While visiting, my friend Bernardo Plasencia, who lives in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera, asked me over for dinner.  After dinner he said, I have something to show you: we went to the roof of his building where he showed me a small apartment he was remodeling.  The apartment had panoramic views of the city and a roof garden.  The evening quite, cool breezes and view of the stars and the moon, was most enjoyable – it felt like sanctuary.  Though remodeling was not completed, what had been done looked great.

I said, this is wonderful and then he says, “I am doing this for you.”  He said he was hoping I would like what I saw and that I return to Santa Maria to live and to WRITE.  I was so honored, how could I say no.  So we made a contract and after my summer visit I return to Dallas to downsize so I could afford the apartment in D.F. and await the completion of the remodeling. And the thought of no more staying with friends and carting heavy luggage around town when in Mexico City sounded charming.

On Thursday evening January 12, 2012, I picked up my keys to once again live in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera on Dr. Atl across from the park Alameda Santa Maria with the Moorish Kiosk.   Having arrived on an airplane, I of course didn’t have much, no bed or furniture: but I did have enough that customs asked if what I was bringing was personal or items to sell! LOL

My first evening in my new apartment I borrowed a pillow and blanket and slept on an air mattress.  As I laid down to sleep, I couldn’t help but think  of the time I first moved away from my parent’s house: with nothing, sleeping on the floor, starting a now life adventure.

The first few days I spent tending to workers finishing up the apartment and getting things for my home.  Then nine days later I had my first soirée.  It was good seeing old friends and to be hanging once again in México City

I do keep getting the question: Are you permanently back in México City?  Well, I don’t see my world as permanent:  wife’s/husbands, lovers and even friends get divorced: people die and I too will one day die, hopefully not soon though LOL!  So to me, it seems, nothing is permanent.

BUT  I do have two places to live now:  I have a small apartment in Dallas’ Oak Cliff in an artist compound with a wonderful courtyard and then I have my small apartment, an art/writer’s studio, on the roof of an apartment building with a roof garden in México City’s Col. Santa Maria la Ribera. Living one day at time, living each day to the fullest in two countries – enjoying my wonderful ride.

photo of Chester voguing on the roof – click image for slide show of apartment

So here goes:  I have most enjoyed the positive changes in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera; the park, Alameda Santa Maria la Ribera, has been remodeled, there are a couple of more coffee cafés:  and glad to see some old institutions still there, like the Russian restaurant Kolobok, Café Alameda and the cantina Salon Paris.   I have enjoyed Santa Maria so much that I will be taking an apartment in the area once the apartment is finished being remodeled – commuting between Dallas and México City.

Currently I am staying with a friend in Santa Maria and I found Fonda Le Bon Gout – Comida Haitiana during a recent walk.  Yep, a Haitian restaurant that is three months open and one block away from the park Alameda Santa Maria la Ribera.

Fonda Le Bon Gout – Comida Haitiana (Le Bon Gout  = The Good Taste)

As I was taking a walk, exploring my old neighborhood, I ran across a new fonda that was full of Black people.  Blacks, African citizens, are not a common sight for México, so when I saw a place that was full of Black people, I took notice.  I stopped and read the sign:  Fonda Le Bon Gout – Comida Haitiana (Le Bon Gout  = The Good Taste).  As I stopped and looked, one of the ladies invited me in to eat.  I thought, why not?  The food is affordable.

I ordered the Plat Creole with chicken; they have it with beef and pork.  As I waited for my order, I enjoyed sitting there admiring all the Black ladies and their children of five or six years of age speaking French.  In fact when they spoke to me, it was in Spanish but with a French accent.  I learned the place does not have one owner, but is family owned.  There were only a couple of family members living in México City for awhile, but after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, other family members came to México City – and then the restaurant was opened.

Plat Creole with chicken

My food arrived, and there was lots of it: rice and beans,  fried banana, fried chicken, red sauce, with Haitian potato salad and what appeared to be coleslaw.  The coleslaw is HOT, spicy HOT, but good.  Though I am calling the food coleslaw and potato salad, they do have proper names; though I don’t remember how to pronounce much less spell their names.  It was all-good – home cooking: Haitian Style.

The last time I posted here was in September 2010 having left Mexico City’s Col. Santa Maria la Ribera for Dallas, Texas.  After arriving in Dallas, I was asked to return to Dallas’ Community radio station KNON 89.3 FM – The Voice of the People.  I served on KNON’s Board of Director’s as President from October 2010 until the end of April 2011. A tenure that went well.  For example,  I helped in make some positive changes while at KNON, like for one, getting the Jesse Garcia Radio Show on the air.  But I came to realize that radio was not my dream so I left KNON in order to pursue and concentrate on my writing; I already had a career as a radio producer and announcer on the radio show I had created: the Sin Fronteas radio show which aired from July 4, 1993 – July 3, 2005.  Being the President of the Board of Directors at KNON was a full time job with no pay.  Too I was getting an itch to travel and as a friend said,  … I “seem to be searching for the right balance, bouncing back and forth across the border with eternal optimism, nostalgia for friends and openness to adventure.”

Life in Dallas has been fun and exciting, seeing old friends, going out to art openings and going to parties; though I have not taken the time to blog about it.

Well, my yearning for Mexico City has taken its toll for I am going back to Mexico City for the summer, arriving in late June 2011 and staying until the end of September — maybe longer.  Looking forward to a fill of  daily Vitamin T: Tostadas, Tamales, Tacos, Tortas, Tlacoyos, Tlayudas, Tortillas, Tinga, agua de Tamarindo, Tesgüino, Tejate, Tepacheand of course TEQUILLA.

