Holiday House Hunting

It certainly has been a unique set of events regarding my apartment hunting in Guadalajara. I arrived Sunday early evening and enjoyed a lovely night chatting with my hosts. All my research was as done as could be before heading into the actual city on Monday.

Turns out, Monday is a national holiday so everything is closed and everyone is out and about so traffic is abysmal and my lunch doesn't exist.

Also, today was the last day of the Mexican Black Friday: Buen Fin. Everyone was out to get the very last deals of the day. Whew, there are a lot of shoppers in Guadalajara! Almost felt like I was in Japan with the sidewalks and crosswalks so full they were spilling over into the streets with people.

After driving, or rather sitting, in my car for hours today, I've seen two apartments and had almost identical experiences.

I'm not a typical renter, even as an expat, in that I'm not retired, I don't have a formal job, nor do I know a land owner in Guadalajara (another city in Mexico doesn't work) which makes it apparently quite difficult to rent, even to non agencies. Both couples I visited today to see their apartments immediately retracted their generosity when they found out I didn't have the "formal" job, nor a land owner in Guadalajara to vouch for me. Both are required.

Interestingly, both gentlemen were quite willing to offer various alternatives, while both women were various levels of adamently angry with me for seemingly wasting their time and urged the rules that must be followed. Knowing I'd probably end up having to deal mostly with the women because of their ernest overtaking of the situations, I'm a little concerned with my current options.

I'm finally done with driving as far as apartment hunting goes today. I've seen quite a bit of the city and will see two more apartments tomorrow. Hopefully these will go better than those today. One is with an agency that specializes in expat situations so I'm crossing my fingers for more hospitality.

There were so many downsides to the holiday today. First was that everything is closed so getting a feel for a neighborhood is difficult because outside of Centro and a bit of Av Chapultepec, all doors were shut leaving an impression of undesireableness. Where things were open, pretty much the entire town was out walking and driving around creating a huge deadlock that is abnormal (I'm told), however, still my first (and only) impression.

Another downside was trying to eat. So many restaurants are closed that I walked an hour without finding one open and had to drives hours to a different part of the city to eat. Hours, mostly because traffic was a deadlock and I found myself on a north-bound street that didn't allow left turns for miles. Insane!

Good news is that I found a sushi and sake bar. Fried cheese and bananas, tepinyaki fish, and cold sake for me for dinner tonight! I ended back up in Chapultepec as it was at least the right direction toward home and restaurants were open when I drove through earlier in the afternoon. They aren't all open now, but at least there are a few. Thank heavens as I was really hungry!

Who knew lightly fried cheese and bananas on a stick were crazy delicious?!?!?

Meh. The appetizer was much better but my glass is almost empty :-)

One thing I have noticed that I really am excited for is the bike lanes in Guadalajara. There are actually a lot of them and bicyclists are everywhere. I'm excited to get out there without my car! If today is any indication, I'll get places much faster on a bike. Yes, if you're wondering I left my bikes in the USA. However, my couchsurfing host has a friend that is selling exactly what I need for super cheap (so I'm told) so hopefully I'll have a city bike within the week... Denny Crane in the basket on the front of course!

Still so much to do tonight to prepare for tomorrow. My host will be back at work tomorrow so I won't have my interpretter with me, which has really helped keep things short and understandable. My Spanish is just fine for a normal conversation but specific words for renting are not in my vocabulary yet. I'll be sleeping with a rotating Spanish dictionary tonight lol!

Happy another day, another chance, another opportunity

As many of you know, I'm not one for social norms nor traditions. Most people feel required to follow the rituals and customs society has placed on us, but somehow I've managed to avoid what I would deem as a materialistic hold on our world. It's simple really, I just tell everyone I know not to expect anything holiday related. BUT to expect everything non holiday related.

Simply put, just because society thinks it can pigeonhole me into its materialistic way of life, I REFUSE!

When I see something someone needs, I buy it if I can, and give it no matter the season. If I can do something nice for someone, I do so no matter the holiday. You will have a bigger impact on people and do more good in the world if you don't wait for a holiday to do it. As Nike would say, JUST DO IT!!

This is how I attempt to live my life and how I encourage others to as well. The friends who will remain will be true friends; not those who are friends for a superficial purpose. It may be hard to find out that some of your friends are truly not your friends. Losing "friends" isn't easy. And in a world where the more popular you are the more status you receive, having fewer friends might be a difficult adjustment. But, it will be worth it. Your time will be well spent in the future really enriching the lives of those that truly care about you and your well being.

So there is no happy new year for you, no happy birthday, nor happy any other made up day by any culture past an present. It's just a Happy Today and a Happy Tomorrow. A wish for you to live every day as it were a holiday. And no, holidays don't have to be full of craziness and frivolity. Holidays can be times for laziness and relaxation and rejuvenation. Holidays can be whatever you need them to be. And when you synonymize holiday and everyday, than you'll learn to make the most in whatever way, out of everyday.

TODAY IS A HOLIDAY SO LIVE LIKE IT IS.

'TIS THE SEASON

YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE MY ALL CAPS POST, BUT THE SHIFT KEYS ON THIS COMPUTER ARE BROKEN AND HITTING CAPS LOCK TWICE IS REALLY ANNOYING AND TIME CONSUMING, SO INSTEAD OF WRITING EVERYTHING IN PHONE TEXT FORMAT, I'M OPTING INSTEAD FOR THE ALL CAPS.

NOW ON TO MY POST TOPIC.

IT IS THE SEASON....FOR GIFT GIVING.

NOW THIS HOLIDAY I'M WORKING FOR SOME EXTRA MONEY AT A RETAIL STORE. IT'S A NICE STORE WITH INTERESTING AND UNIQUE THINGS. THEY'RE ALL HANDMADE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IT REALLY IS A MOM AND POP STORE WHICH I SUPPORT.

