Imagine belonging to an organic food club. You are there to pick-up your order of honey and some coconuts. Suddenly four uniformed men enter with guns; each weapon steadied with both hands pointed directly at you. They are there for some milk.
We will be posting some post celebrations photos over the next few days but we had to interrupt that reality for this bizarre tale.
In today’s Los Angeles times it is reported that an organic health food club was raided by four officers who with guns drawn “….fanned out across Rawesome Foods in Venice [California]” looking for unmarked jugs of raw milk. The officers “ordered the hemp-clad workers to put down their buckets of mashed coconut cream and to step away from the nuts.” (L.A. Times article here)
Apparently this private food club was skirting some necessary licensing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans interstate sales of raw milk advising that both milk and honey should be pasteurized.
Our first thought was how this law would be accepted here in Mexico where every day we see hombres hauling metal milk vessels, dispensing their product with a liter container into the container of shoppers at their door steps. (Read More about our local milkman HERE.
Not wanting to argue the safety factors regarding raw milk, honey or cheese, I know there are issues. The thing that really fries my veggie bacon is the attached video to the article that was taken by an in store camera – four guys with guns walking through food isles. This just seems over the top for a food licensing issue.
For the last five hundred years or so Mexican people have been drinking raw goats and cow’s milk. I am sure there have been problems – of this there is no doubt. However in today’s market here in Mexico you can go buy a liter of highly pasteurized milk displayed in non-cooled stacks on grocery shelves. Eleven pesos per liter is the going rate (about 82 cents U.S. a quart) or buy from the hombre with the raw milk container and liter serving cup for 6 pesos a liter (about 45 cents U.S. a quart).
In Venice, California the illegal raw milk, a vegetarian’s delight, goes for $8.59 per half-gallon. I am pretty sure if our milk men here in Xico knew they could get that instead of the 90 cents per quarts volume they get here; those hombres would be riding their cows and herding their goats to the frontera.
But really what is up with the guns? Does the FDA truly think those health food people might be protecting their raw milk stores with armed security or what?
The average U.S. citizen is scared to death to cross over their southern border to Mexico in fear of being caught in the cross fire of the drug cartels.
Your author is now afraid to head north to visit a health food store for fear that some officer with a two-fisted gun set to fire in the single action mode (gun cocked) might have an accidental discharge or worse yet just feeling the need to drop me in my tracks because of the danger I exhibit having a half-gallon of raw milk in my shopping cart.
We choose to remain here in dangerous Mexico where we can choose or not to spend 6 pesos on a liter of raw milk from the friendly hombre on horseback at our door.
Stay Tuned if you dare – we are south of the border.
Nearly 1000 photos have been shot to bring you just a few from the event. Not everyone sees the same thing in a photograph. Some will like a picture that others will not. But, I think people universally like to people watch. Here are some people watching photos I liked. Perhaps there will be some you enjoy. They all can be enlarged to see some nuances that otherwise might be missed.
I supplied a few comments as well along the way:
Good looking young people can not take a bad photo. (ENLARGE)
The family that clowns together stays together. (ENLARGE)
Sometimes it is about the colors. Men dressing like women – whatever floats your boat. (ENLARGE)
Paul an Englishman living in Xico. He lives in our Hood in Ursulo Galvan. (ENLARGE)
Sometimes it is about a moment and a glimpse. (ENLARGE)
Green hair will always get my attention. (ENLARGE)
Mexico is about family – Mothers and Daughters. (ENLARGE)
Cell phones in a public setting can be disturbing or just attention grabbing. (ENLARGE)
Our neighbor in the red hat with her friend and son – waiting out the rain. (ENLARGE)
Did not like any of these? There are more to come. Give me another chance. Please Stay Tuned!
It must be difficult for the Federal Government to sue one of its own. That is just what happened today: The United States is suing the State of Arizona. It is reported that the people of the United States are divided as to whether greater enforcement of illegal entry or greater emphasis should be placed on dealing with the 12 million illegal aliens that are in the U.S.
