THE FACTS OF LIFE IN SMA

Because the house is at the end of the street, which is at the bottom of the hill, every time I go out I have to climb uphill.  At 6500 feet high, the walk up is difficult.  So I think about it twice before venturing out of the house.  If there is a sidewalk, it is easier but walking on the rough, uneven cobblestones can be trying.  Sprained ankles are not uncommon.  Your foot slips over a stone and - twist! - there goes the foot.  One of the facts of life in SMA.  

Another fact of life is that you cannot drink the water from the faucet.  Some people don't even cook with it or make coffee or brush their teeth.  I take my chances with that stuff.  I just don't drink it. The landlady provides us with enormous bottles of Santorini water.  They are big and very heavy. Hauling them upstairs can be dangerous.  Yesterday, David had to bring one up and he was out of breath; then, turning it upside down and sticking it into the tiny mouth of the ceramic jar proved difficult: spilled water all over the floor.  But, eventually, he managed to get it in.  Mop the floor, dry the counter, water's ready for drinking.

All fruits and vegetables have to be "microdyned," especially lettuce, tomatoes, and anything you eat raw and don't peel.  Microdyne is a tincture: 8 drops in a liter of water, leave food for 10 minutes, take it out, ready to eat.  You can use the same liquid for about a week before making a new batch.  It is a yellowy mixture, not very attractive, but many people swear by it.  Again, some people don't do any of that; but then, many others do.  Our downstairs neighbor gave us her tiny bottle and now we have a bucket with the liquid on our counter.  David washed tomatoes and apricots the other day.  We haven't had any lettuce except for last night, when we went to a friend's house for dinner.  They microdyne everything.  It was fun to eat lettuce again after two weeks.

Because there is no central heating and the house is made of stone and tile, mornings can be very cold.  When I get up, I put on pants, wool sweater, and a robe over my nightgown. And I wear my socks and shoes.  During the day the house warms up quite a bit since the sun shines on it and in it; this way, evenings are not as cold as mornings.  There is an electric fireplace in the living-room which I turn on sometimes while we watch television before going to bed.  

For all the North Americans who live here year-round, these are small prices to pay.  They love it. They wouldn't think of leaving.  Crime is very low.  Weather is sunny and warm most of the time. There are plenty of cultural activities to keep you engaged and entertained.  Cost of living is low. There are no traffic jams.  (There are no streetlights.)  Life is easy.  

San Miguel is a UNESCO Heritage Site and, as such, it is kept as a colonial city.  The center of town offers small shops and cafes and restaurants.  There is only one Starbucks and it is very inconspicuous.  McDonald's has requested permission to open over the years but has been refused continually.  There are few malls but they are outside the downtown.  "Conde-Nast named San Miguel de Allende the best city in the world last year," told us our friend Marty who has lived here for the last few years.  I don't know about that.  

WHAT I DID THIS WEEKEND

Good morning! I am back. I've decided to take the weekends off from writing. 

Saturday afternoon Irma arrived; we sat on the rooftop deck sipping wine and catching up. The sun was warm.  In the evening we went to dinner to Berlin, a sort-of German restaurant downtown. The food was good, the wine too, but one other customer annoyed us to no end.  An older woman who spoke loudly and seemed drunk.  Eventually David became angry and yelled at her, I said some things, her companions got involved, and then they all left. We had crepes for dessert and left too. This is the second time we are confronted with loud speaking "gringos" who make our dinners unpleasant. What is it with these people?  And if you tell them - like we do - they say things like "this is Mexico," "relax," "don't be so uptight," etc. etc.  I wonder how the locals put up with them. Irma suggested we don't go to the restaurants they frequent. I suppose that's a possibility.

Sunday we strolled in the Botanic Gardens and did some bird watching.  We saw an avocet, a whole bunch of Mexican mallards, vermilion flycatchers, and apparently a coot (although I couldn't find it).  The cacti are not in bloom yet. Lunch was at the garden cafe before returning home to read, nap, rest. In the evening our downstairs neighbors invited us for cocktails and off we went. Irma gave them tips on what to see in Mexico City where they're going next week.  Later I made supper at home and we watched the Olympics for a while before going to bed.