HOWEVER, MY ISSUE IS NOT WITH THE STORE, BUT WITH WHAT GOES ON THIS TIME OF YEAR.

THE COUNTLESS TIMES SOMEONE HAS WALKED IN THE STORE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE, AND SAID, 'I NEED TO BUY SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE BUT THEY ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING AND DON'T REALLY NEED ANYTHING'. WELL, THEN WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU BUYING THEM SOMETHING.

WHAT A MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY WE LIVE IN THAT REQUIRES US TO GO SPEND, I MEAN CHARGE, MONEY WE DON'T HAVE, TO BUY GIFTS PEOPLE DON'T WANT, THAT THE RECIPIENTS WON'T USE. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, WHAT A WASTE. YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET A GIFT YOU DON'T WANT AND YOU THEN HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER YOU CAN REGIFT OR IF YOU'LL HAVE TO DONATE, OR MAYBE HANG ON TO IT FOR A WHILE, OR EVEN POSSIBLY DISPLAY IT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO INFLICT THIS UPON SOMEONE YOU CALL A FRIEND.

BECAUSE IT'S SOCIETY PRACTICE. BECAUSE IT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING. BECAUSE IT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE. BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING AND YOU DON'T WANT TO OWE THEM ONE. BECAUSE YOU'RE SO AFRAID OF BEING DIFFERENT. BECAUSE YOU'RE UNABLE TO DEAL WITH AN AWKWARD OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE SITUATION WHEN THEY DISCOVER YOU DIDN'T BUY THEM SOMETHING ON THAT SPECIFIC DAY. OK, I'LL STOP.

NOW YOU MIGHT BE THINKING AFTER THAT SMALL TIRADE THAT I'M ANTI GIFTING. THIS IS NOT TRUE, AS MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL VOUCH.

BUT I GIFT IN THE WAY I WISH SOCIETY GIFTED...WHEN IT'S NECESSARY OR HELPFUL. FOR INSTANCE, IF I KNOW A FRIEND NEEDS SOMETHING AND I HAPPEN TO COME ACROSS THAT ITEM, WHO CARES WHAT HOLIDAY IT IS; I BUY IT AND GIFT IT. I DON'T BUY KNICK KNACKS THAT SOMEONE HAS TO DUST OR WASH OR ANY OTHER ANNOYING CHORE. SOMETIMES THE BEST THING IS JUST AN OLD FASHIONED HAND WRITTEN CARD AT ANY TIME OF YEAR, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A HOLIDAY, THAT TELLS THEM YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR FRIENDSHIP. YOU KNOW HOW MANY HANDWRITTEN CARDS ARE SENT THESE DAYS. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO ANY LETTERS...YEAH, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE IT'S RHETORICAL AND YOU GET MY POINT.

AMERICA IS SUCH A MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY THAT WE CONSTANTLY CONTINUE TO AMASS MORE STUFF WHEN WE DON'T USE THE STUFF WE ALREADY HAVE AND WE DON'T HAVE MORE SPACE TO STORE THE STUFF WE'RE GETTING. I RECENTLY SAW A FUNNY THAT HAD PEOPLE TRAMPLING INTO STORES ON BLACK FRIDAY AND IT WAS AN IRONIC FUNNY BECAUSE IT SAID THAT PEOPLE WILL NEARLY KILL EACH OTHER OVER SOMETHING THEY SO DESPERATELY THINK THE NEED WHEN JUST THE DAY BEFORE THEY WERE ALL GIVING THANKS FOR WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE. MAYBE THE LOGIC IS THE MORE STUFF YOU HAVE THE MORE THANKFUL YOU CAN BE....IS IT IN DIRECT CORRELATION OR AM I MISSING THE POINT...

SINCE MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ALREADY DONE FOR THE SEASON THIS POST WILL MAKE LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON YOUR HOLIDAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON YOUR BRAIN. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU SHOW PEOPLE YOU CARE. DO THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU CARE. CAN THEY TELL OR IS IT JUST A TRADITION.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND A PERSON YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT SOMETHING FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND INSTEAD OF PURCHASING A USELESS GIFT OR A GIFT THEY DON'T REALLY NEED, MAKE SOMETHING WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. WRITE THEM A LONG LETTER, SPEND TIME DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM IF YOU'RE NEARBY LIKE A BIG PROJECT THEY NEED COMPLETED IF YOU'RE HANDY AT THAT SORT OF THING. ASK THEM WHAT THEY REALLY NEED. WOULD THEY RATHER JUST SPEND THE TIME WITH YOU INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR MONETARY GIFTS. WOULD THEY RATHER YOU DID SOMETHING SEEMINGLY SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT FOR THEM THAT NO ONE ELSE WOULD SEE. FIND OUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE AND WHAT THEY REALLY NEED; AND DON'T JUST BUY THEIR LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS.

SHORT DISCLAIMER...SOMETIMES GIFTS ARE SUPER DUPER HELPFUL AND WONDERFUL AND AMAZING AND GREAT. I'M NOT CONDEMNING GIFT GIVING, BUT THE CULTISH PRACTICE OF IT DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHERE THE PERSON ON EITHER SIDE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE EQUATION TO THE WHIMS OF SOCIETY. IF YOU HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT GIFT FOR SOMEONE, THEN BY ALL MEANS, GET IT. BUT WHY WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS OR ANY HOLIDAY FOR THAT MATTER. IF THEY CAN USE IT, GIFT IT NOW AND WATCH THE HAPPINESS AND JOY ABOUND.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS