Dos Equis ocho

courtesy of dosequis.com

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.!! Here in the U.S., it was Memorial Day weekend where we honor those Americans who have sacrificed their lives for their country. There’s usually parades, barbeques, family and friends involved.! Plus, of course, drinking.! I had an amazing weekend; hence, the lateness of this blog post. I think I finally caught up on my sleep today 🙂

I had dinner with my father one night. I also went late night dancing with a good friend of mine (who is leaving for D.C. this week).!! I don’t know if we painted the town red, but at the very least hot pink.! But it was still a blast. I also did get some downtime to relax, watch some movies, and spend the weekend with people I care about 🙂 Now it’s catch up time.!! Please enjoy this (last) week’s Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World commercial.!! My favorite line – “The last time he flirted with danger, danger got clingy.” jajaja….love it.!! Enjoy.! Y salud.!

when in rome…I mean playa….have a drink or two…

I am feeling restless my dear fellow bloggers and readers.! I thought the warmer weather would scratch this itch that I have, but alas it has not. I am still dreaming of Mexico.! I fantasize about roaming the streets of playa drinking my way from one lovely bar scene to another. Finally ending up dancing the night away.! Because I’m daydreaming, I am unable to write. I just think about running free. So today, I leave you with my favorite bar crawl in playa because that’s all that’s on my mind. This weekend, I am going on a bar crawl complete with dancing.! So hopefully that will be just the boost I need with no flights to playa necessary 🙂 Enjoy.!!

howdoyousaytacoinspanish

liquid libations courtesy of tumblr.com and tripadvisor.com

Endless beaches, amazing ruins, exciting excursions and fabulous food are the reasons many travelers visit the Riviera Maya. But admit it; another motive beckons you to the warm Caribbean breezes found in paradise. You want to have liquid fun! Not to worry, I promise I won’t divulge your secret. After all, what happens in Playa stays in Playa! In fact, I will share a little secret with you. I know the best places for you to partake in liquid fun while you relax, enjoy the scenery and people watch.

Of course, I was not always such an aficionado. I got lucky on my first visit to Playa del Carmen. I met a local who took me and my friend on a tour of the best places to have liquid libations. After I moved to Mexico, I became a local myself and was able…

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Mexico City / Chilangolandia Part 2

Please enjoy this blog post from one of my favorite blogs about Mexico. The Adventures of a Sober Señorita recently visited Mexico City and the ruins of Teotihuacan.!! Since I have never been to Teotihuacan – I thought I would let her take you there on a short trip. I will be back Thursday to discuss my brief visit to Mexico City in 2010.! Enjoy 🙂

The Adventures of a Sober Señorita

The last two days of our trip in Mexico City were dedicated to the pyramids of Teotihuacan, celebrating two special anniversaries, and trying to fit in anything else we forgot.

Sunday we left early in the morning and took the metro to a large bus station that has buses that go to and from Teotihuacan all day.  Coming from Cancun where it is completely flat, seeing mountains and pyramids in Mexico City was just amazing.

Exploring one of the oldest and most mysterious civilizations in the world was awesome and I definitely recommend if you are traveling to Mexico City.

Excited to climb the Pyramid of the Sun

View from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

Palace of Quetzalpapalotl at Teotihuacan

Palace of Quetzalpapalotl at Teotihuacan

Literally on top of the world with my best friend. (Pyramid of the moon)

After a lot of walking and climbing we…

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Dos Equis siete

courtesy of dosequis.com

Happy weekend everyone.!! Feliz el fin de semana a todos.!! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Here in Chicago, the weather was finally nice. I took a lovely stroll downtown with one of my good friends today. And we enjoyed some tasty beverages atop a garden balcony overlooking downtown Chicago. It was just gorgeous.!! Plus, I’m hoping the walk did something for those pesky winter pounds I have gained 🙂

This week, Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World is back.! And once again, he appears to have had an exciting weekend too.!! I mean how many people get questioned by the police just because they are so interesting.!! I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Enjoy.! Y salud.!!

estoy camote.!!

camote or sweet potato courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

I love words and idioms and expressions.! And yesterday I realized that I had not yet introduced all of you to one of my favorite expressions from my time in Mexico.! So I think today is the day to make that introduction.! One day I was Facebook chatting with one of my male friends, we were bantering back and forth like a tennis match. But at one point, when he took too long to answer one of my messages, I sent him the following retort – “?????”. To which he replied, “Espérame, estoy camote.” Translation – “Wait for me, I’m a sweet potato.????” What.?!?

