Allende!

This is the Mexico I love . . . . 

Find 12 minutes and check it out. I saw this little, short film, "Allende!" by Jack Alterman while staying at Casa de la Noche. Barbara just linked it to her blog that I helped her start during my stay with her. You'll see why it pulls at my heart strings!

La Academia Hispano Americano

I usually study Spanish for 3 - 4 weeks on my annual trips to Mexico, usually attending small group classes in the morning, or just a class with Ruth and I. This time, its been only a week, with 1:1 private classes in the afternoon. It feels though that I've had much more than a week of study, as the 1:1 time as been intense. I am very ready to call it quits at the end of each day! In a class, you get little breaks or down time-- in a 1:1, you are "on" for the entire 3 hours. It has been great. I practiced verb tenses I've learned before but don't always use correctly, and learned some new vocabulary. It was great just talking in Spanish, having an adult conversation about issues involving our world, with someone who can guide the conversation and help keep my language use on track. Thank you Lupita, Javier and Jorge-- I hope to return "pronto".

If you ever want to learn Spanish, coming to Mexico, living and learning from the locals and having an immersion experience is the way to go. I've studied at "La Academia" four times, counting the class that Robert and I took together here in 2005, when I first met "San Miguel de Allende".

My "good luck" Grillo (Cricket)

Twice this week I've gone to sleep with the sound of a pretty loud cricket, or grillo in Spanish, in my room. It sounded like it was singing from my ceiling and so I couldn't reach it to "invite" it out. So, I popped those earplugs in that I brought for the plane ride and fell fast asleep. The next morning Barbara, the innkeeper here at Casa de la Noche, told me that they were considered good luck in many cultures. Last night right as I was getting ready to turn off the light, I hear him again, but this time, as I popped in the earplugs, I think I insulted him, as he decided to be quiet and go to sleep too!

Why is a cricket a sign of good luck?
Cricket Lore- The Chinese Love Affair with Crickets

P.S.

Not to be confused with "chapulinas", grasshoppers, which we nibbled on in Oaxaca!

 

The Daily Restaurant Hunt

On its cover, San Miguel de Allende is an antique and picturesque city, very colonial Mexico, but when you peek inside it is actually very cosmopolitan and is filled with top rate Mexican, as well as international restaurants, many with a flair of fusion. 

Since I normally live with a Mexican family and have eaten most of my meals around their family dining table, eating out this trip has become my daily adventure. I start my morning with a healthy breakfast here at Casa de la Noche, starting with coffee brought back to my room and then a simple, but yummy meal of either oatmeal, eggs or french toast, always with yogurt and fruit. But then the fun begins as I explore the city looking for where I might dine for lunch and then dinner. I'm not going to describe all of my meals, instead I just want to make a list, for my own memories of where and what I ate. Check out the slideshow though if you are interested.

I will say my most favorite dish was La Sopa Printemp, which was an "almost" frozen chilled soup of pureed mango and cucumber. It was like a gazpacho, but smooth with the exception of the ultra thin shavings of frozen mango and the frozen dollop of pureed cucumber in the middle, which almost seemed like a gelato. It was both sweet and salty! Although the photo doesn't do it justice to how good it was, it was amazing and I hope to go back for more. I found it at La Crepe where I also enjoyed their Crepe Colonial, a Mexican version with poblano chile, corn and chicken.

Click HERE to view "La Menu de la Semana" and the restaurants I dined in.

Mexican Wedding Parade on Canal Street

 

I was just walking down the "calle" and heard a little band and there it was-- this little wedding parade, with the adorable bride and groom leading the way. (I hope this video works, its my first time inserting one- a new feature for blogger.com)
Hint: give it a moment and it will get bigger. For full screen click the icon on the lower right corner.)

Look what FaceBook can do!

I posted my blog to FaceBook this morning and look who commented! Goretty from Morelia. Actually Goretty lives in Mexico City. She's a pediatric surgeon there, but Ruth and I stayed with her parents in Morelia in 2007 and met her then. We've been in touch via FB ever since. She saw my posting and said she might be able to hook up with me tomorrow here in San Miguel! I love technology!

Back in San Miguel de Allende . . . this time solo.

Click to enlarge

It is hard to believe that this is my 8th summer studying Spanish south of the border; my 9th trip if I count February 2007 in Guatemala with Robert.  This year I'm back in San Miguel de Allende, a place that certainly has a hold on my heart. In fact San Miguel is called "El Corazón de México.

Taken with my iPhone my first night!

My amiga, Ruth, couldn't join me this year, so here I am "sola". I've also changed it up by not living with a family this time, but staying in a lovely bed and breakfast, Casa de la Noche, in one of the "working girls" rooms. I will be returning to Academia Hispano Americana for Spanish, this time 1:1 private sessions in the afternoon so I can get the most out of this lovely B&B experience en las mañanas. I've even already booked an 80 min. massage at Laja Spa before I return home.

 

Chiquita Room

I am sitting in a lovely living room area-- really cool, with great relaxing music in the background, and Barbara, the owner, just brought me an equally lovely glass of red wine-- the little hole in the wall restaurant I went to tonight, was out of "vino tinto" and "vino blanco", so I had cerveza-- dos. Although this turned out to be a fabulous little restaurant, La Alborada,  known for its pozole, I got a bit freaked out at eating the lettuce and radishes, which garnish the pozole fearing getting sick. It was kind of a quirky, gritty, little place and I just couldn't take the chance of the veges not being washed with disinfectant, but after I enjoyed the whole huge bowl with only oregano, chile, lime and tostadas, I asked, and of course they disinfect their veges and I'm "el stupido" or "la stupida" for not going for it!!! I needed a little coaxing . . . . especially here on Day 1 and so determined not to get sick this trip! I asked Barbara later and she assured me it would be safe, so I will have to go back again. 


Thanks for visiting my blog- Day 1. I write this blog to share with family and friends my adventures, but also for me. It's fun to put together and it remains with me as my own digital memory book. Feel free to comment and let me know you were here. I love hearing from people-- it keeps me company.