Month: March 2022

I’ve brought this subject up a few times but want to clarify it from my point of view. I’m probably wrong but am going to say it anyway cos it’s my blog.

We run into all assorts of Norteños who speak Spanish…. but they don’t, well… kind of… but not really. They try that’s the important thing.

When I see someone trying to teach Mexicans french

I thought that I had a handle on the language as we’ve been coming here for nearly twenty years. I know perhaps thousands of Spanish words, but do I speak Spanish… No! The ability to pull a complete, understandable sentence out of the maelstrom of your brain is very difficult. I often get it right but by the time I’ve vocalized it the conversation has moved on and I’m left thinking WTF. I do have a library of common sentences though and rely on them a lot.

First thing in a sentence, is it masculine or feminine? Next, the adjective comes after the noun. That’s easy if you know what an adjective and a noun are. What’s the difference between pero (but) and perro (dog)? How about por que (why) and porque (because)? And my favourite what about por and para (both mean for)? It can drive you crazy, or, you can find out what it’s all about and enjoy the language.

We were in Papa Gallo’s and I told the new waitress who spoke no English that I wanted a vino blanco and Rosalie wanted a margarita. A little later Rafa came to our table to confirm that I had ordered a margarita for Rosalie and a margarita with a glass of wine for me. We straightened him out and got our drinks. Later, I apologized to the waitress for my bad Spanish. “Lo siento señorita mi espanol es mal.” (Sorry señorita my Spanish is bad.)

Speaking the language is one thing but understanding it when spoken to me, is a whole new challenge. I try to concentrate on what people are saying and am finding that I can pick out individual words and figure out what is being said. one of the things holding me back is that they may talk back and I don’t understand. I try to have Rosalie with me most of the time to help me out but that’s not always possible so I have to wing it. Rosalie is great with this as she holds back and gives me time to try to figure it out for myself and only corrects me if I ask her to.

Omar is a great help. He speaks slowly and clearly and also has a little English. We think he has a lot of English but isn’t letting on. He was by a while ago, so we waved a can of cerveza at him and he visited for an hour or so to talk to us. As usual, I mostly sat back and listened to Rosalie chat with him and interpret for me. Two things happened: first I found that a lot of the time I didn’t need the translation as I got the gist of the conversation. Secondly, I found myself talking to him in full but small sentences and he understood me. I said what I had to say without thinking too much about it. Also, a few times I had to help Rosalie out. I even corrected her once but won’t do that again as she punches pretty hard.

And I think Spanish is confusing.

It’s a slow process and Mexicans say “Poco a poco” ( little by little.) As a lot of Mexicans here don’t speak English, I think it’s important that as visitors, we have some obligation to at least try to learn their language. We can get embarrassed sometimes by our misinterpretations But other than that, It’s a lot of fun.

I don’t mean old goats like us, I mean real goats.

Goats seem to be a must to have down here. Everywhere we go there are goats. Goats do roam, and there is a herd that hangs out on the road to Melaque. I have to be careful driving by there, especially at night. The other day we saw the herd on the boulevard on highway 200 munching on the grass. I guess the city saves a few bucks that way.

There are a lot of them in our area and we often hear them bleating beyond our walls. And of course, there is the incident last year where two of them walked into our place and before leaving five minutes later, pooped on the walkway. I decided to get my own back and tried some ‘birria’, goat soup, but they had the last laugh. To me it tasted terrible so they don’t have to worry about me using them as a food source. Rosalie however loves it.

We were driving by a tethered goat the other day and it bleated at me in an aggressive way so I bleated back. Rosalie started to laugh as she though it was just me and not a two way conversation. So I can add this to my many other talents. I can bleat like a goat!

The lady on the left thought this was great fun and we had a laugh together as I passed by.

And then I saw this article from the CBC. As there is only so much you can say about goats, I have to change the subject.

