Author Archives: Dianne Hofner Saphiere

ExpoCar Mazatlán

 

My lifelong quest to experience different cultures had me tonight doing something very out of character: breathing in the smoke of burning rubber. Mazatlán has its MotoWeek, which, to my great surprise, we enjoy every year, but this was our first visit to the annual ExpoCar events.

The burning rubber was part of the quemado de llanta events this evening in the huge lot near Sumbawa. Cars lined up for their turn to hit the brakes while simultaneously accelerating, in a contest to generate the most smoke. Families with young children, couples, and groups of friends gathered for the opportunity to inhale the worst-smelling stuff this side of the water treatment plant. Despite the horrible effect on the environment (the event is just wrong, for me, on so many levels), it was actually quite fun.

Our involvement with ExpoCar started this afternoon, when 200 or so cars paraded by our front window, twice. It was awesome! The event includes every kind of car you could imagine: old and new, race and muscle, stock and drag, way tall and low-rider, classic and custom, SUV, truck and car… Last night and tonight these cars are on display in the event space: doors, hoods and trunks open to reveal the cars’ inner workings.

We failed to take a camera when we walked over tonight, so the photos are just from the cell phone. My favorite car had a DVD play in back, with TWO screens, HUGE speakers, and GORGEOUS lighting. Want to party on the malecón? On a quiet stretch of beach? Plug in your favorite banda DVD, and let ‘er rip! The photo does not do this car justice; it was waaaaay cool!

Another thing that fascinated me were the cars with parachutes on the back. In the photo at left, the car has two parachute packs, plus little mini wheels off the back.

You may know about these, but personally I had no idea they existed outside of made-for-TV test strips. There were several cards with chutes on the back. The little wheels, I suppose, are meant to prevent the car from tipping over backwards.

Greg had hoped to male-bond over this event with Danny, but Danny had other teenagers to hang out with. Had he joined us, I think he would have loved the Volkswagens that were there. He’s given up on the Nissan 350Z, the Mustang GT and the Camaro, and now more realistically hopes for a bug as his first car. These were awfully darn clean and nice.

ExpoCar began Thursday night with a big TRI concert, followed by concerts both Friday and Saturday nights. There is of course a “Chica ExpoCar” contest, and racing both Saturday and Sunday at the Autodrómo Mazatlán.

All in all, not a normal Saturday night date night, but definitely something fun and different.

 

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude for Danny’s School

This Thanksgiving, I am so very grateful for Danny’s school. There are downsides, as with anything, such as the large class size. But the upsides!

First came the study of world religions. Yes, this would seem to be tailor-made to make this mother happy. 🙂  A Xaverian Catholic school that teaches the major world religions. As I have helped Danny with his homework, we have discovered what I feel are a few inaccuracies or biases, but hey, he’s got me to help correct those 🙂 And, amazingly wonderfully, the teacher has been open to hearing what Danny has to say!

But today’s homework for his “ethics and values” class was a home run for the whole family! If you have any interest in Mexico at all, or in legal systems in general, you have GOT to see this movie! Called “Presunto Culpable,” it came out back in 2010, but somehow we missed it.

It is a documentary presented by a team of Mexican lawyers, about the Mexican system of “guilty until proven innocent.” The movie follows the story of one young man wrongly convicted of murder, and the saga he goes through to try and prove his innocence. The statistics that are presented in the movie are astounding, including the percentages of verdicts that are convictions (95%) and the percentage of convictions with no physical evidence (92%).

As if the movie weren’t powerful and thought-provoking on its own, the kids were put into pairs and told to summarize the movie in one-half to one page. They were then asked a series of really deep, reflective, valuable questions about democracy, human rights, and the personal traits that make for success. As with any film, I found those who take issue with it. Slant Magazine goes so far as to call it unethical.

Many of you who read this are dynamite educators. Bless your souls. I am very, very grateful this holiday that my son is benefitting from some dynamite teachers and a powerful curriculum, and grateful that throughout his life, each of his schools has benefitted him in wonderful ways! Thanks to the teachers who inspire our children!!!!!