Apparently, in the Yucatán, if you are so busy that you are discombobulated or a little crazy, you can say “estoy camote” and it means “I’m busy”. It’s usually used by maseros or waiters when the restaurants in Playa del Carmen become so busy that everyone is running around like they’ve lost their minds.!! You will hear this phrase many times during high season in the Riviera Maya if you have any friends who are waiters. Though, it is such a common phrase, that you will also hear it used by most residents of that region whenever they find themselves running around like crazy.!

camote maseros courtesy of facebook.com/restaurantesur

However, you probably won’t hear that expression used in the same manner in the rest of Mexico or in other Latin American countries. In the rest of Mexico, according to spanishdict.com, camote refers to (1) sweet potato, (2) a mess, (3) a lover/novio, (4) in love/enamorado, or (5) to be wrecked. The phrase is particular only to the Yucatán region. Is that due to the Mayan influence, the international diversity, or the fact that Mexicans from all over Mexico are represented in that region.? I really don’t know and no one I spoke to knew either. Hopefully, one day I will find out and report back.!

Honestly, except for sweet potato, I never heard camote used in the manner described in the aforementioned definitions. Oh well, the Yucatán is definitely an interesting melting pot of euphemisms.! Which brings me to the way my Facebook friend was using it. Now, while he is a masero, he wasn’t working while he was chatting with me. But what he was doing was Facebook chatting with a bunch of girls flirtatiously and talking to me.! jajaja… Therefore, he was camote from talking to too many girls at the same time and not being able to keep up.! jaja…love it.!

non camote maseros courtesy of positiveworldtravel.com

beware tuesday the 13th

Since, it happens to once again be Tuesday the 13th.! I thought this would be a perfect time to revisit this blog post explaining the hidden dangers behind this day 🙂 Enjoy.!

howdoyousaytacoinspanish

courtesy of fotosimagenes.org

Beware my readers it’s Tuesday the 13th…!! Wait a minute Rose, I know you are all thinking, don’t you mean Friday the 13th?! No my dear readers, I mean today, Tuesday the 13th or martes trece. In most Spanish speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th is considered an unlucky day not Friday the 13th. How curious, no?

We can understand the superstition behind thirteen as it is prevalent in the states too. Historically, thirteen is seen as an unlucky number mainly because twelve is seen as a complete number in numerology. There are twelve months, twelve hours, twelve gods of Olympus, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve successors of Muhammad and even twelve zodiac signs.!

In many countries, most buildings do not have a “thirteenth” floor so to speak. Even in Mexico, the hotels do not have any rooms or buildings with the number…

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Dos Equis seis

courtesy of dosequis.com

Feliz Día de la Madre.!! Happy Mother’s Day.!! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is always a very emotional time for me as I lost my mom nine years ago. I miss talking to her, shopping with her, and eating all of her fantastic meals.!! Luckily for me, I have so many wonderful friends who have stepped up to fill the void 🙂

So to all of my wonderful friends and family who are moms or moms-to-be, I dedicate this week’s Dos Equis’ commerical. The Most Interesting Man in the World is back and he has a mom who has ‘son’ tattoed on her arm.!! jajaja…. Enjoy.! Y salud.!

let it whip…

courtesy of bodas.com.mx

In Spanish, an apron is referred to as a delantal. That’s what I learned in class, that’s the word my English-Spanish translation dictionary used, not to mention Google translate.!! So I was very surprised the first time I heard the word mandil in Mexico.! All of the men that I knew who worked in restaurants, either in the hotels or on Quinta Avenida, referred to their work apron as a mandil.!

