« December 2006 | Main | February 2007 »
January 31, 2007
Not-So-Classic Cinema in Guadalajara
Of course, not all movies we get in Guadalajara are old and interesting. We also get all the latest Hollywood crap!
There are a handful of different chains here, but our favorite group of theaters is that of Cinépolis. They're all new and in great shape, and they even offer a specific line called Cinépolis VIP where you sit in leather recliners while waiters serve you drinks and sushi. There's also a Cinépolis IMAX in Plaza Galerías. All day Wednesday and for matinee shows on the other days, tickets are reduced in price.
'Regular' shows are MXN $50 (USD $4.55), matinees and Wednesdays are MXN $30 (USD $2.73). Cinepolis VIP tickets are MXN $96 (USD $8.73) at all times. Of course, children, students and seniors pay reduced prices (matinee prices). Like with the gas at Pemex, the Cinépolis ticket prices listed are good through the entire country, so it doesn't cost any more to go to the movies in Mexico City than it does in Ciudad Obregón. The price of concession stand items will still make you see stars, but at least they're a little cheaper overall. You can get two large Cokes® and a large popcorn for MXN $76 (USD $6.91). To be fair, the large popcorn in Mexico is slightly smaller than the large in the United States, and you can't get refills like you can at some chains in the US.
We tend to get great majority of the films we want to see. While there are some films that are released worldwide on the same date, most of the American films we get here arrive here a few months after they're released in th United States. We're still waiting to get Borat here, although it's already showing in Tijuana, Monterrey and Mexico City. I can't wait. My mother said it's "pure pornography," but I suspect I'll be disappointed.
On occasion, we get films here from Spain (notably the Almodóvar films) before they're released in the US. That's kind of cool, but the problem there is that they don't have English subtitles, and my Spanish isn't good enough yet to completely understand films that are only in Spanish. I find it easier to understand films that are, say, French, but subtitled in Spanish.
However, the Hollywood crap that I was talking about earlier, it's almost always subtitled, instead of dubbed, with Spanish. The one exception is animated films, which I suspect they dub because they're supposed to be for children, and therefore, a large portion of their target audience can't read (yet). This has Shawn and I terrified that we will not be able to see The Simpsons feature film when it's released this summer. Well, if the schedule for the release of the feature film follows the schedule for the release of the DVDs, it won't open here until about five months after it's released in the US.
Perhaps the funniest thing to me about the movie theaters here in Mexico is the fact that they sell nachos at concession stands. They are the same exact nachos that you get in movie theaters in the United States: stale chips with liquid cheese food out of a can that is a color that doesn't occur in nature. It's either that or the fact that they run public service announcements here trying to curb piracy. They always feature children doing unethical things like cheating on exams who have supposedly come to see such acts as acceptable because their parents buy pirated copies of movies on DVD at a flea market for two bucks. They always end with a reaction shot of the felonious parents, their eyes misting over with tears upon the realization that they have undoubtedly condemned their child to the depraved life of a flagitious miscreant through their thoughtless villany. Because newly released DVDs here go for like USD $30 or $40, I laugh out loud at these spots in the theaters.
Posted by crispy at 05:58 PM | Comments (1)
January 26, 2007
Classic Cinema in Guadalajara
Something that has been a bit of a comfort for us here after moving from the United States, and away from Turner Classic Movies in English (they carry that on digital cable here, but it's all dubbed), has been the two videosalas run by the Centro Universitaro de Medios Audiovisuales. They show a lot of great classic films from all over the world on a semi-big screen, and they always show them in their original language, with Spanish subtitles as necessary.
They actually have two locations; one is at the CAAV (Lerdo de Tejada 2071, Colonia Americana, 33/3615-8470 or 33/3615-6603 or 33/3810-2821) and the other at the Ex-Convento del Carmen (Av. Juárez 638, Centro Histórico, 33/3614-7184). Unfortunately, although it seems it would be relatively simple to do so through the CAAV website, they do not post the month's calendar of films online. You can only find out what they're showing by going by one of the two locations and picking up a print schedule for the month, or by looking up the week's schedule in the Ocio, which comes in the Friday edition of El Público (which is El Milenio in the DF).
It is rare that they show classic old Mexican films, which to me is really quite a bummer. There are a lot of classic old Mexican films that we're lucky to be able to watch on the small screen, which is perhaps why they figure they don't need to show any at the videosalas.
Posted by crispy at 05:50 PM | Comments (1)
January 24, 2007
¡feliz cumpleaños a mí!
I don't go on and on about how our neighbors are really cool, but it constantly surprises me how friendly and generous they all are, as well as the lengths to which they go to make us feel welcome here. That's significant because it seems there are so many people in our home country that are going to such great lengths to make us feel unwelcome there.
Today is my birthday, and someone posted a little sign on the utility closet door where all the important building notices go announcing it. To be completely honest, it's not just because I'm particularly popular and adored. At the most recent party for the whole building, someone had the idea to pass around a notepad where we would all write down our birthdays. I suspect that is going to be a new thing that is done for everyone, and it just so happens that I'm the first one to have a birthday. Still, the fact that anyone would go to the trouble for someone that they're connected to pretty much only by living in the same building is very nice and gives me further support for my theory that these tapatios are some of the friendliest folks you could ever hope to meet.
Of course, with the beautiful weather, delicious food, fabulous music and awesome art, it's hard to not be in a good mood.
Posted by crispy at 12:11 AM | Comments (4)
January 11, 2007
Single-Size Me!
There used to be a cultural reference between the state of Texas and ridiculously enormous sizes. Cartoons, novelty songs and even commercials would make use of this joke, based on the size of the state, as well as other things for which the place was famous, such as longhorn cattle, big trucks, or huge oil rigs that thrust skyward. It was not a far leap for such an association to be taken to imply enhanced masculinity, and subsequently, increased sexual virility. It does seem silly to associate the landmass of ones home territory to his sexual superiority, I admit. Yet when you boil it down, it seems silly that one would make that association with a larger income, a bigger house or an SUV that can guzzle gas faster, but I suspect that we have all seen those compensation mechanisms in action.
As if the rest of the states were envious of Texas for its legendary Big Bend, a trend began with jumbo sizes being sold throughout the country. Not only could you super-size your Coca-Cola® at McDonalds®, but you could buy king-size containers of M&Ms®, Miracle Whip® and Mr. Clean® at super-size stores like Sam's Club and Costco. Studies indicate that bigger packaging results in greater consumption, an effect called unit bias in the psychological literature, so it's easy to understand why manufacturers of products would prefer to sell things in bigger packages. People may pay less per unit of weight, but then end up using more of the product overall.
Clearly, not all Americans are filling their shopping baskets with boxes of Tide® big enough to wash a load in Bank One Ballpark because of any perceived inadequacy in their other baskets, but with the overwhelming machismo the United States has forced upon the rest of the word with its big guns in the past few years, it makes one wonder if the entire country has something to prove. Whenever Shawn and I return to the United States for a visit, the single most shocking thing to us, whether we're in California or Massachusetts, is consistently not only the length to which a manufacturer will go to sell you a bigger box, but also the breadth of the selection offered to consumers. One can buy nearly any product not only in king-size, but in one of seven different exciting new flavors!
In contrast, it seems as if the entire nation of Mexico has been symbolically emasculated by manufacturers who offer their products only in small size packages and in limited styles. For example, with peanut butter that is manufactured in Mexico, the largest size I've found is a jar of 12 ounces. I have heard you can get "chunky" style, but I've never seen it at any of the stores where I buy groceries. Your average peanut butter container in the United States is 18 ounces, but you can easily get bigger ones. You can also get peanut butter that has reduced fat, comes from honey roasted peanuts, has candy bar chunks or jelly mixed into it, is organic, or has not been sweetened. While I tend to like my peanut butter relatively plain (okay, I admit, chunky would be nice), it's the fact that I can't buy a container that would last me over a week that annoys me.
