COFFEE, COOKIES, AND A HISTORY LESSON WITH DORA MACIAS: PART I

Interview by Lady Cande

I'm sitting in the living room on a squashy brown sofa having coffee and cookies enjoying a conversation with a splendid white haired woman of 91 years old. Unlike the typical ladies of her age, she isn't counting off the days until the inevitable but is lucid, hardworking, and energetic. She is a lawyer and she works with the red cross. As the granddaughter of the last owner of El Cubilete, she isn't just anybody. She is living history whose family were big shots in the Mexican history books. For those who don't know El Cubilete, it is a hill 2,579 m (8,461 ft) above sea level which is a famous landmark.

El Cubilete

 -Tell me about your grandpa.

- Well, he was Jose Natividad Macias Castorena, born in 1857, son of a farmer that put my papa grande (grandfather) to work counting the sheep but he wanted to study, and so he did. He enrolled himself in school and he had to walk a lot to get there everyday. After, he studied at a seminary, he decided to study law, eventually becoming a senator and two-time rector of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM).

  Founded in 1551, the UNAM is one of the oldest Universities in the Americas and has a reputation for being one of the top 100 universities in the world.

          

Jose Natividad Macias posing as rector at the University.

- Did your grandpa meet any notable people at the time?

- Of course he did, He was good friends with the President Venustiano Carranza, and he was acquaintances to some notable artists like the muralist Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. 

Her grandfather is second from the left. The president of Mexico from 1917-1920, Venustiano Carranza, is center.

- Did you get to know them?

-  Well Frida Kahlo was disgusting and an alcoholic, she had empty bottles in her room all the time whereas Dieguito was a very nice man. He liked to party but he was respectable. They were both atheists but when Diego was in his death bed, he asked someone to hang a Crist made out of corn husk and he died watching it.

I met also the famous painter Olga Costa because she was married to my uncle Jose Chavez Morado. 

- Did you live close to Chavez Morado's house?

- In Silao Guanajuato we were living close. But I was coming only for vacation because my house was in Mexico City. Do you know the Wax Museum?That was my house. The Beatles are posing in my old room.

- Gosh! That' s a huge house!

Wax Museum, Mexico City.

- It is huge. In fact when I was about to get married I was looking for an apartment and my father asked me to live with them for a couple of months and if we were comfortable we could stay. And so it happened. 

- Why did your father decide to sell the house?

-Well, one day a gentleman was looking for my father to buy it for a very substantial sum, he wanted to make it a Casino. My father almost had a heart attack. Some time later another business man came who was interested in making the house into a Wax Museum. So my father said yes.

Dora Macias Morado

Part II coming soon...

LET´S GET ROCKED IN MEXICO!

By Lady Cande

Dear lechones, I couldn´t wait to meet you! 

This is Lady Cande reporting from the city of León, Guanajuato. Enjoying a concert under a cloudy and warm spring night. 

Me and my dearest Don Fantástico got these two cheap tickets for a Mexican band called Caifanes, a legendary Mexican rock band formed in 1987. This band, regularly plays at stadiums with an average audience of around 20,000 spectators. This time we´re going to an arena in the fair grounds where the maximum capacity is 7,000 people. 
It's looking to be a good time!

Cheapest tickets, best spot.

8:00 pm: I´m doing a huge and disorderly line. Everyone is very excited. Most of them wear jeans, leather pants, black t-shirts of the band. Oh my god! There are some girls wearing really huge heels. Are they sure they´re here for a rock concert? That´s what I call fresa.
There are two lines. One line for the gold and general area and the other one for those with platinum tickets for their seats at the very front. Thank God we didn´t take the wrong one.

8:30pm: We´re supposed to get into the arena in 30 minutes. Some people are singing, some others are buying t-shirts and memorabilia like cups, pins, and bracelets.

9:00pm: We´re finally in. Let´s get a beer! Well it isn´t cold enough but beer is beer.

9:30pm: Don Fantástico and I decided it is a good time to join the crew for a nice view but I´m so small! 

9:45pm: We found a fence and we crossed through a small gap to get more beer. Oh my! Somehow we managed to get in the gold section. Is it that easy? Who' s the logistics manager anyway?
Well, now that we´re in, let´s keep looking for a nicer view.

10:04pm: Hell yeah! We made it to the very front, right on the stage. 8 meters (26 ft) from the microphone and instruments. The concert is supposed to start at 9:00pm. I hope this starts soon. We are all excited, screaming the name of the band.

10:15pm: Yeah! They´re here opening with such a jam: "Viento". I really want to take some nice pictures. Oh! No way, my camara has no battery! In my first post for Don Lechón? He´s totally going to kill me. Alright, I' m going to try to get some information from another reporter. Shoot! I really wanted to take my own pics! 

Saúl Hernández, vocalist.

10:30pm: Our feet are jumping uncontrollably, our arms are in the air waving and we can´t stop singing all the songs. Everyone around us is galvanized by the quality tune-age. The band is unbelievable.

The crew!

