Month: February 2023

A walk in the neighbourhood

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Our time in Coatepec is coming to a close. Tomorrow, we depart for Mexico City and on Tuesday, we fly home. This morning, hubby and I went for a walk in the neighbourhood exploring a few of the many side streets in the area. Come along and I’ll show you some of the sights that are common here. 

Just around the corner, you’ll see the roadside mechanic who is always busy repairing someone’s vehicle. 

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Here we are a little further down the street. Though this isn’t an everyday sight, it seems to be quite common on Saturday mornings.

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Walking can be a challenge here. This is quite typical of the sidewalks in the area!

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There is beauty to be seen too though. 

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This is a typical street scene. 

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And here’s what it often looks like when someone is doing construction on their home or place of business. 

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Finally, this is the small callejón (alley) where we “live”. That’s an apartment building on the right and the rest are private homes. 

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Richard and Colleen’s house is the yellow and orange one a la izquierda con muchos plantas enfrente (on the left with many plants in front).

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As we fly back to the frigid north, we’re going to miss sunny Coatepec, but first we have Mexico City to explore! 

Dressing for the hot Mexican sun

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Logo by SamI wasn’t sure if there would be a Fashion Friday post this week as I’ve been focusing on enjoying our time in Mexico and sharing some of the sights with you, but here’s a quick “what I wore” post. We’ve had a couple of cooler, wetter days, but for the most part the daytime temperatures have been in the high 20ºs Celsius (high 70ºs and low 80ºs F). At at least one point earlier this week, the temperature discrepancy between here and home was more than 50ºC! Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying wearing my summer clothes.

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For Tuesday’s outing to Xico, I wore a thrifted Calvin Klein top and a comfortable pair of light cotton capris that I’ve had for several years.

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The following afternoon, Richard and I went for a long walk around Coatepec. Here I’m enjoying a relaxing rest in Miguel Hidalgo Park in the centre of town. Named for a Catholic priest and revolutionary during the Mexican War of Independence who is generally recognized as the Father of the Nation, the park is a popular gathering place any time of day or evening. In the photo, I’m wearing a cabi top from several seasons ago and the one pair of shorts that I’m very glad I tucked into my little carry-on suitcase. The sandals in both photos are the Clarks that I bought almost brand new at one of our local thrift stores last summer.

Perhaps the most important thing that I’ve been wearing though is a good sunscreen to protect my fair skin from the bright Mexican sun!

Xico

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Like Coatepec, nearby Xico has been designated a Pueblo Magico (Magic Town), for maintaining its original architecture, culture, folklore, and/or history. Recognized by the Mexican government for their “magical” qualities, these towns have been selected as some of the most beautiful places in the country to visit.

Last time we went to Xico, six years ago, road reconstruction was underway in the downtown core. Though we enjoyed a lovely lunch on an outdoor patio, we weren’t able to explore as much of the area as we did yesterday. Once again, we had the taxi from Coatepec drop us off by the beautiful Santa María Magdalena church in the centre of town.

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From there, we explored on foot. Come take a walk with us. There’s the two Richard’s leading the way.

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I absolutely love the colours and the old colonial architecture.

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As in Coatepec, I was intrigued by the murals that we saw along the way. This one actually wraps itself around the corner of the upper storey of a building.

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This one adorns the outside of the restaurant where we ate last time we were in Xico.

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I couldn’t even capture all of this mural in a photo. I especially liked all the detail on the happy little payato (clown).

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After our walk, we stopped for coffee overlooking the courtyard of the beautiful Las Magdalenas Boutique Hotel. I completely abandoned my coffee free, diabetic diet and indulged in a tall and very delicious frappuccino moka topped with a mountain of whipped cream! Hopefully all the walking somewhat made up for such an extravagance!

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The murals of Coatepec

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Each time we come to Coatepec, Mexico to visit our friends who live here I fall in love with the vibrant colours again. Maybe that has something to do with coming from a place that is covered with snow for many months of the year and where buildings tend to be mostly neutral in colour.

This visit, it’s the murals that have really caught my attention and so I thought I’d share a few of them with you. All of these are within walking distance of our friends’ house. The first is one of my favourites.

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I’m guessing that the next one is real estate advertising, but I’m not sure. It’s located at the end of the street where we’re staying.

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This gate, just down the hill from here, is very fitting for Coatepec as I’m sure there are more old style Volkswagen Beetles here than anywhere I’ve ever been! I like the way that the artist made the handle of the gate look like it was the door handle on the vehicle.

