Homemaking

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Nom Nom Nom

I’ve stopped buying meat to make at home, opting instead to eat vegetarian when I cook and spend the money I would have on meat on meaty meals out. I’m so out of practice at cooking meat that I really don’t do it as well as the pros do and restaurant meals in Mexico, if you know where to eat, are cheaper than anything I could make at home anyway.

So all that to say that I went to Miguel’s tonight to get a chorreada, a pork and cheese concoction over a thick crispy tortilla, to go. I would have had pictures except that Contessa and Colin were there and invited me to sit and since I was going to end up eating there and worked up an appetite waiting to order since they were slammed, I added a shrimp burrito to my order. 🙂 The meal came with salad and these really tasty whole grilled green and white onions that were absolutely divine (I’m a fan of onions).

Dinner came to a grand total of 60 pesos with a tip, or about 5CAD. Absurd in a great way. I’m going to have a hard time justifying eating a 15CAD restaurant meal when I get back to Canada, knowing just how far that money would go in Mexico next winter!

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Isla Explorations

Dale came by this morning to ask if I wanted to go for a walk. She’s leaving soon (*sniff*) and wanted to make sure she has pictures of her favourite places on Isla. I was on the verge of heading out to get tortillas, cheese, and bacon, so her timing was perfect!

Before we left, she asked if I had any donations for the colonia people because she knew where to drop them off. I had two beautiful newish tops that just don’t fit right that I was happy to add to her donation pile.

Our first stop along the way was to climb one of the worst roads I have ever seen in my life. Some Americans (I think) built a house all the way at the top. It was one heck of a climb to get up there! I’m not even sure my truck could make it. But boy was the view worth it!

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The house is made of cement, which makes me think that building in Mexico might be rather inexpensive.

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The street, while in horrible shape, does have street lighting all the way up!

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I fell in love with this cute house. Doesn’t it look like something I could model with my cabin back home?!

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Next, we went to Feddy’s to drop off the donations and pick up dog food. Dale found it hard to keep stocked up on dog food when she got here, with her usual shopping place (Walmart) not easily accessible and big bags of dog food heavy to handle for the long trip home. So was delighted that Feddy has a giant bag of the food her dogs prefer from which she can fill a smaller bag and get a week or so’s worth at a time.

Here’s a good example of what I mean when I say that I couldn’t afford to eat like a Gringo in Mexico. This is a packet of turkey gravy mix that I would by for about 75 cents back home. Yes, it’s 38 pesos. OMG.

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The panga dock was next and quite quiet at midday:

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We doubled back to the City Deli and I went straight to the rear of the store to get my cheese and bacon. They sell a few kinds of cheese and I asked to see their ‘yellow cheese’, which was super cheap… and turned out to be sliced American cheese. PASS. 🙂 I bought a 33 peso hunk of Chihuahua and also 20 pesos worth of bacon. Their bacon is much better than what I’ve found at Ley and cheaper!

We then went next door so I could get five pesos worth of tortillas. Dale was amused that I tucked into them right away, but I was hungry! 🙂

After, Dale suggested that we go explore some of the streets that lead into the centre of the island and surround Stone Mountain. We found lots of dead ends.

This road reminded me of walking in residential neighbourhoods in Glasglow and Edinburgh, pedestrians only!

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Looking down to Calle Principal (the paved road):

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We passed a church:

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I like the guardian on the roof! It’s a frog!

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One lady asked what we were doing, rather aggressively, I might add (we were on a public road!) and I explained that we were just walking, have been living on Isla for three months, and that there were still places we hadn’t been to. Her attitude changed dramatically after that and she wished us a nice day.

We passed another lady, who said hi to us, reached a dead end, and decided it was time to go home, so we turned around. The same lady asked if we were lost and I repeated what I had said to the previous woman.

After, Dale mimed how she would have handled the conversation. She’s hilarious and her miming is really good! Her Spanish has really improved but people don’t understand her, which I find boggling. She was looking for a calendar at Waldo’s the other day and mimed ‘writing’ to a clerk, then said ‘fecha libro’ (date book) and listed a few days of the week and of the month. The clerk brought her to clothes pins! Whaaaat?!

