Horse Race

Last weekend our landlords took us to a horse race. They have a ranch outside of town and raise horses.

We drove out through the canyons and hills that surround Guanajuato, past mines, through a tiny little mining town, to some spot where people decided it was flat enough for a horse race. When we arrived we found out that we had missed the race, by just a few minutes. Then everyone stood around for a long time. As it turned out, our landlords’ horse lost, but they organized another race with their other horse, so we did get to see one.

They drew a line across the road and put a yellow rope across the road about 20 meters away. It was a very short race.

This is La Favorita, their horse that we got to see race. Notice the ingenious bareback strap. It is just a loose strap that is fastened around the horse and that the jockey tucks his legs into.

The race was over in seconds, and La Favorita won! Then we went home.

The thing that I came away from that experience with, is just how much more comfortable Mexicans seem to be with uncertainty and hanging out. Our inclination was to want to know what was happening, and when and for how long, but no one else seemed to be concerned at all.

San Miguel Run Around

I took a little trip to San Miguel all by myself the other day. I was planning to get student visas for me and Mikko and the closest immigration office is in San Miguel. I went Wednesday night on the bus, then took the city bus to the Zocolo to meet my friend, Mary. She had a babysitter so we actually got to go out for a drink, something I haven’t done much unless it is with Matthew and Mikko. That was fun and fancy. So grown up.

In the morning I took the bus out to the immigration office, with my pages of xeroxed copies of every page of our passports, tourist cards, credit cards, letters from both schools, saying we were accepted to study there etc etc. I waited about 2 hours for my number to be called. They had a TV on and had it on the Nature Channel. That was cool. I saw some amazing spider action.

The fellow who finally called my number was quite nice, but said I would need Mikko’s birth certificate to change his status, and why don’t I just extend our tourist visas, since chances are we will leave the country at least once before March when the extension would expire. That was the first time I looked at my tourist card and saw that we only had 90 day visas, not 180 days like I thought. At that point he said that the office was about to close and he would have to check with his boss to see if I could get it done that day. She said yes, so then I had to run across the street to make some more copies of things, then go to a bank a few miles away to pay the fee and bring back the receipt. There were no cabs or buses around so I had to walk a ways to the nearest big street, where I was able to get a bus, easily - then go to the bank, get the bus back and walked back into the immigration office, thinking I was done. I was, basically but I had to wait about another two hours for him to get to me and do the mountains and mountains of signatures and stamps and trips to his boss. SO now we have exactly what I always thought we had - tourist visas until March and we will need to cross a Mexican border sometime between now and then to be here the whole time legally.

skipping school

I have a bit of a case of senioritis. My last week of school is next week and therefore I COULD NOT make myself go today. I’ve had a lovely day, being slightly touristy and doing errands at the same time.

xmas is coming up. Hard to believe with these 70+ degree days and cloudless skies we’ve been having.

AND GUESS WHAT??

Yes!! Lucha is coming back already the Monday after next!! And it is Hijo del Santo, Blue Demon Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. Only the offspring of the three biggest legends of Lucha, ever!!

We have vowed to get front row tickets this time.

thanksgiving (belated)

My sweet friend, Satoko - took great pix on Thanksgiving and then returned to Tokyo- so I have been waiting to post until I got her pix - (I only had lame pix.)This is her - and me (I really should have washed my hair.)

We had an excellent expat Thanksgiving. We invited 20 people, mostly people we know through Mikko’s school. Almost half were under 10, so it was quite a lively crowd.

The evening started with a fabulous dark grey sky, thunder, amazing low and dramatic lightning, and a down pour.

Wet boys

We brought a table from next door and I had just happened to have bought 4 1/2 meters of oilcloth in Irapuato. Everyone brought food, and we managed to have all the traditional thanksgiving dishes, EXCEPT for cranberries. Oh well.

And of course lots of red wine.

Everyone, including kids were able to sit at the table. Everyone, including kids, gave a toast to what they were thankful for. I was thankful for new friends and that I had just happened to buy 4 1/2 meters of oilcloth.

Since there were so many kids, of course there was a pyramid,

jello of course,

and um, Jesus and some turkeys.