I left México City nine months ago, to return to Dallas, a city where I was born and raised. Getting back into the swing of things was easy, especially after living in such a mega city. Being in Dallas was good; it was a learning experience where I closed some chapters in my life that were taking away my concentration. And always, México City was on my mind.
I left Sunday morning, June 19th – Fathers Day, for the airport, excited to be leaving the Dallas summer HEAT already breaking 100º degrees. At the DFW airport, everything is so automated. I stuck my passport into the self-check in. That machine knew everything about me. It asked if I wanted to upgrade my seat to First Class and I thought, hell why not. I have never flown first class so I upgraded. And wow, the service I got was wonderful: free drinks, hot nuts to snack. They even brought a small warm wet towel to clean my hands – for lunch was being served. Sitting in the back all those years I didn’t never know how special it was to be in a seat up front: treated like a rich white woman – and it felt good. I even got real eating utensils though the knife and fork were small – I guess so they couldn’t be used as weapons.
When we landed in México City, it felt kind of weird to be one of the first to get off the plane instead of being one of the last. I made it to the immigration check ahead of all the other folks on the plane. The immigration officer was nice and at first thought I was Mexican until I opened my mouth and spurted Spanish in my Texas twang.
Mary, my British lady friend that lives in México City was waiting for me. She was easy to spot as I left customs because she towered over the Mexicans waiting for their arrivals.
We went to the taxi stand and the guy at the window was charging me too much, though I didn’t know, but Mary knew. She told the guy it was too much to pay and he said no and she said yes. Then the guy pretends to be looking at some book guide and told Mary she was correct. As I left I told the guy, she is my bodyguard and he said a good one.
Driving through the city did not feel strange at all — in fact it felt like I never left for so long at all. I was back on the streets I used to travel and I was with Mary, it seemed like I had just been gone a long weekend.
I made it to Mary’s apartment in Col. Vallejo, close to the Basilica, and we had Thai food for dinner. And of course drank wine and talked. That’s all we did was drink red wine and talk to Mary. It was good catching up with an old friend.
Today, I get out and about and start another round of México City adventures.
Jzs
I guess it wasn’t Adios after all!! LOL
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
My tour in México City (DF) has been fantastic and enlightening – and I can sincerely say it was one hell of a FIESTA and sometimes one big CRUDA.
I moved to DF where I got more cultured in the Mexican way of life, where I learned that being Texican, Tex-Mex, is NOT Mexican at all – there is a difference.
In a lot of ways, living in DF was a culture shock too, the customs, the food (no Tex-Mex with chili con carne and cheddar cheese on my enchiladas), and no Spanglish: If I tried to mix a sentence with English and Spanish I was not understood and thought strange.
The word Latino and most especially Hispanic does not exist here. The whole time I was here I never heard these two words used to identify one, unless it was by a visiting friend from Texas.
I found it fascinating how I had been such a Latino activist in Dallas and then when I moved to México City I was now considered a GRINGO – no kidding.
I often got the nickname gringo and or güero, two common words I, as a Latino, would call white folks back home. I found my nicknames most interesting because I didn’t every consider myself white, but those words have nothing to do with being white.
Gringo or güero has nothing to do with color, but with the culture of those living North of the Rio Grande. I think my nicknames had a lot to do with my Texas twang in speaking Spanish – Como Estan Y’all.
From Dallas Texas to México City’s trendy bohemian Col. Roma and then to el Corazon de Col. Santa Maria la Ribera – it was all grand. I met some remarkable and inspiring people from all around the world, developing some incredible friendships that will last for a lifetime.
I adore México City and often pinched my Latino hairless nalgas to see if I was awake: making sure that it was not a dream – living in the city I so much admired after first arriving in the big enchilada during the Christmas holiday season of 1986.
What opened my eyes to moving was when my obsessive, prying, meddlesome, snooping, busybody, interfering, hmmm, did I forget a name? Yes, GREEDY, landlady raised my rent 400% when my contract expired — this for a torn up junky apartment that she couldn’t rent until I moved into the place and fixed it up. I gave the apartment lots of love, glitter and glamorous zesty parties and then landlady wanted it ALL.
Though we settled on just a 100% increase, my landlady’s action got me to thinking: why stay in México City? I am retired, I have a pension, I have good health and I am still young enough to move around with ease: So I can live and travel most anywhere in the world.
So with that thought in mind, I decided to leave México City, the land that was my grandparents, and venture back to be Dallas based to write my first book: DFW to DF and back. Once completed – I will venture out once again, next stop, I don’t know exactly yet but Buenos Aires seems to be calling my name.
I will miss the vibrant life that is México City: Chapultepec Park, the bike, walk and skate Sunday’s on Paseo de la Reforma, Xochimilco, La Zona Rosa, Col. Roma & Col. Condesa, Centro Historico, the Zocalo, Bellas Artes, Alameda park, the cool bars on Repulica de Cuba, my lovely cantinas, my sidewalk cafés, the weekly tianguis in my hood, my lovely Mercado’s, my comida garnacha (street food) where I got a fill of daily Vitamin T: Tostadas, Tamales, Tacos, Tortas, Tlacoyos, Tlayudas, Tortillas, Tinga, agua de Tamarindo and of course Tequila.
I will miss my charismatic neighborhood, Col. Santa Maria la Ribera: I will miss the many fun and passionate parties that I had on my loggia – a place where I met the famous and infamous. I will miss my wonderful funky Mexican, Russian, Spanish, Japanese cafes and that long-established cantina — Salon Paris.
I’ll remember the park in front of my house: the parque Alameda Santa Maria la Ribera where a gorgeous 100+ year old Kiosco Morisco sat only yards away from my front door. A park that I could see and people watch from my big and lovely veranda: Didn’t need a television.
Col. Santa Maria la Ribera was fun in a quirky and eccentric sort of way, a must see when visiting DF.
But I do have to admit though is that what I will miss most about my life in México City is being pampered — with a cleaning lady, a cook, having someone to do my laundry and then folding and ironing. I will miss living the life of a rich white woman.
I do have to thank my landlady for opening my eyes to: I don’t have to plant roots in México City. Time to start another chapter in my unscripted lifestyle. Though my living in México City is over, my visiting is not – I still love this town.
People know that I sold everything to move to México City and I had to do it again on this move: no regrets — I’ve learned not to get too attached to things and places. Enjoy them and move on for there will always be more fantastic new things and new places to enjoy.
Adios mi México lindo y querido – I will be back, especially in June, July and August when it’s sweltering in Dallas.
It is not adios forever: but see you later México City.
Jzs
PS: Fine points about my journey in México City will come later in my book: So be watching for that.
