My Rainbow Friends

I have gay friends. It's actually an understatement, i have tons of gay friends. When i was living in Mexico, most of my closest friends were gay. I wasn't making an effort for this, I don't know, i seem to naturally attract gay people. And the reason behind this is that it probably shows that whether you're gay or straight, or Black, or White, or Latino, a girl, a boy, tall, short, fat, skinny or riding a unicorn, i couldn't give a bigger fuck. I mean that has GOT to show somehow. 

In Mexico, and in Puerto Vallarta in particular (gayest Mexican destination apparently), people don't seem to mind gay people. At least, it didn't seem that way to me. I remember on my last job, two of my colleagues came out to me (separately) and i guess my answer to both was "ok, and?". I mean, really, does you being gay change something to the story you're telling me right now? Because a) i knew already and b) it doesn't make any difference. Not to me anyway. If i liked you before, chances are i'm still going to like you afterwards.

Same when a French friend of mine i found out on FB after years without any news from him wrote me back with a rather aggressive tone (or so it seemed in his mail) that he was gay and there, i had it. So i answered him in what i hope was a nice way by saying that he could very well be and do whatever the hell he wanted, i was just happy to have news from him and that was all my message was about. I wasn't fishing for intimate details of his personal life. I think it kinda shock him a bit. I mean, me being so accepting.

That's only when i got back to France and talked about it with my man that i realized (or was made to realize) that not everybody is like me, oh dear, far from it, and that in France in general, it is still quite a taboo. Something people try to avoid mentioning and if they really have to, always do so reluctantly and/or despisingly. 

Well to me, this behavior is shocking.

End of it all, gays are just human beings. Sometimes, yes, they do fall into the stereotypes of the drama queen and the truck driver but seriously, seeing a guy (OK a drag) wearing 25cm heels and dancing in them better than i can ever do with flats should put everybody in their rightful place.

I love my gay friends (as much as i love my straight friends). I remember one day, one of them told me that it was so relaxing for him to chat with me cuz i wasn't making judgements on anything he'd ever say. As i told him, well, if you ask my opinion about something, i will give it to you even if i know it's not what you'd like to hear. But i believe that's what friends are for. You'll always find tons of people ready to criticize your every move, so for me, being a friend is to stand by you. Period. I'm not saying that you should blissfully agree on everything your friends do or say, sometimes, everybody needs a little reality check, but your sexual orientation will never have anything to do with how i feel about you.

And i believe that as long as what your neighbor does with his/her life doesn't affect your life, your liberty and your safety/health, then why the heck should you care about it?

I understand that it must be so hard for people to come out. And i'm sorry to say that my homecountry of France is no exception to this. It shouldn't be that way. You don't decide one morning that oh, nice weather, let's be gay today. No. It's like your eyes color or your skin tone. You're born that way (no pun intented and no Lady Gaga quote either even if the song is stuck in my head now ...) It broke my heart last year when, at a friend's gathering (class of ... kinda reunion, 15 years without seing eachother for the most of us), my previously mentioned gay friend was never asked how his life was going. I mean we all knew he's gay. It's not a disease, it's not contagious. I was the only one sitting with him and asking him, so how's life going for you? Your travels, your job, your love life, you're seeing someone? Oh, you mean that guy i always see yourself pictured with is not your man but a friend, ok, cool. Sorry you had your heart broken last year, the right guy will come up, just like for the rest of us ;) Everybody wants to be accepted. And asking him the same questions i asked my girl friend some time prior was a natural for me. And i can say that he was only too pleased to answer me.

sorry couldn't help 3:) jijiji

Happy Valentine Day ... to ME

I believe i've said it before but i'll repeat it again, just to make sure. I dont like Valentine's day. I think it's cheesy, i think it kills the entire concept of love and more to the point, i think it's commercial.

I'm not saying this because i'm single and without a Valentine. I've always felt that way. I think if you love someone, you dont need a day that the calendar imposes you to let him/her know about it. If you love someone, you show him/her every single day that passes. Why do you need to be the 14th of February to take him to dinner, or give him chocolates, or a present or whatever. There are 365 days in a year and you should make the best of them ALL.

Here in Mexico, Valentine's day is not only the day for lovers it's also the day for friends. It's the day of love and friendship. How about that? I like that better. In a way. That's a commercial way-out for single people to still spend money on gifts for friends instead of spending it on a lover. But i also like the concept since nobody is left out in the celebration. There is always someone who's gonna wish you the best and show you their love and support and it feels nice.

Today, since i'm single, i decided to do not-fun stuff by going to the bank. When i got there, my adviser wasnt there and nobody else was available so i thought, well, not meant to do this today then. Since i was there, i decided to go sit on the beach and watch the ocean. Something i havent done in so long i dont even remember the last time i actually did it. You never do stuff like that when you can - cuz it's right there. I'm sure i'll miss it like crazy when i'm gone but that's another story. 

