Category Archives: Inspired

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Tulum is a Dream!

Wow. I admit I am out of the loop and the news that all those little eco-hotels and boutique-y palapa hotels in the Sian Kaan reserve at Tulum are gorgeous will come as no surprise to fans of Quintana Roo beaches, but I was impressed! The place is a fantasy island far removed from giant impersonal AI’s and the overbuilt and underwhelming Cancun hotel zone. I will never go to Cancun or the Riviera Maya again!

These are all iPhone photos; there are lots more on Facebook in an album with the original name of… Tulum.

El Que No Tranza, No Avanza – Español

This is an email sent to me before Calderón was elected. At the time there was to be a mass protest by Mexicans against the CFE in which everyone was to turn off their lights at a certain hour to deprive the state monopoly of revenues for that hour.

It is a very though-provoking email. Perhaps one day I will translate it into English.

La creencia general anterior era que Zedillo no servía.
La creencia general actual es que Fox no sirve.
Y, cuando pase el tiempo, la creencia general será que el que venga después de Fox tampoco estará sirviendo para nada.

Por eso estoy empezando a sospechar que el problema no está en lo ladrón
que haya sido Salinas o en lo bocón que sea Fox. El problema esta en nosotros.

Nosotros como pueblo.


Nosotros como materia prima de un país.


Porque pertenezco a un país donde la “viveza” es la moneda que siempre es valorada tanto o más que el dólar.

Un país donde hacerse rico de la noche a la mañana es una virtud más apreciada que formar una familia largo plazo basada en valores y respeto a
los demás.

Un país donde una persona tapa la salida del garaje de una casa, y, si el
afectado toca el claxon para llamar la atención del abusivo y hacer que
aparezca a retirar su vehículo, entonces esa persona llega, se molesta y le
reclama a uno la presión y el ruido, como si el infractor fuese uno y no ellos.

Un país donde un par de señoras pueden recorrer todo un supermercado,
y, mientras compran, hablar pestes de la moral del gobierno y del incumplimiento de las leyes, y de lo terrible de tales o cuales medidas, pero después, a pesar de que su carrito tiene 27  artículos, se
hacen tontas y se meten disimuladamente en la cola que es “para un máximo
de 10 artículos” y si alguien osa reclamarles o quejarse ante el gerente
queda ante ellas y ante los demás como un soplón, solo por intentar hacer
cumplir una norma tan sencilla. Y si es la cajera quien les señala que
deberán pasar a otra caja, inician un diálogo recriminatorio: “¿ves?, justo
lo que veníamos comentando, por eso está este país así, todos son unos flojos , etc.”

Pertenezco a un país donde, lamentablemente, los periódicos jamás se
podrán vender como se venden en Estados Unidos, es decir, poniendo unas
cajitas en las aceras donde uno paga por un solo periódico y saca un solo periódico dejando los demás donde están.
Porque si se vendieran así, El
Reforma y El Universal quebrarían en solo 3
meses.

Pertenezco al país donde las empresas privadas son papelerías particulares
de sus empleados deshonestos, que se llevan para su casa, como si tal cosa, hojas de papel, bolígrafos, carpetas, marcadores y todo lo que pueda hacer
falta para la tarea de sus hijos y, además, utilizan los equipos para lo mismo,

las tareas y sus asuntos personales.

Pertenezco a un país donde la gente se siente triunfal si consigue volarse
el Cablevisión del vecino, donde la gente inventa a la hora de llenar sus
declaraciones de Hacienda para no pagar o pagar menos impuestos, donde a
Carlos Salinas no le reclama ningún medio el que lo estén viviendo fuera
del
país disfrutando de lo que robó.

Donde nuestros diputados y senadores trabajan dos días al año (y cobran
todos los demás como altos ejecutivos) para aprobar una reforma (miscelánea) fiscal al vapor que lo único que hace es hundir al que
no tiene, joder al que tiene poco beneficiar como siempre a unos cuantos
que son los que tienen (ellos por ejemplo).

