¿Juay?

If you are a tourist in Mexico City and you see this billboard, you'll probably be thinking..."hmm - I didn't learn the word juay in spanish 101 back in highschool." It's ok, you are right, you didn't. That's because it doesn't exist. It's the Mexican pronunciation of WHY. At least according to local news anchor Joaquin Lopez Doriga.

So why is the city sky dotted with these ads? The bookstore chain Gandhi is famous for its quirky, smart, and thought provoking marketing - and this is just another example of them using current social buzz in one of their campaigns. 

(For a whole list of the their campaigns over the years, check out their publicity page here).

Anyway, so juay did this become an infamous line? It's a result of sound and translation complications during an interview with Anthony Hopkins, where Lopez Doriga tried his hand at English by asking Mr. Hannibal Lecter why he chose to do the film The Rite. Needless to say, tweeters went crazy with his obvious lack of English speaking skills. 

It's just 4 minutes of absolute awkwardness. 

{baby proofing} a Dia de los Muertos Ofrenda

I really didn't have the ganas to set up an ofrenda this year. After the continuous baby proofing that is on going in my house, the last thing I needed was another mega attraction for S and his curious hands.

Dia de los Muertos is one of the Mexican traditions I absolutely love, so I decided that I had to figure out a way to baby proof an ofrenda; and so with one mom's advice..."think small and high..." I set out to set up my altar.

After some slight modifications of three shelves I have in my living room: taaa-daaa! This year's ofrenda...definitely out of S' reach.

eleven month milestone

When you talk to people who live in Mexico City, many either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it. The latter due mostly in part to the crazy traffic this city is victim of.

Over the holidays or puentes (long weekends), DF is actually a wonderful place to be in. No cars, No people, No pollution.

But anyway, before I lose track of what this post is about.

Gordo and I haven't really figured out which end of the spectrum we are at when it comes to our relationship with DF, although I have to say, I think we lean more towards the loving part (many reasons why, but I'll save that for another time). Although the main reason I think has to do with the fact that my in-laws live in Cuernavaca; this means we always have a weekend escape as an option.

I remember thinking like this when I used to live in China...it was great to be in Shanghai, as long as you left every 4 months or so - to take a breather and re-collect yourself. Then it was OK to go back. Same thing seems to be happening here in Mexico City...we love it up to a certain point - then we leave when we've had enough - and that allows us to come back feeling re-charged and ready to face the city once again.

I can go on and on about how fabulous Cuernavaca is, but by far the best attraction for me right now is lolo and abi's (S' grandparents) garden.

Because fabulous things like this happen {for the first time!} there:

What about you? What do you do to re-charge, re-collect, re-energize yourself?

Banking in Mexico, Part One

Random thoughts on banking in Mexico...and this is just the first part. 

Debit cards here don't have your name on them. At least the ones from Bancomer don't. Do other bank's debit cards have names on them?

Pro: when you lose yours {or if it's stolen...ahem!} you can get a replacement card immediately by going to any branch with your I.D. and checking account information. Right then and there they assign a new card to your account. 

Con: you need to really be careful with your card. If you lose it and don't realize straight away, anyone can forge your signature...there is no way to match the card to the owner. 

An old debit card...I still erased the number to be safe ;)

Anyway, that was my random thought today while I was at the bank this morning when I realized that in all the other countries I've lived in, your name was always on your debit card.

I'm still debating whether this is a good or bad thing.

Fall is here...according to the Pumpkins!

Mexico City went through a weather identity crisis lately...we went from super hot days to freezing temperatures overnight; I even bought S' first winter coat (that's how cold it got). Finally, though, the weather gods seem to be slightly more stable now. It's been a nice, fall, crisp-y weather for the last 2 weeks or so...which makes me happy.

What makes me even happier are pumpkins. They are everywhere now! I've been waiting for winter squash to be available so that I can make S his first pumpkin puree. Squash is supposed to be one of the first foods you give a baby, but since he started eating solids in the summer, he'll only get to try it now.

