September 16, 2017 by Rae

El Grito — and a Contest

Today is Mexico’s Independence Day. Read more about El Grito (the cry) that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. There should be lots of partying tonight, but I’m not going anywhere. It will be easier to joy celebrations when I live in town next year!

A statue of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in front of the church in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. (Photo By Paigemorrison at English Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons)

Unrelated, I was sent a link today to a great contest offering a chance to win a culinary trip for two to Mérida. I’m not affiliated with this context and it is only open to US residents, but I thought some of you might be interested!

September 13, 2017 by Rae

Sometimes, You Just Have to Let Things Fall Into Place

I’m all Spanished out, but boy did I have a productive day!

The cleaner arrived around 9:30 and I headed into Mérida with no firm plans other than meeting a seller of a used Lego kit I’d been hoping to find and that they were selling at a bargain price. All work and no play and all that. 🙂

Coming into Mérida, I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t feel well and I finally realised that in the flurry of trying to get my work and chores done before heading out, I’d had coffee, but forgotten to have breakfast! I decided that after my first stop, I would go to Gran Plaza to have some salbutes at that kiosk I went to a while back. But first, Scotiabank for a withdrawal and to hopefully open up an account since I had a lease and a water bill.

Well… the lease wasn’t good enough as it’s only valid in Yucatán and not in Mexico as a whole. The water bill would have needed to be in my name. The rep suggested I’d be best to get internet service and a bill in my name that way, then come back. He said that different companies have different requirements and that I should just go for whomever would take me and then switch later to a different/better service if need be. However, he was surprised that the company I want insisted on my having a bank account and told me to go back and try with a different rep. So there was another reason to go to Gran Plaza as that was the nearest office for Izzi telecom.

I happened to get a parking spot right by the telecom office, so I did that first. I was told that if I wanted service in English, I would have to wait in a line four expats deep, but if I was comfortable in Spanish, then I could be served immediately. I’m starting to understand what it means to be privileged…

This rep didn’t even ask me about a bank account and just signed me up! I had a choice of 20, 30, 50, and 100Mbps service and I decided to go with 50 to start as I can upgrade, but not downgrade as this is a 12-month contract. I know from my time in Chambly that 30 isn’t going to be enough, but I don’t trust that I’ll actually get the 100Mbps at my modem and the cost was significantly more than for 50Mbps service. I had to pay 600 pesos right there to schedule my installation. Well, that was… izzi. Their name can’t be a coincidence, can it? 🙂

The Lego seller still hadn’t called by that point, so I finally went to get food. I was super hungry and knew this would my only real meal of the day so I went with three salbutes, two of turkey and one of relleno negro (which is also turkey). I have to pick out the egg before chomping down. I wonder if my love of relleno negro rather than the grease is the reason why Yucatecán food doesn’t seem to agree with me since I’m likely ingesting more egg than I realise? I’m going to have to see if there’s a pattern between how I feel after eating Yucatecán food without relleno negro and with. The problem could also be the habanero peppers. Who knows. Anyway, a little discomfort is worth all this yumminess. 🙂 I really love the relleno negro, but the turkey ones seem fresher/lighter since they have veggies, including those yummy pickled onions.

As I was finishing up, the seller finally got in touch with me and asked where I was. I told him Gran Plaza and that I could go to where he needed me to go. He said to stay put and that he’d be there shortly! Wow! I spent some time window shopping and also had an ice cream since my lips were on fire (habaneros are more deadly than the serranos and jalapeños more commonly used in Sinaloa!).

The guy eventually showed up, we made our deal, and then I headed to the house. My landlady had warned me that the painter would be doing the façade today so I knew it would not be a good day to haul a bunch of stuff in. I just brought in a bag and a box and then got to work on the sink. After a bit of scrubbing with steel wool and Barkeeper’s Friend, it was looking okay. Not great, but fine. I think a thin coating of wax for protection will make all the difference. I’m still going to get a quote to replace it at the same time as the taps, which, really, are way overdue to be changed.