Milk is a similar situation, unless you drink it whole. You cannot buy 2% (descremada) in gallon containers here, at least not in supermarkets or corner stores. The only kind of milk that comes in gallons is whole milk. Otherwise, you have to buy it in half-gallon containers. Shawn likes to drink skim milk, which is relatively hard to find. Only one company here produces it, Parmalat®, and you can only get it in aseptic packaging, which makes it not only more expensive, but it means you can only buy it in one-liter boxes (which is even less than a half-gallon). One of those doesn't last a day in our house.
Butter can be bought in boxes of four sticks at larger supermarkets, but it's usually sold by the stick at corner grocery stores. Boxes of cream cheese are about half the size that they are in the United States. A bag of whole-bean coffee at Starbucks® is 250 grams, or about half a pound. Candy bars made in Mexico are tiny little sticks that are 3/4 of an ounce (about 1/2 the size of a Hershey® bar). Razor blades that come in packages of four in the United States and Canada come in packs of two here (it even comes in the case that is made for four, but it's only half full). The biggest bottle of ibuprofen one can buy here contains 100 tablets, and that costs about USD $15.00. Spindles of blank DVDs only come in sizes of 25 or 50. Coca-Cola® has even come out with a smaller-than-average size of can for certain drinks (most of them diet) that they call "Espacio Leve." These are 10.9 ounces, for those who are overwhelmed by that extra 1.1 ounces in a regular can.
With some items, there are good reasons for the smaller packages. For example, many people have limited freezer and refrigerator space, so the fact that packages of frozen potato products (like french fries) come in packages that are 1/2 the size that they are in the US and Canada makes sense. Otherwise, you'd use up half your freezer just for a bag of french fries. Also, it's easier for many people to afford the cost of buying something when one can buy just a little bit of it. If manufacturers only sold things in very large packages, many people would not be able to buy a whole package.
Yet other small packaging is just frustrating and annoying. Take for example the Espacio Leve line by Coca-Cola®: these are mostly diet versions of sodas that they sell in regular size cans and bottles, like diet Fanta®, apple, or even Fresca® (in Mexico, the regular Fresca® is sweetened with sugar and is hardly a diet soda). Using artificial sweeteners costs more, so instead of taking a cut on their margins to sell diet sodas, they sell you a smaller size at the same price. Getting 1/2 the number of razor blades in a package is also annoying, because they're the same size as the four-packs, but you have to buy two packs to get four. Smaller packaging promotes more trial purchasing, but when you know what you want and you know you'll use a fair amount of it, it's just downright obnoxious to have to buy, carry and store six little bags instead of just one big one.
Certainly the super-size phenomenon in the United States has its down side, in promoting obesity, overconsumption and affluenza. Yet the single-size phenomenon in Mexico also causes problems, like the generation of more trash and just being a downright hassle sometimes. Not to worry though. Always swift to assist less fortunate nations, the corporations of the United States, such as Costco® and Sam's Club®, has been taking Mexico by storm, permitting Mexicans to buy olive oil, soy sauce and mustard in gallon containers. In fact, in some cases, these warehouse stores are the only places where one can buy certain products that are otherwise hard to find here, like Tide-To-Go® laundry markers, mayonnaise without lime juice in it, and lemons. Just as often though, these stores serve as the dumping grounds for what consumers in Canada and the US don't buy, so they'll have a great deal on Gatorade® powder, but only the nasty lemon-lime flavor. You couldn't find a can of orange to save your life. So these stores, while providing Mexicans with some opportunity for king-sized consumerism, fail to deliver of the wealth of options to them that consumers in the United States and Canada enjoy. This is a recurring theme with American businesses and their Mexican branches: gladly take Mexicans' money, but don't give them the same level of service.