Pertenezco a un país donde las licencias de conducir y los certificados
médicos se pueden “comprar”, sin hacerse exámenes ni nada.

Un país donde, desde hace 40 años, un vehículo sufre más daños y sale peor
parado después que es recuperado por la policía que cuando lo roban los ladrones.

(ESTA CITA LA HAGO CON ABSOLUTA CERTEZA QUE ES CIERTA, SI SE ACUERDAN ME ROBARON MI TSURU HACE 2 AÑOS Y APARECIO 40 DIAS
DESPUES EN ESTADO TAN
LAMENTABLE QUE MI PAPA LO TUVO QUE VENDER COMO CHATARRA. Y ESO QUE EN LA HOJA OFICIAL DE LA DEMANDA SE ASEGURA QUE EL CARRO SE ENCONTRO 2 DIAS DESPUES)

Un país donde cualquier persona puede hacer una fiesta y poner música a
volumen majadero toda la noche, sin que haya nadie que proteste ni
autoridad alguna que les haga apagar esa música ni siquiera a las cinco de la mañana.

Un país de gente que está llena de faltas, pero que disfruta criticando a sus gobernantes, sean inútiles, o sea Fox, porque criticar a los inútiles o criticar a Fox, crea una ilusión psicológica que aparentemente eleva la estatura moral y espiritual del que critica.

Mientras mas le digo rata a Salinas, mejor soy yo como persona, a pesar de
que apenas ayer me consiguieron todas las preguntas del examen de
matemáticas de mañana. (¡Qué vivo soy!)

Mientras más le digo falso a Fox, mejor soy yo como mexicano, a pesar de
que apenas esta mañana me fregué a mi cliente a través de un fraude de cien
mil pesos que él me dio de enganche como preventa de un inmueble.

No. No. No.

Ya basta. Como materia prima de un país, tenemos muchas cosas buenas.
Pero todavía dejamos mucho que desear. Esos defectos, esa “viveza” congénita, esa deshonestidad a pequeña escala que después crece
evoluciona hasta convertirse en casos de escándalo como Óscar Espinoza o
Mario Villanueva; esa calidad humana que en realidad es falta y carencia de
toda verdadera calidad humana, eso, más que Salinas o que Fox, es lo que
nos tiene real y francamente jodidos.

No voy a apagar las luces, lo siento.

Porque, aunque Fox renunciara hoy mismo, el próximo presidente que lo
suceda tendrá que seguir trabajando con la misma materia prima defectuosa que, como pueblo, somos nosotros mismos.

Y no podrá hacer nada, igual que no hicieron nada los mediocres igual que
no esta haciendo nada Fox.

No, gracias. No apago nada. No tengo ninguna garantía de que el gritón de
Diego o el mustio de Madrazo lo puedan hacer mejor. Y mientras nadie
señale un camino destinado a erradicar primero los vicios que tenemos como
pueblo nadie servirá. Ni sirvió Salinas, ni sirvió Zedillo, ni sirve Fox,
ni servirá el que venga.

O ¿qué?, necesitamos traer a un Pinochet, para que nos haga cumplir la ley
a la fuerza y por medio del terror y la dictadura?.

A ver si así, cumplimos y hacemos cumplir las leyes desde las más
elementales hasta las de nuestra Constitución que todos la manejamos o
hacemos a nuestro modo.

Aquí hace falta otra cosa. Algo más que cacerolazos, apagones o cohetones.

Y mientras esa “otra cosa” no empiece a surgir desde abajo hacia arriba, o
desde arriba hacia abajo, o del centro pa´ los lados, o como quieran,
seguiremos igualmente condenados, igualmente estancados.

Es muy sabroso ser mexicano, y vivir a “a la mexicana”. Pero cuando esa
mexicanidad autóctona empieza a hacerle daño a nuestras posibilidades de
desarrollo como Nación, ahí la cosa cambia…

Lo siento. Pero no apago nada.
Suerte con su apagón. Pero creo que, de
todos modos, como país de verdad igual hemos estado a oscuras los últimos 70 o 90 años.

