South of the Border,

Episode 7     Dec  ’17   

Ciudad Mexico

   

 To err is human & to forgive, is even more human! I ask for forgiveness for having bungled up the numbers of my dispatches, ‘cause somewhere, I couldn’t locate No 4! After many hours of going through them all, I found that No 4 was ‘overlooked’! My family, esp my sibs will confirm that I was not much of a guy  as far as numbers were concerned.( what would you think of a a chap who thought 1/16 was greater than 1/8!!)  Let’s leave it at that shall we?

The best way to experience a place is firstly, to take in as much with your mouth & secondly, through your eyes! For the latter, the ideal way is  to take a bus that allows you to hop on/off at pre-determined halts, at your pace!

The Pai’s (2+2) and us decided to do the above, in that order, one bright morning. Cut to Posadas. Remember a name I dropped in that event. Omar! Yes, the owner of Two eating joints called Aquiles, serving Salads & Chilaquiles! This is another Mexican delight & it was to be a brunch at this place. Driving through a different route, marveling at the commercial & residential buildings as well as the very orderliness of street food carts, we decided to build up an (some!) appetite before the kill! I must make a mention here that besides parks (huge) with statues that are well maintained, Street or Wall Art is another thing  that stands out (literally)

Walking down a lane that took me back to Colaba area ( big houses on both sides, with lots of trees & clean!), we arrived at our destination. A very unpretentious place, with Two long tables that could seat 12. 
There were tall stools & a few single/dbl seate rs. The Salad Bar was across the room & the Chilaquiles, as you enter! This again is an assembly-line item, with the square shaped tortillas over which simmering Green or Red Salsa is poured. Thereafter, it’s your choice of toppings (ham, beef, pollo, etc) topped with a cheese & cream! A look at the bowl in which this magical mix was going to be stirred, & most of us weren’t  sure if we could down this all! But one look at the end product (the procedure was behind closed doors!)  threw such ideas out of one’s mental window! Unfortunately, the stock of beer had not been replenished, so there was no choice but a lemonade to wash down the food.  

While the orders were being prepared, we busied ourselves by walking around the area. There was this very interesting contraption (again) for getting one’s shoes polished. On the other side, were stalls of street food, dishing out delicacies with speed & accuracy! We made a mental note of trying out one of these, some day.   

                                                              

A point that I must make a mention of here, is, that the girl at the billing desk refused to take even a ‘phuti’ peso as payment, After trying all the Four ‘nitis’, and an offer that Don Corleone was famous for, the senorita let on that she was under the oath of omerta by  Omar! So Janu called up Omar, only to be told that the treat was on the house!!! That’s Mexican hospitality & largesse!

Having walked to build up an appetite, now it was imperative that we walk the remaining distance, in the misplaced belief that walking is a sure way of burning calories!  With heavy hearts (& heavier guts) we did cover a lot of ground, till the Angel. Will power wilted here, so we took a cab to Pasaje Polanco. Janu & Co had a head start as their cab came asap, so she buzzed to say that they were waiting in  Staarbucks!   

This is one of the, if not the, high-end localities of the City. All the  top Fashion Houses have a tremendous presence here, and the displays are matched by very smartly dressed folk.

Since we decided to walk a bit, we took some  time to visit a chapel right on the street we were on! Poinsettias (this time White) were seen in abundance in the chapel, adding beauty to the grandeur of the place! among the many plants that were grown all along, I couldn't help but take a picture of the purple flower, which is quite common in Maharashtra & used to make braids, which is known as "Koranti". Food for thought as regards the commonalities of the flora in both countries.

The rear exit of Starbucks opened out to  beautifully designed boutique shops & residential area, which one cannot discern from the street. Each shop is a temptation for the shopper, as the photos show. The place is also interspersed with eateries. We were told by Jenny that lunch hour is around 3 or 4 pm, since breakfast is heavy & latish. That explained the rush of diners. And of course, there was a lot of local colour like shoeshine men, with their colourful stands, dog-walkers & the  odd street musician.            

Having had our choice of coffee & cakes, it was time to head in the general direction of home!