It was almost 1:00 when we got in and I had been ready for lunch for an hour. I put together a salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, avocado, and bacon. I caught the veggie guy this morning if it’s not obvious. 🙂

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I’m a lot less nervous about eating the produce now that I got sick on non-Mexican food. I hadn’t even realised that I was a little worried until I wasn’t anymore. This does not mean I am lackadaisical about food prep. My surfaces are all sanitized and all the produce gets washed thoroughly with potable water. I miss my salad spinner, by the way.

I’m not much of a fan of iceberg lettuce and consider it an excuse to each ranch-style dressing. I obviously didn’t have any in the fridge (it’s readily available in Mexico, but, of course, expensive), so I made my own alternative. I mixed about a quarter cup of crema with garlic salt and then thinned it down with the juice of two limes, giving me enough dressing for future salads. The half avocado and two slices of bacon made this salad reasonably substantial, but I did have two tortillas with honey for dessert. 🙂

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Culinary Differences

I use a lot of soy sauce and quickly went through the bottle I brought here (because I had an opened one left when I was packing). Thankfully, Kikkoman soy sauce is easy to find in Mexico.

In fact, it seems that Mexicans are as particular about soy sauce as I am. I overheard a couple arguing at Ley a couple of trips there ago. Another brand was on sale and much cheaper, so that’s what the husband wanted to buy. The wife insisted on Kikkoman! They could have been filming a commercial. They were cute. The wife won!

Mexican Kikkoman sauce soy tastes exactly like the Canadian and U.S. versions. But there is one notable difference that makes me wish I still had my Canadian bottle: the recipe on the back.

The label looks very similar to the one I’m used to, only it’s in Spanish instead of French and English. I really wish I’d gotten a comparison. The red strip at the top has text that says, “for all uses.”

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Now, here’s the recipe, for beef fajitas. My first thought was, oh, Mexi-Asian fusion!

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But look at the ingredients:

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Beef, soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, onion, garlic, chiles, tortillas.

Soy sauce excepted, those are all ubiquitous Mexican ingredients. I can’t remember what the Canadian recipe was exactly, but it was definitely for an ‘Asian-inspired’ dish with ingredients many folks would have to go out and buy especially for the recipe.

Soy sauce is a savoury salty sauce, well suited to a variety of dishes, not just ‘Asian-inspired’ ones, something I know well, and yet I find myself humbled that I haven’t thought about adding it to the ‘Mexicany’ meals I make.

Tonight’s dinner was a chicken, rice, and veggie stir fry flavoured with soy sauce. I think I’ll add lime juice and jalapeños to the leftovers!

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Running Errands On a Muggy Morning

I’m waiting for a big temporary contract to start any day, so I’m trying to squeeze in a little fun first! Dale and I both love to go to Maz and just wander around, so after she dropped me off last night, we made plans to go back to town this morning to run a few errands.

We were originally going to take the bus to Walmart, but Dale has figured out that she really doesn’t need to go there. My budget is still 2,000 pesos short because of the recent banking disaster, so my plan to go to Soriana and get different groceries got scrapped.

I’m going to call my bank next week to see if they made any headway to get my money back, but I’m sure it’s gone. It’s going to be a really tight month as I only have 1,100 pesos spending money for groceries and outings till February. I got through November with about that much and I know I can do it, but I’ll have to be really mindful of where my money is going. I’d rather go out and eat beans at home than to eat well at home and not go out, so the blog should still be interesting. 😉

At any rate, I got home last night and there was no internet. There was a lot of work done around the property and on the roof yesterday, so I thought that maybe the line got knocked out. I didn’t mind the work since it was for me this time!

I haven’t had any running hot water in the shower to speak of since the water went out a few weeks ago. My landlady’s husband figured out that there was air in the line and got it sorted, then changed my shower head to a smaller one with fewer holes to increase the pressure. He also lifted the rooftop water tank to increase the water drop, which increased the water pressure. My shower last night was amazing! And I now have warm water in the kitchen in just a few minutes, something I used to wait 20 minutes for!

So, no internet last night. I got to bed early so I could get up early and run to Carmelita’s to check my email before going to Maz. My active clients right now are in EST, so 7:00 here is 9:00 for them and if I can expect anything for the day, it’s usually in my inbox by the time I’m up. There was nothing pressing, thankfully. Dale had sent me something to print and I figured out how to get it from my iPad to my computer, which was quite an accomplishment!

