I am In-ternational Love

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, and there’s a reason for this. Over the past two months I’ve been transitioning to the post-grad lifestyle and falling in love with my new home in Mexico. To prepare you for the gushing that is to follow, please listen to this song. My roommate, Chino, is an aficionado of Latino reggae, and I have – yes – fallen in love with it too.



There is so much I have to catch you up on, readers, that I have divided this ode-to-la vida mexicana-post into a mini series of postitos (the diminutive of “posts,” if you will).

My international love… where to begin? Here!



I am convinced that Mexican food has more flavor, color and variety than any other in the entire world. Mexican mealtime is pretty extraordinary too. Most people eat a hearty breakfast in the morning, which might include a hot dish like tacos or chilaquiles (fried tortillas bathed in salsa). Then around noontime, many eat a snack-like lunch followed by a big, lengthy meal called comida in the mid- to late-afternoon. A light supper happens around 8-10 p.m. and typically consists of sweet bread and milk or maybe a taco or two.



Give me a moment to describe afternoon comida and sobremesa to you. Most students and business people go home to eat comida with their families, and it’s typically a lengthy, relaxed affair – a far cry from our familiar work-day power lunches. The meal usually starts with fruit, soup or small plate of pasta and is followed by a plato fuerte or main dish. This is often some sort of meat with a side of vegetables and tortillas. Oh yeah, and there’s always homemade salsa and some type of agua, water flavored with hibiscus flowers or blended with fresh fruit and sugar. If you’re not at home for comida, you can find many mom and pop restaurants which serve comida corrida (the Mexican equivalent of fast-food but much healthier and tastier) which includes all the elements of a complete comida for 35 pesos (around $3)



Once the meal is over, people don’t jump up and move on with their days as I am accustomed to doing in the U.S. They linger over the unwashed dishes, sometimes for hours, and enjoy relaxed conversation or sobremesa. There’s laughter, there’s good-natured arguing and there’s always more cerveza to go around.

This practices of comida and sobremesa are consistent with the strong Mexican value of family and relationships, and they are some that I hope to bring back with me to the U.S.


After learning about the stages of entry into a new culture last spring with the esteemed Dr. Linda Parkyn, I realize that I am still in the honeymoon phase with my life in Mexico. I know I'm scheduled to hit the crash-and-burn phase of entry (okay, I don't remember the technical terms for these stages, but you get the idea) sometime this month. Even now, not every moment is peaches and cream (my purse was stolen last week, for example), but what can I say? Right now I'm smitten! If you can handle more of this love fest, reconnect with the güera again tomorrow evening to hear more about la maravillosa vida mexicana.