footprints after a rainy week

Once upon a rainy day... that is how the story has started every single day this week. For over 4 months we basically had no rain at all and now that is all we have. It's muddy and wet and nothing is as fun anymore. Downtown is flooding and so is our little backyard where I'm supposed to dry our clothes without a dryer. I was wondering if my love for Mexico had to do with the fact that we were accompanied by the sun and the warmth so loyally. Now I know the answer. 

All of a sudden Montreal is starting to feel more and more appealing. I keep on fantasizing about our bathtub in Montreal, let's say I even have "wet dreams" about spreading bath salt in the hot water and then dipping in with a glass of wine in my hand.

"a woman is like tea a bag, you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water" 

"Eleanor Roosevelt"

This quote has nothing much to do with my point but I just found it funny. Here we have a very poor shower stream and the water coming out is cold. It's okay when it's 30 degrees celsius outside but it's less fun when it drops below 20.
But this is by no means anything else than a spoiled woman's complaints. 
Enough about the weather ... what is way more sad is the fact that I lost my dear friend, who I could sip sparkling wine with and complain if complaining was needed. Now I just sit here like an abandoned shoe with nobody but myself to talk to.

This is the sad thing with good female friends, they come closer and understand you more than men ever will and when you separate, there is nothing but sadness and the memory of the great times behind you. Yes, you are of course grateful for the lovely time you had together but none the less you feel kinda empty inside.  We knew our friendship would come to a separation but unfortunately it came sooner than expected. Something to get use to apparently when doing contract work like this. We got to know each other more intensely than one would in normal circumstances and therefore the separation feels way worse than it normally would feel if I only would had known somebody for a few months. Yesterday I went downtown and had a coffee all alone, sat there staring on the walls on my own and then I slowly walked back home on my own. It wasn't raining however but the sun was hiding in the clouds.

Queretaro is still a beautiful city but it is much brighter when the sun is shining and more fun when my friend was around.

As they say ... Many people will walk in and out of your life but only the ones that matter will leave footprints in your heart. I don't let people close very easily and therefore the ones who do come close, leave very deep prints in my heart. My friend's beautifully nail polished feet certainly made deep traces and next to hers are somewhat messier ones of her fluffy haired son ... 

a more local feel to the city

It's early June and this time of the year I would normally suffer from some allergies in both Finland and Canada but that's another great thing about Mexico, here the allergies don't seem to hit me or at least not yet.
We moved a few weeks ago and I get to enjoy a new neighborhood and some different kind of Jacaranda trees. Some red ones.

I have a park just a few hundred meters from my doorstep, where I can go running in the morning. In the afternoon it gets insanely warm, so that's when you see women walk around with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. I prefer to cover my head with a hat, can't bring myself to use an umbrella for something other than rain. 

I now get to experience another side of Queretaro. More normal and real life. To live 3 months in a hotel was strange in so many ways. I feel more free now that I get to do everything myself. We have more space to enjoy and I'm surrounded by Mexicans where ever I go. I get to take bus number 9 to downtown and bus number 96 when I go and see my first official Mexican friend. With her I get an even better feel of the real life. I have now tried a local delicacy called "gordita". She informed me that there is a veggie version of it with cheese and the nopal cactus. Normally it's done with pork meat. 

I guess it's a bit like a filled pancake but as they use corn flower, it tastes a bit different. Really enjoyed the discovery. Nothing super healthy but the tasty things rarely are. Pork meet is highly popular here. They put it everywhere.

Like inside these cactuses on the barbecue for example. Looks very exotic and probably nice and tasty. We however don't eat red meat with my husband, so I don't know.

I'm however really enjoying the more local feeling of this place and the great company I get to enjoy. 

My time in Mexico seem to include women and their 8 year old sons, as here is another duo like that. I think it's a really cute age for boys. They still have that innocent child in them but you can talk to them the same way as you would with an adult. Well, obviously you choose a subject that is a bit more related to their life. It's easier to remember what you yourself were like at 8 than what you were like at 4. I at least can't really remember anything from those early years. I'm very much grateful for what I have experienced so far. I have even started going to Zumba class just around the corner.  I have always enjoyed what Zumba does to us women. It's a place we come to enjoy the music and each other and judgement is left at the door. Nothing but smiles and good time for an hour. Works so well in all countries I've been trying it out. Who knows, maybe I will make my second Mexican friend there ... it worked in Canada.