It was about 8:00 when I headed home and I stopped by my landlady’s place. Her husband (who did the plumbing work) was in the garage, so I thanked him for the work on the shower and told him about the internet. My landlady came by just as Dale and I were heading out around 8:30 to say that she had called TelMex and they said there was nothing wrong that they could see through their system, so she was going to go speak with someone in person.

Dale and I finally made it to Maz and stopped at Panamá’s for a pastry. Today is the Day of the Kings/Epiphany, which is a holiday, so they didn’t have much for sale except for the cake with, I imagine, the bean in it. We grabbed two strudel things that wound up being full of custard. Very tasty, but I have issues with eggs, so I might have an upset tummy later. We shall see…

We both had a couple of errands to run, but no shopping per se. I stopped at the bank to withdraw rent and spending money. I really like the Santander Bank because it gave me my 7,000 pesos in 50s, 100s, 200s, and 500s, instead of just 500s! I am so glad I gave them a second chance.

And then, I did something stupid. I LEFT MY CARD IN THE ATM. I’m so used to getting the card first before the machine will give me my money. The lady who used the ATM next ran after me and gave me back my card, thank goodness! I was so grateful to her as that’s the last thing I would have needed. CIBC assured me that they could courier me a new card to Mexico, but can you imagine the delay for that, never mind the difficulty in finding a secure place to have the card sent to?! So thank you again, wonderful lady!

Next, we found a copy place for Dale. She wanted some contact cards to give to folks. I didn’t bring any card stock with me, so I printed in colour onto regular paper to then be photocopied onto card stock. Dale handed the copy clerk the paper and told me to do my thing, ie. be her translator. I said that she wanted cards. The clerk found card stock, not perforated, which Dale could cut up herself. The copies were beautiful and only cost Dale 24 pesos. I’m frankly shocked that they turned out so crisp and clear.

Then, Dale told me that she had heard about a museum above the Plazuela Machado that is about the history of Maz. We found it and entry was only 20 pesos. We went in and first listened to a movie where we learned about how insignificant Maz was as a port until the end of the 19th century, how it got built up thanks to industry (mostly sugar cane factories), how it was nearly destroyed when the economy tanked, and how Mazlatecos saved their city by switching to fishing and tourism as the primary industries. It was really interesting. I’m surprised by how little the city has changed since it was built in terms of the main buildings and roads.

We then walked around the museum, which gave us an idea of what a typical residence in the late 19th century would have been like (simple, with lots of dark wood). There were lots of pictures of Maz in the day, too, which Dale and I found fascinating. What a little gem!

This is the kind of gas stove I want for my cabin!

This is the kind of gas stove I want for my cabin!

Gorgeous floor tile upstairs in the museum.

Gorgeous floor tile upstairs in the museum.

View of the Plazuela Machado from the upstairs balcony.

View of the Plazuela Machado from the upstairs balcony.

Such a pretty building.

Such a pretty building.

Gorgeous floor of the balcony.

Gorgeous floor of the balcony.

And a ceiling to match!

And a ceiling to match!

Diva Angela Peralta, after whom the theatre is named.

Diva Angela Peralta, after whom the theatre is named.

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Outside, someone turned this window into a bench.

Outside, someone turned this window into a bench.

Looking up at the museum balcony.

Looking up at the museum balcony.

The museum entrance is on Constitución between Plazuela Machado and Olas Altas. It’s in the yellow Connobia building that has the Italian restaurant. The entrance price list is by the door, to give you an idea of what to look for.

My next pressing errand was to get my tote bag fixed. I have a leather tote that I just adore because it’s just a good size for my lifestyle. It’s not pretty, but it can hold my electronics, a little shopping, and even serve as an overnight bag. Unfortunately, the strap has been coming apart for ages and it was literally hanging by a thread as we finished up at the museum.

I’d asked Contessa if she knew of a leather repair place and she suggested I ask the shoe shiners in front of the cathedral. They were of no help. I then asked the gals at the museum and they said that the ladies at a clothing repair place in the mercado would know where to send me. So that’s where we ended up going next.

First mail box I've seen in Mexico!

First mail box I’ve seen in Mexico!

The McDonald's near the Mercado only serves dessert!

The McDonald’s near the Mercado only serves dessert! Panamá’s is next door.