Fastest Restaurant Service in the World/Karne Garibaldi

 

México, the land of mañana, a place where ahorita (“right now”) means “I am aware of it; we will get to it, eventually…” So imagine our shock this afternoon when we walked into a restaurant across the street from our hotel in Guadalajara, and before we could even sit down onto our table appears FRESH food: limes, chopped cilantro and onion, chips and salsa, and hot corn tortillas! A waiter showed up with pen and notepad in hand, smiling, asking us for our order, before we had barely sat down!

“What do you have?” I naïvely asked. “Beef cooked in its juice, small, medium or large.” Easy enough. (They do have quesadillas if you don’t want meat, but not much else.) Our small orders showed up in about 20 seconds. We had been sitting for all of 30 seconds, maybe, and we were eating fresh hot food! The slowest part of the process was us. Had we been experienced diners, it would have been a seamless, fluid transaction.

For us it was quite disconcerting. The place, Karne Garibaldi, is evidently pretty famous in Guadalajara, founded in the 1970s and currently with five different locations throughout the city. Since August 31, 1996, they have held the Guinness World Record for fastest service: 13.5 seconds from kitchen to table! This is not a taco stand; it is huge, comprising what are basically three large dining rooms. We didn’t count, but would guess there are sixty tables and seating for a few hundred people. We normally clocked people getting served their main courses and drinks between 30 and 50 seconds, but that’s still pretty darned amazingly speedy!

Remarkably to me, the staff all worked together like a well-oiled machine and, they were happy doing it! The hostesses seat groups of people and stand at the table with their hands in the air as the guests sit down. The side dishes all show up, and a waiter shows up. The waiter runs (literally) the order ticket to the kitchen, and the food and drinks are served lickety split. Other waiters wander around with fresh guacamole or other side dishes you might want to add to the standard-issue salsa, grilled cebollitas, limes, and their famous frijoles con elote (beans with corn). Waiters who are not busy taking orders or serving clear plates from tables. And boy, can they carry the weight! These are heavy pottery dishes! The entire time we were there, we only small smiles and great examples of team work, so often missing in restaurants today. Someone has done a great job instilling a culture of team work and customer service. Even the manager or crew supervisor was pitching in non-stop. Lots of nonverbal communication and staff member helping staff member; it was really fun and beautiful to watch.

Outside the restaurant in Plaza del Sol a line of cars waited a long way down the street for valets to park them, such is the demand on this place. We personally found the meat in its juice a bit bland, but there was plenty of salsa, lime, cilantro and onion to spice it up. And, thankfully, it was meat, not tripe or ears or eyes or…

The menu includes a large variety of drinks (including Greg’s beloved Coke Zero in a BOTTLE!) as well as Mexican desserts (jericalla, pastel mil hojas, flan, mousse de guayaba). Prices are reasonable (see menu at left). The small orders were enough for us as we went home very satisfied. It is only a few pesos more for the next sizes up, so a hungry diner won’t go broke. This is a great place to eat and probably a great place to work.

Just remember, next time someone tells you that Mexicans like to take their time… there are exceptions to every tendency!

 

Cerritos Beach, Otro Domingo Típico Mazatleco/Another Typical Mazatlecan Sunday

I know a tranquil beach where the views are spectacular,

Where rock outcroppings shelter swimmers from rough tides.

I know a beach where both the music and the food are fantastic.

The restaurants are basic, in no way luxurious…

But, they serve fish, seafood and shellfish caught just minutes earlier…

In a shady, ocean breeze-cooled environment. Along with the seafood they serve cold beers and…

Freshly squeezed, ice cold lemonade!

I know a beach where the restaurants are plenty comfortable, and you can’t beat the freshness of the food served, the spectacular views, the joy of the environment, or the price. (Greg and I had barbecued corbina, two beers, and a fresh lemonade today, and we paid 220 pesos or about US$18 for the privilege.)

I know a beach where, in addition to the music, the food, the drink, there is plenty to keep you entertained while you are relaxing, including watching families out for a Sunday afternoon picnic and swim, and fishermen putting their boats in.

If you are from Mazatlán you of course know this beach: Cerritos. Decades ago when we first started visiting Mazatlán, Cerritos was a long drive up a lonely dirt road. The beach was great, and there were a few open-air restaurants just like today.

But today the road is paved, Cerritos is right next door to the huge, world-class El Riu hotel complex, and it lies at the end of a shopping mall that caters to gringos who stay in the trailer park. It is a mere 15 minutes from the Golden Zone. And Cerritos is still, fortunately, wonderful!