Ojalá que cambiemos todos, porque si no, cambiar de Presidentes no cambiará nada. Porque cambiar de Presidentes, sin que cambiemos nosotros, es lograr que nada cambie jamás.

Piénsalo, y, si te cuadra, reenvíalo. Es un mensaje para todos los mexicanos.

YA BASTA DE QUE “EL QUE NO TRANZA NO AVANZA”!!!!

TENEMOS MUCHO QUE HACER EN VEZ DE ESTAR PENSANDO EN ABSURDAS PROTESTAS QUE SOLO MANCHAN LA IMAGEN DE UN PAIS BASTANTE

DESGASTADA………….
________________________________________
Lic. Francisco Torrente Ibarguen
Dirección de Liderazgo Empresarial
Incubadora de Empresas
Programa
Emprendedor

Bolsa de Trabajo
Relación con Egresados
Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Aguascalientes

S’Tai Restaurant – Review by Chris

Hi William. I check out your reviews whenever I’m looking for some place decent to eat out in Merida. We’ve been curious about S*Tai for a long time and finally went last night. Have you been there and did you review it? I didn’t see a review if you did.

We were pleasently surprised – very nice tuna encrusted with black sesame appetizer (but small – order something additional if you’re hungry,) chicken with green curry – overly spicey and salty BUT edible. Last but not least – a delicious Pad Thai (with pretty hefty grilled shrimp) – that was the highlight of the night. It was the one thing we ate that pretty much hit the mark on authentic thai cuisine.

The decors is nice, modern, very loungy and comfortable. Typcial yucatecan service…..after carefully reviewing the menu and the special card that was laid on the table, we were ready to order and ordered the scallops that were on the special card. Of course – they were out of scallops – something the waiter should have mentioned when he laid the special card on the table. Lots of waiters and bus boys walking around but no one got around to cleaning the wet noodles off of the table and we had to track people down whenever we needed anything additional (like a glass of water.) We were the ONLY table in the restraurant – you’d think that they would have been more attentive to our needs. Oh well……can’t have EVERYTHING!

Chris

Blog Update

I have been tweaking and pinching this and that WordPress theme, and this one seems to be the winner so far.

Yesterday, I imported all my posts on blogger.com, from both the Casual Restaurant Critic blog AND the NotTheNews/EL Maloso blog. They should be all here now. Unfortunately, I lost some of the new posts I had put up here, but I am certainly not Hemingway so no big deal there.

I also figured out the FTP concept; downloaded a freeware FTP program and started loading photos (previous cropped, resized and chopped into the directory where they will appear ‘rotatingly’ at the top of the page.

There must be a search button widget here somewhere in order to look for a specific post; that’s next. Plus, a way of seeing the post archives since at the moment only the latest 10 appear.

Ideally, the categories will appear on the main page so you can click on Casual Restaurant Critic and only those posts will show up so you don’t have to wade through the other stuff.

The Mystery of the Black Christ at Chumayel

Note: If you are under the impression, from the suggestive title “The Mystery of the Black Christ at Chumayel” that I am going to explain in definite terms why the altar in the church at Chumayel has a black Christ on it’s cross, then stop reading now, because I haven’t found the answers. If you have the answer or know of a good theory, let me know!

On a very recent (last week) visit to the church at Chumayel some friends remarked on the black Christ, finding it most unusual and so asked me about it. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s your typical representation of Jesus on the cross except the material seems to be black. While the fact that the Christ is black is unusual, what is certainly not unusual is that I don’t have a clue, being a lapsed catholic who has turned further and further from organized religion and so I was not able to answer their question on why the usually Nordic looking Jesus was in this case, black (without the facial features associated with the black race, of course)

After some poking around, superficially I admit on the internet, I have come to the preliminary conclusion that there is nothing tremendously scandalous or mysterious about the black Christ in Chumayel. Nor is it particularly unique, as there a few others literally hanging around.

