sooooooo...where were we? ahhh yes.....it is all coming back to me.
Now you have to understand....none of the men in the Aguilar family know I exisit...all the WOMEN know though, and I am and have been the topic of much discussion. did I tell you that although the family IS run by the men...there is a significant amount of power held by the women in this family? no? well I just did...all of them have degrees and are well educated...teachers, bankers, engineers...the women seem to even hold the balance of power...yet it is not totaly a matriarchal regime...just mostly.
Off we go to Queretero, where older sister (Maricella) and husband (Patricio) have cancelled their plans to attend the birthday party of Patricios best friend Bernardo in order to receive Tischa and her new Canadian boyfriend...now according to Tischa...Maricella had to gently break him into the fact that I have been a bit of a fixture in Tischa life since January.........
The phone starts ringing at 5:30 am Saturday...seems that I'm a sensation here...the call is from Senora Lucilia (Tischas mom) calling from the bus depot in Mexico city...asking "where am I going? to Leon or to Queretero to see this man of yours? sister Yazmin then calls and after that Maricella calls to tell us that Patricio has cancelled the birthday party in order to receive us at his home (eeeep!) Mama Lucilia heads for Queretero...we head for Queretero, Patricio and Maricella are in Queretero... and Queretero is where I am to meet my destiny...
I was received with a warm welcome...a beer was given to me...hand shakes, introductions and hugs were the order of the day...quite nice, quite polite. the women head for the kitchen, Pato and I to the back yard to start the BBQ.....no not propane..but real honest to goodness charcoled mesquite branches from the villagers in the hills (no shit amigos)....more beer, nice conversation...I like this guy.
Dinner was carne asada, chorizo, quesdillas w/asagio cheeze and salad...and tons of it I might add and absolutley delicious, I brought a bottle of BC ice wine as a gift, which went over fantastic,as they have never tasted anything like it. dishes are being cleared
and Senora Lucilia is quiet...too quiet in fact...so it starts.
questions are being asked about our plans, jobs, intentions how can this be? you are from dfifferent cultures, will you look after my daughter. Pato starts in and for the next hour and a half I am scrutinized by the family... I am speaking a good deal of spanish as well...Tischa is pale but doing a damn good job of interperating so that NOTHING is lost in the translation. I answer honestly and with confidence, I tell them that there is a risk...a calculated risk yes, but a risk just the same as nothing in life is certain. Pato suddenly shifts and becomes an ally instead of the inquisitor as he explains to his mother in law that our intentions are honorable and that he feels good about this. At this point, each member addresses me personally and have their say and voice their opinion...Pato is the last...he stands and then embraces me and says "mi casa et su casa mi compadre" you are one of us and we welcome you. I have just bee
n accepted into an extended family and I am honored!!
At this point the tequilla comes out...the 15 year old vintage stuff..as he is pouring he asks..."colin...do you have a nickname? (Mexicans are HUGE on nicknames) I smile and say oh yes Pato (means Duck) I do have a nickname it is Osito (Teddybear)...I thought he and the rest of the family were going to die laughing(I tower over everone...by at least 6.5 inches),we laugh...we drink...we toast each other...we toast ourselves...we drink some more..Pato even cajoles the Senora to have a shot...pictures of the Senora sitting on my knee and toasting me with tequilla (she's 74 years old!) it is fiesta time, it is a celebration.
We miss our bus back to Leon by 10 min...Pato looks at me and says "well compadre, want to go to a birthday party? Off we go to his best friends Bernardos house, whose wife Rossi has thrown him a surprise birthday party...I am introduced by Pato as his little sisters boyfirend from Canada...more hugs...more handshakes more "mi casa st su casa" from Bernardo and his family...and of course more drinks...we get back to Leon around 3:00 am
Does anybody get to do this kind of stuff? Holy shit....in a million years I would have never been able to even GUESS that this shit would be happening to me...my life has had its many many bumps...and drops and there were times that it downright sucked! There were times that were rich with happiness and humour..and if life experiences were worth money, I'd be the richest man in the world....yet as I hit the rewind button on my life, I realize that I may very well be the richest man in the world it has been one hell of a ride and I am lucky to have been on that ride...few get to have such experiences I am truly blessed.