Tomorrow, we take the bus trip and explore the city, not once, but on Two days.

Till then,
Hasta Manana!!
AshoKalpana

South of the Border,

Episode 7    17-25 Dec  ’17       

Posadas….& a Merry Christmas!

           

I spoke about the ‘Posada’ held at the Party room of the complex. This week, we were invited by Janu-Jenny’s friends in the building. Diego & Irene (pronounced ‘Iraynay’), Diego is a practicing Psychiatrist & Irene, a home maker, Since they stayed on the 14 th floor, we had to first go to GF & take the lift on the opp side, as there are two sets of lifts, as I’ve mentioned.

We were received very warmly by the couple & Diego, who is well informed & widely travelled, wanted to know the Indian way of greeting!

The choice of beverages were, a Hibiscus infusion & Lemonade with ‘chia’ seeds.  Evelyn- Rodrigo & Omar-Alexandra were the other Two couples invited. I must make a mention here that Janu is quite fluent in Espanol, considering she’s been here just about a year! 

While the kids made themselves at home with the toys & games, the hosts explained to us, food habits of Mexican’s, what’s to be eaten (or not eaten) with what. Corn is the staple, followed by Rice & Black Beans. But most of the fare is Non Vegetarian, Pork & Beef at the top of the “pecking order”, followed by pollo! Food is mostly an ‘assembly line’ kind of a system, It’s mostly tortillas/ tacos/tostadas/tacos etc, which are all corn & the other ingredients are added on,as per taste. Taste essentially comes from the various sauces & cheeses, all of varying colours….& ascending degrees of spiciness!!

So Evelyn proceeded to demonstrate how to make Tostadas, with either B Beans paste or Cream. And some items are a strict “no-no” to add on.

Stage 2 & 3

Stage 1

                                 Followed by Pozole. This is such a simple item to make, that after reading this, you’ll want to try it out straightaway. The catch is, of course, the % of spiced/sauces! Essentially shredded Pollo or Barbacoa(Lamb), White Corn, Vegs (any) all cooked in a chicken broth & spiced up. Dessert was squares of preserved fruit served with a cheese.

The topper here was Beer mixed with La Chiva, a Tamarind-based drink, made in Vera Cruz! (The words on the scroll on the bottle, if taken in Punjabi, conveys it all!!). Omar owns Two Diners in the city & we were let off only on a promise that we would have b’fast/brunch at one of his places.

Diego & Ire'ne'

Since it was Christmas time, feasts were very much on the agenda. There were three invites on the trot, the distance of each, increasing in geometric progression. The first  was Diegos, which was in the same building. The next was at Tripthi & Sabareesh, from God’s Own Country, who live within 5 minutes from our place. That evening, we learned that there were at least 1000 Indian families in Ciudad Mexico! Besides the IT crowd, pharma & manufacturing made up a bulk, besides some traders, mostly from the Land of Five Rivers. These enterprising folks, had taken a bungalow & set up a Gurudwara there, which besides offering temporal solace, also served at a meeting point for the Indian community. Lastly,  it was an hour & a half drive beyond Santa Fe. We drove through perhaps one of the best gated communities here, with Ivy-covered high walls & very ornate gates! We were told that the residents were mostly politicos, film stars & business magnates!

Gated community

 Not surprising.  Archit, again from God’s own country & Lalita, have a beautiful hacienda-type of a house, with typical white walls, tiled roof, cobbled streets & tall cacti! Lalita, incidentally is from Nepal, settled in Hyderabad! National integration at it’s best! And the fare was very different at both places, Archit himself serving up an abs fab Biryani (Super se Upar, as Jenny is wont to say!) It was Christmas eve and everything was still as still…..and brrr cold!

On Christmas itself, we were invited for lunch at the residence of Mr. Jose, yes Jose & not Jose’!    

Mr Jose came to Mexico 41 years ago from yes, God’s Own Country & has his own manufacturing unit. Dr Mrs Jose is a well-known Gynaecologist here. The Joses live in one of the exclusive areas of the city, where there are only bungalows, with huge lawns & tree cover. The guest list was the who’s-who of the Indian community here.