For example, one of the more popular ‘Black Christs’ is on display in Guatemala in a village called Esquipulas. Beyond the usual back story on why a carved Christ is commissioned in the first place (humble villagers, miracles, rural area, etc.) the reason given for its blackness is the darker wood used combined with natural aging over the years.(1) The local arquitect Eduardo Andrade indicates that it’s color is due to years of being prayed to amidst candle smoke and soot.(4)

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City also features a black statue of Christ, known there also as Lord of Poison which is a pretty interesting name for a Christ figure. This is the most venerated statue in the entire cathedral and is located at the Altar of Forgiveness and apparently dates back to the 18th of August, 1602 when the Dominican Fathers came to Mexico with several Christ sculptures, all white.

Legend has it (2) that this particular figure was installed in a small chapel in Tlanepantla where the regent archbishop prayed daily and at the end of a prayer, would kiss the feet of this statue. When his enemies saw what his routine was, they applied poison to the feet of the statue in the hopes that they could off him in this way after his next prayer. Alas, their cunning plan was foiled when the statue (faith, people, faith) shrank back from the archbishops approaching lips, thereby saving his life and providing for yet another biblical story. The most interesting part of this tale – for the purposes of this article anyway – is that the statue then absorbed the poison that had been applied by the evildoers and this is what turned it black.

The story quickly got out and spread rapidly amongst the flock; the great back story and the fact that the chapel was not open to the public heightened the mystery and devotion to this black Christ. After being under wraps for many years (ie the marketing plan had worked and the product was ready) in 1935 the now heroic black Christ was moved from its private location to the Metropolitan Cathedral so as to be available for worship by all.

Apparently there is another black Christ in Veracruz, in the town of Otatitlan.(3) The investigator Carlos Navarrete proposes another theory; that these black Christs were made on purpose (as opposed to “Oops, it turned black we need a legend here, people”) and that they can be found on ancient trade routes established by the Pochtecas or prehispanic traders. In the work there is a mention of a substitution in Otatitlan, of a singular black Christ that replaced Yacaecutli or God of Commerce, who happened to be black also.

An article about Campeche mentions 3 black Christs; one in Merida, one in Calkini and one in the church of San Roman in Campeche itself (5), making the one in Chumayel another in a whole series of non-Nordic statues of Jesus.

And finally, beyond Mexico and Guatemala, there is another one of these statues in Portobelo, Panama. From the website: (6)

  • Nobody knows exactly how or when the Black Christ (El Cristo Negro) arrived in the tiny community of Portobelo on Panama’s Caribbean coast. Some put the date at around 1658. But the stories of miracles surrounding the eight-foot wooden statue of the Black Christ are enough to overwhelm the village with tens of thousands of pilgrims every October 21.

So there you have a brief look at the black Christ. Now the next time I am in Chumayel with out of town guests asking in hushed voices about the mysterious figure on the cross, I’ll be able to tell something reasonably intelligent.
————————-
1. http://peregrinacion.org.ar
2. http://www.elnuevoheraldo.com/articles/cristo-12171-negro-catedral.html
3. http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/notas/1882-El-Cristo-Negro-de-Otatitl%E1n,-Veracruz
4. http://www.viajeaguatemala.com/Chiquimula/200411293719.htm
5. http://calkini.net/municipio/festividades3.htm
6. http://www.yourpanama.com/black-christ.html

Tecoh is a Charmer!

When traveling with friends and relatives around the Yucatan, I am often struck by the difference in ‘feel’ from town to Yucatecan town; Mani, while famous for its’ convent and history and of course the Tutul Xiu restaurant always gives me a neutral impression. Some people are very friendly, like the lady who embroiders dresses in front of the unfortunately closed-during-a-large-part-of-the-day convent; others are outright sullen and hostile. In Uayalceh, there are many suspicious looks and a kind of hardness in faces that is difficult to describe but perceptible.