Ah, but when all else fails, one can do what many Mexicans do and make a road trip to Texas for the sole purpose of buying things one can't get here, or can't get big enough.
Posted by crispy at 10:42 AM | Comments (7)
January 08, 2007
The Influence of NAFTA on Mexican Emigration
Our friend Cristina, a naturalized citizen who is an expert in Mexican culture, sent us a link to a very interesting article in the Washington Post that talks about how The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is fomenting Mexican migration to the United States.
Posted by crispy at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2007
Mexico City: Photos
Statue Outside the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
We have returned home to Guadalajara, but I'm going to run a few entries of photos Shawn took during our recent trip. First off are some of our favorite things about Mexico City.
Mexico City has lots of statues all about the city. One of the most famous is the Angel of Independence which graces Avenida Reforma.
Angel of Independence, Mexico City
Statue of Diana, Mexico City
Monument to Benito Juárez, Mexico City
Another cool thing about Mexico City is that is has large civic gardens all over the place, many more than we have here in Guadalajara, where it seems people are afraid of trees.
Public Garden, Mexico City
A popular museum in Mexico City is the Museo de Antropologiía. I'm not that big on anthropology myself, but I must admit that some of their recreations are really cool.
Museo de Antropología, Mexico City
Museo de Antropología, Mexico City
Now this is more my speed, the Palacio de Bellas Artes that houses a rotating exhibit or two and famous murals of the Mexican muralists.
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
This building has some beautiful art deco elements inside.
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City
José Clemente Orozco, Katarsis
David Siquieros, Nueva democracia
Diego Rivera, El carnaval de la vida mexicana
Not exactly a museum, but rather the Palacio Postal, the central post office in Mexico City. It's obviously from the era when the sky was the limit in Mexico.
Palacio Postal, Mexico City
This Sanborns is in a really old building covered with fancy tiles on the outside. People say it's a must see, but frankly, just seeing that it's this old buiding with a Sanborns inside is sufficient. I include it here for all those people that would otherwise ask if it were absent, "Didn't you go to the Casa de los Azulejos?!"
Sanborns, Casa de los Azulejos
Zócalo, Mexico City
Subway Station, Mexico City
Finally, a view from Bellini, the revolving restaurant on the 45th story of the World Trade Center.
View From Bellini, Mexico City
Posted by crispy at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)
January 01, 2007
Impressions of Puebla
As our vacation winds down, we find ourselves in Puebla, yet another beautiful, charming colonial town. Actually, with a population of 1.5 million, Puebla is a verifiable city, but we're holed up in the centro histórico, so it feels more like a town, what with the four-story buildings in bright colors, the plazas and the abundance of trees.
We are staying at the Hotel Colonial (4 Sur 105, 222/246-46-12), which is about a block off the zócalo. This colonial-style hotel is much more in line with the type I described in a previous entry, but it does have a few cool aspects that should be mentioned.
First, the location is top notch, if you want to be in the centro histórico. It also has a rich history (noted on the map of the city that they give you upon check-in), and the oldest (1895) operating elevator in Puebla. There are convenience factors, like the fact that they have a 24-hour coin-op landromat on the top floor, free wireless Internet access in the lobby/restaurant and they will bring an iron and ironing board to your room if you request it. Finally, there's the restaurant, which serves old-school food with perfet execution and boasts a mole poblano that they say is widely regarded as "the best in the world." Between you and me, they may be right about that. It is the best I've ever tasted, and I have tasted it because you can get it on eggs and cheese enchiladas.
I learned from another gringo couple today at breakfast that the owner has put in extensive improvements (following the 1999 earthquake that damaged a lot of buildings in Puebla), many of them structural reinforcements that cannot be seen because they've been sunk into the walls. That's quite a feat in colonial buildings, because they have solid-wall construction.
