Christmas Eve and Day in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – I don’t know what made me pick this theme – possibly since many of my friends are sharing this wonderful experience here in Mexico, while others are “enjoying” a chilly and or White Christmas in the northern climes (including California) and in faraway places such as the mountainous part of Sicily.

Dolores and I joined friends Xmas evening for a early dinner at a local “bistro” and enjoyed a wonderful repast. The dinner was located in an outside setting and the staff was efficient, the ambience perfect, the food outstanding and the camaraderie unparalleled . Since it was located a mere 3 ½ blocks away we actually walked thereby getting the benefit of aerobics exercise going and then coming home. Now I know the expended effort in a 3 ½ block walk is like a trip to the baño for many of you; however, after a full meal and drinks, the Olas Altas “hill” somehow reminds me of Mt. Rainier in my State of Washington. Anyway we got home safely around 10:00 PM, and redressed in our casuals, grabbed our books, mixed a refesca and retired to the veranda. Causally sipping my drink (pardon refresca) I noticed that many of the local children were gathering in the street, laughing, running, blowing party whistles, and exploding fireworks. As they continued to gather I remembered it was Piñata time.

Although the Piñata was originally from Italy, it has become a Mexican tradition for celebrations where there are children involved. The Piñata was made out of a clay pot and decorated with crepe paper in different colors. Today's piñatas are made out of cardboard and paper mache techniques and decorated with crepe paper. This change was made to prevent the children from cutting their hands when going for the fruit and candy when the Piñata was broken and the clay piece would become a hazard. They have all kinds of designs besides the traditional star. Of course, there are all types of chants the children will sing while the child in turn is trying to break the Piñata with a stick while he/she is blindfolded. This can and does continue for an hour +, depending on the number of children and the supply of Piñatas.

The presents are not received on Christmas, for Christmas is a celebration of Life of Our Savior. The children's celebration of receiving presents is not until January 6th, "el día de Reyes", the day of the Kings, or the Wise Men Day. It is the Magi who brought the presents to the Baby Jesus, thus, they bring the toys to the boys and girls who have been good.

Only us Americans pass ordinances to suppress party noise. To the Mexicans loud party noise’s are the norm – fireworks, music accompanied by singing? (becoming more garbled as the tequila level rises), children shouting with joy, playing their own games and enjoying the adults getting sillier as the evening turns into the early morning. This year was no different with the children playing till 1:30 AM, and the adults boom box finally being silenced at 5:15 AM, only to restart at 11:00 AM and is still going as I write this blog at 7:00 PM Christmas day. However, am I complaining? The answer is a loud NO! Dolores and I go-with-the-flow and enjoy every moment. After all it only happens once a year…and on other holidays…hmmm…I think there may be 20 plus in Mexico. Oh well my time comes at the next party we have.

Local guest enjoying party!

Messing Around and Other Fun Things…

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Essence of Cuisine… The cooking school has gotten off to a fine start for the 2008*2009 season. We’ve already had two classes in November, both private, with 13 and 8 attendees respectively. Both classes were held within 3 days of each other and featured Mexican and Asian themes. The next two classes – one scheduled on December 11 is full and the other on December 23 currently has 6 students against the minimum of 8. Then we are back to sold-out private classes in January and February - with plans for a couple additional open classes in those months. Coupled with trips to La Manzanila and Mexico City in the first two months of 2009 time gets filled up very quickly.

Shopping for these classes can be a varied and crazy experience. With SAMS/WalMart; Costco; Soriano’s (all three); and the last resort, Rizo’s, available we are normally able to find the ingredients for the classes; however, never all at one or two stores. It takes every store and what you find one day at a given store will never be available two days later. And Rizo’s is only the last resort as the result of their pricing. We leave at noon and get back around 5:00. Our 7 neighborhood Niño’s are always available to greet us and carry the bags up into the condo kitchen. Dolores goes ahead to open the condo and I dole out the bags and lock the car and bring up the last load – a bunch of bananas? In fact one Niño rushed down and took that away from me…lol. What I have to put up with! Group DVD movie tonight – Iron Man.

Club Bon Appétit… Toody and Paco Pilon’s wine tasting events have gotten off to a fast start. Normally held the first Monday of the month at “La Hacienda”, a restaurant with an open in-door courtyard, featuring a four course meal and Paco’s imported wines from Chile was filled with 60 – 70 patrons this November. We enjoy the socialization (old friends, acquaintances, and new contacts) and networking at the event and the purchase of wine for the cooking school. I left the two cases of wine that we purchased in the car overnight for the Niño’s to bring up! The December event was outstanding and featured the food of France.

Other…Many of our friends will be returning to Puerto Vallarta starting the first week of December. Some returned to the States for the Thanksgiving Holidays and others will be going up for the Christmas celebration. I celebrated Thanksgiving by watching the Seattle Seahawks get their “arse”s kicked by a mediocre Dallas team. With the Washington Huskies having a 0-11 season, the basketball team getting a poor start and even the 2-10 Washington State team winning the rotten apple cup in OT over the Huskies, soccer is looking better (even in Spanish).

The SPCA de PV's second annual "Evening Under the Stars" was held on Saturday evening, November 29th, in the "Puerta del Cielo," an addition to the hotel Hacienda San Angel. One hundred guests paid $1,000 pesos each for the pleasure of wonderful cocktails, cuisine, music and a breathtaking view of the crown of the Church of Guadalupe and the bay beyond. The event was generously underwritten by Janice Chatterton, owner of the Hacienda San Angel. I understand that the event raised approximately $200,000 pesos for the SPCA’s animal rescue program.

My really quite days are spent with Dolores on the veranda reading a good book, watching (nosily) all the goings and comings in our neighborhood and observing the construction of a new condo that is replacing ‘Juniors”, the notorious nightclub on the hillside just north of us. Originally Capricious (probably something else prior to that) a nice restaurant, then Juniors a table dance club it met its demise this summer. I’m amazed at the efficiency of the new construction. They use a Cement Pumper for all the pours and the workers are all in hard-hats, steel toe boots and safety vests. They’ve done more work in November than the new 5 story 6 condo unit on the corner of Olas Altas and Pilitas (one block away) which has been under construction since last year and which featured hand mixed cement, bucket and pulley moment of the cement to each level, shirtless, helmetless, and sandal footed workers who whistled aimlessly and sang ditties to entertain all of the neighbors – and checked out each senorita who passed by. Are times changing??

We went to a book signing by Author Bob Lamb held in the courtyard of the BarrioSUR Restaurant last Wednesday evening. This signing was for his recently released book titled “Lone Tree”, a series of vignettes of persons, place and time of growing up. Bob and I were born to the same era and the memories that his book evoked in me were startling. I can remember the same people in a town called Lake Spring, MO., that still thrives with a population of 57 persons. Even though I grew up in a distant city, most of my childhood summers were spent on a farm close to Lake Spring and many of my relatives are buried there. Thank you for such a wonderful book Bob! There was a large turnout of people and we meet two couples who had returned to PV that very day, were hungry, so we joined them for dinner and "Fostering."