After my wallet-being-stolen experience at City Market, I headed over to Wal-Mart and found myself face to face with the biggest pumpkin display I've even seen. All kinds of pumpkins. All different sizes and colors. 

You must be thinking, this woman is obssessed with pumpkins! lol.

The other day while I was over at my friend and fellow mama B's house - I got inspired by her super cute pumpkin coffee table arrangement {I have to give credit where credit is due} so I decided to bring a little fall ambience into our home as well.

My coffee table has been naked as of late, considering S bangs, rips, and throws everything in sight {i.e., no coffee table books on the coffee table}. But the pumpkins are baby friendly! Somewhat.

A few have already suffered some minor bumps and bruises, including being victim to S' 4 teeth

Back with Bad News...

Go figure.

Yesterday we (gordo and myself) were in the car talking about blogs of all things, and the first thing out of my mouth was "It seems my blog is dying a slow death..." as I turned to see gordo vehemently nodding in agreement. {sigh} "What am I supposed to blog about? - I feel like all I do is change diapers and make baby food". Of course I knew the words I was speaking were a lame attempt at justification. Gordo on the other hand began to list a few topics that could be blog worthy...

And he is right, I do have things to blog about, just not enough time nor discipline to do so. Trust me, it's frustrating! I do want to share, but when I have those precious 10 minutes to spare, I need to take advantage and do actual work...not that blogging isn't work - it just doesn't generate an income - for me at least. 

So anyway, of all days to get back to blogging, I had to choose today with this story. Sorry dear reader, but I need to vent!!! 

MY WALLET WAS STOLEN! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 

At City Market, of all places!!!

As I was browsing the baby food section, some lady came out of the blue and asked me to help her read the labels because she didn't bring her glasses with her and she needed to buy food for her 7 month old grandson. While I was  stupidly reading away "platano, guayaba, pera..." some accomplice of hers snatched my wallet out of S' stroller while he was sleeping.

I feel SO dumb! :( Just goes to show you that you need to be vigilant everywhere, even the "nice" places where you think stuff like this wouldn't happen. My wallet didn't even have one peso in it, so I didn't lose anything of worth, except my time cancelling credit cards. It's just such a violating feeling to be robbed. I know whoever did it will not in a million years read this, but I hope karma comes and gets you!

Anyway, hopefully I'll be back soon with a more cheerful story. In the meantime, keep your stuff safe!

Having A Baby {lack of sleep jokes aside}

I've been thinking a lot about this post...actually even started writing it a couple of times, but always kinda lost my train of thought on the subject. Maybe I was exhausted. Maybe I wasn't feeling inspired. Maybe I didn't feel like sharing just yet.

So why the sudden change of heart? Yesterday a friend asked for advice on pregnancy and postpartum. Me, she asked ME for advice! Now, I realize that I am no expert on the subject, but the last 2 months have been an intense crash course in mommyhood...so I feel OK about putting my two cents in. But still, I feel like such a novice that it's amazing that anyone would want my advice. Although if you don't have a baby yet, aren't pregnant, or are just dreaming of kids...I am one up on 'ya! So here are some thoughts on the subject.

You always hear people talk about the beauty of pregnancy and the wonder of birth, but you don't hear much on the topic of postpartum. Even if you are told of all the difficulties that come with being pregnant and the pain of giving birth, there still isn't much talk about postpartum. WHY???

I've concluded that this is some unconscious way women ensure the continuation of our species. If the thought of being pregnant and giving birth makes you nervous and even a little hesitant, the truth about postpartum will scare the daylights out of you. As a friend, new momma, and fellow blogger M put it, "Pregnancy is a breeze...Labor is a dream...Postpartum is no joke. It will knock you on your...never mind." I don't want to scare anyone, but she is right.

