One Week Left in Mexico

Our time in Mexico is coming to a close. We have about one week left until we move back to the U.S. and things are starting to get busy. Utilities have to be cancelled, same with Mike's gym membership, a painter has to come in and paint the unit (which is ridiculous as we have hung nothing on the walls, and the only marks on the walls are from bug guts - as we have had to kill numerous spiders, mosquitoes, etc). We have to get packed up - although we do not have confirmation that the movers will be here on Monday. We have a few more items to sell, but can't get rid of until the last minute (mattress and high chair). We have to get the dog to the vet for her paperwork and blood test. And, Mike has to work until the very end.

I think Mike may be most sad about leaving Mexico, as he has to give up the NFL Sunday Ticket. In our new apartment in New Jersey, satellite dishes are not allowed. So, it will be years until he can have the Sunday Ticket again. So sad!

I am most sad about leaving Annabelle's school. She LOVES her school and is learning so much. She is constantly saying things in Spanish and we are tremendously sad that her Spanish education is going to slow down. Even if we find her a tutor or babysitter that speaks Spanish to her, it will not come close to equaling the twenty hours of Spanish that she speaks a week right now.

And, we don't think Annabelle understands that she is moving (again). She knows that her choo choo trains are in New Jersey, as Mike took some clothes and toys with him on a business trip last week. And, Annabelle knows she is going on an airplane again soon. But, she travels frequently, having been on five round trip flights this year. So, once we get to New Jersey, we think she'll miss her friends and her school. Perhaps she'll even ask to come back to Mexico City, as she knows that is where she lives.

It certainly is sad to think that as Annabelle ages she will not remember her time in Mexico. Our goal is to try and keep her connection with the city, by continuing teaching her Spanish and coming back to visit. But, it would have been nice to live in Mexico City for a few more years, so that Annabelle could have a firm grasp on Spanish and have some great memories!

With a week left, we have a lot of things we still want to do. Some will get done and others will have to wait until we come back for a visit!

Domino's Pizza in Mexico City

With Annabelle in the midst of the terrible two's, we have pretty much stopped going out to eat. She gets bored with the paper and crayons, as well as with the iPhone. So, we order Domino's Pizza regularly.

It is fantastic because we can order online at www.dominos.com.mx and the pizza is delivered within 30 minutes!

Ordering online is super easy, even with everything written in Spanish.

Ordering on the phone is so much more difficult with pronunciation and our lack of fluent Spanish.

So, online is the way to go! And, the order is always correct and on time! Very easy...although Annie is scared of the delivery men, as they drive motorcycles and come to the door with their helmets on!

+KOTA Dog Grooming, Mexico City

As Molly was extremely shaggy, I went in search of a dog groomer in Mexico City.

From time to time, I see dog grooming vans around town. Back in March, I even took a picture of one van, so that I would have their number when necessary.

But, I was hesitant to call because most small places don't have any worker that speaks English.

So, earlier in the week, I went to +KOTA, a dog supply chain, that has many locations in and around Polanco. They don't do grooming there, but gave me a name and phone numbers of who to call.

I went home, called said numbers, only to have the calls not go thru. So, I googled the name and found their website: http://www.maskota.com.mx/home/listado_cont.asp?cve_cont=152.

I called the number on the van pictured...and after a minute was able to speak to someone in English.

The guy took my information and said someone would be there between noon and 4 pm the next day.

At 12:07 pm, the groomer knocked on my door! Less than 40 minutes later, Molly was bathed and dried.

There is some debate between my husband and I on whether or not Molly actually got a haircut. I don't see it, but Mike says she DEFINITELY got a haircut and that the hair around her eyes and on her back is much shorter.

But, regardless, well worth the cost of just $270 pesos for the "estetica"!

Vet in Polanco / Mexico City

Molly and I survived six months in Mexico City, before having to seek out a vet. But, due to an ear infection, our streak ended this past Tuesday.

We went to the vet recommended by two friends. It is in Polanco, about a mile and a half from my house. So, armed with directions, and knowledge that they accept walk in appointments after 10:30 am, we set out to a new part of Polanco!

No one spoke English, aside from the vet, who said he spoke "a little English" when I told him "yo hablo muy pocito Espanol".

But Molly's ear infection spoke for itself!

We only waited about 30 minutes...which is not bad at all for a walk in appointment! The vet cleaned Molly's ear out, rubbed some ointment on the ear, gave her an antibiotic shot, and sent us on our way!

Here is a photo of the "invoice" (factura) that I was given! In the U.S., the invoice would look drastically different (and the total bill would be MUCH higher!!).

So, the cost was $765 pesos. Not bad.

We'll be going back in a month to get help with Molly's papers to get her back into the U.S.!

The vet's office is located at Presa Pabellon #8 in Polanco. I would highly recommend them!

Girls Night Out in Polanco

Last night, I went out with a bunch of the playgroup moms! We went to Ch!, an Argentinian restaurant, in Polanco.

It was FANTASTIC!!!

Wednesday night happened to be 2 for the price of 1 martini's. So, we all took advantage of that! Excellent apple martini's. They had awesome empanadas as appetizers. And the entrees all looked great too. I split the pechuga de pollo al chimi with one of the other ladies. It was really good.

I will definitely take Mike there soon!

It was my first girls night out with the ladies and I look forward to our next night out! At playgroup it can be very difficult to finish a conversation with another mom, because the kids are all running crazy and have to be constantly watched. So, it was great to get to know everyone better and not worry where the kids were!

Leaving Mexico City...

Last week, Mike got word that he is being offered a promotion and we'll be moving near Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. EC is just over the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan. We have yet to see any paperwork, but are told everything is in the works. They want Mike to start working in EC at the end of October.

So, while we have no official word or dates, we are anticipating a crazy end of the year. First, we'll need to repatriate from Mexico City back to Chicago. THEN, we'll begin our relocation to New Jersey. It will be a permanent move.

We are excited and looking forward to moving to the East coast! But, we know it will be a logistical nightmare for the next several months!

As we get more information, I will continue updating the blog!

Movie Theater Experience in Mexico City

A few nights ago, I went to see "Damas en Guerra" ("Bridesmaids"), at the VIP movie theater in Polanco at Antara, with my friend Tricia. We got to the theater early and bought tickets (cost of $120 pesos or so). Since it is a VIP theater, when you buy your tickets, you pick your seats, which is pretty nice!

Then, we went to Chili's for dinner. Eating at Chili's in Mexico is identical to eating there in the U.S. All the signs on the walls were in English and identical to those in the U.S. The menu was identical, aside from the descriptions written in Spanish.

After dinner, we headed back to the theater and found our seats. The VIP theater has leather seats that are separated into pairs with nice, large armrests. The seats recline, which was awesome! And, there is a call button to get the waiter to stop by to get your order. I almost bought some Ben & Jerry's, but decided I was too full from dinner! Next time!

"Damas en Guerra" ended up being HILARIOUS!! Tricia and I both laughed out loud many times. We were by far the loudest people in the theater, which led us to believe that the jokes weren't translating well via subtitles. The Mexicans in the theater probably thought we were crazy!