It's when i stepped on the beach that i realized i was on the exact same spot i came to the first time i set foot on a beach here in Puerto Vallarta, some 11 years ago. Talking about closing chapters. I've always believed everything happens for a reason and me ending up there today was no coincidence. I was meant to be there, especifically to close chapters. Just like i did yesterday with all these old memories of my life here. 

The moment was quiet and beautiful. I topped it up with a massage that left me amazingly mellow and relaxed. I'm gonna go take a nap now. The only thing that could make this day even better than it is already, is my neighbor coming tonight with his friend telling me he's buying the house. I've already put a bottle of champagne in the fridge for the celebration!

Lost and Found

We are currently remodeling the house, or better said, we're building up a guest room at the back of the garden. Reason why we have workers at home and we've had them for a couple of weeks now. A couple of days ago, when we got back home, one of the workers told us that Lola, our dog, was kinda acting weird and that she had been playing with a toad. OK that's never good but we're used to deal with that kinda situation, Lola has a thing for toads. And the bigger and the grosser, the better. 

I got back inside, get her milk so wash away the venom of her mouth but strangely, she wasn't drinking it this time. She wasn't even salivating like she normally does after playing with a toad.

And that's when it stroke us. She hadn't just played with the toad, she had actually ATE the damn thing. And she was dying of poisoning right in front of our eyes.

I called the vet, he told me to rush to his place and off we were. Dear Beloved drove so fast i closed my eyes the entire time. And Lola was getting less and less responsive.

We made it to the vet "in extremis", he gave her a shot, brought her temperature down (she had 40.3°C instead of 38°C) and waited until she started to react to the antidote to let us take her back home.

And the following morning, apart from her somehow stiff walk, it was like nothing happened. Dogs do live in the moment. 

But 2 days after she almost died in our arms, another incident happened. I got home first and Bullet came to say hi but Lola didn't  And considering she very nearly poisoned herself a couple of days prior, i went in the garden to check on her. Maybe venom is like an earthquake, there's the second wave of it after a while. Except that Lola was nowhere to be found. 

We currently have an enormous amount of crap laying around in the garden because of the construction going on. And i check behind every single piece of wood, metal, plastic, bags that are there and still no Lola.

I called Dear Beloved and told him: Lola is missing, she's not here.

And he said: what do you mean?

How can we be so thick when you hear a news like this. Dude, i mean exactly what i just said, she is not here. She's gone, she's not in the garden. Bullet is but Lola isnt. What part dont you understand?

Well i looked in the neighborhood, calling her, asking all the people i bumped into if they had seen her and nobody had and i was pissed and really thought someone had taken her. I was crazy mad at the workers for not being careful and letting her escape. And Dear Beloved came home and we start scowling each other like it's our fault, like we want to find a guilty person for it . And he stormed out to look for her again. Unsuccessfully.

When we went to bed that night, a part inside of me died a little. Lola has been part of the family for almost 2 years now and not feeding her and putting her to bed was just excruciating. 

I didn't sleep well. Spent the entire night twisting and turning in my bed and woke up like i had only slept an hour. I took Bullet on our morning walk, it was just him and me. He looked at me like he was gonna say: where's Lola? Isn't she coming too? It was weird and painful.

At breakfast, i was determined to make flyers and post them everywhere in the neighborhood. And that's when i heard a bark. That's when i heard HER bark. I don't think there is a single mother on this planet that doesn't recognize her children's voice. Well i don't have children but i have 5 pets. And i can recognize every single one of their voice. 

I dashed out and headed towards where i had heard her bark. And there she was. Sitting like a queen on one of my neighbor's lounge chairs, waving her tail like she was saying: mom, i went camping and it was aaaaaawesome! Can i do it again?

My neighbor told me she didn't know which house was mine and that she was terrified of my dog who had sneaked in her garden yesterday evening as she was parking her car. I'm so glad she chose that garden. 

And i'm so glad i have her back.

I Finished It

I finished that Half Marathon i bragged about earlier. I didn't finish last and i did it in less than 3 hours. So my 2 goals were actually met. I am so proud of myself i cant even start to explain.

We got up at 5:30am to be ready on the departure line at 6:30am as initially planned. There was this excitement going on around us and i could feel the adrenaline raising and honestly, i wanted to be time to get going.

They gave us little bags of colored powder to throw in the air when the "go" was said - don't ask, i didn't get the point either. They wanted to make this a unique only in Vallarta kinda thing but seriously, when you have 176 people throwing powder in the air, you start your run in the middle of this gigantic colorful cloud, you cant see shit and you're covered in 10 different colors. No, even now, still don't see the point of it.

So there we were. All covered in purple and orange (and yellow and pink), beginning to run our 21 km. Miguel and Michael, the other 2 guys from the office dashed out. Dear Beloved was behind me and my first concern was to adjust my steps to my breathing and keep the rhythm. 

So many people passed me but i didn't really care to be honest. I wasn't racing against anybody but myself. It was MY race and it was for ME.