It was almost two by this point, I had to be back in Chelem for 3:30, and I needed a few groceries, so I headed out to the Bodega Aurrera where I bought the cleaning supplies. There, my phone rang. It was my landlady and she was calling about my visit to Scotiabank this morning…

As it turned out, the guy at Scotiabank had recognised my landlord’s name. My landlord is actually my landlady’s son and he’s out of the country. So the Scotiabank guy called her. For what, I have no idea. Maybe to hopefully get more information so that he could open an account? Well, my landlady, of course, could not do anything in that matter. I apologised that she’d been bothered and told her not to worry about it.

Well, she said that she really didn’t want to get into my business, but it was clear I’m having a hard time with the bank account thing. So her husband called his account manager at an HSBC and the manager said that with him acting as a reference, he will be able to open an account for me using my residency documents. I just have to call to schedule an appointment! Needless to say, she got MANY thanks.

I then did my shopping, which was mostly buying an inordinate amount of cheese. I also wanted Abuelita hot chocolate, something I really enjoy as an evening treat a couple of times a month. They had a nice offer of a free mug with the hot chocolate. The price really was the same as if there was no mug, so even though I didn’t really need another mug, these were too pretty to pass up.

There are several models with Mexican cultural designs. I went with a bird and am seriously tempted to go back and get all the others. 🙂 The hot chocolate keeps for at least a year…

The cashier was the same gal who served me last time and she asked me how the house was going! I couldn’t believe that she’d remembered me! I’ve been to Willy’s here in Chelem I don’t know how many times and no one ever recognises me. We had a chat last time because she’d jokingly asked me what kind of mess I was going to clean up with everything that I bought and I was, of course, bursting to say that I was heading to my new house. So that was very sweet and rather a nice welcome to the neighbourhood.

I headed back to Chelem after, in pouring rain, and the housecleaner was just wrapping up. She was happy to take me up on an offer of a lift home. I will go pick her up tomorrow or Friday so she can come get her ATV.

Then, I had to do a last minute rush job that came in and just as that was almost done, the phone rang. Let me tell you again, I am Spanished out for the day. But it was the internet company confirming my order and letting me know they’re coming tomorrow to install! Um… I asked if I could go for the 20th instead (next Wednesday) since I have a couple of big work days coming up. The guy checked and said yup. So next Wednesday between 9 and noon. Wow. So much faster, easier, and, of course, cheaper than in Canada.

Well, it’s been a Day and I still have an hour of work to do and a hungry dog who knows I came home with eggs to feed… It sure feels good to be moving forward. October 31st is coming up really fast!

September 8, 2017 by Rae

Plans Written in Sand

I had some pretty grand plans for today that included making another attempt at opening a bank account and trying to order internet service, as well as taking a load to the house and cleaning the master suite. Good thing I’m flexible.

Before I took off this morning, I had another look at the local classifieds in the hope of finding a fridge that I could have delivered to the house today. That’s the big purchase that will help set the budget for everything else so I really wanted it out of the way. I’ve looked at enough online to know that simple side-by-side fridges (my dream model) are a rare pearl because those with ice makers and/or water dispensers are standard. So I was looking at $4,000+ for a side-by-side. But a decent regular fridge with the freezer on top could be had from anywhere from $800 to $3,000 depending on size, brand, and condition. I would be happy to get a big one with plastic shelves (rather than wire shelves) that runs cold and is clean. I really don’t care much about the appearance, especially since rust is such a part of life here, so cosmetic issues weren’t major.

Well, I spotted a nice looking one for $1,500 that while small had everything else I wanted… and the guy actually texted me right back to say I could come this morning to look at it. So instead of heading to a bank, I ended up somewhere near the airport in a fairly poor neighbourhood where my truck fit right in, but I got a lot of stares when I exited it. That might be because I’d been driving in circles looking for the house. Who knows… 🙂

At any rate, it turns out the guy sells all manner of used appliances. The fridge was fine, but small, and I was happy when he said he had a bigger similar one. That one looked better, not that that was a huge part of my decision, and I really liked the size. Like the little one, it was plugged in so I could see just how cold it was. I asked how much and he said $2,000, which I knew from my research was a fair price. I asked him if he could recommend someone to move it for me and he said, “If you don’t live too far away and you pay the full $2,000, I can deliver it this afternoon.” SOLD! 🙂 We shook on it and I told him I’d text him with directions when I got to the house (having determined that it’s not “too far”).

