Another golden oldie. Where on Earth am I?!?!
Author: gringopotpourri
Gringo - aka Scott - was born outside of Chicago and has lived most of his life in or around big cities. He spent two years of his adult life in Mexico City (talk about big cities!) and fell in love with Mexican food and culture all while weathering the challenges of life in a city with over 20 million people. Life's unpredictable journey has since brought him to Tennessee, where he is close to family and to the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. Scott also enjoys movies, hiking, top ten lists, and travel in general.
Where am I #9
I received feedback that these photo-guessing contests are too difficult. Fair enough. Here, I think, is an easier one. Where am I?
A Sunday at Xochimilco
Greetings, Loyal Reader. I received several offline comments about my last post, Interview with a Mexican. I want to thank you for your kind words. I am unsure if any subsequent postings will be on par with that one, but alas, the show must go on.
Last weekend, I wanted to stretch my legs and take advantage of unseasonably warm temps. I sought to revisit the canals and “floating gardens” of Xochimilco, first visited on my inaugural trip to Mexico City in November, 2002. The canals of Xochimilco – the silty remnants of the lake upon which Mexico City was built – sprawl for dozens of kilometers through the city’s southwest. As such, there are several options for exploring.
Interview with a Mexican
Meet Lilly. Born Berenice Liliana Cavazos Modotti, most of her friends call her Lilly. I have only known her for a couple months (we have a mutual acquaintance), but already I can tell that we have much in common. hope we can become friends.
Lilly has an interesting background that I wanted to share with you, Loyal Reader. Web Editor for Milenio, one of Mexico’s leading daily newspapers, she likes her job and her life in Mexico City. It is a steady gig and a predictable life.
But it wasn’t always like that. In coming to work for Milenio – Mexico DF, Lilly left behind a career in Monterrey that was arguably more glamorous, and definitely more dangerous.
Where am I #8
Where am I in the pic below? “In the middle” and “in the center” are not valid answers, jajajajaja. (That is how Latinos spell “hahahahaha.”) 🙂
Thanks for guessing.
Where am I #7
Where am I in this pic?
(Hint: the backdrop – though deliberately obscured here – has been featured in countless music videos.)
Where am I #6
The last one was pretty easy, so let’s step things up a good bit. Where am I in this pic?
What the Fourth of July Means to Me, the Expat and Traveler
Happy Fourth of July everyone! I am writing this from Mexico City, which most definitely does not celebrate the USA’s independence from Great Britain. Even if it did, it is pouring miserably at the moment. When it rains like this in Mexico City it just gets cold, and the damp chill might deter me from heading to the nearest bar serving red, white, and blue-dyed cerveza.
Continue reading “What the Fourth of July Means to Me, the Expat and Traveler”
At a Crossroads
It has been an interesting couple of weeks. As I “celebrate” eight months as a Mexican resident and six months as an English teacher, I also ponder a darker reality – I don’t know if I’m gonna make it down here.
I was mugged on Friday. At gunpoint, and literally just steps from my front door. It was a long day – three classes spread throughout the morning and afternoon, a trip to the mall to buy myself a new suit – much-needed, as six months of commuting by Mexico City public transport can really put your wardrobe through the ringer – and an early evening showing of “The Hangover Part 3.” I was in the mood for a laugh and the movie mostly fit the bill – especially the mid-credits “coda.”
It was 9:30 pm when it happened. There were still a good number of people out-and-about in my middle-class neighborhood of Letran Valle. The neighborhood Oxxo (mini-mart) had its usual long line of TGIF celebrants buying beer; the nearby taquería was bustling. My street, lined with trees and a mix of single-family and apartment-style dwellings, is just four blocks down from the Oxxo, and it was perfectly quiet that night. Too quiet, as it turned out.
Rebounding Nicely
Almost two months ago I posted about the devastating Springs Fire, which seemingly destroyed much of the western flank of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. You can find my original post here.
I will keep this short. I simply wanted to update any concerned Loyal Readers that – for the most part – the area seems to be rebounding nicely. According to local park rangers, all trails have been reopened, and a volunteer “work weekend” helped put the finishing touches on any trail work projects. This is terrific news, of course, which goes without saying. Even more terrific, however, is the speed with which the debris was cleared, the damage assessed, and the trails rebuilt. Quite a contrast when compared to the Station Fire (July 2009) devastation of the nearby San Gabriel Mountains. The burn area was of similar size, but several trail closures are still in affect four years later. (In all fairness, the San Gabriel Wilderness features more rugged terrain.)
GringoPotpourri 