We have started shopping for various things for the apartment. We ordered, and received, a new black under mount kitchen sink. It will have a black faucet, and black spigot for the UV filtered water from which we will be able to drink fresh water. You all know the stories about drinking the water here in Mexico. It has not been exaggerated. More about that another time.
We bought handles for the bedroom doors today at Home Depot. Handles instead of knobs. (This was after the harrowing ride through the bad neighborhoods. Reference the post “Driving around”). We have both wanted handles on the doors for, well, forever. Here was our opportunity, at last, and we took it. Looked, again, for a black washer and dryer, but with little luck. Not sure we will be able to find them here in the city. Cannot remember if we saw them at Sam’s or not. Hmmmm. I will let you know how that turns out another day.
So, the countertops will be a dark, almost black, granite, like in the photo below. The kitchen cabinets should, we hope, look quite a bit like the bottom picture, oak, and all the way to the ceiling, with glass inserts. The backsplash and flooring are the same white tile you can see in the pictures of the living room, in an earlier post, so we thought a black sink and faucet duo, with the black granite and white backsplash would be pretty. Then, with the oak cabinets- well, we think it will be rather stunning. The kitchen, at present, is rather compact. We hope that with all of the changes we are making it will open it up some, or at least be easier to cook in than the original layout. I will let you know. For now, we will keep on shopping.
Blue pearl granite (actually almost identical to what is on the outside of the building.
It is official- Ivan, and I, are the King, and Queen, of window film application! We bought window film before we left the States because the windows in the apartment we were buying all looked out into the inner square that is the “back side” of the apartment building behind ours, as well as the other resident of our building. (See the photos at the bottom of this post.) There is absolutely no privacy in this type of arrangement. And, as some of you know, we are not curtain people. This lack of privacy is a common problem here so we started sharing our supply of film with family and friends.
This was our first application, here at our cousin Juan’s house. This door leads to the garage in which, normally, 6 cars are parked. At present, we have taken up the space of 1 1/2 cars with our totes! Now, however, with the window film, they still get the light from the garage but not the sight of all of the stuff in the garage.
Juan’s bedroom, also garage facing
The photo above is of Juan’s bedroom, which also faces the garage, then, the photo below is his bathroom. None are visible from the garage any longer.
Juan’s bathroomEnrique’s apartment- the two sets of windows to the right are his laundry room and study, and the left set are in the kitchen.Enrique’s living room, and bedroom windows. Notice how the windows all face the center of the building? This is the same as in our building. You get the natural light from the opening above, but you sacrifice privacy for the light.
Until we put up the window film for both of these spaces, Juan, and Enrique’s windows, anyone passing by, or looking out their own windows could look directly into these private living spaces. That, or they had tohave their curtains pulled closed throughout the day. Now, thanks to the window film applications, they can leave their curtains open, enjoy the sunlight coming through, all without worry that someone can see into their homes.
It does take time, and patience in abundance to apply, however. This is not something you want to undertake with a limited time frame. Just getting the film separated from the protective layer is a task in, and of, itself. Then there is the cutting the film to fit your window surface. You first have to decide if your end game is insisting on perfection, or, if providing much-needed privacy is the goal. For us, once it was confirmed, by both home owners, that privacy over perfection were their goals, we were free to make executive decisions about how we filled in the smaller spaces at the top of each window, because, of course, the film did not match the dimensions of the windows. (Because that just would not be right, now would it?!?) Did we try to line up the patterns to each window, or could we fill in the spaces as we had the film to do so? The latter was the case each, and every, time. We did, however, make a concerted effort to keep the areas at eye level, those spaces that would be the looked through the most often, we made them as perfect as we could.
I must say, here and now, that we are getting better, and faster, with each application. By the time it is our turn, on our windows, we should be able to finish in record time, this art of window film application.
For those of you that remember “The Governors” bar on 53rd. St. in Moline, or “The Palace”, by the railroad tracks, in East Moline, well, we have been introduced here, to “El Salon Berlin”. Let me just say that they have amazing food, which changes every day, and is mouthwateringly scrumptious; staff that remember what you ordered the first time they met you, so they know, probably, what you will probably want now, and can recommend whatever the Chef has on the ‘best list’ for today.
We have been to El Salon Berlin probably 6 times in the past 6 weeks, and have not had to order our drinks, or botana, (appetizers), after the first time, in all of these times. Two incredibly nice men of service, (waiters), Benito (Benny) and Alejandro, (Ale), by name, have taken care of us each time we have been there, and we can say, without exception, that this is a place we will go to for years to comes. It reminds us of the tv series “Cheers”, where everyone knows your name, and all the drinks, they stay the same.
I am here to say that, in a city this large, to have strangers, now friends, that know your names, who know who you are, and what you like, and what you will tolerate, (there are many foods here that many abhor, but we enjoy), is a miracle in itself. Thank God we were introduced to El Salon Berlin! Thank you, Enrique. We love you tons. If not for you, we may have never learned of this “Brigadoon”, only blocks from us!! (I tried to type it in Spanish but it came up waaaay wrong.)