I headed home (HOME!), which was super easy as I could just take the periférico and exit at Calle 21. I decided to detour to Chedraui to pick up cleaning supplies, but passed a Bodega Aurrera on the way that I knew would have what I wanted. I bought all manner of cleaning supplies and headed for the house.

There, I texted the fridge guy and he said he’d be there in “about” an hour. I changed into my grubbies and set to work.

By the time I’d unloaded my purchases, the suitcases and bins I’d brought from Chelem, and lugged the ladder up to my bedroom, I was already beat since I hadn’t slept well at all last night. At any rate, I got started in my shower with a spray that promised it could handle the mould in my grout. It sure did! I couldn’t believe how well it worked without any scrubbing. I hope I have as much luck dealing with limescale downstairs.

I didn’t do anything else to the bathroom and instead moved to the closet as that’s where I wanted to put the things I’d brought. I put together a bucket of soapy water. In doing so, I discovered that the tap in the kitchen is very loose. That does it; I’m paying for a replacement myself. I think the sink can be salvaged, though.

As expected, the shelf and the top of the cabinets were very dusty, but, to my surprise, the ceiling fan wasn’t, and neither was the one in the bedroom.

I spent about a full hour on the master suite before calling it a day. I changed back into my nicer clothes and went around the corner to a little tienda to get a snack and a cold drink. Minutes after I came back, I heard a honk out front. It was about 90 minutes since fridge guy had texted so I figured that had to be him. It was!

The easiest way to get the fridge to the kitchen was of course through the service door and down the service corridor. The guys rolled it in place and told me to wait a few hours to plug it in. Of course, I’m not plugging it in just yet because why pay power for it? So I just left the doors propped open with some rags to make sure the doors don’t accidentally close.

So here it is!

The only issue with it is that the handle can’t be switched to the other side. But with the layout of the kitchen being what it is, I don’t think that’ll be a huge issue. The fridge is an LG brand and the fact that it was still super cold when it arrived tells me it’s not a cheap model. LG fridges start at about $5,000 here for the smaller size, so I think I did pretty well. I’m very happy with it and don’t feel that I settled the way I would have for the $1,500 one. This is a fridge I’ll be able to live with with for a long time.

It was then time to head to Costco and then back to Chelem to give Puppy his supper. His lordship was on his absolute best behaviour when I got in, greeting me politely, then staying out of the way while I brought in two loads of things. After that, I gave him a treat for being such a good boy and told him to go get his toys while I changed. Sure enough, when I came back out, he was waiting by my door with his rope for tug-of-war and his ball for fetch! By the time I’d worn him out, I was dead on my feet, so I had a swim and then settled in for a chat with my mother.

The house is going to need a lot of work to feel like “home,” but I feel like I took a step in the right direction today. I’ll head back next Wednesday with another load and will hopefully make it to a bank as well!

September 8, 2017 by Rae

Chiapas Earthquake

Last night, I was woken around 11:45 by what could be nothing else but an earthquake, my first in two years. I knew this was a big one, at least a 7 if not 8-pointer, having experienced one before. But there are no fault lines in Yucatán and there’s never been an earthquake here, at least as per the quick Googling I did. I also checked in with Protección Civil and they didn’t have anything up. So I figured that with Hurricane Irma lighting up seismographs, I must be feeling that.

So I was devastated to wake up to news that Mexico’s worst earthquake in 100 years has decimated the states of Chiapas and nearby Oaxaca.

Chiapas is one of the poorest states in this country and doesn’t have great infrastructure. There have been many deaths and so much damage from this earthquake and the counts can only rise. 🙁 I was talking with a lady the other day who had just come back from San Cristóbal, a city with a small expat population (that is way too BRR for me to consider), who talked to me at great length about the disparities between Chiapas and Yucatán.

Here in Mérida, at least one hotel was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

As far as I can tell, there is no damage to the house here. Last time I experienced an 8-pointer, I was practically on top of the epicentre and my house was damaged. Here, I got the weird rippling sensation all through my body as I laid in bed, but nothing seemed to move in the house. Puppy apparently slept right through it!

