¡Feliz Navidad!

What Natalie saw Christmas morning

Hi everyone,

After another two day journey from Australia I finally arrived in Mexico!  I don't know if it is a good thing that these long trips are starting to become common place in my life... honestly, I think I look forward to them.  I get to have lots of alone time and catch up on the latest movies.  These are luxuries that are not often found while traveling.  Well, I digress.  I am having a blast with my sisters and my little niece, Natalie.  It kills me how large the gaps of time are between each visit.  Natalie is a completely different little person now.  She is speaking so much and running and jumping and getting into just about everything she can get her hands on.  I still can't get over the fashion melt downs Laura referred to in her last post.  I have never seen anything like it.  Something as little as the wrong shoes with her dress will send her world into utter chaos.  And don't even try to put pants on her.  Princesses don't wear pants!  In her defence, while she is a bit of a diva sometimes she is one of the sweetest children I have ever met.  She gives everyone and everything kisses and hugs and tells us all constantly that she loves us.  I find it funny that I have taught her to kiss and hug trees to her fathers dismay.  He says I am turning her into a tree hugging dirty hippie!  Ha ha!

It seems that every one of my visits to Mexico is centered around food.  This time is no exception.  As Laura said she has already been feasting on many Mexican delights!  I slipped right in to the routine with no complaints!  Well, there were a few complaints from my stomach, but I ignored them.  Can't let a little thing like that get in the way of good food!  Ha!  Oh, delicious, fresh corn tortillas filled with every sort of yummy thing topped with fresh home made sauces and cilantro!  Need I say more?  Oh but I will.  How about the quesadillas oozing with yummy cheese and squash blossoms, or tamales, or huevos rancheros, or all the sweet pastries and desserts, and not to mention all the amazing fresh fruits!  Ok, I'll stop.  There is still so much to tell you about.  I could go on and on about the food!  Apart from all the amazing Mexican food we have been eating we have also been baking nonstop.  Christmas cookies, pies, breads, cakes, more cookies, and many other Christmas treats.  Natalie gets so excited to help us make cookies.  She gets sad on the days that we aren't making them and starts demanding them.  That's when a bit of the diva comes out... but it is still so cute.  How does she manage that?  Its a good thing we have been doing a lot of swimming and yoga or else we would be rolling home.

So suave in his pink socks

Us at the bull fights

One interesting experience we had... and I emphasise the word interesting here, was a trip to the bull fights.  My sister's husband took me and Laura with a bunch of his friends.  I can't say I would ever go again.  Maybe if it was some world renowned bull fighter... maybe.  Lets just say I found myself rooting for the bull.  It didn't help that in the first fight we watched the bull was very vocal and he sounded like he was suffering so much.  John's friends tried to make me feel better by telling me that the bulls were so ampted up on adrenaline they didn't feel any pain.  I don't know if I buy that but still does it make it ok?  Oh well, it was a unique experience and I am glad that I went.  It was a cool old stadium with cement seats with worn metal back rests.  The stairs had been so worn from countless steps that they now took on more of an organic free flowing form.  There were vendors scampering about offering everything from donuts to mini pizzas to colorful pastries and some stranger fair of boiled pig fat that looked oddly translucent and gelatinous.  I felt like playing with it more than eating it... don't worry I did neither.  We peered over cowboy hats to see a wring enclosed by red wood paneling where the fighters strutted around like peacocks in there sparkly spandex tights, fancy jackets and little hats.  Laura and I where trying to figure out why they all wore pink socks.  The only answer we managed to get was that it was an old tradition but nobody knew how the tradition started.  I have to look further into this rosy obsession.

The fancy place settings we made and filled with cookies!

The magician working his "magic"

Well, Christmas is around the corner and that means I get to finally give people my presents and I get to receive a few too!  Plus more food that I love.  I feel it is a bit much but we are having three Christmas dinners this year!  We had one here in Mexico City with my parents and sister and some of Jeannette's close friends.  We all laughed when John told us he had hired a magician to perform for us at the dinner... but the guy was actually really good and we all had a great time watching him.  I am definitely going to have to hire a magician for my next party!  The next morning we exchanged presents.  Its not exactly Christmas but I didn't complain that I got to open and give presents a few days earlier.  Seeing Natalie's reaction to all the gifts was probably the best part.  She didn't really know what was going on at first but when she finally realized that the pretty colorful boxes under the Christmas tree had toys hiding in them she got really excited.  She is a lucky little girl because in two days she gets to have another Christmas at at her other grandparents' home in Puebla.  As well we have two more dinners there with John's family.  Again, thank God for yoga and swimming!  Then I get to take more presents to all my good friends in Australia!  If you have ever been around me at Christmas time you know how excited I get about giving presents.  I am the worst at keeping the presents secret and usually end up giving them early.