I knew there was going to be a table with water and gatorade every 2km. So when i saw the first one, i was like, well that was fast. Then i passed the return for the 5k. There were 3 races in fact. A half marathon, a 10k (who left 10 minutes behind us) and a 5k (who left 10 minutes after the 10k). At this point, i was doing well, and i was doing well up until i saw someone coming on the return line. With an official number. And i hadn't even reached the 5k mark. For a second i thought, damn, am i that slow? Is it really worth keeping running that? I mean seriously, you're on your way back already??

And then another one. And another. And i was like this is not right. I've been running for less than 30 minutes, there is no way someone is already almost back. And just a few seconds after that, here it was: the return mark for the 10k. And i thought, bunch of pussy faces, they only on for the 10k. No wonder they're already on the way back.

And the base get running running and running running .... You HAVE to have motivating music to run. And the Black Eyed Peas are cool for that! Them among many others on my playlist. 

Things started to get tricky after passing km 9. The road wasn't flat anymore so it's a killer for the knees and the legs cuz it was inclined but sideways. It's not going uphill or downhill, it's going sideways like a Nascar's track. When i finally got to the point i was convinced was the 10.5km mark, and i saw the runners in front of me keeping on going straight, i was like this is a joke, this has got to be a joke, how far do we still have to go??? After running 10k, 500 meters seem like a light-year away.  But i did pass it, i did step on those carpets that capture the time with the chip you have attached on your shoe, i did hear the cheer of the staff standing there and i thought, from this point on, i'm already a winner. 

I knew i could run 10k so passing that mark was the mental minimum i should reach. Anything passed that point was already a huge accomplishment for me. 

And i kept running.

But after another 1.5km of running, we got back to that Nascar's track and that totally fucked me up. I couldn't feel my right leg, i had this big cramp in my foot and i thought, it's not worth hurting myself. So i started to walk. Dear Beloved kept on going.

I must say, the walking i did between km13 and km15 was hard on my mental. I got passed by a dozen runners and i was honestly convinced i was the last of the race. I stopped at the water stand at km14 for about 10 minutes. I was so thirsty, i was exhausted, i was in pain, i wanted to quit so bad. In fact, i wanted it to stop. I wanted the pain to stop.

But then i realized that even though it was hard, it wasn't costing me much to keep walking. And i couldn't get this out of my head, that pain is temporary, quitting is forever. That there is always the easy way out of giving up. And i just couldn't stop.

It's on km17 that i realized i wasn't last, that this older man dressed as a clown was behind me and that if he could do it, damn it so could i. I waited for him to catch up with me and when he told me "si puedes", he gave me that extra push that i so badly needed. And i started to run again, for another 2 kilometers or so. I saw my boss and colleagues on the side of the streets further down the road with big signs and banners, shouting and cheering and it was overwhelmingly awesome.

I walked some more but when i reached km20 and that i could actually see the finish line at the end of the road, i got that energy kick and began to run again. And that's when it became real. I was this close to finish that shit. I was this close to actually finish a half marathon. It didn't matter how much time had passed since i had started, it didn't matter if i was going to be last, all that mattered at that particular time was the fact that i was going to finish this. And i wanted to cry so bad, tears actually started to run down my face. 

It's when i had the finish line standing some 50 meters away that emotion got the best of me. I had this gigantic ball of tears stuck in my throat i could barely breathe. It's when you realize that you're not just going to finish this, you're actually about to cross the finish line. And all the other runners are there waiting for you, and everybody is cheering and clapping and shouting, and there is so much noise and so much emotion but the only thing you really see, is that carpet you need to step on to officially end your suffering.

It's 21 km of pain. It's 21 km of you and the road and the pain. I did it in 2 hours 52 minutes and 28 seconds. It's an emotion that no word is big enough to describe. But one thing is certain:

What The Heck Was I THINKING?

A little over 4 weeks. This is the time i have to train for that half marathon I've signed up for. Less than 2 weeks away from it now, i'm really start to wonder what was i thinking when i said i was in. I mean seriously?

I hate running, i'm exhausted, not a single muscle of my body doesn't hurt and I've gained 4 kilos in 2 weeks. Talking about motivation :(

I only run half hour every morning. And to be honest, i'm actually surprise I've been that good at keeping it up. The motivation i mean. Getting out of bed at 6am is the worse. If i were to listen to myself, i wouldn't step out and stay in bed for an extra hour. But i want to do this. And i want it bad. I want to prove Dear Beloved that i'm gonna finish that shit, and more important, prove myself i can do it. If i set my mind to it, i can do it. And my mind has been set on the finishing line for as long as i remember. 

I run 30 minutes a day, every day of the week. And i still bike to work every day. 20 minutes to get there, 20 minutes to come back.

The running is hard for me cuz I've never run before. Until now, I've never managed to breathe efficiently enough to keep going. I was out of breath in no time, drowning with no air. But i found my rhythm and i'm using my inhaler before the run and it's been going great. It's my body that's screaming like crazy. It's my legs that cant seem to take it. I'm not even out of breath when i make it back home. But my legs are shaking like leaves in the wind, i can barely stand and it's a bit scary. But damn, it feels good.

