So last night I dropped my husband off at the Central Camionera. He went to visit his family in Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua. It's about 8 hours South of Juarez. He's gone a couple times each year since we moved to Mexico but for some reason I feel a little different this time.
On a completely different subject (yes it's the second paragraph and I'm already shifting gears) I was driving back to the house and there were Transitos everywhere. After some years in Mexico I seriously feel as though I have been traumatized by Transito because you could probably feed and clothe a small Haitian village on the mordidas I've paid alone. I was really distracted trying to drive as I hate driving down Tecnologico (or Super Mario Kart Rainbow Road as I like to call it) and I think I got all the way to the Tecate Ball (as Cortney calls likes to call it) before I started to cry.
It just hit me how much I really do love my husband. I know it sounds silly because for most people the simple fact that I moved to Juarez makes it pretty fucking clear that I'm in love, but I swear, sometimes I just forget. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I do. I think in any marriage you can get caught up in everyday annoyances or be worried about bills or the kids or random household issues, and simply forget why you said, "I do" in the first place. And let me tell you, I am easily annoyed. I want to be that laid-back, go-with-the-flow, type of person, but the truth is, I'm not.
I'm uptight and controlling and emotional and for some odd reason, Ray puts up with all of that. That's something I forget at times. Anyone who knows us well knows that we bicker and banter back and forth constantly; that's just how we are. I think that's why so it's easy for me to forget how much I love and appreciate him. I'm really sad that he's going to be gone for a week but I'm happy that he's getting the chance to see his family. Right when he gets back I will be going to Missouri to visit my family, including a lot of people from Illinois that I haven't seen in years and years.
It's really frustrating that we can't vacation together though. Ray can't go with me to the US and I obviously dedicate all of my vacation time to see my son and my family. Sam's my priority when it comes to "free time." Yet, it's equally irritating that we've been living in Mexico for about 3 years now and he's gone back to Parral several times and I never have the vacation time to join him. Before we moved here I honestly thought I'd be able to go all the time but it just can't happen. It sucks. I want to be a part of those visits and get to meet the rest of his family and see where he grew up but time and money just doesn't allow it. It's really frustrating.
It's definitely going to be a crazy week without my Gordito. I'm going to try to concentrate on sticking to my plan of exercise and eating healthfully... mejorando mi ser and what not. I'm also going to try my hardest not to get Jack Sparrow drunk like last weekend, but I can't make any promises. After all, it is me we're talking about here.
I really hope you are all doing well. I'm sorry I haven't been writing as much as usual but I am just really caught up with my new lifestyle. I work out every morning at 4 am and then 3 or 4 times a week I work out again in the afternoon after work so my time has just really been consumed with that. I will definitely try to blog more often and keep in touch. I have a lot of family that follows my blog and I have met some other amazing readers recently so I definitely want to keep you all in the loop. I've definitely had some amazing experiences in Juarez in the last couple of months that I'd like to blog about, so stay tuned!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Shit I Love About Mexico
1. "De verde, de verde, de rojo, de rojo, de dulce, de dulce, calientitos tamales!" How did I ever fall asleep without hearing this sort of thing? I love the sound of Mexico. When I first arrived, having come from the quiet suburban town of Gilbert, Arizona, I hated all the noise. It drove me insane and kept me up at all hours of the night, eventually leading to a questionable Benadryl addiction. Over the years, I've grown to love it though, including the barking dogs and late night soccer games. Last night I fell asleep to the sweet sounds of children chanting, "Piedra, papel, tijeras, un, dos, tres! Piedra, papel, tijeras, un, dos, tres!"
2. Street food. I probably don't need to elaborate but for anyone that didn't already know... Food Network can take their food truck wars and shove 'em up their ass. Mexico is where it's at. Hamburguesas, hot dogs, elotes, burritos, tacos, gorditas, quesadillas, paletas, you name it, Mexico's got it. Well, except pizza. They're still working on that.
