Halloween and Day of the Dead

I've managed to keep mostly healthy in Leon, but a couple weeks ago, I was sick with allergies. Nothing major - just a runny nose, sore throat, and congestion - and I think it was because the season was changing from summer to fall. But now I'm all better :)

My work celebrated Halloween last week with a costume party. I went as Cinderella. Some people didn't understand why I didn't choose a scary costume...in Mexico, the costumes are supposed to be scary - nothing cute, or funny, or creative (that means no Lady Gagas nor Justin Biebers). It was fun and I got to be a judge in the contest for best costume (the winner was the Mad Hatter, although my favorite was Cruella deVille).

Nov. 2 is a big holiday here in Mexico: the Day of the Dead. People gather at graves to remember and pray for deceased family and friends. They take very interesting offerings to put on the graves. For example, in the downtown, they sell little edible candies in the shapes of foods and vegetables that you can buy to adorn graves. Or you can take an empty beer can if the deceased person really liked beer. It's all about making the adoration unique to that specific person. The Holiday seems kind-of morbid on the outside, but it really is quite playful and joyous - not about grieving at all.

There is also a special food for the Day of the Dead called "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead). It is a sweetened soft bread, shaped like a bun, topped with sugar, and decorated with bone-like pieces. Delicious!

Enjoy this picture slideshow:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2911885&id=2257428&l=e46323afd8

And this video of some cool graffiti:

Teotihuacan & Six Flags

I had an exciting 27 hours this past weekend. My work went on a trip to the pyramids of Teotihuacan and to Six Flags Amusement park, both just outside Mexico City. The pyramids were pretty cool, but not in the best condition. They were built before Christ by the "Teotihuacanos", but were not discovered until ~1500 by the Aztecs - who found the area deserted. To this day no one knows what happened to the Teotihuacan civilization. After visiting the pyramids, we ate in a little town just a few minutes away. There I tried some new, indigenous food! The first thing was a tlacoyo: a flat, fat, fried corn dough filled with refried beans and topped with lettuce, cheese, cream, and salsa. Yum. The other food was a pambazo: this is a sandwich made of white bread, dipped in red pepper sauce, then filled with potatoes and chorizo. Yum #2.

Six Flags was fun. I traveled around the park with a group that wasn't afraid of any rides - so we rode all the roller coasters. My favorites were Batman, Boomerang, and Kilaueah (think Power Tower at Cedar Point). Kilaueah had a great view of Mexico City - it was really cool.

Last week I also joined a gym. It's really nice and actually has treadmills! (which most of the gyms here don't have because Mexicans prefer weights) But the best part is the shower water pressure at that gym - best I've ever experienced - and in Mexico believe it or not!

In other news, the weather here is still hot. Also, I put up a shelf in my room with some picture frames. It adds a nice homely touch.

Viva Mexico!

The highlight of last week was Mexican Independence Day (September 15th). I went to a party at my boss's house and had a lot of fun. We ate way too much food, set off fireworks, and watched "el grito" on tv (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores). The holiday was especially important this year because it was the bicentennial celebration.

On Sunday I also went to a bbq at a friend's vacation house in the nearby mountains. It was a very curvy, hour and a half drive to a tiny, tucked away town (population ~500). The house was very cute, with typical Mexican architecture that you can see in the photos. My friend's mom cooked a delicious meal of roasted potatoes and pork (each person received an entire pig calf!). I felt like I was enjoying a Christmas dinner. Afterwards we went apple picking in a nearby orchard. It was a very relaxing Sunday.

Of course, I've tried some new food:

• alfalfa water (with lemon): This is water mixed with alfalfa and lemon juice. It's very refreshing! The only downside, as a friend pointed out, is that it tastes a little like grass. haha You can find it at any place they serve aguas frescas (flavored waters).

• buñuelo: This is Mexico's version of an "elephant ear." Thinly rolled, fried dough, topped with sugar and cinnamon. Of course they're delicious! Buñuelos are served on special occasions, like Independence Day.
  

Lechugueros

Last Saturday I went to a Mexican Professional League Basketball game. It was the local team, the Leon Lechugueros vs. Monterrey Fuerza Regia. We lost but it was a close game and I had fun with my friends. The Lechugueros' mascot is a man with a flaming lettuce head. It is really quite comical - he looks like Sonic the Hedgehog. A lettuce-head isn't exactly the most intimidating opponent, but the name comes from the fact that people in Leon used to grow a lot of lettuce ... Now onto talk about a real intimidating opponent: the Wolverines! I was actually able to listen online to the local radio station broadcast Michigan vs. Connecticut. I hope our season opener is a good sign for things to come.

The past week I tried a lot of new foods:

• chiles en nogoda: this is the national dish of Mexico. It is a big pepper stuffed with chopped apples, nuts, and other fruits, then covered in a delicious cream sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds. It is served at room temperature, and tastes bittersweet but delicious! The reason it is the national dish of Mexico is because the ingredients are the colors of the Mexican Flag (green pepper, white sauce, and red pomegranate).
• huarache: This is a dish that contains a thick, fried tortilla covered with some kind of meat , sauce, onions, cilantro, and cheese, and sometimes refried beans. It is yet another example of how Mexicans can prepare three staple ingredients (meat, tortillas, and cheese) in multiple ways. haha
• tuna: no - this is not fish, rather the fruit of the cactus plant! There are green tunas and red tunas. I would describe it like a sweet cucumber with LOTS of crunchy seeds. They are good.
  

Dog Days of Summer

One cool thing that's happened since I last blogged is that I've started taking Zumba classes with another teacher at a local downtown gym. For those of you who don't know, Zumba is a dance/cardio workout. It's a fun way to burn calories and a lot more entertaining than running around a track. I enjoy it and have been going once a week.

The decorating and furnishing in my apartment is coming slowly...last week I bought a desk for my room, which has helped with my mental and physical organization. We also finally got a fridge after 6 weeks without one! It is green (just to give you an idea of whether it is old or brand new) ;-)

One strange thing that has happened lately is that people have been asking me for directions. You would think that after looking at my skin color, people would get the hint that I'm not from the area, but almost everyday someone asks me for directions to somewhere. Strange.

Lastly but not least, I have tried some new foods:

• sincronizadas: these are similar to tacos in their appearance, but are made with a flour tortilla and have ham, yellow cheese, avocado, tomato, and onion inside. They are good, but I prefer quesadillas.
• tacos de cabeza and tacos de pastor: literally translated, these are "head" tacos and "spit" tacos. Head tacos are made from the head of the cow or pig, and spit tacos are made from pork, but are roasted on a spit (hence the name). Both were good, but pastor was the better of the two.

The pictures are me with my friend Corie. Enjoy!