again.
We took the Autoprogreso. Tickets are 65 pesos each for the round trip. The bus from Progreso runs Fri, Sat and Sun. Departure times from the depot are at the top of each hour, starting at noon and ending at 6pm. Departure from the fair grounds is 6 hours after you leave Progreso. We took the 1:00 time and had to be back at our bus for 7pm. The last bus is the only difference. It leaves the fair at 11pm, so it's a five hour stay instead of six.
Six hours is not nearly enough time. There is sooooo much to see and do. Most of the shows for today didn't start until 4:00 or later and, once we read the schedule of events, I remembered reading that on someone else's blog last year.
There is a multitude of eateries from a regular food court to the vendors selling from their carts. Lots of rides for all age groups, from adults down to the littlies. Shopping, shopping and more shopping...kitchenware, jewellery, shoes, clothes, belts, cowboy hats, trinkets. You name it, it was probably there. Games of chance with prizes that would be deemed totally unacceptable up north. I'm pretty sure the politically correct would be aghast to see toy guns and bow and arrow sets available to be won by/for children. And if you didn't want to try winning them, you could buy them!
I don't know the name of this group of riders. They were a pleasure to watch. Round and round the arena. Back and forth, weaving patterns and crossing over each other. It was beautiful. You can see the horses are running here. Can you also see that the girls are riding side saddle? (Note the gal on the white horse). I swear those young ladies must have crazy glued their bums to the saddle.
One of the filled-to-the-rafters stalls.
It was a great day but we all agreed that the day was much too short so we're considering going in again.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Happy Birthday to Me
Actually, my birthday was the 15th but I partied too late that day to post about it.
The day started with Sr B and I going for a walk along the beach. We usually only go for about 30 minutes so I didn't put any sunscreen on. Big mistake. We walked all the way to the malecon and back and were gone for 2 hours. I got burned. Fortunately, most of the red is gone and it doesn't hurt.
Neighbours Liz and Bindi planned a potluck supper party. I can't remember the last time I had a birthday party. We always do a family get together at home but it only includes our kids and g'kids. We don't have any other family up where we live. Our family do's are wonderful but there's a difference between having cake and ice cream with your children and a party with people your own age. Neither one is better or worse than the other. Just different.
I received a lovely bouquet of flowers, a bottle of Kahlua and a small bottle of Xtabentun, my new favourite sipping liquer. Along with the Xtabentun, I got a necklace with 3 small beer mugs attached that were to be used as shooter glasses. I didn't do shooters. Xtabentun is far too sweet to shoot. Instead of a party hat, I was given a kid's headband with a bow. Too cute.
Liz and Bindi went way out. They prepared enough food to feed an army. And then there was whatever each guest brought. Everybody was stuffed to the gills. Several bunches of balloons adorned the place. A birthday cake with a question mark shaped candle for me to blow out was the finishing touch. Everyone who lives in our section of the complex was invited and everyone was able to attend.
I felt so spoiled.
The day started with Sr B and I going for a walk along the beach. We usually only go for about 30 minutes so I didn't put any sunscreen on. Big mistake. We walked all the way to the malecon and back and were gone for 2 hours. I got burned. Fortunately, most of the red is gone and it doesn't hurt.
Neighbours Liz and Bindi planned a potluck supper party. I can't remember the last time I had a birthday party. We always do a family get together at home but it only includes our kids and g'kids. We don't have any other family up where we live. Our family do's are wonderful but there's a difference between having cake and ice cream with your children and a party with people your own age. Neither one is better or worse than the other. Just different.
I received a lovely bouquet of flowers, a bottle of Kahlua and a small bottle of Xtabentun, my new favourite sipping liquer. Along with the Xtabentun, I got a necklace with 3 small beer mugs attached that were to be used as shooter glasses. I didn't do shooters. Xtabentun is far too sweet to shoot. Instead of a party hat, I was given a kid's headband with a bow. Too cute.
Liz and Bindi went way out. They prepared enough food to feed an army. And then there was whatever each guest brought. Everybody was stuffed to the gills. Several bunches of balloons adorned the place. A birthday cake with a question mark shaped candle for me to blow out was the finishing touch. Everyone who lives in our section of the complex was invited and everyone was able to attend.
