1) I don't shower often, but when I do, it feels really good. I am fighting the global water problem, one less shower at a time. Somewhere around 2005, when I took a trip to South America, I stopped the daily grind of watering and lathering--of all the things that happened down there, that was the one thing that stuck. Sometimes in my Colonia, they shut off the water, because there is not enough to go around. Sometimes, the pump breaks, and the water won't come up stairs. Sometimes there are news articles, which discuss the water shortage we will inevitably face on a global scale. All of these things are prime excuses for a lack of showering--so I use them as such--excuses.2) I had my first visitor. Gloria, whom accompanied me on my first trip to DF in April, made her second voyage. She was here for five days, and lord it felt good to have an old friend, a piece of home, another person under my roof. She arrived on a mild evening and she left on the same type of day. Aside for a brief sprinkle here and there, she brought the good weather. It was my hope that she would experience the deluge of an afternoon storm, but alast it never came. What did come was good times. We spent several evenings with Pablo, Ana, and Julia. For El Grito, the big Independence Day celebration, we went to an awful bar in Colonia Juarez.
There were fireworks in the Zocalo and amazing light show, but we ended at a gringo gentrified pub. The Spaniards were in tow, and we high tailed it to La Condesa for a beverage and some ambiance. We chatted, we drank, we exchanged stories of wild years past, and we were merry. Then we headed to the fail safe late night grub spot: Tizoncito. Tacos al pastor at 2 am shall always be amazing. As we grubbed a homeless man serenaded us. Then as I turned to look over Julia and Gloria's shoulders, a large elephant of a man, stood up and socked the other dude at his table. The guy's eye began furiously bleeding. Everyone was in shock. The short of it was, the bloody dude left with his woman and the big dog stayed and finished his tacos...weird. We then parted ways, on an odd note.3) Sharing your artwork with friends is cool. Sharing your artwork at a high end restaurant with several couples you don't know, is a little scary. Julia designed the interior decorum of a Malayasian restaurant in Roma Norte. Gloria, Ana, Pablo, and I met her there for some drinks. Some other couples were there. Julia said I had to bring three paintings, in order to be allowed inside. Her artwork is in the main dining area--these brilliant little drawings of unusually delightful dimensions. A large gangly monkey being ridden by a tiny George Washington; a delicate Indian Palm, circled by a tiger and concealing a mischevious little monkey. All of the drawings have this ornate antique quality to them. Before my first beer was done, Julia summoned my paintings. Gloria had asked me, prior to leaving the house, "Are you nervous?" At the time, I boldly answered, "No. Not at all. I am confident in my work." Well in the restaurant, with several strangers, that shit all went out the window. I reluctantly distributed my canvases: Curtis Blow, Jen Cohen, Katie Quach, and Senorita Marcus, circulated the table. Gloria eve's dropped on the Spanish murmurings, and the report was that they dug the works...I smiled on the inside.
3) Tacos with al pastor, pineapple, salsa, cilantro, and cheese are really good; they are really good, when purchased at El Califa in La Condesa.
4)Discovering new parts of town is fun. We took a drive through Palanco and Bosque de Chapultapec. I had loose directions from a fellow teacher. I don't think I found the park he was talking about, but I did find the 2a section of Chapultapec Park, and we found
a parking spot for 15 pesos. Glo, the pups, and I walked around a brilliant green lake; the fish and ducks were as thick as the algae. Naturally Flow dove in after the coy fish. I ducked behind a bush and waited for her to return. We walked the lake, and then dipped across the street and found a fairly uninhabited section of rolling grass knolls that were sparsely covered with semi-mature trees. We sat down next to a bunch of Jews engaging in a Holy Ritual--it was pretty awesome. Gloria quizzed me on my Spanish vocab, I played some harmonica, and the dogs frolicked like they do. The weather was about 75 degrees out and clear blue skies--it was by far the best day of the trip.5)Korean food is damn good. The portions served here are much larger than in the states. Korean food is spicy. Korean food can really open up some new parts of your lower GI track. Korean food taught me the term "Pica y Repica": Spicy on the way in and spicy on the way out.
6)Julia is in Barcelona for a month. Julia is the first true friend I made outside of school. Julia has a Jack Russell named Lucio (or Lucious). Lucio is now apart of my pack for the next month. Little dogs are cool. Lucio, still has his testes. Lucio, when at a dog park, spends most of his time attempting to spread his seed with dogs far too large for him. Lucio spent the better part of 45 minutes trying to impregnate a great dane--he never made it past her elbow. For the better part of 45 minutes, I pretended that I did not know Lucio. I went to coffee afterwards with the pups. Ana held Lucio, and Flow and Chops laid down
next to me. I know I have said this before, but being here in Mexico has made me realize how awesome my dogs are. Sure they chew stuff, don't always listen, but the fact that they can lay calmly while at coffee, or sit and stay when told, is really making me happy. When I walk all three dogs, if I put Lucio on the inside of Flow, who walks on the inside of Chops, he will not pull. If I walk him on the opposite side of me, by himself, all he does is pull. It is interesting to see how the pack mentality affects the migrating aspect of walking together.7) I am tired. I shall end here.
Gloria! Nice
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