The sleep deprivation people talk about is definitely hard; but harder yet is how the sleep deprivation amplifies all the other issues people don't mention. So here goes. This is where I begin talking about breastfeeding, and for some of you, it may be a little TMI. You've been warned.

Before I start. here are some pretty pictures so you don't accidentally read anything that will scar you for life.

OK, so you are still reading. But at your own risk, don't blame me if you are grossed out.

Breastfeeding hurts. A LOT. "Exquisite pain" as my suegra puts it.

http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/breastfeeding_is_best_250x333.jpg

You will NOT look like this when you start:









Instead you will be screaming, crying, and wanting to pull your hair out. And if you are one of the rare women who is a personification of the above photo from the get go, then you have been truly blessed.

Things you should know [because it could happen to you]:

1. You need to make sure baby is latching on properly. The best would be for a lactation expert at the hospital to show you how it should be done before you go home. This will ensure you and baby are doing it "right" from the beginning, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be painless. It will will just be painful for less time probably. There is also the La Leche League website with tips or you can visit your local LLL, but honestly Thank the Lord for YouTube. You don't have to worry about taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and looking presentable in front of someone. Search for breastfeeding videos and TA-DAAA! Free lesson on your laptop in the privacy of your bedroom.

2. When you start breastfeeding, your body doesn't really know how much milk to produce because baby hasn't made it clear how much s/he's going to be eating. So instead of falling short, it overproduces and your boobs get so full, I swear they feel like they are going to explode. Your little one may not be able to empty them at the beginning and you'll end up with lumps [or milk balls, as I call them] in your boobs. Just go stand in the shower under hot water. It will start flowing. Sweet relief.

3. Some breastfeeding advice goes only so far as mentioning the possibility of sore nipples. SORE nipples are very different from CRACKED nipples. with actual wounds. that bleed. and re-open. every feeding. [OK, they don't bleed every feeding; just the first time. Thank God, 'cause you don't want to see a trickle of blood running down your baby's cheek at each feeding, once is enough to freak you out!]. None of the books I read or websites I looked at mentioned even the mere possibility of this happening, but yet almost every mother I've spoken to, including my own, knew this would happen. HA! There's the catch, no one tells you. And then when it does happen, everyone is sympathetic because they know what it feels like. Again, I think this convenient memory lapse is somehow connected to the continuation of procreation. If we had such vivid memories, I wonder how many women would have their second, third, fourth, fifth...eleventh child...and breastfeed. {sigh}

What to do if this happens to you? The best advice I got from another mommy R was AIR-DRY. All day. All night. If you can sit out in the sun for about 5-10 minutes a day, even better. This is your chance to make like a German tourist on a Mallorcan beach. Sans Mallorca unfortunately. Seriously though, this works wonders and I’m sure you’ll get a lot of support from your husband by prancing around topless 24/7. [If you do have to cover up, make sure your nipples are completely dry – use your hairdryer on a low setting] They say your boobs will never be the same after breastfeeding. Neither will your nipples. Not in a bad way though, so don't get scared! They'll just be...different.

There are lots of other issues new moms face in the early weeks; mastitis, wacky hormones and even depression, and pain from vaginal or Cesarean deliveries to mention a few. I just chose to shed a bit of light on breastfeeding because I found it to be the most difficult...it doesn't come naturally: you have to learn how to do it right; it will hurt, but the pain will ease. Give it 6 weeks and I promise you will start to enjoy it! You will forget (like our mothers did!) how much you suffered and it will be all worth it. Your baby will thank you for your yummy nutritious milk.

You can do it, good luck!

*Some useful information if you are a new mom or are expecting in Mexico City*
- Local La Leche League Groups
- Cepapar: read my post about courses offered by Cepapar.
- Hospital Santa Teresa (Medica Sur Lomas): more to come on this hospital, but if you need lactation support, contact one of their experts, Graciela Hess (0445554171297). They also have free group support on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 10am.