Political division in the latest polls show that more than two-thirds of Republicans want the focus to be on border security, while 55% of Democrats want the focus to be on those in the country.
Perhaps working on both would be a good thing.
It is safe to say that most Americans would like to see some form of comprehensive immigration reform.
It is also not difficult to understand the frustration Arizonians have with illegal aliens affecting their economy and quality of life.
A couple points that have been discussed here are that we support a reform, but not at the expense of the Constitution of the United States. We believe the Arizona law does compromise Constitutional rights and could heighten problems of racism. We are of the opinion that the enforcement of existing laws as well as more Federal involvement in an effort to resolve some or all of these issues is past due.
Living mostly in Mexico we suggest that President Calderon of Mexico face the facts that his demands for fair treatment of Mexican citizens must be a two way street. Poor treatment of illegal aliens entering Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala is widely reported.
We should add that we have had nothing but fair treatment relating to our being/living in Mexico. We consider Mexico our home regardless of our country of origin.
In this writer’s opinion more open borders at both ends of Mexico would be better.
Mexico allows people to be in the country as long as they bring sufficient money with them. Few come to Mexico to work obviously. So the scales are not equal.
These are very disquieting times for those of us living in Mexico as expatriates. In our area of Xico, Veracruz and the surrounding area including Coatepec and Xalapa we were feeling some slight negative attitudes about our being there just before we left five weeks ago. We hope we will go home to calm waters.
We often state our belief that more than 5 billion people living on this small planet must find ways to live together; to accept one another; and that we all must champion peace. Lofty ideals I know. But there is no reason to believe that these qualities of life can not be obtained.
We are delighted with the U.S. Federal Government taking action to stop Arizona from causing further erosion of the Constitution as a method of trying to solve their immigration woes. At the same time we accept the fact they are frustrated. We hope other ways can be found to lessen or end the problems.
Please stop the hating! We can, we must, find peaceful solutions that will maintain the freedom and individual rights depicted in the United States Constitution.
We hope you all had a great Fourth of July Holiday in the United States.
When visiting the U.S. we often miss the Mexican food that we eat most of the year. We get great tortillas in Mexico. The tortillas that happen in Las Vegas can stay in Las Vegas.
A couple miles east of my sister and brother in-law’s casa is Viva Zapatas Mexican Restaurant. Here Emilio is prominently displayed and of course Mexican food is the attraction. Behind glass a woman flips tortillas on a flat grill. Other than looking more sanitary than most handmade tortilla cookeries in our Mexican neighborhood the preparation and product looks the same.
The proof however is in the eating. No one was shouting Viva Zapata’s tortillas. I am guessing their masa is from an industrial powder of some sort. The restaurant seems to get overwhelming approval for its authentic Mexican food. I suggest those advocates have not actually eaten any authentic Mexican food.
Some years ago my father-in-law and I use to go to a tortilleria somewhere on the east side of Las Vegas, but just where escapes me. My memory is that those tortillas were the real deal. However, I am a lot more versed in the fine art of flat bread than I was in those days. The search continues.
Never let it be said that one cannot get good food in America’s true entertainment capital. You will not starve in Las Vegas.
Last week when our son Julian was here, we dined out with my cousins Steve and Bart and their lovely Tania’s (both their wives are named Tania). We all met at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas.
The company was grand and the food excellent. I hadn’t seen my two cousins for about 30 years. We recalled stories of our impetuous youths and generally caught up on our lives.
Their dad, my Uncle, who has passed away was an Indianapolis 500 race car driver; one of a select group of men and women that have completed an Indy 500 race. Racing is in our blood and these guys continue along those lines manufacturing patented laminated racing helmet ‘tearoffs’. Every driver (33 in all) racing in last month’s Indy race wore their helmet tearoffs.
My nephew Seth continues the racing legacy as a champion USAC sprint car driver. Readers who are surprised that Anita and I tool around Mexican streets on a motor scooter will have a better understanding of our daring now
Last night my cousin Steve and his lovely wife and me and mi guapa esposa met in the Summerlin area again; this time to dine across the street from P.F. Changs at the Kona Grill. Serving Asian Fusion food. Wow!
