All Alone No Place to Go - I think I'll Head to Mexico

  In the photo you see Ivan on the left and Cocky on the right.  Cocky’s name is actually Jorge, but as it’s popular in Mexican culture, this is his nickname.   Just like I have chosen Grigor for my nickname, his is Cocky.  But the word cocky has a particular meaning in English that I learned is translated much differently in Spanish.  What I found interesting is that Cocky’s personality fit his nickname. When I told Cocky what the Google translation was from English to Spanish, he laughed. The word Cocky as translated into Spanish by Google translate is Chulo which according  to Collins, dictionary, is a dandified, effeminate man or pimp. In reality, The translation is correct. But, Cocky and I laughed because we found the cross-translation funny.  We were completely lost in finding some meaning for the words. Language can be problematic.  Even worse when learning a foreign dialect. Sometimes in English I have difficulty being understood even if ...

 This is my final post in this blog.  If you have been following along, thank you.  If not, I welcome you to read prior posts and share your thoughts and ideas on my journeys.   This trip to Mexico City was inspired by emotions.  Losing somebody close to you is hard and there is no easy cure.  If taking a trip to Mexico could heal a broken heart, the country would be overwhelmed with sad souls looking for answers.  I did not expect to be suddenly recovered from grief by visiting Mexico City.  But I learned some things about myself.  Stay with me if you are interested, if not, maybe Facebook is a better place for you. Can I travel alone and not feel lonely?  Those of you who know me well, also understand that during the past ten years of my career and for the five years following, Tennessee and I always  traveled together.  We visited places all around the world from Europe to the Middle-East to both North and South-East As...

   On my last day, also Valentine’s Day, I went to the Frida Kahlo museum. Not knowing a reservation was required to get in, I was unable to attend the museum. The museum was full for the day, so there’s no way to see its wonderful exhibits on this trip. Fortunately, a group of three ladies were inquiring about the Valentine’s Day special event the museum was having for couples in the evening. There they were, three young ladies, looking to attend the museums in the evening, and I was a single old man, but still the fourth missing link needed to make two couples. So we quickly got our phones out and make a date. Jen would buy one ticket. I would buy the other. Together the four of us were going to see the Frida Kahlo museum no matter what it took. As you know, from reading this blog, I’ve been traveling alone.  The main point of this Mexico trip was to exercise my independence.  To see if I felt comfortable traveling alone again after so many years of traveling with ...

I  generally make my coffee at my little Mexico City condo every day. But today I decided to get out a little bit early and get a coffee made for me. It’s a beautiful spot right in front of Alameda central park. Where people are hustling and bustling their day away. Some are off to work while others are just looking for a place to rest for a while. I got a double coffee, Americano. It’s actually the best coffee I’ve had during my journey. I’m not very good at making coffee, unless it’s a Keurig. Traveling in a big city, like this involves a lot of walking. One of the things I learned is its important to be mindful during my walks. Throughout this blog, I am probably overworking the term “mindful” but it’s so incredibly important.  I focus and pay attention to what’s going around me,, to see sights, hear the sounds, and no matter how pungent the smell - to breathe deeply. All this makes the trip more enjoyable.  While, I sit here I’m entertained by a street performer. A yo...

Today I went to the Ballet Folklorio de Mexico in the Palacio de Bellas Artes.  It was fantastic. The highlight of my trip so far. Why you ask?  Because of the beauty and the symbolism and storytelling performed in dance. Let me start out by telling you I was using much of my meditation experience to get the most out of the ballet.  I’ve been training myself to be in the moment. By doing this, I can see what’s really happening not distracted by what’s going on around me. I see how the performers feet move gracefully on the floor. The expressions on their faces. The way the lace dresses move on the ladies. But most importantly, it allows me to tune in to the story being told. Being in the moment allowed me to ignore all the tourists in the room taking photos, even though they weren’t supposed to. It also allowed me to overlook some freeloaders who snuck into the auditorium under the guise "that they were just simply there to see the building." Unfortunately, they were Amer...

Yet another jazz club. Jazz seems to be very popular here in Mexico City. There are a handful of clubs. All of them are generally full on the weekends. If you haven’t made a reservation, then you’re stuck with whatever you can find.  This one is named Jazzlandia, and has two floors of jazz. On the first floor is a no cover jazz trio that was mediocre at best. But the atmosphere made up for it. The place was filled with jazz fans.   It’s amazing how much of the jazz played here is of American origin. Well, I guess that’s not surprising because America is the origin of jazz.  As a music style, jazz is not that old. It originated in new Orleans and Louisiana in the early 20th century. It seems as though jazz is the hip thing to do here in Mexico City among the younger crowd. One way to feel like an old man is attend some live jazz music. My bartender Maya was a cheerful 20’s something young lady who was not afraid to learn about her customers. She was very curious about me, ...