Lactose-free love

After living with 2 different host families for 3 months each, I can tell you that this magical thing happens during the third month. The first 2 months you get along and can say plenty of nice things about them but that third month you transition to real family with real love.  After the magic of my first host family in Querétaro, I did not think it would be possible to find that again, but here we are, 3 weeks into my third month at site with host family number 2, and it’s happened.  We’ve started laughing together and making jokes on a regular basis, their youngest granddaughter and I are getting really good at drawing together, and things just feel more relaxed.

 

Vendor in the square. 

Local art. 

Spot of my purchase for a new decorative pot. 

Now I could joke that I’m just such a great house guest that families can’t help but to fall in love with me (and I’m not saying that’s not true…), but I gotta tell you, I find myself continually amazed at the generosity of the people here.   This week alone my host family gave me two old plastic chairs for my new patio, an old blender that I got fixed for only 100 pesos (vs. 1,000 pesos for a new one), and some kitchen supplies so I wouldn’t have to buy my own.   They also helped me try to navigate the process for getting internet, took me to the local fruit market to show me the ropes for choosing the best papaya, went shopping with me at the store in town that has everything (aptly named “Todo y Todo”) and answered all my questions about how to deal with cockroaches, spiders, the trash and more.  And, perhaps most importantly, they gave me access to a TV to watch my beloved Olympics. 

Shopping for onions and everything else. 

I am going to miss living with my host family but I can thankfully see their front door from my new front door so I’m working out a flag system to alert them when I need things, like more milk.  Last week my host mom made pancakes for dinner and suggested I have a glass of milk.  I thought it smelled a little funny and she said “Oh no, that’s just because it’s lactose free because you only drink lactose-free milk.” I was like “uh, what now? This is lactose-free?”  So… turns out my first day here when we went grocery shopping I grabbed the milk with a green label (because I like the color green) and it was lactose-free so that’s what I’ve been drinking for 3 months.  Alicia did ask me a few times if I wanted cow milk and I thought she was referring to the giant open pot of milk in the fridge that was purchased from a guy selling from an even bigger pot in the back of his truck.  He drives up, you bring out your big pot, and he ladles the milk into your pot.  I’m a little ladle shy so I thought, no thank you, I’ll stick with this familiar milk from home!  Well, jokes on me with that one since I never drank lactose-free milk before coming to Mexico. Lesson learned: don’t choose your milk based on the color of the label (and learn more Spanish).

    La Cruz de Romero.

 One of many sets of stairs to reach the top. 

View from the top. 

Steep stairs down. 

This week I got my first hair cut in Mexico and it was little surreal doing such a normal thing from home in a very different setting.  It was also a little surreal getting my hair cut for under $7, with tip, and not being worried that a teenager was going to cut my ear or leave me looking wicked awkward.  I had to google how to say “do you remember Meg Ryan’s hair at the height of her career? That’s what I want – but you know, appropriate for my face shape and this climate” in Spanish, and that’s a lot to remember.   Thankfully the stylist spoke some English and I was very happy with the result. 

I also checked a number of things off my local “must see” list this weekend thanks to the kindness of Cindy’s friends from Nayarit.  They stopped by Costco on their way to town and brought me a giant bottle of olive oil, a big box of sugar-free crackers and a fancy new bathmat.   

View from the mirrador of our lush green landscape. 

Volunteers with a view. 

That's my town, surrounded by mountains! 

We hit up a number of great tourist vistas, including the mirrador just above town where you can get the best view of my pueblo, which is a virtual emerald wonderland thanks to all the recent rain.  We also saw the famous Virgin of the Rosario de Talpa de Allende.  Millions of people walk la Ruta del Peregrino each year during Semana Santa to see the Virgin, which is a small figurine housed in the local church.  To complete our tour of religious sites, we also climbed up to the top of La Cruz de Romero and trekked up the hill to see Cristo Rey.  I have visited this town probably 10 times and I never noticed the giant statue of Jesus on the hill before this weekend.  Combine this with my selection of lactose-free milk and I think it’s clear that I really need to start being more observant.  However, I did totally notice the donkey tied up to a phone pole and the horse walking down the sidewalk by itself this weekend, so I’m catching the really important things.  

  Beautiful church, home to the Virgin of the Rosario. 

  Local plaza. 

  Giant statue of Jesus. 

  Art at Cristo Rey. 

Art at the church.