Seasons

As I said previously, This season is winding down. Our cleaner was in and when she was finished we were going to start packing. So the first thing we had to do was grab a glass of wine and start planning. We decided to start the next day instead so we’re getting really good at planning but not so much at actualy packing. I’ll keep you pasted on the packing if we ever get around to getting starting. I think we have a few more planning sessions ahead of us. We can’t be too hasty after all.

It gets confusing here sometimes and I confuse seasons with years. I say to Rosalie that something happened last year but she says no that was last season and was actually the year before. So then I mentions something happening last season Rosalie points out that it was this season but last year. I’m so confused.

We met John and Ronda in Barra for an afternoon of fun and drinks. We decided to stay for dinner and while waiting for our orders we noticed a huge fog bank drifting in. Within minutes Melaque disappeared across the bay and shortly after we were hardly able to see the beach.

It became very chilly and all of us who have been coming down here for several years couldn’t recall ever seeing anything like this before. Even the Mexicans were fascinated and came in off the street to take pictures. (of Fog?)

Talking of weird things, I took this picture of a local bag lady but then realized it was my beloved wife. Remember the blog about us getting married? When I saw this I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. The picture was bad enough but now she wants me to steal her a shopping cart, preferably one from Costco as they hold more pop cans.

There are a lot fewer Nortenos here as the season is coming to an end and people are heading home. There are more locals trickling in as the days leading up to St Patrick’s day become less. The festivities last from 8th March until the big day.

Each night, during this period there is a firework display in the main square. They start at 10 pm and continue until something burns down. We attended the St Patrick’s day display several years ago and have been trying to get the courage to go back again. The other problem is that they start at 10 pm and Rosalie is usually in bed by then.

We only have a month left and are trying to sort out our storage needs. There isn’t a big problem but we may have to face a few inconveniences. We have lots of choices so we will know better after talking to Blanca our new landlady. We also have to think about packing as we have a whole load of crap that we have collected over the years. We’re starting to give stuff away and also trying to use up our foodstuff and have less stuff in the pantry.

We just heard from Blanca and we can store our stuff in the new location before we leave, Phew, what a relief.

Us on moving day.

Winding downtime for us is great because there are fewer people in the restaurants. We lost our special table several times because of the tourists. We complained but they ignored us. (They know us too well.) However, the beach people and the waiters are starting to feel the pinch. We Nortenos tend to tip well but the Mexicans only leave a few pesos so the waiters miss us.

Some of the things we have to put up with during happy hour.

For some reason, although we are looking forward to being back in Canada, we aren’t feeling the urgency to leave that we did last year. Perhaps it has something to do with the covid restrictions becoming less. It’s certainly more relaxed this year. We just found out that we don’t need a test to come back to Canada; about time!

They decided to finally do something about the road around here. They started by dumping huge piles of sand ready for levelling. The problem was that they blocked up our usual way of getting to the main road so we had to use a different route. It was touch-and-go as we bottomed out badly a few times. We made it out but I dreaded coming back too soon as they may not be finished, so we went to Papa Gallo’s for a while. They weren’t finished, but we managed to find another route home anyway.

This family was trying to make a few buck so we gave them 50 pesos. Some tourists gave them a few coins as did some Mexicans it looked like to be about 5 pesos each.

While at Papa Gallo’s I was drinking Corona Cero as I was still on meds and Rosalie was having a beer. When Rosalie went to the baño I heard one of the waiters say something in Spanish using the word ‘Rojo’ (red.) I was curious as he was looking out toward the ocean. Then the penny dropped as I saw one of the other guys with a pair of binoculars watching a chiquita in a red bikini. He said, “Hey Chris, wanna look?” I politely declined and told him he was a dirty old man, he knows I am too, that’s why he offered. Besides, I was closer to the beach and could see perfectly well. I’m going to miss all this fun.

This is an embarrassing blog to write.

A few weeks ago I noticed that it was becoming sore to pee. I left it a few days to see if the problem would go away. If it didn’t, I would normally have gone to Doctora Rosa. However, this was in a very delicate location and was somewhat embarrassing so I decided to go to the Trauma Centre to see a male doctor.