While I’m blogging, I might as well answer the question on everyone’s mind — no, Katia is not going to hit us. It’s going just north of us and probably going to slam in Veracruz. 🙁

September 2, 2017 by Rae

Llaves

I was up super early today to get some work done before going into Mérida. I left around 8:30 and it was just after 9:00 when I pulled into the Galerías, hoping to have access to the Scotiabank there. If not, then I had a few other ATMs to try on my route to the lawyer’s office. The main doors into the mall were closed, but a cleaning guy directed a man also hoping to get to Scotiabank to take a service entrance. I followed and was able to get to the ATM and make my withdrawal.

It was then a very easy drive to the office, which is just a few blocks from the Siqueff restaurant, so I had a pretty good idea of where I was going. Since I was a few minutes early, I walked around the block a bit, found a shop to get a bottle of water, and then returned to the office for exactly 10:00. I was the first one there, but my agent, Paty, quickly showed up and we had a good gab before the owners arrived. I’d met the wife before, but not the husband. He was a bit standoffish, but his handshake was firm, so I wasn’t put off.

We were soon led into an office. First thing was to sign the lease. Mr. Owner suggested that it be read aloud to make sure I understood everything and didn’t feel pressured to read at the speed of lightening. Paty told him I’d gotten an advanced copy and had no questions, so we didn’t need to do that. He quickly scanned it and made the same comment I did — no rent price in it! Why that is was never really explained, but it’s not part of a lease here. I was really glad he had the same reaction as me.

I then had to fill out some more paperwork giving my personal information and copies of my ID. Paty told me not to worry about the bottom section, asking for a CURP (Mexican SIN/SSN) and I was able to proudly say that I have one and provide a copy of the certificate. My preparedness amuses her greatly, but my folder of paperwork has saved me steps so it’s worth lugging around.

Next, I had to pay for October and sign 24 receipts that will be given to me as the rent is paid. Rent goes directly to the owners and they said that it can be paid in many different locations, including Oxxo (Mexican 7-Eleven), which is just a few blocks from the house. I’m still not quite sure how that works, but I know that Oxxo accepts payment for just about anything. Once payment is made, I can send them a message and when they are in the area, they will drop a receipt in the mailbox.

The process was very quick and felt quite informal. My landlady is very warm and as we waited for copies to be made, she was happy to share her favourite shopping spots near the house, including an organic market near the Lebanese bakery that she says sells the best chicken in Mérida.

Paty and the owners were so patient and kind and really made the process easy and gave me confidence in my decision to rent from them. They made sure I fully understood everything and reiterated what they promised will be done before the house is all mine at the start of October. This includes painting the façade and the laundry room (that was not on the original list!), cleaning up the yard, and bringing in a microwave, in addition to emptying out the maid’s room.

Once everything was done, Paty apologised for forgetting to bring keys and suggested I follow her back to her office to pick them up! Followed quite a ride across town (she drives like a demon), but once we passed the Siqueff restaurant I actually knew where I was going so I wasn’t worried about losing her. I then had to drive all the way back to the house, but who’s complaining when I had possession of this beautiful thing?

Here’s my street:

Never mind that it looks a bit rough by NOB standards. It seems common in Mexico for neighbourhoods to be economically diverse. Notice that the house across the street is obviously very nice. Ms. Owner says all the neighbours are great and the neighbourhood is perfectly safe.

Here’s the façade:

There are three garage doors with their own openers, a main person door, and a service entry door.

Moya just fit into the middle bay. Just. I’ll have to figure out which is the easiest one to get in and out of. I think it’s the third, but it’s not covered. 🙁 At any rate, I don’t plan to take the truck out that much…

The entrance is the loveliest part of the house:

I love that flagstone!

Here is a door directly into my office. I don’t appear to have a key for it, so I’ll have to ask if there is one.

Around the corner is a side yard. When I was here last time, the ground cover was bright green, but they applied weedkiller. A gardener will clean it up and then it will be up to me to maintain it. The little window is into my laundry room. Notice the covered terrace area.

I’m so grateful to have this furniture!

Here’s the entrance to the laundry room.

It’s a bit rough, but some elbow grease will make it a very pleasant room to work in. I hope they leave me that ladder!

