My dad asked me the other day if I had acclimatized yet to the crazy hot and humid heat that we have been experiencing here in Manzanillo. Many of you have asked me this same question so I thought I would address it in this post.
Since I had only ever been to Manzanillo during tourist season in the past (November - May), I had yet to experience a summer here nor hurricane season. In the 10 years I had been vacationing here, I had only seen it rain once and while it was hot during the day, the humidity was not too bad and the evenings cooled down very nicely. Sometimes, in fact, I remember putting a pashmina or cardigan on when I was out for dinner in the evenings.
One of the first things my local friends said when I told them I was moving here to Manzanillo was, how on earth are you going to handle the heat and humidity of the summer months/hurricane season? Well, now I fully understand why everyone kept saying that to me!
Of course, I arrived in Manzanillo in the hottest month possible and the very start of summer and hurricane season. Clearly, I like to do things the hard way! Bottom line, it is FLIPPIN HOT here in the summer! And so, to answer your question as to whether I have acclimatized, the answer is a resounding NO. I have never experienced heat and the oppressive humidity that is typical of the summer months here. It tends to rain a lot but mostly in the evenings and everyone definitely welcomes the rain as it cools things off for a while.
But one thing I will say, is that I am starting to get used to constantly sweating, only walking the dogs before 9am and after 7pm, having multiple cold showers per day to cool off, and becoming one with the fans in my apartment. One of my friends was shocked when I said that I no longer use the hot water tap in my shower. He said, how on earth can you take a cold shower? Then he came to visit, and fully understood. It is one of the ways to truly cope and cool off. In fact, many Mexicans here do not have hot water at all. It is simply not required.
On a daily basis, I am in awe of Mexican woman who are walking around in high heels and polished outfits, looking completely fabulous without a drop of sweat on their body. I often wonder to myself, how do they pull that off? The answer is simple – acclimatization! One thing I have yet to achieve and may in fact never achieve.
The other day, it had cooled off a bit as it was storming and I was relishing the breeze. Ahhhhh, love, love, love the breeze. When I took a shower that night, I actually used some hot water in my shower for the FIRST time since I had arrived. What a thought!
I am starting to get used the heat a little bit though. I barely use the air conditioner in my room anymore, as I find the fan more than sufficient. I also carry a towel or napkins around when I go on walks to mop off the sweat that is pouring off my forehead. I never knew I could sweat so much.
So, there you have it. This sweaty Canadian is about to go and take her 3rd cold shower of the day!
PS Still do NOT miss winter and snow though!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Meeting new people and yet more birthdays
On the weekend I went to a birthday party of a person I had recently met who is my age. She had a few girls over to her house for wine and appetizers so I was able to meet some more people (both ex-pats and locals). It was great to meet some more women my age. They were wonderful and were an absolute riot. I had been having a rough week and really needed that. It was so good to laugh and it really lifted my spirits. This week I feel like a new person. Last week, I had been feeling really terrible, so much so that my mexican mom brought a doctor over to the house. Apparently my blood pressure had dropped to a super low level and I had to go on some medicine to bring it back up to normal. After a few days of being on the medication, I started feeling much better.
I think being sick and cooped up in the house definitely did not help my emotional state and I hit an all time low. I was talking with a friend of mine and said that I think I am only now dealing with everything that happened. Initially, when I first moved into the house, I was in task mode getting settled, buying things for the house, meeting my neighbors, starting spanish class, etc. Then, I had two different sets of visitors and was busy having fun and visiting with them. Now that life has become somewhat normal, routine and my visitors have gone home, I can no longer avoid everything and have to deal with things. It definitely sucks and is really tough but something I have to go through. A big thanks to "mommy dearest" and my mexican mom who were there when I had a bit of a meltdown. They both lent a shoulder to cry on and were wonderful in helping me through some tough moments. I feel very fortunate to have these people in my life.
I went to another birthday party earlier this week at the condo complex where I stayed every year when I used to come here on vacation. My mexican mom invited me and I had a great time. It was all local people, there was great ceviche, dancing, and one of the men played acoustic guitar and was a fabulous singer. It was also a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share as i had forgotten my camera. I know, I know.......it will not happen again!
Spanish class has been going very well - I feel like things are starting to sink in a little bit. I am still going 3 days a week and then also spend many hours studying, reviewing vocabulary and verbs.
I went to a woman's luncheon today called Mujeres Amigas. This is a women's group that meets once a month and is a great way to meet other local women. There is also a book exchange where you can find books and magazines in English. They also bring in speakers on various topics. It was nice to meet a few more people in town.
On a completely unrelated matter, the new Starbucks opened last week. I cannot even believe that there is a Starbucks here in Manzanillo now. This town has changed so much over the last 10 years.
And since I have no other photos to share with you, I will leave you with some pictures of my babies!
I think being sick and cooped up in the house definitely did not help my emotional state and I hit an all time low. I was talking with a friend of mine and said that I think I am only now dealing with everything that happened. Initially, when I first moved into the house, I was in task mode getting settled, buying things for the house, meeting my neighbors, starting spanish class, etc. Then, I had two different sets of visitors and was busy having fun and visiting with them. Now that life has become somewhat normal, routine and my visitors have gone home, I can no longer avoid everything and have to deal with things. It definitely sucks and is really tough but something I have to go through. A big thanks to "mommy dearest" and my mexican mom who were there when I had a bit of a meltdown. They both lent a shoulder to cry on and were wonderful in helping me through some tough moments. I feel very fortunate to have these people in my life.
I went to another birthday party earlier this week at the condo complex where I stayed every year when I used to come here on vacation. My mexican mom invited me and I had a great time. It was all local people, there was great ceviche, dancing, and one of the men played acoustic guitar and was a fabulous singer. It was also a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share as i had forgotten my camera. I know, I know.......it will not happen again!
Spanish class has been going very well - I feel like things are starting to sink in a little bit. I am still going 3 days a week and then also spend many hours studying, reviewing vocabulary and verbs.
I went to a woman's luncheon today called Mujeres Amigas. This is a women's group that meets once a month and is a great way to meet other local women. There is also a book exchange where you can find books and magazines in English. They also bring in speakers on various topics. It was nice to meet a few more people in town.
On a completely unrelated matter, the new Starbucks opened last week. I cannot even believe that there is a Starbucks here in Manzanillo now. This town has changed so much over the last 10 years.
And since I have no other photos to share with you, I will leave you with some pictures of my babies!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Que paso?
So many of you have been asking me about Jade and the street puppies. Here is a dog update.
Back in August, I wrote a post discussing the two street dogs and their puppies that required homes. Many of you have been asking me about these puppies and wondering if they have found homes. And the answer is a resounding YES! I am so pleased to report that the litter of 10 puppies by the brindle mother down by the OXXO store have all gone to a loving home. The litter was reduced down to 7 puppies as a few of the little guys did not make it and one up and disappeared (it was the really cute black and white one which we hope was adopted by a loving home).
At any rate, thanks to ex-pat Debi, she has found a loving home for ALL of the puppies! She also brought the mom in to get fixed so she can no longer reproduce. Debi is an ex-pat from Canada who is a HUGE dog lover and feeds alot of the stray dogs around town, brings them into the vet to get fixed, takes sick animals into her home to nurse them until they are rehabilitated, etc. Bottom line is this woman has a huge heart and all of the street dogs that she comes across are well looked after or find the care they need thanks to her tireless efforts.
The other puppy litter of 4 dogs (check out the picture from the previous post), also have found loving homes thanks to Teresa and Steve. Teresa and Steve have looked after the mom and the puppies from the get go and managed to find homes for all of them (including her own home)! She has gone through countless issues with those dogs and many a vet visit.
So, two big success stories in Santiago village! Thanks to all the hard work of Debi and Teresa, 11 street pups have found loving homes. It just goes to show that one person can make a huge difference in whether an animal lives or dies.
Many of you have been asking about Jade, my recent dog rescue off the streets of Manzanillo.
Initially, she was living outside on my porch while I was feeding her, bringing her in to the vet to treat her many medical problems, give her all the necessary vaccinations and trying to get her healthy overall. Now, she is doing really well. She has some meat on her bones (you can barely see her ribs anymore), she is free of ticks and fleas and was fixed recently so she is not able to have puppies. Emotionally, she still has massive abandonment/separation issues and freaks out anytime I leave without her, but I am hoping in time, this will pass. She is very affectionate and follows me everywhere.
Please, please, please let me live inside with you. I will be good, I promise!
I am sure this will not come as a shock, but she is no longer living outside and is now living in my apartment with Jackson and I. She is adjusting really well to living indoors (versus on the streets) although she still trys to eat whatever is in the garbage can. Old habits I guess..... She is very smart and has learned to come when called, to sit, to wait to eat her food until I give the go ahead, etc. She is an amazing dog and I am very happy that she has came into my life. I honestly cannot imagine life without her!
Back in August, I wrote a post discussing the two street dogs and their puppies that required homes. Many of you have been asking me about these puppies and wondering if they have found homes. And the answer is a resounding YES! I am so pleased to report that the litter of 10 puppies by the brindle mother down by the OXXO store have all gone to a loving home. The litter was reduced down to 7 puppies as a few of the little guys did not make it and one up and disappeared (it was the really cute black and white one which we hope was adopted by a loving home).
At any rate, thanks to ex-pat Debi, she has found a loving home for ALL of the puppies! She also brought the mom in to get fixed so she can no longer reproduce. Debi is an ex-pat from Canada who is a HUGE dog lover and feeds alot of the stray dogs around town, brings them into the vet to get fixed, takes sick animals into her home to nurse them until they are rehabilitated, etc. Bottom line is this woman has a huge heart and all of the street dogs that she comes across are well looked after or find the care they need thanks to her tireless efforts.
The other puppy litter of 4 dogs (check out the picture from the previous post), also have found loving homes thanks to Teresa and Steve. Teresa and Steve have looked after the mom and the puppies from the get go and managed to find homes for all of them (including her own home)! She has gone through countless issues with those dogs and many a vet visit.
So, two big success stories in Santiago village! Thanks to all the hard work of Debi and Teresa, 11 street pups have found loving homes. It just goes to show that one person can make a huge difference in whether an animal lives or dies.
Many of you have been asking about Jade, my recent dog rescue off the streets of Manzanillo.
Initially, she was living outside on my porch while I was feeding her, bringing her in to the vet to treat her many medical problems, give her all the necessary vaccinations and trying to get her healthy overall. Now, she is doing really well. She has some meat on her bones (you can barely see her ribs anymore), she is free of ticks and fleas and was fixed recently so she is not able to have puppies. Emotionally, she still has massive abandonment/separation issues and freaks out anytime I leave without her, but I am hoping in time, this will pass. She is very affectionate and follows me everywhere.
Please, please, please let me live inside with you. I will be good, I promise!
I am sure this will not come as a shock, but she is no longer living outside and is now living in my apartment with Jackson and I. She is adjusting really well to living indoors (versus on the streets) although she still trys to eat whatever is in the garbage can. Old habits I guess..... She is very smart and has learned to come when called, to sit, to wait to eat her food until I give the go ahead, etc. She is an amazing dog and I am very happy that she has came into my life. I honestly cannot imagine life without her!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Another birthday!
Today is Jackson's 5th birthday. This week is chocked full of birthdays in my family. My niece, my brother, my father and my dog Jackson.
So today, it is all about Jackson!
Jackson at 2 months old
Ok, I got up the stairs, now you expect me to go DOWN?
I often wonder what he thinks of his new home in Mexico.
Some random musings from the point of view of Jackson
- Why is it so freakin' hot here all the time?
- When is it going to snow?
- I love, love, love the new dog park (aka the beach). Why is the water so salty?
- Who the hell is this new dog in my house with the big goofy ears? Who does she think she is shoving me off my own bed and chewing on my toys? This sure is one long sleep over...
- Why can't I eat the hens on my street?
- How come all the other dogs are not on a leash?
His favorite place in Manzanillo
His new bed that he gets to sleep on some of the time- THANKS Auntie Camelia!
So today, it is all about Jackson!
Jackson at 2 months old
Ok, I got up the stairs, now you expect me to go DOWN?
I often wonder what he thinks of his new home in Mexico.
Some random musings from the point of view of Jackson
- Why is it so freakin' hot here all the time?
- When is it going to snow?
- I love, love, love the new dog park (aka the beach). Why is the water so salty?
- Who the hell is this new dog in my house with the big goofy ears? Who does she think she is shoving me off my own bed and chewing on my toys? This sure is one long sleep over...
- Why can't I eat the hens on my street?
- How come all the other dogs are not on a leash?
His favorite place in Manzanillo
His new bed that he gets to sleep on some of the time- THANKS Auntie Camelia!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Happy birthday to a special girl
Today is my niece's 11th birthday. I have been thinking of her so much and so I decided to write a little something to honor her today. I have been thinking about all our fun times together, looking at photos and laughing out loud. Doing these simple things has completely brightened my day!
Top ten things I love about this amazing girl (in no particular order):
- she is an old soul and very mature for her age. Some of the things that come out of her mouth are mind boggling.
- she has this ability to make you laugh at any given moment. If she sees that you are sad or struggling, she always trys to put a smile on your face
- she has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I have ever met. She must have a hollow leg as that girl can pack back more desserts than most adults.
- she has the biggest heart in the world
- she is frighteningly intelligent and perceptive
- she is the only person I would allow to coerce me into going on an amusement park ride, puke my guts out and then continue going on more rides!
- that girl can dance!
- she loves to play cards and can beat me at crib already! Wait until she is playing poker with the family - watch out!
- her wit and sarcasm (she comes by it honestly)
- her big beautiful smile.
Some of my all time favorite moments:
- taking her on her first flight to go to a family renuion. She was three years old and when the flight attendants sat down for take off, she looked at me in horror and said, "Aunty, why are they sitting down and who is going to fly the plane???". Once we arrived at the reunion, my relatives were roasting an entire pig on a spit. She took one look at it and then declared to me: "I am NOT eating any of that chicken!!!" I still laugh out loud when I think of that weekend
- taking her camping, rustic style, in the Rocky Mountains and taking her on her first mountain hike. Hmmmmm, camp fire and smores.
- our girls camping trip with our two cousins before I left the country. Again, in the Rocky Mountains. First experience with a grizzly! Scary, but memorable!
- taking her to Candle Lake with me to see my friend Lisa and her kids
- car dancing to Gwen Stefani and doing our special dance
Here she is on her very first visit to Manzanillo at the age of 3 with my late mother.
Here she is in Manzanillo 5 years later with one of the street dogs she would feed with her own money. She named him "Cutie".
Proving that yes she can fit in Jackson's kennel after many pieces of cheesecake. This was taken at our Canmore family reunion
Goofing around in typical "Grandma Griz" fashion with her cousin
Jackson and my niece at Candle Lake
Her first hike in the Rocky Mountains with Jackson and I
Last summer on our way to the mountains
I miss her so much and cannot wait to see her at Christmas! She is coming to visit for several weeks and I am soooooooooo excited.
Happy Birthday to my special girl. I love you and can't wait to see you. XOXO
Top ten things I love about this amazing girl (in no particular order):
- she is an old soul and very mature for her age. Some of the things that come out of her mouth are mind boggling.
- she has this ability to make you laugh at any given moment. If she sees that you are sad or struggling, she always trys to put a smile on your face
- she has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I have ever met. She must have a hollow leg as that girl can pack back more desserts than most adults.
- she has the biggest heart in the world
- she is frighteningly intelligent and perceptive
- she is the only person I would allow to coerce me into going on an amusement park ride, puke my guts out and then continue going on more rides!
- that girl can dance!
- she loves to play cards and can beat me at crib already! Wait until she is playing poker with the family - watch out!
- her wit and sarcasm (she comes by it honestly)
- her big beautiful smile.
Some of my all time favorite moments:
- taking her on her first flight to go to a family renuion. She was three years old and when the flight attendants sat down for take off, she looked at me in horror and said, "Aunty, why are they sitting down and who is going to fly the plane???". Once we arrived at the reunion, my relatives were roasting an entire pig on a spit. She took one look at it and then declared to me: "I am NOT eating any of that chicken!!!" I still laugh out loud when I think of that weekend
- taking her camping, rustic style, in the Rocky Mountains and taking her on her first mountain hike. Hmmmmm, camp fire and smores.