We walked around the perimeter of the mercado first, not certain what we were looking for. I found a woman selling battered magazines and books. She had a bunch of Reader’s Digests, which are great for practicing the reading of Spanish as they are mature but easy language. Unfortunately, she wanted 10 pesos each, not negotiable. I decided to grab one anyway when I saw that she had a copy of the Spanish version of Little Women, one of my favourite childhood books! I love reading translations of works I know well as that helps me improve my vocabulary and grammar without also struggling to follow the story. She said the book was 40 pesos and I could have one Reader’s Digest free with it. Sold!

After some time, we found the clothing repair place and the ladies did know exactly where to send me. I was really confused when they said to go up and down, but I eventually understood that I was to go several blocks ‘that way’ and that the shop, the name of course I’ve now forgotten, would be on my left.

Off we went and everything became clear as the road when UP and then DOWN again. Maz is not flat!

On the way, we passed a house that is for sale and with which Dale is, understandably, in love. Even though it is derelict, it still has heavy wooden door and window frames and stained glass.

Dale and I want to buy this house. :)

Dale and I want to buy this house. 🙂

After a few blocks, we hadn’t found the shop, so I went into a shoe shop to ask and the lady stepped out to point one block back. Even with my eyesight, I could see the sign! It was just in the wrong direction from the way were were going. The shop is at the corner of Zaragoza and Benito Juarez.

I brought the bag in and the gentleman said that he could fix it for 30 pesos! He set to work with glue, a patch (unexpected), and his treadle sewing machine. It wasn’t fine work, but for this bag, it was 100% what I wanted and the patch is on the inside of the strap so it doesn’t show. I just wish he’d had darker thread, but I’m being fussy. I am so pleased! And did I mention 30 pesos?!

Treadle sewing machine at the leather repair shop.

Treadle sewing machine at the leather repair shop.

Inside of my bag strap.

Inside of my bag strap.

Outside. I managed to roll off those spots of glue and except for the different thread colour, it looks as good as new from that side!

Outside. I managed to roll off those spots of glue and except for the different thread colour, it looks as good as new from that side!

We had thought to have lunch at the Mercado, but, really, we weren’t that hungry at that time. We walked up Zaragoza to get to the panga and didn’t pass anything that was calling our names so we decided to save our money and have lunch at our respective homes.

The former orphanage.

The former orphanage.

I got in and had internet, as well as water all over my bathroom and hallway floors. Toilet failure. OMG. I went to the landlady to pay the rent and explained the issue (too high water level in the tank and leaking through the handle). I said that I turned the water off to the toilet until it can be fixed. Guess it’s the week for problems!

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Good Coffee at Long Last

Rico’s Cafe is just a couple of block’s from my cousin’s hotel and is run by an American. My cousin is even more of a coffee snob than I am and raved about the coffee and all the beans she was bringing home, so I was eager try it out! Coffee was one place I was not too snobby or cheap to deal with in Gringoland because Mexicans just don’t have a coffee culture.

She had a 16 oz drip coffee with a shot of espresso and I went for just the drip coffee. They make it in a manner similar to a French press, so you get a mouthful of grinds at the end if you’re not careful, something I’m used since I’ve been doing French press coffee for so long.

The coffee wasn’t fantastic, but it was still the best coffee I’ve had since finishing up my Canadian coffee way back in October! It had so much potential, but there was a bit of a soapy taste to it, for lack of a better description, probably something to do with how they wash their cups. Not enough to be off putting or to stop me from enjoying it, but it wasn’t the perfect cup of coffee I’d been expecting this morning.  Still, it was a huge step above anything I’ve had in months and I savoured every mouthful!

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I then put in an order for beans, with my cousin recommending Veracruz dark roast. I got half a pound for about 68 pesos and had them grind them for me. The smell of the beans through the bag was divine. I couldn’t stop smelling it all the way home!

I’m enjoying a cup of it now and trying not to weep with joy. 🙂 Oh, real coffee at very long last. I hope that what I get at the more convenient Olas Altas café I was recommended will be just as good, but at least now I know that, worst case, I can get coffee for 28 pesos round trip! 🙂

Oh, and two giant coffees (one with a shot of espresso) and a bag of beans was just 142 pesos! I used to pay almost 20CAD for an equivalent amount of beans in Gatineau!