Here are a few photos of our recent visit.
La Botana- sopa de lenitles. Of course, there are always 2 shots for every one ordered, no matter the time. (If we must!) That is lentil soup with freshly baked crusty bread. The red stuff is a sangria, which is “house made”, and lovely.This is Carne de la Cola de Res en una salsa de adobo. (Ox tail in a red sauce.) I cannot tell you here, just how much flavor this dish had, but I will tell you that there was not a speck of red left on any of our plates.
We had a wonderful couple of hours, again, in a place, (our Brigadoon), that makes us feel at home, and accepted, no matter how our days have gone!! Thank you, so much, to Benny, and Alejandro, who always knows what we want, or need, before we even know we want it; and to Chef, (I do not know his name, yet, but I will, the next time I write about them.) They are a group of people that do not , I do not think, even know the services they provide for us!! We come there, looking to relax, and talk to our mates about the times we have had since we last were with them, and they fill in all of the blanks. We will see all of you in the next few days.
Mexico has one of the largest, most complex, all-encompassing metro routes of any country in the world. A little known fact I was told was that it was a gift from France. One can go anywhere in the city as long as one knows where, and when, to transfer, if needed, to another line. Did I mention it only costs us 5 pesos, per person, each way? That comes out to about $.25 one way. When I get my residency squared away, we will both apply for AARP-type memberships, which will allow us to ride the Metro for free. Bonus!!
Depending on the day, and, just as important, the time of day, the Metro is either empty, or everyone is packed in like living, breathing sardines. (You can actually tell long-time riders because they either sleep the entire way, or, those that stay awake hardly even move with all of the abrupt stops and starts.)
While riding the Metro, one cannot even consider germs and/or bacteria- not if you want, or need, to use public transportation. You just get in, and hold on, because your life my depend on it. All said, we always use gel hand disinfectant when we get where we are going!
Some of the cars are ornately decorated, like the one below, but most are a simple reddish orange. Here is a photo of the most colorful set of cars I was able to photograph recently. There are approximately 20 cars that travel together. A new set arrives every 30 seconds, or so. They stay only 15 seconds at each station, then, away they go. After 5 seconds of arriving, an alarm sounds letting passengers know the doors are closing. The alarm sounds for 10 seconds, the doors close, and the train takes off. Amazing!!!
Mind you, these cars travel anywhere from 40-70 MPH, which takes about 3-5 minutes between stops. Each time they stop at another station, someone gets on, selling all kinds of different “necessities”, usually asking for 10 pesos, ($.50). And every once in a while someone actually buys that something-that-they-did-not-realize-they-had-to-have-until-that-very-moment thing. And, occasionally, there is someone that will entertain all of us by singing, or praying, or, even, telling a story, in hopes that someone will be touched by their need, and donate money. When the Metro comes to the next stop, the above is repeated, at each station- all the way down the line. Enterprising, to be sure.
Then, last week, when we were changing lines to go a different direction, I turned around to look up the stairs, and saw this. Granted, they are “just steps”, but what an imagination it took to plan this. (I was just told today, Sept. 8, 2019, that they actually play notes as you step on them!!! Incredible!!) It is the only one like it that we have seen thus far. I do so admire people with imagination. They make these otherwise ordinary, and mundane, spaces so much fun to witness. And, no, we do not, at present, use the stairs. In fact, we have only used the steps a few times. It is a goal, however, to ride the rails, and climb the steps at each station. We hope to start said goal once we are settled in the apartment. Between the number of steps, and the altitude, (7380 ft.), it takes a ton of effort just to ride the escalators.
I leave you with this photo of the Metro system, itself, here in CDMX. Ivan and I plan on spending some time adventuring, by riding the rails going around the city. And why not? Heck, for $.50 a trip, it would be stupid not to. Right now, however, we start on the blue line, Linea 2, at the bottom of the diagram, at the station called Tasqueña, because it is closest to the house, and we go from there. The more we travel, here in town, the more we will come to a better understanding of The Metro.
As I sit here, listening to the sound of the dental drill that is shaping the new front teeth for my father in law, it reminds me how much I dislike going to the dentist. This dentist, however, Dr. Priscila Solis, is the exception to the rule.
She is young, thoughtful, and very personable. She puts her patients at ease by her gentle touch, and how she shows them her concern for their comfort and wellbeing. Every few minutes she stops whatever she is doing, and asks if you are alright, do you have any pain, or discomfort? Do you need to rinse your mouth? If you are okay, she resumes her work. She does a wonderful job but charges so very little for it-by US standards, that is. That is why we do not mind coming back to the dentist.
Update- today I am here with Ivan as she starts working on a couple of crowns for him.
Wow! Ivan and I were driving to Home Depot earlier today, (actually, it was Monday), and took a wrong turn. Have you ever been in a city you are not quite familiar with, and, somehow, you find you are in the wrong lane, going straight, when you needed to be in the right, or middle, lane, and you just missed the turnoff to the right? Now where the hell are we, and how do we get back to where we were supposed to turn?