3. Mexicans are the most warm and accepting people I have ever met. They have welcomed me into their country with open arms, which is nothing like the greeting that I am accustomed to Americans giving Mexicans and certainly not like the greeting my husband was given in the US. I don't get dirty looks, or judgemental remarks in passing. No one laughs at me or rolls their eyes when I mispronounce a word in Spanish or have to make hand gestures to explain myself. No one seems to judge my interracial relationship or make assumptions about me as a person because of where I came from. All in all, I have found Mexico and it's people and culture to be extremely inviting.
4. I love the easy access to movies. There may not be a Redbox at every gas station and drug store in the country but you can sure as hell get a movie on every street corner, if you know what I mean. #winkwink Not only do we have our pick of all the popular American blockbusters, we can choose movies from Spain or Italy, Japan or Venezuela, the film world is our oyster! And if you do decide to go to the theater? Oh. My. God. Cinepolis, which is the more popular choice, is the best movie theater I have ever been to in my life. Huge, plush, reclining seats, all of the yummy movie theater treats that you can get in the US (with an unlimited supply of jalapenos of course) and if you are in one of their VIP theaters, you can even order an adult beverage in the middle of the show, from your very own waiter. It's pretty bad ass.
5. Health care for the everyday Joe, err Juan, is extremely accessible. I cannot say it's of the best quality, but if my husband gets the flu, or sprains his ankle, or needs to get a cavity filled, it's all covered at no cost to us, including prescription medications. That is a huge relief considering the cost of medical care in the US is absolutely atrocious. Even though I am not covered myself, I'm still able to take advantage of it to some extent due to the availability of low priced medications everywhere you turn. The biggest benefit for me has been being able to get the allergy shots that I could never afford to get in the US. Nowadays I'm rarely the wheezy, red-eyed girl I was back in the States.
6. Tecate and tequila. These are as much of a staple as beans and tortillas are in many Mexican households. You can use them to mourn the loss of a loved one, marinate your meat or celebrate a bauptismo. Yup, I may be #thenewme, but I'm still me!
7. Northern Mexico is home to some of the most delicious cheeses in the world and I love me some cheese, but then again, who doesn't? (Read Oral Sex Or Cheese: The Truth Revealed for some hilarious stats.) Queso Menonita is a local favorite although I personally prefer Asadero. Regardless, you can find whatever you fancy on almost every street corner, like almost everything in Mexico, if you haven't noticed by now. Add it in your burrito, on top of your tacos or in a simple quesadilla; there is nothing quite as exquisite as queso Mexicana and I certainly never found anything comparable in the dairy section of a US grocer. This ain't no Kraft if you catch my drift.
8. The park! I absolutely love to hang out at the park here and celebrate... anything. Birthdays, Easter, Fourth of July, whatever. It doesn't matter what the occasion is, fun is to be had. The parks are always full on the weekends and on a major holiday? Fugetaboutit. Plan to be shoulder to shoulder with everyone and their mother... and her primo and her primo's primos too. I probably enjoy it so much because I grew up going on frequent camping trips and for Juarenses, it seems that a day at Chamizal is about as close as we're going to get. And I'll take it! There's nothing quite like biting into a big chunk of carne asada, fresh off the grill, and drinking beer secretly from a soda can as you laze around all day in the sun with your friends.
9. Soccer and its followers. Now let's get this straight, I don't really like soccer, but I love what it represents for Mexico. I enjoy watching sporting events for the most part, but a soccer game (match?) would fall somewhere at the bottom... right under golf. But the camaraderie that this country shares over their beloved deporte is undeniably endearing. I love that when I run around doing errands on a Sunday morning, I pass by no less than 9 soccer fields and every single one is being played on. People of all ages are running back and forth, leaving nothing but clouds of dust behind them, as it's rare to see fields with grass around these parts. The crowds of amigos and padres and tios and primos drink their Coca-colas and eat their Taquis as they cheer wildly from the sidelines. Then whenever Chivas or Cruz Azul is playing a televised game, you can actually hear your neighbors cheering and swearing and screaming bloody murder from inside of their homes. My husband rarely makes me watch a game so it's always somewhat alarming when I suddenly hear a booming "GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLAAAASSSSOOOOOO!!!!!!!" and hoots and hollers coming from all of our neighbor's houses simultaneously. Although it's not really my thing, there is something so charming and comforting to me about the soccer obsession here in Mexico.