I made an appointment for the next day and arrived on time. The doctor arrived and asked me to come into his office. I noticed that he had a lot of certificates showing that he was a former naval surgeon. His bedside manner was not too good but I thought he must be very qualified. I had been told he spoke English but I understood his Spanish better.

He asked me to sit down and asked what the problem was. I told him and he jumped up and left the room. He came back with two packets of meds. No examination, no more questions, just meds. I asked how much and he said $1,000 pesos ($61.) I thought this was a bit steep but as his services were free I didn’t feel that I should complain. He told me to come back in three days.

Three days later, after taking the meds nothing had changed. I googled meds and found that one was an antibiotic and one was a pain killer. I still wonder why they were so expensive.

I went back after the three days and he looked at me somewhat puzzled when I told him that nothing had changed. He gave me a requisition for the lab but by this time I had had enough and decided to bite the bullet and go see Doctora Rosa. Good choice! I think he should stick to operating on belly buttons!

Doctora Rosa is Mexican but has Canadian citizenship. She spends the winters in Mexico and the summers in Canada with her husband on Salt Spring Island. She is a lovely and very attractive woman. So you can see why I was a bit hesitant to see her. However, I made an appointment for the next day.

Rosalie came with me but stayed in the waiting area while I went in to see the Doctora. She asked the problem and I told her. Then she said the dreaded words, “I need to do an examination.”

We went into her examination room and I heard Rosalie yell out, “If I hear him giggle I’m coming in there.” I was told to drop my pants by this attractive Doctora. I did as I was told and she got out a magnifier (???.) It’s a magnifying machine that projects onto a screen. Fortunately, she didn’t need to use it. I think she was just having a laugh to herself. She did the examination and said it was red and a bit swollen (I’m not surprised.) I now have the bragging rights that Doctora Rosa touched the big guy.

She thought it was an infection and prescribed two antibiotics at a cost of $325 pesos or about $20. She also took samples for the lab. The cost, including the lab work was 250 pesos about $15. The total was cost $35 and I got great service.

My lab results came back negative?? I have been taking a supplement, so think it may be that. And no it wasn’t a willy enhancement product, I’ve stopped taking it so we will see. I may have to go back to the Doctora to see if she wants to examine me again.

For the record, Doctora Rosa is a very caring and professional lady and so busy because she is so popular that we have to make an appointment.

There are no photos for obvious reasons.

What I call necessary but sometimes a nuisance. It’s nice and peaceful here until the first flights start to arrive.

When picking people up from the airport you can tell as they come off the plane the newbies from the regulars. The newbies stand and look around apprehensively wondering if their ride has turned up or if they are going to be able to order a taxi in English. They are also still wearing their jeans and long sleeve shirts, running shoes with socks and sometimes even a coat, and perspiring profusely. The regulars stride out with confidence wearing shorts sandals and T-shirts and looking as cool as an icy margarita.

We can also tell who they are as they pass on the street. When we say “buenos dias” they usually reply in a shy way with “Hi” or sometimes “bonjour”. And of course, they are very pale and after a few days very red from sunburn.

We sat at Papa Gallo’s one day and a pale couple came to sit at a table near the beach. Gaby served them and I guess they ordered a beer. There wasn’t any available so Gaby had to hike to the nearest store to get some. In the meantime, the tourists got fed up with waiting (about 5 minutes) and got up to leave. They met up with Gaby as they were going and he showed them they had the beer so they returned to their table.

It’s lucky they weren’t here when it was busy as a 15 to 20 minutes wait is quite acceptable. After a while though, and after several days and a few margaritas, they seem to settle down somewhat. Anyway, who minds waiting when the sun is out, the waves are crashing and a nice breeze is blowing? And of course, you can also watch the chiquitas on the beach

Some order hamburgers and fries at the restaurant because they are a little afraid to try the local food. It may be too spicy and the lettuce may be contaminated. They were told not to have ice in their drinks because this too is contaminated. All nonsense of course but these old silly rumours seem to persist.

