Sunday ; Joanne’s 70th birthday ! ! !
HAPPY BIRTHDAY / BONNE FÊTE / FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS … Mi amor.
When we moved in here, I found in the drawer of the desk of our apartment two “sparklers”. I put them aside, intending to use them somehow on Joanne’s birthday. When she awoke this morning and stumbled to the bathroom, I leaped out of bed and grabbed one of the sparklers, and a lighter from the kitchen drawer, and positioned myself outside the bathroom door. I thought that as soon as I heard her finishing washing her hands I would light the sparkler, and surprise her with a flaming sparkler and a rousing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” as she stepped out of the bathroom.
She shut off the water tap. I knew she would be drying her hands on a towel. I flamed the lighter and held it to the tip of the sparkler. Until the tip of the sparkler glowed red. And Joanne opened the bathroom door ! To see me standing there in my new pyjamas, holding a smouldering dud of a sparkler. Looking pathetic, I said … “uhhhh … Happy Birthday ?” HA HA HA HA HA ! Even my sparkler needs Viagra !
At 3:30 PM we left our apartment, heading to Restaurante Coronita, a short distance beyond the Zocolo, for Joanne’s special birthday dinner of Degustacion de Los Siete Moles / Seven Moles Tasting. Only a few of the more renowned restaurants in Oaxaca offer the seven mole tasting meal. Restaurante Coronita was Joanne’s choice. Although … they close at 6 PM on Sundays, hence the early dinner. On the way to the Zocolo, and restaurant beyond, we found our way to the centro / downtown location of GNC, the health supplements chain, where I bought enough probiotics to last me until we’re home in early April.
We arrived at the restaurant at 4:30 PM. It is housed in, and part of, an elegant old hotel. The hotel and restaurant have been owned by the founding family for three generations. The food was excellent. The service was excellent. The ambience was excellent. The prices were … a bit high, but … worth it ! Shortly after being seated and after placing our order, the server brought a large birthday cake with a huge flaming sparkler on top to the table adjacent to us. There were about a dozen people at the table, and it was obvious that the “birthday girl” was a girl that I assumed to be about fifteen years old.
Some of the people at the table jumped up to take pictures of the flaming birthday cake, so I jumped up and did so as well. After the huge sparkler died, I walked around the table and wished “Feliz cumpleaños” to the birthday girl. I pointed to Joanne, and told the girl that it was also my wife’s birthday. I asked the girl how old was she today ?
She said … “doce” (DOEsay). <blink blink> Twelve ! My … they “grow up” early down here, don’t they ? ! ? She asked how old was my wife. I said … “setente” (sehTENtay). HA HA HA … now it was the girl’s turn to blink in amazement.
A few minutes later our server brought over two servings of birthday cake, and indicated that they were a birthday gift from the adjacent table, from the birthday girl’s mother. Well … how nice ! Muchas Gracias, Señora ! We didn’t realize until after finishing our meal, and beginning to eat our two pieces of birthday cake that it was a tall, thick, luscious Tres Leches cake, our favourite cake in Mexico.
There is a ritual to “seven moles tasting”. The meal (por dos / for two) is served on a beautiful, large wooden platter, wooden bowl filled with rice on the center of the platter, seven wooden bowls of mole surrounding the rice bowl. Three of the moles contain shredded chicken, two contain shredded pork, and two contain shredded beef. The server explains each mole. It’s complicated ! During our leisurely, slow meal we were asked by our server, and again by one of the owner family members, if everything was okay, and which mole was our favourite. The staff and family all seemed genuinely caring. They beamed at our responses.
NOW … we can go to the chocolate and mole stores and buy some moles (in powder form) to take home with us. ATTENTION : IN-LAWS … prepare for a mole tasting meal next summer.
We finished our meal as the restaurant was preparing to close at 6 PM. We meandered our way home, browsing throughout the centro / downtown area for gift ideas. We arrived home just as it got dark, shortly before 7 PM.
At bedtime, we did the birthday cake / candles / sing “Happy Birthday” routine. MMMMM … good chocolate cake from Oscuro Brubaje.
Monday ; Sunny and mild, quite a bit cooler than it has been.
After having a cold persist for two weeks, and feeling as if the finish line was in sight, today I seemed to have a recurrence … two steps (or more !) backwards, as it were ! I’m truly weary of feeling ill ! ! ! Maybe I’ll try “slowing down” … “giving in” more … getting more rest. “Pushing through” doesn’t seem to be bringing me to good health. Is this part of old age ? ! ?
This morning we walked over to Mole Juquilita and bought two packages of different moles to try. From there we walked over to Mercado La Noria to replenish vegetables, including really lovely, fresh Oyster mushrooms. This afternoon we went for another walk, to browse / window shop, and get some fresh air. I’m feeling really poorly today.
Tuesday ; Sunny and mild. I’m feeling slightly better than yesterday, but not by much. Is it really possible to develop another cold before the first has completely resolved ?
This morning we went to Mercado La Noria to replenish eggs and Queso Oaxaqueño and vegetables. The rest of the day was pretty lazy. I cooked a wonderful Oyster mushroom and queso fresco fritatta for supper. We watched more My French Film Festival shorts and feature length films. We’ve seen most of the film festival’s offerings, and now we’re watching the ones that interested us the least, and we left until last. With good reason. They’re … crappy films !
Around 6 PM I thought I heard the Pan Integral (whole wheat bakery) truck on our street. I asked Joanne to run out to buy some stuff for us. By the time she got her shoes on, and ran out, the truck was stopped in the next block. Just now (11 PM) as I was preparing a cup of tea for myself, she reached into a bag in the fridge and pulled out … <blink blink> … a honkin’ huge chocolate donut covered in chocolate icing and crushed nuts. WTF ? Her response was … “if I have to chase the panadero truck down the street for you … I get to buy and eat whatever I want !” HA HA HA HA HA … you go, girl !
