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Stuff Mexicans Like #19: El Gel (Hair Gel)

7 Jun








Viva Mexico!




2 Jun
Headed to Rosa & Fernando’s wedding at the Rancho.
Exhibit A:
 On the way to La Placita (Tuesday Market).
Exhibit B: 
Siblings of all ages often sleep together in the same bed.
It’s always nice to snuggle & keep warm on cold nights.
  Grandparents are no exception!

Stuff Mexicans Like #14: Los Payasos

2 Jun
* Nifu & Nifa
* Cepillín
* Don Bombonini
Imagen 3: Payasos espantosos                                 

#12: La Coca (of Coca Cola)

21 May

What is the one beverage Mexicans prefer over tequila and agua de sabor? La Coca! It may as well be considered the 5th food group here in Mexico. In some, if not most, of my Mexican friends’ homes, if the garrafón of purified water and the Coca run out at the same time, the garrafón can wait. The Coca, however, is replaced immediately at the nearest tiendita (little store located in one’s garage or entry hall). Most family comidas (the most important meal of the Mexican day) are not complete without a bottle or five of Coca on the table. Coca is fed to the elderly, to babies in bottles, and to everyone else in between as a staple in the beverage diet. When a señora or a niño asks you for money or a stranger does you a good deed, like helping you change your tire in the street, the standard request is “Dame para una Coca, nomás.” Enough to buy a Coke is all I ask.

“According to Coke’s 2005 annual report, Mexicans lead the world by drinking some 533 8-ounce servings of Coke beverages per capita annually.”

(Read more at Suite101: Coca-Cola Global Sales: India Most Promising International Market |

Water: A Basic Human Right?

Well, isn’t the Coca-Cola empire delighted, then, that Mexicans are drinking less water and more Coke? No! Either one is just fine with Coca-Cola! That’s because Coca-Cola owns Agua Ciel, the nationwide door-to-door provider of purified drinking water and mineral water. So is the love of juice a problem for Coca-Cola? Of course not! Coke also owns Jugos Del Valle, Nestea, and Powerade! As one student in class said, “I wondered why the government of Mexico has not filtered its public water supply, seeing that it is relatively simple and affordable. Then I heard the cry in the street advertising door-to-door service for Agua Santorini, and it hit me. I wonder what Coca-Cola and Pepsi pay the Mexican government to maintain the pollution in all public water sources?” Bingo.

“Es importante tener en cuenta que pese a que en México existen unas tres mil marcas, son 4 grandes corporaciones, extranjeras todas ellas, las que hoy controlan la extracción, el envasado, la distribución y la venta de agua en México. Específicamente estamos hablando de Danone (con sus marcas Bonanfont, Pureza Aga y Evian); Nestlé (con las marcas Santa María, Nestlé Pure Life y Pureza Vital); Pepsi-Cola (con el agua Electropura) y Coca-Cola (con la marca Ciél).
México es el país que más refrescos consume por habitante en el mundo. Ingerir alimentos y bebidas con altos contenidos de azúcar (incluyendo los refrescos) es una de las principales cau- sas que provocan problemas a la salud: como la diabetes. Una persona que padece esta enfermedad siente una sed permanente , por lo que debe mitigarla bebiendo agua. Como el agua de la llave esta contaminada, debe comprar agua envasada y así se cierra el círculo de las compañías fabricantes de los refrescos (como Coca-Cola y Pepsi-Cola) que producen la diabetes en determinadas personas, también venden el agua que alivia la sed de esos mismos enfermos. ¡Todo un verdadero negocio!”

From Euromonitor International: Bottled Water in Mexico (


  • Danone was the number one player in bottled water in 2010, claiming 26% of total volume sales. The company led still bottled water, the dominant category, with its Bonafont brand. It also ranked second in flavoured bottled water, where it offers the LevitÃ© brand. Coca-Cola was the second leading company overall, accounting for 24% of total bottled water volume sales. Coca-Cola offers the Ciel (still bottled water) and Ciel Naturae (flavoured bottled water) brands. Pepsi Bottling Group was the third leading player, claiming 13% of total volume sales thanks to its Electropura still bottled water brand. Other prominent players included Envasadora de Aguas en MÃ©xico S de RL de CV, NestlÃ©, Pepsi-Cola, Grupo PeÃ±afiel and FEMSA.”
From Wikipedia: Bottled Water: 

Problems with BPA found in the plastic that houses purified water (Wikipedia):
“The Beverage Marketing Corporation defines the bottled water market segment as “retail PET, retail bulk, home and office delivery, vending, domestic sparkling and imports”, but excluding “flavored and enhanced water.”[28] The Plastics Symbol no. 7 is a recent concern worldwide on discovery that large numbers of no.7 plastics are made with Polycarbonate plastic which, experimentally were found to leach bisphenol A. This chemical is a known hormonal disruptor causing miscarriages and birth defects, according to a study conducted by Case Western Reserve scientists. “Synthetic xenoestrogens,” one of which is Bisphenol A or BPA “are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.” Responsible baby bottle industries are producing BPA-free bottles that are clearly marked.