 They´re such amazing musicians, always friendly and humble. Three generations of people are represented in the crowd. Toddlers on the shoulders of their fathers, teenagers in Caifanes shirts, and older people enjoying some 80's nostalgia.

Three generations in one rock concert!

11:00pm The security guards are not the strongest guys here. Some people managed to jump the fence. One of which, is a shirtless guy that plants some kisses on the cheeks of the lead singer and bassist.

11:30pm Oh my ... now a girl is on the stage too but this time she´s dancing with the bassist and then manages to land a couple sloppy kisses on the lips of the lead singer. He doesn´t seem sad but he doesn´t seem happy either. Probably he´s married. Wait a minute guys, here´s my favorite song of this concert and I want to scream and shout with my dearest Don Fantástico. ♫ ♩ Si pudiéramos escupir cometas le ganaríamos al viento,a la magia, al destino, a la distancia, al olvido ♩ 

Diego Herrera, sax-man and keyboardist.

11:40pm I really want to hear "La Negra Tomasa" and is precisely the last song of this magnificent concert. And it´s a really long version.

12:00am I think I´m going to faint, the concert is over and they got down the stage to say hi! They´re shaking hands with everyone! The second guitar and the drummer shook hands with us! The bassist drew near to which a girl and I kissed him on each cheek. He thanked us and I replied,"thank you for the concert!"

Sabo Romo, bassist. Alfonso André, drummer.

12:00am Time to go get some delicious tacos. We feel infinitely happy! Our first concert together was an unequivocal success.


Are rock concerts similar in your place? Do you have a story to share? We want to know about it!
Are you living or traveling in Mexico? Don´t miss out on some cool concerts.

Caifanes

Jamz Recommendation:

1. "La Negra Tomasa"
2. "Viento"
3. "Debajo de tu Piel"
4. "Nubes"
5. "Ayer me dijo un Ave"
6. "La Célula que explota"
7. "Los Dioses ocultos"
8. "No dejes que..."
9. "Afuera"
10. "Aquí no es así"

                                         Au revoir mes amis! - Lady Cande ; )



Pictures of Caifanes concert in León, Gto. were taken by Omar Ramírez for a.m. newspaper, León, Gto. 18/05/14.

TRICKY WORDS OR ¨WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?¨

By Don Fantástico

Hello friends! I´ve heard that some of our lechones think our blog is publicity for a restaurant. Don Lechón is a gluton, we know, but this blog is to give you a little taste of what our country is like, especially if you're living in it. One important part of Mexican culture is the slang! 

Are you blond or have white skin? Has someone called you "güera" or "guerita" and you have no idea if this is a word with a good or bad connotation?

One such experience happened to a friend of mine. Guerihno was visiting from Brazil. We went to the market one day and a guy told him, ¨¡Pásele 'güerito'!¨ (Meaning: Come on in blondy!) And he exclaimed, ¨How do they know my name?¨

 ¨Don´t worry Mr. Guerihno¨, I reassured him, they mean 'güerito' (blondy). 

This and other slang words is the subject of today's article. It is very important to mention that many of these words are derogatory, so use at your own risk.

1. Güero/Güera- Blond person or just someone with light colored skin.

2. Mamacita- Translating to "little mommy"; it is often used to cat-call a good looking girl.

Our apologies for the quality of the image but this is such a funny stereotype.

3. Gringo/Gringa- A disparaging slur used to describe any English-speaking foreigner but mostly used for Americans.

4. Güey/Wey- Meaning idiot or a dumb person; it is also a term of endearment for friends. Like "dude" would be in English. Still considered a cuss word so it is not to be thrown around in front of people you don't know as you could offend someone. There´s also an expression "¡Ay Güey!" and that means "Oh no!".

5. Cholo/Chola- It has come to represent Mexicans who dress in the "gangsta" style of the United States. 

6. Carnal/Carnala- Literally means carnal, as in from the flesh. It is often used to describe someone you consider your best friend. You consider them blood related. As someone aptly put it to me in a bar: "a friend you would take a bullet for."

7. Compadre/Comadre- Translates to "co-father" or "co-mother." This is how you call the godparents of your children.

8. Fulano/a de tal- The Spanish equivalent of John Doe. This isn't an actual name but is used to describe anonymous people. It´s also common to say: Zutano or Merengano.

Prominent on her wedding dress is the symbol of the soccer team of Guadalajara.

9. Naco/Naca- Term used for people that are considered trashy. Red neck in the United States or Bogun in Australia. It is someone who is unsophisticated.

This is the perfect example of a fresa. The daughter of the Mexican president tweeted this: "A salutation to the dumb-asses that form the proletariat and only criticize those they envy." 

10. Fresa- Opposite of naco; someone who is refined and rich but lacking respect for others, especially those they regard as part of the proletariat. In the past, the word fresa was used for very conservative young people.

11. Cabrón/Cabrona- This word has evolved throughout time. Literally means a male goat but now it is someone who is unfaithful to their partner.

12. Mamón/Mamona- In the strict form of the language it means someone that sucks. In the Mexican argot, it means someone who is arrogant or very demanding.