From their web site I learned they have locations in 16 States. The one and only one in Nevada is not to be missed. We showed up for Happy Hour (“Drinks and Eats from $3”) at five and lingered past its completion at seven. The misters on the outside patio tamed the 100 plus degree temperature.
Recent California Transplants – My Cousin Steve & Wife Tania
I am pretty sure we ate our way through their entire ‘California Roll’ menu save the eel cucumber roll. Totally awesome!
We had more “classic kona margaritas” than I could count at the finish and the entire menu of rolls made from various fresh fish flown in daily – all for quite the bargain price I thought.
Imagine you are watching War of the Worlds. Suddenly the movie rocks you – literally.
D-Box technology, have you heard of this? With braggadocious fervor they tout, “Experience the new way movies will move you. D-Box technology creates the triangle of Audio-Video and MOTION.”
We just learned about a technology heretofore unheard of – D-Box Motion Code films. Apparently D-Box Motion Code has been installed in selected theaters for about a year – oh we technologically deprived.
I wondered if motion sickness air bags would be available for the squeamish. Our hosts here in Las Vegas became the intrepid motion detectors this weekend.
For $8.00 U.S. and the cost of a movie ticket (about $9.75) your world will be shaken not stirred. D-Box technology requires a film that integrates appropriate motion code signals to your motion adapted seat. The sitter can adjust the seats intensity in three levels. Apparently this will make you feel like you are in the scene. My brother-in-law reports the additional $8.00 per seat is worth it – he will do it again.
How long before we see this in Mexico? I wouldn’t fasten your seat belt just yet. We believe it will be a while. Our technology minded son visiting us from Los Angeles reports he had not heard of D-Box seating.
Currently “Toy Story 3” is not only available in D-Box Motion, but also 3-D. Personally I am waiting for the virtual reality glasses. Remember the film “Brainstorm”?
I do wish we had D-Box seats for tomorrow’s futbol game. Mexico plays Uruguay to get to the final group of 16 in the World Cup. When Mexico scores goals…well hang on to your seat. It should be a good ride. I predict a Mexico win. Stay Tuned!
One of the main reasons to return to the United States is to visit our banks. You read that correctly – we have accounts with six banks – one in Capitan, New Mexico and five in Las Vegas, Nevada.
We have been banking for about 50 years now. So I write with some authority when I suggest they have changed a lot.
My favorite bank was the savings and loan in Bedford Falls. You remember the Building and Loan savings bank that George Bailey ran.
Back to banking, George Bailey was my kind of banker, selfless to a fault; he repeatedly sacrificed his dreams for the well-being of others. Peel off many calendar pages to 2010 sixty-four years later. If ever there was an adversarial relationship between consumers and business it has to be citizens and the bank. The word vipers come to mind here.
Thus far we visited with 3 of our six banks since returning to the United States. Each of those experiences was terrible. Dealing with people that could barely speak English (or Spanish), bank personnel often confused and even providing miss-information. In one instance after questioning some FDIC rules, a pamphlet on the rules of FDIC insurance was provided.
After reading it over we were even more confused. I checked for a printing release date. The document was dated 03 2008 prior to the current changes. – yikes!
Mind you these bank persons were folks with desks, not tellers.
The interesting thing is how they all made a point of telling us they wanted to be our banker.
When I suggested that the turnover rate seemed to universally be such that there was little chance we would ever see the person again – they more or less agreed. George Bailey spent his entire working career at the Bedford Falls Building and Loan. Try and find that person in today’s banks.
I also always suggest to the bankers that I am looking for that Bedford Falls Building and Loan officer and institution. Or at least a bank that works on my behalf rather than making every effort to deceive and cheat us in order to pay less interest or to put us in less optimum accounts where we have more charges and fewer services.
And the bank personnel ALL look towards their shoe tops nodding in agreement that they are instructed to take advantage of us at every opportunity; and how they truly understand our position.