The U.S. is the largest consumer market for bottled water in the world, followed by Mexico, China, and Brazil.[41] In 2008, U.S. bottled water sales topped 8.6 billion US gallons (33,000,000 m3) for 28.9% of the U.S. liquid beverage market, exceeding sales of all other beverages except carbonated soft drinks, they are followed by fruit juices, and sports drinks.[28] Americans drink 21 US gallons (79 L) of bottled water per capita per year.[42]

Global bottled water market
Per capita consumption by leading countries, 2002-2007
2007 Litres Per Capita
Rank Countries 2002 2007
1 United Arab Emirates 133.2 259.7
2 Mexico 142.7 204.8
3 Italy 167.3 201.7
“La sucia verdad detrás de Coca Cola: Es peor que el tabaco

Como antecedente: En el libro “The Coke Machine – The Dirty Truth Behind the World’s Favorite Soft Drink“, el autor Michael Blanding examina la historia oscura de The Coca-Cola Company. El libro comienza con una descripción gráfica del asesinato del sindicalista Isidro Gil, hecho ocurrido cuando Coca-Cola fue acusada de complicidad con paramilitares para llevar a cabo asesinatos de sindicalistas en América del Sur. El prontuario de esta corporación es largo teniendo en cuenta que fue querellada en La India y México, ya que sus plantas embotelladoras drenaron contaminantes en las fuentes de agua locales. Diagnostico medico: Coca Cola, Pepsi y todas las gaseosas son peores que el tabaco acorde a los daños que causan al organismo.”
Marcas/Brands of Coca-Cola en México:
Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Vanilla, Beat, Delaware Punch, Fanta, Fanta Multi-Sabores, Fresca, Fresca Toronja Rosa, Lift, Lift Manzana Verde, Quatro, Senzao, Sprite, Ciel, Ciel Mineralizada, Keloco, Kin Light, Mickey Aventuras, Nestea, Jugos del Valle, y Powerade

Stuff Mexicans Like #11: Ni Modo (Oh well./Nothing can be done.)

21 May
“Ni modo,” I often hear when a friend finishes sharing his or her burdens with me. “Ni modo,” people say after expressing their frustration at the corruption, narco tráfico, and uselessness of voting in Mexico. My neighbor’s daughter had 4 front teeth knocked out after falling down the concrete steps of the Plaza Civica in downtown San Miguel. “Ni modo,” she said, in response to my horrified open-mouthed shock. She had already taken her child to the dental clinic and to her pediatrician, where she was informed that they would not transplant the lost baby teeth. “Ni modo” is a common phrase used in Spanish to express powerlessness and surrender.
The Art of Surrender
On the bright side, the art of Surrender is a critical element in living fearlessly. When I surrender to the way the universe is today, I accept. I am no longer resisting, no longer in friction, no longer struggling. This may allow me to flow and harmonize. Powerlessness can be just what I need to recognize if I have tried every solution on my own with no results. It can be the channel to Faith and recognition of a Higher Power. It can lead to health, wellness, and prosperity.
On the contrary, powerlessness seen as helplessness can be toxic. It can paralize me, produce fear, and keep me from purposeful action on my own behalf or on behalf of a collective group. It can excuse unacceptable practices and tolerate injustices. It can maintain my mediocrity.
Whatever your motive for using it, use it and say it with conviction and sincerity.
¿Mande? You say my Spanish is jodido? Pués, ni modo.” 
So….. What?

Stuff Mexicans Like #10: Las Güeras (WAY-duh: Light skinned/blonde women)

21 May

This is me at my favorite taco joint in Juriquilla. I was cold, so I was permitted to stand at the grill and touch their utinsels. A special guera privilege. 🙂

Most scientists concur that the human race began on the continent of Africa with exclusively dark-skinned, dark-haired, dark-eyed people (the dark hair, skin, and eyes allow protection from the sun). After generations of migration and mixed breeding, however, deviations, adaptations, and mutations or defects began to pop up in the world. Many people who migrated to colder climates with little sun exposure began to produce offspring with hazel, green, or even blue eyes (the lighter the eye color, the more light can be absorbed). Others came out with light brown, blonde, or even red hair (the lighter the hair color, the more sunlight can be absorbed). Little by little, the migrants also produced children with light brown, tan, and even white pigmented skin (the lighter the skin, the more benefits one can absorb from rarely exposed sunlight).
These “defects” with light skin, light hair, and light eyes were rare, unique, and therefore highly valued and coveted. Although there was no intellectual, emotional, physical, or spiritual superiority to these people (in fact, they were inferior physically due to their vulnerability and inability to adapt in warmer climates), they were treated as though they were better than others. They were given better education, treatment from family and society, and offered more opportunities because of their unique pigmentation alone. Even today, having blonde hair and blue eyes is the epitomy of desirable physical features and is associated with the highest social status one can achieve.
White Privilege
We all know that being white has its benefits. One can count on one hand the amount of societies conquered by dark-skinned peoples. One does not have enough fingers on both hands to count the number of brown-skinned societies conquered by light-skinned persons. White is synonymous for Power, Prestige, and Wealth. In her now famous 1988 essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh broke down some of the most common but often overlooked unearned priviledges/birth rights given to anyone happening to be born white. Here is an excerpt: 



























