The Big B

I had an incident this morning in the line. A car cut in front of me, where there really wasn't room to cut, and I almost hit it. Maybe I even tapped it. I didn't honk, didn't make any gestures and didn't really have the energy to do anything at all.

A light flicks on; she's applying her mascara. Then the driver doesn't advance as the line does, allowing people to cut in front of them as well. This happens from time to time. People fall asleep in line sometimes; others are distracted by reading the newspaper, eating their burritos, etc. With a normal person, a little beep of your horn will wake them up, or snap back to reality, and they will continue on, trying to pay more attention. So I lightly tap my horn. Nothing. A car cuts in front of her. Another, slightly longer, tap on the horn. Two more cars cut in front of her. A long, determined honk of the horn, accompanied by an exasperated facial expression. Another car cuts into our lane and she adjusts her rearview mirror so our eyes meet, and I swear she smiles.

She carries on like this until just past the top of the bridge. I don't even consider touching the horn because obviously that will just encourage her. As soon as I can, I do my best to get in a different line than her and by the time I am a couple cars away from the CBP checkpoint, we are right next to each other. She waves at me and laughs hysterically. Then she nudges her daughter in the front seat, seemingly encouraging her to join in on the laughter. I see a car seat in the back and shake my head in disappointment. Although I cross before her (KARMA) she is driving so fast she manages to get onto I-10 before me. She weaves in and out of traffic, faster than an ambulance, giving no regard to the other cars on the road. Not once does she use her turn signals.

I'm not surprised when I realize we both have the same destination. I was going where everyone who crosses from Mexico in the morning goes beforework/school. Walmart. What else is there to do at 6:00 am? I park my car, still a bit disturbed, trying to contemplate the motive behind this woman's madness. I give up quickly, knowing deep down that she just did it for shits and giggles, and get out of my car. That's when I realized the nut job has parked right next to me. Did she circle the parking lot while I looked for my space? I don't even hesitate and hurry into the store. I return my movie to Redbox, grab some frozen crap for lunch and linger at the new Skinny Girl make up section wishing I could call Bethenny Frankel and tell her that as much as I love her and her margaritas, the brand doesn't work for a cosmetic line. It's turning out to be a regular morning at Walmart until I reach the produce section and I catch the crazed woman's eye. She's now in the store with who I presume to be her daughter, 2 sons and baby, filling up a bag with potatoes.

As soon as she sees me, she says to her children, in Spanish, "There she is kids! Say hi!" She nudges her son, "Wave to her!" she demands, while laughing so hard you would have thought she just saw Wanda Sykes perform. I stand there in shock. Not knowing what to do or say, I just stand there for a split second, replaying the whole incident in my head. Setting aside everything that happened in the line, I can't believe there were FOUR children in that car... weaving through traffic well over the speed limit like they were auditioning for Fast6. Who does that? Who behaves this way in front of their children? And that's when I let it out...

"Aren't you embarrassed?" I say in Spanish, "Why would you do something like that to someone for no reason at all? I ignored the fact that you cut in front of me in the line, but why would you continue to act like that, just to upset me? Why would you teach your children to be mean to someone, and then point and laugh when you are done?" I don't know why I was hoping for a different reaction, but I was.

"You're the crazy one who honked her horn like 10 times. What are you teaching your children?" she said. Her daughter looked completely mortified, and her two sons were edging away slowly in embarrassment. I just walked away at this point, muttering, "Que verguenza," under my breath and trying to block out her laughter.

These are the people. You know, them. When you wonder how some children can be so disrespectful and so hurtful to others, think of this woman. When you wonder why bullying runs so rampant in schools that kids post their suicide notes on Youtube, think of this woman. It is parents like these that teach these children that it's fun to mess with people, just because. And no, they're not teaching their kids with their words, but by their actions. It's so beyond unfortunate, I don't even know how to react.

At least now I know what that big red, Old English, "B" bumper sticker stands for on the back of her car.

Cold Weather Solutions

When it's in the 30's inside your house and you run out of propane and you don't get paid until tomorrow:



We get pretty creative when we're cold...

(Disclaimer: To be used in conjunction with the rice sock, long underwear, scarf, hat, gloves and a carbon monoxide detector. Do not use if there are children in the house. Do not leave unattended. Turn off 30 minutes before going to bed.)