10. My absolute favorite thing about Mexico is that from what I have experienced, Mexicans don't live to work, they work to live. This is a refreshing difference from the American perspective and is something that really caused me to sit back and take a look at my own life and priorities. I think there is a lot to be said for adapting to that theory in one way or another. Since we moved here I've slowly begun to put a little less focus on my 9 to 5 and more focus on my quality of life and time with my family. I think that has drastically changed my outlook on life in general and is something that a lot of us can really benefit from in more ways than one.
2. Street food. I probably don't need to elaborate but for anyone that didn't already know... Food Network can take their food truck wars and shove 'em up their ass. Mexico is where it's at. Hamburguesas, hot dogs, elotes, burritos, tacos, gorditas, quesadillas, paletas, you name it, Mexico's got it. Well, except pizza. They're still working on that.
3. Mexicans are the most warm and accepting people I have ever met. They have welcomed me into their country with open arms, which is nothing like the greeting that I am accustomed to Americans giving Mexicans and certainly not like the greeting my husband was given in the US. I don't get dirty looks, or judgemental remarks in passing. No one laughs at me or rolls their eyes when I mispronounce a word in Spanish or have to make hand gestures to explain myself. No one seems to judge my interracial relationship or make assumptions about me as a person because of where I came from. All in all, I have found Mexico and it's people and culture to be extremely inviting.
4. I love the easy access to movies. There may not be a Redbox at every gas station and drug store in the country but you can sure as hell get a movie on every street corner, if you know what I mean. #winkwink Not only do we have our pick of all the popular American blockbusters, we can choose movies from Spain or Italy, Japan or Venezuela, the film world is our oyster! And if you do decide to go to the theater? Oh. My. God. Cinepolis, which is the more popular choice, is the best movie theater I have ever been to in my life. Huge, plush, reclining seats, all of the yummy movie theater treats that you can get in the US (with an unlimited supply of jalapenos of course) and if you are in one of their VIP theaters, you can even order an adult beverage in the middle of the show, from your very own waiter. It's pretty bad ass.
5. Health care for the everyday Joe, err Juan, is extremely accessible. I cannot say it's of the best quality, but if my husband gets the flu, or sprains his ankle, or needs to get a cavity filled, it's all covered at no cost to us, including prescription medications. That is a huge relief considering the cost of medical care in the US is absolutely atrocious. Even though I am not covered myself, I'm still able to take advantage of it to some extent due to the availability of low priced medications everywhere you turn. The biggest benefit for me has been being able to get the allergy shots that I could never afford to get in the US. Nowadays I'm rarely the wheezy, red-eyed girl I was back in the States.
6. Tecate and tequila. These are as much of a staple as beans and tortillas are in many Mexican households. You can use them to mourn the loss of a loved one, marinate your meat or celebrate a bauptismo. Yup, I may be #thenewme, but I'm still me!
7. Northern Mexico is home to some of the most delicious cheeses in the world and I love me some cheese, but then again, who doesn't? (Read Oral Sex Or Cheese: The Truth Revealed for some hilarious stats.) Queso Menonita is a local favorite although I personally prefer Asadero. Regardless, you can find whatever you fancy on almost every street corner, like almost everything in Mexico, if you haven't noticed by now. Add it in your burrito, on top of your tacos or in a simple quesadilla; there is nothing quite as exquisite as queso Mexicana and I certainly never found anything comparable in the dairy section of a US grocer. This ain't no Kraft if you catch my drift.
8. The park! I absolutely love to hang out at the park here and celebrate... anything. Birthdays, Easter, Fourth of July, whatever. It doesn't matter what the occasion is, fun is to be had. The parks are always full on the weekends and on a major holiday? Fugetaboutit. Plan to be shoulder to shoulder with everyone and their mother... and her primo and her primo's primos too. I probably enjoy it so much because I grew up going on frequent camping trips and for Juarenses, it seems that a day at Chamizal is about as close as we're going to get. And I'll take it! There's nothing quite like biting into a big chunk of carne asada, fresh off the grill, and drinking beer secretly from a soda can as you laze around all day in the sun with your friends.
