The fun differences!

Lawrie and his younger brother Freddy Medina - party time! 

Mexico, as a nation, is politically incorrect. Here greetings between acquaintances, friends, family members or co-workers are a hug and an affectionate buss on the cheek. 

It’s the culturally acceptable greeting and not thought of as sexual harassment.

Between men the greeting is usually a hand-slap fist-bump and then an arm around the shoulder guy-hug. Handshakes are rare, and usually reserved for formal, first-time introductions.

Setting up for a birthday party

Many of our Mexican male friends have no idea what to do when a foreign woman shoves her hand out for a handshake, instead of leaning in for a kiss. I experienced a number of limp, finger-tip shakes before I realized I was, in their view, behaving oddly. 

Now I just hug and smooch ‘em! 

Lawrie has always loved hugging, but in Canada he was afraid that he would be accused of sexual harassment so seldom indulged in affectionate greetings. Here in Mexico, everyone loves to hug which makes Lawrie a very happy man.

Another day, another birthday party!

To our Mexican friends family is everything. Life revolves living with or close to your family. If you don’t have children, parents, siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, and grandparents underfoot you are to be pitied because you are alone. 

The average family home is noisy with animated conversations, loud music, and unrestrained laughter.

Faith defines life in Mexico. In most of the G-8 countries, USA, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy your job and your income defines you. Here, what you do for a living is not important.

Quinceanos - complete with entertainers.

Education is valuable but human dignity counts for more. Manners and respect for others are important as a means of peacefully co-existing in a boisterous and frequently crowded household. 

Education focuses on culture, art, tradition and history. Learning to play and instrument, or to sing and dance is far more important than an expensive degree that enables you to serve coffee at Starbucks.

You are responsible for yourself. There are no high-priced lawyers suggesting a huge lawsuit for a personal injury if you trip on an uneven sidewalk, scald yourself drinking hot coffee, touch a live electrical wire, or fall into an unfenced swimming pool.

Dress well, eat well.

Canadians and Americans tend to lean more towards volunteering their help and financial assistance to local charities, with an expectation of local celebrities contributing their fair share.

In Mexico it is not as prevalent, people rely on close-knit families to help out in a financial or medical crisis.

Appearances matter but people are not obsessed with being young, thin and beautiful. Being well dressed and eating good food are far more important.

Lupita's Quinceanos.

And most importantly, family events such as engagements, weddings, a child’s first birthday, baptisms, a young woman’s fifteen birthday known as quinceaños, birthdays for any family member and wedding anniversaries are celebrated in grand style. 

The fiesta may last all night and includes amazing food, drinks, decorations, beautiful cakes, music, dancing, and possibly fireworks.

Mexico is a very special place, and we love our life here.

Hasta Luego

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Spreading her wings – a Quinceaños

Mindy entering the church for a mass to give thanks

As the sun slid below the horizon a gorgeous young woman confidently made her way down the flower-draped church aisle.  

Leading her procession were a dozen young altar boys wearing sparkling white surplices over red vestments, hands clasped in prayer, trying hard to suppress their natural exuberance. 

Padre Sanchez Alonzo, in his gleaming white surplice with intricate embroidery, strode solemnly behind the altar boys.

Altar boys leading the procession 

Her beaming parents followed behind, walking just in front of the young men who formed her traditional court of honor.  The year-long planning, the rehearsals, and the attention to details were about to be put into action.  

Mindy Lizeth Poot Hau’s Quinceañera celebrations commenced with a mass, giving thanks that the young woman and the family were to be able to enjoy this occasion together.

Traditionally, the Quinceaños is the first time a young lady could wear makeup, high heels, and dance in public.  This is no longer the case for most young ladies. 

Tony, Mindy and Fredy Jr.

However, it is still a very special time for families to celebrate with their daughters, family, the daughter’s godparents, and friends. This celebration was an amazing production from start to finish. 

Shortly after ten in the evening the majority of the guests had arrived for the second part of the Quinceaños held at the Taxi Syndicate’s event hall. Mindy was formally escorted in by her two beaming brothers, Tony and Fredy Jr.  They proudly circled the dance floor giving everyone a chance to see their beautiful sister and then stood with family, including Mindy’s married sister Jeanie Gissell, while the toasts and speeches were made.  

The traditional first waltz with her papa was sweetly emotional.  You could see that Fredy was struggling a bit with the concept of his baby girl being all grown up.

First dance is with papa

Then Mindy and her six chambelans performed several complex dance routines.  Each dance entailed a costume change – from a gorgeous blue and silver ball gown, to short ruffled dress, to form fitting leotard, and back to the ball gown.  At midnight a full sit-down dinner was served.  

Around one o’clock in the morning the dancing switched to a nightclub atmosphere, with pounding music, flashing lights, roving boom camera, and party-favours of flashing trinkets for everyone to wear.   