Bomberos de Ciudad Juarez: 656 612 73 95

Back At It

It's been so long since I have been on a routine of eating right and exercising. I guess those things just fell to way side in the midst of all the immigration drama. So I have set my goals and I am going to try to reach them this time around.

I tracked a route from my house to the end of the nearby park using trusty ol' Map My Run. Luckily, Mexico still comes up on their map. It is exactly 1 mile from my front door to the end of Parque Cuatro Siglos (right where the statues are with the people wearing butt flaps.) I set out tonight to what I thought would be a quick trip, briskly walking. To my surprise it took me 45 minutes to cover that 2 miles. Now I could make excuses that it was my dog's fault because everyone wants to stop to pet the pomeranian (not a lot of them in MX), but let's be real, I'm just really out of shape. I even tried picking it up to a jog 3 times but was only able to keep it up for about 20 seconds. It made me realize how far I have to go. In 2009, I could run 2 miles without stopping.

I really want to get back to that point and I think this park has the perfect set up. It has a jogging/biking path, there are plenty of people around so I feel safe, it's well lit, and it has interesting things to look at along the way. It's right along the actual border so you can kind of hear the Border Patrol helicopters over your music, but I think I can get used to that. I'm just going to add a little bit more jogging each time until I am back to running the whole thing.

I'm excited. Wish me luck.

Reflections and Resolutions

It was a big year for my family. Everything we had been working for and worried about in regards to moving to Mexico went off without any major hitches. We have been blessed with steady and fulfilling work here in Juarez and that was always the main source of our worries prior to making the move. This year we found an home in great condition that is reasonably priced. (Third times a charm!) We were both even able to go home to visit our respective families, albeit separately. Above all, we feel safe here in Juarez and that is also not something we were expecting.

Of course, the best thing that happened in 2011 was the friendships I have developed, both online and off. I may be far from my family and in a foreign country, but the people I work with, the women here in Juarez, and the support I receive from my blog, Facebook and I2US are... priceless. I cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am for my friends and the joy they bring to my life each and every day. There are no words to describe it really.

2011 was pretty amazing and I hope that 2012 continues that trend, but there are definitely changes I need to make this year. In 2010, as the date of our impending move to Juarez got closer, I began drinking heavily to curb my anxiety. Once we got here, I never quite kicked the vicio and I would like to put forth some serious effort to do so in 2012. I want to get back to a point where I am just drinking on special occasions, not every week. Although it hasn't caused the issues I normally hear about when it comes to excessive drinking, it's foolish, horrible for my body, and quite frankly, I can't afford it! Additionally I am going to try to make some healthy changes to my diet and exercise routines that I know will make me feel better all around. I am also going to try to read and write more this year, as well as learn to play an instrument. I know that getting creative juices flowing will help me in all aspects of my life.

I hope that everyone has had a chance to reflect on the past year and I want to wish you all a happy, safe and successful 2012.

My Holiday Weekend In Pictures

Rescue Mission

Today my co-workers and I served lunch at the El Paso Rescue Mission. In lieu of exchanging gifts for the holidays we decided it would be nice to give some of our time to the community. I was blown away by the experience and the people I met. I am very happy that the borderland has this mission as a resource. The mission has around 80 people on their roster currently that they provide services for. I was especially happy to learn about their rehabilitation program which provides housing and career opportunities to those overcoming addictions. It was awesome to see such things but after we left I was touched by something completely different, and extremely unexpected.

The mission is located smack dab on the US/Mexico border, just steps away from The Border Highway. You could spit and it would land in Juarez. I became overwhelmed with the idea of what it would be like to grow up on the other side of that line in the sand, where the only things that separate you from opportunity are some green and white SUVs, a piece of paper and a whole lot of politics.

I imagined what it would be like to grow up in Anapra, with the Asarco Towers and a poorly constructed fence being the only things blocking the view of The University of Texas, and this Rescue Mission that welcomes the poor, the hungry and the homeless. I imagined what it would be like to dream of having an education and all the opportunities that the US provides, and it all being so close you can almost taste it. I imagined what it would be like to be a little kid, living in a cardboard house, looking to the US with a fire in my eyes... pining after a better life.

That is REALLY what blew me away today. The borderland really is a land of it's own, with so many rare triumphs and tribulations that the rest of America never really thinks about. It's a weird position I am in. One foot in the US, one foot in Mexico. It's a lot to take in and evaluate. Every day I seem to learn something new and I really hope that's a trend that continues.

