I Moved To Oaxaca

Saturday, March 20, 2004

"It's like camping."

That's our new refrain, at least when we're enjoying the comforts of Moderate Shangri-La. Seriously, though, while the weather is warm like it has been, bathing out of a bucket is fine. But, I keep eyeing our cistern and thinking on the mosquitos which are becoming active again. Don't have to think too hard about why Mexico continues to have problems with mosquito-borne diseases, as most houses in the state have a container or two of standing water. So Friday at the Conzatti tianguis, after we'd gotten the week's veggies from Paco, we strolled past the two aquarium stands. The first one only had guppies, ciclids, and goldfish, but the second one had mollies, swordtails, puffer fish, and danios. We ended up getting a pair of orange swordtails instead of the cute-as-buttons danios. We didn't know the Mexican name for swordtails, so Greg asked, "May I?" and netted them himself -- fun to watch Mr. Aquarium Pro in action. We then grabbed half a grilled chicken (different stand!) and rushed home. Because It's Mexico, all we had to do was open the bag and drop the fish into the water, no treatment necessary! Greg says they're working fish, so they don't have names, but he did agree that next Friday we can go back and get a pet hermit crab. Cool.

While buying a phone card Greg struck up a conversation with an American that went something like this:

"Where you from?"
"San Francisco; and you?"
"Berkeley!"
"Oh, I'm really from Albany."
"Me, too!"

Turns out Charlie (and his wife, Lucy) used to live on Carmel just off Solano, what, maybe 5 or 6 blocks from the House of Mystery on Ventura. We went out with them and Judy, our fellow St. Giles graduate, Friday night for a light dinner at a place near Charlie and Lucy's apartment. And speaking of remembrances of home, I got an e-mail from a guy whose done some desert hiking.

Oh, and somebody tried to asassinate the governor this week. We wondered what all the helicopters were about. It happened up the hill at the fancy Hotel El Fortin and not at his house, across the street from our old apartment but still only two blocks from our new place.

I have the McDonald's pictures; should be up soon. Speaking of Gringolandia, I borrowed Osvelia's Sam's Club card and bought some sheets. Ouch. Tweren't cheap, folks. Cost me almost as much as a month's rent for Little Jumbo. And I saw The Passion of the Christ. It opened in Oaxaca on Friday, and is playing at four screens at Cinepolis -- finally! something to knock The Haunted Mansion down a peg. And while I am a big fan of Jesus movies, I didn't think the Passion was so good. Which is too bad, but it looks like Cinepolis might show The Last Temptation of Christ. That would be awesome!

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