9. Soccer and its followers. Now let's get this straight, I don't really like soccer, but I love what it represents for Mexico. I enjoy watching sporting events for the most part, but a soccer game (match?) would fall somewhere at the bottom... right under golf. But the camaraderie that this country shares over their beloved deporte is undeniably endearing. I love that when I run around doing errands on a Sunday morning, I pass by no less than 9 soccer fields and every single one is being played on. People of all ages are running back and forth, leaving nothing but clouds of dust behind them, as it's rare to see fields with grass around these parts. The crowds of amigos and padres and tios and primos drink their Coca-colas and eat their Taquis as they cheer wildly from the sidelines. Then whenever Chivas or Cruz Azul is playing a televised game, you can actually hear your neighbors cheering and swearing and screaming bloody murder from inside of their homes. My husband rarely makes me watch a game so it's always somewhat alarming when I suddenly hear a booming "GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLAAAASSSSOOOOOO!!!!!!!" and hoots and hollers coming from all of our neighbor's houses simultaneously. Although it's not really my thing, there is something so charming and comforting to me about the soccer obsession here in Mexico.
10. My absolute favorite thing about Mexico is that from what I have experienced, Mexicans don't live to work, they work to live. This is a refreshing difference from the American perspective and is something that really caused me to sit back and take a look at my own life and priorities. I think there is a lot to be said for adapting to that theory in one way or another. Since we moved here I've slowly begun to put a little less focus on my 9 to 5 and more focus on my quality of life and time with my family. I think that has drastically changed my outlook on life in general and is something that a lot of us can really benefit from in more ways than one.
Monday, May 27, 2013
X-Fest 2013
I had a fantastic idea. Like many of my fantastic ideas, it was a horrible idea. I was going to go to X-Fest and take all these badass pictures and do a long blog telling you all about it. Fantastic idea.
They have been building "La X" for years. They started working on it right around the time that we moved to Juarez in 2010. Nobody knew what the hell it was. At least, no one I knew. I heard all sorts of different stories as to what it would be. A new rock climbing wall for Parque Extremo. Part of a country-wide group of sculptures which spelled out M E X I C O. Just a statue. Nope. Turns out, it's going to be a Ciudad Juarez history museum and eventually a restaurant. Surrounding La X is a plaza where they will be holding concerts and other events.
Apparently, there has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the whole thing because the price tag on the damn thing was $6.2 million US. There are a lot of things that can be done for Juarez with that kind of money. I have mixed opinions because I also feel like Juarez needs something like this in the community to help it rise from the ashes of the drug war. It's something for the city to enjoy and something Juarenses can be proud of. Not everyone agrees. More about that here.
Now where was I... Oh yes. My fantastic idea. So as I'm driving home on Friday at around 6:10 pm, I pass by La X and notice that people are already filling the bleachers for X-Fest. Hmmmm. The event was supposed to start at 8:00. There was a lot of buzz around town so I knew it was going to be packed but now I was a little worried we wouldn't be able to get in. I was right to be worried...
Parking was the big concern and ended up being what prevented us from going to X-Fest. And our friends. And probably thousands of other people. La X is really cool and I am sure there will be some fantastic events there for years to come, but it's pretty obvious that they did not take parking into consideration. Or if they did have some sort of plan, they forgot to tell everyone about it. Oh but this is Mexico, and if I've learned anything over the years here, it's that Mexicans figure out how to make shit work. You give them a 5 passenger car and they'll make it a 12 passenger car. And in this instance, give them 50 parking spaces and they will park 7,428 cars.