There are the quiet ones who just sit and enjoy the scenery and listen to the waves crashing on the beach. And then there are the brash noisy ones (We all know who they are) who treat the waiters as their personal slaves and are only here to party with no regard for those about them.

The ones we get a kick out of are those who have perfect Spanish (they think). We cringe as they mangle the language and look all proud of themselves. They think that because the waiter understood them that they got it exactly right. The waiters though have heard it all before and managed to work it out. But at least some tourists try.

We were walking into town one day and a guy wanted to know if they were serving so stuck his head in the door and enquired “Servieta?” He was asking for a napkin, but he tried.

Another way to tell a tourist is when Banamex ATMs run out of money on the weekends. They are the ones lining up in the heat outside the Intercam bank to try to use the machines while the old hands walk in and use the teller to get money from their accounts. It’s chaos when both banks run out.

The Mexicans are the nicest people you could meet but some can be a little reticent until they get to know you. They may seem standoffish to some tourists and perhaps they feel resentment. Perhaps the Mexicans feel the same way about them.

Tourists always walk in the middle of the road. I think this is because a lot of businesses and homes tend to encroach onto the sidewalks and they don’t want to intrude on the locals. They ride their rented bikes any which way down a one-way street and don’t look where they are going. I almost nailed one a few days ago because they weren’t paying attention. Mexican cyclists have more respect for cars but the tourists think they have the right of way no matter which way they are going. Watch out if they have a rental car for the first time, they’re even more dangerous than the Mexican drivers.

Businesses covering the sidewalk. Now you can see why Rosalie knocks a few things over after a couple of margaritas.

We have heard of tourists saying that there are too many Mexicans on the beach even though this is a traditional Mexican seaside resort. A friend even heard of one lady say she has been coming here for several years and was surprised that the Mexicans still don’t speak English. And of course, the Quebecois try to teach them to speak French when they are trying to learn English.

Some tourists can sometimes be a pain in the butt, sometimes great, and appreciate the Mexicans and the fact that they are in paradise. Whoever they are wherever they come from, they are critical to the economy here and are welcomed. But of course, a lot of the tourists come here regularly and know the ropes.

We are very aware of these tourists as that describes us seventeen years ago when we first came. I remember walking into town in runners and long sports socks because I didn’t have sandals. The only Spanish I knew was “Dos cerveza por favor”

And it’s peaceful again when the last flights leave.

Our friend Hauna had her 50th birthday and we were invited along. It was a great evening and we met some more new friends. One even wanted to sign up for my blog. Hauna provided tacos and a jug of margaritas for each table.

We thought it would be a good idea to take a taxi into town and back then I could have a glass of wine or two and not worry about driving. I don’t like driving at night anyway as my windshield is still sappy and gives a lot of glare from other vehicles. Also, a lot of motorcyclists drive without lights.

Brent and Hauna have been together for eight years. They had quite the problem when Covid hit as Brent is Canadian and Hauna is from the United States. They didn’t get to see each other for long periods of time so had to meet in Melaque. Hauna is a flight attendant with Alaskan Airlines so can get good rates for both of them.

Hauna and Brent

Like last year we have once again been invaded by a rooster. I have no idea how he got into the yard but seemed not to want to leave. We suspect it was kids that threw him over the wall but who knows. I chased him around the yard a bit but he was way too fast for me. We decided to just wait and see if s0meone came to claim him. I was worried that he might start crowing at 4 am and then the rock-throwing would have started. I thought we had him cornered at one point but he took off flying like a pro so I guess the kid theory is now in doubt.

Eventually, Omar was recruited and we all managed to corral him and send him out through the main gate. The next day he had flown up onto the wall again and was mockingly crowing at me. I soon chased him off before he ended up in the yard again.

We had a problem with cats coming in and fighting on the patio and leaving hair on our loungers. The sound of cats fighting is a nasty way to wake up in the middle of the night. I did some Googling and found the best way to deter them was to use vinegar. I mixed a batch of vinegar and water and sprayed it at the foot of the gate where they get in. I also sprayed our chairs and loungers. So far it seems to be working.