We had walked to the theater and planned on taking a taxi home. It's not a far walk, but figured it's safer to take the taxi in the dark. But, when we hopped into the taxi, the driver told us it would be $150 pesos (approx. $15 USD)...which was ridiculous since Tricia and I live on the same street, a block apart, and we were only 6 or so blocks from our street. So, we got out of the taxi and walked home. The walk was fine and only took about 15 minutes.

Needless to say, I enjoyed my first VIP movie experience in Mexico City! Looking forward to going back to seeing "Friends with Benefits" when it comes out!

Club America Futbol Game in Mexico City

Last night, we went to a Club America vs. San Luis futbol game at Estadio Azteca. The stadium is huge and is apparently the only stadium to have hosted two World Cup finals (1970 and 1986). The stadium often hosts large events/concerts.

There was a ton of traffic to get to and from the stadium. So, we were glad that the stadium was no where near full, as then traffic would have been AWFUL! We were also very thankful that Mike's co-workers went out of their way to take us to and from the game. They had written out directions for us. The directions in Mexico mostly contain landmarks - not street names. So, we were quite confident we would have gotten lost and never made it to the stadium or the specified parking lot. Thank you Tono and Carlos for driving us!

Annabelle talked constantly the whole way to the game. "I'm going to a soccer game" was repeated dozens of times! And, she became obsessed with Tono, talking to him or asking where he was the entire night!

Anyways, Mike's co-worker Carlos had access to a box (palco, as they call them in Mexico). The palco was SUPER nice to have since Annabelle went to the game! She was able to walk around and remain contained!

For the first twenty minutes, Annabelle was absolutely mesmerized by the game and her surroundings. She really enjoyed watching the crowd, the t.v. and trying to follow the ball on the field! After about twenty minutes, she became obsessed with Cynthia's phone case, snacking and climbing the stairs! I think Annabelle really enjoyed her Club America experience, as did Mike and I! We had a lot of fun watching the game, Annabelle and hanging out with Carlos, Tono, Sergio, Cynthia and Alejandro!

Cheering after CA scored (final score was 2-2)

Annabelle and Tono

These fans cheered and waved their flags the entire game!

Annabelle with Alejandro and Cynthia

New Occupant in the Building

A few weeks ago, we got a new occupant in our building. I have no idea what this guy does, but he drives a SUPER expensive BMW. Mike estimates the car's worth around $100,000 USD, depending on what engine is in the car and where it was purchased (US vs Mex).

Along with this new occupant and wicked BMW comes three guards, two chase cars (driven by said guards), and new guards for our building.

The new guards for our building are the only changes that affect us. Now, on weekdays, we have two guards during the day, then one guard at night.

These guards are a lot more strict and more professional than the previous guards.

Previously, when we ordered Domino's Pizza, the delivery guy would be let in and sent alone to our door. Now, we get called to verify that we ordered pizza. And, the delivery guy gets escorted to our door.

Similarly, last week my washing machine broke. So, my awesome friend Tricia let me use her washer and dryer...and her maid, who ended up delivering my laundry back to my house (about a block away). When Catarina (the maid) brought the bag over, the guard left her outside, then came to talk to me. I had no clue what he was talking about, so I just said "si, bien". A few minutes later, he escorted Catarina to my unit. I think she may have had to hand over ID and sign in too.

When my maid showed up on Saturday, she was given a hard time and had to sign in too.

All good things, I suppose!

Last night, Tricia came over so we could walk to a movie together. She was allowed in without question, once she said my name. Apparently...if you look like an American...you get right in!

I do feel bad for the former security guards losing their jobs, especially if the main reason was that we have a high-rolling now in the building! But, the new guards are nice and efficient...and speak a bit more English.

Golden Doodle in Mexico

Golden doodles in Mexico seem to be pretty rare. Just about every time we take Molly on a walk, we get stopped by a pedestrian or someone leaning out the window of their car. Each person/couple wants to know what kind of dog we are walking.

So, FINALLY today, I have google translated poodle and golden retriever, so I'll be prepared from now on...provided I remember the translations!

Poodle = caniche

Golden = dorado

Retriever = perdiguero

But, when I googled golden retriever, the translation came back "golden retriever". So, I had to break it down to get the individual words. From now on, I can tell people caniche y perdiguero dorado.

Speaking Spanish in the U.S. vs. Mexico

I know very little Spanish. Much less than I thought I would know by now.

However, I no longer find myself saying "hello" or "good morning". Saying "hola" or "buenos dias" has become first nature.

So, when in the U.S. and ordering food at Chipotle, I found myself saying "hola", "gracias", etc. But, I was not confident enough to do my whole order in Spanish. When I went over my order in my head, using Spanish, I figured I could do it fine and they would understand.

But, is it rude to use my broken Spanish in the U.S., when speaking to a bilingual Mexican? Especially if I am just saying "hola" or "gracias"? Part of me thinks it is. Especially, since I don't know if the Mexican is a first or second generation Mexican-American. For all I know, they don't even speak Spanish.

Mexicans are very proud of their culture and heritage. So, I am pretty sure that the parents and grandparents make sure the kids grow up speaking Spanish. They may not be able to write in Spanish, but surely most know how to speak the language.

But, I don't want to assume and be rude.

So, while I wanted to practice my Spanish in the U.S., I was very hesitant to do so.

In Mexico, when I am speaking my broken Spanish, I feel like people don't hold it against me. I feel like they are happy that I am at least making an effort to speak Spanish. Clearly, everything would be easier, on both sides, if I knew more Spanish. But, I am not hesitant to try to put sentences together.

Going forward though, I need to put a much larger emphasis on learning Spanish!

Differences We Noticed Between the U.S. and Mexico

After being in the U.S. for several days, Mike and I realized we had yet to hear a car honk it's horn. In Mexico, you don't go five minutes without hearing honking.

Upon taking a walk in downtown Naperville, Mike and I both had the thought "there's so much open space". In Mexico, open space is very difficult to come by.

In the U.S., we had to make a conscious effort to get out and walk around. In Mexico, walking is all we do. Every single time we go anywhere, aside from Mike going to work, we walk.

We used to think traffic in Naperville was heavy and annoying. Now, we think it is light and peaceful. Driving in the U.S. is so much easier and less stressful than driving in Mexico. In Mexico, driver's have to be constantly alert and aware of all the cars around them, jockeying for various lanes, watching for topes (speed bumps), looking for cars going thru red lights, etc.

Certainly, there are MANY things we take for granted in the U.S. Going to the grocery store and having refrigerator upon refrigerator of choices. Aisle upon aisle of beauty products and toiletries. In Mexico, I have yet to see an eye pencil sharpener, nail polish or greeting cards. I am sure they are in abundance at Walmart...but I have only been two Walmart twice in five months. And, at the time, those were not things I needed. When I started wanting these items and was on the lookout, these items were nowhere to be found!

American Airlines - Mexico to Chicago

We took our home leave earlier this month, returning to Chicago.

We always fly American Airlines, since it has a direct route from Mexico City to Chicago...and because we are working on earning free flights with mileage points.