While i was away on my trip last week, i still managed to run every morning. And for the first time in my life, i actually experienced lactic acids and i puked. It was liberating. It was like reaching the physical limits of your body but still telling it: screw you, i'm doing this whether you want it or not. 

And this has been my motivation. Where i run in the morning, it goes uphill. It's awful, it's painful and i feel like i'm dying a little inside. In 2 weeks, at this exact time of the day, i'll be home, back from that half marathon that i'll have finished just a few hours prior.

I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna show them all who the bloody hell i am.

I'm gonna do it because i want to.

I'm gonna do it because i can.

I'm Gonna Run A Marathon! (But My Dogs Ain't)

Well, it's not a marathon, it's actually HALF one but i thought it'd be more catchy for the title!! 

A few days ago, the accountant of the company i work for sent us an email saying that he wanted to gather people to run the half marathon of Vallarta on November 4th. After thinking about it for a minute, i remembered "running a triathlon" was on my bucket list and i thought, well close enough, i should do it.

So i answered his email with one sentence: I'M IN.

And everybody kinda was expecting me to say that and everybody started cheering and the accountant smiled and showed me the run we'd have to do and damn it's 21 km!

When i told the news to Dear Beloved, he wasn't half as excited as i were. He was even pretty unpleasant, telling me we were insane to do this, we'd hurt ourselves, we'll never finish it, even him could not finish it and had i signed him up as well? And i was like, what? You're scowling me for telling you i just signed up for a half marathon and now you're asking me if i signed you up for it too? Of course i haven't. Well sign me up he said. 

Men are weird.

So here we are, that very same evening, on our way to go buy proper running shoes, and out of nowhere, in the car, i got lectured (again) about this whole half marathon thingy. I'll pass on the details cuz i'd get pissed off again but hey, i'm not trying to make the Olympic team, i can abandon if needed, i wont get shot or fined if i do so and i'm excited at the idea that i'm actually going to have the chance to do this. So drop it, keep your negativity and help me chose the proper shoes.

And he did.

And so the training began. We took the dogs with us the following morning and i managed to run, without getting out of breath (that's definitely a first for me) for about 25 minutes. On the second day, the dogs weren't having any of it and they were like, is that a joke? 2 days in a row it's not funny anymore. I basically had to DRAG Lola for the last 10 minutes of the run and it's definitely no fun. I was kinda looking forward to run that half marathon with our dogs. I believe it's not gonna happen.

Well, too bad for them. I'm gonna do this and i'll keep all the laurels for myself!

I Feel Like An Old Fart

As some of you might know, this past week was our Corporate Retreat. And as part of it, we did an activity all together, outside of the office. And that activity was none other than the Canopy tour of Vallarta Adventures. 

Since Dear Beloved is one of the guides there and that all my colleagues know him, we asked for him to be part of our guiding team. So it was pretty awesome to spend a few hours having fun with my colleagues and my man!

I've done the canopy trip more times than i can remember and even though i have a blast every time i go, i always feel like a million years old in the aftermath. Let's be honest, the tour is a blast. But how the people working there can do it up to 4 times a day without passing out is a complete mystery to me.

Everybody at work has that erroneous idea that i am super fit just because i bike to work every day. Biking is not like zip lining, biking is not like climbing either.

On the tour, the zip lining itself is super fun. The rappelling as well. But the bridges and the ladder, not so much. Oh my the ladder. I normally take the other way around the ladder cuz i had done it once before and almost passed out. But i was like, OK, i'm fitter than i used to be, let's give it a shot. That was a big mistake. It's a 20 meters ladder that feels like a mile long. After a few minutes, i was like, yeah i must have passed the half of it. I looked up and damn, i wasn't even one third through!

I had taken a shot of Ventolin prior to getting up the ladder and that surely helped me. But even though my lungs were up to it, none of my body muscles were. I mean 3 days later and i'm still in pain. Pain that comes from places i didn't even know had muscles in!

The good thing is, out of the 17 people that are part of Journey Mexico's team, i'm the 6th oldest but definitely not the stiffest!

So where are you young in-shape people??

I've Just Married People

Well, kinda.

It sounds surreal for a person like me to say something like this since i dont really believe in the "happily ever after" nor am the kinda person who'd completely lose it over a bouquet's color or the material used for the "chemin de table".

I work for a company that apart from selling tours, also sell wedding packages.
And i must say, my colleague who's in charge of that particular part is doing an AMAZING job with the flowers, the decorations, the organization and most of it all, with dealing with neurotic brides.

How the hell did i end up on the other side of the altar, virtually marrying people then?
Cuz on sunday's wedding, half of the groom's family was from Quebec and speak no other language than french.

God damn them.

So my colleague and friend asked me if i wouldn't mind stepping in and repeat after the minister ... but in french.
And i said "i do".