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I don’t know who the people in the next two murals are, but I think they’re gorgeous.

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These birds caught my eye on a walk down to the centre of town today.

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And finally, here’s another of my favourites. I can’t believe the amount of work that must have gone into this one which is located on the side of a building at the entrance to a small alley. The caption “La Naturaleza es Vida” means “nature is life”.

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I’m going to continue photographing murals as I come across them. Perhaps I’ll even find enough for another post!

What I wore to travel

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Logo by SamIt was unseasonably warm when we boarded a plane in Calgary on Sunday morning, but even -1ºC (30ºF) is chilly. When we left the airport in Mexico City at almost midnight it was +19ºC (66ºF). How do you dress for a day with that kind of temperature variation?

The answer, of course, is layers.

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My base layer was a long-sleeved, striped sweater. Next came a hoodie and then my ultralight down vest from Uniqlo. The final layer was a spring jacket that is both wind and waterproof. While each layer was very lightweight, together they provided ample warmth on a chilly Alberta morning. After the photos were taken during a layover at the Vancouver airport, the vest came off and was tucked into an outer pocket of my tiny suitcase. Some people find jeans uncomfortable for long days sitting on a plane, but I practically live in them and find them very comfortable. A pair of good walking shoes completed my ensemble.

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Not only is YVR Vancouver’s international airport, but it’s also home to a permanent collection of more than 210 pieces of art, much of it work of British Columbia’s indigenous artists. The pieces behind me represent The Story of Fog Woman and Raven. Carved of cedar wood in 2007 by Dempsey Bob, they tell the story of how the annual salmon run originated to benefit the people of the northern coast of BC and the southern coast of Alaska. Immediately behind me, Raven perches on the side of a pool, beak uplifted, smiling and well fed, while to the side, Fog Woman kneels at the head of a stream.

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Once we reached our destination, the clothing that I wore to travel in was set aside and won’t be worn again until our return trip unless we have a really chilly day while we’re here.

Reunion!

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Ten years ago this month, hubby and I arrived in Dalian, China where we were to spend the next semester teaching English at Liaoning Normal University. There were six of us on the native English speaking staff and this week four of us were together again for the first time since we completed our contract there.

Richard M (yes, there were two Richards on our staff of six) and his wife, Colleen, who was with him in China are Americans who, after spending a few years living in China, Cambodia, and then Vietnam, have retired to Coatepec, Mexico. They are close to our age and were the only other couple amongst the teaching staff, so we spent a lot of time together in China, even climbing the Great Wall together. This is our third visit to their home here.

Cliff, also an American expat, was our lead teacher in Dalian and after also living in various locations in Asia, he retired to Xalapa, a larger city just 15 km from here. He arrived shortly after our last visit to the area four years ago.

On Tuesday, Cliff came out to Richard and Colleen’s and what a reunion that was! The afternoon was spent reminiscing, laughing together, looking at the yearbook that Cliff had so thoughtfully brought with him, and enjoying a delicious seafood meal prepared by Richard M.

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Then yesterday, the four of us met Cliff at Parque de los Tecajetes, a beautiful jungle-like park in Xalapa. Though not a huge park, it was easy to forget that we were in the middle of a city.

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Although you can’t see any in the photo above, the pond was home to many koi. If you look closely though, you’ll see a couple of the resident turtles of which there were many. Here are two others sunning themselves in a sheltered nook.

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The egret and the greckle seemed to be posing for me!

And, of course, there were flowers! Flowers in February always amaze me.

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After enjoying a stroll, we had a delicious lunch together in La Estancia de los Tecajetes, a beautiful traditional Mexican restaurant overlooking the park.

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That’s Richard M, Richard D, myself, and Cliff. Thanks to Colleen for taking this and a couple of the other photos.

Packing again!

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For the first time in almost four years, we’ve purchased tickets, made our plans, and I’m busy packing our suitcases! This will be our first flight since Covid, but our third trip to visit friends who live in Coatepec, a typical Mexican town located in the highlands about four hours east of Mexico City. On both previous trips, we checked a large suitcase, but this time we’re going carry-on only. Everything we need for two and a half weeks has to fit into our two tiny suitcases, my purse, and hubby’s small backpack.

First, let’s take a look at what I was hoping would fit in my suitcase. The photo and list below also include what I’ll be wearing on the plane.