But, we were a bit disgruntled with American on our flight to Chicago.

Annabelle is two and we have to pay for a seat for her, which is fine, because then she doesn't have to squirm on our laps for four hours.

A few days before the flight, I looked at www.aa.com to refresh my memory on their baggage policies and children's policies. I was glad to see that we could take Annabelle's car seat on the plane to use, since Interjet had made us check the car seat.

When we got to the airport and were checking in, the person helping us told us we had to check the car seat. That we were not allowed to bring it on board. We argued, saying we needed it. She said "use the seat belt". We told her that Annabelle was able to get out of the seat belt. Her response "tighten it". Clearly she was not a mother, as any mother would know that at about age 1, children figure out how to unhook the seat belt on an airplane. The woman was relentless and made us check the car seat.

Once we got onboard, we asked the flight attendants about the car seat. They were baffled and said we should have been able to bring it aboard. Upon leaving Chicago to return to Mexico, the check-in attendant allowed us to keep the car seat with us and had no idea why the attendant in Mexico forced us to check it.

Needless to say, the flight back to Mexico went a lot smoother than the flight to Chicago. On the way to Chicago, sans car seat, Annabelle refused to sit in her seat with her seat belt on. A problem when the pilot told us to expect turbulence for two of the four hours. When we tried to keep her contained on our laps, she screamed...something the other passengers loved, I'm sure.

With the car seat, on the way back to Mexico, Annabelle was contained, couldn't escape and seemed to accept the confines of her car seat. She watched a bit of the movie playing onboard, played with the iPad, looked at videos of herself on the iPhone and ate snacks. Unfortunately, she also kicked the seat in front of us a bit, but settled down pretty quickly after being yelled at and told not to kick.

The ideal flight would have been to have the car seat and sit in the first row, where she would not have been able to kick the seat in front of her. Or, to have the flight full minus at least one seat, so that no one was sitting in front of her.

Next time, American Airlines in Mexico tells us no to the car seat, we'll ask to speak to a supervisor. Not only is it easier for the parents and other passengers to have children confined, but it is a LOT safer, especially when there is turbulence.

Infinitum Telmex Internet Service

This past Monday afternoon, my internet stopped working. I waited about six hours, until my husband got home, then had him call Telmex - our service provider.

They ran a "test" - unplugging the internet and phone (losing the call with the service person). But, that didn't help.

So, Tuesday afternoon, I called back, ran another "test" - holding the reset button in for 20 seconds. That didn't do anything either.

At that point, Telmex gave me a report number and told me that a technician would be out to look at the modem in 1-3 business days. I said "will he call when he's on his way???". The wonderful service man said "no, if he's in the area, he'll just stop by".

Was I really expected to sit around my house with a crazy two year old for three days?!?! Apparently!

But, when I went to shut the computer off tonight, I noticed that all the lights on my modem were lit up again and I had working internet!

On the plus side, I didn't waste my whole day sitting around the house. Another positive...I'll never again be irritated in the U.S. when someone gives me a 6 hour time frame! Mexico is teaching me patience!

General Questions Answered...

When I began this blog, it was to keep all of my friends and family in the U.S. in the loop on my experiences in Mexico.

In just a few months, it has become so much more. I have had several thousand hits, mostly from the U.S., but also hits from over twenty other countries.

Last week, I received a blog comment from a woman who may move here due to her husband's job. Since her comment, we have traded several emails. She had a few questions that hopefully I answered sufficiently.

But, due to all of the people viewing this blog, I thought I would post my answers to her questions here as well...

1. SAFETY: I take zero precautions here. I don't do anything differently than I did in Chicago. Annabelle and I feel totally safe strolling throughout Polanco. That said, I don't leave my wallet unattended...as I wouldn't anywhere else. I walk Annabelle to school, then continue on to the bank, grocery store, bakery, Starbucks (Mexicans love their Starbucks!...seriously I could walk to five different Starbucks any given morning), etc. When my husband gets home from work, he'll walk to the gym (Golds Gym), or we'll take Annabelle and the dog out walking, going over near the restaurant/"Polanquito" district or walk towards California Pizza Kitchen. We feel so much safer than we EVER thought we would. Annabelle and I will walk to the zoo by ourselves. We don't feel limited at all.

2. SCHOOLS: I viewed three Montessori schools in April. Had no problem getting a spot. There are schools and daycares in abundance. My husbands company hired a company to take me to look at schools. But, if you just walk down a few streets, you'll see something! I joined a playgroup upon arriving, and the women there are FANTASTIC and super helpful. The women are very open about where their kids go to school, what activities they do, and extremely welcoming. You can also join the "newcomber's club" and get tons of helpful information. I didn't join that, just because I met the playgroup women, most of whom belong to newcomber's, and I felt I was fine without newcomber's!

3. General feeling about living here... I love it. If I have my choice of staying here or moving back to the U.S., I will choose to stay here for awhile! For us women, Polanco is awesome. I am so much more active here than I ever was in the U.S. I get together with one or all of the playgroup women at least twice a week. I could definitely do more if I made just a bit of effort! I enjoy walking everywhere and love that Annabelle is learning Spanish and going to school. I see Americans all the time. For my husband it is harder. He rarely sees Americans and interacts with them. So, he craves going to the U.S. a ton more than I do. I feel very at home here in Polanco!

Living in Mexico has it's frustrations. Nothing gets fixed or taken care of very quickly. But, if you know that going in and take it in stride, you'll be fine.

All the Mexicans I have interacted with have been very friendly and soooo helpful. They speak very little to no English. But, if you have a knowledge of Spanish, you'll do great here!

The first time we visited, we were driven around by a driver from my husband's company in an armored car. If your husband is high up in a company and it is provided...go for it. But, it's not necessary. If anything, we feel like the driver and armored car just draw more attention to you. On Friday nights in the restaurant district, you'll see the bodyguards/driver's standing outside restaurants...but they NEVER have to do anything. Zero crime and violence in Polanco. Almost every building has a 24 hour guard, along with stores. So, wherever you walk, there are people.

Around the corner from us is a Porsche dealership, with all glass windows - no bars or anything preventing the breaking of glass. If you walk two minutes up the street, there are the W and Presidente Intercontinental hotels, along with more Starbucks, a Bentley dealership, and some other car dealers. Down the road, on Presidente Masaryk, there is a Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, etc. The local mall is called Antara. It is super expensive and consists of high end stores. We have McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Chili's, the Coffee Bean, etc. Mexicans are apparently obsessed with American culture!

I always laugh at this one complex that boasts a McDonalds, movie theater and Maserati/Ferrari dealership. An interesting combo!

This is NOT real Mexico that the newspapers write about. This is the absolute BEST part of Mexico. It is like the Gold Coast in Chicago, or the Upper West Side in New York.

We did a TON of research before moving here. My parents specifically were convinced we would die five minutes after setting foot here. But, the violence is not in Polanco or the surrounding towns. It is in the border cities and the poor areas.

You could get kidnapped if you just flag down a taxi on the street. But, that is rare. And, you just make sure to call a radio taxi. Our building security guard does that for us. Or there are a bunch of radio taxi stands around. If you were to get "express kidnapped" as they call it, they just drive you around and take you to an ATM to get money from you. Very unlikely to happen though, provided you use a little common sense.

