*Edit: San Antonio was awesome. If anyone ever wants to roadtrip there, invite me please!*
Ah yes - one of the many joys of living in Nuevo Laredo is getting to see just what it is that I take for granted when living in the States.
Take water pressure, for example. While I got the water temperature problem solved a couple weeks ago (namely, that it was one temperature: cold), last week I got a new lesson in water pressure: when you're living on the second floor of any building (let alone a building in a city where the last thing people are really worrying about is water pressure), it's gonna take more time for the water to get to you.
I learned last Wednesday afternoon that the water reservoir at the consulate had been completely drained for some reason, and so I was prepared for a day (Thursday) without running water. What I was not prepared for was 5 days without running water. Thursday afternoon the reservoir was drained again because something wasn't working right, and so I went Friday without showering as well (actually, I improvised and took an early-morning dip in the pool at the now-vacant Principal Officer's residence down the street...I think I like swimming in the morning). Thankfully I went to San Antonio this weekend and got to shower in a slightly-run-down-but-at-least-it-had-awesome-water-pressure shower in the San Antonio International Hostel (more stories from there later).
I got back Sunday night to discover that water pressure was still not up and running (much to my chagrin, as I now had 3 days worth of dishes stacked in the sink - and I think most of you know how I am with dirty dishes). As I tested the faucets, however, I failed to turn the ones in the bathroom back to the "off" position (I couldn't tell - there was no water coming out whatsoever). Unfortunately, this worked very much against me in that the water pressure came on full blast while I was at work this morning, and while you'd think that water would drain down the sink, the faucet in my bathroom is one of those ornery ones that kind of squirts some water to the side and onto the countertop. Imagine that this goes on for about 3 hours...at full water pressure. I came back at lunch time to discover a semi-flooded bathroom (fortunately someone had turned the sink off - and semi-flooded isn't as bad as it sounds...actually "an eighth-flooded" might be more like it). The worst part is, however, that I live right above the Principal Officer's office in the Consular building, and though people were nice enough not to say anything to me, I went down to check. Sure enough, a couple ceiling tiles had busted through due to flooding...they were already in the process of being cleaned up by the building managers, but it was my fault (well...mine and that ornery sink's fault...and since you can blame things on objects according to Spanish grammar (i.e. "the watch forgot itself to me"), I'm blaming the sink). I think the only reason that sink was turned off was that someone saw that the office was being flooded.
This could only happen to me (laugh, giggle, frown...sigh...ahem).
So, floods abound. Fortunately I only owe the State Department a couple of ceiling tiles.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
buses, el centro y Cereso II
You all would have thought I was crazy if you´d seen me come back from el otro lado (¨the other side¨- the Laredo, TX side) this past Sunday. My boss and her family were leaving for vacation in Houston after church on Sunday, so they were willing to drop me off in downtown Laredo, but not cross the bridge (trust me, crossing the bridge takes commitment - you can take up to 2 hours on bad days just waiting to get through the U.S. checkpoint - and don´t ever try waiting behind the Greyhounds that cross the bridge on Saturdays - you´re guaranteed to have to wait longer due to someone on the bus trying to enter illegally). So, I was at my leisure (somewhat) to find a way to get back to the consulate on the Nuevo Laredo side (note: when talking to most of the Mexican citizens here, they always refer to Laredo as ¨Laredo Tejas (Texas)¨, and I think I have yet to hear them refer to Nuevo Laredo as ¨Nuevo Laredo¨...I think it´s usually just ¨Laredo¨, but I could be wrong). Anyway, I spent a little time in downtown Laredo Tejas, visiting some cute (and ridiculously cheap) clothing shops, talking to Papà on the phone (Father´s Day), and then made my way across the bridge.
Forgetting that I was on the U.S. side, I read the sign indicating that the pedestrian bridge toll was 50 cents as 50 centavos (the equivalent of about 5 cents in U.S. proportions). The bridge guard looked at me like I was crazy - there was no way I was going to get away with paying 5 cents to cross this bridge. I was pleased, however, that he chose to explain this to me in Spanish and not English (most of the people who I encounter start using English right away, which I´m trying not to use unless I really can´t understand what people are saying).
I got to the Nuevo Laredo side and started walking toward the plaza where all the buses come by. Nuevo Laredo buses are old school buses painted green and white, without air conditioning, but are much cheaper than taxis (only 5 pesos, or about 50 US cents, in comparison with about $4 US for a taxi). They often have their destination painted in white on a corner of the windshield...but most people have told me that routes can change a little bit, so it´s best to get off just as soon as you notice that the bus is heading the opposite direction that you need to go. I asked 2 women, 1 store clerk and 5 bus drivers before I found one who said he was going right by the Consulate - hooray! I was ecstatic! The bus ride was really hot, but I really couldn´t have cared less.
