Clean Clean Clean

  After waking up to the usual buzzing in my ear (still can't tell if it's a fly or mosquito- but it wakes me just the same), Abel and I went into another manic cleaning frenzy.  We swept, we mopped, we re-arranged, and left an army of fly corpses in the adjacent room.  (The REAL reason for the cleaning frenzy)  Cooking and beach-going are obvious reasons for the difficulty in maintaining a spit-spot clean home, but living with the windows open makes it an absolute necessity; insects have absolutely no tact- they invite themselves in without asking and stay well-past their welcome with no shame at all.  (Despite Abel trying to reason with them)

the clothesline in our "garden"

  After the clean-up, Abel took his clothes to the lavandaria- for 10 pesos they will wash 1 kilo of laundry!  A pretty good deal, but I still feel guilty about handing over mis chones to a stranger... thus my hand-washing them a few days ago.  I must say- it felt pretty good.. like I was going "back to the basics" ya know- basically scrubbing my clothes clean against a rock and hanging them out on the line to dry.  And just so everyone is aware- I believe the commercials have romanticized line-drying clothes a bit.  I'm pretty sure those fabric softeners and dryer sheets are a huge factor in the "spring-breeze-and-dried-with-the-sun's-natural-goodness" scent... my clothes came away smelling mostly like.. clothes.  Oh well.

drying my knickers the good old fashioned way

Re-defining

  I was talking to my friend, Austin, the other day about why I'm here in Mexico, (a conversation I've had a few times over) and my response to him was, "Life is an adventure... I love that everything is like a test- every chapter of life challenges you to rise up and be better than you were before.  You can truly surprise yourself with what you will and can handle."  I honestly believe that.  I think a lot of people live in a comfortable and familiar way, because they are afraid trying something new and it not working.  I don't condemn those people or think there is any fault in that decision, but -as a Sagittarius- I find it personally confining... I suppose I'm scared to NOT know the unknown.

  Something I've always loved about living with people from varied backgrounds, is that you are constantly forced to better define yourself.  Well-known and "easy" answers are insufficient as they don't hold a whole lot of meaning to those who aren't familiar with your native idiosyncrasies.  Different backgrounds also result in different definitions.  I think this is something I first really realized with my Korean roommate, Luna, in college.  She was always asking me social questions... to this day, her famous quote to me is, "I see that you always wear red lipstick...it is very appealing- that is why red is often the color of whores."  Heh- thanks, Luna. 

  Even though Luna asked me more social questions, my current roomies are always asking me the meaning of particular words.  I find myself having to define the difference between exaggerate and overreact, fainting and passing out- and the appropriate uses for both.  Truth is, I like it.  Words are more meaningful- they have to be properly chosen to explain yourself sufficiently... as it should be.

  It's not just the words that are being re-defined, but when living in ANY new situation, many things are re-defined.  What is a party?  What constitutes as good food?  What is clean?  What is clean enough?  These are particular questions that have been defined again and again over the numerous living situations.  Heh- and you will do yourself no favors by comparing one situation to another on a scale of preference... It is helpful, however, to accept the present definition- to live in the current "truth."

Don't drink the water

  Hah- this makes me laugh.  As soon as I tell anyone that I'm living in Mexico, this is the first piece of advice they give me: "Don't drink the water."  Lol- it doesn't matter if they've been here or not... everyone knows you're not supposed to drink the water in Mexico.  (Thank you Uncle John, Grandma, Aunt Linda, Mom, Luke....)

  In fact, not many Mexicans even drink the water.  We have a 20 liter jug of H2O that sits on the kitchen counter- we refill it every few days.   A man comes by a few times a day riding his 3-wheeled trailer full of huge water jugs... if you have an empty bottle of the same brand he'll trade you for a few dollars. Pretty efficient, if you ask me!

  So no worries family and friends, we use this water for everything: drinking, smoothies, ice-making...  We're good.  I'm good.  The water's fine.  :)

Playa del Carmen at sunset

Quinta Avenida

one of the numerous gelato stands

  One of my favorite things to do here in Playa, is walk around Quinta Avenida (5th Ave) at night.  It is a pedestrian-only street that comes alive with lights, people and music after the sun goes down.  (Hey, a walk is much more pleasant when the cool, night breeze is there to cool you off!)
 
  I love that the traditional mariachis are seen walking right past the new Converse store, t-shirt shops, bikini huts and dozens of pizza and gelato stands.  (A large Italian population means lots of great food.)  There are tons of musicians who traverse this town at night- serenading anyone who lends an ear to listen.  Gosh, I love music!  :)

  Here are a few photos I shot during one of my strolls.

5th Ave Lights

Mariachis on Quinta Avenida

No Blankets Necessary

  Life has a funny way of giving you exactly what you ask for.  I spent the majority of my hot, Texan summer complaining about the AC and how much a loathe being cold.  "I love the warmth," I'd recite all day long as I dreamed wistfully of my days in Colombia- that burning sun that no one else could seem to muster.  I'd look back to my time in Hawai'i and remember how so few places had AC- how it all seemed to work out fine.

  ::smile:: Now I live in Mexico.  It's not that I really mind the warmth, it's just that I miss that feeling of being super-clean.  It doesn't matter what time of day I take my cold shower, that "so fresh and so clean, clean" feeling only lasts so long when you're sweating all the day through.  Much like in HI, sleeping only requires a single sheet to cover up- and not for any sort of warmth-factor, but only to put a barrier between you and the mosquitoes.  (I wouldn't dream of catching any Zzzz's without having the windows open.) 

  It has at least given me an appreciation of air conditioning.  I do prefer to live in the cool breeze of an open door or window, but every time I pass a store that IS equipped with aircon -that blissfully icy air that spills into the street- I can't help but pause a moment longer and hum a note of satisfaction.

Groceries and Personal Space

  So, having been here in Mexico for over two weeks, I've made a few trips to the grocery store... err.. Wal-Mart.  Yes, there is a small market on the next corner, but let's face it- Wally World is only 3 blocks away and it has everything.  Hey... no judging- I've been to the local market quite a few times too.... I have!

   Anyways, here are a few things I noticed:

  Peanut Butter- there are only two brands (one of which is "Aladdin" and neither of which is natural or organic by any means)
  Milk- similar story... there is an impressive -if not disturbing- amount of ingredients contained in the boxed milk options and only one brand is even kept cold: the organic brand that curiously enough doesn't expire for several months??  I've come up with a few theories to explain this 1. Mexican organic milk is of an exceptionally high standard and doesn't need preservatives to conserve it's freshness for months at a time 2. Americans are too conservative with their expiration predictions 3. The milk factory got ahead of schedule with the label-printing but decided to use the bottles anyways
  Limes- they are everywhere.  It is a known fact that limes are a staple in the Mexican diet
  Bananas- you have to be very careful when picking out a bunch- they are very easy to fall apart as they are almost always past the ripe stage (interesting because Mexico is the 9th largest producer of bananas annually... must be a transportation issue)
  Ice Cream- they actually have Blue Bell!!!  (beware the price)
  Salad Dressing- 2 options: Ranch or Italian
  Frozen Dinners- very limited here, it is much more common to see people purchasing the prepared foods at the front of the store

  Well, just a few food observations- I'm sure there are more to come...  As far as other things: the smaller "personal bubble" was made most apparent as I stood in the check-out line.  I'd like to think I'm okay with less personal space (although words of wisdom from Mrs. Sullins, a fellow traveler, are echoing in my brain).  I stood there and watched as the couple in front of me lazily leaned on my basket and their children climbed ever so diligently over the sides... I wasn't offended or upset or worried for the safety of my groceries, but I simply observed the shrinking bubble in silence.

Mosquitoes

  A few nights after arriving here in Playa del Carmen, I was plagued- PLAGUED -by a hoard of angry mosquitoes.  Okay... perhaps they weren't so angry as much as completely obsessed with me, but either way they left me anxious and completely sleep-deprived.  I struggled for over 3hrs in the darkness to evade them.  I covered up, I shooed, I swatted, I attempted to ignore... all to no avail- perhaps they found the fight to be an adventurous challenge.  I don't pretend to know what insects think, but I did decide in that moment -or long string of moments- that something must be done.

  The next morning I researched natural mosquito repellents, and to my surprise found quite the helpful video on www.ask.com.  Fantastic!  I found that eucalyptus, peppermint, citronella, marigolds, lavender, lemon grass, geranium, and witch-hazel all repel these pesky biters without having to introduce any chemicals into the air that I'm breathing.. perfect.  I planned to buy the actual plants, but -quite conveniently- a woman on 5th street was selling incense.  For 25 pesos we picked out a combination of 10 sticks: mint, citronella and lavender.  I'm proud to say the room has been virtually mosquito-free since that very night!  Wahoo!

  Helpful hint #2:  Rubbing deodorant on an itchy bite (before you scratch) will take away the sting!  ::sigh::  immediate relief.

  Sometimes learning the hard way, is the only way.