A website that my husband has used to look at housing here is www.inmomexico.com. They don't seem to use websites like we do, ie. realtor.com. They are behind the times in some aspects, for sure! I would expect in Polanco for you to pay at least $30,000 pesos for rent. My husband's company pays $35,000 pesos for our place. It is a brand new building. I think we have 1,800 sq. feet or so, with 2 bedrooms, a den, living room/dining combo, kitchen and 3.5 bathrooms. All appliances, but no furniture. I rent furniture for about $170 USD/month. Cable/satellite costs about $100-120 USD a month. We have internet and a landline (with unlimited calls to the US) for about $120/month. We also have a gas bill of about $40 USD a month. No other bills associated with our apartment.

We have a maid on Saturdays. We pay her $300 pesos ($25 USD) a week. She stays from 10 am to 4 pm. A lot of my friends have maids that either live in or come 5 days a week. Several have personal drivers. Labor is cheap here.

Most buildings here do NOT have bathtubs, nor do they have furnaces and air conditioning units. The bathtub could come in handy with kids! But we are fine without it. The a/c and furnace is just not necessary! The weather is amazing! Absolute love that aspect of living here!

Healthcare. Doctors are soooo much more accessible here. They give you their email addresses and cell numbers. They answer after hours. On the recommendation of a friend, my husband saw a doctor a few weeks ago for vertigo. The doctor studied in the U.S. at Johns Hopkins. From the expats, you get great referrals.

All around, a very nice place to live and call home!

Summer School at Annabelle's Montessori

Montessori school runs from September to the end of June. For the month of July, there is summer school, with the same hours as the regular school year. Then, there is a break in August.

Since Annabelle didn't start school, we wanted to sign her up for summer school, to expand her knowledge of Spanish, to socialize with the kids, and to keep her busy!

In the end, it was a great decision, as Annabelle really enjoyed summer school! Summer school focused more on art than the regular school year, which Annabelle seemed to love. She was very excited to bring home her finger paintings (above), as well as her other art projects below!

Folder with a giraffe and lion (Annie calls it a tiger) glued on.

Little piggy bank.

Potato head, made out of panty hose. Turtle made out of an egg carton. Little pot with Annie's name on it.

Picture frame with string glued on.

**Side note: At the beginning of summer school, when the finger paintings came home, I noticed that Annabelle's name was being spelled with only one "n". After emailing the school's director, the next day's project came home spelled correctly. At Annabelle's school, and in Mexico in general, Annabelle is pronounced "Anabelle", stressing the first "A", not the n's. Ana seems to be a pretty popular name here, with there being several Ana's at Annabelle's school.

Muecas Fiestas Infantiles

Playgroup this past week was held at Meucas in Polanco. In the mornings and early afternoons, Muecas is a daycare. In the afternoons and on weekends, you can rent it out and host a birthday party.

If there are no birthday parties, they allow individuals to come in for $70 pesos/child.

So, that is what we did for playgroup.

The kids LOVED Muecas! Outside there is a little play area, best for kids over the age of five. Inside, there is a trampoline, little hang glide, ball pit, slide, and another smaller ball pit for younger kids.

It was hard for the adults to talk as the kids were running everywhere! But, very fun and well worth the $70 pesos. Annabelle fell asleep in her stroller on the walk home!

We'll definitely be going to Muecas again!

www.muecas.com.mx

Polanco vs. Interlomas

Since moving to Mexico City, I couldn't imagine living anywhere but Polanco. Polanco is fantastic. I can walk to everything I need and want, from the zoo to the grocery to restaurants to the hospital and doctors, etc.

I have not been tempted to consider living elsewhere...

Until last week.

Annabelle and I were invited to go swimming at a playgroup friend's complex in Interlomas. It took about 25 minutes to get there from Polanco, so it isn't far. The complex includes multiple towers of condos, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a school, a gym (where you could take pilates/yoga/etc), a NICE indoor pool, a tennis court, squash court, and an excellent outdoor play area for kids, including a swingset and an inground trampoline (which I personally loved - and reminded me of sunbathing on a trampoline in my youth!). These are just the amenities that I was told about while I was there - I am sure there are a few more that I am missing!

The apartment that we visited was phenomenal inside! It was on the 19th floor, so the view was nice! Three bedrooms, lots of windows, a large living room and dining room. Very spacious and nice! All you can expect from a nice, newer complex!

If I had been shown an apartment in this building when we were looking for a place, I would have had a difficult time choosing between Polanco and Interlomas!

However, in Interlomas, I would need to drive more (ie. hire a driver). In Polanco, I ride in a car about once a month. Before this past Saturday, in Mexico City, I hadn't been in the car with Mike driving since late April.

As with choosing to live in any town, there are trade offs that you make. In Polanco, the trade offs seem few and far between. I feel very lucky to live here and enjoy it immensely. But, an indoor swimming pool, bowling alley and inground trampoline would be awesome!!

Dealing with Life in the U.S. while Living Abroad

While we are living in Mexico, my parents have custody of our car (sold one before we left, kept the other to drive when we are back). My parents are also begrudgingly in charge of collecting rent on our rental properties.

One tenant is habitually a problem, bouncing rent checks, not paying on schedule, etc. The others have been okay thus far.

Today the car became a bit of an issue. We have an Infiniti G35x. Before we left for Mexico, we received a letter from Infiniti, stating that there was a recall on the door trim. PERFECT! Because ours had snapped off a few months before that. In my infinite car wisdom, I decided to buy Gorilla Glue and piece it back together. Horrible results. So, we were ecstatic that Infiniti would fix it for free!

I scheduled two appointments before moving, but had to cancel both, due to issues with moving, going to the consulate to get visas, etc.

So, my parents took the car to the dealer this morning. A short time later, the dealer called back saying the car needs new brakes ($700) and a new tire pressure sensor (TPS - $250). The TPS light has been on, but I thought it was from the TPS I had put on in December needing to be reset by the dealer's computer. Apparently, it is a different TPS.

And, I knew we had done brakes fairly recently. So, I was not happy. Especially since I brought zero paperwork with me when we moved. So, I called Tuffy, where we had the TPS done. They had no record in their computer, saying the car hadn't been there since 2007. Very irritating, as I scrolled thru my text messages with my brother (a mechanic) and noted that I texted him, while waiting at Tuffy, on 12/1/10 asking if they were scamming me because I didn't know what a TPS was!

Then, I googled and found the number for Michael's Automative, who fixed the brakes last August. I called and got their voicemail, saying to leave a number and they'd call me back. I could leave my U.S. cell number...but that costs me 59 cents a minute to use. And, while the people at Michael's are nice, I doubt they want to call me on my Mexico landline.

So, I had to give my parents number, ask them to talk to them, etc.

It can be very irritating and difficult having to rely on other people to get things done. My parents have been excellent and EXTREMELY helpful with my car and rental properties. But, they aren't calling the shots on the car or evicting tenants! So, it is very frustrating to have to get news from them, then take action, and then report back to my parents on what I did and what they should expect... especially when a rent check bounces or brakes need fixed!