People were parking on the skate park across the street, in shopping center parking lots several miles away, in front of the doorways of the Delphi factory, on the sidewalks, on the medians, even right in the middle of the damn road. People were actually driving all the way to the Santa Fe bridge, several miles away, driving up over the sidewalk and onto the bike trail that runs along the border itself, then turning around and driving back as close as they could to La X. I bet US Border Patrol was having fun with that. I love Mexicans. They get it done. I just gave up and went home. Obviously I can stand to learn a thing or two about determination but I was not about to leave my car in some dark alley and then walk 10 miles to La X.
And so, without further adieu, here are the fantastic pictures I took of the event that I didn't actually go to.
If you care to see what it really looked like out there on Friday, here's a picture taken by someone with a brain.
They have been building "La X" for years. They started working on it right around the time that we moved to Juarez in 2010. Nobody knew what the hell it was. At least, no one I knew. I heard all sorts of different stories as to what it would be. A new rock climbing wall for Parque Extremo. Part of a country-wide group of sculptures which spelled out M E X I C O. Just a statue. Nope. Turns out, it's going to be a Ciudad Juarez history museum and eventually a restaurant. Surrounding La X is a plaza where they will be holding concerts and other events.
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| My favorite picture of La X during construction. This was on March 10, 2012. |
Now where was I... Oh yes. My fantastic idea. So as I'm driving home on Friday at around 6:10 pm, I pass by La X and notice that people are already filling the bleachers for X-Fest. Hmmmm. The event was supposed to start at 8:00. There was a lot of buzz around town so I knew it was going to be packed but now I was a little worried we wouldn't be able to get in. I was right to be worried...
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| There were posters plastered all over town! |
People were parking on the skate park across the street, in shopping center parking lots several miles away, in front of the doorways of the Delphi factory, on the sidewalks, on the medians, even right in the middle of the damn road. People were actually driving all the way to the Santa Fe bridge, several miles away, driving up over the sidewalk and onto the bike trail that runs along the border itself, then turning around and driving back as close as they could to La X. I bet US Border Patrol was having fun with that. I love Mexicans. They get it done. I just gave up and went home. Obviously I can stand to learn a thing or two about determination but I was not about to leave my car in some dark alley and then walk 10 miles to La X.
And so, without further adieu, here are the fantastic pictures I took of the event that I didn't actually go to.
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| Slowly making our way to La X. |
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| Hmmm... is something wrong with my camera? Better clean the lense. |
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| What the hell? The camera is broken. No baby, it's the dust, my husband tells me. No way, let's try a picture in the car. |
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| Oh. Damn it WAS the dust in the air! Bienvenidos a Juarez. |
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| Gordo doesn't like this game. |
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| Yup. Still dusty. |
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| Gave up on finding a parking spot and watched X-Fest on Canal 44 from the comfort of my living room. |
If you care to see what it really looked like out there on Friday, here's a picture taken by someone with a brain.
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| Picture courtesy of http://www.tiempo.com.mx/_notas/c1440901 |
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Shit I Don't Get About Mexico
1. People who creep down the left lane on the highway. Albeit, we don't really have a a highway here, although there are several four lane roads that I consider the highway and it is a common place for people to be strolling along in the left lane like they're in a fucking school zone, even though the speed limit is 80 kph.
2. Leaving indoor dogs outside. A chihuahua is not a watch dog. He's not going to deter anyone from breaking into your home. Why is he freezing half to death in the back yard in December? I don't get it.
3. Never being on time. Why is it perfectly acceptable to show up for a 3:00 birthday party at 9:00?
4. People covering their mouths from the cold. I'd understand if it was like below zero or something but it'll be in the freaking 70's on a Spring morning and you've got all these people running around town holding a fucking scarf over their mouth. "Es para no enfermarse," Gordo always tells me when I roll my eyes at him for doing the same thing.
5. Women wearing tiny clothes that don't fit. I initially thought that this was a result of a complete lack of plus size clothing stores in this country but as we found our way around Juarez more I learned that this was not the case. There are certainly bigger options out there, they just don't get taken advantage of for some reason.
6. Men and women being separate at parties. It is a given that all the women will be inside the house, most likely in the kitchen, while all of the men are outside. And don't even think about trying to take a stand and mix things up or you will be looked at like the psycho hippie feminist slut that you are.
