My Entertainment

Erika and I headed out on Saturday to explore Tuxtla, hopping in a random combi to see where it would take us. We stopped in front of a nutrition store and posed with the perfect representation of health.

We walked a block further and said hello to our friendly, local farmacist.

As we continued down the road, looking for a car rental place to use when my parent's arrive this week, we couldn't help but laugh at the dangers of walking in Tuxtla. There are sidewalks, but they're often full of holes, some of the holes are open sewers! I'd hate to be strolling along on a dark night and find myself swimming in Tuxtla waste!

We stumbled upon a few metal poles, jetting out of the ground for no apparent reason and I thought I'd act as if I was breaking my leg, quite possible if you weren't paying attention. We laughed at the giant hole in the ground that somebody "covered" with a branch from a tree, as if that solves the problem.

Another comedy around here is trash day. Ours gets picked up around 9:00 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It's FORBIDDEN, and believe me both Heather and I have been yelled at by a crazed man out of his window in a neighboring building when breaking the rules, to put out the trash any time other than from 8-8:30 pm on MWF.

We recently received a warning notice that if we're caught placing trash on the curb anytime other than the posted times, we will be fined. A co-worker from Sacramento, Kris, has already been fined 90 pesos ($9 US). The notice stated that this is due to sanitation standards here in Mexico, what an oxymoron that is!

Maybe, if they're so worried about sanitation, they should invest in a few dumpsters so people's trash isn't strewn and soiled all over the sidewalk near the "park" where kids play!

School has been great! The kids are fun to work with and the administration treats us with respect - a big change from the imbecil I worked with last year. I laughed when I returned from Christmas break because we were supposed to move into the new building on January 5 and it doesn't look very finished.

Come October, I could tell that the building wouldn't be done this school year as the work seemed to be done at a snail's pace, but I thought a picture would provide some humor for you.

I'll leave you with this photo of one of the many sales men at the intersections after school each day. Some of them are selling fried plantains, peanuts, small rubber chickens to display in your car window - who wouldn't want one of those?!? - and this guy has enormous roses for Valentine's Day.

There are a few random gringos whose lives apparently took a turn for the worse and they make a living flinging balls of fire into the air for Tuxtla motorists. It's amazing that people actually toss a peso or two at them!