Living abroad is fun and a great experience, but there are still things at home to maintain and keep in the forefront of your mind. Not all ties will be severed, sometimes more will be created.

Credit Cards vs. Pesos

In the U.S., I never carried cash EVER. If I had to purchase an item for 75 cents and they took credit cards...I would charge it. If I came across something that only took cash, I would move along. But, just about everywhere takes credit cards and it is EXTREMELY rare for a credit card machine to be offline. I used to go to McDonalds every day and get a $1 fountain diet coke. In over a year, I only experienced having their credit card machine offline once.

In Mexico, machines are down frequently and pesos are king. Around here, you better carry pesos, because so many times you'll go out and the credit card machines will be down. Starbucks, 7-Eleven, etc.

I get so frustrated walking to the end of my block into 7-Eleven, loading my arms with bottled water, and getting to the counter, where they ring me up and then tell me that the machine is down (after seeing my credit card in my hand as soon as my intended purchases are on the counter). Then, I have to walk back home, get pesos and come back OR put off stocking up on bottled water for another day.

If it happened once, that's fine. I understand. But this happens all the time. So, now I am forced to carry pesos with me, which I hate because then I get coins back in surplus and rarely use them.

Plus, to get pesos, I have to use my ATM card and then I get charged a "foreign transaction fee". If I use my credit card...I don't have a fee.

Along the same lines...

In the U.S., it is so much quicker to check out somewhere with a credit card. A swipe (sometimes no signature) and you are out the door.

In Mexico, credit cards take soooo much longer. I think people cringe behind you when you take out a credit card. The machines take a ton longer, you have to sign 100% of the time (and they don't hand your credit card back to you until you have signed).

Taking out a credit card here is like someone taking out their checkbook in the U.S. It's almost like "are you kidding me? Why are you paying with that?" So, again, pesos are king here in Mexico City! All part of the experience!!

Living in Mexico without Speaking Spanish

For four months now, I have been getting along just fine living in Mexico City, speaking very little Spanish. It has been surprisingly easy and people have been VERY nice about it!

I have just experienced my first slightly negative experience though!

I was checking out at the grocery store the other morning and the cashier kept asking me if I needed my parking ticket stamped. (You have to pay for parking everywhere that you go in Mexico City). As I walk to the grocery store, I don't need my ticket punched/stamped. So, I said no to the cashier. She proceeded to ask two more times. At which point I said, "no hablo Espanol." The woman behind me then translated for me. I told her "gracias", then told the cashier "no" again. The woman behind me then said, in a more snotty tone, "you live in Mexico and you don't speak Spanish?" I smiled at her and said "si". Then, went on my way.

While this is not a horrible experience by any means, I was a bit taken aback by the tone of her voice. Most people ask "cuantos mesas in Cuidad de Mexico?" or something to that effect...asking me how long I have lived in Mexico City. And, all those people have been very friendly.

I cannot imagine translating for someone in the U.S. and taking a negative tone of voice. I am sure there are plenty of U.S. citizens that would, as we are by no means perfect, but I have not come across it. You can be sure that if I ever do, I will remember this experience and shoot daggers from my eyes at the mean translator!

Get Togethers in Mexico City

This past Saturday night, Mike invited his employees, boss and their families over.

We spent all morning and afternoon preparing for the get together. Annabelle had woken up, throwing up on herself, but was bouncing off the wall an hour later. I attributed her throwing up to getting her molars.

Nevertheless, we kept Annabelle home all day, which meant Mike had to run to four different grocery stores, acquiring the necessary food, beverages, and cookware. Meanwhile, I spent the morning cleaning as my maid didn't show up for the second week in a row! (I tell myself that she's fired, although it looks like she quit! No hard feelings, because, if I am honest, I would smile at her and say "hola" should she show up this Saturday!).

So, by the time guests arrived at 6 pm, Mike and I were a bit tired.

We dressed in our regular attire...same thing we would wear to a get together in the U.S. Mike in a t-shirt and jeans, myself in a tank top and jeans.

Weren't we surprised when the first guests showed up in a suit and cocktail dress!! The next guests showed up dressed similarly. In the end, three of the other guys wore jeans and nice shirts. Mike said "should we change?" I said "no, we look like who we are...grungy Americans". And, the guests looked like who they are...sophisticated Mexicans (and Argentinians)!

But, you better believe that if we get invited to someone else's house (non-playgroup people, because they dress similarly to me!), I'll be thinking twice about wearing my normal U.S. attire!

Perhaps I should take note and acquire some of the fancy clothing that hangs in all the storefronts within two-ten blocks of my condo!!

While I am acquiring said clothing, I should also work on rain boots and a rain coat, as rainy season is not letting up! ...I did finally break down and buy an umbrella today ($98 pesos at Superama)... hopefully I will remember to leave the house with it!

Making Friends Abroad

Making friends abroad seems to be very easy. I was lucky enough to have run into a woman (Jennifer) at the park in January. She invited me to a playgroup within a few days, emailed with me while I was still in the U.S., and met up with me again once I was in Mexico full-time! Since then I have gone to the playgroup regularly and made friends with many of the women.

If I hadn't been so lucky to randomly meet this friend, I would have probably gone the traditional route and joined "newcomer's club", where there are online postings for playgroups, get togethers, available maid's/nannies, etc.

Since moving to Mexico, my social calendar has increased tenfold. My parents tell me it's because I am now making an effort to meet people and get to know them! In the U.S., if I saw another mom at the park, we would ignore one another. In Mexico, that is not the case.

Is it that Americans living in Mexico are used to getting out of their comfort zone and look to help others and make new friends? Quite possibly!

A few weeks ago, Mike, Annie, Molly and I were out on a walk. All of a sudden, a couple walking across the street from us flagged us down and asked if were from the U.S. and if we lived in Mexico. Immediately, without question, we opened up to them, told them all about ourselves and talked for 10+ minutes about Mexico City, where they were from, ages of kids, etc.

After we talked and gave them Mike's email address, I left thinking several things:

1. It is odd that after three months I am able to give advice on life in Mexico City

2. It is odd that after three months I am totally confident giving said advice and offering to show the wife around town, etc.

3. I would never have even considered giving out such personal information to someone I just met on the street in the U.S. Maybe my email address and cell for work purposes (real estate is all about networking)...but probably not as I was a lot more shy in the U.S. and skeptical of why someone would approach me.

Nevertheless, this nice family will be in Mexico City in a few weeks and I hope the wife contacts me, so that I can bring her to playgroup and pay Jennifer's kindness forward!

Car Update

On Wednesday, Mike finally got his car back from Honda. They had it from April 25th to June 29th.

Quite a lengthy amount of time for repairs!

Par for the course in Mexico!!

Rainy Season in Mexico

Rainy season has set in in Mexico City.

I knew about it before arriving and yet, for some reason, did not think it applied to me. Did I bring a rain jacket for myself? For Annabelle? For Mike? NO. Not unless you count a super cute North Face jacket that I got for Annabelle that will fit her in about two more years! Did we bring rain boots? NO.