Two entertainers, perched precariously on stilts, hovered over the crowd, encouraging everyone to join the fun.

Mindy and her escorts -  dance routines

By two o’clock on Sunday morning we, and most of our friends, had slunk away yawning and sleepy-eyed.  

We never seem to last long enough to share in the many yummy cakes that are traditionally baked for a Quinceaños.

Dancing on stilts 

The hardier, experienced guests partied on until five in the morning, dancing, dancing, and dancing. 

When the last celebrant had departed from the festivities Fredy, Ana and family members had the arduous task of removing decorations, and cleaning up the hall.  It had been rented for another event later that same day.   

I can’t imagine how tired they must have been when they returned home, close to noon on Sunday. 

Ana, Mindy and Fredy 

We can't stay awake for the cake!

In a recent email a friend said: “Laugh, dance, drink, and dance some more.  And please give our best wishes to the Poot family.”

We did!  All of it!

Our best wishes to Mindy for her next adventure.  

And thank you so much to the Poot Family for including us in their family celebration.

Hasta Luego          

Lynda and Lawrie

Lupita's Quinceañera

              A little girl becomes a young lady

If you are ever invited to a Quinceañera celebration - go!

Last Saturday Lawrie and I, plus my sister Joann attended this very special event, at the invitation of our friends Freddy and Yadira Medina.  It was the Quinceañera or celebration of the fifteenth birthday for their daughter Danaee Guadalupe. 

Decorations, gifts, and our invitation

This is primarily a Latin American celebration - very different from any other birthday, as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood.  The celebration, however, varies across countries such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and Mexico.

There are generally several parts in the Quinceañera celebration following the thanksgiving mass.  Parts of the celebration are usually previously practiced, oftentimes for weeks in advance, sometimes even months.

Lupita arriving at the church for her thanksgiving mass

At five-thirty in the afternoon Lupita arrived at the church for her thanksgiving mass - done up with chic makeup, elegantly coiffed hair including a tiara, manicure, pedicure and a gorgeous purple and silver ball gown.  She was escorted down the attractively decorated aisle by relatives and her god-parents (padrinos).  As is the custom the tiara had been given to her as a reminder that to her family she will always be a princess.  Or as her stylishly beautiful grandmother Sra. Norma Medina said "a Barbie Doll."  During the thanksgiving mass a nine-piece band sang hymns and
                                                           played music.

Later, around nine in the evening, Lupita's family and friends gathered for the celebration party at the Playa de Mexico beach club on Sac Bajo.  Freddy and Yadira (her parents) plus brother Diego and other family members spent many hot sweaty hours decorating the huge palapa, setting up the bar, organizing tables and chairs for hundreds of guests, and lighting dozens of candles along the pathways.  It looked fabulous.  Freddy's former Soggy Peso co-workers pitched in to help out for the night.  Kash was head waiter, and Freddy's nephew Yo-Yo was the head bartender.  And then the party got started!

A toast to Lupita

To begin the evening music ws provided - first by a disc jockey and then later by Javier and the Band With No Name - to keep guests entertained while they waited for the formal events to begin.  Lupita was at the entrance greeting guests and handing out party favours with her mom, grandmother, and various aunties.  Next was the toast to Lupita - given by Lupita's very tall and very beautiful aunt, Freddy's youngest sister.  She incorporated a short speech and the touching of glasses before drinking a toast to Lupita.

Proud papa changes Lupita's sneakers to high-heels

For me, the best part of the evening was the very emotional and symbolic ritual of the shoe, changing from the shoes of a little girl to the high heels of a young woman.  Freddy got down on one knee to carefully remove the black and white sneakers and replace them with white satin high-heeled bootlets.  He was so proud, so happy, and at the same time tearful to see his little girl growing up.

Freddy dancing with his daughter Lupita

The first waltz started with her dad, and then her padrino, uncles, brother, and finally invited guests. As each man 'cut-in' to dance with Lupita he would bow, extending his right hand, and begin the dance.  When the next man 'cut-in' the dancing partner would twirl Lupita gracefully handing her off to the new partner.  For the final waltz she was handed back to her dad.

The evening then segued into dancing, chatting, mingling, until midnight when the main course was served - a delicious roast pork dinner with all the trimmings.  This lead to more dancing - but by now most of the gringo contingent had given up for the night.  Lawrie and I were the last two stragglers to head home to our beds. The party was nowhere near over!  There were three-year-olds still dancing as we slunk out the entrance around one in the morning. 

Lupita and her many cakes

After we had left there was the cutting of the cake ritual. The beautifully decorated cakes looked so yummy, I was sorry we couldn't stay awake to sample the goodies. This was followed by more dancing until the wee hours of the morning. 

In some Quinceañera celebrations the family and closest friends attend a special breakfast, known as the recalentado (re-warming), in which any food not consumed during the night before is warmed again and served with beer or soft drinks.   

                Groan!  How do they do it?  We are such party wimps.