I went on a second Cereso (prison) visit today, this time to meet with an American Citizen (AmCit) who had been arrested in Mexico (mostly I got to listen and learn as the consulate officer explained that the consulate is not there to be a lawyer or give money to the prisoner, but to make sure that they aren´t being treated any worse than their Mexican citizen counterparts). This cereso seemed more organized to me than the last one, but this was also the same one that 11 prisoners escaped from last week (with the help of a few top guards, who also, needless to say, escaped). Fortunately, today it was probably more secure than it´s ever been due to the addition of some state police...no worries, Mom.
Sorry it´s been a while - I really miss you all a lot! Please write emails - I will try and respond ASAP! P.S. I´ll be in San Antonio this weekend, which means constant cell phone signal, so call if you can! (unless it´s around 3pm - 5pm EST...I´ll be watching Mexico vs. Argentina in the World Cup).
Forgetting that I was on the U.S. side, I read the sign indicating that the pedestrian bridge toll was 50 cents as 50 centavos (the equivalent of about 5 cents in U.S. proportions). The bridge guard looked at me like I was crazy - there was no way I was going to get away with paying 5 cents to cross this bridge. I was pleased, however, that he chose to explain this to me in Spanish and not English (most of the people who I encounter start using English right away, which I´m trying not to use unless I really can´t understand what people are saying).
I got to the Nuevo Laredo side and started walking toward the plaza where all the buses come by. Nuevo Laredo buses are old school buses painted green and white, without air conditioning, but are much cheaper than taxis (only 5 pesos, or about 50 US cents, in comparison with about $4 US for a taxi). They often have their destination painted in white on a corner of the windshield...but most people have told me that routes can change a little bit, so it´s best to get off just as soon as you notice that the bus is heading the opposite direction that you need to go. I asked 2 women, 1 store clerk and 5 bus drivers before I found one who said he was going right by the Consulate - hooray! I was ecstatic! The bus ride was really hot, but I really couldn´t have cared less.
I went on a second Cereso (prison) visit today, this time to meet with an American Citizen (AmCit) who had been arrested in Mexico (mostly I got to listen and learn as the consulate officer explained that the consulate is not there to be a lawyer or give money to the prisoner, but to make sure that they aren´t being treated any worse than their Mexican citizen counterparts). This cereso seemed more organized to me than the last one, but this was also the same one that 11 prisoners escaped from last week (with the help of a few top guards, who also, needless to say, escaped). Fortunately, today it was probably more secure than it´s ever been due to the addition of some state police...no worries, Mom.
Sorry it´s been a while - I really miss you all a lot! Please write emails - I will try and respond ASAP! P.S. I´ll be in San Antonio this weekend, which means constant cell phone signal, so call if you can! (unless it´s around 3pm - 5pm EST...I´ll be watching Mexico vs. Argentina in the World Cup).
Saturday, June 10, 2006
sueños en español
I dreamt (sp?) in Spanish for the first time last night! It was something about getting a towel for someone, but I specifically remember asking ¿Necesita una toalla? instead of Do you need a towel? (sorry I´m not using quotation marks here by the way - once again the international keyboard has foiled my attempts at English grammar).
The World Cup is in full swing here (in fact, as I´m sitting here in the cybercafe Argentina is playing another country on a TV right behind me.) It´s too bad that soccer is the one sport in the States that people really don´t watch as much, while the rest of the world does - it can be a really fun game (Pistons basketball is still high on my list though...too bad they´ve been eliminated). One of my coworkers, Alejandra, brought in a little 5 inch b&w TV that we watch during lunch time - and I've learned the ¡Que vive Mexico! cheer from the commercials that are on TV. Mexican World Cup commercials are comparable to Superbowl commercials in the U.S. - they generate lots of money and are pretty hilarious to watch in and of themselves (even, I would say, if you don´t know Spanish).