It was heartening to hear their stories of success.  There was a choice of beverages & nibblers, but the spread was an amazing mix of Mexican fare & typical Kerala cuisine (KeMex!) The gracious hosts personally attended to us all & the amalgam was smoothly achieved.

The spread-Dr Annie chkg out

In-between the festivities, there was a ‘quake ‘ alarm, so we all trooped out in the garden, as per the drill! By then, (this is my reading), all the spirits imbibed by us, perhaps acted as “auto-stabilisers”, since not much of the tremor was felt! However, it gave us all a chance to take in the beauty of the place. Dr (Mrs) Jose has a proper Curry Leaves ‘farm’ on a small plot in the house, as also a Jackfruit  tree!

We marvel at the similarities as well as presence of similar plants, fruits, spices & foodstuff, in India & here. However, it is no surprise that a lot of these items as well as lentils, beans & the like which are used in our everyday food, have actually been brought in from other countries! Of late, there have been many articles in the ‘papers recommending planting “native” trees & avoiding “alien” one! If I am right, the Tamarind is not native to India. Are we going a few steps ‘forward’(?) by dividing trees also on countries of origin? (shudder, shudder!)

On our way back, we passed by another well-wooded park, named Gandhi Park, in memory of the Father of the Nation! Another revelation  was the importance  Fine Arts & Literature has been ensured. There are numerous Museums here (anthropology, modern art, natural history etc) And streets/ localities named after eminent writers like Shaw, Moliere, Homer, Horatio! And a book stall named after Gandhiji! 

 

Another family from Dallas (Arindam, Sudipta & boys), good friends & colleagues arrived after a pretty harrowing wait at immigration. However, tempers were soon soothed with appropriate Chritsmas ‘spririts’! The night was a quiet affair at home, but not before   calling it a day(night) with Beef Chilly (Janu has mastered this) & good Wine from Baja California!

The next day, we left for Puerto Vallarta via Guadalajara for a seaside holiday. But “ye kissa kabhi aur”.

Adios!

TC,Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have, while writing.
AshoKalpana

South of the Border,

Episode 5    9 -12 Dec  ’17       

Reforma, Angel of Independence….& food (of course!)

A twenty minute cab ride  through some amazing areas, was not enough to drive home the realization, of how ill-informed/ignorant we are, of countries that are less talked-about.( or do not appear in any media.) In a way, it’s a blessing, because the discoveries we make during our sojourn, are all the more exciting! The streets are well maintained, cleaned & have a lot of green cover, either on the dividers or along the main streets. 

View from the Centre

The area, known as Reforma, is the centre of the City. Traffic is well behaved, though honking is not frowned upon. There are dedicated spaces between the walkways & streets, for cyclists! Yes, there is a large No of people using cycles, their own or from the Ecobic stands. (You pay for a membership for their use & they can be collected from any of the stands).

As I said, a lot of the landscape is reminiscent of ‘back home’ areas and the shrubs & trees are familiar.  Office buildings occupy a majority of the space here, but cafes & shops are equally visible. 

The most striking part is the presence of intersections (are’ baba, ‘chowk’!), with spectacular sculptures, fountains… and a very visible presence of Cops!

LadyCop!

We shed our cab at the Angel ‘chowk’ & headed straight for the monument. The origin of this, has been narrated in the earlier blog. The pillar stands tall in the middle of the monument, with beautiful statues, traditional artwork & the Angel herself, grabbing one’s attention. 

 However, it’s best to view her from afar, to get a better look ( contrary to the Big Bad Wolf), as well as to   avoid a crick in the neck, which Romeo must’ve suffered from!! 

It’s worth the while, sparing some moments to take in the panorama. If a picture speaks a thousand words, I will spare myself the labour of writing ( & you, of reading every word!)