Do we even have one umbrella? NO.

Totally unprepared.

It has rained a good portion of the past week. Thursday, I don't think it let up once all day.

The biggest issue seems to be Molly "princess paws" Doodle. Our dog pretty much refuses to get her paws wet. I have to drag her onto the wet grass, in order to try and get her to get to the bathroom. She'll be whining at the door and I'll try to reason with her that letting her out is a waste of both of our time, because she won't go. I'll open the door, so she can hear the rain. Yet she demands to go outside. And then...she stands with her paws firmly planted while I try and coax her onto the grass. We do this multiple times a day. Very frustrating! She may need doggie rain boots.

Rainy season is supposed to continue until September. Hopefully by then, I will have invested in an umbrella, if nothing else!

Renting a Car in Cancun / Riviera Maya

After enjoying our car rental experience in Cabo, we opted to go thru National Rental Car again and rent a car in Cancun.

We got the cheapest car possible (still spending $230 for four nights) and decided against the GPS. We definitely didn't need the GPS and were glad we saved that $30 USD! It was extremely easy to follow the signs and get from Cancun to Riviera Maya.

But, getting the cheapest car was comical as it was SUPER small and had zero upgrades! I set the alarm off a few times when unlocking the doors (no power locks and no windows). With our stroller, car seat and bags, we completely filled the trunk and backseat. I kept looking for the clock that doesn't exist!

For awhile, we weren't sure if reverse on the car worked. It was in a different spot than my husband was used to and apparently you have to push down on the gearshift - which he also wasn't used to! So, after strategically parking on a hill (where we could roll down) and parking where we wouldn't need reverse, my husband and Dad finally figured out how to get the car in reverse!

In the end, we would DEFINITELY rent a car in Riviera Maya / Cancun again, as it was so nice to be able to leave the resort (to go to Xpu Ha Beach, the beach at the Mayan Ruins, and to go get bottled water, milk and energy drinks). It was also super nice not to have to take a shuttle bus to and from the resort, making stops at the various other resorts along the way.

Some people just like to have the option of freedom, ie. leaving the resort on a whim, and that seems to be us!

Gran Bahia Principe in Riviera Maya

We got back from Riviera Maya last week. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing my brother get married!

The wedding was held at the Gran Bahia Principe Tulum all-inclusive resort. The resort did a great job with the wedding. The ceremony and reception were very nice. There were different options for the bride and groom to choose for wedding pictures (although pricey considering the photographer didn't attend the reception). The reception was held by one of the pools, with a DJ and bartender provided, along with lights, tables and chairs. And, it was certainly nice to change out of wedding attire, throw on a bathing suit, and spend part of the reception swimming!! A great way to cool off, as it was HOT and HUMID in Riviera Maya!

There were a few issues that I had with the hotels - as there are three actual hotels within Gran Bahia (Tulum, Coba, and Akumal). First off, there was slim to none cell coverage. I never had cell service within the resort and those that did dropped calls left and right. Also, there was free wi-fi BUT only in the hotel lobbys. So, it made communicating with wedding attendees VERY challenging. You - well everyone but us - could call room to room...but that only worked if you caught people before they left for meals or the pool.

And, in our room, our room phone did not work. I could have dialed 911 (or the Mexico equivalent) all day long and all I would have heard was the dial tone. At 2 am on Friday night when a falling down, drunk woman banged on our door two separate times, for about five minutes each...it would have been nice to call the lobby and get someone to help this woman find HER room! But...with no working phone, no email, and no cell service, all we could have done was yelled and woken everyone else up!

There were a few other issues as well...

Upon checking in, we were told there was no where we couldn't go. Then, upon talking to family members there, we were told that we were only allowed to go to one sit-down restaurant during our four days at Gran Bahia. And, that one sit down restaurant had to go towards the wedding dinner. With a toddler, buffets were better anyway. But, isn't the one sit down meal something we should have been told at check-in?

We ended up splitting our meals between the buffet at Coba, the buffet at Tulum, and a snack bar at Tulum. The snack bar had decent chicken fingers and fries. And, you could order food from the bartender. My husband ordered chicken tacos one day and got some fried tacquito type food instead. Those that know him won't be surprised to hear that he left the fried food and walked away. Since when are tacos fried?

The breakfast buffet at Tulum was surprising. I couldn't find muffins. My husband couldn't find yogurt. And there was zero bacon.

All around, the buffet at Coba was MUCH better. A much larger selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner! The only issue we then ran into was the only time we could find fresh milk for our toddler was at breakfast. Aside from that, the waiters would pour out warm, condensed milk that smelled awful. We were told that the only place to get milk was at the buffet (but only breakfast) or we could buy it at the store. Not what you expect to hear when you are buying the high price for an all-inclusive resort!

Also, you can ONLY get bottled water in your room, when the mini-fridge gets stocked. No where else on the properties can you get bottled water. Instead, the waiters and bartenders assure you that the tap water is safe to drink. But, seeing as though two members of the 16 people from our group got sick with a touch of montezuma's revenge...the "assurance" fell flat. And, since my husband has had montezuma multiple times since moving to Mexico, he cannot be persuaded to drink water that doesn't come from a sealed bottle. Seems like...maybe bottled water should be more readily available.

But, for anyone that stays at the Gran Bahia...bring your Cipro (US antibiotic) or Treda (Mexican over the counter drug) with you, because buying it at the resort is a rip off! Those that got sick bought Treda (off my recommendation) and paid like $800 pesos - a RIDICULOUS amount, when off the resort property it would have sold for only $150 pesos, if that!

Sidenote: Treda is what a pharmacist recommended to me when Mike was sick in October, after our first trip to Mexico City. The instructions and warnings are all in Spanish and there is very little information that I could find online in English. However...the stuff seems to work!

Back to the resort...thesize of the resort has plus' and minus'. Plus, there is no need to book a separate excursion to see dolphins, as the resort has it's own pool of dolphins on the property. Of course, there is an additional charge to swim with the dolphins! Another plus is that there is a lot of options for swimming pools and quite a long beach stretching between Tulum and Akumal (Coba is not on the beach).

A negative to the size of the resort is that it is so big, the resort recommends that you take a tram to and from the various properties. I waited for the tram one night, got bit by a bunch of mosquitoes while waiting and finally gave up and walked from Coba to Tulum. It wasn't a bad walk once you found the side road and back entrance, near the dolphin excursion, into Tulum. But it wasn't well lit and I probably shouldn't have done it alone in the dark.

Another thing to note, each guest is only allowed ONE blue towel for the pool. You can exchange your towel all you want, but you only get one at a time.

Another negative, which the guys complained about mostly, was that there was only one choice of beer. I think that is probably pretty standard at all inclusive resorts...but maybe not??? And there was one choice of each red and white wine, which I heard was horrible - but slightly better at Coba than Tulum.

One other important detail to note for those that have kids...

When getting prices, my sister told a travel agent that I needed a quote for two adults and one two year old. She passed along the quote...which featured a cost for Annabelle. There was NO WAY I was going to pay $60 USD/day for Annabelle, when the kid barely eats.