There's this one where this kid climbs into bed between his parents while they're sleeping. The dad rolls over and tells the wife ^It happened again.^ He picks up the kid, but we soon discover that the kid is not his son - it's his neighbor's son, and he returns the kid in the middle of the night, telling his neigbor ^It happened again^. The kid looks wistfully back at the Pontiac car that sits in his neigbor's driveway...and then you hear the catchphrase ^Everyone's going to want to be a part of your family.^ Kinda cute...sorry you can´t see it and had to suffer through my explanation instead :)
We got to send off our Principal Officer (the Consulate head) on Thursday night as his tour of duty in Nuevo Laredo was over - he moves on to Hawaii next to work on something with international trade with East Asia. Way to suffer :) I got to see some traditional Mexican dances at the farewell party - some local high schoolers came dressed in some amazingly bright colors. The particular dances that I saw were from Jalisco (a city farther south I think), and there was a lot of footwork with tap/clog like shoes - kind of a mix between Irish dancing (without the high kicks) and tap dancing, but with couples instead of solo. It was great!
I´m trying to get connected with a college Christian group over at the Texas A&M branch over in Laredo - please pray for that, as I am really craving fellowship with people who are my age (although maybe this is a place where God is wanting to stretch me a little bit...hmmmm).
¡Que les vaya bien! Les extraño a todos... (I hope all´s well, and I miss you all)
The World Cup is in full swing here (in fact, as I´m sitting here in the cybercafe Argentina is playing another country on a TV right behind me.) It´s too bad that soccer is the one sport in the States that people really don´t watch as much, while the rest of the world does - it can be a really fun game (Pistons basketball is still high on my list though...too bad they´ve been eliminated). One of my coworkers, Alejandra, brought in a little 5 inch b&w TV that we watch during lunch time - and I've learned the ¡Que vive Mexico! cheer from the commercials that are on TV. Mexican World Cup commercials are comparable to Superbowl commercials in the U.S. - they generate lots of money and are pretty hilarious to watch in and of themselves (even, I would say, if you don´t know Spanish).
There's this one where this kid climbs into bed between his parents while they're sleeping. The dad rolls over and tells the wife ^It happened again.^ He picks up the kid, but we soon discover that the kid is not his son - it's his neighbor's son, and he returns the kid in the middle of the night, telling his neigbor ^It happened again^. The kid looks wistfully back at the Pontiac car that sits in his neigbor's driveway...and then you hear the catchphrase ^Everyone's going to want to be a part of your family.^ Kinda cute...sorry you can´t see it and had to suffer through my explanation instead :)
We got to send off our Principal Officer (the Consulate head) on Thursday night as his tour of duty in Nuevo Laredo was over - he moves on to Hawaii next to work on something with international trade with East Asia. Way to suffer :) I got to see some traditional Mexican dances at the farewell party - some local high schoolers came dressed in some amazingly bright colors. The particular dances that I saw were from Jalisco (a city farther south I think), and there was a lot of footwork with tap/clog like shoes - kind of a mix between Irish dancing (without the high kicks) and tap dancing, but with couples instead of solo. It was great!
I´m trying to get connected with a college Christian group over at the Texas A&M branch over in Laredo - please pray for that, as I am really craving fellowship with people who are my age (although maybe this is a place where God is wanting to stretch me a little bit...hmmmm).
¡Que les vaya bien! Les extraño a todos... (I hope all´s well, and I miss you all)
Friday, June 02, 2006
Cosas interesantes
Interesting things so far:
- in Mexico, I was told by a coworker, it's bad luck to leave your purse on the floor
- small car accidents can be settled with an exchange of 20 USD (United States Dollars) - imagine forgetting the whole insurance thing! :)
- I will never be able to go back to American-made "tacos" (sorry Stroud - I'm afraid this might mean no more Taco Bell). Or salsa for that matter.
- you never, ever want to get caught up in a Mexican prison (no no! I haven't gone to jail. I just went with a coworker to visit some Americans there). Just don't.
- in order to travel past 20-30 km into the Mexican border, you need to get a permit/visa. Many Americans don't know this, as the U.S. consulates along the border know all too well. Think "deportation".
- there are 66 different types of U.S. visas...I have learned to appreciate what some of my international friends have gone through to come to the U.S.
Good night,
Cat
- in Mexico, I was told by a coworker, it's bad luck to leave your purse on the floor
- small car accidents can be settled with an exchange of 20 USD (United States Dollars) - imagine forgetting the whole insurance thing! :)
- I will never be able to go back to American-made "tacos" (sorry Stroud - I'm afraid this might mean no more Taco Bell). Or salsa for that matter.
- you never, ever want to get caught up in a Mexican prison (no no! I haven't gone to jail. I just went with a coworker to visit some Americans there). Just don't.
- in order to travel past 20-30 km into the Mexican border, you need to get a permit/visa. Many Americans don't know this, as the U.S. consulates along the border know all too well. Think "deportation".
- there are 66 different types of U.S. visas...I have learned to appreciate what some of my international friends have gone through to come to the U.S.
Good night,
Cat
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