So here was i, rehearsing my lines in a language i dont speak that well anymore, gathering myself together to pronounce 2 people husband and wife in front of an audience.
Needless to say i was a nervous wreck.
But that was nothing compared to the groom's state. And when he said "oh wow" when he saw his soon-to-be wife walking down the aisle, i was so ready to shed a tear. And i thought, jeez, this isnt my wedding, i dont even know these people and i'm that emotional? Holy crap.

I always said i'd never get married. Well ... seeing the emotional wreck i could become during a wedding that isnt even mine surely didnt make me want to change my mind.

Or maybe it was because i felt so sorry for the groom who's bride was looking like she was having the worse time of her life. I dont know really. But one thing is certain ... weddings are really not my cup of tea.

Another Good Deed

But this time, one that actually made me feel good!

On our way home, right in the middle of the street, i spoted a huge turtle. You already know that i can't stand animal's suffering and imagining that some crazy driver might just drive over her was enough to make me stop.

Emergency lights on, mexican-parked, both doors open, music still on, we rushed to catch the turtle. It's one of those that people get their kids and when they're getting too big, they just throw them in the rivers or the lakes around. Problem is, a turtle gets big. But i mean BIIIIG.

This one must have been swimming in the canals around for quite some time considering the size of it. We put it in a safe place, she slidded in the canal. We waited to watch her swim but she must have stopped under the bridge.

Hopefully, she won't make lunch for a local crocodile ...

Picture posted with permission.

It's The Heat ...

Today has been an INSANELY hot day on the pier. I mean yes, i know what you're gonna say, DUH it's summer and you live in Mexico. Well yes, but still. It rained last night and jeez, it was sauna-like today. So by sheer curiosity, i've investigated online how hot it really was. And it said (quote): 31°C feeling 37°C. Humidity 77%.
So let me get things straight ok.
It's NOT 31°C out there and it's DEFINITELY NOT feeling like 37°C.

It's 45°C feeling 50°C.

With 150% humidity.

What?

You think I'm exagerating?

Well, maybe a little. But come to spend half hour with me on the pier and then we'll talk about how YOU feel about the heat. Cuz after all, it's MY blog and it's how I feel that matters right?? jaja. So yeah. Kinda tough day today. Didnt get it as bad as last week though when i actually got heat exhaustion but that's a boring (and an old) story.

Needless to say i was only too pleased when i grabbed my stuff and head to my car. What i didnt expect (and i'm starting to think i'm the only one who actually notice that kinda thing or actually the only one amazed or bumped or stunned by that kinda things) was to see what i saw when i got to my car. And since there is no way you'd believe me if i'd only SAY it (cuz some people seem to think that i'm inventing all those things to be funny - and i'm repeating again that no, i'm not funny, those things really happen to me), i took a picture of it.

OH MY GOD.

I mean the guy is actually PASSED OUT DRUNK on the sidewalk. What you can't see on this picture was the empty bottles of beer and the empty bottle of cheap tequila. Cuz let's have some respect for the man (since he obviously lost the little respect he had for himself), i took the picture from behind my wheel, once i was inside my car =)
So even though it's gonna sound weird, well this guy kinda made my day. My work day was long, unpleasant because of the weather conditions today, it was a moment when i was so very much longing to be back home and indulging in this long cold shower to remove the sweat and the stickiness out, a moment i was tired and oh so ready to go home and then i saw him.
What does he care about?
Don't worry about the heat. Just be drunk happy!

And as they say in one spanish song ... "y tras varios tequilas, las nubes se van pero el sol no regresa" (yeah i know they don't talk about THAT sun, oh, shut up, whatever)


PS: i asked about "is it only happening to me?" thingy. And a mexican friend of mine told me, no, it's not only happening to you but you're the only one thinking that it is not normal.
OH.

OH.


HMMM.



Whaaaat?


  

Nature's Gift To ME

There is a lot to talk about but i'll be brief this time.

Mother Nature has gifted me with a pair of humming birds. Yes, a pair of them, nesting in the tree in front of my house, feeding on my hundred thousands rotting mangos, flying around my garden, enjoying the place and life in general.

Just found out they're territorial birdies and that they are not scared of human whatsoever.

I love humming birds.
I feel blessed.



PS: this is NOT a picture of the one i have. I mean come on, did you see how fast those little tiny things are flying?


  

Pray Sinners, The Flood Is Here ...

Or better, start building your arch so you can sail away ...

Well, i dont see it NECESARY to talk about France's desastrous game against Mexico. I mean it's already painful enough to see it once, no need to ramble about it some more. What i'll remember today, June 17th, for, is the FIRST RAIN OF THE RAINY SEASON.

What a perfect timing. I mean right on time to drown my sorrow and misery major embarassment.

Kinda came unexpectedly. Well, i said KINDA. I was still on the pier doing some check-ins for tour and you could already hear the thunder. But i mean, i was having dinner in a restaurant and i didnt hear the rain start pouring, nor the storm shooting out until i actually stepped out. Oh dear rainy season. Here you are at last!

