Pure Silliness Worlds Away

Do you know what is silly? American Idol. Do you know what is even sillier? American Idol on the TVs above the treadmills at the gym. They broadcast it on mute with subtitles (in Spanish) of the commentary. They don’t even tell you what song the people are singing. What has the world come to when watching American Idol on mute is exciting? It was on every single one of the TVs for crying out loud! What’s wrong with these people?

Shoe Shines. For a buck you can get a first rate shoe shine. By simply walking around or sitting at any café or restaurant, you will be asked if you want one. Until recently I thought it was because shining shoes was a good hustle. I now know that shiny shoes are a corner stone of pride and a key to being accepted into the society. I have received mean looks. I mean, mean looks for having less than an adequate polish. I will never make the same mistake again. Shine ‘em up baby!

The tamale guy. This guy is going to get beat up one day. By me. Although he provides fresh, hot, delicious tamales, his tamale cart produces the most high-pitched and annoying noise. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, before 9am, he rolls his cart through my neighborhood. The cart boils water to keep the tamales warm and make more. The steam is suppressed within the cart until it reaches its boiling point. Once it is full of steam, it releases the steam through a whistle, like a coffee pot. However, unlike a coffee pot, the cart is huge and the whistle is piercing. I can usually hear it for 2 hours on Saturday morning. My less than adequate blinds let enough light in to my room and wake me up early, but I can usually roll over and go back to bed. Mr. Tamale makes sure that I am miserable. He usually gets me out of bed cursing him and throwing on clothes to quickly chase him down for a snack. It is a love/hate relationship.

Impenetrable houses. In the very nice neighborhoods, Polanco, Lomas, Santa Fe, San Angel, and Pedegral, the houses are built behind twenty foot walls usually topped off with barbed wire or broke glass. They are fortresses. Upon entering these fortresses, you get to view these mansions in their entirety. But they neighborhoods look like something out of an idealized Cold War. How much protection do you need? And, from what?

Tacos. As I have explained in previous posts, the smell of tacos always fills the air. At the metro stop I use for work, upon exiting the station and surfacing on the street, I walk by a half dozen taco stands. They are packed with hungry Mexicans stuffing themselves with breakfast before work. They smell absolutely delicious, just not at 6:00am. In fact, I generally try to hold my breath and avoid gagging.

The silliness of Mexico does not stop with these things. Mexico borders the U.S. but as many of you know is place could be on the other side of the world. The culture is so unique and distinct from that of America.

What do shiny shoes, noisy food, fortresses, tacos for breakfast, and American Idol in Mexico have in common? Seriousnessless. Yup, I just created and patented that word. It is life in D.F. That is the point I am at right now, seriousnessless. It is as if I am living a dream. The 60-65 hours at work fly by. Daily, I learn something new, go somewhere new, and gain a greater understanding of how other people live. You should make a short trip to another world. I am off to eat a tamale and beat up its maker. Vaya con dios.