Mundo Cuervo - Tequila

Yesterday Gwyn, Sarita and I went to Mundo Cuervo in Tequila. For 100 pesos we took the Cuervo tour which included a tasting and sit down time in the Familia Cuervo Cellar. It was a very nice tour, except for these white hair nets they made us wear for "sanitary" reasons. Cuervo is the oldest producing tequileria in the Americas. I believe our tour guide said Cuervo has been in business for 270 years. We were given a small tasting of the regular stuff sold. You had to pay for a tasting of the reserve tequila which I did and did not enjoy so much. I suppose my palate is just not sophisticated enough to enjoy the taste of cuervo reserve (which tasted much like a cognac). Their reserve bottle sells for over $200 in the states. But for $10 you received a tasting of the special stuff. And before Cuervo Mundo we went to the Tequila museum which is super interesting. Hopefully we'll be back again soon to experience the Herradura tour as Sarita still has to compile some information on them.

Pic 1: Jose Cuervo Factory
Pic 2: The tour guide said 150 to 300 tons of Piñas are brought in daily.
Pic 3: Piña assembly line. On their way to the oven to roast for 36 hours.
Pic 4: The cave - Family Cellar
Pic 5: Tequila museum

Battle of the dogs & a retirement community called Chapala

Hugo, Patricia and Havala (their youngest daughter) stopped by Friday evening to say hello and to give us more information regarding our all day Saturday adventure to Chapala.

When Tomi a sweet little Poodle with purple dyed hair and a collar to match met Atticus, it appeared friendly. They were sniffing each other and all seemed fine but then the scuffle started. Gwyn had to pull Atticus off poor little Tomi. Not to worry, Atticus is fine and not in doggie jail. Double-well: Tomi is alive and lives to tell another story. Literally.

Saturday morning, Sarita, Daniel and I head out to Hugo and Patricia's house and Tomi is a little withdrawn but overall OK. We packed up the cars and got ready for our 1 drive to Lake Chapala to go swimming at a gated community/club where Patricia's sister owns land. The club/pool area was beautiful and empty so we had this huge pool all to ourselves. It was great and the weather was cooler than GDL. Daniel was the first to jump straight into the pool, Sarita and I slowly eased ourselves into the cold water and Havala and her friend, as 8 year olds are were fearless and jumped in then started racing each other. Meanwhile S and I were still easing ourselves into the pool. The water was cold!!!! Tomi, was even trying to get into the pool. He was happily running around with not a care in the world.

After some pool time, we all sat down to eat and then the Tomi stories started to come out. Hugo and Patricia have only had Tomi for 1 month. He was abandoned after 3 years by his original owner - a young girl. Tomi had been a gift from the girl's boyfriend but when she was dumped by him she didn't want Tomi anymore. She didn't want to remember. OH, THE PAIN! So, poor little Tomi had to find a new home. Hugo and Patricia took him in and in his fist week in the Medrano residence he escaped from the house. Pati said they walked all over their neighborhood looking for him and asked local businesses to keep an eye out for the poodle. A few said they had seen the purple haired poodle walking by so Pati and Hugo knew he was close. However, hours passed and still no Tomi. When she thought all hope was lost, she found out that one of the local business owners was holding Tomi for them. Apparently Tomi was walking in front of traffic and was almost killed.

2 weeks later, Paola the oldest daughter took Tomi with her to her aunts house and Tomi wasn't paying attention and fell off the 1st story smack onto the cold concrete floor. They took Tomi to the vet and he said Tomi was OK and hadn't broken any bones or sustained any serious injuries. Pati said Tomi was limping for a week and then recovered. The next thing was his run in with Mr. Atticus.

So all this has happened in 1 month to Tomi. I think Tomi has a death wish or is like Carter's dog in the show Spin City that is always attempting suicide.

After swimming, eating and looking for Tomi (at least 5 times) we drove a few minutes into the center of Chapala for ice cream and churros. Death wish dog stayed in the car while we strolled around town. Chapala at sunset is gorgeous. Chapala is very cute, as is its neighboring town Ajijic which are both affectionately called gringolandia. You can guess why.

We arrived home close to 10PM from Chapala and we all crashed. It was the best sleep I've had in a long time.

As for death wish dog, all I know is that the "Chronicles of Tomi" the poodle are not over.

KEANE Concert

Thursday night we drove past the airport to Vicente Fernandez's ranch where the KEANE concert was held. Since there are only 6 regular ChiliCat readers, I assume half of you know who Vicente Fernandez is but just in case you don't, he's a very famous Mexican singer - estilo ranchero (my mexican mama and most in her age group own his records and love VF). So, VF owns a lot of land outside of Guadalajara and created a new concert coliseum just outside of town on his ranch. Yes! On his ranch and he has a big ole' house there too.

