Saturday, January 23, 2010

Bearded vs. Beardless

Ok folks! Momentous occasion tonight. The facial hair came off! Tomorrow I’m going to go on exchanges with the missionaries and I figured I should look more of the part eh? But now for you to decide.

Do you liked bearded?

Bearded

Or Do you like clean shaven?

Beardless

Let me know what you think…

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Toilet Paper Wars



I hope you all enjoy the movie. We were waiting around one day in the “country” jungle and decided to make a movie with snap shots. You’d think that we had nothing to do while we were here in Mexico but we’re actually quite busy. Isn’'t life great!? Simple pleasures….

Well this next story has nothing really to do with the video that we made but I find it funny. In order for this story to make sense I need to do some background explanation. Our apartment is rather small, including our bathroom. The bathroom fills with steam in the mornings when we shower and due to the humidity it tends to stay rather damp throughout the day. Anyways, our toilet paper roll was starting to feel the effects of the moisture and was more like a roll of wet wipes than toilet paper. There is the background… now for the story.

One day I used the last of the toilet paper role and Camm comically freaked out claiming that I had used half the roll. He said that when he was in there last the roll was still rather large. I had to defend myself and so I very clearly explained that the toilet paper roll had just looked big to him because it was so damp, but in actuality there wasn’t much left at all. 

Well, the fact of the matter was that we were out of toilet paper on a day that toilet paper was much needed. So we went to the store. We walked the block and a half to the little corner store and walked to the back of the store where to our surprise there was quite a selection of toilet paper. Camm wanted the pack of four cheaper toilet paper rolls. I wanted the one large roll of better quality paper. He was still kind of holding a grudge about me using the toilet paper so he wasn’t going to budge on his stance. So, needless to say, we each bought our own toilet paper in hopes that ours would not only be cheaper, but be of better quality, and last longer.  So we both brought our toilet paper to the register and got a funny look from the register girl. Good times…

Then this old lady comes in and gives the girl at the register a funny smile and a, “Eh Eh?” I think she thought we were cute. At least that’s the story I’m sticking with.

In the end I think I came out victorious. We read the labels on the walk back home and I had almost just as many squares as he did in his four rolls in my one roll. AND, his rolls are paper thin. He will deny all of this of course but deep down he knows that it’s true.

Just tonight, Hiram brings in some new toilet paper and says, “Ok guys, no more cheap toilet paper.” Maybe we both lost in the end?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Tacos and the Runs!

Tacos

One night we are driving around town and Camm says, “Man, I could really go for some tacos right now.” Hiram took Camm seriously and takes us to this little taco shop. He took us here because he knows that one of the sisters in the ward owns the shop. The man in the picture with Camm and I is Daniel. He is also a member and happens to be in our ward with his wife and two kids. He is super nice and makes some pretty mean tacos. 50 cents for the best tacos I’ve ever had! Needless to say, I think this has become one of our most favorite places and we’ve already been back since the first taco trip. This might become a regular occurrence for us after a long day. I mean just look at that meat!

And because of all those tacos, Camm and I have taken up running. Our first running trip was a couple nights ago. It was great! The wind was pretty strong and helped to keep us cool. We ran down to the beach and ran by the ocean for a while. What a perfect place to run! I think I’ve fallen in love. Can’t you see it on my face? The following picture was taken right after the run and for some reason it got a lot hotter once we finished the run. I was dying! A cool shower made everything better.

After Running

Friday, January 15, 2010

Pigs From the Hood


Forest Manuel

This is our friend Manuel. He is starting up this little restaurant just outside of Veracruz. Hiram is helping him get started so we occasionally go out to visit him. The restaurant is in the “country” as Hiram likes to say. I guess when Hiram says “country” what really goes through my mind is "jungle”! It’s gorgeous!

When I read the Book of Mormon and think of Nephite-Lamanite battles, this is forever going to be the place that comes to mind. There are open fields but also spaces of complete overgrowth. And it’s incredibly GREEN! And….

Pigs

He’s got PIGS! See all those little oinkers back there? They are the Gansta pigs. Then there is one lonely little guy all by himself separated from the Gangsta pigs by a small wall (which you can’t see in the picture above). As I understood the explanation, the separation is because the loner pig came from a different part of the hood than the Gangsta pigs. There isn’t any hood crossing round these parts of the jungle and so the Gangsta pigs used to pick on the loner pig and push him around. Manuel was gonna have none of that so he gave the loner pig his own pigsty suite.