What i was eagerly waiting for was to SEE what my neighborhood looks like under massive amount of rain. And i mean, i could only take this very poor quality picture (from inside my car) but it gives an idea of the extend of the issue i'm in right now:

Water up to mid-door, swipers at the maximum speed and you still cant see the end of your hood, current so strong you cant safely cross the street and mud, oh the mud. All the dust i complained about is now MUD. So i parked my car in front of my house, not too sure i'll be able to pull it out of there tomorrow morning to go to work, stepped out of the car, burried my foot (and shoe) up to my ankle, got drenched by the time i locked both doors, slipped and fell in the mud, found the missing shoe in the mud, fell again, before i finally made it to my front door, covered in mud and drenched to the bones, just on time to see my i'm-so-happy-you're-finally-home-so-i-can-come-inside-and-be-dry dog jump on me of excitement.

Who said mud-fight and water-skiing was FUN?

And WHERE is the pier to park my lancha?




** UPDATED **
THIS is a picture of the exact same street, pretty much at the same place, but by day, at the begining of the rain (10 minutes worth of rain) ...

     

Should I Worry Maybe??

Here in Mexico where i live, like in many tropical countries, we have 2 seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. Rainy season is generally from now up until early october or so.

Rain is actually cool here. It sticks the dust on the ground, cool off the air for a few minutes, makes everything look so lush-y and green and beautiful. It generally pours for an hour or so and then it clears off. Obviously, that kind of tropical storm takes time to form itself so in the morning, it's nice and cool because of last night's rain. Then around midday, with the sun at its highest and brightest (so when it is SO hot), sky starts getting darker and darker, humidity is shooting up, everything feels so heavy and gross, time stands still (or so it feels) and all of the sudden, without previous notice, it starts raining.

I already talked about the heavy rains we have in PV in a post last year. So i'm not gonna ramble on about it again. But point is, when it rains, it THE FLOOD. There is so much water that falls in such a short amount of time that even the most high-tech biggest bad-ass-est draining system wouldnt be any good. And to be truly honest, mexican's draining system is nowhere close to be the most high-tech biggest bad ass-est. So when it rains, it also floods.

Walking on a sidewalk and seeing a local bus coming your way with a surfable wave on the side is quite a sight. And if you are on your way to work, well, hope you took some change of clothes with you cuz fact is: you are gonna get drenched. Soaked to the bone.

I have moved house, area, neighborhood, state even BEFORE all that rain thingy starts. I have lived in a lot of different places here in PV but never where i am right now. So what i'm saying (and the simple fact of writing it here is rather dreadful) is that i have NO CLUE how the water is gonna travel here. On my land, in my street, in my neighborhood and the streets around.
I have no freaking clue (**gasp**)

On the road i take to drive to work, there is a canal. A decent sized canal but not a BIG huge one. There are canals like that all over PV for the water to escape. They're gutters. Tiny little gutters considering the amount of water that falls on us but gutters nonetheless.

Well the other day, maybe a week ago, i saw a lot of people around the canal. Every year, they clean the canals before the rain starts. They clean them of all the dust and plants and trash that accumulates in there for the 7 months the dry season lasts.
Except that the cleaning was done well before i moved here.
What they were doing there was a complete unknown operation to me (up until now at least). What they were doing was filling up bags of dirt (20-30 kilos bags) and building up dikes. On both sides of the canal.

So let me repeat this quietly:
THEY ARE BUILDING DIKES.
DIKES people.
DIKES.

And pretty damn high ones as it is.

I am starting to SERIOUSLY worry about the rain now. I mean if they are building dikes, it is now a FACT, a KNOWN fact that the canal is NOT deep enough, nor wide enough for the rain that's coming.

O_o

Should i buy a boat instead of a bike?
Oh my, 2010 rainy season should be quite something. Bet you're gonna hear about it soon!


  

The Ash Cloud

Something a bit unusual happened today at work. We were all standing on the pier, checking people in for their tour when all of the sudden, something weird started falling off the sky. We all noticed at the same time and the first words that came out of our mouths were:
WHAT THE FUCK?

It's only after a few seconds of this unexpected "rain" that we realized it was SOOT. I mean what is wrong with your funnel you guys? Do you have to do it now? I mean it's covering everything like a rain of ash. And there are no volcanos close by, less of it all one erupting.

Bloody little pieces of soot go everywhere. In your hair, in your eyes, in your nose, on your clothes, in your bag, every-fucking-where. I even found some in my bra when i got home and took a shower. I mean i dont hang out on the pier in my underwear! How the hell did that got in there?

The shore excursion manager of the ship called the bridge to ask what was going on and he got the following answer:
"- oh, we're sweeping out the funnel ... why? did anybody complain?
- well yeah, the operators are complaining and i am complaining too!
- oh, if it just the operators and you than we dont care it's ok"

So i only have 2 words for this guy:

FUCK
YOU

Now that my entire stuff is covered in fucking soot cuz you decided to clean your funnel in port instead of at sea, what am i gonna do? Sending you the dry cleaning bill?

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!