- our girls camping trip with our two cousins before I left the country. Again, in the Rocky Mountains. First experience with a grizzly! Scary, but memorable!
- taking her to Candle Lake with me to see my friend Lisa and her kids
- car dancing to Gwen Stefani and doing our special dance
Here she is on her very first visit to Manzanillo at the age of 3 with my late mother.
Here she is in Manzanillo 5 years later with one of the street dogs she would feed with her own money. She named him "Cutie".
Proving that yes she can fit in Jackson's kennel after many pieces of cheesecake. This was taken at our Canmore family reunion
Goofing around in typical "Grandma Griz" fashion with her cousin
Jackson and my niece at Candle Lake
Her first hike in the Rocky Mountains with Jackson and I
Last summer on our way to the mountains
I miss her so much and cannot wait to see her at Christmas! She is coming to visit for several weeks and I am soooooooooo excited.
Happy Birthday to my special girl. I love you and can't wait to see you. XOXO
Friday, September 19, 2008
Mexican Independence Day
On September 16, there was a major holiday here in Mexico called Dia de la Independencia where Mexicans all over the world celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spanish rule. All over Manzanillo, shops, restaurants and cars were all decorated with the Mexican flag and/or colors of the Mexican flag. On the weekend, we noticed a huge influx of Mexican tourists from this state and neighboring states. The fiesta actually starts on the evening of September 15 and continues well into the next morning/day.
I was invited to the Posdata Cafe by the two young women that own and operate this cafe. They prepared several delicious appetizers for us to munch on while having a few beverages. Pillar, one of the owners, convinced me to try a new drink called a "Paloma". This is prepared with tequila, fresh lime juice, squirt (similar to Fresca), soda water and salt. I had learned several new adjectives in Spanish class that day - one of which was dangerous. When asked how I liked the drink, I would reply "Es delicioso, pero peligroso!". It is delicious, but dangerous!
Denny and Pillar - the cafe owners
There were mostly Mexican friends at this party, so I was able to practice my Spanish a little. I met a new local family, whose mother's birthday coincided with Independence Day. So at midnight, her sons brought out the violin and guitar and played a few songs for her.
The festivities wrapped up around 1-2am and then Denny, Pillar, Cynthia and Nacho invited me to join them at the disco for a night of dancing. Before we left, they brought out the tequila shots. I was able to use that new adjective again - peligrosa! I had a great time, and learned a few new latin dances. We left the disco around 5:30am and it was still absolutely packed. Apparently, it stays open until 7am. I felt like I was back in my early 20's. We all wanted to go grab some tacos before going home, so we headed over to La Sonrisa, a 24 hour taco stand that is one of my favorites. When we arrived, we discovered that it was completely packed - there was not a free table in the entire place! And yes, this was at 5:45am. So, we had to head home........taco-less! It has been a long time since I have stayed out all night - I definitely paid for this the next day and the following day also. I am getting far too old for these kind of shenanigans!
I was invited to the Posdata Cafe by the two young women that own and operate this cafe. They prepared several delicious appetizers for us to munch on while having a few beverages. Pillar, one of the owners, convinced me to try a new drink called a "Paloma". This is prepared with tequila, fresh lime juice, squirt (similar to Fresca), soda water and salt. I had learned several new adjectives in Spanish class that day - one of which was dangerous. When asked how I liked the drink, I would reply "Es delicioso, pero peligroso!". It is delicious, but dangerous!
Denny and Pillar - the cafe owners
There were mostly Mexican friends at this party, so I was able to practice my Spanish a little. I met a new local family, whose mother's birthday coincided with Independence Day. So at midnight, her sons brought out the violin and guitar and played a few songs for her.
The festivities wrapped up around 1-2am and then Denny, Pillar, Cynthia and Nacho invited me to join them at the disco for a night of dancing. Before we left, they brought out the tequila shots. I was able to use that new adjective again - peligrosa! I had a great time, and learned a few new latin dances. We left the disco around 5:30am and it was still absolutely packed. Apparently, it stays open until 7am. I felt like I was back in my early 20's. We all wanted to go grab some tacos before going home, so we headed over to La Sonrisa, a 24 hour taco stand that is one of my favorites. When we arrived, we discovered that it was completely packed - there was not a free table in the entire place! And yes, this was at 5:45am. So, we had to head home........taco-less! It has been a long time since I have stayed out all night - I definitely paid for this the next day and the following day also. I am getting far too old for these kind of shenanigans!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Dog blog
One of my friends calls my website a dog blog as that is all I seem to write about. Well, what can I say, I am a dog lover and my dogs are my babies. And they always seem to give me good material to write about. And today is no different so Lisa, you may want to skim or skip this post today!
