collage your mind…

1. type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. using only the first page of results, pick one image.
3. copy and paste each of the url’s for the images into big huge lab’s mosaic maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

the questions:
1. what is your first name?
2. what is your favorite food? right now?
3. what high school did you go to?
4. what is your favorite color?
5. who is your celebrity crush?
6. what is your favorite drink?
7. what is your dream vacation?
8. what is your favorite dessert?
9. what do you want to be when you grow up?
10. what do you love most in life?
11. what is one word that describes you?
12. what is your flickr name?

I’m sitting inside the ultra-fancy Altabrisa Mall here in Merida…drinking a lukewarm Starbucks coffee and looking over at a squeeky clean shiny HaagenDas.   In front of me a podium is being set up for what appears to be a grand opening of a Nike Store.  New stores are a big deal here.  Just three weeks ago we managed to get exclusive tickets to the grand opening of the aforementioned HaagenDas Store where we drank our fill of alcohol, enjoyed exotic appetizers (they were yummy), and then gorged on ice cream (which as accidental…I didn’t realized I’d ordered two ice cream cones).  We even made it into a society magazine (okay, it’s a panoramic shot and you can see our backs in the bottom corner of the picture, but we are there). 

So sitting here now, damp after getting drenched in a rain storm feels a bit juxtaposed.  My feet are gross in my sandals, my spiral shot from water damage and still my shirts and shorts cling slightly to my skin.  The SEARS I entered in the mall seemed a bit too clean for my dripping body…a little dryer after the bathroom (my clothes were literally clinging to me like I jumped in a lake). 

This all started with poor decisions.  I thought I knew which corner to exit to get to the mall (though I’d never walked it).  I thought I’d find a shelter at this stop (when really there was none, so I had to continue in the rain a half a kilometer).  The stop before created quite a hassle on the bus.  People getting off in large numbers.  I watched them jump off and immediately under the umbrella of a business at the corner.  Of course waiting for the rain to let up means waiting for 20 mins at least.  At that moment I thought "I should go where the people go."  And that is my new ‘lema’ or slogan.  Go where the people go.  If you don’t know any better, take the road MORE traveled.  At least if you want to stay dry. 

I spit, I sputter, I mangle the Spanish language.  I’m towards the end of my 2nd Spanish class grappling with feelings of failure. 

I’ve come a long ways, but I’m still stuck hacking my words into a sentence.  I don’t flow and flutter and float when I speak.  Somehow I start to combine words in my head and they come out in bits and pieces, not full sentences.  I guess I’m not much of a natural when it comes to languages…proven by my high school attempts to learn German and Sign Language.  Not that I don’t try. 

I can see the disappointment in my teachers face.  Though I hope it turns into resolve, to help me get there.  Because I understand a tremendous amount of the language.  I follow most conversations, though I often get lost if there are more then one or two individuals involved in the story.  Pronouns are pretty different in Spanish. 

I now know 5 tenses.  While the two past tenses are still difficult for me to conjugate (I mean c’mon – each person has a different form – you, me, he/she/youformal, they/youplural, we  – are all different) the future is pretty easy.  Reflexives…still figuring out the context for how to use em.

I just keep on keepin on.  Eventually I’ll fluidly speak when all the pieces fit and my brain relaxes.  One day Chema won’t correct me for every attempt I make…cause I’ll get it right.  ONE DAY…

This week, Chema signs a lease on our new home.  The new house is close to Chema’s family and closer to friends.  It’s also closer to downtown and in an older neighborhood.  It’s a bit big, with 3 bedrooms and a small house outback.  But it’s a great space.  The kitchen is a step up from the one we are in now.

And I’m excited for this.  I plan on upgrading a few things…including my knife skills.  Check out this video.  I found it very helpful…watch how she cuts the pepper.  I tried it today…was super easy and I saved more pepper then my old cutting ways.  Just new a new knife and a few other accessories.

Photos to come of the new pad. 

Took a trip this weekend to Dzilam de Bravo…north coast of the Yucatan on the West side of the Biosphere Reserve Rio Lagartos.  We took a boat trip out to a secluded beach (where you can camp as well!), a fresh water eye in the sea, a cenote and a lagoon with crocodiles.  Didn’t see any live crocodiles, but we did manage to see a dead mama, who was apparently trying to get to another mama’s baby.  She didn’t make it and she sured smelled nasty…did see the baby hiding in the water near by. 

When arriving back on the boat, I tripped and sprained my ankle.  I’ve been set up since then and watching Prison Break on DVD.  Another addictive show, though there are plenty of ‘holes’ in the plot that bug me. Hopefully I’ll be back walking soon.

Photos of the trip are here.