Back to Keane:
The Kene concerted attracted every young person in Guadalajara. It was a big show and the crowd was going crazy for Keane. Most musical acts automatically go to D.F. and not Guadalajara so when a band does come here to play the people are beyond ecstatic.

We went to the show because we wanted to catch a concert before we return to the Bay Area. And while I'm not a huge fan of Keane and Daniel didn't even know who they were, we really enjoyed the show and the music. I think they made a full on fan out of Daniel and I will definitely download a few songs. The best line was when the lead singer said, "it's fiesta time in Guadalajara" and the crowd kept screaming in utter Beatlemania hysteria.
It was cool.

Another day, another museum

It's another sunny day in Guadalajara. Luckily we've had some wind come though to quelch the intense heat.

Today Gwyn and I went to another museum. They displayed work by Rudolfo Morales, Rufino Tamayo and Leonora Carrington. Plus they were showing an exhibit on Brazilian cinema movie posters. I'm looking to fill my days with anything these days since I don't have anything else going on at the moment.

Everyone is busy except for me. I'm on day 4 of my new round of antibiotics and on day 7 of intense allergy medication. Only a few more days and I'll be partially "Anna Nicole" free. Since I'm ingesting 4 meds daily, anything extra like pepcid, sal de uvas, or an aleve sends me into the land of overdose paranoia. Or it could be the case of too much time & too little to do! School resumes next week - thank god.

Pic 1: Inside museum. Brazilian cinema exhibit.
Pic 2: Cancer, Brazilian underground 70's flick.
Pic 3: Body parts. outside museum
Pic 4: La Virgin - she's all over the city.
Pic 5: Walking home. Apparently the NO PARKING sign wasn't enough so a butchered tree was placed out front to deter parking violaters.

I'm GONNA get you Bug!

Last night after Indian food, we picked up some desserts and headed home to watch Lindsay Lohan (aka FireCrotch) in "Herbie Fully Loaded." It was a TOTAL ham of a movie but I have to admit that I kinda liked it. It wasn't pretentious or thought provoking. It was just stupidly funny. It had a lot of the original cheeze from the original Herbie movies where you know, Herbie spurts some oil on the character or magically opens his car door on an unsuspecting but offensive character. In other words, it wasn't trying to take itself serious. It was just a silly predictable movie with some really stupid lines that made me laugh.

Plus I love Matt Dillon and his brother (the character) Johnny Drama in Entourage (HBO). Their facial expressions are naturally slapstick. Matt Dillon had the best lines in the movie. In the movie he plays the premiere NASCAR driver who continually loses to Herbie - a beat up old bug that is salvaged by Michael Keaton and Firecrotch. Speaking of Michael Keaton he is looking pretty bad these days. Is he sick? He looks sick, pale and way to thin.

Ok, back to the movie: Matt Dillon's character constantly tries to sabotage and kill Herbie throughout the movie but Herbie, that old bug just outsmarts and outraces Matt Dillon. Matt Dillon doesn't understand how this beat up ghetto bug keeps winning. He tells Firecrotch at some point, "You can take the car out of the junkyard but you can't take the junkyard out of the car." Firecrotch is sad. Herbie is sad. Matt Dillon is just mean. Priceless.

Matt Dillon threatens the bug, tries to bust its windows, and has Herbie sent to a demolition rally to be crushed by a red neck mullet hair club member swearing monster truck driver. Oh no, but Herbie doesn't die. In fact, he's triumphant. He flies through the air somehow (I don't recall the details on how he begins to fly as I was busy eating my apple tart) but he flies through the air to the song "JUMP" from Van Halen and lands right ON TOP of the monster truck and crushes him. The crowd swoons, screams, jeers, cheers. Everyone is happy.
***Meanwhile the song JUMP is still playing:
I get up, and nothing gets me down.
You got it tough. i've seen the toughest around.
And i know, baby, just how you feel.
You've got to roll with the punches to get to what's real
Oh can't you see me standing here,
I've got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen.
Oh can't you see what i mean ?
Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump.

It was fantastic. My favorite scene so far.

Matt Dillon is pissed off. He can't win. "I'm gonna get you bug. I'm gonna get you!" These were the final lines of the movie as Herbie wins the NASCAR cup, Lindsay Lohan and the iMAC commercial boy make-out and Matt Dillon is taken away in a emergency ambulance to the mental hospital.