When Camelia was here, she wanted to check out my vet's office (if you can call it that) and meet this vet that I refer to as the dog whisperer. We walked down to the corner to take the bus and Jade, the dog I recently rescued, followed us down there in typical fashion. Usually, once I get on the bus, she turns around and returns to my apartment to wait for me. However, this time, she decided to come right on the bus after Camelia and I got on! I turned to the bus driver to apologize and he said not to worry, as long as she did not bite anyone, she was free to ride along. Here is Jade on her first bus ride (that I know of):
Jade and her crazy Yoda ears!
Camelia was amazed at how small the vet office was - it is basically a shoe box and she was blown away that can perform surgeries, etc in such a small space. This would be a real eye opener for our vets in Canada. Unfortunately, the vet was not there but her mom and the many street cats that she rescues.
Yesterday, I was opening the door for Jade to come in the house, and Jackson saw something and tore out the door before I knew what happened. I soon discovered that he was chasing the flock of hens that live on our street. The rooster and hens do not seem to belong to anybody but just walk up and down the street scrounging for food. Jackson has never been trained or used for hunting although that is what beagles are bred for is hunting rabbits and foxes. Well, his hunting instincts certainly kicked in as I soon found him along with a hen he had cornered and he was not letting her get away. I managed to get there just in time before he was able to arrange his own supper! I shudder to think about that poor hen and her demise had I not shown up. As I was trying to grab Jackson to get him out of there, I noticed a scorpion crawling around. It was the first one I have seen since arriving here. I am sure you can imagine how fast I got out of there!
A few of you have been asking how Jackson has been adjusting to Jade, the new addition to our little pack. For the first few weeks, he basically ignored her completely and would pretend she was not even here. For the first time this morning, he acknowledged her existence and played with her for about an hour! Jade is definitely the alpha though - she had Jackson on his back in no time.
When Camelia was here, she wanted to check out my vet's office (if you can call it that) and meet this vet that I refer to as the dog whisperer. We walked down to the corner to take the bus and Jade, the dog I recently rescued, followed us down there in typical fashion. Usually, once I get on the bus, she turns around and returns to my apartment to wait for me. However, this time, she decided to come right on the bus after Camelia and I got on! I turned to the bus driver to apologize and he said not to worry, as long as she did not bite anyone, she was free to ride along. Here is Jade on her first bus ride (that I know of):
Jade and her crazy Yoda ears!
Camelia was amazed at how small the vet office was - it is basically a shoe box and she was blown away that can perform surgeries, etc in such a small space. This would be a real eye opener for our vets in Canada. Unfortunately, the vet was not there but her mom and the many street cats that she rescues.
Yesterday, I was opening the door for Jade to come in the house, and Jackson saw something and tore out the door before I knew what happened. I soon discovered that he was chasing the flock of hens that live on our street. The rooster and hens do not seem to belong to anybody but just walk up and down the street scrounging for food. Jackson has never been trained or used for hunting although that is what beagles are bred for is hunting rabbits and foxes. Well, his hunting instincts certainly kicked in as I soon found him along with a hen he had cornered and he was not letting her get away. I managed to get there just in time before he was able to arrange his own supper! I shudder to think about that poor hen and her demise had I not shown up. As I was trying to grab Jackson to get him out of there, I noticed a scorpion crawling around. It was the first one I have seen since arriving here. I am sure you can imagine how fast I got out of there!
A few of you have been asking how Jackson has been adjusting to Jade, the new addition to our little pack. For the first few weeks, he basically ignored her completely and would pretend she was not even here. For the first time this morning, he acknowledged her existence and played with her for about an hour! Jade is definitely the alpha though - she had Jackson on his back in no time.
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