Living in New York and Los Angeles, while good for one’s metabolism, is not that great for one’s patience. Who has time to stop and smell the roses? Who stops? Who smells? What roses? When I moved to Ajijic in 1995, I assumed qualities like honesty, integrity, kindness, patience and, above all, respect, would be […]
Continue ReadingNot that the commercialization of Christmas has totally taken over Mexico, but it seems that Santa and Rudolph might be slowly gaining over the Holy Family and the Three Kings. Once upon a time, there were precious few images of Santa Claus in Mexico, and Gene Autry’s rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer” was […]
Continue ReadingWhen expatriates leave their homes in Mexico to visit their places of birth, they sometimes playfully refer to their original country as ” Gringolandia.” Where, I wondered, did the word “gringo“ come from anyway? Why, for example, are we not called “Yankees” by the Mexicans, as we are in other countries? One of the main differences appears to […]
Continue ReadingIn the mid-sixties while others were espousing peace, love, and rock and roll, Gaby Shiraga left Japan and came to Mexico. He spoke only Japanese, ordering his first foreign meal by miming a chicken laying eggs. The waiter immediately understood and brought Gaby’s sunny-side-up breakfast. No one knows how he ordered the bacon. Gaby, an […]
Continue ReadingA pair of old friends from New York dropped in to see me for a couple of days. First thing I have to tell you is that we hadn’t seen each other in over twenty years. Second thing is that they thought my having lived in Mexico for four years while still maintaining a home […]
Continue ReadingAt the turn of the 20th century, a scandal erupted in Mexico City. It was called “The Famous 41,” and occurred on November 17, 1901. Police raided a private party on La Paz Street and arrested 41 men, half of whom were dressed as women. Talk about frilly frocks on burly frames, I’ve seen wounds […]
Continue ReadingMexicans are lining up on the south side of the Rio Grande and North Americans are lining up on the north side, each group of citizens looking for something from the other. For the North Americans, it’s a keep-out mindset and, for the Mexicans, it’s a let-us-in mindset. If you ask me, they are all […]
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In a magazine interview, I was asked who had the most beautiful face of all time. I unhesitatingly answered, “Dolores Del Rio.” Not Garbo, Dietrich, or Elizabeth Taylor can compare with Dolores Del Rio. Though only five foot three inches in height, Dolores del Rio appeared to be tall on cinema screens all over the […]
Continue ReadingWriting a newspaper column about the greatness of another country can earn the writer a good deal of mail running the gamut from “Do you know a good dentist in Morelia?” to “My wife and I would like to know where we should start looking to live in Mexico.” I don’t know a Morelian dentist […]
Continue ReadingTwenty-eight thousand years ago B.C., Mexico was discovered by hunters looking for a recipe for Sopa Azteca. A resourceful lot, they created corn by combining two types of grasses. These seekers of good eats eventually morphed into the splendor of the Olmec civilization. In 2300 B.C., the Olmecs invented pottery to put the corn in, making […]
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