When you look up the word mandil, it translates to a coarse apron or a leather apron. I’m not sure exactly why the men I knew referred to it as a mandil rather than a delantal. But I would hazard a guess, it has something to do with the feminine idea of a delantal. Whereas, the mandil sounds more masculine. jajaja…

So why are we talking about aprons my dear readers.? Well earlier today, I found out that it is El Dia Internacional del Mandilón. Or the International Day of the Whipped Husband.! huh.?! There’s really a day for that.? And why.?

courtesy of desmotivaciones.es

Strangely enough, the word mandil can also be used to emasculate men. According to urbandictionary.com and many friends of mine – a mandilón is considered a de-masculated male or just plain whipped.! In fact, anytime one of my male friends in Mexico got married, inevitably the first time he decided to not come out for beers the ribbing would begin – puto.! mandilón.! Even my American friends who married Mexican women rarely left the house when their wife was around.

Only my American male friends with American girlfriends ventured out without their significant others in Mexico. I don’t know if it’s related to a trust issue or a cultural issue. Though in the U.S., we also have a similar expression to describe an emasculated man or a clingy child. We say “that person is tied to someone’s apron strings”. In other words, they are dependent on or dominated by someone, especially a mother or a wife.

Personally, I have never understood women who have wanted to dominate the men in their lives. I want the man in my life to be masculine.! Otherwise, I would have taken a different route.! I don’t need my man to go shopping with me. That’s why I have girlfriends. And as for taking away or restricting their freedom – why would I want to do that.?! I don’t want my freedom taken away or restricted.! So please excuse me if the only whipped thing I want is whipped cream. And forgive me if I don’t celebrate El Dia Internacional del Mandilón today. I’m holding out for a hero 😉

blinded by the light…

my former alabaster self prior to playa

I have been living in a cocoon. Snuggled under many layers of garments and hidden deep inside my shelter. It was warm there. It was safe there. The six months of below normal temperatures and freezing cold scared me.!! And scarred me.!

But the other day, the sun came out. And it stayed out. Bringing warmth and much needed freedom from my self-imposed captivity. I smiled.! I put on a dress and some cute pumps.! No tights.! I beamed.! I stepped outside sans coat, hat, gloves, and mini blanket.! No seriously.! Ok…I did put them in my bag just in case mother nature was playing a cruel trick on me. But I digress…

translucent me at Christmas this year

The air smelled like spring 🙂 I tentatively picked up the pace and embraced the day by donning sunglasses to keep the sun’s rays at bay. As I sat down on the train and made myself comfortable for the ride into work, I removed my sunglasses. Dear god.!!! I quickly put my sunglasses back on.!

I was blinded by the light.!! By what light, do you ask dear reader.?? Why the frickin’ light from my pasty white legs.!! After almost half a year of being hidden for fear of frostbite and mind numbing cold, my legs were white.!! After a year of not living in Mexico and enjoying the sun on a daily basis, my skin was alabaster.!! The fact that I was wearing a black/white dress and black pumps only seemed to make the anomaly that much more visible.!

all tan in playa

But what was I going to do.? Get off the train.? Refuse to go to work.? Put on my tights and sweat through the warm weather.!?! Heck no.! I just sucked it up and pretended I didn’t notice. I reminded myself that I use to be a cool Goth chick and being translucent used to be a way of life for me.!

More importantly, I wondered what am I going to do about these 15 pounds I’ve gained from this horrible winter.!? Yup, you guessed it.! Me and my ghostly legs are going for a good walk immediately.!

me tan in playa for Christmas last year

Dos Equis cinco (de mayo)

courtesy of dosequis.com

Happy Cinco de Mayo.!! Feliz Cinco de Mayo.!! I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed the company of their family and friends.!! As you know today is Cinco de Mayo.! As I have mentioned before in this blog, this holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French during the “Batalla de Puebla” or Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. Outside of the city of Puebla, very few festivities are held for this celebration in other Mexican cities. However, it’s a whole other story when you get to the United States.

In the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is the holiday Americans celebrate anything and everything Mexican. It is very similar to the way St. Patrick’s Day is used to celebrate everything and anything Irish in the states. However, in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a day like any other. Therefore, when in Rome…or Chicago. I hope everyone enjoys their Cinco de Mayo celebrations.!! Don’t forget to indulge in some margaritas, tequilas, and cervezas..!! To get the festivities goings, let’s see how Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World celebrates Cinco de Mayo.! Enjoy.!! Y salud.!!