Jesus Chairez » Moving

UPDATE: I HAVE NOW MOVED

Jesus — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Well, I was sharing a place in Col. Roma but now have a place of my own, in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera; established in 1861. I decided NOT to take an apartment in Col. Condesa nor Col. Roma because the rents are too high for me; since I like living alone. I went for a smaller place in a more bohemian neighborhood and too it is less rent at half the price – most funky hood.

Since I brought most of my stuff to México City in large burlap luggage (4) from Dallas I thought moving would be easy. BUT I most have bought more stuff in D.F. than I realized. The first haul was Friday, December 19th and I packed a taxi with stuff. Because I got my keys late and moved late I thought I would rest after the first load. But nooooo, a friend calls and says, he is coming over with his friends’ SUV and moving me at 11:30 PM. So I got up from the sofa and packed some more stuff and at midnight, when my friends Abel and Rafa, got there we moved the rest at midnight. It was awesome traveling down Paseo de la Reforma and on to Insurgentes to my new place, the great escape.

Because I needed a bed to sleep on I stayed in my old place one last time. I finished moving one last big bag of sheets, blankets, pillows and computers on Saturday, December 20, 2008; the last haul was Saturday arriving at my new place at 5:00 PM.

It felt so good to be in my new place that overlooks the park called Alameda Santa Maria la Ribera. My first evening I opened a fine bottle of wine and watched all the people below. My big glass windows open to the street below so on Saturday night; I watched people waking their dogs, couples holding hands, joggers – it was great.

If any one wants to send me a Mariachi band to serenade me, bring it on, I am now ready. My last apartment had a view of a backyard mechanic, not too pretty.

Below is a picture of the Moorish Kiosk that sits in the middle of the park and it looks fabulous lite up underneath at night . The Kiosk was designed by the Engineer José Ramón Ibarrola as Mexico’s Pavilion for the Universal Exhibition of 1884 – 1885 and for the St Louis Missouri Fair in 1902 and then back to Mexico! Well the whole park is under going renovations, like mostly the walkways and sitting areas. The Kiosk will stay.
On Sunday I took a walking tour of the neighborhood and loved all the street vendors and el Mercado that is nearby. I have a cool Russian restaurant downstairs from me and on the other side of the park a funky cantina called Salon Paris and I am in walking distance to the Chopo Museum. Want more info of my new hood read this travel article in the New York Times.

I do not have Internet at home at the moment and there are no wireless cafés in my new neighborhood so my posting will be somewhat limited, but will keep you posted when I can.

SKIMPY ON THE POSTS LATELY BECAUSE ……

Jesus — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:05:00 +0000

Skimpy postings because I am looking for an apartment and finding a nice place here is a REAL FULL TIME JOB because one needs a “fiador,” a cosigner. A fiador must also own property in México City! This is a challenge, but will make do ….

I knew it was time to move when one of my roomies, the gringo, told me in whiney dreadful voice, “Ooooh, one of the agreements in you renting the room was that you were to keep the apartment clean.” I was clutching my pearls when I heard that one, so he wants me to pay rent AND to clean the apartment. MAYBE I do look more Mexican than I thought!

In the mean time I liked what Steve Blow, Dallas Morning News Columnist and author, “Blow by Blow : A Collection of Steve Blow’s Award-Winning Columns from The Dallas Morning News,” wrote about my blog:

I wet of garlic

Steve Blow

Jesus Chairez is a Dallas-born-and-raised fellow who retired from the federal government and achieved his longtime dream of moving to Mexico City. He writes an entertaining blog from there about the adventures of an American Latino in Latin America.

I love one of his most recent installments about the poor English translations found on a Mexico City menu. Like the “Fillet of Fish to the I Wet of Garlic.”

But my favorite: “She-Ass of Arab Beef of Head or Chicken.”

Personally, I’d go with the chicken.

Will keep you posted on the apartment finding. Hope to be moved by or least have found a place by December 1, 2008.

A LETTER FROM MEXICO CITY

Jesus — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:29:00 +0000

Jesus Chairez: Dear Dallas, I miss you

Friday, August 1, 2008. The Dallas Morning News

Voices

I went from writing about losing affordable housing in my Old East Dallas hood, to moving and living in Mexico all in a matter of about three months. I landed in Mexico City, my new home, on the evening of May 18, 2008. I officially was no longer living in Dallas. Was I terrified? Yes!

My friends say they worry about me because of all the crime they read about in my new city. But the crime here is no different than being in any large city in the U.S. – just be careful.

Though I was nostalgic about my Old East Dallas apartment building, reality was that I did not often feel safe being in my old hood at sundown because of the prostitutes and drug dealers who would step out and work the streets.

The random gunshots around my home bothered me, too. I often wondered if, or when, a roving bullet would find me.

Since I no longer have those twilight uncertainties in my new locality, I often walk along with a 77-year-old lady friend. We walk her dogs as late as 11 p.m., with no worries.

My new Mexican friends tell me to be vigilant here, too. Because if people know I am an American, some will automatically think I have money, and money equals robberies or worse.

So when I walk here, I try to blend into my surroundings like a chameleon, not wanting to attract the attention of thieves. I don’t want people looking at me like an ATM with sneakers. I think I do a great job of looking local until I open my mouth. My accent, Spanish-Texas twang, always gives me away as an American.

Walking offers me time to think and study my surroundings, like finding new sidewalk cafes to drink coffee and eat. While looking at the old colonial and contemporary buildings as I stroll, I also notice some gentrification going on here, too.

There are plenty of outdoor sculptures along the streets to admire. I love how the local government brings art to the people. Don’t have time to go to a museum? Take a walk.

I occasionally walked in my Old East Dallas neighborhood and blogged my venturesome strolls on NeighborsGo.com, but here I walk everywhere. When I’m in a hurry, I do something here I never did in Dallas – I take a bus. A microbus costs 30 cents, and the Metro (the subway) costs 20 cents. I prefer the bus because I am worried about getting buried alive or stuck underground during an earthquake. I do not need to know a bus schedule here because the buses and trains seem to pass by every 60 seconds.

Sometimes I find my new surroundings in Mexico City a little surreal. Like the day I was on a microbus and we passed about 500 nude bicycle riders. The riders, men and women from their 20s to their 60s, were all having a pleasant jaunt in the pleasant weather. (Summer days are typically in the 70s.)

I stared and wondered what was going on, but the locals on the bus did not even seen to give it a second thought. Turns out the nude bicycle riders were protesting the numerous vehicles on the city streets and taking going green far more seriously than I would.

Though I am living a more carefree existence here in the big city, I do miss my Old East Dallas and my many friends. In Dallas I knew lots of people, but here in the mega-city, I can count the number of people I know on one hand.

I think of my lonesome times and missing Dallas as growing pains. I got my first monthly electricity bill and it was only $5.50. So, for now, I can deal with the lonesomeness.

Jesus Chairez is a (former) Old East Dallas resident and artist. He is also a Community Voices volunteer columnist. His e-mail address is ChairezStudio@ gmail.com, and he can also be reached online at http://neighborsgo .com/jchairez.