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Packing list:

  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 2 pairs lightweight long pants
  • 2 pairs capris
  • 1 pair leggings
  • 1 camisole
  • 7 tops – 3 long sleeved, 1 with 3/4 length sleeves, 3 sleeveless
  • 1 dress
  • 1 dressy black jacket
  • 1 ultra light down vest
  • 1 lightweight hoodie
  • 1 light jacket
  • 1 hat
  • 1 pair sandals
  • 3 pairs shoes
  • sleepwear, underwear, and socks

You’ll probably notice that this isn’t what a typical tourist would pack for their trip to a Mexican beach resort. That’s because Coatepec isn’t a tourist destination and doesn’t have a beach. At approximately 1200 metres above sea level, the weather is pleasant, but not always hot. It cools off significantly at night and the houses don’t have central heating so we need to be prepared to dress accordingly. Although I don’t actually expect to have an opportunity to use it, I did decide to tuck a swimsuit into the bottom of my suitcase just in case! I really don’t like to leave home without one. At the last minute, when I saw that there was enough space, I also decided to squeeze in a pair of shorts.

There are two keys to successfully packing light. The first is coordinating colours. As you can see from the photo, I’ve chosen a simple colour palette and pieces that will easily mix and match to create numerous different outfits. The second key is layering. For example, the dress is very lightweight. It can be worn alone or with the little black jacket. For a chillier evening out, it can even be worn over the black leggings. The light blue denim shirt on the bottom of the pile above can be worn alone or as a third piece over any of the sleeveless tops. Depending on the weather, the hoodie, down vest, and jacket can each be worn individually or I can layer them as I will be doing when we board the plane in sub zero temperatures.

Another trick to successful packing is utilizing space wisely. Can you see hubby’s sandals, a pair of my shoes, spare eyeglasses for each of us, and two pairs of socks in this photo? I can!

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Many travellers swear that you can fit more into your suitcase by rolling everything instead of folding, but that hasn’t been my experience. I prefer to fold basics like pants and tops, but I roll a lot of the other items. I’ve also never used packing cubes.

Our clothes pretty much fill the tiny carry-on suitcases. My laptop (a lightweight 13 inch MacBook Air), my camera, cords, chargers, our toiletries, and our prescription medications will be in hubby’s backpack. We’ll also tuck in a few paperback books for him which he’ll leave behind when he finishes reading them. That will give us a bit of extra space if we need it on the way home. I’ve loaded five books onto my Kindle which takes up hardly any room in my travel purse.

Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything, but if I have, there are stores in Coatepec!

On being authentic

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After publishing Friday’s fashion post, I started to think about what it means to be authentic. After all, it’s so much more than just a style adjective. Authentic can be defined as “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” as well as “real” or “genuine“. An authentic person then is someone who is comfortable in their own skin, someone who doesn’t need the approval of others, who isn’t afraid to stand up for their own beliefs and values.

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An authentic person is first and foremost not a people pleaser. If you’ve ever spent your life trying to be something that you’re not in order to please someone else, you know how damaging that is and how it robs you of peace and contentment. Part of being authentic is learning to establish boundaries and being able to say no.

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Unlike those who hide behind perfect-looking Facebook or Instagram faces, an authentic person accepts who they are and has the courage and self-confidence to share that with the world. Being authentic isn’t about being perfect, it’s about acknowledging mistakes and learning from them. It’s about being honest with yourself and others. It means accepting and embracing your uniqueness.

So how do we learn to live authentically in a world where there will always be pressure to conform to other people’s expectations? Define your core values, then live in alignment with them. Identify your strengths, the things that you are good at and passionate about, then do those things. Determine your own goals, then work toward achieving them. Express your genuine thoughts and feelings (in kind and respectful ways). Make sure your actions match your words.

As a Christian, being authentic means living according to God’s design; living out my true identity as one created in His image. It means living my faith 24/7, not just on Sunday mornings and not just when I’m in the public eye. There should be no room in my life for hypocrisy, pretension, or deceit of any kind. In other words, I’m called to be genuine, honest, real.

“To be authentic, we must cultivate the courage to be imperfect – and vulnerable. We have to believe that we are fundamentally worthy of love and acceptance, just as we are. I’ve learned that there is no better way to invite more grace, gratitude and joy into our lives than by mindfully practicing authenticity.”  Brené Brown

Rethinking my style adjectives

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Logo by SamChoosing three to five adjectives to describe your personal style can be very helpful in building a cohesive wardrobe and creating outfits that say what you want to say about yourself.