The only creepy thing about Herbie is that he is kinda stalkerish and very horny. I mean he's on the hunt all the time. They could have left all that out since there are a few too many narrow lens takes of Lindsay Lohan. It's the same narrow lens takes they use in movies when a stalker is staring at the victim through the bedroom window. In the end he can't have Firecrotch so he goes after the bug to the tune of Lional Richie's Hello:

I've been alone with you
Inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips
A thousand times
I sometimes see you
Passing outside my door
Hello!
Is it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted
And my arms are open wide
Because you know just what to say
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much
I love you


In the end, he gets the young yellow bug which is akin to an old man getting the young hot chick. Herbie is a 60's something model and she's a 2005 model. Phedofilia if you ask me.

Michael Keaton has to warn Herbie to behave himself. Is this a sordid reminder of the age difference?

Cheeze.

Ah but back to my favorite line: I'm gonna get you bug! I'm gonna get you bug!

Bootylicious at the Hair Salon

So, I paid more than $5.00 dollars for my haircut and I love it.
Hugo Alexandro is a cutting maestro. When he introduced himself to me he said "I am HUgo" (really stress the HU in Hugo). He didn't ask my name, he only knew I was his 10:30AM. I showed him a picture of how I wanted my hair (Vanidad Marzo 2007 Sandra Bullock). He must have cut at least 4 inches off. It feels so good. It's shoulder length now and has a bit of a lift at the ends.

It was a new experience going to an unknown hair salon in Guadalajara, Mexico. I'm so used to Rick who knows me, my hair, provides bisquits and at times alcohol during my visits.

This is how it went:
Hugo called me over, asked me to sit in his chair, put a hair apron on me and began to cut. I showed him the picture of Sandy B. He said, "this short?" I said, "yes, but leave me enough hair to still be able to put it in a pony tail." He nodded, then he began to cut. He talked a mile a minute the entire time, but not to me. In fact, he was just talking. It was a didactic journey of recent trials and tribulations. It was HUgo and all HUgo. The room was full of HUgoites: his 3 assistants and 2 other clients waiting for him. He was talking about some big photo shoot he worked on recently where the model WAS as he put it "devinely" built. She had huge breats, long legs, hair down to her butt. She was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. She was surrounded by indigenous looking models - estilo Apocolypto. Anyway, they fed him and provided drinks all day. The set was beautiful. He loved it. Then he moved on to describe a robbery. I didn't catch all the details but I do know his ring was stolen. I would have told him I understood since recently my IPOD was stolen and how upset I was about losing it but AGAIN we weren't having a conversation. So he continued to talk and talk. He sighed in between his stories, and occassionaly laughed. Meanwhile, he chopped away and with each second I could feel the lightness of my hair.

Then he told his female assistant, "no more appointments. I don't feel well. I'm slow today. I can't cut more hair." Meanwhile he's literally pulling an Edward Scissor hands on my hair. My hair was flying all over the place.

Once he finished cutting my hair he told assistant #1 to take me now. So, I went and sat in assistant #1's station. Then assistant #2 said, "no she comes to me first." Assistant #1 and #2 went back and forth a bit, then they finally conferred with HUgo. HUgo went back and forth, at first saying I needed to go to assistant #1, then assistant #2 said something to HUgo I didn't catch and he said, "OK, then she goes to you." Assistant number 2 rolled his eyes at me, as if to say, "I KNEW YOU CAME TO ME." So I moved stations and sat in #2's chair. Then he put some gel stuff in my hair and began to style it. Once he was finished, assistant #1 and the women that sweeps the floor came over to look at my cut and said, "beautiful."

I got up, said thanks and went to the caja to pay. With change in hand, I went to give assistant #2 a tip but he was shampooing so he signaled me to put the money in his back pocket. So, I picked up his t-shirt and put the money in his back pocket. Bootylicious. He kissed me and said good bye. Then I went to HUgo who was cutting someone else's hair but he stopped for a moment and said, "you like it?" while he ran one hand through my hair and marked me with a final HUgo hair touch. I said, "yes I love it." Then I gave him his tip and he signaled his left butt cheek and patted his ass. More bootylicious. So I put the money in his back pocket and he kissed me good bye. I felt kinda dirty, sort of strip bar embarrassment dirty.

Everyone said Buh Bye again and I took my unhip, fat ass out of there.

Thanks to HUgo Alexandro I now have a great haircut that will stylishly get me though this heat.

Everyone Loves Atticus

Really he is not being strangled. This is a form of affection here in Casa Fisher-Gaytan-Garcia-Salzer. It's a cultural thing. You love something = you strangle it.

Don't call PETA on us or try this at home.