We give these places our money which they then loan back to us and others with interest. They limit the amount of money we can move from here to Mexico (here they blame government regulations – rightly so I suppose). They send statements with warnings about how they will take our money if they don’t see our faces in their office within 18 months – our money becomes theirs on the authority of the U.S. Government.
The bankers slide sheets of paper with interest rates under our nose that cause me to suggest I might just as well keep our money under my mattress where upon they suggest how safe it is in the bank. A couple of our banks have changed their names twice since we last visited the United States (about 9 months ago) – safe?
We are showing our faces and maintaining Mexican patience with these bandits – they are in turn robbing us with a smile.
Somewhere we lost our way as a people, a world community, where service and general care for one’s fellow man are ideals of the past. Very sad indeed!
Stay Tuned – next time we will write about some upbeat things we have found here in the United States.
Today is the day we have been waiting for the past six months. Really in Mexico the countdown started that far back.
South Africa has been waiting with anticipation for six years since it was announced the games would be held there.
Just 30 minutes away now!
No hosting team has ever lost an opening match. We think Mexico will change that. Our pesos are bet on Mexico beating South Africa this morning. But Mexico has a tough road ahead during this WORLD CUP.
I do not mean to sell our boys short. But I have been watching some of the ‘friendly’ games. Brazil, Spain and England will all be around near the end.
That written futbol or soccer, take your pick, is a lot like college football. The expected often does not happen. Emotional driven success can get you a long way in a sport where a final score of 0 points to 0 is common – one lucky head butt (header) or even a goal made by the defense at their goal is not uncommon.
While emotion can drive a team to greatness, Brazil and Spain seem to play at a level well beyond the competition.
We shall see. We are looking for a Mexico victory today by a score of 3 to 1.
I am getting ready for the futbol game – drinking coffee, not beer. It is six in the morning here in Las Vegas. Go Mexico! Stay Tuned!
All you U.S. folks are familiar with winning or losing ‘by a mile.’ You were raised on inches, feet, ounce, pounds etc. An ounce of prevention…. They want their pound of flesh…. Walk a mile in my shoes…. 100 yards to the goal… 90 feet between bases…. 0 to 60 (MPH) in 4 seconds….
In Mexico you will live the metric system and spend precious moments converting in your head so many things from the unique U.S. method. There are few that make the conversions that don’t end up figuring the metric system is a 100% better.
A standard set of prefixes in powers of ten are used to derive larger and smaller units from the base units. When you get the hang of it you will not want to go back.
Only three nations do not officially use the metric system as their system of measurement: Burma, Liberia and the United States. Is it arrogance or ignorance that keeps these three nations from adopting the International System of Units. Metric units are widely used around the world for personal, commercial and scientific purposes.
Metric Standard Countries in GREEN
If you are heading this way or planning on retiring to Mexico add learning the metric system to your need for Spanish lessons and dollar to peso conversion skills.
My take on this is the United States missed it by a 1.60935 kilometers on choosing a measurement system. Sunday I will be watching the Indianapolis 800 (kilometers) Race here in Mexico. Stay Tuned!
Vacation season is coming fast. Some of you may plan on a trip to Mexico. Here in Mexico we have a situation called “Mordida” (bite). It has been going on a long time in this country and doesn’t look to be ending any time soon. Mordida is essentially giving a ‘payoff’ to avoid a more problematic traffic ticket.
If you have actually perpetrated a traffic infraction mordida might be called expedient justice. In this instance it is efficient and usually will cost less than a comparable infraction in the United States; if nothing else it will not have an effect on your insurance and driving record.
Mordida fees generally run from 50 pesos to as much as 1500 pesos. It is mostly administered with threatening actions about how you will pay more, be delayed or possibly have your vehicle impounded etc. So that when you do give up a couple 500 pesos notes you will go away relieved, until you have time to stew on it.
Understand that the penalty fee is negotiable. The more intestinal fortitude you possess the less you will pay. This does not mean the one that shouts the loudest wins – quite the contrary. You must remain calm and polite at all times. You can be firm about your stand but this must be done in a respectable manner. In Mexico generally there will be no gain in exhibiting an upset demeanor – none.