We saw a very strange but interesting event. One of the most important celebrations in Mexican culture is the tradition of the Quinceañera. This constitutes a ceremony on a girl's fifteenth birthday to mark her passage to womanhood, to give thanks to God for his blessings, and to present a young woman to the community. The festival would seem a combination of a “sweet sixteen” birthday party combined with a coming out ball for debutantes. The Angel is a favourite place for photo shoots. The girls were  escorted by Chamberlains, all in their tuxedos.

Then, there is a picture of tent-like structures along both sides of the street. These are put up for vendors, selling home-made & other goods, over the week-ends. So we crossed over to them & did a round of both sides. The products ranged from home-made preserves, home remedies, artwork, pickles, traditional wear etc. You name it, it’s there! Something like stalls that are put up at exhibitions. I spoke ( wrote) about similarities in foodstuffs(fav topic!), spices, fruits. We came across   something that could best be described as a thick “sev/shev” which was made from powdered Amaranthus seeds. Amaranthus, in Marathi is “Rajgira”, the ladoos & ‘guddani’ of which are so well-known back home (India, that is!). Kalpana was persuaded to get herself  a wrap, a cross between a poncho & a shawl.

Having walked a lot and depleting Jenny’s purse, the pangs of hunger, eventually won over the wanderlust & so, lunch it was going to be!

Jenny suggested we go to a typical Mex place, not too far off. A little bit of excercising ‘Shanks Mare’, passing by some super commercial edifices & window shopping, we took a short ride to La Casa De Tono (ie Tony’s house).For Punekars, it could be termed similar to a cross between Diamond Queen & Good Luck & for Mumbaikars, this place would evoke memories of ‘Café Stadium’, of old times, at Churchgate or say, Leopold or Mondegar!

Before one could say ‘Buenas Tardes’, the table was laid with Tortilla chips +  different kinds of Salsa, bread, Pico de Gallo (plain & simple Kanda Tamatochi koshimbeer! Spelt as pronounced pl).  I quite relished a crisp ‘papdi’ kind of a thing called ‘Chicharron’. Pl Google to find out what it is!

Pozole

Lunch was Tostado Pollo  (for the uninitiated, LLs in Espanol is Y, so, poyyo, that is chicken)  for Kalpana & Janu , while the men decided on Pozole. The former is a crisp tostado (roti) with a cream base, topped with shredded chicken, lettuce, cheese!  Pozole ( the z pronounced as S) is, Tambda Rassa with shredded chicken, corn, vegs & onions. A single item meal. Of course, there was Corona Light to wet the throat! (by the way, Corona has a huge presence here & we intend to visit the factory which is quite nearby. So is Starbucks seen almost everywhere).

Tostadas

K'Park/Prabhat Rd Lane!

Bhori Ali?

Different types of Flans & we were done. While waiting for the cab outside, I couldn’t help but get engrossed at the sight of a hardware shop right next door. It looked straight out of Raviwar or any other peth ‘back home’ (I), The lane also reminded me of say Koregaon Park or even a by-lane off Prabhat Road. (please see the photos to get convinced!) 

I’ve been harping upon the similarities in locales, food, ambience, traffic…the works. However, the biggest contrast is the disposition of the people. Total strangers display simple courtesies like greeting you. In fact, in the elevators, people wish one another while entering & exiting!  As mentioned earlier, street vendors/sweepers etc, are all neatly dressed. 

I always feel so sorry to make this observation about my countrymen, but greeting someone, whether in Office or anywhere else, has become extinct.  Its hurts more so, when we pride ourselves on our “culture” esp “Atithee deva bhavo”! On the contrary, we seem to revel in someone else’s misfortune.

Chalte' chalte'... see any resemblance in the pic at right bottom ? 

 No marks for guessing, but just another pic like 'back home', The big(gest) difference is of course, the traffic!

While composing this, the Pais (Satish, Shubhangi & the boys), good friends of Janu-Jenny, besides being colleagues, have landed here, from Pune via Dallas, to celebrate X'mas & New Year celebs! Great spirit, so, next one up, we'll take you on a Hop On/Off trip of Mexico,City. Till then.. Cuidate!

So, Hasta Luego amigos, aboard the Turibus!

As ever, 

AshoKalpana