Back from my quick trip across the border to bring in the New Year with a spicy Mexican kick. Alma, one of my grad-school friends grew up in Yuma, Arizona. She has family living on both sides of the border who were having a fiesta to ring in 2008. I’ve travelled to Guadalajara to visit her family and was excited to be included in the invitation. Being surrounded by a Mexican family is one of my favourite cultural experiences. I lived in Mexico many years ago and quickly learned to appreciate the living, breathing, crazy entity that is a Mexican holiday celebration with a giant family. Enough food to feed an army? Check. Enough people to man an army? Double-check. Mariachis? Occasionally. Margaritas? Definitely.
{In contrast, I have six cousins total. I’m pretty sure Alma has 40-plus living in the immediate area. Her mom is one of 9; her dad is one of 7. Yeow. One of the many plus sides to this adventure? I wasn’t expected to know anyone’s name because with a family this large, no one gets them all right.}
A few cultural observations:
~ On New Year’s eve, you wear red underwear for love, yellow for money. You eat 12 grapes — one each second before the clock strikes midnight, and make a wish with each gulp. And yes, one of my wishes was that I didn’t choke to death. You throw your arms around each other and kiss everyone in your group on the cheek when the ball drops. {I wore red, naturally. Money is overrated.}
~While cigarette smoking in public is a thing of the past in Arizona, not so in Mexico. If there is one distinct smell that immediately brings be back to this country, it is Marlboro Reds. They seem to be the cigarette of choice; my eyes, skin, hair, coat reeked of their poison. I’m simply not used to being around smoke.
~New Year’s in Mexico means lots of guns being shot into the air. And dynamite and fireworks. I fell asleep listening to this cacophony after exhausted prayer.
~I am still abnormally tall in this country, the leaning tower of gringa. I am also abnormally hungry when salsa is served with everything.
~Food in Mexico = heaven. Homemade tamales, barbecue tacos, fresh guacamole, salsa galore. The fresh corn tortillas were so good with a bit of white cheese, guacamole and beans. And God bless this family for letting me eat like this at every meal. {Who wants cereal when you can have tacos. For breakfast.}
Meds at a discount: never mind you may or may not have a prescription.
~The border towns are clogged with dentists, pharmacies and ridiculous other out-patient clinics. Long lines of very White, seemingly Midwestern folk, stood outside of these waiting to be seen. Dental and optometry seem to be the most common reason people travel thousands of miles to be seen. Never mind they are leaving the US to be treated at an incredibly discounted rate. For example, a root canal in Mexico costs $400 after all the visits and the medicine. The same procedure without dental insurance in the US would likely cost more than $1500. Tell me something hasn’t gone totally awry with our health care system?
Hi big brother! Cameras watch the border.
~Mexicans continue to amaze me with their warm, loving hospitality. Even though they sit through ridiculous queues at the border (while holding their American passports) and put up with the discriminatory glare of border agents, border dogs, border cameras — they continue to smile and be the sweet, fabulous people I adore.
I hope your New Year’s was wonderful. If nothing else, we know 2008 will be great: we get a new president! Hopefully, this one will know what to do about the dental diaspora! Of course, our dental care system isn’t all bad and yes, we do have fair dental practices like Dentist Kennewick. But, looking at the bigger picture, a lot needs to change to meet today’s requirements. If only we had more practices like Dentist Kennewick then, there wouldn’t be an issue. Would there?!
~k