I felt so spoiled.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
My Merida Adventure
This morning Bindi and I headed in to Merida on the AutoProgreso. She had a couple places to go to and I tagged along because I wanted to go to Costco, one of her destinations.
The first place she wanted to hit was a jewellery store to see about having some jewellery repaired. The address said C49 X 42 y 44. She said we would get off the bus at 49 and walk from there. The rest of the address didn't say Centro and I wasn't too sure about getting off the bus along C60 but, like Sr B, Bindi seems to have an innate ability to get to wherever she's going, so I didn't question her.
We get off the bus and start walking, hitting a dead end of sorts at about C38. The dead end was a train yard. So around the train yard we went and continued. When we arrived between 42 and 44, we couldn't find a jewellery store. We're standing on the corner inspecting Bindi's city map, trying to figure out where we're supposed to be. A lady on the other side of the street walked past and then turned around to offer assitance. I am always amazed at how helpful the people here are.
Anyways, it turns out that my suspicion was right. Villas la Hacienda is it's own area, separate from Centro and we were a long way from it. I can hear my Merida readers laughing.
So we go back a couple blocks to where we'd seen a taxi parked beside a tienda. We asked the lady there if it was for hire. She checked and came back with a no. The driver was sleeping. We sat down at the little table on the sidewalk to try to figure out what we were going to do...take a bus/combi somewhere or walk until we found a cab.
A young man whom I'd put in his late 20's, came over to help us. Have I mentioned how helpful the people here are? He apologized for his bad English which wasn't as bad as he thought it was. Bindi decided she would try to find the jewellery store another day and that we would just go to Costco. We asked if there were many cabs in the area. He said no and offered to drive us there. He looked hesitant when he offered. I'm guessing that he thought we would be afraid. But Bindi and I both got a good vibe from him so we agreed. We settled on a price and off we went.
Raul said he learned to speak English by watching movies. Really? Wow! After my experience with the movie the other night, and finding out that he learned from movies, I'm sold on the idea. I might have to go buy me some movies with subtitles from the street vendors. We had a good chit chat with him. He got to practice his English and I, my Spanish.
He asked us how we came to be at his house. I think what he was really asking was, "What on earth were you two middle-aged white ladies doing way out here?" LOL The looks we got as we were walking said the same thing.
Raul dropped us off at Costco and just as he was driving off the lot, I realized that I'd left my insulated shopping bag in his van. Darn it! Oh well. I'll call it an extra tip. It's a great bag and I know that whoever gets it will love it.
Thankfully the rest of our day was without incidence.
The first place she wanted to hit was a jewellery store to see about having some jewellery repaired. The address said C49 X 42 y 44. She said we would get off the bus at 49 and walk from there. The rest of the address didn't say Centro and I wasn't too sure about getting off the bus along C60 but, like Sr B, Bindi seems to have an innate ability to get to wherever she's going, so I didn't question her.
We get off the bus and start walking, hitting a dead end of sorts at about C38. The dead end was a train yard. So around the train yard we went and continued. When we arrived between 42 and 44, we couldn't find a jewellery store. We're standing on the corner inspecting Bindi's city map, trying to figure out where we're supposed to be. A lady on the other side of the street walked past and then turned around to offer assitance. I am always amazed at how helpful the people here are.
Anyways, it turns out that my suspicion was right. Villas la Hacienda is it's own area, separate from Centro and we were a long way from it. I can hear my Merida readers laughing.
So we go back a couple blocks to where we'd seen a taxi parked beside a tienda. We asked the lady there if it was for hire. She checked and came back with a no. The driver was sleeping. We sat down at the little table on the sidewalk to try to figure out what we were going to do...take a bus/combi somewhere or walk until we found a cab.
A young man whom I'd put in his late 20's, came over to help us. Have I mentioned how helpful the people here are? He apologized for his bad English which wasn't as bad as he thought it was. Bindi decided she would try to find the jewellery store another day and that we would just go to Costco. We asked if there were many cabs in the area. He said no and offered to drive us there. He looked hesitant when he offered. I'm guessing that he thought we would be afraid. But Bindi and I both got a good vibe from him so we agreed. We settled on a price and off we went.
