A Fun Sunday

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Hello All,

The week has started again and I'm back to lots of reading and writing for classes. But not before some relaxed weekend fun with the family.

On Sunday the family went to a very "local" open air market, called mercados, on the outskirts of the city where they like to buy fresh produce. The people of the town close six very large blocks and all the local farmers, craftsmen/women and cooks sell out of tarp-covered stands and backs of pickup trucks. The street is packed with the locals and the smells of cooking tortillas and tamales followed us around to each stand. It was really neat. I bought a couple small figurines woven from dyed corn husks. It was a nice morning before the afternoon showers rolled in, something that has become consistent as winter nears here in Xalapa. From what I understand, the winter months here should be very similar to Victoria, very wet and grey.

Sunday evening we went to birthday party for a family friend. The party was held at the families house in a very impoverished area outside Xalapa. Our car had to wind its way through mazes of shacks, dogs and implied garbage disposal areas. It was a very interesting trip and I was very happy to have changed the scenery from prestine picturesque Xalapa. Most of the time at the party was passed at a table listening to much shouting and conversation in spanish that I could not pick up, but there was lots of good food. It was my first time seeing what a full plate of shrimp looked like, still with heads, foot-long "whiskers" and legs, but were quite delicious with an intense chile sauce poured on top.

I didn't make it out to the little leather town of Naolinco but hope to go next weekend. My puppy Doberman who had been living with us for four days and causing much drama in the house regarding his bathroom habits finally got the boot and went out to a friend of the family's ranch outside Xalapa.

Love to all home and abroad,
Barry

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