Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Day in the Life

I love looking at the lives of others.  Especially when their world is so different from my own.  My grandma's life in Mexico is definitely different from my day to day.  I asked her if I could share this with you.  I think this could be an interesting little series.  If you would, please send me your typical day and I will post it, linking back to you, in the coming weeks.  I promise to share my own typical day as well.

Today is a guest post from my Grandma Florence also known as Flossie of "Flossies Fast Food Fly Through" A feeding station for hummingbirds.

I'll try to tell you a few things I do daily.
 
Before dressing I shake my clothes & shake out my shoes. I have never found a scorpion but others have, Scorpions are not every day things but they are around. I have never been stung.

We do not flush toilet paper. The pipes may be cement tile that is rough & snags the paper to clog the pipes. I have a sign that says No paper to be flushed. The bank & Library have signs too. I keep small
plastic bags to put the paper in & the garbage man comes by every day except Sun. I have to have the garbage out before 7 am! 

We have a
dry season & a rainy season. Of course it can rain a bit in the dry season too. The ad for our area calls it "The Land of Eternal Spring". It never freezes but I saw 43* once & 45-50*some nights in Dec & Jan. Rainy season can begin in May but usually about June 13th & lasts until Oct. Dry season the mountains are brown & rainy season beautiful green. 

Most Mexicans shop daily. They eat lots of corn flakes for breakfast & sweet rolls & milk or hot chocolate. The little stores make sandwiches of this ham like loaf & cheese & hot pepper & wrap them & sell them. The Mexican people eat anytime. If you go any place by bus or car you will see small stands & people eating. There is no water to wash hands or dishes so they put a plastic bag over the plastic plate & a new bag for each person. Saves water anyway. 

I walk to the store most mornings. Not for the warm buns that all stores sell, but looking for damaged or over ripe bananas. I love bananas & so does my dog. I buy a Papaya there each week. I buy eggs there too. They are sold by the Kilo = 2.2 lbs & are put in a plastic bag to carefully carry home. I have 2 cartons to put them in. There can be 14-16 eggs depending how big they are. Eggs are on the counter NOT in the fridge. On Fri morning I walk 4 blocks round trip to the plaza where they sell fruit only on Fri. I usually buy a few things & carry them home. Then Sun at 10:30 am my pastor picks me up for church. Near the church is a grocery store & then a tortilla place & then a
fruit market so he stops & I buy more fruit & veges & corn toastadas at the store.  That is where I get heavy stuff as I get a ride to my door. I get my Jiciama there. It is a root vegetable that you peel & slice or cube to eat raw. Some people put lemon juice & salt on them but I don't. I seldom eat meat but eat beans,brown rice & barley & cheese & eggs. My eggs have been less than $1.00 a Kilo & here eggs are $1.50 on sale & MORE a dozen. I give away parsley,basil & lemon grass.   All fruit & veggies that can't be peeled we soak in drops of a disinfectent to kill parasites.  I have a friend who soaks melons,Papayas,bananas & eggs. I don't! Parasites can make you sick. I take a pill about once a year to kill off any I may have. Some people take a pill every 6 months. I do peel & cut up my Papaya & Cants  & put in quart Yogurt tubs that people give to me. Then they are ready to use.

I used to walk to the post office, but now as it is up a slight hill my gardener brings me my mail. I found out he went after mail for another lady so asked him to bring mine. 



7 comments:

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

Thanks for sharing this TJ. My Grandma lived in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I used to love to visit her. Her days were alot like your Grandmas. You are so blessed to have this!
<><

nannykim said...

Thanks for sharing this it was so interesting. It must be hard having to watch out for parasites! I had to smile about the toilet paper...when we had a vacation place in VT growing up we had to do the same (only we burned our paper)....It was because we had to conserve water in that house because the well would run dry at times.

Do you ever visit her? We have talked to some Mexican people here in our town and they have said they don't want to go back to the areas of Mexico they are from because it is very dangerous. I think it is sad that there are so many dangerous places in Mexico---it could be such a beautiful country.

Unknown said...

I love reading or hearing about the lives of others, especially when they live in another culture! It's so interesting to compare the differences...I wouldn't think twice about flushing TP!

Anonymous said...

I SO don't want to go to Mexico, now more than ever. Not flushing tp, plastic bags covering the same plate, parasites. Bless her heart.

becky3086 said...

Well, since I know your grandmother, I was very pleased to read this and though there are things that are different there, it really seems like a nice place to me.

Anonymous said...

I have many people who come to my place to see the hummingbirds. You all are welcome too. You may read online about me & the hummingbirds by looking on Google for Flossies Hummingbirds or Chapala Hummingbird Lady. Granny in Mexico

Debby@Just Breathe said...

This is fascinating, thank you for sharing. It is a very different way of living compared to how we live.