Dia de los Inocentes

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

Today is the Day of the Innocents. We’re not supposed to play any jokes on people or lend anyone money. Not sure why, that’s just what I’ve been told. I suppose it’s not so bad to be innocent for one day out of the year. Goodness knows I’m probably not described that way the other 364 days, so onward and upward my fellow innocents!

Another week down and I can hardly believe it. I’m not sure how it happens, but these vacations have turned out a lot busier than I thought they would! That, of course, makes the time fly by! Since I left you last, not a whole lot of huge things have happened (except for this one day called Christmas), but it seems as if I haven’t stopped moving since.

We planned to have a semi-traditional Christmas dinner with a tight knot of gringos from the hotel. The menu: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, green jello :), cranberry sauce and tiramisu (a slightly less traditional, but nonetheless totally yummy dessert). The plan was that Lorena and I go to the hotel at 10:30am on the 23rd, to prep the turkey and make the stuffing, jello and tiramisu (potatoes, peas and cran-sauce were another family’s charge). We got there, got everything made (except the jello) and were out the door within 2 hours. Lorena and I, being like-minded, went shopping. Then I went back to the apartment to shower and get ready to go back to the hotel to make the jello and set the table, etc. etc. Well, in that short time, the wicked witch of the South, aka Berenice, wife of the owner of Las Urracas, decides to drop on by (from Acapulco – a 4 hour bus ride pop-in – nobody likes the pop-in!) and because of the less than cordial relationship between Berenice and Petra, the dinner was put on hold. Everything was put into the fridge to be served the following day as a late lunch. The gringos showed incredible restraint and didn’t touch any of the food until we all showed up the next day.

On the 24th, we were slightly apprehensive as to whether or not the bruja would return to her lair in Acapulco, but luckily she did and we all made the taxi-trip to Las Urracas to feast! And by we all, I mean Petra, Lorena and I. The boys were working and Eliseo was already there. I, obviously, ate two helpings of everything and left with a stomach ache. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the food immensely! It was as close to a Thanksgiving meal (my all time favorite meal of the year) that I’ll have all year and thus I savored the experience! Then back to the apartment to shower and pack up for Lazaro, for another Christmas eve dinner with the familia. We got there around 9 and immediately (to my delight and my stomach’s consternation) started eating again. This menu: sweet tamales with pineapple, spicy tamales with chile rojo and pork, pozole with all sorts of toppings, carnitas tacos and the usual assortment of spicy snacks (in which I do not partake).

It’s a distinctly different celebration that those to which I am accustomed, but no less fun, that’s for sure. We broke 3 piñatas which, everyone, from a 4 year old girl to a 64 year old man, had to have a go at. I am proud to say that I broke off one of the points of the piñata, but was unable to get the blindfold off in time to get any candy! There was music and everyone was laughing and talking and occasionally dancing. They tried to get the new girl to sing, but she wouldn’t. I must say, they were much easier on her and at no point was the entire 30 person family chanting her name. I’m going to bring this up at the next family meeting and lodge a complaint! Unable to resist taunting me, they did pull me into the middle of the circle to dance some dance that I have never seen or (obviously) danced before. It was mildly embarrassing, but I’m starting to get used to it.

At midnight, with the ring of automatic gunfire in the distance, everyone gives everyone else a hug and says “felicidades” or “feliz navidad.” Then comes the gift exchange. One person starts and they hand their gift to whoever it is whose name they pulled. That person opens the gift and then passes out their present and so on.. Pako’s 14 year old cousin gave me a really pretty onxy and silver bracelet. I gave Ruben Junior, aka Frijolito (little bean), a 6 year old son of one of the many cousins, a truck that came with 2 other cars. Then, it was time to eat more and dance and sing more. We finally went to bed around 2:30am.

The next morning consisted of coffee, eggs, chicken soup, left over tamales and pozole, bowls of candy that were passed out to each person/couple and more chitchat. Then Pako and I took naps in hammocks and woke up to the family playing bingo. I continued my rotten luck streak and lost every round I played. Then, after Pako lunch (because he wasn’t full yet), we came back to Zihua and lazed around for the rest of the day.

The following day, the family from Lazaro came to visit and we all went to the beach. Typical after Christmas activities, right? Well, it is for them, anyway. The beach was totally lovely and not too hot and I enjoyed myself quite a lot. The boys had to work, so when they came home, we made dinner and went to meet the family again for more bingo. Out of about 50 games, Pako won twice and I won alone once and tied with Lorena twice. We ended up learning 30 pesos.

Sunday was a day of true laziness. Pako played on his computer and Xbox and I re-read most of the 7th Harry Potter. Then we went to inspect a house that was being sold and claimed some furniture and random things for our own, which I will be washing quite thoroughly today. Today will also see cleaning and unpacking (completely – at least I’ve started) and text-writing. I’ve also gotta call my bank and my loan counselor in the states to try and negotiate with them in my nicest, sweetest, most convincingest way that they should lower my monthly loan payments as I am but a peso-paid teacher, laboring to educate the leaders of tomorrow. Or something like that. No plans (that I know of) for the next week, but I know something will pop up. Hope you are all still enjoying your vacations and staying warm and dry (harder to do than it sounds when you have 15+ inches of snow – ew).

Oh, I forgot, I mentioned to la familia that one major difference between the Christmases that I’m used to and theirs is the amount of sweets. I explained about Christmas cookies and have been commissioned to make them for the whole family next year. They’ve pledged to find me the ingredients and whatever I need in order to accomplish a Christmas cookie miracle. :) Sounds good to me!

Have a lovely week, talk to you soon!

Leyah