7. The feminine hygiene aisle. There are more options for toallas higenicas than for cereal. Sup with that?
8. There are no self service gas stations. Are the people of Mexico incapable of pumping their own gas? No. Maybe the Pemex pumps are super sophisticated and much too complicated for the average Joe errr... I mean average Juan?
9. You cannot pay your bills online or mail in a check either. That's right, here we go to the gas station, or the grocery store to pay our bills. The electric bill, the water bill, you name it, gets paid at the store. You hand your bill over to the cashier who takes the money and then stamps your bill and/or gives you a receipt for your payment. You can even add minutes to your ridiculously over-priced Telcel cell phone right there while you pay the cable bill from the comfort of your local grocery store.
10. Where are all the lemons?
2. Leaving indoor dogs outside. A chihuahua is not a watch dog. He's not going to deter anyone from breaking into your home. Why is he freezing half to death in the back yard in December? I don't get it.
3. Never being on time. Why is it perfectly acceptable to show up for a 3:00 birthday party at 9:00?
4. People covering their mouths from the cold. I'd understand if it was like below zero or something but it'll be in the freaking 70's on a Spring morning and you've got all these people running around town holding a fucking scarf over their mouth. "Es para no enfermarse," Gordo always tells me when I roll my eyes at him for doing the same thing.
5. Women wearing tiny clothes that don't fit. I initially thought that this was a result of a complete lack of plus size clothing stores in this country but as we found our way around Juarez more I learned that this was not the case. There are certainly bigger options out there, they just don't get taken advantage of for some reason.
6. Men and women being separate at parties. It is a given that all the women will be inside the house, most likely in the kitchen, while all of the men are outside. And don't even think about trying to take a stand and mix things up or you will be looked at like the psycho hippie feminist slut that you are.
7. The feminine hygiene aisle. There are more options for toallas higenicas than for cereal. Sup with that?
8. There are no self service gas stations. Are the people of Mexico incapable of pumping their own gas? No. Maybe the Pemex pumps are super sophisticated and much too complicated for the average Joe errr... I mean average Juan?
9. You cannot pay your bills online or mail in a check either. That's right, here we go to the gas station, or the grocery store to pay our bills. The electric bill, the water bill, you name it, gets paid at the store. You hand your bill over to the cashier who takes the money and then stamps your bill and/or gives you a receipt for your payment. You can even add minutes to your ridiculously over-priced Telcel cell phone right there while you pay the cable bill from the comfort of your local grocery store.
10. Where are all the lemons?
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Supermarket Sweep
This blog is probably going to be really boring for people who don't live in Juarez but I've been wanting to write it for the longest time. Before we moved to Mexico I looked into every aspect of life on the border. Trying to figure out the cost of living here was my biggest concern and there wasn't a whole lot to go by. I remember Googling, "food costs in Ciudad Juarez," and all that came up was blog after blog about the prices at grocery stores in Baja. There was one blog in particular that compared the prices of food at several popular chains in Ensenada and ever since we've been here I've wanted to do the same thing.
I can't even count how many conversations I've had with people about this here in Juarez and everyone seems to have a different opinion. Walmart is for rich people, Soriana's better because you can use your points card, S Mart has the best selection, no Soriana has the best selection, etc, etc. We could go back and forth all day so I decided to put an end to the debate with a little experiment. I made a list of some staples that are always on my grocery list and went to work!
I started at Walmart, a store I had only been to twice in Mexico because God knows I spend enough time at the El Paso Walmart. Soriana was next. It used to be my go-to store because I always assumed it was the cheapest. I finished off at S Mart, where I've been shopping exclusively since I started my healthy lifestyle because the quality of their produce is by far superior to the other stores. Right when you walk through the doors of these stores you see things like this...
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I can't even count how many conversations I've had with people about this here in Juarez and everyone seems to have a different opinion. Walmart is for rich people, Soriana's better because you can use your points card, S Mart has the best selection, no Soriana has the best selection, etc, etc. We could go back and forth all day so I decided to put an end to the debate with a little experiment. I made a list of some staples that are always on my grocery list and went to work!