When I looked directly at Gran Bahia's website, kids 1 and under where grouped together, then kids 2+. However, once you put in more details and get to the next webpage, kids 4 and under are grouped together (AND FREE), and 5+ is the cost of $60/day.

So, we saved ourselves $240 by booking thru the website. Good thing...as if I had to pay $60/day for Annabelle and couldn't get fresh milk for her more than once a day...I would have been extremely unhappy!!!

In the end, would we stay at the Gran Bahia Principe again? No. But, we aren't all-inclusive people (don't drink enough to get our money's worth) and we prefer smaller resorts, especially those with a kitchen in unit.

Here is a photo of Annabelle and my dad, along with "Coco" the monkey poolside at Coba! (The photo, purchased at the Photo Desk in Coba's lobby, cost $130 pesos - cash only!)

Xpu Ha Beach in Playa del Carmen

This past Wednesday we flew to Cancun via Interjet, From Cancun, we rented a car and drove down highway 307 to Riviera Maya.

On the way, we stopped at Xpu Ha Beach in Playa del Carmen. We were a bit unprepared for the beach, having come straight from the airport.

But, Xpu Ha was great. There's a restaurant and shop, where you can rent beach towels. The towels were $60 pesos or $5 USD, plus another $60 pesos deposit per towel, which you get back upon towel return. We gave the worker $400 pesos. She said she didn't have change, but would get change and give it back to us...upon towel return. Needless to say, I think she says that regularly...and short changes people, as she did not "remember" when we returned our towels...nor did she give Mike the correct change after he brought it up. But, Mike said the change he received was "close enough", so we let it go.

But, while we had our towels, we took full advantage of them at the beach! There are plenty of lounge chairs and tables on the beach. If you eat at the restaurant, there is no charge for using the lounge chairs. So, that worked out fine. The food was alright - what you would expect from a beach restaurant. Tacos, quesadillas, burgers, etc.

The sand was GREAT, as was the water. There were some boats around, picking up and dropping off scuba divers. But, that didn't interfere with our swimming.

In Cabo, Annabelle was TERRIFIED of the ocean. She clung to me whenever she got within 15 feet of the water. At Xpu Ha, she quickly warmed up to the water and ended up having a great time splashing, swimming and giggling in the waves! She also enjoyed throwing sand on the beach!

In total, we spent about 90 minutes at Xpu Ha. We could have stayed longer, but it was just meant to be a quick spot on the way to Riviera Maya.

We would definitely go back again...but would bring our own towels...or exact change!

Washing Machine Update

After 11 days and six repairman visits, our lavadora (washing machine) was finally fixed. It needed a new pump!

True to his word last Wednesday evening, the fifth repairman came back on Thursday evening "despues cinco" (after 5) and installed the pump!

I wish I knew more words in Spanish to show the handyman my appreciation of his work!

Now...if we could just get our car back from Honda...it has been in the shop since April 25th, due to the flooding of our parking garage. Apparently, the CRV needs new carpeting and Honda has not been able to get it in stock.

Up until last Friday afternoon, Mike's work lent him a Toyota Yaris...that has fuel pump issues - meaning it is fine to drive, but once you stop, it won't turn back on for awhile...which makes it hard to drive to the grocery store, gas station or run small errands. He had to turn that back in on Friday, as someone else needed it (good luck to him or her!) The new replacement car he was supposed to get on Friday had just come back from the shop...and was deemed unfit to drive. So, it was then sent back.

For the time being, Mike is taking cabs to and from work, which could end up being a bit costly if it continues beyond next week! Good thing he'll be on vacation the rest of this week!

In the meantime, we'll just enjoy our vacation and be glad that we can use our lavadora!

Haircuts in Mexico City

My brother is getting married in Riviera Maya in three days!

So, last Friday afternoon, Mike, Annie and I set out to find a place to get haircuts. Annie hadn't had a haircut since early March and she kept pulling out the barretts that I pulled her bangs back with about two seconds after I walked away. Needless to say, we were overdue for a haircut.

Luckily, Mike has an excellent memory and remembered walking past "Mia and George" on Homero in Polanco the previous weekend.

We arrived there and were lucky enough to be helped by several people that spoke English. That helped tremendously when telling them what we wanted done with Annie's hair... and Mike's. We got right in and, with Annie sitting on my lap, were out the door 30 minutes later!

A successful first haircut in Mexico for Annie!

Before:

After:

DHL to Mexico - Package Received

Late last week, Annabelle's birthday present arrived! After agreeing to let DHL "mark" (paint) the toys, they emailed back saying an outfit was made in China and it would have to be "mutilated" (cut).

After receiving a blog comment from someone that lives in Polanco and has been thru the same process, I followed his advice and also asked DHL about the taxes I would have to pay, if I went through Cofepris and got the proper documentation. DHL said it would be $900 pesos (about $80 USD) for the toys, plus more for the outfit. $900 pesos is more than my mother and father in law paid for the toys!

Finally, I agreed to the marking and mutilation and the package was delivered two days later.

The toys looked much better than expected. They were marked with a yellow spray paint that you can see thru. The toys just needed to be aired out for a day, as they still smelled like paint.

Here are a few photos of some items...

Thomas the Trains

Track with yellow paint here and there

Yellow paint on the puzzles

Two+ inch cut in the back of Annie's new dress

DHL - U.S. to Mexico

For Annabelle's birthday, my mother in law sent Annabelle a package via DHL. She said it was very frustrating from her end, as the package had to be re-packed to make it less costly and she was told it would probably be opened at least three times.

She sent me the tracking number, so I saw that it was in Mexico City on June 3rd. From there, the daily updates have read "clearance delay".

Late last week, I got a phone call from DHL, stating that Mike (as the package is addressed to him) had to fill out a document and get an additional document from Cofepris, before DHL would release the package.

When the DHL man emailed the document, I emailed back asking "what's Cofepris?". He gave me their website. And told me that if the Cofepris process is too difficult, we can either have the toys "destroyed OR marked/painted and released as samples".

Apparently, Cofepris is a Mexican government agency. www.cofepris.gob.mx

Their English portion of their website states:

"The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) is a decentralized organ of the Department of Health with technical, administrative and operational autonomy, whose mission is to protect the population against sanitary risks, through sanitary regulation, control and promotion under a single command, which provides unity and homogeneity to the policies which are determined."

So, after getting no where with Cofepris' website, I called them, spoke to someone in English and was directed to a 16 page document. From there, he told me to go to page 12, section 3 and follow the instructions.

These are the instructions:

3. IMPORTACIÓN:

HOMOCLAVE COFEPRIS-01-006

NOMBRE, MODALIDAD Y GUÍA RÁPIDA DE LLENADO

Aviso Sanitario de Importación de Productos

(Bebidas no alcohólicas, cerámica y loza vidriada, juguetes y artículos escolares).

CAMPOS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 14 y para juguetes, 1 2 3 4 artículos escolares, cerámica y loza vidriada 8

además 21 y 22

REQUISITOS DOCUMENTALES

␣ Para juguetes, cerámica destinada a contener alimentos; y artículos escolares: Constancia Sanitaria o Certificado de Libre Venta o Análisis de laboratorio.