13. Puto- The masculine noun derived from puta, short for prostituta (prostitute). It is a pejorative term for homosexuals. The equivalent of "faggot" in English.

14. Huevón/Huevona- In other countries where people speak spanish the word can mean "dude", " some guy" " a big egg"  or " stupid". In Mexico it means nothing but a lazy person or someone who doesn´t like getting a job. 

15. Chilango/Chilanga- Someone originating from the capital, Mexico City.   

16. Gandalla- Dishonest person.

Spanish in Mexico has a lot of idioms and slang. We exposed what we think are the most common but for more "excuse my French" Mexican stuff go to: http://lexiquetos.org/chilanguismos/

See you next time, lechones! -Don Fantástico 

REFRESHING EXOTIC FRUITS IN MEXICO

By Don Lechón

My beloved lechones,

Did you miss me? Well, I´m glad you finally met my crew. They´re awesome, aren't they?

The other day I was amazed by how a French friend of mine was pigging out on a mango with so much passion. After eating it in less than one minute without the help of anything but his own hands he added in his thick accent- In my country this is tasteless and very expensive, here I got it for 3 pesos. Oh Oui!

Yes, one really amazing thing you can find in Mexico is a huge variety of fruits. Some of them very common, others really exotic but both delicious. Not all of the fruits are originally from here but they have received a most friendly welcome and are grown in the rich Mexican soil. The climate and environment in Mexico are conducive to the growing of a variety of fruits; you can find them in the supermercados easily and get them for an affordable price. Their flavor is simply oink-resistible! In other countries, it is common that fruits have a pleasing appearance but have a bland, disappointing taste. On the contrary, the fruits found in Mexico are rich in flavor while having a more homely but natural look.

Here´s my selection of the finest exotic fruits you can find in this magical land to refresh your body and soul:

Guayaba: Guava (Psidium guajava)

Native to tropical America, the guava is found in Mexican markets but for in the winter when it is out of season. A pretty yellow skin contains delicious pink flesh with many seeds. It´s ideal for jams, jellies, gelatine, guava pies and juice. Its very cheap price makes guava a delicious must buy.


Aguacate: Avocado (Persea americana)

Native to Mexico, the word Avocado comes from a Náhuatl Indian (Aztec) word ¨ahuácatl¨ meaning testicle. It is thoght that the reference is either due to the avocado´s shape or the fact that it was considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities. What do you think? 

The avocado is available year round. It´s used in guacamole and salads and the aromatic leaves are used to flavor bean dishes, mixiotes and even mescals! Oink!

Granada: Pomegranate (Punica granatum)


Introduced by Spanish conquistadors, pomegranate is a delicious spherical fruit with green hard skin, and full of brilliant red seeds. It is used in savory sauces, salad dressings, sorbets, drinks and in a typical dish called Chiles en Nogada.


Mamey: Mamey Sapote (Pouteria sapota)


It´s a delicious fruit with rough brown skin and a soft orange flesh on the inside. It has a mildly sweet taste with a texture similar to sorbet. Mamey is a favorite for milkshakes and ice creams. 


Mango: Mango (Mangifera indica)






  Having arrived from South Asia to a warm welcome in Mexico, mango is used for everything: salsas, savory sauces for fish, chicken and poultry, an endless variety of drinks, ice creams, desserts and even candy. There are many varieties of mango and all delicious. My personal favorite and a guaranteed must try (my french comrade wasn ´t wrong).

Tamarindo: Tamarind (Tamarindus índica)



Native to countries in Asia, Africa and of course Mexico, its pulp has a bittersweet and refreshing taste. It is used specially for Tamarindo juice and a very popular variety of candy called: Chamoy (combined with red chili and sugar).


Noni: Noni (Morinda citrifolia)



Despite its concentrated cheese flavor and smell, this fruit originally from Central America, has innumerable benefits for health because it is rich in vitamins, fiber, proteins, calcium, and vitamin C. You can consume as a juice or tablets.

Carambola: Star fruit (Averrhoa carambola)

This Star-shaped yellow juicy fruit comes mainly from India but it´s also found in Central and South America. It has a juicy and citric flavor. It is used to garnish fruity alcoholic beverages.


Tuna: Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-índica)



A fruit that comes from a cactus; the spines are removed so that you may consume the fruit without danger of sticking yourself. It comes in a multitude of colors: red, purple, green, and yellow. It has a refreshing taste and juicy without being overly sweet.

Guanábana: Soursop, Brazilian Paw Paw, Prickly Custar Apple. (Annona muricata)

You have no idea what it is? This huge egg shaped fruit native to the Caribbean and Central America goes by many names and has a thick white pulp with dark brown seeds. It is considered a very strong natural anti-carcinogen due to its antioxidant properties. It is used for ice cream and juices. 

For recipes with all these fruits mentioned above, I highly reccomend: http://www.yummly.com/

Food and drinks are what life is all about, isn´t it?

See you next post!   -Don Lechón