**this is my experience and my advice is based on what worked for me, and hopefully it does for you too; but you should still listen to what your doctor tells you to do. None of what I mention here is meant to replace your doctor's orders.**

A Lovely Day for a Picnic

Before the weather changed drastically - my Mom keeps saying it's colder in Mexico than in Finland - we were blessed with one day last week that was perfect for a park picnic.

So with cold cuts, cheese, bread, and other yummy munchies on hand - we headed for Chapultepec (Mexico City's version of New York's Central Park) along with 2 other couples, their babies, another friend, and my mama for an afternoon of lounging, good company, talking, and just enjoying having absolutely NOTHING to do...{sigh}

Our First Ofrenda!

With all that is happening, I'm amazed that we were actually able to set up our ofrenda for this year's dia de muertos. Although this post is slightly late (as usual!), I can assure you that our altar was indeed set up on the right day :)

There is SO much behind the concept of Dia de Muertos - that I won't do it justice by attempting to explain the traditions that surround this event. I'm sure there are websites out there that do a far better job of detailing the historic, cultural, and local beliefs that blend together into creating this fascinating holiday.

But I will give you a little rundown as I understand it:

• November 2nd is definitely one of the most important days on the Mexican calendar. People decorate altars inside their homes for loved ones who have passed. The idea is to create an offering so that when your loved one comes to "visit" on the 2nd, s/he finds an altar decorated with things that they loved during their life.
• The idea of skulls and skeletons bring to mind horrific images of death - but that isn't the case at all. Here they are used to represent the dead mimicking the living; in fact, some of the skulls are made of sugar and given to children. This allows them to realize early on that death is a part of life and they shouldn't fear it. 
• Come late October, Mexico is covered in the symbolic orange of the Cempazuchitl flowers (marigolds) and smells of the burning incense from its bark. 
• And last, but surely not least, one of the best parts of dia de muertos - Pan de Muertos. Only baked this time of the year, this sweet bread is made with anis and mandarin water, and also used as an offering on the altars. In our case, it was used day and night for a week to satisfy our carb cravings. We started looking like pan de muertos already. But it is oh-so-good!

So here are some photos of our humble altar in our space restricted apartment :) It's the first of I'm sure what will be many to come over the years... 

Spinning around...

Today was my last monthly prenatal check up. I say monthly because the time has come to start seeing Dra. A every 2 weeks now!

Everything so far seems to be right on track: baby's measurements are on target, s/he gained 800 grams in a month (gordito/a!) and now weighs about 2 kilos. We saw baby´s mouth opening and closing on the ultrasound monitor...either yawning or gulping down some delicious amniotic fluid for breakfast. 

I was told to continue with my prenatal yoga, but to avoid other exercise that could tire me out. Obviously, I have NO problem with that whatsoever!

I'm at 33 weeks and baby is still sitting upright - although Dra. A didn't seem to worried - there is still time to turn around; but she did say that it wouldn't do me any harm to crawl around for about 10 minutes every morning. Seems like it would be easy, but now that I think about it, moving around on all fours for 10 minutes could be a little tedious. 

So of course I turned to Dr. Google to ask about "ways to make baby turn around" - and only 3 search results were of any use - the rest were sites about "baby turn around" lyrics. I don't know what song it's referring to, don't really care, and obviously I need to work on my search word skills. 

http://mix1041.radio.com/2010/09/10/karsons-breeched-baby/

ANYWAY, so here are some tips to help coax your baby into position. I highlighted some of my favorites, so you don't have to read all: (Oh, and I'll let you know which worked!)

1. Visualizing the baby moving down with the head very deep in your pelvis, several times a day; especially in conjunction with positions and exercises below.

2. Swimming as often as possible. This keeps your body and pelvis loose and relaxed. Do in conjunction with headstand below if you have help.

What's been keeping me busy?

I've been ignoring my blog. Not on purpose of course, it's just unfortunately keeps descending on the totem poll of all the things I feel I constantly need to get done. My list just seems to get longer, even though I religiously tick off a task a day. Pues bueno, asi es esto when you are expecting I guess.

So what to write about? I guess it is finally time to start mentioning baby stuff; since my world has and is revolving around this particular theme at the moment.

This is the latest photo, at 31 weeks, although today I'm already at 33. About a month and a half to go! Que nervios!

If you happen upon my tweets, you'll see that Mondays for me have become the craziest day of the week. Aside from prenatal yoga, lunch with la abuela, prepping for my English class (then the actual class), we end the day with our birthing classes.

As like most well kept secrets, we found this birthing course through word of mouth. The mouths being our best friends R&R and their new baby A. I guess this is the kind of thing you have to rely on when being new to a city, I would never have found this on my own.

The course is given at CEPAPAR: Centro de Educacion para el Parto (Education Center for Birth). I still remember my first day there {I was barely showing} sitting in this room with all these super pregnant women - I thought it would be forever until I was considered one of them. Last Monday, I realized I am now one of them. There were two new couples who just signed up, and they were probably looking at the rest of us with the same thoughts that I had just 4 months ago.

So anyway, the course is about 15 weeks long - there is a new topic every Monday - from the introduction of psicoprofilaxis all the way to newborn care, and everything that comes in between; including some very graphic video clips that most men can't stomach. But I find it all absolutely intriguing. Next week we have breast feeding.

Prior to the class, there is an hour of couples yoga (my second class of the day) and my gordo's chance to squeeze his perineal muscles. We do all sorts of breathing, sitting, standing, and relaxing exercises to prepare for the big day.

If you are planning for or want a natural child birth and all that comes with it, this is the place for you. You probably need at least an intermediate level of Spanish to understand the course. Or if you are married to a Mexican, he can do all the translating.

One of the best investments during my pregnancy so far. KNOW YOUR OPTIONS, FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Good luck!


FOR YOUR INFO:


CEPAPAR
Cuauhtémoc 111, Tizapan, San Angel
Mexico DF55 50 41 82, 55 50 42 64 
e-mail: cepapar@cepapar.org.mx


SUKHAVATI YOGA
Melchor Ocampo 130, Col. del Carmen Coyoacán

Mexico DF

56 59 41 78, 56 59 47 36

Check out Mexico City!

I love this! Pretty cool place I live in, huh? Not that I needed this video to know that, but it helps to be reminded! :)

www.vimeo.com

Co DIRECCIÓN: LUIS MANDOKI, MARIANA RODRÍGUEZ 
Co FOTOGRAFÍA: ALBERTO ANAYA, ESTEBAN ARRANGOIZ 
Co EDICIÓN: MARIANA RODRÍGUEZ, YOAME ESCAMILLA 
MÚSICA: ALEJANDRO CASTAÑOS

This wasn't there yesterday!

I thought that maybe, maybe, it was the McChicken I had the night before. My last craving as a 28 year old.

Hmm.

But no.

My belly finally popped out! This is my baby's way of saying, "Here I am!!! Happy Birthday Mom!"


Best. Present. Ever. 

(along with my gordo, of course!)

Dining Anew

The other day after the Food Expo (another post to come about my discoveries there), we decided to check out Monica Patiño's newest addition to her restaurant empire - Delirio.

First, a few things about Monica Patiño. Silly me had no idea who she was until we got to Mexico, but she is quite the celebrity chef here. This of course means the requisite upscale restaurant, cookbook, and self-branded product line that, in today's world of self-marketing, is a must in order to be recognized as a successful cooking guru. I've also seen her on TV, though I have to investigate as to whether it was actually her show.

Maneuvering Mexican Markets

Most weekends we head off to Cuernavaca - to de-stress from city living. But staying in Mexico City every once in a while does have its perks. One of which is discovering the many markets this metropolis has to offer. Instead of plowing through second hand gems and local crafts you find at tianguis, we decided to visit a market that was sure to satisfy our palates. 