Now you have to understand....none of the men in the Aguilar family know I exisit...all the WOMEN know though, and I am and have been the topic of much discussion. did I tell you that although the family IS run by the men...there is a significant amount of power held by the women in this family? no? well I just did...all of them have degrees and are well educated...teachers, bankers, engineers...the women seem to even hold the balance of power...yet it is not totaly a matriarchal regime...just mostly.
Off we go to Queretero, where older sister (Maricella) and husband (Patricio) have cancelled their plans to attend the birthday party of Patricios best friend Bernardo in order to receive Tischa and her new Canadian boyfriend...now according to Tischa...Maricella had to gently break him into the fact that I have been a bit of a fixture in Tischa life since January.........
The phone starts ringing at 5:30 am Saturday...seems that I'm a sensation here...the call is from Senora Lucilia (Tischas mom) calling from the bus depot in Mexico city...asking "where am I going? to Leon or to Queretero to see this man of yours? sister Yazmin then calls and after that Maricella calls to tell us that Patricio has cancelled the birthday party in order to receive us at his home (eeeep!) Mama Lucilia heads for Queretero...we head for Queretero, Patricio and Maricella are in Queretero... and Queretero is where I am to meet my destiny...
I was received with a warm welcome...a beer was given to me...hand shakes, introductions and hugs were the order of the day...quite nice, quite polite. the women head for the kitchen, Pato and I to the back yard to start the BBQ.....no not propane..but real honest to goodness charcoled mesquite branches from the villagers in the hills (no shit amigos)....more beer, nice conversation...I like this guy.
Dinner was carne asada, chorizo, quesdillas w/asagio cheeze and salad...and tons of it I might add and absolutley delicious, I brought a bottle of BC ice wine as a gift, which went over fantastic,as they have never tasted anything like it. dishes are being cleared
and Senora Lucilia is quiet...too quiet in fact...so it starts.questions are being asked about our plans, jobs, intentions how can this be? you are from dfifferent cultures, will you look after my daughter. Pato starts in and for the next hour and a half I am scrutinized by the family... I am speaking a good deal of spanish as well...Tischa is pale but doing a damn good job of interperating so that NOTHING is lost in the translation. I answer honestly and with confidence, I tell them that there is a risk...a calculated risk yes, but a risk just the same as nothing in life is certain. Pato suddenly shifts and becomes an ally instead of the inquisitor as he explains to his mother in law that our intentions are honorable and that he feels good about this. At this point, each member addresses me personally and have their say and voice their opinion...Pato is the last...he stands and then embraces me and says "mi casa et su casa mi compadre" you are one of us and we welcome you. I have just bee
n accepted into an extended family and I am honored!!At this point the tequilla comes out...the 15 year old vintage stuff..as he is pouring he asks..."colin...do you have a nickname? (Mexicans are HUGE on nicknames) I smile and say oh yes Pato (means Duck) I do have a nickname it is Osito (Teddybear)...I thought he and the rest of the family were going to die laughing(I tower over everone...by at least 6.5 inches),we laugh...we drink...we toast each other...we toast ourselves...we drink some more..Pato even cajoles the Senora to have a shot...pictures of the Senora sitting on my knee and toasting me with tequilla (she's 74 years old!) it is fiesta time, it is a celebration.
We miss our bus back to Leon by 10 min...Pato looks at me and says "well compadre, want to go to a birthday party? Off we go to his best friends Bernardos house, whose wife Rossi has thrown him a surprise birthday party...I am introduced by Pato as his little sisters boyfirend from Canada...more hugs...more handshakes more "mi casa st su casa" from Bernardo and his family...and of course more drinks...we get back to Leon around 3:00 am
Does anybody get to do this kind of stuff? Holy shit....in a million years I would have never been able to even GUESS that this shit would be happening to me...my life has had its many many bumps...and drops and there were times that it downright sucked! There were times that were rich with happiness and humour..and if life experiences were worth money, I'd be the richest man in the world....yet as I hit the rewind button on my life, I realize that I may very well be the richest man in the world it has been one hell of a ride and I am lucky to have been on that ride...few get to have such experiences I am truly blessed.
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