␣ Para el resto de los productos: Constancia Sanitaria o Certificado de Libre Venta. Para todos los productos el trámite deberá presentarse anualmente y será válido para todos los embarques dentro de esté período.

The above instructions make no sense to me. But, he told me to follow them, then bring my document into Cofepris, for their approval.

At this point, I have emailed DHL back to ask them if I agree to allow them to paint/mark the toys, will they be released TO ME. Their previous email just said "released as samples".

So, if they agree to release the painted toys to me...I can only imagine what color Thomas the Train will be!

"Did you ever think I would hand wash your underwear?"

I never thought my husband would say "did you ever think I would hand wash your underwear?" ...Nor did I ever think he would.

However, after 8 days of having a broken washing machine, Mike broke down and hand washed some clothing.

I had offered to do it earlier in the week, but I don't think Mike was confident in my hand washing abilities...which was just fine with me!

So, while I was on baby-wrangling duty, Mike broke out the buckets.

Last Sunday, our washing machine stopped draining. I emailed our building manager Ruth, who replied Monday morning, saying she would tell the other building manager. I emailed Ruth (who is the only one that speaks English) again on Tuesday. Again, she replied. She told me that she manages the building on the outside. She doesn't manage the individual units, but that she would pass along my information.

On Thursday, the "individual units" manager Betty was in the lobby. I flagged her down and tried to tell her that my washing machine was broken. She told me someone would come to look at it "manana". However, a few hours later the maintenance man stopped by. He came to fix something...but it wasn't the washing machine. I think he thought he was supposed to look at my dishwasher. But, he looked at the washer, determined he couldn't do anything, and indicated (in Spanish) that he would talk to Betty.

On Saturday, my maid showed up. She looked at the huge piles of laundry and headed straight to the washer...as if I left mounds of laundry for her to do! With my Spanglish, I told her that the washer (lavadora) was broken (no trabaje) and that I wasn't happy (no me gusto!).

Minutes later, she had Betty's phone number in hand and was asking how to work my home phone. A moment later Betty was on the phone and Patricia was on her case!! (Have I mentioned that I adore my maid Patricia?!?!)

After hanging up with Betty, Patricia indicated that Betty wasn't going to do anything and we needed the manual. I pulled out the manual...that was actually written in English...but did not solve our problem, as the hose was not kinked. It is a GE washer and the manual gave us a number for GE...but it was an 800 number.

In Mexico, you cannot dial 1-800 numbers! If you pull out your credit card, on the back, it will give you an international number to call when outside the U.S.

The manual gave us no such number.

But, Betty called back a minute later and said she would send someone out to look at the washer...again. A few hours later, a man showed up and Patricia told him what the problem was. The guy stayed about five minutes and then left.

Patricia indicated that he (or someone) would be back on Monday.

At this point, I am not holding my breath that the washer will be fixed in the next week. But, I am grateful that Patricia will be back next Saturday, in order to get on Betty's case again.

I am also grateful to Mike for his new skill - hand washing laundry!

And, I have realized what a great landlord I am! My tenants get quick responses and repairs! Apparently, the same is not expected or required in Mexico City!

Visiting Annabelle's School

Yesterday was Annabelle's second birthday! So, I emailed last week with the director's of Annabelle's school and coordinated bringing in cookies to her class.

School starts at nine am. I was told to bring the cookies in at 11:20 am.

When I arrived, I went upstairs and saw three separate little classrooms, with about 6-10 kids in each class. In all three classrooms, the kids were sitting at little tables, eating their lunch!

Shockingly, Annabelle was one of these well behaved kids! I couldn't believe it!! As soon as I entered, she started talking, saying "MOMMY! Mommy's here." It was a nice welcome! She's not embarrassed of me yet!!

I was given my own little chair and sat behind Annabelle while the kids ate their food.

Each kid had a place mat that indicated where their plate, fork, spoon and tiny cup were to be placed.

To my amazement, Annabelle picked up her cup, which did NOT have a lid, drank it, and said "mas agua". Then, put her cup back in its' correct spot!

My amazement continued as the kids all continued eating their carrots, watermelon, and their main dish, which has a name, but I cannot recall it. The dish consisted of a piece of french bread, topped with refried beans, then layered with cheese. Annie ate the entire thing...which, again, shocked me, because normally the only thing she eats in full are sweets (a chip off the old block!)

Once the kids were done eating, the teacher instructed them individually to take their plate, cup, utensils, placemat and leftover food to the "dish section", where each kid had to put everything away in it's proper spot.

I think my jaw hit the floor as Annabelle followed her teacher's instructions and took three trips from the table to the dish section, putting everything away!

Next, it was time for Annabelle's cookies! Since moving to Polanco, we have become big fans of Le Pain, a local bakery. They have GIANT chocolate chip cookies that are very thin and taste amazing! So, we got enough giant cookies for each kid to have one. But, it worked out best to split up two amongst the whole class, then send each kid home with a full cookie! Before the kids were allowed to grab a piece of cookie, they sang "Las Manitas" to Annabelle. She smiled and clapped at the end! Then, the kids got their cookie pieces! It was pretty silent in the room as the kids devoured the cookies! Lots of "mmmmm" sounds coming from the kiddos, but that was about it!

The kids then walked up three steps to the bathroom area, where the assistant washed their hands, gave them their toothbrushes, and helped clean everyone up! After seeing Annie's class eat, I now fully understand why each kid is supposed to have a denim smock! I'll be purchasing one of those very soon!

After cleanup, I was invited to stay and go outside for playtime/recess. All the kids were out there.

Annabelle held my hand and the railing as we walked downstairs. With each step she took, she yelled out "Be careful E-A". (E-A is what she calls herself, as for awhile she had a hard time saying "Annie"!). So, the whole way down, I laughed as she kept telling herself to be careful! Once we reached the end of the stairs, she let go of my hand and started running towards the backyard, saying "I play with kids". She went straight to the gardening table, then moved on to the Little Tikes slide and log cabin. She was not concerned with me...which was good because that is when the older kids attacked me!

There were two girls and one boy, around the age of six, that would not leave me alone. They were trying to stuff plant leaves and nuts in the pockets of my jeans, in addition to trying to steal my iPhone out of my back pocket!! I must have said "NO. No mas. No gracias. Estas mal" about twenty times. A teacher came over and yelled at them a few times, but they were persistent. They kept after me! Then, I had about ten younger kids randomly coming up to me, speaking to me in Spanish, asking me my name...among other things that I couldn't understand!

Towards the end of recess, Annie found a soccer ball and started kicking it around the yard, yelling "I play soccer. I kick the ball". So, that was very cute to watch.

And, periodically she would look up and yell "I see my teacher", give her a big smile, and then continue playing!

I can certainly see why she comes home exhausted every afternoon! And, she seems to be very vocal, comfortable speaking English when everyone around her is speaking Spanish, for the most part. So, that was nice to see!

It was very nice to be able to spend over an hour with Annabelle at school today! She seems to be doing very well there!