Sunday, July 29, 2018

Social Media - It Could Be So Much More

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Eygpt used social media to start a revolution that brought about change.  It was very dramatic and took off like wildfire.  It seems to pretty much end there.

I find social media sites, such as FaceBook which is the largest, to have evolved into a space for social disconnect as well as business.  It works for both of those things but I believe many, like myself, had hoped for so much more.

It seems like things happened many years ago and we've forgotten about them.  You know, things like world wars, holocausts, fascism, starvation, and hunger.   Where did those things go?  They've gone nowhere and still continue to this day.  It's as if we live in a world of fantasy and we have put those things in the closet in hopes they won't rear their ugly head again.   But, they will.

My grandparents were immigrants of the poorest kind.  Tenant farmers who had no education whatsoever spoke a dialect that was ridiculed and came to the U.S. looking for that freedom that everyone speaks so highly of.   My father started school at age 8 not speaking English and was bullied for it as well.  However, this isn't about me or what my family or many others go through.  

Facebook, with over 2.46 users, is a free social media site.  If you can connect to the internet you can become a member.   We have over 1/3 of the world posting and reading the website.  In addition, there is YouTube, Blogger, Wordpress and many others.   Just like myself, we post daily activities, pictures, and videos of places we've been to or seen.   Take a quiet scroll down your Facebook and see how many of those posts you read really have anything to do with change.   I still associate Facebook with the Austin Power's movie where he shows Beyonce arriving in the future.  He gives her a look at social media and it's a video of a monkey in a tree scratching his behind.  Isn't that cute!  But hey, that's where social media has gone.
  
It didn't take long for users to get into the business side of the website.   Now, everyone is selling or hawking something. Clothes, houses, vacations, used items, why even Facebook has MarketPlace where you can advertise just about anything new or used for sale.  It's a good thing and I'm not knocking it and I know many people who use it for advertising what they sell.

What I am knocking though, is a simple fact that we now have a global medium in which we can make a change.  Yet I see very few people post anything that is world changing.   Facebook has pretty much gone silent on the political state of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.  That should be raising an early warning flag.  It's not about bashing the politicians or countries, it's about making people aware of what is going on and the opportunity to change the world.   Remember hunger and starvation?  Maybe, just maybe, we could have an impact on some of those issues.  Then again, most people are fearful of social discourse, afraid someone might say something against them or start an intelligent conversation other than LOL, OMG, WTH.

I posted this definition the other day; 

Fascism - a form of radical authoritarian ultranationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and control of industry and commerce, which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

Either people didn't read it, are ashamed to admit that they've read it and understand it, or they simply think it will all go away.  If a person has any education at all, along with an understanding of world history, we should all know that it really is true that history is repetitive.  The U.S. may be experiencing some of this and Mexico appears to be heading in that direction.   They said after WW I it could never happen again, well, it did, WWII.  Recently, a standing president made a comment regarding the possibility of WW III.  And here we all thought it couldn't happen again.  

Isn't it strange that after WWII, a small group of my family from Europe came to visit?  Why was it such a small group?  Read your history books.

To make a long story short, this is one of the reasons why I don't post much anymore.  If it isn't all roses and happy, happy, or funny and amusing, or some sort of consumerism, no one seems to be interested anymore.  "Let's not worry about tomorrow", or, "there really isn't much I can do about it anyway", "who cares, I'm retired now and will just sit back and watch the show". 

Even though technology didn't exist back then, whichever back then you're currently thinking of, just remember that it can happen again and we can all help to make a change, any change.  Spread the word.  

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Tuesday Market - Trip To Atotonilco

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Yesterday was another busy one.  I still get up early but we don't seem to get out of the house until 9:30.  We're relaxing and I enjoy watching the news, reading, and using the internet.  Tuesday market at the top of the hill is a gringo day as well as locals.  It's much bigger than the Sunday market but what makes it different is all the characters that show up.   I don't know if they flock to SMA because they're different, odd or interesting but I usually don't see these people in the U.S. unless I'm never in the right place at the right time.  People watching is fun and I could do it all day.