There’s even as slop sink with a built-in washboard.

Standing in the laundry room looking towards the terrace and the laundry drying area.

Here’s the laundry drying area. There’s no cord, just those racks to hang things from that will be good for big pieces and anything I can put on a hanger. I have a small rack for undies and such. They offered to put up a cord, but it would be too high up to be really comfortable to use. I will do a post later about the tinaco (black container) when I write about the water system. Spoiler: the house water is potable.

View in the other direction. You can see my bedroom window upstairs.

The terrace. I love the doggy prints in the cement! I can see myself here with C&C whooping their butts at canasta! 🙂

Back to the entrance. You can see the far door is the service door.

This is the main person door from the street. There’s a mailbox on the other side (for which I need to remember to ask for a key).

Looking down the service corridor. Those windows are my kitchen and, yes, that’s a dog house at the very end!

Ms. Owner wanted to get rid of this “ugly” bench. 🙁 I think I made it clear that I want it!

Here’s the wall fountain! 😀

We come into the house into the living room. Love the provided furniture, not so much the zebra print cushions. Imagine those couches with bright pink, orange, teal, and/or purple cushions!

The armoires are wonderful. Here’s room to store wine bottles and hang wine glasses:

The house has so little built-in storage that these are really a blessing. The other armoire has a different configuration.

The house has blinds and curtains throughout, another expense saved except where I might want heavier material (bedrooms!).

Looking towards the dining room:

The buffet came from France!

Looking towards the kitchen. I can slide open the doors at the bar or close them. It was my dream to have a kitchen that I could completely hide and this is a real dream. It’s really the only interior part of the house I’m super excited about. 🙂

Looking into the kitchen:

That door goes to the exterior service corridor. The fridge will go by that AC unit.

I get that huge cabinet. The space under the sink is usable as well. Notice the space for the stove with an actual working vent above! Those windows really make the space. I get to keep that table, but it’ll go elsewhere. Imagine a stainless steel table/island in its place! Costco has one that is surprisingly affordable!

Costco also has some stainless steel shelving that I’m eyeing. One will go here most likely.

My only real major issue with the house is the quite gross kitchen sink. They cleaned it up a lot, but it’s still pretty bad. I think I can buff it out and then wax it, but am going to consider paying out of pocket to replace both it and the faucet. To be determined!

I suspect that this door will be open a lot.

The entire house is big dog proof so if I have to bug out for a hurricane or Puppy wants to come visit, there’s room for him.

Here’s the rear courtyard where I expect I’ll eat most of my meals.

It has an RV-like awning that can roll down for extra shade.

Here’s the door to the maid’s quarters. That cement detail is the bathroom window.

I was amused by this souvenir from… Calgary!

The dining room set is really lovely. Hope I will have people to invite for dinner. 🙂

The chairs might be sticky, though, as they are leather or vinyl. At least they’re not fabric!

Now, looking towards my office, the guest quarter, and the maid’s room.

Nice space to fill in front of the stairwell.

And on the other side.

My office:

Lush probably wins about a beer/wine fridge being plugged in under this unit since there is an unfortunate hole that would fit an extension cord.

Surprisingly comfy little recliner and I’ll be glad to have that end table as a bed stand until I can get one!

Now, I’m standing in front of the guest bathroom looking towards the kitchen.

Nice safe stairs up for Bast and Contessa, not that they’ll have any reason to use them. 😉

The guest bathroom. It’s in decent shape, but the hard water has been, well, hard on it.

Lots of stains in the shower. I’m hoping some real elbow grease can help it. Otherwise, I’ll just put in a really cute bathmat!

I really curse the person who invented pedestal sinks.

Here’s the guest bedroom:

So. Much. Storage. Really jealous. Wait ’til you see the master closet.

These are all over the house and are, of course, for hanging hammocks. I really need to learn to sleep in one.

Now, the maid’s room, which will probably look better once all this stuff is gone.

This is the door leading to the rear courtyard. It has a second screened door, so it could be left open for fresh air and light.

Bathroom door and closet, that will probably be used to store cleaning products.

This bathroom actually seems cleaner. It probably wasn’t used as much. I’ll probably use the guest bathroom when I don’t have guests and this one when I do.