I Wonder Why

With 2010 and a new year starting, i had decided to work on my well being - both physical and mental. I've never been good at keeping up with my new year resolutions. I mean i always make a list of good resolutions but i suck at keeping up with it. But i was determined to make 2010 a different year. Well, 9 days into this new year and i can tell it's gonna be just like the way it's been for the past 15 years or so: a complete failure in making big changes. Yes i am determined to let grow my hair and doing good so far, no, i havent been drinking a drop of alcool since i started my asthma treatment that is meant to last for 3 months (but have completely forgotten to take my meds for 3 days now), yes i have gone and seen houses and lands for sale in areas of PV i want to live in (but still havent called any of the numbers to get a quote) but all these are tiny insignificant little stuff that i knew would be "easy". I am too scared of changes to go ahead with the big stuff. But more than anything, i am too scared and too coward to face all my issues and all my demons. I have a psychologist phone number that i havent called, a friend who wants to help me that i stopped visiting and the list goes on.

Why is that that some people, like me, refuse the help they're being offered? Why is that that i systematically refuse the helping hand i'm been lent. What on earth makes me think that i can do it all by myself? Why don't i want to accept the fact that i am way more screwed up than i think thought and that i DO need profesional help for it? Why do i always run away from people who actually want to help me, who have my best interests at heart? Why do i think that people are not honest with me and just try to screw me up - or that they're being nice to me just to make sure they hurt me nice and well afterwards?

And last but not least: do i want an answer to all these questions?

   

U and Ur Hand

Saturday was gonna be THE day ... the day i get back to going out, the day i get back to be on top of new club music, the day i get back to my old self, this person i used to be and that everybody used to enjoy a lot ... me included! It was going to be "let's party all night" obviously accompanied by my dearest friend (and partner in crime), Ivonne.

We started at the sky bar that used to be called azul. Don't ask me for the name it has now, i have no clue. Place was really nice, there were a lot of known people there but it was just too shy and proper to be our cup of tea.
So we headed to the world-famous (ok, at least in my world it is famous) ZOO. We know the staff there, they surely know us too and it was just like going home. Home sweet home. You know, this sensation you have when you enter a place you used to belong to and feel like, wahoo, that hasn't changed at all. It is still the same place, the same staff, the same people, the same DJ and the same music ... Feels like we haven't been away that long then? Or have we?
The bartender told us: it is so good to have you both back. That was sweet of him. But what about us? Is it good to be back? Does it FEEL good to be back?

To be truly honest with you, no. No it doesn't. And we really wondered why? And the answer was as sharp as a knife ... because we're old. OK, no, sorry. Let me rephrase ... Because we're OLDER. We grew OUT of the places that felt like home a few months back, grew out of that particular place we used to have so much fun at ...

I used to say ... "pinche zoo, nunca falla" but this time, it did failed us. Big time. It just wasn't what we wanted, what we expected not even what we remembered it was.

So we decided to give our girls' night out another shot ... at yet another of our old haunts, i named HILO. Reason why we went there is simple: i have a soft spot for the bartender ... haha. The woman doesn't change now does she?

So here we are, at the bar, like the good old times, bitching about everything, commenting on every single outfit that comes close to us (we're fashion police officers), crying our eyes out from laughter, dancing reggaeton, drinking a little and obviously checking on every single man around.

That's when it happened. All over again ... This guy (decent looking but the approach really was terrible), after endless minutes of hesitation, going around us, looking at us, finally found the balls to come to me and asked me if me and my friend were a couple. Oh, how much i missed that. How much do i miss the look in the guy's face when he actually DARES to ask that. Cuz you never know ... If you say yes, it can be like ok well then never mind or that can motivate him to convince you to go for a threesome. So I'm never too sure what to answer. This time i chose to say the truth and i said that no, we were not a couple. He asked a few more questions after that but there is this one song that immediately popped into my head and i couldn't really focus on anything else ... It goes like this:

Check it out going out on the late night
Looking tight feeling nice it's a cock fight
I can tell I just know that it's going down ... tonight
At the door we don't wait cause we know them
At the bar six shots just beginning
That's when dick head put his hands on me
But you see ...

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just u and ur hand tonight

Midnight I'm drunk I don't give a fuck
Wanna dance by myself guess you're outta luck
Don't touch, back up, I'm not the one ... Buh bye!
Listen up it's just not happening, you can say what you want to your boyfriends
Just let me have my fun tonight ...Aiight

In the corner with your boys you bet 'em five bucks
You'd get the girl that just walked in but she thinks you suck
We didn't get all dressed up just for you to see
So quit spilling your drinks on me yeah

You know who you are ... high fivin', talking shit, but you're going home alone aren't cha?

Cause I'm not here for your entertainment
No you don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight


So yes buddy, thanks for the attention, feels good to know we still got it ... but you're going home alone! And I'm not even sorry!

Gran Opening

For the past year or so, they've been flattening the land, closing my exit lane, bringing trucks of cement and asphalt, building up this huge thing, flattening some more, bringing more trucks ...
All of this for what? To build another Wal-Mart 4 minutes away (by car) from my house. AND to add to the fun, a mall around it of course! With my favorite store in town renting a local there: The Bookstore. Woo-freaking-hoo!