We advise not carrying much money in your wallet with your license. DO NOT flash a lot of cash – this is their money in your possession. We usually have a 50 peso and two 100 peso notes – no more. If you don’t have pesos yet then a five and two tens.
We use a laminated copy of our actual driver’s license – not the original. It is in a cheap wallet with a few expired credit cards and a temporary membership card to AARP. A few photos are a nice touch – but if they take your wallet it won’t be missed. I have heard of a wallet being held – but have not experienced this.
On one occasion I was asked if the license I provided was an original. I explained it was a copy as I didn’t want to lose the original – nothing further was said on that. Do not lie to them.
There are a few things you can do to lessen the mordida fee or have it expunged all together. The first I have brought up several times. If we are motioned to pull over by a uniformed person standing next to or in the street, we ignore them and continue driving. Of course this takes great courage – ignoring a police officer’s attempt to detain you.
When you spot ahead one of these uniformed bandits, avoid eye contact as you approach and pass them. This will substantiate your story if need be.
We have done this more than a dozen times and NEVER have we been chased down. If we do get sopped by an officer with transportation – the plan is simple – we didn’t see the person motioning to us to pull over – simple. Again, we have never been tracked down and we have driven past no less than 12 attempts to pull us over.
If you have been here a while you have heard all that. Here is some additional information:
There is a public workers union office specifically charged with investigating police matters and dismissing corrupt officials. Sindicatura is the name of the outfit. That is: SEEN-DEE-KAH-TOO-RA. Regardless of the bribing officer’s ability to understand your Spanish or English, the officer will understand this word. Declaring the word is like driving a stake into Count Dracula’s heart. Actually calling in the Sindicatura group is like notifying ‘Internal Affairs’.
The mere mention of Sindicatura will most likely end any further effort to relieve you of your money.
If the officer offers the option of going to the Police Station when you know you have not broken some driving law – tell the officer you do want to go to talk to Juez Califvador (WHES CAL-EEF-AH-DOR). This is a qualifying judge. This person will determine whether the fine amount and accused violation(s) is reasonable and appropriate.
Using either of these two words and methods will most often be perceived as too much trouble. You will be kindly told to move on.
Others have suggested having a camera handy to capture a photo of the officer. Although I have yet to try to grab a photo – this can be a sign of disrespect and might even lead to losing your camera – no experience here on that.
We notify the officer right off – first thing- we live here in Mexico. Occasionally that alone will end the bribe attempt. Their designs are on the fearful and uneducated. They don’t need to get into a verbal joust or engage potential problems – there are plenty of others, read most that will fearfully and willingly shell out the dough.
Write these words down on paper. Put it in your glove box – a copy in all your cars. Mordida is a fact of life in Mexico. The situation is a lot less threatening than a new visitor usually perceives. We find the police pleasant and even considerate – willing to ‘forgive’ or strike a deal or respond to reason like the two words above. Stay Tuned!
I have read Arizona’s SB 1070 Statute – it disgusts me. Someone that supports Arizona’s new law SB 1070 wrote to me in its defense, “…I would like to point out that even the new Mexican Consulate assigned to Arizona says that Mexico respects the law and sovereigns of the USA/Arizona in [its] laws, and added that they don’t have to like it.”
I would expect such diplomacy from the Mexican Consulate. However it is apparent that diplomacy is not Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s strong suit.
If there is any question as to Mexico’s take on SB 1070 I include here a political cartoon found in the Opinion Section of Friday’s Xalapa Diario, our areas daily newspaper.
Political Cartoon – Xalapa Diario – Friday May 14th, 2010
I will translate for those not speaking Spanish:
The Heading: All Against the Witch Jan Brewer
Boicot = Boycott Repudio = Repudiate
Ms. Brewer comments in the balloon, “Bring more fuel — all (those) with ‘Mecsican’ and Latino faces!”
And we see Obama’s hand trying to pull witch Jan back.