I started at Walmart, a store I had only been to twice in Mexico because God knows I spend enough time at the El Paso Walmart. Soriana was next. It used to be my go-to store because I always assumed it was the cheapest. I finished off at S Mart, where I've been shopping exclusively since I started my healthy lifestyle because the quality of their produce is by far superior to the other stores. Right when you walk through the doors of these stores you see things like this...
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Pretty convincing right? Normal people wouldn't argue with that kind of evidence but clearly I'm not normal. I spent the last week trying to figure out how to publish a spreadsheet directly to this blog but haven't had any luck so you'll have to click the link below to see the results. I used the same brand for comparison whenever possible and noted that accordingly.
There wasn't a huge difference in the final totals but if anything was clear it was the fact that American convenience food prices are ridiculously high at times. Here are my 2 favorite reminders that it's better to eat like a Mexican:
Friday, April 12, 2013
Adiós Tocino
Everyone who follows me on Facebook knows that I'm a lush, bacon lover who likes to have Netflix marathons while I take tequila shots all day. I have a big surprise. That's just part of me. Before I moved to Juarez and before I began this blog, there was this other girl. She came along in between my battle with drug addiction and my obsession with Barro's Honey Hot Chicken Wings. She likes to lift weights and can tell you how many calories there are in a grape.
She's just as obsessive as the Emily you know, but in a different sense. She takes it from far left to far right and sometimes her husband calls her Señorita Conejita because she shoves handfuls of spinach in her mouth before she sits down to dinner. She is easily motivated and loves to motivate others. She finds alcohol to be a waste of calories and would rather get high from running 5k without stopping than from smoking a joint.
She buys skim milk instead of whole and doesn't understand why people put caffeine in their bodies. She can teach you how to squat in perfect form and can explain why strength training is just as important as cardio. She can recreate all of her favorite fried bar foods with Fiber One cereal and an oven and can tell you which beer has the least amount of calories.
She can help you calculate your BMI and tell you when there will be another half marathon in your neighborhood. She likes her ice water with lemon and her sugar natural. She knows what type of fabric wicks the sweat off from a good workout and how to do a herkie in perfect cheerleader form.
She takes Trader Joe's vitamins and worries about the sodium content in Frank's Red Hot Sauce. She questions the instructor's form while watching work out videos and knows who Les Mills is. She gets up early in the morning to do aerobics and can tell you how many calories equal a pound.
She bakes things instead of frying them and knows what it's like to be morbidly obese but she doesn't let that define her. She'd rather use mustard than ketchup and never waivers in her preference. She can teach you how to get the most out of your heart rate monitor and tell you which techno songs have the ideal BPM for running.
You might not know her, but you will soon. Don't worry, I think you'll like her.
She's just as obsessive as the Emily you know, but in a different sense. She takes it from far left to far right and sometimes her husband calls her Señorita Conejita because she shoves handfuls of spinach in her mouth before she sits down to dinner. She is easily motivated and loves to motivate others. She finds alcohol to be a waste of calories and would rather get high from running 5k without stopping than from smoking a joint.
She buys skim milk instead of whole and doesn't understand why people put caffeine in their bodies. She can teach you how to squat in perfect form and can explain why strength training is just as important as cardio. She can recreate all of her favorite fried bar foods with Fiber One cereal and an oven and can tell you which beer has the least amount of calories.
She can help you calculate your BMI and tell you when there will be another half marathon in your neighborhood. She likes her ice water with lemon and her sugar natural. She knows what type of fabric wicks the sweat off from a good workout and how to do a herkie in perfect cheerleader form.
She takes Trader Joe's vitamins and worries about the sodium content in Frank's Red Hot Sauce. She questions the instructor's form while watching work out videos and knows who Les Mills is. She gets up early in the morning to do aerobics and can tell you how many calories equal a pound.