Yesterdays excursion through the so-called ‘Convent Route’ had a similar result. The inhabitants of the tiny villages of Telchaquillo and Mama were indifferent and the towns themselves lackluster bordering on decrepit in spite of their attractions.

Tecoh was a different story altogether. Maybe it was because it was Sunday, everyone was dressed up, in church and feeling celebratory or maybe it was the impression you get from the moment you leave the highway and approach the town, noticing that there are trees and flowers planted along the way to welcome you. As what seemed to be the entire population of the town exited the church upon the conclusion of Sunday mass, Yours Truly and company got plenty of stares and a giggle or three from the kids but also many a Buenos Dias and a smile. Friendliness seemed to ooze from the pores of everyone we came into contact with.

The thought came to my neurotic foreigners mind that this might be one of those places that Yucatans reputation for friendly people, peaceful provincial life, comes from. It even crossed my mind that this might be a good place to retire.

Is the neurotic foreigner getting soft in his old age?

Dzibilchaltun Museum is an Embarassment

As I alluded to on William Lawson’s Driving blog, yesterday I took some folks to Dzibilchaltun. I had told them about the site and it’s small but well-put-together museum.

I was shocked at the state of the museum: it is literally falling apart around the exhibits. Not that you are going to get hit in the head with falling plaster, but you may stumble a bit on the floor, which is made of wooden slats which have either rotted or fallen prey to an insect invasion, known here as comejen, that make it sag and uneven. Some of the wooden slats have been crudely replaced by someone with about as much skill in carpentry as I have, using approximate-sized replacement unfinished wooden strips nailed down with the flair of an 8 year old backyard fort builder. Other slats are covered with pieces of carpeting; the sag you feel as you step on them makes you feel you are on the dance floor of the Mambo Café.

Looking up, it is evident that the finishing coat of cement has fallen off in places, leaving rebar and concrete roofing material exposed. Also, while you are gazing up that way, note that the illumination is at about 30% capacity ie. 70% of the light bulbs are burnt out or off. In any case, they are not working, and many of the exhibits suffer from this lack of proper illumination.

It seems both a shame and a disgrace that the INAH does not or cannot maintain this building that must have hundreds of visitors each week, especially during this ‘high’ season (and the just finished Christmas holidays which saw Yucatan’s attractions mobbed by tourists both national and international) and now that Dzibilchaltun is on the cruise ship excursion map.

Very embarrassing, and as a Yucatecan – according to the definition proposed by Tony in the Diario de Yucatan a few weeks ago, a Yucatecan is everyone that resides here and contributes, in one form or another, to the political, social or commercial life of the Yucatan – I find it unacceptable that our so-called authorities show such disdain towards this important showcase for Mayan and Yucatecan culture.

Special Note for Owners of US-made Vehicles – El Pipis

Yours truly drives an Impala. This car is no longer imported into Mexico and so the models around are mostly 2000-2003, with a few 2004 versions kicking around. Why this is I can’t say, since Chevrolet is still offering the giant Suburban gas guzzlers and has just put the re-tooled Camaro on the Mexican market, complete with 8 cylinder options and the Impala is a nice roomy car perfect for families.

I digress.

The car in question is great, until the other night when the wheels started shimmying and evidently there was some sort of suspension/steering problem. This is not good. Took it to my trusty suspension people, Radial Llantas, across from Costco on 60 Norte, who were fortunately open on a Sunday. They had a look and pronounced the problem as being the drive axle. OK, says I, go ahead and fix it. Well, it’s Sunday and there are no parts places open today. Crap.