Natalie a little confused on Christmas morning

Natalie running to the tree after she realized what was happening

Lula opening a princess barbie for Natalie

She had to put this on right away

She makes a great mommy for her doll

Everyone loves a naked pianist

I hope everyone has a great holiday!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's from Mexico!

Kiki 

¡Viva Mexico!

Natalie at the club

Kiki,

Mexico has been a relaxing yet exhausting break from my travels. Well, I guess Mexico is still traveling, but being with family makes it different. More like living here than traveling. I go swimming every other day at the country club and now I am taking golf lessons two days a week. I spend all the rest of the time playing with Natalie or watching Barbie princess movies. She is super cute but really sassy and learns new words every day. She has fashion melt downs every day. By this I mean that if you try and put a sweater on her (ruins the look of the dress) or pants (not a dress) she cries for about 20 minutes. She picks out her dress and her shoes every morning. When you get here she is going to go crazy. There will be too many people to play with.

The other day John took JM and me to a soccer game. It was an interesting experience. You walk in past riot police to a crowded stadium of screaming fans. They never stop yelling and when someone scores they start throwing beer in the air. I had to wash my jacket because it was soaked. During half time some sad looking dancers came out and then audience members did this dangerous obstacle course. They started by walking across a balance beam ten feet in the air while guys on the ground threw balls at them. Then they got in a cart and were pushed up a giant see-saw and rolled down the other side (if they were lucky). The last one before the goal attempt was to use a trampoline to dive through a hole in a plywood wall. It looked like a lawsuit waiting to happen, but then again this is Mexico and things are different here. I am glad because it was hilarious when a man ran full speed into the plywood wall.

At the soccer match

I have not even mentioned the food. That is just too complicated a topic. Fresh tacos and the best tamale I have ever had and don't forget the hot sauces. The tamale is famous and they only serve it on the weekends at the country club. It is a chicken tamale covered with a green salsa. I know it does not sound special but believe me it is. The flavor is just too hard to describe. For most Americans please discard anything you think you know about Mexican food. It is nothing like that cheese drenched stuff you get at American Mexican restaurants. Think fresh, smokey, and spicy.

Me and the princess

Apart from all the Mexican food that I have been eating, I have also been cooking lots of Cuban food. JM and I are trying to master some of our Cuban favorites. When you get here you have to help us. As of now we have made arroz con pollo, ropa vieja, and rabo encendido. I have to say that our arroz con pollo and ropa vieja are pretty tasty. Next we need to work on black beans and rice. I made it in Ireland and it was just not right.

Swimsuit hat and soap necklace style

Last weekend we went to Coyoacan and ate dinner. After a mediocre meal at a random restaurant we walked around the square. Natalie saw a woman with balloons and started screaming globo! globo! and running toward the woman. Yes we bought her one and she proceeded to swing it around hitting everyone within a two foot radius. Then we got ice cream. I got passion fruit and JM got coconut. Unfortunately or fortunately, Natalie loved my ice cream and practically ate all of it.  This square we went to had a small town vibe with locals strolling through the square and little old ladies going to church. When you get here I think we are going to do a lot more of the touristy things, but I like not being a tourist for a while. I have yet to really feel the size of Mexico City. I guess it is like every big city where every neighborhood is like it's own little city.

Natalie in the sweater I made for her

The one thing I have noticed here that other countries did not have is the super long lunches. I went to a lunch the other day at 2 p.m. and left at 3 a.m. Yeah and this is not out of the norm either. The other times it has been more of a reasonable hour like 11pm or 12 am when we leave the restaurant. I don't know how anything gets done in Mexico when the whole day is spent at lunch. Though I am usually eating good food, a 12 hour lunch is bit too much for me.

JM

Lula
P.S. Sorry for the lack of relevant pictures. I left my camera at a friends house for a big chunk of the trip.