Want to keep up with my life as a Chicano in Mexico City, then this follow this blog.

Next posting:  Mexico City – YEA.

Jzs

I am pleased to announce that, Nicholas Gilman visited Col. Santa Maria la Ribera.  Gilman is a food critic, editor and photographer for the book “Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler”, and in 2007 published “Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining,” which won the Gourmand Cookbook award.  AND yes he does mention me in this article.

I have cute & pasted what Gilman wrote here for one’s convenience but be sure to visit and subscribe to his blog: Good Food in Mexico City.

On the Town: Santa Maria La Ribera

Black Sheep:

Last Saturday at the Plaza de Angel I found a book on the late artist Dr. Atl.  The book, titled Dr. Atl is a big picture book filled with numerous examples of Dr. Atl’s work, a letter from the President of México at the time, Luis Echeverria praising Dr. Atl and then the prologue written by Carlos Pellicer, one of México’s most poetic and literary gentleman.  My first inclination was that the book was going to be expensive – but it wasn’t.  I think this is because I found the book not in an antique bookstall but in a furniture store resting under a hat.

Being that I live on the street Dr. Atl in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera, I couldn’t wait to get home and show the book to my neighbor landlady, Mely.  But when I got to Mely’s apartment I noted she had company and said I could come back.  She said, no I want to introduce you to my friend Luis Aguirre an artist and someone I have not seen in a long time.

As I was showing Luis and Mely my book Luis shouts Hey, I recognize that book.  He opens the book to the inside cover and points to a handwritten dedication in the book, something I had missed.

Luis says, see, I wrote that dedication and he had, dated in 1981 – 29 years ago!

pictured below is

Luis Aguirre,

the man that dedicated my book 29 years ago.

But glad to report that in the mean time I had a blog posting listed in the LA Times – La Plaza. Check it out.

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Mexican artist’s intricate sketchings in cafe surroundings

Jesus Chairez, a Texan who now lives in Mexico City’s Santa Maria la Ribera neighborhood and runs his own blog, often sees an 80-year-old artist, Humberto Martinez, drawing sketches using a fine-point black Bic pen at a cafe.

“I find Martinez’ work most fascinating because it is filled with fine zigzag lines. And at 80-years old he does this without glasses too. Martinez’ work reminds me of the late Mexican artist, Martin Ramirez. Ramirez was a Mexican immigrant who spent more than 30 years in California psychiatric hospitals making art few people valued, like this artist Humberto Martinez. Though Martinez is not crazy I think his work is not valued either, evident by the people who seem to not even notice him draw nor give him any attention,” writes Chairez.

“Though I have always said hello to Martinez, today we spoke – this is how I found out he was 80-years old. Martinez also said that he has been drawing for the last 70 years and that he was really a painter, but he prefers using this medium. Most probably because of the environment he finds himself in – cafés.”

Read the full post here.

Photo: A drawing by Humberto Martinez. Credit: Jesus Chairez.

– Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Posted by Deborah Bonello on June 3, 2009 in Art , Culture , Immigration , Mexico | Permalink

I find Martinez’ work most fascinating because it is filled with with fine zigzag lines. And at 80-years old he does this without glasses too. Martinez’ work reminds me of the late Mexican artist, Martin Ramirez. Ramirez was a Mexican immigrant who spent more than 30 years in California psychiatric hospitals making art few people valued, like this artist Humberto Martinez. Though Martinez is not crazy I think his work is not valued either, evident by the people who seem to not even notice him draw nor give him any attention.

Note the rose drawing – I bought it.

Though I have always said hello to Martinez, today we spoke – this is how I found out he was 80-years old. Martinez also said that he has been drawing for the last 70 years and that he was really a painter, but he prefers using this medium. Most probably because of the environment he finds himself in – cafés.

I purchased a rose drawing roughly the size of 8” x 7”. Martinez only wanted $50.00 pesos for his rose drawing which is like $3.65 US dollars. Though I wanted to give him more he wouldn’t accept it, so I bought his coffee.

This is closeup detail of a small portion of the drawing.

Click here to see a short slide show of how I see Humberto Martinez every morning.

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.

HOWEVER, what I also found was a gay café and restaurant called La Dolce down the street from the Russian restaurant also on Salvador Díaz Mirón street. La Dolce is decorated with a large rainbow flag on the outside of the building and plenty of little rainbow flags inside the place. I went to La Dolce during lunch time and it was full. Great food and drink for only 35 pesos, which is a little, less than $3.50 USD. Staff was friendly and helpful, but busy!

Around the corner at the other side of the park I found a pulqueria by the name of La Xochital. Looking up Xochitl on the Internet I found: is a day for creating beauty and truth, especially that which speaks to the heart who knows it will one day cease to beat. Xochitl reminds us that life, like the flower, is beautiful but quickly fades. It is a good day for reflection, companionship and poignancy; it is a bad day for repressing deep-seated wishes, desires and passions.

The name, Xochitl is a Nahuatl word, the language of the Aztecs and sounds all muy pretty, but the place was scary: I took a peak inside but did not go in because it was an odd little place. As you can see from the picture a homeless man parks his stuff outside La Xochitl while he goes inside to drink some pulque; pulque was a drink the Aztecs consumed at religious ceremonies.

A hand written sign on the swing door translates to say: No Minors, Women, police and military uniforms. Hmmm, does that mean no LEATHER?