This morning Irma left and I am back at my computer, writing, composing, feeling productive. I miss it if I don't do it for a few days, now that I've gotten in the rhythm of things.  That's why routines are useful.  Decide when and for how long you'll write and sit down and do it, or stare at the screen for however long you decided.  Eventually something will happen. And if nothing comes out, just free write nonsense. Something is bound to be good and usable.  I promise you.

FLYCATCHERS, SATIE, AND OTHER PLEASURES

The classical guitar concert last night offered me the possibility of thinking about life and work. The young man played Bach, Piazzolla, Villalobos, and others. Very pleasant and we had nice seats.  It was what my soul needed.  After the concert we walked a bit and went to San Agustin Cafe, across from the church.  No Americans in the cafe.  It was a welcome sight and sound. I wonder why it was all Mexicans and us. We had a delicious tortilla espanola and jamon serrano con melon. I enjoyed a martini kiwi. 

Before the concert I attended the second part of the lecture on the history of the dining table with Eva Eliscu - a woman originally from Stockholm who lives in Chicago and here and there too.  She talked about the dining table from Napoleon's time to the present.  The first installment covered the period from Ancient Greece to the French Revolution. I founded all fascinating.  It reignited my interest in researching food anthropology, the history of foods, what people ate, what are dishes we all have in common, and many other topics. I think I'll do that when I go back to Chicago.

During the day I watched the vermilion flycatcher flutter around on the shrubs, bright red breast, black head, could not be more beautiful.  Jumping from branch to branch, hiding in the tall trees in the distance, coming closer to my window.  A red slash against the blue sky, impossible not to admire.  Two grackles walked back and forth across the street, their long black tails sweeping the cobblestones, determined and purposeful.  Sometimes one of them perches himself on the dome above the house and calls out to who knows who - a mate? a friend? us? 

This morning, as I sip my coffee and write, I listen to the radio from the Universidad de Guanajuato.  There is a program for children teaching them about classical music. Eric Satie talks about his compositions and they play his music while children ask questions.  Before there was a recitation of Homer's Odyssey in Spanish with Greek music in the background.  What a pleasure! 
Gardenias yellow on my desk yet they still offer me their aroma.

Later today Irma will arrive from Mexico City.

Come to San Miguel this February!

Concurrent Workshop, Session #1: Thursday, February 14  9:00 – 10:30 AM

CRAFTING STORIES FROM REAL LIFE: Literary Nonfiction

Literary or creative nonfiction is the fastest growing literary genre.   The telling of facts in a creative manner entertains readers, surprises them, and teaches them something about real life in the process.

Creative nonfiction walks a fine line between fiction and truth with style and confidence.  Create stories that read like fiction but are based on real life.

In this workshop you will learn how to write a gripping opening sentence, how to use dialogue and bring characters alive, how to incorporate research to add depth to your writing, and the essential techniques of successful and interesting creative nonfiction writing.

We will also look at examples of creative nonfiction from an array of authors and study them to learn about voice, style, and structure as we produce our own essays by the end of the session.

Beatriz Badikian-Gartler’s publications includeMapmaker Revisited: New and Selected Poems; Old Gloves: A 20^th Century Saga; travel essays in The New York Times, The Winfield Post, New Directions in Travel Writing, and others. She has also published short stories, film reviews, poems, and personal memoir essays in journals and anthologies in the United States and abroad.

Badikian-Gartler holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has been teaching for the last 25 years at various institutions of higher learning, such as, Northwestern University, Loyola University, Roosevelt University, Columbia College, University of Wisconsin, Newberry Library, and others.

Her writing has won several awards, including a nomination for a Pushcart Prize in 1993, a Time Inc. fellowship, and grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Office of Fine Arts.  She is a popular performer in the Chicago area and lectures often on women’s issues, art, and literature.

In 2000 Badikian-Gartler was selected as one of the “One-Hundred Women Who Make a Difference in Chicago” by Today’s Woman magazine.  She is also an Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar.

Come to San Miguel next February!