Mexican New Year

Tonight is New Years Eve and there will be many festivities in town – parties, street parties, fireworks, great food and drinks. It probably sounds a lot like where you live – isn’t it interesting how in every country things can be so different and yet many things are the same?

We will be heading down to the beach again to ring it in. Are you surprised? I’ll be counting my blessings of how fortunate I feel to be able to live in Mexico with my husband and children as I gaze out over the ocean with the distant lights of Cozumel and the twinkling blanket of stars over us. I will probably have no jacket on (Big Smile).

I don’t know how late we will stay there but I do know that whenever we get home the neighborhood parties will still be in full swing. Well if we can’t sleep we can always join them.

By the way, one fun tradition that is observed in Mexico is the eating of 12 grapes - one with each stroke of the chiming bell at midnight. This is to bring good luck for the coming year.

May your New Year be full of fun, love, prosperity and travel.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Electricians may laugh with me

Mexico always provides some humor to our electrician friends from Canada or the States. Apparently there are lots of rules in those countries when it comes to electrical work.

None of us are sure what the rules are in Mexico. My friends actually walk around taking pictures of the huge messes of electric cords and cables outside of some buildings. What goes to where?

Now first let me say I would never judge good or bad – right or wrong. Whatever works – works and we must always accept that there can be different ways of doing things. Let’s just say that everything can be interesting in Mexico.

Electrically speaking, this weekend I really got to see something I consider ingenious when a fellow came to do some welding on our gate. He brought his equipment – I don’t even know what it was called but I did notice his handy dandy electrical wiring for it. His cord was spliced together and patched and taped in 3 places. I looked at the end that would go into the wall and it was only two ends of wire. These ends he proceeds to connect directly into our meter box that sits on the side of our wall.

It took him a little playing to get it to work but he did. He got the job done and no one got electrocuted. Maybe sometimes that is all you can ask for. My gate does work perfectly now.

Only in Mexico you Say? Maybe – maybe not.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/

Day of the Dead in Mexico

In Spanish it is called Dia de los Muertos.

When we first moved to Mexico I did not understand this holiday or this concept. As with everything we do not understand, it even scared me a little. Why did Mexicans display skeletons and skulls made out of sugar?

It turns out that the whole emphasis is on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life. Now this I can get behind.

Alters are made and graves are decorated to celebrate the lives of loved ones passed away. If artistic skeletons are used, they are often adorned with the type of clothes the deceased would have worn. Their favorite food and drink and cherished possessions are put out in hopes their spirits will be enticed to visit.

This special time is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. I better get preparing!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

A great Mexican house painter

I made my painter feel bad on the weekend. First, let me tell you we have found the best painter you could ever hope to have. He comes from Chiapas and really knows his stuff. He painted the outside of our house just before Hurricane Wilma and we were practically the only people who did not have to repaint their house!

He is here again to paint our wall and gate now, as well as the inside of our house. So what happened? Saturday I arrived home to find the metal on our gate painted orange! Turns out it was only the rust protector coat and black will be painted over top but he saw my initial reaction when I returned home and was so upset that I seemed upset that today when he came to work he brought me a huge container of apple juice as an apology for upsetting me!

Only in Mexico you say? Maybe. All I know is that I feel pretty darn lucky to have found such a great guy to paint our house. Now, how do I apologize to him for making him feel bad?

He is in Playa del Carmen for six months. Let me know if you need a painter!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Delivery to your door - Only in Mexico?

In Mexico we are enjoying an experience I have never had before - it's that everything comes to you eventually! Everything comes down your street being announced with various calls, horns, whistles, or songs.

First we have the regulars: the water bottle guys come every second day - the garbage man is pretty well every day - corn is offered in a cup with cream every night - and the man with gas tanks comes twice a week.

Periodically we can also add to the list that the fruit truck comes by with whatever is in season (watermelon, oranges, mangoes, mandarins, pineapple, papaya) - the knife sharpener will whistle down the road, you are offered bread and empanadas, hammocks, clothing, plants and even the services of a photographer.

Pretty cool eh? Gotta go as I hear the fruit truck with it sounds like pineapples today.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com