Here’s a description of what I’m ‘trying’ to grow in my garden (aka a bunch of containers since soil in yards is hard to come by).  I use the word trying because I am relearning new techniques for a new climate with new pests and new diseases.  What is exciting is that in this heat some things should grow better then in Seattle, but unfortunately it’s a bit TOO hot and the rains can be a bit TOO heavy in the wet season. 

Wish me luck!

Tomatoes

Large Red Cherry Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
Swallow Tail Garden Seeds describes this tomato as "Vigorous, healthy, heavy-bearing vines produce clusters of deep scarlet, 1-1.25 inch scrumptious fruits all
season long. Indeterminate."  SeedSavers.org says "Originally from the Ben Quisenberry collection. Large 1½-2" cherry
tomato. Extremely productive plants. Great full flavor. Ben preferred
this variety for canning whole. A favorite for salads and fresh eating.
Indeterminate, 75-80 days."  I have a 2003 package from Seed Savers.  Let’s see if it will grow! I heart cherry tomatoes.

Pink Accordion
From the Farm & Garden website: "The mild-flavored fruits of this variety are slightly flat and heavily
ribbed to look ruffled like an accordion. They make beautiful shapes
when sliced. Because of their semi-hollow insides, they are good for
stuffing." I found this one listed for Hot Climate seeds which makes sense since they’ve grown well so far (I’ve got 8 seedlings!).  Oh, and it’s indeterminate which means it’ll keep growing until frost…so I think it’ll create a little bush that if treated right will just keep on giving.

Purple Calabash
Thought to be from Mexico originally, this tomato offers the truest purple color of any variety.  It is ruffled in shape and offers a rich sweet flavor that is excellent fresh (apparently).  Listed as a hot climate variety and again indeterminate. Bears fruit 80-90 days from transplant.

Limmony (or Lemmony)
Can’t seem to find much in the way of info but from  Nicky’s Nursery in the UK: "Pale yellow fruits, small Brandywine-type fruits with hint of lemon in the flavour. Indeterminate"

After a week in the ‘States’ I’m back.  It was sort of a crazy week. A funeral for a beloved Aunt, a trip to the park with my nephew, some beer and cheese and then sickness ( a reverse Montezuma revenge).  Traveling sick is never fun but then try getting stuck in Dallas overnight because of a SNOWSTORM in March.  Thankfully my valiant mother found me a room at the Red Roof Inn North (North because DFW is GIGANTIC!!) while I waited in a two hour line to be reticketed.

I’m happy to be home.  It’s a beautiful day following a ‘norte’ – presumably the same weather pattern that brought snow to Dallas brought cool winds to Merida, so I’m done complaining. 

Chema and I took Mali to the park and enjoyed the sunny/cool weather by throwing the ball with the new ‘chuck-it’.  Got Mali tired out so she’d be compliant during her much needed bath.  She’s been tearing up the front yard (destroying hours of work I put in) and causing havoc (woke me up at 5am this morning).  More walks are in order to tame her behavior, as well as much more training!  We also need to find a dog-share here in Merida so we can house her with another dog-friendly family while we are gone in June for 10 days. 

Hopefully the head cold we be gone tomorrow, I have a chili cook off to go to!

I turned 30 and went ice skating.  You think that would be possible in a tropical climate? You haven’t seen the 4 fancy new malls built here, including one with an ice skating rink. 

That day was momentous also because I made my first cake from scratch.  I had fun doing it and the only change I would make is using a homemade frosting, the store bought stuff was too sweet.

Here are some photos and videos…you can see the rest of them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cedar_forest

A natural, right?

Coffee before the embarrassing moments begin…

A second cake at dinner after some italian food and wine…

baby its cold outside…er, inside…

Entrance to the mall…

View in the mall…

Family, Friends and Others:

Have you ever wanted to read my thesis?  Well now is your chance in all 56 pages of glory.

-Ryan

Download social_capital_systems_thinking.pdf

Orange Juice here is crazy cheap!! I can get a liter of fresh squeezed goodness a block for my house for $10 pesos (or around $1USD).  It’s a great way to start the day.

Last night I was lounging in the bedroom/computer room (we consolidated and now have a blank slate of a guest room with a hammock) when I noticed Mali chewing on something.  She’d taken a big green apple from off the dining room table.  Mali doesn’t get into too many things…she’s a pretty small dog and therefore can just barely reach onto the countertops/tables.  But those legs are long and she managed somehow to reach a Washington Apple.  And she was loving it. Scolding her was pointless, she’d taken it minutes before, and I was actually happy to see her eating an apple.  I’d try to feed her one before because I’d heard it was good for their digestion, but she didn’t like it.  Apparently I didn’t have the right variety. 

I gave it to her again today and snapped these photos.