After today I became even more thankful for the card I have been dealt in this lifetime. I hope that one day, some of those kids I saw today, staring longingly over that fence, will get their chance at the life they have always dreamed of; the life that I was lucky enough to be born into. I also hope that one day, I can pay it forward.

Sunday Dinner: Guisado del Patron

For those who are not familiar with Filiberto’s Mexican Food restaurants, let me school you. Filiberto’s is, in my opinion, the king of all Berto’s restaurants. In Arizona you have your Julioberto’s, Humberto’s, Eriberto’s, Aliberto’s, Alberto’s, Rolberto’s, Roberto’s, Roliberto’s etc, etc, etc. I could keep going but you get the idea. These restaurants are somewhat of a cross between Mexican fast food, like Taco Bell, and an actual sit-down Mexican restaurant. They are always open 24 hours a day and have a drive-through window.

I grew up with these restaurants, although the favorite of my high school was actually called Amado’s (formerly Armado’s, formerly Armando’s) and not a member of the Berto family at all. The joke around school was that each time they failed a health inspection, the restaurant was sold to a different family member and the name was changed. I don’t doubt that the rumors were actually true.

Regardless, Filiberto’s is something I really miss about Arizona. It was a great place to go at 2 or 3 in the morning after a late night out, or for a filling lunch when you only had 5 bucks, or the place to go at noon when you had a horrible hangover from the night before. No hay nada que te quite la cruda mejor que un burrito tamano de tu cabeza. There are tons of great things on the menu, but Fili B’s is most famous for it’s burritos. If you look at their menu, you can see that they have tons of delicious options, but my favorite isn’t even on the menu. Gordo's favorite isn't listed either. I am only assuming but I think this might be because they don’t serve these particular burritos in California or New Mexico.

My husband’s favorite is called the Burrito Arizona and has steak, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and cheese. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy I suppose. My favorite is the Burrito Patron. It should really be called Burrito de Dios. But whatever, I didn’t pick the name. It has steak, ham, bacon, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and cheese. Guess who’s made a version of their favorite burrito for dinner tonight? =)

There is no science to this recipe, and the quantity of ingredients is really irrelevant because the mere combination of these particular meats and veggies is heavenly; the rest is just details. Because they don’t sell 20 inch tortillas in Mexico (to those who weren’t aware, burritos in Mexico are TINY) I didn't actually make huge Fili B style burritos. Instead I made more of a guisado, which literally means stew in Spanish. I don’t personally consider this a stew, but it’s really what they would call it here in Chihuahua. To me it’s more of a Mexican stir fry of meats and veggies.

I never made this when I lived in the US because Filiberto’s was always just around the corner. I have always used pulpa for the beef although I have no clue what pulpa even is. All I know is that it’s beef that always comes pre-cut into little bite sized pieces, and since I am lazy, pulpa it is! One less thing to cut… I suppose if I was in the US, any cut up steak would work. Maybe chuck to keep it affordable?



As for the ham, I am a bit picky. I cannot stand the overly processed, lunch meat taste, so I buy actual slices of a whole cut ham. This package was actually purchased in El Paso. I have made this before with ham that I bought at Soriana, I just had to be very careful to specify that I did not want “jamon de pavo” and that it needed to be cut in “rebanadas super gruesos.” As with bacon, I will probably always prefer to buy it in America.



Here is the recipe that I typically use, but the quantities are approximated as they always vary based on what I have on hand. Usually I would use equal parts beef and ham, but it doesn’t always work out that way. For example, tonight I have a lot of ham, but not even a half kilo of carne. Don’t worry though, it always tastes good. I promise, it is the best combination ever.

Guisado del Patron

1 lb. beef (pulpa, chuck, flank steak, whatever) chopped into bite sized pieces
1 lb. ham, chopped
½ lb. bacon, chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 whole jalapeno with veins and seeds, diced
Salt, to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook beef until no longer pink and then drain and set aside. I usually just leave it in the colander until I am ready for it. Rinse and dry skillet. Use the same skillet to fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Leaving the bacon drippings in the pan, add ham and cook until heated through and slightly browned. Then add onions and jalapenos and cook until the onions are translucent and the jalapenos are tender. Then return the beef and bacon to the skillet. Finally, add in the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt to taste (lightly because of the sodium content in the ham and bacon) and mix thoroughly. Continue to cook until heated through.



Serve with warm tortillas and cheese or crema if desired. This should render 4 very generous servings.



AFTERTHOUGHTS

Mouthgasm.