Food For Thought

I learned a lot in Merida, the city where our 100 year old  little casita sits.  It’s in Yucatan, one of the 31 states of Mexico. 

We arrived Christmas Day and stayed in a hotel for 2 nights until the house was ready.  My husband called me from a local OXXO, the equivalent of a 7-11 in the states.  He said, “There was a kitten under a car at the red light. Someone shooed it out and I caught it.”  I said, “Ah, Chris, I’d thought we’d be in the country a week before we got a cat!  I’ll be down.” The fur ball musta been 6-7 weeks old and was pounding down a can of food.  We stuffed her into my purse and snuck her into the hotel.   Such subversives!  *chuckle*

Her name is Maria Lucia and she’s incorrigible.  That’s what happens, I suppose, when attempting to survive on the streets.  She is currently with our friends who are staying in our home and they claim they miss their cats less because of her. When they leave, she’s being entrusted with our new friend, Larry.  At this time we can only be a “half-way” house: I have faith that I will find her a permanent home when I return.

 I learned that it wasn’t a waste of time walking with my Mum to shop every day for veggies and fruits. My stall owner, Manuel, would ask me “?Lo Quieres a la noche o en la manana?  Meaning, “Do you want it tonight or tomorrow?”   And then pick one for me.  No one has ever asked me that question.  We ate a few fruits I hadn’t tried before, like a cepote, much like a pear but with added cinnamon.  Yum.  Whole chickens and fish were available to choose from, not packaged. Not always an easy site for this 60’s, previous vegetarian, but I marvelled at the apparent pride of each stall owner.

Running  two errands a day, i.e. getting a key made and going to post office, was enough.  New friends stopped by and conversations started. I hadn’t socialized spontaneously in years!!   We had no phone, so our friends had to stop by, most of them walking. Instead of waking up thinking about my “to do” list,  I woke up curious as to the days events.  I was slated to throw a party for my architect 5 days after moving in: I stayed in the “now” and it turned out fine.  It became clear to me that the party was about Pedro:  he finished on schedule and within budget. Excelente!

The siesta is alive and well and practiced in Merida.  It seems to come in the form of a 2 hour lunch when one may swing peacefully in a hamaca.  I finally tried one the day before we left and slept for an hour.   Flor, the matriarch of our adopted Mexican family of Pedro,  pointed out “The air flows above and below you, naturally being cooling. My children were raised rocking in hamacas.” 

The energy is different in Merida and the few surrounding areas we visited.  People are going about their day, but I didn’t sense the urgency as I do here in Silicon Valley, south of San Francisco.   There is more of a sense of  acceptance that the day unfolds as its supposed to along with a sense of wonder. 

Interestingly, there were several homeopathic doctors offices combined with pharmacies in the neighborhood.  I was quite surprised and pleased to see them.  I look forward to looking into the local Mayan healers and herbs sold at the markets as well.

My re-entry here in the suburbs is touch and go. Yesterday, I sat in my car “bucking up” for the long line [which wasn't the problem] combined with the energy of  impatience [which was the problem] at the neighborhood post office.  I had just come from Spanish class to which I drove 25 to minutes instead of walking, as in Merida.  Somewhat insanely, we walk for “exercise” here, not to get from one place to another.  Food for thought.

Marie and her sister run the neighborhood lunchenette called Dona Tere.  These lunchesttes are called “cocina economicas” and every neighborhood has one or two.  For 3 USD, one can have a homecooked main course [choice of two] with a bowl of beans and corn tortillas. It’s their main meal and I can see why: one is delightfully satisfied.

The word “civilized” comes to mind when I think of our time in Merida, where one stops and chats, idles and allows for distractions.  Somehow, what was deemed important becomes less so, and what wasn’t thought important is.   Color me happy.  It’s always a joy to read “what’s new” here and have a chat…..Vaya con Dios.

About the Author...

It has taken me years to unlearn much of what I learned about psychology and health. Suffice it to say, I believe in home schooling, the work of Price, Fallon, Enig and Cowan and one's right to be happy in one's life. My husband and I live in Sunnyvale, CA with seven fabulous cats. They teach us to take a nap when the urge strikes, to eat heartily when hungry and to stretch into the new day. La Vida es Bueno!