If you don’t want to visit a restaurant, you can picnic on the beach. You can bring your own shade, or, even easier, bring your ceviche and shrimp paté and…

Rent some shade: 130 pesos for day use of a tent, a table and four chairs.

If you haven’t been to Cerritos in a while, you are overdue! If you’re heading down to Mazatlán, be sure to add Cerritos to your agenda!

Below I’ll add just a few random photos taken today that I thought you might enjoy.

Fishing net on the beach

Músicosready to serve

Singly or in conjuntos

Natural swimming pool

Lots of families enjoying a day in the shade

Our restaurant from the outside

Oysters for sale

Read the first in my “Typical Mazatlán Sunday” series.

Islamic and Arabic Influences on Mazatleco Spanish

 

One of the interesting things I’ve noticed about how living here in Mazatlán has changed me over the past three years is in my vocabulary and manner of expression.

“When are you leaving on your business trip?” a friend asks me in Spanish. My “normal,” pre-Mazatlán response would have been, “I’m leaving late Sunday morning.”

After living here a few years now, however, my “normal, living-in-Mazatlán” response tends to be either: “Primero Diós (God permitting), I’ll leave late Sunday morning;” “Si Diós quiere (God willing), I’ll leave late Sunday morning;” or “Dios mediante, I’ll leave late Sunday morning.”

BIG difference to me, in both my worldview (more fatalistic/less control and structure) as well as in my phrasing. I find myself talking like this in Spanish all the time now, without thinking about it, whereas I would never before have said that. It is of course because I hear the people around me talking like that every day.

And I don’t just talk like this in Spanish; I find myself saying things like this more and more often in English as well. I’ve had some interesting feedback when saying things like this in English, especially when talking to Europeans. “What does God have to do with it?” or “Religion sure has taken on a major role in your life, Dianne.” A response in which I sense a bit of distrust, dislike or caution. This response, like any behavior, reflects a worldview, one in which it is not the custom to refer to God in this way, one in which spiritual beliefs are private matters, and in which recently there has been significant backlash to immigration and Islamization. In our local context, such phrasing doesn’t necessarily seem particularly religious; it’s just how many people speak.

To avoid such misinterpretation, I sometimes find myself avoiding references to God, which at this point requires purposeful choice. Alternatively I say something like, “The plan is to leave late Saturday morning,” or “My plane reservation is for a late Saturday morning departure.” Both of these phrasings feel much more cumbersome to me, they are not natural, yet they feel better than the “old” phrasing: “I’ll leave late Saturday morning.” That’s hard for me to say now. It feels too arrogant, too mechanistic. Things happen; things change. “The plan is to leave…” feels more truthful. More respectful. Less arrogant.

Most Mexicans will say that this sort of fatalistic or God-fearing phrasing originates in Catholicism. I am confident that Catholicism is part of the reason, and a devout belief surely encourages such thinking and expression. But the people who use such expressions are not limited to Catholics, nor church-goers. I’ve been to many Catholic countries where I don’t hear people referencing fate and God with every other sentence. Honestly, I believe this sort of phrasing in Mexican Spanish originated or was at least an influence of the Moors in Spain. They brought Islam and Arabic phrases to Spain (inshallah in Arabic, which became ojala in Spanish), and this mentality and phrasing have survived, thrived, and are alive and in frequent use in modern day on the west coast of Mexico. Such an outlook may resonate with indigenous Mexican beliefs and worldviews as well; of that I am unsure.

Another frequent local expression is the response to “How are you?” In high school Spanish classes I learned that the correct response is, “Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? More often than not, people here will respond with, “Gracias a Diós, aquí ando” (Thanks to God, here I am); “Sigo de pie” (I am still alive); or “Echándole ganas” (I’m doing my best/giving it my all). These expressions, in my feeling for and understanding of them, infer a gratitude for life, a desire to express joy and gratitude and not to complain despite the huge economic hardships people have experienced in recent years. These are also expressions I find myself saying all the time, and ones I sense also originate from Islamic beliefs. It is amazing to me how what happened centuries ago on another continent affects so strongly how we express ourselves today. Or, you may say, it’s all Catholicism. 🙂