She bakes things instead of frying them and knows what it's like to be morbidly obese but she doesn't let that define her. She'd rather use mustard than ketchup and never waivers in her preference. She can teach you how to get the most out of your heart rate monitor and tell you which techno songs have the ideal BPM for running.
You might not know her, but you will soon. Don't worry, I think you'll like her.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Iron Jawed Angels
Much to our surprise, on Easter weekend, Cablemas blessed us with 3 days of free premium movie channels. For the most part, we'd already seen all of the movies, what with our constant purchases from some dude on the corner. And let's be honest, the soft core porn wasn't much to get worked up over. Luckily though, there were a few diamonds in the rough and one of them was Iron Jawed Angels.
I couldn't believe that my husband had never seen it, but being that it came out in 2004, a year before he even met me, I can see why he wouldn't have thought to run out to the theaters to see it. He's changed a bit over the years. I was brought to tears, over and over, as we watched and he finally asked me, "¡¿Porque lloras guey?!" Yes, that's how we talk to each other. Not only was I crying because the only reason I can vote today is because of the efforts and struggles of those women, but because sometimes I feel like our efforts in immigration reform will never make a difference.
Then I see something like this.
It was a reminder of how people can rise up from the ashes and fight for change and succeed. My husband seemed dumbfounded at the idea of women not being allowed to vote and I'm sure that is a testament to his Mexican education, or lack thereof. He's just not familiar with the history of human rights because he never learned about it in school. He kept asking me, over and over, "How can people be so close-minded?"
I wouldn't even begin to compare my personal struggles to those of Alice Paul or the likes, but for everyone out there who is fighting for CIR and waiver reform, I want you to know how much I believe that in the end, our efforts will be rewarded. One day we will sit, with all of our loved ones, hand in hand, and tell our children the stories of the protest rallies, of American Families United, of visits to DC, of meetings with our Senators and Congressmen and women.
In many parts of the world, women can vote, same sex marriages are recognized, slavery is abolished, people have religious freedom and marijuana is legal. At some point, these were all just wild, liberal ideas, and now they are a right. So when you question your efforts for CIR and waiver reform, remember those that came before us. Remember that one day, they too were laughed at. Their ideals were threatened and their rights were questioned.
Believe in yourself and our cause. Have faith and keep fighting. One day there will be a movie made about our fight and we will all laugh and cry as we watch it during a lazy Sunday movie marathon.
I couldn't believe that my husband had never seen it, but being that it came out in 2004, a year before he even met me, I can see why he wouldn't have thought to run out to the theaters to see it. He's changed a bit over the years. I was brought to tears, over and over, as we watched and he finally asked me, "¡¿Porque lloras guey?!" Yes, that's how we talk to each other. Not only was I crying because the only reason I can vote today is because of the efforts and struggles of those women, but because sometimes I feel like our efforts in immigration reform will never make a difference.
Then I see something like this.
It was a reminder of how people can rise up from the ashes and fight for change and succeed. My husband seemed dumbfounded at the idea of women not being allowed to vote and I'm sure that is a testament to his Mexican education, or lack thereof. He's just not familiar with the history of human rights because he never learned about it in school. He kept asking me, over and over, "How can people be so close-minded?"
I wouldn't even begin to compare my personal struggles to those of Alice Paul or the likes, but for everyone out there who is fighting for CIR and waiver reform, I want you to know how much I believe that in the end, our efforts will be rewarded. One day we will sit, with all of our loved ones, hand in hand, and tell our children the stories of the protest rallies, of American Families United, of visits to DC, of meetings with our Senators and Congressmen and women.
In many parts of the world, women can vote, same sex marriages are recognized, slavery is abolished, people have religious freedom and marijuana is legal. At some point, these were all just wild, liberal ideas, and now they are a right. So when you question your efforts for CIR and waiver reform, remember those that came before us. Remember that one day, they too were laughed at. Their ideals were threatened and their rights were questioned.
Believe in yourself and our cause. Have faith and keep fighting. One day there will be a movie made about our fight and we will all laugh and cry as we watch it during a lazy Sunday movie marathon.
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