Every single day for the past 12 months, i passed in front of the building site each morning on my way to work and each afternoon on my way back home. I had the feeling it was not going really fast. But i mean, how long does it take to build from scratch a supermarket and a mall around?
Towards the end though, it just goes crazy. One morning, i passed in front of it and there was the traditional dozen cars parked on the street, trucks coming in and out of the site, this big flat piece of land where the parking lot was to stand one day ... And that very same day, the parking lot is done, there are palm trees planted on it, lines drawn on the floor and a massive huge banner saying proudly: OPENING SOON.
And then you see this line of people waiting to be interviewed, and another big banner saying "hiring now" ... We're getting closer!

And then this very morning, on my way to work, surprise, no car on the street. Not a single one. I thought, mmm, weird. But i realized it was still pretty early and oh well, there'll be cars all over the place this afternoon. Well i was wrong ... There were cars all over the place, yes, but all over the parking lot! Cars coming in and out of the parking lot, people coming in and out of the damn supermarket. Damn it why didn't they SAY it? Why didn't they say that TODAY was THE day, the opening day.

Of course I'm not gonna go today. I never go to Gran Openings. Come on! It's a supermarket. Not a "one-of-a-kind" shop that's nowhere else to be found. It is a Wal-Mart supermarket, exactly the same one that i see everyday from the pier i work onto. The very same one that people from the cruise ships are so eager to visit when they come out of their boat. So no, i wasn't gonna go today... Of course not! It is JUST another supermarket.




Tomorrow's pay day i am so going.

Overwhelming But Exciting Experience

08-09-09

I have always been concerned about taking my dog to the beach. Not that i'm worried she can't swim, but she is a bit impressive when she runs towards people, she tends to jump on people which would make more than one freak out completely and let's be honest, she has not a freaking clue of how strong she is thus when i'm talking about jumping on people, she more throws herself at people. So imagine 20 kilos, full speed, throwing itself at you ...

a) it's impressive ... very
b) it hurts ... big time
c) it knocks you down ... no matter what.

Add to this the fact that she is a 9.5 months old female pitbull in heat and that is quite something.

Taking advantage of Bart being here and excited about the idea of doing something new with my dog, we took her to the river ... For that, there are several options around PV and we started with the closest one: RIO AMECA.

Rio Ameca is a big bad ass river that is the natural border of Jalisco and Nayarit. Well, apart from the fact that to ACCESS the river, you need to go through the Federal Police Station's parking lot, we quickly realized this was NOT a good idea:
I think no translation is needed here ;-)

So we then headed further south, to RIO PITILLAL, a shallow crocodile-free river. And he surely didnt take Niki long to figure out that river=water=cool=fun=i want to stay here all day.

I must say, things got a bit overwhelming at first, water in her eyes, in her ears, she has to swim cuz water is a tad too deep, she has to hop to go against the current, she has to jump to get back on the bank ...
But it didnt take long for her to truly enjoy it, and jump in the water from the bank ... Oh she was soooo cute doing so.

But then again ... my dog is still a puppy ... and like any puppy, she gets tired after such streneous exercise and excitement. The face speaks louder than words ...
She slept half of the way back home and was such a quiet sleeping beauty after that ... I will surely repeat the experience ... Especially when we have to deal with such umberable heat ...

Back To School

I had been waiting for that for an entire month ... the day when the kids will finally go back to school. I already hear you say, why would you care, you don't have children. Well, believe me, whether i wanted to have some or not, since I've been living in Mexico, i do. Not that any of them is actually depending on me but indirectly, i have about 10, ages ranging between 3 and 10 years old. How come? Well it is very simple. It is summer time, it is insanely hot, i live in a mushroom neighborhood where there are 8000 houses one against each other, perfect houses for a couple (as long as you have AC!) but that most people here use to live with parents, children, grand children and grand-parents (and a cat and a dog and a rooster and who knows what other pet!). Since we already set the record straight that 8 people do not live very comfortably in 70 square meters, where do children spend their days? Outside. Outside where? Outside on the street. And since i live in a dead end - and even though i am towards the end of the dead-end - kids play, and scream, and run, and race, and laugh, and scream some more in front of my house ... until passed midnight ... every day of the week.

And that positively drives me nutter.

But it was meant to happen eventually ... schools reopening ... August 24th. I wanted to post about it on the 23rd but as you already know, had issues with my Internet and that completely eclipsed my happiness about the long-awaited return to school.

It is now 9:30pm ... homework is done, diner is eaten, kids are showered and in bed. In bed = they are not in the street screaming. And that for me, is priceless. Of course the neighbor who's half death still listen to her TV full volume but outside on the street, it is nice, quiet and empty. And when I'll go to bed at 10pm like a 12 years old kid who has to wake up early to go to school tomorrow , there' ll be no sound coming through my open window ... I love it already.