We had a light breakfast there with a quesadilla topped with a bit of asado de puerco.  It was delicious.  Just enough to get in a good walk around the market, pick up and look at stuff and then put it back down.  That's what people do when they shop.   The used clothes market is really something.  There are tables for 10, 20 and 30 pesos per item and now I see quite a bit of Chinese imports that sell from 1 to 10 pesos.  1 peso?  I mean really, people will buy anything.




Heading out to Atotonilco, I remembered we had gone as a group with Norma, Croft, Claudia, and P.J. several years ago.   Atotonilco was established over 300 years ago.  A Padre Neri claimed to have seen a vision of Christ telling him to build a place for penance and meditation.  Another version says that the terrain around Guanajuato looked similar to those lands around Jerusalem, I am assuming he had read about it in his studies or had seen drawing and painting of the Holy Land.




The church in Atotonilco is also known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas.   It took the artist 30 years to paint the interior.   This was also the first stop for Hidalgo on his march for Independence in 1810.  The church underwent restoration in 2010 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Independence.  Several major issues were discovered and they all had to do with humidity and minerals that were being absorbed by the walls from the aquifer that flows below it.  This is the water that goes to La Gruta where they have thermal water pools.   So not only are there minerals that affected the structure also the steam from the naturally heated water did its job as well.  Walls were sealed, paintings restored and sealed and an addition added in the last 100 years was torn down as it blocked sunlight from entering and keeping the walls dry.  Atotonilco is listed on the World Monuments list.  Well worth seeing.

Monday, July 16, 2018

I Walked A Thousand Miles - SMA

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Some things never change and others seem to be under a constant morphosis.  We always find something new going on and yet you can always count on the World Heritage Site maintaining the historical and architectural side of the city.  It continues to grow and I'd say by leaps and bounds.  Traffic on Sunday was a bit hectic even walking.   It is summer and vacationers are here from all over and as I said yesterday mostly Mexicans.  One huge downside that has turned me off completely is the introduction of RZRs.  They are like dune buggies but much more sophisticated and extremely noisy with huge speakers attached to them with the boom, boom, boom.  

First gas station in San Miguel de Allende.


Today was a marathon.  We walked, almost non-stop from 10 a.m. until we stopped for linner (combination lunch and dinner).   Lots of steep streets and rocky roads but we saw many things we had never come across before.   Mostly neighborhoods that are off the beaten path.  One of our goals was the Mask Museum.  That was a one-hour walk from our house and it took us to some new streets; Homobono and Acamapixtle.   Homobono was a canonized a saint in 1199 for his good works and deeds just as his name translates, good man.  He apparently had a vision in front of the crucifix in a local church.  Acamapixtle was the king of  Tenochtitlán in the Aztec period around 1375 and ruled for almost 20 years.  As for the museum, it was a flop.  In my internet research, it says it is open daily until 3 p.m. but no one answered and we saw a small, 4 X 4-inch sign that read, "by appointment only".  



See the sheet music attached to the back of the kid in front!


Bummer, we started down the hill and decided to take a bus further up the hill to the Mirador.  We gawked at the sights and watched tourists getting off and on the trolley and buying their mugs of something that was quite expensive.   From there we walked around the Parroquia and just happen to catch a procession.  Look closely at the picture and you can see a hunched-over man with a homemade cane and his wife tailing behind him.  They must be in their late eighties or early nineties and they just kept right along.   We watched the procession for a while and then attended a funeral in the cathedral.  Well, we didn't stay long but we did see the cuerpo presente  (coffin with the body).  