Listen up folks. There is this really neat app. on my Apple XR, you probably have it too, called Google Maps, which works, so I have been told, all over the world. The most important thing is to, at times, listen to her directions. Having said that, we made our way around, and through, some dicey neighborhoods for a while. But as my pilot has a very keen sense of direction, unlike his copilot, ahem, we made it back to the beginning of our route, and progressed from there, without delay, to Home Depot- safe and sound. However, the lanes were so narrow, with cars parked here, and there, very haphazardly, I was sure we would hit one of them. But, fortunate for us, we did not. Kudos to my pilot, and his amazing driving skills. He, and his built-ins keep us driving around. 😉
Next week you can expect to read:
Back to the Dentist
El Metro
El Salon Berlin
The Art of Window Film Application
Shopping
Different Languages
Breathtaking Bougainvillea
Hope you stop by, read, and leave me a comment, if you want. Thanks.
I learned, recently, from my comadre, Paty, how to make a very simple, and very tasty, dish for a quick dinner, and am passing it on to anyone that is tired of eating the same old same old. It is a simple chicken patty. Our Paty cooked a whole chicken, in her new Instant Pot, under pressure, for about 20 minutes. She manually released the steam, let it cool enough to handle, then shredded it. To the bowl of shredded chicken, she added 2 tbs. of AP flour, 3 eggs, a couple of turns of the pepper grinder, and mixed it all together, quite thoroughly. Meanwhile, she heated about 2 tbs. of oil in a frying pan, and when it was hot enough, she used a largish soup spoon, and placed a spoonful of said chicken mixture into the frying pan. After about a minute and a half, she flipped them over, and cooked them for another minute or two. When they were set completely, she slipped them into a bath of fresh, homemade salsa verde! (I am quite sure they are enjoying the salsa verde bath as much as we will enjoy eating it later this afternoon). As a side dish, she made a simple white rice with diced carrots added, not only for color, and nutrition, but also flavor. A very colorful dinner is in our immediate future. Thank you Paty, for teaching me this simple dish. P.S.- Paty just called us to the table to eat. Nirvana!
Fifteen years ago today, my father, Robert Alan Lee Nelson, died of the results of, yet, another stroke. It had very little to do with what he ate, or drank; it was in his biology, in his genetics. His biological father, Albert Alan Lee, died of a massive heart attack when he, AAL, was 45 years old, leaving my dad, and my Gramma Manda to fend for themselves.
Not awfully long after his passing, (AAL), Gramma Manda married Earnest Nelson, the grandpa I remember. Very few people know that he was a buyer for John Deere and Company, and traveled the world, mostly in Europe, buying products for the company, under the direction of Mr. Hewitt, the owner of the company. When he was abroad, he bought us presents that, unfortunately, we, I think, no longer have. There were many things, mostly from Germany, and mainly clothes for little children, because that is what we were then, children. My father spoke of him often, sometimes relaying the expeditions he had, and the people that he met, but mostly how proud he was to have been associated with this man- his step father.
My father was a minister to the Methodist church in Green River, Illinois, for almost 40 years, and I know that they remember him fondly, as I do!
No one is perfect, not even my parents. They did the best they could with what they had, and with all of us. We made our own ways, all 4 of us, and are the best of what we became. I have only love for my dad, with little, or no, feelings of malice, or regret, towards him. He was what he was, or what he became after the strokes. I have only love in my heart for the memories I have of the wonderful times we had together. I know he is at peace, and this is, as I have said, only a small dedication to the man that helped make me the woman that I am.
There are so many different types of flowers that grow here that you do not have in the States. I think you have these though. They are called Peruvian lilies. I absolutely adore them. They last, easily, 1-2 weeks and really, the only way you know they are going bad is by the leaves- they start to turn yellow. These I bought these 5 days ago for Ivan’s birthday, and they still look fresh.
We plan to by a new bunch each week, once we get to the apartment. We should be in by mid October, barring anything unforeseen happening. Bonus- there is a flower vendor on the street, just down from our apartment, so I doubt they will be very expensive. When they sell things “on the street”, there is no rent to be paid to a shop owner, so they can charge whatever they want for there goods. I will show more flowers as we buy them. More tomorrow.
Never, ever, under any circumstances, do we plan on going to Home Depot, Sam’s, or Soriana on Saturday or Sunday. First off, during the week it takes about 20 minutes to get there, (if it is before 1:00pm). On the weekend, it is easily 45 minutes to an hour, regardless of the time. If you forgot something during the week that you need for the weekend, call a relative that is coming over, and have them pick it up. You know how crowded the Christmas shopping is on the 24th of December? That is how it is here on the weekends- a major shopping spree for those that work!!! Not only does everyone go shopping, but all along the major routes, there are small Mercado’s that have balloons, pop, popcorn, candy, clothes, etc., and families make a “day out” where everyone can have fun. Shopping, for some, does not have to be all drudgery. So, those of us that no longer have to work, go during the week. Sometimes a couple of times a week. Just never on the weekends!