I'm talking about the Mercado San Juan. This place has been around forever, and it has become widely know for having exotic meats and a variety of ingredients you won't find elsewhere in the city. It's become a staple for chefs who look for the perfect item to create their dishes. 

Green Day

Mexico City is pretty green. Maybe not so much in the eco-friendly manner we have taken the word "green" to mean nowadays - but in the simplest of meanings - the actual color green.

For a city as big as this one, I would say that there is a fair proportion of tree lined avenues and parks that makes living amongst the concrete and traffic somewhat bearable. Most neighborhoods around town have a park for its residents to enjoy daily...and if you want a more Central Park atmosphere, you can always head to Bosque de Chapultepec and enjoy its vast sprawl of green.

Anyway, in an effort to make the inside of our little home greener, we headed over to Viveros de Coyoacan to see what we could find. Viveros de Coyoacan is a huge park and plant nursery in the heart of Coyoacan in the southern part of the city.

When we moved to Mexico City, there was a slight attempt at keeping up our workout routine through early morning runs at the viveros. It's quite a popular spot for running enthusiasts. Open by 6:00a.m., there is a circuit around the park about 4 km long. By 6:15, if you don't run, stay on the left side please. Unless you want people running all around and over you. Anyway, I said attempt because I lasted all of 5 days getting up at 5:30.

All that has happened

I should have actually posted this a couple of days ago, May 28th to be exact, but anyway, what's a few days?

We have been in Mexico for ONE year! I can't believe how much gordo and I have managed to do in such little time...settle in to new jobs, find a new home (not to mention decorate it), plan a wedding, get married, make it through Guadalupe-Reyes, side trip to NYC, and the grand finale - getting pregnant!

I'm exhausted just reading all that - but I have a feeling this year isn't going to be any less hectic.

Gordo's cousin replied to my FB status today: "Ya eres oficialmente chilanga. Felicidades!!!!! jajajaja"

At what point does one become a chilanga? I don't know if I'm ready for another identity to be added to my growing list of culture confusion.

Tuesday is Market Day

I love Mexico.


Today I specifically love the Tuesday market a block from mi casa in the park of Colonia Acacias.


If you are in the need for an ego boost, this is the place to fish for compliments. With the vendors calling out "que quiere mi reina?" (what do you want my queen?) or "que mas linda?" (what else pretty lady?) - I guess it would make anyone's day a little brighter, no?


Not to mention of course all you get for 210 pesos (at today's exchange rate: exactly USD $16.30)...

Mexican Morning Madness

This morning, of all mornings, I WISH I had my camera with me. I should know by now that anything and everything can happen in Mexico City at any given time. So my fault folks...


With the absence of functioning red, yellow, and green lights since early yesterday evening - the Mexican driver has been possessed. Rutas driving on sidewalks, cars on the opposite side of the road, and of course, relentless honking.


What is normally a 5 minute drive to work would have been an hour no doubt, so we decided to walk the 6 block stretch. On my way back, I saw the obvious reason as to why nothing is resolved:


Two police officers in the midst of the honking chaos, eating their morning tacos. God forbid they have to actually work and direct traffic!!!


SIGH...

I Made Muffins!!!

This is totally not a {food / cooking / baking} blog simply 'cause:

1. I never have a camera around while in the kitchen.

2. I usually don't follow recipes, so when the time comes to explain what goes where, I rarely remember. 

3. And really, I rather leave the food blogging to experts like my amiga at aromasysabores. 

BUT ~ today I was inspired by some overripe bananas sitting on my dining room table and thus commenced my baking adventure at high altitude. 

Gordo just had one and totally approved!!! 

Since this experience went well, I'm back on par after my brownie disaster (you are really better off not knowing about that one). At this rate, maybe I'll be inspired soon again.