Lots of shops looking for a lamp for a friend to put in his new house.  It started to rain but we kept on until we arrived to the Dragon Chinese restaurant just down the block from the Canadian bakery.  That was our linner.  We split a plate of dumplings and hot and sour soup.  Very good restaurant but lacks any interior design.  I think that's where Les plays cards in the winter.

Walked home for a well-deserved nap and now we are in happy hour.   Sorry to see what Trump did today.  I think we're all in for some trouble in the coming years, here in Mexico too.

Visit To The Market - Evening Walkabout

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Had a great sleep for the first night.  This is a very quiet neighborhood and the bedroom is very comfortable.  The rest of the house is so-so, but again, you get what you pay for.  It's well equipped but could you some basic maintenance.  Talking to the guy who rented us the place, he and his parents have several rentals.  Paint and some details would work well.   

Yesterday started early with the World Cup match between France and Croatia.  Good game and it was a great way to start a Sunday.   We headed out on the bus to the market.  The bus passes right in front of us where the Cruz Roja is located.  It takes you all the way to the market.  Parking is usually a problem but it seemed as if the market has lost some of its pizazz.  They used to have three covered areas and now there are only two.  One of those has a very nice permanent structure or roof that makes it very light and airy.  Once we meet up with our friend Barbara, she can fill us in on all the changes we are seeing.




Of course, the market is for buying produce and food.  So we had a slice of very good pizza and shared 30 pesos of borrego which easily turns into four very full tacos along with homemade yellow corn tortillas.  Very good salsas along with sliced cucumbers, onions, and pico de gallo.

Lots to see and do and I bought a Stilson, as it is known in Mexico but to gringos, it is a pipe wrench.  The old one I had finally fallen apart after more than 30 years and it was used, to begin with.  Tons of used clothing which comes from the U.S. in bails.  You probably know that these used clothes make the rounds and go all the way through Central and South America before becoming those famous rag rugs that they sell at the dollar store.

Mojigangas



After a well-deserved nap it was off to the Parroquia to see all the tourists and their antics.  Mostly Mexicans, there were all kinds of activities going on.  A band played in the kiosk while people danced, children played with their balloons and taking pictures with mojigangas.  Walked there and back.  You just can't get lost anymore if you have a cell phone.  The GPS works great so we were able to take many back streets we haven't been on and still found our way home.




Saturday, July 14, 2018

"Long Day's Journey" Into SMA

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Took off on time, out the door by 7:30.  Made a quick top off on the gas tank, bought the newspaper and off we went.  A fun day, to say the least, but nothing out of the ordinary.   We crossed the mountains without an issue stopping at our favorite taco stand at the entronque of Galeana.   Our friends remembered us.  They took care of us when we broke down in April.  

Headed down to San Roberto and Matehuala.  Lots of highway traffic and federales everywhere.   Overall a very safe trip.  We took advantage of Spotify music app and hooked up a cellphone to the car stereo.  The signal left us a couple of times but we had some great classical jazz and some great conversation.

Getting off the highway to head to SMA we hit one heck of a downpour.  Truly beautiful and a wonderful welcome for us.  At home the forecast is 40C to 42C for the next week.  Looks like we left in time.  We stopped at the Mega for a short list of supplies and then called our AirBnB host who met us at the house just 10 minutes after the call.  

The house has two bedrooms and a small studio.  It has a gate over the driveway so we can pull in the car but it looks like a pretty safe neighborhood.  There is a roof terrace also that we didn't know about.  No furniture there but we can take a couple dining room chairs up there.

The house is a bit rustic but has a great master bedroom and bath.  For the price it will do just fine and we don't plan on being home anyway.

Overall I think we will like the place and it seems to suit us already as we are into the happy hour, national news and checking our internet which is extremely fast.  Tomorrow morning we are watching the soccer game between Croatia and France. 