Raul said he learned to speak English by watching movies. Really? Wow! After my experience with the movie the other night, and finding out that he learned from movies, I'm sold on the idea. I might have to go buy me some movies with subtitles from the street vendors. We had a good chit chat with him. He got to practice his English and I, my Spanish.
He asked us how we came to be at his house. I think what he was really asking was, "What on earth were you two middle-aged white ladies doing way out here?" LOL The looks we got as we were walking said the same thing.
Raul dropped us off at Costco and just as he was driving off the lot, I realized that I'd left my insulated shopping bag in his van. Darn it! Oh well. I'll call it an extra tip. It's a great bag and I know that whoever gets it will love it.
Thankfully the rest of our day was without incidence.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Low Key Day
Today was pretty low key. Senor B and I went uptown to get a few groceries. It was cruise ship day.
It's pretty easy to spot the cruisers. They're dressed in their finest casual clothes. Clothes that look too new to have not been purchased specifically for the trip. They're loud. The cruisers, not the clothes. They have such a know-it-all attitude and a self-important bearing. Everything about them screams, "Look at me! Look at me!" Gah!
At the store, we decided to try some deli meat. We could see the "Now serving number..." sign but we had no idea where to get our ticket. As we were discussing what to do, the Mexican lady in front of us showed us where the tickets were. The sign said 98 but my ticket said 01. Sr. B and I tried to figure out if the sign started over at 100. The same lady said it would. We were speaking in English but the lady spoke to us in Spanish. Did she understand English or was she astute enough to decipher our dilemma? Hard to say but it does underline the need to always speak respectfully because you just never know who might be able to understand you.
We went for supper with neighbours Owen and Bindi to a little restaurant they discovered up the street a few days ago. The botanas were plentiful. Chopped shark meat was one of them. It was actually pretty good. We had chicken fajitas as well as fish cooked in garlic. I'm not that big on fish but this was delicious. It was cooked almost crispy instead of the usual soft, squishy stuff. It may have been deep fried but, if it was, it wasn't greasy. Of course, I forgot to take pictures. We looked to see what it was called but we couldn't see a sign. I didn't get the ower's name, either. I don't make a very good reporter, do I?
It's pretty easy to spot the cruisers. They're dressed in their finest casual clothes. Clothes that look too new to have not been purchased specifically for the trip. They're loud. The cruisers, not the clothes. They have such a know-it-all attitude and a self-important bearing. Everything about them screams, "Look at me! Look at me!" Gah!
At the store, we decided to try some deli meat. We could see the "Now serving number..." sign but we had no idea where to get our ticket. As we were discussing what to do, the Mexican lady in front of us showed us where the tickets were. The sign said 98 but my ticket said 01. Sr. B and I tried to figure out if the sign started over at 100. The same lady said it would. We were speaking in English but the lady spoke to us in Spanish. Did she understand English or was she astute enough to decipher our dilemma? Hard to say but it does underline the need to always speak respectfully because you just never know who might be able to understand you.
We went for supper with neighbours Owen and Bindi to a little restaurant they discovered up the street a few days ago. The botanas were plentiful. Chopped shark meat was one of them. It was actually pretty good. We had chicken fajitas as well as fish cooked in garlic. I'm not that big on fish but this was delicious. It was cooked almost crispy instead of the usual soft, squishy stuff. It may have been deep fried but, if it was, it wasn't greasy. Of course, I forgot to take pictures. We looked to see what it was called but we couldn't see a sign. I didn't get the ower's name, either. I don't make a very good reporter, do I?
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Lest We Forget
The Remembrance/Veteran's Day ceremony was held at the Bamboo Beach restaurant, in Chicxilub this morning and was very well attended. Both the Canadian and American anthems were sung. The Last Post and Reveille were played via a computer. John McCrea's moving poem, "In Flander's Fields", was read and the computer provided "Amazing Grace" stirringly played on the bagpipes. The restaurant, as well as the street outside, was surprisingly quiet during the 2 minutes silence.
The restaurant provded several varieties of very tasty sandwiches after the service.
Participating in Remembrance Day has always been important to me so I was very happy to find out that a service was being held down here. This was the second year it was held at The Bamboo. I'm hoping it will become a regular thing so I can honour our veterans this way every year.
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