Several years ago, I chose three adjectives to describe my style… classy, confident, and comfortable. Later, I added two more… casual and creative. The fact that they all started with the letter C was entirely coincidental, but it made them easy to remember! Lately, though, I’ve been rethinking the last one.

Even though my lifestyle calls for casual clothing most of the time, when I look in the mirror, I still want what I’m wearing to be classy. I achieve that by wearing clothes that are tasteful, well-made, and in most cases, somewhat timeless. It’s also important that they’re comfortable and fit well. I think it goes without saying that we’d all like to feel confident in our appearance. I believe that when we’re true to our own personal style, confidence will be a byproduct.

But what about creative? Why have I decided to toss that one out and what am I replacing it with?

To me, creative implies colourful and unconventional. Although she’s an extreme example, Iris Apfel comes to mind. I don’t mind a pop of colour or something with a slightly unique or unusual twist, but I’ve come to the conclusion that true creative style just isn’t me. Maybe it’s the introvert in me, but when I stray too far in that direction I don’t feel comfortable or confident. Instead, I feel self-conscious. Perhaps the desire for simplicity in style is why the coastal grandmother look that was all the rage last summer appealed to me so much.

Of course, it’s not essential that I have five style adjectives. Four would be fine, but as I thought about this, the word authentic came to mind and I knew that I’d found my new adjective. Merriam-Webster includes “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” as one meaning of the word and synonyms include “genuine” and “real“. To me, authentic style means not dressing to satisfy anyone but myself. It means wearing what feels like me. It means not wearing something simply because it’s a trend or because someone else thinks it looks good on me.

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So, from now on when I stand in front of the mirror, I’ll run through my five style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic… and I’ll be happy with the outfit if it ticks all five boxes.

What about you? Have you ever chosen adjectives to describe your personal style. If not, check here for an exercise that will help you do that.

Book of the month – January 2023

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For several months I’ve been thinking about adding another regular feature to the blog and the beginning of a new year seems like the right time to do just that. I’ve always loved reading. As far back as I can remember, libraries and bookstores have been amongst my favourite places and I’ve almost always had a book on the go.

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From now on, at the beginning of each new month, I plan to feature one of the books that I read during the previous month. Hopefully you’ll also share what you’ve been reading in the comment section and this can become a conversation. Before I introduce this month’s book though, let me share a bit about what I like to read.

I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Though I occasionally enjoy what I refer to as a bit of fluff, I generally prefer a book with a bit more meat to it. That’s why, though many of the non-fiction books that I read are of the Christian variety, I don’t read many Christian novels. I find the majority of them too sweet and unrealistic; too happy ever after. I enjoy reading memoirs and novels about life in other times and places, especially novels that shed light on the lives of women. Over the past few months, I’ve read several historical novels set during World War II. Not stories about the war itself, but about the lives of the people affected by it. January’s book of the month is one of those.

The Orphan’s Tale

Pam Jenoff

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The Orphan’s Tale is the second of Jenoff’s novels that I’ve read in recent months. The first was her more recent book, The Lost Girls of Paris. 

Jenoff has degrees in history and international affairs. Her experience working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the US State Department covering Holocaust issues in Poland, provide her with the background necessary to bring the events of World War II and Nazi Germany to life. She once described The Orphan’s Tale as the most difficult novel that she’d written because of the very dark subject matter and the fact that it’s based partly on true events. 

The summary inside the front cover flap introduces the story this way

A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival. 

After being disowned by her parents for becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby, sixteen-year-old Noa finds work cleaning a small rural train station. When she discovers dozens of Jewish infants in a boxcar destined for a concentration camp, she is reminded of her own child and impulsively snatches one of the babies. Fleeing into the snowy night, she almost succumbs to the bitter cold, but is rescued by members of a traveling circus residing nearby. Finding refuge with them, she meets Astrid, an older star of the show who is assigned the task of teaching Noa to perform on the flying trapeze. Rivals at first, the two learn to see past their differences and soon forge a powerful bond. Their story unfolds with moments of suspense, terror, and heartbreak but also flashes of joy. 

I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say that I found The Orphan’s Tale difficult to put down! It’s a beautifully told story about the power of friendship even in the harshest of circumstances and it led me to ponder the question, what really makes us family?

Are you a book lover too? What kind of books do you like to read? What have you been reading lately?