Friday, July 13, 2018

Heading Out In The Morning - SMA

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A trip couldn't come soon enough.  This one is a real relaxer.  As I may have mentioned, we found a great spot behind the Burger King in San Miguel de Allende for a great price.  Two bedrooms, two baths, complete house for a steal.  So if you want to come to visit there is an extra bedroom and bath.  Granted, it's not in the World Heritage Site zone, but we are about 10 minutes from the Parroquia.  

I hope we take off around 7 a.m. and of course we are driving the new to me Volkswagen.  It gets great gas mileage so it shouldn't be a big expense.  

The car is packed and ready to roll.  I had the tires rotated and checked along with hoses and belts.  All is in good order.  I figure we should be there before 5 p.m., as usual, in time for happy hour.

We're going to miss taking the rv but this is only for a week anyway.  Looking forward to visiting friends and old haunts.

See you soon!

Friday, July 6, 2018

Wow, Two Weeks Without A Post!

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After waiting three hours for the polling booth to open, volunteers that never showed up, someone decided to take things into his own hands and get them organized.  After screaming and shouting, four lines were formed, people quieted down and voted. This voting post finished in less than 20 minutes.  Small town as you remember.  



A lot has happened since I posted last.  I've been to a couple of places.  This week I flew to Villahermosa, Tabasco, home of the newly-elected Mexican president.  I won't go there other than basic information.  He has never held a job in his life in the private sector, lives in a mansion, his sons drive Lamborghinis and ski in the Swiss Alps.   He claims to be a president for the people and drives around in a basic economic white car. He's as full of it as any other politician.  Another six years of false promises.   He wants to sell the Los Pinos (Mexico's White House), sell the presidential plane, and give all the ninis money while they go to school.   Pure B.S.  He's a nationalist, believes he can revive Pemex, and thinks that we need to reduce and/or eliminate imports from other countries.  Wow, all of this sounds so familiar, like someone from a northern country.  

Not all of Mexico supported him contrary to the news.  36% of registered Mexicans didn't even bother to vote and that has its own message.  He claims he will eliminate poverty and corruption.  He can't do either much less in six years.  Corruption starts at home.  Every politician is corrupt according to him.  Fine, it might be so, but it is also true that every politician is a spouse, neighbor, cousin, brother/sister, coworker, or family member.  They're not from Venus but right here on this planet.  Poverty is an age-old problem not likely to go away in my lifetime and for many reasons.


A fire broke out at a local business.  15 minutes later a helicopter from Protección Civil starting dipping into a neighbor's swimming pool to put out the fire in a short time.  I had to be Nosey O'Donnell and check it out. 



The SUV had a pretty detailed inspection at the Dodge dealer.   They found several suspension issues which we are having done at our own mechanic.   The issue of the temperature gauge and the electronic shutdown on our last trip has yet to be resolved.   Still working on that. 

Some repairs to the house are going on.  Because of water damage a few years ago, the house suffered some minor structural damage.   It has since been repaired but left some cracks in the walls and the floor tiles around the perimeter of the house.  The floors are being fixed this week with like floor tile and the walls are next.   Looks like an expansion of the master bedroom is in order.  

I replaced the built-in microwave today.  That was a two-hour chore and the use of four hands.  A worker from a neighbor's quinta came to help and was happy to have the extra money.  I went to pay him and he said he only deserved half as I did the other half.  He had never installed a built-in microwave but has electrical experience.   I told him he could now tell people he has experience and then hire me as his assistant.  

Next Saturday we take off for San Miguel de Allende.  We will take a week's true vacation and rent a house taking the cat with us.   Although I am now on a semi-permanent vacation, I need to get completely away.  We want to visit friends, sleep in, do some hiking and visit the botanical garden, Peña de Bernal and maybe a day trip to Queretaro.   The pension process I mentioned in my last post is now taking place.  

Coming home, I start my 100% freelance life and am booking trips to all the countries where the publisher has a customer base.  I've received authorization from CDMX to directly contact all of the offices looking for work.  The hope is to turn those trips into vacations.  No guarantees but we will see.