Maybe I should re-write the 3 Little Pigs story for the hundredth time… Gangsta pig style…   What do you think eh?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Veracruz Temple

Temple
This is the Veracruz temple! We get to hang out around the temple quite a bit because our ward building is on the temple grounds to the right of this picture and our classroom is right across the street. The temple is located in a very convenient location on a very busy street right next to the world trade center. It's also a nice area of town. Our apartment is only about 4 kilometers from here.

We haven't been able to go the temple yet because it is currently closed for a couple of weeks. (I think for construction purposes. As you can see there is a wheel barrow on the bottom left side of the picture.) It will open up again next Tuesday and Camm and I are excited to go. What a beautiful place eh?

Temple2

Monday, January 11, 2010

What a Bear!

2nd Day in Hotel

I didn’t have a picture to go along with my stories tonight but I figured this was the most bear-like picture that I could post. This was taken in a tiny little hotel the first couple of days that I was here in Veracruz. Now for the fun stories…

So we went to Luz’s house for lunch. She prepared for us a very delicious soup with some incredible bread from the bakery just down the street. I was enjoying myself and eating hearty when Luz came over and asked me a question. Well, my Spanish is still rather rusty and I’m adjusting to the way that the natives speak. (I’ve found that older woman are the hardest to understand. Just like in Russia.) I was positive that she was asking me if I wanted some cheese. I really didn’t need any cheese and I was feeling pretty good about what I had in front of me so I declared, “No”. MISTAKE! She looked at me with glaring eyes and said, “Que OSO!” or “What a bear!”

Everyone started laughing and I was just confused! The real story is that she had asked me, “Is the food good?” I had told her, “No”

Jan 7th Port Experience

We all got a good laugh out of that one for quite some time but at that very same dinner table just a few minutes later another comical thing happened. Luz offered both Camm and I some suckers. I was not feeling the sweets at that moment so I put mine aside. Camm opens his sucker right away and starts chomping on it. A few short moments later Camm gets this really funny look on his face and looks around apprehensively. He was checking to see if Luz was in the room. When he found the coast to be clear he looks at me in all seriousness and almost with haste says, “Dude, Don’t eat that sucker!”

The look on his face and the ways he said those words was hilarious! Again we looked around and finding Luz preoccupied in the other room we snuck my sucker back in the cupboard where it came from. I can just imagine the other suckers being so happy for my sucker’s safe return.

In writing I can’t relay the expression on Camm’s face but every time I think about that experience I start laughing out loud. A cherished moment in the first few days of my Mexican experience.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Josephina

Josephina

I saw this picture for the first time in Luz’s house and I fell in love. I don’t know what it is about this picture that absolutely moves me inside; maybe it is the coloring, maybe it is the facial expression of Josephina, or maybe it is the idea of ancestral legacy, or Could it be something deeper…? Could it be the home that this little girl has watched over for so many years? Could it be the love of the people and the depth of soul surrounding this picture day in and day out? Could it be the signs of charity that no one sees except for Josephina?

One such experience was seen just this afternoon. But first, let me give you a quick background of what I have gathered about Luz (the owner of this painting). Luz is an older woman that physically is rather similar to the middle woman in the picture above. Her husband died when her two boys were still rather young. One of her sons was hit by a car in his early twenties and survived a two month coma. He now requires constant care for basic everyday needs. She still works during the day and takes care of her son at night. A truly amazing woman.

I learned the word for drunk in Spanish today and I decided to rather humorously tell Luz that I was “drunk on life.” What started out for me as a joking moment turned into a profound experience. She smiled at first but then got a serious look on her face and said, “Life is a privilege,” she paused and quietly breathed, “we should be grateful every day.”

The words that she said are common. Something heard and repeated often. It wasn’t the words that were as striking as the way that she said them. It was the look in her eye and the love that I felt from her. She finished by looking me in the eye and saying, “You should thank your parents! Your biological parents too!”

Maybe this is what strikes me most about this painting… what would it be like to look through the eyes of Josephina for a day?

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Famous

Veracruz Testing Center

Yep! That’s Camm and I in a pretty sweet little poster that will be posted all over Veracruz. Hiram says that my blue eyes are going to attract all of the woman-folk to come our classes. The truth of the matter is that I played a dirty trick and made my eyes a little more blue than they actually are with my new photoshop program. But let’s be honest, I don’t even need this advertisement to be famous. Let me explain…

The other night we’re walking around by the port. We sit down on a bench and this younger woman comes up to us with a sweet camera. She says she’s part of a Veracruz attraction magazine and wants to take our pictures reading her magazine. Basically, She wants to post our picture for all of Mexico to see. All I have to do is walk around down here and people want to stop me and take my picture. Famous is my new middle name.