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm, 77° F / 25° C when we returned home at 2:45 PM.
Today we walked to the fifth, final, and furthest distance from our apartment municipal market, Mercado de la Merced. We left home around 11:30 AM and returned home at 2:45 PM, both of us tired, me because I’m sick, Joanne because she’s … <whispering> … old ! HA HA HA HA HA ! Your time’s coming soon, cough boy !
We browsed, had lunch, then browsed some more. For lunch we went to a restaurant in the mercado that Joanne had researched, and she had the second last Oaxacan culinary specialty on her bucket list, a memela. I had a Queso Oaxaqueña empanada. It gave me an idea/inspiration to make Queso Oaxaqueña quesadillas. Much of this mercado was specialty food vendors, and consequently everything we bought was … edible ! Fruits, vegetables (heirloom tomatoes for me), Salchichas Ejutla sausages, jamon de pavo luncheon meat, pecan nut brittle (for her), cajeta flan (also for her), pan dulce (for me, of course … I’m addicted to Mexican baking, especially my new Oaxacan discovery, pan dulce con turrón / pastries with nougat filling) and the biggest score of all … mole chichilo (en polvo / powder), our favourite mole from Joanne’s siete (7) moles birthday dinner, and one we have been having difficulty finding. We now have four of the six we want to buy and take home to Canada with us.
Thursday ; Sunny and warm.
I’ve been sick with a cold for eighteen days ! I’m weary of it. And becoming worried. Why would a cold (or two ?) last this long ? Because I’m old ?
This morning we took our empty five gallon water jug to the aqua purificado place. Then continued on to the lavanderia to drop off our two bags of dirty laundry. We had more laundry than usual because it was time to wash our bed linens. The water jug was returned to us, disinfected, refilled and delivered, two hours later.
We showered in cold water today, for the second day in a row. I complained to the landlord who sent over the maintenance man. His assessment ? Sí … hace frío ! He indicated that he would increase the temperature setting on the water heater on the roof. Of course … that’s the problem ! We’ve had a few very cold (relative to Mexico) nights. Send tepid water down from the roof through three storeys of ice cold galvanized pipe (attached on the outside of the cement walls) and it’s cold by the time it reaches us ! ! ! All three of our Mexican landlords have been extremely stingy with electricity and hot water. This landlord has refused to provide us with a space heater. We’re spoiled by living in a place where electricity is cheap … like Manitoba. I think most of Canada has reasonably cheap electricity. Lights on all the time, everywhere. Abundant hot water and high water pressure for showering, clothes laundering, dish washing. It’s not like that in much of the world. Certainly not like that here in Mexico.
Friday ; Sunny and very warm, 84° F / 29° C when we returned home from Chedraui at 3:45 PM.
Still sick ! ! ! Throat clogged with phlegm, coughing heavily !
After lunch we headed to Chedraui. Time for more drugs ! And some groceries. Found some fresh puff pastry dough in the panaderia. Bought some, will bake a Queso Oaxaqueño and fresh fruit concoction in puff pastry tomorrow. Like a Mexican version of brie baked in puff pastry. Wish me luck.
At 6 PM walked to the lavanderia to pick up our washed laundry. <sigh> It wasn’t ready. AGAIN ! This lavanderia lady operates on Mexico time ! She told us to come back at 7:30 PM. I told her we would come back tomorrow. Wish us luck !
We wandered around the neighbourhood for awhile, to get some fresh air and exercise, returning home as it became dusk. While Joanne prepared her wonderful home made guacamole, I made totopos integral / whole wheat tortilla chips. That was our amuse-bouche / appetizer / starter, followed by rotisserie barbecued chicken purchased today at Chedraui, and fries.
After supper we watched the third last movie of My French Film Festival. As we expected, it was not much to our liking. The same is likely with the two remaining films. But, hey … in for a penny, in for a pound. That’s what film festivals are for ; broadening one’s horizons. Same as with travel !
Saturday ; Sunny and very warm.
Yesterday at Chedraui I purchased a different cough syrup than before. I consumed three bottles of the first brand, and might as well have been drinking water. Yesterday was the first day using a new brand and today … I feel better ! For the first time in a long time I feel as if I’m improving. I wonder if the new medication works better for me than the previous one, or if my body has simply decided after three weeks that it’s time to defeat this bug ?
This morning we walked to Mercado La Noria and purchased Queso Oaxaqueño, Queso Manchega, eggs, and green beans. This afternoon I baked a Queso Oaxaqueño, raisins, and diced fresh pineapple in puff pastry concoction. It did not turn out particularly well. The filling was great, the pastry was not. Last winter when we were in Portugal we saw that the Portuguese use puff pastry extensively, and puff pastry dough is readily available in grocery stores. And … it “puffs”, as it should. Mexicans don’t use puff pastry much, it’s almost impossible to find in the stores, and … what we bought yesterday as “fresh” puff pastry dough was a bit of a flop. <shrug>
At 6 PM we walked to the lavanderia and picked up our laundered clothing. We started a squabble just before leaving to walk to the lavanderia, we continued it all the way there and back, and for a few more hours afterwards. We don’t do that much anymore … we’re too old to waste our valuable, limited remaining time… but obviously we remember how ! ! ! I guess it’s like riding a bicycle !
Tonight we watched the second last of the My French Film Festival movies. We expected to not like it. We were wrong, it was good.
DSK
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