The city is known historically for its tile production, which is the type that you think of when you think of "Mexican tile." Colorful pieces with animals, plants and other designs on them, known by the name Talavera, a town in Spain. The quality of the tile and pottery of the area was well known even before the arrival of the Spanish though, with the rumor being that Moctezuma would not eat off pottery from anywhere else.
The cathedral bells are also notable, with some from the 17th century. There is even a saying, which goes: para mujeres y campanas, las poblanas. "For women and bells, those of Puebla [are best]."
Yet I know dear readers, and I have said before, that you do not tune in here to read of things you can find in any number of online travel guides. Chances are good that you're either bored or searching for some scoop that our particular insight can give you. What is it about Puebla that one should know as either gringo, gay or vegetarian? What don't you hear in other places that might be that make-or-break difference in your travel plans? What might I relate that could cure boredom for a minute or two while you're awaiting a printout or the arrival of your ride?
Puebla is enchanting. It makes you want to pass a whole afternoon sitting at a little table at one of the many sidewalk cafés bordering the zócalo soaking it all up. However, the biggest down side we've found to Puebla is that if you try to do just that, you're not given the opportunity. You will be hassled for your spare change by beggars or hustled to buy things from walking vendors every few minutes.
On our first night here, we went to a popular Italian café and decided to sit out at a table on the sidewalk, facing the zócalo. The dining experience took an hour, and in that space of time, we were approached by at least 10 different people who were either selling things or begging for change. One person came back and pestered us to buy his stuff again after we had bought something the first time he pitched it to us. Neither the waiters nor the management stopped these people from going around to every table outside and pleading their case, although there seemed to be some unspoken rule that they should not go inside.
Therefore, I would suggest that if you go out to eat in Puebla, even though dining at one of the sidewalk tables might seem like a delightful idea, unless you like to be interrupted every six minutes or so by people wanting your cash, take a table inside the restaurant.
It should be noted that in some areas of Mexico City, we experienced this same problem, although not to the extent that we have in Puebla. I should perhaps also remark that this is over the holiday season, between Christmas and New Years,, and perhaps that's a particularly bad time for it. In general, one should consider being generous to and understanding of people that are supporting themselves by such means, as it's not the nicest of employment scenarios. Yet I want to be honest with you too. At the rate it happens here, it's annoying and really disrupts your ability to enjoy yourself.
On a more pleasant note, those looking for vegetarian food in Puebla can find it at a restaurant called La Zanahoria (5 oriente 20, 222/232-4813) that serves nothing but. We're particularly fond of their Milanesa with Pipián, which is made from breaded seitan. Their soups, which include a tortilla and an onion, both normally made with meat stocks, are also tasty. The bread there, like seemingly all the bread in Puebla, is soft and delicious, unlike the token week-old crap one gets at many places throughout the country (cough, Sanborns, cough).
But perhaps that's because of the last-but-not-least item: the lingering presence of the French. Like many colonial cities that are tourist draws, one can study Spanish at one of the "institutes" of Puebla created to serve foreigners wanting immersion training. Yet I suspect that one could also come here to have immersion training in French, because it is so widely spoken here. In fact, I suspect that the waiters at the restaurant in our hotel are more comfortable speaking French as a second language than English, but that's just a guess. They get HUGE numbers of French tourists here, and we've seen dozens.
The French did occupy this city for several years before being ousted by the Mexicans; maybe that explains why they keep coming back to Puebla. Shawn suggests that Puebla is the most European of Mexican cities, and therefore, Europeans might be most comfortable here. I don't know what the reason is, but whatever brings them here, they show up in droves. You can hear French being spoken all over town, and many signs are printed in Spanish, English and French, trying to make the most of their diverse tourist makeup.
In fact, it's even more diverse than just having French folks. For the past two days, a huge group of Asians has descended on the restaurant in our hotel for lunch. I don't believe that they're staying in the hotel, but they seem to like it. As I mentioned, it does offer a mole poblano that they claim to be the best in the world. Maybe word of it has spread to the East.
Posted by crispy at 10:56 AM | Comments (2)