Monday rolls around and guess what? All the parts places they try do not have this part in stock. There IS a supplier in Monterrey who has the part; it’s 3500 pesos and they will send it in two weeks. TWO WEEKS. Meanwhile the car is to just sit there, limping on 3 wheels? After personally scouring the city myself, including a visit to the Chevrolet/GM dealership, where the same part costs $9500 pesos (!) I decide to put down a down payment and have Radial Llantas order the part from Monterrey. Graciela calls Monterrey, where they inform her that the part, which was in the inventory just the day before, is no longer there. It will take two weeks to a month to get it because they have to import it, it’s inventory time, end of year holidays etc etc. Unbelievable.

Cursing the unknown fellow in Monterrey and his family under my breath, I remember to call a friend who is in the car business. He makes a call and tells me he has located the part at Torres in Santiago. Drive there, with the broken part in the trunk to show them, and park. Walk in, and ask about the part in question; no, we don’t have it is the amused reply. You have got to be kidding says I. A friend just called… Call back my friend, who tells me the name of the person he spoke to and lo and behold he owns up to having talked to this friend on the phone; but as it turns out it is not the part he thought. The one I need is non-existent. He in turn makes a phone call, but this elusive part is not showing up anywhere.

I decide – ni modo – to head back to the Chevrolet dealership, resigned to paying almost $1000 USD for this part which will be here in 10 days at best. To my daughter, who accompanies me faithfully through this odyssey and rubs my shoulders when I get too tense, I say ‘wait and see, when we get there, he will have gone for lunch’.

Arriving at the Chevrolet dealership, we see the parts man is still working. I whip out my credit card.

Chispas‘ he remarks.

Chispas‘ is a bad thing. When you hear that you are going to get some bad news. Sure enough, it turns out that the cashier HAS GONE FOR LUNCH and won’t be back for a couple of hours.

I dejectedly accept a lunch invitation from my dear wife, who puts up with my neuroses. I can hardly taste the shrimp, I’m so pissed.

Later that afternoon, as I glumly peruse online catalogs in the USA looking for a part whose name I only know in Spanish and can find nothing that looks like it anywhere, I get an idea. I call a friend in Pennsylvania who knows all about cars and had a lucrative business importing minivans and pickups back when Hacienda (Mexicos’ version of the IRS) let vehicles over the age of 10 years into the country with a minimum of hassle. He tells me the name of the part in English and also gives me what is assuredly the TIP OF THE YEAR which will be of great interest to those who own a foreign or imported from the USA car.

‘Have you tried El Pipis?’ he asks.

El Pipis?’ I retort, laughing in that quiet hysterical way Inspector Clouseau’s superior officer does before going completely bonkers. ‘What the hell is El Pipis?!?!’

Turns out that El Pipis is a small parts shop, located directly behind the bleachers of the baseball park in the colonia Jesus Carranza, run by Carlos Mendoza and his Dad. They specialize in partes dificiles (it’s painted on their entrance) for gringo cars. In a first for this all-day adventure, Carlos takes one look at the part and says, yes, he can get it. It might take some time however. I grit my teeth and say, no hay problema. Yeah, he continues, usually we can get it the next day, but with year end and all, it might take 3 days. THREE DAYS??? I almost hug him, but since we’ve just met, I restrain myself.

He tells me to call him in the morning at 10 AM, when he has had a chance to make some phone calls. I leave full of hope and happy to have found El Pipis.

At 10 AM, I give him a call. He says they have not only found the part (used) but if I drop by and leave a deposit he will have it at 1:30 PM. In a stupor, I rush over and hand him 800 pesos. At 2 PM, I receive a text message that the part is in his store and I can come by and pick it up. I pay him another 700 pesos and I have the part in my hot little hands. Two hours later, back at Radial Llantas, I drive the Impala out of the garage and onto the street for a test drive.

Smooth as silk.

Words cannot describe the feeling of relief that washes over me as I thank destiny for leading me to El Pipis.

———————————–

El Pipis
Calle 31 No 456-C
Frente al Parque Jesus Carranza
999-926-6392 (regular phone)
999-239-8060 (cellular)
Carlos Mendoza