Baby Dolls in Mexico
Almost all little girls, by natural instinct to nurture and create, are attracted to baby dolls and Barbies in childhood (and beyond) and playing the role of the Mother. Most Mothers want to provide dolls for their little girls, to develop these innate abilities and satisfy these natural urges toward caretaking. However, what effect does it have on a young girls mind, emotions, and beliefs if none of her dolls look like she does? Is there a difference if the little girl comes from a conquistador group (white!) and plays with dolls representing los conquistados (dark-skinned) vs. little girls from a conquered society (brown-skinned) playing only with dolls from the conquistadores (white)?
A dark-skinned, dark-haired, dark-eyed child has little-to-no chance of producing a light-skinned, light-eyed, light-haired baby in the future. Knowing this, why would a Mother give her daughter dolls to play with with these unattainable features? What psychological effect does this have on that little girl? What does it tell her about her own color and her own babies who do not posess these features? How is her self-esteem affected? Her World-View? “Mexicans Confront Racism with White Doll/Black Doll Video” (December 2011)
In an informal survey of dolls and race in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, our town located in central MEXICO, where the overwhelming majority of citizens have dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes, I counted the number of dolls (large babies as well as Barbie dolls) with dark colored eyes, hair, and/or skin in the two largest, most popular chain stores in town: Mega (Comercial Mexicana, owned by the owners of Costco) & Bodega Aurrera (Walmart, owned by the owners of Sam’s Club). The results were startling, but much better than two years ago, when I could not find even ONE doll with dark eyes in either store to purchase for my dark-eyed Mexican daughter.
                                  MEGA                    BODEGA AURRERA
Total Dolls:                 128                        104
Brown Skinned:          15 (11.7%)             5 (4.8%)
Dark Haired:               18 (14%)               18 (17%)
Dark Eyed:                  20 (15.6%)            17 (16%)
The remaining 85% + of the dolls in both stores had blonde or red hair, white skin, and blue, green, or purple eyes, a vast discrepancy with the real-life Mexican society physical representation. You may be saying, “But Michelle, we are in San Miguel, “Mexico Light,” where there are more than 5,000 light-skinned foreigners here in town on any given day, thus the high number of light-skinned baby dolls.” NO! San Miguel actually has more dark-skinned, dark-haired dolls than the rest of the republic! We foreigners with dark-haired, dark-eyed children purchase more of these dolls than Mexicans, thus the higher availability here in town.
Supply & Demand
My friend, Adriana, owns a Papelería here in town that also offers a nice variety of toys. She tells me that the two dark-skinned official Barbies she has in the store have been there collecting dust for more than two years while the blonde dolls, even the poorly made generic ones, fly off the shelves. She’s stopped buying dark-complected dolls for resale. I asked Adriana’s sister why she thinks people don’t want buy the “dark” dolls at the store and she said it’s because everyone just wants “pretty dolls.”
Little Mommy Doll
My three-year-old, María, has always wanted a Little Mommy interactive doll by Fisher Price. They are widely available here in town, but generally sell for more than $850 pesos. A month ago, I found one at la Placita (the Tuesday/Sunday market) that was a better model with more features than any offered here in San Miguel. She sits down, stands up, speaks, responds when you touch her, sucks on her bottle, and commands you to do things. I couldn’t believe my good fortune! “Cuánto es?”  I asked, getting mentally prepared to talk her down to 500p (about $40 USD) for the little treasure. “Esteeee….. 200 pesos,” said the booth keeper. I stared at her in disbelief, wondering if I understood correctly. “Bueno… 150.” (approximately $12 USD)  She lowered the price on her own, figuring I was having second thoughts. I snatched her up and María is still quite happy playing with Paola regularly.
Paola is brown.  
Being called güera/güero by anyone is considered a compliment, while being called morena/moreno (dark-skinned), or worse, negra/negro or prieta/prieto, (black skinned) is a depreciation. Racism is alive and well in Mexico, although rarely recognized or challenged. Perhaps 2012 will bring the much promised, much hoped for Mayan prophesy of a Drastic Change of Universal Consciousness. Until then, enjoy the steals on expensive American dolls in Mexico. Brown dolls only.


20 May


Huecos (ooh-AY-koes: holes)
Topes (TOE-pays: speedbumps)
Mas Ejemplos (more examples)
Read the Signs!
Rescue 911
Where to go for Help