First Impressions…

TortaFirst full day in Veracruz! Check this out! This is me eating… eating what you ask? Eating a Torta! So Hiram (the man in charge of our adventure) tells us that we are going to get some tortas for breakfast. I’m thinking to myself- “Cake for breakfast! Mom would never approve! Dream come true!” Well folks, even better than cake for breakfast is a sandwich with a massive slice of ham, a massive slice of mild cheese, and loads of fresh avocado. Very delicious, but it gets better! See that in the background? Orange Fanta with a STRAW! Now I know you’re thinking that we broke the bank for this breakfast. Oh no, it’s not true. All this goodness was total like $2.50. The sandwich alone was only $1.50. Only in Mexico!

The day only got better from there. We ended up visiting a fun little family for lunch and Camm (my compañero en Mexico) was convinced to read a story to a five year old girl named Dani. He started to read and Dani busted a gut laughing at him! Then she very admittedly declared that, “Camm es loco!” The irony of this story is that shortly after her declaration she threw on some sunglasses, turned on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, sang, and danced just like Michael. A better impersonation couldn’t be found in Vegas! This went on for the next half hour… over and over again. Who is loco now?
For those who know me well… VW bugs are everywhere down here!
We had quite an eventful evening walking by the port and around the main city square. We’re walking along and stumbled upon this guy….Sidewalk Painter- Mona Lisa

Yep, just like Mary Poppins! Talk about talent!
We continued on and Hiram treated us to the best nieve (shaved ice or ice cream?) that I’ve ever had!


Jan 7th Port nieves1
There we are just taking in the moment. We took our ice cream to the main square, looked at a nifty life-size nativity with the ugliest angel I’ve ever seen, and  chatted it up in Spanish when I overheard a familiar sound in the background. I look over and see a fairly large group of white-skinned and loud people. Americans? What’s that I hear? Russian? Could it be? In Mexico? Russia represents! I walked over and had a good little conversation with about 15 Russians in Russian in Mexico. I’ll be honest, it took me a minute to gather myself. It was super hard to switch back to Russian after spending a whole day speakin’ a Spanish! I was a flustered but at the same time grateful to be able to speak Spanish as well as I have.
Overall, The future looks good for me here in Mexico. More adventure to come….

Friday, January 8, 2010

Sandwich At The Port

Day 1 PlaneThis is me, chilaxin on the plane to Dallas. Due to some inspiration from a youtube video that my friends Devin and Harry showed me, I am going to take daily pictures of myself to show physical changes, mishaps, and adventure. Check out the slight Goat Tee… First time I’ve ever been able to grow that thing out. I’m going on 5 days now!

Today was a day of travel. Thanks to my good friends Harry and Banner we only had to wake up this morning at 5:30 instead of 4:30. AM folks! I’ve got to stay caught up on my beauty sleep if you know what I mean. So here’s a shout out to Harry and Banner. Thanks guys!

We hit a 3 hour flight to Dallas, a 3 hour flight to Mexico city, and a 6 hour bus ride to Veracruz. Nothing too adventurous happened on the way to Veracruz. Not like my trip to San Antonio for Thanksgiving where I documented the whole trip via canon powershot video action. Maybe someday I’ll post the 1 hour footage of my face. Personally, I find it very entertaining. As you all know I would.

We arrived in Veracruz at 12 o’clock AM and got checked into this sweet little hotel-room. Hiram, our main man down here, took us to a 7-11 type shop to buy sandwiches. You won’t even believe the surprise I found when I took the first bite! We found a nice little place at the port and watched the water, dangled our feet, and listened to the boats bump up against the dock. I had to have Hiram open my sandwich because I’m sandwich container illiterate. I took my first bite and got a mouth full of jalapeño pepper! Yeah baby! Better than any mayonnaise or sauce. Don’t believe me? Give it a shot! Ham, Cheese, and jalapeño pepper.

My journey has begun and I’m ready to live it!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Borsh and Love


So here I am, sitting at the Winn's. I'm about to eat borsh. We made it. You know what happens when you make borsht don't you? Love follows....