just a few details about Merida

I went to class today and Ava presented a very good lecture about resources and lobster fishermen. Tomorrow I am lecturing on Mexican politics. I watched the CNN coverage of the demonstration taking place in Mexico City about the presidential election, but I suspect that is buried within U.S. news.

so far I have eaten several of my favorite local treats: camarones a la plancha (grilled), camarones empanizada (breaded), sopa de lima (lime soup), and gazpacho. I am going to eat with Mark and Susie tonight so we´ll eat somewhere good I am sure. For drinks I have had, beyond regular cervezas, limonada, jamaica (hibiscus tea), and a michelada. I had talked about a michelada last year but it was really good once again, so here is the recipe:

MICHELADA
1/2 lime, preferably a Key lime
Coarse salt
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash soy sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1 pinch black pepper
1 dash Maggi seasoning, optional
12 ounces beer, preferably a dark Mexican beer like Negra Modelo.

• Squeeze the juice from the lime and reserve. Salt the rim of a highball glass by rubbing it with the lime and dipping it in coarse salt. Fill with ice.
• Add lime juice, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Tabasco, pepper and Maggi, if desired.
• Pour in beer, stir and serve, adding more beer as you sip.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Jill and Bama AT hike update

Apparently Jill and Bama did connect with my parents in western Massachusetts this past weekend but I haven't heard any reports from any source¨yet. I did warn my parents that they should NOT, under any circumstances, feed Jill alcohol. However, if my Uncle Eddy and Aunt Ellen (who are the outdoor adventure relatives that I have) are joining the crew for dinner, I fear the worst and they might get the experience of having Jill ask them personal questions! oh boy. And Uncle Eddy, despite any suggestions below, will NOT behave. I can´t wait to hear what Jill has to say about staying my childhood bedroom with the vast collection of Little House on the Prairie books (she is also a fan).

Here are a few fun facts about this impending visit, from my mom:

We are having Uncle Eddie and Aunt Ellen over for dinner with us. It should be fun and Uncle Eddie is excited about meeting Jill and Bama. (Jill can tell you all about it when you see her next.) He will probably behave.¨

I made blueberry muffins and got in food for lunch and their rooms are ready with towels, washcloth, shampoo and a razor (in case they want to shave.) I'm working today and I'm excited to meet them and hear about their adventures. It is really hot and muggy here so I have the fans going to blow the hot air around.

Merida en domingo

It is Sunday in Merida where they have the festival (Merida en domingo) in downtown, and I met this morning with the two anthropology instructors to plan the next two weeks.

Today I have to prepare my lecture for Tuesday. Last night I went to eat with Mark and Susie and their friends and ate at the Italian restaurant, which of course was good eating. Allison called the Hotel Caribe for me this morning and left a message and the front desk guy told her that I had been out late last night! how ridiculous is that!?

I found a new website for gringos in Merida: Merida insider. I particularly cracked up at the Living In Merida--the Dark Side, which is the whiniest description of this city I have seen.

Tomorrow I will go to class in the morning and start working with the students.

If you want a gift, you have to tell me what you want, I can't remember who has gottten what anymore so place your order. Purses, stone jewelry, other items...

lots of travel time but back in Merida

first of all, when Craig said to me Tuesday night that I could stay out late because I didn't have much to do on Wednesday but travel--I should have known better. So after about 5 hours of sleep and then a long day on Wednesday en route to Merida, including a very bumpy flight to Houston, arriving close to midnight and then having to be at the Faculdad de Educacion for quarter to eight am (I can't find the colon button on the Spanish keyboard) on Thursday...well, I didn't get much sleep. The air conditioning didn't work in my hotel room and then I had to figure out how to set my cell phone to be an alarm clock but since it didn't have a Sprint signal I had to manually set it...I got about 4 more hours sleep. Then on to Campeche and Champonton and then finally Palenque, which is about 8 hours on the bus. I slept most of the way. Alas, we made it back to Merida today and I am now waiting for Mark and Susie et al. to swing by the Caribe to get me for dinner. I'll check email and work tomorrow and prepare for Tuesday's lecture I am doing. So far the students are particularly great so I am really looking forward to this week! More fun stories to come, including why I now know the Spanish word for cheerleader.

heading out to the Yucatan

I'll be departing this week for Merida, and getting immediately on a bus to Chiapas with the students the next morning. I'm looking forward to the excursion and working with the students, they seem to be having a great time. In fact I would describe them to be pretty enthusiastic about the whole experience so far. I'll be at the program at the end this summer, rather than the middle, which is new.

Just to conclude the riveting political drama, neither my Georgia candidate Cathy Cox nor my Mexican candidate, Obrador, prevailed. Although the fat lady hasn't fully sung yet in Mexico (they certify September 1), I think it's all over.

They are having civil unrest right now in Oaxaca--which is on my immediate short list for travel interests. Apparently tourism has dropped 75% since they started protesting here a month ago.

"There is rising social conflict in Mexico, and the government appears impotent and unable to confront it," historian Lorenzo Meyer said. "If the government doesn't learn how to control these conflicts, they will only get worse as time goes on." Here is an article where you can learn more.

two of my good friends: law and order

so I have been watching episodes of Law and Order for a very long time, which may or may not be an unhealthy situation. I'll let you decide. Jason and I have a contest to see how quickly one of us can identify that particular episode and who did it. Of course, standard television rules apply, which means that the very first person that they question did NOT do it. They usually question the bad guy about 20 minutes into the episode. TNT reruns always show the summary and the wisecrack. You know what I am talking about.

there's a good article in today's New York Times.

the primary election in Georgia

when I worked on the Gainesville mayor's campaign in 2004, I did warn her that every campaign I had ever worked on was a loser. Thankfully she won. it was after my work on Don Johnson's congressional reelection campaign in 1994 (D-Ga) that I swore off campaigning. Yet the Georgia races are fascinating to me as their primary is this Tuesday. Note that the governor, Sonny Perdue, was a Democrat when I had met him in 1992, when he was a state legislator and I was an intern. (One of my memories of the internship program was the constant reminder "don't sleep with the legislators!"

The Democratic nomination is between Mark Taylor and Cathy Cox. I would vote for Cathy if I could, she is very cool. When I went to Athens last month I went to Woodlawn Terrace where I used to live, and the neighbor who was the mayor-commissioner when I was in school had the Cathy Cox sign in her yard. Cox would be the first female governor in Georgia. Mark Taylor was also a state legislator when I was an intern, and he was one of the snobby ones who would never deign to speak to an intern so I thought he was a jerk. Whoever wins Tuesday faces Sonny Perdue in the general election. The poll shows 52% for Taylor, 41% for Cox, and the rest undecided.

Also on the ballot is a lieutenant governor for the Republicans, and one of the candidates at a dead heat is Ralph Reed, the former Christian coalition guy. He has lots of ties to Jack Abramoff and that is reducing his lead, apparently. He's just slimy. A UGA grad, I might add (most of the candidates are, of course). Zell Miller is endorsing Ralph Reed:

On Friday, Reed released a radio ad featuring Zell Miller, in which the former governor and U.S. senator proclaims his trust in Reed's "values and his character."
"Ralph will fight those who seek to trivialize the pro-family values that are the foundation of our country," Miller says in the ad.

Even the mayor's race in Athens is up for grabs and the incumbent, someone who think is great (Heidi Davison), is being challenged by the right-wingers.


Yikes.

just like good old Florida

hurricane Emily last summer (category 4)...and now they can't count the ballots: Mexican election agency under fire over vote count

May Lopez Obrador prevail!